J.J. Abrams Nearly Said ‘No’ To Working On Star Wars Episode IX

J.J. Abrams Nearly Said ‘No’ To Working On Star Wars Episode IX

J.J. Abrams took on a herculean task when he agreed to write and direct the first new Star Wars movies in years with The Force Awakens. While the movie certainly has its detractors, it was largely viewed as a success, and it certainly was at the box office, where it became one of the highest grossing films of all time.

In addition to being the creative force behind the first film, Abrams has remained part of the new Star Wars universe as a producer, but that doesn't mean he was ready to just jump in to direct Star Wars Episode IX. Abrams admits that when Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy asked him to take on writing and directing duties, he very nearly turned the job down...

I wasn’t supposed to be there. I wasn’t the guy, ya’ know? I was working on some other things, and I had something else that I was assuming would be the next project, if we’d be so lucky. And then Kathy Kennedy called and said, “Would you really, seriously, consider coming aboard?” And once that started, it all happened pretty quickly. The whole thing was a crazy leap of faith. And there was an actual moment when I nearly said, ‘No, I’m not going to do this.’

J.J. Abrams has a lot on his plate. As a writer, director, and especially a producer, he has numerous film and television projects rolling at any one time. Adding something like a Star Wars movie is certainly going to throw a wrench in those works in a big way. However, it seems that it wasn't simply the fact that Abrams had something else he thought he would be working on that caused him to hesitate.

Instead, the major reason J.J. Abrams almost turned down Star Wars Episode IX was because he was so happy with the way that Star Wars: The Force Awakens turned out. As a major Star Wars fan himself, Abrams was incredibly nervous that the first film wouldn't work, and he largely feels that the movie succeeded. He was proud of his work and proud that he got to make a Star Wars movie. He tells Fast Company that he felt trying to do it all again would be tempting fate...

I was trepidatious to begin with, getting involved, because I love Star Wars so much and felt like it was... It was almost, on a personal level, a dangerous thing to get too close to something that you care that much about. And yet, with Force Awakens, I feel like we managed to introduce these new characters—for some people, new actors—and continue a story in a way that I thought had heart and humanity and humor and surprise. Though of course I’m aware that there are critics of that movie, it felt to me like we dodged a bullet. Like we got in there, we got to do something. And I left loving Star Wars as much as I did when I got there. Like, somehow, it was on a personal, selfish level something I was really happy to have done. Not just excited about doing but happy to have done. And to ask to have that happen again, I felt a little bit like I was playing with fire. Like, why go back? We managed to make it work. What the hell am I thinking?

Originally, Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow had been tapped to write and direct Star Wars: Episode IX. However, in the fall of 2017, it was announced that Trevorrow and Lucasfilm had different visions for the conclusion of the trilogy, and therefore had decided to part ways. Rumors have indicated that Lucasfilm didn't like Trevorrow's script.

This meant that Star Wars Episode IX had to go from zero, with no script, to completely finished in a little over two years. The release date of Episode IX was originally going to be the summer of 2019, but it was pushed back to December around the same time Abrams was brought on board. This was another reason that the director was hesitant about taking the job. There was so much work to be done in a finite amount of time.

Part of Abrams solution to the problem was to get help, specifically, he called Chris Terrio to ask if the Justice League writer would be interested in co-writing Episode IX with him. Terrio was quite excited to get on board, which helped J.J. Abrams in an unexpected way. According to the director...

And what I realized in that moment was, I hadn’t been aware until then that I needed to work with someone who would scream at the prospect of working on Star Wars. Because I had been through the process, and I was looking at brass tacks: This is what it’s going to take, this is the reality of it. And he was looking at it sort of childlike: Oh my God, I can’t believe we get to play in this world, which I needed to be reminded of. I needed that point of view, because that’s not where I was. Of course, I was excited about what we could do, but I was acutely aware of how little time we had to do a fairly enormous job.

And yet, an enormous job is exactly what J.J. Abrams agreed to undertake. Star Wars Episode IX is in post-production as we speak and we sit here on the eve of Star Wars Celebration, where we expect to finally begin to learn a few details about the story. The first trailer, which will almost certainly include the full title, will probably drop then, and we'll finally get a look at everything J.J. Abrams has been working on for the last two years.

Abrams was happy with the way he brought Star Wars back and launched this new trilogy. Now he has the equally massive, if not even bigger task, of ending the trilogy in a satisfying way. We'll see if he truly stuck the landing when Star Wars Episode IX arrives in December.

Looks Like The New Mutants Is Coming To Theaters After All

Looks Like The New Mutants Is Coming To Theaters After All

The superhero genre is in a fascinating place right now, especially when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and X-Men franchises. The MCU is just weeks away from the release of Avengers: Endgame, while the X-Men will continue their tenure on screen this June with Dark Phoenix. But with Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox official, the future of the mutant-centric property and its spinoffs seem unclear.

The Deadpool franchise may be safe, but the myriad other developing X-Men projects have been put on hold for the time being. There's still the question of Josh Boone' The New Mutants, which will be a horror inspired mutant movie. The film's fate has been a major question surrounding the merger, as its already been delayed a number of times and still hasn't commenced reshoots. But there was some good news for New Mutants at this week's CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

Yesterday at CinemaCon, Disney presented its plans for the future, including some releases that were originally under Fox's control before the merger. The New Mutants was one of the movies presented, revealed to have a release date of August 2nd. This is surprising and hopeful news, as the awesome first trailer arrived back in 2017, before the film's delays started kicking in. And now it looks like Josh Boone's ambitious project is finally arriving in theaters.

After New Mutants was delayed and Disney acquired Fox, it was unclear if/when the project would ever be brought to audiences. Some fans theorized it might end up on Disney+ as the House of Mouse rolls out its upcoming streaming service. What's more, the cast seemed totally clueless regarding the film's future and their X-Men debut. Maisie Williams recently dropped the mic about the prospect saying:

Who knows when the fuck that’s gonna come out.

Well, the answer is apparently August 2nd. While the release date is an exciting update, The New Mutants still has to get reshoots in the can. Reshoots are pretty standard for superhero movies, and will give Josh Boone the chance to finish crafting his story, and allow for the editor's bay to do their magic. But August isn't that far all things considered, so the cast and crew is going to have to hustle to get the new footage in the can and included in the theatrical cut.

Despite its delays, The New Mutant has some good things going for it. The superhero genre doesn't typically tap into the horror world, especially X-Men. Josh Boone assembled a very talented young cast, including Glass' Anya Taylor-Joy, Game of Thrones favorite Maisie Williams, and Stranger Things standout Charlie Heaton. And with a release date ahead, its a relief to know that Disney is still intending on giving the flick a full theatrical release.

The New Mutants will arrive in theaters on August 2nd, following Dark Phoenix on June 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Sherlock Holmes 3 Is Coming Way Later Than We Expected

Sherlock Holmes 3 Is Coming Way Later Than We Expected

It's been eight years since we saw Robert Downey Jr. take the role of the big screen Sherlock Holmes and it had been so long we began to wonder if we would ever see the character again. We now know that we will, but it turns out we'll have to wait a bit longer than previously announced. While the third Sherlock Holmes movie had been set for a Christmas 2020 release, the feature has now been pushed back a full year to December 2021.

Originally set for a Christmas Day release in 2020, THR has now revealed the film will instead open December 22, 2021.

While release date shuffling is nothing new, it rarely happens without a reason, though the reason for this decision is not immediately clear. No other major releases have been announced to hit in December 2020 that might have sent Sherlock Holmes 3 looking for a more protected release window.

The film was already going to be going up against Avatar 2 in 2020 and will now instead be going up against Avatar 3. That's probably a slightly better position. The second film in the franchise, being the first one in years, is likely to draw a larger audience than the third, which will only be the first one in a year. It's like going up against Star Wars: The Last Jedi at the box office instead of The Force Awakens. It's possible the decision making was as simple as that.

Although, the more likely reason was simply one of scheduling. Perhaps production of Sherlock Holmes 3 needed to be pushed back and that resulted in the delay for the release as well. It could be that Robert Downey Jr. or Jude Law had something change in their schedules which has made the delay necessary. It could be that the script from Chris Brancato is taking longer than anticipated to finish. Perhaps another writer is coming in to rewrite or polish it which will result in it taking longer than previously scheduled.

It's also possible that the issue could be one of who is going to direct. Guy Ritchie directed both of the previous two Sherlock Holmes films but he has never been officially announced as directing Sherlock Holmes 3. If Ritchie is looking to direct, it could be his schedule that made the release date move if he won't be available to go into production later this year, Alternatively, it could be that the production is still looking for a director and thus had to push things back in order to have more time to find one.

In order to hit the 2020 release date Sherlock Holmes 3 would have needed to go into production later this year. Now, the film has an additional 12 months of breathing space. If fans have waited this long, they can wait another year.

The Russo Brothers Confirm Chris Evans Has Retired From Captain America After Endgame

The Russo Brothers Confirm Chris Evans Has Retired From Captain America After Endgame

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame are ahead!

As the final chapter of the Infinity Saga, Avengers: Endgame both marked the end of an era and set the stage for the next iteration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, fell into the former category, as after Thanos and his forces had been defeated, the Star-Spangled Avenger decided to leave his superhero life behind and go back to the past to be with Peggy Carter.

Because Steve Rogers is still alive in the present day, albeit now over a century old, it seemed like there was still the possibility for Chris Evans to play the character again. However, according to directors Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Endgame did indeed mark Evans’ last appearance as Steve. As Joe Russo put it:

No, I think Chris — Chris is a very emotional person. I think maybe it’s evident if you follow him on Twitter, because he does put his heart into what he says. But I feel like he has to close the door on things and emotionally move onto the next thing.

To be fair, it’s not as if Chris Evans didn’t invest a lot of time into playing Captain America. He was cast as the patriotic superhero in early 2010 and he appeared in a Marvel movie every year from 2011 to 2019. That’s nine movies total, just one shy of Robert Downey Jr.’s MCU run. That’s a tremendous accomplishment! Throw in his time as The Human Torch in the Fantastic Four movies, and Evans has more than enough superhero material on his resume.

As far as endings go, Steve Rogers’ definitely struck one of the biggest emotional chords in Avengers: Endgame. After Tony Stark’s funeral, Steve ventured into the Quantum Realm to put the Infinity Stones back in their proper time periods, and from the perspective of Hulk, Falcon and Winter Soldier, he was only supposed to be gone for a few seconds. Instead, he decided to go to the 1940s after his task was complete and stay there, living a “beautiful” life with Peggy Carter.

But there was one more thing the elderly Steve Rogers needed to do: pass on the Captain America mantle. He chose Falcon, a.k.a. Sam Wilson, to carry the vibranium shield in his place, a plot thread that will almost certainly be explored in the upcoming Falcon and Winter Soldier series on Disney+.

Maybe Chris Evans might change his mind down the line and be willing to make a cameo appearance as Old Man Steve in an MCU project, but as the Russos said during their visit to the Happy Sad Confused podcast, for now, he’s moving on to new endeavors. Fortunately, MCU fans got to watch his arc unfold across nearly a decade, and though we won’t be seeing Steve Rogers again, his legacy will continue to be felt in the years to come.

Avengers: Endgame is still playing in theaters and making a Titanic-toppling amount of money. If you’re curious about what Marvel movies are on the way, look through our comprehensive guide.

10 Best Jake Gyllenhaal Movies, Ranked

10 Best Jake Gyllenhaal Movies, Ranked

Jake Gyllenhaal is one of Hollywood's top talents, and after a brief marathon of his movies it isn't hard to see why. He's played many different types of characters throughout his career, and in all honesty he's good in just about every single one of them. At least, he is in these 10 movies, which are among the 10 best that the actor has offered audiences over the years.

As the world waits to see Jake Gyllenhaal play Mysterio in the upcoming sequel Spider-Man: Far From Home, I've put together a list of the 10 best films he's put out into the universe for your reading pleasure. These are the top 10 films to enjoy for those who want to see a good Jake Gyllenhaal movie featuring the actor at his best, even if the story or other actors didn't quite live up to the hype. Take a look and find these movies in the universe ASAP.

1. End Of Watch

The top Jake Gyllenhaal movie on this list, End Of Watch earns its spot for the gritty story of two LAPD officers just trying to survive the crime ridden streets. There's action, there's tension, and there are tear-jerking and terrifying moments. This movie is Jake Gyllenhaal at his best, and he looks completely in his element from start to finish. Others may believe there are better options out there, but I really feel they'd be wrong in regards to Gyllenhaal performances.

2. Donnie Darko

No disrespect to everything he's done after, but Jake Gyllenhaal's Donnie Darko remains one of his best to date. It features a much different performance than the characters Gyllenhaal would become later in life. It may not be the most groundbreaking performance the actor has ever given Hollywood, but it is the one that really set him on a path to be one of Hollywood's premiere names. Without it, there's no telling where the actor would be today. Plus, the movie itself still holds up.

3. Brokeback Mountain

No one should need a list to know Brokeback Mountain is one of Jake Gyllenhaal's best. Those who have gone this long without seeing it are making a mistake, and missing out one of the best performances of Heath Ledger's career to boot. For Gyllenhaal it's really on another level than any other role he's taken since, and absolutely one every movie lover should experience at least once. It's insane so many people passed on making this movie!

4. Zodiac

This Jake Gyllenhaal movie isn't more optimistic than many of the others on the list, but at least his character is more of the hero in this harrowing story of one of the most enigmatic serial killers in America's history. Of the selections on this list, Zodiac is the one that best highlights Jake Gyllenhaal's ability to portray an obsessed character, which is often an element in his roles. See this one immediately.

5. Nightcrawler

Here's another Jake Gyllenhaal movie where the actor turns on the crazy, although his character in Nightcrawler is far more insane and sadistic than funny. Gyllenhaal plays Louis Bloom, a man determined to make a living as a tragedy cameraman in Los Angeles. The film and Gyllenhaal is bonkers from start to finish, but it doesn't really hit peak freaky until that scene where he's laughing watching television and looking around and reacting to no one in particular.

6. Okja

One of Jake Gyllenhaal's most underrated roles in a while, Okja features the actor taking that crazy angle he does so well and spinning it into the eccentric television host Dr. Johnny Wilcox. Johnny Wilcox is not the type of character one sees often in a Jake Gyllenhaal movie, let alone a character that he would be the actor to play. It's hilarious, and a high point in a movie that can get pretty damn depressing as it goes on.

7. Southpaw

In a ranked list detailing the best boxing films of all time, Southpaw probably wouldn't be super high. That said, this Jake Gyllenhaal movie has earned its spot here for the way the actor portrays loss, and for how absolutely jacked he got for this movie. He's never in bad shape, of course, but this performance had to have sold a few people on him playing Batman someday.

8. Jarhead

Jarhead puts Jake Gyllenhaal in the shoes of former real life marine Anthony Swofford. For those who haven't seen it, this isn't the typical war movie, as it details one soldier's journey during Operation Desert Storm. This Jake Gyllenhaal movie captures a side of modern warfare from a unique perspective not often shown, and is only elevated in the respect that Gyllenhaal's performance is heightened by director Sam Mendes and a great supporting cast.

9. Brothers

There are a fair amount of feel-good Jake Gyllenhaal movies for audiences to enjoy, but I need to point out this film is not one of them. In Brothers, Gyllenhaal plays the supportive brother Tommy to Tobey Maguire's Sam, who has been overseas. Though he only plays a supporting role, Jake Gyllenhaal knocks it out of the park as Tommy, who only wants the best for his brother in a situation that gets increasingly out of control before anyone realizes it.

10. The Day After Tomorrow

The Day After Tomorrow is one of the biggest guilty pleasure Jake Gyllenhaal movies on the market. The decisions the characters make throughout this disaster film are ridiculous, and it's overall a very subpar blockbuster film. With that said, there are laughs for those willing to "weather the storm." My personal favorite Gyllenhaal moment is when his character Sam Hall nearly drowns in a flood because he won't get off the payphone with his dad.

Now, Jake Gyllenhaal has made a lot more movies than the ten that appear on this list, and it wouldn't be surprising if someone's favorite movie was left off this list. What are your favorites? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

What Drew Zoe Saldana And Zach Galifianakis To Laika Stop-Motion Animation

What Drew Zoe Saldana And Zach Galifianakis To Laika Stop-Motion Animation

This year there is no shortage of exciting family films coming to theaters, from the highly-anticipated return of Woody and Buzz in Toy Story 4 from Pixar or Disney’s sequel to Frozen during the holidays, to Illumination’s second take on looking inside The Secret Life of Pets and the many Disney live-action remakes, such as The Lion King. There's a lot to choose from!

Among them is Missing Link, the newest adventure for stop-motion animation studio, Laika. The company is fairly new to the game as the upcoming movie will be Laika’s fifth feature film after breaking out with 2009’s Coraline. The studio has quickly gained intrigue among audiences for its unique approach to filmmaking, whether that be through its innovative behind-the-scenes process (that is so detailed it will break your brain), touching stories or bold style.

During the Los Angeles press day for Missing Link, a couple of the stars told CinemaBlend just what it is about Laika that attracted them to voicing their new characters. First, here’s what Zach Galifianakis, who plays Susan the Sasquatch, said:

They’re doing kids entertainment in a very artistic way and a lot of times you don’t see that – a lot of kids stuff is one-dimensional, it’s flat, it’s very computer-generated cold images. This is very warm and there’s a texture to it, it’s almost like a painting.

When you think about it, this is true! While there are beautiful advancements happening in CGI animation everyday, there can be an overwhelmingly colorful feeling to it that leaves viewers looking into a video game-like atmosphere. Laika’s films bring a little something extra because the characters are actual puppets that are filmed on real sets masterfully produced in the studio. It’s a unique art form that deserves a certain appreciation that few animation companies are doing.

Zoe Saldana, who plays Adelina Fortnight, echoed some of Galifianakis’ sentiments along with adding in some love for Missing Link’s story as well. In her words:

The aesthetic of what stop motion truly is and how Laika is unfolding it is mesmerizing. Not to mention this is coated by a lovely story with amazing messages and complex character that are not the most likable characters in the beginning, but then end up becoming really amazing.

Take a look at Zach Galifianakis and Zoe Saldana discuss working with Laika from my interview below:

As the actress notes, what sets Missing Link apart from what other family-friendly studios deliver is its storytelling style which often goes outside of the box of the expected. For this adventure, each of the characters have their own quirks and flaws evident to the audience from the beginning. Hugh Jackman’s character of Lionel Frost for example is an adventurer with selfish motivations.

The trio of adventurers travel across the globe in hopes of finding Susan’s long-lost cousins, the Yeti in Missing Link out in theaters on April 12.

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Easter Eggs Will Have Fellow Fans 'Nerding Out,' Star Says

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Easter Eggs Will Have Fellow Fans 'Nerding Out,' Star Says

May is looking like a stacked month for blockbusters and maybe one of the most anticipated films is Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The sequel will pit Godzilla against classic kaiju like Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah, but fans can count on seeing some easter eggs to other monsters. O’Shea Jackson Jr., who stars in the film, is a big fan of Godzilla and he was geeking out over all of the references he was seeing.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is already packed with all the monsters you can ask for, but sharp-eyed fans might be able to spot some callbacks to other monsters that Godzilla has beaten to a pulp. In fact, there are theories that more monsters (or Titans as they are called in the sequel) will pop up before the credits roll. O’Shea Jackson Jr. obviously can't give away anything specific, but some easter eggs will send moviegoers rushing to the internet to look up what they just saw.

Oh yeah, I’ve been nerding out really hard. There’s some I can’t really speak of – but we definitely give you – you get that monster in the movie, and you’re going to go on the internet immediately after.

O’Shea Jackson Jr. stars in the film as a colonel who leads a military squadron that runs missions directly related to the Titans that are hidden across the world. Jackson wanted to be in the film because he's such a huge fan of Godzilla and told Collider that he was nerding out hard noticing all the references to other Godzilla films.

Being a fan of the franchise, it must have been a real treat for O’Shea Jackson Jr. to be in the sequel -- especially one where Godzilla takes on his arch-nemesis Ghidorah. Indeed, the coolest part of the movie to Jackson was pretty much anything that had to do with the lightning-breathing three-headed dragon.

Just to speak as a Godzilla fan for a minute, there’s no way in the world Ghidorah is supposed to be in the second movie, and I’m in it? I’m losing my mind, like anytime Ghidorah gets mentioned, I’m like, ‘No way. No way! He’s going down. He’s not going up.’

Based on the trailers alone, I'd say I have to agree with Jackson that Ghidorah looks rad as hell, and I'm pumped to see him in action. If you thought the 2014 Godzilla was light on action, then this sequel is definitely trying to make up for that.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is all set to arrive in theaters on May 31. To learn more about the movie before then, be sure to check out what we know so far. For everything else hitting theaters, check out our 2019 movie release guide.