Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is almost upon us, meaning we have a whole bunch of new marketing about to hit. Kicking things off Empire Magazine has released a new behind the scenes image of Felicity Jones and Director Gareth Edwards.
Empire also managed to sit down with Felicity Jones, who discussed what it was like to work with Gareth Edwards as a director who takes a hands-on approach to directing.
“The whole methodology with Rogue One, was to keep it very naturalistic. Gareth often holds the camera himself because he wants to be there with you. With Gareth we felt like we were all in it together.”
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is in theaters December 16.
A new behind the scenes photo from Wonder Woman has been posted on Instagram by one of the film’s actors, Saïd Taghmaoui. Check it out below.
Taghmaoui’s role in the film is still unknown at this point.
“Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.”
Marvel fans will be excited to hear the Inhumans show will launch on Labor Day 2017. In addition, the show will not be replacing the Inhumans movie!
According to The Hollywood Reporter, IMAX and ABC are co-financing the series. The first two episodes is going to be shot with IMAX cameras. THR also confirms several action sequences are to be set on the Inhumans’ moon base.
“We get to break out of our distribution niche and participate in revenue from theatrical and TV releases,” explains Richard Gelfond, the IMAX CEO. He says this cross-brand marketing will be a good approach to promote the series.
I wonder if we’ll see the Inhumans in their costumed glory.
On September 4, 2017, IMAX will release the first two episodes in 1,000 theatres across 74 countries. ABC will edit them for the television show, but they will include exclusive content.
“It looks like an interesting new way of breaking through clutter, various media options and platforms that people have,” says Henry Schafer, Q Scores vice-president. “This is an innovative way of doing that.”
This approach brings Game of Thrones to mind. In 2015, HBO chose to release the final two episodes of season four in IMAX. This strategy led to a gross of nearly $2 million in one week.
The Inhumans have been a big part of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D‘s second and third seasons. Chloe Bennett’s character “Skye” discovers her Inhuman status and learns that her true name is Daisy Johnson. In the third season, she adopts the code name of Quake. To date, Skye is still learning about her powers.
Daisy, Quake, Skye, whatever, she’ll shake ya’ up
According to ABC, the series won’t be an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D spin-off. Furthermore, it will not replace the Inhumans film, which has been put on the shelf. The movie’s 2018 release got pushed back to 2019, but Kevin Feige says it is not in active development. Still, there is hope the Inhumans movie could see the light of day.
Ben Sherwood, Disney-ABC Television Group president, feels that the deal will benefit everyone. “We think this is a quadruple win — a win for IMAX, a win for Marvel, a win for ABC Studios and a win for ABC to launch a show in an innovative way and get attention,” he says.
Perhaps the Inhumans movie may appear in Phase Four or Five. The series has yet to begin casting for the main roles.
High school, dating, parents, acne, figuring out what you’re going to do with your life after graduation… Let’s face it, it’s stressful being a teenager. The urge to fit in and live a normal life free of embarrassment is overwhelming. So it’s a fair bet that being targeted by an alien artifact that resembles a big bug to become a superhero known as Blue Beetle probably wasn’t high on Jaime Reyes’ playlist.
Blue Beetle #3 Story by Keith Giffen & Scott Kolins Script by Keith Giffen Art by Scott Kolins Colors by Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Writing
I’ve slowly been checking out DC’s Rebirth titles, and as good as a lot of them have been, they haven’t exactly been accessible. Blue Beetle is different, though. This issue, #3, was my first exposure to Jaime Reyes, the current Blue Beetle, and I found it not only easy to follow but fun, interesting, and filled with great characterization. Writer Keith Giffen, a comics veteran, is no stranger to the title. He made original Blue Beetle Ted Kord (a supporting player here) a mainstay in his famous Justice League International run. The attention to character that Giffen brought to that series is present here. It also reminds me of those great classic Spider-Man stories when Peter Parker was still in high school, specifically the great cast of supporting characters and friends. Not that the plot suffers, as the issue does open with an exciting scene involving the Horde and the final page has a pretty ominous cliffhanger/reveal as well.
Art
Scott Kolins has long been one of my favorite modern artists. His early 2000s run on The Flash with Geoff Johns is legendary. His work here is no different (he also is credited with helping write the story). Kolin’s work brings to mind masters like Jack Kirby and Arthur Adams, but with its own modern take. On Blue Beetle, the artist is even playing around with panels and backgrounds, giving the whole book a wonderfully dynamic feel and flow that gives it an excellent pace. His layouts and design are also standouts. It’s a beautiful superhero book to look at.
Coloring
I don’t know who Romulo Fajardo Jr. is, but I will be seeking out any books where he is putting colors to pages. As great as Kolins is, the colors here accentuate the drawings and make what was already a moving image feel like it’s exploding off the page. The colors add a Silver Age mood with a modern aesthetic. It’s bright, detailed and energetic, all things that go hand in hand with the narrative tone of the story.
Conclusion
Blue Beetle #3 is what great comics are all about. The perfect marriage of pictures, words, layout, and color. I highly recommend you pick the book up if you are a fan of classic and fun superheroics. It’s a nice change from the heavy doom and gloom that hangs over the Rebirth event, and I hope this book and creative team continue to tell stories together.
It’s the time of year to stuff our faces with all manner of delicious food, give thanks for all we have, and otherwise do little of anything else. Thanksgiving is a perfect day to vegetate and enjoy some classic movies from days of yore.
Laugh, cry, sing, dance, and be thankful for friends, family, and most of all gravity, an atmosphere, and oxygen. Unbuckle your belt, let the turkey guy loose, and sit down to enjoy these five movies on Thanksgiving Day.
Planes, Trains, And Automobiles – 1987
Comedy legends Steve Martin and John Candy combine forces with 80s teen angst comedy director John Hughes for a comedy about unlikely friends. Neal (Martin) is an advertising exec trying to get home to his family for Turkey Day. Del (Candy), is a goofy shower curtain salesman trying to help. Disastrous hilarity ensues.
Dutch – 1991
An often overlooked comedy, Dutch was written by John Hughes and stars Ed O’Neil and Ethan Embry. O’Neil plays Dutch, a working class guy who’s trying to score brownie points with his girlfriend (JoBeth Williams) by getting close to her son, Doyle (Embry). Dutch is a Thanksgiving road comedy with a lot of heart that gives thanks to our inner child.
Addams’ Family Values – 1993
Say what you will about the movie as a whole, but it’s a Thanksgiving must due to one hilarious sequence with Wednesday Addams (Christina Ricci) keeping it all too real. No more needs to be said about it. Click play below and enjoy the chaos.
Home For The Holidays – 1995
Claudia Larson (Holly Hunter) comes home for Thanksgiving to a family she doesn’t like being around. The only relative Claudia likes is her gay and mischievous brother, Tommy Larson, played by Tony “Robert Downey, Jr.” Stark. Jodie Foster directs this smart, funny, down-to-earth family comedy.
The Ice Storm – 1997
Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Katie Holmes, and Sigourney Weaver form a superb ensemble cast in Ang Lee’s The Ice Storm. It’s Thanksgiving 1973; two families use sex, drugs, and worse to escape the shocking social changes occurring during the “me” decade.
Honorable Mention: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving – 1973
No Thanksgiving Day list would be right without A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. It’s easy to overlook the simple things in life, the little things that get you by or got you to the here and now, reading my post. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is a reset button for the soul.
Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, recently talked to Variety about getting a female director for a future Star Wars film.
“We want to make sure that when we bring a female director to do Star Wars, they’re set up for success. They’re gigantic films, and you can’t come into them with essentially no experience. We want to really start to focus in on people we would love to work with and see what kinds of things they’re doing to progress up that ladder now, and then pull them in when the time is right.”
With so many male directors working within the company, it’s good to see the president let it be known that a female director will happen when the time is right.
The next Star Wars film, Rogue One, hits theaters on December 16.
Major Spoilers For Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them!
Yeah, you read that headline correctly. It looks like Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) won’t be leading every Fantastic Beasts sequel.
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is currently dominating the box-office, but that won’t stop us from looking ahead at the four sequels coming from the Wizarding World. With the ending of Fantastic Beasts, it’s clear that there is a much bigger story going on with Grindelwald, a story that will come to involve Albus Dumbledore in the sequel. But what does that mean for Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander? While talking to CinemaBlend, producer David Heyman revealed that while Newt will be at the heart of the coming second movie, he might not lead all five films.
“I don’t think [Newt will be at] the heart of all of them. I think he’ll be part — so will Tina, Queenie and Jacob — will be part of the next one.”
So who will be replacing Newt Scamander as the lead of this new franchise? Well if you’re educated in your Harry Potter history you’ll know that there is a major conflict between Grindelwald and Dumbledore, a conflict that will likely take center stage in the sequels.
Obviously, with Newt taking a back seat in this franchise, J.K. Rowling will be focusing on some other characters set out in the first movie, and developing Dumbledore as a character in this new venture. When asked about Dumbledore’s secret role in the sequel, Heyman said:
“And Credence and Grindelwald [too]. I think they will be the main players.”
That’s right, it also looks like Ezra Miller’s Credence will have a larger role in the sequels. The character appeared to die at the end of the first movie, however, keen-eyed viewers will notice that he does, in fact, escape the violent scene, with only Newt taking note. While it is sad to hear that Eddie Redmayne won’t be leading each of these movies, I’m sure J.K. Rowling has an immensely exciting story set out for all of these characters, one that I can’t wait to see unfold.
Are you sad to hear that Newt won’t be at the heart of every Fantastic Beasts sequel? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.
As we all gear up for tomorrow’s Turkey Day, let’s bask in one more intense TV spot for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The new spot (number eleven) continues the trend of highlighting the rebellion aspect that has made all the promotional material resonate with audiences and fans. You can watch the 30-second clip below.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Mads Mikkelsen, Ben Mendelsohn, Alan Tudyk, Donny Yen, Valene Kane, Riz Ahmed, Genevieve O’Reilly, Jimmy Smits, James Earl Jones, and Forrest Whitaker. It tells the story of the rag-tag team who steal the famed plans for the first Death Star, an act that allows for its destruction by the rebels in Star Wars: A New Hope. The film is directed by Gareth Edwards, from a screenplay written by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will hit theaters on December 16, 2016.
Walt Disney Animation Studios Moana is a spectacular film with dazzling visuals, unique melodies, and remarkable performances that will warm your heart and put a smile on your face. It’s not often a movie surpasses the lofty expectations placed upon it (especially if it’s a Disney product) but Moana not only does this, it should be considered in the same caliber of Disney film as – Hercules, Mulan, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast. There are good Disney movies, and then there are particular ones that will stand the course of time, Moana years from now will be considered a classic.
What is about this film that makes it unique? Could it be its storyline? The story isn’t anything unusual. Moana’s narrative centers on a young woman who is trying to learn how to lead and be who she was meant to be. Moana struggles with staying true to what her people need and being the free-thinking leader she longs to be. In the face of crisis, certain to bring death and despair to her people, she’s is conflicted as to whether to handle the situation traditionally or by going in a brand new direction. That is the inner turmoil that Moana faces throughout the film. However, what makes this familiar narrative rise from the depths of ordinary to that of extraordinary is the performance of Auli’I Cravalho.
Auli’I Cravalho is the voice of Moana, and she is truly the heart and soul of this film. Cravalho navigates her lines in the same way a ten-year film veteran would (which is amazing as this is her debut film). She performs with such passion, love, and intensity that she brings Moana to life. Director Ron Musker and John Clements made a great call not only casting her but are consistently putting her in a position to shine throughout the film. Auli’I’s energy is infectious, and her story is incredibly relatable to any pre-teen girls in the audience. As tremendous as her performance was, she’s dwarfed by the sensational performance of Dwayne Johnson.
Dwayne Johnson is the voice of Maui in the film, and he delivers an electric performance reminiscent of Robin Williams in Aladdin. It wasn’t shocking that “The Rock” could sing especially since we all saw him carry a tune as Eliot Wilhelm in Be Cool. What was shocking was how dynamic he sounded singing “You’re Welcome.” He didn’t sound anything like the guy who use to make a living checking people into the Smackdown Hotel. Johnson seemed like a Broadway star. It was a moment that turns heads and award voters will certainly make a note of. In between numbers, Johnson performance was both vibrant and incredibly charismatic. Some may argue that it maybe wasn’t Johnson but the well-written songs and they might have a bit of a point. The Lion King had Tim Rice and Elton John and Moana has “Hamilton’s” Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Miranda helped craft some the songs. Miranda made a wise choice in bringing on Te Vaka as a co-writer (Te Vaka is a Polynesian singer) to help add authenticity to his creations. The music had a Hawaiian flare to it mixed with the upbeat tempos that we are accustom to from Miranda.The two songs that stand are “How Far I’ll Go,” and “You’re Welcome.” “How Far I’ll Go” is sung by Moana as explains to her family how far she’ll go beyond the great barrier reef, which her father forbid her to do. It’s soulful song which almost comes across as a ballad about who she is and what she wants to be. “You’re Welcome” is sung by Maui and the bravado behind the song is reminiscent of Robin Williams singing “You ain’t never had a friend like me.” Maui is smug and believes everyone should be thankful just to be in his presence. Johnson projects this vocally, and it makes for tremendous performance.
The animation in Moana is gorgeously detailed. Fishes and other animals in the sea have an intricate quality to them. The shells aren’t just shells. The shells are rough and different edges. The ocean=illuminates the screen with a lush color palate. The writing is brilliant as well. I loved the scene that was reminiscent of Mad Max: Fury Road when the pirate coconuts were trying to track down Maui and Moana. Moana is the type of film that many should just stop what you are doing and buy a ticket to see it. It’s that kind of a film and these days seeing something that good is relatively rare.
