Danny Boyle Opens Up About Quitting Bond 25

Danny Boyle Opens Up About Quitting Bond 25

While superhero and Star Wars movies may be the biggest releases in the film world, there's a franchise that was there before it all: James Bond. The 007 movies began back with 1962's Dr. No, and the spy property is still going strong today. Daniel Craig will take his final bow as James with the mysterious Bond 25 movie, although the project has had a few noticeable setbacks. Most famously, the departure of Danny Boyle as director.

Danny Boyle left the director's chair of Bond 25 in August of 2018, giving the generations of fans some panic. He was ultimately replaced by Cary Joji Fukunaga, but Boyle has kept largely quiet about the details surrounding his exit. Now he's opened up about the decision, saying:

We were working very, very well, but they didn’t want to go down that route with us. So we decided to part company, and it would be unfair to say what it was because I don’t know what Cary is going to do. I got a very nice message from him and I gave him my best wishes. It is just a great shame.

Is anyone else's FOMO going through the roof? Danny Boyle was happy with his work in the development of Bond 25, but we'll unfortunately never get to see it. It looks like he was doing in a direction that the Eon Productions wasn't comfortable with. As such, he departed the still unnamed project.

Danny Boyle's comments to Variety show the thought process that went behind his departure from the James Bond franchise. Given how iconic and beloved the property is, most directors would jump at the chance to get behind the camera. But when his creative vision was stifled by the larger company and franchise heads, he decided it would be better to walk away.

In his same comments, Danny Boyle also references his replacement, Cary Fukunaga. Boyle doesn't seem to bare any ill-will, and has spoken with Fukunaga about his new gig. The show must go on, and the James Bond franchise certainly isn't going to slow down too much due to Boyle's departure. That being said, it's unclear when production will finally start up, and Bond 25 will become more of a reality.

The pressure is certainly on for Bond 25, as it will be Daniel Craig's swan song as the iconic spy. Craig brought a hulking physical presence to the role, as well as a more realistic and flawed version of the character. Fans are eager to see how he'll be sent off, and how the current slate of films ends. It was originally unclear if the actor would return to the role, as he said he'd rather slash his wrists than do so after the long hours of Spectre.

Bond 25 is currently set to hit theaters on April 8th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Morbius, An Updated Cast List

Morbius, An Updated Cast List

Along with lending Spider-Man to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and telling animated tales about the Web-Slinger, Sony Pictures has also kicked off its own shared film universe centered around Spidey’s extensive cast of characters. Venom kicked things off last October and the next movie up is Morbius, which will follow, you guessed it, Morbius the Living Vampire. As was the case with Venom, it’s weird at first imagining Morbius jumping to the silver screen and not clashing with Spider-Man, but writers Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless have crafted a tale for the tragic vampire to shine on his own, one which director Daniel Espinosa is helming.

It’s early into Morbius’ production, but with cameras now rolling, more details are slowly coming out about the comic book movie, including who will comprise the main cast. Here are all the Morbius performers who’ve been announced to the public so far.

Jared Leto

Seven months after Sony announced that Morbius was on the way, Jared Leto was cast in the eponymous role. Although no specific details about Leto’s version of Morbius the Living Vampire have been revealed yet, his origin story is expected to unfold similarly to his comic book counterpart’s. In the Marvel Comics universe, Michael Morbius was a renowned biochemist who used a treatment of vampire bat DNA and electroshock therapy to cure his rare blood condition. He succeeded, but the cost was being turned into a pseudo-vampire who now had to ingest fresh blood on a daily basis to stay alive. If one unofficial plot description is to be believed, Leto’s Morbius will use his new abilities to prey on criminals he deems are unworthy to live, thus putting him in the anti-hero mold like Venom. This will be Leto’s second time appearing in a comic book movie, with his first go-around being as The Joker in Suicide Squad. His other acting credits include Requiem for a Dream, Lord of War, Dallas Buyers Club and Blade Runner 2049.

Adria Arjona

Moviegoers probably know Adria Arjona as Jules Reyes in last year’s Pacific Rim Uprising, while TV viewers might remember her as Dorothy in the NBC miniseries Emerald City. The actress’ other upcoming projects include Netflix’s Triple Frontier and Amazon’s Good Omens, but Morbius is arguably the biggest of the bunch. Arjona will be playing Martine Bancroft, who in the comics was Michael Morbius’ fiancée. Michael’s love for Martine is what drove him to take such drastic measures to cure his blood disorder, and like the man she intended to marry, she would also become a vampire years later. It’s hard to say how much Arjona’s version of Martine will have in common with the original character, including if she’s even engaged with Jared Leto’s Michael Morbius at the start of the movie, but expect her to be integral to the story.

Matt Smith

Most of you probably know Matt Smith best for playing the Eleventh Doctor on Doctor Who from 2010 to 2013, but he’s collected a number of other notable projects for his resume, including Terminator Genisys, The Crown, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and the upcoming Star Wars: Episode IX. Morbius marks Smith’s first foray into the comic book genre, though given how much time he’s spent in the sci-fi and fantasy realms, this shouldn’t feel too different. It remains to be seen if Smith will be playing an ally or enemy to Morbius, though if he falls into the latter category, perhaps he’ll be playing Loxias Crown, an adaptation of the super villain Crown (who both Spider-Man and Morbius have fought in the comics) who’s rumored to be Morbius’ main antagonist.

Jared Harris

From movies like Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. to TV shows like Fringe and Mad Men, Jared Harris has assembled a diverse amount of credits over his acting career, and Morbius is the latest project that’s been added to the list. Like with Matt Smith, we have no clues yet as to who Harris is playing, although given his various villainous turns over the years, he could easily fill that main antagonist role as well. However, another possibility is that Harris will play Emil Nikos, a fellow biochemist who was best friends with Michael Morbius in the comics. Sadly, when Michael turned into a vampire, Emil was his first victim, so if events unfold similarly in the Morbius movie, then Harris might not have that much screen time, unless he’s revived as a vampire later.

Tyrese Gibson

Like Jared Leto, Tyrese Gibson has built an acting career alongside his singing career, with his most prominent onscreen performances being as Roman Pierce in the Fast and the Furious movies and Robert Epps in the Transformers franchise. Now he’s in talks to join Morbius, although as we’ve come to expect, no details have been provided about who he’ll play. According to THR, Gibson would play “an FBI agent trying to hunt down the living vampire.” So along with whatever supernatural trouble Morbius will be dealing with, he’ll also have this government operative on his tail, although perhaps circumstances will result in the two having to join forces.

Morbius will sink its teeth into theaters on July 10, 2020. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for updates on the project, and be sure to browse through our 2019 release schedule to learn what movies are hitting the silver screen later this year.

7 Moments From The Sonic The Hedgehog Trailer That Had Us Saying 'What?'

7 Moments From The Sonic The Hedgehog Trailer That Had Us Saying 'What?'

The first trailer for Sonic The Hedgehog has arrived, and long-time fans and the general public at large are a bit confused. That's understandable given the sheer amount of things that happen that are both foreign to those who played the video games and those who are experiencing the blue hedgehog for the first time. To highlight a lot of those confusing moments, here's a breakdown of the moments from the Sonic trailer that had me saying "what?"

Sonic The Hedgehog Is Fast, But Not As Fast As He Should Be

The trailer opens with officer Tom Wachowski hiding in a speed trap, hoping to pull over inattentive drivers going over the speed limit. Instead, he clocks Sonic The Hedgehog, who blazes by at 760 miles per hour. His immense speed causes a minor break in the sound barrier, which is actually weird considering he's going seven miles per hour under that threshold.

Now, no one is stating this is Sonic's top speed quite yet, but it's worth mentioning past video games have brought up that he is much faster than the speed of sound. Some games have alleged he'll travel at speeds exceeding 1,000 MPH, while others say exceeding 2,000 MPH is no problem. Is this a nitpicky issue? Absolutely, but it's still weird to highlight a character's immense speed by showing him traveling just under a speed record that's been broken.

Sonic's Electric Quills

Sonic The Hedgehog introduced many elements to the franchise that aren't in the video games, but none were more glaring than his electric fur. Sonic conducting electricity isn't a power he's typically capable of, nor is it the source of his super speed. In SEGA canon, his power shoes are actually the source of the speed, which doesn't seem to be the case here due to all those worn out sneakers in his den.

More likely than not, the electricity is a way of introducing that Sonic's power can be examined and replicated by Dr. Robotnik. It's a bit silly considering the character's original canon already established Robotnik was a scientist who gave Sonic his shoes. It seems these two aren't familiar with each other from the sound of the trailer. Why mix things up?

Jim Carrey's Bizarre Portrayal Of Dr. Robotnik

At first, Jim Carrey seemed like the perfect actor to portray Dr. Robotnik. The character's over the top bravado and intensity seemed perfect for the man who brought that to the Grinch, and yet, the trailer footage doesn't show that. Instead, we're given a more Ace Ventura-type performance which, while still funny, isn't exactly the type of villain Robotnik is.

Of course, there's a chance this all gets turned around by the end of the movie, as the final seconds show Carrey's character looking a lot more like the Dr. Robotnik folks are familiar with. One would assume this happens near the end of the movie, but with the implication that Sonic is from another world, perhaps this is another Robotnik entirely.

The Trailer's Song Choice

In what may be the most baffling decision made for this trailer, the entire thing rolls along while Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" plays in the background. There's a reason why that song hasn't been used in a lot of movies since Dangerous Minds, because one would assume, there's very little that it goes to. Sonic The Hedgehog is no exception, as the iconic hip-hop track just feels like a bad song choice.

The logic, I'm assuming, is that the trailer team wanted to choose a song that invoked '90s nostalgia. Hilariously enough, "Gangsta's Paradise" was released a year after Sonic The Hedgehog 3, so it doesn't even have any real significance to the character. That is, unless it was meant as a subtle nod to the spinoff game Knuckles' Chaotix, which is doubtful.

Sonic The Hedgehog's Unsettling Human Teeth

Fans have had a lot to say about Sonic The Hedgehog's appearance, as the new look is a radical departure from the various designs of the character over the years. In those designs, he's always had an astonishing set of teeth, despite the fact that hedgehogs typically have teeth similar to dogs, but this franchise was never about realism.

Sonic's teeth might actually be the most accurate thing about his portrayal, so then why is it so damn weird to look at? Perhaps it's because he's proportioned like a human child, yet has a massive head and adult teeth? I can't put my finger on it, which has me questioning so many other things about the design.

Sonic The Hedgehog Is An Alien?

Did anyone else catch that line when Sonic told James Marsden's character he's there to save "your planet"? He meant what he said, as we've known for a while that Sonic is not of this Earth, which could very well mean he's not technically a hedgehog either.

Which might be the most ridiculous part of this entire movie if true. Retconning Sonic's hedgehog origins to make him an alien is a sin even the most casual viewer may not forgive. You know, because this movie is literally called Sonic The Hedgehog. Sure, he doesn't actually look like a hedgehog, but Robotnik isn't literally a robot and they had him act like he was one, so if this is retconned, people really have their priorities twisted.

Sonic's Rings Work Like Doctor Strange's Magic?

In one of the more bizarre parts of the preview, a ring appears in which Sonic throws to send his friends to what looks like another location. It's weird, and almost feels like a direct lift from Doctor Strange. Are the rings some type of alien tech that allows him to teleport to various places?

That's not how they are in the games, with one glaring exception. Sonic does have the ability to jump inside a giant ring. which transports him to another world where he can collect more rings. That doesn't appear to be what's happening here, but it's not difficult to understand where the premise came from, and perhaps a little unfair to say it's a straight mimic of Doctor Strange. Still, he also uses rings to stay alive, so where are those?

Do you have a moment from the Sonic The Hedgehog trailer that stuck out as weird? Feel free to share in the comments below and stick with CinemaBlend for more entertainment news in movies, television, and pop culture.

Who Will Be The MVP Of Avengers: Endgame?

Who Will Be The MVP Of Avengers: Endgame?

After over a decade of buildup and a year of waiting, we are in the endgame now. Avengers: Endgame finally hits theaters this weekend, and as Cap says in the trailers, this is the fight of their lives. Therefore it is worth speculating about who will be the most valuable player in that fight and offer the greatest contribution in the victory over Thanos we presume will happen before the credits roll.

With fumbles and dropped passes aplenty, there wasn’t really any hero deserving of an MVP award in Avengers Infinity War. You could maybe say Doctor Strange or Thor, but it would be a small consolation, like the Dallas Cowboy’s Chuck Howley who won the MVP award in the 1971 Super Bowl loss to the Baltimore Colts. The Avengers were positively destroyed last time, but they have another chance in the rematch and someone is going to need to step up.

Who that someone will be is the question. There are a lot of contenders, some more obvious than others, and there’s a not-insignificant chance that Endgame’s MVP will be given their award posthumously. So let’s take a look at the team members who seem to be the most likely MVP candidates of the endgame, and for the purposes of this exercise, I’ll only be including heroes who weren’t dusted at the end of Infinity War.

Tony Stark

It’s personal between Tony and Thanos, and between his brains and firepower on the field, Iron Man seems like he has a great shot at being MVP of Avengers: Endgame. Iron Man came close to making the ultimate sacrifice to save Earth in The Avengers, and there’s a possibility that this time it might actually stick. Steve Rogers called Tony Earth’s best defender and it seems entirely possible that Iron Man could sacrifice himself performing some incredibly heroic act that wins the day at the eleventh hour. That would make him a strong candidate for a posthumous MVP award.

Black Widow

Lots of people seem to be getting a good chuckle out of Black Widow training for the fight with Thanos by doing target practice, but that’s ignoring how much of an impact she has made in the MCU without superpowers. Consider how Natasha Romanoff was able to close the portal in The Avengers, thus stopping the flow of Chitauri into New York. Being the MVP isn’t just about who has the highest kill count, it’s about who came through with the right play at the right time. Black Widow’s mission in Endgame might be less flashy, but that doesn’t make it any less vital.

Bruce Banner

With Shuri dusted, Bruce Banner’s mind is one of the most powerful tools the Avengers have at their disposal. That may prove important, but Bruce Banner’s greatest potential to earn MVP depends on his ability to get his green friend to come out for a rematch with the Mad Titan. We haven’t seen the Hulk yet in the trailers, but if he does return to form, which seems likely, he will be a huge asset in the physical battle against Thanos and his forces. It doesn’t seem like he will be the one to end Thanos, but he could play a crucial defensive role, creating a lane for someone else to finish him off.

Ant-Man

If you ask subscribers of the “Thanus Theory,” there is only one way Thanos will be defeated, and it’s a dirty job that only Ant-Man can perform. Yet even forgoing anal ingress and corporeal detonation, Ant-Man may still prove to be the most valuable and important Avenger in Endgame. Ant-Man’s knowledge of the Quantum Realm could be the key to bringing everyone back, and that alone might make him the most valuable. In the first trailer for Endgame, Scott Lang’s existence was made out to be a big deal and even though he’s a rookie on the Avengers team, gushing about playing with Cap, this may prove to be his big moment.

Captain America

In our own poll about who will die in Avengers: Endgame, Captain America was overwhelmingly marked for death. MCU fans have been convinced that Steve Rogers is going to die for some time now, and with Endgame set to complete his arc, that eventuality seems nigh. Cap sacrificing himself to save others in an incomparable feat of bravery would be completely on brand for the character and makes him perhaps the strongest contender for MVP. He’s also the team leader; he may not be able to take on Thanos in the way Thor or Captain Marvel could, but if the Avengers are victorious, there’s a good chance that his planning and play calling will be the reason why.

Hawkeye

Avengers: Endgame seems poised to act as a swan song for the original 6 Avengers, so it stands to reason that one of that lot will have a John Elway-esque ride off into the sunset with a game-winning performance. I don’t know if Hawkeye is the most likely candidate for that, but you can’t underestimate the importance of one well-placed arrow. Hawkeye also seems like he has lost a lot, and in order to get it back, he may do something recklessly heroic. We also must note that Hawkeye was on the bench the last time the Avengers fought Thanos, so maybe he’s their good luck charm.

Thor

With a clutch appearance and countless Outriders destroyed at his hands in the Battle of Wakanda, Thor made a strong case for the MVP of Avengers: Infinity War. Alas, his Hail Mary axe to the chest proved misplaced and they lost. Thor will want to make up for that mistake in Avengers: Endgame and avenge his brother, his fellow Asgardians and all those snapped out of existence when he wasn’t strong enough. And unlike most of the Avengers, he has a weapon that could theoretically kill Thanos. If Thor does in fact deliver the killing blow, that would make a solid case for him being MVP.

Nebula

No other character has hated and wanted to kill Thanos for as long as Nebula, and if she finally succeeds, she would be the unquestioned MVP of Avengers: Endgame. Nebula played a pivotal role in The Infinity Gauntlet comics storyline and Marvel could borrow from that here. Her primal war cry in the trailers is chilling and there’s no doubt that Nebula will do ‘whatever it takes’ to defeat Thanos and avenge Gamora. And yet, her hatred could make her too emotional and a prime candidate for a Peter Quill-level mistake. But she’s definitely a dark horse MVP contender to watch for.

Captain Marvel

In one of the clips from Avengers: Endgame, Bruce Banner asks how they know this second fight against Thanos will end any differently, to which Carol Danvers responds “Because before you didn’t have me.” It’s a confident response, and given her ridiculous power level, she may very well be right. For a while it seemed like Captain Marvel was being positioned as the cavalry coming in to wreck shop when the need was most dire. It now seems she’ll be in the film from early on, but regardless, she could prove the difference maker in this fight and a great performance here would set her up nicely to lead the MCU in Phase 4 and beyond.

These are just the contenders that seem like they could make the biggest impact going in to Avengers: Endgame but someone else could surprise us. Rocket Raccoon, War Machine, Valkyrie, Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, who knows? Ultimately, I think the safe money here is on Tony or Cap, but everyone is bringing something to the table and depending how the movie plays out and how you judge what’s ‘most valuable,’ any of these characters could be the difference maker that undoes The Decimation and leads to Thanos’ defeat.

Steer clear of spoilers and ready your bladders because Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all the latest coverage on the MCU epic and let us know in the poll below who you think will be the film’s MVP.

Kevin Feige Explains What’s Happening With The Skrulls After Captain Marvel

Kevin Feige Explains What’s Happening With The Skrulls After Captain Marvel

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains massive spoilers for Captain Marvel. If you have not yet seen the film, read on at your own risk!

There are many surprises featured within the runtime of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel, but there is nothing more shocking than the turn that the film makes with the Skrulls. Given the history of the shapeshifting aliens in the pages of Marvel Comics, it was widely assumed going in that they would be the antagonists of the new blockbuster, but everything changes about half way through the film when it’s revealed that Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos and his compatriots are seeking home and security – not invasion and war.

Because of this significant move, there has been a lot of exciting chatter about what the future may hold for the Skrulls in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Specifically, does this mean that all Skrulls are good, and simply at the mercy of the all-powerful Kree? Fortunately, I recently had the chance to discuss that topic with the man who holds all of the answers: Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.

I sat down with the filmmaker/executive one-on-one during the Los Angeles press day for Captain Marvel, and I wasted zero time diving into spoiler territory and asking about the role of the Skrulls in the film as my first question. Acknowledging that the green, pointy-eared extraterrestrials have basically always been “bad guys” in the comics, I inquired about how the movie chose to approach them. Feige explained that it was a concept that was developed early in the creative process with the intention of fans who think they have everything figured out even before they’ve sat down to watch the film. He explained,

I think subverting expectations is always fun, and I think breathing reality and life and emotion and pathos into characters you wouldn't expect to have those attributes is also fun, and a good way of storytelling... I think '90s and Fury, of course, Carol Danvers, of course the Kelly Sue [DeConnick] run, and Goose, sort of came together, and then the notion of [good Skrulls]. Because this whole movie is about who can be a hero. Who should be a hero? What does a hero look like? What does it mean to be a hero? And it felt like additive to that theme to do what we did with Talos. And Ben Mendelsohn's the greatest.

In Captain Marvel, the Skrulls definitely do appear to be the villains for the first half of the story – ambushing and capturing Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) during a Starforce mission, and then chasing her to Earth after her escape. She eventually learns the truth about Talos and his crew, however, understanding that they used to work directly with Mar-Vell (Annette Bening), a Kree living on Earth developing a light speed engine with the hope of helping the Skrulls establish a new homeworld. After that point, the objective totally changes for the heroine, and Carol finds herself teaming with the shapeshifters and on a quest to end an intergalactic war.

As noted by Kevin Feige, the change-up works because you never see “Good Skrulls” coming, but on a larger level it was also stressed that a big part of the move was disrupting generalization and absolutes. Part of any conflict is the fact that there are shades of grey, and there are always going to be members of opposing forces with philosophies and ideologies that both compare and contrast in surprising ways. The presence of the Skrulls in Captain Marvel is a perfect example, as while Talos and his crew are just looking for safety, Feige also explained there are plenty out there that don’t have the same kind of peaceful intentions and goals:

People have asked, 'Oh, so are they all good?' And I'm like, 'Is anybody all good?' So that's part of becoming dimensionalized characters. [The capacity for them to be bad is still very much out there], as it is - for better, for worse - for all of us.

So while the end of the blockbuster has Carol Danvers supporting a group that definitely deserves help, you shouldn’t count out the possibility that we still could see some nefarious Skrull plots play out in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For example, there has been a lot of speculation about potentially one day seeing an adaptation of the 2008 comic book crossover arc Secret Invasion, and there is nothing in Captain Marvel that disrupts the idea of that happening one day. There is also the fact that the Fantastic Four will soon be a part of the franchise, thanks to the still-developing Disney-Fox merger, and that is a team that has done a whole lot of clashing with the Skrulls over the last 60 years (including fights with the Super-Skrull, who is a Skrull imbued with the powers of all the members of the Fantastic Four).

Of course, for right now the future of the Skrulls is as mysterious as any aspect of the developing Marvel Cinematic Universe, with everything happening past the release of Jon Watt’s Spider-Man: Far From Home this summer being maintained as a question mark. That being said, you can be sure that there will be fans globally excited to see more of the paranoia-inducing invaders, and it’s hard to imagine Marvel Studios only using them for this one blockbuster and then never utilizing them ever again.

For now, audiences everywhere can still enjoy the first ever big screen appearance of the Skrulls, as Captain Marvel is now playing in theaters worldwide – starring not only the aforementioned Brie Larson, Ben Mendelsohn, and Annette Bening, but also Samuel L. Jackson, Lashana Lynch, Clark Gregg, Jude Law, Djimon Hounsou, and Lee Pace. And be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend, as we still have plenty more coming from my sit down with Kevin Feige, discussing not only the new blockbuster, but also looking ahead to what’s in the future of his franchise. So stay tuned!

How Much Annabelle Comes Home Could Make Opening Weekend

How Much Annabelle Comes Home Could Make Opening Weekend

It may be barely May but the summer movie season essentially started two weeks ago with the release of Avengers: Endgame. This is the time of year when nearly every major release is looking to bring in major box office dollars, especially major franchise players. This includes the Conjuring franchise, as the newest installment of the series, Annabelle Comes Home is looking to bring in something in the neighborhood of $40 million domestic during its opening weekend.

While a $40 million domestic opening might not seem like a great deal, especially now that Avengers: Endgame has completely thrown perspective out of wack by bringing in over $600 million domestically in barely over a week, for Annabelle Comes Home, it's a solid number.

Box Office Pro is projecting a number between $35-$45 million domestic which is a number on par with what most of the films in the Conjuring franchise have done. In fact, the two previous Annabelle movies opened at $35 million and $37 million respectively, so the new movie is actually tracking to do slightly better than the previous films in that particular series.

This is especially good news because horror movies will not be in short supply as we go into the summer. The remake of Child's Play will be hitting theaters only the weekend before Annabelle Comes Home, and the Octavia Spencer-led Ma comes out at the end of May. It's possible horror movie fans might have had their fill before Annabelle Comes Home is released, but based on the numbers, that won't be the case.

This means the new movie will likely also finish up where many of the other Conjuring movies have, which means it has a good shot at breaking the $100 million domestic box office mark. Only the first Annabelle movie was unable to hit that number within the franchise, unless you count The Curse of La Llorona as being part of the series, and the jury is still sort of out on whether or not that one counts.

Of course, considering even those two films had budgets of under $10 million, they were still quite successful financially.

One reason Annabelle Comes Home may do better than other Conjuring movies, beyond the main entries, is that Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, the stars of the main entries, are set to appear in the new film. This means that fans that maybe haven't been all in on the spinoffs might still give this one a chance.

With The Conjuring 3 still on the horizon, fans may not want to miss this entry in the franchise in case it has bearing on the next movie. This is, after all, how cinematic universes work, and The Conjuring universe is one of the few outside of Marvel to be truly successful.

Elton John Reveals Most Studios Didn’t Want 'Sex And Drugs' In R-Rated Rocketman

Elton John Reveals Most Studios Didn’t Want 'Sex And Drugs' In R-Rated Rocketman

This weekend the story of Elton John takes the big screen in the form of the massive musical adventure Rocketman. The film is sort of an anomoly, as it's a big budget musical, but it's also rated-R. Those two things don't often go together, but since Elton John himself is something of a unique combination, it probably shouldn't be too surprising.

It turns out, that not every studio was quite on board with this particular combination however. Elton John says that many studios wanted to tone down the story in order to achieve the broader audience friendly PG-13 rating, but John says such a decision wouldn't have made sense because it wouldn't have fit his life. According to Sir Elton...

Some studios wanted to tone down the sex and drugs so the film would get a PG-13 rating. But I just haven’t led a PG-13 rated life. I didn’t want a film packed with drugs and sex, but equally, everyone knows I had quite a lot of both during the ‘70s and ‘80s, so there didn’t seem to be much point in making a movie that implied that after every gig, I’d quietly gone back to my hotel room with only a glass of warm milk and the Gideon’s Bible for company.

No biographical film is 100% accurate when it comes to what actually happened. Things will always be modified in some way for dramatic effect. However, there is a general feeling that a movie must be accurate enough to capture the essence of the person, and as Elton John himself says, you can't really do that with him without including sex and drugs.

It's not entirely uncommon for a movie to wallpaper over the darker parts of a true story. Especially when the subject is still alive, there's a natural inclination to focus on the more positive elements of a life story. Elton John could have wanted to see that happen here, but that wasn't what happened. In a piece he wrote himself for the Guardian, he says while he did work with producers and make a couple of "yea or nea" decisions (he doesn't specify what those were) about the film, but for the most part he kept himself away from the production, intentionally wanting to avoid casting his shadow over things.

Quite the contrary, Elton John clearly wanted his struggles with alcohol and drugs to be part of the film. He takes full responsibility for them, and says for that reason those elements aren't even difficult for him to watch. He knows they were his fault and is at peace with the decisions he made.

Based on the early critical reaction, it seems that the decisions that Rocketman made may be the right ones. The film is getting very positive reviews overall. The rest of the world will get to see it this Friday.