The Lion King Director Jon Favreau Promises It'll Surprise Audiences

The Lion King Director Jon Favreau Promises It'll Surprise Audiences

The Lion King has a tough job balancing expectations ahead of its July release. On one hand, some fans like the heavy nostalgia factor. They like the recognizable scenes. They don't want many changes. On the other hand, why bother remaking The Lion King if it's going to look so similar to the beloved 1994 movie?

So now it's director Jon Favreau's job to convince everybody that The Lion King movie he's making is exactly the one they'll want:

The original holds up incredibly well, so the challenge here was to tell a story in a different way but still deliver on people's expectations while surprising them somehow.

Jon Favreau told USA Today the humor has been updated from the original animated movie, but the iconic moments are still there. He reiterated that it won't be a shot-for-shot remake.

That was a concern of some fans after the first "Circle of Life" teaser came out. Shortly after that, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures production chief Sean Bailey explained how the computer-animated Lion King wouldn't just repeat the past:

The Lion King is a revered and beloved movie, so you'd better revere and love those parts that the audience wants. But there are things in the movie that are going to be new. [And] it is a new form of filmmaking. Historical definitions don't work. It uses some techniques that would traditionally be called animation, and other techniques that would traditionally be called live action. It is an evolution of the technology Jon [Favreau] used in Jungle Book.

Jon Favreau has earned some credit on this front, not just for directing The Jungle Book in 2016, but also from his previous successes with Elf and Iron Man. So if Happy Hogan says surprises are ahead, hopefully they will be pleasant ones.

Unfortunately, change-averse fans have already shown their claws. There was instant criticism about the depiction of Scar in the most recent trailer.

So it's really going to be a challenge to please everyone. That's always the case, but these many upcoming Disney remakes are really putting themselves in a delicate position. Then again, it worked for The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and Maleficent.

Sometimes copying the past works, sometimes going in a very different direction works. And sometimes it just doesn't quite click with audiences, like the new Dumbo. The upcoming Aladdin movie is in a similar boat. Will Smith's Genie has been the focus of early criticism, but maybe most fans will end up loving the result. After all, the internet does not offer a full representation of the fandom, young or old. It's the box office that will be the true judge.

In one very good sign for The Lion King, the first teaser it dropped back in November broke Disney's record for trailer views. There's a lot of interest out there, and that does come with high expectations and early criticism. It would be worse if people didn't have anything to say at all.

The Lion King features the voice talents of Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, James Earl Jones back as Mufasa, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, Alfre Woodard as Sarabi, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar. The movie opens in theaters July 19, as one of the many films -- both Disney and non-Disney -- headed to theaters in 2019.

The Russo Brothers Respond To Avengers: Endgame’s Pre-Sale Numbers

The Russo Brothers Respond To Avengers: Endgame’s Pre-Sale Numbers

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is coming up on a very exciting time, as 21 movies and a decade of filmmaking are set to collide with Avengers: Endgame. Following the massive success and twist ending of Infinity War, all eyes are on how The Russo Brothers will follow up and continue the MCU's narrative. And clearly moviegoers are excited, as pre-sale tickets recently became available, and essentially broke the internet in the process.

Despite crashing multiple ticket seller's websites and apps, Marvel fans still managed to get their advanced tickets, ensuring they see Endgame without any spoilers ruining the twists and turns. In fact, the pre-sales went on to break records at sellers like Fandango and Atom. Co-directors The Russo Brothers were obviously psyched about this early reception, and took to social media to thank the fans. Check it out.

It looks like The Russo Brothers really appreciate the fandom, and their willingness to shell out money and run to theaters with each new Marvel blockbuster. To co-directors have proven themselves time and time again with their MCU installments, and the entire MCU as we know it will end with Avengers: Endgame.

The Russo Brothers' tweet once again shows how cognizant they are of Marvel fans, and the reception toward the massive shared universe. Marvel Studios always seems aware of fan reception, and has been known to alter things to better fit audiences. For instance, Danai Gurira's name was added to the latest Endgame poster after fans took umbrage with her snub. And just like Marvel is happy to pivot in order to please the audience, The Russo Brother can also celebrate the success and ticket sales of their Avengers movies.

While it's not a surprise that Avengers: Endgame is already breaking records, its still remarkable to see how well the blockbuster is tracking ahead of its release. Marvel movies consistently rake up the cash in the box office, and the anticipation ahead of Endgame is even stronger than normal. Infinity War exceeded all expectations and even picked up an Oscar nomination, but it also left audiences shocked by Thanos' victory. Moviegoers were left to watch in horror as beloved characters faded to dust, and it's been a long year of waiting until Endgame finally arrived to answer our countless questions.

Luckily, the wait is almost over. As such, Marvel Studios has been methodically releasing posters and brief trailers for the upcoming blockbuster. The Russo Brothers also admitted to including fake footage in marketing in order to throw off the fandom, so really anything could happen when Avengers: Endgame finally hits theaters. Which is exactly why so many people rushed to get pre-sale tickets, and break a few records in the process.

Avengers: Endgame will arrive in theaters on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

New Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Trailer Has Bruce Lee, Playboy Bunnies and More

New Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Trailer Has Bruce Lee, Playboy Bunnies and More

With Quentin Tarantino’s latest film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood debuting today at the Cannes Film Festival, there’s a new call from the director himself not to spoil the picture for the public who have yet to see the film. As if to shower the general public who have yet to see the film with some more love, Sony has released a new trailer for the long anticipated 9th film of Tarantino’s 10 film limit. The results are as hilarious and nutty as you could expect, and you can see them for yourself below:

The story of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood shows Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, Rick Dalton, starting to slip into a professional slump. With his worries of being a has-been in full gear, it’s up to his stunt double Cliff Booth, played by Brad Pitt, to try and lift his spirits. Though the friends look to have trouble headed their way, as Sharon Tate, Bruce Lee, and The Manson Family are all about to make their lives a lot more complicated.

Interestingly enough, this second look at Once Upon A Time In Hollywood shows us more glimpses of Margot Robbie’s performance as Sharon Tate, the actress whom the Manson Family would claim as a victim in the true history that this film seems to be playing around with. But as we all know, and have been reminded by Quentin Tarantino’s sly Inglorious Basterds nod through Rick Dalton’s film career, history is something he loves to mess around with.

Between the theories that Once Upon A Time In Hollywood will actually prevent this infamous murder from happening, plus the chairman of Sony Tom Rothman talking up the spoilerific ending that the film needs preserved, we’re inclined to believe that this ninth film is going to be as bonkers as the eight that came before it. And that’s meant as high praise.

Leonardo DiCaprio looks like he’s having the time of his life in this movie, and pairing him with Brad Pitt is one of those historical events that you wish would have happened a whole lot sooner. But no matter how long we had to wait for it, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood actually went and did it, and history is presumably all the better for it.

With a colorful cast that includes Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Timothy Olyphant, and the late Luke Perry, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood has a lot of promise in what we’ve seen so far, but promises a lot more once audiences unwrap the experience for themselves. So be sure to uphold that spoiler ban, you viewers at Cannes!

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood kicks its way into theaters on July 26th.

Black Panther's Chadwick Boseman Has One Blunt Response To All MCU Questions

Black Panther's Chadwick Boseman Has One Blunt Response To All MCU Questions

Tom Holland, take note. This is how not to spoil a Marvel movie. Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman recently went to CinemaCon to promote his new film 21 Bridges, but if you get a Marvel star in front of you, it's basically law that you have to ask about Avengers: Endgame. T'Challa was ready for that. He was also ready for follow-ups on Black Panther 2.

Like Lady Gaga before him, Chadwick Boseman went with one simple response to put on repeat for all MCU-related questions. And it was hilarious.

Interviewer: People are ready to see this movie [Avengers: Endgame].

Chadwick Boseman: Of course.

Interviewer: They're buying the tickets, it's nuts. How does that feel to know people love this film so much?

Chadwick Boseman: It's great, but I'm dead. So I can't answer any questions about that.

Interviewer: OK, so you don't want to give us a spoiler or anything like that.

Chadwick Boseman: I'm dead.

Interviewer: How about Black Panther 2, anything you can tell us?

Chadwick Boseman: I'm dead.

Interviewer: We're not ready for you to be dead, Chadwick!

Chadwick Boseman: But I am. I'm dead.

His "I'm dead" response instantly became a meme, of course. It's the ultimate deadpan reply, no pun intended, and now I kind of want to see him in dry comedy (like the soon-to-be-departing Veep).

The "I'm dead" clip is now making the rounds on Twitter, but his full interview was given to Access and starts with talk about the movie he was actually there to promote.

So many Marvel Cinematic Universe stars are in the exact same awkward position, and it's interesting to see how they handle it. We expect circumstances to change dramatically after Avengers: Endgame, and not just because that film will be closely followed by Spider-Man: Far From Home, starring Tom Holland as the also "dead" Peter Parker. Doctor Strange 2 is also in the works, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the also "dead" Dr. Strange. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is also back in the works with writer/director James Gunn, despite most of that group also getting snapped by Thanos at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. And of course we have Black Panther 2 as the follow-up to that $1.3 billion hit.

Right now, the Avengers: Endgame stars are on the press tour, but even the ones who didn't get snapped -- like the Original 6 -- can't really tell us much. And I wouldn't want them to. We only have a few more weeks to wait until the movie opens and can explain itself, and show us where we go from here in the next phase of the MCU. Let's see who is staying and who is going, and then we can probably come back and ask Chadwick Boseman about Black Panther 2.

Hopefully you had a chance to get your Avengers: Endgame tickets after they went on sale this past Tuesday. The world is going to be flooded with reactions after the film comes out, and one question will be on the fate of the Black Panther characters who are expected to return for Black Panther 2. That includes T'Challa but also Letitia Wright as Shuri, who was also snapped, and also the rest of the cast -- possibly even Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger, somehow. Danai Gurira's Okoye survived the snap, and she's featured on the main Avengers: Endgame poster, but it's not clear what her role will be in Avengers 4.

Answers, and probably more questions, are coming when Avengers: Endgame opens here on Friday, April 26. It's just one of the many movies worth keeping tracking of with our handy 2019 movie schedule.

6 Pokemon Movies We’d Like To See After Detective Pikachu

6 Pokemon Movies We’d Like To See After Detective Pikachu

Warning: spoilers for Pokemon: Detective Pikachu are in play. If you don’t want to be spoiled, head over to another story and come back once you’re current.

Over this past weekend, the world was more than kind to the unveiling of what represents the first step into a greater world, with the release of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. As the world of the Pokemon craze has finally hit the big screen in live-action, the possibilities are now endless.

But in a world where any Pokemon movie could happen, which ones should? There’s already a wealth of films that could come out of this first installment, and it’s a topic worthy of discussion.

In honor of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu’s impressive opening weekend, and in tribute to all of the Pokemon fans out there who made it so big, here’s a list of the next films we’d love to see come out of this burgeoning cinematic universe.

Detective Pikachu 2

The first suggestion is an obvious one, as Pokemon: Detective Pikachu could always use a direct sequel, and one is already in the works. With Justice Smith’s Tim Goodman now staying in Ryme City with his father, and his intent to try and become a detective, there’s definitely room for at least one more adventure with the Goodman family.

While it’d obviously have to be different than the first film, as Harry’s Pikachu wouldn’t have his consciousness in it this time, the wisecracks between father and son would basically serve the purpose that “Detective Pikachu” did in this first film. Also, the bonus is that we’d get to discover the personality of the actual Pikachu that Harry’s partnered up with, which is bound to be cute and informative.

Pokemon Snap

One of the most fondly remembered games in the Pokemon canon, Pokemon Snap has a pretty simple story to it. A young man by the name of Todd Snap is hired to take pictures of various Pokemon, in a region that doesn’t see a lot of human action. This allows anyone who wants to visit it access to some hard data about various species and their lives in the wild.

If that’s not a fantastic idea for a Pokemon film, then good luck finding another one. Pokemon Snap could be an adventure on the same level as Jurassic Park, with a small group of photographers joining Todd along for the ride. We’ve seen the miracle of Pokemon living with humans already, so seeing them undisturbed in the wild, along with any exciting consequences that come from when they are disturbed, seems like it’d be a lot of fun.

Team Rocket’s Origin Story

Confession time: when the mysterious substance “R” was revealed in Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, it felt like there was a setup in the works that would eventually reveal Team Rocket as a part of the cinematic universe. While that never panned out, it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to help expand that corner of the universe.

We already know that the events of Pokemon: The First Movie are canon, thanks to Mewtwo’s backstory folding it into Pokemon: Detective Pikachu. So going back to where it all began, and bringing that story into a live-action context, would be another great step to building the Pokemon stable of films.

A Pokemon: The First Movie Live-Action Remake

Another good thing about folding Pokemon: The First Movie into the canon that exists in the live-action film universe of Pokemon is the fact that, if the studio really wanted to, they could remake that classic original film. And remaking it into a live-action version would serve more of a purpose than just reviving nostalgia.

For starters, the story of Pokemon: The First Movie could be enhanced and retrofitted to slot in with Pokemon: Detective Pikachu’s story a lot better. Also, bringing back the adventures of Ash Ketcham and his dear friends in a new remake would set up an entire series of his adventures being brought to film, filling in the years in-between. Of course, there’s another reason that bringing Pokemon: The First Movie into the recent canon would work perfectly, and it’s to set up another new opportunity to tell a Pokemon-centric story.

A Brand New Mewtwo Stand-Alone Story

With Mewtwo wondering around the wilderness of the Pokemon universe for almost two decades, there’s a lot of story that could be told in that very window of opportunity. Much like Planet of the Apes’ Caesar, Mewtwo has a hell of a story to be told when dealing with his checkered past involving humanity.

And much like Pokemon Snap, this Mewtwo stand-alone adventure could take the action to a far off location in the more wooded areas past Ryme City, allowing for more open and wild adventures to take place. Throw in the fact that we might even get to see what Mew has been up to in the time that Mewtwo has been running wild, and that’s just more story for the taking in a Mewtwo movie.

Super Smash Bros: The Movie

Perhaps the greatest potential for a Pokemon follow-up movie is one that would take some heavy lifting, and years of preparation. With a roster of characters from games far and wide, Super Smash Bros is something that would excite fans of not only Pokemon, but also the greater video game universe. But even if you're not a dyed in the wool fan of this particular fighting series, being a fan of at least one of the properties represented will give you a way into the story of this particular film.

The game's simple story of combatants from all over being drawn together to fight for victory under a specific set of circumstances is basically The Avengers of video games, and taking that to the big screen would be a feat that would be so daunting, and yet so rewarding. If the creative team behind a Super Smash Bros movie nailed that concept on film, the payoff would be so great that there might be hope for other video game movies to get it right themselves. Also, Pikachu and Mewtwo are just two of the Pokemon available in that game, so the ties to the franchise run deeper than most would expect.

Six movies, each of them amazing examples of how Pokemon has set itself up to tell a story so great, it could chance the face of video game movies forever. In Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, Warner Bros and the creative team they've enlisted have proven that they truly understand the world of the franchise and what it needed to become a live-action crossover hit. Now it's time to push the envelope again, and choose to go places that this series, and video game films in general, haven't gone yet, if not for the studio's sake, then for the fans who are already enamored with Pokemon: Detective Pikachu.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu is in theaters now, waiting for Pokemon fans to understand the power that’s inside this new cinematic universe. But before we leave, we have a question: which of these potential Pokemon films do you want to see the most?

Use the poll below to tell us which of these prospects is your particular favorite, and don’t forget to explain your answer in the comments below!

Jumanji 3 Evolves Karen Gillan's Character In A Kickass Way, Jack Black Teases

Jumanji 3 Evolves Karen Gillan's Character In A Kickass Way, Jack Black Teases

Jumanji 3, or the direct sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle -- whatever you prefer to call it -- is now filming for its December 2019 release. The 2017 stars are back for the new as-yet-untitled movie. During a break from filming, and still in their characters' avatar outfits, Jack Black (Professor Sheldon Oberon) had co-star Karen Gillan (Ruby Roundhouse) on his Jablinski Games YouTube channel. Gillan played Crash Bandicoot while Black failed to get her to spill Avengers: Endgame spoilers. After she mentioned the game she was playing felt a little like Jumanji, Black offered some praise for Gillan's role in the new movie:

Also, I should say that Karen is kicking ass in the new Jumanji. Your character has evolved and now you've got more stuff and rad stuff to do this time. I can't say what, because that would be spoiler alerts.

Karen Gillan was flattered by the praise, and did some Britney Spears singing -- which you should watch in the video -- but she wasn't so flattered that she was willing to share Avengers: Endgame spoilers on what Nebula does next.

It's good to hear Karen Gillan's game avatar Ruby Roundhouse will have more to do in Jumanji 3. How does she evolve? Is there like a game upgrade that gives her more powers? Does she take over as leader of the group? It doesn't look like she gets a new outfit. Both Gillan and Jack Black were in the clothes we're used to seeing from their first movie. Kevin Hart also showed off a look from set showing his usual attire:

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has also been keeping fans updated on the Jumanji shoot, sharing set photos from the end of a week's filming:

We don't know the plot of Jumanji 3 at this point, but it's bringing back most of the cast from Welcome to the Jungle. That includes Nick Jonas, plus the actors who played the high school kids. This sequel has also added Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, and Dania Ramirez (so far) in mystery roles.

This is considered the third Jumanji movie because it continues the thread started with the Robin Williams Jumanji movie in 1995. His character was referenced in Welcome to the Jungle. The third movie is meant to be more tied to the second movie than the original, but they are all part of the same universe.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle took on Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 2017 and made some major money in the process. So Jumanji 3 appears to be trying for the same trick -- it's currently scheduled to open December 19, just a few days before Star Wars: Episode IX. Here's what else is headed to theaters in busy 2019.

Sean Gunn Explains Why Brother James Wasn’t At The Avengers: Endgame Premiere

Sean Gunn Explains Why Brother James Wasn’t At The Avengers: Endgame Premiere

Last night was the premiere of Avengers: Endgame. It was an event over 10 years in the making and nearly everybody who has ever been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was in attendance to see how the story came to an end. However, one person who was conspicuous by his absence was James Gunn. The Guardians of the Galaxy director did not attend the gala event last night, but according to his brother, Sean Gunn, explained that he was there in spirit.

To be fair, James Gunn certainly does have a lot of work on his plate right now. He has not one, but two blockbuster comic book team up movies to write and direct in the coming months. One of those, the sequel to Suicide Squad, is set to go before cameras before too long, so it's very possible that Gunn just couldn't pull himself away. If that script isn't ready, then there is work that needs to be done.

At the same time, for many, James Gunn is a man as directly linked to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise as any filmmaker is to any part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sean Gunn isn't just talking when he tells THR that James Gunn's thoughts are at the premiere, that has to be true. The director called the script to Guardians 3 "his heart" when he finished it.

James Gunn has certainly had one of the more interesting career paths of the last 10 months. The writer was fired from his position as director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 last July, following the unearthing of some less than flattering statements but was then rehired sometime later, though that fact only came to light recently. In the interim, Gunn had made the deal to write The Suicide Squad, and he will direct that movie before moving on to do Guardians 3 after all.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, James Gunn has kept something of a low profile ever since the events that led to his firing. Gunn used to be incredibly prolific on Twitter, but he left the service after issuing yet another apology for the tweets that got him in trouble. Since then, he's only tweeted three times. Once to thank the people who supported him after the news of his return to Marvel had been announced, and twice to help promote the upcoming film Brightburn which he helped produce.

Whether Gunn is still simply trying to stay out of the limelight, or he's truly buried in work, or some combination of the two, is hard to know, but it likely won't last too much longer. Once The Suicide Squad goes into production it will be hard to keep a low profile. The promotional machine, including social media, will be in full swing and DC likely won't want Gunn to stay quiet at that point.

If anything, it's too bad James Gunn wasn't at the premiere because by all accounts the movie is something special.