Toy Story 4 Will Feature A Don Rickles Tribute

Toy Story 4 Will Feature A Don Rickles Tribute

In April 2017, Don Rickles, who voiced Mr. Potato Head for the Toy Story franchise, passed away. Rather than recast the role for Toy Story 4 since recording had not begun when Rickles died, it was announced earlier this year that he will still serve as the voice of Mr. Potato Head thanks to archived audio. It’s also been revealed that the next Pixar movie will feature a tribute to the stand-up comedian. In director Josh Cooley’s words:

Yes we're gonna have a tribute to him. We, you know we went through everything that could possibly, he's recorded so we went through all the past films, all the shorts, all the video games, all the theme park stuff, all the ice- capades all the toys. He's done a lot over the past 25 years. And you know he did sign on to be on this film before he passed and so we're very honored for that and we're also very honored that his family asked us to see if can create a performance.

CinemaBlend’s own Dirk Libbey visited Pixar Animation Studios to learn more about Toy Story 4, and Don Rickle’s presence in the movie was among the topics discussed. Considering that Mr. Potato Head is one of the main supporting characters in the Toy Story franchise, as well as the fact that these movies introduced Rickles to an entire generation, and it’s incredibly fitting that Toy Story 4 will pay tribute to the man.

Aside from Don Rickle’s voice being featured in Toy Story 4, it will be interesting to see how the folks at Pixar honored him for the movie. I can easily imagine a short message being displayed onscreen either before or after the credits roll, but perhaps there will be a more unique way that the tribute unfolds. In any case, since it looks like Toy Story 4 could really be the end of this film series, it’s all the more appropriate that Rickles is properly commemorated here.

This isn’t the first time the Toy Story franchise has had to deal with the loss of a main cast member. In 2000, only a few months after Toy Story 2’s release, Jim Varney, the original voice of Slinky Dog, passed away. When it came time to record Toy Story 3, Blake Clark was tapped as Varney’s successor. But in Mr. Potato Head’s case, there was so much audio from a variety of projects that recasting the character for Toy Story 4 wasn’t necessary.

Along with Don Rickles, Toy Story 4 will feature old favorites like Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger and Annie Potts all reprising their respective roles. The new cast members include Tony Hale, Jordan Peele, Keegan Michael-Key, Christina Hendricks and Keanu Reeves.

Toy Story 4 hits theaters on June 21, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release schedule to learn what other major motion pictures are opening later this year.

8 Zac Efron Movies That Prove He's Bigger Than High School Musical

8 Zac Efron Movies That Prove He's Bigger Than High School Musical

Zac Efron has come a long way from East High School with his starring role in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, on Netflix now. Looking back to 2006, Zac Efron was at the forefront of High School Musical, a corny-but-peppy-and-bubbly Disney Channel original movie that became a full pop culture phenomenon, the likes of which likely surprised even the folks at Disney. It was an overnight sensation — literally — once it aired on the Disney Channel that fateful evening. Since then, Zac Efron has been a household name, and has earned no shortage of adoring fans.

However, because of his success in this three-part film series, there are some folks out there who still associate Zac Efron's acting with his work as Troy Bolton in High School Musical. Despite his best efforts to branch out and expand himself as an actor, there are some musical lovers out there who only see Zac Efron for the work he did in the past without recognizing his developing talents. That's not really fair. In the past decade, Zac Efron has proven to be a versatile, charismatic performer, having varied himself well enough to be more than his work in the Disney Channel trilogy. He should be accredited as an accomplished, talented and dedicated actor.

Much like how we are not much like our high school selves once we get older, Zac Efron has grown up and matured in a strong, promising actor. He has developed an esteemed resume and shown himself to be an established actor in many different respects. So, let's take a moment to showcase a number of the roles that prove that he's bigger than his hit performances in High School Musical 1, 2, and 3.

Me And Orson Welles

In 2008, shortly after he rose to celebrity through his appearances in High School Musical 1 & 2, Zac Efron worked alongside director Richard Linklater in the period piece biopic Me and Orson Welles, which followed a starry-eyed teenager who got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with the great Orson Welles in his 1937 production of Julius Caesar. It was certainly the work of a young performer, but it gave audiences outside of the High School Musical fanbase a chance to see an actor on the rise.

Plus, it showcased that had dramatic range and potential that wasn't fully explored in those TV movie musicals. Sure enough, as the years went on, the actor would continue to prove himself in a variety of different performances.

The Lorax

While Zac Efron rose to super-status through his vocal pipes, singing tunes for High School Musical, the actor reached a new career phase when he did his first voice-only performance in The Lorax, Illumination Entertainment's 2012 feature-length adaptation of Dr. Seuss beloved children's book. As the voice of Ted Wiggins, the child protagonist, Zac Efron uses his popularity with the younger crowds to draw viewers into this new take on the old environmental tale. While the film itself didn't win over many critics, it provided Zac Efron with one of his first major box office smashes. During its 2012 release, The Lorax made over $348 million worldwide.

During its 2012 release, The Lorax made over $348 million worldwide. That's not too bad for a first big animated outing.

Neighbors

After a series of unremarkable performances in inert or underwhelming dramas, Zac Efron finally found his calling outside of High School Musical. And it was in the comedy department. In a role that allowed the rising actor to finally be free from the restraints of Disney's child-friendly image, Zac Efron appeared alongside Seth Rogen in 2014's surprise hit R-rated comedy Neighbors, allowing the actor to prove his comedic chops (while also not being afraid to take off his shirt a few times).

Though the comedies he appeared in afterwards didn't acquire the same success (See: Baywatch and Bad Grandpa), Efron's work in Neighbors proved that he was on his way up the ladder, creatively. Plus, could be really funny, to boot.

The Disaster Artist

As anyone who has seen The Room will note, the role of Chris-R is just as puzzling and bizarre as anything else in Tommy Wiseau's elusive passion project. Yet, the actor who played the role, Dan Janjigian, gave a convincingly menacing and surprisingly compelling performance, channeling more believable and palpable emotion intensity in just one scene than anyone else did throughout the entirety of the movie. It is often considered the one good performance in a film that's certainly less-than-great, and Zac Efron certainly had his work cut out for him.

In James Franco's dramedy biopic, The Disaster Artist, Efron played Janjigian/Chris-R in a similar memorable sequence, and he reportedly went method in the same way his on-screen persona did. Once again, Zac Efron proved his talents are quite versatile.

The Greatest Showman

Following 2008's High School Musical 3, Zac Efron opted not to participate in any more movie musicals. The actor was focused more on comedic and dramatic roles, challenging himself as an actor and pushing himself more as a performer. It wasn't until nine years later when he appeared in The Greatest Showman that he got a chance to sing and dance again.

Sure enough, while it was nearly a decade after his first movie musical, Zac Efron was far from rusty in the singing department. The box office numbers and chart-topping album sales also suggest that audiences will continue to come out in droves to see Efron belt out a tune or two in a theater near them. Plus, this time, Zac Efron got to sing as a very much adult character dealing with the period issues of the day.

The Beach Bum

Similar to how fellow High School Musical alum (and Efron's former fling) Vanessa Hudgens moved away from her Disney image with Harmony Korine's cult hit Spring Breakers, Zac Efron wanted to work with the auteur indie director to push himself as an actor into more adult territory. The result is a limited-but-impressive turn in The Beach Bum, Korine's recent follow-up to Spring Breakers, which finds Efron playing the role of Flicker, a hard-drinking, Creed-loving, Panini beard-wearing party-lover who mirrors Matthew McConaughey's titular Beach Bum on his path to self destruction.

Even though he is only in the movie for 10 minutes -- maybe 15 minutes max -- it is a great and unique turn for Zac Efron. And it's another performance that shows Zac Efron's talents as a supporting actor, beyond his leading man roles. Plus, just look at that facial hair.

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile

In what could easily be described as his most controversial role to date, Zac Efron's performance as Ted Bundy in the historical drama Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile was met with a great deal of trepidation and concern from the media due to the subject matter at hand. The story of Ted Bundy is not for the faint of heart, and it was certainly a far cry from Zac Efron's Disney days. Yet, through his involvement in this film, Zac Efron provided a meta thesis to the dramatization of this true story.

Zac Efron's charisma and good looks are eerily similar to the late serial killer, and it shows how the media painted a muddled picture of the events that caused people to question whether a person like Ted Bundy could commit such heinous crimes, despite the stark evidence that suggested — over and over — that he did. It's an intriguingly metatexual performance, and one that shows Efron's dramatic range.

As a young, on-the-rise actor, Zac Efron is continuing to prove himself with a variety of different movies and shows. The actor is steadily expanding and challenging himself in different roles and with different opportunities, and there's a good chance that we'll continue to see Zac Efron's stardom rise in the future. For now, though, we hope we showed you how Zac Efron continues to develop and excel an actor, and how he is much bigger than his work in the High School Musical movies.

How Tim Burton Is Different From Every Other Director Danny Elfman Works With

How Tim Burton Is Different From Every Other Director Danny Elfman Works With

The collaboration between Tim Burton and Danny Elfman is one of the great director/composer relationships in modern cinema. The two men first came together for Pee-wee's Big Adventure back in 1985, and while they’ve both worked with other filmmakers in the time since then, that does nothing to undercut the fact that they’ve made 17 features together (18 if you count Henry Sellick’s The Nightmare Before Christmas). Clearly it’s a special relationship for both men, and as I recently learned during an interview with Elfman, it’s one that is unique in some very key ways.

Specifically, it comes down to the amount of time that Danny Elfman and Tim Burton actually spend talking about the work. When working with other filmmakers, having discussions about music and the proper approach can take multiple days of analysis, but that just apparently isn’t the way that Burton functions. As I learned from the legendary composer during the recent Los Angeles press day for Dumbo, going through a score discussion with the director apparently barely takes more than an afternoon. Said Elfman,

The spotting sessions we do, where we go through the whole film and talk a little bit about each piece of music, Tim is quicker than any director I've ever worked with. I'm working right now on a film where the spotting session will take two days. We did half of it last week, and I do half of it tomorrow. And with Tim, if it's a two hour movie, the spotting sessions are two-and-a-half hours. If it's an hour and 45 minute movie, it's two hours and 15 minutes.

That’s pretty intense, but one could argue that it very much speaks to the power of the collaboration between the two men.

When I followed up by asking why it is that Tim Burton is able to plow through those spotting sessions, Danny Elfman’s explanation was simple: he doesn’t like to dissect, and instead is more interested in just jumping around and just expressing where it is that he wants specific cues. Music is apparently a detail of the filmmaking process that he doesn’t put a tremendous amount of thought into – but Elfman also made it clear that part of that extends from the fact that there is a lot of trust in their collaboration:

He doesn't want to talk about it. It's just like, 'Okay let's start the music here. And then skip to the end of the scene.' He skips to the end. 'I think this is a good place to come out.' And then he might have like three words. He goes, 'Keep it kind of understated here. Okay, next.' It's like, 'Oh yeah, make sure you play the something here. Okay, next.' He doesn't analyze. Some people get very analytical, and they really want to talk about the psychology of a scene, and Tim doesn't. He's like, 'You know, there's music. You'll find it. When you find it, I'll know it.'

What’s extra funny about this, though, is that it’s not exactly a recent development that began with their work together on Dumbo. This whole conversation was accessed when I asked Danny Elfman about the evolution of his relationship with Tim Burton since they first started working together in the mid-1980s – and the four time Oscar nominee explained that things have basically been the way they are now since the very beginning. Said Elfman,

It's still more or less the same, other than he's much more sure of himself and what he likes and doesn't like then when we started, obviously, in Pee-wee's Big Adventure, and he was just like, 'Oh, great. Music. Cool.' And now he's much more selective. But other than that, the process is really similar. He doesn't talk about the movie a lot, and he doesn't talk about the music a lot.

It’s pretty incredible to learn this when you consider the power of their work together – but also clearly a situation of “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.”

Audiences can now hear the latest score from Danny Elfman in theaters everywhere, as Dumbo is now playing in wide release. And for those of you interested in playing it at home, the MP3 album is available now, and CDs will be released this Friday, April 5th.

Will Ferrell And Adam McKay Are Breaking Up, Creatively, After 13 Years

Will Ferrell And Adam McKay Are Breaking Up, Creatively, After 13 Years

Like Detectives Gamble and Hoitz, racers Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr., newspeople Ron Burgundy and Veronica Corningstone, and stepbrothers Brennan Huff and Dale Doback, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay have been an unstoppable team, finding success in Hollywood for over a decade. But all good things must come to an end, and Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are breaking up, creatively.

The two men have decided to go their separate ways for future creative endeavors, thus ending a creative partnership that has lasted 13 years. Together Will Ferrell and Adam McKay formed the comedy generating production company Gary Sanchez, which spawned a spinoff company, the female-centric Gloria Sanchez. Those Paramount-based production companies will see through development and completion of their existing projects, but will probably be winding down as Will Ferrell and Adam McKay move on to new things.

In a statement released to Deadline, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay confirmed the split while ending things on a thankful and positive note. The statement reads:

The last 13 years could not have been more enjoyable and satisfying for the two of us at Sanchez Productions. We give massive thanks to our incredible staff and executives and all the writers, directors and actors we worked with through the years. The two of us will always work together creatively and always be friends. And we recognize we are lucky as hell to end this venture as such.

Although they may be breaking up from their formal creative partnership, this parting is not an unhappy one, as the two seem to be quite thankful and proud of the time they spent together and projects they worked on. This is not an acrimonious split, but an amicable and mutual decision. While their business relationship is coming to an end, their personal one is not, and Will Ferrell and Adam McKay remain close friends.

This isn’t the end of their work together either. As they say in their statement, they will continue to work together creatively. The two still have a huge slate of shared projects, so although this is the end of one chapter of the Ferrell/McKay partnership, we may still see Adam McKay and Will Ferrell’s name in the credits of future movies (fingers crossed Step Brothers 2 will reunite them one day).

The two have begun to diverge in their creative pursuits, with Adam McKay moving more towards politically charged films, like last year’s Vice, while Will Ferrell continues with the more traditional comedy fare that has made him a household name. As far as the future is concerned, the details are still being worked out, but both Ferrell and McKay will explore new endeavors and projects individually, and they are each expected to form new ventures for their post-Gary Sanchez careers.

So ends a partnership that is probably best measured in the number of laughs delivered. In addition to collaborating as producers on films like Daddy’s Home, Adam McKay directed Will Ferrell in a slew of modern comedy classics, including Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Anchorman and Anchorman 2, The Other Guys and Step Brothers.

Will Ferrell will next be onscreen later this year in James Franco’s long-delayed Zeroville, a star-studded film about Hollywood in 1969, not to be confused with Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which is also a star-studded film about Hollywood in 1969. That should make for an interesting double feature.

After his multiple Oscar nominations for Vice, Adam McKay is next attached to direct Bad Blood, another ripped-from-the-headlines story, this one about biotech entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes. The film is supposed to star Jennifer Lawrence and Will Ferrell is also attached as a producer.

Check out our 2019 release schedule to keep track of all the movies coming to theaters this year, and let us know your favorite Will Ferrell and Adam McKay film in the comments below.

Chris Evans Thanks Avengers: Endgame Fans For Their 'Incredibly Touching' Posts

Chris Evans Thanks Avengers: Endgame Fans For Their 'Incredibly Touching' Posts

Avengers: Endgame is finally out in theaters, and moviegoers have turned out in droves to support Marvel's epic blockbuster. The movie has made an incredible amount of money, but it's also produced a lot of tears streaming down the faces of those who see it. Fans are taking to Twitter to share their appreciation for the film and the characters in it with the hashtag #ThankYouAvengers, and Chris Evans has shared his own appreciation for all the heartwarming messages.

If you are worried about spoilers in this article, don't be. Nothing specific about Endgame will be revealed here and the fact that this message is coming from Chris Evans isn't a clue. Captain America is far from the only character getting a shoutout by fans this weekend.

That being said, I wouldn't recommend searching for #ThankYouAvengers if you haven't seen the movie yet. While no one is really outright spoiling the movie, you'd be able to guess what happens pretty easily based on some tweets.

But you can hardly blame fans for wanting to share their appreciation. Endgame is a massive love letter to those who have followed the MCU since 2008, and it's filled with moments that will make you cheer. The MCU will continue past Endgame, but the movie makes some permanent changes to the universe and it is a finale of sorts.

Chris Evans must be feeling plenty of emotions this weekend. The actor took to social media to share his own thanks to the fans who are posting messages and making Avengers: Endgame the number one movie in the world right now. The movie is breaking almost every record under the sun right now and a lot of that has to do with the deeply loyal fanbase.

Obviously, Chris Evans has been playing Captain America since almost the very beginning of the MCU. The original six Avengers get plenty of time to shine in this film, and I'm curious to see if anymore actors are going to be sharing their own messages over the next few days.

It also helps that Endgame is a great film. Critics posted positive reviews, we here at CinemaBlend loved it, and audiences gave it an A+ ranking on CinemaScore. It looks like the movie is destined to go down as one of the all-time great superhero movies.

If you haven't seen it already (or you just want to get in a second viewing), Avengers: Endgame is in theaters right now. For more movie news and updates, be sure to check back in with CinemaBlend and we'll keep you updated on all the latest information. To learn what else Marvel has coming down the pipeline for the near future, be sure to check out our Marvel movie release guide. While you're at it, visit our 2019 movie release guide.

Robert Pattinson’s Casting As Batman Was Reportedly Super Quick

Robert Pattinson’s Casting As Batman Was Reportedly Super Quick

The DC live-action universe has had a fascinating tenure in theaters, and continues to surprise the generations of fans out there. While Warner Bros.' shared universe has hit its stride with blockbusters like Aquaman and Shazam!, there's been some interesting developments when it comes to the handling of the Caped Crusader.

Ben Affleck has officially retired from playing Bruce Wayne/ Batman, and Twilight alum Robert Pattinson recently landed the role for Matt Reeves' The Batman. It's a casting decision that has resulted in the full gamut of emotions from DC fans, but it appears that the casting process was actually quite quick-- especially for such an iconic superhero role.

According to THR, who has an insider on production for The Batman, Robert Pattinson's audition and eventual landing of the role was much quicker than usual. This makes a great deal of sense, as there's a ton of pressure in casting superheroes for the big screen. Marvel Studios famously saw tons of actors for Spider-Man, before landing on Tom Holland as the iconic web crawler.

Since Batman is perhaps the most popular DC character in history, one would expect Warner Bros. and The Batman's Matt Reeves to take their time finding the right actor to don the cape and cowl. But rumors about Robert Pattinson were followed quickly with an official confirmation by the director, so it seems like a pretty brief process from the outside. And this new report confirms that Gotham's Knight was found quickly.

Conversation about who might replace Ben Affleck as Batman in the DCEU began before he even dropped out of the role. After he backed away from both directing and starring in The Batman, it was clear that Matt Reeves was going to need to find new talent to make the developing blockbuster a reality. And Robert Pattinson reportedly wasn't the only actor considered for the role.

Related: Why Now Is The Best Time For Robert Pattinson's Batman

After the first rumors about Robert Pattinson's possible tenure as Batman hit the internet, it was also reported that X-Men actor Nicholas Hoult was Pattinson's main competition. They both reportedly tested for the role, with the Twilight alum winning out, and officially replacing Ben Affleck as the next live-action Bruce Wayne.

This breakneck pace might be in an attempt to get The Batman out in theaters at its current release date. The movie has been developing for quite some time, and it's set to arrive in theaters on June 25th, 2021. Matt Reeves will need to start assembling the cast and crew in order to make this a reality, as the script has been the main focus of the film's long gestation period.

With Robert Pattinson officially attached as Batman, it should be interesting to see what other actors join him. Quite a few performers have been campaigning to play some of Batman's rogues, including Josh Gad and Vanessa Hudgens. We'll just have to see if the movie ends up being the villain-heavy ensemble project that was rumored months sago.

The Batman will arrive in theaters on June 25th, 2021. The next installment in the DCEU is Birds of Prey on February 7th 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Dennis Quaid Wanted To Make His Intruder Villain A ‘Classic’

Dennis Quaid Wanted To Make His Intruder Villain A ‘Classic’

Looking at his career, Dennis Quaid is well known for playing heroes, from Annie and Hallie’s dad in Parent Trap to an inspiring baseball coach in The Rookie to an astronaut in The Right Stuff. It’s about time the 65-year-old actor try his hand at the bad guy, and in his newest role in The Intruder, he plays a menacing threat to one couple’s new life in Napa Valley.

The upcoming thriller helmed by Deon Taylor, the director behind Traffik and Meet the Blacks, has Quaid playing an older man who sells Scott and Annie (Michael Ealy and Meagan Good) his home, but doesn’t know how to let go of his beloved property. During a recent press day for The Intruder, I spoke to Taylor about his time working with the legendary actor and he was floored with the eagerness he had with crafting a seriously creepy new villain. In his words:

When he came to this movie and looked me in my eyes, he was like ‘hey, I want to make this guy crazy’ and he was really turned on by the idea of working and creating, growing and building the character… He was like ‘Let’s figure out how we can make Charlie Peck historically a classic’ and I was like ‘Alright! What do we gotta do?’ He was willing to bend the character and make this guy come to life and wow, he’s great.

The Intruder lead actors also gushed about Dennis Quaid’s performance in the horror flick, with Michael Ealy expressing how fun it was to watch him switch things up. Here’s what Ealy told CinemaBlend about his time working with Quaid:

Nothing like what I expected. I think we have all seen Dennis play these heroic characters. To watch him kind of break bad, it was dope.

Meagan Good explained that being on set with Quaid was freeing for them as well because he was given that space to shape his character. In her words:

Yeah, he was excited to do it, like he couldn’t wait to jump in and try stuff. That was kind of the thing that happened. Nothing was too planned. We were living with it and experiencing and whatever magic came out of that, came out of that. It was fun watching him work and for all of us to play.

Check out the actors and director Deon Taylor explain what it was like working with Dennis Quaid as he approached the frightening Charlie Peck in the movie in our interview:

As Deon Taylor notes, he didn’t know Dennis Quaid before this movie and decided to write him a letter about his interest in casting him in The Intruder. When the actor signed on, he was ready to go all in and do something “classic” with him. Did the actor succeed? You can decide for yourself when The Intruder hits theaters this weekend along with Long Shot and Ugly Dolls.