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Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Watch The Awesome Trailer For Universal’s New Jurassic World Ride

Watch The Awesome Trailer For Universal’s New Jurassic World Ride

Last year, the legendary theme park attraction Jurassic Park: The Ride sailed its final voyage through Isla Nublar and closed down for refurbishment at Universal Studios Hollywood. That refresh was in the name of an updated attraction that swam in the same waters, but in service of promoting the Jurassic World franchise.


Now we have our first hint at what the updated attraction will look like, with the trailer below. Dear readers, welcome, to Jurassic World: The Ride:


The trailer starts out simple enough, with a western being filmed on the Universal Studios backlot. But before things get too shooty, an astronaut runs into frame with a familiar one word warning: “Run!” As one would expect, the chase scatters a bunch of other costumed actors running through the Universal lot, which results in Roberta the Tyrannosaurus Rex breaking through the Universal Studios arch.




It’s at this point that Jurassic World: The Ride finally shows itself through our first look at what exactly will be part of this new theme park attraction; and it’s here where we see something rather interesting. Pictured in the video is a boat that looks like one of the boats last seen in the Jurassic Park: The Ride attraction, only this time it’s stopped in the middle of the attraction.


Conveniently enough, the boat is stopped in front of a Mosasaurus tank, just in time for the beastie to charge towards the glass and make a hole. Water squirts out, the audience looks frightened and the boat moves on to bigger, scarier thrills, like the previously confirmed showdown between the famed T-Rex and “new behemoth dinosaurs.”


While Jurassic World: The Ride sounded pretty intense when described in the vaguest of terms, this new ride’s promise of more realistic terror is even more promising. The footage of how the ride’s supposed to work only makes for more excitement, as it looks like a digital screen approach similar to the Fast & Furious: Supercharged or Skull Island: Reign of Kong attractions, which be used to show some of the creatures at hand.




Though we wouldn’t count out any thrills and spills using original, or brand new, animatronics in Jurassic World: The Ride, as even those updated attractions still retain an actual physical element to their thrills. Of course, this is all speculation at this moment, but for now, taking a look into the world of this future adventure 65 million years in the making has us longing for our first chance to take that ride for ourselves.


Jurassic World: The Ride does not have an official opening date past the originally specified timeframe of this summer. However, Universal Studios Hollywood recommends checking back on their official website for any future updates.


And if you still want to ride Jurassic Park: The Ride, it’s still in operation at Universal Studios Japan, as well as Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando for the time being. Which has us wondering if any revamps to the latter park’s attraction could involve Roberta squaring off against Fluffy from the Harry Potter series. Just a suggestion, Universal.



After Disney Acquisition, Fox Has Already Started Layoffs

After Disney Acquisition, Fox Has Already Started Layoffs
Love Simon

The merger between The Walt Disney Company and Fox was only completed after midnight on Wednesday morning, but the new owners have wasted no time in beginning to streamline the new company. A lot of layoffs were expected, and the first of them came to pass yesterday.


Many of the layoffs came at the top of the food chain. Chris Aronson, the president of Fox's domestic distribution was informed yesterday that he will not be moving forward with Disney, though he was apparently given 60 days notice. Fox's international distribution president was also given notice, as well as the president of worldwide marketing.


According to THR, many employees have not been officially let go yet, but they have been informed that they'll only be kept on for a transitional period, three to six months depending on the situation. Fox employees being let go are apparently being given two weeks of severance pay for every year they spent with the company, with a maximum pay out of two years salary. For those few that have spent decades working for Fox, and there will be those that have, they'll at least get a solid severance deal.





These layoffs were not necessarily unexpected. Disney and Fox were two companies in exactly the same business, which means there was a lot of overlap of job responsibilities between the two companies. Even with the addition of the various Fox divisions, the new company doesn't necessarily need twice as many people in areas like marketing or distribution.


One decision that has been a surprise, however, is the decision to completely shutter Fox 2000. The label was run by Elizabeth Gabler and was responsible for producing mid-budget dramas and comedies, including such popular movies as Love, Simon, Hidden Figures, and The Devil Wears Prada. It had been believed that Gabler and Fox 2000 would be folded into the new company and remain largely unaltered, so the news from Deadline that the label is being shut down has come as a shock to many.


While the layoffs were certainly expected, Disney has been, and is apparently remaining, tight lipped about what the exact plan is for the future. THR reports that some employees on both sides of the new merger are now very cautious because none of them know how secure their positions are. It's one thing to know that layoffs are going to happen, but not knowing how they will happen makes everybody nervous.





The total number of layoffs are expected to be in the thousands before things settle down, so this is clearly only the beginning. And of course, because of the merger itself, job prospects for those that find themselves without work will have that much more trouble finding a new job. If you're looking to find work with a major movie studio, there are now fewer of them around that are hiring.

Monday, February 10, 2020

How Important Maria and Monica Rambeau Can Be To The MCU After Captain Marvel

How Important Maria and Monica Rambeau Can Be To The MCU After Captain Marvel
Monica Rambeau in Marvel Comics

This article contains major SPOILERS for Captain Marvel, so turn back if you haven’t yet blasted off with the high-flying hero in theaters yet.


Amidst a grand introduction to the all-powerful Captain Marvel into the Marvel Cinematic Universe before the Avengers gear up for round two with Thanos, there was a subtle introduction to another key Marvel Comics superhero. Monica Rambeau, the daughter of Carol’s best friend Maria, has an intriguing history in the comics, which most certainly could be in plans to be explored in Phase 4 – that is if the MCU decides to act on those nudges and hints sprinkled throughout Captain Marvel.


So let’s recap who the Rambeau’s are in the comic books, how they were introduced in Captain Marvel and how they could tie into the MCU moving forward:





What Are Their Comic Book Origins?


In the comic books, Monica Rambeau held the title of “Captain Marvel” before Carol Danvers did when she appeared in 1982’s Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16. Danvers’ first alias was Ms. Marvel, but she did take over the name of Captain Marvel in 2012. When we meet Rambeau, she is a lieutenant for the New Orleans Harbor Patrol as a cargo ship captain. She is on board with a special device capable of tapping into energies from other dimensions, which is intended to be used to create a dangerous weapon. Rambeau aids in destroying the device, but her exposure to the energy arms her with the power of a superhero. Sound familiar?


Monica Rambeau has the power to turn into a being of pure energy, shoot energy blasts, phase through solid matter (just as Vision does) and fly. Besides Captain Marvel, the hero has also been named Photon, Pulsar and Spectrum as well. She became the first African-American female to join the Avengers, where she was mentored by Captain America and Wasp, and once took on the mantle of Avengers leader in Wasp’s place. After a fight with sea monster Leviathan, Monica’s powers became depleted, and she has sat out an Avenger’s membership for some time, but her powers did come back eventually. Her most recent team up was with the rogue superhero squad Nextwave, alongside Black Panther, Luke Cage, Blade and Brother Voodoo, who fought vampires in New Orleans.


Her mother Maria, however, has a completely different backstory than the one introduced in Captain Marvel. Maria is a successful seamstress who owns her own dress shop and is the wife of a former fireman. The mother is much more concerned parent, who, while proud of her daughter’s role as a superhero, often expresses her concerns for her safety.





How Does Captain Marvel Hint At The Characters’ Futures?


In Captain Marvel, Maria and Monica Rambeau play a large part in Carol Danvers rediscovering her identity and becoming the badass superhero she transforms into by the end of the movie. The mother-daughter duo is Danvers’ chosen family who help jog her memory when she and Fury visit them to get answers about a mysterious fighter jet crash. Maria is not a seamstress, but an Air Force pilot, and she is not a wife, but a single mother. Monica (a.k.a. Lt. Trouble) can’t help but get in on the action, help Captain Marvel with her suit and encourage her mother to be co-pilot to the final mission to set a “good example” for her. Monica already looks up to Carol, and then she becomes a superhero. I can’t help but think this is a defining moment for her that the MCU just has to come back to.


Maria’s callsign is also “Photon”– one of Monica’s superhero names. When you look at how important Carol Danvers’ callsign ended up being to the franchise (it was ‘Avenger’ and inspired Fury to name the initiative), then you know how the importance in the details. At the end of the film as Carol prepares to journey across space, they have a conversation about how Monica may have to build a spaceship of her own one day to visit her Skrull friends.


The factor of time also plays a part here. Captain Marvel is set in 1995 and Monica is eleven years old, and we know Carol will appear next in Avengers: Endgame, which takes place in present day. If Carol’s story continues after the events of Endgame, Monica would be in her mid-30s, the perfect age to fix right in with the rest of the Avengers and assume her rightful comic book role.





How Monica and Maria Rambeau Could Tie Into The MCU?


After these hints to the hero’s origin, how could the MCU not explore the Rambeau’s in future films? They are particularly close to Carol Danvers’ heart (just like Bucky Barnes is to Captain America) and could serve as the key story element to future Captain Marvel sequels (which I don't doubt is on the way considering that Earth shattering box office debut). I imagine after Endgame, Carol finds herself back on Earth and either can’t help looking the Rambeau’s up or is approached by an all-grown up Monica. While I hope Maria appears again, I don't think she'll have as vital of a role as Monica.


Considering theories that heroes such as Captain America and Iron Man will be hanging up their role post-Endgame among others, a mentorship between the characters might be part of how the franchise moves forward and starts buffing up their heroes back up as other longtime heroes head to the door. While we know little about what’s coming next for the MCU until after Endgame and Far From Home (and all plans are being held until then), the inclusion of Monica certainly hints at plans to a new generation of the Avengers, who could be completely different then the main crew we already know and how key Captain Marvel could be to the development of them.


The MCU’s continuing focus on diversity following the monumental success of Black Panther is glimmered into the DNA of Captain Marvel, as the team’s first official female African-American hero could soon take flight. The character has infinite possibilities, all the way up to becoming the next Captain Marvel and leader of the next Avengers team. I wouldn’t doubt that this is the direction the MCU is going, thanks to the subtle introduction of the Rambeau’s in the Marvel film that touches so deeply into the Avenger’s roots. Fury will certainly vouch for her.





What do you think about the potential of the Rambeau's in the MCU? Would you like to see their story continue in future movies? Would you particularly like to see Monica become Photon, the next Captain Marvel or even the leader to the new Avengers? Marvel's Phase 4 certainly has a lot of possibilities in store which will certainly become more clear after Avengers: Endgame hit theaters on April 26. Until then, feel free to share your thoughts below in the comments.

Brie Larson Thanks Fans For Getting Captain Marvel Up To $1 Billion

Brie Larson Thanks Fans For Getting Captain Marvel Up To $1 Billion

It was only a couple of days ago that Captain Marvel rang up its billionth dollar of grosses from eager fans all over the world. But good news never outstays its welcome, as that film’s star and the figure poised to bring the Marvel Cinematic Universe to new heights in Phase 4, Brie Larson, celebrated in a very special way. Larson shared the following artwork, as well as a heartfelt note, commemorating the occasion:


Along with her message of how higher, further and faster Captain Marvel has come in its relatively short run, Brie Larson also included a vibrant piece from artist Tracie Ching’s hand. Reflecting the red, gold and blue color scheme of the titular hero, it shows off Carol’s heroic mohawk that shows through her space helmet. It's an iconic look for a fan favorite hero brought to life in living color.


Now don’t go thinking that Captain Marvel’s cruise past $1 billion is routine, even if the bountiful empire of Marvel Studios’ recent films might have you believing otherwise. Carol Danvers’ debut is only the seventh film out of the 21 film-run that’s made movie history in the past 11 years of operation. But even with that caveat laid down, it’s still a pretty impressive feat, and it’s definitely a moment worthy of sharing some splashy artwork with the masses.




Those very fans have carried this film past a lot of the early trolling that was visited upon Captain Marvel, a phenomenon that reportedly had pretty big effects on YouTube’s proprietary algorithm. Not to mention, there was that time that some ill-tempered fans tried to pit the film against what was, in name, the original “Captain Marvel,” DC’s current superhero offering Shazam!


But, as in most superhero tales, the goodness of the fans prevailed, and Captain Marvel went on to crush the box office. While the film’s actual story content may not have an effect on how Avengers: Endgame is going to play out thematically, it definitely sets up a foundation of success for the film’s blockbuster debut, set to bow at the end of this month. In fact, it doesn’t look like an eighth billion dollar hit for Marvel Studios will probably be too far behind.


As Avengers: Endgame is breaking all sorts of presale records, and ticketing apps, in its quest to box office glory, this Twitter post commemorating the continued success of the MCU through Captain Marvel promises fans, and the entire world, that the best is yet to come. And Carol Danvers is going to be around for all of the festivities, as she and the Avengers have a plan to defeat Thanos once and for all.




That plan will come into full effect in Avengers: Endgame, which infiltrates theaters on April 26.

Dumbo: Everything We Know About Disney's Live Action Remake

Dumbo: Everything We Know About Disney's Live Action Remake
drunk Dumbo

2019 is going to be a big year for Disney's live-action remakes of their famous animated films. There will be no fewer than three of them coming this year, including Aladdin and The Lion King both coming as big summer releases. The first entry of the year, however, will be the reinvention of Disney's flying elephant, Dumbo. It feels like something of an unusual choice for a remake, but based on the cast and the crew that is making the new Dumbo a reality, it does seem that the right people are involved to make this one something special.


While many of Disney's remakes have been fairly true retellings of the original story, Dumbo is different in that it will be creating a lot of brand new material to complete the tale of the misfit elephant. The basic premise is all still there, but there's a lot more involved. Here's everything we know about Disney's upcoming live-action remake of Dumbo.


What Have We Seen From Dumbo?


Luckily, we no longer have to wonder what the eponymous elephant will look like in this re-imagining of the classic Disney tale. A teaser trailer for Dumbo dropped in mid-June 2018, followed by a full trailer in November giving us some good looks at the cute little guy, along with many of his human co-stars. And, from what we've seen it certainly looks like it could stack up to be a wonderfully magical story.




What Is Dumbo Rated?


Dumbo has been rated PG by the MPAA. This puts the film on par with all four of Disney's most recent, live-action remakes, Maleficent, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, and Beauty and the Beast have ended up with PG ratings. While the original Dumbo was a G-rated affair, it seems quite difficult to secure that rating these days. Although, the live-action 101 Dalmatians remake from 1996 did manage it. It's hard to imagine what could be added to Dumbo that might make it unsuitable for young kids, though the original movie did include an elephant getting drunk, which probably gets you at least a PG-rating today.


What Is Dumbo's Release Date?


Dumbo will be Disney's second major release for 2019. On March 8 Marvel will open things with Captain Marvel and Dumbo will follow close behind on March 29, 2019. It releases the week after Godzilla sequel Godzilla: King of the Monsters and the week before DC comics movie Shazam. There are also a number of potential competitors for the family movie dollar being released around the same time, with the long-awaited How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World opening in February. While Dumbo is opening outside of the "summer movie season" it's opening in the same window that the Beauty and the Beast remake did, so major box office success is certainly possible.


What Is Dumbo About?


The original Dumbo was Disney's fourth animated feature, and its story is fairly simple, as shown by the film's 64-minute runtime. Dumbo is born, is mistreated by the other animals due to his abnormally large ears, and is befriended by a mouse who then helps him discover his talent for flight which the ears provide. This makes Dumbo a circus star. There isn't a lot more there, which explains why the new film will be adding a lot to the story, primarily through new human characters.




This version of Dumbo will primarily focus on a character named Holt Ferrier, a former circus star who is now a different man having returned from war. He is hired by circus owner Max Medici to take care of Dumbo, a newborn elephant who is a circus laughing stock largely due to his oversized ears. However, after Holt's children discover that Dumbo can fly, entrepreneur V.A. Vandevere and aerialist Colette Marchant insert themselves as they see star potential, and money, in Dumbo.


The Director


Dumbo promises to be a unique film and Disney has certainly succeeded in getting a unique director to bring it to life. Tim Burton is behind the camera on the new remake which promises to make Dumbo a little weird in a very special way. Burton is no stranger to working with Disney. He got his start in film working with Disney animation on films like The Fox and the Hound and The Black Cauldron. He then returned to the House of Mouse to make movies such as his feature-length Frankenweenie and one of Disney's most successful live-action remakes, Alice in Wonderland. While Burton isn't necessarily known for it, films like Big Fish show that he is perfectly capable of the sort of movie that warms your heart, which we can expect Dumbo will ultimately be.


The Writer


The screenplay for this new version of Dumbo comes from Ehren Kruger. Kruger may not be a household name but he's responsible for some of the biggest movies ever made. He wrote or co-wrote three of the Transformers sequels but may be better known to horror movie fans as the writer of Scream 3 and the first two of The Ring movies among others. He's also written fan favorites like The Brothers Grimm, Reindeer Games and Arlington Road and movies that weren't necessarily favorites, like the recent Ghost in the Shell remake with Scarlett Johansson. There really isn't anything on his resume that looks anything like what we expect Dumbo to be, which could indicate a very different sort of movie or it could indicate Kruger is taking his first shot at something very different for him.




Will There Be Music In Dumbo?


Following the smash hit that was the Beauty and the Beast remake, one always has to wonder how Disney's classic music might be handled by the remake. The original Dumbo isn't a musical in the traditional sense, as most of the music isn't actually sung by the characters. Still, there are a few well-known songs from Dumbo including "Baby Mine," "When I See an Elephant Fly" and "Casey Jr." That last song is especially noteworthy as a promotional picture of director Tim Burton (see above) shows him on board the film's circus train which is very clearly labeled as being Casey Jr.


However, Dumbo won't be a musical. Like Cinderella and Maleficent, we'd expect to hear modern covers of the film's most famous songs, likely included over the end credits rather than part of the story proper. The film's trailer does include a version of "Baby Mine," the movie's tear-jearker, which could very likely be played at the same point in the new film.


Dumbo


Of all the characters in the new Dumbo, the one we seem to know the least about is the title character. In the original Dumbo, the elephant is completely mute, and that appears to be the case here as well. Dumbo is being brought to life via the same computer animation that made the animals of The Jungle Book look real. It seems like Dumbo may end up being more of a secondary character in his own story, with the focus being on the humans that surround him and how they treat him.




Holt Farrier


The part of Holt Farrier, the war vet who becomes Dumbo's caretaker will be played by Colin Farrell. Farrell most recently worked with Disney on Saving Mr. Banks, the story of the making of Mary Poppins, where he played the father of P.L. Travers in the flashback sequences. From everything that we know about the plot, it sounds like, if Dumbo isn't really our main character, Farrier is. He'll likely be the one fighting to keep Dumbo safe while others attempt to take advantage of him once it is discovered what he can do. At one point it was rumored that Will Smith was attached to Dumbo, and it's likely this is the role Smith would have played. Instead, Will Smith will appear in another Disney remake a couple months after Dumbo comes out, as the Genie in Aladdin.


Max Medici


The role of circus owner Max Medici will be played by Danny DeVito. DeVito previously voiced the trainer of heroes Philoctetes (aka Phil) in Disney's animated Hercules. He also previously worked with director Tim Burton in Batman Returns as the Penguin. There is a Ringmaster character in the original animated Dumbo who is likely the basis for this character, but he doesn't have much impact on the story. Whether he is a benevolent circus owner who loves his animals, or a cruel one who mistreats them, is not clear. DeVito is certainly capable of taking the character in either direction. Though he probably isn't the main villain of the movie, as that role appears to be played by somebody else.


V.A. Vandevere


Michael Keaton will play the role of entrepreneur V. A. Vandevere. Keaton hasn't done a major production for Walt Disney Pictures before, though he has provided voices for Pixar in both the Toy Story and Cars franchise in years past. Like Danny DeVito, he worked with Tim Burton on the Batman movies, in the title role back in the late '80s and early '90s. We know from the official plot synopsis that Vandevere will see the potential for money in Dumbo's ability to fly and look to cash in on this. The trailer makes it pretty clear that this is our villain of the piece. Dumbo will be exploited by the unscrupulous businessman, while those that helped raise the little elephant will try to protect him.




Tom Hanks was originally rumored to be in the running to play the villain of Dumbo and while that didn't pan out, Michael Keaton brings a lot of the same stature to the role. Although, seeing Tom Hanks play a bad guy would have been a shocking thing. Michael Keaton in the same role is a lot easier to buy.


Colette Marchant


Eva Green will play what appears to be the major female role in Dumbo as an aerialist named Colette Marchant. She's an associate of V.A. Vandevere and it sounds like the two may be business partners in addition to Marchant being a circus performer herself. This likely means that Green will be a villain as well, assuming that she knows everything that her colleague is up to. This will be Eva Green's third production with Tim Burton following the recent Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and 2012's Dark Shadows.


J. Griffin Remington


The last character of note is named J. Griffen Remington and will be played by Oscar winner Alan Arkin. We know very little about the character beyond the fact that he's a "Wall Street tycoon." If I were to guess, he's probably a potential money source for Michael Keaton's character, who will need money in order to make Dumbo the massive attraction he envisions. That's all speculation, however. The character has only been seen briefly, in a short sneak peek video that was released in February, and it's not revealed how the character will fit into the plot. With Arkin in the role we can be fairly confident the part is important, but since the character doesn't get a mention in the official plot synopsis, it's hard to guess how he'll fit into the story.




Other Dumbo Characters And References


The most conspicuous absences here are all the characters that we actually remember from the animated version of Dumbo. Timothy Q. Mouse, an actual mouse who befriends Dumbo, was the major speaking role in the animated movie. We briefly see a mouse in ringmaster garb in the trailer, implying that we'll get a few references to the animated movie in places where the story has changed.


We also see a black feather that Dumbo plays with in the trailer. This is a clear reference to the "magic feather" that Dumbo receives, which he believes is the thing that allows him to fly. This likely means he won't be receiving it from a flock of crows, which, if you remember the original animated film, is a good thing.


Disney's live-action remakes have been largely successful with audiences in recent years. However, the additions to Dumbo will make this the first movie since Maleficent to tell a significantly different story than the animated movie that inspired it. The question is, just how open is the audience to seeing a very different story of Dumbo? We don't have much longer to wait until we find out.



New Spider-Man: Far From Home Trailer Moves On After Avengers: Endgame

New Spider-Man: Far From Home Trailer Moves On After Avengers: Endgame

We’re out of the Endgame now. The MCU is in a bold new place, where beloved characters have moved on, and it’s time for the universe – as a whole – to pick up the pieces. One of the first movies tasked with picking up the baton and running with it post-Avengers: Endgame is Jon Watts’ sequel Spider-Man: Far From Home, and we now have a better idea why Peter Parker (Tom Holland) wants to take a break from superhero adventures in this movie. The second full trailer just arrived from Sony and Marvel Studios. Let’s see what’s up with the webslinger:


Well, that was chock full of shocking MCU surprises! From the jump, Tom Holland is warning people that this trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home will contain spoilers for Avengers: Endgame, and it really, really does. Peter is grieving the loss of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), with Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) telling Pete that Tony wouldn’t have sacrificed himself unless he knew Spider-Man would carry on.


Our dude, however, just wants to go on vacation. He’s shelving the Iron Spider suit, and heading to Europe with his classmates. And he plans on wooing MJ (Zendaya)… until it all starts to hit the fan.




The biggest reveal comes in the form of Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). Not that he’s in the movie. We knew that much. But when Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) introduces Peter Parker to his new ally, Quentin Beck, he clarifies that Beck is from Earth… just, not our Earth. Fury explains that Thanos’ snap ripped a hole in the universe, and now there’s access to Multiverses.


Multiverses are now alive and well in the MCU.


We can barely unpack all that this means for the MCU, so let’s just focus on Spider-Man for the time being. He’s trying to move on from the events of Avengers: Endgame. But he also feels a strong pull to be the next Iron Man. Why can’t he just be the first Spider-Man? That’s so much better, anyway.




There’s also an important reveal later in the trailer, as MJ basically tells Peter that she knows that he is Spider-Man. This is the second important person in Peter’s life to decipher this secret (after Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May), which means that for a superhero, Spidey is really shit at keeping secrets.


Then again, there is a lot of misdirect at play in these trailers. The Nick Fury line about it being “nice to meet you” has been changed – since, obviously, they met at Tony’s funeral. And as much as people want to see Mysterio as an ally, I still subscribe to the notion that it’s a bait-and-switch, and he’s really a bad guy who is responsible for the Elementals that are attacking the world’s top cities.


We’ll find out for sure when Spider-Man: Far From Home opens in theaters on July 2!



Hobbs & Shaw’s Dwayne Johnson Reveals What The Goal Was With Creating A Fast And Furious Spinoff

Hobbs & Shaw’s Dwayne Johnson Reveals What The Goal Was With Creating A Fast And Furious Spinoff
Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham in Hobbs & Shaw

Since 2001, there have been eight Fast and Furious movies which have collectively grossed over $5 billion at the box office, thus becoming Universal’s most flourishing franchise to date. So when the series decided to branch out with its first ever spinoff Hobbs and Shaw starring heavy-weight action stars Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham coming this summer, the upcoming bags of cash coming the movie’s way isn’t tough to predict.


On Wednesday, Hobbs and Shaw came out to CinemaCon in Las Vegas to boast some new badass footage and brought together the pair of stars sharing the spotlight in the Fast and Furious spinoff. Dwayne Johnson said this about why this spinoff was decided upon:



Our goal here with the [spinoff] was to build out the Fast and Furious franchise, we wanted to create something that was special. We wanted to create something that had our own tapestry, our own feel, our own energy. But the bottom line was we wanted to make something that is fun. And when I say fun, like Fast and Furious movies are fun and this is FUN. We reached the top level of fun with the Fast and Furious movies. I’m talking about fun, good amen. That’s what we wanted to do.





A little fun never hurt a summer blockbuster, and Hobbs and Shaw looks like it has a ton of it. The upcoming spinoff plays off the scene-stealing chemistry Johnson’s Luke Hobbs and Statham’s Deckard Shaw, showed off in the Fast and Furious films. The unlikely pair team up this time around to take down a genetically-engineered superpowered and flamethrower-wielding villain named Brixton, played by Idris Elba.


Hobbs and Shaw seems to let go of the reality that once grounded in the Fast and Furious franchise, as the franchise has gone for bigger visual spectacles and stunts for fans to be in awe of. Elba’s superpowers mark a big chang, and so is a marketed scene that has Hobbs scaling down a skyscraper as Shaw sleekly goes down an elevator at the same time. So, Johnson’s emphasis on “FUN” doesn’t sound far off … the franchise is going bonkers in the best way and fans are going to eat it up.


The upcoming blockbuster isn’t the last of planned Fast and Furious spinoffs either. There is a female-led spinoff also in the works including a couple of the writers of Captain Marvel onboard, out of three overall planned spinoffs promised to Universal. Fast and the Furious 9 & 10 are also in the works for 2020 and 2021.




With Fast and Furious spinoffs on the way in addition to the main franchise, will audiences get franchise fatigue? Hobbs and Shaw certainly seems to be shaking up the series with a fresh take and not taking itself too seriously. The movie hits theaters on August 2, 2019.

 

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