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  • ‘John Wick 4’ Title Revealed as Production Wraps

    ‘John Wick 4’ Title Revealed as Production Wraps

    The next installment in the John Wick franchise is set to hit theaters next Summer and it looks like it’ll take the Boogeyman and The Bowery King on an international adventure as they take on the High Table following the events of Parabellum. Actor Shamier Anderson has joined the fun for the fourth film and took to Instagram last night to indicate that filming, which began in late June, has wrapped and, in doing so, may have unveiled the subtitle of the film.

    It looks like Chapter 4 of the John Wick franchise will be subtitled “Hagakure.” A little research shows that Hagakure is the title of an 18th century collection of thoughts on the way of the Samurai. It is described as a “practical and spiritual guide for a warrior drawn from a collection of the commentaries by the clerk Yamamoto Tsunetomo”, who served the daimyo Nabeshima Mitsushige in the early 1700s. Excerpts from the book appeared on screen in Forest Whitaker’s 1999 film, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.

    While there’s been no official confirmation about the title, it’s certainly a fitting one given what’s been established about Wick over the course of the first 3 films. The sequel will see the aforementioned return of Laurence Fishburne and feature Donny Yen and Shamier Anderson as well asHiroyuki Sanada and Clancy Brown. John Wick Chapter 4 will hit theaters May 27, 2022.

    Source: Instagram

  • Chloé Zhao Hints at How ‘Eternals’ Were Affected by ‘Avengers: Infinity War’s Snap

    Chloé Zhao Hints at How ‘Eternals’ Were Affected by ‘Avengers: Infinity War’s Snap

    The article will discuss some major spoilers from Eternals. So, only continue at your own risk.

    The release of Eternals has given us a new follow-up on the events of Avengers: Endgame. Avengers’ action to bring back half the universe has left quite the impact with Ajak, the leader of this alien race, and kicked off the events of the film. Yet, it opened the question of they were affected by the event. It’s become a common question with every new character introduced, but director Chloé Zhao offered an interesting insight into how their new origin might have kept them from Thanos’s infamous universe-destroying snap, which she describes as “blipped.”

    Well, I can’t say this out loud, but if you think about… if you think about what the Celestials told them. If you think about what the Celestials told them about themselves, technically they can’t get blipped.

    Chloé Zhao

    Eternals took a very different approach to the origins of the alien race. While the opening reveals they are from the planet Olympia, the reality is much harsher. The Celestial Arishem reveals to Gemma Chan‘s Sersi that they are artificial beings. They aren’t aliens but rather created by the Celestials for a very specific purpose and to correct their mistake with their initial creation, the Deviants. So, the fact they aren’t organic may have excluded them from the snap, which means they witnessed these events and had to continue acting as if nothing happened.

    Source: CinemaBlend

  • First Look at Netflix’s ‘Gundam’ Concept Art

    First Look at Netflix’s ‘Gundam’ Concept Art

    There’s been a strong push for anime adaptations as of late. Just today, we got the reveal of Netflix’s One Piece live-action cast. We’re only a week away from Cowboy Bebop getting released. So, there’s still a lot more heading our way including Kong: Skull Island‘s Jordan Vogt-Roberts live-action adaptation of the popular series Mobile Suit Gundam. While it’s uncertain when the film will release, Netflix Festival Japan offered a first look at the project with new concept art of the famous RX-78-2 Gundam model.

    The background shows a warehouse or hangar on fire while the center depicts shadowy image of the main Gundam from concept art from Jordan Vogt-Roberts' upcoming Mobile Suit Gundam live-action film.

    It certainly looks quite impressive. We don’t know how much the upcoming film will explore space battle or try to keep the giant mechs a bit more grounded. As most of the background is covered in flames, it’s hard to say if this is part of a ship or maybe even the factory it was built. Still, it’s certainly a promising first look provided by ILM Art during the festival. Vogt-Roberts has a very distinctive visual style that lends itself quite well to this kind of adaptation. Here’s hoping we get more in the future and a production update, as the director is also still planning to tackle a Metal Gear Solid film at some point.

    Source: Netflix Festival Japan via Nerdist

  • Anthony Mackie Almost Had a Cameo in ‘Eternals’ Post-Credit Scene

    Anthony Mackie Almost Had a Cameo in ‘Eternals’ Post-Credit Scene

    Now that Eternals has been released, Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to grow. So, there are many more moving parts keeping the franchise going. Disney+ has even added a new layer of complexity, as we also saw Anthony Mackie take the mantle of Captain America. While we know he’s getting his own film soon, there’s uncertainty where and when characters can show up nowadays with so many options. Well, it seems that Mackie may have almost taken over an important role in this film’s second post-credit sequence.

    Quick spoiler warning, if you still haven’t seen Eternals, we are going to spoil the second post-credit sequence. Only continue at your own risk.

    After the credits roll, we see Kit Harington‘s Dane Whitman unveil the Ebony Blade. As he’s about to touch it, a voice, which later was confirmed to be Maharshala Ali‘s Blade, stops him. It seems that role was never set in stone, as Eternals writer Kaz Firbo hints that it may have almost been Anthony Mackie at some point.

    I think that once upon a time it may even been Sam [Wilson, played by Anthony Mackie], our new Cap.

    Kaz Firbo

    The Wrap also tried to see if the rumors of it being Doctor Strange at some point may have been true, they wouldn’t elaborate. So, Sam Wilson is the only other option for that role. It adds an extra layer of confusion about what exactly his role is in this sequence and how it connects to the future of Whitman as the Black Knight.

    Source: The Wrap

  • Earlier ‘Eternals’ Post-Credit Ideas Included the Avengers or Kang

    Earlier ‘Eternals’ Post-Credit Ideas Included the Avengers or Kang

    Marvel Studios’ Eternals offered a new look at the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet, the rest of the universe always catches up with any new property, most commonly within the post-credit sequence. Surprisingly, the film was a bit more restrained outside of one voice line. We normally don’t get many glimpses into what the original plans were or even what was used in earlier pitches, but luckily the writers Kaz and Ryan Firbo have opened up about initial pitch ideas.

    It seems that they originally envisioned a sequence similar to what we see at the end of Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings, where the Eternals join the new lineup of the Avengers. Yet, they even considered having them sit down and talk with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania villain, Jonathan Majors‘ Kang the Conqueror. Yet, they wanted to focus on one of the series supporting characters instead to further develop their place in the MCU.

    It was a good decision to focus on stories that build out of Eternals and not interconnect them too early. The film stands on its own merits quite a bit and it may have muddled it if the Avengers suddenly appeared at the end. Plus, if they had a discussion with Kang and it just cut there, it may have driven many fans crazy to find out what they are talking about. Plus, it would’ve been a waste to introduce Dane Whitman without teasing the Ebony Blade at some point in his story.

    Source: The Wrap

  • ‘Eternals’ Writers Would Love a Sequel and Disney+ Prequel

    ‘Eternals’ Writers Would Love a Sequel and Disney+ Prequel

    Now that Eternals is out, the big question has arrived: where are these characters and stories heading next? Well, it seems that the film’s writers Kaz and Ryan Firbo are quite excited to spend more time with these characters, as in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter they’ve openly discussed their excitement to explore not only a sequel but also a prequel series on Disney+. They even pitched a few ideas on how they could tackle the series, as we may bridge the gap between their arrival 7,000 years ago up until the modern-day.

    We’ve even said jokingly that there should be an Eternals prequel show on Disney+. Go back and do a Kingo episode in 1890s Mumbai where he is juggling his life as a movie star, dealing with Gandhi’s peaceful dissolution of the British empire in India. And there’s an episode with Thena where she’s in Greece. I would love to make that show. There are a lot of opportunities. If the audiences allow us, there’s going to be a story to tell with Dane Whitman. There’s going to be a story to tell in the Cosmos with the Eternals confronting Arishem and all the Celestials who are these incredible metaphors for creation. I think there’s a lot of stories in the Eternals universe.

    Kaz Firbo

    There’s a lot of potential with the history that is hinted at throughout the film. While we only get to spend time with them in specific eras and hear stories of how they defined Earth’s earliest legends, it would be interesting to see how they coexisted alongside the Asgardians, or if the actual Olympians had some kind of role. Perhaps Thena spent time with a different kind of Zuras, who became famous as Zeus to people before he left the planet again. Here’s hoping they get a chance to explore these different stories across MCU history.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Eiichiro Oda Shares His Excitement for Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Cast

    Eiichiro Oda Shares His Excitement for Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Cast

    Barely an hour ago, the official One Piece cast has accidentally leaked early. So, it didn’t take long for the official pages to catch up and confirm the cast. Iñaki Godoy, Emily Rudd, Jacob Romero Gibson, Taz Skyler, and Mackenyu will play the Straw Hats that joined during the East Blue saga before they entered the Grand Line. Of course, series creator Eiichiro Oda was heavily involved in the project and shared his excitement on the cast alongside a new drawing of Luffy.

    We don’t know how long ago they were cast in the roles, but it looks like they had quite a tight schedule to get everything out in time. Alongside the announcement, we also got a special little video from the cast sharing their excitement about tackling these roles in a shirt made by Eiichiro Oda to celebrate the casting.

    https://twitter.com/onepiecenetflix/status/1458192148642234371

    Showrunner Steven Maeda and executive producer Matt Owens also shared their enthusiasm on finally getting the cast together to bring these iconic characters to life in the Netflix series.

    Finding the right people to pull off the looks, emotions, and actions of the iconic Straw Hats was a long and challenging (and fun!) process. Much like the search for the One Piece itself. But we have finally found the perfect fits! They have already begun working very hard to bring these characters to life. You will come to know and love them just as much as their manga counterparts. All of us can’t wait to show you what we’ve come up with! Onward to adventure!

    It’s certainly been a long wait until we finally got an official casting or any information on the series. There are still some supporting characters that we haven’t heard about yet. We still don’t know when they’ll enter production and what the release schedule is, but we might be looking at a late 2022 or early 2023 premiere. Here’s hoping with this news out there, we might get more insight as time goes on.

    Source: Twitter

  • Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Main Cast Accidentally Leaked Early

    Netflix’s ‘One Piece’ Main Cast Accidentally Leaked Early

    It looks like the wait is finally over, as One Piece‘s cast has finally been unveiled. Well, technically. It seems that Netflix Latin America posted the announcement too early, but moments later deleted it again. Luckily, What’s on Netflix and @piece_live were able to secure the info and images that confirmed the official cast. The series will include the following actors in the respective roles:

    • Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy
    • Emily Rudd as Nami
    • Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp
    • Taz Skylar as Sanji
    • Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro

    You can find the visuals shared right here from the Latin America’s account that was still taken before the tweet was taken down:

    https://twitter.com/piece_live/status/1458176934035210248

    The casting is quite interesting, as these aren’t big-name actors but still have appeared in some bigger projects. Iñaki Godoy appeared in various TV shows like Who Killed Sara? and will appear in The Imperfects. Mackenyu, who’ll tackle the role of Zoro has some experience with sword-based adventures as he appeared in Rurouni Kenshin: The Final. He also will have the lead role in the live-action adaptation of Knights of the Zodiac, which is set to premiere next year. Emily Rudd has made a name for herself in the second entry of the Fear Street saga on Netflix. So, they have quite the cast together for this project.

    Source: Twitter, What’s on Netflix

  • ‘Eternals’ Angelina Jolie Is Interested In Returning as Thena, But Not in a Solo Movie

    ‘Eternals’ Angelina Jolie Is Interested In Returning as Thena, But Not in a Solo Movie

    Of all the major names attached to the cast of Marvel’s Eternals, the biggest may be Angelina Jolie. The actress has starred in countless films over multiple decades, headlining a vast portfolio of movies like Tomb Raider and Maleficent. Yet, it looks like she won’t be leading any films for Marvel anytime soon. In a recent interview with Brazilian outlet CinePop, the Tourist star clarified that she has no intentions of working with the company on a solo Thena project, although she is very open to returning to the role in another supporting capacity.

    I loved being part of the family, so I have no desire to separate from the family. But I would be happy to play her again and explore even more deeply the struggles that she has. I think it’s fun thinking of where they’ve been over the years. We’ve got thousands of years worth of material. We can take her anywhere. I think that’s fun and I like the idea that we can pop up somewhere, maybe in other Marvel movies.

    Angelina Jolie

    It was a surprise to almost everyone when Jolie signed on to Chloe Zhao‘s superhero epic in 2019. Aside from an adaptation of Mark Millar’s Wanted, the actress stayed away from the comic book films during the peak of their popularity. In the same interview with CinePop, the actress revealed that the only reason she boarded Eternals was that it centered around the idea of family. So, it would make sense that she doesn’t want the spotlight all to herself. Here’s hoping Kevin Feige and company find a way to include her elsewhere sooner rather than later.

    Source: Collider

  • Chloé Zhao Plays Coy on ‘Eternals’ “Repercussions for the Future” of the MCU

    Chloé Zhao Plays Coy on ‘Eternals’ “Repercussions for the Future” of the MCU

    Eternals has finally dropped and offered a new perspective on what mysteries lie within the cosmos of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Its ending left us with more questions than answers, as multiple new storylines could pave the way to change the franchise as we know it. Chloé Zhao has recently teased that she has mapped out quite a bit with this film, and in an interview with ScreenRant, she continues to play coy on whatever effect and long-lasting changes we can expect from this film.

    Huge, huge. I can’t say anything! I can’t say anything, but one thing I can say is that we knew going in that the origin of the MCU will be defined to a certain extent in this film by exploring the mythology of the Celestials, and we know this is going to have repercussions for the future.

    Chloé Zhao

    Those that have seen the film might remember that there are some noticeable changes to the world and some obscure hints on where certain characters’ fate lies. Yet, we still haven’t gotten a sequel announcement or even a confirmation where we’ll see them next. The film does end with the tease they will make a return, but it’s quite uncertain moving forward. Yet, the way she is actively hiding it might hint at her having a hand in shaping the MCU’s future.

    Source: ScreenRant