Millions Sent Back To Malaysia In Wolf Of Wall Street Case

Millions Sent Back To Malaysia In Wolf Of Wall Street Case

With one of the biggest financial scandals of all time linked to the funding of its production, The Wolf of Wall Street has come back into the public eye. As the trial against former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is proceeding in court, another part of the investigation into Red Granite’s alleged impropriety has proceeded, because Malaysia has been given several million dollars back from its raided 1MDB fund.

The United States government has returned $57 million to the Malaysian government, thanks to production company Red Granite paying $60 million in a recent settlement. The gap in funds returned, amounting to around $3 million, was due to the FBI and Department of Justice recovering funds for their investigative efforts.

While that’s a drop in the bucket when compared to the $4.5 billion that was taken from Malaysia’s 1Malaysia Development Berhad fund, it’s a start to recovering the money that was funneled into Najib Razak’s high living lifestyle, which included funding fancy parties, large ticket purchases of artwork and luxury properties.

Razak also invested in the funding of films like The Wolf of Wall Street, Dumb and Dumber To and Daddy’s Home. Najib Razak was able to do so, courtesy of his step son Riza Aziz, who was one of the founders of the Red Granite company. The scandal was so huge that it's taken almost five years to work through the legal proceedings, and now it feels like justice is finally starting to be served.

The Hollywood Reporter also mentioned in its reporting on this recent development that $322 million has been recovered so far, with another $139 million in the process of being returned back to Malaysia’s government. While it didn’t take too long after the production of The Wolf of Wall Street and Dumb and Dumber To to start the investigation into Red Granite’s financing practices, we’re now finally seeing the concrete results of those efforts being paid back to the people of Malaysia.

Tommy Thomas, Malaysia’s attorney general, is confident that continuing efforts to recover the improperly channeled 1MDB funds will yield more payouts into the country’s investment fund. But for the time being, the $322 million recovered is the start of those promised recoveries.

Even Jordan Belfort himself couldn’t help but feel that The Wolf of Wall Street was being made with illicitly-obtained money, and if that’s not a sign of this entire enterprise being worth the effort, then we don’t know what is. Naturally, we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for any further developments in terms of the 1MDB funds being returned, and should any other updates come through on the matter, we’ll report back with the findings here at CinemaBlend.

The Wolf of Wall Street is currently available on home video and streaming platforms.

The Lion King’s Mufasa Is Barely Being Changed For The Remake

The Lion King’s Mufasa Is Barely Being Changed For The Remake

Disney is moving through the “circle of life” with its remake slate this year and using new talent to tell their familiar stories. However, for The Lion King, director Jon Favreau enlisted the original Mufasa, James Earl Jones, to voice Simba’s father among a fresh cast including Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé as Nala and Seth Rogen as Pumbaa.

While Jon Favreau recently promised that the remake won’t be a shot-for-shot of the original and will surprise audiences, when it came to Jones reprising his iconic voice role, fans should expect the Mufasa they know. In Favreau's words:

So many of his lines have not actually changed that much, because that’s the one role where it really didn’t feel dated at all. All of the speeches Mufasa makes during the film are timeless and apply to each age, whereas with the humor, the music, some of those other aspects, there were opportunities to update. But with him, that role stayed as close to the original as any.

Why would they? James Earl Jones’ Mufasa is perfection. It's a voice seared into many of our brains since childhood and holds up really well! There’s not much room for growth or change in a performance such as this. Just take a look and listen at this scene from the 1994 original and tell me what’s missing:

Chills! Jon Favreau made a good call casting James Earl Jones again for the role, but the director did admit in his Entertainment Weekly interview that he was surprised he agreed to take it on again 25 years later. Mufasa has the legacy of being one of the most recognizable and treasured cartoon character voices of all time and certainly brings in nostalgia from the ‘90s. The director felt this during their recording sessions too. Here’s what he said:

He would do a take and then he would ask me for direction and I honestly couldn’t give an answer! I was like, ‘You’re Mufasa.’ Far be it from me… Everything he said sounded perfect because it was him saying it.

How does one give notes to Mufasa? While fans can expect a lot of the same performance for Mufasa, perhaps there are a few extra lines here and there the “live-action” version builds upon before the character receives his fate from Scar.

On the other paw, it may feel off-putting to hear James Earl Jones’ Mufasa and not hear Jeremy Irons’ Scar, as this new version of the character will be voiced by Chiwetel Ejiofor. Some have already voiced their distaste with the new take on the movie’s villain after the first full trailer dropped a couple weeks ago.

It looks like the new Lion King will tread the line between doing justice to the beats we all hold dear from the original and offering something fresh and new to the story that will hopefully make the movie’s existence feel earned. Jon Favreau is a huge fan of the classic animated feature who still feels like it holds up well, but wants to deliver on expectation on this version and astonish audiences when it comes to theaters on July 19.

Jumanji 3 Raises The Stakes For A More 'Risky' Adventure, Kevin Hart Says

Jumanji 3 Raises The Stakes For A More 'Risky' Adventure, Kevin Hart Says

In the world of Jumanji, one thing is certain: when you play the game, chaos and pandemonium will ensue. 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle saw the classic board game from the 1995 original being turned into a video game, with four teenagers being drawn in and turned into game avatars. That formula will be repeated for Jumanji 3 later this year, but returning star Kevin Hart says the threequel will raise the stakes even higher, resulting in a riskier adventure for the protagonists. In his words:

Back in the world of Jumanji, but the beautiful thing about the way we set it is through the video game atmosphere. In this particular case, we go back into the game and we’re in a new level. And the way we got back into the game is the way we didn’t want to get back into the game. The same people are there. Our same band is back together with this adventure on a much more risky adventure. The stakes have been elevated and raised. For a fan base, you want to give them the same family action adventure they fell in love with. So we just wanted to make sure we delivered. Jake Kasdan, our director and writer, he does just that.

As Kevin Hart alluded to, a good sequel retains the elements that made its predecessor(s) popular, while also giving audiences plenty of new material to chew on. We already knew Jumanji 3 would be delving back into the video game world, and while Hart can’t divulge any specific plot details just yet, evidently what the teenagers went through in Welcome to the Jungle will pale in comparison to what’s in store for them this time around.

Kevin Hart’s comment about a “new level” to Collider is particularly interesting, as it means that the main characters won’t have to deal with the same challenges they faced last time. Still, with rampaging animals, mercenaries on their tail and an assortment of other obstacles and problems, it’s not like the events of Welcome to the Jungle were a cakewalk. Fingers crossed we get a Jumanji 3 trailer soon so that we can learn what dangers lurk around the corner.

One thing that isn’t changing in Jumanji 3 is the avatars within the video game, as along with Kevin Hart reprising Moose Finbar, Dwayne Johnson’s Dr. Smolder Bravestone, Jack Black’s Professor Shelly Oberon, Karen Gillan’s Ruby Roundhouse and even Nick Jonas’ Seaplane McDonough will all be back, as will Rhys Darby’s Nigel Billingsley, the NPC who guided them in Welcome to the Jungle. As mentioned earlier, the same teenagers will also be playing the game again: Alex Wolff’s Spencer Gilpin, Madison Iseman’s Bethany Waler, Ser’Darius Blain’s Fridge Johnson and Morgan Turner’s Martha Haply.

As for new faces, Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, Danny Glover and Dania Ramirez have all joined Jumanji 3’s cast, although their characters haven’t been identified yet. Filming on the threequel began in January in both Atlanta, Georgia and Hawaii, and is expected to finish at the end of the month.

Welcome to the Jungle was definitely one of the surprise cinematic successes of 2017, receiving many positive reviews taking in over $962 million worldwide during its theatrical run. We’ll have to wait and see if Jumanji 3 comes close to reaching that same level of critical and commercial reception, but going off of Kevin Hart’s comments, director and writer Jake Kasdan has done his best to deliver a fresh story that will ideally put a lot of butts in seats again.

Jumanji 3 heads into theaters on December 13, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. In the meantime, look through our 2019 release schedule to learn what other movies are coming out later this year.

The Suicide Squad Has Found Its First New Actress

The Suicide Squad Has Found Its First New Actress

The new Suicide Squad team coming to the screen is going to look very different from the the one in the previous film. It's made up almost entirely of new characters, and now it appears it will include one brand new actress as well. Portuguese soap opera star Daniela Melchior has reportedly been tapped to play the role of the character known as Ratcatcher.

Melchior is joining the returning Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang. Additional new characters include David Dastmalchian as Polka Dot Man, John Cena, who is rumored to be playing Peacemaker, and Idris Elba, who is taking on an as yet unspecified role.

In the comics, Ratcatcher, who has the ability to train and control rats, has traditionally been a male role but the part has been gender swapped by writer/director James Gunn. Exactly why isn't clear at this point, though Variety is reporting that Ratcatcher will have some sort of a connection to Idris Elba's character in the film and it sounds like the switch is related to that story point.

Daniela Melchior has been a star of Portuguese film and television since 2014. Suicide Squad 2 will mark her debut in a major Hollywood film. With a cast that is otherwise made up of major stars, this is clearly a big move for Melchior, as, so far, the only major newcomer to the production. The movie could have almost certainly picked up another known star for the Ratcatcher role. Comic book movie parts are about as popular with Hollywood stars as they are with the audiences who watch the films.

While previous comments from the studio tried to argue that the new Suicide Squad movie was not a sequel to the previous film, it seems the truth of the matter is that, while the new film will follow the first chronologically, it will tell a very different story by virtue of having mostly brand new characters. The sequel will also follow a second appearance by Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, who will be starring in Birds of Prey before rejoining the Suicide Squad.

Reports are that at least one other major character, King Shark, will figure into the story. Unless it turns out that's the role Idris Elba is playing, then there is at least one other team member left to cast, assuming there aren't others that have not been revealed.

With casting well underway it looks like Suicide Squad 2, or The Suicide Squad or whatever it's called will be going into production this fall, ahead of a summer 2021 release.

Once the new Suicide Squad movie is completed, James Gunn will be crossing the comic demilitarized zone between DC and Marvel to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

The first Suicide Squad was a massive success bringing in almost $750 million at the global box office. With the new movie being so different from the first entry, the sequel may not be an obvious hit, but with a strong new cast it certainly is being given the best possible shot.

Sean Gunn Knew In Advance About James Gunn’s Reinstatement As Guardians 3 Director

Sean Gunn Knew In Advance About James Gunn’s Reinstatement As Guardians 3 Director

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a fairly well-oiled machine at this point, with 21 movies and a decade of filmmaking under its belt. The studio has especially hit its stride with Phase Three, as every single release has been a box office and critical success. But there were a few bumps in the road, especially James Gunn's firing and eventual reinstatement as director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

James Gunn was fired in July after offensive tweets from a decade ago resurfaced, and Disney attempted to distance itself from that narrative. But considering how much of Gunn is infused with the Guardians franchise, it put the future of the threequel in jeopardy. James' brother Sean Gunn plays Kraglin and stands in for Rocket during filming, and therefore discovered the news early. As he tells it:

I was aware before it was announced, a little bit before. I know that they were, they wanted to get the timing right in terms of when the announcement was made. Like I was saying before, in Hollywood, things don't ever happen until they happen, you know? So I was aware that it was probably going to happen, but I was never sure until I actually saw it in the news. But I was pretty sure for, let's just say for a little while.

The public was shocked by James Gunn's return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it doesn't look like Sean Gunn was. He saw the plan in the works for some time before it was official, although he found out about the final decision in the news just like everyone else. I guess it pays to be related to the subject of such a major story.

Sean Gunn's comments to Comic Book show that the deal with James Gunn went back quite some time. It came out of nowhere for the public, but was likely a long process filled with red tape and legalese. It was certainly a bold choice for Marvel to do an about-face, and bring Gunn back into the fold. What's more, the director recently signed on to helm The Suicide Squad for DC, so there was probably extra contracts and scheduling issues as part of the deal.

It stands to reason that Sean Gunn would be privy to more information than most, as its his sibling who is the mind behind the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. On top of hearing about it from his brother, Sean is also an important cast member of the property. While he's not a bonafide member of the member, Kraglin has had a supporting role in the first two movies. What's more, Sean also does the motion capture work for Rocket on set, with Bradley Cooper eventually stepping into the studio to record dialogue, and extensive visual affects bringing the character to life.

Sean Gunn also played Rocket during Avengers: Endgame filming, with the blockbuster arriving April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Avengers: Infinity War’s Writer Knows Captain America Didn’t Get Enough Lines

Avengers: Infinity War’s Writer Knows Captain America Didn’t Get Enough Lines

It's an extremely exciting time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After a long year of waiting and theorizing, Avengers: Endgame will arrive in theaters in a matter of days. While the MCU helped satiate the rabid fanbase with the releases of Ant-Man and The Wasp and Captain Marvel, all eyes are on what The Russo Brothers will do with the final installment in Phase Three. Especially with the OG Avengers coming to the end of their contracts.

The original members of the team all miraculously survived Thanos' snap of death (aka The Decimation), allowing the original actors to take larger roles in Avengers: Endgame. This includes Chris Evans' Captain America, who had a surprisingly small amount of dialogue in the last film. Writer Stephen McFeely recently spoke to Cap's lack of lines in Infinity War, saying:

When I was talking about [Infinity War], I very often said that sometimes we gave ourselves permission to tell more story for a character in Endgame than in Infinity War. Cap’s a great example. People counted Cap’s lines [in Infinity War] and he had like 20. So Cap steps forward, as you can probably tell, pretty dramatically in Endgame. And that’s because we knew some people had more interesting stories after [the Snap] than before it. Cap and Natasha are good examples of that. So I wouldn’t say we shortchange anybody [in Endgame], but part of the reason there are only [13] people on that poster was to go deeper with fewer.

While fans may have been concerned, it looks like Stephen McFeely and co-writer Christopher Markus had a very specific plans for the Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Infinity War and Endgame. So while some heroes may have gotten the short end of the stick in the last film, the scales will even out when Endgame arrives next week.

Stephen McFeely's comments to io9 are sure to make Captain America's many fans very happy. Chris Evans' signature Marvel character is one of the largest presences in the entire MCU, alongside Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man. As such, some moviegoers were disappointed when Cap wasn't that big of a character in Infinity War. He never got to reconnect with Tony, and mostly appeared in action sequences in Edinburgh and Wakanda.

Related: 5 Ways Avengers: Endgame Can Wrap Up Captain America’s Story

But that should change with Endgame, especially once Tony is somehow rescued from being stranded in space with Nebula. Fans have been waiting to see Cap and Iron Man address their differences since Civil War arrived in theaters back in 2016. The duo will have to put their differences behind them if they have a chance at beating Thanos and reversing the snap.

You can actually watch all of Steve Rogers' scenes in Infinity War below. They only add up to a few minutes of screen time.

Poor Cap. There were just too many characters in Avengers: Infinity War to give him the spotlight. But now that half the cast has faded to dust before our eyes, we should expect way more of the First Avenger once Endgame arrives in theaters to unite the survivors.

It should be interesting to see how Captain America's story is wrapped up with Avengers: Endgame. Fans have been theorizing that he might end up dying during the blockbuster, especially as Chris Evans reaches the end of his contract with the studio. Cap has already sacrificed himself for the greater good once, and it would be a full circle moment to see him do it all again.

Answers will come when Avengers: Endgame finally arrives in theaters on April 26th. In the meantime, fill out CinemaBlend's Endgame death pool, and our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Detective Pikachu Might Start A Cinematic Universe

Detective Pikachu Might Start A Cinematic Universe

There's just a few weeks left until Pokemon fans of all ages will be able to feast their eyes on the first live-action story set within the massive world of those adorable pocket monsters, and it sounds like those behind Detective Pikachu are already considering their options when it comes to bringing even more of the legendary critters to the big screen for some live-action fun and adventure. Producer Ali Mendes has now gone on record to talk about just how likely it is that Detective Pikachu will start a cinematic Pokemon universe.

[Pokemon is] such a rich universe. There are so many ways you can go inside of it. We’re trying to get the first movie right, and then once we’ve done that, we’ll see where we go from there, but absolutely. There are a lot of opportunities.

Well, to make no bones about it, folks, it sounds a lot like if Detective Pikachu makes any waves at all once it's released that we could be looking at the beginning of a beautiful, live-action cinematic friendship filled with Pikachus, Charizards, Flareons and a whole host of other critters. And, who can blame the masterminds behind Detective Pikachu for wanting to get their own big screen, live-action cinematic universe going? The possibilities for fan service and financial gain are, seemingly, endless, and the idea of having such a legacy to add to the one that's already been established with the wealth of characters at their disposal has to be very appealing.

Of course, Detective Pikachu will hardly be the first film that's eager to establish a cinematic universe for the world it's bringing to the big screen. As we've seen many, many times since the Marvel Cinematic Universe began dominating in theaters all over the world a little over 10 years ago, trying to create an interconnected universe with characters who all populate the same world, and could easily crossover, has become a major goal for different properties. We now have the Conjuring universe filled with horror stories, the DCEU tackling the stories found in DC comics (and now less interconnected because of the mixed reactions to many of its efforts) and the MonsterVerse giving us shared tales of King Kong, Godzilla and the like.

We've already had one noticeable failed attempt at a cinematic universe, though, with the Dark Universe falling flat upon release of 2017's The Mummy, which was supposed to ignite a shared universe that featured retellings of monster stories from the glory days of Universal. So, is this an uphill battle for Detective Pikachu and the hopefuls who helped bring it to the big screen? It's hard to tell right now, but the Ryan Reynolds-voiced lead character is certainly not the only one who could make the leap to live-action, as Ali Mendes told IGN that she's pretty confident in the stable of characters that make up the Pokemon world.

Even the Pokemon themselves, there are eight hundred of them. We’re going to have a lot of them in [Pokemon: Detective Pikachu], but we want to play with all of them at some point.

Um...there are 800 freakin' Pokemon? I'd say this gives them access to enough critters to create a wide breadth of movies that involve monsters we won't come close to seeing in Detective Pikachu. If all goes well with this film, they could have the beginnings of something major on their hands, and that's really saying something when you consider that there have already been a whopping 22 animated Pokemon movies and 22 seasons of TV across six different shows. Not to mention that a new crop of Pokemon will debut when the latest video game, Pokemon Sword and Shield releases later this year.

If you want to see this cinematic universe dream come to fruition, your best bet is to go see Detective Pikachu when it hits theaters on May 10.