Disney’s Alan Menken Thinks One Animated Blockbuster Is Too Controversial For Live-Action

Disney’s Alan Menken Thinks One Animated Blockbuster Is Too Controversial For Live-Action

Disney has found a goldmine in the form of remaking the studio's animated classics. Movies like The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast have been massive box office smashes. It looks like Disney may have another hit on their hands with Aladdin opening this week, and other remakes, like The Lion King and Mulan are waiting in the wings.

With several other remake projects rumored, we know Disney is going to be continuing this franchise for quite some time, however, Alan Menken, the Academy Award winning songwriter of many of Disney's Renaissance classics, thinks there's one animated Disney movie that likely won't get the remake treatment, 1995's Pocahontas. According to Menken...

I don't know if we'll ever be able to do Pocahontas. I think that story is going to be difficult. With modern sensibilities, it'd be hard – you're going to offend somebody – so I don't know.

It's not hard to believe that Alan Menken is correct in his comments to Express. The fact of the matter is, Pocahontas was criticized for its depiction of Native Americans when it was released in 1995, so doing a note-for-note adaptation of the film now would certainly cause similar complaints, only more so.

At the very least, an adaptation would need to go through some major modifications. Considering how close movies like Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin have stayed to the source material, a version of Pocahontas that was significantly different doesn't seem like the sort of movie Disney would want to make, but if they also can't make the original version again, the movie gets stuck in limbo and probably never gets made.

It's not the first time that the test of time has not be kind to a Disney movie. Dumbo had a collection of crow characters back in the 1940s that included a character that was actually named Jim Crow. Needless to say, the recent live-action remake of that movie did not include that scene.

Song of the South is a movie that Disney would probably rather we all forgot existed. The depiction of African-Americans during Reconstruction was also criticized in its day, but that criticism has only grown over the years and the film has never been released on home viewing in North America. Disney has confirmed the film will not even be released on the Disney+ streaming service.

Pocahontas isn't Song of the South bad, Disney hasn't disowned the film, but it's still another example of a movie that simply hasn't aged well. The fact that Moana another Disney animated film focused on a cultural minority group, has a largely similar story, but is viewed much more positively, makes it feel like the film was an attempt to make up for the missteps of Pocahontas.

Disney's live-action remake slate currently includes The Lion King, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Mulan, and Cruella on the big screen as well as Lady and the Tramp coming to Disney+. We also know that The Little Mermaid is a project currently in development. Other projects that have been rumored include Pinocchio, Snow White, and Sword in the Stone.

Pocahontas hasn't even been rumored as a potential remake, which would seem to confirm Alan Menken's feelings. Al;though, after all the other remakes have been made, Pocahontas might start to look like a more attractive option.

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Looks Like Dark Phoenix Might Have The Smallest Opening Of The X-Men Franchise

Looks Like Dark Phoenix Might Have The Smallest Opening Of The X-Men Franchise

As the final entry in the recent run of X-Men films, Dark Phoenix has been an interesting case study when it comes to what sort of opening to expect. With several release date bumps to the film’s name, it’s hard to tell if Fox is being protective of the film’s chances in theaters, or if they’re just trying to find a good spot for it to take its lumps and move on.

In either case, it looks like we have our first big indicator of whether Dark Phoenix will rise from the ashes, or be reduced to embers. The opening weekend for the film is estimated to land between $40 – 55 million, and if this holds, there’s a good chance that director Simon Kinberg’s film will have the smallest opening of the entire X-Men franchise.

Spanning back to the year 2000, the X-Men series has had peaks and troughs when mapping its box office history. Starting with $54.5 million opening in the first July of this millennium, the series would climb to its highest opening ever with 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, which weighed in with a $102.7 mil opening.

Before these estimates for Dark Phoenix came in pegging the film with a $40 – 55 million range, the low water mark stood at 2011’s X-Men: First Class, which brought in $55.1 million in one of the few openings in the franchise taking place outside of its typical May time frame.

So in order to avoid this outcome, Dark Phoenix needs to not only stay on the high end of the opening range estimated by Box Office Pro, it needs to bury the needle and go above and beyond those numbers. It wouldn’t have to be a huge jump past the high water mark, but the more it can surpass these numbers, the better Dark Phoenix’s chances would be of recouping its rumored budget. Though the whispers of a monetary spend upwards of $200 million don’t exactly bode well.

Counter to the typical picture of comic book box office success, the X-Men series has been less consistent in its increases, but more consistent in its cyclical nature. Looking at the pattern as it stands, Dark Phoenix’s intended end of the current phase of mutant powered films couldn’t have come at a better time.

Should this new crater in the X-Men box office time line occur, there is a silver lining that’s currently presented as a con. There’d be nowhere to go but up when the X-Men franchise eventually makes to return to the box office as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Revitalizing this classic fan favorite property, with the hype of a fresh MCU coat of paint, is exactly the blockbuster that everyone will be waiting for.

For now though, we’ll have to wait and see if Dark Phoenix makes or breaks this round of fate in the X-Men universe, and if that final impressive trailer makes any difference in the matter, when the movie debuts on June 7th.

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What is Disney Movie Rewards? How Does It Work?

What is Disney Movie Rewards? How Does It Work?

Whether you're buying Blu-ray discs or going to the theater, movies can be an expensive form of entertainment. It would be nice to be able to get something a little more out of it. Luckily, if you're a Disney fan (and let's be honest, who isn't a fan of something from Disney these days), there is a way to get a little something more out of your movie experience through Disney Movie Rewards.

But what is Disney Movie Rewards and how does it work? It it worthwhile to get an account? Below you'll find answers to all your Disney Movie Rewards Questions.

What is Disney Movie Rewards?

Disney Movie Rewards is essentially a loyalty program. It's not that different from the programs you might use at your local supermarket or coffee shop. While those might get you a free latte now and then after you buy several of your own, Disney Movie Rewards does the same thing for movies. Purchase Disney films on Blu-ray or buy tickets to see them in the theater and you'll earn points.

Then, you take those points and redeem them for Disney-related stuff. You can turn right around and buy more Blu-rays or movie tickets, or you can buy Disney stuff like t-shirts, Disney gift cards or even a tour of the Walt Disney Studios, though I'll tell you, you have to buy a lot of Blu-Rays to earn that one.

How Do I Get My Disney Movie Rewards?

The first thing to do is set up an account on the Disney Movie Rewards website. It doesn't cost anything, which means it doesn't require even giving up a credit card number. All you need to do is create a username with an email address and then make a password.

Once you have the account, you can start accruing points. The main way to ear Disney Movie Rewards is by buying stuff. If you purchase a Disney Blu-Ray or DVD that has a Disney Movie Rewards logo on the outside, inside the case, you'll find a piece of paper with a code on it. Simply input the number on the Disney Movie Rewards home page and you'll get your points. Points vary on discs between around 50 and 200 points, depending on what version of a disc you buy.

Getting points for buying movie tickets is a bit more involved. In that case, you'll need to make sure you keep your ticket stub and be sure it actually says the name of the Disney movie in question. Select the movie you saw on the Disney Movie Rewards site and you'll be given a unique ID number. Write that number on your ticket, then take a picture of the ticket and upload the photo to the Disney Movie rewards website. Tickets are usually good for about 75 points.

Another thing to keep in mind is that points can only be earned on tickets for movies currently in theaters, so you don't want to stock up on your tickets and try to redeem them all at once. Be sure to get your points as soon as you can so you don't miss your window.

However, there is an easier way to get your ticket purchases added to your Disney Movie Rewards account. Disney Movie Rewards allows you to link your Rewards account to Atom Tickets, Fandango VIP and the Regal Crown Club. This means that if you buy tickets to a Disney movie through one of these online sites, your points will be automatically added to your Disney Movie Rewards account.

The other purchasable item that earns you points is Disney music. Many Disney movie soundtracks, as well as the popular collectible, vinyl "picture discs," are good for 100 points or more.

How Do I Use My Disney Movie Rewards?

Once you have enough points to redeem them for something you want, simply go to the Disney Movie Rewards website, log in and select the item. If it's an item that requires physical shipping, like a movie poster or DVD, you have the choice of paying for shipping and handling separately, or using additional points to cover the cost, so you really can get something for no additional cost to you.

Do Disney Movie Reward Points Expire?

Disney Movie Reward points only expire if your Disney Movie Rewards account sees no activity for 365 consecutive days. This means as long as you add points to your account or redeem points for something once a year, your points won't go anywhere. With the frequency with which Disney releases new movies in theaters and on Blu-ray, odds are you'll be spending money on at least one a year.

One nice way to make sure that doesn't happen is to log in and take the Disney Challenge. This is a brief Disney trivia quiz that won't take you more than a minute to complete. Doing so will earn you all of five points (unless you're really good, in that case you can get bonuses), but those five points will keep your account active for another year.

Do I Need To Cancel Disney Movie Rewards?

There isn't really much need to cancel your account. You can certainly do so, but Disney Movie Rewards doesn't cost anything, so even if you decide to stop using it, you can just ignore it and let it go.

Can I Get Disney Movie Rewards Points For Digital Movies?

At this point, purchases of Disney movies through digital storefronts cannot be used to earn Disney Movie Rewards points, although based on the Disney Movie Reward FAQ, it sounds like the implementation of such a thing could happen, so keep checking back.

Is Disney Movie Rewards Worth It?

Disney Movie Rewards doesn't cost you anything beyond the money you were probably going to be spending on Disney movies anyway, but does that mean it's obviously something you should do?

Most of the rewards are some pretty simple stuff like movie posters and t-shirts, and if they end up having something you want, that's great. However, little of seems like "must have" merch. Still, is there a better cost than free?

A Blu-ray disc goes for something like 700-800 points, and if you receive 150 points for buying one, you end up getting a movie free for every five you buy, which is a pretty decent ratio so if you're building a serious Disney movie collection, it's worth incorporating Disney Movie Rewards into that plan. This goes double if you join the Disney Movie Club, as most of those movies will earn you points alongside your obligation to the club.

Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for all the latest and greatest news concerning Disney. The company's latest movie, the live action Aladdin remake, hits theaters this Friday, May 24.

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Why LeBron James Is Having Trouble Getting NBA Players To Appear In Space Jam 2

Why LeBron James Is Having Trouble Getting NBA Players To Appear In Space Jam 2

LeBron James is bringing back Space Jam to the big screen with a sequel starring himself and all our favorite Looney Tunes. Since the 1996 original starred Michael Jordan and a ton of NBA player cameos, basketball fans might imagine a contemporary dream team would be assembled this time around as well. It’s their chance, do their dance! However, recent reports indicate that various courtside politics have been getting in the way of more NBA stars joining Space Jam 2.

Last week, ESPN said LeBron James -- who is also an executive producer on the project -- had reached out to a number of top players but hadn’t been successful in closing deals with them. Early speculation pointed to the rate of pay being offered for the cameos, or other NBA players not being interested in being a sideshow to LeBron’s top billing. The Hollywood Reporter has now offered up a few more reasons why LeBron James has been having trouble recruiting more players for the highly-anticipated family basketball movie.

First off, Warner Bros is apparently in charge of finding NBA talent for Space Jam 2, not LeBron. Also, the franchise has close ties with the Nike brand, especially since inspiration for the film itself started from a Nike Super Bowl commercial called "Hare Jordan," directed by Joe Pytka, who would later helm Space Jam starring Bugs and Michael Jordan as well. LeBron James has a Nike deal of his own, so players associated with competing sneaker brands will likely not join in on the sequel.

The report points to Stephen Curry, James Harden, and Kevin Durant as no-gos -- since Curry has a contract with Under Armour, Harden with Adidas, and while Durant is part of Team Nike, he is working on his own Apple series based on his life titled Swagger.

Additionally, the sources say the movie starring LeBron James isn’t looking to feature a large number of other NBA players for the film anyway. Space Jam 2 will focus a great deal on James as the central character, along with a second teen lead named Dom, who has yet to be cast. The movie will also feature Sonequa Martin-Green, who will play James’ wife, and a character named Malik, who will be modeled after James’ real-life best friend since childhood and producing partner Maverick Carter.

Fans of the original will likely be a bit disappointed if no other players cameo in Space Jam 2, since the first one had over a dozen legends playing alongside the Looney Tunes and against a team of bully aliens. There are certainly a few NBA players who don’t have ties to these brands and would be interested in taking part in this exciting sequel. The movie directed by Terence Nance, produced by Ryan Coogler and Justin Lin, is scheduled to begin filming this summer and be released on July 16, 2021.

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How Stephen King Really Feels About Pet Sematary's Major Change

How Stephen King Really Feels About Pet Sematary's Major Change

Warning: while the marketing campaign for Pet Sematary gives away the big change in the film’s plot, some audience members may have avoided the trailers for this very reason. If you’re one of those people, come back to this story after you’ve seen the film, as we’re about to discuss that change in depth.

Adaptations can be an author’s worst nightmare, as sometimes changes to the source material might make a film feel more cinematic, but betray the original vision of what inspired the film in the first place. No one knows this better than bestselling author Stephen King, who not only has had a tremendous amount of his works adapted for film and television, but isn’t particularly shy about whether or not he approves of the changes made. So seeing him give an official OK to Ellie Creed switching places with Gage as the child who dies to kick off the story’s later plot developments seems to fit with the author’s overall approval of the film in general.

In an email response to an inquiry towards this point, King provided the following remarks as to how he felt about the overall alteration of Gage and Ellie’s fates:

I thought the change was OK. Both versions — the old one, where Gage dies, and the new one, where Ellie dies — result in the same chain of events. I don’t necessarily think one version of the story is better, but I’m sure the directors found it easier to work with a girl zombie than with a toddler zombie.

Stephen King’s acceptance of the change isn’t a total surprise, as actor Jason Clarke had previously signaled that the author was OK with making Ellie the victim of that infamous Orinco tanker truck. In his explanation, Clarke noted that a supporting reason for the change to Pet Sematary’s crucial fatality was the obvious issue of Gage’s younger age not exactly being the best choice for a cinematic villain. Sure enough, that reasoning seemed to pan out when Stephen King himself was contacted by The New York Times to discuss the big change to the 2019 adaptation’s narrative.

The decision certainly hasn’t dampened King’s response to the Pet Sematary remake, as the author loved the film so much, he dropped some pretty colorful language stating as much. For those of you who are worried this is an exercise in diplomacy, designed to play ball until the film’s initial release has passed, let’s not forget Stephen King’s response to The Dark Tower’s release. While he was initially diplomatic about the film’s decisions pertaining to approaching his legendary series, King did eventually point out the obvious flaws in that would-be franchise’s launch.

At this moment though, it looks like Stephen King not only enjoys Pet Sematary’s modern revamp, but that his excitement comes even after a pretty big change was made to his original story. With that stamp of approval now affixed to the film, it might have the potential to boost its standings during its second weekend of release, which in turn might only help bring more of the author’s work to the big screen.

Pet Sematary is currently in theaters, and if this change intrigues you, just wait until you see how it effects the overall third act of the film. And if you’re wondering what other Stephen King adaptations are heading to theaters in the future, we’ve got you covered with a release date rundown of our own devising.

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Yes, Disneyland Will Hand Out Bathroom Passes For People In Long Galaxy's Edge Lines

Yes, Disneyland Will Hand Out Bathroom Passes For People In Long Galaxy's Edge Lines

Disneyland is a place where we love in indulge ourselves. While buying food at Disneyland tends to get expensive, it's also incredibly good, and so whether you schedule reservations for dinner at the Napa Rose or just eat your weight in churros, food is as much a part of the Disneyland experience as anything. However, with Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge about to open, and insane lines expected from day one, guests might have been afraid to drink gallons of blue milk, so as not to have to worry about bathroom runs while standing in line for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. However, you won't need to choose because Disneyland will be providing bathroom passes for those in line at the new land.

It's also all the more important as Disneyland will apparently make snacks and drinks available for purchase to people standing in line. The queues for both new E-ticket attractions will also be designed with interesting things for guests to look at and interact with to keep guests' attention as a way to make the prolonged waits a little easier to deal with. Although, Disney has yet to reveal much about exactly what the queues will include. A collection of app based games that are only available while inside Galaxy's Edge will also be playable for guests to keep them busy while in line.

In actuality, according to People, hopping out of line to use the bathroom has always been an option at Disney Parks, though it's not something that the parks have made much a point to publicize. Still, it's good to know for sure that the option will be available when Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens, as it's likely to be even more important. Galaxy's Edge will be the first place the public can purchase alcohol at Disneyland, so the restrooms will probably be getting more a workout than ever before.

Star Wars; Galaxy's Edge is set to open at Disneyland in less than two months. The crowds might not be quite as insane on opening day as anticipated, because for the first three weeks after opening the land will require reservations to enter. Still, one certainly expects that nearly everybody who can get into the land will be making their way to the Millennium Falcon attraction first. The Rise of the Resistance attraction won't be available on opening day, which means the crowds won't even be broken up between the two attractions and the line for Smuggler's Run will be even longer than expected until the second attraction opens. That will happen later this year, though an exact date is unknown.

So the good news is you can drink as much blue or green milk as you want an you won't need to worry about losing your place in line. Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens at Disneyland May 31  and at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World August 29.

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Ben Affleck Seems Down To Return For Jay And Silent Bob Reboot

Ben Affleck Seems Down To Return For Jay And Silent Bob Reboot

For the films set in his View Askewniverse, writer and director Kevin Smith often tapped a recurring group of actors to play the same or different roles in each film. And one of the staples of the View Askewniverse was Ben Affleck. So naturally, with many Kevin Smith regulars returning for Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, people are wondering if Ben Affleck will join them, and he seems down to do so. Responding to a question about whether he would make an appearance he said:

Your guess is a good as mine. I haven’t been asked to make an appearance but you never know, there’s still time. We’ll see. I think if it was up to me, I would rather do Holden than Shannon, but I would defer to Kevin.

As it currently stands, Ben Affleck is not set to show up in Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, but he certainly sounds open to the idea and he definitely didn’t shoot down the possibility as something he’s not interested in. If Kevin Smith would like Ben Affleck to join in the festivities with his former View Askewniverse mates, he can call him up before production is over.

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is still filming so as Ben Affleck says, there is still time. And while he probably wouldn’t have a major role at this point, he certainly could show up for a cameo as small as his one in Clerks II or maybe even something a little larger like his part in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. If Kevin Smith does ask him to make an appearance, Ben Affleck has a preference to which character he’d play.

Like Jason Lee, Joey Lauren Adams and Brian O’Halloran, Ben Affleck has played multiple characters in the View Askewniverse. Save for his fallen angel Bartleby from Dogma, the two most obvious characters he could return as are Holden McNeil and Shannon Hamilton. If it were between these two, Affleck would much prefer to return as Holden than Shannon, as he told Collider.

Holden McNeil appeared in two View Askewniverse films. First he was the protagonist in Chasing Amy, where he was the co-creator of the Bluntman and Chronic comic book, the comic book based on Jay and Silent Bob that Hollywood was adapting in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Holden appeared in that film as well, where he introduced Jay and Silent Bob to the internet and the movie being made about them in an incredibly prophetic look at online movie culture. You can watch part of that scene below.

Given his appearance in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Holden seems the most natural choice to return for the sequel, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, as opposed to the scumbag statutory rapist Shannon Hamilton from Mallrats. Holden is also the character Ben Affleck would prefer, although he clarifies that he would defer to Kevin Smith. So it doesn’t seem like Shannon would be a deal breaker.

Hopefully Kevin Smith does give Ben Affleck a call. It would be great to see him return to the View Askewniverse, and just have some fun in this silly comedy. He could reprise his role as Holden and again make a meta commentary about online culture, this time slipping in a hilarious reference to the Batfleck of it all.

Ben Affleck also played himself in a different scene in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, so maybe he could do that again in this lampooning of Hollywood, finally letting us know if Good Will Hunting 2: Hunting Season got a sequel to complete the trilogy.

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is currently filming. We’ll keep you updated when it gets an official release date and in the meantime, check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see the movies headed your way this year.

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Sylvester Stallone Shares Action Footage From The Set Of Rambo V: Last Blood

Sylvester Stallone Shares Action Footage From The Set Of Rambo V: Last Blood

As the final installment of the Rambo series, Rambo V: Last Blood is looking to close out the series strongly. Sylvester Stallone has promised quite a bit when it comes to how John Rambo’s story will finish, and on top of those promises is a bit of behind-the-scenes footage showing Stallone do what he does best. As you’ll see in the video below, that’s being a bad-ass:

Included in this bad-ass starter kit of footage for John Rambo’s swan song is the sharpening of such implement of doom as a knife and a pitchfork, both in Rambo’s rustic workshop he operates on the family farm. Also shown in Rambo V: Last Blood’s teaser reel are some gunfire, Rambo setting up for some action with a bow and arrow and some random shots of setting up moments ready to be captured on film.

Just in case you thought Rambo V: Last Blood was going to be a story of the human condition, trade negotiations and international relations, these clips of lights, camera and plenty of action are here to say that you’re not going to be disappointed by Rambo’s latest mission. Setting out to recover the missing daughter of a good friend, John Rambo is about to unleash this sort of hell on an unsuspecting drug lord. As you’ve seen, the tools he’s got ready to do the job are varied, and he knows how to care for them.

This is only the continuation of the social media campaign that Sylvester Stallone has successfully waged to get folks talking about Rambo V: Last Blood. Courtesy of his favorite social media platform, Instagram, Stallone has not only promised that this new Rambo film will be an action packed ride, but it’ll contain a finale that no one could possibly expect.

Seeing as we’re so close to the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame’s own ending that no one could possibly expect, we’re beginning to wonder if John Rambo is going to be able to survive Rambo V: Last Blood’s big finish. Just as that cultural phenomenon drew to an end with some grand sacrifices, Rambo’s last frame could very well be the troubled Vietnam vet giving his life in the name of the mission.

If there’s a heroic death in the works for John Rambo, Rambo V: Last Blood looks like it’s going to make him earn it by taking down as many villains as possible. And with Sylvester Stallone in fighting shape to make this the fitting end to the Rambo story, it feels like they hype is not only real, but easily sustainable between now and opening night.

Rambo V: Last Blood brings revenge to those who deserve it on September 20. That said, if you’re looking to see what else is coming to theaters in the more recent future, you can check out our 2019 release schedule for further information.

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Academy Member Says There's 'No Way' He’d Ever Vote For An Avengers Movie To Get An Oscar

Academy Member Says There's 'No Way' He’d Ever Vote For An Avengers Movie To Get An Oscar

While there’s often a difference between what movie titles are popular with the average person and what movie titles are popular with the average Academy Award voter, it’s not as often that we hear an actual person associated with the Oscars blatantly knock on a populist title.

That’s not true this time, however, as an anonymous Oscar voter gave a lot of really blunt opinions about Best Picture nominees, including taking a jab at the Avengers-based movies, which he feels do not deserve an Oscar. He said:

First Man should have been nominated for Best Picture — it probably came in ninth or tenth — and its visual effects are pretty amazing. I think they were produced more on a stage — with models and old-school stuff — than the other nominees', which relied more on CGI, and I really respect that. There's just no way on earth that I will ever vote for anything with the word Avengers in the title; like a lot of people in the Academy, I don't respect money-grabs.

THR is the outlet that spoke with the voter, and from what we know about the unnamed person, he’s a dude and a director who votes as part of the 519-person director’s branch.

It’s interesting because there are often conversations about the differences between the critics and the audience, but this puts the lack of respect from some awards voters about what Disney and Marvel put out with the first 22 franchise movies right at the forefront.

When the 2019 Oscars nominations were officially announced, Avengers: Infinity War was largely absent except for a nod for Best Visual Effects. Marvel’s Black Panther fared better, nabbing a Best Picture nomination and other nods in numerous categories.

Black Panther ended up winning for Best Production Design, Best Costume Design and Best Original Score, but it missed out on the coveted Best Picture Award, which went to Green Book. Marvel Ceo Avi Arad would go on to say he was “heartbroken” about the loss. Clearly, though, this director voter doesn’t feel the same way.

Ultimately, this sort of goes to show you that the people who are making the decisions during awards season are not always on the same page as people who are actually going out and spending money on tickets. So far, for example, Avengers: Endgame has made over $2.7 billion at the box office. Given this year's awards haven't been voted on yet, there's still a chance Endgame could earn nods at the 2020 Oscars, too.

Related: Every Marvel Studios Movie, Ranked By The CinemaBlend Staff

Just the fact that Black Panther earned a Best Picture nod was a step in the right direction for superhero movies to be taken seriously, but it may be some time before one of those “Avengers” movies gets a nod, particularly given we don't know very much about the direction Marvel's Phase Four is headed in.

Outside of this anonymous director, however, there are plenty of people who do feel movies like Black Panther deserve nominations on the biggest movie night of the year. As time passes, we'll have to wait and see whether or not enough minds are changed about the prospect.

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How To Train Your Dragon 3 Flew Past A Box Office Milestone, But There's Trouble From Here

How To Train Your Dragon 3 Flew Past A Box Office Milestone, But There's Trouble From Here

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World had the best opening of the franchise, and it's still doing well so far. Will it be able to make enough to pass the previous two movies, and close out the trilogy on top, now that Captain Marvel is here to push it off the top of the box office chart?

That may be too lofty a goal even for Toothless and Hiccup.

What we do know is that, before Captain Marvel's arrival, How to Train Your Dragon 3 managed to pass the $100 million milestone at the domestic North American box office. That's after opening two weeks ago on February 22, and placing #1 on the weekend box office charts for both of its weeks.

The Hidden World had the best opening of the three films so far, but it dipped enough in its second weekend that it looked like Madea might actually pass it at #1. That didn't happen, but now that competition is getting superheroic, you have to wonder where the film might go from here -- at least at the domestic box office.

Going into its third weekend, How to Train Your Dragon has made $104,966,125 at the domestic box office and an impressive $280,900,000 at the foreign box office for a current worldwide total of $385,866,125. That number, per Box Office Mojo, will go up by the end of the weekend, and should reach past $120 million domestic. How much further can it go from there?

The first How to Train Your Dragon movie came out in 2010 and ended its run with $217,581,231 at the domestic box office. The Hidden World is a long way away from that number. However, that movie "only" made $277,297,528 at the foreign box office, and the third movie has already made more than that overseas.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 came out in 2014 and made a total of $177,002,924 at the domestic box office and $444,534,595 overseas.

It seems like How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is likely to have a domestic box office closer to the second movie's number, below $200 million -- but that's a guess. Overseas? Does it have a chance of passing the second movie's $444.5M at the foreign box office alone? China, the second biggest box office market after North America, gave $65,100,000 to How to Train Your Dragon 2. The third movie opened at the start of March and has made $32,957,995 in China alone so far. However, the film got an early start at dozens of international markets, opening in January in many places. The Hidden World has already made the most money it's going to make in several countries.

So as exciting as it is to see How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World pass $100 million in the U.S./Canada, and prepare to pass $400 million worldwide, I suspect it won't have a chance to pass its predecessors to end the franchise at #1. That's OK, it was just hoped that the record opening would lead to a record close. It's still a big success.

The first movie had a worldwide combined total of $494,878,759. The second movie upped the combined total to $621,537,519. It doesn't seem like The Hidden World has the time or ability to top How to Train Your Dragon 2 from its current worldwide total of $385,866,125 (not counting this weekend, which should add about $20M domestic). But we'll see. I'm open to being as surprised by this movie as I was by the billion dollar success of Aquaman, the love China has for Green Book, and the continued power of The Upside.

Whatever happens from here, the Dragon franchise is ending strong. All three films earned "A" CinemaScores from polled moviegoers. All of the films have Rotten Tomatoes fresh scores above 90%, with the first film earning an Audience Score of 91% and the second and third films both currently at 89%. There was even early talk that How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World might finally have a chance at that animation Oscar, but we'll see. There's a lot of competition ahead.

Speaking of competition, this weekend belongs to Captain Marvel, which had a huge opening night and is tracking at $155 million to $160 million. Check out CinemaBlend's full weekend box office report on Sunday for those details. And keep up with everything headed to theaters in 2019 with our handy movie release date schedule.

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Could Little Beat Hellboy At The Box Office This Weekend?

Could Little Beat Hellboy At The Box Office This Weekend?

The movie season is starting to heat up and almost every week there's at least one major release heading to theaters. Last week, that movie was Shazam!, which went on to claim a nice $53.5 million at the box office. This weekend, Hellboy and Little are stepping up to the plate to get that No. 1 spot, but it looks like neither film will top Shazam!

Current box office tallies have Hellboy and Little battling for second place, with neither expected to top $15 million. (Pray for Missing Link, which isn't even expected to top $6 million.)

Based on late Friday estimates, per Deadline, Hellboy will gross around $12.3 million for the weekend. It's a disappointing number for the comic book movie, which was projected to open in the range of $16 million to $20 million. The film was made on a $50 million budget. Comparatively, the first Hellboy movie opened with $23 million in 2004.

Fans of Hellboy have long awaited the release of a third installment, but the new film is a reboot that ignores the continuity of the previous films. Guillermo del Toro was not involved with the reboot, which was directed by Game of Thrones alum Neil Marshall. Coming out of the gate, Hellboy received largely negative reviews, currently sitting at a 15% on Rotten Tomatoes. Additionally, the film reportedly wasn't widely available to the press prior to release, which is typically not a good sign. Hellboy also has a "C" CinemaScore from polled moviegoers.

Meanwhile, Little, the body-swap comedy that stars Regina Hall and Marsai Martin, is currently sitting at an estimated $14.9 million opening. That falls much more in line with initial opening projections of $14 million to $18 million for the film. Little has gotten mixed reviews, but not so drastically that it's affected audience turnout at the theater. The comedy sits at a solid CinemaScore of B+. The movie cost $20 million to make, so things are looking positive for the comedy.

On the other end of the box office spectrum, the stop-motion-animated Missing Link is almost completely missing in action. Box Office Mojo suggests its opening weekend is unlikely to top $6 million. What the heck happened there?

When the weekend box office reports come out tomorrow, Little may end up in second place while Hellboy opens in third place. However #2 and #3 turn out, Shazam! is expected to stay the No. 1 movie at the box office. The fun superhero movie, which scored positive reviews, is expected to make about $23.4 million this weekend, based on Friday projections. That would brings its total domestic box office run up to just over $93 million. The worldwide total is currently just over $200 million. With a sequel already in the works, this is another win for the DCEU, though perhaps not as extreme as Aquaman was.

We'll see if Shazam! can hold on to first place for three weeks in a row because, after that, Avengers: Endgame hits theaters. That would be the single greatest upset in cinema history if Shazam! beat that film.

You can check out all of these movies in theaters right now if you want to share a little support. For everything else arriving this year, check out our handy 2019 movie release guide.

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Forget John Wick, Detective Pikachu Dominated The International Box Office

Forget John Wick, Detective Pikachu Dominated The International Box Office

After three weekends atop the domestic box office charts and plenty of broken records, Avengers: Endgame finally fell from its perch as John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum took first place with an incredibly impressive performance. But while John Wick was catching bodies and the attention of domestic audiences, our friends overseas were still trying to catch ‘em all helping Detective Pikachu to dominate the international box office.

Over the weekend, Detective Pikachu made $53.8 million from 72 foreign markets, giving it the top spot at the international box office for the second straight weekend, according to Variety. A nice $17.2 million chunk of that came from China, where Pikachu and friends have done particularly well with a $70.3 million total. Detective Pikachu also added $2.25 million from Mexico, $3.5 million from the United Kingdom, $2.1 million from Germany and debuted in Russia to $4.3 million.

Detective Pikachu’s weekend performance overseas brings it to $193.4 million internationally, which, combined with its domestic performance, totals out to a solid $287.4 million worldwide. That is testament to the power of the Pokémon brand all over the world and its viability as a future franchise/cinematic universe. Given the interest of those involved, the myriad possibilities and this continued box office success, those outcomes seem more and more likely.

John Wick may not have been able to outgun Pika power, but the hitman still collected his share of gold coins from overseas moviegoers. In the United Kingdom, John Wick 3 opened to a cool $4.6 million, followed by Russia with $3.8 million, Austalia with $2.8 million and Mexico with $2.1 million. All in all, John Wick 3 debuted in 66 markets over the weekend and made $35 million.

That puts the international opening weekend for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum at $92 million. That’s pretty impressive considering that the first John Wick didn’t hit that number in its entire worldwide run and 2017’s John Wick: Chapter Two’s final domestic total was just over $92 million.

It may not have been enough to topple a Ryan Reynolds-voiced Pikachu with international audiences, but this is illustrative of how the organically grown John Wick franchise, which didn’t have the benefit of existing IP, is still getting bigger for Lionsgate.

Elsewhere on the weekend charts was, of course, Avengers: Endgame, which added another $46.8 million overseas to its absurd run to bring it to $1.88 billion internationally and $2.6 billion worldwide. It has now passed Avatar to become Number 2 on the domestic charts (Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ $936.6 million is almost certainly out of reach) and now trails only James Cameron’s film for the all-time international and worldwide box office crowns.

You can catch both John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Detective Pikachu in theaters now. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all of this summer’s biggest movies and for all the latest box office coverage, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

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The Russo Brothers Respond To Avengers: Endgame’s Pre-Sale Numbers

The Russo Brothers Respond To Avengers: Endgame’s Pre-Sale Numbers

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is coming up on a very exciting time, as 21 movies and a decade of filmmaking are set to collide with Avengers: Endgame. Following the massive success and twist ending of Infinity War, all eyes are on how The Russo Brothers will follow up and continue the MCU's narrative. And clearly moviegoers are excited, as pre-sale tickets recently became available, and essentially broke the internet in the process.

Despite crashing multiple ticket seller's websites and apps, Marvel fans still managed to get their advanced tickets, ensuring they see Endgame without any spoilers ruining the twists and turns. In fact, the pre-sales went on to break records at sellers like Fandango and Atom. Co-directors The Russo Brothers were obviously psyched about this early reception, and took to social media to thank the fans. Check it out.

It looks like The Russo Brothers really appreciate the fandom, and their willingness to shell out money and run to theaters with each new Marvel blockbuster. To co-directors have proven themselves time and time again with their MCU installments, and the entire MCU as we know it will end with Avengers: Endgame.

The Russo Brothers' tweet once again shows how cognizant they are of Marvel fans, and the reception toward the massive shared universe. Marvel Studios always seems aware of fan reception, and has been known to alter things to better fit audiences. For instance, Danai Gurira's name was added to the latest Endgame poster after fans took umbrage with her snub. And just like Marvel is happy to pivot in order to please the audience, The Russo Brother can also celebrate the success and ticket sales of their Avengers movies.

While it's not a surprise that Avengers: Endgame is already breaking records, its still remarkable to see how well the blockbuster is tracking ahead of its release. Marvel movies consistently rake up the cash in the box office, and the anticipation ahead of Endgame is even stronger than normal. Infinity War exceeded all expectations and even picked up an Oscar nomination, but it also left audiences shocked by Thanos' victory. Moviegoers were left to watch in horror as beloved characters faded to dust, and it's been a long year of waiting until Endgame finally arrived to answer our countless questions.

Luckily, the wait is almost over. As such, Marvel Studios has been methodically releasing posters and brief trailers for the upcoming blockbuster. The Russo Brothers also admitted to including fake footage in marketing in order to throw off the fandom, so really anything could happen when Avengers: Endgame finally hits theaters. Which is exactly why so many people rushed to get pre-sale tickets, and break a few records in the process.

Avengers: Endgame will arrive in theaters on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Is Avengers: Endgame Opening Early In China?

Is Avengers: Endgame Opening Early In China?

Audiences are a month away from Avengers: Endgame, and anticipation has reached a fever pitch. With Captain Marvel in the rear view, all eyes are on what The Russo Brothers will bring to the table when Endgame finally arrives in theaters, and catches us up on the world after Thanos' finger snap of death. Luckily, some brief trailers and epic posters have been provided to help satiate the hunger of the rabid fanbase.

After a series of character posters were released (and revealed the fate of certain characters), the next bit of marketing material to drop was the poster for Endgame's Chinese release. Aside from how epic the poster was and its inclusion of the dusted characters, there's one thing that fans noticed: an earlier release date. You can check out the poster below, which indicates the blockbuster will arrive in theaters on April 24th, two days before its set to arrive in the US.

Does anyone else have chills? This poster is an epic way to represent the full cast of Infinity War and Endgame, while also highlighting the focus on the surviving heroes. After all, they'll have to unite in order to fight Thanos and hopefully reverse the affects of The Decimation. But that release date is new, which may indicate that international audiences will get access to the Marvel blockbuster before domestic moviegoers.

The Chinese poster for Avengers: Endgame arrived on the internet today, and quickly became viral on social media. While fans' first reaction was to enjoy the epic visuals of the art and the inclusion of new characters, the truth bomb about the film's release date had fans in the US going through some serious FOMO. After all, two days is just too long to wait for the epic conclusion of Marvel's Phase Three.

Alas, cinephiles in the states will just have to grin and bear it, as Endgame is set to arrive in just a month's time. Until then, fans will have to continue debating and theorizing what might come when The Russos final Marvel blockbuster is finally here. And this poster might tease some new developments, as supporting characters from various franchises pop up that are new.

Marvel fans will immediately spot Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie, who made her debut in Thor: Ragnarok. Valkyrie made a serious splash in her first appearance, but was noticeably absent from Avengers: Infinity War. And considering that the blockbuster opened on the Asgardian ship, her absence was suspect But Val finally popped up in the new character posters, confirming she survived The Snap. And now it looks like she'll have a role in the upcoming battle against Thanos.

Doctor Strange's Wong is also in this new poster, after also being left out of the first round of marketing material. Wong managed to make out Infinity War without turning to dust, and it likely guarding the Sanctum Sanctorum. And with Doctor Strange no longer with us, Wong's role in the mystical world of the MCU may be all the more important.

Despite being mostly blacked out, the fallen heroes are arguably the star of the new Avengers: Endgame poster. The upcoming blockbuster is focused on the heroes who made it out of Infinity War alive, but the dusted characters are still very much apart of the film's blood. The latest trailer for Endgame paid tribute to the dusted characters, and the countless fatalities that Thanos took throughout the course of his mission for galaxy-wide genocide.

The dusted characters' silhouettes are shown at the bottom of the poster, including characters who weren't featured much throughout the course of Infinity War. For instance, Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury is center stage, even though he didn't pop up until his iconic mid-credits scene. Joining him in the front row are Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Star-Lord, and Vision.

The second row features more dusting characters, and the far left of the poster features Letitia Wright's Shuri. Shuri made her debut in Black Panther, and quickly became a fan favorite character. She had a tertiary role in Avengers: Infinity War, attempting to free Vision's consciousness from the Mind Stone. She eventually took arms against Corvus Glaive, but Thanos' child remained completely focused on the android. Seeing her use her signature gauntlets was the last time Shuri was seen onscreen, and her fate was left unclear in the wake of Thanos' snap. But it was sadly revealed last week that Shuri also faded to dust, putting Wakanda's future in more jeopardy.

From looking at the dusted characters in a row, it's highlighted just how hard the Guardians of the Galaxy were hit by Thanos' assault. In the end of Avengers: Infinity War, only Rocket and Nebula were left alive. Gamora was killed by her adopted father in the movie's second act, so he could acquire the Soul Stone from Red Skull. And when the Mad Titan eventually collected all the Infinity Stones, audiences were left to watch in horror as Mantis, Drax, Star-Lord, and Groot all faded to dust before our eyes. As such, something big is going to need to happen in order for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to go forward.

Of course, most moviegoers assume that the surviving Avengers will find a way to reverse the affects of Thanos' snap. With the OG Avengers coming to the end of their contracts, the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe presumably lies in the new class, including the likes of Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Doctor Strange. But that trio of characters are dust, as are other fan favorites like Falcon, Scarlet Witch, and Bucky. So unless Phase Four will be set in alternate dimension (not out of the question), the dusted characters will need to be revived somehow. But the question is: how?

All will be revealed when Avengers: Endgame finally arrives in theaters on April 26th. Or if you're in China, you get lucky and can see the blockbuster on the 24th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Marvel’s Shang-Chi Movie Just Took A Big Step Forward

Marvel’s Shang-Chi Movie Just Took A Big Step Forward

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is ready to continue make history following the thunderous response to its more inclusive titles, Black Panther and Captain Marvel. The studio has just hired Asian-American director Destin Daniel Cretton to helm a film for martial-arts hero Shang-Chi, the first superhero movie lead by an Asian protagonist.

While Marvel’s official future slate hasn't been announced to the public yet in order to focus on the events of Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home first, the comic series inspired by martial artist Bruce Lee’s pop culture prominence in Enter the Dragon will soon be adapted to the cinematic universe.

The project is certainly starting to shape up as Destin Daniel Cretton is now attached as director, in addition to Chinese-American writer Dave Callaham writing the screenplay, via Deadline. Up next, Marvel will also enlist a primarily Asian cast to the movie as well.

Ironically enough, Destin Daniel Cretton has spent much of his directing career teaming up with Captain Marvel actress Brie Larson in Short Term 12, Glass Castle and for his upcoming drama Just Mercy, which will will have her playing opposite Black Panther’s Michael B. Jordan. Maybe Larson played a part in Marvel’s decision to enlist Cretton for the project. It's food for thought.

Shang-Chi was first announced back in December, when reports said Marvel Studios was fast-tracking the movie with script writer Dave Callaham, who created the Expendables franchise and story for 2014’s Godzilla reboot. The writer also co-wrote the Wonder Woman 1984 script and has signed on to the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sequel.

The hero debuted in Marvel Comics in 1973, at a time when martial arts films were at an all-time popularity high. Shang-Chi grows up and is educated in the confines of a compound in China, where he intensely trains in the ways of martial arts to an expert level. His father allows him to go into the outside world under his orders, but Shang-Chi eventually finds out that his father is a centuries-old villain whose various identities include Fu Manchu and The Devil's Doctor. The father and son become sworn enemies.

Following the achievement of Black Panther, the highest-earning movie of 2018, Marvel’s first Best Picture contender and winner of three Academy Awards, the studio has placed a new focus on diversity in the upcoming films. Kevin Feige teased that Black Panther is just the beginning. The recent release of the first female-fronted flick Captain Marvel is another step in that direction and Shang-Chi follows this mission.

This news certainly puts the Shang-Chi movie in the running to be part of Marvel’s Phase Four slate, along with the Black Widow solo film, Black Panther 2, The Eternals, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Doctor Strange 2. Until then, you can read up on the comic book character with our Shang-Chi guide.

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18 Popular Cult Classic Movies That Are Perfect For Movie Night

18 Popular Cult Classic Movies That Are Perfect For Movie Night

It’s movie night, the shades are drawn, the popcorn is ready and your feet are up, now all you have to decide is what to watch. You could check out the latest streaming movie or see what new releases are out, or you could be a bit more adventurous and check out a cult classic movie that you haven’t seen before or need to revisit.

Cult classics are named such because they have gained a dedicated and passionate following over the years. These are films that fans know by heart, and have stood the test of time. Their popularity and cult status gives some level of guarantee that they are worth your time. Fortunately, cinematic history is full of cult classics for you to discover and ones that fit every type of movie night, no matter the mood you’re in or who you are watching with.

So here are 18 popular cult classics that are perfect for movie night.

Date Night

Part of the fun of being in a relationship is sharing interests and discovering things together. That’s why going to the movies is such a staple of date night for new couples, and those who have been together a long time. Many of the cult classics on this list could work for date night, but if you want something with a bit of romance for you and your significant other, these titles might do the trick and add some chill to your movie night.

Romeo + Juliet

The ending might be a bit of a downer, but there’s a reason William Shakespeare’s tragic tale of star-crossed lovers has been around since the 16th century, it works. Yet despite the countless retellings, few are as unique and memorable as Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. Romeo + Juliet eschews Shakespearean stuffiness in favor of a modern setting with a fun soundtrack, colorful aesthetic, guns instead of swords and plenty of humor. It oozes with a style made for the MTV generation, anchored by the magical chemistry of the two leads.

10 Things I Hate About You

Arriving in the glorious 1999, 10 Things I Hate About You is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, set in a modern American high school. The romantic dramedy stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cameron, a new student at who wants to date Bianca, played by Larisa Oleynik (Alex Mack!). The only catch is, according to her father’s rules, Bianca’s older sister, the ill-tempered Katarina has to date first, so Cameron enlists Heath Ledger’s rebellious Patrick to woo her. 10 Things is a classic high school movie filled with great characters that feel real and not like an adult’s version of what adolescence is like.

The Princess Bride

Romance, comedy, action and adventure, you get all of that in this 1987 fantasy film from director Rob Reiner and writer William Goldman, based on the latter’s novel. The film tells a love story in a renaissance world populated with delightful characters played by talented actors. The Princess Bride was unremarkable upon its release but found new life on VHS, and more recently it has provided great fodder for the internet thanks to its endlessly quotable lines. Even if you haven’t seen this movie, an inconceivable position, you’ve seen and heard a lot from it, even if you didn’t know it.

Scary Movie Night

Whether it’s Halloween time or not, anytime is a good time to gather friends and family together to shut out the lights and watch a scary movie. The horror genre is enjoying a renaissance on the big screen right now, but its illustrious past is full of popular cult films worth revisiting or discovering for the first time. Films that frighten, disturb and sometimes even make you laugh.

Army of Darkness

What started as a pure horror film with Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead eventually became a time-traveling horror/comedy with Army of Darkness, a film that cemented Bruce Campbell’s Ash as a true horror icon. The fantasy horror flick tells the story of Ash Williams, a man who is accidentally transported to the Middle Ages where he must battle an army of the dead called ‘Deadites’ and retrieve the Necronomicon to get back to his time. With the one-liner spouting Ash, Army of Darkness isn’t a particularly scary scary movie, but it is entertaining and funny as hell. It’s also the kind of movie that would have a hard time getting made today, so go enjoy this cult classic.

The Lost Boys

Joel Schumacher’s 1987 teen vampire movie did sexy vampires long before Twilight gave the creatures of the night sparkles. The Lost Boys is dark and violent, but also campy and fun. It is not only a cult classic, but The Lost Boys is also considered to be among the best modern vampire movies. The film follows two brothers who move to a new town and discover that it is a haven for a gang of young, brutal vampires. With a new TV series reboot recently green-lit, there’s no better time to check out the original cult classic.

Videodrome

If you are in the mood to have some gnarly nightmares, you couldn’t do much better than watching Videodrome on scary movie night. David Cronenberg’s 1983 science fiction body horror film is a surreal story about the sleazy CEO of a UHF TV station, played by James Woods, who discovers a signal broadcasting gruesome violence and torture. Videodrome was amazingly prescient about how the horror genre would develop, but also about many aspects of modern society, from reality TV to social media to virtual reality. For terrifying horror that messes with your head, Videodrome is a classic every film fan should check out.

Family Night

Not every cult classic is suitable for children (see above), so as beloved as Kevin Smith’s films are, sometimes you need something the whole family can enjoy. These movies may not be as widely watched as Disney and Pixar titles, but they are unique and charming and they are just as enjoyable for adults as they are for kids.

The Goonies

The Goonies is one of those cult classics that it feels like everyone has seen and loves, but that doesn’t make it any less essential or perfect for a movie night. Alongside films like E.T. and Stand By Me, The Goonies is a pillar of childhood adventure movies. The film from Richard Donner, Steven Spielberg and Chris Columbus follows a group of kids who call themselves ‘the Goonies’ who are facing the foreclosure of their homes. They discover a treasure map and set out to save their homes and what follows is a grand adventure. Goonies never say die, and this film’s cult status continues to gain new converts year after year.

Matilda

This forgotten Roald Dahl adaptation from director Danny DeVito has a fanbase as loyal, if not as large as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (there was even a viral #MatildaChallenge last year). Matilda is a genius bookworm who is ignored by her family like cupboard Harry Potter, but has telekinetic powers like the X-Men’s Jean Grey. The elementary schooler uses her powers to fight back against her ignorant parents and the downright sinister principal Trunchbull. Matilda gets dark at times, but it is also full of whimsy and honest emotion and teaches that being smart is a good thing. Netflix’s Roald Dahl event series will have a lot to live up to if it wants to compare.

The Last Unicorn

Based on the novel by Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn is much darker and stranger than many animated kids movies. It can be disturbing and scary (it’s been called nightmare fuel) but it also tells an incredibly beautiful story. The deeply melancholy tale of a unicorn searching for the rest of her kind, chased off long ago by the Red Bull, deals with heavy themes for a kids movie. But the generation that grew up with it have turned it into a cult classic, so it must not have messed them up too much. It also features a stunning voice cast including Alan Arkin, Mia Farrow, Jeff Bridges, Christopher Lee and Angela Lansbury. It baffles me this hasn’t been remade in live-action yet.

Cult Comedy Night

There is no shortage of great cult comedies that have found second-lives on home video long after they disappeared from cinema screens. Movies like The Big Lebowski, Clerks and Monty Python and the Holy Grail all have loyal and deserved followings. They’re not the only cult classics that are infinitely quotable and completely hilarious. If you’re looking for laughs on movie night, you can’t go wrong with these titles.

Beerfest

The Broken Lizard gang may be best known for Super Troopers, which finally spawned a sequel last year, but that’s not their only cult film as the 2006 comedy Beerfest also has a devoted legion of ‘not that drunk’ followers. The film follows two brothers who, while visiting Germany, stumble upon an underground, international beer-drinking competition. They return home to put together an American team and hilarity ensues. It’s silly and raunchy in all the best ways, and if you went to a party in the years following its release, you’ve definitely seen it referenced. If you’re ever training for a drinking competition remember “maybe training alone on a rooftop drinking ram piss isn’t the way to go.”

Office Space

Mike Judge’s Office Space just celebrated its 20th anniversary last month. so there is no better time to revisit the hilarious and incisive satire of an office workplace that gave us the term ‘ass clown’. Pretty much anyone who has ever worked at a place can relate to the story of three office drones that decide to rebel against the dehumanizing software company they work at, as well as the desire to unleash your wrath on a perpetually jammed printer. This film’s cult status began on DVD and cable TV, but it has only grown thanks to its meme-worthiness. It is a true cult classic so if you could go ahead and watch Office Space that would be great.

Grandma’s Boy

A stoner comedy that is also a great movie about gaming, Grandma’s Boy remains one of the most memorable and rewatchable movies from Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions. The story of a 35-year-old video game tester who has to move in with his grandmother and her roommates and the personal and professional struggles he goes through is inclusive and sweet and completely hilarious, even if you’re sober. Sure, it’s lowbrow and I wouldn’t expect to see it on the AFI top 100, but if your desire is to have a movie night where you can just relax and laugh, you can’t go wrong with Grandma’s Boy.

Old Friends Night

We love Stranger Things because it has a nostalgic quality to it that reminds us of the power and importance of the friendships in our lives. Old Friends Movie Night is much the same idea, movies that have great friendships at their center we look back fondly upon. It helps if you grew up with these movies and shared them with friends, but even if you didn’t invite some friends over and give them a watch.

Dazed And Confused

You need a cult classic to watch on movie night? Alright, alright, alright. Richard Linklater’s 1993 comedy flopped at the box office, only to now be recognized as a classic coming of age film. Set on the last day of school in 1976, Dazed and Confused follows various groups of suburban teenagers as the summer begins and they do their best to get stoned, get laid, party and survive the challenges of adolescence. Dazed and Confused has an unbelievable ensemble cast of future stars including Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams, Renée Zellweger, Jason London, Cole Houser and Parker Posey.

Romy And Michele’s High School Reunion

This 1997 comedy about two inseparable friends who hit the road together for their high school reunion and the strife that causes between them is not for everybody, but people who love it really love it. Romy and Michele is goofy and kind of weird at points, but it features a heartwarming and genuine female friendship between Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino’s characters. The comedy is super witty and the message of not giving “a flying fuck” what other people think is empowering and timeless. Plus it has that iconic dance sequence with Alan Cumming. Romy and Michele is a great movie to watch with friends old and new.

Empire Records

It’s fascinating how a movie that barely cracked a quarter million at the box office can go on to be so adored years later, by generations that lived through the era it depicts and those that didn’t. Empire Records is a cult classic in every sense of the word, a coming of age dramedy that tells the story of a group of friends and record store employees who over the course of a day, try to prevent their store from being swallowed up by a large, overly-sanitized chain. The teen misfits and their relationships still resonate in a film that could be called The Breakfast Club of the 90’s.

Action Night

Sometimes, or let’s be honest, lots of times, you just want to see things go ‘boom’ and people get punched. That’s where action movies come in. And if you want use movie night to try out a new surround sound system, there is no substitute for a great action movie. The following cult classics are the kind of movies that have more than earned their cult status, offering entertaining characters, fun action and clever stories.

The Fifth Element

George Lucas couldn’t make Flash Gordon so he made Star Wars. And Luc Besson couldn’t make Valerian (yet) so he made The Fifth Element. Both of those situations worked out pretty well I’d say. One of the hallmarks of a cult classic is that fans quote the film’s dialogue and if you’ve ever heard “Chicken… good,” “I am a meat Popsicle,” or “Mul-ti-pass” that’s The Fifth Element. Hilarious and action packed, with a kickass heroine and one of Bruce Willis’ best roles, this colorful sc-fi adventure is perfect for action night or really anytime it happens to be on TV.

The Warriors

“Warriors, come out to play-ay-ayy!” Walter Hill’s action-thriller is set in a near-future NYC that is overrun with gangs. When a gang leader named Cyrus bids to unite the gangs to take over the city, he is killed and the Warriors are blamed for it. They must outrun all of the city’s gangs and make it back home if they are to survive. The Warriors is incredibly stylish and a bit cheesy and is the definition of a cult classic film that was critically panned and later developed a massive following. The Warriors was supposed to be getting a Hulu series from the Russo Brothers, but we haven’t heard much on that in a while.

Starship Troopers

Paul Verhoeven, director of Robocop again used sci-fi action film to say something with his adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein’s book; it just took a while for people to catch on to what that was. On the surface,Starship Troopers is a typical sci-fi action movie, with a fun group of pretty heroes fighting an intergalactic war against a race of alien bugs. This meta film is considered to be a scathing indictment of fascism, colonialism and the military industrial complex, but if you just want to turn your brain off and have fun, it works on that level too and the action and special effects are great.

This is just a small sampling of the popular cult classics out there that are perfect for movie night or really any time. Give them a watch to see what all the fuss is about and let us know in the comments what your favorite cult classics are.

Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all the biggest movies headed to theaters this year and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all your movie news.

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Captain Marvel End Credit Scenes: What Happens, And What They Mean

Captain Marvel End Credit Scenes: What Happens, And What They Mean

Sometimes there’s one, sometimes there’s two, sometimes there’s five, but if a new Marvel Studios film is coming, one thing is certain: there is going to be an end credit sequence. It’s been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe tradition from the very beginning, and more than 20 movies and 10 years later it remains as strong as ever. It’s one that proudly continues in Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s Captain Marvel, which provides both a cool peek at the future for the titular hero, and a funny final moment for audiences as they leave the theater.

So what happens, and what does it all mean? That’s what we’re here to discuss in this feature – breaking it all down and dissecting what it means. So let’s dive in, but first I’ll take care of this formality:

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains massive spoilers for Captain Marvel. If you have not yet seen the film, and don't wish to know major, important details about the ending, please bookmark this page and come back after your screening!

Captain Marvel Meets The Avengers

Most Marvel Studios end credits scenes are original creations that were imagined either before or during production of a given film, but there are others that are a bit different. Specifically, rather than being original pieces, they are instead actually clips from upcoming releases. This was first done when the first “trailer” for The Avengers was attached to the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, but other examples can be found in movies like Ant-Man (which teased Captain America: Civil War) and Doctor Strange (which teased Thor: Ragnarok). Now Captain Marvel can be added to that particular list, as what we see as the mid-credits sequence appears to be an edited bit from Joe and Anthony Russo’s upcoming Avengers: Endgame.

Taking us back to the present following the movie’s 1990s-set adventure, the sequence begins with a close-up on Nick Fury’s special pager that we first got to see in the post-credits scene of Avengers: Infinity War. However, instead of displaying the Captain Marvel logo it instead suddenly shuts off.

This is brought to the attention of Captain America (Chris Evans) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) as they are in Avengers headquarters watching screens tabulating the deaths caused by The Decimation – discussing the utter nightmare of it all. It’s Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) who first notices that the device has gone dark, and along with James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) they try and figure out what’s going on.

It’s noted that pager has been set up with an external power source to run indefinitely, so it’s not a battery issue, and it’s unclear why exactly it would just stop functioning. All the same, they are desperate to know what it is going on with it, and who Fury was trying to contact with its signal. As Black Widow turns to leave, she suddenly finds herself face-to-face with Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), who has returned to Earth following her cosmic adventures. She doesn’t appear to be too happy, though, and has only one question for the group: “Where’s Fury?”

At the end of Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers makes the decision to go out into the furthest reaches of space and help the Skrulls establish a new society, but beyond that we don’t really know much about where she has been for the majority of the last 25 years. That being said, she surely saw the effects of The Decimation regardless of where she was in the universe at the time of Thanos’ snap, and getting the page from Nick Fury as half the people around her disappeared likely wasn’t viewed as a coincidence. It’s probably fair to assume that the special pager turned off as soon as she returned to Earth, and given that she is possibly totally unaware of the existence of the Avengers, it’s not exactly surprising that the first person she looks for is the man who called her back to the planet.

How Carol Danvers will interact with the remaining heroes in Avengers: Endgame is one of the most anticipated aspects of the upcoming blockbuster, and this mid-credits sequence gives us a nice taste. Obviously there is still basically everything left to explore – from everybody explaining who they are and what the hell happened, to how they plan to work together and fix everything – but for now at least we have an idea of the introduction’s context.

Goose Returns The Tesseract

The Tesseract has taken a long, strange journey through the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We got our first look at it all the way back in the post-credits scene of Kenneth Branagh’s Thor, and since then played huge roles in three different features: Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, and Avengers: Infinity War. And it’s legacy is yet another thing expanded upon in Captain Marvel.

We’ve known that the Tesseract spent decades in the possession of S.H.I.E.L.D., but what nobody knew before Captain Marvel is that it had some wild adventures between being plucked from the ocean by Howard Stark to being presented to Dr. Erik Selvig by Nick Fury. Specifically, it was used by Dr. Wendy Lawson a.k.a. Mar-Vell (Annette Bening) during research on a light speed engine, and then spent a long time being stored in her satellite laboratory. Thanks to the efforts of Carol Danvers, Nick Fury, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) it gets recovered… but then it spent some time in the mouth of a Flerken, which is what brings us to the end credits scene.

During the events of Captain Marvel we see the Flerken named Goose use its tentacles to “swallow” the Tesseract for safe keeping, but the powerful object doesn’t show up again before the end of the main movie. Instead, that bit is saved for the post-credits bit, where Goose is shown hopping up on Nick Fury’s desk. At first it starts making the familiar sound of a cat preparing to cough up a hairball, but rather than a bunch of fur and saliva pouring out of its mouth, it instead expels the Space Stone.

Rather than being a big tease for developing events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is more of a one-off goof similar to the drumming giant ant at the end of Ant-Man And The Wasp, or the random rampaging monster in the final seconds of Thor: The Dark World. For what it is, though, it’s great. We probably could have assumed that this was how Nick Fury got the Tesseract back for S.H.I.E.L.D., but it’s much better that we actually got to see it happen.

What did you think about these two Captain Marvel end credit scenes? How do you think they stack up in comparison to other recent tags? What do you expect from Carol Danvers’ first meeting with the Avengers in Endgame? Do you think we’ll ever see Goose again? Tell us your answers to those questions, as well as any other appropriate thoughts, feelings, or opinions you may have in the comments section below!

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