Etiqueta: Featured

Tom Holland, who currently portrays the web-slinger on the big screen, confirmed he’s continued to have discussions about what «Spider-Man 4,» may look like: «All I can say is that we have been actively engaging in conversations about what it could potentially look like for a fourth rendition of my character,» Holland said at a press conference at the Critics Choice Association (via Collider). «Whether or not we can find a way to do justice to the character is another thing. I feel very protective over Spider-Man. I feel very, very lucky that we were able to work on a franchise that got better with each movie, that got more successful with each movie, which I think is really rare, and I want to protect his legacy.»

Understandably, Holland wants to ensure «Spider-Man 4» is a worthy continuation of the story he’s helped build in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With each of the three «Spider-Man» films well-received by audiences and critics, and changes to the franchise coming in a potential fourth installment — both in Peter’s status quo and potentially with director Jon Watts not officially attached — it seems Holland doesn’t want to rush into something that isn’t right for the character. MCU and Spider-Man fans might be sad about potentially waiting longer for a new film, but it sounds like significant thought and care are being put into the project to see it done correctly. Currently, «Spider-Man 4» doesn’t have a release date.

While some criticize Lando Calrissian for betraying Han Solo in «The Empire Strikes Back,» it’s done little to affect his popularity among Star Wars fans. He’s among the franchise’s most instantly recognizable personalities thanks to his witty demeanor and array of quotable lines. Perhaps more significant, however, is how Billy Dee Williams challenged pre-conceived notions of how characters in science fiction blockbusters are depicted.  

Williams never tried emphasizing himself as a Black man in his roles, choosing to push the complex dilemmas his characters are going through instead. Regardless, his dedication helped reshape how people of color are seen in major franchises such as Star Wars and Batman, impacting many. In an interview with Esquire, Williams recalled interacting with Dwayne «The Rock» Johnson and Jamie Foxx while attending the 2019 D23 Expo. «The Rock calls me the OG,» he shared. «What I presented on that screen people didn’t expect to see. And I deliberately presented something that nobody had experienced before: a romantic brown-skinned boy.» 

Similarly, J.J. Abrams, who had Williams reprise his role in 2019’s «Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker,» commended the actor’s place in film history. «Lando was always written as a complex, contradictory, nuanced character,» he shared with Esquire. «And Billy Dee played him to suave perfection. It wasn’t just that people of color were seeing themselves represented; they were seeing themselves represented in a rich, wonderful, intriguing way.» In a way, if Lando’s actions were clean and tidy to the end, viewers wouldn’t have the same attachment to him. 

Set in 2002, «Ponyboi» joins what feels like a growing trend of 2000s period pieces like «Saltburn,» «Yes, God, Yes,» and «Turning Red.» There seem to be three reasons for this selection of period: 1) The bus strike going on at the time adds narrative tension in terms of how characters are going to get around (there’s a lot of fighting over cars). 2) It’s a familiar time when trans and gender-nonconforming issues were less visible and even less understood than they are today. 3) It allows Ponyboi to discuss feeling ostracized as a «My Little Pony» fan assigned male at birth without having to acknowledge the existence of Bronies.

The film takes place on Valentine’s Day. At the start, Ponyboi is doing business working a laundromat, having sex, and pushing drugs on behalf of his pimp Vinny (Dylan O’Brien, of «Teen Wolf» and «The Maze Runner» fame); the closest thing he has to a valentine is a friendship bracelet given as a gift from his pregnant BFF Angel (Victoria Pedretti from «You») — who is also Vinny’s wife, and whom the closet case Vinny is cheating on with Ponyboi. Angel suspects Ponyboi is going to meet someone special soon, and sure enough, a rugged cowboy named Bruce (Murray Bartlett from «The Last of Us» and «The White Lotus») comes by the laundromat and takes his breath away. Too bad about the mob boss who has literally stopped breathing after taking some of Vinny’s latest product, which sends Ponyboi into a panic trying to get away from the scene.

Ponyboi’s relationship with gender is a complicated one. River Gallo’s performance does an amazing job capturing the ways Ponyboi’s gender presentation fluctuates from moment to moment just from the varying intonations of their voice. Though Ponyboi uses «he/him» pronouns, all of his clients call him a girl when they’re having sex; he dresses in a stereotypically feminine fashion but takes testosterone to masculinize his body. This choice of hormone confuses everyone he comes across: Vinny would find it easier to market Ponyboi’s services if he were a trans woman, and when Ponyboi goes on a quest to stock up on T while on the run, both the professional and «underground» pharmacists try to give him estrogen.

The most interesting scene in the movie occurs between Ponyboi and one of these illegal hormone suppliers, Charlie («Pose» star Indya Moore). The initial antagonism between the two sheds light on frictions within the LGBTQ+ community that are discussed extensively online but rarely get depicted in the movies (except perhaps at this year’s Sundance; fellow U.S. Dramatic Competition entry «Stress Positions» mines similar material for cringe comedy). The conversation progresses into an emotional look at why Ponyboi has made the decisions he’s made, how identity is shaped by familial pressures, and how it can change over time. It’s a scene you won’t find in any other movie, and it’s deeply valuable on multiple levels.

The Multiverse Saga kicked off with the MCU’s Phase Four and will conclude with the completion of Phase Six. The projects released so far have proven hit or miss, with endeavors like «Loki» soaring high while others like «Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania» crashed and burned. Additionally, the sheer number of big and small screen projects has made keeping up a chore. Thus, fan interest in the Multiverse Saga and the MCU as a whole has waned, with little hope for the future. In a Reddit thread regarding Daniel Richtman’s MCU rumors, fans explained some of the reasons for their lack of enthusiasm.

«They also keep [introducing] new characters and sidelining main characters for years at a time. It really doesn’t feel like there’s consistency or a plan,» commented u/jrinredcar, with others highlighting how the lack of focus on the new Avengers team hurts the Multiverse Saga. When the group inevitably reforms, it’ll lack impact. Building on another comment, u/LatterTarget7 addressed the Multiverse Saga’s shortcomings, writing, «For the Multiverse Saga, there doesn’t feel to be a whole lot of multiverse.» Kang’s portrayal is a point of contention for u/Linnus42, who called out the villain’s loss to Ant-Man. How is such an easy defeat supposed to put Kang on the same level as the near-unstoppable Thanos (Josh Brolin)?

All in all, MCU fans have had difficulty investing in the Multiverse Saga for several reasons. Hopefully, the remaining installments — chiefly «Avengers: The Kang Dynasty» and «Avengers: Secret Wars» — can stick the landing.

Throughout his fall from grace, Armie Hammer has repeatedly denied any claims of cruel or illegal behavior, asserting through his attorneys that his more extreme sexual encounters with partners were fully consensual. Amidst the many allegations, another woman accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2017, prompting an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department. Hammer — a descendant of American business magnate Armand Hammer — ultimately was not charged with any criminal acts due to a lack of verifiable evidence.

In the years since the first accusations arose, various outlets have reexamined Hammer’s past quotes for new meaning. In a 2013 interview with Playboy (via E! News), he described himself as a «dominant lover» before he met his then-wife, saying, «I liked the grabbing of the neck and the hair and all that. But then you get married and your sexual appetites change. And I mean that for the better—it’s not like I’m suffering in any way. But you can’t really pull your wife’s hair.» Per The Independent, Hammer also chose the infamous Marquis de Sade — the man whose acts inspired the creation of the word «sadism» — as the historical figure he’d most like to have dinner with, in an interview with Netflix Brazil.

Though there haven’t been any lasting legal ramifications to the many allegations leveraged against Hammer, his acting career was effectively frozen when they began pouring in. For the last few years, his name hasn’t appeared in any notable credits aside from «Death on the Nile.»

Master Shifu being a red panda is confirmed in «The Art of Kung Fu Panda» book, written by Tracey Miller-Zarneke, and there’s a very particular reason why he was made to be that animal. The section on Master Shifu states, «Early in the story development process, Shifu was also Po’s adoptive father. This relationship was the reason for casting him as a red panda in the first place.» It’s not mentioned why the change was made, but on the bright side, that change paved the way for Mr. Ping (James Hong). No doubt, at some point, someone thought it would be amusing for a tiny red panda to raise a giant panda. 

The book also shows how Shifu could’ve looked a bit different. Some of the artwork shows Shifu with a long, white beard and a much more pronounced hump on his back. It also comes up in the art book that Shifu was initially intended to be much older, but aging him down a bit allowed the team to give him a more physically active part. 

Between design changes and scrapped familial connections, Master Shifu went through a lot before finally arriving on the big screen. But if you didn’t know Shifu was a red panda, don’t feel too bad. In a 2016 interview with «Today,» Dustin Hoffman discussed his character from the «Kung Fu Panda» movies and asked, «Is it a raccoon?» The third «Kung Fu Panda» movie came out in 2016, meaning it took quite a while for Hoffman to have that revelation.

The «Star Wars» franchise is heavily inspired by Samurai movies, with lightsabers reminiscent of the swords used by the ancient Japanese warriors in movies like «Seven Samurai.» As such, it’s possible that George Lucas wanted to emulate the duel scenes shown in those films. However, the «Star Wars» mastermind has provided other reasons for his original two-handed lightsaber rule.

Lucas discussed the lore behind the mystical weapon in «Star Wars Featurette: The Birth of the Lightsaber.» According to the creator, he wanted the weapon to come across as powerful, thus the need for the two-handed approach. «They had a lot of energy in them, so you worked with them as if they were heavy,» he said.

Lucas added that he got rid of the two-handed rule when Luke Skywalker became a more formidable warrior as time went on. He wanted to illustrate how the Jedi become experts at using the weapon, but the decision was also inspired by a desire to make the battles more fast-paced and intense. Fortunately, Lucas’ rules paid off, as «Star Wars» fans still talk about Luke Skywalker’s skills with a lightsaber today.

Author Sharai Bohannon reviewed «Miller’s Girl» for Dread Central, rating it 2 stars out of a possible 5. While she qualified her assessment with support for first-time director Jade Halley Bartlett, whom she thinks deserves another chance in Hollywood, she too found the film wholly ineffective. «There are some cool ideas in the premise of this film that never really go anywhere. It is difficult to agree or disagree with the movie’s message because it never really commits to a side,» she wrote.

For The Associated Press, Mark Kennedy characterized the film as uninteresting despite its attention-grabbing story. «This movie might be less fun than taking the SATs,» he wrote.

In his negative review published by The Seattle Times, author Chase Hutchinson felt that the film leans too hard on the fact its age gap relationship will provoke strong reactions, stopping short of contributing to the discussion it’s meant to open. «For all the ways the film flirts with its thorny topic, proving to be controversial in only a superficial sense, the story is one not even the most inexperienced writer would praise,» he wrote.

So, while «Miller’s Girl» may know that its core character dynamic is inappropriate, the consensus among critics seems to be that this self-awareness stops short of meaningful engagement with its challenging subject matter.

A day before the trailer for «Road House» debuted, Liman — a proven hitmaker in Hollywood — highlighted his grievances with Amazon Studios for not giving the film a theatrical release. The film will premiere at 2024’s SXSW film festival in early March but Liman won’t attend the event on principle. He wrote, «The facts: I signed up to make a theatrical motion picture for MGM. Amazon bought MGM. Amazon said make a great film and we will see what happens. I made a great film.»

In his column, Liman discussed how «Road House» was widely praised and labeled as a «smash hit» by execs, highlighting the film’s highly positive test scores. Despite the film’s acclaim though, Amazon isn’t choosing to back the film’s financial viability with a blockbuster rollout — nor allow him to sell to another studio that would financially support (and market) a theatrical release.

«If we don’t put tentpole movies in movie theaters, there won’t be movie theaters in the future,» he noted. «… Amazon asked me and the film community to trust them and their public statements about supporting cinemas, and then they turned around and are using ‘Road House’ to sell plumbing fixtures.» The director also pointed out how a straight-to-streaming release deprives Gyllenhaal of glory once awards season comes around too.

The middle act of «Love Me» is set primarily in this virtual world, depicted through motion capture animation. The animation, produced by Kickstart Entertainment, is competent, with the mo-cap doing a good job capturing Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun’s expressions. Compared to the combination of majestic landscapes and fast-paced screenlife comedy of the first act, however, using a medium of such limitless potential to spend time circling through the same YouTube video reenactment over and over again feels paradoxically limiting.

With this part of the story being less visually exciting and the comedy reduced to increasingly tired variations on the same one-note premise of influencers being fake, one’s enjoyment becomes dependent primarily on how emotionally invested you are in Me and Iam’s relationship. It’s here where I have a lot of questions about these robots’ psychologies. Yes, you can nitpick even the best movies about AI on similar grounds, and such nitpicking is even more tempting these days with so much of the technology currently being promoted as «AI» proving decidedly unintelligent, but it becomes a genuine stumbling block in «Love Me» when for so much of the film, it’s unclear why things are even happening.

I get Me’s thought process for the most part — it’s not really explained why a buoy needs this level of artificial intelligence, but the movie presents her perspective vividly enough that her character arc basically makes sense. Iam, however, never really made sense to me. Logically, shouldn’t an AI designed to interact with intelligent lifeforms be more sophisticated than one that wasn’t? Despite having all human knowledge on hand, he doesn’t have any curiosity about exploring it until suddenly he does, for reasons that are never really made clear. It’s also unclear what his effect on the virtual reality world is — at one point he seems to be able to reshape it and … he does so in the least creative way imaginable. And why do the robots suddenly develop a sense of taste in the VR world after so many jokes about them not being able to taste? When you’re asking all these questions, it’s hard to get emotionally invested.

For «Star Trek: Nemesis,» Jonathan Frakes handed the reins over to Stuart Baird, who previously directed Kurt Russell in 1996’s «Executive Decision» and Tommy Lee Jones in 1998’s «U.S. Marshals.»

While Frakes didn’t point his finger at the filmmaker specifically, he indicated in «The Fifty-Year Mission» that the film’s lack of attention to the core cast hurt it. The actor argued fans come out the first weekend of a Star Trek movie to see stars like William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Stewart, and Brent Spiner. Frakes feels that «Nemesis» is more concerned with the villain than Data or William T. Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi’s (Marina Sirtis) relationship. «The story of ‘Nemesis’ was very much a story about the obsession of Shinzon, Tom Hardy’s character,» he said. «The front end of the movie with the wedding of Riker and Troi … just got cut to bits.»

Frakes added that if the scene had remained, there would have been cameos by cast members from «The Next Generation» series and a lighter atmosphere. «We originally had Whoopi [Goldberg] and Wil Wheaton and all of these Easter eggs in there, and Brent sang. It was a big deal that got cut up to nothing.»

The timing of Mark Ruffalo’s brain tumor diagnosis was particularly inauspicious, as his surgery was scheduled just weeks after his wife, Sunrise Coigney, had given birth to their first child. He withheld his medical issue until a week had elapsed after the delivery of their son, Keen. «When I told Sunny about it, first she thought I was joking. And then she just burst into tears and said, ‘I always knew you were gonna die young,’» Ruffalo said on the SmartLess podcast.

Together, the couple planned his treatment, with Coigney seeing him through it. He and his wife had two more children since his surgery, and he’s had no major health issues of note. Still, he joked on SmartLess about his past diagnosis. «Take my hearing, but let me keep the face and just let me be the father to these kids,» Ruffalo quipped.

The diagnosis also put his career in difficult straits. On the upswing after the release of «You Can Count on Me,» he had to take time off to recover from his surgery. The actor told New York Magazine that his facial paralysis had him working overtime to keep a part in an M. Night Shyamalan movie, only for his doctors to bar him from acting.

Fortunately for Ruffalo, everything worked out well in the end. In the years that followed, he entered into the superhero pantheon forever by snagging the role of Bruce Banner/The Hulk, though he did find out he was cast in the «Avengers» in a rather weird way.

Expectations for «Deadpool 3» are not only high because Ryan Reynolds is back as the fan-favorite character. The threequel marks the return of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, and as some of those leaked set images have revealed, he’ll wear a comic-accurate yellow suit. Not even the character’s death in «Logan» could keep Jackman away forever, and the X-Men mainstay has shared his thoughts on wrapping up the superhero flick. 

Unfortunately for those expecting something similar to Reynolds’ tweet, Jackman didn’t upload a Wolverine crotch shot. Instead, he posted a video to Instagram of him getting a much-needed shave. Jackman also got a bit cheeky with his caption. «What a ride! I’ve loved every minute of making this movie,» he stated. «Well … not the 4a training or the steamed fish and veg 4 x a day for 6 months but the other 93.2%.» He thanked the cast and crew, providing special shoutouts to Reynolds and «Deadpool 3» director Shawn Levy. 

That shave may signal the final time Jackman will need to sport the iconic Wolverine mutton chops. However, as his inclusion in «Deadpool 3» firmly shows, you can never say never when it comes to superhero movies. 

In addition to Milly Alcock, actors Emilia Jones («CODA») and Meg Donnelly («The Winchesters») are also reportedly being considered for the role of Kara Zor-El in the DCU. Unlike Jones and Alcock, Donnelly has already played Supergirl. To date, she’s voiced the character in two animated films: 2023’s «Legion of Super-Heroes» and this year’s «Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths — Part One.»

Her familiarity with the comic book hero doesn’t mean that Donnelly is any more likely to be cast as Supergirl than her fellow contenders for the role. Alcock is, after all, arguably the most well-known of the three actors, having received widespread attention in 2022 for her performance as Rhaenyra Targaryen in the first half of «House of the Dragon» Season 1. As the above fan art proves, it wouldn’t take much for her to nail Supergirl’s look onscreen either.

Fans, of course, won’t know whether Alcock has been cast as Clark Kent’s Kryptonian cousin until James Gunn makes an official announcement one way or the other. No matter who ends up playing the DCU’s Supergirl, though, fans shouldn’t expect the character to be too similar to David Corenswet’s Superman. At least, that’s what Gunn suggested when he discussed «Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow» in 2023, teasing, «In this story, she is a character who was raised on a chunk of Krypton. She watched everybody around her perish in some terrible way, so she’s a much more jaded character.»

Whoever portrays Supergirl next will, in other words, likely have to pull off a very different version of Kara Zor-El than most viewers may expect.

It’s unclear what Superman’s suit will look like in «Superman: Legacy,» but since the character’s suit is as iconic as the red Coca-Cola bottle or McDonald’s golden arches, it’s hard to imagine the costume team steering too far from the hero’s signature look. What fans do know is that David Corenswet faced issues delivering his screentest. While responding to fan queries on Threads, James Gunn revealed that the suit used wasn’t a perfect fit. «Yes everyone who screen tested was screen tested in the previous suit (although David had a hard time fitting as he’s so tall!).»

Gunn didn’t clarify which suit Corenswet wore, though one can imagine it was likely Henry Cavill’s outfit from the DC Extended Universe. The actor not fitting into a previous suit is understandable, considering he towers at 6’4″, slightly taller than Cavill, who stands at 6’1″. Brandon Routh, who played the character in 2006’s «Superman Returns,» is 6’2″ . Corenswet is the same height as Christopher Reeve, the first actor to play the Son of Krypton on the big screen. Seeing as Corenswet had trouble fitting into the suit, it’s fair to assume that Cavill’s garbs were used. 

«Superman: Legacy» flies into cinemas on July 11, 2025. 

1954’s «Godzilla» was a game-changer for the film industry. Up to that point, mainstream monster movies were a dime a dozen and often required the use of elaborate techniques to bring them to life, such as the intricate stop-motion effects of 1933’s «King Kong.» While suits had been seen now and then, it wouldn’t be until the release of «Godzilla» that this craft was elevated to a new art form, commonly referred to as tokusatsu. And while «Godzilla Minus One» has embraced the modern era of visual effects technology, it nevertheless harbors the same spirit of classic kaiju cinema. 

Japanese filmmakers have historically worked with smaller budgets than their American counterparts. As a result, effects artists such as Eiji Tsuburaya, who worked on many of the Showa era Godzilla movies along with creating the «Ultraman» franchise, were forced to make the best with what they had. Whereas Hollywood productions often throw money at their problems, these craftsmen relied on a level of creativity and ingenuity that came alive in their work. Tricks as simple as lowering the frame rate and utilizing creative camera and lighting angles did more than enough to give the monsters and their miniature environments a rich sense of atmosphere. 

With a budget of $15 million (and potentially less according to some reports), «Godzilla Minus One» stands out from the crowd, with the second lowest budget within its Oscar category being «The Creator» at $80 million. It’s a staggering achievement, to say the least, and proof that a film’s effects should not be judged by their perfection, but by the collective creativity, hard work, and artistry that went into making them. 

Growing up, Alan Ritchson lived all over the United States. He was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, but the family didn’t stay there long. After living in Illinois for a spell, they eventually settled in Niceville, Florida, which is located on the panhandle. Speaking to Netscape Celebrity, he revealed that his father — who was a U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant at the time, hence all the moving around — actually gave him a say in the matter when it came to moving. «Early on, we were at an Air Force Base near Champagne, Illinois,» he said. «Then we had the choice of moving to California or Florida. We had a family meeting about it, and my parents said, ‘Would you rather go out where there are earthquakes and the desert, or Niceville?’»

Of course, he would eventually end up in California for the sake of his acting career. However, Ritchson still lives a somewhat nomadic lifestyle, as he revealed via The Wall Street Journal in December 2023. «Today, my wife, Cat, and I live with our three boys on the road,» Ritchson said. «Being away from my family for long stretches on location was hard on them and me. So Cat and I recently sold our Florida house and we now live in Airbnbs and hotels while I’m on set. Cat home-schools the boys, who are 11, 9 and 7.» Just like Jack Reacher, Ritchson has opted to be something of a drifter. However, unlike Reacher, he’s not a lone wolf — he has his loving family to return to at the end of the working day.

The problem with any anthology film, of course, is that the individual stories will inevitably vary in quality, and their weaknesses are thrown into sharp contrast as they are so closely linked with one another. «Freaky Tales» isn’t exempt from this issue, as some of the stories work better than others. «The Gilman Strikes Back» and «Don’t Fight the Feeling» feature slight narratives but never wear out their welcome, with sprightly performances from their young leading actors.

«Born to Mack» features arguably the film’s biggest star, Pedro Pascal, but though his character provides connective tissue for the other stories, his vignette is where «Freaky Tales» begins to drag. It doesn’t contribute anything new to the tired «one last job» trope and struggles to justify its own existence (note-perfect cameo from Bay Area native Tom Hanks as a mysterious video store clerk notwithstanding). His character might have been better off as a supporting figure in the other stories rather than a lead in his own.

The strongest piece in the production — by a country mile — is «The Legend of Sleepy Floyd,» where Jay Ellis plays the real-life basketball star on a quest for revenge in response to a botched home invasion. This is the most stylistically competent component of «Freaky Tales,» as it transforms effortlessly into an impossibly cool martial arts film.

Gary Graham first made a guest appearance in the «Star Trek» universe as Tanis, an Ocampan in «Star Trek: Voyager» Season 2, Episode 10 – «Cold Fire.» Ocampans were a humanoid species with telepathic abilities, one of which was Voyager’s field medic, Kes (Jennifer Lien), whom Tanis tried to persuade to leave the Voyager and join his space station. It was the only time Graham appeared on the show, although if things had gone differently, he could’ve been its star, given that he actually auditioned for the role of Janeway. 

In a 2012 interview with Star Trek Vulcanology, Graham revealed that he was in the running for being Captain of the Voyager before Mulgrew won the role, as well as Captain Benjamin Sisko in «Star Trek: Deep Space Nine» before it went to Avery Brooks. Graham told the site, «That’s what I heard from my agent and also from another source at Paramount. I never heard it from either [Rick] Berman or [Brannon] Braga [«Star Trek» producers], so I can’t give it full veracity. You’ll have to ask them.» Discussing the process of going after the mystery role, Graham admitted, «And the audition for any lead is always pretty exhaustive. I think I remember the initial audition and two subsequent callbacks.» Perhaps in a mirror universe, he may have actually landed one of them.