Cillian Murphy's Odds To Play James Bond Have Gone Way Up

Cillian Murphy's Odds To Play James Bond Have Gone Way Up

The next James Bond movie has been slightly delayed, but the movie is happening, and Daniel Craig will be back in the lead role. Of course, it seems quite likely that Craig will be done after this next film and whatever happens, at some point, sooner rather than later, Craig will be done playing Bond, but the role will certainly go on. The question of who the next James Bond will be will exist until there is one, and right now the odds on Cillian Murphy getting the role just got a lot better.

When I talk about the odds, I'm speaking quite literally, as I'm talking about bookmakers in Britain who actually do keep odds on who the next James Bond will be. Cillian Murphy had seen odds of 7/1 but those odds have just dropped to 100/30 (slightly worse than 3/1 if you don't want to do the math). He's not the front runner, but he's now in second place behind Tom Hiddleston and Richard Madden who both have 2/1 odds.

If there's a reason the odds have gotten so much better for Murphy, it's not entirely clear. His name has never been entirely absent from any conversation about the next James Bond. When Danny Boyle was set to direct the next film, but before Daniel Craig had agreed to return, Yahoo says Murphy's name had come up a possible replacement, but obviously it never came to that.

Murphy may be best known for playing the villain Scarecrow in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins. He also had a role in Nolan's WWII epic Dunkirk and has had a successful TV run on the series Peaky Blinders.

Considering the time that it took to get Daniel Craig to commit to playing James Bond one more time, it seems likely this will be his last go-round as the super spy, though the film has not been announced to be his last. If he hasn't already told producers this is his last, then assume we'll all go through the "will he, won't he" one more time as Eon Productions tries to get him to do one more movie, before the producers even consider looking elsewhere.

Once we get there, however, there are a lot of interesting candidates. Everybody from Idris Elba to Tom Hardy has been rumored as a possible Bond in the past. Expect all of them to get thrown into the mix once again. Even an actor who might not have been a hot prospect a couple years ago when producers were last looking could be in a very different place a couple years from now when the hunt is on again. There will probably be some young actors who aren't even on our radar now who will also be contenders.

How Much Money Dumbo Could Make During Its Opening Weekend

How Much Money Dumbo Could Make During Its Opening Weekend

Disney has several live action reimaginings heading into theaters in 2019. Ahead of Aladdin, The Lion King and Maleficent 2, the studio will be putting out Tim Burton’s live action take on Dumbo. Now, tracking is in for the late March release and it looks like Dumbo should do well on opening weekend, although it may not be a record breaker for the House of Mouse.

Early estimates have Dumbo making around $50 million on opening weekend. That’s domestically, of course, and numbers from theaters worldwide should beef up that number. THR also notes the new live action flick could make as much as $60 million if all goes well. This is close to the long-range forecasting, which previously had Dumbo in a range of $45-$65 million.

If the numbers hold, that would not be a gigantic opening for this type of movie. So far, the highest opening weekend for a live action Disney film went to Beauty and the Beast, which came out back in 2017 and made roughly $170 million domestically opening weekend. The Jungle Book also had a large opening total, surprising with a little over $103 million domestically when it hit theaters in 2016.

If Dumbo opens in the range it is expected to, it will land ahead of movies like Alice Through The Looking Glass ($26.8 million opening) and Pete’s Dragon ($21.5 million opening), but behind other live action remake earners like Maleficent ($69 million opening) and Cinderella ($67.9 million opening).

Most of Disney’s live action movies have had budgets in the $100 million+ range and movies like Maleficent have been closer to $180 million (although Pete’s Dragon was reportedly made for much less than $100 million). Ultimately, whether a $50 or $60 million opener will be enough to propel Dumbo to a box office win depends on a lot of factors: How much was the budget? Are people seeing the movie elsewhere in the world? Can it stay competitive for several weeks as April releases start coming out?

Of course, box office estimates aren’t an exact science, either. We’re always hopeful for surprises of the positive variety at CinemaBlend and if Dumbo ends up doing more than $60 million it could be a great start for live action remakes this year. Likewise, if the flick doesn’t strike gold, Disney has three more shots at huge moneymakers in that category alone this year.

That may not be why the studio has so many movies primed to come out in 2019, however. Previously, it looked as if Disney could beat its own domestic box office record this year and now that Maleficent 2 has been thrown in, it’s looking even more likely.

Ultimately, Disney has a lot of live action reimaginings of classics coming out in the next nine months, specifically now that the studio has swapped Maleficent 2’s date from 2020 to 2019. It will be interesting to see whether or not there’s an appetite for that many remakes in one year, or if we’ll have a Solo type of story on our hands with one or two of them.

Of course, stay tuned to Weekend Box Office to see how Dumbo and other big spring movies do.

How Much Dumbo Made On Its Opening Night

How Much Dumbo Made On Its Opening Night

Disney is about to fly high with its own brand of live-action nostalgia this year with four of its kind, including remakes for Aladdin, The Lion King and a sequel to Maleficent. Tim Burton’s take on the 1941 classic, Dumbo is starting things off, and it's kicked off its box office run with a debut of $2.6 million during Thursday night screenings starting at 6pm.

While these early numbers are on the low side compared to where Disney live-action films have previously soared on opening night, per Deadline, the circus-set flick has been tracking between $40 and $60 million for its debut weekend. Dumbo’s $2.6 million is just ahead of the live-action Cinderella’s $2.3 million evening entrance back in 2015, which went on to open at $67.5 million. Dumbo has already made double of last year’s Christopher Robin and Alice Through the Looking Glass, both of which took $1.5 million on their Thursday nights.

This debut is behind the early earnings of The Jungle Book, which made $4.2 million on preview night before a huge $103.2 million opening, and Tim Burton’s other Disney reimagining, 2010’s Alice In Wonderland, which stole away $116.1 million in its first weekend. No other live-action Disney flick has touched Beauty and the Beast’s Thursday night preview record of $16.3 million before dancing into a magical $174 million opening weekend.

Dumbo comes up against Jordan Peele’s buzzy horror film Us, which opened at No. 1 last weekend at $94.6 million and even topped Dumbo last night by making $4.5 million on Thursday alone. The two titles benefit from targeting different audiences, and the Disney flick will be the first new family film to open in two weeks.

Box Office Mojo believes Dumbo will soar over Us this weekend for the top spot, perhaps as audiences are ready to recover from the terrifying doppelganger home-invasion thriller. Us is said to take the second spot and Captain Marvel is expected to still make bank as well. Dumbo has the benefit of opening next to the Matthew McConaughey-led stoner comedy, The Beach Bum, which has suffered brutal reviews thus far and made just $200K last night in Thursday night previews.

Globally, Dumbo should do well for itself too, as it is tracking to make $140 million during its first weekend opening in foreign markets, including China. It certainly helps that the movie starring the adorable circus elephant has received positive praise from critics. CinemaBlend’s own Jessica Rawden gave the movie 3 out of 5 stars in her review and the film has a green-splat of 52% on Rotten Tomatoes, so the consensus isn’t exactly glowing.

Dumbo marks Tim Burton’s first movie since 2016’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and a continued collaboration with Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton after Batman Returns. The film now in theaters also stars Eva Green, Colin Farrell, Alan Arkin, Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins.

Why Wolverine Isn’t In Dark Phoenix, According To Simon Kinberg

Why Wolverine Isn’t In Dark Phoenix, According To Simon Kinberg

Although the X-Men are traditionally an ensemble-led property, there’s no question that when it comes to the film franchise, Wolverine was the most prominent character. With the exception of Deadpool, Hugh Jackman played the clawed mutant in every X-Men-related movie from 2000 to 2017, officially retiring from the role in Logan.

However, since Dark Phoenix is marking the last of the Fox era’s main X-Men movies, you might have wondered if Hugh Jackman will reprise Wolverine for a cameo, similar to his appearances in First Class and Apocalypse. Well, no such luck, and not just because Hugh Jackman hung up the adamantium claws. Here’s what director Simon Kinberg had to say about Wolverine’s absence in Dark Phoenix:

If you know the Dark Phoenix story, you’d want to really service the love story between Logan and Jean. And I think the notion of Hugh Jackman, as great as he looks for his age, and Sophie Turner — it didn’t sit well with me. Or anyone else!

Simon Kinberg makes a fair point. On the one hand, there was a love triangle between Cyclops, Jean Grey and Wolverine in the comics era when The Dark Phoenix Saga was published, and X-Men: The Last Stand continued exploring the latter two’s romantic dynamic. Dark Phoenix eschewing that is a notable departure from the source material.

On the other hand, while there’s only a four-year age difference between Hugh Jackman and original Jean Grey Famke Janssen, Jackman and Sophie Turner have nearly 30 years separating them. Granted, Wolverine is nearly two centuries old in the modern day X-Men universe, so age will always be an issue with any woman he gets romantically involved with, but since visually it’s more noticeable between Jackman and Turner, Kinberg and the creative team decided to set that element of the original story aside.

Additionally, Simon Kinberg told Rolling Stone that excluding Wolverine from Dark Phoenix came from not wanting to divert attention from the main character, as this movie revolves around Jean Grey’s corruption. Kinberg continued:

There was an element of this being Jean’s story. And I was committing so fully to it that I didn’t want to run the risk of pulling away from Jean by going to the well of a fan-favorite character in these movies. I wanted this to be a very different experience of seeing an X-Men movie.

At least we know that in this new timeline that Dark Phoenix and its predecessor take place in, Wolverine is still set to join the X-Men somewhere down the line, just like he did in the original timeline. But as far as Dark Phoenix goes, he’s still doing his own thing nine years after Jean Grey, Cyclops and Nightcrawler freed him from William Stryker’s facility.

It also helps that Wolverine’s story was concluded in Logan, where (SPOILER ALERT) the character died in the year 2029 protecting his daughter and other young mutants being targeted by Transigen. Jackman made it clear after Logan’s release that he would not play Wolverine again, so even if Simon Kinberg and his team had wanted to include the character in Dark Phoenix, it’s highly unlikely the actor would have come back.

Dark Phoenix opens in theaters this Friday, June 7. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more coverage (including our review of the movie) and browse through our 2019 release schedule to learn what movies there are to look forward to later this year.

John Wick Chapter 3 Is The Type Of Movie Star Anjelica Huston Usually Hates

John Wick Chapter 3 Is The Type Of Movie Star Anjelica Huston Usually Hates

The John Wick franchise has never been short on talent, but it is getting a major infusion of it for John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum with two Oscar winners, Halle Berry and Anjelica Huston. As a former Bond girl who also was Storm in the X-Men franchise, we’re used to seeing Halle Berry in these kinds of movies, but it is less familiar for Anjelica Huston. In fact, John Wick: Chapter 3 is the type of movie Anjelica Huston usually hates, as she explained:

I don’t like violent movies. But I like this movie. This is a movie about a guy who’s basically avenging the death of his puppy. Jesus, I’m passionate about dogs. It’s a huge thing.

Generally speaking, you’re far more likely to find Anjelica Huston in a Wes Anderson film or voicing a character in a kid’s animated series than in a violent action film. And perhaps that is the result of her distaste for violence. Yet, for someone who doesn’t like violent movies, she really dove into the deep end of the genre with John Wick: Chapter 3.

This franchise is one of the most violent out there (although not especially bloody), with kill counts measured in the triple digits. The actress was cool with it here, and actually likes Parabellum because it isn’t senseless violence, this series started with John Wick simply trying to avenge the murder of his dog.

As a good dog owner who loved his pet, John Wick’s violent response is really quite appropriate given the circumstances, restrained even. Anjelica Huston clearly understands and likes this about the character because as she told Vulture, she is passionate about dogs and actually owns three dogs herself, in addition to a sheep, 13 goats and 5 horses.

Anjelica Huston is clearly an animal lover and that made her like this movie more than most violent fare. Which is kind of a fun contrast considering that in the trailer for John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, her character the Director, a Russian ballet instructor, incredulously asks Keanu Reeves’ character, “All of this for what, because of a puppy?”

So despite her usual aversion to violent movies, Anjelica Huston signed on to John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabelleum and it didn’t take much convincing for her to do so, as she explained:

Oh God, it’s so easy. Quite honestly, I’m looking for movies that impress me in some way, that aren’t apologetically humble or humiliating like, ‘Band of cheerleaders gets back together for one last hurrah,’ you know. An old-lady cheerleader movie. I don’t like that kind of thing. If I’m going to be an old lady — and I’m sort of touching old lady these days — at least I want to be a special old lady. I don’t want to be relegated to some has-been making a comeback. I hate comebacks.

On top of her affinity for John Wick’s responsible pet ownership, Anjelica Huston seems to also have really appreciated her character in the film. As she said, she likes to play “a special old lady” and while we haven't seen a lot from the Director just yet, she appears to fit that bill and was special enough to impress Anjelica Huston.

The Director appears to be a sage, somewhat sassy character and as a member of the High Table, she has some sort of influence. That John Wick appears to go to her for help means that she may be an old lady, but her years have put her in a position of major power. Basically, she’s cool.

This is in contrast to the other kinds of characters Anjelica Huston would rather not play, ones that are somewhat humiliating, making age into a source of humor or something to be triumphed over and not one of dignity. It’s an understandable opinion to have and thankfully, John Wick: Chapter 3 had a role that was suitable and appealing enough to bring her aboard.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum opens on May 17. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all the biggest movies headed your way this summer season.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals How James Cameron Worked On Terminator 6 And The Avatar Sequels At Once

Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals How James Cameron Worked On Terminator 6 And The Avatar Sequels At Once

For the first time since 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day, James Cameron will have a hands-on role in a new Terminator movie with November’s Terminator: Dark Fate, where he serves as producer and creative consultant. But James Cameron is a busy guy, and he is also still working on his long-awaited Avatar sequels. The Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, explained how James Cameron worked on Terminator 6 and Avatar at once, saying:

It was a very interesting film to do with Tim, the dynamic, between him and with Jim Cameron producing. So Jim Cameron is right now directing Avatar films so he’s taken on this enormous challenge and he’s very busy with that BUT he’s a control freak and as you know, Terminator is kind of his baby so he does get involved in the filming so there were interesting discussions about which direction to go with a certain scene or how the dialogue should finish or what the certain look should be of an individual and all that stuff so there was a big collaboration between Jim and Tim Miller. I feel it was in good hands with both of them.

You often hear the names of big Hollywood directors attached to certain movies as producers, but that title doesn’t always mean that person had an active creative role with the film itself. That isn’t the case here. As Arnold Schwarzenegger told TheArnoldFans, James Cameron is a control freak, and the Terminator characters and story are ones he co-created and is attached to. So despite having a lot on his plate filming Avatar 2 and Avatar 3, he still made time for Terminator: Dark Fate.

He didn’t just give a couple of notes either; by the sound of it, James Cameron had an active enough role that Arnold Schwarzenegger actually took note of his influence and collaboration with director Tim Miller. The director and producer had a creative back and forth on this sixth Terminator film, with the franchise’s creator giving his input on its latest entry.

James Cameron discussed big picture stuff like the direction of a scene, down to specific bits of dialogue and the actual design and look of the characters. He and director Tim Miller had a collaborative relationship where they both worked together to form what this film will be and deliver the best possible product.

Arnold Schwarzenegger said that he felt the film was in good hands with Tim Miller and James Cameron, and that pairing is certainly encouraging. Tim Miller’s Deadpool was a smash hit, and the last time this franchise was exceptional (minus the brilliant and cancelled-too-soon Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles TV series, of course) was when James Cameron was last involved with Terminator 2: Judgment Day. He knows this world and these characters, and is two for two in delivering great movies in this universe, so his return is exciting.

How exactly James Cameron made time for his work on Terminator: Dark Fate, while also working on the Avatar sequels in terms of logistics is unclear. But somehow he was directing the Avatar sequels while being a producer on Dark Fate. Perhaps we can just chalk it up to efficiency, excellent time management and that James Cameron is James Cameron. Or some Terminator-esque time travel shenanigans.

The plot for Terminator: Dark Fate is still being kept under wraps, but it is expected to retcon some of the continuity and act as a continuation of the first two films. As such, it will see the return of Linda Hamilton's iconic Sarah Connor and, of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator. The film also stars Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes, Diego Boneta and Gabriel Luna.

Terminator: Dark Fate opens in theaters on November 1 and James Cameron’s Avatar 2 is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2020. Check out our 2019 release schedule to keep track of all the biggest movies fighting for your attention this year.

New Movie Releases: 2019 Movie Release Date Schedule

New Movie Releases: 2019 Movie Release Date Schedule

If you've kept tabs on all of the goodies coming to the box office in 2019, you already know there are some big titles coming up. It's a list that includes everything from Avengers: Endgame to Jumanji 3. There's a crazy number of exciting projects on the horizon, and it's never too early (or too late) to take a look at the yearly release schedule. The dates below are still subject to change, but if you want to stay in the know you should bookmark this page and come back often for updates.

If you are looking into what came out in 2018, we have you covered. This list puts all of the titles we know are coming in 2019 into order by release date. So, without further delay, here is 2019's box office schedule as it currently stands:

Escape Room - Friday, January 4th

A Dog's Way Home - Friday, January 11th

Replicas - Friday, January 11th

The Upside - Friday, January 11th

Glass - Friday, January 18th

The Kid Who Would Be King - Friday, January 25th

Serenity - Friday, January 25th

Miss Bala - Friday, February 1st

Cold Pursuit - Friday, February 8th

Everybody Knows - Friday, February 8th

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part - Friday, February 8th

The Prodigy - Friday, February 8th

What Men Want - Friday, February 8th

Birds of Passage - Wednesday, February 13th

Happy Death Day 2 U - Wednesday, February 13th

Isn't It Romantic - Wednesday, February 13th

Alita: Battle Angel - Thursday, February 14th

Fighting With My Family - Thursday, February 14th (limited)

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World - Friday, February 22nd

Rhythm Section - Friday, February 22nd

Total Dhamaal - Friday, February 22nd

Chaos Walking - Friday, March 1st

Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral - Friday, March 1st

Captain Marvel - Friday, March 8th

The Aftermath - Friday, March 15th (limited)

Five Feet Apart - Friday, March 15th

Wonder Park - Friday, March 15th

The Beach Bum - Friday, March 22nd (limited)

Greyhound - Friday, March 22nd

Hotel Mumbai - Friday, March 22nd

The Informer - Friday, March 22nd

Us - Friday, March 22nd

Dumbo - Friday, March 29th

Unplanned - Friday, March 29th

The Best of Enemies - Friday, April 5th

Pet Sematary - Friday, April 5th

Peterloo - Friday, April 5th (limited)

Shazam! - Friday, April 5th

Teen Spirit - Friday, April 5th (limited)

After - Friday, April 12th

Hellboy - Friday, April 12th

High Life - Friday, April 12th

Little - Friday, April 12th

Missing Link - Friday, April 12th

Penguins - Wednesday, April 17th

Breakthrough - Friday, April 17th

The Curse of La Llorona - Friday, April 19th

Under the Silver Lake - Friday, April 19th (limited)

Avengers: Endgame - Friday, April 26th

El Chicano - Friday, May 3rd

The Intruder - Friday, May 3rd

Uglydolls - Friday, May 3rd

Long Shot - Friday, May 3rd

Detective Pikachu - Friday, May 10th

The Hustle - Friday, May 10th

Poms - Friday, May 10th

Tolkien - Friday, May 10th

A Dog's Journey - Friday, May 17th

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum - Friday, May 17th

The Sun Is Also A Star - Friday, May 17th

Aladdin - Friday, May 24th

Booksmart - Friday, May 24th

BrightBurn - Friday, May 24th

Godzilla: King Of The Monsters - Friday, May 31st

Ma - Friday, May 31st

Rocketman - Friday, May 31st

Dark Phoenix - Friday, June 7th

Late Night - Friday, June 7th

The Secret Life of Pets 2 - Friday, June 7th

Men in Black International - Friday, June 14th

Shaft - Friday, June 14th

Anna - Friday, June 21st

Child's Play - Friday, June 21st

Toy Story 4 - Friday, June 21st

Annabelle Comes Home - Friday, June 28th

Yesterday - Friday, June 28th

Midsommar - Wednesday, July 3rd

Spider-Man: Far from Home - Friday, July 5th

21 Bridges - Friday, July 12th

Crawl - Friday, July 12th

Stuber - Friday, July 12th

The Lion King - Friday, July 19th

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Friday, July 26th

The Boy II - Friday, July 26th

Dora and the Lost City of Gold - Wednesday, July 31nd

Hobbs & Shaw - Friday, August 2nd

New Mutants - Friday, August 2nd

Artemis Fowl - Friday, August 9th

Brian Banks - Friday, August 9th

The Kitchen - Friday, August 9th

Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark - Friday, August 9th

Blinded by the Light - Wednesday, August 14th

47 Meters Down: Uncaged - Friday, August 16th

The Angry Birds Movie 2 - Friday, August 16th

Boss Level - Friday, August 16th

Good Boys - Friday, August 16th

The Informer - Friday, August 16th

PLAYMOBIL - Friday, August 16th

Where'd You Go, Bernadette - Friday, August 16th

Angel Has Fallen - Friday, August 23rd

Overcomer - Friday, August 23rd

IT: Chapter 2 - Friday, September 6th

The Goldfinch - Friday, September 13th

Hustlers - Friday, September 13th

Spies in Disguise - Friday, September 13th

Black and Blue - Friday, September 20th (limited)

Rambo: Last Blood - Friday, September 20th (limited)

Downton Abbey - Friday, September 20th (limited)

Abominable - Friday, September 27th

The Art Of Racing In The Rain - Friday, September 27th

The Hunt - Friday, September 27th

Judy - Friday, September 27th

Joker - Friday, October 4th

The Woman In The Window - Friday, October 4th

Gemini Man - Friday, October 11th

Zombieland 2: Double Tap - Friday, October 11th

The Addams Family - Friday, October 18th

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil - Friday, October 18th

Bad Trip - Friday, October 25th

Arctic Dogs - Friday, November 1st

Motherless Brooklyn - Friday, November 1st

Terminator: Dark Fate - Friday, November 1st

Doctor Sleep - Friday, November 8th

Midway - Friday, November 8th

Sonic The Hedgehog - Friday, November 8th

Charlie's Angels - Friday, November 15th

Ford vs Ferrari - Friday, November 15th

The Good Liar - Friday, November 15th

Last Christmas - Friday, November 15th

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborood - Friday, November 22nd

Frozen 2 - Friday, November 22nd

Rhythm Section - Friday, November 22nd

Knives Out - Wednesday, November 27th

Queen & Slim - Wednesday, November 27th

Jumanji Sequel -- Friday, December 13th

Untitled Blumhouse Productions Project II - Friday, December 13th

Cats - Friday, December 20th

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Friday, December 20th

Superintelligence - Friday, December 20th

1917 - Wednesday, December 25th

The Call Of The Wild - Wednesday, December 25th

Little Women - Wednesday, December 25th

Are there any movies you are most excited for? Any bombs you see coming a mile away? Be sure to swing back and let us know.

Why Jai Courtney Signed On For His Alita: Battle Angel Cameo

Why Jai Courtney Signed On For His Alita: Battle Angel Cameo

Alita: Battle Angel was a movie with a lot of ambition. It was a grand film with a huge budget that was designed very much to be the first film in a franchise. It was a movie so big that some of the film's biggest names had little more than cameo roles. One of those cameos was played by Jai Courtney. The role is so small that you'd be forgiven for missing it entirely, but the actor says that he was happy to do it simply because Robert Rodriguez was the man who asked him. According to the actor, he agreed to do it after getting a call from the director who told him...

There's this role, it's a little small on paper, but if this thing blows up, I'll need someone who I can rely on when we revisit it. And I was like, 'Fuck man, of course!' For Robert Rodriguez, I'm going to go down there and do it.

It seems that Jai Courtney had read for a couple of different roles in Alita: Battle Angel but, while he and Rodriguez wanted to work together, it seemed Alita wasn't quite the right time. However, Rodriguez then turned to Courtney when he needed somebody to fill the role of Motorball star Jashugan.

It seems that while Courtney's role was tiny in Alita: Battle Angel, the idea is that there is more to the character that we would see when and if sequels to the movie ever happen.

Of course, at this point, it's difficult to tell if a sequel is a real possibility or not. Alita struggled domestically, only bringing in about $85 million, but it did much better overseas and has a total gross of just over $400 million.

That a solid total number, but due to the film's fairly expensive budget, it's been suggested the movie needed to hit $500 million to be profitable, and it's clearly well below that mark. There's clearly an audience who got behind Alita, but it just may not be quite big enough. Although, one assumes that sequels could potentially be less expensive to produce since much of the technical groundwork has been done, so perhaps follow ups are possible.

Although, the other issue is that the first movie was a Fox production, which means that any subsequent movies would have to get the green light by Disney, which means convincing an entirely new set of executives to make your movie.

Courtney tells Business Insider that he has no clue what the future might hold for Alita and that he has zero expectations in that regard. It seems he didn't take the role for the sequel potential, but just to work with Robert Rodriguez, though one assumes if the sequel does happen he'll be even happier to have the chance to work with Rodriguez again.

Jai Courtney wasn't the only brief cameo that clearly was inserted because of future potential. Edward Norton also appeared in the film, as the man one assumes will be the main antagonist of any future movies.

In the modern movie landscape the franchise is king, and so a project like Alita was clearly always meant to be the first of many. Having said that, the movie practically requires a sequel simply because of the way it ended. It didn't simply leave the possibility of more story open, it left its own story before it was over.

It will be interesting to see if these cameos will ever get a chance to be fulfilled, or if these appearances in Alita: Battle Angel will just be interesting moments of trivia in a franchise that never happened.

Why Superhero Movies Are So Popular, According To The Shazam! Filmmakers

Why Superhero Movies Are So Popular, According To The Shazam! Filmmakers

Whether you love superhero movies or your name is James Cameron and you're waiting for "Avenger fatigue" to set in, there's no question superhero movies are more popular than ever. Sure, they can fail sometimes, just ask Fantastic Four. But more often than not, superheroes win and they win big. DC's Shazam! just joined the ranks of the winners with a solid #1 opening weekend at the box office.

Shazam! follows the $1 billion success of DC's Aquaman and the $1 billion success of Marvel's Captain Marvel, and precedes the probably $2+ billion success of Avengers: Endgame -- which itself follows the $2 billion success of Avengers: Infinity War. Phew! If you follow the money, it leads right to Marvel and DC.

But why? Why are comic book superheroes so popular right now? It's a question many have been asking, and Shazam! director David F. Sandberg and producer Peter Safran shared their takes:

David F. Sandberg: Partly I think it's the wish fulfillment. And that's why I love Shazam! so much, because it's kind of the ultimate wish fulfillment with this kid getting to be a superhero.

Peter Safran: And I think it's really about the great characters that populate a lot of the superhero movies. Each superhero movie is different than the other superhero movies. It's a large genre, but within it you have heist movies, you have comedies, you have pure action. So I think there's a lot of room.

I especially like Peter Safran's take to Collider. Because it's true, it's almost like Superhero has become its own genre like Comedy or Drama and there are subgenres within that go in many different directions. I also think good superhero movies inspire and elevate others -- competition is good for the market (until it isn't).

Hollywood is notorious for wanting to just copy what works, and right now superhero movies just work -- they not only make tons of money, they tend to be crowd and sometimes even critic pleasers. That leads to repeat viewing in theaters and also at home, which brings even more money.

David F. Sandberg has a background in horror, and CinemaBlend's own Mike Reyes recently asked him why he thinks horror directors make such good superhero films. After all, Shazam! is following in the footsteps of The Conjuring king James Wan's Aquaman, which is the highest-grossing DC Comics film yet. Sandberg had a pretty good answer on that.

Not everyone is thrilled with superhero movies flooding theaters, often pushing away anything that isn't Marvel or DC related. That could be an issue in the next couple of months, especially when theaters are going to want to have as many showings of Avenges: Endgame as possible.

What will that mean for any film not named Avengers: Endgame? Hopefully there's room for everyone, from superhero movies and other action blockbuster sequels (Star Wars: Episode IX, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, John Wick 3) to Disney's 9 million live-action remakes (see you soon, The Lion King and Aladdin) right down to original non-sequel movies. Like Us.

Speaking of horror directors and superhero movies, though, is there any way to drag Jordan Peele into the DC or Marvel universes? Or would it be better if steered clear?

For more Shazam! points to ponder, listen to ReelBlend's recent interview with David F. Sandberg and Peter Safran. The DCEU movie is now playing in theaters as one of the many movies to try and keep up with in 2019.

When Are We Getting The Star Wars Episode IX Trailer?

When Are We Getting The Star Wars Episode IX Trailer?

It's a very exciting time to be a Star Wars fan. Once Disney acquired Lucasfilm, a variety of new and exciting projects came to the galaxy far, far away. This includes standalone films and main installments, which continue the narrative George Lucas began back in A New Hope. The Skywalker Saga will end forever with J.J. Abrams mysterious Episode IX, and the generations of fans are eager for any and all information regarding the upcoming blockbuster.

The wait for Episode IX has been especially hard, since December of 2018 was the first time in years that a new addition didn't arrive in theaters for the holiday season. And given the pressure of completing a narrative that spans nine films, anticipation is at a fever pitch. So when will we finally get to see the first trailer? If you ask me, it's coming next month.

Smart money says that the first trailer for Episode IX (and likely the debut of its mysterious title) will be timed with the release of Avengers: Endgame. The movie has a similar sense of stakes and pressure, as it will complete Phase Three of the MCU. Endgame is expected to break box office records, so it's the perfect venue to debut the first look at Episode IX, and continue Disney's domination over the blockbuster landscape.

While this is just a theory and totally unconfirmed by the studio, there has been some precedent set for the first Star Wars trailer arriving in April. For instance, the first trailer for The Last Jedi arrived in April of 2017, amping up excitement for Rian Johson's December release. The Last Jedi didn't have a massive MCU blockbuster to use as a proxy, while Episode IX's potential trailer debut could send the fandom into a frenzy-- especially combined with their excitement over Endgame.

The House Of Mouse has their marketing game on point, and masterfully chooses trailers to accompany their big releases-- building up excitement for the next Disney release. For instance, Captain Marvel's trailer included a stunning look at the upcoming remake of The Lion King, which was made all the more enticing in 3-D showings. Avengers: Endgame seems like a prime time to finally debut some information and footage of Episode IX, as the public has seen nothing from J.J. Abrams' return to the franchise.

The stakes for Episode IX could not be higher, as J.J. Abrams must conclude the trilogy he began with The Force Awakens, as well as the entire Skywalker Saga. Generations of fans are looking to see how the beloved space opera will end, and see characters return like Lando Calrissian and Luke Skywalker. Additionally, Carrie Fisher's Leia will be included through unused footage from the last two movies, which is sure to be a fascinating to watch.

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.

Jordan Peele's Us Has A 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score Ahead Of Opening

Jordan Peele's Us Has A 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score Ahead Of Opening

There are not really any huge new releases in theaters this weekend, with studios giving the MCU’s Captain Marvel a wide berth, but next weekend Jordan Peele is back with Us. The eagerly anticipated sophomore film from the writer-director of Get Out has a lot to live up to after that successful and Oscar-winning film, and signs are good it will do just that. Us has already screened and it is currently sitting at a sterling 100% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Us opened the 2019 South by Southwest Film Festival last week and immediately the reactions were extremely positive. The movie was trending in the right direction. Full reviews paint a clearer picture, though, and those have proven to be very encouraging that Us is anything but a sophomore slump. The rare and exciting 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes for Us is coming from a healthy 55 reviews to date, with more to come upon the film’s release.

The 100% score is impressive and definitely should get horror fans and film fans in general hyped to see this movie, but the chances that the score stays perfect are not great. Films that maintain a 100% on the Tomatometer with hundreds of reviews counted (like Paddington 2) are exceedingly rare. There's always a contrarian or two for whom a film just does not work, or maybe they just like to watch the world burn.

Even the critically lauded Get Out couldn’t stay perfect, finishing up with a 98% with 347 reviews counted. The often misunderstood and maligned Rotten Tomatoes scores aren’t the be all end all arbiter of a film’s quality. But what we can take from the score for Us as it stands is that those who have seen the movie like it and that’s a positive sign that it will be worth your time as well.

The reviews and early reactions have also teased that unlike Get Out, which was dubbed a "social thriller," Us is a genuinely terrifying horror film. Based on what CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell said about the film, this is a movie you’ll want to steer clear of spoilers for and something you’ll need to watch again once you recover.

The buzz and current perfect Rotten Tomatoes score for the new horror film from the director of Get Out can only help Us, which will be next weekend’s biggest new release. The R-rated Us is tracking at making between $40 million and $45 million opening weekend, according to The Hollywood Reporter. That’s up a bit from early tracking that had it in the $35-$40 million range. For comparison Get Out opened to $33.3 million.

Us tells the tale of a family contending with their murderous doppelgängers and stars Lupita Nyong’o, Elisabeth Moss, Winson Duke, Evan Alex, and Shahadi Wright Joseph.

Us opens in theaters on March 22. Check out our 2019 release schedule for all the other movies you can look forward to this year.

How Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Really Makes You Feel Like You Have Left Our Planet And Stepped Into Star Wars

How Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Really Makes You Feel Like You Have Left Our Planet And Stepped Into Star Wars

From the day it was first announced, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge was being promoted as not only the largest, but the most unique and immersive new land that Disney Parks had ever created. I'm here to say...it's true...all of it.

The first official guests are walking into Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge for the first time as i write this. However, I got to experience the new land yesterday and, quite simply, I've never experienced anything like it. For the fan who has always wanted to be part of the Star Wars universe, this is likely as close as we may ever get.

The first thing that you notice are the things you stop noticing. As I approached Black Spire Outpost on the planet of Batuu for the first time, the din of the crowds at Disneyland faded away. Part of this was certainly because the crowd I was with was smaller than that which will normally fill the land, but beyond that, the land itself makes little noise. There's no ambient music playing as you'll hear anyplace else in Disneyland. What you hear is the sound of alien insects chirping all around you. Batuu isn't quite a wilderness but it's not a bustling spaceport either.

Black Spire Outpost itself isn't a collection of buildings so much as it's one massive structure full of passageways that take you from one place to another. I wouldn't say it's quite big enough to get lost, but figuring out your way around takes a minute. Most lands at Disneyland or Walt Disney World only have one path that takes you past everything you need to see. That's not the case here.

In fact, figuring out what you need to see can actually be a challenge. Other than the Millennium Falcon of course. Seeing that is a must, and when you witness it for the first time, it blows you away.

As part of the land's immersive theming, there isn't a great deal of signage. The normal Disneyland signs telling you which way to go to get to whichever land or attraction aren't there. Even when you walk by a shop, the sign above the door is in Aurebesh, the alphabet of Star Wars, and it's worn to show age so it's far from clear where you are. Some places, like Savi's Workshop, where one can build their own lightsaber, are supposed to be hidden (the First Order frowns on what they're doing after all) and I literally walked past the place twice looking for it before I realized where it was.

Disney uses the term cast member to denote all of its employees, based on the idea that everybody helps make the show happen, but on Batuu the word used is inhabitants. The people who work at Black Spire outpost are part of the experience. One inhabitant who was sweeping up got a big smile on his face as I walked by with my new lightsaber (discretely wrapped in a black case and slung on my back). He made it clear he knew I had done something underhanded. Another, who claimed to be a friend of Savi's, complimented me on my fine "walking stick."

Character experiences at Disney Parks are a staple of the trip. You get in line, you wait your turn, you snap a photo. Here you'll still see characters, but the circumstances are entirely different. You might see Chewbacca or Kylo Ren walking around the outpost, but not at the same time and certainly not near each other. Chewie might be willing to stop for a picture, but Kylo Ren is going to tell you to get away from him.

At one point I was simply having a seat when a pair of First Order Stormtroopers walked by. They approached a seemingly random guest and questioned him regarding rumors he was part of the Resistance. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice an inhabitant. She's holding up part of her costume as to shield her face if the troopers look her way. She waits for them to turn so their back is fully toward her, and then she quickly hurries away. She never drew attention to herself. This wasn't part of a show. This was simply how her character was to react if she ever saw Stormtroopers.

Disneyland's attention to detail is without parallel. Everything has been considered so that when you're on any given ride, you feel like it's the only thing that's real. However, in the end, there's never any question that you're inside a theme park.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is something else. As I made my way out of the area during my all too short time there, I actually found myself prepping my bag for security. I figured it was going to need to get searched as it always is when you enter Disneyland Resort. I must have left Disneyland at some point, right? I had been somewhere else and was only now returning to my own world.

Netflix Has Finally Agreed To Remove Bird Box's Disaster Footage

Netflix Has Finally Agreed To Remove Bird Box's Disaster Footage

Three months ago, Netflix’s viral release Bird Box rocked the boat when Canadians recognized the movie included footage of Lac-Megantic Rail disaster, and demanded the streaming service remove the tragedy killed 47 people in 2013 from the film. After Netflix previously disagreed to do so, the company is no longer taking a blind eye to the controversy.

The streaming giant has now told The Canadian Press that they will now remove the images of the train disaster from Bird Box in the next two weeks, and will be replacing the footage with a new clip for the scene illustrating the chaos all around Europe to Sandra Bullock and Sarah Paulson’s characters before the sci-fi phenomenon that forces a group of survivors to don blindfolds hits home.

Netflix paired this announcement with an apology to the Lac-Megantic community, who have been outspoken about the potential harm the film has to family and friends to victims of the rail disaster. The town’s mayor, Julie Morin, who joined in on demanding Netflix remove the footage offered her satisfying reaction to Netflix’s new decision. In her words:

Yes, there was a delay, but I think in the end, what’s most important for me, is that we have a solution to this situation we felt was important to settle.

When requests were initially made to the streaming service about taking out the footage in Bird Box, the company responded with an apology and promise to do better in the future, but a refusal to delete the footage. Netflix cited the inability to make alterations to finished content to justify the decision.

Canada was so displeased with the rail disaster footage that the country’s parliament passed a motion asking Netflix to pay the Lac-Megantic community for their grief following the film’s release. The streaming site never seemed to address this motion, but are pulling back on their initial decision to keep the insensitive footage in Bird Box.

The same footage was also previously featured in an episode of Netflix’s Travelers television show, though the show producers agreed to remove it back in January. It’s unclear as to why Netflix took so long to comply to the Bird Box situation that angered many ­– perhaps the studio needed time to find a replacement clip or was waiting for the Bird Box pop culture high to wind down.

Bird Box faced multiple controversies after it was released in December 2018, including a trending Bird Box Challenge, which proved dangerous when people placing blindfolds and attempting tasks such as driving caused concern. Netflix had to issue a warning for fans to refrain from ending up “in the hospital due to memes”. Otherwise, the film was one of the streaming sites most-watched original films ever.

It’s A Challenge Getting John Wick 3’s Weapons To International Shooting Locations

It’s A Challenge Getting John Wick 3’s Weapons To International Shooting Locations

The John Wick movies are full of highly stylized and choreographed violence. That's why we love them. The action is a beautiful thing to behold as are the locations where that action takes place. John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski says that shooting on location is important to him, but doing so isn't always easy, because it frequently means trying to explain why you're trying to bring a truckload of guns into a foreign country. In the case of the upcoming John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, that meant explaining to the nation of Morocco why they needed so many guns in order to be allowed to film there in the first place. As the director explains...

We had a truckload of [modified for filming] firearms that we were bringing into another country. That doesn’t guarantee you an invitation. You have to really explain it.

If the guns were all modified for filming then they likely couldn't actually function as real guns, but that likely isn't enough to impress officials when they see all the, otherwise, real weapons, you want to bring into their country. Sure, you're making a movie, but do you really need that many guns?

Well, it is a John Wick movie, so...yeah.

While the first John Wick movie stayed in New York, the second film took the story, and the title character, to Italy. For Chapter 3, John Wick will travel to the Sahara Desert. The production filmed the scenes in Morocco. Director Chad Stahelski tells THR his desire to film on location comes from a love of classic action movies like the work of Steve McQueen and early James Bond films, which always filmed on location. While these days you can take a movie anywhere in the universe with a green screen big enough, Stahelski still sees value in filming on location, but it does come with its own set of hurdles.

How much of John Wick 3 will take place in Morocco isn't clear. Chapter 2 had a strong opening that took place in Italy before the bulk of the action returned to New York. We know that the new film will open in New York, with Wick on the run from every assassin looking to cash in on his bounty, but he'll find himself in the desert looking for help from Sofia, another assassin played by Halle Berry.

While getting all those weapons into Morocco for filming might have required a bit of extra work, I feel confident that it will all be worth it. The John Wick series has created some of the most memorable action sequences of any recent films and whatever it was that led the production to film in the desert, we can be confident that the location for used to its fullest potential.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum hits theaters May 17.

Terminator: Dark Fate Director Teases Upcoming Trailer With New Sarah Connor Image

Terminator: Dark Fate Director Teases Upcoming Trailer With New Sarah Connor Image

Yesterday marked a very special anniversary for fans of the Terminator franchise. It was 35 years ago that the first Terminator film was released. 35 years later the sixth film in the franchise is in post production getting ready for release this fall. Director Tim Miller celebrated the anniversary by letting fans know that the first trailer for Terminator: Dark Fate is on the way, and showing us a single shot from that trailer, Sarah Conner looking badass.

Linda Hamilton's return to the Terminator franchise has to be the highlight of the upcoming film. We haven't seen the original Sarah Connor on the big screen since Terminator 2: Judgement Day in 1991. The fact that Linda Hamilton would return to the franchise after all this time is seen by many a good sign. If she's willing to return now after turning down previous, generally viewed as bad, sequels, then this means that Terminator: Dark Fate has what those other movies were missing, right?

Well, one thing those sequels were certainly missing was Sarah Connor holding a rocket launcher, and it looks like Dark Fate has that based on the single frame we see of the upcoming trailer. This is exactly the sort of thing that fans are probably looking forward to with the new film.

In the original Terminator Sarah Connor was a woman in over her head and the run for her life. However, knowing that she needed to be able to protect herself she became a fighter and had transformed by the time we saw her in Judgement Day. It seems the plan for Terminator: Dark Fate is to pull the same movie as the recent Halloween sequel, by ignoring all sequels that came after T2 and picking up the story from there.

This is probably a good move as the most recent sequel, Terminator: Genisys, didn't really go over well except in China. It made some pretty significant changes to the canon which didn't sit well with fans. Although, the fact that the movie came out so recently, certainly has the potential to confuse fans if the new movie is just going to pretend it didn't happen.

While the post on Twitter doesn't reveal when we'll see the new trailer, Terminator: Dark Fate is a Paramount Pictures film, and the next big release from that studio is the Elton John biopic Rocketman so there's a good chance the plan is to attach the trailer to that film. Of course, since most trailers get dropped online first, we'll likely see this trailer hit sometime in the next two weeks ahead of the movie.

Since the previous Terminator film didn't do all that well in North America, this trailer has some important work to do. It has to convince fans that they need to check out the new movie, after many have apparently decided to write off the franchise. It seems so often that trailers exist only to increase the hype for things people already want to see, but this one really will need to energize an audience that has clearly become tired of this particular franchise.

Terminator: Dark Fate is set for release November 1.

It Doesn't Look Like Keanu Reeves Is Retiring From John Wick Anytime Soon

It Doesn't Look Like Keanu Reeves Is Retiring From John Wick Anytime Soon

When the John Wick franchise started, John Wick was a retired man, and he had every intention of staying that way until Theon Greyjoy’s poor decision-making seeped across franchises and brought him out of retirement. That set off a series of events and now John Wick is back, and even with John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arriving this month, Keanu Reeves doesn’t look to be retiring from the character anytime soon. Speaking about the franchise's future, Keanu Reeves said:

It’s not really up to me. Well, eventually. But the opportunity to do it was up to the audience, right? And that’s up to if whether we made a film that people enjoy or not.

There you have it, folks: if you want to see more John Wick, the answer is to vote with your dollar, because that’s what gives Keanu Reeves the opportunity to keep playing Baba Yaga. As long as the audience still cares, enjoys these movies and goes to see them, John Wick can keep racking up kills for years to come.

Keanu Reeves said it’s not up to him how long the John Wick franchise goes, and that's true in many respects. That said, if it were up to him, it seems that he would choose to keep playing the character for the foreseeable future as he seems to genuinely enjoy it.

Eventually the actor may run out of steam since John Wick is certainly a more physically exhausting role than Keanu Reeves’ rom-com parts or Duke Caboom in Toy Story 4. But at the moment, he’s good to go and hasn’t lost any interest in playing John Wick, and thus has no plans on retiring from him anytime soon.

This is bad news for the character John Wick, who at this point has to be in desperate need of a nap, a shower and serious medical attention, but it's good news for fans of the franchise. As much as we all want John Wick to find happiness and walk off into the sunset, his dog by his side with no more deaths left to deal, John Wick being back in the hitman business is too entertaining to call for his retirement just yet.

Keanu Reeves has expressed his enthusiasm for the John Wick franchise before, and his John Wick: Chapter 3 co-star Ian McShane figures it could go for another decade. That’s quite a lofty prediction, but considering that John Wick: Chapter 2 basically doubled the domestic and worldwide box office of the first film, and Parabellum is tracking to open even bigger than its predecessors, who knows, maybe in a few years John Wick will be Keanu Reeves’ most iconic character instead of Neo.

In his conversation with Uproxx, Keanu Reeves mentioned that the continuation of the franchise is dependent on the audience and ultimately whether or not the film is good and people enjoy it. At least on that end, it would appear that requirement has been fulfilled.

The early reactions to John Wick: Chapter 3 are very positive and indicate that the threequel continues to up the ante for cinematic action while expanding the scope and world of the film, opening up possibilities for future installments in the franchise. That bodes well for John Wick's retirement being postponed indefinitely.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum opens in theaters on May 17. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all of the big movies you can look forward to this summer.

Captain Marvel Will Lead The MCU, Kevin Feige Says

Captain Marvel Will Lead The MCU, Kevin Feige Says

The MCU is going to look different soon. The popular cinematic universe is in a transitionary period as several of the characters we've come to know prepare to take their bows in Avengers: Endgame. Once we enter Phase 4, new heroes will rise up to take the reins, and leading the pack will be Captain Marvel. Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige promised that Brie Larson has a very healthy future in the MCU to look forward to.

When we found out that Brie Larson might be interested in joining our world, we had a number of meetings. She was a huge fan of the character in the comics. One of the highlights of my career at Marvel was introducing her at Comic-Con and having her come out on stage and stand there with literally almost everybody else from our movies. There she was at the forefront, and it was a great foreshadowing – not just for how audiences are going to embrace Brie as this character, but also for how Captain Marvel is about to take the lead and be at the forefront of the entire Cinematic Universe.

You might have heard about this already, but there's a movie called Captain Marvel in theaters right now soaking up all the money. The film features the long-awaited debut of Brie Larson's Captain Marvel into the MCU. All the way up to the premiere of the movie, Captain Marvel has been hyped up to be a big addition to the MCU, with Carol Danvers being one of the most powerful beings in the universe.

Danvers will be using that power to give Thanos a whoopin' in Avengers: Endgame, but there's much more to look forward to after. Marvel Studios has been setting up the next generation of heroes to take over for the old guard, and it sounds like Captain Marvel may be our new Iron Man.

In the Captain Marvel: The Official Movie Special (via Comic Book), Feige teased what was to come for Captain Marvel. It should come as little surprise to fans that we will be seeing a lot more of her as she steps into a leadership role in the MCU. It sounds like we can count on Carol being in the center of a lot of posters from here on out!

It's been strongly hinted that Endgame will leave us with an new roster of superheroes to take us through the next iteration of the MCU. Captain Marvel and Black Panther are already proving to be major successes and it's great to hear that we will be seeing more of Carol. The Captain Marvel movie is doing great right now and it's a solid set up for more adventures down the road.

You can see Captain Marvel in theaters right now.

Avengers: Endgame Got An A+ CinemaScore, But How Would You Grade It?

Avengers: Endgame Got An A+ CinemaScore, But How Would You Grade It?

Avengers: Endgame is already on track to have the highest opening weekend in history, but money isn't the best judgement of quality. We already know that critics mostly loved the movie, giving it a 96% over on Rotten Tomatoes at this point. We here at CinemaBlend also loved the film, but what does the moviegoing audience think? That's where CinemaScore comes in and Avengers: Endgame is sitting at an extremely healthy A+.

For those who may not know, CinemaScore doesn't work the same way as other review aggregators like Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic. Rather than give a movie a ranking based on reviews, CinemaScore polls the feelings of the audience. Audience members are surveyed outside the theater after their showing and assign the movie a grade from A+ to F.

In that sense, the results can be a little skewed, because people are surveyed right at the height of their hype (or lack thereof) and might feel differently after a little time. Generally, though, it's a good way to get a consensus on a movie.

In the case of Avengers: Endgame, audiences love the movie right now. The Marvel blockbuster sits at the highest possible ranking of A+. CinemaScore doesn't usually go into much more detail than that, but there's plenty to love in Marvel's latest.

The score is pretty comparable to the rest of the MCU's 22 film library. The vast majority of the films got some version of an A grade. However, the only other movies that have an A+ are The Avengers and Black Panther, so Endgame is part of a select club within the MCU.

Interestingly enough, the only MCU to not have an A grade at all is the very first Thor movie, which has a B+. Not even The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man 2, generally agreed to be two of the worst MCU films, have lower than an A-.

So, people generally really love MCU movies, but only a few ever get the highest ranking. However, we want to know what YOU think of Avengers: Endgame. The movie is a finale and those tend to be divisive, but it seems like people are on the same page with Endgame.

Taking a page from CinemaScore, we've put together a poll ranking the movie based on the aggregator's ranking system. Just click the score you think applies to Endgame and we'll see were it goes. My own ranking is in the A to A+ category, but don't let me sway you.

If you haven't seen it already, Avengers: Endgame is in theaters right now and currently dominating everything in its path. For more on the hit blockbuster, be sure to visit CinemaBlend where we will continue to update you on Endgame, from its box office performance to our own questions about the movie.

Standout Moments From Beyoncé’s Homecoming Doc We’re Crazy In Love With

Standout Moments From Beyoncé’s Homecoming Doc We’re Crazy In Love With

As Netflix has grown in popularity over the years, the streaming service has been getting in formation with all kinds of exclusive content to keep us on the couch, whether it’s award-winning films and TV such as Roma and Black Mirror, Noah Centineo-led rom-coms or reality television such as Queer Eye. The scrolling potential is endless and it can often be a mess to sift through. But every once in a while, the streaming giant delivers us an unforgettable gift, and this time it’s from pop superstar/angel Beyoncé.

Whether you were one of the lucky fans in the crowd of Queen Bey’s Coachella epic last year, caught the YouTube livestream broadcast or vaguely heard about the event after the fact, all the buzz surrounding it makes it one of the few concert experiences that begs to be immortalized.  Beyoncé transformed music festival expectations by turning what could have been a simple concert set into a mighty showcase of an icon’s 22-year career. Homecoming allows Netflix users to relive the event and look behind the scenes into just how the vocalist pulled it off.

The documentary is packed with memorable moments that make it spectacular, and it’s time to unbox the highlights to the left, to the left:

Her Regal Entrance

With the pound of a drumbeat, Beyoncé makes a powerful entrance to the Coachella main stage dressed in a Nefertiti-style get up, stunning the eyes on her and commanding her acclaimed status as a queen. The powerful introduction sets the stage for the caliber of performance we’re about to see as a giant pyramid full of 200 performers (including dancers and a “university” orchestra) are unveiled at center stage.

Beyoncé makes a second grand entrance at the top of the pyramid after the band hypes her up, and the crowd’s response is unlike any other. They are yelling “Beychella” before the phrase is even announced as a new iteration of “Crazy In Love” starts to play.

It’s quite the sight to behold as the singer delivers some near-perfect vocals, while dropping moves with her army of dancers. As the cinematography flips between Beyoncé in her first and second weekend performance and the amazed crowd, it’s clear the concert was orchestrated with a cinematic experience in mind all along.

Homecoming’s Concept

In between the concert, Homecoming also takes it back to the rehearsal stages of the performance, which was a massive, almost year-long undertaking by the artist. The pyramid of performers behind her, donning sorority letters of yellow and pink, signify the college experience Beyoncé never had due to her time on Destiny's Child. She’d always wanted to go to a HBCU and Beychella became a way for her to create this community she’d dreamed of.

Since her headlining had the historical significance of being the first African-American woman to get top-billing for the festival, Beyoncé took that title to heart in everything that she planned. She personally picked dancers and musicians who could represent looks and backgrounds that have been dismissed in the past on that grand stage. Beyoncé’s concept for Homecoming really shows her character of taking the opportunities given to her and putting every ounce of effort into it and giving her fans and family something to be proud of.

Another star of her status would have taken the easy way out and done a performance already decided upon from their tour or just belted out their greatest hits. Homecoming really shows to both casual listeners and fans of her just what goes into the product we often see in her music, videos and performances, and it’s as massive of a project as it looks at the end of the line.

Her Post-Pregnancy Comeback

Another unexpected bit we learn from Homecoming is just how much of a sacrifice and personal journey putting on this show was for Beyoncé. The artist has asserted herself as a very powerful woman over the years that her own personal challenges can go by the wayside. In this documentary, she gets candid about how the preparation for Beychella was an emotional trial for her, as she had just given birth to her twins Rumi and Sir when she started up plans for the Coachella performance.

Beyoncé spoke about the immensely difficult pregnancy she had, which concluded with an emergency C-section. Learning the dance choreography for a two-hour show she was leading as her body was recovering and adhering to a very strict diet (which looked like it only consisted of apples?) so she could do the performance was an incredible point for the artist to make in his documentary, because wow, did she pull it off.

She also talked of her struggles to be away from her newly born children and 7-year-old Blue Ivy during practices. Her vision of having her “homecoming” back to the stage after her pregnancy – which had her miss her first chance to headline the year before is a beautiful theme that gives viewers a new perspective on her attention to her career.

The On-Stage Reunions

Over halfway through the show, fans were already over the moon with the show Beyoncé was putting on for them, but then this happens: the trio that started it all reunite on stage looking like Charlie’s Angels. Homecoming captures the reaction of the audience really well here as fans in the crowd get emotional and devotedly sing along to “Lose My Breath,” “Say My Name” and “Soldier,” with the original members of Destiny’s Child who look badass as ever strutting the stage side by side.

It’s a nostalgic moment for those who have followed Beyoncé from the beginning and clearly an important one to the artist too whose smile especially lights up stage when beside her girl group sisters for the number.

Before Destiny’s Child hit the stage, her famous hubby Jay-Z also came onstage to duet “Deja Vu” with her in a sweet moment between the two that had their chemistry beaming on stage in a way we don’t always see between the two of them, especially after the singer belted out angry tunes of his past infidelities prior. In another cute moment to cut the overwhelmingly beautiful dance numbers and pop tunes is when Beyoncé’s sister Solange also comes on stage to bust some moves with her during the bridge of “Get Them Bodied.”

All in all, the Beyoncé film is a highlight in of itself as it showcases an incredible feat by the singer on that Coachella stage last year that will be talked about for years to come. The singer beautifully captures her memorable set, opens up about her behind-the-scenes prep and leaves a whole lot of heart on that stage. There are so many more moments I’m not over yet. Did you see Beyoncé’s Netflix movie? What were your favorite moments? Sound off in the comments below.