Tag: Movies

‘This is Spinal Tap’ Sequel in Development, Original Cast Set to Return

It’s time to crank it all the way up to 11, as Spinal Tap is getting a sequel. Deadline has broken the news as Michael McKean, Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer, and Christopher Guest are back to revive the classic mockumentary. It’ll be the first project for the newly revived film division Castle Rock Entertainment. Reiner is once again returning in the director’s chair and will play Marty DiBergi once again, as he makes a new mockumentary on McKean‘s David St. Hubbins, Shearer‘s Derek Smalls, and Guest‘s Nigel Tufnel, who are known as England’s sauciest heavy metal band.

In an interview with Deadline, Reiner talked about how their goal is to have the sequel release on the 40th anniversary of the original.

The plan is to do a sequel that comes out on the 40th anniversary of the original film and I can tell you hardly a day goes by without someone saying, why don’t you do another one? For so many years, we said, ‘nah.’ It wasn’t until we came up with the right idea how to do this. You don’t want to just do it, to do it. You want to honor the first one and push it a little further with the story.
Rob Reiner

This announcement is hot off the heels of the original returning to the Cannes Film Festival, as part of the Cinema de la Plage sidebar. The original was a critical darling when it was released in 1984 and would eventually be deemed “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant” according to the Library of Congress before it was preserved by the National Film Registry. So, we’ll see if the sequel manages to keep that spirit alive.

Source: Deadline

May 12, 2022
Christopher Walken Joins Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune: Part Two’

Here’s a surprising addition, but it looks like Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune sequel has added Christopher Walken to its cast. He will take on the role of Emperor Shaddam IV. The adaptation of Frank Herbert‘s sci-fi classic has recently cast Florence Pugh and Austin Butler. the story will take place right where the first one left off with Timothy Chalamet‘s Paul Atreides stranded on the desert planet Arrakis, as he meets destiny and the Fremen that made this planet their home.

Walken will act as the ruler of the known universe in the sequel, and is the reason for Atreides’s downfall. He takes on the role that Jose Ferrer played in the 1984 version by David Lynch. Pugh is playing his daughter, Princess Irulan. They will start production on the project in the summer in Budapest, Jon Spaihts also returned to help pen the script alongside Villeneuve, who is producing the film alongside Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, and Tanya Lapointe.

The first film made quite a splash at the box office with $400.6M at the box office and managed to win six Oscars, it was also nominated for best picture. This is Walken‘s next major project after working on Apple TV+’s Severance which has a second season on the horizon. So, the actor is going to be quite a bit busy soon.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

May 12, 2022
Chris Pratt on How Star-Lord in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ is Different from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’

Star-Lord is about to make his return in Thor: Love and Thunder, as he is still recovering from traveling alongside a mopy God of Thunder. Of course, Chris Pratt‘s return in the upcoming Thor sequel will also act as a prelude to what may be the final Guardians of the Galaxy film. Vol. 3 is still a year away, but that didn’t stop Gizmodo’s Germain Lussier to ask Chris Pratt how different it is to tackle the same character in different franchises.

Well, you know, there’s James Gunn’s Peter Quill and then there’s the Peter Quill that has existed outside of James Gunn, which is in cameos in The Avengers and now the cameos in Thor.
Chris Pratt

He goes on to highlight just how different it is working on the character when director James Gunn is involved, as the character “is an extension of him.” So, naturally, it adds a special layer to the character and how the creative team tackles the character.

And so truly the Peter Quill that I do when James is in charge is an extension of him. And the Peter Quill that I do when it’s not him in charge is really kind of me let loose to do a little bit more than probably he would want me to do, in some way. So I guess the difference would be that.
Chris Pratt

The actor also teases how the projects will connect, as there will be a transition from where Star-Lord is during Love and Thunder before heading out into his own adventure with the rest of the Guardians in Vol. 3.

James Gunn has a [focus] for Quill that isn’t on for Thor or for Avengers. And so we’ll see how that plays out when it comes out. I mean, we’re obviously dealing with the end of Avengers and where that left the Guardians of the Galaxy with Thor [Love and Thunder]. We’ll see how that sort of transition works to set up [Guardians of the Galaxy] Volume 3.
Chris Pratt

It’ll definitely be interesting to see how the films connect, especially as there’s still the question of if they are still actively searching for Gamora, who has been missing since the events of Avengers: Endgame. Not only that, but she’s also not the version they spent their time with, as she’s displaced from a different timeline. So, we’ll see if they might hint at her whereabouts in the Thor sequel.

Source: Gizmodo

May 12, 2022
Danny Elfman on the Challenge of Creating Wanda’s Theme in ‘Doctor Strange 2’

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a special kind of MCU film, as it not only brought back director Sam Raimi but also long-time composer Danny Elfman. While he helped out in the past, it was something special to see him take over for the Doctor Strange sequel. In an interview with Fandom, the composer talked about what it was like tackling the project and highlighted the difficulty of creating a villain theme for Wanda.

Writing for Wanda and her character, she’s the weirdest antagonist I’ve ever written for. When you think of a Marvel antagonist, you think of Thanos. When you think of a classic villain, you think of Darth Vader and you think of writing these big, heavy, dark themes that play their characters. You don’t think of a woman whose entire purpose is not to possess the universe but just to return to her children… who never quite really existed. It’s crazy! So it really was a writing challenge, because I have to write a theme that can be malevolent but also, I want it to feel heartbreaking at the same time. She’s a very unique character.
Danny Elfman

It certainly sounds like it was quite a challenge to find a balance between the evil and kindness that represents Wanda’s transformation into the Scarlet Witch. She creates a very different kind of villain, as while Winter Soldier was also a former ally, Wanda’s motivation is very much grounded with some evil magic adding that extra push off the ledge. Yet, her reasonings are technically from a good place, as she wants to be back with her children. The theme that Elfman ended up with perfectly brought both of those worlds together.

Source: Fandom

May 12, 2022
‘Fant4stic’ Writer Responds to John Krasinski as Reed Richards

It might be a while before people stop commenting on the biggest surprise cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. When the titular Master of the Mystic Arts and his newest protégé, America Chavez, find themselves stuck on the alternate Earth-838, they are confronted by that world’s mightiest superhero team – The Illuminati. One of the leading members of that team is John Krasinski‘s Reed Richards, billed as the smartest man on Earth-838 and head of the Baxter Foundation.

The character reveal was a huge shock to audiences. Very few people expected to see the patriarch of the Fantastic Four back on the big screen so soon, let alone played by one of the most popular fan casts in comic book internet history. The last time Richards was in a movie, it was 2015’s Fant4stic, where a younger version of the hero was brought to life by Miles Teller. One of that film’s writers, Jeremy Slater, has now reacted to Reed’s inclusion in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Speaking with Comic Book, the creative revealed his enthusiasm for Krasinski in the role:

I think Krasinski is a really cool choice if that’s who they go with for whoever the real version of Reed that gets introduced. I think he’d be an awesome choice. We didn’t get to see him do a lot of fun stuff in there — [the Scarlet Witch vs. the Illuminati] was much more of an introduction and a sort of glorified cameo.
Jeremy Slater

Slater just finished a run writing Moon Knight for Marvel Studios. He’s received a lot of flack for his work on Fant4stic in the past, which was a critical and financial failure, but the writer has publicly stated he does not claim ownership for the movie. Supposedly, only a single line of dialogue Slater wrote made it into the final film.

Go see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in theaters now.

Source: Comic Book

May 12, 2022
Michell Williams Hopes to Return for ‘Venom 3’

Venom: Let There Be Carnage has made quite the splash at the box office, as it was one of the first films to inch closer to a $100M domestic release, which was a rarity back in 2021. Its success seemed like a sure-fire hint that Sony is ready to start working on a third entry in the franchise. While there’s no exact word on a sequel being in development or how far it is, with many hoping to see Andy Serkis return as a director, it looks like Michelle Williams is also excited to return for a threequel.

I have every intention of continuing with the series. I certainly hope they bring me back.
Michelle Williams

Shea also talks bout the unique challenge these films bring pretending someone else has taken over your body and highlights how much Tom Hardy brings to the table.

Pretending that a monster is getting into your body and then taking over and leaving your body, that’s hard. The stuff Tom [Hardy] does is really challenging. They’re big movies and he’s climbing a lot of mountains in them.
Michelle Williams

It’s always great to see an actress excited to return to a franchise, and it seems she’s having a lot of fun with it. She talks about Venom 3 in the same article as her excitement to hopefully make a sequel to Greatest Showman, highlighting she loves “making things for kids that are full of joy and positivity.”

Source: Variety

May 12, 2022
EXCLUSIVE: Sam Raimi Was “Always Pushing for a Shorter Runtime” for ‘Multiverse of Madness’

With the once-secretive Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness finally in theaters, reactions have been somewhat mixed, but the film has been extremely successful at the box office. While much of the debate among fans has centered around certain groups’ expectations about rumored cameos that in reality never existed. Perhaps the second-most contentious point among fans prior to the film being released was its runtime. While the sequel clocked in at over two hours long, many felt that a longer runtime would be needed to adequately showcase the speculated story.

When director Sam Raimi stated that the first cut of the film was significantly longer, it added to some fans’ cries that Marvel was not allowing the beloved director’s vision to come to fruition. In an exclusive interview with Murphy’s Multiverse, the Doctor Strange sequel writer Michael Waldron revealed that Raimi was actually always pushing for a shorter runtime:

Sam [Raimi], to his credit, was always really pushing for a shorter runtime. And, you know, he felt that the movie needed to move because of just how it was structured. It’s a chase movie, it’s an adventure, [ ] it’s got some Jurassic Park DNA…and so in a movie like that, it just didn’t feel like we needed three hours of it.
Michael Waldron

Waldron perfectly articulates how and why Multiverse of Madness is so fast-paced. Rather than being shorter for the sake of it or because tons of pieces were cut, the film moves to pull off and complement its “chase movie” structure. The writer went on to describe how his lack of tolerance for boredom may have played a role as well:

My threshold for boredom is [ ] astronomically low, and so I just have a phobia of the movie becoming exhausting. And so yeah, once we’re off to the races in this one, we just wanted to get on the ride and go on the ride, and when it’s over, get out of there.
Michael Waldron

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now playing in theaters worldwide.

May 12, 2022
‘Doctor Strange 2’ Writer Confirms Deadpool Was Never Planned to Appear

There has been a barrage of questions surrounding the many rumors of who and who wouldn’t appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Now that the film is out, those questions still haunt us and the creative team is getting bombarded with questions about who almost made it. Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron did reveal that there were talks about potentially including Ryan Reynold‘s Deadpool but nothing more.

Yeah, we talked about it. I think we talked about everything in this movie. So, [it] would’ve been crazy to not raise that, but it ultimately didn’t feel like… It just didn’t feel the right place. But yeah, of course we talked about it.
Michael Waldron

They probably had a bunch of ideas and concepts that were discussed but nothing more. We’ve heard about quite a few, such as Namor almost being part of the Illuminati but there were others plans for him moving forward. Deadpool would’ve made for a fun addition, but it’s true that he may not have quite fit into the overall tone of the film, even if it would’ve been great to see him freak out over everyone dying around him.

The irony of the guy who can survive that kind of mutilation being hit the least would’ve made for a fun punchline, but perhaps that version of the film exists in another dimension. Many did notice what seemed like an Easter egg featuring the Merc with a Mouth in the film’s poster, but that could be something the marketing possibly just snuck in for fun.

Source: ComicBook.com

May 12, 2022
EXCLUSIVE: Earlier ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Drafts Included 616’s Mordo

Many of the trailers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness teased the return of Chiwetel Ejiofor‘s Karl Mordo. While we finally got to hear his first name in live-action, the version we meet in the film is actually a member of the Illuminati and the Sorcerer Supreme of 838. 616’s Doctor Strange only mentions the version from his universe and their ongoing rivalry, but he is noticeably absent from the film.

In an interview with Michael Waldron, our very own Charles Murphy got to chance to ask if there were any plans to include the original version of the character. As it turns, out they had some versions that included his appearance but eventually decided to keep that story open to potentially revisit in the future. He goes on to say that:

Yeah, there was. And we talked about that history and what had happened. We explored ways that would be interesting to intertwine with this story, but ultimately it felt like that was a story left for another day. He’s out there, what happened between them we don’t know. But I am certain we’ll find out.
Michael Waldron

It’s great that they kept it open to further explore their relationship in the future. Even 838’s version of the character survived the encounter, and it would be fun to see him build a similar relationship with Strange only to go through the multiverse to hunt him down. That also leads to two versions of Mordo meeting up in their shared hatred of Strange, especially now that he once again dabbled in something he shouldn’t have and received the third eye as a result. Mordo’s not going to be happy about that one.

May 12, 2022
‘Mortal Kombat 2’ Writer Says Johnny Cage’s Screen Time in the Sequel is “Up in the Air”

After a long stretch of silence, fans are finally being fed some information on New Line Cinema’s upcoming Mortal Kombat sequel. The latest bit of news comes from the film’s writer, Jeremy Slater, who recently spoke with Comic Book about the process of developing a second entry that’s even bigger and better than the first. A promise made at the very end of 2021’s franchise starter was that one of the series’ main protagonists, Johnny Cage, would make his grand return to the big screen in the next installment. Slater is stating this promise will indeed come to fruition, as the creatives behind the movie have no intentions of lying to fans:

Johnny Cage is one of my favorite characters, and I think there’s definitely a promise with the way the first movie ends of seeing Cole being like, ‘Okay, my next stop is to go recruit Johnny.’ So I think if he wasn’t included in the sequel at all, it would feel very strange.
Jeremy Slater

Curiously, however, Slater is not yet sure just how involved Cage will be in the story of Mortal Kombat 2. It’s easy to assume the first movie’s stinger was to set up Cage as a major player for the second go-around, but the former Moon Knight writer wants to focus on making a story that works before he forces in more Johnny than necessary:

It’s still a little bit up in the air how much he will be included, it’s one of the things we’re currently working on. But yeah, I love Johnny and I would love to really do the definitive version, if possible, and really take everything that’s fun about that character and bring that to live action.
Jeremy Slater

In the video games, Johnny Cage is a movie star and expert martial artist who enters his first Mortal Kombat tournament as a way of proving he doesn’t rely on doubles or effects in his films. Eventually, however, he would find himself teaming with warrior monk Liu Kang, special operative Sonya Blade, and the thunder god Raiden to take down Shang Tsung and save Earth, falling in love with Blade and discovering his true potential in the process. He was portrayed by Linden Ashby and Chris Conrad in previous live-action adaptations, though he has yet to be cast for the next movie outing.

Source: Comic Book

May 12, 2022