Tag: Movie News

Chris Hemsworth Open to Return as Thor after ‘Love and Thunder’ After All

Chris Hemsworth has recently made a statement that had many surprised, as he hinted that Thor: Love and Thunder may be his last outing as Thor. With Natalie Portman‘s Mighty Thor arriving, many assumed that might be the reason and would take over. Yet, in a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, he reveals that he is actually open to returning if the right story comes around.

Each time I’ve done it, I’ve sort of thought: “I don’t know what else I can say as this character but thanks for having me, great.” then something else came up, a new script, new director, and has given me a new idea or perspective on it. I am open to anything. I am so thankful for having done so many. I am so proud of this film and if I am lucky enough to do more, great, if not, it’s fantastic.
Chris Hemsworth

There are definitely quite a few stories to explore with the character, especially given the iconic Fear Itself story is still open to being adapted. It would’ve been a shame to not give Theor the send-off he deserves if Chris Hemsworth genuinely is leaving the franchise behind.

Yet, it may simply depend on if someone offers the right script and Marvel Studios is in, he’ll jump on board. So, we shouldn’t expect that we’re seeing the last of Hemsworth moving forward after all. Here’s hoping that either Taika Waititi has an idea to continue to story or maybe a new director can take the character into a new direction.

Source: Twitter

June 21, 2022
Paul Downs Colaizzo to Take Over ‘Harbinger’ as Wes Ball Focuses on ‘Planet of the Apes’

Wes Ball has been quite busy working on the next Planet of the Apes film, and it seems that his commitment led to him stepping down from his upcoming adaptation of the Paramount film, Harbinger. As the Disney/20th Century reboot is deep in pre-production, it seems that Paul Downs Colaizzo is currently in talks to take over the film. Valiant Entertainment’s Dan Mintz is producing alongside Original Film’s Neal Moritz and Toby Jaffe. The adaptation will follow the story of teen superheroes, who take on a corporation that is exploiting their abilities.

Colaizzo has made a name for directing and writing the Sundance darling Brittany Runs a Marathon. The film was a massive success back in 2019’s Sundance Film Festival and would eventually release on Amazon prime Video. He’s definitely an interesting choice for the project and may be his step out of the indie scene into the blockbuster scene. With one Sundance darling under his belt, it’s a big step for his career and it’ll be interesting how he adapts the iconic comic.

We’ve seen quite a few superhero adaptations over the years, but a group of teen heroes hasn’t been truly explored. The Boys has been trying to bring a spinoff that takes place in college to life, but it’s only been recent that it picked up any kind of speed. Marvel is also seemingly building towards a Young Avenger storyline. So, now’s the time to explore the storyline before the big guns get their chance.

Source: Deadline

June 21, 2022
‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Almost Featured Christian Bale’s Gorr in a Kate Bush Dance Sequence

Kate Bush has gone viral since the iconic episode released from Stranger Things. Yet, it looks like another popular property almost featured the singer, as it turns out that Thor: Love and Thunder almost featured a dance sequence with music from Bush. Yet, what stands out is that the sequence was actually going to feature Gorr the God Butcher, who is played by Christian Bale.

Bale revealed the sequence that sadly didn’t end up getting made, as director Taika Waititi feared the sequence wouldn’t make it into the final cut. Of course, they may have snuck in some kind of sequence that is an evolution from this original idea, as he teases something inspired by Aphex Twin’s video “Come to Daddy.”

Taika and I wanted to do a whole dance, which we didn’t get to do, but we had all this sort of Kate Bush stuff that we worked at. But I think he just realised he was never going to be allowed to put that in the final film. I would say that the most common thing I was staring at was the Aphex Twin video of ‘Come To Daddy’. But I don’t even know if that will be in the final film.
Christian Bale

Gorr has been teased as one of their best villains, and test screenings hint at him having the biggest acceptance score out of all MCU villains. Christian Bale is a fantastic actor, and he does hint in the interview that he has no idea that he was part of a bigger franchise. That isn’t too uncommon, not that actors only do it “for a paycheck” as some on the internet proclaim, but generally as they are interested in the role offered.

Source: Total Film

June 21, 2022
Sebastian Stan Set to Star in New A24 Thriller ‘A Different Man’

Sebastian Stan will star in A24’s latest production, the physiological thriller A Different Man. Stan joins Renate Reinsve and Adam Pearson, who are also set to be in lead roles for the film. A Different Man is written and directed by Aaron Schimberg (who worked with Pearson on his 2018 film Chained for Life). Production for the project is slated to begin next month in July.

The film is said to follow a man named Edward, an outcast based on his disability, who desires a new start on life away from his struggles. Following a facial reconstructive surgery, Edward becomes fixated on a portrayal of him and his past life in a stage production. Based on this description, it can be assumed that both Stan and Pearson will be portraying Edward in different stages of his life.

This film has the potential to continue a long-line of success for Stan, including his time as Bucky Barnes in various projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jeff Gillooly in I, Tonya, and most recently his critically acclaimed performance as Tommy Lee Jones in Pam and Tommy.

Meanwhile, for A24, it will certainly be noteable to see if A Different Man will follow the continued critical success for the independent studio. With Everything, Everywhere, All At Once becoming the young studio’s most commercially successful film, more attention will turn to the projects distributed by the New York City company. This news also comes within days of their newest release in Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, a film that has already been receiving rave reviews ahead of its release this Friday. Not to mention the murderer’s row of critically acclaimed and award-winning filmography A24 has to offer such as Minari, The Green Knight, The Lighthouse, The Farewell, Eight Grade, and Hereditary.

A Different Man certainly holds big expectations on that front and hopefully, Aaron Schimberg’s newest project will join this lofty pantheon of modern films.

Source: Deadline

June 21, 2022
New ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Spot Features Key Location from Thor Comics

The promotional footage for Marvel Studios Thor: Love and Thunder has been coming fast and furious as the release date for the film approaches. The fourth Thor film will feature one of Odinson’s most fearsome comic book villains, Gorr the God Butcher, and his quest to rid the universe of gods. Gorr was introduced in Jason Aaron’s highly-acclaimed Thor: God of Thunder and the latest promo for the film features a key location from that run.

Just six seconds into the spot, entitled “Speech”, we see what looks to be Thor’s goat-drawn ship leaving a building floating high in the clouds. Fans of the Aaron comic no doubt recognized the building as Omnipotence City, a location that was central to Thor’s quest to uncover information about Gorr’s murderous spree against the gods.

In issue #3 of Thor: God of Thunder, Thor makes his way to Omnipotence City, a vast neutral zone for the gods built millions of years ago following a war. Once there, Thor makes his way to the Halls of All-Knowing where with the help of the Lord Librarian, he began researching all the gods who had already fallen victim to Gorr…and those who might in the future.

Thor’s quest for knowledge was interrupted when Gorr’s Black Berserkers attacked, but he was able to get enough info to continue his quest. Given what’s seen in the brief glimpse here, it’s likely that Thor’s trip to Omnipotence City will serve as a waypoint on a much longer quest.

June 21, 2022
‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Final Runtime is Shorter Than ‘Thor: Ragnarok’

It looks like we may finally have our last reported runtime for the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder film. There’s been a lot of speculation on where the film would end, as some reports from official theater chains hinted at it being one of the longest and even among the shortest Marvel Cinematic Universe entries. Yet, it seems that the latest update has finally given us what may be the full runtime for the fourth Thor film, which is going to scratch the two-hour surface.

It seems that Thor: Love and Thunder will run around 1 hour and around 59 minutes. That runtime is quite the departure from the first AMC showcase that had the film at 150 minutes, which would be around two hours and 30 minutes. Yet, it would later be revised to what is now the finalized runtime of 1 hour and 59 minutes shortly after. Given the sudden shift, it was uncertain if that would remain but it looks like the film is among the franchise’s shorter films.

Thor: Love and Thunder is now shorter than the first Iron Man, which was just eight minutes above the two-hour mark. Also, we have to keep in mind that this runtime also includes the credits, as pointed out by Big Screen Leaks on Twitter. With 119 minutes, the film is only four minutes longer than the first Thor film, and Thor: The Dark World‘s 112 minutes. So, it technically is still quite in line with other entries of the franchise. It’ll be interesting to see how Taika Waititi keeps all his ideas within that runtime.

Source: AMC, Cineplexx, Twitter

June 21, 2022
Aaron Taylor-Johnson Teases Sony’s New Take on ‘Kraven the Hunter’

We’ve all scratched our heads when Sony once again continued its goal of expanding the Spider-Man rogue’s gallery without the webhead’s direct involvement. While El Muerto is still the most surprising choice, Aaron Taylor-Johnson will also take on the role of Kraven the Hunter. Now that the famous hunter doesn’t have his iconic prey, it does seem like they’re taking a different direction with the character. Luckily in an interview with Variety, Taylor-Johnson offered some insight.

While calling Kraven “Spider-Man’s number one rival” but highlights that what makes him stand out is that he’s “not an alien, or a wizard. He’s just a hunter, a human with conviction. An animal lover and a protector of the natural world. He’s a very, very cool character.” He also highlights that the character is more of an anti-hero which we saw in the past with the character’s development in the past.

The big reveal is that this version of Kraven is “an animal lover and a protector of the natural world.” As such, he may no longer be the “hunter” in the traditional sense and has put his focus on taking down others that harm animals. It’s definitely a departure from the character’s usual origin and it’ll be interesting to see how he brings him to life on the silver screen. Plus, there’s the tease of how it may all tie together with the post-credit sequence of Morbius, as the “human with conviction” might need a few tweaks to be inspired in taking down a human dressed as a spider.

Source: Variety

June 21, 2022
Illumination’s President Praises Chris Pratt’s Performance as Mario

When the news hit that Chris Pratt was going to voice Mario, many were a bit surprised by the choice. The cast generally led to quite a few reactions with a stacked cast including Jack Black as Bowser and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong. It didn’t help matters that Pratt was cast for an upcoming animated Garfield film, which added to the jokes that any animated character could be voiced by the Guardians of the Galaxy actor.

In an interview with Animation Magazine, Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri had a lot of praise for his performance, as he went on to highlight that many of the criticism will be mute once they get to see his performance in action.

When people hear Chris Pratt’s performance, the criticism will evaporate, maybe not entirely — people love to voice opinions, as they should. I’m not sure this is the smartest defense, but as a person who has Italian-American heritage, I feel I can make that decision without worrying about offending Italians or Italian-Americans… I think we’re going to be just fine.
Chris Pratt

It definitely is still a curious casting, especially when the character of Mario has such an iconic voice. Charles Martinet voiced the character since 1992 and is confirmed to appear in the upcoming animated film. Yet, it simply seems odd not to use the man who defined the character all those years ago if they’re going for an animated project, to begin with. We’ll have to wait and see what the project has to offer once the first trailer arrives.

Source: Animation Magazine

June 21, 2022
‘Sherlock Holmes 3’ Director Confirms Pandemic Derailed Film

If there’s one case Sherlock Holmes can’t seem to solve, it’s how to get the third movie in theaters. Before Benedict Cumberbatch‘s hit BBC series became the fan-favorite version of the famed character’s world, fellow Marvel star Robert Downey Jr. enjoyed a brief period as the great detective. The former Iron Man actor co-starred with Jude Law as Holmes and his partner John Watson in 2009’s Sherlock Holmes and 2011’s Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, both directed by Guy Ritchie in his signature style.

The sequel left off with a literal question mark, with Downey Jr.‘s Sherlock having just faked his death in a duel with Jared Harris‘ evil Professor Moriarty. It seemed the doors were wide open for a third installment to be made, but for one reason after another, a threequel never materialized. In 2019, director Dexter Fletcher was announced as the man taking over for Ritchie, with a third movie entering production after years of rumors and comments from the franchise stars about wanting to return. Unfortunately, nothing ever came of this. In a recent interview with Collider, Fletcher revealed the global pandemic is to blame:

The pandemic derailed it. I do think it will get made. I think it has to be made. I don’t know what the timeline of that is, unfortunately, but I believe it should be. It’s fantastic. I think it’s about all the right people being at the right place, at the right time. I think it’s that. It’s one of those cruel twists of fate, where the pandemic hit and that scattered people around the world to the wind. But I know that the appetite is huge for it, and I’m sure there are other people acutely aware of that as well. But I believe it should be because it’s brilliant. I very much hope so.
Dexter Fletcher

At least the Rocketman filmmaker seems hopeful that Sherlock Holmes 3 will still happen. The fan desire is still there for another adventure, and the charismatic Downey Jr. is due for his return to leading franchise films. Until then, catch Fletcher‘s latest project The Offer, a new series about the making of The Godfather, on Paramount+.

Source: Collider

June 21, 2022
Latest ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Image Offers a Closer Look at Mantis’ New Design

We’ve known for a while that Thor: Love and Thunder would continue where Avengers: Endgame left us off. Thor is out of shape and joining the Guardians of the Galaxy on whatever mission they find themselves. It’s still unclear what exactly their role might be in the sequel, but the first trailers have teased that they’ll be struggling a bit with their Asgardian member doing his own thing.

We got a good look at the cast in the last trailer and the Guardians had a prominent part. Now, a few new images have found their way online that tease Thor and Jane Foster’s new look. Yet, we also got a new and closer look at Mantis’ design, which is once again played by Pom Klementieff. We don’t know how much she’ll be featured and if she’ll have the same costume in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but it looks like most of her design has remained intact from previous entries.

It’s definitely not as green as previous films were, but it does seem like the lighting of this scene is hinting that her hair has gotten a bit more green. Star-Lord is also featured with his new beard, which seems a bit Thor-inspired. He’s wearing a much bigger version of his iconic jacket, but we know he’ll wear some more comic-accurate costumes in the upcoming sequel as revealed from a few set photos. So, who knows for how long we’ll still see Chris Pratt in a variation of his iconic red jacket moving forward.

Source: Total Film

June 20, 2022