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Category: News

  • New ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ BTS Book Offers Insight Into Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy’s Ongoing Feud

    New ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ BTS Book Offers Insight Into Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy’s Ongoing Feud

    Vanity Fair has shared a look into Kyle Buchanan‘s new book Blood, Sweat & Chrome, which explores the troubled production behind Mad Max: Fury Road. There’s a lot we don’t find out about until many years later when people start discussing the ins and outs of working with different talent and the troubles they face. The new book on Fury Road revealed that there was an ongoing war between Charlize Theron, who played Furiosa, and Tom Hardy, who took on the role of the titular Max. We’ve long wondered what may have happened to a potential sequel, but it looks like working on the film wasn’t a lot of fun for everyone involved.

    In the interviews, it seems that there was quite a bit of tension between the two. Hardy gets described as “very provocative” that didn’t mix well with Theron‘s general approach. The animosity already was there during pre-production which carried over into the actual shooting of the film, where it even hit a boiling point even if they believe it may have added to the overall experience that fit the film’s core narrative. As director George Miller pointed out:

    The story is all about self-preservation: If it’s an advantage to you to kill another character, then you should do it and you don’t think twice about it. I think that crept into the actors.

    George Miller

    The excerpt of the book includes one specific storyline when Theron arrived on set in time and was ready to shoot, but Hardy was nowhere to be seen. She arrived on set and got into the War Rig waiting for him. She was so annoyed by his behavior, she actually spent around three hours, sitting in the vehicle with make-up and in full costume before he took his time to show up on set. That day, it seems it led to a full confrontation as she cussed him out for his behavior. She even highlighted that she didn’t “feel safe” on set.

    It’s very fascinating to learn just how different these two actors were and how this project ended up forcing both into a situation where their worlds seemingly collided. While the film has become a cult classic, it might not be easy to look at it the same way as before knowing just how much animosity was hiding behind the scenes. Yet, as Miller pointed it, it may have ironically added a bizarre heightened reality to the experience.

    Source: Vanity Fair

  • Ian McDiarmid Teases Potential Return of Emperor Palpatine in ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’

    Ian McDiarmid Teases Potential Return of Emperor Palpatine in ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’

    Now that The Book of Boba Fett came to an end, all eyes are already on Obi-Wan Kenobi to continue the momentum and offer us more from the Star Wars universe. We already know that Ewan McGregor‘s Obi-Wan will once again face off against Darth Vader with Hayden Christensen taking on the role again. The best part is he’s even set to return in Ahsoka. Yet, it looks like he’s not the only veteran who could be making a return in the upcoming film.

    Reddit’s master sleuth u/drewton found a Weekend Extra article from last September, where Hugh Montgomery got a chance to interview the former Emperor Palpatine, Ian McDiarmid. In it, he seemingly teased that there might be a chance that he could also make a return in some capacity. He calls out Obi-Wan Kenobi explicitly to hint at a potential return in the iconic role, while also taking a jab at his encounter with Rey.

    I think I have to accept that, thanks to my ungrateful granddaughter, my annihilation was finally final. [But] Of course, [Darth] Vader is back in the new [Obi-Wan Kenobi] television series, so I suppose it’s not impossible that one day his mentor might be discovered once again skulking in the shadows

    Ian McDiarmid

    As the story takes place before A New Hope, it would make sense for the Emperor to make his return. We haven’t gotten a chance to explore his role after taking over and if Vader is just around the corner, he’s probably not too far off. If he makes a return, they hopefully focus on his relationship with Vader, who just recently became the machine he is today. Plus, we may get to explore the inner turmoil he may have to do the bidding of the man that pushed him to the dark side.

    Source: Weekend Extra via Reddit

  • New ‘The Flash’ Stunt Crew Shirt May Tease Movie’s Villain

    New ‘The Flash’ Stunt Crew Shirt May Tease Movie’s Villain

    Possibly one of the more interesting films this year is the first solo outing of The Flash. It’s crazy to think he still hasn’t gotten his own film after countless appearances throughout the DC Extended Universe. We don’t know a lot about the film officially but there have been countless rumors since it started production. The biggest question still remains who Barry Allen will face in the upcoming film, but it seems a crew wrap gift could hint at just who that could be.

    A member of the stunt crew from The Flash recently revealed the wrap gifts the crew members got and it features an interesting detail. Alongside Supergirl and Batman, you can clearly see the silhouette of the Flash. Yet, what makes this a bit of a head-scratcher is that the character is sporting a red lightning bolt with black tendrils crawling on his body. Their design seems to match what we saw from the Negative Flash, an incarnation of Barry Allen that recently appeared after being stuck in the Negative Speed Force.

    A while back, it was reported by The Direct that Barry Allen might face a darker version of himself in the film. We would later see photos of Ezra Miller filming on set with someone who would turn out to be a stand-in to play a second Barry Allen. He’s seen wearing a Flash painted Batsuit in the teaser from DC FanDome. It seems possible that maybe this Flash could be the one to turn into Negative Flash after accidentally tapping into the Negative Speed Force.

    The Flash is set to hit theaters on November 4th, 2022, and will star Ezra Miller with the film being directed by Andy Muschietti.

    Source: Instagram

  • ‘White Lotus’ Star Fred Hechinger Joins Sony’s ‘Kraven the Hunter’

    ‘White Lotus’ Star Fred Hechinger Joins Sony’s ‘Kraven the Hunter’

    As Sony pushes ahead with its universe of Spider-Man characters, Kraven the Hunter is next in line. The film, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kraven, is set to begin production this month and has been filing out the rest of the cast. Today, a trade report indicates that they’ve cast another key role.

    According to Deadline, actor Fred Hechinger, who rose to fame for his role in the HBO series White Lotus, has joined the cast of Kraven the Hunter as Dmitri Smerdyakov, the half-brother of Kraven and better known as the Spider-Man villian the Chameleon. Hechinger joins Taylor-Johnson and Russell Crowe, who was reportedly cast as the father of the two half-brothers, in the film.

    Chameleon, whose involvement in the film was first reported last summer by the Illuminderi, shares a father with Kraven in the comics, but as the bastard son of a servant of the family, was never treated as an equal to his brother. From a young age, he trained as a spy and became a master of disguise and, eventually, joined his brother as a partner in crime. According to the Illuminerdi’s report, Chameleon will serve as one of the antagonists in Kraven the Hunter.

    Kraven the Hunter, directed by J.C. Chandor, is currently set to hit theaters on January 13th, 2023.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Game Did Not Meet Square-Enix’s Sales Expectations

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Game Did Not Meet Square-Enix’s Sales Expectations

    Well, this story sounds familiar. Square-Enix has revealed in its earnings report that Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy from Eidos Montréal has fallen short of its sales expectations. Some might recall, there was a similar issue with the launch of Marvel’s Avengers back in 2019. There’s a curious trend with Square’s Western produced releases facing some curious sales issues, especially if you look back to the Tomb Raider franchise that is now under their Western production houses.

    Also, similar to with Avengers back in the day, they are positive that the game will manage to make up for its low early sales at a later point. IT’s only drawback is that it isn’t a Games-as-a-Service model, which helped support Crystal Dynamic’s Marvel venture to continue growing since its initial launch. The report, as shared by VG Chartz is as followed:

    The HD Games sub-segment launched Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy in Q3. Despite strong reviews, the game’s sales on launch undershot our initial expectations. However, sales initiatives that we kicked off in November 2021 and continued into the new year have resulted in sales growth, and we intend to work to continue to expand sales to make up for the title’s slow start.

    Sadly, it really seems like Square-Enix has a problem marketing its projects effectively, especially when it comes to their Western productions. They are still synonymous with Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and so much more. Yet, one of the biggest brands in the world is struggling under their umbrella while Insomniac’s games seem to strive. Of course, Spider-Man is a very different beast from a marketing standpoint but it is still curious. There’s also the issue that Square constantly overpredicts its sales, as in 2013 alone three of their Western productions sold far below their expectations. We’ll see if we hear more and get an announcement on a potential sequel in the near future.

    Source: VG Chartz, EuroGamer

  • Regina King Almost Directed an Episode of ‘Luke Cage’

    Regina King Almost Directed an Episode of ‘Luke Cage’

    Looking back at any series or film, it’s sometimes the things that didn’t end up happening that catch our curiosity the most. Cheo Hodari Coker, the showrunner of Netflix’s Luke Cage series, has taken to Twitter to share some memories from bringing the cultural landmark to life. Not only did he reveal that Iron Fist was originally going to film before their project did, it seems that they also had plans for Regina King to tackle an episode. Sadly, it seems that he was outvoted on her inclusion. Sadly, it didn’t happen but that didn’t stop the actress from leaving quite an impression, especially with her directorial work on One Night in Miami… back in 2020.

    From the sound of it, she would’ve joined Lucy Liu, who was also a fantastic get for the project, in its second season. Besides the already mentioned film, King has also been known for her work on pürojects like the animated The Boondocks series, The Strain, and taking on the main role for Watchmen. She also sat behind the director’s chair for projects like This is Us, Scandal, and more. Her directorial debut also led to her becoming the second African-American woman to get nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Director. She is certainly on the radar for a new project, and we’ll see if Marvel Studios may make up for the fact the Netflix series missed out on her.

    Source: Twitter

  • Netflix’s ‘Luke Cage’ Originally Was Set to Film After ‘Iron Fist’

    Netflix’s ‘Luke Cage’ Originally Was Set to Film After ‘Iron Fist’

    Here’s an interesting reveal, it seems that Netflix’s Luke Cage series was originally going to film after Iron Fist. As all Marvel series are about to leave the platform in a week, showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker used the chance to revisit the cultural landmark series and shared some details from behind the scenes. Among the many astounding insights into what was cut or added into the project, Coker revealed that Luke Cage was originally going to shoot much later and it was due to his inspiration to write up a draft for the series’ bible after a spark of inspiration.

    It’s always incredible to think about what one spark of inspiration can do to a project. Here’s hoping we get to see that bible one day, and learn more about what rules the project set itself to bring the character to life. Here’s hoping that Coker may have a chance to return to the character and continue his story through Marvel Studios. These cultural storylines are even more important as the franchise continues to explore different corners, and it makes you hope Mike Colter’s take on the character gets a chance to interact with Sam Wilson. There’s a lot to explore here and hopefully, we’ll find out more soon.

    Source: Twitter

  • Sebastian Stan Didn’t Think He’d Return as Bucky After ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’

    Sebastian Stan Didn’t Think He’d Return as Bucky After ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’

    There’s such an abundance of superhero projects, it seems unlikely that they would ever come to an end. Yet, that wasn’t the case around ten years ago when the first Marvel Cinematic Universe projects found their way into cinemas. It wasn’t until Avengers in 2012 that cemented the production company and the genre into the landscape of financial security. Sebastian Stan, who famously plays Bucky and the Winter Soldier, certainly did not expect to tackle the role for as long as he has. As he reveals in an interview with Vanity Fair:

    I certainly did not know that I would be playing the role for 10 years. I remember going in for the Steve Rogers role and not getting it. And then being told about this role and where it could go. But it didn’t seem like there was any commitment, really

    Sebastian Stan

    Many of us probably would’ve never guessed that the films would become such juggernauts at the box office that we’d get stories like Ant-Man or the Guardians of the Galaxy on the silver screen. Stan reveals that he actually thought the scene wouldn’t get followed up because they took away the one thing that would’ve teased his future in the MCU.

    I knew at the end of the story, I was going to fall off this train, and then I was going to be given this green sleeve. That was the only indication I had that I could potentially be coming back. But no one said anything to me. Then, on the day we were shooting that scene, they were like, ‘Yeah, we’re not going to be doing that green sleeve.’ And I just thought, ‘Oh. That’s it. I’m just going to die on that train. There’s no coming back.’ But they just didn’t know what arm they were going to use or something, and it kept going from there

    It’s weird to think they took away the sleeve at the last second. Perhaps they deemed it too violent with the poor guy getting his entire arm ripped off. It may have also been too obvious later on once he made his return in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Of course, the fact they didn’t know which arm they were going to use is also funny and makes sense as they’d want to avoid forcing themselves into a corner. It’s great to hear his thoughts and look back at where the franchise was.

    You can check out his recap of his career right here:

    Source: Vanity Fair via The Hollywood Reporter

  • EXCLUSIVE: ‘Fast and Furious 10’ Eyeing April Production Start

    EXCLUSIVE: ‘Fast and Furious 10’ Eyeing April Production Start

    Just recently, Vin Diesel took to Instagram to tease that the production start for their first of the final two Fast and Furious films is just “minutes away.” Initially, it was going to release in January, but it’s not uncommon for productions to face some kind of delay nowadays. We can exclusively share that Fast 10 is now eyeing a production start by mid or late April in the United Kingdom.

    Justin Lin’s will take on the final two films in the series back-to-back. So, technically they will jump into production on the eleventh and final entry once they wrap up on the tenth Fast and Furious entry. The film is currently still casting two roles for the film, as they are looking to cast two twin boys of the age of seven to nine years of Afro-Latino or mixed-race. It seems that they will have an essential role in the story.

    The Vin Diesel-led franchise started back in 2001. What started as this story about illegal street racing turned into an action-packed thrill ride for many viewers. Now, the series includes multiple spinoffs like Netflix’s Spy Racers series or the film focused on Hobbs & Shaw. There also was the video game that was announced with a lot of hype during the Video Game Awards, but sadly couldn’t live up to expectations. While the upcoming two entries might end the Fast Saga as we know it, there is no stopping this nitro-fueled franchise from running out of gas.

  • New ‘Secret Invasion’ Set Photos Offer First Glimpse at a Skrull and Teases Underwater Scene

    New ‘Secret Invasion’ Set Photos Offer First Glimpse at a Skrull and Teases Underwater Scene

    Production on the upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion is well underway, as filming in Halifax, UK continues to give us glimpses of the secretive series. Now, Reddit user u/crampedcaves345 has shared even more photos from the set in Halifax. While the original post has been taken down, the photos have found their way on Twitter offering our first glimpse at a Skrull and various filming locations:

    One image shows a behind-the-scenes look at an actor playing a Skrull. This is probably our first look at someone in the full make-up since the production started, as even in the initial set photos we got everyone was human. Of course, the shot from behind doesn’t give away who the Skrull might be or even offer an indication of it being someone we know. One photo shows a pummeled law enforcement vehicle, while others tease different locations and sets for the series, as one looks to be an underwater stage set while another seems to be a jungle or forest.

    The underwater pool is quite curious, as it makes you wonder if it might be for a post-credit sequence or the Skrulls have even invaded Atlantis, which will supposedly make its first appearance in the MCU during Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. There’s also the chance that someone might just crash into the water. For now, all we can do is speculate. Other leaked photos and videos recently have given us some looks at characters played by Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Emilia Clarke, and Ben Mendelsohn, among others. It seems like Secret Invasion might be getting less secret by the day.

    Source: Reddit via Twitter