Why Avengers: Endgame Is Marvel's Best Captain America Movie

Why Avengers: Endgame Is Marvel's Best Captain America Movie

SPOILER WARNING : So you’re scouring the internet for Avengers: Endgame content…. Here’s a friendly reminder that reading spoilers without witnessing the movie in all its glory will just ruin it for yourself. Only read on if you have contributed to the record-breaking box office haul for the Infinity Saga conclusion.

While Avengers: Endgame pulled off a lot of unexpected moments throughout its three-hour epic runtime, if there is one aspect of the film most of us went into it anticipating, it was Chris Evans’ Captain America getting a sendoff. Wow, this film made that happen in a big way!

Thankfully, Cap was in the best hands possible. The Russo Brothers started their partnership with Marvel with 2014’s Captain America: Winter Soldier (a highly-regarded fan favorite), they kept it going with Civil War in 2016 before moving on to closing out the Infinity Saga with Infinity War and Endgame.

The Russos’ had a lot of ground to cover with Endgame besides the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan, but the movie still managed to conclude the character’s arc in an incredibly satisfying way. Chris Evans was given the space to offer up his best and most well-rounded performance as the hero to date that shows off his position as one of the most deliberate superhero stories ever told on screen.

While his standalone trilogy was certainly impressive, Endgame elevates Captain America higher and caps (no pun intended) off his narrative in a way we won’t soon forget. Here’s why:

His “Giddy“ Optimism Pays Off

The downfall of a character like Captain America (and his DC brethren, Superman) is his sky high idealism and belief in the greater good. It’s a characteristic of comic book publishers’ earliest iterations and for a reason: to bring hope and escapism to readers in hard times.

While we certainly like a good dose of escapism today, it’s more difficult for us to believe in a hero like Cap, and Tony Stark’s relationship with him throughout the franchise is the perfect example of this. He’s always questioning his decisions and words of confidence.

In Endgame, Tony hits Steve with this head on in the beginning of the film, cursing his optimism since they have now lost. But there ends up being something insightful in Cap’s good intentions to “keep on keepin’ on” that shine brightly in this movie most of all. He is the rock of the squad who believes in Ant-Man’s idea, then recruits Tony and the rest of the team, yes with Black Widow at his side, but without him everyone (even her) was starting to give up.

Cap even starts to give up a bit himself, but he never lets this stop him. Where some of the other Cap films have wavered on the “why,” Endgame shows that the character’s belief in it all turning out okay really can be a strength, making it the ultimate film for the hero.

He’s Got America’s Ass

Okay so if you were looking for analysis of Cap’s booty, this isn’t it, but it is regarding the whole-ass scene that starts with this now iconic line. There’s nothing we love more seeing some clever character development, and Endgame juggles this with many of the core Avengers.

For Cap though, the parallel between who he was and who he has become between 2012’s Avengers and his last hurrah is shown much more literally. When he travels back to the New York battle to retrieve the Tesseract, he runs into himself and straight up takes him down in the best way possible. When younger Cap says “I can do this all day,” the older Cap scoffs at the line hilariously.

Not to mention that the moment in the elevator with some of those Hydra double agents serves as a fun callback to the iconic elevator fight scene in Winter Soldier. When the hero mutters “Hail, Hydra” to deceive them instead of using his energy to battle them all, it shows Cap is capable of being quippy and a really fun character at the end of the day.

While Chris Evans has a lot of seriousness to pull during the franchise, Endgame really brings together the hero’s charm. The fact that all these references pack a huge punch in just a few short minutes shows the character was never the butt of the MCU, but is a real MVP.

He Assembles The Full Team… And The Mjolnir

Then comes the moment when Captain America must face Thanos again, as the past version of the Mad Titan has found out the location of the gauntlet and seeks to become “inevitable.” It was already an exciting showdown between Thanos, Cap, Iron Man and Thor, but then Cap says these words: “Avengers Assemble.”

It’s a scene that looks to be the end of Cap as he stands alone in front of Thanos, but Rogers isn’t a “I can do this alone” kind of guy. He knows a battle is best won together, and when all the unsnapped Avengers enter the battle it’s a glorious moment unlike any other.

In a geekfest full of incredible moments such as that “girl power” shot, one of Cap's certainly steals the show as well. Right before all the unsnapped heroes show up, he gets Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir. The whole theater absolutely skips a heartbeat when this happens, and when he wields it and switches off the weapon with Thor, its big screen GOLD.

There was a bit of foreshadowing of this in Age of Ultron when he moves Mjolnir a bit, but Endgame hails Captain America as just about the most powerful original Avenger as he becomes worthy of the weapon of a god. The scene is payoff for the character in the best way because he’s always been trying to do the right thing and be a “worthy” hero… now he absolutely is.

He Makes That Date

Captain America’s story starts on an emotional high note when he must force down a plane in the ‘40s and leave behind Peggy Carter before their budding romance can really start to blossom. It’s the ultimate sacrifice for the hero that he grapples with throughout his MCU journey. He is constantly going back to the life he left behind and he has dealt with it in all of his films.

While we speculated Peggy may play a role in Endgame, her involvement in the MCU ends up giving audiences a happy ending that gives all of those emotional moments meaning and depth. After saving the world and helping bring together the Avengers, Cap goes back in time and lives the life he’s always dreamed of.

Then he remembers another one, the exact moment when Hulk, Bucky and Falcon beamed him back in time to tell them that it worked. He returned the Infinity Stones to their rightful place and took a permanent trip down memory lane to retire.

Cap then has one last thing to do: pass off the legacy of his shield to someone: either Bucky or Sam Wilson. While his love for Bucky throughout the franchise could have swayed him that way, Falcon is the clear successor and is the perfect way to end his story, even if Anthony Mackie never actually suits up as Captain America (we'll have to wait and see).

Without Avengers: Endgame, Captain America’s story just wouldn’t just be as impactful emotionally and cinematically as this movie made it. Not only is it the perfect send off for the character but his best movie to date.

Shazam! Producer Promises DC Movies Can Still Be Dark

Shazam! Producer Promises DC Movies Can Still Be Dark

The DC live-action universe has had a rocky life in theaters, full of very high highs and disastrous lows. Luckily for Warner Bros., things seem to be on the upswing after the poor critical and box office performance of Justice League. DC is still surfing on the high of Aquaman's success, and anticipation is at a fever pitch for David F. Sandberg's upcoming blockbuster Shazam!

Shazam! will hit theaters in a matter of days, bringing the dual-personal title character into live-action for the first time. The movie's tone is in stark juxtaposition to Zack Snyder's bleak dramas that started the universe. But according to Shazam! producer Peter Safran, that doesn't mean that the DCEU won't have dark and gritty installments. As he tells it:

I think that DC has the same idea we do now, which is every movie that they make should have the right tone for that particular character. Shazam is such a fun character. He is all about wish fulfillment. He is fun and funny, and that is the tone that you should have for the film. Aquaman has got a tone, fantastical element. Shazam! is fun and funny. Wonder Woman’s got her thing. I think they realize each tone has to be specific for each movie.

Rather than trying to make one uniform movie, it looks like the DC universe will continue giving more power to the directors. As such, a dark movie will happen as soon as the story and characters call for it.

Peter Safran's comments IGN are sure to be a relief to DC fans who enjoy all the darkness its stories have to offer. While Shazam! is light hearted, there's been tragic stories for many of the characters on the page. Especially Batman, whose origin in based in trauma and childhood loss. The Dark Knight and others simply need to be dark, and have a ton unlike the two most recent releases.

In the same interview from Shazam!'s red carpet, Peter Safrin directly addressed Batman and Todd Phillips' Joker, which is expected to be a dark drama focused on a mentally ill villain. Safrin expanded his thoughts, saying:

Listen, there are certain characters like Batman, like the Joker, that dark tone is perfect for them. It’s what you really want to see.

So while Billy Batson and Freddy may have their childhood games in Shazam!, we shouldn't expect the entire DC Universe to go family friendly. There are projects coming down the pipeline which should have their share of dark material, so the studio is going to have to flip between vastly different projects. In addition to Joker and The Batman, Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) should utilize a mixture of drama and comedy. There's also Wonder Woman 1984 to look forward to, although that Patty Jenkins has up her sleeve for the sequel is anyone's guess.

Shazam! will bring something unique to not only the DC universe, but the superhero genre as a whole. Still functioning as an origin story, the blockbuster will follow 14 year-old Billy Batson as he's given amazing powers from a magical wizard. By saying the word "Shazam", Billy transforms into an adult sized superhero, capable of flight, super strength, and electricity manipulation. But since Billy doesn't know much about superheroes, his foster brother Freddy will step in to guide him toward his destiny.

This marks the first time that a modern superhero focus on the perspective of kids. In cinematic universes, there are tons of us regular folks who are living in a superheroic world. Children have a specific experience; for instance, Billy's friend Freddy is a superfan. Freddy has been following the events of movies like Batman v Superman and Justice League, so he'll be able to help Billy become Shazam.

Shazam! look it's going to be a super fun big screen adventure, and it's early reception has been positive. But moviegoers are still going to want dark and gritty installments later in the DC universe. Aquaman might have focused on family drama and a Game of Thrones-esque struggle for underwater power, but James Wan's blockbuster wasn't especially dark.

Darker subject material and tone will no doubt accompany Todd Phillips' Joker, which isn't going to be connected to the rest of the DC universe. Phillips will give the iconic Batman villain an origin story, and explain how a clown became Gotham's biggest threat. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, the project is expected to be decidedly darker than the most recent installments in the shared universe.

On the same page, Matt Reeves' The Batman should have some darkness to it. Gotham's Protector is usually surrounded by loss and murder, and the developing blockbuster will reportedly include a few members of Batman's rogue gallery. The project will follow a younger version of Bruce Wayne, and focus on Batman's top notch detective skills. This is a new approach to the character onscreen, so let's also hope there's the proper amount of darkness in the movie.

Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) should be an interesting movie, as it'll walk the line between serious mob drama and quirky action romp. Cathy Yan's upcoming blockbuster will once again focus on the denizens of Gotham City, including the villainous Black Mask and Bat-family member Huntress. The movie is also a spinoff for Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, who debuted in Suicide Squad. Harley's inclusion obviously means there will be plenty of comedic beats in Birds of Prey, but the characters that make up the ensemble have tragic and violent pasts. Plus, Black Mask is known as a ruthless mob boss in Gotham.

There will be plenty of room for darkness in the future of the DC live-action universe in the future. For now, fans can celebrate that the studio seems to have finally found its footing, and is producing a variety of exciting projects. And with Shazam! flying into theaters in just days, we may have another DC success story on our hands. And that's in no small part due to its unique tone.

Shazam! will arrive in theaters on April 5th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

When Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Might Open

When Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Might Open

In an absolutely shocking move, Disney yesterday rehired James Gunn as the director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Gunn was fired from his position last year after poor-taste decade-old social media posts resurfaced. Fans, filmmakers, and actors voiced their displeasure over the decision at the time. Now, Gunn is back in the director's chair, but this does raise some questions about when Vol. 3 will hit theaters.

By our calculations, it's possible that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 won't arrive in theaters until 2023, due to James Gunn's new commitment to DC and The Suicide Squad.

After James Gunn was let go by Disney, it wasn't that long until Warner Bros. scooped him up to write and direct the Suicide Squad reboot. It was a big story at the time that one of Marvel's most prominent directors made the jump to DC. Even though Gunn is back with Marvel, his Suicide Squad movie is reportedly still on, and Marvel is willing to wait for Gunn to wrap that project to finally move forward with Vol. 3.

The Suicide Squad is currently expected to begin filming this fall with a release date set for August 2021. That means Gunn probably won't be able to start production for Vol. 3 until either late 2021 or early 2022. Marvel's normal production schedule usually takes about one year, so that puts Vol. 3 in theaters by 2023 -- six years after the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Thankfully, there may already be some shortcuts Vol. 3 can take. James Gunn had already finished the script before he was fired. There are no doubt some rewrites and tweaks still left to be done, but at least there's a complete draft of the screenplay.

Of course, this is all assuming that The Suicide Squad keeps its release date and shooting schedule. Whether or not that gets pushed backward or forward really impacts what Vol. 3 will do and how much focus James Gunn can devote to it.

As of now, Marvel doesn't have any films slated to release in 2023. It has three films slated for 2022, but it's unclear which of its in-development projects will be attached to the dates. The other films that Marvel has in the pipeline are Black Widow, The Eternals, Shang-Chi, Black Panther 2, Doctor Strange 2, and the inevitable but still unannounced Captain Marvel 2. A movie like Guardians 3 will likely need that prime May real estate, so we will have to wait and see how Marvel's schedule shakes out.

There used to be a big question mark on Guardians 3, but now it's just a little bit smaller as fans can relax knowing the franchise is back in James Gunn's hands. We'll be paying close attention to how this all shakes out so stick with CinemaBlend and we'll keep you updated.

Why The X-Men Cast Loves Returning To Their Roles Every Few Years

Why The X-Men Cast Loves Returning To Their Roles Every Few Years

One benefit of joining a superhero franchise is that, so long as you are doing a good job of adapting your comic-book source material, you get to return every few years and continue to develop the character. This can mean exploring new sides of a complicate hero (or villain). And sometimes, as was the case with Sir Patrick Stewart and Hugh Jackman, you can leap years into the future and play veteran shades of a character you helped create on screen. (And if you haven’t seen them in Logan yet, what the hell are you waiting for?)

We realized this when sitting down with the Dark Phoenix cast in London recently. Some members of the ensemble have been with this franchise since 2011’s X-Men: First Class, which introduced younger versions of Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence). Evan Peters joined the fray in X-Men: Days of Futures Past, while Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan and Alexandra Shipp signed on with X-Men: Apocalypse.

Seeing as how they were getting a chance to evolve their takes on the characters in Dark Phoenix, under the guidance of new director Simon Kinberg, I asked them what they really enjoyed about getting to come back and revisit their roles every couple of years. Michael Fassbender made the connection to the roles his colleagues are getting in top-notch television shows these days, telling CinemaBlend:

I suppose when you watch a lot of the great television that’s out there at the moment, and it all for me started with The Sopranos, when you really get to dive in and really get to know these characters and follow them through different stages in their lives and different points in their life, where they’re at, it’s more of an in-depth study. That’s what this has allowed us to do, over four films, as opposed to just coming in [and] doing a standalone piece.

His co-star, James McAvoy, elaborated on that, noting:

Sometimes, you make a film and it’s just a standalone film. You put so much of yourself into it, and then it’s done. You walk away. And there’s a virtue in that. That’s great, because you get to just move on with your life and do something different. Sometimes you think back and go, ‘That was like, that was part of me that went into that.’ So, with Charles… you put a lot of yourself into it, but we get to come back a little and we get to reconnect and make something that lasts a little longer than just that three months or the two months where you are making a movie.

The X-Men cast seems to have developed into a professional family over the years – and how could they not? They have been collaborating with each other on the same saga for the better part of a decade, contributing to the storylines for Days of Futures Past, First Class, and Apocalypse before reuniting now for Dark Phoenix.

James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender noted that they have seen their own roles in the industry evolve over the same time frame, and it has been exciting seeing how the industry views the X-Men family and the work that they do:

Fassbender: It’s also nice to come back and work with the group that we have. It’s a fantastic bunch pf people. Really talented, but also generous of spirit. And so yes, it’s nice to come back. There’s the familiarity there, but there’s also something new.

McAvoy: Even that, within the family of the filmmakers, as well, watching different evolutions happen there. Watching Simon [Kinberg] step into the director’s chair. And watching Sophie [Turner] step up and lead the movie.

Fassbender: And watching Jennifer…

McAvoy: Oh my God, become the biggest movie star in the world! From an 18-year-old – she was, like, in a film that had done alright to, like, the biggest movie star, ever. [Laughs]

Sophie Turner is a pretty massive star in her own right, thanks to the part of Sansa Stark on the wildly successful HBO drama Game of Thrones. In that situation, similar to the X-Men, she was able to return to the project every few years and keep evolving the way that the character was portrayed.

But when we spoke to Turner about Jean Grey and the X-Men, she singled out a specific device in this series that helps keep the characters fresh and new, explaining:

That’s the thing that I love so much about these movies is being able to develop a character over years. And the great thing is, as well, between each of these movies [there’s] 10 years time. They jump for 10 years. So every time, you have to go back and go, ‘Hmmmm, what have they been up to? What developments have been made in their lives?’ That’s something that I love, just fleshing out a storyline.

And sometimes, the ability to come back and live inside of a franchise just allows the cast to better understand the larger picture about how these movies are made. Just because you have made one doesn’t mean that you are automatically an expert on massive tentpoles. Even Evan Peters, who has put his Quicksilver into several memorable X-Men moments, admitted to CinemaBlend:

I think, also, in terms of, just shooting these films is a whole technical masterpiece that I don’t even – I’m not even smart enough to understand even a little bit of it. So it’s just kind of amazing to watch them do that and be a part of that so coming back, you sort of have a little bit of a better idea of what you’re in for, which allows a little more freedom to be creative and explore different sides of the character.

That’s refreshingly cool to hear that the actors in these massive blockbusters are still learning and growing with each new chapter, developing their roles and refining their approaches to how their comic characters are portrayed on screen.

The Dark Phoenix cast had more to say about this subject, so give our cast interview a glance:

In Dark Phoenix, the X-Men must band together and save one off their own after Jean (Sophie Turner) comes in contact with the alien Phoenix Force, enhancing her powers and putting the mutant telepath in danger. The new movie is being viewed as the culmination of the X-Men saga, so go see how it all ends when Dark Phoenix opens in theaters on Thursday night, June 6.

Tomb Raider 2 Just Took A Major Step Forward

Tomb Raider 2 Just Took A Major Step Forward

Last year, the iconic video game character Lara Croft returned to the big screen with the Tomb Raider reboot, starring Alicia Vikander as this new iteration. Although that film didn’t exactly usher in the long hoped-for, perpetually delayed golden age of video game movies, it looks like this new Lara Croft will get another opportunity to make that happen. That’s because Tomb Raider 2 just took a major step forward by hiring a writer.

Writers Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Alastair Siddons handled the script duties for Tomb Raider, but MGM and Warner Bros. have brought in some new talent, hiring Amy Jump to pen the sequel, according to Deadline. Most of Amy Jump’s big screen work has come in collaboration with director and her partner, Ben Wheatley. Together they co-wrote 2016’s Free Fire and the upcoming Freak Shift. Amy Jump also wrote the screenplays for Wheatley’s High-Rise and A Field in England.

Amy Jump has experience writing action in Free Fire and apparently Tomb Raider star and Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander liked what the writer brought to the table for Tomb Raider 2. We don’t yet know what the story will be for Tomb Raider 2, but the first film ended on something of a cliffhanger, so I would expect Lara Croft to go on another globe-trotting, tomb-raiding adventure where she continues to fight the shadowy Trinity organization that has infiltrated Croft Holdings.

It is still early, and in addition to the story, we don’t know who the cast will consist of beyond Alicia Vikander or who will direct the sequel, be it Tomb Raider director Roar Uthaug or someone new. Nevertheless, this is a major step and indicates that Tomb Raider 2 is moving towards becoming a reality, and that Vikander’s Lara Croft will get at least two films just like her predecessor Angelina Jolie, who first brought the heroine to life on the big screen.

This news may come as a bit of a surprise to some considering that Tomb Raider didn’t exactly blow the doors off the box office. Domestically, the film never hit number 1 and ended its run with less than $60 million. Lara Croft had much better luck finding treasure overseas though and Tomb Raider finished with a worldwide total of $274.6 million. That’s nearly triple its $94 million production budget.

With this news, it is clear that MGM and WB see value in keeping this rebooted Tomb Raider going with the hopes that it develops into a successful franchise, and it has the potential to do just that. The first film seemed to have a lot going for it going in, but ultimately didn’t click together for a lot of people and critics. Tomb Raider has a 52% Rotten Tomatoes score, and yet, given the competition, some would still argue that it was the best video game movie to date.

Hopefully the sequel can capitalize on the elements that worked in the first movie while shoring up those that didn’t. Alicia Vikander is incredibly talented and her lead performance was one of the highlights of the movie, so a sequel with her in it immediately has serious potential. That it seems that she approved of Amy Jump writing the sequel is also encouraging. Maybe we can even get an Angelina Jolie cameo this time around.

Tomb Raider 2 does not yet have a release date, but we will keep you updated as this sequel moves forward. In the meantime check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all the movies headed your way this year.

Netflix's The Perfection Trailer Welcomes Get Out's Allison Williams Back To Horror

Netflix's The Perfection Trailer Welcomes Get Out's Allison Williams Back To Horror

In Get Out, Allison Williams proved to be quite the horror villain as Rose Armitage, a seemingly normal and harmless person who was really a cold and menacing sociopath. I mean, did you see how she ate her cereal? What a monster! The actress seemed to relish the role, and now she is returning to the horror genre for Netflix’s upcoming The Perfection. The first trailer for The Perfection has arrived, and yes, Allison Williams looks creepy in it. Take a look:

It really is a tough beat to be an artistic prodigy in movies these days, because inevitably your competition and friends are all plotting to kill you. The way the trailer for The Perfection starts off, you can tell that something is not quite right. Allison Williams’ Charlotte seems to not be taking the plight of Logan Browning’s Lizzie very seriously, as if she suspects it is all in her head.

We are then given glimpses of Charlotte and Lizzie and see that they are fellow musicians, friends and perhaps lovers. However, Lizzie has attained a real level of fame that Charlotte is perhaps jealous of, and Allison Williams looks positively devious in the role. Charlotte’s feigned concern and confusion is revealed for what it is when she pulls out a butcher knife, basically proposing that Lizzie cut off her bug-infested arm.

It’s a hilarious and creepy moment in a trailer full of unsettling imagery. The Perfection trailer has plenty of body horror elements with the vomit, the bugs under the arm and the head shaving. There are also a bunch of strange images of food, from a raw chicken to tomatoes to some kind of Asian dish. The food all takes on a nauseating quality in the context of the trailer though and something tells me this one is best watched on an empty stomach.

What’s interesting about The Perfection is that it’s not entirely clear if the horror elements in the film are all “realistic” or if they will go into the realm of the supernatural. There is a surreal quality to the trailer and there might be some sort of psychological element at play, because we do see indications that someone may be undergoing electroshock therapy. And although Allison Williams’ character appears to be nefarious, it also seems like she isn't in complete control of what's going on.

I really dug the dark humor in this trailer and it’s great to see Allison Williams in another horror film after her disturbing performance in Get Out. I really have no idea what is going on in this movie, but I look forward to laughing hysterically, barf bag in hand. You can check out the poster for The Perfection below.

The plot of The Perfection finds Allison Williams’ troubled musical prodigy seeking out the star student of her former school, and the journey they go on together has dark and shocking (also gross) consequences. From Don Hemingway director Richard Shepard, The Perfection debuted at Fantastic Fest last year to largely positive reviews that indicate it is a total blast and a movie that is full of surprises.

The Perfection arrives on Netflix on May 24. For all of the theatrical releases headed your way this year, check out our 2019 Release Schedule.

The Wolf Of Wall Street’s Trial Has Begun In Malaysia

The Wolf Of Wall Street’s Trial Has Begun In Malaysia

Back in 2013, the release of Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street was the smash hit that not only made a cultural impact on pop culture, it also made a huge splash with critics as well. But the financing that went into the film came into question not too long after, as investor 1Malaysia Development Berhad, 1MDB for short, became the focus of an investigation that alleged the funds granted to make the film were ill gotten goods. Now, almost six years after the film’s release, a key figure in the scandal is about to go on trial in connection with these charges of malfeasance.

Former Prime Minster of Malaysia Najib Razak, who was recently arrested in connection to the 1MDB scandal, is the man going on trial, as he created the sovereign wealth fund, which by intent is supposed to invest in “real and financial” assets globally. 1MDB was kind of like a 401(k) plan for the country of Malaysia. The intent, overall, is to enrich the country whose money is being entered into this sort of financial arrangement.

Only, as the charges mentioned by The Hollywood Reporter allege, Najib Razak abused those funds by funneling them into his own high living lifestyle, which included helping fund The Wolf of Wall Street. In addition to funding the film, the money went into celebrating it in a fashion that sounds similar to the events depicted within the film. Now, years of investigation and litigation surrounding are about to kick into high gear, as this trial is the latest step in the overall case against 1MDB and its actions.

Previously, we’d learned that the U.S. Department of Justice cut a deal with Razak’s stepson, and Red Granite producer, Riz Aziz, in which a $60 million settlement was paid to close off a lawsuit from the state of California. Though that settlement was legally announced as no admission of wrongdoing or guilt on the part of Red Granite Productions, so that was somewhat of a temporary reprieve in the overall matter.

Making this story all the more unbelievable is the fact that Jordan Belfort, the Wolf of Wall Street himself, had a deep seated feeling that some familiar tricks were being played behind the scenes on the film depicting his own financial crimes. But, sometimes, the truth needs to be discovered bit by bit, eventually creating a provable pattern of behavior. A pattern that now stands as proof that Najib Razak could have been the head of the most ambitious scheme in political, financial and filmmaking history.

This will definitely be a case to watch, as it’s a pretty large and unique incident that the world will want to avoid allowing to happen in the future. Even more interesting will be the potential fallout and reaction of producer/star Leonardo DiCaprio to this further movement of this Wolf of Wall Street scandal. At the very least, it’d probably be a good idea to pay back the money that he earned for playing his part in the film’s production, as a gesture of good faith.

The Wolf of Wall Street is currently on Digital HD, Blu-ray, and DVD.