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23 things you didn't know about J.K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter' universe

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Harry Potter acceptance letter scene Hogwarts

J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" universe is enormous. And since closing the book on the main series in 2007, she keeps adding to it. There are spinoff books, movies, and a play in the franchise — many of which reveal new insight about Harry, Ron, Hermione, and other characters from the original series.

The wealth of "Harry Potter" material also means that there's a wealth of behind-the-scenes information that yields new details of how J.K. Rowling thought up the books, how the filmmakers made the movies, and a ton of other information about the "Harry Potter" universe. Rowling even launched Pottermore, which has become a sort of ever-evolving encyclopedia of trivia and back-stories from her world. 

It's a lot to keep up with. But for "Harry Potter" fans, all of it is fascinating.

Here are 23 things you probably didn't know about J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" universe:

Harry Potter is rich, because his ancestor was a pharmaceutical tycoon.

One of the first things Harry does when he finds out he's a wizard way back in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," is visit the Gringotts wizarding bank in Diagon Alley. After all, he'll need some cash to buy school supplies for Hogwarts.

In his vault, he finds out that he has piles and piles of gold galleons. Harry's rich! Way more rich than most of his friends. Why? The books don't really explain. But Rowling addressed the issue on Pottermore.

In the 12th century, Harry's ancestor Linfred of Stinchcombe developed pharmaceutical remedies that were the basis for Skele-gro and Pepperup Potion. He built a business out of it, and the Potter family maintained the fortune for generations. Some time later, Harry's grandfather Fleamont Potter — the son of the "original" Harry Potter — quadrupled the family fortune with hair potion. The hair potion is even advertised in a stray newspaper in "Fantastic Beasts."



Gringotts does exchanges between magical and muggle money.

As J.K. Rowling pointed out, it's the only way Muggle-born wizards and witches could buy wands, since Ollivanders only takes galleons, knuts, and sickles — not pounds or euros.



There's one character from the books who existed in real life.

In Rowling's series, Nicolas Flamel is the alchemist who created the Philosopher's Stone, the magical object at the center of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" that can grant a person immortality.

In real life, Flamel was a French scholar and bookseller who lived in the 14th and early 15th centuries. After his death, he got a reputation as an alchemist who secretly achieved immortality. Rowling wrote about the inspiration on Pottermore, where she said Flamel attended the French wizarding school Beauxbatons in her version of his life.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Every Christopher Nolan movie, ranked from worst to best

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Dunkirk 4 Warner Bros final

Christopher Nolan has done everything from making imaginatively complex dramas about the heights people will go after losing a loved one ("Memento" and "The Prestige"), to resurrecting a comic book franchise for the big screen with sophistication ("The Dark Knight" movies).

Now with his latest movie, "Dunkirk," he takes on his first-ever war epic.

To celebrate his best movie in years opening on Friday, we look back on the incredible feature film work of Nolan, and in the process, go through the agonizing process of trying to rank them.

Here are all the Christopher Nolan movies, ranked from worst to best: 

SEE ALSO: Christopher Nolan explains the biggest challenge in making his latest movie "Dunkirk" into an "intimate epic"

10. “Insomnia” (2002)

Following the success of his breakthrough hit, "Memento," Nolan was quickly snatched up by Hollywood. Steven Soderbergh pulled him into Warner Bros. and that led to Nolan directing this thriller, starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams. Seeing Williams in the rare bad-guy role was intriguing. But Pacino looking super tired the entire movie, while playing a cop trying to solve a murder in an Alaska town with perpetual daylight, didn't help an already slow-burn story. But we highly recommend the original Norwegian movie it's based on. 



9. "Following" (1998)

Nolan's feature debut is unique right out of the gate: A writer who gets his material by following strangers around. Of course, things get more complex, like when he is put under the wing of a thief. This black-and-white movie shows hints of Nolan's greatness from the surprise reveals in the story, to the use of music. 



8. "Interstellar" (2014)

Perhaps Nolan's most ambitious movie to date, his "2001"-like epic look into space even confused the most hardcore of Nolan fans. Perhaps too smart for its own good, it's certainly a movie that will gain more acclaim as new generations come across it.



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Emma Watson is asking fans to help her find her 'most meaningful and special possession'

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emma watson

The INSIDER Summary:

  • Emma Watson forgot three of her rings in a hotel safe.
  • One of them was a gift from her mother that she wore every day.
  • She's asking her followers to help her find it.


Emma Watson is asking her 35 million Facebook followers to help her find three of her rings after she left them in a hotel safe.

One of the rings, she wrote on social site, was a gift from her mother on her 18th birthday. She's worn it every day since, and it was originally purchased the day after Watson was born.

"Were these just any rings I could accept this, but one of the them was a gift from my Mum,"Watson wrote in a Facebook post. "She bought it the day after I was born and wore it for 18 years, never taking it off, and then gave it to me for my 18th birthday. I wear this ring everyday, it is my most meaningful and special possession."

In March, Watson told Buzzfeed that the ring inspired part of her costume design in "Beauty and the Beast."

"We designed for Belle this ring that would sit on her little finger," Watson said. "The costume designer saw that I had one which my mom had given to me, and she was like, 'Can I design one for Belle?'"

If you have any information about the ring, Watson requests that you email findthering@outlook.com.

Join the conversation about this story »

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The worst reviewed Disney animated movies — and why the critics got it wrong

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The INSIDER Summary: 

  • Disney is loved by almost everyone — but that doesn't stop critics from being harsh on them.
  • Even favorites like "A Goofy Movie" and "Oliver & Company" have received less than glowing reviews.
  • "The Wild" is the worst reviewed of the bunch.


Disney Pixar’s "Cars 3" has been in cinemas for a month now, which is long enough for it to build a steady score on infamous review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. It’s currently at a pretty average 68%, faring much better than "Cars 2" (see list entry #8), but not quite as good as the first in the franchise, which has a “Certified Fresh” rating of 74%.

Despite Disney being loved by almost everyone, its movies don’t always get a good score on Rotten Tomatoes. But can Rotten Tomatoes really be trusted to tell you how good a film is — or isn’t? Critics often fail to look at a children’s movie through the eyes of a child, and push their tastes onto a simple cartoon made to entertain youngsters. Especially when it comes to a studio so highly regarded as Disney, critics are known to pick fault with a movie just for the sake of it.

So, focusing on just Disney’s animated movies — and not including the Mouse House’s many ill-received direct-to-video sequels — here, ranked from least to most rotten, are the 15 Worst Animated Disney Movies According To Rotten Tomatoes (And Why They’re Wrong).

15. Home on the Range (2004) — 54%

"Home On The Range" tells the story of Maggie the dairy cow, and her adventurous effort to save her farm from foreclosure, and stop a notorious cattle rustler. The film features an all-star (albeit not quite A-List) cast including Roseanne Barr, Judi Dench, Jennifer Tilly, Cuba Gooding Jr., Randy Quaid, and Steve Buscemi.

Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus says: “Though "Home on the Range" is likeable and may keep young children diverted, it’s one of Disney’s more middling titles, with garish visuals and a dull plot.”

Since the early days of Disney, the studio has been releasing Westerns, and "Home On The Range" is a way to open up the genre to a modern, young audience. It might not be as memorable as some of the studio’s’ other releases, but with its slapstick humor and basic animation, it’s perfect for little ones — which, let’s be honest here, is Disney’s target audience. Critics forget that sometimes a movie needs to be just an innocent piece of kids’ entertainment, without an unnecessary underlying narrative, and "Home On The Range" is just that.



14. A Christmas Carol (2009) — 54%

A motion-captured, 3-D CGI movie, "A Christmas Carol" is very different from what we’re used to seeing from Disney. Starring Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman, the movie retells the traditional Christmas tale, using a lot of original Dickens’ dialogue and details.

Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus says: “Robert Zemeckis’ 3-D animated take on the Dickens classic tries hard, but its dazzling special effects distract from an array of fine performances from Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman.”

To see the film criticized for its stunning visuals is absurd, and complimenting the voice/motion-capture actors’ performances in such a backhanded way is equally ridiculous. The movie was at the forefront of a new technology and film style, and utilized its brilliant cast to tell a classic story, bringing Dickens’ work to a new generation of fans, while creeping them out with its child-friendly terror just enough to enforce the work’s original message.



13. A Goofy Movie (1995) — 53%

Mickey Mouse’s best buddy gets his own movie, following on from the "Goof Troop" TV series. "A Goofy Movie" follows Goof as he goes through the typical parent struggle of staying close to your offspring when they start to grow up, while remaining his usual accident-prone, awkward self.

Critics said about the movie: “Makes its title character the second banana to a protagonist and a scenario entirely unworthy of him, mired in instantly-dated sops to early-’90s pop culture” and “If they wanted to make a movie about Goofy, then they should have found a better script for him.”

"The Goofy Movie" is held with pretty high regard by Disney fans. Those “instantly-dated sops to early-’90s pop culture” are actually perfect little nuggets of nostalgia. Who doesn’t love nostalgia?

The best part of the movie though is how it’s grown up with anyone that held it close to their heart in their younger days. First you related with Max as an awkward teen, wanting space from your parents; but now you relate with Goof, either as a parent yourself, or just in the realization of how wrong you were to push your parents away before.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Christopher Nolan says he won't work with Netflix because its film strategy is 'pointless'

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christopher nolanChristopher Nolan fights for the big screen. He optimizes his movies for the 70mm experience and perhaps none more than “Dunkirk,” his intense recreation of Allied soldiers attempting to evacuate the beaches of Dunkirk, France in 1940.

The movie shifts between events on land, in the air, and on the sea over 106 minutes of a throbbing soundtrack and jarring sound effects that reach their fullest effect on the hulking IMAX screen.

With that in mind, it may be unsurprising that Nolan’s not a big fan of Netflix, particularly its deprecation of the theatrical experience.

“Netflix has a bizarre aversion to supporting theatrical films,” Nolan said in an interview this week. “They have this mindless policy of everything having to be simultaneously streamed and released, which is obviously an untenable model for theatrical presentation. So they’re not even getting in the game, and I think they’re missing a huge opportunity.”

He pointed out that Amazon, which releases its movies in theaters before making them available on its platform, shouldn’t be lumped with Netflix for contributing this issue. “You can see that Amazon is very clearly happy to not make that same mistake,” he said. “The theaters have a 90-day window. It’s a perfectly usable model. It’s terrific.”

Netflix enables a larger budget and a degree of creative freedom for major global directors, and two of its productions premiered at Cannes this year, Bong Joon Ho’s sci-fi satire “Okja” and Noah Baumbach’s “The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected).” Nolan is unimpressed.

“I think the investment that Netflix is putting into interesting filmmakers and interesting projects would be more admirable if it weren’t being used as some kind of bizarre leverage against shutting down theaters,” he said. “It’s so pointless. I don’t really get it.”

Dunkirk 3 Warner Bros final

Nolan tends to speak with the same grave, pointed tone found in his movies, and this isn’t the first time he has lashed out at digital distribution. During a presentation at the exhibitors’ conference CinemaCon in March, he told the industry audience that “Dunkirk” needed to “make you feel like you are there, and the only way to do that is through theatrical distribution.” In the same presentation, on the heels of Warner Bros. worldwide marketing and distribution president Sue Kroll remarking that “customers are telling us they want more choices with how and where they watch content,” Nolan didn’t mince words. “The only platform I’m interested in talking about is theatrical exhibition,” he said.

So it was only natural, when asked if he would ever work with Netflix on a production that studios wouldn’t make, he didn’t hesitate. “No,” he said. “Well, why would you? If you make a theatrical film, it’s to be played in theaters.”

He added that this debate didn’t just materialize with the rise of Netflix. “I grew up in the ‘80s, the birth of home video,” he said. “Your worst nightmare in the ‘90s as a filmmaker was that the studio would turn around and go, ‘You know what? We’re going to put it on video instead of theaters.’ They did that all the time. There’s nothing new in that.”

However, he added, Netflix seems to have capitalized on a Silicon Valley mentality for its current surge of activity in the original content game. “Corporations are able to portray this kind of behavior to Wall Street as ‘disruptive,'” he said. “That kind of became a buzzword a few years ago. So the idea that you’re disrupting the existing distribution mechanism has somehow assigned a kind of futuristic value to something that’s always been about lowest common denominator stuff. If Netflix has made a great film, they should put it in theaters. Why not? Stream it 90 days later.”

Inevitably, the debate surrounding viewing platforms leads to television, which Nolan doesn’t find troubling on its own terms. (His brother, Jonathan, produces the sci-fi western “Westworld” for HBO.)

“Every generation thinks they’re the ones who invented television and that there’s never been any good television before,” he said. “I think when you look at the different supposed golden eras of television, there is a tendency in the television community or the press around it to eulogize about TV. Film tends not to do that about itself. The film industry tends to not sit around and go, ‘Oh, what we do is so much better than what Howard Hawks was doing in ‘50s or whatever. It’s just a stylistic difference.”

He shrugged off the notion that TV was somehow supplanting movies in popular culture. “Ten years ago I’d get asked a lot of questions about the video game industry,” he said. “Like, is that going to kill movies or whatever? It’s a different thing. Now it’s VR. They’re just different things. I love television. It’s great. I love what my brother’s doing in TV, I love watching him work in that format. It’s just a completely different medium.”

For his part, Nolan is content with working in the studio arena, particularly with Warner Bros., his partner since 2002’s “Insomnia.” “Studio filmmaking has always been a high-stakes business because it really is where the art and commerce comes together,” he said. “If you can find a way to work in the system, it’s a very powerful machine, with a lot of resources, and excellent distribution mechanisms.”

Still, he was particular about which projects he brought to that level, noting that he made his 2014 short film “Quay,” about the American stop-motion animators, independently. “I wouldn’t do that at a studio,” he said. “But my interest in cinema is large-scale storytelling, and I think the studios are the best place to do that, if you can find a great working relationship.”

SEE ALSO: Every Christopher Nolan movie, ranked from worst to best

SEE ALSO: Christopher Nolan explains the biggest challenges in making his latest movie 'Dunkirk' into an 'intimate epic'

Join the conversation about this story »

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Christopher Nolan used an old Hollywood trick to salvage footage that sank in the water while shooting 'Dunkirk'

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Dunkirk 2 Warner Bros final

"Dunkirk" didn't just mark the first time Christopher Nolan had made a war movie; it was also one of the rare times a filmmaker had ever shot a majority of a movie with an Imax camera.

So, Nolan did a lot of things he didn't know were possible until he actually did them.

And in one instance, a blunder on set led to a fascinating discovery.

In exploring the historic evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk, France, during World War II, the movie highlights British pilots fighting German planes to protect the Allied troops on the ground. The dogfight sequences in the movie are thrilling and in some cases very authentic. The production stayed away from CGI as much as possible, and in one sequence Nolan had a replica Spitfire plane perform a landing in the English Channel.

An Imax camera was strapped into the cockpit, filming as actor Jack Lowden struggled to get out. Viewers watch as the water begins to fill the cockpit, delivering one of the movie's most dramatic scenes.

During filming, however, the plane with the camera still inside sank quicker than anyone on the crew thought possible. Nolan was certain the footage had been lost.

"In the hours it took to retrieve the Imax camera, its housing, which was a big plastic barrel, actually had a hole in it and the entire thing filled with water," Nolan told Business Insider.

Imax told Business Insider an Imax camera of the kind used on the movie cost about $1 million.

"But we called the lab and they clued us into an old-fashioned technique that used to be used on film shoots," Nolan said. "You keep the film wet, you unload the camera, and you keep it damp the whole time. We shipped it back to Los Angeles from the set in France, and they processed it before drying it out, and the shot came out absolutely perfect and it's in the film."

Here are some shots of the dramatic scene Nolan thought would never see the light of day:

Dunkirk cockpit 1 final

Dunkirk cockpit 2 final

"Try doing that with a digital camera!" Nolan said with glee. In the age of digital, the director is one of the last to be a major supporter of shooting on film. Though shooting digitally is cheaper and provides more flexibility in the kinds of shots you can do, Nolan's footage from inside the cockpit really would have been destroyed if "Dunkirk" weren't shot on film.

"Dunkirk" opens in theaters on Friday.

Catch a glimpse of the Spitfire water landing at the end of the TV spot for the movie below:

SEE ALSO: Christopher Nolan explains the biggest challenge in making his latest movie "Dunkirk" into an "intimate epic"

Join the conversation about this story »

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Hollywood studios have cut Vladimir Putin out of two major movies

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Vladimir Putin

Hollywood's nerves are shredded. The era of hacking is here. 

The memory may have faded, but movie studios can still feel the sharp barb left behind by 2014's release of "The Interview," the James Franco and Seth Rogen-starring slapstick comedy that saw the duo assassinate Kim Jong-un; hundreds of Sony's e-mails were leaked by hackers in the aftermath, causing their own controversies, while even the brief threat of all-out war seemed to hang strangely in the air.

A baffling time for movies and a controversy no studio is keen to replicate in the near future, which may explain their current extreme caution towards Vladimir Putin

The Hollywood Reporter has stated that the Russian leader has been excised from two major upcoming releases.

First is Fox's "Red Sparrow," which sees Jennifer Lawrence play a Russian spy turned double agent for the CIA, an adaptation of former CIA officer Jason Matthews' novel. Though Putin was a key figure in the original book, he's been quietly cut out of the film adaptation. 

A similar case to EuropaCorp's "Kursk," the true story of a Russian submarine that sank in the Barents Sea in 2000 and killed everyone on board; though Putin had a significant role in the events, appears in the source material of Robert Moore's best-seller "A Time to Die," and even featured in early versions of the screenplay, he's nowhere to be found in the finished film. 

What's ironic, however, is that Hollywood's nervousness over showing Putin on film seems at odds with its current Russian obsession, with studios searching high and low for scripts that can best capture the current political climate in all its fraught intrigue. A writer has even reportedly taken meetings with Mikhail Gorbachev about the potential for a biopic. 

This is more than the Cold War's simple fixation on Russian villains, however, with StudioCanal producing, for example, "The Tracking of a Russian Spy," which sees Logan Lerman play a journalist who travels to Russia and becomes a tool of the Kremlin, in a film which sets out to tackle ideas of fake news and disinformation campaigns.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best movies of all time, according to critics

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Channing Tatum joins the action in the 'Kingsman' sequel trailer — watch it now

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Kingsman Golden Circle 20th Century Fox final

In the sequel to the successful 2015 action/comedy "Kingsman: The Secret Service," which earned over $400 million worldwide on a $81 million budget, the Americans are getting in on the action to help out their spy colleagues from across the pond. 

In the latest trailer for "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" (in theaters September 22), Kingsman Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and his mentor Harry Hart (Colin Firth) — yes, he survived from being shot in the face in the first movie — join forces with some good ol' boys played by the likes of Channing Tatum and Jeff Bridges.

They take on their latest villain: Poppy (Julianne Moore).

Expect the action and colorful language to be kicked up a notch for this one.

The movie also stars Halle Berry, Mark Strong, and Pedro Pascal.

Watch the trailer below:

SEE ALSO: Christopher Nolan used an old Hollywood trick to salvage footage that sank in the water while shooting "Dunkirk"

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15 people who hated the movies made about their lives

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The biopic is one of Hollywood's oldest genres, going back to early-20th-century movies about historical figures like Beethoven, Cleopatra, and General Custer. As time went on, biopics began to tackle more recent subjects, sometimes being based on events that happened only a few years prior to the release of the film.

In fact, there are even a few cases in which people had the opportunity to play themselves in movies based on their lives, such as Howard Stern ("Private Parts"), Muhammad Ali ("The Greatest"), and Audie Murphy ("To Hell and Back").

Not surprisingly, as actors started playing real-life people who were still around and could weigh in on how they were being portrayed by Hollywood, the reaction wasn't always positive. Few of us will ever know what it's like to see an actor play us in a movie and watch him or her go through fictionalized versions of significant events in our lives, so it's tough to find fault with people criticizing actors and movies they don't think get things quite right.

But that sometimes goes with the territory of being a public figure, and notable figures don't always get much — if any — say in who will play them, how they'll play them, or what Hollywood liberties will be taken with real events.

Here are 15 biopics that were hated by their subject:

SEE ALSO: The 30 most anticipated movies for the rest of 2017

15. "All Eyez On Me"— Jada Pinkett-Smith

"All Eyez on Me," the biopic about the life and career of late rapper Tupac Shakur, was a troubled production that saw many issues on its journey to theaters — including the highly publicized exit of original director John Singleton. Postrelease, the movie was met with mostly negative reviews and a fairly tepid box-office performance.

It wasn't just critics who disliked the film, though. Pinkett-Smith, who was a friend of Shakur's going back to the days before he was famous, used Twitter to express her disappointment in how the movie depicted her and her relationship with the rapper. Beyond taking issue with the movie changing key moments between the pair, including manufacturing a dramatic goodbye that Smith says never happened, Smith called the entire portrayal of their friendship in the film "deeply hurtful."

Smith also made sure to point out, however, that she harbored no ill will toward the actress who played her in the movie (Kat Graham), praising her performance and saying she did the best job she could've done with the material she was given.



14. "Catch Me If You Can"— Frank Abagnale

Sometimes the subject of a biopic can change his or her mind about their movie after a few years of reflection. Such is the case of Abagnale, whose incredible story of fun, fraud, and forgery in the '60s was turned into the 2002 film "Catch Me If You Can" starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Initially, Abagnale had a positive reaction to the film, even praising some of the changes that were made — for instance, in real life, Abagnale never saw his father again after running away from home as a teenager. But the movie depicts Abagnale continuing to have a relationship with his father throughout his capers and frames his desire to please his father as the catalyst for much of his adventurers. Abagnale loved the idea, admitting that he thought about his parents daily and would’ve loved to reconnect with his father.

As time went on, though, Abagnale began to sour on the movie. A few years ago, he began to publicly express regret about the film being made, saying that he wasn't proud of the things he did during those years and hated that they have been immortalized — and glamorized — in movie form.



13. "Patch Adams"— Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams

While the Robin Williams comedy "Patch Adams" was a box-office success, critics were very hard on it. The film told the story of a real-life doctor who uses humor and clown costumes to help ease the suffering of his patients. Reviews used words like "dopey,""shameless," and "obnoxious" to describe not only the movie but Williams' performance as the titular physician.

But nobody was harder on "Patch Adams" than the real "Patch" Adams, who was angry at how the film focused only on the comedic elements of his practice and didn't spend much time on more important things like his activism work or struggle to build a free hospital. Adams also went in on Williams in particular, blasting the actor for making $21 million playing him for only a few months and not giving any of that money back to the hospital depicted in the film.

After Williams died in 2014, Adams' opinions of the actor softened considerably. He recalled Williams' kindness, both to the cast and crew of the film and to Adams and his family, and he acknowledged that the movie did help to bring awareness to his work.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

REVIEW: Model Cara Delevingne redeems her terrible 'Suicide Squad' performance with the sci-fi epic 'Valerian'

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cara delevingne dane dehaan valerian

Until now, Cara Delevingne's biggest role was as the Enchantress in "Suicide Squad." She was, quite frankly, as awful as the rest of the movie.

She's great, however, in "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets," where she and Dane DeHaan star as intergalactic government agents a few thousand years in the future. They stumble upon a criminal conspiracy that threatens to destroy a vast metropolis where every alien species lives in harmony.

It's just as fun — and messy — as it sounds.

Why should you care: Luc Besson has a $200 million budget to make a crazy space movie.

Not every space epic can be "Star Wars." But if there's any reason to trust "Valerian," it's because it's from director Luc Besson, – whose filmography includes fascinating, fun films like "The Fifth Element" and "Lucy." The source material — the classic French comic "Valérian and Laureline"— is strong, and Delevingne (Laureline, two of the planets are her eyebrows) and DeHaan (Valerian, pretending he's Keanu Reeves) bring their A-game.

What's hot: It's a really fun space movie.

Sci-fi movies nowadays are usually planned as series. The first entry is always bogged down with world-building and origin-explaining, so they seldom have time for a real story. "Valerian" isn't like that. The relationship between humans and aliens, the space government and its criminals, are made pretty clear without too much exposition. That gives the movie time for amazing action set-pieces, like a crazy chase scene that takes place while the characters travel between different dimensions.

It also doesn't take itself too seriously. DeHaan and Delevingne know their lines are often corny, but they deliver them with the confidence of movie stars. Their performances don't get lost in the action around them.

What's not: The movie starts falling apart in the second half and there's a terrible Rihanna cameo.

The first half of "Valerian" is as original and fun as anything Luc Besson has ever made. The second half lurches toward self-parody with bone-headed, atonal creative decisions that I won't spoil here. It also includes Rihanna in a clunky (and blessedly brief) role as a shape-shifting alien stripper with a heart of gold. Her dialogue is so bad that it's like "Valerian" slips into a B-movie parody of itself.

The bottom-line: It's fun, but have tempered expectations.

The movie is worth it alone for Delevingne and DeHaan fighting space crimes and to see Besson's funky, imaginative sci-fi concepts and alien designs. Just be aware that the movie goes a little off the rails by the time the ride is over.

Grade:

B+

"Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets" hits theaters on Thursday.

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Here’s every movie theater showing Christopher Nolan's war film 'Dunkirk' on 70mm film

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Dunkirk 3 Warner Bros final

One of the most important things you need to know about Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” is that the entire 106-minute feature was shot on 65mm film, with 75% incorporating IMAX film cameras. In terms of visual scope, these stats suggest “Dunkirk” might just be Nolan’s biggest movie to date, which means you shouldn’t settle for a digital projection if you don’t have to.

“Dunkirk” will be projected in 70mm in select theaters and tickets for those engagements are now for sale on the “Dunkirk” official website, so we finally have confirmation on what theaters across the country will be showing the WWII drama in its preferred format.

“Dunkirk” will be screening on both regular 70mm and IMAX 70mm, the later of which being the ideal experience. But those aren’t the only ways one will be able to experience Nolan’s latest. Trailer Track founder Anton Volkov has made a handy guide detailing all the different formats “Dunkirk” will be screening in. There will be six total ways to watch “Dunkirk” projected, though only the 70mm screenings are now on sale. All other showtimes will be available to purchase Friday, July 7.

In time for #Dunkirk tickets going on sale this week – threw together this format comparison infographic. Should answer most Qs… pic.twitter.com/pDWSLqxUto

— Anton Volkov (@antovolk) July 4, 2017

“Dunkirk” opens in theaters nationwide July 21. Here’s a rundown of every theater screening the movie on 70mm.

ALABAMA
IMAX Dome Theater (Birmingham)
US Space Center IMAX (Huntsville)
Cineplex Scotiabank Chinook 16 IMAX (Calgary)
Cineplex Scotiabank IMAX (Edmonton)

ARIZONA
AMC Westgate (Glendale)
Grand Canyon IMAX (Grand Canyon Village)
Harkins Tempe Marketplace (Tempe)
Loft (Tuscon)

BRITISH COLUMBIA
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AMC Burbank 16 (Burbank)
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Grossmont Center 10 (La Messa)
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Cinemark 18 (Los Angeles)
Landmark 12 (Los Angeles)
Timko Grand Lake 4 (Oakland)
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Cinemark San Francisco Center (San Francisco)
Alamo Mission 5 (San Francisco)
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AMC Mercado (Santa Clara)
ArcLight Sherman Oaks (Sherman Oaks)
AMC Del Amo 18 (Torrance)
Cinemark Union City 25 (Union City)
AMC Citywalk IMAX (Universal City)

COLORADO
Regal Contiental (Denver)
AMC Westminster 24 (Westminster)

CONNECTICUT
INDLF Maritime IMAX (Norwalk)

WASHINGTON D.C.
Regal Gallery Palace Stadium 24 (D.C.)

FLORIDA
Cinemark Palace (Boca Raton)
Coral Gables Art Cinema 1 (Coral Gables)
Cinemark Paradise Park 24 (Davie)
AMC Disney Springs 24 (Lake Buena Vista)
AMC Aventura (Miami)
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GEORGIA
Regal Atlantic Station (Atlanta)
Regal Mall of Georgia 20 (Buford)

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Discovery Place IMAX (Charlotte)
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Hollywood 3 (Portland)
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Studio Movie Grill 9 (Arlington)
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Santikos Palladium 19 (San Antonio)

VIRGINA
AMC Hoffman Center (Alexandria)
AMC Tyson’s Corner (McLean)

WASHINGTON
AMC Pacific Place 11 (Seattle)
Cinerama (Seattle)

WISCONSIN
Marcus Majestic Cinema of Brookfield (Waukesha)

SEE ALSO: Christopher Nolan used an old Hollywood trick to salvage footage that sank in the water while shooting 'Dunkirk'

SEE ALSO: Every Christopher Nolan movie, ranked from worst to best

Join the conversation about this story »

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Will Smith battles mystical creatures in the first full trailer for Netflix's 'Bright' — which it paid over $90 million for

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Bright 2 Scott Garfield Netflix

The first full trailer for Netflix's much-anticipated Will Smith movie, "Bright," is online, and it certainly has us excited. 

After shelling out a reported $90 million for the latest movie from "Suicide Squad" director David Ayer, it seems the streaming giant could have a big hit on its hands.

In many ways, Ayer is going back to what made his career: the streets of Los Angeles.

His screenplay for 2001's "Training Day," about a corrupt LAPD narco cop played by Denzel Washington, led to Ayer getting offers to direct (and to a best actor Oscar for Washington). Then when Ayer helmed 2012's "End of Watch," a gritty, faux documentary about two LAPD cops (Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena) fighting the drug war, he got the best reviews of his career. 

"Bright," which is set in a world where humans and magical creatures live side-by-side, looks to meld Ayer's talent for telling gritty urban stories with the flashy visuals that helped "Suicide Squad" take in over $745 million worldwide at the box office. Ayer is also teaming up again with "Squad" star Will Smith.

In "Bright," Smith plays an LAPD cop who has been assigned an Orc (Joel Edgerton) as his new partner. Things get crazy when they discover a magic wand that everyone would kill to get their hands on. 

Watch the trailer below. "Bright" will be available on Netflix beginning December 22.

SEE ALSO: Every Christopher Nolan movie, ranked from worst to best

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what Nickelodeon slime is made of — according to 'Double Dare' host Marc Summers

Christopher Nolan explained why 'Dunkirk' is his most personal movie yet

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When the “Dunkirk” promotional whirlwind brought Christopher Nolan to New York in late July, he was visibly jetlagged after flying in from France the night before: He’d just presented “Dunkirk” in the film’s titular city.

In Nolan’s rapid-fire depiction of the rescue operation for some 400,000 Allied forces stranded on in the seaside region in 1940, the men fighting for survival on the beach, in the water, and in claustrophobic fighter planes come across as heroic figures. They embody a spirit of survival that transcends the loss they’ve suffered at the hands of the enemy.

But that’s not how the French see it.

“The events are viewed very differently in France,” Nolan said in an interview. “For them, it was this appalling defeat — that the victory of the British fight within it, how that was able to continue the war, is kind of lost in French culture. It was the beginning of Nazi occupation. So it’s just a source of shame for them.”

Nolan feels differently. “It wasn’t for me to up against their national assessment of this thing, but what’s lost in that is that French and British troops held the perimeter so that the British could escape,” he said. “They held the perimeter for 10 days, which changed the course of history. It’s a shame they can’t find more pride in it.”

Like many Britons of his generation, Nolan grew up with stories about Dunkirk in his household, where the specter of the war loomed large. “My grandfather was in the Air Force,” he said. “He did not participate in Dunkirk; he was a navigator in Lancaster and he died in the war.”

Dunkirk 3 Warner Bros final

Nolan visited his grandfather’s grave, outside the French city of Lyon, while he wa in pre-production for “Dunkirk.” That connection was one of a few ways that the movie — his 10th feature, and his first British production since his 1998 debut “Following” — was his most personal to date.

“I try to only make films that I feel very connected with on some emotional level,” he said. “This is the first time I’ve taken on a real-life event, and there’s a huge responsibility that comes with that. But I suppose in some ways feel more personal.”

Much of that had to do with the family connection. “Growing up, I’d hear about my grandfather, and my father and my uncle were so affected by the war,” he said. “Certainly with the aerial sections of the film, it was very important to me to get those right. My dad used to be very scathing about movies you’d see with depictions of the Air Force if they weren’t right.”

But the event itself has stuck with him since childhood. “Dunkirk is something that you grow up with as a British person,” he said. “The telling of the story that you get is simplistic and mythical in a way, almost like a fairy tale. The interesting thing to me about doing this project is that the more I found out about it, the more extraordinary it actually seemed. Reality is messy, nothing is as simple as fishermen jumping in rowboats and picking up troops, but the reality of what actually happened on that beach and across the channel is one of the great stories.”

“Dunkirk” opens nationwide today.

SEE ALSO: Christopher Nolan used an old Hollywood trick to salvage footage that sank in the water while shooting 'Dunkirk'

SEE ALSO: Every Christopher Nolan movie, ranked from worst to best

Join the conversation about this story »

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27 nearly identical pairs of movies that came out around the same time

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Remember when "Finding Nemo" and "Shark Tale" were released around the same time? Or when "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Captain America: Civil War" came out just months apart? 

Friday, "Girls Trip" opens in theaters with Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith where the two reunite on retreat to New Orleans where they wind up getting into some mischief. If the premise sounds familiar it's because a similar movie called "Rough Night" premiered in June with Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, and Ilana Glazer reuniting at a Bachelorette party that goes awry.

This phenomenon of "twin" movies is actually somewhat common. Forbes contributor Mark Hughes explained in a 2011 Quora post that while sometimes the release of two similar films is just coincidence, it could be to piggyback off a competitor's potentially successful — or already successful — project. 

Read the rest of his explanation here, and keep scrolling to see more "twin" films that have come out months apart in theaters over the years.

1993/1994: "Tombstone" and "Wyatt Earp" are both centered around Western lawman Wyatt Earp.

Box Office
"Wyatt Earp": $25 million
"Tombstone": $56.5 million

Neither film did overwhelmingly great at the box office. "Tombstone," starring Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer, edged out the Kevin Costner and Dennis Quaid film from Warner Bros.



1997: "Dante's Peak" and "Volcano" both revolve around the cast outrunning erupting volcanoes.

Box Office
Dante's Peak": $178 million 
"Volcano": $122.8 million

Fox got a little excited with its over-the-top posters for "Volcano." The film did nowhere near as well as Pierce Brosnan's volcano epic in the states; however, the Los Angeles centered movie picked up overseas.



1998: The Earth was nearly destroyed in both "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact."

Box Office
Armageddon": $553.7 million
"Deep Impact": $349.5 million

Bruce Willis saves the world from an asteroid in the first film, while Robert Duvall tries to stop a massive comet from colliding with the planet.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Ben Affleck may not return for 'The Batman'

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On the heels of Ben Affleck dropping out of the upcoming Netflix project, "Triple Frontier," it seems he also might be hanging up his Batman cape and mask.

In a story The Hollywood Reporter put up Friday, the trade reports that Warner Bros. is working on a way to phase out Affleck as the current Dark Knight.

Though Affleck will definitely be playing Batman in the upcoming "Justice League" movie, coming out November 17 (he's even scheduled to appear at Comic Con in San Diego this weekend to promote it), THR says "it would be wise to bet against Affleck starring in 'The Batman,'" according to its source.

The standalone Batman movie was first going to be a writer-director project for Affleck. He was also to star again as the iconic DC Comics hero. But gradually news has come out of Affleck stepping back.

First, he announced that he would no longer be director in January, then earlier this month the new director on "The Batman," Matt Reeves ("War for the Planet of the Apes"), said that he would not be using Affleck's script.

batman v superman ben affleckAccording to the THR story, Affleck being ushered out of the role will be "gracefully" addressed in an upcoming DC Extended Universe movie.

Affleck first starred as Batman to positive reviews in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." He then had a cameo role as the character in "Suicide Squad."

Business Insider contacted Warner Bros. for comment and was referred to the quote studio head Toby Emmerich gave THR: "Ben is our Batman. We love him as Batman. We want to keep him in the cowl as long as we can."

SEE ALSO: Every Christopher Nolan movie, ranked from worst to best

Join the conversation about this story »

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Charlize Theron pulled off an amazing fight scene in 'Atomic Blonde' the director had wanted to make for years

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Atomic Blonde Focus Features

Director David Leitch knows a little something about pulling off action on the big screen.

For over two decades, he and Chad Stahelski have done stunts for the biggest stars on some of the biggest films, through their company 87Eleven. Recently, the two have moved on to directing, and have used their stuntman talents to create impressive action movies.

The two codirected the cult hit “John Wick” in 2014, instantly making them attractive names for numerous projects floating around Hollywood that needed a realistic action feel.

One of those was an adaptation of a recently published graphic novel, titled "The Coldest City." A pulpy Cold War spy thriller, it follows British MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton, who is tasked with traveling to Berlin days before the wall comes down, to retrieve a list identifying undercover agents before it's put in the wrong hands.

Charlize Theron was looking for unique female protagonist roles, so she bought the rights. The Oscar winner then looked for a director, and brought in Leitch and Stahelski for a meeting.

Learning that most of the directors were pitching Theron serious noir-tone story ideas (think 2011's "Tinker Tailor Solider Spy"), the duo came in with some "John Wick" flair.

Atomic Blonde 2 Jonathan Prime Focus Features finalThey got the job, but suddenly Leitch and Stahelski were stuck with a major decision. The start date for "The Coldest City" project, now titled “Atomic Blonde,” conflicted with the start for “John Wick: Chapter 2.” The two decided to split up directing duties to complete both projects. Stahelski did “John Wick 2,” while Leitch took on “Atomic Blonde.” It was an easy decision for Leitch, who had become obsessed with the Theron project.

"How do you make this sexy and cool and commercial and infuse my action sensibilities to turn the spy genre on its head?" Leitch told Business Insider. It was the challenge he couldn't pass on.

Leitch's pitch for Theron showed a slick action movie, but he also gave a musical presentation that highlighted '80s classics from the likes of David Bowie and Queen. When fused together these showed his vision for the project.

"After pitching it to Charlize, we were off to the races," Leitch said.

And Leitch quickly learned that Theron wanted to give the movie an ultra-violent realness by doing most of her own stunts. Especially the fight sequences. He loved the idea, but in Leitch’s experience with actors, he’s learned talk is cheap.

“Not to name names, but some will see [doing their own stunts] as part of their job, and they'll come in and have the work ethic, but not the ability. And some will have the ability but not the work ethic," Leitch said. "You have to have a passion to step in the gym for three hours, four times a week, and get your butt kicked."

So, to see what Theron was made of, Leitch put her through his stunt team's introduction course.

"We call it 'The Evaluation.' We put her through basic choreography drills, and you see her aptitude for memorization, and ability to mimic motion, and she was scoring off the charts," Leitch said.

Watch Theron's fight training for the movie:

A trained dancer in her youth, Theron took to the exercises, regardless the difficulty level. Soon, Leitch and one of the movie's producers, Kelly McCormick (who is also his wife), began talking about trying to pull off an elaborate fight sequence in "Atomic Blonde" that they had been discussing for years.

"I'm getting the remote videos from L.A. on how she's doing every day, and I made a call back to my stunt team and I'm like, 'Guys, I think we can do this 'oner' we've always talked about,'" Leitch said.

With only a $30 million budget (around the same he had for "John Wick"), Leitch was looking for ways to have the movie's fight sequences stand out with the limited resources. Due to Theron's abilities, he decided that the movie's major eight-minute fight scene — which takes place in the stairwell of a crummy Berlin apartment building at the end of the movie  — would all be done in one continuous shot.

Atomic Blonde Jonathan Prime Focus Features final"When I pitched it to her we were already a couple of weeks into shooting and I walked into the makeup trailer and I was like, 'I didn't want to tell you this before because I didn't want to freak you out, but that stairwell fight, I'm planning to make it all one shot.' And she's like, 'Ah, what?'" Leitch recalled. "I said, 'There will be some tricks and some movie magic, but it's going to be hard work and a lot of long takes.' And she was like, 'Has it been done before?' And I said, 'Not like this.' And she said, 'Let's do it.'"

As Leitch notes, there are some hidden cuts in the sequence (as happens with most "ones"), but the fight (which took two weeks to shoot) is what the movie will be remembered for. It showcases the talents of Leitch and his stunt team, as well as the abilities of Theron, who has wowed audiences recently with her out-of-the-box movie choices.

For someone who has worked with dedicated action stars like Keanu Reeves and Hugh Jackman, Leitch puts Theron in that rare class of actors who can realistically do almost anything a stunt person can.

"Her attitude was amazing and her excitement to come in every day and train and mix it up with the stunt team, and push herself, there's few that I've worked with that have that drive," Leitch said.

"Atomic Blonde" opens in theaters July 28.

Watch some of the single-shot fight scene in the trailer below:

SEE ALSO: Christopher Nolan explains the biggest challenge in making his latest movie "Dunkirk" into an "intimate epic"

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here’s what 'Double Dare' host Marc Summers is up to today

Christopher Nolan compared casting Harry Styles in 'Dunkirk' to Heath Ledger as The Joker

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dunkirk styles Warner Bros final

The latest movie by Christopher Nolan features stars like Tom Hardy, Oscar-winner Mark Rylance, and Cillian Murphy — but when you leave the theater after watching “Dunkirk” (opens July 21), one of the performances you’ll likely remember most will be the acting debut of pop star Harry Styles.

Formerly part of One Direction, Styles has branched off into being one of the biggest solo performers in the world, and now he’s showing he has acting chops as well.

“Dunkirk” is an intimately told look at the Allied evacuation of the beaches of Dunkirk, France during World War II. Told in three parts — soldiers on the beach, British pilots fighting off German bombers in the sky, and civilian boats on the water en route to Dunkirk to help with the evacuation — Nolan explores the journey of a handful of men involved in all three instances.

Styles plays Alex, one of the soldiers trying to get off the beach, and it’s not easy. Escaping out of sinking destroyers and avoiding being shot at by oncoming Germans soldiers on foot advancing towards the beach, Styles delivers a riveting performance. And for a movie limited with dialogue, he gets a large part of the lines that are spoken.

Harry Styles Dunkirk Warner Bros finalNolan is no stranger to doing unique casting. He cast Robin Williams in one of the actor’s rare turns as a bad guy in 2002’s “Insomnia,” had David Bowie play Nikola Tesla in 2006’s “The Prestige,” and then there was the shocking choice of choosing Heath Ledger to play The Joker in 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” which went on to earn Ledger a posthumous Oscar win for best supporting actor.

Nolan sees similarities to those castings and going with Styles.

“Ever since I cast Heath Ledger as The Joker and raised all kinds of eyebrows, I've recognized that this is my responsibility and I really have to spot the potential in somebody who hasn't done a particular thing before,” Nolan told Business Insider. “Because whether you're taking about Harry Styles or Mark Rylance you don't really want to cast them in a position where they are doing something they've already done. You want to give the audience something different. So you're looking at their talent and how that can be used.”

And there was little preference given to Styles in the casting process (though Nolan has admitted he wasn’t aware how famous Styles really is). 

dunkirk harry styles warner bros“The truth is, Harry auditioned for our casting director, he sent the tape along. The casting director rightly pointed out how good it was. We threw him into the mix with many, many other young men and he earned his seat at the table over a series of very hard-fought auditions,” Nolan said.

Styles definitely holds his own on screen, proving he can move us with his dramatic acting as much as his comedy, which he showed off earlier this year on “Saturday Night Live.”

Nolan can’t wait for audiences to see this side of Styles.

“I’m very excited for people to see what he has done in the film,” Nolan said. “I think it’s truthful and it’s a very tough role he’s playing, too.”

Watch Styles in the “Dunkirk” trailer below:

SEE ALSO: Christopher Nolan explains the biggest challenge in making his latest movie "Dunkirk" into an "intimate epic"

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here’s what 'Double Dare' host Marc Summers is up to today

A 'Wonder Woman' sequel is finally confirmed — here's what we know

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The INSIDER Summary:

  • Warner Bros. finally made a sequel to "Wonder Woman" official.
  • There's no release date yet, nor is Patty Jenkins confirmed as the movie's director.
  • DC Films' Geoff Johns revealed he's working on the script.
  • The earliest you should expect the sequel is 2020.


Warner Bros. officially announces a sequel to "Wonder Woman" is in development during their panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

The studio kicked off their shared superhero world last spring with the premiere of "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice," which featured the return of Henry Cavill as Clark Kent/Superman and introduced Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne/Batman as well as Gal Gadot as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman – plus Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, and Ray Fisher as Cyborg.

Although "Batman V Supermanwasn't well received by critics and inspired a divisive reaction among fans, Gadot's Wonder Woman was a highlight for many, which generated positive buzz for the character's solo entry that hit theaters earlier this year.

wonder woman batman v superman

Patty Jenkins' "Wonder Woman" was beloved by critics and fans alike, and has broken records at the box office to become the top-grossing film directed by a woman. Additionally, "Wonder Woman" became the highest earner in the DCEU at the domestic box office, and only trails behind "Batman V Superman" at the worldwide box office.

As such, rumors of a sequel have been circling for some time, with Jenkins expected to return as director and DC Films' Geoff Johns revealing he's working on the script. Now, we have official word on "Wonder Woman 2" out of San Diego.

During Warner Bros' panel at San Diego Comic-Con, the studio revealed a sequel to "Wonder Woman" is officially in development as part of the upcoming DCEU slate.

wonder woman aquaman

Warner Bros. also teased another handful of films for the upcoming DCEU slate during Comic-Con, including "Suicide Squad 2," "Justice League Dark," "Batgirl," "Green Lantern Corps," and The Flash movie, which has been titled "Flashpoint."

While the announcement of a "Wonder Woman" sequel likely won't come as much of a surprise – both because Jenkins' DCEU debut was so successful and reports surfaced recently that the studio would make the reveal at Comic-Con – but it should still come as a relief to those wondering whether Warner Bros. would follow through on it.

Certainly, with so many other DCEU movies in various stages of production or development, it seemed possible a "Wonder Woman" sequel would be pushed until a much later date. As it is, "Wonder Woman 2" likely won't make its way to theaters until 2020 at the earliest.

wonder woman

Beyond the annoucement that the "Wonder Woman" sequel is officially apart of Warner Bros' upcoming DCEU slate, no other information was revealed about the film. Fans may have hoped for a release date annoucement – perhaps one of the two recently slated by Warner Bros. for 2020 – or for Jenkins to officially sign on as the director.

Of course, with "Wonder Woman 2" unlikely to arrive before 2020, Warner Bros. has plenty of time to hash out the particulars for the film. So, fans can expect more information concerning the "Wonder Woman" sequel to arrive in the coming months.

Join the conversation about this story »

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Marvel showed 3 full scenes at Comic-Con for the next 'Thor' movie — here's what we saw

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The INSIDER Summary:

  • Marvel showed new "Thor: Ragnarok" footage at San Diego Comic-Con Saturday.
  • It shows Thor being captured by The Grandmaster, played by Jeff Goldblum.
  • We also meet Valkyrie, The Grandmaster's associate, played by Tessa Thompson.
  • Thor is set up to fight other people on The Grandmaster's planet — including Hulk.


Saturday night always belongs to Marvel Studios at San Diego Comic-Con. The company strategically always takes the last slot in Hall H during the most popular day of the convention, and in the last 10 years they have never failed to get fans incredibly excited for everything that's coming up on their slate. This year was definitely no exception, in large part thanks to the impressive and hilarious extended footage that was shown from writer/director Taika Waititi's "Thor: Ragnarok."

Starting with no real set-up, but also a good dose of exposition, the footage began with an unconscious Thor (Chris Hemsworth) waking up to discover that he has been strapped to a chair and is slowly moving down a long, seemingly endless tunnel. As the walls begin to morph and change, showing colorful designs and images, a calming female voice speaks to the Asgardian, explaining, "Fear not, for you are found. You are home. There is no going back. No one leaves this place."

The mysterious voice then goes on to explain where exactly "this place" is. While the walls illustrate what is being said, it's revealed that Thor has found himself of Sakaar, a planet that is surrounded by cosmic gateways and "lives on the edge of the known and unknown." It's identified as a collection point for lost and unloved things, where they can be found and loved -- "And nobody loves you more than The Grandmaster." Thor struggles to fully comprehend what he is hearing, as the voice goes on to explain that The Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum) is the creator of the Contest Of Champions, and that everyone on the world belongs to him.

jeff goldblum grandmaster

Wrapping up, the voice explains that Thor will get to meet The Grandmaster in 10 seconds -- and suddenly the images on the walls begin to move faster and faster -- not too dissimilar to the notorious "Willy Wonka" boat ride. The Avenger begins to yell in panic, but in a flash the walls totally disappear and Thor is simply left sitting in his chair in the middle of a room surrounded by The Grandmaster's guards. Sitting about 20 feet in front of him is his new owner, and behind him are Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Topaz (played by Taika Waititi's personal good luck charm, Rachel House). Looking his new captive up and down, The Grandmaster exclaims, "He's wonderful!" -- before confirming that he is in fact a "he" with Valkyrie.

The Grandmaster (who is actually the brother of The Collector from "Guardians of the Galaxy") couldn't be more happy with his new prize -- but Topaz clearly isn't too impressed. While the ruler of Sakaar lauds Valkyrie - who he calls Scrapper 142 -- and notes that she always brings him the best stuff, Topaz takes every opportunity to put her down. "What do I always say?" The Grandmaster jubilantly exclaims, "She is the... it starts with a 'B.'" Without hesitation. Topaz replies, "Trash." Confused, Grandmaster wonders if Topaz was just waiting to say 'Trash," and re-explains that he was looking for a 'B' word -- to which Topaz replies, "Bitch."

thor ragnarok tessa thompson valkyrie

The word The Grandmaster was looking for is 'Best," and then he reveals something significant: it was Valkyrie who brought him his great champion -- who we eventually learn is none other than The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). Requesting a closer look at his new 'contender,' the celestial monarch has his chair pushed closer to Thor -- but it's this that pushes the Asgardian past his breaking point. He proclaims that he is not for sale, and successfully manages to break out of his wrist restraints, but this action is followed by Valkyrie pressing a button that activates some kind of shock implant in Thor's neck. While Topaz protests, Grandmaster agrees to pay "Scrapper 142" the price of 10 million units. Lovingly brushing Grandmaster's cheek with her hand as she walks towards Thor (something he clearly likes), Valkyrie gets ready to move the hero to his new holding area. "You'll pay for this," Thor says weakly. "Yeah, right, I'll pay for this," Valkyrie responds.

The Grandmaster instructs that Thor should be made to feel welcome -- but the next scene has him roughly shoved into his quarters, which he shares with some other strangers. While Thor is clearly stressed, an alien sitting against the wall tells him to calm down and introduces himself as Korg (voiced by Taika Waititi). While he looks like a lumbering pile of rocks, Korg explains that he shouldn't let that be intimidating, and while doing a walk-and-talk with Thor around the circular cell he identifies himself as a leader of the inmates. Giving some back story, he says that in his old life he tried to start a revolution on his own planet, but it didn't work out so well due to the fact that he didn't print out enough pamphlets, and only his mom and her boyfriend actually showed up. Meanwhile, Thor tries to run ahead, but almost as soon as he leaves the screen he appears again running up from behind Korg. Naturally, this confuses the hell out of the Avenger, but Korg notes, "Yeah, this whole place is a circle. Not a normal circle. Like a freaky circle."

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Thor inquires about doing battle with the Grandmaster's champion, but Korg dismisses this idea saying that he'll just end up like Doug -- who is lying dead against the wall. Korg has managed to stay alive because he only participates in warm-up fights, noting that while he's made of rocks, they are "perishable rocks." Forever the prideful hero, Thor proclaims that he is going to fight the champion, win, and get away from Sakaar. "That's exactly what Doug used to say," Korg replies. "See you later, New Doug!"

From there we got to see the brand new trailer for "Thor: Ragnarok," which thankfully premiered online shortly after it was shown in Hall H. And you can watch it below!

It has been made very clear that "Thor: Ragnarok" will be very different than the previous "Thor" movies we've seen, and the new footage most definitely emphasized that fact. Much in the same way that Marvel Studios gave James Gunn the freedom to make the movies he wanted to make with "Guardians of the Galaxy," the third "Thor" movie is completely drenched in the auteur stylings and sensibilities of writer/director Taika Waititi, and that is beyond exciting. Not only does the movie look incredibly funny, but also beautifully colorful, and very, very weird.

We have really been waiting years for this one, but thankfully there isn't too much waiting left to go. Marvel has set plans to have "Thor: Ragnarok" in theaters on November 3rd, and given that it's one of our most anticipated titles of the fall, you can be sure that we here at CinemaBlend will have plenty more updates about the feature for you between now and the release date. In the meantime, hit the comments section below to tell us your thoughts on the described footage, as well as the new trailer!

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I had no idea who Harry Styles was, but I still loved him in his first movie role

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harry styles dunkirk split

The INSIDER Summary:

  • One Direction singer Harry Styles is in "Dunkirk."
  • He's great for Harry Styles fans because he's Harry Styles.
  • Non-Harry Styles fans will also appreciate him because he's a good actor and blends in with the rest of the cast.
  • Fortunately, he doesn't sing.


I don't really care for One Direction. It's just not my thing. And for that reason, I love Harry Styles in "Dunkirk."

There are two types of people in this world. There are people who love Harry Styles and follow his every move. And there are people who vaguely know who he is, if they've heard of him at all. For the most part, I'm the latter. So was "Dunkirk" director Christopher Nolan, who cast Styles in the movie without knowing he was very famous.

That's what makes casting Styles a stroke of genius.

If you watch "Dunkirk" for Harry Styles, you'll love it because Harry Styles is in it. He's a very good actor and he's the heart of the movie.

If you watch "Dunkirk" for everything else in "Dunkirk," you'll love it because it's a great movie about the psychological effects of war and it's Christopher Nolan's best movie yet. Also, there's a great actor named Harry Styles in it.

As Nolan said, "I cast Harry, because he fit the part wonderfully and truly earned a seat at the table."

harry styles in dunkirk

Watching the movie, I honestly wasn't sure which character Harry Styles played. I didn't really know what he looked like, except that he has a lot of hair. But in the movie, his hair is cut and he could have been any of the three significant characters who are white guys in their twenties with dark hair, light eyes, and strong chins. They're all good actors and I was able to appreciate the movie without getting pulled out of it and thinking, "Hey, that's Harry Styles."

It's also important that Styles doesn't sing in the movie. For a prime example of how a musician should not act, just look at Ed Sheeran on the season 7 premiere of "Game of Thrones." He looked exactly like Ed Sheeran. That pulls viewers out of the show's immersive experience. He also sang a song (Sheeran is a "musician"), which threw off the pacing of the episode. Viewers hated it so much that Sheeran deleted his Twitter account in the wake of the backlash.

The only times musicians should sing in a movie is if they're playing themselves, like Frank Sinatra in "Higher and Higher," cheekily playing a funnier version of themselves, like The Backstreet Boys in "This Is the End," or if you're in a movie called "Inside Llewyn Davis" and you happen to be Justin Timberlake. Notice how Frank Sinatra didn't try to sing when he was playing an army private in "From Here to Eternity" or a heroin addict in "The Man With The Golden Arm," when he was playing characters who were people other than himself. Wisely, neither does Harry Styles in "Dunkirk."

"Dunkirk" is in theaters now.

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