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Thursday, January 16, 2020

Chris Pratt Shares A Star-Studded, 'Really Illegal' Video From The Avengers: Endgame Set

Chris Pratt Shares A Star-Studded, 'Really Illegal' Video From The Avengers: Endgame Set

The following contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame.


Avengers: Endgame is already one of the biggest movies ever made following a record shattering opening weekend. However, for the cast and crew the biggest thing about the film coming out may be that they can now actually talk about about the movie. While the entire world hasn't seen the movie yet, a lot of people have, and the cast has already begun to loosen up. Chris Pratt has even published a video he took on the set that he really would have gotten in trouble for at the time, but it looks awesome now. If you've already seen the movie, check it out.


The video shows a lot of the cast of the film, and a few of their stunt doubles, all surrounding one of the final sets in the film, showing the Avengers base destroyed. We see several Guardians of the Galaxy stunt doubles in makeup, the members of the actual cast are all in street clothes and they're going over a scene.




It's a really impressive collection of people. Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth, Sebastian Stan and Tom Holland, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Chadwick Boseman, and more, are all in one place. Sean Gunn jokes that he's the most famous person in the room. A lot of these people are probably used to being the most famous person in the room.


People joke with Pratt about how illegal the video is, and yet, he's able to take it and he got off the set with it. I'm honestly shocked that he was able to get his phone on the set in the first place. You'd think those sorts of things wouldn't be allowed just to prevent the temptation of doing exactly this. If nothing else, the video confirms various characters being on the set during a key part of the film, something which the marketing was very clear about leaving out.


In his Instagram post Chris Pratt just says that he couldn't help himself but get pictures of this moment considering just how huge the moment was, seeing so many of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's actors on set working to make this scene perfect. Considering how secret the production largely was, there probably isn't a great deal of official behind the scenes footage (though there is certainly some) so videos like this may be some of the few peeks we have into moments like this.




The only thing more epic than this is actually seeing the scene that was filmed here, when Avengers: Endgame and the entire MCU, comes to a head. Calling this a long awaited conclusion feels like a significant understatement considering that the movie made over $1 billion around the world on opening weekend. While that has as much to do with the luck of release dates in foreign territories like China lining up, the film has shattered nearly every opening weekend record that exists. It seems that bringing all these people together in one place was just as big a deal as Chris Pratt thought it was.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

ReelBlend #59: The Netflix Vs Spielberg Debate And An Exciting Announcement

ReelBlend #59: The Netflix Vs Spielberg Debate And An Exciting Announcement

ReelBlend has its Patron Saints. Christopher Nolan. Martin Scorsese. Steven Spielberg. But that doesn’t mean that we blindly follow the words and thoughts of these filmmakers. Sometimes, we vehemently disagree with something that one of our icons has said… which makes this week’s ReelBlend all the more interesting.


Episode #59 of the weekly podcast kicks off with a description of Nolan’s next film. And if you want to hear three brains simultaneously melt, then explode, listen to Sean, Kevin and Jake read the logline for Nolan’s new movie. It sounds incredible. The hard part will be waiting for this movie to get into theaters!


Speaking of theaters, the ReelBlend guys transitioned to the big conversation of the week, which is Steven Spielberg’s belief that no movie made for a streaming service should be eligible for an Oscar – even if it gets a theatrical release. Spielberg allegedly sided with Green Book over Roma in the recent Oscar competition, mainly because Alfonso Cuaron (yet another Patron Saint of ReelBlend) made his deeply personal movie for Netflix.





Spielberg wants to implement rule changes that would block films like Roma from competing for Oscars. The guys have a lot to say on this topic, so give it a listen.


Only Kevin managed to see Captain Marvel before the guys recorded this week. Jake and Sean will have seen it by next week, which mean you all have homework. Go see it before Episode #60, because while Kevin teased his reaction to Marvel’s latest in this episode, the guys will take a full dive in next week’s show, spoilers left and right.


The #Blend Game this week was dedicated to a personal favorite of the ReelBlend hosts: Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. They played #ChivoBlend, and Sean’s pick literally stunned Jake and Kevin. It’s times like this, we wish that we still did the Facebook Live video.





Finally, the boys have a very big announcement about a future meet up that we hope people can make it to. Listen all the way to the end for details!


ReelBlend is a weekly podcast that we do on CinemaBlend. You can download the latest episode (and all of our past episodes) for FREE on our iTunes page! Visit. Subscribe. Like and comment. Review! Apple loves when you have star ratings and reviews, so if you listened, and you liked it (or even if you didn't), let us know. We also are on Spotify. And Google Play. And basically everywhere that you download podcasts. So download us.


Meanwhile, follow the guys on Social Media! We have an official Twitter feed for the show, so follow @ReelBlend. In addition, follow the guys at @Sean_OConnell, @JakesTakesand @KevinMcCarthyTV.




Song Of The South: The Story Behind The Disney Movie That Disappeared

Song Of The South: The Story Behind The Disney Movie That Disappeared
Br'er Fox holding Br'er Rabbit by the ears in Song of the South

Last week, Disney CEO Bob Iger told a room full of Disney stockholders that the plan for the upcoming Disney+ streaming service was to have Disney’s entire motion picture library available shortly after launch. Clearly, this is an exciting concept for both Disney fans, as well as movie fans in general, as Disney has a library stretching back decades. However, it seems highly unlikely that literally every Disney movie will ever actually be on the service, as there’s at least one movie that will almost certainly be missing: 1946’s Song of the South.


Whether or not you’ve ever actually seen the movie, you likely know at least something of the controversy that surrounds it. Last released in theaters in 1986, the film hasn’t been shown publicly since then, and has never received a VHS or DVD release in North America. When Bob Iger was asked about the film during the same Disney stockholders’ meeting in 2010, he called the film “fairly offensive” and has said we should not expect to see the movie released any time soon, if ever.


Song of the South focuses on a young boy named Johnny who has traveled with his parents from Atlanta to his grandmother’s plantation in an undisclosed Southern location. Upon arriving there, Johnny learns his father is turning around and going home. It seems Johnny parents will be separating for a while, perhaps something to do with his father’s controversial editorship of a newspaper. It’s all very vague and never explained.





Johnny attempts to run away back to his father, but he’s stopped by the kindly Uncle Remus, an elderly black man (James Baskett), who tells him a story about Br’er Rabbit and a time he tried running away from his problems, and only found greater ones. Johnny decides to stay, if only to hear more stories from Uncle Remus.


Johnny makes a friend in a young girl his age, Jenny, but runs afoul of her bully older brothers. Every time Johnny finds himself in trouble, Uncle Remus is there with a story that relates to the issue and helps Johnny through it.


While the stories of Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Fox, and Br’er Bear are animated, Song of the South is still very much a live action movie. The animated sequences cover no more than about 20 minutes, broken up in three segments, of the 90-minute film. Song of the South has been the subject of controversy since it was released back in 1946, and that controversy has only increased since then.





The first problem with Song of the South is that it never makes it entirely clear what the relationship is between the black and white characters in the film. While the movie is supposed to be set during the era of Reconstruction, it never comes out and simply says this. Many audiences have viewed the relationship between the black and white characters as being that of slaves and masters, and there’s little evidence to discount this view. The closest the movie comes is when, 10 minutes before the film is over, Uncle Remus decides to leave the plantation. The fact he’s allowed to do so is the only indication he’s not a slave.


Regardless, the relationship between black and white characters is portrayed as ideal. Everybody is happy, even though one group here is clearly rich and the other is clearly poor.


Beyond that, Song of the South deals with the use of racist dialects, as well as the use of the trope that would later become known as the “magical negro.” Even the animated sequences aren’t free of controversy. One of Br’er Fox’s plans to capture Br’er Rabbit involves the use of a golem made of black tar which the fox refers to as a ...tar baby. Yeah, this thing can get rough.





On the other side of the controversy, however, is a movie that has a lot going for it. It’s the second feature film in Disney history to see human actors performing with animated characters in the same frame, and it’s done to far greater effect than it was in The Three Caballeros.


The film is a two-time Oscar winner. The song “Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah” won the award for Best Original Song and James Baskett was given an honorary Oscar for his performance as Uncle Remus.


Since its final theatrical release in 1986, Disney has largely tried to forget that Song of the South exists. While the popular Splash Mountain attraction found at Disneyland and Walt Disney World takes its inspiration and music from the film, the ride focuses exclusively on the exploits of Br’er Rabbit and other animal characters. Uncle Remus does not appear and he is not mentioned.





Today, there are two minds about what to do with Song of the South. Many believe the film should simply stay buried. It’s a product of an era and attitudes about race that we all understand today were wrong. Bringing the film back would only remind people of something we should forget.


Others, however, would like to focus on the film’s positives, such as the popular music and the revolutionary animation. Many do feel there’s value to the film historically and that it should exist. Perhaps Song of the South could be brought back, maybe on a disc that also includes additional material like documentaries and retrospectives that put the film in context and accept the film has elements worthy of criticism, but uses them as a teaching moment.


Of course, if that does happen, then audiences will learn something else that’s important about Song of the South. It’s not very good. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but it isn’t actually a great film. The animated segments really are fun (tar babies notwithstanding), but the live-action sequences just draw on and on and you get really bored waiting for the cartoons to come back on.





I’m not going to pretend like I know what the right decision to make here is. However, I’m also not sure that Disney knows either. Clearly, the studio's plan is to leave Song of the South in the vault for now. Maybe a compelling argument will be made to bring it back one day, but I don’t expect that day will come this year. When Disney+ brings every other Disney movie right to your TV, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to The Cat From Outer Space and more, don’t expect Br’er Rabbit or Uncle Remus to come with them.

Looks Like The Shazam! Cast Could Be Back For Quite A Few More Sequels

Looks Like The Shazam! Cast Could Be Back For Quite A Few More Sequels
Zachary Levi and Jack Dylan Grazer in Shazam!

The following contains spoilers for Shazam!


DC has found another big comic book hit thanks to the success of DC's Shazam! The movie has been at the top of the box office for the last two weekends and has been largely celebrated by critics and fans alike. We know that a sequel is already in very early stages, but there may be far more than one new movie on the way.


Michelle Borth is the woman who plays Mary Marvel, the adult version of Grace Fulton's Mary Bromfield in Shazam! In a new interview, the actress reveals that she got the part thanks to a single audition when she didn't even know what she was auditioning for, but the biggest piece of information, is that she's now signed to a five-picture deal. According to Borth...





It was tears of joy, but it was just so overwhelming. I had never gotten a role from one taped audition, let alone a five-picture deal with Warner Bros. from a one-tape audition. You always have to go through a really long process. There’s a fight to get there, so it was a really incredible moment. That’s all I can say.



If Michelle Borth was signed to a five-picture deal with Warner Bros. it's safe to assume that the same is true for the rest of the Shazam! family. Both the adult and child versions of all the characters are likely signed to the same deal. Star Zachary Levi and his kid version, played by Asher Angel, might even be signed to longer deals than that as they may have more crossover opportunities.


The fact that everybody is on board for five movies doesn't necessarily mean that there's a specific plan for those five films. While it's possible that the DC film universe, of which Shazam! is a part, has been mapped out and there are five specific movies that DC and WB know they want Mary Marvel to appear in, it's more likely that the studio just wants to be sure the actors are under contract if and when they're needed.




It's also possible, though less likely, that the five picture deal isn't specific to playing Mary Marvel. It's possible Warner Bros. just sees potential in Michelle Borth and wanted her under contract.


Regardless, it is remarkable that Borth has found such success from a single audition. It's even more impressive when you learn from her Parade interview that, in order to keep the secret of what she was auditioning for, the actual audition wasn't running lines, but doing a dance. According to the actress...



It was one of those really magical moments of, ‘Oh, my God. You hear about this sometimes. Every now and then, this happens,’ and that was mine. I did a great dance, an interpretive dance, and had a lot of fun with it, and then forgot, and that was it.





Whatever else actually happens, a direct sequel to Shazam! is a virtual guarantee at this point. We only actually got to see a small amount of Mary Marvel and the other members of the Shazam Family, so a sequel will likely let these characters gain a bit more depth and let actors like Michelle Borth stretch their wings a bit more.

DC’s Booster Gold Movie's Script Is Completed, But Now What?

DC’s Booster Gold Movie's Script Is Completed, But Now What?
Booster Gold in the comics

The DC live-action universe has had a fascinating tenure in theaters, full of peaks and valleys. Warner Bros.' shared universe began with Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, and quickly attempted to catch up to the MCU by skipping origin stories and going straight to ensemble movies. While fan excitement was significant , the trio of movie that followed Man of Steel failed to meet expectations, and were critical bombs.


Since then, the DCEU has shifted away from crossover-heavy projects, instead allowing directors to have more autistic autonomy over their massive blockbusters. It's a method that worked well for both Aquaman and Shazam!, but some fans are still left wondering if the long-gestating Booster Gold movie will ever come to fruition. Zack Stentz has been tasked with writing the project, and recently offered an update on the film's script, saying:



I do not know what’s going on with it right now, honestly. And I don’t know if the DC people know what’s going on with it. Their strategy seems to change depending on how […] most recent movie did. But I can tell you that a script has been turned in that the director and producer, Greg Berlanti, has proclaimed himself to be very happy with. And it’s something that’s ready to go, but DC and Warner Bros. would need to give the green light to it. The ball is in their court.





Well, this an interesting development. It looks like the Booster Gold script has been completed and given the thumbs up from Greg Berlanti. So the movie's potential life all depends on what Warner Bros. is planning for the future of the DCEU.


Zack Stentz's comments to Revenge of the Fans are sure to elicit a mixed back of emotions from the fandom. On one hand, there's something hopeful about his update. The Booster Gold script seems to be up to par, and director/producer Greg Berlanti seems happy with the final result. So if the DCEU actually moves forward with the movie's development, at least there's a strong base to work with.


Related: Upcoming DC Movies: What's Next For The Extended Universe




But while the Marvel Cinematic Universe typically releases release scheduled that span entire years, Warner Bros. is a bit more mysterious with the DCEU. Rather than announcing projects ahead of time, the studio is letting the success of each release influence the future of the shared universe. As such, the performance of upcoming movies like Birds of Prey, Joker, and Wonder Woman 1984 may be the deciding factor for Booster Gold's potential arrival.


Considering how Shazam! resonated with audiences, Booster Gold does seem like a solid choice to follow it. Booster is also inherently comedic and quirky, with his ego and futuristic origin often being the butt of jokes. He's a hero that isn't always taken seriously by members of the Justice League, and might be an opportunity for the DCEU to break new ground and keep things fresh.


The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a pretty well-oiled machine at this point. Aside from the firing of James Gunn last July, Phase Three went off without a hitch, and every single installment was a box office and critical success. Meanwhile, the DC Universe is only now hitting its stride.




Man of Steel helped kickstart the DC universe, with a more gritty and realistic version of Clark Kent's comic book origin. It has of Zack Snyder's stylistic signatures, and a strong cast in Henry Cavill and Amy Adams. And although the movie was the subject of some backlash after Snyder had the title character uncharacteristically kill off the villainous Zodd, Man of Steel's success was notable enough to inspire Warner Bros. to craft their own shared universe.


When it was revealed that Zack Snyder would be expanding the DCEU with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the generations of DC fans were very excited. The two iconic comic book heroes had never shared the screen in live-action, and the additional inclusion of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman was enough to get moviegoers giddy with anticipation.


Unfortunately, the movie ended up being quite divisive and suffering poor reviews. But it still made money, and plans for both Justice League and Suicide Squad continued on regardless. But when neither of those movies managed to get good reviews or make the adequate amount of money, Warner Bros. went back to the drawing board to plan out the future of the DCEU.




Crossovers were put on the back burner starting with James Wan's Aquaman, which wholly focused on the title character played by Jason Momoa. Rather than setting up connections to the greater DCEU, Wan spent his time building the underwater world of Atlantis and its denizens. Aquaman also pushed some boundaries of the genre, with elements of horror and comedy helping to buoy (pun intended) the movie.


It's a pivot that seems to have really resonated with the public, as Aquaman made a ton of money at the box office. And following it's success, Warner Bros. revealed that both a spinoff and sequel will be coming down the pipeline. Like Zack Stentz stated above, Warner Bros. is making its decision about DC's future based on how each new release performs.


Shazam! followed Aquaman's lead, and was another movie focused on one corner of the DC Universe. This time, it was seeing the massive franchise through the eyes of its children. Shazam! went in on comedy, and brought a childlike wonder to theaters that was noticeably missing from the grittier comic book franchises.




DC will give another go at an ensemble project with Birds Of Prey, including a variety of Gotham City femme fatales. Let's hope that the studio has figured out how to balance a larger cast, and still provide the same quality as its most recent releass.


Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) on February 7th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Mark Hamill Defends Unexpectedly Controversial Star Wars Reunion Photo

Mark Hamill Defends Unexpectedly Controversial Star Wars Reunion Photo

Star Wars' Mark Hamill has not been quiet about wishing the new trilogy ending the Skywalker Saga included a reunion for his Luke Skywalker, Harrison Ford's Han Solo, and Carrie Fisher's Princess/General Leia Organa. So it wasn't exactly surprising or controversial when he tweeted a fan-made image doctoring a shot from the first Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer, adding Han, Leia, and Luke next to Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian. Hamill tagged that reunion photo with #MissedOpportunities:


However, the first comment under his tweet had this message:



You know this image comes from one of the alt-right portion of the fan base, right? Bad look sir.





Mark Hamill returned to Twitter to share a new version of the reunion photo, this time adding his Joker. He explained and defended his original post, but lightened the mood with some of his trademark dad humor in honor of Avengers: Endgame weekend:


Billy Dee Williams appreciated the Luke/Leia/Han/Lando reunion photo, and replied to Mark Hamill's tweet with his own light humor:



You should be used to getting everyone’s knickers in a twist……part of your charm man!





Most of Mark Hamill's replies have been supportive, with fans saying there was no need for him to have to defend himself. They understood he was just re-expressing his sadness at the "missed opportunities" of the final trilogy never having a full OG reunion. However, some commenters argued the source of what you retweet does matter -- especially if you are as influential as Mark Hamill -- since it may come across as support for the account that made it. Many other famous names, especially political figures, have been called out for such things in the past.


Mark Hamill wasn't trying to endorse anything other than more wishful thinking for What Could Have Been. He's been on that track for a while, even if the Disney suits would probably rather he drop it. What if this is all a long con and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker does give us some kind of Luke/Leia/Han reunion after all? Based on his many posts on the subject, it doesn't seem like that's the case, but you never know.


Mark Hamill even revealed he pitched an idea to director J.J. Abrams for Episode VII: The Force Awakens, bringing Luke Skywalker back into the story a little bit earlier in the film so he could reunite with Leia and they could all be there for Han Solo's goodbye. Now the character of Han is gone, and Carrie Fisher is gone in real life. Leia is still returning through previously unused footage, but the original trilogy reunion ship seems to have sailed.




At least we have Lando back in the mix for Episode IX, and the trailer showed him having a blast back in the pilot's seat. Of course, we can't forget Chewbacca -- even if this fan image didn't add him to the reunion. Chewie didn't get Leia's hug in The Force Awakens and he didn't get a place in this reunion photo. The Wookiee deserves better.


Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker opens in theaters December 20. Here's what we know so far about the end of the saga.

E.L. James Admits People Are Already Circling Fifty Shades Author's The Mister For Movie Rights

E.L. James Admits People Are Already Circling Fifty Shades Author's The Mister For Movie Rights
Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan in Fifty Shades

E.L. James, the author of the Fifty Shades of Grey series, has a new book out on the shelves called The Mister. Even if you've never read the books, there's a strong chance that you are at least a little familiar with the three Fifty Shades movies. They went on to gross a combined $1 billion at the box office, and it sounds like some studios are hoping for lightning to strike twice. James claims that studios are already circling a movie adaptation of The Mister.


The author's three Fifty Shades books followed the often dicey romance of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. While the soap opera drama they faced often placed obstacles in their path, the series is really known for and associated with sex. Things get real steamy between these two, helping to propel the series to worldwide success.


E.L. James' newest book, The Mister, is similar in concept to Fifty Shades. The novel follows an entirely different couple named Maxim Trevelyan and Alessia Demachi. Maxim is a wealthy playboy aristocrat who falls for the mysterious Alessia, whose only possession is her dark past. And they totally have sex, though it's apparently more vanilla than Fifty Shades.




The Mister has only been out for about a week, but it's already apparently gotten attention from movie studios. E.L. James told the Metro that she has been approached by studios for a film adaptation, but didn't get any deeper than that. In her words:



People are asking, yes. I have been asked. It is a big commitment.



Obviously, that doesn't mean that a movie is storming into theaters next year. It sounds like conversations have only just started and there's no guarantee that a movie will even happen. I suppose some of that will depend on book sales, but that's already off to a good start. The Mister has sold 52,674 physical copies in its first week.




For the record, it doesn't sound like The Mister is well-liked at the moment. Critics gave the book negative reviews, but it's not like the Fifty Shades films were getting Oscar nominations. Critics usually weren't fans of the movies, but that didn't stop it from making money. Just because the book isn't getting good reviews now doesn't mean that a future movie won't.


It's still too early to tell if a movie about The Mister is in the cards, but so far the signs seem positive. For more movie news and updates, be sure to stick with CinemaBlend and we'll keep you informed as new information becomes available. In the meantime, there are plenty of other movies that we know for a fact are coming out this year. Don't forget to also to hit up our 2019 movie release guide to plan all of your theater visits for the ear.

 

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