There’s Already A Petition Against Robert Pattinson Playing Batman, Because Of Course

There’s Already A Petition Against Robert Pattinson Playing Batman, Because Of Course

It's only been about half a day since the news broke that Robert Pattinson is reportedly set to be the new Batman in Matt Reeves' upcoming film. That's plenty of time for the internet to organize into a mob of unstable rage monsters. Some are apparently already outraged with the decision to cast Pattinson in the iconic role of Bruce Wayne/Batman and so, the last bastion of the outraged, the online petition, has been broken out, and it asks Warner Bros. to reconsider the decision.

If you're wondering what the rationale behind the argument is, you might be surprised to learn that there really isn't one. The entire text of the petition is three sentences long and it simply asks WB to not make the "Batfleck mistake" again and to "stop trashing" the DC universe. There's no explanation of exactly why this casting decision would do that.

As of this writing the petition has only about 200 signatures on it. While that will certainly increase as the petition gains publicity, because, well, we're taking about it too, thus far it doesn't look like all that many people are seriously concerned with the choice as of yet.

And of course, it's entirely possible that all of this energy is being misplaced. While some reports claim that Robert Pattinson has earned the role of the next Batman, others are reporting that he's merely on the short list, alongside Nicholas Hoult as another potential dark knight.

While not stated outright, it seems clear that the Pattinson hate is due to the fact that several years ago the actor stared in a film franchise where he played a sparkly vampire. Of course, since then, Robert Pattinson has gone on to make a wide variety of films where he has received a great deal of acclaim. There's really no valid argument that the man isn't a good actor.

I find the swipe at Ben Affleck to be maybe the most curious part of the petition. A lot of people, even those who have their issues with the previous DCEU movies, would argue that Affleck's Batman was one of the high points of the existing franchise. It's certainly true that not everybody was convinced of that when he was cast, but he brought a lot of people around.

The same has happened with other roles in the history of the Batman franchise. A lot of very vocal people thought casting Heath Ledger as the Joker was the worst possible idea, and an Academy Award later we all know the truth about that.

Is it possible that the guy who once played a sparkly vampire could actually turn out to be an excellent Batman? Of course it is.

These online petitions never amount to anything beyond letting people vent, and this one won't be any different. If Robert Pattinson has indeed been cast as the new Batman, that's not going to change. I, for one, can't wait to see how Pattinson makes the role, that has been played by so many, feel like his own.

Matt Reeves The Batman is set for release June 25, 2021.

Danny Boyle Opens Up About Quitting Bond 25

Danny Boyle Opens Up About Quitting Bond 25

While superhero and Star Wars movies may be the biggest releases in the film world, there's a franchise that was there before it all: James Bond. The 007 movies began back with 1962's Dr. No, and the spy property is still going strong today. Daniel Craig will take his final bow as James with the mysterious Bond 25 movie, although the project has had a few noticeable setbacks. Most famously, the departure of Danny Boyle as director.

Danny Boyle left the director's chair of Bond 25 in August of 2018, giving the generations of fans some panic. He was ultimately replaced by Cary Joji Fukunaga, but Boyle has kept largely quiet about the details surrounding his exit. Now he's opened up about the decision, saying:

We were working very, very well, but they didn’t want to go down that route with us. So we decided to part company, and it would be unfair to say what it was because I don’t know what Cary is going to do. I got a very nice message from him and I gave him my best wishes. It is just a great shame.

Is anyone else's FOMO going through the roof? Danny Boyle was happy with his work in the development of Bond 25, but we'll unfortunately never get to see it. It looks like he was doing in a direction that the Eon Productions wasn't comfortable with. As such, he departed the still unnamed project.

Danny Boyle's comments to Variety show the thought process that went behind his departure from the James Bond franchise. Given how iconic and beloved the property is, most directors would jump at the chance to get behind the camera. But when his creative vision was stifled by the larger company and franchise heads, he decided it would be better to walk away.

In his same comments, Danny Boyle also references his replacement, Cary Fukunaga. Boyle doesn't seem to bare any ill-will, and has spoken with Fukunaga about his new gig. The show must go on, and the James Bond franchise certainly isn't going to slow down too much due to Boyle's departure. That being said, it's unclear when production will finally start up, and Bond 25 will become more of a reality.

The pressure is certainly on for Bond 25, as it will be Daniel Craig's swan song as the iconic spy. Craig brought a hulking physical presence to the role, as well as a more realistic and flawed version of the character. Fans are eager to see how he'll be sent off, and how the current slate of films ends. It was originally unclear if the actor would return to the role, as he said he'd rather slash his wrists than do so after the long hours of Spectre.

Bond 25 is currently set to hit theaters on April 8th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Booksmart’s Olivia Wilde Reveals The Teen Comedies That Inspired Her In This Exclusive Featurette

Booksmart’s Olivia Wilde Reveals The Teen Comedies That Inspired Her In This Exclusive Featurette

In their own way, teen comedies have the capacity to demonstrate the very real power of cinema. Those who grew up with a close relationship to movies can likely rattle off a series of fantastic titles they saw through their high school years, and it’s because of the significant impact of watching characters your own age struggle with similar issues – while also experiencing wacky, hilarious hijinks. Every living generation has their personal examples of this, and now Olivia Wilde has contributed to this wonderful legacy with her directorial debut, Booksmart.

At the same time, though, hearing some wonderful comparisons to legitimate classics has really amazed the filmmaker in the run-up to the release of her movie – which is something she joyously explains in this exclusive new featurette:

As she explains in the video, Olivia Wilde was excited to make Booksmart as her first directorial effort because of her own personal love of teen comedies – and she performs a bit of title rattling herself, with a special focus on the many classics from writer/director John Hughes. Her intention was to evoke the very special feeling of being young and the freedom that comes with it, and it’s apparently been a thrilling experience getting feedback with that reaction from audiences that have already seen the film. Said Wilde,

The reason I wanted to make Booksmart is because I love these high school classics. I love these generational anthems. I think about movies like The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Clueless… I wanted to make something that celebrates the kind of freedom of youth, but to hear people say like, 'Oh, this movie makes me feel how I felt when I watched Clueless' is kind of mind-boggling.

Based on an original screenplay by Susanna Fogel, Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, and Katie Silberman, Booksmart tells the story of Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) - two overachieving, anti-social high school seniors who are exceptionally proud of the hard work they’ve done and the high grades they have earned. They are both set for extremely bright futures, but the wind gets totally taken out of their sails when they discover that many of their party-loving classmates are also getting ready to go to some of the best colleges in the country. Feeling like they’ve missed out on a key part of the teenage experience, they vow to make the most of the night before graduation by attending a party being thrown by one of the most popular kids in school.

The movie very much shares a kindred soul with the wonderful titles mentioned earlier, and Olivia Wilde hopes that it it’s a film that connects with audiences of all ages – both the young people who are currently experiencing similar tribulations as the protagonists, and those who are older and can reflect on having those same experiences in their youth:

I wanted to make [teenagers] something that acknowledges how awesome they are, while also making something for the rest of us to just look at and feel super nostalgic.

Booksmart, which co-stars Will Forte, Lisa Kudrow, Jason Sudeikis, Jessica Williams and more, arrives in theaters this Friday, May 24th.

Tom Hanks' New Movie Is The First Fox Project To Head To New Studio After Disney Sale

Tom Hanks' New Movie Is The First Fox Project To Head To New Studio After Disney Sale

Just last month, Fox officially became part of the Mickey Mouse Club in a monumental $71.3 billion dollar merger that is about to change the landscape of Hollywood. Among the many coming shifts to be made, (including some upcoming release date changes) Disney decided to retire the Fox 2000 label. Now a project starring the studio’s Woody and Saving Mr. Banks’ Walt Disney will be the first to be given away.

Tom Hanks’ News of the World will move to Universal now that Fox 2000, a label that’s produced hits including The Fault In Our Stars, Life of Pi and The Heat, has been dropped in light of the Disney/Fox merger. The project will bring Captain Phillips’ director Paul Greengrass back together with Hanks, who is set to star and produce the Civil War-set novel adaptation.

Based on the 2016 book of the same name by Paulette Jiles, News of the World is a fictional drama about a newscaster named Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Tom Hanks) who travels throughout Texas to recite newspapers to the illiterate just as the Civil War has ended. Along the way, he is tasked with handing over a 10-year-old girl named Johanna to her aunt and uncle, following the murder or her family by a band of Kiowa raiders.

Kidd is met with a predicament when he must choose between leaving her to a family she doesn’t remember and thinks of her as a burden, or defy his responsibility. The script for News of the World was penned by Luke Davies, who has also adapted Lion and Beautiful Boy from novels, per Deadline.

The drama certainly looks like it could earn award recognition potential through Universal considering the track record of the writer, who was nominated for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for Lion. 2013’s Captain Phillips was also nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, and Tom Hanks is a two-time Oscar winner out of five nominations.

Tom Hanks previously worked with Fox 2000 for the also critically-acclaimed Steven Spielberg-helmed Bridge of Spies, though News of the World is being produced in the midst of a giant shift for the Disney and Fox studios/ Luckily, the film found a new home. While Disney is committed to helping move along Fox 2000 films already in production through the indie label, other titles in the works will be left to be hopefully picked up by a neighboring studio.

News of the World certainly looks like an interesting role for Tom Hanks to take on, and from impressive filmmakers at the helm to boot. Before Hanks takes on Kidd, he will star as the voice of Woody once again for Toy Story 4 this summer, television personality Mr. Rogers in biopic It’s a Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood this fall, World War II drama Greyhound in summer 2020 and sci-fi robot film BIOS in fall 2020.

Mark Ruffalo Had No Idea Brie Larson Was In 13 Going On 30

Mark Ruffalo Had No Idea Brie Larson Was In 13 Going On 30

Get out those Razzles and your “Thriller” dance moves because Avengers: Endgame actually marks a reunion of sorts for two 13 Going on 30 actors: Mark Ruffalo and Brie Larson. The classic early ‘00s rom-com starring Jennifer Garner as a pre-teen who time jumps to her 30-year-old self famously features the Bruce Banner actor in his early days as Jenna Rink’s childhood bestie, Matty. But did you know Captain Marvel was one of the “Six Chicks” in the film? If not, it’s okay… Ruffalo didn’t know either.

At the Los Angeles premiere of Endgame on Monday night, the actor was shown a picture of Brie Larson in his well-known film. Here was his reaction:

She was a mean girl. Oh my god, that's amazing! Wow, I didn't know that. It looks like her a lot. It's her.

Mark Ruffalo and his wife Sunrise Coigney were speaking with Entertainment Tonight on the purple carpet before going in to see the highly-anticipated blockbuster when the big reveal was laid on them. The news really seemed to tickle Ruffalo. He continued with this:

How cool, I didn't know that. Did she talk about that? What did she say? We didn't work together.

It makes sense that Mark Ruffalo may not have known about Brie Larson’s small role in 13 Going on 30, because he was not in same scenes as she was. Larson’s role of “Six Chick” is featured in the beginning of the film with young versions of Jennifer Garner’s Jenna and Ruffalo’s Matty. ET also showed the same picture to Larson before talking to Ruffalo. Here’s what she said of her time on the set:

I remember it was the moment when I realized that I really wanted to direct. I remember paying a lot of attention to where the camera was and the camera moves, thinking about how I would have cut it together and then seeing the movie and seeing how it differed from what I thought.

How cute! Sounds like her short time in 13 Going On 30 was actually an inspiring one that lead her to her passion of directing. The actress has since helmed two shorts and a recent Netflix film called Unicorn Store. Let’s get back to Ruffalo’s amazing reaction though. Look for it below:

Oddly enough, Brie Larson was around 13 years old when she worked on the 2004 movie and will be turning 30 later this year. I guess young Jenna Rink was right to aspire to be a Six Chick... one of them became a superhero! Next to Brie on the left is also a young Ashley Benson, best known for her role of Hanna in Pretty Little Liars. Andy Serkis, who played Ulysses Klaue in a few MCU films and Judy Greer, who is Ant-Man’s ex-wife in the franchise were also main characters in 13 Going On 30 as well.

This is such a delightful detail to know ahead of Endgame, especially since the movie just celebrated its 15-year anniversary since release a couple days ago. It’s the perfect time to revisit it, even if the two don't work alongside each other in the comedy. Let’s hope the two share a few memorable scenes this time around in Avengers: Endgame.

Dave Bautista Is ‘Still Processing’ Avengers: Endgame

Dave Bautista Is ‘Still Processing’ Avengers: Endgame

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame. If you haven't seen it yet, check out one of our other stories!

It's been nearly a week since Avengers: Endgame arrived in theaters, and moviegoers are still recovering from the movie's unpredictable events. The Russo Brothers crafted a complicated story that was truly the cumulation of the last 21 movies, rewarding the hardcore fandom for consistently running to theaters and shelling out cash for each new release.

The Russo Brothers threw everything and the kitchen sink into Avengers: Endgame, so there's plenty to unpack from the action-packed blockbuster. While moviegoers' heads are understandably still spinning, that's a feeling that extends to even the cast and crew. Guardians of the Galaxy standout Dave Bautista took to social media following Endgame's release, check it out:

Same, Dave. Same.

Dave Bautista's Tweet makes a great deal of sense, especially considering he was probably kept in the dark regarding quite a bit of Avengers: Endgame's contents. Drax was largely absent from the blockbuster, after he and most of the Guardians faded to dust as a result of Thanos' finger snap of death. So while he was privy for the final battle and the Guardians' ultimate fate, Bautista was likely just as delighted and surprised over Endgame's contents as the rest of us.

The Guardians of the Galaxy were hit hard by Thanos' assault in Infinity War, with only Rocket and Nebula managing to survive the snap. Luckily, the dusted Guardians popped back up in Endgame's final battle with Thanos. After Hulk managed to snap everyone back into existence, all of the galaxy's forces untied against Thanos and his army. Drax and Mantis were one of the first Guardians to appear, and they were a sight for sore eyes.

The Russo Brothers crammed so much into Avengers: Endgame, that the blockbuster is basically begging or a rewatch. This might be exactly what Dave Bautista needs, as he's processing the events of the movie as well. And in the end, Endgame did seem to tease the future of his team of intergalactic heroes.

Related: Why Thor Changed So Much In Avengers: Endgame, According To The Writers

Once reassembled, the Guardians of the Galaxy ended up heading back to space in Endgame, with Thor in toe. Star-Lord is shown searching for the 2014 version of Gamora, who joined the final battle against Thanos before vanishing. The search for Gamora will likely be a major plot point for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and it should be interesting to see if Thor ends up actually joining the team. It's a character pairing that worked great in Infinity War, but Chris Hemsworth has also come to the end of his Marvel Studios contract.

Avengers: Endgame is currently in theaters now, and Guardians 3 is rumored to begin filming in 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

The Lion King Fans Aren't Sold On The New Scar After First Look

The Lion King Fans Aren't Sold On The New Scar After First Look

This morning brought Disney fans something they’ve been waiting for: the first full trailer for the upcoming Lion King. While a first look at the movie, featuring a shot-for-shot reenactment of the iconic “Circle of Life” opening scene and James Earl Jones return to the role of Mufasa, came out late last year, it left many wanting to see and hear more from the new additions to the Disney classic. The latest footage introduced fans to a couple notes of Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen's Timon and Pumbaa, a few frames of Nala, and most importantly, Chiwetel Ejiofor taking command of the movie’s notorious villain, Scar.

However, many fans may have struggled to recognize The Lion King baddie due to his new look. Once it’s made clear who Scar is when he stands in front of his hyena minions and tells young Simba to never return to Pride Rock, some found themselves disappointed in this realistic take on Scar, Naturally took to Twitter to share their thoughts. Take a look:

When you look at the animated and “live-action” Scars side by side, you can definitely tell there were some creative liberties taken with the latter that separates him from the green-eyed, sassy villain. The new Scar looks looks like a realistic lion who would be the brother of Mufasa, as he has the same light-colored mane. Though he nonetheless retains a gritty look, shown through the cut in his left ear and the iconic, though less prominent scar down his eye.

One criticism many fans voiced is that Scar just simply doesn’t look like his animated character. While some noted that the villain’s look in the original film wouldn’t be found in the wild, this Twitter user proved otherwise. Check it:

There you have it! Disney could have easily made a little more effort to meet fans in the middle and give Scar a black mane as they remember him to have, even if the green and yellow eyes were off the table. That’s not all the qualms they have with his look though. @_Zeets felt like the studio straight up has done the character wrong. In his words:

As he hilariously comments, Scar wasn’t characterized through his look as a more menacing as this scrawny version of him portrays him as. The lion had a commanding presence that brought about fear in the eyes of much of our childhoods. I feel like Simba could totally take this Scar.

There is another matter at hand here with the differences between the animated and realistic Scars that is very much due to the medium being used to recreate the iconic baddie. Here’s what @alip1118 contributed to the discussion:

There’s just something magical about that hand-drawn animation that will always be close to the hearts of Disney fans, and the CGI technology the new Lion King movie is using may take some of that away with their realistic representations. Besides that, the voice work of Jeremy Iron from the '90s is close to a lot of hearts as well, per this comment:

There’s still a lot to be seen from The Lion King then has already been seen in this first look. Perhaps the movie is trying to set the character apart from the original to deter comparisons to the original, and he may have a different character arc then the one we know already. So far, this Lion King looks like it’s borrowing a lot from the animated version visually and with much of the dialogue we’ve seen but the remake may be more than a nostalgia fest.

The Lion King comes to theaters 100 days from now on July 19 (as director Jon Favreau noted today). The epic is sure to make tons of money for the studio, which has become known for reimagining its beloved animated classics into blockbusters.