Matthew Monagle
Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone Will Return for More Marvel Movies
As someone who loves Kurt Russell more than I love my own wife (don’t tell her), nothing could have made me more excited for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 than the addition of Russell. Not only is Russell’s love of dim-witted characters a perfect match for the universe that director James Gunn has created, the film will also hopefully — and I cannot believe I’m saying this — introduce the actor to a generation of movie fans who have never seen iconic films like Escape From New York and, more importantly, Big Trouble in Little China.
Universal Moves Forward With Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Channing Tatum’s R-Rated Musical
Last February, it was announced that Universal Pictures had won a bidding war for an untitled R-rated musical comedy written by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the screenwriter behind 21 Jump Street. While little was known about the film at the time, Variety reported that Godon-Levitt had also enlisted Channing Tatum — noted dancer and Professional Handsome Man — to co-star with him in the film. Since that announcement, things were pretty quiet about the project until just this past week, where suddenly a flurry of updates were released by Universal Pictures.
Here’s the ‘Deadpool’ Writers on Why the Film Would’ve Still Succeeded at PG-13
With the success of both Deadpool and Logan, 20th Century Fox has found a way to effectively differentiate itself from the other members of the superhero studio trifecta. Disney releases superhero films with broad appeal and a bright aesthetic; 20th Century Fox aims for more mature themes and isn’t afraid to incorporate both violence and profanity into its projects; Warner Bros…. well, they’re working on this, and when they figure out, it’s gonna be yuuuge. You’ll see.
Diana Trains to Be a Queen in the Latest ‘Wonder Woman’ Trailer
With all eyes on the next entry in the DC Cinematic Universe, it’s hard to say what is under more pressure: Wonder Woman, the World War II-era superhero and savior of the modern world, or Wonder Woman, the first female-directed movie in the modern blockbuster era and a stab at social relevance for the beleaguered executives at Warner Bros. The first Wonder Woman trailer that debuted at Comic-Con hit all the right notes for an exciting and female-driven superhero movie; would additional trailers walk back that promise or deliver more of the same?
James Cameron’s ‘Terminator 2’ 3D Re-Release Will Hit Theaters in August
In a piece of news bound to make you say, “Wait, is this still a thing?”, it looks like we’ll still be getting that Terminator 2 3D conversion after all. Scroll back through our archives and you’ll find our very first mention of the Terminator 2 re-release in December of 2015. Back then, word was that James Cameron and company would time the theatrical re-release of the film to its 25th anniversary on July 3. For one reason or another, though, the studio missed that window, and thousands of people around the world were only able to relive their love of the Terminator franchise in the same boring two dimensions they’d always had. Sad.
Oscar-Nominated Iranian Filmmaker Caught Up in American Immigrant Ban
While the Academy Awards may leave a sour taste in the mouths of those who think artists shouldn’t be forced to compete, there’s no denying that an Oscar nomination is still a powerful piece of validation for a lot of filmmakers, especially those from other countries. Filmmakers like Asghar Farhadi — whose 2016 film The Salesman will be seen by many Americans due to its Best Foreign Language Film nomination — should be able to take this time to engage with audiences about the importance of this work. Instead, Farhadi will have to watch the Academy Awards on television like the rest of us.
Julia Roberts to Star in True-Crime Story of Framed PTA Mom
Last month, the Los Angeles Times began a six-part story on Kelli Peters, a school volunteer and PTA member in the community of Irvine, California who became the unwitting subject of a bizarre conspiracy to ruin her family’s name. A few days later, Peters’ tell-all book, I’ll Get You! Drugs, Lies, and the Terrorizing of a PTA Mom, hit bookshelves across the country. It wasn’t long before the film rights to the book were shopped around in Hollywood, and now it appears a major star is interested in playing the role of Peters herself.
Tom Cruise’s Salary Negotiations Have Shut Down ‘Mission: Impossible 6’
At this point in his career, there shouldn’t be much cause for behind-the-scenes drama when it comes to Tom Cruise movies. Cruise wants to star in another Jack Reacher movie? Pay the man. Cruise wants to play a special forces operative fighting a centuries-old mummy? Pay the man. Cruise wants to release a movie where all he does is run for two hours? By all that is holy and good in this world, pay the man!
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley Talk Politics in This ‘Snowden’ Clip
If you live in Washington, D.C., how often do you walk by the White House? It seems like an odd place to go. In the new clip from Snowden, for example, we see the two main characters on an early date as they stroll past a protest outside the White House gates. Wouldn’t this be an unnecessarily crowded and uncomfortable path to walk? I have to figure that this is the D.C. equivalent of taking your date on a walk through Times Square, something you should never, ever want to do.
Morgan Freeman Joins the Cast of Disney’s Live-Action ‘The Nutcracker’
Earlier this week, we learned that Disney had officially cast Interstellar actress Mackenzie Foy as Clara in their upcoming live-action adaptation of The Nutcracker. You can now add another name to that cast: according to The Hollywood Reporter, Morgan Freeman is in talks to join the movie as the mysterious and whimsical Drosselmeyer. Fingers crossed that this means we will get a Morgan Freeman dance number in the new movie.