When Disney's Star Wars, Marvel And Pixar Projects Are Leaving Netflix

When Disney's Star Wars, Marvel And Pixar Projects Are Leaving Netflix

The world of online streaming services is about to change when Disney+ makes its debut later this year. The nearly 100 year old company has some of the most beloved films of all-time in its library, however, not all of them will be available when the service launches in November. Many of the studio's most recent hits can only be found on Netflix.

Back in 2016, Disney signed a deal with Netflix that gave the service first run streaming rights to all of Disney's theatrically released features from that point forward, as well as access to much of the studio's back catalog. As a result, many of the most popular movies currently on Netflix are Disney films. Such as those from Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm

That deal officially ended at the close of 2018, meaning all new movies from Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar starting this year will be debuting directly on Disney+ rather than going to Netflix first.

However, the fact that no new movies will be coming to Netflix doesn't impact the films that are already there, at least not yet. While Disney's back catalog films are handled on a case by case basis, and thus only Disney and Netflix know when those films might leave, when it comes to the recent releases, we know exactly how long those movies are hanging around.

So if you're not looking to subscribe to Disney+ any time soon, how much longer will you have these films available to watch on Netflix at all? Here's a breakdown of what's left, and when it's going.

Pixar

Cars 3: July 31, 2019

Coco: November 29, 2019

Incredibles 2: July 30, 2020

The first Pixar movie to be added to Netflix after the initial deal was signed was Finding Dory, which joined Netflix in February of 2017 and left Netflix in August 2018. The 18-month window has proven to be the period of time that all new movies have spent on the service. Disney has already stated that all Pixar movies, with the exception of Coco, Incredibles 2, and Toy Story 4, will be available on Disney+ on day one, November 12, 2019.

Based on the dates above, you can see why that is. While Cars 3 will be leaving Netflix this summer, well ahead of the Disney+ launch, Coco will be leaving Netflix a couple of weeks after Disney+ launches, with Incredibles 2 hanging around until July of next year. Toy Story 4, and every Pixar movie there after, will make the jump straight to Disney+.

Star Wars

Star Wars: The Last Jedi: December 26, 2019

Solo: A Star Wars Story: July 9, 2020

Only three Star Wars films have ever been available on Netflix and two of them still are. The deal between Disney and Netflix was signed after the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens so it never appeared. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story appeared in July of 2017 and left Netflix this past January. As with Pixar, Disney has confirmed that all Star Wars movies will be available on day one of Disney+, with the exception of these two films, and the forthcoming, Star Wars; The Rise of Skywalker. However, all three will hit Disney+ within its first year.

If you want to continue to enjoy Star Wars: The Last Jedi you only have until the end of the year on Netflix. On the plus side, with Star Wars: The Force Awakens hitting Disney+ on day one, if you have both Disney+ and Netflix, you'll be able to rewatch both episodes of the new trilogy before The Rise of Skywalker debuts in theaters on December 20.

Marvel

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: May 5, 2019

Thor: Ragnarok: December 6, 2019

Black Panther: March 4, 2020

Avengers: Infinity War: June 25, 2020

Ant-Man and the Wasp: July 29, 2020

Marvel has the most content currently on Netflix of the three major Disney labels, with five movies currently available. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has already been announced to be leaving the service shortly, in just a few days as of this writing, with the rest of the MCU films following in short order. Interestingly, this would seem to indicate that every MCU movie from Iron Man to Guardians 2 could appear on Disney+ on day one, but only a few movies have been confirmed to do so.

Everything from Thor: Ragnarok through Ant-Man and the Wasp, however, has been confirmed to make the jump to Disney+ within the first year, which would seem to indicate that the time between leaving Netflix and arriving on Disney+ won't be too long.

By the end of July 2020, all of the most recent films from Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars, will be gone from Netflix. From that point on, if you want to see any of the films from these three divisions, you'll only be able to find them on Disney+.

Certainly, with it's aggressive price point that's about half what Netflix costs per month, Disney is hoping that people who have been enjoying Disney movies on Netflix will at the very least be willing to add Disney+ to their existing Netflix subscription, if not make the switch away from Netflix entirely. If there are a lot of people who have been using Netflix as their go to source for Disney family fun, something like that could very well happen.

It will certainly be interesting to see how Netflix handles being without these big releases. In the same way that Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar movies have been good for huge box office returns, they're also major draws for Netflix. Will the lack of these movies cause people to actually drop Netflix entirely, or will Netflix find other movies, to take the place of these major Disney titles?

Netflix has spent years building up its library of exclusive content specifically to deal with issues like this. It wants people to want Netflix in order to get access to content that not only can't be found elsewhere, but can't ever go anywhere else. The next several months may be the biggest test yet of that strategy.

Could Captain Marvel Hit A Billion Dollars This Weekend?

Could Captain Marvel Hit A Billion Dollars This Weekend?

Captain Marvel has gone higher, further and faster than many of Marvel’s other superheroes, at least where box office is involved. The movie is already well over the $900 million week after hitting theaters earlier this month, but will it be able to hit 1 billion this weekend? It’ll be close.

First and foremost, as of March 25, Captain Marvel has already pulled in a whopping $914 million dollars worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). Box office numbers typically slow down earlier in the way and pick up closer to the weekend, so once Monday and Tuesday’s numbers are official, I’d expect it to add to the tally but not get us close to the billion dollar mark yet.

Which brings us to this weekend. Domestically, Captain Marvel is facing the behemoth that is Jordan Peele’s Us. Disney itself will also enter a bit of competition into the fold this weekend with its live action Dumbo remake spearheaded by director Tim Burton.

If you’d like to see the full list of releases so far in 2019, we have you covered.

Last weekend, Captain Marvel earned $35 million domestically, which was definitely enough for second place, but earned well below Us, which opened to $70.3 million. It’s likely that Captain Marvel’s numbers will drop domestically again, although it should do well enough that it should make a few million to add to that over $900 million total.

The worldwide box office has contributed much of the box office intake for Captain Marvel and that likely will continue into the weekend. However, Captain Marvel has already previously opened in most major markets, including China.

It has also opened in Mexico, South Korea, The UK, Brazil, France and other markets, so there’s not a lot of room for the movie to continue to squeeze out top dollar overseas. Just like the domestic market, as new and exciting movies hit theaters, the audience for older movies wanes.

The question really isn’t if Captain Marvel will be able to hit $1 billion worldwide, but when. There’s a chance the Marvel flick flies to that record this weekend, which would mean the movie has hit that box office milestone before it has even been in theaters for a whole month. However, it’s going to be close, and I think it may fall short over the weekend.

The good news is that once Captain Marvel hits a billion, it will actually be the seventh Marvel flick to achieve that massive number, so it will be big news when it happens. It should also be the start of a giant box office tally for Marvel in 2019, as the studio also has Avengers: Endgame coming. That movie should open high and could go on to make over $2 billion for Disney. Spider-Man: Far From Home and it's complicated infrastructure with Sony and Disney will also be released in 2019.

If you’d like to see the movie get there sooner rather than later, you can always catch it in theaters this weekend, perhaps even for a second or third time.

7 Period Movies Marvel Should Make In The Future

7 Period Movies Marvel Should Make In The Future

As long as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to exist it will consistently produce contemporary stories – but it’s been shown that the occasional period piece can be a real treat for audiences. We’ve only really seen a couple of examples from the franchise so far, including Joe Johnston’s Captain America: The First Avenger and Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel, but there are few that would disagree that the details in the settings and aesthetics of those features set them apart from the 20-plus other offerings from Marvel Studios.

Obviously period storytelling presents some specific challenges for a continuity-centric franchise, as filmmakers have to create explanations for keeping characters around for decades, and reasons why audiences haven’t previously heard about the adventures. All the same, they present flavorful stylistic opportunities that can be incredibly fun to explore. This in mind, we’ve taken a trip back through history (skipping the already-done 1940s and 1990s), and formulated ideas for potential new Marvel big screen stories – starting with the decade that everything started with Timely Comics…

1930s – Namor The Submariner

One could make the argument that Marvel Comics was built on the backs of three heroes: Captain America, Human Torch (the android, not Johnny Storm), and Namor The Submariner. They were among the first heroes introduced in the aforementioned Timely Comics, and their pages helped shape the superhero world as we know it. The first two have appeared in the MCU – the former as a primary hero, the latter as an Easter egg in Captain America: The First Avenger – but, sadly, certain rights complications have prevented us from seeing a big screen version of Namor. Right now we don’t know what the future will hold for the character, but if it were up to us, we would get to see a movie featuring him in the decade he was created: the 1930s.

The DC Extended Universe has already beaten the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the punch when it comes to undersea adventure, as Aquaman is the biggest hit the brand has ever released, but that doesn’t mean a Namor The Submariner movie couldn’t still work. Not only does there still exist plenty of material for land vs. sea conflict, but the early origin could set up the Atlantian King/hero/anti-hero/villain for appearances in some other potential period stories (especially what we have in mind for the 1960s).

1950s – Man-Thing

Superheroes have been a staple of comic books for decades, but during the 20th century there was a lull in their popularity, and one particular genre simultaneously hit its stride. That period was during the late-1940s and early-1950s and the genre was horror. Marvel’s predecessor, Atlas Comics, was deep into this game, scaring audiences with monsters in the pages of Amazing Mysteries and Marvel Tales – and it’s in recognition of this history that the Marvel Cinematic Universe could make an excellent Man-Thing feature.

Not to be confused with DC Comics’ Swamp Thing (which was introduced around the same time), Man-Thing is a creature that lives in the Florida Everglades – formerly a scientist forced to dose himself with his own secret serum while being pursued by terrorists. This could be a very different kind of film for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, specifically an opportunity to dig into a genre that has not yet been explored by the studio, and there is room to be heavily inspired by 1954’s Creature From The Black Lagoon.

1960s – The Fantastic Four

With 20th Century Fox being bought by the Walt Disney Corporation, Marvel Studios will soon have the ability to create their own version of the Fantastic Four, and redeem the big screen legacy of Marvel’s first family. In doing this, the company could certainly go the easy route and introduce them as a team of new heroes ready to join the fight against evil alongside the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy – but if they were to go the period piece route there could be some real fun to be had. (With a hat tip to Peyton Reed – who we very much hope someday gets to execute his vision.)

Like Namor and Captain America, this would be another case where the characters are introduced within the same decade they made their debut on the page, as the Fantastic Four made their debut in 1961. What would be wonderful about this version is not only the possibility of differentiating itself from the previous cinematic adaptations, but also exploring the beautifully weird 1960s sci-fi aesthetic, taking notes from classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Fantastic Voyage, and Planet Of The Apes. As for where the characters have been in the decades since, it’s very easy to believe that they went off on some kind of space exploration mission and never returned, got trapped in another dimension, or somehow got erased from existence because of a time travel incident.

1970s – Blade

Basically being half-vampire, Blade a.k.a. Eric Brooks ages at a much slower rate than most Marvel heroes, which makes him a perfect candidate for period storytelling. It’s very easy to establish that the guy has been hunting the undead for decades without having to recast or use advanced makeup/effects when he makes contemporary appearances. Add in the fact that he was created in 1973 by Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan to hunt Dracula, and you have a recipe for an awesome new Marvel Cinematic Universe film.

Like Man-Thing, this is another opportunity for the franchise to dip into the horror genre, and also distance itself from the version of the character we’ve already seen from a different continuity. Given the era, perhaps this version of Blade could have the affection of being like Shaft with vampire hunting – maybe even straight-up having him travel to Transylvania to hunt Dracula. In the hands of the right filmmaker that could be a blast.

1980s – The Astonishing Tales Of Ant-Man And The Wasp

This entry is a bit different than every other one in this feature as it centers on characters with whom we are already familiar. No, I’m not talking about Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne – I’m talking about Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne. Portrayed by Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer, we know from the previous Ant-Man movies that they were spies working together for S.H.I.E.L.D. during the Cold War, and a 1980s-set prequel film titled something along the lines of The Astonishing Tale Of Ant-Man And The Wasp could do exactly that.

One of the “drawbacks” of using established characters is that the project would have to make heavy use of the impressive de-aging technology that Marvel has been employing in recent years, but there’s every reason to be confident that it could be done. After all, not only is the digital work done on Samuel L. Jackson in Captain Marvel absolutely flawless, but we’ve already seen what magic can be done with both Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer in the previous two Ant-Man films.

2000s – She-Hulk

While the first Marvel Studios films were released in 2008 - Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk – technically we have not yet seen a 21st century aughts story in the MCU. Given the way things line up in the continuity, the former is set in 2010, while the latter unfolds in 2011. That on the table, however, a She-Hulk film set during the previous decade may still be possible. After all, fans will remember that the first Hulk story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is not an origin story, and there is a period of four to five years that we don’t know much about in between Bruce Banner’s disastrous gamma experiment and where we first caught up with him. This is where Jennifer Walters’ tale could start.

It is possible that we could meet the future She-Hulk at some point this mystery time, with an accident leading her to get a blood transfusion from her on-the-run cousin, Bruce Banner. The result is that she experiences a different form of his Hulk condition – transforming into a powerful green giant, but keeping her personality and intelligence. Given the trouble Banner experiences as a fugitive, she tries to control her transformations and live a normal life… all while the age of heroes is just about ready to bloom.

2099 – Marvel 2099

Period pieces aren’t necessarily relegated to the past, and Marvel Comics has already provided the movies with an interesting roadmap towards looking at the distant future. Marvel 2099 was an imprint published throughout the 1990s that had writers and artists on a wide variety of books telling stories set approximately 100 years in the future. This included new versions of Spider-Man, the X-Men, Hulk, the Fantastic Four, and more, and all of them could possibly come together in a different kind of Marvel Cinematic Universe event feature.

There is enough existing Marvel 2099 source material that Marvel Studios could use for an entire Phase’s worth of features, but assuming that won’t happen it would be cool to use one massive blockbuster to let audiences peek into the highly advanced world. You could use time travel as an entry point into the story, with a contemporary character being hurtled into the distant year, but from there fans could be introduced to a completely different vision of the MCU that has been altered by all the events that have already been depicted.

What do you think of these ideas? Do you think they would work? Do you have ideas of your own? Hit the comments section below with your thoughts, and check out Captain Marvel in theaters this Friday, March 8th.

Why The Men In Black/Jump Street Crossover Fell Through

Why The Men In Black/Jump Street Crossover Fell Through

Back in late 2014, we first heard about the strange possibility that the dormant Men in Black franchise and the 21 Jump Street franchise could get a crossover movie from Sony Pictures titled MIB23. Despite some signs that this mashup had a real chance at happening, it never did and Men in Black moved on without the Jump Street crew. So why did it fall through? Well, according to producer Walter Parkes, it simply didn’t work, as he explained:

It was more of a Jump Street movie, honestly. With those guys doing the Men in Black. But I wasn’t surprised that we couldn't get really there on the script because the two franchises have such utterly different tones. You know, Jump Street kind of takes very classic, you know cop things and plays it very crazy and out there and broad. And we sort of take very strange situations, kind of cop science fiction situations, and try to play it very straight. So it was very hard to try and find a tone that worked. But the theory of it was great.

Based on what Walter Parkes told CinemaBlend during our visit to the London set of Men in Black: International, the Men in Black/Jump Street crossover fell through kind of for the reasons it seemed like such an odd idea in the first place: the two franchises are too different. It might have initially sounded like an idea that was so crazy it just might work, but ultimately it died on the page.

As Walter Parkes said, the Jump Street franchise is very goofy with silly characters in ridiculous situations. Although still a comedy, the situations in Men in Black are serious within the world of the film. It might be a fine distinction, but there was apparently no way to make the two mesh together without losing part of what makes each work on its own. Jonah Hill himself cited some of these concerns in the past and doubted if the crossover would get made.

By the sound of it MIB23 wouldn’t have been a true crossover anyways. It would have been more of a Jump Street film, which makes sense to a degree given that that was the more recent and prominent franchise at the time. Regardless, it didn’t work. That struggle to find the right tone doomed the project and honestly it sounds like it was for the best.

The studio liked the idea and the concept certainly had potential, but if there was no way to make it work and work well, better not to force it simply so you could capitalize on two name brands. The people working on the project could have phoned it in and slapped the logo on it and we’d all be saying the franchises should have stayed separate, but they ultimately came to that decision on their own.

Although MIB23 will go into the halls of Hollywood’s weirdest and most fascinating what-ifs, the franchises will continue to live on separate from one another. Sony is moving forward with a female-centric 21 Jump Street spinoff movie. As for the Men in Black organization, it’s getting some new blood and going global in F. Gary Gray’s Men in Black: International, starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson.

Men in Black: International opens in theaters on June 14. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all the biggest movies headed your way in a stacked summer movie season.

David Harbour Responds To Black Widow Rumors

David Harbour Responds To Black Widow Rumors

It's an extremely exciting time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with just one blockbuster left in Phase Three. 21 movies and a decade of filmmaking will come to a head when Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters, picking up on the action after the devastating loss to Thanos in Infinity War. But aside from Spider-Man: Far From Home, Marvel Studios' plans for the future are largely a mystery.

There are some exciting projects being developed, even if their release date is currently unclear. Chief among them is the Black Widow movie, which will finally give Scarlett Johansson the chance to lead a Marvel blockbuster. Director Cate Shortland seems to be making some steps toward casting the movie, with the latest report indicating Stranger Things favorite David Harbour landed a role. Now Hopper himself has responded to those reports, saying:

Yeah man, like I want to do the movie. [Marvel would] kick me out so fast…[if I reveal anything]. Look here's what I will say. It's being directed by this woman Cate Shortland who is a phenomenal director. She directed a movie called Lore. She's a phenomenal director, so what's really exciting to me about it is it's gonna be like a real deep, interesting film. And so yeah, I'm just excited for it as a film as well as a superhero movie

While clearly nervous to anger the Marvel gods before he can even begin, David Harbour confirmed his excitement about the Black Widow movie, especially when it comes to working with the director. Fresh off his debut as Hellboy, the Golden Globe nominee is going to head to another comic book adaptation.

David Harbour's comments to ET are sure to excite his many fans, who are hoping to see more of him on the big screen. His debut as Hellboy will arrive in theaters shortly, offering an R-rated romp free disconnected from Guillermo del Toro''s previous set of movies. But Harbour joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe is perhaps more exciting, especially with the future currently so unclear.

Black Widow's movie has been a long time coming, and David Habour's comments make it seem like nothing we've ever seen before in the MCU. Scarlett Johansson's signature character has been a major presence in the shared universe, but she's never gotten her own time to really shine. This is especially hard because Widow is one of the most complicated and badass Avengers, and we've gotten only small glimpses into her sordid past. But according to Harbour, the movie is going to be an intimate look at the character.

For now we'll have to wait as Black Widow's movie is developed, and hope for details regarding the cast, plot, and settings. Because depending on her fate in Endgame, a prequel film might not be out of the question.

Black Widow will return to theaters when Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters on April 26th, and you can catch David Harbour in Hellboy on April 12th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

6 References To The Original Dumbo In The New Live Action Remake

6 References To The Original Dumbo In The New Live Action Remake

The following contains SPOILERS for the new live-action Dumbo.

While the new live-action Dumbo may technically be considered a remake, it is, in many ways, a re-imagining. The new film has several entirely new characters and plot threads that never appeared in the original 1941 animated classic, and it also eliminates characters and sequences that were there the first time along.

However, just because the new Dumbo is a very different thing doesn't mean it forgot its roots. There are several great easter eggs and references to the original Dumbo inside the new Tim Burton film. Here are the biggest ones.

Casey Jr.

One element that hasn't changed between the animated original and the brand new Dumbo is the method the circus uses to get from place to place. Casey Jr. is the name of the train. We see the name Casey Jr. on the side of the locomotive as the circus is getting underway at the beginning of the movie. The live action version even has a slightly discomforting face on the front of the locomotive, even more than the animated train does.

Of course, if the train is being used is the same, does it really count as a reference? Maybe not, but what absolutely does is the music. "Casey Junior" is actually one of the songs in the original Dumbo, and one of the better ones, in my opinion. You can hear some pieces of the original music in Danny Elfman's score for the new Dumbo's opening scene. In addition, Danny Devito's character, ringmaster Max Medici, breaks into a chorus of the song at a couple points. Why he came up with a song about his own train, I can't say.

Timothy Q. Mouse

The single biggest change to Dumbo between the two versions of the story concerns the characters that surround the title elephant. In the new movie, it's the family of Holt Ferrier and his two children. However, in the animated classic, Dumbo has no human caretakers. Instead he makes friends with a small mouse who comes to Dumbo's defense when the other elephants of the circus shut out the newborn.

Timothy Q. Mouse spends most of Dumbo in a circus ringmaster's costume. While he might not be a character this time around, we still see a mouse dressed as a ringmaster, as a homage to the character. He's one of the pet mice kept by Holt Ferrier's daughter, Milly.

The Stork

Both the original Dumbo and the new remake start by introducing us to Dumbo's mother, Mrs. Jumbo, before the flying elephant is actually born. Of course, the Disney animated movie isn't going to get into the whole question of where babies come from, so the film introduces us to a stork character who actually delivers little Dumbo to his mother.

While the new Dumbo doesn't dwell on where Dumbo came from exactly, Mrs. Jumbo is already pregnant when we meet her, and we assume she gave birth the old fashioned way. However, before she does, we see her looking out her window, where she spots a stork land just for just a moment before taking flight again and joining its flock. Maybe the stork delivered Dumbo in this movie after all.

The Magic Feather

In the original Dumbo, the elephant and his mouse friend find themselves up a tree after a night of accidental heavy drinking, where they meet a group of crows. While the less said about the crows, the better, they are important for the story because they're the ones who first give Dumbo a feather and claim it has the magic power to make him fly.

In the new Dumbo, there's no belief that the feather is actually magic, but there is a feeling that when Dumbo inhales a feather it grants him his ability to fly. In this movie as well, that turns out to not be true, but the connection is there. Also, the first feather that Dumbo inhales up his trunk which initially launches him into the air is a simple black feather, meant to remind viewers of the crow feather from the original movie.

Pink Elephants on Parade

One of the most famous sequences in the original Dumbo is one that probably gave you nightmares if you first saw it as a child. Dumbo inadvertently drinks some water that has been spiked with booze and the elephant gets drunk. He then blows a large bubble out of his trunk that becomes a group of pink elephants, which then begin to sing and dance and otherwise be terrifying. We have witnessed Dumbo's alcohol-induced hallucination.

In the new Dumbo, we get a similar pink elephant scene. Once again the elephants are created from bubbles. Only this time, the bubbles come from wands being waved by some of V.A. Vandevere's circus performers. Exactly how the bubbles then begin to dance is far from clear. But they do, all while the same music plays. It comes across a bit more as "somebody spiked the popcorn with LSD" than "I really need to quit drinking," but multiple people see the elephants, so it appears that they're quite real.

When I See An Elephant Fly

While Disney has gone ahead and made some live-action remakes like Beauty and the Beast full musicals, Dumbo is not one of those. However, as mentioned, some of those songs are referenced in the new film in other ways. The same crows that give Dumbo his magic feather sing a song in the film, which has a few lines borrowed in the new movie as part of an unexpected cameo.

Famed boxing ring announced Michael Buffer appears as the announcer for V.A. Vadevere's Coliseum, and as part of his build up, he makes references to unlikely things we've all seen fly, such as seeing a "dragon fly" a "horse fly" or a "house fly." These same lines are part of the intro of the song "When I See an Elephant Fly" from the original film. The crows are laughing at the idea of seeing an elephant fly, though they admit they've seen some strange things fly in their time.

In order to turn the brief story of Dumbo into a modern feature film, the story certainly needed work, so it makes sense that a lot of changes and additions were made. However, for the generations that grew up on the previous version, there are a few items to keep your eyes open for.

You'll Never Guess Who Inspired Lupita Nyong’o's Raspy Us Voice

You'll Never Guess Who Inspired Lupita Nyong’o's Raspy Us Voice

The following contains spoilers for Us**.**

There are many terrifying parts of Jordan Peele's new film, Us. However, one of the most chilling aspects of the story has to be the performance of Lupita Nyong'o's dark doppelganger, Red. She moves with a inhuman smoothness which will be enough to make your skin crawl on its own. However, it's when Red speaks that she truly terrifies.

Red's voice has a raw and raspy quality. The words come out clearly enough, but with a methodical slowness, like she has to fight to make every word work. Jordan Peele apparently gave Lupita Nyong'o a very basic understanding of what he wanted from Red's voice, in part because he was keeping aspects of the story itself hidden from her early on. Nyong'o says she eventually found inspiration for her character after hearing, of all people, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speak. This led the actress to investigate the affliction more in order to better understand it. According to Nyong'o...

I was fascinated, and I started doing research. I met with people who have the condition and built it from there.

Kennedy, the son of the former Attorney General of the United States, suffers from a condition called spasmodic dysphonia. It's part of a group of neurological disorders which cause muscles to spasm involuntarily. When those muscles are in the throat and vocal chords, it results in a voice that comes out uneven. Lupita Nyong'o tells the New York Times that she found the vocal irregularity inspiring and began to study it more in order to learn as much as she could about it.

As it turns out, little is known about how the condition comes about, but Lupita Nyong'o felt that it made sense for the character of Red. According to the actress...

It’s not really understood why it happens, or how it happens. It could be a trauma in your life — someone dying, or a physical assault. It varies. For me, it felt very organic as an inspiration for Red, who’s had this kind of strangled past.

Lupita Nyong'o stops short of stating that Red suffers from this particular affliction. Maybe she does, maybe she doesn't, but it's not hard to see how the concept inspired the way the character speaks. Red is a dark and twisted opposite of Nyong'o's other character, Adelaide. It makes sense that Red's speech would be just as twisted as everything else about the character.

There are reasons for Red's unusual speech pattern, of course, but to understand them you need to see Us and there's no need to spoil the details of the film anymore than is absolutely necessary. Although, it appears a lot of people saw the film over this past weekend.

There are many aspects of Us that are likely to remain with you after you see the film, but the voice of Red is absolutely one of them. Us is in theaters now.