Simon Kinberg
The 355 Review: Predictable Twists Bog Down This Lady Spy Thriller
The Pitch: There is a certain sub-genre of films, largely action films, that belong to a very specific time and place — an idyllic lazy Saturday afternoon, that post-lunch or brunch drowsiness kicking in as you nestle into your couch at home, searching for something to watch that won’t require too much effort to engage with on your part. The kind of movie you might watch with your dad over the holidays, just because it’s on cable. What The 355 offers up is a perfect Saturday afternoon dad movie, but instead of starring Stallone or Eastwood or Bronson, it stars five women with six Oscar nominations and two wins between them. (And was written by the creator of NBC’s Smash!) Approached with those sorts of low expectations, the new action drama starring Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong’o, Penélo...
Simon Kinberg to Write New Battlestar Galactica Movie for Universal
The Cylons are preparing for a comeback. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal is working on a new Battlestar Galactica movie, and screenwriter Simon Kinberg has been tapped to both write and produce the franchise. If there’s anyone prepared to explore a beloved franchise like Battlestar Galactica, it’s Kinberg. He spent years building the backbone of the X-Men movies, writing sci-fi flicks like Jumper and Fantastic Four, and producing features like The Martian and Deadpool. Kinberg’s got the experience to helm a project like this, and luckily he’s already promised to remain faithful to the source material, too. “Battlestar Galactica is one of the holy grails in science fiction, and I couldn’t be more excited about bringing something new to the franchise, while honoring what’s mad...
Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone Returns with All the Same Issues of Its First Season: Review
Welcome (Back) Travelers: Last year, Jordan Peele, Simon Kinberg, and Marco Ramirez tried their darnedest to bring back the magic of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone for CBS All Access. They hid Easter eggs in every episode (clearly, they loved “Nick of Time”), they remade a fan favorite (see: “Nightmare at 30,000 Feet”), and they even digitally resurrected the man himself (see: “Blurryman”). Some of it worked, some of it flopped, but mostly, it went from arriving with a big bang to shuffling away with a soft shrug. Even so, it was an intriguing enough run for a second season, and naturally, CBS kept the series’ trademark door open for 10 more episodes. Looking at the slate ahead, there’s a lot to be excited about: Peele went solo at the typewriter for “Downtime”; award-winning genre writer...
