After seventeen years, Hugh Jackman is saying goodbye to the Wolverine. Logan is set to be the actors final time playing the character and although Jackman has turned down cameo roles in Deadpool 2, he just revealed what could have made him stay on as our favorite mutant.
Thanks to Screen Rant, a Wolverine super-fan was given the opportunity to watch Logan and interview Jackman. In the interview, the fan asked Jackman if he would play Wolverine if the character joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe and his answer was enough to make us wish a deal could be struck.
“If that was on the table when I made my decision, it certainly would have made me pause. That’s for sure. Because I always love the idea of him within that dynamic, with the Hulk obviously, with Iron Man but there’s a lot of smarter people with MBAs who can’t figure that out [laughter]. You never know.”
Jackman then went on to confirm that if The Avengers was an option, he wouldn’t have said this was his last time as the character.
“At the moment, honestly, if I really did have them there, I probably wouldn’t have said this is the last. It just feels like this is the right time [to leave the character].”
Hugh Jackman has voiced his hope for a crossover multiple times over the years. It certainly doesn’t seem like this is a real possibility. The X-Men franchise has never been better, meaning Fox is making to much money for any executive to happily share with Marvel Studios. But hey, we can dream.
Do you want to see Wolverine join the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below!
There is an old joke about the BBC only having 12 actors, 10 props and 6 sets. That’s not entirely true, of course, but it is true that many actors appear in multiple BBC productions. It goes on behind the scenes as well, with screenwriters, directors and showrunners.
Two of the biggest shows from the BBC right now currently share a showrunner in Steven Moffat. Sherlock, starring the red hot Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, and Doctor Who, which is about to air it’s last season with Moffat in charge and Peter Capaldi in the lead role. The two shows also share Mark Gatiss, who writes and has acted in both, and co-runs Sherlock.
Peter Capaldi, Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss at a Doctor Who pub quiz. They came in third.
Sherlock is a modern day retelling of Sherlock Holmes. Doctor Who is family-friendly time-traveling science fiction show. Aside from the BBC and modern-day London they would seem to have little in common.
But fans of Doctor Who and its spinoff Torchwood were treated to a blink-and-you-miss-it easter egg in the latest series of Sherlock, with a card bearing the logo of Torchwood among the mail on the mantle.
There has long been an enthusiastic interest in mashing up the two shows. Tumblr has a thriving WhoLock community (Often including the American show Supernatural to make SuperWhoLock, as in this example). Fans create art, fiction and more dedicated to the idea, as this video shows:
There are other potential combinations. After all, the Tardis from Doctor Who can go anywhere in time and space. Many actors have appeared in multiple shows. Russell Tovey has played a Midshipman in Doctor Who, a man haunted by memories of a hound in Sherlock and a werewolf in Being Human.
The Internet makes it easier then ever to find like-minded fans. Sherlock and Doctor Who are two shows with a lot of potential for crossover and the creative fanbases to make it happen. And you never know when the show itself might slip something in. As the Doctor says, “Don’t blink.”
What do you think of the crossover potential? What other BBC shows might be combined? Leave a comment and tell us what you think!
While writer/director Maren Ade’s wonderfully authentic, insightfully tender father-daughter long-term passion project Toni Erdmann — a three-hour German dramedy that’s as bitterly sad as it’s screamingly funny — might walk home with an Oscar under its sleeve by the end of the weekend, most American audiences will soon know it best as the source material for its expected —if ultimately unwelcomed — upcoming English-language remake, which is set to take Jack Nicholson out of retirement alongside co-star Kristen Wiig in the female lead.
They’re excellent picks for the parts, even if they’re setting themselves short in the long run. For what makes Toni Erdmann such a distinct triumph is everything Hollywood tends to neglect. Ade’s overextended, uncomfortable, downplayed and extremely somber-filled film — directed with astounding care and written with tremendous sensitivity and reflective introspection — is not your average warm-hearted crowd-pleaser. It’s terrifically entertaining. Don’t get me wrong. It’s downright remarkable how fast these 162-minutes fly by. In comparison, the equally exceptional, if harder to bare, Silence is one minute shorter. Toni Erdmann might seem like a slog on paper, but it’s truthfully anything but.
This intensely intimate, yet never unendurable, unconventional-yet-deeply-human relationship drama is confrontational in its comedic scenarios, yet highly reserved when it comes to their mostly-realistic execution. The result is a broad comedy filmed like a melancholy tragedy, and that’s what makes it funnier and sadder. It contains all the beats of a broad, wacky, over-the-top comedy, but it’s told in a subdued, lugubrious manner. That, in turn, gives an added dramatic weight to all the comedic situations, yet every laugh comes with a great resonance, if only because the plain approach makes the humor all-the-more unexpected in its dry, unassuming manner. There’s a solid chance that won’t be found in the bigger, broader, (likely) raunchier American remake we’ll get in a few years.
What exactly is the plot? Well, surprisingly, there’s not much of one. Suffering from a late quarter crisis, old prankster Winfried (Peter Simonischek) keeps himself preoccupied with silly wigs, comically absurd teeth and school-related incidents involving skeleton make-up. It’s a peaceful life, but it’s also a lonely one. His successful daughter Ines (Sandra Huller) doesn’t see him that much these days, and his only companion, his dog, tragically passed. Trying to find meaning in a lonesome world he once found overserious and high-minded, he bombards Ines with a surprise work visit in order to give her a belated birthday celebration. But when the unexpected trip is soon cut short with shouting and heavy emotions, Winfried later returns as Toni Erdmann, his wacky, weird, wigged, funky teethed alternate alias.
From there, Ines and Winfried are met with more comedic situations, laced with despair. It’s not exactly everyone’s idealistic drama-comedy selection, but for those (like me) who prefer something a little more subdued and bittersweet and meaningful, it’s kinda perfect. A lot of the actions on-screen are loud and exciting in theory, but in their delivery, they feel more natural and inviting than you can ever imagine. The movie flows with its own unique rhythm, and while it is bizarre, there’s a believability to the madness that’s bewitching.
There are goofy fake teeth, whoopie cushions, outrageous wigs, spontaneous karaoke, even more spontaneous nude birthday parties and lewd actions performed on small cupcakes, yet it’s all played straight. It’s supposed to be funny, mind you, and it often is, but there’s a subtracted exaggeration that brings everything down-to-earth in a touching, pointed way. To call it comedy ultimately sells it short. To call it drama would undercut just how funny the movie can ultimately be. To call it a dramedy undercuts the values of both. Toni Erdmann is a strange little (i.e. long) film of manners and errors which finds the gloom in comedy and the hilarity in dramatics. It’s a method of madness that’s all its own. I doubt any film can recreate this specific kind of success, let alone a bunch of Hollywood execs.
Nicholson is excellent in the right type of role, and Wiig’s best work is when she gets to play the straight woman, just like she will in this newest film. They’re pretty great choices, but they’ve got some mighty big shoes to fill in order to top Simonischek and Huller. Both inject such a warmth, humility and undemanding sentimentality that’s hard to recreate. Their performances are excellent because they don’t really feel like characters, but people. Under a different director, they would become caricatures. Under Ado, they’re just human.
Toni Erdmann is a classic example of a lightning in a bottle success. It’s strange, specific, individualistic and unique enough to walk this unusual, extended tight-rope with assurance, dedication and natural ease. If an American remake can pull that off, all the power to it. Ado isn’t telling an earthshaking story of maturity, acceptance and family. Rather, she’s telling a weird story in a deeply relatable manner. It’s incredibly good mainly because it’s incredible that it’s this good at all. But it is, and that’s why we should celebrate it, see it, revisit it, then hope to find that same success in another, totally different film. I’ll admit, there’s likely a 1 in 10 chance Toni Erdmann‘s U.S. remake is actually really good. There’s also a 3 in 10 chance it might end up OK, depending on the filmmaker attached. But why take those odds? Instead, let’s celebrate this brazenly, incredibly unique movie on its own.
Or not. Let’s go ahead and make that remake. If anything, it gives me a proper excuse to revisit the incredible original. I suppose, if nothing else, the remake will bring a little good.
Writer/director Joe Carnahan has been tapped to script the X-Force movie, reports Dark Horizons. Carnahan is best known for Smoking Aces, The A-Team movie, and The Grey. Most recently he has been announced as the helmer of The Raid re-make. He is also set to direct Bad Boys For Life, the third film in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence buddy-cop action franchise.
Screenwriter Simon Kinberg was previously working on X-Force, which features a team of mutants much darker, more violent, and militant than the more well known X-Men. The team, and comic, was one of the bigger hits for Marvel comics in the 1990s. X-Force leader Cable is slated to appear in Deadpool 2 with the rest of the members introduced in a third Deadpool film.
Carnahan has been kind of hit or miss, but he does have the right attitude and grit needed for this project. What do you guys think? Comment and discuss below.
After the massive success of Deadpool and now the critical reaction to Logan I started to think about the X-Men Cinematic Universe. After a quick analysis of the franchise, I wondered if Fox should give up on making the classic and typical superhero movies. Don’t get me wrong, I love a lot of these films. I still believe that X2: X-Men United is one of the best comic book movies around. It helped to build what the genre has now become but it’s hard to ignore that Fox is finding a lot more success making these cheaper, grittier, and character-driven superhero movies.
I just saw the news that Simon Kinberg is in talks to direct the next X-Men movie and I couldn’t help but wonder why? X-Men: Apocalypse wasn’t received as well as previous films and it didn’t do extremely well at the box-office, so why commit to another typical X-Men movie, especially when the studio is building a good reputation for making these smaller, character-driven projects.
Since Deadpool landed in theaters the online community has discussed the hope that Fox will hit refresh and have the Universe re-start with Deadpool. While I love this franchise and the majority of these films, the continuity has become extremely confusing. Most members of the audience can’t see how the Universe connects, so why not hit refresh on the franchise and restart with Deadpool.
We should also take into consideration the idea that not every superhero belongs in a shared universe. It’s possible that audiences and critics have responded so well to Deadpool and Logan because they barely connect to the larger universe. what if the smartest decision for Fox is to create superhero movies that don’t connect. With a less connected universe, we can simply sit down to watch a movie, without the need to watch an entire series of films beforehand. Not to mention, without the need to have so many connections, directors would have more control and would be able to tell a more personal and better-constructed story for the characters. Why lose focus on Deadpool 2 by setting up Deadpool 6.
Final Notes
I’m not saying stop making X-Men films. That will never happen they make too much money for the studio. But why not change the formula. Aren’t we tired of seeing the same movie with a different logo? If Fox decided to push the boundaries and make more films like Deadpool and Logan they would operate a niche in the genre and would build a unique brand. While the R-rated movies have been successful for the studio, not every X-Men film needs that rating. Fox can find writers and directors who know the material and are willing to focus on the characters rather than have a big CGI battle at the end of every movie. This is the studio’s chance to stop doing the same thing as every other company in Hollywood and to start creating something unique and enjoyable.
I think Fox as a studio and the X-Men as a franchise would benefit massively by taking a step back and changing the way that they do things. If the comic book genre wants to keep growing and maintain its position in the industry, it’s up to studios like Fox to stop creating the same film with different costumes and push creative movies that push the boundaries.
What do you guys think? Should Fox keep pushing out these X-Men movies? Or is now the right time for them to hit that refresh button and start telling unique stories? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below!
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In the first Guardians film, fans heard Zombie, the musician and horror filmmaker, when he voiced the Ravager’s GPS/navigation system. Zombie has voiced other characters in Gunn’s movies. He was a doctor in Slither and spoke as the voice of God in Super.
Who or what will Zombie lend his voice to this time? We’ll have to keep our ears tuned in closely during the film. But for now speculate and comment below!
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is written and directed by James Gunn (Slither). The film stars Chris Pratt (Jurassic World) as Peter Quill/Star-Lord; Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Gamora; Dave Bautista (Spectre) as Drax; Vin Diesel (Furious 7) as the voice of Groot; Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) as the voice of Rocket; Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead) as Yondu; Karen Gillan (The Big Short) as Nebula; and Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls) as Kraglin. Newcomers to the cast include Pom Klementieff (Oldboy), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Everest), Chris Sullivan (The Knick, The Drop) and the legendary Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight, The Thing).
It has been well over a year since Bond’s 24th mission, Spectre, landed like something of a damp squib at the cinemas. It was praised for its nostalgic throwbacks to James Bond films of old but criticised for its clunky formulaic misery. That’s not to say that it wasn’t hugely lucrative, but given the gritty success of Skyfall three years previous, Spectre seemed like a fall from grace, exacerbated by Daniel Craig’s apparent loss of interest.
News relating to Bond 25 is well overdue and rumors have started trickling through. In recent weeks, we’ve discovered that shooting negotiations are underway in Croatia, a Vietnam-War vintage helicopter has been acquired (not airworthy but perfectly capable of being blown to smithereens) and there has been a flurry of activity at bookmakers. While Spectre has been consigned to the shelf labelled ‘underwhelming’, another Bond story has been playing out right under our noses: who will play Bond next?
While Daniel Craig’s ‘will he, won’t he?’ saga continues, let’s review the hot picks who could take over a vacated Bond role.
8Wild Cards
Rupert Friend
Possibly the most likely to upset the favorites is Homeland (Showtime) regular Rupert Friend, who has in fact turned down the role of James Bond once already. His critically-acclaimed performance as the taciturn and mysterious Peter Quinn in Homeland rings with allusions to 007 at every turn. And, as if that wasn’t enough, he’s also got a silky smooth English accent going for him. Would he turn it down a second time?
Henry Cavill
His physique and star status put Cavill firmly in the running, but if you ask me, I’d rather see the pre-Man of Steel Cavill as Bond. Before revealing his identity as Superman in 2013, his performances had a certain energy and fire that were not evident in his rather bored Clark Kent. Then he played pouty Napoleon Solo in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., a predictable gun show of a Bond audition tape if ever there was one.
Dan Stevens
A few years ago, Stevens wouldn’t even have registered on MI6’s radar. He starred in Downton Abbey (PBS) as the dapper and slightly podgy heir-to-fortune Matthew Crawley until his ‘untimely departure’ in 2012. And, thank the Lord!
Dan Stevens 2.0 put banquets and morning suits behind him and got ripped. He had something of a breakthrough in the neo-noir thriller The Guest and is currently gracing our screens in Marvel’s Legion (FX).
Gillian Anderson
Yes, Gillian. It’s unlikely, but if ever a woman were to take up the mantle, surely Anderson’s deadpan diligence in the face of villainy would be a frontrunner. She certainly has the character credentials with credits including The Fall (Netflix) and X-Files (Fox). And then of course there was that tweet:
Before Bond, he was already an accomplished British actor who was pretty damn fine at moody, tortured souls with a propensity for espionage and violence. He’s played Bond four times already and is still attached to play the character in Bond 25. Despite what he said after finishing Spectre, money talks and we may yet see him pull on the tux one more time.
That concludes our comprehensive, and in places improbable, list of candidates for one of the biggest roles in pop culture. If the rumors are true that shooting is to commence imminently, we can surely expect the recent trickle of teasers to give way to torrents of news in the coming weeks. As fun as the speculation is, the chances are high that Craig will do good by his contract and graciously accept the reported $150million gig offered to him. If, however, he does hang up his tux, my money’s on James Norton.
With Sam Mendes passing on the baton after two Bond outings, rumors are now pointing at director of John Wick 2, Chad Stahelski, to helm Bond 25. Even with the titular character unconfirmed, MGM and Sony are aiming for an October 2018 release.
Who would you pick to succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Pete Woods is one of the more underrated artists working in comics. He’s worked for both Marvel (Deadpool/Generation X Annual ’99/Excalibur) and DC (Robin/Legion Lost/Countdown), as well as many other publishers. He’s now coming to the town of Riverdale as the new artist on the modern on-going Archie series.
This is a great pairing, as Woods’ distinct, cartoony, and expressive style is tailor made for Archie and the gang.
It’s also the start of a new story arc, and a perfect jumping on point, if you have been wanting to check out the excellent work writer Mark Waid, has been doing on the title.
Get some information and preview images below and tell us what you think in the comments!
ARCHIE #18
NEW STORY ARC! The Blossom Twins have found out their father has been lying to them about why they moved to Riverdale. It’s up to Detective Jughead to learn the dark truth behind the Blossom Family! Join us as we welcome new Archie series artist Pete Woods (Deadpool, Robin).
Script: Mark Waid
Art: Pete Woods, Andre Szymanowicz, Jack Morelli
Cover: Pete Woods
Variant Covers: Elsa Charretier, Robert Hack with Kelly Fitzpatrick
On Sale Date: 3/15
32-page, full-color comic
$3.99 U.S.
‘Get Out’ is a brilliant balance of horror, humor, social commentary.
Summary
The story centers around Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) and his relationship with Rose Armitage (Allison Williams). They have been dating for several months now, and they have reached the point where Rose is ready to bring him home to mom and dad. Chris starts to feel a little nervous when Rose lets it slip that she’s neglected to tell her parents that he’s black. She plays it off like it shouldn’t matter, but understandably he’s concerned. Her parents live out in the middle of nowhere in a spacious country estate. Most of the family greets Chris very warmly (almost too warm), and everything seems to go well. Her parents Dean (Bradley Whitford) and Missy (Catherine Keener) spend lots of time in the beginning trying to convince Chris how progressive they are but just as he lets his guard down, things take a drastic turn.
What I Liked
What surprised me was the precision in which this narrative was crafted. Peele takes on the issue of race relations and effortlessly weaves it into a genre that wouldn’t appear to make sense. Instead of deriving the horror from a killer with 26 personalities, the horror inside Get Out stems from racism.
The film was impeccably paced. The director Jordan Peele has a great feel for building the tension in the narrative till it’s inevitable crescendo.
The film doesn’t overkill the audience with the amount of gore and blood. There’s just enough to enhance the story, but not enough that it somehow distracts.
Very rarely will you find a film that’s perfectly cast, but this one is pretty close.
Jordan Peele makes great use of actors Marcus Henderson and Betty Gabriel, who play two African American estate workers who appear to be a little off. I loved watching Alison Williams getting to show her range in this role. Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford were also both fantastic picks to play the parents. Each can project genuine warmth and at a moments notice pivot towards being something way more, creepier.
Nothing in this film felt forced. The humor was born out of normal circumstances (who wouldn’t laugh at a story of your ex-girlfriend collecting her toenail clippings). The scares were genuine and not artificially created.
Above all else, this was an example of a filmmaker taking a risk. I’m sure that Jordan Peele could have had his pick of any number of a comedic based project just based on how wildly popular Key and Peele are. However, he went in an entirely different direction, tackling a genre we would have never predicted and flourished. What’s not to like about that?
What I Didn’t Like
I wasn’t a huge of all the background knowledge we were given on Chris. All that was important is he’s dating Rose and going home to meet her parents who didn’t know his race. I didn’t need to know about his love of photography. Truthfully, didn’t need to know about his friend at the TSA. Most of what makes Get Out funny comes in the moment and not from his quirky friend.
Final Thoughts
Get Out is one of the most original films released in 2017. In an era of cookie-cutter narratives and Hollywood sequels being driven into the ground, it’s refreshing to see something this good so early in the year. Maybe this is a sign of things to come?
Acting as the closing chapter of “The Clone Conspiracy”, Amazing Spider-Man #24 ties up a few loose ends. Writer Dan Slott‘s big Spider-Man event suffers the same fate as his other recent large-scale stories. Slott has been head writer for the title since 2010, but it may be time to start bringing in some support.
Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy was a big, bold Spidey tale. A mysterious new Jackal appeared and started resurrecting all the people Peter Parker has in some way let die. At first, this arc was everything it promised to be. Clones, betrayal, and a tour through Pete’s failures; what more could we ask for? Unfortunately, ever since the big reveal of Ben Reilly, it was all downhill.
Much like Spider-Verse, Slott’s initial groundwork is phenomenal, but he fails to stick the landing. His ambitious ideas do not match up with his execution in the final chapter. He is certainly capable of concocting these big and brilliant concepts, but could possibly use some help closing them out.
Amazing Spider-Man #24 focuses on Ben Reilly, clearly setting up his upcoming Scarlet Spider series. He battles Doctor Octopus in his lab, revealing that they both faked their deaths in Clone Conspiracy #5. Then there’s some Jackal-on-Jackal action as the real Miles Warren remains after all the clones died. It was nice to see Ben get some closure with his creator. Although, the excitement fans feel towards his solo comic might not meet Marvel’s expectations.
Giuseppe Camuncoli’s art is regularly a saving grace for Amazing Spider-Man issues that fall flat. Miles Warren donning his classic Jackal costume is the highlight of this issue. All clones experiencing Carrion side effects come across more like old and wrinkly; rather than the zombie approach they were going for.
What started out as a classic-feeling Spider-Man tale, ends feeling more like a not-so-clever marketing scheme. Whatever The Clone Conspiracy Omega is seems like overkill and another symptom of Slott not being to tie-up loose ends in a contained story. Any excitement drummed up for Scarlet Spider is thanks to nostalgia, not the events of this narrative.
Instead of feeling overly satisfied or altered, readers walk away from The Clone Conspiracy unfulfilled; and probably a bit confused. Slott sure does know how to set up tie-ins and future series, but his focus on the meat of the main story tends to blur.
Dan Slott has provided enough great Spider-Man material since 2010, but maybe it’s time to start flirting with other options. He’s already proved he has plenty to offer with other characters, his Silver Surfer work is great. Perhaps Marvel is approaching the same thought, with their announcement of Chip Zdarsky’s Spectacular Spider-Man ongoing series.
What did you think of Amazing Spider-Man #24? What about The Clone Conspiracy as a whole? How do you think Dan Slott will respond if Zdarsky’s book is well-received? Let us know in the comments!
ARCHIE #18
