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The 'X-Men' director has a plan for a 'Fantastic Four' crossover

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X-Men/Fantastic Four team-up

If you're the type who follows superhero movie news, you'll know that Marvel doesn't have the film rights to all of the characters that appear in its comics. In fact, two of the biggest parts of its comic book universe — the Fantastic Four and the X-Men — are licensed by 20th Century Fox, and all the characters with ties to them are contractually forbidden from appearing in movies made by Marvel Studios.

This is why popular characters like Wolverine won't ever appear in an "Avengers" film, and why the news that Spider-Man has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe was such a big deal. But since Fox has the rights to both the Fantastic Four and the X-Men (both huge properties with loads of characters and worlds unto themselves), it stands to reason that they would build their own mini-Marvel Cinematic Universe, since that sort of thing is so hot right now — and also because screenwriter/producer Simon Kinberg has worked on both rebooted franchises (there's also a comic book precedent).

x men apocalypse cerebro

In a recent video Q&A with Yahoo Movies, "X-Men: Apocalypse" director Bryan Singer answered a number of fan questions — and one of them was about the presumed crossover. 

"That would be a natural match-up because they’re both ensemble films and there is a natural mechanism by which to do it," said Singer. "It deals with time — that’s all I’m going to say.”

Singer didn't say anything else about the potential project, but based on the films as they stand now, time travel is probably the only way to bring both casts together in a way that makes sense — it was used in "Days of Future Past" to effectively reboot the "X-Men" movies and turn them into period pieces ("Apocalypse" is set in the 1980s), while "Fantastic Four" looks like it's set in the present day. So time travel is a nice convenience, and probably a necessity from a plot perspective.

fantastic four

Singer also makes sure to hedge his bets when talking about the potential crossover, noting that it's important to make sure both movies do well before getting too deep into speculation about a potential crossover.

The whole Q & A is worth a watch — Singer spends most of it answering questions about the recently-released "Rogue Cut" of "X-Men: Days of Future Past", but also drops a bunch of other great "X-Men" tidbits — like briefly teasing that "Apocalypse" might have feature the X-Men in their iconic comic book costumes at some point.

Check it out below.

 

SEE ALSO: Meet the new teen heroes of the next 'X-Men' movie

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NOW WATCH: The kids at Comic-Con are absolutely hilarious


Here's what will be in the 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' Blu-Ray combo pack

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We finally know when we'll be able to own one of the biggest summer blockblusters of the year!

Friday morning, Disney and Marvel announced "Avengers: Age of Ultron" will be released on DVD, Blu-Ray, and on-demand October 2, 2015.

If you'd like to get it earlier, the film will be released nearly a month earlier for digital release September 8, 2015, and will be available through digital 3D, digital HD, and Disney's movie app, Disney Anywhere.

Here's how it will look on Blu-Ray:

avengers age of ultron blu ray

And, here's what will be inside:

Digital HD*, Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA), 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray

  • Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes
  • Making-of Featurettes
  • Gag Reel
  • Audio Commentary

*Digital bonus offerings may vary by retailer                

DVD:

  • Making-of Featurette

Specific details on the making-of featurettes and deleted scenes have not been released yet, but the gag reel is probably a lot of fun.

The potential "digital bonus offerings" by retailer sound exciting, too.

To get excited for the film, Disney and Marvel have provided Business Insider with an exclusive clip from "Avengers: Age of Ultron."

Warning! If you haven't seen the film, there's a pretty big spoiler regarding Hawkeye's character, played by Jeremy Renner.

Check it out below.

 

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Angelina Jolie to direct Cambodia-set drama for Netflix

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angelina jolie

On the heels of Brad Pitt’s latest project being bought by Netflix, his wife, Angelina Jolie Pitt, is now teaming with the internet-network giant for her next directing effort.

On Thursday, Netflix announced that Jolie Pitt will direct and produce an adaptation of “First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers,” a memoir from Cambodian author and human-rights activist Loung Ung.

The story recounts Ung going through the Khmer Rouge regime as a child in Cambodia, a four-year genocide in which two million Cambodians died. Ung was forced from her family’s home and went to a work camp where she trained as a child soldier. Her book was published in 2000.

Jolie Pitt contacted Ung over a decade ago about making a film about her experience and the two adapted a screenplay.

first they killed my father“I was deeply affected by Loung’s book,” Jolie Pitt said in the Netflix release. “It deepened forever my understanding of how children experience war and are affected by the emotional memory of it. And it helped me draw closer still to the people of Cambodia, my son’s homeland.”

Jolie Pitt has had a connection with Cambodia since visiting there while filming "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" in 2001.

She adopted her first child, Maddox Chivan, from an orphanage in Battambang, Cambodia, when he was 7 months old. Before that, she did humanitarian work in Cambodia and nearby regions.

Production on “First They Killed My Father” will begin later this year in Cambodia, according to the release.

Jolie Pitt is currently in postproduction on the drama “By The Sea,” which she wrote, directed, and starred in opposite her husband.

She is still planning to direct “Africa,” a passion project of hers on the work of paleo-anthropologist Dr. Richard Leakey and his decade-long fight to save Africa from the illegal-wildlife trade. According to the Netflix release, Jolie Pitt plans to take that on following production of “First They Killed My Father.”

unbroken movieJolie Pitt’s previously released directorial effort, “Unbroken,” came out in 2014 and was nominated for three Oscars. The biopic on Olympian Louis Zamperini, who was also a prisoner-of-war during World War II, grossed $161,459,297 worldwide.

SEE ALSO: Netflix gains 18% after earnings

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NOW WATCH: This intense first trailer for Netflix's 'Narcos' brings Pablo Escobar to life

Peter Dinklage’s hilarious character in ‘Pixels' was inspired by a video game legend who held world records in Pac Man and Donkey Kong

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Pixels Peter Dinklage George Kraychyk Sony

Though things aren’t looking good for "Pixels" this weekend, Adam Sandler’s latest comedy has a 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, one thing that can’t be ignored is the brilliance of Peter Dinklage in the movie.

Known best for his dramatic work, especially as Tyrion Lannister in "Game of Thrones," Dinklage is one of the saving graces of the film playing the hilarious former arcade champion Eddie “The Fire Blaster” Plant.

Rocking an impressive mullet, tattoos and an attitude, he seems like a character only Hollywood could come up with.

Billy Mitchell Barry Brecheisen:Invision:APBut in fact some movie lovers may link Fire Blaster’s pretentious ways to a real-life gaming legend.

Though Dinklage has not addressed it publicly, many believe his character in "Pixels" channels the swagger of Billy Mitchell, who is known for earning the first-ever perfect score in Pac-Man in 1999 and stars in the documentary "The Kind of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters." Mitchell was also named one of the Video Game Players of the year in 1984 and later became Video Game Player of the Century.

"Pixels" director Chris Columbus has confirmed that Plant is partially based on Mitchell. The physical resemblance between Mitchell and Dinklage's character is hard to ignore too, particularly the mullet.

Most recently, Mitchell has gained recognition from "King of King."

Seth Gordon’s film follows underdog Steve Wiebe as he attempts to break the 20-year-old world record for Donkey Kong (you guessed it, it's held by Mitchell). But like any great heel, Mitchell plays mind games with Wiebe, and says things on camera like, “Oh, Billy Mitchell always has a plan,” to get under Wiebe (and the viewer’s) skin.

Billy MitchellDinklage certainly gives Plant the same traits. In “Pixels” he belittles Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler) for coming in second to him in an arcade tournament when they were kids. And he only becomes more cocky when Sam turns to him for help to beat the arcade characters that have come to Earth to destroy it.

When asked about Dinklage’s character at an interview for the 35th anniversary event for Pac-Man, Mitchell initially seemed humbled.

“Well, I think Peter is a good actor,” he said.

But he followed that with...

“People tell me I got beat out by the little guy finally,” referring to Dinklage’s height.

“Pixels” opens in theaters on Friday.

Watch Dinklage as Fire Blaster in this clip from the movie:

 

SEE ALSO: The director of the short film that inspired "Pixels" says Adam Sandler's version "could have been better"

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NOW WATCH: What really happened to Jon Snow in 'Game of Thrones'?

George R. R. Martin thinks Marvel movies have a villain problem

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Ant Man Yellow Jacket

George R.R. Martin really liked "Ant-Man," but in the author's opinion, the film had one big problem that it shares with almost all of the Marvel movies: The villain.

Martin took to his LiveJournal to post about the movie:

I am tired of this Marvel movie trope where the bad guy has the same powers as the hero. The Hulk fought the Abomination, who is just a bad Hulk. Spider-Man fights Venom, who is just a bad Spider-Man. Iron Man fights Ironmonger, a bad Iron Man. Yawn. I want more films where the hero and the villain have wildly different powers. That makes the action much more interesting.

What's interesting about Martin's critique of Marvel villains is how it zeroes in on the visuals of these movies' big conflicts. Action is at its best when it tells a story, and the dynamics of a hero learning about and trying to overcome a villain with totally different abilities allows for all sorts of fun, high-stakes moments.

Of course, there is also a problem with making these villains memorable, even though they're being played by incredible actors.

SEE ALSO: Bryan Singer has a plan for an 'X-Men' and 'Fantastic Four' crossover movie

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NOW WATCH: The kids at Comic-Con are absolutely hilarious

Critics are ripping apart Adam Sandler's new movie 'Pixels' across the board

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Pixels sony

It seemed like a home run for Adam Sandler. The trailer for “Pixels” came out in March and broke Sony’s record for the most-viewed trailer in its first 24 hours ever.

Adapted from a two-and-a-half minute short film with the same title, "Pixels" is about classic video games from the 1980s being controlled by aliens who want to take over Earth. And only the games' best players (played by Sandler, Kevin James, Peter Dinklage and Josh Gad) can stop them.

This premise seemed perfect for Sander’s brand of comedy (his production company Happy Madison is behind the film). But it turns out even silly 8-bit characters from the past can't revive the former SNL star's career.

“Pixels” has a 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and it's shaping up to become Sandler’s latest box office bomb.

pixels nintendo donkey kongHere's why critics are ripping it apart.

(Warning: Some spoilers ahead)

People who have seen the movie say the CGI work in it is done very well. It grabs famous 1980s touchstones like Hall & Oates interview clips and Max Headroom (which the aliens use to communicate to Sandler and his gang), but sadly things go down hill from there.

Variety called it a "barrage of witless one-liners" with "inane celebrity cameos." 

“If only the movie in front of us actually fit that description, or truly conveyed the addictive pleasures of gaming," Variety lamented.

Uproxx complains that Adam Sandler doesn't get what audiences today think is funny.

“The problem is, Sandler can still be a likable and emphatic actor, but if he’s given any creative control, it will bring the movie down because Sandler’s sense of humor over the years has become terrible,” Uproxx says. Ouch.

ScreenCrush isn't much nicer. “Adam Sandler used to make comedies," the reviewer wrote. "Now he makes Adam Sandler movies; bland exercises in nostalgia where he hangs out with his actor buddies, cracks a few jokes, and sleepwalks through a forgettable story to the sounds of early ’80s rock.”

About.com says Sandler is trying to reinact a watered-down version of his glory days. “The low points come when you realize that despite having a real director, Sandler is still Sandler here -- a regular guy who happens to be awesome, catnip to the ladies, a hero so unlikely that NYPD and NYFD cheer him.”

The Hollywood Reporter calls it "sometimes mildly amusing. 

"With the exception of Monaghan, who seems like a beautiful member of some other species amid this ragtag bunch of comics and slumming character actors, everyone here is doing shtick they've long since mastered, underplaying in Sandler's case, to sometimes mildly amusing effect…”

Adam Sandler in But critics say Sandler isn't the only reason the movie is unwatchable. The movie, directed by Chris Columbus ("Home Alone,""Mrs. Doubtfire"), in itself is uninspiring:

Vulture actually scribbled down, "‘Am I high right now?" while watching the movie.

"Don’t get too excited: The film is bad — worse even than it looks, probably — but by that point it had achieved such throwaway weirdness that instead of staring stone-faced at how bland and unfunny it all was, I found myself giggling at its sheer idiocy,” the writer said.

The Daily News also placed blame on Columbus who says he and Sandler "bury that warm feeling [for 1980s video games] under moronic jokes, lame action, drooling for “hot chicks” and sad-assed, middle-aged neuroses.”

But no matter how terrible critics say "Pixels" is, you can bet Adam Sandler movies will continue to churn out:

“Sandler is following his own rules: Every year, he's gotta star in an expensive, anti-intellectual gasbag that anoints him the Best Boy in the World," a disgruntled LA Weekly reporter pens. "And audiences are running out of quarters.”

If you don't believe them, feel free to check out "Pixels" yourself. It opens in theaters Friday. 

SEE ALSO: It's baffling that Nintendo let its treasured characters appear in Adam Sandler's new movie

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NOW WATCH: This looks like the sequel 'Maze Runner' fans were waiting for

Judd Apatow says the US needs 'to find a way to do better' following Louisiana theater shooting

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Judd Apatow Rob Kim

Following the deadly shooting at a Louisiana multiplex during a screening of “Trainwreck” Thursday night, the film’s director Judd Apatow is speaking out. 

“My thoughts and love go out to the victims and anyone touched by this madness or any madness. We, as a country, need to find a way to do better,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

Apatow also told THR: "One of the reasons we make these movies is because the world can be so horrifying and we all need to laugh just to deal with it. So to have this happen in a room where people were smiling and laughing devastates me.”

A 59-year-old white male killed at least two and injured nine in the theater before turning the gun on himself, police officials said.

“Trainwreck” star and screenwriter Amy Schumer took to Twitter following the shootings:

 

SEE ALSO: Shooting at movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana — 3 dead including gunman

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NOW WATCH: Sandra Bland’s autopsy reveals no signs of struggle

Michael Jackson allegedly wanted to play the most-hated character in 'Star Wars' history

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jar jar binks star wars episode I

You might not know who Ahmed Best is, but you almost certainly have seen his most famous performance.

Best was the actor whose movements and voice brought the goofy alien Jar-Jar Binks to life in the "Star Wars" prequels. 

Of course, this is probably a good thing for Best — Jar-Jar Binks is a character so universally hated that a video of someone dressing up as him getting beat up could conceivably be played for laughs. However, Best doesn't regret his time spent in one of the most beloved universes in all of pop culture, and it even sounds like playing Binks was a huge win for him, considering he may have beat Michael Jackson for the role. 

In a long interview with Vice, Best elaborates on that surprising tidbit — one he first mentioned a year ago in a Reddit "Ask Me Anything". 

"That's what George told me," Best told Vice, before mentioning an occasion where George Lucas introduced him to the pop star as "Jar-Jar". "I'm having a drink with George and I said, 'Why did you introduce me as Jar Jar?' He said, 'Well, Michael wanted to do the part but he wanted to do it in prosthetics and makeup like 'Thriller.'' George wanted to do it in CGI. My guess is ultimately Michael Jackson would have been bigger than the movie, and I don't think he wanted that."

The whole interview is worth a read — Best has certainly kept busy the past few years, writing, directing, and acting in several smaller projects. Read it here

SEE ALSO: How 'Hannibal' keeps getting better and better

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NOW WATCH: Here's what we know about the new 'Earth' — a planet that could support life


How WWE star John Cena created his memorable character in 'Trainwreck'

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Trainwreck John Cena Universal.JPG

Warning: spoilers ahead

John Cena is best known as a WWE superstar, but he also shows off some impressive acting chops in “Trainwreck.”

The Judd Apatow-directed, star-making vehicle for Amy Schumer (who wrote the screenplay), looks at the love life of a commitment-phobic New Yorker named Amy (Schumer), who finally meets her true love, Aaron (Bill Hader). But to get to that point Amy has to go through some losers and break a few hearts. A victim of the latter is Steven, an Adonis who thinks he’s found “the one” until a glance at Amy’s phone makes him realize the harsh reality.

Cena plays Steven as a sensitive, arthouse film-loving teddy bear looking for a soul mate (possibly of the same gender).

“I get the call that they want me to audition for this part, they really want a big guy,” Cena told Business Insider about going out for the role.

Cena admits that he was hoping to prove to the casting director that he could do more than play a hulk of a man. It turned out he didn’t have to do much convincing.

“There’s Amy and Judd sitting there,” said Cena of his shock when he got to the audition and saw the director and star waiting for him. “We did stuff in the script and then they were like, ‘Let’s mess around,’ and we did some improv. From there they called me back for another audition, and then they called me back for a table read, and the rest is history.”

Trainwreck Amy Schumer Judd Apatow Mary Cybulski.JPGIn a movie filled with R-flavored funny moments, Cena doesn’t waste time to get in on the fun. The first time we see Steven, he and Amy are having sex which leads to him hilariously trying to talk dirty to her, but instead only spouts weight-training lingo.

According to Cena, the script originally had Steven being more physical with Amy in the scene.

“We had dress rehearsals and I was throwing around this stunt coordinator in crazy sexual positions that I was going to do [with Amy] on camera the day we filmed,” Cena recalled. “But then it came down to [Steven] not knowing how to talk dirty and being sexually confused, and I’m actually very happy with that.”

Cena said what was kept for the scene comes mostly from what he and Schumer did while improvising on set.

Trainwreck John Cena Universal 2Cena shows his improv skills once more in a movie theater scene where a drunk Amy instigates a fight between Steven and another patron. Cena, who does his fair-share of banter on WWE, has a natural flow as he dishes out some great lines. One of the most memorable is after the guy says Steven looks like Mark Wahlberg — “I look like Mark Wahlberg ate Mark Wahlberg!” Steven exclaims.

But it’s when Amy and Steven leave the theater that Cena shows a surprisingly impressive dramatic side.

Having already seen her phone, which is filled with messages she has with other men, Steven opens up to her, voicing his hurt as he thought she was going to be his “CrossFit queen.”

Cena Wrestlemania“It got me to do a lot of stuff I’m not known for,” Cena said of the role. “I got my chance to throw my sense of humor out into the world, and at the same time play this hulky guy who’s a softy, which in real life I’m a very emotional guy.”

Cena is not new to movies, but his past roles have been tough-guy characters in films like “The Marine” and "12 Rounds.

However, Cena hopes this is just the start of showing audiences a different side. Along with developing projects, he knows he needs to work on films where he doesn’t stretch himself too thin.

Though Cena promises not to leave the WWE anytime soon, he’s not taking a break from movies either. We will see him again on the big screen this holiday season in a bit part he has in the Amy Poehler/Tina Fey comedy “Sisters.

“I play a tattooed-up drug dealer, so a different look than how you see me on Mondays being the goody two-shoes white knight,” he said.

Watch Cena in action in the “Trainwreck” red band trailer (warning: NSFW).

 

SEE ALSO: LeBron James is actually a really good actor in the new comedy 'Trainwreck'

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New movie 'Southpaw' was created for Eminem — but here's why the role ended up going to Jake Gyllenhaal

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southpaw jake gyllenhaal

Five years ago, father-son producing partners Alan and Peter Riche surveyed the movie landscape and decided it was time for a boxing movie to be made.

The sweet science depicted on screen has always interested the two. Alan still remembers taking a much younger Peter to a repertory theater to see the classic 1931 movie “The Champ,” starring Wallace Beery as a washed-up alcoholic boxer who tries to turn his life around for the sake of his young son, played by Jackie Cooper.

“It’s a favorite of ours,” Alan told Business Insider, “and we decided to do our version of ‘The Champ.’”

Alan has been producing movies since the early 1970s, with credits over the years that include “Empire Records,” “The Family Man,” and the movie version of “Starsky & Hutch.” His son, Peter, has also had his own individual success, first as a talent-and-literary agent, followed by developing over 100 screenplays as VP of production for the company his father headed before the two teamed up to start their own.

Peter and Alan RicheThe Riches have been in the business long enough to know every project has its peaks and valleys, but getting a boxing movie they would call “Southpaw” off the ground turned out to be one of their most challenging yet.

Peter said the initial idea was “The Champ” meets “Raging Bull,” an authentic look at boxing but with a story that would be as gripping and raw as the action displayed in the ring.

Also, they needed to, as Peter put it, “flip it,” to make the story stand out from the classic boxing tales they were hoping to emulate.

He suggested to his father that instead of it being a father-son story, like “The Champ,” that it be about a father and his daughter.

EminemBut Peter also came up with an idea that would make Hollywood stand up and pay attention to the project.

Rapper Eminem should play the boxing father.

“We had both seen ‘8 Mile’ and loved it and thought he was really interesting and had a real presence on screen,” Alan recalled.

“I thought this guy hasn’t done a movie in a number of years, this might be interesting to him and, dare I say, a sequel to ‘8 Mile.’ Not literally in story, but a good fit for him,” Peter told BI. “We knew how important being a father to his daughter is. We didn’t fear going to Eminem and saying this is an amazing role for you and if you got yourself in shape it would be a tour-de-force.”

Perhaps the Riches could catch the reclusive rapper at the perfect moment. Though he came on for one episode to voice a character for the popular Comedy Central phone-pranking show “Crank Yankers” in 2004, and had a memorable cameo in Judd Apatow’s “Funny People” in 2009, Eminem hadn’t starred in a movie since 2002’s “8 Mile,” which was partially based on his life growing up on Detroit's impoverished 8 Mile Road in the mid-’90s. On the music side, he’d just released his seventh album, "Recovery" in June 2010, which debuted No.1 on the Billboard charts and was received well by critics.

8 mile eminemIn October 2010, the duo pitched the idea to Eminem’s manager David Schiff, and, according to Alan, within 24 hours they heard back, with Schiff saying the rapper’s team wanted to do it.

The film would follow boxer Billy Hope, the reigning junior-middleweight-boxing champion, whose life is turned upside down following a horrific event that causes him to lose custody of his daughter and jeopardize his boxing career.

Once Eminem was on board, “Southpaw” was on the fast track. The Riches brought on “Sons of Anarchy” creator Kurt Sutter to write the script. And by December 2010, DreamWorks signed on to make the film. In June 2011, it was reported that Antoine Faqua ("Training Day") would direct. 

“We knew Antoine boxes at least five days a week,” said Peter. “So we knew this person would make the boxing look authentic. He went out to Detroit and had a meeting with Eminem, and the feedback we got back from both camps couldn’t have been better,” Peter recalled. “Basically we were moving like a train to a green-lit movie.”

Antoine FuquaBut according to the Riches, four weeks before Eminem was to begin training for the movie they got a phone call that the rapper no longer wanted to do it.

“We were told that he really loved it, but that he feels he’s a musician first and an actor second and he had a lot of inner energy going on for his next album and that’s where his muse was taking him,” said Alan.

Eminem would go on to make "The Marshall Mathers LP 2," which was released in 2013.

“That was the moment of pain,” Peter said after getting word Eminem was out. "That was the low moment.”

In a recent interview with Zane Lowe for Beats 1 Radio, Eminem said he “wouldn't have been able to do” “Southpaw” due to scheduling issues related to making the album.

With Eminem out, DreamWorks lost interest in the project. Thankfully, Fuqua still wanted to direct.

Following some talks with MGM to take the project, which Alan said “never got into negotiations,” Harvey Weinstein came calling.

“He had read the original script and very much wanted the project originally,” said Alan of the legendary producer who has been behind Best Picture Oscar-winners “Shakespeare in Love,” “The English Patient,” “Chicago,""The King’s Speech,” and “The Artist.

The Weinstein Company bought the film rights in 2013, while the Riches continued looking for their Billy Hope.

Aaron paul coachella“We talked at length with Aaron Paul,” said Alan. “Travis Fimmel from ‘Vikings,’ Charlie Hunnam from ‘Sons of Anarchy,’ but Harvey Weinstein always had it in his head that it would be Jake Gyllenhaal.”

Gyllenhaal had been on a stretch of taking on challenging and physically demanding roles, including 2012’s “End of Watch,” 2013’s “Prisoners,” and 2014’s “Nightcrawler,” in which he dropped 30 pounds to play a freelancer shooting gruesome accidents and crimes to sell to the local news stations.

When the Riches, Fuqua, and Sutter had a meeting with Gyllenhaal about coming on the film, he was still frail from the role and as Alan recalls, “was still in the head of that ‘Nightcrawler’ character.”

gyllenhaal nightcrawler“To Antoine’s credit, he looked into Jake’s eyes and knew he could do the work with him,” said Peter.

Gyllenhaal trained twice a day for six hours, and gained the 30 pounds he lost for “Nightcrawler,” plus adding on 15 more for the role. Then during production, Peter said Fuqua and Gyllenhaal would work out every day before shooting.

gylenhaal southpaw trainingThe Riches were taken aback by the actor's dedication, saying he gave the film everything he had every single day.

It shows on screen. Gyllenhaal's performance in “Southpaw” is as intense as the training he did, already leading to Oscar buzz for the actor. 

He's even received praise from the original actor for the role. “Jake smashed it,” said Eminem in the interview with Lowe.

In fact, Eminem loves the movie so much he made two original songs for the film and is releasing the soundtrack on his label.

Looking back on the last five years, Alan and Peter don’t dwell on the struggle. (“We're doing ‘Tarzan’ for Warner Bros. and that’s taken 13 years to get made," said Alan.) But instead believe the experience has made the trust and love they have for one another even stronger.

“It had its challenges but it was worth every minute," Peter said about the film. “It was grueling but we would do it all over again tomorrow.”

“Southpaw” opens in theaters July 24.

Watch the trailer:

 

SEE ALSO: Here's an incredible hand-written letter and illustration from Eminem to Tupac's mother

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NOW WATCH: We just learned a bunch of new details about what's coming up in the next 'Star Wars' movie

The director of the short film that inspired 'Pixels' says Adam Sandler’s version 'could have been better'

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If you watch the trailer for the new Adam Sandler comedy “Pixels,” you'll find the usual antics from the funny man and eye popping 8-bit graphics developed from the backing of a major movie studio.

But what’s more remarkable is the short film that inspired it.

French filmmaker/artist Patrick Jean created the two-and-a-half minute short, also titled “Pixels,” five years ago for $5,000. In it, the classic arcade games of the 1980s travel to New York City and begin to devour it into 8-bit blocks.

Pixels short finalThe short became an instant sensation on the web, getting over a million views in its first 24 hours online, according to Jean’s website. And, as Jean told Business Insider, within two weeks he began hearing from movie studios about making it into a feature-length film that he’d direct.
 pixels short“I came up with the idea of what the feature film became,” said Jean in a phone conversation from L.A. “I pitched it to about five companies that really wanted it and we ended up going with Adam Sandler and Sony.”

For the next four years, Jean went from directing a modest-budgeted movie about ex-gamers trying to save the world from its destruction by classic video game characters, to stepping aside as major players in Hollywood took it over.

He said he’s grateful for what has happened, but he has some critiques about the finished product.

According to Jean, he sold the film rights for $1 million. He was to direct the film with Sandler producing it and perhaps star. Jean teamed with a screenwriter hired by Sandler’s Happy Madison production company to write the script, which he said went through many drafts over a few years.

Pixels Chris Columbus George Kraychyk SonyBut when the script got to a point when the project got a green light, the budget increased, which led to Jean’s exit as director.

“They asked me to come up with a list of directors [to make the movie] and we got Chris Columbus,” said Jean.

Columbus is known for the fantastical films he wrote in the 1980s ("Gremlins" and "The Goonies") and the classics he went on to direct ("Home Alone,""Mrs Doubtfire," and the first two "Harry Potter" movies).

Jean became an executive producer on the film and made an arrangement with Sony that he would shadow Columbus on set.

“It wasn’t easy because it was my baby at one point,” said Jean of having to relinquish the director reigns. “But I still wanted to be attached to the project, so I learned to watch and not interfere with what Chris wanted.”

When asked what he thinks about the film, Jean doesn’t give the usual Hollywood spin.

Patrick Jean final“I think the movie is not perfect, but I like it,” he said. “I feel the second half of the movie could have been better. But I know they had budget issues, they had to cut some stuff.”

One bit in particular is a scene at the end where the heroes (played by Sandler, Kevin James, Josh Gad, and Peter Dinklage) meet their younger selves (who we meet in the beginning of the movie) while battling the mothership that’s releasing the video game characters onto Earth.

“They did shoot it,” said Jean. “But sadly it didn’t make it in the film.”

Overall, Jean said he loves the humor of the film, and the visual effects. “It’s a light action comedy movie and that’s what we wanted to do in the first place,” he said.

But he’s now ready to direct one of his projects.

He says he’s shooting a live-action film for a French company next summer and is in talks with Sony to direct an animated feature.

“Pixels” opens in theaters on Friday.

Watch Jean’s “Pixels” short below:

 

SEE ALSO: Here's when you'll be able to see Adam Sandler's first original Netflix movie

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NOW WATCH: Peter Dinklage is a Donkey Kong champ in new 'Pixels' trailer

Adam Sandler's latest comedy flops at the box office

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Pixels Adam Sandler Sony

Following a week where the film received a pitiful 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, "Pixels," Adam Sandler's new comedy, ended up being the SNL alum's latest dud.

The film came in second at the domestic box office this weekend with a lackluster estimated take of only $23.7 million.

The opening weekend for "Pixels" is not a good start for Sony's lone big summer release. The estimated cost for the movie is around $88 million, according to The Wrap.

Marvel's latest superhero hit, "Ant-Man," won the weekend with an estimated $24.77 million, according to Deadline.

"Pixels" started off well on Friday, earning the top spot for the day with an estimated $9.2 million, according to Deadline. But "Ant-Man" came on strong the rest of the weekend and just edged out Sandler's CGI-heavy comedy in which he and pals (Kevin James, Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad) try to save the world from classic arcade characters from the 1980s.

However, things were better than expected for another new release, Jake Gyllenhaal's boxing drama "Southpaw." The film did better than early projections with an impressive $16.5 million.

SEE ALSO: The director of the short film that inspired "Pixels" says Adam Sandler's version "could have been better"

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NOW WATCH: This looks like the sequel 'Maze Runner' fans were waiting for

'SNL' star Colin Jost describes how intimidating it can be to pitch a movie to Lorne Michaels

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Colin Jost Saturday Night Live Dana Edelson.JPG

Known best as the co-anchor of Weekend Update on “Saturday Night Live,” Colin Jost is part of the new cast of comics taking over the show.

Since Seth Meyers left in 2014, “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels promoted Jost to not only the Weekend Update chair, but also the show’s head writer.

Colin Jost Lorne Michaels andy samberg seth meyersJost has also been thrust into Michaels' inner circle, as he’s producing Jost’s first feature-length script, “Staten Island Summer.

The comedy, which opens in select theaters on Friday and then available on Netflix July 30 (currently available on iTunes), looks at the antics of lifeguards working at a swim club in Staten Island as they try to pull off an end of summer party. The cast includes “SNL” current and former talents Bobby Moynihan, Cecily Strong, Kate McKinnon, Fred Armisen, and Will Forte.

Though Michaels is constantly executive producing movies and TV shows, he hasn’t had a producer credit on a film since 2012’s “The Guilt Trip.” His past producing credits aren’t too shabby, including projects of such "SNL" greats as Mike Meyers (“Wayne’s World), Chris Farely (“Tommy Boy,” “Black Sheep”) and Tina Fey (“Mean Girls).

Jost says his film being made wouldn’t have been possible without Michaels taking interest. But the comic admits the pitch process for “Staten Island Summer” was a hectic ordeal.
 Staten Island Summer3The idea behind the film came about a few years ago when a conversation between Jost and Michaels led to Jost bringing up his interest in doing a comedy around lifeguards at a swim club, which was his job during summers as a teen in Staten Island.

What Jost thought was a casual conversation suddenly become a real pitch.

“I told him that’s what I really wanted to write next,” Jost told Business Insider, “and I think when he was at Paramount next he kind of told them vaguely about the idea and they were interested.”

Jost said he had to come up with a pitch for the studio in a week.

“So what was a vague idea in my mind that I thought would be a fun topic became a tense week of coming up with the characters in the movie, the plot structure, it was a crazy scramble,” Jost said.

lorne michaelsHe locked himself in a hotel room in L.A. for the week leading up to the pitch at Paramount.

Though Jost said he’s no stranger to pitching projects to studios, this one was a little different. Before talking to the Paramount suits, he had to go through Michaels and his executives first. After honing the pitch with them, it was time to do it for real in front of Michaels and Paramount’s head of production.

“It was a very intimidating situation because it’s just the three of us in a quite private dining room,” Jost said. “You’re hearing clinking of table wear on china and then small talk and then a pause followed by, ‘Well, what’s this idea you have, Colin?’”

Jost said the pressure of doing the pitch was elevated because Lorne Michaels is sitting right there, too.

“You feel if it doesn’t work you’re also failing him,” said Jost.

Luckily for Jost, Paramount bought the idea for “Staten Island Summer” right then and there. Jost spent the rest of 2013 writing the script and director Rhys Thomas shot the film last summer in Staten Island.

Looking back on the pitch process, Jost credits the break-neck speed in which "Saturday Night Live" is done every week to pulling it off. He also believes using familiar things from his childhood helped flesh things out.

“When you’re pitching movies sometimes you know what the idea is but you fully don’t know the dimensions of it,” he said. “But this felt a little more concrete because I’d lived it.”

Check out the trailer for “Staten Island Summer” below:

 

SEE ALSO: Here's what it's like to watch "Saturday Night Live" in person

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Here’s what’s coming to Netflix in August

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With summer winding down, spend August at home with the latest additions to Netflix streaming.

For starters, dive into the newest Netflix original series “Narcos,” which looks at the reign of infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar. Then you can watch two very different perspectives on combat with “Lord of War” and “The Hurt Locker.” There’s also new seasons available for some of your favorite shows.

Here’s what you should check out on Netflix in August:

TV

revenge abc ratings cancelation“Doctor Who” (available 8/8)

Season 8 of Doctor #12 is now available.

“Narcos” (available 8/28)

Follow the true story of Colombia’s most infamous drug cartel gangster.

“Revenge” (available 8/28)

Watch the final season of the ABC show.


MOVIES

hurt locker trailer bomb explosion“30 For 30: Angry Sky” (2015)

This incredible story recounts the obsession one regular guy from New Jersey had to break the free-fall record in 1966.

“The Hurt Locker” (2008)

The Best Picture Oscar winner in 2010, in which Jeremy Renner received an Oscar nomination, is worth checking out.

“Lord of War” (2005)

Nicolas Cage plays a Ukrainian immigrant turned arms dealer who grows a conscience.

Here’s the full list of August releases:

Available 8/1/15


"Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein" (1999)

"Asylum" (2005)
"Back in Time"/ "Cong Cong Na Nian" (2014)
"Beneath the Helmet" (2014)
"Breakup Buddies"/ "Xin Hau Lu Fang" (2014)
"Bride and Prejudice" (2004)
"Casting By" (2012)
"Dancing on the Edge" (Season 1) 
"Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" (Season 2) 
"Dear Frankie" (2004)
"Dogs on the Inside" (2014)
"Electric Slide" (2014)
"Enemy at the Gates" (2001)
"Flex is Kings" (2013)
"Lost and Love"/ "Shi Gu" (2015)
"Masha and the Bear" (Season 1) 
"November Rule" (2015)
"Odd Squad" (Season 1) 
"Outcast" (2014)
"Pants on Fire" (2014)
"Reading Rainbow" (Volume 1) 
"Russell Brand: End the Drugs War" (2014)
"Russell Brand: From Addiction to Recovery" (2012)
"Somewhere Only We Know"/ "You yi ge di fang zhi you wo men zhi dao" (2015)
"Sorority Row" (2009)
"The Code" (Season 1) 
"The Golden Era"/ "Huang Jin Shi Dai" (2014)
"The Hurt Locker" (2008)
"The Living" (2014)
"The Mind of a Chef" (Season 3) 
"Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns" (2008)
"Utopia" (Season 1) 
"Vexed" (Season 1-2) 
"War" (2007)
"Wing Commander" (1999)

Available 8/3/15


"Chronic-Con, Episode 420: A New Dope" (2015)


Available 8/4/15

"
Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead" (2015)


Available 8/5/15


"Yellowbird" (2014)


Available 8/6/15


"Kill Me Three Times" (2014)
"My Amityville Horror" (2012)
"The Look of Love" (2013)
"Welcome to Me" (2014)

Available 8/7/15


"Club de Cuervos: Season 1
HitRECord on TV" (Season 1) 
"Motivation 2: The Chris Cole Story" (2015)
"Project Mc2" (2015)
"Transporter: The Series" (Season 2)

Available 8/8/15

"Doctor Who" (Season 8) 

Available 8/11/15


"Fred: The Movie" (2010)

"Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred" (2011)
"Fred 3: Camp Fred" (2012)
"Two Days, One Night" (2014)

Available 8/12/15

"For a Good Time, Call..." (2012)
"
Leap Year" (2010)
"The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death" (2014)

Available 8/14/15


"Demetri Martin: Live (At The Time)" (2015)

"DinoTrux" 
"Ever After High Way too Wonderland" (Season 3)
"Ship of Theseus" (2012)

Available 8/15/15


"Alex of Venice" (2014)


Available 8/16/15


"Being Flynn" (2012)

"Pariah" (2011)
"Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" (2012)

Available 8/17/15


"Lord of War" (2005)

Available 8/19/15


"Jerk Theory" (2009)


Available 8/20/15


"30 for 30: Angry Sky" (2015)

"As Cool As I Am" (2013)
"Strange Empire" (Season 1)

Available 8/21/15


"Grantham & Rose" (2014)

"Transcend" (2014)

Available 8/23/15


"Girl Meets World" (Season 1)


Available 8/27/15


"Byzantium" (2012)
"
White God" (2014)

Available 8/28/15


"Inspector Gadget" (Season 2)
"
Narcos": Season 1
"Once Upon a Time" (Season 4) 
"Revenge" (Season 4)

Available 8/29/15


"Ride" (2015)


Available 8/30/15


"Muffin Top: A Love Story" (2014)

SEE ALSO: Here's everything leaving Netflix in August

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This intense first trailer for Netflix's 'Narcos' brings Pablo Escobar to life

Here’s everything leaving Netflix in August

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Sadly, Netflix is letting go of some classics in August.

One of the highest-grossing movies of all time, “Titanic,” is shoving off. And we also have to say farewell to “Driving Miss Daisy,” “The Fifth Element,” and “We’re No Angels.”

The complete list is below. We’ve highlighted a few titles that are worth checking out one last time.

Leaving 8/1/15


“Bad Girl Island” 

“Barbershop” 
“Beauty Shop” 
“Bulletproof” 
“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”
“Digimon Adventure” (Season 1-3)
“Driving Miss Daisy” 
“Face/Off” 
“Fools Rush In” 
“Gangsters: Faces of the Underworld” (Season 1)
“Hawking”
“Hot Pursuit” 
“Houseboat” 
“Inside Fendi”
“Joe Dirt” 
“Kiss the Girls” 
“Pumping Iron” 
“The Pitch” (Season 1)
“Shooter” 
“The Fifth Element” 

FifthElement“The Longest Day” 
“Titanic” 
“Unbreakable” 
“Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea” 
“We're No Angels” 

Leaving 8/6/15

“The Raven” 

Leaving 8/8/15


“Albert Nobbs” 
“Explorers: Adventures of the Century” (Season 1-2)

Leaving 8/15/15


“Family Ties” (Season 1-7)

“Immortalized” (Season 1)
“The Forsyte Saga” (Series 1-2)

Leaving 8/23/15


“Jiro Dreams of Sushi”

Leaving 8/24/15


“My Fair Wedding” (Season 5)


Leaving 8/25/15


“Petunia” 

Leaving 8/27/15


“LEGO Atlantis” (2010)
“LEGO: Hero Factory: Breakout” 
“LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu: King of Shadows” 
“LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu: Way of the Ninja” 

Leaving 8/28/15


“The Moth Diaries” 

the moth diaries IFC FilmsLeaving 8/31/15


“Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends” (Season 1-3)

SEE ALSO: Here's what's coming to Netflix in August

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: There's no other way to put it — the trailer for Netflix's 'Wet Hot American Summer' reboot is INCREDIBLE


Tom Cruise held his breath for an astounding 6 minutes in this crazy underwater stunt in the new 'Mission: Impossible'

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Since Tom Cruise started the "Mission: Impossible" movie franchise 19 years ago, his reputation as an actor who wants to do his own stunts has become legendary. Each new film for "M:I" seems to bring new spectacular stunts, with Cruise himself doing the heavy lifting.

You probably thought Cruise couldn’t top climbing the tallest building in the world in "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol"in 2011 — but you’d be wrong.

mission impossible ghost protocol"Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" doesn't hit theaters until Friday, but you've probably already caught a glimpse of Cruise's latest stunt in which he hangs on the side of a massive airplane as it takes off.

mission impossible plane 4And yes, that’s really the actor  not a stunt double.

But according to the film’s stunt coordinator, Wade Eastwood, that wasn’t the stunt he was most concerned about Cruise taking on himself.

At a key moment in the movie, Cruise, playing IMF agent Ethan Hunt, has to dive into an underwater safe to retrieve the computer chip that will lead him closer to the film’s villain. Along with having to hold his breath the whole time, he also must keep away from a large crane that’s circling around the safe.

The stunt first required Cruise to jump off a 120-foot ledge (the bottom was all CGI, but he really did the jump).

tom cruise mi waterThen in an underwater set that was filled 20 feet high with water, Cruise had to hold his breath as he acted out the scene.

tom cruise mi water 2“It’s all Tom,” boasts Eastwood to Business Insider, about Cruise doing his own stunts for the movie. “There’s no time you don’t see Ethan in the film and it’s not Tom.”

Eastwood (no relation to Clint) had worked previously with Cruise on “Edge of Tomorrow,” so he was aware of Cruise’s obsession with authenticity when it comes to stunt work. But he still marvels over Cruise’s physical ability.

“It’s been said in other interviews, if he wasn’t an actor he would have been a great stunt man,” said Eastwood. “The difference between Tom and a stunt man is he acts the character after hearing ‘action.’ A stunt person just does the stunt to double the character.”

And that is the aspect that made Eastwood’s job to pull off the underwater scene the most challenging.

Though they had cameras all over the set monitoring the star as he was underwater, and stunt crews at the ready to jump into action if anything went wrong, Eastwood said Cruise still had to act in the scene. This meant it needed to look like he was losing breath and becoming unconscious.

Tom Cruise Mission Impossible David James“On two or three occasions I brought him up because I felt he was down for too long,” said Eastwood. “He was like, ‘What are you doing? I was right in the moment. I’m acting.’ And I was like, ‘I know, it was just too real for me and I wasn’t comfortable.’”

Eastwood said the longest Cruise was underwater for a take was over six minutes.

Eastwood recalls Cruise telling him one time after having the actor come up for air, “I got plenty of breath, trust me. I don’t want to die.”

The scene took two weeks to shoot, according to Eastwood. But training for it started two months before production began.

To prepare Cruise for an underwater scene in which he’d be holding his breath for over six minutes, Eastwood brought in a freediving record holder to teach the actor breathing exercises. Basically, as Eastwood explains, teaching your mind “that you don’t have to take a breath.”

Eastwood said Cruise even blacked out a few times during the training.

“That’s how you learn your limits,” Eastwood said.

That was another concern of Eastwood’s — what if Cruise got too into character?

“It’s a very calming and surreal state being underwater, especially when you’re holding your breath for that long,” he said. “You’ve gone through training to let your mind to that place where you can control it. It’s dangerous because you get carried away in the acting and you get in such a euphoric and relaxed state being in character that you forget what you’re doing. That was my worry.”

Thankfully, Cruise kept his head together and pulled off a scene that’s agonizingly claustrophobic yet remarkable to watch.

And that’s after seeing him hang from a moving plane.

SEE ALSO: How Scientology almost ruined Tom Cruise's career and 'Mission: Impossible' saved it

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This 'Mission Impossible' behind-the-scenes footage of a 53-year-old Tom Cruise hanging off a plane is terrifying

Here's everything coming to Netflix in August

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Surprise, July is just about over! Wasn't that fast? 

Don't despair though, a new month means new titles on Netflix — all the better to distract yourself from the knowledge that you only have a few more weeks of summer left. 

That includes Oscar-winners like "The Hurt Locker",  a new season of "Doctor Who", and the first season of the "Boy Meets World" sequel series "Girl Meets World". 

Here's what you should check out in August

TV

dr doctor who capaldi

"Doctor Who" Season 8 (Available 8/8)

In Season 8, the Doctor returns for another thrilling series In the BBC science fiction television. He has lately regenerated into Doctor #12, played by Peter Capaldi. Also starring Jenna Coleman.

"Girl Meets World" Season 1 (Available 8/23)

This next-generation comedy reprises the characters of Cory and Topanga Matthews from the much- loved 1990s sitcom "Boy Meets World" and focuses on the continuing adventures of the couple's young daughter, Riley.

"Narcos" Season 1 (Available 8/28)

The true story of Colombia's infamously violent and powerful drug cartels fuels this gritty new gangster drama series.

"Once Upon A Time" Season 4 (Available 8/28)

Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin and Robert Carlyle star in this fantastical series that follows the travails of a young woman who is drawn to a small Maine town and discovers that it's filled with the mystical elements of the fairy tale world.

Movies

hurt locker trailer bomb explosion

"The Hurt Locker" (2008) (Availabe 8/1)

Kathryn Bigelow directs this gripping drama that follows a U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal team operating in Iraq. Amid the dangers of their work, the squad also contends with the pressures that arise from living in constant peril.

"Demetri Martin: Live (At The Time)" (2015) (Available 8/14)

Demetri Martin's newest comedy special LIVE (AT THE TIME) will premiere exclusively on Netflix on August 14, 2105. Filmed at the Historic Lincoln Theatre in Washington, DC, the special will feature Martin delivering a brand new hour of his signature one-liners showcasing his abilities as one of this generation's sharpest comedy minds.

"Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" (2012) (Availabel 8/16)

As an asteroid hurtles toward Earth, a man whose wife has abandoned him spends the planet's final days on a road trip to reunite with his high school sweetheart. But a lovely neighbor who tags along for the ride complicates his plans.

"Lord of War" (2005) (Available 8/17)

Looking to break away from his dead-end life, a Ukrainian immigrant goes from two-bit thug to international arms dealer -- closing his eyes to the repercussions of who purchases the weapons. But he soon finds that his profiteering comes at a cost.

Here's the full list of August releases

Available 8/1

"Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein" (1999)
"Asylum" (2005)
"Back in Time/ Cong Cong Na Nian" (2014)
"Beneath the Helmet" (2014)
"Breakup Buddies/ Xin Hau Lu Fang" (2014)
"Bride and Prejudice" (2004)
"Casting By" (2012)
"Dancing on the Edge" (Season 1) 
"Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" (Season 2)
"Dear Frankie" (2004)
"Dogs on the Inside" (2014)
"Electric Slide" (2014)
"Enemy at the Gates" (2001)
 "Flex is Kings" (2013)
"Lost and Love/ Shi Gu" (2015)
"Masha and the Bear" (Season 1)
"November Rule" (2015)
"Odd Squad" (Season 1)
"Outcast" (2014)
"Pants on Fire" (2014)
"Reading Rainbow" (Volume 1)
"Russell Brand: End the Drugs War" (2014)
"Russell Brand: From Addiction to Recovery" (2012)
"Somewhere Only We Know/ You yi ge di fang zhi you wo men zhi dao" (2015)
"Sorority Row" (2009)
"The Code" (Season 1)
"The Golden Era/ Huang Jin Shi Dai" (2014)
"The Hurt Locker" (2008)
"The Living" (2014)
"The Mind of a Chef" (Season 3)
"Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns" (2008)
"Utopia" (Season 1)
"Vexed" (Season 1-2)
"War" (2007)
"Wing Commander" (1999)

Available 8/3/15

"Chronic-Con, Episode 420: A New Dope" (2015)

Available 8/4/15


Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead (2015)

Available 8/5/15


"Yellowbird" (2014)

Available 8/6/15


"Kill Me Three Times" (2014)
"My Amityville Horror" (2012)
"The Look of Love "(2013)
"Welcome to Me" (2014)

Available 8/7/15

"Club de Cuervos" (Season 1)
"HitRECord on TV" (Season 1)
"Motivation 2: The Chris Cole Story" (2015)
"Project Mc2" (2015)
"Transporter: The Series" (Season 2)

Available 8/8/15

"Doctor Who" Season 8

Available 8/11/15

"Fred: The Movie" (2010)
"Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred" (2011)
"Fred 3: Camp Fred" (2012)
"Two Days, One Night" (2014)

Available 8/12/15

"For a Good Time, Call..." (2012)
"Leap Year" (2010)
"The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death" (2014)

Available 8/14/15

"Demetri Martin: Live (At The Time)" (2015)
"DinoTrux"
"Ever After High Way too Wonderland" (Season 3)
"Ship of Theseus" (2012)

Available 8/15/15

"Alex of Venice" (2014)

Available 8/16/15


"Being Flynn" (2012)
"Pariah" (2011)
"Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" (2012)

Available 8/17/15

"Lord of War" (2005)

Available 8/19/15


"Jerk Theory" (2009)
"Real Husbands of Hollywood" (Season 3)

Available 8/20/15


"30 for 30: Angry Sky" (2015)
"As Cool As I Am" (2013)
"Strange Empire" (Season 1)

Available 8/21/15


"Grantham & Rose" (2014)
"Transcend" (2014)

Available 8/23/15


"Girl Meets World" (Season 1)

Available 8/27/15


"Byzantium" (2012)
"White God" (2014)

Available 8/28/15


"Inspector Gadget" (Season 2)
"Narcos" (Season 1)
"Once Upon a Time" (Season 4)
"Revenge" (Season 4)

Available 8/29/15


"Ride" (2015)

Available 8/30/15


"Muffin Top: A Love Story" (2014)

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: TV's best kept secret just released season 2

Hugh Jackman teases his final Wolverine movie on Twitter

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There's very little we know about Hugh Jackman's final appearance as the "X-Men" hero Wolverine, other than the fact it will be a third and final "Wolverine" solo film happening relatively soon — the spring of 2017, to be exact. 

With three other "X-Men" movies in the pipeline first — "X-Men: Apocalypse" (where Jackman will next appear as Wolverine), "Deadpool", and "Gambit" (starring Channing Tatum)  — it's not likely that we'll hear much about Jackman's last solo outing for a little while. 

That doesn't mean Jackman isn't talking about it, though. Monday night, the star posted a photo on his Twitter account, asking fans what they would like to see in his final film wearing the iconic claws.  

This comes a few weeks after San Diego Comic-Con, where Jackman did some speculation of his own and teased a possible adaptation of "Old Man Logan"— a post-apocalyptic story where an older Wolverine is the only superhero left in a world dominated by villains.

The final "Wolverine" movie, which remains untitled, is scheduled to arrive in theaters on March 3, 2017.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: One of the world's most popular games is getting a huge addition

It's hard to believe this film about Benghazi is a Michael Bay movie

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Michael Bay's bold take on an attack on Americans in Libya in 2012 is coming to the big screen.

"13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" stars John Krasinski and Pablo Schreiber ("Orange is the New Black"). It opens on January 15, 2016.

Produced By Ian Phillips. Video courtesy of Paramount.
 

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Almost 20 years later, the first 'Mission: Impossible' movie holds up really well

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mission impossible

When "Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation" releases in theaters July 31, it will have been 19 years since the blockbuster franchise kicked off with the first "Mission: Impossible" film in the summer of 1996.

It could be argued that the "Mission: Impossible" movies are actually two different franchises — the first one comprising of the first film in 1996 and its wildly different 2000 sequel, the second a kinda-reboot that started with J.J. Abrams' directorial debut, "Mission: Impossible 3" in 2007 and continuing through the upcoming "Rogue Nation". The movies just feel that different.

It's kind of like the "Fast and Furious" franchise, but without any sort of real thematic underpinning like "family". Outside of a few superficial elements (like the theme song and the famous lit fuse title sequence) there isn't a whole lot tying it to the long-running television series it's based on. The reason for this is kind of simple, and a big part of the original series' success — it was focused squarely on the capers, each episode only about the latest task faced by the Impossible Missions Force (IMF).

Because of this, it's kind of hard to pin down what makes for necessary elements for an "M:I" film other than 1. Tom Cruise, 2. Outrageous stunts, and maybe 3. Super lifelike masks?

That said, the first "Mission: Impossible" still holds up really, really well, and is worth revisiting. 

Directed by Brian De Palma, "Mission: Impossible" was the first film produced by Tom Cruise's then-new production company Cruise/Wagner Productions, and in many ways, Cruise is the driving force behind the franchise, signing off on almost everything and doing a lot of his own stunts. Going back and watching the first one now is fascinating, if only to see at some points that Cruise is literally the only thing holding it together through sheer charisma.

It stands in stark contrast to the excess of its 2000 sequel and the slick, high-budget stylishness of the later films — and that's what results in all the things that make it so fun to watch.

The film follows a simple concept

The story of "Mission: Impossible" is pretty simple, and kind of similar to the films that follow — Tom Cruise plays Impossible Missions Force agent Ethan Hunt. On a routine mission in Prague, everything goes horribly wrong and Hunt is framed for the death of his entire squad. While on the run, Hunt must assemble his own team of fellow disavowed agents, and clear his name.

While similar plots would later give the franchise the impetus to go as big as possible (like the Burj Khalifa setpiece in "Ghost Protocol"), "Mission: Impossible" keeps things relatively taut and smallish. The big scenes are limited to a party in Prague, the famous infiltration of CIA headquarters in Langley, and a high-speed European train — and it's pretty refreshing to revisit a time where Hollywood blockbusters didn't require billions of dollars in property damage in their big climaxes. 

It's gorgeously shot

As a mid-90s action movie, "Mission: Impossible" has every reason to be full of uninspired visuals without a lick of style. Fortunately, it's also a Brian de Palma film — the acclaimed "Scarface" director designed a lot of the action sequences himself, and cinematographer Stephen H. Burum keeps things simple yet slick, with great wide shots and clear composition. It's a big part of why the mid-90s special effects work so well (more on that in a minute).

A standout sequence in the film is also one of the smallest. Early in the film, after Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) witnesses his entire squad systematically taken out, De Palma goes with a Dutch angle to depict Hunt's desperation as he calls his superiors. You even see Hunt's breath fogging up the glass in the phone booth, a nice touch.

Mission Impossible phone call

The next shot has Hunt staggering towards his rendezvous point with Agent Kittridge, the man he spoke to on the phone. Until this point, the film hasn't made much use of this first sequence being set in Prague, favoring tighter compositions focused on the action. Choosing this moment to feature the city's Old World iconography further plays up Hunt's disorientation — everything has gone wrong and he needs to get out of this city he doesn't belong in.

Mission Impossible Tom Cruise Prague

He meets Kittridge in an aquarium-themed restaurant, first shown in this wonderfully composed shot. You can see Kittridge sitting at his table, waiting for Hunt in the second window from the right.

Mission Impossible restaurant

Also cool: The way Hunt moves across the screen while it tightens on him and narrows to push Kittridge up against the opposite end of the frame. It's a confrontation set up like a Western, the sort of spacey shot that most modern films don't have the patience for.

Which is appropriate, because it ends with a (really cool-looking) bang:

The film is full of nice little touches like this. 

The special effects hold up surprisingly well.

Part of the reason for this is pretty obvious — while CGI was certainly being used in mid-90s blockbusters, it wasn't leaned on as heavily as it is today. Much of the action utilizes practical stunts and visual effects that really hold up. Even at its most cartoonish — the climactic action scene, where a small helicopter is tethered to a high-speed train and pulled into a tunnel — there's a weight and care given to portraying the ridiculousness of the scene, one that you can't get when doing the same thing with just CGI alone. 

mission impossible 1

As good as we've become at creating CG action scenes, a lot of them are still flat-out ridiculous, moving far from the realm of plausibility in constant attempts to top other movies and show audiences something they've never seen before. There's something appealing to just watching actual human bodies being tossed around with a bare minimum of computer animation as filmmakers attempt to portray them doing the impossible. 

It's dumb, but fun.

The plot of "Mission: Impossible" is kind of ridiculous — Ethan Hunt's plan to track down the bad guys of the film involves leaving coded messages for an information broker on early-internet Bible discussion boards — but it's effective connective tissue for all the action. 

Said action scenes are also among the most widely riffed on and parodied in cinema — and it's a testament to how well they're done that you can watch the film fully aware of how often its famous vault scene has been aped for laughs and thrills and still find it compelling. Seriously, that vault scene is top-notch work:

While the first "Mission: Impossible"  may not have had the lasting effect on pop culture that the series it was based on did, it's still a fun little time capsule of a movie. While its character work leaves much to be desired and the hows and whys of its plot have little reason to linger in your mind, it's a well-constructed action movie led by one of the most bankable leads in Hollywood with a top-notch auteur in the director's chair. It's the sort of collaboration that would be met with endless curiosity and excitement if it happened today.

If you want to check it out, you're in luck. The film is currently streaming on Netflix.

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