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Some fan films are better than blockbusters, and «The Spider» might be the latest one to transcend its medium. The short has attracted a stellar cast that many viewers are familiar with. As previously mentioned, Chandler Riggs is best known for his time on «The Walking Dead,» where he portrayed Carl Grimes from 2010 until 2022.

Meanwhile, fans of Netflix’s hit comedy «Sex Education» might be pleased to know that Caylee Cowan also has a role in «The Spider.» This isn’t the performer’s first foray into the horror genre, as she starred alongside Spider-Man Noir himself, Nicolas Cage, in «Willy’s Wonderland.» Matthew Vorce, Kyra Gardner, Holgie Forrester, Carl Addicott, David Rice, Andrew Hernon, Kealani Kitaura, Ronan Arthur, and Ben Thomas comprise the rest of the ensemble.

«The Spider» should intrigue superhero movie fans patiently waiting for Peter Parker’s next cinematic adventure. As it stands, Marvel and Sony are reportedly fighting over Tom Holland’s «Spider-Man 4,» and it’s unknown if both entities have managed to find a solution to their behind-the-scenes problems. That said, while «The Spider» seems like a radical departure from Spidey lore, it isn’t the first story to explore his monstrous potential.

A disclaimer of sorts: I’ve never seen the original «Road House,» mostly being aware of its existence thanks to it being the favorite movie of Crow T. Robot from «Mystery Science Theatre 3000.» I considered whether I should see the critically derided but audience-approved action film before the remake for the purposes of comparison, but ultimately decided that as a remake, this new movie should be able to stand on its own and be judged accordingly on its own merits. It’s not like this is one of those reboots that’s secretly a stealth sequel a la «Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.»

The strongest of this remake’s merits is, as mentioned before, Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance. His character, Elwood Dalton, gets introduced as the fighter nobody wants to fight, his mere presence causing opponents to forfeit. When Frankie (Jessica Williams) tries to hire him as a bouncer for her Road House bar, he rejects the offer, only taking the job after his car gets wrecked. When Dalton first has to remove some overly rowdy customers, he makes it very clear he doesn’t wish to fight them — but if they do, he’ll take them to the nearby hospital.

You don’t need the repeated flashback sequences hinting at the eventual backstory reveal to figure out that Dalton acts so eerily jovial and restrained because he’s holding back a capacity for brutality he’s regretfully unleashed in the past and will have to unleash again in the face of villains threatening the Road House. He’s not a deep character, but even being two-dimensional makes him more interesting than the cartoonish villains he faces — sniveling rich boy Brandt (Billy Magnussen), screaming chaotic muscle man Knox (Conor McGregor) — and the weakly defined supporting characters he’s defending. The romantic subplot between Dalton and the local doctor Ellie (Daniela Melchior) proves so utterly forgettable it barely even warrants a mention.

Henry Cavill might be known for playing Superman in the DC Extended Universe but hasn’t ruled out appearing in the MCU. While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the British actor revealed his terms for potentially joining the Marvel family, and his comments may cast some doubt on his rumored Wolverine casting.

«I’m never going to say a Marvel character that is already being played by someone else because everyone’s doing such an amazing job,» Cavill said. When asked which Marvel character he would like to play, he cited Captain Britain as his preferred choice.

If the latest report is accurate, the variant element might be enough to make Cavill feel like he isn’t stepping on Hugh Jackman’s toes, as his Wolverine will be a separate character from an alternate universe. However, will being associated with the iconic mutant prevent him from playing a different Marvel hero down the line? Only time will tell.

The tragic romance has a real-life basis, as O’Barr was inspired to write the tale after his fiancee, Beverly, was killed by a drunk driver. The comic and film series differ in several crucial points; for instance, Eric and Shelly are killed outside their home in the former medium. Eric yearns for Shelly, who remains out of reach as he seeks revenge. Only a young girl and a crow sent to guide and protect him know of his pain.

The comic series was adapted into the legendary 1994 film «The Crow,» which was completed despite the accidental death of lead star Brandon Lee. Multiple sequels were spawned from the movie’s success, namely the films «The Crow: City of Angels,» «The Crow: Salvation,» and «The Crow: Wicked Prayer» and the TV series «The Crow: Stairway to Heaven.» Only «Stairway to Heaven» follows Eric (Mark Dacascos) and Shelly (Sabine Karsenti) in another retelling of his quest for revenge; all of the sequel films feature different protagonists.

If the trailer is anything to go by, it looks like Eric’s big-screen adventures will be just as action-packed as his comic book exploits. Audiences will have to wait to see if this version of Eric Draven comes intact with all his superpowers from the comics – though we caught a glimpse of his amazing healing powers. 

«The Crow» will hit movie theaters on June 7.

It’s fascinating how Luke Skywalker himself stands out as the definitive voice actor for the Joker — the staggering number of villains Hamill has voiced may surprise even the most devoted fan — considering he initially believed that he wouldn’t get the DC gig. In a May 2023 interview with Wired, Hamill believed he was ill-suited for the role because he had the baggage of leading the original «Star Wars» trilogy. «When I went in, I thought, ‘You think they’re gonna hire Luke Skywalker to play the Joker? The fans will lose their minds,’» he said, adding, «I was so sure that I couldn’t be cast.» 

Because he genuinely believed that he wouldn’t get the part, Hamill delivered an audition that was free from anxiety. «I was completely relaxed. A lot of times there’s performance anxiety because you want the part, here I knew I couldn’t get the part, so, who cares?» the voice actor said. 

As fascinating as it would be for fans to see Hamill step into the shoes of a live-action Joker, the opportunity has never arose. And fans shouldn’t wait on it, as he has confirmed that he’s done with the character. In 2022, iconic Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy died. With his partner in crime gone, Hamill is ready to sunset his Joker. «They would call and say, ‘They want you to do the Joker,’ and my only question was, ‘Is Kevin Batman?’ If they said yes, I would say, ‘I’m in,’» Hamill told Empire Magazine. «Without Kevin there, there doesn’t seem to be a Batman for me.»

At the end of «The Mandalorian,» Season 3, Din Djarin settles down as a father to Grogu with a newfound plan to do some work for the New Republic. It’s the type of finale that could put a bow on their story and introduce a new hero to fill the suit. However, one «Mandalorian» star claimed that Din Djarin won’t be replaced, so it’s safe to assume that the character’s journey will continue in the upcoming flick.

Furthermore, the project could be a stepping stone toward Dave Filoni’s planned «Avengers»-style «Star Wars» movie that will unite the characters from «The Mandalorian,» «The Book of Boba Fett,» «Ahsoka,» and «Skeleton Crew.» Filoni has had a hand in all of these shows to some degree, and he looks set to guide the direction of Lucasfilms’ forthcoming output now that he’s been promoted to Chief Creative Officer.

It remains to be seen when Mando and Grogu’s project will be completed and whether it will take place in Thunder Alley. However, it seems the film will significantly inform the future of the «Star Wars» franchise on the screen.

We may not have seen Eva Mendes on the big screen recently, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t seen her on any screens at all — pop open your laptop or check your smartphone and you’ll find plenty of her on social media, particularly on Instagram. But, while she enjoys promoting her various business projects — and the fun she has while traveling — online, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing for her. Mendes took an extended absence from social media because she was feeling «phony,» she said during her appearance on «The View» in 2022. «I wanted to [be] more genuine, but not seek it out,» she explained (via Remezcla). «My last post was me on a Ferris wheel, and I was like, ‘What am I doing?!’»

However, this may not have been the whole story — the previous year, she came under fire for comments she made on Instagram equating spanking to spousal abuse, initiating a fierce debate. She didn’t back down from her stance, however, respectfully telling one follower, «We all parent our own way.» When Mendes came back to Instagram in 2022 it was to talk up her partnership with Skura. But it isn’t all promotion: She now continues to regularly post about her goings-on and is always willing to engage with fans, well-wishers, and even a few critics in the comments, something that major stars rarely do.

Continuing his point, director Zack Snyder clarified that his preferred interpretation of Batman is one that emphasizes his physicality and spoke at length about how impressed he was with Ben Affleck’s physique, which lent itself to a more terrifying Batman. 

When asked by Rogan if Batman has a towering presence in the source material, the «Watchmen» director gushed about Frank Miller’s «The Dark Knight Returns,» discussing how the comic highlights just how huge and monstrous The Caped Crusader can be. «If you look at ‘Dark Knight Returns,’ there’s a line where he’s trying to hold someone’s gun, and his finger can’t get in the trigger guard because he’s so big,» Snyder said, adding, «I like things like that. He has this genetic gift of just being this big f****** dude.» In the same conversation with Rogan, Snyder also discussed why he ignored Batman’s no-kill rule in his DC movies. 

While chatting with Men’s Journal in 2021, Affleck discussed how he worked overtime to ensure that he was in shape to bring Snyder’s vision to life. «I knew that a big part of the audience’s expectation around the role would be how I looked physically,» he said, adding that he didn’t want to fail in the eyes of the audience because of laziness. For his take on Batman, Affleck gained north of 20 pounds to step into the Dark Knight’s shoes.

2018 was an eventful year for Florence Pugh, with projects including «King Lear» with Anthony Hopkins, the Liam Neeson thriller «The Commuter,» and the horror film «Malevolent.» Pugh’s most notable role from this year was in Netflix’s «Outlaw King,» which starred Chris Pine as the Scottish king Robert the Bruce. Pugh memorably played Elizabeth de Burgh, Robert’s wife and queen consort, who is historically enigmatic, leaving a lot of room for Pugh to turn her into a powerful character.

In an interview with W Magazine, Pugh explained that Elizabeth «has been written down as an add-on in history,» but when she began researching the character for «Outlaw King,» she found much more to the woman than history would lead you to believe. Even director David Mackenzie and Pine had nothing but glowing things to say about Pugh and how she brought authenticity to the role of Elizabeth, especially in her scenes opposite Pine’s Robert. 

However, the experience wasn’t exactly what Pugh had hoped for. Given they were shooting on the cusp of the #MeToo movement, Pugh couldn’t help but feel isolated by the film’s predominately male cast and crew, telling The Guardian, «It was an amazing moment because, while the industry was kicking off, it was like, ‘OK, yeah, here is an example where there aren’t that many women in this film and that is sad. But I get to be here, representing this woman whose storyline has been stripped from her.’»

If «Little Nicky 2» was in production, fans would obviously know about it. The film has developed a cult-like following in recent years — fans continue to learn new facts about «Little Nicky» to this day. However, Adam Sandler typically isn’t one to double dip, as he’s only made three sequels to date: «Grown Ups 2,» «Murder Mystery 2,» and the sophomore «Hotel Transylvania» outing. 

While there’s no «Little Nicky 2» in active development, it’s clear from the Facebook post that enthusiasm is there for the idea. The original film was riddled with guest appearances, including a cameo appearance from Ozzy Osburne where he played himself. Even director Quentin Tarantino showed up as a blind deacon who senses Nicky’s value to Earth. Seeing as Sandler has a great relationship with Netflix and «Little Nicky» director Steven Brill (they last teamed up for 2020’s «Hubie Halloween»), it’s possible that we could one day see a sequel, but we won’t be getting one anytime soon.

Zack Snyder told Joe Roganthat he got a kick from Barbie’s Snyderverse joke. During the podcast, he recalled the moment to Rogan — an exchange in which Writer Barbie (Alexandra Shipp) says of life living under a patriarchy led by Ken, «It’s like I’ve been in a dream where I was really invested in the ‘Zack Snyder Cut of Justice League.’»

Snyder had a sense of humor about the line’s placement, and his wife even got a laugh out of the situation. «That is a line in that movie, [and] that’s awesome. My wife was like, ‘That’s cool, right? That’s cool that they came after you.’ I was like, that’s 100% cool.» He doesn’t seem to Gerwig’s blockbuster as an enemy but as a rubric by which success may be measured.

Furthermore, in a December 2023 interview with Men’s Health Magazine, Snyder said he not only knew the joke was coming thanks to a warning from Warner Bros. CEO Michael DeLuca, but he understood it was more about the fandom itself than the film he’d produced. «I thought [Barbie] was great and I think the joke is pretty good,» he said.

Doll-based rivalries aside, fans waiting for the next part of the «Rebel Moon» again are in luck. «Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver» will be released on Netflix on April 19. 

After over a decade of waiting, the Fantastic Four is indeed on its way to the MCU. The rights to the team were previously owned by 20th Century Fox, which Disney acquired in 2019, so Marvel’s First Family is officially fair game to enter the franchise. Marvel Studios’ «Fantastic Four» has been in the pipeline for some time, though the cast has only recently come to light. Pedro Pascal has been cast as Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as the Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as the Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as a seemingly comic-accurate version of the Thing.

When the «Fantastic Four» lineup was announced in February, Marvel Studios did so in an inventive and fun way. Instead of simply stating the names on the cast list, it sent out a revealing concept art piece on social media featuring the aforementioned actors as their respective characters. Alongside Reed, Sue, and Johnny is the Thing, sitting in a chair with a blue-and-white outfit, reading a magazine. Assuming this artistic rendition is a hint at what MCU fans can expect to see on the big screen, they’re in for arguably the closest adaptation of the hero yet. He boasts the signature thick rocky eyebrow, vibrant orange coloring, blue eyes, and smooth, bumpy texture of his Marvel Comics counterpart.

Even if Marvel Studios elects to make some tweaks to the Thing’s design for «Fantastic Four,» it stands to reason he’ll still resemble his comic book equivalent more so than the 2009 «Fantastic Four» reboot version that never was.

Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor has a stinger scene in «Zack Snyder’s Justice League» and 2017’s «Justice League» alike. In the Snyder Cut, he sets Joe Mangianello’s Deathstroke loose on Batman, which would be cool if it wasn’t for the fact that at that point, it was becoming increasingly clear that Ben Affleck’s «Batman» movie wasn’t coming. As such, arguably the more interesting version of the scene is the 2017 one, in which Luthor proposes that he, Deathstroke, and others form a group to oppose the Justice League.

The alliance Luthor is teasing is, of course, the Legion of Doom — a villain squad that features some of the Justice Leaguers’ most prolific enemies. Based on the team members who have appeared in the DCEU, the lineup of the group might potentially have included names like Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), the Joker (Jared Leto), Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson), Cheetah (Kristen Wiig), and any number of as-yet unrevealed DC heavy hitters, from Brainiac to Captain Cold.  

Of course, this never came to be. Luthor and Deathstroke went AWOL, the majority of the DCEU villains and antiheroes operated within the confines of their films, and the Suicide Squad hijacked the spotlight as the primary villain team-up. Still, a Zack Snyder fan might find it hard to think about this too much. After all, the lost possibility of the Justice League clashing against a flesh-and-blood team of their worst enemies instead of the CGI mess that is Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) and his army might sting more than a little. 

Robert Pattinson was never the same after «Twilight,» having struggled with the heartthrob reputation and attention the series brought and uncertain about where he should take his career — especially since he’d already had one fall back into obscurity after «Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.» Needless to say, he was in a very different place when he was in talks to star in Paramount Pictures’ «Dune» films, still best known at the time for playing vampire Edward Cullen with a side order of wizard Cedric Diggory.

Everyone who’s followed Pattinson’s career knows what happened next. He completely reinvented himself with a series of indie films and carefully chosen character roles like the Dauphin of France in 2019’s «The King» — in which, ironically enough, he wages war against none other than Timothée Chalamet’s young Henry V. After reemerging in the blockbuster world with Christopher Nolan’s «Tenet» and Matt Reeves’ «The Batman,» Pattinson now enjoys the enviable position of being both a proven big-budget film star and a tried-and-tested indie darling.

No one knows what might’ve happened if Paramount Pictures’ «Dune» film series had been made and Pattinson had chosen to star in them instead of diving headfirst into independent cinema. Still, it does seem likely that moving from the «Twilight» series to a sci-fi franchise helmed by the director of «Taken» and written by relatively unknown screenwriters might have taken his career in a dramatically different direction.

The AI teaser focuses on character design and fan-casting, and some of the choices it makes are interesting, to say the least. While Reynolds is no doubt a fascinating choice as Goku, it’s worth noting that the clip features precious few Asian characters for a work based on an anime franchise — in fact, Gemma Chan, Jackie Chan, and Jason Momoa are the only people present with Asian or Pacific Islander heritage. The maker of the video, Stryder HD, addressed some of their choices in a YouTube comment.

«In terms of Piccolo’s skin color for this video, I tried the green in the A.I. and it wasn’t coming out right at all, but I truly think he’d be great for the part,» they wrote about Idris Elba’s Piccolo design. «Also in terms of the ethnicities of most characters in the Dragon Ball universe, especially Earthlings (Krillin, Chi-Chi, Tien Shinhan) I really didn’t know whether they’d be Asian or Caucasian, so please allow for some creative space.»

While whitewashing would normally guarantee a spot on a list of the worst Hollywood adaptations of all time, it’s worth noting that no one’s actually making this particular movie. Like the «Barbenheimer» AI trailer, the fake «Dragon Ball Z» teaser simply reimagines and pays homage to the source material. Since «Dragon Ball» creator and famed manga artist Akira Toriyama died on March 1, it’s no surprise that people are choosing to celebrate his most beloved works. And even though this particular AI teaser was released before Toriyama’s death was announced, it certainly puts in the effort to honor the master’s work.