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According to Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch, the ending for the upcoming sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, changed somewhat during filming. Following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which saw Strange carelessly cast a memory spell to protect Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and inadvertently opened a rift in the multiverse, the sorcerer must enlist the help of Wong, (Benedict Wong), Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), and America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) to keep the universe together. Directed by Sam Raimi, the sequel will feature an expansive cast of characters including variants of MCU heroes as well as cameos from other universes. Kevin Feige and his team of writers famously plan the arcs of their characters ahead of time in phases, with the current MCU slate running up until 2032. But sometimes, due to unforeseen circumstances, such as a worldwide viral pandemic or the death of an actor, plans must change quickly, resulting in rewrites and reshoots. Even the Avengers: Endgame finale had sections that were reshot due to the fact that principal photography on the film was completed before Avengers: Infinity War was released and adjustments needed to be made. Cumberbatch recently sat down with JOE.ie (via Comic Book) to discuss the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The star explained that the ending was still not set in stone during the initial days of production. Read what Cumberbatch said below. "There's a lot to examine, explain, and kind of absorb. But there is a sort of propulsion by the end, which is kind of great like the last third. Which was very much up in the air when we started shooting in typical Marvel fashion. It really comes together spectacularly." Bruce Campbell, who is rumored to make a cameo appearance in his long-time friend Sam Raimi's upcoming film, has explained that Doctor Strange 2 had extensive reshoots due to Marvel Studios constantly adjusting its overarching storyline with so many projects going at any given time. As future films begin, with months of filming ahead, the stories are likely to change if one interconnected MCU project wraps containing plot elements that directly affect others. Doctor Strange 2 has proven to be no exception as the film had undergone re-shoots well into March of this year. Marvel's upcoming multiverse adventure is shaping up to be one of the defining films of the current MCU phase, introducing new characters and possibly setting up storylines that will continue for the next few years. Due to the overall complexity of the narrative, along with a litany of confirmed and rumored cameos, such as Patrick Stewart as Professor X and Hayley Atwell as Captain Carter, it is no wonder that the ending was not committed to at the start of production. With its May release date fast approaching, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness promises to kick off the summer with a fantastical experience. Source

Acclaimed actor Gary Oldman says that he will retire from acting soon. The 64-year-old Oscar winner has mesmerized audiences throughout his career, delivering performances that merit his inclusion among the greatest actors of all time. Having taken on a wide variety of roles throughout his career, Oldman’s talents have enabled him to consistently gain new fans over the years, resulting in one of the most diverse followings of any working actor. For most newer fans of his work, Oldman will forever be recognized as Harry Potter’s godfather, Sirius Black, as well as Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s ridiculously successful Batman trilogy. But beyond these two roles, Oldman’s career stretches all the way back to the early 1980s, when he first received acclaim for his role as Coxy in iconic British filmmaker Mike Leigh’s Meantime. Since those early days of his acting career, Oldman has established himself to such a degree that even today, it’s hard to tell what sort of role he’ll choose next. Few actors still working today can claim a similar status, and although every film Oldman’s starred in hasn’t necessarily been a hit, he’s delivered countless memorable performances. After so many decades of establishing himself as one of the greatest living actors, Oldman has admitted that he likely won’t continue to act much longer. During a recent interview with Deadline, the Harry Potter star talked about his current role on the Apple TV series Slow Horses, in which he plays Jackson Lamb, the head of a British spy agency for spies who haven’t quite made the grade. Oldman spoke about his enjoyment of the role and the series as well as how his time as Lamb would be a fitting way to end his acting career: It’s up to all the big people upstairs and the audience and the obviously the viewership and what Apple what they say. But, yeah, I could see myself playing Jackson for the next how many years, yeah. Absolutely. I mean, for those that love the books and that were Mick Herron devotees as it were, he is already an iconic character. So, if it were to go out with a bang, I mean, retirement is on the horizon. Yeah. I can see it. Side by side of Gary Oldman in Dracula, Fifth Element, and the Dark Knight Though Oldman doesn’t give a specific timeline for his retirement, the fact that he’s admitting that it’s on the horizon will no doubt disappoint fans. Establishing a career as an actor is certainly no easy task, and while there are no shortages of actors working in film today, it is not often that someone of Oldman’s caliber comes along. His retirement from acting would be as much of a blow to cinema as multi-Oscar winner Daniel Day Lewis’ decision to call it quits after the release of 2017’s Phantom Thread. Both actors have exhibited uncanny abilities to transform into the characters they’re playing and both will long be remembered for their numerous contributions to cinema. There is one small glimmer of hope for fans of Gary Oldman, however. Though he’s stated that retirement from acting isn’t far off, he hasn’t specified if he has other plans that involve film and television. Having made his directorial debut with 1997’s Nil By Mouth, Oldman hasn’t stepped behind the camera again for a feature film. At present there he’s set to direct Flying Horse, a biopic about photographer Eadweard Muybridge. Whether or not this could lead to more films from the acclaimed actor is anyone’s guess, but it’s a career prospect that fans are sure to relish. Source

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has become the highest-grossing video game film ever at the US box office, surpassing the original Sonic the Hedgehog film's gross. The sequel saw Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, James Marsden, and Tika Sumpter return to reprise their roles from the first film. The series is set to expand into television through Paramount's Paramount+ streaming service. Building upon the success of 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 set out to keep the momentum going. After introducing general audiences to Schwartz's blue speedster and Carrey's over-the-top evil genius Dr. Robotnik, the sequel began to bring more of SEGA's longrunning platformer franchise to the big screen through Colleen O'Shaughnessey's highly intelligent fox Tails and Idris Elba's powerful Knuckles the Echidna, alongside the mysterious Master Emerald and more of Robotnik's nefarious creations. Now, the sequel has surpassed its predecessor's gross, setting a new record for video game movies at the US box office. As reported by Collider, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has earned an impressive $147 million at the domestic box office going into the fourth weekend of its release. Not only has the sequel surpassed Sonic the Hedgehog's $146 million at the domestic box office, but it has also become the highest-grossing video game movie of all time. The previous holder of the title was 2022's Uncharted, which surpassed Sonic the Hedgehog by an estimated fifty thousand dollars with $146,118,043. Despite its success at the domestic box office, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 still has yet to break into the top 10 highest-grossing video game movies internationally, where it is still behind 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog at $291 million, while the predecessor grossed $304 million. Sonic the Hedgehog is growing to become an impressively successful franchise. Despite Carrey stating he intends to retire from acting, the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise is set to continue in the form of a spin-off TV series following Elba's recently introduced Knuckles, with both Elba and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 director Jeff Fowler returning to work on the series. The sequel also laid the groundwork for future films through a post-credit scene that featured fan-favorite character Shadow the Hedgehog and the GUN organization. Despite Carrey's retirement, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 producers Neal H. Moritz & Toby Ascher have stated that they won't recast Robotnik in any sequel or spin-off series, intentionally leaving the actor an opportunity to return to the role if he wishes. While it initially caused an uproar from fans over its widely-panned redesign of SEGA's iconic character, Sonic the Hedgehog has become a standout franchise. After a strong box-office opening, the sequel has proved that audience interest in the series remains strong, not only securing the franchise's future but also setting itself apart from other video-game movies. With other video game-inspired movies like Sony's Ghost of Tsushima, and Nintendo and Illumination's Mario movie in development, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 may be a trendsetter in the current age of video game adaptations. Source

Michael Keaton gets the Robert Pattinson treatment in a new fan trailer for 1989's Batman set to Nirvana’s “Something in the Way.” It’s been over three decades, and multiple Caped Crusaders, since Keaton made his debut as Bruce Wayne alongside Jack Nicholson's Joker in Tim Burton’s gothic, noir-style film. Long before Sam Raimi and Christopher Nolan gave audiences Spider-Man (2002) and Batman Begins (2005), respectively, 1989’s Batman was arguably the first film to take comic book adaptations seriously. Burton’s follow-up, Batman Returns (1992), doubled down on all this, making Keaton's live-action take on the Dark Knight a definitive one. Following in the footsteps of Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck, Pattinson recently took up the mantle of Batman in yet another cinematic reboot. Initially, the casting of the former Twilight star drew mixed reactions online. However, the release of The Batman’s first teaser during DC FanDome in 2020, set to “Something in the Way,” seemingly silenced many of the naysayers. Writer/director Matt Reeves’ gritty thriller has since proven itself to be a faithful addition to the franchise and Pattinson a worthy successor to Keaton. Now, an intrepid fan has taken The Batman’s unofficial anthem and applied it to Batman. Thoughtful-Slander on YouTube recently uploaded a Batman trailer but re-edited it in the style of The Batman’s trailer. Mirroring that first teaser, this new trailer is set to that haunting rendition of Nirvana’s “Something in the Way.” Check it out below: Pattinson’s reclusive Bruce Wayne is a far cry from Keaton’s playboy, but the former’s “vengeance” and hunt for the Zodiac-killer-esque Riddler (Paul Dano) could not exist without the latter. Reeves’ film avoids the biggest problems of comic book movies of old: tempering of violence and studio interference. In the wake of Burton and Keaton’s exit from the Batman franchise, films like Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997) represent a dramatic shift in tone that turned a lot of people away. While Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy was more than a return to form, Affleck’s tenure has also been plagued by excessive meddling. In many ways, The Batman is a film more in the vein of Batman '89. Of course, Keaton is set to reprise his role in the upcoming DCEU film The Flash—which will also star Affleck as his iteration. With HBO Max’s upcoming Batgirl solo film, and The Batman 2 already confirmed (as well as multiple spinoffs), it remains to be seen which Bat-person will reign supreme. Regardless, there’s certainly nothing in the way of Batman's long, profitable, and historic past, present, and future. Source

Green Lantern director Martin Campbell has reflected on his critically maligned DC outing and has celebrated the film’s one true success. Green Lantern stars Ryan Reynolds as the test pilot Hal Jordan, who is selected to become a member of the intergalactic Green Lantern Corps. Based on a script by Arrowverse mastermind Greg Berlanti and comic book writers Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim, the finished screenplay was later rewritten by Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix scribe Michael Goldenberg. Taking almost 14 years to develop, high expectations for the film were ultimately let down, with audiences criticizing the film’s writing, poor use of CGI, and departures from the original comic source material. Since its 2011 release, even Reynolds himself has constantly heaped scorn upon the film, even famously making Green Lantern jokes in his two Deadpool outings. Currently, the film holds a dismal 26% critical score on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes and is noted as being "noisy, overproduced, and thinly written." Bringing in just under $220 million in worldwide box office, it's estimated the film was responsible for a box office loss of up to $75 million. After a decade of receiving little but scorn from critics, audiences, and even the film’s own stars, Campbell has spoken with Screen Rant about one positive to come out of the film. Campbell, whose latest action-thriller film Memory stars Liam Neeson, was reminded that Green Lantern was responsible for introducing Reynolds to his future wife Blake Lively. Check out his full response below: Well, I did! That, of course, is the success of that movie. By the way, both terrific people, honestly. Blake's hilarious. She used to cook little cakes for us every morning on set. She'd bake them herself and bring them onto the set, and Ryan was a terrific guy as well. Reynolds and Lively would eventually go on to marry in September 2012, and the pair currently have three daughters together. While Green Lantern ultimately failed to achieve what Warner Bros. hoped it would, with the studio later scrapping plans for a planned sequel in response to fan backlash, it is great that such a positive still managed to rise from the wreckage of the film. Far from being a major career misstep, the production ultimately brought two of its stars together to become one of Hollywood’s favorite couples. The future of the Green Lantern franchise is also far from being crippled by the legacy of the 2011 flop. While plans for the big screen Green Lantern Corps film set within the DCEU have been stagnating since 2015, Berlanti is producing a HBO Max Green Lantern series, which will focus on the Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, and Alan Scott versions of the character. With these facts in mind, perhaps 2011’s Green Lantern film is not as big a failure as some would like to believe. Source

Morbius star Al Madrigal says the Spider-Man spinoff isn't as bad as everyone claims and was weakened by overzealous editors. Morbius was released on April 1, 2022 to overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics and audiences, with many taking issue with the screenplay, outdated effects, and flat performances. However, the film still grossed over $150 million at the box office, with the movie coming away profitable after being made on an $83 million dollar budget. Morbius follows Dr. Morbius (Jared Leto) who is afflicted with transgenic vampirism after trying to cure his rare blood disease. The film also stars Matt Smith as Morbius' best friend, who suffers from the same disease, as well as Madrigal as Alberto Rodriguez, an FBI agent hunting Morbius. Despite lackluster reviews and box office receipts, Sony still plans to feature the character in its upcoming Spider-Man shared universe. In an interview with CBM, Madrigal talks about how, in his opinion, the film wasn't as bad as most people claim it is. He says a lot of his scenes, in particular, were left out of the movie, including a fight scene with Smith that was seen in the trailers, as well as some of his comic relief moments. He says that due to COVID, the film was in post-production for a much longer period, with the editors having too much time to meddle with it, making the film worse as a result. Read his quote below: First of all, Morbius: not as bad as everybody is making it out to be. Sure, it had problems and they diced it up quite a bit. I had some hilarious lines that were cut out of that movie. I was very funny...I got butchered in that thing. I think that’s what they did. They just really…because of COVID, they just had so much time to mess with it. They really messed with it. The fact that Morbius was shot in 2019 and didn't see release for three years suggests that COVID wasn't the only factor for the film's long post-production period, with reshoots happening as late as February 2021. Though the film might have been improved with a tighter turnaround, the fact that it kept getting pushed back even before COVID speaks for itself. There have been plenty of films delayed by COVID, but the pandemic itself didn't necessarily make any of those films worse. It's true editing can play a major role in how a film is received, but the best editing in the world can't fix a weak story, flat performances, and outdated effects. There are plenty of thoughts and opinions on why Morbius turned out the way it did, and one of them certainly is the lack of a concrete vision that led to a drawn-out production process. Despite the efforts of actors like Madrigal, Morbius is widely regarded as a weak Spider-Man spinoff, and hopefully, Sony can use it as a learning experience. Source

WARNING! Contains SPOILERS for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore finally revealed Credence (Ezra Miller) as Aberforth Dumbledore's (Richard Coyle) long-lost son, but his mother can very well be a Gaunt, making Credence related to Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Fantastic Beasts connects to the Harry Potter series through several related characters, such as Leta (Zoë Kravitz) and Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter), or Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch). But the Wizarding World has such complex lore that the 11 movies that have so far been released haven't covered the full extent of its most important families. The Harry Potter series introduces the Gaunt family through Tom Marvolo Riddle's mother, Merope Gaunt. But the Harry Potter movies only brush off the topic that J.K. Rowling's books explore in detail. The Gaunt family was one of the "Sacred 28" - the only British wizard families that have stayed "truly pure-blood" for centuries (amongst the most famous ones, Lestrange, Weasley, Crouch, and Ollivander). The Gaunts valued their pure blood (often resorting to inbreeding) as much as they did their heritage: they descended from Cadmus Peverell (one of the three brothers in The Deathly Hallows legend) and Salazar Slytherin, making them Parselmouths. But Merope Gaunt betrayed the family's pure-blood obsession when she married Tom Riddle Sr., a Muggle. While the Harry Potter movies didn't spend a lot of time exploring the intricate history of the Gaunt family, the Fantastic Beasts franchise just might. Fantastic Beasts 3 finally shed light on the mystery of Credence's identity, as Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) explains to Newt: in 1899, during the same summer that Albus fell in love with Grindelwald, Aberforth also fell in love with a woman from Godric's Hollow. They had a baby boy together, but the woman was sent away and Aberforth never got to be a father. Aberforth eventually reunites with Aurelius, but his mother's identity remains unexplored. Here are all the clues that Credence/Aurelius' mother is indeed a Gaunt, making Credence related to Voldemort. The Names 'Gaunt' And 'Barebone' Mean The Same Thing J.K. Rowling rarely chooses a random or meaningless name for her characters ("mal foy" means "bad faith" in French, and Remus is one of the two twins who was raised by a wolf in Roman mythology). Credence was given to an orphanage as a baby (just like Voldemort) and, under Mary Lou's care, he received the last name Barebone. The definition for the word "barebone" is a very thin person whose bones show through their skin, but the definition for "gaunt" is not that far off: "lean and haggard, especially because of suffering, hunger, or age." Needless to say, Credence fits this description: he is underweight because he is suffering, be it from his adoptive mother's abuse or from his futile attempts at learning about his family. Fantastic Beasts 3 has Credence find his father at last, but it's a moment too late: he is very weak, dying from his Obscurus curse. His constant weak, suffering state can be a hint that Credence is indeed half Gaunt. Aberforth Having A Child With A Gaunt Could Never Have A Happy Ending The Gaunts are one of the 28 pure-blood families in the UK, and they have been famously obsessed with keeping their family this way, according to Pottermore: "They had a tendency of marrying their cousins to keep their blood pure." It's thus likely Marvolo Gaunt (Voldemort's grandfather) had several cousins, one of which could have been a girl who lived in Godric's Hollow at the turn of the 20th century. But when the Gaunt family learned about her pregnancy with Aberforth (a half-blood), it's likely they made her leave the Hollow and abandon him, explaining Dumbledore's line about her being sent away. When Marvolo Gaunt found out Voldemort's mother had married Riddle, he lost his will to live; it's likely Marvolo's uncle or aunt reacted just as exaggeratedly towards Credence's mother. However, they might have let her keep the baby, as a combination of Gaunt and Dumbledore meant it would be a very powerful wizard. But it's just as likely that she had to run away, explaining the events in Fantastic Beasts 2. Harry Potter Canon Confirms There Are Gaunts In America The Gaunt family tree goes back to the 1600s when Gormlaith Gaunt burned her sister Rionach and her Muggle husband William Sayre alive in their cottage for betraying the pure-blood legacy. She then kept their child (and her niece) Isolt Sayre prisoner for 12 years, before Isolt fled to America, married a Muggle, and founded Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She named the school after her family cottage and created a safe space for half-blood and Muggle-born wizards. Skipping four centuries into the future, Credence's mother could have run off to America with her baby, seeking comfort from that side of her family. Of course, she would have lost her life on the sinking ship, but Credence made it to the New World and potentially had a lot more family to discover (if the Obscurus hadn't taken his life first). Credence Has A Strong Bond With Nagini (Like Voldemort) During Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, while he is searching for his identity, Credence forms a close friendship with Nagini (Claudia Kim). While this is before she assumes the permanent snake form (and role of Voldemort's most trusted pet and Horcrux), it can be argued that Credence being a Gaunt, and therefore a Parselmouth, drew Nagini closer to him. The Gaunts prided themselves on being descendants of Salazar Slytherin and did everything - including inbreeding - to make sure they retained this rare ability. Nagini is a Maledictus - this means she was born with this curse and has always been part-snake. When she becomes full-snake, it's her bitter, lost state of mind that leads Voldemort to manipulate her into doing his bidding. If Nagini was receptive to Parseltongue in the 1990s, it's likely she was in the 1930s, too - or at least to an unaware Parselmouth. Credence Being A Gaunt Fits Fantastic Beasts' Prophecy Gathering all previous clues, putting Credence back at the center of Tycho Dodonus' Prophecy 20 seems to make sense. "A son cruelly banished" refers to Credence being sent away from Aberforth and the Hollow by the Gaunt family, cruel and obsessed with keeping their family's blood pure. "Despair of the daughter," in this interpretation, is Credence's mother despairing over losing Aberforth and potentially having to run away from her family. It might also be her despair as the ship sinks and she realizes she will lose her life and child. "Return, great avenger" is Credence's attempt to get his revenge on Dumbledore, believing Grindelwald's (Mads Mikkelsen) story that he was betrayed by his family. Finally, he returns to the Dumbledores and gets his revenge on Grindelwald for all his lies and manipulation. The last verse, "With wings from the water," is a clear allusion to Credence surviving the sinking ship. The Gaunt family's pure-blood obsession eventually led to their downfall, as generations of inbreeding made them ever more violent and mentally unstable (Harry Potter's Voldemort being a tragic example). By the 1920s, when Tom Riddle was born, the Gaunts had lost most of their prized heirlooms and were living in a run-down shack, finally earning the name J.K. Rowling chose for them. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore revealed half of Credence's family, but the Wizarding World is bound to explain the other half as well. Given the numerous connections that Fantastic Beasts has to Harry Potter, it's not much of a reach to guess that Voldemort is connected to Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore via Credence. Source

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Nicolas Cage reveals that he is proud of his performances in his straight-to-VOD movies. Most famously known for his work in films such as National Treasure, Raising Arizona, and Leaving Las Vegas, Cage continues to grace the screen with his presence through versatile projects. For example, his most recent film, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, finds him playing a fictionalized version of himself. Cage's first ever appearance in a theatrically released film was in 1982 with his role as "Brad's Bud" in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Since Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Cage rose to stardom, but also learned that one's notoriety can be just as easily lost as it is gained in Hollywood. Beginning in 2010, the Oscar-winning actor began to star in a series of films that were panned by critics, such as The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Stolen. After this run of films which did not receive critical acclaim, Cage started making several movies which were released directly to VOD; these include The Runner, Pay the Ghost, The Trust, and several others. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Cage says that he is proud of the work he did in the films that were released directly to VOD. Several of these films continued to receive negative reviews from critics, and because of this, Cage says that there is a misconception from the public that he put less effort into them than in any of his other work. He states that these films gave him the opportunity in a lot of ways to more easily access his emotions and creativity, as well as practice on how to give every film his utmost attention, even while making several each year. A full quote regarding Cage's straight-to-VOD films can be read below: "I think that I did some of the best work of my life in that so-called ‘direct to video’ period. ‘Massive Talent’ was in that group. ‘Mandy’ was in that group. ‘Pig,’ ‘Bad Lieutenant: Port of New Orleans,’ ‘Joe,’ ‘Mom and Dad,’ ‘Color Out of Space’ — they were all in that group. ‘The Runner’ I thought was terrific. I’ll put any of those movies up [against] the first 30 years. If there is a misconception, it’s perhaps overlooking that there was a genuine commitment to performance." One of the films which Cage mentions, Mandy, had a limited theatrical release on September 13, 2018 and was then released to VOD the next day. After premiering several months earlier at the Sundance Film Festival in January, the unique horror film from Panos Cosmatos received several glowing reviews from critics and ultimately landed a 90 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Although several of the films that Cage made in his direct-to-VOD era did not receive as much acclaim, his point that a film's quality should not be determined by whether it has a wide theatrical release or is released to VOD immediately is becoming more and more relevant today. This is especially true during the current Covid pandemic when theaters may not be accessible to everyone, especially those with compromised immune systems. Another example of the shift in both the public perception and the film community's ranking of straight-to-video films is seen with the recent Oscar winner for best picture, Apple TV+'s CODA. That was a film that had an early home release, albeit via streaming. Although some may argue that Cage's performances in certain films are undeniably cheesy, his ability to nonetheless entertain viewers over his 40-year career is due to the amount of effort he puts in to every film regardless of critical reception. Besides this, Cage's devotion to a film no matter how its distribution is handled may earn him future roles that prove more fruitful in terms of a well-received critical response, or perhaps bigger at-home viewership. Source

A reboot of The Blair Witch Project franchise is reportedly being considered by Lionsgate. Some 23 years after the arrival of the original movie in the three-film franchise, the struggle to repeat its success has been an arduous one. This is likely due to the fact that upon its 1999 release, The Blair Witch Project was unlike anything anyone had seen before and its status as a pop culture smash helped give rise to the found-footage horror genre. With its grainy handheld black and white footage and masterful marketing campaign, The Blair Witch Project took the possibilities of horror into new directions. Originally promoted as real-life footage unearthed from the Black Hills after a group of young filmmakers reportedly went missing there, the film utilized word of mouth and a cryptic website to build anticipation for its release. Seeking to scare audiences by obscuring or altogether avoiding any direct imagery of the antagonist, The Blair Witch Project created a tremendous amount of intrigue that proved a big budget wasn’t needed to find success. However, when the sequel, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, arrived in 2000, everything about the first film that made it a hit seemed to have been jettisoned. Needless to say, it fared poorly, as did an attempted 2016 reboot known simply as Blair Witch. While horror fans seemed to have moved on to other pursuits, the Blair Witch franchise has continued to look for ways to reclaim its status as one of horror filmmaking’s greatest achievements. It’s a daunting challenge, to say the least, but now it looks as though a reboot of the entire franchise is being considered. As per a report from The Ankler, Lionsgate is getting set to relaunch the IP, though at present there’s no confirmation of exactly what this would look like. Presumably tired of sequels that simply don’t work, it looks like Lionsgate is willing to take the entire concept back to the drawing board. Officially, the 2016 Blair Witch was released as a sequel to the original film, leaving Book of Shadows relegated to let’s-just-pretend-it-didn’t-happen status. That was an understandable approach given the film’s disappointing attempt at continuing with what the original film delivered. Unfortunately, when Blair Witch also failed to excite audiences, it was clear that something needed to change in a big way if the franchise was to continue at all. Rebooting the first film seems like the perfect answer, but it’s also no guarantee. Should the attempt fail, it’s hard to say how the franchise could find its way back. It’s also worth pointing out that a big part of why The Blair With Project succeeded so resoundingly is because it was something that audiences truly hadn’t experienced before. The film arrived during a time in which social media was still almost a decade off, making audiences a little more naïve to the idea of found footage. Today the concept is a genre within itself and the zeitgeist of 1999 is simply not going to be repeated, no matter how badly the franchise might want it to be. Still, if a decent take on the premise can accurately follow in the stripped-down footsteps of the original, there’s a chance something new could work. Source

Warning: Spoilers for Moon Knight episode 3 Moon Knight depicts Khonshu as the Egyptian god who delivers justice, however, the deity could have a darker plan for his avatar, Marc Spector. Moon Knight episode 3 gave viewers some understanding of the Ennead, their history, and the role they play with humans. With the gods existing in another dimension called the Overvoid, they could not exert their full power in the Earth realm. Thus, they must use human avatars as a medium to channel communication and their powers. On the brink of death, Khonshu selected Marc Spector to become his avatar and deliverer of justice. Marc seemed willing to serve the god out of obligation rather than actual willingness and only did so to pay a debt after Khonshu saved his life. There could be a number of twists with Khonshu in Moon Knight as a result of their relationship—he could even be planning to use Marc Spector as more than just another avatar. The god of justice's real motive could be to break Marc down to the point where he can not mentally fight against the deity any longer. With no mental resistance, Khonshu could fully inhibit Spector's body. During the trial of Arthur Harrow, when the gods spoke of trusting their avatars to carry out their purposes, Khonshu fired back by saying, "Avatars are not enough! We need the might of gods!". Khonshu's statement implied that using humans as avatars was insufficient, and a stronger solution was necessary. Recall that the Egyptian gods in Moon Knight have limited powers on their own, yet they become more powerful through their avatars. If Khonshu successfully possessed Marc's body with no resistance or free will from Spector, then the Egyptian god would become even more powerful in the Earth realm. Arthur Harrow gave some crucial insights about Khonshu and the god's motives. As the former avatar for Khonshu, he said that the Egyptian god abused him in his pursuit of justice. Harrow also implied that Steven has the potential power to mentally fight off Khonshu's influence. Also, after learning of Marc Spector’s mental condition, Harrow wondered whether Khonshu chose Steven because his mind would be easy to break or because it was already broken. Either instance insinuates that Khonshu seeks to mentally wear down his avatars with the goal of total possession. There is comic book precedence for Khonshu's darker motives. The comics revealed that Khonshu would hollow out his avatars to make them empty vessels. The purpose behind this was to break the avatar's mind so that they could no longer resist Khonshu's commands. To the diety's great dismay, his plans to make Marc an empty vessel were thwarted when Marc resisted the god's mental abuse. By reconciling his multiple personalities, Marc, Steven, and Jake came together to free themselves from Khonshu's influence. Khonshu's true motivations have yet to be revealed, but there's enough evidence that the god is not entirely benevolent. Khonshu wants Layla as his next avatar, and the deity has used that as an attempt to blackmail Marc into serving as Moon Knight. That threat was another indication of Khonshu's even darker motivations. Audiences will have to see if future episodes of Moon Knight will reveal the god's ulterior motives. Source

Liam Neeson recently revealed that he's interested in returning to the Star Wars universe as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, but only for a film. It's been over 20 years since Neeson made his memorable franchise debut alongside Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Since then, his possible return to the galaxy far, far away has been much anticipated by fans eager to see more of the legendary Jedi Master. Thanks to Disney+'s expansion of the Star Wars saga in recent years, several iconic characters and performers have been brought back to the universe on the small screen in series like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. And with the premiere of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series just around the corner, many fans have speculated that Neeson might make a cameo in the show as a force ghost. And while Neeson may return in Obi-Wan Kenobi, some of his recent comments cast doubt on Qui-Gon's rumored appearance in any of the upcoming Star Wars shows. While speaking with ComicBook about his upcoming action flick, Memory, Neeson confirmed that he's open to reprising his role as Qui-Gon, but with a slight catch. When asked whether he'd return to the Star Wars universe, Neeson said he'd only do so for a film—not a Disney+ series. His full quote can be read below: "Oh, I think so, yeah, yeah, yeah, I think so ... if it was a film. Yeah, I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to TV, I must admit, I just like the big screen, you know? Qui-Gon, I can't believe it's 24 years since we made [Star Wars:] The Phantom Menace, I just cannot believe where the time has gone. It was a terrific experience, shooting that film in London." Neeson's latest remarks aren't the first time he's gotten candid about moving on from the Star Wars universe. In 2020, Neeson told Entertainment Tonight that he's "really not a huge fan" of the Sci-Fi genre and detailed his experience working on Star Wars as "quite exhausting." Now, while he sounds like he'd be open to having a small part in a big-screen Star Wars project, he seems to have little interest in starring in a full-fledged fantasy series. It's hard to predict what type of film would be best suited for Qui-Gon's hypothetical Star Wars return, with Obi-Wan Kenobi being the obvious answer. However, Neeson claimed that he "wasn't approached" by Disney about appearing in the show, leaving the question of whether or not audiences will see Qui-Gon again up in the air. It'll be interesting to see whether or not Neeson's remarks that he'll only appear in the franchise on the big screen are true or if, despite his adamant denial that he'll show up in Obi-Wan Kenobi, he might reprise his role as Qui-Gon for the small screen as well. Either way, Neeson's portrayal of Qui-Gon continues to be widely praised by fans years after the release of Episode I, and audiences would surely welcome his return in any future Star Wars media. Source

Josh Brolin has confirmed that he is willing to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thanos. The actor played the role for much of The Infinity Saga, culminating in the climactic showdown between his army and The Avengers in Avengers: Endgame. He can currently be seen in Outer Range on Amazon Prime. Thanos debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2012 during the post-credits stinger for The Avengers, but Josh Brolin did not enter the role until 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. From there, he became the major big bad of the franchise, fully stepping into the spotlight with the release of 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, in which he wiped out half of all living creatures with the Infinity Gauntlet. One year later (and five years later, canonically), Thanos faced off against The Avengers one final time, ultimately finding himself defeated by an Infinity Gauntlet-wielding Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). The Mad Titan was effectively erased from the mainline MCU timeline with Thanos turned to dust. With the ending of The Infinity Saga, Thanos’ story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to have come to a close. That said, in a recent appearance on the Jess Cagle Show on SiriusXM, Brolin addressed a possible return as The Mad Titan and confirmed that he would come back if Marvel wanted him to do so. The actor explained: I don't know where they're going with it, no. It's not that I don't have an interest in it. They have their own trajectory that they're worrying about and if they want me to do it, I would do it I'm sure, but I don't know what they're thinking. Currently, it does not look like Marvel has a plan to bring back Thanos in any significant way. As Brolin noted in his remarks, Marvel has largely moved on to the next big bad in for Phase 4, which seems to be building towards the formal introduction of Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) following his tease at the end of Loki. Couple that with the fact that Brolin is busy with other projects (such as the upcoming sequel to Dune), and it seems likely that a possible return for Thanos is still far off. With all of that said, the possibility of Thanos returning to the MCU seems increasingly possible. Phase 4 is going all-in on the multiverse concept, meaning that a wide variety of Thanos variants could show up depending on which reality is visited next. What If… already explored that concept by giving a more heroic and likable version of Thanos in the T’Challa-focused episode. Moreover, as time travel is now an established concept in the MCU, characters could potentially go back and see Thanos at a time before Tony Stark managed to get the upper hand and take him down. Source

Director Andrew Dominik has described his upcoming Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde as a combination of Hollywood classics Raging Bull and Citizen Kane. Dominik's new drama stars Ana de Armas as Monroe, the iconic actress who solidified herself as the "blonde bombshell" of the 1950s with hits such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Seven Year Itch, and the Billy Wilder classic Some Like it Hot. Unfortunately, Monroe's life was cut short at the age of 36 due to a barbiturate overdose in an apparent suicide. Completed in 2021, Dominik's Blonde is slated to be released on Netflix with an NC-17 rating. Bobby Cannavale also stars as New York Yankee legend Joe DiMaggio, Monroe's second husband. Meanwhile, Adrien Brody portrays the actress' third husband, Pulitzer Prize winner Arthur Miller. Brody previously saw a cut of the film and had reportedly called it "powerful," specifically singling out de Armas' performance and calling her "outrageously good." Speaking with Collider, Dominik compares Blonde to two widely-acclaimed films that often stand among Hollywood's best. When it comes to how he views Blonde as a film, he compares it to Martin Scorsese's sports biopic Raging Bull and Orson Welles' pseudo-biopic Citizen Kane. Read what the director said below. "Blonde is a movie for all the unloved children of the world. It’s like Citizen Kane and Raging Bull had a baby daughter. Well, the whole idea of Blonde was to detail a childhood drama and then show the way in which that drama splits the adults into a public and private self. And how the adult sees the world through the lens of that childhood drama, and it’s sort of a story of a person whose rational picture of the world as being overwhelmed by her unconscious, and it uses the iconography of Marilyn Monroe." Both Raging Bull and Citizen Kane are renowned films that dissect the lives of some of the most famous individuals of their time. Raging Bull starred Robert DeNiro as the famed boxer Jake LaMotta and used time-jumps to detail how LaMotta rose in the ranks to become one of the greatest boxers in the world before nearly losing everything. Loosely based on the life of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, Citizen Kane frames the life of Charles Foster Kane through the eyes of those who knew him best, detailing moments of his life following his death. Dominik also calls the Monroe story in Blonde a tragedy and a nightmare, adding, "It’s sort of like an unwanted child who becomes the most wanted woman in the world and has to deal with all of the desire that is directed at her, and how confusing that is." Dominik makes an interesting comparison as both Raging Bull and Citizen Kane are brilliant character studies. Raging Bull is a raw drama that shows the pressure of the pursuit of greatness as well as the consequences of desire and debilitating insecurities. Citizen Kane depicts the result of a man who was robbed of his childhood and attempts to find the love he once felt from his mother. Dominik has set a high bar for himself with his comparison to Martin Scorsese and Orson Welles' work. If Blonde can come close to matching the greatness that inspired it, then fans will undoubtedly be pleased when the film lands on Netflix later this year. Source

Rob Zombie's The Munsters adds Jeremy Wheeler to the cast as Herman's boss Mr. Gateman. Zombie's upcoming Munsters reboot is the latest in a long line of attempts to revive the original 1960s sitcom. The series' popularity earned a spinoff show, several follow-up movies including 1966's Munster, Go Home!, and more recently, Mockingbird Lane, a failed attempt to reboot The Munsters as a drama series on NBC. Now, horror icon Rob Zombie will bring back the classic sitcom in a feature-length film. Zombie announced in 2021 that his next film would be The Munsters, which, as a life-long fan of the television series, he had been pursuing for more than twenty years. Since the film's confirmation, Zombie has been keeping fans updated with frequent social media posts. He promised that The Munsters would stay true to its original source and has shared behind-the-scenes pictures of the sets, costumes, and actors, even giving a glimpse inside 1313 Mockingbird Lane. Throughout the film's development, Zombie also announced that the cast would include Sherri Moon Zombie, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Daniel Roebuck, Richard Brake, Sylvester McCoy, and Cassandra Peterson. With his latest Instagram update, Zombie has announced another member of The Munsters cast. Zombie posted a picture of Jeremy Wheeler with a caption announcing that he will be playing Mr. Gateman, Herman Munster's boss at Gateman, Goodbury, and Graves Funeral Home, in the upcoming movie. Zombie also teased, "Don't let that winning smile fool you...he's a grim man for a grim job." Check out Zombie's full announcement below: Click here to see the original post. Mr. Gateman only appeared in two episodes when The Munsters originally aired on CBS, "Herman's Raise" and "The Musician". In the original series, famed character actor John Carradine portrayed Mr. Gateman, who was a demanding yet fair boss. Gateman was often quick to fire Herman, and then just as quick to apologize and rehire the Munster patriarch. Considering Zombie's dedication to the original Munsters and his joke in the caption, it seems likely that Wheeler's Mr. Gateman will have a similar personality to Carradine's. Still, the question remains how large a role Mr. Gateman will have in Zombie's Munsters movie. While plot details for The Munsters have yet to be released, perhaps the announcement of Wheeler's Mr. Gateman offers a small clue. Since Gateman fired Herman in both episodes he appeared in, it may be possible The Munsters will focus on Herman struggling to balance his family and his work. At the very least, this confirms that Zombie's film is really digging into the world of the original show. Still, until official details come from the director, fans of The Munsters will be kept in the dark. Source

Johnny Depp's doctor and a nurse detailed the search for the actor's severed fingertip during the defamation trial against his ex-wife, Amber Heard. Depp is the famed actor from such films as Edward Scissorhands, Donnie Brasco, Blow, and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Heard is also an actress, best known for her work in Aquaman as Mera, as well as films like Alpha Dog, Hidden Palms, Pineapple Express, and 2011's The Rum Diary, which is where she first met Depp. They were married in 2015, but divorced in 2017; Heard filed a restraining order against Depp and accused him of abuse. Since then, the couple has been embroiled in a number of public lawsuits. Depp had previously sued British tabloid The Sun for libel over an article that referred to him as "a wife beater," but lost that case. The current lawsuit involves an op-ed Heard wrote wherein she detailed her experiences as an abuse survivor; Depp has claimed Heard is fabricating these claims. Heard countersued Depp in 2020 over the defamation suit and filed to have it dismissed after Depp lost the libel suit. However, the trial has moved forward and is currently in progress, with Depp expected to take the stand during the proceedings as they take place in Virginia. In the latest development of the trial (via Variety), the story of Depp's severed finger came up. According to the actor, said finger had been cut off when Heard threw a broken bottle at him. Heard alleged that the severed finger was a result of Depp smashing a telephone, and that during that fight, Depp beat her. However it happened, after it was severed, the concierge doctor at the scene, David Kipper, ordered a search to locate the finger. It was found by the chef in the kitchen. Kipper also noted that there was broken glass and blood present, and that while he attended to Depp, Heard did not seek medical attention. Depp would later have reconstructive surgery to repair the severed finger. Both Kipper and the nurse that testified during the trial, Debbie Lloyd, had treated Depp and Heard during their time together, acting as concierge medical care, meaning that they provide medical services to high-end clients in person, rather than having them go to a hospital or physician's office. As the trial unfolds and more and more information is revealed, new accusations have come to light, including Heard claiming Depp sexually assaulted her and a former therapist saying that both Heard and Depp committed mutual abuse throughout their relationship. Depp has continued to claim that Heard is faking the abuse and the claims against him, continuing the saga of he said/she said in the complex case. While Heard will next be seen in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Depp is currently supplying voice work for the Puffins animated series. Depp stepped down from his role as Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise after he lost his libel suit and was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen in the latest endeavor, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. It's unclear if the outcome of this current trial will affect either actor's career when it's over, but the stigma has already reverberated through Hollywood and with general audiences who have at least a passing knowledge of their situation. With so many accusations of physical, emotional and chemical abuse throughout Depp and Heard's relationship, however, it may well shine a negative light on their future projects. Source

Julia Roberts reveals that this year's Ticket to Paradise is her first romantic comedy in 20 years because before then, none of the rom-com scripts that crossed her desk were interesting enough for her to star in. One of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, Roberts is known for her roles in comedies like Notting Hill, Pretty Woman, and My Best Friend’s Wedding, as well as her more recent dramatic projects like Ben is Back and August: Osage County. In the 1990s and early 2000s, she was the world’s highest-paid actress. Roberts has also gained many accolades over the course of her career; her lead role in Erin Brockovich as the titular character earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2001. Roberts has many upcoming projects, several of which are hard-hitting dramas similar to what she’s been exclusively working on for the past two decades. As of this upcoming weekend, she will be seen in Gaslit, a Starz mini-series about the Watergate scandal. But her upcoming movie Ticket to Paradise, in which she’ll be starring alongside George Clooney, is bringing her back to her romantic comedy roots. The film, written and directed by Ol Parker (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) tells the story of a young woman who travels to Bali on a post-graduation vacation and abruptly decides to marry a local. Her divorced parents (Clooney and Roberts) then try to keep their daughter from making the same mistakes they did 25 years before. In a recent New York Times Magazine interview, Roberts explains that it’s taken her so long to star in another romantic comedy because in 20 years, she didn’t come across any good scripts. Now that she has three kids, she also has been more discerning with which projects she wants to sign onto. In the interview, Roberts states that being a homemaker and a parent is an important part of her life and identity, so a script has to be truly stellar to pull her away from her family. She found that kind of script in Ticket to Paradise, which she compared to Notting Hill and My Best Friend’s Wedding in terms of writing quality. Check out a snippet from her interview, below: “Here’s the thing: If I’d thought something was good enough, I would have done it. But I also had three kids in the last 18 years. That raises the bar even more because then it’s not only Is this material good? It’s also the math equation of my husband’s work schedule and the kids’ school schedule and summer vacation. It’s not just, Oh, I think I want to do this. I have a sense of great pride in being home with my family and considering myself a homemaker.” Ticket to Paradise will reunite Roberts and Clooney, who have acted together in three of the Ocean’s movies. Interestingly, Ocean’s 11 also has Clooney and Roberts playing a divorced couple. Considering Parker’s past directorial work as well as the already-established chemistry between the lead actors, it’s likely Ticket to Paradise will use its tropical setting to tell a fun and emotional story. Bolstering the movie's prospects are Roberts' new comments; clearly, this is a script that spoke to her enough to break her long hiatus from rom-coms, so it must be special. Ticket to Paradise is set to be released in October 2022. If all goes well with Ticket to Paradise, hopefully Roberts will continue to accept more comedic roles that her fans love to see her in. Perhaps she will reunite with some of her old co-stars like Dermot Mulroney or Hugh Grant. Considering how selective Roberts is, it seems like any project she signs onto will be worth watching. In the meantime, rom-com enthusiasts only have six more months to wait before Roberts’ return to the genre. Source

Fans get a new look at Kevin Feige's Marvel Studios office, which features a couple pieces of Iron Man memorabilia. Robert Downey Jr. and director Jon Favreau kicked off the MCU in 2008 via the first Iron Man. That origin story served as the building blocks for the connected universe, which has only grown to incredible heights since then. It's then no wonder that Feige has a soft spot for the sleeper superhero hit. Marvel decided to start financing their own films in the mid-2000s so they could have total creative control over their projects instead of collaborating with other studios like Fox and Sony for properties such as X-Men and Spider-Man. The decision to kick off the MCU with Iron Man raised a lot of eyebrows. Many were quick to cast doubt on their plans because Tony Stark was deemed a B-lister in the comics with barely any recognition outside of print readers. But, Marvel Studios pushed forward; they brought in Favreau to helm the project and cast Downey in the role. Since then, the MCU has only gotten bigger with Phase 4 now in full swing. But no matter how big the MCU gets, Feige has a different level of appreciation for Iron Man and what it means to the MCU. Disney's marketing head Asad Ayaz recently shared an image of Feige's office, which has a display including a director's chair with Feige's name and an Infinity Saga hoodie. But most notable are the two pieces of Iron Man memorabilia, one of which is a mid-size Mark I figure. Check out the snap below: Click Here To See The Original Post. Feige previously said that after a decade, the biggest risk that Marvel Studios ever took was casting Downey as Iron Man, and it is difficult to argue with him in that regard. There were a lot of factors that contributed to Iron Man's success, but arguably the actor's brilliant portrayal of Tony Stark was the biggest. Moving forward, it also emboldened Marvel Studios to take more risks in both their casting and storytelling. Looking back at it now, it's difficult to imagine the MCU without its Phase 1 characters; Iron Man set the MCU down the path of choosing the best person for the job, regardless of their Hollywood background. The fact that the movie was also heavily improvised made its success so much sweeter. Much has been said about how Marvel Studios began with Iron Man. There were a lot of things that could've gone wrong in that film; if they did, the MCU wouldn't even be in existence now. If Iron Man flopped, it would've squashed Feige's plans of building an interconnected superhero universe. To make matters worse, Marvel would've also lost the rights to all their remaining characters. So, understandably, even after roughly 14 years, it makes sense that Feige still has a soft spot for the flick. Source

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