Sean Gunn Was Surprised By Guardians Of The Galaxy's Massive Success

Sean Gunn Was Surprised By Guardians Of The Galaxy's Massive Success

It seems so silly in hindsight knowing what we know now, but prior to its release, the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie was seen as a big gamble on the part of Marvel Studios. These were quirky D-list characters with zero name recognition that were almost completely divorced from the heroes the studio had spent six years building up. How could they possibly succeed?

Of course, Marvel knew better and Guardians of the Galaxy went on to become a major hit, so much so that even those who believed in the project were blown away. Among them was writer-director James Gunn’s brother, Sean Gunn, who plays Kraglin and the on-set Rocket Raccoon in the films. Sean Gunn was surprised by just how massive the first movie's success was, as he explained:

I always felt pretty confident that we would have something on our hands, at least that people liked, but I never ever imagined that it would be the massive, massive hit that it was. I never thought that they would be able to sell so much; that it would be marketed so well; and that kids would identify so well to it; and that people would compare it to their favorite 80s movies.

As someone who was aware of what his brother was capable of and had read the script, Sean Gunn knew that the doubters were wrong. He saw the potential of Guardians of the Galaxy and how special it could be, and that audiences would like it. Yet even with the confidence of having been a part of the film, Sean Gunn still couldn’t have predicted that it would be a hit on the massive level that it was.

As Sean Gunn told ComicBook.com, Marvel marketed this seemingly risky movie well and Guardians of the Galaxy wound up striking a major chord with audiences. Moviegoers of all ages found something to love, from younger audiences falling in love with the characters to how it reminded older audiences of the films of the 1980s. This brilliant alchemy resulted in an unqualified smash hit.

That first Guardians of the Galaxy came out in August of 2014 and went on to make $773.3 million worldwide to become one of Marvel’s biggest movies, surpassing all but Iron Man 3 and The Avengers at the time. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was even bigger and earned $863.7 million worldwide.

These former D-listers are now a billion dollar property and household names. They even have their own ride at Disneyland and one coming to Walt Disney World. That level of massive success probably would have surprised even the most pie-in-the-sky optimist of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Guardians of the Galaxy succeeded on its own merits, but also because it no longer matters if characters are considered A-list. As Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Black Panther and Captain Marvel have proven, Marvel is the selling point that gets people in the door and then the characters do the rest.

The success looks to continue for the Guardian,  because Sean Gunn’s brother James is returning to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. That film is still a few years away, but when it becomes another box office hit, no one will be surprised.

You don’t have to wait that long to see the Guardians though, because they, along with the rest of the MCU, are a part of this weekend’s Avengers: Endgame. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see what you can look forward to this summer movie season.

Watch The Spider-Man: Far From Home Cast Surprise Disneyland Guests

Watch The Spider-Man: Far From Home Cast Surprise Disneyland Guests

One of the best things about Disneyland is that you can feel like you're inside the worlds of classic Disney animated movies, Star Wars, and Marvel Comics all at the same time. While most of the Marvel themed entertainment planned for Disneyland Resort is currently under construction, you can still get your picture taken with numerous Marvel heroes like Captain America and Spider-Man.

However, one group of kids got a bit more than they were expecting from the wall crawler yesterday when the cast of Spider-Man: Far From Home photobombed them. But that was nothing compared to what happened when Spider-Man removed his mask. Check it out.

A group of kids are simply having fun getting their picture taken with Spider-Man at Disney California Adventure. But then things get crazy when Zendaya, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Jacob Batalon, show up and join the photo. Even Spider-Man himself looks surprised to see them and is getting the audience to give them a round of applause. Of course, even that is a set up as the big reveal is that the costumed character playing Spider-Man is the same guy who plays him on the big screen, Tom Holland.

Getting a picture with Spider-Man is cool. Getting a picture with the Spider-Man is something else entirety. You cab hear the crowd going nuts in the video from Disneyland Insiders, especially when Holland reveals himself.

While Marvel is the hottest thing in the world right now thanks to the fact that Avengers: Endgame has become the second highest grossing movie of all-time in only two weekends, many fans are already looking forward to the next chapter. The newest trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home just dropped, something which almost certainly wasn't a coincidence considering the timing of this appearance, and that's got fans buzzing all over again.

The trailer drops the word "multiverse" into the conversation, which if true, is a game changer for the MCU. We've been told that the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be something quite different compared to what we're used to, and the fact that alternate realities could come into play would certainly qualify.

Tom Holland and company's appearance at Disneyland Resort is far from the first time we've seen celebrities invade an attraction related to their franchise. Johnny Depp has made appearances both in person and via screen to promote both Pirates of the Caribbeans films and the live-action Alice in Wonderland franchise. Mark Hamill has also dropped in on Star Tours.

Fans looking for even more Spider-Man at Disneyland won't have to wait too much longer. The new Marvel themed land that will opening only feet from where this clip was taken is set to debut in 2020 and we know it will include a Spider-Man themed attraction, though exactly how it will work remains clouded in Imagineering mystery.

Considering that the one existing Marvel attraction at Disney California Adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout, includes performances by the actors in the film franchise, it seems like there's a good chance Tom Holland could be part of the upcoming attraction, though that has yet to be confirmed.

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids Is Getting A Reboot

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids Is Getting A Reboot

Regardless of where you ultimately land in the whole nature vs. nurture debate, it's pretty hard to argue that a lot of us grow up to be very similar to at least one of our parents. In some cases, this is a sweet tribute to our folks, but in the case of Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, it’s a bit of a problem.

We say this because Disney is apparently rebooting the classic 1989 sci-fi comedy, and in doing so it's taking the “legacyquel” route. In this case, that means we will get to see an adult Nick Szalinski start to make the same kind of ridiculous scientific mistakes that his father did when he was a kid. According to Slash Film, the project will be titled Shrunk, and feature Josh Gad in the lead role. With a star attached and a theatrical release strategy in mind, the studio is apparently now looking for a director that doubles as a fan of the original franchise to move the feature from concept into reality.

This new film isn’t to be confused with the previously rumored remake of Honey, I Shrunk The Kids that’s been mentioned on and off for almost a decade. Instead, this is a new project that will see Nick start doing his own experiments with shrinking technology that winds up miniaturizing his own family.

What’s interesting is that Shrunk is supposed to take place within the canon of the original Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, leaving us to wonder just how much sequel continuity it’ll fold into its own story. The rest of the franchise's feature film legacy includes Honey, I Blew Up The Kid and Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves, but only the first of those two titles actually made its way in to theaters. The second was made during Disney’s bygone era of direct-to-video sequels.

Following the example of the Jurassic World movies, the filmmakers behind Shrunk could leave that question vaguely answered with character appearances and references to events that took place in those follow-ups, while specifically leaning hard on the nostalgia for the first film. One can expect that the calls will ultimately depend on the sensibilities of the writers and director involved, so we'll just have to wait and see what kind of moves the project makes in those arenas.

One last question that’ll undoubtedly start cropping up as Shrunk pushes through development is whether or not Wayne Szalinski, Nick’s father and the original genius of the Honey, I Shrunk The Kids mythos, will make an appearance. Played by Rick Moranis in all three of the films that were made in the series, there’s a chance that Disney is already trying to make an offer that will entice him to play one of his most iconic roles yet again.

Unfortunately, that may not be an easy sell, as we previously saw with Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters reboot. Rick Moranis turned down the offer to return for a cameo in that movie, having been retired from the movie world since starring in Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves. That being said, he’s semi-returning to the industry by appearing in an upcoming documentary about SCTV, so perhaps that will loosen his resolve a little. Should he still reject a return to the world of Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, though, there’s another option that could be taken by Shrunk that would make things very interesting.

When Honey, I Shrunk The Kids became a syndicated TV series in the late ‘90s, veteran character actor Peter Scolari was cast to play the small screen version of Wayne for that show’s duration. So if they really wanted to, Shrunk could draft Scolari to keep the character alive in the franchise.

Not much else is known about Shrunk right now, but with Josh Gad on board to lead the “legacyquel," it’s already a promising start to what could be an interesting extension and resurrection of a family comedy hit that’s been sorely missed in the world. And as this project develops, we’ll report back to you here at CinemaBlend to continue the story.

Meanwhile, Josh Gad can next be seen, or rather heard, in A Dog’s Journey, which hits theaters this weekend; as well as in the highly anticipated Frozen 2, which is set to be released on November 22nd.

Looks Like The Wachowskis Are Working On The Matrix 4

Looks Like The Wachowskis Are Working On The Matrix 4

Update: Yeah, that was too good to be true, wasn't it? Slashfilm is now reporting that a representative for director Chad Stahelski's told them the comments about the Wachowski's being involved isn't true. Apparentl,y the director responded to a question about the pair hypothetically being involved only. Our original story follows below.

It's been a couple of years since we've heard much of anything about a fourth Matrix movie that was in development. The details we had about the project were scarce, but one of the things we thought we knew was that the Wachowskis, the siblings who created the original trilogy, would not be involved. It turns out, that's not actually the case.

Chad Stahelski was Keanu Reeves' stunt double in the Matrix films and, while he's now busy directing the man in the John Wick franchise, he recently revealed that not only are the Wachowskis involved in the new Matrix project, they're not the only ones who might return. According to Stahelski...

Yeah. And if they wanted help, I would absolutely put down whatever I was doing to help them.

This simple comment from Chad Stahelski is news because the last thing we heard, while a new Matrix movie was in development, the original creators who wrote and directed the trilogy were not involved. It seems that that has changed over the last two years.

While the Wachowski's are apparently part of the new film, Stahelski says he's not sure of what the overall picture looks like, so exactly how they're involved isn't clear.

Frequently, when franchise builders let other people take over a franchise, they stay on as producers, so it's possible that could be what the Wachowski's have in mind, being involved at the top level without having their hands directly on the new film. Though certainly one assumes if one or both were interested in directing, the job is probably theirs.

While details on the potential new Matrix movie were slim even when it was first revealed, Ready Player One scribe Zak Penn was apparently working on a script, and Michael B. Jordan's was a name being mentioned as a potential star.

The only thing we knew for sure was that the movie wasn't planned to be a reboot. Instead the idea was to look at the potential of building a cinematic universe concept out of the Matrix, as there could potentially be multiple stories to tell within the code. Although, one rumor suggested the movie could be a prequel focused on Laurence Fishburne's character Morpheus.

Needless to say, fans will be excited to learn that not only is this project still active, but the Wachowski's are involved. Chad Stahleski tells Yahoo that he is too. He's even willing to go back to his old job if they ask him to..

I’m super happy that the Wachowskis are not just doing a Matrix, but they’re expanding what we all loved. And if it’s anywhere near the level of what they’ve already done, it wouldn’t take more than a call to go, ‘Hey, we want you to be a stunt guy’ and I would probably go and get hit by a car.

The fact that the Wachowskis are involved in the new Matrix film certainly increases my confidence in the entire project. I have no problem with more Matrix movies as long as they're well thought out and worth making. Of course, considering this project has gone pretty quiet, we have little idea just how likely it is that we'll ever see it.

Avengers: Endgame Has Screened, Here’s What People Are Saying

Avengers: Endgame Has Screened, Here’s What People Are Saying

Avengers: Endgame had its world premiere last night, and that means there are a select group of people walking this earth who know how it all ends. Those people know, but they're not talking, because they're decent human beings. They are, however, talking in much more broad strokes about what they thought of Endgame as a whole. In a word, well, it was a marvel. Critics began tweeting their thoughts after the premiere last night and not only are they basically overwhelmingly positive, they're flat out in shock.

CinemaBlend's own Eric Eisenberg was one of the people lucky enough to attend the premiere, and he is still coming to terms with what he saw.

This can't be understated: Avengers Endgame is everything you want it to be and more. I am absolutely floored. A perfect reflection on the last 11 years that pays off everything in the best way possible. Without question my new favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe film. Stunned.

Fans are likely breathing a sigh of relief right about now. The build up to Avengers: Endgame has been immense. Infinity War left things with an incredible conclusion that even those familiar with the story weren't necessarily expecting. It was hard for people to imagine how Marvel would top that.

And that's the challenge after all. Ending a story isn't easy. Finding a way to make things satisfying for the audience, especially because expectations are so high, is that much harder. However, Slashfilm's Peter Sciretta says that expectations will be met, and likely exceeded. Also, bring tissues...

Imagine the best possible version of Avengers Endgame and somehow the film still surpasses all expectations. I cried 5-6 times. It’s the most emotional, most epic, MCU film. A tribute to ten years of this universe and holy shit the great fan service in this movie. Soooo good.

Certainly, nobody could have imaged 11 years ago when the first Iron Man was released that the experiment that was the Marvel Cinematic Universe would become quite this successful. When The Avengers came out and set box office records that was an achievement all on its own. And yet, things continued forward and a story began to take shape that as eventually going to lead things to an even bigger conclusion.

Spoiler heavy material has leaked onto the internet, a difficult thing to avoid happening with something this in demand, but hopefully most fans have successfully avoided it. Kara Warner of People urges all fans to go in to the movie knowing as little as possible.

Wow Avengers Endgame. Just wow. What a supremely satisfying film. See it as soon as you can and go in as blind as possible.

Leaked videos notwithstanding, Marvel has done a remarkable job of keeping a lid on things. Even the trailers, while they've given us the film's basic setup, really haven't shown us much beyond that. I doubt there's a single shot in the trailers that doesn't come from the first hour of the movie, and considering the film is three hours long, that leaves a lot of additional material that we know essentially nothing about.

Does anybody have a bad thing to say at all about Avengers: Endgame. Not really. One of the few critical statements I could find came from i09's Germain Lussier, who admitted that the film is long, which means that it actually felt long, and that it's not entirely perfect. Beyond that, still amazed.

Wow. Avengers Endgame is staggering. It’s surprising in ways I never saw coming and satisfying in ways I didn’t realize I needed. It’s kind of the ultimate gift to fans of the MCU. It’s very long and has a few hiccups, but is everything you’re hoping for and more.

People have been waiting for more than a decade through more than 20 movies to get to this point. If you've seen them all, you've certainly been on a journey. Fandango's Erik Davis says that dedication will be rewarded, as Endgame is actually able to expand on the entire MCU and make you see the entire series in a new way.

Avengers Endgame is a masterful epic - a true culmination of 22 films that not only concludes the story, but expands upon it. You’ll learn more about the other movies while this one unfolds. If Infinity War is the brawn, Endgame is the brains. And wow, what an ending!

Is there anything at all to be critical of? Well, as one might expect of a three hour epic of a movie, it's a slow build. Yolanda Machado admits that younger viewers may not get behind some of the slower bits, and it sounds like there might also be some scarier parts, but in the end, it's all worth it.

More on Avengers Endgame. The story is a long, slow build but the payoff is fantastic. Kids under 10 might not handle the first half, for a few reasons, but older kids will dig it. I cried, and there's one moment I just screamed YASSSS!!! Then I cried some more. I just loved it.

If it was possible for Avengers: Endgame to be hyped any more than it already has been, that seems to have been accomplished. The good news is that all corners seem to indicate that's ok, as the movie will meet or exceed all of our expectations. If it was able to work for basically everybody in attendance at the premier in that way, then it will almost certainly satisfy theaters full of people when it debuts this weekend.

In the end, it's not a question of if Avengers: Endgame is going to be big, it's just a question of how big it will be. Any worry that Endgame wasn't going to stick the landing should be gone now. Will the end of this epic story become the highest grossing movie of all-time? The film has already set pre-sale records, meaning the movie will likely set opening weekend records. The fact that some theaters are running screenings overnight will help that too.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had no shortage of epic moments, but it seems like we may have several more in store for us very soon. What happens next? Not even those at the premiere know the answer to that, if they do, they're not saying.

Full reviews for Avengers: Endgame will be hitting later today, so if you want more information, come back to CinemaBlend this afternoon.

Captain Marvel Might Not Be The Last We’ve Seen Of The Kree-Skrull War

Captain Marvel Might Not Be The Last We’ve Seen Of The Kree-Skrull War

Warning: SPOILERS ahead!

The Kree-Skrull War is a huge storyline within Marvel Comics universe, and now that conflict exists within the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well. Captain Marvel showed the Earth-born Carol Danvers joining this war originally fighting for the Kree empire, but then later aiding the shapeshifting Skrulls, as they were depicted much more sympathetically than they usually are on the printed page. Carol’s defection marked a major turning point in the MCU’s Kree-Skrull War, but according to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, it didn’t necessarily mark its conclusion. Speaking about introducing the Skrulls in Captain Marvel, Feige said:

This Captain Marvel story was the right one to bring them into the fold and to introduce the overarching narrative of the Kree-Skrull War, which is one of the most important and groundbreaking storylines in the Marvel comics. That will be the backdrop to the adventures of Captain Marvel.

Given the commercial success of Captain Marvel and the many positive reviews it’s received, it’s a good bet that Marvel will give the green light to Captain Marvel 2 eventually. While Kevin Feige’s above comment doesn’t confirm whether or not the Kree-Skrull War is still going in the present day, the conflict obviously played a huge role in Carol Danvers’ origins, and her actions might not have spelled the end of this bloodshed. We’ll have to wait on more official confirmation, but evidently Captain Marvel 2 will explore the Kree-Skrull War further, either directly or through the fallout.

Kevin Feige also elaborated on why it was decided to feature the Skrulls in Captain Marvel, saying the following in the Captain Marvel Official Movie Special (via Comicbook.com):

We’ve talked about the Skrulls since the very earliest days at Marvel Studios, figuring out when and where to introduce them. They might be the most famous alien race in Marvel Comics. They’re shape-shifters; they’re green; they’ve got pointy ears. They are very important to the mythology of our comics universe, going back decades.

He’s absolutely right. The Skrulls were introduced in 1962’s Fantastic Four #2, and while various members of this species frequently fight Marvel’s First Family, the Skrulls as whole evolved into a threat against all the heroes of the Marvel Comics universe, particularly in the Secret Invasion storyline. That said, in sharp contrast to their usual depiction in the comics, Captain Marvel positioned the Skrulls, who were advertised as the movie’s main villains, as the victims in the Kree-Skrull War, with the Kree destroying their homeworld and intent on wiping out all of these shapeshifters.

Carol Danvers, who had spent years believing she was Kree and fighting for Starforce as Vers, eventually learned the truth from Talos and discovered how her mentor, Dr. Wendy Lawson, a.k.a. Mar-Vell, had defected from the Kree empire to help the Skrulls find a new home. After her powers fully awakened, Carol sent Yon-Rogg and the rest of the Kree operatives who had come to Earth packing, and she left to help the Skrulls find a new planet to live on. We have no idea yet if Captain Marvel 2 will be set in the 23-year gap between Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame, or if it will be set post-Endgame, but either way, this particular narrative isn’t over.

You can see Captain Marvel in theaters now, and be sure to read CinemaBlend’s review of the movie. Keep checking back for any news about the future of the MCU’s Kre-Skrull War, but for now, Carol Danvers will appear next in Avengers: Endgame, in theaters on April 26.

Julia Roberts Hung Out With Prostitutes Ahead Of Pretty Woman Role

Julia Roberts Hung Out With Prostitutes Ahead Of Pretty Woman Role

Julia Roberts’ role in Pretty Woman is arguably still the actress’ most well-known role almost 30 years later. As it turns out, when Roberts took the lead for the modern-day fairy tale about a prostitute who gets swept off her feet by a wealthy businessman played by Richard Gere, she did a little research that may surprise some people.

The widow of the late Pretty Woman director Garry Marshall, Barbara Marshall, recently told Page Six that shortly after Julia Roberts was cast as Vivian Ward, she asked her if she could come by the Los Angeles clinic where Barbara was a nurse at the time, and she had a very specific goal at the time. Said Marshall,

I recruited two young women who came to the clinic regularly, and I paid them $35 each to meet with Julia… I went back to work, and about 20 minutes later, Julia yelled from the end of the hall, ‘Bye, Barbara. We’re going to take a drive. We’ll be back later.’

Julia Roberts apparently really hit it off with the pair of prostitutes and decided to go with them down to Hollywood Boulevard - maybe to observe them doing their thing, or catch lunch? While the actress had the opportunity to simply ask them a couple questions about their line of work in preparation for her role, that evidently wasn’t enough, as she wanted to hang out with them outside the clinic too.

Barbara Marshall admitted to becoming panicked at the whole situation. She called her husband, telling him where his Pretty Woman lead had gone and expressed her worry about what would happen if she didn’t come back. Julia Roberts did later turn up unharmed, and as Barbara described, she’s “one tough lady who can take care of herself on and off camera”.

It's a funny story, and perhaps Julia Roberts' time with the prostitutes really did give her a sense of what it's like to be a sex worker in Los Angeles, providing an extra edge in her iconic character. Pretty Woman was one of Julia Roberts’ first movies, and her decision to partake in a little extra credit about the real-life environment of Vivian before stepping on set shows how seriously the actress has taken her work since the very beginning.

In addition to arranging the special meeting, Barbara Marshall also recently said she feels she had a bit of an influence on the scene where Vivian Ward offers up Edward Lewis his choice of condoms in their first encounter - and she calls herself a “safety girl.” This was apparently a result of Marshall devoting some of her work to the importance of preventing sexually transmitted diseases.

It’s great to see that Pretty Woman had influences of real-life Hollywood Boulevard sex workers and a Los Angeles-based nurse, no matter how small. That being said, we would still love to know how Julia Roberts’ drive through Hollywood actually went, and what she wound up doing. Spill the tea, Julia!

Nearly 30 years after the fact, we're still learning new things about Pretty Woman, and even now getting to digest in in different mediums. Over the summer, a musical version of Pretty Woman debuted on Broadway – which Barbara Marshall has apparently seen twelve times. Julia Roberts was also once in the audience for the New York City show, though she admitted it made her emotional about the 2016 passing of Garry Marshall. And, of course, you can always see the 1990 original whenever you want, as it is widely available on digital, Blu-ray, and DVD.