“Gone Girl” has only been out for two weeks and the R-rated movie from director David Fincher has already made more than $140 million worldwide.

Several new releases were no match for the Ben Affleck film which pits him as a husband who may have murdered his wife (Rosamund Pike) who goes missing on the couple’s fifth year wedding anniversary.

The movie made $26.8 million in its second weekend at the box office, a very strong hold for a film that debuted to $38 million.

“Gone Girl” cost an estimated $61 million to make and has made just about as much overseas as it has domestically.

Fincher’s buzzed-about film went up against movies including Robert Downey Jr.’s “The Judge,” Disney’s adaptation of child book “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,” and “Dracula Untold.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise was “The Judge” over at Warner Bros. A $13.3 million opening weekend is the lowest Stark’s had since “Zodiac” which debuted to $13.4 million seven years ago. The movie cost a reported $50 million to make.

SEE ALSO: Ben Affleck refused to wear a Yankees hat in "Gone Girl"

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According to information gathered by Tencent Tech reporter Fan Xiaodong on October 8^th, Le Vision Pictures will use a strategic $200 million fund to set up a North American subsidiary in the near future to make inroads in Hollywood.

According to available data, Le Vision Pictures was established at the beginning of 2011 and belongs to LeTV Holdings. In 2013 they produced and distributed nine films earning a total of 105 billion yuan at the box office. Last June the studio signed Zhang Yimou, director of such famous Chinese films as "Hero" and "Raise the Red Lantern," to direct for them. By the end of the third quarter of 2014, Le Vision Studios had produced and distributed nine films and grossed 2 billion yuan at the box office. More films such as "The Crossing,""Shanghai Noir," and "Automata" will come out in the fourth quarter.

In August, 2013, Le Vision raised $200 million in series A financing. Shenzhen Capital Group was the main investor. Others including the Leshi Xingyun Film Culture Fund also invested. Le Vision Pictures announced this September that series B financing had raised $340 million with Hengtai Capital among those investing.

Le Vision announced their Sino-US joint film production strategy in 2013. The plan involves establishing a North American subsidiary in Los Angeles as well as a jointly funded Sino-US film and visual media intellectual property rights research and development center. The studio also has plans for joint Sino-US film production and intends to offer services such as helping the big six Hollywood studios gain access to the Chinese film market, and joint Sino-US film merchandising.

Chairman and CEO of LeTV, Jia Yueting, recently put forth his “Beijing, Los Angeles, Silicon Valley theory.” The theory states that since Beijing, Los Angeles, and Silicon Valley are global drivers of innovation in the areas of the Internet, art, and technology, respectively, LeTV will establish subsidiaries in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley in order to perfect their platform, content, device, and application environment model.

This article was originally published at QQ.com. Copyright 2014.

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Marvel doesn't mess around when showing off exclusive footage at New York Comic Con.

The studio took extra precautions to make sure footage debuted for its upcoming "Daredevil" series on Netflix at New York Comic Con didn't make it online.

Before the panel began, fans were warned to put away all electronics. If any phones were out and appeared to be recording, devices would be taken and attendees would be escorted out of the theater. 

Simple enough. That's typical protocol for movie screenings.

Marvel went one step further. 

The studio brought a team dressed in suits who Marvel TV president Jeph Loeb playfully referred to as a few of their "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D," a reference to ABC's Marvel series.

Marvel's "agents" were stationed both on the floor and in the balcony areas of the Main Stage room of Javits' Convention Center with night vision goggles to make sure no one was capturing footage during the panel. 

Here are a few we saw on the balcony as we looked around.

Loeb reminded fans of the rules to follow before the event began.

It would not be a Marvel security measure without me talking a little bit about that. What you guys are going to see today on this panel and maybe some other surprises ... belongs in this room. It is a gift from us to the folks at New York Comic Con and for all of you as fans. What this means, if you look around, you will see gentlemen that are standing, and I'm not making this up, they're wearing ties and they look S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents and they actually are S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents.

Believe it or not, what they have with them is night-vision goggles. I am not making that up either. They do not have radar sense, but they can tell whether or not you are recording the clips that are going on up here. So if you have a recording device: a telephone, anything that is doing something other than your eyeballs, put it away. And the reason I'm saying that is, they're gonna find you and they're gonna take it away and then you're going to be asked to leave, and I don't want that to happen. It's our party folks. So let's enjoy the party and have a great time.

Any time one of several "Daredevil" clips were shown, the suits yelled out "all cell phones away, all cell phones away" repeatedly.

Earlier this year at San Diego Comic Con, Disney and Marvel were able to keep video footage from its "Avengers" sequel from being widely spread online. The studios showed off the first trailer for the film along with other video clips.

It was a bit of a surprise. When Warner Bros. debuted the first teaser trailer from its upcoming "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" film at SDCC, recordings quickly made their way to YouTube and continued circulating for more than 24 hours before the studio was able to pull the leaked footage.

Marvel has a system. 

It's highly unlikely you'll see any leaked footage from the studio's "Daredevil" panel at New York Comic Con or its secret "Avengers" and "Ant-Man" teaser screenings.

SEE ALSO: Marvel showed footage for 'Ant-Man' And 'The Avengers' sequel at a secret comic con event and fans loved it

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Not even a cast full of famous faces such as Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Emma Thompson, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Ansel Elgort can save director Jason Reitman's new movie, "Men, Women & Children."

It's a movie full of big, relevant ideas that all fail to make any impact due to the film's lack of subtlety. By employing an omniscient, overbearing narration style, Reitman breaks a cardinal rule of writing: he's telling rather than showing. Instead of understanding how these characters feel through their actions, I know how they feel because an important-sounding British woman tells me so.

The film pretentiously opens in outer space, as a Woody Allen-esque jazz number croons and the dulcet tones of Emma Thompson, the film's narrator, lecture the audience on the Voyager space program. This all-knowing entity describes how satellites that amplified human sounds were sent into space to give any potential extraterrestrials a sample of life on earth.

After this unnecessary history lesson, we home in on a morose man (Adam Sandler) as he goes to his son's room to use his computer to masturbate. When he discovers his son's Internet history is full of pornography, the narrator tells us Sandler feels sad that the old-school ritual of finding your dad's stack of porn magazines seems to have been lost in this technological age.

Sandler is just one poor sap in this ensemble piece, but this scene encapsulates all you need to know about the film: these characters are not believable people, just conduits for spreading a Luddite mentality. The movie wishes to shame those embracing the internet age by exaggerating the dangers and showcasing how disconnected we are as people because of it.

This perfectly valid criticism gets overshadowed by all the melodramatic excess, as Reitman can't help but shoehorn in other important, controversial topics no matter how tenuous their relationship to technology dependence. For example, there's an entire subplot surrounding a young woman with an eating disorder, and this is tied to the narrative through the pro-anorexia Tumblrs she visits. The film also deals with eating disorders, stage parents and the idea of celebrity, overprotective parents, bullying, teenage pregnancy, and suicide, but the film's two-hour runtime allows for only the broadest of strokes. There's even a way of dealing with 9/11 that made me cringe with how lazily it was thrown in.

Although Sandler might be commended for taking on a more ambitious role than usual, he sleepwalks through most of the film. It's not his fault, though, as this is how his character is written. Other stars like DeWitt, Garner, and Simmons are wasted in boring roles, and there are brief hints of life when the film spends time with Judy Greer and "Breaking Bad's" Dean Norris, who actually give decent performances in spite of everything that surrounds them. The two youngest characters in the film, played by Kaitlyn Dever and Ansel Elgort, are the most interesting, as their relationship is the only thing that comes off as genuine. 

Reitman is best known for his unique style of comedy that deal with serious issues, like "Juno" with teen pregnancy or unemployment in "Up In The Air." Something has been lost in his transition to full blown drama, as this and its critically-panned predecessor "Labor Day" just don't work. Here's hoping his next directorial effort sees Reitman returning to the more darkly comedic territory he knows best. 

SEE ALSO: Paul Thomas Anderson's New Movie 'Inherent Vice' Is Unlike Anything You've Ever Seen

MORE: 'Birdman' Starring Michael Keaton Is The Best Movie Of The Year

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With Marvel Comics revealing earlier today that they would be rebooting the famed crossover storyline Civil War, we immediately began speculating that the event would bleed into the goings-on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We suggested that it was possible that Captain America and Iron Man would end up going toe-to-toe at some point down the line, offering up The Avengers 4 as a possibility. It turns out that we may have been way off. It turns out that Civil War may actually be starting in 2016. 

Variety has made the epic reveal that Marvel Studios is now in discussions with Robert Downey Jr. to have Iron Man appear in Joe and Anthony Russo's Captain America 3, which is currently scheduled to start production next year. The idea is that the movie will kick-start a huge event in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that will feature Iron Man and Captain America on opposite sides of a debate regarding whether or not superheroes should be forced to register with the United States government. The film will apparently be directly inspired by the Civil War crossover event that began back in 2006 and was written by Mark Millar and drawn by Steve McNiven. 

In the past few weeks there has been a lot of talk about Robert Downey Jr. extending his contract with Marvel Studios, but all of it was generated by speculation and false confirmations by Downey Jr. himself (specifically about Iron Man 4). As things stand, the Iron Man star currently only has two more pictures left on his deal with the comic book company, and one of them is already in the can. In addition to starring in The Avengers: Age of Ultron next year, he is also contracted to appear in The Avengers 3 - which will likely land sometime in 2018. These details came out of talks between the actor and studio last year, but apparently both parties are now back at the negotiating table. 

So what does this all mean for the future? Is Captain America 3 going to be called Captain America: Civil War? How will it affect all of the other Phase Three movies that are scheduled to come out? Does this mean that we may not see The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy crossover until way down the line? Does this mean that Marvel Studios really is trying to bring Spider-Man back into the fold, given how he important he is to the Civil War storyline? At this point we have way more questions than answers, but that's all part of the excitement. We can't wait to hear more details and see it all come together. 

Captain America 3, which is currently being scripted Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, will be filming next spring and is set to be released on May 6, 2016. 

SEE ALSO: Marvel Showed Footage For 'Ant-Man' And 'The Avengers' Sequel At A Secret Comic Con Event

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Disney XD has a hit on its hands with "Star Wars Rebels," a brand new animated series that fills in gaps between "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith" and the iconic franchise launcher, "A New Hope." The show kicked off with a well-received hour-long movie, and will continue tonight with the premiere of the first official episode, Droids in Distress. Those of us tracking J.J. Abrams’ "Stars Wars: Episode VII" wonder how the excellent show will connect to the future film properties, and now we have an answer. 

Dave Filoni acts as executive producer and showrunner on "Star Wars Rebels," and conducted a lengthy interview with SFGate.com over the weekend. While mapping out the course of the television show, Filoni talked about how it will connect to the film properties – and how having everything under one roof now means each component has to wonder how it will affect upcoming movies, shows, comics and so on. Filoni explained: 

"It’s a new thing at Lucasfilm to have multiple Star Wars projects happening at one time, especially cinematically. … This is on a tremendous scale. We always have to watch what we’re doing, and think 30 years down the line. ‘Is there an implication for that?’ … We didn’t have a story team before. It was George. It’s great to have ideas to bounce off people, to give opinions on."

Because not only is "Star Wars Rebels" playing with the fabric of J.J. Abrams’ "Star Wars: Episode VII." It’s also altering the possible direction of Rian Johnson’s Episode VIII and the various standalone films that have been suggested by the braintrust at Disney/LucasFilms now. There are suggestions that there could be an Obi-Wan Kenobi trilogy of films that take place between the end of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. So far, Obi-Wan is the only original character who showed up in Star Wars Rebels’ "Spark of Rebellion" episode (albeit as a hologram sending warnings to existing Jedi). But it established the Jedi Master’s role in this new universe, so you can see how decisions made in Rebels could send shockwaves through the developing Star Wars film properties. 

SEE ALSO: This Amazing Crowdsourced 'Star Wars' Remake Is the Best Thing You'll See All Weekend

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“Gone Girl” was expected to stay strong, but the dark murder mystery kept the box office in a vice grip with its $27 million second week.

It was particularly impressive as the R-rated thriller directed by David Fincher and starring Ben Affleck had to hold off three new films, including a solid debut by Universal's reboot “Dracula Untold.”

“Gone Girl” fell off just 29 percent from its breakout $37 million opening last week — a 50 percent drop-off is considered good — and has now taken in nearly $80 million domestically for Fox and New Regency. With another $60 million from overseas, it's taken in more than $140 million in 10 days on a $60 million production budget.

Also read: ‘Gone Girl’ Fights Off ‘Dracula Untold’ for $26 Million Box-Office Triumph

The “Gone Girl” hyper-hold apparently translates overseas. Its second-week drops were even smaller in several foreign markets. This weekend it took in $5 million from the U.K. (down just 15 percent), $3.8 million from Australia (a 12 percent drop) and $2.1 million from Germany (a 19 percent falloff).

Here are some factors behind its staying power.

1. America's Kept a Secret

Twitter bites, blog rants and think pieces on the plot twists, dark turns and takes on marriage in the adaptation of Gillian Flynn's bestseller continue to proliferate. But overall, moviegoers have done a pretty good job of not spoiling it for others. The media not so much, but even they've been relatively restrained. Google “‘Gone Girl’ spoilers” and you'll be surprised at how little you see.

2. “We'll Go After the Crowds Thin Out”

Fox's second-weekend exit polls showed almost no variance from the first — it's still playing more than 60 percent female and around 75 percent over the age of 25. Mature moviegoers really do avoid first night crowds, and a lot of them plainly waited a week. Some are waiting for this weekend as well, which could complicate things for Brad Pitt‘s R-rated war saga “Fury,” which opens Friday.

3. The Tyler Perry Factor?

The only significant demographic shift for “Gone Girl” from the first to second week was a spike in African American attendance, from 12 percent to 18 percent. It could just be a blip, but there's little doubt that the strong cast is helping. Fox marketers built early buzz by mining the significant social media followings of Perry and co-star Neil Patrick Harris, and they're still a draw.

4. Ben Affleck and David Fincher Matter

The director's fan base is large and growing and “Gone Girl” is on its way to surpassing “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” ($127 million domestically) as his highest-grossing movie ever. Affleck, heading for his very high profile turn in “Batman v. Superman,” has been ubiquitous and at times outlandish in the media. He chastised Bill Maher and another guest on the host's HBO talk show last week for their characterizations of Islam. Making fans? Probably not. Generating love-to-hate-him buzz? Absolutely.

5. Downey and Duvall Didn't 

“The Judge,” the R-rated Warner Bros. courtroom drama targeted the same older demographic that “Gone Girl” did, with two well-liked stars. But the reviews were just so-so, and it opened with just $13 million — roughly half of the dark thriller's second-weekend haul.

SEE ALSO: REVIEW: David Fincher Turned Pulpy 'Gone Girl' Into A Work Of Art

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Those of you who have seen David Fincher's new drama, "Gone Girl," will certainly remember the creepy and ominous abandoned mall visited by police in the semi-fictional town of East Carthage, Missouri.

For those of you haven't seen the movie (go see it now!), we won't spoil anything, other than to say that the setting was mysterious and fascinatingly foreboding. The location fits perfectly with the cold, dark, and eerie mood of the movie.

The abandoned mall is actually not in Missouri at all, but instead is a "dead mall" in Hawthorne, California, southwest of Los Angeles.

While initially popular when it opened in 1977, The Hawthorne Plaza Mall saw a steady decline in the 90's and finally closed its doors in 1999.

Since then, the mall has been a popular spot for Hollywood location scouts. "Gone Girl" is not the only movie to film there. Other productions have included "Evolution,""Minority Report,""The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift," and "The Green Hornet."

The mall originally was anchored by department stores J.C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, and The Broadway. Today, only a Quiznos and a few government offices remain open.

The mall is 900,000 square feet and features a five-acre parking lot, though not many cars park there anymore.

Hawthorne Plaza was looted in the Los Angeles riots of 1992, and from there, things never got much better for the mall.

Police Officer (and celebrity food critic) Chris Cognac grabbed these shots when he visited the mall during a security check prior to some demolition inside the building. 

Currently, there are no plans to remodel or renovate the mall. At the very least, it will continue to serve Hollywood as a spooky place to film movies.

To see more, check out this video inside the mall, made by YouTuber Tom Explores Los Angeles:

SEE ALSO: 21 Hauntingly Beautiful Photos Of Deserted Shopping Malls

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It may or may not be a sign of the Apocalypse, but Keanu Reeves‘ new movie “John Wick” is at a 100 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The assassin thriller doesn't open until October 24, and there are only 10 reviews, so it's early yet. But every one of the notices posted on the aggregation site so far is “fresh”– and several use words like “compelling,” “joyous” and “hugely satisfying.”

It may be even more impressive given that in “John Wick,” Reeves plays a hit man who comes out of retirement and goes on a righteous revenge spree after gangsters kill his beloved beagle. That doesn't sound like the stuff of critical faves, but it seems to be working here.

“John Wick is a brilliant B-movie that features a knockout performance from an A-lister,” wrote James Marsh of Screen International.

Whether Reeves rates the A-list is debatable. It's been more than a decade since his blockbuster “Matrix” movies, and his most recent big-screen outing was a disaster. The $175 million Samurai saga “47 Ronin” was reviled by reviewers — it was at 14 percent on Rotten Tomatoes — and tanked badly last Christmas.

“John Wick” is directed by former stunt man David Leitch and Chad Stahelski and has an intriguing cast that includes Willem Dafoe, Adrianne Palicki, Michael Nyqvist, Bridgette Moynahan, John Leguizamo and Ian McShane. Thunder Road Pictures, MJW Films and Summit Entertainment teamed on the film, which is produced by Basil Iwanyk (“The Expendables”) and Mike Witherill.

Reeves’ film choices have been eclectic, to say the least, and “Man of Tai Chi,” “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” and “Thumbsucker” hardly registered at the box office. It's unclear how the Summit Entertainment-distributed “John Wick” will do when it opens against the board game creeper “Ouija” in two weeks, but BoxOffice.com is currently projecting an opening in the $8 million range. It will be on IMAX screens as well, and that should help.

“In most cases it's the project as much as the person,” said Rentrak senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “You have to pick the right project, and this time he may have.”

SEE ALSO: Ben Affleck’s New Movie ‘Gone Girl’ Is Absolutely Killing It At The Box Office

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In the run up to the beginning of production on Star Wars: Episode VII, there were a lot of names thrown about for the prime spot in the director's chair. Among the shortlist of favorites, though, was frequent Pixar collaborator and uber geek at heart Brad Bird, but alas that was not to be, as Bird had passed up the opportunity to restart the engines and head on out to that famous galaxy far, far away.

Only today, however, do we now know what was so important that the director of The Incredibles turned down the opportunity to play with lightsabers, and it all comes down to one thing: Tomorrowland.

MTV had an opportunity to talk with Bird at New York Comic Con this past weekend, and the discussion of why he had passed up the golden opportunity to direct Star Wars: Episode VII came up, as you would expect it to in a conversation with anyone who actually said no to what was assuredly a geek's absolute dream. As Brad Bird confirmed below, there was almost a time that he would have had his cake and eaten it too. 

 "For a moment there, I thought it would work out to do [Tomorrowland] and go right into [Star Wars: Episode VII]."

Of course, as it does with most flights of fancy, reality then came knocking, as Bird admitted that ultimately "there was no way to make that schedule and give [Tomorrowland] the attention that it deserved."

The original release dates of the two films were so close together that Bird would definitely not have been able to stick the landing, so in respect to both projects he picked the one closer to his heart and let the other go on to just as capable hands. Or, as Brad Bird put it in his own words, "It's rare to do a film of size that's original, so those opportunities can't be missed either." 

While some might say Brad Bird was a fool to pass up on Star Wars: Episode VII, it's extremely respectable that he could turn his back on a project so monumental to create his own, more personal project. Tomorrowland looks like it will be a project that will be widely talked about, if not simply because it's story and universe are even more unknown to us than the next chapter in the story of Luke Skywalker.

However the key thing to realize is that we now have two exciting projects from two of the most in demand filmmakers of our time, and both are coming our way in 2015. What's more exciting than that? 

Tomorrowland arrives in theaters on May 22, 2015; while Star Wars: Episode VII does its magic on December 18, 2015.

SEE ALSO: This Chart Shows How Disney Will Dominate Theaters For The Next Two Years

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If the rumors flying around about the future of Marvel Studios are true, there’s a possibility that we may not be seeing the likes of Captain America or Thor in The Avengers 3. Whether it's a contractual tactic, or there's some sort of thematic hook that this report is hanging on, this means two things: people are going to be upset, and there's going to be some room for some fresh faces. 

There's enough room, in fact, that we've actually speculated about this subject before with Adam Holmes' list of five superheroes who would be perfect to fill the voids let by two of our current favorites. But now it’s my turn at the speculation table to present seven more heroes I think could take up arms with the rest of The Avengers' team, and kick some serious ass in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

She-Hulk

Forget David S. Goyer's dismissive remarks about Jessica Walters, a.k.a. She-Hulk! The Avengers need diversity, and with Aubrey Plaza recently suggesting that she would love to take on the role, it's hard not to imagine all of the possibilities for opportunity for brains and brawn to meet a healthy dose of Plaza-dished snark.

Drax The Destroyer

We’ve already been hearing rumors that Dave Bautista has been working out some kind of big part in The Avengers 3 so why not go the full distance and make him a member of the titular team? With the Guardians Of The Galaxy and The Avengers on course to possibly merge into an uber fighting team with Avengers 3, Drax would serve as a great precursor to the big moment. Not to mention, the "fish out of water" comedy that suits Thor so well would also suit Drax's character, as we know that nothing goes over his head. 

Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange has already been confirmed to be in development as part of Marvel Studios’ Phase Three plans, and would obviously be a very valuable asset to The Avengers team. Phase 3 needs to be represented in The Avengers 3 somehow, and between Doctor Strange and Ant-Man, the egotistical surgeon seems like a better candidate than a miniaturized thief. Not to mention, Stephen Strange's presence in an Avengers film would provide a tangible link into the larger Marvel Cosmic universe, which would help in tying the entire fictional world together. 

Ms. Marvel

On a practical level, Ms. Marvel is the type of Captain America-esque character that could keep The Avengers in line, especially with her similar military background as an Air Force pilot. Katee Sackhoff and Ms. Marvel would be an incredible casting coup that could spark public interest in a heartbeat. It helps deal with the absence by bringing in someone similar enough to be familiar, but different enough to be exciting. 

Squirrel Girl

Another great starter for The Avengers 3 would be the somewhat recently cleared for usage Squirrel Girl, who's powers could come in handy outside of major metropolitan areas. Also, just a bit of dream casting, but Alyson Hannigan would be a perfect Squirrel Girl, and she'd be following in the Marvel Studios footsteps of her husband Alexis Denisof (who played Thanos’ lackey, The Other in The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy).

Spider-Man

Peter Parker has been discussed as a possible crossover candidate, thanks to recently rumored discussions between Marvel Studios and the folks over at Sony. This bush has been beaten around long enough, it's time for Andrew Garfield to play in the Avengers' sandbox. C'mon Marvel, let's give the man a fair shake and bring him into the fold!  

Bucky Barnes

Sebastian Stan has a nine picture contract with Marvel Studios, and if Chris Evans’Captain America might be getting put on ice for a while, why not have Bucky Barnes come in and take his place in the Avengers lineup? Sebastian Stan as done admirable work so far, as totally owned his badass and mostly silent part in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. So imagine how great his performances could be with actual lines! 

SEE ALSO: Marvel Showed Footage For 'Ant-Man' And 'The Avengers' Sequel At A Secret Comic Con Event And Fans Loved It

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Warner Bros. and DC are finally ready to go head to head with Disney and Marvel at theaters. 

Wednesday morning, during a Time Warner investors meeting, Warner Bros.' Chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara announced a huge slate of 10 upcoming films to be released from 2016 through 2020 ranging from a "Flash" movie to a "Wonder Woman" standalone film.  

The biggest announcement was a confirmation on an upcoming “Justice League” film which will be broken up into two parts.  

“Justice League Part One” will be directed by “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice” director Zack Snyder. Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, and Ben Affleck will reprise their roles as Superman, Lois Lane, and Bruce Wayne/Batman. 

The film will be released 2017. 

A sequel, with the working title “Justice League Part Two,” will debut in 2019. 

The big superhero team film is DC and Warner Bros.’ answer to Disney and Marvel’s “The Avengers” series. The 2012 film made more than $1.5 billion at the box office.

Here’s the entire film schedule from the press release: 

• “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” directed by Zack Snyder (2016)
• “Suicide Squad,” directed by David Ayer (2016)
• “Wonder Woman,” starring Gal Gadot (2017)
• “Justice League Part One,” directed by Zack Snyder, with Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill and Amy Adams reprising their roles (2017)
• “The Flash,” starring Ezra Miller (2018)
• “Aquaman,” starring Jason Momoa (2018)
• “Shazam” (2019)
• “Justice League Part Two,” directed by Zack Snyder (2019)
• “Cyborg,” starring Ray Fisher (2020)
• “Green Lantern” (2020)

SEE ALSO: George Clooney apologizes to fans for his 'Batman' movie

AND: Warner Bros. is making these 11 superhero movies between now and 2020

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While Marvel hunkers down for a Civil War, Warner Bros and DC just answered by laying out their complete movie plan through 2020 – including standalone films for The Flash, Aquaman and multiple Justice League movies. 

Warner Bros. CEO Ken Tsujihara made the announcement during a Time Warner Investor Day presentation (via Deadline), where it was revealed that Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was just the tip of the massive iceberg – a block of content that will keep DC in the movie business through 2020. The studio revealed that at least 11 movies have been confirmed for release, going so far as to announce Justice League 2 in 2019, and Cyborg and Green Lantern movies in 2020.

The titles confirmed for future movies include: 

2016
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the Suicide Squad movie (the studio is said to be in discussions with four A-list stars for the parts).

2017
Wonder Woman and Justice League Part 1, directed by Zack Snyder

2018
The Flash and Aquaman 

2019
Shazam with Dwayne Johnson (as Black Adam) and Justice League 2

2020
Cyborg and Green Lantern

This appears to be the first major shoe to drop with regards to the DC Cinematic Universe (which needs a new nickname now that it is officially becoming a thing). We have been collecting casting news over the past few months, but it appears that more will be dropping soon with the confirmation of these standalone projects -- all feeding into the larger Justice League movies. 

And when you take a moment to step back and analyze, you begin to realize that a lot of these puzzle pieces had been placed on the table already. Wonder Woman's origin story has been explained (sort of). We know the members of the Suicide Squad (allegedly). We even have a good idea what Aquaman will look like. 

We expect several more chunks of very important information to drop as this news starts to settle in. We'll need major casting announcements for The Flash and Aquaman, if they are eyeballing 2018 release dates. And each project needs a director. Also, who is the guiding hand behind this film universe? Who is the Kevin Feige of the DC world? I hope that they have a clear vision, and that this isn't just a response to the work that Marvel is doing on the other side of town. 

More on this story as it continues to develop. 

SEE ALSO: The "Justice League" movie will be broken in to two parts

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Keanu Reeves is an actor with a distinctive name, and even more distinctive are the names of the characters with whom he has become so widely and belovedly associated: Johnny Utah, John Constantine, Neo. Next month, the world will come to add another moniker to the indelible cannon of Reeves: John Wick. 

During Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, we got the chance to sit down with Keanu and discuss this brutal, and yet deeply emotional crime actioner. His insights were as sharp as the blades and broken bottles that dispatched so many of his character's enemies. 

Keanu first broke down for us the appeal of playing hitmen on screen.

"They’re fun. I haven’t played that many hitmen, but with John Wick, I was attracted to his grief. I liked the intensity of his emotion; the connection that he felt to the life that he was living and leaving the past behind. Then, once his life and honor is violated, the unleashing of this Old Testament, Greek mythological force. There’s something about his power. I like the vulnerability and then the power to do something about it. I think that’s what the audience reacts to as well. We enjoy seeing someone being capable of overcoming odds or to reclaim something that’s been lost."

I then asked about his suit, and whether his threads (his own Jean-Pierre Melville-like armor) helped him drop into the character.

"Absolutely. It was a big part of the preproduction and creative process with the directors and the wardrobe designer. What is he going to wear? What does that suit look like? And then it turned into the hair, the beard; length of hair, beard or no beard? How does this suit fit? What does it all mean, this armor, this character, this transformation? It was fun to put that together. The filmmakers had a real definite feeling they wanted to convey. When they saw the silhouette of John, it was there. When you put it on, it felt right. Also, when he looks at his own reflection, he has a reticence. There’s an ambivalence to it, but he’s also gonna do it. It’s there."

What about its action scheme sets John Wick apart from other action films? 

"I’m a Raid 2 guy. I like dramatic and emotional action as opposed to spectacle action. I like when there’s a story, and that’s often achieved by being able to put the character in the world. I got really lucky with who I worked with on Point Break, and on Speed, and then with the Wachowskis. To be working with people who were able to put in me in places where normally you couldn’t go; whether it was under a bus or on a surfboard or doing a certain kind of gunfight. With John Wick, we had longer takes. Not necessarily cutting to close-ups and then cutting wide or jittery camera, they wanted to do a different style. I like that. I like that you can connect with the performer and the story because you’re there and you believe that that’s happening. It’s a different kind of wind, and I’m a fan."

If you are impressed by the action sequences, but find yourself assuming that all the heavy lifting was done by stunt doubles, we discovered that not only did Reeves do his own stunts, but he wasn't exactly given oodles of time to rehearse.

"The filmmakers come from a stunt background. I met them on The Matrix trilogy and they’ve done second unit directing for films like Hunger Games, The Expendables, 300, and a lot of Statham movies. They raised the bar really high. They wanted to do long takes, and not so many cuts. They wanted to integrate pistol work with judo and jujitsu. They introduced me to some professionals to teach me those different skills. In this film, I didn’t get to do two months of training with choreography. I was learning choreography the weekend before we shot it or two nights before we were doing it. The fight with Adrianne Palicki, I learned the day we shot it. They tried to give me a skill set and then they said, “ok Keanu, we’ve built you this room and we have a bunch of things for you to do. And everybody else around you has been practicing…go!” I liked that challenge, but it was new territory for me."

We were curious about the specific underworld created by the film, and its intricate set of rules and honor codes. 

"The breaking of rules, that’s sort of the architecture of storytelling, and almost the architecture of how we mature. “Don’t do this, do this.” How you interact culturally. When you go into a story, those lines are delineated and investigated. I like the idea of fate. I like the idea of the underworld having an honor to it. I think of John Wick as an emissary; he’s almost an emissary for himself. Chad [Stahelski] spoke about the Greek myth aspect of it: the talismans, the gatekeepers, the Zeus in charge, the Charons crossing in different places with different powers."

We wondered how critical Reeves was of his own performance once he saw it with an audience. 

"I’m pretty critical of my own work before the audience gets there. If I’m in an environment with an audience, I hope they like it. I’ve had a couple of moments in screenings, when the audience connects to the material; you can hear that and feel that. For me, that’s part of that wanting to tell the story. Then the private dialogue sometimes intrudes, “we got that, cool, that was ok” etc. Also, as a performer, you’re looking at other people’s choices. You’re looking at the editorial decisions, if what you’d hope for in preproduction got realized. Like the suit! You hope that works."

So, paraphrasing the title of your well-known indie film, you engage in your own private dialogue?

"Oh my god! There’s the headline! John Wick in his own private dialogue!"

SEE ALSO: Keanu Reeves’ ‘John Wick’ Scores 100% On Rotten Tomatoes After String Of Flops

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On Tuesday, Variety reported that Robert Downey Jr. was in final negotiations to reprise his role as Iron Man in "Captain America 3." 

The film is expected to follow the events of the Civil War comic books in which the two heroes clash over a law asking superheroes to reveal their identities and register in a government program.

Expect to see Iron Man vs. Captain America as they go head to head when "Captain America 3" hits theaters May 6, 2016.

Why would Disney and Marvel add Iron Man and pit two of its most popular heroes against each other? 

Disney needs to be able to hold its own against Warner Bros.' hugely anticipated "Batman V Superman" film, also out in 2016. It's a movie Warner Bros. tried to make in the early 2000s before scrapping it.

Warner Bros. originally set the date for its "Batman V Superman" film to July 2015 before pushing it back to May 6, 2016— the weekend where Disney has released both its "Avengers" and "Iron Man 3" films. Both grossed more than $1 billion at theaters.

Warner Bros. later decided to move the date of its superhero film up to March 25, 2016, to avoid going head to head with "Captain America 3."

While Disney and Marvel may very well have had this plan in play for a while (the Mouse House claims to have a schedule of Marvel films at the ready through 2028) there's another good reason to add Iron Man to a "Captain America" sequel.

Now that "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" will hit theaters six weeks ahead of Disney and Marvel's "Captain America 3" they need a huge answer to Batman and Superman going toe to toe in a big action film. 

Take a look at the box-office grosses of every live-action Batman film since 1989. With the exception of 1997's "Batman & Robin," the bat has always performed in theaters, no matter which actor has donned the cape and cowl.

Box office Totals for Warner Bros.' Batman Movies

How do you compete with that? Feature your own superhero brawl between two beloved superheroes going toe to toe.

While Batman has always been a lucrative franchise for Warner Bros., Disney has the edge with another "Captain America" sequel for two simple reasons.

Audiences are more receptive to two characters — Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark and Chris Evans' Steve Rogers — they've seen on screen for years now than to a Ben Affleck Batman whom the jury is still out on and a Superman who received mixed reviews in 2013's "Man of Steel."

With Iron Man expected in the film, fans won't see "Captain America 3" simply as a sequel to "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," but also as the "Iron Man 4" movie for which they have been asking. 

It's a win-win for Disney's ongoing cinematic universe while Warner Bros. rushes to roll out superhero films to set up two "Justice League" films in 2017 and 2019.

SEE ALSO: Warner Bros. Announces Release Dates For 2 "Justice League" Films

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After much denial, it’s finally official! 

Jason Momoa of “Game of Thrones” will play “Aquaman” in his own standalone movie scheduled for 2018. 

Warner Bros.’ Chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara made the announcement Wednesday morning during an investors conference where he revealed the studio’s upcoming film schedule. 

In the Warner Bros. press release, there's a minor note confirming Momoa will star as the King of the Seven Seas.

Momoa is best known for his role as Khal Drogo on HBO series "Game of Thrones."

Prior to the announcment, Momoa refused to confirm or deny any rumors about playing Aquaman in any film adaptation.

Back in June, Hitfix reported Momoa will also appear in a brief role in 2016's "Batman V Superman" movie.

"What we're hearing is that he [Aquaman] is not pleased about the World Engine and what it did to the Indian Ocean."

SEE ALSO: The "Justice League" movie is coming in 2017

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Producer Charles Roven recently took part in an extended interview at Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television, and his comments with regards to "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" are quite interesting. We already shared what he had to say about Wonder Woman’s origin story earlier today, but more of the interview has now surfaced online, offering up even more revealing tidbits about director Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel follow-up. Roven says that Ben Affleck was the first actor they approached to play Batman in the pic, adding that they were looking for someone who could physically tower over Superman and play a “very, very, very rough” version of Batman.

Additionally, Roven talked a bit about Christopher Nolan’s involvement in "Batman v Superman," saying he’s acting in an “advisory capacity” on the film. 

In discussing the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman, Roven says (via THR) that the actor fit a very specific type they were looking for:

“He was the first guy we went to. That’s who we wanted. We knew that we wanted a very mature Batman, because we wanted to juxtapose him with this very young Superman. So we wanted a guy who was tougher, rugged, who had signs of life, who had lived a hard life, and we wanted the guy to have chops, for sure. So when we went down that list, there just weren’t a tremendous number of guys who could carry that.”

Affleck’s physicality was also a factor in the casting, as this iteration of Batman is envisioned as a formidable presence in relation to Superman:

“We also wanted a guy with big stature. Ben is 6′ 4″. Henry [Cavill] is 6’1″. We wanted Batman to tower over Superman. Not hugely, not like a basketball player. Superman needed to ‘look up’ to Batman. We wanted that dynamic, and Ben could do that, easily.”

It’s interesting that this version of Batman is crafted to be someone Superman will “look up to” in the film, and I’ll be curious to see just how much of their relationship is contentious before it no doubt turns into a mentor/mentee kind of thing.  It’s definitely disappointing that we didn’t get at least one more film to really flesh out Cavill’s Superman, but I’m hopeful that the dynamic in Batman v Superman will be compelling and, more importantly, serve to further develop these two characters.

While Roven said Affleck wasn’t hesitant about signing on, he did say that the actor wanted to ensure that Snyder’s take on the character would be different than what came before:

“No, I wouldn’t say he hesitated. I think that what he did do was that he made sure that he understood what Zack was looking for,” adding that Affleck wanted “to know exactly how Zack planned on treating this Bruce Wayne that was going to make him completely different even though he was still Bruce Wayne, still Batman.”

Indeed, I think the fact that Affleck’s "Argo" scribe Chris Terrio was subsequently brought on to handle scripting duties (taking over from a previous draft by David S. Goyer) signals that Affleck was very involved in the crafting of this new Batman.  What’s encouraging to me is that this sounds like it will be an interpretation unlike anything we’ve seen onscreen before. 

Roven also touched on Affleck’s iteration of Bruce Wayne:

“He’s much more of a social animal in the Bruce Wayne incarnation, but he’s also an extremely rough guy in the Batman incarnation — very, very, very rough.”

Christopher Nolan produced "Man of Steel," and it’s no secret that that film came to fruition because Goyer (Nolan’s co-writer/producer on his Batman films) had an idea for a take on Superman that Nolan sparked to.  While Nolan was heavily involved in Man of Steel, he and his wife/producing partner Emma Thomas only have executive producer credits on "BvS." Roven admitted that Nolan and Thomas are much more focused on Interstellar than "Batman v Superman" at the moment, but did say that Nolan maintains an advisory role:

"Nolan wasn’t entirely removed from the "Batman v. Superman" development, though, Roven said, explaining that the "Inception" director was “certainly involved in different stages. I would say he has an advisory capacity” and that he also was involved in the casting of Affleck as Batman."

While it sounds like Nolan checks in every once in a while, it’s clear that this is really Zack Snyder’s franchise now.  There’s a lot riding on how this one turns out, and I’m incredibly curious to see what the crew puts together.  Will "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" be an impressive start to a massive series of DC Comics adaptations for Warner Bros., or will the film be a disappointment?  We’ll find out on March 25, 2016.

Watch the video interview with Roven below. 

SEE ALSO: George Clooney Apologizes To Fans For His 'Batman' Movie

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For a long time, the most common way to rent and purchase new movies was visiting physical stores like Blockbuster. But after Netflix came along with its DVD-by-mail service in the late '90s — and later, its popular subscription streaming service — companies started devising new ways to get people to rent and watch movies more easily. 

So how are young people, who witnessed the twilight of the Blockbuster Age (including the company's bankruptcy in 2010), renting and watching movies these days? According to data from research firm Piper Jaffray, which was charted for us by BI Intelligence, the vast majority of teenagers say they watch movies by downloading them and/or streaming them from services like Netflix and HBO GO (which will soon be available as a standalone platform). In fact, downloading and streaming movies is the only movie-watching method that's growing among teens; retail store visits are in heavy decline, and DVD-by-mail services are a rarity among that age group. Visits to kiosks like Redbox have remained static over the last two years, but it's still nowhere near as popular as downloading or streaming.

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"St. Vincent" is amusing, but it's overly-sentimental tone and barrage of clichés dampen its lasting appeal. The entire trajectory of the story is painfully obvious from the get-go, but star Bill Murray is such a joy to watch that he makes the journey worthwhile.

Murray plays Vincent, a curmudgeonly alcoholic riddled with debt who offers to babysit his neighbor's son solely as a means of getting some extra cash to blow at the racetrack. As one might expect, over time, we learn that underneath his hostile exterior lies a heart of gold. This familiar plot can be applied to a great number of other films, but "St. Vincent" distances itself from the pack solely because it's a starring vehicle for Bill Murray. He elevates every scene with his sarcastic banter and sheer indifference to everyone else.

Melissa McCarthy is underused as Murray's overworked neighbor, Maggie, who is too busy working long hours to provide for her son Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher) since her husband left the family. This is just one of many sappy flourishes that exists to get a rise out of the audience and make them reach for some Kleenex. McCarthy doesn't have much to do here and pretty much is there to react to Bill Murray's kooky antics, which is a shame considering how talented and funny she can be when given a proper role. Naomi Watts is also great in a rare comedic role that proves she can tackle just about anything. 

Early in the film, Oliver's teacher (played by the always hilarious Chris O'Dowd) assigns the students to find a "real life saint," and it's clear where the story is headed. There are zero surprise along the way as Murray and the boy start to bond — it essentially plays out like a less-crass "Bad Santa." It is so familiar that without Murray, it's likely the film never would have made it to the big screen.

That being said, it's easy to just sit back and enjoy the ride as Murray's on-screen presence is enough of a driving force to carry the film and make you forget that you already know what's going to happen. It's fun to watch the closed off, abrasive Vincent deal with a sweet innocent kid, which is basically the whole movie. It's not bad by any stretch of the imagination, it's just too overt and safe. By the time it circles back to Oliver's presentation on sainthood, it plays out how you'd expect, and then it's over.

"St. Vincent" is too concerned with manipulating the audience's emotions to truly be a great film. It's a rollercoaster of emotional peaks and valleys that just wants to make you feel good by the end, and the audience I saw it with seemed to eat it all up. Murray makes the most of it, though, and gives a thoroughly entertaining performance that makes it easy to forgive the film's many shortcomings.

SEE ALSO: 'St.Vincent' Filmmaker Describes The Crazy Process Of Casting Bill Murray

MORE: 'Birdman' Starring Michael Keaton Is The Best Movie Of The Year

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From the very opening shot, as the camera tracks forward towards our young drummer, "Whiplash" thrusts the audience right into its world without any formal introductions. When an imposing figure enters the space and tests the young man's skill, his comments quickly become sarcastic and critical, and the drummer is left to question whether he blew it or not. 

The young man is aspiring drummer Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) and the imposing figure is Mr. Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), a notoriously harsh but well-respected, world-renowned music teacher at the (fictional) Shaffer Conservatory of Music. We soon learn that Fletcher's harsh dismissal featured in the opening scene was no fluke; it's all a part of his teaching style. As the film progresses, we get an in-depth look at the complicated relationship between the student and his teacher and learn what it takes to become the best at something.

"Whiplash" is a simple and familiar story elevated by two spectacular performances and the sheer energy and immediacy of the film's editing. The camerawork is lively and the way the film is cut to the beat of its own drum (quite literally) essentially screams at the audience that its not to be ignored. The tension between Fletcher and Andrew throughout is expertly handled; we aren't quite sure whether to praise Fletcher's approach or chastise him for it. 

By the end credits, you'll want to stand up and cheer, and the packed house I saw it with at Regal Union Square on a Sunday night did just that — almost everyone in the theater stuck around through the end credits to give the film a proper ovation. 

J.K. Simmons has always been one of my favorite character actors, and it's amazing to see him finally step into such a commanding leading role. As soon as he steps into a scene, all eyes would be on him if they weren't glued to the floor in fear. His on-screen presence is the very definition of intense, yet there are still tons of laughs to be had via his unorthodox MO. I can only picture one or two scenes in the entire film where he's not screaming horrible insults at Andrew or one of his bandmates, but it's all for the greater good. Simmons is vicious, unapologetic, inspiring and effortlessly hilarious all at once in the role, and it has Oscar gold written all over it.

I've been a huge fan of Miles Teller ever since 2010's "Rabbit Hole" and he completely blew me away in last year's "The Spectacular Now.""Whiplash" gives Teller his best shot at stretching his proverbial muscles yet, and he delivers. His performance as Andrew is everything it needs to be as he toes the line between confidence and total insecurity. His artistic drive shows through, and when Andrew tells his soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend that he must leave her because he wants to be "one of the greats" and she will only slow him down, we believe him. While he certainly gets fed up with Fletcher's methods, it doesn't take him long to realize that Fletcher is only pushing him so hard because he wants him to succeed. It's a brave performance that is the best of his young career, proving that this is just the beginning for Teller.

Early on in the film, Fletcher tells the story of legendary jazz musician Charlie Parker and how Jo Jones once threw a cymbal at his head when he made a mistake, nearly decapitating him. Fletcher's entire demeanor seems to be a direct response to this legend, as he hurls furniture, violently curses and otherwise gets into his student's heads through borderline inappropriate means. 

The audience is left to ponder what makes somebody a master of their craft; is it inherent, or do barbaric techniques like those employed by Fletcher really make the man? While the question is up to the audience to answer, it's hard to walk away from the film feeling anything but inspired and ready to take on the world. 

The most impressive thing about "Whiplash" is that it takes a story that could have been boring (an exploration of the relationship between mentor and mentee) and makes it one of the most intense, compelling, and visceral experiences of the year. Simmons, Teller and director Damien Chazelle have crafted something special that has to be seen to be believed. 

"Whiplash" is now playing in limited release and expands October 17th. 

SEE ALSO: 'Birdman' Starring Michael Keaton Is The Best Movie Of The Year

MORE: Bill Murray Is The Only Redeeming Factor In His New Movie 'St. Vincent'

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