Why Mothra Was Difficult To Design For Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Why Mothra Was Difficult To Design For Godzilla: King of the Monsters

One of the Titans being introduced to the MonsterVerse at the end of the month in Godzilla: King of the Monsters is Mothra. While Godzilla has already had a couple go-arounds in American productions, King of the Monsters marks Mothra’s debut in such a project after decades of appearing in Japanese movies. As it turns out, it was the simplistic designs of the earlier Mothras that made it difficult for Mothra to be visually developed for King of the Monsters, as I learned during an interview with production designer Scott Chambliss. He explained:

The earliest incarnations of all our creatures have an unrefined comic book simplicity to them, and Mothra was arguably the least ‘designed’ of all as her initial versions are standard moths blown up to a zillion times their actual scale. In developing Mothra, our intention was to give her an essentially feminine power in contrast to the hypermasculinity of the other three creatures, and to imbue her with undeniable strength and grace plus an ability to be incredibly frightening at the same time. We went through endless design iterations striving to nail down what all that meant visually. One of the more memorable moments was when we hit a phase of ‘armourized’ Mothra. For a moment in time her cocoon looked like a military tank.

While Mothra is unquestionably a force to be reckoned with in the Toho monster movies, like Scott Chambliss pointed out, she doesn’t look as monstrous as her cohorts, instead just looking like if a regular, unassuming moth had been blown up to the size of a building. Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ Mothra still has those insectoid features and looks more realistic in some regards, but Chambliss and his team made sure that she also looked more powerful and intimidating. Those praying mantis-like legs and the bigger wingspan definitely help convey that.

As Scott Chambliss also mentioned, unlike fellow newcomers Rodan and King Ghidorah, Mothra will have more than one form in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which is in keeping with the source material. She’ll be discovered by some of the main human characters in her impressive cocoon and eventually emerge in her larva form. But once those wings stretch out and Mothra takes to the skies, she’ll get to take part in the explosive action and show American moviegoers unfamiliar with her why she shouldn’t be underestimated, with her most unique power being the ability to unleash ‘god rays.’

As for whether or not Mothra will be an ally or enemy to Godzilla in this next MonsterVerse entry, that hasn’t officially been clarified yet. However, given Mothra’s benevolent nature in the Japanese movies, her behaving friendly to Millie Bobby Brown’s Madison Russell and her shown fighting King Ghidorah, it seems likely that Godzilla won’t have to worry about Mothra giving him too much trouble, if any at all.

It’s also worth mentioning that in a previous interview, director Michael Dougherty revealed that the eye spots on Mothra’s wings were designed to resemble Godzilla’s eyes, thus creating a connection between those two. Whether that will be significantly explored in Godzilla: King of the Monsters or saved for a future MonsterVerse movie remains to be seen.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters rampages into theaters on May 31. If you’re curious about what other movies are opening in theaters later this year, look through our 2019 release schedule.

4 Shots In The Avengers: Endgame Trailer That Will Break Your Heart

4 Shots In The Avengers: Endgame Trailer That Will Break Your Heart

Tension and stakes within The Marvel Cinematic Universe are at an all-time high, with Avengers: Endgame finally arriving in theaters in a matter of weeks. 21 movies and ten years of filmmaking will come to a head in the blockbuster, picking up the narrative after the heartbreaking twist ending of Infinity War. Josh Brolin's Thanos succeeded in wiping out half of all life in the galaxy, and the survivors and moviegoers alike are eager to get back into the fray after the year-long wait between installments.

Endgame is nearly upon us, and Marvel Studios has been methodically revealing footage ahead of the film's upcoming release. While still keepings clips short and the movie's contents a mystery, the trailers show how dark things have gotten since The Decimation. A new trailer hit today as pre-sale tickets became available, and it had some seriously heartbreaking shots for the fandom. Here's my picks for the top 4.

Tony And Pepper Reunite

If there's one love story that has been the MCU's signature coupling, it's Tony Stark and Pepper Potts. Starting back with 2007's Iron Man, it was clear that the character had emotional feelings for his assistant, and moviegoers watched their relationship ebb and flow over the last ten years. The two got back together around the time of Spider-Man: Homecoming, and were revealed to be engaged in Infinity War. But The Decimation left Iron Man stranded on Titan with Nebula, and it was unclear if/how he'd return home.

But Pepper and Tony will reunite in Endgame, after he somehow ends up back on Earth. This shot may cut down fan theories that Pepper would suit up and save Tony herself, taking on the mantle of Rescue in the process. Fans will still be hoping that Pepper suits up sometime during the events of Endgame, as she's been known to kick ass and kill villains in the past. And considering how dire things are in the MCU after The Decimation, it doesn't seem out of the question that she might get into the action, one way or another. Gwyneth Paltrow was given her own character poster for Endgame, so we should expect Pepper to have more to do than her last few appearances.

Regardless, it's great to see Tony and Pepper back together. Let's just hope they both survive the upcoming rematch with Thanos.

Rocket And Nebula Connect

The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise is unique to the rest of the MCU, with zany characters and over-the-top comedy. But the motley crew have darkness and trauma they're grappling with as well. The Guardians were hit hard by Thanos' assault in Infinity War, starting with Thanos' murder of Gamora to acquire the Soul Stone. And once the snap happened, audiences were left to watch in horror as Mantis, Drax, Star-Lord, and Groot all faded to dust.

Nebula and Rocket are the sole survivors of the Guardians, and are arguably the most damaged members of the crew. While they didn't share scenes in Infinity War, that should change with the upcoming blockbuster. The new Endgame trailer showed the two characters connecting in their grief, with Rocket taking Nebula's hand in a rare moment of empathy. The loss of Gamora and Groot should be hitting them both hard, so perhaps the two biggest outcasts in the Guardians franchise will share a deep connection in the upcoming threequel.

Of course, we're still not sure how Gamora actually gets to Earth, as she's stranded with Tony Stark in space following the Battle on Titan. Could Rocket be the one who rescues them, thanks to his pre-existing relationship with both the ship and Nebula? Fans are eager to know how that rescue mission is completed, and Rocket does have the most experience in space.

Tony Mourning Peter Parker

Thanos' finger snap of death was an iconic and emotionally devastating scene, as countless characters perished before our eyes. But there was one death that took the cake for the most heartbreaking: Tom Holland's Peter Parker. Spider-Man became an official Avenger during Infinity War, and joined Iron Man and Doctor Strange on their journey to Titan. His spider-sense caught onto The Snap before it the dusting began, and he begged for his life to Tony Stark, before apologizing for failing his mentor.

It's a truly gut wrenching scene, and one that highlighted how horrifying The Decimation is. The guilt seems to be weighing hard on Tony during Avengers: Endgame, as he united the survivors to once again battle the Mad Titan. Peter's death will no doubt be a major motivation, and it should be interesting to see if/how he's eventually resurrected ahead of Spider-Man: Far From Home starting Phase Four.

Speaking of Far From Home, there's already been a trailer released for the project, even if Peter is still dust at the moment. Peter will be interacting with Nick Fury, Maria Hill, and Happy Hogan in the upcoming blockbuster. But Tony is noticeably missing, leading some to believe Iron Man may perish in Endgame. If that's the case, Spider-Man will be out of a mentor, and the Earth will be out of one of its biggest defenders.

Iron Man and Captain America Reunite

Phase Three of the MCU was kickstarted with Captain America: Civil War, proving how The Russo Brothers could balance a massive cast of iconic heroes. The Sokovia Accords split Earth's Mightiest Heroes, as they took either Cap or Tony's side on the argument. The battle lines were eventually drawn in the epic tarmac battle, while the duo of Avengers had another conflict with Bucky, ending their friendship and the Avengers as we knew it.

Iron Man and Captain America haven't shared any scenes yet, and were stationed on different locations during the conflict with Thanos in Infinity War. But they both survived The Snap, and will have to bury the hatchet in order to unite against Thanos in Endgame. The new trailer shows them doing just that, with Steve telling Tony he trusts him again. Cue the tears.

We'll get context for these shots once Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Dana Carvey Actually Quit The Wayne's World Movie Over The Script

Dana Carvey Actually Quit The Wayne's World Movie Over The Script

Mike Myers and Dana Carvey reprised their roles as Wayne and Garth for the 1992 feature film adaptation of their recurring Saturday Night Live sketch, Wayne’s World. That film remains the most successful film based on an SNL sketch and Wayne and Garth are two icons of the '90s. However, it almost didn’t happen, or history might have viewed Wayne’s World differently, because Dana Carvey actually quit the film at one point over the script, as he explained:

Mike was writing it, and I was putting stuff in. Then I would see that the stuff wasn’t in anymore. And so I actually, three weeks before we started shooting, said ‘thanks, but no thanks.’ I actually quit the movie.

Mike Myers, Bonnie Turner and Terry Turner are credited with writing the script for Wayne’s World, but during the writing process, Dana Carvey was trying to have some creative input by adding things in. As he told Howard Stern on The Howard Stern Show, everything that he was putting into the story was getting cut and that led to him quitting the film shortly before production was set to begin.

Based on his conversation with Howard Stern, Dana Carvey was trying to beef up his role in the film and give the character of Garth Algar more to do. He still viewed Garth as the sidekick, but wanted to add in things to the story to give him more of an arc. Carvey felt that he had nothing to do otherwise and there was no point in him even being in it with such a limited role.

These additions were not accepted though and they all got the axe, resulting in a story where he felt his character was getting short-changed. Dana Carvey understandably became frustrated that he wasn’t getting a creative say, and that frustration built to the point that he no longer wanted to even be a part of the film.

Apparently the powers that be didn’t initially believe that Dana Carvey was really quitting, and had he not come back, Wayne’s World would have presumably recast the role of Garth if it went forward at all. Fortunately, Dana Carvey’s exit wasn’t permanent.

Although the comedian/actor didn’t elaborate on what specifically changed his mind, Wayne’s World got to party on and went forward with him and Mike Myers as the two metalheads, ultimately becoming the cult classic it is today. Dana Carvey also said that he and Mike Myers wound up getting along during the making of the film and noted how great Wayne’s World turned out.

It is unfortunate that Dana Carvey felt like he didn’t get much creative input, but given Wayne’s World’s classic status, it’s hard to say that changing it would have improved it. Wayne does have a more robust story arc with his various girl troubles, but the film needs Garth too, even if his story is very much tied to Wayne.

Mike Myers and Dana Carvey reprised their roles as Wayne and Garth for the Saturday Night Live 40th anniversary a few years back and the two comedians showed up on stage together at this past Academy Awards. Whether that means we’ll ever get a Wayne’s World 3 is anyone’s guess, but Mike Myers hasn’t closed the door on it.

Dana Carvey lends his voice to the character Pops in The Secret Life of Pets 2, in theaters on June 7. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all this year’s biggest movies.

Captain Marvel Will Lead The MCU, Kevin Feige Says

Captain Marvel Will Lead The MCU, Kevin Feige Says

The MCU is going to look different soon. The popular cinematic universe is in a transitionary period as several of the characters we've come to know prepare to take their bows in Avengers: Endgame. Once we enter Phase 4, new heroes will rise up to take the reins, and leading the pack will be Captain Marvel. Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige promised that Brie Larson has a very healthy future in the MCU to look forward to.

When we found out that Brie Larson might be interested in joining our world, we had a number of meetings. She was a huge fan of the character in the comics. One of the highlights of my career at Marvel was introducing her at Comic-Con and having her come out on stage and stand there with literally almost everybody else from our movies. There she was at the forefront, and it was a great foreshadowing – not just for how audiences are going to embrace Brie as this character, but also for how Captain Marvel is about to take the lead and be at the forefront of the entire Cinematic Universe.

You might have heard about this already, but there's a movie called Captain Marvel in theaters right now soaking up all the money. The film features the long-awaited debut of Brie Larson's Captain Marvel into the MCU. All the way up to the premiere of the movie, Captain Marvel has been hyped up to be a big addition to the MCU, with Carol Danvers being one of the most powerful beings in the universe.

Danvers will be using that power to give Thanos a whoopin' in Avengers: Endgame, but there's much more to look forward to after. Marvel Studios has been setting up the next generation of heroes to take over for the old guard, and it sounds like Captain Marvel may be our new Iron Man.

In the Captain Marvel: The Official Movie Special (via Comic Book), Feige teased what was to come for Captain Marvel. It should come as little surprise to fans that we will be seeing a lot more of her as she steps into a leadership role in the MCU. It sounds like we can count on Carol being in the center of a lot of posters from here on out!

It's been strongly hinted that Endgame will leave us with an new roster of superheroes to take us through the next iteration of the MCU. Captain Marvel and Black Panther are already proving to be major successes and it's great to hear that we will be seeing more of Carol. The Captain Marvel movie is doing great right now and it's a solid set up for more adventures down the road.

You can see Captain Marvel in theaters right now.

Why Will Smith Almost Said ‘No’ To The Live-Action Aladdin

Why Will Smith Almost Said ‘No’ To The Live-Action Aladdin

Will Smith may be a desperado, but he isn’t desperate for roles. In fact, when he was presented with the idea of playing the Genie in Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin, out this weekend, the actor’s first impulse was to say no.

Why would an a-lister say no to a role in a big Disney live action adaptation? Well, Robin Williams’ original performance in 1992’s Aladdin was one of the most iconic of all-time, and Will Smith didn’t originally think he could bring anything new to the table. He told Ellen DeGeneres this week:

I was like, ‘Naw, man. No, Robin Williams like smashed that thing.’ You have to be careful stepping into projects like that. At first I looked at it… he revolutionized what you could do in these kinds of movies. I was listening and listening. I didn’t think I wanted to touch it. Then, I started playing with the music and the music was where I found my “in” to the genie.

While Will Smith initially felt he would have to pass on Aladdin, he did tinker around with the idea for a bit. He revealed on Ellen that when he went into the studio and spent some time toying around with the iconic song ‘Friend like Me’ he realized he could be the right fit for the big, blue genie.

Per the actor, the real flash of inspiration was when Will Smith realized he could bring in his Fresh Prince of Bel-Air character's characteristics and bring some hip-hop flavor to the role. He also said:

‘Friend like Me’ was the first song that I messed with in the studio and then I found that sort of hip-hop flavor. What Robin did was took his stand up and used his standup persona. I was like, ‘Oh, I could just use my Fresh Prince persona because the Genie has been forward and back in time. You can pull references from anywhere. I mirrored that, and the hip hop in was where I saw I could put my own signature while maintaining the nostalgic value.

Nostalgia is a big thing in Disney’s 2019 live-action Aladdin. Without giving too much away, the movie mirrors a lot of the iconic classic’s most memorable moments. However, it also spins the tale in a new way, with characters like Jasmine gaining agency and characters like the Genie adding a different flavor into the mix. In fact, 'Friend Like Me' has been a big entry point for Will Smith to engage with fans of the franchise as well.

Reviews are out for Aladdin now, and while not everyone loved the movie, reviews for the upcoming live action flick have generally been positive, and Will Smith has been well-liked, despite initial backlash against his version of the genie.

Whoever took on the role of the genie was always going to have to deal with being compared to Robin Williams, who would be a tough act for anyone to follow. Honestly, the role really needed to go to someone splashy with a big name in order to work, and we're lucky Will Smith said yes after much deliberation. If the Guy Ritchie flick had cast a no-name, I'm not sure that person would have been able to pull it off.

Aladdin hits theaters this Friday. For a full look at the summer movies coming up, check out our movies schedule.

To 3D Or Not To 3D: Buy The Right Pokemon Detective Pikachu Ticket

To 3D Or Not To 3D: Buy The Right Pokemon Detective Pikachu Ticket

Whenever there’s a 3D movie presented to the public, it’s a fair assumption that it wants to be the very best, like no one ever was. So when Pokemon Detective Pikachu announced it was going into the third dimension, you could very well imagine that one of its causes, besides entertaining the masses and bringing Pokemon to live action, would be that very prospect.

But as we’ve seen in the past, ambition can be hobbled by slip ups here and there. So we naturally find ourselves asking that big question life likes to hand us from time to time: to 3D or not to 3D? If you want to see what we thought of Pokemon Detective Pikachu, you can pika pika your way over to our official review and read the rundown.

For now though, it’s time to slip on those classic black glasses, pour another round of coffee (extra shot, black as night, thank you so much) and see if Detective Pikachu’s big adventure is worth the extra ticket money, or if you’d be better off buying a coffee to help keep you buzzed through the film.

Taking one look at the trailers for Pokemon Detective Pikachu, you could see that the 3D could be strong with this one. Between the amazing abilities that Pokemon execute in battles and life-saving danger, and the world of Ryme City being so lushly drawn, there was no way that this was going to stay a standard 2D film for long. Putting the right post-conversion job on this film would make Pokemon Detective Pikachu a marvel to behold.

In the screening of Pokemon Detective Pikachu that I attended, there were definitely some flaws in the presentation. However, I’m not so sure they were on the Planning & Effort side of the house, as the visuals held up rather well. The biggest issue I ran into was, surprise surprise, the brightness of the picture. Since that’s a big variable that depends on the location you’re visiting to see a movie like Pokemon Detective Pikachu, I can’t lay that at the feet of the 3D crew; especially when the depth and projection of the film’s enhancements work so well.

While I would have expected more visual assets being thrown off of the screen and into the laps of the audience, Pokemon Detective Pikachu certainly doesn’t let the Before The Window quotient go to waste. There’s some pretty impressive moments of objects being pointed at the screen, and even some good Pokemon attacks that do manage to come at the audience in brief moments. The large battle in the third act particularly uses this aspect of the visual palette well, because there’s Pokemon flying into action, and towards the camera, for all to see.

Pokemon Detective Pikachu has an amazing amount of depth to be portrayed in its picture. From the streets of Ryme City, to the countryside and more natural areas of the film’s visuals, there’s not only clear spatial reasoning between characters and their environments, there’s an extra mile that lets the background go on for what feels like forever. Characters are also perfectly spaced from one another, so there’s no confusion as to who’s operating in which piece of the action.

And now we come to the greatest stumbling block for Pokemon Detective Pikachu. As promised, it was the brightness score that threatens to sink the high of seeing Pokemon on the silver screen, in true 3D glory. Now this ultimately comes down to how well your theater maintains its projectors, both in switching between 2D and 3D screenings, as well as maintaining a healthy bulb life. In the case of my screening of the film, the brightness was turned down way too low, which dulled the colors being presented on the screen more than they would be by just slipping on the glasses. Your mileage may vary on this factor, and it’s suggested you see this 3D presentation in a theater you know to be maintaining their gear.

If your eyes get tired, or your mind gets curious during a 3D film, you’ll want to slip those glasses off and see what the world looks like without the aid of polarized lenses. Which leads to you, the audience, seeing that classic 3D blur that folks have been talking about for ages. Usually, the blur means that the picture is being manipulated to a certain extent, in order to make everything more 3D like; and in the case of Pokemon Detective Pikachu, there’s a real good quotient of blur. Except for some scattered 2D aspects, which tend to be included to help anchor things down or give the eye a break, there’s a lot of blur to the picture. The backgrounds especially benefit from the blur, which more than likely explains the impressive depths of this film’s picture.

One major factor that knocks down the Audience Health score for Pokemon Detective Pikachu is the lack of brightness. When a film is this dim, you start to feel your eyes getting tired, and you might get crankier than a Psyduck without its spa music. But in addition to that piece of the 3D puzzle wearing on the eye, there’s a couple transitions that feel like they wonk out the 3D picture a little extra. A scene involving a commute on a high speed train is an example of where the eye will be confused, as the panning involved in that shot blurs things a little. You won’t get nauseous, but you might need to take your glasses off more than usual.

Pokemon Detective Pikachu is a beautiful movie to look at, with some impressive 3D elements that could be even more impressive if shown correctly. It’s hard to totally judge the 3D component, with a screening that was so dark as the one I encountered, but I’d be willing to say that it’s exciting enough to take a chance and see it in a theater you trust to be up to snuff. But if you end up seeing the film in 2D instead, just make sure the screen you see it on is nice and crisp, because this film deserves as clear a picture as possible.

Be sure to visit our full To 3D Or Not To 3D Archive.

How To Train Your Dragon 3 Just Crossed Another Box Office Milestone

How To Train Your Dragon 3 Just Crossed Another Box Office Milestone

Although Dumbo didn’t soar quite the way Disney probably hoped when it opened this past weekend, another family friendly film continues to fly high at the box office over a month after its release. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, the final film in DreamWorks Animation and Universal/Comcast’s venerated series, crossed another milestone at the box office this past weekend: $500 million worldwide.

If you’re going to go out, do it on a high note, and How to Train Your Dragon 3 is doing just that, earning over half a billion dollars worldwide to date, according to Forbes. The animated threequel actually crossed a pair of box office milestones this weekend, with its roughly $4.2 million domestic haul, good for 7th place in its 6th weekend in release, pushing it past $150 million domestically.

These box office milestones are just the latest accolades that The Hidden World can claim after a domestic debut of $55.5 million that broke records for the franchise on opening weekend. The Hidden World is also the third-biggest film of 2019, and Toothless and Hiccup’s soaring performance thus far ensures that this $129 million film will be viewed as a success, but it may not wind up being the biggest movie in the franchise overall.

The first film in this franchise, 2010’s How to Train Your Dragon, finished its run just shy of the $500 million mark, earning $494.9 million worldwide with $217.6 million of that coming from the North American box office, according to Box Office Mojo. By passing the $500 million milestone, the third film has now eclipsed the original’s worldwide total, but is still a ways away from matching it domestically.

The original had a pretty close split in terms of domestic and overseas box office revenues, but the sequels have been much more heavily weighted towards the international box office. How to Train Your Dragon 2, which opened in 2014, still stands as the biggest film in the series overall, with a huge $621.5 worldwide haul, with less than 30% of that, $177 million, coming from the domestic box office.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World has yet to match either the domestic or worldwide total of its predecessor with the biggest difference coming internationally, where How to Train Your Dragon 2 made close to $100 million more than the third film. So with The Hidden World winding down its run here and abroad, that $621.5 million may be out of reach.

It should be noted though that the second film also cost a fair bit more, so that narrows the gap between the two when all the numbers are being counted. And with over $500 million worldwide, sterling critical and audience reviews, and perhaps an Oscar case, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a great and successful way for this franchise to fly off into the sunset.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is now playing. Check out what we thought of the film and keep up with our 2019 release schedule to see all the movies headed your way this year.