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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mark Hamill Is Still Upset That Han, Luke, And Leia Never Reunited In The New Star Wars Trilogy

Mark Hamill Is Still Upset That Han, Luke, And Leia Never Reunited In The New Star Wars Trilogy

The past few years have been a very exciting for Star Wars fans. Once Disney acquired Lucasfilm, the galaxy far, far away began to expand at impressive rates. The House of Mouse has released one Star Wars movie every year, starting with The Force Awakens. The current trilogy has brought back the trio of original heroes alongside the new cast, but Mark Hamill has one issue in the way this all went down: Han, Luke, and Leia never reunited.

The sequel trilogy includes OG cast members, but it's largely focused on the new class of heroes in Rey, Finn, and Poe. Instead, Han, Luke, and Leia were each scheduled to get their own big movie, which prevented them from actually sharing scenes together. When speaking about Han's death in The Force Awakens, Mark Hamill made his opinions known, saying:

I just thought, Luke’s never going to see his best friend again. You look at it in a self-centered way. I said that it was a big mistake that those three people would never reunite in any way. I guess I was wrong, because nobody seems to care! I have to stipulate that I care, but it didn’t really seem to affect the larger audience. Luke, Han and Leia will never be together again, and I’ll probably never get to work with Harrison again.

I'm not crying, you're crying. While the Star Wars franchise is taking big risks and churning out a ton of content, Mark Hamill doesn't approve of every change. When it comes to keeping the trio of heroes separate, that's one choice he couldn't vibe with.

Mark Hamill's comments to Den Of Geek make a great deal of sense, especially when it came to the relationship between Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. Han was a major presence in The Force Awakens, while Luke was noticeably absent until the blockbuster's final moments. Leia was able to share scenes with both her partner and brother, but Han and Luke weren't so lucky. And as such, Mark Hamill didn't get to work with Harrison Ford again in the franchise that launched their careers into space.

In fact, Luke's friendship with Han was totally lacking from The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. The audience didn't get to watch Luke grieve over Han's death, while Han never expressed how much he missed his best friend. So you can't help but empathize with Mark Hamill's feelings. After all, he's both the main hero and biggest cheerleader of the epic space opera.

But Disney has been pushing boundaries and expanding the Star Wars franchise in brave ways. Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi was extremely subversive and went against all the expectations of the sequel. It should be fascinating to see how the Skywalker Saga and current trilogy are wrapped up with J.J. Abrams' mysterious Episode IX.

Episode IX will arrive in theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

6 Insane Us Easter Eggs That Appear To Have Much Deeper Meanings

6 Insane Us Easter Eggs That Appear To Have Much Deeper Meanings

The following contains significant spoilers for Us.

Based on the weekend's box office results, it appears that a lot of people went to see Jordan Peels's new movie Us. It's a movie that has a lot going on. It has so much happening that it's very possible you didn't catch many or everything worthy of note -- especially if you only saw the movie once.

There are lots of easter eggs and references hidden inside Us, but rather than simply existing within the film so that the audience might catch them, many -- if not all -- of these little moments seem to be clearly chosen by Jordan Peele to help build on the larger themes of Us and foreshadow the story to come. Here are just a few my favorites.

Those Video Tapes

Us opens with a very odd sequence in which we watch a small child watching television in the 80s. Specifically, she's watching a promotion for Hands Across America, the fundraising stunt that was designed to bring attention to homelessness and poverty. Why we're seeing this is far from clear, but what's even more interesting than this dated advertisement is the collection of VHS tapes surrounding the television.

Among the tapes on display are The Goonies, a movie about kids who go exploring through a collection of hidden tunnels under the ground, and C.H.U.D., a horror film about monsters living in the sewers. We also see the box for The Man with Two Brains. While the movie itself doesn't necessarily connect to the concepts behind Us, the idea of two minds being connected is certainly key to understanding Us.

Thriller

Us opens in the 1980s, more specifically in 1986 at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. It's there we meet Adelaide for the first time. She's a young child watching her father compete in carnival-style games where he's able to successfully win her a prize, a Michael Jackson t-shirt specifically, one promoting Thriller, one of the biggest albums ever made.

Bringing up Thriller isn't simply an easy reference to make it clear you're watching a scene from the 1980s. Instead, we're talking about a song that created one of the most memorable music videos of all-time. In the video, Jackson's character shows that he has a dark side. He is both a man and a monster in the same way that the actors in Us play both roles. We also see a horde of zombie-like characters come up from underground, the same place they live in Us.

The Lost Boys

One of my personal favorite references in Us comes just after Adelaide gets her Michael Jackson T-shirt. The family is looking for something else to do at the boardwalk and Adelaide's mother makes a throwaway reference that there is a movie shooting down the boardwalk, and maybe they should try to get in the movie as extras.

This isn't just a random comment. The scene we're watching is taking place in 1986, which would have been exactly when the '80s classic The Lost Boys would have been filming in Santa Cruz, as it was released in 1987. The movie, which takes place in a fictionalized version of Santa Cruz, called Santa Carla, supposes there is a world full of vampires that exists alongside the world that we know. They've always been there, we just didn't know they were there, just like the tethered.

The Shining

For many there is no creepier horror movie than Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. Us pays its own sort of tribute to the classic by borrowing and re-purposing one of its most iconic images, a pair of creepy twins. The Wilson family is friends with another family, the Tylers. Husband Josh is played by Tim Heidecker and wife Kitty by Elizabeth Moss. Like the Wilson family they have two children, but in this case they are twins Becca and Lindsey.

Everybody in Us has a twin of course, but we don't know that at this point in the story. Of course, these twins, like everybody else in the film, have evil duplicates too. In fact, it's them that commit the first killing of "normal" characters when they rush their opposites from either side with knives drawn. Clearly, twins are just evil.

Jaws

The beach sequence when the Wilsons go to Santa Cruz owes more than a little to the classic Steven Spielberg film Jaws. If you needed that explained, there's the fact that son Jason is actually wearing a Jaws t-shirt to the beach in the scene. In both cases we see a seemingly idyllic beach town fall into terror and violence.

However, beyond that, the end of the scene plays out in much the same way as a key sequence in Jaws. Adelaide is sitting on the beach and not really listening to Kitty when she realizes Jason has disappeared. She begins to look around for him and the tension builds to panic as Adelaide tries to cut out all the ancillary noise and find her son. Roy Schneider goes through a nearly identical sequence in Jaws. Although, things actually turn out OK for Jason, at least in that moment.

Alice in Wonderland

While most of the references in Us are front and center (even if their meanings aren't always clear), this one is a bit less obvious, but the implications are certainly there.

Rabbits are an important symbol in Us. We look at them as the opening credits run, and we learn they were the primary food that the tethered had to eat. We also see daughter Zora sporting a t-shirt with a rabbit on it early in the film. When Adelaide finds herself back in the hall of mirrors and she first opens the door into the tunnels, the first thing she sees is a rabbit coming out, and then down the rabbit hole she goes, as in Alice in Wonderland. Once again, we're dealing with the idea that an entirely new world we weren't aware of has existed beneath us all this time.

This is certainly not an exhaustive list of the references in Us. It seems that Jordan Peele left little to chance and nearly everything that we see is there for a reason. What Easter eggs or references did you catch in Us that you thought were especially telling? Let us know in the comments below.

Mary Poppins Returns Has A Weird, Special Connection To The Original Through A Deleted Song

Mary Poppins Returns Has A Weird, Special Connection To The Original Through A Deleted Song

Rob Marshall’s Mary Poppins Returns is very much a love-letter to its 1964 predecessor, weaving a wonderful new story with the wonderful familiar world and characters. There are many fun and smart connections made between the two features, both stylistically and narratively, and even though they are made decades apart they still feel of a piece. Obviously 99% of that is extremely purposeful and intentional, but the sequel also has a fantastic accidental link to the first movie as well – specifically through a musical sequence that both films attempted, but ultimately decided not to use.

Last week I had the immense pleasure of sitting down with Rob Marshall to discuss his work on Mary Poppins Returns for the film’s home video press day, and during the interview talked about one song that was developed for the feature but not used: “The Anthropomorphic Zoo.” As the director explained, it was initially going to be a part of the extended journey taken by Mary (Emily Blunt), Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), Anabel (Pixie Davies), John (Nathanael Saleh), and Georgie (Joel Dawson), but was cut back when the sequence became too long:

There is a song that we had originally called "The Anthropomorphic Zoo," which was part of the animation sequence, but the animation sequence was way too long… It's about a zoo where people are in the cages, and the animals are walking around with Victorian garb on and pointing at the people in the cages. And it's very funny, and it comes from the books. Well, we tried it, we wrote the song, and it's there on the DVD to see with little bits some wonderful storyboarding and so forth, but we decided not to do it.

Obviously this kind of thing happens all the time, as every movie in history has at least one potentially great cut sequence that just didn’t work as part of the finished product. What makes this case special, however, is that apparently an almost identical decision was made in the making of the original Mary Poppins.

As Rob Marshall explained, the inspiration behind “The Anthropomorphic Zoo” came directly from the beloved book series by P.L. Travers on which Mary Poppins and Mary Poppins Returns are both based, and fate would have it that it wasn’t the first time that the sequence was considered for live-action adaptation. After deciding not to include the number, the filmmaker made a surprising discovery, learning that the original basically made the exact same call back in the early 1960s:

After we decide not to do it I went to the archives here at Disney, and I saw that they had tried to do the same thing in the '64 version. There was a song called "The Chimpanzoo" that the Sherman brothers wrote, and they didn't use it either. So that was the craziest thing ever. Isn't that crazy?

It’s a fantastic little coincidence – but what makes it a little extra fun is that it’s not exactly a “lost” Mary Poppins song anymore. Even though the production didn’t actually fully develop the sequence, there will be a special feature on the Digital, Blu-ray and DVD copies of Mary Poppins Returns that will give audiences a chance to listen to the track and imagine what could have been.

You can watch my full interview with Rob Marshall, including his great bit of trivia about “The Anthropomorphic Zoo” by clicking play on the video below.

Following its massively successful box office run over the past few months, Mary Poppins Returns is heading to home video very soon. The hit musical will be available for digital download starting on March 12th, and those of you who collect physical copies will be able to find 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD editions in stores on March 19th.

Dark Phoenix Will Have Two New Characters, One Being A Hellfire Club Nod

Dark Phoenix Will Have Two New Characters, One Being A Hellfire Club Nod

While still not officially confirmed, it’s looking like Dark Phoenix will be the end of the main X-Men film series that began in 2000. Still, this saga looks to be wrapping things up with a bang through its new adaptation of The Dark Phoenix Saga that bares little resemblance to 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand. Among the many differences in Dark Phoenix is the introduction of two new characters, Selene and Red Lotus, with Selene being a nod to the Hellfire Club, the organization that played an integral role in Jean Grey being corrupted into Dark Phoenix. Here’s what director Simon Kinberg had to say about Selene’s inclusion:

One of the characters is based on a character from the comic, and the other character is sort of an amalgam of different characters from the comic and inspired by different characters. The one that’s from the comic is Selene, which is a little bit of a nod to the Hellfire Club. It’s obviously a huge part of the original Dark Phoenix Saga in the comics, and it’s not something we really explore in this film. I wanted to have something that would at least be an homage to that, and it’s also a character I always thought was cool and cool-looking.

For those unfamiliar with X-Men comic book lore, the Hellfire Club was introduced in 1980’s Uncanny X-Men #129, and with the organization’s Inner Circle at the time consisting of Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost, Harry Leland, Donald Pierce and Jason Wyngarde, a.k.a. Mastermind. Mastermind slowly manipulated Jean Grey into doing his bidding on behalf of the Hellfire Club, but she eventually broke free of his control and went on her infamous reign of terror, which included consuming a star. The Hellfire Club was introduced to the big screen in 2011’s X-Men: First Class, but following the death of Kevin Bacon’s Shaw, it hasn’t been seen or referenced since in that universe (presumably it collapsed). Still, Simon Kinberg decided to use Selene as a stand-in for the organization during this latest exploration of Jean’s fall from grace.

Selene is played by Kota Eberhardt in Dark Phoenix, and Simon Kinberg told CinemaBlend’s own Eric Eisenberg at WonderCon that although she’s a brand-new actress, he saw her audition tape and found her to be “really interesting.” Since Selene doesn’t have a lot of screen time in Dark Phoenix, the person who would play her needed to be “striking,” and Eberhardt was deemed the right woman for the job.

As for Red Lotus, he’s played by Andrew Stehlin, but don’t expect him to be an exact copy of how he is depicted in the comics. Simon Kinberg continued:

And then the other character is a character that, like I said, is sort of a combination of different mutants and an original creation. And that’s played by, actually, a guy who’s one of our stuntmen, and he was originally doing the stunt choreography and the coordination for it. And I was looking at him, and I was like, not only is he so good at doing the action, which is primarily what that character does in this film, but also he’s just very interesting-looking. And it turns out he can act as well, ‘cause he’s got a couple lines in the movie.

Simon Kinberg also noted that Red Lotus’ braids are connected to his powers, so some of the time the braids is real and other times they’re CGI. We have yet to learn how Selene and Red Lotus will be brought into the Dark Phoenix proceedings, but as you can see in the image at the top of the page, they will be affiliated with Magneto, perhaps indicating that they share his sentiment that Jean Grey is beyond saving and needs to be eliminated before she gets too out of control.

Dark Phoenix arrives in theaters on June 7, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on the project. For now, check out our 2019 release schedule to learn what other movies are coming out this year.

Joe Carnahan Says He Left Bad Boys For Life Over Differences With Will Smith

Joe Carnahan Says He Left Bad Boys For Life Over Differences With Will Smith

Development hell is a concept that isn't new to the film world. While certain projects seem to be promising and have the recipe for success, sometimes plans fail, and movies don't actually come to fruition. Highly anticipated action threequel Bad Boys For Life originally seemed like one of those movies, as it was been stuck in development hell for a number of years before finally going into production months ago.

Starting back in 2008, quite a few incarnations of Bad Boys' threequel were worked on before the current version was eventually nailed down. The Grey's Joe Carnahan was set to write and possibly direct Bad Boys III back in 2015, although he ultimately dropped out after the project stewed for a few years. Now he's explained the reasoning behind his departure, saying:

I just know myself, man. And I thought what we were doing at that point was the law of diminishing returns. I wasn’t servicing the story that I was really excited about telling, that the studio had green-lit. And again, this isn’t to throw shade at Will — it’s your face on the poster, it’s your name on the poster, you need to do things the way you want them done.

Well, this certainly sheds a light on things. Joe Carnahan doesn't seem to have sore feelings about the situation, but it appears that he had some creative differences with franchise star Will Smith. And since Smith is starring and producing Bad Boys For Life, he's got the right to have the final say. But that's just not how Carnahan wanted to make that movie.

Joe Carnahan's comments to Collider are in juxtaposition to the explanation that was given to his exit back in 2017. At that point, some reports indicated a scheduling conflict as the reason for Carnahan's departure. But it ultimately looks like it was creative differences, and a conflict with none other than Will Smith himself.

In his recent interview, Joe Carnahan was sure to not actually bad mouth With Smith over how Bad Boys For Life eventually came out. On the contrary, he understands what Smith has at stake for the project, and his own creative vision. But since they clashed, the director decided to exit the project, because he didn't want to work that way on the action sequel.

During that same conversation, Joe Carnahan was sure to pay his respects to Will Smith. Furthermore, he expressed how he was nervous to leave such a high-profile gig, explaining:

Here’s the thing. I love Will, he’s a great guy. It’s just, you get to a point where ... listen, I always say this. Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, you find me a motherfucker in the modern era that’s walked away from movies with those guys and is still working in some capacity.

It looks like Joe Carnahan harbors no ill-will toward Will Smith due to his Bad Boys For Life departure. And while he was taking a risk by turning down such an opportunity, the writer/director had to follow his gut. That eventually made way for directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah to get behind the camera for the new blockbuster.

Bad Boys For Life recently wrapped production, and is currently set to arrive in theaters on January 17, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Yes, Seth Rogen Is Always High When Filming Movies

Yes, Seth Rogen Is Always High When Filming Movies

Seth Rogen is pretty busy in 2019. He’s set to star in this weekend’s Long Shot opposite Charlize Theron and he’s set to voice Pumbaa in The Lion King. Plus he’s producing a slew of projects like the aforementioned Long Shot and Good Boys. Still, there’s one thing he consistently finds time for and it’s weed. Notably, he even likes to work while high.

During a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the late night host point blank asked him whether or not he liked to work stoned, to which Rogen confirmed “there’s 100%” chance he’s high when the audience is watching him in movies, elaborating,

Yeah, I smoke weed all day, every day of my life. For the last twenty years, exclusively [I’ve worked high]. … I do actually enjoy weed in my personal life and on film.

Stephen Colbert related a story about how one time he tried to do improv high, which is like the equivalent of telling a regular marathon runner you ran a mile once. It’s pretty adorable.

Meanwhile, Rogen also related a story on The Late Show about how he would be filming Long Shot and watching Charlize Theron, only to realize she’s a way better actor than he is. The story goes into detail about filming the scene, and it certainly sounds like he was in his head a lot while filming Long Shot.

This has nothing to do with the weed story, but also it might have everything to do with the weed. You can watch the full interview, below.

Marijuana crops up in a lot of Seth Rogen’s movies, including Pineapple Express, which is all about pot. In addition, the actor has been open about smoking while he works, previously revealing that he likes to smoke pot while writing.

I smoke a lot of weed when I write, generally speaking. I don't know if it helps me write. It makes me not mind that I'm writing. And I don't know if it makes me work better, but it makes me not care that I'm working. Who wants to work? But if you're stoned, it doesn't seem like work.

Plus, Seth Rogen recently unveiled his own cannabis company, Houseplant, which is currently selling product in British Columbia.

In Long Shot, Rogen plays a journalist who recently quit his gig due to a corporation taking over. He eventually catches the eye of a presidential hopeful played by Charlize Theron, who was his babysitter as a kid. He starts speechwriting for her and they develop a bond that turns into an unlikely romantic entanglement. And yes, it seems Seth Rogen was stoned while filming it, which is pretty fitting for the character, Fred Flarsky, he plays in the film.

Long Shot hits theaters this Friday, May 3 and could act as the perfect counterprogramming for Avengers: Endgame. See what else is being released in May with our full movie guide.

How Rocketman's Box Office Opening Compares To Bohemian Rhapsody

How Rocketman's Box Office Opening Compares To Bohemian Rhapsody

Rocketman has no choice but to be compared with the huge recent hit that was Bohemian Rhapsody. Honestly, there are worse problems. When it comes to the opening box office, the Elton John biopic doesn't quite hold a candle in the wind to killer Queen, but no one expected it to.

Rocketman is rated R and made the bold choice to fully explore Elton John's sex and drugs lifestyle. The movie shows sex scenes between men, and that's still seen as controversial in a few markets, which limits the overall audience. The filmmakers figured that would be the case, but made the decision anyway to be true to Elton's story.

Still, Rocketman actually over-performed from its initial projection of a $20 million domestic opening. It opened to an estimated $25 million opposite very stiff competition. Rocketman opened in third place at the U.S./Canada market, and it has already made more than $30 million overseas at this point for a current worldwide total of $56,200,000, per Box Office Mojo.

Bohemian Rhapsody, on the other hand, had a November 2018 opening weekend of $51 million at the domestic box office.

Taron Egerton plays Elton John in the new biopic and he said he'd be happy to make even half of Bohemian Rhapsody's money. Rocketman is not likely to make that much overall, but the domestic opening was about half of Bohemian's domestic opening. So there you go.

Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman semi-share a director in Dexter Fletcher. Fletcher directed all of Rocketman and the very end of Bohemian Rhapsody after Bryan Singer was fired.

Critics have been kinder to Rocketman than Bohemian Rhapsody, but fans gave the Rami Malek/Freddie Mercury movie an A CinemaScore vs. A- for Taron Egerton/Elton John. The Rotten Tomatoes Audience Scores are just about the same so far, but Bohemian has way more overall ratings, so there's no way to compare that fairly quite yet.

Bohemian Rhapsody just kept making money week after week, especially overseas, and also picked up some Oscars. Bohemian Rhapsody made $216.4 million at the domestic box office, which is impressive enough, but it picked up a staggering $687 million at foreign markets for an overall total of $903,655,259. No one saw that coming, and no one expects to see it again anytime soon.

A Star Is Born was also an R-rated music movie -- although not a music biopic -- and it made $42.9 million in its October 2018 opening. Worldwide, it went on to make $434 million.

Rocketman has controversy hurdles to pass, though, when it comes to markets like Russia where gay content is censored. It's possible the censorship will make some fans more eager to buy tickets to support the film anyway in protest. Who knows. As of now, Paramount says it's releasing the film uncut around the world, but local distributors follow their own laws.

Will Rocketman see Oscar glory like Bohemian Rhapsody? The release date will hurt it there, since Rocketman is likely to be lost in the pack once the fall movies arrive. But we'll see. Keep up with everything heading to theaters this year with our 2019 movie release guide.

Wait, Did Vin Diesel Join The Avatar Sequels?

Wait, Did Vin Diesel Join The Avatar Sequels?

Right now, under the strictest measures of security, writer/director James Cameron is making the sequels to his record breaking opus Avatar, in anticipation of the releasing the first follow up at the end of next year. And while taking a break from the rigors of that gargantuan task, Cameron decided to record a short video on set with a new friend, Fast and Furious lead and celebrity uber-nerd Vin Diesel. But, wait a second, could this mean that Diesel has joined the ranks of the cast for this big ticket event franchise?

This prospect seems to be pretty likely from where we’re standing, as this feels like one of the only reasons that the stereotypically cryptic James Cameron would even let Vin Diesel glimpse at what he considers top secret materials of a sensitive nature. Sure, there’s a possibility that Diesel and Cameron are mutual fans of each others’ work and just wanted to hang out, but this doesn’t seem like the kind of place to do that unless some sort of Avatar business was involved.

In addition to that speculation, and between the lighthearted joking and friendly patter shown on display between the two titans, there were some choice remarks made by Vin Diesel that have us questioning if some sort of big announcement is coming our way in the future.

Specifically, Diesel said the following, which set off alarm bells in our heads:

It’s long overdue. There is one person in Hollywood I’ve always wanted to work with, and learn from. … All things come, I guess, to those who wait.

Cue some shenanigans with funny voices and references to Kung Fu, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for a cute viral video that could lead to a lot more if the implications are correct. But there’s another interesting point to make, as this Instagram post’s contents snuck in one more potential bit of news.

Right at the beginning of the video, James Cameron announced that he and Vin Diesel were on the set of “Avatars 2, 3, 4, & 5,” which is interesting considering those last two sequels don't have an official green light just yet. While this doesn’t particularly mean anything, seeing as how Cameron is probably more than optimistic he’ll get those last two films off the ground, it wouldn’t be surprising if that was another featured bit of news coming down the pike in the near future.

With the Disney/Fox merger now complete, and the Aliens filmmaker more than entrenched with both halves of that corporate cookie, this new alliance could be the moment everyone was waiting for before pulling the trigger on Jake Sully’s continuing adventures. And with new sequels come new cast members to help flesh out the 5 film story James Cameron has planned.

You can parse out the action for yourself, as we’re providing the entire video for your viewing pleasure below:

Now we must remind you dear Avatar fans that this isn’t an official announcement of any sort of partnership or deal for Vin Diesel to join on for Avatar 2-5, or that the entries 4 and 5 are confirmed to be officially in the works. Hell, we can’t even tell you if the titles that supposedly leaked are legit or not. All we can say is that Diesel has been spotted on the set with James Cameron, and it really sounds like the two are thick as thieves, plotting an otherworldly adventure that could change the movie world again.

What we can tell also you, among other things, is that Avatar 2 is scheduled for release on December 18, 2020; and that you can visit the attraction Pandora – The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. Which will probably be super easy to access once that other big Disney Parks attraction opens at various periods this year.

That Time Scarlett Johansson Had To Pick Up Guys While Filming A Movie

That Time Scarlett Johansson Had To Pick Up Guys While Filming A Movie

2013’s Under the Skin was certainly one of the most bizarre roles to date for Scarlett Johansson. The actress played an alien masquerading as an alluring woman who scours the streets of Glasgow for men, entices them to have sex with her and then murders them in cold blood. As it turns out, during the making of Under the Skin Johansson had quite the unconventional experience with several of the men playing opposite of her. Here’s what she said:

A remarkable aspect of Under the Skin is that a lot of the people who appear in it aren’t actors. They’re normal people – who happen to be walking down a road minding their own business when a pretty lady pulls up in a van alongside them and offers them a lift to Tesco and then a film crew clutching disclaimers leaps out of the back.

Wait… what? Many of the men featured in Under the Skin were actually picked up by Scarlett Johansson herself, whilst she was in character in short black hair. In an interview with The Guardian, she was asked at what point did director Jonathan Glazer tell her they didn’t have other actors and the plan was to drift through the streets and find some during the making of the 2013 sci-fi drama? Her answer:

That happened later on. And none of us knew how it was going to work. We toyed with lots of different things like prosthetics, teeth, all kinds of things that would change my face but only slightly, when in fact there was no need to do any of that.

Under the Skin was an indie film with just a $13 million budget, which explains the lack of actors in the film. It was unclear if this method would actually work though. Would they recognize the actress? It seemed to work out in the film’s favor and lean into the realism of the experience.

Daily Mail spoke with one of the men who was approached by the famous actress. 29-year-old Kevin McAlinden stopped him while in her car, rolled down the window and asked “Are you single? What are you doing tonight?” He didn’t recognize her as Scarlett Johansson, but noticed the actress’ undeniable beauty had recently split with his partner. He thought he won the jackpot. In his words:

I thought, 'Yes! This is unbelievable!' I’d been having quite a tough time in my personal life, so this was like a lucky break. I should have known it was too good to be true.

When he got into the car, he of course was told he was being recruited for a movie role. Can you imagine? That’s Black Widow, man? Duh! She’s only the most successful actresses in the world. Either way this is a crazy story about the behind-the-scenes of Under the Skin and certainly calls for a second-viewing after learning this about it.

You can see Scarlett Johansson next in Avengers: Endgame starting April 26.

Colin Farrell Loved The Dumbo Sets So Much He Spent Extra Time Just Wandering Around

Colin Farrell Loved The Dumbo Sets So Much He Spent Extra Time Just Wandering Around

Few auteurs have made as big an impact on modern cinema than Tim Burton. The filmmaker’s style is identifiable from a mile away, and it’s a specific aesthetic that has driven some of the most visually interesting features to be released in the last 35 years. His work possesses many charms, including a wonderful practicality, and it’s that particular element of Burton’s filmmaking process that really boggled the mind of Colin Farrell in the making of Dumbo.

Unlike many of the stars of the new Disney film (including Eva Green, Danny DeVito, and Michael Keaton), Colin Farrell didn’t have the experience of working with Tim Burton prior to the making of the new live-action adaptation, but that just meant that the entire experience was brand new to him. This was something that he very much reveled in during production, as he recently told me about how he would actually spend extra time on set when nobody was around, taking it all in. Discussing his expectations for working with Burton, Farrell explained,

I expected... My mind is not potent enough to have expected the degree of elaborateness that was present on the sets of this film. But I knew that it would be elaborate, and I knew that it would be big, and I knew that it would be beautiful, and colorful, and noisy. But I had no idea. And when I saw some of the sets, I mean they were just the most beautiful, you know? I'd find myself walking on to the sets when there was nobody there and just looking around.

Colin Farrell wore his appreciation for the beauty of Tim Burton’s Dumbo on his sleeve when I had the opportunity to sit down with him earlier this month during the new film’s Los Angeles press junket. During the interview he mentioned that he had met the director years before making the new movie – specifically they had a chat while drinking coffee poolside at the Roosevelt Hotel (don’t you just love Hollywood?) – but that meeting apparently didn’t fully prepare the actor for the experience of collaborating with the filmmaker. So when he arrived and saw the massive, practical, and colorful sets that had been built for the live-action adaptation of the Disney animated classic, he was really blown away.

There are some actors who can’t get off set fast enough when they are done with a day of production on a movie, but that most definitely wasn’t the case for Colin Farrell in the making of Dumbo. Instead, he found that the experience of being alone on the massive circus sets that had been built overwhelmed him with emotions – particularly a thankfulness that he has a life that allows him to be a part of beautiful art. Said Farrell,

And talk about moments of nostalgia! Even though I didn't have relationship with Dumbo or circuses, it's just honestly a lot of gratitude, actually, for living in such a beautiful world, and being a part of telling a story, albeit for a finite moment in time.

In Dumbo, Colin Farrell stars as Holt Farrier, a circus performer who we first meet at the start of the story when he returns from fighting in World War I. He is beyond elated to once again be with his two children, Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins), but he’s also not quite the man he used to be, as an injury sustained during battle led to him losing his left arm. He does his best to try and return his life to what it was before he left, but finds challenges from his disability. It’s a scary and hard time, but optimism soon arrives in the form of a young elephant with ears so big that they allow it to fly.

The seventeenth film from Tim Burton, and also starring Alan Arkin in addition to all the names mentioned above, Dumbo will soon be arriving in theaters – scheduled to land on March 29th. Between now and then, be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend, as we have plenty more coming from my interviews with the movie’s cast and filmmakers.

Dark Phoenix's Jessica Chastain Told Sophie Turner To Stand Up For Herself To Co-Star

Dark Phoenix's Jessica Chastain Told Sophie Turner To Stand Up For Herself To Co-Star

Sophie Turner will soon reprise her badass roles as Sansa Stark on Game of Thrones in the highly-anticipated final season and as an ultra-powerful Jean Grey in X-Men: Dark Phoenix. The 23-year-old actress isn’t immune to moments of timidity, and recently spoke of a time when she was lifted up by one of her co-stars on the Dark Phoenix set. One actor apparently "walked off set" just as it became time for her to say her lines and a writer had to stand in for him for the scene. Here's what Turner said of the situation:

I actually have a really big problem with not being able to stand up for myself. Especially if I’m arguing against a man. Jessica Chastain is the one that said it to me, ‘You need to stand up for yourself more!’ She said, ‘Just go and talk to him, go and say something to him!’ I’m a bit of a shy, pushover person, but I’m getting there, I’m working on it.

Jessica Chastain, who also stars in Dark Phoenix, must have witnessed the awkward and disrespectful exchange between Sophie Turner and an undisclosed male actor and encouraged her to engage in a discussion with him about it.

In Sophie Turner’s cover interview with Glamour, the actress expressed that she sometimes struggles with speaking up for herself, but thanks to amazing co-workers such as Jessica Chastain, she is starting to improve. While we’re of course wondering who had the nerve to walk out on Turner in the middle of a scene, what’s important here is the moment of encouragement between her and Chastain.

As the interview notes, she really is getting better at speaking up for herself. Back in January, Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan agreed with a statement about celebrities trying to make mental health "fashionable." Sophie Turner took to Twitter to fiercely respond to his comments. Check it out:

Not so much of a pushover now! She not only clapped back, she did so with some alarming mental health statistics, and ended with a simple burn of "twat." The young actress is having a strong character arc of her own from the on-set incident to this Twitter call out – though face-to-face confrontation and typing out a tweet aren’t quite the same.

In Dark Phoenix, Jessica Chastain will play an alien shapeshifter who will be the sort of "devil on Jean’s shoulder" as Jean is faced with incredible new power she doesn’t know what to do with or control. From the footage we’ve seen thus far, the pair seem to share quite a few scenes together as Professor X, Magneto, and the mutants try to figure out how to stop their dangerous friend.

Sophie Turner will first return as her iconic Game of Thrones character on April 14 in a six-episode finale that’s sure to get the world talking. X-Men: Dark Phoenix comes to theaters on June 7, 2019.

Bond 25 Will Reportedly Be Back On Its Feet ‘Within The Week’

Bond 25 Will Reportedly Be Back On Its Feet ‘Within The Week’

Yesterday, James Bond fans were hit with some pretty bad news as they heard that Daniel Craig had been injured on the set of the next James Bond film and that production had been suspended as a result. Luckily, however, it doesn't appear that the injury to Craig is particularly serious, as it's now being reported production is expected to resume within the week.

Yesterday it was reported that Craig had slipped while running, tweaking ligaments in his ankle. Craig was apparently in a great deal of pain and was flown to the U.S. for X-rays and to ascertain the extent of the damage. Luckily, The Sun, who also revealed the initial injury, is now reporting that the damage is less serious than was feared and production should only remain closed down for a few days.

This is some of the only good news that Bond 25 has received in its life span. The film first had trouble getting off the ground after original director Danny Boyle left the project.Then, the script, which started over from scratch at that point, went through a number of hands, and according to some reports may still be having issues.

The script problems caused Bond 25 to shift its release date back from February of next year to April. If Daniel Craig's injury had been more severe another potential delay may have been in the cards, but it now seems like that won't be necessary.

Craig's injury came near the end of Bond 25's time filming in Jamaica. We know, based on the plot synopsis of the new movie, that's where the story will start. Bond will have retired at the begging of the film, but friend and colleague Felix Lighter of the CIA will request the former spy's help. From there, we have no idea where things go. The film is still without an official title, not that James Bond movie titles on their own usually reveal much about the movies themselves.

Perhaps we'll learn more about the story once we know where production on Bond 25 is headed next.

This is far from the first time Daniel Craig has been injured filming James Bond movies. In fact, Craig has had much more serious injuries in the past that have delayed production for more significant periods of time. While playing James Bond is certainly going to be a physical role, we all have our limits.

Daniel Craig has been a great James Bond but at 51-years-old, maybe it's really not a bad thing that this is expected to be his final turn in the role. We certainly don't want to see him hurt himself in any serious way, and he's earned the right to rest. He may be getting older when it comes to playing James Bond but he's still got decades of acting ahead of him, assuming he remains healthy.