Tag: Movies

‘The Batman’ Has Passed $500M Worldwide as it Heads Into a Weak Chinese Opening

It looks like The Batman is passing milestone after milestone, as it has now finally passed the $500M mark. After pulling in another $5.75M on Wednesday, the film stands at an impressive $258.2M domestically. In addition to $247.5M from the global box office, the film now has earned a total of $505.8M. It has now passed Venom: Let There Be Carnage‘s $501M but is trailing behind F9 and No Time To Die, who both benefitted from a Chinese release. Box office in China has been rather subpar sadly, which is making its chances at $1 billion now a bit more unsure, as predictions have it at $10M to $15M from its initial projected $30M due to a rise of COVID cases and closing cinemas.

Forbes has added a fun aspect about the film’s box office success, as it is now the highest-grossing film featuring a serial killer with Paul Dano‘s Riddler. The comic book genre has become an odd gateway for casual viewers to watch films they’d otherwise avoid due to its genre-specific nature or even more adult-skewed rating. In a way, they have replaced the old genre films at this point, which isn’t an uncommon thing that happens throughout cinema’s life-cycle. For some time, romantic comedies were all the rage before vanishing into thin air.

The comic book genre has the advantage that it absorbs any time of storytelling, making it the perfect Frankenstein genre to reach wider audiences with stories that are new to them, even if it still remains at this dismay to those believing it is “killing cinema.” Ironically, it is not only keeping the business as stable as possible in very uncertain times but also introduces audiences to new aspects of films they’d otherwise not even blink an eye towards.

Source: Forbes, ScreenRant, THR

March 17, 2022
Kevin Feige Promises ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Will Make “‘Evil Dead 2’ Fans Happy”

For quite some time, we’ve gotten teases that Sam Raimi‘s next film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, will feature Bruce Campbell in some capacity. While he teased that it might be quite bigger than we initially expected, any return of his would’ve been treated with open arms as see they continue their tradition. It looks like there will be quite a bit more callbacks to Raimi and Campbell‘s filmography, as in an interview with Empire, Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige teased that fans of Evil Dead II will be “very happy” with the upcoming film.

This action is cool – you’re competing with Avengers and Spider-Man, no problem – but don’t forget the Sam Raimi parts.’ You will see just how Sam Raimi it is, in ways that will make fans of Evil Dead II very happy.
Kevin Feige

Feige goes on to highlight that they wanted to ensure the director’s signature style remains intact as he jumps into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Perhaps it is in reference to the zombified version that we briefly see in the ending of the previous trailer. Who knows if it’s generally going to act as a reference to the Deadites, but Campbell appearing as Ash Williams would be a treat, especially for fans of the crossover Marvel Zombies comic. Whatever it might end up being, we’ll see if there are more references

Source: Empire

March 17, 2022
Doctor Strange Isn’t an Avenger in the MCU

Here’s an interesting revelation. After the events of Avengers: Endgame, it seemed like so many have become members of the organization. We still never found out what exactly happened to the organization given that everyone only talks about it in the past tense. While a new generation seems to be brewing, Benedict Cumberbatch has shared his thoughts on where Doctor Strange lies when it comes to being a member of the Avengers.

He’s fine with aligning himself with creatures and spirits and everything else that’s thrown at him and that’s why he can be a slight outsider as an Avenger. People say that you were in the Avengers, but you’re not an Avenger, right? No, I’m not. I’m not at Stark Tower with Nick Fury. No, he’s sort of outside of that realm, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a character trait. I think that is just a job title. He’s there to protect the reality of the Avengers in a different way to what they have been fighting up until the point that everything collides in the last two Avengers movies, so he holds his position as an adult on the periphery of that, but I think only for so long.
Benedict Cumberbatch

While an Avenger doesn’t necessarily have to live in Stark Tower–especially with how little we know who took over the tower–but he makes a good point. Avengers are part of a team with it being like a job title. Unlike Spidey, he never was announced or accepted the role of an Avenger. He just showed up in Infinity War and Endgame to help out, especially the former because Banner just happened to drop into the Sanctum Sanctorum. So, while he’s appeared in the films, he still works independently from them. Though he may wish they’d come to help him as he explores a Multiverse of Madness.

Source: KCRW

March 16, 2022
Deep Thoughts: Hypothetical Marvel Studios 2023 Release Calendar, V3

The future slate of Marvel Studios is more fluid now than it’s ever been. With the industry STILL being impacted by COVID to some degree, a backlog of projects that could be shuffled in and out of any date at any time, and the interesting lack of a 2022 press preview kit from Disney, fans are left frivolously hypothesize, predict and speculate when to expect their most anticipated MCU projects. And we’re here to help you with your favorite addiction. This isn’t our first attempt to pin down 2023’s projects; you can check out V1 here and V2 here to compare notes.

As much as everybody wants to see the Samuel L. Jackson/Nicky Fury-led Secret Invasion, the 2022 schedule seems to be complete without it. While we still don’t know very much about the plot of either Secret Invasion or The Marvels, it does seem like the two could share some sort of narrative bridge that would be well-served by them debuting relatively close to one another.

By the time The Marvels hits theaters, it will have been in the can for nearly a year and a half. That’s part of the backlog of projects created by the pandemic, which really changed the well-established production paradigm that Marvel Studios had followed for well over a decade. That means a lot of time to breathe for the characters in between appearances which creates a lot of anticipation…and you know Marvel Studios likes that.

After a little bit of a delay to the start of its production, Echo looks like it’ll be up and running in Georgia in April of 2022 and permits have been filed around Atlanta for the month of May. Given the “grounded” nature of Maya and the types of characters being cast in supporting roles, it doesn’t sound like this one is going to be a VFX showcase, so it should be ready to stream on Disney Plus in March of 2023. Of course, the question on fans’ minds is how much will Daredevil and Kingpin be involved and how might this series dovetail into the Daredevil solo project in development at Marvel Studios. Here’s to hoping Maya remains the focus of this series as there’s plenty of room for Daredevil to explore on his own.

At some point in the first half of 2023, Ahsoka, a highly-anticipated, live-action Star Wars streaming series, will hit Disney Plus. We now know that Disney Plus is not opposed to streaming live-action Star Wars and Marvel Studios’ projects simultaneously, but if Ahsoka rolls out sometime in early May, X-Men ’97, which is on track for a 2023 release, could stream concurrently with that and fill the Marvel Studios streaming void until June, leaving some live-action stuff for later in the year.

James Gunn’s third Guardians’ film might well be his last Marvel Studios’ project. By the time this comes out, it’ll have been over a decade since Gunn started work on Guardians of the Galaxy and as we’ve seen through his recent work on The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker, he’s really on top of his game. This one sounds like it’ll be something really special and emotional, with Gunn saying goodbye not only to Marvel but to some characters he’s really grown to love.

With the production of Season 2 of Loki on track to begin in June of 2022, it should be ready to roll out in June of 2023. While it isn’t clear whether or not Secret Invasion provides a direct runway to the events of The Marvels, it seems VERY clear that Loki Season 2 and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania share a narrative canvas and that the former can easily hand off a storyline to the latter.

2023 could end up being the Summer of Kang. Jonathan Majors thrilled audiences with a tease of what to expect when the character returns, and it looks like when he does it’ll be a much heavier dose. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will feature some version(s) of the character fresh off of what’s expected to be a major role in Season 2 of Loki. Of course, Kang’s not the only villain fans can look forward to, as M.O.D.O.K. is also reportedly making his live-action debut, played by Corey Stoll. Should the schedule fall this way, it would represent a great example of the type of synergy Marvel Studios can pull off thanks to a parent company that has its own streaming service and total control over the release schedule.

While a lot of fans are expecting this to be tied into Armor Wars, all the early evidence suggests it is essentially a follow-up to Riri Williams adventures in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. That’s not to say that Riri might not show up in Armor Wars or that the events of Ironheart might not lead into the Don Cheadle-led streamer, in fact it would make a lot of sense if she did, but Riri will be busy enough on her own following her huge role in Wakanda Forever.

When V2 of the 2023 Hypothetical Calendar was published, Agatha: House of Harkness had only just been revealed by the trades a few days before and the official Disney Plus Day announcement was about a week away. Now, it really does look like it could make the 2023 release slate given the tentative October 2022 start of production. It seems like the perfect Spooky Season release for Marvel Studios, so slotting it here seems a no-brainer.

After a couple of production delays, Blade is looking at a Fall 2022 start of principal photography, which makes it the best candidate for the currently unfilled November 3, 2023 release date, especially with production on Captain America 4 officially delayed until 2023. It doesn’t hurt, of course, that it’ll come out right around Halloween and feature a vampire hunter, and it wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see this date slide back a week earlier where nothing major is currently scheduled for any studio.

Armor Wars, like Agatha: House of Harkness, is on track for a late-2022 start of production. While a 2023 debut is by no means set in stone for Armor Wars, there is a nice end-of-the-year window for it, should it be completed and ready to stream. We know very little about the project, but Kevin Feige seems to enjoy playing with the idea of having some streaming series thematically tied to the seasons in which they are released, so maybe, like Hawkeye, Armor Wars could be set during the holidays. After all, is there any better present than Stilt-Man?

March 16, 2022
REVIEW: ‘Deep Water’ Shows Its Hand Too Early

There was quite some excitement to see the return of director Adrian Lyne, who hasn’t made a film since 2002’s Unfaithful. His psychological thriller Deep Water explores the story of a married couple that has fallen out of love, but their mind games might have deadly consequences. With a star-studded cast including Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas, Tracy Letts, Lil Rel Howery, and more, it seemed like the perfect blend with the promise of a suspenseful erotic thriller. Yet, the film underdelivers on both sides by showing his hand too early and taking away any suspense that could’ve been built throughout the film’s nearly two-hour runtime.

The premise promises that this Hulu original film would explore a tug-of-war between a couple that is pushing each other to extremes. Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas do play their parts well when it comes to this romance that has lost its spark–ironic given they were dating for some time. Most of the movie’s conflict is carried by Armas‘ Melinda Van Allen, who pretty openly cheats on him; something that is put into the spotlight very early on in the film and was highlighted in the trailers. She consistently pushes him to the edge throughout that leads to some dangerous consequences. Sadly, her character feels maliciously one-note, even if there are shining moments where you get a better grasp of why their relationship is the way it is.

The only issue is that it’s not as interesting as the film tries to play it. We don’t really get a moment with Affleck‘s Vic to really understand what he sees in his wife. He’s a typical “I love her no matter what” type of guy, but there’s never really a moment that sells you on it. Plus, it drags Armas‘ character down an extra notch because she’s always portrayed as the bad one just pushing him. It’s there to make his character look good, but the film reveals way too much that it doesn’t really convince you that he’s a good guy. They want you to sympathize with him, but then they kind of just have him stare a lot and not even hide aspects of his character that should’ve been built up and kept a secret until much later in the film.

What adds to that issue is that there’s no redeeming factor or even a playful evil to balance it out. Armas‘ character is built up without a goal in mind. All she does is provoke him but you’re never sure what she’s getting out of it, especially given the film’s overall direction. It creates a disconnect between the story and the character’s development. Actually, it’s better described as character whiplash, because some scenes don’t flow as well as they should. Melinda suffers the most because she never is consistent with her actions. After an emotional moment, she just boomerangs back to default and there’s nothing later on to add any real tension.

As I am writing this I realize that the only character with an arc is Tracy Letts‘ Lionel Washington, who barely has a role in the story. Even the rest of the cast is just there to spout exposition or react to whatever is happening. Lil Rel Howery gets one or two funny scenes, but the rest of the cast or mostly forgettable. In a way, it makes you wonder why they had such an extensive cast of characters to begin it if none of them factor into the story in any way. It’s a shame to just use them as window dressing, especially because the film undermines their mission to make characters look better than they are if only the film didn’t flat out tell you. They don’t factor into the story, they’re distractions at best.

That’s kind of the core issue though, there’s no real suspense because everything is pretty obviously laid out. When a major turning point in the story happens, it’s not shocking nor is it leaving a lasting impression because the film doesn’t let it stick with you long enough to make it suspenseful A lot of this film was eerily similar to Gone Girl for me. The only thing that was missing would be the media subplot and it’s a more one-sided take on the story. Yet, unlike that film, it doesn’t feel as tightly knit to make it feel more like vignettes than a full-encompassing arc.

It just can’t build suspense because it shows its hand too early and it’s trying to be clever about it. Worse, it doesn’t even add anything besides what you would expect. Even the “erotic” aspect is half-baked. It would’ve worked exactly the same without its inclusion. It’s sad to say it because the conflict of love and passion is the most interesting aspect of the film. In a way, if Deep Water was purely about exploring Vic’s obsession with his wife and never knowing if she really was cheating on him, it could’ve worked better as a psychological game. If it focused more on the erotic thriller aspect, the film could’ve benefitted and focused more on its characters.

As it stands, the film simply lacks the punch to really nail its concept. If you’re looking for a decent distraction and something to fill that Gone Girl vibe, the film might be for you. Personally, if it kept more elements vague, the film would’ve benefited greatly from it. There is some nice cinematography here, and the music does add a little flair but the lack of suspense kills any mood it’s trying to create. It’s a shame that Lyne‘s return to directing isn’t as memorable as one would expect from the former Jacob’s Ladder director, but perhaps dipping his toes with this project could lead to him pursuing more in the future.

March 16, 2022
Chloé Zhao Reflects on ‘Eternals’ Critical Reception

Eternals was quite the departure for Marvel Studios, as indie darling Chloé Zhao spearheaded a project that tried to explore a very different part of the MCU. What seemed like a sure hit ended up becoming a surprisingly divisive film among its critical reception as it ended on 48% on Rotten Tomatoes. The audience reception has overall been more positive, but it definitely left its mark on the market as a curious experiment of Marvel Studios trying to break away from its usual fare.

In an interview with Empire, the indie director looks back at the overall reception and offers her takeaway from what the melding of these two worlds may have ended up leading to its reception. She highlights generally how a general “level of comfort” has set itself within the industry for Marvel films just as well as for indie films.

When people have that feeling, like they need to put order into things, they need to understand it by putting it into boxes… It is not about us, it is about them. And I say that lovingly, because they have a level of comfort [with] how their entertainment and their world – their beloved Marvel, or their beloved indie filmmaker – functions. That’s the order of the logic of their world that’s being disturbed. So I appreciate their passion, to try to make sense of it.
Chloé Zhao

She then goes on to highlight that the melding of these two worlds has just ended up adding different perspectives that may take away something or not. She highlights those that look for that conflict, while also discussing that making people “uncomfortable” pushes their project forward.

So I completely understand the divisiveness coming from critics and the fans. Because when you take this to extremes that are seen as opposition – the world I come from and the world of Marvel, that has been divided in a way that’s so unfair and unfortunate – and to merge the way we did, I actually see the reaction as a testament to how much we had merged with each other; how uncomfortable that might make people feel.
Chloé Zhao

Overall, the viewer reception has been stronger than the critical one, but you can definitely see that some have taken away different things from this film. I’ve personally tended to call it an indie film with a Marvel coating due to the way it focuses more on character moments rather than the usual bombastic fair–the final being the exception to that rule. One could also argue that some actors didn’t fully sell their characters as much as they could’ve due to an enlarged cast on top of a very exposition-heavy film. It’s still interesting to hear the director’s thoughts and we’ll see if the film might get a second life later down the line.

Source: Empire

March 15, 2022
Kevin Feige Debunks Rumors on Why Scott Derrickson Exited the ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel

We’re all excited to see what the future has in store for the ever-expanding Marvel multiverse with Sam Raimi‘s premiere MCU film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverseof Madness. Yet, at one point this project was going to be in the hands of director Scott Derrickson, who introduced the character with the first solo title. Sadly, it seemed that creative differences led to him exiting the project. Naturally, that got the rumor mill going on his take being “too scary” as he wanted to dive into a more horror-themed entry.

Luckily, in the latest Empire magazine, while promoting the film Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige also takes a look back at what could’ve been. He doesn’t give away any details, but once again highlights that the reason Derrickson left was due to creative differences, but they were all-in for the “creepier side” of the MCU. So, he is debunking any rumors on the horror aspect being the reason they went their separate ways. His full quote is as follows:

We love Scott and I think Scott feels the same. Nobody believes it, but it was just creative differences. There’s been some thought that that was the creative difference with Scott and Marvel, and it was not. Because we love that idea. The intention was that Strange would guide us into a much creepier side of the world
Kevin Feige

The director has opened up on the matter some time ago, where he highlighted that he’d be open to returning to the franchise to direct another entry. He’s also still in a producing role on the project, so he didn’t leave it with ill intent and also shared his love for the horror veteran Raimi taking over the project. Disney+ is adding Halloween specials with the first potentially focusing on Werewolf by Night. So, maybe it’s his gateway to explore more horror-themed projects in the MCU if he ever desired to return.

Source: Empire via The Direct

March 15, 2022
‘Watchmen’s Damon Lindelof May Be Working on a ‘Star Wars’ Film

While Star Wars has been dominating Disney+, Lucasfilm has seemingly felt a bit aimless when it came to their film ventures. We’re still waiting on any update for any of their announce films, especially with many rumors hinting that Patty Jenkins‘ Rogue Squadron is being postponed indefinitely. Well, according to The Ankler it seems that Lost co-creator and the mastermind behind HBO’s Watchmen series may be working on an unnamed Star Wars film.

Keep in mind, that we’ve had a variety of announcements or hints at projects that never ended up picking up steam over at Lucasfilm. Rian Johnson had a new trilogy planned before it was just forgotten. Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were also going to take control over an unnamed project that was also left on the wayside. So, even if he is brainstorming a project it sadly isn’t a definite moving forward.

The only other confirmed film based in a galaxy far far away would be the one in development by Taika Waititi. Outside of a short logo tease during Disney’s Investor’s Day back in 2020, we’ve heard barely anything on the project. While they have been starting production on various Disney+ series, here’s hoping that they might finally get into the flow of letting projects enter some form of production. A recent reveal has hinted that Rogue Squadron may still be eyeing a 2023 release, but there’s no word on when production starts. So, here’s hoping we get an update sooner rather than later.

Source: The Ankler via IGN

March 15, 2022
Latest Empire Issue Confirms the Name Illuminati for ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

The latest Empire magazine has finally found its way online and it seemingly includes some curious details about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. What may be the biggest reveal is that the article finally names the mysterious multiversal organization that captures Doctor Strange at some point in the film. While it seemed like it was inspired by the comics organization called Illuminati, it seemed that producer Richie Palmer was hesitant to call them by that name.

I will say that I love the Illuminati. But if we ever introduce the Illuminati in the future, it might be more MCU-driven and have some more ties to our characters in the MCU, versus just replicating what’s in the comics.
Richie Palmer

Yet, the latest Empire issue may have accidentally confirmed that it is, in fact, the Illuminati that we know from the comics with a brief mention in the captions as the organization that Strange is facing for his crimes against the multiverse. It’s the exact same scene that we see in the trailer, where we hear the familiar voice of Patrick Stewart.

Stewart was shy on confirming that the Super Bowl trailer voice was his, but would eventually confirm it. We still don’t know exactly who the members are of the Illuminati, but it does seem safe to assume that a Variant of Iron Man and Captain Marvel is part of the team. It would be fun to see other familiar faces from older Marvel projects, or even characters you would least expect. It’s curious that Empire would just use the name while producers are shy on using the name, but with reshoots currently ongoing who knows if that name might not even survive the final cut.

Source: Twitter, Empire

March 15, 2022
Denis Villeneuve Offers Update on ‘Dune: Part Two’

After making quite the splash at the box office, Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune has gone on to also become somewhat of an awards darling. Of course, many are quite focused on what the future has in store for the franchise. There have been hints that WarnerMedia is interested in expanding the franchise as its own cinematic universe, but most eyes are currently on Dune: Part Two, which will continue the story of Paul Atreides after being stranded in the dunes of Arrakis.

In an interview with Collider, director Denis Villeneuve has confirmed that they’ve wrapped up work on the screenplay, while still highlighting that it consistently changes throughout the production. As such, they are currently preparing to start production already.

The screenplay is finished mostly, but it’s always a work in progress. It’ll be a work in progress until final cut, but I will say it’s solidified. I have a script in my hands. We are in prep right now.
Denis Villeneuve

It makes sense that they’d fast-track the project as it’s supposed to release next year already. Villeneuve has hinted in the past that they’ve already prepared most of the work, and he kept it open to just jump back into this world and start production on the sequel. He is interested in tackling it as a trilogy with the second book becoming the third entry. Dune‘s original release was split up into two films due to just how much the story generally explores. So, it’ll be interesting to see how these films connect.

Source: Collider

March 15, 2022