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The reviews of Ben Stiller's 'Zoolander 2' are absolutely brutal

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With only a 22% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, "Zoolander 2" isn't coming out of the gates with a lot of love.

The original film, released 15 years ago and starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson as dimwitted male models who team up to foil an assassination attempt on the prime minister of Malaysia, became a cult favorite once it hit the home-video market.

But according to many critics, the long-awaited sequel, out Friday, lacks the silly hilarity of the first.

Before you spend your hard-earned cash, read how the critics felt about it.

SEE ALSO: There's one huge character missing from the new 'Game of Thrones' photos, and it's driving fans insane

The movie just isn't funny.

The biggest gripe many critics have is that "Zoolander 2" tries but falls so short of the original gags.

"'Zoolander 2' tries to blow the same silliness out to epic, world-spanning proportions, and it just winds up feeling overstretched,"The Verge writes.

And the Boston Globe argues that "'Zoolander 2' is just another lazy grab bag of sketch ideas acted out by 'Saturday Night Live' cast members and alumni, each of whom comes up with a schtick and then beats it into the ground."

If those aren't enough, here's Vulture's take: "How bad is 'Zoolander 2'? It's 'Batman and Robin' bad."



The Derek Zoolander act gets old in a hurry.

For the Chicago Sun-Times, the idiotic Zoolander character, whose fatherhood inabilities come into the plot, is just hard to watch:

"If you find Zoolander's mannered style of speaking and his narcissism and his monumentally tiny brain hilarious, I can't argue with you. I'm just not with ya."



The cameos make it tolerable — almost.

It seems like every other scene in "Zoolander 2" has an appearance from a celebrity. But the one who tops them all is Kiefer Sutherland, who has a special connection with Hansel (Owen Wilson).

That was a bad omen for the San Jose Mercury News: "When Kiefer Sutherland is the funniest person in your movie, you have a problem."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The reason it took over a decade to make 'Deadpool' boils down to one major fear

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It took over a decade, but "Deadpool" fans are finally getting the movie they deserve when the merc with a mouth hits theaters Valentine's Day weekend.

For six of those years, screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick ("Zombieland") were on board trying to get the movie onto the big screen. Wernick says fans waited this long because it all boiled down to one hesitation with the film studio.

"You know, the reason it didn’t get made for the six and a half years that we were involved in it was because of fear, the fear of it being an outlier. The fear of it being an R-rated Marvel superhero movie," Paul Wernick told Tech Insider.

It's easy to see where Fox is coming from. There haven't been a lot of R-rated superhero movies. And of those that have been made, the highest-grossing film made just over $230 million worldwide. Compare that with the highest-grossing superhero movie of all time, 2012's PG-13 rated "The Avengers," which brought in over $1.5 BILLION.

Here's a quick look at some of the highest-grossing R-rated superhero movies

MovieOpening weekendWorldwide grossEstimated production budget
"Constantine" (2005)$29.8 million$230.9 million$100 million
"Watchmen" (2009)$55.2 million$183 million$130 million
"Sin City" (2005)$29 million$158 million$40 million
"Blade II" (2002)$32.5 million$155 million$54 million
"Blade" (1998)$17 million$131 millionn/a
"Blade: Trinity" (2004)$16.1 million$128.9 million$65 million
"Judge Dredd" (1995)$12.3 million$113.5 million$90 million
"Kick-Ass" (2010)$19.8 million$96.2 million$30 million

The highest-grossing opening weekend for an R-rated movie was $91.8 million for "The Matrix Reloaded" back in 2003.

For what it's worth, "Deadpool" has already made $12.5 million worldwide.

"Hollywood is so motivated by following the trends versus setting their own," said Wernick. "It’s why so few original movies get made is because there’s the fear of, ‘Well, if I make an original movie and it fails, I’ll have nothing, no reference point to then point back to and go well I made this movie because this other movie succeeded.' And, it’s why it took so so long for this movie to get made because it is an outlier. It is hard R. It is an adult antihero movie, and yet I really do believe it’s going to be the reason this movie hopefully succeeds ... because of the fact that it is an outlier, it is an apple among oranges. It parodies the superhero genre in a genre that’s become a genre unto itself and a genre that’s oversaturated with movies — great movies — but movies that tell the same story."

It took years of convincing Fox they were wrong.

The "Deadpool" brain trust of Ryan Reynolds, director Tim Miller, Reese and Wernick even enlisted the help of directors David Fincher and James Cameron to no avail. Only after test footage for the film leaked online and went viral in July 2014 did Fox finally notice how much fans wanted to see this movie get made, and the rest is history.

Currently, "Deadpool" is tracking to make between $55 and $70 million opening weekend. Now that it's playing in 3,558 theaters this weekend, and an expected sequel is reportedly in the works, we'll just have to sit back and see if "Deadpool" really is, as Wernick says, an apple among oranges.

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How Batman could create a suit to fight Superman

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The newest "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" trailer offered fans a ton of new footage of the battle between the two titans, alongside new story details, and hints at a brand new villain.

Most notably, though, the trailer ended with a twist: Batman blocking a full-powered punch from Superman. 

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How did Batman, aka the tech savvy but totally non-superpowered Bruce Wayne, trade blows with the impossibly strong alien?

We won't know until the movie comes out, but we can speculate based on what we've seen and how their fights have played out in the comics.

First, let's check out Batman's armored mech-suit. 

batman armor suit batman v superman sdcc 2015

Yes, it's durable, but it takes more than bulk to go toe-to-toe with the Son of Krypton. Historically, Batman has used a number of Iron Man-style upgrades cleverly embedded in the suit. Notice how heavy his gauntlets are in this redesign?

In Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight" comic series, Batman's gauntlets have Kryptonite (Superman's key weakness) embedded in the knuckles so his punches are more powerful. Entertainment Weekly confirmed Batman's mech suit will contain Kryptonite in some way, and if you look closely, you'll notice that the left hand gauntlet has something added to the knuckles.

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The trailer also had several shots of the armor suits' glowing white eyes. It's not just for intimidation. When Batman faces Superman in the comics, he upgrades his cowl in order to get an edge. The helmet of Batman's suit has a much heavier plating that not only protects Batman's head but is made from material that blocks Superman's see-through vision in the comics, protecting Batman's identity. 

In the past, Batman has also installed high-tech upgrades like night vision and heat sensors into the mask. We haven't seen this yet, but there are many possibilities: Batman could use his upgraded vision to give himself a version of Superman's ability to see through walls. For example, in the "Arkham" video game series, Batman enables a version of X-ray vision in his mask that lets him see opponents' broken bones he can target in combat. 

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The armored suit also retains Batman's utility belt. This means Batman will have access to some very cool gadgetry. In various comic iterations, we've seen grenades, surveillance equipment, and Kryptonite in the pouches.

Overall, the armored mech-suit Bruce wears in "Batman v Superman" is very similar to Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns." There, Batman uses acid, electric projectiles, and disorienting powder against Superman. What's most interesting about their melee in "The Dark Knight Returns" is that Batman uses these gadgets primarily as a distraction to enact a much larger plan. It has us curious as to what exactly Bruce has up his sleeves for "Batman v Superman."

batman superman the dark knight returns

And finally, there's Batman's iconic cape. While Superman's cape helps with dramatic, flowy entrances, Batman's cape has usually featured snazzy enhancements to help on his missions. In the comics, the cape is made of a lightweight version of bulletproof Kevlar, which is also flame-retardant. In 2005's "Batman Begins" film, the cape works as a sort of wingsuit. It lets Bruce glide around the city and makes him more aerodynamic. Just look at how much air he's able to get when fighting Supes:

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 With all these enhancements to his armor and weaponry, Superman should be worried. 

clapback2

"Batman v Superman" comes to theaters March 25.

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Here's everything that happens in the new 'Batman v Superman' trailer

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We just got a ton of brand new footage from the upcoming "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" film. 

The two-minute trailer (seemingly from an unofficial source) features more from the battle between Batman and Superman than we've ever seen before. We're given more information on Batman's motives, Lex Luthor's role in the story, and new glimpses of Lois Lane and Wonder Woman.

The best part, though, is an incredible tease that Batman is a bigger threat to Superman than anyone realizes.

If you haven't watched it, check it out here.

Good? Let's break down what you just saw.

We kick things off with Alfred (Jeremy Irons).

 

 



Instead of a meek butler, he's coordinating Batman's missions from the comfort of, what we presume to be, the Batcave. (You can spot a waterfall in the background.)



Here's the Batwing, one of Batman's many vehicles.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

How the 'Deadpool' cast looks compared to their comic-book counterparts

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deadpool ryan reynolds

Deadpool is a hero like no other.

Nicknamed the "merc with a mouth," the unhinged anti-hero and his wild sense of humor are coming to the big screen.

He's also bringing a few X-Men characters along with him. 

If you're not familiar with Deadpool or his unique ability which separates him from every other character in Marvel history, don't worry. Here's everything you need to know before the movie hits theaters February 12.

Ryan Reynolds will star as Wade Wilson, the mercenary who becomes Deadpool.

Wade Wilson is a powerful mercenary diagnosed with terminal cancer. To save himself, he becomes part of "Weapon-X," the same mysterious program that gave Wolverine his powers.

As a result, three things happen: First, his skin is disfigured horribly, making the Weapon-X scientists assume the treatments failed. The scientists took bets among each other on which of the experimental treatments would be his last, hence the name "Deadpool." They didn't realize that, despite his disfigured face, Wilson developed rapid healing, making him nearly unkillable. This makes him psychotically reckless, which is where a lot of the comic's humor came from. 

The third thing, which makes Deadpool different from all other comic book characters, is that the experiment made him fully aware that he's a comic book character. He frequently addresses the reader specifically and at one point in the comics even wonders aloud about the editing software the comics creators used. No one else in Marvel shares the ability, however, and the other characters interpret this as a delusional side-effect of his experimentation. 



Morena Baccarin will star alongside Reynolds as Vanessa Carlysle, also known as Copycat.

Vanessa AKA Copycat is Deadpool's on-and-off girlfriend.

In the comics, she was born a mutant and has the ability to duplicate the appearance and powers of other mutants. So if she were to copy Storm, for example, she'd not only look like her, but she'd have Storm's powers as well. This makes Copycat extremely powerful.

For now, we're not sure how true to Copycat's comic origins the film will be. If the trailer is any indication, Wade and Vanessa will begin the film as humans and both gain their abilities later. Though we've seen Reynolds both before and after his transformation, we still don't know if Baccarin will have silver hair and skin like her comic counterpart.



Gina Carano is Angel Dust. She chemically supercharges her adrenaline, giving her intense super strength.

We're not quite sure what's up with Angel Dust in the movie. The trailer makes her seem like a villain. She attacks Weasel and later on faces Colossus and Negasonic Warhead. Her character in the comics is much more sympathetic.

There, Angel Dust is an outcast hiding underground with other mutants. She reunites briefly with her parents, who she expected to push her away, and is surprised to find that they miss her and want her home. This doesn't seem to be where they're going with Angel Dust in the movie. But it's likely there's more to her than what we've seen. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

'Deadpool' exceeds all expectations with a record-breaking $135 million opening weekend — and it's not slowing down

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deadpool and peeps

Turns out audiences will flock to an adult-focused superhero movie.

Exceeding beyond what its studio, 20th Century Fox, or anyone else in Hollywood thought it could earn, "Deadpool" has become the highest-grossing February release of all time with a three-day weekend total of $135 million, according to Exhibitor Relations. And the Presidents' Day holiday weekend isn't even over yet.

Projections have the latest Marvel movie to be at around $150 million by the time the four-day weekend ends (the film was made for around $58 million).

These figures blow away the openings of some superhero titles with great pedigrees, like "Man of Steel" ($116 million opening) and 2002's "Spider-Man" ($114 million).

"Deadpool" shattered the previous February record set last year by Universal's "Fifty Shades of Grey," which had a three-day total of $85 million and a four-day of $93 million. "Deadpool" also now owns the biggest Friday opening in the month, with $47.5 million ("Grey" was also the previous record-holder with $30.2 million).

Throwing a comic-book movie in February, a time of year in the movie business when studios don't release their big guns, might seem like a no-brainer. But "Deadpool" is not your typical Marvel movie.

One of Marvel's most controversial characters with his foul language and graphically violent storylines, Deadpool's movie, with Ryan Reynolds playing the lead, has been in development for close to a decade. There was trepidation about whether there would be enough of a fanbase to come out to theaters, especially as Fox narrowed the audience when it went with a hard R rating. But "Deadpool" proves that you can stay true to a character's roots and still rake in the dough.

It seems "Deadpool" has tapped into the market of fanboys who wanted to see edgier material on screen and not the regular do-gooders like "The Avengers." Not to mention that it's filled with jokes about Reynolds ("Deadpool" has now made more than the entire run of the actor's last comic-book attempt, "Green Lantern"), digs at other comics, and pop-culture references that give it a unique feel.

Deadpool 20th Century Fox

This all bodes well for darker comic-book adaptations coming out later this year: "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Suicide Squad" (though neither went the R route, and will be released as PG-13).

"Deadpool" also demolished the weekend competition, as the relationship comedy "How to Be Single" took in an estimated $18 million over three days, and "Zoolander 2" took in a disappointing $13 million, according to Variety.

Now, the first "Zoolander" did horrible at the box office, too, but with the cult following it built Paramount was at least hoping for a $20 million opening. Sadly, with a 22% Rotten Tomatoes rating, it might have been better to pass on the sequel.

SEE ALSO: "Deadpool" is the most unique superhero movie in years — here's why you need to see it

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26 Wall Street movies to watch on Presidents Day

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It's Presidents Day, and the market is closed in the US.

Finally, you can get away from the trading desk!

That doesn't mean you can't get a little Wall Street in your day, though. Why not kick back on the couch and watch one of these Wall Street movies?

Or head to the theater to watch the latest Wall Street flick, "The Big Short." It's still playing in many theaters.

You'll definitely enjoy yourself, and you might even learn something.

"It's A Wonderful Life" (1946)

In a sentence: It's a heartwarming classic that will never get old. 

Plot: A guardian angel shows businessman George Bailey what life would be like if he never existed. 

Genre: Family



"Trading Places" (1983)

In a sentence: No movie about Wall Street is funnier than the 1983 comedy "Trading Places."

Plot: Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd are at their best as director John Landis tells the tale of how one man's fall from Wall Street is another man's blessing. Watching Murphy talk about futures and markets is hilarious and unparalleled in humor.

Genre: Comedy



"Trader" (1987)

In a sentence: Brilliant ... If you can find it.

Plot: Made in 1987 during the raging bull market, this little-known documentary stars Paul Tudor Jones and chronicles his day-to-day life as an active investor. Jones uses techniques like historical chart reading, taken from Jesse Livermore, to predict the Black Monday crash on film. Even though it portrays Jones in a positive light, finding a (legitimate and legal) copy of this movie is nearly impossible to find as it's rumored that Jones bought all 1,000 copies in existence.

Genre: Documentary



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 'Deadpool' and 'Mad Max: Fury Road' composer explains how he makes his massive scores

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Junkie XL Kevin Winter Getty

Known in the electronica world by his alias, Junkie XL, Dutch musician Tom Holkenborg has been making his mark in Hollywood for over a decade as a composer, but now he's getting a lot more attention.

Holkenborg has been on an impressive run, including doing the scores for “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Black Mass,” “Deadpool," and the highly anticipated “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

Business Insider talked to Holkenborg about how he created the unique music for these movies.

SEE ALSO: The 15 most successful Oscar best picture winners

Originally the “Mad Max: Fury Road” score was only going to include music from The Doof Warrior.

Holkenborg’s entrance into George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” began in August of 2013 when he flew to Sydney to see the movie, which Holkenborg admits didn’t have “a beginning and an ending.”

But Miller had an idea for the film’s score: that it would entirely come from the guitar-playing/flamethrower-shooting character The Doof Warrior.

“He didn’t want any score at all in the movie,” Holkenborg told Business Insider. “He thought at first the guitar and the sound of the cars would be enough, and that’s how we started on the film.”

But Holkenborg would convince Miller to go a different route once he came up with some music.



The music for the massive storm scene changed the score for “Fury Road.”

After seeing most of the movie in 2013, Holkenborg immediately went to work on the guitar sound for The Doof Warrior and the massive drums that accompany him, but he also came up with the music to accompany the massive sandstorm the lead characters drive into.

The music that features horns and strings matched with the chaos inside the eye of the storm caused Miller to completely change his mind about only having The Doof Warrior guitar be the main score.

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“I was so inspired after seeing the movie that I immediately took on the massive storm scene and finished it in four weeks. It was a writing extravaganza,” Holkenborg said. “[George] loved it so much. He said, 'It’s done,' and he never came back to me with any notes about that section for two years.”

But Holkenborg wasn’t done with the film. For the next two years, it was constant “experimentation” in filling in the emotional music Miller needed for the second half of the movie.



“Black Mass” is Holkenborg’s version of a traditional score.

Holkenborg said that this movie that looks inside the violent reign of infamous crime boss Whitey Bulger is his most by-the-numbers score.

“It’s live strings, live woodwinds, and piano. It was the first time I had done a movie like that,” he said.

Holkenborg had come onto the film with only four weeks until it was to be locked, so he said the discussions with director Scott Cooper on creating this evolving music to resemble Bulger’s rise as a crime lord were essential.

But, at times, having no music was the best play.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Disney just released the best teaser for 'Star Wars: Episode VIII' with Luke Skywalker

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Filming for "Star Wars: Episode VIII" is underway, and Disney and Lucasfilm want to make sure you're really excited for the next movie in the saga.

Monday, StarWars.com released a short teaser for the new film which takes us back to the end of Episode VII and shows off some new footage of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).

Warning: If you haven't seen "The Force Awakens" (but you have, right?), then don't watch the teaser. There are spoilers!

"Star Wars: Episode VIII" is being directed by Rian Johnson and will be in theaters December 15, 2017.

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Pee-wee star Paul Reubens blows the lid off Hollywood's biggest secret: digital retouching of actors

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Paul Reubens Jamie McCarthy NBC Getty

Though Pee-wee Herman has shown up for the occasional cameo and Broadway special in recent years, actor Paul Reubens hasn't done a full-fledged movie wearing the famous gray suit and red bow tie in close to three decades. Netflix, with the help of Judd Apatow as producer, is ending that drought with "Pee-wee's Big Holiday" when it launches on the streaming giant March 18.

And if it looks like Pee-wee hasn't aged since 1988's "Big Top Pee-wee," Reubens is the first to admit that a lot of digital wizardry has gone into making the character look great for his comeback.

The digital retouching of actors' faces and bodies so they look pristine in high definition has been going on for some time now, but it's one of those tools of movie magic that Hollywood doesn't want you to know goes on.

However, in a new profile of Reubens in the New York Times Magazine, the 63-year-old actor was very open about his face being digitally retouched for "Pee-wee's Big Holiday."

"I feel I'm too old to be in a Pee-wee Herman movie without that," said Reubens in the piece, referring to the digital retoucher he personally hired to meticulously go through the footage to give him a more youthful look, and clean up any visible makeup or tape that was used during shooting to hide sagging skin.

"Pee-wee doesn't work, to me, with age mixed into it," he went on to say. "So I knew I wanted digital retouching, and that was my biggest concern from the get-go, with Judd [Apatow], when it came to budgeting, because it costs a fortune. I could have had a facelift and we would have saved two million dollars."

Pee wee Herman Big Holiday final
Reubens isn't exaggerating.

Mashable did an in-depth piece in 2014 on the secret world of digital retouching in Hollywood, and a former studio executive admitted, "We were seeing hundreds of thousands spent on this, anywhere from $500 to $2,500 per shot — maybe more if there's a lot going into the scenes."

There are numerous shops in Hollywood that specifically do this kind of work. Sometimes they show up in the end credits, but often it's agreed upon that their work will not receive a shout-out.

In a business where vanity is almost a requirement to succeed, Reubens' comments are a shocking reminder of the lengths actors will go through to stay forever young in the public eye, especially when they are now seen in 4k.

Reubens told the New York Times Magazine that digital retouching is "a huge secret in Hollywood. People aren't really aware that stars have secret riders in their contracts" guaranteeing that a retoucher will come on during post-production to make sure their appearance will look timeless.

Here's the teaser for "Pee-wee's Big Holiday." He looks pretty good, huh?

 

SEE ALSO: The "Game of Thrones" season 6 teaser trailer has leaked online

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The full trailer for 'Pee-wee's Big Holiday' is out and it's full of classic Pee-wee laughs

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pee wee big holiday 2 final

Netflix has released the first full trailer for "Pee-wee's Big Holiday," and it certainly looks like fans of the lovable character from the 1980s will not be disappointed by his zany new adventure.

This time around, Pee-wee is loving life in his hometown until a mysterious stranger (Joe Manganiello) strolls in one day and inspires Pee-wee to set out on his first-ever holiday.

And as with all of Pee-wee's endeavors, we find him meeting interesting people — like a friendly Amish family — and getting into entertaining situations that might just turn out to be dangerous — like giving female bank robbers a lift.

Watch the trailer below. It launches on Netflix March 18.

SEE ALSO: Pee-wee star Paul Reubens blows the lid off Hollywood's biggest secret: digital retouching of actors

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16 actors you probably didn't realize were in the 'Harry Potter' movies

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When it comes to "Harry Potter," everybody knows the film's leading trifecta: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson. 

But what about the dozens of other witches, wizards, and muggles who graced the screen throughout the series? While you were watching Harry and his friends fight dragons and hunt horcruxes, these performances from veteran actors and youngsters just beginning their careers might have totally passed you by.

From cameo appearances from the cast of "Dancing with the Stars" to a member of the band Radiohead, here are 16 actors you might have missed in "Harry Potter":

Alfred Enoch has come a long way since his days playing Dean Thomas in "Harry Potter." Today, you can spot him as law student Wes Gibbins on "How to Get Away with Murder."



Scarlett Byrne kept company with fellow Slytherin Draco Malfoy as the sour Pansy Parkinson. Today, she's starring in a different magical world as Nora Hildegard on "The Vampire Diaries."



Verne Troyer was the first of two actors to play Griphook the goblin in "Harry Potter," but you probably recognize him from his most famous role as Mini-Me in "Austin Powers."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

These 3 new actors were just cast in 'Star Wars: Episode VIII'

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We're over a year away from its release, but Lucasfilm has been teasing fans with a constant stream of new information about "Star Wars: Episode VIII."

Monday, a new teaser featuring Luke Skywalker was released, confirming that "Episode VIII" has begun filming. Along with the teaser, the official Star Wars blog has announced three new actors for the still untitled film directed by Rian Johnson.

Academy Award winner Benicio del Toro was long rumored to have joined the project, while veteran actress Laura Dern, and upcoming comedic actress Kelly Marie Tran are also confirmed for roles.  

Benicio del Toro

benicio del toro

Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro was rumored to have a role in "Episode VIII" after dropping hints to Spanish site Rac1 last December. The actor, whose sci-fi roles include a turn as The Collector in "Guardians of the Galaxy," didn't say much about his role, telling Rac1 "I'm like the villian, but we'll see..." No word yet on his character, but if he is indeed a villain, it will be interesting to see how his new character compares to returning First Order villains, Kylo Ren, General Hux, and Captain Phasma.    

Laura Dern

Laura Dern

Laura Dern is perhaps best known for her starring role as scientist Ellie Sattler in the original "Jurassic Park." She's had a varied career since then, appearing in comedy roles like the HBO series "Enlightened" and Fox's "The Mindy Project," and dramas like "The Fault in Our Stars" and 2014's "Wild," which earned her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress. Dern has five Emmy nominations, two Academy Award nominations, and three Golden Globes. As for "Episode VIII,"Redditors and fans are already speculating that she could play Luke's former wife and Rey's long lost mother.

Kelly Marie Tran

kelly-marie-tran

Finally, Lucasfilm announced talented newcomer Kelly Marie Tran for an unspecified role. Tran is a young comedic actress with a string of hilarious appearances in webseries like "College Humor" and "Ladies Like Us." One College Humor appearance was a tribunal member determining who is and isn't "Asian enough." In another, she and a group of friends, all in their mid-20s, are horrified to realize how "old" they are. It's not clear what role she'll have in Episode VIII, but it's likely we'll see her comedic chops put to good use. 

"Star Wars: Episode VIII" is in theaters December 15, 2017.

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'Kindergarten Cop' is getting a sequel after 26 years — here's the trailer

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It's been 26 years since the hit comedy "Kindergarten Cop" showed us the (even) funnier, lighter side of Arnold Schwarzenegger, and now we're going to see Dolph Lundgren take a turn at it. 

That's right, there's going to be a "Kindergarten Cop 2," with Lundgren (the '80s acton star best known as the antagonist in "Rocky IV") starring as a super-tough FBI agent who has to go undercover as a teacher to track down bad guys with stolen data. For the sequel, Lundgren doesn't have to just deal with the kids in his class, but the school's politically-correct environment.

Watch the trailer below. The movie will be straight-to-DVD, available starting May 17. 

SEE ALSO: The full trailer for "Pee-wee's Big Holiday" is out and it's full of classic Pee-wee laughs

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Stan Lee has made 28 cameos in Marvel movies — here they are

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stan lee spiderman

While Marvel media includes multiple universes across TV and film, one thing unites them all: the Stan Lee cameo.

Lee is a comic legend and the former President and Chairman of Marvel Comics. His creative work began in the 1939 and includes hugely recognizable characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and the X-Men.

The 93-year-old has subtly appeared in all manner of Marvel media. He does films, including both Marvel/Disney collaborations like "Avengers" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" and Marvel/Fox film franchises like "X-Men," as well as the Netflix and ABC television adaptations. 

In honor of his cameo in "Deadpool," we've gathered together all of Lee's Marvel cameos. Keep reading to see if you can remember them all.

Stan Lee's first Marvel cameo was as a hot dog vendor in "X-Men" (2000).



He showed up as a helpless bystander in "Spider-Man" (2002).



A young Matt Murdock saves Stan from walking into traffic in "Daredevil" (2003).



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Here's your best look at the Batmobile in 'Batman v Superman' yet

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The 2016 Toy Fair kicks off Saturday in New York City. 

The annual event at the Javits Center showcases new toys from hundreds of companies ranging from Mattel to Hasbro.

This is my first official year attending the entire affair. I stopped by Warner Bros. consumer products' booth Friday evening for a preview look at some toys from the upcoming film "Batman v Superman." But the biggest draw was that DC and Warner Bros. brought in one of the actual Batmobiles used on the set of "Batman v Superman" to the event.

I was able to spend a good amount of time with the vehicle up close and personal before the crowds start descending upon it. 

Keep reading to learn about the new car Batman will be driving around on the big screen next month.

Say hello to the new Batmobile.



This is one of two vehicles which was used for filming "Batman v Superman." The other one, we were told, is currently in London.



It weighs over 7,000 pounds.



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These toys combine superheroes and villains with trains for an oddly satisfying mash-up

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batman fisher price button

Mash-up toys are starting to become quite popular. Last year, Hasbro unveiled a Chewbacca Furby, cleverly named Furbacca, and recently Hot Wheels has been rolling out "Star Wars" mash-up vehicles.

Last year, at San Diego Comic-Con, I came across a strange combination when I was handed a button featuring a Thomas the Tank Engine character designed as Batman.

What did it mean?

Fisher-Price started rolling out a few of the trains last year with basic fan favorites like Batman, Superman, and the Joker under a line called Thomas & Friends MINIS.

"You don’t have to dig too deep to find that kids (and adult fans) create their own narratives on YouTube and through social media on a daily basis; and this often involves mixing up Thomas’ world with others as well.  So it’s already being done, and consumers have already given us permission to do so," Michael Pisors, director of global brand marketing for the Thomas & Friends toy team at Fisher-Price, explained in an email to Tech Insider.

The toys were a hit. Walmart sold over 5 million of the mini-collectibles alone. So this year, Fisher-Price is rolling out over 35 new DC Super Friends mash-ups which will begin to be released in February. They'll be in Walmart for the first half of the year before expanding to other retailers.

Check some of the mash-ups out below:

Ever wondered what Batman would look like as Thomas the train engine?



Or how about the Joker and his main squeeze Harley Quinn?



After a successful launch of eight DC Comics mash-ups in 2015, Fisher-Price is releasing over 35 new mini mash-up collectibles with characters like the Atom ...



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21 insanely difficult 'Harry Potter' trivia questions even diehard fans have trouble with

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Do you consider yourself to be an expert on all things "Harry Potter"? There are many internet hubs perfect for putting that knowledge to the test, from discussions on the /r/harrypotter to user-submitted quizzes on Goodreads. In order to track down the toughest "Harry Potter" trivia questions, we put our own memory to the test on Scholastic's "Wizard's Challenge"— an online quiz with a wide range of difficulty.

Combining expert-level questions found there, along with some doozies asked during a New York City trivia night, we've compiled a list sure to challenge the average "Harry Potter" fan.

Scroll down to test your wizardry. The questions are above the photos, and the answers are below the photos.

 

 

Many know that Gryffindor's ghost is Nearly Headless Nick. But what is his full name?

Answer: Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington



Harry, Ron, and Hermione help save the Sorcerer's Stone from being stolen. How old was its co-creator, Nicholas Flamel, at the time of his death?

Answer: 665.



Snape grilled Harry about this on his first day in Potions. Monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant, also known as what?

Answer: Aconite.



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The Academy is suing an Oscar gift-bag company for tarnishing the awards’ reputation

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Oscar trophey Christopher Polk Getty

See any stories of late about expensive swag that attendees to the upcoming Academy Awards are getting? The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences certainly has — and it's not pleased.The social media hashtag that has prompted a lawsuit this award season is not #OscarsSoWhite. Rather, it's #OscarGiftBag.

On Tuesday, the Academy went to California federal court against Lash Fary, otherwise known as Distinctive Assets, a marketing company that specializes in product promotion through celebrity placement.

The organization that puts on the Oscars says it has no affiliation with gift bags said to contain hundreds of thousands of dollars of merchandise including vapes and vibrators. But according to its complaint asserting trademark infringement, the defendant is nonetheless confusing consumers with slogans such as  “Everyone Wins At The Oscars®! Nominee Gift Bags,” and “Everyone Wins Nominee Gift Bags in Honor of the Oscars®.”

Quite a few big media outlets including Glamour, The Telegraph and TMZ have fallen for the promotional stunt. For example, here's Vanity Fair's story in 2015 headlined, "Oscars Gift Bag: Take a Peak Inside This Year's $168,000 Bounty."

"Deeply concerned about the confusion Distinctive Assets was spreading, the Academy’s legal counsel wrote Distinctive Assets on or about February 17, 2015, to inform it that it 'is critical that no one be confused into believing that your gift bags are associated with or have any connection with the Academy,'” states the suit (read in full here). 

The Academy requested that the company's communications communicate that the Academy does not award, sponsor, endorse or provide these gift bags.

It took another couple of weeks— after more stories, after a Facebook post from the defendant with the hashtag #OscarGiftBag, after a second legal warning — for Distinctive Assets to reply it "will not purposefully make an association between its gift bags and AMPAS going forward."

Now, it's 2016, and Distinctive Assets is allegedly up to its grab bag of tricks again, only slightly altering its slogan.

joseph"But Distinctive Assets’ new tagline is hardly the only means it is now using to advance the false idea that it is connected to the Academy and the Oscars," adds the lawsuit. "On or about February 5, 2016, Distinctive Assets used the Academy’s OSCARS trademark on its social media Twitter account to describe its gift bag and posted a link to an article [at the Daily Beast] about the bags titled “Inside the Absurd $200K Oscar Gift Bag: Vapes, a Trip To Israel, and a Vampire Breast Lift.”

The Academy says no disclaimers were used, and that a wave of articles about Oscar gift bags followed (including by The Hollywood Reporter). "The media coverage reveals that Distinctive Assets appears to be taking no steps to stop wrongfully implying a relationship with the Academy," complains the plaintiff.

The coverage is too much for the Academy Awards.

"Distinctive Assets’ continued use of the Academy’s trademarks not only infringes the Academy’s trademarks, but it is also likely to dilute the distinctiveness of the Academy’s famous trademarks and tarnish their goodwill," states the complaint. "Press about the 2016 gift bags has focused on both the less-than-wholesome nature of some of the products contained in the bags, which purportedly include a $250 marijuana vaporizer, a $1,900 “vampire breast lift,” skin treatments by Park Avenue plastic surgeons valued at more than $5,500, a $250 sex toy, and $275 Swiss-made toilet paper, and the unseemliness of giving such high value gifts, including trips costing tens of thousands of dollars, to an elite group of celebrities."

The Academy, represented by attorneys at Quinn Emanuel, is now seeking an injunction and trebled profits and damages. Distinctive Assets couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

SEE ALSO: Everything Oscar nominees get in the extravagant $200,000 "swag bag" they take home

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Rebel Wilson stole the show for her BAFTA speech and she didn't even win an award

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The BAFTA Awards were handed out Sunday, adding to the plethora of trophies given to film producers and stars each year around this time. But it was Rebel Wilson, who neither received, nor was nominated for any major award, who stood out, delivering one of the funniest speeches of the awards season.

Story and editing by A.C. Fowler

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