Having Adorable Dog Co-Stars Can Be A Struggle According To A Dog’s Journey Cast

Having Adorable Dog Co-Stars Can Be A Struggle According To A Dog’s Journey Cast

Do you ever just look across the way, make eye contact with a woofer and time just stops? What were you doing with your day again? Suddenly nothing matters, you just have to pet the dog in front of you. Now imagine that energy on the set of a movie.

It’s the ruff stuff Henry Lau and Kathryn Prescott had to deal with while working on A Dog’s Journey. When I recently interviewed the pair for CinemaBlend, they told me of this unique struggle. Here’s what Lau had to say:

That was actually the most difficult thing working with the dogs because they were just so adorable. We’d be acting, running through lines and a dog would just be looking up at you and we were just like ‘don’t pet him, don’t pet him, don’t pet him, focus, focus, don’t pet him.’

As far as workplace difficulties go, many of us would gladly trade this one for our own. This is an adorable insight into working with doggos on a movie from the 29-year-old actor. During the recent A Dog’s Journey press day, Henry Lau and Kathryn Prescott elaborated about the dynamic the dog actors brought to set. In their words:

Henry: There’s this big, big dog (called Duke in the movie) and he was just the king on set.

Kathyrn: Yeah, he was very happy to be there and giant, so it was known when Gary was walking on set.

It looks like the cast established some connections to the canine talent! Kathryn Prescott, who plays the film’s central character CJ, continued to gush about them:

I loved Phil as well who played Big Dog. I thought he gave one of the standout dog performances of the film. He’s a rescue aswell and he’d only been trained I think eight days to do all his paw stuff and all the tricks that he did. I think he knocked it out of the park.

Does the Oscars have a Best Supporting Dog Actor award? Maybe it should! Phil could go head-to-head with the pair of Belgian Malinois that Halle Berry trained with for John Wick 3. You can watch the fresh faced actors from the Dog’s Purpose sequel vouch for them in our exclusive interview below:

Kathryn Prescott and Henry Lau play childhood besties CJ and Trent, who each adopt from a litter puppies as children. CJ’s pup is the dog who has been reincarnated for over 60 years in A Dog’s Purpose, namely as Bailey to Dennis Quaid’s Ethan. The film tracks their relationship as they grow up into teens and then adults and as Bailey lives different lifetimes as CJ’s sworn protector.

Both actors are relative newcomers to the big screen. Kathryn found her breakout role as the titular character in the MTV drama Finding Carter for two seasons. Henry is a former K-pop star from the group Super Junior-m, who has recently pursued a career in acting.

A Dog’s Journey opens this weekend alongside John Wick 3 and The Sun is Also A Star. Judging from Thursday night numbers, John Wick will be the top dog. The last film in the franchise based on W. Bruce Cameron’s doggo novels was a box office success, as it made $205 million worldwide on a $22 million budget. We’ll see how A Dog’s Journey does amidst May’s packed movie season.

New Aladdin Clip Is Set Right Before ‘A Whole New World'

New Aladdin Clip Is Set Right Before ‘A Whole New World'

Disney’s live-action remake undertaking will soon continue with the release of a new Aladdin and fans are especially awaiting the new versions of the beloved songs from the 1992 animated musical. Is it from a new fantastic point of view? Check out this new look that sets up the highly-anticipated “A Whole New World” reimagining:

Swept away yet? The glimpse from Walt Disney Studios shows the beginning of Aladdin and Jasmine’s night before they board their magic carpet ride and break into song. Under the alias of “Prince Ali”, Aladdin is convincing the princess of Agrabah to leave her comfort behind the walls of the castle her confined world of books and maps and really go out and see the world with him. Before she can shoot out a round of excuses as to why she can’t, he reveals his magic carpet and asks her if he trusts her.

Disney fans know the “do you trust me?” line is straight out of the animated film. In the original, Jasmine first meets “street rat” Aladdin who feeds the same quote. So when the princess hears this from Ali, she knows it’s the guy she’d been crushing on from her rogue adventure outside the castle walls.

It’s a sweet moment between the couple that is lovably reminiscent of the 1992 classic. Aladdin exudes confidence with his prince persona, as he offers to show her the world and the couple will soon break out into song. The clip ends conveniently right before the track begins, serving as the perfect tease for the upcoming live-action flick. I for one am happy they cut it where they did, a moment like this should be seen for the first time on the big screen.

The first Aladdin trailer did include a bit of the “Whole New World” song including the new vocals by Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott, but we’ll likely have to wait until the movie hits theaters later this month before we see the full sequence.

Aladdin is a remake of the fairytale, this time with the Genie to be played by Will Smith. The actor will be adding his own comedic flavor to the film and rapping the character’s signature track “Friend Like Me”. Smith recently paid a visit to Jimmy Fallon and spit a few bars and while it’s a departure from what we remember, it’s a fun new take on it.

The movie will also include two brand news songs, one another duet between Aladdin and Jasmine and the other a solo tune from Jasmine. Mena Massoud also recently teased an all-improv scene between him and Will Smith in the film.

After the under-performing result of Disney’s last live-action offering Dumbo, Aladdin is tracking to have a more successful opening weekend during the Memorial Day holiday with four-day weekend projections between $85 million and $115 million.

Did the new clip get you excited for the upcoming magic carpet ride in Aladdin when it hits theaters on May 24? Sing your song in the comments below.

The Cute Homage Peter Parker Pays To Tony Stark In New Far From Home Trailer

The Cute Homage Peter Parker Pays To Tony Stark In New Far From Home Trailer

Warning: SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame are in play. If you still want to avoid being spoiled, head on to another story and come back once you’ve seen the film.

In the wake of Avengers: Endgame’s climactic finale, the world is mourning Tony Stark’s death after he used the Infinity Gauntlet to take down Thanos and his invasion army. And one of the most prolific mourners is, undoubtedly, Peter Parker, who became a sort of son to the genius billionaire playboy philanthropist before he had a family of his own.

So obviously, when someone as influential as Tony was to Peter passes, the young hero is going to want to pay tribute to the man who helped him become an Avenger in the first place. And in Spider-Man: Far From Home’s latest trailer, we saw a fitting homage to Tony Stark, as Peter Parker now has Tony's last pair of iconic sunglasses, as you’ll see in the screenshot from the trailer below:

First seen in Avengers: Infinity War, Tony Stark had been wearing a pair of rather sharp Dita Mach-One sunglasses in his final arc in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So naturally, upon his passing, someone had to inherit them. While his wife, Pepper Potts, or even his daughter, Morgan, might have been good heirs, seeing those shades go to Peter feels rather apt.

Despite not being an actual heir by blood, Peter Parker is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s current heir to Tony Stark’s mantle. He even says in the new trailer, “The world needs the next Iron Man,” and looking at the rest of the trailer at hand, it looks like Peter might be keen on trying to fill that void. Though if Tony were to give him advice on the matter, he’d probably tell him not to try so hard, and to just be that friendly neighborhood Spider-Man he’s always been.

We’ll see Peter Parker undoubtedly learning some similar lessons in Spider-Man: Far From Home, as a class trip to Europe starts out like the usual fun and games, but turns into serious business. With Nick Fury and Maria Hill drafting Spider-Man into assisting Quentin Beck’s Mysterio in fighting the Elementals waging war on the continent, the usual teenager abroad antics are going to be the least of Peter’s worries on his itinerary.

And where else would be a better place for someone like Peter Parker to learn the lessons of being a hero than in a variety of beautiful European settings? We don’t know where we’d suggest as alternatives, but we do suggest that you watch the Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer again (or for the first time) below:

You still have some time to prepare for Spider-Man: Far From Home, as it takes its first bows on July 2, with tickets now available for opening weekend showings. Which means you have plenty of time to see Avengers: Endgame, which is currently in theaters.

Samuel L. Jackson Fought To Balance Comedy With Action In The New Shaft

Samuel L. Jackson Fought To Balance Comedy With Action In The New Shaft

When thinking about the Shaft franchise of films, comedy isn’t something that really springs to mind in the forefront of possibilities. But with the legendary bad mother heading back to screens later this month, in the second reboot to carry the Shaft name, it’s readily apparent that the smooth action will be balanced by a comedic tone that the series will be new to.

It’s a prospect that could scare both fans of the original and anyone new trying to get into the Shaft series with the fresh start offered by Tim Story’s reboot. But those concerns were put to ease to a certain extent, based on what Samuel L. Jackson told CinemaBlend and a selected group of journalists, during a set visit that took place early last year. In particular, Jackson provided the following commentary on how he fought to keep the balance between the jokes and the action:

The previous Shaft was a little more serious, I guess, in terms of what was going on between me and Peoples (Jeffrey Wright’s villain). The level of danger in this changes, because they want it to be light, and there was a conversation about it. The first script was a ‘ha, ha, ha, ha, ha’ script, and I’m like ‘Wait a minute, you really can’t do that because Shaft means something to us, iconically, historically, and mythologically.’ So we can show the lighter side of who he is, in terms of what his attitude is, but the level of danger, of what’s going on in the script, has to be the same thing. So when it’s serious, it has to be very serious.

Shaft certainly isn’t the first reboot to take a storied franchise and inject it with a sense of humor that wasn’t previously there. But as we’ve seen in the past, that experiment doesn’t always work, and sometimes can be kind of embarrassing. So it’s noteworthy and important when someone like Samuel L. Jackson, who is a fixture of the franchise since his turn in the John Singelton-directed 2000 movie, raises concerns as to how to make a leap into more comedic waters believable.

Samuel L. Jackson’s efforts seem to have worked pretty well, as in addition to the remarks he provided above, all on hand were shown a sizzle reel for the film, put together from raw footage of what Shaft had filmed up to that point. And from that early footage, the mixture of swagger and laughter seemed pretty balanced.

In one moment, Shaft is mocking his own son for his more modern sensibilities, and in the next he’s breaking a man’s arm for information. It’s something so legit, it was included in the film’s trailer; and that particular well of humor was something that Jackson also spoke towards during the Shaft set visit.

Complimenting what Samuel L. Jackson said about honoring the character and franchise that John Shaft and his descendants are at the heart of, Jackson discussed how the story of Jessie T. Usher’s JJ learning to become a true Shaft plays into the humor of the film. Which, according to Samuel L. Jackson, involves the following:

And to take a kid that [his mother] molded into what he is now: an I.T. graduate who’s an FBI agent, that has no real street sense, he’s a suburban kid who has the name Shaft. And now he’s in an environment that he has to live up to in a specific way. Because of who Richard [Roundtree] was, because of who I am, because of what he needs to be. So when people say, ‘That’s a Shaft,’ they have to see a Shaft. So he’s learning to be a Shaft against everything he’s been taught him.

The generation gap in the Shaft family is something that’s been played well in the marketing campaign for the film, so at least in that respect, the comedy/action mix looks to really be working. Three generations of complicated men, with no one to understand them but each other and the women in their lives, is something that assuredly lends itself to a fair amount of humor.

And as we’ve seen in the reactions to the looks at Richard Roundtree, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jessie T. Usher in action, the fans are ready to see this family team up to solve crime on the streets of any city they choose to hit. If everything else can line up in the constellation of jokes and jabs, this just might be the sleeper summer hit that Warner Bros. is hoping for the film to be.

Shaft opens in theaters on June 14, and if you’re interested in more content pertaining to the film’s release, stay tuned to CinemaBlend as we’ll have more coverage in the coming weeks.

Liam Neeson Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop Making Action Movies

Liam Neeson Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop Making Action Movies

There was a time when the name Liam Neeson was synonymous with high caliber dramatic films and period pieces, movies like Schindler's List, Michael Collins, and Rob Roy. However, these days Neeson spends much more time making "one man versus an army" action movies. His most recent in the genre was 2018's The Commuter, and now he's heading back in to make yet another with a new film called The Minuteman.

The new movie will see Liam Neeson as a retired Vietnam veteran who finds himself protecting a young boy that's being hunted by a cartel. The project will be directed by Robert Lorenz, a longtime producing partner of Clint Eastwood, who previously directed Eastwood's Trouble with the Curve.

Liam Neeson starred in Taken back in 2008 and the movie was such a huge hit that it not only spawned a pair of sequels, but also an entire new genre for Neeson to get involved in. While none of Neeson's action films have been able to quite replicate the success of the original taken, the films' modest budgets tend to mean that they do well enough at the box office even that if they don't break the bank, they are still considered successful.

Liam Neeson is 66 years old and as such he wouldn't necessarily be your first thought when it comes to major action heroes, but it really can't be argued that he''s able to make it work. He's somehow believable even at that age, something not everybody can pull off.

Even Neeson himself has said that eventually he feels like audiences will stop buying him in the role of action star at some point, but he seems to enjoy making the movies and that means he'll continue to make them until he stops getting the roles.

It should also be said that at least part of the reason Liam Neeson seems to be getting so many of these roles is that he has more success with them than others. Other aging actors from Mel Gibson to Sean Penn have tried their hands at the older action hero genre, but none have done as well with it as Neeson.

Details on The Minuteman are light from THR, but it seems certain that Liam Neeson will be beating the hell out of cartel members for most of the runtime. The lack of detail means it's impossible to tell if there's much to set this story apart or if it will be just another film like Non-Stop or A Walk Among the Tombstones, that have already been largely forgotten among the litany of action films Neeson has made in recent years.

Still, if you're a fan of action star Liam Neeson, the fact that another project is on the way is good news however you look at it.

Don't Call It Suicide Squad 2, James Gunn Film Is A 'Total Reboot,' Producer Says

Don't Call It Suicide Squad 2, James Gunn Film Is A 'Total Reboot,' Producer Says

As of Friday, James Gunn is helming upcoming movie projects for both Marvel and DC -- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Suicide Squad. His opportunity to write and direct for the latter came after Disney fired him from the former. Disney just pulled a 180 on Guardians, but The Suicide Squad will have priority over Peter Quill and his unlikely space friends’ next adventure.

The filmmaker’s next Suicide Squad looks to be moving further away from what was established in David Ayer's 2016 movie than one might have expected. Just check out what DCEU producer Peter Safran recently teased in an interview with JoBlo Movie Network:

First of all, we don’t call it Suicide Squad 2 'cause it’s a total reboot, so it's The Suicide Squad and I think people should be extremely excited about it. It’s everything you would hope from a James Gunn script and I think that says a lot and that promises a lot and I know that we will deliver a lot.

These words shouldn’t be a complete surprise to DCEU fans following information that has come so far for The Suicide Squad. Upon the official announcement of the movie, it was described as a "relaunch" of the franchise with a unique vision from James Gunn and "mostly all-new cast of characters and actors."

For many, this still left potential for the franchise to draw from some elements of the 2016 movie, such as bringing back some of the cast, but Peter Safran’s words make it sound like James Gunn goes back to the drawing board for the project.

Idris Elba has already been cast as Deadshot to replace Will Smith’s past role. Smith has a packed schedule ahead of him, but that may not be the only reason he will not reprise the role if the studio is opting for a clean slate for the group of misfits. Another actor in question is Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. Recent reports indicate the fan favorite will likely return to the franchise, since she also will star in Birds of Prey and was key to the initial success of Suicide Squad.

Would it really be a "total reboot" if Margot Robbie came back for The Suicide Squad as a key player? It certainly could be done -- and the character is an important enough asset to the universe to run through some sticky continuity red tape -- but Safran's words beg the question.

So let’s stop calling The Suicide Squad a sequel, because it most certainly is not one. The film is expected to begin production this year and has a release date of August 6, 2021. As for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? James Gunn’s deal with Disney was made around his plans for The Suicide Squad and will pick up after he’s finished up with the DC film and perhaps not come to theaters until 2023, per our calculations.

Sounds Like Die Hard 6 Is Up In The Air After Disney Deal

Sounds Like Die Hard 6 Is Up In The Air After Disney Deal

The Disney/Fox deal has left plenty of questions on the table. One question that hasn't come up as often as, say, Will The X-Men Join The MCU? is What Will Happen With Die Hard 6? The movie got as far as a title, McClane, and early news that Bruce Willis would return, along with a new actor playing a younger John McClane.

The first five Die Hard movies were distributed by 20th Century Fox. Now Fox titles are owned by Disney. So when Die Hard 6 producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura was asked if they had a start date yet for McClane, he added Disney to his answer:

I wish, not yet. I don’t know what’s going to happen there. It’s really up to them because obviously now they’re owned by Disney. My sense is that we won’t know much about it for a while while they debate whatever they’re debating. I don’t know enough about their plans really to have any point of view. They like our script.

"They" like the script -- that's a good sign, even if the specifics of "they" weren't discussed in his chat with /FILM. There's been a lot of talk about the script in the past year. Bruce Willis talked about checking out the script a year ago. Shortly after that, reports came out claiming The Conjuring writers Chad and Carey Hayes were hired to write the next Die Hard script.

In September, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura told Empire the movie's title would be McClane, saying "We want you to get invested in John McClane more than ever before." At the time, he confirmed McClane would bounce back and forth between older present day McClane, played by Bruce Willis, and a younger McClane to be cast in his 20s. The film was previously being eyed as Die Hard: Year One.

In late January, Film Stories UK talked to Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and he told the site McClane was still moving forward with Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard) attached to direct. But as of March 20, 21st Century Fox is part of The Walt Disney Company. There's a lot to sort through in the transition, including layoffs and release date changes.

Hope is not lost for Die Hard 6/McClane, but it just seems to be in limbo, along with many other films. It was already in limbo as the script was developed. Based on Lorenzo Di Bonaventura's latest comments, it sounds like they've landed on a script they like, it's just a matter of who is now in charge of moving the project forward and deciding what stays and what goes. As he hinted, we may not know much about it for a while as The Powers That Be sift through the many Disney/Fox projects in development.

As we wait to see whether Mickey Mouse kills off John McClane or helps get him back on screen soon, keep up with what we do know is coming to theaters this year with our 2019 movie release date schedule.