Wonder Woman 1984 Producer Explains The Film’s Delay

Wonder Woman 1984 Producer Explains The Film’s Delay

It may seem like forever since Wonder Woman graced the screens of cinemas everywhere, but in actuality it'll only be a little over two years between director Patty Jenkins' first foray into the DC Comics universe, and her second outing, Wonder Woman 1984. And, as we all know, it would have been a lot sooner if the original 2019 release date Warner Bros. had planned actually stuck, which has us wondering just why the studio would delay a film that's assured to print them so much money. Well, recently, one of the film's producers, Charles Roven, delivered the answer to just what all of the hold up is about, and it all came down to this:

We always wanted the date that we are on right now. The studio felt that until their slate for the year before came together—and they had an amazing end of 2018—that they needed to have a big what I call aircraft carrier, a ‘tentpole’, in [2019]. We had a very rushed pre-production because Patty also did the TNT show and we had a very rushed post-production schedule in order to make the date that we were on, which was November 1, 2019. We were doing it because the studio said they really needed it, and then at a certain point they came to us and they said, ‘You know what, you guys are right. Let’s go back to the month that you guys released Wonder Woman 1 in, and take the extra time.’

Originally slated for December 13, 2019, Wonder Woman 1984 was shifted to November 1, 2019, before eventually having its wish granted with the final extension to a June 5, 2020 release date. With Wonder Woman bowing on June 2, 2017, the film was positioned to become a hit at the summer box office that year with its $102 million opening weekend.

As the second film in the superpowered Gal Gadot starring saga could more than likely outdo that number, it's best to give it the most advantageous release date possible to get the job done. So far, Wonder Woman 1984 is running unopposed in its current slot, ready to campaign for that box office vote in similar conditions to its first time out.

So, what made Warner Bros. change its mind? Well, it looks like one film may have given the studio the confidence to let Wonder Woman 1984 be the summer blockbuster it always wanted to be. That film is the studio's heavily anticipated Mike Flannigan directed adaptation of Stephen King's Doctor Sleep, also known as the direct sequel to one of King's most well known works, The Shining. That film was moved up itself to a November 8, 2019 release date, showing that Warner Bros. clearly has a good amount of faith that the film will deliver the goods.

But, more importantly, and to the point that Charles Roven mentioned in his remarks to Collider, Warner Bros. has decided that maybe it isn't the best decision to rush the second installment of one of their biggest superhero hits into theaters. With Aquaman helping mend fences between the studio and DC Comics fans, and Shazam looking to be another hit in the making, the choice to not pull another Justice League does feel like a refreshing reinforcement of recent strategy.

Wonder Woman 1984 will kick down the doors on theaters worldwide on June 5, 2020.

How Kevin Smith Found Out About His Awesome Captain Marvel Shout-Out

How Kevin Smith Found Out About His Awesome Captain Marvel Shout-Out

Warning: SPOILERS are ahead!

Although Stan Lee, one of Marvel Comics’ most important figures, passed away last November, he filmed several Marvel Cinematic Universe cameos months before his death, ensuring that we’re not done seeing him on the big screen just yet. His most recent movie appearance was in Captain Marvel, where he was shown reading the script for Mallrats, the Kevin Smith movie he cameoed in over two decades ago, on the train where Carol Danvers was hunting for a disguised Skrull. In other words, Lee was basically cameoing as himself, making this one of his more unique cameos within the MCU.

Kevin Smith posted an emotional reaction over the weekend to Stan Lee’s Captain Marvel cameo and the special tribute the movie included to the longtime Marvel Comics’ writer, publisher, editor and Chairman Emeritus, but as it turns out, Smith was told about Lee’s special cameo months ahead of time by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. As Smith revealed:

I knew before I got to the theater. I got a phone call a couple months back after Stan passed away from the great Kevin Feige over at Marvel Studios and naturally when fucking Kevin Feige calls... you pick up the phone right away.

Along with being a director and podcaster, Kevin Smith is also a huge comic book fan, to the point that he’s written several comic books over the years, including notable runs on Daredevil and Green Arrow. But as far as movies go, he hasn’t been shy about expressing enthusiasm for all things MCU. So to hear from Kevin Feige himself that Stan Lee’s Captain Marvel cameo is quite the honor. If you’re in any way a fan of these Marvel movies and Feige calls you, then that’s definitely an instance where you don’t want the call to go to voicemail.

Like many comic book fans, Kevin Smith also grew up reading Stan Lee’s Marvel stories, but it was with Mallrats that he finally got to meet him and work with him, as Lee showed up in the movie as himself to speak with Jason Lee’s Brodie Bruce. Mallrats came out in 1995, the same year Captain Marvel is set, so it was quite fitting to have Lee be practicing his lines in the penultimate Phase 3 release. Following Mallrats, not only did Smith and Lee continue to collaborate professionally, but they also became good friends.

After Stan Lee’s death, Smith posted a tribute to his colleague and friend on social media and also talked about him on his Fatman Beyond podcast, and it was reading and hearing Smith’s words that led Kevin Feige to contact him about what was in store for Captain Marvel. Smith continued:

Kevin was like 'I read your Stan thing,' because I had put up an Instagram post after Stan passed and he was like 'I heard the podcast' So we were talking about how bummed we were that Stan had passed and then Kevin goes 'well, I’m calling you with a very specific reason' and he goes 'I gotta tell you this but you can't tell anybody, in order for me to go forward I've gotta tell you Stan's cameo in Captain Marvel.'

Kevin Feige also informed Kevin Smith that when Stan Lee shot his Captain Marvel cameo, he was “on his weaker side,” as it occurred only a few months before he died (and after he’d shot his brief appearance in Avengers: Endgame). As a result, his voice wasn’t “quite there,” so Feige asked Smith if he had any alternate takes of Lee delivering his Mallrats lines, and Smith pointed him to Universal for that audio.

As you’ll see when you watch all of Kevin Smith’s video, the filmmaker was incredibly flattered to be referenced in a Marvel movie, so Captain Marvel will surely hold a special place in his heart. But beyond that, Captain Marvel has been going higher, further, faster on other fronts. Along with earning numerous positive reviews, the movie opened to $153 million domestically in its first few days, making it one of the higher-grossing of the MCU’s opening weekends.

After being teased in Avengers: Infinity War’s post-credits scene when Nick Fury contacted her with his spruced-up pager before turning to dust during the Decimation, Captain Marvel officially brought Carol Danvers into the MCU fold, and we learned how she obtained her special powers and watched as she learned the secrets of her past. The movie ended with a fully-powered Carol escorting the Skrull refugees to a new home, and while we still don’t have the full scope of what she’s been doing over the last 23 years, at least it makes sense why she hasn’t been around Earth lately.

But we’re not done with Carol Danvers in 2019 just yet. At the end of next month, she’ll be back for Avengers: Endgame, and Captain Marvel’s mid-credits scene set the stage for her alliance with the surviving MCU heroes by having her show up at the Avengers’ base asking where Nick Fury was. Plot details are still being kept under wraps, but given how powerful Carol became at the end of Captain Marvel and how Brie Larson once said her character was powerful enough to move planets, she will definitely be a key ally in the rematch against Thanos.

As for Kevin Smith, along with his various podcasting endeavors, directing episodes of TV shows like The Flash and The Goldbergs and working on the upcoming Howard the Duck animated series for Hulu, he’s also just returned to his View Askewniverse (which preceded the MCU as a shared film universe) with Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, which will see its eponymous protagonists traveling back to Hollywood to prevent a reboot of Bluntman and Chronic from being made. Filming on this sequel began last month, but a release date hasn’t been set yet.

Be sure to read CinemaBlend’s review of Captain Marvel, and stay tuned for more updates concerning the MCU, which will continue when Avengers: Endgame is released on April 26. You can also look through our 2019 release schedule to learn what other movies are coming out this year.

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.