Walt Disney Animation Studios has been doing very well recently flexing its muscles alongside the other animation house Disney distributes, and the generally agreed-upon favorite: Pixar.

“Frozen” showed it can bring in the crowds like Pixar’s “Toy Story” franchise, and now Disney Studio’s newest release, “Zootopia,” proves it can also make a family-friendly tale with a strong message, like Pixar’s “WALL-E” or “Inside Out.”

Animated movies have always had deep-seated morals behind them, whether overcoming fears or learning to be yourself. But recently the messages have been louder and more relevant to contemporary society. There’s the commentary on caring for the environment in “WALL-E” and now “Zootopia" takes on issues of identity and race.

“Zootopia” is set in a world where both prey and predator live in harmony. And not just that, the animals have evolved to have human characteristics and live in a metropolis, called Zootopia. But from the start, you can tell that directors Byron Howard (“Tangled”), Rich Moore (“Wreck-It Ralph”), and co-director Jared Bush are going to be driving home thoughts on our own world.

We get to know a bunny named Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) as a youngster who has big ambitions to be a “bunny cop.” Though her parents try to make her understand that having big dreams is not healthy and that she should concentrate on staying home on the farm.

This makes sense when Judy tries to help out a few small animals being bullied by a large fox, and gets beaten up by the fox.

Yes, this is a Disney movie.

Fast-forward 15 years, and we see Judy training to be a cop, a small bunny among large tigers and elephants. She graduates top in her class and is stationed at the epicenter of Zootopia, a melting pot of species large and small.

But before Judy heads off to the big city, her father gives her fox repellent. After offering “fatherly advice” about why foxes can’t be trusted, she reluctantly takes the spray and heads off.

The moment seems meaningless and silly. But in fact, it’s the basis of the whole movie.

“Zootopia” is as much a commentary on race and bigotry as it is a fun romp through an imaginary world.

As the story evolves, finding Judy in search of a missing otter with the help of a shifty fox named Nick (Jason Bateman), this topical exploration bubbles to the surface.

First a tiger cop says Judy is so cute, and Judy retorts that only bunnies can call other bunnies that. Then Judy explains to the media that the reason a handful of predators have gone “savage” is due to what’s in their DNA. In essence, because their ancestors were killers, it’s safe to assume they must be as well.

This dive into the topic of stereotypes and the harm they cause is a triumph by Disney that hopefully encourages parents and their children to have discussions while heading back home from the theater. (Parents will certainly have to engage in a talk about Nick’s flashback scene.)

Yes, movies should be escapism, and “Zootopia” is filled with incredible computer animation, very funny jokes, and wonderful characters. But it also helps young people today to have some reality seep into the content they endlessly consume.

What’s great is that “Zootopia” isn’t scared to raise issues, even highly sensitive ones. Hopefully we all keep away from knee-jerk reactions concerning "why" a cartoon is doing this and instead absorb it and educate.

If you haven’t noticed, your dad’s Disney cartoons are long gone.

“Zootopia” opens March 4.

SEE ALSO: How Disney characters from its latest movie gets made into toys

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The box-office countdown has begun for Zack Snyder's hotly anticipated “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

On Thursday, the superhero movie debuted on tracking to huge numbers, suggesting an opening of $140 million over the March 25-27 weekend in North America, if not more, according to those with access to prerelease surveys. Warner Bros. insiders are being more cautious in suggesting a range that includes $110 million on the lower end.

Either way, the tentpole — introducing Ben Affleck as the newest Batman and featuring Henry Cavil in his second turn as Superman — should rank among the top 10 openings of all time for a comic book adaptation.

The big question is whether “Dawn of Justice,” costing at least $250 million to make, can open on par with or ahead of the R-rated “Deadpool,” which stunned Hollywood when launching last month to $132.4 million over the three-day Presidents Day weekend. (“Deadpool”’s four-day Presidents Day haul was $152.2 million.)

One big difference: “Dawn of Justice,” which sports a friendlier PG-13 rating, runs two hours and 31 minutes, meaning fewer show times. “Deadpool”’s running time is one hour and 48 minutes.

In terms of March openings, The Hunger Games holds the record with $152.5 million.

The strength of “Batman v Superman” on tracking is great news for Warner Bros, which is counting on Snyder's tentpole to turn its fortunes around at the box office. It's also a defining moment in the studio's campaign to compete with Marvel's cinematic universe.

Snyder's first Superman movie, “Man of Steel,” launched to $116.6 million in June 2013. Warners had originally planned to open “Dawn of Justice” on May 6, the official beginning of the summer at the box office, but relocated the film when Marvel staked out the May date for “Captain America: Civil War.”

“Batman v Superman” will get the widest release possible as it capitalizes on the Easter corridor and kids being out school, both in the U.S. and overseas. The movie will be one of the few tentpoles to open virtually everywhere at the same time, including China. The one exception is Poland, where theaters are closed on Good Friday.

SEE ALSO: The first trailer for the new "Ghostbusters" with Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig is here — and it's full of classic gags

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Rumors have been going around for a while on the exact release date for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" on DVD and Blu-ray.

Well, the wait is over.

Disney and Lucasfilm confirmed Thursday "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will be released digitally April 1 and on DVD and Blu-ray Tuesday, April 5 with a new trailer.

The release will have a lot of features included on the DVD sets including a documentary on the film. 

Disney announced everything else that will be on the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" home release: 

   Secrets of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey – For the first time, discover the complete story behind the making of The Force Awakens, revealed through in-depth footage and exclusive interviews with the actors and filmmakers in this feature documentary.

·      The Story Awakens: The Table Read – Cast members familiar and new reflect on the memorable day they all first came together to read the movie’s script.

·      Building BB-8 – See how the filmmakers brought the newest droid to the screen, creating an instant fan favorite in the Star Wars universe.

·      Crafting Creatures – Watch movie magic as the filmmakers bring a cast of new creatures to life.

·      Blueprint of a Battle: The Snow Fight – Go deeper into the epic, climactic lightsaber battle between Rey and Kylo Ren.

·      John Williams: The Seventh Symphony – The legendary composer shares personal insights of his work on Star Wars and The Force Awakens.

·      ILM: The Visual Magic of The Force – An insider’s look into the remarkable digital artistry of the movie’s visual effects. 

·      Force For Change – Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. See how the Star Wars: Force for Change initiative has united Star Wars fans all over the globe to help others.

·      Plus Deleted Scenes

According to a report from the Independent, the "Star Wars" Blu-ray will have at least seven deleted scenes. Disney has not clarified what the bonus scenes will contain.

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You probably didn’t realize it, but you could have seen the sequel to the groundbreaking, Oscar-winning 2000 martial-arts movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” in theaters last weekend. The thing is, you just had to have lived near a select IMAX screen in the suburbs of New Jersey or California that showed it. 

Netflix has vowed that it will release movies it's making in theaters and on its streaming service, simultaneously. But the company never said it would operate like the traditional distributors and report the box office of those movies.

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny” is Netflix's latest release rolled out via theaters and streaming on the same day, and as with “Beasts of No Nation” before, most of the major movie chains (AMC, Regal) refused to show the film, since it didn’t adhere to the typical 90-day delay between theatrical and home video/streaming (many independent film houses released “Beasts”).

But unlike “Beasts,” “Sword of Destiny” has had no reporting of its box-office results, leaving many in Hollywood shaking their heads.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, distributors started seeing the grosses for the movie show up on reporting service comScore the afternoon of Friday, February 26th, but they quickly disappeared. 

“When you release a film in theaters, whether the results are good or bad, it's customary to report grosses,” Jeff Bock, senior box-office analyst at Exhibitor Relations, told Business Insider. “With a sequel of this magnitude, it's a shock that Netflix did not issue numbers, which can only mean they were pedestrian at best, terrible at worst.”

Perhaps the poor business “Beasts” did in theaters on its opening weekend, grossing just $50,699 in 31 theaters in 30 US cities (a theater average of $1,635) caused Netflix to keep “Sword of Destiny” numbers to themselves. But there’s no way to confirm. Netflix said it has no comment for this story.

Regardless, major studios and independents release their weekend grosses every week, regardless of how they might look, and many in Hollywood believe Netflix should be held to the same standard.

“If you want to be in the distribution game, it's helpful to exhibitors [theaters] to be transparent,” Bock said. “Netflix was with ‘Beasts of No Nation,’ and the results were poor. The fact that they are basically hiding debut numbers makes everyone uncomfortable in the distribution world. It's no wonder they had a difficult time booking the film.” 

A big reason why “Sword of Destiny” even played in theaters is because AMC reversed its ban at the 11th hour and allowed four to six of its 153 IMAX screens to show the film over the February 27-28 weekend. 

An IMAX rep told the New York Post that, in total, “Sword of Destiny” was shown on 10-12 IMAX screens. 

The kicker to all of this is there seems to be no trouble finding out how "Sword of Destiny" did overseas. According to THR, the movie grossed nearly $36 million abroad, mainly in China.

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They ain't afraid of no ghosts! The all-woman remake of '80s classic "Ghostbusters" recently re-launched its official site with new photos, info, and the first official trailer. 

The summer movie is a reboot, not a sequel, and stars a brand new squad of Ghostbusters making their debut.

Director Paul Feig recently talked to Empire about the connection between the reboot and original films saying, “We’re not recreating the old movie but we want to do just enough fun nods that the fans will go, ‘Oh, okay, they’re acknowledging that the other movie existed.’”

The brand new trailer revealed a bit more about the ghostbusting team's personalities, a surprise cameo from the original films, and a chilling look at a few new baddies, like a freakishly long-legged skeleton version of Uncle Sam and a possessed Melissa McCarthy. 

Keep reading to see who will be part of the new Ghostbusting team.

Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) is described as a paranormal researcher, supernatural scientist, and entity trapper.

Abby Yates co-authored a book with Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) about ghosts being real. While Erin left to pursue academia, Abby continued to research ghosts with her new partner. When ghosts invade and threathen New York, however, the two reunite to fight them. 

Jillian Hotlzmann (Kate McKinnon) is a "nuclear engineer, munitions expert, and proton wrangler."

Jillian Hotlzmann is Abby Yates' (Melissa McCarthy) new partner. When her original partner, Erin Gilbert (Kristin Wiig), left supernatural research to pursue traditional academia, Hotlzmann joined with Abby. The three women team up together to fight crime as ghosts cross over into our world and try to take over. 

Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) is a ghost tracker, municipal historian, and metaphysical commando.

Patty Tolan is the rookie member of the team. She doesn't have a background in the supernatural, but her character is a subway worker with extensive knowledge of New York City and its history. Feig underscored the importance of staying in New York City for the reboot, so it's likely her insight will make her a hugely valuable member of the team. 

It's a busy year for DC and Warner Bros.

Variety is reporting that, months ahead of its release, Warner Bros. is already taking its first steps to a "Suicide Squad" sequel, with the main cast and crew reprising their roles. 

"Suicide Squad," in theaters August 5, will debut Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Deadshot (Will Smith) as members of a team of supervillains tasked with taking down an even bigger bad. Joker (Jared Leto) will make a prominent appearance in the film as well. 

Justin Kroll, a film reporter for Variety, tweeted that Warner Bros.' execs are thrilled with early cuts of the DC film and want to lock down director and screenwriter David Ayer's return for a sequel as quickly as possible. 

"Suicide Squad" will follow DC's "Batman v Superman," coming March 25. The superhero showdown will debut the new iterations of Batman (Ben Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Flash (Ezra Miller), and Aquaman (Jason Momoa).  

Given the star power of both films, the first of at least 11 planned films over the next five years, it's no wonder Warner Bros. is betting on "Suicide Squad" becoming a cornerstone of its cinematic universe. 

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NOW WATCH: Here's why 'Mad Max' really won so many Oscars

A new trailer for  "Ghostbusters" dropped Thursday morning — but not everybody is feeling the ectoplasm-filled ad for the all-female twist on the classic film. 

Initial reactions to the reboot, which stars Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones, were positive. People on Twitter seem psyched about the return of the paranormal franchise to the big screen after 30 years. 

But after seeing the trailer, many began raising questions about Jones' character, Patty Tolan. McCarthy, Wiig, and McKinnon play a supernatural scientist, a particle physicist, and a nuclear engineer, respectively. Tolan, however, is portrayed as an outspoken MTA employee.

While the three white women in the cast all have advanced degrees, Patty Tolan's talents — again, as far as the trailer implies — are street smarts and the ability to get the team a vehicle. 

"You guys are really smart about this science stuff, but I know New York," Jones, as Tolan, says in the trailer. "And I can borrow a car from my uncle." 

The car is later revealed to be a hearse. "It's a Cadillac," Tolan exclaims to an incredulous McCarthy.

On Reddit, many users were quick to point out that the trailer relies heavily on stereotypes, making the "black woman a caricature" of herself. 

Take a look. 

And on Twitter, reactions were similar. People were disappointed to see Jones being portrayed as the "token black friend." 

For reference, "WOC" is shorthand for "woman of color."

YouTuber Akilah Hughes also fired off a tweet-storm about the new trailer. Hughes began by calling out a scene in the trailer where Jones slaps McCarthy across the face in an attempt to beat out a ghost who has taken over McCarthy's body. 

"Oh hell no, the devil is a liar," Jones yells in the trailer while she repeatedly hits McCarthy, until a green ghost flees her body.  

Some people are comparing Jones' character to Winston Zeddmore, a member of the original  "Ghostbusters" foursome. Zeddmore was played by Ernie Hudson, who, like Jones, is black. In the 1984 version, Hudson's role is significantly less substantive than his white, scientist counterparts.

It's an issue the 2016 reboot director, Paul Feig, has previously addressed. “Patty’s a bigger part [than Winston Zeddmore],"Feig told the New Yorker. "I definitely wanted four equal team members.”

The film's official website describes her role in the movie as a "ghost tracker, municipal historian, and metaphysical commando." Jones has also talked to the New Yorker about the potential issue, which gives us hope about the yet-released film.

"He [Feig] made it completely equal. It was like a superhero team, where each one has her own skill but can’t use it without the others," she said. 

Still the new trailer seems to have left a pretty poor taste in some people's mouths. "Ghostbusters" won't hit theaters until July, so we'll have to wait until then to see for sure. 

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We finally know when we can get our hands on our own personal copy of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens": The Blu-ray release is April 5.

And along with the movie, there will be behind-the-scenes featurettes that looks at pretty much anything you can imagine that went into the making of the movie. And then there are the deleted scenes.

There's no official word by Disney on how many will be featured, but the editors of the film said there were probably going to be around seven.

In the trailer for the release of the Blu-ray, we got a tease of one of those scenes from the cutting-room floor. It features Kylo Ren walking into the Millennium Falcon. 

Fans are surely already losing it to figure out what he's doing in there.

Check out the whole trailer below.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every superhero TV show on right now, from best to worst

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The newest game set in the "Star Wars" universe isn't a game based on last year's massively popular "The Force Awakens."

Instead, it's a re-birth of an old franchise — "Battlefront"— which puts players in a "Star Wars" sandbox of sorts, able to play with series favorites like Han Solo, Boba Fett, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia (among others). But most of the time, you don't play as any of those famous faces — you play as a cannon fodder Stormtrooper or Rebel soldier. 

Even then, the game just isn't very good. It's thin on content, repetitive, and generic. It's the Stormtrooper of "Star Wars" games, if you will.

And yet, even the series' most famous Stormtrooper, Finn, feels like "Star Wars Battlefront" is a bit light on content:

That's Finn actor John Boyega on Twitter, asking the game's maker (EA) if "Battlefront" will get a "full on offline story mode." He plays the Stormtrooper turned Rebel in "The Force Awakens." This guy:

Boyega rightly points out that such a mode would be a great way to learn the game's controls. Instead, you're largely thrust into the game's online mode against players who've been playing tons of "Star Wars Battlefront." 

EA's "Star Wars" account offered this potential solution:

That's not wrong, per se — there are "missions" that take the game's multiplayer levels and fill them with computer-controlled enemies. You're then tasked with various objectives ("Kill 10 Stormtroopers") before the level will progress. It's a very weak attempt at adding more to "Battlefront" than just online multiplayer maps.

And Boyega responds accordingly, in a slightly more friendly way than we put it:

For all his criticisms, the actor who plays Finn ended the interaction on an amicable note — he's going to visit EA's United Kingdom branch to speak more directly about his "Star Wars Battlefront" feelings. 

And that's likely a dream for Boyega, regardless of his role in the latest "Star Wars" film. He's been a "Battlefront" fan for years!

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NOW WATCH: The new 'Star Wars' game is a fan's dream come true

2016 marks a new era for the "Batman" franchise. 

Ben Affleck will take on the role as Gotham's defender in "Batman v Superman" and Jared Leto will debut as The Joker in "Suicide Squad" out later this summer. Expectations are incredibly high as, inevitably, they'll be compared to Christian Bale and Heath Ledger's unforgettable performances as the duo in 2008's "The Dark Knight." 

While many love Bale's take as the Caped Crusader, the actor himself isn't a huge fan of his own performance. During an interview for his new film "Knight of Cups," he told Yahoo! Movies that's heavily because of Ledger's outstanding performance as the Clown Prince of Crime.

"I didn't quite nail it," says Bale. "Heath turned up and just kind of completely ruined all my plans. 'He's so much more interesting than me and what I'm doing.'" 

After his death in 2008, Ledger went on to posthumously earn an Academy Award for his role. 

Bale said he originally envisioned the Caped Crusader as a pent up, repressed character whose "true self" is revealed when he prowls Gotham as night.  

"Batman, he's just this very, very, very dark, messed-up character," said Bale. "I found when I put on the suit, I went 'I just feel like a bloody idiot if I don't use this as a means [of revealing] his true, monstrous self that he allows to come out in the moment."

While Bale feels he ultimately didn't realize his goal with the character feel, don't expect to see Bale reprise his role as Gotham's defender.

"You know, I mean, we did our thing. It's done," he says. "I've got nothing else to offer it."

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It takes more than martial-arts training and a cool cape to protect Gotham City. Over the years, Batman has relied on an evolving series of vehicles to help bring down his most infamous enemies.

The Batmobile has changed a lot since the 1941 original. It now has a more imposing, military-influenced design, as seen in "The Dark Knight" trilogy and the upcoming "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."

Read on to see how the Batmobile has kept pace with Bruce Wayne's quest to keep Gotham safe:

The first car to be referred to as a "Batmobile" appeared in Detective Comics No. 48 in 1941. It was far more subtle than any of its successors. The car, which appears to be inspired by the Cord Roadster, had a small gold bat on the hood.

The first drivable Batmobile came from Adam West's 1966 live-action "Batman" adaptation. Based on the Lincoln Futura, legendary designer George Barris dreamed up the car in 15 days.

Source: Business Insider

Rather than the red and black of previous iterations, the Batmobile from the 1970s "Super Friends" series was blue and black, with yellow details to highlight the more prominent bat insignia.

The "Star Wars" universe is working toward inclusivity.

Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker in the film franchise, recently told The Sun in the UK that his character could be gay. He reached that conclusion after reading an interview The Daily Beast did with "The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams. The director said it would be "counterintuitive" to exclude gay characters from the "Star Wars" universe.

"I just read online that J.J. is very much open to that," Hamill told The Sun. "In the old days, you would get fan mail. But now fans are writing and asking all these questions: 'I'm bullied in school ... I'm afraid to come out.'"

To fan questions about Skywalker's sexuality, Hamill responds: "I'd say it is meant to be interpreted by the viewer. If you think Luke is gay, of course he is. You should not be ashamed of it. Judge Luke by his character, not by who he loves."

This isn't the first time the actor has talked about the possibility. In January, he responded to a fan's Twitter direct message asking whether Skywalker could be bisexual. His answer said: "His sexuality is never directly addressed in the films. Luke is whatever the audience wants him to be, so you can decide for yourself."

After "The Force Awakens" opened in theaters in December, some fans speculated that Oscar Isaac's Poe Dameron and/or John Boyega's Finn could be gay.

In the interview with The Daily Beast, Abrams said "of course" he wanted to include gay characters in "Star Wars," even though no explicity gay character has been in the franchise's past films.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every superhero TV show on right now, from best to worst

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It looks like a Gerard Butler movie is going to be at the bottom of the box office for a second straight weekend.

Following last weekend’s dud “Gods of Egypt,” Butler returns with “London Has Fallen,” the sequel to the 2013 action thriller “Olympus Has Fallen,” in which the actor reprises his role as Secret Service agent Mike Banning. Following the White House blowing up under his watch in “Fallen,” Banning now accompanies President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) to London for the funeral of the UK prime minster. But then half of the city is destroyed in a series of attacks that also kill most of the world leaders attending the funeral. Banning and Asher survive, leading to an absurd and very violent escape out of the UK.

With a 23% rating on Rotten Tomatoes currently, most critics say this is a pass. The film’s distributor, Millennium Films, is projecting a $20 million opening, but with the film only taking in $850,000 from 2,400 screens domestically during its Thursday-night preview, that number might be too ambitious.

Here’s what the critics think of the movie. (Warning: mild spoilers ahead.)

SEE ALSO: Disney's "Zootopia" is the best animated movie since "Inside Out"— here's why

The action is "comical."

This kind of popcorn flick finds success in its action. "London Has Fallen" has a lot, but there's too much slapstick (debatable if it's all intended).

The Associated Press points out, "There's a large-scale, hyper-coordinated attack in the moments before the funeral as the terrorists pick off world leaders in various comical locations around the city. The French PM is on a luxury motor boat with champagne, the Japanese PM is stuck in traffic on a bridge, and the older Italian PM is up on the rooftop of Westminster Abbey with his young girlfriend because 'you only turn 30 once.'"

And according to RogerEbert.com: "The film also tries to punctuate every violent bit with a quip of some sort but fails so badly that it just adds another unpleasant edge to the proceedings. (Example: After the president, who has been stashed in a room for safekeeping, bursts out to shoot a terrorist who has gotten the drop on Banning, Banning responds by saying, 'I was wondering when you were coming out of the closet.')"

This movie won't help America mend any fences with other nationalities.

Along with the cheesy action, there's also an undercurrent of hate toward anyone "un-American" that will certainly upset many who see the movie inside the US and abroad.

"At a time when our culture is growing more sensitive to the perspectives of other people in far-off lands, here’s an unsophisticated film that proudly goes around dropping F-bombs, shooting foreign baddies in the head at point-blank range, and declaring that nothing beats the good ‘ol U.S. of A," writes the New Republic.

While Uproxx proclaims that this is the "perfect movie for Trump's America.""It also feels ugly when Banning tells a villain to go back to a country name that contains a few expletives... and while he’s doing this, he’s mercilessly stabbing the villain’s already subdued brother in the chest until he’s dead. Asher asks, 'Was that necessary?' Banning replies, 'No.' This would also sum up 'London Has Fallen' in its entirety."

Are they for real?

For the most part, critics were just baffled by how campy the movie is. 

"This enjoyably atrocious action thriller is so inept in parts that you think it must be a spoof," wrote the Independent.

"I just can’t help thinking the makers of this movie didn’t realize 'Team America: World Police' was a satire," wrote Nerdist.

And Collider felt, "There’s definitely some fun to be had, but there’s a good chance you’ll walk away feeling uneasy for having taken any pleasure in it at all."

The new "Ghostbusters" movie is coming to theaters this July, and on March 3 fans were finally given a full-length trailer for the reboot. The response was mixed, with the largest criticism focusing on Leslie Jones's character (Patty Tolan) being portrayed as a black stereotype.

One fan took matters into their own hands and released a self-made take on the trailer. Redditor AbrahamAshley, a self-identified filmmaker and editor, created the shorter (and possibly way better) version.

Take a look:

The biggest difference is a lack of dialogue from nearly every main character. AbrahamAshley was going for a more "teaser" vibe — quick cuts and mere glimpses at many of the characters. 

"The only thing I added was the original song, original movie sound effects, a small light leak and a couple of sfx hits," AbrahamAshley explained in a Reddit thread. "The concept was to show that it didn't have to suck."

Fellow Redditors are big fans of the remake, referring to it as a "fixed" version. In just five hours, one link to the YouTube video has 4,000 upvotes and counting. "This is 1000% better,"one commentor wrote. "My personal opinion with previews is that less is more."

The motivation behind making the changes was made clear in one of the discussion threads.

"I don't really believe in this project,"AbrahamAshley wrote. "I'm a hardcore Ghostbusters purist. I'm also a filmmaker and editor - so when I saw the trailer, I was so angry that it was so so so bad. I took the material that was given and tweaked it."

Whether you side with AbrahamAshley's thoughts on the upcoming film, all fans can agree that this teaser version of the trailer is pretty awesome.

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With a filmography that includes “Point Break,” “The Matrix” movies, and now the cult hit “John Wick,” we had a sense that Keanu Reeves knows how to handle a firearm.

But this video of the actor at a firing range proves that Reeves really is the Chosen One.

The video was shared by gun store Taran Tactical Innovations, and likely has something to do with Reeves' preparation for the sequel to the beloved "John Wick." You can see Keanu in action with his steel when "John Wick 2" comes out next year.

Watch Keanu show off his skills below:

SEE ALSO: Why Kevin Spacey is no longer the true star of "House of Cards"— it's Robin Wright

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This week, the trailer for the highly anticipated "Ghostbusters" reboot was released. There's a chance that it could be just as good, if not better, than the original.

Story by Ian Phillips and editing by Chelsea Pineda

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For over 40 years, director Terrence Malick has been one of the most genius and elusive talents in the movie business.

His films can best be described as esoteric fever dreams portraying a person's exploration of life, from adolescence in "Tree of Life" to enduring the madness of war in "The Thin Red Line."

What makes him and his work even more mysterious is that he refuses to do interviews and shies away from public events. In fact, when he’s been nominated for Oscars, he hasn’t shown up to the ceremony. When asked, the publicist for his latest film,“Knight of Cups” (out Friday), told Business Insider there's no photo of the filmmaker available for this story.

Given Malick's enigmatic persona, it would be fascinating to know if his filmmaking method is as unorthodox as his finished product.

As it turns out, Malick's process is even stranger than his movies.

We found out when we talked to actor Thomas Lennon, who has a brief cameo in Malick's "Knight of Cups" playing a friend of the main character (Christian Bale) as they walk around a Hollywood party. (Others in the scene include Antonio Banderas, Jason Clarke, Ryan O’Neal, Nick Kroll, and Joe Manganiello.)

'No one knows anything about the movie'

Lennon is known for his comedic work, like “Reno 911!,” CBS’ “The Odd Couple," or his scene-stealing in movies like “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” “Balls of Fury,” and “I Love You, Man.”

So he's not exactly the kind of actor you'd expect in a Malick film. In fact, the actor told Business Insider he had never seen a Malick film when he got the offer to be in "Knight of Cups" in April of 2012 (the movie has spent two-plus years in post-production, not uncommon for a Malick film).

“I got a call from my agent and he said, ‘Do you know Terrence Malick?’ And I decided I would try to be a smarty-pants and I said, ‘Of course,’ but I had never seen any of his films,” Lennon told BI. “I was aware of his name like you’re aware of names like Atom Egoyan or Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, artsy-fartsy films unlike the things I’m in or write.”

But Lennon agreed to the role, without being given any details about who he was playing or what the movie was about. And six weeks before the scheduled shoot, Lennon still hadn’t received anything and was starting to get anxious.

“I started making phone calls to people — ‘Could you please find out what role I’m playing? Is there a wardrobe fitting?’ And the answer I would get back from everyone is, ‘No one knows anything about the movie,’” Lennon said.

Three days before the shoot, Lennon was finally told some information: The scene is at a Hollywood party, so he should be dressed as if he were going to a party in the Hollywood Hills.

“That’s all I was told,” Lennon said.

No script, just a card with an inspirational phrase

Lennon arrived to the set, a mansion in swanky Bel Air. By this point, he'd Googled Malick's picture. Lennon worked his way through the estate and found Christian Bale sitting with Malick by the pool.

“I could only assume it was Terrence Malick because he was the most eccentric-looking person there,” Lennon said. “He’s in this sort of straw hat, slightly dirty khaki pants, and a real loose, floppy shirt.”

They exchanged pleasantries, and then Lennon’s good friend, actor Joe Lo Truglio, showed up to also be in the scene.

“We’re all standing there and Malick hands out these pieces of paper to all of us,” Lennon said. “And the one he gave me said, ‘There’s no such thing as a fireproof wall.’ And I ask, ‘Is this something I’m supposed to say in the scene?’ and he said, ‘I don’t know.’”

Lennon learned, after talking to the director, that there was no script, just a phrase that might inspire him when cameras started rolling.

“And then Malick goes, ‘Would you like some more? Because I have a whole stack of these.’ And I was like, ‘I think I’m good,’” Lennon said.

Lennon later asked Bale while Malick was away:

Lennon:“Is this how it goes?

Bale:“Yeah.”

Lennon:“Every day?”

Bale:“Yeah.”

Lennon:“How long have you been doing this?”

Bale:“This is, like, day 25.”

11 hours of shooting for 1 minute of screen time

When Malick came back, Lennon asked him what the scene was about. Malick started off by saying that in the movie, Bale plays a Hollywood screenwriter, and Lennon didn't need to hear anything else — he suddenly knew why he was there.

“I was cast as Christian [Bale]’s douchey Hollywood Hills friend. I realized if his character was a shallow Hollywood screenwriter, two of his really good friends probably would be Joe Lo Truglio and me,” Lennon said. “Terrence Malick actually is a genius.”

But it would take time for Lennon to grasp what the director wanted. He, Lo Truglio, and Bale began walking around the mansion, improvising their lines. For 11 full hours. Keep in mind the party scene, in the finished film, lasts about five minutes, and Lennon has at most a minute of screen time.

“Sometimes we would go outside, where the party was growing with more people,” Lennon said. “Sometimes Malick would stop and introduce a new cinematographer: ‘Guys, this is Marta, she’s an up-and-coming DP from Mexico City and she’s going to film the scene for a while.’ And sometimes Christian would take a GoPro and shoot something.”

The actors were also strictly instructed, according to Lennon, to make it as difficult as possible for the camera operator to shoot them, never standing in a way that they were squared up with the camera.

At one point, Lennon says, Malick halted the scene and brought in a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon to star alongside them.

Lennon admits that for the first few hours, he was “unbelievably distressed.”

“I would ask, ‘Like that Terrence?’ and he would be like, ‘Great, it’s all great.’”

Filming Lennon's very real fight with his wife

Then things got even weirder.

During a lunch break, Lennon was speaking to his wife over the phone offset. Since the shoot would likely last a full day, Lennon had to change plans with his family. He and his wife got into an argument over the phone.

“We were basically yelling at each other,” Lennon said. “And at that point Malick himself came up to me with a camera with a stubby lens and got, I’m not kidding, eight inches away from my face, filming me having this totally real fight with my wife. At first I felt it was kind of an invasion of privacy and then I was like, ‘F--- it, this is the realest thing that has happened all day.’”

'An absolutely bats--- crazy day'

Eventually Lennon finally got comfortable with the whole shoot, and it turned out to be, he said, “The single most fun day I’ve ever had on a movie set ever.

“What I realized was, Malick loves to be on his feet and just making movies,” Lennon said. “I don’t mean the editing, just the location, shooting a scene, and letting things happen. I mean, it was honestly an absolutely bats--- crazy day. But I would have instantly come back and done it another day if the opportunity came up.”

Lennon said he got a big hug from Malick when the day wrapped. He still has no idea exactly why he was called for the part or if Malick has even seen his own work. Three years after shooting, he'll finally see himself in "Knight of Cups" when it's out this week.

“I’ll be honest, until they asked me to do some press, I had no idea I was in the film at all,” Lennon said with a laugh.

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Wes Bentley is best known for his roles as a brooding extrovert, as in “American Beauty” or “The Hunger Games.” His piercing eyes and stern look have made him the perfect choice for roles in which dark and mysterious are requirements.

His latest movie, "Knight of Cups," by legendary director Terrence Malick, is filled with mystery, exploring the befuddling past of a Hollywood screenwriter, played by Christian Bale. Bentley is the writer's troubled but loyal brother.

We talked to Bentley about some of the highlights from his career, starting with "Knight of Cups," out this weekend.

SEE ALSO: This is the most bizarre movie-set story ever — from an actor in mysterious director Terrence Malick's new "Knight of Cups"

To prepare for "Knight of Cups," Bentley spent a lot of time "in rooms."

To fully understand what Terrence Malick wanted from him, Bentley said there was “lots of time spent in rooms, building the history.”

First, that meant meeting the director, which led to a discussion less about the movie and more about their past.

“Geographically we’re from a similar area,” said Bentley, who is from Arkansas; Malick is from Illinois. “We also had a lot of similarities in our childhood and family life, so we mostly talked about that.”

That talk carried over into prep for the film, as Bentley and Bale spent a lot of time together talking about themselves.

“I took it all as the experience of now. Whether it’s in the film or not, I’m all good with that,” he said of the notoriously unique process Malick employs. “I knew working with Terry, a lot of what I did might not make the film.”

The success of “American Beauty” was hard for him to cope with.

Most of us first met Bentley on the screen in his breakout role in the best picture Oscar-winning 1999 film “American Beauty,” playing Ricky, the loner-next-door neighbor who loves to record plastic bags floating in the wind.

Then in his early ‘20s, the actor admits it was hard to take in the exposure of the movie.

“It was a blessing as an actor,” he said. “Personally, it was tough. It was tough to follow up on that. I feel I have a skewed vision of it. It was so weird and felt extreme. I was young and had a lot of big lessons learned, and a lot of that had to do with the attention that came from the movie. At the end of the day, I just didn’t know what to do at that moment, as far as dealing with the attention.”

Why he thinks no one went to see “The Four Feathers.”

A few years after the success of “American Beauty,” Bentley starred in one of the most anticipated movies of 2002, “The Four Feathers,” the latest adaptation of the A.E.W. Mason novel that follows the British Army’s Gordon Relief Expedition in the Sudan in the late 1800s.

Putting him alongside Heath Ledger (Bentley plays his best friend in the role) and Kate Hudson, the movie was touted as a modern-day “Lawrence of Arabia,” with its lush desert cinematography. The movie turned out to be a bomb, only taking in $30 million worldwide (the film cost $35 million to make).

Looking back, Bentley speaks very highly of the experience.

“I’ve seen it a few times since its release, and I’m proud of it,” he said. “There’s no CGI in that movie. Spending three months in Morocco and three months in London, it was an incredible life experience. Heath [Ledger] really did become one of my best friends.”

Bentley believes it was bad timing that led to the film’s disappointing release.

“We shot it before 9/11, and they had no choice to release it after, and the subject matter was close [to the events]. That’s all I could ever reason with,” he said.

After years of being overshadowed by Disney's other animation house, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios has finally stepped up with stories that are both moneymakers and high in quality and concept.

Now their latest, "Zootopia," is a record-breaker for the studio at the box office.

The movie, following a bunny cop as she tries to solve a mystery with the help of a fox, was a hit with audiences over the weekend as it took the top spot at the box office with an estimated $73.7 million, according to pro.boxoffice.com. That's the biggest opening ever for a non-Pixar Disney animated film.

Yes, that's even more than the opening of Walt Disney Animation Studios' monster hit, "Frozen," which opened with $67.4 million its first day of wide release.

The success of "Zootopia" was led by stellar reviews (it has a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) that pushed home the notion that the movie was entertaining for both kids and adults.

The movie started off with a very strong Thursday evening preview showing, taking in $1.7 million, the biggest Thursday-night opening for a non-summer Disney animated movie. Then it took in an impressive $19.5 million on Friday.

It's looking like 2016 will be another strong year for Disney, which has a string of anticipated movies coming out, from Pixar's "Finding Dory" to Marvel's "Captain America: Civil War," and, of course, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" at the end of the year.

"Zootopia" finally dethroned box office champ "Deadpool," which came in third with an estimated $16.4 million (over $311 million domestically, to date).

And in second was "London Has Fallen" with an estimated $21.7 million. Though only with a 26% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie performed to distributor Millennium Films' opening weekend projections.

That means don't be surprised if Gerard Butler returns once again to play a secret service agent who seems to be awful at his job.

The new release this weekend that performed the worst was Tina Fey's new comedy "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot," which only took in $7.6 million on over 2,300 screens.

SEE ALSO: Disney's "Zootopia" is the best animated movie since "Inside Out"— here's why

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There's never a bad time to dive back into the archives and watch some good movies.

And if you have some time off around the start of the new year, this might be a good time to binge some modern-day classics.

With that in mind, I've come up with 20 essential titles from the past 15 years that you should reexamine or, if you've never seen them, delve into.

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1. “Donnie Darko” (2001)

Jake Gyllenhaal was just starting to get on everyone's radar when he scored one of his first lead roles, playing a troubled teen who is tormented by visions of the future and a disturbing-looking bunny. "Donnie Darko" has become a cult classic, as it captured the angst of the youth who at the time the movie was in theaters were coping with the confusion of a post-9/11 world.

2. "Bowling For Columbine" (2002)

Michael Moore's fourth feature film, which won an Oscar for best documentary, might be his best. The controversial director uses the events of the Columbine High School massacre to address the US' addiction to guns. Sadly, 14 years later the issues explored in this movie are still relevant.

3. "City of God" (2002)

This incredibly stylish look at the slums of Rio de Janeiro charts the lives of two boys as they grow up among guns and drugs. The cast is made up mostly of nonprofessional actors, which gives an authenticity to the movie. But what's most surprising about this extremely violent film is how much comedy is layered into it.