First Look At Billy Dee Williams Back As Lando Calrissian In Star Wars: Episode IX

First Look At Billy Dee Williams Back As Lando Calrissian In Star Wars: Episode IX

Although we recently reunited with Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story, that was with Donald Glover playing a younger version of the future Cloud City administrator. As far as Billy Dee Williams’ version is concerned, it’s been almost 40 years since we last saw him on the big screen in Return of the Jedi, but that finally changes later this year in Star Wars: Episode IX. Now we finally have our first look at Williams’ Lando back in action. Check it out!

As you can see, rather than wear the same kind of duds he wore in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Billy Dee Williams’ Lando Calrissian has pulled from his Solo: A Star Wars Story wardrobe, donning a yellow shirt like the one Donald Glover wore. However, if there’s one consistent thing we can expect from any iteration from Lando, it’s a cape, and Williams looks great wearing one of those again.

As for Lando Calrissian’s location in this Star Wars: Episode IX picture, while I originally thought it was the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, the ship that belonged to him before Han Solo won it in a game of sabacc, it’s also possible this is simply someone’s humble abode somewhere in a galaxy far, far away. Either way, Lando’s doing a spectacular job of brightening the room.

Although Billy Dee Williams vocally reprised Lando Calrissian a few years back for two episodes of Star Wars Rebels, there’s nothing like seeing Williams in person inhabiting the role again after all this time. And while Mark Hamill will be back as Luke Skywalker (undoubtedly as a Force ghost) and unused footage of Carrie Fisher from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi will allow Leia Organa to have a presence, it’s nice to have another member of the Original Trilogy guard participate in Episode IX, especially with this being the final installment of this trilogy.

While it’s nice to have this picture of Billy Dee Williams back as Lando Calrissian, the character’s specific role in Star Wars: Episode IX is still being kept under wraps, which is par for the course with this franchise, as it’s ridiculously careful not to divulge too many plot details. But here’s what Williams had to say about reprising Lando after all these years:

I didn’t expect to be in this adventure, but I got lucky. I ended up working for someone I have a tremendous regard for J.J. Abrams. He’s a beautiful man. I’ve been doing this for a long time, 60 years… but I regard this as a real highlight, a true, genuine highlight.

Billy Dee Williams also added that it wasn’t hard to get back into character, as Lando Calrissian never “left” him. However Lando ends up fitting into Episode IX, it’ll be good not just to see him back in action, but also interacting with the protagonists who have lead the charge in this current Star Wars trilogy.

Star Wars: Episode IX, or as it’s now officially known, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, opens in theaters on December 20. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates, and check out our 2019 release schedule to learn when this year’s other movies are coming out.

Shazam's DVD Release Should Have A Ton Of Extra Footage That Was Cut From The Movie

Shazam's DVD Release Should Have A Ton Of Extra Footage That Was Cut From The Movie

Warning: Shazam! SPOILERS are ahead!

Not everything shot for a movie is going to make it into the final cut, but thanks to DVDs, Blu-rays and digital purchases, people can oftentimes watch some, if not most of a production’s deleted scenes. Shazam! will be no exception, because according to Michel Aller, the editor of the sixth DC Extended Universe movie, the home release of Billy Batson’s origin story will be packed with a lot of deleted scenes, including potentially one involving Asher Angel’s Billy and Grace Fulton’s Mary Bromfield. Aller explained:

We had a lot of material. When you buy the DVD, you’ll be able to see, I think we have 20-24 minutes of deleted scenes. And one of the scenes that regretfully we had to pull out was a scene between young Billy and Mary, when he’s about to sneak out. It’s just a really touching scene, but it came so early in the movie, and we were trying to get to get to the Shazam character, that we couldn’t put everything that we liked at the front of the movie. So that was one scene that we pulled out. I’m glad there are DVDs out there so we can show these great scenes.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Michel Aller about Shazam!, and among the topics we discussed was just how much material was cut out of the finished movie. Sure enough, like many other superhero movies before it, Shazam! will have a solid amount of deleted scenes as part of its special feature offerings, and it appear that like there’s a good chance this scene between Billy and Mary will be among them.

Billy Batson and Mary Bromfield have always been siblings in the comics, but as opposed to going the biological route as was the case for decades, the Shazam! movie pulled from Shazam’s New 52 origin story and had her, Freddy Freeman, Eugene Choi, Darla Dudley and Pedro Pena be Billy’s adoptive siblings at the Vasquez household. While Shazam! spent a decent amount of time introducing these new people in Billy’s life, it also had to move relatively quickly to actually bring in Billy’s Shazam persona, and whatever moment Billy and Mary had before the former began his superhero journey ended up on the cutting room floor.

While we didn’t get to see Mary confront Billy as he snuck out during his first night with his new family, Shazam! did still give us a touching moment between the two, albeit with Zachary Levi playing Billy instead, when Shazam saved her from being hit by a truck and tried to console her because she was upset about potentially having to leave her family behind to attend college. And, of course, in the climactic battle, Mary and the other kids were able to also become adult superheroes when Billy shared his power with them.

We’ll have to wait to learn if the Billy/Mary scene will indeed be included on the Shazam! home media release, but another deleted scene Michel Aller expects to be shown is how Sivana originally unleashed the power of the Seven Deadly Sins. Originally he went on his murder spree at a Christmas party being held at his mansion, but during the Shazam! reshoots, the location was changed to a boardroom at Sivana industries. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more information on Shazam! deleted scenes.

Shazam! is still playing in theaters, and if you haven’t already, be sure to read CinemaBlend’s review of the movie. You can also plan your moviegoing visits later this year accordingly by checking out our 2019 release schedule.

Spawn: What We Know So Far About The Reboot

Spawn: What We Know So Far About The Reboot

Even though Marvel and DC have the market cornered when it comes to comic book movies, every now and then moviegoers are treated to a cinematic tale that hails from a different company. Over in the Image Comics realm, arguably its most popular character, Spawn, is still leading his own comic book series after more than two decades, but his first theatrical outing back in 1997 was not received well, to put it lightly. Fortunately for fans of Spawn, he will soon be getting some much needed cinematic redemption.

It was announced at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con that the long-awaited Spawn reboot is finally moving forward at Blumhouse Productions, and since then we've slowly learned how this movie will differentiate itself from the first Spawn movie. With that in mind, here's everything that's been revealed so far about the new Spawn.

What Is Spawn's Release Date?

Currently, Spawn doesn't have a release date assigned, but it sounds like we won't have to wait several years for it to come out. Before the reboot's main star had been cast, it had been reported that production was aiming to begin in August. Now that we know who's playing this new Spawn (we'll get to him later), that likely means we'll soon find out who else is rounding out the cast. That means there's a good chance that Spawn will meet that August production start, and since this reboot is working with a lower budget (like most Blumhouse productions), it's not like the post-production process is going to be extremely lengthy. Therefore, Spawn will probably be ready for release in 2019, and if I were a betting man, I'd say it will come out in either late September or October to fit in with all the spookiness of that time of year.

What Is Spawn's Rating?

Technically, Spawn hasn't been rated by the MPAA yet, but it's practically guaranteed that it will walk away with an R rating. First off, look at the source material. With all the violence and demonic elements in the Spawn comic books, you wouldn't be able to pull off a proper cinematic adaptation within the confines of a PG-13 rating. This is, undoubtedly, one of the reasons why the 1997 Spawn movie failed to be a critical hit, as it tried to appeal to both adults and moviegoers on the younger side of the spectrum (although an R-rated director's cut was later released). Rather than repeat that mistake, the Spawn reboot will waste no effort in aiming for an R rating. Spawn is a scary property, and with Blumhouse Productions having a good track record with horror and thriller movies, that, ideally, bodes well for Spawn finally being adapted properly for the big screen.

Who Is Spawn's Director?

Rather than let someone else handle his creation again, Todd McFarlane will oversee the Spawn reboot's production. That's right, the man who brought Spawn to the Image Comics pages more than 25 years ago wrote the script for the new Spawn movie and will also direct it. In addition to creating Spawn, McFarlane's other notable comic book credits include illustrating The Amazing Spider-Man series at Marvel (during which time he co-created Venom alongside writer David Michelinie) and being one of the illustrators on Batman: Year Two over at DC Comics. Although McFarlane does have some experience working in the television realm (more on that later), the Spawn reboot will mark his first major foray into the world of film, which includes this serving as his directorial debut. Another notable comic book creator who directed a film based on his own creation was Frank Miller with the Sin City movies, although he co-helmed them with Robert Rodriguez, while McFarlane is going at it solo. However, Miller also went on to write and direct The Spirit (created by Will Eisner) by himself, only for that to be a critical and commercial failure. So, here's hoping that McFarlane has better luck with Spawn.

What Is Spawn About?

So far no specific details about the Spawn reboot have come out yet, but some tidbits have come out regarding how this movie will differ from its predecessor. First off, rather than show Al Simmons being turned into this demonic antihero while in Hell and tossed back to Earth, the new movie will not be an origin story. When we first see Spawn in this tale, he'll have already been this way for some time. In fact, who knows how much, if any, of Spawn's past will be explored. And despite the name of the movie and the character's prominence in the story, Spawn also won't technically be the main character. Instead, we'll follow along with two main human characters, who will serve as the audience's eyes, so to speak. Beyond that, it's unclear what villain or threat Spawn and these human characters will be dealing with, but whatever demonic craziness goes down, it'll happen in New York City (even though, by Todd McFarlane's admission, the movie's main shoot will end up happening in places like Detroit, Cleveland or Toronto).

Spawn

Before he was running around in a cape and looking all kinds of ugly, the entity we know as Spawn was Al Simmons, a Marine who was recruited into a black ops CIA program. When Al started questioning the morality of the CIA's operations, Jason Wynn, the head of the United States Security Group, tasked Bruce Stinson, a.k.a. Chapel, Al's friend and partner, with killing Al. Because he had assassinated so many people during his life, Al was sent to Hell. However, in exchange for giving up his soul and becoming a Hellspawn, Al was able to return to Earth. Unfortunately for him, on top of now being a caped demon, Al came back five years after his death, and during that time Al's wife, Wanda Blake, had married Al's best friend, Terry Fitzgerald, and together they had a daughter named Cyan. Al was also brought back as an amnesiac, though he soon regained his memories. As Spawn, Al boasts numerous special powers, which include super strength, immortality, a healing factor, shapeshifting, phasing and harnessing necroplasmic energy.

As mentioned earlier, the Spawn reboot won't be an origin story, so even if we do see snippet of a human-looking Al, don't expect this particular story to shed a lot of light on his past. As for who will occupy the eponymous role, that honor belongs to Jamie Foxx, who already has some comic book experience under his belt from playing Max Dillon, a.k.a. Electro, in 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Foxx is still one of Hollywood's biggest stars, so for him to be leading Spawn is a major score for Todd McFarlane and Blumhouse. That said, Foxx has also been interested in playing Spawn since 2013, so he'll bringing a lot of enthusiasm to the role. One especially interesting thing to note is that Foxx's Spawn will not say a word during the movie, though McFarlane has clarified that the character will communicate in a special way.

Twitch Williams

The only other established character who's been confirmed for the Spawn reboot so far is Detective Maximillian "Twitch" Williams, who has been part of the Spawn mythology since the beginning. In the comics, Twitch is paired with Detective Sam Burke, with Sam serving as the brawn and Twitch serving as the brains. Although Sam and Twitch are best known as supporting characters in the Spawn comic book, the NYPD duo became popular enough to lead their own series for a few years.

The Spawn reboot's version of Twitch hasn't been cast yet, but unlike his printed page counterpart, he won't be paired with Sam. Well, not at first. Todd McFarlane said that instead Twitch will be paired with a different partner who's "quasi-Sam." The only other thing we know about the cinematic Twitch is he will be the main human character of the movie, so we'll get to know him quite well. There's no word yet on who will play Twitch, but if production is beginning relatively soon, we shouldn't have to wait much longer to learn the actor's identity.

What Other Characters Might Appear In Spawn

Along with Spawn and Twitch, Todd McFarlane has said that the Spawn reboot will feature a female lead who's "not a love interest or any of the typical movie tropes," but he wouldn't identify who she is. So, for now, that's all we have to work with cast-wise. However, at over 286 issues and counting (and that's not including spinoff series), the Spawn mythology is one of the most rich across the comic book genre, so there's definitely no shortage of characters that this movie could throw in. Though, if Spawn's origin isn't going to be deeply explored, that probably rules out folks like Wanda Blake, Terry Fitzgerald and Jason Flynn from appearing.

There are three characters in particular I suspect stand a decent chance of appearing in the reboot, though I wouldn't expect all three of them to be participating together. First, we have Malebolgia, the entity responsible for creating Spawn. Malebolgia is one of the many rulers of Hell (he hails from its Eighth Circle), and while he initially assumed the transformed Al Simmons would be one of his many minions, eventually Spawn was the one who decapitated him (although Malebolgia was later resurrected). Even if we don't learn the details about Spawn's past in the movie, I wouldn't be surprised if Malebolgia is the threat that our hero is working to neutralize from the shadows.

Second is The Violator, who's known in his human form simply as Clown. The oldest of five demon siblings known as the Phlebiac Brother, he was was initially charged with training fresh Hellspawn so they could lead Hell's armies, but ever since he first looked after Al Simmons, he's continually tried to prove that demons are far superior to Hellspawn for this task. Violator has been the most recurring villain in the Spawn mythos, continually manipulating and toying with the protagonist. Like Malebolgia, Violator could easily work as Spawn's main antagonist, although it might be wiser to use him as a supporting baddie in this movie and have him graduate to the big villain in a sequel.

Finally, there's Cogliostro. Initially, he was Spawn's mentor, as he too was a Hellspawn who had escaped Malebolgia's grasp. Initially presenting himself as a homeless man, Cogliostro has used what little necroplasmic energy he had left to stay alive for centuries on Earth, but upon crossing paths with Spawn, he began advising him on how to use his powers for good rather than in the service of evil. However, it was later revealed that Cogliostro was Cain. Yes, the same Cain from The Bible. It turns out that all his time he had been working to become the new ruler of Hell, and he ultimately succeeded. For the sake of the Spawn reboot, it would probably be best just to keep him as the mentor figure, and if he returned for another movie, then his past could slowly be revealed. Of course, if Cogliostro were to appear in the Spawn reboot, an arrangement would need to be worked out with Neil Gaiman, as he owns 50% of the character.

It's worth a reminder that like other Blumhouse films, Spawn isn't working with a large budget, and who knows how much money it will cost to make the eponymous character look realistic and terrifying. So, while there's a good chance that at least one or a few other mystical characters will show up, don't expect the visual effects in this movie to be as crazy as what you'd see in a Marvel or DC movie. That being said, there's that old saying, "A little goes a long way," so maybe Blumhouse will still be able to work visual magic with its smaller budget.

Previous Spawn Depictions

As mentioned earlier, Blumhouse's Spawn movie isn't the first time the character has appeared outside of the comics. Only five years after his printed page debut, Spawn starred in his own blockbuster movie, with Michael Jai White in the title role and the supporting cast including John Leguizamo, Martin Sheen, Theresa Randle, Nicol Williamson and D.B. Sweeney. The movie was a straightforward origin story, but it only made $87.8 million worldwide and was met with a lot of negative reviews. Fortunately, from what's been revealed so far, it sounds like this reboot will feel significantly different from its predecessor, akin to the tonal differences between Batman Begins and the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher Batman movies. Spawn also cameoed earlier this year in Ready Player One during the climactic conflict in the OASIS.

Away from the silver screen, Spawn led his own animated series on HBO, which aired three seasons of six episodes each from 1997 to 1999. Featuring Keith David as the voice of Spawn, this series earned a much better critical reception than the first Spawn movie, and it's available on HBO's streaming platforms for anyone who wishes to check it out. Spawn also starred in several video games between 1995 and 2003, which included being a guest character on the Xbox version of Soulcaliber II. It's also worth mentioning that there is a Sam and Twitch TV series has been in development for BBC America since 2017. Spawn himself isn't expected to show up, but if it's like the duo's comic book series, it would be a procedural mixed with supernatural elements.

Captain Marvel Almost Had A Different Final Shot

Captain Marvel Almost Had A Different Final Shot

Spoilers ahead for Carol Danvers' origin story.

Captain Marvel has been in theaters for a week, and a mass of moviegoers have headed to theaters to meet Carol Danvers for the very first time. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's blockbuster was a long time coming, as development and Brie Larson's casting happened many years before she finally hit theaters. But the movie is going faster, higher, further at the box office, with the title character also popping up in the final Avengers: Endgame trailer.

Marvel fans and cinephiles are already dissecting every frame of Captain Marvel, eager for an indication of the character's future, and her crossover in Endgame. And it turns out, the film's ending was changed quite a bit before hitting theaters. Marvel editor Debbie Berman previously worked on Spider-Man: Homecoming and Black Panther before turning her talents toward Captain Marvel. Berman recently revealed the original ending for the film, saying:

I did actually suggest some tweaks to the ending of this film. It used to end with Carol flying off into space alone, and I found that a bit jarring. Like, where exactly was she going? And what was she doing? It felt like we needed a stronger visual to assert a more specific justification for her leaving and disappearing for so many years. So we added Talos and his family in their spaceship waiting for her, and they all fly off together. It gave her more of a sense of purpose and made it easier to believe that she left her newfound life on Earth because she was with a friend we knew she cared about, and for a more specific mission. It gave more resonance and closure to her final moment in the film.

That's quite the change, and it sounds like the folks involved with Captain Marvel ultimately made the right choice. Carol Danvers left her solo movie with a mission, possibly explaining her long absence until Avengers: Endgame.

Debbie Berman's comments to ET show how collaborative things appeared to be on Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Marvel debut. Editors are an extremely important aspect of the filmmaking process, and Marvel Studios appears to be a place that really internalizes critiques, and is always attempting to improve.

Captain Marvel surprise audiences with its handling of the Kree/Skrull war, especially the latter shapeshifting aliens. While the trailers and comics set the Skrull up to be villains, they were revealed to be sympathetic refugees trying to flee from the Kree. Carol ultimately realizes the truth, and vows to help the Skrull find a home, while also sending Yon-Rogg back with a warning to The Supreme Intelligence. The ending solidified her relationship with Ben Mendelsohn's Talos, rather than Captain Marvel flying into space as a lone wolf.

You can catch Captain Marvel's ending in theaters now, and the character will return to the MCU when Avengers: Endgame arrives on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

John Wick's National Puppy Day Trailer Shoots Right To The Heart

John Wick's National Puppy Day Trailer Shoots Right To The Heart

Saturday, March 23 is National Puppy Day 2019, which is basically a John Wick holiday. So the account for the upcoming movie John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum issued a new trailer - rated "GB for Good Boy" - re-cutting scenes from the franchise to focus on the tender love story between a man and his dogs.

Sniff. I love that the preview was "approved for dog enthusiasts everywhere" and warned of "some intense barking." The trailer, with its soft piano music, told "A tale of two strays finding their way. A story of friendship that knows no bounds."

You'd never know the scenes came from three films about an assassin getting extremely violent revenge.

The most recent John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum trailer ended with Anjelica Huston's line "All of this over what? Because of a puppy?" Keanu Reeves' John Wick replied, "It wasn't just a puppy." Damn right.

John Wick started with the death of the former hitman's wife Helen. Helen had gifted John a Beagle puppy, named Daisy, to help him in his grief. Then Russian gangsters showed up demanding to buy John's car. Mr. Wick refused to sell, so they caught him off guard at night, knocked him out, stole the car and -- deep breath -- killed little Daisy. Killing the puppy crossed a red line for John Wick, and he returned to his life of crime to get revenge.

John Wick also got himself a new puppy at the end of the first movie, adopting a pitbull who would've otherwise been put down. Now John Wick and his new dog are on the run, as the third movie -- out in theaters May 17 -- finds John with a global contract out on his head. In the movie, he reconnects with Halle Berry's character Sofia, who knew John in the past and has two dogs of her own. Those dogs are basically her action scene sidekicks, so John Wick 3 may turn out to be The Revenge of the Dogs.

Keanu Reeves just said he had two specific things he wanted for John Wick in this third movie, and obviously he got them both. Who is going to say no to Mr. Wick, also Neo, also Ted, also Duke Caboom in the new Toy Story 4 movie?

Fun fact: Chad Stahelski, who directs these John Wick movies, was Keanu Reeves' stunt double as Neo in The Matrix movies. That's how they met, and now here they are, offering puppy videos to the internet on national holidays.

John Wick 3 opens in theaters May 17, as one of the many films -- especially animal-focused films -- worth looking forward to on the big screen in 2019.

8 End Of The World Movies That Will Help You Prepare For The Apocalypse

8 End Of The World Movies That Will Help You Prepare For The Apocalypse

Everyone loves a good end-of-the-world movie! The genre goes back, well, to the beginning of storytelling probably and it’s been a part of Hollywood since the beginning too.

Classics like The Day The Earth Stood Still in 1951 and Night Of The Living Dead in 1968 have become firmly entrenched in the zeitgeist of American movie culture. As this list shows, the reasons and results of the end of the world or the impending apocalypse can be as varied as any other trope in Hollywood.  In fact, while the films don’t always work,  when they do, they often become instant classics.

So, of course we've decided to compile some of these classic movies. Please note: all are pretty different from each other, but have common themes – either mankind causes the end of the world, or another force does, like mother nature or even aliens. The first one on the list is the latter.

War Of The Worlds (1953)

War Of The Worlds, originally a book published in the 19th century by sci-fi legend H. G. Wells, has been brought to life in almost every form of media in the 20th and 21st centuries. There is, of course, the famous radio broadcast by Orson Welles in 1938. There was the Tom Cruise movie in 2005 and there was even a short-lived TV show in the '80s.

Still, the best is the 1953 movie that, even for its age, is still pretty darn scary. If you aren’t familiar, in the flick the world is invaded by aliens that destroy pretty much everything in their wake and earth’s weapons -- including a nuclear bomb! -- do nothing to stop them. As they maraud their way through America, the main characters are chased from location to location before finally being saved by… mother nature.

Does the world actually end? It doesn’t. Eventually the aliens don’t succumb to the fighting will of humans, but to the treachery of biology. They are not immune to Earth’s bacteria.

Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World (2012)

Proving the subject of the end of the world can work in any genre, even rom-coms, there is Seeking A Friend For The End Of World. The movie stars Steve Carell and Keira Knightley as neighbors who break up with their respective significant others and end up falling in love with each other as an asteroid rapidly approaches earth.

It doesn’t seem like it should, but somehow, Seeking A Friend For The End Of World works, both as an end-of-the-world movie and as a slightly corny, but still sweet romantic comedy. It’s actually a fairly plausible story, and the encounters that Steve Carell and Keira Knightley’s characters have as they make their trek “home” are also pretty believable, like the orgy in a diner scene. You have to assume that people could easily react like that to the end of the world, right?

Does the world actually end? It does. Or we can assume it does, as the last scene features the two leads lying in bed, lamenting the short time they had together as (we can guess) the world ends when the asteroid strikes it. Yet, we can feel good about it, because these two love birds found each other before the end.

Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worry And Love The Bomb (1964)

Back in the Cold War days, many people were convinced that a man-made atomic apocalypse was going to happen at any moment. This was never truer than it was in the early and mid-sixties. The Soviets had the bomb and they were putting missiles in Cuba. The end was near and Stanley Kubrick was all over it with the farcical and brilliant Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worry And Love The Bomb.

With an all-star cast that included Slim Pickens, George C. Scott, and Peter Sellers playing three different roles, Dr. Strangelove is disturbingly hilarious. It’s as harrowing as any other movie set during the end of the world, with the world on the brink of nuclear destruction and no one seemingly competent enough to stop it (and not wanting to stop it). Peter Sellers' brilliance is on full display, playing three different and messed up characters, including the diabolical Dr. Strangelove and the straight forward and dour President Merkin Muffley.

Does the world end? We can assume it does, yes. The final scene, after Slim Pickens rides his nuke to destruction over the Soviet Union, is a classic movie moment, and the men in the war room know the end is near and have made plans. The movie ends with dozens of mushroom clouds rising around the world, meaning certain destruction.

The Wandering Earth (2019)

Did you know that the third highest grossing movie of 2019 is a movie The Wandering Earth? Only The Avengers: Endgame and Captain Marvel have made more. It’s a pretty astonishing feat, considered it wasn’t made by Hollywood and it only made about $5 million at the box office in the United States. It made an incredible $690 million in China though, where it was made.

The Wandering Earth is also pretty good as this genre goes, though like many movies set during the end of the world, the plot is completely ridiculous. Set in 2061, the sun is dying and about to explode and mankind, led by the Chinese, of course, come together to build giant engines that will push Earth out of the solar system and safely away from the sun. So, yeah, you need to suspend reality completely and just let the CGI flow over you.

Does the world end? We’re not going to spoil it, but the major drama occurs when earthquakes take out most of the engines pushing the earth as it approaches Jupiter, which the earth must whip around to gain the momentum out of the solar system. Will Earth make it or will it collide with Jupiter? The Wandering Earth is on Netflix, so check it out!

28 Days Later… (2002)

The zombie apocalypse is one of the most popular tropes in end of the world movies. 28 Days Later… is no different, but it does it better than any of the previous zombie movies. Danny Boyle’s classic 28 Days Later... is dark and scary and filled with dread, like any good end-of-the-world movie should be. It has set the standard for all zombie stories since.

Like many others, the end of the world in 28 Days Later… is caused by humans, when eco-terrorists unleash a virus that spreads rapidly through Great Britain, turning victims into zombies while the military tries to instill marshal law.

Does the world end? No, it doesn’t but that doesn’t mean this isn’t on the bleakest movies on the subject. The deep foreboding mood overwhelms viewers and sucks them into the story right from the start. 28 Days Later… is scary and tense and one of the best of the best in the genre.

This Is The End (2013)

This Is The End turns the genre completely on its head by making it all seem hysterically over the top. The cast is made up of a who’s who in Hollywood, all playing themselves, - over-the-top versions of themselves – that are attending a party at James Franco’s house when the rapture occurs. The cast includes Franco, Seth Rogan, Danny McBride, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Emma Watson, Kevin Hart, Raul Rudd, Craig Robinson, Rihanna, Jason Segal and many, many more.

The movie is filled with laugh-out-loud moments from the unbelievable cast, all of whom show a willingness to make fun of themselves and everyone else in the movie. Is there anything funnier (or grosser) than Danny McBride’s big moment in the movie? It’ll have you in tears.

Does the world end? Yep, it sure does, but don’t worry, it ends happily with the Backstreet Boys entertaining everyone in heaven.

The Road (2009)

On the complete other end of the spectrum is one of the bleakest movies ever made, based on one of the bleakest books ever written by Cormac McCarthy. The Road follows a man, played by Viggo Mortensen, and his son as they navigate a post-apocalyptic world after an undefined disaster. They face all kinds of threads in the dark, cloud-covered world where everything is basically just a shade of grey.

The movie’s modest budget but first rate cast, including Mortensen, Charlize Theron as his deceased wife, Guy Pearce, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Robert Duvall is a testament to how powerful the material the film was based on is. There is almost no hope throughout the movie, except for a brief moment at the end, and even then, it’s left very ambiguously.

Does the world end? Well, it basically has already ended and there is little evidence to suggest things won’t completely die off in the future. There are still some people still slogging through the bleak life, but it sure doesn’t seem like any of them will last very long. There is the possible hope at the end, but given how bleak the movie is overall, it’s hard to have much faith in that hope.

Children Of Men (2006)

Alfonso Cuarón doesn’t direct a lot of movies, but when he does, they are almost always brilliant. His shelf is filled with awards for movies like Gravity, Y Tu Mama Tambien, and Roma. Because of that impressive resume of films, his end of the world movie, Children Of Men, is often overlooked. That is a big mistake.

Set 18 years in the future, Children Of Men stars Clive Owen, who leads a cast that includes Michael Caine, Julianne Moore, Charlie Hunnam, and Chiwetel Ejiofor in a future where it’s been 18 years since an woman has become pregnant due to a pandemic that struck humankind. While there are people hoping to reverse the situation, mankind seems doomed without a way prorogate the future. Kee, played Clare-Hope Ashitey becomes the first woman on earth to become pregnant and it becomes a race to escape the Great Britain and find people that can help her and possibly all of mankind by saving her and her baby.

Does the world end? Unknown. The movie, after a series of scary and forbidding events, does end with hope, so maybe Kee and her baby live and the knowledge learned from studying them saves the world. Of maybe it doesn’t, the film doesn’t give a definitive answer.

Of course, we could go on and on here, there will likely never be a shortage of end of the world films, but these are the cream of the crop as they stand today. What do you think? Let us know in the comments and vote for your favorite below!

The 'Crowd Pleaser' Character Toy Story 4 Cut From Its Final Version

The 'Crowd Pleaser' Character Toy Story 4 Cut From Its Final Version

Pixar movies undergo a lot of changes over the course of their development. In the case of Toy Story 4, nearly the entire movie underwent significant story changes. While these sorts of changes are always made in an attempt to make the overall movie better, sometimes story beats and even entire characters that the movie makers love end up getting cut out as a result. Toy Story 4 was no exception.

Last month, when I had a chance to talk to Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley and producers Jonas Rivera and Mark Nielsen, I asked them if they had any particular elements of Toy Story 4 that didn't make the final version of the film that they missed. All three were in total agreement, that one character they all wish they could have kept was a dancing Santa Claus. According to Cooley...

Dancing Santa was pretty great, he was a character [who] didn’t make it. He was in the antique store and was kind of able, in a very unique way, he was kind of an expert on where to go. and the way things were at the [antiques] mall.

If you've seen the trailers for Toy Story 4 then you'll have seen the antiques store location. It's a major new setting for the film where a lot of the action takes place. We also meet a lot of new characters there, like Christina Hendricks' Gabby Gabby and Keanu Reeves' Duke Caboom.

However, one character that we unfortunately won't be meeting is a talking, dancing, Santa Claus character. The idea was clearly a favorite among many at Pixar. In addition to Josh Cooley and the producers, Toy Story production designer Bob Pauley and global technology supervisor Bill Reeves, who have been part of the franchise since the beginning, also mentioned to me that the Santa was a favorite lost character of theirs as well.

Josh Cooley explained what the scene was originally going to look like...

He’s kinda like an informant in a seedy alley. [Bo and Woody] were talking about, ‘Man, it’s dark in this antiques store. It’s pretty intense, everybody seems so desperate.’ And they’d hear, ‘Tis the season for desperation’ and they’d turn around and there’s one of these Santas there. He’s got a little candle that’s up lighting on him. And Woody’s like, ‘Look Santa, we’d need some help’ and all of the sudden he’d start dancing. Jingle Bell Rock is playing. ‘Ah, you set off my motion detector.’ And then he’d go back into, ‘Anyway, like I was saying...’ and there’s still Jungle Bell Rock playing [in the background]. It was a crowd pleaser for sure.

It's clear that the reason everybody liked the Santa was because the jokes were funny, but ultimately, Pixar always wants to focus on the story that is being told, and if a gag gets in the way of that, the gag has to go, no matter how funny it is. Bob Pauly explained to me that this was the problem with the dancing Santa:

It got cut, which is the right thing, because that was a moment when they had it where it was kind of an emotional moment in the movie, where it's about Bo and Woody. Trust [me], it needed to go, it didn't support that.

The good news is that it sounds like enough of the dancing Santa survives that we'll get to see him as part of the deleted scenes on the eventual Toy Story 4 Blu-ray. Until then, we can see the final version of Toy Story 4 on June 21. Tickets for the summer sequel are on sale as we speak, so make sure that you grab your seats to opening weekend, so you'll see the latest adventure with Buzz, Woody and the gang.