Blog

‘Venom: Let There Be Carnage’s New Zealand Release Delayed Until October

It looks like Clifford the Red Dog’s big delay could be the start of many. Currently, the pandemic is facing another upswing through the Delta Variant. As such, there’s a lot of uncertainty regarding if the upcoming September releases will keep their slot. Well, it seems that Sony might already be taking the first precautions, as Venom: Let There Be Carnage got postponed in New Zealand.

The site Event Cinemas has now listed the sequel as a release on the 14th of October, rather than its initial 23rd September release. When the Sony Pictures New Zealand account released the initial trailer in May, it included the international release date but was noticeably absent with the second trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiAju6ojIuM

Even the US version did not include a release date in the second trailer. It already raised some concerns that it might signal an eventual delay. It looks like that is indeed the fact. Curious enough, some countries already included an October release, such as the Austrian Cineplexx site having it slated for 21st October. Looking back at the May trailer for this market, it was slated for that release date in local German-speaking markets.

This is mainly due to the film market opening up later due to lockdown restrictions. Still, there’s a high likelihood that the film also faces a delay in the US. Early September releases seem quite safe in their current time slot, but anything eyeing the end of next month will likely get pushed back. So, Daniel Craig’s No Time to Die might suffer a similar fate with its currently planned release on the 30th of September.

Of course, it also threatens a delay for December’s release of Spider-Man: No Way Home if Sony is already considering pushing back its current releases. It’s uncertain if Eternals will keep its November release, and we might see a continued push back until the Delta Variant’s growth is halted. Box Office numbers have also gone down over the past few weeks signaling that it still needs some time before we return to some normality.

Source: USA Today, Event Cinemas, HOYTS, YouTube (NZ), Cineplexx, YouTube (GE)

August 8, 2021
Shang-Chi and the Potential Future of the Ten Rings

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is less than a month away. It’ll solve the question of whom the Ten Rings are, who we’ve got introduced to since 2008’s Iron Man. The first trailers gave us our first look at the unique take of the Marvel Cinematic Universe of the titular Ten Rings. Instead of literal rings, they act more like bracelets that Wenwu, their version of the Mandarin, wears on his arms. The latest trailers and even costume showings may have hinted at the future of this mystical weapon. We definitely know that Shang-Chi will wield them at one point in the film, but they could become a permanent part of his repertoire.

https://twitter.com/aaron_rivin/status/1424066745241784324

If this ends up true, it also opens the question of what it means for the secret organization. The opening of the film strongly implies that our titular hero has been running away from his responsibilities as the heir for some time. As he uncovers more of his past and meets a mystical dragon, it’ll be difficult to just return to his everyday life in the United States. We also don’t know what’ll happen to Wenwu once the film ends, which opens up the question of a power vacuum is left after their final confrontation. It seems doubtful that he’d take over the organization and try to change it within, but rather try to enjoy his freedom away from the Ten Rings. He may have been given this mission by the dragon, who might be the original owner of those very rings.

If we’d go down a clichéd route, it would seem safe to assume his sister Jiang Li might take over if anything happens to their father. She might rule it with an iron thumb as Shang-Chi tries to live his life. Yet, if he keeps the rings in his possession, it might draw the wrong kind of attention. She’ll hunt him down to return them to their rightful place in her eyes. As such, it would force our hero to go on the run as he learns just how far the Ten Rings’ influence has spread across the world.

Perhaps the Ten Rings are, in reality, only one piece of a bigger picture. The moment he meets the Great Protector, he uncovers the truth behind the rings and sets out to find the other dragons. In Chinese mythology, there are the nine dragons of Kowloon, or the five dragon kings. Shang-Chi features a white dragon, who could be one of the five previously mentioned. So, future entries might have him search out the others to fully unlock the potential of the ten rings. Perhaps, Shou-Lao, the dragon of K’un-Lun, is one of them and his journey will lead him to the hidden city and a meeting with the Iron Fist.

Source: Twitter

August 7, 2021
‘Ms. Marvel’s Thematic Tie-In Comic Delayed Until December 2021

There’s been much discussion on Ms. Marvel’s possible delay. The official release date for Hawkeye in November with the upcoming What If episodes didn’t leave much room for the debut of the iconic hero. TVLine even recently reported that the series is now eyeing a potential early 2021 release, but there hasn’t been an official announcement from Marvel Studios or Disney. Well, it seems another piece of the puzzle may hint at the delay once again, as a thematic tie-in comic titled Ms. Marvel: Beyond the Limit got delayed until December.

Samira Ahmed and Andrés Genolet’s comic was originally announced for a September 15th debut, but will now release on December 1st. It’ll be the first time a South Asian writer will take over a Ms. Marvel series. It’ll act as a mini-series that’ll run for five issues and explores the origins of Kamala’s abilities. The story will see her travel to Bollywood as she takes on a doppelganger and her abilities go haywire. So, Kamala Khan has quite a lot of trouble heading her way.

It’s interesting that this was planned as a thematic tie-in, which might be a further hint at this new development regarding her abilities. Our first full look at Iman Vellani as Kamala teased her with a purple energy construct, which is a far cry from her comic iconic Embiggen-based abilities. It might be that Marvel Studios already adapted the series to include these new abilities that were planned by Marvel, or it’ll add a new layer to the abilities she’s famous for. It’ll be interesting once we get an official word on what the future holds for the young heroine.

Source: Games Radar, EW

August 6, 2021
Latest ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Dev Stream Reveals UI Relaunch for Black Panther DLC

It looks like the upcoming Black Panther release will include quite a bit more than expected. In the latest Marvel’s Avengers stream, Crystal Dynamics assembled alongside their UI director, who offered a closer look at their complete revamp of their menus. A big takeaway from the stream is that this new layout got established to also further expand it with their plans for gear and other additions to the game.

The first major change to enable this was to create the possibility of a Loadout, which has been a highly requested feature since the game launched. They did confirm that the function won’t yet be available with the launch of War for Wakanda, but it will follow. It’s the first step to enable its functionality. Here’s the first look at the new character UIs:

The first takeaway is how they centralized all options surrounding your character are. So, your loadout is not just a specific gear set but also what takedowns, emotes or skin you want to support that specific design. That’s not all, as we also have a more visual flair depending on which character you play, as when you switch characters, it’ll change the overall color layout. We also got a better look at Black Panther in the stream and his color template.

The entire set-up is grid-based moving forward, and everything was united here. Skills are currently a separate element, but will also play into the structure of the Loadouts moving forward. It also is optimized to allow D-Pad use, which has been requested a well. There’s also a noticeable gap with skins and gear, which could hint at some future planned expansions. There’ also the naming of “Emotes” and this set-up will enable the inclusion of an emote wheel in the future. If you want to manage your gear, you can do it in a separate menu.

They’ve upgraded the number of gear pieces you can keep. So, it’s now eleven pieces rather than the usual nine. You can also access the storage at any point in this menu and are no longer dependent on going back to the Helicarrier to access it. The true highlights here are the options to lock gear. So, you no longer can accidentally delete it. You can now also just hold a button to go through all gear, rather than doing it individually. They’ve also included the mass dismantling function alongside a mass moving option to add it into the storage. So, gear management was given a complete overhaul. They also added pulsating arrows to let you know instantly what gear you can upgrade.

Furthermore, they’ve acknowledged that the text was too small. So, it’s now given a bigger spotlight and is also not hidden away in other menus. It’ll make going through the various Codex entries much easier instead of leaning forward on your couch. The overall UI changes will affect multiple sections of the game, as they even updated the Faction

Yes, you no longer have to switch between machines to select your Faction missions. It’s all accessible through one computer, and it’s uncertain if there will be a new icon to highlight this option. It’ll take some time to adapt to the changes, but it’s very promising to see these adaptations moving forward. Crystal Dynamics said this is the first step towards a lot more functions and adaptations.

August 6, 2021
REVIEW: ‘The Suicide Squad’ is an A-List Film With C-List Villains

The line “Sad souls in silly costume” summarizes the motley crew that serves as the world’s last line of defense against a towering galactic starfish that conquers worlds perfectly. James Gunn makes his grandiose return to the genre with The Suicide Squad. It is a fast-paced firefight that features some stellar characters with individual, fulfilling arcs. While the film tends to drag a bit at certain points and some characters feel underutilized, those at the heart of the film’s eccentric story keep the ball moving and allows for an action-packed third act that ties the film together almost perfectly. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the highs and lows of the latest DC film.

There will be spoilers in this review. So only continue at your own risk if you haven’t seen it yet.

Let’s start with some minor shortcomings of the film. The part that I felt could’ve benefitted from more time is the opening sequence. When we land on the beach with our initial team, we really meet the duds of the bunch. They are obvious cannon fodder. Characters like Javelin, Mongal, Captain Boomerang, Savant, Weasel, and Blackguard don’t get the slightest chance to show off before they meet gruesome ends. The only exception is Nathan Fillion‘s TDK for a joke on the absurdity of his abilities. While this sequence felt rushed, Harley’s time with the new president of Corto Maltese was on the other side of the spectrum. It just dragged on a little too long, and I felt she could’ve got her ‘red flags’ speech out earlier when he mentioned hanging an entire family.

But we’ve really got to talk about the parts that sing louder than the rest, which is 90% of the film. From the get-go, you can tell who the main characters are, and it’s difficult to choose a standout among them. I loved the dynamic between Bloodsport and Ratcatcher 2. Idris Elba’s mercenary acts as a surrogate father, while she helps find the good within him. What truly stands out is the group dynamic perfectly complemented by Peacemaker, King Shark, Polka-Dot Man, and Harley Quinn. Margot delivers yet another fantastic turn at Quinn. All of this comes together in the third act, where the film truly shines. Polka-Dot Man overcomes his fears and manages to become the superhero his mother had always tried to force him to be but on his own terms.

The Suicide Squad truly feels like a comic book brought to life in all the right ways. The film excels at what it sets out to do and told a fantastic story with an excellent roster of actors. Everyone brings their A-game, no matter how small the role. While the film may not be for the weakest of stomachs, it’s got a ton of heart, quite literally.

August 6, 2021
‘Shang-Chi’s Secret Actor Behind Death Dealer’s Mask Revealed

It looks like we finally found out who is behind the mask of Death Dealer in Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings. There has been a curious focus on keeping the identity of the character a secret, but it turns south the actor ended up leaking his involvement with the project. Martial artist Andy Le took to Instagram to share the official character poster for the character and hinted at his involvement with the character.

View this post on Instagram

That is not all, as POC Culture also noticed that fellow Shang-Chi actress Awkwafina shared an Instagram story that confirmed he is indeed playing the role, as she tagged him. Of course, it doesn’t confirm if we’ll even find out the identity of the character at some point in the film, and it simply is a silent role. Death Dealer is Wenwu’s right-hand man and could just be a silent opposition for Shang-Chi as he learns to finally face his father. We got a tease of their confrontations in the trailers.

Marvel Studios has been actively keeping their identity a secret, and we see that they’ve been around since Shang-Chi was a kid. They were heavily involved in his training into adulthood. So, who knows if the same version of Death Dealer exists throughout the entire film. Marvel Studios has also kept the identity of Taskmaster for quite some time, and it’s uncertain if Le is also portraying the character, or was mainly the stunt double. We’ll probably only know once the film releases in September.

Source: Instagram, POC Culture

August 6, 2021
‘Black Widow’ Passes ‘F9’ to Become Highest Grossing Domestic Film

It looks like Black Widow has finally done it, as it officially passed F9 to become the pandemic’s highest-grossing film in the domestic Box Office. It currently pulled in $170.4M over the course of four weeks. It officially passed the film with its Wednesday Box Office. To put that into comparison, the latest Fast and Furious installment required six weeks to hit the $169.8M mark. So, even among all the legal issues, it still managed to top the Box Office.

Ever since the opening weekend, Disney has been coy on sharing any insight into how the film has performed on the streaming service since its initial launch. It supposedly made $60M in its opening weekend alone, but it’s uncertain if that number has grown at all since the initial launch. An analysis by Samba TV hinted that they managed to double their US viewership. So, it might turn out quite profitable for Disney.

The big question remains if it would’ve made more money without a digital release. Even The Suicide Squad’s release is influenced by Warner Bros.’ HBO Max strategy. Even Disney’s latest release, Jungle Cruise, nabbed $34M, which seems on par with Dwayne Johnson’s film Rampage. It would imply that the Delta fear isn’t affecting viewers too much in their initial watch.

Yet, the second weekend has shown a general drop of around 70%+. Old and Snake Eyes dropped by 70% and 79% respectively. All eyes are on Jungle Cruise if it will continue that tradition. The Suicide Squad is currently eyeing a $30M+ opening weekend, and it still looks like the overall Box Office still needs time to return to the numbers we saw in 2019.

Source: Deadline

August 6, 2021
‘The Suicide Squad’ Earns $4.1M on Thursday and On Track to a $30M+ Domestic Opening

It looks like The Suicide Squad will become the highest-earning R-rated film during the pandemic. James Gunn‘s film made $4.1M on Thursday preview showings. To be fair, it’s mainly going off against Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, and The Forever Purge. The overall reception has also been very strong, which can push it further over the weekend. Yet, the Delta Variant is still influencing insecurities about visiting the cinema, and the latest entry could add a bit more energy back into the Box Office.

The big question mark over its head lies in the simultaneous release on HBO Max. Just like we saw with other films that utilized this type of digital availability, it pulls the opening weekend down. There’s also the big risk on the second weekend, which has generally shown that general audiences aren’t willing to risk seeing the same film repeatedly, but prefer whatever was the latest release.

Predictions set it at a strong $30M+ opening weekend in domestic markets. It’s Thursday earnings push that prediction, but it’s uncertain if it’ll manage to pass $40M. The film seems to be on par with the release of Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. It earned $33.2M in its opening weekend before the pandemic close shop on theaters.

The only difference is that James Gunn’s project has a much higher budget, and Warner Bros. might be banking on a strong showing on their streaming service. Plus, given the current situation, the film could still be considered a success even with its hefty $185M budget. The next few days will give us a clearer look at where it’ll land once its weekend ends.

Source: Deadline, Variety, Deadline (Birds of Prey)

August 6, 2021
RUMOR: ‘Black Adam’ Will Feature the Original Atom

The Justice Society of America has always been a team that’s focused on the legacy of its heroes. Over time, the mantles would be passed down to new heroes such as family or even proteges. The team has seen many iterations since its inception all the way back in the 1940s. It wasn’t until we saw Geoff Johns run on the team that the team began to shift the members of its roster, adding legacy heroes like Cyclone, Starman, Stargirl, Jakeem Thunder, Wildcat, Hourman, and Albert Rothstein, the godson of the original Atom, Al Pratt.

With Black Adam set to introduce the Justice Society on the big screen, fans may take notice of its updated roster. The Direct is reporting that Golden Age Atom, Al Pratt, is set to make an appearance in the upcoming film in a limited role. The hero will serve as a sort of uncle figure to Albert in the film, with the new Atom Smasher donning his original costume when he eventually suits up with the JSA. No casting for Al Pratt has been revealed at this time.

A key detail here is Albert donning Al’s original suit, which would mean at one point Pratt did indeed operate as Atom. With Ma Hunkle and the original Red Tornado, another golden age JSA member reportedly in the film, it definitely feels like the seeds are being planted to feature the original JSA at some point in a prequel of sorts and potentially show us the golden age of heroes we theorized may have once operated in the DCEU.

SOURCE: The Direct

August 6, 2021
‘Free Guys’ Shawn Levy Plays Coy on Potential Talks for ‘Deadpool 3’

It seems like the release of Free Guy is also a grand return of Deadpool in the news. Earlier today, we got an update from Ryan Reynolds on the script for the third entry in the franchise. He teased that the film could even enter production next year. It’s an exciting prospect, as we only knew that it was going to be the MCU’s first R-rated project and that sisters Lizzie Molyneux-Loeglin, as well as Wendy Molyneux, joined the project.

They’re still actively working on the script, and it seems that there are already ongoing discussions for a potential director. The director of the latest Reynolds-led project, Shawn Levy, was interviewed by Inverse on a potential sequel to Real Steel and also on his potential interest in directing the third Deadpool film. The first question focuses on rumors of him already being attached to the project.

I’m going to mostly skirt that question, which might be an answer.

He also goes on to discuss that he is indeed a fan of what Marvel Studios is doing and shares his love for the various projects we’ve seen over the years:

But I’ll answer the last part of it, which is: I’m a fan. I’m a fan of Deadpool, like a massive fan. And I’m a fan of the Marvel Universe and the way in which increasingly, individual filmmakers of real note can make and express with their own voice and vision through that franchise behemoth, whether it’s what Taika did with Ragnarok, what Eternals is going to be, what James Gunn did with Guardians. These are real films that also happen to be Marvel movies.

His active interest in joining a project of Marvel Studios is already interesting, as he has worked on a variety of projects which includes the Night at the Museum films, Date Night, Real Steel, and The Internship. He’s also currently working on the Netflix film The Adam Project, in which he’ll work alongside Reynolds again. It’s the way he answers that first question that really makes it look like there have been discussions of some kind.

We have to consider though that they are still working on the script and any discussions with directors could be very early in the process. There’s also the question of the Starman project he’s been attached to since 2016. It’s a little early to call if he might grab the role as director for the threequel, but given his work with the lead actor, there’s a good chance that he has voiced his interest in Levy to tackle it.

Source: Inverse, IMDb, Hollywood Reporter

August 5, 2021