Guy Ritchie Gave His Aladdin Choreographer A Very Funny Cameo In The New Movie

Guy Ritchie Gave His Aladdin Choreographer A Very Funny Cameo In The New Movie

In the making of a musical, a choreographer is an immensely important, but sometimes invisible presence. It’s an incredibly hard job that occasionally requires making sure a hundred or more people are working in coordination, but part of the choreographer’s job is to make sure it all looks effortless and natural.

This is partially true for the new live-action Aladdin, as while you’re watching the movie you’re focusing on the magic of the dance sequences instead of thinking about the work required to make them happen – but something you might not know is that the film does give back in a special way to the man who helped make the musical numbers possible, as I recently learned from director Guy Ritchie:

As noted in the video above, one of my favorite bits in the new movie involves a prince that Genie (Will Smith) conjures in the desert during a conversation with Aladdin (Mena Massoud), and I was surprised to learn during a recent interview with Guy Ritchie that the person playing said prince is none other than Jamal Sims – the film’s choreographer. You never see a close-up of the character, as he is kept in the far distance for his entire scene, but that makes it no less an awesome gift to one of the filmmakers responsible for injecting the live-action Aladdin with a great deal of its flair.

It was a cameo that Guy Ritchie was very excited to talk about during the Los Angeles press day for his new movie this past weekend, as he expressed a great deal of appreciation for Jamal Sims’ contribution to the film. Discussing the small role, the filmmaker told me,

So I'm quite glad you asked that question, because he is Jamal Sims. Jamal Sims is our choreographer, who I have nothing but positive things to say about. For example, if people ask me what was my favorite scene in the film is, because I have the memory of a goldfish I usually go for the last scene in the film, which is the dance sequence, right? Which was Jamal's. And I gave him all that challenge a week before. And I thought, 'I'm sure he's going to fail,' though he failed on nothing else. It was very hard to pull off a dance sequence in a short period of time, and he really delivered on that.

The scene plays out shortly after Aladdin and Genie manage to escape the Cave Of Wonders and are discussing what it is that the latter can do for the former wish-wise. Realizing that he needs to be royalty in order to marry the lovely Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), Aladdin makes the request, “Make me a prince” – but Genie points out that this phrasing is just a tad vague. Illustrating his point, the magical being conjures an actual prince who is left standing about 500 feet behind them having absolutely no clue what’s going on – wondering where his palace is, and just wanting to go home. This is the part played by Jamal Sims, and he gets some of the biggest laughs in the film.

Having the choreographer play this part was a special way for Guy Ritchie to say “thank you” for the work that Sims did in the making of the movie, which apparently also included the coordination of an end credits dance sequence that came together at the very last minute. The director added that he even gave the prince more lines than what we actually see in the finished cut of Aladdin, and that it was all quite funny:

Jamal was a key character throughout the entire production. 'I just want to go home, man.' So that was Jamal. We wanted to use Jamal because he was so integral to the movie. 'Anyone see my palace? Where's my palace?' He actually had more dialogue. I think if you saw the whole thing of Jamal Sims and the lost prince, it's quite entertaining.

We can’t say for certain right now, but that would certainly make for some great bonus content on Aladdin’s home video release later this year.

Starring Mena Massoud. Will Smith, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Billy Magnussen, and Numan Acar, Aladdin arrives in theaters everywhere this weekend.

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A Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic Movie Is Reportedly In The Works

A Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic Movie Is Reportedly In The Works

There’s been a lot of speculation about what’s next for the Star Wars film series following the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga at the end of the year. Lucasfilm is still officially remaining quiet on the subject, but news has come in that at least one movie, if not an entire trilogy, could be based on Knights of the Old Republic.

Back in April during Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said Knights of the Old Republic was being developed as “something to look at."At the time, it wasn’t clear if this would be for the movie or TV realm.

Knights of the Old Republic was a video game series that primarily consisted of two Xbox games and an online MMORPG, from 2003-2011. However, because the Expanded Universe was wiped away after Disney purchased the franchise, this period of Star Wars history (thousands of years before the movies) hasn’t been explored in official canon.

Now Buzzfeed has heard from sources that Avatar and Shutter Island screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis is penning a Knights of the Old Republic movie, but that could end up being the first entry of a new trilogy. Assuming this project moves forward, Kalogridis would be the first woman to write a Star Wars movie since Leigh Brackett, as she's credited as a co-writer on The Empire Strikes Back alongside Lawrence Kasdan.

It’s also worth mentioning that it was confirmed earlier this month that the next Star Wars movie to come out after The Rise of Skywalker will be from Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Those two reportedly signed a three-picture deal, although it’s unclear if this translates to a full trilogy or three standalone movies.

Either way, this report about one or more Knights of the Old Republic movies indicates that Laeta Kalogridis is not writing them for David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and that she was hired in spring 2018 to “develop the property.” No plot details about this Knights of the Old Republic movie were revealed, but considering how far removed it would be from the in-canon Star Wars stories, it would have its own self-contained corner of the franchise to operate in.

For the sake of argument, let’s assume that this Knights of the Old Republic movie is not connected to what David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are working, and let’s also assume that their movies form a trilogy. That means that if Knights of the Old Republic becomes a trilogy, and taking into account the trilogy that The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson is working on, that's three separate trilogies Star Wars fans can look forward to.

Given how deep and intricate the original Knights of the Old Republic mythos was, it’s hard to imagine whatever Laeta Kalogridis is working on being confined to just one movie. That said, it's too soon to tell if it would differ only slightly or significantly from what we got in the video games and the tie-in novels and comic books.

Many Star Wars fans have expressed interest in the Knights of the Old Republic getting big screen representation over the years since the Star Wars film series relaunched. Assuming this new information is legitimate, their wish has been granted, or is at least on that path.

Rest assured, we here at CinemaBlend will keep you updated on any developments concerning a Knights of the Old Republic and other cinematic Star Wars tales. For now, The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 20, and the next three movies after that come out on December 16, 2022; December 20, 2024; and December 18, 2026.

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Josh Brolin Hilariously Responds To Viral Ant-Man Theory

Josh Brolin Hilariously Responds To Viral Ant-Man Theory

It's an extremely exciting time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Avengers: Endgame is less than a month away, so moviegoers will finally see what happened after Josh Brolin's Thanos snapped his finger and destroyed half the galaxy. But until then, the rabid fandom will continue pouring over the brief trailers and making their own creative (and sometimes ridiculous) theories.

A new fan theory went viral this week that is absolutely bonkers. It involves Paul Rudd's Ant-Man, and alleges that he's the key to killing Thanos one and for all. The theory says that Ant-Man should use his shrinking abilities, and then jump into the big purple butt of the Mad Titan. And once he grows, he should tear the villain apart from the inside out. It's scatalogical and kinda brutal, and now Josh Brolin himself has responded. And in the best way possible.

Seriously, how can you not love this man? On top of bringing a surprisingly vulnerable performance to Thanos through motion-capture, Josh Brolin also has a good sense of humor about playing the Mad Titan. So much that he's willing to record viral content from a porcelain throne.

Josh Brolin's video comes from his personal Instagram, and shows that the actor is definitely aware of what the internet says about his signature MCU villain. While not explicitly referencing the wild theory about Ant-Man, Brolin takes the time to get real punny about Endgame's imminent arrival in theaters. His miming of using the toilet was apparently meant to show the tension of the upcoming blockbuster. He also references the marketing "push" ahead of its release. It's all very delightful and gross.

The theory about Ant-Man using Thanos' butt against him has actually been around for a while, although it gained some serious traction in the last week. Plenty of viral memes and videos have hit social media, each more bonkers than the next. While the fans are almost salivating with anticipation ahead of Avengers: Endgame, it's nice that everyone can lighten up and have some fun in the interim period. Because the stakes for the MCU couldn't be higher leading up to the blockbuster's release.

The ending of Avengers: Infinity War shocked everyone, as Thanos assembled the Infinity Stones and wiped out half the galaxy's life with the snap of his finger. Both the audience and surviving heroes were left to watch in horror as countless fan favorite characters faded to dust. It's been a year since that movie arrived in theaters, so the wait for answers has been excruciating.

It should be especially fascinating to see how Josh Brolin's Thanos functions within Endgame's plot. While he finally succeeded in his quest, he did so at great cost. Gamora and the Black Order all perished during Infinity War, and clearly Nebula has it out for him. Thanos has been noticeably absent from the film's marketing material, save for his armor and a quick shot of his hand in a field. Does retirement suit the Mad Titan? And how will he react to the the upcoming battle against The Survivors?

All will be revealed when Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Avengers: Endgame Is Expected To Pass $2 Billion This Weekend

Avengers: Endgame Is Expected To Pass $2 Billion This Weekend

Everyone and their grandma went to see Avengers: Endgame last weekend and they must have seen it twice. Marvel's grand finale to the Infinity Saga is destroying every box office record that it comes across, reaching $1 billion worldwide in just one weekend. It's a straight up cultural moment, and it's not done yet. Endgame is on track to take home more than $2 billion by the end of its second weekend.

A sophomore slump doesn't seem to be in the cards for Marvel's latest blockbuster. Endgame is already the 12th highest grossing film domestically, having collected $514 million since it released in theaters on April 26. From Monday to Thursday, it grossed $117 million domestically, topping several single-day release records along the way.

Internationally, the film added $100 million just on Thursday, lifting its overseas total to a current $1.4 billion as of Saturday morning. Globally, Endgame is currently sitting at a total of $1.91 billion, making it the fifth highest grossing film in history, behind only Avengers: Infinity War, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Titanic, and Avatar.

With practically zero competition this weekend (unless Ugly Dolls is about to pull off the greatest upset in history), passing the $2 billion milestone is well within Endgame's reach. According the Deadline, the superhero epic could pass the benchmark by the end of Saturday. This would make Endgame only the fifth movie in history to gross over $2 billion.

However, the real question on industry analysts' minds is whether Endgame can surpass Avatar to become the highest grossing film of all time. It sounds like people are remaining cautious on the subject. There's never been a film like Endgame and it blew way past initial projections during opening weekend.

That huge opening weekend total will likely lead to a second weekend drop off within the range of 55-57%, according to Box Office Mojo. That's about in line with how Infinity War performed. The real test, however, will be how Endgame performs in the coming weeks when things get a lot more crowded.

Avatar had the advantage of opening in December, so it had ample room to stretch its legs and earn the title it has held for the past decade. Endgame is right at the start of the much more crowded summer season. You've got films like Detective Pikachu, Aladdin, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters all looking for their share of the pie, and they are hungry as hell.

If there is any film that can topple Avatar right now, it's Endgame. It's practically a guarantee at this point that the movie is taking home $2 billion this weekend, and you can bet people are watching very closely for what will happen next.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters right now, but you've probably seen it at least once by now. For everything else coming to theaters, here's our 2019 movie guide. Come back to CinemaBlend Sunday afternoon for our full May 3-5 weekend box office rundown with figures on Endgame's second weekend.

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When Marvel Will Finally Be Announcing Its Upcoming Movies

When Marvel Will Finally Be Announcing Its Upcoming Movies

Moviegoers are still recovering from the events of Avengers: Endgame, which arrived in theaters two weeks ago. The Russo Brothers managed to do the impossible, and included everything and the kitchen sink in the high stakes movie. What resulted was an ambitious blockbuster that had deep cut references to tons of past Marvel installments.

But now that Endgame has hit theaters, there are still a ton of narrative questions that fans are asking. Marvel Studios hasn't revealed its plans for Phase Four, and smart money says we won't hear much until Spider-Man: Far From Home arrives in theaters in July. Now Disney CEO Bob Iger has given some indication of when the plans for the MCU's future will be revealed. Without giving a date, Iger said he's "guessing they will announce later this summer."

This is pretty exciting news, as it means that the public only has a few months left to wait and wonder what might be coming down the pipeline for the behemoth shared universe. And Bob Iger's comments from Disney's Q2 conference call (via Seeking Alpha) however vague, give some idea about when to expect concrete information regarding Phase Four.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe brought serialized storytelling to theaters, and it's a method that various other studios and franchises have attempted in the decade since Iron Man debuted. Part of Marvel's typical strategy is to reveal full Phases of films in advance, allowing moviegoers to known exactly when each blockbuster is expected to arrive in theaters, and usually their titles.

But Phase Four is a total mystery at the time of writing this story, as Marvel Studios hasn't revealed its plans in the post-Endgame world. Ahead of the release of The Russo Brothers' pair of Avengers movies, it was revealed that the MCU's next phase wouldn't be revealed in advance, as the titles had the potential to spoil the events of Infinity War and/or Endgame. But now that the movies arrived and the spoiler ban has been lifted, the fans are going to get antsy about still being kept in the dark.

Related: Marvel's 2020 Movie Schedule Will Be A Little Different Than What We're Used To

This summer makes sense as an appropriate time for Marvel to unveil its plans for Phase Four, as there is still one more blockbuster coming down the pipeline: Spider-Man: Far From Home. While it was originally teased to be the first entry in the new slate of movies, Jon Watts' upcoming sequel is actually the final installment in Phase Three. As such, we shouldn't expect the studio to reveal the next release schedule until after that project arrives.

The MCU is very methodical about when new information is released, with each new blockbuster given its change to take the spotlight. And considering how much of the world was changed throughout the events of Infinity War and Endgame, there's no telling what might come next.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now, and Spider-Man: Far From Home will follow suit on July 2nd. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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When Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Will Reportedly Start Filming

When Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Will Reportedly Start Filming

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been on a serious roll in Phase Three, as every single blockbuster has been a critical and box office success. The last decade of filmmaking will come to a head when Avengers: Endgame arrives next month, before Marvel Studios begins working on the next slate of films. Phase Four (if that's what it will be called) will begin with Spider-Man: Far From Home, but the MCU after that sequel is a complete mystery.

One of the biggest questions looming around the future of the MCU is the state of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. James Gunn was fired by Disney in July, resulting in the project being put on indefinite hold. But now the director/writer has been brought back to finish his trilogy of movies. Although considering Gunn's involvement in The Suicide Squad for DC, it wasn't clear when filming will begin for Guardians 3. But now we may have an idea.

According to Production Weekly (via Comic Book), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will begin production in February of 2021. The film was originally set to follow Spider-Man: Far From Home, although now it looks like we'll have to wait a number of years before the motley crew of heroes finally arrive in theaters. Still, it's exciting to see that the project is back in active development.

With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 reportedly going into production years from now, one thing is clear: Marvel fans will have to go a number of years without seeing the Guardians on the silver screen. Filming for Marvel movies is usually extensive, as is the editing and post-production process. So it wouldn't seem out of the question for the upcoming threequel to arrive in 2022. Fans should enjoy their role in Avengers: Endgame, because it's going to be a while before they return to theaters.

Of course, the report by Production Weekly hasn't been officially confirmed by Marvel Studios, so it's certainly possible that things will turn out differently. But given how James Gunn was only just reinstated for Guardians 3, the movie can't jump right into production. Gunn will reportedly focus on The Suicide Squad for Warner Bros. first, which may explain the years gap before filming for the Guardians theequel begins. He'll also have to complete his draft of the Guardians 3 script, which was finished around the time of his departure.

Now that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is officially happening with James Gunn behind the camera, the most obvious question is exactly how the titular team of heroes will unite, given the events of Avengers: Infinity War. The Guardians were hit hard by Thanos' assault on the galaxy, starting with Gamora being killed so he could acquire the Soul Stone. And when Thanos snapped his fingers, audiences were left to watch as Mantis, Drax, Star-Lord and Groot faded to dust before our eyes.

Rocket and Nebula are the only characters left, and will be joining The Avengers for their mysterious mission to fight Thanos in Endgame. Hopefully they'll reverse the affects of the snap, and somehow bring Gamora back to life as well.

All will be revealed when Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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The Secret Life Of Pets 2's Opening Is Outpacing Dark Phoenix

The Secret Life Of Pets 2's Opening Is Outpacing Dark Phoenix

June 7 sees an interesting showdown at the box office. In one corner, Dark Phoenix, the latest and likely final chapter in a long-running cinematic superhero saga; a film based on one of the most iconic comic book storyline ever and starring one of the faces of the biggest TV show on the planet. In the other corner, is The Secret Life of Pets 2. And wouldn’t you know it, Illumination’s animated sequel might open bigger than Dark Phoenix.

Based on early tracking, Universal’s The Secret Life of Pets 2 is looking to open to around $65 million domestically over the June 7-9 weekend according to Variety. That significantly outpaces the roughly $50 million Dark Phoenix is forecasted to open to. The other release that weekend, the R-rated comedy Late Night, is projected to open to less than $10 million.

So if the tracking bears out at the box office, The Secret Life of Pets 2 will win the weekend and Dark Phoenix will have to settle for second. On the surface, it might seem strange for an animated kids movie to be outpacing a big superhero film in an established franchise, but the signs that this box office contest would have this outcome have been there for a while.

The long-range tracking from last month had the Simon Kinberg-directed X-Men film opening to between $40 million and $55 million and the updated tracking of $50 million is right in line with that. But more than how low Dark Phoenix would open at is how high The Secret Life of Pets 2 could.

The Secret Life of Pets opened to $104.3 million in 2016 on its way to hauls of $368.3 million domestically and $875 million worldwide. That $104.3 million for the first film is larger than the opening of every film in the X-Men franchise save for the two Deadpool movies.

Illumination’s movies might not have quite the acclaim of Pixar’s but kids love these movies and they make bank. The Secret Life of Pets 2 is also opening in something of a dead zone for kids’ movies. Unless you count Aladdin from two weeks prior, the only major kids’ movie in the vicinity is Toy Story 4 on June 21.

It must always be said that tracking is an inexact science and these numbers could change but it certainly is looking like The Secret Life of Pets 2 will douse Dark Phoenix’s hopes of taking the X-Men franchise out in a blaze of glory; at the box office at least, we can still hope the quality is great. Despite the strong competition from cute animated animals, an opening of $50 million would be a low point for the X-Men franchise.

The last mainline X-Men film, 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse opened to $65 million over 3 days and $80 over the 4-day Memorial Day weekend. To date, every film about the mutants since 2000’s X-Men has opened in 1st place at the box office, with the lowest debut being 2013’s The Wolverine, which opened to $53.1 million. So a $50 million opening and second place would be disappointing in that regard.

Dark Phoenix and The Secret Life of Pets 2 both open on June 7. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all of this summer’s biggest movies.

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Walt Disney Studios Sued For Pay Inequality

Walt Disney Studios Sued For Pay Inequality

One of the most talked about issues in our current sociopolitical is that of wage inequality between the sexes. With male and female pay rates being significantly different for some time, the issue has been brought to the attention of many notable figures in the political spectrum, as well as the celebrity world. And one of the largest companies in the world is now being brought into the crossfire, as Walt Disney Studios is being sued over that very subject.

Two employees, LaRonda Rasmussen and Karen Moore, are suing Disney for damages pertaining to everything from benefits to pay lost from the alleged inequality. With the claims of a wage gap paying “tens of thousands” fewer dollars to female employees, this suit might get more intense as it looks like it will be set up as a potential class action complaint.

In addition to any monetary demands that result from this lawsuit, Rasmussen and Moore’s complaint also stipulates that Disney should create a framework inside of its corporate structure that remedies and prevents such inequality from happening within the company ever again. This is something that representatives for Disney have claimed already exists within the company, and has done so long before this complaint was filed.

While it remains to be seen just how valid these claims are, and what sort of proceedings and judgements will result from it, these legal movements come at an interesting time. Disney has recently completed its integration of 21st Century Fox into it corporate holdings, so this is the sort of story that most companies would love to not see land on their desk in the early days of such an undertaking. But like it or not, pay inequality is not an issue that will go away lightly, and whether this gap is present or not at Disney, the company will obviously have to address the matter until all parties involved are satisfied.

This complaint reported by Deadline is far from the first legal complaint that Disney has received from one of its employees, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Familiar with such a political firebrand of a complaint, Disney has taken big stances in certain issues of social importance themselves. So hopefully, this scenario can be resolved in due time, with the sensitivity required, and in a manner that can make everyone happy.

At the moment, this case seems to be in the earliest phases of development, so there’s a possibility that Disney might even be able to settle out of court, or agree to some sort of solution so as to avoid a trial altogether. For now, all we can do is watch, and wait.

Disney currently has Dumbo in theaters, with its next big release being Avengers: Endgame, set to break the world of the box office on April 26th.

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6 Criticisms People Have Of Avengers: Endgame

6 Criticisms People Have Of Avengers: Endgame

Minor spoilers for the new Marvel movie can be found in this article.

Avengers: Endgame is killing it at the box office, and it's looking more and more likely it will become the highest-grossing film of all time. There are plenty of viewers who think the film is the ultimate swan song to the first 10 years of the MCU, with plenty of exciting and heart-wrenching moments for audiences to chew on. Those voices have expressed themselves well enough over the internet so far, but what about those who were disappointed by certain aspects?

These voices are quieter, and possibly keeping their opinions to themselves as opposed to the internet, particularly given the recent spoilers climate. Now that the Russos have given the OK on spoiling Avengers: Endgame, we're happy to talk out more specifically what we've seen and heard from fans as them feel more emboldened to share the issues they had with the MCU movie. Here are some that are out there already. Avengers lovers, assemble your counterpoints.

Avengers: Endgame Is Too Long

Audiences surely knew of Avengers: Endgame's roughly three-hour runtime ahead of their viewings, as headlines about not having a chance to pee circulated the web in the days before release. With hype like that, and spoilers on the movie kept largely under lock and key, many may have been glued to their seats denying themselves of snacks, bathroom breaks, or the birth of their children in fear of missing some huge MCU moment, but ended up underwhelmed by how the lengthy movie ran on and on and on.

In the case of one USA Today writer, Avengers: Endgame's runtime may have been justified had some of the plot been committed to re-introducing some characters. Instead, there were deep cuts and cameos by characters even those who had seen a vast majority of MCU movies may have struggled to remember. Other folks may just not have the patience for a three-hour movie, which is likely why studios tend not to make a lot of them.

Avengers: Endgame Has A Lot Of Downtime

Superhero movies are, typically, big on action. Avengers: Endgame does have one of the largest action sequences in the MCU, but this Avengers entry does have significant chunks of downtime between its fight scenes (the lengthy runtime likely contributes to this as well). The common complaint from a chunk of moviegoers is that things slow down shortly after the opening moments, and go between rising and falling action quite a bit leading up to the final battle.

Part of this may be audiences coming in expecting an experience closer to Avengers: Infinity War, which felt action heavy in comparison. Of course, given where Infinity War ended, we had to pick up at an interesting point in time, which means the first hour of Avengers: Endgame has a lot of downtime. Fans have to catch up with characters in the five years after the time-jump, which would not have the same emotional impact if characters were kicking ass all through those scenes.

Avengers: Endgame Requires A Lot Of Marvel Knowledge To Fully Appreciate

While the Russos stated that all audiences can enjoy Avengers: Endgame without a vast knowledge of the MCU, that's up to the individual to decide. Someone could see Avengers: Endgame having only seen Infinity War or a handful of other Marvel movies, but there's a good deal of references that will go right over his or her head.

Even those well-versed in the MCU may have missed deep references as the movie even managed to work in scenes from iconic comic book storylines. A great example is Captain America's "Hail Hydra" scene, which is a reference to Captain America: Winter Soldier, but also a polarizing comic storyline in Secret Empire. It's never fun to feel out of the loop in the theater, which may have been why some folks didn't enjoy the flick as much as others.

Avengers: Endgame's Time Travel Is Confusing

This is, perhaps, the biggest criticisms fans have felt comfortable talking about since Avengers: Endgame's release. Time travel can always create issues in storytelling, especially when the movie outright explains it's not going to follow the rules of traditional time travel established by films of the past. There's even a discrepancy between the Russos and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely on explaining how it works, which should be a sign.

Answers are, presumably, going to come via Disney+'s Marvel shows or in other Phase 4 films, but there's a sense Avengers: Endgame passed the buck onto someone else to explain away some of the decisions the movie made. Granted, a lot of it wouldn't be too difficult to grasp if it wasn't for Captain America's end scene, which kind of puts a lot of theories fans have to that point on their heads. Bottom line, some fans need a real and official explanation to feel satisfied.

Avengers: Endgame Use Of The Hulk Is Underwhelming

Avengers: Endgame viewers were treated to a wildly different version of the Hulk, who now lived as a superhero with the body of the green gamma radiated giant and the brain of counterpart Bruce Banner. He was, with maybe the exception of Hawkeye, the most transformed of all of the Avengers 5 years after Infinity War. However, with Hawkeye, we witnessed what he lost following the snap, saw the person he became afterward, and then saw how he reclaimed who he was in the process.

With Hulk, we saw the once intimidating and most destructive force in the Avengers dab in front of children. Sure, he did more, but Banner's reconciling with Hulk is a big deal, and some fans feel like it's a shame we didn't see more of him figuring that out. We also really didn't see the two sides as equals, as Banner used very little of that patented "smash" ability. His part was enjoyable, but there wasn't a lot to love for classic Hulk fans.

Avengers: Endgame's Deaths Shouldn't Even Matter

Avengers: Endgame features two huge deaths when --and big spoilers here -- we lose Black Widow and Iron Man. Theoretically, the movie lays out how the MCU can bring neither back thanks to the rules of the Soul Stone etc. However, Gamora being snatched up from the past and brought to the present brings an earlier version of her character back into the Guardians franchise, so why wouldn't they do that immediately? I don't think it can be because it would change the past, because Nebula killing her past self seems to have done nothing.

Using Pym Particles and the Quantum Realm, it would theoretically be easy to bring back both Tony and Natasha from a time prior to their death so that the entire squad can be together again. It may not happen to keep the emotion of Avengers: Endgame, but from a plot perspective, this timey-wimey stuff in Endgame's realm still seems shaky from a lot of fan perspectives. Of course, we know Tony won't be coming back because of his Marvel contract, but still.

Of course, these are just a few of the popular criticisms moviegoers have had for Avengers: Endgame, so readers with other qualms can throw them down in the comments below. Otherwise, stick with CinemaBlend in the meantime for all the latest and greatest news in movies, television, and pop culture.

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Brad Pitt And Edward Norton Talk Fight Club Getting Booed In Early Screenings

Brad Pitt And Edward Norton Talk Fight Club Getting Booed In Early Screenings

Today, David Fincher’s Fight Club is considered a true cult classic, one of the director’s best movies and one of the most enduring titles of the banner year that was 1999. But 20 years ago, when the movie was first coming out, that level of adoration and appreciation was much more difficult to find. The film was a box office flop and was critically lambasted in some corners, for being irresponsible and deplorable. It was even booed.

Fight Club premiered in September of 1999 at the Venice Film Festival and in an excerpt from Brian Raftery’s book Best. Movie. Year. Ever. on The Ringer, Brad Pitt recalls the reaction to that early screening:

It gets to one of Helena’s scandalous lines—‘I haven’t been fucked like that since grade school!’—and literally the guy running the festival got up and left. Edward and I were still the only ones laughing. You could hear two idiots up in the balcony cackling through the whole thing.

What an amusing image that is, a crowd of aghast and offended festivalgoers watching Fight Club for the first time while Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are cracking up like teenagers, enjoying every second of the film and finding it hilarious.

The audience at Fight Club’s premiere clearly did not see the satire in Fight Club or find any humor in it, especially when it comes to Helena Bonham Carter’s most notorious line as Marla Singer. The line was so offensive that the person running the festival decided he had seen enough and decided to leave.

What’s particularly ironic about that is that her scandalous line was actually the result of the original line being considered too offensive and alienating by one of the film’s producers, Laura Ziskin. The original line in the script is the same as in Chuck Palahniuk’s book; after sex Marla turns to Tyler and says ‘I want to have your abortion.’ As retold by The Wrap, Ziskin begged David Fincher to take the abortion line out and the grade school line is what replaced it.

That line may or may not be more offensive, but either way, it didn’t play well, nor did the film overall, as Edward Norton recalled:

It got booed. It wasn’t playing well at all. Brad turns and looks at me says, ‘That’s the best movie I’m ever gonna be in.’ He was so happy.

You occasionally hear stories about films getting booed at festivals, and it ascribes a scarlet letter of sorts to the movie, branding it as something terrible, indecent or both. That a more prudish audience might boo Fight Club is one thing, but a festival attended by adherents of the art from is something wild to consider. Still, no amount of boos were going to rain on Brad Pitt’s parade.

As Edward Norton recalled, Brad Pitt was positively cheery, thrilled with the film itself, regardless of how it was received. Whether it wound up really being the best movie he’s ever been in is up for debate, but it is definitely a career highlight.

For Edward Norton, the hostile response Fight Club received at those early screenings from critics and audiences was something of a defensive response to the messages in the film itself. He said:

I think the establishment, the critical culture, felt a little bit indicted by it. So they responded to it with a little bit more seriousness, and I think they missed the satirical edge of it.

The subversive, anti-establishment message espoused by Tyler Durden in Fight Club was viewed as a dangerous and irresponsible thing to be in a Hollywood film. And rather than take a nuanced look at the satirical nature of the story, the response was to condemn it. It should also be noted that Fight Club came out the same year as the Columbine Shooting happened, so like The Matrix, it also arrived at an inopportune time and was an easy scapegoat and example of the things that caused society’s ills.

The people involved knew that Fight Club was going to have an uphill battle in the public eye, so two days before its opening, Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairman at the time Bill Mechanic let David Fincher know what to expect. He said:

I said there would be two judgments in the movie. One would be on Friday—which I wasn’t so sure about. But there was also the judgment of history. And I thought this would be one of the great films of the decade. So I was fine to take the pummeling.

Bill Mechanic proved prescient in his thoughts. Fight Club was judged a failure when it opened, managing just $11 million in its opening weekend. Yet as predicted, history judged David Fincher’s film far kinder. Fight Club is now a classic and indeed one of the great films of the decade. Sometimes faith in a film is rewarded, but those rewards don’t always come when you expect them. From booed and walked out on to cult classic; Jack’s smirking revenge indeed.

Check out our 2019 Release Schedule for all the films coming to theaters this year.

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Every Marvel Studios Movie, Ranked By The CinemaBlend Staff

Every Marvel Studios Movie, Ranked By The CinemaBlend Staff

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If it isn’t entirely obvious from our years and years of coverage, we here at CinemaBlend are big fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Going back to 2008, the movies have continued to delight and surprise, and while some titles are better than others, each one has provided its own special flavor to the franchise that we’ve been able to appreciate in its own way. Of course, there are still many debates among the staff, from best villain to strongest hero, but one big question has always stood out among them all: what’s the best Marvel Studios film?

In order to get to the bottom of this everlasting conflict, our superhero podcast HeroBlend has spearheaded a little endeavor. A few weeks back we sent out a survey to interested members of our staff and had everyone rank the movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe from best to worst. While no two rankings ended up being the same (seriously, you’d be surprised by the variety), we were able to average the results and determine our democratic picks.

Before we get into that, however, we want to get you in on this action too. Below you’ll find an exact copy of the same survey we sent out to our staff, and we’d love it if you would share your opinions on this great debate as well. We’ll then follow up by covering the final results of rankings in an upcoming episode of HeroBlend!

Now that you’ve done that, let’s dive into the rankings, shall we?

22. The Incredible Hulk

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was still trying to figure out what it wanted to be back in 2008, and while the franchise quickly made some interesting moves by foregoing a simple origin story when making The Incredible Hulk, in retrospect it’s not exactly their best effort. It has some good parts, and is a decent treatment of the character, but it’s also a mixed bag tonally, and doesn’t exactly have the most complex plot.

21. Thor: The Dark World

Sequels are usually a great opportunity to expand on characters and the specific worlds in which they live, but Thor: The Dark World is sadly a bit of a misfire. While it’s ultimately redeemed by its bonkers third act – which is a crazy amount of fun – this isn’t exactly the most exciting Marvel adventure, and it also notably has the weakest villain featured in the franchise to date (we’re still not entirely clear on what it was that Malekith and his Dark Elves were trying to ultimately accomplish).

20. Iron Man 2

There is no question that the Marvel Cinematic Universe wouldn’t be what it is today without Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, but to paraphrase the genius/billionaire/playboy/philanthropist, Iron Man 2 is an example of a franchise running before it’s ready to walk. There is no denying the importance of this chapter, especially because it brought both War Machine and Black Widow to life for the first time, but its story is definitely messy as a result of too many plotlines competing for attention in the narrative.

19. Captain Marvel

After more than a decade in existence, Marvel Studios tried to shake up the traditional origin story in the making of Captain Marvel, and while the movie doesn’t fully work in that respect (ultimately still including a number of the traditional tropes and narrative moves), it’s also a blockbuster with some really big surprises. Brie Larson is most definitely a rad addition to the franchise, adding a great dose of spunk and charisma to the cosmic and Earthbound hero, and we're immensely excited about what kind of future adventures we'll soon see the character take on.

18. Iron Man 3

Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe offered up the opportunity for blockbusters to start melding the superhero characters with a wide variety of different genres, and Iron Man 3’s take on a noir detective story is a lot of fun, and packs more than a few significant twists. It’s a smart look at Tony Stark – is he the hero, or is it all about the suit? – and features some of the best one-liners in the MCU canon.

17. Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Expectations were crazy high for Avengers: Age Of Ultron back in 2015 – so high, arguably, that it never had a chance of fully reaching them – but the film is still an epic, thrilling, and fun example of super blockbuster storytelling. Both Scarlet Witch and Vision make for compelling and important new additions to the franchise, and it’s legitimately impressive what kind of threat the titular villain and his army of robots pose for Earth’s mightiest heroes.

16. Thor

Thor was a bit of a gamble for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, being a very out-there story being told as the franchise’s fourth feature, but it also provided a solid start on the big screen for one of the most important characters in the canon. It’s a film that was vitally important in establishing the tonal approach for almost every title that followed it, and it made some of the best early casting decisions in the brand’s history by bringing unknowns Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston into the fold (not to mention the star power of Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, and Idris Elba, among others).

15. Ant-Man And The Wasp

Given the nature of their powers, Ant-Man and The Wasp are characters who are best suited to star in “smaller” adventures, and Ant-Man And The Wasp delivers a super fun and fantastic one that wonderfully goes to all kinds of weird places. Picking up where they left in their first movie, Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly make for an awesome, kick-ass duo, and Peyton Reed does some delightful things with the action while utilizing the special growing and shrinking abilities.

14. Doctor Strange

Prior to the release of Doctor Strange, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was exclusively a science-fiction-based franchise, but the introduction of Benedict Cumberbatch’s titular hero totally changed the game. Featuring some awesome supporting performances from Tilda Swinton and Chiwetel Ejiofor, the movie is a mind-bender of the highest order, and features some of the most insane and beautiful visuals we’ve seen in modern blockbuster filmmaking. Even after multiple rewatches it’s still not entirely clear how the film was able to pull off some of its most bombastic sequences.

13. Ant-Man

Being one of the original Avengers, Ant-Man was one of the first films developed by Marvel Studios, and while it took an extra minute to arrive (and had a few behind-the-scenes issues), it’s still one of weirdest and best origin stories we’ve seen from the franchise. Under other circumstances a blockbuster about a shrinking hero who can control ants might not fly, but the special Marvel magic – not to mention the endless charisma of Paul Rudd – make this one a winner.

12. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Audiences were left asking some big questions about the Guardians of the Galaxy following their big screen debut, and through thoughtful care and his excellent filmmaking abilities, James Gunn delivered yet another awesome story for the titular team with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. It’s still kind of nuts that we live in an era when a ridiculous comic book character like Ego The Living Planet can be brought to the big screen (and played by Kurt Russell, no less), but that’s the world we live in now, and along the way we’re also getting excellent stories with deeply-felt themes about family.

11. Captain America: The First Avenger

Captain America has arguably had the strongest run thus far in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it all started with his fantastic debut in Captain America: The First Avenger. The period storytelling gives it a style totally unto itself, with Joe Johnston perfectly recapturing the magic he previously generated with The Rocketeer, and Chris Evans immediately elevated the character beyond the simple boy scout/propaganda tool he could have been depicted as. It’s also extra fascinating to watch when you know the direction that the hero goes in as his big screen arc continues.

10. Black Panther

Ryan Coogler took on one of the greatest challenges so far in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by introducing the nation of Wakanda, and he not only successfully pulled it off, but crafted one of the most complex and philosophically intriguing chapters we’ve seen yet within the franchise with Black Panther. It’s crazy rare to see a blockbuster where both the hero and villain’s perspectives carry comparable weight and deserve equal consideration, and the Black Panther/Killmonger conflict brings just that – and on top of it all it’s fantastic to see how the simple addition of Vibranium can spice up an action sequence.

9. Iron Man

Marvel Studios movies have obviously come a long way in the last 11 years – explaining why only two titles in this Top 10 come from pre-2012 – but that being said Iron Man is still a phenomenal delight. Not only is Robert Downey Jr.’s charisma just totally off the charts, and the visual effects surprisingly spectacular, but even at the very start of everything the brand was upending expectations about what a big screen superhero story could be (we’ll never forget the way it tore down the secret identity concept with its final line). It’s a film we’re excited to watch every time we start a few franchise rewatch.

8. Captain America: Civil War

It was once thought that Marvel Studios would save all of its big team-up adventures for its Avengers movies, but then Captain America: Civil War came along in 2016 to blow minds. It’s honestly remarkable how the film perfectly plays on the developing arcs of both Cap and Iron Man, putting them on opposite sides of a smart and considered philosophical conflict, and on top of that it makes fantastic use of its broad ensemble of characters. These blockbusters are all crazy juggling acts, it’s amazing to see the way it manages to keep all of the balls in the air without missing a beat.

7. The Avengers

The Avengers is the picture-perfect definition of a game changer. Prior to 2012 it wasn’t entirely clear if the grand Marvel Cinematic Universe experiment would actually pay off, but Joss Whedon, armed with a very clear personal love for the characters and their history, put together a blockbuster that wonderfully highlights the greatest aspects of all of them – both when they are in extreme conflict and working together. It goes without saying that the franchise wouldn’t be what it is today if this one didn’t work, and its 45 minute-long third act action sequence remains as one of the best spectacles we’ve seen in modern cinema.

6. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Prior to the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming, it wasn’t entirely clear if the world was ready for yet another film about the wall-crawler – specifically because the hero had already been featured in two other separate franchises. Fortunately Spidey’s first solo film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe totally changed everybody’s mind by offering up a fresh, funny, and exciting new take on the high school-aged character. Not only is Tom Holland perfect in the lead role, but Michael Keaton’s Vulture is one of the best villains we’ve seen in the canon thus far – managing to somehow both be sympathetic and scary.

5. Thor: Ragnarok

As reflected in the rankings above, Thor didn’t have the greatest run when it came to solo movies prior to 2017, but Taika Waititi totally changed that pattern in the best way with Thor: Ragnarok. It required stripping away everything the character loves, including his father, his hammer, and even his hair, but the reinvention works perfectly, and it’s shocking just how funny the film is. It’s also arguably the best depiction of Hulk we’ve seen on the big screen to date, with the big green monster not only finding a voice, but also doing quite a lot of exciting smashing.

4. Guardians Of The Galaxy

Prior to 2014, nobody knew who the Guardians of the Galaxy were, but James Gunn worked his magic and now they are some of the most popular heroes around the globe. How? Because Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the best space operas ever committed to celluloid. The writer/director took some liberties with the source material, brought together some bizarre misfit heroes, and put together one of the best MCU casts, and end result was two-plus hours of delightful fun unlike anything any other comic book movie had previously attempted. Marvel took an absolutely massive swing with this property, but wound up hitting a home run on the first pitch.

3. Avengers: Infinity War

The Marvel Cinematic Universe started teasing the arrival of Thanos all the way back in 2012, and while some thought it was building too much hype to possibly pay off, Avengers: Infinity War proved all doubters wrong. Taking the spotlight in the 2018 blockbuster, the Mad Titan proved to be every bit the formidable and dangerous foe that audiences were promised, and the results are incredible and epic – all building to one of the most devastating endings in blockbuster history. The scope of the film is remarkable, not to mention the careful treatment of its absolutely massive ensemble, and it is amazing how it highlights just how much we’ve grown to care about these characters over the years.

2. Captain America: The Winter Solider

Joe and Anthony Russo never directed a blockbuster before taking on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, let alone an action movie, and that’s a stunning fact in retrospect. The movie’s plot channels 1970s conspiracy thrillers in the best way, crafting a wonderful mystery surrounding its two eponymous characters, but what truly makes the film standout is its endless series of insane and pulse-pounding action sequences that make you want to leap out of your chair every five minutes. After this debut, it was a surprise to nobody that Marvel trusted the brothers with three of their most ambitious projects ever.

1. Avengers: Endgame

It should have been an impossible task distilling 11 years-worth of films into one epic blockbuster, but the craftsmanship in the making of Avengers: Endgame is second to none – which explains why our staff has ranked it as the best Marvel Studios film we’ve seen so far. It’s not only an immensely satisfying experience for fans who have been following the franchise from the beginning, it’s also just a ridiculous crowd-pleaser in every respect. It’s hilarious; it’s tear-jerking; it’s thrilling; and it’s endlessly surprising. It’s everything you want it be after 22 movies, and makes our imaginations run wild thinking about what the next 22 movies might bring to the big screen.

How does our list compare with yours? If you haven’t already, go back to the top and take our survey, and stay tuned for more of our Marvel Cinematic Universe coverage here on CinemaBlend!

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Sylvester Stallone Previews 40 Years Of Rocky Documentary

Sylvester Stallone Previews 40 Years Of Rocky Documentary

Rocky Balboa has been showing us the power of heart, perseverance and training montages since 1976’s Best Picture, Rocky. Last year’s Creed II, the eighth film in the Rocky saga, seemingly marked the cinematic end for Sylvester Stallone’s Italian Stallion after over 40 years. Now, after the final bell has rung at the end of the final round for film’s most famous pugilist, Sylvester Stallone is previewing a new documentary that looks back to the beginning. Take a look:

If you’re a fan of Rocky (and who isn’t), this sounds awesome. With Rocky’s cinematic journey now seemingly at an end, this documentary, 40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic, will give audiences the opportunity to look back on the film that started it all. It was an underdog in its own right with an unknown star, and it wound up launching a successful multi-decade franchise that defined Sylvester Stallone’s career.

Rather than look at the franchise as a whole, it appears that this documentary will really zero in on that original film and the alchemy that turned the underdog story into a true classic. What’s especially exciting is that, as Sly says in his Instagram post, this new documentary will feature behind-the-scenes footage from Rocky that has never been seen before.

That there is footage we haven’t seen before in the past four decades is really cool. That means that this documentary could give us new and even greater insight into a movie that we thought we knew pretty much everything there was to know about.

We’ll hear it all through Sly’s own voice too as he narrates the doc, so you’ll be hearing about this life-changing experience from the actor who lived it. The anecdote in the preview is endearing and classic Sly too, as he recalls being overwhelmed in the moment, but having his inner Rocky come through from the start.

40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic comes from documentary director Derek Wayne Johnson, who brings a wealth of experience and seemingly a lot of interest in tackling this subject. Derek Wayne Johnson wrote and directed the documentary John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs, about the Oscar-winning director of Rocky who also brought the world The Karate Kid and Lean on Me. He also wrote and directed the documentary Stallone: Frank, That Is, about Sylvester Stallone’s brother, Frank Stallone, and his less heralded, but still impressive career.

This isn’t the first documentary about the Rocky franchise. In 2011 there was a TV documentary movie called The Rocky Saga: Going the Distance, which covered the entire franchise to that point. Also, coinciding with the release of Creed in 2015, there was a one-hour documentary From Rocky to Creed: The Legacy Continues, narrated by Michael B. Jordan.

There was no release date or platform revealed for 40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic, but we’ll keep you updated. In the meantime check out our 2019 release schedule to see all the biggest movies headed your way this year.

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Mark Ruffalo's Marvel Behind-The-Scenes Tribute Video Will Make You Feel All The Feels

Mark Ruffalo's Marvel Behind-The-Scenes Tribute Video Will Make You Feel All The Feels

Ending a run of films as big as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Infinity Saga is bound to be emotional for both fans and cast members alike. This is especially true when it comes to fans making tribute videos in honor of films like Avengers: Endgame that are so touching, people like Mark Ruffalo just have to share. That’s exactly what the big guy has done with the video below, complete with a beautifully emotional message, take a look:

Comprised of outtakes from what looks like almost every film from Marvel Studio’s first cinematic arc, there’s plenty of goofing around from cast members included in this tribute reel, set to ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky.” Among some of the highlights are the many funny faces that Chris Evans has been known to make, even in costume as Captain America. You'll also see a lot of smiles from cast members ranging from Chadwick Boseman and Scarlet Johansson, to of course, a lot of Robert Downey Jr. smiling mischievously and making faces that might not make it into a Disney-produced picture!

So yeah, it’s a video that’ll make Avengers: Endgame fans totally emotional, as it acts as kind of a family scrapbook of moments that led to the huge finale that fans had been waiting for across the span of 11 years and 22 movies. With the finale also marking the end of Joe and Anthony Russo’s current tenure at Marvel Studios, the reaction seems to indicate that emotional isn’t even the word for how folks may be feeling at the moment.

With Avengers: Endgame poised to surpass Avatar at any moment in the near future, this Twitter post is a good reminder of just how and why the Marvel Cinematic Universe has hit with the folks that helped make it possible. Even Mark Ruffalo knows that as he shares this video, honoring both his co-stars and the moviegoers who made their collective job an honor and a privilege.

The future of the MCU, and just what its next saga will entail, is still up in the air to a certain point. We’ll probably receive a lot of clues with Spider-Man: Far From Home acting as the official end of Phase Three, and the first step into a post-Infinity Saga world. Even then, the announcement of whatever Phase Four and beyond hold will be the ultimate clue as to where fans will be headed next.

So long as Marvel Studios and the cast of those upcoming movies continue to uphold the believe that fan and actor alike are what make this enterprise truly special, the success is likely to follow in both the undertaking and release of such projects.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now; with the final flick in the phase, Spider-Man: Far From Home, webbing up the box office on July 2nd. However, if you’re ready to look for another movie to entertain yourself with, you can take a look at the 2019 release schedule to see what other options are open.

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Netflix Has Finally Agreed To Remove Bird Box's Disaster Footage

Netflix Has Finally Agreed To Remove Bird Box's Disaster Footage

Three months ago, Netflix’s viral release Bird Box rocked the boat when Canadians recognized the movie included footage of Lac-Megantic Rail disaster, and demanded the streaming service remove the tragedy killed 47 people in 2013 from the film. After Netflix previously disagreed to do so, the company is no longer taking a blind eye to the controversy.

The streaming giant has now told The Canadian Press that they will now remove the images of the train disaster from Bird Box in the next two weeks, and will be replacing the footage with a new clip for the scene illustrating the chaos all around Europe to Sandra Bullock and Sarah Paulson’s characters before the sci-fi phenomenon that forces a group of survivors to don blindfolds hits home.

Netflix paired this announcement with an apology to the Lac-Megantic community, who have been outspoken about the potential harm the film has to family and friends to victims of the rail disaster. The town’s mayor, Julie Morin, who joined in on demanding Netflix remove the footage offered her satisfying reaction to Netflix’s new decision. In her words:

Yes, there was a delay, but I think in the end, what’s most important for me, is that we have a solution to this situation we felt was important to settle.

When requests were initially made to the streaming service about taking out the footage in Bird Box, the company responded with an apology and promise to do better in the future, but a refusal to delete the footage. Netflix cited the inability to make alterations to finished content to justify the decision.

Canada was so displeased with the rail disaster footage that the country’s parliament passed a motion asking Netflix to pay the Lac-Megantic community for their grief following the film’s release. The streaming site never seemed to address this motion, but are pulling back on their initial decision to keep the insensitive footage in Bird Box.

The same footage was also previously featured in an episode of Netflix’s Travelers television show, though the show producers agreed to remove it back in January. It’s unclear as to why Netflix took so long to comply to the Bird Box situation that angered many ­– perhaps the studio needed time to find a replacement clip or was waiting for the Bird Box pop culture high to wind down.

Bird Box faced multiple controversies after it was released in December 2018, including a trending Bird Box Challenge, which proved dangerous when people placing blindfolds and attempting tasks such as driving caused concern. Netflix had to issue a warning for fans to refrain from ending up “in the hospital due to memes”. Otherwise, the film was one of the streaming sites most-watched original films ever.

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John Wick Chapter 3 Has Screened, See What People Are Saying

John Wick Chapter 3 Has Screened, See What People Are Saying

The John Wick franchise is one that has built up a lot of fans over the previous two films, and now those fans are excitedly looking forward to what one expects to be the end of a trilogy, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. While the rest of us pour bastards still have to wait a couple of weeks, the movie has screened for some critics, and they're now letting us know that if you were a fan of the first two films, you're probably going to like John Wick: Chapter 3.

CinemaBlend's own Mike Reyes was one of those lucky enough to get an early view of John Wick: Chapter 3, and he thought the film took its trademark stunts and highly stylized action to another level. It also, quite interestingly, still leaves the franchise in a place that it could go forward. According to Mike...

John Wick 3 is yet another round of kick assed action, and intriguing world building. Keanu Reeves continues to clean up & the stunt bar has been raised yet again. There are so many places this franchise could go from here, and all of them are exciting.

One of the most interesting parts of the John Wick films is the way the franchise has created its world of organized professional assassins, but done so with a limited amount of expository dialogue. Most of what we know about the world John Wick lives in, the Continental hotel, and the High Table all comes from watching these elements simply be introduced. We learn about them by the way characters react to them, rather than having them explained.

It seems that the world will still leave itself open to more stories, whether John Wick himself could be part of those stories, we'll have to wait and see.

One way that the franchise could potentially continue, apparently, is through the new character introduced in John Wick: Chapter 3 that is played by Halle Berry. Erik Davis of Fandango thinks she needs her own film series. He also thinks the new film is the best of the trilogy.

Finally allowed to say that John Wick 3 is hands down the best of the three movies. Ridiculously inventive fight scenes, lots more world building & great villains. There is a knife fight in this movie that is aces. Also, Halle Berry’s character needs her own series.

In addition to the John Wick films creative world building, the franchise is also defined by its practical stunts and beautifully choreographed action sequences. Courtney Howard says that John Wick 3 elevates both elements.

John Wick 3: A eye-popping, jaw-dropping, show-stopping killer. Extends world-building dynamics beautifully, but also assigns meaningful resonance to character-driven action. Keanu Reeves is perfect, Asia Kate Dillon is magnetic & Halle Berry kicks ass.

Not bad for a franchise that was all started by a dog. The first film saw John Wick, a retired professional hitman, run afoul of some thugs who proceed to beat him up, steal his car, and kill his dog. This brings him out of retirement to hunt down those responsible.

However, his decision to come back results in him needing to make good on a marker he owed before going underground. John Wick: Chapter 2, follows Wick as he does this, but when Wick makes the decision to break the rules of the underworld that he lives in, he finds a price on his head and a lot of people trying to collect. That's where John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum picks up.

Assuming that the complete reviews come in as glowing as these social media reactions, John Wick will be the rare movie trilogy that sees its entire franchise getting stellar reviews. Scott Mendelson from Forbes is another who praises the new movie, though, unlike some, he doesn't necessarily think the third movie is the best.

Oh, and John Wick 3 is another gorgeous and inventive action extravaganza. I think JW2 is a "better" movie, but this one is completely entertaining and a living video game. Keanu Reeves is once again a force of nature. He actually looks his age, which adds to the pathos.

So basically, if there was any question, if you're looking forward to watching Keanu Reeves kick ass. John Wick 3 delivers. As Slashfilm's Hoai-Tran Bui, puts it, the movie rules.

Pure visceral cinema. After the dramatic world expansion of Chapter 2, Chapter 3 returns to a leaner, exhilarating story chock full of breathless, bone-crunching action and even a few laughs. I was sweating 30 minutes in. This movie RULES.

Is there anything wrong with John Wick 3? IGN's Terri Schwartz admits that some of the decisions perplexed her, but that the problems were far from big enough to impact her enjoyment of the film, saying...

Some of the storytelling and character decisions left me scratching my head and questioning motivations when I left the theater, but that won't stop me from going back for the inevitable John Wick: Chapter 4.

In addition, Mike Rougeau from IGN says that some of the additions to the mythology don't necessarily work, and some of it might actually be controversial for fans.

John Wick 3 continues to build on the series' mythology and has some of the coolest action and most memorable side characters of the entire series. I'm not sure about everything it adds, and certain things will be controversial.

Overall, it looks like John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is going to be everything that fans have been waiting for. Based on the fact that most movie franchises these days are trilogies, we certainly may have expected the story to end with Chapter 3, though based on some of these comments, it sounds like the franchise may not be quite through yet.

I for one am certainly looking forward to John Wick: Chapter 3, it's probably my favorite modern action franchise. I find both of the previous films endlessly rewatchable and if the new movie is added to that list so much the better.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum opens wide on Friday May 17.

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Rumored Bond 25 Title Just Got Shut Down

Rumored Bond 25 Title Just Got Shut Down

There has been a ton of talk about Bond 25, starting almost directly after the release of Spectre. Daniel Craig's comments about not wanting anything to do with the role gave fans reason to pause, although he ended up singing on to play 007 one last time. Fans are eager to see how Craig's version of the character will be sent off, as the project continues its development and pre-production process.

In addition to casting rumors, there's also been a few potential titles being thrown around by the rabid Bond fandom. One of them is Shatterhand, a theory that has made the rounds online. Now it's been officially given the kabosh by the very head of the Bond franchise: Barbara Broccoli. While signing a Shatterhand logo designed by a Bond fan, Broccoli also made sure to clarify that was not the title of the 25th installment. You can check out a photo of the autograph, reposted by the official James Bond Instagram page.

Well, that's seems pretty cut and dry. With just a little bit of social media sass, the James Bond franchise has officially put the name Shatterhand to bed. Of course, that likely won't stop other fan theories from popping up in its place, until the official name of Bond 25 is finally revealed to the public.

007's Instagram post may have retired Shatterhand from the rumor mill, but the franchise was careful to not actually release any information about the developing project. Considering the early stages of the film's life, there's a certain level of care and secrecy needed, as the pieces of the cast and crew are assembled. But that won't stop Barbara Broccoli from not so subtly nipping false information in the bud. We'll just have to wait and see how long it takes for the official title to be released.

Considering Bond 25 will be Daniel Craig's swan song as James Bond, the pressure is on to deliver a satisfying finale for this set of 007 movies. Spectre spent a ton of time setting up the iconic villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld, played by Christoph Waltz. The origin story was finally completed with Spectre's ending, but it's unclear if Waltz will be back to play Blofeld. Rami Malek is reportedly in talks to play the film's villain, following up his Oscar win for Bohemian Rhapsody with the longest running franchise in film history. What a year.

But Rami Malek's involvement hasn't been officially confirmed, nor has any of the cast aside from Daniel Craig. So the generations of Bond fans will have to patiently wait for Barbara Broccoli and the rest of Eon Productions to settle down on a concrete plan, and allow the public to be privy to what is coming next. Regardless, it's clear that fan interest is there, which should hopefully spell further box office success for the franchise. After all, Spectre was one of the most expensive films of all time.

Bond 25 is currently set to arrive on April 8th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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DC's Super Pets Movie Has Been Pushed Back

DC's Super Pets Movie Has Been Pushed Back

Early this year, Warner Bros. planted its flag on the calendar, setting release dates for a few of its upcoming DC films, including Matt Reeves’ The Batman, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad soft reboot and the newly-announced animated movie DC Super Pets. The latter of those films was set for release on May 21, 2021 but has now been pushed all the way back into the following year.

Warner Bros. has pushed its DC Super Pets movie back an entire year and the movie about the crime-fighting pets of DC’s biggest superheroes will now release on May 22, 2022 according to Deadline. No specific reason has been given as of yet to why DC Super Pets has been pushed back so far.

Earlier this week, on the heels of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum’s successful box office debut, John Wick: Chapter 4 was announced and slated for release on May 21, 2021. That would have had it opening the same weekend as DC Super Pets, although I doubt that was the reason for the move. There may be some small overlap, but in general an animated kids movie and an R-rated action film aren’t competing for the same audience.

DC Super Pets now lands in a 2022 calendar that is largely populated by untitled films from the various studios and franchises. The dates have been claimed, but we don’t know what will be coming out on them as of yet. But we can now look forward, way forward, to seeing something quite different from DC in the form of DC Super Pets in three years time.

It's worth clarifying that DC Super Pets, from directors Jared Stern and Sam Levine, is not based on the Capstone Publishing line of the same name, though there could be some similarities. That imprint followed the crime-fighting adventures of the pets of DC characters like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Among the furry heroes were Superman’s Krypto the Super-Dog, Batman’s Ace the Bat-Hound, Wonder Woman’s kangaroo Jumpa, Aquaman’s seahorse Storm and the space squirrel and Green Lantern B’dg.

From 2012-2013, a series of animated shorts based on the characters aired on Cartoon Network’s DC Nation block. It will be interesting to see how this DC Super Pets movie compares to the previous comics and animated shorts, but feel free to check out a clip of DC Super Pets from Cartoon Network below to see what the previous onscreen incarnation was like.

While we all love cohesive cinematic universes like the MCU, it is exciting that something as obscure and silly and fun as DC Super Pets is going to eventually make its way to the big screen. Last year’s big screen DC animated film, Teen Titans Go! To The Movies only made $52 million. But its budget was only $10 million and it gave audiences, especially the younger ones, something different from the standard superhero blockbuster.

Hopefully DC Super Pets can continue that trend and like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, give us some variety in our cinematic superhero adventures.

DC Super Pets may be delayed until 2022, but 2021 still has two huge DC movies with The Batman on June 25 and The Suicide Squad on August 6. That’s all a long way off though so check out our 2019 Release Schedule for movies you can see this year.

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