The Gangster Squad

Warner Bros. Moves Alfonso Cuaron’s GRAVITY to 2013; Sets GANGSTER SQUAD for Release on September 7

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 14th, 2012 at 4:29 pm

Many people (myself included) were counting director Alfonso Cuaron’s ambitious sci-fi pic Gravity as one of their most anticipated films of 2012.  Well, now we’re all gonna have to wait a little longer, as Warner Bros. has lifted the film off of its November release date and set it for sometime in 2013.  This is a big bummer, but the film most likely has some insane visual effects work to finish in post-production.  Sandra Bullock stars as an astronaut stranded in space, and she’s apparently the only actor onscreen for the majority of the film.  Though I’m sad to have to wait, I’m confident that the move was made in the film’s best interest.  I’d rather have the Gravity Cuaron intends to release rather than a rushed version.  It’s also entirely possible that Warner Bros. just felt that their slate was too crowded to premiered Gravity.  In addition to The Hobbit, they have Argo, Gangster Squad, and The Great Gatsby all opening this fall.

Hit the jump for more, including new dates for Gangster Squad and Beautiful Creatures.

TOP 5: James Cameron Only Making AVATAR Movies, GANGSTER SQUAD Trailer, PROMETHEUS Is Rated R, Joss Whedon Editorial, DARK SHADOWS

by Jason Barr    Posted: May 12th, 2012 at 2:29 pm

In last week’s opening paragraph I welcomed the summer movie season into the fold by way of The Avengers. Earlier this week it dawned on me that another season is upon us as well. One that is nearly as costly as a summer blockbuster, albeit far less anticipated by yours truly: wedding season. Over the course of the next few months, I’ll attend no fewer than four ceremonies/receptions (not including my own) and, while I’ll be honored to have been invited to share a special moment with friends new and old, I’ll likely fall behind on my summer movie checklist. So, if you start noticing Top 5 opening paragraphs having less to do with film than what type of dessert was served at the reception, you have my most sincere advance apology.

Wedding disclaimers aside, awaiting you on the other side of this week’s Top 5 is James Cameron saying he only wants to make Avatar movies from now on, the first trailer for director Ruben Fleischer‘s Gangster Squad, Prometheus‘ R-rating, Matt’s letter of recommendation for Joss Whedon, and Dark Shadows coverage including interviews with Johnny Depp, Tim Burton, and Seth Grahame-Smith. A brief recap and link to each ensues after the jump.

First Trailer for GANGSTER SQUAD Starring Josh Brolin, Sean Penn, and Ryan Gosling

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 9th, 2012 at 4:35 pm

The first trailer for director Ruben Fleischer‘s (Zombieland) crime drama Gangster Squad has gone online. The film stars Sean Penn as gangster Mickey Cohen, and centers on the Los Angeles task force (headed by Josh Brolin) assembled to bring him to justice.  I’m a sucker for anything 1940s-related, but I think this trailer is pretty damn great.  The cast is incredible, and Fleischer’s visual flair from his previous films looks to have matured and evolved for this more dramatic story.  Above all, though, Gangster Squad looks like a lot of fun.  It’s easy for period pieces like this to be drowned by solemnity (I’m looking at you, Public Enemies), but Fleischer hasn’t forgotten that there’s a lot of fun to be had in 1940s L.A.  Additionally, I’m loving the different personalities on display in the ensemble.  Between this, Argo, and the slew of movies slated for this fall/winter, 2012 is shaping up to be something special.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film also stars Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte, Michael Peña, Anthony Mackie, and Giovanni Ribisi.  Gangster Squad opens later this year.

Warner Bros. Moves Ben Affleck’s ARGO to October 12; Pushes THE GANGSTER SQUAD to Late 2012

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: April 9th, 2012 at 7:37 pm

Warner Bros. spent the last week of September scheduling two potential 2012 awards contenders: Argo and The Gangster Squad.  According to Variety, those release dates won’t stick:

• Ben Affleck‘s Argo will take The Gangster Squad‘s place in the calendar on October 12
• The Gangster Squad—starring Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, and Josh Brolin—will move to a date to be named later in 2012.

Details after the break.

New Images from THE HUNGER GAMES, MEN IN BLACK 3, THE GANGSTER SQUAD, and Many More

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 16th, 2012 at 8:12 am

2012 has begun and that means fresh optimism!  Fresh movies!  Fresh images from those movies!  After the jump you’ll find 21 new images from upcoming movies like  The Hunger Games, Men in Black 3, Rock of Ages, The Five-Year Engagement, The Gangster Squad, and plenty more (for our purposes, plenty =  16).

Images and Synopses for JACK THE GIANT KILLER, ARGO, THE LUCKY ONE, DARK SHADOWS, THE GREAT GATSBY, WRATH OF THE TITANS, and More

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: December 26th, 2011 at 11:43 am

We have one last set of images and synopses from the comprehensive preview of Warner Bros. 2012 slate. Some of the images are new: Bryan Singer‘s fairy tale Jack the Giant Killer, The Lucky One starring Zac Efron, and Ben Affleck‘s Argo. Many of the images we have seen before: Leonardo DiCaprio as The Great Gatsby, Dwayne Johnson in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island , Sam Worthington in Wrath of the Titans, the cast of Dark Shadows led by Johnny Depp, Sean Penn as period gangster in The Gangster Squad. But all the images are in beautiful high resolution. Check out all 11 images along with the official synopsis, release date, and cast/crew for each film after the jump.

Anthony Mackie Talks REAL STEEL, THE GANGSTER SQUAD and ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER

by Christina Radish    Posted: October 3rd, 2011 at 2:28 pm

In the robot boxing flick Real Steel, actor Anthony Mackie plays Finn, the charismatic host of the robot fights at The Crash Palace, an underground venue where folks go to make fast cash. Taking inspiration from Don King, Mackie jumped at the opportunity to play such a rambunctious and outlandish character, and even worked out because he knew he’d be sharing scenes with the film’s star, Hugh Jackman.

At the film’s press day, Anthony Mackie talked about how much fun he had working with Hugh Jackman, that he was initially intimidated by the huge robots because he was waiting for them to go crazy and kill everybody, that he feels this is one of the first times he’s seen a movie where the graphics are insane and the story is actually there to back it up, and that he hopes Finn will get the Don King hair, if he gets to return for a sequel. He also talked about always wanting to do something different with the roles that he chooses to do, why he was attracted to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and who he’s playing in The Gangster Squad. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Anthony Mackie Talks ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER and THE GANGSTER SQUAD

by Christina Radish    Posted: September 26th, 2011 at 8:55 am

At this past weekend’s press junket for Real Steel, opening in theaters on October 7^th, Collider got the opportunity to speak with Anthony Mackie, who plays Finn, the charismatic host of the robot fights at The Crash Palace. While we will post the portion of the interview about what drew him to the role and how much fun he had playing a character so different from him, close to the film’s release date, we did want to post what he had to say about two of his other high-profile projects – the recently wrapped Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and The Gangster Squad, currently shooting for director Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland).

When talking about his role as Abraham Lincoln’s best friend, William H. Johnson, Anthony Mackie explained his belief in the re-contextualization of history to interest kids in wanting to learn more, even if that means adding vampires to the story to catch their attention. He also talked about playing Lieutenant Harris, a member of the Gangster Squad in the late 1940′s, who wanted to keep Mickey Cohen from bringing heroin into Compton. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Synopsis and Cast List for THE GANGSTER SQUAD; Principal Photography Began Today

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: September 6th, 2011 at 7:33 pm

Director Ruben Fleischer (30 Minutes or Less) started filming the period crime drama The Gangster Squad today in Los Angeles.  Because the movie was known by three different titles during in the development stage, our coverage is pretty spread out across the site.  So we will take this opportunity to catch up with the official synopsis and full cast list all in one handy article.  The logline:

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and—if he has his way—every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop…except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen’s world apart.

Emma Stone, Robert Patrick, Michael Peña, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Mackie join Penn, Brolin, and Gosling to form a cast guarantees we will keep tabs on this one through release.  For more info, including details on the characters and the real-life inspiration, check out the production announcement after the break.

Emma Stone in Talks for Ruben Fleischer’s THE GANGSTER SQUAD

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: July 26th, 2011 at 5:21 pm

While Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer was unable to fit his good luck charm Jesse Eisenberg into the cast of his upcoming drama The Gangster Squad, it looks like he may be bringing some Zombieland brethren into the fold after all. Showblitz reports that Emma Stone is now in talks to join the cast of Fleischer’s period crime flick. The story revolves around the elite squad of cops who hunted down gangster Mickey Cohen in 1940s Los Angeles.

The stellar cast includes Sean Penn as Cohen, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Michael Peña, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi and Holt McCallany. I caught a screening of Fleischer’s Zombieland follow-up 30 Minutes or Less at Comic-Con last week and thought it was great (Peña absolutely kills in his scenes). The director has a fantastic eye and I can’t wait to see what he does with a dramatic period gangster movie.

Giovanni Ribisi Joins Sean Penn in GANGSTER SQUAD

by Jason Barr    Posted: July 6th, 2011 at 6:48 pm

Giovanni Ribisi has landed a co-starring role in director Ruben Fleischer’s (Zombieland) 1940s crime pic The Gangster Squad. Ribisi joins a cast that already includes Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Michael Pena, and possibly Bryan Cranston. Adapted by Will Beall (Castle) from a series of LA Times articles by Paul Lieberman, The Gangster Squad centers on Mickey Cohen (Penn) and the elite squad of cops that chased him through Los Angeles.

According to Deadline, Ribisi will play the role of Conway Keeler, a member of the elite squad who is a connoisseur of electronics and wiring. Warner Bros. is currently eyeing a 2013 release for The Gangster Squad. In addition to this latest role, Ribisi will also appear alongside Mila Kunis and Mark Wahlberg in the Seth MacFarlane comedy Ted and opposite Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Richard Jenkins, and Aaron Eckhart in The Rum Diary due out later this year on October 28th.

Bryan Cranston in Talks for GANGSTER SQUAD

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: June 29th, 2011 at 6:57 pm

The beloved Bryan Cranston is in talks to star opposite Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Michael Pena, and Anthony Mackie in the period crime drama Gangster Sqad.  Will Beall (Castle) adapted the script from the LA Times’ seven-part series “Tales from the Gangster Squad,” the original title of the movie.  The articles chronicle the LAPD’s formation of the Gangster Squad in the 1940s to combat organized crime in Los Angeles.  Variety pins Cranston to the role of Max Kennard, “a laconic LAPD officer from Texas who enforces the law ambitiously.”  (Variety also refers to the movie as “The Gangster Squad,” so be prepared for a slight title adjustment if future coverage follows suit.)  Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) will direct the Warner Bros/Village Roadshow production.

Cranston is doing a splendid job parlaying is multiple Breaking Bad Emmy wins into fancy movie roles.  Larry Crowne opens this Friday, followed by Contagion (September 9) and Drive (September 16) in the fall.  2012 holds Rock of Ages, John Carter, Total Recall, and likely Red Tails.  Additionally, Cranston recently entered negotiations to star in Argo.  Time continues to pass way too slowly until season four of Breaking Bad premieres on July 17.  Cranston forever!

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