On the morning of June 19, Anton Yelchin was found dead outside his home in Studio City, California. The 27-year-old – best known for his work in the blockbuster Star Trek reboot – was killed in what’s been described as a “freak accident.” The actor’s 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled backwards in his driveway and pinned the actor against a security gate. Yelchin’s autopsy indicated that he died almost instantly. Just days after the tragedy, a class action suit was filed against Fiat Chrysler claiming that the Cherokee had a faulty gear shift that made drivers think the car is in park when it’s actually in neutral. Now, Yelchin’s parents have filed their own lawsuit against carmaker under the belief that the company’s failure to recall the vehicle directly resulted in their son’s death. View Slideshow: Anton Yelchin: A Career in Pictures According to TMZ, the Yelchins are also suing the AutoNation car retail chain , which is presumably where Anton purchased the car. An attorney for the couple would not specify the amount the Yelchins are seeking in damages, but did confirm that they’re suing “for the wrongful death of their son due to significant defects.” Considering the high-profile nature of the case and the fact that the manufacturing defect in the Cherokee has been well-documented, the company will likely seek to settle out of court. In addition to his work as Chekov in the three most recent Star Trek films (including the one that’s currently in theaters), Yelchin had built up an impressive and greatly varied body of work for someone so young. As at home in indie films as he was in big-budget studio tentpoles, Yelchin gained the attention of critics in such beloved films as Alpha Dog , Charlie Bartlett and Green Room . Celebrities from all forms of media expressed their condolences on social media in the days following his passing. Yelchin’s friend and former co-star Justin Timberlake described him as a “genius actor, amazing human being.” View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Passed Away in 2016: Gone, But Not Forgotten
Anton Yelchin continues to be mourned and remembered by those who worked closely with the actor. As previously reported, Yelchin died on Sunday morning after he got trapped between his car and a security gate on his own property. Details on how this tragic accident took place are still being gathered, but it appears as if the actor passed away due to head and chest injuries. His vehicle rolled toward him while Yelchin was standing near the gate, fatally pinning him between the two obstacles. He was only 27 years old at the time. Authorities, meanwhile, are looking into the Jeep Grand Cherokee at the center of this accident and attempting to determine whether a recall is in order due to a fault in the design. Since his passing, many Hollywood stars have come out and expressed their deepest sympathies for Yelchin and his family. And this now includes Justin Timberlake. View Slideshow: Anton Yelchin: A Career in Pictures “Anton Yelchin. Genius actor. Amazing human being. Gone WAY too soon. May he rest in peace,” Timberlake Tweeted yesterday. The singer starred alongside Yelchin in the 2006 movie Alpha Dog. Yelchin is also best known for having played the title character in Charlie Bartlett and also portrayed Pavel Chekov in the rebooted Star Trek franchise. The latest movie from that franchise, Star Trek: Beyond, comes out on July 22. The cast and creators of these new Star Trek films, meanwhile, shared their heartbreak over the unexpected death of their costar in a message posted to social media soon after his passing. It was written by director J.J. Abrams, who helmed 2009’s Star Trek and 2013 Star Trek: Into Darkness, and it reads as follows: Anton was our little brother. But only by years; he was as wise and clever and intellectually curious as anyone we ever knew. His laugh was preposterous – you couldn’t hear it and not laugh yourself. He was funny, edgy, wild and talented beyond measure. His focus and dedication was admirable, as was his love of family, friends, literature and music. We loved Anton, at work or at play. We are all shocked and numb and devastated by the world’s loss of an extraordinary young man. To his family, we send you our love during this impossible time. We will miss Anton forever. His Star Trek family.
Anton Yelchin continues to be mourned and remembered by those who worked closely with the actor. As previously reported, Yelchin died on Sunday morning after he got trapped between his car and a security gate on his own property. Details on how this tragic accident took place are still being gathered, but it appears as if the actor passed away due to head and chest injuries. His vehicle rolled toward him while Yelchin was standing near the gate, fatally pinning him between the two obstacles. He was only 27 years old at the time. Authorities, meanwhile, are looking into the Jeep Grand Cherokee at the center of this accident and attempting to determine whether a recall is in order due to a fault in the design. Since his passing, many Hollywood stars have come out and expressed their deepest sympathies for Yelchin and his family. And this now includes Justin Timberlake. View Slideshow: Anton Yelchin: A Career in Pictures “Anton Yelchin. Genius actor. Amazing human being. Gone WAY too soon. May he rest in peace,” Timberlake Tweeted yesterday. The singer starred alongside Yelchin in the 2006 movie Alpha Dog. Yelchin is also best known for having played the title character in Charlie Bartlett and also portrayed Pavel Chekov in the rebooted Star Trek franchise. The latest movie from that franchise, Star Trek: Beyond, comes out on July 22. The cast and creators of these new Star Trek films, meanwhile, shared their heartbreak over the unexpected death of their costar in a message posted to social media soon after his passing. It was written by director J.J. Abrams, who helmed 2009’s Star Trek and 2013 Star Trek: Into Darkness, and it reads as follows: Anton was our little brother. But only by years; he was as wise and clever and intellectually curious as anyone we ever knew. His laugh was preposterous – you couldn’t hear it and not laugh yourself. He was funny, edgy, wild and talented beyond measure. His focus and dedication was admirable, as was his love of family, friends, literature and music. We loved Anton, at work or at play. We are all shocked and numb and devastated by the world’s loss of an extraordinary young man. To his family, we send you our love during this impossible time. We will miss Anton forever. His Star Trek family.
The Red Band trailer for Kick Ass 2 has hit the blogosphere, and it’s pretty blue thanks to the new villain’s handle that Christopher Mintz-Plasse adopts for this sequel. Red Mist is now The Mother Fucker, with a glam-rock costume that, weirdly, calls to mind Kiss and Liza Minnelli . Triple-named threats Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass) and Chloe Grace Moretz (Hit-Girl) are back and all grown up, and, this time around, they’re joined on the superhero side by Jim Carrey’s lantern-jawed Colonel Stars and Stripes. and his ball-busting guard dog. Ouch. Check out MTV’s exclusive clip below and the hot poster for the film. [ MTV ] Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Neatly balancing brightly sentimental comedy with slightly edgier funny business, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone pulls off the impressive trick of generating laughs on a consistent basis while spinning a clever scenario about rival magicians waging a Las Vegas turf war with a wide multi-demographic appeal. And while it may fall short of working B.O. magic when it hits theaters March 15, the pic — which played well with the opening-night crowd at the SXSW Film Festival — could wind up generating steady biz on a long-term basis rather than pulling a quick vanishing act. Steve Carell and Steve Buscemi are well cast as Burt Wonderstone and Anton Marvelton, childhood friends (and fellow nerd outcasts) who grew up to be superstar magicians with their own permanent performance place inside a glitzy Las Vegas casino. Unfortunately, success long ago went to Burt’s amply hairsprayed head. He and Anton routinely don their spangly costumes, strike their practiced poses, trade their well-worn wisecracks and rotely go through the motions during an act that obviously hasn’t changed much in a decade or so. (Their apt onstage theme, Steve Miller’s “Abracadabra,” becomes an amusing running gag simply through endless repetition.) But despite Anton’s suggestion that they refresh their bag of tricks, Burt is far more interested in bedding groupies — using a meticulously detailed m.o. (including demands for proof of age and a signed release form) revealed in one of the pic’s most inspired sequences — than doing anything that hasn’t already worked with audiences. Their complacency leaves room for a snarky street magician/endurance artist named Steve Gray (think Criss Angel, but with more attitude than talent) to siphon off their audience with self-aggrandizing stunts on and off the Vegas Strip. Hilariously played by Jim Carrey as a condescending showoff, Gray thrives on shocking people with dangerous feats (such as maiming himself and sleeping on hot coals) that Burt indignantly insists aren’t “real” magic. Trouble is, they’re real enough to attract the interest of Doug Munny ( James Gandolfini ), the fabulously rich and mega-egotistic owner of the casino where Burt and Anton perform. When Munny demands that his fading stars attempt something as spectacular as Gray’s risky trickery, they do so — quite disastrously — leading to public humiliation, an acrimonious breakup and the start of Burt’s reluctant journey toward something like personal and professional rebirth. Carell is at the top of his form as the self-absorbed Burt struggles to maintain his haughty sangfroid while trying to convince himself, and everyone else, that’s he’s still a superstar, even as he’s reduced to taking a gig as the resident act at a retirement home for Vegas performers. Fortunately, that’s where the fallen-from-grace former headliner meets a singularly irascible retiree: Rance Holloway ( Alan Arkin ), the same legendary magician who originally inspired Burt to pursue prestidigitation as a profession. With a little help from Holloway — and encouragement from Jane ( Olivia Wilde ), a former stage assistant who proves to be pretty magical herself — Burt is ready to compete against Gray and several others in an audition for a prime gig at Munny’s latest hotel. But what he really, really needs to seal the deal is a reunion with his estranged partner, whose own journey of self-discovery shows that in some parts of the world, people have desperate need of the rabbits magicians pull out of their hats. Former actor turned TV helmer Don Scardino does a bang-up job of unobtrusively maneuvering through stealthy tonal shifts in the free-wheeling script by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley . Some of the standout scenes border on black comedy (including the blunt-force physical gags in the pic’s final minutes), while others rely more on traditionally sunny buddy-comedy humor. But Scardino and his players ensure that there are no bumpy transitions, only a smooth ride. Buscemi is very engaging as the amiably optimistic Anton, Wilde fleshes out a thinly written part through sheer screen presence, Gandolfini attacks his part with infectious delight, and Arkin continues his long run of show-stopping, scene-stealing supporting perfs. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone boasts a brightly buffed technical polish. The trademark trick in Burt and Anton’s act is a stunt partly designed by real-life magician David Copperfield , who appears as himself in a witty in-jokey sequence. Golden oldies and new tunes are efficiently employed in the mood-enhancing soundtrack. Expect to be humming “Abracadabra” for days afterward, whether you want to or not. Follow Movieline on Twitter .
I’ve been looking forward to the Anton Corbijn-directed, George Clooney-starring thriller The American for a while, and the new trailer doesn’t disappoint. Not only is it beautiful, spare, and visually striking, but it appears to be a big-budget feature version of “The Economist,” one of my favorite episodes of Lost .
