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The incredible career of J.J. Abrams: How the 49-year-old 'Star Wars' director became this generation's Steven Spielberg

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J.J. Abrams has established himself as the king of the nerds and creator of blockbuster hits. 

The 49-year-old director, writer, and producer has been at the helm of two reboots of iconic franchises set in space — "Star Wars" and "Star Trek"— and jumped into the action world by joining the "Mission: Impossible" franchise.

He's taken on the sci-fi world with his own film, "Super 8," which he produced with his idol Steven Spielberg. The film provides an obvious glimpse at the inspiration Spielberg's earlier films provided.

And even before the two had a chance to officially collaborate, Abrams, as a teen, helped refurbish old films for Spielberg. 

Before he was a blockbuster director, Abrams was at the head of hit TV shows, creating or cocreating "Felicity,""Alias," and "Lost," which became a cultural hit. 

He's also delved into some franchise-making of his own, producing "Cloverfield" and its surprisingly successful sequel, "10 Cloverfield Lane."

With the celebration of Star Wars Day and Abrams primed to produce more hits, here's a look at his established career: 

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every character in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' from best to worst

Jeffrey Jacob Abrams was born June 27, 1966 on Long Island but grew up in Los Angeles with his parents, producers Gerald W. and Carol Ann Abrams. His sister, Tracy, is a screenwriter.

Source: The New York Times Magazine



Abrams adored films by directors such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, and when he was 13, his grandfather gave him a Super 8mm camera, prompting Abrams to begin filming home movies.

Source: The New York Times Magazine



He met Matt Reeves at a young filmmakers festival in Los Angeles and soon began collaborating with him. The two were asked by Kathleen Kennedy, then working for Spielberg, to repair and refurbish some Super 8mm films he had made as a teen.

Source: Vanity Fair 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

People are up in arms over the new costumes in the 'Power Rangers' reboot

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Say "goodbye" to the shiny spandex Power Rangers costumes of the '90s — it's morphing time.

The first promo for the new "Power Rangers" movie that's set to premier in 2017 has arrived, and the Rangers have been upgraded, though not everyone is thrilled about the new uniforms.

Each ranger still has their own color, but the suits now also feature body armor, and in the case of the yellow and pink rangers, heels too. 

That's right, Yellow Ranger Trini (who will be played by pop singer Becky G) and Pink Ranger Kimberly (played by Naomi Scott) are wearing wedges in a promo photo released by Entertainment Weekly

Shortly after the photo was released, Twitter was awash with nostalgic sentiments about the early Power Ranger days and excitement for the upcoming movie, but there was also some criticism about the new outfits.

Chrissy Teigen even got involved, expressing surprise at the introduction of heels to the costumes, tweeting to her 1.47 million followers: "Go go power....WEDGES?????"

Others called the practicality of all the armor into question:

The moment of truth will come when the film premiers on March 24, 2017 and the Rangers' new outfits are put to test.

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NOW WATCH: Warner Bros. just released the first trailer for its R-rated animated Batman movie

A 22-year-old former addict wrote about rehab, and his famous dad Rob Reiner made it a movie

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For the last 30 years, Rob Reiner has been best known for directing movies like “Stand by Me,” “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally,” and “A Few Good Men.” The titles have brought joy to millions.

But the Reiner household hasn't been all happy. The legendary actor/filmmaker’s son, Nick, 22, has been battling drug abuse since his late teens.

Most families would want to keep that part of their lives as hidden from public view as possible. But Reiner admits that, even at the darkest moments of his son’s addiction, he thought of making a movie. Yet it was too painful to put pen to page and begin a script.

Rob Reiner Evan Agostini Invision APInterestingly enough, his son came to the same realization as a means to rehabilitate.

While at a rehab center in Los Angeles four years ago, Nick befriended fellow addict Matt Elisofon. The two began writing about their challenges with addiction and the people they met at rehab. Eventually they came up with a script for the movie “Being Charlie” (in theaters Friday), which they asked Rob to direct.

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last September to a sold-out crowd.

It’s a mix of drama and comedy that focuses on an 18-year-old named Charlie (played Nick Robinson of “Jurassic World” fame) as he struggles with addiction to heroin and cocaine. As Charlie jumps in and out of rehab, the aggravation of his actor-turned-politician father (Cary Elwes) grows, and he doesn’t know how to help his son.

“It was a real corrective emotional experience,” Nick Reiner told Business Insider following the TIFF screening about making the movie.

It took “Being Charlie” four years to get to the screen (in that time Nick has been sober), evolving from a half-hour comedy, then an hour dramedy that was rejected by the TV networks, to finally a feature film.

According to Rob Reiner, what the project lacked in its early development was telling both the father's and son's sides.

“It needed what he has been through but also what we had been through,” Rob told Business Insider, referring to himself and his wife, Michele, who was sitting beside him.

Michele Rob Jake Romy Nick Reiner Evan Agostini Invision APNick and Elisofon were by Rob’s side throughout filming. According to Rob, the script was tweaked daily to make the scenes more true to life.

“I relied on him,” Rob said of his son. “He’s the heart and soul of the film.”

One of the biggest adjustments came while shooting the film’s ending, in which Charlie and his father finally have a heart-to-heart.

Rob and Nick couldn’t find the right tone. After constant rewrites, they finally felt they had something a few days before shooting the scene. It’s a gripping moment when both the father and son open up to each other like they never have before.

The Reiners compare getting the ending right to the whole experience making the film.

"We were healing as we were going along," Nick said. "And it all doesn’t happen overnight. Certain things we hadn’t dealt with for a while but we were able to through this movie. It didn’t fix everything, but it really tapped into — "

Nick paused to find the words, then his father, sitting across from Nick, finished for him.

"It forced me to really have to understand what he had been going through for a long time," Rob said.

SEE ALSO: Ethan Embry never actually liked the hit movie that made him a star in the 1990s until now

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NOW WATCH: The new trailer for ‘Steve Jobs’ makes it clear that Sorkin is going to show us the man like never before

Michael Moore has harsh words for the company that released his latest movie

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Michael Moore Kevin Winter Getty

Michael Moore has always been known as the face of his own movies.

For his popular documentaries “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Bowling for Columbine,” which won him an Oscar, he traveled the country plugging his work in countless media outlets.

But for his latest movie, “Where to Invade Next,” the face of the movie has hardly been seen.

Moore was taken to the intensive care unit at a hospital in New York City after coming down with pneumonia on February 5, a week before the film hit theaters, and was unable to tour with the film after that.

Though the movie is the highest-grossing documentary of the year so far in the US, with close to $4 million earned to date, it’s not taking in the kind of money that his previous hits have.

Moore sold the film at the Toronto International Film Festival last September to a startup distributor run by Tom Quinn and Jason Janego, who had left The Weinstein Company's VOD arm, Radius, to go out on their own.

The yet-unnamed company, which is also run by Alamo Drafthouse’s Tim League, has only bought “Where to Invade Next” to date. It's been mum to the press on its plans going forward.

I spoke with Moore on Thursday in promotion of the Blu-ray release of “Where to Invade Next” (available May 10), and asked the filmmaker about his thoughts on the company that released the film.

“Do you know the name of the company?” Moore said.

When I said that I didn't know if it had one yet, he responded, “Hm, so maybe you’ve answered your question. There is no phone number for this unnamed company. There’s no address. I don’t think there was even a payroll. I think everything was contracted out to freelancers,” he said.

Michael Moore Tom Quinn Jason Janego Getty Kevin WinterWhen asked if he felt Quinn and Janego overpromised what they could do for the film, Moore said, “I'm not prepared to talk about this right now. I think it needs some time and some investigation and when I have it all before me I'll have something.

"I will say this, Tom Quinn and Jason Janego seem to be good and decent people," Moore continued. "I didn't know them before this transpired. But they certainly have a good track record, but honest to God I can't answer your question because I honestly don't know if there is a company, was a company, what they're doing now. And that's a different story for a different day.”

Quinn, however, told Business Insider that he loves the movie and is proud of the work he and his company did to make it the top-grossing documnetary of the year so far.

“There is no smoking gun, it’s an issue-driven movie, and I think Micheal Moore doing that kind of movie was interesting,” Quinn said. “That’s why I bought it.”

Moore has been known throughout his career to be tough on his distributors. He even sued the head of the distribution company behind the release of “Fahrenheit 9/11,” Harvey Weinstein, over profits for the movie.   

The company releasing “Where to Invade Next” certainly seemed to be planning a signature Michael Moore release, including a 50-state bus tour

But while pictures of the bus surfaced on social media, the tour never happened. When asked why, Moore told BI, “Like I said before, I'm not ready to talk about this right now. I saw the same picture and it looks like a nice bus.”

Quinn said of the canceled tour, “He got sick. We had two buses. Unfortunately he couldn't do it, because of his health issues.”

SEE ALSO: Snoop Dogg told us why he doesn't have a will: "I don't give a f--- when I'm dead."

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Here's how the new Spider-Man star got ripped for the role

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Tom Holland Anthony Harvey

English actor Tom Holland, 19, has been hard at work to achieve his Spider-Man look for "Captain America: Civil War," in which he makes an appearance.

Best known for starring in "Billy Elliot the Musical" in London in 2008, he found international attention when he was named the new Peter Parker in June. And he beat out some stiff competition of rising young actors to do so.

He'll also get his own standalone Spider-Man movie next year.

Recently, the actor has been busy showing off his training regimen for the role on Instagram.

Check out how Holland has been getting Spider-Man fit below:

SEE ALSO: New Spider-Man Tom Holland may have won the role thanks on his insane stunt videos on Instagram

"Back in the boxing gym," Holland said a month before the release of "Captain America: Civil War," no doubt getting ready for his Spider-Man standalone film.

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He said he's doing his boxing in a gym in Brixton, London.

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He was already looking more ripped several months ago.

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A simple software is behind most of Hollywood's enormous battle sequences

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Have you ever wondered how Hollywood creates those enormous battle sequences with hundreds of thousands of individuals? Sure, they could hire that many extras, but in reality a software company called Massive is behind these scenes.

Massive offers free 30-day trials of their software.

Written and produced by Ben Nigh

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Why the great 'Captain America: Civil War' might save the superhero movie

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Marvel hasn't had much trouble getting audiences to see its films, but it looks as if the studio has created a landmark moment with its latest movie, "Captain America: Civil War" (opening Friday).

With a rating of 92% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes as of Friday, "Civil War," the first acclaimed blockbuster of the summer season, isn't just being called a great movie. It's being called one of the greatest superhero movies ever made — at a time when some people seem to be tiring of the genre.

Any movie in which the Avengers duke it out will set up major expectations (the movie has set the record for most advance ticket sales for Fandango). But the refined storytelling and buildup of drama in the movie, in which Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) form factions, count more.

The box office for "Civil War" is certain to break records this weekend, but here's why it could also propel Marvel and other superhero movies forward and why you should see it:

SEE ALSO: Justin Timberlake just make his comeback with a celebrity-packed new music video

It’s the best Marvel superhero movie yet.

We know — it's a bold statement. But with the combination of action, suspense, and emotion from the story, it's hard not to call it that.

"This is Marvel at their best: a pacey, intelligent super-sized blockbuster and a roaringly fun night out,"Time Out London wrote.

"'Captain America: Civil War' feels like a pinnacle for Marvel,"Uproxx wrote. "Like, I can’t imagine their movies getting any better. This feels like the crescendo. This feels like the movie this series has been building towards for eight years. After all these movies, Marvel earned this fight. This is the best Marvel movie so far."



It makes you forget about "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."

Released soon after the dark and depressing "Batman v Superman," this movie proves that you can touch on dramatic material but still have fun.

"For audiences feeling burned by the superhero brawling in 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,' just hang on — it's not what you’re thinking,"TheWrap wrote.

"Forget 'Batman v Superman.' Here you get Ant-Man v Spider-Man, Hawkeye v Black Widow, Scarlet Witch v Vision, The Winter Soldier v Black Panther, and (well, duh) Captain America v Iron Man, all rolled into one. And that is what you call the ultimate Marvel superhero event,"Empire wrote.



The big Avengers battle is a set piece that actually delivers.

It's the moment you're most excited to see, and it's done perfectly.

"This scene is easily the best in the movie; it manages to feel dangerous and fun at the same time, a feat in and of itself,"Nerdist wrote.

"The climactic battle in Leipzig Airport is Civil War's high point: fast, inventive, and funny,"The Village Voice said. "It also finds suspense, and even some pathos, in the idea of superhumans pulling their punches; they're explicitly trying not to kill each other, and it turns out that's sort of hard."

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

'Captain America: Civil War' is looking to a monster box office opening this weekend

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With the critical reception for "Captain America: Civil War" universally positive and the marketing blasted wall-to-wall, the latest Marvel movie is looking to have a huge opening. 

That's especially true now, as it made $25 million at the domestic box office in its Thursday night preview, according to Box Office Mojo.

That's the 10th largest figure for a Thursday night showing, just behind what "Avengers: Age of Ultron" took in ($27.6 million) and this year's previous superhero flick "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" ($27.7 million).

But this is a good start for "Civil War" to hit the $200 million by the time Sunday comes around. "The Avengers" in 2012 made $18.7 million on its Thursday preview and ended up with a $207 million opening weekend. "Jurassic World" made $18.5 million on its Thursday and took in $208 million over the weekend, and its eventual $1.6 billion gross worldwide made it one of the top 10 moneymakers of all time.

"Civil War" will also no doubt be helped by the great reviews it's getting and the word of mouth it generates.

Things, of course, could always go wrong. Having a $20 million+ Thursday doesn't guarantee a $200 million weekend. "Batman v Superman" came out of the gates fast with $27.7 million but ended the weekend with $166 million

But if you see the movie this weekend, you'll see it's no "BvS."

Internationally, "Civil War" is doing great, having already taken in $291.2 million, after opening in many territories last weekend.

SEE ALSO: Here's how the new Spider-Man got ripped for the role

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Warner Bros. just released the first trailer for its R-rated animated Batman movie


Here's why the new Spider-Man is the best part of 'Captain America: Civil War'

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Warning: “Captain America: Civil War” spoilers below.

He’s one of the most beloved Marvel characters, but Spider-Man has had some rough times of late.

Back when the Marvel Cinematic Universe was just a glimmer in Disney’s eye, Sony was the ruler of the comic-book adaptations with the release of three Spider-Man movies from 2002-2007.

From the perfect casting of Tobey Maguire as the web slinger to the steamy chemistry between him and and costar Kirsten Dunst playing Mary Jane Watson — all watched over by the geeky eye of director Sam Raimi — the franchise proved a monster moneymaker for Sony. The three films raked in a combined $2.5 billion worldwide on a $597 million budget. 

tobey spider manBut how things have changed for Peter Parker.

The first blow was the lackluster critical reception for “Spider-Man 3” (2007), which, honestly, was a byproduct of Maguire and Dunst, and probably Raimi too, burnt out from the franchise. This led to a fourth movie with the trio attached being canceled.

Then things got worse when Sony rebooted the franchise in 2012 with Andrew Garfield as Spidey. “The Amazing Spider-Man” and its sequel two years later found only modest box office (by superhero standards) and fans weren’t feeling the passion for the character that the Raimi films had. Future movies with Garfield attached were scrapped.

andrew spider manSony, again, went back to the drawing board. And what they pulled off might go down as one of the biggest moves ever in comic-book movie history.

Though studios are extremely protective of their properties, Sony and Disney came to an agreement to allow Spider-Man to join the MCU, and having Spidey in the mix with the likes of Captain America, Iron Man, Ant-Man, Black Panther, and other Avengers in "Captain America: Civil War." The move has given fans a glimpse at the future Spider-Man/Peter Parker, and we’re here to tell you it’s bright.

As seen in the trailer for “Captain America: Civil War” (now in theaters), Spider-Man swings into action as a member of Team Iron Man in the movie. But Spidey’s presence is far from a blink-and-you-missed-it cameo.

In many ways we get the Spider-Man origin story out of the way in “Civil War,” as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) heads to Queens to seek out Peter Parker’s help and finds a kid who for the last six months has been swinging around New York City in a unitard and goggles assisting people with his new superpowers.

Stark doesn’t just bring him on Team Iron Man; he also upgrades Parker’s look with the Spider-Man outfit we all know and love. (This will likely eliminate a lot of the backstory and we can get to the good stuff when the standalone movie, “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” opens on July 7, 2017.)

Actor Tom Holland (best known for playing the lead in “Billy Elliot the Musical”) embodies Parker perfectly — a geeky outsider whose new powers make him yearn to do great things. And the 19-year-old has the sarcasm of the character down, as he holds his own opposite fellow smartypants Tony Stark, then as Spider-Man throws out the funny one-liners while going up against members of Team Captain America.

spidey civil war
As much as “Civil War” is a great superhero movie, the beginning is a little slow, and it’s when Stark seeks out Parker that you feel the movie really finds its groove.

Then when Team Captain America and Team Iron Man go head-to-head, the collision of the superheroes and their different personalities in the same space is a thrill. But it’s Spider-Man who stands out best. Mainly that's a result of great action and dialogue, but partly it’s the joy of finally seeing Spider-Man done right since the Raimi era.

What’s so unique about Spider-Man is that along with the superfans of the character, which are many, even if you are just a casual comic-book fan, you’ve probably encountered your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man either through cartoons or movies. So that ingrained knowledge leads to even more enjoyment when you watch a movie like “Civil War” and may not know every character featured, but you're up on the guy in the red tights one way or another.

If “Civil War” is any indication, we are in store for an enjoyable new era of Spider-Man.

SEE ALSO: Why "Captain America: Civil War" is the best Marvel superhero movie yet

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NOW WATCH: The 'Property Brothers' raced to see who could build IKEA furniture fastest — it wasn't pretty

41 movies you have to see this summer

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Cheer up, summer is around the corner. And with that comes a whole lot of blockbusters from Hollywood, plus some comedy and surprising doses of thoughtful drama.

Wedged between the must-see titles like "Captain America: Civil War,""X-Men: Apocalypse," and "Suicide Squad" are Seth Rogen's "Neighbors 2" and the new "Ghostbusters," plus titles for the kids, like "Finding Dory" and "The Secret Life of Pets."

Here we break down 41 (!) movies that should be on your calendar this summer.

Release dates below subject to change.

SEE ALSO: Disney has 6 'Star Wars' movies planned through 2020 — here they are

"Captain America: Civil War" (Release Date: May 6)

The Avengers are up against their fiercest foes: themselves. In the third "Captain America" film, a rift in the group has led the superheroes to pick sides — Team Captain America and Team Iron Man. Heralded by many to be the best Marvel movie yet, this blockbuster has off-the-charts hype.



"High-Rise" (Release Date: May 13)

Tom Hiddleston continues to show the range of characters he can play as he stars in the latest from director Ben Wheatley. In this trippy thriller, he plays a doctor who moves into a swanky high-rise that is slowly making residents go mad.



"Money Monster" (Release Date: May 13)

Directed by Jodie Foster, this thriller starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts follows a popular financial TV host (Clooney) who is held hostage by an irate investor on his live television show.



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A horror movie coming out next month was filmed entirely on Snapchat

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sickhouse andrea russettWith no real surprises to be had with cinema's found footage formula, a gambit of a film being entirely filmed using Snapchat has us intrigued.  

Sickhouse is a horror film from the mind of Hannah Macpherson and is completely comprised of brief Snapchat videos. The story follows a group of friends who go on a trip into the woods to explore the mystery behind the titular building where, we're assuming, isn't the nicest of places.

The film was scripted and shot over five days from 29 April to 3 May, and a trailer is now available to view.

Initially released via actor Andrea Russett's Snapchat account, the footage has since garnered over a million views since itsinduction online. A Director's Cut is now currently being edited with the finished product being billed as a 'made for mobile' film.

The feature-length horror comes from Indigenous Media, a next-gen studio that, in a bid to embrace the changing face of social media, aims to unveil original content across a variety ofplatforms.

Co-founder Jake Avnet toldMashable"We love innovating around story... Snapchat has enormous viewership andengagement, and until now no one had really attempted a true long form story on it so we were eager to take on the challenge.

"Younger audiences are not going to the theaters; they’re not watching TV. They spend their time online watching YouTube, Snapchat, etc. Since this is where these audiences live, why should we try to force them to go elsewhere to watch a movie or show?"

Sickhouse will be available to watch on Vimeo from 1 June.

 

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NOW WATCH: We asked an astronaut if aliens exist — and his answer was spot on

The new Captain America movie has the 5th best opening ever at the box office

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Captain America Civil War

Marvel and Disney have done it again.

The third Captain America movie, "Captain America: Civil War," did not just have the biggest opening of any of the Cap movies but the fifth-largest domestic opening ever with an estimated $181.8 million, according to pro.boxoffice.com.

Though the film didn't hit the rarefied-air of a $200 million opening as some in the industry projected, it still is an impressive start to the summer movie season as it raked in $25 million on its Thursday preview and $75 million on its full opening day on Friday.

With the opening by "Civil War," which is the 13th feature film in Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe, it joins other titles from the MCU in the top five of largest opening weekends.

Ahead of "Civil War" are fellow Marvel titles "Avengers: Age of Ultron" ($191.2 million) and "The Avengers" ($207.4 million), then "Jurassic World" ($208.8 million), and leading the pack is "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" ($247.9 million). And "Civil War" now has the third best May opening (with "The Avengers" and "Age of Ultron" are head of it).

The film — which follows the Avengers as they are split between two factions, Team Captain America and Team Iron Man — is also dominating overseas, as well. Having earned over $496 million, to date.

captain america civil warThis continues Disney's dominance at the box office as a film released by the studio has been number one in the US for the last four weeks. "Civil War" topping the box office follows the three-week reign of "The Jungle Book," which earned $21.87 million over the weekend ($285 million domestically/$776 million global to date).

Counting the continued success of "Zootopia," Disney leads all other studios at the domestic box office in 2016 with over $1 billion.

Thanks to its current 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, expect another big weekend for "Civil War" next week as the biggest title opening opposite it is the George Clooney/Julia Roberts thriller, "Money Monster."

SEE ALSO: Here's why the new Spider-Man is the best part of "Captain America: Civil War"

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NOW WATCH: Here's what 'Game of Thrones' stars look like in real life

Tom Hanks is trying to save the world from a plague in the 'Inferno' trailer

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Inferno Sony

Seven years after playing Robert Langdon in the adaptation of author Dan Brown's bestseller "Angels & Demons," Tom Hanks returns for the character's latest adventure, "Inferno."

Based on the fourth book in the Langdon series penned by Brown (which also includes "The Da Vinci Code" and "The Last Symbol"), this film sees the Harvard professor, who also solves murders and uncovers secret societies buried within the Vatican, trying to save the world from a plague. 

Alongside Hanks is Felicity Jones (who will be staring at the end of the year in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"), who plays a doctor helping Langdon after he suffers a bout with amnesia.

Director Ron Howard, who has helmed the previous Brown adaptations, also returns.

The movie opens in October. Watch the trailer here:

SEE ALSO: The 5 most talked-about moments from this week's "Game of Thrones"

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Here are all the Marvel movies coming out in the next 4 years

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With the opening of "Captain America: Civil War" over the weekend becoming the fifth-largest of all time at the box office, the adaptation of Marvel comic-book characters continues to be a profitable endeavor for Hollywood.

While most of that success comes from Marvel Studios at Disney, which holds the rights to "The Avengers"— among others — 20th Century Fox has found a huge box office with the release of its "X-Men" and standalone "Wolverine" movies, not to mention proving this year that even an outlandish character like Deadpool can make blockbuster money.

And though Sony is rebooting Spider-Man with the help of Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe, the studio once upon a time did very well with the character, and hopes to do so again.

Looking forward, all of those studios have numerous anticipated releases coming soon that adapt Marvel properties.

Here's the rundown of all the Marvel movies coming out from now through 2019:

SEE ALSO: Disney announced all its movies coming in the next 4 years — here's what you have to look forward to

"X-Men: Apocalypse" introduces us to the franchise's most chilling villain yet.



Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) is considered the first mutant, and is immortal.



We'll see how the X-Men handle him when the film opens on May 27.



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Jared Leto explains how he got 'under people's skin' doing his Joker laugh

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Every actor who has brought The Joker to the screen has had his own distinct take on the laugh.

As with everything Jared Leto has revealed about preparing for his turn as the Clown Prince of Crime in the upcoming "Suicide Squad" movie — out August 5 — his laugh story is highly unusual.

"I worked on the laugh walking around the streets of New York and Toronto," the actor said on CNBC's "Squawk Box.""I kinda would walk around the streets and see what laughs would get under people's skin."

Agitating people while playing The Joker seems to be something Leto thrived at.

Numerous "Suicide Squad" cast members have talked about the strange gifts the actor gave them and his method acting on the set.

"You know when you hear someone laugh at a restaurant? It's a little jarring," Leto went on to say while on "Squawk Box.""I tried them out. And I kind of got to a place where I would laugh and people are always turning around like, 'Who is this creepy guy behind me?'"

Watch Leto explain it here:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 10 movies most likely to dominate this summer

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'Captain America: Civil War' has 2 end-credit scenes — here's what they mean for future Marvel movies

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captain america civil war iron manWarning: If you haven't seen "Captain America: Civil War," there are huge spoilers ahead.

You know the drill by now Marvel fans! "Captain America: Civil War" is in theaters, and if you head out to see the film this weekend, make sure to stick around after it's over for two extra scenes.

And don't head out after the first one. Stay after all of the credits roll for a second brief scene.

If you missed one or both of them — or were confused by what was going on — we have you covered. 

Head back now if you don't want to be spoiled!

The first end-credits sequence

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What happens:

Steve Rogers/Captain America and Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier are in a high-tech lab. Bucky is seen missing his metal arm, having lost it to Iron Man in the film's final battle.

Rogers and Barnes are having a serious heart-to-heart about Barnes still being affected by the experiments that turned him into The Winter Soldier. As we see throughout "Civil War," he can still be triggered and used by the Avengers' enemies against his own will. Until there's a cure, Bucky doesn't want to put any more innocent lives at risk.

"You sure about this?" Rogers asks him.
"I can't trust my own mind," says Barnes. "I think going back under is the best thing."

We then see T'Challa/Black Panther enter the frame. Though he was at odds with The Winter Soldier throughout the film, he gives him a place of refuge and tells him he was simply a victim.

Barnes heads into a cryo chamber to return to a deep sleep, only to be awoken when Rogers or someone else figures out how to reverse what HYDRA did to him decades ago.

In a rather cryptic line, Captain America tells Black Panther, "You know they'll look for him here." Black Panther challenges them to come and try. As the scene ends we pan over a shot of T'Challa's fictional home country of Wakanda.

What it means:

black panther

This first sequence was pretty straight-forward. Black Panther is going to be housing The Winter Soldier from some unknown forces, maybe HYDRA, who could be looking for him.

The scene may also be setting up some events for Black Panther's solo movie that we'll get February 2018 from director Ryan Coogler ("Creed,""Fruitvale Station"). We don't know much about that movie, but it would be cool to see Bucky Barnes return in that film.

The second end-credits sequence

Captain America Civil War Spider Man Shield Official

We're back in Queens with a banged-up Peter Parker fresh from his big airport fight alongside Tony Stark and the Avengers.

His Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) is tending to his black eye asking exactly how he got injured. Parker says it was some guy named Steve from Brooklyn, a nod to Captain America and his hometown. He also says his friend was huge, referring to Ant-Man.

Aunt May then leaves Parker to himself and he checks a gadget on his wrist, undoubtedly from his new best buddy Tony Stark. He hits a button and a hologram appears on the ceiling showing off a Spider-Man logo.

The screen fades to black and says Spider-Man will return.

What it means:

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The appearance of the Spidey logo should get fans hyped for a standalone Spider-Man movie. While the idea of a third actor taking on the role of the webslinger may sound exhausting, there's plenty to be excited about.

This time, Sony Pictures, which has the rights to the Spider-Man franchise on film, won't be handling the movie alone. The studio has partnered with Marvel and Disney to bring the next film to screen. Titled "Spider-Man: Homecoming," the film will focus on a younger, teenaged Peter Parker who's trying to juggle school work and learning the basics of being a superhero. 

Even better? He'll be joined on screen by Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark/Iron Man, who we expect to be acting as his superhero mentor. If the chemistry the two have in this movie is any indication, then the upcoming standalone movie should be pretty fantastic.

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" will be in theaters July 7, 2017.

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Here's who Black Panther's mysterious security chief probably is in 'Captain America: Civil War'

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Fans are still buzzing about "Captain America: Civil War." The action epic was a massive success for Marvel and propelled many heroes' storylines forward, while teasing new ones like Black Panther and Spider-Man.

With all that, it'd take a heroic amount of screen presence for a newcomer to stand out among the crowd. This woman does it with a single, sharp line: "Move. Or you will be moved."

Appearing briefly in a scene with Black Widow and Black Panther, the unnamed woman made a lasting impression in "Civil War," appearing in stark black with an intimidating glare and captivating presence that fans absolutely love:

Ugandan-born German actress Florence Kasumba is the striking woman and IMDB credits her as "Security Chief." While she may seem like just a testy (and impeccably dressed) bodyguard, she's actually a hugely significant part of the Black Panther story. 

Read on to find out who she is and why we're so excited to see more of her.

Black Panther's security chief is likely a member of the Dora Miljae, a squad of elite warrior women who protect the king of Wakanda.

Translating to "the adored ones," the Dora Milaje are an esteemed guard of female soldiers tasked with protecting the king of Wakanda. In the comics, each of the tribes in Wakanda sends its single most powerful female fighter to join the guard. And although it's tradition for the king to choose a queen from among the Dora Milaje, they are not a harem. Pre-martial romance is discouraged and the latest rebooting of Black Panther even explores a lesbian relationship within the Dora Milaje. Simply put, they're defined by their skills as combatants, not their gender or even their relationship to the king.   



Black Widow tried to go toe-to-toe with the Dora Miljae before in the comics. It didn't end well.

When Kasumba's scene begins, she confronts Black Widow simply for standing in the king's way. She dismissively glances up and down at Black Widow before saying: "Move. Or you will be moved." T'Challa intervenes: "As entertaining as that would be..." before beginning a conversation with Natasha about the Winter Soldier.

We don't see the "Security Chief" take on Black Widow in "Civil War," but they've brawled in the comics before. Natasha quickly realized that the Dora Miljae are immensely skilled warriors. Let's hope audiences get a chance to see the same when "Black Panther" arrives in theaters in July 6 2018.  



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano star in the trailer for the strangest movie of 2016

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It's now finally time to unveil the strangest movie you will see this year. 

"Swiss Army Man" stars Paul Dano as a man who is prepared to kill himself after being stranded on an island, until he finds a dead body washed ashore (Daniel Radcliffe) that changes his life. 

It was one of the most talked-about movies at this year's Sundance Film Festival, thanks to Radcliffe's unique multi-purpose character. It turns out his flatulence, strong limbs, and even more flatulence (there's a lot of farting in this movie) help Dano's character survive the elements. (Read our review of the film from Sundance.)

It's basically the most bizarre buddy comedy movie you'll ever see.

Here's the NSFW Red Band trailer. The movie opens June 24.

SEE ALSO: Jared Leto explains how he got 'under people's skin' doing his Joker laugh

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Why IMAX spent four years and $60 million transforming its theaters

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IMAX movie theaters are getting a makeover of epic proportions.

When "Captain America: Civil War" opened in theaters on May 6, IMAX unveiled its new digital projection system in the US that promises crystal clear images, brighter colors, and blacker blacks. The tech upgrade aims to make going to the movies a worthwhile venture once again.

Current digital projectors pass white light through a prism that parts it into three primary colors. Tiny mirrors reflect the red, green, and blue light through a lens and onto the screen in infinite combinations.

The downside of this system, as expertly explained by Gizmodo's Andrew Liszewski, is that as the projector's components heat and cool during the course of a movie, they shift the mirrors in and out of alignment. This results in slightly blurrier images on screen.

IMAX spent four years and $60 million — its largest investment in research and development to date — on reinventing this technology.

imax laser projector

The new laser-based projectors nix the prism entirely. Two projectors direct red, green, and blue light into a box that produces a pure light. Colors display on-screen in precise mixes.

The pair of projectors helps preserve detail in both the dark and light areas of the frame, whereas traditional projectors wash out detail in the darker areas. It also increases clarity along blunt edges.

According to Liszewski, the double 4K images layered on top of each other "produce an image that's nearly impossible for the human eye to discern the individual pixels."

The laser technology is currently available at about 22 theaters globally, including San Francisco's AMC Loews Metreon 16. An IMAX executive says they plan to expand to the AMC located in New York City's Lincoln Square and Los Angeles's Hollywood Boulevard by the end of the year.

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Greg Foster, CEO of IMAX Entertainment, said at a press event at the AMC Metreon 16 last week that the upgrade was not for the sake of innovation. It's part of a decisive effort to motivate millennials to go to the theaters instead of watching movies from home.

"As long as exhibitors create an experience that distinguishes itself from everything else, they'll go," Foster told The Wrap in 2015. "When it's ubiquitous, they won't. [Moviegoing] is not a given anymore."

I watched the "Captain America: Civil War" trailer through the company's new laser projector and saw how it elevated the vibrancy in the character's suits and the crispness of the poorly lit bunkers.

At a glance, the $21-and-up ticket seems worth it.

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Everything you should know about Black Panther, the breakout of 'Captain America: Civil War'

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One of the many bright spots in the original "Avengers" movie was Tony Stark's famously narcissistic line: "genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

T'Challa can still one up him: genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, and warrior-king.

Debuting in "Captain America: Civil War" a full two years before his solo movie, T'Challa is already a breakout character for his incredible fighting skills, alluring East African purr, and utter refusal to get caught up in the politics between Iron Man or Captain America. He has his own agenda and pursues it ruthlessly. 

So who exactly is T'Challa and where does he come from? Keep reading on to learn more about the Black Panther:

Black Panther is the first mainstream Black superhero, debuting in 1966 ahead of other classic black heroes like Luke Cage, Storm, or John Stewart.

His first appearance was Fantastic Four #52 and he got his own comic, Jungle Action #5, in 1973. Throughout his long comic history, he frequently fought alongside the Fantastic Four, Avengers, and  X-Men and even had a short stint as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. Recently, the character was rebooted into "Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet" by The Atlantic writer and MacArthur Fellow, Ta-Nehisi Coates. The rebooting was a major success and, along with the "Civil War" debut, reignited interest in T'Challa and his story.



T'Challa's homeland is Wakanda, a hugely prosperous but very reclusive African nation.

T'Challa and his father, King T'Chaka, are from Wakanda, a fictional African nation near Kenya. Wakanda is extremely isolationist, trading with other nations only as necessary and staying out of global politics. Instead, Wakanda focuses on building its technology. 

They are the most technologically advanced nation on Earth and Black Panther's suit is one of their many scientific breakthroughs. Still, the Wakandan people are very spiritual and are usually depicted wearing tribal garb. Their high-tech superiorty co-exists with their ancient traditions and deference for their ancestors. 



T'Challa's powers are a gift from the Wakandan Panther deity.

The people of Wakanda worship Bast, a panther goddess and the spiritual protector of Wakanda. If a warrior of noble birth is found worthy by defeating the current Black Panther, Bast will gift them with the heart-shaped herb, enhancing their abilities and making them the new Black Panther. 

As we saw in the film, T'Challa's powers are similar to that of a panther: superhuman speed, stealth, and agility, the ability to recognize and track scents, nightvision, and (similar to Daredevil) an enhanced hearing ability that allows him to predict movement and track enemies. In "Civil War," T'Challa briefly references Bast, saying that, in Wakandan culture, the honored dead are welcomed into an afterlife of green fields where they can hunt and run free forever. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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