Sherlock Holmes has always been perceived as one of the sharpest, most intelligent fictional characters of all time. The new movie "Mr. Holmes" imagines the legendary sleuth as an elderly man slowly losing the faculties that once made him the enemy of criminals everywhere.

Sir Ian McKellen plays Holmes in the adaptation of the 2005 book "A Slight Trick of the Mind." This role has the potential to result in the 75 year-old actor's first Academy Award. He's been nominated twice; the most recent nomination was for Best Supporting Actor in 2001 for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring." He also received a Best Actor nomination for the 1998 drama "Gods and Monsters," which was directed by Bill Condon, who also directs McKellen in "Mr. Holmes."

The movie is scheduled to be released this summer.

Join the conversation about this story »

When Disney CEO Bob Iger casually announced "Toy Story 4" during an earnings call in November, it was a huge surprise.

The successful Pixar trilogy didn't appear to need another followup.

2010's seemingly final film came full circle.

The young boy from the first film, Andy, who owned toys Woody and Buzz, grew up. Before heading off to college, he handed off his old toy collection to a new young owner to carry on his adventures with the cowboy and space ranger.

At the time of its release, the film became the highest-grossing animated picture ever until "Frozen.""Toy Story 3"grossed over $1 billion. It went out on top.

What else is left to tell?

/Film happened upon an interview with Pixar Animation Studios president Jim Morris done in Spanish on blog Disney Latino in which he discusses brief details about the anticipated next film.

According to Morris, "Toy Story 4" won't be a continuation of the third film. Instead, "Toy Story 4" will be a romantic comedy, one that won't focus on the interaction between the characters and kids.

As /film points out, if that's true, it sounds like the upcoming film may follow the setup of the newer "Toy Story" short specials which focus on the toys' interactions with each other. 

/film translated parts of the interview via Google. 

Business Insider double checked over the original article to translate.

Here's a section of the interview translated in English:

What stage of production is "Toy Story 4" in?

We will have the third table reading. Usually, after working on the idea with the story team and the writers who will be finishing their screenplay, we call Pixar or include actors to sit down and read the script. It’s evolving very well. We are coming up with a beautiful story. It isn’t a continuation of the last film “Toy Story 3.” It is temporarily, but it will be a love story. It will be a romantic comedy. It will not have much focus on the interaction between the characters and the children. I think it will be a very good movie. 

Honestly, I never thought that we would be doing another Toy Story movie, but in one of the brainstorming sessions that we did, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Lee Unkrich, and John Lasseter had this idea. To John, it seemed irresistible and felt the need to make it. The third film had ended in a way that was beautiful and that completed a trilogy. I think that this film isn't part of this trilogy. It's a separate story, which in turn … I’m not sure whether it will be a continuation. We never start a project with that in mind.

Morris goes on to defend the making of “Toy Story 4,” saying that Pixar only decides to do sequels if they have an idea they’re passionate about, and reassures that they're not exploiting the franchise just for the sake of another film.

"Fortunately, our movies are successful, and we don't have to exploit them by making sequels for money," he adds. "That's not what it's about. It's about an idea that is met with enthusiasm."  

"Toy Story 4" is set for a June 16, 2017 release.

You can read the full interview with Morris, here.

SEE ALSO: An explanation of everything in the new "Avengers: Age of Ultron" trailer

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Ian McKellen plays a retired Sherlock Holmes in first 'Mr. Holmes' trailer

American blockbusters have found enormous success in China, yet the big winner at the Chinese box office right now is not a "Hunger Games" sequel or the fifth "Tranformers," but instead a homegrown cinematic effort starring Adrien Brody, John Cusack, and Jackie Chan.

"Dragon Blade" opened in China in mid-February during their New Year to an astounding $54.8 million. Even though it is no longer number one at the Chinese box office (that honor now belongs to another Chinese film, "The Man from Macau II"), the historical epic shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. 

The film contributed to a huge month that saw box office revenues in China exceed those in the U.S. for the first time ever. 

The film was produced on an estimated $65 million budget. Currently, "Dragon Blade" has grossed $101.6 million at the Chinese box office to date. 

The film isn't out in the US yet. According to Variety, it will eventually be released state side, though no specific release date is available.

Until then, here's what you should know about "Dragon Blade."

1. It mixes Chinese and Roman history

"Dragon Blade" is an historical epic set in Han Dynasty China. It is loosely based on the true story of a missing legion of Roman soldiers who ended up along China's Silk Road in 48 BCE.

Adrien Brody and John Cusack play rival English-speaking Roman generals Tiberius and Lucius, respectively. Lucius kidnaps Tiberius' younger brother (and heir to the Empire) to save him from death at the hands of his power-hungry older brother. Meanwhile, Jackie Chan plays a Chinese commander tasked with keeping peace in the unstable Silk Road region.

Variety compared the film's disregard for history to that of "300," but with more diplomacy and less bloodshed.

The casting of Cusack and Brody is eyebrow raising since both actors have struggled with US box-office success in the past few years. Cusack has been starring in small indie films that aren't big hits, while Brody recently found himself starring alongside Rob Schneider and Lindsay Lohan in "InAPPropriate Comedy," which barely made an impression during its short theatrical run. To be fair to Brody, he did have a standout role in last year's Oscar-winning "The Grand Budapest Hotel." 

The film is directed by Daniel Lee, who worked his way up the ranks of China and Hong Kong's film industries to eventually write and direct his own movies. He is known for dabbling in wuxia (a genre focused on martial arts) and history, from "14 Blades" to Qin Dynasty set "White Vengeance."

2. It's one of the most expensive films ever made in China

"Dragon Blade" cost an estimated $65 million to produce, making it one of China's most expensive movies. For comparison, one of China's biggest movies last year, "Monkey King,"cost $82 million to make. Big blockbusters in the US can cost well over $200 million.

The film, which was eventually released in IMAX 3D, had to deal with the challenges of shooting in the harsh climate of the Gobi Desert. 

During a press conference, Chan told Cinema Online the film had 350 crew members and 800 extras. Filming days would go "well past midnight."

Here's how Chan described a typical day on set:

Every day, they have to wake up at 2am. By 5am they had to start eating breakfast. By the time they walk to the desert, line up, it's already past 11am. By 12pm it was lunch time. We only got to shoot at 3pm. But we were lucky because the sun only went down at 9pm. We have a very harsh director who made us shoot all the way till 12 midnight.

3. It's a passion project of Adrien Brody's 

Brody previously worked with Chinese director Xiaogang Feng in 2012's "Back to 1942." Since then, the Oscar winner has had his sights on getting Jackie Chan's attention, according to Deadline.

“I feel a deep connection to Asia,” Brody told Deadline. “I’ve been able to develop close friendships with a core group of extremely talented filmmakers and financiers, who have opened many doors.” 

This project has led to Brody suddenly finding himself at the helm of Fable House, a production company who's benefactors include Mr. Chan and other Chinese and Nigerian investors.

4. Jackie Chan has wanted to make this film for a long time

"Seven years ago, I wanted to do this film," Chan told Chinese website M1905, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "I didn’t make the film because the government policy wants to protect the Silk Road. I am ahead of them. I hope chairman Xi (Jinping) gets to watch this film."

Along with a leading role, Chan also served as one of the film's producers. In addition, like with most of his other projects, he did all of his own stunts.

 The film has been something of a comeback for Chan and has re-established him as an important cultural figure both in mainland China and his homeland of Hong Kong. 

What's next for "Dragon Blade"?

The next test is to see how well the film plays outside of China.

Besides Brody and Cusack, the film also has castmembers from England (Kevin Lee), Australia (Sharni Vinson), and South Korea (Si Won Choi), as well as a director (Lee) and star (Chan) from Hong Kong. 

The wide appealing cast of stars from around the world shows that the future of the box office may be in embracing the global community at large.

Watch the trailer for the film below:

SEE ALSO: China's rising box office is putting Hollywood to shame

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The Latest Fashion Trend In China Is Actually A Throwback To The 2,000-Year-Old Han Dynasty

It's impossible to watch "Selma" in America today and not feel confronted by the striking parallels to recent turmoil.

The Eric Garner and Michael Brown grand jury decisions have brought the issue of race back into the spotlight, and the calculated response and protest by unhappy American people harkens back to Martin Luther King Jr.'s crusade for civil rights. 

"Selma" is not your typical biopic: We don't see Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth, we don't see his death, and we don't get very much in between. What we do get is a focused look at one key event that changed the course of the country for the better — the monumental Civil Rights March in Selma, Alabama that led to national attention and widespread outrage for the South's 'desegregated in name only' approach and systematic opression of people of color.

There are scenes throughout "Selma"— people walking in the streets, demanding justice — that parallel news coverage from the past month. Many of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speeches are depicted in the film, and each sentiment is more strikingly relevant than the last.

The basic notion that all of the cops in the movie are white and any threat of violence to white people seem to be valued more than excessive force against blacks evokes the deaths of Gordon and Brown after aggressive police responses. It brings certain numbers to mind, such as how Ferguson is 60% black, the police force is 94% white, and that 93% of Ferguson arrests in 2013 were people of color.

One of the most memorable scenes is when protesters (without MLK Jr.) descend upon the bridge towards Selma and are accosted by ruthless, angry white southern police officers as well as a slew of spectators eagerly cheering them on. This scene depicts a watershed moment and major turning point in the movement, as news cameras and photographers were able to bring the issue into the homes of Americans nationwide. Martin Luther King's comments following the first march on the bridge was a national call-to-arms for people of all races.

Countless African-Americans are beaten and a few killed by the police during the marches, and the film does not shy away from the sheer brutality that was on display during this era. When King notes that none of the white police officers were convicted or tried for their awful crimes, more connections to the present are revealed and it's hard to swallow.

The march on Selma itself is emblematic of the larger problem we still face today. While blatant beatings orchestrated by law enforcement in broad daylight may be a thing of the past, the protests in Ferguson (and to a lesser extent those breaking out across the nation) and the overzealous militarized response are not far off. Sure, you can spin it and put the blame on the small subsection of protesters who were looting and causing a ruckus, but there were thousands protesting peacefully who were tear-gassed all the same. The parallels to the "hands up, don't shoot" movement are striking and shocking. 

David Oyelowo plays MLK Jr. with such a dignified grace and commanding presence that at times it's hard to believe you're not watching footage of the man himself. It's a subtle performance in which he says just as much with his eyes and demeanor than he does with words, and it's one of the year's best — even in a year of many wonderful performances.

"Selma" is a timely, important and magnificent film that proves no matter how far we've come towards equality in America, we still have a long way to go.

SEE ALSO: It's Clear That Race Is America's Deepest Problem

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 Crazy Things Revealed In HBO's Explosive New Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear'

Vince Vaughn's latest comedy bombed hard at the box office opening weekend.

"Unfinished Business," about a small-business owner (Vaughn) trying to land a big deal mixed in with hijinks across Europe, debuted to $4.8 million at theaters.

Analysts expected the film to tank, making between $5 million and $6 million upon debut.

The film received terrible reviews  for being downright unfunny and unfocused.

The movie had a reported $35 million production budget.

"Unfinished Business" is the actor's latest comedic bomb at the box office.

After a string of big hits through 2009, Vaughn's last four films have flopped upon entry. 

Here's a quick look back at Vaughn's wide releases since 2005's "Wedding Crashers" with Owen Wilson:

Unless Vaughn's with another leading star — Jennifer Aniston in "The Break-Up" or Reese Witherspoon in "Four Christmases"— he doesn't bring a big audience on his own.

The 44-year-old actor's next big role will be on season 2 of HBO's hit "True Detective" which will also star Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams.

The role comes at a dire time when Vaughn's role as a viable standalone movie star is going to be heavily scrutinized after several flops in a row.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This Scientology documentary made HBO hire 160 lawyers — here's the trailer

Whether it is women having a lot of fun while eating salad or a suited and booted executive looking serious "doing business" in the boardroom, stock photos are horrendously cringeworthy.

In a stunt for the upcoming movie "Unfinished Business," Vince Vaughn and his co-stars including Dave Franco and Tom Wilkinson released some hilarious versions of the atypical stock photo.

Here are four versions that are available to download for free via iStock by Getty Images:

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This is what separates the Excel masters from the wannabes

Patrick Willems reimagined the X-Men series with Wes Anderson as director. Using Anderson's signature typography, cinematography, and quirky dialogue, Willems' shows us why a Wes Anderson directed X-Men isn't exactly the worst idea in the world.

Follow BI Video: On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

Vince Vaughn didn’t have a good weekend. His latest comedy, “Unfinished Business,” was dead on arrival at the box office with only a $4.8 million take.

The truth is, Vaughn hasn’t had a strong comedy in quite a while, but “Unfinished Business” brings it to another level when you match some of his other clunkers that actually made more than “Business” its first weekend.

Here are six of them.

1. "Psycho" (1998)

Opening Weekend: $10 million

Yes, Gus Van Sant’s shot-for-shot remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic, which stars Vaughn in the Norman Bates role, and considered by many to be one of the worst remakes of all time, took in more its opening weekend than “Unfinished Business.”

2. "The Cell" (2000)

Opening Weekend: $17.5 million

Vaughn plays a burnt out FBI agent who teams with a social worker (Jennifer Lopez) to enter the mind of a serial killer to learn the location of his latest kidnap victim. Though number one at the box office its opening weekend, audiences caught on quick as the film had a 45% drop in ticket sales its second weekend. 

3. "Domestic Disturbance" (2001)

Opening Weekend: $14 million

This lame psychological thriller stars Vaughn as a shady stepfather whose past comes back to haunt him leading to the father of his stepson, played by John Travolta, out to find answers about who he really is. One reviewer put it best: “hopelessly silly and lacking in thrills.” 

4. "Fred Claus" (2007)

Opening Weekend: $18.5 million

By the time this dud hit the holiday season in 2007, Vaughn had pretty much ditched doing dramas and thrillers and was all in on comedies. But only two years out from the success of “Wedding Crashers,” here he was playing Santa’s bitter older brother and thus beginning his box-office nosedive.

5. "The Dilemma" (2011)

Opening Weekend: $17.8 million

Even the prestige of Ron Howard as director didn’t save this Vaughn comedy. The film co-stars Kevin James ("King of Queens") whose wife is having an affair. When Vaughn’s character catches her in the act, he struggles to figure out a way to break the news to his friend.

6. "Delivery Man" (2013)

Opening Weekend: $7.9 million

Vaughn’s film before “Unfinished Business” shows he was headed for a big crash. The paltry opening weekend gross proved that most audiences are over Vaughn’s comedy act. Months later news broke that Vaughn would be in season two of "True Detective." Is a “Vaughnaissance” on its way?

SEE ALSO: Netflix's new show 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' has a great iPhone joke

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 Crazy Things Revealed In HBO's Explosive New Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear'

When L. Ron Hubbard founded the Church of Scientology in February 1954 in Los Angeles, one of his main pillars in building its membership was courting celebrities.

A year after the church was founded, it created a long list of celebrities to recruit, according to Lawrence Wright's best-selling book "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood & The Prison of Belief."The list reportedly included Hollywood royalty like Marlene Dietrich, Walt Disney, Jackie Gleason, John Ford, Bob Hope, and Howard Hughes. It's hard to find evidence of these legends ever entertaining the idea of joining the church, but it appears that Hubbard saw movie stars as a way of legitimizing Scientology.

Six decades later, Hubbard's premonition proved to be correct. Scientology, which today has only about 50,000 members, is worth over $1.2 billion, and much of its financial success is in part thanks to famous people who have fundraised, recruited, and given the church access to the upper echelon of society.

For years, two of the church's most prized endorsers have been John Travolta and Tom Cruise.

But director Alex Gibney suggests in his latest documentary for HBO, an adaptation of Wright's book called "Going Clear," that it is time for Travolta and Cruise to reassess their involvement with the church, in part because of the abuse their fellow members have allegedly endured.

The film highlights numerous instances in which church members have allegedly been abused. Members have allegedly been segregated from their families and the rest of the church to do physical labor like cleaning toilets with only a toothbrush.

In the documentary, Gibney speaks with one of Travolta's closest confidants at the church, Spanky Taylor, who says she was part of a group that was punished by the church.

Taylor says she was forced to work 30-hour shifts with little food and slept on the roof of the church's Los Angeles building. She says she was pregnant at the time and away from her infant daughter, who was placed in the church's nursery in a urine-soaked crib surrounded by fruit flies. In the movie, Taylor says she reached out to Travolta for help but never heard from him.

According to the film, Cruise has also turned a blind eye to the harassment suffered by Sea Organization members, the clergy of Scientology who reportedly show their loyalty by signing billion-year contracts but get paid only about 40 cents an hour for their services. The film alleges that the presents Cruise receives on behalf of the church — like a beautiful airplane hangar or luxury limousine — are delivered on the sweat of Sea Org members.

So why are Cruise and Travolta still in Scientology?

The film alleges that the church would disclose the celebrities' deepest, darkest confessions to the tabloids if they ever tried to leave the church.

That's because the pair have reportedly spent hours and hours of their lives submitting to Scientology audits, the church's form of spiritual counseling.

When Business Insider talked to Gibney last week at HBO's New York offices, the director said he felt it was the duty of Cruise and Travolta to speak out, and he hoped the attention of "Going Clear" would make it easier for them to do so.

"I think one of the reasons we're trying to turn the spotlight on them is not to victimize them but to say you really have a responsibility," Gibney told us. "You're given an enormous amount of wealth as a movie star and with that comes a certain amount of responsibility, particularly when people are joining an organization because of you. If the popular opinion begins to swing that way, I think you can see a sea change with them."

For Cruise it may be harder to get out. The film reveals just how important he is to the church, suggesting Scientology went as far as breaking up Cruise and Nicole Kidman's marriage to bring him closer to the church after he began distancing himself around the time he and Kidman filmed Stanley Kubrick's final film, "Eye's Wide Shut," in 1998.

Orchestrated by Scientology's leader, David Miscavige, the church turned the two adoptive children of Cruise and Kidman's against Kidman, according to former Scientology executives who speak in the film.

The church allegedly told the children that Kidman was a "Suppressive Person," Scientology talk for someone who's not a believer of the church, and persuaded them to completely disconnect themselves from her.

The church also allegedly tapped Kidman's phones in an effort to convince Cruise that he needed to end the relationship.

Gibney and Wright, along with former Scientology members Mike Rinder and Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis, talked more about these issues in the film recently at a New York Times "Times Talk."

A representative for Scientology told People.com these assertions made were "utterly ludicrous" and "insulting" to Miscavige. 

Reps for Cruise and Travolta didn't respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

"Going Clear" opens theatrically in limited release March 13 and on HBO on March 29.

SEE ALSO: How a filmmaker finally infiltrated Scientology for HBO's explosive documentary

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 Crazy Things Revealed In HBO's Explosive New Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear'

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson adds to his likely streak of summer blockbusters with "San Andreas," a disaster film that boasts world-class visual effects.

Johnson stars as a helicopter pilot racing across California to rescue his daughter after an earthquake decimates the Golden State.

The movie opens on May 29.

Follow BI Video:On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson crashed the Valentino fashion show at Paris Fashion Week as their characters from 2001 hit "Zoolander." 

The two weren't just channeling their characters for the runway. 

Paramount confirmed "Zoolander 2" is happening and will be released February 12, 2016.

Here they are making their way down the runway:

According to Valentino, Derek (Stiller) is wearing "a custom Night Butterflies brocade suit with hand-embroidered overcoat and black Creeper shoes."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: HBO just released another new trailer for 'Game of Thrones'

Walt Disney Pictures gives us the lengthiest look at "Tomorrowland" we've seen so far, and the sci-fi adventure looks very promising. Named after the popular Disney theme-park attraction, "Tomorrowland" stars George Clooney as a scientist who takes a teenager (Britt Robertson) on a journey into a futuristic world that could hold the key to saving the planet.

The movie is directed by Brad Bird, who helmed such animated hits as "The Incredibles,""Ratatouille" and the beloved cult-classic "The Iron Giant." However, this isn't Bird's first foray into live-action. He previously helmed "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol," which earned nearly $700 million at the international box office.

"Tomorrowland" opens on May 22.

Follow BI Video:On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

"Cinderella" doesn't hit theaters until Friday, but Disney's live action movie is already getting plenty of buzz for one thing — the size of lead actress Lily James' waist.

James's tiny waist has been under scrutiny since the "Cinderella" trailer premiered last month.

This is how Cinderella’s waist appeared in several shots from the trailer:

Disney's promotional images also displayed Cinderella as having a teeny-tiny waist:

The images led many to believe that James' waist was digitally altered, and people were furious that Disney would set such an example for young girls.

But "Cinderella" director, Kenneth Branagh, has denied that there’s been any use of airbrushing on Lily James.

"To all the airbrush conspiracy theorists I can answer now: no," Branagh said in a new interview with HuffPost Live. "The simple truth is, we didn't alter anything. In fact, it partly seems a little bit more extreme because it's shadowed... the lit part feels very narrow, and it's a bit wider on the top." 

"It's not a mystery — if you put someone in a corset, you'll see also that there's a wide [part]," the British filmmaker added. "Not that Lily James isn't slim. But, in that wide bow of the dress underneath, basically you squeeze things in, things come out at the bottom. It all gets hidden under there. The natural body physics of it aren't insane."

James, for her part, told the LA Times: "I naturally have a really small waist. The skirt’s big and the corset pulls me in, and that’s the point. That’s the shape [costume designer] Sandy Powell created."

Indeed, it does appear James has a very small waist in real life: 

But James didn't help her case when she told E! News earlier this week that she went on a liquid diet to fit into the corset.

"When [the corset] was on we would be on continuous days so we wouldn't stop for lunch or a lovely tea like this — you'd be sort of eating on the move. In that case, I couldn't untie the corset. So if you ate food it didn't really digest properly and I'd be burping all afternoon... and it was just really sort of unpleasant... I'd have soup, so that I could still eat but it wouldn't get stuck."

But James takes her role as a role model seriously, and has been disturbed by the negative attention recently on her slim figure.

"On one hand, it's upsetting. On the other hand, it's just boring," James said during HuffPost Live interview Monday. "Why do women always get pointed at for their bodies? And why is this whole thing happening that I'm constantly having to justify myself? I'm very healthy and I always have been. I really have been lucky because I’ve always had a very healthy attitude to my body. That’s why in a way it’s confusing me, because it’s a costume."

James assured: "I’m so healthy. I’ve got hips and boobs and a bum and a small waist."

"For girls growing up sometimes I think they get the wrong idea for what women should look like," she tells E! News. "And I think it's so important to be healthy and confident and natural. And not put too much stress on trying to be thin—I don't get the thin, thin thing at all."

Richard Madden, who plays Prince Charming in the film, confirmed that James' waist appears onscreen exactly as it is in real life.

"I can vouch for Lily on this," he added. "That's her real waist; I held it, I know how tiny it was. And she did eat. She eats like a boy."

Many others have taken to Twitter to defend Lily James, as well:

SEE ALSO: Everyone is going nuts out over these leaked, unretouched Beyoncé photos

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 Crazy Things Revealed In HBO's Explosive New Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear'

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson recently debuted a poster for his upcoming disaster movie "San Andreas."

The poster shows Johnson heading down into the depths of a giant fissure caused by a series of earthquakes pummeling the West coast.

Here's a better look:

We couldn't help but notice the new poster looked very similar to another piece of marketing for a previous Warner Bros.' hit.

Take a look at the poster for 2012's "The Dark Knight Rises" which made over $1 billion at theaters.

Both posters draw viewer's eyes in with cut out shapes. 

This isn't the first time the cut out design has been used in movie marketing. 

This poster from Paramount for "Star Trek Into Darkness" borrowed a similar theme tonally with a cut out of the Starfleet Insignia.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The Rock wrestles an earthquake in this awesome trailer for 'San Andreas'

Fans of "District 9" will have no trouble recognizing Neill Blomkamp's footprint in "Chappie," the Canadian-South African director's third feature film about a titanium police droid that gains consciousness thanks to a big software update.

Blomkamp's style is felt in a story that bounces among unlikely heroes, richer humor than what you'd get in the often lowest-common denominator chuckles of a Marvel flick, and a plot line of stakes that just go up and up.

That's all very parallel to what we saw in Blomkamp's directorial debut in 2009's "District 9."

Despite some pretty negative reviews, and an underwhelming $13.3 million opening at the box office, "Chappie" is a movie that could easily be enjoyed a second time on the big screen.

A few plot details follow, but nothing too heavy in spoilers!

Once a ubiquitous member of the cop-robot force that helped rein in scary homicide rates in Johannesburg, Unit 022 is damaged and labeled fit for the scrapyard.

That's until his designer, an engineer named Deon (Dev Patel) who moonlights in Red Bull-fueled attempts at designing true AI, installs his latest software attempt into his head.

It works. Unit 022 becomes Chappie (voiced and motion-acted by Sharlto Copley), essentially a child with a hyper-capable body and a blistering learning pace. Vulture calls Chappie a robotic version of the widely-hated Jar Jar Binks. And sure, there's some validity in that — from the character's odd English and his bodily dimensions to his nervous traits.

But Chappie won't annoy you like Jar Jar did the masses of "Star Wars" fans. One early scene is actually pretty heart-wrenching, as Chappie is pushed into homelessness by stewards eager to toughen him up.

Unfortunately for him, Chappie is a hero lost among anti-heroes (balanced against a few villains). Chappie's malleability is used by a trio of bad but not totally rotten gangsters — they're in falsified debt to a ruthless warlord (Brandon Auret).

The gangsters are played by rap duo Die Antwoord's Yolandi Visser and Watkin Tudor Jones, alongside Jose Pablo Cantillo. Apparently the rappers weren't the easiest to get along with on the set. A South African publication reported on Jones' backseat directing, and heard from anonymous sources on the set that Blomkamp himself said "I don’t ever want to be in the same room as him again."

Too bad they won't work with Blomkamp again. Tudor Jones and Visser are a bright spot in a cast of more established names that don't stand out themselves.

They have the benefit of bringing their real-life physiques to the set, and even spray-paint a few decals from some of their albums onto Chappie's bodywork (not a bad product placement). The gangsters try to mold Chappie into an unbeatable asset for high crime, though Yolandi Visser's character is just as happy reading him a book at night.

Hugh Jackman plays Vincent Moore, a frustrated meathead smart enough to have engineered his own robotic weapon (the mind-controlled "Moose"), but not quite smart enough to see why Deon's versatile robots have performed better with the Johannesburg police's budget allocators. When he's not causing problems for Chappie and the gang, Jackman's character fumes at his desk, wringing his hands into a rugby ball.

Even Chappie's maker, Deon, doesn't have the best instincts as he's kept in thrall by the three gangsters, who in a limited way, have come to care for Chappie beyond his ability to pack muscle.

Here's a scene of them interacting with the robot:

Much of the film's humor arises from the dissonance between Chappie's unmatched ability to fight while remaining so child-like. Soon enough, the gangster's den starts to resemble an unlikely but recognizable, almost loving home for Chappie's accelerated boyhood.

Like any machine, he'll take order inputs to an extreme that humans would implicitly understand as not exactly what was meant.

Finally, "Chappie" keeps driving to greater and greater stakes. The gangsters might be in it for Chappie's criminal potential, but that's soon overtaken by the world-shifting implications of bona fide artificial intelligence — a machine that learns, feels, fears, and longs to survive. Just like the bumbling protagonist Blomkamp's hit "District 9," the characters in "Chappie" are lost in something a lot greater than them.

Overall, "Chappie" is a solid action flick with a plot spine strong enough to string together the gunshow set-pieces, which come quickly enough. Blomkamp keeps the same mind-blowing contrast between futuristic weaponry and gritty urban settings we enjoyed on our last tour of near-future Johannesburg with "District 9."

The ending raises a few questions — some of them on the nature of AI, others, less appealingly, about the plausibility of the last few scenes, which we won't spoil here.

Perhaps one of the biggest questions the film posits is what happens when AI is smart enough to do more than it was designed for?

It's a question a few films this year will focus on from British thriller "Ex Machina" to the highly-anticipated "Avengers" sequel.

At the very least, if you enjoyed "District 9"— quirks, action, plot and all — Blomkamp's latest won't disappoint.

Watch a trailer for the film below:

Join the conversation about this story »

In February, Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis' long-delayed sci-fi romantic action thriller "Jupiter Ascending"bombed at the box office. 

The reported $175 million Warner Bros.' movie debuted to $19 million.

It was the latest bomb at theaters for the Wachowski siblings who brought us "The Matrix."

So far, "Jupiter Ascending" has made a weak $45 million domestically.

At that rate, it looked like it was on its way to becoming one of the biggest bombs of 2015. 

However, it looks like its poor performance at home may not even matter.

Internationally, the movie is a hit.

Over the weekend, the film debuted in China to a solid $23.2 million.

Currently, the film has already made $107 million internationally.

The movie is the latest box-office bomb to be saved by the foreign markets. 

Last year alone, overseas grosses helped movies like "The Expendables 3,""Need for Speed," and "Pompeii" from becoming outright flops.

China is currently the second-largest box-office market and is poised to overtake US as the number one market by 2020.

So it's no surprise big summer blockbusters are now turning their attention toward catering to international audiences. 

American cities were transformed to stand in for parts of Hong Kong and China during film of the latest "Transformers" sequel. The global premiere took place in Hong Kong.

The sequel ended up as the highest-grossing movie of 2014 despite terrible reviews. Overseas alone, "Transformers: Age of Extinction" grossed over $845 million.

"Iron Man 3" had longer, additional sequences for its Chinese audiences with cameos from local stars.

Next month's "Furious 7" featuring Vin Diesel and the Rock is set to do the majority of its press in Los Angeles and China.

SEE ALSO: "Jupiter Ascending" is one of the worst movies you'll see this year

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 Crazy Things Revealed In HBO's Explosive New Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear'

The sensational box-office run of “American Sniper” hit its peak this week with news the bio pic of Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle is now the highest-grossing US film of last year with $337.4 million. 

Not bad for a film with a budget just under $60 million. 

To put the success of "American Sniper" in perspective: the film made more than "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" ($337 million),  "Guardians of the Galaxy" ($333 million), and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" ($259.8 million) stateside.

Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper as Kyle, the film garnered six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor (it would win only for Best Sound Editing), but its true success was its surprising box-office take, even though it received mixed reactions by the critics.

But it seems Eastwood films are impervious to criticism.

Counting “American Sniper,” Eastwood has directed six movies for Warner Bros. and all of them easily made their money back (only “Hereafter” and “Invictus” needed overseas grosses to get them in the black), thanks to Eastwood’s modest budgets for his films that usually range between $30 million - $60 million.

In fact, if it wasn’t for Eastwood’s lightening-quick shooting and bare-bones style of filmmaking, the “American Sniper” script would likely still be on the shelf. Steven Spielberg was originally supposed to helm the project after "Lincoln," but in the summer of 2013 he backed out, reportedly due to Warner Bros.' insistence that it only be a $60 million picture. A week later, Warner Bros. called Eastwood and the rest is history.

But the success of “American Sniper” also is a textbook example of great marketing and good timing.

The film only opened on four screens on Christmas Day, making it eligible for Oscar consideration, and grossed just over $633,000.

But then the Warner Bros. marketing team kicked in.

Retelling Kyle’s story, powerful ads and trailers of Cooper conflicted over his responsibility on the battlefield and the pull from his family back home. The Oscar buzz began, along with pieces questioning the accuracy of the film. The pump was primed and by the time the film went wide over Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, it became the highest January opening ever with over $90 million. 

From there, the film’s grosses soared and so did the country’s interest.

Kyle’s wife began doing press leading up to the Oscars, and though the film didn’t do well during awards season, the trial for Kyle’s killer — Eddie Ray Routh, an Iraqi war veteran who shot Kyle and his friend in the back while the two brought him to a shooting range in 2013 —  was already underway. It quickly became dubbed the “American Sniper” trail, and was the final jolt for a film that had now fully gripped a nation.

While “American Sniper” topped every movie in 2014, the most fascinating stat may be that Eastwood’s film is the first drama/non-franchise title to be the highest grossing of the year since 1998’s "Saving Private Ryan." In doing so it passes Steven Spielberg’s war epic as the highest-grossing war movie of all time.

Think Spielberg’s regretting passing on “Sniper” now? 

SEE ALSO: A Marine sharpshooter explains why american snipers are not cowards

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The Rock wrestles an earthquake in this awesome trailer for 'San Andreas'

"Chappie" has an identity crisis.

The film tells a story better fit for PG-rated family fare, and then covers it in enough ugliness to garner a R-rating. In one scene, it's trying to make you laugh, the next it's trying to make you cry, and by the end, it aims to stun with excessive gore. Unfortunately, these elements don't add up to a cohesive or enjoyable movie.

"Chappie" features familiar faces in Hugh Jackman and "Slumdog Millionaire" star Dev Patel, but the movie, oddly enough, belongs to people named Ninja and Yolandi, better known (to some) as South African rap group Die Antwoord. While they are near-impossible to take seriously, however, even they are not the main reason why the movie doesn't work.

The real problem is that we've seen it all before. "Chappie" feels like Blomkamp put "E.T.", "Short Circuit,""Transcendence," and "Robocop" in a blender and then covered it with "AI: Artificial Intelligence." There's not an original bone in the film's body, and it plays like a mash-up of all the better sci-fi that came before it, but with way more repeated Die Antwoord tunes.

The film's visual style is exactly what you'd expect if you're familiar with Blomkamp's oeuvre — incredible, seamless effects set against a desolate South African backdrop. It was interesting in "District 9" but feels boring and stale by now. As Doug Benson joked on the latest episode of "Doug Loves Movies" in reference to Blomkamp's singular vision, "At least Woody Allen went to other boroughs." 

"Chappie" is more strange than it is anything else. Are Ninja and Yolandi playing themselves, as evidenced by the plethora of Die Antwoord merchandise strewn about the film? If they are playing themselves, why does nobody recognize them as popular rap stars? Die Antwoord definitely exists in the world of the film, as Ninja and Yolandi are literally wearing hoodies promoting themselves the entire time. It's a confusing marketing move that has no business being in a feature film.

Another thing that made me laugh was how Hugh Jackman inexplicably carries a rugby ball throughout the entire film. Every scene he can be seen holding, squeezing, maybe even tossing his precious rugby ball, and it never comes into play in a big way as one might expect. It's just bizarre.

Ultimately, it's unclear who "Chappie" is for. Its sense of humor and inclusion of pop culture figures suggests that it's for younger teens, but the film's R-rating ensures that they can't even buy a ticket. It's too silly to intrigue die-hard, adult sci-fi fans, and too "out there" for children. 

Neill Blomkamp seems to be failing upward in Hollywood, depending on who you ask. Blomkamp's debut feature "District 9" was a massive success — earning $115 million domestically on a tight $30 million budget and a Best Picture nomination at the 2010 Oscars. His follow-up sci-fi actioner "Elysium" starring Matt Damon underperformed in the states, earning just $93 million on a $115 budget.

Critics were fairly kind to "Elysium" at the time, but even Blomkamp himself considers the film a failure, as he told Uproxx:

"The thing that bothers me is if I feel like I f----- it up… I feel like, ultimately, the story is not the right story. I still think the satirical idea of a ring, filled with rich people, hovering above the impoverished Earth, is an awesome idea. I love it so much, I almost want to go back and do it correctly. But I just think the script wasn’t… I just didn’t make a good enough film is ultimately what it is."

Despite this, Blomkamp got to make "Chappie" for $49 million, and it's looking like the film won't even make that back domestically after its tepid $13 million opening weekend. In short, the director has yet to prove himself with a bigger budget, and meanwhile he has said in interviews that he isn't even sure he should be a film director.

And yet he continues to thrive and is about to get his biggest project yet. Back in January, Blomkamp posted concept art for an "Alien" movie that the studio "didn't even know he was working on" on Instagram. The images went viral, and "Alien" fans seemed excited by his vision.

Oh shit

A photo posted by Brownsnout (@neillblomkamp) on Jan 1, 2015 at 6:06pm PST

A month later, Blomkamp took to Instagram to announce that his "Alien" movie is officially happening. This momentum could have been utilized by Sony to better market "Chappie," but instead, Blomkamp's "Alien" became the only story that mattered and "Chappie" fell by the wayside before it was even released. 

Um... So I think it's officially my next film. #alien

A photo posted by Brownsnout (@neillblomkamp) on Feb 18, 2015 at 3:55pm PST

Could "Alien" be Blomkamp's first big budget success, or will it just continue the streak of bigger and bigger failures?

SEE ALSO: This horror film based on a true story is the most effective anti-camping PSA ever

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The Rock wrestles an earthquake in this awesome trailer for 'San Andreas'

Something interesting has emerged at your local multiplex the last few years: aging action stars are all the rage.

We will never escape Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and everyone else featured in "The Expendables" franchise, but entering the fray are award-winning actors who were once all about the craft and now in their autumn years seem to just want to blow stuff up.

Here are six actors who are finding a second-life in the action genre.

1. Liam Neeson (Age: 62)

Neeson is the trailblazer in this vet action star phenomenon. Starting with the global success of "Taken" in 2008, Neeson has since added two more films to the franchise, has played Hannibal Smith in the movie adaptation of “The A-Team,” beat up wolves in “The Grey,” been Batman’s nemesis in “Batman Begins,” and battled terrorists on a plane in “Non-Stop.” His latest is in theaters this weekend, “Run All Night,” where he plays a vindictive father. We’re sure an announcement for his next butt-kicking project is soon coming.

2. Sean Penn (Age: 54)

Not even one of the greatest actors of our generation can escape this craze. In two weeks, the Oscar-winner comes out with “The Gunman” playing a former Special Forces soldier suffering PTSD while searching for his lost love. It’s hard to say if he’ll stay in this subgenre. Penn will step into the director's chair for his next two projects. But if “The Gunman” does well, don’t be surprised if you see Penn back at it.

3. Helen Mirren (Age: 69)

Though some of the people on this list need the action genre, it’s the genre — any genre, in fact — that wants Dame Helen. She is glorious in the “Red” franchise as former agent Victoria, who is thrust back into the game after assisting her fellow “Retired Extremely Dangerous” colleagues. We’d love to see her do another action film, but sadly that probably won’t happen soon as she’s too busy doing what she does best, playing famous people. Next it’s Hedda Hooper in a film on blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo.

4. Kevin Costner (Age: 60)

Costner hasn’t made a huge impression in the action genre like others on this list, but he’s been holding his own. Last year he appeared in the Chris Pine/Keira Knightley-starring “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” and then played a dying CIA agent with nothing to lose in “3 Days to Kill.” This summer we’ll see the Oscar winner in the action/thriller “Criminal” as a dangerous criminal who has the skills, secrets, and memories of a dead CIA agent implanted in his head.

5. Colin Firth (Age: 54)

There are a lot of great elements in “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” but we especially enjoyed Firth as the stylishly bad ass veteran agent in the British spy thriller. It’s a glimpse at Firth we’ve never seen, but with his button-down British demeanor he fits the part perfectly. [Spoiler] Sadly, Firth's character dies in the movie, but perhaps they can find a way for him to remain for the sequel(s). (flashback scenes?)

6. Denzel Washington (Age: 60)

Let’s face it, Denzel has been kicking butt his whole career, but re-teaming with “Training Day” director Antoine Fuqua recently for “The Equalizer” was a little different. Usually playing the cop or assassin when doing an action film, this time he’s just a lonely guy who tries to help a girl in need. That is, until things get dangerous and some power tools are close by. The action won’t stop for Washington. Next he saddles up with Fuqua for a remake of “The Magnificent Seven.”

SEE ALSO: How Liam Neeson became an accidental action star in his sixties

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do

It appears that some “Star Wars” fans in London are in for an experience with one of the series’ best films. The organization known as Secret Cinema will be channeling their repertory skills to put on a series of screenings of “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back” that will use the showing of the film as the centerpiece to a completely immersive celebration of the film that infuses cinema with the ephemeral experience of a massive live role playing community.

The organization, which prides itself in the secrecy of its designated screening events, proliferated the quasi-secret announcement of their “Empire” plans through their social media. However, the exact location of the screenings are given out in a comically clandestine method, as registrants have been told to "look out for a secret code on forgotten buildings." As the company’s invite to the "secret" Empire screenings reads: “Earth is the system. We are seeking rebels from around the world to join the Rebel Alliance and head to a Secret City where they will be taken on a journey through the world of Star Wars.”

The call to cinematic arms is not as cryptic as it might seem to the uninitiated. The company’s very branding centers on a sliver of mystique appropriate to their motto, "Remember. Tell No One." And yet, a lot of people do, in fact, "tell." Big time. The UK-based company, which has been putting together these grand festive screening experiences since 2007, made headlines last year with their hugely ambitious efforts to screen the time-bending crowd-pleaser, “Back to the Future,” which sold a whopping 65,000 tickets.

The BTTF event in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park would transform a portion of the public space into a virtual replica of the film’s fictional town of Hill Valley, CA. For all intents and purposes, Secret Cinema turned that bit of land into a REAL town with about 20 actual shops and intricately-crafted sites that took the idea of a simple screening of a 30-year-old film and transformed it into a true cultural destination filled with appropriately-costumed patrons. In fact, despite the overall project being bogged down with cancellations, the venture was so successful, that they announced plans to bring their “Back to the Future” experience to the United States sometime this year with dates in Los Angeles.

Now, with several dates set for their screenings of “The Empire Strikes Back” set in London from June 4 to August 2, we could potentially be witnessing the most impressive interactive tribute to a film, ever. Their call implied that they were seeking "Rebels" to head to "a secret city." Based on their “Back to the Future” plans, this would seemingly be outdoors, implying that we could be looking at a snowy, Hoth-themed event.

While it’s difficult to determine how their thematic transformational process would manifest without setting the bar impossibly high, one would think that the possibility of reproductions of a Rebel Base or maybe a few approaching AT-AT walkers might be in the works. (Assuming that swampy Dagobah is too bleak and Cloud City is well…in the clouds.) Stay tuned for more details on these “Empire Strikes Back” screenings as we hear them.

SEE ALSO: George Lucas originally wanted to direct 'Star Wars: Episode VII' and release it May 2015

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 Crazy Things Revealed In HBO's Explosive New Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear'