Set photos from Wonder Woman continue to pour onto the internet since production started in late November. Instagram user blazzinsaddles last week posted some video footage of a scene from the film.
If you look at one of the videos you can briefly see Pine dressed as Steve Trevor, United States Air Force Pilot and Gal Gadot as Diana Prince (Wonder Woman’s alter ego). One thing that was noticeable in the shot was Pine’s character seems to escort a robed Amazonian through the market square, perhaps to conceal her true identity.
Filming will continue to take place on location in the UK, France and Italy.
Wonder Woman is directed by Patty Jenkins from Jason Fuchs screenplay. The film stars Gal Gadot as Diane Prince/Wonder Woman, Chris Pine as Captain Steve Trevor, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Ewen Bremner, Saïd Taghmaoui, Elena Anaya, and Lucy Davis.
Set to open in 2017, the film is based on characters created by William Moulton Marston, appearing in comic books published by DC Entertainment.
Hide the woman and child, as the Deadpool promotion is in full swing! The latest is a Deadpool infomercial for February’s issue of Empire.
Based upon Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti-hero, DEADPOOL tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.
Deadpool is directed by Tim Miller, starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Gina Carano, Ed Skrein, and Brianna Hildebrand.
Pablo Hidalgo is a creative executive at Lucasfilm.
We here at Monkeys Fighting Robots apologize for misleading our amazing audience.
Star Wars: Episode VIII is written and directed by Rian Johnson, and stars Daisy Ridley, Oscar Issac, John Boyega, Carrie Fisher, Gwendoline Christie, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mark Hamill, and Debicio Del Toro as a new villain.
Star Wars: Episode VIII will be in theaters on May 26, 2017.
FOX released a 21-minute featurette, to re-introduce audiences to The X-Files.
Thirteen years after the original series run, the next mind-bending chapter of THE X-FILES is a thrilling, six-episode event series from creator/executive producer Chris Carter, with stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson re-inhabiting their roles as iconic FBI Agents FOX MULDER and DANA SCULLY.
Mitch Pileggi also returns as FBI ASST. DIR. WALTER SKINNER, Mulder and Scully’s boss, who walks a fine line between loyalty to these investigators and accountability to his superiors. This marks the momentous return of the Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning pop culture phenomenon, which remains one of the longest-running sci-fi series in network television history.
THE X-FILES debuts with a special two-night event beginning Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016. The upcoming event series will encompass a mixture of stand-alone episodes and those that further the original show’s seminal mythology. In the opening episode, Mulder and Scully take on a case of a possible alien abductee.
The all-new episodes will feature appearances by guest stars, including Joel McHale (“Community”), Robbie Amell (“The Flash”), Lauren Ambrose (“Dig,” “Six Feet Under”), Annabeth Gish (“The Bridge”), Annet Mahendru (“The Americans”), Rhys Darby (“Flight of the Conchords”), Kumail Nanjiani (“Silicon Valley”) and William B. Davis, who reprises his role as “Cigarette Smoking Man.” Three of the episodes are written and directed by Chris Carter, with the remaining new episodes written and directed by original series veterans Glen Morgan, Darin Morgan and James Wong.
Maybe the biggest mystery leading up to The Force Awakens was “How are Rey and Kylo Ren related to the Skywalkers?” Speculation ran wild based on old Expanded Universe stories, toy descriptions/voice boxes, and extremely brief moments from the trailers. Are the two siblings? Cousins?
Here’s what is now known: Kylo Ren is actually Ben Solo. He seemed strangely interested in this girl from Jakku, even before he saw her or learned her name. Most importantly, Rey is strong in the Force, and has some skill in wielding it without any training (that’s been seen).
She’s not originally from Jakku, so where is she from? Time for the top five theories:
1. Rey Skywalker
The biggest and most likely theory is that Rey is the daughter of Luke Skywalker. Now, Jedi aren’t supposed to have partners or procreate, but Luke has never been the typical Jedi, having come around decades after the fall of the Jedi Order. He could have had Rey, trained her partially, and then hid her on Jakku to protect her from her cousin Ben. Or maybe he felt his emotions clouding his judgment, similar to why Anakin ultimately fell to the dark side, and stashed her away until he could learn to better control them.
The big argument here is that Rey would have remembered Luke being her father, or that Han and Leia would have recognized her. But what if Luke used the Force to fudge her memories a little? This would also help explain why she’s suddenly so good with her powers; her training is slowly coming back to her as she comes in contact with the Force. As for Han and Leia, no one is saying that Luke had Rey before going into exile. He could have had her later, and his friends would have never known. Then again, maybe they do know the truth and are just waiting to see how events turn out. It’s happened before in the Star Wars Universe (looking at you Obi-Wan, knowingly letting Luke fall for his sister).
And what about Lor San Tekka, the elderly man who gives Poe the map to Luke’s whereabouts? He just happens to be living on the outskirts of Jakku where this Force strong girl lives? And Luke (presumably) gave him of all people the final piece of the map? Sounds like there might be another Ben Kenobi situation happening here. An old man, living a peaceful existence, keeping an eye on his friend’s offspring from afar until the time is right.
Finally, there’s the lightsaber, the strongest argument for Rey being Luke’s offspring. The Skywalker lightsaber calls to Rey from Maz Kanata’s basement. She answers the call, and upon touching the saber, awakens something in the Force (heh). Maz Kanata tells her explicitly, this was Luke’s lightsaber, and his father’s before him, and now it’s calling to Rey. That sounds pretty on-the-nose. Star Wars has always been the story of the Skywalker family trying to bring balance to the Force. Is Rey the next chapter in that story? And who’s her mother?
2. A Promising Padawan of Luke’s New Jedi Academy
What if Rey was just another very promising student of Luke’s new Jedi Academy, second only to his nephew? The Force Awakens alludes that Kylo Ren decimated Luke’s plans for a new Jedi Order, and possibly killed all of his pupils. Master Skywalker may have taken his last hope for the Jedi and hidden her for later use. This could also explain why Kylo Ren is so fixated on Rey; she’s the one that got away. And again, similar to the previous theory, Luke may have blocked certain memories of Rey’s until he chose to retrieve her.
So her family may not be of any importance after all. Similar to Anakin, maybe she was just a youngling given to the Jedi so that she may have a better life. Her story could be more important than just what her last name is. Are fans really going to try and track down the family history of each and every child that Luke trained? This is Star Wars, so the answer is “probably, yeah.” But no one is saying that they’re going to find anything.
3. Rey Solo
Do twins run in the Skywalker family?
The Lucasfilm Story Group has shown that they’re not afraid to borrow concepts from the old Expanded Universe. Kylo Ren is a dead ringer for Jacen Solo, son of Han and Leia, and pupil of Luke who ultimately falls to the dark side. Jacen had a twin sister in those E.U. tales, Jaina, who inherited both her mother’s Force sensitivity and her father’s mechanical prowess. These traits sound very familiar in light of The Force Awakens.
Rey does not seem to be the same age as Kylo Ren; he appears older. But even if they aren’t twins, they could be siblings. This would again explain why Kylo Ren looks shaken when he’s told that Finn escaped Jakku with a native girl. He remembers his sister, who maybe he could not bring himself to kill when he was wiping out Luke’s students. Maybe Kylo was even the one who left her on Jakku, not her parents, as an alternate way of taking her out of the picture.
The idea of a Force mind wipe is once again in play, explaining why Rey doesn’t remember Han and Leia as her parents, only as legends. Perhaps the reason they don’t reveal themselves to her when they meet is a matter of timing. They didn’t want to overwhelm her with this news on top of the burden she took on bringing the map to the Resistance, and now bringing the lightsaber to Luke.
Jaina Solo ultimately had to put her brother Jacen down, so it will be interesting to see just how much Lucasfilm ends up borrowing from the E.U.
4. A Descendant of Obi-Wan Kenobi
What was Obi-Wan up to for those 19 years on Tatooine?
Almost nothing is known of old Ben during these years in the new canon. Marvel’s Star Wars comic features Luke finding his mentor’s journal, and a whole issue is dedicated to telling just one tale. Will future stories reveal a tryst resulting in pregnancy?
Obi-Wan wasn’t a stickler for Jedi law; he was more of a big-picture guy than one to get lost in dogma. He even reveals in The Clone Wars that he once considered leaving the Order to be with Satine Kryze of Mandalore. He has known love, so who is to say that he couldn’t fall victim to it once more? Especially in the aftermath of Order 66; the Jedi are dead, and so are their rules. Taking it even further, maybe he was never aware of his child, which means he couldn’t be aware of a granddaughter. But when Luke was tracking down the next generation of Jedi, he probably would have been drawn to the familiar presence of a Kenobi.
The similarities are there. First, there’s the Coruscanti accent (though any true Star Wars fan knows Obi-Wan comes from Stewjon), which neither Luke, Leia, nor Han have. Then there’s the obvious Force sensitivity, but more specifically there is the aptitude for the Jedi Mind Trick, which Rey seems to pick up on very quickly. Finally, there is the fact that Obi-Wan actually spoke to Rey via the Force in Episode VII. It would be very fitting for Luke to have trained his friend and master’s grandchild, and it would explain why he was protective enough to hide her from Snoke and the First Order. This theory may not be as outlandish as it sounds.
5. Female Clone of Luke Skywalker
Ah yes, the dreaded “C” word of the Star Wars Universe.
Like it or not, clones exist in this galaxy, and have played a major role in the canon. Not only that, but Jedi clones in particular have already been established in Star Wars video games. Perhaps Luke cloned himself to give the Jedi hope once he was gone (a bit egotistical, but perhaps). Or perhaps he cloned himself to have a child, similar to how Jango Fett had Boba Fett. Rey could be Luke’s vision for the future, the last chance for peace in the galaxy, stored on Jakku for when she is needed most. It would best explain her natural capacity for using the Force: it’s literally ingrained in her DNA. Kylo Ren also mentions the Republic’s old clone army, showing that the technology has not been forgotten 50+ years post-Revenge of the Sith.
Spider-Man fans can attest that clone stories can be very detrimental to a franchise. But, if told right, they have great potential, and gender-bent clone stories have especially proven popular (X-23 and Ultimate Spider-Woman are just two fan favorites). If Rey is Luke’s clone, it could add layers to her character as she strives to find meaning in her life, and fights to become her own person over the upcoming films. Suddenly the clone theory doesn’t sound so bad.
Bonus Theory: Force Baby
This one is for fans of the prequels. Remember how The Phantom Menace revealed that Anakin had no father? He was some sort of immaculate conception, supposedly created by the Force, explaining his increased sensitivity to it. Maybe Rey is another case of Force conception, explaining her increased sensitivity and powers. This would actually tie in nicely with the theory that Supreme Leader Snoke is actually Darth Plagueis, who not only strove to conquer death through the Force, but also wanted to be able to create life. Though it’s hard to believe Lucasfilm would want to mirror one of the most hated plot points of the entire Star Wars saga.
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Rey says she’s no one, and some audience members are hoping she’s right. But too many breadcrumbs have been left by the filmmakers; she’s someone with a backstory worth telling.
2015 was a notably barren year for horror movies. Many excellent entries were relegated to festival circuits and immediate VOD releases, never receiving the glory of proper big-screen tours. Much of this has to do with the real paradigm shift in distribution when it comes to lower-budget horror. Distributing movies isn’t a cheap thing and the horror genre, in particular, is more susceptible to the “Netflix and chill” attitude than many other options. Unless you’re Jason Blum, getting your gore in front of audiences has become more about streaming than projecting (or pressing play on that DCP).
2016 offers a lot of horrific potential and it is up to us, the audience, to vote with our wallet and demand to see these flicks in cinemas where they belong. Of course, not all releases will be classics so let’s look at the top 8 offerings 2016 holds in horror.
8) 31January 23rd
This is the new Rob Zombie movie. I’ll let the IMDb synopsis say everything I need to say about it.
31 tells the story of five carnies in 1976 kidnapped on the morning of Halloween and held hostage in a remote industrial Hell. While trapped, they are forced to play a violent game called 31. The mission is to survive 12 hours against an endless gang of grease-painted maniacs.
If we’re looking for the next Paranormal Activity, this could be it. Lights Out is based on the effective short of the same name by David Sandberg. Sandberg was hired to expand the idea of a creature that only shows up when, you guessed it, the lights are out and word is that he has proven himself capable of delivering more than just a good hook. Color me cautious when it comes to my expectations for this one, as I’m not a fan of the short which is nothing more than a well-executed jump scare. But I’m interested.
Laugh all you want, but Seth Grahame-Smith’s source novel is a very clever take on Jane Austen’s seminal classic, serving up something greater than an eye-rolling cash-in on a popular horror trend. The film could be a total train wreck but does boast a stellar cast including Lily James, Matt Smith, Lena Headey and Charles Dance. It probably will lean more toward the action in this action-horror mash but the trailer looks promising nonetheless.
5) RingsApril 1st
The long-gestating third entry in the Ring series greets us on April Fools Day, this time coming from director, F. Javier Gutierrez, with a script co-penned by Akiva Goldsman (I Am Legend). The 2002 American remake of Ringu, was a bonafide horror blockbuster, providing genuine scares and disturbing imagery that tilted the genre for the better part of the next decade. Its sequel, however… not so much. The series’ attempt at reinvigoration with a new, hot director at the helm is at the very least an intriguing release if not to see if it can recapture the spirit of the “original”.
4) A Man in the DarkAugust 26th
Fede Alvarez’s follow-up to his Evil Dead debut is an intriguing item simply to see if Alvarez can keep bringing the goods. His Evil Dead wasn’t amazing, but its heart was in the right place and took some ambition when it could have been a weak studio facade of a movie. A Man in the Dark follows a group of teens after they’ve broken into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ve gotten away with the perfect crime. So far, all we have is that general tagline and, at the very least, it promises something mischievous, surprising and potentially very brutal. Count me in.
3) The Purge 3July 1st
The Purge series has become a strange summer mainstay after debuting two years ago to big success and following that up with an even better entry and even bigger success. We’ll see if the climb in quality continues with sequel two as they are bringing back star of The Purge: Anarchy, Frank Grillo. Grillo provided the sequel with an gray moral center and overall badassery that didn’t exist in the first go-around. It also helped that Anarchy actually cashed-in on the idea of a city as big as LA allowing all crime for 12 hours. I’m hopefully optimistic for The Purge 3 when it hits summer 2016.
2) The Conjuring 2: The Enfield PoltergeistJune 10th
The Conjuringis a stone cold classic of the genre. James Wan (Saw, Insidious) proved his chops at building scares as well as characters yet again in the “true” story of real life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The sequel is set to detail what Lorraine Warren herself considers the most evil presence the husband and wife team ever faced. The Conjuring already spun out of itself when Annabelle hit theaters in 2014 to less than stellar acclaim. Mr. Wan is the real star of this show and audiences will be sure to arrive at what is arguably the biggest horror release of 2016.
This 2015 festival darling was unfortunately pushed from the Halloween season where it rightfully belonged and moved to late February of ’16 by distributor A24. The movie details the plight of a family so Puritan, the New England Puritan village which housed them kicks them out for their radical Puritanism and into the wild where they soon discover an evil torment lurking at the edges of the surrounding woods. Written and directed by newcomer Robert Eggers, The Witch features stunning photography, bone-deep scares and era-accurate dialogue which deepens the feeling of dread. I was lucky enough to see the film in 2015 and I can’t wait to take everyone I know once it finally hits in the new year.
Fans of Doctor Strange have much to look forward to with the film set to be released in late 2016. As a treat to start the new year, Entertainment Weekly released a first look at the beloved Marvel Character in it’s special beginning of the year double issue. Not only will fans find Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in full costume on the cover but inside the issue we were treated to exclusive pictures from the highly anticipated film.The film follows the story of self-centered neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange who transforms into a sorcerer after a horrific car accident and stumbles upon a hidden world of magic. Marvel Comics’ Stan Lee and Steve Ditko co-created the character in 1963.The movie also stars Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Mads Mikkelsen. Swinton will play Strange’s mentor, the Ancient One, while Ejiofor will appear as Baron Mordo, who also studied under the Ancient One before becoming Strange’s nemesis.Directed by Scott Derrickson (“Sinister”) and written by Jon Spaihts, “Doctor Strange” hits theaters on Nov. 4, 2016.
Without question, my favorite picture would be the first one of Doctor Strange getting ready to cast a spell on someone. I’m also left with a ton of questions about the third and the fourth pictures in the group. What are we seeing in that third photo? Is that his secret layer? Who’s the lady in the fourth picture? From what I have seen, Marvel has done a wonderful job peeking the interests of many fans as we head into 2016.
This article, Top 5 Deaths In The Star Wars Cinematic Universe will contain spoilers from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, do not continue if you don’t want the film spoiled.
With the exception of The Empire Strikes Back, there is a major death in every Star Wars film to date. With the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens we look at the top five deaths in the Star Wars Cinematic Universe. This list only takes in account what the audience witnessed in the seven films, and will not branch out into the books, comics, and or the Ewoks television specials.
Honorable mention to all the contract workers the were killed on the second Death Star during the Battle of Endor.
5. Darth Maul
This death falls under, “Are you kidding me!” Darth Maul is one the of the coolest villains in the Star Wars Universe and to only have him around for a short bit seems a little unjust. The prequels brought an entirely different style to the lightsaber duel, and Darth Maul had the wicked double bladed lightsaber. After Darth Maul killed Qui-Gon Jinn, it was only a matter of time before Obi-Wan Kenobi took him out.
Darth Maul was resurected by the Clone Wars animated series in 2012.
4. Count Dooku
The death of Count Dooku is important because this is where Anakin Skywalker crosses over to the Dark Side for good and becomes a pawn for Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious. In the first encounter with Dooku, Obi-Wan and Anakin got beat badly, with Anakin losing an arm. Yoda had to come in and save the day. In the rematch, the audience sees how powerful Anakin has become.
3. Darth Vader – Anakin Skywalker
The death of Darth Vader completes the trilogy of the original films. The fight between Luke and Vader in front of the Emperor is tense and emotional. There is real turmoil between the Light and the Dark Side as Luke defends his sister. Then Vader sacrifices himself to save his son. This act is the definition of redemption.
2. Han Solo
Han Solo’s death in The Force Awakens has to be the most emotional death in the Star Wars Universe. Fans finally get the return of Han, and he gets killed off by his kid.
Were you on the edge of your seat as Han walked towards Kylo Ren on the catwalk?
Never before has a scruffy looking nerf herder silenced a theater as Han’s lifeless body fell into the abyss. Fans would give anything to rewrite the ending of Star Wars: The Force Awakens to bring back their favorite smuggler.
1. Obi-Wan Kenobi
The death of Obi-Wan Kenobi at the hands of Darth Vader is one of the biggest mysteries of the Star Wars Universe and that is why it is ranked number one. As with the death of Yoda, Obi-Wan just vannishes into thin air. Did Vader kill him, or did Obi-Wan merge with the Force first?
There’s even a crazy Reddit thread that claims Obi-Wan killed himself to frame Vader, to turn Luke against his father.
The films never truly explain the Force ghost and how it works.
What do you think was the biggest death in the Star Wars Universe is?
Christopher Nolan is one of those directors, like Quentin Tarantino and Paul Thomas Anderson, who’s next project is probably just as anticipated as the one they just finished. If the news circulating is accurate, it appears Nolan is heading into some unfamiliar territory with his next project, an historical World War II film about Operation Dynamo, a rescue mission that was a “near-miraculous evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and other Allied troops from the French seaport of Dunkirk which took place from May-June in 1940.”
According to the report at The Playlist, Nolan is angling towards this as his next project, which already has a release date of July 21, 2017. And which he will almost certainly shoot in 70mm. That’s when you know you’re a big deal as a director, when your next project has a release date and nothing else substantial.
This is exciting news for me, as I imagine it is for any fans of Nolan who want to see him take a new direction with his larger-than-life filmmaking. I adore the ambition behind hid Batman films, the mind-bending curiosity of Interstellar and Inception, and his smaller works like Following, Memento and The Prestige (yeah, he did a remake of Insomnia too, shh). But for all his grandiosity and scope, Nolan has never been handcuffed by the real world. His stories are always in some realm of fiction, never grounded by anything the audience knows ahead of time – unless you count Tesla’s participation in The Prestige.
Taking on an actual historical event is decidedly different for a director who has made a distinct mark as a fantastical visual master. His ideas have always been in the forefront of his epic works. But now, the story has already been told for him.
It’s a new approach for Christopher Nolan, one I’m sure he will manage. His filmmaking style, broad and expansive, fits, the material. I can’t wait to see what he does with it.
Doctor Strange is currently filming and Entertainment Weekly has a first look at Benedict Cumberbatch in full costume. Cumberbatch also talked to the magazine about casting a few spells.
“I’m still in the infancy of learning all that. It was like, okay, I’ve got to keep throwing these poses, these spells, these rune-casting things, everything he does physically. I’m thinking, there’s going to be a huge amount of speculation and intrigue over the positioning of that finger as opposed to it being there, or there. And I’m still working on that. We haven’t played any of those scenes yet. I felt really self-conscious. But, then, by the end, it was great. It’s like anything, you just have to experiment,” said Cumberbatch.
Doctor Strange is directed by Scott Derrickson and stars Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, and Michael Stuhlbarg with Mads Mikkelsen and Tilda Swinton.
‘Doctor Strange’ follows the story of neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a horrific car accident, discovers the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions.
Doctor Strange will hit theaters on November 4, 2016.
What do you think of the costume, leave your comments below.
