Sacha Baron Cohen Admits Borat Caused Pamela Anderson’s Divorce With Kid Rock

Sacha Baron Cohen Admits Borat Caused Pamela Anderson’s Divorce With Kid Rock

Divorce as a concept isn’t exactly a laughing matter, and it certainly should be treated with the respect and weight it deserves. And yet, when actual comedy is the cause for said divorce, it’s kind of hard not to have a laugh or two at the expense of the moment.

That’s exactly what it sounds like when it comes to the reason former lovebirds Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock split up, as Sacha Baron Cohen revealed that a joke he and Anderson engaged in for his film Borat, which saw her being kidnapped by the eponymous character, was the cause for her big split. Cohen described how he found out about this thusly:

And she texted back, ‘He’s getting divorced.’ I was like, why? And she goes, ‘The movie.’ And I thought it was a joke, but then a few weeks later they got divorced and they put as a reason for divorce, Borat.

The text exchange referred to above happened after Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson has screened Borat together, which lead to Rock screaming some rather colorful things, as he’s wont to do when things get serious, at his then wife. Of course, once calmer heads prevailed, a divorce was to be had, and sure enough, Sacha Baron Cohen knew that Pamela Anderson wasn’t joking.

In a career as full of comedic moments that employ quite a bit of shock value and subterfuge, the most surprising fact revealed during Sacha Baron Cohen’s talk with The Daily Beast was that Pamela Anderson was the one person to say yes to committing to the gag that was featured in Borat. To be fair, Cohen did point out that if he didn’t get her permission, the whole endeavor would have totally been kidnapping. He may be all about getting the laugh at the end of the day, but he’s smart enough not to end up in jail.

Another oddity when discussing this particular scene was the fact that it took two takes to really get the desired effect, as it was pointed out that during the first attempt at a book signing, none of Pamela Anderson’s fans came to her aid. And as Cohen also revealed during that same talk, there was a slight bit of injury involved as well:

She lost two things. One, she lost a tiny bit of bone from her jaw. And secondly, she lost a husband.

After all of this talking about a comedy moment that’s over a decade old, but still funny as ever, you’re probably in the mood to see how that infamous gag from Borat turned out. Well, through the magic of the internet, you can feast your eyes on that footage below:

With his most recent project, the Showtime series Who Is America?, looking to make a play for some Emmy awards, now’s as good a time as any to revel in the glow of what Sacha Baron Cohen’s comedy can do when people aren’t expecting it. And while divorce still isn’t funny at large, it’s certainly a bit humorous when put into the context of what you’ve seen above, as well as the Halloween costumes it inspired.

Watch Aladdin’s Will Smith Belt Out ‘Prince Ali’ In New Clip

Watch Aladdin’s Will Smith Belt Out ‘Prince Ali’ In New Clip

Ahead of Disney’s next live-action remake stomping into theaters next weekend, a clip featuring Will Smith’s Genie as gives a disguised Aladdin a grand entrance in the memorable big number from the 1992 animated musical has been released. Make way for Prince Ali and take a look:

Ring bells! Bang the drums! Are you gonna love this guy? The new clip gives fans a look into the new “Prince Ali” sequence, though it doesn’t feature the entire song, it starts midway through the epic number and leaves the grand finale to the imagination.

The new clip from IGN does offer up a bit of Will Smith’s own take on Genie, previously and belovedly played by Robin Williams. Smith’s spin unsurprisingly denotes a more hip-hop flavor to the Disney classic, though the actor is actually singing rather than rapping for much of the sequence.

The main difference is instead of comedic quips on the side such as “don’t they look lovely June” or magically turning into other forms such as tiger or child as the animated movie does. Instead, it focuses more on the song, dance and CGI animals. The massive scene featuring 1000 dancers and extras has the eyes of the city of Agrabah taking notice, namely Naomi Scott’s Jasmine and Nasim Pedrad’s new character, Jasmine’s handmaiden. The latter looks a lot more impressed by the entrance then the princess Aladdin has his sights on.

But why does Will Smith say the line “when it comes to exotic-type mammals” while riding an Ostrich… birds aren’t mammals? Anyways, fans took to Twitter to voice some strong feelings about the clip. Take a look at @Ameligatha’s comments:

These comparisons were bound to happen. Some fans will never be pleased with anything other than the original, yet her comments display an interest in the movie moving away to rapping to differentiate it from the source material. According the Will Smith, he will be rapping in the flick, we just have yet to see it in the film yet. On the flip side, @stacydtwit defended the clip below:

So far, the new Aladdin has sought to offer a mix of nostalgia for the original Disney flick and bring a whole new world to moviegoers as well. The addition of Will Smith in of itself will bring a different kind of Aladdin and apparently he did a bit of improv on the film with Mena Massoud.

First reactions for the new Aladdin have been fairly positive, as early viewers have called Smith’s Genie a lot of fun and not worth the concern brought on since his blue look was first revealed.You can check out Aladdin in theaters on May 24. Are you excited for the film after a look at this “Prince Ali” clip? Let us know in the comments below!

Why Movie Franchise Fatigue Isn’t Really Happening, According To One Theater CEO

Why Movie Franchise Fatigue Isn’t Really Happening, According To One Theater CEO

If you’ve been to the movies in recent years, it’s hard to miss the fact that the film industry -- particularly domestically but also internationally -- has heavily relied on franchise content, returning to stories, universes and characters that breed familiarity and (often) fond feelings. However, at the same time, there is a faction of people who are vocal about not wanting interconnected franchises, and there are common gripes about the proliferation of remakes and reboots as well.

If you ask Jane Hastings, however, movie franchise fatigue isn’t really a thing. At least, not yet.

Speaking during an event at CinemaCon 2019, Jane Hastings, CEO & Managing Director, Event Hospitality & Entertainment Ltd. spoke out about the biggest movies of 2018, noting that all of them were in some ways continuations of popular franchises.

She said at CinemaCon that box office year over year has shown that franchise fatigue isn’t really a thing and that the audience still has an appetite for the larger budget franchise movies, noting,

Regardless, if a franchise is new, if it’s good, if it’s quality, it will work… So, we’re in good shape. Why? Because people always want to be entertained.

Citing 2018’s box office as evidence, Jane Hastings also mentioned the top five movies in the past year were all returns to worlds and characters that have found love with audiences in prior years and movies.

The five biggest movies last year were as follows:

Avengers: Infinity War

Black Panther

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Incredibles 2

Aquaman (With a late release date, this box office also led into 2019)

It’s not just franchise movies that are absolutely dominating the box office, but bigger movies in general. Last year, a whopping 83% of movie box office totals came from “the majors,” or what Janes Hasting cites as the biggest budget movies with the most oomph in terms of budget and advertising from the major studios.

This means that fewer titles are actually contributing to more of the box office intake than happened in the past within the theater and movie industries. It's a trend that should continue into 2019 as there are a slew of franchise movies set to launch this year from the major studios. This includes but is definitely not limited to Avengers: Endgame, Godzilla: King of The Monsters, Frozen 2, Hobbs and Shaw, Jumanji 3 and plenty more.

Looking at two of the biggest movies of last year, Black Panther and Aquaman, both are origin stories, yet they do fall within the larger Marvel and DC comics universes. They are part of a bigger picture, and despite only having one solo appearance, the character of T’Challa, for example, has already made three big screen appearances so far. The trajectory is similar for Jason Momoa’s Aquaman character. Both origin flicks also have a lot of additional stuff in common, including making over a billion dollars internationally and easily earning greenlights for Black Panther 2 and Aquaman 2.

So, people are still clearly seeing these franchise movies, and Jane Hastings cites an increase in connecting with fans and creating good products as to why franchise fatigue isn’t really a thing.

It's not like every franchise movie that comes out is great. The same is true of original movies, which run the gamut from good to bad. There may come a point when we've hit franchise fatigue, too. Sort of like how some long-running TV shows go on a little too long and a percentage of the audiences loses interest after a while. Clearly we aren't there with Marvel or DC content yet, but we have seen recent Transformer movies do less well than their predecessors. When that happened, Paramount pivoted and gave us Bumblebee, a spinoff that renewed interest in the franchise.

It's also true that every franchise has to start somewhere, and there are still a lot of studios pushing out interesting and new content at all budget levels. We will get plenty of original movies this year, ranging from Once Upon A Time In Hollywood to Artemis Fowl. Then again, with the latter, there is presumably the hope of a franchise given the large number of books to draw from; Disney will just have to wait and see how the box office pans out.

So, if you were hoping for more original movies – at least of the big budget variety in the future – the box office itself is telling a different story. Which leads me to the question: Do you agree? Has box office intake taken over quality or have franchises managed to create engaging stories with familiar characters and universes?

James Gunn Thanks Fans After Being Reinstated For Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

James Gunn Thanks Fans After Being Reinstated For Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

It's a very exciting time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Phase Three has been on a roll, as every single installment in the massive franchise has been a critical and box office success. With Captain Marvel officially in theaters, anticipation for Avengers: Endgame is at an all-time high, as the massive blockbuster will arrive in a month. But today brought some unexpected (but still exciting) news: Disney has reinstated James Gunn as the director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

James Gunn was fired by Disney in July, when offensive tweets from a decade resurfaced. While Gunn apologized for jokes that were in poor taste, he was removed from the Guardians franchise, and production for the Vol. 3 was put on indefinite hold. But now the Guardians of the Galaxy visionary will return to complete his trilogy as planned, and recently posted a note of thanks on Twitter. It read:

I am tremendously grateful to every person out there who has supported me over the past few months. I am always learning and will continue to work at being the best human being I can be. I deeply appreciate Disney’s decision and I am excited to continue making films that investigate the ties of love that bind us all. I have been, and continue to be incredibly humbled by your love and support. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Love you all.

It seems James Gunn is truly grateful to be back behind the camera for the upcoming Guardians threequel. As such, he's taking the time to thank the fans, as well as the House of Mouse for welcoming him back to the fan favorite franchise. In short: we are Groot.

James Gunn's recent tweet of thanks is a truly full circle moment, since it was his social media account that caused massive controversy, and eventually led to his firing. But it seems that his apology and fan outcry did some good, given his reinstation as the director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

It was unclear if the threequel was ever going to be produced, as the task of finding someone to replace James Gunn seemed impossible. Gunn's point of view is very much apart of the bloodline of the franchise, as his taste of music, dance moves, and sense of humor were all incorporated into the first two movies. While some fans suggested who might take the job, many believed that there was only one person capable of finishing the trilogy: James Gunn himself.

The Guardians of the Galaxy cast hasn't commented on James Gunn returning to the franchise, but it seems only a matter of time. While they all penned a letter supporting Gunn in the wake of his departure, Dave Bautista was arguably his biggest defender. In fact, Bautista maintained he wouldn't appear as Drax unless (at the very least) Gunn's original draft for the Vol. 3 was used.

It's unclear when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will arrive in theaters, as its indicated that James Gunn will write and direct The Suicide Squad for DC before hopping back over to Marvel. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Guy Ritchie Gave His Aladdin Choreographer A Very Funny Cameo In The New Movie

Guy Ritchie Gave His Aladdin Choreographer A Very Funny Cameo In The New Movie

In the making of a musical, a choreographer is an immensely important, but sometimes invisible presence. It’s an incredibly hard job that occasionally requires making sure a hundred or more people are working in coordination, but part of the choreographer’s job is to make sure it all looks effortless and natural.

This is partially true for the new live-action Aladdin, as while you’re watching the movie you’re focusing on the magic of the dance sequences instead of thinking about the work required to make them happen – but something you might not know is that the film does give back in a special way to the man who helped make the musical numbers possible, as I recently learned from director Guy Ritchie:

As noted in the video above, one of my favorite bits in the new movie involves a prince that Genie (Will Smith) conjures in the desert during a conversation with Aladdin (Mena Massoud), and I was surprised to learn during a recent interview with Guy Ritchie that the person playing said prince is none other than Jamal Sims – the film’s choreographer. You never see a close-up of the character, as he is kept in the far distance for his entire scene, but that makes it no less an awesome gift to one of the filmmakers responsible for injecting the live-action Aladdin with a great deal of its flair.

It was a cameo that Guy Ritchie was very excited to talk about during the Los Angeles press day for his new movie this past weekend, as he expressed a great deal of appreciation for Jamal Sims’ contribution to the film. Discussing the small role, the filmmaker told me,

So I'm quite glad you asked that question, because he is Jamal Sims. Jamal Sims is our choreographer, who I have nothing but positive things to say about. For example, if people ask me what was my favorite scene in the film is, because I have the memory of a goldfish I usually go for the last scene in the film, which is the dance sequence, right? Which was Jamal's. And I gave him all that challenge a week before. And I thought, 'I'm sure he's going to fail,' though he failed on nothing else. It was very hard to pull off a dance sequence in a short period of time, and he really delivered on that.

The scene plays out shortly after Aladdin and Genie manage to escape the Cave Of Wonders and are discussing what it is that the latter can do for the former wish-wise. Realizing that he needs to be royalty in order to marry the lovely Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), Aladdin makes the request, “Make me a prince” – but Genie points out that this phrasing is just a tad vague. Illustrating his point, the magical being conjures an actual prince who is left standing about 500 feet behind them having absolutely no clue what’s going on – wondering where his palace is, and just wanting to go home. This is the part played by Jamal Sims, and he gets some of the biggest laughs in the film.

Having the choreographer play this part was a special way for Guy Ritchie to say “thank you” for the work that Sims did in the making of the movie, which apparently also included the coordination of an end credits dance sequence that came together at the very last minute. The director added that he even gave the prince more lines than what we actually see in the finished cut of Aladdin, and that it was all quite funny:

Jamal was a key character throughout the entire production. 'I just want to go home, man.' So that was Jamal. We wanted to use Jamal because he was so integral to the movie. 'Anyone see my palace? Where's my palace?' He actually had more dialogue. I think if you saw the whole thing of Jamal Sims and the lost prince, it's quite entertaining.

We can’t say for certain right now, but that would certainly make for some great bonus content on Aladdin’s home video release later this year.

Starring Mena Massoud. Will Smith, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Billy Magnussen, and Numan Acar, Aladdin arrives in theaters everywhere this weekend.

There’s A John Wick Video Game In The Works

There’s A John Wick Video Game In The Works

Ahead of the release of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (which critics are absolutely loving so far), fans can rest easy that the franchise doesn’t look to be ending anytime soon. Additionally, an action-packed strategy video game is also on the way. Good Shepherd Entertainment and Lionsgate are teaming up for an original game about the titular hitman called John Wick Hex.

The upcoming game will have players taking the role of Keanu Reeves’ character in what’s being described by the publishers as “fight-choreographed chess brought to life in a video game”. John Wick Hex will come from game director Mike Bithell (Thomas Was Alone, Volume) and the help of the creative and stunt teams behind the John Wick franchise. It’s being developed for consoles and PC, exclusively for the Epic Games store.

It will be an interactive experience that will implement the “gun fu style” from the movies and expand the universe previously established on the big screen. Players will be able to unlock various weapons, John Wick suits and locations as they play. There will be limited ammo provided within the game to remain realistic and add an element of strategy to the game play.

Gamers will need to carefully choose every action and attack they make, with the cost and consequences in mind (hence the “fight-choreographed chess” element). Each strategically planned fight will contribute to the player’s progress on their hit job. 

There currently isn't a release date announced for the game, but Ian McShane will voice his role of Winston and Lance Reddick will return as Charon in the game and additional actors will soon be announced-- per The Hollywood Reporter.

Check out the announcement trailer for John Wick Hex below:

From the first peak, the game certainly looks to have maintained John Wick’s stylish flair, and gives us an idea about what to expect visually during game play. Looks like a fun time, especially for fans of the film franchise who will get to play in the assassin’s shoes in a brand new adventure from the character.

The two John Wick movies have made over $260 million at the box office worldwide so far, and the third is expected to open at around $30 to $40 million next weekend for the franchise’s highest first weekend yet. The action thriller will follow the hitman on the run, after killing a member of the international assassin’s guild. Halle Berry is joining the cast this time around as an old acquaintance of Wick named Sofia. She rolls with two Belgian Malinois dogs and looks badass as usual.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum opens in theaters on May 17, alongside A Dog’s Journey and A Sun is Also a Star. Are you looking forward to playing the game as well as going out to see the third installment? Let us know in the comments below.

6 Major Box Office Records Avengers: Endgame Broke With Its $1.2 Billion Debut

6 Major Box Office Records Avengers: Endgame Broke With Its $1.2 Billion Debut

Avengers: Endgame has arrived like a meteor that exclusively destroys box office records. People had projected the film would do incredibly well, but Endgame has blown past most predictions to earn $1.2 billion worldwide in just one weekend. It's the first film in history to ever do so and it's not the only milestone that it has passed on its path to worldwide domination. Endgame has broken at least six impressive records in its opening weekend. All the numbers can be tough to keep track of, but that's where we come in.

One important thing to note is that Endgame had a major advantage right out of the gate. The film opened on Wednesday in China, meaning that it had extra time to increase its tally. Avengers: Infinity War didn't do that, so the Chinese market had a big role to play in Endgame's box office success. Overall, China made up 28% of Endgame's total worldwide opening box office.

#1 Domestic, International, And Global Debuts

Endgame is the number one movie domestically, internationally, and combined globally. While the film was already projected to have those titles before release, no one thought it would be this high. The blockbuster has grossed $350 million domestically (the first to ever do so opening weekend), $859 million internationally, and $1.2 billion globally. The previous global record holder was Avengers: Infinity War with $640.5 million.

#1 Domestic Thursday Previews

Technically, films open on Thursday night, but the total is usually combined with Friday's numbers and then that it considered the opening day total. As far as Thursday previews are concerned, Endgame was the largest opening ever with $60 million. The previous record holder was Star Wars: the Force Awakens with $57 million, so Endgame just narrowly beat it.

#1 Domestic Single-Day Gross And #1 Domestic Friday Gross

In this case, Endgame's highest grossing day of the week was also its opening day gross on Friday. Star Wars: the Force Awakens was the movie to beat in this category, and Endgame shot right past it. Endgame was the largest single-day and Friday gross with $156.7 million. The Force Awakens total score was $119.1 million.

#1 Domestic Saturday And Sunday Grosses

Endgame looks determined to conquer every single day of the week and it was the highest grossing movie ever on both Saturday and Sunday. specifically, it grossed $109 million on Saturday and $84.3 million on Sunday. Like many of the records on this list, Avengers: Infinity War was the previous belt-holder. Back in 2018, the film grossed $82.1 million on Saturday and $69.2 million on Sunday.

#1 China Opening Day And Opening Weekend

Again, the effect of the Chinese box office can't be understated here. Having that extra Wednesday to boost Endgame to a 5-day opening weekend was a big help for the superhero film. Endgame is largest opening day ever in the market, scoring $107.8 million. It also now holds the largest opening weekend with $330.5 million, nearly matching the entirety of the domestic weekend total.

Fastest Film To $1 Billion Globally

This is the one that people will probably remember for a long time. This right here is unprecedented. Avengers: Endgame made more than $1.2 billion in just five days. The film beat its predecessor, Infinity War, which hit the $1 billion mark in 11 days. It's tough to see any other movie topple this record, but it's a future of possibilities out there.

To add a few more records to the list, Disney noted that Endgame was the biggest IMAX global debut with $91.5 million. It's also the 8th Marvel Studios film to cross $1 billion, and the second to do so this year after Captain Marvel. At the moment, Endgame is the 18th largest worldwide release, but that number is sure to change in the coming weeks. According to Box Office Mojo, the blockbuster sequel could make as much as $920 million domestically if it follows the pattern of Infinity War, but tracking is apparently unclear at the moment.

It's taking everyone else's money, so it might as well take yours too. Avengers: Endgame is out in theaters right now. For more Marvel movies coming down the pipeline, here's our Marvel movie release guide.