The Fast And Furious Franchise Has Fired Its Longtime Producer

The Fast And Furious Franchise Has Fired Its Longtime Producer

Ever since the Fast and Furious franchise launched in 2001, Neal H. Moritz has been working on it as a producer, but that nearly two decade-long tenure has come to an abrupt end. Rather than Moritz deciding to leave the car and explosion-filled series of movies on his own terms, he’s been fired due to a legal dispute with Universal Pictures.

Last October, it was reported that Neal Moritz filed a lawsuit against Universal, alleging that the studio was in breach of oral contract and committed promissory fraud when it removed him as the lead producer on the upcoming Fast and Furious spinoff, Hobbs and Shaw. He demanded he be reinstated as lead producer or be paid “tens of millions of dollars in damages in lost compensation.”

Seven months later, the news has come out that not only has Neal Moritz been dropped from Hobbs and Shaw, but he’s also been removed from all future Fast and Furious movies, starting with Fast and Furious 9, which begins shooting in a few weeks. Because Moritz has a pay-or-play deal, Universal will still need to compensate on the Fast and Furious movies, but evidently that’s a better course of action than keeping him around, both financially and mentally.

Universal’s stance is that Neal Moritz is not entitled to be a producer on Hobbs and Shaw, while Moritz says he had an oral agreement with the studio’s president, Jimmy Horowitz, to produce the spinoff and was working on it up until he was dropped from it right before principal photography kicked off. Moritz also claims that he came up with the idea for Hobbs and Shaw with screenwriter Chris Morgan and spent months developing it.

So where did everything go wrong? According to a “studio insider” who spoke with The Hollywood Reporter, Universal tried to work out a deal with Neal Moritz, but due to a “a long, torturous history” with fighting him on every previous Fast and Furious movie, the studio got sick of his combative behavior.

Because Universal is trying to expand the Fast and Furious franchise into more of a cinematic universe, as well as Hobbs and Shaw’s budget growing before production, the studio asked the franchise’s top talent to contribute to a “pool” that would allow Universal to break even before others were cut in on the profit. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was among those willing to play ball, but Moritz reportedly instead “wound up for his usual game of hardball.”

As for why Universal decided to kick Neal Moritz off all future Fast and Furious movies, that came about when he named Jimmy Horowitz in his lawsuit. While it’s unclear what the thought process that the studio’s bigwigs had after that, evidently there was incentive enough for them to toss Moritz out.

With Hobbs and Shaw hitting theaters this summer, two more main Fast and Furious movies on the way and a female-centric spinoff in the works, obviously this blockbuster franchise is sticking around for the foreseeable future. Still, considering how involved Neal Moritz was from the start, this definitely marks the end of an era.

We’ll see how the Fast and Furious franchise’s first foray into spinoff territory goes when Hobbs and Shaw comes out in theaters on August 2, and Fast and Furious 9 will follow on May 22, 2020.

Fans Will Have To Wait A Long Time To See Alita: Battle Angel On DVD And Digital

Fans Will Have To Wait A Long Time To See Alita: Battle Angel On DVD And Digital

This past February, Alita: Battle Angel made its debut in theaters worldwide, fulfilling a dream decades in the making. Starting as co-writer/producer James Cameron’s baby, and eventually being transferred to the loving care of director Robert Rodriguez, the film went on to score an impressive gross at the box office, as well as a vocal internet fandom.

Those fans are going to have quite a bit of a wait to endure in order to see Alita: Battle Angel again, as the physical and digital releases are both set to drop throughout the month of July. While the digital release is set for July 9, fans won’t be able to grab a physical copy of the film until July 23, which comes a little over five months after the film’s February 14 theatrical debut.

While we’re not particularly sure about why there’d be such a delay in the release of Alita: Battle Angel, it might be because of the Fox/Disney merger that also caused delays, reshufflings and in some cases cancellations to come down on projects that the now joined studios had on their respective dockets. But what we can be sure of is that when it finally does hit shelves this summer, there are going to be quite a few awesome extras along for the ride.

As promised, Robert Rodriguez is including one of his patented “10 Minute Cooking School” segments, this time teaching the audience at home how to make the Iron City chocolate that Rosa Salazar’s Alita fell in love with as one of her first food experiences in the world. Also included are various features that detail the story of Alita: Battle Angel’s extended development process, complete with a concept art gallery from James Cameron’s work on the film back in 2005.

Most promising, though, is the inclusion of three motion comics that flesh out the world of Alita: Battle Angel: “The Fall,” “Iron City,” and “Rules of the Game.” Each of those shorts will help the audience learn more about the infamous events that preceded those of the film, as well as draw more depth into the city itself, and the sport of Motorball.

While the chances of a sequel are still up in the air when it comes to the live-action adaptation of author Yukito Kishiro’s work, there’s always the possibility that impressive rental and sales figures could boost those chances significantly. So if you happen to be a fan of Alita: Battle Angel, or have been curious to see what the fuss is all about, these details will help you become battle ready for the home video release of this imaginative epic of future combat.

Alita: Battle Angel will be on Digital HD on July 9, with 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD releases all rolling out on July 23.

Scarlett Johansson Might Make More Money For The Black Widow Movie Than We Thought

Scarlett Johansson Might Make More Money For The Black Widow Movie Than We Thought

While Avengers: Endgame may have signalled some emotional goodbyes to fan favorites when it opened over the weekend, there is still a standalone Black Widow movie in the works over at Marvel once Phase 4 kicks off. Although the new line-up hasn’t yet been officially confirmed by the studio, it looks like Scarlett Johansson may be picking up a bigger paycheck for her first solo outing then earlier reports have projected.

The Black Widow actress might be earning a whopping $20 million range for starring and producing in her own Marvel flick. This is quite the jump from last year’s forecast of $15 million she was said to be receiving. Scarlett Johansson has come quite the way from her over $1 million she made for 2012’s Avengers.

The paycheck would eclipse Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans’ earnings of $15 million for their solo films Thor: Ragnarok and Captain America: Civil War. The two actors also reportedly made the same sum for Infinity War and Endgame.

Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow reported pay would also be significantly higher than Robert Downey Jr’s 2008 Iron Man first outing of $500,000, Chadwick Boseman’s $2 million and Brie Larson’s $5 million Captain Marvel earning. The difference here is Scarlett Johansson is already an established MCU character who has starred in seven other flicks from the studio, whereas these other lump sums were given for first appearance roles.

No other salary will likely top that of RDJ’s, who makes money on the backend of Avengers movies.The Hollywood Reporter projects the actor walked away with at least $75 million after the success of Infinity War and Downey also apparently received $5 million a day for three days as Iron Man on 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming.

The Black Widow movie that has started assembling a cast that could include Stranger Things’ David Harbour, Fighting With My Family’s Florence Pugh and The Favourite’s Rachel Weisz, will be directed by Cate Shortland and written by Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson.

According to David Harbour, the movie may start shooting this June, making it awfully likely that Black Widow will be one of the earlier Phase Four releases. Many speculate we’ll be seeing it on the big screen in 2020, though all Marvel announcements are on hold until Spider-Man: Far From Home hits theaters in July.

The actress’ shot at her own Marvel flick has certainly been a long-time coming, as it’s been almost a decade since she first made her appearance as Natasha Romanoff in 2010’s Iron Man. Avengers: Endgame broke just about every box office record in the book with its recent $1.2 billion global opening weekend. Fans may have a similar anticipation coming into Black Widow, so Johansson’s projected $20 million looks like a fair paycheck.

The Most Ridiculous Avengers: Endgame Fan Theory Ever, According To The Russos

The Most Ridiculous Avengers: Endgame Fan Theory Ever, According To The Russos

The absence of almost any plot details for Avengers: Endgame has led fans to run with their imaginations and create countless theories about how the biggest movie of the summer will end. Some are clever, others are outside-of-the-box, and the rest are fun. But there's one fan theory that is so ridiculous that it's become a viral hit. It involves Ant-Man jumping up Thanos' butthole, and the Russo Bros. can confirm its the silliest theory they've ever heard.

If you've been on the internet for the past few weeks looking up Avengers: Endgame news then you have almost certainly seen the "Thanus" Theory. According to the theory, the Avengers have a surefire way to defeat Thanos. If Ant-Man shrinks down and jumps up Thanos' asshole, he can grow to giant-size and explode Thanos from within.

It's an extremely goofy theory that obviously won't happen in the movie, but it's taken on a life of its own. It became a popular meme and anyone with access to Photoshop and some free time has found some creative way to joke about the theory. One fan even went as far as to create an animated video solely about the theory.

It's now gotten to the point where poor Paul Rudd is asked about whether he gets to know Thanos on an up close and personal level during every single interview. Honestly, the joke has worn itself really thin by this point, but it's funny to see how this has all exploded to such levels.

The Russo Bros. seem to agree. The duo hear a lot of fan theories, but Thanus is without question the most ridiculous they have ever heard. Here's what the co-directors had to say about the theory in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Anthony Russo: 'Thanus' is truly the most ridiculous fan theory we've ever heard.

Joe Russo: But it's a highly inventive one. I want to know who came up with it.

Paul Rudd: I've been asked about it a bunch. I am amused a bit at how widespread it seems to have gotten.

The Russo Bros. previously said that no fan theory has ever been 100% correct, so it looks like we've got our confirmation that Ant-Man won't be taking one for the team next week.

Either way, we will know for sure soon enough. Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters in less than one week (!!!) and all of our many, many questions will finally be answered. Be sure to stick with CinemaBlend because we are going to have tons to say about this film. To learn everything that we currently know, here's our handy guide for one of the biggest blockbusters ever made. For everything Marvel-related, here's what films the studio has coming up.

Shazam End-Credits Scene: What Happens And What It Means

Shazam End-Credits Scene: What Happens And What It Means

Warning: Spoilers for Shazam! are in play. If you haven't seen the film yet, say the magic word and fly off to another page. You can come back once you're current.

With any good origin story like Shazam!, there’s always going to be a tease as to which direction a potential franchise would more than likely take. And while in the past, DC Comics films have mostly shied away from the post credits scene treatment, Shazam! dove head first into the practice with a pretty interesting hook for future films to work off of. If you haven’t seen the film yet, or missed this scene and would rather witness it for yourself, you’ve officially been warned to turn back. Otherwise, it’s time to go into what happens at the end of Shazam!, and what it means for its potential sequels.

What Happens

After the climactic fight at Chilladelphia, a now de-powered Dr. Sivana is apprehended and locked away in a local mental facility. Obsessed as ever, Sivana is seen going back to his old behaviors, scrawling runes on all of the walls in his cell, in hopes of finding himself back in the lair of Shazam. He’s tasted what it’s like to have super powers, and he wants them back now. Lucky for him, a bargain is about to be struck that could give him just that.

Out of nowhere, disembodied laughter starts to enter the room, and we find that it’s coming from a taunty little caterpillar. More specifically, that caterpillar just happens to be classic Shazam! villain Mister Mind, who comes to tell Dr. Sivana that there are other ways, besides runescaping, that can grant someone powers. After all, it was Mister Mind who gave power to the gods, and he's willing to give them to Dr. Sivana, if he'll join him. With the deal hanging in the air, we cut back to the closing credits, and get a quick joke that includes a dig at Aquaman, at the very end of the credits.

Now before we move to quickly, it should also be noted that we actually saw Mister Mind earlier in Shazam!, as a prisoner of Djimon Honsou’s incarnation of the wizard. The cosmic bug was in a glass case, looking rather frozen in place, so it initially looked like he was just an interesting choice in decoration. However, it looks like once the seven sins possessed Dr. Sivana, and all hell broke loose with crumbling rocks and quaking ground, this prison was shattered, and Mister Mind was allowed to escape.

With all of that knowledge in mind, let’s take a look at what this potentially means for the future of Shazam!, and the DC Comics film canon.

What It Means

Mister Mind has been around for a long, long time in the Shazam! universe, as he first appeared in 1943, and has made recurring appearances in the DC Comics universe up to this very day. A Venusian worm, he requires a talk box to speak, and can spin extremely strong silk faster than the human eye can comprehend. More importantly, he can use mind control and telepathy as some of his other stocks in trade. If you could put a genocidal maniac into the body of a worm, and give it some impressive powers, you’d have Mister Mind in a nutshell.

Perhaps the greatest piece of sequel baiting that Mister Mind brings to the table is the fact that he’s traditionally the head of the Monster Society of Evil: a group that’s included everyone from Dr. Sivana himself to every leader of the Axis powers during World War II. Hitler was literally part of the Monster Society of Evil, so you know this organization is pretty damned foul to begin with.

On the surface, it looks like Mister Mind will form, or has already formed, that Monster Society of Evil, and Dr. Sivana will join up as he’s done in previous comic history. We’d get more of Mark Strong’s comic book villainy, and Shazam! 2 might just open things up to a whole mess of DC villains that can make appearances throughout the films to come. With Mister Mind now in the picture, he and Sivana can start to plot evil deeds that will eventually be thwarted by Billy Batson and his foster family of heroes, just as anyone would expect. But looking into some of the previous rosters for the Monster Society of Evil, there’s one particular member that could very easily be used as some added muscle, and if what we’re thinking is correct, it’s about time.

One of the members of the Monster Society of Evil is totally Black Adam, a villain we’ve been promised in the DC Universe for what seems like forever, as the role has been cast with Dwayne Johnson set to play it. While the DC Comics film canon has been undergoing some changes, both in which films are headed down the pike, and the cast members who will be participating in the future, it’s a safe bet that Johnson isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, (he was actually one of the producers of Shazam!, so he's clearly invested in this franchise). If that’s the case, we might get to see one of two things happen: Dwayne Johnson gets his Black Adam solo flick, in order to spice thing up and set up the Monster Society of Evil further for its eventual return in Shazam! 2, or he starts off as a supporting character of that very sequel, and gets to branch off into taking Superman on for sport after the fact.

In either scenario, the likelihood is that Mister Mind’s appearance in Shazam! is, as most superhero movies love to employ, the door to a greater world. A lot of new and exciting possibilities are laid out with his debut, and the consensus is that his band of eclectic ne’er-do-wells will present a bigger threat to our newly empowered heroes, and open the story up to all sorts of villainous possibilities. Though, if this could lead to a live action adaptation of Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam, that would work pretty well in our eyes. For now we’ll keep our eyes on the skies, in order to see whatever malfeasance Mister Mind has on his brain.

Shazam! is in theaters now, so if you continued to read on without watching the film, we hope we’ve helped you make up your mind as to whether or not that’s in the cards for your weekend.

Millie Bobby Brown Says Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Needs To Be Seen On The Big Screen

Millie Bobby Brown Says Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Needs To Be Seen On The Big Screen

As far as film franchises go, there are none that go back quite as long as Godzilla. Dating back to 1954, the behemoth creature has been thrilling audiences for decades. And the big green guy will once again return to theaters with Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which is set to arrive in theaters in a matter of days.

The anticipation for Godzilla: King of the Monsters has been steadily building, as footage revealed the myriad monsters that will be battling for supremacy in the upcoming blockbuster. Fans are also excited to see Stranger Things favorite Millie Bobby Brown in the movie, and the 15-year old actress recently implored moviegoers to see it on the big screen. She said:

It’s a spectacular and thrilling cinematic experience that people should experience on a big screen. We had so much fun making it and that’s why people should go and see it so that they can actually feel what we felt which was just ultimate fun.

The Godzilla franchise focuses on larger than life creatures, and technology has made anything impossible in the past few years. King of the Monsters includes a number of beloved characters, and they'll appear even bigger on a larger screen. According to Millie Bobby Brown, the end result is quite the theatrical experience.

Millie Bobby Brown's comments to THR are sure to excite fans of the franchise. Rather than simply focusing on the title character or one adversary, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a true ensemble movie as far as behemoth creatures go. It's a veritable whose who of Godzilla icons like Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidora. And watching it on your own TV just won't do the scale of the movie justice.

Legendary's MonsterVerse has been steadily building over the past few years, and seen some solid success at the box office. Gareth Edward's 2014 Godzilla movie was a strong reboot to the franchise, and earned great reviews, on top of making $529.1 million. Kong: Skull Island performed similarly in both critically and financially, helping to set up the eventual clash of these titans.

Related: Upcoming Godzilla Movies: List Of Titles And Release Dates

But before Godzilla and King Kong come to blows, he'll have to become the King. This will put him in conflict with some of the Godzilla franchise's most beloved titans, as well as the impressive cast of actors that director Michael Dougherty assembled to play the human characters. Joining Millie Bobby Brown are Vera Farmiga, Ken Wantanabe, Charles Dance, Bradley Whitford, and Sally Hawkins.

We'll just have to see how many of them make it through the conflict, and hopefully return for a future. installment of the MonsterVerse. Serialized storytelling has become commonplace since the inception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and crossovers are clearly coming down the line in Godzilla Vs. Kong.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters will move the MonsterVerse forward when it arrives in theaters on May 31st. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Disneyland Reveals How To Book Your Reservation For Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Disneyland Reveals How To Book Your Reservation For Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Update: Just before noon pacific time, less than two hours after reservations were made available., Disneyland announced via Twitter that they were gone. Now the only way to guarantee yourself access to Galaxy's Edge in the first three weeks is to make a reservation at a Disneyland Resort hotel.

Original Story: After years of waiting, we're now less than a one month away from one of the most anticipated entertainment events in the world. It's not a movie release. It's not the end of Game of Thrones. It's the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. For anybody who has ever dreamed of traveling to the galaxy far, far away, that day is almost here.

However, to get into Galaxy's Edge during the first three weeks it's open, you'll need a special reservation specifically for the new land. Those reservations can begin to be made at 10:00 AM pacific time on May 2. Here's what you need to do:

To Make A Reservation

The first thing you'll need is an account on the Disneyland website, so if you don't have one of those, go get signed up now. It's completely free and if you're going to Disneyland anyway, there's no reason not to have one, it makes a lot of things very easy.

Next you need to go to the Disneyland Reservation Page for Galaxy's Edge. The link can be found here. Starting at 10:00 AM this page will act as the virtual waiting room for making a reservation and will walk you through booking one once it's your turn. A single reservation is good for up to six total people.

Of course, there is also a second option for booking a reservation. If you book a stay at a Disneyland Resort hotel during the period of May 31-June 23, you'll automatically be given a reservation for Galaxy's Edge during one day of your stay. No other steps are necessary. Simply be sure that everybody who will be going to Galaxy's Edge is listed as a guest on the hotel reservation.

However, be aware that if the hotel reservation is canceled, the Galaxy's Edge reservation will be as well.

Once You Have A Reservation

Making a Galaxy's Edge reservation is free, but, of course, visiting Disneyland is not. That means that on the day of your reservation every member of your party over the age of three will require a valid theme park admission.

In addition, every member of the party 18-years-old or older, as well as the person making the reservation, regardless of their age, we'll require photo ID in order to enter the land.

The other thing to be aware of is that no modification of the reservation time can be made once it's done. There's also no remedy for replacing a reservation if it goes unused, so before you book it, make sure the date and time works for you. You also won't be able to modify the names on the reservation.

Disneyland has not confirmed exactly how long you'll be able to spend in Galaxy's Edge with your reservation but guests who have received reservation times already by booking hotel rooms are reporting being given a four hour window. Depending on exactly how many people are being let into the land, that should be enough time to get a ride on Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run, and maybe even grab a drink at Oga's Cantina.

After June 23, reservations for the land will no longer be required. The word is that Disneyland is working on a digital notification system, not entirely unlike getting a buzzer in a restaurant, where you'll be able to request a visit to the new land, and the Disneyland app will notify when there is space for you to enter.

Disneyland has never done anything quite like this before but then again in the parks 64 year history, nothing quite like this has happened. Galaxy's Edge is the largest single land expansion in the history of the park and its using one of the most popular IPs in the history of pop culture.

A nearly identical version of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is set to open at Walt Disney World August 29 at Disney's Hollywood Studios. No reservation period has been announced for that opening, which makes me think the true purpose of the Disneyland reservation requirement is to act as a soft opening for the new land.

I can't help but wonder if fewer people will be let into Galaxy's Edge during this reservation period than the land can technically hold. It would be a great way to put the space, the attractions, and the cast members, through their paces and learn to deal with any unforeseen problems that might appear with smaller crowds.

If true, this would make the first three weeks of Galaxy's Edge actually the best time to visit as it might be less crowded, not more crowded, than the space will be once the reservation period ends.

Since Galaxy's Edge at Walt Disney World is essentially identical, any problems found at Disneyland can be fixed before they ahppen, and thus the reservation period wouldn't be necessary.

The other thing that the reservation period adds is piece of mind. If all you want is to be one of the first to visit Batuu, knowing that you'll be able to, that you won't have to stand in an insane line, because there will be no stand by line, is probably a very nice feeling.

Of course, that still leaves the question of how easy getting reservations will be. The land will certainly accommodate hundreds if not thousands of people, and that many people, in four hour blocks, when the park will be open for 16 hours a day, over three weeks of time, will certainly allow for a lot of people to book reservations. Though exactly how many people will be trying is impossible to know.

Before the reservation system was announced, estimates were that as many as 200,000 people might show up on opening day, but even that number of people should be able to get a reservation without issue. You might not be able to get the exact day and time you want, but it seems likely getting a reservation at all shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Of course, if demand is truly excessive, we could see all three weeks of time fill up quite quickly.