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How the 'Fast and Furious' franchise became so successful

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fast and furious 7

Perhaps one of the defining qualities of the Fast & Furious movies is their transmutability. Fourteen years ago, the series started as a caper about illegal street racing in L.A. But over subsequent sequels, it offered up an adrenaline-pumping heist thriller, and eventually a bombastic action epic about international super-spies who just happen to drive cars really, really well. Despite (or perhaps because of) the ridiculousness of each incarnation, the franchise has only gotten more lovable the longer it’s gone on. It's fitting, therefore, that Furious 7, the latest entry, is the most giddily enjoyable of the series, though it's all the more impressive considering the challenge the movie faced following the death of Paul Walker, who tragically died in an off-set car crash halfway through filming.

That this meat-headed saga of cars being driven quickly and recklessly has somehow become one of America's most trusted film franchises is simultaneously a feat of studio brilliance and a testament to its swollen, yet charming, ensemble cast. The Fast and the Furious launched Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and Michelle Rodriguez to fame; a tepid follow-up only starred Walker and was greeted with critical jeers.

When the gang got back together for the fourth entry, Fast & Furious, its massive box-office success convinced Universal to keep the franchise going, but as a global spy caper. From Fast Five on, each film has thrived by trying to top its predecessors' outrageous stunts and balletic set pieces. Furious 7 continues on that path, with the added pathos of a sendoff for Walker, who played straight-arrow ex-cop Brian O'Conner in every film but the third.

paul walker the fast and the furiousWalker was never the most versatile actor, but he grew into his role as Dominic Toretto's (Vin Diesel) reliable second fiddle, the obligatory, handsome white dude in a series that has always boasted a truly vibrant and diverse ensemble that never felt remotely tokenistic. And although it feels ridiculous to say this of a brand that never shies away from featuring a montage or two of girls frolicking in bikinis, its female characters are strong, flinty, and individually defined.

While other major franchises like Marvel struggle to incorporate women without reducing them to helpful sidekicks, heroines like Letty Ortiz (Rodriguez) felt fully developed from the get-go. Letty's amnesia, developed upon her resurrection from presumed death in Fast & Furious 6, serves as the key story arc of Furious 7, as the gang tries to take down the seemingly unstoppable ex-black ops terrorist Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham).

fast and furious 5 paul walker vin dieselBut the story arcs aren’t really the point. While Furious 7 's story is just as bizarrely intricate as the films before it, you don't need to even remotely understand the complicated plot in order to get a full-throttle kick out of everything else. There's a bad guy (Statham), accompanied by some other bad guys (Djimon Hounsou, the Thai martial artist Tony Jaa, and the UFC champion Ronda Rousey), who need to be defeated by Dom, Brian, and their faithful crew (which includes the chatty Tyrese Gibson, the sardonic Ludacris and The Rock, for whom simple adjectives do no justice).

Kurt Russell drops in as a wise, military-ops mentor, and each showdown involves cars in some spectacular fashion—whether being dropped out of a plane, or blasted between skyscrapers. The film jumps from Azerbaijan to Abu Dhabi before a sensory-overloading climax in Los Angeles.

tyrese 2 fast 2 furiousThere's a hint of James Bond to the globe-hopping, but through it all the screenwriter Chris Morgan (who's written every film since the third) gently reminds viewers that the heroes are Corona-sipping fish out of water who'd rather be hanging on their porch in the ‘hood. It's a flabbergasting claim—even if they all did start out as simple drag-racers. Each member of the ensemble shows off Jason Bourne-level martial arts skills and has a body that's seemingly made of steel, since they constantly walk away from crashes that would shatter a normal human into dust.

For all its international flair and laudable diversity,Furious remains a grinning modern opera of American exceptionalism, with practically half the lines delivered direct to camera like some boneheaded Shakespearean aside.

Justin LinThis is director James Wan's (Saw, Insidious) first go at the franchise, and there's a subtle aesthetic shift from the last four films, which were helmed by Justin Lin (who's moved on to take charge of the Star Trek film franchise).

Lin is one of the cleanest and crispest action directors in a generation, eschewing much of the cheap, shaky, quick-cutting style of the genre; Wan has always been a little grittier behind the camera, having mostly directed horror films. 

Furious 7 has a few too many juddering close-ups and really enjoys switching to crunching slow-motion, but it has fun too—Wan lets his camera tumble around seamlessly as the heroes are tossed through tables and walls for the brutal hand-to-hand combat sequences.

gal gadot fast and furiousIn his first confrontation with Dom, Statham's Shaw (a grunting Brit) insists that he doesn't play by the "rules," meaning a respect for family, a topic on which Dom frequently pontificates. Shaw is a villain with no dimension (the Furious franchise's biggest problem so far has been a lack of compelling adversaries), and this is the only thing that really defines him in opposition to the heroes at all. While the "family" of the Fast & the Furious crew is almost entirely blended, the symbolic significance of the unit has remained consistent throughout the ever-morphing series—it's understood that these characters have each other's backs in some fundamental, magical way.

That might be why Furious 7 sticks the landing so nicely in its goodbye to Walker, which will be the film's most discussed moment; and it's certainly why these films have maintained such consistent charm over the years. No doubt future installments will be produced even without the actor, given the certain financial bonanza that awaits Furious 7. But the key to their success will be conveying that these stunt-driving international men (and women) of mystery are a genuine, live-in clan. As long as that continues, Fast & Furious can keep driving forever.

SEE ALSO: Nobody wanted to love 'Furious 7' more than me — and now I'm bummed

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NOW WATCH: What the Chinese saying 'The ugly wife is a treasure at home' actually means


The crazy story of how Scientology allegedly once groomed a girlfriend for Tom Cruise — and then tore them apart

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tom cruise

In HBO's explosive new Scientology documentary"Going Clear," one of the most interesting and least discussed allegations is that Scientology once hand-picked and groomed a young church member to become Tom Cruise's girlfriend.

As former Scientologists explain in the documentary, the church does whatever it can to keep Cruise happy because "In the eyes of [Scientology leader] David Miscavige, Tom Cruise is the perfect Scientology celebrity," according to ex-Scientology executive Mike Rinder.

The church reportedly kept Cruise happy by doing him favors like tricking out all of his cars and motorcycles.

Scientology Going Clear

And decking out his airplane hanger in Santa Monica, California.

Scientology Going ClearSo when Cruise was looking for a new girlfriend after his breakup with Nicole Kidman, the church jumped to help, the documentary said.

"Tom was in Spain. They were opening a new Scientology church in Madrid, and he was overheard complaining that he needed a new girlfriend," said Lawrence Wright, author of the best-selling book "Going Clear," on which the documentary is based. 

Scientology Going Clear Tom Cruise David Miscavige

"Soon after that," Wright said, "a young Scientologist pre-med student named Nazanin Boniadi was told she was going to get a special assignment."

Scientology Going Clear nazanin boniadi

At this point in the documentary, director Alex Gibney chimed in via narration to explain: "Years later, Nazanin became a successful TV actress ..."

Scientology Going Clear nazanin boniadiHomeland Nazanin Boniadi "... and would have a small part in a Paul Haggis [director and former Scientologist] film."

Scientology Going Clear paul haggis nazanin boniadi

"But at the time, she was a dedicated young Scientologist ..."

Scientology Going Clear nazanin boniadi

"... who believed in the church's claims for its humanitarianism mission."

Scientology Going Clear nazanin boniadi

"In fact, she set a monthly record for selling books for the church."

Scientology going clear

"Nazanin may not speak publicly about her experiences because of an NDA the church pressured her to sign," Gibney said, "but I discovered details from FBI testimony regarding her ordeal."

"David Miscavige assigned Nazanin's case to a key church official, Greg Wilhere," Gibney said. "He put her through a one-month program of on-camera interviews, intensive auditing, and some security checks."

Scientology Going Clear"She was moved into the Celebrity Center, separated from her family, and certain problems were addressed during this period of time," adds author Lawrence Wright. "One was that she had a boyfriend."

Scientology Going Clear"She is handed a transcript of his auditing session in which he admitted that he had an affair," Wright said, "so she broke up with him."

Scientology Going ClearNow that Boniadi was single, it was time for her makeover.  

"Wilhere took her to an orthodontist to have her braces removed," Gibney said.

Scientology Going Clear"At Burberry and other stores in Beverly Hills, he bought her $20,000 worth of clothes."

Rodeo Drive Beverly Hills"At the Celebrity Center, a man who worked for Cruise's hairstylist colored Nazanin's hair to Cruise's liking."

 Nazanin Boniadi"Nazanin was told that her makeover was part of the church's humanitarian mission, because she had to look her best for conferences with world leaders."

Scientology Going Clear nazanin boniadi"Only after she was flown first class to New York, did she discover the actual role that the church wanted her to play  she was to be the girlfriend of Scientology's biggest star."

Scientology Going Clear Tom Cruise"Within a month, Nazanin was living with Cruise. While at his house in Telluride, Miscavige came to visit."

Scientology Going Clear"Overcome by a severe headache, Nazanin had a hard time understanding Miscavige, which infuriated him. The next day, Cruise — inches from her face — pounded on the table and screamed at her for insulting the head of the church."

Scientology Going Clear nazanin boniadi

"Two weeks later, church henchman Tommy Davis delivered the news to Nazain that her relationship with Cruise was over."

Scientology Going Clear Tommy DavisDirector and outspoken former Scientologist Paul Haggis explained what allegedly happened next: "According to her [Bodiani], they [the church] came to her apartment with her mum and found every photograph of the two of them together [Bodiani and Cruise] and took them away and every scrap, every letter, everything, they tossed as if it never existed."

Scientology Going Clear Paul Haggis"And she was really upset because she was really hurt by the whole thing. And she made the mistake of telling her friend, who immediately went to tell someone in the church. She agreed to do punishment, like cleaning out the public bathroom on her hands and knees with a toothbrush, while other people she knew were stepping over her.

She did nothing wrong, other than tell her friend she was heartbroken, and this is the way she was treated?"

Scientology Going ClearAfter the incident, Bodiani pursued an acting career and has since appeared in "Homeland,""Scandal, "How I Met Your Mother,""Iron Man," among many other titles.

Neither she nor Cruise have ever publicly discussed their alleged relationship.

Despite Bodiani's story, "The church claims [leader] Miscavige has no involvement in Cruise's personal life and that the search for Cruise's girlfriend never existed," Gibney states in the film.

But Cruise and Miscavige's relationship is deep, going back decades.

"Tom Cruise was the guy," former Scientology exec Mike Rinder said. "Miscavige and Cruise have been pretty buddy-buddy way back to 1990s 'Days of Thunder.' In the eyes of Miscavige, Tom Cruise is the perfect Scientology celebrity."

And it seems like Cruise also enjoys Miscavige's friendship.

In one clip during "Going Clear," Cruise enthusiastically congratulates the Scientology leader during a church conference by proclaiming, "We are lucky to have you. Thank you."

Tom Cruise David Miscavige GIF going clear
Nazanin Boniadi's rep declined to comment on the story, and Cruise's rep hasn't responded to our request for comment.

Read Scientology's lengthy response to "Going Clear" here.

SEE ALSO: The chilling story of how Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard rose to power

MORE: Why Tom Cruise and John Travolta can't leave Scientology, according to the HBO documentary 'Going Clear'

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

How 'Furious 7' dropped real cars from planes in its most ridiculous stunt yet

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Furious 7 car.JPG

The "Fast and Furious" franchise has evolved from films featuring hot cars and hot babes to having some of the most heart-stopping stunts you'll find at theaters.

One of the men responsible for making those scenes look as realistic as possible is 30-year stunt veteran Spiro Razatos.

"For the fourth film ("Fast & Furious") they kind of relied too much on CGI," Razatos told Business Insider. "So they realized they wanted to do less. That's what I do."

Razatos is responsible for some of the most jaw-dropping sequences from the franchise including when Dom (Vin Diesel), Brian (Paul Walker), and the rest of the crew dragged a giant bank vault through the busy streets of Rio de Janeiro in "Fast Five."

furious 5He also worked on the duel with a tank in "Fast and Furious 6."

furious 6In both sequences, very little CGI was included, using real vaults and tanks to pull it off.

With fans starving for more, "Furious 7" director James Wan and the producers once again came to Razatos to take on the franchise's most insane sequence yet.

They called it the "air drop."

The idea was to have a sequence in the film in which Dom and company in their souped-up cars drop from a plane high above Colorado and parachute into the mountains below.

Furious 7 4"When I first read [the script] it was, 'cars drop and they kidnap this girl and they get away on the road,' that was it," Razatos recalls.

The producers assumed the sequence would have to rely heavily on special effects, but Razatos had other plans.

"I said let's really go for it and make the effort because I want this whole sequence to feel real, that's what the audience expects," he said.

The stunt took months of prep time to solve problems. Cameras needed to be mounted onto cars in a way that they wouldn't be destroyed when the cars landed, and the crew needed a safe way to get the cars out of the plane.

"What if one of them gets stuck coming out of the plane?" said Razatos. "How is the plane going to land when you have a car dangling outside of it?"

Furious 7 10
They finally were able to do a "dry run," with a single car falling out of a plane. But some on the film weren't impressed by the raw footage.

"It was 20 minutes and the cameras weren't placed where they should be," Razatos recalls. "I remember telling the guys, 'ignore this, this is just a test.'"

With a green light, shooting took place in Colorado with two airplane runs, flying at 12,000 feet, that would drop two cars apiece.

cars drop from plane furious 7Over 10 cameras were used for the sequence. In addition to cameras on the ground, there were cameras remotely operated inside the plane and another three mounted outside each car. Additional cameras were on a helicopter where Razatos was stationed watching monitors and listening to the radio chatter. Three skydivers used in the shoot wore helmet cams.

Skydivers would either jump out before cars or after them.

Furious 7 12

"I didn't realize how intense it would be," Razatos admits now.

"Sometimes a piece of debris would come off the car, so skydivers had to watch out for that," he added. "I'm in a helicopter and I want to get in close for the shots but you have to watch out because of the helicopter blades."

Furious 7 11

There were also spotters keeping an eye on how close the cars were getting to the skydivers. "On the radio you'd hear people say, 'Skydiver, 200 feet you have a car gaining on your two o'clock,'" Razatos said.

Regardless of all the safety precautions, accidents can happen. Razatos says in one of the runs a skydiver lost his footing getting out of the plane and bounced off the rear exit hatch on his way out of the plane. Not the most graceful of jumps, but Razatos said he was fine.

Furious 7 13
When one car landed, its parachute caught an air pocket and was carrying the car to the freeway. "I'm hearing on the radio the car is being dragged and it can't stop," said Razatos. "People were on motorcycles to get to the car; jumping on the car with knives to cut the parachute." 

Furious 7 14And then there's the one car of the four that didn't make it because its parachute didn't deploy. "That car got demolished," said Razatos. "You got to see what would happen if a car really dropped from that height."

Much of what Razatos and his 2nd unit team did on the day made it into the final cut of the movie. Some of it was enhanced to increase the look of the speed at which cars were diving. Shots of the actors in the cars were put in later. But, for the most part, Razatos' mission to do the scene as realistically as possible was a success.

Furious 7 2

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Furious 7 7"I started doing stunts when I was 10 years old making Super 8 movies. This feels like I'm back in those days," Razatos said about working on the "Fast and Furious" films.

Thinking back on the "air drop" sequence he admits, "That's going to be hard to top."

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at how the sequence was done:

 And here's how it looks in the film:

SEE ALSO: Meet the sexy $3 million hypercar featured in 'Fast and Furious 7'

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‘Furious 7’ made over $140 million this weekend

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the rock fast and furious 7The seventh installment to the “Fast and Furious” franchise, “Furious 7,” beat all analyst expectations opening weekend. 

Over the Easter holiday, the film starring Vin Diesel, The Rock, and Paul Walker in his final performance, debuted to an estimated $143.6 million.

 

Early estimates predicted the film would make $115 m-$120 million at most.

$143.6 million is not only the biggest opening weekend for the “Fast and Furious” franchise, but it’s also now the highest-grossing debut for an April film, topping 2014's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" ($95 million).

The film made another $240 million internationally to bring its worldwide gross to $384 million. 

Say what you will about the "Fast and Furious" franchise, but they clearly know their audience.

Fans not only went out to see the entire cast reunite on screen, but also to see Walker's final performance after he was killed in 2013.

Social media played a huge role in the film's weekend surge. For over a year, the "Fast and Furious" social media pages (YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) have all shared news, videos, and behind-the-scenes photos for the forthcoming seventh film and have taken looks back at the previous installments. Items shared across social media platforms feel organic and unique to that individual network. You rarely see a tweet go out that mirrors a Facebook posting or an Instgram image or video.

Since Walker's death, the rest of the "Fast and Furious" cast also amassed big fan followings on social media. Vin Diesel quickly became the most-followed celebrity on Facebook for sharing messages in both English and Spanish. He publicly grieved the loss of, who he called, his brother, Pablo (Paul Walker), sharing images, video messages, and memories of the two together. Tyrese and Ludacris also gained large followings on Instagram.

The film itself had a little bit of something for everyone involved. It was a downright good time at theaters. Obviously, a lot of heart was placed into making the seventh film happen. Production shut down for a few months after Walker's death. It wasn't clear if the movie was even going to move forward.

By the end of its run, "Furious 7" will likely hit $1 billion worldwide.

Here’s a look at the other opening weekends in the franchise. With the exception of the third film, "Tokyo Drift," each opening weekend has been bigger than the last. 

 

SEE ALSO: "Furious 7" could be the first movie this year to make $1 billion

AND: Our review of "Furious 7":

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NOW WATCH: Cars fall from the sky in the new 'Furious 7' movie

Young Amy Winehouse ponders fame in first trailer for new documentary

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The first trailer for the new upcoming Amy Winehouse documentary “Amy: The Girl Behind the Name,” has been released. The documentary is set to be released in the UK in July.  The trailer shows a young Amy voicing her concerns about the effects of fame.

Winehouse was found dead after a drug overdose in 2011, at 27 years old.

Video courtesy of Altitude Film

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Fans are uploading the emotional ending to 'Furious 7' online

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vin diesel furious 7Warning: There are some spoilers ahead.

"It's been a long day, without you my friend. And, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again. We've come a long way from where we began. Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again." 

Those are the first lyrics to the emotionally-charged Paul Walker tribute at the end of "Furious 7" that will undoubtedly leave most fans of the series in tears. Walker, the costar of the "Fast and Furious" franchise, died in November 2013. 

Wiz Khalifa wrote the song, titled "See You Again," for the film. You can listen to it below.  

In the scene, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker drive along side by side for "one last ride," one of the phrases that has been synonymous with the film's marketing. 

The scene directly echoes the end of the first film from 2001 in which Diesel and Walker's characters street race and attempt to outrun a train. 

paul walker furious 7 endWhen the movie first premiered during seven early screenings for fans in mid-March, Vin Diesel asked them not to spoil the end for others who haven't seen it yet

"Know that you are a select few that have been allowed to see this movie before April 3," Diesel told an audience in Los Angeles. "So, think about that. And allow people to enjoy the movie and discover it for themselves."

Now, that the movie has been made available to the public, it's one of the biggest scenes fans are talking about from the film.

Mike Knobloch, president of film music and publishing at Universal Pictures, described the song and scene as a "celebration of Paul's life" to the Huffington Post

Fans agreed, taking to Twitter using the hashtag #ForPaul that appears at the end of the film to discuss the scene, Walker's performance, and the film in general.

Since the film's release Friday, the movie's emotional tribute to Walker has also found its way online.  

A quick search for the "Furious 7" ending on YouTube prompts several uploads of the movie's ending.

Here it is below. It will most likely be pulled from YouTube.

 

SEE ALSO: Our review of "Furious 7"

AND: "Furious 7" has a record-breaking weekend at the box office

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NOW WATCH: The new 'Furious 7' trailer is packed full of cars, explosions, and ridiculous stunts

One of the most insane stunts in ‘Furious 7’ almost didn’t happen

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furious 7 cliff.JPGThe “Fast and Furious” films have become one of the biggest action franchises in Hollywood thanks to its ridiculous mixture of high-speed car chases and pulse-pounding stunts.

The latest film out of the high-octane saga, “Furious 7,” continues that trend. But, surprisingly, one of the most insane stunts in the film was almost never filmed.

2nd unit director, Spiro Razatos, a 30-year veteran stuntman who has been responsible with overseeing the crazy action sequences in the franchise since “Fast Five,” told Business Insider the scene in which Brian (Paul Walker) tracks down hacker Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) from a bus traveling at high speeds in the mountains of Colorado, almost didn’t make it into the film.

furious 7 save girl“In Colorado, they didn’t want to shoot there because there wasn’t a tax break,” Razatos said.

Films both large and small try to shoot movies in states that provide tax breaks as they receive incentives for shooting there. In some cases this includes receiving cash grants, fee-free shooting locations, and lodging exemptions.

Razatos, who is also responsible for directing the “air drop” sequence in “Furious 7” where Dom (Vin Diesel), Brian, and the rest of the crew drop their cars out of a plane, said he not only had to talk the producers into shooting the mountain sequence in Colorado, but convince them to film it at all.

Furious 7 2The producers were concerned the sequence would go too long if an elaborate chase for the bus through the mountains followed the air drop. The mountain sequence also included a dramatic fight where Brian has to jump off of it before the bus falls off a cliff. The producers suggested, according to Razatos, that after the cars fall from the sky, “We get [the cars] on the road, [save the girl], and get away.”

In doing this, they wanted Razatos to film the chase in Georgia, a state that provides a tax break for film productions, and then they’d add woods in the background later in post production.

They would completely scrap shooting the bus-falling-off-a-cliff stunt.

Razatos convinced the producers to spend the money so they could do the mountain sequence for real in Colorado.

“I told them, ‘Trust me, it’s going to pay off,’” Razatos told BI. "'The audience is going to know [it's CGI] and aren't going to feel good about it.' The studio came through at the end and let me go out to a place nobody would let you go shoot without a tax break nowadays and trusted me."

The sequence, which included tipping a real bus off a cliff as a stunt person jumped off it, was all done without any computer graphics.

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Paul Walker's brother Cody shared an image of how it looked on set:

 

 on

 

“Other than taking out the moving wires,” which is worn by the stuntmen, “none of that is enhanced with computer graphics,” Razatos boasted.

“That was my biggest moment,” said Razatos about being able to film the bus-going-off-the-cliff. “It turned out to be the pivotal point in the sequence.”

furious 7 cliff 2

SEE ALSO: 'Furious 7' will probably be the next $1 billion movie

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NOW WATCH: Cars fall from the sky in the new 'Furious 7' movie

5 reasons why ‘Furious 7’ had a record-breaking opening weekend at the box office

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fast and furious 7 cast

"Fast and Furious 7,” aka “Furious 7,” had a record-breaking opening weekend at theaters.  

The film, which grossed an estimated $143.6 million over the holiday weekend, beat all analyst expectations, which originally estimated the film would make between $115 million and $120 million. 

Now, the film is the highest-grossing debut for an April movie and Easter weekend. 

“Furious 7” also debuted at number one in 63 markets, grossing another $240.4 million overseas to bring its worldwide total to $384 million. 

Why did “Furious 7” take off at the box office? There were many of factors that led to the film’s success both at home and overseas. 

1. Paul Walker

paul walker furious 7The most obvious reason fans and non-fans may want to head out to see the film is to see how Universal and the cast handled finishing the seventh installment in the franchise after Walker’s death in November 2013. 

Ludacris said recently at one of the first fan screenings that Walker completed about 80% of filming. Walker’s brothers Caleb and Cody came in to help complete the rest 

“Its success at the box office, many people are going to see that as a tribute to Paul Walker, and what he brought to the franchise and they’re going to show up for that reason,” Phil Contrino, the vice president and chief analyst of BoxOffice.com, tells Business Insider. “Even if they maybe skipped some of the other movies, they’ll show up for this one.” 

“The big thing is, what happens to Paul Walker and how they handle that,” adds Contrino. 

Cast members like Vin Diesel and Tyrese have been telling their social media networks that they hope to make Paul (or Pablo, as some affectionately refer to him) proud with this movie. The hashtag “#ForPaul” appears on screen at the film’s end, offering fans the chance to start a conversation. 

vin diesel the rock

2. Vin Diesel

vin diesel furious 7After Walker’s death, Diesel quickly became one of the most-followed celebrities on Facebook, with over 87 million likes, as he shared images and stories of himself and Walker with fans in both English and Spanish.

Diesel makes it a point to share news with his fans first. He revealed the release date for “Furious 7” before Universal had the chance to break the news, and has shared news of secret meetings at Marvel and Facebook headquarters with Mark Zuckerberg. 

Diesel also gained a big following after his role in last summer’s hit, “Guardians of the Galaxy,” in which he played the lovable tree Groot, a role the actor later said helped him get through Walker’s death.

The 47-year-old Diesel has been the driving force behind the “Fast and Furious” franchise for some time. After skipping the 2003 sequel, “2 Fast 2 Furious,” Diesel returned at the end of the third film, “Tokyo Drift,” for a brief cameo.  

After "Tokyo Drift" had the worst performance of the series, taking in $158 million worldwide, Universal considered sending the series straight to video. Instead, the studio turned to Diesel, giving him creative control over the franchise. Since then, each film has only been bigger, both in terms of stunts and worldwide gross. 

3. Social media 

vin diesel facebook

It’s not just Vin Diesel. Much of the cast — including Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese, and Ludacris — are among the stars that have shared behind-the-scenes images from the film before it hit theaters, and related anecdotes and memories of Paul to fans. Some of the biggest cast members in the film openly grieved Walker’s death and the fans responded to that enormously. 

The “Fast and Furious” movies in general have a huge social footprint. The films’ Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube pages and more are a well-oiled machine. While the movie’s YouTube page has put out countless featurettes on the making of the film and nostalgic clips from previous installments, Instagram was releasing seven-second long videos teasing footage for the movie days before the trailer came out.  

The Facebook account alone has 54.9 million followers— well more than Marvel (17.9 million) and “Star Wars” (13 million) combined. 

fast furious 7 facebook

Each social account was always putting out something different that engaged fans and felt organic. Unlike other films, the social experience didn’t stop once a film was put out. Fans are never given a chance to forget about the “Fast” family. 

“If you follow ‘Minions,’ ‘Jurassic World,’ and ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ they had the same approach with those movies where it was just kind of a slow-drip marketing approach,” Contrino explains. “Where they say here’s a new still or here’s a funny ‘Minions’ video or here’s something from ‘Jurassic World.’ They keep it going and they keep building it. People share that stuff and they add more likes.” 

“Universal’s marketing department deserves a huge amount of credit for how successful these movies are,” says Contrino. “They’re going to be neck and neck with Disney this year, at least domestically, for the highest market share of the major studios at the box office. That’s pretty significant because they don’t have a superhero franchise and they’re doing incredibly well.” 

4. The diverse cast

fast and furious 7 paul walkerThere’s a reason the audience opening weekend for “Furious 7” was 75% non-white

One of the things the “Fast and Furious” franchise excels at, which so many other franchises have difficulty doing organically, is having an ethnically rich cast that that hits upon nearly every demographic.  

A look at all of the “Fast and Furious” films shows that the characters speak a number of languages on screen including Spanish, English, and Russian. 

Entertainment Weekly recently pointed this out in a cover story titled, “This is What America Looks Like: So why don’t our movies?” 

entertainment weekly fast furiousDiesel told EW, “It doesn’t matter what nationality you are. As a member of the audience, you realize you can be a member of that ‘family.’ That’s the beautiful thing about how the franchise has evolved.” 

“They do it in a smart way,” Contrino tells us. “It doesn’t feel tacked on like some movies where a Spanish-speaking character pops up for an obligatory line or two that’s caricature. They don’t do that. It’s fully fleshed-out characters who people care about. That’s a huge lesson for any other content producers who want to take the quick easy route. That doesn’t work. You have to do it the right way.” 

5. It’s more than just a car movie

fast five family speechSince its inception in 2001, the “Fast and Furious” films have had souped-up cars, hot chicks, and ridiculous stunts. While the films certainly contain those elements, at the heart of each movie, especially the last three, is family. 

Nowhere does this resonate more than in the series’ fifth film, when Dominic Toretto (Diesel) gathers everyone around to say, “The most important thing in life will always be the people in this room. Right here. Right now. Salud mi familia."

dom toretto fast furious family speechThe "Fast and Furious" films are fun, they’re silly, but at the end of the day they're about Dom protecting both his immediate and his extended families.  

That’s something to which everyone worldwide can relate.

SEE ALSO: One of the most insane stunts in ‘Furious 7’ almost didn’t happen

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NOW WATCH: Cars fall from the sky in the new 'Furious 7' movie


The true street-racing story that inspired the 'Fast and Furious' movies

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Fast and Furious 6 Vin Diesel

The seventh installment of the successful "Fast and Furious" franchise is in theaters this weekend. 

Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese, and Ludacris return along with the late Paul Walker for another sequel to the epic car saga which started over a decade ago.

However, you may not realize that at the heart of the globe-spanning, physics-defying films lies a real-life story about street racing in New York City.

The movies, which have earned well over $2.3 billion globally, were inspired by an article from Ken Li in the May 1998 issue of Vibe.

"Racer X" tells the story of street racer Rafael Estevez from Washington Heights and how he transitioned into the sport of drag racing.  

The article also divulges on the popularity of Japanese import car customization and the operations in place to crack down on New York City street racing.

"Racer X" was a featurette available on a "Fast and the Furious" disc release that came out in 2002

In the feature, director Rob Cohen reveals he was inspired to make the film after hearing about the article and subsequently watching a race in Los Angeles.

As a result, Cohen convinced Universal to make the film and the studio bought the rights to the film from Li. 

2001's "The Fast and the Furious" was a film featuring an LAPD officer (Paul Walker) who went undercover into the world of illegal street racing to join the ranks with a well-established racer (Vin Diesel). 

The film, produced on an estimated $38 million budget, went on to make $207.3 million worldwide.

paul walker the fast and the furiousWatching the film now, it's easy to see the article's influence in the movie. 

Here are excerpts from "Racer X": 

A black Nissan 300ZX and a white Mitsubishi Starion pull out of the pack and creep up to the starting line. As the sun dances on the nearby river, the sound of honking horns and screaming drivers is drowned out by the sonic blast of the two engines revving for takeoff. A stocky Latino dude in a blinding yellow shirt stands in the middle of the highway and raises his hands. Both cars lurch and halt like chained pit bulls, their wheels spitting out black smoke. The hands drop.

Young men have been fascinated with tweaking and tuning big block Chevys and Mustangs since the days of Rebel Without a Cause. But the new guys wouldn’t be caught dead driving the gaudy muscular beasts of yesteryear. Instead, they’re tricking out low-buck Japanese imports like Honda Civics and Acura Integras and tattooing them like skateboards with Neuspeed and Greddy car parts stickers. By stroking the engine, adding a supercharger, and hitting the “juice” (nitrous oxide: a gaseous liquid once used to boost bomber planes in WWII), they can smoke the herb in the Iroc at the stoplight.

Read the full piece HERE.

"Furious 7" is in theaters April 3. 

Relive the trailer for the original film below which has a drastically different feel from the heart of the more recent additions to the franchise.

 

SEE ALSO: The cars that will be in "Furious 7"

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‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ will not have a post-credit scene

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the avengers end final

It sounds like you won’t have to hang around the theater until the credits end for the latest Marvel movie.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” director Josh Whedon has told Entertainment Weekly that there will not be a post-credit scene in the film.

Since 2008’s “Iron Man,” fans of the Marvel universe have patiently sat through all the movie credits to get a small tease at what’s next in the franchise. But according to Whedon, they can’t top what they did on “The Avengers.”

“We all came at it separately—we don’t want to chase that,” Whedon told EW. “That was a jewel and a weird little quirk.”

In the “The Avengers,” the post-credit scene is the heroes eating shawarma following their final battle.

In the EW story, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirms Whedon’s comments. According to Feige, there will be a brief "epilogue-like scene" shortly after the credits start, but that's it.

And to make sure everyone knew he wasn’t fooling, Whedon added, “There is nothing at the very end. And that’s not a fake-out.”

Here’s the post-credit scene from "The Avengers."

"Avengers: Age of Ultron" opens in theaters May 1.

 

SEE ALSO: 10 lessons you can learn from the Avengers characters that will help you land your next job

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NOW WATCH: The new trailer for Season 3 of 'House of Cards' is terrifying

'Guardians of the Galaxy' director explains why Snapchat is so successful

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james gunn guardians of the galaxy

"Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn is extremely open to experimenting with social media platforms to engage with his fanbase. 

Gunn's currently active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other mediums including Periscope and Snapchat. For those who tune in, it provides an unprecedented look at what Gunn's daily routine is like day in and day out. 

Recently, Gunn took to Periscope to do about a 30-minute Q&A off-the-cuff with fans after a long day. He'll snap images and video of himself at friend Nathan Fillion's birthday party, catching up on "Better Call Saul," or giving updates on how the "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" script is coming along (quite well!). You'll also see plenty of images of his pets.

Of late, Gunn's a big Snapchat user.

james gunn snapchatThe app allows users to post photos or videos up to 10 seconds in length that can be shared with friends or publicly. If you share content in a story feed, it will stay on the app for 24 hours before disappearing. If someone screenshots what you upload, you'll be sent a notification.

Tuesday evening, Gunn took to Facebook to deliver his thoughts on why Snapchat is a popular platform at the moment.

Basically, Gunn's point is that we shouldn't be able to relive every single little detail of our lives for the rest of time. Items that we may just want to discuss in the moment should stay there, but don't need to live on for further generations. Snapchat provides one outlet to allow for self expression while helping to maintain a level of privacy those with public accounts on Facebook or Twitter may not be able to receive.

Here's what Gunn said in full. It's been slightly edited for language:

I like to think the immense success of Snapchat is due to the awareness we have, on some innate level, that most everything we post on FB, Instagram, or Twitter is essentially stupid and unimportant, and should be erased immediately.

Do we need the fact that we screwed up cutting our toenails ingrained in the historical tome of Twitter so that, someday, our great-grandchildren will be able to read about it? God, no. We want this dumb s--- to disappear, fast.

So, in that way, Snapchat is a step toward self-realization and humility. It's a step toward just looking at things and talking about them and then letting those things go on their way - the way things once were, the way we all long for them to be again.

It is a small sign of hope for our interconnected civilization.

You can follow me right now on Snapchat at MrJamesGunn and see a picture of my cat rubbing against my feet while I do crunches. I'm godd--- glad it will be gone tomorrow.... except for the mention of it on this Facebook post, where it will live forever. 

SEE ALSO: Here's the painting that inspired the entire look of "Guardians of the Galaxy"

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NOW WATCH: Marvel Just Released A New 'Avengers: Age Of Ultron' Trailer And It's Incredible

Here are the car brands that appear the most in 'Furious 7’

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furious 7 dom letty vin diesel

"Furious 7"broke box-office records when it debuted in theaters over Easter weekend.

The film has already made over $406 million worldwide, and is on track to be the first $1 billion movie of 2015.

While you'll most definitely remember the ridiculous, over-the-top stunts from the movie, can you recall all the cars you saw?

Concave Brand Tracking, a market company which tracks and analyzes brands in entertainment content, identified around 30 different cars in the film.   

Concave provided us with lists of the top 10 car brands featured in the last three "Fast and Furious" films, "Fast Five,""Fast and Furious 6," and "Furious 7."

Here are the top 10 car brands featured in "Furious 7":

1. Dodge
2. Chevrolet
3. W Motors
4. Plymouth
5. Subaru
6. Maserati
7. Mercedes-Benz
8. Nissan
9. Audi
10. Aston Martin

Dodge was the most visible car brand seen in both "Fast Five" and "Furious 7." BMW tied Dodge for the most brand visibility in "Fast and Furious 6."

Below, you can see the top 10 car brands featured in "Fast Five,""Fast and Furious 6," and "Furious 7": 

fast furious car brands

Even though Dodge cars can be seen on screen more than double the amount of a Chevrolet vehicle (5 minutes and 33 seconds vs. 2 minutes and 41 seconds), Concave notes Dodge's appearances in "Furious 7" are mostly (92%) subtle with no discernible logo time on screen.

The logo names for W Motors, Subaru, and Audi are all considered 100% visible. 

exposure breakdown furious 7

In addition, Concave broke down the cars associated with the main six cast members the most.

Fans of the series shouldn't be surprised to see Dodge is linked most closely to Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel). Since the first film, his car of choice has been a classic American muscle car. 

Dodge Charger R/TTyrese is mostly seen with the Chevrolet brand, while Jason Statham's villain Deckard Shaw is associated with a Maserati most of the time. Walker's character Brian O'Conner can be seen with five different car brands including Nissan and Subaru.

character cars furious 7You can see Concave’s study here.

SEE ALSO: "Furious 7" will likely be the first $1 billion film of 2015

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

Preview a never-before-seen clip from the 'Star Wars' digital collection

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star wars digital collection

For the first time ever, all six "Star Wars" films will be digitally released across platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, and more Friday.

The releases will include tons of bonus content with never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage from the “Star Wars” saga. 

Disney shared an exclusive preview clip of one of the bonus features from the digital collection with Business Insider. The clip "Discoveries From Inside: Costumes Revealed" from "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones," introduces Trisha Biggar, the costume designer George Lucas hired to help give Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) a more refined, couture look as queen in the prequels while transforming the look of the rest of the film.

Check it out below:

SEE ALSO: All the bonus features that will be available on the new "Star Wars" digital collection

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The first cast photo for the ‘Suicide Squad’ movie reveals new cast members

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On Wednesday night, “Suicide Squad” director David Ayer (“Fury”) tweeted out the first photo from inside the making of Warner Bros.' comic book adaptation of the DC Comics series. 

It’s a group shot of Ayer and some of the cast while doing a script read-through, which follows a group of incarcerated DC supervillians on black-ops missions for the US government.

The picture doesn’t have the complete cast as Jared Leto (who will play The Joker) and Scott Eastwood are notably missing. Eastwood's character hasn’t been announced yet, but the rumors are he’ll play Steve Trevor, known best as a love interest of Wonder Woman.

The internet went crazy over the photo. In addition to seeing Will Smith (Deadshot, an enemy of Batman), Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn, The Joker's girlfriend), Viola Davis (Amanda Waller, nemesis of Green Lantern, among others), and other confirmed cast members sitting together, Ayer gave us a look at a few additions to the film.

Here's an annotated version of the photo below:

suicidesquadcast2Latino-Review predicts Jim Parrack (“Fury”) will play Deathstroke, nemesis of Batman and Green Arrow; Adam Beach (“Flags of Our Fathers”) will be Ravan, sometimes with or against Suicide Squad members; and Ike Barinholtz (“Neighbors”) will play Batman villain, Hugo Strange.

The casting of Jay Hernandez (“Hostel) was announced earlier this year, and though his character has been a mystery, MTV believes he'll play El Diablo, a vigilante known best from the Jonah Hex comics. MTV also predicts the least-known person in the photo, Karen Fukuhara, will play Plastique, a nemesis of Captain Atom.

“Suicide Squad” is set to be out in theaters summer of 2016.

SEE ALSO: Warner Bros. is making these 11 superhero movies between now and 2020

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's how the stars of 'Fast & Furious' have changed over the years

Work on the sequel to one of the greatest Pixar movies is finally underway

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the incrediblesBack in March 2014, Disney CEO Bob Iger hinted that a sequel to one of Pixar's most-beloved films, 2004's "The Incredibles,"was in the works

Director Brad Bird is expected to return for the sequel.

We didn't know much else about the project until now. 

In an interview with NPR about his upcoming Disney film "Tomorrowland," Bird confirmed he is working on the anticipated sequel. 

"I'm just starting to write it, so we'll see what happens," Bird said. 

While Bird didn't reveal any details about the plot, the film is expected to be released in 2016.

In the meantime, Bird's next film "Tomorrowland," featuring George Clooney, will be out in theaters on May 22.

SEE ALSO: Steve Jobs had a crazy idea for Pixar's office to force people to talk more

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: George Clooney goes on a quest to save the world in this new 'Tomorrowland' trailer


Here's the first photo teasing Jared Leto as the Joker

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Next year, Oscar winner Jared Leto will take on the role of one of the most iconic villains in the DC universe.

He'll appear as Batman's main foe, the Joker, in Warner Bros.' "Suicide Squad," about a group of DC villains working for a secret government group.

Leto will be the first actor to play the role since Heath Ledger in 2008's "The Dark Knight."

Fans have been waiting anxiously for the first image of Leto as the Clown Prince of Crime.

Director David Ayer ("Fury") has been sharing photos of the film on social media. Earlier this week, he shared an image of the cast; however, Leto was nowhere to be found.

suicidesquadcast2

Thursday evening, Ayer shared the first image of Leto with the Joker's iconic green hair. 

That's not all. 

The image Ayer tweeted out depicts a very iconic cover from DC entertainment.

 

Here's a larger version of the image:

jared leto joker first photo

And here's the cover of the New York Times best-selling graphic novel, "The Killing Joke."

the killing joke cover

The story, from Alan Moore and Brian Bollard, is one of the most chilling Batman tales. It revolves around the Joker paralyzing Barbara Gordon (aka Batgirl) with a gun shot in her own apartment. If that isn't enough, he then snap photos of her nude. The graphic novel leaves it unclear as to whether the Joker sexually violates Barbara as well. 

The clown then kidnaps Barbara's father, commissioner Gordon, has him stripped down and tied to a chair, and forces him to look at photos of his daughter.

As you can guess, it's not the easiest of material to read, and has become a controversial fixture in the Batman universe because of the graphic violence inflicted upon Barbara Gordon.

It's not clear whether Ayer's image of Leto is a big hint at the type of Joker he's going for in the film, or whether the photo he released is just paying homage to Moore's classic.

"Suicide Squad" is in theaters August 5, 2016.

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NOW WATCH: This Sports Illustrated swimsuit rookie could become the next Kate Upton

It's crazy how many cartoons Disney is now turning into live-action movies

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cinderella

Every week it seems like Disney has another live-action film in the works.

After the theatrical success of "Maleficent," a live-action adaptation centered around the villainess in "Sleeping Beauty," Disney announced plans to roll out "The Jungle Book" and "Beauty and the Beast" with all-star casts. After March's "Cinderella" recently, the studio announced plans for more live-action works.

Wednesday, Deadline reported the studio is taking on a "Pinocchio"-inspired film.

What's going on?

At this point, Disney’s on track to have a huge year at the box office. The studio has two of the biggest anticipated movies under its umbrella with “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (out May 1) and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (December 18).  

"Avengers: Age of Ultron" is currently on track to make over $200 million opening weekend. If the sequel to the 2012 film passes the $207 million run, it could very well break the record for the highest-grossing opening weekend ever in theaters.

avengers age of ultronDisney’s in a great position right now.

Studio-owned companies Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar have movie plans for the next few years. Marvel has superhero films squared away until 2028. Lucasfilm has at least six "Star Wars" films in the works (Episodes VII, VIII, and IX along with spinoffs). Pixar's titles include another “Toy Story.”

star wars the force awakens sith lightsaberThen there's Disney Animation which will release an animated musical featuring The Rock, "Moana," and has a sequel to its $1 billion “Frozen” in the works. 

The Mouse House is at a point where they can experiment with other releases and kind of see what works. Disney has had immense success with its live-action fairytale ABC series, “Once Upon a Time,” so it’s a natural extension to try and duplicate that success on the big screen. 

Both live-action versions of “Maleficent” ($758.4 million) and “Cinderella” ($402.2 million) have already been big hits at the box office (though the latter debuted with an exclusive short for Disney’s juggernaut “Frozen”).

Here are all of the current Disney live-action films in the works:

"The Jungle Book" 

mowgli the jungle book
Expected release date: April 15, 2016
What we know so far: The film about a young boy, Mowgli, raised in the jungle was originally for release later this year, but was pushed back until 2016. The adaptation of the 1967 animated film has a huge cast ranging from Bill Murray as the loveable bear Baloo to Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong'o, and Giancarlo Esposito (Gus from "Breaking Bad"). Personally, we're excited for Murray to sing the classic film's song "The Bare Necessities."

"Beauty and the Beast"

belle beauty and the beastExpected release date: March 17, 2017
What we know so far: The "tale as old as time" will feature Emma Watson and Dan Stevens as the beauty, Belle, and Prince Adam, the beast, respectively. Luke Evans ("The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug") will play Gaston while Josh Gad will be his right-hand man Lefou. Tim Rice and Alan Menken will team up once more to score the film with inspiration from both the animated picture and Broadway musical.

"Dumbo"

dumbo disneyExpected release date: TBD
What we know so far: Tim Burton will direct the 1941 film about a big-eared circus elephant who wishes to fly. Ehren Kruger ("Transformers") will write the script. The film won't be using real elephants on screen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney will use a mix of CGI and live action. 

"Mulan"

mulan disneyExpected release date: TBD
What we know so far: Disney purchased a script from Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek for the 1998 animated picture, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Before Jennifer Lawrence was Katniss Everdeen, Mulan was really one of the first animated characters from the Mouse House to side-step the whole Disney princess thing (though has since been marketed as a princess alongside the other Disney female leads). Mulan took the place of her father in war and ended up becoming both a skilled fighter, and one of the most-respected warriors in all of China.

"Winnie the Pooh"

winnie the pooh

Expected release date: TBD
What we know so far: 
According to Deadline, the film's focus will be on Christopher Robin as an adult who is brought back to the Hundred Acre Wood with Pooh and his pals. Alex Ross Perry ("Listen Up Philip") has been hired to direct.

"Pinocchio"

pinocchioExpected release date: TBD
What we know so far: Not much is known about this adaptation of the 1940 Disney film other than Peter Hedges is writing feature. The animated classic follows a woodworker, Geppetto, who wants nothing more than a son, and his puppet Pinocchio, who comes to life and wants nothing more than to be a real boy. 

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NOW WATCH: Disney's Live-Action Version Of 'Cinderella' Finally Gets A Full-Length Trailer

Here's the concept art that inspired the robot from the year's best sci-fi movie

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em machina lead

Artificial Intelligence has become a popular topic in movies recently, ranging as far in themes from gun-toting Chappie to the lovable Baymax in "Big Hero 6."

But "Ex Machina," opening in limited release Friday, features an AI so realistic that you'll be thinking about it long after the credits roll.

“Ex Machina” is the directorial debut of Alex Garland (best known for writing "28 Days Later" and "Dredd") and follows young programmer Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) who is invited to stay with Nathan (Oscar Isaac), a reclusive Steve Jobs-like CEO of the company he works for. Once there, Caleb learns that Nathan has created one of the most sophisticated AIs and wants Caleb to test it to see how human it can be.

ExMachina2The AI, named Ava (played by newcomer Alicia Vikander), speaks and acts as any human being, but physically there's no mistaking that she's a robot.

This distinction was one Garland was adamant about.

We reached out to Mark Simpson, who previously worked with Garland on "Dredd," to learn more about the physical evolution of Ava. Simpson, who's known in the art world as Jock, was responsible for Ava's concept art — the drawings and designs the production uses as a starting point in the creation of the characters and sets. 

Jock shared six of his concept images for "Ex Machina" with Business Insider; taking us through his process for the creation of Ava.

Ex Machina Jock 1.PNG

To get Ava right, Garland and Jock spent a lot of time talking about what the movie's AI should not look like.

"We went through so many variations in the early stages of designing Ava. I started out with a figure much closer to human, with internal lights and a few subtle oddities in the joints, but Alex really pushed for a far more robotic look; and of course his instincts were right. To present something that is entirely mechanical, and then ask how the viewer feels about it, that's a really interesting question. These variations are somewhere in between those two initial ideas."

Ex Machina Jock 3.PNG

Here we see the evolution of Ava. 

"This image was one that got us closer to the final design. The breakthrough with Ava came when Alex came up with the idea of the mesh that would cover her entire body. In certain light, she'd look entirely mechanical, with her midriff and limbs missing — almost a typical 'robot' — but the light would catch the mesh as she turned, or in certain light would reveal a beautiful female form. I think it works incredibly well in the film — she looks completely seductive but entirely mechanical. This is obviously underpinned by Alicia's amazing performance and Double Negative's entirely convincing VFX."

Ex Machina Jock 2.PNG

Though most of the movie is inside Nathan's underground compound, Jock didn't know that when he was creating his concepts. This gave him the freedom to place Ava in any world he wanted.

"Very early concept work is completely free from the constraints of budget, location, and sets — or at least when I work with Alex he encourages that mind set. The practicalities of getting it on film are a problem to overcome later, and he's always keen for me to be free of any constraints in the conceptual stage. This image was obviously before production found the stunning Norway location where the exteriors were eventually shot, so it shows a different feel to the landscape."

Ex Machina Joack 4.PNG

But sometimes the concept art can inspire the way shots come together when filming takes place.

"This proved a popular image in production, and you can see this shot in varying degrees in the final film. There are smoked glass doors all over Nathan's mansion, providing glimpses of figures as they enter or leave. The metaphors are fairly obvious here, with Ava appearing slightly unseen and enigmatic."

Ex Machina Jock 5.JPG

Concepts also help express the kind of tone the film should have.

"This is probably my favorite image, but perhaps not the most obvious. For me it sums up, tonally, what the film is about; It's explicit, but has beauty. It's very naturalistic, but we also see the inner workings of the robot, giving a mechanical quality to the figure. I like that juxtaposition."

Ex Machina Jock 6.JPG

At the end of the day, the goal of the concept art is to be the first step of a character's life and their world — sometimes, even, the world they dream of.

"Another thematic idea, rather than a specific shot from the script; 'What would this robot look like in a natural environment?' 'What would it be looking for, once it was outside?' More often than not the more successful images come from a simple feeling rather than trying to manufacture a look. And this was one of those, produced very quickly."

Here's a finished look of Ava as she appears on the poster for "Ex Machina":ExMachina_Payoff_hires2_rgb

"Ex Machina" is currently in limited release and goes wide theatrically April 24.

SEE ALSO: Top scientists have an ominous warning about artificial intelligence

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NOW WATCH: This Sports Illustrated swimsuit rookie could become the next Kate Upton

11 things you probably don't know about 'The Great Gatsby'

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great gatsby dicaprio carey mulligan

F. Scott Fitzgerald always wanted his novel "The Great Gatsby" to become a "consciously artistic achievement."

Today, it is just that. 

His American classic is mandatory reading across English classrooms. There was a time, however, when no one wanted to read about Gatsby and his lost love, Daisy.

Some may say, "Gatsby" was simply ahead of its time.

On the 90th anniversary of Fitzgerald's beloved book, here are a few things you may not know about the tale.

The book was highly influenced by Fitzgerald's failed play "The Vegetable: or from President to Postman."

Fitzgerald spent a year and a half working on the comedy — a satire on the American Dream and spoof of President Harding's administration — which he hoped would make him a famous Broadway playwright.

The young author began work on "Gatsby" after the first draft of "Vegetable" was complete while traveling between Long Island, Great Neck, and New York City for play rehearsal.

"Vegetable" was a disaster opening night in the fall of 1923 in Atlantic City, NJ.

(Source: "The Great Gatsby")



"Gatsby" was originally set in the Midwest—not New York—around 1885.

The original concept was to have a "Catholic element" in the novel.

Today, the story takes place in the summer of 1922 — during the Jazz Age — in both Long Island and New York City.

(Source: "The Great Gatsby")



There's a short story dedicated to Gatsby's childhood.

During Fitzgerald's early manuscript of "Gatsby," he wrote about a Catholic boy growing up in the Midwest.

According to Fitzgerald, this was to describe Gatsby's childhood in a prologue; however, it was cut from the book.

Instead, the bit was published nearly a year before "The Great Gatsby" in June 1925 in the short story, "Absolution."

(Source: "The Great Gatsby")



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's how the stars of 'Fast and Furious' have changed over the years

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