Bryce Dallas Howard Really Wants The Original Actors Back For Jurassic World 3

Bryce Dallas Howard Really Wants The Original Actors Back For Jurassic World 3

Last year, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom finally gave fans a taste of what they’d been asking for with the return, albeit in cameo form, of Jeff Goldblum’s Dr. Ian Malcolm. Now, with Jurassic World 3 set to close out the trilogy that began in 2015 with Jurassic World, there is a hope that we will see the whole trio of Jurassic Parks actors return. And we’re not alone because actress Bryce Dallas Howard really wants the original actors back for Jurassic World 3, as she explained:

Yes, very much so. If that happens, I don't know. I don't know what's been confirmed or whatever, but I'll blink if it's happening and maybe.

Bryce Dallas Howard, who plays Claire Dearing in the Jurassic World films, seems to want the original Jurassic Park trio of Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill to return for Jurassic World 3 as much as the rest of us, and perhaps more so because it would give her a chance to work with them.

In fact, in her comments to MTV News about the possibility, she seemed positively giddy at the prospect. And who could blame her? The original Jurassic Park is an iconic film and one that Bryce Dallas Howard, like so many of us, presumably grew up with. So of course she is all in on that trio coming back for more dino droppings and chaos theory.

This isn’t the first time Bryce Dallas Howard has championed this idea either. The Rocketman actress has spoken in the past about how she didn’t get a chance to actually work with Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom because her character never interacted with Ian Malcom. She has also said that if she could bring back one of the original cast to the franchise, it would be Laura Dern’s Ellie Sattler.

To Bryce Dallas Howard’s delight, she may get her wish. In her comments to MTV News, she mentions that she doesn’t know what has been confirmed, playing it coy and not wanting to say too much. But when she says “I’ll blink if it’s happening,” she purposefully blinks a bunch. It’s not the same as an official press release, and we can’t say for sure yet, but that would seem to indicate that things are looking good for the original Jurassic Park trio to return for Jurassic World 3.

Jeff Goldblum has also teased Laura Dern’s return in the past and the actress herself has made it plain that she would come back if asked. It makes sense that these three would be brought back now too. Jurassic World 3 isn’t just the concluding chapter of the Jurassic World trilogy, it is also (for now at least) the culmination and end of the Jurassic Park story that began in 1993.

Therefore it would be a bit of a bummer if we didn’t see these beloved characters one last time. Director Colin Trevorrow agrees with that sentiment, which is hopefully good news for Bryce Dallas Howard and Jurassic Park fans.

Jurassic World 3 hits theaters on June 11, 2021. That’s a long way off and presumably you’ll want to see some other movies before then. Check out what you can look forward to this year in our 2019 Release Schedule.

Mark Hamill Loves All The Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Speculation

Mark Hamill Loves All The Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Speculation

Hey, remember when we were all like "Who is 'The Last Jedi?'" Good times. Star Wars fans immediately returned to speculation mode after the title of Star Wars: Episode IX was revealed to be The Rise of Skywalker.

Which Skywalkers are rising? Who is a Skywalker?

You know who loves this? Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill. No stranger to trolling, Hamill must be cackling as hard as Emperor Palpatine at all the furious scrambling for answers. He seems relieved to finally be able to address the "cool title" J.J. Abrams went with for the end of the Skywalker Saga. He also helpfully added names to the Skywalker speculation list, as if he doesn't already know exactly what the script reveals:

As usual, Star Wars fans responded with some great comments and suggestions. We all have our favorite and least favorite characters and storylines, whether they carried over from the original trilogy, the prequels, or the sequels. I'm fond of this debate over Kylo/Ben Solo (Adam Driver):

Yes to slow digestion for a thousand years. I'm not sure Ben would rise from the dark just to ask Rey out -- and Daisy Ridley did tell fans The Rise of Skywalker wouldn't have another shirtless Kylo/Rey ForceTime scene. But as the son of Leia, Ben Solo does have Skywalker blood. He, Luke and Leia are the known Skywalkers at this point. The Force Awakens hinted to Rey also possibly being a Skywalker, but The Last Jedi seemed to shut that down. Seemed to, anyway. Who knows what's ahead now.

Mark Hamill openly invited speculation on his own Twitter thread, so fans replied with their own predictions. Since both Luke and apparently Palpatine are returning, despite both appearing to have died in past Saga movies, some fans are hoping for major Force ghost action ahead.

Mark Hamill was ultimately re-seduced by The Dark Side of The Force and trolled fans with this Joker/Star Wars crossover, pretending he was the cackle at the end of the trailer instead of Palpatine:

Nice try, man.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is the culmination of all three trilogies, so fans are looking back to the prequels and original trilogy for hints on what characters might be involved. Director J.J. Abrams said the title of this film "had a very weird responsibility" since it had to mark the end of nine movies.

Anything goes at this point, just one day after the first teaser was revealed at Star Wars Celebration 2019. And I do mean teaser. We should expect a full official trailer to arrive later in the year. So feel free to share your own theories and prepare to revise them in the months ahead before Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens in theaters December 20. After that, there will be some kind of hiatus before the next Star Wars films rise.

Fans Won't Stop Casting Dave Bautista As Bane In The Suicide Squad, And We're Here For It

Fans Won't Stop Casting Dave Bautista As Bane In The Suicide Squad, And We're Here For It

After years of waiting for news on the proposed sequel to Suicide Squad, things have really been moving forward in the past few weeks. We've known for several months now that James Gunn would be taking over to write the second big screen appearance of the supervillain team, and he's also on tap to direct, as well. Because of that, folks can't stop hoping that Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista will step in to fill a role somewhere in the new film, with a lot of people set on him playing Bane, and now one artistically inclined fan has offered up some inspiration for just such a dream to come true. Take a look:

Oooh...impressive, right? All the elements are here. Instagram user willgrayart has done a fantastic job of turning Dave Bautista into a perfect vision of what his Bane could look like in _The Suicide Squad. He's clearly got some Venom pumping through his veins, via the neon green tubing that wraps around his body in various spots, and the artist managed to really make the character look like Bautista by including one of his very recognizable real-life tattoos. We're even gifted the luchador-esq mask that Bane often sports in the comics, while still obviously getting a look at what Bautista would look like in such a getup. My only semi-complaint would be that Bautista actually doesn't look quite as hugely muscled as he usually does, but there's only so much you can fit into an Instagram post and still have us be able to see all the awesome details, so, I'm not mad at it.

Interestingly enough, this is the second time that someone has given us a look at what Bautista could look like as Bane in the new movie. Several months ago, fan favorite Boss Logic gave us another glimpse at Bautista in the potential role, but that one noticeably left out details that made the hulking actor recognizable. So, while that was a cool effort that definitely gave fans something to chew on, and offered up lots of details that were missing from our last big screen representation of Bane, the work of willgray_art has some additional positives going for it.

Ever since James Gunn was fired by Disney last summer amid some of his insensitive old tweets resurfacing, which put the future of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in jeopardy, the cast of that film, and several of Gunn's fellow superhero movie directors, have stood by him. While everyone in the cast was vocally supportive, with everyone signing a letter asking Disney to reconsider the decision to fire him, Dave Bautista was the only one who was obviously angry at the decision and publicly said he'd be willing to skip out on Guardians 3 if Gunn's vision for the movie wasn't fulfilled somehow, with either him returning as director or his completed script being used.

While there has been some talk of Bautista potentially boarding the total reboot of the franchise, most of the rumors on that front have come in the form of Bautista taking on the part of a less well known character, Peacemaker, who is actually much more of a hero than a villain in the comics. But, we saw some good guys join forces with the team before, so this wouldn't be any kind of stretch.

With fans lamenting the lack of Will Smith's Deadshot...and then rejoicing in the inclusion of Idris Elba's new take on the character, and without knowing how much Harley Quinn we might be able to expect, lots of people are wondering just how James Gunn's version of the team will shape up in The Suicide Squad, so the inclusion of someone who's been so eager to take part in the film would do wonders to keep up excitement for the still sort of mysterious project.

We're sure to get more news about The Suicide Squad, and whether or not Dave Bautista will be involved, in the coming months, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest!

J.J. Abrams Nearly Said ‘No’ To Working On Star Wars Episode IX

J.J. Abrams Nearly Said ‘No’ To Working On Star Wars Episode IX

J.J. Abrams took on a herculean task when he agreed to write and direct the first new Star Wars movies in years with The Force Awakens. While the movie certainly has its detractors, it was largely viewed as a success, and it certainly was at the box office, where it became one of the highest grossing films of all time.

In addition to being the creative force behind the first film, Abrams has remained part of the new Star Wars universe as a producer, but that doesn't mean he was ready to just jump in to direct Star Wars Episode IX. Abrams admits that when Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy asked him to take on writing and directing duties, he very nearly turned the job down...

I wasn’t supposed to be there. I wasn’t the guy, ya’ know? I was working on some other things, and I had something else that I was assuming would be the next project, if we’d be so lucky. And then Kathy Kennedy called and said, “Would you really, seriously, consider coming aboard?” And once that started, it all happened pretty quickly. The whole thing was a crazy leap of faith. And there was an actual moment when I nearly said, ‘No, I’m not going to do this.’

J.J. Abrams has a lot on his plate. As a writer, director, and especially a producer, he has numerous film and television projects rolling at any one time. Adding something like a Star Wars movie is certainly going to throw a wrench in those works in a big way. However, it seems that it wasn't simply the fact that Abrams had something else he thought he would be working on that caused him to hesitate.

Instead, the major reason J.J. Abrams almost turned down Star Wars Episode IX was because he was so happy with the way that Star Wars: The Force Awakens turned out. As a major Star Wars fan himself, Abrams was incredibly nervous that the first film wouldn't work, and he largely feels that the movie succeeded. He was proud of his work and proud that he got to make a Star Wars movie. He tells Fast Company that he felt trying to do it all again would be tempting fate...

I was trepidatious to begin with, getting involved, because I love Star Wars so much and felt like it was... It was almost, on a personal level, a dangerous thing to get too close to something that you care that much about. And yet, with Force Awakens, I feel like we managed to introduce these new characters—for some people, new actors—and continue a story in a way that I thought had heart and humanity and humor and surprise. Though of course I’m aware that there are critics of that movie, it felt to me like we dodged a bullet. Like we got in there, we got to do something. And I left loving Star Wars as much as I did when I got there. Like, somehow, it was on a personal, selfish level something I was really happy to have done. Not just excited about doing but happy to have done. And to ask to have that happen again, I felt a little bit like I was playing with fire. Like, why go back? We managed to make it work. What the hell am I thinking?

Originally, Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow had been tapped to write and direct Star Wars: Episode IX. However, in the fall of 2017, it was announced that Trevorrow and Lucasfilm had different visions for the conclusion of the trilogy, and therefore had decided to part ways. Rumors have indicated that Lucasfilm didn't like Trevorrow's script.

This meant that Star Wars Episode IX had to go from zero, with no script, to completely finished in a little over two years. The release date of Episode IX was originally going to be the summer of 2019, but it was pushed back to December around the same time Abrams was brought on board. This was another reason that the director was hesitant about taking the job. There was so much work to be done in a finite amount of time.

Part of Abrams solution to the problem was to get help, specifically, he called Chris Terrio to ask if the Justice League writer would be interested in co-writing Episode IX with him. Terrio was quite excited to get on board, which helped J.J. Abrams in an unexpected way. According to the director...

And what I realized in that moment was, I hadn’t been aware until then that I needed to work with someone who would scream at the prospect of working on Star Wars. Because I had been through the process, and I was looking at brass tacks: This is what it’s going to take, this is the reality of it. And he was looking at it sort of childlike: Oh my God, I can’t believe we get to play in this world, which I needed to be reminded of. I needed that point of view, because that’s not where I was. Of course, I was excited about what we could do, but I was acutely aware of how little time we had to do a fairly enormous job.

And yet, an enormous job is exactly what J.J. Abrams agreed to undertake. Star Wars Episode IX is in post-production as we speak and we sit here on the eve of Star Wars Celebration, where we expect to finally begin to learn a few details about the story. The first trailer, which will almost certainly include the full title, will probably drop then, and we'll finally get a look at everything J.J. Abrams has been working on for the last two years.

Abrams was happy with the way he brought Star Wars back and launched this new trilogy. Now he has the equally massive, if not even bigger task, of ending the trilogy in a satisfying way. We'll see if he truly stuck the landing when Star Wars Episode IX arrives in December.

Looks Like The New Mutants Is Coming To Theaters After All

Looks Like The New Mutants Is Coming To Theaters After All

The superhero genre is in a fascinating place right now, especially when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and X-Men franchises. The MCU is just weeks away from the release of Avengers: Endgame, while the X-Men will continue their tenure on screen this June with Dark Phoenix. But with Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox official, the future of the mutant-centric property and its spinoffs seem unclear.

The Deadpool franchise may be safe, but the myriad other developing X-Men projects have been put on hold for the time being. There's still the question of Josh Boone' The New Mutants, which will be a horror inspired mutant movie. The film's fate has been a major question surrounding the merger, as its already been delayed a number of times and still hasn't commenced reshoots. But there was some good news for New Mutants at this week's CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

Yesterday at CinemaCon, Disney presented its plans for the future, including some releases that were originally under Fox's control before the merger. The New Mutants was one of the movies presented, revealed to have a release date of August 2nd. This is surprising and hopeful news, as the awesome first trailer arrived back in 2017, before the film's delays started kicking in. And now it looks like Josh Boone's ambitious project is finally arriving in theaters.

After New Mutants was delayed and Disney acquired Fox, it was unclear if/when the project would ever be brought to audiences. Some fans theorized it might end up on Disney+ as the House of Mouse rolls out its upcoming streaming service. What's more, the cast seemed totally clueless regarding the film's future and their X-Men debut. Maisie Williams recently dropped the mic about the prospect saying:

Who knows when the fuck that’s gonna come out.

Well, the answer is apparently August 2nd. While the release date is an exciting update, The New Mutants still has to get reshoots in the can. Reshoots are pretty standard for superhero movies, and will give Josh Boone the chance to finish crafting his story, and allow for the editor's bay to do their magic. But August isn't that far all things considered, so the cast and crew is going to have to hustle to get the new footage in the can and included in the theatrical cut.

Despite its delays, The New Mutant has some good things going for it. The superhero genre doesn't typically tap into the horror world, especially X-Men. Josh Boone assembled a very talented young cast, including Glass' Anya Taylor-Joy, Game of Thrones favorite Maisie Williams, and Stranger Things standout Charlie Heaton. And with a release date ahead, its a relief to know that Disney is still intending on giving the flick a full theatrical release.

The New Mutants will arrive in theaters on August 2nd, following Dark Phoenix on June 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Sherlock Holmes 3 Is Coming Way Later Than We Expected

Sherlock Holmes 3 Is Coming Way Later Than We Expected

It's been eight years since we saw Robert Downey Jr. take the role of the big screen Sherlock Holmes and it had been so long we began to wonder if we would ever see the character again. We now know that we will, but it turns out we'll have to wait a bit longer than previously announced. While the third Sherlock Holmes movie had been set for a Christmas 2020 release, the feature has now been pushed back a full year to December 2021.

Originally set for a Christmas Day release in 2020, THR has now revealed the film will instead open December 22, 2021.

While release date shuffling is nothing new, it rarely happens without a reason, though the reason for this decision is not immediately clear. No other major releases have been announced to hit in December 2020 that might have sent Sherlock Holmes 3 looking for a more protected release window.

The film was already going to be going up against Avatar 2 in 2020 and will now instead be going up against Avatar 3. That's probably a slightly better position. The second film in the franchise, being the first one in years, is likely to draw a larger audience than the third, which will only be the first one in a year. It's like going up against Star Wars: The Last Jedi at the box office instead of The Force Awakens. It's possible the decision making was as simple as that.

Although, the more likely reason was simply one of scheduling. Perhaps production of Sherlock Holmes 3 needed to be pushed back and that resulted in the delay for the release as well. It could be that Robert Downey Jr. or Jude Law had something change in their schedules which has made the delay necessary. It could be that the script from Chris Brancato is taking longer than anticipated to finish. Perhaps another writer is coming in to rewrite or polish it which will result in it taking longer than previously scheduled.

It's also possible that the issue could be one of who is going to direct. Guy Ritchie directed both of the previous two Sherlock Holmes films but he has never been officially announced as directing Sherlock Holmes 3. If Ritchie is looking to direct, it could be his schedule that made the release date move if he won't be available to go into production later this year, Alternatively, it could be that the production is still looking for a director and thus had to push things back in order to have more time to find one.

In order to hit the 2020 release date Sherlock Holmes 3 would have needed to go into production later this year. Now, the film has an additional 12 months of breathing space. If fans have waited this long, they can wait another year.

The Russo Brothers Confirm Chris Evans Has Retired From Captain America After Endgame

The Russo Brothers Confirm Chris Evans Has Retired From Captain America After Endgame

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame are ahead!

As the final chapter of the Infinity Saga, Avengers: Endgame both marked the end of an era and set the stage for the next iteration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, fell into the former category, as after Thanos and his forces had been defeated, the Star-Spangled Avenger decided to leave his superhero life behind and go back to the past to be with Peggy Carter.

Because Steve Rogers is still alive in the present day, albeit now over a century old, it seemed like there was still the possibility for Chris Evans to play the character again. However, according to directors Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Endgame did indeed mark Evans’ last appearance as Steve. As Joe Russo put it:

No, I think Chris — Chris is a very emotional person. I think maybe it’s evident if you follow him on Twitter, because he does put his heart into what he says. But I feel like he has to close the door on things and emotionally move onto the next thing.

To be fair, it’s not as if Chris Evans didn’t invest a lot of time into playing Captain America. He was cast as the patriotic superhero in early 2010 and he appeared in a Marvel movie every year from 2011 to 2019. That’s nine movies total, just one shy of Robert Downey Jr.’s MCU run. That’s a tremendous accomplishment! Throw in his time as The Human Torch in the Fantastic Four movies, and Evans has more than enough superhero material on his resume.

As far as endings go, Steve Rogers’ definitely struck one of the biggest emotional chords in Avengers: Endgame. After Tony Stark’s funeral, Steve ventured into the Quantum Realm to put the Infinity Stones back in their proper time periods, and from the perspective of Hulk, Falcon and Winter Soldier, he was only supposed to be gone for a few seconds. Instead, he decided to go to the 1940s after his task was complete and stay there, living a “beautiful” life with Peggy Carter.

But there was one more thing the elderly Steve Rogers needed to do: pass on the Captain America mantle. He chose Falcon, a.k.a. Sam Wilson, to carry the vibranium shield in his place, a plot thread that will almost certainly be explored in the upcoming Falcon and Winter Soldier series on Disney+.

Maybe Chris Evans might change his mind down the line and be willing to make a cameo appearance as Old Man Steve in an MCU project, but as the Russos said during their visit to the Happy Sad Confused podcast, for now, he’s moving on to new endeavors. Fortunately, MCU fans got to watch his arc unfold across nearly a decade, and though we won’t be seeing Steve Rogers again, his legacy will continue to be felt in the years to come.

Avengers: Endgame is still playing in theaters and making a Titanic-toppling amount of money. If you’re curious about what Marvel movies are on the way, look through our comprehensive guide.

10 Best Jake Gyllenhaal Movies, Ranked

10 Best Jake Gyllenhaal Movies, Ranked

Jake Gyllenhaal is one of Hollywood's top talents, and after a brief marathon of his movies it isn't hard to see why. He's played many different types of characters throughout his career, and in all honesty he's good in just about every single one of them. At least, he is in these 10 movies, which are among the 10 best that the actor has offered audiences over the years.

As the world waits to see Jake Gyllenhaal play Mysterio in the upcoming sequel Spider-Man: Far From Home, I've put together a list of the 10 best films he's put out into the universe for your reading pleasure. These are the top 10 films to enjoy for those who want to see a good Jake Gyllenhaal movie featuring the actor at his best, even if the story or other actors didn't quite live up to the hype. Take a look and find these movies in the universe ASAP.

1. End Of Watch

The top Jake Gyllenhaal movie on this list, End Of Watch earns its spot for the gritty story of two LAPD officers just trying to survive the crime ridden streets. There's action, there's tension, and there are tear-jerking and terrifying moments. This movie is Jake Gyllenhaal at his best, and he looks completely in his element from start to finish. Others may believe there are better options out there, but I really feel they'd be wrong in regards to Gyllenhaal performances.

2. Donnie Darko

No disrespect to everything he's done after, but Jake Gyllenhaal's Donnie Darko remains one of his best to date. It features a much different performance than the characters Gyllenhaal would become later in life. It may not be the most groundbreaking performance the actor has ever given Hollywood, but it is the one that really set him on a path to be one of Hollywood's premiere names. Without it, there's no telling where the actor would be today. Plus, the movie itself still holds up.

3. Brokeback Mountain

No one should need a list to know Brokeback Mountain is one of Jake Gyllenhaal's best. Those who have gone this long without seeing it are making a mistake, and missing out one of the best performances of Heath Ledger's career to boot. For Gyllenhaal it's really on another level than any other role he's taken since, and absolutely one every movie lover should experience at least once. It's insane so many people passed on making this movie!

4. Zodiac

This Jake Gyllenhaal movie isn't more optimistic than many of the others on the list, but at least his character is more of the hero in this harrowing story of one of the most enigmatic serial killers in America's history. Of the selections on this list, Zodiac is the one that best highlights Jake Gyllenhaal's ability to portray an obsessed character, which is often an element in his roles. See this one immediately.

5. Nightcrawler

Here's another Jake Gyllenhaal movie where the actor turns on the crazy, although his character in Nightcrawler is far more insane and sadistic than funny. Gyllenhaal plays Louis Bloom, a man determined to make a living as a tragedy cameraman in Los Angeles. The film and Gyllenhaal is bonkers from start to finish, but it doesn't really hit peak freaky until that scene where he's laughing watching television and looking around and reacting to no one in particular.

6. Okja

One of Jake Gyllenhaal's most underrated roles in a while, Okja features the actor taking that crazy angle he does so well and spinning it into the eccentric television host Dr. Johnny Wilcox. Johnny Wilcox is not the type of character one sees often in a Jake Gyllenhaal movie, let alone a character that he would be the actor to play. It's hilarious, and a high point in a movie that can get pretty damn depressing as it goes on.

7. Southpaw

In a ranked list detailing the best boxing films of all time, Southpaw probably wouldn't be super high. That said, this Jake Gyllenhaal movie has earned its spot here for the way the actor portrays loss, and for how absolutely jacked he got for this movie. He's never in bad shape, of course, but this performance had to have sold a few people on him playing Batman someday.

8. Jarhead

Jarhead puts Jake Gyllenhaal in the shoes of former real life marine Anthony Swofford. For those who haven't seen it, this isn't the typical war movie, as it details one soldier's journey during Operation Desert Storm. This Jake Gyllenhaal movie captures a side of modern warfare from a unique perspective not often shown, and is only elevated in the respect that Gyllenhaal's performance is heightened by director Sam Mendes and a great supporting cast.

9. Brothers

There are a fair amount of feel-good Jake Gyllenhaal movies for audiences to enjoy, but I need to point out this film is not one of them. In Brothers, Gyllenhaal plays the supportive brother Tommy to Tobey Maguire's Sam, who has been overseas. Though he only plays a supporting role, Jake Gyllenhaal knocks it out of the park as Tommy, who only wants the best for his brother in a situation that gets increasingly out of control before anyone realizes it.

10. The Day After Tomorrow

The Day After Tomorrow is one of the biggest guilty pleasure Jake Gyllenhaal movies on the market. The decisions the characters make throughout this disaster film are ridiculous, and it's overall a very subpar blockbuster film. With that said, there are laughs for those willing to "weather the storm." My personal favorite Gyllenhaal moment is when his character Sam Hall nearly drowns in a flood because he won't get off the payphone with his dad.

Now, Jake Gyllenhaal has made a lot more movies than the ten that appear on this list, and it wouldn't be surprising if someone's favorite movie was left off this list. What are your favorites? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

What Drew Zoe Saldana And Zach Galifianakis To Laika Stop-Motion Animation

What Drew Zoe Saldana And Zach Galifianakis To Laika Stop-Motion Animation

This year there is no shortage of exciting family films coming to theaters, from the highly-anticipated return of Woody and Buzz in Toy Story 4 from Pixar or Disney’s sequel to Frozen during the holidays, to Illumination’s second take on looking inside The Secret Life of Pets and the many Disney live-action remakes, such as The Lion King. There's a lot to choose from!

Among them is Missing Link, the newest adventure for stop-motion animation studio, Laika. The company is fairly new to the game as the upcoming movie will be Laika’s fifth feature film after breaking out with 2009’s Coraline. The studio has quickly gained intrigue among audiences for its unique approach to filmmaking, whether that be through its innovative behind-the-scenes process (that is so detailed it will break your brain), touching stories or bold style.

During the Los Angeles press day for Missing Link, a couple of the stars told CinemaBlend just what it is about Laika that attracted them to voicing their new characters. First, here’s what Zach Galifianakis, who plays Susan the Sasquatch, said:

They’re doing kids entertainment in a very artistic way and a lot of times you don’t see that – a lot of kids stuff is one-dimensional, it’s flat, it’s very computer-generated cold images. This is very warm and there’s a texture to it, it’s almost like a painting.

When you think about it, this is true! While there are beautiful advancements happening in CGI animation everyday, there can be an overwhelmingly colorful feeling to it that leaves viewers looking into a video game-like atmosphere. Laika’s films bring a little something extra because the characters are actual puppets that are filmed on real sets masterfully produced in the studio. It’s a unique art form that deserves a certain appreciation that few animation companies are doing.

Zoe Saldana, who plays Adelina Fortnight, echoed some of Galifianakis’ sentiments along with adding in some love for Missing Link’s story as well. In her words:

The aesthetic of what stop motion truly is and how Laika is unfolding it is mesmerizing. Not to mention this is coated by a lovely story with amazing messages and complex character that are not the most likable characters in the beginning, but then end up becoming really amazing.

Take a look at Zach Galifianakis and Zoe Saldana discuss working with Laika from my interview below:

As the actress notes, what sets Missing Link apart from what other family-friendly studios deliver is its storytelling style which often goes outside of the box of the expected. For this adventure, each of the characters have their own quirks and flaws evident to the audience from the beginning. Hugh Jackman’s character of Lionel Frost for example is an adventurer with selfish motivations.

The trio of adventurers travel across the globe in hopes of finding Susan’s long-lost cousins, the Yeti in Missing Link out in theaters on April 12.

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Easter Eggs Will Have Fellow Fans 'Nerding Out,' Star Says

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Easter Eggs Will Have Fellow Fans 'Nerding Out,' Star Says

May is looking like a stacked month for blockbusters and maybe one of the most anticipated films is Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The sequel will pit Godzilla against classic kaiju like Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah, but fans can count on seeing some easter eggs to other monsters. O’Shea Jackson Jr., who stars in the film, is a big fan of Godzilla and he was geeking out over all of the references he was seeing.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is already packed with all the monsters you can ask for, but sharp-eyed fans might be able to spot some callbacks to other monsters that Godzilla has beaten to a pulp. In fact, there are theories that more monsters (or Titans as they are called in the sequel) will pop up before the credits roll. O’Shea Jackson Jr. obviously can't give away anything specific, but some easter eggs will send moviegoers rushing to the internet to look up what they just saw.

Oh yeah, I’ve been nerding out really hard. There’s some I can’t really speak of – but we definitely give you – you get that monster in the movie, and you’re going to go on the internet immediately after.

O’Shea Jackson Jr. stars in the film as a colonel who leads a military squadron that runs missions directly related to the Titans that are hidden across the world. Jackson wanted to be in the film because he's such a huge fan of Godzilla and told Collider that he was nerding out hard noticing all the references to other Godzilla films.

Being a fan of the franchise, it must have been a real treat for O’Shea Jackson Jr. to be in the sequel -- especially one where Godzilla takes on his arch-nemesis Ghidorah. Indeed, the coolest part of the movie to Jackson was pretty much anything that had to do with the lightning-breathing three-headed dragon.

Just to speak as a Godzilla fan for a minute, there’s no way in the world Ghidorah is supposed to be in the second movie, and I’m in it? I’m losing my mind, like anytime Ghidorah gets mentioned, I’m like, ‘No way. No way! He’s going down. He’s not going up.’

Based on the trailers alone, I'd say I have to agree with Jackson that Ghidorah looks rad as hell, and I'm pumped to see him in action. If you thought the 2014 Godzilla was light on action, then this sequel is definitely trying to make up for that.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is all set to arrive in theaters on May 31. To learn more about the movie before then, be sure to check out what we know so far. For everything else hitting theaters, check out our 2019 movie release guide.

Space Jam 2 Just Added A Star Trek: Discovery Star

Space Jam 2 Just Added A Star Trek: Discovery Star

In the last 10 years, Sonequa Martin-Green has done a fantastic job making a name for herself on the small screen. Her run started with a multi-episode run on Army Wives, but in the years since has played significant roles on The Good Wife, NYC 22, Once Upon A Time, The Walking Dead, and most recently Star Trek Discovery. She has done some film work as well, but nothing that compares to the project for which she is now signing up: Space Jam 2.

After years of being stuck in development, the LeBron James-starring sequel finally started turning its gears earlier this year, and now Variety is reporting that Sonequa Martin-Green is now in negotiations for a key role. Specifically, the actress will be playing James’ wife in the movie - though it's not entirely clear how that will rope her into the larger plot... mostly because we don't really know much about the larger plot. It's also worth noting that the NBA star is married in real life to his high school sweetheart Savannah James, but it's unclear if Martin-Green will be playing her, or an entirely original character.

When it comes to the plot of the movie, we know that Looney Tunes characters will be teaming up with basketball players again, but everything beyond that is basically a mystery. A teaser poster has revealed that the live-action/animated hybrid blockbuster will headline both Bugs and Lola Bunny - the latter having been first introduced in the 1996 original.

Production on Space Jam 2 is scheduled to start up this summer, with Terence Nance attached to make the movie as his second feature after the 2012 animated indie An Oversimplification of Her Beauty. More recently Nance has also been making a name for himself on television, as he is the creator of the HBO series Random Acts of Flyness. In addition to LeBron James and his partner Maverick Carter producing through their SpringHill Entertainment label, Ryan Coogler is also backing the film.

Although cameras will be rolling on Space Jam 2 in just a couple months, those excited to see it will have to exercise a bit of patience. As is the case with all animated material, Warner Bros. is going to need a little time to get the film done even after all of the live-action material is shot and cut together. Because of this, the anticipated follow-up won't be heading to theaters until July 16, 2021.

That being said, we're surely going to be getting a lot more details about the project in the coming weeks and months, as there are going to presumably be a lot more people in this film beyond just LeBron James and Sonequa Martin-Green. We'll keep you updated with all of the latest casting news from Space Jam 2, and, as always, you can check out our 2019 Movie Release Calendar to see all of the movies that actually will be hitting screens near you soon.

7 Actors Who Have Played The Joker In Their Own Unique Way

7 Actors Who Have Played The Joker In Their Own Unique Way

It’s rare that a super villain can achieve anywhere near the same amount of popularity that the hero they frequently battle, but The Joker is definitely at that level. Debuting in 1940’s Batman #1 (the same issue where Catwoman first appeared), the Clown Prince of Crime has long been cemented as the Caped Crusader’s arch-nemesis, so naturally he’s also been adapted in other media numerous times. In fact, we’ve reached a point where The Joker is now the star of his own movie, and he won’t even be fighting Batman!

As one can logically assume from this kind of prominence, The Joker isn’t a simple role. With so many years of history, there are various ways one can play this character, so with that in mind, we’ve decided to look at the actors who’ve bring this cackling fiend to life on the silver screen. Just to be clear, this feature is only discussing theatrical portrayals of Joker, although I do recommend checking out Cameron Monaghan’s performances as Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska on the Fox series Gotham, as those twins cover the Joker spectrum excellently.

Cesar Romero's Joker in Batman (The 1966 Movie)

Although Batman made his first live action appearance in a 1943 film serial, it’d be another 23 years before The Joker got to follow suit in the live action Batman TV series. Cesar Romero, who had an extensive movie and TV resume and was arguably known best beforehand as The Cisco Kid in six Westerns released between 1939 and 1941, was cast as the Clown Prince of Crime, and for the most part, he nailed the character quite well. Modeled off how Joker was portrayed in the Silver Age of Comics, when superhero stories were more kid-friendly, Romero’s Joker was more of a goofy prankster than a psychopathic murderer, which fit with the TV series’ tone nicely. Romero also refused to shave off his mustache when playing The Joker, requiring the white makeup be applied over the facial hair.

Two months after the Batman Season 1 finale aired, these versions of the characters made the jump to the big screen in the first ever full-length theatrical Batman movie, simply and appropriately titled Batman. Cesar Romero’s Joker teamed up with Frank Gorshin’s Riddler, Lee Meriwether’s Catwoman and Burgess Meredith’s Penguin teaming up to cause all kinds of trouble, with this clip demonstrating their dynamic together and Romero’s overall Joker personality.

Naturally, Romero’s Joker in the Batman movie didn’t differ in any way from how he played the character on the Batman TV series, and the movie was critically well-received and performed decently commercially. In the grand scheme of things, while Romero’s Joker is definitely not nearly as frightening as later versions of Joker, he still has a sizable amount of fans all these years later.

Jack Nicholson's Joker in Batman (The 1989 Movie)

As popular as the 1960s Batman TV series was and still is, there’s no question that it’s campy and kooky, basically meaning you can show it to fans of all ages. The 1989 Batman movie, on the other hand, isn’t something you necessarily want to show to the kids. It marked the Caped Crusader’s first on-screen entry into adult territory, and Jack Nicholson was hired to play The Joker in this tale. Nicholson was unquestionably the biggest actor in this movie thanks to his performances in Chinatown and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and he beat out actors like Brad Dourif, Tim Curry, John Lithgow and James Woods for the role.

Jack Nicholson had many memorable moments as The Joker in Batman, but arguably the weirdest one was when he and his goons defaced the paintings inside a museum while dancing to Prince music.

There were two chief differences with Jack Nicholson’s iteration of The Joker compared to how he’s depicted in the comics: one, we knew his real name (Jack Napier), and two, he was the one who murdered Bruce Wayne’s parents as opposed to the traditional culprit, Joe Chill. Beyond that, though, Nicholson’s Joker was a relatively faithful adaptation of the super villain, from gaining his clownish visage after falling into a vat of chemicals to preferring to kill people “artistically” and with dramatic flair. We were only treated to one appearance from this Joker, although had the movie Batman Unchained moved forward, the plan was for Nicholson’s Joker to appear when Batman hallucinated him after being dosed with Scaercrow’s fear gas. In any case, for nearly two decades, it’s safe to say that Nicholson’s Joker was the definitive live action Joker, and even now, he’s still fondly remembered by many for portraying the character not as a pest, but as the psychopathic murderer he is at his core.

Mark Hamill Voice Acting Joker in Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm

Obviously everyone has their favorite version of The Joker, but it’s not exaggerating to say that most Batman fans label Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, as the definitive voice of the Clown Prince of Crime. Hamill has voiced across Joker across numerous projects for nearly 30 years, but he’s chiefly known for playing the character within the DC Animated Universe, specifically Batman: The Animated Series. A year after that TV show debuted, it jumped to the big screen with Batman: The Mask of the Phantasm, which didn’t fare well commercially during its theatrical run, but was met with critical acclaim and has had a wonderful home video life.

Serving as the secondary antagonist in Batman: The Mask of the Phantasm, Mark Hamill’s Joker was largely the same as it was on television. He could be wacky and absurd one minute, but then turn on a dime and become incredibly horrifying the next minute. This was highlighted nicely when Joker first shows up to meet Salvatore Valestra, his boss from his pre-clown days.

However, because the movie wasn’t subject to the same censorship rules Batman: The Animated Series had to follow airing on Fox Kids, that allowed more wiggle room with making Joker more adult. Even under a PG rating, Mask of the Phantasm got away with Joker much more adult, such as him actually killing people and making sexual innuendos. While I’ll argue that the direct-to-video Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker gave us the darkest version of Mark Hamill’s Joker in the DCAU, Mask of the Phantasm is nonetheless a great example of how Batman’s arch-nemesis can tread a fine line between funny and terrifying.

Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight

After being teased at the end of Batman Begins, The Joker surfaced several years later as the main antagonist in The Dark Knight, played by Heath Ledger. I don’t need to remind any of you that Ledger’s take on The Joker was acclaimed and netted the actor a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. That said, it is worth remembering that in the lead-up to The Dark Knight’s release, there was skepticism about Christopher Nolan’s version of the Clown Prince of Crime. Along with Ledger’s previous acting work causing concern that he could properly pull off a villain like this, this version of The Joker is quite different from how he is usually depicted, particularly his physical appearance (wearing makeup, dying his hair green and having a Glasgow smile carved into his face) and use of traditional weapons rather than dangerous gag items.

Nevertheless, this Joker was incredibly dangerous, as shown in the scene when he killed Gambol (who’d put a bounty on Joker’s head) and basically turned the phrase “Why so serious?” into one of the most unsettling lines in movie history.

Ultimately, though, the spirit of the original Joker was alive in Heath Ledger’s Joker. He thrived off chaos, and rather than wanting to be just another powerful, money-obsessed crime boss in Gotham City, he aimed to spread anarchy and give the people a better class of criminal. Ledger’s Joker was definitely a more politically-skewed version of the character, but he went all out with giving audiences something incredibly different from what had come before, which included locking himself in a hotel room for six weeks to figure out his Joker’s voice, movements and mannerisms. The result was that Ledger’s Joker is not only widely considered to be the best live action interpretation of the cackling madman, but also one of the best movie villains overall.

Jared Leto's Joker in Suicide Squad

Eight years after we watched Heath Ledger’s Joker nearly bring Gotham City to its knees, Jared Leto put his own spin on the character in Suicide Squad, the first movie not to have Batman and Joker directly fighting one another. Although Leto’s Joker saw the return of some of Joker’s traditional physical traits, like naturally chalk-white skin and green hair, like Ledger, he also had some drastic differences, like tattoos covering his whole body and bejeweled teeth. Because Suicide Squad featured his main squeeze, Harley Quinn, in her first live action film appearance, his role in the movie revolved around his relationship with her: how he manipulated Harleen Qunizel when she was a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum, how he became depressed after she was imprisoned and his efforts to free her from Task Force X.

Like his comic book counterpart, Jared Leto’s Joker was also a powerful figure in Gotham City, as show in this clip where he kills another crime boss simply for making a lustful comment about Harley Quinn.

Although Suicide Squad was a commercial hit, it was thrashed critically, and Jared Leto’s Joker performance was among the more negatively received elements. For starters, Joker didn’t get that much screen time in the movie, so that meant for some people, there wasn’t enough scenes to properly judge this version of the character. Others were just dissatisfied with this Joker’s physical appearance and/or his weird mannerisms, or just the fact that he came across as a standard, if eccentric, gangster rather than the colorful super villain we know best. It also didn’t help that Leto’s refusal to break character during principal photography led to him doing some crazy things, including sending bizarre gifts like a briefcase full of bullets, a live rat and used condoms. So Jared Leto’s Joker performance certainly isn’t one of the more popular ones, but he may have an opportunity leave a better impression in the future. Assuming he doesn’t become too busy with playing Morbius the Living Vampire or DCEU plans don’t change further, that is.

Zach Galifianakis Voice Acting Joker in The Lego Batman Movie

The Lego Batman Movie is a humorous celebration of Batman’s decades-long history, so naturally The Joker would be involved in the festivities. This movie portrays Batman and Joker’s feud through a romantic-like lens, so when the former tells the latter that he doesn’t mean anything special to him, Joker is hurt. But that just leads Joker to crafting his most ambitious plan yet: surrendering both himself and the rest of Gotham City’s super villains into police custody, and then tricking Batman into sending him into the Phantom Zone when the Caped Crusader suspects he’s up to something. The result: Joker allying himself with villains from other areas of pop culture, escaping the Phantom Zone and attempting to destroy Gotham City. Eventually Batman, having realized he’d been selfish to everyone in his life, “makes up” with The Joker, and the two work together to save the city and send the other villains back to the Phantom Zone before resuming their usual rivalry.

The scene when Joker surrenders himself to the GCPD is a good demonstration of how Zach Galifianakis’ Joker has a more playful edge, but still acts incredibly suspicious.

While there’s nothing wrong with Zach Galifianakis’ Joker performance, there’s also nothing particularly exceptional about it either. It simply sounds like Galifianakis as you hear him in movies like The Hangover and Keeping Up with the Joneses. The actor is amusing enough in the role and is given some good lines, but ultimately, there’s nothing particularly memorable about it. Which is fine, as Galifianakis does a satisfiable job with what he’s given, and fans of the actor will likely appreciate what he did. If The Lego Batman Movie 2 does move forward, the filmmakers might as well bring him back for it.

Joaquin Phoenix's Joker In The Upcoming Movie

Admittedly, we can’t comment too much yet on what’s in store for Joker since the movie is months away from being released. That said, from what’s been revealed from this movie so far, both officially and unofficially, this is going to be a significantly different depiction of the Clown Prince of Crime. For one thing, Joker is telling the eponymous character’s origin story without Batman’s involvement. Bruce Wayne will be in the movie, but as a child and with both of his parents still around. Then there’s the fact that like Heath Ledger’s Joker, Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is wearing clown makeup instead of falling into a vat of chemicals. However, the leaked set photos and videos show Phoenix’s Joker leading a crime wave across Gotham City, so clearly this incarnation of the character is just as talented in igniting chaos as his predecessors.

Although Joaquin Phoenix had expressed interest in starring in a comic book movie as early as 2014, he was more interested in doing a “character study”-kind of movie, hence why he declined to play Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since Joker doesn’t take place within the DCEU and isn’t adhering closely to the comics source material, this allowed Phoenix more freedom with putting his own stamp on the main character, who in this continuity is Arthur Fleck, a failed stand-up comedian who is driven insane and turns to crime after being disregarded by society. We’ll have to wait for a trailer to get our first taste of Phoenix’s Joker performance, but at the very least, this movie will be an interesting experiment that could shake up the comic book movie genre, as well as satisfy Phoenix’s desire to contribute to the genre without being locked in for numerous sequels.

Be sure to let us know in the comments below not only which of the above actors gave your favorite Joker performance, but to name anybody you like who played the character on TV, direct-to-video movies or video games. Joker hits theaters on October 4.

Hellboy Hasn't Done Well With Critics, But Did Audiences Like It?

Hellboy Hasn't Done Well With Critics, But Did Audiences Like It?

Things were looking rough for the new Hellboy going into this past weekend after reviews were released by critics and the movie was savaged. The film now has a 15% positive score on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, which is a slight improvement over where that number was going into the weekend. However, now that audiences have actually seen the film, Hellboy is faring slightly better with them, as the movie has a 64% audience score on RT, though it has received a C CinemaScore and opened in third place at the box office.

Hellboy's fortunes have been something of a mixed bag over this opening weekend. The best thing going for the movie right now is that about two-third of the fans that have seen the movie have liked it according to Rotten Tomatoes. While that number isn't overwhelmingly positive, getting a strong majority of the people who saw the movie to publicly say they liked it isn't ever a guarantee.

Things are a little bit rougher when it comes to the film's CinemaScore. While a score of C is, well, an average, and thus things could be a lot worse, when compared to other recent releases, Hellboy doesn't do quite as well. Of all recent movies, only Rupert Wyatt's Captive State has a lower score than Hellboy (C-). CinemaScores are tabulated based on surveys given to audiences on opening night, so things are weighted in favor of the film scoring well, as fans who go to see any movie on opening night are likely to be serious fans who have been planning on seeing the film. Most movies do better than a C with CinemaScore and few actually do worse than that.

Finally, there's the box office, which is the ultimate determination of a film's success. While most of the people who saw the movie may have liked it, the fact is not a llarge number of people actually did. Hellboy was projected to bring in something in the neighborhood of $17 million, which wasn't exactly a blockbuster movie number, but would have competed for the box office crown against Shazam!'s second weekend. However, the film ended up doing a much poorer than expected $12 million. That wasn't even enough to be the best new release for the weekend, as the comedy Little was able to do $15 million. Both films fell to Shazam! which added another $25 million to its growing total.

It's possible Hellboy could pick up business internationally. The movie opened in most territories on or before this past Friday, but international numbers have yet to be reported. If other countries were attracted to Hellboy more than people were domestically, the movie could actually turn out ok, or even become a hit if things go very differently. At this point, that's about the only thing left that could save Hellboy, which is probably sad news for those people who actually saw the film and thought it was good.

Ever Wonder Who Played That Big Superhero Cameo In Shazam?

Ever Wonder Who Played That Big Superhero Cameo In Shazam?

Warning: SPOILERS for Shazam! are in play. If you haven’t seen the film yet, say the magic word and bookmark this story for future reading.

At the end of Shazam!, just when the audience thinks the film has played its last punchline with Billy Batson’s heroic alter ego having lunch with his foster family at school, there’s one last turn that drove audiences wild. In that moment, we see the last son of Krypton, Superman himself, standing with a lunch tray in hand. However, his head missing is from the frame, which lead the public to wonder who was really standing in that role. Well, we finally know who physically played that role, and it’s one of the film’s stunt men, Ryan Handley.

For those of you who thought that maybe Henry Cavill was standing in the lunch room of Fawcett Central, we’re sorry to let you down. But for those of you more interested in Handley’s previous credits, he’s also the stunt double for Zachary Levi’s Shazam in the David F. Sandberg-directed film. Ryan Handley has also served as a super heroic stunt man in films such as Suicide Squad, as well as both Deadpool movies. He can now add Superman to his list of superheroes played on screen.

As previously reported, Handley wouldn’t have had to fill in if the original plan for Shazam’s ending cameo were fulfilled. Henry Cavill was asked to fill the costume again, but because of scheduling issues, the Man of Steel star wasn’t able to oblige. Then, of course, there was the big announcement that Cavill is pretty much done with the character, although officially that still hasn't been confirmed. In any case, though this was kind of a sad happening, in a sense, producer Peter Safran thought the creative solution without Cavill’s participation actually helped the film’s ending work even better.

Which leads to Ryan Handley’s official confirmation of playing Superman in Shazam!, a fact that German film site Filmstarts confirmed directly from the studio itself. It certainly helps that Handley was already in superhero shape to bring Shazam to living, breathing life; so using him to play one of the Daily Planet’s finest was a convenient fix to a big problem.

Though it might be a good thing that Henry Cavill wasn’t on the set, because if he and Zachary Levi were to physically have an actual conversation about whether Batman or Superman was the better hero, we know exactly where both of them would land. Though, to be fair, it’d probably resulted in a scenario where both of their stunt doubles did their fighting for them, and since Ryan Handley played them both in Shazam!, it’d be a very interesting hypothetical fight.

Shazam! is currently in theaters, but if you’ve already seen it once, maybe even twice, you might be in the market for something new in theaters. In which case, feel free to visit out 2019 release schedule, as we’ve got everything you could need on the calendar for the year.

New Toy Story 4 Clip Has Toys Realizing They're Made Of Fluff

New Toy Story 4 Clip Has Toys Realizing They're Made Of Fluff

One of the themes that has been present throughout the Toy Story series is toys coming to grips with the fact that they are toys and finding out what it means to be a child’s plaything. It appears that theme will continue on in Toy Story 4 to hilarious results. A new clip from Toy Story 4 has some of the movie’s new characters getting an unsettling look at what they’re made of. Take a look:

The stuff on the inside is generally supposed to stay on the inside, and when it comes out it can make for a traumatic experience, as Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key’s Bunny and Ducky find out here. Their shocked and frightened responses to seeing a fellow plush toy bisected by the razor sharp claws of a house cat is quite the turn from earlier in the clip where they had a cavalier and antagonistic attitude towards Buzz Lightyear.

The scene is like something out of a horror movie where there is blood everywhere, only in this instance, it is fluff and, as is often the case with toys in this series, they aren’t really prepared to be confronted with their own mortality and nature in such a dramatic way. It’s a funny clip that shows that these new characters will provide plenty of humor and great lines in the fourth installment of this series.

I also dug the idea that this cat is a true menace, a boogeyman to toys that must be avoided at all costs. It just goes to show that when you leave the comfort and relative safety of the carnival and go on an adventure with Andy’s/Bonnie’s toys you’re going to see some stuff and be put in harm's way.

Maybe the plastic toys that aren’t filled with fluff like Buzz and Bo Peep can take point on this one. Where is Keanu Reeves’ Duke Caboom when you need him?

This clip also gave us another look at Bo Peep, who has become something of an Indiana Jones-like toy in her time since she left Woody and the gang and became a lost toy. She is clearly well equipped for this kind of adventuring (maybe she has a squirt bottle). Whether she is ultimately a good guy or not is an open question though.

Even if it was planned all along, making a sequel to an already perfect trilogy is a tricky proposition, and there is an argument to be made that Disney shouldn’t have done it. We won’t know for sure if Disney was right to do so until we see it, but judging by the trailers and clips we’ve seen from Toy Story 4, it has the heart, humor, great character moments and clever insights into life as a toy that we’ve come to expect from this series.

Toy Story 4 arrives in theaters on June 21. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all the big movies headed your way as we approach prime blockbuster season.

First Look At Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker's New Droid And Aliens

First Look At Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker's New Droid And Aliens

The Star Wars Episode IX panel at Star Wars Celebration did not disappoint when it came to reveals. While we certainly are still missing many pieces of the puzzle, we did finally get the film's title and our first look at some of the action. However, the panel also teased us with a collection of new Star Wars aliens and other creatures, and as usual, they look amazing. One of the creatures even appeared on the Star Wars Celebration stage, he, or she, or it, is a brand new droid named D/O. Check him out.

While we didn't get a lot of details about the droid, who looks like a cone has been welded to the side of a tuna fish can. His "head" such as it is, moves independently of the wheel below him that gives him mobility. J.J. Abrams did speak about the character a bit, saying that he's a friend of BB-8. According to Abrams...

In this movie BB-8 has a new friend... This is D/O. This is yet another incredible collaboration and creation of Neal Scanlan and the creature robotics team on the movie.

We see the new droid in one shot of the first trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. He's standing alongside BB-8 and the pair both look to be reacting in the same way to something we can't see. Clearly, these two really are friends. We also see the little guy alongside BB-8 in the group shot at the end of the trailer, so wherever this story is going, this droid is going along for the ride.

We do know that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will take place after some significant amount of time has passed following the events of The Last Jedi. In that movie it appeared that the entire Resistance fit inside the Millennium Falcon, but one assumes the Resistance has been able to build up its ranks in the intervening period. They've picked up some additional allies, and some of them probably brought droids with them. It's also possible one of our heroes has taken possession of the little guy in the time that has passed.

Interestingly, J.J. Abrams revealed that the way that D/O was introduced to us at Star Wars Celebration was not the way that the droid actually appeared on the set. While he was clearly being remote controlled from off stage here, the droid was created by puppeteers when filming was being done.

I will say that when we did the film we never had D/O exist quite this way. There was a rig and puppeteers and like with Celebration last time, there were different designs we went through working on. Like in Celebration last time [for me] in Episode VII when BB-8 rolled out we never had a BB-8 to be able to roll out [on set]. It's amazing what Celebration will do!

However, the new droid wasn't the only new Star Wars creature that we met today. Another new creature is much larger than the tiny droid. His name is Klaud, and he's apparently a brand new member of the Resistance. Check him out below.

We see Klaud standing alongside Snap Wexley, played by Greg Grunberg. Snap was a pilot alongside Poe Dameron in Star Wars: The Force Awakens but he was nowhere to be found in The Last Jedi. As a longtime friend of J.J. Abrams its little surprise he's back for the new film.

The fact that J.J. Abrams made a point to show us Klaud and tell us his name, the fact that he has a name at all, likely means we'll see a bit more of this guy than we might some of the other aliens, but seriously, what do we know? We didn't see any new creatures or characters in the teaser except for the new droid, so everything is still a question regarding all of these designs.

Beyond these couple of new creatures that were given names we didn't get any information about any other new aliens or droids that we'll be meeting in the film. However, the Star Wars Celebration crowd was given a look at a few more creatures out of context, and we have a look at them as well.

Whether any of these are important creatures or simply background aliens designed to make the world of the galaxy, far, far away, feel more real, we don't really know. Of course, that doesn't really matter when it comes to creating them. J.J. Abrams talked about the hard work that went into both creating the design of the creatures, as well the hard work that the actors put forth in bringing them to life.

The vast majority of these aliens are not created via CGI but are actually makeup and practical effects, which means real people were needed to create these alien landscapes. That meant that in some cases hundreds of people were made to look like aliens, sometimes under less than perfect conditions. According to Abrams...

We had hundreds of people in unbelievable costumes and designs. Creatures that Neal Scanlan and his team designed. So, to be there with so many people in the heat [of the desert] and having to take food breaks, bathroom breaks. It was a whole thing. But we got through it and actually finished a day ahead of schedule.

One can imagine how difficult it was for all of the people in the image below to get into their make up and film a scene for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

The vast majority of these characters are almost certainly just ancillary background aliens. The only new cast member on the stage for the Episode IX panel was Naomi Ackie, who we know isn't playing an alien. Still, that just goes to show how much work went into creating all these characters, many of whom might only be on screen for a few moments. There were probably entire creatures who ended up on the cutting room floor, possibly never to be seen again. Since editing on the new film is not complete, it's even possible these creatures we were shown won't actually be in the movie.

Regardless of how much we actually see all these new creatures in Star Wars; The Rise of Skywalker, they all look absolutely amazing. Even if you somehow weren't hyped up for the final chapter of the Skywalker saga before, you almost have to be now.

While we've probably heard all the really important stuff about Episode IX that we're going to get for a while, a lot more Star Wars news will be coming over the next couple of days. CinemaBlend is in Chicago, so keep checking back for all the news this weekend.

How Much Godzilla: King of the Monsters Could Make In Its Opening Weekend

How Much Godzilla: King of the Monsters Could Make In Its Opening Weekend

The summer movie season is basically here. With Avengers: Endgame arriving in just a couple weeks the box office will begin to heat up as the studios all bring out major tentpole releases during this competitive season. One movie looking to make a huge impact when it arrives in a little over a month is Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and early tracking has the film looking at an opening weekend between $40 and $60 million.

While that's a perfectly respectable number for most summer movies, many are wondering if it might be a little low. 2014's Godzilla saw a domestic opening weekend of over $90 million, and so a drop to less than half that for the sequel would be a huge hit. However, it's possible that the movie to look at isn't the previous Godzilla but actually Kong: Skull Island. That film, from which King of the Monsters also follows, came out more recently and managed a $60 million opening, which could indicate people are becoming less interested in giant monster movies.

Part of the issue, of course, is competition. Godzilla had basically none. The biggest movie to open against it was Disney's Million Dollar Arm, which barely grossed $10 million in its opening weekend. The comedy hit Neighbors was number two at the box office that weekend in its second week. The only big tentpole release in competition was The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which was in its third week, and had underperformed from the beginning.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters biggest opening weekend competition is the Elton John biopic Rocketman, which isn't expected to set the world on fire, but is looking at a $25 million opening weekend, far better than what the previous Godzilla's opening weekend competition was able to muster.

In addition, there will likely be significant hold over business from the Memorial Day Weekend releases from the week before, including Disney's live-action Aladdin.

BoxOfficePro simply suggests that the Godzilla/Kong franchise is losing steam. If that's the case, it's not great news for Godzilla Vs. Kong. The movie recently wrapped its Australian production with an eye toward a release next year. Getting it in front of the cameras so soon after Godzilla: King of the Monsters was clearly an attempt to strike while the iron was still hot, but it may have cooled too much already.

Of course, these numbers are still incredibly early and subject to change. As we get closer to release many who might be lukewarm on the film may realize they're actually much more interested in it. At this point, it's probably tough to judge the public's feelings toward any movie that isn't called Avengers: Endgame. Perhaps, by the time we get to the end of May Godzilla will be a true king once again and bring in a massive opening weekend.,

Is Avengers: Endgame Opening Early In China?

Is Avengers: Endgame Opening Early In China?

Audiences are a month away from Avengers: Endgame, and anticipation has reached a fever pitch. With Captain Marvel in the rear view, all eyes are on what The Russo Brothers will bring to the table when Endgame finally arrives in theaters, and catches us up on the world after Thanos' finger snap of death. Luckily, some brief trailers and epic posters have been provided to help satiate the hunger of the rabid fanbase.

After a series of character posters were released (and revealed the fate of certain characters), the next bit of marketing material to drop was the poster for Endgame's Chinese release. Aside from how epic the poster was and its inclusion of the dusted characters, there's one thing that fans noticed: an earlier release date. You can check out the poster below, which indicates the blockbuster will arrive in theaters on April 24th, two days before its set to arrive in the US.

Does anyone else have chills? This poster is an epic way to represent the full cast of Infinity War and Endgame, while also highlighting the focus on the surviving heroes. After all, they'll have to unite in order to fight Thanos and hopefully reverse the affects of The Decimation. But that release date is new, which may indicate that international audiences will get access to the Marvel blockbuster before domestic moviegoers.

The Chinese poster for Avengers: Endgame arrived on the internet today, and quickly became viral on social media. While fans' first reaction was to enjoy the epic visuals of the art and the inclusion of new characters, the truth bomb about the film's release date had fans in the US going through some serious FOMO. After all, two days is just too long to wait for the epic conclusion of Marvel's Phase Three.

Alas, cinephiles in the states will just have to grin and bear it, as Endgame is set to arrive in just a month's time. Until then, fans will have to continue debating and theorizing what might come when The Russos final Marvel blockbuster is finally here. And this poster might tease some new developments, as supporting characters from various franchises pop up that are new.

Marvel fans will immediately spot Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie, who made her debut in Thor: Ragnarok. Valkyrie made a serious splash in her first appearance, but was noticeably absent from Avengers: Infinity War. And considering that the blockbuster opened on the Asgardian ship, her absence was suspect But Val finally popped up in the new character posters, confirming she survived The Snap. And now it looks like she'll have a role in the upcoming battle against Thanos.

Doctor Strange's Wong is also in this new poster, after also being left out of the first round of marketing material. Wong managed to make out Infinity War without turning to dust, and it likely guarding the Sanctum Sanctorum. And with Doctor Strange no longer with us, Wong's role in the mystical world of the MCU may be all the more important.

Despite being mostly blacked out, the fallen heroes are arguably the star of the new Avengers: Endgame poster. The upcoming blockbuster is focused on the heroes who made it out of Infinity War alive, but the dusted characters are still very much apart of the film's blood. The latest trailer for Endgame paid tribute to the dusted characters, and the countless fatalities that Thanos took throughout the course of his mission for galaxy-wide genocide.

The dusted characters' silhouettes are shown at the bottom of the poster, including characters who weren't featured much throughout the course of Infinity War. For instance, Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury is center stage, even though he didn't pop up until his iconic mid-credits scene. Joining him in the front row are Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Star-Lord, and Vision.

The second row features more dusting characters, and the far left of the poster features Letitia Wright's Shuri. Shuri made her debut in Black Panther, and quickly became a fan favorite character. She had a tertiary role in Avengers: Infinity War, attempting to free Vision's consciousness from the Mind Stone. She eventually took arms against Corvus Glaive, but Thanos' child remained completely focused on the android. Seeing her use her signature gauntlets was the last time Shuri was seen onscreen, and her fate was left unclear in the wake of Thanos' snap. But it was sadly revealed last week that Shuri also faded to dust, putting Wakanda's future in more jeopardy.

From looking at the dusted characters in a row, it's highlighted just how hard the Guardians of the Galaxy were hit by Thanos' assault. In the end of Avengers: Infinity War, only Rocket and Nebula were left alive. Gamora was killed by her adopted father in the movie's second act, so he could acquire the Soul Stone from Red Skull. And when the Mad Titan eventually collected all the Infinity Stones, audiences were left to watch in horror as Mantis, Drax, Star-Lord, and Groot all faded to dust before our eyes. As such, something big is going to need to happen in order for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to go forward.

Of course, most moviegoers assume that the surviving Avengers will find a way to reverse the affects of Thanos' snap. With the OG Avengers coming to the end of their contracts, the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe presumably lies in the new class, including the likes of Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Doctor Strange. But that trio of characters are dust, as are other fan favorites like Falcon, Scarlet Witch, and Bucky. So unless Phase Four will be set in alternate dimension (not out of the question), the dusted characters will need to be revived somehow. But the question is: how?

All will be revealed when Avengers: Endgame finally arrives in theaters on April 26th. Or if you're in China, you get lucky and can see the blockbuster on the 24th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.