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  • Director Matt Reeves Teases ‘The Batman’ as ‘Almost a Horror Movie’

    Director Matt Reeves Teases ‘The Batman’ as ‘Almost a Horror Movie’

    The Batman is about to reintroduce the world to the vastness that is the Caped Crusader’s range of interpretation. We had hyper surrealism with Christopher Nolan‘s take and a gothic look at the series with Tim Burton. Director Matt Reeves will introduce a new introduction that seems to dive deeper into the detective side of the character. However, it seems that we might expect a much darker take on the character with what he is describing as “almost a horror movie, and a thriller” in an interview with MovieMaker. In his full quote, he states:

    This idea of a place that is corrupt, and you try to swim against the tide in order to fight against it and make a difference, is quintessential Batman. And at the center of those noir stories is almost always the detective, right? And that’s why he is the world’s greatest detective. And so this story is, in addition to being almost a horror movie, and a thriller, and an action movie, at its core, it’s also very much a detective story. It’s very narrative.

    Matt Reeves

    It’s been a long-running joke that almost everyone is corrupt in Gotham. Outside of a few good eggs, most everyone falls to the temptation of some kind, may it be the amount of mafioso that live in the city or how many cops take payments. Nolan’s take in The Dark Knight explored that aspect through the eyes of Harvey Dent, but it seems we’ll get a much darker look at Gotham’s corruption and the horrors that are lurking in the dark. The fact that the Riddler is inspired by the Zodiac killer probably should’ve been our first hint that something sinister is heading our way..

    Source: MovieMaker via The Wrap

  • ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Concept Art Reveals a Sick Doctor Strange

    ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Concept Art Reveals a Sick Doctor Strange

    It’s not uncommon that films are rewritten as production continues. Reshoots have become such a mainstay in the industry, as it supports directors to adjust plot points or pacing issues they noticed in the rough cuts. Marvel Studios’ films are famous for going through many different stages, and it seems Spider-Man: No Way Home almost featured a very different meeting between Doctor Strange and Peter Parker.

    Artist Sean Hargreaves has published some concept art that has some curious implications about the film’s original plot. Early on, Peter asks for Strange’s help before their views start to head in different directions. Yet, it seems that Strange was going to be sick at some point in the story, and Peter come to visit him as he rests in his chambers. His description reveals that:

    Peter talks to a sick Strange as Stranges cloak sits as guard at the foot of the bed. Struck from the final film.

    He highlights that this was cut from the film, and it could be a scene after the spell goes wrong. Perhaps the energy he used would’ve weakened the sorcerer. Yet, one could also look at it as a connection to his film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Originally, the multiverse-spanning adventure was going to release first. Perhaps the events of that film weakened him and he ended up bed-bound as shown in the artwork. It’s certainly up for interpretation, but this one piece of concept art could be a hint at a grim fate for the doctor.

    Source: Art Station

  • ‘The Batman’s Eyeing a 3-Hour Runtime

    ‘The Batman’s Eyeing a 3-Hour Runtime

    It looks like Matt Reeves is all in with his upcoming adaptation of The Batman, as a Czech film distribution site has confirmed the long-rumored three-hour runtime for the latest adaptation featuring the Dark Knight. Robert Pattinson‘s take on the character will run for 176 minutes, or around 2 hours and 55 minutes according to the site, which was first shared on Reddit in the form of a distribution list. What makes this so noteworthy is that this makes the film the longest in the Batman franchise. THR has now confirmed the runtime in a new piece.

    The upcoming DC film, which will premiere on March 4th, is the second-longest entry in the franchise, as it’s only beaten out by Zack Snyder’s Justice League with its 4+ hour runtime. It’s even longer than the recently released Eternals, which had quite a bit of discussion surrounding its extended runtime. Reeves is very thorough in how he approaches his films, and its length may reflect just how dense the project ended up being. The central mystery might unravel in interesting ways that are only hinted at in the trailers.

    Source: Vertical via Reddit, THR

  • Latest ‘Batgirl’ Photos Offer First Look at Brendan Fraser on Set

    Latest ‘Batgirl’ Photos Offer First Look at Brendan Fraser on Set

    There was a barrage of news on Batgirl in the last week. Every day brought more and more set photos from the film. Production is currently underway in Glasgow where the city has been transformed into Gotham City. We’ve got some pretty good looks at the cast, which included Leslie Grace, Jacob Scipio, Ethan Kai, and the potential reveal of Ivory Aquino‘s involvement. Still, we haven’t seen J.K. Simmons, Michael Keaton, or Brendan Fraser. Luckily, the latest set photos managed to give us one more first look.

    The latest batch of set photos features Fraser in casual clothing walking out of a building overflowing with smoke. He was cast as a familiar Batman villain Garfield Lynns, who is better known as the arsonist Firefly. While we don’t have our first look at him in his costume, the photos are our first hint.

    The film seems to be adapting aspects from Batgirl: Year One and Batgirl of Burnside. Although there doesn’t seem to be any current word on if Firefly will be joined by any other villains like Killer Moth, as he was the reason Lynns became Firefly in the original comic. We’ll see if any more set photos might offer a clearer picture of where this story is heading. Batgirl currently has no set release date as production rages on over in Glasgow. The film will be directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah with Leslie Grace starring as the titular hero.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘One Piece’s Taz Skylar Talks Preparing for the Role of Sanji

    ‘One Piece’s Taz Skylar Talks Preparing for the Role of Sanji

    It’s been some time since we found out who the cast was for Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece. A lot of young talent is getting the chance to bring one of the world’s most popular manga to life. With Eiichiro Oda supervising the project and praising the cast of the series, it added some excitement to what they might bring to the table. Among them is Taz Skylar who was cast as the Straw Hats’ chef. He recently was interviewed by Nuit Magazine and revealed he’s been actively preparing for the role months before the announcement.

    I was in Hamlet at The Young Vic whilst also doing two to three hours of Tae-Kwon-Do training a day + chef training after the show in the evenings and it was a lot to handle whilst also trying to keep my centre of gravity as a human… But now, I’ve reached a point where I’m just kinda like… “You’re just gonna do your fucking best bro” and whatever happens fucking happens. If I walk on to set thinking “how are people wanting me to play this” I’m bound to fail… If walk on to set thinking, “this role is mine now and I’m going to rip it to shreds and pour my heart and soul into it” I’m always going to be proud of it

    Taz Skylar
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    As we saw with the recent set videos, they are all in with this project. The fact he was not only training Tae-Kwon-Do but also taking cooking lessons shows how dedicated they are to staying true to the characters. Instead of just finding a stand-in for those scenes, it seems he’ll do most of the cooking personally throughout the series. He also highlights how he relates to Sanji in how trauma shapes a person.

    Sanji’s a person who had to fend for himself from a young age and did so by becoming a master of his trade. Weirdly I’ve lived a similar life… I left home when I was fifteen and became an apprentice to surfboard builders. All of which resemble Sanji’s mentor Zeff in some way or another. And I learned to fend for myself through trial and error. This was all before I started acting and writing. His trauma and his reasons for leaving are the thing that drives his behaviour in adulthood… I have my own things I was running away from and which drive my own behaviour now… But we won’t go into those, that’s a whole other story. 

    Taz Skylar

    It certainly sounds promising how much he reflects on the role. He does mention Zeff, who has yet to be cast officially. It’s uncertain if their adaptation of the East Blue Saga might also reference some revelations we uncover at a later time. Still, it certainly seems like he is excited for the role and with the training, we cannot wait to see him show off his kicking skills once the series eventually releases.

    Source: Nuit Magazine

  • John Cena-Led ‘Freelance’ Adds Alice Eve and Marton Csokas

    John Cena-Led ‘Freelance’ Adds Alice Eve and Marton Csokas

    It’s only been a little under a week that we learned that John Cena, fresh off of his hit new series Peacemaker, was going to team up with Alison Brie in a new comedy titled Freelancers. Pierre Morel, who is known for his work on Taken, will take over directing duties, and the project seems to be moving full force, as they have also added Star Trek Into Darkness‘ Alice Eve and The Last Duel‘s Marton Csokas.

    The movie follows Cena‘s character, who is part of the special forces but ends up retiring. As it usually is, he finds his retired life boring and takes up the role of security for a journalist, played by Brie, on her trip to interview a dictator. As it’s an action-comedy, you might guess things don’t go quite as planned, and they must learn to live with each other while everything around them goes to hell.

    The film has already started production in Colombia, but it is uncertain what roles Eve and Csokas may have in the project. Eve’s has recently worked on projects like Downton Abbey, Black Mirror and is set to appear in Amazon’s The Power. Csokas has a list of films on his belt with The Equalizer, xXx, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and more.

    Source: Deadline

  • REVIEW: ‘Peacemaker’ Episode 4 – The Choad Less Traveled

    REVIEW: ‘Peacemaker’ Episode 4 – The Choad Less Traveled

    Peacemaker’s fourth installment indicates that the series plans to take a hard left with its main character in terms of his identity on the antihero spectrum. While making the somewhat-established ruthless mercenary have feelings isn’t surprising, Episode 4 is quick to make it perfectly clear that John Cena’s Peacemaker may have more emotion to offer than anything else. 

    This episode revolves almost entirely around the characters’ psyches concerning killing. On one end is Vigilante, who at times truly does not understand why he or someone else should not kill any given person. On the other end, arguably, is Adebayo, who is struggling with feeling like she is not cut out for the job after she could not kill someone during the Goff altercation. Harcourt offers a small bit of her insight into murder. 

    Perhaps Peacemaker is supposed to fit somewhere between these characters. The character has seemingly taken a big leap from where he was in The Suicide Squad. As much as Peacemaker is clearly trying to redeem his character in the long run, the series itself has not seen much if any of the cold-blooded mercenary. Instead—with the aid of his brother’s death and Rick Flag flashbacks—the killer has actually been relatively peaceful. He showed issues with being used as a ruthless tool, and Episode 4 highlights this more. Peacemaker has major issues with Murn’s order for him to kill kids without being told the specifics of why. So the character has maybe shown cracks in his demeanor, although he certainly did not start this series without any.

    The episode picks up immediately following the assassination of the butterflied Senator Goff and his family. While the leftovers from that event certainly suggest that there are world-ending implications to Project Butterfly, Peacemaker feels humorous and relaxingly off-task. One of the best quotes comes from Murn: “Every time I turn around one of you is doing something fucked up!” 

    Plenty of the distraction comes from basic conversations between characters such as Peacemaker’s and Vigilante’s conversation about how “if it walks like a duck…” it must be a duck or at least a duck in a human costume. Vigilante spends a significant amount of time somewhat ironically thanking Peacemaker for “allowing [him] to be tortured,” so that he could become stronger. Peacemaker also takes the time to yell at the elderly neighbor about how Batman causes more people to be killed than he saves by not killing his enemies. 

    However, a substantial part of the side-tracking this episode comes from Auggie Smith’s—Peacemaker’s father—arc. While Project Butterfly seems more urgent than before, much of this episode is spent with characters trying to keep Peacemaker from ruining everything by talking to his dad. He does, in fact, do just that, which then leads Vigilante to “break into” jail to try and kill Auggie. That also goes sideways, and Auggie is now set on a path to be a more tangible threat to Peacemaker this series.

    The focus on Peacemaker’s dad is an odd counterbalance to the overarching Project Butterfly plot, but it brings with it much more emotion and potential character development than the more traditional story brings. Peacemaker’s mini-breakdowns over his role as a killer are accentuated by memories of his father forcing him to kill people in their basement, as well as having some mysterious role in his brother’s death. His total failure at being a psychopath is emphasized by his unwillingness to kill his white supremacist supervillain father. Vigilante makes that point clear, and Adebayo delivers a solid miniature monologue about how everyone wants to believe that their parents are inherently good—but that just isn’t the case with Auggie. 

    Aside from nearly the entire cast having a crisis of faith over whether or not they are competent enough to do their job, Vigilante is the highlight of every scene he is in. The guy is completely and murderously insane, yet you feel like you could hug him. As much as the series wants to double-down that he is a clinically-certified psychopath, his “I think I might have made things worse” to Harcourt once he gets out of jail is brimming with some kind of emotions. The character is a wonderful mix of incompatible parts that turns out so charming. Judomaster, on the other hand, awakes and escapes from Task Force X custody only to beautifully fight Peacemaker in the parking lot, get shot, and become unconscious in Task Force X custody once more. At the very end, it’s revealed that Murn himself is a butterfly, meaning the Project Butterfly plot should start to kick into high gear. 

    Peacemaker’s fourth episode further extends the series upward momentum. Again, the action was lacking overall and the pace does not scream “there’s a really important potentially apocalypse-level threat going on.” However, every bit of distractedness and feeling of being off-task is brilliantly and fluidly merged into Peacemaker’s unstoppable humor and signature style. Episode 4 also left no doubts that the series plans to get emotions and dig deeper into what exactly makes a Peacemaker, or even, what exactly makes a killer? 

  • The Justice League Will Die in ‘Justice League’ #75

    The Justice League Will Die in ‘Justice League’ #75

    The Justice League has had a rough time lately. Their future in the DC Extended Universe remains uncertain. Good thing that we still have them in the comics, right? Well, not for long, as the team will be on their way out there as well. On the 30th anniversary of the Death of Superman comic, the superhero team will follow suit in The Death of The Justice League.

    DC seems to be all in these days, as they will end the current Justice League comic with issue #75. As teased previously, the series will pay tribute to the Man of Steel’s similar fate, as he originally died in the same numbered issue and was not present in comic books for an entire year. Joshua Williamson will pen the demise of the iconic heroes and talked with Entertainment Weekly about the upcoming event.

    It’s very serious, It’s an interesting opportunity to do this on the 30th anniversary of ‘The Death of Superman,’ which happened in Superman #75. We get to take Justice League #75 and do ‘Death of the Justice League.’ We want people to understand, this is serious and this is gonna have a major impact in the DCU moving forward.

    Joshua Williamson

    Williamson wants fans to know that this isn’t going to be the fakeout most think it will be. Some of DC’s biggest names will disappear from comics for some time.

    I remember the experience of reading the build-up to ‘The Death of Superman’ and then waiting in the rain for my copy of issue #75. I think one reason that story was so powerful was that after the ‘Funeral for a Friend’ story, there were no Superman comics for three months. That’s part of what led us to make the decision that this is the last issue of Justice League. But then three months later, there’s still not gonna be a Justice League comic. It’s gonna be a while, and that’s gonna be a major part of what the DCU looks like after this story: There is no Justice League.

    Joshua Williamson

    In the comics, no one ever stays dead. Superman didn’t and ended up returning after only a year. Who knows, this time could be different, especially with Future State and Infinite Frontier bringing in many new legacy heroes. Without the Justice League and its consistent roster, this would open up a lot more possibilities for other characters to get their chances at solo runs. DC could allow some other characters to take the spotlight during the team’s absence. The Justice League’s end is set to hit shelves on April 19th with Justice League #75.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • 3-Issue ‘The Flash’ Prelude Comic to Release Ahead of Film’s November Premiere

    3-Issue ‘The Flash’ Prelude Comic to Release Ahead of Film’s November Premiere

    It’s going to be a big year for the DC Extended Universe, as there are quite a few projects in some form of development. Among them is the multiversal storyline of The Flash, which may rewrite the DCEU as we know it. Ezra Miller is set to return in the titular role, as he meets up with a new yet familiar face in the form of Michael Keaton‘s Bruce Wayne. We still know very little about the film’s plot, but it seems we might get some new information as of April in the form of a prelude comic series.

    Writer Kenny Porter and artist Ricardo López Ortiz will tackle a three-issue comic series that’ll release monthly. The series titled The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive will tell the story of his conflict with a villain named Girder. He ends up learning how to take on this threat under the watchful eye of the Dark Knight, as he tries to face the metallic threat.

    The first issue will release on April 26th and consists of 48 pages. The collection of all three issues will be made available in October ahead of the film’s release in November. The main cover will be drawn by Max Fiumara with a variant cover by the film’s director, Andy Muschietti. Juan Ferreyra will prepare the cover for the second entry and the final issue will be by Jason Howard in July.

    Source: Twitter

  • REVIEW: ‘Hotel Transylvania: Transformania’ is Missing That Zing

    REVIEW: ‘Hotel Transylvania: Transformania’ is Missing That Zing

    Sony Animations was once at rock bottom with critically-panned projects like The Emoji Movie. Yet, there was a charming trilogy that managed to pull on your heartstrings even though there was a lot against it. The Hotel Transylvania trilogy somehow worked even some were worried that Adam Sandler and his usual group of friends were cast to voice most of the characters. Yet, the addition of animation veteran Genndy Tartakovsky, the mind behind Primal and Samurai Jack, became a beacon of light for many. It turned out, that it was a combination of Tartakovsky‘s fluid animation style and a heartfelt performance by Sandler and the cast that made the project stand out. So, can a fourth entry manage the same without their involvement?

    Hotel Transylvania: Transformania was quite unlucky in its release, as it originally was heading to theaters before being sold to Amazon Prime for a streaming exclusive release. Sadly, I believe that was for the better as this film does not live up to the originals in many ways. There’s a spark that is missing and it shows that this entry is more of an addition than a true sequel. In some ways, it felt like a direct-to-DVD film that tries to replicate the original but something is off.

    Jennifer Kluska and Derek Drymon take over directing duties this time around and try to replicate Tartakovsky‘s directing style. It still has that fluid animation that made the series stand out from others in the animation industry, but there seems to be a habit to over animate. Andy Samberg‘s Johnny is constantly moving in the opening, but it gets to a point where it’s almost exhausting to watch. The whimsy of that fluid animation ends up lost, as you never know where to look. Summer Vacation did start the stronger focus on zaniness in its animation, but it feels like it’s truly unhinged this time around.

    What will stick out for many fans of the franchise is that some of the voices haven’t returned for the latest entry. While Samberg and Selena Gomez returned to play Johnny and Mavis, the same cannot be said for others. Brian Hull takes over the role of Dracula from Adam Sandler while Brad Abrell has to replace Kevin James‘ Frankenstein. They both did their best to replicate the previous actors’ voices, but it sadly feels off at times as it feels more like they’re trying to replicate the original voices rather than bringing the characters to life. Hull‘s performance especially sticks out with a more over-the-top performance, which s likely due to how his character was written this time around.

    This sounds odd because it is Hotel Transylvania but there’s an odd lack of subtlety. Yes, the franchise was always known for its over-the-top animation and quite childish humor, but there was always a soft spot that brought it together. Mavis and Dracula’s relationship was heartfelt and given a lot of attention. It seemed like they wanted to do the same with Johnny and his father-in-law, but it just doesn’t work. They go on this trip together, but we spend more time on jokes than actual character development, especially because they already had the bond they end up with during the film. It felt like we were retreading old ground for the sake of the plot rather than character progression.

    Speaking of plot, the “Transformania” part of the title is a fun gimmick. Johnny’s monster design looked great and did let them have some fun with the way he moved or interacted with his environment. His want to become a monster to impress Drac is a nice touch, even if the reasoning is really forced. Also, the twist that it’s Dracula’s own fault for turning into a human was a nice hubris, even if the joke of him being normal didn’t quite land due to the best jokes being in the trailers. Now that I think about it, a big point is made about the rest of the usual crew also transforming but they are such minor characters that it felt like a distraction.

    One of my favorite parts of the second film was this group of friends interacting, and it felt like a waste not to have them spend time in the human world. Yes, the plot is about Johnny and Drac bonding, but we’ve kind of already explored that in each film so far. Why not use this gimmick to its fullest extent as they play off of each other, or further explore new dynamics. Frankenstein’s transformation turned him into an ego-obsessed guy. It makes him the perfect contrast to Drac’s middle-aged look as a human. Hell, we don’t even spend a lot of time with Kathryn Hahn‘s Ericka Van Helsing, whose newly minted relationship with Dracula has never really explored There’s a lot of potential here, but it feels like it’s trying too hard to be like the previous films.

    That’s kind of the issue I have overall with the film. Hotel Transylvania‘s filmography certainly isn’t a masterpiece, but there was a lot of heart that surprised me and made me really enjoy these films. Sadly, it felt like a pale imitation of the original. It’s still impressive what they were able to do with the animation and the voice cast gives a good performance, but something feels off throughout the film. It’s just missing that zing that made you fall in love with the originals, and if it’s the last in the franchise, it didn’t end on a high note.