Since winning her Best Actress Oscar in 2002, I’d argue that Halle Berry just hasn’t quite enjoyed the kind of post-Oscar career that was all-but promised that glorious evening, when her win was proclaimed in the entertainment media as a pivotal moment in Hollywood history in terms of work available for black actors and actresses, and Berry specifically, who some said had broken down a once-closed door that would lead to much more and even bigger roles for her in studio filmmaking.
That never quite happened. Not that she hasn’t been working; she certainly has, but in mostly forgettable fare: "Gothika," "Catwoman," "Perfect Stranger," "Dark Tide," "The Call," and "Frankie & Alice" to name a few relative duds. Of course she’s been playing Storm in the "X-Men" movies, but her involvement in them has been mostly negligible as part of an ensemble cast, essentially taking a back seat to characters like Wolverine, Professor X, Magneto, and Mystique. Ask most fans what her strongest work has been since "Monster’s Ball," and I think "Things We Lost in the Fire" (a long 9 years ago) will be at the top of the majority of short lists.
We could debate until the cows come home about why we’re not talking about her in the same breath as some of the industry’s most prominent and sought after actresses, 15 years after the movie that put her among an elite group (actresses who’ve won Best Actress Oscars, and are still alive), and I’m sure our arguments will vary, but the fact will still remain.
Upcoming, later this year, she stars in a thriller titled "Kidnap" about a mother who stops at nothing to recover her kidnapped son, which will be out in May; although there doesn’t seem to be much buzz around it, even though it’ll be in theaters in about 2 months. We haven’t even seen a trailer yet, which is uncharacteristic for a studio film this close to the release date. Not that this is a definite indication of the film’s worth, but a trailer should’ve been out ions ago! Tyler Perry’s next "Madea" movie won’t be in theaters until Halloween, but Lionsgate (the studio behind the film), released a teaser last month! It’s all marketing isn’t it? And typically, these things begin many months before a film’s release. So the studio isn’t doing "Kidnap" (and Halle Berry, its star) any favors by not pushing it, despite a theatrical opening set for just 2 months from today. The average person likely has no idea that Halle Berry has a movie coming out in May.
After "Kidnap" she has this, a new project which was announced this week…
Berry is "in talks" to join the cast of "Kingsman 2," a sequel to the 2014 film "Kingsman: The Secret Service." She will play a CIA chief opposite star Taron Egerton in the movie which is set for a 2017 release.
It’s not yet known how involved Berry’s character will be in the sequel’s story; but we know that she’s not the star of the film.
Director Matthew Vaughn is currently assembling the elements for the sequel to "Kingsman: The Secret Service," which was a surprise hit, grossing over $414 million worldwide when it was released by Fox in 2015.
Assuming a deal is reached, this will be Berry’s next film, as she has absolutely nothing else on her schedule. Unless CBS brings back "Extant." In October 2015, the network canceled the series after two seasons.
