Doctor Who’s Matt Smith Denies Star Wars Episode IX Role

Doctor Who’s Matt Smith Denies Star Wars Episode IX Role

It's was just over six months ago when it was reported that, among the names like Keri Russell, Richard E. Grant and a returning Billy Dee Williams, former Doctor Who star Matt Smith was joining the cast of Star Wars Episode IX. We hadn't heard much since then, and the initial report seemed solid, so we all went on our merry way looking for more Star Wars details, but now it appears the initial report may not have been entirely accurate, as Smith himself now says he's not actually in the movie at all. According to Smith himself...

As far as I can tell, I’m definitely not

The quote comes courtesy of the L.A. Times who recently sat down with Smith for an interview. While the profile doesn't go any further than Smith's single quote, the statement does appear to be quite definitive.

The initial report from Variety said little more than that Smith would be in the movie, no information on his character was revealed. Still the source tended to be accurate and there was no initial denial from Smith or anybody else that the story wasn't true. Of course, there also wasn't a confirmation and many of those who have been cast have been able to admit it, even if they can't say much more than that.

If we wanted to believe that the initial report was true, there is certainly room to parse Matt Smith's statement in a number of different ways. Maybe Smith is in Star Wars Episode IX, but he'll play an alien, meaning we'll never actually see the actor himself on the screen. Maybe Smith filmed a scene, but he's already aware that it will likely be edited out of the final cut, meaning he was going to be in the movie, but now he won't be. That would explain the odd "as far as I can tell" part of the statement.

Of course, Matt Smith could also be straight up lying. It wouldn't be the first time that somebody just lied about the truth of a movie in order to attempt to keep a secret. Episode IX is being directed by J.J. Abrams after all, the same guy who directed Star Trek Into Darkness, the film where everybody swore up and down that Benedict Cumberbatch wasn't playing Khan, before we all saw the movie and learned he was totally playing Khan.

While these things are possible, the more likely scenario is that Smith is telling the truth and he's not in Star Wars Episode IX. Maybe he was in talks to be in the movie but those talks fell through. The news that Matt Smith had joined Star Wars: Episode IX came within only a few days of the news that Dominic Monaghan had also joined the cast. Maybe they were both up for the same role, and Smith lost out, then the rumor mill got its wires crossed. It wouldn't be the first time that happened either.

Or maybe the whole things was just a bunch of crap.

We'll know the truth one way or another this December when Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters.

Avengers Writers Reveal The Two Most Difficult Plot Points To Map Out For Infinity War And Endgame

Avengers Writers Reveal The Two Most Difficult Plot Points To Map Out For Infinity War And Endgame

Warning: SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame are ahead!

Although Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame didn’t end up being two halves of the same story, as was originally the plan, the movies were nonetheless closely tied to one another. That meant that writers Christoper Markus and Stephen McFeely had to pen these movies to both stand on their own and still ensure that they flowed smoothly together.

That’s no easy feat, and now that Avengers: Endgame is playing in theaters, Christoper Markus and Stephen McFeely have revealed that it was particularly difficult to map out where the now-infamous Snap and its reversal would be placed over these two movies. Regarding Thanos’ Snap, which occurred at the end of Avengers: Infinity War when the Mad Titan finally obtained the six Infinity Stones, Markus explained:

The biggest point was probably the Snap. And we realized fairly early on that if we didn’t do it at the end of the first movie, the first movie wasn’t going to have an end. And if we did it too early in the first movie, it would be a bit of an anticlimax after you’ve killed half the universe to have them stumbling around for half an hour.

Given that Avengers: Infinity War revolved around Thanos’ quest for the Infinity Stones, to the point that he basically served as the movie’s main character, it was a wise course of action to have him fulfill this goal at the end. It delivered a kind of shocking ending that the MCU has never delivered before, and had Thanos filled all the slots in his Infinity Gauntlet too early, then that would have infringed on Avengers: Endgame’s territory too much.

Instead, because the Snap that wiped out half of all life in the universe wrapped up the insanity that was Avengers: Infinity War, fans had to sit with that for a year, with Ant-Man and the Wasp and Captain Marvel providing no clues about how this genocide would be undone. Which brings us to Avengers: Endgame, which has been breaking box office records left and right.

As was expected, Avengers: Endgame saw those who were dusted in Avengers: Infinity War being brought back to life, and this emotional restoration occurred at the beginning of Endgame’s third act. Regarding how he and his writing partner decided when to have this occur, Stephen McFeely told The New York Times:

Another big plot point is when everyone comes back. So the question is, is it early in the second movie? Late in the second movie? You notice the players left on the board are the O.G. Avengers [Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye], and let’s give them their due. It meant that we were likely going to bring people back late. So that if you were a big fan of Doctor Strange or Black Panther or Bucky [the Winter Soldier] or Sam [the Falcon], you’re only going to get a little brief window on them. It can’t be all things to all people.

Avengers: Endgame picked up a few weeks after Avengers: Infinity War, and although the surviving MCU heroes were eventually able to track down Thanos’ location, the Mad Titan had already used the power of the six Infinity Stones to destroy them, ensuring that his work couldn’t be undone. Beheading Thanos may have been cathartic for Thor, but it didn’t bring his friends back.

Five years later, thanks to Scott Lang’s return, these heroes went on a time heist through the Quantum Realm to retrieve the Infinity Stones at different points in the past, bring them back to 2023 and harness their power for themselves using a nanotech-powered Infinity Gauntlet Tony Stark designed. Hulk put on the Gauntlet, snapped his fingers and undid The Decimation, although it was a while until the un-dusted characters resurfaced to help turn the tide of the battle against past Thanos and his forces.

Although Avengers: Endgame featured some newer heroes like Ant-Man and Captain Marvel, as Stephen McFeely noted, it primarily highlighted the original six of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, who haven’t been all together since Avengers: Age of Ultron. With Endgame serving as the penultimate installment of Phase 3 and the conclusion of the Infinity Saga, it was important that these characters reunite one last time, as it was expected there wouldn’t be another opportunity to do so.

Sure enough, both Iron Man and Black Widow died during Avengers: Endgame, and while the latter has her own standalone movie on the way, given these latest events, the reports about it being a prequel appear right on the money. So while it is intriguing to imagine what it would have looked like if the dusted heroes had returned earlier in Endgame, their late arrival in the final version was warranted.

The Marvel Cameos We Never Expected To See In Avengers: Endgame

Fortunately, it’s not like we won’t be seeing any more of these particular heroes in the coming years. Spider-Man, Black Panther, Doctor Strange and the Guardians of the Galaxy all have more movies on the way, and it’s a good bet that Captain Marvel and Ant-Man and the Wasp will get follow-ups as well.

Then there are the TV shows being lined up for Disney+, which include Loki, WandaVision, Falcon and Winter Soldier and Hawkeye. Avengers: Endgame arguably set the stage for Falcon and Winter Soldier’s upcoming adventures the best, as an elderly Steve Rogers, who stayed in the past to live his life with Peggy Carter after returning the Infinity Stones to their proper places in time, passed the Captain America mantle onto Falcon, a.k.a. Sam Wilson.

There were a lot of moving pieces to Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and maybe when the latter is released on home media later this year, we’ll get a better idea of what could have been. Still, given the positive critical reception both movies received, it seems like Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely made the right call with plotting out the biggest plot points.

Don’t forget to read CinemaBlend’s review of Avengers: Endgame and keep checking back for more news about the movie. Those of you already looking to the MCU’s future can learn what’s coming up in our handy Marvel movies guide, or you can learn what other movies are opening later this year in our 2019 release schedule.

How A Dog's Journey's Opening Box Office Compares To A Dog's Purpose

How A Dog's Journey's Opening Box Office Compares To A Dog's Purpose

John Wick: Chapter 3 is not the only movie going to the dogs this weekend. A Dog's Journey also just opened May 17, as a direct sequel to the 2017 movie A Dog's Purpose. It's also the second movie adaptation of a W. Bruce Cameron book to open in 2019, after A Dog's Way Home.

Is that too many doggone dog movies? Maybe. That could be why A Dog's Journey had the lowest opening of the trio. Or it could just purely be from too much other competition.

A Dog's Journey just opened to $8 million, putting it in 4th place on the weekend box office chart, behind John Wick 3, Avengers: Endgame, and Detective Pikachu.

That $8 million debut is significantly less than the $18.2 million A Dog's Purpose made in its January 2017 opening weekend. A Dog's Way Home also had a higher debut, making $11.2 million in January 2019.

A Dog's Purpose opened amid controversy after set footage emerged showing a German Shepherd being dragged into rushing water. Josh Gad, who voiced the dogs in the movie, said he was "shaken and sad" to see any animal forced into a situation against its will. The film's Los Angeles premiere was cancelled. But the film went on to make $64.5 million at the domestic box office and $140.5 million worldwide, off a $22 production budget, per Box Office Mojo.

Josh Gad returned for the sequel A Dog's Journey, along with Dennis Quaid as Ethan Montgomery. That film just doesn't seem to be on track for the same box office success as A Dog's Purpose. Why not? Possibly because A Dog's Way Home just came out in January and made $42 million at the domestic box office, and $34 million overseas. Or maybe fans were just too interested in seeing Avengers: Endgame again, or Detective Pikachu.

Critics didn't care much for A Dog's Journey, giving it a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But the same is true for A Dog's Purpose, which got an even lower 34% rating from critics, but a 73% Audience Score from fans. A Dog's Journey got an even higher boost with a whopping 95% RT Audience Score, and an A CinemaScore from polled moviegoers. A Dog's Purpose also got an A CinemaScore, with A Dog's Way Home getting an A-.

So the fans who saw A Dog's Journey seemed to love it, there just haven't been that many fans heading out to see it yet. Memorial Day weekend is coming up, though, so maybe some parents are just waiting until the kids have more time off. But The Secret Life of Pets 2 is coming soon to steal family time and pet-loving attention, so A Dog's Journey needs to hurry up and find an audience or it'll be stuck in the box office dog house.

John Boyega Is Super Psyched For Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

John Boyega Is Super Psyched For Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

It's a very exciting time for Star Wars fans, as we're just a series of months away from the release of The Rise of Skywalker. J.J. Abram's highly anticipated blockbuster will end the Skywalker Saga forever. And all eyes are on how the nine-film narrative will finally be wrapped up. And aside from Episode IX's upcoming arrival, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will also open to immerse generations of fans into the beloved space opera.

We're just days away from the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, and the fans are eager to see what the theme park will include, and how it'll help to expand the galaxy far, far away. But the cast of the franchise is also excited to for the park's opening-- especially John Boyega. The Finn actor recently posted about his excitement on social media, check it out:

While John Boyega might not be at the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, the 27-year old actor is excited for fans to meet the cast that's been assembled to bring the theme park to life. What's more, it looks like his character Finn will have a role in one of the highly anticipated new rides.

John Boyega's Instagram post shows the crew of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, assembled before the droves of theme park denizens descend to see everything the attraction is capable of. The new park looks cool enough to get any self-respecting Star Wars fan excited-- complete with a massive Millennium Falcon. And with just a few months left before The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters, Galaxy's Edge is the perfect way to satiate fans while they patiently wait for the franchise's return to theaters.

It should be interesting to see how much of a presence Finn has in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, especially since we don't know how the former Stormtrooper ends up during The Rise of Skywalker. John Boyega teased he had a role in one of the upcoming rides, and the most likely is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. The upcoming attraction will focus on the battle against the First Order, which is something that Finn knows a thing or two about as a protagonist of the current trilogy.

But the other ride, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run doesn't seem out of the question for a Finn appearance. The character has spent plenty of time aboard the iconic vessel, especially in The Force Awakens. And with the heroes teased to stay together during the events of Episode IX, smart money says Finn will be boarding the Falcon before too long.

Related: Rian Johnson Praises 'Freakin Unbelievable' Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (And Its Delicious Green Milk)

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will no doubt make a ton of money, and attract countless theme park visitors to its attractions. And with The Rise of Skywalker arriving so shortly after its release, smart money says the park will go through changes following the blockbuster's release. But considering how closely the property guards its secrets, there's no telling what might go down in the next release.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will officially open in Disneyland on May 31st, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will arrive in theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Rocketman Will Debut A New Elton John Duet With Taron Egerton

Rocketman Will Debut A New Elton John Duet With Taron Egerton

Rocketman is the movie that will tell the sort of true story of Elton John, and as such, you can be sure the movie will be filled with many of the singer/songwriter's greatest tunes. However, in addition to the songs you know, the film will also include one brand new song, which will be a duet between the real Elton John and the man who plays him on screen, Taron Egerton.

The song, titled “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” was written by Elton John and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin specifically for the new film. The song's existence was confirmed by the release of the movie's full soundtrack listing. The song is the last of 22 tracks, which leads Variety to believe the song will likely play over the closing credits of the film.

One way that this new song separates Rocketman from Bohemian Rhapsody, which is the recent film that Rocketman is getting comparisons to, is that it gives the former film a shot at competing for an Oscar that Rhapsody, with all its nominations, wasn't able to be in the running for, Best Original Song. “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” is a brand new song written specifically for Rocketman which will likely make it a strong contender in the category regardless of how well the rest of the movie is received.

Interestingly, the brand new song appears to be the only place where Elton John's actual voice will be heard on the Rocketman soundtrack, and by extension, in the film itself. Unlike the recent Bohemian Rhapsody, where most of the vocals were from original Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, in Rocketman, all the music is actually being sung by Taron Egerton.

If you're interested in hearing how Taron Egerton sounds singing the music as Elton John, the first single from the film has been released, with Egerton performing the title song "Rocket Man." Check it out below.

While Rocketman is still essentially a biopic of Elton John, the trailers have shown that the movie will have a bit of the fantastic added in for good measure. It's a bit more of a traditional musical structure with characters bursting into song and dance rather than simply seeing songs performed as part of concerts or recording sessions.

Rocketman arrives in theaters may 31. if you can't wait to hear all the music from the new film, the soundtrack will be available a week earlier on May 24.

New Dark Phoenix Clip Has The Mutants Debating What To Do With Jean

New Dark Phoenix Clip Has The Mutants Debating What To Do With Jean

It's no secret that comic book movies are everywhere. The superhero genre has been dominating the filmmaking world for years, with a variety of studios working on their own cinematic universes. But the X-Men franchise was there before any of it, dating back to the original film's release in 2000. The long-running property looks like it's coming to an end with Simon Kinberg's Dark Phoenix, the whopping 12th film in the series.

Dark Phoenix is the X-Men franchise's second go at the titular comic book plot, putting Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner in the spotlight as Jean Grey. Jean's terrifying cosmic power will divide the mutants after they take over her body and mind, and a new clip teased that coming conflict. Check it out.

Does anyone else have chills? Despite the X-Men's long tenure in theaters, it looks like new ground is being broken with Dark Phoenix. And Jean Grey's struggle with the Phoenix Force will also cause new alliances to be formed

This new Dark Phoenix clip shows the mutants in Central Park. It looks like Jean has traveled to New York City during her conflict with the Phoenix Force, and both the X-Men and Brotherhood are attempting to find her. Professor X and Magneto share some choice words with each other, debating what Jean had done, and the implications that come with the two groups doing battle with each other.

Obviously what the character are referencing is Jean's (accidental?) murder of Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique. Mystique's death was spoiled during the full Dark Phoenix trailer, and looks like that action will have a grave affect on the rest of the characters, as well as the blockbuster as a whole. And from this new clip, it looks like X-Men have already begun defecting to Magneto's cause.

Most notably, it looks like Nicholas Hoult's Beast is going to be joining the villain side of the argument when Dark Phoenix arrives in theaters. This plot twist certainly tracks, as Beast and Mystique shared a romantic connection, most notably in First Class. It looks like her death will hit the big blue guy hard, and he's on a mission for justice regarding Sophie Turner's character.

Related: Looks Like Dark Phoenix Might Have The Smallest Opening Of The X-Men Franchise

Dark Phoenix was reportedly always planned to be the final installment in the long-running X-Men franchise, so it should be interesting to see what narrative choices Simon Kinberg and his team settle on. If its truly poised to be the grand finale, Kinberg should be able to kill off as many characters as he wants, with no real consequences. So perhaps Mystique isn't the only mutant to meet the wrath of Jean's new abilities.

Luckily, answers are coming shorty. Dark Phoenix will arrive in theaters on June 7, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

New Movie Releases: 2019 Movie Release Date Schedule

New Movie Releases: 2019 Movie Release Date Schedule

If you've kept tabs on all of the goodies coming to the box office in 2019, you already know there are some big titles coming up. It's a list that includes everything from Avengers: Endgame to Jumanji 3. There's a crazy number of exciting projects on the horizon, and it's never too early (or too late) to take a look at the yearly release schedule. The dates below are still subject to change, but if you want to stay in the know you should bookmark this page and come back often for updates.

If you are looking into what came out in 2018, we have you covered. This list puts all of the titles we know are coming in 2019 into order by release date. So, without further delay, here is 2019's box office schedule as it currently stands:

Escape Room - Friday, January 4th

A Dog's Way Home - Friday, January 11th

Replicas - Friday, January 11th

The Upside - Friday, January 11th

Glass - Friday, January 18th

The Kid Who Would Be King - Friday, January 25th

Serenity - Friday, January 25th

Miss Bala - Friday, February 1st

Cold Pursuit - Friday, February 8th

Everybody Knows - Friday, February 8th

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part - Friday, February 8th

The Prodigy - Friday, February 8th

What Men Want - Friday, February 8th

Birds of Passage - Wednesday, February 13th

Happy Death Day 2 U - Wednesday, February 13th

Isn't It Romantic - Wednesday, February 13th

Alita: Battle Angel - Thursday, February 14th

Fighting With My Family - Thursday, February 14th (limited)

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - Friday, February 22nd

Rhythm Section - Friday, February 22nd

Total Dhamaal - Friday, February 22nd

Chaos Walking - Friday, March 1st

Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral - Friday, March 1st

Captain Marvel - Friday, March 8th

The Aftermath - Friday, March 15th (limited)

Five Feet Apart - Friday, March 15th

Wonder Park - Friday, March 15th

The Beach Bum - Friday, March 22nd (limited)

Greyhound - Friday, March 22nd

Hotel Mumbai - Friday, March 22nd

The Informer - Friday, March 22nd

Us - Friday, March 22nd

Dumbo - Friday, March 29th

Unplanned - Friday, March 29th

The Best of Enemies - Friday, April 5th

Pet Sematary - Friday, April 5th

Peterloo - Friday, April 5th (limited)

Shazam! - Friday, April 5th

Teen Spirit - Friday, April 5th (limited)

After - Friday, April 12th

Hellboy - Friday, April 12th

High Life - Friday, April 12th

Little - Friday, April 12th

Missing Link - Friday, April 12th

Penguins - Wednesday, April 17th

Breakthrough - Friday, April 17th

The Curse of La Llorona - Friday, April 19th

Under the Silver Lake - Friday, April 19th (limited)

Avengers: Endgame - Friday, April 26th

El Chicano - Friday, May 3rd

The Intruder - Friday, May 3rd

Uglydolls - Friday, May 3rd

Long Shot - Friday, May 3rd

Detective Pikachu - Friday, May 10th

The Hustle - Friday, May 10th

Poms - Friday, May 10th

Tolkien - Friday, May 10th

A Dog's Journey - Friday, May 17th

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum - Friday, May 17th

The Sun Is Also A Star - Friday, May 17th

Aladdin - Friday, May 24th

Booksmart - Friday, May 24th

BrightBurn - Friday, May 24th

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters - Friday, May 31st

Ma - Friday, May 31st

Rocketman - Friday, May 31st

Dark Phoenix - Friday, June 7th

Late Night - Friday, June 7th

The Secret Life of Pets 2 - Friday, June 7th

Men in Black International - Friday, June 14th

Shaft - Friday, June 14th

Anna - Friday, June 21st

Child's Play - Friday, June 21st

Toy Story 4 - Friday, June 21st

Annabelle Comes Home - Friday, June 28th

Yesterday - Friday, June 28th

Midsommar - Wednesday, July 3rd

Spider-Man: Far from Home - Friday, July 5th

21 Bridges - Friday, July 12th

Crawl - Friday, July 12th

Stuber - Friday, July 12th

The Lion King - Friday, July 19th

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Friday, July 26th

The Boy II - Friday, July 26th

Dora and the Lost City of Gold - Wednesday, July 31nd

Hobbs & Shaw - Friday, August 2nd

New Mutants - Friday, August 2nd

Artemis Fowl - Friday, August 9th

Brian Banks - Friday, August 9th

The Kitchen - Friday, August 9th

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark - Friday, August 9th

Blinded by the Light - Wednesday, August 14th

47 Meters Down: Uncaged - Friday, August 16th

The Angry Birds Movie 2 - Friday, August 16th

Boss Level - Friday, August 16th

Good Boys - Friday, August 16th

The Informer - Friday, August 16th

PLAYMOBIL - Friday, August 16th

Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Friday, August 16th

Angel Has Fallen - Friday, August 23rd

Overcomer - Friday, August 23rd

IT: Chapter 2 - Friday, September 6th

The Goldfinch - Friday, September 13th

Hustlers - Friday, September 13th

Spies in Disguise - Friday, September 13th

Black and Blue - Friday, September 20th (limited)

Rambo: Last Blood - Friday, September 20th (limited)

Downton Abbey - Friday, September 20th (limited)

Abominable - Friday, September 27th

The Art Of Racing In The Rain - Friday, September 27th

The Hunt - Friday, September 27th

Judy - Friday, September 27th

Joker - Friday, October 4th

The Woman In The Window - Friday, October 4th

Gemini Man - Friday, October 11th

Zombieland 2: Double Tap - Friday, October 11th

The Addams Family - Friday, October 18th

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil - Friday, October 18th

Bad Trip - Friday, October 25th

Arctic Dogs - Friday, November 1st

Motherless Brooklyn - Friday, November 1st

Terminator: Dark Fate - Friday, November 1st

Doctor Sleep - Friday, November 8th

Midway - Friday, November 8th

Sonic The Hedgehog - Friday, November 8th

Charlie's Angels - Friday, November 15th

Ford vs Ferrari - Friday, November 15th

The Good Liar - Friday, November 15th

Last Christmas - Friday, November 15th

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborood - Friday, November 22nd

Frozen 2 - Friday, November 22nd

Rhythm Section - Friday, November 22nd

Knives Out - Wednesday, November 27th

Queen & Slim - Wednesday, November 27th

Jumanji Sequel -- Friday, December 13th

Untitled Blumhouse Productions Project II - Friday, December 13th

Cats - Friday, December 20th

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Friday, December 20th

Superintelligence - Friday, December 20th

1917 - Wednesday, December 25th

The Call Of The Wild - Wednesday, December 25th

Little Women - Wednesday, December 25th

Are there any movies you are most excited for? Any bombs you see coming a mile away? Be sure to swing back and let us know.