Academy Member Says There's 'No Way' He’d Ever Vote For An Avengers Movie To Get An Oscar

Academy Member Says There's 'No Way' He’d Ever Vote For An Avengers Movie To Get An Oscar

While there’s often a difference between what movie titles are popular with the average person and what movie titles are popular with the average Academy Award voter, it’s not as often that we hear an actual person associated with the Oscars blatantly knock on a populist title.

That’s not true this time, however, as an anonymous Oscar voter gave a lot of really blunt opinions about Best Picture nominees, including taking a jab at the Avengers-based movies, which he feels do not deserve an Oscar. He said:

First Man should have been nominated for Best Picture — it probably came in ninth or tenth — and its visual effects are pretty amazing. I think they were produced more on a stage — with models and old-school stuff — than the other nominees', which relied more on CGI, and I really respect that. There's just no way on earth that I will ever vote for anything with the word Avengers in the title; like a lot of people in the Academy, I don't respect money-grabs.

THR is the outlet that spoke with the voter, and from what we know about the unnamed person, he’s a dude and a director who votes as part of the 519-person director’s branch.

It’s interesting because there are often conversations about the differences between the critics and the audience, but this puts the lack of respect from some awards voters about what Disney and Marvel put out with the first 22 franchise movies right at the forefront.

When the 2019 Oscars nominations were officially announced, Avengers: Infinity War was largely absent except for a nod for Best Visual Effects. Marvel’s Black Panther fared better, nabbing a Best Picture nomination and other nods in numerous categories.

Black Panther ended up winning for Best Production Design, Best Costume Design and Best Original Score, but it missed out on the coveted Best Picture Award, which went to Green Book. Marvel Ceo Avi Arad would go on to say he was “heartbroken” about the loss. Clearly, though, this director voter doesn’t feel the same way.

Ultimately, this sort of goes to show you that the people who are making the decisions during awards season are not always on the same page as people who are actually going out and spending money on tickets. So far, for example, Avengers: Endgame has made over $2.7 billion at the box office. Given this year's awards haven't been voted on yet, there's still a chance Endgame could earn nods at the 2020 Oscars, too.

Related: Every Marvel Studios Movie, Ranked By The CinemaBlend Staff

Just the fact that Black Panther earned a Best Picture nod was a step in the right direction for superhero movies to be taken seriously, but it may be some time before one of those “Avengers” movies gets a nod, particularly given we don't know very much about the direction Marvel's Phase Four is headed in.

Outside of this anonymous director, however, there are plenty of people who do feel movies like Black Panther deserve nominations on the biggest movie night of the year. As time passes, we'll have to wait and see whether or not enough minds are changed about the prospect.

New Child’s Play Video Shows Off Chucky’s Animatronics

New Child’s Play Video Shows Off Chucky’s Animatronics

It’s easy to remake a film like Child’s Play in the modern age, especially when the decision is made to use big ticket CGI over the old fashioned method of animatronic acting. But when a movie such as that very same remake decides to use the more practical method, in the name of more tangible realism, it’s something special. So feel free to pop a bottle of mini bottle of champagne, and take a look at this video showcasing the new Chucky’s impressive animatronic body:

Now that’s not to say that CGI won’t have its place in this new Child’s Play remake, as even those involved in the making of the animatronic component have mentioned that CG will be used to replace the eyes in the actual doll. Not to mention, there will probably be various touchups and scenes that can’t be done with the animatronic stand in that will be seen throughout the course of the film.

But from the sound of this video, the majority of the Chucky action will be courtesy of some sophisticated animatronic work, and equally specialized puppeteering that helped bring Child’s Play’s big bad to life. With three to four puppeteers on the “Robo Chucky” rig, and a total of six animatronic dolls on the roster, it looks like this new take on the killer doll mythos is taking the right steps to making a believable horror film.

Of course, this is on top of the fact that Mark Hamill has been cast as the new voice of Chucky, which means that with a voice at threatening as the look of the dolls on Child’s Play’s set just seals the horror deal. It may not totally win over those fans that are still in favor of the original franchise being the one true chronicle of Chucky’s killing spree, but decisions like these do sometimes make things easier when it comes to selling the film.

Every little bit will help when trying to get the public to see Child’s Play on the same weekend that Disney/Pixar will be opening a very sincere look at toys in their launch of Toy Story 4. But it’s not like there’s a spirit of malicious competition between the two films. No, not at all, not when Chucky’s the Buddi in play.

The Child’s Play reboot has up until now played it coy with the marketing of Chucky’s murderous abilities in this new film. And almost as if they’d heard an outcry for more material featuring the doll himself, we’ve now got our best look at him yet. The result of which has us even more intrigued to see just what new tricks this old doll has to play on anyone who gets in his way.

Child’s Play brings Chucky to a new level of terror on June 21st. If horror isn’t your thing though, you can always take a look at the 2019 release schedule to find something a little more friendly.

Wait, Is Doctor Strange Director Scott Derrickson Doing A Hellraiser Reboot?

Wait, Is Doctor Strange Director Scott Derrickson Doing A Hellraiser Reboot?

It's normal nowadays for a studio to resurrect old, familiar franchises in order to give them a second life up on the big screen. We saw an example of that last year with the new Halloween film, which sparked new life into the horror franchise. It looks like another horror icon may be getting a new film soon. Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson tweeted an image teasing that he might be directing a new Hellraiser movie.

Fitting right in with Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and other movie monsters, Hellraiser is a series of horror films that centers around a creature named Pinhead. The storylines of the films follow a puzzle box that is a gate to the hell-like dimension of the Cenobites, an order of formerly human monsters who harvest souls to torture in sadomasochistic experiments. Pinhead is the leader of the Cenobites and the face of the franchise.

The first film was released in 1987 and spawned nine sequels, the most recent of which was released last year. However, despite the longevity of the franchise, the films vary in quality and, after the fourth film, every sequel was released straight-to-home video. Scott Derrickson himself directed the first film to be released direct-to-video -- Hellraiser: Inferno, which came out in 2000.

However, it sounds like the franchise could be making a comeback. Earlier this year, it was reported that Blumhouse -- the extremely successful horror film studio -- was interested in making a new Hellraiser film. Now we've got this tweet from Scott Derrickson seemingly teasing his involvement in said film.

Scott Derrickson didn't make any sort of announcement to go with the social media post, but it's doubtful he would just randomly share the picture if he didn't have something in the works. While Derrickson is maybe best known as the director of Doctor Strange, he's directed plenty of horror films like Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose.

Scott Derrickson knows how to get scary and he seems like a good fit to continue with the Hellraiser franchise. Plus, I'm sure that fans of the series are eager to see a real high-quality theatrical release.

Assuming that Scott Derrickson is directing a new Hellraiser, one would assume that this would come after Doctor Strange 2. While not officially confirmed, it's long been rumored that Doctor Strange 2 is in the works with Derrickson back in the director's chair. Without either film actually being confirmed, it's tough to guess what Derrickson's schedule would look like.

Either way, a new Helllraiser might be in-bound. Get a blast from the past with the trailer for the very first film in the series.

Make sure to stick with CinemaBlend and we'll keep you updated on all the latest movie news as soon as it becomes available to us. For everything that is definitely coming to theaters this year, be sure to check out our handy 2019 movie release guide.

5 Things I Like About Being An AMC Stubs A-List Member

5 Things I Like About Being An AMC Stubs A-List Member

After resisting the urge to sign up for AMC Theaters' Stubs A-List program, I finally bit the bullet and converted my Premiere tier membership. I had my reservations, but eventually I put them aside with the intent that if I didn't like the service's offerings, I could always just cancel after a month--a pro to trying out something new. It's a good thing I finally got over myself and jumped into the world of the A-List, as I really can't see myself dropping the pass in the foreseeable future.

While I've tried and even studied up on the various competitors offering similar services in the past, I've enjoyed the Stubs A-List treatment the most. In particular, there are five particular aspects of the overall program that I really think make the moviegoing experience all the easier to enjoy. A word of warning though, these reasons may be seen as objective. So if you're really curious about if AMC Stubs A-List is right for you, it's recommended that you personally research the service through the official website. But for the moment, here are my five reasons why I like being on the A-List!

It Really Helps Me Budget My Movie Spending

The biggest criticism people have when going to the movies, besides the usual concerns with etiquette, is that it's too expensive to experience often. No matter what market you're in, the price of one movie ticket can be quite high, especially for first-run movies and on weekends. But with AMC Stubs A-List, all you need to do is pay one flat rate for three movies a week. And honestly, even if I wasn't in the world of entertainment journalism, I'd sign up for this program because I'm a huge movie fan, and it's a hell of a bargain. While it ensures I get to see the most prolific titles any given month, it also gives me a lot more options to choose from, which leads me to reason #2.

I'm Open To Seeing More Unusual Movies

Taking away the threshold of affordability, AMC Stubs A-List leaves me, and any other viewer, with one key question to answer: What do I see next? This past weekend, I knocked out Us and Captain Marvel in one fell swoop, and those are just two of the month's biggest releases. If I were still worried about buying individual tickets, I might be more conservative and save my budgeted ticket costs for those films individually. With an A-List membership, I'm thinking about throwing in a showing of Gaspar Noe's Climax, and thanks to AMC's Independent initiative, it's actually showing at a theater near me. Murderous LSD dance party, here I come.

Any Format Is Available For Enjoyment, No Strings Attached

I firmly believe that one of the biggest reasons to still go to the movies in our modern era is the fact there are just some formats that aren't available at home. Sure, TVs are getting bigger, surround sound rigs are evolving, and 3D is still viable for certain movies, but those experiences may not be enough to invest most people. Which is why the fact that AMC Stubs A-List lets you pick any format available without an upcharge is another credit to its existence. Watching Us in Dolby Cinema and Captain Marvel in IMAX were experiences that really transformed how I saw each of those films, and I probably wouldn't have bought into either if I didn't have my A-List membership.

It Pays For Itself Really Quickly

One of my biggest hangups when it came to signing up for AMC Stubs A-List was that I'd be paying roughly $25, but might not be seeing as many movies as I'd like to make the cost of signing up worth the while. But looking into the ticket prices in my market, and comparing them to that figure quoted above, I found that the threshold wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. In truth, all I have to do is see two movies in one month, and I'm square with the house. Anything past that is, in concept, pure profit on my end. With the summer movie season not being too far off, that will probably make up for the months I'm not as huge on going to the movies. Again, I'm a pretty cinematically inclined person; so seeing two movies in one month isn't hard. So the fact that it's that easy to recoup my investment into AMC Theaters' continued existence is enough for me to keep enrolled in this program for quite some time.

Planning Future Movie Trips Is Absurdly Easy

Perhaps the coolest feature of the AMC Stubs A-List program is the fact that as soon as tickets for a movie go on sale, you can use future reservations for said film. Avengers: Endgame just revealed its running time, and folks are thinking this could be an indication that tickets will finally go on sale for opening weekend. Now the theater I trust the most with quality 3D in my area happens to also be an AMC owned establishment. It is also notoriously small, and if I don't reserve as soon as possible, I'll end up frozen out on the early showings I'll need to attend in order to get in before spoilers run rampant. So if Kevin Feige himself does a livestream event right this moment, or any other moment after reading this sentence, announcing that tickets to the MCU's biggest event film were going on sale today, I'd be able to snag some prime seats, worry-free.

I'm sure there are other reasons to enjoy the AMC Stubs A-List other than those I've listed above. But those are the most important to my personal experience, and I think they're pretty appealing to subscribers at large, especially if you are big movie fan. However, it should be restated that if you're looking for some specific answers to questions and aspects not addressed here, you can go to the program's official website in order to potentially find the answers that you seek.

Avengers: Endgame Originally Gave Black Widow A Heartbreaking New Job

Avengers: Endgame Originally Gave Black Widow A Heartbreaking New Job

SPOILERS ahead for Avengers: Endgame.

Oof. Avengers: Endgame almost got even darker and deeper into the mythology of what happens when you snap out 50% of all life.

The Decimation hit all of the Avengers hard, and they each handled it differently. Black Widow didn't run away or start a family. She got to work. We saw her running point for the surviving Avengers at the compound. She also kept up training. She was quick to speak up and say they needed to try whatever they could to reverse Thanos' Snap, for the people who weren't there with them. She said she never had a family until she was part of the Avengers.

Speaking of family, that's where directors Joe and Anthony Russo almost got extra bleak. Anthony Russo said they did spend a lot of time thinking about the realities and logistics of what would happen if 50% of all living creatures simply vanished. Black Widow almost got a new job in the time jump trying to care for the kids who were left behind:

One thing that we talked about a lot -- and I thought was really profound, but it was almost too large of an idea for us to wrangle, but we did try for a while -- is just the idea that one-quarter of all children have no parents. Assuming you started with two parents. So that’s a lot of global orphans. Just the staggering number of that. I believe at one point really early in development, Black Widow was actually leading the organization in D.C. that was in charge of orphans, basically. That was what she was heading up five years later. But yes, it’s fascinating when you start running it down.

Wow. Yeah, I think it was the right call to skip that storyline. Endgame was dark enough without bringing the reality of millions of orphans into it. That's a completely different movie. Actually, maybe it's HBO's The Leftovers.

In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Natasha revealed to Bruce that she couldn't have her own children, since she was sterilized as part of her spy initiation. The scene caused some controversy, but it would've been an interesting tie-in to see Natasha caring for so many children years later. In a way, it could've been like she'd adopted the Thanos orphans.

It is fascinating when you start running it all down, as Anthony Russo told Slate. Avengers: Endgame did show the day-to-day changes that happened after The Decimation -- like Steve Rogers' support group, and the trashed and abandoned streets poor confused Scott Lang walked. But they didn't go too deep into how the rest of the world was affected because it was already a three-hour movie and they had to get busy reversing Thanos' call.

The Russo Brothers may have changed Black Widow's post-Snap job, but they kept her sacrifice intact. They recently explained why they had her sacrifice herself for the Soul Stone.

Despite that sacrifice, we are still getting her first Black Widow movie. Cate Shortland is directing Scarlett Johansson, with the supporting cast including Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Rachel Weisz. Production may already be in motion to start filming soon for its Phase Four release.

New Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Rumor Claims Billie Lourd Is Carrie Fisher's Stand-In

New Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Rumor Claims Billie Lourd Is Carrie Fisher's Stand-In

Following her tragic death, there was a question of what Carrie Fisher’s passing meant for her character Leia Organa in the next Star Wars film. Lucasfilm eventually made it clear that the role would not be recast, nor would Leia be a CGI creation, as she was in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Instead Leia’s story would be concluded using unused footage from Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

But that may not be the only way Leia returns in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. That’s because a new rumor claims that Carrie Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd, who also plays Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix in the sequel trilogy, may be a stand-in for the late actress in December’s concluding chapter of the Skywalker Saga.

However, this rumor goes beyond just Billie Lourd playing her mom’s stand-in in the film. This is firmly in the realm of rumor and speculation at the moment but, if true, it could constitute a spoiler, so proceed with caution.

According to MakingStarWars.net, sources have claimed that although Carrie Fisher’s General Leia was never recast for Star Wars: Episode IX, Princess Leia was, and Billie Lourd will be the stand-in for Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia in scenes that will be brought to life with the help of CGI.

The General/Princess Leia thing might seem like an odd distinction, but it tracks with other rumblings that would support the need for a Princess Leia stand-in. MakingStarWars.net’s Jason Ward has heard that there is a flashback sequence in The Rise of Skywalker involving Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia post-Return of the Jedi.

In this sequence, Anakin Skywalker’s progeny are having a pivotal conversation that could supposedly change our perspective on the characters and events in the trilogy. The speculation is that this conversation pertains to some sort of premonition and that it influences Leia’s choice not to pursue becoming a Jedi.

The existence of such a scene would necessitate Leia be brought to life in a different way, assuming Carrie Fisher didn’t film footage for a young Princess Leia prior to her death. So in this instance, Billie Lourd could either be actually playing Princess Leia in a flashback or acting as a stand-in for a scene that will be created using CGI.

There would be precedent for this too. In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, actress Ingvild Deila played young Princess Leia and was made to look like Carrie Fisher thanks to CGI. So a similar approach could be taken here, only Carrie Fisher’s daughter would be the one rocking the hair buns.

If this rumor proves true, it would also mean that someone would have to play a young Luke Skywalker. Perhaps they could just use the increasingly more impressive de-aging technology on Mark Hamill or, if they’re recasting Princess Leia with Billie Lourd, why not call in Sebastian Stan to play young Luke.

The story implications of such a flashback are quite compelling but, just on a surface level, this rumor about Billie Lourd acting as a stand-in in some fashion for Carrie Fisher is cool. While using a CGI General Leia or recasting would be perilous, this would be a way to add more to Leia’s story beyond what the unused footage contains to help close out her arc, while also honoring the actress by allowing her daughter to act as her stand-in.

There were previous rumors that Billie Lourd was going to play a young Leia in both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, so this may again prove false, but seeing Princess Leia again would be a nice way to close out this saga. And while she didn’t spill any details, Billie Lourd certainly sounds excited about Episode IX.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker blasts into theaters on December 20. You can see Billie Lourd onscreen before then when Booksmart opens on May 24. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all this year’s biggest movies.

The Cool Wonder Woman Comic Memory That Inspired Brie Larson Growing Up

The Cool Wonder Woman Comic Memory That Inspired Brie Larson Growing Up

On paper, comic book (and comic-book movie) fans have established a rivalry between Marvel and DC. Sure, they compete in the same space, but the “rivalry” is largely overstated, with both companies often finding inspiration in each other – and admitting that healthy competition often brings out the best in each other. Even Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige admits frequently on the record that he wants all comic book movies to succeed, because it benefits the industry.

Brie Larson is taking a page from that shared-inspiration playbook. When we spoke with Larson at the Captain Marvel press junket, we asked about comics that inspired her interpretation of Captain Marvel, expecting her to discuss a love for Stan Lee, Jim Starlin or Kelly Sue DeConnick (an inspiration for the screenplay of the new movie). However, Larson took a left turn and mentioned a love of Wonder Woman growing up that led to her finding the right balance for Carol Danvers. Larson told CinemaBlend:

There was a series where she was fighting in Mount Olympus and then would get that work done in time to go back to Earth and do a book signing. And there was something about that dynamic that really stuck with me my whole life. Like, ‘I want that!’ I want to be up in the clouds, and I also want to be down on Earth. I feel like that’s still who I am.

Ah, the concept of a dual identity. World-saving hero in one moment, ground human being the next. That does seem to be a signature of some of our favorite comic book personas, be it mild-mannered Clark Kent, or the bookish newspaper photographer Peter Parker. They often are able to escape from their “heroism” by disappearing into mundane existences. Many wouldn’t mistake them for superheroes, and yet, they are the ones putting their lives on the line when duty calls.

We haven’t yet seen Captain Marvel, so we don’t know how normal Carol Danvers will appear when she isn’t battling alongside the Kree. We know that part of her mission her on Earth will be sniffing out shape-shifting Skrulls, but how much down time does an adventure like that provide?

While you wait to see Captain Marvel, here’s Brie Larson talking about how one of DC’s biggest heroes helped her shape Marvel’s latest on-screen leader:

Captain Marvel is the next big MCU movie, and the last one to drop before Joe and Anthony Russo conclude Thanos’ storyline in Avengers: Endgame. It continues the cosmic storylines of the MCU, and potentially opens the doors to new worlds where movies can explore. It starts screening in theaters on Thursday, March 7. Are you going?