Tag: Movie News

The Pulse: Collecting the Biggest News of the Week of Oct. 31st-Nov. 6th

Gael Garcia Bernal Will Be Hairy and Scary

For some time now, the rumor mill has been buzzing about the possibility of Jake Gomez being the MCU’s Werewolf By Night in the 2022 Halloween Special. Now, with the casting of award-winning actor Gael Garcia Bernal as the lead in the event, it seems even more likely.

Netflix’s Live-Action Avatar is Heating Up

Daniel Dae Kim has joined the cast of Netflix’s adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender amidst reports that the streaming series was searching for some fire benders. The ambitious series looks like it is currently set to stream late in 2022.

What is Dead Can Never Die: ‘Titans’ Season 5 Confirmed

In a move not even the most hardcore DC fans can explain, the HBO Max streaming series Titans is coming back for not only a 4th season, but also a 5th. Nobody is taking the news harder than our own Mary Maerz who is questioning the series of unfortunate events that led her to Murphy’s Multiverse and in the unenviable role of the reviewer of Titans.

‘The Incal’ adapation finds its director in Taika Waititi

At a time when Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune is being hailed as a major cinematic accomplishment, The Incal adaptation is a few steps closer to having its own time to shine on the big screen, with Taika Waititi at the helm. What do these projects have in common? Well, a lot. Alejandro Jodorowsky is famous for having unsuccessfully tried to adapt and film Frank Herbert‘s 1965 Dune in the mid-1970s. After that, one of his projects was a graphic novel series written by himself and originally illustrated by Jean Giraud: The Incal. A project that includes and expands the concepts and artwork from the abandoned Dune film.

Laurie Holden as Crimson Countess in ‘The Boys’ Season 3

Amazon struck gold with its adaption of Garth Ennis’ The Boys, a world where the superheroes aren’t kept in check and act as they please. In the upcoming season, things are set to get even crazier than before with the arrival of Jensen Ackles’ Soldier Boy, and superhero team Payback. But these won’t be the only members of the team making their way to Vought this season, as Laurie Holden is already set to debut as Crimson Countess, their play on Scarlet Witch.

Lucasfilm Seemingly Fast Tracking a Film Based on the Old Republic

A few months back, we got the reveal that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was getting a remake exclusively for PlayStation 5. Now, it seems Lucasfilm also wants to take a look into that timeline in an upcoming film. It is seemingly eyeing a 2023 release set during the Old Republic that is set to enter production sometime next year.

November 6, 2021
‘Eternals’ is Disney’s Highest Friday Opening for a Theater-Exclusive Release Since 2019

Box office numbers are slowly rolling in, as we got a clearer picture of just how well Eternals did on Friday. It looks like the film pulled in $30.7M. It’s slightly above the base $30M reported last night and puts the film on a path to potentially beat out Black Widow‘s $80M opening weekend. For now, it’s slightly behind Thor: The Dark World and Doctor Strange, who didn’t have to compete with the pandemic. At its current standing, it is Disney’s highest opening day with a theatrical exclusive release, as it just barely passed Shang-Chi‘s impressive $29.5M in September.

The big test will be how word-of-mouth affected the film, as while it has a 48% on Rotten Tomatoes by critics, fans have generally deemed to enjoy the film with 84%. Yet, it currently has a B CinemaScore standing with audiences, which is the lowest for an MCU film. Still, it’s a great start and still opens the possibility of it passing Black Widow’s opening numbers. Internationally, the film has been performing well and garnered $38.4M, which means it has earned $69.1M in just its first day. Currently, it is trending ahead of the previous entries of the franchise.

For now, we’ll have to keep an eye on how it develops over the weekend and if word-of-mouth might hurt it long-term with a stronger drop in its second week. Shang-Chi was a strong showing for the studio as it continued to hold on to the top spot for quite some time. With more competition heading its way, it’s unclear if Eternals might manage the same, or face a harsher drop given its mixed reception moving forward. Its massive running time is also part of the issue here, as it means fewer showings for the film, which doesn’t have the whole “end of a decade” selling point attached to it.

Source: Box Office Pro

November 6, 2021
RUMOR: ‘Rogue Squadron’ Delayed Until 2024

During Disney’s Investors Day, we learned that Wonder Woman‘s Patty Jenkins is directing Star Wars: Rogue Squadron. The film would explore the legendary starfighter squadron that was part of the Rebel Alliance. We even got a small teaser at the time to tease the new film. At the time, we also got a release date, as it was eyeing December 2023. Yet, a recent rumor might point to it getting delayed by at least a year.

It wasn’t until June that we found out that Matthew Robinson joined the production to write its script. At the time, it was uncertain how long he has been involved with the project, as it was still hoping to start production early next year. Yet a rumor is pointing to another production revving up early next year and a new rumor is hinting that Rogue Squadron might get pushed back, especially with how busy Jenkins will be on the third entry of Wonder Woman.

So, it seems likely that the film might not see the light of day until 2024. There are hints they still are planning on keeping that 2023 release date for a different production, which may involve a concept created around the Old Republic. Of course, there’s still no official announcement so we have to take it with a grain of salt, but perhaps Disney+ Day has some surprises for us.

Source: Twitter, StarWarsNews

November 6, 2021
RUMOR: Lucasfilm Fast Tracking a Film Based on the Old Republic

Star Wars has been quite ambitious with its projects, as it aims to explore the different eras across the franchise’s history. A few months back, we got the reveal that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was getting a remake exclusively for PlayStation 5. They even announced that the original titles would join the Nintendo Switch for those that want to explore those games in their rawest form. Now, it seems they also want to take a look into that timeline in an upcoming film.

Lucasfilm is eyeing a 2023 release set during the Old Republic instead that is set to enter production sometime next year. In 2019, Buzzfeed News shared a piece that a film based on the popular gaming franchise might make its way into cinemas.

We still have to take this news with a grain of salt, but it wouldn’t be too surprising that the studio would want to explore this part of the timeline. It also makes sense to finally give one o the franchise’s most popular characters, Revan, some live-action love.

They also recently released books based on a new era known as the High Republic, which may also get explored through a film or Disney+ series at some point in the future. Currently, Lucasfilm is not restricting their work to a specific timeline and have the freedom to introduce ideas and concepts at any time. So, there’s a lot of potential

Source: Star Wars News, BuzzFeed

November 6, 2021
‘Eternals’ Makes $30M on Friday at the Domestic Box Office

It’s been a busy day for Marvel Studios fans, as Eternals finally released in theaters. Not only are all the spoilers hitting the internet, but also the public reaction has shown there’ quite the divide between critics and audience’s views on the film. So, we’ve been curious what it might mean for its box office performance, as it earned $9.5M in its Thursday Previews. It made the film the third-highest of the pandemic. Well, it looks like the film is currently heading towards a $75M after opening this Friday with around $30M (including the money it made from previews). It’s currently in line with Shang-Chi‘s $29M opening from September.

Friday usually makes up 40% of the box office, as pointed out by Deadline which means it might be lower than the previously stated $80M prediction. Of course, there’s always a chance this new audience reception, which is only available as of today, might boost its numbers after all. The CinemaScore might be our first indication. Eternals only drawback is the film’s length. It’s one of the longest entries in the franchise. While Avengers: Endgame had the selling point of ending the franchise’s first major arc, Eternals is a rather unknown property that introduces a group of new heroes.

Dune is currently in second place and might take a bite out of Eternals box office. As of now, the film might not pass the $80M mark after all even as earlier predictions were a bit more optimistic in that regard. Internationally, the film is currently outpacing Shang-Chi and Black Widow, which continues to point to a strong global opening for the production. Deadline also points out that Disney has $100M in brand marketing partners, which helps reduce the burden on covering costs for the company.

Source: Deadline, The Numbers, Deadline, Box Office Mojo

November 5, 2021
‘Eternals’ Audience and Critic Reception Divided on Rotten Tomatoes

There’s been a lot of debate surrounding the latest release of Marvel Studios. Eternals seemed to have garnered quite a bit of negative attention by critics, as its rating continued to go down becoming the first MCU project with a rotten rating. With 265 critic reviews, it currently stands at 49% with 265 reviews. Yet, now that the film has opened to the public, it has currently shown a much stronger approval rating by fans with 1,000+ verified ratings giving it a 86%.

It’s quite clear that critics and audiences are not agreeing on Eternals reception. Change is always something that may receive different kinds of reactions, especially with Marvel Studios taking a different approach with their latest film. Director Chloé Zhao left her stamp on the MCU that jelled with audiences in a way that left them with something fresh but still familiar.

It’s not uncommon for films to simply not get the same reception from critics as they did from audiences. One could argue that expectations might play a key role in what a film is or isn’t for the respective viewer. We all go in with our biases and hopes which leaves a different imprint. Sometimes a project that is critically panned is beloved by viewers because it just offers what they are interested in.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

November 5, 2021
BREAKING: Production on ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Delayed Indefinitely

As star Letitia Wright continues to recover from an injury suffered during filming earlier this year, production on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has come to a halt. According to a trade report, the production has worked around the injury as Wright heals but, at this time, have filmed everything they can without the actress who is rumored to be among the favorites to assume the mantle of Black Panther in the film.

The studio has its eye on resuming filming at some point early next year and with the film recently has seen its release date shifted from July to November, the film should easily make its scheduled date if things go according to plan. It’s uncertain if perhaps these events were also playing into the delay to ensure it wouldn’t have to cut it close.

It’s good that they aren’t forcing production if Wright isn’t healed enough to play her role. Interestingly, they filmed all the scenes that don’t involve her, which may hint that they are going to wrap up production soon, or also hints at her strong presence in the sequel. As of now, it seems very likely the film won’t face any delays if they can resume production in early 2022. They might use this time to finish up other work

November 5, 2021
‘Eternals’ Writers Reveals How Marvel Studios’ Visual Department Brought their Drafts to Life

Eternals’ release is finally here. The trailers for the film suggest it will reveal some secrets of human history. Similarly, people who worked on the film are now allowed to reveal some parts of the process of how the film came together. In this instance Eternals writers, Kaz and Ryan Firpo have spoken about how the Marvel Studios Visual Development team helped them in their writing process for the film.

Speaking to Deadline’s Hero Nation Podcast, Kaz Firpo, described one of Marvel Studios’ writing rooms. The description giving plays on the many memes of the studio’s secrecy, as only certain members of the crew had access to and didn’t even include windows to make sure nothing leaks.

Eternals was written in the Black Widow conference room. It has no windows there’s a door with a lock and only six people have access like Kevin Feige, Nate Moore, Chloe and then like the writers, you know, like we’re the ones that go into that room. It’s a private secret, hermetically sealed chamber.
Kaz Firpo

Beyond this, he describes a writing-artistic collaborative process with Ryan Meinerding, VP and Creative Director of Visual Development at Marvel Studios, and how it influenced their work by bringing their pitches and ideas to life.

You walk into your room and the walls are covered. It’s incredible, Ryan Meinerding, I do have to shout him out the Head of Visual Development at Marvel. He’s reading pages [of the drafts] and going ‘ooh, this is cool’ and then literally drawing the ideas that we’re having on a weekly basis. So you’ll come in and they’ll just be like a new artwork on the wall from something we’re just talking about a few days ago, so that’s it that really just inspires you to keep going and digging even deeper, they’re iterating.
Kaz Firpo

Having potential moments from a draft drawn up into key art soon after it’s been discussed sounds like a fantastic way to further inspire writers. The collaboration is indicative of the innovative processes they have set up at Marvel Studios across their different departments and collaborators. It’s exciting to think as the studio keeps pushing forward the narratives of the cinematic universe, that they’re also continuing to experiment with working processes to better help their creative teams.

Sources: Deadline

November 5, 2021
Andrew Garfield Describes His Time As Spider-Man as a Heartbreaking Awakening

To a generation, Andrew Garfield IS Peter Parker. And in an interview with The Guardian, the actor describes how his time as Spider-Man served as his own coming of age story.

Garfield played Peter Parker/Spider-Man over the course of two films in 2012 and 2014. The actor became beloved for his portrayal of the character in The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but according to him the experience opened his eyes to the nature of the money making machine that is Hollywood.

“I went from being a naive boy to growing up,” said Garfield. “There are millions of dollars at stake and that’s what guides the ship. It was a big awakening and it hurt.” The pain, according to Garfield, came from the realization that the studio wasn’t interested in the soul of the character and the fans that love him, but their bottom line:

Comic-Con in San Diego is full of grown men and women still in touch with that pure thing the character meant to them…you add in market forces and test groups and suddenly the focus is less on the soul of it and more on ensuring we make as much money as possible. And I found that – find that – heartbreaking in all matters of the culture. Money is the thing that has corrupted all of us and led to the terrible ecological collapse that we are all about to die under.

In the years since, Garfield has stayed away from major studio tentpole films though his return as the Web-slinger is this December’s Spider-Man: No Way Home is all but confirmed. Hopefully someone will check in with him again following that film to see what brought him back to the role after having such a negative experience the first time around.

Source: The Guardian

November 5, 2021
Harry Styles Was Part of Chloé Zhao’s ‘Eternals’ Pitch

The following article will spoil Eternals film’s first post-credit sequence. Only continue at your own risk.

After the events of Eternals unfold, we witnessed a small group of our new heroes going out on a voyage to find others of their kind. Suddenly, they are welcomed by the voice of Patton Oswald, who turns out to be Pip the Troll. Not just that, he is also the messenger for another Eternal, Eros. Not only do we get the confirmation that the MCU’s version of Starfox will be the brother of Thanos, but he also is played by Harry Styles. Well, it turns out Chloé Zhao had her eyes on the actor for quite some time.

Harry as Eros was very much a package deal for me. I pitched the idea of Pip the Troll and Eros to Kevin awhile back and I love the idea of exploring an Eternal who is beyond Titan and who may have influenced Thanos throughout the years the same way Eternals influenced us, earthlings. And then, it wasn’t like I suggested Eros, and let’s go find actors.
Chloé Zhaoeternals harry style

Zhao highlighted that he caught her attention after the release of Dunkirk and she was quite happy how perfectly he matched the character of Starfox when they met up to talk about the potential role.

I kept tabs on Harry since Dunkirk, I thought he was very interesting. After meeting him I realized he is that character—the same way I cast the rest of my cast. There’s so much of Eros in him. For me, if he says yes and Kevin says yes then it’s a go. And I’m very happy they both did.
Chloé Zhao

It’s quite interesting that she pitched these characters to Kevin Feige some time ago. In a way, it hints that she also had some clear plans for the characters beyond their brief introduction at the tail end of this film. In a way, she does imply that she might already have plans for a sequel that builds upon the events from this film and its first post-credit sequence. We’ll see if we get a sequel announcement sometime soon, especially as its opening seems quite promising so far.

Source: Deadline

November 5, 2021