Categoría: INTERNET

The AI-generated images almost give the aesthetic of «Shrek» as a horror movie. It kind of works; after all, there are things only adults would pick up on in «Shrek» from slightly dirty jokes to some pretty dark imagery. But the final product could’ve been a lot darker had the team behind the scenes gone with some original ideas. 

Some «Shrek» test footage has surfaced featuring Chris Farley voicing the ogre. The character design is definitely a bit rougher around the edges instead of the «cute in an ugly way» look that wound up in the movie. That’s not all; in the early days of production, «Shrek» was planned to have a much darker color palette. Ruben Hickman worked as a concept artist for the animated film, and he told Vice Media about how some of the earlier drawings of «Shrek» were «much more underground comic, edgy, a lot darker. The color scheme was much more experimental.»

The film the world ultimately saw may be a bit edgier compared to what one might find with Disney animated films, but it’s still a fairly colorful and whimsical movie. Hickman admitted this was for the best: «A dark color scheme was not going to go over in a mass audience the way that ‘Shrek’ did.» Thanks to AI, audiences don’t have to wonder what an edgier Shrek would look like. He’s there in all of his disgusting glory. Something tells us his layers are malevolent all the way through. 

In 2015, Kristen Wiig once again displayed her wide-ranging acting abilities in Sebastián Silva’s «Nasty Baby.» She plays Polly, a single woman from Brooklyn who calls on her gay friends Freddy (Silva) and Mo (Tunde Adebimpe) to help her conceive a baby. Despite being no stranger to the world of comedic improv, her experience on the set of «Nasty Baby» — an improvised drama — was completely new.

«When you’re improvising in a comedy, you are still a character and you still have to get that information across, but there’s that added element of creating funny lines off of the top of your head and making jokes. This was not like that,» Wiig told EW. «This is just having a conversation as a character with other characters in the movie and creating the scene. It just felt different.»

According to Wiig, «Nasty Baby» was filmed in just two weeks with virtually no budget. In fact, cast members brought some of their own clothes to set to wear on screen. Still, she truly loved the project, which was a perfect example of how, post-«Bridesmaids,» Wiig didn’t want to put herself in a box. She told the Los Angeles Times, «I love doing comedies, I love doing dramas, I love doing really small films, I’ve enjoyed doing bigger films. It’s just like a feeling you get. It’s not as planned out as people think.»

While it’s hard to imagine Disney — or any studio — taking a big risk to give «Aladdin» the sci-fi treatment, Milan Jaram’s artificial intelligence-assisted interpretation is a great way to visualize what that story could look like, with classic characters like Aladdin (Scott Weinger) and Jasmine (Linda Larkin) given updated costumes to reflect the futuristic time period.

For many, the take might seem sacrilegious, but it’s sort of aligned with a theory that «Aladdin» is actually a dark postapocalypse story in the future, where only Arab nations have survived, suggesting that it isn’t the historical fiction that we think it is despite its supposedly taking place in the 15th century.

In support of this theory, «Aladdin» showcases significant technological advancements, such as a flying carpet and a talking parrot (likely thanks to cybernetic enhancements). Additionally, the Genie (Robin Williams) describes Aladdin’s clothes as being «so last century» even though he’s been stuck in his lamp for 10,000 years, making this AI video all the more intriguing.

Even though Kim Cattrall had some influence in the creation of her appearance as Lt. Valeris in «Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country, she admitted in a 1992 interview with Cinefantastique (via Forgotten Trek) that she wasn’t a big fan of her Starfleet uniform. Originally, Cattrall said, she unsuccessfully lobbied for Valeris to wear a skirt akin to Nichelle Nichols’ Lt. Uhura in the «Star Trek» franchise, but instead ended up wearing a pantsuit that she said was too warm and bulky.

But while Cattrall didn’t love her Valeris costume, she kept one aspect of it after filming the movie. Having loved Leonard Nimoy’s Spock while watching «Star Trek» growing up, Cattrall told Cinefantisque that she had to preserve her memory of working on the film by holding on to her character’s Vulcan ears. Valeris is Spock’s protégé, after all — that is, until her true self is revealed in the third act of the film.

While Cattrall’s contributions to Valeris’ look and attitude were vital to «Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country,» co-producer Steven Charles Jaffe told Cinefantastique that the actor brought even more to the role in terms of finding the right tone for her character, who, as a Vulcan, had to subdue her emotions. «It’s not easy to play a Vulcan. There are a lot of people who did readings where either there was nothing there with absolutely no emotion or there was too much,» Jaffe said. «Kim was exquisite because she had the proper balance of not showing emotion but also being very alive. You knew there was this very smart person worthy of being opposite Leonard Nimoy as Spock.»

In Peter Jackson’s adaptation of «The Lord of the Rings,» the Uruk-hai have a clear genesis. They are a unique creation bred by Saruman in the pits of Orthanc. We even see them emerging from the mud and filth. This draws on some of the earliest Middle-earth Orc origin stories that Tolkien wrote, where he simply has his Orcish villains emerging from subterranean slime and heat.

However, the author abandoned that version of the Orcs’ genesis pretty early on, opting for a more devious evolution — one that at various times included either Men or Elves. And in the case of the Uruk-hai, it’s probably the latter.

The term «Uruk» refers to a particularly nasty form of Orcs. In the appendices to «The Return of the King,» it says that roughly 500 years before «The Lord of the Rings,» «the race of uruks, black orcs of great strength, first appeared out of Mordor.» Half a millennium later, they were commonplace in the Dark Lord’s armies.

In the book «The Two Towers,» Treebeard voices his suspicions about Saruman’s diabolical dabbling in Uruk-inspired racial cross-breeding, saying, «He has been doing something to [the Orcs]; something dangerous. For these Isengarders are more like wicked Men.» He goes on to surmise, «Are they Men he has ruined, or has he blended the races of Orcs and Men? That would be a black evil!»

A bit later, we also get a conversation during the battle of Helm’s Deep where a Rohirric officer says, «But these creatures of Isengard, these half-orcs and goblin-men that the foul craft of Saruman has bred, they will not quail at the sun.» While we never get a definitive answer, Tolkien’s writings strongly hint at the possibility that the Uruk-hai aren’t mud-born monsters. They’re half-bred humans.

Of the thousands of young stars who threw their hat in the ring for the role of Princess Leia, legendary actress Jodie Foster is perhaps the only one who was actually offered the role and rejected it. Foster made headlines in January 2024 when she explained on «The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon» that she declined the role of Princess Leia due to a scheduling conflict. «I was [offered the role], yeah,» Foster said. «And they were going for a younger, you know, Princess Leia. But I had a conflict. I was doing a Disney movie, and I just didn’t want to pull out of the Disney movie because I had already — I was already under contract.»

Foster added that she didn’t know if she could have done a better job than Carrie Fisher, joking that she might have chosen a different hairstyle than the famous «cinnamon bun» hair that Fisher wore. «I might’ve gone with a pineapple,» the actress quipped. Foster did not clarify which Disney film she was referring to, though she actually starred in two Disney films during this time: «Freaky Friday» in 1976, and «Candleshoe» in 1977. 

In any case, Foster’s incredible career — which includes acclaimed roles in films like «Taxi Driver,» «The Accused,» «The Silence of the Lambs,» and «Contact,» among many others — can stand on its own with or without «Star Wars,» and the actress herself doesn’t seem to regret passing on this iconic character.

As of press time, two Best Picture nominees — «The Zone of Interest» and «Poor Things» — are still playing on the big screen. While it’s likely that they’ll end up on a streaming service or available to rent or buy soon, cinephiles might want to make a journey to see them in the theater before the ceremony.

«The Zone of Interest» — loosely based on a novel of the same name by Martin Amis — is directed and written by Jonathan Glazer and focuses on the Höss family. If that name sounds even vaguely familiar, that’s because the real patriarch of the family, Rudolph Höss, lived next door to the concentration camp at Auschwitz during the Holocaust. (Sandra Hüller, who stars in «Anatomy of a Fall,» also plays a supporting role in «The Zone of Interest» as Rudolph’s wife Hedwig.) «The Zone of Interest» performed admirably well at the nominations, picking up nods for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Sound, International Feature Film, and Best Director for Glazer.

As for «Poor Things,» this raunchy, rollicking statement on feminine autonomy and a woman’s journey comes from Yorgos Lanthimos and features his frequent collaborator, Emma Stone. As Bella Baxter — a woman with the brain of an infant who must make her way through the world — Stone is the loosest and strangest she’s ever been. It’s also one of her best performances, so it’s no wonder she was nominated for Best Actress. Her co-star, Mark Ruffalo, made his way into the supporting actor race, and «Poor Things» also scored nominations for its screenplay, cinematography, costume design, and more, with 11 nominations overall.

Despite having this negative experience with Carl Weathers with regard to «Rocky Balboa,» Sylvester Stallone does think that there could have been a better route to go with in regards to Apollo Creed’s story. He explained in «The Making of Rocky vs. Drago» that he could have seen Creed filling the hole left by another character’s death in the franchise.

«Him in a wheelchair, he would’ve assumed the role of Mickey,» Stallone explained about an alternate way the story could have unfolded. «And now, his physicality has been diminished; we would’ve seen a different side of Apollo. He could’ve opened up all these other things that we didn’t even know about … He would’ve been kind of a father figure, mentor, brother.» 

It also appears that despite whatever hiccup occurred with Weathers during «Rocky Balboa,» Stallone still deeply appreciated what the actor brought to the franchise. During a 2016 interview with Deadline, he said, «I was so blessed the day I met Carl, who is not just a fantastic actor, but a world class athlete who did things that normal actors and human beings can’t do. The fact that this is a movie called Creed, and it’s 40 years after Rocky, well it shows the impact that Carl Weathers had with Apollo Creed.»

Though his recent death means that the actor won’t be able to return to the franchise, Weathers’ legacy speaks for itself. 

There is no other place to begin a list of Carl Weathers’ most iconic roles than with Apollo Creed, the character who launched him to stardom and remains his most famous to this day. Nobody could have anticipated the box office hit that «Rocky» became, nor the massive impact it still has on American pop culture. But even before anyone knew it was going to be a smash, capturing the character of Apollo was no small feat.

It’s hardly a secret that Creed was partially based on Muhammad Ali, down to the pretty face, flair for performance, and quick wit in the media. Ali remains one of the most singular icons in the history of professional sports, and while no fictional character could ever measure up to him, Weathers’ performance takes inspiration where necessary while constructing a unique persona all his own.

Over the course of the first four Rocky movies, Apollo goes from bitter rival to stalwart friend, only to be killed off brutally in «Rocky IV.» It’s a shame that Weathers was never given an opportunity to reprise the role in any of the modern-day Creed movies, which follow Apollo’s son Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) on his own boxing journey. Still, the success of those films is in part a testament to the lasting appeal of Weathers’ character. In a 2023 interview with The Detroit News, Weathers called the Creed franchise «a part of my legacy, in a sense.»

Fans around the world were shocked and devastated to learn that Carl Weathers passed away on February 1. In a statement obtained by Deadline, the late performer’s loved ones told the world that his passing was peaceful.

«We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Carl Weathers,» the statement read. «He died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, February 1st, 2024. … Carl was an exceptional human being who lived an extraordinary life. Through his contributions to film, television, the arts and sports, he has left an indelible mark and is recognized worldwide and across generations. He was a beloved brother, father, grandfather, partner, and friend.»

Beyond «The Mandalorian,» Weathers was known for his roles in the «Rocky» franchise as Apollo Creed, «Happy Gilmore,» and even a role on the cult comedy «Arrested Development,» where he played an exaggerated (and penny-pinching) version of himself. A «Mandalorian» film was in the works, and as of this writing, it’s unknown whether or not Weathers had signed on to play Greef Karga on the big screen — but sadly, the wildly successful series will have to chart a new path without Weathers and Greef Karga. 

The accident that put Anthony Anderson in the hospital occurred on the set of his latest film, «G20.» The action movie follows President Taylor Sutton (Viola Davis), who must fight back against terrorists after they take over the G20 summit. Anderson is one of the lead actors in the film, suggesting there will be plenty of action for him.

Still, the only action Anderson wants at the moment is revenge on the chair that laid him out. «This is the chair that whooped my a** last night!» he wrote after posting a picture of the four-legged fiend. «Something about it is menacing! It sucker punched me in the kidneys and back with no mercy! When I got on set today, it was grinning at me! Little does he know I got something for that a**! He gone learn today!»

Despite the injury, Anderson seems to be in good spirits, something that ought to help put fans of the actor and comedian at ease. And who knows? Maybe the performer will get the last laugh on that chair yet. After all, chairs get smashed all the time in action movies — what’s one more?

Jim Carrey going the first four decades of his career without appearing in more than two movies from the same franchise is no coincidence. The actor has, on various occasions, expressed his aversion to sequels. «I find sequels are a function of commerce for the most part,» he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017. «At least, the two that I’ve done, they were characters that I really enjoyed doing, but I did find myself almost parodying myself at that point. When you put 10 years between you and the last time you did it, suddenly you’re going, ‘How did I do that again?’»

Despite his feelings about sequels, Carrey appears to consider his role as Dr. Robotnik in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies to be the rare exception to the rule. «These movies were made close together, and they were like an evolution that was being planned in my own head, at least, from the get-go,» he said in an interview with ComicBook while promoting «Sonic the Hedgehog 2.»

At the time that Carrey originally suggested he was retiring, he noted that the potential of a strong project might be enough to get him to return. «It depends,» he said in an interview with Access Hollywood. «If the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink, that says to me that it’s going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road.»

Despite its sequel status, «Sonic the Hedgehog 3» seems persuasive enough to get Carrey out of retirement for at least one more go-around.

There’s no doubt that Henry Cavill’s career caught wind underneath the cape of the Last Son of Krypton, but the charm of the Big Blue Scout seemed to stick with him longer than it should. Thankfully, that could be on the verge of vanishing entirely with the help of Guy Ritchie and «The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,» which sees Cavill lead a team of military misfits behind enemy lines in WWII to thwart Nazi plans by any means necessary. The trailer arrived on January 30, with Cavill wielding intense facial hair and the cackle of a hero on a suicide mission, the antithesis of how we’ve seen him these past few years.

In this upcoming action movie, Cavill’s character, Gus March-Phillips, appears to be anything but the smooth, suave spy type, and that’s precisely why we should be excited about it. With an unorthodox team of heroes at the center of this story, «Ungentlemanly Warfare» looks like it’s firing with the same ensemble energy that Ritchie’s best work is known for. Bellowing out the familiar fumes of «RocknRolla» or even «The Gentlemen,» Cavill, for the first time in a long time, is leading the charge and backed by the likes of Alan Ritchson («Reacher») and Henry Golding («The Gentleman»).

With Paramount also considering franchise potential after it bought the rights to the book that the film is based on, this could be a new film series for Cavill, as long as Cavill and Ritchie’s other project together doesn’t keep them too busy.

«Ghostbusters: Afterlife» could be seen as a soft reboot as well as a sequel to the original films. While it introduced new characters, much of the original cast came back in limited capacities. Additionally, Gozer, who was brought to life by Olivia Wilde, Emma Portner, and Shohreh Aghdashloo, was back as the main antagonist. It existed to draw in a new audience but also remind people why they fell in love with the «Ghostbusters» franchise in the first place. However, «Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire» looks to deviate with a new villain who draws inspiration from a pretty rad source.

Director Gil Kenan spoke with Empire about the sequel and cited «The Real Ghostbusters,» the ABC animated series that ran from 1986 to 1991, as a significant influence. Specifically, he brought up the cartoon’s «wild, original, and weird-as-f*** villains.» Garraka is a wholly original creation for «Frozen Empire,» but it appears its fantastical and terrifying nature is inspired by some of those animated ghosts. «The Real Ghostbusters» had plenty of spirits that inspired nightmares, from the Grundel that would infect children and turn them into Grundels to the Sandman, who sought to put the whole world to sleep.

Kenan also said that the animated show inspired the scale of «Frozen Empire.» «We wanted to bring that show’s looseness and fearlessness to this movie,» he stated. «I think it’s going to surprise people just how big this film is.» Considering Garraka is already making waves after a few cursory glimpses from the trailers and a Funko Pop, «Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire» is shaping up to be a worthy continuation of the franchise.

According to Joanna Robinson, author of «MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios,» Jonathan Majors’ Kang was never meant to play such a pivotal role in the franchise’s future, but his work impressed studio execs so much they insisted the character play a more prominent role in the Multiverse Saga. «I was told by someone who works for Marvel it was not the plan to make Kang the center of everything until they saw the dailies from ‘Quantumania’ and after his performance in ‘Loki,’ which was so strong they were like, ‘This is it,’» she said on The Ringer’s podcast «The Big Picture.» «This is our way forward. We’ve lost our varsity hero team, but let’s set up around this guy Kang and this performer that so many people are reacting to.’»

Considering the next Avengers movie once had the subtitle «The Kang Dynasty,» it’s clear Marvel put a lot of eggs in the Jonathan Majors basket. In a «Quantumania» mid-credits scene, there’s an arena full of Kang variants Marvel could have been looking to explore. If Majors was meant to be as much of a lynchpin of the Multiverse Saga as reports have suggested, the studio will have trouble moving forward until they find someone to fill his shoes. However, according to Robinson, that may be a tall task. «I would argue [Marvel Studios has] never hung so much of a franchise on one actor as they tried to hang it on Jonathan Majors,» she said. But if this latest rumor is true, Disney is wasting little time looking for a less problematic substitute.

Just as Admiral Ackbar is seen as an esteemed individual in the world of «Star Wars,» performer Tim Rose’s puppetry career is held in similarly high regard. His many credits include such titles as «The Muppet Show,» «The Great Muppet Caper, «The Dark Crystal,» «Return to Oz,» «Howard the Duck,» and «The Muppet Christmas Carol.» He has also worked as a designer and puppeteer on the «Star Wars» standalone films «Rogue One: A Star Wars Story» and «Solo: A Star Wars Story.» 

Undeniably, his first «Star Wars» role remains his most fondly remembered. And while returning to the part over three decades later for «Star Wars: The Force Awakens» and «Star Wars: The Last Jedi» was a dream come true for Rose, the actor was less than satisfied with his character’s outcome. Speaking with Cinemablend, Rose shared that, after much of Ackbar’s material was cut from «Awakens,» he had high hopes for its 2017 follow-up. 

«So in ‘The Last Jedi,’ I was quite looking forward to maybe them giving him something more juicy,» Rose said. «We were only given the script on the day when we were shooting that piece of script, so each day I would come to work going, ‘Is today the day when Ackbar gets something a bit more involving?’ And I looked at my script and I went, ‘Oh, Ackbar’s going out of the window. Well, that’s that then!’» Ackbar’s untimely demise in «The Last Jedi» may have been frustrating for Rose to experience, but it’s done little to put a dent in the honorable reputation of his iconic «Star Wars» persona, with the actor continuing to make regular appearances at comic cons and fan events. 

Vincent D’Onofrio is interested in seeing Kingpin outside of a traditional portrayal. «I would love to do, like a, What If…? kind of Fisk story,» he said. «I would just like to explore him in a, outside of the usual teaming up of villain and superhero. I’d like to see a truly more realistic version.» Despite «Echo» being the first TV-MA show produced by Marvel Studios, the actor wants to go even further with the character’s ruthlessness, saying his ideal project would be «10 times darker than anything we’ve done with [Fisk] before.»

D’Onofrio will return as Kingpin on «Daredevil: Born Again,» and while there hasn’t been any word of him crossing paths with Peter Parker on the upcoming Disney+ show, a face-off between the two characters would not only likely be epic but also be a callback to Fisk’s origins — while D’Onofrio made his Kingpin debut on «Daredevil» in 2015, the character first showed up in comics on the pages of «The Amazing Spider-Man» #50 in 1967. And if D’Onofrio has any say on the matter, it would be a grim affair.

Focus groups weren’t happy with the original climax of «A Perfect Murder,» resulting in a new ending for the final film. In both versions, Emily (Gwyneth Paltrow) reveals to her husband Steven (Michael Douglas) that she has evidence proving that he hired a man to kill her. In the theatrical version, Steven physically attacks Emily to make sure his secret doesn’t get out, and she shoots him in self-defense. In the alternate ending, Steven only verbally threatens Emily before she shoots him, yet afterward she tells the police she shot him because he was attacking her. Detective Karaman (David Suchet) seems to suspect that Emily isn’t telling the whole story, but he simply assures her, «What else could you do?»

In other words, Emily killing Steven is a bit more premeditated, so there is some moral ambiguity surrounding her character. «I liked that ending,» director Andrew Davis told Yahoo! «But test audiences felt she was more empathetic if she killed her husband [in self-defense].»

It’s only a slight change, but it makes a world of difference. The theatrical ending, with its shouting match between Steven and Emily and cliché ankle-drag shot, is anything but subtle. In contrast, the director’s preferred ending would have given the heroine more shades of complexity. In the safer ending, Emily is just a victim. In the alternate ending, she’s a victim who is willing to do anything to escape her abusive husband.

At best, the phrasing in the «Rise of Skywalker» novelization is pretty vague. «A kiss of gratitude» could just refer to Ben saving Rey’s life, and while «acknowledgment of their connection» might be a romantic reference, it could also be referring to their status as a Force Dyad — a unique and mystical bond that, as far as we know, has no necessary romantic implications. «Celebration that they’d found each other at last» is also pretty vague, as it could suggest a romantic longing or simply be referencing how Kylo Ren finally reverted to Ben Solo before his death.

What’s far less vague is the kiss itself as depicted in the film. It’s not exactly a little kiss on the head, but rather a full-on, Jane Austen adaptation, mouth-on-mouth, Scarlett O’Hara kind of kiss. If you only watched the movie — as most people did — there isn’t a ton of room for doubt about what exactly Rey is going for (it’s his tongue, that’s what she’s going for).

Understandably, the staunch Reylo shippers of the world were a bit upset at what they interpreted as an attempted retcon by Disney in the novel version. Others have argued, though, that the scene in the book doesn’t explicitly contradict the idea of romance, and that other passages actually support the love story reading of Rey and Kylo Ren.