Why Pet Sematary Went With That Ending, According To The Filmmakers

Why Pet Sematary Went With That Ending, According To The Filmmakers

SPOILER WARNING: Major spoilers for the ending of Pet Sematary are in this post! Come back after seeing the 2019 movie, unless you have no plans to see it, in which case read on.

Fans of Stephen King and horror films were treated to Pet Sematary this weekend, which adapts the famed author's most grim and depressing novel. There's already been a lot of discussion over the changes the film made from the book, but the biggest change is definitely its ending. For book readers, it's basically an entirely different ending from the source material, and while I'm sure that fans will be debating whether or not it was for the better, the film's directors have their reasons for making the change.

Okay, big spoilers coming up right now. Last chance to turn away.

Pet Sematary follows the Creed Family, who move to Maine and discover that a cursed Indian burial in the woods behind their house can resurrect the dead. Those brought back are usually pretty murder-y. In the film, 9-year old Ellie Creed is run over by a speeding truck. In his grief, her father Louis buries her behind the pet cemetery, and she basically returns as a murderous demon.

In the books, the resurrected child is 2-year-old Gage, who kills his mother, Rachel, and is put down by Louis, who goes insane and decides to bury Rachel in the woods hoping it'll be better this time. However, in the movie, both Rachel and Louis are killed and resurrected by Ellie, and they become a demon zombie family, with little Gage appearing to be next in line.

That's a significant change, and co-director Kevin Kölsch told Collider that the ending changed organically during filmmaking and it wasn't a change they initially set out to make.

It wasn’t necessarily an idea like, ‘We have to change the ending.’ It was just sort of other things changed within the movie. We changed it from Gage to Ellie, then obviously Ellie then being this character that could now have the awareness to know what’s going on with her and to have conversations about it. It changed the scenes afterward.

There were multiple different versions of the ending that were written and a couple of them were shot. One of them was the original ending in the books, and when they showed both endings to test audiences, the new one got the best response, according to producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura.

A lot of times with endings, you kind of just let the audience tell you what they’re feeling. We got to screen both of them to people and it just seemed like audiences really responded to that one.

In fact, the filmmakers had three different ideas that were ranked by darkness and they ended up picking the darkest one. They never intended for Pet Sematary to have a happy ending, and screenwriter Jeff Buhler said it gave the film an extra punch.

It felt right to have an ending that had a little punch to it and was kind of a wink. Like, ‘We’re in a horror movie people, it’s Friday night, you’re out with your friends, have some fun.'

If you are reading this, you've hopefully already seen Pet Sematary, so share in the comments below what you thought of the ending and if it was better than the book.

Oscar Isaac Says Episode IX Will Be A Fulfilling End To The Skywalker Saga

Oscar Isaac Says Episode IX Will Be A Fulfilling End To The Skywalker Saga

It was only a little over three years ago that the Star Wars franchise returned to the big screen with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but already we’re nearing the end of another era. Along with being the last chapter of the sequel trilogy, Star Wars: Episode IX will also be the final installment of the Skywalker saga that began with A New Hope all the way back in 1977. So obviously a lot is riding on Episode IX to deliver a satisfying conclusion to this corner of the Star Wars universe, and according to Oscar Isaac, the movie succeeds in that regard. In his words:

It is the end of the entire Skywalker saga. Nine stories. This is the culmination of the entire thing. What J.J. has done, and the entire Lucasfilm team, is incredibly fulfilling. It’s also special for us because you get to learn a lot more things about these characters.

In typical Star Wars fashion, Oscar Isaac is unable to talk specifically about what to expect from Star Wars: Episode IX, but during his visit to Today (via Indiewire), he promised that it will be a wonderful wrap-up to the saga we’ve watched unfold on-and-off over the last four decades. Along with hyping up Episode IX even more, Oscar Isaac has also made it clear in recent months that he had a blast shooting the movie, calling it a “looser” production compared to The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, and that audiences will be “blown away.”

Since Star Wars: Episode IX is the final tale in the Skywalker Saga, one would imagine there will be callbacks to the original and prequel trilogies. While it remains to be seen how the prequels will factor in, the original trilogy will at least get some representation through Mark Hamill reprising Luke Skywalker (presumably as a Force ghost), Anthony Daniels reprising C-3PO and Billy Dee Williams finally returning to play Lando Calrissian on camera, though he did voice the character a few years back in Star Wars Rebels. Unused footage of Carrie Fisher in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi will also allow for Leia Organa to have a presence in the movie.

That said, the current Star Wars trilogy has been following a new generation of main characters, so it’s good to hear Episode IX will be revealing more about them. The Star Wars media empire is vast, so no doubt we’ll see Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron and plenty of other characters introduced during the sequel trilogy in more novels, comic books and video games in years to come. But for all we know, Episode IX could be the last time we see any of them on screen again, as the franchise looking to go in new directions with the Rian Johnson trilogy and the film series being worked on by Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. It’s possible that a few decades down the line, we could see this particular gang again, just like how Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford returned, but for now, Episode IX is set to be their last cinematic appearances.

All we know for certain about Star Wars: Episode IX so far is that it will be set one year after the events of The Last Jedi. That movie ended with nearly all of The Resistance being wiped out, but thanks to Luke Skywalker’s sacrifice, the survivors were able to escape Crait and start rebuilding its numbers. However, Oscar Isaac said that that rather than become a massive force able to take on The First Order, the Resistance members in Episode IX operate as guerrilla fighters, so it won’t be easy for them to achieve victory once and for all.

Star Wars: Episode IX hits theaters on December 20, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more details about the highly-anticipated movie. Don’t forget to look through our 2019 release schedule to learn what other major motion pictures are coming out later this year.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids Is Getting A Reboot

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids Is Getting A Reboot

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Looks Like The Wachowskis Are Working On The Matrix 4

Looks Like The Wachowskis Are Working On The Matrix 4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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