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  • New ‘Joker 2’ Set Photo Hints at Another Member of Batman Rogue’s Gallery

    New ‘Joker 2’ Set Photo Hints at Another Member of Batman Rogue’s Gallery

    It seems like quite a few set photos are finding their way online from the set of Joker: Folie á Deux. The big reveal came in the form of our very first look at what Lady Gaga‘s take on Harley Quinn looks like. It’s definitely as grounded as you’d expect from the Joker franchise with her mostly having the iconic design from the original on her shirt and the red jacket. It’s definitely a departure from her original design but not too far off from what we see her wear in recent iterations.

    However, that isn’t the only thing that is revealed in this new batch of set photos, as The Hollywood Handle has unveiled one more that includes a reference to another member of Batman’s iconic rogue’s gallery. If you look closely, one of the signs states “Dent is the Clown” in a protest to allow Joaquin Phoenix‘s Arthur Fleck out of prison. Of course, if the name Dent is used in correlation with the law, it can only mean one thing: Harvey Dent a.k.a. Two-Face exists in this timeline.

    Now, it might not actually be in reference to Harvey Dent but perhaps his father. Bruce Wayne is quite young in this timeline, which would make it strange that a character that commonly is teased as a close friend is quite a bit older than him. Though it’s not entirely impossible that they just take this direction and have most of Batman’s rogue’s gallery exist as he was growing up and shape him similarly to Gotham‘s approach.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘John Wick 4’ Eyeing $70M+ Opening as ‘Shazam 2’ Faces Harsh Drop

    ‘John Wick 4’ Eyeing $70M+ Opening as ‘Shazam 2’ Faces Harsh Drop

    We have another strong opening for a smaller budgeted project, as John Wick Chapter 4 is definitely heading for a strong $70M+ opening. It pulled in a strong $29.4M over Friday night including Thursday previews. As such, it is currently on track to $70.6M but strong word-of-mouth might even push it further. It seems that a strong push is through IMAX, PLF, and 4DX locations with over a third being from those types of theatrical experiences. It’s also showing a strong 93% PostTrak with a higher recommendation rate than even its predecessor John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.

    The target audience here remains men over 25, which made up around 48% of its viewership, highlighting their strong showing in theaters remains what is keeping the medium afloat and matches with previous record-breaking releases. Currently, the problem still remains with younger and family audiences that aren’t quite where they were pre-pandemic times, as they could’ve made a difference for more family-oriented offerings like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and even the recently released Shazam: Fury of the Gods.

    Speaking of, the Shazam sequel pulled in $2.35M on its second Friday, which is a strong 80% drop. As such, the film is expected to pull in $8.6M over the weekend. That is a 71% drop from its initial release which isn’t something a film wants with a $30M opening. To put that into perspective, that is a harsher drop than even Ant-Man 3, which at least had a $106M opening on its back to balance it out somewhat. At this rate, Shazam might not even pass $200M worldwide which it would need to break even on its production budget. FAmily-friendly superhero offerings might be suffering the most at the moment.

    Source: Deadline, The Numbers

  • Leaked Set Photos of ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Provide First Look at Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn

    Leaked Set Photos of ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Provide First Look at Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn

    Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to 2019’s megahit, Joker, has been in production for some time and quite a few interesting photos and videos have leaked from the set. Lady Gaga, who joined the cast as Harleen Quinzel, has been captured on set a few times but not as her alter ego, Harley Quinn…until now.

    A new batch of photos and a video show Lady Gaga in her full, spectacular Harley Quinn look accompanied by a whole bunch of Gotham’s finest.

    A set video shows the character being escorted through a rowdy crowd, many of whom seem to be there rallying in support of the Joker.

    Given that several of the members of the crowd are either in Joker masks or full Joker makeup, not to mention the sign someone made asking Joker to marry them, it would appear that Joaquin Phoenix‘s Arthur Fleck has become a cult hero in Gotham following the events of Joker. That film ended with Fleck in Arkham Asylum, where it’s expected he will meet Lady Gaga’s character. A recent video from the set of the film shows what is widely accepted as the asylum burning as the duo escapes.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CqIW5GDoaDy/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

    Joker: Folie à Deux, which will be a musical in parts, will be released at part of the new DC Studio’s Elseworlds banner on October 4, 2024.

  • BTS Photos from the Times Square Set of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ May Confirm Rumored Plot Point

    BTS Photos from the Times Square Set of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ May Confirm Rumored Plot Point

    As Daredevil: Born Again continues filming in and around New York City, set photos from the production continue to find their way online, treating fans with plenty of tidbits around which they can speculate. Nothing that’s made its way into the wild thus far has been incredibly spoilery but the latest behind-the-scenes look at the streaming project might be the most interesting yet. The new photos, captured at the Times Square set of the show, seem to confirm one of the longest-standing rumors about the plot of the show, so spoiler-sensitive fans should check out these great pictures of Charlie Cox walking instead.

    In what appears to be a scene ripped right from the pages of 2017’s Daredevil #595, a New Year’s Eve celebration, sponsored by the Pym van Dyne Foundation, seems to be doubling as either a rally or celebration of Wilson Fisk’s mayoral campaign.

    While the majority of the paraphernalia seen at the event bears the Pym van Dyne Foundation logo, a foam fist with “FISK” printed across it can clearly be seen. The Mayor Fisk arc, written by Charles Soule over the course of Daredevil #595-600, see Fisk become Mayor of New York City and launch a crusade against the city’s vigilantes.

    Though no shots have been shared online yet, it’s possible that Vincent D’Onofrio made his way on set last night. While the presence of the Pym van Dyne Foundation merch in the photos may seem like innocuous shared universe minutia, it’s worth pointing out that one of the most interesting fan theories about Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania posit that when the Ant-Family emerges from their adventure in the Quantum Realm, they do so into an alternate universe. That theory may be pretty spot on (Quantumania writer Jeff Loveness indicated it’s “not too far off”) and could open a whole world of possibilities for any project set within that alternate universe, such as explaining how a character like Fisk, who was incarcerated in the Netflix Daredevil series, could end up as Mayor of New York City.

    A previous batch of photos from the Harlem set of Daredevil: Born Again indicated that the series will be visiting a young Wilson Fisk in the 1970s. The Netflix Daredevil series established the childhood trauma of Fisk incredibly well; so well, in fact, one would be excused for wondering why they’d need to revisit it again. However, if it were to establish that this Fisk is one who lives in the same alternate universe the Ant-Family may have entered into. Star Charlie Cox has stated that the new project will offer the opportunity for portions of the characters’ stories told on Netflix to be revisited and retold and perhaps this alternate universe theory could help explain why.

  • Victoria Alonso’s Lawyer Strikes Back, Claims She Was “Silenced” by Disney

    Victoria Alonso’s Lawyer Strikes Back, Claims She Was “Silenced” by Disney

    The story surrounding Victoria Alonso‘s departure from Marvel Studios is starting to take on quite a messy direction. At first, there were claims that she was a kingmaker that wrecked the studio’s relationship with various VFX agencies. Then, a report arrived that she was fired due to her involvement with Argentina, 1985 after being repeatedly told that it is in breach of her contract with Disney.

    Now, the story is getting her lawyer involved, who has openly struck back at the statements and even put up some rather scathing statements in regard to her sudden cancelation. Patty Glaser claims that Alonso has been “silenced” by Disney but only hints that a revelation to this claim will follow in some form or another.

    The idea that Victoria was fired over a handful of press interviews relating to a personal passion project about human rights and democracy that was nominated for an Oscar and which she got Disney’s blessing to work on is absolutely ridiculous. Victoria, a gay Latina who had the courage to criticize Disney, was silenced. Then she was terminated when she refused to do something she believed was reprehensible. Disney and Marvel made a really poor decision that will have serious consequences. There is a lot more to this story and Victoria will be telling it shortly—in one forum or another.

    Patty Glaseer

    The claim may be in reference to a statement she made towards Bob Chapek during 2022 GLAAD awards after the Florida “Don’t Say Gay” bill incident. Though that wouldn’t make sense given that she was fired under Bob Iger‘s leadership rather than that of Chapek, who even Disney ousted due to the way things have been going as of late. Supposedly, she was no longer allowed to do press for any Marvel projects.

    At this point, stories aren’t quite adding up and it’s becoming a “he said, she said” storyline. The report surrounding Argentina, 1985 wasn’t an official statement but a report from Hollywood Reporter. So, the lawyer antagonizing Disney in reaction to that story is certainly a curious reaction. Whatever these consequences may be, we’ll have to see what exactly it might mean for everyone involved.

    Source: Variety

  • Laurence Fishburne Confirms His MCU Return in ‘What If…?’

    Laurence Fishburne Confirms His MCU Return in ‘What If…?’

    Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania skipped out on a few of its iconic characters introduced throughout the first two entries. Sadly, we will have to wait a bit longer to see Laurence Fishburne return as Bill Foster once more, but it seems the wait might not be as long as we may have assumed.

    While promoting John Wick Chapter 4, the actor revealed in an interview with Brandon Pope TV that he voiced his character once again in the upcoming second season of What If…?. While he doesn’t give away any details, it’s great to know that we’ll get a bit more from the actor in the MCU sooner rather than later.

    We’ve wondered if we might see Bill Foster in Thunderbolts, as his adoptive daughter Ava Starr, better known as Ghost, is set to have a major role in the story. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to explore what has happened to the two of them after Ant-Man and the Wasp.

    Of course, there’s still a chance they might add him for a brief appearance or they’ll hint at what happened to the two after the events of that film. Who knows how they were affected by the Blip and if her involvement with the unlikely team is to protect him.

    Either way, it’s great to know that the second season of What If…? will feature another familiar face and we’ll get our first look at an animated Laurence Fishburne. He’s always been an actor who had a great time and perhaps he’ll get to do something a little crazy like finally become Giant Man in the animated spinoff.

    Source: Twitter

  • New Details on Victoria Alonso’s Marvel Studios Exit Emerge

    New Details on Victoria Alonso’s Marvel Studios Exit Emerge

    To say Victoria Alonso suddenly leaving Marvel Studios was shocking is an understatement. She was a big part of the early days of the studio and while there are many stories making the rounds in regard to her handling of the Special Effects for various projects since she took over the role in 2019, it seems there’s a bit more to this story after all.

    In a new report by The Hollywood Reporter, they unveil that a big part of her exit was due to her work on the film Argentina, 1985. She was among eight producers for the international product that is distributed by Amazon. Yet, it seems she has breached her contract even after she was warned about her involvement which ended up leading to her contract termination. The breach is part of her 2018 contract that wouldn’t allow employees to work for competing studios.

    It seems she never asked for permission to get involved with Argentina, 1985. Though, IndieWire seemingly also reported that she had the okay on the project it’s uncertain how many elements are at play with veteran executives getting fired. It seems her Oscars appearance as a producer alongside director Santiago Mitre just added to the chaos.

    It seems that being busy with this project also had her distracted from her VFX job which was also hurting her reputation with recent reactions to the effects in the latest Marvel films, which was a general struggle for the industry after the pandemic. So, with its head distracted, it becomes hard to find a balance.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Michael Gandolfini Teases His ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Character

    Michael Gandolfini Teases His ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Character

    Michael Gandolfini has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in an undisclosed role for the Disney+ revival/sequel series Daredevil: Born Again. Even with the return of Vincent D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox, there will be something unique that’ll make it stand out from the previous iterations. Gandolfini‘s casting, for example, started a wave of rumors that he might be Wilson Fisk’s son in the upcoming series but in an interview with Collider, Gandolfini could only hint at one aspect of his character.

    I believe all I can say about my character is that my character is from Staten Island, and that’s about it.

    Michael Gandolfini

    While he can’t really divulge any details, Staten Island is certainly an interesting detail. It confirms that he’s a character that is from a New York City borough and might add just that little more weight to him potentially being connected to Fisk. Still, one thing is for sure: Gandolfini is excited to be part of this franchise.

    I mean, it’s incredible. It’s so, so exciting and daunting and everyone is so nice and so talented. I remember getting my first text from the producer, I was driving, and it said, ‘Welcome to the MCU!’ You see that and it just, like, hits you, you know? I teared up, and it’s just like, ‘Oh my God!’ I’m very grateful and lucky.

    Michael Gandolfini

    He also goes on to highlight that he’s “excited to be in Hell’s Kitchen” and we’ll see “the version of Daredevil” that we’ve come to love in the Netflix series not so long ago.

    I think people are going to really be excited to be in Hell’s Kitchen and see the version of Daredevil that everyone knows and loves, but now a part of this much bigger world where all of these other players are now in play, so it’s exciting.

    Michael Gandolfini

    Gandolfini‘s excitement is definitely infectious and it’ll be interesting to see who he is actually playing. If the rumors are true, there’s something interesting about getting to know Fisk through the eyes of his own son. We did meet his adoptive daughter in Alaqua Cox‘s Echo. So, who knows if there was a more sinister side to him that Echo was lucky to avoid.

    Source: Collider

  • ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Sequel Adds Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt and More

    ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Sequel Adds Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt and More

    It looks like the cast of the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel is continuing to grow, as they have now added Kumail Nanjiani of Eternals and Obi-Wan Kenobi fame, Patton Oswalt, comedian James Acaster, and Emily Alyn Lind. They will be joined by the previous cast which included Paul Rudd, McKenna Grace, Ernie Hudson, and Carrie Coon. The biggest new direction is that the franchise is returning not only to the New York City setting of the original, but will also feature the iconic Firehouse.

    Jason Reitman was responsible for directing Ghostbusters: Afterlife but has passed on that duty to Gil Kenan. Reitman is still involved with the project, as he’s the producer and co-writer alongside Kenan and Jason Blumenfeld. The film just recently started production and is on track for a December 2023 release. Fittingly, the production is working under the title “Firehouse” which was revealed by Reitman back in 2022 on Ghostbuster’s Day.

    There’s no word on who else might join just yet, but the cast is certainly full of some comedic talent, fitting given how the original used the comedic talents to offer an iconic cinematic experience. Afterlife continued that legacy and felt like the franchise truly returned to its roots. Now, they have an opportunity to fully dive into this modern take on the franchise while also revisiting some familiar locations in the process.

    Source: Deadline

  • Owen Wilson Reveals Timeframe for ‘Loki’ Season 2 Release

    Owen Wilson Reveals Timeframe for ‘Loki’ Season 2 Release

    The once robust 2023 slate of streaming projects for Marvel Studios seems to have been pared down significantly following Bob Iger’s return to Disney. At one point, 5 live-action series were expected to stream in 2023, along with a pair of animated series; however, according to a new trade report, that’s been “narrowed to three or four” with the others moving into “2024 or beyond.” Rumors have the first of those streaming series, Secret Invasion, set to launch in June which is significantly later than its original “Spring” release window. That means the other series, including Season 2 of Loki, have been pushed back as well though it looks like fans may not have to wait too much longer than originally expected.

    Before the big Disney slowdown, the second season of Loki was scheduled for a Summer 2023 release and according to star Owen Wilson, it might still make it despite all the delays. While discussing his appearance in the post-credits scene of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania in an interview with ET, Wilson said the streaming series should debut around the “end of summer.”

    I guess they have kind of a little shot of Tom Hiddleston and I and Jonathan Majors from Loki season two. And I think that’s coming out end of the summer or September.

    Owen Wilson

    The “end of summer of September” release of Loki Season 2 would also confirm the delay of Echo until late 2023, per showrunner Marion Dayre, as it seems totally inconceivable that Marvel Studios would roll out Secret Invasion, Echo and Loki Season 2 over the course of 3 months. As for what to expect from the second season, Wilson teases that the series is set to “get very wild” following the events of Loki Season 1 and Quantumania which have revealed a whole lot of Kangs out in the Multiverse, none of whom seem to be up to good things!

    Source: ET