Chris Evans was out promoting his film Before We Go and talked to Collider about renewing his contract with Marvel Studios.
“Listen, if Marvel wants me they got me. I’ve never had such a relationship where you have such – I mean look at my resume, I’m used to being on set being like, ‘Ah is this movie gonna be terrible?’ said Evans.
The 34-year-old actor is signed on for six films and that ends with Avengers: Infinity War.
“Marvel just can’t stop making great movies, they do it in their sleep. It’s wonderful directors and producers and actors and scripts, and it’s like a playground as an actor,” said Evans.
Evans’ schedule for the next few years is pretty booked as Marvel does plan to shoot Avengers: Infinity War Part I & II back-to-back. Captain America: Civil War – May 6, 2016 Avengers: Infinity War Part I – May 4, 2018 Avengers: Infinity War Part II – May 3, 2019
“It’s so mind-boggling that I was so tentative in the beginning to jump onboard. What an asshole I would be if I hadn’t done this. I mean can you imagine? Kicking myself-I’d never forgive myself,” said Evans.
Before We Go is Evans’ directorial debut and will be in theaters on September 4.
Lionsgate and Millennium Films released the first poster for Leatherface Friday morning. This film is the origin story of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Prequel about teenage Leatherface who escapes from a mental hospital with three other inmates, kidnaps a young nurse and takes her on a road trip from hell. Along the way, they are pursued by an equally deranged lawman out for revenge.
Leatherface is directed by Julian Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, and stars Stephen Dorff, Vanessa Grasse, Sam Strike, and Lili Taylor.
Marvel Comics announced to Entertainment Weekly that the new Totally Awesome Hulk that launches in December is kid genius Amadeus Cho.
Marvel’s editor-in-chief Axel Alonso talked about the origins of creating a new Hulk.
“What happened is, we were at an editorial retreat, and we were talking about revitalizing individual titles and the types of things we could do to do that. As a former Hulk editor, I just felt like…we’ve seen Banner’s story for so long, and the burden that he carries, with the weight of the Hulk on his shoulders. Perhaps the most interesting thing is to see how someone else shoulders that burden, and immediately, Amadeus came to mind for a lot of different reasons. One of them is that physically, he’s like Banner: he’s the 98-pound weakling who’s had everything but the physical aspect to make him seem super cool. And secondarily is that he’s so different from Banner. He shares the monstrous intellect but he’s so different — he’s a teenage kid, who’s hasn’t lived much yet. When Banner inherited the burden of being the Hulk, he was an adult. And I think that it showed in the way that he responded to it. Amadeus is a plucky kid. He’s got a chip on his shoulder, he’s the fifth or sixth smartest guy in the world according to the official rankings, and I think he’s just going to carry himself very differently with that power,” said Alonso to EW.
Totally Awesome Hulk is written by Greg Pak with art by Frank Cho.
With the chaos that is the 2016 Presidential Election why not add Deadpool to mix. Donald Trump will definitely sit down and shut up.
Bosslogic may have started the movement (see poster below) but we here a Monkeys Fighting Robots challenge you to reach further. Deadpool 2016 isn’t just a poster, it’s bigger than that! This bowel movement is a GIF or a fan-made film voiced by Ryan Reynolds or fat guy sitting on a couch eating a chimichanga screaming “Deadpool will protect my guns!”
No, Deadpool will not protect your guns. He will shoot you, steal your guns, and then sleep with your mother.
Some you might be thinking, “I thought Deadpool was Canadian?” But as the ‘People’s Champ’ once said.
DEADPOOL 2016
Witness the beginning of a happy ending. Do yourself (a favor) and watch the brand new #Deadpool trailer NOW.
https://t.co/qmDP7z8SSc
Words that perhaps Luc Besson will seriously consider in the future when the thought arises to revisit The Transporter, Taken, or any other once-bankable, now creatively bankrupt action franchise his name remains attached to:
“Leave well enough alone.”
The latest from Besson’s film production label EuropaCorp, The Transporter Refueled, should stand right alongside Taken 3 earlier this year as very strong support for this relatively simple advice. An attempted reboot of the Transporter series, the new film merely feels like a watered-down retread of the earlier films, aping their style and signature visuals while delivering none of their energy, visceral impact, and cinematic ingenuity. Aside from an effort to center the film around a younger, more vulnerable, or at least a little less invincible “Transporter”, there’s nothing here that feels fresh, nothing that you haven’t already seen done in some way, shape, or form in a previous Transporter entry. Unlike the character himself, who never fails to make a delivery regardless of who is portraying him or how, this film simply fails to deliver the goods.
It all sets up much the same way previous Transporter adventures have. Frank Martin (now played by Ed Skrein of “Game of Thrones” fame), known among underworld figures who do business along the French Riviera as “The Transporter” for his willingness to serve as a courier for just about any package for the right price provided that the client can abide by the driver’s “unbreakable” rules, takes a meeting with a mysterious woman who seeks to contract his services. As he does with all other prospective clients, Frank lays down his rules — no names, no questions, no renegotiations — and makes clear that if any of them are broken or if the package is more than a minute late, he’s gone. The new client agrees to his terms, Frank takes the job, and a few hours later he’s in position to take custody of the package.
And just like always, that’s where the trouble starts and supposedly the fun begins. Only this time, not only has Frank been tricked in regards to what he will be transporting, but he also finds himself blackmailed into sticking to the job when he discovers that his new client has herself taken custody of Frank’s father, Frank Martin Sr. (Ray Stevenson, Thor: The Dark World), promising to reunite father and son once the job is done.
It’s all part of a daring scheme by the beautiful client, Anna (Loan Chabanol), and her three equally gorgeous cohorts to take their revenge on the Russian human trafficker who fifteen years before ushered them into lives of prostitution, Karasov (Radivoje Bukvić), a nasty piece of work with whom Frank Jr. had an association in his previous life as a British Special Forces operative. Anna and her friends want out of the life Karasov consigned them to, but not before they utterly destroy his business and leave him unable to follow them. To do it, they need, among other things, the services of a very skilled and motivated driver. With a gun to good old dad’s head, Frank Jr. is, of course, the perfect man for the job.
The Transporter Refueled appears to be the beginning of a return to feature films for the titular character. After 2008’s Transporter 3, the last entry to star Jason Statham in the lead role, the franchise moved to television with a series produced in part by Besson that ran for two seasons starting in 2012. In casting Skrein, Besson and director Camille Delamarre (Brick Mansions) seem to have the series’s longevity fully in mind: cast a younger lead while retaining all the Transporter films’ unique trappings and more films can be eked out of the franchise.
First, it’s important to note that Skrein isn’t the problem here. Yes, by no means is he Jason Statham, or even anywhere close in terms to on-screen charisma in the role of the soft-spoken, stoic, nigh-unstoppable Frank Martin. But again, the idea here seems to have been to make the Transporter the character more of a real person and less of an action movie force of nature, and so the shift to someone less physically imposing, more unassuming even wearing the immaculate black suit and driving that sweet black Audi makes sense. Plus, as anyone who’s seen the performer’s work as Stormcrow Daario Naharis in “Game of Thrones” already knows going in, Skrein is a versatile performer who can carry the screen in the right roles. To that end, in this film’s many chase scenes and brawling scenes, he delivers consistent intensity and never takes away from what he’s in the middle of.
And the problem certainly isn’t the film’s supporting cast, either. Ray Stevenson, playing the charming, larger-than-life Frank Sr., proves he could certainly front a Transporter or Taken-style film of his own with the presence he brings to the screen, while Parisian model turned actress Loan Chabanol, the latest European actress to play a femme fatale in the Luc Besson mold that’s taken shape since the action auteur’s Le Femme Nikita in 1990, credibly delivers the sultry sexuality as well as complicated range of emotions that her character’s backstory demands.
No, the problem seems to lie in the talent behind the camera. While Besson is credited as a producer and a writer in The Transporter Refueled, it’s not his vision in the director’s chair that’s moving this production along. Delamarre, who has many credits as an editor working on previous Besson’s projects, including Transporter 3, and directed 2nd unit material for “Transporter: The Series” before taking on full directorial duties for the first time in last year’s Brick Mansions, brings nothing new to the table in order to make this “reboot” feel fresh or re-invigorated in any meaningful way. If anything, the stunt choreography looks less elaborate and comes off as less entertaining to watch, and the car chase scenes, while to all appearances executed with devotion to “old school” techniques and little CGI, pale in comparison in terms of intensity and ingenuity when considered alongside stuntwork seen in other recent action thrillers such as Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and even the critically-panned Hitman: Agent 47, which opened in theaters just weeks ago.
Arguably, what made The Transporter films such fun to watch a decade ago with Statham commanding the screen was just how crazy the fight choreography in particular would get, and how equally dynamic the camerawork and editing would have to be keep up and make it all coherent to the viewer’s eye. Sad to say for all the series’s fans worldwide, but there’s none of that innovation to be found here. Instead, what we get in The Transporter Refueled is imitation, a knock-off of a once-compelling brand that’s sure to disappoint any going in with memories of how entertaining the early entries in the franchise truly were in their adrenaline-junkie targeted way. Wait for this one to come to cable, action fans, or better yet, rent it, then watch the originals — at least the first two — to fully appreciate just how far afield the series has gone.
The Transporter Refueled
Starring Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson, Loan Chabanol, Gabriella Wright, Tatiana Pajkovic, Wenxia Yu, Rasha Bukvic, Lenn Kudrjawizki, Anatole Taubman, Noemie Lenoir. Directed by Camille Delamarre.
Running Time: 96 minutes
Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, sexual material, some language, a drug reference and thematic elements.
Marvel Thursday night announced that Mahershala Ali had joined the cast of the Netflix series Marvel’s Luke Cage as Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes.
Stokes, a Harlem nightclub owner, will become an unexpected foe in Luke’s life when Stokes’ criminal activities threaten Luke’s world.
“Mahershala is an actor of extraordinary range and gravitas. As Cottonmouth he will really let loose,” said Executive Producer/Head of Marvel Television, Jeph Loeb to Marvel. “Luke Cage won’t know what hit him.”
Marvel’s Luke Cage stars Mike Colter as Luke Cage. Showrunner and Executive Producer Cheo Hodari Coker is working on the script for the first two episodes.
Marvel’s Luke Cage is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios and will be available on Netflix in 2016.
Our friends over at SuperHeroStuff.com are going crazy preparing for Force Friday. Millions and Millions of nerds are going to spend so much money on all the Star Wars: The Force Awakens merchandise. We might actual jump start the market in China, unless they want all of this great stuff too… but I digress.
If you spend $40 or more at SuperHeroStuff.com, they will give you a FREE Star Wars shirt! Make sure to use promo code FORCEFRIDAY.
Capcom’s Blue Bomber will soon be getting his own film. It’s been reported that 20th Century Fox, in association with Chenin Entertainment, will be working together to help Mega Man warp onto the big screen. No details about whether this will be live action or animated feature.
Fans should be cautiously optimistic about this announcement. Though 20th Century Fox did do a number on Fantastic Four this year, the fact there is any focus on Mega Man should be welcomed. Other than his addition to Smash Bros. last year, Mega Man has not be getting a lot of love, with his last game coming out in 2010. There were rumors back in June that an animated series by Man of Action, the creator of Ben 10, was in the works for 2017. Hopefully, between the series and the new film, there will be enough of a reaction that Capcom will do more for Mega Man than release another anniversary collection.
Fans that are truly excited by this news and can’t wait for the film do have another option. A fan film by Eddie Lebron exits, showcasing a true love and loyalty to the games that it is based on. With any luck this will hold you over until more news surfaces.
The film will help celebrate Mega Man’s 30th anniversary. Let’s hope its better than his 25th anniversary, where all Capcom really did was put him in Street Fighter X Tekken looking like his old Nintendo box art. Yeah you know you like to forget it happened, but it did.
Voltage Pictures released the trailer for the action thriller Standoff, directed by Adam Alleca and starring Laurence Fishburne, Thomas Jane, Jim Watson, and Ella Ballentine Tuesday afternoon.
Carter (Thomas Jane), a troubled veteran who gets a chance at redemption by protecting a 12 year-old girl from an assassin after she witnesses a murder. Holding a shotgun with a single shell, he engages in physical and psychological warfare in a desperate fight for the girl’s life.
Steven Spielberg has begun assembling his team for Ready Player One, the silver-screen adaptation of Ernest Cline’s dense, thrilling geek adventure. We’ve gotten a few hints here and there as to who Spielberg may be contacting to join the cast, which is one of the many, many challenging aspects of the film; almost every character will need an avatar version to exist in the OASIS and a “real-life” in the dystopian future world, if early indications in the casting department amount to anything.
Recent rumors hinted – hoped – that Spielberg was reaching out to Gene Wilder in an attempt to have him come out of retirement to play a role in the film. News broke yesterday that a shortlist for Art3mis, the female lead, includes Elle Fanning, Lola Kirke, and Olivia Cooke. But we have a long way to go to fill out the case of Ready Player One. So why not save Spielberg some time and try and nail down the crucial casting decisions? Here we go…
Wade Watts/Parzival
Wade Watts, the protagonist of Ready Player One, is front and center in every scene both in the real world and James Halliday’s virtual world, the OASIS. Like all of the gunters – avatars hunting the elusive eggs of the OASIS – Watts needs two actors if Spielberg is headed in the direction he seems to be heading with the Art3mis casting news.
For the real world Watts we need a young, somewhat unfit actor, as Watts is not in the best shape from spending his entire day sedentary, locked into the OASIS. The Watts avatar should be someone altogether different, an athletic, handsome young actor. For the real Watts, I can see nobody else beyond Clark Duke. Duke, who’s appeared in Kick-Ass 2 and Hot Tub Time Machine, has that soft geeky charm and playing Wade Watts could be a great move for him. As for Parzival, Watts’s OASIS avatar, the field is much broader. Someone like Nicolas Hoult would fit, but for this world of the OASIS, a lean and angular actor like Ezra Miller would fit to perfection.
Art3mis
Art3mis, the headstrong female gunter and the apple of Wade’s eye, will most certainly require two different actresses given the twist near the end of the novel. Let’s go with Spielberg’s shortlist, including Elle Fanning, Lola Kirke, and Olivia Cooke. For me, Fanning seems a bit too fair and flighty to embody a strong, sassy gunter like Art3mis. Of Kirke and Cooke, I would say Lola Kirke fits the description of Art3mis, at least in my mind. Kirk played the redneck thief Great in David Fincher’s Gone Girl last year, and that attitude and swagger fit perfectly. As for Art3mis in the real world, all bets are off…
James Halladay
Halladay, the OASIS architect, the deified Spector of the entire story, exists more as a figure than an actual character. That being said, he will need to be cast because there will be a few crucial moments for him throughout the picture. Such an icon within the story deserves an iconic performer. There is no word as to which character Spielberg wants Gene Wilder to play, so he is certainly an option here. However, I believe (and hope) that Wilder is set up for another character. Someone like Max Von Sydow sounds great, but maybe he is a bit too old and ominous for a character who spent his time programming video games and collecting nerdy nostalgia. After all, Hallaway died before he reached the advanced age of Og, his partner.
Someone like William H. Macy could nail both the young geeky side and the prestige of Halladay. Even Jeff Daniels would be an interesting choice. But, I am going with Kevin Kline. Kline feels absolutely spot on, both as an ominous force permeating the film, and a geeky mastermind. Make it happen.
Ogden Morrow/Og
Ogden Morrow is Halladay’s surviving OASIS co-creator and partner. Though the two had a falling out, detailed early on in the novel, it’s clear Og is still very much in the picture as far as the daily operations of the OASIS and climax of the story are concerned. We don’t see Og for some time in the real world, but his presence is vital. Again, we’re all in the dark here regarding the possible involvement of Gene Wilder. Perhaps it was for Halladay, but Wilder is pitch perfect for Og. The omnipresence of Og and the majestic unveiling of his character in the third act deserves Wilder and his ubiquitous gaze.
Nolan Sorrento
Now for the baddie. Sorrento is a corporate snake, the figurehead of Innovative Online Industries (IOI), the corporation hunting Halladay’s virtual fortune in hopes of capturing it and ruling (therein ruining) the OASIS. Sorrento is cold and calculating, but a chameleon in early scenes before his earnest attempts to court Wade Watts to IOI’s side turn sinister.
Casting a slimy corporate suit is simple enough, they seem to come a dime a dozen. An older possibility could be someone like James Spader, though I doubt he could fool anyone that his intentions are good in the early scenes. The always reliable William Fitchner would be a good fit as well, but again we run into the problem of his menace outweighing his ability to feign innocence. Which leads me to Patrick Wilson, the perfect blend of innocence, a seething smarm behind that gleam in his eye, and an actor who could capture the essence of villainous corporate corruption. Wilson would be a perfect fit.
There are a handful of supporting characters needed to fill out Ready Player One, from Toshiro and Akihide, the two Asian gunters, to Aech (pronounced like the letter “H”), Wade’s friend who needs two vastly different actors to play the role. These are my choices for the central players. Regardless of the cast, Steven Spielberg will have a tough time capturing the pop-culture density of Cline’s novel. Alas, if anyone can pull it off, it’s him.
