Warner Bros Loses Director, Disney Gains One

Warner Bros Loses Director, Disney Gains One

Jaume Collet-Serra, the alleged director of Suicide Squad 2, has dropped out in order to direct a new film for a different studio. Collet-Serra has now moved to Disney's group and is now going to direct the ride-centric film The Jungle Cruise, which will star the Rock (Dwayne Johnson). Suicide Squad 2 is now looking for another director, and it remains to be seen who it will be, as well as why Collet-Serra left the project to begin with. 

Deadpool 2 Official Photo of Domino Revealed

Deadpool 2 Official Photo of Domino Revealed

Deadpool 2 is well underway, and a new official photo has been released hyping up a brand new character. The picture shows actress Zazie Beetz lying on a rug a la Deadpool in the original marketing campaign. Fans will be introduced to Domino in 2018, as Ryan Reynolds returns top lay the titular role. 

Josh Brolin Back for Avengers 4?

Josh Brolin Back for Avengers 4?

Rumors of what Avengers 4 could be about have run rampant recently (read below), but amidst this talks, Josh Brolin has come out on Instagram and posted a picture of Thanos, heavily hinting that he will be back for Avengers 4.

While originally, Avengers 4 would have been Avengers: Infinity War Part II, Joe and Anthony Russo have been saying that this will be a drastically different film. Rumors have said that this could be a Secret Invasion film, where some of the Avengers have been compromised by Skrulls and the remaining Avengers and perhaps Thanos will have to take down.

Weekend Box Office Report (July 28th-July 30th)

Weekend Box Office Report (July 28th - July 30th)

Disclaimer: Every Monday, I will post the top five movies that grossed the most money DOMESTICALLY (in the United States), with some brief thoughts about each film. 

1. Dunkirk ($28.13 Million): One of the few movies that remained number one at the weekend box office two weeks in a row, Dunkirk is going strong. While it won't make a billion dollars, it's nice to see that people are going out to see this visionary war film, the latest in a line of spectacular films in Nolan's filmography. 

2. The Emoji Movie ($25.65 Million): This piece of garbage is at number two. Next week, I guarantee you it will be gone. While parents do want to send their kids to movies that will entertain them for a couple hours, they don't want to send their kids to pieces of garbage and this film will sink almost as soon as it emerged from the water. 

3. Girls Trip ($20.09 Million): This film is the exact opposite of the Emoji Movie - a film that no one really saw coming but has garnered critical acclaim for being one of the funniest comedies of the year. This weekend has been diverse in terms of the genres with a war film, an animated film, a comic book movie, a comedy, and a spy film. Girls Trip looks to make a good amount of money for the studio in the weeks to come. 

4. Atomic Blonde ($18.55 Million): While not doing the best at the ox office, Atomic Blonde is doing well enough, landing a number 4 spot in its opening weekend. While not quite the number that the studio would have wanted, it is a respectable number going up against some other films as summer winds down. 

5. Spider-Man: Homecoming ($13.45 Million): While it's making its money, and making a ton of it, the fact that Spider-Man: Homecoming hasn't made over 700 million dollars and locked at number 3 is a little surprising. I believe that this film was everyone's pick to be number one at the box office this summer, and while that may not happen, it still is making a large sum. 

Rewind Review #3 - Captain America: Civil War

Captain America: Civil War - Rewind Review #3 (Non-Spoiler/Spoiler)

Release Date: May 6th, 2016

Directed By: Joe and Anthony Russo

Rating: PG-13

Starring: Chris Evan, Robert Downey, Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Paul Rudd, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Daniel Bruhl, William Hurt, Tom Holland, Marisa Tomei, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner

Blurb/Synopsis: When the Avengers take on an international threat that leads to collateral damage, the government steps in to demand that the group be overseen be a higher power. Steve Rogers and some of the other Avengers are against this but are opposed by Iron Man and must fight to prove their side of the argument. 

Expectations/Background: Marvel has been releasing hit after hit after hit, but to be honest with you,  before watching Civil War for the first time, I was slightly nervous. Phase 2 thus far had had, in my opinion, two meh films (Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World), two amazing films (The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy), and two good but not great films (Age of Ultron, Ant-Man). So coming from such a mixed bag, I didn't know what to expect from Phase 3. What I did know was that Joe and Anthony Russo were coming back to direct, from the Winter Soldier. Captain America: The Winter Soldier was one of my favorite movies of 2014 and of all time, and that already increased my anticipation. However, with such a huge cast, I was cautiously optimistic because I had no idea how they were going to juggle that many characters. Joss Whedon did it with about 6 or 7 in The Avengers but when more were stacked on top of them, he stumbled in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Would the Russo brothers buckle under the weight of these many characters? And then it was announced that Black Panther and Spider-Man would be in the film, and then my anticipation went through the roof. The Panther is one of the best characters in comic books, and the look of him is so regal and it was time for him to make his appearance. And Spider-Man is Spider-Man. But would the Russos be able to weave a compelling story with all these characters and story elements. The marketing, though, was excellent, with two equally compelling and strong trailers, and so I waited. Was this another hit, or was this a ticking time bomb?

The Movie: I don't know how they pulled it off, but Joe and Anthony Russo managed to take over 15 characters and gave each one of them compelling screen time and a solid arc, as well as a moment to shine. God knows how, but they did it. 

Positives: Like I mentioned before, each and every character has their moment to shine. And I mean each and every one. Almost every single character has a reason to be in the film. Even Hawkeye and Black Widow, insignificant characters in a certain sense, have a very good reason being there. 

In regards to Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, perfect characterizations. Talking about Steve Rogers, his character is so conflicted, but in the right ways and his internal conflict was brought out to the forefront. While there are so many different characters in the film, this feels like a Captain America film because you follow Steve Rogers' journey throughout. His relationships with the rest of the team, with Tony, with Bucky, all add this layer of depth that was set in motion in The Winter Soldier.

That being said, this does not mean that Tony Stark is the villain. Not by a long shot. Even though Steve is given the forefront, Iron Man is here, and all he's doing is standing up for what he believes in. What I love about his character is that what he believes in builds upon all his experience (except Iron Man 3?) and helps him grow into the character that we know today. The Iron Man/Tony Stark in Iron Man would not make these decisions, but the one here definitely would. 

The action is incredible as well. There are three major action set pieces, with a couple smaller ones in the middle, and they are truly something else. There is one particular scene in the middle that completely blows you away, and it lasts for a solid 15-20 minutes. But what I love about the action in the film is that it's warranted. It's not action for the sake of action; there's a real dramatic purpose and motivation to it, and that makes the stakes seem much higher. 

That's another great thing too - the stakes feel real, but also very personal. There's nothing really threatening to destroy the universe; it's just a feud between friends, between allies, between teammates that really brings the dramatic tension home. The best thing a film can do is to make you care about what's going on and you achieve that by grounding the film's stakes.

And yes, Spider-Man and Black Panther are both amazing. Spider-Man/Peter Parker is not in the film for very long, but when he is, he steals every scene that he's in. And Black Panther is truly incredible, with his action and the way he talks, he truly feels like a king or a regal figure. 

Negatives: There are a couple things that did bother me about the film, and they mostly revolve around narrative issues. 

There are a couple characters where I stood there and scratched my head, wondering, "What are they all about?" They weren't in the film for very long, but when they were there, I was sitting there going, "What are they doing?" 

There are also a couple plot conveniences that take place in the film. Nothing that takes me completely out of the movie, but a couple points where the film leads from one thing to another rather quickly and conveniently without a clear explanation as to why. While it may bog down the runtime if there were added explanations, it felt too easy at some points and it felt like there could be some more lines explaining certain things, or hashing out certain plot points. 

Character Ranking

1. Spider-Man
2. Black Panther
3. Tony Stark
4. Steve Rogers
5. Ant-Man
6. Bucky Barnes
7. *Spoiler*
8. Hawkeye
9. Falcon
10. War Machine
11. Black Widow
12. Scarlet Witch
13. Vision
14. Sharon Carter
15. Thunderbolt Ross

The Villain(s): If you do not know the main villain, I will not spoil it here. Tony Stark is not the villain - like I said earlier, if Steve were heads, Tony would be tails; there is nothing evil or malicious in him. You can clearly see both sides of the argument. But, there is a villain, and while he isn't awful, he feels very unnecessary and unneeded. While he was pivotal in a certain capacity, it almost felt like he could be taken out and the film would still make some semblance of sense. He was just a plot device really, and while the performance was good, the character wasn't so great. 

The Music/Score: My job here is to be brutally honest, and my honest opinion is that the score here is terrible. I don't know who wrote the score, but I can only really remember one particular cadence, and that's because it's from a scene I watched over and over again after the film came out. Other than that, there's literally nothing memorable about the score at all. 

**READER DISCRETION ADVISED - SPOILER ALERT - IF YOU WANT TO AVOID SPOILERS SKIP TO "VERDICT"**

Spoilers: That airport sequence, my goodness, that was one of the most glorious pieces of action that I have ever seen. Giant-Man and Spider-Man, to that wide shot of the two sides marching towards each other and then running into battle. The entire thing was glorious.

Now, in regards to Zemo, I have to say, I was impressed that Daniel Bruhl was able to make such a shallow character feel at least a little more three-dimensional, because I felt that his character was almost entirely two-dimensional at times because of the way that he was written. But Bruhl's performance, at the very least, elevated him a little higher than a C-lister villain to around a B-lister villain. Nothing spectacular to note though, and If eel he could have been taken out of the film and replaced by something else. 

SPOILER ALERT OVER

The Verdict: One of the most entertaining films of 2016, it also manages to capture political ideologies into a film that has amazing action and great characters. While there are a couple things that could have been improved, I believe that this is one of the examples that the comic book genre should be looking at. The Russo brothers put emotion and heart behind superheroes that can fly and shoot lasers out of their hand, and that is something to be commended. Letter Grade: A. Number Score: 9.7

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER**: Letter grades and Number grades do not mean the same thing. Just because I give a film an A does not mean it gets a 9.5 or above. They do not line up like a traditional school grading system To see specifics, see below.

A- to A+: Amazing

B- to B+: Enjoyable, but Flawed

C- to C+: Redeemable in some cases, but heavily Flawed

D- to D+: Nothing but Flaws

F: A Failure of a Film

9-10: Nearly Perfect to Perfect

8-9: Very Good

7-8: Good

6-7: Okay

5-6: Average/Mediocre

4-5: Apparently Flawed

3-4: Heavily Flawed

2-3: A complete and utter mess

0-2: A Failure of a Film

Thor: Ragnarok and Infinity War Runtimes Revealed?

Thor: Ragnarok and Infinity War Runtimes Revealed?

While both Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War are still far away from release, both directors for each film may have revealed what the runtime may be, or a general idea of what it could be. 

Taika Waititi had this to say about his upcoming film: 

"The cut right now, I reckon it's about 100 minutes It's not gonna be a very, very long film. I think that stories are better when you leave them wanting more, and this film moves at a clip, it's got stuff happening all the time. I think people are still gonna feel exhausted by the end, they've been on the big journey and stuff, so I don't think we need the film to be three hours."

If this is to be believed, and it may change in the coming month with editing and post-production before release, this will be one of the shortest MCU movies to date.

In stark contrast, Joe Russo, co-director of the upcoming Infinity War, has revealed to Collider that Infinity War may be one of the longest films in the MCU. He said this:

"The current cut is over 2 and a half [hours], yes. Most of it is a movie you can show. Still a lot of work left to be done... It's currently going to be a film that lives in the two and a half, two and a half plus range."

Thor: Ragnarok will be released on November 3rd and Infinity War will be released on May 4th, 2018.

Daniel Craig Back for Bond 25

Daniel Craig Back for Bond 25

While earlier reports have indicated that Daniel Craig may be leaving the titular role of the British spy, it has been confirmed that James Bond will be played in his 25th film by Daniel Craig, perhaps for one last time. This will be the fifth time that Craig will play Bond, and is allegedly the last one in his contract. 

Justice League Reshoots Causing Problems

Justice League Reshoots Causing Problems

While cast and crew at San Diego Comic Con from the upcoming Justice League have said that there is nothing to worry about with the upcoming reshoots and extended production, new reports beg to differ.

According to a new report, Justice League reshoots are causing massive problems for Warner Bros. Reportedly, they are costing Warner Bros. upwards of 25-50 million extra dollars to shoot. Not only that, but the sudden need to reshoot parts of the movie are causing headaches for actors as well. Allegedly, Henry Cavill (Superman/Clark Kent) is having difficulty with his facial hair. Cavill will appear in the upcoming Tom Cruise-led film Mission Impossible 6 and will have a mustache throughout the film. Reportedly, he is not allowed to shave his mustache for Mission Impossible, which causes problems for Justice League since his Superman does not have one.

Justice League will be released on November 17th, 2017 and will be directed by Zack Snyder/Joss Whedon. It stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, JK Simmons, Amy Adams, Ciaran Hinds, and Jeremy Irons.

(Pop Culture) Editorial #4 - Why Marvel Should Release Infinity War Trailer

(Pop Culture) Editorial #4 - Why Marvel Should Release Infinity War Trailer

Listen. I know that revealing too much before a film comes out is a fatal mistake. I even wrote an entire editorial on why marketing is so important. THAT BEING SAID. This is different. And now, I promise that this is not because I am a huge fan. I have thought about this, long and hard. And I believe, seriously, that Marvel should have released SOME footage to the public, be it 30 seconds or a minute and a half. Here's why.

An Event

Let's look at what this film is. This is Infinity War. This is the film of films. This is, like Marvel has been saying, the culmination of everything that has happened thus far in the MCU. This is what I like to call, an event film. This is a once in a while kind of movie that really can't be hyped more and can't be replicated. 

Let me take you back to 2014, where another event film was coming the next year. It was called Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This was a once in a life time kind of film and hype because of the fact that this film was the return to Star Wars with the original cast back. And when did Disney release their first teaser? December of 2014. One. Year. In. Advance. 

Star Wars and Marvel are completely different, granted. But Infinity War is 10 months away. If you look back at the very first teaser for The Force Awakens, it's barely anything. It's a shot of Finn (who we didn't even know his name at the time), the cross guard lightsaber, and the Falcon.

What I'm saying is, for normal films, yes you don't release a trailer for it until about 7 months before, which is about September-November range for Ragnarok in this case. BUT. This is an event film, and I believe that they should release something for Infinity War, especially since they have shot the entire movie barring reshoots. 

Short Footage - How Do They Do It?

Then the question becomes, how do they do it? The answer - keep it short.

Look back at the Force Awakens teaser. It was barely a minute, and there were only about ten shots in the entire trailer. That's literally all we need. Literally, ten shots, 50 seconds, and everyone will be satisfied. Here's my pitch. 

Opening shot of a silhouette of the back of Thanos standing on a moon facing a sun.

Shot of the Milano zooming through the sky, with a quick shot of Thor and Rocket at the cockpit, staring off into space, maybe with Groot or Gamora in the background. 

Shot of Black Panther and Bucky standing on the edge of a cliff with a Wakandan army, ready for battle, with a large cloud passing over the sky. 

Shot of Spider-Man swinging through the sky with his Iron Spider suit, perhaps in space? Or maybe in New York still. 

Shot of Loki with the Tesseract in a huge pile of rubble and debris. 

Shot of Tony and Steve maybe, or shot of Tony and Bruce, standing side by side battered and bruised, Tony in half of his armor, the other half being ripped off. 

Shot of Thanos walking down an explosion and punching, kicking, and fighting the Avengers. 

Fade to black.

Fade in shot of five or six heroes, like Doctor Strange, Star Lord, Iron Man, Nebula, and Spider-Man, standing in front of Thanos, who turns and smirks before fade to black. 

Cut to Logo.

It's literally that simple. Accompany that with a voice over of Josh Brolin as Thanos narrating his hunger for death and Infinity stones, and you have yourself a bomb teaser that reveals absolutely nothing. And I know they have these shots based on what they showed at SDCC and D23 and based on the fact that they're done shooting. 

Satisfaction

This will do a few things. What this will do is keep the focus on Marvel. Right now, the focus is very split between Justice League and Thor. Both movies have released solid, exciting teasers/trailers/sneak peaks. And that's all both films have released. This, in essence makes them even.

What would push Marvel Studios ahead? Releasing an Infinity War teaser. This, in effect, gives them something to match that Justice League trailer. While Thor looks phenomenal, it's not a Justice League/Avengers type-film, but with Infinity War matching Justice League, PLUS Ragnarok, Marvel would look to push ahead.

Plus, I understand that people at SDCC spent time and money to get there, but Disney and Marvel have already kept it secret at D23, and Comic-Con is the time to get your film hyped, so releasing a trailer would not be unusual. 

In Short...

Granted. I just wrote an article about why they should release the trailer, but there are good reasons why they didn't, and I understand that. That being said - there are plenty more reasons in my mind, (and I am not film executive so maybe there are many things I don't know about) that do point to releasing a short teaser during SDCC. Not the full footage shown at SDCC, but perhaps a short trailer in the vein of Force Awakens. But alas, we'll have to wait until Marvel is ready to unveil it to the world. 

Justice League - Sneak Peak Review

Justice League - Sneak Peak Review

A four minute preview from Justice League has arrived form San Diego Comic Con. Does it deliver? 

Thoughts: Look. I know four minutes is a lot. And I have been skeptical about this film because it's almost the same exact team from Batman v. Superman, which, if you've read my review, you know I was not big on. But. This sneak peak is great. 

I will say that this looks like all the other BvS trailers in the sense that the action looks great, and the characters look fine, but the film could be really bad. And the thing that could sink this film is narrative. There are so many characters and elements, and Zack Snyder has not been proven to be able to handle it. 

That being said, it looks good. Wonder Woman is heavily emphasized, as we suspected. And there is a nod to Green Lanterns which I thought was really clever. Flash is here, and he appears to be the comic relief, which is fine for now. And Cyborg is a very robotic kind of character. I have something to say about that. I understand that it's in character, I really do. But regardless, if it's boring, then it's boring. Who cares if it's in character. If he talks like that the entire film, I'm going to be bored out of my mind with him, and I don't care if it's in character or not. But we'll see. 

A brief look at Steppenwolf is shown, coming through a boom tube in Thymescira, which is interesting. 

And the Superman tease is good. I think this is the right way to handle the character because revealing him now is a mistake. Maybe showing the emblem at one point in the third trailer would be alright, but not showing him is a great move. 

Did it Raise Excitement? marketing has been good so far, but honestly, this hasn't exactly raised my excitement. That being said, this is a good preview, and I look forward to seeing it in the fall. 

Trailer Rating: 7/10

Thor: Ragnarok - Official Trailer Review

Thor: Ragnarok - Official Trailer Review

The second trailer for Thor: Ragnarok, the next film in the MCU has arrived. Does it deliver? 

Thoughts: There is so much in this trailer that excites me. Firstly, off the bat; does it reveal too much? Potentially, but I think it's riding the line. I think for now, it's on the safe side of not revealing too much, with some old footage but enough new footage to be good. 

Thor is back, and he's back in a big, and funny way. The joke between him and Banner lands so well, and their chemistry seems to be genuine and great onscreen. Hela, played by Cate Blanchett, also looks to be a menacing presence in the film. Unlike Spider-Man: Homecoming, where the villain has a legitimate motivation, Hela is the goddess of death and does not need a sympathetic motivation.

The action also looks incredible, with some slow motion shots of Hela fighting the Valkyries. The visual style is so unique. It's colorful, like Guardians 2, but it's so unique to this film that I can't help but love it.

We do see a couple villains that we knew or suspected would be in the film: Fenris Wolf and Surtur. Both are great additions to the film, although I worry that Marvel may waste these two amazing villains as just bosses in the way to get to Hela, or maybe Surtur would be the end game to get to Hela. 

We do get to see Hulk talking as well, with the end tag, and we do see a powered up Thor. This film looks incredible so far with these two trailers. 

Did it Raise Excitement? My expectations were already through the roof, so to say that may expectations were raised would be difficult, but I am as excited, if not more so. This film is going to be amazing. 

Trailer Rating: 9.5/10

Captain Marvel Details Revealed

Captain Marvel Details Revealed

Captain Marvel was one of the films that were featured at this past weekend's Comic Con. Starring Brie Larson, Kevin Feige confirmed that this film will feature the villains the Skrulls, which were going to be the villains of The Avengers. The other interesting piece of news is that this will take place in the 90s with a two-eyed Nick Fury, co-starring Samuel L. Jackson. 

Ant-Man and the Wasp Adds to Cast

Ant-Man and the Wasp Adds to Cast

At SDCC this past weekend, Marvel unveiled two exciting new cast announcements at their panel in Hall H. The first of which is very interesting, and may contain a potential spoiler for the film. Michelle Pfeiffer has been cast as Janet van Dyne. While this is in no way a confirmation that she is alive, this does lead to speculation that she will be found from the micro-verse and will be an integral part of the story.

The second interesting part of casting news is that Laurence Fishburne has also been added to the cast as Dr. Bill Foster. While not confirmed to be in a major role, this is certainly interesting.

Ant-Man and the Wasp will be released in 2018, and stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lily, Michael Douglas, Michael Pena, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, Walton Goggins, and Hannah John-Kamen.

Weekend Box Office Report (July 21st - 23rd)

Weekend Box Office Report (July 21st - July 23rd)

Disclaimer: Every Monday, I will post the top five movies that grossed the most money DOMESTICALLY (in the United States), with some brief thoughts about each film. 

1. Dunkirk ($$50.50 Million): Christopher Nolan's latest has jumped tot he number one spot, coming in above expectations at a solid 50 million. As a war film, with a gritty tone and a set narrative that doesn't necessarily appeal to everyone, the fact that it made this much is a good sign for this film, as well as future original films. Nolan looks to have delivered with this film as the critical ratings have been through the roof, and we'll have to see how it stacks up in the coming months. 

2. Girls Trip ($30.37 Million): This was unexpected, at least to me. Looking at the rest of the list, all four of these films are considered big blockbuster productions. And then Girls Trip comes in and lands the number two spot, beating out Apes and Spiders. While a nice contrast to Dunkirk and all the other films coming out, it doesn't appear to have huge legs and looks to fall down the rankings rather quickly. 

3. Spider-Man: Homecoming ($22.01 Million): Spider-Man: Homecoming is hanging around, which is surprising. To me, it shouldn't just be hanging around; it should be crushing the box office, consistently at number one or two. This isn't alarming at all, with this movie making a ton of money, but it looks to be underwhelming and fall short of the top domestic box office spot this summer, behind Guardians 2 and Wonder Woman. 

4. War for the Planet of the Apes ($20.40 Million): Apes are also here, and I believe that this film will have some staying power with all the positive response that its getting. Making a respectable amount, it looks hang around for awhile, but whether or not it can make enough money to be in the top five at the end of the summer/year remains to be seen. 

5. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets ($17.02 Million): Meh. Valerian has come and it looks to go very quickly. It has a very mixed/positive response, with not  many saying that it was a spectacular film. Many have said that it's nothing much more than eye-candy, and that doesn't bode well for the rest of its box office run.

Ant-Man and the Wasp Adds New Cast Member

Ant-Man and the Wasp Adds New Cast Member

Marvel continues their tradition of assembling amazing and talented ensemble casts by adding another cast member to Ant-Man and the Wasp. Walton Goggins, most notable for his television work, has joined the project in an unspecified role.

Ant-Man and the Wasp is directed by Peyton Reed and stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lily, Michael Douglas, Michael Pena, Randall Park, and now Walton Goggins. 

Mark Ruffalo on Hulk in the Coming Films

Mark Ruffalo on Hulk in the Coming Films

We know that the Hulk will next appear in this November's Thor: Ragnarok. After appearing at D23 this past weekend, Mark Ruffalo was interviewed about his green rage monster that he plays in the MCU.  

Speaking with Good Morning America, Ruffalo said this:

"He's even more angry than he was the last time we saw him. For a much longer period of time."

This does give us some insight into why he's in Hulk form and maybe why Banner/Hulk doesn't recognize Thor at first. 

hor: Ragnarok stars Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson, and Jeff Goldblum. It hits theaters on November 3rd, 2017. Imprisoned on the other side of the universe, the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) finds himself in a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), his former ally and fellow Avenger. Thor's quest for survival leads him in a race abasing time to prevent the all-powerful Helga (Cate Blanchett) from destroying his homeward and the Asgardian civilization.

Aladdin Casts the Big Three

Aladdin Casts the Big Three

With Disney continuing to make live-action remakes and adaptions of their beloved classics, they have officially announced, at D23 2017, the big three for their upcoming Aladdin remake. Aladdin will be played by Mena Massoud, who is a relatively unknown actor from television≥ Naomi Scott will play Princess Jasmine. She is most notable for being in this years Power Rangers adaptation. And finally, cast as the genie, is none other than Will Smith, recently in Collateral Beauty, Suciide Squad, and Concussion. 

Aladdin willl be released sometime in the next few years and will be directed by Guy Ritchie.

D23 Roundup, Reaction, and Recap

D23 Roundup, Reaction, and Recap

D23, Disney's expo, has come and gone again, and with it, have come some huge announcements and splashes. I'm going to breakdown all the major ones, and give my overall thoughts on each one. I myself was not in attendance, but I have covered the event during the weekend.

Star Wars - or Lack Thereof

We all know Han Solo s a huge mess right now. That's undeniable. But still, we were hoping for something, anything at this year's D23 about it, as well as some Last Jedi reveals and maybe a trailer. Instead, we got nothing on the Han Solo movie, and a behind-the-scenes featurette from The Last Jedi. While it was nice to see the cast of Episode 8 gather onstage, we've seen this before at Star Wars Celebration, and there was absolutely nothing to it; just the cast on stage with Rian Johnson. While disappointing, but understandably so, it would have been nice if Ron Howard had come on stage and said a couple words letting us know that Han Solo is on track.

The Triumphant Return of Jon Favreau

After D23 2015, everyone hailed Jon Favreau as the king of D23, after he showed off the first footage of The Jungle Book After seeing the film in all of its splendor, everyon was amazed at what computer animation could do at such a high level. When it was announced that he would be directing a "live-action" adaptation of the Lion King, people lost their minds. A couple, because they were outraged that anyone was remaking that film, but others excited becuse they had seen what Favreau could do. And then, he showed the opening scene of The Lion King, on Pride Rock, with Rakiki holding up Simba, and the crowd went nuts. It seems that Favreau has done it again with the beloved tale, and we can't wait to see the first trailer, which he confirmed will come around this Christmas. 

Marvel in its Full Glory

Marvel, unlike Star Wars it felt, was at D23, and they were at D23 in a huge way. Disregarding Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther because they knew they'd have time to promote those at Comic-Con, they went straight to infinity war They had, unveiled for the first time, Thanos' Black Order, which all looked incredible.  But they weren't pulling their punches,  as Scarlet Witch would say,. Kevin Feige took to the stage and unveiled the Marvel Studios 10 year anniversary logo, which was essentially the same thing except with a 10 instead of the I and the O. Then, he brought out Thanos himself, Josh Brolin. But then, it gets betters, he brought out all of these people: Sebastian Stan, Dave Bautistaa, Karen Gillian, Pom Klementieff, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey, Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Tom Holland, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bethany, Don Cheadle, and Anthony Mackie. All of them, on the satage at once. And then they debuted the first footage from the film, which showed Thanos wrecking the Avengers. And fans said that it looked incredible. 

Toy Story 4? Frozen 2?

Disney took to the stage to announce the continued development of two announced sequels in beloved franchises. Yet the question arose; did we really need these sequels? Frozen 2 is very much understandable as the first Frozen made Disney a ton of money that year and was open-ended enough to warrant a sequel. But still, the story was contained enough without too much setup that people wondered why we were getting another. And then there was Toy Story 4. Lassiter, the director of the first two and one of the heads at Pixar, announced that Josh Cooley, who was going to co-direct with Lasseter, is now going to direct solo on the new feature film. I think, personally, that this is one of the most outrageous and unnecessary sequels that have ever been announced. Toy Story 3 ended on such a perfect note, and regardless of what Lasseter says about "needing to tell a story", this was not warranted at all. Move on Pixar. I would be less doubtful if Lasseter had been only making good movies. But. He made Cars 2, and he defended that film to this day. That puts up warning signs. 

Incredilbes II!

Jumping off of the unnecessary sequels train, this is a sequel that is almost coming too late, if anything. Brad Bird is returning, as well as most of the cast to voice their original roles, including Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, and Samuel L. Jackson. The first bit of footage shown at D23 showed Jack-Jack, the infant of the Parr family, fighting with a Raccoon while Mr. Incredible sleeps at home. Bird also confirmed that Edna Mode would be backed, voiced by himself, while also saying that this film will pick up right where the first one ended.

Wreck-it Ralph 2

I thought this one deserved its own little paragraph because of how much I enjoyed the first one, and because of how much buzz was coming out of D23 regarding the second one. The sequel, titled Wreck-it Ralph: Ralph Breaks the Internet, will see John C. Reilly's character go into the web. From reactions at D23, we know that he's going to go to a Disney website where he meets the Disney princesses, and none other than C3PO himself, This looks like a slam dunk already for Disney, and much like The Incredibles II, it's a shame that this didn't come much earlier. 

Coco and Other Pixar Projects

Pixar still does have one other film coming out this year, and that's Coco. Attendees and press said that the footage looked spectacular and can't wait to see the film. They also said that there was another Pixar project being worked on that is untitled to this point, but will have something to do with planes and space perhaps. Sounds intriguing.

A Wrinkle in Time and Mary Poppins

Finally, to round out the eventful weekend, we have these two films. A Wrinkle In Time debuted its first trailer at D23 and onto the internet, and it looks great. While it didn't quite blow me away as some other Disney trailers, it looked good with Chris Pine, Oprah Winfrey, and more. Mary Poppins Returns was also a presence at the con as they showed off some footage and brought out Emily Blunt, who will be playing the lead role. All great news.

Blade Runner 2049 - Trailer 2 Review

Blade Runner 2049 - Trailer 2 Review

The second installment in the cult-class Blade Runner has another trailer. Is it any good? We're about to find out. 

Thoughts: I was floored by this trailer. While maybe not one of the most flashy kinds of trailer, the sheer focus it had captured my attention immediately. Say what you will about Jared Leto's Joker, but my goodness, is he menacing in this trailer. From this trailer alone, I got the chills just looking at his character, seeing what his motivations are, looking to see what his schemes are. Ryan Gosling also looks like a very strong lead alongside Harrison Ford.

I once thought that Harrison Ford would have a huge role to play in the movie, much like he did in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but I feel like his role will not be very big, much like Obi-Warn in A New Hope. Nevertheless, this seems to be the Harrison Ford from Star Wars Episode 7 rather than The bored one we saw in Indiana Jones. 

To wrap up the reaction, the visuals look stunning. As far as post-apocalyptic futures go, this one is eerie, yet gorgeous to look at at the same time.

Did it Raise Excitement? This film wasn't even close to being on my radar, not because I wasn't interested, but because I hadn't seen anything that impressed me,. But after seeing this, I am finally coming around to the concept of a sequel to this film, and am definitely more excited than I was before. 

Trailer Rating: 8/10

Weekend Box Office Report (July 14th - July 16th)

Weekend Box Office Report (July 14th - July 16th)

Disclaimer: Every Monday, I will post the top five movies that grossed the most money DOMESTICALLY (in the United States), with some brief thoughts about each film. 

1. War For the Planet of the Apes ($56.50 Million): The Apes are back and they are out for blood. The Matt Reeves directed Andy Serkis led film opened to a respectable 56 million, boosting it to the number one spot. While these are good numbers, it is also worth mentioning that previous installment in the franchise made almost 20 million more in its opening weekend. This is not due to a lack of quality, but mostly due to the film that it opened against, which was in its second weekend.

2. Spider-Man: Homecoming ($45.20 Million): It was basically a lose-lose situation for both Spider Man and War. Both films, which butted heads this past weekend, scored big money, but it is clear that if War had opened sometime later in Spider-Man's box office run, it would have done better. As for Spidey, had War not opened the weekend after it did, it may have fared better, much like Wonder Woman, which benefited from a quiet June. 

3. Despicable Me 3 ($18.95 Million): Still hanging in there, it's clear that the only reason why this is hanging around is because of the younger audience. Younger audiences (perhaps in the age demographic of around 5-7) may be too young to see Spider-Man, and for that, their parents would take them to see Minions in stead. It's hanging tough, but we'll see for how long.

4. Baby Driver ($8.75 Million): This is a huge success for both Edgar Wright and the film industry as well. I hope that this film stays in the top five, even on the firings, for as long as possible. The originality and the unique spin has people coming back to see this film over and over, and has new audience members drawn in as well. With only a 32 percent drop, this film looks to stay up there in the rankings for a couple more weeks at least. 

5. The Big Sick ($7.60 Million): This film, which was on nobody's radar before it came out, is another huge success story. A smaller film with Ray Romano in it, The Big Sick has garnered critical acclaim from many critics. What's most impressive about it is its percentage decrease, or lack thereof. This film increased its weekend box office revenue by 112 percent. It wasn't even in the top five last week. If it can keep making this kind of money, it looks to be a smaller hit, much like Baby Driver.

SDCC Expectations/Hopes 2017

SDCC Expectations/Hopes 2017

With San Diego Comic Con rapidly approaching, there is much to be excited about this year. While most of this years biggest hitters have come and gone with Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume II, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Wonder Woman, we can expect to see a lot from this year for films that are fast approaching and will be out late this year or next year. Here are some things to look forward to, and I hope will be at this years Comic Con.

Thor: Ragnarok Trailer

While Marvel Is two-thirds done already with their slate of films for this year, they still have one more. Thor: Ragnarok, the third installment in the Thor series, is hitting theaters this November, and at this Comic-Con, we expect to see a trailer. Mark Ruffalo confirmed as much on Twitter, saying that he has already seen the trailer and can't wait to show it to the audience. While it's always a question of whether or not the trailer will. Be released on line as well to the general public, It would make sense to release a second trailer for a movie like Ragnarok, which is coming out in November, to release a second trailer around July/August. Expect to see a lot of Hulk/Thor, hopefully some Loki, definitely some Hela, and maybe the Sorcerer Supreme? 

Black Panther Trailer?

This one is questionable. Black Panther is not set to hit theaters until February of next year. While it has released its first trailer, there is usually a hiatus between the first and next trailer, depending on the film. I 1000 percent believe that there will be an emphasis on Black Panther at Comic-Con, with cast members talking about the film, and maybe a sizzle reel, but I don't think releasing a trailer now is in Marvel's best interests. Maybe around the time Ragnarok releases we'll see a second trailer, or maybe around September would be more reasonable. Expect to see Chadwick Boseman and Ryan Coogler, as well as Michael B. Jordan and Lupita N'yongo make appearances this year. 

Justice League Splash

Remember in 2011 when Marvel made a huge splash by bringing out the main cast of The Avengers? Remember how everyone lost their minds? DC and Warner Bros. are not going to hold back this year as they have Justice League coming very soon to theaters. And they're not looking to only impress either. They're looking to steal all of Comic-Con away from anyone else who dares oppose them. While they have not had the best track record, Wonder Woman gave them the huge boost in confidence that they needed, and they're going all in on Justice League. Expect Affleck, Miller, Cavill, Gadot, Fisher, Momoa, Simmons, Adams, and Ciaran Hinds to all be there, as well as Joss Whedon and perhaps a special surprise appearance from Zack Snyder. 

Infinity War?

D23 has come and gone (more on that later today). In its wake, was left a massive trail of Infinity War goodness. Attendees were treated to the first trailer/reel from the film, and they were not disappointed. Now, with Marvel coming to Comic-Con this year, is it a stretch to say that they're going to show the same footage they showed at D23? I think not. I believe that they're going to show the same footage, albeit with a few scenes interchanged, maybe some added or removed, and they're going to debut that to the masses at SDCC 17. Will they release this on the Internet? My bet is on no. While this is a massive event film that has the build up of 10 years worth of movies, the film is still 10 months away. While releaseing trailers that far in advance is not unheard of (ie The Force Awakens) it is also very unlikely. Perhaps they're release a short 30 second spot to please us who didn't get to go to Comic Con but it's doubtful they release anything on the Internet this year.

A Huge Dark Horse

While we have the two juggernauts Marvel and DC in the absence of Star Wars this year, I have a feeling that there will be a Dark Horse that will sweep in and take over Colmic Con. Whether this be the newest Steven King adaptation It or maybe even the Dark Tower, it remains to be seen. But I do think that there will be something that will steal the spotlight away from Infinity War and Justice League. Keep your eyes and ears open.

A Look Back

More than anything, though, this years Comic-Con will be a retrospective. A look back on what has come before. This will be Marvels final hurrah before they show Infinity War, and already at D23, they unveiled a new 10 years logo. DC also is releasing its 5th film this year, which is no understatement. It will be a Comic-Con to contemplate on the past of the comic book movie genre.

No Star Wars?

Notably, and almost conspicuously, is the absence of Star Wars. While not rooted in comic books, Star Wars usually makes some sort of appearance to Comic-Con, which has turned and looked past the moniker and has opened its arms to everything pop culture. But Star WArs is going to be absent, which is concerning seeing as though not a single frame of footage has been shown of the Han Solo movie. When will they release a trailer? Who knows. It remains to be seen.

Matt Reeves and DC to Not Use Ben Affleck's Script

Matt Reeves and DC to Not Use Ben Affleck's Script

While in the past, drama has arisen around The Batman, things look to be clearing up with Matt Reeves and Ben Affleck attached to the project and the production moving forward. While speaking to MTV's Happy Sad Confused podcast, Reeves had this to say in regards to Affleck's script:

"No, it's a new story. It's just starting again. I'm excited about it. I think it's going to be really cool."

This indicates that Ben Affleck's writing, which Warner Bros. was apparently very happy with, is now completely off the table. With the drama that had surfaced in the past months, this does not come as a surprise with Ben Affleck slowly losing more creative control over the property and the film. 

Aladdin Having Trouble Casting Leads

Aladdin Having Trouble Casting Leads

Disney has been recently rebooting and remaking their classic animated films and bringing them in a live-action adaptation to the big screen, with recent financial success Cinderella, The Jungle Book, and Beauty and the Beast. Now, with the new live action Aladdin movie starting production, Disney is reportedly having trouble casting the lead roles. Reports have said that Guy Ritchie, who has signed on to direct the film, as well as Disney, has had trouble finding a middle-eastern or Indian male lead who can both act and sing. Reports have said that they have looked at actors of the like of Dev Patel, but are now back to square one when it comes to casting the leads. They have also looked at 2017's Power Rangers' Naomi Scott to star as Jasmine, but it is unclear whether or not they are going back to square one for that as well.