Jeremy Renner Shares Video With Stan Lee

Jeremy Renner Shares Video With Stan Lee

In its two weeks in theaters, Avengers: Endgame has been aptly named as it is a film of endings; endings for characters, stories and an unprecedented cinematic arc that dates back to 2008. It also marks the last MCU cameo of Stan Lee, who passed away in November. That sad reality must have been on Jeremy Renner’s mind because the Hawkeye actor has shared a video of a moment he spent with the late comics legend. Check it out:

With the accuracy of an arrow loosed from Hawkeye’s bow, this video hits the bullseye of bittersweetness. It is incredibly heartwarming and puts a smile on your face to see Jeremy Renner and Stan Lee together. It also reminds us that a wonderful person, who personally and through his creations touched so many, is now gone from the world.

Part of what’s great about this video from Jeremy Renner’s Instagram is that the expression on his face is the same one that many of us would have if we got to meet and interact with Stan Lee. He can’t hold back his gleeful smile and he clearly has genuine affection for the man who, along with artist Don Heck, created his character Hawkeye all the way back in the 1960s.

The post itself is a tribute to Stan Lee and Jeremy Renner even offers a little bow of deference to him in the video. And if there was any doubt, Jeremy Renner makes it plain how he feels about Stan Lee with the video’s caption.

The other thing that comes across is how gracious Stan Lee always seemed to be. He always appeared thrilled just to be a part of everything and see how far comic book characters, some of whom, like Hawkeye, he had a direct hand in creating, have come in pop culture.

This video is also just another reminder that although he is most famous for what he did sitting behind a desk writing stories, Stan Lee was made for the spotlight, and he knew how to play to the camera and a crowd better than just about anybody. His comic book poses are just great and you can tell how much fun he was having.

It’s a shame that he never got to see Avengers: Endgame, but that’s both the tragedy and the beauty of it. Stan Lee created and helped create characters that people connected with and whose stories became a permanent part of pop culture. His characters would always outlast him and in that way he too lives on.

Jeremy Renner’s Instagram video remembering Stan Lee won’t be the last time the legend is honored. Marvel is making a supercut of Stan Lee’s famous cameos and Avengers: Endgame directors The Russo Brothers have hinted that they are working on something of a documentary about him.

You can see Stan Lee’s last MCU cameo in Avengers: Endgame, now playing. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all the movies you can look forward to this year.

How Much Child’s Play Could Make Opening Weekend

How Much Child’s Play Could Make Opening Weekend

The Child's Play remake is getting ready to make its debut and while it has a lot going for it, like Mark Hamill's voice bringing Chuckie to life this time around, is that going to be enough to make the new movie a massive hit? While numbers are still early, the new Child's Play is currently tracking for an opening weekend somewhere between $12 and $22 million.

While a number as low as $12 million doesn't necessarily sound like a lot of money, especially for a summer release, Child's Play isn't going to be the most expensive movie ever made and and so it doesn't actually need to make a lot to be a success.

Having said that, part of the reason the movie might find it difficult to have a strong opening weekend is that it's opening against a major tentpole release, Pixar's Toy Story 4.

Certainly, putting a horror movie up against a Pixar release was an intentional bit of counter programming to try and grab those movie goers who don't care so much for the family film, but Pixar is so broadly popular that it's going to attract a massive audience, even many of the people who might otherwise be interested in a horror movie.

The other problem facing Child's Play, as Box Office Pro points out, is that another horror movie, Annabelle Comes Home, opens a week after Child's Play, and with that movie being part of the popular Conjuring franchise, it's possible horror fans might be tempted to wait and check out the new film rather than go in for the remake.

The Annabelle release certainly does give the impression that Child's Play will have a hard time making money in the weeks following release. With another horror franchise to compete with directly, box office dollars could get split between them, resulting in neither film being strong hits. Those that grew up with the original Child's Play franchise might be inclined to check out the remake while younger viewers might go in for the Conjuring movie.

There is one final reason why the new Child's Play might have issues and that's because many of those involved in the original franchise aren't on board with the new movie. Actress Jennifer Tilly has made it clear she doesn't love the idea and franchise creator Don Mancini, who isn't involved in the new film is also not pleased. He's been working on a new Child's Play TV series which has nothing to do with the new movie.

The reboot likely needs the franchise fans in order to succeed, but if large numbers of them stay away because they don't like the idea of the series being rebooted in the first place, the film could be in serious trouble.

The new Child's Play arrives in theaters June 21.

Hollywood Icon Doris Day Has Died At 97

Hollywood Icon Doris Day Has Died At 97

If you're a fan of classic Hollywood films, it's pretty safe bet that you're a fan of Doris Day. Day was one of the top box office attractions of the 1950s and 60s starring in such hits as Pillow Talk, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Move Over, Darling. Day passed away this morning at her home at the age of 97 following a brief fight with pneumonia.

Born Doris Mary Kappelhoff on April 3, 1922, Day's goal as a child was to be a dancer but a serious car accident when she was very young cut those dreams short. Instead, she turned to singing. She performed with some of the most popular bands of the 1940s and recorded several hits.

Singing success then led to screen opportunities and Day was cast in her first film, 1948's Romance on the High Seas. While she never stopped singing, releasing an album as recently as 2012, it would be her film work for which she would become best known.

Doris Day would come to be known as the "girl next door" or the "Virginal Queen." Most of her most popular film roles were romantic comedies, and while sex was always in the subtext, Day's characters always remained pure.

Doris Day starred in three such films opposite Rock Hudson, including Pillow Talk for which she would be nominated for her one Academy Award. She also starred opposite James Garner in Move Over, Darling, a 1963 comedy in which Day performed a role that had been intended for Marilyn Monroe, who died during the film's initial production under the title Something's Got To Give.

While Doris Day may have been best known for comedies, she made her share of serious drams as well and showed no less of an aptitude for them. 1951's Storm Warning dealt with the violence of the Klu Klux Klan. In 1956 she would star opposite Jimmy Stewart in Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Day made her last film in 1968 and transitioned to television, where she starred in The Doris Day Show, which ran until 1973. Following her retirement from the screen, Doris Day became somewhat reclusive, dedicating her time to her passion for animals, founding the Doris Day Animal Foundation, in the 1970s. The Foundation announced her death this morning.

There was a rumor a few years back that Day might actually come out of retirement to make a movie with Clint Eastwood, but nothing ever came of it.

Doris Day outlived her only child, record producer Terry Melcher, who died of melanoma in 2004 at the age of 62.

Doris Day was the definition of a Hollywood legend. Her career spanned decades and she was always at the top of her profession. Her best performances have truly stood the test of time. Check out a great scene from Pillow Talk below.

Doris Day will truly be missed by those who knew her, even if many of us only knew her through her music and her movies.

Why Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Needs To Work As A Standalone Movie, According To J.J. Abrams

Why Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Needs To Work As A Standalone Movie, According To J.J. Abrams

The past few years have been very exciting for Star Wars fans, as new and exciting projects have been released in theaters. The galaxy far, far away only continues to grow, including standalone films and an upcoming live-action TV series. But all eyes are currently on the main franchise, as J.J. Abrams' The Rise of Skywalker will conclude the current trilogy, as well as the nine movie narrative that started with A New Hope.

Episode IX will end the Skywalker Saga forever, so there is a ton of pressure regarding what J.J. Abrams will include in the upcoming blockbuster. But while The Rise of Skywalker is the final installment in a long running franchise, the director also took care to craft an independent story that stands on its own. As he recently explained at Star Wars Celebration:

Also, this movie, in addition to being the end of three trilogies, also needs to work as its own movie. That’s been part of the fun of it, part of the challenge of it. This movie is about this new generation and what they’ve inherited: the light and the dark. And asking the question as they face the greatest evil: Are they prepared? Are they ready? It’s been really incredible to look at this thing George has created and bring it to a close in this way.

J.J. Abrams may understand the pressure of wrapping up the Star Wars franchise as we know it, but he also wanted to create a contained, satisfying movie. That balance is going to be important going into The Rise of Skywalker, so it's good to see that Abrams is cognizant of it all.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker might be the final movie in a decades spanning franchise, but it's also going to be focused on the trio of new characters that J.J. Abrams created for The Force Awakens. So while Leia, Lando, and Luke will factor into the story, smart money says the primary focus will be on the new class, and their continued battle against The First Order.

During the same conversation at Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy spoke to the challenge of wrapping up the entire franchise so far, ending a narrative that was started decades ago when A New Hope premiered in 1977. As Kennedy put it,

What’s really fascinating is it’s over 40 years. So, the context George is working with is forty years later. To keep this relevant and meaningful to the characters and to the people experiencing this story, it has to feel like it’s of its time. I think that what we’ve done is taken to heart everything that inspired George and then I think the inspiration J.J. has brought to this has given it even more depth.

It looks like everyone involved in The Rise of Skywalker understood the dual role the film had to play. Yes, the Skywalker Saga must be given an appropriate ending, but the movie also has to function as a standalone film, with its own themes and story. The pressure is on, so we'll just have to wait and see what J.J. Abrams churns out with his second foray into the beloved space opera.

All will be revealed when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arrives in theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Seth Rogen Says The Lion King Footage Makes Him ‘Weep Uncontrollably’

Seth Rogen Says The Lion King Footage Makes Him ‘Weep Uncontrollably’

Disney is obviously a massive filmmaking presence, which is always finding ways to enthrall audiences (and make tons of money in the process). Over the past few years, the House of Mouse has capitalized on the trend of nostalgia, adapting classic animated blockbusters into live-action. This all started with Maleficent, and the next big Disney remake is coming down the line is Jon Favreau's The Lion King.

Anticipation for The Lion King has been steadily building over the past few years, after Jon Favreau revealed the all-star cast assembled to popular Pride Rock. One of the brilliant casting choices is Seth Rogen as Pumbaa the warthog, pairing the comedian with fellow funny man Billy Eichner as Timon. But Rogen can barely get through watching footage without breaking out into hysterics. When explaining the pressure of giving The Lion King new life, the 37 year-old actor said:

I once heard it referred to as the crown jewel of the Disney movies, and for me at least, it’s for sure the one that hit me the hardest, that taught me the most lessons about life and death and many things in between. Whenever Jon has shown me [footage], I weep uncontrollably because it does just hit a raw nerve in some ways and taps directly into these feelings from my childhood, but updates them with a scope that is heavily impactful to me as an adult.

Same, Seth Rogen. Because while he's privy to way more information and content than the general public, the brief Lion King trailers have overwhelmed moviegoers with nostalgic feels. So he's not the only one who needs a tissue.

Seth Rogen's comments to EW show how everyone involved in The Lion King understands what an important story is being told. The 1994 original animated blockbuster was an insane success, making tons of money at the box office and earning two Oscars in the process. It has a special place in the hearts of countless families, and showed what the Disney Renaissance was truly capable of.

Related: Seth Rogen Is Seriously Psyched About His Lion King Role

As such, seeing the iconic characters (including Pumbaa) brought to live through cutting edge visual affects is an emotional experience. Shots from the first trailers instantly bring you back to childhood, as Jon Fravreau pays tribute to the Academy Award winning original. But he's still finding ways to surprise the audience, so it won't be a shot-for-shot remake of the animated classic.

As a reminder you can check out the first full trailer for The Lion King, and find yourself transported back to the 1990's in the process.

I'm not crying, you're crying. Actually, Seth Rogen is probably crying.

While the nostalgic feels are already strong for The Lion King, one can imagine that it's an even more emotional experience if you're actually in the cast. Hearing his voice come out of Pumbaa's CGI mouth must be jarring, as he was clearly touched by the original film. Now Rogen has the chance to have the same magical affects on the younger generation, while also paying tribute to the original with older moviegoers.

Very little has been shown of The Lion King, but Seth Rogen is expected to sing out, Louise when it comes time to the classic tune "Hakuna Matata". The trailer is relatively short in length, showing the beautiful world created by Jon Favreau and his animators. But since the new adaptation will arrive in theaters in a few months, we should expect Disney to reveal more shortly.

Seth Rogen's trepidation over The Lion King does make sense, because everyone in the cast has some big (albeit animal) shoes to fill. Disney's original Lion King is one of the most beloved movies in the entire vault, with gorgeous animation and music by Elton John. Movies like The Lion King and Beauty and The Beast helped establish that animated movies could be award contenders, and now we've got an annual category for said film at the Academy Awards.

In the 1994 classic, Pumbaa the gassy warthog is voiced by Broadway talent Ernie Sabella. Sabella had great chemistry with OG Timon, the incomparable Nathan Lane. It's their give and take that made the two comic relief become beloved parts of kids' childhoods. Luckily for Seth Rogen, he was given a solid scene partner in Difficult People's Billy Eichner. Both actors are filmmakers in their own rights, although audiences aren't familiar with their singing voices.

Not much has been seen from Timon and Pumbaa in the new Lion King yet. But there's only been a limited amount of footage offered the generations of fans ahead of the film's release. The duo were seen in the closing moments of the first full trailer, singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" as the screen went to black. It's just a tease of what we should expect, and Seth Rogen's signature growl seems like a great choice to play Pumbaa. And it's not like fart jokes are unfamiliar territory to the comedy megastar.

Director Jon Favreau actually shared a new glimpse at the dynamic duo of Lion King characters today on social media. Check it out below, and prepare for your heart to be full.

After a long day of no worries and eating bugs, sometimes you have to cuddle up for some shut eye. The above image shows Simba (Donald Glover) in his adult form, avoiding his problems with his two best buddies. But you can see some longing in the character's eyes, likely because he knows he must return to Pride Rock. All he needs is a certain pop star lioness to get him back into shape.

Fans are eager to see how the new Lion King movie differs from the original, and which iconic beats end up staying in the movie. There are new characters being introduced, as well as music from the long running Broadway show. But the trailers show a real reverence for the first movie, and some shots that are nearly identical.

The Lion King will arrive in theaters on July 19th, with Seth Rogen in tow. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Joker Director Todd Phillips Says Perceptions Of The Movie Are Mostly Wrong

Joker Director Todd Phillips Says Perceptions Of The Movie Are Mostly Wrong

Joker has been teasing out a lot of images over the past several months, leading anticipation to be on the high side. Not only is it a comic book movie from a beloved property, but it also stars Joaquin Phoenix, who seems to be going all out to play the iconic character. And The Hangover Todd Phillips is at the helm. While we know all of this, The Joker largely still remains a secret and, according to what Phillips said at CinemaCon 2019, most of what we know about the movie may not be correct.

I don’t have a lot to say about the filming because it’s still taking shape, but also I want it to be a surprise. That said, there’s been a lot of chatter about what this film is and isn’t and most of it hasn’t been very accurate. But I suppose that’s to be expected when you set out to make an origin story about a beloved character that basically has no definitive origin.

From what we've heard about Joker so far, the movie will be framed differently than other DC properties. Joaquin Phoenix will be playing Arthur Fleck and we’ve seen the character in full makeup already ahead of the first trailer. Warner Bros. has previously called the movie “a cautionary tale” and “a gritty character study" about a man who has been “disregarded by society.”

Other than that, there have been some wild rumors out there from plot to casting, most of which Todd Phillips said at CinemaCon are not true.

He’s loathe to give away any real details about the movie. (In fact, I saw some early footage of the movie and I’m still not totally sure where it’s headed or what ground it will exactly cover.) However, Todd Phillips did reveal the marketing department at Warners made him give them something. So, he gave Warner Bros. the genre, noting:

When the marketing department at Warners asked me the other day to describe the movie, I said, ‘I can’t.’ They said, ‘Well, at least tell us the genre.’ And I thought about it for a minute and I said, ‘It’s a tragedy.’ And I think if the brilliant Joaquin Phoenix was here with me he would agree.

There have been a lot of Batman properties featuring the Joker over the years. He’s been played by Mark Hamill, Jack Nicholson, Jared Leto, Micheal Emerson, Zach Galifianakis and I could go on and on if I delved really deeply into Batman lore here. But a comics movie focusing on the world of the bad guys is still pretty novel.

Sure, we got Suicide Squad, but that’s not exactly the same ballpark, given the villains save the day. I’m not sure Thanos winning counts exactly either, since Infinity War is still more of a movie about the heroes. But even if you count stuff like this in with Joker, there are still a slew of movies released for heroes and villain narratives are rare birds.

So, there’s excitement around Todd Phillips’ Joker from that perspective and from the perspective that details are secret and apparently at least partially wrong. Footage is dropping shortly, so you’ll be able to catch the movie and decide if it’s exactly what you’re hoping for very soon.

Joker hits theaters on October 4, 2019. Take a look at its comics competition with our full movies schedule.

I’m A Female Critic, And To Be Honest, I Didn’t Love Captain Marvel

I’m A Female Critic, And To Be Honest, I Didn’t Love Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel hits theaters this weekend, and although a huge faction of people have not caught the movie yet, there’s already been a lot of the conversation around the movie, specifically about gender and movie criticism.

From people trolling the film on Rotten Tomatoes to conversations about representation to worries from some (who haven’t even seen the movie) that it would perhaps have too much of a social agenda, the chatter around Captain Marvel has seemingly been about everything other than the movie itself. In fact, it has even sparked conversations about whether all or at least half of the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes should be from female critics.

At the time of this writing, Captain Marvel is currently running at an 83% in critical reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Although the film hasn’t achieved the heights of say Black Panther (97%), Thor: Ragnarok (92%) or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.1 (91%), that’s a very respectable score, with both positive and negative reviews coming from both men and women—although just counting the first page of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, there were 16 men to 4 women represented.

It’s a refrain we’ve actually heard from celebrities before. Most notably in recent memory, the cast of Ocean’s Eight coming out to discuss the fact they felt the movie wasn’t made for men and that perhaps male critics didn’t get it. There's a thought that perhaps only women should be responsible for reviews for movies starring women.

To be honest, however, I’m a female critic and I didn’t really love Captain Marvel.

I think Captain Marvel does a fine enough job of setting up the character’s origin story. The de-aging wasn’t half bad either, and there were some laughs to be had. It’s a totally acceptable movie and I would have said that in my review.

But I didn’t review Captain Marvel for CinemaBlend. In fact, our reviewer, who is male, thought the movie was delightful. He didn’t have the problems with the weak jokes, the unidentifiable tone and even the music that I had. He enjoyed the origin story and really admired the digital work that Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck put in, noting it’s “absolutely a blockbuster to which the industry should look as it's doing its part to try and reinvent the wheel.”

To me, however, Marvel has set the bar high with its movies. Avengers: Infinity War was astonishing and had such a shocking and spry script that capably showcased a wide variety of characters. The wonder of Wakanda and even the rhinos bought to life an incredible new world in Black Panther. Thor and The Guardians and even Ant-Man have separated themselves out by having fun and tonally different takes than anything else in the MCU or in other blockbuster flicks.

Captain Marvel is missing a lot of those different types of sparks and for me it didn’t offer anything on its own terms that is new or exceptional or necessary to see on the big screen. It’s a fine enough movie, but especially because I think the expectations were so high with Marvel’s first lead superheroine, I do think some people will be disappointed. I was.

I’m paid to live, breathe and opine movies, to be moved by them, to take joy in all kinds of visual wonders and funny moments, to immerse myself in gripping dialogue and action. I spend a lot of time in front of a screen and I see a lot of bad movies as well as good ones. Sometimes I agree with the consensus. Sometimes I don’t.

But what I would really hate would be to be to be told that I don’t deserve to have an opinion on Creed II because boxing movies are not really in my wheelhouse. Or that I don’t get to feel lukewarm about Ocean’s Eight because I’m a woman.

A long time ago, people were familiar with their neighborhood movie critics. They might know if action or rom-coms were not in that critic’s wheelhouse and take those opinions with a little bit of salt based on their own personal taste.

In the vastness of the Internet, one person’s voice may not matter as much as the collective whole, but they should still all be shared.

I think at the end of the day, what we all really want is probably the same thing. Diversity in movie criticism is only going to grow our understanding of what works and doesn’t in movies by leaps and bounds. It could even lead to different movies finding success or Hollywood tackling different projects.

But only half of getting to that place is opportunity. The other half is respectfully allowing everyone to have a voice, whether or not it’s the “right type” of movie for that person.