‘The Eddy’ Trailer: Damien Chazelle Opens The Doors To His Netflix Jazz Club Drama

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April 14, 2020

Bright lights, big city, and the sounds of the Paris jazz scene fill the latest trailer for Damien Chazelle’s series, The Eddy. Featuring original music by Glen Ballard and Randy Kerber, it’s exactly the kind of thing one might expect from a collaboration between Netflix and the director of Whiplash and La La Land.

Starring Andre Holland, Joanna Kulig, Tahar Rahim, Leïla Bekhti, Amandla Stenberg, Melissa George, Adil Dehbi, Benjamin Biolay, Tchéky Karyo, and Sopico, The Eddy follows a jazz pianist from New York City who runs the titular struggling nightclub in Paris. He’ll deal with a complicated on again/off again relationship with his girlfriend, a shady business partner, and the return of his daughter into his life.

Jack Thorne (Wonder) wrote and created the series, with Chazelle directing. The Eddy hits Netflix on May 8th, and I can’t wait. It reminds me of when Netflix gave Baz Luhrmann room to cut loose (perhaps too much room) on The Get Down, and I hope Chazelle gets the same freedom.

SYNOPSIS: Directed by Academy Award® winner Damien Chazelle (La La Land), Emmy Award® winner Alan Poul (Tales of the City), Houda Benyamina (Divines) and Laïla Marrakchi (Le Bureau des Légendes), the Netflix original series THE EDDY is an eight-episode drama that takes place in the vibrant multicultural neighborhoods of modern-day Paris. Once a celebrated jazz pianist in New York, Elliot Udo (André Holland) is now the co-owner of struggling club The Eddy, where he manages the house band fronted by lead singer and on-again-off-again girlfriend Maja (Joanna Kulig). As Elliot learns that his business partner Farid (Tahar Rahim) may be involved in some questionable practices at the club, secrets begin to come to light that have also been concealed from Farid’s wife Amira (Leïla Bekhti), and when Elliot’s troubled teenage daughter Julie (Amandla Stenberg) suddenly arrives in Paris to live with him, his personal and professional worlds quickly start to unravel as he confronts his past, fighting to save the club and protect those closest to him.

Babu Frik May Have Survived ‘The Rise Of Skywalker’ Thanks To Steven Spielberg

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Travis Hopson

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April 14, 2020

I’m in the minority here, admittedly, but I thought Babu Frik was terrible. The tiny alien droid tech from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is one of the few things most people seem to love about the film, especially that moment in the final battle when he, quite unexpectedly, returns with a triumphant “Hey!!!”

Was Babu Frik always meant to come to the rescue? Or did he meet a more grim end on his destroyed home planet of Kijimi? Empire Magazine is doing a full history of Babu Frik for their upcoming issue, and they suggest producer Steven Spielberg may have had something to do with saving his life.

Empire spoke with creature effects guru Neal Scanlan, concept artist Ivan Manzella, and Babu Frik performer Shirley Henderson, and they share what may have been Spielberg’s part in the story…

“It could be a rumour, but I believe [director] J.J. [Abrams] screened the movie for Steven Spielberg, and at the end Spielberg said, ‘What happened to Babu?’,” Scanlan explained. “Everybody thought, ‘Oh God, what did happen to Babu?’”

“I think he was going to die originally – I think the AD shot that,” Manzella said. “When the planet [Kijimi] was blown up, he was on it.” Scanlan continued: “We shot several other sequences. The ILM guys found one, lifted out Babu and put him into Zorii’s ship at the end.”

I think this is a stretch. For what reason would Spielberg want to get so directly involved? Did he realize having Babu Frik pop up at the end would be a rare moment of happiness for many in the audience? Perhaps. Maybe he just realized you can sell more Babu Frik toys with him alive than scattered as space dust.

Criterion Collection To Honor Bruce Lee With ‘Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits’

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John Nolan

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April 14, 2020

Certain names invoke thoughts of greatness, of being the best in one’s field. Criterion has long been known as the best in terms of DVD/Blu-Ray Presentations and Bruce Lee, do I even have to say it? Lee has been one of my absolute idols since before I can remember, the guy is an onion in its truest form. The outside layer is the flashy Martial Arts and incredible physique, and that layer tastes just great, but the true reward is when you keep going. Peel back that top layer and dive into one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th century. Peel back another and you have a man at the forefront of race relations and equality, and so on and so on. The more people that become interested in Lee via his Kung-Fu (or Jeet Kun Do if we’re getting technical) the more will discover the wonder of the mans mind. For this reason more than any I’m completely stoked that Criterion Collection has announced that they will be releasing a new collection called Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits. The five film set covers the span of Lee’s all too short career on the big screen and includes:

The Big Boss (1971)
Fist of Fury (1972)
The Way of the Dragon (1972)
Enter the Dragon (1973)
Game of Death (1978)

Bruce Lee: His Greatest Hits will be available as a 7-Disc Blu-Ray set on July 14th, 2020 at the Criterion Collection Official Site

Daisy Ridley Doesn’t Know Where Fans’ Love For ‘Star Wars’ Has Gone

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Travis Hopson

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April 14, 2020

Daisy Ridley's return as Rey has hit a bumpy road

The conversation regarding Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will never end. Why would we ever think so? We still talk with reverence about the original trilogy and discuss the prequels’ problems, why would these films be any different? Whatever you think about this latest trilogy, one thing is clear: reaction to The Rise of Skywalker was not good. Fans by-and-large disliked JJ Abrams’ finale, and star Daisy Ridley has addressed the backlash.

Appearing on The DragCast, Ridley chose her words carefully when talking about the negative response to The Rise of Skywalker. She couldn’t help but take a shot at fans, though, saying they just don’t have the same love for Star Wars anymore…

“It’s changed film by film honestly, like 98% it’s so amazing, this last film it was really tricky. January was not that nice. It was weird, I felt like all of this love that we’d sort of been shown the first time around, I was like ‘Where’s the love gone?’ I watched the documentary, the making-of, this week, and it’s so filled with love; and I think it’s that tricky thing of when you’re part of something that is so filled with love and then people…You know, everyone’s entitled to not like something but it feels like it’s changed slightly. I think in general that’s because social media and what have you.”

Ridley’s dismay over the social media reactions was mixed with her genuine appreciation of the work they did. And you can see that in the many featurettes from the set. She was basically an unknown before landing the role of Rey. It only makes sense she’d have strong feelings about her time on Star Wars…

“Trying to scroll through my news feed in January and trying not to see Star Wars stuff, I’d see headlines and be like ‘Oh my god this is so upsetting.’ It’s been tricky but then it’s having that thing of I feel really proud of it, and I’m so thrilled to be part of it. But it’s a funny thing.”

Still, one has to wonder if Rey has been paying attention. Ever since the Special Editions and the prequels, Star Wars fans have been extremely critical of the franchise’s direction. That’s never going to end, but let’s not pretend it’s some new phenomenon.

John Krasinski Sarcastically Addresses Those ‘Fantastic Four’ Rumors

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Travis Hopson

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April 14, 2020

The world is in chaos right now. Every time you turn on the TV it’s reports of more deaths due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We’re all sheltered inside and might be for a longtime. It’s tough, but John Krasinski has been trying to keep things lively with his upbeat show Some Good News. Already it’s provided a number of viral moments to make us all feel better, but Krasinski may have used it to throw some shade at a popular superhero rumor regarding the Fantastic Four.

Social media was buzzing overnight with rumors that Krasinski had a virtual meeting with Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige. Why? For the role of Reed Richards in a Fantastic Four movie, of course. It’s a role fans have long dream-cast Krasinski for, and he has been vocal in his desire to play it.

But in a recent Some Good News episode, Krasinski made a comment that appears to be aimed straight at those Fantastic Four rumors.

“There’s this four-paneler, which I have to appreciate. As it’ll be the closest I’ll ever get to playing a comic-book hero,” Krasinski says,with a smirk reminiscent of Jim from The Office.

This is, at minimum, Krasinski’s acknowledgment that he’s following the rumors and is enjoying them. Some have taken this as his way of shooting down any hopes of playing Reed Richards, but I don’t think so. He’s telling us it’ll never happen, but shooting us a look that suggests sarcasm. He could also be referencing his failed attempt to win the Captain America role, losing out to Chris Evans.

Watch the video below and decide for yourself. It’s right at the very beginning.

‘Dune’: New Photos Capture The Cast Of Denis Villeneuve’s Sci-Fi Epic
Villeneuve Talks The Film's Massive Scope

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Travis Hopson
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April 14, 2020

Frank Herbert’s Dune novels are beloved in sci-fi circles for their massive scope, which is why adaptations of the material has always proven difficult. Multiple filmmakers tried to corral the gigantic story before David Lynch came along and delivered his problematic take on it in 1984. A pair of TV miniseries in the early 2000s were fairly well-received for condensing multiple books. But the point seems to be that trying to tell Dune in a single movie is foolish, and director Denis Villeneuve is having none of that with upcoming film.

After debuting the first image from Dune yesterday, Vanity Fair is back with multiple photos of the cast. We see Josh Brolin as weapons master Gurney Halleck, a mentor to lead character Paul Atreides played by Timothee Chalamet. Rebecca Ferguson is Lady Jessica, Paul’s mother and concubine to Duke Leto Atreides, played by Oscar Isaac. Zendaya is seen as Chani, Paul’s love interest, Jason Momoa as swordmaster with the awesome Duncan Idaho, and Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Liet-Kynes.

Speaking about the intimidating scale of Dune, Villeneuve says he wouldn’t have even bothered if Warner Bros. had refused to give him a two-movie commitment…

“I would not agree to make this adaptation of the book with one single movie. The world is too complex. It’s a world that takes its power in details.”

“It’s a book that tackles politics, religion, ecology, spirituality—and with a lot of characters. I think that’s why it’s so difficult. Honestly, it’s by far the most difficult thing I’ve done in my life.”

“No matter what you believe, Earth is changing, and we will have to adapt,” he explained. “That’s why I think that ‘Dune,’ this book, was written in the 20th century. It was a distant portrait of the reality of the oil and the capitalism and the exploitation—the overexploitation—of Earth. Today, things are just worse. It’s a coming-of-age story, but also a call for action for the youth.”

To succeed, Dune, which opens on December 18th, will have to attract more than just the hardcore sci-fi base. That’s something Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 failed to do.

Dune VF images

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Dune

‘Tron: Legacy’ Director Thinks A Sequel Could Still Happen

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Travis Hopson

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April 14, 2020

There’s been a lot of talk about Tron lately, and if you’re wondering why it’s because 2020 marks the 10th anniversary (!!!) of Tron: Legacy. Disney has flirted with an idea of a sequel despite the average box office, and then killed a Disney+ series from writer John Ridley. So while the future of Tron still looks bleak, director Joseph Kosinski has hope that another film may happen.

Kosinski tells Comicbook.com…

“There’s always been an interest since Legacy [for a sequel]. There’s always been talk and murmuring of doing another and continuing the story. I was in China a few years ago and saw them building the TRON ride in Shanghai, which, apparently, is pretty amazing, I would love to experience that at some point. I think it’s still a nice jewel in the crown of Disney IP and I think there are fans and people petitioning and pushing to continue it inside the halls of Disney. So I think it could happen. Like anything, it just needs the right confluence of … it’s all about timing and the right elements and everything’s got to come together for a movie to happen.”

“I think it’s possible and I think it’s worthy of it,” Kosinski added. “I think there’s enough ideas in the franchise, and the fact that it is so unique and nothing else looks or sounds like it, that TRON story. There is, I think, a future for the franchise and I hope they keep making them.”

Kosinski doesn’t say he’d be involved with it, though. The original Tron in the 1980s was a cult hit, and Disney tried to turn that small fanbase into a blockbuster with Tron: Legacy. It didn’t really work out; the $400M box office was about the break-even point. But Disney didn’t quite give up, and released the Tron: Uprising animated series in 2012. That also didn’t do well and was canceled after one season.

Kosinski may be right that Tron will be revisited someday, but it might not be for a very long time. For now, Kosinski has other stuff to look forward to. His next film puts Tom Cruise in the cockpit for Top Gun: Maverick, opening this Christmas.

Disney+ Version Of ‘Splash’ Censors Daryl Hannah’s Butt With Really Bad CGI

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Travis Hopson

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April 14, 2020

If you’ve never seen the Ron Howard film Splash, it’s pretty darn innocent. The 1984 rom-com stars Daryl Hannah and Tom Hanks, her playing a mermaid who falls in love with a human dude. But apparently, this lighter-than-light comedy was still just a tad too racy for Disney+, and couldn’t get in without a really misguided CGI edit.

So the scene in question finds Hannah and Hanks sharing a kiss on the beach. However, when she turns to leave, you can see, through her thick long hair, that she is totally naked. You catch a brief glimpse of her butt, and that’s it. Well, that was too much for Disney, who added some terrible CGI hair to cover it up. It looks bad, like the cast of Cats suddenly rose up and emerged from Daryl Hannah’s ass crack.

We expect much better from Disney, at least to provide good-looking CG. On the other hand, the hypocrisy is par for the course. They have no problem showing tons of Marvel violence, but a woman’s ass? For a fraction of a second? That’s a bridge too far.

However, all of this Splash stuff has reminded me of the planned remake from a few years ago. It would’ve starred Channing Tatum and Jillian Bell, with him as a merman. Think Disney would’ve furred-out his behind? Doubtful.

Disney+ didn't want butts on their platform so they edited Splash with digital fur technology pic.twitter.com/df8XE0G9om

— Allison Pregler ? (@AllisonPregler) April 13, 2020

Pixar Moves ‘Soul’ To November, Disney’s ‘Raya And The Last Dragon’ To 2021

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Travis Hopson

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April 13, 2020

Disney has finally gotten around to addressing the fate of Pixar’s next big film, the Jamie Foxx-led Soul. When they dropped a ton of release date changes recently due to the pandemic, they failed to mention the animated movie and its June 19th release date. Would they move it to Disney+ like Artemis Fowl? Or perhaps try to mirror the VOD success of Universal’s Trolls World Tour?

Turns out, the answer is neither. Disney has moved Soul, which centers on an aspiring jazz musician’s journey through the afterlife, from June 19th to November 20th. There’s already a ton of competition around that time. Godzilla vs. Kong is set to stomp into theaters that weekend, but it’s also very close to the releases of Black Widow and No Time to Die. More importantly, it clashes with another Disney movie that is fighting for the very same audience.

That weekend turns out to also be where Disney had set Raya and the Last Dragon, which features the voices of Cassie Steele and Awkwafina. So Disney has decided to move that one from November 20th to March 12th 2021 to avoid conflicts.

Soul is a big movie for Disney/Pixar. Not only does it feature Pixar’s first African-American lead character, but it’s directed by Pete Docter and has an ambitious story on the level of Inside Out. There was no way they would go straight to Disney+ with this one, but if the outbreak continues to hamper theaters, a quicker-than-usual move to digital could be possible. We shall see.

Universal Boasts Record-Breaking ‘Trolls World Tour’ Digital Debut

By

Travis Hopson

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April 13, 2020

Universal didn’t mess with the release date of Trolls World Tour, making the controversial decision to release it straight to VOD. As the first major new film to go direct to digital, a lot of eyes have been on the animated musical’s performance, and at least according to Universal, the results were record-breaking.

According to Deadline, Universal is boasting Trolls World Tour‘s record-breaking first-day numbers on digital. Opening last Friday, the film reportedly did more than 10x the numbers of the previous record-holder, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. So given what we know about Fallen Kingdom, which is that it made between $2M-$3M on day one, then Trolls did somewhere in the neighborhood of $20M.

If those numbers held up through the weekend, expect Universal to tout the full weekend total. It should come as no surprise the film is #1 among all digital platforms including Amazon, Comcast, Apple, Vudu, Google/YouTube, DirecTV and FandangoNOW.

While comparisons aren’t exact, consider that Avengers: Endgame, the biggest movie of all-time, did around $30M in digital sales in its first full week. Based on that, we can reasonably expect Trolls to exceed that by a wide margin. Of course, Fallen Kingdom and Endgame were both films that had $1B theatrical runs first, while Trolls is fresh out the box.

Universal put a lot into pushing the digital release of Trolls World Tour, and obviously, it has paid off. But does this mean we’re looking at a game-changer for the industry? Only time will tell.