Robert Rodriguez Rewrote Alita: Battle Angel For Free Before James Cameron Let Him Direct

Robert Rodriguez Rewrote Alita: Battle Angel For Free Before James Cameron Let Him Direct

Avatar and Titanic director James Cameron was talking about doing a feature film adaptation of the Battle Angel Alita manga since the early 2000s, but he never got around to it. Now, roughly two decades later, Alita: Battle Angel is finally in theaters; but James Cameron only produced the film, while Robert Rodriguez directed it. James Cameron didn’t just give up the reins to his passion project easily though, Robert Rodriguez had to work for it, as the latter explained:

Jim would rather put something in a drawer and not do it at all than do it incorrectly with the wrong director. I saw his original drawings and they took my breath away. The main character had porcelain arms and huge manga eyes, and I thought, Wow, he’s going full manga with this. And he trusted me with the version that was in his head, and he said: if you fix the script for me, you can direct. So a month later I come back and say: here you go, free of charge. And he said: all right, it’s yours.

It sounds like Robert Rodriguez basically had to prove himself to James Cameron to take on a project that was so important to the Aliens director. That test required Robert Rodriguez working on the script for Alita: Battle Angel and fixing its issues, thereby not only proving himself capable, but also proving that he had a grasp on the material. He understood how it should be adapted, and was clearly the right fit to direct.

It’s quite a vote of confidence because, as Robert Rodriguez told The Irish Times, James Cameron has no problem shelving a project he has the rights to indefinitely rather than see it done poorly. That’s an admirable trait, but with the can getting perpetually kicked further down the road thanks to the priority of his multiple Avatar sequels, it risked never happening if he didn’t pass it off to someone else.

As we’ve heard, Robert Rodriguez wanted to see James Cameron’s Alita: Battle Angel and since James Cameron wasn’t going to make it, he did and endeavored to make it feel like a James Cameron movie. Fortunately, James Cameron was still involved and gave him a great starting point.

Robert Rodriguez didn’t have to start from scratch, because James Cameron had already laid out his vision for Alita: Battle Angel in 600 pages of notes and drawings. And we’ve previously heared how Cameron introduced Rodriguez to Alita with a 15-minute presentation complete with narration, artwork and story concepts.

That all made it clear that James Cameron indeed wanted to make a manga movie that felt like the source material, retaining the weirder elements less familiar to Western audiences, like Alita’s giant eyes. So the movie was all there, Robert Rodriguez just had to fix the 186-page screenplay and it was his. He did just that and it sounds like he did it with style too, taking only a month and doing it for free.

Now Alita: Battle Angel is finally in theaters and despite mixed reviews, it has gotten a positive audience response and recently crossed $350 million at the worldwide box office. Although it still has a ways to go to become profitable and hopefully get a sequel greenlit.

Alita: Battle Angel is now playing. Check out our 2019 release schedule to keep track of all the year’s biggest releases and for all your movie news, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

Toy Story 4’s Poster Has An Up Easter Egg

Toy Story 4’s Poster Has An Up Easter Egg

Pixar is notorious for hiding in easter eggs and references from their other heartwarming family flicks into the fabric of the animation, such as a Pizza Planet truck zooming past Miguel in Coco. There are usually tons more clever tie-ins hidden in plain sight or tucked away in Pixar movies then moviegoers can attempt to spot. In anticipation for Toy Story 4, fans have already spotted a few within the film’s marketing including this one from 2009’s Up on the new poster. Take a look:

Do you see it? The amazing find from @CultureCrave on Twitter points to a painted on the wall on the left that spoofs the famous Dogs Playing Poker painting, but with the gang of hounds from Up, including Dug on the right and the movie’s villain, Charles Muntz on the left.

I personally wouldn’t have even thought about playing “I, Spy” with this movie poster! The center of the image already has a lot to unpack including Bo Peep’s new look (and the mini toy on her shoulder), Forky looking to be having an identity crisis, Key and Peele’s carnival animal characters, Christina Hendrick’s creepy Gabby Gabby character and dummy friends. Oh, and that high-flying motorcyclist up top.

The easter egg on the side of the poster is a brilliant nod to another one of Pixar’s releases, and certainly has us excited for more references to look closely for when the movie comes out. A couple days ago another easter egg was found within the most recent Toy Story 4 trailer. In the background of the shot where Bonnie is making Forky in class, Boo from Monsters’ Inc can be seen. Take a look:

Boo is that blurry figure to Bonnie’s right! These are so fun, and major props to the fans who have already found some Pixar easter eggs ahead of Toy Story 4’s release. Since the latest trailer for the movie, fans have also been theorizing about Andy’s potential role in the movie and if there will be a time jump in order to conclude the 24-year-old saga.

Toy Story 4 will follow Woody, Buzz and the gang as Bonnie and her family go on a summer road trip with her new toy, Forky – a craft project who is set on leaving her behind because he’s not meant to be a toy. Woody enlists himself to bring Forky back to Bonnie, though when he reunites with his lost love Bo Peep, he starts to change his mind about staying Bonnie’s toy too.

You can look out for more easter eggs when latest Pixar film hits theaters on June 21, 2019.

Every X-Men Movie Ranked, Including Deadpool 2

Every X-Men Movie Ranked, Including Deadpool 2

The X-Men franchise is starting to wind down… well, at least in its current form. 2017 delivered Logan, Hugh Jackman’s final outing as Wolverine, and 2018 gave us Deadpool 2, another successful outing of Ryan Reynolds as a proper, fourth wall-breaking Wade Wilson. Looking to the future, Dark Phoenix will wrap up the main X-Men film series soon, and following numerous delays, The New Mutants is finally set for release on April 3, 2020, although it’s entirely possible it could be moved again.

With the X-Men property now under the Disney banner following the company’s purchase of 21st Century Fox, it’s only a matter of time before Marvel’s mutants are eventually going to be incorporated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe mythology, though that’s a long way off. In any case, the current X-Men franchise has unquestionably been a major cornerstone for the superhero movie genre’s rise in popularity in the last two decades.

So as we prepare for Dark Phoenix and The New Mutants to bring an end to this iteration of the current X-Men franchise, here's our ranking of all the X-Men movies up to this latest installment, from worst to best. Let's kick off with the one that most of you likely look at with contempt and sadness.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine promised to tell the epic tale of how Wolverine's skeleton was bonded with adamantium and how he lost his memories. Well, at least we got the origin part. With the exception of Hugh Jackman delivering a satisfiable Wolverine performance, Liev Schrieber's improved Sabretooth and the amazing opening credits, nothing about this movie screamed excellence.

Origins felt like a weird offshoot of a regular X-Men movie than a true Wolverine story. In some ways it actually made Wolverine seem less interesting. It's for the best this movie was wiped from continuity after X-Men: Days of Future Past.

X-Men: The Last Stand

X-Men: The Last Stand is a perfect example of a movie that juggles too many plots and characters. Instead of following both Jean Grey's transformation into Dark Phoenix and the creation of a mutant "cure," the third X-Men entry should have dedicated full attention to just one of these narratives. Even if that had been the case, that may not have been enough to shift The Last Stand from a mere action-fest to something compelling.

The treatment of certain fan favorite characters (I'm looking at you, Cyclops and Juggernaut) certainly didn't help matters. The Last Stand did have a few bright spots, like Kelsey Grammer's Beast, but overall, it was an underwhelming conclusion to the original X-Men trilogy, making us all the more glad the series didn't end with that.

X-Men: Apocalypse

If X-Men: Apocalypse had come out 10-15 years earlier, then maybe it would have earned better reception. The problem with this installment is not only did it hit on many of the same beats we've seen in previous X-Men movies, but the story just felt incredibly generic. It takes more for a superhero movie to be successful nowadays than just showing the hero(es) preventing the bad guy(s) from taking over the world, unleashing destruction, etc.

Apocalypse barely brought anything special to the table plot-wise, especially with the main villain. So while it's an okay movie overall, there's nothing particularly exceptional about it. Except for that Quicksilver sequence. That's a delight to watch.

The Wolverine

Four years after X-Men Origins: Wolverine failed to satisfy critically, The Wolverine managed to find some solo story redemption for the clawed mutant by taking him to Japan, a location near and dear to his comic book counterpart. The first two-thirds of the movie were a blast, as we saw Wolverine fighting the Yakuza while he dealt with his malfunctioning healing factor.

The movie also arguably showed Wolverine at his highest level of ferocity up to that point in the franchise. Unfortunately, The Wolverine's clunky third act was a little too weighed down in the more fantastical comic book elements, but in the end, it was a decent adventure for Logan.

X-Men

It's the movie that started it all, and even though Blade preceded X-Men by two years, many will argue that the latter helped kick off the modern superhero movie craze. Introducing folks who didn't read the comics or watch the '90s animated series to the world of mutants, X-Men was an action-packed romp that also explored how discrimination has affected those born with extraordinary abilities.

At a time when a lot of superhero movies weren't taking themselves seriously, X-Men was a welcome break since it didn't seek to make light of the source material. Sure, X-Men didn't fully embrace its comic book roots (as evidenced by those black leather costumes), but we'll forever be grateful for its captivating story and what it did for the superhero movie genre.

Deadpool 2

There was a lot riding on Deadpool 2 to come close to matching its predecessor’s excellent blend of action and wackiness, and while it might not entirely measure up, the sequel is definitely still enjoyable. Along with delivering more of the elements we enjoyed in Deadpool, Deadpool 2 explored the concept of family and Deadpool ultimately finding a place where he belongs.

The movie also introduced us to Josh Brolin’s Cable and Zazie Beetz’s Domino, and while it remains to be seen whether we’ll ever see this incarnation of the X-Force again, at least these versions of the characters had one movie to shine in. It should also be noted that along with the theatrical cut, fans can also watch Deadpool 2 unfold differently in the Super Duper extended cut and the PG-13 cut known as Once Upon a Deadpool.

X-Men: First Class

Taking a cue from X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the main X-Men series decided to wind the clock back to the early 1960s to show how Professor X and Magneto first met each other, and how the very first team of mutant heroes formed. It's a good thing the franchise went in this direction, because thanks to X-Men: First Class, the series was revitalized.

With a story that mixed superheroes flair with spy adventures, good performances from most of the main cast and great dialogue, X-Men: First Class benefitted from getting distance from its predecessors, and the end result was a movie that was both exciting and intelligent.

Deadpool

Deadpool is very much the black sheep of the X-Men franchise, in that it doesn't feel like an X-Men movie at all. Hence why it's not in the top 3 on this list. Nevertheless, given Deadpool's connection to the X-Men universe, as well as the movie include Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Colossus, we must include it! That's perfectly fine, because Deadpool was unlike any X-Men or superhero movie that came before.

With zany humor, fourth wall breaking and over-the-top violence, Deadpool is a great example of what happens when you take a risk with a property and it pays off big time. We should all be thankful to whoever leaked that animated test footage and forced Deadpool out of development hell.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Loosely adapting the original 1981 Days of Future Past comic arc, X-Men: Days of Future Past was the movie that brought the old and new X-Men generations together through time travel. As both a continuation of the original trilogy and the next entry of the "First Class" trilogy, this movie managed to combine the best of both worlds for an epic and entertaining tale that spanned across decades.

A great bonus that came from the temporal shenanigans is that much of the X-Men franchise's continuity issues (and mistakes) were wiped away when the timeline was changed, leaving the franchise a relatively clean slate to work with for future entries.

Logan

Like Deadpool, Logan was unlike any other superhero movie that came before. In this case, Wolverine's third movie felt more like a modern Western, and it is arguably the maturest of the X-Men movies. While the cinematic Wolverine has usually been a captivating protagonist to watch, Logan cut to his core and arguably spotlighted him when he was most "human."

By eschewing many of the comic book-y elements in favor of character study and putting both Wolverine and Professor X in their most vulnerable states, Logan served as a remarkable conclusion to both Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart's time with this franchise, and will forever be known as one of the most unique tales in this genre.

X2: X-Men United

Obviously the rankings on this list are subject to debate, but there's no denying that X2: X-Men United is the movie from this selection that best melded the X-Men mythology with a story appealing for all kinds of moviegoers. Even though Wolverine was once again front and center as he encountered a figure from his past, all of the major characters were able to shine at one point or another.

While the action was as dazzling as ever, it was also great to see X2 hit even harder on those outcast themes. This was one of those rare sequels that improved upon its predecessor and then some. While it's a shame that X2's immediate successors failed to measure up, they can't take away from how fantastic this installment is, and it still reigns supreme as one of the most acclaimed superhero movies ever.

Karen Gillan Regrets Not Trying To Work A Doctor Who Reference Into Endgame

Karen Gillan Regrets Not Trying To Work A Doctor Who Reference Into Endgame

Once you’ve got your first taste of the logic and intricacies of time travel, you never forget the properties that bring you there. And one big series that’s exposed a lot of people to the world of temporal joy rides is the BBC’s legendary franchise, Doctor Who.

But despite intense overlap between that show and Avengers: Endgame, there were no references to The Doctor, their adventures, or even their existence. Which is funny, considering Karen Gillan, one of the Eleventh Doctor’s very own companions, could have fought to include that cultural touchstone in the current blockbuster’s narrative. Sadly, she didn’t, and it’s a decision she regrets, as seen in her recent remarks below:

I already had a good grasp of time travel from Doctor Who. [Laughs] I’m a time travel expert. I would say it adds up. But they definitely should have listed Doctor Who in that scene where they talk about time traveling movies. I can’t believe I didn’t pitch that in the moment!

In the scene that Gillan is referring to, when the “Time Heist” plan is first hatched in Avengers: Endgame, several seminal works in time travel pop culture are written off as useless and non-sensical. And while Back To The Future is one of the obvious choices for inclusion, Doctor Who somehow escaped the minds of the writers when discussing landmark signposts in this sci-fi staple.

Before she went on to play Nebula, the mechanically enhanced half-sister to Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, Karen Gillan was widely known for playing the first companion to Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor run of Doctor Who. In the role of Amy Pond, Gillan was widely exposed to the geek community, which only made her jump into the Marvel Cinematic Universe all the more rewarding.

So naturally, one would think that a reference to her past gig on Doctor Who would have been a natural inclusion once Avengers: Endgame started to dip its toes into the time travelling pool. Of course, as show in Karen Gillan’s talk with The L.A. Times, it was not meant to be.

However, the lack of a Doctor Who reference was the least of Avengers: Endgame’s worries, as its greater task was sewing up the first era of MCU films in a satisfying manner. So while time travel was one of the strategies that came into play to do just that, there were other intricacies that needed to be thought out in the meantime.

As Avengers: Endgame winds down, the film and its creative forces are giving away that last batch of secrets to the public and commenting on everything from the status of Hulk’s arm to why part of Agent 13’s Captain America: Civil War subplot feels a bit uncomfortable. While we’re not expecting to read anything along the lines of The Doctor being present at the final battle of Endgame, it would be interesting to hear what The Russo Bros, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have to say about how they feel Doctor Who’s time travel stacks up to that of their latest blockbuster.

And if there’s a commentary track to be had, maybe Karen Gillan can come up with how she would have referenced the good Doctor, in an alternate timeline where she totally suggested to include Doctor Who in the film’s big time travel conversation.

Avengers: Endgame is breaking records and taking names in theaters now. But if you’ve already gotten your fill, may we suggest that you visit the 2019 release schedule to find your next adventure?

Olivia Wilde Says Focus On Her Looks In Hollywood ‘Grosses’ Her Out

Olivia Wilde Says Focus On Her Looks In Hollywood ‘Grosses’ Her Out

Olivia Wilde has been in the acting business for quite some time, but she’ll actually be stepping behind the camera for her next big screen venture Booksmart. In a recent interview, Olivia Wilde talked about how she’s been feeling icky while doing press for the gig, although it has nothing to do with directing itself and everything to do with how Hollywood has perceived her up until this point. She said:

It is remarkable that I am 35 years old and this is the first job I’ve ever had that wasn’t entirely dependent on and connected to my looks. It grosses me out to acknowledge it, but I’ve been thinking a lot about it.

If you look at Olivia Wilde’s resume prior to her directorial work in Booksmart, it includes such projects as Tron, Her, Cowboys & Aliens and other movies that pushed her into more romantic and sometimes even nude roles. Even in HBO’s recent series Vinyl, she played a model and the wife of Richie, again noted for her good looks.

Not that there’s anything wrong with being good-looking, but for a long time in the actress’ career she really believed her job as an actress was to be “everyone’s version of a perfect woman.” Of course, life -- and work -- is a whole lot messier than that.

During the same interview with the New York Times, Wilde also mentioned feeling exploited in meetings, noting,

Have I ever felt exploited? Yeah. Do I realize that I’d become numb to that? Yes. I had become numb to the fact that every meeting I went on — with men and women, by the way — I was going to be judged on my physical appearance. Because that’s what actors deal with, and man, it’s exhausting.

Now the actress is growing older, she believes the parts she is being offered are more sophisticated and getting to work behind the camera has seemingly been more rewarding than playing a part in someone else’s story. Olivia Wilde went on to reflect that "it only gets more interesting when you get too old to play dumb."

Although she says she doesn’t regret roles like her gig on The O.C., which really helped to jumpstart her career, Booksmart is Olivia Wilde’s story. The movie has already earned some praise for its coming-of-age subject matter (and shout out to somebody finally putting Kaitlyn Dever in the spotlight), but if you ask Olivia Wilde, she’s simply proud of how Booksmart helped push her past the “superficiality” of her earlier work and into something more fulfilling:

I was there only because of my brain and my heart. And the sense of fulfillment that comes from that is really massive. It’s a profound shift for me.

We’ll have to see how Booksmart fares in the fickle world of moviegoing, but with any luck we’ll continue seeing more from Olivia Wilde both behind and in front of the camera. In the meantime, Booksmart opens on May 24, 2019. Take a look at other upcoming releases with our full movies schedule.

Ryan Reynolds Wanted To Do Another Voice For Detective Pikachu, But Got Rejected

Ryan Reynolds Wanted To Do Another Voice For Detective Pikachu, But Got Rejected

Once it was announced that the first live action Pokemon movie would be based on the Great Detective Pikachu video game, fans immediately started speculating on who would voice this special version of the electrically-charged mouse creature, who can speak like a human. Names like Danny DeVito and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson were suggested and/or rumored, but in the end, Ryan Reynolds scored the role.

Ryan Reynolds is basically using his regular voice for Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, but when he first joined the project, he was interested in taking his Pikachu’s vocals in a much different direction, only for his suggestion to get shot down. As Reynolds recalled:

It’s almost like Who Framed Roger Rabbit had a baby with Blade Runner. I was like ‘That’s cool!’ So I was like ‘Okay, lemme do an old school, gumshoe, Columbo/Peter Faulk sort of Brooklyn kind of thing.’ And they were like ‘Yeah, ok. Maybe just do Ryan Reynolds.’

I can see where Ryan Reynolds was going with this. Since his Pikachu is a crime-solving Pokemon complete with deerstalker cap, in theory it makes sense he’d want to channel the classic detective persona, like Peter Faulk did as Columbo for decades on TV. Then again, while Reynolds is a talented movie star, he’s not known best for impressions and weird voices.

So ultimately, as Ryan Reynolds explained during his visit to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he was politely asked to just make the character sound like himself. Or as Reynolds joked about what they told him, “Maybe shut up a bit, and do the other thing.” The benefit of taking this vocal approach is that it’s immediately clear that Reynolds is the voice behind Pikachu, so folks who weren’t initially interested in Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, but now know Reynolds is involved, might be more inclined to see it if they’re fans of his.

Ryan Reynolds’ Pikachu teams up with Justice Smith’s Tim Goodman in Pokemon: Detective Pikachu to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Tim’s father, Harry, and amusingly, Tim is the only one who can understand this strange Pikachu. The movie’s cast also includes Kathryn Newton, Ken Watanabe, Bill Nighy, Chris Geere and Omar Chaparro.

Reception towards Pokemon: Detective Pikachu has been mostly positive so far (it ranks at 75% on Rotten Tomatoes), and early box office projections placed it at making somewhere between $75-$90 million opening weekend. A sequel has already been given the green light, and Pokemon: Detective Pikachu could also become the first installment of a full-blown cinematic universe. There’s definitely no shortage of content from Pokemon video games and anime series to inspire more movies.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu charges into theaters a week from now, on May 10. If you’re interested in learning what other movies are coming out later this year, look through our 2019 release schedule.

A Ton Of Thought Went Into Godzilla's Appearance In King Of The Monsters

A Ton Of Thought Went Into Godzilla's Appearance In King Of The Monsters

Given that this week’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the sequel to Gareth Edwards’ 2014 Godzilla, you would think that the titular lizard looks exactly the same in the new film. That isn’t the case though, at least not entirely, because Godzilla underwent a bit of a makeover for his latest epic monster clash. A lot of thought went into Godzilla’s appearance in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, as the film’s director, Michael Dougherty, explained:

His back spikes are closer in alignment to the original 1954 film. I really loved their design. They sort of almost look like frozen fire. And the thing that I’ve always believed is that Godzilla’s spikes are his literal crown. If Godzilla’s swimming straight at you, there is a great silhouette created by his spikes, and they look like a crown sitting atop his head. It was important to me that they be larger and, since five years have transpired, [I] like to imagine that, much like the antlers on deer or elk they have simply grown larger over those years.

Frozen fire is a really cool way to describe Godzilla’s spikes, and for the new movie, Michael Dougherty sought to tweak those spikes from the last film to bring them a little more in line with the monster's first big screen appearance, as he told Entertainment Weekly. That adds another nice little nod to the titan’s past in a film that has been teased as being chock full of Easter eggs for fans of the property.

Michael Dougherty also views Godzilla’s spikes as his crown, making him the titular king of the monsters. So in addition to tweaking their design, he wanted this crown to have greater prominence in his movie that sees multiple titans contend for the throne. Apparently Godzilla is still a growing lad, and in the time since the first movie, his spikes have grown even larger.

Bigger spikes just make Godzilla look even cooler and it’s quite appropriate that the spikes that form his crown have grown because heavy will be his head as he attempts to save the Earth and contends with Ghidorah for the title of king. I also really dig the idea that he’s still growing in some ways. To paraphrase another property featuring epic battles, this isn’t even his final form!

This all goes to show how much thought went in to Godzilla’s look in the film and how much Michael Dougherty cares about the property and wanted to put his own stamp on it. Godzilla’s appearance in King of the Monsters isn’t purely formal though it’s also functional. The titans get new looks when fighting and charging up for their attacks, as the film's production designer Scott Chambliss explained:

What we did was bring something new to the monsters themselves, a visual physical manifestation of how each of the monsters charge up before they let their highest voltage energy blasts rip. In our version, his breath starts down at his very base and goes up his tail, and courses through his body, and you see it kind of radiating through his flesh, and finally comes out in a big blast. It’s not that every monster has the same thing, just a different color, they’ve all got something where we see their bodies gearing up before they let go.

You can see what he is talking about in the latest Godzilla 2 trailer, in which we see Godzilla charging up to use his atomic breath. His spikes glow with blue energy starting at his tail before coursing up his back and to his head where he spits out his attack. There’s even a great humming sound that isn’t entirely different from the sound a lightsaber makes while he’s doing it.

It’s a very cool visual that shows the amount of energy Godzilla has inside him and it adds a nice build to his most potent weapon. As Scott Chambliss said, the other Titans have visual representations of their charging as well, each unique to that creature. We’ve seen Ghidorah crackling with electric energy in the trailers and presumably the ethereal glow around Mothra is her deceptively beautiful precursor to violent attack.

You can see Godzilla’s new look when Godzilla: King of the Monsters stomps into theaters on May 31. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all of this summer’s biggest movies.