Welcome to B.H.โs Screen Time, where every week, weโll give you the cliff notes on whatโs happening in the entertainment industry. From various stages of development chatter and our take on the newest releases, to a fun throwback worth revisiting, think of it as an insiderโs digest meets movie club.
Coming Soon
Much has been reported about Michael Mannโs long-gestating Heat 2, from alleged production start dates and casting to roadblocks. The latest headline surrounding this hotly anticipated adaptation, which already exists as an excellent The Godfather II-esque novel written by the director himself and crime novelist Meg Gardiner, involves Leonardo DiCaprio.
According to Puckโs Matthew Belloni, Warner Bros balked at Mannโs initial US$200 million budget estimate, causing the latter to lower it to US$170 million. Despite this, the studio is still looking for a more reasonable figure, and has opted to explore partnering with the likes of Apple to co-finance.
Now hereโs where DiCaprio entering the conversation makes the entire affairโฆ interesting.
Given his obvious star power and existing relationship with Apple, Heat 2 being greenlit could potentially hinge upon the Killers of the Flower Moon leading man participation. Thereโs also a major incentive in it for DiCaprio: collaborating with another legendary filmmaker before he retires.
Who exactly would he portray?
Speculation had pointed towards young Neil McCauley (and, in effect, a young Robert De Niro) โ replacing Michael Mannโs Ferrari muse, Adam Driver, and quite possibly joining Austin Butler (who is believed to be taking on a younger version of the late Val Kilmerโs Chris Shiherlis). Will it work out? Thatโs another matter entirely, and one we eagerly await to discover the answer for.
And in terms of small(er) screens, Paramount+โs Tulsa King season 3 has dropped a teaser trailer.
In the third season, Dwight Manfrediโs (Sylvester Stallone) empire continues to grow. But so too do the foes intent on taking it all away from him. This time around, itโs the powerful old-money Dunmore family that the veteran crime boss must take one.
While this early preview hasnโt alluded to it, Tulsa King season 3 will also backdoor pilot the spin-off property led by Samuel L. Jackson: Nola King. As weโve previously covered, the storyline wonโt be too different from the mothership series:
โInspired by what Dwight created in Tulsa and impressed with the possibilities of second chances, Russell Lee Washington Jr (Jackson) returns to New Orleans โ the home he abandoned 40 years ago โ to rekindle his relationship with his family, friends, and to take control of the city he left behind. In so doing, he incurs the wrath of his former employers in New York, and makes himself vulnerable to old NOLA foes, both criminal and cop.โ
NOLA King arrives sometime during mid-to-late 2026, while Tulsa King season 3 has officially set a release date for its Paramount+ premiere: September 21st, 2025.
Now Showing
The hype has been considerable for Zach Creggerโs Weapons starring Julia Garner and Josh Brolin.
To the point that the spec script alone was the subject of a multi-million-dollar bidding war so frenzied, that when Jordan Peeleโs Monkeypaw Productions lost the auction to New Line Cinema, the Get Out filmmaker fired his longtime managers (ostensibly out of professional frustration).
And what a sophomore feature-length directorial effort it is.
Much like in Barbarian, Cregger masterfully wields tension like a scalpel, which is balanced by genuinely humorous elements that are clear throwbacks to his Whitest Kids UโKnow days. Bolstered by a standout performance from the young Cary Christopher, who manages to elicit a remarkable amount of sympathy as surviving child Alex Lilly, what I can say is that it lives up to most of the buzz.
Even when the veil is dropped and the chaos descends into a Once Upon A Time In Hollywood-style third act, gratuitous violence and all, Cregger finds the time to seriously unsettle audiences in a primal sense.
All in all, a fun ride the entire way. Which is perhaps the highest compliment I can pay as a historically non-horror fan. Fellow non-horror fans also neednโt worry about being kept up late at night: the scares are relatively contextual with built-in laughs serving as the perfect tonic.
They Donโt Make โEm Like They Used Toโฆ
To satisfy an appetite for competency porn, this week, we revisited one of the greatest legal thrillers of all time: Michael Clayton starring George Clooney and Tilda Swinton.
The tautly intriguing affair, written and directed by Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Trilogy, Rogue One, Andor), follows the eponymous lawyer/โfixerโ at one of New York Cityโs most prestigious law firms, portrayed by Clooney.
When one of his law firmโs top litigators suffers a breakdown during a multi-billion-dollar legal suit involving a corrupt chemical corporation, Clayton finds himself โtorn between his desire to do the right thing and a pressing need to pay off spiralling personal debts.โ
The most criminal thing about Michael Clayton is how goddamn underrated it is in the scheme of modern dramas. Yes, it earned seven Academy Award nominations โ including Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Original Score, Actor, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress (which Swinton won) โ but in the grand scheme of modern drama films, it doesnโt nearly get spoken about enough.
Itโs also (in our opinion) among George Clooneyโs finest career performances to date. The man trades his usual suave and charming persona for something slickly ruthless whoโs forced to reckon with his own morality.
Do yourself the favour.
