Zoe Saldana Reveals How She Honestly Doesn't Know Gamora's Destiny In Avengers: Endgame

Zoe Saldana Reveals How She Honestly Doesn't Know Gamora's Destiny In Avengers: Endgame

We lost a lot of fan favorite characters at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, but one of the most emotional losses came long before "the snap" when Thanos sacrificed his "daughter" Gamora in order to obtain one of the Infinity Stones. Of course, the Infinity Stones themselves mean that death is not necessarily permanent, but don't try asking Zoe Saldana what the future holds for Gamora, because even the actress herself says she doesn't really know. Because of the way the actors are never given the whole story on set, Saldana admits she has no idea what, if anything, is next for Gamora...

These last two years we’ve been in such a daze shooting these two films for Avengers. Nobody gets the right script because they gave it to misdirect you. We are, like, just gossiping in the trailer, kind of, like ... ‘What’s the other actor coming from?’ ‘What do you mean, what did you shoot when you shot with so-and-so?’ ‘Oh, crap, what’s going on?’ I honestly do not know Gamora’s destiny in the Marvel universe.

Zoe Saldana's comments to the New York Daily News are well structured as to not specifically give anything away. Still, you could certainly take her comments to mean that Gamora at least has some scenes in Avengers: Endgame. Of course, she could also be trying to intentionally misdirect by implying that when it's not the case.

Zoe Saldana makes it sound like she doesn't know if her character is brought back to life by the end of Avengers: Endgame or not, which seems unlikely, as one would certainly assume that if she did come back to life, she filmed a scene in which that happens. Still, considering how little some the Marvel actors are told, even about the scenes they are actually filming, it's possible the actress was in a scene and didn't really know what it was that was being filmed.

Of course, the fate of Gamora is a bit more important to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe now that we know that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is actually happening. It's difficult to imagine a third Guardians film that doesn't include Gamora, but such a thing is certainly possible.

Of course, if we wanted to take Zoe Saldana's statement at face value, the idea that she doesn't know Gamora's destiny could simply mean she doesn't know where the road ends. Maybe Gamora does return to life, and Saldana even knows that, but if she doesn't know what Guardians 3 has in store for the character, then the character's true destiny is still up in the air.

This is a lot of hair splitting to be sure, but that's what you've got to expect as we sit here mere weeks away from finally seeing Avengers: Endgame. We'll have a lot of answers very soon, but until we get them, anything is possible.

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Oscar Isaac Teases Lots Of Poe And Finn Scenes In Episode IX

Oscar Isaac Teases Lots Of Poe And Finn Scenes In Episode IX

The relationship between Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron and John Boyega’s Finn was one of the highlights of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and, depending on your perspective, something that was missing from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The two heroes each had their own stories in the sequel trilogy’s middle chapter so we were denied their fun dynamic together. Fear not though, because Poe and Finn are set to have lots of scenes together in Star Wars: Episode IX as Oscar Isaac teased:

I think the one thing I can say is that it has been the most fun for me, particularly working with John Boyega because we have just had so much more to do together and we just really connected in a great way. It was really a wonderful way to finish it for me because John was the first person I met right when I screen-tested. It was just with me and him. So it just felt like a real full-circle thing.

Oscar Isaac couldn’t reveal much about the ultra-secretive Star Wars: Episode IX in this interview, but what he could reveal should be welcome news for fans who love the bromance between the Resistance pilot and the former Stormtrooper. He told Metro that he and John Boyega had so much more to do together in this film, which makes it sound like the two characters will share more scenes together in this final chapter in the Skywalker Saga.

We don't know the precise plot of Episode IX, but with Finn poised to take on a real leadership role in the Resistance and Finn finally committing to the fight himself, it makes sense that these two would be working together more closely than they did in The Last Jedi when Finn was off on his Canto Bight escapades.

It seems the two actors really connected and had a good relationship, so having the opportunity to reunite with John Boyega to bring "full-circle" closure to what they started together in The Force Awakens was quite rewarding for Oscar Isaac and simply made for a more fun filming experience. Their reunion also allowed the actors but not necessarily the characters to go out on a high note, although hopefully it's a characteristic that extends to the final film itself.

The Triple Frontier actor has said before that Episode IX was the most fun to film of the trilogy because of the looseness and energy on set, but now we know it was also because Poe got his friend back. This will no doubt reignite the flames of the Poe/Finn shipper fire, a fire that Oscar Isaac himself has stoked on occasion, but they may have to deal with a third wheel in Daisy Ridley’s Rey.

About a year ago we heard that Star Wars: Episode IX may not separate Rey and Finn, so if true, maybe the entire trio goes off on an adventure together or Finn is with Rey for part of the movie and Poe for other parts. Whatever the case, the duos of Rey and Finn and Finn and Poe have great interplay together and Episode IX can only benefit from more of that.

This is just the latest thing that Oscar Isaac has said that is a positive sign for J.J. Abrams’ film. The actor has said that Episode IX is a fulfilling end to the 9-film Skywalker Saga and that fans will be blown away. He clearly really enjoyed making this last movie and has genuine enthusiasm for what they made.

Hopefully we’ll get a better idea of what that is pretty soon. We are still awaiting the title and first trailer for Episode IX, but Star Wars Celebration is less than a month away and there would be no better movie to attach a big trailer to than April’s Avengers: Endgame.

Star Wars: Episode IX blasts into theaters on December 20. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of this year’s biggest movies and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all your movie news.

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Jimmy Fallon Made Mark Ruffalo Take An Avengers: Endgame Lie Detector Test

Jimmy Fallon Made Mark Ruffalo Take An Avengers: Endgame Lie Detector Test

While nobody likes being spoiled, that doesn't stop fans from getting absolutely obsessive when it comes to wondering what is going to happen in their favorite movie franchises. Avengers: Endgame is set to be the biggest Marvel movie yet and Mark Ruffalo is known to be less than perfect at keeping secrets. However, last night Jimmy Fallon took no chances when he decided to hook the Incredible Hulk himself up to a lie detector. The results were... interesting. Check it out in the clip below.

It seems that every time that Mark Ruffalo is on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the host is ready to grill him for answers one way or another. This time Fallon decided he wanted to have incontrovertible evidence of accuracy. For what it's worth, Fallon does appear to have a legitimate lie detector device on his desk. It certainly looks like the real deal.

Fallon starts by asking if the Hulk is, in fact, a Skrull, a pertinent question coming on the heels of the release of Captain Marvel, which introduced the shape shifting aliens to the MCU. Mark Ruffalo says he can't answer, though the machine claims that he could. Ruffalo also refuses to answer questions about the relationship status of Bruce Banner and Black Widow. He also seemingly reveals that there are secrets in the original trailer that nobody has discovered, by claiming that there are not.

As entertaining as all this is, it was obviously played for comedy and so we can't exactly take any of it to mean anything. It appears the machine was being manipulated for comedic purposes, but even if it wasn't, many of Fallon's questions were asked in such a way that the machine wouldn't read things properly anyway. And does anybody believe Jimmy Fallon actually knows how to hook somebody up to a lie detector?

Mark Ruffalo has been in something of the Marvel doghouse of late, as the guy has a tendency to spill things about the movies, however accidentally. He previously left his phone on and streamed portions of Thor: Ragnarok that he wasn't supposed to. He also actually gave away the emotional ending of Avengers: Infinity War, though luckily his comments only got wide spread play after the fact.

Considering his previous gaffs in the area of spoilers, Mark Ruffalo is probably one of the safer people to put out in public leading into Avengers: Endgame. He's paying that much more attention to every word that he's saying.

All of this took play last night, prior to the release of this morning's brand new trailer. It, like everything else we've seen in the promotions department, tells us remarkably little about what's actually going to happen in Endgame. It also tells us remarkably little about what Mark Ruffalo himself is even going to be doing in the movie.

On the plus side, we have barely more than a month before we'll get all our answers. Avengers: Endgame will be here April 26.

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Star Wars' Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill And More React To Peter Mayhew's Death

Star Wars' Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill And More React To Peter Mayhew's Death

Today, it was announced that Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca across five Star Wars movies and numerous other projects, had died earlier this week of a heart attack, just shy of his 75th birthday. This marks yet another passing of a Star Wars icon, and while it’s sad that Mayhew is no longer among us, it’s also touching to see those who worked alongside him paying tribute to the man.

First off, we have Harrison Ford, who acted alongside Peter Mayhew as Han Solo, Chewbacca’s longtime partner, in the original Star Wars trilogy and The Force Awakens. In his statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Ford honored Mayhew not only was a work partner, but as a true friend in real life.

Next, we have Mark Hamill, who also spent a lot of time alongside Peter Mayhew when he was playing Luke Skywalker in the first three Star Wars movies. Hamill said the following:

Then there’s Billy Dee Williams, who joined the Star Wars franchise as Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back and performed alongside Peter Mayhew in that movie and Return of the Jedi. Williams posted:

Following The Force Awakens, Peter Mayhew retired from playing Chewbacca, and Joonas Suotamo, who shared the role with Mayhew in the first installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, has been playing the trusty Wookiee full time ever since. Here’s how Suotamo paid respects to his mentor:

Of course, there wouldn’t be a Star Wars franchise without George Lucas, who discovered Peter Mayhew and personally selected him to play Chewbacca. Lucas paid tribute to Mayhew with the following statement to ABC News:

Then there’s The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, who never worked with Peter Mayhew, but was nonetheless inspired by his work ethic, saying:

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy recognized Peter Mayhew’s impact on the Star Wars franchise thusly:

Finally, Disney CEO Bob Iger mourned Peter Mayhew’s passing with these words:

These are just some of the many reactions you’ll find about Peter Mayhew’s death, both from well-known figures and regular Star Wars fans. While he’s no longer with us, his presence in the Star Wars franchise will continue to be felt for many years to come. Mayhew also acted in projects like Dark Towers, Dragonball GT: A Hero’s Legacy and Comic Book: The Movie, and along with being a regular on the convention circuit, he opened the Peter Mayhew Foundation, which aids in numerous charitable causes.

Be sure to share your thoughts about Peter Mayhew in the comments below. The Star Wars film series continues later this year with the release of The Rise of Skywalker on December 20. You can also look through our 2019 release schedule to learn what movies not set in a galaxy far, far away are coming soon.

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ReelBlend #62: Us Spoilers And Our Danny Elfman Interview

ReelBlend #62: Us Spoilers And Our Danny Elfman Interview

The ReelBlend podcast tends to be a safe and positive space where movie lovers come to celebrate film. But every once in a while, a movie generates tension amongst the guys, and creates a spark of controversy that helps the guys get heated.

Jordan Peele’s Us is one of those movies.

And the funny thing is, Jake and Sean both like it. A lot, even. But Kevin loves it, and doesn’t agree with Jake and Sean’s issues with it.

This one gets very spoilery. But if you saw Us over opening weekend – and the box office suggests that a lot of you did – you are going to want to listen to this week’s episode of ReelBlend.

Before they got to spoilers, the guys discuss the Us box office, and they get into the alleged run time of Avengers: Endgame. The guys marvel (no pun untended) at how much of Endgame Disney and Marvel have been able to hide, with next to no real footage being shown in the marketing.

From there, it was a whole lot of Us talk. But that’s not all. Kevin conducted an interview with Danny Elfman on behalf of the podcast, where they talked Dumbo, and his entire career. You do NOT want to miss that conversation.

In light of March Madness, this week’s Blend game is #SportsBlend and the stories that came out of it were really personal and touching. Also, next week’s game already sounds like it’s going to be a blast.

ReelBlend is a weekly podcast that we do on CinemaBlend. You can download the latest episode (and all of our past episodes) for FREE on our iTunes page! Visit. Subscribe. Like and comment. Review! Apple loves when you have star ratings and reviews, so if you listened, and you liked it (or even if you didn't), let us know. We also are on Spotify. And Google Play. And basically everywhere that you download podcasts. So download us.

Meanwhile, follow the guys on Social Media! We have an official Twitter feed for the show, so follow @ReelBlend. In addition, follow the guys at @Sean_OConnell, @JakesTakesand @KevinMcCarthyTV.

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Rocky IV's Final Fight Apparently Had An Entirely Separate Script

Rocky IV's Final Fight Apparently Had An Entirely Separate Script

While Rocky IV may not be the greatest of Rocky movies, it's a film that a lot of people are fans of. The cold war battle between Rocky Balboa and Ivan Drago was an iconic moment for the Rocky franchise. Part of the reason the film may be so well remembered may be because Sylvester Stallone apparently put an amazing amount of effort into the final boxing match. According to co-star Dolph Lundgren, Sly had the entire fight scene, and its music, worked out in advance...

When I showed up to start training with Sly for Rocky IV, he handed me a script. And it wasn't a script of the movie, it was a script of the fight. It was about 30 pages of just, 'Round 1, Left, Left, Left, Left, Right, Right, Left Hook,' and I had to memorize that on the page. And, he had the music already written for the fight, so we kind of choreographed the fight to the music. So, it was quite clever the way he did that

Fight scenes can be difficult sequences to film and for something like a boxing movie, where the final fight sequence is the culmination of the entire story, they're all the more important. It seems that in order to be sure that the Rocky IV fight scene worked as well as it could, Sylvester Stallone choreographed the entire thing before hand. Every punch, every step, even how those punches and steps woulds work to the music that was going to play. Because it's not a Rocky movie without a solid montage.

A separate 30 page script just to lay out the fight scene is sort of insane, but that what Dolph Lundgren says he received in one of the special features attached to Creed II. There's attention to detail and then there's whatever that is. At the same time, there's little argument that it didn't work. The final fight between Drago and Rocky feels incredibly epic and in a franchise that has a lot of great fight sequences, the one in Rocky IV may be the best. If you don't believe me, check it out.

If there's one thing that the Rocky movies were always great at, it was putting some great music up along with the matches. The music waits a few minutes for the audience to get invested in the fight, then comes in and makes the battle feel that much bigger. It's easy to assume the music was written to match the fight, and that's true, but the music wasn't created after the fight was over. The actors could actually time their swings to match the fight.

Rocky IV was a huge part of the franchise, so big that it brought Dolph Lundgren back for Creed II which you can find on Blu-ray and Digital HD now.

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How To See Rocketman Weeks Before Its Release

How To See Rocketman Weeks Before Its Release

The summer movie season, which started in earnest with Avengers: Endgame, is finally upon us and the month of May is stacked with movies. From franchise sequels and franchise starters, to remakes and buzzy indie flicks, there’s plenty you’re going to want to make time for to see in the theater. Luckily, you can see one of the month’s most anticipated titles, Dexter Fletcher’s Rocketman, weeks before its theatrical release date.

The Elton John biopic technically doesn’t release until May 31 opposite Godzilla: King of the Monsters, but Paramount Pictures and online ticketing service Fandango are teaming up to offer advance screenings of the film on May 18. That’s two weeks prior to its U.S. theatrical release date. So if you’ll be spending your weekend with the Titans or you just want to see Rocketman as soon as you can, these advance screenings are a great opportunity.

The advance screenings will be held at 400 theaters nationwide including the big chains like AMC Theatres, Regal, Cinemark, Arclight Cinemas and others. The advance screenings for Rocketman are Fandango exclusives and are available to its VIP Rewards program members. You can get your tickets for these screenings through Fandango now.

In a statement reported by THR, Fandango’s president Paul Yanover referenced the success of the company’s previous Early Access Screenings for films like How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and Shazam! and how they helped generate buzz for those titles. These advance screenings may already have some buzz to start with considering that the May 18 advance screening date is a mere two days after Rocketman premieres out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival.

Rocketman certainly has the makings of a movie that could make a splash at Cannes and go on to be a crowd-pleaser at the box office. Last year, two other music films, A Star is Born and Bohemian Rhapsody, both racked up critical acclaim and became huge successes financially. And like Bohemian Rhapsody, this film will benefit from a catalog of recognizable songs audiences will want to hear in theaters.

Dexter Fletcher actually finished Bohemian Rhapsody after Bryan Singer was fired, so it will be interesting to see what he can do with another musical icon when the film is his from start to finish. The musical fantasy element is also very intriguing and the fact that Taron Egerton is actually doing all the singing in the film gives it must-see performance potential.

Rocketman follows Elton John’s personal and professional journey in his breakthrough years as he went from the shy Reginald Dwight into the flamboyant musical superstar Elton John. Starring alongside Taron Egerton in the film are Bryce Dallas Howard, Richard Madden and Jamie Bell.

Fandango's advance screenings of Rocketman are on May 18, followed by its theatrical release on May 31. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all of this summer’s biggest movies.

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6 Great Reasons Marvel Should Bring Back The One Shots

6 Great Reasons Marvel Should Bring Back The One Shots

There was an idea that Marvel Studios could maintain its Marvel Cinematic Universe with a series of MCU shorts that could tell stories that the movies never could. At least, not at the times they were released. They were called Marvel One Shots: shorts exclusively created for the home video release of each Marvel film from 2011 until 2014, and dedicated to taking the still fledgling franchise everywhere it could go, without having to spend a feature length budget each trip.

Before Team Darryl from Thor: Ragnarok, it had been a while since we’d seen anything close to being known as a One Shot. And even then, the comedic short explaining Thor’s absence from Captain America: Civil War wasn’t technically branded as a One Shot. But it does embody the spirit of the One Shot, and its success helps remind us of just why they should exist.

As we approach Avengers: Endgame, the long-awaited finale of the Infinity Saga, here are six reasons why Marvel Studios should go back to the practice of doling out One Shots with each home video release.

It Could Help Set Up Crucial Characters And Plot Points For Phase Four

Avengers: Endgame is about to wrap up eleven years of storytelling that make up the first arc of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While there’s definitely a plan in play for Phase Four to introduce new franchises like The Eternals and Shang Chi in the near future, as well as handing off the leadership reins to Captain Marvel, that’s only just the beginning.

If Phase Four is going to be more diverse -- and more ambitious -- than the first three phases, it’s going to need a lot of new and exciting content to do so. Which means, the One Shots could very easily help do a little of the heavy lifting by supplementing characters and plot points that start in mid or end credit sequences, and bridge into new films.

Imagine if Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel finally had an opportunity to show up, without the need of a TV series or a full film. That short could lay the groundwork for her character, and keep her in play until she’s used in either capacity. Meanwhile, she’d finally be onscreen, ready to return at a moment’s notice in a natural context.

They’re A Great Way To Tell Additional Stories Outside Of The Films

As we saw with the One Shot All Hail The King, the continuation of the story involving Trevor Slattery and his guise as The Mandarin in Iron Man 3 was eventually used to twist the character in another way. Were Marvel to pursue the eventual fallout of this short, with Slattery being brought to meet the actual Mandarin, there would be a potential to tell an entire story in One Shots.

What if the “true” Mandarin’s story was a serialized happening, scattered throughout home video releases of Marvel Studios titles? Instead of just being a juicy tease for a massive retcon of Iron Man 3, it could be an entire story that adapts the character closer to the comics.

Or, say the idea of telling the stories of jailed villains caught on? You don’t need a full Iron Man movie to tell that story, or at least not to start off. You could bring back Justin Hammer, or the Vulture, or even Colonel Zemo for one short and round off their stories in captivity. Of course, were they popular enough, there would always be the chance to expand further.

One Shots Help Test The Popularity Of Potential Concepts And Characters

Peggy Carter of the Captain America series is the best example of how testing the popularity of a character before launching them into greater things can work perfectly in the One Shot laboratory. While she was pretty beloved in Captain America: The First Avenger, as well as her guest appearances on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., her One Shot short Agent Carter provided the best piggyback for her character to jump into her own TV series.

Again, the foundation was laid out in a short that, at the very least, would have stoked fan support for the character. But at the most, you find the people that really get the fans riled up and ready to come back to the fold, which indicates that it’s a good time to jump back into TV and Movies with said character.

The Marvel Comics universe is so vast that no one is a guaranteed hit, so using One Shots as the test kitchen to cook up further adventures of side characters that are primed for a spinoff makes a lot of sense. If Inhumans had been a One Shot rather than an expensive theatrical event/season of TV, Marvel’s approach to the material, as well as the viability of the property itself, could have been tested in a less costly manner.

The Shorts Are A Nice Extra To Tide Fans Over Between Films

While Marvel Studios seems pretty set with its three-films-a-year layout, they tend to be front-loaded into the earlier part of the year. In 2019, March, April, and July all see the release of an entry into the MCU, leaving the rest of the year untouched except for home video releases.

Should those three films have additional One Shot content on each of those shelf loving physical copies, fans would have at least three more times to get excited about a new gem of information or a new character to fall in love with. It would basically be giving fans extra content in the off season.

Why should the comic movie fan be content with merely switching to another comic company’s films, when Marvel can keep its name in everyone’s minds with fresh supplies of events and characters? And what about the die hards who don’t even touch the competition? Those true believers deserve something extra for this devotion, in my opinion. Besides, it’s not like there’s a shortage of ideas in the One Shot canon.

There Are Already Unused One Shot Scripts That Can Be Made

It has been mentioned on multiple occasions that there were One Shot scripts that simply never got made, post 2014’s All Hail The King. Producer Kevin Feige, and even Marvel creative player Drew Pearce both talked about ideas that were laid out, but never executed for different reasons.

However, with Disney having more clout and position in the entertainment world to call its own shots, some reasons such as budget and effort could theoretically be overcome quite easily. While this isn’t a reason to advocate spending an obscene amount of money on a young Loki or Nick Fury short, it’s also a call to move past such limitations.

Should Marvel spend more money on the studio’s One Shot projects, that would mean that home video might not be the best or only home that those shorts should inhabit. If only there were a streaming platform that Disney owned, that could use such content to entice subscribers.

One Shots Past And Future Could Be Great Disney+ Exclusives

Perhaps the greatest reason that Disney and Marvel should resurrect the One Shot initiative is, quite simply, that Disney+ needs content. While the What If animated series, as well as plenty other spin-offs of popular characters are coming to the platform, there’s so much more potential here.

This new streaming home could take all of the lessons learned above, and turn them into gold. With Loki already getting a spin-off series, the problem of cost involving any Asgardian shorts is solved. Just use the assets already provided with that series.

Think Agent Carter is worth another spin? Make a short that shows us what Season 3 would have looked like, and see where the public lands! Having merely the test shorts of such concepts on Disney+ would be enough to start winning those hungry for more Marvel, all the time. And if Chris Hemsworth wants a TV show between Thor and his human roommate Darryl, you can practically chalk that success up to the unofficial success of the One Shots that was Team Darryl!

There is a tremendous opportunity to expand the depth and scope of the Marvel Cinematic Universe through the redeployment of the One Shots. All that has to happen is for the studio to see the possibilities, and make them happen in reality. For now, we may have to content ourselves with other longform streaming projects.

Which means it’s time for you True Believers, you Marvelous Mavens, to take a poll below and let your voices be heard. Do you want more One Shots, or do you think their day has come and gone? Vote and decide, and don’t forget to explain your choice in the comments below.

In the meantime, Avengers: Endgame will be upon us in early showings on April 25th, so there’s still time to cram a very specific MCU catch up session into your schedule.

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That Time Mark Ruffalo Totally Spoiled Avengers: Endgame

That Time Mark Ruffalo Totally Spoiled Avengers: Endgame

MASSIVE spoiler ahead, don't read on if you haven't seen Avengers: Endgame!

After 21 movies and over a decade of movies, the time has finally come. Avengers: Endgame is officially in theaters, with the Russo Brothers bringing an end to the narrative that began back with 2007's Iron Man, and made major steps forward in Infinity War. All eyes are on how Phase Three will conclude, with both the hardcore fandom and casual moviegoers actively avoiding spoilers heading into opening weekend.

And if there's one guy that knows about spoilers, it's Mark Ruffalo. The 51 year-old actor shares the title of "worst secret keeper" with Tom Holland, as both Marvel heroes are known for spilling the beans prematurely. In fact, Ruffalo even spoiled the snap ahead of Infinity War, although we didn't realize until after the fact. Now that same turn of events has happened for Endgame, specifically related to Captain America's ending. When publicizing the movie, he said:

I didn’t even get a whole script of this movie. I don’t know why. The script I did get had dummy scenes in it. He gets married in this!

And just like that, Mark Ruffalo proves exactly why he can't be trusted with an Avengers script. Because while defending himself, he accidentally revealed a bit about Captain America's presumed ending in the MCU.

While promoting Avengers: Endgame to E! alongside co-stars Chris Evans and Karen Gillan, he totally blew part of Steve Rogers' ending in the massive blockbuster. Because despite Peggy Carter's death in Captain America: Civil War, he did manage to marry the love of his life. All it took was some misplaces Infinity Stones and Tony Stark's new time travel device.

After the good guys won the final (INSANE) battle against Thanos, the surviving heroes had to make sure they returned the Infinity Stones and Mjolnir back to their rightful timelines. This task goes to none other than Captain America himself, especially because he deemed himself worthy of wielding Thor's signature weapon. But there's just one problem: he doesn't return as expected. And after a few moments, it becomes clear why.

Related: Mark Ruffalo Thought He Would Get Fired After Accidentally Live Streaming Thor: Ragnarok

Cap ultimately got the happy ending he deserved, as he travelled back in time to live out his days with Peggy. The pair of heroes got to live the life they were robbed of when Steve Rogers sacrificed himself in The First Avenger, one of a few epic conclusions for the OG Avengers.

Check out Mark Ruffalo spoiling Captain America's ending, and watch as Chris Evans attempts to talk over him and save the moment.

Mark Ruffalo did something similar ahead of Avengers: Infinity War, accidentally revealing yet another important plot twist. Although his mistake is arguably worse for that film, as he let slip about Thanos killing half of the characters. He also left his phone live streaming during the premiere of Thor: Ragnarok, so his track record is dismal no matter how you slice it.

You can catch Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner in Avengers: Endgame now, although it's unclear if he'll be returning to the role in a future installment. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Aladdin Reviews Are In, Here's What The Critics Think

Aladdin Reviews Are In, Here's What The Critics Think

Disney has had repeated success remaking it's animated hits and the newest entry in the series is Aladdin. Like Beauty and the Beast before it, this version of Aladdin is a largely faithful adaptation right down to being a full musical like its animated counterpart. For the most part, audiences seem be getting behind the new version of the popular tale, but there are some notable exceptions.

Our own Eric Eisenberg is one of those exceptions. While Eric admitted the soundtrack to the new Aladdin is top notch, in the end, the movie fell victim to the sin of following its source material too closely, thus lacking any creativity of its own. Eric gave the film two and a half stars, saying...

The new Aladdin does have a fun energy and charm – not to mention one of the best soundtracks of any Disney musical ever – but all of these positives are simply borrowed, and there is a very real and notable limit to its creative energy.

The lukewarm to negative reviews are in the minority, the Rotten Tomatoes score for Aladdin is currently in the high 70s, but they are there. ScreenCrush gives the movie points for effort, saying that Will Smith works hard, perhaps too hard, to make his Genie work. In the end, however, the new Aladdin doesn't surpass the original in any way...

But there’s still nothing that this Aladdin does better — or as well — as the original. Even the parts pulled directly from the 1992 Aladdin by Ron Clements and John Musker, like the songs, have lost something in translation.

Aladdin is one of the movies that came out during what's called the Disney Renaissance. The studio's animation division, that had been nearly shuttered only a few years before, was riding high on a series of successes. Parents taking their kids to see the new Aladdin saw the original on the big screen as kids themselves. It seems some reviews don't think those adults are going to find the same magic here.

The decision to have Guy Ritchie, the man behind movies like Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, direct the live-action Aladdin always seemed like an odd choice. The Associated Press largely throws what doesn't work about Aladdin at his feet, saying...

It’s pretty clear after watching the new live-action Aladdin that doubts about Will Smith’s casting as the Genie are overblown. It’s the guy behind the camera who should be doubted. And stuffed into a small lamp forever.

If you've seen the 1992 animated movie then you know the story. Aladdin is a homeless beggar on the streets of fictional middle eastern Agrabah. He gets enlisted by the Sultan's villainous vizier Jafar to obtain a magic lamp, but ends up unleashing the Genie trapped inside himself. Aladdin then uses the Genie's magic to transform himself into a prince in order to try and impress the princess he's fallen in love with.

However, while some find the new movie weak, for the most part, critics are giving the new film, passing, if not stellar grades. Variety finds the melding of live-action and CGI to be a task uniquely suited to a stylish director like Guy Ritchie...

Where the director really shines is in melding practical elements with virtual ones. Whether making Smith’s computer-enhanced and cerulean-skinned Genie look natural sharing the screen with Aladdin or swooping the camera along magic carpet rides through virtual sets, Ritchie’s style embraces the kind of expressionism needed to pull off such a fanciful tale.

One of the hardest jobs that the new Aladdin had to accomplish was making the Genie work. Robin Williams' version of the character from 1992 wasn't just great, it was iconic. It became one of the great animation performances of all time. How in the blue hell does Will Smith try to take on a role like that, still make it feel like Disney's Genie, while somehow avoiding a comparison that is not going to go well?

Many reviews think that Will Smith did a good job, or at least a good enough, job, in that regard. THR says Smith infused the role with his own personality and made it work, even if the CGI maybe doesn't work all the time...

Smith, faced with the impossible task of living up to Robin Williams' iconic voice performance, easily makes the role his own. His infectious personality shines throughout, and he even manages to infuse his martini-swilling Genie with moving emotional moments.

The Genie does also get a bit more to do in this version of the film. He spends a large part of the story "disguised" as human in order to actually play a part in the story beyond simply being the source of magic when needed.

The top performances in the new Aladdin however, clearly belong to the two human lead characters. Mena Massoud who plays the title character and Naomi Scott's Jasmine are getting generally positive reviews for their performances. As the New York Post puts it..

Massoud and Scott make a live-action “Aladdin” succeed on a different level than a cartoon can — as a teary romance. “A Whole New World” is more moving than the original.

The one way that the new Aladdin does make significant changes to the original animated movie is in the way it handles Princess Jasmine. She has a lot more agency in the new film, and even gets her own song, an original tune written for the film called "Speechless." If we're being honest, many reviews don't think the song is all that good, however nobody is blaming Naomi Scott's performance for that.

In the final analysis, it seems quite clear that if what you want from the new live-action Aladdin is a slightly modified version of the movie you already, know and love, then you will likely enjoy the new movie. If, however, you are looking for a movie that tries to do something creative with the popular property, you'll find the film lacking.

Based on the success of the Beauty and the Beast remake from a couple of years ago, it seems like moviegoers are perfectly happy with just getting the same story over again and so the new Aladdin may be about to make a billion dollars.

The new Aladdin hits theaters Friday.

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The Rise Of Skywalker Trailer Has Been Watched A Record-Breaking Number Of Times

The Rise Of Skywalker Trailer Has Been Watched A Record-Breaking Number Of Times

For months Star Wars fans waited for the first footage from what we then simply knew as Episode IX to drop, and on Friday, April 12, their wish was finally granted. The teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker premiered at Star Wars Celebration and was made available to the public immediately after. Nearly two weeks later, word’s come in that this trailer collected more views in its first 24 hours than The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi’s first trailers did.

In its first day of availability, the first Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer was watched more than 111 million times. That’s 20 million more views than what The Last Jedi’s teaser trailer and more than double the views that The Force Awakens’ teaser trailer got in its first 24 hours back in late November of 2014.

Now if you look at some other recent trailers for blockbusters that also hail from Disney, like last year’s Avengers: Infinity War, this weekend’s Avengers: Endgame and this summer’s The Lion King, that 111 million views doesn’t look all that impressive. But it’s important to remember that this year, Star Wars Celebration streamed its Episode IX panel live to the world, which included showing the teaser at the very end. This is in contrast to Marvel’s traditional method of dropping a trailer ‘cold,’ i.e. not during a live-streamed event.

In terms of how the Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker trailer has been faring overall since it premiered, it received 87 million views through YouTube views alone from various channels, which outpaces Rogue One’s 87 million, but still lags behind The Force Awakens’ 103 million and The Last Jedi’s 119 million. There isn’t any data on how it’s done on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram views, but Deadline’s report also mentions that even if you just look at the YouTube performance, the preview is going viral “like crazy.”

Let’s not kid ourselves, Star Wars is still an incredibly lucrative and popular franchise, so it was expected that a lot of people would check out the first trailer for The Rise of Skywalker, not the least of which is because this preview is where the movie’s title was finally revealed. Still, it’s intriguing to hear that this teaser trailer has outperformed its predecessors. I imagine word of mouth factored heavily into its success, particularly for that surprise Emperor Palpatine reveal.

Aside from being the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga and taking place approximately a year after The Last Jedi, no specific plot details for The Rise of Skywalker have been revealed yet. Along with familiar faces like Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams and Ian McDiarmid all returning to a galaxy far, far away, new faces like Naomi Ackie, Keri Russell, Richard E. Grant and Dominic Monaghan have also been brought aboard.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens in theaters on December 20, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. In the meantime, look through our 2019 release schedule to lear what other major motion pictures are coming out this year.

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Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Has Screened, Here Are The Early Reactions

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Has Screened, Here Are The Early Reactions

The summer movie season is officially here! Avengers: Endgame set one hell of a precedent, but there's no small amount of movies willing to rise up to take the crown for themselves. Working perfectly with my metaphor, one of those movies is Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which will see a titanic showdown between Godzilla and his arch-nemesis, King Ghidorah. Fans have eagerly been awaiting some kaiju mayhem and it sounds like they are getting their wish.

Early reactions for Godzilla: King of the Monsters are hitting the web and the verdict is almost unanimous: this movie rules. I'll let CinemaBlend's own official Twitter account speak for itself as we throw plenty of praise at the film's action.

It seems like most critics are in agreement over the sequel. If you are looking for non-stop, over-the-top, monster-fighting action, then King of the Monsters is exactly what you are looking for. With Godzilla, Ghidorah, Rodan, and Mothra, the movie has plenty of action to spare, according to Erik Davis from Fandango.

Those who were left disappointed by 2014's Godzilla will find plenty to love in the sequel. Fans and critics weren't too fond of Godzilla's first outing as there wasn't quite as much monster fighting as expected. The monsters are definitely the stars of the show here, says Andre Meadows of Black Nerd Comedy.

Meadows went on to say that the movie is so full of easter eggs that it's easy to tell the movie was made by people who love Godzilla.

King of the Monsters will have plenty of action, but the film also has a real respect for the Titans (what kaiju are called in the film). According to Paul Shirey from JoBlo, the sequel has a real passion for the Titans and there's no question they are the stars of the show.

Based on the critical reaction, King of the Monsters is exactly what you want from a summer blockbuster. It's loud, ambitious, and blows you away with action on an epic scale. Director Michael Dougherty brought his A-game for this one. With King of the Monsters currently projected to gross more than $50 million opening weekend, this could be one of the summer's most memorable flicks.

Thankfully, we don't have too much longer to wait until Godzilla: King of the Monsters stomps into theaters. The epic sequel arrives on May 31. To learn as much as you can about Godzilla and all his frenemies before then, here's what we know so far.

However, there's a lot more to look forward to this summer. You might be catching Detective Pikachu this weekend, but here's everything else that should be on your radar in our movie release guide. For more movie news, keep it right here at CinemaBlend.

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Why The New Spider-Man Movies Aren’t Rushing To Use The Daily Bugle

Why The New Spider-Man Movies Aren’t Rushing To Use The Daily Bugle

Although Peter Parker has a keen scientific mind, the main way he’s pulled an income over the decades has been working for The Daily Bugle, mainly by snapping photos of himself as Spider-Man. The Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies included this element of the Spidey mythology and even Andrew Garfield’s Peter had a side gig at the newspaper in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but so far, Tom Holland’s Peter is not affiliated with the Bugle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

So what are the chances that the MCU’s Peter Parker could join The Daily Bugle and work with people like J. Jonah Jameson and Robbie Robertson in a future Spider-Man movie? While that option isn’t entirely off the table, executive producer Eric Carroll explained to CinemaBlend and other outlets last year on the Spider-Man: Far From Home London set that because life has changed with technology upgrades and the internet, it doesn’t make as much sense to have the high school-aged Peter working as a traditional newspaper photographer. In Carroll’s words:

We've absolutely talked and thought about those characters a lot. Even in specific reference to this film. And what we just want to make sure we're doing is presenting them in a way that doesn't make you feel instantly like you've seen it before. So, we have a couple of ideas -- some of which I can't really go into detail, because they're a spoiler. But it's absolutely something. Like, if we had an in for the Daily Bugle that wasn't just your traditional newspaper and Peter Parker... there's this cool-weird thing happening where being a photographer isn't necessarily a mark of distinction anymore. We all have better cameras in our pockets than most people owned 10 years ago.

He has a point. When the Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man trilogy was unfolding last decade, while the internet was obviously popular, smartphones weren’t a thing yet, so it was a lot harder for a non-professional to take a good photo. Nowadays it’s a lot easier for anyone with an iPhone, Android or whatever your smartphone of choice is to snap some incredible shots, meaning there’s not as much incentive for Peter to want to work for The Daily Bugle if he’s not primarily interested in a journalism career.

Plus, Peter Parker is a youth who’s grown up as social media has become increasingly popular, so if he is curious about the kind of media presence Spider-Man has, he’s more likely to look at what people are saying on Twitter and Instagram. In any case, Eric Carroll also mentioned that Spider-Man: Far From Home tries honor the source material as much as possible, and there are apparently a few nods to Peter’s connection to The Daily Bugle. Carroll said:

So, how do we get Peter or somebody into that world without... do people really aspire to be photographers for the New York Times anymore? Or do they aspire to have their Tweet reposted and so on? So, we're trying to pay as much homage to the source material as possible, and we do think there are a couple of fun ideas like that in here -- again, most of which I don't want to spell out for you, but we want to pull out as much of the mythology that people love in a way that's totally faithful and what people love about it, but in a way that doesn't remind me you he is Spider-Man.

Given that the main hook of Spider-Man: Far From Home is watching Peter Parker travel to Europe with his friends and being recruited by Nick Fury to fight the Elementals with Mysterio, one probably shouldn’t get their hopes up about seeing him get a job at The Daily Bugle, let alone interacting with an irate J. Jonah Jameson. That said, one fun nod to the newspaper I could envision is Peter looking at its website or one of its social media platforms while he’s across the pond.

Although Sony is moving full steam ahead on its live action and animated Spider-verse franchises, it’s a good bet we can expect at least one more MCU-set Spider-Man movie, if not more. So even if Spider-Man: Far From Home has other things to focus on, maybe there’s still potential down the line for Peter to get some work experience at The Daily Bugle should he want to explore the world of media, perhaps after he graduates high school.

As far as how Peter Parker’s life is currently going, well, it’s quite the whirlwind of change. Like the rest of those who were dusted by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, Peter was brought back in Avengers: Endgame thanks to Hulk channeling the power of the Infinity Stones. However, he and everyone else who disappeared are the same as they were when Thanos snapped them out of existence, as opposed to being five years older like those who survived.

So now Peter Parker has to go back to high school, and while it may feel to him like no time has passed since he was fighting Thanos on Titan, the world changed a lot in the last five years. Fortunately, there were others in his life, like Aunt May and Ned, who also turned to dust, so it’s not like Peter doesn’t have anyone to talk to who shared this experience.

But along with all this, Peter Parker is also coping with the death of Tony Stark, his mentor and father figure. So even though he’s going on vacation, Peter will have to balance battling threats to humanity and coping with personal pain. Such is the life of a superhero, particularly Spider-Man, who's dealt with a lot of trauma and loss over his decades of comic book and other media appearances.

Spider-Man: Far From Home will spin its web in theaters on July 2, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more coverage. Don’t forget to also look through our Marvel movies guide to see what else is coming up in the MCU.

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Why Shaft Is Changing The Relationship Between Samuel L. Jackson And Richard Roundtree's Characters

Why Shaft Is Changing The Relationship Between Samuel L. Jackson And Richard Roundtree's Characters

Back when Samuel L. Jackson first took up the mantle of Shaft in director John Singleton’s 2000 reboot, John Shaft II’s relationship with Richard Roundtree’s John Shaft was that of a nephew and an uncle. It may not have been what folks were expecting back then, as typically two generations of character would be assumed to follow a straight line of parent and child, but it’s what worked back in the days of that first reboot.

Now however, that relationship is about to assume the more traditional path, as director Tim Story’s Shaft reboot has retconned John and John II to be father and son. An interesting choice to make 19 years later, granted, but when CinemaBlend was on hand for a set visit early last year, the question was put into the room asking why that decision was made at this point in time.

The answer we got, courtesy of Samuel L. Jackson himself, was the following:

That choice is because they want three generations, in terms of grandfather, father, and son. And it’s not unusual, strangely enough, in black families for somebody to think their ‘uncle’ was their uncle.

With no further films existing between Shaft 2000 and Shaft 2019, there should thankfully be no issues involving continuity in the extended run of the franchise. That having been said, it’s a pretty interesting decision to make the previous two generations of John Shaft father and son. But looking at the story for Shaft on the whole, it makes total sense.

John Shaft II is trying to protect his son JJ (played by Jessie T. Usher), as well as teach him the ropes of the family’s private investigator game. After 25 years of being separated from his son and Maya, the woman who raised JJ and still holds a special place in John II’s heart (played by Regina Hall), he’s getting reacquainted with the family.

Bringing John Shaft I into the mix, and as John II’s father, only makes sense when you look at Shaft as an action comedy that literally brings the family together. During the set visit we took part in early last year, we saw a sizzle reel of footage that showed us bits and pieces of the film that gave us a taste of the tone the film was aiming for. The decision to bring in three generations of Shaft men is one that totally works, as the comic energy shown in both that reel, and the trailer for Shaft, confirms this team-up is a wise one.

Should Shaft’s latest reboot happen to do well enough, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if this family matter sparked another entry into this already legendary canon. In which case, it’ll be interesting to see if any other family members in the Shaft family tree find their way into this ever-growing picture.

Shaft is in theaters on June 14th, and we’ll have more coverage as we get closer to the film’s release date. So, be sure to stay tuned to us here at CinemaBlend.

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Looks Like Avengers: Endgame Could Have A Massive Opening Weekend

Looks Like Avengers: Endgame Could Have A Massive Opening Weekend

It goes without saying that Avengers: Endgame is going to be a huge movie. Story-wise, it’s the final chapter of both Phase 3 and this iteration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that began with Iron Man, and commercially, given how Avengers: Infinity War performed last year, it’s been expected that Endgame do just as well, if not better. Sure enough, current estimates place Endgame as making upwards of $200 million opening weekend.

If Avengers: Endgame debuts in the $200 million-$250 million domestic range that Variety reports, it would join Avengers: Infinity War as one of only six films to ever surpass $200 million in ticket sales during its first weekend. Currently Captain Marvel holds the record of best North American debut in 2019 with $153 million, but it’s practically guaranteed that Endgame will rocket past that amount. After all, people came out in droves (figuratively speaking) to buy tickets online, breaking records for both Fandango and Atom Tickets.

One thing that might affect Avengers: Endgame’s overall box office performance is runtime. The movie will be just over three hours long, making it the longest MCU entry yet. This long runtime means that theaters can’t hold as many screenings as they could if it was the standard two-two and a half hour runtime, meaning less butts will be put in seats. But that’s a minor nuisance at best. Marvel has proven itself several times over as a powerhouse franchise, meaning that it’s a given that a lot of people will be seeing this epic story on the big screen. Plus, as we’ve seen in the past with movies like Return of the King, long runtime doesn’t always hinder the box office haul, as the final entry of the Lord of the Rings trilogy walked away with over $1.1 billion at the end of its theatrical run.

That said, Avengers: Endgame still has a long road ahead if it wants to take the record for largest opening of all time domestically. That’s currently held by Avengers: Infinity War, which crushed initial predictions and gathered a monstrous $257 million during its first days in theaters, knocking Star Wars: The Force Awakens and its $247 million to second place. Perhaps Endgame will also soar past its initial box office estimates and make $260 million or more opening weekend stateside, which would be astounding. As far as the global launch goes, Endgame is expected to surpass Infinity War’s take, helped by the fact that it’s opening in China the same day. Put simply, we can reasonably assume that Endgame will become the eighth MCU movie to cross the $1 billion mark.

With the universe reeling from The Decimation, which saw Thanos wiping out half of all life, Avengers: Endgame will see the surviving MCU heroes gathering together and try to undo The Mad Titan’s genocide, which will require them to get their hands on the Infinity Stones. Beyond that, Marvel is still keeping a lot of plot details close to the chest, though there’s been no shortage of theories that time travel will factor into the tale. However this movie unfolds, Marvel doesn’t have to worry about gathering audiences to check it out.

Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. For now, you can find out what the future of the MCU looks like in our Marvel movies guide, or you can learn what other movies are coming out this year in our 2019 release schedule.

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The Key Ways Greta’s Script Changed To Make Isabelle Huppert A Perfect Fit

The Key Ways Greta’s Script Changed To Make Isabelle Huppert A Perfect Fit

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the film Greta**. If you have not yet seen the film, read on at your own risk!**

Over the course of Neil Jordan’s Greta, Isabelle Huppert’s titular character evolves quite a bit. When we first meet her, through the eyes of Chloe Moretz’s Francis she appears to be a lonely old woman with a lot of love to give and nobody to give it to, but developments in the plot reveal that to only be a fraction of the real story. It makes for a fun performance from a veteran star, and it should surprise few to learn that it was tailor made for Huppert – as I recently learned from the film’s writer director:

When Isabelle [Huppert] read it, and Chloe [Moretz] read it, they liked it, and we began to have a serious prospect of making it as a movie. I got out my pen and I rewrote the part for Isabelle. In the initial script she was an older Hungarian woman. And I said to Miss Huppert that we would develop all sorts of dimensions to this character.

Earlier this month I sat down with Neil Jordan during the domestic press day for Greta in Los Angeles, and one of the earliest subjects discussed during the interview was the film’s evolution. Jordan told me that he had a lot of appreciation for Ray Wright’s script when he first read it, particularly the story about a female stalker and its approach to what he called “familiar” material, but when Isabelle Huppert started to express interest he started to produce new drafts of the movie that had her very much in mind for the antagonist.

One of the key ways that Greta changed is that she became a Hungarian woman who pretends that she is French – playing specifically to Isabelle Huppert’s natural accent – but that was only the start. Based on Neil Jordan’s description, the character was originally going to be considerably older, and appear to be a lot more helpless. Having Huppert interested brought Greta’s age down, but Jordan’s version also gave her a bit more flair and charisma. He explained,

We gave her a French persona that she presents to the world. We gave her sophistication, we gave her a piano. We'd give her all sorts of stories about our life, which turn out not to be true - made her considerably younger, and gave her an elegance.

From the outside Greta appears to be an innocent woman in need of good company, but as we witness as the story unfolds that’s not really the case. Francis first meets her when she discovers Greta’s “lost” bag on the subway, and the two quickly begin a mother-daughter-esque relationship as Francis tries to help her (and it doesn’t hurt that Francis just recently lost her mom and has only just moved to New York City). Before too long, however, she realizes that the bag was planted to try and lure her in, and Greta’s obsessive personality starts to become excessively disturbing.

The key to everything in Greta is the relationship between Francis and Greta, and Neil Jordan stressed how changing the latter in new drafts of the script significantly altered their dynamic. While Ray Wright’s script had Francis primarily motivated by sympathy and a level of benevolence, the alterations that Jordan made had it so that Francis was almost entranced by the woman, and wanted to spend more time with her:

In the first script, Francis' relationship to Greta was one of the pity really. She pitied this apparently helpless woman. But in this iteration of it, Francis was kind of seduced by Greta. She's seduced by her piano playing, by her elegance, by her offer of friendship.

It’s pretty easy to imagine anyone falling into that same trap, but after watching the nightmarish results that play out in Greta, audiences may be a bit more wary.

Greta, which stars Maika Monroe, Colm Feore, and Stephen Rea in addition to Isabelle Huppert and Chloe Moretz, is now playing in theaters nationwide.

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Oscar-Winning Bohemian Rhapsody Editor Wishes He Could Recut Mocked Meeting Scene

Oscar-Winning Bohemian Rhapsody Editor Wishes He Could Recut Mocked Meeting Scene

Bohemian Rhapsody has found incredible success as the highest-earning music biopic worldwide, and as a four-time Oscar winner. The movie centering around Queen’s history as a band swept most of the technical categories at the Academy Awards, including Best Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Film Editing. The latter has been most heavily criticized online for its win, especially for the cut of the band’s first meeting with manager John Reid, which became a viral example of Oscar "injustice" on Twitter.

John Ottman, who was Bohemian Rhapsody’s editor, received a ton of honors during awards season. He was recently told of a viral video specifically criticizing the editing of that band meeting scene. Here was his reaction:

Oh my God! Wow. I didn’t know about that, but I know why that’s out there. Whenever I see [the scene], I want to put a bag over my head. Because that’s not my aesthetic. If there’s ever an extended version of the film where I can put a couple scenes back, I will recut that scene!

The Bohemian Rhapsody editor told The Washington Post that the restaurant scene was one of the few scenes shot by Dexter Fletcher shortly after previous director Bryan Singer was fired from the film. Some of the storyline was reordered, leading to a reshoot of the meeting between the band and their manager outside a London pub. Check out the scene found all over Twitter after the Oscars in all of its glory below:

Feeling that whiplash? The flashy cut switches in this scene in particular caused an outcry over the internet, all questioning how the movie won an Oscar for Best Editing. John Ottman said he was under pressure to get the first act of Bohemian Rhapsody moving quickly, so some scenes ended up looking this way.

Later, when the movie was screened for test audiences, their feedback indicated they enjoyed learning about the band in their early years. So Ottman went back over those scenes and slowed them down. However, due to time constraints, he didn't get to do the same for the now much-mocked meeting scene. The editor certainly seems to regret it now looking back, per his recent words.

A recent video by Thomas Flight breaks down just why the Bohemian Rhapsody restaurant scene in question, and many of the other dialogue scenes, have terrible editing. Take a look:

You know there’s something wrong when a simple dialogue scene has 60 cuts in under two minutes – more than an action sequence in Transformers: The Last Knight. The video breaks down some major problems with the editing in Bohemian Rhapsody, along with why it may have been recognized for it by the Academy – because it’s noticeable. Though the YouTuber notes great movie editing is often not easy to detect.

The 2019 Best Film Editing honor isn’t the only Oscar winner that has been criticized this year. Best Picture going to Green Book has also perplexed moviegoers, along with First Man over Avengers: Infinity War for Best Visual Effects.

Did you notice Bohemian Rhapsody’s flashy editing and did it bother you when you watched it? Sound off in the comments below!

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John Travolta Is Bloody And Unrecognizable Filming New Movie

John Travolta Is Bloody And Unrecognizable Filming New Movie

We know John Travolta as a dance move icon for Saturday Night Fever, Grease, and Hairspray, but he's also quite the character actor -- known memorably for Face/Off, Pulp Fiction, American Crime Story, and Gotti. Next up, the actor has another big-screen transformation on the way for suspense-thriller Moose… and it’s quite the sight for a bloody eye. Take a look:

Whoa! What’s happening here? The Instagram post features John Travolta in character for Moose, as the titular character with chopped gray hair and some gory makeup that indicates his eye will certainly take a beating sometime during the film. To cut the tension of Travolta’s look is Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst peeking out from behind the actor.

Fred Durst is the director and co-writer of Moose, and while the musician-turned-filmmaker hasn’t had much luck providing crowd-pleasing movies to audiences in the past, his upcoming project with John Travolta certainly has an interesting premise. Check it out, according to another post on the Moose Instagram:

On the grimey streets of Hollywood, a hyper, celebrity-obsessed man-child feels slighted by his favorite movie star at an autograph convention and embarks on an unhinged quest to get a response from the actor – leading to a home invasion and a VERY long night that changes both men irreparably. John Travolta (Moose), Devon Sawa (Hunter), and Ana Golja (Leah) team up in this violent, pitch black satire of our culture’s obsession with fame, and the social contract between celebrities and their fans in the social media age.

This is kind of exciting, right? John Travolta will be playing a fanatic fan to Devon Sawa’s Hunter Dunbar; Travolta's Moose reverts to some intense stalking of the action hero following some ill feelings after an encounter with him. It looks like things are going to get real bloody, based on this image, and judging by the description of this movie, it could be a crazy ride to go on.

Moose is apparently based on an actual incident from the Limp Bizkit singer's past. Fred Durst has previously directed music videos for his band, commercials, and two films: 2007’s The Education of Charlie Banks with Jesse Eisenberg and 2008’s The Longshots with Ice Cube. Previously, Durst had a cameo in Travolta’s 2005 film Be Cool, but this is a much more involved collaboration.

On Friday, TMZ spoke with John Travolta on Moose, and the actor had some great things to say about the time on the project. In his words:

Maybe my favorite experience I’ve had. He’s so generous and he’s such an artist. And he allowed me to create a character that no one else would allow. It’s really a wild character and I felt very free to do that.

Wow! Does Moose trump his time with Quentin Tarantino? As John Travolta commented, he loved having the space to craft a crazy character with the director and looks to really dig the unique vision he has for the project. Maybe this dark comedy/thriller hybrid will join Travolta’s many iconic roles and potentially signal a long-awaited comeback for the actor?

No word on the exact release date yet, but Bloody Disgusting did just report that Moose -- or The Fanatic, as it may ultimately be called -- was acquired by Amazon and may be released this summer. Stay tuned and check out our 2019 release calendar for your next trip to the movies.

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Jordan Peele Reveals His Cameos In Us And Get Out

Jordan Peele Reveals His Cameos In Us And Get Out

The following contains minor spoilers for Us.

Jordan Peele has been compared by many to Alfred Hitchcock for the way has manages suspense in his films. However, it appears that Peele is similar to the famous director in one other major way, he likes to appear in his own films.

Alfred Hitchcock was known to cameo in most of his major motion pictures. Usually he would just walk across the screen at some point or otherwise appear in a fairly innocuous role. However, Jordan Peele has taken that idea to an even greater extreme. You never actually see Jordan Peele in Get Out or Us as it's actually only his voice that appears in his two directorial efforts. In both movies, he apparently creates the sounds of dying animals. According to Peele...

I've made cameos in both of my films. In Get Out I was the voice of the deer. [makes deer noise] [And in Us] I am a dying rabbit. [makes rabbit noise].

At the beginning of Get Out, the characters of Chris and Rose are on their way to Rose's parents house when their car strikes a deer. Chris goes to investigate and finds the animal slowly expiring in the woods just off the road.

For those of you who have seen Us, you know that rabbits play an interesting role in the story, apparently Peele voices one of them as they die.

It's certainly an interesting and unique way to cameo in your own films. Many directors have followed the lead of Alfred Hitchcock and made appearances in their own movies from time to time. You can be sure M. Night Shyamalan will appear in his films, sometimes in a sizable supporting role. Joe Russo has also appeared in his Marvel movies from time to time.

However, I can't think of a time a director has made a point to appear in two films, but in a way that he would almost certainly never be recognized. It wasn't until somebody asked him about the idea of appearing in his own films that we learned that he actually had.

Check out the interview with Fandango below to hear exactly what Jordan Peele sounds like in his cameos.

We don't know what's next for Jordan Peele when it comes to the director's chair. He's working as a producer of an upcoming remake of Candyman as well as the newest iteration of The Twilight Zone so he may not be directing another movie soon. If and when Peele makes another feature film, I suppose we should all look for a scene in which an animal dies, at that appears to be the place we'll hear Jordan Peele cameo in the future.

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Sean Gunn Explains Why Brother James Wasn’t At The Avengers: Endgame Premiere

Sean Gunn Explains Why Brother James Wasn’t At The Avengers: Endgame Premiere

Last night was the premiere of Avengers: Endgame. It was an event over 10 years in the making and nearly everybody who has ever been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was in attendance to see how the story came to an end. However, one person who was conspicuous by his absence was James Gunn. The Guardians of the Galaxy director did not attend the gala event last night, but according to his brother, Sean Gunn, explained that he was there in spirit.

To be fair, James Gunn certainly does have a lot of work on his plate right now. He has not one, but two blockbuster comic book team up movies to write and direct in the coming months. One of those, the sequel to Suicide Squad, is set to go before cameras before too long, so it's very possible that Gunn just couldn't pull himself away. If that script isn't ready, then there is work that needs to be done.

At the same time, for many, James Gunn is a man as directly linked to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise as any filmmaker is to any part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sean Gunn isn't just talking when he tells THR that James Gunn's thoughts are at the premiere, that has to be true. The director called the script to Guardians 3 "his heart" when he finished it.

James Gunn has certainly had one of the more interesting career paths of the last 10 months. The writer was fired from his position as director of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 last July, following the unearthing of some less than flattering statements but was then rehired sometime later, though that fact only came to light recently. In the interim, Gunn had made the deal to write The Suicide Squad, and he will direct that movie before moving on to do Guardians 3 after all.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, James Gunn has kept something of a low profile ever since the events that led to his firing. Gunn used to be incredibly prolific on Twitter, but he left the service after issuing yet another apology for the tweets that got him in trouble. Since then, he's only tweeted three times. Once to thank the people who supported him after the news of his return to Marvel had been announced, and twice to help promote the upcoming film Brightburn which he helped produce.

Whether Gunn is still simply trying to stay out of the limelight, or he's truly buried in work, or some combination of the two, is hard to know, but it likely won't last too much longer. Once The Suicide Squad goes into production it will be hard to keep a low profile. The promotional machine, including social media, will be in full swing and DC likely won't want Gunn to stay quiet at that point.

If anything, it's too bad James Gunn wasn't at the premiere because by all accounts the movie is something special.

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