Tom Cruise has been in extended talks to star in Universal’s new reboot of The Mummy, which is set to kick off their new Universal Monsters Universe. I’m going to go out on a limb and say Cruise will not be the mummy.
The film, from Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan – who will be overlords of this new extended universe – will be written by Jonathan Spats (Prometheus, Van Helsing… of) and Kurtzman is set to direct. According to the Variety report, “Cruise isn’t expected to produce, but will play a major part in helping develop this new franchise, sources say. Cruise’s name is expected to play a large part in not only the “Mummy” franchise, but also in the monster universe, as it’s planned that characters will have roles in other monster movies leading up to an “Avengers”-style tie-in film.”
It’s an interesting pairing for sure, Cruise and The Mummy, but Cruise seems to have an interest in the subject matter. He was once tapped to star in Van Helsing, but stepped away and Hugh Jackman took over.
The full trailer for Terrence Malick’s latest ensemble drama Knight of Cups has been released. And while it is still “full Malick,” with long walks on the beach – and long walks everywhere – and beautifully composed cinematography, it appears to have more energy and forward momentum than Malick’s more recent Tree of Life (brilliant) and To The Wonder (boring). He even seems to be channeling a bit of Bret Easton Ellis with the languid lost souls drifting around Los Angeles nightlife.
Not to mention, this Knight of Cups trailer seems to have more dialogue than To The Wonder did in its entire runtime:
I adore The Tree of Life. It’s a hypnotizing, introspective, very personal film for Malick. But To The Wonder felt like a parody of ToL. Which is why the teaser trailer for Knight of Cups was a bit worrisome for me, because we can’t keep drifting through the nothingness, can we? My favorite part of the trailer, though, has to be Antonio Banderas saying “raspberries” and “strawberries.” What a great accent!
Knight of Cups is set for a March 16 release. That could always change, this being a Malick film and all.
The Twitter account for Jimmy Kimmel Live just tweeted that Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. will be on the show tonight (Tuesday) with a big Civil War surprise.
Could fans get a glimpse of Captain America: Civil War or will they final get the trailer that’s been rumored to drop any time now?
Jimmy Kimmel Live airs at 11:35 and 10:35 central on ABC.
Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, Captain America: Civil War picks up where Avengers: Age of Ultron left off, as Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain.
Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Chadwick Boseman, Emily VanCamp, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, and Martin Freeman.
Captain America: Civil War is set for release on May 6, 2016.
David Ayer’s Suicide Squad re-introduces the world to the Joker played by Jared Leto, and Joker’s car played by Vaydor.
“I wanted something different. I’m a fan of the supercar look,” said Matt McEntegart the creator of the Vaydor.
McEntegart created the Vaydor, which is a kit car. He designed the fiberglass body and associated hardware and accessories to fit onto the chassis of an Infinity G-35. According to MyFox13 McEntegart sells the kit for under $16,000.
Suicide Squad is directed by Ayer and stars Will Smith as Deadshot, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Oscar winner Jared Leto as the Joker, Jai Courtney as Boomerang, and Cara Delevingne as Enchantress.
The band of anti-heroes will be in theaters on August 5, 2016.
Far more than just a sequel or spin-off, Creed is a thoughtful, emotional, and ultimately rousing boxing tale that’s as entertaining and memorable as any of the best films in the Rocky series to which it owes its lineage and characters. Just like the character at its heart, it establishes itself as a cinematic powerhouse in its own right, thanks to a compelling script, strong performances from its leads, and palpable visual energy and excitement, particularly during the boxing sequences.
Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station, Fantastic Four) plays Adonis Johnson, the son of boxing legend Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers, shown in photographs and in flashback), who was born after Creed’s death in the ring in 1985 and thus grew up never knowing his father. Driven to be a professional fighter, Adonis finds himself barred at every turn in his native Los Angeles from finding a trainer, as everyone in the fight game out there knows who his father was and want no part in ushering the son to a similar fate. Against the wishes of his adoptive mother, Mary Anne Creed, Apollo’s widow (Phylicia Rashad), Adonis heads east to Philadelphia, seeking out the one man he thinks will be sympathetic to his ambitions due to his own boxing experience and his shared history with Apollo, the old Italian Stallion himself, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone).
Still harboring guilt for his fallen friend, Rocky initially refuses to train Adonis for much the same reasons that others out west did. Undaunted, the young man takes up residence in Philly and begins training on his own, along the way meeting and getting to know his downstairs neighbor, Bianca (Tessa Thompson, Selma), an aspiring singer-songwriter who in her own way is battling the odds in order to live the life she desires. Eventually, however, Rocky finds himself won over by Adonis’ determination and desire, and the two begin to work together as Adonis prepares for his first bout as a pro.
The results of that first fight draw the attention of the folks managing the career of the current world light heavyweight champion, “Pretty” Ricky Conlan (real-life British former light heavyweight champ Tony Bellew), who are anxious to book a high-profile fight for Conlan prior to his having to deal with legal difficulties that could end his career. Faced with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to fight a champion, just as Rocky was decades before, Adonis and Rocky agree to the bout, but as they begin to prepare, Rock finds himself fighting a battle of his own, one far more devastating than any he fought in the ring. It then falls to the protegé to help his newfound mentor rediscover the will to fight, while at the same time overcoming his own fears and doubts in order to be completely focused and capable of taking on the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
C’mon, admit it. You can hear that old Bill Conti Rocky theme in your head now, can’t you?
Creed is written and directed by Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler, marking the first time in the history of the Rocky series that Stallone isn’t the one penning the story or screenplay. You might not know it, though, for how well Coogler demonstrates not only an understanding of Rocky and his place in Philadelphia’s heart, but also of the prior films’ tone and tenor. The result is a film that’s almost a love letter to what came before, as well as an inspired introduction to a new character and story which might be just as deserving of audiences’ applause. In particular, Coogler makes the motivations for all the film’s principals, even “Pretty” Ricky Conlan, realistic and relatable in terms of who they are and where they’ve come from. There’s no false sentiment, no forced emotion or overblown melodrama to be found here, even in the film’s subplots involving Rocky’s health and Adonis’ relationship with Bianca, each of which could have added saccharine to a film premise that already had plenty of potential to get stuck in maudlin nostalgia and the tried-and-true fight film formula. Rest assured, thanks to Cooglan’s strong ear for authentic dialogue and emotion, they do not.
In terms of acting performances, Jordan turns in fine work here as the quietly intense and somewhat haunted Adonis, a young man seemingly stuck in a fight to escape the shadow of a man he never met, while at the same time desirous of the chance to prove that he, in fact, has the talent and the toughness to follow in that same man’s footsteps. He and Stallone develop a very enjoyable chemistry on-screen as teacher and student, with Stallone clearly relishing the opportunity to play Balboa this time as the old school trainer, what Mick, the late, great Burgess Meredith, was to him all those years ago – quite a bit of the film’s humor and charm, in fact, comes from Stallone quipping “Old Man Rocky” lines. It’s those moments of humor, and the fact that Stallone himself has the opportunity to play Rocky in a way different than any previous film appearance for the character, that make his prominence in the film worthwhile and a pleasure to watch. Tessa Thompson also proves a terrific match for Jordan in terms of on-screen sparks and chemistry — the courtship of Adonis and Bianca, in its own way, is reminiscent of Rocky and Adrian way back when: awkward at first, but eventually earnest and sweet.
All that, when considered along with Coogler’s tremendous vision and creativity in terms of how Creed plays out visually — watch for he uses long takes in particular during key moments to set scenes and build tension, as well as his dynamic, visceral staging of Adonis’ fights, any and all of which depict “the sweet science” with tremendous energy and ferocity — and what you get is a film that should be a knock-out with just about all audiences. It’s a feat for which he deserves a ton of credit — this is a film that could have easily been disastrous in the hands of a different writer and director, one that fans of the series might have chosen to ignore had it proved a failure, especially after 2006’s Rocky Balboa provided the worthy finale to Rocky’s own story that 1990’s Rocky V arguably failed to do. Instead, Coogler delivers a film Rocky fans as well as casual movie goers can celebrate and point to as another triumph in a series that’s historically has been full of them.
Creed
Starring Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, and Anthony Bellew. Directed by Ryan Coogler.
Running Time: 132 minutes
Rated PG-13 for violence, language and some sensuality.
In anticipation of the November 25th release of CREED, we’ll be taking a look back at the ROCKY franchise and discussing why these characters and this world are still relevant and necessary forty years later.
Adrian Balboa has died.
Watching all six of the Rocky movies brings one thing to the very forefront: Rocky Balboa would do anything for Adrian. His love for her is so true, beautiful and innocent that taking it away feels like a cruel joke. In a more cynical movie, it probably would be. But there isn’t a cynical bone in Rocky’s body and Sylvester Stallone is acutely aware of what this movie means for his character.
Rocky Balboa (2006) punches the audience in the heart repeatedly over its first act. The slow reveal of Adrian’s gravestone* is like a knife twisting in your heart as Rocky goes through his routine of visiting his wife. He lovingly places flowers on the stone and perches his sitting chair in the tree next to the stone so that it’s there waiting for him when he returns. It being the anniversary of Adrian’s passing, Paulie escorts Rocky to all of their old stomping grounds: the pet store, Rocky’s original stoop and a now-torn-down skating rink. It’s at the skating rink where Paulie has his most human moment in the series, exclaiming that he wouldn’t do this trip anymore because while Rocky treated her “good”, Paulie treated her “bad” and he can’t live with it another year. Each of these characters have come to a point where they’re looking back at the life they’ve lived and are wondering how to pick up the pieces.
When current Heavyweight Champion of the World, Mason “The Line” Dixon (Antonio Tarver) sees a simulated boxing match between himself and Rocky in which Dixon loses, he’s disgraced beyond his already soft, undefeated record. No one believes Dixon is the true champ, having beaten bunches of “bums” to get his title and would never win against a bruiser like Balboa. His team, fully aware of his persona, convinces Dixon to challenge Balboa in what is to be a “glorified exhibition match”.
Rocky doesn’t have anything to prove like he did with his initial fight with Apollo Creed. This fight with Dixon isn’t about seeing if he can go the distance and stand against the greats. This fight is about Rocky ridding himself of the beast that still dwells within after all these years. Rocky still hears Mick’s chants in his ears everyday, still sees Adrian’s ghost rushing the ring to get to him. He watches his son (Milo Ventimiglia) float through a life he doesn’t want, wishing he wasn’t standing in the shadow of his father.
This is where Rocky Balboa transforms from a sentimental sledgehammer into something truly poignant and beautiful. Rocky will always love his son and support him but he won’t stand by and watch him blame the world for his troubles. Rocky Balboa didn’t sit back and let the world pile on top of him. He got out there and punched cold meat and took shots to the face that no man should have survived. Rocky would never blame a shadow. Rocky would say, “Hey yo, shadow, why ya always so glum? It’s ’cause you’re always followin’ me.”
It’s always been Rocky’s m.o. to take the hits and wear out his opponent. Sure, his left hook was good, but his real strength was sheer endurance. So Rocky tells Robert Jr, “…it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward”. In plain words, Rocky lays out what the entire character means. Life is going to keep taking and taking and sometimes it gives back but you won’t reap any benefits by not trying to move forward. Your eyes will be black and your nose will be broken and at times the air in your lungs will be daggers but there’s also beauty. There’s also Adrian.
Rocky fights Dixon with Paulie and his son in his corner. He is fighting to lose the beast, not to beat Dixon. Dixon quickly realizes that the man across from him isn’t here for an exhibition match and gives his all against the legend. Both fight against their own demons. It goes the bloody distance and when it’s over, Rocky leaves the ring before the decision comes down, having accomplished what he’s set out to do. Dixon is ruled the victor and Rocky Balboa exits the arena having slain the past that keeps him up at night. After thirty years, Rocky is free.
Rocky Balboa wrecks me every time I watch it. It’s hard to believe that this is the movie Stallone followed up Rocky IV with as a director and it shows just how much he lets his emotions affect his delivery. Stallone had something to prove with Rocky Balboa and when his story aligns with his intentions, he’s capable of making something very special. Does it lean a bit too much on nostalgia? Maybe but it knows just when to hit the right notes and I can’t fault it for that.
With Rocky Balboa, we’ve come to the end of what I believe will be the true “Rocky” movies. This week’s Creed sets us on a new journey with a new character. The fact that we get to visit our friend, Rocky Balboa, one more time is just icing on the cake.
*When my girlfriend and another buddy with whom I’ve shared this journey with realized that we were in a cemetery, both exclaimed, “Please be Paulie!”, and both were horrendously crushed at his reveal standing behind Rocky. I didn’t watch these movies in order the first time I saw them and it’s such a testament to the love story Stallone scripted that the audience grows with the characters during each stage of their lives. It’s also a testament for the burning pile of trash that Paulie is.
James Gunn is prepping to start filming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 this winter and the biggest question mark surrounding the film is who is Peter Quill’s father?
Possible spoilers
Umberto Gonzalez over at Heroic Hollywood is reporting that Peter’s father is silver-age Captain Marvel and that Marvel Studios tried to get Matthew McConaughey for the part, but he turned it down.
This potential plot thread (still a rumor at this point) would explain how Peter was able to hold an Infinity gem.
No official announcement has been made by Marvel Studios.
The first Captain Marvel was created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (December 1967). This character is an alien military officer, Captain Mar-Vell of the Kree Imperial Militia, who is sent to observe the planet Earth as it is developing technology to travel into space. Mar-Vell eventually wearies of his superiors’ malign intent and allies himself with Earth, and the Kree Empire brands him a traitor. From then on, Mar-Vell fights to protect Earth from all threats.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is written and directed by James Gunn and stars Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Michael Rooker, Vin Diesel, and Zoe Saldana.
Jeph Loeb the Head of Marvel Television shut down the rumors that the Iron Fist television series was in trouble and about to be scrapped for a Punisher series, according to an interview with CBR.
“There was a lot of speculation about what was going on with “Iron Fist,” because [fans] hadn’t heard anything about it, but there’s never been any change at all. We knew exactly what we were doing at Marvel and at Netflix. Let’s get “Jess” out there, everybody knows that “Luke Cage” is up and going. What I can say right now is, we’re very excited about “Iron Fist,” and the short answer is, yes there’ll be news,” said Loeb to CBR.
The last Iron Fist show rumor was back in September as Ethan Arkin had been cast as Danny Rand. No release date or filming schedule have been announced by Marvel Studios.
Warner Bros. just released the official synopsis for CHIPs, which is filming now.
Dax Shepard and Michael Peña star in the action comedy. Shepard wrote and directed the film based on the characters from the popular ‘70s television series created by Rick Rosner. Jon Baker and Frank “Ponch” Poncherello have just joined the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in Los Angeles but for very different reasons. Baker is a beaten up pro motorbiker trying to put his life and marriage back together. Poncherello is a cocky undercover Federal agent investigating a multi-million dollar heist that may be an inside job—inside the CHP.
The inexperienced rookie and hardened pro are teamed together, but clash more than click, so kickstarting a partnership is easier said than done. But with Baker’s bike skills combined with Ponch’s street savvy it might just work…if they don’t drive each other crazy along the way.
Rounding out the cast are Kristen Bell, Rosa Salazar, Adam Brody, Jessica McNamee, Ryan Hansen, David Koechner, Michael K. Williams and Vincent D’Onofrio.
Just in time for the holiday season, Legendary Comics is releasing Krampus: Shadow of Saint Nicholas, the graphic novel prequel to the upcoming film, Krampus, directed by Michael Dougherty (Trick ‘r Treat). The film stars Adam Scott and Toni Collette, and will be out in theaters December 4th.
Krampus: Shadow of Saint Nicholas is a 129 page graphic novel featuring four sections, written by Zach Shields and Todd Casey, along with co-writer Laura Shields (Story II) and stories done by Todd Casey, Michael Dougherty, and Zach Shields. Each of the four parts or sections, features different artists and colorists, with Part I’s art done by Christian Dibari and colors by Mike Spencer. Part II’s art can be credited to Maan House and colors by Guy Major, Part III’s art is done by Stuart Sayger and colors by Guy Major, with Part IV featuring Michael Montenat on art and Mike Spencer on colors.
Krampus: Shadow of Saint Nicholas officially releases today, and will be available at Amazon, Google Books and other retail outlets.
Official Synopsis by Legendary Comics:
YOU BETTER WATCH OUT… KRAMPUS IS COMING TO TOWN.
Ancient folklore warns of a mythical counterpart to Santa Claus, who punishes naughty children every Christmas… his name is KRAMPUS. Michael Dougherty presents the official graphic novel – KRAMPUS: Shadow of Saint Nicholas – based on his festive horror comedy, which expands the mythology of this iconic terror with an anthology of three deliciously twisted morality tales that will leave you praying you are not on the naughty list.
At the most wonderful time of the year, a drunken mall Santa comes under siege from some very mischievous Christmas spirits, a dysfunctional cop becomes trapped with the man who ruined his life, and the wealthy town “scrooge” must face the shadows from his past as his home comes under invasion from the homeless. This Christmas, Krampus will make sure they all get what they deserve.
Michael Dougherty, the writer/director behind cult horror, hit Trick ‘r Treat, is joined by a fantastic team of creators, uniting Krampus co-screenwriters Zach Shields and Todd Casey and artists Fiona Staples (Saga), Christian Dibari (Hoax Hunters), Maan House (Witchblade), and Stuart Sayger (Bram Stoker’s Death Ship) to deliver a twisted gift for the holiday season.
