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Interview: Daniel Bruhl is “The Alienist” on TNT

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For Daniel Bruhl, being cast as the title character in TNT’s new series “The Alienist” was a dream come true. The actor, who has a historian’s fascination with the past, could hardly believe the luck of being cast in a period crime drama set in New York, and the complexity of his character made the role even more thrilling.

“The Alienist” centers on Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist in 1896 New York, who finds himself involved in the investigation of a string of brutal murders. The victims, all young boys who had been pulled into the city’s sex trade, have been horribly mutilated, and Kreizler believes that by studying the murders he and his colleagues can create a psychological portrait of who the killer is and aid in his capture.

But how does one prepare for a role that requires not only an understanding of a time period, but also the the practice of psychology in its infancy? It was a challenging question, but one that the actor was keen to answer.

“I was mesmerized by the book by Caleb Carr,” Bruhl told me when we chatted earlier this week. “I was gripped by it and these wonderful characters who are all pioneers exploring fields that we now take for granted.”

And so, his preparation began. He began to read about the history of New York and the political climate in the late 1800s while simultaneously reading the work of Freud and Jung.

It also helped that the actor’s wife is a psychologist and was able to give him insights into the history of its study and practice. In fact, it was one of those insights in particular that helped cement part of Dr. Kreizler’s personality.

“She told me that back in the day psychologists didn’t take part in what we now call instructive analysis,” he said. “Today, every shrink has to go to a psychologist themselves to help deal with the pressures of a profession which puts them face to face with people dealing with horrible mental illnesses, some of whom have done terrible things or had terrible things done to them.”

Psychologists or “alienists” as they were called at the time, did not readily have an outlet to deal with these pressures and it could take a heavy toll on them. Bruhl knew that this was key to understanding why Kreizler. so confident in analyzing others, became uncomfortable when the lens was turned upon himself.

With all of his preparation complete, the moment came to travel to Budapest where the series’ production crew had painstakingly recreated 19th century New York, and Bruhl recalls that he and his fellow actors were in awe of that creation.

Dakota Fanning, Daniel Bruhl, and Luke Evans in TNT’s “The Alienist” Photo by Kata Vermes

“I remember walking down Mulberry St. with Luke [Evans] the first time, and we were just enthralled by it,” he said. “The passion put into building these sets was amazing. In Kreizler’s house, every piece of furniture, every prop was from the time period and that, of course, made it easier for the actors to believe that we’re living and working in that time.”

But it wasn’t all backlots and manufactured sets. Budapest itself was a boon to the production team.

“There’s so much preserved architecture from that time period, especially for filming locations for the upper class scenes,” Bruhl explained. “I didn’t know Budapest before shooting, and I was surprised by how grand and pretty it really is.”

Filming on location also enabled Bruhl and his fellow actors time to really bond and get to know each other. An amazing chemistry comes through on screen, and Bruhl pointed out that much of that came from he and his fellow actors spending most of their time together.

“None of us lives in Budapest and we actually enjoyed hanging out together even when we weren’t working,” he said. “You wouldn’t do that if you didn’t like your colleagues. It was really remarkable.”

At the end of the day, Bruhl feels honored to have been part of a project like this, and is obviously hopeful to inhabit the world again should TNT want to adapt further books in the series.

“The Alienist” airs Monday nights on TNT (check local listings for time).

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The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location

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beetlejuice in Hawaii Movie

Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s sequels to hit movies weren’t as linear as they are today. It was more like “let’s re-do the situation but in a different location.” Remember Speed 2, or National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Even Aliens, as good as it is, follows a lot of the plot points of the original; people stuck on a ship, an android, a little girl in peril instead of a cat. So it makes sense that one of the most popular supernatural comedies of all time, Beetlejuice would follow the same pattern.

In 1991 Tim Burton was interested in doing a sequel to his 1988 original, it was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian:

“The Deetz family moves to Hawaii to develop a resort. Construction begins, and it’s quickly discovered that the hotel will be sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. Beetlejuice comes in to save the day.”

Burton liked the script but wanted some re-writes so he asked then-hot screenwriter Daniel Waters who had just got done contributing to Heathers. He passed on the opportunity so producer David Geffen offered it to Troop Beverly Hills scribe Pamela Norris to no avail.

Eventually, Warner Bros. asked Kevin Smith to punch up Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, he scoffed at the idea, saying, “Didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”

Nine years later the sequel was killed. The studio said Winona Ryder was now too old for the part and an entire re-cast needed to happen. But Burton never gave up, there were a lot of directions he wanted to take his characters, including a Disney crossover.

“We talked about lots of different things,” the director said in Entertainment Weekly. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted MansionBeetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.”

Fast-forward to 2011 when another script was pitched for a sequel. This time the writer of Burton’s Dark Shadows,  Seth Grahame-Smith was hired and he wanted to make sure the story wasn’t a cash-grabbing remake or reboot. Four years later, in 2015, a script was approved with both Ryder and Keaton saying they would return to their respective roles. In 2017 that script was revamped and then eventually shelved in 2019.

During the time the sequel script was being tossed around in Hollywood, in 2016 an artist named Alex Murillo posted what looked like one-sheets for a Beetlejuice sequel. Although they were fabricated and had no affiliation with Warner Bros. people thought they were real.

Perhaps the virality of the artwork sparked interest in a Beetlejuice sequel once again, and finally, it was confirmed in 2022 Beetlejuice 2 had a green light from a script written by Wednesday writers  Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The star of that series Jenna Ortega signed on to the new movie with filming starting in 2023. It was also confirmed that Danny Elfman would return to do the score.

Burton and Keaton agreed that the new film titled Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice wouldn’t rely on CGI or other other forms of technology. They wanted the film to feel “handmade.” The film wrapped in November 2023.

It’s been over three decades to come up with a sequel to Beetlejuice. Hopefully, since they said aloha to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian there has been enough time and creativity to ensure Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will not only honor the characters, but fans of the original.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will open theatrically on September 6.

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Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

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Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

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New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

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Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

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