Aquaman Hits #1 In Home Video Sales

Aquaman Hits #1 In Home Video Sales

The DC live-action universe has had a fascinating tenure in theaters, full of peaks and valleys. While all seemed lost after the poor critical and financial performance of Justice League and Batman v Superman, Warner Bros.' massive franchise seems to be on the upswing. The DCEU is taking a step away from serialized storytelling and crossover-heavy movies, instead allowing directors to have more creative control of each blockbuster.

This pivot for the shared universe made its debut with James Wan's Aquaman, which was wholly focused on the title character and denizens of Atlantis. The project was well received by critics, and made a ton of money at the box office in the process. And the King's reign isn't ending anytime soon, as Aquaman's home copies are selling like hot cakes.

Enough cinephiles and DC fans are getting their own copies of Aquaman that the blockbuster is currently sitting on number 1 at the home video sale charts. James Wan's underwater adventure beat out the likes of fellow Christmas release Mary Poppins Returns, as well as animated comic book movie Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse.

This report from MediaPlayNews should come as no major surprise to anyone who has been paying attention to the trajectory of Aquaman. James Wan had his work cut out for him in the movie's filming and editing process, as half of Aquaman was set underwater. Extensive wire work and visual effects were necessarily to give characters a sense of weightlessness, plus a ton of imagination to make the underwater civilization come to life.

Because of these challenges, Aquaman's success was far from guaranteed. What's more, James Wan's blockbuster was focused on a superhero who hasn't traditionally been the most badass or beloved member of the Justice League. Aquaman has often been the butt of jokes, with animated adaptations of the character making his powers seem a bit silly. But all that changed with Jason Momoa's version, after his debut in Justice League.

Jason Momoa became a household name through his brief tenure as Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones. He's a hulking physical presence, who was largely introduced to audiences by massacring his enemies across the narrow sea. So when he was cast as Aquaman, it was clear that we weren't getting the dopey blonde version from Super Friends.

In the end, audiences really responded to the colorful world of Aquaman. In fact, the box office numbers were so strong that both a sequel and spinoff are being developed by Warner Bros. The strong performance of its home sales is simply the icing on the cake, reminding DC that they might the right call in green lighting the spinoff The Trench.

You can own a copy of Aquaman now, and DC's next release Shazam! is currently in theaters. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Godzilla Vs. Kong Could Be An ‘Underdog Battle,’ According To King Of The Monsters’ Director

Godzilla Vs. Kong Could Be An ‘Underdog Battle,’ According To King Of The Monsters’ Director

After a five year hiatus, Godzilla is finally returning to the MonsterVerse this weekend in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, where he’ll collide with Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah. After that, he won’t have much time to catch his breath as he’ll be back next year for Godzilla vs. Kong, and many have wondered how the showdown between these two Titans will go down.

In addition to directing and co-writing Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Michael Dougherty also co-wrote Godzilla vs. Kong, and he was well aware of how initially this battle could seem unfair, what with Godzilla having atomic breath and King Kong just being a giant ape. Nevertheless, he recently explained that part of the fun of watching this fight is that audiences are witnessing a “potential underdog fight.” Dougherty elaborated:

We’re looking at an almost David vs. Goliath situation. Because everyone, the moment you say Godzilla’s going to fight Kong, your first reaction is Kong doesn’t stand a chance. Godzilla’s got his radioactive breath, et cetera, et cetera. But then if you really take the time to look at Kong as a character, it’s like, okay, in Skull Island he was an adolescent, so he was still growing. So who knows how big he is since the 1970s when they first met him?

While he hasn’t been adapted nearly as much as Godzilla over the decades, we’ve seen various incarnations of King Kong, and the MonsterVerse’s version is definitely the biggest of them. That said, as Michael Dougherty noted, the ape was still a young’un in Kong: Skull Island, and he has a lot more growing to do. It’s unclear when Godzilla vs. Kong takes place, but there’s a 46-year difference between Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla vs. Kong. Just imagine how much taller Kong is after nearly five decades!

But it’s not size and brawn that factor into this upcoming battle of the ages. As Michael Dougherty also mentioned in his interview with Bloody Disgusting, King Kong also has brains on his side, and compared his clash with Godzilla to Rocky IV’s main match. As Dougherty put it:

Kong is extremely intelligent. As a primate, he’s a tool-user. So he’s got speed, he’s got agility, he might have some good size. And I like a good underdog battle. You know, it’s like watching Rocky go up against Ivan Drago. It seems like it’s unfair but clearly, this means the underdog might have a few surprises.

We saw in Kong: Skull Island how King Kong used tools like tree trunks and chains to vanquish foes like the Skullcrawlers, and whether any of Godzilla vs. Kong’s fights take place on his home turf or elsewhere in the world, perhaps this ability to think outside the box will give the ape an edge in his battle with Godzilla. He’ll need all the help he can get.

Of course, there’s still the big question of why Godzilla and King Kong are brawling. Michael Dougherty didn’t provide any specific reasoning, but did say that he hopes that their motivations for fighting each other are “sound, and not contrived,” and also that he thinks there’s “something primal” in human beings to see a fight like that which goes back to ancient myths and legends.

Naturally the main draw for Godzilla vs. Kong is seeing the two eponymous beasts coming to blows, but the movie will also follow Monarch embarking on a mission to learn about the origins of the Titans and a conspiracy to destroy the Titans being uncovered. The main cast includes Millie Bobby Brown, Kyle Chandler and Zhang Ziyi reprising their Godzilla: King of the Monsters roles, as well as Alexander Skarsgard, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Eiza González, Julian Dennison, Shun Oguri, Jessica Henwick, Demián Bichir and Lance Reddick.

Godzilla vs. Kong rampages into theaters on March 13, 2020, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. In the meantime, the MonsterVerse continues this Friday, May 31, with the release of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and you can check out our 2019 release schedule to learn what other movies are opening later this year.

Blinded By The Light Trailer Uses Bruce Springsteen Music To Change A Life

Blinded By The Light Trailer Uses Bruce Springsteen Music To Change A Life

Queen, Mötley Crüe, Elton John, David Bowie, Hollywood is churning out biopics to capitalize on popular music that audiences have been listening to for decades. It was only a matter of time before Bruce Springsteen got his due. And although he isn’t getting a traditional biopic (yet), his music will be celebrated on the big screen in a movie that speaks to the power music has to change people’s lives. Check out the trailer for Blinded by the Light below:

Based on Safraz Manzoor’s memoir Greetings From Bury Park, Gurinder Chadha’s film Blinded by the Light stars newcomer Viveik Kalra as Javed, a teenager of Pakistani descent growing up in the town of Luton, England. Adolescence is a challenge regardless of your circumstances, but in addition to girl problems, Javed has to deal with being pulled between two different and seemingly incompatible cultures.

Javed is trying to reconcile his identity, desiring to make his family proud, follow their wishes and stay true to his Pakistani roots in an intolerant town. But he's also pursuing his own passions, being a teenager, and trying to fit in. It’s only when he is introduced to Bruce Springsteen’s music, music that really speaks to him, that he is able to find the confidence to be who he is.

It’s a coming of age story that is incredibly relatable and illustrates the power that music has to literally change our lives, especially when we’re young and our parents don’t approve of what we’re listening to. Music not only speaks to how we feel, but puts words to feelings we didn’t know we had, helping us understand and work through them.

Blinded by the Light looks like a pretty straightforward take on this type of coming of age story, but that is not a knock because this trailer makes it look positively delightful. Viveik Kalra looks great in the role and his unbridled enthusiasm for The Boss, even in the face of criticism and misunderstanding from his family and friends, is quite winning.

This feel-good movie sounds to be jam-packed with Bruce Springsteen classics, guaranteeing it will have a great soundtrack and be a fun theatrical experience for audiences, just like last year’s Bohemian Rhapsody. And while this isn’t a biopic of The Boss, he did give the film his blessing according to Deadline.

This trailer also has some really funny lines that paint this film as both heartwarming and hilarious. When Javed’s friend’s girlfriend lets him know that her friend would be perfect for him because she isn’t picky, you feel bad, but can’t help but laugh at the absolutely brutal backhanded compliment.

Blinded by the Light actually premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival and the early reviews were quite positive and the film currently boasts a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Viveik Kalra is joined in the film by Rob Brydon, Kulvinder Ghir, Nell Williams, Dean-Charles Chapman and Peggy Carter herself, Hayley Atwell.

Blinded by the Light arrives in theaters on August 14. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see this and all the movies headed your way in a crowded summer season.

Could Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Bring Back Another Classic Character?

Could Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Bring Back Another Classic Character?

The past few years have been very exciting for Star Wars fans. Since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, we've seen a variety of new and exciting projects come to life. In addition to standalone films and the upcoming Mandalorian TV series, the main franchise has also continued through the sequel trilogy. J.J. Abrams kickstarted the property back up with The Force Awakens, which introduced a new set of protagonists to interact with legends like Leia, Luke, and Han Solo.

The generations of Star Wars fans were devastated by Han's fate in The Force Awakens. After mentoring Rey, Han faced his son Ben/Kylo Ren on Starkiller base. While trying to help Ben return to the Light Side, he's shockingly murdered via lightsaber, and tossed over the bridge. But after being absent in The Last Jedi, a new rumor indicates he might pop back up in The Rise of Skywalker this December.

A new report indicated that Han Solo may appear in The Rise of Skywalker, once again attempting to appeal to his son's morality. He's not going to be resurrected, but will apparently come as as vision to Kylo Ren when he's pondering his next move and looking to Darth Vader's old helmet. That's when Han will appear to Ben, and may even forgive him for his death in Episode VII.

These rumors come to us from Making Star Wars, and are unconfirmed by the Lucasfilm or Disney. Still, it's a report that will excite the generations of Star Wars fans out there. Han Solo is arguably the most popular hero in the entire franchise, and he was noticeably missing during the course of The Last Jedi. He had a meaty role in The Force Awakens, and his death was heartbreaking-- proving the new movies weren't holding their punches.

Han's possible role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker might be able to fix a problem in the current trilogy: the trio of original heroes never got a scene together. Leia and Han got a moment in The Force Awakens, but Luke was kept offscreen until the movie's very final moments. And once Carrie Fisher passed away, it seems we'd never see the three leads in another scene together.

Related: 12 Exciting Shots From The Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Trailer

Of course, this rumor might not pan out, and Han Solo could very well stay dead and away from the silver screen during Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Actor Harrison Ford doesn't have much of an interest in the franchise anymore, and seems happy with how he was killed off. He wanted Han to die back in Return of the Jedi, so the 76 year-old actor may have hung up his blaster for good.

In the end, there's no telling what J.J. Abrams included in The Rise of Skywalker. Palpatine's laugh at the end of the first trailer seemed to indicate an emphasis on the past, and Episode IX will end both the sequel trilogy and the Skywalker Saga forever.

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.

Chris Evans' Marvel Characters Combine In Epic Image

Chris Evans' Marvel Characters Combine In Epic Image

Given how totally and completely Chris Evans has become Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the near decade he has played him, it would be easy to forget that Steve Rogers is not the actor’s first superhero role. That was as Johnny Storm in Fox’s Fantastic Four films. With those films, 21st Century Fox and the Fantastic Four now all under the Disney banner, some new fan art has combined Chris Evans’ two superhero roles into one epic image.

As if Captain America didn’t look badass enough already, setting him ablaze certainly does the trick. Johnny Rogers or Steve Storm (yeah, definitely that one, alliteration is a hallmark of superhero naming convention) has all the steely resolve of Cap and all the fiery intensity of the Human Torch.

Cap is already pretty darn formidable in his own right, but you give him the fire manipulation and flight powers of the Human Torch and the Avengers’ odds of victory increase several fold. This image from BossLogic is especially cool because it isn’t just imagining what an actor would look like as a character, it’s combining two Chris Evans has already played.

Chris Evans has played both Captain America and the Human Torch and with the multiverses of comic book movies colliding in the Disney-Fox deal, this amalgamation seems appropriate to commemorate the occasion. Now we just need Josh Brolin as Nathan ‘Thanos’ Summers and Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger shrouded in fire yelling ‘Flame on!’

This image is also fun because it reminds you of the very different types of superheroes Chris Evans has played. As Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four, he was the wild and cocky jokester who didn’t take anything seriously. And as Captain America, he is the beating heart of the MCU, a serious and selfless hero. It just goes to show Chris Evans’ talents.

How much longer Chris Evans will be using those talents in the MCU is an open question. Pretty much since Captain America: Civil War we’ve been speculating that Captain America will bite the dust in tragically heroic fashion, and that question will be at its loudest right before Avengers: Endgame, especially given that the trailer showed a worse for wear Steve Rogers gritting his teeth in what looks to be a brutal battle.

Of course, if Avengers: Endgame is Chris Evans’ last appearance as Captain America, that would open him up to reprise the role of Johnny Storm when the Fantastic Four come to the MCU. Hey, it could happen! As far as what the future holds for The Human Torch and the rest of the Fantastic Four in the MCU, it is too soon to say.

The Disney purchase of 21st Century Fox just went through last week and it’s presumed that the X-Men couldn’t make their way to the MCU until 2021 at the earliest, so it would stand to reason that the same would apply to the Fantastic Four.

Before all that though, The Infinity Saga comes to an end when Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all this year’s biggest movies.

Joe Carnahan Says He Left Bad Boys For Life Over Differences With Will Smith

Joe Carnahan Says He Left Bad Boys For Life Over Differences With Will Smith

Development hell is a concept that isn't new to the film world. While certain projects seem to be promising and have the recipe for success, sometimes plans fail, and movies don't actually come to fruition. Highly anticipated action threequel Bad Boys For Life originally seemed like one of those movies, as it was been stuck in development hell for a number of years before finally going into production months ago.

Starting back in 2008, quite a few incarnations of Bad Boys' threequel were worked on before the current version was eventually nailed down. The Grey's Joe Carnahan was set to write and possibly direct Bad Boys III back in 2015, although he ultimately dropped out after the project stewed for a few years. Now he's explained the reasoning behind his departure, saying:

I just know myself, man. And I thought what we were doing at that point was the law of diminishing returns. I wasn’t servicing the story that I was really excited about telling, that the studio had green-lit. And again, this isn’t to throw shade at Will — it’s your face on the poster, it’s your name on the poster, you need to do things the way you want them done.

Well, this certainly sheds a light on things. Joe Carnahan doesn't seem to have sore feelings about the situation, but it appears that he had some creative differences with franchise star Will Smith. And since Smith is starring and producing Bad Boys For Life, he's got the right to have the final say. But that's just not how Carnahan wanted to make that movie.

Joe Carnahan's comments to Collider are in juxtaposition to the explanation that was given to his exit back in 2017. At that point, some reports indicated a scheduling conflict as the reason for Carnahan's departure. But it ultimately looks like it was creative differences, and a conflict with none other than Will Smith himself.

In his recent interview, Joe Carnahan was sure to not actually bad mouth With Smith over how Bad Boys For Life eventually came out. On the contrary, he understands what Smith has at stake for the project, and his own creative vision. But since they clashed, the director decided to exit the project, because he didn't want to work that way on the action sequel.

During that same conversation, Joe Carnahan was sure to pay his respects to Will Smith. Furthermore, he expressed how he was nervous to leave such a high-profile gig, explaining:

Here’s the thing. I love Will, he’s a great guy. It’s just, you get to a point where ... listen, I always say this. Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, you find me a motherfucker in the modern era that’s walked away from movies with those guys and is still working in some capacity.

It looks like Joe Carnahan harbors no ill-will toward Will Smith due to his Bad Boys For Life departure. And while he was taking a risk by turning down such an opportunity, the writer/director had to follow his gut. That eventually made way for directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah to get behind the camera for the new blockbuster.

Bad Boys For Life recently wrapped production, and is currently set to arrive in theaters on January 17, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

How Pixar Figured Out How To Tell More Stories After Toy Story 3’s Ending

How Pixar Figured Out How To Tell More Stories After Toy Story 3’s Ending

For a lot of people, Toy Story is an absolutely perfect trilogy. It tells a complete story over the course of three movies and comes to a perfect, and perfectly satisfying, end. However, many of those fans who felt the story had reached a perfect end are now largely concerned, because Toy Story 4 is on the way and it's ready to continue the story we thought was finished.

Last month I got to sit down with Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley and Producers Jonas Rivera and Mark Nielsen, and the three of them spoke to me about how, while they agreed that the ending of Toy Story 3 was something special, it wasn't quite the ending that many people thought it was. Eventually, Toy Story 4 found its story by realizing that the first three movies weren't about Andy, but actually all about Woody, which meant there was clearly story left to be told. As Jonas Rivera told me...

In a weird way, Toy Story 3’s ending helped us, because it felt like a little bit of a misdirection. It was this idea that, if Toy Story 3 is an end. I mean really, the saga of Toy Story is about Woody, right? We kinda kicked that around for a while. He’s the protagonist. Andy’s a driver of the story but Woody is the main character.

It's the simplest idea in the world to be sure, but one that could be easily overlooked, the Toy Story movies are about Woody. Andy is only actually important to the story of the first three because he is important to Woody, we only really see him through Woody's eyes.

Certainly, much like Andy, Woody's story has come full circle, but just because he's back to being the toy of a young child, doesn't mean that Woody's life hasn't drastically changed. Woody now finds himself the property of Bonnie, in a new home with a bunch of new toys in addition to the ones that he's known. In the end, it was the simple idea that "what if this time things were different this time" that led to the story that became Toy Story 4. Again, from Jonas Rivera...

What that was, was just that idea of like, what if you took Woody, and [had] gone through everything that he’s done, tracked it, and he’s always landed on his feet. He literally gets a second chance. What if we could dramatize something about that second chance and show that it wasn’t the same, he’s didn’t land in the same spot. It is different. It is upending his life in ways he hasn’t experienced before.

Pixar creates some pretty interesting worlds, to be sure, and if you look too closely at them, they tend to fall apart, but the simple fact is that in the world of Toy Story, these characters aren't simply toys. They are conscious living being, and that means that just because ownership of them might change, things don't simply reset. The lives of these characters move forward and that's what is happening to Woody in Toy Story 4.

I got a chance to see a significant part of Toy Story 4 while visiting Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, CA last month. As part of that, I can certainly say that Toy Story 4, while still feeling like another Toy Story movie, also very clearly feels like a necessary and important chapter in that larger story. This is a piece of Woody's life that has value and it feels like it will all be a story worth telling.

Early in the new movie we see that Woody isn't the favorite toy that he once was. He's also not the defacto leader of the group. His status in the bedroom isn't what it once was, and while Woody rolls with the punches pretty well, he's clearly found himself in unfamiliar territory.

Director Josh Cooley compared Woody's situation to a parent dealing with "empty nest syndrome" after the kids have moved out of the house. Woody's relationship with Andy, while being his toy, was also that of a caretaker, Woody watched out for Andy and tried to keep him safe. Now that's successfully done that, what's next?

The idea that there still was a "next chapter" for Woody was vital to the trio of Josh Cooley, Jonas Rivera and Mark Nielsen as they were among those who loved the ending of Toy Story 3, and as such, even they only wanted to make Toy Story 4 if there was a compelling reason to do so.

We were among the people saying 'Toy Story 3 was a great ending, so you better not just make another adventure.’ We can’t have this feel like ‘oh, we forgot a part, audience.’

Certainly, the audience doesn't want to feel that way either. Fans almost certainly want to love the new Toy Story, even if they're not so sure about it. We'll all find out whether this story was really necessary when the movie arrives June 21.