6 Reasons Alita: Battle Angel Deserves A Sequel

6 Reasons Alita: Battle Angel Deserves A Sequel

Warning: Spoilers for Alita: Battle Angel are in play. If you haven't seen the film yet, please bookmark this article and come back once you're current.

While it hasn't set the world on fire at the box office, Alita: Battle Angel also hasn't done terribly for itself. So far, the movie has made nearly $400 million worldwide -- not enough that the film's overall profitability can't be brought into question. In addition, the Disney and Fox merger is now complete, and that feels like another factor that might work against this prospect. Still, there's no denying that a vocal corner of the internet would still like to see another adventure come to theaters in the near future. Despite the issues Alita: Battle Angel 2 might face, there are also reasons it should happen.

In the face of such odds, there are still reasons why this new Disney entertainment production force-to-be-reckoned-with should consider pursuing a second Alita: Battle Angel film. If you're a true believer in the battle angel's cause, or if you're sitting on the fence and waiting for a good case to be made for this fledgling franchise to take off, here are all the reasons Alita: Battle Angel should get another opportunity to tell more of its story.

People Want A Sequel

While Alita: Battle Angel has put in a solid effort at becoming a blockbuster hit, it still isn't a mega-success on the level of something like a Marvel Studios film. Yet, if you poke around on the internet, there's no shortage of people who want to take a return trip to the world of Iron City. With a built in overseas fanbase that's rabid for more material, the quicker a potential sequel to Robert Rodriguez's living breathing anime can be made will mean a better chance of retaining this strong following for another film. Which could also lead to more newcomers being brought to the fold as well.

Sequels Are An Easier Sell To Moviegoers

One of the major obstacles that Alita: Battle Angel had to overcome with its release this past February is the fact that it was somewhat of an unknown quantity to movie fans by and large. It's true there was a pre-programmed following comprised of people who'd read the original manga the film was based off of, but again, that's not enough to create the meteoric hit studios crave these days. By time this first film hits home video, there shouldl be more exposure given to Alita: Battle Angel's story, and with that a potential for even more fans hungry returning for future helpings. It wouldn't, and shouldn't be as hard to sell Alita: Battle Angel 2 – Zalem or Bust as it was this initial film.

The World Is Ripe For Exploring

Much like Alita's first exposure to the world that is Iron City, people witnessing this far-flung future's metropolis for the first time in Alita: Battle Angel were stunned by what they saw. As the film revealed to all, there is a broader universe to be explored, ranging from battles on the Moon to the floating sky city of Zalem. With the keen eye for detail that Robert Rodriguez has shown in his director's eye, as well as the scripting talents of James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis laying out the setting that gave us Alita: Battle Angel's exhilarating finished product, seeing more of these surroundings through these particular lenses is a concept too wonderful to say no to. So maybe the studio shouldn't.

The Sequel Has Already Attracted Admirable Talent

Looking at the cast of Alita: Battle Angel, there is a list of notable stars that is pretty impressive. But amidst the already stacked deck that included Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connolly, and Chrisoph Waltz playing in an anime- inspired playground are a couple of other actors that would be perfectly served by a sequel. In particular, more flashbacks involving Michelle Rodriguez's Gelda, as well as a presumed starring role for Edward Norton as Nova, the big bad/ultimate target of Alita, are the big hooks that could bring Alita; Battle Angel's second chapter into living color. This would raise the stakes and fill in key details regarding the character's past, as well as the history of the world at large, setting the scene for the final installment to be an all-out action masterpiece.

Production And Marketing Costs Could Be Lower

Blending practical sets and computer generated vistas, Alita: Battle Angel feels like the type of series that could very easily save itself some money in the future – as the basic bones of this world are already built. With Robert Rodriguez still retaining the physical sets used in the film, and the digital constructs for anything that wasn't physically crafted also being on stand-by, it shouldn't cost that much to return to a world that has already been built. Furthermore, with an audience more familiar with Alita: Battle Angel's potential as entertainment, even the marketing spend could be eased back, so as to save some room in the budget for any and all new worlds to conquer in Part 2. A lot of times sequels go bigger, but I'm not sure Alita 2 would have to, although there's a fine line between cheaper and cheap.

Thanks To The Perfect Cliffhanger, Alita: Battle Angel Sets Up For A Sequel

Any potential film series tends to set up a lot of the world the franchise will walk or sprint through in other installments during its first chapter. Alita: Battle Angel perfectly sets up the big tent of a story arc that the entire trilogy would cover, leaving the audience wanting more. By time the film's finale kicks in, you want to see Alita take her fight to Zalem, and witness her kick the series' big bad, Nova into the next solar system in climactic fashion. Most films wish they had a sign off as powerful as Alita: Battle Angel does; however,  not all of them get it.

So there you have it: the case for why Alita: Battle Angel deserves to continue on as a series. Of course, time will tell if this is all just a pipe dream or if the Disney and Fox juggernaut will put another bet on the battle angel supreme and her mission to bring down the sky city. Though if this film has a chance in Iron City of actually happening, it'll depend on the movie viewing public's demand.

As such, if you've not yet seen Alita: Battle Angel, or want to see it again, it's currently still in theaters. Also, if you've got an opinion on the fate of this franchise, share your feelings in the poll and comments section below!

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The Curse Of La Llorona Box Office: The Conjuring Universe Has Another Overperformer

The Curse Of La Llorona Box Office: The Conjuring Universe Has Another Overperformer

The Conjuring Universe has unquestionably become one of the strongest brands in the Warner Bros. arsenal. Going back to 2013, every release has been an absolutely massive hit, with the $250 million-plus worldwide earnings for each title looking even more impressive when you consider that none of them have been made with a budget larger than $40 million. It's a train that doesn't appear ready to stop any time soon, and Michael Chaves' The Curse Of La Llorona demonstrated that this weekend by earning the franchise yet another box office crown. Check out its opening weekend numbers - as well as the rest of the Top 10 - below, and join me after for analysis!

It should be noted that The Curse Of La Llorona had the weakest opening of any Conjuring Universe movie thus far - with David F. Sandberg's Annabelle: Creation previously holding that title with its $35 million take back in 2017 - but part of the reason why it can still be considered a victory is the fact that it still managed to exceed expectations. Last week prognosticators suggested that the film would struggle to make more than $20 million, with Box Office Mojo suggesting a $17 million start, but those estimates proved to be a bit too conservative. Instead, the horror flick managed to beat that number by nearly $10 million, which is pretty significant when you consider that the feature only cost a reported $9 million to make.

There is no question that it's a step down for the brand, particularly after the record-breaking numbers put up by Corin Hardy's The Nun last fall, but the performance certainly says something about the hunger for stories in this universe. Adding in numbers from foreign territories, the movie has already made $56.5 million worldwide, and it will likely be the sixth feature in the franchise to get a nine figure total by the end of its theatrical run. It might take an extra minute, though, as there are a few things working against it in the coming weeks.

The first and most obvious roadblock is the forthcoming arrival of what is unquestionably one of the most anticipated blockbuster releases of all time. Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Endgame is expected to have the attention of everyone in the world when screenings start on Thursday night, and there is probably little chance that folks are planning on doing a weird double feature that pairs the three-hour superhero epic with The Curse Of La Llorona.

Also, the film doesn't have quite the same level of buzz that the previous Conjuring Universe efforts have received. Not only have professional reviews not been super kind to the release, but audiences don't seem to be falling in love with it either. On CinemaScore, it doesn't look so great when you compare its "B-" grade" to the "A-" earned by both Conjuring titles and the "B" that both of the Annabelle movies received.

All that being said, it's already profitable after just three days, so Warner Bros. can't complain too much.

Speaking of the studio, this weekend was actually a double win for WB, as another one of their big brands - the DC Extended Universe - crossed an important milestone. It took a few weeks, but David F. Sandberg's Shazam! is now the seventh title in the franchise to join the century club. The movie only dropped about 29 percent in its third week, and while its still the slowest performer among recent DC releases (it's still made only half of what Zack Snyder's Justice League did in 2017), it has an ace up its sleeve: the fact that it didn't cost nearly as much to make as your average big comic book adaptation. Put in perspective, it's already made three times its budget worldwide - albeit before the cost of marketing and publicity.

As for the rest of the Top 10 beyond the two biggest releases, it was actually a very strange weekend. First there is the disappointment of Roxann Dawson's Breakthrough, which failed to make the $17-18 million that was expected in its first five days (screenings started mid-week). It was thought that the feature would get a nice boost from the religious crowd, and it actually earned better reviews than most god-centric releases, but apparently it couldn't stir up too much interest.

That's really the least of it, though, as the big theme for this weekend was unexpected ranking flip flops. For starters, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel seemingly got a boost from the aforementioned forthcoming release of Avengers: Endgame, as the blockbuster jumped from its sixth place position last week into fourth place. The $9.1 million it earned over the last few days now puts its domestic total over $400 million, and its only the seventh of 21 Marvel Cinematic Universe releases to hit that benchmark. To date it has made $1.1 billion worldwide, and while it looks like it won't surpass the numbers put up by Joe and Anthony Russo's Captain America: Civil War back in 2016, the performance is still nothing short of astonishing.

Another surprise this weekend was the performance of Chris Butler's Missing Link - albeit the significance is relative. The stop-motion animated film got off to a depressing start last time around, as it started its theatrical run in ninth place, but this week it actually climbed a bit thanks to the fact that it only dropped about 26.5 percent. The movie has still only made about $13 million in North America, which isn't exactly impressive, but it is trying to put up a fight.

The middle of the chart also saw some weird switches, as Tina Gordon Chism's Little went from second place to fifth, and Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer's Pet Sematary went from fourth to seventh. Those are far less noteworthy than what happened to Neil Marshall's Hellboy, however. The panned Lionsgate release played in the exact same number of theaters this weekend as it did when it opened, but far fewer seats were filled in the last three days. Not only did it drop from third place to 10th, but it suffered a drop of nearly 68 percent. It failed to cross the $20 million mark, and things are looking seriously bad for the feature, which reportedly cost $50 million to make.

It was definitely a weird weekend at the box office, but things should change in a massive way next time around. It's entirely possible that Avengers: Endgame will soon become the new record holder for biggest worldwide opening - and we'll have all of the details for you next Sunday.

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Watch Michelle Pfeiffer Go Full Catwoman By Cracking Her Batman Returns Whip

Watch Michelle Pfeiffer Go Full Catwoman By Cracking Her Batman Returns Whip

This weekend’s debut of Dumbo marked a fun collaboration between Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito and Tim Burton for the first time since 1992’s Batman Returns. The trio seriously missed out on an opportunity to include arguably most iconic element of their first united effort: Michelle Pfeiffer. The actress famously could crack a whip as Catwoman and apparently not much has changed 27 years later.

Maybe Michelle Pfeiffer was getting a bit nostalgic about her badass Batman Returns role in light of Tim Burton’s most recent movie? The actress took to her Instagram to show she still has Catwoman’s whip. Take a look:

She is Catwoman, hear her roar!! Anyone else geeking out right now? This is like the equivalent of Harrison Ford bringing out his Indiana Jones hat… or whip! It’s pretty amazing that Michelle Pfeiffer has Selina Kyle’s suave weapon-of-choice still in her possession. Though she did admit, it needed a little TLC… leading to this recent video:

Michelle Pfeiffer noted it’s “just like riding a bike” as she played around with her Catwoman whip with precision. Sarah Paulson echoed much of our sentiments as she loudly commented in all caps “MAKE ANOTHER CATWOMAN MOVIE PLEASE AND THANK YOU” after asking the actress if she could have the whip in Pfeiffer’s previous post. The 60-year-old icon clearly has still got it, and has shown her interest in reprising the role in the past. Here’s hoping DC and Tim Burton are paying attention.

Following the pop culture phenomenon Pfeiffer’s Catwoman became after Batman Returns, the character was set to have her own spinoff, though the movie written by John August (The Corpse Bride and Big Fish) didn’t get past the pitch stage. The sassy DC villain instead found her way to the big screen in 2004 with Halle Berry’s Catwoman, which is known as one of the most unfortunate pieces of comic adapted cinema to this day.

After Batman Returns, Michelle Pfeiffer was certainly a tough act to follow, considering her zany one-liners, seductive leather suit and cleverly both fun and dark portrayal of Selina Kyle. Check her out in her glory days in this scene of Batman Returns:

The actress did her own work with the whip during filming of Batman Returns and even cut down the heads of those mannequins in one take. With skills like that to whip out, Michelle Pfeiffer could have easily found a place within the circus world of Dumbo, perhaps as a villainous ringleader to team up with Michael Keaton’s Vandevere.

The actress has found a place in the Disney family recently as Janet van Dyne in the Ant-Man movies and as Queen Ingrith in the upcoming sequel to Maleficent coming this fall.

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The Harry Potter Cast: A Look Back Then And Now

The Harry Potter Cast: A Look Back Then And Now

It’s been almost 20 years since the first movie adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World hit the big screen in the form of 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Since then, the fantasy franchise has spun seven sequels, a completely new film series called Fantastic Beasts, and a highly popular land in Universal Studios.

The phenomenon has been around for nearly a generation, and while the main cast of the classic series have had close to a decade to grow apart from with their iconic roles, it’s always magical to look back at what’s changed between their first trip to Hogwarts to today. There’s been a mix of glo ups, sad passings and exciting projects between the Harry Potter film family between then and now. Let’s take a look:

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)

Look how far little Harry has come since his humble beginnings living in the Cupboard Under the Stairs! The star wizard of the series scored his famous role when he was just eleven years old and he will always be best remembered as the boy who lived. His first Harry Potter follow-up was the 2012 horror flick The Woman in Black, but he’s also starred in the indie rom-com What If, the box office flop Victor Frankenstein alongside James McAvoy, the critically-acclaimed indie Swiss Army Man and the 'magical' Now You See Me sequel.

Radcliffe also lit up Broadway in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying revival, starred in a two-season television series with Jon Hamm called A Young Doctor’s Notebook & Other Stories, and currently stars in TBS mini-series Miracle Workers as a low-level angel trying to settle a bet with God (Steve Buscemi) and stop the destruction of Earth. The actor has dabbled in just about everything as he nears 30 this year and doesn’t seem to stop pushing the boundaries of his talent each time we see him. Maybe Wolverine next?

Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)

Remember when an 11-year-old Rupert Grint saved all of Hogwarts as Ron Weasley in Sorcerer’s Stone thanks to some expert chess knowledge? Iconic. While the actor recently admitted that he almost called quits on the role after wrapping Goblet of Fire when fame took hold, he stuck it out and without regrets… but what has life been like since?

Rupert took on a few off-beat roles directly after Deathly Hallows Part 2, such as in the action-comedy Moonwalkers with Ron Perlman and the Shia LaBeouf lead drama Charlie Countryman. He’s recently found his place on television in Sick Note with fellow child star (and redhead) Lindsay Lohan, Crackle’s Snatch remake and as Inspector Crome in BBC’s The ABC Murders. The actor is also set to star in M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming Apple show. The actor has kept with the much darker roles he’s drawn to without swinging deep back into the spotlight.

Emma Watson (Hermoine Granger)

For many, Emma Watson’s Hermoine Granger was the nerdy, overachieving bookworm we could finally relate to, so when the actress took on Belle for Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast, it felt a bit like she was living in her glory days. In between, the 28-year-old Brit has also challenged herself as an actress, become an outspoken women’s rights activist and created her own feminist book club.

After saying goodbye to Hermoine, Watson took on some edgy roles for The Perks of Being a Wallflower, This is the End and The Bling Ring along with starring in thrillers such as Regression, Colonia and The Circle. Beauty and the Beast was by far her most successful Harry Potter follow-up, as it made over $1.2 billion worldwide. Watson is also gearing up to star in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women with Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep and Laura Dern. Raising your hand in class pays!

Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy)

Just about every young hero has a bratty bully to face, and Tom Felton’s Draco Malfoy certainly fit that bill throughout the Harry Potter franchise. So what was the first role the actor book after a decade as the deplorable villain? You guessed it… another baddie in 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Since then, Tom Felton has earned acting credits in quite a few off-radar films with some big names such as Sebastian Stan, Taraji P. Henson, Oscar Isaac, Elizabeth Olsen and Gemma Chan. His most memorable new role is certainly as Julian Albert in CW’s The Flash in Season 3. The actor has recently floated to a new television show on YouTube TV’s new sci-fi show Origins. The spaceship-set series on the new streaming platform has seen some exciting success, so season 2 could be on the way!

Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley)

Ron’s little sister and Harry Potter’s future wife has transformed from an adorable child actress to an all grown-up lady! While to most the actress hasn’t maintained the star status of her fellow Harry Potter stars, she has maintained active in the filmmaking community as an actress, screenwriter and director.

On screen, Bonnie Wright has starred in mainly made-for-television titles primarily geared for a family-friendly audience such as My Dad Is Scrooge, Who Killed Nelson Nutmeg? and A Christmas Carol. She made her debut writing/directorial project with Harry Potter co-star with David Thewlis (he played Remus Lupin) with a 2012 short film and has since developed a handful of other projects under her own Bon Bon Lumiere production company.

Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom)

Neville Longbottom may start off as a clumsy and laughable kid in Sorcerer’s Stone, but as the franchised progressed, the character became an important part of the team, as he destroyed the final Horcrux by slicing off Nagini’s head clean off. He saved them all! Actor Matthew Lewis became quite the viral sensation as he exited Harry Potter with an unexpected glo up. Yes, those two are the same person…

The 29-year-old actor has since mainly worked in British television shows such as The Syndicate, Bluestone 42 and Girlfriends, along with having a role in 2016 romance Me Before You. Lewis recently got married to Angela Jones, an event planner with Universal who he met at a Wizarding World event in Orlando. We’re not sure what’s next for Lewis other than being perfect and happy. I’d say that’s not a bad real-life ending for Neville!

Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort)

For a character known as "He-who-must-not-be-named," Ralph Fiennes was certainly one of the biggest names in the Harry Potter franchise when he was cast as the main antagonist at the turn of the 21st century. Before taking on Voldemort, Fiennes was a two-time Oscar nominee for Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List and The English Patient.

Between and after Harry Potter, the actor kept on keeping on with high-profile roles in The Hurt Locker, Skyfall, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and he had recent voice roles in Kubo and the Two Strings and as Alfred in The Lego Batman Movie. On paper, the iconic role is just one of his many roles (over 70 acting credits) and he’s nearly unrecognizable as the villain in any other movie. Next, Fiennes will be in The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, the next Kingsman movie and Bond 25.

Richard Harris/Michael Gambon (Dumbledore)

Did you know two actors played Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films? Richard Harris first played the role in Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets before his 2002 passing, after the actor was hospitalized with pneumonia and diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Before playing Dumbledore, Harris had roles in quite a few of classics including 1967’s Camelot, Unforgiven and Gladiator.

Michael Gambon took over the role in 2004 and played Dumbledore until the final installment. He turned down the role of James Bond in 1970, though made a name for himself in his roles in The Singing Detective, as president Lyndon B. Johnson in Path to War and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. After playing Dumbledore, Gambon has been in a ton of projects – most notably as the voice of Uncle Pastuzo in the Paddington movies.

Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid)

The bear-huggable Harry Potter character was another accomplished Brit before Hagrid came to him as a famous comedian, with roles all over the map, such as Valentin Zukovsky, a character opposite Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond, and star of the three-season series Cracker.

After playing Hagrid, Robbie Coltrane took on a couple voice parts for Arthur Christmas and Brave and starred in a couple projects involving his Potter family co-stars: an adaptation of Great Expectations with Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter, and the Hulu show National Treasure with Julie Walters, who we’ll get to. The 68-year-old actor is also nearly unrecognizable between his husky bearded look in the fantasy films and usually more clean-cut roles in recent years. Though his unmistaken unfamiliarity will stump the untrained eye.

Alan Rickman (Severus Snape)

When Alan Rickman stepped into his Harry Potter role, he already had an extremely memorable role as Hans Gruber in 1988’s Die Hard – a Christmas classic. He also starred in Sense and Sensibility and Galaxy Quest. Rickman’s portrayal of Severus Snape is a beloved fan favorite and he offered some franchise highlights. During his time on Harry Potter, he played a part in Love Actually as the breaker of Emma Thompson’s heart and all of ours, starred in Sweeney Todd, Bottle Shock and the caterpillar in 2010’s Alice in Wonderland.

However, his time after the Harry Potter movies ended up being his final years. The actor played meaty roles such as Ronald Reagan in Lee Daniels’ The Butler and King Louis XIV in A Little Chaos among others before he died of pancreatic cancer in January 2016 at the age of 69. The actor certainly had an illustrious career, greatly defined by his time as Snape.

Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall)

When Dame Maggie Smith started playing Professor Minerva McGonagall in 2001, she was 67 years old and one of the most famous British actresses of her time. However, her Harry Potter role made her a household name among younger and newer audiences who may not have known about her otherwise.

When Maggie Smith hung up her pointed hat, she starred in even more movies (many of which, critically acclaimed), such as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel movies, Quartet, The Old Lady, The Lady in the Van and the highly acclaimed TV series Downton Abbey as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, whom she will reprise in a planned feature film to follow the television show. Retirement who? Maggie Smith’s star status has only grown since Harry Potter.

Gary Oldman (Sirius Black)

Here’s something crazy about Gary Oldman: while he was playing the father-figure to young Harry, Sirius Black he was also in the thick of playing Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. The actor was one of the few who was simultaneously on two monumental franchises of the time and will also be remembered for playing these well-known pop culture characters.

Since, he earned two Best Actor nominations for Tinker Tailor Solider Spy and as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, which he won the golden trophy for in 2018. He’s also starred in a few action flicks including RoboCop, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and The Hitman’s Bodyguard. Among the masses, he is overwhelmingly known as Sirius Black, even though he has played many other memorable parts.

Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange)

Helena Bonham Carter was already defined by her dark roles in fantasy films (primarily from Tim Burton) such as Big Fish, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Corpse Bride. So, when she joined Harry Potter in the second half of the franchise, she fit right in as key player, Bellatrix Lestrange. After Deathly Hallows Part 2, she has continued doing a bit of the same in movies such as Dark Shadows, Les Misérables and worked in Disney films The Lone Ranger, Cinderella and Alice Through the Looking Glass.

The actress recently starred in the female-fronted Ocean’s 8 as fashion designer Rose Weil in 2018 and will be taking over the role of Princess Margaret from Vanessa Kirby in the upcoming season of The Crown as Olivia Colman follows Claire Foy’s Queen Elizabeth in her middle-aged years.

Julie Walters (Molly Weasley)

What about the Weasley parents? Julie Walters, a.k.a. Molly Weasley is quite the accomplished actress and her fame has only grown since starring as a mother of wizards. She first really turned heads in 1983’s Educating Rita opposite Michael Caine, which earned the both of them Oscar nominations, before earning another nod for her role in Billy Elliot.

While she was doing Harry Potter, Walters starred in Calendar Girls and Mamma Mia! After the franchise was over, she joined Robbie Coltrane with a role as the Witch in Brave and on the Hulu show National Treasure, played Mrs. Bird in the Paddington movies and recently starred in Mary Poppins Returns as Ellen.

Mark Williams (Arthur Weasley)

To finish off this list of the talented main cast of the Harry Potter films, is the other half of the Weasley parents: Arthur Weasley, played by Mark Williams, who was best known for the BBC sketch comedy series The Fast Show for the six years before nabbing a role on the Harry Potter films.

After playing Mr. Weasley in just about every movie, the actor traded out his red hair and guest starred in Doctor Who in 2012 and then scored his own BBC television series Father Brown. The show, currently in its seventh season, is based on books by GK Chesterton about a Catholic priest who solves mysteries in the English countryside.

Oh, how the time turner… turns! Can you believe how the Hogwarts students have grown and adults have grown more distinguished? What do you think of these career shifts since for the actors, have you been following them or did they take you by surprise? Sound off in the comments below!

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Captain Marvel Brought Marvel To A Box Office Milestone

Captain Marvel Brought Marvel To A Box Office Milestone

Heading in to its second weekend, Captain Marvel is an unmitigated financial success. Carol Danvers had the biggest March opening ever, the 2nd biggest worldwide opening for any superhero movie and the film has already passed the $500 million milestone. Captain Marvel does not exist in a vacuum though; it is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and its success has rocketed Marvel higher, further, faster to a new box office milestone.

Captain Marvel is the 21st entry into the MCU canon and combined, those 21 titles have now surpassed $18 billion in worldwide ticket sales, according to Variety. That’s billion with a ‘B’ and the MCU is now a member of the three-comma club 18 times over. I guess a $455 million worldwide opening weekend will do a lot to help you reach box office milestones.

If you do the math on that $18 billion over 21 movies, each Marvel movie is worth 4/5th of a billion dollars, or to be more exact, assuming my math is closer to Bruce Banner’s than the Hulk’s, $857.14 million. Or, to put another way, in roughly 11 years in existence, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has averaged about $1.63 billion a year.

The MCU has been the most successful franchise in movie history for a while now, and the $18 billion milestone just further cements the brand’s unparalleled and unprecedented achievements. There is something cool about the fact that it was Captain Marvel, a hero with Marvel in her name that added this notch to Marvel’s belt.

Captain Marvel was just the first entry in the MCU’s stacked 2019 though and Marvel may add a few more billion-dollar notches before it’s all said and done. Captain Marvel is now at $524 million worldwide and is tracking to add another $70-$85 million in its second weekend domestically.

Beyond Captain Marvel is Avengers: Endgame, which premiered a new trailer this morning. That film, the capstone on Phase 3 and the first 11 years of the MCU may hit an absolutely insane $282 million in its opening weekend just domestically. Avengers: Infinity War hit $2 billion worldwide and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Endgame repeat that feat with another $2 billion to follow up Captain Marvel. It’s a good thing too, Disney has bills to pay.

With Spider-Man: Far From Home on the way in July (a Sony film that is still MCU even if Disney doesn’t get the money from it) the MCU will certainly pass the $20 billion milestone at the worldwide box this year.

It is truly remarkable considering how it was only around the turn of the millennium that comic book movies became good and respected after wallowing in mediocrity for a long time. There was even a time not long ago when loving comic books and superheroes was something you didn’t advertise because it was considered uncool. Now superheroes are literally the biggest thing in the history of the movie business the world over and it’s not even close. That's pretty neat.

Captain Marvel is now playing. Check out our 2019 release schedule to keep track of all the biggest films arriving this year and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all your movie news.

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Disney And Netflix’s Partnership Isn't Permanently Over

Disney And Netflix’s Partnership Isn't Permanently Over

Disney's movies are some of the most popular films currently found on Netflix, but with Disney's own Disney+ streaming service set to bow in November, we know that those movies are on their way out...or are they?

It turns out that Disney and Netflix's agreement with each other might not be as simple as it first seemed. Disney's deal saw all of the studios's big theatrical releases, from Zootopia to Black Panther make the jump to Netflix, and while the earliest films from that deal have fallen off the service, and those the remain will be dropping off as well. Bloomberg is reporting that the deal between Netflix and Disney includes the stipulation that movies released between January 2016 and December 2018 will actually return to Netflix in 2026, and when they do they'll disappear from Disney+.

Similar stipulations reportedly impact several media distributors that are otherwise pulling their content back from Netflix.

While that means this won't happen for about seven years, it means that things aren't nearly as simple as they appeared between the two companies. We've certainly been given the impression that once Disney's 2018 blockbusters fall off the service, Disney would be in the clear to do with them what they wished. There's certainly been no indication that any of the content on Disney+ would ever need to be removed once it was added.

Of course, since it will be several years until we get to this issue, it's quite possible this will never come to pass. Disney and Netflix could always work out some sort of deal, that would probably involve Disney paying Netflix a lot of money, that would allow the Mouse House to get out of any holdover contract stipulations. The likelihood of that would all depend on how important losing three years of material on Disney+ might be to the service, and it will be years before we know the answer to that.

By then, Disney's collection of library and original content may be so strong that even losing major hits like Black Panther or Star Wars: The Last Jedi are no big deal.

It's also unclear for exactly how long these movies will be exclusive for Netflix. If the window each movie has on the streaming service is similar to the first time each of these films debuted on Netflix, it could be several years before everything is back on Disney+. The deal will also split up major franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars, so different chapters of each will be available in different places.

Nobody is quite sure what Disney+ means for Netflix's future success or for the growing streaming market as a whole, but it does seem like Netflix isn't going to be entirely without some major blockbusters in the future, and Netflix may be able to battle Disney+ with some of the studio's own movies.

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Why Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Needs To Work As A Standalone Movie, According To J.J. Abrams

Why Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Needs To Work As A Standalone Movie, According To J.J. Abrams

The past few years have been very exciting for Star Wars fans, as new and exciting projects have been released in theaters. The galaxy far, far away only continues to grow, including standalone films and an upcoming live-action TV series. But all eyes are currently on the main franchise, as J.J. Abrams' The Rise of Skywalker will conclude the current trilogy, as well as the nine movie narrative that started with A New Hope.

Episode IX will end the Skywalker Saga forever, so there is a ton of pressure regarding what J.J. Abrams will include in the upcoming blockbuster. But while The Rise of Skywalker is the final installment in a long running franchise, the director also took care to craft an independent story that stands on its own. As he recently explained at Star Wars Celebration:

Also, this movie, in addition to being the end of three trilogies, also needs to work as its own movie. That’s been part of the fun of it, part of the challenge of it. This movie is about this new generation and what they’ve inherited: the light and the dark. And asking the question as they face the greatest evil: Are they prepared? Are they ready? It’s been really incredible to look at this thing George has created and bring it to a close in this way.

J.J. Abrams may understand the pressure of wrapping up the Star Wars franchise as we know it, but he also wanted to create a contained, satisfying movie. That balance is going to be important going into The Rise of Skywalker, so it's good to see that Abrams is cognizant of it all.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker might be the final movie in a decades spanning franchise, but it's also going to be focused on the trio of new characters that J.J. Abrams created for The Force Awakens. So while Leia, Lando, and Luke will factor into the story, smart money says the primary focus will be on the new class, and their continued battle against The First Order.

During the same conversation at Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy spoke to the challenge of wrapping up the entire franchise so far, ending a narrative that was started decades ago when A New Hope premiered in 1977. As Kennedy put it,

What’s really fascinating is it’s over 40 years. So, the context George is working with is forty years later. To keep this relevant and meaningful to the characters and to the people experiencing this story, it has to feel like it’s of its time. I think that what we’ve done is taken to heart everything that inspired George and then I think the inspiration J.J. has brought to this has given it even more depth.

It looks like everyone involved in The Rise of Skywalker understood the dual role the film had to play. Yes, the Skywalker Saga must be given an appropriate ending, but the movie also has to function as a standalone film, with its own themes and story. The pressure is on, so we'll just have to wait and see what J.J. Abrams churns out with his second foray into the beloved space opera.

All will be revealed when Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arrives in theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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James Gunn's Return To Disney Goes Beyond Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

James Gunn's Return To Disney Goes Beyond Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

When big news hits, as you might imagine, things at CinemaBlend go a little bonkers. Everybody goes slightly crazy as we all try to make sure we have all our bases covered. Things went crazy like that last summer when the word came down that Disney had dropped James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and they went that way again just now as the news came out that he's back. While this news is huge for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the fact is that Gunn's involvement with these characters went beyond two, and now one day, three movies. James Gunn's return is going to be very good news for Disney's theme park business as well, because the Guardians of the Galaxy are a big part of that.

James Gunn was directly involved in the development of Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout, the first marvel themed attraction at a Disney theme park. In fact, he directed the video sequences of the ride while he was in production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Right now, a major new E-ticket attraction is under construction at Epcot at Walt Disney World. It's a Guardians of the Galaxy themed roller coaster. While most of the details of the experience itself have yet to be confirmed, beyond some cool technical stuff, we fully expect the MCU versions of these characters to feature prominently. The initial indication was that James Gunn and the Guardians actors would film whatever sequences were required for the attraction while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was in production. When Gunn left the job and the movie was put on indefinite hold, it was far from clear what that meant for the theme park attraction.

The ride has something of a hard deadline. While no official opening date has been given, the ride has been promised to be open in time for Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary, which will be in 2021.

While we have no idea at this point when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be going into production, we do know that it will happen sometime after The Suicide Squad aka Suicide Squad 2 is completed. With that film looking at a summer 2021 release date, Gunn might not even get around to Guardians 3 until the end of 2021 or so.

Still, I would fully expect James Gunn to spearhead whatever production is necessary for the new Epcot attraction. This means that Gunn's first work back with Disney might not actually be Guardians of the Galaxy 3, it could actually be whatever theme park work is required. It likely can't wait until the movie goes into full production and will probably be handled separately.

The Guardians of the Galaxy are an important part of Disney's plans for Marvel, as the team is one of the few parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that Disney can use freely due to old agreements Marvel made with Universal theme parks before the company was purchased by Disney. At the same time, no part of the MCU is as closely tied to a single creator as the Guardians are to James Gunn.

One of the nice things about Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout is that the structure of the experience allows for new content to be filmed and added to the ride over time. This is now that much more likely happen now that Guardians 3 is back on and Gunn is back involved. This will give the attraction the ability to stay relevant for a longer period of time, and keep guests going back.

What the future holds for the Guardians of the Galaxy at Disney Parks is far from clear, but there is now a brighter future to be sure.

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Apparently Avengers: Endgame's Second Half Is Mind-Blowing

Apparently Avengers: Endgame's Second Half Is Mind-Blowing

Thanks to the intense secrecy of Avengers: Endgame, fans know very little of what to expect when they eventually sit down to watch the film later this month. Spectacle and tears have been assured by the filmmakers and cast, but specific plot details are locked in the vault. We still only have broad statements to work off of, but fans are apparently in for a treat, because a source claims that the second half of Endgame is "mind-blowing."

In Avengers: Endgame, the surviving members of the team must band together and find a way to reverse the damage done to the universe by Thanos -- or at least get revenge on the Mad Titan. That's already one epic logline that promises drama and action, and fan theories have risen up to try and plug the various holes. People have pitched everything from time travel to Ant-Man jumping up Thanos' butt, but whatever it ends up being, it will be absolutely wild.

Endgame is projected to have a record-breaking domestic opening that could earn as high as $300 million. As we get closer to the release date, that number could change depending on the reviews of the film. While a bad review can hurt box office performance, Deadline doesn't think Endgame has to worry about bad reviews. A reliable source who has seen the movie told the publication that the second half of Endgame is mind-blowing.

Deadline doesn't go any more specific than that, but mind-blowing feels like it's an accurate word for Endgame based on what we know already. Marvel has been hyping that it pulled off all the stops for this one, and while I think being overhyped is generally a bad thing, all evidence so far suggests Endgame will be a movie to remember.

And it's not just shadowy industry insiders who like the film. Test audiences apparently loved it, too! Per co-director Joe Russo during an interview with BoxOfficePro, Endgame had one of the highest test scores of any Marvel movie.

We’re vigilant about using test audiences to tell us whether we’re on the right track or we’re making bad decisions. With Endgame, it had one of the most incredible audience responses in Marvel history. Irrespective of the length, it’s been consistently embraced by the test audiences.

Butts likely won't be leaving seats during Endgame's wild runtime of three hours. Expect a lot more hype over these next coming weeks and be careful of the leaks that will inevitable arrive online. Something tells me going in as dry as possible will yield the best experience for everyone.

We'll finally have all of our questions answered when Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters on April 26. To learn all the information that we do know, here's our helpful guide.

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This Rotten Week: Predicting Dark Phoenix And The Secret Life of Pets 2 Reviews

This Rotten Week: Predicting Dark Phoenix And The Secret Life of Pets 2 Reviews

The first weekend of June 2019 delivers two high-profile movies on the opposite end of the theatrical spectrum. One film is a much-anticipated and much-delayed comic book project, and the other is an animated sequel about talking animals. Get ready for the X-Men franchise's Dark Phoenix and The Secret Life of Pets 2.

Just remember, I'm not reviewing these movies, but rather predicting where they'll end up on the Tomatometer. Let's take a look at This Rotten Week has to offer.

The Dark Phoenix saga, is one of the most popular comic book storylines ever, and its movie treatment is finally hitting the big screen. X-Men: The Last Stand nodded to the arc tethered to an ever-powerful and unhinged Jean Grey who becomes at odds with the X-Men, but that one fell kinda flat. This latest effort from director Simon Kinberg at least pays more tribute to parts of the original storyline, with Jean’s powers coming from a cosmic force and something resembling Emma Frost (though she’s different) taking part in Grey’s corruption.

The rest of Dark Phoenix's plot is very much taking liberties with the original saga in order to contain and connect the narrative, for better or worse. This is the latest movie in Fox's quasi-rebooted X-Men franchise, with the prior effort, Apocalypse (47%), representing a major dud after the critical successes of First Class (86%) and Days of Future Past (90%).

I think Dark Phoenix will finish somewhere in between, though on the lower end. It doesn’t necessarily look amazing or terrible, but I think there’s enough meat to the source material to at least land Simon Kinberg's film on the positive side of the Tomatometer.

What would happen if your pets lived a double life? Sure, they put on all of the airs of standard pet living when their owners are around, but when left to their own devices, stuff just gets weird and wild. That idea was the basis for the original Secret Life of Pets (73%), and now audiences get to run it back a second time, seemingly without many changes at all. The Secret Life of Pets 2 looks nearly identical to the first.

That’s not always the worst thing in the world, to be sure. After all, it’s a kids’ movie with a built-in audience, and the little ones don’t often need a ton of variation. Illumination Entertainment clearly isn’t in Pixar or DreamWorks' class of animation studios, but their celebrity-filled films generally land in the positive zone. Their last few, in addition to the original Pets movie, include Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (58%), Despicable Me 3 (59%) and Sing (72%). The Secret Life of Pets 2 is sitting at 71% through 31 reviews, but I think it drops over the course of the week.

Recapping last week:

The Rotten Watch scored two for three the last time around. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (Predicted: 45% Actual: 39%) landed within range, though that score kept dropping over the course of the week. Critics mostly agreed the movie’s visuals were on point, and the negative takes almost all stemmed from what many agreed was an utter lack of a storyline. Many agreed the script and characters needed plenty of work and ultimately failed the film, which is the first negatively reviewed flick in the Monster-verse franchise.

I admittedly missed the mark on the Ma (Predicted: 41% Actual: 61%) score, mostly because I failed to understand how critics would view the movie. Most agreed that Octavio Spencer really carried the show, while the positive-minded critics appreciating the film’s rather campy style and over-the-top take on the violence and gore. It didn't land for every critic out there, obviously, but it was enough to keep the score in the positive range.

And finally, the Elton John biopic Rocketman (Predicted: 87% Actual: 90%) was the other win, though truth be told, I had a head start on this score. In any case, critics have adored the glossed-up and pointedly sensational (but apparently accurate) take on the rise of the legendary musician through the early years of his accession into pop music's orbit.

Next time around, we’ve got Men in Black International and Shaft. It’s gonna be a Rotten Week!

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New Angry Birds 2 Trailer Has Birds And Pigs Teaming Up

New Angry Birds 2 Trailer Has Birds And Pigs Teaming Up

When it comes to Angry Birds, most people are familiar with the general premise: birds don't like pigs because they steal eggs, and so they aim to take the oinkers down by launching themselves with a slingshot. The bird vs. pig conflict is at the center of the whole thing, which is why it's a bit surprising to see them fighting on the same side in this new trailer for The Angry Birds Movie 2.

Written by Peter Ackerman (The Americans), and the feature directorial debut of Adventure Time and Camp Lazlo! writer Thurop Van Orman, The Angry Birds 2 seems to start with the famous aforementioned animosity still in place, but things start to change when the birds and pigs are united against a common enemy. It's not really made clear in this trailer, but it seems that this common enemy is a different race of birds who are tired of living on their frozen wasteland of an island.

Many of the actors from the original are coming back, including Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Bill Hader, and Peter Dinklage, but there are also a ton of newcomers joining the fray, including Rachel Bloom, Leslie Jones, Sterling K. Brown, Awkwafina, and Eugenio Derbez.

The first Angry Birds Movie, released in 2016, didn't exactly get the warmest reception from critics, but a sequel was definitely inevitable. Young audiences ate it up, having already been hooked on the brand courtesy of the popular mobile game, and the result was major box office success. Made with a $73 million budget, the film crossed the century mark in America with a $107.5 million gross - but that total balloons to $352.3 million when you also include all of the cash flowing in from foreign territories.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 won't exactly be following in the path of its predecessor, which got a May release when it hit theaters, but there may be significant chance for the sequel to hit even bigger when it comes out this summer. It's one of the few major movies coming out in the latter half of August this year, and that could lead to a lot of tickets being sold as parents try and figure out what the hell they should do with their kids in the weeks leading up to the start of the new school year.

This trailer has some funny moments, and the cast is certainly spectacular, so we'll just have to wait and see if The Angry Birds Movie 2 can outpace its predecessor in multiple areas. Sony Pictures Animation definitely hasn't been shy about promoting it, as this is our second full trailer, and there are still four months to go before the thing hits theaters. Perhaps they are just riding high on confidence following their big Oscar win for Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse last year.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 will be arriving in theaters on August 16th, and to see what else is coming up on the big screen in the months ahead, please check out our 2019 Movie Release Calendar.

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John Wick 3 Is Killing With Fans, Earning Highest Scores Of The Franchise

John Wick 3 Is Killing With Fans, Earning Highest Scores Of The Franchise

Looks like if it was up to fans, John Wick would just keep thinkin' he's back forever. Each John Wick film has gotten progressively higher scores from fans and, in many cases, critics. That's not easy for a franchise to do.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum just opened in theaters yesterday, which means today we get to look at the CinemaScore from moviegoers polled on opening night. We can also check out the Rotten Tomatoes Audience Scores. All told, it looks great for John Wick. The box office is also looking like a franchise best, and maybe even enough to kill off Avengers: Endgame's weekend winning streak.

Seems to me like we can pencil in John Wick 4 for 2021 or 2022, but maybe I'm getting too pushy.

Here are some score comparisons, keeping in mind that John Wick 3's RT Audience Scores will fluctuate after the early rush of opening weekend. But either way, I don't see them going down so much that they don't stay the best of the franchise to date.

JOHN WICK (2014)

RT Audience Score - 80%

RT Critics Score - 86%

CinemaScore - B

Box office - $88,761,661 worldwide

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 (2017)

RT Audience Score - 85%

RT Critics Score - 89%

CinemaScore - A-

Box office - $171,539,887 worldwide

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM (2019)

RT Audience Score (so far) - 93%

RT Critics Score - 88%

CinemaScore - A-

Box office - Stay tuned!

As you can see, John Wick 3 is the only film in the franchise to date that has a higher RT Audience Score than a critics score. It also tied Chapter 2 with an A- CinemaScore. Looking at the first movie, I'm grateful we even got a second one, since a B CinemaScore and less than $100 million worldwide wouldn't inspire everyone to say "Yeah, I think we should keep going." Then again, that first film was made on a super slim production budget of roughly $20 million.

At any rate, John Wick 3 is already on target to top the previous two grosses. It had a very strong opening night at the box office, and the revised opening weekend projections are much higher than the early estimates of $30-40 million. The weekend isn't over yet, but Parabellum is even being eyed as the first to dethrone Avengers: Endgame as #1 at the domestic box office.

John Wick is a very violent franchise, but Keanu Reeves seems like such a chill dude and he's easy to root for. He's already had blockbuster after blockbuster in his career, and it's cool to think that in his mid-50s he's found himself at the top of another career-defining role. He and director Chad Stahelski have talked about being more than willing to come back for more, and John Wick 3 reactions would suggest fans are ready for more as well.

Have you seen John Wick 3 yet? If so, here's more on the ending and where the franchise could go from here. Also, why not add your score/grade to the list by voting in our poll below?

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Midsommar Trailer Is Unsettling And Awesome

Midsommar Trailer Is Unsettling And Awesome

Last year, writer and director Ari Aster burst onto the scene and added another chapter in the horror renaissance with his feature directorial debut Hereditary. Apparently not one to rest on his laurels, Ari Aster is already back with his follow-up, the mysterious horror film Midsommar. The first trailer for Midsommar has arrived and as you might expect, it is both unsettling and awesome. Check it out:

When it’s done well, I’m a big fan of trailers that focus more on teasing the film’s tone versus laying out the specific plot beats, and that’s what we get from the Midsommar trailer. The logline for the film is that a young woman joins her boyfriend on a summer trip where things go awry, and this trailer doesn’t really tell us much more than that, thus maintaining the mystery. It’s more about conveying a feeling, and the feeling that we get here is deeply unsettling.

The imagery paints a picture of a joyous festival. The desaturated color palette, blown out highlights and the almost-Wes Andersonian symmetry in some of the shots are meant to evoke an idyllic picture of summer. The whole thing has this hazy nostalgic quality to it, giving off a magical flower power vision of what we think of as summer. The letterbox is even white! So how can something so beautiful be so unsettling?

The cadence and the minimalistic score of this trailer build slowly, like clockwork ticking down to some inevitable terror, the evil lurking beneath the heavenly and colorful veneer. All the while there is a weirdness to the people we are seeing and what they are saying, and the skepticism on Florence Pugh’s character’s face echoes our own. We wonder what is off about this place then towards the end of the trailer we find out.

Midsommar might mean midsummer, but this trailer might as well be called The Horror of Hippies. It’s not entirely clear what is going on, but there seems to be some cult-ish, paganism-type stuff at play. Given the ending of Hereditary, Ari Aster seems to have a fascination with such ideas. There is a shot of someone with bloody hands against a rune-covered rock, a horribly disfigured person, some strange ritual and a bear being dissected. Something sinister is definitely happening and Florence Pugh’s Dani will somehow have to escape it.

Another thing that unsettles throughout this trailer is the noise the characters keep making. Hereditary’s marketing showed how terrifying children are with Charlie’s clucking noise, a noise that moviegoers who thought themselves original and funny decided to make in the theater. Here the members of this group/participants in this festival are making this exhale sound with their mouths that kind of reminds me of a noise the kids made in the movement sequence in The OA.

Which makes you think, what’s with Ari Aster and noisemaking and how much trouble did he have staying quiet in school?

Midsommar has a great young cast which is led by We’re the Millers and Detroit’s Will Poulter and Florence Pugh, who just starred in the acclaimed wrestling flick Fighting with my Family. All in all, this is an awesome trailer, and as someone who admired the craft of Hereditary more than I actually liked the movie itself, Midsommar just vaulted into one of my most anticipated movies this year.

The festivities begin when Midsommar opens in theaters on August 9. Check out our 2019 release schedule to keep track of all the year’s biggest movies, and for the latest in why Midsommar is still less horrifying than Fyre Festival, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

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The Department Of Justice Is Getting Involved In The Netflix And Oscars Debate

The Department Of Justice Is Getting Involved In The Netflix And Oscars Debate

Should Netflix original movies and the films of other streaming services be eligible for Oscars? Some, like legendary director Steven Spielberg, feel that the theatrical experience should be preserved and Netflix movies should not be eligible for Academy Awards, while others feel that a movie is a movie, no matter the distribution method. Now a new and unexpected voice is weighing in on the debate: the United States Department of Justice.

According to Variety, the DOJ has warned the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences that any potential rule changes that are enacted in order limit the awards eligibility of streaming service films, like those from Netflix, could enter into territory of antitrust and competition law. Makan Delrahim, the chief of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, wrote a letter to Academy CEO Dawn Hudson to communicate these concerns about how such rules might be written.

If the DOJ inserting itself into this industry debate seems out of the blue, it’s not. The letter from the DOJ to the Academy was prompted by reports that industry titan and Academy board member Steven Spielberg intends to push for rules changes for Oscars eligibility. Specifically, that he wants to restrict those films that open theatrically and debut on streaming services around the same time.

In his letter to Dawn Hudson, Makan Delrahim cited Section 1 of the Sherman Act, which “prohibits anticompetitive agreements among competitors.” If the competitors of an industry (the non-streaming entities in Hollywood) agree to essentially lock out new competitors (Netflix and the other streaming services), in order to protect their own profits and impede the newcomers, it could violate antitrust laws.

You might be asking yourself, how exactly does exclusion from the potential to win an Oscar constitute suppression of competition and potentially put this issue into the realm of antitrust? After all, it’s just an awards show and a golden statue. Well, the issue arises if the exclusion from the Oscars diminishes the sales of the films excluded. Basically, if eligibility for Oscars and inclusion in the ceremony confers a financial benefit, exclusion from the ceremony could be considered a deliberate attempt to suppress competition.

The Academy has said that it responded to the DOJ’s letter and noted that the Academy’s Board of Governors will meet for its annual awards rules meeting, where such changes to eligibility could be proposed, on April 23.

This is an interesting development and I will be very curious to see how it plays out if new rules exclude Netflix and streaming films from Oscars eligibility. The competition suppression argument is interesting and I’d be curious how such a thing could or would have to be measured to make the case. If streaming movies only have very limited theatrical runs to qualify during awards season, an Oscar nomination or win wouldn’t theoretically impact ticket sales at the box office. I guess the diminished sales would then have to be measured in streaming service subscriptions.

This is just the latest chapter in the saga of Netflix and the Oscars as the industry grapples with the rapid changes that have come as streaming services have become major power players. At this most recent Oscar ceremony, this issue took center stage as Roma was nominated for 10 Oscars and won 3.

Theater owners and some in the industry are against streaming movies being eligible for Oscars and think that they are essentially TV movies that should compete for Emmys instead. Netflix has pushed back against Steven Spielberg’s claims and others like Ben Affleck, who recently starred in Netflix’s Triple Frontier, think that there is no difference between streaming and theatrical releases.

We’ll continue to keep you updated on this debate that shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release schedule to keep track of all the biggest movies coming out this year.

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Why The Final Trailer Finally Got Me Excited For Dark Phoenix

Why The Final Trailer Finally Got Me Excited For Dark Phoenix

I have to be honest: Up until now, I haven’t been sold on Dark Phoenix as a theatrical experience. None of the trailers for this next and last in this run of X-Men films have made me feel as if this is a must-see blockbuster of epic proportions. Considering this is the end of an era, and the property’s popularity in the past, that had been kind of a worrying sign. Thankfully, there's been one final trailer to turn the tide for me.

When I sat down to watch this final trailer for director Simon Kinberg’s big turn at bat, I found I'm actually pretty excited to see the finished product that is Dark Phoenix. There’s a couple of really big reasons why this morning’s final trailer to the end of the X-Men universe as we know it has me absolutely hyped, and I'm glad to share them with you as we're not too far out from experiencing this pretty big happening.

Now comparing that trailer for Dark Phoenix to all others, there’s a pretty big jump in my feelings towards the material. The rhythm of this new trailer is the cleanest I’ve seen out of all of the Dark Phoenix materials, which is surprising considering there’s not all that much different in terms of what’s being presented.

All the other Dark Phoenix spots did have most of the same building blocks and story beats. Jean absorbs a weird energy source and becomes unstable, mystery character Jessica Chastain is encouraging her to embrace this new power, and the world feels like it’s going to be in for some massive hurting. This is the A-Z story we’ve been presented with, and for the most part I’ve remained skeptical, but willing to be swayed.

The swaying came with this final look at Dark Phoenix, as it lays it all of the same points we’ve seen, but with a better sense of urgency. We see a glimpse of the space rescue that starts it all, with a panicked Cyclops being a perfect catalyst to push the rest of the footage along. After that, it’s a pretty quick and sliding scale from Jean’s miraculous survival to her campaign of utter desolation. She’s embraced pain and she’s not afraid of inflicting it.

Which leads to another reason Dark Phoenix has me sold: Sophie Turner’s performance as Jean Grey. When added to the lineup in X-Men: Apocalypse, she was a key player, but still a member of a growing ensemble. Everyone knew how important she would be to the story, and it was touched upon briefly in that film as a sort of tease for the future.

Dark Phoenix definitely looks like it not only acknowledges that promise, it fulfills it entirely; and it’s because of the growth Turner is allowed to exhibit within this character. The scene in the final trailer that really sold me on Jean Grey as a threat is when she confronts Michael Fassbender’s Magneto. Up until this point, he’s felt like the most powerful mutant on the side of the protagonists in the X-Men films.

Regardles, that moment where Jean breaks his ever-important helmet and she tells him that threatening her isn’t the best idea is the sharpest contrast from the Jean we saw in X-Men: Apocalypse, and it properly sets the table for the main course: a fight between the X-Men and one of their own. Sophie Turner’s simultaneously threatening and sympathetic character makes it all go round more smoothly than I could have ever imagined. If you’re going to end a series like the X-Men, at least for the time being, you need to send them off on a pretty big note.

That’s what this Dark Phoenix footage really feels like it’s setting up. It’s the end of an era, with a grand finale to something that kicked off so long ago in X-Men, and was reborn in X-Men: First Class. Much like Avengers: Endgame has been spelling out the end of the line for the first story arc in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Dark Phoenix’s last look before the big show has given weight to this apocalyptic event. There is a schism coming to the X-Men universe, and nothing will be the same once it’s concluded.

Prior to now, it hadn’t felt this serious, but now, it’s feeling pretty grave. The X-Men series has always been about fear of “the other,” with Charles Xavier and his mutants being on the side of good an acceptance. But now, with Jean Grey’s Phoenix powers, the man and his students are thrown into another microcosm of that argument; and they’re not exactly on the same side as they’ve traditionally been on.

If that’s not a note to end an X-Men story arc on, I don’t know what is; and this last trailer has given me so much to think about and anticipate with this new film. Again, all of this was in previous trailers, but the presentation in this latest one really drives all of the pieces home for me as a viewer. That’s even taking into account the fact that this trailer is more ambiguous about what exactly happens to Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique, despite the promotional material previous to this point basically spoiling that plot point pretty obviously.

Having discussed all of that, let's take a look at the final trailer for Dark Phoenix one last time, and revel in what it portends:

This final trailer to Dark Phoenix not only has me ready to get out to see the spectacle that awaits, it also has me thinking this could be the best X-Men movie since First Class. I’m surprised that Fox didn’t lead with this sort of marketing push, because this would have been the best launching pad to a potentially huge and engrossing campaign overall. That being said, in the era of stealth release drops and streaming giants marketing a film mere hours before it’s set to debut, this could be the studio’s way of adapting to the modern marketplace.

It hasn’t been an easy road for Dark Phoenix, so revolutionary and outside-the-box methods such as this do feel like an experimental way to branch traditional theatrical promotions into the future. Whatever the case may be, I’m totally on board to see the full extent of the devastation that Jean Grey will bring to the X-Men universe. And I’ll be there on opening night to see first it among the die hard fans.

Dark Phoenix unleashes darkness upon the world on June 7th.

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Upcoming Disney Movies: Full List Of Titles And Release Dates

Upcoming Disney Movies: Full List Of Titles And Release Dates

Disney has had some of the biggest box office years of any studio in the history of time over the last few years. While the studio only has a handful of films planned for 2019, almost every single one of them is poised to be a major blockbuster. And then, of course, there's everything they have planned after that.

Between all the different studios that Disney owns, and with another having recently joined them, there's a nearly endless stream of movies planned for the rest of this decade. Here is everything currently on the official Disney release calendar, animated, live-action, comic book, and science fiction, even a documentary just to balance things out. This is your one-stop shop for all things Disney, including upcoming Fox projects.. Here's everything that has to yet to be released by the House of Mouse.

Aladdin

Release Date: May 24, 2019

Early looks at Aladdin had a lot of people worried. Whether it was Will Smith's Genie not being blue or the Genie being a little strange looking while being blue, fans of the animated original were less than thrilled. With the release of the first trailer, the fear seems to have largely calmed down. Considering how popular the original movie is, you can be sure Disney has high expectations for this one.

Dark Phoenix

Release Date: June 7, 2019

The X-Men haven't joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe quite yet, but the final movie in the current franchise will technically be released by Disney now that Fox is owned by the Mouse House. This one has seen several delays, making many wonder just how good it will be, but it seems we'll finally find out in June.

Toy Story 4

Release Date: June 21, 2019

Many would consider the first three Toy Story movies one of the finest trilogies in recent memory. The mere idea of a fourth film sends people into cold sweats, and yet, that film will be here soon. The story will see Woody reunited with his old flame Bo Peep as he and new friend Forky try to get back to Bonnie. The film appears to deal with questions of identity and purpose. There may be something left for this franchise to say after all.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (Sony Produced MCU Movie)

Release Date: July 5, 2019

Technically, Spider-Man: Far From Home isn't a Disney movie, but rather a Sony film. However, since it's still part of the marvel Cinematic Universe, and that's all Disney, we're going to include it here. Exactly how Spider-Man will make it from the end of Avengers: Infinity War to here we don't yet know, but however it works, it will see Peter Parker visiting Europe with school friends, where he'll be pressed into service by Nick Fury.

Stuber

Release Date: July 12, 2019

Another of the new "Disney" releases, by virtue of the fact that they own Fox, Stuber is a comedy that will follow Kumail Najiani as an Uber driver who gets caught up in the work of a cop chasing a killer. It looks like a pretty funny movie that will allow Dave Bautista (the cop) to show off his humorous side.

The Lion King

Release Date: July 19, 2019

The original Lion King is still one of the biggest hits Disney Animation has ever had. One can only imagine what will happen when the story returns to the screen via the same CGI/animation style that brought the animal of The Jungle Book to life. Donald Glover will voice Simba, Chiwetel Ejiofor will voice Scar, and James Earl Jones will be back to reprise his role as Mufasa. The last time this movie nearly made a billion dollars at the box office. This time that number might be low.

The Art Of Racing In The Rain

Release Date: August 9, 2019

The Art of Racing in the Rain is a movie based on a book of the same title. It will star This is Us' Milo Ventimiglia as a race car driver but the story will be told from the perspective of the character's dog, Enzo. Enzo believes that if he handles his life properly, he will be reincarnated as a human, and so he learns all he can about being human from his owner. It sounds like a heartwarming story which is right up the ally of Disney, even though this is actually a Fox product. Disney gave Racing this release date and pushed Artemis Fowl into 2020.

Ready Or Not

Release Date: August 23, 2019

Thriller's aren't exactly the genre that one associates with Disney. However, Fox Searchlight will release Ready or Not in August. It will star Samara Weaving as a new bride who gets forced to take part in a terrifying game by her new in-laws. Don't expect to see the actual Disney name anywhere near this one.

Ad Astra

Release Date: September 20, 2019

Originally scheduled for a Memorial Day Weekend release, this one wasn't pulled from that date until late April, but considering it was a Fox project scheduled to go up against Aladdin that certainly wasn't going to happen. Instead, this Brad Pitt science fiction story has been pushed into the fall where it won't conflict with any of the major Disney tentpole projects.

The Woman in the Window

Release Date: October 4, 2019

Another of the existing movies on the Fox slate that Disney just bought, The Woman in the Window stars Amy Adams as a woman who witnesses a crime, but us hesitant to report it as she discovered it wjhile spyinmg on her new neighbors. Amy Adams stars as the witness. Julianne Moore and Gary Oldman co-star as the neighbors. With a cast like that, this one looks like it could be quite strong.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

After waiting years for the follow-up to the hit Maleficent Disney has decided not to waste any time. Originally set for a 2020 release, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil has been pushed up to the fall of 2019. It will be the first time we've seen Angelina Jolie in front of the camera in years. If she's as deliciously evil and fun as she was he first time around, this one will have been worth the wait.

Release Date: October 18, 2019

Ford v. Ferrari

Release Date: November 15, 2019

James Mangold directs Matt Damon and Christian Bale as a team tasked with building a brand new Ford automobile that will be capable of beating of the dominant Ferreri car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France in 1966. An accomplished director? Oscar winning actors? Based on a true story? a November release date? Did Disney just buy an Academy Awards contender from Fox?

Frozen II

Disney is going to be competing with itself for the box office crown this year. While it seems like Avengers: Endgame will be rthe movie to beat, one should not discount the possibility that Frozen II could play spoiler. The first movie is Disney's biggest animated hit ever and the love that many have for that movie still hasn't died down all these years later. The trailer for the sequel looks to take things down a darker path, but if it has even just one song to become the new "Let it Go," that could be all it needs to be another big hit.

Release Date: November 22, 2019

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Release Date: December 20, 2019

At the end of 2019, a trilogy many of us thought we'd never see will be coming to an end. The third Star Wars trilogy, will finally give a conclusion to the story of Rey, Finn, Poe, and our classic favorites from the original films. The Last Jedi was a movie that split fans. It will be interesting to see if the new film tries to unite them, or continues to carry Star Wars in to new and different places as the franchise continues to grow.

Spies In Disguise

Release Date: December 25, 2019

Will Smith is a super spy who is accidentally transformed into a pigeon. It's not exactly what you'd expect from an animated Disney movie, but this is another Fox project that actually comes from Blue Sky, the animation studio responsible for the Ice Age movies among others. Originally the film was set for September, but Disney has moved the movie to Christmas.

Underwater

Release Date: January 10, 2020

This Fox project stars Kristen Stewert as one member of a team of underwater researchers who have to find safety after their underwater lab is damaged by an earthquake. T.J. Miller and John Gallagher Jr. costar.

Untitled Kingsman Movie

Release Date: February 14, 2020

The next Kingsman film is set to be an origin story of sorts that is set prior to the events of the existing film by a couple of hundred years. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes are among those who will have roles in the film. The project was previously being referred to as Kingsman: The Great Game, but the most recent listing for the film from Disney/Fox is leaving it as yet untitled.

Call of the Wild

Release Date: February 21, 2020

It shows just how crowded the release calendar is for Disney after buying Fox that only one week after the new Kingsman movie, the animated Call of the Wold that stars Harrison Ford, Dan Stevens, and Karen Gillan will be released. We haven't seen this one yet, so it's too early to tell how it looks, but it's based on the calssic Jack London novel and has a remarkable cast so far.

Onward

Release Date: March 6, 2020

There's a lot of what we don't know about Onward. The know cast is made up of Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Octavia Spencer and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, It's being refereed to by Pixar as a "suburban fantasy" film. That's about the extent of what we know. Maybe we'll get a real look at once Toy Story 4 is out.

Mulan (Live-Action)

Release Date: March 27, 2020

Disney's first live-action remake will be a new version of Mulan. Chinese star Liu Yifei will lead an all Asian cast.

The New Mutants

Release Date: April 3, 2020

The New Mutants has been delayed so frequently that there have been significant questions about whether or not the world will ever see it. The newest release calendar from Disney has pushed the movie off yet again. Originally set to release in April of 2018, it's now set to hit screens two years later.

Untitled Marvel

Release Date: May 1, 2020

The first MCU movie of Phase Four is still set for May of 2020, despite that, less than a year before it is set to open, we don't know what movie it is.

Artemis Fowl

Release Date: May 29, 2020

Artemis Fowl is based on a popular book series, but it's not exactly one on the level of Harry Potter. As such, it's hard to gauge how big this one will be. It could be a serious X-factor in the Disney schedule. If it hits as big as most of the movies on this list, it will almost certainly be the birth of a new franchise. If it doesn't it will likely be a footnote on an otherwise impressive box office year. We'll have to wait and see. Originally set for a late summer 2019 release, it's now the Memorial Day weekend release in 2020.

Untitled Pixar Animation

Release Date: June 19,2020

Free Guy

Release Date: July 3, 2020

Ryan Reynolds stars as a bank teller who realizes he's actually a character in a video game.

Bob's Burgers

Release Date: July 17, 2020

In what might be the strangest thing to happen since Disney bought Fox, the release date that was set for a Bob's Burgers movie two years ago has remained unchanged.

Jungle Cruise

Release Date: July 24, 2020

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt co-star in a movie based on the classic Disneyland attraction.

The One And Only Ivan

Release Date: August 14, 2020

Based on a children's book about a silverback gorilla that lives inb captivity, The One and Only Ivan stars Bryan Cranston, Angelina Jolie, and Sam Rockwell.

Death on the Nile

Release Date: October 9, 2020

The follow up to Kenneth Branaugh's Murder on the Orient Express will again make him the director and star when he plays Agatha Christie's famous detective Hercule Poirot. As the title suggests, the story will find the famous detective solving a murder in Egypt.

Untitled Marvel

Release Date: November 6, 2020

Ron's Gone Wrong

Release Date: November 6, 2020

A new U.K animation company called LOcksmith tells the story of a child and his robot best friend who begins to not quite work right.

Untitled Disney Animation

Release Date: November 25, 2020

West Side Story

Release Date: December 18, 2020

Steven Spielberg's remake of the classic musical.

Cruella

Release Date: December 23, 2020

The origin story of the 101 Dalmatians villain starring Emma Stone.

Untitled Marvel

Release Date: February 12, 2021

Nimona

Release Date: March 5, 2021

Blue Sky's animated version of the popular web comic by Noelle Stevenson, showruner of the Netflix version of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

Untitled Disney Live Action

Release Date: March 12, 2021

Untitled Marvel

Release Date: May 7, 2021

Untitled Disney Live Action

Release Date: May 28, 2021

Untitled Pixar Animation

Release Date: June 18, 2021

Untitled Indiana Jones

Release Date: July 9, 2021

Untitled Disney Live Action

Release Date: July 30, 2021

Untitled Disney Live Action

Release Date: October 8, 2021

Untitled Marvel

Release Date: November 5, 2021

Untitled Disney Animation

Release Date: November 24, 2021

Avatar 2

Release Date: December 17, 2021

Untitled Marvel

Release Date: February 18, 2022

Untitled Pixar

Release Date: March 18, 2022

Untitled Marvel

Release Date: May 6, 2022

Untitled Disney Live Action

Release Date: May 27, 2022

Untitled Pixar

Release Date: June 17, 2022

Untitled Disney Live Action

Release Date: July 8, 2022

Untitled Marvel

Release Date: July 29, 2022

Untitled Disney Live Action

Release Date: October 7, 2022

Untitled Disney Live Action

Release Date: November 4, 2022

Untitled Disney Animation

Release Date: November 23, 2022

Untitled Star Wars

Release Date: December 16, 2022

Untitled Disney Live Action

Release Date: February 17, 2023

Avatar 3

Release Date: December 22, 2023

Untitled Star Wars

Release Date: December 20, 2024

Untitled Avatar 4

Release Date: December 19, 2025

Untitled Star Wars

Release Date: December 18, 2026

Untitled Avatar 5

Release Date: December 17, 2027

Recently Released

Captain Marvel

While Captain Marvel is the big MCU movie set in between the two-part Avengers finale, it was set in the 1990s, predating most of the franchise. It introduced us to Brie Larson's new intergalactic hero, who promises to be a major part of Avengers: Endgame and beyond. It gave us a young Nick Fury and answered a couple of questions about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while, of course, creating several more questions in the process.

Release Date: March 8, 2019

Dumbo

The first of three big Disney live-action remakes to hit the screen in 2019 was Dumbo. The earliest Disney animated theatrical film to receive the live-action treatment, the story about the flying elephant was spearheaded by Tim Burton and told a significantly different story, which created a collection of human characters around the baby elephant. While many praised the CGI which created the title character, the rest of the film was not viewed as favorably by many.

Release Date: March 29, 2019

Penguins

Release Date: April 12, 2019

Disney's next big release isn't likely to set pre-sale ticket records or smash the box office, but for a studio that has been in the documentary business almost as long as it's been in the animation business, it's nice that the studio still makes movies designed to educate even more than they're designed to entertain. You may not find this one easily at your major multiplex, but there's nothing wrong with seeking it out.

Avengers: Endgame

Release Date: April 26, 2019

It all comes down to this. After 22 films and 11 years the Marvel Cinematic Universe will come to a head with Avengers: Endgame. While the MCU will continue moving forward, we have no idea just what sort of shape it will be in. Who will live? Who will die? We certainly have no idea, and the only way to know for sure is to watch it and find out.

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