If you still think of GOSSIP GIRL when Blake Lively is mentioned, you may be missing some of the interesting films she’s done in the past few years. A SIMPLE FAVOR made almost $100 million on a $20 million budget. THE SHALLOWS made $120 million on a $17 million budget. THE AGE OF ADALINE made $65 million on a $25 million budget. Now, that’s not to say she hasn’t turned in a few duds, like ALL I SEE IS YOU, which cost $30 million to make and barely made over $200,000 in box office returns… yikes. Her newest effort is THE RHYTHM SECTION, which looks pretty intense. Lively plays a woman who finds out her family died in a plane crash, then realizes the plane was brought down deliberately, and wants revenge on those responsible. Jude Law plays the man who agrees to train her for the task. This comes from Reed Morano, executive producer and director of THE HANDMAID’s TALE, and the story is based on the character featured in the novels by Mark Burnell. We’re betting the studio is hoping for this to kick off a franchise of films, perhaps akin to the TAKEN or BOURNE movies.
Blake Lively stars as Stephanie Patrick, an ordinary woman on a path of self-destruction after her family is tragically killed in a plane crash. When Stephanie discovers that the crash was not an accident, she enters a dark, complex world to seek revenge on those responsible and find her own redemption. Based on the novel by Mark Burnell, from director Reed Morano (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) and the producers of the James Bond film series, The Rhythm Section also stars Jude Law and Sterling K. Brown.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
