John Travolta Is Bloody And Unrecognizable Filming New Movie

John Travolta Is Bloody And Unrecognizable Filming New Movie

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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James Cameron Refused To Make Terminator: Dark Fate Without Arnold Schwarzenegger

James Cameron Refused To Make Terminator: Dark Fate Without Arnold Schwarzenegger

With the exception of Terminator Salvation (though his likeness was still used in that), Arnold Schwarzenegger has participated in every Terminator movie, and Terminator: Dark Fate is no exception. Dark Fate also marks the return of Terminator franchise mastermind James Cameron, who is producing while Deadpool’s Tim Miller handles directing duties.

That being said, before signing on to Terminator: Dark Fate, James Cameron made it clear that he would only participate if Arnold Schwarzenegger was involved as well, as those two have been friendly with one another for decades. In Cameron’s words:

I said 'Look I'd love to be involved in this, but I can't be involved in a Terminator movie without working with my good friend of 35 years, Arnold Schwarzenegger, even if it's to officially pass the baton to a new generation of characters. So that's what we all agreed to do. Then the question became what about Linda [Hamilton], does Linda want to come back?

James Cameron then added in the now-pulled interview he’d done with Flicks and the City that there was never a plan to have a new actress play Sarah Connor, as was done in Terminator Genisys, where Emilia Clarke played the character. If Linda Hamilton hadn’t wanted to reprise Sarah, then Sarah wouldn’t have been included.

Fortunately for James Cameron and the Terminator: Dark Fate team, Linda Hamilton was willing to appear on camera again as Sarah, her first time doing so since 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgement Day (though she did vocally cameo in Terminator Salvation). And from what we've seen so far, she won't be lacking in badass action scenes.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day also marked James Cameron’s last direct contribution to the Terminator franchise until Terminator: Dark Fate, but evidently he and Arnold Schwarzenegger have remained close in the nearly three decades since then. So after James Cameron regained the Terminator film rights, he refused to pitch in with Dark Fate until Schwarzenegger’s involvement was cemented. Though it’s not like Cameron really had anything to worry about, as Schwarzenegger is still the face of this franchise.

While Arnold Schwarzenegger’s age wasn’t an issue in the first three Terminator movies (though his skin was sagging a little in Rise of the Machines), it definitely needed to be acknowledged by the time Terminator Genisys rolled around. That movie had Schwarzenegger playing Guardian, a.k.a. Pops, a T-800 sent back to look after Sarah Connor as a child. As the years passed, Guardians’s skin covering aged like a normal human’s and his robotic body was somewhat in a state of disrepair in the present day.

We’ll meet another aged T-800 model in Terminator: Dark Fate, although it’s worth remembering that this movie is only serving as a direct sequel to the first two Terminator movies, with the entries in between having occurred in different timelines. It’s unclear how this T-800 specifically fits into the story other than that he will help protect Natalie Reyes’ Dani Ramos, who’s being hunted by a Rev-9 Terminator, played by Gabriel Luna.

It’s also worth mentioning that back in 2017, James Cameron talked about the possibility of including the human who served as the inspiration for the T-800's design. Whether or not that will be part of Terminator: Dark Fate remains to be seen, although Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines did touch on that in a deleted scene.

Still, given James Cameron’s mention of passing the baton (which he’s said before), if Terminator: Dark Fate gets a sequel, we should prepare ourselves for the possibility that this movie will serve as a swan song for Arnold Schwarzenegger and/or Linda Hamilton. If that’s the case, then this would definitely be a major, if not the biggest, shift for the Terminator franchise yet.

Terminator: Dark Fate hits theaters on November 1, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. In the meantime, look through our 2019 release schedule to learn what other movies are coming out this year.

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Disney Theme Parks Are Snuffing Out Their Smoking Areas

Disney Theme Parks Are Snuffing Out Their Smoking Areas

A lot of things are changing as both U.S. Disney Parks get ready to open the highly anticipated Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Before that happens, Disney Parks have instituted a handful of new rules. The most important of which is that as of May 1, smoking areas are being removed Disneyland Resort, the four theme parks of Walt Disney World, the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Florida, and Downtown Disney in California, making all those areas completely smoke free.

When Disneyland first opened in 1955, smoking was permitted throughout the park. However, as information and education regarding the dangers of smoking became more widespread, this shifted to the creation of designated smoking areas, where people who wanted to smoke had to stand if they wanted to indulge.

While I can't speak about Walt Disney World as well, as somebody who has visited Disneyland with a smoker on several occasions over the last few years, I can say that the number of designated smoking areas has been steadily on the decline (my friend's favorite smoking spot over by the Matterhorn disappeared a few years back), but this morning the Disney Parks Blog announced that in just over a month those few remaining smoking areas will be gone as well.

Those who smoke won't be completely out of luck when they go on their next Disney vacation. Smoking areas will be set up outside the entrance of all the newly smoke free areas. Since there's no problem with re-entry to any Disney park, all tickets allow it, you can always leave the park to smoke and then go back in if you absolutely need to do so. Disney Springs will apparently be keeping its designed smoking areas and will not be going completely smoke free.

A few other minor rule changes were announced alongside the end of smoking that will also go into effect May 1. While Disney Parks have always been surprisingly open in allowing guests to bring their own food and drinks into the park, loose ice, and also dry ice, have now been banned. Reusable ice packs are still permitted so if you need to keep something cold, that's the way to go.

Disney Parks are also changing the rules on what strollers will be allowed inside the parks. The new limits on size are 31" wide and 52" long. This should still allow for most standard and even double strollers to be admitted, but those that transport their kids in wagons or strollers that look like small villages will need to make other plans.

Seeing smoking banned in the parks was certainly a move that was going to come sooner rather than later. It was already largely restricted and considering how smoking is gone in most other public places, it's not a surprise. No Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort hotels even have smoking rooms anymore.

At the same time, it probably wasn't looking out for people's health that led to this change. Both the smoking ban and the stroller restrictions are likely being put in place to simply make movement through the parks easier for everybody. Smoking areas are now places everybody can be and nobody will be holding up traffic with strollers that are too big. This, combined with reports that Disneyland has actually been removing benches to make space, would likely indicate this is all being done as a way to help with guest traffic ahead of the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios especially are about to become very crowded, and every bit of real estate is going to matter.

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Bumblebee Director Has Plans For A Potential Sequel

Bumblebee Director Has Plans For A Potential Sequel

Bumblebee was a very different sort of Transformers movie, and while it didn't put up Michael Bay like numbers at the box office, it was much better received by critics and others who had been more critical of the more explosion-heavy entries in the series. While more Transformers movies are certainly coming, we have little idea what they will actually be. However, if anybody is looking for ideas, they should ask Bumblebee director Travis Knight, because he's apparently already got several potential movies mapped out in his head.

The word on the street is that development has begin on a direct sequel to Bumblebee, and if that's the case, and the studio wants to bring director Travis Knight back to make it, it sounds like he would love to return and he could also give that development some direction. According to Knight...

In my mind, I have all kinds of ideas for where Charlie goes from here; where Bumblebee goes from here; where Optimus Prime goes from here. In my mind, I’ve already made those movies on some level. If the stars align, would I tell another story in this universe? I mean, I love these characters, so it’d be a thrill to be able to tell a different kind of story in this universe. Time will tell.

Bumblebee told the story of the popular Autobot's arrival on Earth where he befriends a teenage girl named Charlie, played by Hailee Steinfeld. The movie ends with Charlie and Bumblebee parting ways, as Bumblebee reunites with Optimus Prime. However, it sounds like, based on what he tells, THR, if Travis Knight gets his way, all of these characters would come together for a sequel. Steinfeld had previously told me in an interview that she would be up for a sequel, as would John Cena if the option was there, so it sounds like all the necessary humans are ready and willing.

We were expecting a new proper sequel to the main Transformers franchise to hit this year but the film was pulled from the release schedule last year and we haven't heard much about it since. Franchise producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura has previously stated that the next Transformers movie will aim to combine elements of the main series and Bumblebee, something that has the more emotional character story of Bumblebee while still having plenty of "Bayhem" for those who love the city-destroying action sequences the series is known for.

As one of those people who preferred Bumblebee to any other Transformers movie, and was also a big fan of Kubo and the Two Strings, I would love to see Travis Knight return to make another Bumblebee movie. Whether or not it will happen we'll need to wait and see, but we can be sure that something new will happen with the Transformers movies before too long.

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Ian McShane's John Wick 3 Teases Are Big, Good And ... Cryptic

Ian McShane's John Wick 3 Teases Are Big, Good And ... Cryptic

God love Ian McShane. The man is a gift, and he is never dull. The 76-year-old actor is out there promoting American Gods, the Deadwood movie, the Hellboy reboot, and -- of course -- the new John Wick movie. McShane's Winston returns for John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, which opens in May. Ask him about the movie, and this is what he'll say:

That will be big and that will be good.

Slow your spoilers, man! That was Ian McShane to the New York Times, as part of a larger interview about his many upcoming projects. It ain't much, but he's right that the third John Wick movie will be big -- it's meant to have the highest death count of the franchise so far, and the director said it's about 20% more movie than Chapter 2.

The follow-up question to Ian McShane added more potential clues. Or it might just confuse you.

Ian McShane's John Wick character Winston is the owner of the Continental Hotel, which is neutral ground for the criminal underworld. John Wick (Keanu Reeves) did a major no-no in the second movie to kill on Continental grounds. He was excommunicated, with a $14 million global contract out for his life. Everyone is after him. But Winston, that old softie, gave Mr. Wick a one-hour head start. Winston also gave John a Marker for potential use as a favor.

Ian McShane was asked if there would be payback against Winston for letting John Wick get away. Here's his answer:

Well, the High Table doesn’t like anybody stepping out of line so maybe they’ll take me to task, giving John an out, even. And you’ve got Laurence Fishburne and me, and maybe we get together, maybe we’re unvirtuous. Who knows? Because nothing is the same.

Nothing is the same? Yes, Laurence Fishburne is also returning as underground crime boss The Bowery King, and one of the first photos promoting John Wick 3 showed Winston and The Bowery King standing together. Here is that photo:

Are they plotting to help John? Just plotting to help themselves if the High Table turns on them? What's this about nothing being the same?

Ian McShane had previously teased a lot of "shifting alliances" in John Wick 3, so maybe that ties into this potentially unvirtuous team-up.

Speaking of the High Table, John Wick 3 sees the addition of Anjelica Huston as The Director, a member of the High Table who has a connection to John Wick's past. Halle Berry joins the movie as assassin Sofia, who also has a connection to John's past. So we're going to get to know more people who knew John way back when. It sounds like maybe not everyone on the planet will be trying to kill John to get that money, but he'll be facing quite a few foes ahead -- some new, some familiar. Thankfully he has his own dog by his side, plus two more that Halle Berry's Sofia has on hand.

What will Winston's role be in all of this be? We'll have to wait and see. Ian McShane also echoed what he had previously said about maybe doing a voice-over for The Continental TV spinoff series, but not appearing himself as Winston. There haven't been many details on that John Wick series yet, but it's meant to be set in Los Angeles, as opposed to the New York hotel of the John Wick films.

John Wick 3 -- directed by Keanu Reeves' former stunt double from The Matrix -- opens in theaters May 17, as one of the many films to keep an eye on with our 2019 movie release date schedule. Here's what the "Parabellum" of the title means, per Keanu himself.

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Jeremy Renner Reflects On Big Scene With Black Widow In Avengers: Endgame

Jeremy Renner Reflects On Big Scene With Black Widow In Avengers: Endgame

Warning: SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame are ahead!

Although they had occasional differences and spats over the years, Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, and Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye, remained good friends throughout the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So when it came time in Avengers: Endgame for someone to give up their life on Vormir so that the other could obtain the Soul Stone, both heroes fought to sacrifice themselves and make sure the other survived, and ultimately Black Widow was the one who fell off that cliff, leaving Hawkeye to grieve for his lost friend.

This was one of Avengers: Endgame most emotional scenes, and as you might have expected, Jeremy Renner had a tough time filming this moment, as he revealed on social media:

Having costarred in four MCU movies together, one would imagine that Scarlett Johansson and Jeremy Renner formed a close bond, so it makes sense why he would find shooting Black Widow’s death scene difficult. However, as Renner also noted in his Instagram post, this also ended up being one of his best days during Avengers: Endgame’s shoot, with Johansson’s company enhancing the experience.

Although the beginning of Avengers: Endgame explored how those who survived the Thanos snap at the end of Avenger: Infinity War struggling to move on with their lives following half of all life in the universe being erased, Black Widow marked the first major casualty in the movie. Clint was willing to make the sacrifice for the Soul Stone so that his family would return and to atone for all the carnage he caused as Ronin in the previous five years, but Black Widow foiled his efforts, and Clint returned back to 2023 with the Soul Stone in hand and having to break the tragic news to his other teammates.

While Avengers: Endgame marked the end of Black Widow’s journey in the MCU, it doesn’t mark the last time we’ll see her on the big screen. A Black Widow standalone movie is on the way, and while Marvel hasn’t officially commented on this yet, we can logically assume that the reports about it being a prequel were correct. Joining Scarlett Johansson on that movie are Florence Pugh, David Harbour and Rachel Weisz. Cate Shortland is directing and Ned Benson wrote the latest draft of the script.

As for Jeremy Renner, while this hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, the actor is reportedly reprising Clint Barton for a Hawkeye series on Disney+, which we’ll see Clint training Kate Bishop to be the new Hawkeye. It’s unclear if he’ll ever reunite with his Avengers teammates on the big screen again, but it might be cool to see a younger Clint appear at the end of the Black Widow movie to recruit Natasha into S.H.I.E.L.D.

Avengers: Endgame is still playing in theaters, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on its box office performance and other coverage about the movie. Those of you looking to the future of the MCU can find out what’s coming down the pipeline in our Marvel movies guide.

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Jurassic Park's Laura Dern Is Clueless About The Shirtless Goldblum Memes

Jurassic Park's Laura Dern Is Clueless About The Shirtless Goldblum Memes

It’s pretty fascinating how the internet obsesses over certain movies and scenes, giving films second lives by repurposing them for all manner of content, from memes to gifs to videos. Sometimes this occurs with cult classics like Office Space and sometimes it happens to beloved blockbusters like Jurassic Park. In addition to still having major pop culture relevance, Steven Spielberg’s seminal 1993 film has provided the internet with plenty of meme fodder thanks to Jeff Goldblum’s Ian Malcolm.

In a scene in Jurassic Park, while recovering from the T-Rex attack, Ian Malcolm is laying with his shirt open in a seductive pose. This scene has become so iconic that it has received its own Funko Pop figurine and last year got a giant statue in London. Despite this pop culture prevalence, Jeff Goldblum’s Jurassic Park co-star Laura Dern is clueless about the memes. When told about the statue and the conversation around the shirtless scene, she said:

I think that’s hilarious! It speaks to a very successful narrative that is now a franchise, but gosh. Is he flattered, or is he defensive?

How Laura Dern has managed to go this long without coming across Jeff Goldblum shirtless memes is a mystery. Perhaps that’s what happens when you are busy starring in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and HBO’s Big Little Lies instead of browsing Twitter and Reddit. Even more wild is that no one asked her about it prior to Uproxx’s conversation with her. But now that she knows, the actress is clearly amused and surprised by it.

Upon finding out about all the internet love for a scene from one of her biggest movies, Laura Dern seems to have been legitimately curious about how Jeff Goldblum has responded to it all. It’s a caring impulse on her part, wondering whether Jeff Goldblum is flattered or feels self-conscious about all the discussion about his shirtless scene. She doesn't have to worry though, because as you might expect from the actor, he seems to enjoy the fandom over the scene.

I wonder if her curiosity compelled the actress to google all this after her Uproxx conversation and found her going down the internet rabbit hole of Jeff Goldblum memes.

Laura Dern also spoke about how the fandom of the Ian Malcolm shirtless scene is a product of the success of Jurassic Park itself, a film which spawned a successful franchise that has found new life in recent years. Addressing that iconic film and working with Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern also said:

Let me just say that he is one of the greatest improvisational actors ever, and he’s hysterical. So he does try everything, and Steven [Spielberg] enjoys this in actors, which is lucky in the confines of Jurassic Park, needless to say. All I know is that I felt privileged to be there, to be playing this kind-of radical feminist, paleobotanist badass, and [dissolves into laughter]. But I have no other opinion on the shirtlessness, I had no idea, that’s hilarious to me.

Jeff Goldblum’s improvisational hilarity is part of why he is so beloved and the shirtless scene may have been a product of that. The actor has spoken about the shirtless scene in the past and said that he doesn’t remember exactly and it may have been Steven Spielberg’s choice, but he thinks he opened his shirt because it was hot.

Whoever made the choice, it proved wise, as Jeff Goldblum is now immortalized with a shirtless pose that says 'paint me like one of your French girls.'

Laura Dern still sounds grateful to have been a part of Jurassic Park all these years later and to have played the kind of strong female character that many in the industry are trying to champion today. We haven’t seen that badass paleobotanist Ellie Sattler since Jurassic Park III but everyone wants to see her again and Laura Dern seems down to return, so maybe she will in Jurassic World 3.

Check out our 2019 release schedule for all the biggest movies headed to theaters this year, and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all your movie news.

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E.L. James Actually Started Writing The Mister Before Fifty Shades Of Grey

E.L. James Actually Started Writing The Mister Before Fifty Shades Of Grey

Apparently, E.L. James had been working on romance projects for a long time before she published her Fifty Shades books. The prominent author and movie producer recently revealed that her new book The Mister could have been her first book if things had panned out differently. She revealed how long she’d been writing The Mister, noting,

This story has been with me for a very long time. I wrote a very rough draft of it in 2009, so it’s actually been with me before Fifty. And I’ve been trying to silence these characters in my head for a long time. Eventually I managed to get them onto the page.

Anyone familiar with Fifty Shades of Grey should already know E.L. James first novel started out as Twilight fan fiction and then branched out to become the tale of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey fans worldwide know and love today. The first Fifty Shades book was first published back in 2011 and James has previously mentioned it took her 18 months to write the trilogy.

Before E.L. James decided she needed a more erotic version of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen in her life, she had started treatment on The Mister. This makes sense, given in real life E.L. James is British and a European tale about an Earl falling in love with his housekeeper is more on brand than a story set in the Northwestern part of the United States.

Per what E.L. James told AZ Central, the idea came about when she was thinking about what would happen if a man were to fall in love with his cleaner. However, there were a lot of stops and starts until that germ of an idea could become even a rough draft for a book. Then, of course, there was the distraction of writing and working on the movies for her Fifty Shades series.

Finally, last March, The Mister started falling into place. Per the author:

I had the rough draft I’d written, but I didn’t really understand the characters at all. And then over the years they’ve slowly crystallized. But with Alessia, I had to go to Albania to get a better idea of what she is like and where she’s from and all of that, because it’s actually very difficult to find information about Albania. So, I went last March and everything sort of fell into place, and I was able to finish the book.

Ultimately, The Mister seems to be selling well so far. It sold more than 50,000 copies in its first week on shelves, and allegedly there are some interested parties sniffing around a movie deal.

However, had The Mister come out before Fifty Shades of Grey, it’s hard telling whether or not it would have attracted such a large following of loyal readers.

So, if you are someone who subscribes to the idea that everything happens for a reason, perhaps it was extremely fortuitous that E.L. James got stuck on an early draft of The Mister and was able to return to the idea later.

You can order your own copy of The Mister, which does have a Fifty Shades Easter egg, right now.

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Chewbacca Actor Joonas Suotamo Pens Tribute To Peter Mayhew

Chewbacca Actor Joonas Suotamo Pens Tribute To Peter Mayhew

There’s a disturbance in the Force. The Star Wars family lost one of their own when the original Chewbacca, Peter Mayhew, died last week at 74. There’s since been an outpouring of love and homage paid to the actor who portrayed the lovable Wookie for almost 40 years.

Peter Mayhew’s apprentice, Joonas Suotamo, who shared the Chewbacca role with him in The Force Awakens before completely taking on the role for The Last Jedi, Solo: A Star Wars Story and The Rise of Skywalker, has joined in to pay tribute as well. Suotamo reminisced about working with the icon with these words:

We had a camp-like session together at [London's] Pinewood [Studios] for a week or so before we began filming The Force Awakens. We watched footage of the original movies and talked about Chewbacca's mannerisms, his nature, his attributes, his physical movements. It was the cocking of the head in a certain way, and also the proud chest of Chewbacca and the way the arms flail all over when he gets angry or excited. We talked a lot about all that.

Joonas Suotamo talked about the memorable time he shared with Peter Mayhew to The Hollywood Reporter when they worked together for the 2015 Star Wars film. It looks like Mayhew set up a Chewbacca boot camp of sorts for him to teach Suotamo how the character moves and acts – including to lead with the chest. Suotamo continued by describing how the actor felt about passing the character to him:

I think it was a tender situation for Peter because he'd been Chewbacca all his life, and to pass the baton — it's not easy. But I always told him, he's the original Chewbacca, and everything I would do was to pay homage to how he set up the character. He took it so well.

George Lucas cast Peter Mayhew for 1977’s A New Hope, and he reprised the role for the entire trilogy whilst keeping his other job at a hospital. Due to his love for the character (and Chewbacca’s global popularity), Mayhew made his living in the role and through public appearances. In a recent tribute, Lucas said he was “more like a Wookie than I originally imagined a Wookie to be.” Mayhew reprised the role in Revenge of the Sith among other reappearances.

Joonas Suotamo closed out his recent words about his Wookie mentor by saying:

Peter was always a very kind, very likable person who didn’t make a big deal about himself. He was quiet but very wise in his words — he chose his words carefully. And he was honest. The first time when I met with him, he told me I was too skinny to play a Wookiee. We laughed a lot about that. He was a giant man with a big heart.

This is so sweet! The two developed a great relationship and Joonas Suotamo got to get to know Peter Mayhew as he genuinely was. The new Chewbacca actor joined in tribute after Star Wars actors including Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill reacted to his passing. Mayhew died soon after suffering a heart attack and had undergone spinal surgery last year to improve his mobility. The actor was over seven feet tall due to a connective tissue disorder called Marfan Syndrome.

Joonas Suotamo was a Finnish basketball before taking on the role of Chewbacca, and he towers at 6'11''. He was approached while the search was on for a very tall man with blue eyes and the role fit the bill for him. Chewbacca will live on in Suotamo when he reprises the role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on December 20.

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Sounds Like Rocket Has A Major Role In Avengers: Endgame

Sounds Like Rocket Has A Major Role In Avengers: Endgame

There are just two movies left in Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the stakes couldn't be higher. Following the unexpected ending of Avengers: Infinity War, it was clear that the Russo Brothers weren't fooling around, and are willing to kill off any and all characters to service the greater story. Thanos' victory in accruing the Infinity Stones wiped out half the galaxy, with both the surviving heroes and the audience left to watch in horror as countless characters faded to dust.

The Guardians of the Galaxy were hit especially hard from Thanos' assault, with Gamora being killed so her adopted father could get the Soul Stone, and everyone but Rocket wiped out from Thanos' snap (aka The Decimation). Sean Gunn plays Rocket via motion capture on set, and recently teased a major role for the foul mouthed Guardian in Avengers: Endgame, saying:

All I can say is that Rocket gets to meet a lot of interesting new people that he has not met before in Endgame and I think I'll leave it at that.

Bring on the crossovers. Prior to Infinity War, the Guardians of the Galaxy were kept largely separate from the rest of the MCU, due to their cosmic setting and place in the overall timeline of the shared universe. But Rocket is here in the present, and will be among the rest of the survivors once Endgame finally arrives in theaters next month.

Rocket and Groot spent much of Infinity War alongside Chris Hemsworth's Thor, as he went on a journey to get Stormbreaker. It was a great character pairing, and he and Thor will likely continue vibing during Endgame. The trio ultimately made it to the Battle of Wakanda in the nick of time, and took out Thanos' forces in quick succession. But it wasn't enough to stop the snap, and Rocket watched Groot turn to dust before his eyes. And this time, his best friend didn't come back to life.

Rocket was seen among the rest of the survivors in the Avengers: Endgame trailer, although his role and the entire movie's story are a complete mystery to the general public. But Sean Gunn's comments to IGN are sure to excite the fandom, who are hoping that the character shared by Gunn and Bradley Cooper will have plenty of screen time in the upcoming blockbuster. The surviving heroes are going to have to lean on each other if they hope to reverse Thanos' snap, and will need help in the form of Captain Marvel, Ant-Man, and Ronin.

It should be interesting to see who Rocket ends up interacting with in Endgame, especially given the character's signature attitude. He seems like the perfect foil for uptight Avengers like Captain America and Bruce Banner, as well as egos like Iron Man and Captain Marvel. Smart money says he ends up providing some much needed comedic relief to an otherwise somber movie.

Answers will come when Avengers: Endgame arrives 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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Bond 25 Just Dropped A Ton Of New Details But Left One Important Fact Out

Bond 25 Just Dropped A Ton Of New Details But Left One Important Fact Out

After every current James Bond movie drops, there’s almost always talk about the next film. In those talks, the traditional nickname is basically something along the lines of Bond 25, which is the most recent sequel we’ve been looking forward to since 2015’s Spectre. Typically, this all leads up to the official reveal of the film’s name at a big press conference event. But while we got a nice live streaming reveal of the film’s cast this morning, we unfortunately don’t have that title yet! Still, let's go through the brand new details we do have.

While I thought we’d have an official title by this morning, we did get some substantial information, including a first look at the plot, in addition to those cast members, old and new, that were revealed this morning. And there are still some pretty big reveals to be had, even in the shadow of the missing title.

Announced at Ian Fleming’s Goldeneye villa in Jamaica, producer Barbara Broccoli sadly confirmed that there was no name for Bond 25 as of yet, though she did provide the following detail of how the film will open. That detail was also reflected in the official synopsis for the film, which is as follows:

Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.

So 007 is finally relaxing and taking life less seriously, presumably with Madeline Swann, the woman he fell head-over-heels for in Spectre. And not only has evil reared its head, it's a dire enough situation that only Felix Leiter is the best hope of bringing Bond back. Though if that sizzle reel of Craig’s tenure is any indication, extra motivation may be at hand as he just might be losing Madeline, completing the On Her Majesty’s Secret Service path that his last adventure started him out on. Cue the Bond theme, and our favorite super spy getting back into the game, for a hard-driven battle of revenge.

For Bond 25, that mysterious villain will take the form of Academy Award winner Rami Malek, who is finally confirmed as playing the still unnamed baddie. Malek was unable to attend this event, but provided a pre-recorded message in which he said the following:

[I'm not] jealous one bit that you're all in the absolutely stunning setting of Ian Fleming's iconic Caribbean home, Goldeneye, on the island of Jamaica. No, not at all. I'm stuck here in New York in production, but I'm very much looking forward to joining the whole cast and crew so very soon. I promise you all I will be making sure Mr. Bond does not have an easy ride of it, in this his 25th outing. I can't wait to see you all soon. Cheers.

In addition to Malek, the Bond 25 cast is also adding franchise newcomers Dali Benssalah, Ana De Armas, Lashana Lynch, David Dencik, and Billy Magnussen were all revealed as part of the roster that this new film is bringing into the field. Though there was also some surprising news dropped into the returning cast portion of the announcement.

While cast members Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Lea Seydoux, Rory Kinnear, and Ben Whishaw are all confirmed as Bond 25 players, a face we haven’t seen in some time has been brought back to the fold. The return of Jeffrey Wright’s Felix Leiter sees James Bond’s “brother from Langley” returning for the first time since 2009’s Quantum of Solace. This was previously speculated as a possibility, fueled by Wright himself, and it’s good to finally have confirmation that Felix Leiter will return for Bond 25.

All of these announcements were in service of the start of Bond 25’s principal production phase, which means that shooting is now underway in Jamaica, as we speak. Which is probably why, at the end of the livestream shared with the world this morning, we were treated to photos of a set that was constructed in the area.

If we were to venture a guess, the structure shown in the photo below is probably be the corner of the world that James and Madeline will call home at the beginning of Bond 25. But you can judge for yourself, as you take a look at that snapshot below:

It’s certainly been interesting to follow the path of Bond 25, as it originally started life as a project for director Danny Boyle, with a script from John Hodge in the works. Though eventually, Boyle dropped from the picture entirely over creative differences, leaving Joji Fukunaga to step into the director’s chair.

Because of said setbacks, as well as a couple rounds of rewrites ordered on Bond 25, production was delayed, pushing it out of the original November 8, 2019 slot it was supposed to debut in. With February 14, 2020 being the first replacement date, the final April 8, 2020 release date was settled upon, and now that production has started, we’re confident that’ll stick.

Which leads us to that big question: when in the world are we going to have a name for Bond 25? Usually, the big reveal press conference that the Bond franchise has famously been known for would give the public their first taste of what the film would be about, complete with a convenient name that doesn’t depend on a number.

But here we are, with the next Bond film in production and no title given. More than likely, that pesky script work has left the team without a convenient name for Bond 25. Whatever it is, I'd guess it will probably follow the same formula of a single word that keys everyone into the plot, while also being edgy.

Come to think of it, the recently dismissed title Shatterhand would be a nice fit, as it follows that criteria, and would make a great trilogy of S-sounding titles after Skyfall and Spectre. Also, with some parties convinced that this morning’s announcement should have included the rumored return of Christoph Waltz’s Ernst Stavro Blofeld, that title would be apt as it was one of his aliases during the Ian Fleming run of novels.

While that particular thought isn’t confirmed in any way, shape, or form, it feels like something that’d be a pretty amazing finale. One last showdown with a formidable foe would be a hell of an end for Daniel Craig to go out on, leaving a new actor able to step in fresh and clean.

You can watch the entire Bond 25 live streaming event below, to see the lovely splendor of Jamaica for yourself; as well as some of the stunning clip reel work the team for this event has put together.

Wherever the future of Bond 25 takes us from this point forward, it’s sure to be a mix of the respectable past and a bold way forward. We’ll have to wait a little longer to know what to call this film, but with the information we’ve gotten this morning, there’s enough of a tease to keep us waiting patiently.

Bond 25 will be released in theaters on April 8, 2020; outside of its usual November timeframe.

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7 Changes The Sonic The Hedgehog Movie Should Make So He Looks More Like The Video Game Character

7 Changes The Sonic The Hedgehog Movie Should Make So He Looks More Like The Video Game Character

On Tuesday, Paramount unveiled the first official trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog, the long-gestured live-action film adaptation of Sega's beloved video game creation. On social media, it caused a commotion. And the fan response was far from flattering.

Fans have been hesitant about this Sonic movie ever since it was first announced. And the movie's weird first poster — which featured the character hidden in shadows, but sporting a pair of very beefy legs — was received with more trepidation than anticipation. Sure enough, what they got from this trailer wasn't great. And people didn't take kindly to the changes made to Sonic's iconic design.

Video game lovers worldwide revolted at the sight of Movie Sonic, while even casual movie fans were left puzzled by the anthropomorphic blue hedgehog's look and its unfamiliarity. This new Sonic the Hedgehog movie is the culmination of years of fandom and wavering appreciation for the video game series. As a result, this new Sonic design felt personally insulting to their their long-standing fandom, and the fans voiced their distain online loudly.

But in a surprise turn of events, director Jeff Fowler announced publicly to Sonic fans that he would make it up to them by changing the look of Movie Sonic before it debuted in theaters this November. Whether you consider it constructive criticism or damage control, Jeff Fowler is taking the negative word-of-mouth to heart, and Paramount and Sega want to win fans over again. With that, here are seven changes that could (and should) be made to make the animated speedster a little more likable to the fans.

Change Sonic's Eyes

It's often said that the eyes are the window into one's soul. If that's true, then people drew the curtains on Sonic, refusing into glance into his pixelated perspective. In the games, Sonic has one distinctively interloping eye.

While it would be hard to make that look realistic, it does disappoint fans of the long-running video game series to see Sonic with two little beady, well-parted eyes staring back at them. It's one of those things that instantly makes this design wrong to people. If there's one thing that should be changed, it's making the eyes bigger and more reflective of the well-accustomed, well-established character design of the video game persona.

No Human Teeth

It sounds weird to say (or, rather, type out), but Sonic the Hedgehog shouldn't have human-style teeth. One of the main reasons why many people were immediately off-put by the reworked design of Movie Sonic is because every time the character opened his tiny CG-ed mouth, fans bore witness to those strange little choppers.

At best, they were weird. At their worst, they were utterly terrifying. And they instantly turned some viewers away from appreciating this new character design. It's a hard fix, to be sure, but something that's even a little less... life-like would be preferable.

Extend The Head

Simply put: Movie Sonic's head is a little too small. In addition to the number of issues with his face and figure, his noggin could use a size adjustment or two. Of all the things listed so far, Movie Sonic's head size is probably the closest to accurate when it comes to how it looks in the original games and cartoons.

But it's still a smidge too small. Inflate his ego a bit and make his head a few sizes larger. As someone with a small head myself, I realize this might be a bit of a sensitive topic. But if the animators have the means to change it, they should definitely fix it.

Rework The Torso

In some of the games, Sonic the Hedgehog is rather barrel-chested. His stomach sorta rounds out compared to the rest of his features, and it looks like Sonic is a little too thin in this trailer. If they want to make him look a little more in-line with the character's design in the games, Movie Sonic could afford to run to a McDonald's or two to beef up his size.

Right now, he's looking a little too skinny. Side note: this one is up-for-date since Sonic's figure in some games is skinner than others. So, if he remains skinny, it's not the end of the world, but if he wants to look closer to some of the past designs, it might help to beef him up just a touch.

Widen The Hands

While Sonic is often using his feet to jog great distances, one of the character's most distinctive features remains his oversized hands. Often standing out with his distinctive white gloves, his hands are a key feature to his general design. And the weirdly smaller fists that were seen in the trailer don't quite cut it, frankly.

It seems like it would be a pretty minor tweak, from what I can gather, but it'd definitely be beneficial. At the very least, it would certainly help to have a firmer, ahem, grasp of the character. But also, don't get out of hand! Let's move on from my corny jokes.

Fix The Legs

Considering how Sonic is super-runner and all, one of the most crucial elements of Sonic the Hedgehog is his legs. His quads have been a source of controversy from the get-go when it comes to his film personification. As mentioned earlier, his beefy-looking limbs in the poster left many people completely puzzled. And when it came to his look in the trailer, while it wasn't quite as jarring as that first poster reveal, it still wasn't quite right.

In the video games, Sonic's legs are long and thin. In comparison, his legs in this trailer looked nothing like what we're used to seeing from the character. It would definitely help to change the runner's lower half.

Different Shoes

In the video games, Sonic's footwear is pretty solid and compact. They need to be. He's constantly running, after all, and this speed-loving hedgehog needs a pair of kicks that are pretty durable. Particularly during his usual high-energy sprints. In the trailer we saw, however, he appears to be wearing a fairly plain pair of sneakers. Those would not come in handy when he's running at over 700 miles an hour.

In the broad scheme of things, this is a minor nitpick. But if they're changing things, it's worth considering. Sonic shouldn't be running around in subpar shoes. And please, for the love of God, avoid the temptation to give him product placement-friendly footgear in lieu of these tennis shoes. Though, if the film's budget is gonna balloon through these last-minute changes, I understand if you need the extra cash.

Will any of these changes be made? Only time will tell. But one thing was made evident here: the fans were not the least bit happy about Sonic's new look, and the filmmaker responded in kind, promising to fix Sonic the Hedgehog before the film's November 8 release date. We'll have to wait and see if he is true to his word.

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The Story Behind Good Omens And All The Queen References

The Story Behind Good Omens And All The Queen References

Spoilers ahead for Good Omens on Amazon.

When Good Omens premiered on Amazon as an adaptation of the Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett novel of the same name, it proved three things: the apocalypse can be hilarious, the characters could not have been better cast, and the music of Queen makes everything better.

While all the Queen tunes came as no surprise to book fans, viewers who never picked up a copy of the novel were undoubtedly at least a little perplexed at all the Freddie Mercury. Well, there is a reason for all the Queen, and the answer lies early in the text of Good Omens.

Viewers probably noticed that the Queen tunes generally played in scenes featuring Crowley and/or the Bentley. The explanation comes in the first 15 pages of Good Omens, saying this:

Crowley was currently doing 110 mph somewhere east of Slough. Nothing about him looked particularly demonic, at least by classical standards. No horns, no wings. Admittedly he was listening to a Best of Queen tape, but no conclusions should be drawn from this because all tapes left in a car for more than a fortnight metamorphose into Best of Queen albums.

When Good Omens was published in 1990, tapes were the non-radio way to play music in cars. Neil Gaiman revealed to Vulture that the joke about metamorphosing Queen tapes started when he and Terry Pratchett concocted the theory "that any cassette left in a car long enough turned into the best of Queen."

If the joke had stopped with just the one Queen mention in the book, the Good Omens show probably wouldn't have been packed with Queen songs. Instead, the book continued to show Crowley (and Aziraphale, on one occasion) trying to play some non-Queen music, only to be blasted with the tunes of Freddie Mercury.

Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" turned into "Bohemian Rhapsody," The Traveling Wilburys turned into a rendition of "Radio Ga Ga," Aziraphale was dismayed to hear "Another One Bites the Dust" play from a tape labeled "Tchaikovsky," and the angel and demon's attempts to listen to William Byrd, Beethoven, and Vaughan Williams turned into "We Are The Champions," "I Want To Break Free," and "Fat Bottomed Girls."

Crowley briefly considered putting the tape on which he'd trapped Hastur into the Bentley and leaving it for a fortnight, turning him into Freddie Mercury. He decided against it because, in the immortal words of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, "He might be a bastard, but you could only go so far."

Now, the differences between book and television meant that the show had the freedom to use Queen more liberally than the book, which basically required Crowley to be in the Bentley on the page. The show could just blast a Queen classic over whatever scene seemed most fitting.

Given that technology in the past 30 years has definitely moved away from cassette tapes, the Good Omens adaptation was bound to get creative with including the running Queen joke from the book. So, let's take a look back at some of the most notable Queen sequences from the show!

Crowley's Arrival - "Bohemian Rhapsody"

Although Crowley technically made his debut earlier in the first episode at the Garden of Eden, his arrival in the Bentley to the tune of "Bohemian Rhapsody" to pick up the Antichrist was a real entrance. Could the show have done anything more perfect than blast the "Beelzebub has a devil put aside for meeeeeeee" line as he pulled up?

Crowley's arrival was actually only one instance of "Bohemian Rhapsody" used in the series, as he was listening to it again later in the episode when Satan broke in with some instructions for the Antichrist. The song would play again at the end of the fifth episode and beginning of the sixth, when Crowley made an epic entrance at the airfield, followed shortly by the flaming Bentley exploding.

So why does Crowley's arrival get special mention among the many uses of "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the show? Well, not only was it the first Queen song in the series, but it also marked an instance of a song playing in-universe for Crowley in the Bentley and as part of the soundtrack. "Bohemian Rhapsody" became his anthem thanks to this scene.

Anathema Hitches A Ride - "Bicycle Race"

Another memorable Queen sequence came in the second episode after a collision between Crowley in the Bentley and Anathema on her bicycle. Despite Aziraphale's shocked statement that Crowley hit somebody, Crowley countered that somebody hit him. (For what it's worth, Anathema did plow into the side of the Bentley.) Crowley begrudgingly agreed to giving Anathema a lift home, and the drive back to her cottage was oh-so-perfectly set to "Bicycle Race."

This scene is an example of a completely on-the-nose use of Queen for a Good Omens scene, and it appeared not to be a song actually playing in Crowley's car. Even if Crowley would have been impassive about it, surely Aziraphale or Anathema would have had a reaction to Crowley blasting "I want to ride my bicycle!" after colliding with Anathema on her bicycle.

Aziraphale's Bookshop Burns - "You're My Best Friend"

Things were getting out of control by the time Crowley climbed into his Bentley and raced to Soho to find Aziraphale in Episode 5, having just escaped Hastur and Ligur. Queen's uplifting "You're My Best Friend" played as Crowley grimly drove to the bookshop, which he discovered in flames. Regardless of the inferno, Crowley entered the bookshop in search of his best friend. It was a heartbreaking and fiery scene contrasting with the cheerful song to great effect.

The use of "You're My Best Friend" was unique in a couple of ways. Although it began while Crowley was in the Bentley, it wasn't clearly playing in-universe until Crowley raced into the burning bookshop when it could be heard coming from Aziraphale's dying gramophone. Since I'm guessing Aziraphale didn't deliberately buy a version of Queen's Greatest Hits for his gramophone, I'm going to count this as a subtle nod to the cassette joke from the book.

Crowley Braves The Blaze - "I'm In Love With My Car"

It was a sign of Crowley's desperation that he was willing to drive his beloved Bentley into the inferno surrounding London. When Hastur escaped from the answering machine tape and popped into the passenger seat of the Bentley, Crowley popped a CD into the player and floored it into the flames... to the tune of "I'm In Love With My Car."

If the gramophone playing "You're My Best Friend" was a subtle nod to the Queen cassette tape joke from the book, then "I'm In Love With My Car" was a total shoutout. Not because the book mentioned this particular Queen song -- because it didn't -- and not because Crowley really is pretty much in love with his car.

No, before "I'm In Love With My Car" actually began to play, the fifth episode showed Crowley popping a Mozart CD into the player. Crowley must have left it in his glove compartment for too long!

Crowley Needs Directions - "We Will Rock You"

By the time Crowley arrived in Tadfield in Episode 5, he was holding the burning Bentley together by sheer strength of will and imagination. He also never looked more demonic than when he pulled up in a flaming car, dressed in all black, and showing his yellow snake eyes without any sunglasses. His demonic look was contrasted with his polite request for directions from a Tadfield resident

Why is this one of the most noteworthy uses of Queen in Good Omens? Well, it's such a great combination of comedy, absurdity, and urgency, and "We Will Rock You" really highlights the ridiculousness of the situation in the best way. It is a ridiculous situation, as were most of Crowley and Aziraphale's attempts to stop the apocalypse. Of course this is one of the best sequences!

It was also arguably the last big moment for the Bentley, which would be destroyed shortly after arriving at the airbase in Episode 6 when Crowley had to start focusing on things other than holding his car together.

Honorable Mention: "Under Pressure" Trailer

Amazon released two big trailers for Good Omens ahead of the premiere, and both used Queen to perfection. The first showcased the relationship between Crowley and Aziraphale with "You're My Best Friend," but the second used "Under Pressure" to hype everything that was to come.

The right music can make a trailer completely unforgettable, as with Stranger Things' "Thriller" trailer for Season 2 and "Baba O'Riley" trailer for Season 3, and "Under Pressure" was guaranteed to get stuck in your head and make you remember that Good Omens was on the way. For folks who had never read the book and didn't really know what was in store, "Under Pressure" was a great way to build anticipation.

You can catch all six episodes of Good Omens (with all of these and more Queen songs) streaming on Amazon now. The finished product is a wild ride, made all the better for one hilarious scene that almost didn't happen.

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Aladdin's Mena Massoud Reveals An All-Improv Scene He Performs With Will Smith

Aladdin's Mena Massoud Reveals An All-Improv Scene He Performs With Will Smith

Being a live-action remake of the beloved 1992 original, Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin will definitely a have more than a few familiar scenes. After all, there are a number of iconic moments in the animated version, and there are certain expectations that audiences will have going in. That being said, the film will also do what it can to set itself apart from anything fans have seen before, and according to star Mena Massoud, part of that effort resulted in a sequence that’s entirely improvised.

In celebration of Aladdin tickets going on sale, I had the chance to sit down with Mena Massoud on the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California, and it was during a conversation about his collaboration with Will Smith that I learned about the sequence exclusively built from improv in the blockbuster. I asked the actor if there was any part of the movie that particularly stood out to him as a favorite, and he described it as so:

I do [have a favorite scene], yes. There's one scene where we kind of improved the whole scene - and it's in the film, so you'll get to see it. It's the first time that the genie and Prince Ali get to meet the royal family, so it's quite a fun, fun sequence. And getting to improv with Will Smith? That's a dream come true.

If you’re familiar with the story of Aladdin, it’s pretty easy to place where this scene will be in the movie – namely toward the end of the first act. While we don’t know right now just how much will be added to the story in the new version, this bit will presumably come after Aladdin has met an in-disguise Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) on the streets of Agrabah, and been enlisted by Jafar (Marwan Kenzari) to enter the Cave of Wonders to steal the genie’s lamp. As Prince Ali, Aladdin will be trying to make the best first impression that he can with the Sultan (Navid Negahban), hoping to be seen as an appropriate suitor for Jasmine, and we’ll have to wait and see what kind of impression the improv session leaves.

As I followed up about the sequence, I learned that part of the reason why Mena Massoud feels the scene was special is because improvisation wasn’t really an everyday thing on the set of Aladdin. While he was able to throw in the occasional line here and there, working with Guy Ritchie meant primarily sticking to the script. However, when he had his chance to have some extra creative freedom, he excitedly grabbed at it. Said Massoud,

A little bit here and there, but this sequence was definitely a big improv sequence from top to finish basically. Will does a good job of improvising throughout the film, but that scene in particular is a standout for me.

You can watch more from my interview with Aladdin star Mena Massoud below!

It won’t be long until fans will be able to see the scene for themselves, as Aladdin – which co-stars Nasim Pedrad, Billy Magnussen, Numan Acar, Frank Welker, and Alan Tudyk – will be in theaters on May 24th. If the excitement is become too much for you, the good news is that you can now at least partially abate those feelings by buying your ticket for opening weekend early.

Between now and the release date, be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more updates about Aladdin.

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How Much Money Bohemian Rhapsody Made For Freddie Mercury’s Family

How Much Money Bohemian Rhapsody Made For Freddie Mercury’s Family

It’s no secret that Bohemian Rhapsody was one of the most triumphant champions of this past award season, especially at the box office, where the Queen biopic made about $900 million worldwide. That’s a lot of money going around that the late Freddie Mercury may not get to bask in, but his family will get to share a bit of the film’s success with their own cut of earnings.

When the Queen frontman passed in 1991, he left 50% of his future earnings and London mansion from Queen to Mary Austin, the “love of his life” and longtime friend. The other 50% was divided among his parents (who have since passed) and sister Kashmira Bulsara. According to Sunday Express, this puts Austin’s earnings for Bohemian Rhapsody at least at $60 million and his sister’s at $25 million. The remaining members of Queen may make $90 million each thanks to the phenomenon the movie about their band’s life achieved.

Mary Austin, played by Lucy Boynton, had a significant role in Bohemian Rhapsody as it tracked their longtime friendship that began as a love story that shifted as Freddie started to embrace his sexuality. Though the their romance had a falling out, Austin looked to be a constant friend in the frontman’s life and was even present in Bohemian Rhapsody’s epic conclusion that recreated their iconic Live Aid performance.

The role of Freddie’s sister in Bohemian Rhapsody was small, as the family moments centered on his complicated relationship with his father. Kashmira did get a chance to witness Rami Malek in action as her brother. Here’s what the initial exchange played out from the words of Malek:

She got to see me as young Freddy with long hair and, of course, the teeth, makeup---the whole kind of 1970s early glam rock look. She laughed. As you can imagine it was an incredibly kind of bizarre, alien moment for her... She did [cry] later on. On a serious note, she wrote me the most moving email. It was very powerful. To get that vote of appreciate from the people closest to them was everything to me.

While it was a strange experience for Kashmira at first, she seemed to have embraced Malek as Freddie. Here’s what Freddie’s sister said thought about Bohemian Rhapsody:

I was happy to find out they were going to make the movie. And, although it was very emotional for me, I thought it was tastefully done.

Oh… and she gets a sweet Bohemian Rhapsody check too! It is nice to see some of the key players in Freddie Mercury’s life are getting to share in the success of the telling of his life, which had a mix of highs and lows. It must have been an interesting experience to watch some events of their own life play out on the big screen and it certainly seemed like it was an emotional journey to watch it come to life and be so warmly received.

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Everything New Coming To Disney's Streaming Service, Disney +

Everything New Coming To Disney's Streaming Service, Disney +

Disney is planning their own streaming service to launch in November and along with the studio's massive back catalog of content, they're also planning a massive amount of new material as well. While we don't know every new thing that the service, called Disney+, will include, a lot of information has been revealed about the upcoming shows and movies.

With the huge list of valuable properties that Disney has at its disposal, the studio is in a position to disrupt the entire streaming marketplace in a single moment with everything they could potentially create here. Some of these projects have been confirmed by Disney, while others are simply reported by other sources, but regardless, here's everything that is confirmed, followed by everything that is rumored, coming to Disney+ starting in November.

Confirmed Projects

The Mandalorian

The first Star Wars series to go into production was being helmed by Iron Man director Jon Favreau and while we had no actual idea what he was working on for the longest time we now know that the series is called The Mandalorian. This would mean that our main character comes from a similar history as fan-favorite character Boba Fett. Casting on the series rann the gamut from Gina Carano to Carl Weathers so it's anybody's guess just what we have in store as far as characters and story. The show also has some major behind the camera muscle as episodes are set to be directed by the likes of Taika Waititi, Rick Famuyiwa, and Star Wars Rebels vet Dave Filoni. The show is confirmed to at least see the first episode release on day one of the service.

A Rogue One Prequel Series

Star Wars ideas were teased early on and we learned before long that Tha Mandalorian wasn't the only show being planned. We're also getting a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story that will follow Diego Luna's character Cassian Andor in events that lead up to the film. Alan Tudyk will also reprise his role as the voice of K-2SO. All signs point to this series debuting in late 2020 or 2021.

The Clone Wars

Quite possibly the most exciting Star Wars related news for Disney+ isn't a brand new series or movie, but the return of a well-loved one. Star Wars: The Clone Wars was a six-season animated series that filled in the gaps of the events between Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The show ended without really reaching the end of the story it was trying to tell, which left many fans wanting more. Now, they'll finally get the end they've been waiting for.

Lady And The Tramp

One of the more interesting movie projects that Disney is planning is a Lady and the Tramp remake. While Disney has been doing really well with their remakes of classic animated films, Lady and the Tramp isn't the sort of film you'd expect to see get a major theatrical remake. The film will use the same life-like computer animated style of The Jungle Book. One of the potential benefits, with projects like this one, is that viewers could have the ability to watch the new remake, then jump over and watch the original, which is the sort of thing that could keep people glued to the new service.The movie will be released on day one.

Noelle

What's quite possibly the single most surprising report for a movie looking to debut on Disney's streaming service is Noelle, a Christmas movie starring Anna Kendrick. The reason this one is a shock is because, previously, this film had a theatrical release date for November 2019, but after being rumored to be making its way to Disney+, the company officially confirmed that during its recent Investor's Day. Officially, Noelle is slated for "shortly after launch" of Disney+ but with the launch set for November 12, and Noelle a Christmas movie, it should be a pretty short window between launch and this release. This might be literally the first thing added to the service after the day one content.

Monsters At Work

Another of the "actually confirmed by Disney" projects in development is a series based on Pixar's Monsters Inc. Disney has turned several of its successful animated films, like Tangled and Big Hero 6, into series, but this is the first time we've seen it happening with a Pixar property. The show will be called Monsters at Work and Billy Crystal and John Goodman will both be back to voice their characters of Mike and Sully from the films.

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

Let's face it, it just wouldn't be Disney if it didn't have teenagers singing pop music. Following the success of the original High School Musical on the Disney Channel, Disney made a couple of sequels, including one that saw a theatrical release since the series was so popular. Since then, Disney has made several other musicals with up and coming pop sensations like Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers. Now, Disney goes back to the well with a new series based on High School Musical. The premise, and stay with me on this one, will see a new group of kids, from the "real" high school where the films were set, as they attempt to put on a staged performance of the original High School Musical. It gets pretty meta, but it also means that new versions of the popular songs from the original will have a place.

A Loki Series

Tom Hiddleston's Loki may be well and truly dead in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that doesn't mean the actor or the character are quite done yet. Bob Iger confirmed during a Walt Disney Company earnings call last year that a series about the trickster god, and starring the man who made him famous, TGom Hiddleston, was coming to Disney+. One assumes it will be some sort of prequel series, but we're still waiting for those details, and it's always possible that Avengers:Endgame could change the situation for the character in a big way ahead of the series.

WandaVision

Marvel has had nearly as much success on the small screen for Disney as they have on the big one, so it's little surprise that other Marvel series are reportedly planned for Disney+. A series focusing on Scarlet Witch and Vision, had been previously rumored as being bound for Disney+, and the recent Investor's Day event officially confirmed that it is, in fact, on the way. The show will be called WandaVision and both Elizabeth Olson and Paul Bettany are confirmed to reprise their roles from the MCU.

Falcon & Winter Soldier

One additional Marvel series that had been rumored and has now been confirmed, is a team-up with The Winter Soldier and the Falcon. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan will reprise their MCU roles for the new series. Kevin Feige says the pair will be "forced" to team up in the new series, implying that neither character will be fully on board with the idea. It sounds like this project will be a bit down the road, but no release date was announced.

Marvel's What If?

Marvel's What If? is a long running comic title that images what would happen if both minor and major changes took place in the Marvel universe. That idea will now be making its way to Disney+ as a new animated anthology series, but this one will be focused on creating "what if" scenarios specifically for the MCU. The first episode will examine what could have happened if Peggy Carter had become the super solder, and Steve Rogers had instead joined World War II inside an armored suit built by Howard Stark. MCU cast members will be adding their voices to the new series as well.

Togo

You might remember the animated movie Balto from many years ago, which was based on the sled dog that led the final leg of the 1925 serum run to Nome which brought much needed Diptheria medicine to Nome, Alaska. Togo is the name of the sled dog that led the team that ran the leg prior to Balto, the longest leg run by any team during the race. This project looks to be a live-action movie that will focus on Togo and Leonhard Seppala, the human driver of the sled dog team. Disney is good at making inspirational stories, and this looks to be right in their ballpark.

Stargirl

While Stargirl sounds like a science fiction story, it's actually a very grounded YA drama about a girl transitioning from homeschooling to high school who is at first embraced for differences before shunned for being so unusual. The book has been in development hell since almost back when it was written in 2000, but Disney reportedly cast the two leads, some time ago and has now officially confirmed the project is happening.

Timmy Failure

Timmy Failure is a children's book which focuses on an 11-year-old boy who fancies himself a great detective. The project is being co-written by the book's author Stephan Pastis and Spotlight director Tom McCarthy, who recently handled rewrites on another Disney project, the live-action Winnie the Pooh movie Christopher Robin. This was another project that had been rumored for Disney+ a while ago, but was only recently confirmed by the studio at the Investor's Day event.

The Imagineering Story

Clearly, there will be a lot of Disney magic all over Disney+, but for those who'd like a look behind the scenes at just how Disney magic is made, there will be a documentary series that goes behind-the-scenes at Wat Disney Imagineering, the division that's responsible for creating everything that makes a Disney theme park feel like you've stepped into another world. The show promises to give viewers a look at things that have never been seen by the general public before, which will make it a must watch for the average Disney fanatic, which is sure to be the core audience of Disney+ when it launches on day one of the new service.

The World According to Jeff Goldblum

Along with the acquisition of Fox, Disney purchased National Geographic, and along with that comes a vast array of existing content. However two new series original to Disney+ will also be available. The World According to Jeff Goldblum will follow the famous actor as he investigates mundane and everyday items and "pulls back the curtain" to reveal the fascinating science and history behind them. This one sounds like a lot of fun, made all the more fun by including Jeff Goldblum.

Magic Of The Animal Kingdom

The second original Disney+ series from National Geographic may mark the first major collaboration between Nat Geo and its new Disney overlords. Magic of the Animal Kingdom will take viewers behind the scenes of Disney's Animal Kingdom and Epcot's Sea Base Aquarium, following the vets, biologists, and others who use the theme park as a location for learning more about animals. For fans of Disney theme parks, or of animals, and especially if you love both, this promises to be a very special series.

Rumored Projects

A New Muppets Project

The Muppets have had a rough go of late. They came back strong with a 2011 movie, but that was followed by a lackluster Muppets Most Wanted sequel, and while I personally thought The Muppets TV series was mostly pretty good, it failed to connect with audiences and didn't last beyond one season. It looks like they're going to be given another shot, though, as the word is that a new series, that will co-star Josh Gad and follow the events of Muppets Take Manhattan is being developed for Disney+.

The Paper Magician

The Paper Magician is the first in a fantasy book trilogy written by Charlie N. Holmberg that Disney picked up the rights to in March of 2016. It looks like the plan for the first film, and one assumes the rest of the trilogy, is to see a release via streaming service rather than theatrical release. Since the project was announced prior to Disney's streaming service being a known entity, it was assumed that this was going to be a theatrical release. Officially, this one is still in limbo as it has not been confirmed by Disney that this is Disney+ bound.

Magic Camp

Magic Camp is an interesting one because the film sat on Disney's theatrical release slate for quite some time, all while essentially nothing seemed to be happening with it. Then, the project was pulled from the theatrical calendar with just as much fanfare as we'd had before -- none. Now, it appears the reason for the switch is that the film is going to be moved to debut online instead of on the big screen. The movie stars Adam Devine and Gillian Jacobs, so we know it's a comedy, and the movie appears to have been completed for some time, but it looks like it'll be at least a year before anybody actually sees it. Considering how old this project is, we would have expected official confirmation by now, but that hasn't happened.

The Sword in the Stone

One of Disney's live-action remakes that we did know was on the way was the remake of The Sword in the Stone. In fact, we only recently learned that the movie was talking to a director in 28 Weeks Later 's Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. It appears now that the plan is for that particular remake to be an original production for the streaming service rather than the big screen. With the writer of the project being a Game of Thrones vet, perhaps the feeling was that the final product would fit better on TV. This would does seem to be moving forward, but it's still lacking confirmation.

The Mighty Ducks Series

Another potential TV project in the works is one based on the Mighty Ducks film series. What's more, the original screenwriter of the films is attached to write it. It's not clear if the plan is to reboot the franchise fresh and make a series that more or less follows the premise of the film(s), or if the plan will be to make the series a sequel which picks up after the films. Perhaps with one of the now adult Ducks taking the role as coach of the team? It feels like a premise like that could both attract fans of the films as well as those new to the franchise.

Don Quixote

The writer of The Hunger Games and Captain Philips, Billy Ray, has a script for an adaptation of Don Quixote which Disney picked up in 2016. It appears they see the feature as a Pirates of the Caribbean-like action adventure and they're eyeing the streaming service for the film. Considering Terry Gilliam's Don Quixote project finally saw the light of day, perhaps that's a good sign for this one. Clearly, the two projects will take the same material in very different directions.

Three Men And A Baby

Of all the reboots that the Disney streaming service is planning, one of the oddest that has been reported is a remake of Three Men and a Baby. The original was technically a Disney project, though it was produced through Touchstone, the studio Disney started to do more "adult" movies, and starred Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson as three men who find themselves raising an infant. One hopes that a sequel won't find quite as much novelty in the mere concept of men raising kids, but if not, what exactly would this movie be about?

More Star Wars Series

While two Star Wars series have been confirmed, a host more have been rumored. One potential series could focus on Finn and Poe Dameron, the characters played by John Boyega and Oscar Isaac in the current Star Wars trilogy. Two other series could see a pair of characters from Solo: A Star Wars Story get their own shows. Both Emilia Clarke's Qi'ra and Donald Glover's Lando Calrissian could get shows of their own if rumors are accurate. In addition, it's possible that the long rumored Obi-Wan Kenobi movie might actually become a series for Disney+. All of these are only rumors, but considering how many Marvel series are happening, it's entirely possible all of these could be real as well.

Hawkeye

While several of the rumored Marvel series for Disney+ have been confirmed, one that was not mentioned by Disney at the recent big event was a rumored series that would focus on Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye. Allegedly, the new show would see Clint Barton pass on the Hawkeye mantle to a new character. Since the other Marvel rumors turned out to be true, this one may be as well, but it maybe so far out that Disney doesn't want to confirm it yet.

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