Finally! An Update On Legendary Picture’s ‘Godzilla 2’!
Days after it was announced ‘Krampus‘ director Michael Dougherty will be re-teaming with writer Zach Shields for ‘Godzilla 2: King of Monsters‘, it looks like there’s more to the story! According to Variety, Michael Dougherty is now officially set to direct the sequel.
This comes as some positive news to fans as Dougherty as directed two great horror films with ‘Trick r Treat’ and ‘Krampus‘, as well as co-writing the acclaimed X2!
It was reported way back in 2014 that the sequel will feature iconic monsters like Mothra and King Ghidorah. I hope Dougherty still keeps them in this film unless those were all plans from the original director Gareth Edwards.
What do you think of this directing choice? Will Michael Dougherty follow the success of 2014’s ‘Godzilla‘? Legendary Pictures is just starting to creating a wonderful “Monsterverse” so there’s hope this film will continue the roll they’re on.
‘Godzilla 2′ a.k.a ‘Godzilla: King of Monsters‘ is set to be released on March 22, 2019. The film follows 2017’s ‘Kong: Skull Island‘ and will be followed by a planned crossover called ‘Godzilla vs Kong‘ in 2020.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has kicked the live audience out, and let the streaming world in. The 89th Oscar Nominations will be announced via a global live stream, on Tuesday, January 24, beginning at 8:18 a.m. EST. Jennifer Hudson, Brie Larson, Emmanuel Lubezki, Jason Reitman and Ken Watanabe will join Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs to reveal the nominations.
Jimmy Kimmel will host the Oscars live on Sunday, February 26, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET.
What film do you think will win the Best Picture? Comment below.
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the original Roots mini-series. For those not in the know, Roots aired on ABC over eight nights starting on January 23, 1977. Based on the best-selling novel by Alex Haley, the star-studded series details the story of African slaves from the Colonial era to Reconstruction. It’s one of the most powerful, watched, and beloved mini-series of all-time. I know for me, it left a lasting impact. And for those of you who might think it’s a “black thing,” scroll down because, as a pale Cuban-American I’m here to say it’s not. It’s a human thing.
My perspective of race relations is a little skewed by what I call the South Florida bubble. Human skin-tone variations (there’s only one race after all) are fairly balanced down here and, for the most part, we all get along. So, when I watched Roots for the first time, I was left confused. Granted, I was around 10 years old and probably wasn’t ready for such content. I was also a little bored. Face it, at 10 years old, a week-long mini-series about slavery wasn’t targeting me as its audience.
As for an audience, the eight-night event drew a massive one. Back in 1977, television options were limited, so people often ended up watching the same things. Having fewer channels meant there was less variety, but the limitations oddly created more unity. Movie theaters closed for a week, while bars and living rooms filled with viewers. Americans who watchedRoots, from South Florida to the Midwest to the West Coast, were all presented with the same dilemma of historical horror. There was no echo chamber hide within. Dealing with the reality of the past and the questions it raised created conversation and communication. For modern audiences, it’s a stark reminder that once, only white lives mattered.
As it should be, Roots is one of those epic pieces of film that plays somewhere on television year after year. So, I saw bits and pieces here and there all through my formative years. And the plight of African Americans in the United States at the time became engrained in me. The horrors they faced, for generations on end, was something I held dear to me as one of the most important things humanity should never forget so as never to repeat. Of course, we did repeat it, again and again, from segregation to the Holocaust to Boko Haram. Humanity seems to have a penchant for finding someone to oppress and doing it with utmost brutality.
Oppression looms over every minute of Roots. The series, and these stories of humanity overcoming the worst in itself, serves as a brilliant way to teach empathy. And frankly, we all need it. Empathy is what stops us from fighting each other and gets us working together instead. And just like the brave slaves who fought for freedom, and the brave soldiers who fought for freedom, and the lawmakers, journalists, Muslims, musicians, Native Americans, artists, Italians, actors, Germans, Cubans, men, women, and more who fight for freedom, working together is when humanity is at its strongest.
Roots isn’t a black thing or a white thing or a ratings thing or a corporate thing. It’s a human thing. It’s a moving painting of suffering and perseverance. Nothing is more human than that.
Over the weekend I watched The Dark Knight for the millionth time. It’s one of the Batman movies that never gets old. Maybe because he ventures beyond the parameters of the typical superhero movie.
DC Comics and Warner Bros. launched their extended movie universe with Man of Steel, which – for the most part – was a baby seal clubbed to death by some fans and the press for its ultra dark look at Superman. A bad start considering the success that Iron Man gave Marvel and Disney as the launching point for its extended movie universe.
The DCEU followed up with 2016’s Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, the latter collecting far more money than the former. Despite both movies’ interpretations of Batman and his array of characters, improvements can and should be made.
Let’s face facts: Beside Batman, DC and Warner Bros. have been unable to create another successful superhero franchise. That may change with Wonder Woman later this year, but if it doesn’t, there’s always Batman to fall back on.
Affleck is hard at work on a script for The Batman, but there’s more to mine from that mythology than just the Caped Crusader. Here are a few ideas…
1) TAKE A LESSON FROM BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES
I recently read the bible for the animated series and it offers insight into how Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Eric Radomski, and Paul Dini created the successful series. Most notable was their insistence that Batman’s origin was ALMOST NEVER to be entirely focused on.
That’s a tip the movies could use. Christopher Nolan’s brilliant retelling of the character’s origin in Batman Begins pretty much cements the fact that it shouldn’t be the focus of another movie. That should include any flashbacks to the Wayne murders like in BVS. Don’t rehash the same story we know and have seen depicted numerous times since Tim Burton’s Batman.
2) TAKE A LESSON FROM JEPH LOEB AND TIM SALE
In my opinion, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale are responsible for THE greatest Batman story ever told, The Long Halloween. Even its follow-up, Dark Victory, has its moments.
During Loeb and Sale’s collaboration, not once do they give a lot of pages to the Wayne murders. When they show us Thomas and Martha, it’s in flashbacks to when Bruce was a child, often having some relation to the case Batman is currently working on.
Take Batman: Madness for example. Batman is hunting the Mad Hatter, who has kidnapped Barbara Gordon for a Halloween tea party. Until Leob and Sale’s depiction of the Hatter, the character was D-List, at best. But they made the Hatter a villain who disturbs Batman like no other.
How? By linking the Alice and Wonderland theme to Bruce growing up. “It’s just the thing for a rainy day,” is what Martha Wayne told her son Bruce during a torrential storm. She read Alice to him and sparked his imagination. Unfortunately, this happened on the same day when Bruce’s parents would be murdered. The Hatter’s mania causes Batman to think about his mother, showing us his sorrow in a different way.
Just because Thomas and Martha Wayne are dead doesn’t mean they can’t add to the depth of Batman.
3) MAKE A ROBIN SPIN-OFF FRANCHISE
Many people don’t know there have been more Robins other than Dick Grayson. When I started reading Batman comics in the early 1990s and Robin was referred to as “Tim”, I had no idea what the hell was going on.
We know Batman’s past, but we don’t know Robin’s. Giving Grayson, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake their own individual movies to tell their stories would be refreshing. Plus it would help to explain the importance of a Robin to Batman.
The Grayson movie could cover the death of his parents, teaming up with Batman, and taking down Tony Zucko.
The Todd movie could begin a year after the previous movie. Grayson goes off to Gotham University and Batman takes in Jason Todd as a new Robin. It’s clearly a mistake and ends with Jason’s death at the hands of the Joker.
A Tim Drake movie could begin months after Todd’s death, with Batman on a rampage, violently taking out his villains in a way to excise his pain and guilt. Grayson can’t help. It’s only through Tim Drake, who deduces Batman’s identity and shows Batman the importance of a Robin by his side, that Batman starts to become whole again.
I’d say do a Damian Wayne movie, but… Ugh. That character’s like Scrappy-Doo.
4) MAKE A BATGIRL MOVIE
This is a no-brainer. Why it hasn’t been done yet is a real mystery. The movie would more or less draw from three comic book storylines: Wanted (from The New 52), The Killing Joke, and The Black Mirror by Scott Snyder. While her torture and crippling by the Joker would be a factor, it wouldn’t be the main event. The protagonist here would be her brother, James, Jr. It’s an opportunity to not only show what makes Barbara Gordon tick, but to go deeper into the Gordon family.
These are just a few ideas, but ones that could bring more of the Batman mythology to life. What do you think? Maybe some of the villains could have their own movies
When Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk were both released in 2008 fans probably did not expect the sheer volume of films to be released that centered around the characters that were created by Marvel Comics. These films became part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe which also included TV shows Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D and Agent Carter. There had been films released before this date such as Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four that were based on Marvel comic characters but these were all stand alone movies that just concentrated on those characters. This was also true of the X-Men movies and some spin-off movies were also made in this particular franchise.
Films were released that focused on a particular superhero and these included Captain America, Thor as well as the previously mentioned Hulk and Iron Man. In the first Avengers movie all of these characters teamed up along with the Black Widow and Hawkeye to fight an alien threat that had been unleashed on New York by Thor’s brother Loki who was also the protagonist in the first Thor film. The heroes are all put together by Nick Fury, director of the peacekeeping agency S.H.I.E.L.D who had previously been featured in the Iron Man films. The film shows the struggle that is faced by the different characters in working together when they all have different ideas about the way that they should move forward although they eventually do work things out and manage to prevent the alien invasion.
In the majority of Marvel films characters cross from one film to the other, particularly the Avengers. Robert Downey Jr. for example has starred in three Iron Man movies, two films featuring the Avengers, Hulk and Captain America: Civil War. This helps to remind viewers that all films are set in the same universe, with many members of the supporting cast also appearing in a number of different movies. Playing at Vegas Palms online casino and taking part in the biggest Casino promotions could allow you to win a sum of money that would let you experience the kind of lifestyle that Tony Stark is shown enjoying in most movies that he stars in. While you are probably not going to become a billionaire, playing on a slot machine that has a progressive jackpot can give you the chance to win a life-changing sum of money. You could even pay a visit to New York just to check that it has not been destroyed as was shown in the first Avengers movie.
Two more Avengers films are planned for release in 2018 and 2019 and so it seems unlikely that interest in these films and the characters that they feature will diminish any time soon. The comics have been incredibly popular with fans since the 1960s when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby came on board and created the characters that are featured in the films today. Stan Lee has a cameo role in almost every Marvel film that has been made and you should try and look out for him in the next movie that you watch.
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Get hyped, Star Wars fans! The official title for Episode VIII has just been revealed.
Rey took her first steps into a larger world in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and will continue her epic journey with Finn, Poe and Luke Skywalker in the next chapter of the continuing Star Wars saga.
Star Wars:The Last Jedi…how does that sound? Comment below.
Rey took her first steps into a larger world in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and will continue her epic journey with Finn, Poe and Luke Skywalker in the next chapter of the continuing Star Wars saga, Star Wars: Episode VIII, which began principal photography at Pinewood Studios in London on February 15, 2016.
Star Wars:The Last Jedi, which is written and directed by Rian Johnson and continues the storylines introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, welcomes back cast members Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis. New cast members will include Academy Award® winner Benicio Del Toro, Academy Award® nominee Laura Dern, and talented newcomer Kelly Marie Tran.
Star Wars:The Last Jedi is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman and executive produced by J.J. Abrams, Jason McGatlin and Tom Karnowski. Joining the production crew will be some of the industry’s top talent, including Steve Yedlin (Director of Photography), Bob Ducsay (Editor), Rick Heinrichs (Production Designer), Peter Swords King (Hair and Make-Up Designer), and Mary Vernieu (US Casting Director). They will be joining returning crew members Pippa Anderson (Co-Producer, VP Post Production), Neal Scanlan (Creature & Droid FX Creative Supervisor), Michael Kaplan (Costume Designer), Jamie Wilkinson (Prop Master), Chris Corbould (SFX Supervisor), Rob Inch (Stunt Coordinator), Ben Morris (VFX Supervisor), and Nina Gold (UK Casting Director).
Star Wars:The Last Jedi is scheduled for release December 15, 2017.
We are in the middle of an M. night Shyamalan renaissance. His latest, Split, has garnered mostly praise from critics and enjoyed the fourth biggest January opening of all time this past weekend. This, coupled with his modest 2015 hit The Visit, points to a second coming of the once deified new voice in thriller filmmaking – before the wheels fell off.
And now that M. Night Shyamalan has found his groove once again, he thinks it’s the perfect time to make a sequel to one of his very best films, 2000’s Unbreakable.
Shyamalan spoke to Uproxx about Split, as well as his upcoming projects. And he didn’t mince words when he mentioned Unbreakable. “I do intend on making a final Unbreakable movie,” he said, “and I’m intending on doing it next.” It doesn’t get much clearer than this.
Unbreakable was Shyamalan’s sophomore feature, following the explosive success of The Sixth Sense. At the time, it was met with not so much a shrug as a question mark. The superhero origin story was not in the shorthand of cinematic vernacular back in 2000, and people expecting a supernatural thriller may have been a bit disappointed.
But time has only strengthened Unbreakable. Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson are both wonderful in their opposing roles, and the film itself remains one of the best of its kind even though it won’t ever be considered in the same breath as modern superhero films. Which gets me to this sequel, and how it might fare now, in the era of the MCU and DCEU, when bigger and louder is the modus operandi.
Whatever Shyamalan intends to do with it, I have a newfound faith in his abilities to craft a compelling story. We will keep you up to date when more information on the sequel heads our way.
Let’s get the Deadpool for Best Picture talk out of the way.
The salty superhero flick has been picking up several awards guild nominations ahead of tomorrow morning’s Oscar announcements. The campaign for the movie is having a good time with all this buzz. But does it deserve a nomination?
Probably not. It’s fine, it’s funny, it did its job and made a ton of cash and everything. I enjoyed it for what it was, but a Best Picture nomination? I understand it will bring in a new audience and get people talking about the Oscars who normally wouldn’t care at all, but can we just… not?
Anyway, for the sake of argument let’s say Deadpool does make it. That leaves at least four, potentially nine slots for some terrific films. La La Land is a lock, as are Manchester by The Sea and Moonlight. These are the three heavy hitters, to only for Best Picture but for the entire evening. There’s four. And then things begin to open up for a whole host of films. If they stop at five nominees (they won’t), expect Arrival to grab that all-important fifth spot.
If (when) they go to six, Hell or High Water could very well surprise a few people. But make no mistake, it would deserve a nomination. I have a feeling the nominee list will end at seven, and will end with Denzel Washington’s Fences. But let’s say they go all the way to ten, which would be surprising given the relatively thin 2016 slate. Films like Hacksaw Ridge and Hidden Figures have legitimate chances, but out of those two give me Hidden Figures. There’s eight.
Then there are films like Loving, Lion, and Martin Scorsese’s late-to-the-party Silence vying for the last two slots. To fill out ten, let’s go with Loving and Silence, though I don’t think the field will reach this far.
PREDICTIONS
Deadpool (maybe, don’t hold me to it)
La La Land
Manchester by The Sea
Moonlight
Arrival
THE NEXT PICKS ARE IN ORDER, DEPENDING ON CATEGORY EXPANSION
Hell or High Water
Fences
Hidden Figures
Loving
Silence
Oscar Nominations will be announced tomorrow, January 24.
It’s that time of year, folks! And no, I’m not talking about the Oscars, where cinephiles celebrate the previous year’s movies; of course, I’m talking about the 37th annual Razzie awards.
The full list of this year’s nominees have been released, and it may piss some comic book fans off. Check it out below.
WORST PICTURE: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Dirty Grandpa Gods of Egypt Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party Independence Day: Resurgence Zoolander No. 2
WORST ACTOR: Ben Affleck / Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Gerard Butler / Gods of Egypt & London Has Fallen Henry Cavill / Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Robert de Niro / Dirty Grandpa Dinesh D’Souza [as Himself] Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party Ben Stiller / Zoolander No. 2
WORST ACTRESS: Megan Fox / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows Tyler Perry / BOO! A Madea Halloween Julia Roberts / Mother’s Day Becky Turner [as Hillary Clinton] Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party Naomi Watts / Divergent Series: Allegiant & Shut-In Shailene Woodley / Divergent Series: Allegiant
WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Julianne Hough / Dirty Grandpa Kate Hudson / Mother’s Day Aubrey Plaza / Dirty Grandpa Jane Seymour / Fifty Shades of Black Sela Ward / Independence Day: Resurgence Kristen Wiig / Zoolander No. 2
WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Nicolas Cage / Snowden Johnny Depp / Alice Through the Looking Glass Will Ferrell / Zoolander No. 2 Jesse Eisenberg / Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Jared Leto / Suicide Squad Owen Wilson / Zoolander No. 2
WORST SCREEN COMBO: Ben Affleck & His BFF (Baddest Foe Forever) Henry Cavill / Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Any 2 Egyptian Gods or Mortals / Gods of Egypt Johnny Depp & His Vomitously Vibrant Costume / Alice Through the Looking Glass The Entire Cast of Once Respected Actors / Collateral Beauty Tyler Perry & That Same Old Worn Out Wig / BOO! A Madea Halloween Ben Stiller and His BFF (Barely Funny Friend) Owen Wilson / Zoolander No. 2
WORST DIRECTOR: Dinesh D’Souza and Bruce Schooley / Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party Roland Emmerich / Independence Day: Resurgence Tyler Perry / BOO! A Madea Halloween Alex Proyas / Gods of Egypt Zack Snyder / Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ben Stiller / Zoolander No. 2
WORST PREQUEL, REMAKE, RIP-OFF or SEQUEL: Alice Through the Looking Glass Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Dawn of Justice Fifty Shades of Black Independence Day: Resurgence Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows Zoolander No. 2
WORST SCREENPLAY: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Dirty Grandpa Gods of Egypt Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party Independence Day: Resurgence Suicide Squad
Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad are both nominated for numerous categories. But, DC fans have 2017 to look forward to, if yesterday’s report is indeed true.
What do you make of this year’s list of nominees? Do you pay any attention to the Razzies? Let us know in the comments below.
