Angelina Jolie Gets Threatening In First Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil Trailer

Angelina Jolie Gets Threatening In First Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil Trailer

Robert Stromberg's Maleficent was a massive hit when it hit theaters back in the summer of 2014, ultimately making over $750 million at the global box office - but it took a minute for a sequel to get the green light. While Disney continued to mine their expansive animated library for new live-action material, the idea of a sequel to the villain-centric fairy tale stayed on the back burner. Five years later, however, the studio is now finally getting ready to unleash Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil on the world, and today we got our very first look at the new blockbuster. Check it out!

The first Maleficent surprised a lot of people in the way in which it added new context to the primary antagonist of 1959's Sleeping Beauty, giving audiences an interesting opportunity to see the villainess in a new light. Taking that into consideration, it will be interesting to see what the sequel winds up doing with her, as this debut trailer for Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil definitely suggests that the film will be developing the character's sinister side quite a bit.

Directed by Joachim Rønning, who previously worked with Disney co-directing 2017's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, the Maleficent sequel picks up years after the events of its predecessor, and continues to explore the complicated maternal relationship between Angelina Jolie's titular character and the princess Aurora (Elle Fanning), whom the eponymous fairy memorably cursed on the day of her birth. The new movie features a number of actors who were featured in the original, including Imelda Staunton as Knotgrass, Juno Temple as Thistlewit, Lesley Manville as Flittle, and Sam Riley as Diaval, but there are also a number of new faces joining the franchise, including Michelle Pfeiffer, Ed Skrein, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Harris Dickinson - who replaces Brenton Thwaites in the role of Prince Phillip.

Though production on Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil wrapped up last August, we initially thought that we were going to have to still wait quite a while for the release of this movie... but that all changed back in March in a significant way. While Disney had initially featured the film on their release schedule for May of 2020, apparently some significant moves were made behind the scenes that allowed them to push it up nearly a full year on the calendar. Now the blockbuster sequel is scheduled to arrive in a theater near you this October - meaning that it will be one of four different live-action adaptations of classic Walt Disney Animation features released in 2019 (the other three being Dumbo, The Lion King, and Aladdin). It will have some pretty stiff competition at the box office, with other releases that month including Joker, Zombieland: Double Tap, Gemini Man, and the animated Addams Family, but the studio clearly doesn't want to make fans of the original wait any longer than they have to for the anticipated sequel.

Are you excited for Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil? Hit the comments section below with all your thoughts, feelings, and opinions about the brand new teaser trailer, and be sure to check out our 2019 release calendar for a glimpse at everything that's coming out between now and the end of December.

Samuel L. Jackson Is Giving Mixed Signals About Working With The Cat On Captain Marvel

Samuel L. Jackson Is Giving Mixed Signals About Working With The Cat On Captain Marvel

It's a particularly exciting time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as there are just two more releases left in the highly successful Phase Three. Before it all comes to an end with Avengers: Endgame, Carol Danvers will get a 1990's origin story in Captain Marvel. In addition to bringing the title character to audiences, Anna Boden and

Ryan Fleck's Marvel blockbuster will also feature plenty of familiar faces including Phil Coulson, Ronan The Accuser, Korath, and Nick Fury. The latter is played by the always delightful Samuel L. Jackson, who is saying some conflicting things about Carol's pet cat Goose.

Goose has been rumored to be stealing the show in Captain Marvel, which arrives in theaters in a matter of days. Samuel L. Jackson and Brie Larson had to work with a number of cats during filming, and it doesn't seem like either of them are exactly cat people. When speaking with CinemaBlend's own Sarah El-Mahmoud, Jackson seemed to have worked well with his feline co-stars, saying:

There were actually four cats, Reggie was the main cat we worked with, he adjusted to us and was more people friendly than I think the others were. Yeah, always a good day when he was there. All snack based, you give them the right snack at the right time and use the right tone of voice. He was a very accomplished and fun cat to work with. He always hit his mark, always look at you and do what he was supposed to do, he was friendly.

Cats aren't known for being overly friendly, so it must be somewhat nerve-wracking to act alongside them. But as Samuel L. Jackson told CinemaBlend, there was one Goose actor that was a bit more easy to get along with. That cat was Reggie, who is reportedly doing much of the film's heavy lifting as Goose the cat. But now the question is: is Reggie the one on the awesome character posters?

You can check out Sarah El-Mahmoud's conversation with Samuel L. Jackson below.

Seems like Samuel L. Jackson had a pretty copacetic relationship with the cats on Captain Marvel's set, right? Well, it turns out he might have been a bit less enthused than he let on to CinemaBlend.

Given how much buzz is around Goose's role in Captain Marvel, Samuel L. Jackson has fielded plenty of questions about the feline cast member. After all, there's that old saying about working with animals and children in show business. When speaking with io9 about his role as Nick Fury, Jackson revealed he wasn't a big fan of the cats. Mostly because he's not a pet person in general. As he tells it:

No, I am not a cat person. But I’m also not a dog, bird or a fish person, either. I don’t engage pets. You know, Reggie is like most animals that people bring to set that have been trained to do this, that, or the other — he’s snack-oriented. You give him something to eat, he shows up. You give him something to eat, you talk softly and nice to him, give him something to eat again. They love you. You know, so, it works out. And… there were actually four cats, but Reggie did the majority of the heavy lifting most of the time.

Well, that certainly paints a different picture. It looks like working with Reggie and the rest of the cats wasn't exactly Samuel L. Jackson's cup of tea. But Nick Fury has no fear, so Jackson had to put his game face on, and try to connect with Carol Danver's pet Goose on camera. Fury can be seen petting the cat during the trailers for Captain Marvel, already proving that the actor succeeded in making that specific situation work. As if we'd expect anything else from Sam Jackson.

Goose may be poised to be a scene stealer in Captain Marvel, but some changes were already made to the character from the Marvel comics. Namely, Carol Danver's pet was given a different name. In the comics, he's called Chewie-- named after Chewbacca from the Star Wars franchise. That ultimately got canned for the live-screen adaptation, and he was given the name of another well-known fictional character: Goose, Anthony Edwards's character from Top Gun. This is an especially adept pop culture reference, given that Tom Cruise will bring back the franchise with Top Gun: Maverick.

The cat's name was changed from Chewie to Goose to it would relate even close to Carol Danver's mysterious time on Earth. Brie Larson's hero is an Air Force pilot, so it makes sense that Top Gun might be an important movie from her past. This will no doubt create plenty of opportunities for comedy in Captain Marvel, as the MCU has made levity an important part of its formula over the years. We'll see just how much Goose factors into the narrative when Captain Marvel arrives in theaters in a matter of days.

Smart money says that Goose won't be just a regular cat in Captain Marvel. With the movie's story tied to the cosmic side of the MCU, fans assumed the cat might end up actually being an alien of some sort. That also vibes with Chewie's backstory from the page. The cat is actually a creature called a Flerken, and has even come to blows with Rocket Raccoon. If Goose joins Captain Marvel for her highly anticipated role in Avengers: Endgame, that could even come to fruition in The Russo Brothers' upcoming blockbuster.

Indeed, Captain Marvel has been teased to have a major role in the future of the MCU. With so many of the OG Avengers likely departing due to actors' contracts coming to an end, the new class of heroes will be needed to fill in the gaps. Cue Brie Larson's Carol Danvers, teased to be the most powerful hero in the shared universe.

You can judge for yourself when Captain Marvel arrives in theaters on March 8th, and the character will pop back up again in Avengers: Endgame on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Rogue One Originally Had A Happy Ending

Rogue One Originally Had A Happy Ending

The epic conclusion to 2016’s Rogue One was bold, tragic and yet incredibly satisfying. One might call killing off each and everyone of the rebels introduced to in the Star Wars spinoff a brutal ending, but it added new depth and emotion to A New Hope and showed the stakes of the series’ conflict more than ever before. However, the scene that sticks in our minds of most when we think Rogue One wasn’t initially in the backbone of the script.

Shocking isn’t it? Rogue One’s co-writer Chris Weitz recently said before he came on to the project, the spinoff actually had a happy ending. In his words:

The version prior to [my involvement] didn’t have everyone die. As a matter of fact, it ended with a wedding I think it was on the presumption that Disney wouldn’t allow characters to die with such abandon.

Wait? Does this mean Jyn and Cassian were going to originally tie the knot at the end of Rogue One? Chris Weitz doesn’t specify, but what could have been certainly doesn’t top the perfect finale we got in the 2016 spinoff. Looks like the writers’ early draft was aimed to please the Disney brand, but wasn’t doing service to the story to be told.

When Chris Weitz came on as screenwriter, he told The Cult Popture Podcast that he pushed for the characters’ mission to become a suicide mission for this smart reason:

I felt it was necessary because nobody ever mentions them or sees them again. But also because we’ve done this whole sort of theme about sacrifice that it was appropriate that all of our main characters die.

If the writers didn’t kill off the cast of Rogue One, fans would have certainly wondered why they were never mentioned in the Star Wars franchise starting with A New Hope. In the movie, they are able to send out the weakness of the Death Star to the Rebellion right before their demise, allowing for Luke Skywalker’s heroic journey to still make sense and feel untouched. So, the end of Rogue One just had to end the way it did and without it, the movie would not have been so highly regarded by fans.

Thanks to positive reception of Rogue One, the series is getting a spinoff of its own for the studio’s upcoming streaming platform Disney+. The Rogue One television series will by a spy thriller starring Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor, taking place before the events of the 2016 movie. The developing series has The Americans writer and executive producer Stephen Schiff signed on as the showrunner.

Disney+ has a Star Wars series titled The Mandalorian from Jon Favreau coming to the platform when it launches later this year. The Skywalker saga is also set to conclude when Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters on December 20, 2019.

How Brightburn Weirdly Benefitted From James Gunn’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Firing

How Brightburn Weirdly Benefitted From James Gunn’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Firing

When James Gunn was fired by Disney last summer, one of the projects most directly affected was David Yarovesky’s Brightburn. More than the fact that Gunn had a direct link to the movie as an Executive Producer, the news about his removal from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was announced just hours before the start of a San Diego Comic-Con panel that was scheduled to see the film’s title and plot revealed to the world prior to its scheduled November 30, 2018 release date. Because of the controversy, the decision was made to push the horror feature, and Screen Gems ultimately decided to make it a May 2019 release.

But while this may all seem like it would be a bad thing, in retrospect, David Yarovesky feels that it actually wound up helping Brightburn a lot.

Earlier this month I had the wonderful pleasure of sitting down with David Yarovesky to interview him for our superhero podcast HeroBlend, and the first question I asked was about what happened at San Diego Comic-Con last summer. Curious about his perspective on the ordeal, I asked how the events wound up impacting Brightburn as a movie, and he explained why it surprisingly wound up being a good thing for the project. Said the director,

I'm a filmmaker, so any chance I have to have more resources, more time, more anything I'm going to take it. I worked on this movie until the very end, and I kept working on it. One of the producers, Simon Hatt, who I was very close with on the movie, he said to me that ‘no movie is finished; they're pried out of the director's hands.’ And he told me that he was going to be the one to pry this movie out of my hands. I always love him saying that to me because it felt like this kind of like sweet mercy that was coming for me - like he was going to take me out in the woods and shoot me at the end of the process. So I just went to work.

There are many filmmakers who find themselves begging for more time and resources when they are working on a feature, and while David Yarovesky surely would have preferred getting both of those things for Brightburn under totally different circumstances, things did weirdly wind up working in his production’s favor at the end of the day (not to mention the fact that James Gunn was eventually rehired by Disney, bringing everything back to status quo). Yarovesky wound up getting an extra six months to make his second film as good as it could be, and it was time he took full advantage of when it was given.

I followed up by asking about exactly how David Yarovesky took advantage of the situation, and while he didn’t get extremely detailed in the discussion, he did note that the period allowed for a small amount of extra production time, as well as some much-needed edit bay work. He even admitted that Brightburn may have been delayed even without the whole “James Gunn being fired” incident, as the schedule as it had been established apparently may not have been enough for the film. He explained,

With more time came more resources, and we were able to do a little additional photography and we were able to spend time. These movies go so quick, and to be totally honest with you, there was a part of me that was betting that the movie was going to get pushed anyways because of how fast we were moving to make that deadline. It was pretty tight. And so there was a bit of, 'Okay, now we can really explore and dive in.’ So that was great.

The subject of the delay was one of many things that I had the opportunity to discuss about the making of Brightburn, and we really had a wonderful spoiler-free conversation. You can listen to my entire chat with David Yarovesky on the latest episode of our HeroBlend podcast, which is available to stream and download right now:

Starring Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson Dunn, and Matt Jones, Brightburn is a twist on the classic Superman mythos, and crafts a story questioning what would happen if a Man of Steel-esque being was filled with natural malevolent intent. The movie is now playing in theaters everywhere, and we’ll have more for you about the feature in the coming days here on CinemaBlend!

Zac Efron Had Trouble Separating Himself From Ted Bundy In Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile

Zac Efron Had Trouble Separating Himself From Ted Bundy In Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile

Zac Efron will always be known for breaking into song as teen heartthrob Troy Bolton in the High School Musical movies, Link Larkin in Hairspray, or alongside Hugh Jackman and Zendaya in The Greatest Showman, among his other acting projects. Getting the catchy showtunes of his past out of his head was nothing compared to playing his darkest role yet, serial killer Ted Bundy.

During the recent London premiere of Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile, the actor opened up about how portraying Bundy became a challenge due to its sinister subject. In his words:

I’ve never played a role in which I really have to separate myself from [him] when I go home at night, and it was almost impossible. I’d like to say that I did it successfully, but I couldn’t.

It’s no surprise that getting into the frame of mind to play a serial killer would mess with one’s head a bit, and Zac Efron experienced this firsthand while working on his upcoming Netflix project. The drama chronicles the crimes of the infamously attractive Bundy, who later confessed to 30 homicides he committed across the United States in the ‘70s.

In Zac Efron’s interview with Daily Mail at the premiere, he talked about his initial concern with taking on the dark role and why he ultimately decided to sign on to play Ted Bundy:

I really wasn’t interested in playing a serial killer, I’m not in the business of glamorizing a horrendous person or his acts, but there is something unique about the way we went into the psyche of Ted, and his longtime girlfriend Liz. It’s a different perspective and not your run-of-the-mill serial killer cliché -- body count gets higher and higher and oh the guy you always knew did it, did it.

Looks like Zac Efron was intrigued by the Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile script and how it tells the story from the perspective of Ted Bundy’s girlfriend Liz (played by Lily Collins). The film has been criticized for glamorizing the criminal with the casting of the former Disney teen idol, but the actor has previously explained the responsibility he feels to not celebrate the killer through the role. It’s instead meant to serve as a cautionary tale to the young generation who often mistakenly trust attractive men.

The film’s director Joe Berlinger (who also recently helmed Netflix’s Conversations with a Killer: Ted Bundy Tapes) said he felt casting Zac Efron was an intentional choice geared toward the demographic crushing on actors such as Efron who may feel like he could do no wrong due to his good looks. Ted Bundy manipulated and lured women with his charm, so the film seeks to show this firsthand with Efron’s performance.

After premiering earlier this year at Sundance, the R-rated drama was purchased by Netflix for $9 million. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, And Vile will hit theaters and the streaming platform on May 3.

New DVD Releases June 2019: All The Latest Movies And TV Shows

New DVD Releases June 2019: All The Latest Movies And TV Shows

Although the summer months are geared toward plenty of outdoor activities, kids are also home from school and have plenty of free time. Which means there’s plenty of time for kids to plant themselves in front of a screen. Sure, there’s always YouTube and Netflix, but for the latest releases, look no further than this June list of titles.

This summer, we’ll see some big hits like Captain Marvel and Us finally being available in homes (the former will also be housed on Disney+). But don’t take it from me, check out the full list of the titles coming to DVD, Digital and Blu-ray below.

Early Digital releases are mentioned in the early Digital column; same day Digital releases come out when the DVD and Blu-rays do. As for DVD release, if you’re looking for May titles head here. In addition,

New DVD Releases June 4, 2019

Available currently for pre-order, this week will feature some indie hits, as well as Tyler Perry finally saying goodbye to Madea, a character that helped him to become a household name.

A Madea Family Funeral

Lost in Space: Season 1

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Season One 

The Haunting of Sharon Tate

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

Gloria Bell

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

J.T. Leroy

The Kid

Woman at War

Delicious: Series 3

London Kills: Series 1

Batman (1989) - 4K Ultra HD

Batman Returns (1992) - 4K Ultra HD

Batman Forever (1995) - 4K Ultra HD

Batman & Robin (1997) - 4K Ultra HD

Early Digital Releases Week of June 4, 2019

Us

Wonder Park

New DVD Releases June 11, 2019

A big new Marvel release is usually something to celebrate, and this week will be no exception, as Marvel’s first titular female superheroine will be getting her own DVD release with Captain Marvel! In addition, there are quite a few fun TV releases out this week.

The Good Doctor: The Complete Second Season (June 10)

Captain Marvel (Digital out May 28)

Captive State

Orange Is The New Black: Season Six

Five Feet Apart

I Am The Night

The Blacklist: The Complete Sixth Season (June 13)

Early Digital Releases Week of June 11, 2019

High Life

The Aftermath

Hotel Mumbai

New DVD Releases June 18, 2019

Following a successful run at the box office, Jordan Peele's latest horror flick Us is making its way onto DVD and Blu-ray this week. It's one of several high profile releases coming out, although some fared better at the box office than others. Take a look.

Us

Wonder Park

The Beach Bum

Hotel Mumbai

Will & Grace (The Revival) Season Two

Patrick Melrose

Killing Eve: Season Two

Suits: The Complete Season 8

Slaughterhouse Rulez

Lords of Chaos

New DVD Releases June 25, 2019

So far, there are fewer new releases this week than I’ve seen in some time. Of these, the highest profile release is probably The Aftermath, a period drama starring Kiera Knightley. When Knightley was doing press for the movie, she revealed why she’s not longer excited about doing nude scenes.

The Aftermath

The Hummingbird Project

Maze

The Twilight Franchise Had The Perfect Response To Robert Pattinson’s Possible Batman Role

The Twilight Franchise Had The Perfect Response To Robert Pattinson’s Possible Batman Role

Robert Pattinson… we know who you are. Alright, I’ll say it out loud. He’s Batman! The 32-year-old actor best known for his role as Edward Cullen in the Twilight films is reportedly closing a deal with Warner Bros to play the next Dark Knight in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Meaning it's time to dust off those coffin cobwebs and get out all those Twilight related references. Even the Twilight Saga itself couldn’t resist commenting on social media. Take a look:

Good one! Since the series of films centered on Bella Swan’s love triangle between a sparkly vampire and a shirtless sometimes-werewolf, the fandom was always divided between Team Edward and Team Jacob respectively. With this casting news, the franchise is showing its support for Robert Pattinson’s new high-profile role on Twitter.

The actor has been rumored as one of potential Bruce Wayne’s for the upcoming DC film for a few months following Ben Affleck officially stepping down from the role at the beginning of the year. It should be noted that Warner Bros has not officially announced Robert Pattinson as the next Batman, and other reports name Nicholas Hoult also among the shortlist for the role, but the studio hasn’t denied the news since it broke on Thursday evening.

Robert Pattinson’s fame may have kicked off with a franchise heavily criticized and loathed by the public, he has since showed off his acting chops in indie projects including Good Time, High Life and The Lost City of Z. Not everyone is willing to see past his early work, as a petition for his casting has already made its way on the internet. An insignificant number of people have signed it so far and are based off passing judgements that dismiss the vision of Matt Reeves.

The filmmaker is behind the last two Planet of the Apes films and is currently polishing the final draft of the script for The Batman. He’ll also direct the superhero flick that is said to embrace the noir elements of the comics and see the Caped Crusader really utilize his detective skills. The Batman will also reportedly feature a rogues gallery of villains, with the Penguin reportedly at the forefront of them.

Robert Pattinson has said he’s “been a little wary of doing big movies for years and years,” but then Christopher Nolan’s upcoming movie came his way. Pattinson is set to star in the Dark Knight filmmaker’s action blockbuster in 2020 with Elizabeth Debicki and John David Washington. Maybe he figured he’s doing a big movie already, why not go for another? What if Nolan himself played a part in endorsing or convincing the actor to take on the Bat!

The Batman is expected to begin filming within the year and arrive to theaters on June 25, 2021. Are you Team Bruce after this casting news? Let us know in the comments below.