Mark Hamill Reveals His Favorite Star Wars Film

Mark Hamill Reveals His Favorite Star Wars Film

There is arguably no film franchise quite as big as Star Wars. George Lucas' colorful world has entranced audiences for decades, as each new installment in the epic space opera results in massive box office numbers. And with Disney in charge of Lucasfilm, new and challenging installments have been brought to theaters every single year. The Skywalker Saga started back with A New Hope, and will conclude with J.J. Abrams still untitled Episode IX later this year.

With so many installments in the galaxy far, far away, the rabid fandom has plenty of options regarding which Star Wars movie is their favorite. This includes those intimately involved in the property, like franchise hero Mark Hamill. Hamill recently revealed his favorite Star Wars flick, saying:

It's like pick your favorite child. You like them all for different reasons. I guess I'd probably have to go with Empire [Strikes Back], only because it was so unexpected to have the protagonist be so soundly defeated, losing the hand and the dad Vader, all of it was pretty unexpected. And it was much more cerebral: Yoda is such an important addition to the mythology and I thought it was so clever of George [Lucas], the concept of the Force, so that you could talk about religion and spirituality without making people uncomfortable. So for that alone.

Luke Skywalker has spoken. And he's chosen perhaps the most popular Star Wars movie in the entire franchise. Everyone loves the twist and turns of Empire Strikes Back, and that includes the film's protagonist as well.

Mark Hamill's comments to THR echo the general feelings of the Star Wars fandom. Empire Strikes back may be fifth in the franchise's timeline, but it was actually the second Star Wars movie to ever hit theaters back in 1980. The movie is decidedly darker than its predecessor, and contains some mind blowing twits thanks to Luke's parentage. Plus, it introduces Frank Oz's beloved Jedi Master Yoda on Dagobah.

Empire Strikes Back is such a great movie that it's often considered one of the best sequels in the film world. As such, plenty of filmmakers have compared their sequels with Empire. George Lucas built upon the galaxy he created with A New Hope, and brought all the leading characters to new places, further developing their characters. Add in the twists and dark ending, and there's a recipe that has resonated with cinephiles for decades.

It should be fascinating to see where Luke Skywalker's story ultimately ends with J.J. Abrams' mysterious Episode IX. While Luke seemingly perished in The Last Jedi after using Force Projection, Mark Hamill is set to return in some capacity with the next movie. Smart money says he'll be a Force Ghost, but we'll just have to wait and see how it all shakes up.

Episode IX will arrive in theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Wait, Was Kraglin In Avengers: Endgame?

Wait, Was Kraglin In Avengers: Endgame?

Once Captain America says the words “Avengers Assemble” in Endgame’s final battle sequence, the big screen crowds with MCU characters from every corner of the universe including the Wakandans, Masters of the Mythic Arts, the Valkyrie and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy. There’s so much happening that we certainly missed the entire roll call of Marvel characters.

In celebration of the movie’s release, Robert Downey Jr. took to Instagram to share the massive amount of people involved in the scene, with a four-photo wide group photo of the cast and crew. In the second shot, Sean Gunn is dressed in character for Guardians of the Galaxy’s Kraglin. This is awkward… was he in the movie? Take a look:

If you’re having trouble finding the fan-favorite Ravager, Sean Gunn can be seen behind and to the right of Chris Hemsworth’s Thor – just look for that braided beard. This is a bit of a surprise because Kraglin didn’t have a big moment in Endgame. Perhaps he was in the background while our eyes were focused on another dominant character and we missed him?

Just about every character showed up for the battle scene, so it’s not tough to imagine that the new leader of the Ravagers came out to assemble for battle. Fans spotted a Howard the Duck cameo during the sequence, and there were tons of unexpected MCU characters in the movie, including Robert Redford’s Alexander Pierce, Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster, Harley Keener from Iron Man 3 and Edwin Jarvis from ABC’s cancelled Agent Carter series.

Perhaps you spotted Sean Gunn’s Kraglin fighting the good fight in Endgame? According to Fandom’s MCU Wiki, the character led the Ravagers into battle through one of the portals. Kraglin certainly wasn’t in Infinity War, so the group shot had to be from Endgame.

For the finale scene, the Russos likely shot more moments including various MCU characters then what made the final cut so while Kraglin didn’t have a particularly memorable moment in Endgame, he may have still filmed one.

If Sean Gunn wasn’t donning Kraglin’s gear (with a new fin) in the picture, we could easily count him in for his work as Rocket the Racoon. While Bradley Cooper voices the furry Guardian, Gunn has played the stand-in on set since the 2014 film and did so again for Infinity War and Endgame. Since he’d be on set already for Rocket, it would be easy for him to make a quick change to Kraglin for a scene in the battle.

While now we’re second guessing Kraglin’s appearance in Avengers: Endgame, he’ll likely return to the upcoming Phase 4 film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, to be helmed by his brother James Gunn. Did you see Kraglin in Endgame? Tell us in the comments below.

Captain Marvel's Lack Of Endgame Screen Time Explained By The Russo Brothers

Captain Marvel's Lack Of Endgame Screen Time Explained By The Russo Brothers

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame.

The Russo Brothers did the seemingly impossible with their pair of Avengers movies, expertly balancing a massive cast and keeping the movie remarkably character-driven. Endgame exceeded even the expectations set with Infinity War, as the survivors of Thanos' snap teamed up to Avenge the fallen and get back what they lost.

Endgame also brought Brie Larson's Captain Marvel to the greater MCU, following her first solo movie. And while she factored into both of the battles with Thanos in the movie, Carol Danvers wasn't a huge presence in the film. The Russo Brothers recently explained the character's lack of screen time compared to other heroes, with Joe Russo saying:

It was a story about the original six. That was the focus of the film, to conclude a 10-year saga about those characters. And Carol’s a fairly new character.

Well, that was honest. Captain Marvel may have had a strong origin story that made a ton of money at the box office, but The Russo Brothers simply weren't focusing on Carol Danvers much for Avengers: Endgame. It was primarily a story about the OG team, although Captain Marvel saved the day more than once.

Avengers: Endgame was deeply connected to the previous 21 movies in the MCU, especially when it came to the long tenure of the original lineup. Members of the first team like Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow were given the focus they deserve, while the other characters like Captain Marvel helped move that story forward.

Related: Captain Marvel Will Lead The MCU, Kevin Feige Says

In their same conversation with Empire (via Fatherly), The Russo Brothers also revealed that Carol Danvers' lack of a relationship with the surviving Avengers also prevented her from being essential to the main storyline. As Anthony Russo put it,

[Carol] had no depth of relationship with those other characters, which on one side is an opportunity, but also – when you have a story that’s this size – you have to work with an economy of storytelling in order to maximize the journey in the movie.

Time is money, and The Russo Brothers had to cram a ton of content into the runtime of Avengers: Endgame. And since Carol Danvers didn't have any super interesting personal dynamics with the rest of the survivors, she functioned on more of a tertiary level to the blockbuster. Still, Thanos' death wouldn't have been possible without her. Both times.

Carol Danvers first appeared in Avengers: Endgame in space, rescuing Nebula and Tony in the knick of time. Shortly after, she and the rest of the heroes boarded The Benatar to track down Thanos at The Farm. But after the time jump, she was absent from the Time Heist-- citing issues across the galaxy she had to tend to.

Captain Marvel returned to Earth in the knick of time, destroying Thanos' massive ship in the process. She also helped transport the Infinity Gauntlet through the warzone, before engaging with Thanos directly. She stopped the Mad Titan from snapping his finger, allowing the time for Tony to steal the stones and end him once and for all. Now we'll have to see what's next for Carol in the post-Endgame world.

Captain Marvel's presence in Avengers: Endgame wasn't all that substantial, but it was still exciting to see Carol Danvers crossing over and interacting with Earth's Mightiest Heroes. And much of the film's events wouldn't have been possible without her role. After all, Tony Stark seemed moments away from death when she appeared to tow him and Nebula home to Earth.

While Brie Larson's fans might have been disappointed that the Room star didn't have as big a role in Avengers: Endgame as the original team, but her massive powers have the potential to complicate scenes like the Time Heist and Thanos' assault on the Avengers Compound. Captain Marvel is by far the most powerful hero in the MCU, surpassing the likes of Thor and Scarlet Witch. So she has the potential to end certain conflict before they start. Just look at how quickly Thanos was decapitated in Endgame.

Captain Marvel's big entrance in the Avengers: Endgame final battle was an epic one, and helped turn the tide of the battle for Earth. She evened the odds by destroying Thanos' ship, preventing him from raining fire on the battlefield. Thanos also could have snapped his fingers and ended everything, but was stopped by Captain Marvel. At least until he used the Power Stone to send her flying.

It should be interesting to see how Captain Marvel factors into the Marvel Cinematic Universe during its mysterious Phase Four. There's bound to be a passing of the guard in the new slate of movies, where the newer heroes step out of the background and into the main narrative. Iron Man and Captain America's tenures are up, and Black Widow likely won't be revived in the main timeline. As such, the newer characters should get more of a spotlight.

Considering the massive box office performance of Captain Marvel, we should expect the title character to have a big role in Phase Four and beyond. Additionally, Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson was given the mantle of Captain America, and Spider-Man: Far From Home may be setting up Peter Parker as the next Iron Man. Smart money says that Doctor Strange and Black Panther also get their first sequels as well, transitioning the fandom to a new class of Avengers.

Captain Marvel's sequel could go seemingly anywhere, as there's decades of time between her solo movie and eventual appearance in Avengers: Endgame. She's been helping to police the entire galaxy, so there's plenty of stories to be explored. Plus, we never saw how her conflict with the Supreme Intelligence went.

There are some fans hoping that Ms. Marvel might be introduced in the follow-up to Captain Marvel, including Brie Larson herself. We'll just have to wait for Marvel Studios to finally reveal its plans for the future.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Does The Child's Play Reboot Need To Show Us More Chucky? Let's Talk This Out

Does The Child's Play Reboot Need To Show Us More Chucky? Let's Talk This Out

The most recent trailer for Child’s Play has landed, and it continues to look rather promising. With the story of a single mother buying a cutting-edge toy for her son to befriend taking front and center, the reboot to the 1988 horror classic looks like it’s got a nice sci-fi upgrade for a new generation.

However, even with the announcement of legendary actor Mark Hamill voicing the character of Chucky, the marketing seems to be playing it coy with showing us the doll in its full form. That decision brings up an important debate, one that we’ll be discussing over the course of what you’re reading here. That discussion boils down to the following question: Does the Child’s Play reboot need to show us more of Chucky in its marketing? Let’s talk this out, starting with the case for more Chuck for the buck.

The Case For More Chucky

Reviving a character as iconic and well known as Child’s Play’s Chucky takes more marketing prowess than it would to sell a new intellectual property. With a new property, you can shape the terms of how the audience sees that new product.

However, when you’re trying to make the case for the 21st century variant of Chucky, you need some more oomph in your cannon. It’s important to show more of Chucky to the audience that’s been loyal to the brand, especially considering the controversy surrounding the film and the feelings about the new project from some.

Being a Child’s Play remake outside of series/character creator Don Mancini’s TV series, which still retains original continuity, as well as Brad Dourif’s involvement, this may be a harder sell than many reboots in modern times. There’s still a lot of fans who need to be sold on this film to open their wallets.

Showing more of Chucky’s full face and voice in the marketing for Child’s Play just might win over more fans of the original version, as it looks like the film is going in a new direction with the character, rather than just remaking the infamous killing sprees of Charles Lee Ray.

It’s even more critical to approach newer audiences expecting a fresh definition of what the Child’s Play series is all about with a clear picture of what the modern Chucky is capable of. So for the sake of winning audiences old and new, by distancing itself from the original film, the new and improved Chucky should come out to play in whatever marketing materials crop up next.

The Case For Less Chucky

The freshness of Child’s Play 2019 is a good starting point for the call for more of Chucky’s material to be shown in the trailers. However, that’s also the perfect launching pad for the argument against being too showy with everyone’s new Buddi.

Surprise is exactly what Child’s Play has going for it in this new incarnation, and we did get the slightest tease of Mark Hamill’s fresh performance in that recent trailer. Some could say we’ve gotten enough to tide us over, and history just might prove that faction right.

In the trailer for the original Child’s Play, a similar approach was taken in selling this concept as brand new. The Good Guy doll was shown as a doll, with any glimpses into its evil activities being brief and mostly concealed. We never really got to see Chucky at his full potential, because even as a brand new property, surprise was the key to making audiences go nuts upon the big reveal.

The same could be said for Child’s Play 2019, because we have seen the full doll as a play thing, again with glimpses of the evil that this Buddi can do. So maybe the way to win fans, classic and new, is to give them the same treatment that was had when Chucky was a brand new doll, fresh off the factory floor.

Curiosity and surprise are definitely valuable commodities when selling a movie these days. Getting the audience hyped with a smidge of voice over and just enough violence is probably a better idea, in the sense that it combats the biggest problem moviegoers have with more recent trailers that tend to give the whole movie away. Less Chucky likely equates to more shock value.

The Final Ruling

Taking into consideration the fact that both arguments are pretty sound, I still feel like there is a clear winner in this debate, which is the trailers for the new Child’s Play reboot need to show more Chucky in the future.

While curiosity and surprise are still needed in the world of film marketing, it’s not spoiling Child’s Play if you show off the killer doll everyone’s expecting. We’ve seen the doll, we’ve heard its voice, and the historical canon of this villain is no secret. So hiding it isn’t helping that much, in my opinion.

Between a new crowd that still knows of Chucky’s character, and a faithful fanbase to that original series that needs some enticing to come to this newly set table, more clear killer doll action can only help better sell this product. This is particularly true in the case of a reboot, as remaking an older, very popular series for a modern context almost always triggers people to think that it’s a cash in.

If Child’s Play 2019 is going to stand a chance, it needs to break away from Child’s Play 1988 and do its own thing. I think that requires showing off the difference between the old Chucky and the new one. Why should anyone expect people to show up when they can’t see the star of the show?

While this debate takes both sides of the coin into account, it is all from one singular viewpoint discussing both sides. If a film like Child’s Play has any chance of succeeding, it needs to adhere to the opinions of you, the audience.

So after you’ve mulled over both sides of this issue yourself, feel free to share your thoughts in both the poll provided at the end of this piece, as well as in the comments section below. But before you go off to deliberate, why not watch the Child's Play trailer one last time?

As for Child’s Play, it hits theaters on June 21st, just in time to give your summer a scare. But if horror isn’t your thing, and you just like reading arguments about movie marketing, you can find a movie more suited to your tastes in our 2019 release schedule.

Green Book Just Passed An Impressive Box Office Milestone

Green Book Just Passed An Impressive Box Office Milestone

The Best Picture winner at this year’s Academy Awards Ceremony Green Book came out all the way back in the middle of November, but it is still playing in theaters nearly four months later. Not only that, but Green Book is enjoying a resurgence at the box office, riding a wave from its Oscar wins. Now, Green Book has another accolade to add to its list of accomplishments, passing the $200 million milestone.

The dramedy from director Peter Farrelly has crossed $200 million at the worldwide box office, and through Wednesday sits at $204.2 million according to The Hollywood Reporter. That breaks down to $77.3 million domestic and a sizable international haul of $126.9 million. That’s a heck of an accomplishment for a film that debuted in wide release in ninth place in North America and never cracked the top 3 at the box office domestically.

Green Book’s rise in success is due to two factors: a great debut in China as well as strong holds in other overseas markets and renewed interest in North America. The film opened in China on March 1 beating expectations to the tune of $17.1 and going on to $25 million by Wednesday. It now stands as the most successful Best Picture winner in China behind only Titanic.

How much is the title of Best Picture worth to a movie’s bottom line? It turns out it can be quite a lot actually, at least as far as Green Book is concerned. Over this past weekend, the first weekend since February’s Oscar ceremony and Green Book’s 16th in release, the film earned $4.7 million in North America, a number that was good enough for the 5 spot at the box office.

The Oscar bump is real and that weekend haul was over a 100% increase from the previous week. That was in part due to the renewed interest in the film, which saw it expand its theater count by 1,388 according to Box Office Mojo to 2,641.

For comparison, last year’s Best Picture winner The Shape of Water, only earned $2.3 million the weekend after the Oscars. To find a film that performed better than Green Book in the post-Oscars frame you’d have to go back to 2011 when The King’s Speech made $6.2 million following the Academy Awards.

It is an impressive run for a movie that only cost $23 million to make, and was dogged by controversy its entire awards season run. It does make you wonder if the backlash to Green Book’s Best Picture win actually did it a favor at the box office. Best Picture winners naturally receive a bump as audiences want to see the movie that earned the golden statue, but the backlash may have also made some others curious and feel like they had to see what all the fuss was about.

Whatever the case, Green Book has proven to be a worldwide hit that has had serious legs at the box office and caught its second wind after its big Best Picture win.

Green Book is now playing. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see the movies that will be vying for their own statues at next year’s awards.

Looks Like Avengers: Endgame Could Have A Massive Opening Weekend

Looks Like Avengers: Endgame Could Have A Massive Opening Weekend

It goes without saying that Avengers: Endgame is going to be a huge movie. Story-wise, it’s the final chapter of both Phase 3 and this iteration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that began with Iron Man, and commercially, given how Avengers: Infinity War performed last year, it’s been expected that Endgame do just as well, if not better. Sure enough, current estimates place Endgame as making upwards of $200 million opening weekend.

If Avengers: Endgame debuts in the $200 million-$250 million domestic range that Variety reports, it would join Avengers: Infinity War as one of only six films to ever surpass $200 million in ticket sales during its first weekend. Currently Captain Marvel holds the record of best North American debut in 2019 with $153 million, but it’s practically guaranteed that Endgame will rocket past that amount. After all, people came out in droves (figuratively speaking) to buy tickets online, breaking records for both Fandango and Atom Tickets.

One thing that might affect Avengers: Endgame’s overall box office performance is runtime. The movie will be just over three hours long, making it the longest MCU entry yet. This long runtime means that theaters can’t hold as many screenings as they could if it was the standard two-two and a half hour runtime, meaning less butts will be put in seats. But that’s a minor nuisance at best. Marvel has proven itself several times over as a powerhouse franchise, meaning that it’s a given that a lot of people will be seeing this epic story on the big screen. Plus, as we’ve seen in the past with movies like Return of the King, long runtime doesn’t always hinder the box office haul, as the final entry of the Lord of the Rings trilogy walked away with over $1.1 billion at the end of its theatrical run.

That said, Avengers: Endgame still has a long road ahead if it wants to take the record for largest opening of all time domestically. That’s currently held by Avengers: Infinity War, which crushed initial predictions and gathered a monstrous $257 million during its first days in theaters, knocking Star Wars: The Force Awakens and its $247 million to second place. Perhaps Endgame will also soar past its initial box office estimates and make $260 million or more opening weekend stateside, which would be astounding. As far as the global launch goes, Endgame is expected to surpass Infinity War’s take, helped by the fact that it’s opening in China the same day. Put simply, we can reasonably assume that Endgame will become the eighth MCU movie to cross the $1 billion mark.

With the universe reeling from The Decimation, which saw Thanos wiping out half of all life, Avengers: Endgame will see the surviving MCU heroes gathering together and try to undo The Mad Titan’s genocide, which will require them to get their hands on the Infinity Stones. Beyond that, Marvel is still keeping a lot of plot details close to the chest, though there’s been no shortage of theories that time travel will factor into the tale. However this movie unfolds, Marvel doesn’t have to worry about gathering audiences to check it out.

Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. For now, you can find out what the future of the MCU looks like in our Marvel movies guide, or you can learn what other movies are coming out this year in our 2019 release schedule.

How Much Captain Marvel Made On Opening Night

How Much Captain Marvel Made On Opening Night

This weekend, Marvel’s first female-led superhero movie and the penultimate chapter in the MCU’s Phase 3 arrives in the form of Captain Marvel, starring Brie Larson. Captain Marvel is a lesser-known character that has only been referenced, not seen, on the big screen until now, so how did she fare in her cinematic debut? Well, the weekend is just beginning, but Captain Marvel has already showed what she’s made of earning $20.7 million opening night.

Captain Marvel felt the need for speed, getting off to a fast start in its debut weekend with an impressive $20.7 million in preview screenings Thursday night, according to THR. That’s an incredible performance and one that trails only Black Panther’s $25.2 million in previews for solo superhero movies starring a new character. It’s also the fifth-biggest MCU preview haul behind only the aforementioned Black Panther and the team-up movies Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.

Carol Danvers has also snagged the second-largest March preview screening gross behind only DC’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which earned $27.7 million in 2016. Speaking of DC, although that company beat Marvel to the box office with a female-led superhero film, the power of the Marvel brand (and perhaps the Infinity War tease) propelled Captain Marvel well past Wonder Woman’s $11 million in preview screenings.

Captain Marvel has just begun to take flight though and she is headed towards a massive opening weekend both domestically and around the globe. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Captain Marvel is projected to pull in over $60 million on Friday on the way towards a Marvel-ous opening weekend of $155 million to $160 million.

Even $150 million would still give Captain Marvel the second-best opening of all time for a comic book movie starring a new character, behind only Black Panther’s $200 million, and that character was already established thanks to his role in Captain America: Civil War.

A $155-$160 million opening weekend would be remarkable and especially impressive considering that the long-range tracking in January had Captain Marvel landing at around $140 million, and at the time that seemed somewhat ludicrous. Then the early tracking closer to release predicted a much more down to earth $100 million. So not only is Captain Marvel likely to beat that, it’s also looking like it will beat the number that seemed so outlandish and may do so by a wide margin.

Internationally things are looking good too. Captain Marvel opened in all major markets sans Japan this week, including a release in China at the post-Chinese New Year box office. Thus far Captain Marvel has made $44 million internationally, not including China. In the Middle Kingdom, the film had the second-biggest opening day of any MCU film there, making $34 million.

The Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck-directed film is doing better business than any MCU movie fronted by a new character in many markets and in Brazil, Captain Marvel had the biggest opening day ever behind only Avengers: Infinity War.

All told, Captain Marvel is looking like it will blast like a rocket past $300 million worldwide this weekend. It’s quite a feat for a lesser-known and cinematically unproven character. How it ever overcame the effective power of internet trolls and boycotts, we may never know.

On the reception front, Captain Marvel has received overall positive reviews, although not everyone loves it (even some women!). Still, it looks like it will be another huge win for the MCU heading in to Avengers: Endgame.

Captain Marvel is now playing. Check out what we thought of the film and make sure you know what ticket to buy before heading out to the theater. Take a look at our release schedule to see everything else headed your way this year. and for all your movie news, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.