How Candyman's Jordan Peele And Director Nia DaCosta Bonded Through Horror Fandom

How Candyman's Jordan Peele And Director Nia DaCosta Bonded Through Horror Fandom

This past weekend saw the phenomenal release of Jordan Peele’s Us, and the good news for those already hungry for more horror stories from the filmmaker is that he has many irons in the fire. For example, there is the new version of The Twilight Zone that he is producing and hosting for CBS All Access – but on the feature side of things there is the tremendously exciting new take on Candyman that he is making with writer/director Nia DaCosta.

News of DaCosta’s hiring came just a couple months after the announcement about the project’s development late last year, and also just a few months after the world premiere of her feature debut, Little Woods (which played at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival). In the time since, not much has been revealed about the direction of the new Candyman, but while sitting down with DaCosta this past weekend, I learned about a key ingredient in her collaboration with Jordan Peele:

I think something that we connect on a lot was the way we view horror, and our love of horror. I love Candyman, but also just like breaking down what horror is, how it's represented, what it means, and why it's important. I think we really connected on that, and so that's a lot of what our conversations have been about… that I can tell you (laughs). It's been great. He's a wonderful creator, collaborator, human, artist.

With the film set to be released in a few weeks, Little Woods held its Los Angeles press day on Sunday, and it was at the end of my interview with Nia DaCosta and star/executive producer Tessa Thompson that I inquired about the development of her upcoming horror remake. Specifically I asked about the conversations that she had been having with Jordan Peele, and she explained how a shared vision of what horror can do and why it’s effective is really driving their work together on Candyman.

Naturally I felt compelled to follow-up by asking about her philosophy in the genre, and what she stressed was both engaging with the audience, and also telling stories that bring home important messages in subversive ways. It’s a key staple of horror that has existed from the beginning, and a tradition that Nia DaCosta plans to uphold in her venture. Said the filmmaker,

What I like about genres like thrillers, and why I think tensions are important for all movies, including dramas, it's physicalizing what the characters are feeling for the audience. That's really important, and gets the audience to engage and to lean in. And then with horror you can sneak in messages. You know sneak in what you think about the world around you, and how actually horrifying the world is. You get to hide it in these layers. 'This is about a ghost, but really it's about paranoia and a woman's place in the world.' Or, you know, 'This is about a guy meeting his girlfriend's parents, but really it's about... Actually a guy meeting his girlfriend's parents.' (laughs)

Based on a short story by Clive Barker that was first adapted in 1992, Candyman centers on an urban legend that is being investigated by a college student – specifically one about a violent entity who appears and attacks anyone who dares to say his name five times into a mirror. Yahya Abdul-Matten II, who has earned notoriety in recent months thanks to his performance in James Wan’s Aquaman and Jordan Peele’s Us, is currently the only member of the cast, set to play the titular villain.

With Nia DaCosta directing and Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld writing the script, Candyman is currently on track to be released on June 12, 2020 – produced by Monkeypaw Productions and MGM. For those of you who want to get a taste of what DaCosta is bringing to the table as a filmmaker, however, (and I highly recommend that you do), Little Woods is set up with distribution from Neon, and will be getting a limited release starting on April 19th.

For more about the film, and more from my interview with Nia DaCosta and Tessa Thompson, be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend!

The Mustang's Jason Mitchell Overcame A Very Real Phobia By Making The Film

The Mustang's Jason Mitchell Overcame A Very Real Phobia By Making The Film

There are surely many attractive things about being a professional actor, but high on the list must be the ability to have a wide variety of experiences, and acquire assorted skills. A good example of this is the role that Jason Mitchell plays in the new drama The Mustang, where he portrays an expert horse trainer – a part that required learning new abilities so that his turn would seem authentic. In this he is very successful, as you entirely believe in his character’s proficiency, but what adds a whole extra layer to the situation is the fact that Mitchell went into the production with a deep-rotted case of Equinophobia: a fear of horses.

You’d think that being afraid of a film’s titular animal would drive an actor away from a potential project, but with Jason Mitchell and The Mustang it was a case of the opposite being true. When I sat down with the actor earlier this week during the new movie’s Los Angeles press day, he explained that he actually saw his very real hesitance as a motivator to be a part of the production – hoping to both grow as a performer and a person. Said Mitchell,

When I looked at this script, of course, there's the obvious: the horses, right? I was super terrified of horses. I had a bad experience as a kid, and I was like, 'You know, maybe this will not only move the needle for me as an actor, but move the needle for me as a man.’ Like in my own life. I can get some skills that I can take home and they can't take back!

Going further, he explained that stepping away from himself to such a great degree is an important aspect of his career choices – feeling that the extra challenge pushes him to work harder. Of course, as Jason Mitchell noted, it very much helps to be surrounded by supportive co-stars and a good animal partner:

This is somebody who I'm really not, you know what I mean? A great horse trainer? Completely terrified of horses. The scale is crazy. So it was good. I had a bunch of great co-stars and I had a great horse who was a great co-star - shout out to Soldier. He was good.

Directed by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, The Mustang tells the story of Roman Coleman (Matthias Schoenaerts), a violent, anger-filled convict who enters a rehabilitation therapy program training wild mustangs. Though there is some skepticism from Myles (Bruce Dern), who runs the program, Henry (Jason Mitchell), a fellow prisoner and veteran of the program, tries to take Roman under his wing and calm his rage.

It’s a charismatic and authentic turn from Jason Mitchell, and the work he put into the production very much shines on the screen. Knowing that he was starting from behind on the movie given his fears, he told me that he did his best to work harder than anyone else on the film, and really committed even when the cameras weren’t rolling.

I had to go that extra mile because I was actually working when I found out about this project. I didn't have very much time to learn about horses or to really break that fear. So I just had to kind of grab it by the balls and just go. But I went the extra mile every day. I was that guy who was actually cleaning the horse stables, and actually holding conversation with my horse, and just really learning how to ride, and try to go that extra mile. Because I was like, 'I want this to feel real!' I don't want them to have to pull up my stunt double every time. And I think I got pretty far. Both Matthias [Schoenaerts] and I were like, you know, the first day he was like, 'Okay, this is not for me.' But then as you get into it you really gain a bond.

You can watch my full interview with Jason Mitchell by clicking play on the video below – which also includes further discussion about more skills he’d love to acquire in the future, and new mountains he’d like to climb with his project choices:

Also starring Gideon Adlon, Josh Stewart, and Connie Britton, The Mustang premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, and will be getting a limited release in theaters this Friday, March 15th.

The Important Hulk Story That Almost Showed Up In Avengers: Infinity War

The Important Hulk Story That Almost Showed Up In Avengers: Infinity War

Warning: SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame are ahead!

After getting a beating from Thanos at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War, not only did Hulk not emerge for the rest of that movie, that ended up being the last time we saw the Green Goliath in this brutish form. During Avengers: Endgame, sometime in the five years after The Decimation occurred, Bruce Banner merged his intellect with Hulk’s brawn, resulting in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of the Professor Hulk personality.

However, it turns out we could have seen a more intelligent Hulk earlier in the MCU, as Stephen McFeely, who co-wrote both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame with Christopher Markus, revealed:

We originally had Smart Hulk in Infinity War.

You’ll recall that in Avengers: Infinity War, Bruce Banner tried several times to get the Hulk to come out, but his monstrous other half refused, requiring Bruce to don the Hulkbuster armor when Thanos’ forces invaded Wakanda. While some speculated that Hulk was scared to jump back into battle after being pummeled by Thanos, directors Joe and Anthony Russo explained that Hulk had actually “had enough of saving Banner's ass.”

Either way, as Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus explained to Fandango, originally the plan in Avengers: Infinity War was for Bruce Banner to fix his “communication problems” with Hulk and transform into Smart Hulk just in time for the final conflict in Wakanda. However, it was decided late in the creative process that this shift didn’t feel tonally right, so it was scrapped and saved for Avengers: Endgame.

Which brings us to the above moment that was shown in the first Avengers: Infinity War trailer, where Hulk is charging into battle alongside his allies. Obviously that moment never occurred in the movie, but rather than simply being filmed to fool audiences, this was originally intended to be an actual scene, only rather than getting more of normal, angry Hulk, that’s a Hulk with significantly improved intelligence who’s getting ready to kick some ass.

This makes for a cool ‘what could have been’ scenario (another if Hulk had been dusted), but within the actual MCU timeline, it took a little longer for Bruce Banner to finally achieve a balance with The Hulk. When he finally stopped looking at Hulk as a problem and instead as a solution, Bruce brought the best of both worlds together through gamma radiation, allowing him to finally achieve a sense of peace and the world to see Hulk as a proper superhero.

The emergence of Professor Hulk marked the conclusion of the special Hulk “trilogy” that began in Thor: Ragnarok. There’s no word yet on if we’ll be seeing more of Hulk going into the MCU’s Phase 4 and beyond, but Mark Ruffalo has at least one movie left on his contract, so perhaps Marvel Studios will give fans another taste of this more reasonable and dignified version of the Green Goliath in action.

Make sure you read CinemaBlend’s review of Avengers: Endgame and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all the biggest updates concerning the MCU. If you’re curious about what movies the superhero franchise has coming, check out our comprehensive guide.

The Reason Iago Speaks Very Differently In The New Aladdin, According To Guy Ritchie

The Reason Iago Speaks Very Differently In The New Aladdin, According To Guy Ritchie

There are a lot of classic elements of the animated Aladdin still present in the new remake – from the colorful antics of the genie, to all the songs that have been stuck in your head for the last 27 years – but one aspect that is changed quite a bit is the presence of Iago. The parrot is still the right hand of the power-hungry Jafar, and regularly feeds him information that drives the plot forward, but as a character he is very different than what fans are familiar with. Rather than being an abrasive animal sidekick brought to life with the voice of Gilbert Gottfried, he’s instead, well… a parrot.

It’s an interesting choice that the film makes, particularly because there are still many other magical elements in play, but there is a good reason why it was done. According to director Guy Ritchie, a more anthropomorphic version of Iago in the new Aladdin simply didn’t fit as the story was brought from animation to live-action, and just didn’t feel right within the presentation.

I brought up the character when I recently sat down with Guy Ritchie at the Los Angeles press day for Aladdin, asking how those kinds of decisions were made, and he explained,

Good question, actually, and one I don't mind talking about, this one, at all. It's funny what you can get away with in an animated production that can't, my feeling is, that you can't get away with in quite the same way in live action. So although you still got magic carpets and blue genies coming out of bottles, [it] still has to be rooted in some form of reality. It's hard if you have a parrot who has paragraphs of dialogue. Somehow it just sits uncomfortably in a live action production.

Going for a more appropriate adaptation of the character, Aladdin has the new Iago act much more like a scarlet macaw that you would find in real life, albeit with a slightly enhanced ability to speak (he has the occasional line, but nothing on the level of what we hear in the 1992 movie). Physically he’s entirely a digital creation, and the voice is done by Alan Tudyk – who has become a Disney regular in recent years, with parts in Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Ralph Breaks The Internet.

Unlike the human characters, which were easy to adapt from medium to medium, Aladdin’s animals presented a particular puzzle for the filmmakers, but it was a code they eventually cracked. It was all about finding what Guy Ritchie referred to as the “sweet spot” where things didn’t seem out of place or two extreme. Said the director,

There was a sweet spot that we found between animals in their animation or articulation before you went too far and then you went, 'Oh, hold on. This is live action.' But as I say, you're talking about wishes and genies, yet somehow there's a position that the mind occupies that accepts certain amount of fancy without becoming absurd.

You can watch Guy Ritchie discuss his approach to bringing Iago to life in the new Aladdin by clicking play on the video below!

In addition to Alan Tudyk, Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin sports an impressive ensemble cast that includes Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Billy Magnussen, and Numan Acar. The movie will be hitting theaters this weekend, and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more from my interviews with the cast and filmmakers!

Avengers: Endgame Has Officially Beat One Of Avatar's Box Office Records

Avengers: Endgame Has Officially Beat One Of Avatar's Box Office Records

Like Captain Marvel blazing through the sky and cutting through enemy ships, Avengers: Endgame came out fast and furious at the box office, felling many records. But Endgame’s run isn’t done yet and there are still records left to conquer, particularly those belonging to the almighty box office champ, Avatar. Now, after this past weekend, Avengers: Endgame has officially beat one of Avatar’s box office records.

Prior to this past weekend, it looked like the MCU’s massive culmination film would pass Avatar to become the second-biggest film at the domestic box office all-time. All the money has now been counted and we can finally say that officially, The Russo Brothers’ latest film has done just that. According to Box Office Mojo, Avengers: Endgame now stands at $774.5 million on the domestic charts, surpassing Avatar’s $760.5 million.

It’s a remarkable feat considering that Avatar’s domestic record held all the way until 2015 when it was beat out by the return of Star Wars in J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens. No film since then has passed Avatar domestically, including box office titans like Black Panther, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Avengers: Infinity War. But records are made to be broken and Avengers: Endgame has done that in less than a month.

The $774.5 million and counting Avengers: Endgame has made cements it as the second-biggest domestic film ever, now trailing only The Force Awakens. It may have to settle for No. 2 though because the record held by Episode VII will require extraordinary legs to catch. Star Wars: The Force Awakens holds the top spot on the domestic charts with a historic $936.6 million, over $160 million more than where Endgame is currently at.

On the worldwide record front, things are more competitive and interesting. Avengers: Endgame may have passed Avatar’s domestic total and James Cameron’s other box office champ Titanic worldwide, but Avatar’s all-time, worldwide box office record remains intact.

Avatar is the No. 1, biggest movie ever at the box office, with $2.788 million worldwide. Right now, Avengers: Endgame sits at $2.620 million worldwide. Like the domestic record, Endgame will have to make over $160 million more around the world to catch Avatar and stand alone atop the worldwide box office chart.

Whether it can do that remains to be seen, but we may be in for a photo finish with box office aficionados watching Endgame’s every dollar come in like political pundits on election night. As of now, Avengers: Endgame has won a battle against Avatar, but the war is undecided and James Cameron still sits upon the throne.

Avengers: Endgame is now playing while Avatar 2 has been delayed (again) until 2021. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all the movies you can look forward to the rest of this year.

Poms Is The Worst Box Office Flop Of The Year

Poms Is The Worst Box Office Flop Of The Year

One of the most valuable pieces of advice that can be given in any competitive realm is the age old wisdom that they can’t all be winners. In the world of movies, that is definitely something that gets the attention of those who watch the market carefully, and it looks like this past weekend awarded 2019 its greatest cratering of the year so far. And it’s all because Poms couldn’t stick the landing.

Some specifics pertaining to Poms’ spectacular failure set this particular scene a little better. In particular, the film’s $5 million opening is the lowest for a film that’s opened on 2,700+ screens in wide release. This is against the backdrop of the film’s estimate $10 million budget, on a Mother’s Day weekend that saw the film compete against the likes of Pokemon: Detective Pikachu and The Hustle. The only newcomer that sank below the low water mark that Poms set in theaters was Tolkien, which opened on fewer screens, but only pulled in $2.2 million.

Intended to be a feel-good comedy about a group of women, led by Diane Keaton, who decide to start a cheerleading team in a retirement community, Poms hasn’t exactly been doing well with its reviews either. Sitting at a 32% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film does have an advantage in one respect: it outperformed The Hustle’s 17% Fresh rating in the same opening weekend.

Our own Eric Eisenberg saw Poms himself, and his response to the film was pretty much in line with the consensus of those reviewing the film. His review can be summed up with the following remarks:

There is hardly a single underdog sports movie cliché that isn’t employed at some point, and it’s difficult to feel entirely engaged with the story when you know exactly how every single scene is going to begin and end.

What makes this particular piece of news all the more upsetting for Poms’ parent studio, STX Entertainment, is that as Business Insider points out in its analysis, it’s a continuation of a pretty upsetting trend for the company’s release slate. It was just last weekend that the studio’s animated musical-comedy Uglydolls underperformed, with only $16 million of the film’s $45 million price tag being recouped through cinematic receipts thus far.

The one bright spot in STX’s fortunes has remained The Upside, which was released this past January, and rode a surprise wave of success that saw the Bryan Cranston/Kevin Hart dramedy sail to $122 million on a $37.5 million budget. However, Poms has now sent the studio plummeting back to Earth, waiting to see what the future holds.

STX Entertainment still has some pieces on the board that could make some surprise splashes in 2019. The studio’s next two films, the Chadwick Boseman-starring 21 Bridges and the Katie Holmes-led horror sequel Brahms: The Boy 2 have particular brands of thrills that might attract audiences to the movies this summer, putting this unfortunate setback behind the studio once and for all.

Poms is in theaters now, should you have missed it at the movies this past weekend. But if you’re looking for something else to go see at the movies, don’t forget to check out our 2019 release schedule, to see what else is playing.

Creed II Originally Brought Back Apollo As A Ghost

Creed II Originally Brought Back Apollo As A Ghost

Creed II was about facing up to the ghosts of one's past, but it seems that at one point there may have been a plan to include an actual ghost. Dolph Lundgren recently revealed that in an early script of Creed II there was apparently a plan for the story to include Apollo Creed himself. Lundgren much prefers the decision to bring back another Rocky IV co-star, Brigitte Nielsen, instead. According to Lundgren...

It was a great idea I thought [to bring Nielsen back]. In the original first draft it was Apollo came back. Or like his ghost or something. It was a little hokey, you know. So I think it was much better to bring Brigitte back.

Unfortunately, Dolph Lundgren doesn't elaborate on his comments, which he made during a Q&A at Monster-Mania Con 42 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey over this past weekend. That means we have no idea exactly how this idea of Apollo Creed returning in Creed II was originally supposed to be handled.

Sylvester Stallone has recently stated that he now feels the decision to kill Apollo Creed in Rocky IV may have been the wrong one, if only because he so enjoyed working with actor Carl Weathers. Perhaps that led Stallone, who co-wrote the screenplay for Creed II, to try and find a way to include him.

Obviously, it seems unlikely that the actual plan had been to include Apollo Creed's ghost. Perhaps there would have been a dream sequence of some kind where either Rocky or Adonis Creed finds himself across from Apollo. Of course, just creating a "ghost" version of Apollo would have been one of the more complicated things in the movie. Creed II isn't exactly a visusal effects blockbuster but a lot of that would have been necessary to bring Apollo Creed back.

However you look at it, it feels awkward, which is probably why the scene never made it into the final film. Still, the desire to include Apollo, and Carl Weathers, in the movie in some way certainly makes sense. It's understandable that people would want to try. There's just no good way to do it.

And at the same time, if Apollo Creed doesn't die in Rocky IV, then Creed II, really the entire Creed franchise becomes an entirely different pair of films. Apollo's death in Rocky IV is one of the iconic moments of the entire series.

In the end, bringing Brigitte Nielsen back for Creed II was clearly something that was much easier to do. And it was certainly impactful as well. Nielsen's return helps put the story of Ivan Drago into a context that we never got to see in Rocky IV. It makes the villain of the earlier movie a much more sympathetic character in the sequel.

While bringing Apollo back in any way would have been a nice nod, it would not have meant as much to the actual story. And who knows. There's always Creed III.