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Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Universal Studios Orlando Reveals First Look At Fluffy On Hagrid's New Ride

Universal Studios Orlando Reveals First Look At Fluffy On Hagrid's New Ride
Hagrid on his motorbike with Harry Potter in the movies

As Disneyland opens its gates to the highly-anticipated new land Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both American parks this summer, Universal Studios will also be expanding its Wizarding World with a brand new ride coming to Hogsmeade led by the lovable and huggable Hagrid. The roller coaster coming to Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure on June 13 that will take thrill seekers on journey through the Forbidden Forest with the fan-favorite is now offering an inside look on what creatures to look out for once the ride arrives.


This week, Universal Studios Orlando will be revealing another magical creature that will be featured on the immersive ride titled Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. The new coaster will include an actual forest of more than 1,200 real trees passengers will ride through while discovering a variety of species both famous to the franchise and never seen before. Take a look at the first to be revealed by Universal below:


It’s Fluffy!! Looks like the three-headed dog who was pet to Hagrid in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and protected the titular object in the first film can be spotted on the upcoming ride. The 8,000 pound doggo was the first to be featured on the Universal Orlando Blog on Monday. Pro tip: if you remember, Fluffy falls asleep to the sound of music. Maybe this will be vital to the passengers making it alive in Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure. Here’s another familiar creature to be found also:




Beware of the Cornish Pixies! These little electric blue monsters are mischievous and prone to grab people by their ears before throwing them off high heights. The blog indicates the Cornish Pixies will be found creating shenanigans on the Blue Car and over 20 of them can be spotted flying during the ride. The pixies were in Chamber of Secrets during Gilderoy Lockhart’s Defense Against the Dark Arts class session.


Next up, Universal is teasing a plan with constricting magical abilities that only tightens its grip as victims’ struggle. More details on it will be featured next on Wednesday morning at 11am EDT. After that, two other creatures will be revealed on the blog up until Friday, April 19.


In addition to Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, the theme park’s classic Jurassic Park ride is currently getting an upgrade to become Jurassic World - The Ride at both US locations to match the current franchise underway also set to open this summer after nearly a 25-year-old run as its original form. There will also be an attraction based on the animation blockbuster A Secret Life of Pets coming to Universal Studios Hollywood in 2020.




Excited for what the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has in store for park guests this summer with this new ride starring Hagrid? What creatures would you like to see on the ride? Feel free to comment with your thoughts below!

10 Great Movies Coming To Netflix In June 2019

10 Great Movies Coming To Netflix In June 2019
Dr. Seuss' The Grinch watching a monitor with his headset on

Every month brings its own share of treasure with the periodic updating of the Netflix streaming roster. But taking a look at what’s headed our way in June, it’s hard to think of a month that beats some of the stuff that’s headed our way. In particular, there’s 10 titles coming into view that have us looking to update our queues on a basis frequent enough to be considered addictive.


If you’re curious about the total incoming lineup for June, head on over to our complete rundown. Otherwise, it’s time to head into the future, and see the Netflix streaming titles we’re ready to watch at the push of a button.


Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse


Right out of the gate, June was going to be a winner the moment that Netflix announced Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse was going to become a part of their line-up. A film that has a legitimate claim to the title of “Best Spider-Man Film Ever,” the adventures of Miles Morales and a slew of other Spider-People blew everyone’s minds upon its release towards the end of last year. Now, after all of the awards and all of the hoopla has died down, it’s time to start it up again with an even wider audience to reach this time around.




A.I.: Artificial Intelligence


For years, Steven Spielberg refused to direct A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, a project that started with Stanley Kubrick’s vision of a robotic retelling of Pinocchio. With Kubrick conspiring with Spielberg to flesh out his vision for the story of Haley Joel Osment’s David, an automaton who could truly love, the idea would eventually become a reality once the legendary mind behind A Clockwork Orange passed away. The end result is a vision worth of Stanley Kubrick’s faith in Steven Spielberg being able to do the project, and remains one of his most underrated films in his canon.


Network


Some movies call the shot years, or even decades, before the events they predict come to be in reality. Network is one of those films, as writer Paddy Chayefsky’s biting satire of sensationalism in the news media seems more like a tragedy than a dark edged comedy in our trying times. With the Broadway adaptation starring Bryan Cranston being nominated for several Tony awards, and set to close its blockbuster run in the beginning of June, it feels like the right time to bring the film version of Howard Beale’s antics, with Peter Finch in the role he made famous, back to the world of streaming services.


Good Night, And Good Luck


While we’re on the subject of journalism, director George Clooney’s Good Night, and Good Luck will also be available on Netflix’s streaming library in June. Based on the true story of television news anchor Edward R. Murrow, and his team’s investigation into the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s, David Strathairn stars as Murrow in an all-star cast that includes Clooney, Jeff Daniels, Patricia Clarkson and Robert Downey Jr. A biopic that remains compelling all the way through, Good Night, and Good Luck is a firm reminded of how important the practice of journalism is, no matter what the era.




Small Soldiers


Joe Dante is one of those directors who has a stable of films so unique, they could only have been made by him. And in the fine tradition of Gremlins and The ‘Burbs, Small Soldiers is another one of those gems that stand out in his line of proudly weird films. With two factions of warring toys tearing apart a sleepy, suburban town, the film was one of Dreamworks’ earliest motion pictures in theaters, debuting shortly after its launch. But even with the late ‘90s era it incorporates into key moments of the film, Small Soldiers is still a ‘50s inspired sci-fi romp, much like most of the director’s other films.


The Dark Knight


It’s starting to feel like Netflix likes to add and subtract The Dark Knight from their lineup as often as people change their car’s air fresheners. And who can blame them? The second entry in the Christopher Nolan-directed Dark Knight Trilogy pits Christian Bale’s Batman against the late Heath Ledger’s Joker, with the soul of Gotham City at stake in their battle of wits. It’s been over a decade since it first debuted, and yet The Dark Knight still holds up to the test of time. Whether you watch it as a standalone experience or pair it with the also-returning Batman Begins, a perfectly good flashback is waiting for you in your own personal box office.


50/50


With Long Shot currently in theaters, moviegoers are enjoying director Jonathan Levine’s deft hand at portraying laughter and emotion in equal turn. And whether you’re already a fan of his work doing such feats, or have just become accustomed to them in your own time, 50/50 is another good reminder of how good he is at what he does. Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Long Shot co-star Seth Rogen, the film is modeled the true story of Will Reiser, who, much like his fictional surrogate played by Gordon-Levitt, was struck with cancer in his mid-20s. At times hysterical and at times devastating, the film is an entertaining ride that will require tissues, but rewards you with deeply felt jokes at the same time.




Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch


Illumination has tried its hand at adapting the works of the late, great Dr. Seuss in the past, with The Lorax being a previous claim to fame for the animation powerhouse. With last year’s Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, the studio was able to not only outdo its high water mark in the world of Seussian magic, it also put a pretty fresh spin on an old classic. With Benedict Cumberbatch’s Grinch, we not only get to see more of what turned him into such a sourpuss, but we also see more of an effective transformation than we’ve ever seen before. As cute as it is funny, Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch can still be enjoyed outside of the festive holiday time frame, as long as you keep an open mind.


Carrie


If Tabitha King had never fished the manuscript for Carrie out of the trash, we’d never have gotten the best-selling novel from Stephen King’s hand. Nor would we have ever gotten the classic film adaptation that director Brian DePalma would eventually terrorize teenagers with in the ‘70s. Featuring young Sissy Spacek as the shy girl who would eventually become a psychokinetic terror, the slow burn of her transformation is something that horror fans still admire to this day. Also, if you’ve ever wanted to hear John Travolta shout, “Git ‘er done,” you’ve got that added bonus coming your way if you choose to watch Carrie.


Cabaret


Maybe it’s because FX’s Fosse/Verdon has been diving into the creation of director Bob Fosse’s most iconic works, alongside a dissection of his darkest demons in life. Maybe it’s even the sort of darkening clouds that our culture feels have been upon them for some time. Whatever the reason, having Netflix bring the film version of Cabaret to its streaming lineup sounds like a fantastic idea for this moment. A film that delivered Fosse his resurrection as a filmmaker, it’s a dark and glitzy musical that shows the rise of Nazism in early Germany, with an increasingly dismal tone. If you’re looking for a purely good time, steer clear of this story; but if you’re not afraid to go places most musicals won’t, Cabaret will greet you with a warm wilkommen.




While there’s plenty of fresh air and sunshine headed our way in the next month, consider these upcoming Netflix addtions as the best ways to spend those rainy days that keep you cooped up inside. Or they could even be fantastic distractions for a day when it’s perfectly fine outside, but you’re in that special mood of movie watching.


Keep in mind, these titles are subject to change, so you may need to double check the availability of these films periodically. Also, if you want to see what the best and brightest titles from May’s incoming lineup happened to be, head over to last month’s rundown and fill out your queue! We’ll see you here next month, when we look at the top tier titles from July’s fresh batch of films.

The Tomorrow Man Trailer: John Lithgow As An Obsessive Doomsday Prepper

The Tomorrow Man Trailer: John Lithgow As An Obsessive Doomsday Prepper

So often are romantic comedies about young love – all you need is Netflix’s heartthrob Noah Centineo and a fashionable “it” girl to star. Upcoming indie The Tomorrow Man instead focuses on the blossoming romance of two 70-somethings, played by the incredibly talented John Lithgow and Blythe Danner, as they start dating and learn each other of their skeletons in the closet. Thich includes Lithgow’s character having a doomsday bunker all set up, because it’s important to show your girl you’re prepared should the world end! Check out the trailer below:


Wow, anyone else getting some emotional Up flashbacks? The romance from Bleeker Street will be the debut feature-length film for writer/director Noble Jones, and features some seasoned talent from John Lithgow (who will soon star in the Pet Sematary remake) and Blythe Danner, who have not yet worked together until this film.


The Tomorrow Man trailer opens with Ronnie Meisner (Danner) catching the attention of Ed Hemsler (Lithgow) at a grocery store. Ed approaches the woman in the parking lot and drums up the courage to ask her out on a coffee date. As they start spending time with another, it looks like Ronnie is a bit of a matter-of-fact girlfriend who says it like it is. For instance she not shy about expressing her interest in her war documentaries.




During another one of their meetings Ed asks her if he can answer a question for her about himself, and she gives him a bit of a stand-offish “I don’t know what I want to know yet” But she’ll let him know when she does. It makes for a cute-but-awkward start to their romance. Things start to pick up in the trailer when Ed decides to show her his secret supply of Spam and all kinds of food and supplies, secretly locked away.


After that, the two seem to start really hitting it off. (Guess obsessive doomsday prepping was really her thing?) Ronnie has a “walk of shame” and Ed introduces her as his girlfriend to his son and his wife. We then find that Ed seems to be obsessed with preparing for the future where his doomsday supply can be of use and Ronnie is struck with the tragedy of her own daughter’s death.


The emotional core of the film that premiered at Sundance in January seems to lie in the intersection of the couple’s polar opposite focuses in life. Ed is looking toward tomorrow as Ronnie is always looking back at her treasured past when her daughter was alive and well. The highlight of the trailer is when Ronnie says “You only think about tomorrow but I’m here right now!” to him as he lays in a hospital bed.




The Tomorrow Man looks to be an emotional and eccentric romance. We’re certainly curious if Ed’s doomsday supply will factor into the film’s plot line. The movie will hit theaters on May 29.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

What Sophie Turner Loved Most About The Dark Phoenix Script

What Sophie Turner Loved Most About The Dark Phoenix Script
x-men: dark phoenix

There's certainly been a lot of chatter about Dark Phoenix and not all of it has been good. The film had its release date pushed back a few times and the X-Men franchise was slapped with a giant question mark following the Disney-Fox deal. However, all that uncertainty took a break this week when the cast and filmmakers arrived at WonderCon 2019. It sounds like everything was fairly upbeat and positive, and though the road hasn't been easy, star Sophie Turner revealed the element of the script that attracted her to the film in the first place.


CinemaBlend had boots on the ground at WonderCon this week where our own Eric Eisenberg spoke to the producers and actors of Dark Phoenix. Of the many topics covered during the conversation, Sophie Turner, who stars as Jean Grey, spoke of what she loved about the Dark Phoenix script. Not only was the role unique in that Jean Grey is technically both the protagonist and antagonist, but it's the X-Women who lead the show this time.



I think what I loved was the fact that, from a female standpoint, some of the most powerful characters in this movie are women. The lead of the movie is a female and she's not only the protagonist but also the antagonist. I loved the concept of that, so that really excited me.





Blockbusters are putting more and more female characters into the spotlight to so far tremendous results. Captain Marvel is the highest grossing movie of the year right now and other successful franchises like Stars Wars, Wonder Woman, and The Hunger Games are led by women. Dark Phoenix is continuing the trend of putting women front and center, such as Jean Grey, Mystique, Storm, and Jessica Chastain's mysterious Smith.


During the Dark Phoenix panel at WonderCon, new footage was shown that reportedly went well received by the audience. One moment that got loud cheers was when Mystique, after a tense argument with Charles Xavier, said that it's the women on the team who are often taking the biggest risks, that he should rename them the X-Women.


Obviously, more diversity in pop culture is a great thing and it sounds like Dark Phoenix will be contributing its share of strong characters when it arrives later this summer.




If you'd like to hear Sophie Turner share her thoughts on Dark Phoenix and hear what fellow cast members Tye Sheridan, Evan Peters, Alexandra Shipp, and Kodi Smit-McPhee had to say, then check out our coverage of WonderCon in the video below!


Dark Phoenix arrives in theaters on June 7, 2019. To learn more about the blockbuster until then, here is what we know so far about the latest film in the X-Men franchise.

Ryan Reynolds Wraps The Hitman's Bodyguard 2, And He Looks Terrible

Ryan Reynolds Wraps The Hitman's Bodyguard 2, And He Looks Terrible

Ryan Reynolds is still getting his ass kicked as bodyguard Michael Bryce. He's back for The Hitman's Bodyguard sequel -- called The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard -- which also stars Samuel L. Jackson as Darius Kincaid and Salma Hayek as Sonia Kincaid. It looks like Reynolds' Bryce might have a smaller role than the Kincaids, considering Ry-guy has already wrapped his role while the others continue filming:


Oof. When you and your husband are looking A+ sharp and your bodyguard friend looks like THAT. Something must happen, once again, to Michael Bryce to get him so roughed up in the sequel.


Ryan Reynolds already showed a photo of bloodied Bryce last month, as the first photo from the movie's set, so it sounds like he just stays messed up through his entire arc in the sequel? Bad sign.




The photographer tagged is Sam Speranza, who had this note to share on Ryan Reynolds wrapping, while Sam Jackson and Salma Hayek continue:



Yesterday was a wrap for the incredible Ryan Reynolds and I have to say it’s one of the best actors and professionals I’ve ever met. Apart from being a wonderful human being and always part of the team. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to photograph you! Now the adventure continues with the other two fabulous persons by your side!



Samuel L. Jackson shared the same photo with his own note on Ryan Reynolds:





The Homie Ryan Reynolds wrapped last night! Already miss my dude. Me & Salma Hayek will soldier on... till reshoots!!!#hitmanswifesbodyguard#goodworkwithgoodpeopleaintworkatall



So the journey continues with Salma and Sam. That makes sense, in a way, since Jackson's Darius should be the hitman of the title, with Sonia as the wife. But is Bryce not her bodyguard for the whole movie?


The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard follows bodyguard Ryan Reynolds' Michael Bryce, who’s enlisted by Samuel L. Jackson's Darius and Salma Hayek's Sonia Kincaid to join them on a mission along the Amalfi Coast. Patrick Hughes is returning as director, with a script by Tom O’Connor. According to Variety, Frank Grillo is reported to play an Interpol agent who needs the trio's help to prevent a cyber attack in Europe. The rest of the supporting cast is very impressive, including Antonio Banderas and Morgan Freeman, with Richard E. Grant reprising his role as Bryce's drug-addicted corporate client Mr. Seifert.




Here's the logline of the sequel, per Deadline:



Set on the Amalfi coast, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard follows the mismatched, high-octane trio who are unwillingly pulled onto the side of the good guys as they battle to save Europe from a vengeful and powerful zealot with a dangerously over-developed sense of national pride.



Salma Hayek has been sharing her own photos from production, including this one -- which also seems to show Ryan Reynolds' character looking roughed-up and in no condition to be grocery shopping:




Salma Hayek looks amazing, as usual. She's 52, did you know that? Enough about Paul Rudd looking young for 50. It was Hayek's dream to return to the role of Sonia after the first movie. When doing press for The Hitman's Bodyguard, the main trio all said any sequel would have to follow the Kincaids. As Ryan Reynolds told Moviefone:



I want to see a movie between Darius Kincaid and Salma Hayek's character Sonia. That's all I want to see. That's the only sequel that should be made from this film.



Salma Hayek was all the way down for that idea:





I want to, because I didn't get enough of Sonia. I am in love with this character. I want to be in her skin again. I felt so free! It was so liberating.



The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard started filming in early March in Europe, and apparently it will continue on from here without Detective Pikachu himself. The first movie made $176.5 million worldwide off a reported $30 million budget, per Box Office Mojo, so hopes are high for the sequel to continue the profits. Critics weren't huge on the first movie, but fans seemed to like it a bit more, giving it a 67% RT audience score vs. 42% from critics. CinemaScore's polled moviegoers gave it a B+.


There's no word yet on a release date for The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, but stay tuned. In the meantime, keep up with all new releases with our 2019 movie release date schedule.



Ford V Ferrari Trailer: Watch Christian Bale And Matt Damon Race Behind The Wheel

Ford V Ferrari Trailer: Watch Christian Bale And Matt Damon Race Behind The Wheel

We're only just now getting into the summer movie movie season, but that means it's now time to take a look forward to the end of the calendar year and the films on the way. The awards season films are beginning to make themselves known and one has to assume that Ford V Ferrari is looking to be an early front runner.


The first trailer for the Matt Damon/Christian Bale vehicle (see what I did there), is here and from first glances this one looks like it could be pretty good, with a pair of performances from strong actors and exactly the sort of underdog story that audiences tend to enjoy. Check out the trailer below.


The 24 Hours of Le Mans race is a test of endurance for both automobile and driver that, in the 1960s, was basically owned by Ferrari. Ford V Ferrari will follow the attempt by the American Ford Motor Company to build a car, and find a driver, capable of overthrowing the champion. Matt Damon plays car designer Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale is Ken Miles, the slightly hot-headed driver brought on board to handle the new car.




The movie looks to be hitting the Oscar bait Yahtzee, as it has a pair of Academy Award winning lead actors and an Academy Award nominated director (though not actually for directing) in James Mangold. It's also a movie based on a true story about overcoming the odds. We're sure to get at least one of those every awards season. It's also got a prime, mid-November release date.


While Ford V Ferrari may seem factory made to win awards, that doesn't mean the movie won't work on its own and overall the trailer does make the film look interesting. It's not overly dramatic and serious, as so many awards season movies can get. That can also help the movie find an audience, something that doesn't always happen with these end of the year films, no matter how many awards they rack up.


It's been a few years since we've gotten ourselves a good racing movie, unless you want to count Cars 3. While racing isn't necessarily something every audience member is going to be a huge fan of, it's an easy thing for them to understand, and it has built in drama that will make for an exciting climax.




Also, the trailer takes the easy way out by using The Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter" as background music, but there's a reason this is millionth film to do that, the song works.


If Ford V Ferrari does become a major Best Picture contender, it could make history. As the movie is a Fox production, that means it's now technically a Disney movie, which means the Mouse may have just bought itself a win in an Oscar category it has never taken home.

Why Dark Phoenix Reshot Its Original Ending, According To Simon Kinberg

Why Dark Phoenix Reshot Its Original Ending, According To Simon Kinberg
Sophie Turner is Jean Grey in Dark Phoenix

The following story will not contain spoilers for Dark Phoenix**. However, we will discuss the story a bit, so on the off chance you want to go into next week’s release knowing absolutely nothing, stop reading right now.**


Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) seems destined to interact with the Phoenix force. It happens in comics, in one of Marvel’s most popular comic storylines. It happened in the initial run of X-Men movies, captured in The Last Stand. And now that the timeline has been reset via X-Men: Days of Futures Past, it’s about to happen to the version of Jean that we met in X-Men: Apocalypse.


Longtime X-Men writer and producer Simon Kinberg steps into the director’s chair for Dark Phoenix, which opens everywhere on June 7. And in a recent chat with EW, he dropped a terrific tease of an alternate ending to his debut film that he ended up reshooting, mentioning only that it took place in outer space. (This isn’t so far-fetched, as trailers have shown us that the X-Men are on a space mission when Jean interacts with the Phoenix in this film.)




As a rabid fan of the X-Men characters, I was curious about this original ending, though when I asked Kinberg about it during a recent press event in London for Dark Phoenix, he candidly told me why he thought the space finale had to be changed. He told CinemaBlend:



That was a version that was when it was sort of the less-grounded version of the movie. … It wasn’t a version of the movie where the X-Men and the family are -- we weren’t as focused on them coming together at the end of the movie. It was really more entirely Jean, and what it lacked was this sort of emotional closure. Thinking of this movie as the sort of culmination of all of the X-Men movies, where these strangers have become this sort of surrogate family, and then in this movie they get challenged like they’ve never been challenged before, it felt like at the end of the movie, it would be much more satisfying for the audience to both see Jean have extraordinary power… but also see the X-Men come back together as a family and perform. I sort of wanted to do both.



How they come together, we will leave it for you to learn by checking out Dark Phoenix. But it can be shared that one of the most exciting elements of the new film is the fact that we see the X-Men working together as a team for one of the few times in franchise history (for real, this group is usually so fractured and ostracized), so it makes sense why Simon Kinberg made the decisions that he made.




In Dark Phoenix, the X-Men must figure out a way to contain one of their own after Jean (Sophie Turner) encounters an alien force that greatly amplifies her natural mutation.


The movie co-stars X-Men alums James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult, while giving more screen time to Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Evan Peters and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Dark Phoenix is being viewed as the culmination of this X-Men saga, so see where the story goes on June 7.

 

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