Matthew Monagle
‘Doctor Strange’ Star Benedict Wong Joins ‘Avengers: Infinity War’
We’ve known for about a month that Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange would be appearing in Avengers: Infinity War, but with little else to go on, the size and scope of Strange’s appearance were left to speculation. Now it appears that a second character from Doctor Strange has found their way into the cast as well, increasing the likelihood that Doctor Strange will stick around for more than just a Wolverine-esque cameo.
This Horror Movie Supercut Is Perfect for Your Halloween Party
How are your plans for Halloween shaping up? For me, the hardest part of throwing a Halloween party is choosing a soundtrack. We can probably all agree that those sound effect CDs — the ones with creaking doors and thunder and maniacal laughter — have no business outside of an elementary school haunted house, but then what? Do you put together a playlist of all the obvious soundtrack selections? Do you choose pop songs that have some vague tie-in to the season? Who really wants to hear Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” on Halloween for the umpteenth time, anyways?
‘Deadpool’ Director Tim Miller Leaves ‘Deadpool 2’
One of the biggest Hollywood success stories of the past few years was Deadpool, the R-rated superhero movie from 20th Century Fox. From dead in the water to surprise box office smash, Deadpool became a perfect parable for young filmmakers who have a story to tell and won’t let failure stand in the way of getting their movie made. Unfortunately, though, life doesn’t always adhere to clean narratives. Despite all the setbacks that Deadpool director Tim Miller faced along the way, it turns out there was only one thing that could cause him to throw in the towel: success.
Ewan McGregor Could See Himself Doing Two Obi-Wan Movies
When an actor expresses interest in returning to an iconic role, I always wonder whether the actor needs the movie more than the studio needs the actor. Ron Perlman, for example, has spent years talking up his interest in another Hellboy movie, despite it being fairly obvious that the studio had no real interest in getting that project off the ground. So when Ewan McGregor told reporters last year that he would come back for an Obi-Wan Kenobi standalone movie, I wondered: does this make sense for everyone involved? Or was McGregor just doing the Hollywood equivalent of jumping on a trending hashtag?
Matt Damon Must Defend ‘The Great Wall’ in the First Theatrical Trailer
If the first teaser for The Great Wall piqued your interest, you’re in luck: Universal Pictures just released the first full-length theatrical trailer for The Great Wall as part of their New York Comic-Con panel on the film. Unlike the first trailer, here we actually get a good look at the monsters and an explanation for why Matt Damon and Pedro Pascal are fighting in China in the first place.
Carrie Fisher Weighs in on Why Han and Leia Split Up Prior to ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’
Any Star Wars fan knows that nobody speaks as bluntly about the franchise as Carrie Fisher. While Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill might be counted on for the occasional funny soundbite or bit of interesting backstory, if you really want one of the Star Wars actors to lay their chips on the table, it’s Carrie Fisher you need to listen to. The actress and writer possesses one of the most acerbic wits in all of Hollywood and has never shied away from trying to spin her sense of humor into backdoor Star Wars cannon.
Marvel Agreed to Delay Production on ‘Doctor Strange’ to Snag Benedict Cumberbatch
Even from the very beginning — when director Jon Favreau put his reputation on the line to get Robert Downey, Jr. in the original Iron Man movie — the Marvel Cinematic Universe has earned its reputation for finding just the right actors in just the right roles. Sometimes, like in the case of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, the casting is painfully obvious; sometimes it catches you a little by surprise. Who would have known ten years ago that Chris Evans would become the perfect embodiment of Captain America?
Rumor: That Standalone ‘Batman’ Movie Won’t Be Set Entirely in Arkham Asylum
One of the hot rumors surrounding Ben Affleck’s standalone Batman movie was that it would serve as a kind of loose adaptation of Grant Morrison’s Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, a haunting graphic novel that features Batman breaking up a riot at Gotham’s notorious insane asylum. Morrison’s comic is a darkly beautiful addition to the Batman mythology and seems to be perfectly in line with the kind of superhero stories Warner Bros. is looking for: for mature audiences and crammed to the gills with as many recognizable faces as possible.
Commissioner Gordon Looks Hard-Boiled in His First ‘Justice League’ Photo
Warner Bros. has made plenty of decisions with its DC Cinematic Universe that don’t sit quite right with fans, but credit where credit is due, the casting of J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon is not one of them. Simmons — now available in a bulked up version 2.0 — is one of our generation’s great character actors, the rare talent who can switch from utterly terrifying to kindly paternal in the blink of an eye. Since Batman looks to Gordon as both a hard-boiled police officer and a surrogate father figure, Simmons is the perfect addition to both the standalone Batman movie and the Justice League film.
Will Ferrell Drops Out of ‘Captain Dad’ Days Before Shooting Starts
Imagine you’re a film producer and you’ve spent the last weeks and months lining everything up for your next movie. You’ve booked location shoots with with the city and local businesses, hired local talent to serve on set, and arranged for flights and accommodations for all your cast and crew. And then, days before you’re set to start filming, you get a frantic call saying that Will Ferrell, one of the biggest names in Hollywood, is dropping out unexpectedly at the last minute. On days like this, do you regret ever going into film production as a career?
Casey Aims for the Affleck Family Hat Trick in ‘Light of My Life’
People do strange things when they’re bored. One of my favorite ways to entertain myself is to try and puzzle out which Affleck will have the better legacy in fifty years. Ben Affleck is the obvious answer, of course, but he also possesses the more uneven career; it started off strong with Good Will Hunting and bottomed out in the early 2000s. For a few years there, it looked like Casey Affleck — with supporting roles in well-received movies like Ocean’s Eleven and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford — might have pulled permanently ahead of his brother.
Chris Pratt Thinks ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ Will Be the ‘Biggest Spectacle Movie of All Time’
Guys, you’re never going to believe what just happened. One of the actors in an upcoming Hollywood blockbuster just predicted that his new movie will be full of incredible special effects and awesome set pieces! This changes everything we thought we knew about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. And here I thought the sequel was going to be a hard-hitting expose on Peter Quill’s abandonment issues with his father, the giant face planet played by Kurt Russell. You know, real somber stuff.