Robert Downey Jr. Calls Marvel Tenure ‘Ride Of A Lifetime’ As Avengers: Endgame Hits Theaters

Robert Downey Jr. Calls Marvel Tenure ‘Ride Of A Lifetime’ As Avengers: Endgame Hits Theaters

It's no secret that landing the role of Tony Stark was life-changing for Robert Downey Jr. In the early aughts his career was a shadow of what it was during the 1980s and 1990s, and while he was still making quality films like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, he didn't exactly have the same level of popularity. That all changed in 2008 with the arrival of Jon Favreau's Iron Man, and 11 years later we're preparing to see the capstone of the epic adventure in the form of Avengers: Endgame.

Obviously that makes this a pretty big weekend for the actor, and while he has been very active on social media recently discussing his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Tweet he posted today feels particularly poignant as a summation of his time as part of the franchise:

It goes without saying that Robert Downey Jr.'s impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been absolutely massive. His ridiculous charisma is a huge part of what made the first Iron Man work so well, and rewatching the movie even now it's easy to see why people immediately fell back in love with him and became obsessed with his iteration of the character. Critics and audiences fully embraced his take on Tony Stark immediately, and it catapulted the 2008 film to a box office total of $585 million internationally.

But that was only the start. Since then he has been featured in 10 of Marvel Studios' 22 films, and his contributions are really immeasurable. It started with him giving a tiny boost to The Incredible Hulk with his quick cameo at the end of the film cementing the continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and since then it's been nothing but the stuff of legends.

To put a number on it, prior to the release of Avengers: Endgame the total worldwide box office earnings for the Marvel Studios films in which Robert Downey Jr. has been featured is $3,960,919,900. That is unprecedented, and it's possible that Hollywood will never see another run of its kind ever again.

Clearly the actor has a tremendous amount of love and appreciation for everything that has happened in his life since the release of Iron Man, and it will be exciting to see how it winds up molding his career going forward. We actually haven't seen him in a non-Marvel film since 2014's The Judge - though that's a streak that will come to an end next year. He's already completed work on Stephen Gaghan's The Voyage Of Doctor Dolittle, which sees him playing the titular character and will be out next January, and hes also playing a role in Jamie Foxx's debut as a writer/director - All-Star Weekend. We'll have to wait and see what the future holds for Tony Stark after Avengers: Endgame, but at the very least audiences everywhere can take comfort in the fact that we'll still have many more years of Robert Downey Jr. awesomeness on the big screen to come.

Do you have a favorite Tony Stark/Iron Man moment from the last 11 years? What will you always remember about his take on the character? Hit the comments section below with your thoughts, feelings, and opinions.

How If Beale Street Could Talk Reminds Regina King Of A Classic TV Show

How If Beale Street Could Talk Reminds Regina King Of A Classic TV Show

If you've seen If Beale Street Could Talk then you know that it's one of the most original love stories ever put on the big screen. The film focuses on Tish Rivers (KiKi Layne), a 19-year-old pregnant woman whose life long friend and now fiancé, Fonny (Stephan James) has been imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. As we follow Tish and Fonny's love story, we also see the efforts of Tish and her family to prove Fonny's innocence as the young couple struggles to keep their love alive through near impossible circumstances.

While the movie is far from a comedy, it turns out that Oscar-winning star Regina King, who plays Tish's mom Sharon, actually feels that the strong family bonds exemplified by the Rivers family (which is also comprised of Colman Domingo as dad Joseph and Teyonah Parris and sister Ernestine) remind her of those of a popular sitcom family from a classic show. Here's what King had to say:

The Rivers family is a family that exists, but even now, in 2018 when this comes out, we don't get the opportunity to see that family; where the father is there and the mother is there, and the children. You know Good Times? It's like that. That was a [TV] family in the '70s. They were poor, but there was a lot of laughter in the home, music in the home. I always say the Rivers are very similar to the Evans family!

I have to say, as I was watching the special features on the Blu-Ray for If Beale Street Could Talk (which is out now), I was very surprised to find that Regina King could make any comparison between the Rivers family in this sad, yet hopeful and lyrical love story and the Evans family from Good Times, which ran from 1974 through 1980 on CBS. But, after seeing how King manages to make the connection I can certainly understand how she came to such a conclusion.

As King mentioned, the Rivers and Evans families both share an easy closeness and are capable of having lots of fun with each other. Both families also deal with poverty and the dire circumstances that can cause, especially when things go wrong, but each group is also completely dedicated to supporting its members and showering them with as much love as possible to help them get through all the trials that life throws at them.

As you might imagine, getting a cast together that feels like a real family can be difficult, and director Barry Jenkins, who spoke about If Beale Street Could Talk during the same featurette, explained how the cast became like a real family during shooting.

Filming it, it was really important in the casting process to cast these actors who could literally, legitimately, you know, become a family. So, casting Regina King and Colman Domingo and Teyonah Parris, like, if you were on set with us you would see they all kind of huddled around KiKi, because this is KiKi's first role. She was literally the baby of the family.

No wonder the positive feelings of love and never-ending support for one another, no matter the situation, came through so well in If Beale Street Could Talk. If you want to check the movie out for the first time, or give it another watch, it's available right now on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital HD.

How Michael Dougherty Came Up With Those Godzilla: King Of The Monsters End Credit Scenes

How Michael Dougherty Came Up With Those Godzilla: King Of The Monsters End Credit Scenes

Spoiler Warning: We dish on the ending of Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Come back after you've seen the movie!

Fans of monster movies were treated to Godzilla: King of the Monsters this weekend. Like many blockbusters these days, King of the Monsters has two end-credits scenes for fans to enjoy. The first one plays out over the credits, in which a montage of news headlines hit the screen, teasing the aftermath of Godzilla's battle with King Ghidorah. It's an interesting way to convey information, and director Michael Dougherty told CinemaBlend that it was an idea that came up to show audiences that everything was still okay after the movie.

In King of the Monsters, Godzilla goes head-to-head against King Ghidorah, a rival apex predator seeking to control all the other Titans in the world. This shouldn't be a shocker, but Godzilla takes back his throne. To make sure that audiences knew that Godzilla wasn't going to just wreck shop with all his Titan pals now, Michael Dougherty used "headlines of the day" to tease how the world is reacting to the aftermath.

Here's what director Michael Dougherty told CinemaBlend Senior Video Producer Jeff McCobb in an exclusive video interview:

No, I think that idea came during post-production. The idea that it would be nice to just give us a slight glimpse into what the aftermath of that ending was. And also just to calm any fears that it means we're entering some kind of post-apocalyptic monster-dominated world. That's not the case. You know, with Godzilla returning to his place on the throne, I really like the idea that he would sort of keep things at a proper balance.

The headlines in question reveal that Godzilla is a benevolent king. While some of these headlines are blink-and-you-miss-them, the general sense is that the world is recovering in the aftermath of Godzilla's showdown with Ghidorah. In fact, some parts of the world are thriving, but I won't reveal any specifics as to why. You'll just have to see the movie!

Also, here's a friendly reminder to stick around until the end of the credits. There's a post-credits scene that you probably don't want to miss.

If you'd like to hear these words from Michael Dougherty himself, check out our exclusive interview with the director and actor Ken Watanabe in the video below.

Critics have been ragging pretty hard on Godzilla: King of the Monsters, but if you like giant monsters and really rad fights, then you don't want to miss this movie. The film is currently in theaters, so check it out when you can! For all of the other big movies that will be hitting theaters in the near future, be sure to take a look at our 2019 movie release guide.

Dark Phoenix Director Explains Why The Hellfire Club Wasn’t Included

Dark Phoenix Director Explains Why The Hellfire Club Wasn’t Included

Superhero movies are everywhere, but there was a time when the genre seemed like a serious gamble for studios. Before shared universes became commonplace, 20th Century Fox (RIP) brought X-Men to theaters back in 2000. The property hasn't been far from theaters in the nearly two decades since, although it will all come to an end with Dark Phoenix.

Dark Phoenix is the franchise's final run in theaters, and the second attempt at adapting the titular comic book story. On the page, the Hellfire Club is an integral part of the plot, manipulating Jean and the dark power that lives inside her. But they won't be in the upcoming blockbuster, and director/writer Simon Kinberg explained this choice, saying:

I think if I had four hours to tell this story I would've included the Hellfire Club, I might've included Lilandra. Because I wanted it to be so focused on Jean and I wanted to really tell a character story a little differently than we have in the past in the X-Men. In the past it's been a little more horizontal, meaning there was a breadth of character, there was a bunch of characters. In this one I wanted to go a little more vertical, I wanted to go deep with our main characters, and especially with Jean.

Simon Kinberg has been a long-time producer in the X-Men franchise, so he clearly knows the mutants and their adversaries very well. And while he may have liked to include the Hellfire Club and cosmic character Lilandra in Dark Phoenix, the full story is simply too dense for one movie. Instead, he pivoted his focus onto the psyche of Sophie Turner's Jean Grey, giving the title character the chance to carry the movie.

Related: Why Dark Phoenix Reshot Its Original Ending, According To Simon Kinberg

From the looks of Dark Phoenix's trailers, Sansa Stark is going to be given the true focus of the movie, with Sophie Turner getting the chance to show off a different side of her acting abilities. This should hopefully streamline the narrative, while also allowing the other mutants to split in their allegiances in the wake of Jean's dark power. Even if that means comic book characters ended up on the cutting room floor.

In his same conversation with Digital Spy, Simon Kinberg went on to explain how The Hellfire Club's inclusion may have weighed down Dark Phoenix. As he put it:

So while I loved the Hellfire characters and their role in the Dark Phoenix saga in the comics, and I loved the Lilandra storyline in the comics, all of those felt like they were going to start to compete with the main story of Jean and her emotional crack-up and the break-up of the X-Men family. And I didn't want to draw away from that main emotional through-line.

Simon Kinberg may be making his directorial debut with Dark Phoenix, but he's been working on the franchise since the very beginning. As such, he's seen all the peaks and valleys of the X-Men movies over the years. This no doubt helped his creative process with the upcoming blockbuster, as well as his decision to exclude certain comic book characters.

Members of the Hellfire Club have already appeared in an earlier installment in the franchise, so adding them to Dark Phoenix would make the timeline a bit more confusing and convoluted. Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost were antagonists in X-Men: First Class, and that's a timeline that is still being utilized in Dark Phoenix. The characters have a relationship with the Hellfire Club, especially Professor X, Mystique, and Magneto.

While Lilandra hasn't been adapted to live-action, there were many thought that Jessica Chastain would be playing the character in Dark Phoenix. Chastain's role still hasn't been revealed, although the trailers show her manipulating Jean to give into her new dark persona. Only time will tell who she ends up playing, and how similar to Lilandra the character ends up being.

All will be revealed when Dark Phoenix arrives in theaters on June 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Captain Marvel Doesn't Necessarily Disprove A Popular Phase 4 Theory

Captain Marvel Doesn't Necessarily Disprove A Popular Phase 4 Theory

Warning! SPOILERS ahead. Read at your own risk!

As viewers experience Captain Marvel for the first time, no doubt they're analyzing the character's story and wondering how it will play into the future of the MCU. Carol Danvers is already confirmed to be an important player in Avengers: Endgame, but some might assume that other theories proposed ahead of the film are now invalid after seeing Captain Marvel. Specifically, we're referring to the representation of Skrulls as villains in the Marvel universe.

It's easy to think otherwise after watching, as the species was portrayed to be nothing more than frightened refugees seeking safety from the vigilant Kree and their desire to eradicate the species. The Skrulls weren't the bad guys this time around, but that doesn't mean the MCU isn't planning on working in the Skrulls to be major aggressors in Phase 4. There are some clues that point to Captain Marvel's Skrulls being outliers as opposed to the norm.

All credit to Marvel Studios for subverting hardcore fan expectations, as using Talos was a perfect way to throw them off the trail. He's one of the more brutal and notable Skrull characters in Marvel Comics, so it was easy to expect that even if the Kree weren't the "heroes" Carol assumed they were, the Skrulls were just as nasty, if not a little worse.

The lack of evil wasn't the only thing different about Talos either, as the character was also known for being a Skrull who lacked the ability to shape shift. Talos touted himself in Captain Marvel as being one of the best at shapeshifting, which stuck out to me as an oddly specific line given the character's origin. Talos might be a great shape-shifter in the '90s, but could he have lost his ability in the years since?

If that happened, it may have been the result of an incident that's changed his attitude on many things since. It's one of those things that screams as a catalyst into making a likable character a villain, and also making him closer to the version in Marvel's canon. Plus seeing Talos transition from grateful ally of Captain Marvel to fearsome foe would be quite the story arc.

That's just one character, however, and as many know, the Marvel universe is not lacking for evil Skrulls. Just because Talos and his crew were good doesn't mean there aren't some other Skrulls lurking about intent on infiltrating cultures and dominating societies. After all, every species in the MCU has a few bad eggs. It would be weird if the Skrulls were the sole exception to that rule.

Again, imagine all the things that could've happened in the last 20 years. The Skrulls could've found a new home, re-grew its numbers and could be seeking revenge on the Kree, especially now that adversaries like Ronan The Accuser are gone. It's also possible there were some Skrulls on Earth unaffiliated with Talos and his crew, and are slowly working their way up the chain of power to make a big play on behalf of Skrulls everywhere.

In typical Skrull fashion, this could be done by disguising themselves as authority figures. People like Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross, who have bounced back into the MCU like nothing happened after being gone for so long. Captain Marvel showed the perks of a Skrull positioning themselves in a position of power, and Ross has been in a pretty sweet power position threatening heroes with the power of the United States government. I'm not saying Ross is for sure a Skrull in disguise, but I won't be surprised if he is.

Plus, it doesn't seem like Marvel Studios to go to such lengths to introduce the Skrulls, and then immediately erase any chance for a "Secret Invasion" adaptation. Skrulls slowly taking over the identities of notable heroes was an exciting event in the comics, and could make for some really mind-blowing twists in the MCU in Phase 4. It's a story line that could slowly develop during Avengers: Endgame and serve as an explanation behind some actors' high profile exits.

It's also a big MCU event substantial enough to shoulder another major Marvel ensemble feature, which is something the studio will need going forward. After Thanos' defeat, the bar has been set to work towards the next major threat to the universe. Sure, Galactus, Annihilus and Cronus might be more intimidating, but what the Skrulls lack in god-like powers, they more than make up for with their ability to surprise audiences again and again.

Let's be honest, if putting the most powerful villain available as the head of a major feature was always the right call, X-Men: Apocalypse would've been a slam dunk. Marvel may not have the vision to tackle massive foes like Galactus just yet, and could use a Skrull invasion in the meantime without doing a massive amount of work to explain why that could happen.

Of course a secret invasion wouldn't exactly be easy, but Captain Marvel already got a bulk of the exposition on Skrulls out of the way. We know they can shape shift to make themselves look like anyone, and can only retain recent memories. That's more than enough to start laying some eggs, and it's enough even for Carol to potentially out an Avengers character as a secret Skrull during Avengers: Endgame.

Put simply, a few good Skrulls doesn't mean the race won't be a major player in Phase 4 and an aggressor towards a future lineup of heroes. Whether it's The Avengers, Guardians, or some other upcoming hero group that will be introduced in Phase 4, we shouldn't assume the MCU will keep the Skrulls as a race solely comprised of pacifists. With that said, things might be a little bit easier on Earth's Mightiest Heroes if they stay that way.

We won't know for sure what's happening with the Skrulls until Avengers: Endgame at the earliest, so keep checking with CinemaBlend in the weeks leading up to and after its release for more details. For more on Captain Marvel, read up on its box office debut and how it's killing it in its first week.

No, DC Didn’t Push Back On James Gunn’s Brightburn

No, DC Didn’t Push Back On James Gunn’s Brightburn

It's no secret that the superhero genre is dominating the film industry. And with so many shared universes bringing comic book adaptations to theaters, there is some fear about superhero fatigue, where the genre will become too saturated and overstuffed to truly resonate with audiences.

In order to combat this concern, filmmakers have started to put their own spin on comic book movies, breaking new ground for the genre in the process. That's certainly the case with the James Gunn produced Brightburn, which is a horror-infused take on Superman's origin story. But given the similarities between Brightburn's powers and Superman's, did DC ever push back on the project? According to Gunn himself, not even a little. As he put it:

Well no, because there’s a lot of similar stories that have been told in comic books over the years, from all sorts of different comic book publishers And I have a pretty good relationship with DC.

While Brightburn's protgonist Bradon Beyer shares the same abilities as DC's Man of Steel, it doesn't look like the comic book behemoth had any problem with James Gunn's upcoming horror/superhero movie. Clark Kent is the only hero in the history of media, plus Gunn has a working relationship with DC Studios.

James Gunn's comments to CinePop make a great deal of sense, especially considering his upcoming collaboration with DC for The Suicide Squad. Following his (temporary) firing from the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, Gunn put his creative energy into bringing Brightburn to life. He also picked up a gig to write and direct The Suicide Squad, which may or may not be a reboot from David Ayer's previous film.

Related: James Gunn Had A Really Good Time Writing The Suicide Squad

DC must have known about Brightburn ahead of bringing on James Gunn to direct the villain-centric blockbuster. So if there was any issue with the upcoming genre-bending film, the studio had the chance to make their intentions known. But that didn't happen, allowing Gunn to bring a new type of superhero movie to theaters.

Another point James Gunn made in his above comments is just how many comic book character are really out there. So while Brightburn's main character will have similar powers to Superman's, the pop culture lexicon includes plenty of fictional characters who can fly, shoot lasers out of their eyes, and utilize super strength. Brightburn isn't actually about Clark Kent, after all.

Still, the similarities between Brightburn and Superman's origin story helped the buzz and anticipation for the new movie. Now that Brightburn is finally in theaters, we'll see how well this strategy worked in the box office.

Brightburn hits theaters today. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Has The Black Widow Movie Started Filming?

Has The Black Widow Movie Started Filming?

It's a very exciting time for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Avengers: Endgame is getting deep into its theatrical run, breaking box office left and right. The blockbuster was an epic adventure that was deeply connected to the previous 21 movies, and it essentially wrapped up the Infinity Saga forever.

The MCU is showing no signs of slowing down, although its plans for the future are currently unclear. Spider-Man: Far From Home is the only upcoming movie with a release date, although there are a variety of projects developing at the studio. Chief among them is the Black Widow solo movie, which will finally give Scarlett Johansson's signature Avenger the spotlight she deserves.

Fans have been eagerly anticipating Black Widow, especially as a strong cast was assembled to join Scarlett Johansson. Now it looks like that movie might already be in production, as a Twitter user revealed a potential shooting location outside Pinewood Studios in Atlanta. So should we expect the solo flick to be one of the first installments in Phase Four?

The future of the MCU is largely a mystery, as Phase Four's slate of films haven't been revealed to the general public. This was done in an effort to guard the secrets of Infinity War and Endgame, a task that grew increasingly difficult in the days leading to their respective releases. But now that Endgame's secrets are out and the spoiler ban has been listed, fans are looking to the future.

Of course, it's important to note that the possible shooting location is not a guarantee that Black Widow is currently filming. In fact, David Harbour previously thought the movie would begin filming in June. So we'll have to wait for an official confirmation.

Related: 10 Times Black Widow Proved Why She Deserves Her Own Solo Movie

The Black Widow movie has been a long time coming, so news that it might be in production is going to make the generations of Marvel fans very happy. Widow has been a supporting character in a whopping seven movie, Natasha Romanoff will finally take center stage in her own flick. But given the events of Endgame, it should be interesting to see how Marvel Studios approaches this project.

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame. If you haven't seen it yet, look away!

Black Widow had a strong outing in Avengers: Endgame. Following the time jump, it was revealed that Scarlet Johansson's character was keeping Earth's surviving heroes in communication. She helps devise the plan for the Time Heist after Ant-Man returns from the Quantum Realm, traveling to Vormir with Hawkeye to procure the Soul Stone. Natasha ultimately sacrifices herself to get the Stone, knowing she'll help to bring back the dusted characters back to life.

Widow's death was an emotional gut punch in Endgame, and it should be interesting to see exactly how Black Widow will acknowledge that, and continue the character's story. Smart money says the movie will be a prequel, showing some of the title characters' mysterious backstory and dark life as an assassin. Although since the multi-verse and time travel are also on the table, it seems like anything is possible.

CinemaBlend will keep you updated on all things Black Widow, and you can see her in Avengers: Endgame-- in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

The Russo Brothers Don't Think Iron Man Was Wrong About Ultron

The Russo Brothers Don't Think Iron Man Was Wrong About Ultron

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame.

Avengers: Endgame has been in theaters for three weekends, still maintaining the top spot at the box office over new releases like Detective Pikachu. The Russo Brothers did the impossible with the blockbuster, surpassing even Infinity War in regards to scope and character-driven story. Endgame was intimately connected to the previous 21 movies in the MCU, and that includes Phase Two's finale Avengers: Age of Ultron.

When Iron Man and Nebula were rescued by Captain Marvel and towed back to Earth in Endgame, Tony had an altercation with Steve Rogers. Exhausted and starving, he maintained he was right all along regarding the measures needed to properly protect the planet. Now The Russo Brothers have come to Tony's defense in regards to his Age of Ultron actions, with Joe Russo saying:

He was not wrong that there was a great threat coming, and they needed to build a suit of armor around the world, and at what point do civil liberties trump—no pun intended—do civil liberties come before the government’s ability to protect its citizens? I think what’s interesting is that to some extent, they had to go through this. There was a sense of destiny to this. They had to go through it to win it. And in a way both he and Cap were right.

Captain America and Iron Man's relationship started becoming strained during Avengers: Age of Ultron, as they had idealogical differences to the morality of superheroics. Ultron's inception came as a result of Tony's singular focus on protecting the planet, although Earth could have used it when Thanos and his forcea came knocking in Infinity War.

Of course, Joe Russo's comments to Slate also point out that Captain America has his own valid points in the argument. Both heroes had the best of intentions, but were ultimately unable to come together and find viable compromises. That powder keg eventually exploded in Captain America: Civil War, and it broke up the Avengers in the process.

Related: How Spider-Man: Far From Home Can Wrap Up Marvel's Phase Three

Ultron may have ended up turning against his creators and the planet, but the thought behind his creation was a big picture idea. Tony and Bruce Banner wanted to provide a more comprehensive protection of the planet, with Iron Man knowing that the Battle of New York was no fluke. Unfortunately, Ultron had other plans-- although Vision was also born in the process.

But Thanos was only able to be defeated because the surviving heroes were able to work together. Despite Tony's initial reaction to arriving home, he was able to bury the hatchet with Steve Rogers, and they made the time heist happen together. The duo also faced off against Thanos during the epic final battle, and Cap even witnessed Iron Man's final breath.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

What Happened When Alexander Skarsgard Shaved Half His Head For A Movie Role

What Happened When Alexander Skarsgard Shaved Half His Head For A Movie Role

Alexander Skarsgård is a good-looking guy. In fact he’s built a career around playing handsome dudes on the big and small screen. However, he threw it all away for a recent role, after shaving his head for The Hummingbird Project.

During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Alexander Skarsgård recalled the paparazzi giving him sympathy after seeing him with an unfortunately shaved head at an event while the movie in question was still filming. He said,

The great thing was, when I stepped out of the car and there was this press line, with photographers. I stepped out and I’ll never forget the sound when they all saw me, because they all went, ‘Awww.’ Someone was like, ‘Is he OK?’ They thought I had a meltdown.

Obviously, the intent was not to freak out the paparazzi, but Skarsgard did say he’ll never forgot what happened the one time he left the set in the three months he was shooting The Hummingbird Project as a balding man. But he was adamant with his stylists that he was unwilling to be a hat guy at an event. The rest is history.

So, why not just use a bald cap in the first place for the movie? Luckily, Alexander Skarsgård actually revealed to Jimmy Fallon how the whole thing came about.

I wanted to be bald and I thought for some reason it would look more natural, instead of doing a bald cap to just really shave it. I didn’t realize that it doesn’t quite look real, natural – see, the hairline doesn’t work.

If you look at the image at the top of this story or check out the original paparazzi event, you can see how Alexander Skarsgård's "balding" doesn't totally look like he's actually balding. The lines are kind of funny, but regardless of their complete authenticity, the look certainly does change the actor's face quite a bit.

While Jesse Eisenberg got to keep his hair for The Hummingbird Project, Alexander Skarsgård was certainly not his usual handsome self. Instead, he plays Anton, one of two cousins (the other is played by Jesse Eisenberg) who quit their day jobs to try and build a competitive fibre optic cable across half of the continental United States. Anton is awkward, a programmer who generally goes along with his cousin's insistence. It's a role far removed from the True Blood gig that made him famous, or a lot of his more recent movie roles.

The Hummingbird Project isn't the first time the actor has changed his hair in Hollywood. It was big news when he added a mustache back in 2017 after appearing on HBO's Big Little Lies.

In addition, if you haven’t caught Alexander Skarsgård full visit to The Tonight Show, you can watch the full video below.

The good news, these days his full head of hair is back, particularly in this weekend’s Long Shot, in which he plays Canada’s Prime Minister opposite Charlize Theron’s Secretary of State character. He's recognizable in that movie, although there is one other actor in a lot of makeup you may not recognize.

Long Shot hits theaters today.

Twilight's Edward Cullen And Bella Swan Are Coming Back, But Not How You Think

Twilight's Edward Cullen And Bella Swan Are Coming Back, But Not How You Think

Edward Cullen and Bella Swan are making a big comeback on the screen. Seven years after Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 hit theaters, Lionsgate has planned a new series of movie events to engage fans.

The first Twilight movie is set to get an international tour set to live music, in which the movie will play and be accompanied by a full orchestra who will tackle Carter Burwell’s iconic music.

In an announcement, Lionsgate revealed that the first of these concerts will come out in August and will happen in Brazil. Subsequent shows will stop in places like Australia and the U.K.; the full set of dates is not available currently.

This isn’t the first time Lionsgate has planned a series of events like this for fans, having also done this for the likes of The Hunger Games and La La Land. So far, 125 performances for these previous projects have already been successfully launched.

Insofar as Twilight goes, the fanbase is definitely still big enough for this sort of event. In fact, I’m a little bit surprised an actual movie spinoff hasn’t happened in the universe since the last flick wrapped in 2012. After all, the franchise has brought in $3.3 billion worldwide across four movies and clearly there’s still an avid fanbase interested in Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, plus the Cullen family in general.

We even recently learned the Twilight franchise films have been big hits with a new audience over at Hulu.

Insofar as a reboot or remake goes, previously actor Kellan Lutz has talked about the budget constraints in the first movie, revealing he wouldn’t mind if the powers that be remade Twilight, particularly to improve the CGI.

Definitely for the first movie, I think Twilight has the lowest budget out of all of them from New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, and I can only imagine what Catherine [Hardwicke] would do if she had a $59 million budget compared to ($37 million budget of the first.) So, I think they could remake the first one, but I don't think they could remake or should remake the franchise until there is some new technological advancement. I think the CGI was already top notch in the movies.

While this sort of new sort of screening event isn’t the same thing as a new movie, these types of events have proven popular for a lot of different big and small screen properties. At other studios, programs like The Simpsons have done similar live projects. In addition, some properties with musical components have even delved into sing-a-long fan events, with The Greatest Showman being a prominent recent example.

We’ll let you know as soon as this particular Twilight event gets more details. In the meantime, you can relive the movies as well as plenty of other content on Hulu.

Why DC Is Making An Aquaman Spinoff About The Trench, According To The Producer

Why DC Is Making An Aquaman Spinoff About The Trench, According To The Producer

DC's live-action universe has had plenty of peaks and valleys, although the massive property seems to be on the upswing lately. Warner Bros. is currently surfing on the massive success of James Wan's Aquaman, which cleaned up at the box office, on top of being a critical success. We'll have to wait a few years for the film's sequel to arrive in 2022, but there's another underwater adventure in development by the studio: the spinoff The Trench.

The Trench sequence was one of the most visually fascinating aspects of Aquaman, as James Wan's horror roots briefly reached the surface of the aquatic blockbuster. So fans were delightfully surprised when Warner Bros. green-lit a spinoff for the dark sea setting. Producer Peter Safran recently spoke to the decision to dive deeper into into The Trench with a spinoff, revealing:

We always, even from the early concept art days, loved the idea of a Trench movie. Then, when audiences embraced it in the movie itself the way they did, particularly that ant farm shot where the camera follows the Trench [creatures] following Arthur and Mera down into the deep, we just knew that we had something very special there and we knew what that movie should be. And consequently, I suspect that that’s one that will come out significantly before Aquaman 2.

Audiences may have been surprised, but it seems like the the groundwork for The Trench movie was being laid during the release of Aquaman. It ended up being audience engagement that made the spinoff truly become a reality. And as a reward to the fandom, they'll get another movie set in Aquaman's world before the film's actual sequel arrives in theaters.

Peter Safran's comments to THR illuminate the thought process going on at Warner Bros. regarding the future of the DC live-action universe. DC seems to be taking a much different approach than the competition over at Marvel Studios. Rather than revealing entire slates of movie scheduling, Warner Bros. can adjust its programming based on fan reception and box office performance. It feels like there's an exciting momentum in the shared universe, in stark juxtaposition to its state after the disappointing performance of Justice League.

The Trench is a mysterious part of the lore established in Aquaman. They're amphibious monsters who separated from the Atlantean Kingdom years ago. They attacked Mera and Arthur on their journey, before eventually joining their cause in an epic underwater battle against King Orm. It should be interesting to see how The Trench is expanded, and where in the overall timeline the spinoff will be set.

But perhaps the most important question is whether or not the great Julie Andrews will be back to play Karathen in either The Trench or Aquaman 2. Her inclusion in the first film was a delightful surprise, and she brought a ton of power to the behemoth creature.

Aquaman is available for digital download now, and you can purchase a physical copy on March 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Sorry, Sean Astin Doesn’t Think A Goonies Sequel Will Happen

Sorry, Sean Astin Doesn’t Think A Goonies Sequel Will Happen

Hey, you guuuys! It’s really been almost 35 years since classic adventure film The Goonies was released, and while we’ve heard talk of a sequel through the years, there hasn’t been a whole lot of action about Goonies 2 actually being underway. Now the film’s Mikey, Sean Astin is finally losing a bit of hope that he’ll ever reprise his iconic role due to all the time that has passed. Here’s what he said:

I think we’ve probably passed the threshold for which all of us original cast members are right for doing a sequel.

Sean Astin has been one of the leading flag-flyers for another Goonies for quite some time but now at 48-years-old, he feels the time may have passed for him and the treasure hunting gang to come back for another adventure. He recently told Collider that for 20 years his answers has been an “unequivocal yes” but not anymore. Astin does have hope however for a reboot, with these words:

The audience is so powerful and so devoted to it that I’m absolutely convinced that it will at the very least will be rebooted, which I would be fine with. If it’s not as good as the original Goonies, then okay, who cares, at least it’s out there.

The Lord of the Rings actor said it’s been a project that both Steven Spielberg and Richard Donner have been interested in exploring, but Spielberg just hasn’t found the right “sauce” to jump on it yet. Plus, he's been busy pursuing his various other recent movies. Richard Donner, who directed the original film is almost 90 years old, but no one seems to want to do the project without his involvement.

Sean Astin admitted that he and Corey Feldman, who played Mouth in Goonies actually went to Richard Donner and pitched a three-act treatment to him but his response was “we’re not doing that”. So the chances of a Goonies sequel may be thin, but Sean Astin still hopes one day he’ll at least get a call about being in a cameo for a reboot one day. Goonies never say die!

Otherwise, Sean Astin has been busy recently taking on the realm of television. He’s also guest starred on the final season of The Big Bang Theory and on an upcoming episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine after being one of the “Guardians of the Nine-Nine”. Last year, the comedy was cancelled by Fox and Astin was among a handful of celebrities who rallied against it online including Guillermo del Toro, Mark Hamill, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Seth Meyers.

He was also a fan favorite Bob Newby in Stranger Things 2, which he attributes to scoring his new Netflix family sitcom No Good Nick, which is now available to stream on the platform.

Do you still want to see a Goonies sequel or reboot? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Disneyland Is Teasing Big Changes For Spider-Man In Upcoming Attraction

Disneyland Is Teasing Big Changes For Spider-Man In Upcoming Attraction

Right now at Disneyland Resort construction is ongoing to transform a corner of Disney California Adventure into a new Marvel superhero themed space. We already knew that one of the new attractions would be focused on your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and now we have a bit of new information about the upcoming attraction, and it will apparently be used to create an all-new version of the character exclusive to Disney Parks.

Most of the new information we got from the Disney Parks Blog comes in the form of back story. We already knew that each Marvel themed area at the various Disney parks was designed to work like a local Avengers outpost for the education and training of new recruits. This will include, at both Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris, the creation of the Worldwide Engineering Brigade (or WEB, because Spider-pun) by Tony Stark. The purpose of WEB is to develop advancements in super powered technology, and the first assignment that WEB has been tasked with is creating new enhancements for Spider-Man's suit.

It's not clear what these new enhancements will be, but if they're truly "new" then we're talking about seeing Spider-Man with powers that we haven't seen him use in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or potentially even in the comics.

Exactly how this will work is not set out in detail but the idea of the attraction is clearly something interactive where guests will be able to help create these new powers, as such, there may be multiple different new abilities you can give the wall-crawler, perhaps with the idea being that you can go back to the attraction multiple times and create new powers.

Of course, it's also made clear that the goal of the attraction is to let guests engage with the superheroes and the super powers, so get ready to use these new abilities yourself.

In addition to the new attraction, Disney also revealed that a new walk around character for Spider-Man is coming to the parks who will be dressed in an original costume. The new design was created by Marvel Studios' Head of Visual Development Ryan Meinerding.

One of the questions I've had about the new Marvel land from the beginning was in what ways, if any, it would be connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The one existing Marvel attraction at Disney California Adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout, uses the cast of the films and the new Ant-Man and the Wasp attraction at Disneyland Hong Kong does the same. However, that doesn't necessarily mean these two parts of Marvel are connected. putting Spider-Man in an entirely originally designed costume in the parks would seem to indicate a separation between the two worlds.

That doesn't mean Tom Holland won't appear in the attraction, we don't know that for sure one way or another, but making the theme park universe it's own thing certainly opens things up and gives the storytellers more options.

This is the exact opposite idea of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, where it has been made clear the events that take place within the new land are as much canon as anything that happens in the movies.

In addition to the Spider-Man attraction we know that the new Marvel land will open next year in California with another attraction focused on Doctor Strange. An E-ticket ride focused on the Avengers will follow at some point in the future as apart of a second phase in the land.

Image Courtesy: Disney Parks Blog/Disney

Dave Bautista Calls His Guardians Of The Galaxy Audition 'A Nightmare'

Dave Bautista Calls His Guardians Of The Galaxy Audition 'A Nightmare'

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth undertaking, with many franchises and heroes occupying the big screen. But there are certain properties that have especially resonated with audiences, and chief among them is James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy. Gunn took a relatively unknown group of motley characters, and brought a quirky set of movies that elevated the cast to fan favorites. And that includes Dave Bautista's Drax the Destroyer.

Drax is a scene stealer in the Guardians and Avengers movies, with Bautista showing off his comedic chops in the process. But according to the wrestler turned actor, he had a terrible audition for the role. He recently opened up about this during a public appearance, saying:

Oh my God, it was a nightmare. I was terrified. I was really desperate at the time, I had hardly worked in three years, and I had gone broke from wrestling and I was desperate to get a job. I finally got an agent like two weeks before I got the audition for Guardians. My agent says 'You know, I really had to fight to get you this audition. It was really hard to get, they didn't really want to audition you. They didn't want any pro wrestlers, so I don't want to get your hopes up.’

While auditions are always a nerve-wracking experience, it looks like the stakes were especially high for Dave Bautista when it came to playing Drax. He needed a job badly, and apparently the odds were stacked against him. But we all know how that turned out.

It's hard to imagine anyone but Dave Bautista playing Drax, but that doesn't mean the role was straight up offered to the 50 year-old actor. His star power has grown significantly due to playing the Marvel hero, but he was lacking that reputation back when he was auditioning to play the role. As such, he had to work doubly hard to bring something unique to the room, and truly be considered to be a Guardian of the Galaxy.

Related: Dave Bautista Doesn’t Think The Rock Is A Good Actor

So how exactly did Dave Bautista do it? Namely, but working hard on the audition material with an acting coach. Later in his appearance at Denver Pop Culture Con (via CBR), he explained what ultimately went into that fateful audition. He said:

He built my hopes really low, so I went in with low expectations. I didn't understand Drax. I called my acting coach and said 'I don't get this,' and he flipped out because he's like the biggest fanboy. Anyway, he made me do the research and I found one picture of Drax, and I said 'That looks like me!' He babied me through this whole process, my first and second auditions, my acting coach came with me. I read for Sarah Finn, she's amazing. I read with her and she said 'Don't be nervous. Take your time, we can be here all day.'

While Dave Bautista really needed to land the gig of Drax, it looks like he did have a fair amount of support behind his Guardians and the Galaxy try-out. That includes a warm room, with the casting director encouraging Bautista to take his time and make the most of his audition. It was a formula that worked, and he's been killing it as Drax the Destroyer ever since.

You can see Dave Bautista as Drax in Avengers: Endgame now, and he'll eventually reprise the role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Shazam's Editor Reveals The Scene That Was The Toughest To Get Right

Shazam's Editor Reveals The Scene That Was The Toughest To Get Right

Warning: SPOILERS for Shazam! are ahead!

As one expects from a superhero movie, Shazam! was packed with a lot of action-packed moments, all of which came with their own unique challenges to pull off. As a result, just because a scene or sequence was envisioned in a particular way on script or while shooting doesn’t mean it came together looking exactly like that when finally assembled.

One of those sequences was the final battle between the eponymous protagonist and the Seven Deadly Sins-powered Doctor Sivana, which led to Billy sharing his power with his adoptive siblings so they too could become adult superheroes. I learned this when I recently spoke with the editor of Shazam!, Michel Aller, as this was her response when I asked what scenes changed the most from how they were initially shot to how they were edited together:

The end battle, really, was the biggest one that evolved. It had so many moving pieces that we had to work with and figure out, showing these new characters, the adult family, and giving them enough screen time, and still having the screen time between Sivana and Shazam. That end sequence, I wouldn’t say it’s just one scene, but the whole end battle was the one evolved the most.

There’s definitely a lot going on in that final Shazam! battle. It would be one thing if it had just been a straightforward fight between Shazam and Sivana, but not only did Mary, Freddy, Eugene, Darla and Pedro joining the fray widen the scope, but there was also the fact that the Seven Deadly Sins were able to separate from Sivana and go their own ways. So there were numerous things to keep track of within that carnival battleground.

As a result, not only was the final Shazam! battle the sequence that evolved the most during the editing phase, it was also the hardest one to cut together. In Michel Aller’s words:

It was probably the hardest, because you want to balance all these characters, telling everyone what’s going on, where they’re at, and keeping them interested and keeping the story moving forward. It was definitely the end battle. You have a lot of moving pieces to work with.

Even with all those moving pieces to track, ultimately the battle culminated with the showdown between Shazam and Sivana, adversaries that have been fighting on the printed page and in other media for eight decades. Remembering that main antagonist loses his powers if all of the Sins are out of his body, the superpowered Billy Batson managed to goad Envy out of Sivana, leaving the chrome-domed baddy helpless. Upon taking the Eye of Sin from Sivana, Billy imprisoned all of the Sins back within it, and the Shazam family redeposited the artifact back at the Rock of Eternity.

While this sequence had to go into the Shazam! final cut no matter what, there were 20-24 minutes of scenes that were taken out. However, Michel Aller expects you’ll be able to watch most of these when Shazam! comes out on Blu-ray and DVD later this year, with some of these excised scenes possibly including one where Mary confronts Billy as he’s sneaking out of the Vasquez house and the original version of Sivana’s murder spree. For now, catch Shazam! in theaters while you can, as the next DCEU movie isn’t coming out until next February (although Joker is holding down the overall DC fort in October).

Be sure to read CinemaBlend’s review of Shazam! and stay tuned for updates on how Shazam! 2 is coming along. Those of you interested in learning what other DC movies are in development can find that information in our handy guide, or you can look through our 2019 release schedule to plan when you’ll be going to the movie theater later this year.

Sylvester Stallone Met The Most Adorable Rocky Fan While Editing Rambo 5

Sylvester Stallone Met The Most Adorable Rocky Fan While Editing Rambo 5

Sylvester Stallone's franchises recently collided in the sweetest way. Right now, he's busy editing Rambo V: Last Blood for the movie's release this September. But while at work, he had a visit from some Rocky fans. He shared a video meeting one young fan who was only 9-years-old, but loved Rocky. Her family told Sly she adored him -- he was truly meeting his biggest fan. Sly, age 72, was understandably both confused and very moved by that news.

The young Rocky fan asked Sylvester Stallone how he became such a good actor and a star. Here's his fantastic response:

A lot of critics would debate that! Certain characters you just feel they're part of you. It's like, playing Rocky is like breathing, I just feel it. Whereas another character I may not. But that particular one, I just believe everything the character says and what I say. That's why I like to write it. It comes from deep inside. But some other characters, it's not quite the same. But that one's just [special].

Watch the conversation play out:

How sweet is that? Also, how can people just drop by the Rambo 5 editing bay? Asking for a friend.

Sylvester Stallone's Instagram is a treasure trove for fans of both Rocky and Rambo (and also The Expendables, but we'll get there in a minute). He recently gave fans an update on Rambo V: Last Blood editing, saying sometimes editing a film is like pulling teeth, but the fifth John Rambo movie was coming together "beautifully." He also teased a battle to the end, with an "unexpected" ending.

For Rocky Balboa, Sylvester Stallone had suggested he was done playing the role after Creed II. However, he still has a lot of love for the character, as you can tell in his answer to his biggest fan, and also because he's been promoting his upcoming documentary on 40 years of Rocky. The first Rocky movie came out in 1976 and won the Oscar for Best Picture; Sly was also nominated for Best Actor and for Best Original Screenplay, since he wrote the script.

Creed II came out in 2018 and Rambo V is scheduled to be released this September 20. Sylvester Stallone also has Escape Plan: The Extractors set for release this year, but so far it looks like only Russia has announced a theatrical release date of June 20. Not sure what's going on there.

What about The Expendables 4? That's my big question. Sylvester Stallone got fans excited with a recent throwback photo to the second movie in that franchise. Last we heard, the fourth movie was back on, and we're hoping the core gang will get back together soon for filming -- once Rambo 5 is done, of course.

As we wait for more updates, keep up with everything headed to the big screen this year with our handy 2019 movie schedule.

Disney And Netflix’s Partnership Isn't Permanently Over

Disney And Netflix’s Partnership Isn't Permanently Over

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Has Been Planned Since The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Has Been Planned Since The Force Awakens

The past few years have been great for Star Wars fans, as there's been a ton of new and exciting projects hitting theaters since Disney acquired Lucasfilm. The House of Mouse has produced standalone films and an upcoming live-action series, although fans are most invested in the main franchise. The nine-film narrative will end with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with J.J. Abrams returning to the director's chair to tie up a variety of stories.

The pressure is on for J.J. Abrams to conclude the story he began with The Force Awakens, as well as the entire franchise up to this point. Adam Driver has starred as the villainous Kylo Ren in the sequel trilogy, and recently revealed that his character's story was planned from back in Episode VII, and has remained consistent through The Rise of Skywalker. As he put it:

An overall arc was very, not vague, the opposite, it was very clear—[there was] an end in sight even from the very beginning. The details obviously hadn’t been worked out, but we had talked about the very thing that we’d been working towards with this last one.

Well, this is a relief. Because while The Last Jedi shocked audience and The Rise of Skywalker was originally set to be directed by Colin Trevorrow, it looks like the overall story hasn't been changed much since The Force Awakens was in production.

Adam Driver's comments to Vanity Fair are sure to excite the hardcore Star Wars fandom, who might be nervous about what J.J. Abrams is bringing to the franchise with The Rise of Skywalker. Rian Johnson purposefully subverted fan expectations with The Last Jedi, and the blockbuster is the most divisive installment in the long running property. His bold choices didn't vibe with some of the hardcore fandom, although now it looks like the current trilogy's core narrative has remained consistent across all three movies.

Related: Knights Of Ren Confirmed For Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker

The Star Wars franchise is beloved by entire generations of fans, so the pressure is on for J.J. Abrams to deliver with The Rise of Skywalker. But since he was the architect of the property's return to theaters, Abrams has a full understanding of the story, and will be able to wrap it up on a way that (hopefully) satisfies the rabid fanbase. Although the contents of Episode IX are still a total mystery at the moment.

There are a ton of balls in the air for the current Star Wars trilogy, so J.J. Abrams' narrative possibilities are seemingly endless. Audiences will follow the final battle for Ben Solo's soul, General Leia's final appearance, as well as the trio of new heroes. The first trailer for The Rise of Skywalker was truly epic, so the wait until Episode IX's will be excruciating for hardcore fans.

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

Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Has Screened, See What People Are Saying

Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Has Screened, See What People Are Saying

Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the filmmaker’s ninth directorial effort, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, and while it’ll be another two months before the general public gets to see it on the big screen, they can at least start getting a sense of how his latest offering was received over in Europe. Social media reactions to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood are pouring in, and evidently it was quite the hit at Cannes, earning a six to seven minute-long standing ovation from those in attendance.

Starting off, Deadline’s Joe Utichi praised Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as one of Quentin Tarantino’s best movies yet, saying:

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is so gloriously, wickedly indulgent, compelling and hilarious. The film QT was born to make. The world is a more colourful place in Quentin Tarantino’s twilight zone. Round two, please.

Quentin Tarantino might not have the largest directorial resume in Hollywood, but all of his solo directing work over 25+ years has been met with mostly positive reception. So to say that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is the film he was born to make is high praise indeed.

That Shelf managing editor Jason Gorber was also pleased by Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, although he admitted that not everyone will feel the same way:

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - Historically dubious, thematically brilliant, QT finds his form in film that could win Palme d'Or or be picketed by audiences, or maybe both. Thrilling, provocative, blackly comical, intensely unsettling masterwork.

Sometimes you can summarize your feelings for a movie in just a few words, and that’s just what Thrillist’s Emma Stefansky did with her praise for the latest Quentin Tarantino movie:

I reeeeally liked Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

But not everyone was willing to declare that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was a success across the board. The New York Times’ Kyle Buchanan was more measured with his reaction:

There will be many, many hot takes to come on the new Tarantino but I don’t mind letting mine cool off on the counter a little longer. I know it’s more relaxed than I was expecting, and that DiCaprio is terrific, funny and poignant. The rest, I’m gonna mull over.

Indiewire’s Erick Kohn also felt into more mixed territory with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, though he did appreciate the Easter eggs and lead performances:

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a meandering Tarantino hangout movie, plays w/history, celebrates the art of the TV western & the creative thrill of performance. DiCaprio & Pitt are better than ever. Lots of nostalgic Easter eggs. It’s fun! But manage expectations.

FirstShowing’s Alex Billington noted how as has been made clear in the marketing, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood delves deeply into the culture that Quentin Tarantino grew up with:

As expected, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is Tarantino referencing other films and TV and old Hollywood and good times in the 60s. Digging into his past and showing us, through perfectly crafted cinema, his feelings about moviemaking and artists and the Manson murders and more.

Torontoist contributor Jesse Hawken said that fans of some of Quentin Tarantino’s most famous movies will appreciate what he delivers in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood:

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: fans of Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill know what to expect from Quentin Tarantino and once again he delivers! A hip, cool joyride that injects a shot of classic Hollywood cool to the multiplex. Leave the kids at home for this one, folks!

Finally, Anne Thompson, also of Indiewire, complimented Once Upon a Time in Hollywood not just for its premise, but also for what the lead actors brought to the table:

Tarantino’s gorgeous Once Upon a Time in Hollywood lovingly recreates a showbiz period that is long past, of cowboys, manly men and crazy hippies. DiCaprio and Pitt are funny and brilliant, as is Margot Robbie as sweet Sharon Tate. It’s an elegy.

So while it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, as is frequently the case with Quentin Tarantino’s filmography, it sounds like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is another winner for the director. Considering that its only opening weekend competition in July is the animated Wish Dragon (another Sony release), that, along with these positive reviews, ideally bodes well for its box office performance, although there will still be The Lion King to contend with, as it opens the weekend before.

It’s also worth mentioning that there was a bit of a ruckus surrounding Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s Cannes screwing. Deadline reports that hundreds of ticket holders were turned away from the premiere. These tickets cost as much as $1000+ each, and even though they were scanned, the holders were held at the edge of the red carpet until being told there was no more room left in the theater, despite the fact that some people had arrived early. This is evidently one of several disorganization issues that have popped up during the festival.

Set in 1969 Los Angeles, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood follows a television actor and his stuntman trying to navigate the changing Hollywood landscape, all as The Manson Family is up to its illicit activities. The sprawling ensemble cast also includes Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Timothy Olyphant, Al Pacino, Luke Perry, Lena Dunham, Damian Lewis, Bruce Dern and many, many more. It is Quentin Tarantino’s first movie not to be associated with Harvey Weinstein, with Sony Pictures winning the distribution rights.

You can judge Once Upon a Time in Hollywood for yourself when it’s released in theaters on July 26. For now, you can look through our 2019 release schedule to learn what other movies are opening later this year. As for Quentin Tarantino, he hasn’t officially announced what movies he’ll work on next, although he did say that his Star Trek movie is still a “very big possibility.”

Avengers: Endgame Already Has A Disney+ Release Date

Avengers: Endgame Already Has A Disney+ Release Date

It’s been nearly two full weeks since Avengers: Endgame started playing in theaters, and it’s not leaving the silver screen anytime soon. Still, there are surely a lot of people looking forward to watching Endgame in the comfort of their own home. So when will they be able to do so? While a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD release release date hasn’t been announced yet, the movie will hit Disney+ at the end of the year.

Disney+ is launching on November 12, a little over two years after the Mouse House announced it getting in on the streaming game. There will be a lot of content available from the get-go, and while Avengers: Endgame won’t be part of that select group, Disney did announce today that it will throw the final chapter of the Infinity Saga onto its digital platform on December 11.

So that’s just a month after Disney+ is made available in the United States, and just like every other Marvel, Star Wars and any other kind of movie that hails from Disney, Disney+ will be Avengers: Endgame’s exclusive streaming home. It joins fellow MCU entry Captain Marvel, which was announced to be the first theatrically-released Disney movie to stream exclusively on Disney+.

To reiterate, Disney and Marvel have not announced when Avengers: Endgame’s home release will be, but going off the typical release date pattern for movies nowadays, I suspect it will be available digitally in mid-to-late July, and the Blu-ray/DVD copies will follow in August. So if you’d rather not buy a copy of Endgame, but do plan on subscribing to Disney+, it’ll be another four-five month-long wait to watch it on there.

Given how incredibly popular Avengers: Endgame has been, both critically and commercially, it’s a good bet that it will be a popular choice on Disney+. And whether you watch it on Disney+ or elsewhere, at over three hours long and containing numerous tributes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s history, Endgame is definitely a movie that’s worth watching with a pause button available, as there’s a lot to look out for.

Disney+ will also be a prime destination to explore the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame. While the Loki series is reportedly set in the past, with the Asgardian God of Mischief influencing events in human history, WandaVision and Falcon and Winter Soldier will be set post-Endgame. There is also a Hawkeye series reportedly in development, as well as a confirmed What If? animated series on the way.

For now, keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more Avengers: Endgame coverage, and be sure to read our review of the movie. You can also discover what movies are arriving later in the year in our 2019 release schedule, as well find out what’s coming up next for the MCU on the silver screen with our comprehensive guide.

How Much Spider-Man: Far From Home Could Make In Its Opening Weekend

How Much Spider-Man: Far From Home Could Make In Its Opening Weekend

Warning: SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame ahead!

Thanks to the heroic efforts of the Time Heist team in Avengers: Endgame, Peter Parker is back in the land of the living, albeit 5 years later, and ready for his next big screen adventure. That adventure comes in the form of this summer’s Spider-Man: Far From Home. The long-range tracking is in for the film, and Spider-Man: Far From Home could be looking at a domestic opening weekend box office as high as $120 million.

Spider-Man: Far From Home doesn’t release until July, but the long-range tracking on the film from Box Office Pro sees it opening to between $90 million and $120 million over 3 days. Spidey’s Eurotrip actually opens on a Tuesday, right before Independence Day, so it should benefit from an extra-long opening weekend with people off for the holiday. The long-range tracking sees the film making between $190-$230 million over 6 days.

The 6-day opening has fewer comparisons, but a $90-$120 million 3-day opening weekend would be a solid debut for Tom Holland’s sophomore solo effort. Spider-Man: Homecoming opened to $117 million in July of 2017, and if Far From Home comes in on the high end of the long-range tracking, it would match and possibly even exceed that by a bit.

A domestic opening weekend of $120 million would actually give Spider-Man: Far From Home the second-biggest opening of any Spider-Man film, surpassing Homecoming. The only film that would remain ahead of it based on the tracking would be 2007’s Spider-Man 3, which opened to $151.1 million. So a $120 million opening would put Far From Home in the upper echelon of debuts for a superhero whose live-action big screen tenure has spanned 17 years and 3 iterations.

A $120 million opening would also put Spider-Man: Far From Home right in the neighborhood of Thor: Ragnarok, which opened to $122.7 million. If the film exceeds the high-end of the forecasts and makes over $128.1 million, it would beat Iron Man 2’s opening to snag a spot in the top 10 MCU openings.

This tracking is long-range so it can still fluctuate in either direction as we get closer to release, but Spider-Man: Far From Home has a lot going for it, the most obvious thing being its proximity to Avengers: Endgame. That film just enjoyed the biggest opening weekend of all time, and that only bodes well for future MCU movies because audiences will want to hop right back in to this world.

So many people will want to know what happens next, and what the fallout of Avengers: Endgame is, and Spider-Man: Far From Home is positioned to take advantage of that -- with plenty of new questions, and intriguing new wrinkles like the multiverse. The film, which is the official end of Marvel’s Phase 3 and the Infinity Saga, is focusing heavily on that Endgame fallout and specifically Tony Stark’s death, which has a profound effect on Peter.

The first trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home set a record for number of views and Marvel has even started attaching the more recent trailer for Far From Home to the end of Endgame, letting all those moviegoers know what's next.

On the competition front, Spider-Man: Far From Home pretty much stands alone. June 21’s Toy Story 4 will still be big and The Lion King doesn’t come out for two and a half weeks after Spidey. That means this movie will be far and away the ticket to buy over the July 4th holiday weekend.

Spider-Man: Far From Home swings into theaters on July 2. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all of this summer’s biggest movies.