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George Miller Shares His Thoughts on Superhero Cinema and its Cinematic Future

It’s become a curious trend for journalists to ask veteran filmmakers about their opinions on superhero films. While some, most famously Martin Scorsese, downplayed their value to cinema and equated them to “theme park” rides, there have been others that also had some positive thoughts on the currently dominating genre.

The trend continues as George Miller was asked the classic question while promoting 3000 Years of Longing during the press conference at Cannes. The question was in reference to a DC Comics inclusion that sparked the question on what he thought about the superhero films and their future.

They endure and have endured anyway. The one thing you will be certain of is that they will change, they will morph into something else. Marvel and the DC Universe are basically the vestiges of the Greek and Norse and Roman mythologies. There’s a direct equivalence between each of those characters. We’re going through an era in which I think we’re expressing through moving image narrative these stories. They’re echoes of the past, but they’re adjusted to have meaning to us.
George Miller

There have been some that viewed comic book characters as the modern take on mythology with these larger-than-life characters. So, the comparison makes a lot of sense and we’re seeing an age where their focus moved from comics to moving pictures, and who knows what the future has in store for them.

Tilda Swinton, who has appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the past, has also added to the discussion by highlighting that there needs to be a diversity of stories being told, which is something we’re finally seeing become more relevant with COVID slowing down.

The thing that is dangerous about story is when you have only one story. It is possible when people cant hear any other stories that things really go down the tubes very, very fast and may close everything down. It’s keeping people’s ears open, keeping their ears curious to hear a new perspective, a new truth even,” she continued.
Tilda Swinton

Diversity in any medium is what makes it grow, something even Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has openly discussed in the past by highlighting his excitement for competition in the market. We’re seeing a new influx of smaller productions once again taking their stand in cinemas, especially with how well A24’s Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Northman, The Massive Weight of Unbearable Talent, and more.

Other blockbuster franchises are also once again making a stand in the industry, such as Top Gun: Maverick and Jurassic World Dominion. One thing that is clear is that the growing number of films finding their way back is a healthy showcase for any franchise currently out there. COVID is still showing its fans, but there’s a positivity to be found in how

Source: Variety

May 21, 2022
‘Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers’ Writers Have Ideas for a Sequel

It’s hard to deny that Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers feels like a reboot no one expected. When the first trailers dropped, everyone was surprised to see the tribute to different animation styles, as well as the Who Framed Roger Rabbit approach with our favorite Rescue Ranger members turning out to be actors. If you’ve been hoping to potentially see a sequel from this film, it seems writers Doug Mand and Dan Gregor are certainly down, as “there’s a world here to explore.”

We’re hoping that people really love [Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers] because we think that there’s a world here to explore. There are other things and characters that we can write about, we just kind of scratched the surface. We hope that people love it and we get a chance to continue to work in this world. Other than that, we continue to push forward in this industry as we look for interesting projects and try to create our own interesting projects whether in television or in film.
Doug Mand

It does make sense that in a world filled to the brim with animation stars from across the many studio’s backlog history, there’d be a lot of stories to tell. While Ugly Sonic’s return is welcomed with open arms, it doesn’t seem like non-Disney characters will get their own spotlight; unless this turns into the Kingdom Hearts of their animated Disney+ ventures. Still, there are many characters from their Saturday Morning Cartoon line-up that might be perfect to take a closer look at, like Darkwing Duck, just saying.

Source: Discussing Film

May 21, 2022
‘Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers’ Writers on How ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ Inspired the Disney+ Original

Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers is definitely not a reboot that many are sued to, especially as Disney somehow brought this film to life on Disney+. It looks like the film’s screenwriters Doug Mand and Dan Gregor also have no idea how they got away with every random idea that came to mind. In an interview with Discussing Film, they got a chance to share how they approached the film, most notably, paying tribute to the classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

We had this take on it and it’s definitely more meta, poking fun at the franchise and at the world of reboots. And to their credit, they were like, “Do it, we love it. Let’s go for it.” We wanted to do a send-up to Roger Rabbit. It was one of our favorite movies of all time and it’s been over 30 years since that movie was made. That’s how it really came about.
Doug Mand

Dan Gregor goes on to highlight that their entire premise was dependent on the idea that Chip and Dale were actors in Hollywood, to really draw in the Roger Rabbit comparisons. All focusing on a way to even defy the trope of self-awareness at the same time.

Yeah, elemental to the concept of them being actors who played parts who now live in Hollywood, we felt like we really wanted it to be in-universe to Roger Rabbit. So it had to be a live-action/animation hybrid in a fun way. But again, that’s also one of those things that has become a bit of its own trope in movies. We wanted to be self-aware as to like, “Why another live-action/animation hybrid?”
Dan Gregor

When they presented their meta-take on what many would assume you’d get with a reboot, they expected the usual conservative Disney to not follow through. To their surprise, they went with it and even managed to give us the Disney+ Original that defies all expectations. Of course, it also helps that Roger Rabbit actually appears in the film as well.

They gave us the green light to go write this kind of weird movie that went a little against the grain and we just wrote it thinking that they would never make it. We were writing this movie that we actually really do enjoy. We relate to these characters, we relate to this concept, this underlying story about a friendship that has gone through different phases and now these two people are living different lives. We loved it and we just didn’t think they actually would make it. But they did!
Doug Mand

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers definitely brought the goods in a creative manner and it’ll be interesting to see if this film potentially also becomes a point of no return as Disney allows many of their properties to go a little weirder moving forward. While Marvel Studios seemingly has the most freedom due to their financial success, other properties have been a bit more focused on retreading old ground rather than innovating. With Rescue Ranger’s success, it could inspire a new era of reboots and remakes.

Source: Discussing Film

May 21, 2022
Deborah Chow on ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’s “Biggest Challenge”

There was a lot of excitement when it was announced that not only Ewan McGregor but also Hayden Christensen were making their grand return to a galaxy far far away with the next Disney+ Star Wars series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Deborah Chow is tackling a challenging project by not only bridging two iconic trilogies but also exploring the complex relationship of two of the franchise’s most iconic characters.

In the official press conference, head writer Deborah Chow talked about how having to bridge these two timelines of the Star Wars universe was “one of the biggest challenges” for the Disney+ series. She highlights the challenge of keeping the canon alive while still telling a unique story.

I would say that was definitely one of the biggest challenges with the series. We have these huge legacy, iconic characters and we’re in between two trilogies. So, a large part, we’re telling a second act of a story which is often challenging enough. So, I think you know, the biggest thing we’re looking at is respect canon and we also need it to have an original story and original vision for it. That was the biggest challenge, but at the same time, it was very exciting that we were bringing back two of these huge iconic characters and telling new stories with them.
Deborah Chow

The biggest challenge will also be how they have to adhere to Star Wars Rebels, which included the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi to face off one last time against Darth Maul. There was a piece that theorized he was originally going to be the series’ main antagonist before it focused on Darth Vader, which Chow swiftly denied, however.

We’ll see how the series potentially also connect elements from the prequels, like how the Clone Troopers became the Storm Troopers, as a way to give us more insight into how the Empire changed the galaxy through its regime. Of course, many also hope to see Palpatine make an appearance as well, to further showcase his influence over Vader before his son would set him free. Luckily, it’s not too long until we get to finally watch the Disney+ limited series as the first two episodes will stream on May 27th.

May 21, 2022
The Morning After Huddle: May 21, 2022
Welcome to your Saturday morning edition of The Morning After Huddle. Unlike your coffee that is now cold after wrangling the kids for hours, we’re serving up HOT takes on all things football.

Here’s what you need to know:
- OBJ to the Colts? Can the 49ers keep Deebo Samuel? Mark Sessler of Around the NFL has identified the top remaining off season priorities for all 32 teams, including some scenarios that are under the radar, in this stellar review.
- Michael Vick is living his football dreams once again as he’s announced that he signed a deal with Fan Controlled Football. Inspired by the success of his good friend Terrell Owens, Vick will play during the final week of the season.
- Your Key Signings RoundUp is heating up with potential moves: Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says there continues to be buzz around Robert Quinn wanting out of Chicago. There is belief that Quinn’s trade price could be more than two draft picks. Late Friday, Mike Garafolo broke news that the Colts are looking at a former Frank Reich coached QB (not that one) to sit behind Matt Ryan. Talks with Nick Foles are in progress and a deal could be in place soon.
That’s it for your huddle today. Break down the Huddle again with us next week for more news you need to know!

ICYMI: Friday – May 20, 2022 Edition
May 21, 2022
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Damage Control Actor Will Appear in ‘Ms. Marvel’

In an intricately intertwined universe like the MCU, small connections and crossovers are constantly building to larger things. The official fact sheet for Disney+’s Ms. Marvel has revealed one of these potential connections.

Listed in the cast is actor Arian Moayed. MCU fans would recognize Moayed as Department of Damage Control Agent P. Clearly, who interrogates Peter Parker early on in Spider-Man: No Way Home. While Moayed had only a minor role, the fact that he will make his way to Jersey City in Ms. Marvel could suggest a growing presence of Damage Control in the MCU.

The Department of Damage control first made its MCU appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming as a joint venture between Stark Industries and the federal government in response to the damage left behind after Avengers battles.

While Moayed’s character is not officially confirmed to be Agent Cleary, it only makes sense that the character could act as sort of a figure head for the slowly-growing presence of Damage Control, similarly to how Clark Greg’s Phil Coulson teased S.H.I.E.L.D. across several films. The Department is even set to appear in August’s She-Hulk.

The full scope of Damage Control’s presence in the MCU going forward is not yet known, but superheroes and the destruction they inevitably leave in their wake has certainly been on people’s minds following films like Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Far From Home. As Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel rises as a superhero, she may find herself in a climate much more hostile to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes than those who came before her had to deal with.

Ms. Marvel premieres exclusively on Disney+ on June 8.

Source: Disney

May 20, 2022
REPORT: EA Almost Sold to NBC Universal, Now Looking at Disney as New Buyer

Mergers are all the rage right now. Not too long after Square-Enix sold off its entire Western division, it seems that EA also almost had a massive deal working in the background. In a new piece by Puck News, there was a time of EA and NBC Universal fusing before the deal fell apart in April. It seems the plan was by Comcast’s CEO Brian Roberts to create new IPs and brands and the Microsoft-Activision deal seemingly inspired Electronic Arts’ CEO, Andrew Wilson, to merge the company with NBCUniversal.

Yet, they could not come to an agreement on the monetary aspect, and, as a result, the deal fell off. Yet, it seems EA is quite focused on getting sold with a new deal being potentially discussed with Disney. It seems they want “a more meaningful relationship than licensing deals” as stated by Puck News’ Dylan Byers. It seems that the main focus is also on unifying their major sports brands ESPN and EA Sports.

The deal has not been made public as of now, and there’s no real specifics on how far the project has come. As of now, it seems they may only be considering Disney as a new buyer but an offer or deal isn’t on the table yet. Still, it would continue to shake up the gaming industry as mergers have become quite a bit more common as of late. Plus, Disney may be coy about adding more to their already extensive list. With the purchase of 20th Century Fox not too long ago, they may also not want to be in the hot seat again in expanding their enterprise with such a high investment.

Source: Puck via Game Informer

May 20, 2022
‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ to Become A24’s Highest-Grossing Film Ever

I guess you could say that Everything Everywhere All At Once has pulled in every dollar every time all by now. The film has become A24’s highest-grossing film as it has unseated Uncut Gems from that very spot. It’ll end the weekend by taking in between $50M to $52M at the domestic box office. That will put it on its path to passing Lady Bird‘s $48.85M and Uncut Gem’s $50M by then.

Adam Sandler‘s Uncut Gems by directing duo the Safdie Brothers made waves after taking the top spot after 13 weekends at the domestic box office. EEAAO, as many like to shorten it, will pass that record by taking the tops pot after only nine weekends. It’s currently eyeing a strong $3M and has also been one of the very few films to not drop at all going into its second weekend.

The timing is also perfect, as A24 has enjoyed quite the event at Cannes Film Festival. It showcased its HBO Max series Irma Vep, Jesse Eisenberg‘s When You Finish Saving the World, Stars at Noon, God’s Creatures, and Alex Garland‘s Men. So, A24 definitely is living the high life at the moment and it’ll be interesting to see if their follow-up pieces can build upon that success in one way or another.

Source: Deadline

May 20, 2022
Bong Joon Ho’s Next Film Adds Mark Ruffalo, Naomi Ackie, and Toni Collette

Naomi Ackie (Star Wars), Toni Collette (Hereditary), and Mark Ruffalo (Avengers) are set to join Robert Pattinson in the follow-up to the director’s Oscar-winning Parasite. Per Deadline, deals for Collette and Ruffalo are reportedly in the final stages. The still-untitled film is said to be based on the novel Mickey7 by Edward Ashton.

Bong is set to write, direct and produce the film for his production company Offscreen. Mickey7 was first published by St. Martins, an imprint of Macmillan, earlier this year. It tells the story of Mickey7, a character described as an “Expendable” – a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim.

Mickey is a body the crew uses for dangerous missions; after each death, a new body is regenerated that keeps most of the prior body’s memories intact. This causes problems when Mickey7 is regenerated and comes to comprehend his job. Although the film will take inspiration from its source material, it’s thought Bong’s vision might see the movie differ from the book.

Details surrounding which characters the actors will be playing are unknown at this time.

Ackie can next be seen in the Whitney Houston biopic, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, while Collette is coming off the HBO Max limited series The Staircase. Up next for Ruffalo, of course, is She-Hulk: Attorney at Law for Disney+ and Marvel Studios.

As of now, Bong’s latest does not have a release date.

Source: Deadline

May 20, 2022
REVIEW: ‘Love, Death & Robots’ Volume 3 Has Some of the Anthology’s Best

After a long wait, the third volume of Love, Death & Robots has finally arrived. The anthology series by Tim Miller, Joshua Donen, and David Fincher. As its title implies, it’s full of love, death, and robots but it’s grown to be more than that. Inspired by the 1981 classic Heavy Metal, it explores animation and concepts in an anthology series that have no real limitations. It’s as bloody, sex-driven, thought-provoking, or anything the creative staff wants it to be. With the involvement of various iconic animation houses like Blow Studio, Blur Studio, Axis Animation, Titmouse, Inc., and more, it offers a wide variety of animation styles. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at this new batch of nine episodes and what they bring to the table.

Three Robots: Exit Strategies

While a fun re-entry into the latest Volume of Love, Death & Robots, it felt like more of the same. Even the punchline by the end was a bit of a rehash and didn’t offer much new to make you feel like there was more to the first Three Robots storyline. It still was a fun return to the goofy three we saw in the first Volume, it just lacked that punch to make it stand out from an already great first entry. Seeing mankind’s downfall and some jabs at tech millionaires are always welcome, but it sadly just didn’t do enough to make it stand out from its predecessor; no matter how loveable the three robots are.

Bad Travelling

It’s surprising David Fincher didn’t tackle an episode of Love, Death & Robots earlier considering he’s one of the producers, but it finally happened. “Bad Travelling” is a really interesting entry. A strange crab-like creature known as a Thanapod makes its home in an unknowing crew’s ship and makes a deal with one of its crew members. What ensues is the battle for survival and an ongoing mutiny that makes you question if the Thanapod will get its way by the end. It’s visually interesting with a grimy ship as its backdrop. The ocean’s current is as tumultuous as the emotions that everyone aboard feels, as the bodies start to pile on. Its unpredictability was a highlight and makes me hope Fincher decides to dedicate an entire film to this concept in the future. It was just that good and felt like it could’ve done even more.

The Very Pulse of the Machine

If you’re out of options, how far would you go for survival? That’s at least what you’d think the episode would be about at first, but it turns into something quite a bit different. I really don’t want to give it away, as it’s quite an introspective episode that scratches the surface of what my personal favorite, “Zima Blue,” portrays in its story. High concept and simple execution sometimes have the effect of elevating an experience that makes you think about your own existence. Capped off with a perfect open ending, which makes you want to rewatch and re-question every step once again.

Night of the Mini Dead

Whoever had the idea of exploring a Night of the Living Dead parody as if it was a living diorama deserves a reward. It felt like watching an episode of the Sims with everything going wrong. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel (besides the visual design) but it adds some fun flourishes. You have some little jokey clichés with the muffled miniature sounds making them feel fresh. What sells it is how over-the-top it is. At first, it seems like a miniature retelling of the original Night of the Living Dead until it just goes bananas with the concept. By the end, it feels like they just saw what stuck to the wall and it definitely worked no matter how insane it got by the end.

Kill Team Kill

“Just a fun time” is the perfect way to summarize “Kill Team Kill” as a story. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and has a great 2D art style. The simple concept of a ragtag team of soldiers facing off against the perfect bionic killer bear was thrilling. It surprised me this was from director Jennifer Yuh Nelson, who created the iconic Kung Fu Panda trilogy, as it’s quite raunchy. Yet, it made me hope she gets a chance to direct more of this style, especially in how much energy she brings to the project. Though Volume 2’s “Pop Squad” is still my favorite entry by her in the anthology. though “Kill Team Kill” is definitely a great time I’d gladly come back to rewatch.

Swarm

“Swarm” is a curious entry, as the concepts it explores are quite interesting but ends up following a predicted path. The title gives away what the scientists are exploring, but leads to its downfall at the hands of their own hubris. It’s more an exploration of the value within existence as part of a swarm or your own intelligence. The ending sequence is a highlight, especially how it combines this gruesome perspective and some haunting visuals. Yet, it could’ve used a bit more time to explore the concept, as it feels over before it even truly begins. While the open nature of the story is fitting, it does feel like there was more to get out of it than what we got.

Mason’s Rats

Evolution really isn’t your friend if you’re running a farm in the middle of nowhere. When a farmer realizes his rats ate enough GMOs to learn how to use weapons, modern pest control is his only option moving forward. It’s a fun and creative concept, as the weaponry he uses gets more and more advanced, as do the rats. At first, I adored the episode but confessed that the more I thought about it, the ending was a little convenient. While the lesson of the episode is quite a strong one and it’s generally a great episode, the ending sadly takes away from it and just wraps in a nice little bow way too easy.

In Vaulted Halls Entombed

You can never go wrong with a good Lovecraftian-inspired story. A group of soldiers tries to free a hostage, but end up in a much worse scenario than anyone could’ve imagined. It’s not adding anything to the concept that we’ve seen many times before, but it doesn’t need to technically. Probably the most straightforward story of the bunch because there is no real foreshadowing to what happens, it just leads from one event to the next. Still, the ending was perfectly Lovecraftian and is something that stuck in my mind on how it could continue; even if I’ll never know.

Jibaro

The final entry of the anthology series, “Jibaro,” might be its most ambitious yet. While its stylized visuals aren’t too far off from Bad Travelling and Mason’s Rats, it stands out for its artistic value. The short film feels like a deadly dance is spiraling out of control between a deaf soldier and a siren of unknown origin. I don’t want to give more away, but its simple premise feels like a prelude to a metaphorical look at a deadly romance. Steeped in mythology, it uses its visuals in interesting ways. The camera does move a lot which can be quite disorienting at times, but it creates a visual panic perfect for the chaos that ensues. A high recommendation and a great finisher to what is overall a strong new volume of Love, Death & Robots.

May 20, 2022