Quantcast
Channel: Movies
Viewing all 8368 articles
Browse latest View live

It Looks Like 'The Amazing Spider-Man 3' Is Happening After All

$
0
0

andrew garfield spider-manThere’s been an ongoing debate of whether or not "The Amazing Spider-Man 3" is actually going to happen. Between talks of Marvel Studios taking over the character and potentially ditching Andrew Garfield as lead, and Sony struggling to revive the franchise after not performing as well as they hoped on "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," there hasn’t been a clear cut answer on what’s happening with the film. That is until now. A recent casting call for extras proves that "The Amazing Spider-Man 3" is definitely happening. 

Bill Beckman Casting just sent out a casting call looking for male and female extras of all ages and ethnicities, ages 18-65, and it gives us some more information on the film then we’ve gotten before. First off, it confirms that Sony is the studio producing. It also lists the starring actors as Andrew Garfield and Dane DeHaan with the description, "Peter Parker/Spider-man faces a new challenge to protect New York City." So it looks like the quirky cute Andrew Garfield will be suiting up as Spider-man once again. 

Before the release of "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," Sony had teased the release dates for the third and fourth film to be in 2016 and then in 2018. But with the disappointing box office reception, there was rumor that the third movie wouldn’t be until 2018 with "Sinister Six" coming out first. And then the Sony hack happened, and we saw a lot of confusion on what was going to happen with Spidey with possibility to bring him into the MCU or a total reboot. So does this casting call mean that we won’t see Spider-man alongside any other Marvel characters any time soon? And is "Sinister Six" still happening in 2016?
gwen stacy the amazing spider-man 2

The fact that there is already a casting call out means that shooting is either already happening, or very soon to come, so we have to imagine that the new Spidey film is scheduled for much earlier than 2018. But, while this may confuse the basic timeline of things, and what, if any, role Spiderman may play in the MCU, I do have to admit, I’m pretty excited to see Andrew Garfield back as Peter Parker. His goofy charm was perfect for the character, especially with the comic book humor that hadn’t been as prevalent in the other "Spider-Man" franchise.

Despite Garfield’s lovable attributes though, the second film was a flop, and we’ll have to cross our fingers that the same mistakes won’t be made in this third film. Sony seems to think they will do just fine though, as a couple months ago they predicted that the franchise will have a revenue growth of "as much as 36 percent". If they really do believe this to be true, maybe the saying does go, and they are 'putting their money where their mouths are'. Maybe Sony’s putting a lot of money and effort into this next film to guarantee better results. We’ll keep an eye out, more info is bound to come along with this casting call. 

SEE ALSO: 'The Amazing Spider-Man' Sequel Is Blowing A Huge Opportunity

Join the conversation about this story »


Director Christopher Nolan Doesn't Have A Cellphone Or Email Address

$
0
0

christopher nolan iphone

It's pretty difficult to imagine life without a cellphone or email nowadays, but director Christopher Nolan says he doesn't have either.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the "Dark Knight Trilogy" director explains he doesn't see much use for the technology. When he started out in Hollywood, very few people had cellphones. He was used to people tapping him on the should and handing him a phone if necessary.

Nolan says he just doesn't find email helpful.

Via THR:

Well, I’ve never used email because I don’t find it would help me with anything I’m doing. I just couldn’t be bothered about it. As far as the cellphone goes, it’s like that whole thing about "in New York City, you’re never more than two feet from a rat"— I’m never two feet from a cellphone. I mean, we’ll be on a scout with 10 people and all of them have phones, so it’s very easy to get in touch with me when people need to. When I started in this business, not many people had cellphones, I didn’t have one, I never bothered to get one and I’ve been very fortunate to be working continuously, so there’s always someone around me who can tap me on the shoulder and hand me a phone if they need to. I actually really like not having one because it gives me time to think. You know, when you have a smartphone and you have 10 minutes to spare, you go on it and you start looking at stuff.

Nolan previously told The New York Times he doesn't have an email address. Instead, his assistant, Andy Thompson handles correspondences and Nolan reads printed out emails.

SEE ALSO: Why you will never see a Christopher Nolan movie in 3D

AND: 12 wildly successful people who still use flip phones

Join the conversation about this story »

Martin Luther King Jr. Movie 'Selma' Was Almost A Completely Different Movie

$
0
0

selma marchDirector Ava DuVernay's  Selma has been hailed by many film critics - including myself - as one of the best movies of the year, and it is considered a heavy contender in this year's award season race.

What you may not know, however, is that the movie actually spent a number of years stuck in Hollywood's famed development hell - and in that time, it underwent a large number of changes and saw a surprising number of famous faces in key roles come and go. 

The story of Selma's long road to production was recently brought to light in an interview that DuVernay did with The Wrap, and during the conversation the filmmaker noted that there were some very talented people involved with the project long before she came aboard to helm - and not just in terms of the cast. For a long time, it was Lee Daniels who was going to make the movie - first attaching himself to the film back in 2009 - but he wound up making The Butler instead.

There was also apparently talk at one point about Spike Lee potentially making the movie, but he ultimately moved on as well. It was David Oyewolo - who came on to the production during the Daniels years - who eventually recommended Ava DuVernay for the job, having previously worked with her on the 2012 feature Middle of Nowhere

Obviously Oyewolo wound up being inherited casting from Selma's pre-DuVernay days, but there were a lot of other recognizable names and faces who were once attached to the film but didn't wind up being involved. In the interview with The Wrap, DuVernay specially noted Cedric The Entertainer as once being involved with the film, as well as Hugh Jackman. The former would have played Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s close associate Ralph Abernathy (eventually played by actor Colman Domingo), and the latter was attached to star as Selma's resident racist sheriff Jim Clark (a part that would go to actor Stan Houston). Looking back at our own archives, there was also a time when Liam Neeson was going to play President Lyndon Johnson, though it was ultimately Tom Wilkinson who actually performed the role. 

Selma is a truly extraordinary film that is actually made rather important by the atmosphere in which it is being released, but one must wonder what the movie would have been like had it been made just a few years earlier. Would Lee Daniels' vision have matched up with Ava DuVernay's sporting a cast including Liam Neeson, Cedric The Entertainer and Hugh Jackman? Had Spike Lee stuck around, how would he have applied his personal visual style to the material? These are sadly questions that will never be answered outside of our own imaginations. 

SEE ALSO: Fear And Joy As Alabama Town Readies For Screenings Of Film 'Selma'

Join the conversation about this story »

Martial Arts Actors From 'The Raid 2' Cast In New 'Star Wars' Movie

$
0
0

iko uwais yayan ruhian

The "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"cast is getting even larger. 

Martial arts actors Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, and Cecep Arif Rahman from "The Raid 2" are set to appear in the film, according to reports from Twitchfilm and TheWrap.

There's no word on who the trio will play or whether they will be on the light or dark side of the force. 

The highly-anticipated film premiering at the end of this year has been keeping news about the film heavily guarded.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is in theaters Dec. 18, 2015.

We have reached out to Disney for comment.

SEE ALSO: The theories about the new "Star Wars" movie plot are probably wrong

Join the conversation about this story »

Fox Has $5.5 Billion Record-Breaking Year At Box Office

$
0
0

dawn of planet of apes

It was a huge year for 20th Century Fox.

Deadline reports that the studio had a record-breaking year, earning more than $5.5 billion globally at the box office, which is remarkable considering 2014 was particularly dismal for movie attendance. In fact, it was the worst year at the box office in 19 years.

However, Fox produced several of the highest-grossing films this year, including "X-Men: Days of Future Past,""Dawn of The Planet of The Apes," and "Rio 2." Below are the studio's top ten performing movies of 2014 (via Box Office Mojo):

1. "X-Men: Days of Future Past": $746 million
2. "Dawn of The Planet of The Apes": $708.3 million
3. "How To Train Your Dragon": $618.9 million
4. "Rio 2": $498.8 million
5. "Gone Girl": $362.3 million
6. "The Maze Runner": $339.8 million
7. "The Fault In Our Stars": $304.2 million
8. "Mr. Peabody & Sherman."$272.9 million
9. "Penguins Of Madagascar": $270.7 million
10. "Exodus: Gods & Kings": $202.8 million

In North American box offices alone, Fox grossed $1.79 billion, making it the studio's best performing year ever.

Comparatively, Deadline reports that Disney came in second at the box office this year, with a $1.6 billion domestic gross, thanks to its mega-hit "Guardians of The Galaxy" and spillover from 2013's "Frozen." Warner Brothers, which was the leading studio in 2013, came behind Disney, with a $1.54 billion domestic gross. Despite the end-of-year hacking nightmares, Sony was the fourth best-performing studio this year, followed by Universal, Paramount, and Lionsgate, respectively. Lionsgate was responsible for "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1," but Fox's success this year proves that it takes several smash hits to break records.

SEE ALSO: Highest-Grossing Movies of 2014

Join the conversation about this story »

Movie Attendance Has Been On A Dismal Decline Since The 1940s

$
0
0

This week the numbers for 2014 movie attendance came in, and they don’t look so great. Less and less people are going out to the movies, and the number of moviegoers hit a record low this year in North America, the lowest it has been in two decades. But, unfortunately low attendance has become almost expected in our modern age. When you take a look at this long-term movie attendance graph it becomes all too clear. 

movie attendance decline

The graph shows a steady percentage below 10% of the U.S. population that averaged going to the movies weekly since around 1964. But before that point in time, there was still a good amount of people going to the movies.

In 1930, more than 65% of the population went to the movies weekly. That means that for every 5 people you knew, 3 of them went to the movies weekly.Can you even imagine that? 

It’s definitely not without reason. I mean realistically, not many people can afford going to the movies once a week these days. According to CBS, back in 1964, a couple could go out on a date to see a movie for $1.86. That same date today would cost $29. And that’s back when movie attendance first reached below 10% weekly attendance. How do you go up from there? 

We’ve discussed it before, but money plays a huge factor in going out to the movies. The average costs of catching a flick have been pretty high, especially as of late, with IMAX and 3D films skewing the numbers. Also, because theaters aren’t making the money they used to (and most of that ticket cost doesn’t go to them) they have to mark-up the price of concessions—seriously mark-up. 

the interview theater movie sony hack

But also, that high attendance back in the 1930s shown on the graph, is at that height for a major reason. It was called The Great Depression, and movies played an important role in keeping people going. There’s a famous quote from a 1979 paper entitled, "From the Crash to the Fair The Public Theatre" that reads: 

"Throughout most of the Depression, Americans went assiduously, devotedly, almost compulsively, to the movies…the movies offered a chance to escape the cold, the heat, and loneliness; they brought strangers together, rubbing elbows in the dark of movie palaces and fleapits, sharing in the one social event available to everyone."

So, though it would be nice to see more people going to the theaters nowadays, we can’t expect it to ever be up at the level it was in the 1930s, and we kind of hope not. There was a desperation to get out to the movies because it was the only escape people had. And today less people are out in the theaters because there are more forms of entertainment at home, whether it be streaming movies through VOD, or subscription-based platforms such as Netflix and HBO Go. There are even people who have their own in-home movie theaters. 

Overall, the movie attendance graph is pretty depressing though. And with the steady decline, and the stand-still since the mid 1960s, it doesn’t look like it will change anytime soon. 

SEE ALSO: The Highest-Grossing Movies Of 2014

Join the conversation about this story »

21 Things 'Back To The Future 2' Got Wrong About 2015

$
0
0

hover board back to the future 2If there's one movie you should rewatch this year, it's "Back to the Future 2."

Director Robert Zemeckis' 1989 film sends Marty McFly and Doc Brown to the year 2015.

Did the film get it right? Not exactly.

While it predicted Skype calls and virtual-reality headsets, the film got plenty wrong — including hoverboards.

However, Zemeckis mentions in a featurette for the film he didn't plan to get the future right, explaining he was not a fan of seeing it depicted in movies. 

We may have electric cars, but we're still a little while away from ones that fly.

We're getting there, though.



2015 may be fond of superheroes on the big screen, but we're not dressing like them just yet.



We've come close, but we're still waiting around for an actual working model of a hoverboard. It didn't help that Zemeckis tricked fans into thinking the toy was real in a behind-the-scenes featurette for the film.

(Sources: "Back to the Future 2" featurette / Nerdist)



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Channing Tatum's 'X-Men' Spinoff Will Be Released 2016

$
0
0

Channing Tatum, GambitLast year, talks began and eventually confirmed that Channing Tatum would be playing the new face of Gambit, a fan favorite of the "X-Men" community. While it was everyone's initial understanding that we'd be waiting a while for this flick to come to pass, FOX ended up having the best year in the entire movie industry. With some power and cash to spend, it looks like the cards being dealt are in the favor of everyone's favorite Cajun mutant. 

The Wrap brought some good news today, as they've confirmed a boatload of FOX release date switches, as well as dropped some new ones. Among the new ones was "Gambit," which is penciled in for an October 7, 2016 release date. This is amazing news as we previously were lead to believe that "Gambit" would take some time to get into the swing of things, at the very least past 2016. But with a newly emboldened outlook on life, FOX seems to be making itself into a viable comic book player in the post-Marvel Studios landscape. 

With Hugh Jackman at a crossroads between continuing his role in the "X-Men" franchise or leaving for greener pastures, FOX obviously wants to secure its holdings with its Marvel properties. "X-Men" in particular is a cash cow for the studio, and if there's no Wolverine movies to look forward to, it'd be best to have another stand alone franchise that boasts the star power audiences expect. Tatum is an obvious choice, as he's hotter than ever with roles in films like "22 Jump Street" and "Foxcatcher," and he's obviously a fan of the character. 

Of course, this big announcement could mean some even bigger news is on the horizon. News that could come in the form of an announcement that "X-Men: Apocalypse" will indeed feature Gambit among its company, or at the very least in a fun post credits segment that paves the way to the stand alone film that is set to open just short of five months after the summer blockbuster of 2016 opens. FOX might only have two Marvel properties on deck, between "X-Men" and "The Fantastic Four," but it looks like they're ready to make some monetary hay with both franchises as they've now got two films on deck for each.  

Obviously "Gambit" has had a lot of fast track movement in the past couple of months, otherwise it wouldn't be landing a release date so soon. It's aggressive, it's bold, and it's the type of move FOX should be making with its new found clout. The studio could especially use a solid money maker considering how long and expensive the process of making the "Avatar" films will be in the coming years. Between their Marvel films and the "Planet Of The Apes" saga, it looks like the studio is starting to climb back into that rarefied air that they used to inhabit so many years ago. 

"Gambit" looks to deal a royal flush on October 7, 2016. 

SEE ALSO: 'Foxcatcher' Movie Slammed As 'Complete Fiction' By The Olympic Wrestler Who Inspired It

Join the conversation about this story »


Russell Crowe Says Older Women Don’t Get Movie Roles Because They Refuse to Act Their Age

$
0
0

russell crowe

In 2013, Robin Hitchcock of Bitch Flicks published this telling stat: 62 percent of Oscar winners for Best Actress are 35 or younger, while only 14 percent of Best Actor winners are.

In the world of Hollywood movies, men outnumber women, but older men vastly outnumber older women.

The usual explanation for this divergence is plain old discrimination, with the men who run the studios and make the majority of movies assuming that audiences don't want a bunch of aging women in their epic tales of elderly men performing feats of strength. But Russell Crowe has a different explanation for the disparity. 

“The best thing about the industry I'm in—movies—is that there are roles for people in all different stages of life,” Crowe told Australian Women's Weekly during a promotional interview for his movie The Water Diviner, where he plays a father with three sons and no daughters.

“To be honest, I think you'll find that the woman who is saying that (the roles have dried up) is the woman who at 40, 45, 48, still wants to play the ingénue, and can’t understand why she's not being cast as the 21 year old.”

“Meryl Streep will give you 10,000 examples and arguments as to why that's bullshit, so will Helen Mirren, or whoever it happens to be. If you are willing to live in your own skin, you can work as an actor,” he continued, citing the two women who are tasked with playing basically all women over 50 that are allowed to be onscreen. 

But Streep is not nearly as skeptical about the existence of sexism in the movie industry as Crowe says she must be. In a 2010 Barnard commencement speech, Streep said that “the hardest thing in the world is to persuade a straight male audience to identify with a woman character. It's easier for women [to identify with men] because we were brought up identifying with male characters in literature.” Perhaps this is why a study of films released in 2008 found that men had 67 percent of speaking roles, and that 26 percent of female characters wore “provocative” clothes, compared with a mere 5 percent of men. 

As for the notion that there are a hefty and appealing number of roles for older women who are willing to act their age, it is particularly hard to believe when you look at Vulture's 2013 analysis of who is cast as the female romantic lead for men in their 40s and 50s. If Hollywood were indeed flush with roles for middle-aged women, we would see middle-aged men coupled off with women of their own generation. 

Vulture found otherwise: “As leading men age, their love interests stay the same, and even the oldest men on our list have had few romantic pairings with a woman their own age (or even one out of her mid-thirties).” Instead, you get 57-year-old Denzel Washington paired off with 35-year-old Kelly Reilly. Or 49-year-old Johnny Depp with 30-year-old Rebecca Hall. Or 50-year-old Tom Cruise with 33-year-old Olga Kurylenko. Or 50-year-old Steve Carell with 29-year-old Olivia Wilde.

Looking at Vulture's charts, it seems that it's not women who refuse to age gracefully onscreen. Instead we're fed a bunch of images of men who look, to quote Crowe, like they are “trying to pretend that [they’re] still the young buck” by bedding down women who are often young enough to be their daughters.

SEE ALSO: 25 movies to see this year

Join the conversation about this story »

Jon Stewart Mocks The US Response To North Korea After 'The Interview' Fiasco

$
0
0

Jon Stewart the interview

After a holiday break, Jon Stewart returned to "The Daily Show" Monday night to tackle the recent controversy surrounding "The Interview."

"Seth Rogen and James Franco's film 'The Interview' opened to one particularly nasty review," Stewart explained, referring to the Sony hackers who threatened to attack cinemas showing the film. It is widely believed that the hackers operated under the direction of the North Korean government. 

Stewart continued: "Listen, North Korea, you can mess with a lot of things: our postal system, our water supply, but when you start f---ing with out holiday releases — the precious cinematic delights we partake in to avoid having to talk to our families — you’ve stepped on a landmine."

The show then ran news clips about the sanctions the US slapped on North Korea in response.

north korea news

"I just want to interrupt very quickly," Stewart chimed in. "So in all the sanctions we’ve had on North Korea, North Korea’s KGB and their arms dealers were still allowed to use our banking system? Not that, on average, they didn’t make our banking system less evil."

Following the Sony hack, President Obama put North Korea back on the United States' list of states that sponsor terrorism. In response, Stewart joked: "You made the list, buddy. That goes on your permanent record. Good luck, Kim Jong Un, getting into Oberlin's premed program now."

Stewart continued, "If we're sending a message to North Korea a message about this Sony hack, we have to make Kim Jong Un quake in his very tiny but expensive boots."

Jon Stewart north korea Kim Jong-un

"But I guess our anger is no surprise. These hackers violated our privacyThey read our emails. What kind of a country does that?" Stewart said sarcastically before showing news clips about Edward Snowden's revelation that the National Security Agency can read emails, chats, and personal conversations.

NSA news clip

"Well at least when we spy on us, we have the decency to not leak mean sh-- about Angelina Jolie," Stewart concluded. "Monsters!"

angelina jolie jon stewart

Watch the full "Daily Show" clip below:

SEE ALSO: Here's What Happened When Steve Jobs Called Jon Stewart After He Made Fun Of Apple On TV

Join the conversation about this story »

The First 'Ant-Man' Trailer Is Here

$
0
0

It's finally here.

After teaser trailers and posters, the first "Ant-Man" trailer debuted Tuesday evening during Marvel's "Agent Carter" 2-hour series premiere.

The summer movie features Paul Rudd as thief Scott Lang who eventually becomes the super-sized superhero. Michael Douglas plays his mentor, Hank Pym. Evangeline Lilly, and Corey Stoll also star.

"Ant-Man" is in theaters July 17, 2015, and will be the first follow-up to "The Avengers: Age of Ultron."

If you're not familiar with the "Ant-Man" series, here's who's who in the trailer.

We know Rudd is playing thief Scott Lang. It looks like he's being released from prison in the teaser.

paul rudd ant manpaul rudd supposed bad ass ant manFor some reason scientist Hank Pym (Douglas) has been keeping close tabs on him, and he reckons he's not as big of a punk as he may make himself out to be.michael douglas ant man

Evangeline Lilly ("The Hobbit" series) plays Pym's daughter, Hope Van Dyne. evangeline lilly ant man

"House of Cards" favorite Corey Stoll will play Darren Cross, the CEO of Cross Technological Enterprises, a rival company to Tony Stark's Stark Industries.corey stoll ant man

Behold: the Ant-Man suit in all its glory!

ant man suitant man costume

Yep. There will be ants in this movie. Flying. Ants.flying ants ant man

SEE ALSO: 25 movies to get excited for this year

AND: The biggest box-office bombs of 2014

Join the conversation about this story »

'Back To The Future 2' Director Didn't Want The Film To Travel To Future

$
0
0

Back to the Future movie still

A lot of people are going to be talking about "Back to the Future 2" this year.

The 1989 film shows the two main characters, Marty and Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), travel to the year 2015 where they find flying cars, bizarre fashion, and hologram movies.

We recently rewatched the film, and in one of the special features on the sequel's DVD, director Robert Zemeckis explains he didn't want the sequel to depict the future.

"I never really ever wanted to go to the future in the 'Back to the Future' movie because I don't like seeing the future in any movie," said Zemeckis. "The only kind of future that the audience ever actually accepts is a Orwellian dark future."

"The problem with doing movies in the future is that you always are wrong," he continued. "You underestimate it. You can't be right. Even Stanley Kubrick has always mispredicted the future in his movies."

Zemeckis said they found a workaround for the movie by making light of what they thought the future would be like.

"What we did is we just decided to figure out a way to make it all into jokes," he said.

This included the funny fashion you see people wearing in the year 2015 to an automatic dog walker gag.

jvc virtual reality glasses back to the future 2

Much of the focus is also on helpful technological advances. Marty wears a self-drying jacket, virtual phone glasses worn by many throughout the film, and thumb scans are used to pay for everything.

SEE ALSO: 21 Things 'Back To The Future 2' Got Wrong About 2015

Join the conversation about this story »

Paul Rudd Did A Lot Of Rewrites On The 'Ant-Man' Movie

$
0
0

ant man paul ruddMarvel Studios kicked its marketing campaign for "Ant-Man" into gear today with the unveiling of Paul Rudd in costume as well as the first trailer for the film, but perhaps the biggest piece of news is the official Ant-Man script credits. 

You may remember that Edgar Wright initially developed "Ant-Man" over the course of several years to direct, writing the screenplay with Joe Cornish.  He exited the project over creative differences last spring, but Marvel recovered quickly and had the film in front of cameras by late July with Peyton Reed in the director’s chair.  Anchorman and Step Brothers writer/director Adam McKay was hired to do some rewrites on the screenplay, but since many of the action beats had already been planned out with Wright and Cornish’s script—and since there were only a few months between Wright’s departure and the start of filming with a new director—many were curious to see how much of Wright’s script would remain intact.

According to Disney’s press release for the new trailer, the official “screenplay by” credit goes to McKay and Paul Rudd, while Wright and Cornish get a “story by” credit and Wright remains credited as an executive producer.

Rudd told us back at Comic-Con that he and McKay had been working nearly every day for six weeks to rework the screenplay after Wright’s exit.  After all, Wright and Cornish were penning the script that Wright was going to direct, and given that he’s a very specific (not to mention immensely talented) filmmaker, it would’ve been tough for any director to come in and execute that screenplay as-is.

michael douglas ant manIn a subsequent interview with Collider, McKay elaborated on how much work he and Rudd did on the script, saying they added a “giant action sequence” and made the film “a little bigger, a little more aggressive, and funnier in places.”  Indeed, it appears that McKay and Rudd’s work on the script was significant, as they appear to be ending up as the official screenwriters of this iteration of "Ant-Man" while the foundation of Wright and Cornish’s story remains.

That story was a pretty ingenious way of tackling the comic book adaptation.  While it’s common in the world of comics for multiple characters to take up the titular superhero moniker, Wright and Cornish crafted an "Ant-Man" film that uses both of the main characters that filled the Ant-Man suit.  Michael Douglas plays the superhero originator Hank Pym, while Rudd plays con man Scott Lang, who is taken under the older Pym’s wing and enlisted to wear the suit.

I’m interested to see if I’ll be able to spot Wright’s set pieces in the finished film (an Edgar Wright action sequence is pretty unmistakable), but it sounds like much of the dialogue and story structure may have been altered pretty significantly.  I can’t say I didn’t finish the "Ant-Man" trailer still longing for Wright’s version of the film, but the screenplay credits suggest that this won’t be a Frankenstein’s monster version of Wright and Cornish’s script—this is Marvel’s "Ant-Man" as written by Rudd and McKay.

SEE ALSO: The First 'Ant-Man' Trailer Is Here

Join the conversation about this story »

Tony Stark Will Have A See-Through Samsung Phone In 'The Avengers' Sequel

$
0
0

Earth's mightiest heroes will rely on a bunch of Samsung gear in "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" this summer.

Samsung is showing off a bunch tech developed for the sequel at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) currently taking place in Las Vegas.

CNET's Shara Tibken snapped a few shots of the devices ranging from a see-through phone for Tony Stark to smartwatches that will be worn by the Avengers team.

samsung avengers

Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) will use this super-thin phone inspired by the Galaxy Note Edge.

tony stark phone

Here's how Samsung describes Stark's phone:

What type of phone does a man who has everything need? A sleek and metallic phone that features cutting edge technology designed specifically for Tony Stark. With a striking flexible display, the phone features two different curved panels, taking inspiration from Samsung's Galaxy Note Edge so that important information is displayed separately from the main screen. The device features a hologram glass user interface with finger print security so that even if the device gets into the wrong hands, Tony Stark's personal data stays secure and out of the hands of the enemy.

Tibken has a closer up shot.

avengers smart phone samsung

Stark's see-through phone first popped up in "Iron Man 2." Back then, it was nothing more than a fancy glass prop which featured an LG Electronics-sponsored logo.

The entire Avengers crew will be equipped with Samsung watches and Bluetooth earpieces.avengers samsung bluetooth

Here's how the Avenger's SmartWatch is described:

A metal alloy smartwatch built with the strongest materials to operate in the toughest environments. With a striking glass interface, Samsung's top secret Smartwatch features two user modes: Normal and Transparent so that the Avengers can access their personal information while staying up to date on any imminent threats to the universe.

IGN has a few images of the products, too. 

A humorous touch is that the display text says the products were made by both Samsung and STARK INDUSTRIES, a nod to Avenger Tony Stark’s company.

A note about product availability mentions the devices are “only available to members of the Avengers.”

Shucks. 

SEE ALSO: Check out the first trailer for "Ant-Man"

Join the conversation about this story »

The Sale Of Blinkbox Is A Humiliation For Tesco And A Massive Bargain For TalkTalk (TALK)

$
0
0

dido harding

TalkTalk Group today announced its acquisition of Blinkbox Movies, Tesco's failed attempt to compete with Netflix in the TV and movie market.

The price is reported to be in the region of £5 million— a tiny sum which indicates just how big a failure this business has been for Britain's biggest supermarket. Blinkbox lost nearly £25 million in 2013.

The move will serve as one of those business school case studies that warns old, brick-and-mortar companies — like groceries that sell milk and frozen food — how dangerous it is to jump into businesses they know little about.

Blinkbox may fare better at TalkTalk, where its services can be wrapped into the broadband provider's existing TV business, which has 1.2 million customers.

It's a huge bargain for TalkTalk:  The company just spent small change to acquire a movie-streaming company with 400,000 paying customers a month, a well-known brand name, plus Tesco's broadband and fixed-line voice customer bases, which have 75,000 and 20,000 users, respectively.

And it means that TalkTalk is now one of three companies in the UK with the ability to offer quad play packages in the UK — the others being Virgin Media and BT, once its acquisition of EE is complete.

For comparison, BT is spending £12.5 billion to put its EE quad play package together. (The two companies aren't comparable, of course, but the price differential is interesting in the sense that both sets of companies have now ended up in competing positions for very different acquisition costs.)

"It's an exciting time — the premise behind this is quad play," the company spokesman says. "We're in a position to offer a massive range to customers. Going forward, yes, it could be big. We're able to compete with Virgin." 

Blinkbox CEO and cofounder Adrian Letts will join TalkTalk as managing director for TV.

The spokesman explains: "With TalkTalk it will be integrated into its TV service. The idea is to bring in the technology and smart people already there. It means there'll be a whole package that can accelerate an established service. We already have a strong TV service so it's about adding to that."

He continues: "TalkTalk is the fasted growing TV platform and it's flexible: It's about paying what you want, on demand. The company is far better equipped to run it with its strength and capability." 

TalkTalk's TV strategy is aimed at Freeview homes primarily, people who "would like a little more content". But it'll also be able to provide pay for content including Sky channels — without the subscription. It means customers can buy Sky Sports on demand rather than sign up to lengthy contracts. This comes in addition to the core movies base, which has around 20,000 films and TV shows to buy or rent.

In terms of offering full quad play packages — TalkTalk doesn't own a provider outright — the spokesman says its mobile service essentially operates as any other 4G mobile phone network. He says the company works with Telefonica to give its customers "the same as a mobile network provider without actually owning a company".

Join the conversation about this story »


Here's What 'The LEGO Movie 2' Will Be About

$
0
0

everything is awesome lego movieThe surprising success of "The LEGO Movie" last February meant that a sequel to the much-loved animated hit was always going to be green-lit. "The LEGO Movie 2" is due to be released in three years time, and now Phil Lord and Chris Miller have teased further details regarding what the film will actually entail.

The duo, who co-wrote and directed the 2014 original, teased to Empire Magazine that "The LEGO Movie" will see a continuation of the live-action element present in the first movie, and revolve around how growing up into the pre-teen years changes a kid's perspective on toys. Said Chris Miller:

"Well, I don’t want to give you spoilers, but we were really interested in what happens to that boy who’s in the meta story in the first movie when he’s four years older. When he’s an adolescent how does that change his point of view?"

lego movie castMeanwhile, this four-year gap would also give the follow-up the opportunity to place the likes of Emmett Brickowski, Wyldstyle, Batman, Metal Beard, and Benny in different circumstances than where we last saw them in the first movie. And while Miller didn't mention them specifically, hopefully some more of these characters will pop up during the adventure, too.

But if Abraham Lincoln, the Statue of Liberty, Superman and Wonder Woman can’t star, then I’d just be happy if "The LEGO Movie 2 "can extend the original’s superb "Star Wars" homage - since the scene below was arguably the funniest movie moment of the year: 

 At this point I would trust anything that came out of Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s minds. The writer/director team have been heavily involved in three of the most successful movie franchises of the last five years, in the shape of "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," "21 Jump Street," and "The LEGO Movie". And while it’s disappointing that the pair are only writing The LEGO Movie 2 rather than directing it too, the fact that they are heavily involved in the construction of the film is enough to suggest their voice will still be prominent. 

The LEGO Movie 2 will be preceded by 2016’s "Lego Ninjago" and 2017’s "Lego Batman," as Warner Bros. look to turn the construction toy into a bona-fide cinematic franchise. Certainly Warner Bros. is confident that each of these installments will add considerably to the first movie in the franchise’s box office total of $468.1 million. That being said, it's extremely unlikely that they’ll be able to replicate the musical genius that was "Everything Is Awesome." 

SEE ALSO: 15 Easter Eggs In 'The LEGO Movie'

Join the conversation about this story »

We May Finally See The 'Batman V Superman' Trailer In Theaters Next Month

$
0
0

henry cavill superman

If you've been on the edge of your seat waiting for the first "Batman V Superman" teaser to premiere, it sounds like you'll only need to wait a little bit longer for your first look at the film.

The latest rumor is that we'll see the first teaser in theaters in February. 

Latino Review, which has a pretty good track record with superhero news, reports the "Batman V Superman"teaser trailer will be attached to Warner Bros.' next film, "Jupiter Ascending."

If this is the case, this is a really good decision by WB.

"Jupiter Ascending," which was set to be one of the studio's big summer movies last year, was abruptly pulled and delayed from its July 18, 2014 release date last year. 

The estimated $175 million movie comes from the Wachowski siblings who directed the successful "Matrix" trilogy and stars Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis.

mila kunis jupiter ascending

Variety reported the delay in the film was to finish "more than 2,000 special effects" along with a "weak response" to a research screening of the film last April.

"Cloud Atlas," the last big-budget film the Wachowskis delivered for Warner Bros. featuring Tom Hanks and Halle Berry bombed domestically when it debuted in 2012, so a big trailer in front of the film could help boost attendance — as long as it's not online first.

Previously, it was heavily rumored the first teaser would appear in theaters connected with some of 2014's holiday movies including Warner Bros.' "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies." 

Honestly, WB had nothing to gain by attaching the "BvS" trailer to that film.

People were going to go out and see the final installment of "The Hobbit" trilogy regardless. It already had a built-in fanbase and the last two films have earned almost $2 billion combined.

"Jupiter Ascending" can probably use all the help it can get.

Channing Tatum stars as a genetically modified hunter who is part wolf and part human. Mila Kunis plays a Cinderella-esque character who's a janitor who discovers she's actually royalty and the ruler of Earth. A bunch of aliens led by actor Eddie Redmayne are trying to hunt her down.channing tatum jupiter ascending

While Tatum's most recent comedy "22 Jump Street" soared at the box office, his most recent action film, "White House Down,"underperformed for Sony resulting in a weak quarter for the company in 2013. It's uncertain whether he and Kunis are enough of a draw for a huge crowd.

The first teaser trailer for "BvS"debuted last year at San Diego Comic-Con

The teaser that will be seen in theaters is reportedly different and will be "Batman heavy."

"Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" is set for a March 25, 2016 theatrical release.

SEE ALSO: There's a Batman easter egg on the "Star Wars: Episode VII" Millennium Falcon

Join the conversation about this story »

The 10 Worst-Reviewed Movies Of 2014

$
0
0

legend of hercules kellan lutz

"Birdman" and "Boyhood" were among the best movies of 2014

What were the worst?

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes provided Business Insider with the 10 worst-reviewed movies of last year, pulling data from films that received 40 or more reviews.

[TIE] 9. "No Good Deed": 10%

Estimated budget: $13.2 million
Worldwide gross: $53.8 million

The fall movie looked like a potentially feel-good thriller; however, the talent of Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson was ultimately wasted along with a letdown of a twist at the end.

Entertainment Weekly:

With performers as strong as Henson and Elba, and the guidance of director Sam Miller, who's worked with Elba in a handful of Luther episodes, it should have yielded more. The trite third act reveal only further sours the wasted potential.

(Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo)



[TIE] 9. "The Nut Job": 10%

Estimated budget: $42 million
Worldwide gross: $113.3 million

Will Arnett may have won kids over as Batman in "The Lego Movie," but the same could not be true of his role as a squirrel. The animated picture featuring his and Liam Neeson's voice talents was called an "ugly animation" with too many gas and fart jokes

(Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo



8. "Vampire Academy": 9%

Estimated budget: Over $30 million
Worldwide gross: $15.4 million

The "Twilight"-meets-"Mean Girls" film ended up being one of the biggest bombs at the box office last year, suffering from "lame jokes" and a lazy attempt to build upon popular franchises.

Variety:

Not only plays like the crassest possible mashup of "Harry Potter" and "Twilight" elements, but seems designed to make those franchises look like eternal monuments of world culture by comparison.

(Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo)



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

This Is What It's Like To Be An Extra On 'Game Of Thrones'

$
0
0

game of thrones extra

What is it like to be an extra on "Game of Thrones"? appeared as a question on Quora. Below we are republishing an answer from Felipe Ferri, who played the role of a servant in King Joffrey's wedding scene.

Being an extra on "Game of Thrones" is an amazing experience.

I was fortunate enough to participate in King Joffrey's wedding feast as a servant (see the picture below).

That scene was shot in Dubrovnik, Croatia, an incredibly beautiful historical city at the shore of the Adriatic Sea.

At the time I had only read the first book of the series, so I wasn't expecting the major spoiler that happened on that precise episode.

But let me tell you — if there is a situation where it is alright to receive a spoiler, that was it! I had the rare opportunity to see awful King Joffrey choke to death a dozen times, just a few paces from me!

Well, this brings me to one of the cool points of being on set. For a fan, it is kinda difficult to separate the actors from their characters, so it was a real surprise when I struck in conversation with Jack Gleeson, the actor who plays Joffrey, and he turned out to be a really nice guy who let me take a picture with him!

Lena Headey, the actress that plays Queen Cersei, was also extremely nice. Everybody in King's Landing was on that scene — Tyrion, Sansa, Loras Tyrell, his grandmother and his father, Lord Tywin, Lord Varys, Grand Maester Pycelle, Lady Brienne, Ser Jamie, Oberyn and Ellaria Sand ... Well, you know, you watched the episode.

I could chat to some of them and take a glimpse to others. I also discovered Lord Varys' secret to be informed of everybody's lives and whereabouts in King's Landing ... He checks everybody's profiles on Facebook between shots! Probably he uses a medieval version, like Westerbook or something.

The five days I spent on the set were amazing. They were intense — we had to meet at a pickup point at 4 a.m. and were dropped off at the same point at 7 p.m., but everything was so exciting that even the long hours didn't matter.

We spent the whole of each day in our costumes, and it was amazing to be surrounded by noble men and women, soldiers, servants and maids.

It is funny that you kinda begin to think that everything is real, and you kinda start to think that the guys in armor are really soldiers, though they're regular people just like you. It is kinda scary, if you think about it.

It was also extremely funny the anachronisms that you see in a place like that. Though your brain is starting to accept that you are in a medieval world, suddenly when you look to the side, you see a servant typing on his iPhone, or a City Watch guard smoking a cigarette, or an old nobleman drinking boxed juice ...

Most of the extras were locals from Dubrovnik or nearby cities in Croatia. I was surprised to find out that most of the people with whom I chatted about the series didn't know anything about it! Especially the older extras. But even the people that didn't know the series well at the end of the shooting regretted not having given enough attention to it before.

ferri 01

The work as an extra is fairly easy. Most of the time you are waiting, because not all scenes require all extras. While we waited we chatted, or walked around the set, or spent time watching at the beautiful view of the sea that particular location had.

When we had to shoot, there was a production assistant who placed every extra in the place he should be and explained what we should be doing. Being a servant, I mostly had to walk among the tables pouring fake wine on the noblemen chalices, or carrying plates with fake food from one place to another. It wasn't me who poured Joffrey's wine, though ...

It was kinda lucky to be a servant on that scene — the noblemen were sitting all the time and the soldiers were hidden inside their armor. Given that we servants were walking on the set all the time, we had a greater chance of appearing on camera. And I did, though briefly.

Another great aspect of the experience was getting the chance to work in a different country among locals. I am from Brazil, and being surrounded by Croatian people while doing work was awesome. And the Croatian people were so welcoming and nice that I really felt at home.

At the end of the shoot, reality struck back and it was a little sad to see everybody in their regular clothes and having to say goodbye. It was an experience I plan to do again sometime in the future, and I would strongly recommend it to anybody!

Here are some screenshots from the episode where I appear briefly:

ferri ss 01

ferri ss 02ferri ss 03

Here is a pic with King Joffrey:

joffrey game of thrones extra

... and a pic with everybody's favorite character!

tyrion game of thrones extra

Here is the lovely queen:

cersei game of thrones extra

This post also appears on Felipe Ferri's blog, Patinete A Vela.

Quora is the best answer to any question. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and get insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on TwitterFacebook, and Google+.

SEE ALSO: George R.R. Martin: No One Ever Gets The Most Iconic Part Of 'Game Of Thrones' Right

Join the conversation about this story »

The Strangest Movie Of The Year Opens Nationwide Today

$
0
0

joaquin phoenix inherent vice

"Inherent Vice" is sure to be labeled Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Big Lebowski," another sprawling and goofy crime comedy. While that comparison is certainly apt, his take on the comedic film noir stands entirely on its own. Based on Thomas Pynchon's novel, it's part throwback to '70s neo-noir, part stoner comedy, and its inspired madness is effectively brought to life thanks to Anderson's assured direction.

The film follows hippie detective Larry "Doc" Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) as he investigates the mysterious disappearance of a former girlfriend. The film takes place in 1970, when the hippie movement was slowing to a standstill as Richard Nixon and his "silent majority" took hold of the country. 

Anderson is the first director to ever tackle a novel by Pynchon, a notoriously complex and heady writer. The resulting film is anything but traditional and is sure to leave plenty of viewers scratching their heads over what the hell they just watched.

Seemingly justifying the occasionally incoherent narrative, at a panel following the film's premiere in New York, Anderson stated: "I never remember plots of movies. I remember how they make me feel." 

joaquin phoenix inherent vice"Inherent Vice" is steeped in Charles Manson-era hippie paranoia. In this world, according to the powers that be, everyone with shoulder-length hair and a vague patchouli stench is a lunatic cult-member ready to attack Americans at a moment's notice. The film's protagonist falls into this category, which make his attempts at solving this confusing affair even more difficult, no matter how professional he tries to be. 

I can't recall one scene in the entire movie that doesn't feature Phoenix; it's essentially a one-man show starring a pot-smoking hippie who obliviously stumbles from one major clue to the next.

The real comedy in the film stems from the fact that Sportello is caught up in a conspiracy that he can barely understand, let alone solve. It's pure joy to watch Phoenix trip his way through solving the elaborate mystery, and all of his exchanges with Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro are hilarious. Every supporting role appears to have been filled with a perfectly capable A-lister, so even the more insignificant characters are intriguing in their own way. Plenty of laughs stem from Phoenix's physicality, and it's astounding what he can accomplish with simply a look (a scene with a frozen banana scene had me and the audience howling). 

The dialogue is full of hippie slang (try and count the number of times you catch someone utter "far out" or "right on") that helps establish the setting and mood, and Sportello's sheer indifference to his surroundings really drives the whole "stoner hippie" angle home. Sportello is constantly referred to as a "doper," and it truly fits — the man smokes more joints in the film's two and a half hours than most people do throughout four years in college. 

There are a few sequences that bend reality and feel hallucinatory, ensuring we're never quite sure what Sportello is really seeing. Pynchon's words are brought to the screen through narration by the quirky folk singer Joanna Newsom whose musings only add to all the uncertainty. The narrative is purposefully muddled and disorienting, as the audience sees things from Sportello's unreliable point of view. 

inherent vice posterThe film is often weird for the sake of being weird and only gets more bizarre as it moves along; by the time Martin Short shows up in a hilarious cameo, the film has already gone off the deep end. 

"Inherent Vice" looks nothing like Anderson's other recent works — the beautifully composed and breathtaking cinematography that fills "There Will Be Blood" and "The Master" is replaced by a tighter, grainy look that focuses more on close-ups than lush establishing shots. This helps keep the audience confined to Sportello, as we see the world just as he does through the smoke-filled haze. As if the film's noir aesthetic weren't enough, there's even a shadowy scene in a dark, sketchy alley to really drive it home. 

What makes the film so unique is how all these different elements combine to form something that's greater than the sum of its parts. It has many functions; it's an homage to old-school film noir/neo-noir, a goofy stoner comedy, and a compelling mediation on America in the late '60s/early '70s. On paper, it sounds like a total trainwreck, but in the hands of one of the greatest living filmmakers, it's actually one of the best movies of the year. 

"Inherent Vice" opens in limited release on December 12th and expands nationwide on January 9th, 2015.

SEE ALSO: Watch Joaquin Phoenix Go Nuts In First Trailer For Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Inherent Vice'

Join the conversation about this story »

Viewing all 8368 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images