Matthew Monagle
Dom Goes Bad in the First ‘The Fate of the Furious’ Trailer
Sometimes you discover something in your life that you didn’t know you needed until you finally have it. Take, for example, the brand new trailer for The Fate of the Furious. If you’d made me list the 100 different things I want from an action movie, I never would have thought to request a scene where a submarine chases a fleet of vehicles across an ice-field. Now that I’ve seen the first trailer for the film, I kind of wish every action movie was just that scene for ninety minutes.
Will Smith Explains Why He Passed on ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ for ‘Suicide Squad’
I’ll admit, I was one of those people mildly excited for Independence Day: Resurgence. Not only did the film return both Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman — as well as the up-and-coming Maika Monroe — it was also a welcome trip down memory lane to the original Independence Day, one of the first really big blockbuster movies I remember seeing in theaters. I know I’m not the only one whose interest in the film was pure nostalgia; as it turns out, this link to the past is exactly why Will Smith chose not to come back for a second film.
Get Your Lin-Manuel Miranda Fix With This Outtake Track From ‘Moana’
It seems to me that Moana brought in two very different audiences this holiday weekend. For some, Moana was the newest entry in a long line of Disney princess movies and a step in the right direction for the studio in terms of inclusiveness and empowering young women. For others, it was a chance to cure their Lin-Manuel Miranda withdrawals after the turnover of the Hamilton cast and the end of the regular Ham4Ham sidewalk performances. That probably explains the odd mix of millennials and children at the recent matinee you attended.
Director Joe Carnahan Provides Some Much-Needed ‘Bad Boys 3’ Updates
If there’s one thing that Joe Carnahan excels at, it’s overshooting our expectations. I promise that isn’t just faint praise: Carnahan has rebooted The A-Team as a summer movie; shot a feature-length film where Liam Neeson punches wolves; released an ensemble action film about the mob trying to kill a magician. Each of these films could have been a disaster in the wrong hands, but Carnahan has consistently delivered fun and thoughtful action movies where audiences least expect it. For my money, that makes him one of the most underrated writer-directors working in the action genre today.
This Horror Movie Supercut Is Perfect for Your Halloween Party
How are your plans for Halloween shaping up? For me, the hardest part of throwing a Halloween party is choosing a soundtrack. We can probably all agree that those sound effect CDs — the ones with creaking doors and thunder and maniacal laughter — have no business outside of an elementary school haunted house, but then what? Do you put together a playlist of all the obvious soundtrack selections? Do you choose pop songs that have some vague tie-in to the season? Who really wants to hear Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” on Halloween for the umpteenth time, anyways?
Marvel Still Has Plans for the Vampire Hunter ‘Blade’
About this time last year, rumors were flying that Marvel was trying to get some version of Blade off the ground. There were reports that Marvel had met with actor Wesley Snipes to discuss the possibility of a Blade 4; there were also reports that Marvel wanted to move forward with a Blade movie focusing on the vampire hunter’s daughter. Whatever the final product might be, Marvel clearly had some vague notion that Blade would be a factor in the future of the franchises.
Forest Whitaker Joins the Cast of Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’
With New York Comic-Con happening this weekend, we’re up to our ears in new footage, rumors, and casting announcements for the Marvel Netflix televisions series. Why, it’s almost enough to make us overlook the new footage, rumors, and casting announcements from the Marvel movies! Almost, but not quite.
Carrie Fisher Weighs in on Why Han and Leia Split Up Prior to ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’
Any Star Wars fan knows that nobody speaks as bluntly about the franchise as Carrie Fisher. While Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill might be counted on for the occasional funny soundbite or bit of interesting backstory, if you really want one of the Star Wars actors to lay their chips on the table, it’s Carrie Fisher you need to listen to. The actress and writer possesses one of the most acerbic wits in all of Hollywood and has never shied away from trying to spin her sense of humor into backdoor Star Wars cannon.
‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Director Responds to Those ‘Doctor Strange’ Rumors
Last month, after a handful of set photos from Thor: Ragnarok made their way onto social media, fans stumbled across a possible little easter egg for the new movie. Thor was seen holding a business card with the street address for Doctor Strange, suggesting that somewhere along the way, Thor would be in need of a magical consultation. This seemed to suggest that Benedict Cumberbatch would make a guest appearance in Thor: Ragnarok, offering perhaps his first real exposure to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole.
‘Jurassic World 2’ Director J.A. Bayona Confirms ‘Jurassic World’ Trilogy
About a year ago, Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow went on a Jurassic Park-themed podcast and talked about Universal’s plans to make his film the first in a trilogy of movies about dinosaur-induced mayhem. And while nothing really seemed to indicate that the creative team had switched gears since then, today we did finally get confirmation that a Jurassic World trilogy is still the plan going forward.
‘Big Hero 6’ Actor Ryan Potter Just Used YouTube to Audition for the Role of Robin in ‘Batman’
One of the big questions surrounding that standalone Ben Affleck Batman movie is whether they will bring a version of Robin into the fold. Thanks to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, we know that the character of Robin exists in the DC Cinematic Universe, but the level of violence in that film seemed at odds with the more lighthearted camaraderie that comes with an adolescent sidekick. Then again, a recent interview with DC Films’ Geoff Johns described Batman as a less grim figure going forward. Could Robin play a key role in making DC’s Batman more of a superhero and less of a vigilante in a cape?
Chris Pratt Thinks ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ Will Be the ‘Biggest Spectacle Movie of All Time’
Guys, you’re never going to believe what just happened. One of the actors in an upcoming Hollywood blockbuster just predicted that his new movie will be full of incredible special effects and awesome set pieces! This changes everything we thought we knew about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. And here I thought the sequel was going to be a hard-hitting expose on Peter Quill’s abandonment issues with his father, the giant face planet played by Kurt Russell. You know, real somber stuff.