Matthew Monagle
David Ayer Wishes He’d Made Joker the Big Bad in ‘Suicide Squad’
It’s been six months since Suicide Squad was released in theaters and a collective history is starting to shape up around the film. Despite denials from Warner Bros., it’s now pretty much understood that the studio rushed production of Suicide Squad and backed director David Ayer into a corner about the film’s final cut. Despite these issues, Ayer has remained a loyal solider for the studio, regularly commenting that the film we saw in theaters was his and his alone.
Martin Freeman Pops Up in the First ‘Black Panther’ Set Photos
After recently re-watching Captain America: Civil War on a cross-country flight, I gotta admit I’m ready for a little bit more screen time for Martin Freeman’s character. Sure, it’s always good to see the Fargo and Sherlock star show up in a fun supporting role, but with Marvel’s penchant for introducing characters at the periphery of films before ramping up their involvement in the franchise, it felt like Freeman’s performance was just a taste of what he could do in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And thanks to recent rumors from the Black Panther set, it looks like I may get my wish sooner rather than later.
Hugh Jackman Explains the ‘Slightly Different Universe’ of ‘Logan’
How about that last Logan trailer, huh? While the first trailer will probably be remembered as the one that got everyone excited for a mature Wolverine movie, the second trailer — even without the Johnny Cash music playing in the background — is the one that really sets the hook. What was hinted at in the first go-around now feels lived in and personal; Hugh Jackman’s Logan has never seemed more tired, and Dafne Keen’s X-23 has never seemed more dangerous.
Ben Affleck Explains What Separates His Batman From His Predecessors
After years of watching a certain segment of fans argue over which Enterprise captain was the best, I think it might be time for Star Trek fans to admit that they’re no longer the leader in casting fan arguments. Now all the cool kids want to argue over which Batman actor played the role best. While the obvious answer for most millennials would be Christian Bale, I tend to gravitate towards the early performances of Michael Keaton, a Batman who was a bit more believable as an intellectual than subsequent versions of the character. To each their own, I suppose.
James Mangold Shows Off a Few New ‘Logan’ Character Photos
While we’ve known for a while that Logan would probably be the last appearance of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, we sometimes undersell how much of a landmark that truly is. Jackman was one of the first actors to make a long-term commitment to playing a superhero; furthermore, he’s one of the few actors who actually retired from the character rather than being replaced or rebooted by the studio. What Jackman has gone through in the past few years should help set the stage for the current generation of Marvel actors, people like Robert Downey, Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson who will likely step down from a role rather than have it taken from them.
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Gets a Different Doctor Strange for Principal Photography
When we talk about blockbuster movies with enormous casts, we often spend our time talking about the directors or the screenwriters or even the stunt coordinators, all of those people who help give the movie its distinct look and feel. But today I raise my glass to the behind-the-scenes administrators who help put together the budgets and shooting schedules. It can’t exactly be easy to bring together two dozen of the world’s most popular actors for one giant superhero brawl, but that is exactly what a few hard-working managers in Los Angeles are currently trying to do for Avengers: Infinity War.
‘Deadpool 2’ Will Feature a Very Streamlined Backstory for Cable
Some comic book characters are easier to adapt than others. Superman, for instance, may have hundreds of writers and artists to his name, but the core principles of his character remain the same: he’s powerful, he’s kind, and he’s an idealist in a universe that doesn’t often reward characters for putting their faith in other people. Even when someone like Frank Miller wants to give the character a modern spin, it’s done by exaggerating these core principles, not setting them aside entirely.
This First ‘Logan’ Soundtrack Excerpt Is Giving Us a Horror Movie Vibe
If you’ve spent the past few weeks caught up in holiday and family time, you might have missed the announcement that Cliff Martinez would no longer be writing the music for Logan, ostensibly the final movie in Hugh Jackman’s decades-long run as Wolverine. As pointed out by sites like Birth.Movies.Death, at some point in the last few months, director James Mangold had quietly brought back Marco Beltrami, the composer from 2013’s The Wolverine, to bang out a soundtrack for the March release. And now, thanks to the director’s Twitter account, we’ve got our first look (listen?) at the music for Logan
Ben Affleck Says He Won’t Make ‘The Batman’ if the Script Is Bad
We all know that Ben Affleck’s performance as Batman was one of the few things both critics and fans of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice could completely agree on. From his shallow playboy persona as Bruce Wayne to his thinly veiled rage as the Dark Knight, Affleck’s take on the character got everyone very excited to see what the actor-writer-director could do with a free hand for his standalone The Batman movie. Unfortunately, things have slowed considerably since, with rumors of mediocre scripts and a shifting release date taking some of the buzz off the upcoming release.
Lionsgate Moves Forward With Its Live-Action ‘Naruto’ Adaptation
Hollywood moves in waves. Earlier this year, Nintendo broke download records around the world with its popular Pokémon GO game, kicking off a renewed interest in Japanese manga and cartoons as adaptable commercial properties. Almost immediately, Legendary Entertainment jumped into the fray with the announcement that they would be producing a live-action Detective Pikachu film. Now, not to be left behind, Lionsgate has made renewed promises that its live-action adaptation of Naruto will be coming soon.