The New Aladdin Seems To Be A Big Hit With Fans, If Not Critics

The New Aladdin Seems To Be A Big Hit With Fans, If Not Critics

Disney’s second live-action remake of the year has hit theaters, which means both critics and audiences have finally had the chance to journey back into the Cave of Wonders. Turns out, Aladdin is a diamond in the rough that has caused quite the divide between the two groups of moviegoers.

While a vast majority of fans left the theater with their wishes granted concerning the live-action Disney epic, critics felt something to be desired from Aladdin. The Rotten Tomatoes audience score is currently at a near perfect 93%, while the Tomatometer has deemed the film “rotten” at 57%. So while the remake didn’t quite impress reviewers, it’s a big win for those who bought a ticket to go see the Middle East set musical.

Additionally, Aladdin passed with flying colors with its "A" CinemaScore, which measures movie appeal by asking movie theatergoers their opinions on opening night. While one might argue those who went out and saw it on the first night it was out were the most excited and invested group to see it, high anticipation can also place a more critical eye on movies too.

Many critics didn’t hate Aladdin, they just couldn’t help but compare it to the 1992 original and be disappointed. After Will Smith’s Genie previously received flack for his new look, many actually praised Smith as a high point of the film, along with the new Aladdin and Jasmine played by Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott. Perhaps the biggest criticism is toward Guy Ritchie being at the helm and the “notable limit to its creative energy” as CinemaBlend’s own Eric Eisenberg pointed out in his 2.5 star review.

Audiences were much more forgiving of Aladdin recycling from its previous iteration, and the film did bring plenty of new aspects for them to judge. The movie has an entirely new cast of actors, the live-action flair, new musical numbers, and laugh-out-loud improv scenes. The original film is almost 30 years old and may have benefited from its updating - such as Princess Jasmine’s new empowering song from the songwriters of La La Land and The Greatest Showman.

When you compare the Rotten Tomatoes score of the first film, the audience score is comparable at 92%, while the Tomatometer is just as complementary at 94%. The difference here being when Aladdin came out it was something much more original. Robin Williams’ iconic performance wasn’t a common occurrence in animation films and Disney was in the middle of a “Renaissance” that would also produce favorites including Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.

The new Aladdin is a bit more divisive between audiences and critics than 2017’s Beauty and the Beast, even though both films recreated a beloved Disney musical with some similar methods. Beauty's Tomatometer score is 71% while its audience score is 80%. Perhaps critics have since grown tired of Disney’s repeated live-action remake formula since then?

You can check out Aladdin in theaters now and decide for yourself, then vote in our poll below. Don't forget that The Lion King is adding itself to this Disney list soon, with a potentially huge box office opening that may top Beauty and the Beast's record take.

Mysterio’s Spider-Man: Far From Home Was Influenced By Iron Man And Black Panther

Mysterio’s Spider-Man: Far From Home Was Influenced By Iron Man And Black Panther

It's a fascinating time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Avengers: Endgame has been in theaters for weeks, and is making a ton of money in the process. The Russo Brothers crafted a blockbuster that was intimately connected to the preceding 21 movies, and it exceeded any fan expectations or theories. But there's still one more installment in left in Phase Three-- Spider-Man: Far From Home, which will pick up the narrative following Thanos' defeat.

Spider-Man: Far From Home has a ton of pressure associated with it, as the generations of Marvel fans will use the upcoming sequel will see the post-Endgame world through Peter's perspective. The movie will also introduce the multiverse through Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio, who is surprisingly not being advertised as a villain, but an ally. And looks like his suit was directly influenced by Marvel greats, as costume designer Michael Mooney explained during the Far From Home set visit that CinemaBlend's Sean O'Connell attended:

There was references to try to keep it in the Marvel world. So we’re going to get influences from Thor and from Iron Man — we had some Black Panther in there. Just to keep it all in the same realm, to say, ‘this little superhero lives in the same world with the rest.’

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a very specific look about it, as costume designers adapt comic book outfits for a more realistic world. While characters like Iron Man and Spider-Man are direct adaptations, making suits for villains and other MCU characters can be a bit of a challenge.

From what we've seen in the brief Spider-Man: Far From Home trailers, Michael Mooney's comments to Sean O'Connell and the rest of the press at the film's set visit certainly hold up. While Mysterio seemingly gets his powers from magic, his suit bears quite the resemblance to one of Tony Stark's Iron Man armor. The cape is no doubt influenced by Thor's appearance, while Black Panther will likely factor in through different technological abilities. Although what the suit is capable of remains to be seen.

Related: Tom Holland Warns Of A Spider-Man: Far From Home Scene That Will Be An Emotional Punch In The Face

Overall, it's clear that we should expect the unexpected when it comes to Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio. From the moment he appeared in the film's first trailer, it was clear that it was not the Mysterio fans know from the comics. He is shown fighting off the film's elemental villains, and is far more powerful than the illusionist and hypnotist that Quentin Beck typically is on the page. Add in the high concept of the multiverse, and we should expect Marvel Studios to keep the fans guessing once again.

Spider-Man: Far From Home will arrive in theaters on July 2nd. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

The Battle For SPECTRE - The Rights War That Complicated James Bond For Decades

The Battle For SPECTRE - The Rights War That Complicated James Bond For Decades

Time and time again, we’ve seen issues surrounding intellectual property rights complicate everything from a film’s production to its theatrical release. But some cases are so complicated that they don’t simply go away after the cameras are packed and the posters are removed. And in the case of most other areas of his expertise, nobody does complicated rights better than James Bond.

What started as an idea for a film became a flashpoint of massive legal proportions that, until recently, left the 007 franchise without the usage of one of its most iconic bodies of villainy for quite some time. With the resolution of this conflict still pretty fresh in recent history, and Bond 25 currently in production, the battle for SPECTRE’s very place in the series’ canon is a vital piece of history to revisit.

What Is SPECTRE?

In the history of the film adaptations to Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, the most formidable threat to the world was the SPecial Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion. Known as SPECTRE for short, it was the one stop shop for villainous personalities like Dr. Joseph No, Auric Goldfinger, and most notably Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the leader and “Number One” in charge of SPECTRE’s operations.

SPECTRE and its personnel were used in the films intermittently, starting with 1962’s series starter Dr. No, with 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever marking the supposed end of the organization and the one true death of Ernst Stavro Blofeld. It wasn’t until 2015’s Spectre that the James Bond series would reintroduce both that character (through the casting of Christoph Waltz), as the rights issues surrounding the creation and implementation the man and his legacy were subject to legal challenges that weren’t easily circumvented.

The Movie That (Almost) Started It All

When author Ian Fleming looked towards turning his literary franchise into a box office hit, Thunderball was originally considered to be the first film to do so. The eighth novel in his series, his 1961 book was a creation that drew on a rather controversial source: an original screenplay that was written between himself and screenwriters Kevin McClory and Jack Whittingham in the late 1950s. While Fleming eventually decided to distance himself from the writing process, McClory and Whittingham would finish the screenplay, which eventually got its title from Ian Fleming himself.

After reading the finished novel before publication, McClory felt that Ian Fleming had plagiarized the screenplay of Thunderball for his novel. Even with some differences separating the two projects, one such difference being the alleged creation of SPECTRE to stand as the villains, Kevin McClory tried to stop the book from being published. While that tactic failed, McClory eventually pursued further legal action that granted him the literary and film rights to Thunderball, leaving Ian Fleming with the rights to the novel he wrote from its screenplay.

The End Of SPECTRE

With Kevin McClory owning the rights to Thunderball, this kind of threw the question of who created SPECTRE into the air, with McClory and Ian Fleming being the two parties the issue landed in-between. In the end, while the matter wasn’t officially resolved, Ernst Stavro Blofeld would make his final appearance in Diamonds Are Forever, with SPECTRE not even being named in the film at all. While there were intentions to use Blofeld and his criminal enterprise in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me, McClory was ready with another injunction to prevent this from happening.

Instead of fighting another court battle to continue, the film was altered to omit the organization and its leader, opting instead for an original character, shipping magnate Karl Stromberg, as its villain. Though turnabout was fair play at that same point in Bond history, as Kevin McClory and Sean Connery had worked on a story entitled Warhead, which would be the first of several attempts to revive Thunderball in his own image. With the rights firmly in his hands, it was only a matter of time before he tried again.

The Remakes That Stoked The Fires

Sure enough, Kevin McClory would go on to two more attempts at remaking Thunderball in his own way image. The first was 1983’s Never Say Never Again, in which James Bond and Ernst Stavro Blofeld fought for custody of two nuclear warheads yet again. And oddly enough, Sean Connery was convinced to play the character of 007 yet again, after famously saying he’d never return after Diamonds Are Forever. With this film being released in the same year as the official Bond series’ Octopussy, there was obviously a competition between the two films. Ian Fleming’s estate attempted to prevent such a race, but lost their bid to stop the film’s release. In the end, the two films only saw a $27.5 million difference in their grosses, with Roger Moore’s official James Bond movie winning out.

The second, and final, time that Kevin McClory would try to remake his intellectual property was with the film known as Warhead 2000 A.D. With Sony spurring him on in hopes it could create further competition with its own James Bond franchise. But, much as McClory prevented MGM from using SPECTRE and Blofeld for The Spy Who Loved Me, the studio was able to successfully prevent Kevin McClory from achieving his goal, through a deal with Sony. If the film had progressed, there would have been a chance that either Timothy Dalton or Liam Neeson would have played the role of Bond. But alas, it was never meant to be.

Reuniting Bond and SPECTRE

It seemed that the true James Bond series would never see SPECTRE again in its lifetime. Even Albert Broccoli and EON Productions, the parties that practically ran the show with MGM, thought it to be so. Nowhere was that clearer than in the bold statement they made in the prologue to For Your Eyes Only. With a huge action sequence that saw Bond tormented by and dispatching of a bald man sitting in a wheelchair with a white cat in a smokestack, the message was clear: that contractually complex character is dead, and they didn’t need him anymore.

While the series would eventually move on for decades without official use of SPECTRE or its main villain, circumstances eventually saw those rights landing with MGM and EON Productions once more. After Kevin McClory passed away in 2006, his family would move on to the point where they sold the rights to the intellectual property he held onto through the rest of his life back to the studio. So it came to pass that in 2013, SPECTRE became a part of the official 007 playground once again, just in time to tie the organization in with its modern counterpart, Quantum, in the 2015 film named for this shadowy group of newly restored evil.

At this point, the only way that Ernst Stavro Blofeld won’t return would be due to Christoph Waltz not wanting to portray the character again. Though if the history of Blofeld has taught us anything, it’s that he can always be rewritten for a new actor through cosmetic surgery. It’s worked for him in the past, though if the casting of Rami Malek goes through, it seems unlikely that this route is going to be taken. But at the very least, SPECTRE will be around for any future villain to take their place in, ready to use its apparatus to make James Bond’s life a living hell.

James Bond will return in Bond 25, when it hits theaters on April 8, 2020.

Albus Dumbledore's Backstory: What You Need To Know About The Powerful Harry Potter And Fantastic Beasts' Character

Albus Dumbledore's Backstory: What You Need To Know About The Powerful Harry Potter And Fantastic Beasts' Character

Millions of fans know the name of Harrry Potter and how he was the Boy Who Lived. He's the main character of one of the most successful book and film franchises ever written, after all. There's no shortage of memorable supporting characters in the world that J.K. Rowling created, but one of the most well-known has to be Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore -- or Dumbledore for short. The old, whimsical wizard was a mentor and father figure to Harry throughout the series, but he lived a long life full of failure and accomplishments long before Harry entered the picture.

While Dumbledore's life and backstory went largely untapped until the final installment in the series, a young Dumbledore is currently a major player in the Fantastic Beasts prequel series. Fans are sure to learn more about Dumbledore than they ever have before, but it's not like Rowling didn't leave us something to work with. We actually know a lot about Dumbledore's younger years and how they shaped one of the most powerful wizards of all time. Here are some highlights from Dumbledore's 116 year-long life.

Dumbledore's A Gryffindor Alum

Like almost every other major good guy in Harry Potter, Dumbledore was sorted into Gryffindor back when he first arrived at Hogwarts in 1892. Considering his massive spell-casting powers as an adult, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Dumbledore was an exceptional student. He was said to be the most brilliant student to ever attend Hogwarts, and obtained a number of titles and awards.

During his school years, Dumbledore won the Barnabus Finkley Prize for Exceptional Spell-Casting, became the British Youth Representative to the Wizengamot and received the Gold Medal for Ground-Breaking Contribution to the International Alchemical Conference. He was basically a prototype Hermione Granger, only he wasn't a stranger to mischief every now and again. He once set the curtains in the Gryffindor dorm on fire.

Dumbledore Had A Troubled Family Life

While Dumbledore may had led an enchanted school life, his home life was anything but smooth. The Dumbledore's were plagued with tragedy and misfortune that began when Albus' sister, Ariana, was caught doing magic by some Muggle boys. Frightened, the boys attacked her, mentally and emotionally scarring her. Ariana's powers were broken and would randomly manifest in violent and destructive ways. (It's rumored that she became an Obscurial). Albus' father attacked the boys and he was sentenced to Azkaban, where he later died.

That left Albus' mother to raise himself, Ariana, and his younger brother Aberforth, and Albus rarely ever spoke of his family to anyone. After graduation, on the evening that he was all set to embark on a tour of the world, Albus' mother was accidentally killed by Ariana, and he was forced to return home to raise his siblings. Albus was bitter and full of resentment for his situation, which paved the way for some difficult times in his life. We have no idea how Credence, revealed to be related to Albus in Crimes of Grindelwald, factors into all this.

He Was In Love With Grindelwald

Dumbledore raised his siblings in Godric's Hollow (where a baby Harry Potter would one day be orphaned by Voldemort), where he would eventually meet a young, brilliant wizard named Gellert Grindelwald. Dumbledore and Grindelwald shared much in common and the two of them eventually became close friends, bonding over their intellect and shared enthusiasm of the Deathly Hallows.

Friendship turned to romance, and while Dumbledore loved Grindelwald, it was only recently that Rowling confirmed the two of them shared an intense sexual relationship. However, Grindelwald was not a good influence, and he began to turn Dumbledore to an anti-Muggle point of view. In fact, Dumbledore began to agree with Grindelwald's idea of wizard domination and helped him plan the early stages of his "revolution." Dumbledore ignored Grindelwald's obvious darkness and he would soon pay for it dearly.

Ariana Died In A Duel Gone Wrong

When Aberforth returned from Hogwarts, he was not pleased to find that his brother had been neglecting his responsibilities to Ariana in favor of planning a revolution with Grindelwald. Aberforth angrily confronted Dumbledore, telling him that any plans for a revolution would mean dragging Ariana with him. Realizing how misguided he was, Dumbledore snapped back to reality, and a furious Grindelwald attacked Aberforth, but Dumbledore moved to defend his brother.

The three engaged in a violent duel, which Ariana tried to stop. However, her powers were erratic and she was hit with a stray curse and died. Grindelwald fled, leaving the two brothers to grieve. Aberforth blamed Dumbledore for the death of their sister (so did Dumbledore), and the relationship between the two brothers was strained for the rest of their lives. No one knew who had fired the curse that killed Ariana, but Dumbledore always feared that it was him.

He Taught Two Different Subjects At Hogwarts

Following the death of Ariana, Dumbledore eventually found his way back to Hogwarts, having always enjoyed the idea of teaching. He became the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, in part to prepare the future generation for the war he knew was coming. Dumbledore was beloved by his students, but he was under the suspicious eye of the Ministry of Magic, who were mistrustful of him after his time with Grindelwald.

It's quite possible that Dumbledore might have been one of the last great Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, because the position would eventually be cursed by Voldemort so that the job couldn't be held for longer than one year. Sometime in or before 1943, Dumbledore became the Professor of Transfiguration, which is basically changing the shape of people and things. From there, he was on track to become Headmaster, the position he held for most of the series.

The Hero Who Ended The Global Wizarding War

As Dumbledore spent his time teaching, Grindelwald was amassing power and followers. Grindelwald's For The Greater Good revolution was causing terror and devastation on a global scale, but Dumbledore, perhaps the only wizard who could defeat Grindelwald, resisted joining the fight. We see some of this play out in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and while there's still a lot of this story left to be revealed, we know the ending. Dumbledore eventually can't turn a blind eye and confronts Grindelwald in 1945.

The two of them engaged in what is wildly considered to be the greatest duel between two wizards. Dumbledore eventually triumphed and Grindelwald was sentenced to life in Nurmengard, a prison that he built himself. For his part ending the war, Dumbledore was awarded the Order of Merlin (First Class), which is kind of like the Nobel Peace Prize for magic people. Now a legendary hero, Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts, but was afraid of holding power and declined positions in the Ministry of Magic.

He Possessed The Elder Wand

In their youth, Dumbledore and Grindelwald were obsessed with finding the Deathly Hallows. Grindelwald would eventually find one of the Hallows, the Elder Wand, which made him one of the deadliest wizards on the planet. But he wasn't deadly enough because even with the most powerful wand ever built, Grindelwald was unable to defeat Dumbledore.

Per the rules of dueling, the wand of any disarmed wizard automatically belongs to the winner. Thus, Dumbledore became the owner of the Elder Wand and rather than destroy it, he kept it and used it as his main wand until his death years later.

Muggle Candies Are His Passwords

Despite his old age and tragic backstory, Dumbledore is young at heart and has quite the sweet tooth. Specifically, he loves sherbet lemons and acid pops, both of which were used as passwords to enter his office.

That doesn't sound incredibly secure, but I think that password protection hasn't ever really hit the wizarding community. Additionally, Dumbledore had a lot of hobbies and loved singing, thick woollen socks, silly words, his phoenix Fawkes and knitting patterns.

He Recruited Tom Riddle For Hogwarts

Even worse than Grindelwald, Voldemort is the most powerful and evil dark wizard to ever lived, having nearly brought the world to its knees twice. Dumbledore was a key part in ending Voldemort's war, but he also sort of helped him become a problem in the first place. Much like how Hagrid came to Harry, Dumbledore visited a young Tom Riddle to bring him to Hogwarts.

However, Dumbledore could tell that there was clearly something wrong with this kid and kept an eye on him during his tenure at the school. Dumbledore was the only teacher that Tom couldn't charm, and it led him to have a fear of the powerful wizard. Still, Dumbledore's suspicions never stopped Tom from becoming Voldemort and all the deaths that would follow.

He Led The First Resistance Against Voldemort

Dumbledore has always seemed to prefer acting through agents than taking an active role, but he took a direct approach when it came to Voldemort. He never hunted down the dark wizard, but Dumbledore did form a resistance to help fight Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

This organization was called The Order of the Phoenix, and it consisted of several characters and prominent wizards throughout the course of the series. They disbanded after Voldemort's first defeat, but reformed after he returned in order to protect Harry and ensure that a prophecy about Voldemort's death would come to pass.

Dumbledore Was One Of The Most Powerful Wizards Of His Lifetime

Over the course of his life, Dumbledore earned quite the reputation as a powerful wizard, and he might have been one of the strongest to ever exist. He accomplished several incredible feats in his lifetime, such as defeating Grindelwald in one-on-one combat and being strong enough to withstand the curse of a Horcrux long after others would have died.

His numerous titles and awards from his school days also lend credence to his skills with a wand. Dumbledore was the only wizard that Voldemort ever feared and his mere presence was enough to ensure the safety of every student in Hogwarts.

If you live to be 116 years old, then you will have lived long enough to have some accomplished things. Dumbledore was one of the most prominent wizards to have lived, and while he made several mistakes and miscalculations, he was ultimately a force for good. Fans are likely to learn much more about Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts movies, as some of the most important years of his life will hopefully gain some elaboration. The last film finally teased that Dumbledore was entering the fray, and while I think we're still a long way from Dumbledore v. Grindelwald, there's still plenty more left to see until then.

Avengers: Endgame Proved We Should Stop Worrying About Toy Spoilers

Avengers: Endgame Proved We Should Stop Worrying About Toy Spoilers

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame. Look away if you haven't seen Marvel's latest

After a long year of waiting, Avengers: Endgame is finally in theaters. The Russo Brothers' (last?) MCU blockbuster held no punches, wrapping up a narrative that has spanned 22 movies and over a decade of filmmaking. Endgame is breaking all types of box office records, and really delivering for the hardcore fans who have spent countless hours and dollars to follow along with every new Marvel release.

Ahead of Endgame's release, the public was largely kept in the dark regarding the film's mysterious contents. The Russo Brothers urged the fans to keep the film's secrets and see Endgame on opening weekend to get the full theatrical experience. The film's marketing primarily used footage from the film's first 15 minutes, but potential spoilers came in the form of merchandise.

Toys have become a common source of spoilers over that past few years, arriving in shelves prior to major movies' releases. As such, fans have looked to merchandise like Lego sets to learn upcoming film's contents. Endgame's lego sets were no exception, but after Avengers: Endgame arrived in theaters, it became clear that that fans had been (literally) sold a false bill of goods.

Just look at this Lego set as proof. Following Hulkbuster's reappearance in Avengers: Infinity War, fans were delighted to see that War Machine would be getting his own massive robot in Endgame. The War Machine Buster lego set teased that Rhodey's armor would be getting a serious upgrade, and that he'd working alongside Paul Rudd's Ant-Man in the process.

Of course, none of these things happened. War Machine never got his own Hulkbuster armor, and he wasn't paired with Ant-Man on Endgame's big time heist. So while the Lego sets might be cool, they're ultimately not based off of anything from the film. Bummer.

One of the biggest Lego sets that ties into Avengers: Endgame is the Ultimate Quinjet. The set teases a big group of Avengers getting into their matching Quantum Suits, and jet setting on a mission to battle Thanos. The play set features the likes of Hawkeye, Rocket, Black Widow, and Thor, and shows them battling some Chitauri.

Of course, this is another scene that simply is never in Avengers: Endgame. The survivors never actually go anywhere with their Quantum Suits, instead using them within the Avengers Compound to travel through time and space. What's more, the Quinjet barely makes an appearance in the blockbuster, save for a few brief scenes.

In the end, only one set from Lego's Avengers: Endgame merchandise actually ended up coming to fruition in the film. That is the biggest and most expensive set, which depicts the Avengers Compound Battle. It shows Thanos and his forces attacking the good guys' hideout, with characters like Hulk, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, and Nebula fighting off the Mad Titan.

And this scene did in fact happen, albeit differently than depicted in the Lego version. The Avengers Compound was all but leveled when Thanos came knocking, and it seemed like he could take another victory. Ultimately the biggest Marvel battle occurred and the good guys won, but the compound and a few characters fell in the process.

Related: 11 Times Toys Did Spoil Movies

What's clear from Avengers: Endgame's Lego sets is that Marvel Studios is cognizant of toys being potential spoilers. While still able to make money on merchandise, the studio is keeping its secrets at all costs. As such, we should probably stop worrying so much about potential toy-related spoilers, at least as far as the MCU is concerned. The Lego sets for Spider-Man: Far From Home have already hit shelves, but smart money says that they've also got some red herrings regarding the upcoming blockbuster's plot.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now, and noticeably missing the events shown in the film's merchandise. In the meantime, be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Could The Russo Brothers Return To The MCU After Avengers: Endgame?

Could The Russo Brothers Return To The MCU After Avengers: Endgame?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going strong for a decade, and the last 21 movies will collide when Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters in a month. The narrative will pick up from the devastating ending of Infinity War, which saw half the galaxy fade to dust in the wake of Thanos' victory. The Russo Brothers did the impossible with that blockbuster, servicing a massive set of characters, and balancing both heart and action.

The Russo Brothers have had a stellar tenure in the MCU overall, as they've also directed the last two Captain America movies. Endgame looks like it will be their final bow in the shared universe, allowing the co-directors to branch out to new projects. But could they return one day? Joe Russo recently spoke to this possibility, saying:

We love Marvel, we've had an incredible experience with them. It's why we've made four movies in six years with them. They're like family to us. I think they do a great job of separating ‘church and state,’ where we're focused on the projects we're focused on, and someone else will focus on those other projects. We'd work with them in any capacity moving forward, and we value as much as anything in our work life the quality of the people we're around and quality of the life that we have when we're working with those people, and that's A++ when you're working with Marvel.

Do you hear that sound? It's Marvel fans everywhere cheering. Because while there's nothing on the books, it looks like The Russo Brothers are open to returning to the massive shared universe, and putting their perspective and attention to detail into another blockbuster. It just might not be right away.

Joe Russo's comments to Box Office Pro are sure to excite the moviegoers who have seen the Brothers' last three installments in the MCU. They made a serious plash with Captain America: The Winter Soldier, before eventually having a role in the overall direction of Phase Three. Captain America: Civil War proved how well they could handle a massive ensemble project, while Avengers: Infinity War went above and beyond expectations.

Given how successful The Russo Brothers have been during their tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's hard to imagine the franchise without them. Then again, imagining is all the public has been left to do, as the MCU after Avengers: Endgame is a complete mystery. Spider-Man: Far From Home may be the first release, but the future is totally unclear.

But Marvel Studios should be more transparent once Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters. Revealing the next slate of movies has the potential to spoil the events of the movie. As such, the studio is keeping its cards close to the chest. For the next month, at least.

Avengers: Endgame will finally arrive in theaters on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

It’s Time To Retire Hellboy As A Film Franchise

It’s Time To Retire Hellboy As A Film Franchise

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of Hellboy’s introduction over at Dark Horse Comics, and just a year later, the character finally returned to the big screen following an 11-year hiatus. Unfortunately for Hellboy fans, the reboot directed by Neil Marshall and starring David Harbour has fared poorly during its time in theaters, and there’s definitely no question that it’s nowhere near the level of quality of the previous two movies that were directed by Guillermo del Toro and starred Ron Perlman.

The Hellboy comic book mythology created by Mike Mignola is a rich tapestry full of colorful characters and fantasy/horror elements, and anyone who’s remotely interested in Hellboy should check out these stories. However, as far as the Hellboy film franchise goes, it’s time it be permanently retired for for several reasons. Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first.

The Reboot Bombed

As has already been mentioned, the new Hellboy movie is the definition of a cinematic disappointment. At the time of this writing, it’s been in theaters for 12 days and has only made a little over $20 million worldwide. On the critical side of things, Hellboy has received mostly negative reviews, ranking at 14% on Rotten Tomatoes and earning a C CinemaScore. It was also reported shortly before Hellboy’s release that there was a lot of behind-the-scenes drama during its production, which probably contributed to the movie’s subpar quality.

The Hellboy reboot had the potential to not only launch a new Hellboy film series, but also expand into a cinematic universe reminiscent of the Dark Horse Comics source material, with folks like Lobster Johnson and the other members of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense capable of leading their own movies. Alas, the movie’s critical and commercial performance all but guarantees that Lionsgate won’t spring for a sequel, making this a one-and-done adventure. Given how negatively this movie was received, it’ll be a long time before another studio is willing to entertain the notion of delivering another reboot; it’s for the best if that doesn’t happen at all.

Hellboy III Isn’t Happening

Hellboy fans weren’t clamoring for years for the character to be rebooted, but for Ron Perlman’s version to return. Both Perlman and Guillermo del Toro expressed interest numerous times in making Hellboy III, and the first two movies certainly planted to seeds for an explosive trilogy capper, namely through Hellboy’s destiny to become the Beast of the Apocalypse. Those two tried their best to get the threequel off the ground, but in February 2017, del Toro stated that Hellboy III “100% would not happen,” and the reboot was announced soon after.

As we’ve seen with franchises like Terminator and Ghostbusters, sometimes there are opportunities to return to a previous film continuity following a reboot or two. In theory, Hellboy could also be that franchise, but it’s likely that at least another decade would have to pass before Hellboy would be brought back to the big screen. By that point, Ron Perlman would be in his late 70s, and even now he’s not interested in stepping back into the superhero genre. The best we can hope for with Hellboy III is that the story can be told through a comic book series.

Animation’s Already Been Explored

With Hellboy III off the table and the reboot spectacularly bombing, that’s enough justification to not deliver any more inline action interpretations of the Hellboy mythology to the big screen. But what about through animation? Surely Hellboy’s adventures could look cool in an animated setting, right? They would, and we’ve actually already been treated to two such projects. In 2006, a direct-to-DVD movie called Hellboy: Sword of Storms was released, and had Ron Perlman and Selma Blair reprise Hellboy and Liz Sherman, respectively, as well as featured Doug Jones voicing Abe Sapien for the first time. The three actors also returned for 2007’s Hellboy: Blood and Iron.

It would certainly be terrific if fans got a feature-length, CGI-animated Hellboy movie for the big screen, but frankly, despite his years of popularity on the printed page, Hellboy is still a relatively niche character. It’s a wonder we got those earlier animated movies, but it’s doubtful that a studio would be willing to invest so many resources into an animated movie starring a character much of the general public doesn’t know about and would gather a smaller audience since it would need to at least be rated PG-13, if not R.

It’s A Better Fit For TV

I may be advocating for there not to be any more Hellboy movies, but that doesn’t mean I’m not interested in any more live action adaptations of the mythology. On the contrary, with all the stories that Dark Horse Comics has published over the years, there’s more than enough material to warrant a Hellboy TV series. Granted, this is not the kind of show that could work on broadcast television, but on a premium cable network like HBO or Starz with only 8-12 episodes per season, it would thrive.

Obviously the biggest budget towards bringing Hellboy to TV would be the budget. It’s not cheap to make actors look like monsters and this would definitely require a lot of VFX work. That, along with presenting the numerous locations Hellboy travels to during his B.P.R.D. adventures would make a TV series a more complicated creative endeavor, perhaps even more so than Game of Thrones. Nevertheless, we’ve seen numerous TV shows present cinematic-level quality of content in recent years, so with the right amount of dollars being poured into a Hellboy TV series and the right creative team and cast attached, this project has the potential to be better than all the movies that have come before. But to be safe, it’d probably still be a good idea to wait another 5-10 years before starting work on such a series.

Feel free to let us know what you’d like to see happen with Hellboy next in our poll and comments below, and rest assured, if another new movie or a TV show starring Big Red is announced, we here at CinemaBlend will let you know about it. You can also look through our 2019 release schedule to plan your visits to the movie theater this year accordingly.