The Defenders might have a conceptual trailer but the series is still at least a year and a half away. However, that doesn’t mean that rumors of casting aside from the four core members of Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter), and Iron Fist (Finn Jones) have’t started. Aside from those four we have confirmation that Malcolm (Eka Darville) from Jessica Jones it appears that the other half of Nelson and Murdock might be making an appearance.
According to the MCU Exchange Elden Hensen, who plays Foggy Nelson, confirmed that he’s going to make some sort of appearance in the upcoming team up.
“During an appearance at a convention this weekend, Elden Henson, who plays Foggy Nelson in the Daredevil series, confirmed that he’ll be appearing in The Defenders in an unknown capacity. This makes the second cast member from one the solo shows to be confirmed for The Defenders – outside of our heroes, of course – as Eka Darville (Malcolm in Jessica Jones) has previously confirmed his involvement.”
The Defenders will go into production along side Jessica Jones season 2 later this year previous reported. Since Luke Cage is making his solo debut September 30th and Iron Fist is well into shooting it’s safe to assume that Iron Fist is looking at the spring 2017 release and The Defenders is looking at the fall 2017 slot for its release date. Once production starts later this year we can expect even more casting confirmations and rumors to start up.
Here’s some awesome news for your Monday: it sounds like Michael Biehn is returning to the Alien franchise in Neill Blomkamp’s upcoming Alien sequel.
Biehn was Corporal Hicks in James Cameron’s Aliens, and survived the attack along with Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley and Newt. But then, Fox’s nihilistic third entry into the franchise killed off Hicks and Newt, and went on to gain more fame for its troubled production than anything else.
Since Blomkamp’s movie is ignoring Alien Cubed and Resurrection, it makes sense that Corporal Hicks is back. But that didn’t necessarily mean Michael Biehn – the GREAT Michael Biehn – was back on board. Well, in an interview with Simon Thompson at Forbes, Biehn confirmed he was, in fact, returning:
Well, she’s [Sigourney Weaver] doing the movie, Chappie, and he pitches her an idea for another movie in the Alien franchise, which I thought was dead and gone as she probably did too as well as Fox. He tweeted out some pictures of me, he said he’s going take the third and fourth film and act like they never happened and things blew up. It looked like it was all go and then Ridley Scott decided that he was going to do a second and third film in the Prometheus series, but Sigourney says they are still doing their project. I think it would be very embarrassing to Fox if they don’t give Sigourney the movie that she really wants to go out on. I don’t know when it’s going to happen but I know it’s going to happen and I know I’m going to be in it and there’s going to be a new Newt, she’s going to be about 26 or 27 and looks a lot like Jennifer Lawrence to me but I don’t know. Maybe there’ll be a passing of whatever and then the franchise can move on so they can make more money because that’s what it’s all about.
Excellent news. Also, how about the little nugget Biehn dropped in there about the new Newt possibly looking a lot like Jennifer Lawrence? This project is transforming in front of our eyes from some sad attempt at a reboot with the flailing Blomkamp behind the camera, to a thrilling new entry into a franchise that needs a shot in the arm.
We Look Back At The Movie That Changed The ‘Friday The 13th’ Franchise Forever!
It’s hard being one of the longest running horror franchises. You have to remain fresh with new ideas. There is a new ‘Friday The 13th’ film scheduled for 2017 and they have to find ways to be original. Now, imagine how the creators of 1986’s ‘Jason Lives’ felt. They had the task of following a critical and commercial bomb titled ‘Friday The 13th: Part 5’. Also, you had the hype of bringing back the Jason Voorhees we know. The film turned out to be a re-invention of the franchise and pushed the boundaries of what slashers could be.
The director of ‘Friday The 13th VI: Jason Lives‘ Tom McLoughlin was given the chance to create something spectacular and fun for the character of Jason. Inspired by Universal Horror pictures and the director’s comedy background, audiences received a proper departure from previous films without disrespecting previous installments. Recurring character Tommy Jarvis brings Jason back to life in a Frankenstein homage; turning Jason Voorhees into an zombie-like character. It helps explains why we can have the slasher come back to life so easily and adds something new to the character.
These changes started creating a more well-rounded film and made the film feel more involved with the fans. With the meta humor, ‘Jason Lives‘ feels like a pre-cursor for iconic self-referential film ‘Scream‘. Characters are aware that maniacs like Jason exist and we get subtle humor sprinkled throughout.
“I’ve seen enough horror movies to know any weirdo wearing a mask is never friendly.” -Lizabeth (‘Jason Lives‘)
For years the films seemed behind the times but ‘Jason Lives‘ tried to get in touch with the mainstream. Their biggest attempt was connecting with rocker Alice Cooper who provided 3 songs for the film, one being the film’s theme song. 1980’s was about connecting rock & roll with your project but this seemed like a failed attempt to make Jason cool.
It seemed like audiences didn’t agree with attempts at bringing back hardcore fans. Maybe they were jagged by the last film or tired of slashers but it failed at the box-office. ‘Jason Lives‘ lost out to ‘Aliens‘ for the first place spot during its opening weekend. It also became the lowest grossing film in the franchise at the time.
Even when changing the format in a positive way, the film tanked but ended up doing well on home video sales. Since ‘Jason Lives‘, the other ‘Friday The 13th‘ films have featured zombie Jason introduced here. Sadly, we weren’t treated to the same intelligent humor featured in Part 6.
30 years since the release, I admire what this movie has done for Friday The 13th and the horror genre. Jason Voorhees never seemed so brutal but this is also a chance to cheer for the villain. ‘Friday The 13th VI‘ remains one of the best of the 12 deep film franchise. Only the original & ‘The Final Chapter‘ rate higher than this.
One of the things I love about Youtube is how you can find a real gem on the internet. And you can do it with little effort. From finding new music, to youtubers doing hilarious Let’s Plays or movie reviews and the like, you’ll find everything.
Among a recent find for me was the webseries, Mario Warfare. Under the Beat Down Boogie channel, the series follows the famous plumber and his brother as they fight a very rude invasion by Bowser and company.
This is a fan film based on several properties associated with the Nintendo company. Or at the very least they have been in a Smash Brothers game. Anywho, the series is a true labor of love and it shows throughout the project.
Something I was impressed was the writing in the series. Characters like Mario, Peach and Luigi had more life to them outside of what is seen in their respective games. Let’s be honest, Mario games are not known for hard hitting story lines, and probably never will.
Here there’s death, destruction, blood, and adult humor abound. And it’s great!
Mario is not a man to be trifled with and holds his own in a fight. Luigi, one of my favorite characters, stole more than a few scenes he was in. And it was great to see Peach take on role that didn’t require her to be a damsel in distress.
Fight scenes are well choreographed. And the pacing usually hits the mark. Though there were a couple seemed to draw on longer than the scene required. I still think the first scene with Mario taking on some bad guys was the best of the series. And Toad’s introduction was none too shabby either.
I liked how characters ranging from Link, Ness, Red/Ash, Kirby and others were used in the story that actually worked in the story. They didn’t feel forced and more importantly, it didn’t mess with the pace of the story.
I was also impressed with the cinematography, as most fan made projects tend to suffer from technical limitations. This was rarely an issue for this one, and helps to immerse the audience into the movie.
One issue I did have with the film was the treatment of Peach’s atory arc. While I was thrilled with seeing her being more than a goal for a male lead, I found her arc to being a little stifled near the climax of the film.
We see her go from a proper princess, to a warrior trained in combat, to winning the respect of the other protagonists in pugilist combat. She wins their respect by her own skill, which was why I was little bummed when her big fight at the end ends with her being rescued by another character.
It felt anti-climactic, and seemed to undermine her growth as a character, which I loved.
I also loved the music as it didn’t feel like it was hastily thrown together to the lowest bidder.
All in all, this was a web series I really enjoyed watching. Which is a feat since I’ve never been a fan of Mario. If you’re looking for something to watch in lieu of the recent crop of summer flicks, I would highly recommend you check Mario Warfare out.
There was no question who would take the weekend. It was Jason Bourne‘s for the picking, and the Universal picture delivered as it was expected. The action sequel, the third directed by Paul Greengrass and the fourth to star Matt Damon, came in number one and earned a solid $60 million, making it one of the best releases of the summer — at least financially — and one of the few films to beat its predecessor of late, almost earning twice as much as The Bourne Legacy‘s $38.1 million debut. The studio should certainly be pleased.
Jason Bourne didn’t top Damon’s last spin as the titular character, as 2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum opened with $69 million. But it’s, nevertheless, the second-best opening Damon has had in his career. Even if the film didn’t quite rise to the quality of the past installments (read my review here to hear me elaborate on that), it’s easy to see why the actor/producer came back to the part. With a $120 million budget, not including marketing, it’s already halfway into the black and it shouldn’t have any trouble earning a profit. Don’t be surprised to see more Bourne movies with Damon in the future, if they can convince him to come back again.
Also impressing this weekend was Bad Moms, the newest comedy written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, the screenwriters behind the original The Hangover, which earned a better-than-expected $23.4 million in third place. With a budget of $20 million, this one is already a hit for STX Entertainment, the Chinese studio who has struggled to make their way into the business after disappointments like Hardcore Henry and straight-up bombs like Free State of Jonesearlier this year. This is unquestionably their best showing to date.
I missed my screening to see Shrek: The Musical last Thursday, and I’m not disappointed with that decision. But reviews were kinder-than-anticipated for the raunchy comedy, and it seems to fill the same sweet spot made by female-driven comedies like Spy and Trainwreck last summer, as well as Ghostbustersearlier this summer, which came in seventh place this weekend with $9.8 million. Perhaps I’ll check out Bad Moms at some point down the road.
One that I’m also interested to see at some point is Star Trek Beyond, last week’s number one placeholder, which came in second place this weekend with a flat $24 million. This puts its domestic gross above $100 million with $105.7 million in its coin purse, as it continues on its way to make back its $185 million budget. The sci-fi blockbuster seems to be meeting expectations, which is more than what can be said for a few other films this summer. Like I said, I hope to add a little extra change to its gross soon when I get the chance to see it for myself.
A movie I did see, however, and enjoyed a surprising bit was Nerve, the other new release this week, which came in eighth place with $9 million. Released on Wednesday, that brings its total up to $15 million and, with a budget under $20 million, it should be doing just fine. Also holding their own are The Secret Life of Pets in fourth place with $18.2 million added to its incredible $296.2 million domestic gross and Lights Outin fifth place with an extra $10 million accumulated to its $42.9 million domestic gross (it only cost $5 million to make).
Meanwhile, Ice Age: Collision Course continues to disappoint, at least in the U.S., with a measly $10.5 million in its second weekend, making its domestic gross an underwhelming $42.9 million thus far. This is doubly disappointing for Blue Sky Studios, as animated family films have reigned king in an otherwise disappointing summer — especially with the aforementioned The Secret Life of Pets and Pixar’s Finding Dory, which came in ninth place over the weekend with $4.2 million added to its staggering $469 million domestic gross.
Finally, Dinesh D’Souza’s slanderous documentary Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party got knocked out of the top ten behind The Legend of Tarzan‘s fifth weekend, but it came in eleventh place with $2.3 million, which makes its domestic gross $8.7 million thus far. It’s the highest grossing documentary of the year, whether I like it or not. Additionally, Woody Allen’s charming Cafe Societyis working its way up as it enters more theaters. It came in twelfth place with $2.3 million, making its domestic gross $3.9 million at the moment.
With only a few months left until we’re all in the theater, popcorn in hand, checking out the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the marketing is starting to pick up. We got a new trailer from San Diego Comic-Con International, and now have some trippy promotional art for you to feast your eyes on.
Will you be picking up this Doctor Strange themed calender? Be sure to let us know in the comments section of this article, down below.
Before he met the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange was an unlikable and egotistical neurosurgeon. Everything changes when a car accident limits Strange’s use of his hands, sending him on a maddening quest for a miracle cure. This origin story introduces the magical and mystical realms of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The “God Of War” Ares Could Make An Appearance In The Upcoming DCEU Film
With the World War 1 setting for ‘Wonder Woman‘, one of her most famous villains could be pulling the strings. Once Danny Huston showed up in the first trailer, I think Ares is coming to the DC Extended Universe.
Some have suspected that Ares may make an appearance in the film. The setting, the mentions of Greek Gods, and especially Wonder Woman saying she has fought monsters from other worlds before in ‘Batman v Superman‘ have furthered these rumors. Youtubers New Rockstars have speculated that Danny Huston could be playing Kaiser Wilhem, Germany’s Emperor at the time. While that may seem like a stretch, a problematic ruler is the perfect cover for the God of War.
What could Ares bring to the table? While seeing Wonder Woman basically fight nazis makes for a great plot, these DC films seem to be always planning something bigger. The World War 1 background will be important, I believe there is much graver danger to be dealt with. Nothing is more grave than an psycho god!
It’s also been rumored we will see Circe, another Greek god that’s known to fight against Wonder Woman. Her and Ares are said to team up in this film. Could she be that mysterious and intriguing woman we saw in the trailer?
It will be some time before DC makes any announcement towards the villain of the piece; especially after the backlash of showing Doomsday so early in ‘BvS‘ promo but the rumor mill will keep running. I hope all of these rumors become truth because this solo ‘Wonder Woman‘ piece is building towards being an epic.
Who do you think will be the villain for 2017’s ‘Wonder Woman‘?
Recent remake Ben Hur is expected to perform far below Paramount Picture’s expectations as reported by recent article from Hollywood Reporter. Projecting around $14-15 million dollars over the weekend, this may be the sign the remake wave is reaching its peak.
Many classic films (RoboCop, Total Recall, Ghostbusters, etc.) are undergoing remakes or reboots to varying levels of success. Ben Hur, among the most revered of films to undergo such treatment, shows that sometimes you should leave well enough alone.
The trailer presents more of an ancient Roman sports film over an epic tale of revenge and redemption. Though it is heavy in special effects, over the top action sequences, and a stellar cast (I do like the casting of Morgan Freeman and Jack Houston), it lacks the heart and soul of the legendary film starring Charlton Heston.
Whether or not this will see the end of the remake/reboot trend remains to be seen. What are your thoughts on the movie and of this particular trend?
At San Diego Comic-Con exclusives are one of the biggest draws to the convention. 20th Century Fox decided to cash in on this by offering a limited-edition Dazzler album cover to the first people that pre-order the X-Men: Apocalypse bluray at their booth. The cover is from a deleted scene in the movie where Jean Grey, Scott Summers, Jubilee, and Nightcrawler go to the mall for an 80’s montage.
However, it appears that the art used on that cover might be yet another case of studios stealing art off of the internet without credit or permission from the original artist. Artist Bill Sienkiewicz accused the studio on twitter of using his art without permission or notification on the album covers.
At the moment this is just a rumor and we attempted to reach out to Sienkiewicz via social media we did not receive a response. We also attempted to reach out to 20th Century Fox via social media and have not received a response at this time.
A New Monday Night Raw and Smackdown Live Have Forever Changed WWE!
We are one week removed from the WWE draft. Since then, we’ve seen a massive PPV and some dramatic changes to their weekly programing Monday Night Raw and Smackdown Live. New wrestlers have debut and new titles have been created; the landscape of WWE has shifted dramatically.
But where do we go from here?
The company has been needing a shake-up for the past few years. The same faces were running the main event scene while the mid-card and women’s division was thrown to the back burner. Now it seems things are finally switching around; NXT star Finn Balor has a main event title match and people like Dolph Ziggler are getting pushed again. Can’t forget to mention how powerful the women’s division has grown with an influx of new talent and a brand new Women’s Champion named Sasha Banks. These are drastic changes from a company many thought would be forever behind the times.
With SummerSlam and NXT Takeover: Back To Brooklyn around the corner, WWE still has time to keep pushing this new era they love to mention. Both cards are filled with new faces and new opportunities for stars to shine. The real challenge is how long can they keep this up? I remember the first WWE Draft starting out as this epic moment in wrestling history and it quickly fizzled out so how do we keep this fresh?
First, we keep pushing talent from NXT and under-used wrestlers as a way to keep things from getting stale. Long gone are the days when John Cena, Big Show, and Randy Orton can dominate the main events; we need new people to take their place and push the brands further into the future. With companies like Lucha Underground, NJPW, and PWG giving quality events…this is the first time in a long time that WWE actually has competition. But knowing the McMahon’s, all they will do is just keep buying talent from other brands in an attempt to make them fail.
Second, we have to give better matches. Sometimes these WWE matches are paint-by-numbers. The spots are easy to call and there is no real tension. If we start allowing some minor changes to how we pace and execute matches, I believe fans will be kept entertained after weeks and weeks. Wrestlemania seems like the time where they switch match structures; it gives things a big fight feel and engages viewers. If we add more matches like this to the monthly PPVs or even some RAW/Smackdown main events, we could be looking at a wrestling renaissance.
There is also a Cruiserweight tournament happening weekly on the WWE Network. The best talent from around the globe compete to win a chance to apart of wrestling’s future. Never has something this global happened within the company, another sign at their want to change.
Do you think WWE can keep this up or will they let us down within a few months?
A movie I did see, however, and enjoyed a surprising bit was Nerve, the other new release this week, which came in eighth place with $9 million. Released on Wednesday, that brings its total up to $15 million and, with a budget under $20 million, it should be doing just fine. Also holding their own are 
