Chris Evans Thanks Avengers: Endgame Fans For Their 'Incredibly Touching' Posts

Chris Evans Thanks Avengers: Endgame Fans For Their 'Incredibly Touching' Posts
Captain america crying

Avengers: Endgame is finally out in theaters, and moviegoers have turned out in droves to support Marvel's epic blockbuster. The movie has made an incredible amount of money, but it's also produced a lot of tears streaming down the faces of those who see it. Fans are taking to Twitter to share their appreciation for the film and the characters in it with the hashtag #ThankYouAvengers, and Chris Evans has shared his own appreciation for all the heartwarming messages.


If you are worried about spoilers in this article, don't be. Nothing specific about Endgame will be revealed here and the fact that this message is coming from Chris Evans isn't a clue. Captain America is far from the only character getting a shoutout by fans this weekend.


That being said, I wouldn't recommend searching for #ThankYouAvengers if you haven't seen the movie yet. While no one is really outright spoiling the movie, you'd be able to guess what happens pretty easily based on some tweets.




But you can hardly blame fans for wanting to share their appreciation. Endgame is a massive love letter to those who have followed the MCU since 2008, and it's filled with moments that will make you cheer. The MCU will continue past Endgame, but the movie makes some permanent changes to the universe and it is a finale of sorts.


Chris Evans must be feeling plenty of emotions this weekend. The actor took to social media to share his own thanks to the fans who are posting messages and making Avengers: Endgame the number one movie in the world right now. The movie is breaking almost every record under the sun right now and a lot of that has to do with the deeply loyal fanbase.


Obviously, Chris Evans has been playing Captain America since almost the very beginning of the MCU. The original six Avengers get plenty of time to shine in this film, and I'm curious to see if anymore actors are going to be sharing their own messages over the next few days.




It also helps that Endgame is a great film. Critics posted positive reviews, we here at CinemaBlend loved it, and audiences gave it an A+ ranking on CinemaScore. It looks like the movie is destined to go down as one of the all-time great superhero movies.


If you haven't seen it already (or you just want to get in a second viewing), Avengers: Endgame is in theaters right now. For more movie news and updates, be sure to check back in with CinemaBlend and we'll keep you updated on all the latest information. To learn what else Marvel has coming down the pipeline for the near future, be sure to check out our Marvel movie release guide. While you're at it, visit our 2019 movie release guide.

The Lion King Fans Aren't Sold On The New Scar After First Look

The Lion King Fans Aren't Sold On The New Scar After First Look

This morning brought Disney fans something they’ve been waiting for: the first full trailer for the upcoming Lion King. While a first look at the movie, featuring a shot-for-shot reenactment of the iconic “Circle of Life” opening scene and James Earl Jones return to the role of Mufasa, came out late last year, it left many wanting to see and hear more from the new additions to the Disney classic. The latest footage introduced fans to a couple notes of Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen's Timon and Pumbaa, a few frames of Nala, and most importantly, Chiwetel Ejiofor taking command of the movie’s notorious villain, Scar.


However, many fans may have struggled to recognize The Lion King baddie due to his new look. Once it’s made clear who Scar is when he stands in front of his hyena minions and tells young Simba to never return to Pride Rock, some found themselves disappointed in this realistic take on Scar, Naturally took to Twitter to share their thoughts. Take a look:


When you look at the animated and “live-action” Scars side by side, you can definitely tell there were some creative liberties taken with the latter that separates him from the green-eyed, sassy villain. The new Scar looks looks like a realistic lion who would be the brother of Mufasa, as he has the same light-colored mane. Though he nonetheless retains a gritty look, shown through the cut in his left ear and the iconic, though less prominent scar down his eye.




One criticism many fans voiced is that Scar just simply doesn’t look like his animated character. While some noted that the villain’s look in the original film wouldn’t be found in the wild, this Twitter user proved otherwise. Check it:


There you have it! Disney could have easily made a little more effort to meet fans in the middle and give Scar a black mane as they remember him to have, even if the green and yellow eyes were off the table. That’s not all the qualms they have with his look though. @_Zeets felt like the studio straight up has done the character wrong. In his words:


As he hilariously comments, Scar wasn’t characterized through his look as a more menacing as this scrawny version of him portrays him as. The lion had a commanding presence that brought about fear in the eyes of much of our childhoods. I feel like Simba could totally take this Scar.




There is another matter at hand here with the differences between the animated and realistic Scars that is very much due to the medium being used to recreate the iconic baddie. Here’s what @alip1118 contributed to the discussion:


There’s just something magical about that hand-drawn animation that will always be close to the hearts of Disney fans, and the CGI technology the new Lion King movie is using may take some of that away with their realistic representations. Besides that, the voice work of Jeremy Iron from the '90s is close to a lot of hearts as well, per this comment:


There’s still a lot to be seen from The Lion King then has already been seen in this first look. Perhaps the movie is trying to set the character apart from the original to deter comparisons to the original, and he may have a different character arc then the one we know already. So far, this Lion King looks like it’s borrowing a lot from the animated version visually and with much of the dialogue we’ve seen but the remake may be more than a nostalgia fest.




The Lion King comes to theaters 100 days from now on July 19 (as director Jon Favreau noted today). The epic is sure to make tons of money for the studio, which has become known for reimagining its beloved animated classics into blockbusters.

Avatar 2: A History Of All The Delays So Far

Avatar 2: A History Of All The Delays So Far
Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), sporting a look of tedium, much like the i

By December of this year, James Cameron’s intergalactic blockbuster (nay, block disintegrator) Avatar will turn 10 years old. One would assume that, with Hollywood’s sequel churning machine usually at breakneck speed, the highest grossing film of all time (for now) would have already brought in an Avatar 2, 3, or even 4 and 5 by now.


Well, James Cameron assures us that those four (count ‘em, FOUR) subsequent tales exploring the unseen areas of Pandora are on their way. When should we expect Avatar 2, you ask? Who knows anymore? Not even Cameron.


In yet another chapter of Avatar 2’s seemingly unending development hell, as of this week, the release date has been pushed back once again. We know what you’re thinking: is that six delays or only five? Well, to be honest in all the excitement, we’ve kind of lost track ourselves.




So, let’s retrace our steps to when James Cameron first told us we would return to Pandora and see if we can get to the bottom of when Avatar 2 can be expected, shall we? Starting off, let's look at when the talk of a sequel actually began.


When James Cameron Decided To Return To Make Avatar 2 (2010)


Technically, James Cameron has been in talks about sequels to Avatar since 2006, three years before the first film was even released. But talk of Avatar 2 really kicked into gear in October 2010 with the promise of two sequels. This was after Avatar had surpassed Cameron’s own Best Picture winner, Titanic, as the biggest cinematic money maker of all time with more $2 billion worldwide. So, naturally, talk of building a franchise off of this surprise cash magnet was inevitable.


The idea was to complete the proposed trilogy by filming the second and third chapters back to back with release dates set for 2014 and 2015. We even had direct promises from Fox that it would have no problem securing Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana to reprise their 10-foot tall, blue personas. This was, of course, prior to Saldana being cast as Gamora in Guardians of The Galaxy, but we're sure Worthington could have been easily available.




We feel inclined to mention that this announcement came around the same time Cameron was set to produce Guillermo del Toro’s At the Mountains of Madness, as well as a remake of the 1968 science fiction spectacle Fantastic Voyage, because neither of those films have been made either. It would feel unfair to assume that the Terminator creator has a few issues with time management since the Cameron-produced Alita: Battle Angel came out this year (Robert Rodriguez took over directing duties), but it’s something to consider when discussing a project of this magnitude.


Who Wants To See A Two-Part Movie Anyway? (2012)


In 2012, with Avatar 2 only two years away, the green light was still shining brightly on the Avatar trilogy, or so it seemed. James Cameron was excitedly talking about working with New Zealand effects company WETA on some sort of underwater motion capture system, teasing at sequences for that would present Pandora’s aquatic life and maybe test Zoe Saldana’s lung capacity while at it.


Someone who wasn't as excited about the sequels' plans was producer Jon Landau, who began having second thoughts at this time. Was it about putting multi-million dollar actors below sea level? Nooooo. Of course not. It was about the two-part sequel concept.




While James Cameron was planning to film Avatar 2 and 3 back to back, Landau was insistent that the films would still be presented as standalone films, and the second chapter would not be setup for the third. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Landau is quoted as saying:



That's where movies fall into trouble – when they try to say: 'You know what? It's really one movie and there's an intermission' – so we want each one to be a stand-alone movie.



Scrapping the idea of crafting a film's conclusion to serve as set up for future sequels, in 2012, must have sounded like the obvious choice. How times have changed. Thus, Jon Landau hinted that 2014 might be a hard date to make, but production setbacks are not uncommon, so there did not seem to be much cause for concern at the time. Of course, Avatar fans had no way of knowing this would be the first sign that development might be in trouble.




What’s Better Than An Avatar 2 And 3? Avatar 4! (2013)


Despite initial promises for an Avatar trilogy years before, James Cameron announced the idea of a fourth film, only to later say that just Avatar 3 would round out the series, and then tease the possibility of another entry again, even suggesting it could a prequel. For being one of the most ambitious filmmakers in history, he could not seem to make up his mind. Maybe he could asked Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige for advice.


Then, by December 2013 (only a year away from the proposed Avatar 2 release date), it was confirmed that Avatar 4 was included on the production schedule and would be shot simultaneously with the other entries in New Zealand. That meant that Chapter Two had not even been shot yet. In fact, none of the films had even been fully written yet.


It was clear, at this point, that we would not see Avatar 2 in 2014, but 2015 for sure. Well, that promise did not last long, as the film was then pushed to 2016. Apparently writing three science fiction/fantasy epics at once is no walk in the park.




If James Cameron needs a slight extension for his creative process to flow, fair enough. It is no question that the Academy Award-winning filmmaker is always up for a challenge, as he made very clear the following year.


Forget Quadrilogy, James Cameron Threw In Avatar 5! (2016)


It was at CinemaCon in April 2016, a day that will live in infamy, when James Cameron made the biggest announcement in the Avatar saga yet. The director said he planned not one, not two, not three, but four sequels to the worldwide box office smash, staying true to the plan of the simultaneous production of all entries in New Zealand. Wow!


The announcement came with the revised release dates in December 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2023. This only increased speculation of the endurance, and even the probability, of the continuation of this franchise.




Were the scripts finished? Was principal photography just one trip to New Zealand away? Do we really need four sequels to Avatar, let alone even one? Could James Cameron really, finally, stick with a chosen release date?


Well, unless you, somehow, do not have access to a calendar, you know that it didn’t work out that way.


More Delays, This Time With Avatar 2's Release Date (2017)


Less than a year after the announcement that Avatar would be a five-parter now, James Cameron had to admit that we would have to wait just a little bit longer for Avatar 2. Within a month, Fox clarified the delay, revealing a two-year extension for each film.




The sequels would be released on the specified dates of December 18, 2020; December 17, 2021; December 20, 2024; and December 19, 2025. At this point, the most consistent pattern to be found in the franchise's development was a committed attachment to the month of December. From that point on, all there was to do was wait for the next delay announcement.


Yet later that year, in the wake of all the cynical speculation reaching its peak, something amazing happened: the cameras started to roll. Avatar 2 began principal photography, featuring notable cast returns such as Sigourney Weaver, and the introduction of Kate Winslet, who learned to dive for the underwater sequences.


Zoe Saldana, who completed her reprisal of Neytiri for the next two sequels by 2018, went on record about working double duty (not her first rodeo, of course) shooting scenes from Avatar 2 one day and 3 the next. Things were really looking up for this saga. Maybe we would see a return to Pandora at the (new) promised time.




How The Disney-Fox Merger Has Affected Avatar 2, 3, 4 And 5 (2019)


James Cameron, being the innovative visionary that he is, still most likely could not have seen how the Disney-Fox merger would affect the production of Avatar.


Walt Disney Studios, in a move formerly under the authority of Fox, made the announcement that Avatar 2 and its three following entries, once again, would be delayed. As of this week, the second chapter is slated for December 2021, with its sequels scheduled to follow every two years in that same month.


Rarely does news of a film set for 2027 come this early, but perhaps Avatar 5 had it coming. At least it and 4 could finally say they were greenlit.




What is the reason for this latest execution in Avatar's development scurvy, you ask? Can’t think of another property of Disney’s that would might be treated with a higher priority?


Indeed, a new trilogy of Star Wars films are set for release in 2022, 2024 and 2026. The new release schedule given to the Avatar franchise came in an effort to avoid overlapping with Disney’s other seemingly more important properties. You can't blame the studio for trusting its instincts.


Where Do We Go From Here With The Avatar Sequels?


It has been a long road for James Cameron to complete his vision. Even the first Avatar took its time until its 2009 release as a decision to wait for the appropriate technology to exist.




But now, the technology is here. The scripts are ready. The green light is on. But Avatar 2 is prepping to be seven years late… for now, at least.


Is now the time to lose hope? Could 2021 finally be the year we see the return to Pandora, or will it be pushed back farther and farther into an inescapable oblivion? Perhaps the most important question we have to ask by now is if and when Avatar 2 finally graces the screen, who will be left to actually care? More than a few, actually.


Ten years may have passed since the peak of Avatar's popularity, but its presence in pop culture outside of production purgatory has yet to slow down. In 2015, James Cameron collaborated with the makers of Cirque du Soleil to create a live show using Avatar as inspiration called Toruk - The First Flight, which is still running. Better than re-watching the film to revisit Pandora, fans can actually visit the place as an attraction as part of Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom.




Now, it is well known by now that Avatar has its critics. It has practically become the Nickelback of sci-fi movies, with people shamelessly taking shots at the film's wooden acting and cheesy dialogue, and often comparing its storyline to Pocahontas. With that logic, you might as well call The Walking Dead a Toy Story rip-off... Oh, yes, that theory exists.


However, to those who became the secret to Avatar's success in 2009, none of those things matter. What matters to the those who ignore the naysayers and are still proud to call themselves fans of the film is the world that James Cameron brought to life with complex world building, fantastic production design, astonishingly realistic visual effects, and even a whole new language to rival Klingon. Say what you want about the cutesy blue people romance, the lame Leona Lewis post-credits song, or the fact that Sam Worthington has been practically MIA ever since; Avatar means something to some people and that meaning can never be taken away from because this, this is their land!


Every franchise has its audience, of course, and, given the evidence I have provided, anticipation for this franchise is alive and well. However, the fate of Avatar 2 all depends now on the faith of its owners. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on the Avatar franchise.



Shazam! Has Screened, Here Are The Early Reactions

Shazam! Has Screened, Here Are The Early Reactions
Shazam looking at Silvana 2019

While we are still only in the early months of 2019, new superhero movies are very quickly pouring into the box office. A few weeks ago saw the debut of M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass, and this weekend will see the debut of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel. Before too long, however, we’ll also be seeing the third big genre release of the year, David F. Sandberg’s Shazam!, and now the first reactions to the film have started rolling in.


I personally am one of the people who got an early look at Shazam! (in full disclosure it was an unfinished cut), and I thought it was fantastic. As noted in my Tweet below, it doesn't exactly do a lot to separate itself from the pack when it comes to the structure of its story as a superhero origin tale - but the elements that make it legitimately special make that feel largely inconsequential:


And our own Managing Director Sean O'Connell chimed in with:




Echoing some of my own thoughts is also Germain Lussier from iO9, who also made special note of the importance of family and the movie's core themes. He's apparently taking points off because he doesn't love what Shazam! does with the dynamic between Zachary Levi's titular hero and Mark Strong's Dr. Sivana, but his reaction is primarily praise.


Ash Crossan from Entertainment Tonight also has a lot of love to share for Zachary Levi's performance, and went as far as to call the movie "damn near perfect" - while placing it at the top of her personal DC Extended Universe movie rankings. That's pretty big praise now that we have both Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman and James Wan's Aquaman in the mix, but she has a lot of love for Shazam!'s humor and personality.


The new DC film has apparently also won the heart of Collier's Perri Nemiroff, who has a lot of similar sentiments to share as many of her colleagues. Again there is a lot of love for Zachary Levi, and themes regarding family - but she also throws in some specific love for Jack Dylan Grazer, who plays the best friend of Shazam a.k.a. Billy Batson (Asher Angel).




Lastly we have Erik Davis from Fandango, who writes in his Tweet that he wishes he had the ability to hug the blockbuster. It seems he really appreciated the various references made in Shazam! - including not only to other heroes in the DC Extended Universe, but to pop culture in general - and also notes the positive trend for the DC Extended Universe.


It won't be much longer until audiences everywhere will be able to see Shazam! for themselves and make their own opinions. The movie will be arriving in theaters on April 5th - and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for a lot more of our coverage between now and then.

Robert Pattinson Read Christopher Nolan's 'Unreal' New Script While Locked In A Room

Robert Pattinson Read Christopher Nolan's 'Unreal' New Script While Locked In A Room
Robert Pattinson in High Life

The prestigious filmmaker behind Inception, the Dark Knight trilogy and, most recently, Dunkirk has another film abrewing and we can’t wait. We literally have no idea what the movie is titled or about, but that hasn’t stopped Christopher Nolan’s next endeavor from becoming one of the most highly-anticipated films.


The untitled Nolan project that has been described as a “massive innovative action blockbuster” will star Twilight’s Robert Pattinson, who recently admitted he already has all the details for the new movie. Here’s what he said:



I got locked in a room to read the script – I don't have it myself. I've been a little wary of doing big movies for years and years, but there's just something about Chris Nolan's stuff. He seems like the only director now who can do what is essentially a very personal, independent movie that has huge scale. I read the script and it's unreal.





Robert Pattinson’s words to USA Today certainly spark some further excitement for Christopher Nolan’s next movie. Since the Twilight franchise, the 32-year-old actor has stuck to independent, arthouse films such as last year’s critically-acclaimed Good Time, but starring in a Nolan movie will certainly place him back into the spotlight in a big way.


Considering the actor’s distaste for the typical big-budget blockbuster, which he no doubt has been offered and turned down, the upcoming Nolan movie seems to have him excited about doing a movie with a lot of eyes on it again. We can’t wait to see the actor take on another high-profile role all these years later.


Robert Pattinson will also be joined by John David Washington and Elizabeth Debicki, from the other casting information released so far. Washington recently led Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman and Debicki is a rising actress who was Ayesha in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and in Steve McQueen’s Widows.




Early reports about Christopher Nolan’s next movie had it pegged as a romantic thriller that would be a cross between North by Northwest in tone meets Inception, though these rumors were debunked by an unnamed source. So fans can expect the unexpected, though there is a certain flavor to Nolan’s filmmaking that has been woven into each of his movies so far, and we assume to see it continue in his next film.


Additionally, Christopher Nolan is known for enlisting Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, and Michael Caine in a majority of his projects. Will the talents, or any of his other previous collaborators, also find a place in his next movie, or will he break this tradition and go for a completely fresh faces?


Robert Pattinson said he’s “sworn to secrecy” regarding the project, and considering he was literally locked in a room to read the script, Nolan is keeping this one especially under wraps. The movie will begin filming this year and hit theaters on July 17, 2020, back-to-back with a few other highly-anticipated summer releases Morbius and Ghostbusters 3. In the meantime, check out Pattinson’s newest sci-fi drama High Life in select theaters now.



Toy Story 4 Producer Teases Woody Will Be Changed Big Time

Toy Story 4 Producer Teases Woody Will Be Changed Big Time
Woody looking sad in Toy Story

The journey of the first three Toy Story movies has certainly been emotional for the audience that has been along for the ride, but it's also been quite the journey for the characters as well. It's also one that's not quite over yet for Woody the cowboy. In the end, the Toy Story movies have really been all about Woody's journey. He's gone through major changes in the previous films, and now it looks like the biggest change of all may be coming in Toy Story 4.


While many have felt that Toy Story ended perfectly with its trilogy, the fact is that, for Woody, the third film ended with the biggest change yet to the character's life. He now has a completely different owner. It's all part of the larger story of change in Woody's life. As Toy Story 4 producer Jonas Rivera puts it...



All of these movies are about how Woody changes: From going selfish to selfless in the first one, the second one is him understanding that things don’t last forever. The third one is about letting go. These are big changes.





With such massive changes having taken place already, what could Toy Story 4 possibly add to the story? While Rivera isn't going into too many specifics, he tells THR that the return of Bo Peep into Woody's life will be the catalyst for another major change...



We thought, if we’re going to do this, we need to think about, ‘What is the biggest change?’ What if [his relationship with Bo] was the thing that really changed him?



Bo Peep disappeared after Toy Story 2, and was only briefly referenced in the third film. It's not made clear where she went or why, though those details have been revealed through footage in the new movie that was shown at CinemaCon. We know that Bo Peep had a very close relationship with Woody, so it's not surprising that her return would be important to him, but she's clearly been leading a very different life than he has these past several years, and that will seemingly influence Woody in some way.




Bo Peep was never a major part of the Toy Story films, even the ones that she was in. While the relationship between her and Woody was made clear, we'll certainly get a much stronger look at her as a character in Toy Story 4 than we ever have before. We've already seen in trailers that her life away has caused her to go through major changes, it's likely these changes which will then have an impact on Woody.


We also know that Woody won't start the story in quite the same place that we might expect. While the toys now have a new child as their owner, it doesn't mean that everything has simply returned to the status quo. As Jonas Rivera told me when I visited Pixar last month.



What that was, was just that idea of like, what if you took Woody, and [had] gone through everything that he’s done, tracked it, and he’s always landed on his feet. He literally gets a second chance. What if we could dramatize something about that second chance and show that it wasn’t the same, he’s didn’t land in the same spot. It is different. It is upending his life in ways he hasn’t experienced before.





I described my impression of Toy Story 4 to the director Josh Cooley as Woody's mid-life crisis story. It looks he will be dealing with some really conflicting emotions and begin to really consider what his life is all about. What is his true purpose as a toy and what does that mean, not only for the children, but for him personally.


Josh Cooley told me that Woody is suffering from something of an "empty nest" feeling. While Woody may be nothing more than a toy that Andy played with, in the context of the story his relationship to the boy is actually more like that of a parent. Having successfully protected and cared for Andy to the point where he moved away, Woody is now wondering what to do with the rest of his life, a life which, as far as we know, is essentially forever.


One thing that does seem quite clear is that Toy Story 3 certainly wasn't the ending that many of us thought it was. While it wrapped up Andy's story nicely, the movies were never about him. They were always about Woody. The next chapter actually makes Woody's story more interesting because so much in his life has already changed.




As somebody who likes, but doesn't love, the Toy Story franchise, I may be more excited for a fourth film than some, as I don't feel any sort of need to close the story down after a trilogy. As the Toy Story films have grown, they've matured with their audience. And now that the fans that fell in love with the first story as children may have children of their own, the new film looks to be telling a story very much geared toward the adults in the audience.


Not that there won't be plenty for younger viewers as well. Toy Story 4 is still looking like it's going to be a very funny movie, with new characters like Ducky, Bunny, and Forky that kids will almost certainly love. It's also got a plot outside of the serious grown-up themes, involving a villainous dolly named Gabby Gabby. Even if the kids don't "get" the broader themes for years, they'll likely still love this one.


Of course, when people change, those changes effect others, and one question nobody has asked is what Toy Story 4 means for other characters. Woody's best friend Buzz Lightyear will almost certainly have a part to play in what happens to Woody in this new film, but we've seen very little, beyond, some gags, of him in the trailers. One can only assume a major change to Woody will have repercussions.




All these questions will be answered soon. Toy Story 4 will be here before we know it, it's only a month away, debuting June 21.

Star Wars Galaxy's Edge: Everything We Know About Walt Disney World's New Land

Star Wars Galaxy's Edge: Everything We Know About Walt Disney World's New Land
Concept art of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge

Star Wars' existence in Disney theme parks actually pre-dates the company's purchase of Lucasfilm, but everybody knew it was only a matter of time once the purchase happened before Star Wars' presence saw a massive increase in Anaheim and Orlando. That is set to happen later this year when Walt Disney World in Florida, and also Disneyland in California, see a major upgrade in the form of a new land called Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.


While we won't get to really see or truly experience Star Wars Galaxy's Edge until the land opens later this year, there's still a lot that has been revealed about the new area and what it will contain. Here's everything that we know about the newest part of the Disney parks.


When Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Will Open


Originally, Walt Disney World had been given a window of Late Fall 2019 for the opening of Star Wars; Galaxy's Edge with Disneyland set to open in the summer of the same year. This meant a lot of people were surprised when the actual opening dates were revealed as Disneyland was announced to see the land open May 31 with Walt Disney World following on August 29.




There's a catch however. With the earlier date it was announced that only one of the E-ticket attractions, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run would be open to the public. The other attraction, Rise of the Resistance will come later as part of a second phase opening. No date was given for when that will happen beyond both parks seeing phase two come sometime in 2019. It seems likely each park will see the second attraction close to the original opening date.


How To Get Into Galaxy's Edge


With the popularity that Disneyland and Walt Disney World already have, combined with the popularity of Star Wars, it's clear that Galaxy's Edge is going to be a popular place when it opens. However, Disney is doing what it can to alleviate crowds.


For the first three weeks of Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland, May 31 to June 22, a separate reservation will be necessary to access the new land. On May 2 reservations were made available to the general public, but they were all taken in less than two hours. Now, the only way to get in during that opening period is by booking a stay at a Disneyland resort hotel. A hotel reservation will get you access to a four hour long reservation at Galaxy's Edge during one day of your hotel stay.




Once the reservation period has ended a "virtual queueing system" will be utilized to prevent a standby liner from forming.


There has been no reservation system announced for Disney's Hollywood Studios.


How Galaxy's Edge Will Be Different


One of the ways that Star Wars Galaxy's Edge will be a unique land for a Disney park is that it is being designed to feel, in its entirety, like it exists as a planet in the Star Wars Universe. The idea is that this isn't simply a space in a theme park that looks like Star Wars, but an actual part of Star Wars canon, just like any movie. The name of that planet is Batuu. It can be found on the outer edge of the galaxy, thus the name of the land, but is also a location of importance to both the Resistance and The First Order. We've never seen Batuu before, as it's a brand new creation by Disney. However, the Star Wars multimedia machine has already begun to sprinkle the location throughout other forms of Star Wars media as a way to prepare us for the planet.




Of course, even Disney's largest single land expansion ever isn't going to feel like it's actually a whole planet, so the focus will actually be a single settlement on that planet


Black Spire Outpost


While Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will exist on its own planet, the focus of the land will be on a specific place on that planet. Named for the petrified trees that have transformed into the planet's unique geology, Black Spire Outpost will be the hub of activity where guests will find the attractions, the restaurants, and the merchandise available for sale. The Black Spires actually received a reference in Solo: A Star Wars Story, showing that this new area will be intimately tied to the larger Star Wars universe.


Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run


There will be two E-ticket attractions as part of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. The most exciting is probably the one that will put you in the pilot seat of the Millennium Falcon. Within the story of the ride, Pirate Hondo Ohnaka, known to Star Wars fans from his appearances in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Rebels animated series, has made a deal with Chewbacca. He will help fund a refurbishment on the Falcon if Chewie will let him use it to run some less than legal goods through the galaxy. As a guest, you're actually a freelance smuggler, looking to make some cash by signing up to work for Hondo.




Groups of six riders will be given one of three crew positions, pilot, gunner, or engineer. When it comes time to actually do your flying, It isn't just a ride. Guests will have to actively use the controls in the Millennium Falcon cockpit in order to successfully execute the mission. If gunners don't fire fast enough, the Falcon will take damage. If that happens, engineers may have to extinguish fires.


While it apparently won't be possible to completely fail the mission, different outcomes are possible. You'll even be able to see the damage that you've done. With numerous possibilities for the ride, the re-rideability of the attraction looks to be quite high, even if you weren't simply looking to fly the Falcon again and again, although who wouldn't want to do that?


Rise Of The Resistance


The other major attraction at Star Wars Galaxy's Edge is an attraction that will put you in the middle of a battle between The Resistance and the First Order. Rise of the Resistance will see guests become members of the Resistance and go on a mission on their behalf before being captured by a First Order Star Destroyer. Then guests get into trackless ride vehicles for an escape that promises to be one of the biggest and most exciting rides of any theme park ever.




Rise of the Resistance is the marquee attraction of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge. It's biggest selling point may be that the attraction is simply massive. Based on the description the experience will have multiple segments that will see guests both walking and riding between them. A resistance flight deck with full-sized X-Wings will be in one area. While full size First Order AT-ATs will be in another.


In addition to the awesome set pieces, guests will also feel like they're part of the Star Wars universe because several characters from the current trilogy will also be part of Rise of the Resistance. Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Adam Driver have all recorded scenes that will be part of it all.


The Food


One of the highlights of any Disney vacation is all the great food the park has on offer and we can be sure that Star Wars Galaxy's Edge will not be an exception. It has been confirmed that blue milk will be on offer, as well as countless other delicacies of the galaxy far, far away. Black Spire Station will also have a cantina available. There will also be a table service restaurant as well as a separate quick serve-type establishment. This is likely going to be a tough reservation to get, as many will surely want to eat in the galaxy far, far away.




Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will also bring what may be the single biggest change to Disneyland in its entire history as it will be the first place alcohol has ever been available to the general public. Star Wars themed cocktails as well as a selection of wine and beer made exclusively for Galaxy's Edge will be available at Oga's Cantina. You can bet finding a seat will be tough there, in fact, the word is the layout has been designed mostly for standing room for simply that reason, so that more people will be able to fit in the space. If nothing else, you'll be able to listen to some solid music as RX-24, or R3X, the original Star Tours pilot, has found a new job as a DJ.


Docking Bay 7 will be the table service restaurant at Black Spire Station. Recognizable by the transport ship on the roof, Docking Bay 7 is the home of Chef Strono “Cookie” Tuggs, who honed his craft at the castle of one Maz Kanata before taking his show on the road and finding himself on Batuu.


Ronto Roasters will be the quick service food location, providing roasted meat that's been cooked on what used to be a pod racing engine. Considering that the Big Thunder Ranch BBQ restaurant used to be on the location of Galaxy's Edge, it's a nice way to pay homage to the popular spot that we no longer have.




There are a couple of other places to grab a bite or something to drink. Kat Saka's Kettle will offer a variety of flavored popcorn. There will also be a Milk Stand allowing you to try the popular blue or green milk from the Star Wars universe. These beverages will actually be fruit flavored smoothie's when you find them on Batuu.


The Merchandise


Nobody knows how to sell stuff quite like Disney and no place is the company better at it than inside the theme parks. However, merchandise is where one of the more interesting aspects of Star Wars Galaxy's Edge comes in. Rather than being full of t-shirts and ball caps with the Star Wars logo like you might expect, none of that will actually be available inside the new land. Instead, the shops will be part of the lands theming, containing only the sorts of items you might expect to find in an alien marketplace. There will certainly be plenty of clothes and toys, but only items designed to look like they came from Batuu.


The highlight of the cool stuff on display is likely the shop that will let you buld your own lightsaber. This is going to be serious business as you'll need to schedule a time for your lightsaber build. There will be many different options to choose from that will let you build a blade in your own special way. Expect to pay something around $100 just for the hilt, and $50 more if you actually want to be able to attach a blade. But it sounds like the final product will look like something you see in the movies, so that will likely make things worth it.




A droid building shop will be available, allowing you to build your own remote controlled R2 or BB unit, and who doesn't want of those.


There will be a toy shop, run by a Toydarian, because why not. It will house plush dolls that look like your favorite Star Wars characters, because they've become famous throughout the galaxy,


There will also be clothing shops so that you can dress like a member of either the Resistance or the First Order. There will actually be different shops depending on which side you want to join, because, again, the storytelling is even built into the shopping.




The Technology


While we know a little about the big things that Star Wars Galaxy's Edge has planned, what Disney Parks are better than anybody at is the small stuff, the little details that help flesh out the world so it feels real. Quite a few of those little details are hinted at in the form of patents that Disney has filed for in recent months. We've seen one that could create the look of blaster fire, and another that could create holograms in an attraction. Based on descriptions, it sounds like both of these will be used as part of the Rise of the Resistance ride.


However, what may be even more interesting is the way Disney is going to use your smartphone to create an even more immersive Star Wars experience. Via the existing Play Disney Parks app, a whole host of new experiences will be available to guests.


One game will let you use your phone to "hack" surveillance boxes set up around Black Spire Station by the First Order. Once hacked, you can either deactivate them, to help the Resistance or reactivate them to help the First Order.




You'll also be able to use the app to translate Aurebesh writing found throughout Batuu, a lot of things won't be in English, since nobody on Batuu speaks the language.


You'll also be able to use the app to pick up and complete odd jobs. These can also be handled in different ways and the decisions you make will help dictate whether you end up joining the First Order or the Resistance.


In addition, the events of some of the attractions will also carry over into other aspects of the land. If you bring the Millennium Falcon back in less than ideal condition from Smuggler's Run, then a bartender might make reference to that when you visit the cantina.




The Hotel


One thing that won't be opening in the late fall of 2019 at Walt Disney World, but is on its way, is a special Star Wars-themed hotel that will be attached to Galaxy's Edge. More than simply being a place to keep your stuff while you're in the park, the hotel is set to be an attraction unto itself, where guests check in for a set number of days for an all-inclusive, completely immersive, Star Wars experience. You'll be able to dress the part and interact with other guests and staff as if you were on board a starship flying through the galaxy, far, far away. It sounds like nothing anybody has ever experienced and we can't wait to check in.


Needless to say, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is promising a lot. With Disney's history, there's a good chance it will be successful in pretty much everything it wants to do. The only real question is, just how insane will the crowds be when it opens and how much of a problem will those crowds be in trying to enjoy the immersive Star Wars world. We'll find out later this year.

Shazam! Releases Different Trailer For China That Reveals More Jokes

Shazam! Releases Different Trailer For China That Reveals More Jokes

When comparing the underwhelming performance of Justice League to the commercial smash that is Aquaman, one might think the DCEU might be decidedly distancing themselves from a previously-planned interconnected universe. While the studio’s upcoming lineup indicates a move in that direction, it looks like Shazam! won’t be completely ignoring the other DC heroes. In past trailers, we’ve seen a few sprinkles here and there referencing the DCEU, such as Freddy Freeman’s authentic Batman Batarang and when Shazam yelled “Get ‘em, Batman!” when throwing a big doll of the Caped Crusader. The new trailer for China mixes familiar footage with new and hilarious DCEU jokes, and man, do they get us excited for the upcoming release. Check it out:


Well, aren’t these are perfect!! The new trailer was released in anticipation for China’s upcoming release of Shazam! on April 5, which coincides with the domestic opening day as well. While most of the clips aren’t new, the few that are win big at taking a jab at other superheroes in DC’s film universe.


The footage reveals a bit more of Shazam’s face-off with Dr. Sivana in the city, showcasing more stunning action and a hilarious exchange between them. Amidst their big fight, Dr. Sivana proceeds to threaten the hero, but the superpowered Billy Batson points out, they are a mile apart and he can’t hear his "bad guy evil speech." Within the scene, it looks like the movie will cut to a child humming the iconic “Superman Theme” while playing with Batman and Superman action figures, which mirror the actions of Shazam and Dr. Sivana’s fight.




The new China trailer also shows a clip of Shazam looking into a fish bowl and quipping – “I can’t talk to fish, what could we do with that that’s cool?” Freddy responds with, “Maybe command an army of billions in the Ocean!” while gesturing to his Aquaman t-shirt. It’s a funny poke at the underwater hero often being the butt of jokes, well, before the naysayers saw how badass he can be in the recent blockbuster, that is.


These are some amusing jokes to get fans excited for Shazam! which show the franchise isn’t completely abandoning its roots. This is also probably somewhat of a business move for Warner Bros. to market the new hero to Chinese audiences because movies such as Justice League and Aquaman made some good money there – more so with Aquaman, which topped Wonder Woman’s entire box office total of $93 million in just three days in China, before making over $298 million total in the big movie market.


Time will tell where Shazam! stacks up alongside its fellow DCEU heroes at the China box office, but early tracking on the domestic front has the superhero flick making around $45 million during its first weekend. The early positive reactions could certainly help propel Shazam! forward when it comes to theaters on April 5.



6 Things The Sonic The Hedgehog Movie Needs To Include From The Video Games

6 Things The Sonic The Hedgehog Movie Needs To Include From The Video Games
Sonic The Hedgehog

Sega’s mascot Sonic The Hedgehog is finally getting his own movie, and it’s safe to say there are quite a few folks worried about it. Granted, it sounds like things are on the right track with Ben Schwartz voicing Sonic and Jim Carrey portraying Dr. Robotnik, but it takes more than great casting to make a good video game movie. If it didn’t, Doom may be remembered as a masterpiece, and it’s almost universally not.


So what makes a great video game movie? There’s no explicit formula, but it’s fair to say sticking to the source material more often than not will make people happy. That’s a bit complicated considering the Sonic franchise has changed quite a bit since its first game, and not always in ways consumers have appreciated. In spite of that, should the movie contain these types of references to the franchise, Sonic The Hedgehog fans will be satisfied.


Music From The Sega Genesis Era


The early Sonic The Hedgehog games feature some of the best videogame music of the '90s. Green Hill Zone, Emerald Hill Zone, basically all the "Zones" from the first and second games have iconic songs the movie should include. Whether it’s a phone ringtone, a song on the radio or an orchestral track doesn’t matter. We may get something even better as the prolific Junkie XL could craft quite the homage to Sonic's tracks.




Of all the things the Sonic The Hedgehog movie should include from the video games, this is definitely the most important. It’s fair to assume many ticket holders will show up for the nostalgia factor, and what better way than to hit them with the ear-worms they jammed out to while playing their Sega Genesis and blasting through bottles of Kool-aid Jammers? Did we get older, or was there always never enough juice in those things?


Sonic's Friends


Sonic The Hedgehog may be the most important character of the franchise, but he's not the only one folks love. There's his sidekick Tails, who's been with Sonic since Sonic The Hedgehog 2, and other iconic characters like Knuckles and Amy. That just scratches the surface of this universe really, and doesn't even get into the Chao, Blaze or the gun-wielding anti-hero Shadow The Hedgehog. If Shadow doesn't get introduced, how can we have a gritty spin off?


I kid, mainly, although it will be a bit weird if Sonic The Hedgehog only has Sonic as the sole speedy thing rushing around. So far, there's been no mention of any other of Sonic's friends, so this may just be a solo adventure where friends could come into the picture in latter installments. Or, this could be a case where the film pulls a Super Mario Bros. and make bastardizations of the iconic characters. We just don't know yet!




Smart-Ass Dialogue


Sonic didn't speak in his first set of video game adventures, but his television show and games that followed have made him out to be a bit of a smart-ass. Not so much that he's some massive douchebag, but kind of in a way that feels very reminiscent of Bart Simpson. If Sonic The Hedgehog wants to stay true to Sonic's character, there needs to be some overconfidence and smart-ass behavior incorporated.


It appears there will be some of that, at least if one interprets comments by Jim Carrey about the film that way. He assured there will be some edgy moments that appeal to all audiences, although was speaking primarily to his character. He also mentioned the family group the movie is catered to, which speaks to the PG rating. Honestly, that's a good wheelhouse for the character, and he can have that "edge" without it being too cringe-inducing.


Massive And Elaborate Robots


Dr. Ivo Robotnik is known for robots and fights Sonic with them throughout the franchise. The creations he pilots may not be the best quality, but they're certainly big, elaborate and fun to look at. Typically Sonic can destroy these with a handful of jumps, or via some weak spot on the robot. He has the design methods of Star Wars: Rogue One's Galen Erso, except he's not secretly wishing Sonic destroys his evil machines.




The ideal creation is some robot that has Robotnik chilling in a glass dome and some form of retractable drills. Robotnik really loves the massive drills, almost as much as he loves loading up every machine with an escape pod that always keeps him out of Sonic's clutches once the fight is over. If one mega robot shows up with either or both of these attributes, I know I'll be a happy camper.


Gold Rings


Gold rings are perhaps the only thing as synonymous with Sonic The Hedgehog than the character himself. They're the game's form of health, and Sonic collects them throughout levels in order to stay alive after being hit. Should he be hit without any rings on him, he loses a life. Will Sonic The Hedgehog pay homage to this vital game mechanic in some way?


If it does, I'm reasonably certain it won't be shown in a way in which Sonic is collecting a bunch of rings randomly floating around. Perhaps rings are the currency of this world, and we'll see them in some micro form being exchanged for goods. If that were the case, it'd be cool to see Sonic obsessively collect these and then lose them all when he takes a big hit.




Cute And Furry Animals


The casual video gamer may not have known or cared why there were so many cute and furry little animals locked away at the end of each classic Sonic The Hedgehog game, but knowing why explains a lot of the tension between Sonic and Dr. Robotnik. Dr. Robotnik uses the little animals to fuel his robots he creates, which is why they also pop out of enemies when Sonic smashes them.


We have no idea of whether or not that plot thread will be used in Sonic The Hedgehog, but it would be the traditional way to establish Dr. Robotnik as a villain in the movie. After all, who is going to side with a guy enslaving adorable animals within machines for energy? It's actually way more twisted than the games led on the longer one thinks about it, so hopefully the movie uses this plot point in some way.


Sonic The Hedgehog is due to release Friday, November 8. Those interested in the movie can feel free to share their suggestions for what should be in the movie below, or chime in on how they think this movie will be received by audiences.



No, Indiana Jones 5 Does Not Begin Filming Next Week

No, Indiana Jones 5 Does Not Begin Filming Next Week
Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

In the last four years, moviegoers have reunited with Han Solo and Rick Deckard, two of Harrison Ford’s most popular characters. And the actor’s not done with this nostalgia tour just yet, as he’s been attached for years to reprise Dr. Henry Jones Jr. in Indiana Jones 5. That said, contrary to recent news, the next installment of the whip-wielding archaeologist’s franchise will not begin filming later this month.


In case you missed it, last week Harrison Ford appeared alongside Mark Hamill, George Lucas and Billy Dee Williams at the grand opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland, during which time he also spoke with Variety and said that Indiana Jones 5 will begin shooting “sometime next week.” This was a surprising update, to say the least, as Indiana Jones 5 isn’t scheduled for release until 2021, and usually there's chatter months ahead of time on when a movie will specifically begin filming.


However, Variety has now updated Harrison Ford’s quote, which now says that Indiana Jones 5 will begin shooting “sometime next year.” It’s unclear if this misunderstanding is the result of a transcription error or if Harrison Ford misspoke and a Disney representative cleared up the matter (I’m guessing the latter), but either way, we’re still aways away from Indiana Jones 5 rolling cameras. Ford also said the following about the highly-anticipated movie:





I’m looking forward to it. Things are coming along well.



It is worth remembering that Indiana Jones 5 was initially slated to come out much earlier. Back in 2016, Walt Disney Studios scheduled it for July 19, 2019, so had the studio stuck with that plan, we’d be only a little over a month away from seeing Harrison Ford don the fedora again. Then in 2017, Disney pushed Indiana Jones 5 to July 10, 2020, and then in 2018, it was pushed back once more to its current July 2021 slot due to script rewrites.


It’s entirely possible that Indiana Jones 5 could be delayed yet again, but for now, it appears production will commence next year. By the time the movie comes out, it will have been 13 years since we last saw Harrison Ford play Indiana Jones, which was in the fan-derided Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.




No plot details have come out for Indiana Jones 5, although it has been confirmed that Shia LaBeouf will not reprise Mutt Williams, a.k.a. Henry Jones III. The last big update on the movie came last week, when it was revealed that This Is Us’ Dan Fogelman was tackling the latest draft of the script.


As for the future of the Indiana Jones franchise after Movie #5, Harrison Ford made it perfectly clear that he doesn’t want anyone else playing Indy after he’s finished. There’s been talk in the past about Chris Pratt taking on the role, and Ford even told someone to break the bad news to Chris Pine, who’s played Jack Ryan, another role that used to belong to Ford.


It’ll be a long time before we learn if an Indiana Jones 6 is a possibility, if the franchise will be rebooted or perhaps, as rare as this happens nowadays, if no more Indiana Jones movies will be made. For now, fingers crossed that Indiana Jones 5 at least delivers a worthwhile conclusion for Indy, or at least one better than Kingdom of the Crystal Skull delivered.




Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates concerning Indiana Jones 5 as we slowly move closer to its July 9, 2021 release date. For now, you can plan your trips to the movie theater this year accordingly by consulting our 2019 release schedule.

Disney’s Alan Menken Thinks One Animated Blockbuster Is Too Controversial For Live-Action

Disney’s Alan Menken Thinks One Animated Blockbuster Is Too Controversial For Live-Action
Pocahontas

Disney has found a goldmine in the form of remaking the studio's animated classics. Movies like The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast have been massive box office smashes. It looks like Disney may have another hit on their hands with Aladdin opening this week, and other remakes, like The Lion King and Mulan are waiting in the wings.


With several other remake projects rumored, we know Disney is going to be continuing this franchise for quite some time, however, Alan Menken, the Academy Award winning songwriter of many of Disney's Renaissance classics, thinks there's one animated Disney movie that likely won't get the remake treatment, 1995's Pocahontas. According to Menken...



I don't know if we'll ever be able to do Pocahontas. I think that story is going to be difficult. With modern sensibilities, it'd be hard – you're going to offend somebody – so I don't know.





It's not hard to believe that Alan Menken is correct in his comments to Express. The fact of the matter is, Pocahontas was criticized for its depiction of Native Americans when it was released in 1995, so doing a note-for-note adaptation of the film now would certainly cause similar complaints, only more so.


At the very least, an adaptation would need to go through some major modifications. Considering how close movies like Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin have stayed to the source material, a version of Pocahontas that was significantly different doesn't seem like the sort of movie Disney would want to make, but if they also can't make the original version again, the movie gets stuck in limbo and probably never gets made.


It's not the first time that the test of time has not be kind to a Disney movie. Dumbo had a collection of crow characters back in the 1940s that included a character that was actually named Jim Crow. Needless to say, the recent live-action remake of that movie did not include that scene.




Song of the South is a movie that Disney would probably rather we all forgot existed. The depiction of African-Americans during Reconstruction was also criticized in its day, but that criticism has only grown over the years and the film has never been released on home viewing in North America. Disney has confirmed the film will not even be released on the Disney+ streaming service.


Pocahontas isn't Song of the South bad, Disney hasn't disowned the film, but it's still another example of a movie that simply hasn't aged well. The fact that Moana another Disney animated film focused on a cultural minority group, has a largely similar story, but is viewed much more positively, makes it feel like the film was an attempt to make up for the missteps of Pocahontas.


Disney's live-action remake slate currently includes The Lion King, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Mulan, and Cruella on the big screen as well as Lady and the Tramp coming to Disney+. We also know that The Little Mermaid is a project currently in development. Other projects that have been rumored include Pinocchio, Snow White, and Sword in the Stone.




Pocahontas hasn't even been rumored as a potential remake, which would seem to confirm Alan Menken's feelings. Al;though, after all the other remakes have been made, Pocahontas might start to look like a more attractive option.

Annabelle Comes Home Trailer Makes The Warrens Fight That Damned Doll's Friends

Annabelle Comes Home Trailer Makes The Warrens Fight That Damned Doll's Friends

Annabelle 3 is called Annabelle Comes Home, and the official trailer brings Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) back into the mix. The trailer is also a 2 minute, 24 second warning not to make friends.


Friends will go into the room in your home that you told them not to go in. They'll touch things they shouldn't touch. They'll free a creepy doll named Annabelle. And they'll let that doll become a beacon for other spirits. Those creepy spirit friends will crash at your house and torture you with jumpscares. Then your parents will have to jump in and save the day -- again. Behold the trailer:


Mckenna Grace! She is everywhere. Maybe that should be the next Conjuring movie -- The Warrens realizing that Mckenna Grace has been cloned and that's why she's in every movie and TV show these days.




Mckenna Grace plays 10-year-old Judy Warren in Annabelle Comes Home, the seventh movie in The Conjuring Universe. It's a sequel to the 2014 movie Annabelle, which was a spinoff from The Conjuring. This movie also follows the prequel Annabelle: Creation.


James Wan, who directed the first two Conjuring movies, produced Annabelle Comes Home. Because the Warrens are in this film and the doll returns to their home, Wan said the movie feels like a new Conjuring film.


Here's the synopsis from New Line Cinema:





Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren bring the possessed doll to the locked artifacts room in their home, placing her “safely” behind sacred glass and enlisting a priest’s holy blessing. But an unholy night of horror awaits as Annabelle awakens the evil spirits in the room, who all set their sights on a new target—the Warrens’ ten-year-old daughter, Judy, and her friends.



In addition to McKenna Grace (Captain Marvel) as Judy -- who appears to have inherited her mother's gifts; Madison Iseman (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) stars as Judy's babysitter, Mary Ellen; and Katie Sarife (Supernatural) plays Judy's troubled friend Daniela. This appears to be Daniela's fault, since she touched everything in the artifact room and set this all in motion. Then again, you could also blame the Warrens for keeping all that dangerous supernatural stuff in their own home.


Gary Dauberman -- who wrote the previous Annabelle films, IT, and The Nun -- made his directorial debut with this movie.




The Conjuring Universe is pushing movies out as fast as the DCEU and MCU these days. Before we see Annabelle Comes Home this June, we have the sixth film in the Conjuring Universe -- The Curse of La Llorona. That one is only tangentially connected to the world, but it does have an Annabelle link.


After Annabelle 3, we have The Conjuring 3 coming out in September 2020. That is being directed by Michael Chaves, who also directed The Curse of La Llorona. Aquaman director James Wan is now too busy to direct Conjuring movies, but he's still a producer in this world. After Conjuring 3 comes out, we should get more updates on The Crooked Man, which should be next.


Annabelle Comes Home will open in theaters (and IMAX) on June 28, 2019, as one of the many films to look forward to in 2019.



Zack Snyder Wants Fans To Be "Open To Other Things" Beyond Marvel

Zack Snyder Wants Fans To Be "Open To Other Things" Beyond Marvel
Batman Wonder Woman justice league set Zack Snyder

Comic book movies are a massive force in the modern blockbuster world. Studios are producing nearly 10 of them per year at this point, but far from over-saturating the market, they are instead regularly making money hand over fist. Zack Snyder, of course, has been a key figure in the middle of it all - having made half of his movies based on material from the printed medium - but in an interesting twist, the filmmaker has recently called for audiences to expand their horizons beyond big screen superheroics.


Per a video found on Twitter, Zack Snyder recently took part in a panel discussion, and had a few things to say about where comic book movies stand in the current market. We're not sure what the question was that inspired the response, but the quote is interesting nonetheless. Specifically citing the overwhelming pop culture presence of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Justice League director explained,



The thing with comic book movies is… you know I’m a fan. I go and see them, and I love them. I don’t have a… you know, I go and see all the Avengers movies, and I go, and enjoy them. I love it. You don’t have to not enjoy them, but you also have to be open to other things as well.






Anyone who regularly follows box office patterns likely sees that Zack Snyder has a point here. While the timing of the statement is a bit funny, as Jordan Peele's Us just set opening weekend records for an original property this past weekend, there is little question that superhero movies typically get more heat than most other releases from Hollywood. Perfectly illustrating that point is the fact that four out of the Top Five films of 2018 were examples of the genre, and six of the Top 10.


This isn't to say that audiences are totally ignoring original movies and offerings from other genres. John Krasinski's A Quiet Place was an absolutely massive surprise last year, and features like Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born and Bryan Singer's Bohemian Rhapsody were not only award-nominated, but made north of $215 million domestically. Still, the lion's share of worldwide attention is primarily pointed towards caped crusaders and masked vigilantes - and with upcoming titles like Shazam!, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Dark Phoenix, and more peppered across the rest of this year's release calendar, things aren't exactly slowing down in 2019.


Hearing Zack Snyder take this point of view, one has to wonder what it could mean for his potential future as a director. A lot of his success has come thanks to his work adapting stories from comics, and the truth is that it's been nearly a decade since he made a film not based on the material (2011's Sucker Punch). However, he does seem to be moving away from that arena with his in development projects. We know he is doing a zombie action movie called Army Of The Dead as his next feature (a movie he's been wanting to make for a long time), and he is also working on making an adaptation of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. Could his desire to see fans open themselves up to material beyond the comic book realm be a reflection of his own trajectory?





You can make your own judgments watching Zack Snyder speak in the brief clip below:


Zack Snyder doesn't currently have any films in production, but he is certainly never shy about sharing his comic book movie thoughts, and you can continue to regularly find them here on CinemaBlend.

Robert Downey Jr. Made The Sweetest Script Change In Avengers: Endgame

Robert Downey Jr. Made The Sweetest Script Change In Avengers: Endgame
Avengers Endgame iron man

Spoiler Warning: This article contains some spoilers for Avengers: Endgame. Enter at your own risk!


There are plenty of memorable lines in the MCU that fans love to quote, and Avengers: Endgame definitely makes some contributions to the list. The one that might go down as the most memorable, however, is "I love you 3000," which sent fans reaching for their tissues. Well, you better grab some more because it was Robert Downey Jr. who added the line, and its origins are incredibly sweet.


Okay, it's time for the unavoidable spoiler. In Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark has a daughter with Pepper Potts named Morgan Stark. The little five-year-old is maybe the most precious thing in the movie, and she serves as a major influence on Tony's arc in Endgame.




During one scene between the father and daughter early on in the film, Morgan tells Tony "I love you 3000." It's super cute and it turns out that the line was actually one of Downey's. According to co-writer Christopher Markus, RDJ added the line because it's something that his real-life children actually say to him.



Well, as much as we'd like to take credit for what is inevitably going to be one of the most memorable lines in MCU history, that is something that Robert and his children actually say to each other. He brought it from real life onto the set.



Markus told Fandango that the line was partly Robert Downey Jr.'s based on his relationship with his children. The original line was supposed to be "I love you tons." That makes the moment in the film all the sweeter and it probably helped Downey a little bit with his performance, too.




That makes the line a little more touching, too, because it's ultimately the very last line that Tony Stark says in the movie. As a father and as the guy who helped start the whole MCU, it must have been a nice moment for Downey.


Only time will tell if "I love you 3000" goes down in MCU history as the greatest line, but Endgame has lots of other memorable lines as well. Whether it's Thanos giving another menacing monologue or Captain America's "whatever it takes" (and "America's ass"), MCU fans have lots of options when it comes to quotes to say forever.


Seeing as how the film is about to pass $2 billion in only its second week in theaters, you've probably already seen it. In case you haven't, Avengers: Endgame is in theaters right now and you better see it today because the spoiler ban apparently ends tomorrow. If you've already seen Marvel's epic blockbuster, you don't have to wait too long for more films to hit theaters. Check out our 2019 movie release guide for everything that's coming down the pipeline.



Ron Howard Says He ‘Made a Mistake’ With The Dark Tower

Ron Howard Says He ‘Made a Mistake’ With The Dark Tower
The Dark Tower Roland and Jake enter the gun shop through a well lit doorway

Over the course of the decade-long development process The Dark Tower wound itself through, producer Ron Howard was on board for almost the entire ride, joining the project in the wake of J.J. Abrams’ departure. So if anyone knows what the first film in the failed Stephen King franchise went through in its birthing process, it’s him.


As such, Ron Howard is also qualified to discuss just what went wrong with the 2017 film that baffled critics as well as fans, and saw Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey occupying the center of the black hole that was The Dark Tower’s would-be origin story. And discuss this he did in a recent interview, in which Ron Howard admitted to the following mistake when it came to Roland the Gunslinger’s big screen debut:



I think it should’ve been horror. I think that it landed in a place—both in our minds and the studio’s—that it could be PG-13 and sort of a boy’s adventure… I really think we made a mistake not—I mean I’m not sure we could’ve made this movie, but I think if we could’ve made a darker, more hard-boiled look and make it The Gunslinger’s character study more than Jake. I think in retrospect that would’ve been more exciting. We always felt like we were kind of holding back something, and I think at the end of the day it was that.





It's a story that any Dark Tower fan could tell you from memory: the day that what was supposed to be the first entry in a series of films and TV seasons that told the story of all seven books was confirmed to be a PG-13 film. With the focus shifted to Tom Taylor’s Jake Chambers, and the story retooled to be a sequel that took the series past the events of the final written volume, aptly titled The Dark Tower, the Sony-produced picture eventually became a pretty big flameout when it was released into theaters.


As the literary source was a darker, more mature fantasy that saw much weirder and more gruesome events, including Jake’s own death after being sacrificed by Roland himself, the PG-13 style of filmmaking just couldn’t cut it. And while he was initially bullish on the film, even Stephen King himself admitted that the studio went crazy with trying to turn an R-rated novel into a franchise-ready, less hard-edged product.


But alas, hindsight truly is 20/20, and Ron Howard’s discussion on Happy, Sad, Confused showed just that. And while he admits it was a mistake, Howard does note that it was one that helped the movie get made, seeing as the studio may not have wanted the R-rated version of what was eventually a $66 million film version of The Dark Tower’s first, and so far only, cinematic installment.




However, the storied franchise’s fortunes aren’t totally washed out, as Amazon has been working on a brand new Dark Tower TV series that would stick to the original plan of adapting book four, Wizards and Glass, into a sprawling epic that would fill in the backstory for Roland. So while there was a failure to be had in The Dark Tower’s initial journey to the screen, it looks like that regret might become a big stepping stone on improving for the future.


We don’t have a premiere date on when The Dark Tower will hit Amazon, but you can see Ron Howard’s latest documentary, Pavarotti, when it opens in theaters this Friday. And if you’re looking for more excitement in theaters this weekend, or anytime in the near future, you can check out our 2019 release schedule to see what’s on the horizon. Results may vary depending on which dimension you’re reading this article in.

12 Classic Marvel Scenes We Now Feel Differently About Thanks To Avengers: Endgame

12 Classic Marvel Scenes We Now Feel Differently About Thanks To Avengers: Endgame
Tony Stark Endgame line in Avengers: Age of Ultron

Avengers: Endgame really had us geeking out all while tugging on our heartstrings for three hours straight. There’s a good reason why the movie is called the culmination of the MCU thus far: it includes a LOT of callbacks to the past movies, even including literal visits as the heroes completed their time heist. There’s perhaps no better way to provide fan service then to reward the audience for seeing all 22 of the other Marvel epics, and that’s just what Endgame does.


What’s especially exciting is how fun it’s going to be to go back to previous MCU movies and find the relevance and new weight some of the scenes hold now that they’ve been used in another context in the satisfying conclusion. So let’s travel back to the beginnings of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and see what key scenes we’ll never look at the same again now that Endgame exists.


That Up There… That’s The Endgame


It is crazy to imagine that just a few months ago we were theorizing about Avengers 4 titles, and it ended up being right under our noses in Age of Ultron. The scene has a special significance now because of Tony calling the mysteries in the sky their “endgame,” which he created Ultron at the time to fight off and Captain America saying they can take anything down together. Tony throws the line back at Steve in the beginning of Endgame when he’s distraught about their dire situation, and now every time we see this Ultron scene, it’ll have an extra special connection.




No More Surprises


Among the many memorable scenes in Infinity War, this quick one between Tony and Pepper before the action begins seemed a bit random. Now we know that it was foreshadowing for their future life in Endgame. Tony says he had a dream that they had a child together and named it after her eccentric uncle, Morgan. In Endgame, five years later, that’s exactly where we find the Iron Man couple. The scene may play a little sad for fans now as we see Tony promise his girl that all the “surprises” are over and it’s time for them to settle down, give that we know how it ends.


I Want Another


When we meet back up with Thor in Endgame, we see an unexpected transformation. He’s packed on a lot of weight, he drinks a lot of beer and plays Fortnite with his friends from Ragnarok. How did he let himself go? And why is Thor now the most hilarious Avenger? This early scene of the hero eating breakfast and smashing coffee mugs in demand of “another” shows that this characterization has been made the entire time. He’s prone to being excessive when not in check and he’ll be tested by this in Endgame.


Avengers Take Down Loki in Stark Tower


After seeing Endgame, we’ll always imagine future Cap, Tony and Ant-Man roaming around the 2012 New York battle sequence, attempting to steal the Tesseract. While they said the movie doesn’t go by Back to the Future time travel rules, viewings will certainly start to run together a little bit as we imagine how Endgame built off that original Avengers scene. I don’t know about you, but I always find myself already thinking about how another Marty is backstage at the dance trying to fix up time in Part II whenever I view the first movie.




The Winter Soldier Elevator Scene


Endgame has a great nod to Winter Soldier when some of the team is in the 2012 New York timeline, and Cap is tasked with nabbing the Tesseract. It’s a great moment when he finds himself in an elevator again with some of the same Hydra agents from The Winter Soldier. As an audience, we expect another epic scene to go down, but he instead tricks them by saying “Hail, Hydra.” We’ll always remember how clever and evolved Endgame Cap is during this classic scene now.


Frigga’s Death


Thor: The Dark World may be one of the least favored MCU films, but Endgame actually made it relevant! (Gold stars to the Russos!) During the Time Heist, Thor and Rocket are transported a few moments before the God of Thunder’s mother is murdered. The hero is going through his own grief and guilt about his failure to protect the world from Thanos. He has a sweet moment with her when she gives him a much-needed pep talk, giving the Dark World scene more weight.


Come And Get Your Love


The Guardians of the Galaxy opening will perhaps go down as one of the most iconic and entertaining MCU scenes. Seeing Chris Pratt jam out to “Come And Get Your Love” on cassette as he kicks around some alien creatures is already a lot of fun! After Endgame, we can’t help but think how ridiculous Quill is to onlookers (Rhodey and Nebula) when they come back to that moment in Endgame. He’s never going to live that one down!




Say Something, If You Don’t You’ll Regret it.


Toward the beginning of Civil War, we meet Tony at an MIT presentation where he is showcasing some cool tech that shows the last moment Tony shared with his parents before they were killed. He is clearly regretful that he lost his parents at a time when he didn’t have the healthiest relationship with them, and wished he could buy back some more time with them, particularly his father. Now that we know Tony is able to go back and have a positive conversation with Howard Stark as an adult, the presence of this scene in Civil War is poetic.


Cap Moves Mjolnir


In one of Avengers: Age of Ultron more funs scenes, Thor invites his fellow heroes to take a crack at moving the his hammer. While a majority of them are unsuccessful, Cap is able to squeak it over a bit, resulting in a bit of anxiety from Thor at the time. In Endgame, Cap turns out to be worthy of Mjolnir and swaps weapons with the God of Thunder. This scene is now an origin story for that badass moment.


Doctor Strange Gives Up the Time Stone


Among a few other WTF moments in Infinity War (cough Quill) was the time when Doctor Strange straight up hands the Time Stone over to Thanos in order to save Tony’s life. It was an odd decision at the time, but since he did look into the future possibilities, we knew there was hindsight to it. Audiences will now be able to look at this scene now and see the moment much differently: through Strange’s eyes.




You’re Not The Guy To Make The Sacrifice Play.


Okay… this one stings. Back when Cap and Tony first met in 2012’s Avengers, the two were already pushing each other’s buttons with their different ways of thinking. In one scene, the two get in a heated argument as tension builds about Bruce Banner exploding into the Hulk, and Steve says the above words. Of course, now that we know that Tony makes the ultimate sacrifice by putting on the Infinity Gauntlet and saving the world; he is that guy.


Hogan, Drive. Cheeseburger First.


How fitting is it that one of the last references in Endgame is one of the earliest in the MCU? Back in Iron Man, when Tony arrives home from the treacherous journey that would define him as the hero, the first thing on his list is devouring an American Cheeseburger. In Endgame, Happy Hogan shares a touching moment with Tony’s daughter Morgan about the fast food. So naturally every time we watch this funny note in the 2008 flick, we’ll be crying 3000 tears.


It's time for an MCU rewatch. What classic MCU scenes will you be going back to post-Endgame? Let us know in the comments!