Categoría: INTERNET

While Helen McCrory needed to drop out of her role as Bellatrix Lestrange because of her pending motherhood — «I got pregnant with my first child, and insurance wouldn’t cover pregnant witches!» she told Parade — she bore no ill will with her replacement. «I sort of knew Helena Bonham Carter before, but I’ve come away with a best friend in her,» McCrory said.

If anything, McCrory lamented how she wished she would have been a part of the Harry Potter franchise much longer. «It’s a shame that I joined it so late and Narcissa’s part is so fleeting. But however big or small, it’s been lovely to be a part of.»

While it’s hard to say how McCrory would have inhabited Bellatrix in the «Harry Potter» film saga, there’s no question that Helena Bonham Carter was determined to mold the evil witch in a very unexpected and distinct way. Noting that there wasn’t much in the script to define the character, Bonham Carter told EW how she brought the pure-blood magic user from the House of Black to life. «I think I probably made her a bit more insane and unhinged than she was meant to be,» the actor told the publication. «I wanted to be conspicuous. So the [rotten] teeth was my idea, because she had been in prison so long. I wanted her to be quite savage. And I wanted that corset. It was sort of an Amazon thing. Bellatrix means a warrior. I wanted her to be sexy and revolting at the same time.»

The rotted teeth had such an impact on Bonham Carter that they ended up being the one prop she took from the Harry Potter set.

I know what you’re thinking: «Valentine’s Day» is way too high on this list. Two counter-arguments: this is my list, and «Valentine’s Day» is a fluffy, silly performance that ended up generating way better future content as it pertains to Taylor Swift. Hear me out.

After movies like «Love Actually» and «He’s Just Not That Into You» wove together a whole bunch of love stories connected by tenuous threads, Hollywood decided to go back to that well again and again. So, unsurprisingly, one of those giant ensemble movies ended up being set on Valentine’s Day. Swift plays high-schooler Felicia who’s obsessed with her boyfriend Willy (Taylor Lautner), and the scene everyone remembers is the one where Felicia is being interviewed by a local news organization about «young love.» She immediately says she’s «not the cheerleader» to Willy’s track star — quite obviously referencing the «cheer captain» from her hit «You Belong With Me» — and then shows off the moves she learned on the dance team. Honestly, she’s funny. She takes her terrible dance routine deadly seriously! It’s a good bit!

Here’s what’s important, though: without her performance in «Valentine’s Day,» Swift and Lautner never would have dated. Without their brief relationship, Swift never would have written perhaps the only song where she apologizes to a boy — the pained, exquisite «Back to December» from «Speak Now.» The two never would have rekindled their friendship and Lautner never would have filmed the music video for the «Speak Now» vault track «I Can See You» in 2023. Consequently, Lautner never would have backflipped down the Eras Tour stage that year. See? I told you. «Valentine’s Day» deserves this spot.

Streaming services continue to struggle in a crowded landscape, and Paramount+ is no exception. In fact, the biggest change to «Trek» we will see in 2024 is a scaling back of new content. Yet the studio has already announced one new show, based on a decades-old idea that was never made. Tentatively titled «Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,» the series will be set at the training grounds for Starfleet cadets and follow a group of fresh-faced recruits as they hope to earn a spot in the final frontier.

Though little is known about the series beyond that basic premise, it’s strongly suggested that it will take place in the 32nd-century era seen in later seasons of «Discovery.» With the character of Tilly (Mary Wiseman) leaving in Season 4 to take a position at a newly minted Starfleet Academy, it’s possible (if not likely) that she’ll headline the series. If the show is indeed set in the «Discovery» time period, it also opens the door to continued appearances from that show’s characters, including Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Saru (Doug Jones). 

The bigger shift, however, is that the show is being targeted at teens and young adults, a totally new approach for the franchise. Unfortunately, fans may be in for a lengthy wait, as no casting has been officially announced and production is only said to be commencing sometime this year — meaning we will probably be without a new «Trek» show in 2024. 

In 1979, «Star Trek: The Motion Picture» didn’t exactly have a critically sound reception. «Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan» was a shot at redemption, which Leonard Nimoy realized after the fact. Speaking with TrekMovie.com in 2009, Nimoy stated how «Wrath of Khan» kicked off a new era for the franchise. «The second one put us back on track and what happened, unintentionally, we didn’t realize that we were at the beginning of a trilogy,» he explained. «That the three films, II, III and IV, told a story that had [an] arc.» Spock going to fix the warp drive and dying in the process is what kicks off the remainder of that trilogy. 

As suggested by the title, «Star Trek III: The Search for Spock» sees the return of the Vulcan, with him becoming resurrected by the end. The storyline carries over into «Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,» where Spock continues recovering from being brought back to life. He’s also the one to figure out a threatening probe is sending out a signal reminiscent of songs sent by humpback whales, which have since gone extinct. Spock’s journey is pivotal throughout all these films, and even when he’s not physically present, he’s still influencing the story. And it all goes back to him fixing the warp drive to save his friends. 

Spock’s death is one of the most memorable scenes in sci-fi history. Even if it didn’t set up future films, it would be significant for that reason alone. 

The linchpin that holds «Basic Instinct» together, of course, is the unnervingly realistic sex scene midway through the film, when Catherine Tramell ties Nick Curran’s wrists to the best post in the same manner the undisclosed killer does in the opening scene before she stabs her victim to death. Catherine doesn’t stab Nick, but the scene provides a piece of concrete evidence for the audience that she could indeed be the killer.

Written by Joe Eszterhas, «Basic Instinct» looked great to Michael Douglas on paper, but he and director Paul Verhoeven found out that getting a female actor to sign the dotted line to play Catherine was going to be difficult because of the film’s explicit nudity and sex scenes. Thankfully for the production, Stone was willing to go the distance. «We wanted to hit something, and we had a good script, and we had a fabulous actress in Sharon. She was just perfect for the role,» Douglas recalled at the 2023 Cannes press conference. «Again, it was very funny. We were auditioning, trying to find the right actress for the part, and Paul knew there was going to be a lot of active sex — there is in a lot of his films. So when he would meet these actresses, he would always preface it by saying, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah. But there’ll be nudity. Yeah, nudity … Lots of nudity.’ I said, ‘Paul, you don’t have to say that.’»

But Verhoeven did keep saying that, Douglas remembered, adding, «So we kept getting turned down by actresses!»

CMT Films also involved itself in another Toby Keith acting endeavor — «Beer for My Horses,» a TV movie that was based on Keith’s hit duet with Willie Nelson. The comedy pits Keith as small-town sheriff Joe Bill «Rack» Racklin and Lonnie Freeman (Rodney Carrington), his deputy, against Tito Garza (Greg Serano) and other members of the Garza crime family. Alongside Skunk Tarver (Ted Nugent), the men must battle the Garzas and their boss, Sheriff Landry (Tom Skerritt), who doesn’t want them on the case. Elsewhere, Rack finds himself dumped by his girlfriend Cammie (Gina Gershon) and reunited with his ex-flame Annie Streets (Claire Forlani) and becomes friends with a circus ringmaster (Nelson) who introduces Rack and his friends to a particular sort of homebrewed whiskey.

The movie got a limited theatrical release, making $666,045. However critics, gave Keith and the film quite a drubbing, and it sits at 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. With «Beer for My Horses» in the books, Keith never gave acting another serious pursuit and instead decided to focus on his music career. Since he ended up becoming a member of the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2015 and established an undisputable music legacy, that focus definitely ended up paying off.

While it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that the nude image of Kate Winslet as Rose in «Titanic» has been presented to her by fans, the actor said sometimes the image hits closer to home. «My daughter actually had [an encounter] at school. It was quite weird. She said that someone came up to her having figured out after four years of being at school together that I was her mom, and she went, ‘Oh my God. I’ve seen your mom’s boobs!’» Winslet said on «The Graham Norton Show.»

While «Titanic» won 11 Academy Awards and garnered a best actress nomination for Winslet, the film also tossed the actor overboard into waters infested with mean-spirited journalists who criticized her body in their coverage. «What I really remember vividly is that when I did ‘Titanic’ and was so thrust into the public eye, I was shocked and horrified by how vilified I was by mainstream media,» Winslet told Vogue in May 2023.

Now, more than 25 years after the release of the film, Winslet said that the mainstream media has smartened up and backed off on body shaming. «Sure, that stuff happens on social media, amongst people and the public sharing opinions — some people just have nasty s*** to say,» Winslet told Vogue. «But mainstream media behaving in these really irresponsible damaging ways — I do think that has actually stopped.»

In «Titanic,» the nude sketch of Rose was discovered as an exploration crew led by Brock Lovett (Bill Paxton) salvaged some wreckage from the sunken vessel. Paxton and James Cameron returned to view the real Titanic in the 2003 documentary film «Ghosts of the Abyss.»

Even with Darth Plagueis dead and gone, Sheev Palpatine remains committed to his master’s political cause. He tactfully overthrows the Galactic Republic and becomes the Emperor of the reorganized Galactic Empire, ruling with an iron fist. When he loses and the Empire falls at the end of the Galactic Civil War, he hides in the shadows for decades before reemerging with effectively the same plan. With countless troops and ships at his disposal, he attempts to sidestep the Resistance and First Order conflict to make the Sith Eternal the dominant faction in the galaxy.

Throughout all of this, Palpatine maintains the Sith studies he began with Plagueis and continues their pursuit of immortality. He spends much of the Empire’s reign exploring cloning, though, as seen with projects like the clone body he occupies on Exegol in «Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker,» he doesn’t quite nail it. Seeing as he moves his mind from one body to another, it’s fair to say he at least figures out Force transference. He also creates artificial beings like Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis) along the way, and uses Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Ben Solo’s (Adam Driver) Force dyad to regenerate himself.

All in all, Darth Plagueis is a victim of his own ambition. He wants power, eternal life, and Sith glory so badly that it never even occurs to him that he’s outlasted his usefulness to his apprentice. At the same time, his knowledge, techniques, and goals very much live on through Emperor Palpatine. In a sense, he achieves the enduring life he so strongly desires. He’s just not alive to see it.

When the professional cat hired for «Argylle» proved uncooperative, director Matthew Vaughn turned in desperation to his own home and his daughter’s cat, Chip, part of a litter that Vaughn’s wife («Argylle» executive producer Claudia Vaughn) had brought home sometime earlier. The only question was, would Chip make unreasonable demands knowing that his owner’s dad was in a bind?

«The only demands were my daughter’s demands, which was candy,» laughs Vaughn. «And I’m a dog person with a capital D, right? So it was very strange. The cat is definitely my daughter’s cat and I was always like, ‘Hey Chip, how are you doing?’ That was enough for me. And then Chip and I bonded making this movie.»

Vaughn adds that while a CG cat was used in some instances — most notably in a scene where Aidan hurls him (safely, as it turns out) off a roof — Chip actually did a lot of his own work in the film. «I mean, look, I’m not allowed to throw cats off roofs,» concedes Vaughn. «I probably would if I could because it’s a cat, but I’d say 95% of the movie really is Chip.»

Ultimately, having Chip play Alfie was a successful gambit. «I think because he was the family cat, he was really relaxed, so I could put him here and he wouldn’t have the need just to run off or stare,» says Vaughn. «The problem about [using] animal trainers, you have the damn animal and it just looks at the bloody trainer. So the eyeline’s always wrong.» There was an additional bonus as well: «Bryce is brilliant with cats, so they bonded and I even gave Bryce a cat as a wrap present. Chip’s cousin now lives with Bryce.» 

«Argylle» is in theaters now.

Rounding out the list of romantic comedies beloved in specific states are three modern classics. First, we have «The Proposal,» a classic enemies-to-lovers tale that finds haughty businesswoman Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) begging her employee Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her so she isn’t deported back to Canada. In the lead-up to their hurried nuptials, though, real sparks fly between Andrew and Margaret amidst the groom-to-be’s family home in Alaska.

Audiences want to marry «The Proposal» in:

Then, we have the ensemble rom-com «Crazy, Stupid, Love.» The 2011 film revolves around loving husband Cal Weaver (Steve Carell), grappling with his wife Emily’s (Julianne Moore) infidelity. Things take a turn for him when he befriends rampant womanizer Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), who romances a young lawyer named Hannah (Emma Stone). But the teacher becomes the students here when all these love stories collide in the funniest way possible.

Rom-com fans went all in for «Crazy, Stupid, Love.» in:

Last but certainly not least, we have «How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.» While it might only take the top spot in one state, it’s still a staple of the genre. Unbeknownst to both parties, columnist Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) and ad man Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey) embark on two very different bets for their jobs. Andie sets out to prove that she can drive away any man within 10 days by being excessively needy, while Ben tells his colleagues he can make a woman fall in love with him in the same timeframe.

Viewers want to hang on to «How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days» in Rhode Island.

«Argylle» is purposefully vague about the Directorate. By the end of the movie, we don’t really have any hard facts about the organization. We assume that Ritter and Ruth are at the top of its food chain, but we don’t actually know for certain that they’re the leaders. In this movie, the Directorate works as a sort of generic evil espionage group, but the ending gives us a little more insight into what the Directorate is really up to — and possibly what Elly and Aiden will be dealing with next.

About halfway through the movie, we learn that the Directorate used brainwashing techniques to convince Elly of her new identity. They wanted to use her books to find out more about her work with Alfie and Aiden, but the movie’s climax shows us that’s not all they planned to do. Ruth is able to use a music box to make Elly fight Aiden, and that has some terrifying implications for the Directorate’s real plan.

The Directorate could be gearing up to take over the world. If brainwashing currently lets the Directorate turn trained spies into weaponized puppets, there’s no telling what the group could accomplish if it had access to world leaders. Anyone’s memories could be rewritten, and with a simple audio cue, the Directorate could alter the course of world events. At the end of the movie, Ruth and Ritter are dead, but those brainwashing techniques are almost certainly still out there.

To be fair, Keanu Reeves likely has some kind of comic book adaptation in his future. As of November 2023, «Constantine 2» sounds like it’s in still progress despite shake-ups at DC Studios, with the director confirming its status: The Reeves-starring sequel will be released as part of DC Elseworlds, which is separate from the DCU. This means there’s more than enough room in these expansive franchises for the actor to play multiple comic book characters on the big screen — he’s even floated various ideas over the years.

For instance, we finally know that Reeves’ younger self would want to play the Marvel character Ghost Rider. Beyond that, Reeves was asked during a Reddit AMA if there were any parts he regretted passing up, and although none came to mind, he revealed, «I did always want to play Wolverine.» The mutant doesn’t show up in any of the images posted by @esheffects, but there’s little doubt Reeves would do a bang-up job as Logan. With the facial hair and his penchant for playing violent characters, he could easily inhabit a Wolverine from another universe.

While a new Wolverine is inevitable, as for now, Hugh Jackman still has a monopoly on playing the character in live-action movies, including returning from his death in «Logan» to appear in «Deadpool 3.» Moreover, it’s probably a safe bet that Marvel will go for someone younger to carry on the mantle. However, given Reeves’ incredible popularity, it makes sense for either Marvel or DC to cast him in something down the line.

It makes sense that Vin Diesel can call the shots with what happens with his franchise character, Dominic Toretto. After all, he’s been the face of the «Fast and Furious» movie franchise since he starred opposite the late Paul Walker in the first movie in the series, «The Fast and the Furious,» in 2001.

In addition to toplining all 10 of the «Fast and Furious» films to date, Diesel has served as a producer on every chapter in the saga since the fourth film, 2009’s «Fast & Furious.» Dwayne Johnson’s and Jason Statham’s contract stipulations are equally merited, given their participation in the franchise has been just as vital to the success of the «Fast and Furious» films as Diesel’s turn as Toretto.

A report in USA Today (via The Guardian) in 2019 suggested that the trio’s contract stipulation stemmed from Johnson’s and Diesel’s feud, which resulted in Johnson’s vow that he was done with the «Fast and Furious» franchise. «It’s not always easy being an alpha. And it’s two alphas,» Johnson told USA Today about the hubbub between the two actors. An unnamed editor told in the same USA Today article that physicality in the «Fast and Furious» movies is an issue the stars worry about. «It’s like that old trope where an actor comes in and wants more closeups,» the editor said. «They want more muscles.»

Of course, Johnson’s and Diesel’s feud has since been settled, as implied by the post-credits cameo Johnson made in 2023’s «Fast X.» Whether Johnson and Statham will be back for «Fast and Furious 11» — along with their wild contract demands — is a question that remains unanswered.

«Avatar» has spawned a total franchise, cementing its cultural legacy. In addition to two feature-length films, both of which have grossed over $2 billion, the series also has various video games, including the 2023’s «Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.» There are also «Avatar» comic books to help fill in some gaps from the movies. «Avatar» is branching out in big ways, so it’s no wonder James Cameron wants to stay in this world and flesh it out to rival other big sci-fi franchises.

In his interview with People, Cameron spoke about having a precedent for the potential longevity of the «Avatar» franchise. «Star Trek, Star Wars, the world building franchises that have been around since I was a kid, those were my inspirations,» he said. And while the first «Avatar» came out in 2009, it’s still just getting started. «We’re still a young universe,» he pointed out. «We’re only two movies in; we’re halfway through our third right now. To have that kind of cultural impact over time, you got to pour all your heart and energy into it.»

As far as Cameron’s involvement in Avatar movies, he’s floated the idea of passing directorial duties to someone else before. Whoever takes the reins of the franchise will have some mighty big shoes to fill, but Cameron shows no signs of slowing down now. Even if someone else takes over for «Avatar 6,» he still has three more movies to wrap up before then. Plus, as the director has shown before, he doesn’t mind taking his time to ensure an «Avatar» movie is done right. 

«Anyone But You» didn’t make a massive splash during its first weekend out in theaters, grossing $6 million domestically. But, like Bea and Ben’s relationship, the popularity of the film has proved to be something of a slow burn, as it has continued to bring in money each week since. By the end of January, the romantic comedy had surpassed the $100 million mark with its worldwide earnings, with a total gross of $151.7 million as of February 5. On a modest budget of $25 million, this makes the movie one of the most profitable of the year after marketing and exhibitors’ costs.

To put this into perspective, «Anyone But You» holds a passable 51% critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes compared to the 70% rating Sony’s last R-rated rom-com, «No Hard Feelings,» boasts. But it easily out-earned the Jennifer Lawrence flick. «No Hard Feelings» was also released last year, grossing just 87.2 million worldwide on a reported budget of $45 million. Although «No Hard Feelings» started out strong, bringing in double what «Anyone But You» did on its opening weekend domestically, the difference between the two films, in terms of profits, is longevity. The sustained and increasing popularity of «Anyone But You» weeks after its release has kept theaters full and allowed profits to climb.

It’s important to note that Josh Brolin doesn’t explicitly confirm that Thanos is returning, but his word choice is certainly inspiring. «… [T]hey’re gonna bring him back,» the actor said, implying that the canonical version of the character could return, as opposed to another appearance in «What If…?» which features hypothetical scenarios in the MCU. When one takes a look at the upcoming Marvel release calendar, the most obvious choice for Thanos’ return is «Deadpool 3.» The upcoming Shawn Levy-directed picture will be the first flick in the MCU to fully fold in 20th Century Studios’ roster of «X-Men» characters. 

The self-aware nature of the «Deadpool» franchise could lend itself to Brolin’s return as Thanos, as the actor famously played Cable in «Deadpool 2.» Having Ryan Reynolds’ Merc with a Mouth openly call out the casting could be a great way to have the MCU formally acknowledge Brolin’s two characters. Beyond that, rumors have suggested for quite some time that «Deadpool 3» will be riddled with cameos and that the project could feature the multiverse in some capacity. 

While plot details aren’t concrete for «Deadpool 3,» the inclusion of the multiverse opens up the possibility of Deadpool running into a version of Thanos. Audiences could maybe see Thanos in an alternate universe, or it’s possible that the character could simply not be dead — a fan theory that has dominated since «Endgame.» 

The «Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2» poster focuses on those four animals, so they’ll likely be the focal points even if there are teases for other characters. And while Tigger couldn’t have been in the first film (he wasn’t in the public domain yet), the sequel’s creative team makes full use of him. Producer Scott Jeffrey told IGN, «Tigger is incredibly violent. He loves to torture his victims before killing them.» With that in mind, Tigger could scare the stripes off plenty of viewers.

In addition to more Winnie the Pooh characters entering the horror franchise, the sequel has a larger budget. The animals are far more intimidating — especially Pooh, who looks much more like a demonic bear than last time. In the same IGN interview, Jeffrey confirmed they had more money to play with this time: «Rhys [Frake-Waterfield, the director] is really able to create a shocking, explosive, and gore-filled movie. I truly think people will really dig what we are creating.»

Frake-Waterfield spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the increased budget, mentioning how the original Pooh costume cost $770. But for the sequel, he said that «the prosthetics alone for the creatures ended up being over $20,000.» Bigger could easily mean better, and fans can see the carnage when «Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2» comes out in theaters later in 2024.