Alison Brie Is A Maniac In ‘GLOW’ Season 2 Announcement Trailer

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April 18, 2018

Fresh off Netflix releasing the first images from Cary Fukunaga’s Maniac TV series, the streaming network is gracing fans with a “Maniac” of a different sort. They’ve just announced the premiere date for the second season of GLOW, and they’ve done it with an ’80s-inspired music video to the sound of Michael Sembello’s 1983 hit song.

That track became so iconic because of its use in the film Flashdance, which is also about a woman doing whatever it takes to achieve her dreams. The video finds Alison Brie, Betty Gilpin, and the rest of the cast singing and dancing to the song until Marc Maron swoops in and breaks the whole thing up. I can’t get over the sight of Kia “Awesome Kong” Stevens, once one of the most feared grapplers of the squared circle, gyrating like a spandex fool. It’s hilarious and she’s great on this show.

Here’s the synopsis for season 2: Season 2 follows the women of GLOW as they become local celebrities, confronting the good, the bad, and the ugly realities of their newfound fame. As Ruth (Alison Brie) and Debbie (Betty Gilpin) settle into the day-to-day of making a season of TV together, they confront lingering issues at the heart of their friendship. Sam (Marc Maron) is still Sam, but now he has a teenage daughter living with him and twenty episodes to churn out. The wrestling is harder, the stakes are higher, and the hair is even bigger.

Netflix will debut the second season of GLOW on June 29th!

‘Star Wars: Episode 9’: Victoria Mahoney Becomes Franchise’s First Black Female Director

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John Nolan

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April 18, 2018

Lucasfilm has been taking some heat lately for its lack of diversity in choosing Star Wars directors, and it’s a complaint I haven’t necessarily agreed with. We have to remember that most of the movies were controlled by one man who naturally hired those most like him. Hey, it was what it was. But with the franchise branching off into spinoffs and new trilogies, it was time to have somebody other than a white male behind the camera. Yesterday that became a reality.

Ava DuVernay tweeted an image yesterday that had the Internet buzzing, and for good reason. Victoria Mahoney was hired as second unit director on Star Wars: Episode 9, becoming the first black female director on a Star Wars movie. Along with her acting career (she appeared on Seinfeld!) and TV work helming episodes of Gypsy, Queen Sugar, and more, she also directed the 2011 feature film Yelling To The Sky starring Zoe Kravitz.

She’ll be working alongside director J.J. Abrams on the film, and who knows? Maybe this will lead to her getting a Star Wars movie of her own? Star Wars: Episode 9 opens December 20th 2019.

Happy to share this historic news. A black woman directing stories in a galaxy far, far away. First unit director #JJAbrams. Second unit director @VictoriaMahoney. #StarWarsE9 #StarWars pic.twitter.com/s689jv9I4u

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) April 17, 2018

Disney’s ‘Maleficent’ Sequel Casts Ed Skrein As The Villain

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John Nolan

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April 18, 2018

After playing the villain Ajax in Deadpool, Ed Skrein will turn bad guy once again in Maleficent 2, the sequel to Disney’s hit Sleeping Beauty reimagining. He’ll be joining Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning with Pirates of the Caribbean 5‘s Joachim Ronning directing.

There aren’t a ton of details regarding the sequel at this point. Linda Woolverton will be turning to work on the script, only this time she’ll be co-writing with Jez Butterworth, known for action flicks like Edge of Tomorrow and Spectre. Maybe that’s a sign this will be an edgier, faster-paced movie than its predecessor. Skrein would be a solid fit for something like that given he also starred in The Transporter Refueled.

Then again, who cares about the men in these movies, am I right? Maleficent 2 begins filming this spring. [Variety]

DC Readers: Win Passes To A Free Screening Of ‘Tully’ Starring Charlize Theron

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John Nolan

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April 18, 2018

We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free early screening of Tully, starring Charlize Theron in a reunion with Young Adult writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman.

SYNOPSIS: Marlo (Charlize Theron) , a mother of three including a newborn baby, is gifted a night nanny by her brother (Mark Duplass). Hesitant to the extravagance at first, Marlo comes to form a unique bond with the thoughtful, surprising, and sometimes challenging young nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis).

The screening takes place on Wednesday, April 25th at 7:30pm at Regal Majestic in Silver Spring. To enter, simply complete the required steps in the Rafflecopter contest form below. Winners will be selected on Saturday, April 21st and contacted by email. Good luck!

Tully opens in theaters on May 4th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Indoraptor Strikes In New ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ Trailer

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John Nolan

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April 18, 2018

The new trailer for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a major departure from previous ones, moving the action well beyond the exploding island and into the larger plot. What we find is that escape from the island is just the beginning and a deeper conspiracy ensnares Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire, one that finds them coming face to face with a powerful new dinosaur hybrid: the Indoraptor. Sounds like Snoop Dogg’s favorite dino.

Directed by J.A. Bayona, bringing the skills that made The Orphanage, The Impossible, and A Monster Calls all rewarding experiences in different ways, the film finds Owen sent back to Isla Nublar to rescue as many dinosaurs he can, including his pal Blue, the last Velociraptor of its kind. But once that deed is done they discover it was all a setup, and that Blue is needed for a darker purpose that seems to involve B.D. Wong’s returning Dr. Henry Wu.

This trailer is all about introducing the Indoraptor and presenting it as a menacing threat for Owen and Claire, including a creepy scene inside a little girl’s bedroom. They’re setting this one to be more of a monster movie than the previous film which I think is a smart way to go to keep things fresh.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom opens June 22nd.

First Look At Cary Fukunaga’s ‘Maniac’ With Jonah Hill And Emma Stone

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John Nolan

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April 18, 2018

Where’s Cary Fukunaga been lately? He’s been keeping a fairly low profile since jetting HBO’s True Detective and releasing the underrated (and Oscar shunned) Beasts Of No Nation. He’s been working as a writer and exec-producer on TNT’s The Alienist as a director the only thing we’ve had to look forward to was Maniac, his star-studded black comedy series coming to Netflix.

While much of the plot remains under wraps Netflix has finally provided images of the series, and it looks like quite a trip. Sally Field, Jonah Hill, Emma Stone, and Justin Theroux head a terrific cast that also includes Julia Garner, Jemima Kirke, and Sonoya Mizuno. The series follows a man who “who lives a fantasy life in his dreams, but in reality, is locked up at an institution” taking part in a psychedelic pharmaceutical trial.

No release date but hopefully these images mean that will change soon, and perhaps we’ll get a trailer.

Rumor: ‘Avengers 4’ Casts Emma Fuhrmann As Teen Version Of Ant-Man’s Daughter

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John Nolan

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April 18, 2018

You know the drill when it comes to Avengers rumors, especially those from That Hashtag Show. This one is pretty interesting, though, and could tell us something more about Avengers 4 than we’ve heard previously. They claim that Blended actress Emma Fuhrmann has been cast as an older version of Cassie Lang, the daughter to Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang aka Ant-Man.

There have been some rumors going around that Avengers 4 would deal with time travel or alternate realities, and this would lend credence to those stories. It also kinda makes sense if Thanos eradicates the entire planet in Avengers: Infinity War, somebody (*cough Captain America *cough) is going to need to fix it so nothing happened.

Or it could be that years pass between the events of Infinity War and Avengers 4, which is just as plausible an explanation for the older Cassie. The character was played by 10-year-old Abby Ryder Fortson in both Ant-Man and its sequel Ant-Man And The Wasp. No matter what, a teenage Cassie Lang suggests we may see her take on the mantle of one of her superhero identities, Stature, in which she has the powers of Giant-Man, or Stinger in which her powers are more aligned with Ant-Man.

Avengers 4 opens May 3rd 2019.

‘How To Train Your Dragon 3’ Reveals Official Title And Synopsis

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John Nolan

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April 18, 2018

We’re still a year away from a sequel to Dreamworks’ Oscar nominated How To Train Your Dragon 2, details are on Hiccup and Toothless’ next adventure are starting to emerge. Prior to an extended sneak peek for attendees at this summer’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the film’s official title has been revealed as How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.

Along with the title, Universal has provided a brief synopsis that finds Toothless being pulled away by a mysterious new mate…

As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless’ discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. When danger mounts at home and Hiccup’s reign as village chief is tested, both dragon and rider must make impossible decisions to save their kind.

Interesting to see a story with a focused arc for Toothless, even though it reads like a potential confrontation with Hiccup. Dean DeBlois is coming back to direct, along with returning voices Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, TJ Miller, Kit Harington, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Gerard Butler, Djimon Hounsou, and Craig Ferguson.

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World opens March 1st 2019.

‘xXx 4’ Confirmed With Vin Diesel And DJ Caruso Returning

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John Nolan

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April 18, 2018

If you’re asking why in the world anyone would greenlight a fourth xXx movie, the answer is simple: $346M worldwide. While last year’s xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage barely registered here it was a $300M smash overseas, not surprising given the international cast and Vin Diesel’s global appeal. For that reason alone another round of extreme espionage action is in the works.

The H Collective have acquired the rights to xXx from Revolution Studios and have set in motion xXx 4 with Vin Diesel returning to produce and star, with DJ Caruso coming back to direct. No other casting is clear at this point but we can guess there will be at least one hot actress who doesn’t mind draping herself all over Diesel during a few weeks of filming. Revolution Studios had announced a sequel last year and those plans haven’t changed with the move to a different studio.

2002’s xXx, 2005’s xXx: State Of The Union which starred Ice Cube, and xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage have combined to earn nearly $700M, most of that overseas from the target Chinese market. Adding Donnie Yen to the previous cast was a brilliant strategic move that I expect we will see again.

More Details On ‘Birds Of Prey’ And Its Impact On ‘Suicide Squad 2’

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John Nolan

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April 18, 2018

There’s a good and bad side to the news that Cathy Yan would be directing the Harley Quinn spinoff, Birds of Prey. The good is that Yan is a talented female director getting her shot at a major franchise with a huge star in Margot Robbie. The bad is that it comes at the expense of Suicide Squad 2, which has apparently been delayed from its planned shoot at the end of the year. Variety’s Justin Kroll tweets the details…

BREAKING: Cathy Yan tapped to direct BIRDS OF PREY, the next Harley Quinn pic which will shoot at the end of the year. WB pic this as the next pic after Christina Hodson blew execs away with her script

— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) April 17, 2018

As for SUICIDE SQUAD 2, clearly moving out of 2018 shoot. The move to go with BOP not only had a lot to do with Hodson’s script but also the idea of doing with BATGIRL what Marvel did with Black Panther in CIVIL WAR by introducing them into universe before giving them own film

— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) April 17, 2018

Kroll’s point is a good one, but a more relevant example would be the way Wonder Woman was introduced first in Batman v Superman before launching into a solo movie. That worked like gangbusters, and Warner Bros. hopes that plan works again for Aquaman.

And I guess this serves as “confirmation” Batgirl will be in Birds of Prey, which makes sense considering Christina Hodson is also writing her solo movie.

As for Suicide Squad 2, the last we heard it is to be directed by The Accountant‘s Gavin O’Connor. Considering how popular that film was despite poor reviews I expect a new start date will be revealed soon and they won’t keep fans waiting too long.