Tag Archives: Valkyrie

Tessa Thompson Makes Special Appearance in Final “The Marvels” Trailer

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It’s a Marvels-ous moment for Tessa Thompson.

In the just-released final trailer before the premiere of The Marvels this Friday, the 40-year-old half-Afro-Panamanian and part-Mexican American actress makes a surprise appearance.

Tessa Thompson,Towards the end of the trailer, Thompson‘s Valkyrie makes an appearance talking to Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel and telling her, “You can stand tall without standing alone.”

Valkyrie first appeared in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. Thompson would later reprise her role and make appearances in Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022).

Also, Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Chris Evans’ Captain America make an appearance in flashbacks as the voiceover by Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury says, “Heroes, it’s an old fashioned notion, but the world can still use them.”

The Marvel Studios film follows Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel as she has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as “The Marvels.”

The Marvels stars Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Seo-Jun Park, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Nia DaCosta directs, and Kevin Feige is the producer. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Mary Livanos and Matthew Jenkins serve as executive producers. The screenplay is by DaCosta, Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik.

The Marvels opens in theaters on Friday, Nov. 10.

Tessa Thompson to Star in the sci-fi thriller “Ash”

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Tessa Thompson is ready to kick ash…

The 38-year-old part-Panamanian and part-Mexican American actress will star opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the sci-fi thriller Ash, which the Grammy-winning musician and filmmaker Flying Lotus — otherwise known as Steven Ellison — will direct as his sophomore feature.

Tessa Thompson,Neill Blomkamp will executive produce the film, which its financier XYZ Films will rep for worldwide sales at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival.

The new film, for which the multi-hyphenate will also compose an original score, watches as a woman (Thompson) wakes up on a distant planet and finds the crew of her space station viciously killed, and must then decide if she can trust the man (Gordon-Levitt) sent to rescue her. But as their investigation into what happened sets in motion a terrifying chain of events, he begins to wonder how innocent she really is.

Jonni Remmler wrote the original screenplay for the film, looking to go into production in New Zealand next year.

It is Flying Lotus’ follow-up to the Sundance-premiering body horror anthology, Kuso. XYZ Films and GFC Films will produce, with Blomkamp exec producing alongside Echo Lake Entertainment.

“It’s an absolute dream come true to collaborate with some of the most talented actors out there!,” said Flying Lotus.

Thompson is an Emmy– and BAFTA Award-nominated actress and producer who reprised her Marvel role as Valkyrie for the recent Thor: Lover and Thunder, also recently returning for the fourth season of HBO’s Westworld.

Other notable big-screen credits from recent years include Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut Passing, and Prime Video’s Sylvie’s Love, which she also executive produced, as well as Selma, Dear White People and the Creed films.

Among Thompson’s upcoming projects is Creed III, which is currently in post-production, with its release set for next March. Her production company Viva Maude is actively in development on projects including Secret Lives of Church Ladies, Luster and Who Fears Death.

Toni Calderon Developing New Docuseries Focused on IMSA Amateur Sportscar Drivers

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Toni Calderon is revving up for a new project…

The Latino producer has teamed up with Brad Peyton on a new docuseries focused on the high-energy, high-intensity world of amateur sportscar drivers.

Toni Calderon, The still-untitled project will shine a spotlight on the arena of IMSA pro-am racing, following the lives of the everyday men and women who look to compete against the best professional race car drivers in the world, including Katherine Legge and Filipe Albuquerque.

The project will have unprecedented, behind-the-scenes access to the amateur drivers, and to how racing against professionals can risk their relationships, their businesses, and more importantly, their lives.

In addition to executive producers Peyton and Calderon, the producing team includes former Netflix executive Justin Price; Mike Zhu, who formerly served as Head of Strategy and Planning for wiip; Hardpoint Motorsports’ President & CEO, Rob Ferriol; The Gentleman Driver producer Beaux Jackson; and the Atlanta-based film producer and entrepreneur Mark Sunderland, who specializes in development and early stage companies.

Production on the series, examining the 2023 racing season, will launch at the end of this year. CAA Media Finance represents the project’s worldwide distribution rights.

“I’m fascinated by the raw nature of pro-am racing and more importantly the stories and stakes of the men and women drivers who compete in it,” said Peyton. “This league and these drivers have captivating stories that mainstream America hasn’t seen yet. I’m excited to dive into the unscripted world with this project and can’t wait to be at Daytona when we kick-off the production!”

“This series aims to shine a light on the unsung heroes of motorsports – the amateur drivers – and bring fans a rare look at their lives,” added Calderon. “We want to share the incredible stories of drivers who risk their lives and put themselves in impossible situations because of their passion for and love of the sport. These are men and women from all walks of life going out there and risking it all to prove that they are as good as the pros and to earn a coveted seat at Le Mans.”

Calderon serves as Chief Growth Officer for the Austin-based AI company Valkyrie, and is also a partner at the motorsports company Speed Group.

His 20 years of experience across management, advertising, sales and marketing in the motorsports arena has had him working on high-profile commercial projects tied to Formula 1, the World Endurance Championship and the International Motor Sports Association.

He previously executive-produced Netflix’s feature documentary The Gentleman Driver, examining the lives of businessmen moonlighting as race car drivers, which was released in the U.S. in 2019.