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

By
John Nolan
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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

By
John Nolan
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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

By
John Nolan
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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

By
John Nolan
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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’

By
John Nolan
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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…

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.

Josh Brolin Talks Cable’s Arc Beyond ‘Deadpool 2’ And “Finite” Run As Thanos

By
John Nolan
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This is going to be a very busy year for Josh Brolin as he finds himself in the middle of a handful of franchises, something he’s never been huge on. He’ll play Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War before jumping to another Marvel flick, Deadpool 2, in which he plays Cable. And he’s also got the unexpected sequel Sicario 2: Soldado, in which he reunites with Benicio Del Toro. Like I said, busy guy.

So what convinced him to sign on to play Cable if he doesn’t like being part of franchises? Brolin tells Empire the reason is Cable’s extended storyarc, which gives the character a chance for growth…

“We think about it in four movie terms. We tried to think of Cable as a full arc, not just in this movie, but in the trajectory of four films. That made it a lot more fun for me.”

On the other hand, the chief reason he agreed to play the Mad Titan Thanos is the complete opposite in that the role doesn’t require him to stick around very long…

“I don’t like the idea of a franchise, personally,” Brolin said. “That’s what makes the Thanos thing really great. It’s a finite thing, and I like that.”

So the Infinity War title is one big red herring. Damn you, Marvel.

Basically it sounds like Thanos buys it either by the end of Infinity War or in Avengers 4, probably the latter.

Steven Spielberg Producing, Possibly Directing DC Comics Film ‘Blackhawk’

By
John Nolan
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I don’t think anybody expected this news today or any day, but Steven Spielberg may be directing a DC Comics film. Deadline and other sources are reporting Spielberg will produce and potentially direct a film based on the WWII-era character Blackhawk. Spielberg will be developing the film through his Amblin Entertainment label.

So how is this happening? Turns out Spielberg had a Hell of a time working with Warner Bros. on Ready Player One, which now has $476M worldwide. He said in a statement…

“It was wonderful working with the team at Warner Bros. to bring Ready Player One to the screen. They bring a blend of passion and professionalism to everything they do and have a tremendous history in this genre. I am excited to reunite with them on Blackhawk.”


First appearing in the first issue of 1941’s Military Comics, the Blackhawks are a team of WWII ace fighter pilots of different nationalities. The Blackhawk Squadron was led by a mysterious figure known simply as Blackhawk. Most recently Lady Blackhawk, the lone female member of the team, emerges in modern times and becomes pilot for the Birds of Prey. At the height of their popularity the Blackhawks were DC’s top-selling comic book.

The script will be written by longtime Spielberg collaborator David Koepp, who will also write Indiana Jones 5.. The tone is right in Spielberg’s wheelhouse, and should make an easy entry for him into the world of comic book movies. Just how closely this will tie into the DCEU, or if it will at all, remains to be seen but I’m guessing not. Regardless this is a huge coup for Warner Bros.

‘Deadpool 2’: Julian Dennison May Be Playing This Former New Mutant

By
John Nolan
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So why are Cable and Deadpool going toe-to-bionic toe in Deadpool 2, anyway? The whole thing seems to be about a kid, played by Hunt for the Wilderpeople‘s Julian Dennison, a fire-controlling mutant that Cable needs to kill for some reason and Deadpool decides to protect. So who is this kid? Is he a known character from the Marvel comics? Well, a couple of recent TV spots may have given us his identity.

A bunch of TV spots aired during The Walking Dead over the weekend, and one of them actually revealed the kid’s name: Russell.  Here’s that spot now…

Okay so his name is Russell. What does that prove? Nothing, but there is a relatively well-known mutant with those powers, that name, and a connection to X-Force. That would be Russell “Rusty” Collins, who briefly went by the name Firefist. A pyrokinetic, he first comes to the attention of X-Factor who help him get control of his dangerous powers. He forges a lasting relationship with fellow mutant Sally “Skids” Blevins (they were inseparable) and they stick around with the team for a while. They would eventually break off and hook up with the New Mutants who would eventually become the X-Force. He would later be brainwashed by Stryfe, the evil clone of Cable (!!!), and forced to become a villain. Firefist is later killed by Holocaust, the time-displaced son of Apocalypse.

So maybe it’s him, maybe he’s just some kid named Russell. Who knows? We’ll find out for sure when Deadpool 2 opens on May 18th. Check out another “Kid”-focused TV spot below.

‘The Misandrists’ Trailer: Radical Queer Feminists Put Patriarchy On Notice

By
John Nolan
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Patriarchy beware! The Female Liberation Army is here and they’re looking to hit where it hurts! Of all the crazy trailers you might see this week none of them will prepare you for The Misandrists, LGBTQ icon Bruce LaBruce’s in-your-face film that has been making the festival rounds and riling up crowds to promote the liberation of all women.

Like a Femi-Nazi take on The Beguiled, the film introduces us to the Female Liberation Army, a radical militant group of lesbians whose main objective is to dismantle Germany’s patriarchy no matter what the cost. Men are not allowed on their commune at all, so when one of their number falls in love with a boy and hides him in the basement it sets off all kinds of fireworks. The film stars Susanne Sachße, Viva Ruiz, Kembra Pfahler, Kita Updike, Til Schindler, Caprice Crawford, and Grete Gehrke. Here’s the synopsis:

In Ger(wo)many, when an army of radical females is preparing for a final revolution and a utopian world without men, a young male soldier arrives seeking refuge at the convent.

While the plot is insane enough, it’s LaBruce’s visuals that will win you over. Looking like a cross between Spring Breakers and the early work of Gregg Araki, the film will open on May 25 in New York and June 1st in Los Angeles.

The ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Runtime Keeps Changing But Remains Epic

By
John Nolan
-

Of the many mysteries surrounding Avengers: Infinity War, the most befuddling may be how long the damn thing is. At one point we heard it would be 150 minutes, an incredibly long film and the longest in the MCU ever. The film wasn’t locked at that point, though, nor was it when another report from Fandango increased the time to 156 minutes. And now another run time has surfaced and it may not be final, either.

The latest, from Britain’s BBFC  and the Irish Film Classification Office list Infinity War as running 149 minutes. However, the folks at ScreenRant checked with Disney who say the 156 minutes is legit. So what’s the deal? My guess is that there are different cuts for different regions and that is causing a mix up. 
No matter what you’re going to want to pack a lunch, hit the restroom early, do whatever you need to do before Infinity War starts because you’ll be in that chair for every single minute of it.  
Also, and this could be considered a minor SPOILER so beware. But a look at the BBFC’s cast listing notes the inclusion of someone who Marvel has previously failed to confirm. Who might that be?  Paul Rudd, meaning Ant-Man will be making an appearance in the film somewhere, although Evangeline Lilly isn’t listed so maybe he’ll be flying solo. 
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