The «Celebrity True or False» segment also saw Adam Driver address some other «Star Wars» rumors, some of which he confirmed to Rich Eisen were valid. Among them was the fact he took home Kylo Ren’s costume and lightsaber after filming was complete on «The Last Jedi.»
«I steal stuff from movies and go and pray to myself or whatever,» Driver said with a laugh.
Another rumor that Driver validated was that he initially turned down the «Star Wars» sequel trilogy. «I wanted to think about it. It was when we were shooting ‘Girls,’ and I was a fan of ‘Star Wars’ and I didn’t want it to be bad,» the actor said.
Driver also took the show host through the steps that led to him signing for the role of Kylo Ren, which, not surprisingly, was a process that was shrouded in secrecy. He said «Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens» co-writer and director J.J. Abrams verbally guided him through the steps of the film, but he wasn’t allowed to see the script until he signed on to do the film. Driver also remarked how he didn’t feel the path of Kylo went in the exact direction he was told it would when he initially signed on to star in the film trilogy.
Talks of a «Metal Gear Solid» film date back to 2006, when the mastermind behind the stealth game saga, Hideo Kojima, revealed it was entering the early development stage. Sadly, as the 2010s began, things already weren’t looking good for the project. Producer Michael De Luca gave a grim update on it, telling Collider that creative and marketing clashes were hampering progress. «In the case of ‘Metal Gear Solid,’ the agendas just … not because the parties weren’t amicable, it was just kind of impossible to get the agendas to match up,» he said.
Thankfully, De Luca’s comments didn’t mark the end of the «Metal Gear Solid» movie. With Sony set to distribute, it was announced in 2014 that Jordan Vogt-Roberts had signed the dotted line to sit in the director’s chair. The writing process began, and eventually, Oscar Isaac landed the lead role. At the time of publication, it has been nearly 20 years since the «Metal Gear Solid» film was first said to be on the way. That’s quite a long development period for any movie, let alone one based on preexisting and rather cinematic source material.
Hopefully, Oscar Isaac’s comments on the «Metal Gear Solid» film are a sign that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and that someday soon, fans will get to see Solid Snake sneak around on the big screen.
Microsoft President Brad Smith addresses the crowd at an event in Washington, D.C., with AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler on Monday morning. (Screenshot via webcast.)
Microsoft announced a new agreement with the AFL-CIO, the country’s largest federation of unions, that seeks to address concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on American workers as part of a concerted public campaign by the tech giant to separate itself from its industry rivals on the issue.
The AFL-CIO and Microsoft said the agreement includes a “neutrality framework” that will apply to future efforts by workers to organize under affiliated unions.
They said the framework confirms “a joint commitment to respect the right of employees to form or join unions, to develop positive and cooperative labor-management relationships, and to negotiate collective bargaining agreements that will support workers in an era of rapid technological change.”
AI has emerged as a wedge issue in a wide range of labor negotiations over the past year, including the now-settled strikes by Hollywood screenwriters and actors.
Microsoft has played a key role in opening the eyes of the world to the benefits and risks of generative AI through its partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI. Shareholders last week voted down a resolution urging Microsoft to slow its pace of AI development to more closely study the impacts of the technology.
The company’s new union agreement, described as the first of its kind to focus on AI, was announced at an event in Washington, D.C. on Monday morning by AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Microsoft President Brad Smith.
Those in the audience included United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, fresh off the UAW’s successful strike against major automakers.
Speakers included Claude Cummings Jr., president of the Communications Workers of America, which struck an earlier agreement with Microsoft related to its acquisitions of game companies Activision-Blizzard and ZeniMax.
“I believe young people today are interested in joining unions,” Cummings said. “You’re gonna see some of the greatest young minds fleeing from those other tech companies and coming to Microsoft because of this deal.”
In negotiations with ZeniMax over Microsoft’s first U.S. collective bargaining agreement, Microsoft has reportedly made concessions over artificial intelligence, and agreed to convert some workers from contractors to employees.
Microsoft’s turnabout on union issues, starting last year, contrasts with its past opposition to union organizing in its workforce. With a valuation of $2.75 trillion, Microsoft can afford to position itself as the “adult in the room” these days.
Even as Microsoft has expressed neutrality on the concept of unions in its midst, the company has yet to see the labor movement take hold in its core ranks of U.S. engineering or corporate employees. Activities thus far have largely focused on Microsoft’s acquired video-game companies, in units such as testing and quality assurance, where unions have historically had more momentum.
Other tech giants, including Microsoft’s cross-town rival Amazon, have taken a more confrontational approach to union movements inside their workforce. Asked during the Monday event about the possibility of the Redmond company serving as a model for the industry, Smith said he was reluctant to preach to others on the issue.
“I always want to be respectful of everybody’s right to make their own decisions,” Smith responded. “But I do think we’re an industry that tends to learn from success. So we have the opportunity to create a new success and I suspect that as we do, others will be quick to follow.”
Other key points from the event included:
Getting workers involved in the development of AI tools from the beginning to help anticipate impacts and needs for protections/regulations that policymakers may not foresee.
Helping workers transition between jobs as new types of jobs are created, through supporting career/technical education, apprenticeships, and skills training.
Addressing potential job displacement from AI by exploring how technology can be used to enhance productivity and potentially wages, rather than solely replace human roles.
«Die Hard 2» pretty much takes the bones of the original and ups the ante. John McClane once again has to save his wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), from terrorists, only this time they’re trapped at an airport rather than an office building. The villain, Colonel William Stuart (William Sadler), is made out to be even more deranged than Hans Gruber, at least on paper.
His introductory scene sees him performing Tai Chi while naked, immediately setting him apart from Gruber. Gruber was suave and sophisticated, and there’s just a little something unhinged about Colonel Stuart. This is seen in how he probably has the highest body count out of any «Die Hard» villain from what’s seen on screen. He manages to blow up an entire plane, killing over 200 passengers on board, without a second thought. And without McClane there, hundreds, if not thousands more, would’ve perished as he had other planes circling the airport, threatening to keep them there until they run out of fuel and crash.
Colonel Stuart is also the rare «Die Hard» antagonist who’s a physical match for McClane. As shown in his Tai Chi sequence, he’s a man who’s trained his body as well as his mind. Fortunately, McClane is more clever than he lets on, setting the former military man’s plane up in flames to take him out at the very end. McClane wins, but not before Colonel Stuart causes a lot of damage.
Comparing and ranking every iteration of Godzilla is no easy task. The first thing we had to do was determine which Kaiju would qualify for consideration, ultimately deciding that we would only focus on versions of Goji that have appeared in movies, and that each version would be assessed by their individual continuity. This meant no television Godzillas or Godzilla off-shoots (Space Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, Godzilla Jr., etc.) would be included, and multiple forms of one Godzilla would be assessed as one character.
As for the actual ranking, we didn’t want to just measure them in terms of physical power — otherwise, Godzilla Earth would nab the top spot (and that just doesn’t feel right). And while we could’ve focused solely on narrative quality, plenty of so-so «Godzilla» movies are saved by their depiction of the titular beast. Indeed, there are innumerable qualities by which we could have judged these Kaiju, each one leading to a different list if judged alone.
We did our best to rank them based on a combination of attributes, primarily the specific characteristics that made each iteration of Godzilla memorable (power, design, impact, etc.). This methodology — along with some minor temperature-checking from fan communities online — led us to this ranking.
In the aftermath of «The Incredible Hulk,» the title character and his corner of the MCU were very much pushed to the side. The film never received a proper sequel. Mark Ruffalo took over for Edward Norton in Dr. Bruce Banner’s next chronological MCU appearance, «The Avengers,» and all that came after it. However, that’s not to say that «The Incredible Hulk» hasn’t left a lasting impact on the wider MCU. Several actors from the film, including Tim Roth, have returned in other projects, and others will reemerge as well down the road.
Despite the initial resistance to his casting, Roth returned to the role of Emil Blonsky via «Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings» and later «She-Hulk: Attorney at Law» over a decade after his MCU debut. His comeback came to fruition after William Hurt’s Thaddeus «Thunderbolt» Ross became a recurring MCU presence in productions like «Captain America: Civil War,» «Avengers: Infinity War,» and «Black Widow.» In the near future, MCU fans can look forward to Tim Blake Nelson’s reprisal of Samuel Sterns, aka the Leader, and Liv Tyler’s return as Betty Ross in «Captain America: Brave New World.»
Now that he’s back in the MCU fold, time will tell if fans can look forward to more appearances from Tim Roth — the Abomination actor who almost never was — in the coming years.
A huge part of Jacob’s storyline in the «Twilight» saga is that when he reappears in «New Moon,» he’s much more grown up and has put on quite a lot of muscle … which, it’s later revealed, is partly because his body is about to undergo a dramatic transformation. Bella ultimately learns that Jacob comes from a long line of shapeshifters and that he can turn into a large and similarly muscular wolf.
Lautner was aware of Jacob’s storyline, which is why he started working out hard after the first film. «I knew if I was going to continue playing him, I’d need to,» he told Alex Cooper. «When my team got the call they said ‘Have you seen him recently?’ and they said ‘No, why?’ and my team said ‘You might want to take a meeting with him or something.’» Lautner had gotten incredibly ripped to portray Jacob; thanks to his commitment and hard work, he secured the role for the remainder of the series, becoming a pivotal character and forcing fans to choose between Team Jacob and Team Edward.
Though many takes on The Caped Crusader, including Val Kilmer’s and Adam West’s, have been criticized by fans, few have garnered the kind of flack that George Clooney’s Batman in «Batman and Robin» did. While this is more the film’s fault than Clooney’s, it hasn’t stopped fans from making fun of the goofy, campy nature of the film.
In fact, «Batman and Robin» is regularly mentioned among the worst movies of all time and is responsible for killing the franchise so badly that the series needed to be rebooted entirely with Christopher Nolan’s «Batman Begins» in 2005. While other iterations since, like the animated version of Batman in «The Killing Joke» and Ben Affleck’s murderous Dark Knight in «Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice» have also come under fire, no version of this key DC character is as widely despised as the one in the 1997 Joel Schumacher film.
Though Clooney’s appearance punctuates the end of «The Flash» in a memorable way, especially for fans who saw «Batman and Robin» upon its initial release, it’s likely safe to assume – as Clooney suggested — that this is the last time that we’ll be seeing him as the character.
Get caught up on the latest technology and startup news from the past week. Here are the most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of Dec. 3, 2023.
Sign up to receive these updates every Sunday in your inbox by subscribing to our GeekWire Weekly email newsletter.
Most popular stories on GeekWire
Zulily is laying off employees and closing three offices — including its Seattle headquarters — according to internal communications obtained by GeekWire and a new filing with the state of Washington. … Read More
FOLLOW-UP: Zulily shutting down offices and laying off 292 employees in Seattle Zulily is laying off more employees and facing two lawsuits over alleged unpaid invoices, in the latest signs of trouble for the Seattle-based online retailer since it was acquired by a private equity firm earlier this year. … Read More
A message on Zulily’s website this weekend confirms that the online retailer is closing its doors, the latest stage in the rapid downfall of a once high-flying retail brand. … Read More
No VC, no problem. Airship AI, an under-the-radar tech startup that didn’t raise a single dime of investment, will soon become a publicly traded company after clearing SEC regulations this week for its SPAC deal. … Read More
Seattle tech veteran Vetri Vellore is launching a new startup with a big vision to help companies improve their productivity and backing from investors who funded his former venture. … Read More
— Emily Freeman, head of community for Amazon Web Services, is departing. … Read More
— Nicole Ford joined Nordstrom as chief information security officer. … Read More
Amazon says it will change the way it charges sellers who use its fulfillment services, introducing a new fee designed to give sellers a financial incentive to ship products to multiple locations in its fulfillment network. … Read More
Google started to roll out its long-awaited Gemini multimodal artificial intelligence model Wednesday morning, touting its ability to natively process and reason across different inputs like text, images, video, and code. … Read More
Editor’s Note: This is part of a series profiling “Uncommon Thinkers”: inventors, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs transforming industries and driving positive change. … Read More
Meryl Streep obviously secured the role of Miranda in the end, but it’s patently ridiculous that anyone thought she couldn’t play the part. Miranda Priestly is an incredible character — even her entrance, where people scatter out of her way and her employees rush to make themselves and the office look exactly perfect, is completely iconic — and Streep manages to find the nuance in this powerful and intimidating character.
In the hands of a lesser actor, Miranda could have been completely two-dimensional, but when Miranda breaks down in front of Andy near the film’s climax over an impending divorce and her reputation, you truly feel for her despite the fact that she’s spent the entire film soundly abusing everyone.
Her co-stars agree, and when Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway recently reunited for the Actors on Actors series presented by Variety, they even gave a shout-out to Streep’s improvisational skills. «I remember seeing Meryl come up with 18 different lines on the spot,» Hathaway said to Blunt — although apparently, Streep wasn’t the only one. «Stanley Tucci was doing the same, and you. I was just like this kindergartner who was like, ‘How are they all so good?’»
Willy Wonka is an immigrant fresh off the boat in a new land with big dreams of making and selling chocolate, inspired by his mother (Sally Hawkins), but he has no money to his name. Desperate for a place to stay after wasting all his cash, he takes a suspiciously cheap room deal from Mrs. Scrubbit (Olivia Colman) and Bleacher (Tom Davis), unable to read the fine print forcing him into decades of indentured servitude. Wonka’s plans to pay off his debts by selling chocolate also face the roadblock of the Chocolate Cartel of Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Prodnose (Matt Lucas), and Fickelgruber (Mathew Baynton), who are in cahoots with the chief of police (Keegan-Michael Key) and the chocoholic priest Father Julius (Rowan Atkinson) to shut down all competition.
Wonka teams up with Scrubbit’s other hapless victims to surreptitiously build their chocolate empire — though they occasionally have to resupply ingredients stolen by an Oompa-Loompa (Hugh Grant) seeking payback for a previous cocoa theft. Wonka’s most significant friend in this group is Noodle (Calah Lane), an orphaned girl who teaches him how to read. Wonka’s magical confections prove so popular with the public that he’s eventually able to open his own store. The opening, however, is sabotaged by the Cartel, who pay off Scrubbit and Bleacher to poison the store’s supply with hair-growing yeti milk. At his lowest point, Wonka is given an ultimatum — if he leaves town, all his friends’ debts will be paid off.
Damien Leone had previously confirmed that «Terrifier 3» will begin right where «Terrifier 2» left off. Without any time wasted, it makes sense Sienna and Chris Jericho’s psychiatrist would still be around. Leone elaborated on what fans can expect story-wise from the sequel, «This one is going to pick up where Part 2 left off, in the insane asylum, so, you’re going to see what transpires there, what mayhem unfolds, because seeing how Art and Victoria [played by Samantha Scaffidi] ended up, is so insane, and seeing how they get out of that situation and what happens next is going to be really wild.»
While some cast members remain the same, the budget is one of the most significant changes coming to «Terrifier 3» . Leone mentions how they’re getting a couple of million dollars for the new horror film, substantially more extensive than what he’s received in the past. And while a good portion of that will go toward the gory effects, Leone also wants to compensate those who have been around a while, «We definitely want to take care of cast members, especially the ones coming back.»
«Terrifier 2» earned a reputation for its sadistic carnage, and by the sound of it, the team wants to push boundaries even further. For Lauren Lavera, it’s also an opportunity to flesh Sienna out further, whose mental state will undoubtedly be in a precarious state for «Terrifier 3.» Fans can see Sienna and the psychiatrist come back (and hopefully survive) when «Terrifier 3» comes out on October 25, 2024.
2023 might be one of Hollywood's most remarkable — and tense — years. Looking back on the year, here are the titles that reminded us why we love movies.
The «Rebel Moon» first reactions can generously be described as «mixed.» While there’s a lot of hate, plenty of critics seem to have enjoyed the sci-fi flick. That’s the case for Molly Edwards of Total Film, who tweeted, «Okay #RebelMoon is quite simply epic! Massive scale, beautiful visuals (of course), awesome action, and some really fascinating mythology.» With these reviews, it’s paramount to remember that a sequel is already in the works and will come out soon.
«Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver» will be released on Netflix on April 19, 2024, and this first movie seems to do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of worldbuilding to get the sequel’s story where it needs to be. However, it’s not just the sequel that people are looking forward to for a more satisfying character-driven tale. There’s also the coveted director’s cut, which has already been confirmed. It’ll be longer than the cut people can see initially, and it’ll be rated R instead of PG-13.
Many critics view the version of «Rebel Moon» they saw as an appetizer, and they’re just waiting for the main course. That’s the case for Joseph Deckelmeier of Screen Rant, who wrote on X, «I loved the action in #RebelMoon and this brilliant international cast, but I wish we spent more time with the rebel recruits. Zack Snyder’s director’s cut is the version I want.» The «Zack Snyder’s Justice League» placed greater emphasis on fleshing out characters, and one would assume an extended version of «Rebel Moon» would do the same, perhaps alleviating many of the qualms detractors have presently.
Zulily announced a jersey sponsorship with the Seattle Sounders and Reign FC soccer clubs in 2019. (GeekWire File Photo / Kevin Lisota)
A message on Zulily’s website this weekend confirms that the online retailer is closing its doors, the latest stage in the rapid downfall of a once high-flying retail brand.
“All sales are final during Zulily’s going-out-of-business sale,” reads an FAQ page on on its website. Update: The language has been removed since this article was published.
GeekWire first reported Thursday that the Seattle-based company will shut down three offices, including its Seattle headquarters and two warehouses in Ohio and Nevada. It’s laying off more than 800 employees.
Zulily was already struggling in recent years, before Los Angeles-based private equity firm Regent acquired the online retailer in April. But its sudden evaporation is a stunning turn of events for a business once valued at more than $7 billion.
A former Zulily board member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told GeekWire on Friday they were “depressed” to see what was happening to a former pillar of Seattle’s tech ecosystem.
On LinkedIn, current and former employees shared memories and expressed gratitude for their time at the “Zu.”
“The experiences I gained, the challenges I overcame, and the bonds I formed have profoundly influenced me over the last 12 years and I think they will for the rest of my life,” Sabeeka Dar, a former business development leader at Zulily, wrote on LinkedIn.
“What a journey it has been,” said Derek Elmstrom, a 9-year Zulily veteran. “I’ve learned so much, grown as a person, and met some incredible people. Zulily was an incredible place and it is sad to see it go like this.”
“An unmatched learning experience. And an adventure I could never have imagined,” said former vice president Kristin Toth. “Along the way, I met fantastic people, learned an absolute ton, and stretched in ways that have made me what I am today.”
Former Blue Nile executives Darrell Cavens and Mark Vadon launched Zulily in 2010. The e-commerce site quickly gained traction by offering daily deals on products for moms and kids. The company used an unusual retail business model, selling products on its site before ordering them from vendors.
Zulily raised investment from backers such as Andreessen Horowitz and Maveron, and grew rapidly, reporting revenue of $331 million in 2012, up from $143 million in the prior year. Active customers nearly doubled year-over-year to 1.58 million in 2012.
The company was valued around $4.5 billion in its high-profile initial public offering in 2013.
The company reported $1.2 billion in sales for 2014, but then saw its stock tank as revenue began to slow. Zulily struggled to meet customer expectations for shipping times, among other issues, as it competed against Amazon and other e-commerce giants.
Some customers also complained about the amount of items Zulily was adding to its site as it expanded rapidly from mainly selling children’s items to other categories, such as home accessories and women and men’s clothing.
Qurate, the parent company of QVC previously known as Liberty Interactive, acquired Zulily in 2014 for $2.4 billion.
Zulily’s growth stagnated for the first few years under new ownership but the company began to boost its customer base and revenue in 2018.
Cavens stepped down as CEO that year, replaced by former Amazon exec Jeff Yurcisin.
The company remained prominent in the Seattle area, inking a jersey sponsorship deal in 2019 with the Seattle Sounders and Reign FC pro soccer clubs. It employed 3,500 people at the beginning of 2019.
But Zulily’s business began declining in that year, leading to layoffs and other cuts, and struggles continued into the pandemic, which caused supply chain problems.
Zulily reported a 17% drop in revenue during the first quarter of this year, to $192 million, and a $43 million operating loss.
Qurate announced in May that it sold Zulily to Regent, citing a need to focus on its core video assets including QVC and HSN.
“We are confident Regent is the right partner for Zulily to continue serving its customers, while benefiting from Regent’s depth of operational and strategic expertise in the retail and apparel sectors,” said David Rawlinson, president and CEO of Qurate, in a statement at the time.
Regent has acquired more than 30 businesses since 2015, including consumer retail and apparel brands.
“We are excited to partner with the Zulily team to help the company return to its entrepreneurial roots as an independent business,” Michael Reinstein, chairman of Regent, said in a statement in May. “Zulily has been a trailblazer in using technology to create a compelling online customer experience. Their revolutionary logistics and fulfillment network has also set a new industry standard, and we are excited to leverage its immense potential to grow the Zulily business in new markets.”
Following the acquisition to Regent, Zulily went through two rounds of layoffs. The company did not provide severance for employees who were let go in June, according to affected workers.
It also moved into a smaller headquarters building following Regent’s purchase, ditching its office near the Seattle waterfront. GeekWire visited the new office in October. The space had office furniture and desks, but there were only a handful of employees.
Meanwhile, vendors who sell to Zulily started reporting unpaid invoices this year after the company was acquired by Regent.
Natasha Fiorentino, owner of a small business in Florida called Micro Me that sells children’s apparel, has sold products to Zulily as a vendor for more than a decade. For many years, she never ran into problems getting paid.
But late payments have become more common since the acquisition by Regent, she told GeekWire. Her company is currently owed money for products that Zulily already sold on its marketplace, she said.
“For them to leave me hanging, it’s a huge hit, and right before Christmas,” said Fiorentino, a single mother of two kids.
GeekWire reported Thursday on two lawsuits filed against Zulily by a logistics company and a software development consultancy in recent months, both alleging unpaid invoices.
We’ve reached out to Zulily and Regent, and we’ll update this story if we hear back.
In another repost of these same David Corenswet photos on the X platform, user @ZeiSpaceKaiju shared an old red carpet shot of him to contrast with this new look. «If you say to me a year ago this guy will become that guy I will not believe you,» they wrote.
Another DC-focused account, @FlashFilmNews, shared a third Annie Watt photo from this same event in which Corenswet’s musculature is even more apparent. This post amassed more than 1,500 likes. User @adoredarcher reposted the photo and wrote, «that first shirtless selfie is gonna break the internet.» This alone received more than 975 likes and 60 reposts.
Meanwhile, @CoyJandreau compared Corenswet’s physique to the way artist Ed McGuinness would draw Superman for DC Comics. «Dude is looking huuuuge,» he added.
Since news of his Superman casting first became public, Corenswet has yet to speak at length about his major new role. That said, after the news broke, a 2019 Entertainment Weekly interview resurfaced in which he shared that he was interested in playing Superman in response to a question about his resemblance to Henry Cavill. «I love the Henry Cavill dark and gritty take, but I would love to see the next one be very bright and optimistic,» he continued. Not only has this ambition now been realized, but based on reactions to these latest photos, fans are eagerly anticipating his addition to the classic superhero franchise.
Edgar Wright isn’t the kind of director who turns down superhero work on principle. Aside from co-writing and directing «Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,» he co-wrote and was set to direct «Ant-Man» before a falling out with Marvel. The director told Variety in 2017 that what really happened behind the scenes on «Ant-Man» was, while he was interested in making a Marvel movie, Marvel wasn’t interested in making a Wright movie. He also mentioned that emotional investment was crucial to his creative process and that if it’s lacking, «you start to wonder why you’re there, really.» Whether it’s 2017 or 2023, Wright’s messaging is the same — if the project is close to his heart, he will follow through. If it strays, it’s better off in someone else’s hands.
Wright’s disinterest in Gambit must extend to the rest of the X-Men because Simon Kinberg has been trying to rope him into a superhero film for years. During a 2023 interview with /Film, Kinberg said, «He’s one of my favorite directors of all time and one of my favorite people, just a super great guy. Obviously a cinephile … I’ve chased Edgar for ‘X-Men’ movies. I’ve chased him for literally every possible thing. We have talked about every movie.» Despite Kinberg’s pressure, Wright has never worked on an X-Men film.
In 2010, after a few years of dating, Hilary Duff tied the knot with Mike Comrie, a former professional ice hockey player from Canada. Two years later, the pair welcomed their first child, Luca Cruz. However, by 2016, Duff and Comrie were divorced.
According to Duff, several factors led to the split, mainly age and simply growing apart with time. The actress, who was 22 on her wedding day, told Cosmopolitan, «I’d been working since the age of 11 or 12, so making that choice at a young age seemed right for me. Maybe it wasn’t, but we spent the majority of our time together really happy. It wasn’t working well enough to stay together, but there was still a lot of love involved. It was just a slow set-in of us not being the match that we used to be.»
She makes sure that Luca is able to freely speak with her about his dad. In fact, Duff shared with Grazia that she regularly tells Luca about the good times she and Comrie had. «It is a very sweet thing,» she said. «As adults, we forget how nice it was to hear our parents’ stories when we were children.»
Besides Carell backing up his former office pal, Krasinski’s «IF» will also see his wife and former «A Quiet Place» co-star Emily Blunt joining the film’s colorful cast of characters. The imaginary entourage of IFs will also boast the talent of Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Vince Vaughn, and Sam Rockwell.
So far, the movie has already received a positive reaction when the team debuted footage at CinemaCon. Krasinski told Deadline, «I had this idea for a movie years ago about imaginary friends. I want this movie to be believing in something bigger…and getting you through something bigger, that’s possible.» With a pitch like that, you can expect heartstrings to be yanked hard and it fulfills Reynolds’ description of «IF» being «a live-action Pixar film.»
Fleming played Judith Grimes in 53 episodes of AMC’s «The Walking Dead,» so the magical world here must be a nice break from the post-apocalyptic setting. «IF» also marks Fleming’s first major feature role in a big-screen project — though she previously played young Rey in «Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.»
