Don't Freak, But The Genie Isn't Always Blue In The New Aladdin Trailer

Don't Freak, But The Genie Isn't Always Blue In The New Aladdin Trailer

When the first pictures of Will Smith's Genie appeared, people were shocked and even slightly outraged that Will Smith looked like, Will Smith. He wasn't blue, and as all fans of the classic Disney Aladdin know, the Genie was blue. Will Smith told people not to freak out and when the first footage of Genie came with an early teaser, we saw the Genie being blue. And then everybody freaked out again. Now, the first full trailer is here, and get ready for everybody to freak out again, because the Genie is blue, and also not blue.

This morning we got out best look yet at Disney's live-action Aladdin and it may set a lot of people's minds at ease, because it looks pretty good. We got to really see Aladdin, Jasmine and Jafar in action. We heard a couple pieces of some popular songs and everything looks good. Except maybe the Genie depending on your perspective.

When He's Blue

The trailer shows us Aladdin making his way through the Cave of Wonders, finding the magic lamp and then rubbing it to release the Genie. As we saw in the last teaser, when he is released, the Genie looks how you might have expected. He's big and blue and looks like a pumped up Will Smith. If you're not a fan of the CGI job, this trailer isn't going to change your mind.

It's here we also get the first part of an actual musical performance, some of the Will Smith version of "Friend Like Me." Smith will remain blue throughout this section. The last time that we see him in full CGI mode is during the "Making Aladdin a prince" scene. After that, everything changes.

When He's Not Blue

We first see Genie looking more like normal Will Smith earlier in the trailer, during the scene where Al is asking Genie if he can be made into a prince. We also seem him looking that way later, after "Prince Ali" has made his way into the palace. This is actually the last we see of Genie in the trailer, so it's possible we could see him transforming back and forth several times throughout the movie, depending on whether or not anybody is looking.

What seems likely, and has been my theory from the beginning, is that Genie has made himself look human as a disguise. This way he can interact with the other characters of the film without raising suspicion.

It's what the Genie actually did in the animated movie during the "Prince Ali" song. Genie performed it, and looked like a normal person, before disappearing and keeping himself hidden from the other characters. This way, Disney gets their money's worth out of having Will Smith in the movie. He doesn't need to stay off-screen the whole time.

Whichever version of the Genie you prefer, you're going to have to deal with the other version to some degree, but this way it seems everybody should get what they want at least part of the time.

Keira Knightley Says She Only Watches Her Films Once

Keira Knightley Says She Only Watches Her Films Once

We all have favorite actors that we love to see in movies. We'll watch our favorite performances and favorite stories again and again. However, not every actor who makes those movies is quite as excited to watch them as the rest of us. Keira Knightley recently admitted that she doesn't like to watch herself on screen and will usually only watch her films once. According to Knightley...

No, yeah. I dunno, it’s just weird. It’s like hearing your own voice. I dunno and I only see the bad bits. So, I’m like, ‘Oh, why did I do that?’

As somebody who regularly has to transcribe interviews I have done, I know exactly how strange, and largely off-putting, hearing your own voice can be. It seems that for Keira Knightley, the experience is only amplified. She not only has to hear her own voice, but see herself on screen and watch all the decisions that she made, including the ones she wishes she could do over.

Knightley says she only watches her movies once "if that." I would assume that question comes down to whether or not she attends the premiere of her movies. If she makes it, that's probably the only time she ever sees the film in question. If she doesn't for whatever reason, then she probably never bothers to go back and see the final product.

Knightley is far from the only person who avoids watching her own work. Many in Hollywood have talked about how they rarely if ever watch themselves. Putting yourself up on the screen like that makes an actor quite vulnerable. However, it probably doesn't necessity feel that way when you're shooting the movie. As long as you never go back and watch the movie, you don't realize how much of yourself you're putting out there. Honestly, it's far better than if she loved her own movies so much that she watched them a lot. If that happened, we'd have to worry.

Check out Keira Knightley's full comments on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in the clip below.

Of course, one has to wonder if Keira Knightley might start watching more of her movies again over the next several years. She has a three and a half year old daughter, as she told Jimmy Fallon, and one has to assume that as that girl gets older and begins to understand just what it is her mother does, the kid is going to want to watch those films. As she becomes old enough to see them, Knightley might find her movies on in her house whether she likes it or not. Whether or not she likes that. Perhaps by then she'll be more comfortable with them.

New The Hustle Trailer Spoofs Avengers: Endgame

New The Hustle Trailer Spoofs Avengers: Endgame

It’s a tale old as time: a huge cultural event is set to debut in a theater near you, and just as the hype is getting intense beyond belief, a comedy movie uses that hype to make a joke at said event’s expense. The tactic definitely works, and as we’re prepared to see Avengers: Endgame unfurl in theaters this weekend, The Hustle would like to remind everyone that it’s not too far off from that very film in some of its aims. Check out their latest trailer, inspired by Marvel’s would-be blockbuster, below:

This trailer for The Hustle does a pretty good job starting out with a pseudo Avengers: Endgame vibe, as the approach of limited coloring in the face of great evil is present. And while they may not have checked with Thor about the usage of his super group’s name “The Revengers,” it’s still a pretty fun callback to Thor: Ragnarok.

Of course, it’s not long before The Hustle returns to its actual plot involving Anne Hathaway’s posh thief teaching Rebel Wilson’s newbie in training how to con the men of the French Rivera out of their money. It's a task that requires disguises, aliases and the occasional act involving simulated murder by means of a shotgun.

The second remake of the film Bedtime Stories, with Dirty Rotten Scoundrels being the most recent reference for director Chris Addison’s latest version, The Hustle feels somewhat familiar, but new enough to lure people into theaters with its charms. But then again, a little bit of fun subterfuge doesn’t hurt, especially when the result is a quick and breezy gag that’ll make including this trailer with this weekend’s Avengers: Endgame all the easier.

Although we have to admit, after sitting on this trailer long enough in our minds, The Hustle’s marketing gimmick has us thinking about another time a comedy took good natured shots at an approaching cultural monolith. See if you can remember this throwback from almost 20 years ago:

Summer 2019 is going to be a pretty crowded affair, and grabbing all the marketing real estate you can is key. Much like Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, The Hustle has brought its A-game while spoofing Endgame, and it’ll be up to the audiences watching this trailer to decide whether or not this joke’s good enough to stick around for the punchline.

In the spirit of history, we’d like to remind you that if you’re only seeing one movie this summer, see Avengers: Endgame, which opens this Thursday night. But, if you do see two or more movies, see The Hustle, which will put its money on the box office table on May 10.

Former Bond Girl Halle Berry Has Some Suggestions For Who Should Replace Daniel Craig

Former Bond Girl Halle Berry Has Some Suggestions For Who Should Replace Daniel Craig

The next James Bond movie is currently in production and Daniel Craig is on board to play the role one more time, but once the film is over, the world will need a new James Bond. Dozens of names have been thrown around, dating back to before Craig confirmed his return. Everybody has an opinion, and that includes former Bond girl Halle Berry.

The Die Another Day actress was asked on Today who she would like see take on the iconic role after Daniel Craig steps down. She's got a pair of gentlemen she'd like to see, saying...

I’d want to see Hugh Jackman or Idris Elba. I would go for him.

Halle Berry would probably have a lot of support when it came to either of these two names. Idris Elba's name has been rumored as a Bond possibility for quite some time, there were even rumors at various points that he was in talks to take the part, but Elba continuously denied those reports.

As far as Hugh Jackman goes, we know the actor had a shot at auditioning for the role back when it was last available, but turned down auditioning because he was already working on the X-Men franchise and didn't want to get buried in two major film series at once. It's unclear if he would be at all interested now that he's done playing Logan.

If there's one major stumbling block to either of Halle Berry's choices here, it's probably age. Daniel Craig is currently 51 years old. Hugh Jackman is only a year younger than that and Elba is only slightly behind at 46. When Craig was cast he was in his late 30s and one assumes that the plan would be to cast an actor at that age, if not younger, so that they can make several more movies over the next decade or so.

Still, there's no reason James Bond couldn't be an older character. In the same way that some have campaigned to see James Bond change race or gender because, in addition to the benefit of opening up the character to a more diverse cast, it would also open up the stories that could be told, allowing James Bond to age could potentially do the same thing.

Halle Berry is potentially also one of the people interested in seeing James Bond change genders. When she's initially asked who she'd like to see take over the James Bond role, she says "a woman." While she laughs it off at first and claims she was joking, many who have suggested the same thing haven't been joking.

We almost certainly won't hear anything about the future of James Bond until after Bond 25 is released. The studio won't want to suck all the air out of the new film, so even if a replacement is already being considered, and there's no way to know if that's the case, it will likely be at least a year, and probably much longer, before we know who the next James Bond will be.

Now, Chris Hemsworth Has A Different Actor In Mind For James Bond

Now, Chris Hemsworth Has A Different Actor In Mind For James Bond

Daniel Craig is hard at work on the next installment in the James Bond franchise, but with every expectation that this will be his last time in the role, the question of who will be the next James Bond hasn't died down at all. Several names have been suggested both before and after Craig confirmed his return. Chris Hemsworth is one of those names, and he's even expressed interest in the role. However, the Thor actor now says that his vote would go to Idris Elba, as the Hobbs & Shaw villain would bring something fresh and new to the long running role. According to Hemsworth...

I think he’d give it a different sort of swagger, too, and each time someone new comes into the role, I think you’ve got to offer up something different.

Chris Hemsworth is far from the only one who thinks Idris Elba would be a good choice for the new James Bond. The actor has been one of the major names bandied about by fans and oddsmakers alike. There have even been rumors that Elba was in talks for the role at one point, though those rumors have always been denied.

Elba has been a popular choice as the next Bond by other celebrities as well. Former Bond Girl Halle Berry has also suggested him. Daniel Craig himself has stated that there's no reason a person of color couldn't take on the role. Even the idea that James Bond could be a woman has been floated and supported by many.

Hemsworth's reasoning to Variety, for why Elba would work, that he would offer something different to the role, makes a lot of sense as well. While there are certainly elements of the James Bond character that have been consistent through time, each new actor has also brought their own particular style to the part.

The discussion of who the next James Bond might be hasn't died down in the slightest even though Daniel Craig is filming a movie right now. While there will almost certainly be a new James Bond for the franchise's 26th film, don't expect to hear even a word about who it might be for another year or more. Any announcement of a new Bond now would only kill the momentum of the movie currently in production. If fans are already looking forward to the next Bond, it will likely kill the box office potential of the new film.

With the normal production cycle of James Bond movies it could actually still be years before a new actor is chosen, which means that the eventual choice might not even be a name that's currently in the conversation. If somebody new pops into the conversation over the next year or so, everybody from Tom Hiddleston to Tom Hardy that have been rumored could be left by the wayside.

E.L. James Had A Miserable Time Filming Fifty Shades Of Grey, Which Led To Christian’s Book

E.L. James Had A Miserable Time Filming Fifty Shades Of Grey, Which Led To Christian’s Book

E.L. James is an author who is happy to talk about the process of writing. We know, for example that her Fifty Shades books started as Twilight fan fiction and that her new book The Mister started coming together even before Fifty Shades of Grey. Recently, the author also revealed that her work on the Fifty Shades of Grey movie is what caused the Fifty Shades of Grey as told by Christian to come together.

So, how did this come about? Apparently, E.L. James’ stress on the set of Fifty Shades of Grey led to her writing the chapter from Christian's point of view that would go into Fifty Shades Freed. That led to a more extensive writing project, and the rest is history. Per the author,

In the back of the book of Fifty Shades Freed, when that came out, I actually put the first chapter of Fifty Shades of Grey in Christian’s point of view, just as a sort of bonus for readers, and people started asking me, ‘Oh, can you write this, can you write this, can you write this?’ And I didn’t have time and I didn’t expect to do it, but I had such a miserable time making the Fifty Shades of Grey movie that when I finished that I sat down and wrote that novel, and it was a really cathartic experience for me. I didn’t realize it would be quite as popular as it was.

The fact that director Sam Taylor-Johnson and E.L. James did not have the best relationship has been known for a while. Taylor-Johnson previously talked about how she and the author were not on the same wavelength, noting,

I like everyone, and I get really confused when they don't like me. I was so confused by EL James. I don't understand when I can't navigate a person, when there's no synergy.

However, E.L. James has been less blunt about her experience during the first movie in the trilogy, at least until now. In her interview with AZ Central, she touches on how unhappiness led to a fruitful writing breakthrough, but she still doesn’t get particularly gossipy about the experience.

I wish I could have been a fly on the wall on that set to see how the two interacted, however.

Ultimately, what E.L. James feels was kind of a rough situation turned out pretty happily. In general, fans seem to love the Fifty Shades of Grey movie, although Sam Taylor-Johnson did not return to the franchise.

In addition, Fifty Shades of Grey as told by Christian was given 1.25 million printings just for its initial run and the book sold over a million copies during its first week of release.

As has been common with the story of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele, critics have been less nice about the series, but fans have totally devoured it.

We’ll have to wait and see if a fourth Fifty Shades series book ever comes to fruition. However, you can catch the full trilogy of movies on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital now, or grab your own copy of new book The Mister.

So Christopher Nolan's Next Movie Won't Really Be Like North By Northwest Meets Inception?

So Christopher Nolan's Next Movie Won't Really Be Like North By Northwest Meets Inception?

It's been about a year and a half since the release of Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, and the acclaimed director's next film is still shrouded in mystery. Well, at least it was until new reports claimed that it was a romantic thriller that was a cross between North by Northwest and Inception. It was a concept that intrigued film fans, but it sounds like it's back to the guessing games because a new report claims that the last rumor is false.

Christopher Nolan is one of the most prestigious directors working today. He's the mind behind excellent movies like The Prestige and Memento, and gained mainstream popularity for his work on The Dark Knight Trilogy. He was finally nominated for an Oscar on his last film, 2017's Dunkirk, and since then movie fans have been eagerly awaiting to find out more details about his next project.

It seemed like those details had finally come when a report from Production Weekly claimed that Christopher Nolan's new film was described "as a romantic thriller, North by Northwest in tone meets Inception." Inception blew people's minds back in 2010, and North by Northwest is said to be one of the greatest films ever made, so it's a pretty cool mashup on paper.

However, it sounds like the update was off-base. A source told IGN the information provided by Production Weekly was inaccurate. No further elaboration was given, so it sounds like we are all back in the dark on this one.

On one hand, this can be seen as good news. Christopher Nolan has many strengths, but I don't know that I would say that romance is one of them. His films usually come off as being a bit colder and focused primarily on the drama or psychosis of his main character. That's not to say he does't have a great romantic thriller in him, but it's a bit of uncharted territory for Nolan.

For those who may not know, North by Northwest is a 1959 thriller from Alfred Hitchcock. It followed Cary Grant as a man with mistaken identity who winds up running across the country as he's swept up into a conspiracy. Even if you've never seen the film, you've probably seen the above image of Cary Grant running from an airplane recreated a dozen different times in pop culture.

Inception is one of Christopher Nolan's most well-known films, and it starred Leonardo DiCaprio as a thief who steals information by entering people's dreams.

At least we know one thing about Christopher Nolan's next movie: the release date. The movie is currently slated to arrive in theaters on July 17, 2020. There are lot of movies to look forward to until then, so be sure to learn about them all in our handy 2019 movie release guide.