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Monday, June 1, 2020

Aquaman Producer Explains Time Gap Between Films

Aquaman Producer Explains Time Gap Between Films
Jason Momoa in Aquaman

After Aquaman exceeded all expectations and became a box office leviathan, a sequel was basically guaranteed, and given the first film’s success, it would be natural to assume that the sequel would be fast-tracked to theaters. But while Aquaman 2 is indeed on the way, it won’t arrive in theaters until 2022, four years after the first film. Aquaman producer Peter Safran explained the reason for the gap between the films, saying:



[Hamada], myself and James Wan always shared the same philosophy, which is: you want to do it right. You don't want to do it fast. You just want to do it right.



Of all the reasons that a film will take a long time to reach theaters, this is basically the most encouraging and the one you want to hear. As Peter Safran told The Hollywood Reporter, he, director James Wan and executive producer and DC Films head Walter Hamada aren’t going to rush Aquaman 2. They aren’t concerned with delivering the film quickly, a move that could be detrimental to the final product. They are purely focused on doing it right.





There is a quote from Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto that says “A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.” This is the philosophy that Peter Safran is espousing here. Aquaman just came out, so Aquaman 2 isn’t technically delayed, but it was decided to give the movie plenty of time to come together and be the best movie it can be. That way, there's a better chance for it to make the kind of splash that the first film did.


However, the movie business is a business, and Aquaman made over $1 billion at the box office, so you would think that there would be pressure to hurry Aquaman 2 to theaters to capitalize on the momentum from the original. Yet, that is not the case because the producer also told THR that there was no pressure from Warner Bros. to get the sequel done faster.


DC could have rushed Aquaman 2 out after the $1.13 billion grossing original, but as far as Peter Safran is concerned, that shouldn’t be the focus because the ‘what’ is more important than the ‘when.’ DC also has plenty of irons in the fire at the moment, and with the Atlantean now the universe’s crown jewel, it makes sense to protect him and not mess with the desires of the team that made the first one such a hit.





Even though we now have a long four-year wait to see Aquaman 2, that doesn’t mean that we won’t be returning under the sea in the DCEU before that. Peter Safran expects the Aquaman spinoff film The Trench to arrive well before Aquaman 2. That film won’t have Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry or Amber Heard’s Mera in it, but the horror-tinged spinoff will take place after Aquaman and will return audiences to one of the most exciting areas of that film.


We still don’t know if James Wan will return to direct Aquaman 2 because he was only signed on for the first movie, but it is nice to see DC not making a knee-jerk decision to rush Aquaman 2 here. Four years should give the film plenty of time to churn out a great script, shoot and take all the time it needs for the ridiculous amount of visual effects work these films require.


When it arrives, it will again likely own December. There was a question of whether Aquaman 2 was avoiding a December showdown with the Avatar sequels (December really is the new summer), but it seems that the main concern was just doing the film right.





Aquaman 2 dives into theaters on December 16, 2022. That’s a long way off, so to know what you can see before then, check out our 2019 release schedule.

Sunday, May 31, 2020

See The Best Look At Pepper Potts’ Avengers: Endgame Transformation

See The Best Look At Pepper Potts’ Avengers: Endgame Transformation
Pepper Potts in Infinity War

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame


It's been two weeks since Avengers: Endgame hit theaters, and the events of the massive blockbuster are still being felt by moviegoers. The Russo Brothers exceeded all expectations, and put together a narrative that was deeply connected to the first 21 movies of the shared universe. Tons of characters were serviced throughout the course of the movie, especially during the final battle against Thanos and his forces.


When all seemed bleak and Captain America was getting beat down by Thanos, the fallen characters and various other Avengers allies appeared in the rubble of the facility, and turned the tides against the Mad Titan's army. This includes Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts, who made her debut in the very first MCU movie. Pepper suited up in her own armor for the battle, taking on the comic book mantle of Rescue. And now we can see our clearest look at the armor itself, thanks to Endgame concept art. Check it out.




I mean, how cool is that? Pepper's ascension to Rescue has been a long time coming, as she's previously worn Tony's Iron Man suit, and has engaged in a few battles throughout her tenure in the MCU. And that journey really paid off in Avengers: Endgame, as Pepper's time as an official combatant was truly epic.


Pepper Potts has a supporting role in Avengers: Endgame, popping up early in the film's runtime, watching in awe as Captain Marvel arrives on Earth with Tony and Nebula in tow. Throughout the film, she mostly stays at Tony's side, helping him get healthy in the Avengers Facility and eventually becoming a mother after the time jump.


The Rescue armor was teased shortly after the blockbuster's time jump, which introduced Tony and Pepper's daughter Morgan. Upon finding his daughter in a tent outside their new home, and she wearing the Rescue helmet. Tony jokes that Pepper never wears anything he gets her, an exchange that not-so-subtly set up Pepper's eventual fate during Endgame's third act.




Pepper Potts did some great work as Rescue in the final Avengers: Endgame battle, serving as both an attacker and protector of her fellow good guys. She also participated in the epic all-female moment, which saw the MCU's femme fatales team up to battle Thanos' forces. Pepper had already killed two Iron Man villains, so watching her become a genuine hero was massively satisfying.


Related: The 25 Most Emotional Moments In Avengers: Endgame


In addition to her work as Rescue, Pepper Potts helped to move Tony Stark's narrative forward a few times throughout the course of Avengers: Endgame's runtime. For instance, she helped change Tony's mind about time travel. And most heartbreakingly, she mourned her husband in front of our eyes after he sacrificed his life to snap his fingers and destroy Thanos forever. While Gwyneth Paltrow has been part-time in the MCU in recent years, it was great to see her get so much screen time in Endgame.




Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

How Team Marvel Turned The Snap Into 'An Event'

How Team Marvel Turned The Snap Into 'An Event'
Avengers: Infinity War Thanos Marvel

MAJOR spoilers ahead from Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War.


Snap your fingers. Right now. Loud? Quiet? Some people have great cracking snaps, others can't get much snap at all. But to get a snap like The Snap of the past two Avengers movies took the work of professionals. As one of two re-recording mixers with Skywalker Sound, Juan Peralta was responsible for The Snap in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.



We needed it to be an event. We wanted to make sure the snap is felt as well as heard.





Yes, The Snap was a major event -- three times. Thanos' snap felt devastating in Avengers: Infinity War, but The Snap took on a whole other meaning in Avengers: Endgame. It felt like victory. First, The Hulk snapped back the 50% dusted in The Decimation. Then Tony dust-busted Team Thanos.


Juan Peralta told CNET his job was to blend the various sounds heard in the films, including finding a way to maximize the impact of a relatively small noise like a finger snap.


In Infinity War, the sound designers segued from the explosions of battle to a moment of quiet for The Snap, adding a metallic note for the metal of Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet. After hearing a boom and Thor's cry, the music fades and we just her the wind of 50% of our friends turning to dust.




Juan Peralta's job was different in the more intimate Endgame vs. the heavier action of Infinity War.



I was very conscious of making sure the audience wasn't just hit over the head with the sound. When we got to Endgame, it was refreshing to start the movie off with a lot of character development and a lot of emotions.



Tony Stark's own Endgame included using the Infinity Stones to snap out Thanos and his army, turning them to dust this time. Thanos initially believed he had all the Stones, dropping this confident line:





I am inevitable.



But not invincible. When Thanos snapped his fingers again, nothing happened. Instead, Tony had taken the Stones for himself. Before Stark's own powerful event Snap, he got to drop this epic reply to Thanos:



And I am Iron Man.





BOOM. Apparently that wasn't how the moment played out during original filming. As the Russo Brothers explained during an event in Washington, D.C. (via /FILM):



Tony used to not say anything in that moment. And we were in the editing room going, ‘He has to say something. This is a character who has lived and died by quips.’ And we just couldn’t, we tried a million different last lines. Thanos was saying 'I am inevitable.' And our editor Jeff Ford, who’s been with us all four movies and is an amazing storyteller, said ‘Why don’t we just go full circle with it and say I am Iron Man.’ And we’re like, ‘Get the cameras! We have to shoot this tomorrow.'



So they did. They added that scene in reshoots and it ended up the final scene they directed for Avengers: Endgame, which may be their final MCU movie.




It's amazing how much gets added after the scripts are already in. Clearly it took more than a village to make Avengers: Endgame. The credits go on and on for a reason. A lot of names you haven't heard as often as Robert Downey Jr. also had a huge hand in making this movie a Titanic-crushing success.


Some fans are already suggesting Robert Downey Jr. for an Oscar nomination, but the sound, visual effects, editing, and other behind-the-scenes teams may hear their names mentioned as well.

Whoa, Bohemian Rhapsody Just Passed $900 Million Worldwide

Whoa, Bohemian Rhapsody Just Passed $900 Million Worldwide
Rami Malek Bohemian Rhapsody

Mamma mia, this movie can't stop winning! Bohemian Rhapsody came out November 2, 2018, but here we are in April 2019 and it's still picking up cash around the world.


The Queen movie was made off a reported production budget of $52 million and currently has a worldwide total of $901,417,909. It's amazing. This troubled movie is pushing a billion. It isn't likely to get there, or even much closer than this, but who saw it even getting here?


Bohemian Rhapsody's current totals are $216,217,834 from the domestic North American (U.S./Canada) box office and a very strong $685,200,075 from the foreign box office, per Box Office Mojo.




As THR noted, a late run in China (with censored scenes) and popular play in Japan helped push the movie over the $900 million edge this weekend. China just gave the Rami Malek movie $13.9 million, but so far it's really Japan that has stepped up. Bohemian Rhapsody has made $114,658,629 so far in Japan alone. Apparently it has become something of a cultural phenomenon in Japan, bringing new life and popularity to Queen.


Bohemian Rhapsody is already the highest-grossing music biopic of all time, and it's now 20th Century Fox's No. 4 title of all time, if you don't adjust for inflation.


It was the sixth highest grossing movie of 2018, worldwide. Sixth may not sound that impressive, but it definitely is when you consider its peers -- Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Incredibles 2, and Aquaman. Bohemian topped the worldwide grosses of Venom, Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Deadpool 2, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Ready Player One.




All of those movies had pretty massive action blockbuster budgets and ambitions -- except Bohemian, which was "just" a music biopic made for under $55 million.


Bohemian Rhapsody was also a big winner on the 2018-2019 awards circuit, which surprised the critics who never understood any of the love for the film. Bohemian won four Oscars -- including Best Actor for Rami Malek, plus Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. The movie itself, nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, won Best Motion Picture – Drama at the the Golden Globe Awards.


Bryan Singer directed most of the film, and will still reportedly make some good money from it, but he was fired in December 2017. Dexter Fletcher was hired toward the end to complete the film. That led to some scene reordering and at least one editing issue.




Queen and the late Freddie Mercury's family should also pick up quite a bit of money from Bohemian Rhapsody's impressive box office run. And while that run is winding down, it's clearly not over yet. Will 2019 have another success story like Bohemian Rhapsody? We'll see. Keep up with everything headed to theaters this year with our 2019 movie guide.

Aquaman Hits #1 In Home Video Sales

Aquaman Hits #1 In Home Video Sales
Aquaman in his classic costume

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.

Saturday, May 30, 2020

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
King Kong roaring in Kong: Skull Island

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.



 

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