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  • Patty Jenkins Clarifies the Status of ‘Rogue Squadron’

    Patty Jenkins Clarifies the Status of ‘Rogue Squadron’

    During Disney’s 2020 Investor Day presentation, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy announced that Patty Jenkins had signed on to direct Rogue Squadron. At the time, the film was slated for a Christmas 2023 release but following a production delay in 2021, the film was removed from Lucasfilm’s slate in September 2022 leading fans to believe the film had been canceled. Now, in the wake of her departure from Wonder Woman 3, Jenkins has provided some clarity on the development of Rogue Squadron.

    In a statement released through her Twitter account, Jenkins detailed the interconnected nature of her work on Wonder Woman 3 and the production delay on Rogue Squadron. “I originally left Rogue Squadron after a long and productive development process when it became clear it couldn’t happen soon enough and I did not want to delay WW3 any further,” said Jenkins. “When I did, Lucasfilm asked me to consider coming back to RS after WW3, which I was honored to do, so I agreed,” added the director.

    Jenkins continued on to say that while Rogue Squadron has been bumped off the Lucasfilm release slate, the film is still in “active development” and that she is still very much a part of it.

    [Lucasfilm] made a new deal with me. In fact, I am still on [Rogue Sqauadron] and that project has been in active development ever since. I don’t know if it will happen or not. We never do until the development process is complete, but I look forward to its potential ahead.

    Patty Jenkins

    The last bit comes as a bit of a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. As Jenkins points out, the development process doesn’t always end in a film being released so don’t hold your breath waiting for this one to hit theaters.

  • ‘Avatar 2’ Heading for Massive $175M Opening Weekend

    ‘Avatar 2’ Heading for Massive $175M Opening Weekend

    It looks like people are ready to explore Pandora once again, as Avatar: The Way of Water is on its way for a massive $175M opening. Even at its lower end it’ll be at $150M but it’ll definitely be taking its share at the box office normally reserved for superhero tentpoles nowadays. Of course, nostalgia is a big part of selling films nowadays as proven by Top Gun Maverick this year.

    What makes this box office stand out is that it’ll more than double the original’s box office opening of $77M domestically from 2009. That film managed to remain in cinemas as a powerhouse ending on an impressive $760M in the United States even with that strong but not record-shattering opening box office. The question remains if the sequel will have the same legs. As of now, Avatar: The Way of Water already has sold $38M in advance ticket sales which is ahead of Jurassic World Dominion and Top Gun Maverick, but behind Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

    It’s easy to assume that James Cameron has that staying power with any of his film, but at over 3 hours, that’s a big ask of audiences. It’s visuals might make up for that time and there’s no real competition as it wraps up the year but it’s hard to predict nowadays. It could end up having a superhero opening with Top Gun’s legs or simply play similarly to last year’s powerhouse release Spider-Man: No Way Home.

    It’s international opening is also enjoying the addition of China, a market that hasn’t been very welcome throughout the year and has a chance of surpassing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ $449M international opening. As of now, it’s international cume seems to be between $250M to $350M but as we near the weekend we’ll get a better idea of how it’ll perform. China already has $22M pre-sales and could end up at $100M by Sunday even with 33% of cinemas still closed due to COVID.

    Unlike most films of this year though, the weight on this project making around $2 billion is going to weigh on its box office results. With a production budget north of $350M, Cameron and Disney are all-in to make sure this film will be a success. It’s kicked off with 85% on RottenTomatoes with 117 reviews. If audience’s agree, the question is if the film will get the leg-boosting A+ CinemaScore or end up on the lower side of the A Score altogether. For now, we’ll have to see what the rest of the week brings.

    Source: Variety, Rotten Tomatoes

  • ‘Echo’ Showrunner Confirms Disney+ Series’ Delay

    ‘Echo’ Showrunner Confirms Disney+ Series’ Delay

    Marion Dayre, the showrunner of the upcoming Marvel Studios’ series Echo has recently joined Ben Blacker‘s The Writers Panel and during the recording she seemingly confirms that the upcoming Disney+ series may have been postponed. Not only that, but it might be quite a bit longer until we see the series premiere.

    In her interview, she reveals that it’ll release “probably a year from when this comes out.” There have been rumors swirling that Echo might be facing some challenges behind-the-scenes, and a delay by a year might be a sign of heavy reshoots in its future. The reasoning for this delay? We might never know and there are always multiple factors to why these decisions are made.

    It’s part of the mystery with these projects and delays aren’t as uncommon as one might think. Marvel Studios is likely going to shift its release schedule quite a bit moving forward, SDCC was always more for the fans that wanted to know what’s heading their way. Still, they aren’t rushing any project out to take its release date or haven’t announced anything. Perhaps a new Special Presentation could be filmed in time for the summer?

    Also, Marvel Studios already had a pretty massive 2023 planned. So, one project getting pushed back may not be the end of the world for the production studio. They’ve been taking their time to get Blade just right, and with Echo having already filmed, they are using the time to put the pieces together. For now, we only have a rumor mill and Dayre‘s confirmation of it not hitting its originally revealed Summer 2023 release.

    Source: Writer’s Panel

  • ‘Deadpool 3’ Director Promises it’ll be “Unique” MCU Entry and “Foul”

    ‘Deadpool 3’ Director Promises it’ll be “Unique” MCU Entry and “Foul”

    Deadpool is all about his way of never shutting up. Not just that but also in how foul he’s willing to talk about the world he lives in and those stuck in it with him. Luckily, his transition into live-action didn’t stray far from what made him so unique with the fittingly casted Ryan Reynolds selling the perfomance. Yet, the series is about to enter a new dimension with the Marvel Cinematic Universe that mainly plays around in the PG-13 world.

    Many were nervous if they might take away from the series what made it stand out, but even Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige knew early on that not offering an R-rated film would go against the character and franchise. Luckily, director Shawn Levy has that same opinion and is seemingly having a blast exploring every crude way they could write a scene while “writing, rewriting, developing, prepping” Deadpool 3.

    We are writing, rewriting, developing, prepping ‘Deadpool’ every day now. It is such a blast to laugh every day. It is so delicious to hear and write and come up with these scenes where people are just talking foul. And the violence is in your face and hardcore, and it’s very much a ‘Deadpool’ movie. And it has Logan in it. And it has Wolverine in it. It’s too fun. I’m having so much fun, and I haven’t even hit the shooting floor yet. […] I have to say, developing a ‘Deadpool’ movie is one of the most fun creative experiences of my life because it’s not just that it’s rated R. It’s that it’s so filled with self-awareness, and that makes in-writing very, very fun in a way that is unique to that franchise.

    It’s an exciting prospect to see what they can do, especially with how he can technically interact with any character from across Marvel’s cinematic canon; perhaps Spider-Man being the only challenge. Still, with hints at a potential 20th Century reunion and Wolverine confirmed in a major role, we’re definitely in for a wild ride.

    Source: Collider

  • ‘Deadpool 3’ Director Confirms May Production Start, Promises “Raw, Gritty, Grounded” Threequel

    ‘Deadpool 3’ Director Confirms May Production Start, Promises “Raw, Gritty, Grounded” Threequel

    The first direct sequel to a 20th Century Fox film that’s also set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is gearing up with Shawn Levy set to direct the threequel to the R-rated Deadpool film. We still don’t know the exact details to what they have planned besides rumors hinting at other Fox actors making a potential return and Hugh Jackman‘s surprising yet hoped for return as Wolverine. Still, it seems that the wait isn’t going to be much longer until they finally get the camera rolling.

    In an interview with Collider, Levy got a chance to share what they have planned and while confirming it’ll be another CG-heavy production from Marvel Studios and the Deadpool franchise, he does highlight that they aim to keep the “raw, gritty, grounded” ways of the first two. When asked about if the rumors of a potential May production start is true, he goes against Marvel Studios secrecy and pretty much confirms it.

    On or about. Yep. The truth is the more digitally CG-heavy a movie is, the longer time you need in post. But obviously it’s the first Deadpool movie in the MCU. There’s going to be no lack of visual effects. But it’s also a North Star priority for Ryan and I to keep Deadpool raw, gritty, grounded in the ways that those movies have been and that all of us love.

    Shawn Lefy

    It’s definitely interesting for anyone involved with a Marvel project to speak so openly, but it’s a welcome change. May gives us a good head start on when we’ll have to keep an eye out for when we can keep an eye out for set photos from the Deadpool threequel.

    Source: Collider

  • John Krasinski Turns the Page on Mr. Fantastic

    John Krasinski Turns the Page on Mr. Fantastic

    From the moment Kevin Feige announced Marvel Studios Fantastic Four film at SDCC ’19, fans had John Krasinski at the top of their lists to play Reed Richards. Fantasy became reality when the actor cameoed as the Reed Richards of Earth-383 in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, giving fans a little taste of a very Hickman-esque version of the character. Richards was quickly and grotesquely dispatched by the Scarlet Witch but as time has gone on without a new actor being cast for the 2025 film, fans have held out hope that Krasinski’s Reed being turned to spaghetti won’t be the lasting image. According to Krasinski, it might be time to turn the page.

    While promoting Season 3 of Amazon’s Jack Ryan, Krasinski tried his best to put the rumors of his return as Reed to bed. “There aren’t any discussions at all,” said Krasinski of returning to the role. “The only discussion I had was actually in the second-to-last week of ‘Jack Ryan. Kevin Feige called and said would you ever fly to L.A. and play in our sandbox for a day?“, reaffirming reports that the cameo was a last-minute arrangement. “I was honored to do it,” he said, “I flew right from Budapest when we wrapped and went right to the ‘Doctor Strange’ set. I’m a big fan of all those characters and that world, so to get to play in that sandbox for one day was a real thrill.“

    Of course, there’s always the chance that Krasinski has joined the long and distinguished list of actors who have lied through their teeth to keep their Marvel Studios’ role a secret. And with time travel and Multiversal hijinks on the menu, there’s always a possibility that Krasinski does return to the role even if not as the 616 Reed. But for now, it seems pretty reasonable to assume that Fantastic Four director Matt Shakman will have some voice in who eventually ends up playing Mister Fantastic when the film hits theaters on Valentines’ Day 2025.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ Trailer Includes One of Spidey’s Most Ridiculous Suits

    ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ Trailer Includes One of Spidey’s Most Ridiculous Suits

    The new trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse revealed a whole mess of Spidey Variants all suited up in their own versions of Spidey suits. Some of those are more recognizable than others, but one stands out because of its absurd nature and its origin in the comics.

    There’s a lot going on in the trailer so you’d be excused if you missed it, but the Bombastic Bag-Man suit makes not one but two appearances during the scenes taking place what seems like a multiversal hub.

    Peter has donned the Bombastic Bag-Man suit a few times in the comics and the story behind it is just as silly as you might think. The first time Pete put the paper bag mask on his head was in Amazing Spider-Man #258 when he had to borrow a spare Fantastic Four costume and became The Amazing Bag-Man. Years later, Black Cat stole his suit while he was in the hospital, forcing Peter to use a paper bag to escape as The Bombastic Bag-Man.

    There are certainly plenty of other interesting looking suits in the trailer, but this one is sure to have hardcore comic fans smiling as they see it on screen.

  • ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ Film Looks Set to Obliterate the Foundations of the Marvel Universe

    ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ Film Looks Set to Obliterate the Foundations of the Marvel Universe

    Director Shawn Levy has forged a fascinating relationship with Ryan Reynolds over the past few years. The two paired up for Disney and 20th Century Studios Free Guy in 2021 and then again in Netflix’s The Adam Project in early 2022. Now the duo is back together for Marvel Studios’ upcoming and still untitled Deadpool and Wolverine film, which is slated for a November 8, 2024 release. Production on that film is slated to kick off next year, meaning Levy and Reynolds still to spice it up and according to Levy, it already sounds pretty spicy.

    In an interview with SYFY Wire, Levy talked about being the guy to finally bring Deadpool and Wolverine together on screen and the potential of the film.

    I’ll just say that to be developing and prepping this movie that has this iconic duo together in an entire movie for the first time — a pairing between Hugh and Ryan, Wolverine and Deadpool. [It’s] very much a pairing that the world has waited for for over a decade, [and] I’m the lucky son of a bitch who gets to tell a story about that pair. The potential is so rich and every day that we work on the screenplay, there are ideas that we didn’t anticipate that appear because you’re talking about the ultimate Marvel icon and the ultimate Marvel iconoclast.

    Shawn Levy

    The Emmy-nominated Levy, who also has work to do on Season 5 of Stranger Things and has a Star Wars film coming up, is sharp and seems to choose his words carefully in interviews. In that sense, choosing to refer to Deadpool as an “iconoclast” should be of note. One popular theory about the third film in the Deadpool series is that it will see Wade and Logan traveling the Multiverse to “kill off” prior iterations of the Fantastic Four, X-Men and other characters from properties made under the Fox banner. If that is in fact the premise of the film, it would see Deadpool destroying the “iconography” of those non-Marvel Studios Marvel properties, putting him firmly in the category of “iconoclast.” So while superficially Levy may not have had much to say, reading between the lines a bit might give a little better impression of what to expect from the project..

    Source: SYFY Wire

  • REVIEW: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is Cameron’s Magnum Opus (For Now)

    REVIEW: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is Cameron’s Magnum Opus (For Now)

    Never bet against James Cameron. The director’s latest, Avatar: The Way of Water, was a project over ten years in the making, something that gave many people an understandable hesitation leading up to its premiere. Cameron had spent that period of time essentially boasting about the film as a singularity, or at least, something more than just a sequel. It seemed he planned on the follow-up to 2009’s Avatar being so impressive, it demanded more time to gestate than any regular movie. An unspoken promise that, upon release, The Way of Water would be unlike anything ever before seen on a theater screen. That’s a very, very big expectation to meet, and plenty of folks were convinced it would simply be impossible for Cameron pull off. As it turns out, those folks were wrong.

    From a technical standpoint, The Way of Water is an astounding achievement. Without exaggeration, the film feels like it could be the next step in blockbuster evolution. The world of Pandora is so exquisitely realized, that there are several moments that are likely to make audience members try reaching out to touch it. It cannot be accurately stated just how breathtaking the visuals are able to materialize in full Dolby 3D. Seeing the glisten of minuscule water droplets on the skin of a computer-generated alien should not feel so real. In some ways, it’s sort of unnatural just how practical it appears when a neon-colored fish glides through refracting sunbeams over rippling subaqueous sand dunes. Pure cinematic wizardry, which can only be described as real-life magic. It’s very clear how much time and money were sunk into this project, which is – if one is hoping to get what they paid for – a really good thing for Cameron and his team.

    What will be truly interesting, however, is the long-term public reaction to the sequel’s plot. The Way of Water is clearly a movie meant to capitalize on the visual medium of the theatrical experience, with special effects that push the boundary of cinema far further than its actual storytelling. Of course, this is not to say the storyline is in any way bad. It’s actually pretty darn good. There are several crowd-pleasing moments, heartbreaking developments, and sequences that remind the viewer why they love going to the movies. It’s just, at the end of the day, nothing that happens is all that surprising. Historically, Cameron is remarkably skilled at taking fairly simplistic, predictable plots and stretching them to their full potential. This doesn’t change in the second Avatar.

    The Way of Water doubles down on every trope Cameron has relied upon in the past, and even brings back a few devices the director used in the previous outing. It’s a whirlwind of cornball MacGuffins storming through a sea of undeniably cool set pieces. In fact, it might just be the most James Cameron movie to ever exist, both optically and narratively, and persists in being so at a ridiculously high level. A movie does not always need to be unique, plot-wise, to be memorable. It’s possible to stand by and revolve around the Joseph Campbell theory of a hero’s journey and do it so well that the audience leaves the theater feeling fulfilled and refreshed. In this regard, The Way of Water is Cameron‘s magnum opus. It’s everything he has produced thus far in his career, only amped to the next degree of entertainment.

    A minor gripe may be the film’s slight lack of resolve in its closing moments. While the major plot points are sufficiently wrapped up and reliably executed, there are a handful of plotlines emphasized earlier in the three-hour runtime that slowly fade away by the time of its conclusion. Assumedly, these are ideas that will be picked back up in the multiple planned sequels, but it is a little frustrating to see Cameron lean ever-so-lightly into the messiness of modern franchise-ifacation when the rest of the film is so tight. Shockingly tight, it must be said, for a movie so notably long. The pacing is excellent, and allows for quite a few ideas to be packed into one picture, but it would have been nice if all of those ideas were more efficiently packaged in the end.

    Avatar: The Way of Water is flawed, yes, but at length, it’s a force to be reckoned with. The film meets nearly every expectation set before it. A wild ride full of heart and astonishment, which sets a high bar for the next films to follow. Its inconsistencies are so few and far between that they’re often lost to the overall grandiosity of the cinematic experience. Truthfully, it’s hard to comprehend the idea of watching it on anything other than the biggest, loudest screen a person can find. $250 million went into the production of this sequel and every penny can be seen in the details. If there was a lack of hype for the Avatar franchise before The Way of Water, there absolutely will not be once it’s available to the public. Again, and this is important to remember, never bet against Cameron.

  • 5 Marvel Mainstays Who Could Show Up in ‘Captain America: New World Order’

    5 Marvel Mainstays Who Could Show Up in ‘Captain America: New World Order’

    Insider Daniel RPK has been keeping the news cycle going lately with a deluge of casting calls for several projects. Several such bits of info have come available for Daredevil: Born Again lately and now it seems it’s time for Captain America: New World Order to get some time in the spotlight.

    According to Daniel RPK, New World Order is going to include a male character described as a “Marvel mainstay.” That’s unfortunately not much to go on, but we thought we’d give it a shot anyway. Here are five “Marvel mainstays” who might show up in Captain America: New World Order.

    Rick Jones

    For hardcore comic book fans, it’s unthinkable that the MCU has gone on so long without Rick Jones. Throughout his 596 comic book appearances, Jones has been a key ally to Mar-Vell, the Hulk, Steve Rogers and the Avengers. He’s been part of some wacky cosmic adventures, found himself smack in the center of a Multiversal conflict known as the Destiny War in Kurt Busiek‘s Avengers Forever and found himself turned into a Gamma mutate known as A-Bomb. Jones is as close to the definition of a “mainstay” as there is in Marvel Comics and making his MCU debut in a Captain America movie that also features Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus Ross and the Leader makes quite a bit of sense, especially since the latter two individuals were a part of his transformation into A-Bomb.

    Jim Hammond

    While Rick Jones may have more appearances in the pages of Marvel Comics, Jim Hammond, The Original Human Torch, predates Jones by over 20 years, having made his first appearance in 1939’s Marvel Comics #1. If you want a Marvel mainstay, Hammond is your guy. Technically, the character already exists within the MCU, having been “introduced” in Captain America: The First Avenger. The First of the Marvels, Hammond has been an Invader, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and a West Coast Avenger in the comics and could serve a very interesting purpose in a film that’s rumored to feature the Red Hulk. Red Hulk’s unique instability causes him to emit increasing amounts of Gamma as he becomes increasingly angry which causes him to “catch fire” before eventually exploding. Hammond’s android body comes complete with a couple of abilities that can counteract that including thermokinesis (the ability to increase or reduce the heat in other objects), the complete resistance to heat and the absorb and emit radiation of his own. In fact, it was the radiation from a nuclear bomb on a test site that “reactivated” the Torch in the pages of the comics. Finding a way to include Hammond would be both a fascinating callback to The First Avenger and give the world an unexpected weapon against the Red Hulk.

    Doc Samson

    Like Hammond, Samson has already been introduced in the MCU. Ty Burrell played a very boring and laid-back version of Samson in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, a movie that many questioned the canonicity of until recently. With Ross, Emil Blonsky and know Samuel Sterns all back and part of the ongoing narrative in the MCU, bringing back Samson would fit the pattern. As a psychiatrist, Samson played a major role in Bruce Banner’s ongoing personality struggles. He also factored heavily into Red Hulk’s introductory arc and was a member of the Thunderbolts. It’s easy to see how Samson could fit in and, hopefully, transition into the green-haired, Gamma-powered Doc Samson fans have loved over his 322 comic book appearances. As for why there’s a casting call, that’s simple: Burrell may well have chosen not to return in the role forcing Marvel Studios to go a-lookin’.

    Dr. Walter Langkowski

    While Doctor Langkowski may seem like less of a mainstay than Doc Samson, the character has actually appeared 333 times in the pages of Marvel Comics, just edging out his doctoral counterpart. Unlike the rest of the characters on this list, Langkowski PROBABLY wasn’t available for use by Marvel Studios until 2019 (the assumption is that his live-action rights were controlled by Fox) but like Samson, he’d be a great fit for any story involving Gamma. Langkowski experimented with gamma and found himself mutated into a creature he himself dubbed Sasquatch. As Sasquatch, Langkowski served Canada through the Gamma Flight, Beta Flight and finally Alpha Fight programs through Department H. His presence would potentially portend interesting things down the road, but he’d also fit in nicely to a project with a potential new Hulk.

    Dennis Dunphy

    He’s not exactly a mainstay. Most people don’t even know who he is. But this is a Sam Wilson movie and Dennis Dunphy has routinely worked closely with Sam in the comics over the last decade. Let’s give the Detroit native a shot in the MCU! He’s only had 95 appearances, but he’s been in the big leagues as a member of the Avengers and there’s a good Daredevil costume gag waiting to happen now that the gold suit is canon.

    Let us know what other characters you think might fit the bill for the “Marvel mainstay” the studio is looking to include in Captain America: New World Order!