J.J. Abrams Compares His Last Days On Rise Of Skywalker And The Force Awakens

J.J. Abrams Compares His Last Days On Rise Of Skywalker And The Force Awakens

Fans just got their first look at Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, but the journey is already over for most of the cast and crew. Not J.J. Abrams, though. He finished filming but, as the director of the movie, he's still working hard in post-production before the film's December release. Abrams also directed Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, the first film in this sequel trilogy. Now he's closing out the entire Skywalker Saga.

J.J. Abrams was recently asked to compare his last days filming the two Star Wars films. As you can imagine, Rise of Skywalker had more emotional impact than Force Awakens:

The last day on this one [Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker] was a more emotional last day, because we knew it was the last day. There wasn't another movie, there wasn't another plan to get together. This was the end of what for I think all of us felt like a blink of an eye. And here we are at the end of this moment. The truth is, though, as a director, the end of the shoot is the beginning of post, and the beginning of post is the beginning of a long road of luckily getting to work with a lot of great people. ... In post, it's mostly editors and visual effects artists, and of course like John Williams, which is maybe the best part of the entire experience, getting to go to recording sessions with the orchestra.

Yes, we so often focus on first and last days of filming, but there's so much that happens before the actors even get to set, and still more after they leave. It would be a dream to watch John Williams and the orchestra working on any Star Wars score.

J.J. Abrams continued telling Jake Hamilton how the end of his first Star Wars movie was quite different from his (probably) last:

The end of Force Awakens, we felt like 'Oh my god, we did it.' But we still didn't quite know what it would even look like, in a way. And on this one it was more like 'Oh no, we're not going to see each other again in this way maybe ever.'

There's a lot of hugging in the Star Wars galaxy, and you'll probably remember the Rey/Finn/Poe hug photo J.J. Abrams shared on February 15 to mark the official end of Episode IX filming.

Thanks to his new interview with Jake Hamilton at Star Wars Celebration 2019, we have more insight into how J.J. Abrams was feeling that day. We'll be hearing a lot more from Abrams and the cast as we get closer to The Rise of Skywalker's release.

Once the movie opens, we'll hear even more from J.J. Abrams as he explains the decisions that were made along the way. He had to do a lot of that after The Force Awakens, just as Rian Johnson did after The Last Jedi, and George Lucas has had to do for decades now, especially after the prequels. Fans love Star Wars films, but they also feel so passionately about them -- well, you know.

Here's more of what we know so far about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The film opens in theaters December 20, as one of the many films worth keeping track of with our handy 2019 movie release date schedule.

The 6 Best Will Ferrell Movies, And The 3 Worst

The 6 Best Will Ferrell Movies, And The 3 Worst

Will Ferrell emerged as the real superstar of Saturday Night Live in the late '90s. His legendary skits featuring the cheerleaders and “More Cowbell” established him as one of the best comedians in show business. His ability to become a character, not simply play a character, gives his characters incredible and hilarious depth.

After leaving SNL in 2002, Will Ferrell wasted no time getting into movies and he reeled off a string of hilarious hits, often with collaborator Adam McKay, like Elf, Old School, and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. It’s an impressive run to say the least. They are the kind of comedies that are infinitely quotable and endlessly re-watchable.

But not everything he has made is comedic (or box office) gold. Like most actors and comedians, he has also had some big misses. Sure, the hits outweigh the misses, but they can’t be ignored. Here’s a handy list of six of his best and three of his… not so best... movies over the last 20 years.

Will Ferrell’s Best Movies

Old School (2003)

Old School was released not long after Will Ferrell left SNL and it immediately established Ferrell as a movie star. The hilariously stupid idea of three men, played by Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Ferrell, hitting a mid-life malaise in their thirties and deciding to spice up their lives by forming a fraternity is silly and hysterical.

Will Ferrell’s performance is so laugh-out-loud funny it can be embarrassing to watch with other people. Ferrell stripping naked in front of Snoop Dogg, then streaking down the street and climbing backwards into the back of his wife’s car is simply one of the funniest moments in early 21st century cinema. So If you make a mess of yourself laughing, don’t worry, the pledges will clean it up.

Elf (2003)

The moment Elf was released in 2003 it became an instant Christmas classic. Will Ferrell’s portrayal of Buddy, an orphan who sneaks onto Santa’s sleigh as a baby and is raised at The North Pole as an elf, is perfect. The movie, directed by Jon Favreau, grossed well over $200 million dollars at the box office on a relatively tiny $33 million budget; it’s safe to say this is an all-timer in every way.

Elf is a movie you look forward to every holiday season, like A Christmas Story and Die Hard. Like all of Will Ferrell’s movies, it’s eminently quotable, just remember to stick to the four main groups as you watch, candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup.

Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy (2004)

You’d be hard-pressed to find an argument against Anchorman being one of if not the very best of Will Ferrell’s career, certainly in the top two or three. His ridiculously over-the-top portrayal of a fading local news anchor struggling with in the modern world – or, the 1970s – is incredibly funny. It's a character no fan ever gets sick of.

Anchorman is one of those movies that fans use often, finding ways to sneak lines into everyday conversations. Lines like “I’m kind of a big deal,” and “I’m in a glass case of emotion!”

Along the way, Will Ferrell is helped out by some serious comedy heavyweights in this all-star cast that includes Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, David Koechner, Fred Willard, and Paul Rudd – and that doesn’t even include some of the cameos, like Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller. Don’t act like you’re not impressed.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby (2006)

Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby came at time in Will Ferrell’s career when he had been in a few duds and really needed a hit. Talladega Nights was exactly that. A return to form both comically and financially at the box office.

Talladega Nights was also the first movie that paired Will Ferrell with John C. Reilly. The pair would prove to be magic on the screen together and go on to team up for two more movies (plus a cameo for Reilly in Anchorman 2), to varying success. There is nothing varying about Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby though. It’s a winner through and through. And remember: If you’re not first, you’re last.

Step Brothers (2008)

Step Brothers continues the winning combo of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. It is also a ridiculous movie. The plot isn’t really a plot, although Adam Scott does play an excellent villain with the character Derek Huff.

It doesn’t really need to make any sense, the comedic timing between Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly is all you need in this one. They are hilarious together. Just don’t give them access to a boat or take them to a Catalina wine mixer.

Zoolander (2001)

Will Ferrell doesn’t have the starring role in this classic, but he does have a scene-stealing performance as Jacobim Mugatu, the ridiculous villain with the awesomely stupid haircut and the little dog.

Zoolander was an instant classic with Ben Stiller playing the dumb-as-rocks male model Derek Zoolander, but it was the ensemble cast, like its sequel, that made the move truly special and Will Ferrell was a huge piece of that. Hansel too. Hansel’s so hot right now.

The Worst Will Ferrell Movies

Holmes & Watson

Okay, sometimes great chemistry doesn’t always work out. Take Holmes & Watson, the most recent collaboration between Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly. It’s really bad. It’s unfortunately bad not only because of the past on-screen brilliance between the two, but because it could have been good in the right hands and with the right focus.

The critics hated it and so did audiences (some of whom walked out) and that's a first for this duo. We can only hope that it doesn't mean they might be reluctant to work together in the future, because they are so great, usually.

A Night At The Roxbury (1998)

A Night at the Roxbury was Will Ferrell’s first big starring role in a film. It co-stars fellow SNL alum Chris Kittan as they play “The Roxbury Guys” they made famous on Saturday Night Live. The movie was panned by critics and bombed at the box office. It’s a shame, as there were a ton of talented people involved. Not all SNL skits make great skits, much less great movies. It was probably a mistake by the producers to ever think this silly skit could sustain 90 minutes worth of screen time.

Bewitched (2005)

Like A Night At The Roxbury, Bewitched is another one that doesn’t come close to rising to the level of the talent involved. From director Nora Ephron to Will Ferrell, to his co-star Nicole Kindman and a fantastic array of talented actors and actresses in the cast, this movie feels like no one was really taking the gig seriously. And not in a good way. It all feels phoned in.

Take a beloved TV show, through a great director and some great actors at it and hope that enough people see it without reading a review. That’s what this one feels like. It’s disappointing, to say the least.

There are a some other movies that could go on both sides of this list, movies like Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, where Will Ferrell plays an absurd wild life ranger to great effect. Or a movie like Kicking & Screaming, which never really gave a place for Ferrell to really show off his comedic chops.

Will Ferrell has had a lot of really high highs, but at times, some disappointing lows. When he’s on his game, there is no one funnier in the game. He’s kind of a big deal.

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure At Universal Orlando Will Take You Into A Real Forbidden Forest

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure At Universal Orlando Will Take You Into A Real Forbidden Forest

Last month, Universal Orlando Resort finally revealed the new roller coaster planned for Islands of Adventure’s Hogsmeade portion of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s called Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure and today Universal released more details about exactly what will be involved in the attraction and what guests will see on board it. Get ready to explore the Forbidden Forest in a way you never thought possible, because it's going to be as real as any theme park attraction could be.

The most impressive thing about the new attraction is that when it says you’ll be flying through the Forbidden Forest, it really means it. The attraction will contain more than 1200 actual trees, making it quite possibly the most realistic roller coaster environment ever.

Take a first look below.

As the coaster soars through the trees, guests will come up against numerous magical creatures who fans of Harry Potter will be familiar with, centaurs. Cornish pixies, Fluffy the three-headed dog, as well as an as yet unnamed creature that’s never been seen in the Wizarding World movies.

The storytelling behind the ride is that guests are attending a Care of Magical Creatures class with everybody’s favorite groundskeeper, Hagrid. Of course, it’s Hagrid, which means things don’t go entirely as planned. As well as seeing a number of creatures the roller coaster will also see ride vehicles avoiding Devil’s Snare along with other obstacles.

The ride vehicles have been made to resemble a motorcycle and sidecar, identical the one we see Hagrid drive in the movies. Guests will be able to sit on either side, which means that the experience will be slightly different depending on which side you choose, giving the attraction some natural re-ridability.

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure sounds like a lot of fun. According to Universal Orlando, the coaster will hit speeds of 50 miles per hour and will go both forwards and backwards.

The official reveal of the new attraction comes courtesy of a brief video hosted by Harry Potter film star Tom Felton, who speaks with Alan Gilmore, the art director for the Harry Potter franchise who has been directly involved in designing this new attraction as well. Keep an eye out for a piece of concept art which would appear to be a complete track layout

Universal upped the theme park game when it opened the first Wizarding World of Harry Potter area in Orlando. The level of theming and immersion was unforeseen in a theme park at the time. It’s only been nine years since Hogsmeade opened, but Universal is clearly already looking for ways to improve the space and make it even better.

I have to say riding a motorbike at high speed through an actual forest sounds like an immense amount of fun. As there are still a few details being kept under wraps, a few more details may be on the way before the new coaster is officially open. However, the best news is that we don’t have much time to wait to check out Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, the attraction will be open on June 13.

Netflix's Always Be My Maybe Trailer: Watch Keanu Reeves And Ali Wong Dirty Talk

Netflix's Always Be My Maybe Trailer: Watch Keanu Reeves And Ali Wong Dirty Talk

While we may never understand just how Netflix manages to develop so many original films and television shows each month, but we’re not complaining. The streaming platform has recently played a part in a resurgence of the romantic comedy with hits such as To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and Set It Up. Now it’s releasing a rom-com with some seriously funny comedians including Ali Wong, Randall Park and … Keanu Reeves? Check out Always Be My Maybe.

Wait… you watched until the end right? I promised you Keanu Reeves and the only way to deliver is if you’ve see the trailer to the very end, but we’ll get back to him in a bit.

Always Be My Maybe follows Sasha (Ali Wong) a successful celebrity chef with a good-looking fiancé, played by Lost and Hawaii Five-0’s Daniel Dae Kim. When she goes home to San Francisco for business, she runs into her childhood crush Marcus (Fresh Off the Boat’s Randall Park). Will Sasha gets starry eyes for the one who got away? Or in her case, the one who didn’t move as she left and pursued her career goals.

The trailer from Netflix reveals her fiancé skips out on their wedding plans while she’s at home and he’s on vacation, sparking a hilarious line from Wong as she says she hopes he gets Malaria and shits himself to death. Then, it’s revealed a child’s birthday party was in close vicinity to hear her vile burn.

Sasha then finds herself spending more time with Marcus as she pursues dating on the side. Their chemistry is pretty obvious to everyone else but the couple seem oblivious to it on their own. It’s a classic “will-they-won’t-they” scenario for rom-com fans to eat up.

Always Be My Maybe drives down memory lane a bunch with the couple, flashing back scenes of them when they were kids and in a funny scene where the two make jokes about being in the same car where they once had sex as teens. Oh, and of course Mariah Carey’s ‘90s hit “Always Be My Baby” is playing in the background.

Right when it seems Marcus has drummed up the courage to tell Sasha he’s been in love with her for 15 years, Sasha drops a big bomb. She met someone… and yes, he’s played by Keanu Reeves. The actor makes a grand entrance and helps end out the trailer on a hilarious note as he and Ali Wong say things like “I missed your thumbs” closely into each others faces and Marcus’ heart drops.

It’s also perfect for Reeves to show up in the Always Be My Maybe on the heels of John Wick 3 heading to theaters this weekend and his new role in Toy Story 4 soon hitting screens.

While the trailer shows a lot about the movie, this moment serves as a great hook for audiences to watch the release on the streaming platform when it’s released on May 31.

Zachary Levi Praises His Young Shazam! Co-Stars In Heartfelt Post

Zachary Levi Praises His Young Shazam! Co-Stars In Heartfelt Post

It's Captain Marvel's big opening weekend, but don't forget about the other Captain Marvel. Zachary Levi has made it clear he has nothing but support for the MCU movie, but he's also very excited for fans to see his DC movie Shazam! Levi is a funny guy, but he got serious for about 85% of the caption for this photo with his young Shazam! co-stars Asher Angel and Jack Dylan Grazer:

You heard it from the superhero, kids -- dentures don't pay for themselves!

Zachary Levi seems to be having a great time promoting this movie with his young co-stars. They've been doing interviews and promos together, and that promotion will probably kick into high gear in the weeks ahead of Shazam!'s April 5 release.

In the movie, Asher Angel plays young Billy Batson, who is chosen by Djimon Hounsou's wizard to receive superpowers when Billy speaks the sorcerer's name, Shazam. Saying the name transforms Billy into an adult superhero, played by Zachary Levi. Jack Dylan Grazer plays Freddy, Billy's best friend and foster brother. They are the main characters in the movie, with Mark Strong as villain Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.

Shazam! recently screened for critics, and director David F. Sandberg is definitely keeping an eye on the reviews out there. Thankfully the early reviews so far have been very positive, praising the humor, action, and even the family emotion.

Shazam! is in an interesting position. For DC, it's arriving after the record-breaking success of Aquaman. That's not only the top-grossing DCEU movie, it's the top DC movie ever. Shazam! is also closely following Captain Marvel, which has already made close to half a billion in its first week, worldwide. Shazam! is also closely preceding Avengers: Endgame, which is expected to basically print its own money.

Early box office estimates for Shazam! suggest it could make around $50 million over its opening weekend. Could be higher (could be lower). We'll see in less than a month.

But, you know, everyone seems to be rooting for Shazam! I haven't had a chance to see it yet, but it looks like a great time. I fully expect to be as charmed by Zachary Levi's performance as I have been by his social media promotion. If it doesn't turn out that way, I'll be disappointed, but it doesn't seem like it would be the end of the world for anyone involved. They all had a great time making the movie, but the stakes don't seem as heavy and serious as they did for previous films. The whole experience feels light and fun.

Shazam! opens in theaters on April 5, as one of the many major movies opening in 2019. Keep up with all things DCEU in our handy guide.

Suicide Squad 2 Has Added An Ant-Man Star

Suicide Squad 2 Has Added An Ant-Man Star

Although Suicide Squad 2, alternatively known as The Suicide Squad, will see a few familiar faces returning from 2016’s Suicide Squad, most of the cast will be filled with brand-new characters. The latest of this new bunch has been announced, as Ant-Man actor David Dastmalchian has boarded the cast of the James Gunn-written and directed DC Extended Universe movie.

So who will David Dastmalchian be playing in Suicide Squad 2? He’ll be bringing to life the minor Batman villain known as Polka-Dot Man, who debuted in 1962’s Detective Comics #300 and was originally known as Mister Polka-Dot. Like many of the criminals in Gotham City, he adopted a gimmick for committing crimes, with the spots on his costume capable of turning into strange weapons and vehicles.

Outside of the comics, Polka-Dot Man appeared in Batman: The Brave and the Bold and The Lego Batman Movie, and he’s also a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham and Lego DC Super-Villains. Needless to say that Suicide Squad 2 will mark his biggest media appearance yet, and THR’s report says that David Dastmalchian’s version of the character will apparently “lean into his embarrassment of his ‘lame’ abilities.”

This marks just the latest comic book project that David Dastmalchian is adding to his resume. Along with portraying Kurt in both Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp, he also kicked off his film career playing Thomas Schiff in The Dark Knight. On TV, he played Dwight Pollard in two episodes of Gotham and Abra Kadabra in an episode of The Flash.

Outside the comic book realm, David Dastmalchian’s notable credits include The Belko Experiment, Bird Box, MacGyver and Twin Peaks. He’s also become a recurring collaborator with Denis Villeneuve, having worked with the director on Prisoners and Blade Runner 2049. They are reuniting for the upcoming Dune reboot, where Dastmalchian will play Piter De Vries.

David Dastmalchian is the second new actor to be joining Suicide Squad 2, following behind Idris Elba, who was originally lined up to take over Deadshot duties from Will Smith, but will now instead play a new character. John Cena is also reportedly being eyed to play Peacemaker, but there’s been no word yet on if he’s actually finalized a deal.

While Suicide Squad 2 won’t be a total reboot of the property, it has been repeatedly said that it will serve as more of a relaunch than a direct sequel to the previous Suicide Squad movie, Beyond that, no plot details have been revealed yet, but in addition to the previously mentioned people, Suicide Squad 2 is also bringing back Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller.

Suicide Squad 2 is set to begin filming this September and will charge into theaters on August 5, 2021, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates. In the meantime, you can find out what other DC movies are in the works with our handy guide.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Family Does ‘Not Approve’ Of The Tolkien Biopic

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Family Does ‘Not Approve’ Of The Tolkien Biopic

Update: Fox Searchlight Pictures has responded to Tolkien's family's statements, saying:

We are so proud of Dome Karukoski’s film TOLKIEN which focuses on the early years of J.R.R. Tolkien’s extraordinary life and does not depict subject matter from his novels. While we did not work with the Tolkien Estate on this project, the filmmaking team has the utmost respect and admiration for Mr. Tolkien and his phenomenal contribution to literature.

The Lord of the Rings movies were one of the most epic undertakings in cinema history. It's only fitting that the man behind those stories gets some screen time of his own, right? That's the idea behind Tolkien the new biopic of J.R.R. Tolkien that stars Nicholas Hoult as the man who wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. However, on the eve of the film's release, the family of Tolkien has said they do not endorse the new movie.

It's certainly not uncommon for family of a biopic subject to be critical of a film. It can frequently happen after a movie has been released and it is seen just how the movie takes license with the real life story, changing events in order to make a better movie, even if it's not perfectly historically accurate.

However, in this case, THR reveals that nobody in the Tolkien family has actually seen the movie in question. They're not criticizing the movie or any particular element of it. That's not the point of the statement. Instead, this appears to be a more preemptive move. The family doesn't want there to be any confusion surrounding how the film was made. Nobody from the Tolkien family was consulted or gave approval to have the movie made in the first place and the family is simply putting this fact on record now.

Tolkien is set for release May 10 and tells the story of the author as a young man, including how events in his life, such as World War I, helped shape his life and lead to the creation of the epic fantasy world he is best known for.

It's certainly understandable that the family of J.R.R. Tolkien would want to be sure to tell the world that they were not involved in the new film in any way. It would be easy for some to make the assumption that they were, many who never hear of this statement will likely do just that.

At the same time, since nobody has seen the movie yet, it's certainly possible that Tolkien tells its story with an even hand that the family will end up appreciating. It's equally possible that the movie will turn out to be a good one, even if it does play fast and loose with the truth.

If the movie does change things drastically in a way that the family doesn't like, we'll likely hear more from the family about that. The family of Don Shirley made their problems with Oscar winning film Green Book known as they felt the movie was inaccurate in some respects and that's far from the first time such a thing has happened.

Nobody likes to see their family portrayed in a negative or incorrect fashion. At the same time, sometimes the stories of real people are simply better stories than anything a fiction writer could possibly come up with.