So, this “Punisher” “special,” titled “The Punisher: One Last Kill,” released its first full trailer today. Is it a movie? Sort of. Clocking in at a little over 60 minutes.
The exact storyline hasn’t been revealed, but the trailer hints that Frank is starting to mentally unravel, experiencing hallucinations of people from his past while also being pursued by others who appear to want him eliminated.
Jon Bernthal not only stars as The Punisher, he also co-wrote the screenplay alongside director Reinaldo Marcus Green (“King Richard,” “Bob Marley: One Love”). Marvel executive Brad Winderbaum described the special as “a shotgun blast of a story, but also with all the pathos and emotion fans expect from a Frank Castle arc.”
Now, I don’t know how much Marvel paid Robert Elswit to be cinematographer on this upcoming “Punisher,” but they clearly watched his night scenes in “Nightcrawler” and said, “We want THAT.” Elswit used to be Paul Thomas Anderson’s go-to cinematographer (“There Will Be Blood,” “Punch-Drunk Love”), but they had a falling out during the production of “Inherent Vice.”
One has to acknowledge Elswit’s staggering body of work. He was Oscar-nominated for his sumptuous work in George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck,” but will forever be known for his incredible photography in PTA’s “There Will Be Blood,” for which he won the Oscar. Using desert daylight on 35mm film, Elswit created a visionary landscape of hell, fire, and brimstone.
“The Punisher: One Last Kill” premieres on Disney+ on May 12th.
Not more than 24 hours later, Guy Ritchie’s role offer to Markle has now reportedly been withdrawn. The story goes that they don’t want her in the show anymore “after intense backlash in the U.K.”