Chris Hemsworth's Blunt Reason For Turning Down Star Trek 4

Chris Hemsworth's Blunt Reason For Turning Down Star Trek 4

J.J. Abrams' Star Trek came out 10 years ago this spring. It was not only a huge hit, spawning two sequels, it introduced Chris Hemsworth as George Kirk, father of Chris Pine's James T. Kirk. George was killed on his ship at the start of the movie, so that was the last we saw of him. Fast-forward to today, and Star Trek 4 was supposed to bring back both Chrises as both Kirks. That didn't happen, and the movie is now reportedly shelved.

The rumored reason for both Chrises dropping out was money, with both high profile superhero stars reportedly wanting more than what Paramount was willing to pay after the relative disappointment of Star Trek Beyond.

However, if you ask Chris Hemsworth, he turned down the next Star Trek sequel because he wasn't into the script and he's gotten more selective over time:

I didn’t feel like we landed on a reason to revisit that yet. I didn’t want to be underwhelmed by what I was going to bring to the table.

So Chris Hemsworth told Variety the fault was with the story/script/his role, not the budget. Maybe he didn't want to bring up money -- considering Forbes said he made $64.5 million last year. But he could've been honest about that and people would've understood his worth has gone way up since Star Trek. It's very possible the contract issues that made headlines weren't the full story and this note about the script is at the heart of things.

Back in 2016, Paramount officially announced Chris Hemsworth's return as George Kirk, saying the fourth movie in that franchise would be written by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay. Here's what the studio said the movie would be about:

In the next installment of the epic space adventure, Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk will cross paths with a man he never had a chance to meet, but whose legacy has haunted him since the day he was born: his father. Chris Hemsworth, who appeared in 2009’s Star Trek, will return to the space saga as George Kirk to star alongside Pine.

On paper, I loved that idea. It's a way to get father and son together on screen, and also pair up two charismatic Chrises. But apparently something went wrong in the screenwriting phase, and/or Paramount wasn't willing to pay up after the under-performance of the third movie at the box office.

It's possible Chris Hemsworth was saying that if the story were stronger, he would've done Star Trek 4 for less money. Obviously he doesn't need the money. But if the script didn't impress him much and he was getting less than his usual amount? I can see him walking out. That's just speculation, but it would be a way to combine both the money reason -- which never came from either actor -- and the script reason coming from Hemsworth himself.

At least Quentin Tarantino still sounds into his mysterious Star Trek movie. And Chris Hemsworth has plenty of other projects to keep him busy, from Men in Black: International to whatever is next for Thor.

Apparently Johnny Depp's Return For Fantastic Beasts 3 Isn't Official Yet

Apparently Johnny Depp's Return For Fantastic Beasts 3 Isn't Official Yet

Johnny Depp is still currently expected to continue as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3 and the rest of the planned five-film franchise. However, on the heels of Warner Bros. delaying Fantastic Beasts 3 production again, but finally giving the movie a confirmed release date, word has come that Depp has yet to officially sign on for the 2021 movie.

This is one of those anonymous source situations, so stay in a skeptical Hermione mindset. That said, "a source close to Johnny Depp" told The Blast the actor has not been approached by the studio yet to exercise the option in his contract for Fantastic Beasts 3. The site said Depp does have a contract through the five-film franchise but, like the rest of the stars, his option for each movie is handled separately by Warner Bros.

What does that mean? Maybe nothing, especially without knowing the situations of the other main cast members. But The Blast also brought up Johnny Depp's legal issues -- specifically the ugly back-and-forth abuse allegations with ex-wife Amber Heard. The site said it too had been told a few Warner Bros. execs were pushing for Depp to be fired from Fantastic Beasts, but many of the "heavy hitters" have maintained full support.

One of those heavy hitters is said to be J.K. Rowling herself, and the Harry Potter author already made it clear before The Crimes of Grindelwald came out that she was fully supportive of Johnny Depp.

The very public issues between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have been going on so long that his casting was put up for debate even before the second film came out. Now here we are waiting for the third film, and the ongoing lawsuits keep adding new allegations from both sides.

Johnny Depp has a defamation suit against Amber Heard tied to her Washington Post op-ed piece on speaking up against sexual violence. He claims her abuse allegations are part of an "elaborate hoax" to boost her career. His team is also trying to tie that op-ed to Depp losing his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in future Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Amber Heard's side accused Depp of trying to get her fired from her role as Mera in DC/Warner Bros.'s Aquaman.

Fantastic Beasts 3 was originally set to begin production this summer, with a hoped-for but not official release date of November 2020. Production was initially pushed back to late fall 2019. Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski) said filming was delayed because the third movie is "bigger than the first two combined." The "gigantic" movie needed more time to prep, and they didn't want to rush anything.

Just recently, filming was pushed back to start in spring 2020, with the film getting an official release date of November 2021. The first two films were released in November 2016 and November 2018, respectively.

J.K. Rowling is writing all five movies in this franchise; she is said to currently be re-working the third movie's script to try and make it better than Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald after the relative disappointment of the second movie with fans, critics, and the box office.

As far as we know, Johnny Depp and the rest of the cast will continue in their roles from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. If that changes due to contracts or other issues, you can bet there will be big reactions from every side of the fandom. The third film's title has yet to be revealed, but here's what we do know so far about Fantastic Beasts 3.

Kevin Feige Says The ‘Real Mandarin’ Is Coming

Kevin Feige Says The ‘Real Mandarin’ Is Coming

There may be no more controversial film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe than Iron Man 3. The film puts a significant twist on one of Iron Man's most well known adversaries from the comics, in a move that is either loved for the way it subverted expectations or hated for the way it subverted expectations.

However, for fans who were upset that they never got to see "real" Mandarin in Iron Man 3, it seems they may have a chance, as Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige has confirmed that, in some way, the 10 Rings terrorist organization, and its leader the Mandarin will be dealt with in the future of the MCU.

In Iron Man 3 we were introduced to Ben Kingsley as a character being called the Mandarin. One of Iron Man's best known villains, The Mandarin wears 10 rings on his fingers which give him special power because of the alien technology that formed them.

Kingsley was great in the role of the Mandarin, possibly perfect casting, but it turned out that the whole thing was a dodge, as the movie eventually revealed that Kingsley's character was actually that of an actor named Trevor Slattery who had been hired by Guy Pierce's Aldrich Killian. The entire concept of the Mandarin was a front to distract from Killian's actual plans.

However, the frustrations of fans who wanted to see the more classic version of the Mandarin were given a brief moment of hope when the Marvel One Shot All Hail The King was released on the Blu-ray of Thor: The Dark World. The short film shows Trevor Slattery in prison, where he is kidnapped by a member of the 10 Rings organization, and is told he will be taken to see the man whose name was stolen. The Mandarin is real, and he's unhappy.

We've heard little from the 10 Rings and nothing from the Mandarin since then in the MCU but during a recent Reddit AMA Feige was asked if there were any plans to bring them back, and Feige simply replied, "yes."

Feige doesn't say a word beyond the confirmation, so we have no clue how the Mandarin could be coming to the MCU, but rumors and fan theories have suggested the character could play a role in the Shang-Chi movie, which is one of the few titles confirmed by Marvel to be part of Phase 4. Considering the villain is typically presented as Asian, and this is supposed to be "real" version of the character, it would make some sense.

Of course with the slate of as yet untitled films that Marvel Studios recently confirmed release dates for, combined with the fact that a lot of MCU related series are planned for Disney+, there are a lot more places where we could see this "new" character.

On the one hand, as somebody who loved the Iron Man 3 twist because of the way it showed the MCU wasn't married to convention, I was honestly a little disappointed when All Hail the King came out and walked some of it back. Having said that, if the real Mandarin is a strong enough character, then it doesn't really matter.

Sebastian Stan Says He Was Tricked By Avengers: Endgame's Fake Scripts

Sebastian Stan Says He Was Tricked By Avengers: Endgame's Fake Scripts

The following potentially contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame**, but will not reveal specific information.**

For a major blockbuster tentpole movie like Avengers: Endgame, there's nothing worse than spoilers. If people know what happens in a movie they may be less inclined to go see it, and fans prefer to be surprised, and so those spoilers are guarded like nothing else. Marvel even goes so far as to create fake scripts to prevent the truth from leaking out, and it seems that Sebastian Stan got taken in by that.

The actor, who plays Bucky Barnes, The Winter Soldier, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and he admitted that for one key scene that he was in, he was told the scene was something completely other than what it actually was. According to Stan...

I was told it was a wedding, that there was a wedding we were filming. And I was like, ‘Who’s getting married?’ But everybody was dressed very formal, and I was looking around, and then two people weren’t there. So I guess that was the bride and the groom.

If you've seen Avengers: Endgame, then you know exactly what Sebastian Stan is referring to here. If you haven't, then it only needs to be said the movie contains a scene where several MCU characters are dressed formally for an event. While Sebastian Stan was told his character was attending a wedding, that's not actually what's happening.

Sebastian Stan himself admits he thought the idea of a wedding seemed odd, he had no clue who would be getting married, but it seems it wasn't until later, possibly even the first time he saw the movie, that he realized that wasn't the case.

It shows to just what an extent Marvel Studios and the Russo Brothers were going to make sure everything in the film remained secret. Sebastian Stan doesn't have the reputation of a Tom Holland or a Mark Ruffalo. He's not known for giving away the game. And yet, he wasn't trusted with the truth of the scene. He wasn't even told the general information of the event that was actually taking place, nevermind the specifics.

One assumes that several other people in the same scene are standing there thinking they're at a wedding. It's one thing to not really know what you're doing when you're part of a major green screen CGI battle, but there are no digital effects at this moment. It's just a shot of people standing around, and yet the actors on screen are as clueless as to what the reality is as when they're fighting Thanos by looking at a tennis ball on a stick.

Check out Sebastian Stan's full comments on The Tonight Show in the clip below.

Of course, now that Sebastian Stan has seen the movie, he could spoil things, but he's being careful not to do so. The gloves may be coming off soon, however. The Russo Brothers say that after two weekends of a movie's release, spoilers become fair game, so if you still haven't seen Avengers: Endgame after this weekend, you may need to start being extra careful.

Star Wars' Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill And More React To Peter Mayhew's Death

Star Wars' Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill And More React To Peter Mayhew's Death

Today, it was announced that Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca across five Star Wars movies and numerous other projects, had died earlier this week of a heart attack, just shy of his 75th birthday. This marks yet another passing of a Star Wars icon, and while it’s sad that Mayhew is no longer among us, it’s also touching to see those who worked alongside him paying tribute to the man.

First off, we have Harrison Ford, who acted alongside Peter Mayhew as Han Solo, Chewbacca’s longtime partner, in the original Star Wars trilogy and The Force Awakens. In his statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Ford honored Mayhew not only was a work partner, but as a true friend in real life.

Next, we have Mark Hamill, who also spent a lot of time alongside Peter Mayhew when he was playing Luke Skywalker in the first three Star Wars movies. Hamill said the following:

Then there’s Billy Dee Williams, who joined the Star Wars franchise as Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back and performed alongside Peter Mayhew in that movie and Return of the Jedi. Williams posted:

Following The Force Awakens, Peter Mayhew retired from playing Chewbacca, and Joonas Suotamo, who shared the role with Mayhew in the first installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, has been playing the trusty Wookiee full time ever since. Here’s how Suotamo paid respects to his mentor:

Of course, there wouldn’t be a Star Wars franchise without George Lucas, who discovered Peter Mayhew and personally selected him to play Chewbacca. Lucas paid tribute to Mayhew with the following statement to ABC News:

Then there’s The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, who never worked with Peter Mayhew, but was nonetheless inspired by his work ethic, saying:

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy recognized Peter Mayhew’s impact on the Star Wars franchise thusly:

Finally, Disney CEO Bob Iger mourned Peter Mayhew’s passing with these words:

These are just some of the many reactions you’ll find about Peter Mayhew’s death, both from well-known figures and regular Star Wars fans. While he’s no longer with us, his presence in the Star Wars franchise will continue to be felt for many years to come. Mayhew also acted in projects like Dark Towers, Dragonball GT: A Hero’s Legacy and Comic Book: The Movie, and along with being a regular on the convention circuit, he opened the Peter Mayhew Foundation, which aids in numerous charitable causes.

Be sure to share your thoughts about Peter Mayhew in the comments below. The Star Wars film series continues later this year with the release of The Rise of Skywalker on December 20. You can also look through our 2019 release schedule to learn what movies not set in a galaxy far, far away are coming soon.

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.