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Tom Cruise Will Take On Drones In ‘Top Gun’ Sequel

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top gun tom cruise

Nearly 30 years after the original film, we're getting a ‘Top Gun’ sequel with Tom Cruise — and drones.

We’ve heard bits and pieces about the sequel, but producer Jerry Bruckheimer laid out a better picture of what the movie will entail with Bloomberg’s Jon Erlichman.

“Technology has changed obviously since we made the first one,” says Bruckheimer. “So, I think we’re going to take advantage of what the world is like today, you know with the drones really kind of taking over in a lot of our wars."

"Is the pilot obsolete? Are those guys … those jet jockeys, are they gone from now? No, I don’t think so," Bruckheimer added.

Bruckheimer, who says the sequel has been in the works for 30 years, shared it was the late Tony Scott who came up with the film’s premise. 

The producer is also working on another installment to “Beverly Hills Cop” with returning actor Eddie Murphy.

Bruckheimer discusses the two sequels near the beginning of the interview starting at the 1:15 mark. 

SEE ALSO: David Fincher won't direct Steve Jobs' movie

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Samuel L. Jackson May Return For 'Die Hard 6'

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Brice Willis Die Hard With a Vengeance

Before Live FreeGood Day and Justin Long came along and showed us all how bad things could really get, Die Hard with a Vengeance was seen as the weakest point of an otherwise solid series.

Shot in McClane's home town of NYC it lacked the fish-out-of-water laughs of the first two. On top of that, Bonnie Bedelia's Holly was nowhere to be seen, and worst of all, it wasn't even Christmas. And yet, despite all that, it still holds a place in our hearts.

The New York humidity added all kinds of stress to proceedings and, in the Fort Knox heist, Vengeance boasted one of the series' best set pieces. McClane's foil, Jeremy Irons' Simon Grüber, was a bit of a classic too but best of all was the ball-breaking back and forth between Bruce Willis' NYPD wise guy and Samuel L Jackson's stylishly bespectacled and quite pissed Zeus Carver. Now it seems Fox might be looking to get The Avengers star back on board for the series' rumored 6th outing. Taking to Twitter today, Latino Review's "El Mayimbe" had this to say:

Would this be an antidote for the lagging series? We might dare to think so. Willis has looked increasingly worn out with each passing instalment- the studios for some reason feeling obliged to put him next to a much younger model- so a return to ball breaking banter with an old friend could be just the ticket.

SEE ALSO: 73-Year-Old Frank Sinatra Was Originally Offered The Lead Role In 'Die Hard'

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Paul Walker’s Two Brothers Will Fill In For Actor In ‘Fast & Furious 7’

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Paul Walker fast and furious

When “Fast & Furious 7” comes to theaters next year, Paul Walker’s character, Brian O’Connor, will return to the big screen with the help of his two younger brothers.  

Universal Studios announced today that Walker’s brothers Caleb and Cody will stand in for the actor to help complete small gaps in production.  

Walker passed away last November in a car crash, leaving major scenes in the sequel left unfilmed.  

As a result, the film’s release was pushed back from 2014 to April 10, 2015 as production took time to grieve and figure out how to rework the sequel. 

The film, which resumed shooting earlier this month, will reportedly use a mix of CGI and body doubles to stand-in for Walker. 

Earlier it was rumored Walker’s brother Cody was approached to fill in for scenes 

Here's Walker with his brother Caleb at Caleb's wedding six weeks before his death.paul walker brother

You can read the full release below which was posted on the official “Fast & Furious” Facebook page: 

A Note to the Fans of FAST & FURIOUS 

The FAST & FURIOUS saga is about family. The characters are connected by the bond of family, and it is how all of us who have worked together for more than thirteen years feel about each other. It certainly defines how we feel about our fans.  

Our family experienced an unthinkable shock in November. We had to take time to grieve Paul, the brother we love and lost, and to figure out if we should move on with our film.

We came together and all felt the only choice was to continue. We believe our fans want that, and we believe Paul would want that too. Paul had already shot his dramatic scenes and most of his action for FAST & FURIOUS 7, and it’s among the strongest work of his career.  

We have resumed shooting and now welcome Paul’s brothers, Caleb and Cody, into our FAST family. Caleb and Cody are helping us complete some remaining action for their brother and fill in small gaps left in production. Having them on set has made us all feel that Paul is with us too.  

We are just under a year away from the release of FAST & FURIOUS 7, and this film is the most important we’ve ever done together. It will allow the character of Brian O’Conner to live on and let us celebrate Paul in his most defining role. 

We wanted to take a moment to speak to our fans directly and thank you for the love and support you always show us as we resume our work.

SEE ALSO: "Fast and Furious 7" to film in Abu Dhabi in April

AND: 13 actors brought back to life using special effects

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How A Schoolyard Bully Helped Andrew Garfield Become Spider-Man

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The Amazing Spider Man 2Even the Amazing Spider-Man can be a victim of bullying.

In an interview with The Guardian, Andrew Garfield — the actor who plays Spider-Man in the upcoming "Amazing Spider-Man 2"— explains how he was bullied as a child.

"I enjoyed my childhood, though looking back on school, that was both great and awful," he told the British newspaper.

Garfield, who was born in Los Angeles but grew up in England, mentioned that being "stupidly sensitive" made him a target for bullies.

"I had the general bullying experience where there was a kid who wasn't very happy and he threw his weight around," Garfield said. "He targeted me because I was skinny and thin-skinned and he knew it."

But the bad experience at school led Garfield to delve into comics books, specifically the famous web-slinger he would one day go on to play.

"If it weren't for that bully, I wouldn't have found Spider-Man," he said. "That's why I got so lost in the comics and the cartoon series. I would fantasize about being him."

The 30-year-old added, "It is really interesting, though ... what you perceive as your wounds can later on turn into the biggest gifts you have."

Garfield will host SNL on May 3, while "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" swings into theaters May 2.

SEE ALSO: 'Spider-Man' Spin-Off Movies Will Be Released Before 'Amazing Spider-Man 4'

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9 Movies We Can't Wait To See At The Tribeca Film Festival

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The Tribeca Film Festival starts this week in New York City.

More than 100 movies will be screened during the two-week event from April 16-27 along with 55 world premieres.

Tickets went on sale to the general public Monday.

If you're in NYC and are trying to figure out what to see, these are the films we're looking forward to the most.

1. "Palo Alto"emma roberts palo alto

Synopsis: Emma Roberts plays April, a levelheaded, intelligent, and spirited young woman who finds herself attracted to introspective artist Teddy (Jack Kilmer), whose buddy Fred's (Nat Wolff) destructive nihilism brings Teddy down with him. When her soccer coach (James Franco) comes onto her, April's world begins to spiral out of her control.

Who's in it: James Franco, Emma Roberts, Val Kilmer, Chris Messina
Why to see it:
The film is Gia Coppola's  — niece of Sofia Coppola — debut feature film and is based on Franco's short stories of the same name.

Check out movie times here.

2. "Third Person"

third personSynopsis: "Three stories set in cities known for romance—New York, Rome, and Paris—take raw and personal twists as the characters grapple with the difficulties of modern relationships. From the on-again, off-again relationship of a recently separated man and his mistress, to a mother accused of attempting to kill her own child, the tribulations of everyday life wax and wane for each of the individuals."

Who's in it: Liam Neeson, Mila Kunis, James Franco, Olivia Wilde, Adrien Brody,  Maria Bello, and Kim Basinger
Why to see it: Not only does the film have a ton of star power, "Third Person" is directed by Paul Haggis who won two Academy Awards for "Million Dollar Baby" and "Crash."

Check out movie times here.

3. "Every Secret Thing"

every secret thingSynopsis: "One clear summer day in a Baltimore suburb, a baby goes missing from her front porch. Two young girls serve seven years for the crime and are released into a town that hasn’t fully forgiven or forgotten. Soon, another child is missing, and two detectives are called in to investigate the mystery in a community where everyone seems to have a secret."

Who's in it: Diane Lane, Elizabeth Banks, Dakota Fanning
Why to see it: The film comes from Amy Berg whose 2006 documentary "Deliver Us from Evil" was nominated for an Oscar.

Check out movie times here.

4. "5 to 7"

5 to 7 tribeca film festival

Synopsis: "Outside the Manhattan St. Regis Hotel, aspiring young writer Brian (Anton Yelchin) first meets Arielle (Bérénice Marlohe), the sophisticated wife of a French Diplomat. Though she’s older, married, and the mother of two, Brian can’t help but be drawn to her and the two begin a cinq-a-sept affair. It’s a clash with his traditional values and his parents (Frank Langella and Glenn Close) can barely handle the news, but Brian couldn’t be more smitten. As the two fall deeper in love, Brian begins to wish for more than just the hours of five to seven and soon the two must face the most significant decision of their lives."

Who's in it: Anton Yelchin, Berénice Marloh, Frank Langella, and Glenn Close
Why to see it: While the love story features Oscar-nominated actors Close and Langella, director Victor Levin is a co-executive producer on "Mad Men" and has been nominated for 4 Emmys. 

Check out movie times here.

5. "Boulevard"

boulevard robin williamsSynopsis: "What starts as an aimless drive down an unfamiliar street turns into a life-altering decision for the curious Nolan Mack (Robin Williams). For many years, Nolan and his wife Joy (Kathy Baker) have embraced their marriage as a convenient distraction from facing reality. When he meets a troubled young man named Leo (Roberto Aguire) on his drive home, Nolan finds himself breaking from the confines of his old life."

Who's in it: Robin Williams, Kathy Baker, Bob Odenkirk
Why to see it: It's not too often you see Williams outside of a comedic role. Director Dito Montiel's last film, "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints" won the Special Jury Prize at Sundance. 

Check out movie times here.

6. "The Bachelor Weekend"
the bachelor weekend

Synopsis: "A very modern groom-to-be reluctantly agrees to a bachelor weekend with his urbane friends, wild camping in the great outdoors of the west of Ireland. To their horror they are joined by the bride’s unpredictable brother, an alpha male known as “The Machine” whose explosive personality and wild leadership takes them on a journey they’ll never forget."

Who's in it: Andrew Scott, Brian Gleeson, Amy Huberman
Why to see it: Think "Bridesmaids" for men. If you tune into "Sherlock," you'll recognize Scott who plays Jim Moriarty on the BBC series, and he's enough to sell us over on this comedy.

Check out movie times here.

7. "Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon"

supermenschSynopsis:
"Mike Myers brings a comic touch to documenting the astounding career of consummate Hollywood insider Shep Gordon. Making playful use of archival footage, new interviews, and his own close relationship with the legendary talent manager, Myers reveals a man who has embraced his dualities: a hard-driving dealmaker who wants everyone to be happy and a rock ‘n’ roll hedonist who yearns for a family."

Why to see it: This film not only marks Mike Myer's directorial debut, but also gives an inside look at Gordon who has worked with artists in the music industry and helped create the idea of the "celebrity chef." 

8. "This Time Next Year"

this time next yearSynopsisThe documentary follows the residents of Long Beach Island, New Jersey for the year after Hurricane Sandy. 

Check out movie times here.

9. 1971
1971 tribeca film festival

Synopsis: “On March 8, 1971 eight ordinary citizens broke into an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania, a town just outside Philadelphia, took hundreds of secret files, and shared them with the public. In doing so, they uncovered the FBI's vast and illegal regime of spying and intimidation of Americans exercising their First Amendment rights.”

Check out movie times here.

SEE ALSO: 15 midseason TV shows you should be watching

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Here’s What It Would Take To Upload Your Brain Into A Computer

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Johnny Depp TranscendenceWhen Wally Pfister’s Transcendence is released on April 17, millions of moviegoers will be asking themselves, “Could we really upload Johnny Depp into a computer one day?”

In the spirit of "Could Bruce Willis Save the World?" and "Gravity Fact Check," we’d like to take Hollywood perhaps a bit too seriously and examine the scientific plausibility of what’s called “whole brain emulation.”

Whole brain emulation as depicted in Transcendence appears possible in principle. As a character from the movie's first trailer says, the mind is “a pattern of electrical signals,” nothing more. That might be controversial among the general public, but it is the near-universal consensus among cognitive scientists. And in principle, that pattern of electrical signals could be run (“emulated”) on a computer rather than in that lump of meat inside a human skull.

We've already successfully emulated (much) simpler things. If you’re old enough, you might have played games like Space Invaders on the Atari 2600 gaming console like one of us (Luke) did. The Atari 2600 had a processor called the MOS 6502 that’s long since obsolete. But we can emulate it exactly inside a modern-day computer. (Researchers do this kind of thing for preservation purposes: Physical chips decay and warp over time, but an emulation is just information, and can be copied and preserved indefinitely.)

Here’s what we mean by “emulate”: When young Luke pushed the “shoot” button on the Atari joystick, an electrical signal traveled from the joystick to the MOS 6502 processor, which in turn controlled—according to strict rules—how other electrical signals moved from circuit to circuit inside the processor. All this activity eventually sent a certain pattern of electrical signals to his TV, where Luke could see that his spaceship had just fired a laser blast at the invading aliens.

Johnny Depp, Transcendence computerBy scanning the processor’s map of circuits in high resolution, and by knowing the rules of how those circuits work, we can reproduce the same functionality in a modern computer, without the physical MOS 6502 processor. In the emulated processor, there’s no electrical current, just numbers; no physical circuitry, just rules for how the numbers change. But the result is that pressing a button connected to the MOS 6502 emulation produces the exact same pictures on the screen as pushing the “shoot” button on the old Atari joystick did. The physical MOS 6502 is no longer there, but the information pattern is the same, so identical inputs (button presses) produce identical outputs (images on the screen).

If you want to try this for yourself, head over to NESbox, where you can play thousands of old games like Super Mario World right there in your browser. These games weren’t rewritten to work in your browser: Instead, the original hardware (like 1991’s Super Nintendo) is emulated exactly in your browser, and thus the same inputs (the game file plus your button presses) result in the same outputs (moving images and sound).

In theory, it should be possible to do a similar thing with a human brain. We could simulate the brain’s physical, chemical, and electrical structure in such detail that we could run the brain on a computer, producing similar “outputs” (instructions to virtual limbs, mouth, and other organs) as a real brain would. But in practice, we’re lacking three major things. First, we can’t yet scan a human brain in nearly enough detail to map all its “circuits.” Second, we don’t understand the rules governing how neurons and other brain cells work nearly as well as we understand how computer circuits work. And third, we don’t have enough computing power to run the emulation, since the human brain is vastly more complicated than the MOS 6502 processor.

Transcendence AI DeppWe’re still pretty far away from meeting any of these conditions. Today scientists can’t even emulate the brain of a tiny worm called C. elegans, which has 302 neurons, compared with the human brain’s 86 billion neurons. Using models of expected technological progress on the three key problems, we’d estimate that we wouldn’t be able to emulate human brains until at least 2070 (though this estimate is very uncertain).

But would an emulation of your brain be you, and would it be conscious? Such questions quickly get us into thorny philosophical territory, so we’ll sidestep them for now. For many purposes—estimating the economic impact of brain emulations, for instance—it suffices to know that the brain emulations would have humanlike functionality, regardless of whether the brain emulation would also be conscious.

So, how scientifically realistic is Transcendence? From the trailers and the original screenplay, it seems likely to be wrong about many of the details, but it might be right about the eventual technological feasibility of whole brain emulation. But we must remember this isn’t “settled science”—it’s more akin to the “exploratory engineering” of pre-Sputnik astronautics, pre-ENIAC computer science, and contemporary research in molecular nanotechnologyinterstellar travel, and quantum computing. Science fiction often becomes science fact, but sometimes it does not. The feasibility of whole brain emulation is an open question, and will likely remain so for decades.

As for Johnny Depp, he was born in 1963, and by 2070 he’d be 107 years old. In the United States, life expectancy for males is just below 79 years. By our estimate, Jack Sparrow is unlikely to be digitally preserved so that he can star in Pirates of the Caribbean 16: Digital Sparrow. Whether that is a tragedy or a relief is a question beyond the scope of this piece.

SEE ALSO: Johnny Depp Was Trampled By A Horse On 'The Lone Ranger' Set

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The Wolverine Unites The X-Men In New 'Days Of Future Past' Trailer

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Xmen magneto prisoner

The final official trailer for "X-Men: Days Of Future Past" premiered last night during "Conan" and it gives the first real look at the film's premise.

Based on the comic of the same name, the Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is sent 50 years into the past to save the X-Men after sentinels start killing them off in the present.

The trailer shows the Wolverine as he tries to assemble all of the mutants together to prevent that from happening.

The film stars a huge cast including Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, Ellen Page, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, James McAvoy, and Peter Dinklage.

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" hits theaters May 23.

SEE ALSO: The film's opening fight sequence

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Will Ferrell And John C. Reilly Will Reunite For New Comedy 'Border Guards'

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Step Brothers Interview

The stars of "Step Brothers" and "Talladega Nights" are back!  

Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are set to reunite on screen in Border Guards, a new Sony Pictures comedy that Adam McKay is eyeing to direct.  The picture would see Ferrell and Reilly as two incompetent border guards who get stranded in Mexico and have to sneak back across the border.  

While the the reunion of the comedic trio is cause for celebration in its own right, there’s also word that Sony has set British scribe and Peep Show creator Jesse Armstrong to pen the script.

Deadline reports that Ferrell and Reilly are expected to play the title roles of Border Guards, with McKay contemplating the director’s chair.  Here’s the logline:

Ferrell and Reilly play two hapless but earnest friends who decide to give purpose to their lives by protecting America’s borders from illegal immigrants. In the process they find themselves accidentally stranded in Mexico without identification and must sneak back into the USA.

Before you start spinning up a yarn about how Border Guards, Step Brothers, and Talladega Nights all somehow appear in the same universe, this new film isn’t expected to tie in to their previous efforts in any way, except for the fact that they all work so well together.  Armstrong is the wild card here, but anyone who’s a fan of the humor in Peep Show, The Thick of It, and the crime comedy feature Four Lions will assert that the writer surely knows how to handle the genre.

Ferrell and Reilly most recently appeared together in McKay’s Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.  Ferrell, McKay, and Kevin Messick will produce Border Guards through Gary Sanchez Productions, while Michael De Luca and Jonathan Kadin will oversee for Sony.

SEE ALSO: The Lifetime Documentary That Inspired 'Anchorman'

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Channing Tatum In Talks To Play Gambit In 'X-Men' Spin-Off

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Channing Tatum, Gambit

Channing Tatum has conquered practically every genre there is, starring in hit comedies (21 Jump Street), action movies (White House Down), romantic dramas (Dear John) and even male-stripper dramas (Magic Mike).

However, he has yet to appear in a superhero movie, and the actor has previously revealed he wants to play Gambit in a future X-Men movie.

How close is this to actually happening? The actor recently spoke with MTV, where he revealed that he has actually met with X-Men: Days of Future Past producer Lauren Shuler Donner about playing the Cajun mutant:

"I met with Lauren Shuler Donner. And I would love it. Gambit is really the only X-Man I've ever loved. I mean I've loved them all, they're all great, but I guess from being down south - my dad's from Louisiana, I'm from Mississippi, Alabama, Florida - I don't know. I just related to him. He's just kind of suave... He's the most un X-Men X-Man that's ever been in X-Men. Other than maybe Wolverine, who's like the anti-hero. He's a thief. He's not even a hero. He's kind of walking the line of grey. He loves women and drinking and smoking and stuff so he's just a cool guy who happens to have a moral center. I hope it [comes together]. You never know it's a weird industry. If the stars align, I would die to play it. I'm already working on the accent. It's crappy at the moment."

Lauren Shuler Donner herself revealed in a January interview with Empire that she would love to make a Gambit movie with the actor.

"I'm dying to do a Gambit movie with Channing Tatum. That doesn't have to be a great big movie. It's a thief in New Orleans, it's a whole different story. He's on board, and I have to get the studio on board. How can anyone resist Channing? He's such a sweetheart."

X-Men: Days of Future Past director Bryan Singer also revealed last month that he is considering bringing the character in to X-Men: Apocalypse, which may also feature a young Nightcrawler. That project is said to be more of a sequel to 2011's X-Men: First Class, which is set in the 1980s. Gambit was previously played by Taylor Kitschin 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Would you be interested in seeing Channing Tatum as Gambit in either his own stand-alone movie or in 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse? Chime in with your thoughts below.

SEE ALSO: The Wolverine Unites The X-Men In New 'Days Of Future Past' Trailer

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Here's What Some Of Your Favorite Films Look Like When Reduced To One Color (BECKETT, MUFSON)

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60bd12fd812eea7cd3b2bdc2b23ad1ae_vice_670

One /r/moviesredditor is giving us a new spin on cinema analysis, as user vvdr12 is creating color composites that boil entire features down to a single, all-telling frame.

Using a Python script that averaged the hue of each frame, this movie fanatic reveals the most basic and simple tonal representation of various films.

This process is not dissimilar to Jim Campbell's Illuminated Averages series, where in one instance the artist scanned every single frame of Hitchcock's Psycho and generated a single new image from the result. Vvdr12's work expands on this process, and the results are both startling and kind of hilarious.

For example, his renderings of The Dark Knight and Batman and Robin couldn't be more different. Batman and Robin is that ridiculous purplish-blue color of George Clooney's batsuit and the surreal '80's lighting scheme, while The Dark Knight is an understated, sleek greyish brown tint.

Each composite takes about 12 hours to complete, since the program has to render a two hour movie at 24 frames-per-second. However, Reddit immediately began to work on improving the process.

One user offered to translate the algorithm into C++ "for some huge performace gains," while another entered a new script right into the forum for anyone to use and improve on.

It looks like more of these illuminating images will be on the way soon—we really want to see what Drive would look like with this treatment (or any Wes Anderson movie, for that matter).

film single block

film

movie film

film composite

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Robin Williams Is Going To Star In A 'Mrs. Doubtfire' Sequel

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mrs doubtfire hello



Mrs. Doubtfire will report for duty once again.

More than 20 years after the original film, Robin Williams is going reprise his role as the cross-dressing nanny in a "Mrs. Doubtfire" sequel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Chris Columbus will return as director while David Berenbaum, who has worked on "Elf" and "The Haunted Mansion," will write the script. 

The 1993 film had Williams cross dress as an older nanny in order to spend time with his kids after a messy divorce.

The film was a hit, making $441 million worldwide on an estimated $25 million budget.

It's difficult to see how the film can carry on from the first so many years later.

Even Williams has said sequel attempts have been tried three times over for the film without success. 

The closest a sequel ever came to the big screen was when Bonnie Hunt stepped in to write a script back in 2001. That film was ultimately scrapped with Williams telling Newsweek in 2006 "the script they had just didn't work."

There's no set date for the upcoming sequel. 

For now, let's relive one of our favorite scenes:

SEE ALSO: Why Marvel's 14-year movie plan should cause concern for Warner Bros.

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The Secret Deal That Led To An ‘X-Men’ Teaser At The End Of ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’

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spider man jennifer lawrence x men

When you head out to see “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” in theaters this May, stay after the movie for an end-credits scene. 

No, we’re not getting a tease of Spidey, Venom, or any of the web slinger’s Sinister Six crew.  

Instead, fans will see a montage for “X-Men: Days of Future Past” featuring Jennifer Lawrence’s character Mystique. 

This is confusing for fans who know that Sony Pictures distributes the Spider-Man films while Fox handles the X-Men franchise. 

What’s going on? Are Spider-Man and the X-Men teaming up in a future movie to take down Disney’s Marvel titan at theaters? 

Not yet, comic fans.

Variety reports the reason you’ll see the X-Men teased at the end of the film has to do with a deal between Sony and Fox because of “Amazing Spider-Man” director Marc Webb. 

From Variety: 

“Webb had an existing contract with Fox Searchlight to helm another film following 2009′s “500 (Days) of Summer.” After “The Amazing Spider-Man” in 2012, Webb’s negotiations briefly stalled with Sony as he was caught in a tug-of-war with Fox. Eventually, Fox agreed to allow Webb to direct Sony’s “Spider-Man” sequel, but only if Sony would promote its “X-Men” film for free.”

Yes, Sony agreed to run a promo for "Days of Future Past" after "Spider-Man."

The payoff is worth it for Sony. Since the sequel's debut overseas, it's already caused a lot of chatter online and end-credits scenes following Disney’s Marvel movies have helped draw interest and connect its wider Marvel universe.

The only problem is that viewers may be confused into believing there’s an X-Men / Spider-Man crossover in the works. 

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” will be released May 2.

SEE ALSO: There Are 2 End-Credit Scenes In The 'Captain America' Sequel — Here's What They Mean For Future Marvel Movies

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Here's How Much Money Sportscaster Jim Rome Is Still Making For A 40-Second Cameo In 'Space Jam'

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"Space Jam" came out almost 20 years ago, but that hasn't stopped sportscaster Jim Rome from receiving checks from the Michael Jordan/Looney Tunes film.

But just how much money is Rome rolling in from his 40-second performance? A hefty $6.38.

In Rome's brief scene, Michael Jordan watches the sportscaster tear apart his skills.

"Baseball bat? Get this guy a tennis racket," Rome quips in the short scene found below.

SEE ALSO: Why 'Mad Men' Paid $250,000 To Use One Beatles Song

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Johnny Depp's New Movie 'Transcendence' Says Technology Will Turn Us Into X-Men

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johnny depp transcendenceWarning: There are spoilers ahead.

After watching a screening of Johnny Depp's new movie, "Transcendence" Wednesday evening, I was left with a ton of questions.

The movie follows Dr. Will Caster (Depp), an Artificial Intelligence scientist, who has created an omniscient machine that appears to have the ability to feel. When Caster is poisoned by anti-technology terrorists, his mind is uploaded into his AI super computer, and, ultimately, the Internet to keep him alive.

Yes, it's a stretch.

Plotwise, the movie has a lot of holes and problems that I won't bother getting into because it gets rather confusing. (The film is currently sitting at a sour 13% on Rotten Tomatoes.)

The big takeaway from the film is to address the possible dangers of not only artificial intelligence but our technology-driven society as a whole.

However, there was one brief topic that stuck out to me that audiences will probably have questions about. 

transcendence morgan freemanAt one point in the film, Caster's AI program heals a man who has been brutally injured. 

The next time we see the character on screen, he exhibits super strength — he's able to lift objects that no possible human could with their bare hands.

He's not the only one. As the movie progresses, more individuals are seen with impossible strength as a result of Caster enhancing particular genes in addition to healing individuals. Soon these new enhanced humans start to be called hybrids. 

With the influx of superhero movies this summer it instantaneously brought to mind images of Marvel's X-Men — comic book characters who all have an extra gene that "normal humans" don't possess.

Instead of "hybrids" though, Marvel refers to them as mutants. 

the wolverine hugh jackman

We're not sure whether "Transcendence" first-time director Wally Pfister and Jack had Marvel's comic characters in mind or just enhancements to human genes. Either way, it's difficult to imagine that people who head to theaters won't see that scene and think of characters like Marvel's Wolverine or Hulk who have superhuman strength or Captain America, whose enhanced abilities were received from a gene-altering serum.

Will people eventually have the ability to receive genetic enhancements?

Technically, we already do if you consider gene therapy and human growth hormones.

As well, mice with expanded muscles coined "Schwarzenegger mice" have been bred in labs 10 years ago.

That doesn't mean we'll have mutant/hybrid humans walking around any time soon.

The National Human Genome Research Institute says genetic enhancement's ability to affect human evolution is unlikely.

"As the evolution of the human species is a nonrandom change in allelic frequencies resulting from selective pressure. The change progresses over generations because individuals with specific patterns of alleles are favored reproductively. If new alleles were introduced by gene transfer, the impact on the species would be negligible. Moreover, there is no certainty that genetically enhanced individuals would have greater biological fitness, as measured by reproductive success."

SEE ALSO: "The Following" actor has to film every scene twice to play twins

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Will Bryan Singer Sex Allegations Hurt ‘X-Men: Days Of Future Past’ At Box Office?

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Byran Singer, X-Men

“X-Men: Days of Future Past” likely won't take a major hit at the box office as a result of director Bryan Singer's legal problems — but it's certainly not going to help, box office analysts told TheWrap Thursday.

Singer was accused of drugging and raping a teenage boy in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Hawaii, allegations that Singer has denied through his attorney.

Fox will release “Days of Future Past” on May 23, and the stakes are high.

Also read: ‘X-Men’ Director Bryan Singer Sexual Assault Allegations: Read the Full Lawsuit

The big-budget action sequel — the sixth in the “X-Men” series — stars Jennifer Lawrence, Hugh Jackman and a slew of other stars, and it's expected to be one of the summer's biggest hits. It's too early for pre-release tracking, but 2011's “X-Men: First Class” brought in $146 million domestically and more than $350 million worldwide.

“The ‘X-Men’ is a major franchise and it's already rolling, so the challenge for Fox will be to protect that momentum,” Exhibitor Relations Vice President and senior analyst Jeff Bock toldTheWrap.

He went on to say that “the problem is that this is going to be in the news for a while, and there's going to be a bad association with a film that's supposed to be mindless fun. Still, this is a Marvel project, and I doubt that its fans are going to stay away in significant numbers.”

Also read: 21 Summer Movies We're Dying to See – From ‘Transformers 4' to ‘Godzilla’

How Singer's legal situation plays out could be critical — not just for “Days of Future Past,” but for the next sequel, “X-Men: Apocalypse.” The film, to be directed by Singer, is currently in pre-production and set for release May 2016.

“If the allegations turn out to be true, it will extend things and make it much worse for Fox, which would have to distance itself from him and go forward,” said Bock. Fox executives hadn't commented by midday Wednesday, but it's hard to imagine Singer will be in the forefront of the marketing campaign now. 

The time-travel story line of “Days of Future Past” reunites several characters from earlier “X-Men” movies. In addition to Lawrence and Jackman, the cast also includes Halle Berry, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Peter Dinklage, Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. They should be able to pick up much of the promotional slack, though they are sure to be met with at least a few hard questions about their director.

Also readBryan Singer's Alleged Sexual Assault Victim Revealed (Photo)

The fact that the primary demographic for the movie is young fans of the comic books will help, too, said another analyst, who chose to remain anonymous.

“It's not that they don't care,” Bock said, “but I don't think that crowd bases its decisions on which movies to see based on stuff like this,” he said.

See video: ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ Final Trailer Reunites Wolverine, Xavier and Magneto

Singer isn't the first Hollywood type to have dealt with a sex scandal, of course. Actors Eddie Murphy, Hugh Grant — and Fatty Arbuckle, decades ago — were caught in legal scrapes over sexual indiscretions. Fellow directors Woody Allen and Roman Polanski have also faced fallout for years.

Xmen magneto prisonerDuring the height of awards season in February, Allen's adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, set off a storm when she renewed claims that he had molested her when she was 7 years old.

The industry largely stayed silent at the time, and Allen's camp mounted a behind-the-scenes campaign to protect his reputation. Sony Pictures Classics, Allen's longtime distribution partner, stood by him as several individuals also stepped up to publicly defend Allen. Concerns that the situation would derail the Best Actress Oscar hopes of Cate Blanchett, the front-runner for her performance in Allen's “Blue Jasmine,” proved unfounded.

Also read: Lena Dunham ‘Nauseated’ by Woody Allen, But ‘I'm Not Gonna Indict the Work’

Whether the claims surrounding Allen will hurt his films’ commercial prospects going forward remains to be seen. SPC is scheduled to release his latest directorial effort, “Magic in the Moonlight,” in July. Allen also has an acting role “Fading Gigolo,” which Millennium Entertainment is releasing this weekend in five theaters.

Also readBryan Singer Lawyer Says Sexual Abuse Lawsuit is ‘Completely Without Merit’

Polanski has lived in exile abroad since 1978, fleeing the United States for France after pleading guilty to unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl. In recent years, the Oscar-winning director has been most active on the European festival circuit, focusing on smaller projects with modest commercial aspirations.

As for Singer, it's too early to tell what the long-lasting impact on his career will be. However the legal situation shakes out, the next installment of the “X-Men” franchise should be able to weather it at the box office.

SEE ALSO: ‘X-Men’ Director Bryan Singer Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Underage Boy

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Anna Paquin Couldn't Be Cut From 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past' Because She Has One Pivotal Scene

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Rouge X Men

After director Bryan Singer revealed in December that Anna Paquin will not be appearing in X-Men: Days of Future Past, we reported yesterday that the actress actually does have a small cameo in the upcoming mutant sequel as Rogue.

Today, we have a new report from Vulture that reveals the details of her scene, along with news that three other mutants from the original trilogy will also have cameos.

There will be spoilers included below, so read on at your own risk.

Apparently Rogue plays a pivotal part in the storyline, and it would have been impossible to cut her out altogether. Her scene is crucial to the plot of the movie, especially its climax, and it has been trimmed to make more room for the X-Men: First Class cast.

The story beings in a dystopian future where the remaining mutants are being hunted down by giant Sentinel robots. Charles Xavier and Magneto come together to change the past by sending Wolverine into his younger body. To do so, they need the help of Kitty Pryde, who has the ability to project Logan's consciousness all the way back to the 70s.

There, Wolverine meets with most of the characters from X-Men: First Class, and they attempt to get to the creator of the Sentinels, Bolivar Trask, before Mystique can assassinate him. But once Kitty Pryde is injured in the future, Wolverine's journey becomes jeopardized. To preserve the time travel bond, The X-Men must find Rogue, who can absorb and transfer another mutant's powers.

Rogue is being held prisoner at Xavier Mansion, which has been purchased and transformed into a Sentinel guarded military base. The mission to find and rescue her became a lengthy sequence that involves Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen) and Iceman (Shawn Ashmore).

This is the part of the movie that was excised during post-production because Fox executives worried that it would pad the running time, creating a movie that was over two and a half hours long.

Now, in the finished movie, Rogue's escape is never seen. But she does arrive at the end to absorb Kitty Pryde's powers and save Wolverine. The plight to get her there will be mentioned, but until the deleted scenes arrive on the Blu-ray, these actions will all happen off screen.

Vulture also reports that three other mutants filmed secret cameos, but it would be a massive spoiler to reveal their identities. Back in March, it was rumored that Kelsey Grammer has a small cameo, reprising his role as the older Beast. We assume that this is one of the three cameos that are being mentioned. As for the other two? We don't know yet.

What do you think about these new developments? Would you have rather seen the full escape sequence despite the long runtime? Or did it need to go? Chime in with your thoughts below.

X-Men: Days of Future Past comes to theaters May 23rd, 2014 and stars Jennifer LawrenceMichael FassbenderNicholas HoultPeter DinklageHugh Jackman,Evan PetersJames McAvoyEllen Page. The film is directed by Bryan Singer.

SEE ALSO: Will Bryan Singer Sex Allegations Hurt ‘X-Men: Days Of Future Past’ At Box Office?

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Spider-Man Fan Built His Own Webshooting Gloves

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I have some news that might be kind of hard to hear: you are never going to become Spider-Man. Radioactive spiders don't exist, humans can't naturally stick to walls with their hands and feet, and a person trying to swing from a skyscraper with "webbing" would probably rip their arms right out of their sockets.

But while some of the most important aspects of the character are really unattainable in our universe, the same cannot be said about all of the characteristics. Take, for example, the work being by German craftsman Patrick Priebe. As you can see in the video above it actually is possible to create a wrist-mounted apparatus that shoots out a harpoon and a line of string strong enough to tug on. 


Preventing this from being the fully real deal is the fact that Pribe has yet to invent a special sticky, webbing-like polymer to fire out instead of a small hook and string, but perhaps we just have to give him time. What he has created is rather awesome all by itself, however. the device is powered by electromagnetics and clearly took a very skilled mind to create. 

What is more impressive is that this isn't actually the first time that Priebe has created a device from comic book inspirations. Inspired by the Marvel Comics mutant known as Cyclops, he built a pair of "laser eyes" earlier this year: 



And back in 2013 he got in touch with his inner Tony Stark and built a functional Iron Man gauntlet



Being the huge comic book fan that I am, I watch these videos and begin to wonder what I could have accomplished if I had pursued engineering. Then I remember how much I loathe math and I suddenly become much more content with the universe. 

Hopefully this won't be the last of Priebe's comic book inspired builds. With Guardians of the Galaxy coming out this summer, maybe he can take a crack at one of Rocket Raccoon's weapons? Or how about some of the gadgets Black Widow uses in Captain America: The Winter Soldier? The options are practically endless, and I want to see this guy explore them all. 

In the meantime, for more Spider-Man action you'll only have to wait a couple more weeks, as Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be swinging into theaters on May 1st. 

SEE ALSO: The Secret Deal That Led To An ‘X-Men’ Teaser At The End Of ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’

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7 Amazing Acting Performances To Watch For This Summer

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Million Dollar Arm Jon Hamm

The summer blockbuster season is not usually a bonanza of great acting, but there's star reputations that need to be proven, breakout supporting character actors to look out for, and maybe even potential Oscar candidates in the mix among all the special effects and wacky comedies.

Our summer movie preview continues today with some of the most interesting acting turns to look out for, be it from a business perspective or an awards perspective.

Summer movies and actors to watch for >

Emily Blunt, "Edge of Tomorrow"

Director: Doug Liman

Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Jeremy Piven, Lara Pulver, Charlotte Riley         

Edge of Tomorrow is yet another Tom Cruise project with a solid enough concept that seems to lack soul (see also: Oblivion). It's Groundhog Day, but with a space war versus aliens! Humans weird metal exoskeletons, battling some unknown force, with Cruise playing a soldier who gets caught in a time loop on his last day alive. Still with us?

Well, from the trailers, Emily Blunt seems like the most interesting aspect by far. After breaking out in The Devil Wears Prada, she's been handed a bunch of uninspired roles, and Edge of Tomorrow might be another throwaway supporting part that doesn't match up to her obvious talent. But as a bad-ass warrior who went through what Cruise's character experienced and helps train him into the ultimate weapon, Blunt might finally be able to have some fun.

Release Date: June 6



Jon Hamm, "Million Dollar Arm"

Director: Craig Gillespie

Starring: Jon Hamm, Bill Paxton (again!?), Lake Bell, Alan Arkin, Aasif Mandvi, Tzi Ma

Let's be honest: Million Dollar Arm does not look like it's re-inventing the wheel. Despite its somewhat interesting director (Gillespie also made Lars and the Real Girl and the Fright Night remake), and writer (Thomas McCarthy of The Station Agent and others) this PG-rated, Disney-produced real-life story of a baseball agent who goes to India in search of hot pitchers is your classic softball culture-clash tale, likely to be loaded with jokes about cricket and spicy food.

But it's important to know that this is the first time Jon Hamm is opening a movie by his lonesome. Yes, he received high billing in The Town, but this is Hamm as movie star. Will his natural charisma be on display, and will it make a difference? I can't imagine expectations for Million Dollar Arm are sky-high, box-office wise, but Disney will be hoping for a higher take than Draft Day could scrounge up this weekend.

Release Date: May 16



Ansel Elgort, "The Fault in Our Stars"

Director: Josh Boone

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Sam Trammell, Mike Birbiglia, Willem Dafoe, Cancer

Who is Ansel Elgort? Right now, he's just someone with the name of a Game of Thrones character. He was in the Carrie remake last year, but no one saw Carrie, so let's forget about that for now. He's sure handsome, I suppose, in a boyish sort of way.

Most importantly, he's the star of this buzzy adaptation of a young adult novel that is sure to have teens weeping in the aisles this Sunday. It's about cancer and romance and it's based on a book that some of my friends talk about in hushed tones. So even if I'm a little skeptical, if the film really hits, Elgort could conceivably reach "next big thing" status. Maybe.

Release Date: June 6



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The Evolution Of Artificial Intelligence In Movies Since The 1920s

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johnny depp transcendenceTranscendence casts Johnny Depp as a brilliant scientist who plots out grand plans for The Singularity, only to become that omnipotent, sentient technological himself when an assassination attempt goes awry.

While the new film is a look at what happens when technology becomes humanoid, it’s certainly not the first movie to ever do so. In fact, cinema has been toying with the idea of The Singularity — the point at which A.I. acquires beyond-genius-level intelligence — since the 1920s, even if it was never called that back then.

The Singularity has been showing up in films for decades, ranging from talking, all-knowing computers who refuse to do what we say to robots who serve along humans without explicit direction or order. As such, there are some amazing examples of Retro Singularity, a primitive, Tomorrowland-esque version of the future that writers of the past may have not even known they were predicting.

Think all the way back to Metropolis, the 1927 film that brought us Maria, the robot who was so lifelike she threw an entire city into flux with their insatiable lust. When Maria is built, she resembles her inspiration so closely that it tricks the citizens of Metropolis into believing she’s the original. She’s burned as a “witch” because of their confusion – she walks, talks and persuades just as well as any woman.

Moving into the 1950s, when technology became more advanced and robots morphed into more than “tin cans,” there was Forbidden Planet, the film that introduced Robby the Robot. Robby was more than a servant or machine; he was a fully functional character who conversed with his human counterparts and offered his own ideas. While the voyagers of the cruiser C57-D remained stuck on the Planet Altair IV, it was Robby who detects the murderous creatures who have come to harm the humans. He’s smart enough to know what the humans cannot.

her joaquin phoenix 41Cartoons even got into the business of predicting The Singularity, with The Jetsons being the biggest perpetrator of showing a unique vision of the future. From 1962 until the late 1980s (and today in the safety of reruns), 2062’s favorite family was surrounded by visions of far-off technological greatness. Rosie the family maid and caretaker is in robot form, and just as much a part of George’s family as daughter Judy or his wife Jane. Rosie is sassy, intelligent and does almost as much of the parenting as George and Judy. Moreover, she’s respected as much as the humans in the household despite being an “outdated” robot model.

While at work (which is only a couple days a week, typical for the time), George works with R.U.D.I., a sentient computer that’s also his best friend. R.U.D.I. isn’t just George’s work – he has a personality and even exists in a league called the Society for Preventing Cruelty for Humans – indicating that in this corny, fun little cartoon, a number of advanced computers exist and are conversing with each other. They’ve also felt a need to protect their humans from any computers who might step out of line. In one episode, R.U.D.I. basically goes crazy when George and the family are transferred to a remote planet, injecting emotional intelligence into his (her? its?) unimaginable processing power.

It’s almost a precursor for last year’s Her, wherein Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), the iOS companion to the lonely Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix), becomes so much more than a computer program. She thinks, speaks and sings with Theodore and exists as his best friend and love, a hyperintelligent being far beyond what he ever thought possible when he first plugged her in. But what makes her the most fascinating is the moment in the film when she’s absent for a period of time; the silence is palpable in Theodore’s life. When she returns, she tells him that she and a group of other iOS’s shut themselves off in order to program some more advanced code. It’s a throwaway line, but eerie in its focus; Samantha is developed enough – as well as other systems in her universe – to think and morph without human intervention. They’re operating on their own.

Iron Man 3 Heads Up UIEven the Marvel universe has had its hands in the Singularity game more than once, dating back to the 1940s.

The “Captain America” comics, now adapted as Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, depicted the Nazi doctor/villain Armin Zola’s transformation into a supercomputer housing his consciousness with great detail. As the computer Zola, he was kept alive (even if it’s housed in a desolate, dusty warehouse in the middle of nowhere) for decades longer than his human body could ever last – keeping his brain and wide breadth of knowledge in tact. It’s much like what happens to Depp’s character in Transcendence – a body out of function, but a brain plugged into a computing unit so powerful it houses all the secrets of its consciousness and more.

Of course, Marvel has also brought us J.A.R.V.I.S., the friend and computer system assisting Tony Stark in the Iron Man films and The Avengers. More than just a fancy operator, J.A.R.V.I.S. predicts Stark’s needs before he even asks them, builds him new equipment and consults him on his next moves. He’s another voice guiding him in his life, and a friend in times that he needs it; he’s got a mind of his own, and one that Stark desperately needs.

Since the Singularity hasn’t happened yet, technically even the modern versions here will be retro-looking versions at some point. Media has been toying with the idea for years through living robots and uploaded consciousnesses, but it will be most interesting to see where it goes from here. We’ll have to wait to see what living robot production designers come up with.

SEE ALSO: Johnny Depp's New Movie 'Transcendence' Says Technology Will Turn Us Into X-Men

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11 Really Bad Movies Based On Cartoons Everyone Loves

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Hollywood studios scour the media landscape for properties with built-in audiences that they can turn into profitable feature films.

One consistently adapted property is the animated series. We made a list of 11 features based on beloved cartoons that left a bad taste in the mouths of critics and audiences alike. In fact, every movie on our list has a "rotten" rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

Did we miss anything? Tell us on Twitter.

NOW WATCH: 11 Video Games From The 1990s That Are Better Than Games Today

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