Detailed Photo Of Anakin’s Burn Makeup From Revenge Of The Sith Resurfaces

Detailed Photo Of Anakin’s Burn Makeup From Revenge Of The Sith Resurfaces

When Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith came out in 2005, there was one moment that a lot of Star Wars fans were looking forward to: the epic fight between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi that would result in the former being horribly injured. The end result didn’t disappoint, as in addition to most of his libs being sliced off, Anakin was burned beyond recognition. Now a photo from Revenge of the Sith’s production has resurfaced providing a closer look at Hayden Christensen wearing this burn makeup. Check it out!

Say what you will about the Star Wars prequel trilogy, but on the makeup, art design and costumes front, those movies did a tremendous job. This makeup applied to Hayden Christensen (as posted on Reddit) in particular looks good, and serves as a reminder to those in the Star Wars universe why Mustafar is not a popular vacation spot. In all seriousness though, I can’t imagine it was fun to Christensen to sit for however long it took to make him look like a burn victim, but since Anakin only appears like this for at most a couple minutes in Revenge of the Sith, at least this wasn’t something he and the makeup team had to spend an exorbitant time on during principal photography.

In case it’s been a while since you last watched Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi locked lightsaber blades on Mustafar after nearly all the Jedi in the galaxy has been killed by Order 66 and Anakin slaughtered the Separatist leadership on the lava planet. After seeing Anakin start to kill Padme Amidala with a Force choke, Obi-Wan, having snuck aboard the Naboo senator’s ship, realized that his apprentice was too far gone, and one lightsaber duel later, Ob-Wan came out victorious by finding the high ground. He believed Anakin would die from his injuries and massive burning, but because Emperor Palpatine arrived in the nick of time, Anakin was brought back to Coruscant and turned into the cybernetic Darth Vader we love and fear… more the latter.

While Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was Hayden Christensen’s final appearance in the Star Wars franchise, within the Star Wars timeline, he’d appear once more. Starting with the 2004 DVD release of the original Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi now features Christensen as Anakin Skywalker as a Force ghost alongside of the phantasmic Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda in place of the original actor, Sebastian Shaw. And just like with Shaw, Christensen’s Anakin was no longer scarred and burned, looking as he did in his prime. This is further proof that it pays to turn back to the light side of the Force at the last minute.

The Star Wars saga continues on December 20 with the release of Star Wars: Episode IX, the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga. If you’re interested in learning what other Star Wars projects are in the works, look through our handy guide.

How Detective Pikachu May Set The Stage For Major Pokemon Character Ash Ketchum

How Detective Pikachu May Set The Stage For Major Pokemon Character Ash Ketchum

Warning! The following contains spoilers for Detective Pikachu. Read at your own risk!

Detective Pikachu is a great movie, and a wonderful nostalgia trip for those who were a part of Pokemon's original run 20-plus years ago - but there are bits of the film where older fans may have been a bit out of the loop. Those only familiar with the franchise up to the 151st Pokemon may have missed some of the deep cut references to successive games, not to mention been unfamiliar with some of the new species that are prominently featured. It still makes for a fun time at the cineplex, but imagine if there was a movie that focused on the Pokemon of the late 1990s.

Not to get anyone's hopes too high, but there's a possibility something like that could happen now that the new film is a hit. You may have missed it, but Detective Pikachu has a very subtle reference to past stories that very well could tie the movie into the anime world of Pokemon and the franchise's most famous human character. To spell it all out, below you'll find the details behind the reference that some may have missed, and an exploration into how it may set the stage for a popular figure who didn't appear in the film: Ash Ketchum.

Detective Pikachu's Reference To The Pokemon Anime And Pokemon: The First Movie

Detective Pikachu does a lot to establish Rhyme City as a part of the greater Pokemon universe, and surprisingly added a bit that may tie in the movie with the actual canon of the Pokemon anime and Pokemon: The First Movie. The moment comes when Tim, Pikachu, Lucy, and Psyduck explore Clifford Industries' lab, and learn more about the mysterious origins of the Pokemon, Mewtwo.

In a bit of dialogue, it's revealed that Clifford Industries managed to catch Mewtwo after it escaped the Kanto region 20 years ago. In the Pokemon anime, Mewtwo was in the possession of Viridian City Gym Leader and leader of the Team Rocket syndicate Giovanni, who operates in the Kanto region. Giovanni used Mewtwo (who was subdued with electronics) to defeat Ash's rival Gary in a gym battle. Mewtwo escaped shortly after that, which became the basis for Pokemon: The First Movie.

What makes this reference all the more interesting is the revelation that it happened 20 years ago, which is essentially how long it's been since Pokemon: The First Movie was released in theaters. It could be a coincidence, but there's something really intentional about that time frame that seems to show Detective Pikachu is wanting to align itself with the show's original canon.

Why Didn't Detective Pikachu Reference Ash Ketchum Then?

If researchers knew of Mewtwo's escape, then why didn't they know about Ash, Misty, Brock, or Team Rocket? Better yet, considering Tim believed he was going up against one of the strongest Pokemon in existence, why didn't he ring up one of the world's most prolific Pokemon trainers for some advice on how to bring him down?

There's actually a rather simple explanation for this: Ash Ketchum and his friends don't remember their encounter with Mewtwo. The powerful psychic Pokemon ended up wiping everyone's memory following the climax of Pokemon: The First Movie, and the characters resumed their lives as though nothing had ever happened. So, if Ash saw the news about Mewtwo in Rhyme City, he was probably just as shocked and as oblivious as anyone else who may have seen it.

While Mewtwo doesn't make any reference to Ash in Detective Pikachu, there are parts that imply he lived through the events of Pokemon: The First Movie. For example, he seemed far less ruthless and more forgiving of human kind in Detective Pikachu, whereas the version featured pre-Pokemon: The First Movie would've turned all the humans he encountered to stone really quickly. Fortunately, he only had to turn Ash to stone that one time to figure out it was a terrible idea he should never replicate.

Where Is Ash Ketchum In The Detective Pikachu World?

Ash was a little older than 10 when he faced off against Mewtwo, which would make him around 30 years old when the events of Detective Pikachu go down. Like most cartoon characters, Ash is basically ageless in the Pokemon anime, but while that would be an absolutely riveting plot point to tackle in a Detective Pikachu sequel, it feels more likely he would show up as an seasoned Pokemon Trainer played by an adult actor.

Ash travels around a lot, and he's gotten into some crazy situations. If Tim managed to run into Ash in the midst of some big mystery it wouldn't be the least bit surprising, and the two might even join forces. Of course, the question is, is there really a need for Detective Pikachu 2?

It would appear that Tim's issues are largely resolved with his father back in his life. Tim could still have some adventures with his dad and a non-speaking Pikachu sidekick, but that doesn't sound nearly as cool as the general premise. Ash Ketchum would certainly sweeten the deal, but maybe not enough that audiences would sign on for another Detective Pikachu where Ryan Reynolds isn't the voice of the yellow mouse.

Will Detective Pikachu Lead To A 90s Pokemon Film?

Detective Pikachu's mention of Mewtwo's origins could be the link needed for the franchise to take a trip back in time, making a movie that could potentially use Ash Ketchum as a way of telling the origin story of Mewtwo once again. Yes, it would essentially be a live-action remake of Pokemon: The First Movie, but could be completely different than the film with which American audiences are familiar.

For those that aren't aware, the story differences between the Japanese and American versions of that Pokemon movie are substantial. In fact, it's fair to say they're basically entirely separate movies, as the American version of Pokemon: The Movie was heavily edited and had its script changed to cater to American audiences. Had they stuck with the original, Americans could've had a deeply nuanced story about Mewtwo, his existential crisis, and a movie that honestly made the diminutive Mew seem like the true villain.

It's a story far better than what the American version of Pokemon: The First Movie delivered, which essentially stated that fighting is wrong in a franchise where the world's entire economy revolves around fighting. Now, Detective Pikachu has presented an opportunity to tell that story right if it wants to, and the company could retcon a very bad Pokemon feature and give America its first live-action Ash Ketchum in the process. Sounds like a win-win to me!

Should Ash Ketchum appear in the next Pokemon movie? Is remaking Pokemon: The First Movie a good idea? Sound off in the comments below, and be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for all updates regarding movies, television, and pop culture.

It Doesn't Look Like Keanu Reeves Is Retiring From John Wick Anytime Soon

It Doesn't Look Like Keanu Reeves Is Retiring From John Wick Anytime Soon

When the John Wick franchise started, John Wick was a retired man, and he had every intention of staying that way until Theon Greyjoy’s poor decision-making seeped across franchises and brought him out of retirement. That set off a series of events and now John Wick is back, and even with John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arriving this month, Keanu Reeves doesn’t look to be retiring from the character anytime soon. Speaking about the franchise's future, Keanu Reeves said:

It’s not really up to me. Well, eventually. But the opportunity to do it was up to the audience, right? And that’s up to if whether we made a film that people enjoy or not.

There you have it, folks: if you want to see more John Wick, the answer is to vote with your dollar, because that’s what gives Keanu Reeves the opportunity to keep playing Baba Yaga. As long as the audience still cares, enjoys these movies and goes to see them, John Wick can keep racking up kills for years to come.

Keanu Reeves said it’s not up to him how long the John Wick franchise goes, and that's true in many respects. That said, if it were up to him, it seems that he would choose to keep playing the character for the foreseeable future as he seems to genuinely enjoy it.

Eventually the actor may run out of steam since John Wick is certainly a more physically exhausting role than Keanu Reeves’ rom-com parts or Duke Caboom in Toy Story 4. But at the moment, he’s good to go and hasn’t lost any interest in playing John Wick, and thus has no plans on retiring from him anytime soon.

This is bad news for the character John Wick, who at this point has to be in desperate need of a nap, a shower and serious medical attention, but it's good news for fans of the franchise. As much as we all want John Wick to find happiness and walk off into the sunset, his dog by his side with no more deaths left to deal, John Wick being back in the hitman business is too entertaining to call for his retirement just yet.

Keanu Reeves has expressed his enthusiasm for the John Wick franchise before, and his John Wick: Chapter 3 co-star Ian McShane figures it could go for another decade. That’s quite a lofty prediction, but considering that John Wick: Chapter 2 basically doubled the domestic and worldwide box office of the first film, and Parabellum is tracking to open even bigger than its predecessors, who knows, maybe in a few years John Wick will be Keanu Reeves’ most iconic character instead of Neo.

In his conversation with Uproxx, Keanu Reeves mentioned that the continuation of the franchise is dependent on the audience and ultimately whether or not the film is good and people enjoy it. At least on that end, it would appear that requirement has been fulfilled.

The early reactions to John Wick: Chapter 3 are very positive and indicate that the threequel continues to up the ante for cinematic action while expanding the scope and world of the film, opening up possibilities for future installments in the franchise. That bodes well for John Wick's retirement being postponed indefinitely.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum opens in theaters on May 17. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all of the big movies you can look forward to this summer.

Why Us Kicks Off With That Hands Across America Ad

Why Us Kicks Off With That Hands Across America Ad

The following contains spoilers for Us.

Three's a lot of odd, strange, and bizarre stuff going on in Jordan Peele's new film Us. However, one of the strangest things has to be the movie's opening scene. The film opens on a little girl watching television in the 1980s. Specifically, she views a commercial for the 1986 fundraising event Hands Across America. The ad isn't entirely random, as the event has a part to play in the larger story of Us. In fact, it sort of sets the tone for the entire movie, which is apparently why Jordan Peele decided to open the movie with it.

In addition to the Hands Across America commercial being important to the plot of Us, it also mirrors the film itself, because while the ad wants to be full of hope and optimism, Jordan Peele actually had a very different reaction to it. It seems that ultimately, it was the commercial which helped the writer and director figure out what he wanted to do with the movie, which is why he decided to open the film with it. According to Peele...

Old creepy commercials also come up in both, ones from the ’80s. In conceiving this movie, I arrived at the Hands Across America commercial from one of these moments of feeling as opposed to thinking. I found a real Hands Across America commercial — I don’t know what I was searching to find it, but I just had this feeling of dread watching the amusing, bright optimism on display. It took me back to a time where I was also afraid and young and vulnerable, and didn’t really know what was going on. So I probably said, ‘what if this was the first scene in the movie?’ And that began to answer questions about what I was working towards.

I'm old enough to remember the actual Hands Across America, but I'm never going to be able to think about it the same way again thanks to Us. The unwavering optimism of it all is almost terrifying, which is part of the point. Everything looks good but there's a feeling of something wrong underneath, which is exactly was Us is trying to say.

The first part of Us takes place in 1986, the same year that Hands Across America took place, but as we learn later in the movie, the commercial wasn't simply set to help set the time and place. The actual event has a part to play. Based on what Jordan Peele tells Polygon, it sounds like connecting his story to Hands Across America helped him figure out where to take the characters in his script, as he'd still had some questions previously.

It was certainly a unique and interesting way to open a movie, not to mention effective. The choice to use the commercial makes the audience wonder just what they're seeing and why, throwing them a little off balance for the story that is to come.

Us is in theaters now.

Why Avengers: Endgame Can’t Really Be Affected By The Captain Marvel Movie

Why Avengers: Endgame Can’t Really Be Affected By The Captain Marvel Movie

The way that Marvel Studios maps out its releases, there are very few coincidences, but more than a few happy accidents. For example, Spider-Man (Tom Holland) was only inserted into Captain America: Civil War after it was known that Sony would share the rights to the character, which also led to Spider-Man: Homecoming.

But contrary to popular belief, the current MCU blockbuster, Captain Marvel, can’t really have as big of an impact on this month’s Avengers: Endgame, for a very specific reason: Namely, Joe and Anthony Russo planned out and actually shot the bulk of Endgame long before Marvel even told them that there was going to BE a Captain Marvel movie.

The Russos basically filmed Endgame and Infinity War back to back, and so when we recently spoke with Anthony and asked him if the response to Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel was encouraging, he honestly explained:

Part of the thing that I've always loved about Marvel, my brother and I have really appreciated it, is that Marvel has had this whole attitude of ‘One movie at a time.’ They want every movie to be everything it can be when it’s time for that movie to be made. And then once it's made, you carry the story forward from there. And it's been really effective. Obviously by now, because Marvel is making more movies per year, and because we made these two movies back to back, we couldn't really use that process at this point.

So the truth is we made these movies long before we could appreciate anything about [Captain Marvel]. Certainly not even how the audiences would react to Captain Marvel in her own standalone film. We had to make these movie before the idea of that film even exists. So our approach to the storytelling in regards to that character was just coming very specifically from the needs of this story.

People might not realize that Joe and Anthony Russo filmed a lot of Avengers: Infinity War and the continuation, which would become Avengers: Endgame, at the same time. In fact, when CinemaBlend traveled to the set of the movies in Atlanta years ago, we learned about scenes that we never saw in Infinity War, and many people on set for those days were never 100% sure what movie they were filming at any given time.

So from the sound of it, the Russos always knew that they were going to have Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) in Endgame, but didn’t know at all how her movie would set her up, or be received, when they filmed her parts years ago. I brought up to Anthony Russo that this sounds similar to them using Wakanda as a key location in Infinity War, long before audiences saw the movie Black Panther. But he clarified:

Back then, it was easier because we launched that character in Civil War. We had already begun, with our partners Markus and McFeely on the writing side, sort of creating and tracking that narrative forward. Certainly, what the Black Panther film with Ryan Coogler brought to that was a great surprise to us, and a thrill for us. But that was a little easier in the sense that we already had deep roots in that character on a narrative level.

Thankfully, for Marvel Studios, most audiences are gravitating toward Carol Danvers, and are digging Captain Marvel. Her movie has grossed nearly $1 billion at the global box office, and audiences are ready to see her fighting alongside the Avengers as they get vengeance on Thanos (Josh Brolin). But the current movie had no effect on the planning on Endgame, and now you know the reason why.

Avengers: Endgame will be in theaters on April 26, and as of today, you can buy your tickets, so go get them, now!

No, Disney's Controversial Song Of The South Won't Be Available On Disney+

No, Disney's Controversial Song Of The South Won't Be Available On Disney+

Do you remember when we heard that Disney was opening up its vault and would put its entire motion picture library on its upcoming Disney+ streaming service? Yeah, about that... It turns out that there will be one notable, obvious and predictable omission from the digital home of all things Disney: the controversial film Song of the South won’t be available on Disney+.

Despite Disney letting its other titles out of the vault for good, the 1946 film Song of the South will remain locked away. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney has no plans to make the title available alongside the rest of the company’s offerings on Disney+.

Song of the South won an Oscar for Best Original Song for “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” and actor James Baskett won an honorary Oscar for his portrayal of Uncle Remus. Despite that initial acclaim, Song of the South is very controversial viewed from a modern lens, in particular for its portrayal of African-Americans.

For those reasons, it has never been released on home video in the U.S.; not on DVD, not on VHS, nothing. In 2011, Bob Iger indicated that bringing the movie back wouldn’t be in the best interests of the company’s shareholders. Therefore, Song of the South not making the jump to Disney+ should come as no surprise as Disney is just carrying over its previous policy regarding the film to the company’s new platform.

So unless you want to source an old copy of the film from overseas, the closest you’ll get to seeing Song of the South anytime soon is riding Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World, which takes its inspiration from the film’s animated sequences.

Song of the South won’t be the only omission from Disney’s catalog on Disney+. The 1941 Disney film Dumbo, which recently got a live-action remake, will be on Disney+, but it will not include the controversial crow scene. The scene features a crow named Jim Crow, which is a reference to the name of the blackface character that was later appropriated as a term for laws that enforced segregation after Reconstruction. Tim Burton’s Dumbo obviously didn’t include this scene.

Even if you want to see Song of the South get some type of modern release, either on Blu-ray or be made available for streaming or digital purchase/rental, you can understand why Disney doesn’t want it on Disney+. Disney’s streaming service is being positioned as a family-friendly offering in keeping with the brand’s reputation, and having Song of the South and Dumbo’s Jim Crow scene don’t exactly comport with that.

We’ll keep you updated on all the latest Disney+ news as we approach its November 12 launch date. In the meantime, check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see everything headed to theaters this summer.

Is The Curse Of La Llorona A Good Or Bad Step For The Conjuring Universe?

Is The Curse Of La Llorona A Good Or Bad Step For The Conjuring Universe?

While it hasn’t been advertised as such, Michael Chaves’ The Curse Of La Llorona is most definitely a part of The Conjuring Universe. Its posters may only say “From The Producers Of…” instead of referring to it as the next chapter in the franchise (as was the case for both Annabelle: Creation and The Nun), but its actual connection is very clear – specifically through the return of Tony Amendola's Father Perez from the original Annabelle. Given the popularity of the brand, this might strike some as odd, but there arguably is a good reason for it: it’s the first non-Conjuring title that’s neither a direct spin-off nor a sequel to a direct spin-off.

Simply put, the film doesn’t fit in with the same development strategy that has established The Conjuring Universe to date. The reason why John Leonetti’s Annabelle and its follow-ups exist is because of the immense popularity the titular doll earned from her small part in James Wan’s original The Conjuring; and Corin Hardy’s The Nun got the greenlight because of the response to the habit-sporting demon from Wan’s The Conjuring 2. The Curse Of La Llorona, meanwhile, has roots in urban legend, but no actual connection to the other movies beyond Father Perez’s small role. It’s a surprising move for sure – but it’s also hard to say if it’s a good or bad one for the future of the franchise.

Certainly the biggest positive featured in this development is the increased potential for more diverse storytelling. As successful as The Conjuring Universe movies have been, the limitations present in its choices thus far are pretty obvious, as the “spin-off only” idea does put filmmakers in a box of a certain design. Every new property has to not only follow certain rules previously established by different writers and directors, but there is also a certain expectation for a degree of narrative dovetailing that basically forces every story to end in a specific place that matches up with a previous title.

To his credit, Gary Dauberman – who wrote the scripts for Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation, The Nun, and the upcoming Annabelle Comes Home (which he’s also directing) – has made this work for the most part, but the creative freedom offered by the Curse Of La Llorona approach is clear. While it’s cool that Father Perez makes his second big screen appearance, it’s really more of an Easter egg than anything, and everything else about the movie is able to really do whatever it wants – including establishing the “rules” for its eponymous evil spirit and how it concludes the arcs for its characters.

Following the release of The Curse Of La Llorona, really any horror film that shares The Conjuring Universe’s perspectives on “good” and “evil” and approach to the supernatural could arguably be included in the larger continuity – and that could lead the franchise in a lot of new and interesting directions.

Where this becomes a drawback and potential hazard for the brand, however, is the subject of identity and specific definition. Since 2013, the core of The Conjuring Universe has been Ed and Loraine Warren – the protagonists played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga based on the real life demonologist duo. Albeit very loosely, the films in the franchise have to this point been based on the legends surrounding their exploits, and have always tied back to them in one way or another.

With The Curse Of La Llorona now being an exception, it raises an important question: what is The Conjuring Universe really about? If stories aren’t specifically expanding on the myths and terrors that the Warrens personally experience, does that mean that the franchise will eventually develop into being simply a collection of titles that share a genre and maybe the occasional single character? That’s far less interesting, and could eventually dilute the whole enterprise into nothingness.

How things move forward from this point will definitely be interesting. As of right now there are seemingly only spin-offs and sequels in development – including the aforementioned Annabelle Comes Home, The Conjuring 3, The Nun 2, and The Crooked Man – but given the way The Curse Of La Llorona was promoted it’s possible any horror title currently being developed by Warner Bros. has the potential to be brought into the continuity. Ultimately it may be the audience’s response to the new release that determines everything, and you can be sure that we’ll be keeping a close eye on it.