The Russo Brothers Reveal The One Avengers: Endgame Actor Who Got The Full Script

The Russo Brothers Reveal The One Avengers: Endgame Actor Who Got The Full Script

If you were one of the many fans who broke the internet (and records) when Avengers: Endgame pre-sale opening night tickets went online, today it’s time to start the final week countdown. Due to all the secrecy surrounding this MCU installment, you better believe the Avengers cast are feeling the anticipation about the release – partly so they can finally talk about it but also to find out what happens in their own movie.

Much of the Avengers cast were not trusted with the full scripts for the Avengers films, except for one per recent comments by the Russo Brothers. In Joe Russo’s words:

[Robert Downey, Jr.] was probably the only one to actually read the entire script. I think Benedict [Cumberbatch] got the script that included his scenes only. [Chris] Evans might have read the whole script.

Looks like Iron Man may be the only actor entrusted with keeping the entirety of Endgame underwraps ahead of the release. The remainder of the cast were only given parts of the script that included their character’s lines or in Tom Holland’s case only his own lines as Joe Russo recently told IndieWire:

He doesn’t even know who he’s acting opposite of. We use like, very vague terms to describe to him what is happening in the scene because he has a very difficult time keeping his mouth shut.

Wait… was Tom Holland’s Spider-Man dusted in Infinity War just so he wouldn’t be able to do press for Endgame? The press tour has been a stressful undertaking for the surviving Avengers cast, who have had to dance around questions about the little they do know about the movie. So imagine what it’s like for RDJ, who may know just as much as the filmmakers. He does have the talent of being a good actor on his side to cover up the secrets for fans.

It makes sense that Iron Man and potentially Captain America would be on the shortlist of the actors able to read these scripts since their story arcs are at the forefront as Endgame closes out their arcs with this film. Anthony Russo did admit in the Rotten Tomatoes interview that behind-the-scenes this method isn’t always an easy option with these words:

It is a more tedious way to work to be honest with you because we do have to do more discussion on set about context because they don’t have the entirety of the script to work off of. So you do need to work harder this way but we believe it’s worth it because that pay off is that special experience in the movie theater for all the audiences.

The Russo’s explained that they keep the scripts away from the cast to make it easier for the actors to not have conversations about spoilers and because they want to replicate the unique experience they had as a kid going to the movies when the spoiler-ridden internet wasn’t a place they could go.

There is something special about going into a movie and not knowing what you’re going to see and it’s why Avengers: Endgame will be such an exciting experience for fans. The movie arrives on April 26th.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals How James Cameron Worked On Terminator 6 And The Avatar Sequels At Once

Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals How James Cameron Worked On Terminator 6 And The Avatar Sequels At Once

For the first time since 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day, James Cameron will have a hands-on role in a new Terminator movie with November’s Terminator: Dark Fate, where he serves as producer and creative consultant. But James Cameron is a busy guy, and he is also still working on his long-awaited Avatar sequels. The Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, explained how James Cameron worked on Terminator 6 and Avatar at once, saying:

It was a very interesting film to do with Tim, the dynamic, between him and with Jim Cameron producing. So Jim Cameron is right now directing Avatar films so he’s taken on this enormous challenge and he’s very busy with that BUT he’s a control freak and as you know, Terminator is kind of his baby so he does get involved in the filming so there were interesting discussions about which direction to go with a certain scene or how the dialogue should finish or what the certain look should be of an individual and all that stuff so there was a big collaboration between Jim and Tim Miller. I feel it was in good hands with both of them.

You often hear the names of big Hollywood directors attached to certain movies as producers, but that title doesn’t always mean that person had an active creative role with the film itself. That isn’t the case here. As Arnold Schwarzenegger told TheArnoldFans, James Cameron is a control freak, and the Terminator characters and story are ones he co-created and is attached to. So despite having a lot on his plate filming Avatar 2 and Avatar 3, he still made time for Terminator: Dark Fate.

He didn’t just give a couple of notes either; by the sound of it, James Cameron had an active enough role that Arnold Schwarzenegger actually took note of his influence and collaboration with director Tim Miller. The director and producer had a creative back and forth on this sixth Terminator film, with the franchise’s creator giving his input on its latest entry.

James Cameron discussed big picture stuff like the direction of a scene, down to specific bits of dialogue and the actual design and look of the characters. He and director Tim Miller had a collaborative relationship where they both worked together to form what this film will be and deliver the best possible product.

Arnold Schwarzenegger said that he felt the film was in good hands with Tim Miller and James Cameron, and that pairing is certainly encouraging. Tim Miller’s Deadpool was a smash hit, and the last time this franchise was exceptional (minus the brilliant and cancelled-too-soon Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles TV series, of course) was when James Cameron was last involved with Terminator 2: Judgment Day. He knows this world and these characters, and is two for two in delivering great movies in this universe, so his return is exciting.

How exactly James Cameron made time for his work on Terminator: Dark Fate, while also working on the Avatar sequels in terms of logistics is unclear. But somehow he was directing the Avatar sequels while being a producer on Dark Fate. Perhaps we can just chalk it up to efficiency, excellent time management and that James Cameron is James Cameron. Or some Terminator-esque time travel shenanigans.

The plot for Terminator: Dark Fate is still being kept under wraps, but it is expected to retcon some of the continuity and act as a continuation of the first two films. As such, it will see the return of Linda Hamilton's iconic Sarah Connor and, of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator. The film also stars Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes, Diego Boneta and Gabriel Luna.

Terminator: Dark Fate opens in theaters on November 1 and James Cameron’s Avatar 2 is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2020. Check out our 2019 release schedule to keep track of all the biggest movies fighting for your attention this year.

Why Airlines And Studios Should Allow First Run Movies On Flights

Why Airlines And Studios Should Allow First Run Movies On Flights

When it comes to flying, there can be a lot to complain about. Leg room is always an issue, the food is subpar at best, and somehow there's never enough room for luggage. For all the complaints one can find with flying on a commercial flight, however, the television and film selections are usually pretty solid. Most new Digital releases can be found on flights, and sometimes you don't always have to pay to see them!

As good as movie options on airlines typically are, they could always be better. In fact, it would really be the best if studios would collaborate with big companies to allow first run movies to play on flights. Like some in-flight services, it could be offered as a luxury to passengers for an added fee. It doesn't seem like it would be all that hard to implement and could be something that could be mutually beneficial to studios and airlines.

Why Is This A Good Idea?

For airlines, the pros behind providing first run films on flights is obvious. Movies may not be the deciding factor in someone's airline choice, although it's more than fair to say the right movie could potentially factor into choosing an airline. For example, if I were choosing a flight the Friday Avengers: Endgame opens and I saw one provider had it available on my flight, I'd likely choose them provided my flight was as long as its runtime. Plus, there's potential for happier customers who are watching first run movies instead of no movies or content they've already caught before.

Of course, there would probably be some on the flight who wouldn't care about the film or might choose a different flight if it were cheaper or had better times, for example. That's unfortunate, but not a deal breaker as airlines already have a system in place for those to pay for additional content. As long as the price for a film is left off of the plane ticket, folks shouldn't complain.

Of course, theater chains might be less pumped, as many are already scrambling to bring audiences back to movie theaters with various ideas. Giving airlines first run rights likely wouldn't sit well with some at first, especially those with theaters already in some airports. Granted, that's an experience only a select few airports offer worldwide, and it's more than fair to say this an arrangement shouldn't hurt the average theater's bottom line.

After all, it's not like someone is going to book a flight cross-country every time a movie they want to see premieres. Additionally, folks flying to and from locations probably aren't planning to go to a theater that day anyway, although I suppose an argument could be made this might inhibit an eventual trip to a theater. With that in mind, perhaps this is why this plan has not happened yet. But I say theater chains should really get involved!

How Theaters Should Get Involved

This is why it's a good thing theaters can get in on this action as well, and make the allure of watching first run movies on flights even more attractive. Sure a new movie on a flight is awesome, but imagine being able to watch the latest and greatest movies during those crushingly long layovers at airports? Suddenly, six hours sitting in a random terminal sounds a lot more bearable.

There are some logistical issues with this of course, seeing as people would be flying in and out of airports at varying times, and choosing any combination of movies to view. The bottom line is that simply building a movie theater to accommodate this experience is impractical, and would be the wrong way to approach this.

With that said, if a theater chain had a row of kiosks available to travelers getting off flights to resume their movie, that would be great. A kiosk prevents multiple people from crowding in (comfortably anyway) to piggy back on one purchased film, and would allow another person a reasonable amount of privacy to relax and enjoy the rest of their film and possibly another while waiting on a connection.

So How Would This Work? 

Presumably, a person's progress on a film would be linked to their plane ticket and could be scanned at a kiosk, or they could be given a QR code to photograph with their smartphone to pull the film back up at the airport. Either way, a method like this would be necessary, as buying the rights to view a film twice when the first viewing was interrupted would be something most consumers wouldn't tolerate.

Additionally, a way of tracking one's progress in a film and transferring it would be handy for those with connecting flights. Pausing a film and then being able to seamlessly resume it on the next flight would be remarkably simple, which quite frankly, would be a godsend considering how stressful making a connecting flight can be. Of course, there'd probably be instances where airlines wouldn't honor each others purchases, so this plan isn't full proof.

A third party were to do the legwork on making this a thing. That would at least encourage mass adoption across airlines, and resolve the headache of them having to directly interact with each other. It's a niche market, but surely there's enough demand for one company to do it well and usher in a brave new movie experience? I don't have a business degree, I just have ideas.

I also have a mild anxiety of flying that would be severely lessened by the fact I'd get a chance to see a new movie. As mentioned, the options on flights are sometimes pretty solid, so a move like this would merely be an upgrade to one of the nicest parts of a flying experience. That is, until VR on planes becomes a thing and I can simulate any other type of experience that isn't flying high in the sky.

Readers, would you pay the extra money on a flight for a first run film? Sound off in our poll, and hop down to the comments for any additional thoughts you may have. For more on things happening with theaters, check out one form of transportation that may be getting a unique viewing experience in the future.

Shazam! Star Zachary Levi Doesn’t Know What’s Next For The DC Hero

Shazam! Star Zachary Levi Doesn’t Know What’s Next For The DC Hero

What the hell did you guys do to Shazam!? Despite David F. Sandberg turning in a winning origin story for the teenage DC hero, one that mixed humor and horror with the right dash of family heart, Shazam! stalled out at the box office with $137 million domestically. I think Avengers: Endgame earned that much in a single day last week.

Shazam! didn’t exactly catch fire with audiences, which explains why the movie’s star, Zachary Levi, is unsure about the fate of a possible sequel. During a fan panel at Fan Expo Dallas, Levi was asked about a next chapter for Shazam, and he told the audience (via ComicBook.com):

I see him wherever my bosses tell me to take him. That's above my pay grade, bro. Like, literally, I ... And I'm totally fine with that, too. You know, I'm still being introduced to the character that I played and to the world that he inhabits. You know, there are Geoff Johns and Walter Hamada, and all the people at DC, who are very smart and very talented. And they are putting together, I think, some very cool things and journeys for all of these characters, Shazam included, Captain Marvel included.

That sounds like a textbook answer when an actor is asked a question about a sequel that might be in doubt. Shazam! isn’t posting the types of numbers that guarantee a follow-up story. Sure, it’s going better overseas, posting a grand total of $358 million. But it’s the lowest grossing film in the DCEU to date, sitting far below the disaster that is Justice League, so that’s not a vote of confidence in a Shazam! sequel, no matter how good the reviews were.

Which is disappointing, because almost everything in the DCEU is getting a sequel at this point. Jason Momoa recently proclaimed that the story for Aquaman 2 is locked. We’re waiting patiently for Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot to deliver Wonder Woman 1984. And James Gunn is about to deliver a second Suicide Squad.

There are even some very cool places that another Shazam! movie could go. The post-credits scene teased the arrival of Mister Mind and the Monster Society of Evil. And there have been plans to bring The Rock’s villain Black Adam into the fold for some time now. But if there isn’t a sequel, none of this will happen.

Maybe DC and Warner Bros. look at Shazam! as a successful soft launch for a character who didn’t exactly have household name recognition? The reviews were solid for the movie – it sits at 90% Fresh with critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with an 87% Fresh from audiences. And Levi largely got raves for his portrayal of the titular character.

We’ll see if a second Shazam! ever gets added to DC’s release slate, but for the time being, Levi himself seems to be in the dark. To stay up to date on all of the happenings in the DCEU, bookmark CinemaBlend’s DC Portal Page for this cinematic universe, and visit it often.

Yes, Disneyland Will Hand Out Bathroom Passes For People In Long Galaxy's Edge Lines

Yes, Disneyland Will Hand Out Bathroom Passes For People In Long Galaxy's Edge Lines

Disneyland is a place where we love in indulge ourselves. While buying food at Disneyland tends to get expensive, it's also incredibly good, and so whether you schedule reservations for dinner at the Napa Rose or just eat your weight in churros, food is as much a part of the Disneyland experience as anything. However, with Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge about to open, and insane lines expected from day one, guests might have been afraid to drink gallons of blue milk, so as not to have to worry about bathroom runs while standing in line for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. However, you won't need to choose because Disneyland will be providing bathroom passes for those in line at the new land.

It's also all the more important as Disneyland will apparently make snacks and drinks available for purchase to people standing in line. The queues for both new E-ticket attractions will also be designed with interesting things for guests to look at and interact with to keep guests' attention as a way to make the prolonged waits a little easier to deal with. Although, Disney has yet to reveal much about exactly what the queues will include. A collection of app based games that are only available while inside Galaxy's Edge will also be playable for guests to keep them busy while in line.

In actuality, according to People, hopping out of line to use the bathroom has always been an option at Disney Parks, though it's not something that the parks have made much a point to publicize. Still, it's good to know for sure that the option will be available when Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens, as it's likely to be even more important. Galaxy's Edge will be the first place the public can purchase alcohol at Disneyland, so the restrooms will probably be getting more a workout than ever before.

Star Wars; Galaxy's Edge is set to open at Disneyland in less than two months. The crowds might not be quite as insane on opening day as anticipated, because for the first three weeks after opening the land will require reservations to enter. Still, one certainly expects that nearly everybody who can get into the land will be making their way to the Millennium Falcon attraction first. The Rise of the Resistance attraction won't be available on opening day, which means the crowds won't even be broken up between the two attractions and the line for Smuggler's Run will be even longer than expected until the second attraction opens. That will happen later this year, though an exact date is unknown.

So the good news is you can drink as much blue or green milk as you want an you won't need to worry about losing your place in line. Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens at Disneyland May 31  and at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World August 29.

Pet Sematary’s Director Says The Cats Were A ‘Pack Of Divas’

Pet Sematary’s Director Says The Cats Were A ‘Pack Of Divas’

There's an old adage in Hollywood that you should never work with kids or animals. However, sometimes that's simply unavoidable. If you're making a movie called Pet Sematary, you're going to have an awfully hard time making it work without including a few pets. In the story, a cat called Church has a major role, and in the new remake of the Stephen King story, it turns out that, shockingly, the eight cats that were needed to fill the role were something of a pain to work with. Different cats were needed depending on exactly what director Dennis Widmyer needed the cat to do, and every time, the cat needed to go through its "process" before performing like it was some kind of diva. According to Widmyer...

But these cats, they were able to train them and every cat had a different specialty. There was the cat that could hiss, the cat that could jump, the cat that could stare… They were like this pack of divas on set. You know, the cat would get on set and have to get acclimated, so all the actors would have to shut up and just kind of let the cat sniff everything for like ten minutes. So, we just sat there, and watched the cat.

Cats are not exactly known for their ability to be trained, and if you've ever owned one, you probably know exactly what that's like. It turns out that it is possible to train a cat, though apparently you can't train them to do more than one thing. Pet Sematary had to find eight identical cats in order to get Church to do everything he needed to do in the movie.

However, just because these cats were trained, doesn't mean they weren't normal cats. Put a cat in a new environment and they're going to explore, sniff, and rub up against anything it can get near. This is especially true if it's a place where other cats have been. One can imagine the crew bringing in one cat for a scene, waiting for it to rub up against every piece of furniture, filming the shot, then switching cats because another ability is needed, and the entire process repeats itself.

Of course, while it can be incredibly frustrating to put up with "diva" behavior from people, for some reason most of us are perfectly ok with it coming from our pets. As Dennis Widmyer describes this behavior to EW, none of this was beyond what all of us who have cats deal with on a daily basis. Most of us get to just ignore them. When you need them to stop marking the sofa and get on their mark, I suppose that can be a lot more annoying.

John Wick 3: Is There More To That Ending Twist Than Meets The Eye?

John Wick 3: Is There More To That Ending Twist Than Meets The Eye?

It goes without saying, but there are SPOILERS for John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum ahead!

Following immediately after the events of John Wick: Chapter 2, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum saw Keanu Reeves’ character without access to nearly all of his underworld resources and on the run from assassins after the $14 million bounty on his head. John had few opportunities to catch his breath during the movie, and as per usual, whether he was in New York or Morocco, he left a trail of bodies in his wake. He even chopped off his ring finger to prove his commitment to The Elder, although that didn’t last long.

But arguably the biggest shock in John Wick: Chapter 3 was after the shootout at the New York Continental had concluded and manager Winston, played by Ian McShane, offered penance to The High Table. In order to stay in the organization’s good graces, Winston shot John until he fell off the roof of The Continental. Luckily for John, he was retrieved by The Tick Tock Man and delivered to The Bowery King underground, and both of them are pretty “pissed off” at The High Table now.

This laid the groundwork for what’s to come in 2021’s John Wick: Chapter 4, but one thing isn’t fully resolved when John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum ends is Winston’s true allegiances. Did he really screw over John or did he merely pretend to in order to secure John’s safety? That’s what we’re here to hash out.

Did Winston Truly Betray John Wick?

The world of John Wick is a dangerous place, and only the toughest and most ruthless end up on top. Clearly Winston fits that criteria and has done well for himself if he’s mangling the New York branch of The Continental.

It’s highly unlikely that The High Table would give that job to just anyone, and Winston mentions he’s been of loyal service for over 40 years. Clearly looking after this “kingdom,” as he refers to it to Santino D’Antonio in John Wick: Chapter 2, means a lot to him.

Winston has been John Wick’s most frequent ally since the first movie, whether it’s by offering simple guidance, passing along important information or even labeling John as excommunicado rather than having him executed. However, regarding that latter one and the following battle at the Continental, Winston declared that this had all been a show of strength, indicating that he wasn’t so much interested in helping John, but wanted to show The High Table he’s still not to be trifled with.

Even if Winston is more fond of John Wick than most people in this colorful underworld, he might not be willing to risk this friendship if it means losing The Continental. So when it came down to choosing one or the other, he chose keeping control of his hotel, and that meant John had to go. And even though Winston, Charon and The Adjudicator know that John’s body is now gone, with The High Table backing him, Winston should have plenty of backup if/when John comes back to his doorstep.

Now for the alternative theory.

Did Winston Actually Help John Wick?

We’ve already been over how Winston is fond of John Wick, so there’s no need to explore that again as evidence that he didn’t truly want John to die. Fortunately, there are a few other tidbits of information that support this idea.

For one thing, Winston could easily eliminated John by shooting him in the head, but instead he shot him several times where he was protected by his bulletproof suit. Of course, then John fell off a building, and in the real world, all that would result in immediate death. But this is John Wick we’re talking about; the man can survive anything that would put any mere mortal down for good.

Let’s also not forget that after John Wick fell off the roof, Charon looked down and uttered “Well played.” He could be referring to how Winston suddenly betrayed John to cover his ass, or he might have been referring to how Winston cleverly (and violently) got John out of that messiness.

Plus, when The Adjudicator came back into The Continental to inform Winston that John’s body was missing, Winston was remarkably unfazed. With how well he knows John, if Winston had truly betrayed John, you’d think he’d at least a little visibly worried about him showing back up to exact vengeance.

Finally, one of the first official John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum pictures that was released showed Winston and The Bowery King together atop the latter’s roof, as seen above. Those two never shared screen time in the movie, so clearly this was part of a cut scene.

Considering that both Winston and The Bowery King were both being targeted by The High Table for helping John in Chapter 2, it’s plausible that before Bowery King was cut up, he and Winston met and formulated a plan to get John out of trouble when the time came that The High Table wanted him gone once and for all, hence why Tick Tock Man was on site to retrieve John after he fell of the building.

The Verdict

The ending of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is reminiscent of the Thor: Ragnarok scene when Loki passes by the Tesseract in the Asgardian vault on his way to retrieve the Crown of Surtur. We didn’t see the God of Mischief take the cube-encased Space Stone, but we logically assumed that he did, and sure enough, it was confirmed at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War he had snatched it. I suspect we’re dealing with a similar situation regarding Winston and what he did to John.

Going off the evidence available so far, it appears more likely that Winston was trying to help John rather than betray him, but because they were being closely watched, he couldn’t clue John in on what was going to happen. As things stand now, John is under the impression that Winston is no longer on his side, and since he’s pretty angry, you can easily imagine him coming for Winston’s head when the opportunity arises.

Given The Bowery King’s his flair for theatricality, you can bet this is a man who thrives on drama. But hopefully, if Bowery King and Winston are in cahoots, he’ll table that love and form John about this secret alliance as soon as possible.

That said, even though Winston has, at least on the surface, buried the hatchet with The High Table, you can bet those crime lords will still be watching him closely. So when the time comes that John, Bowery King and their allies finally wage open war against The High Table, it’ll be incredibly difficult, if not just impossible, for Winston to assist them.

It’s also worth mentioning that whether Winston really screwed over John or not, it might not matter either way. At the end of John Wick: Chapter 2, Winston gave John a marker for “down the road,” and along with not conducting business on Continental grounds (unless it’s been deconsecrated), the other main rule among these criminals is that a Marker must always be honored.

Winston may find himself in a position in Chapter 4 where he and John are face to face with each other again, and John gives the Marker back to him, meaning that no matter what, Winston will have to go along with whatever John asks of him or face the consequences. Fortunately, if Winston is still on John’s side, he’ll almost certainly be willing to fulfill this request purely out of respect.

We’ll find out for sure what’s going on when John Wick: Chapter 4 is released in theaters on May 21, 2021. For now, find out what’s arriving in theaters later this year with our 2019 release schedule.