Thursday, May 31, 2018

Jason Momoa Exits 'The Crow' Remake During Pre-Production: 'I’m Ready When It's Right'

'Tangled: The Series' Gets a New Title, Season 3 Renewal, and 'Chuck' Reunion

"Tangled: The Series" is back for Season 2 starting Sunday, June 24 on the Disney Channel. Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi will return as Rapunzel and Eugene, but the title itself won't be returning.

Instead, Disney just revealed that the show will now be called "Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure."

The Disney Channel also announced that Season 3 is officially happening, spreading the happy news a month before the Season 2 premiere.

Here's the synopsis for Season 2:

"Season two finds Rapunzel venturing outside of the kingdom in search of where the mystical black rocks lead, after discovering she is somehow connected to them. Accompanying Rapunzel on her journey is her partner in life, Eugene; her best friend and confidante, Cassandra; her loyal chameleon sidekick, Pascal; no-nonsense and dutiful horse, Maximus; Eugene's best friend, Lance and the Snuggly Duckling Pub Thugs. Together, they'll discover new people and places and embark on an incredible new adventure far beyond Corona's walls."

Season 2's returning voice cast members include Eden Espinosa, James Monroe-Iglehart, and Jeremy Jordan as fan-favorites Cassandra, Lance, and Varian.

Newcomers include Emmy Award-winner Carol Kane as the mystical traveler Madame Canardist; Lil Rel Howery ("Get Out") as a fast-talking host named Goodberry; Yvonne Strahovski ("Chuck") as Eugene's old love interest Stalyan; Bruce Campbell ("Cars 2") as the bizarrely charming King Edmund; Britt Robertson (ABC's "For the People") as the whip-smart no nonsense teenager Vex; Timothy Dalton ("License to Kill") as inventor and adventurer Demanitus; Katy Mixon (ABC's "American Housewife") as the stunningly beautiful Seraphina; and Kathy Najimy ("Hocus Pocus") as a sprightly and strange resident of the magical forest.

In case you missed it -- yes, that's a "Chuck" reunion for Yvonne Strahovski and Zachary Levi, even playing former love interests! Also, Bruce Campbell? Yes, please.

RAPUNZEL'S TANGLED ADVENTURE - Disney Channel has ordered a third season of the Emmy Award-nominated animated adventure comedy "Tangled: The Series," which will premiere its second season with the new title "Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure," SUNDAY, JUNE 24 (8:00 a.m., EDT/PDT). (Disney Channel)TANGLED: THE SERIES - �Tangled: The Series,� the visually vibrant animated adventure/comedy series that follows Rapunzel as she acquaints herself with her parents, her kingdom and the people of Corona. (Disney Channel)CASSANDRA, MAXIMUS, PASCAL, EUGENE, RAPUNZELIn its first season, "Tangled: The Series" was the top animated series on cable for Girls 9-14 and reached 40 million total viewers, including 8.3 million kids 6-11 and 7.2 million tweens 9-14. But adults can watch, too, if they want. After all, someone has to get the "Chuck" reunion reference!

If you're into merchandise -- and you know Disney is -- here are some brand details about stuff you can get in stores before school starts this fall:

"Brand extensions for the series include toys, role-play products and more from Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products. New products, including a brand-new line of back-to-school items, will be available at Disney Stores beginning June 11."

"Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure" Season 2 premieres Sunday, June 24 at 8 p.m. EDT/PDT on the Disney Channel, the DisneyNOW app, and Disney Channel VOD.

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Cole Sprouse Movie 'Five Feet Apart' Shares First Photo, Synopsis & Release Date

A few months ago, it was announced that "Riverdale" star and "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" alum Cole Sprouse would be starring in the first film role of his adult career.

Now we have the first photo from that movie, "Five Feet Apart," showing Sprouse with Haley Lu Richardson ("The Edge of Seventeen," "Split.") They co-star as two teenagers who fall in love while living in a hospital together.

The movie is being directed by Justin Baldoni ("Jane The Virgin," "My Last Days"). CBS Films and Lionsgate just shared the release date, with "Five Feet Apart" scheduled to open in theaters nationwide on March 22nd, 2019.

Here's the first photo:Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse in FIVE FEET APART.
Here's the full synopsis, with details on the supporting cast:

"STELLA (Haley Lu Richardson) and WILL (Cole Sprouse) are seventeen years old and they are falling in love. The flirting in the hallways, the slipping away from adult supervision, the tension of every shared moment building toward something unknown but impossibly exciting. Complicating matters, their romance must exist within the boundaries of their lives as cystic fibrosis patients in the same hospital, where strict rules dictate that they must stay five feet apart at all times.

WILL is part of an experimental drug treatment but spends his days giving NURSE BARB (Kimberly Herbert Gregory) and DR. NOOR HAMID (Parminder Nagra) the slip. STELLA's best friend POE (Moises Arias) works to keep her spirits high while she waits on a matching organ donor. She passes the time with an obsessive adherence to her prescription regimen and by creating videos about her friends and their lives for her YouTube channel.

As the connection between WILL and STELLA intensifies, so does their willingness to defy the rules that govern every moment of their lives. Teenage attraction gets complicated when touching is not an option, but the pair quickly learns that the possibilities are endless, even if it means staying out of reach. Living on borrowed time means making every moment count, and as the challenges mount, WILL and STELLA will discover a strength within themselves and each other that transcends the distance between them."

Sounds intriguing -- also looks like it could be a heart-breaker.

Cole and his twin brother Dylan Sprouse, now 25, started in the industry together -- from "Grace Under Fire" and the Adam Sandler movie "Big Daddy" to "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" and "The Suite Life Movie." Now they are branching out in different directions. Dylan has several projects coming up, beyond the movie "Dismissed," which came out last year.

Cole, of course, still has "Riverdale," which will return for Season 3 this fall on The CW.

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Chris Pratt Defends Star-Lord From 'Infinity War' Blame: 'I Wouldn’t Change a Thing'

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR.

Like Peter Parker, Chris Pratt doesn't feel so good.

Pratt's "Avengers: Infinity War" character has been roasted hard for his hotheaded actions during a key moment against Thanos. Doctor Strange, Iron Man, and Spider-Man almost had the gauntlet off! But Star-Lord/Peter Quill was so angry at Thanos for killing Gamora -- Thanos' daughter and Peter's twoo wuv -- that he clocked Thanos, snapped the guy out of his helpful trance, and ruined everything.

Fans have not been happy with Star-Lord since.

Chris Pratt is now promoting "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," and he weighed in on the angry fandom in a talk with RadioTimes.com. As you might expect, he defended his character's rash behavior:

"Look – the guy watched his mother die, he watched as his father-figure died in his arms, he was forced to kill his own biological father. And now has suffered the loss of the love of his life.

So I think he reacted in a way that's very human, and I think the humanity of the Guardians of the Galaxy is what sets them apart from other superheroes. I think if we did it a hundred times I wouldn't change a thing."

Good point about humanity. But ... you wouldn't change a thing? You wouldn't maybe want Quill to beat Thanos up after they got the gauntlet off? Just wait a few more seconds?

Pratt also quipped to RT:

"I guess you could have the movie end a half hour earlier if you wanted, but it seemed like people really liked this.

And also, I blame Thanos, OK? Jeez, how come he's not getting any blame?"

He joked that "Clearly I'm very sensitive about this."

Pratt already mocked the Star-Lord hate in a now classic Instagram Story:


It's true that this is all Thanos' doing, so if you want to blame someone, start there. But that's too obvious for some people. He's the villain. Villains gotta vill. "Infinity War" co-director Joe Russo threw Thor under the bus, saying fans should be equally mad at him.

Other characters have also been thrown in the mix for blame -- Hulk, Scarlet Witch, Vision, Doctor Strange, etc. Half of the characters got vaporized in the "Snappening" (including Star-Lord), but Doctor Strange said what he said about 14 million scenarios and one where the good guys won. We have to assume we're operating in that timeline now.

"Avengers 4" will sort a lot of stuff out. It's headed our way on May 3, 2019, two months after we meet "Captain Marvel."

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Maverick Is Back: Tom Cruise Shares 'Top Gun' Sequel Photo on 'Day 1' of Filming

Tom Cruise has had a need for speed for more than 30 years. But now he's finally getting back in the sky for "Top Gun: Maverick," sequel to the 1986 hit "Top Gun." Production just started for its July 2019 release in theaters.

Cruise has been talking about this sequel forever. Even after he revealed the official title last year -- and said filming would likely begin in "the next year" -- and Paramount gave us a release date ... it still didn't feel real.

Now it does.

Cruise teased a photo from "Day 1," taking us right back on that highway to the danger zone:


That loving feeling is rushing back!

Look at Tom Cruise. We just can't quit him. Here he is at 55-years-old -- 56 on July 3. His "Mission: Impossible -- Fallout" looks genuinely amazing and comes out this July. And then next July he has his long-discussed "Top Gun" sequel.

He'd better still be in good enough shape for some serious running scenes, even as a hotshot fighter pilot, or we'll feel let down.

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Disney Princesses Assemble in Epic New 'Wreck-It Ralph 2' Photo

We've been looking forward to the Disney princess gathering in "Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2" since footage first played last summer during the D23 Expo.

Ralph's sequel opens not quite six months from now, in late November, and Disney just shared a first look photo of the epic princesses scene with USA Today. The studio also shared a few other photos, showing off the new characters voiced by Taraji P. Henson and Alan Tudyk.

In "Wreck-It Ralph 2," Ralph (John C. Reilly) discovers the wonders of the World Wide Web with Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman). Along the way they meet Henson's character, Yesss, described as "a stylish algorithm that heads up the trendy video-sharing site BuzzzTube, Yesss wants to make Ralph hip and cool, too, by promoting his viralness." That's Yesss in the photo at top. The crew also come across a know-it-all search engine called KnowsMore, voiced by Alan Tudyk, shown here.

And then there are the Disney princesses.

Vanellope ends up hanging out with the official Disney divas, who are voiced by all of the original living actresses: Ming-Na Wen as Mulan, Idina Menzel as Elsa, Kristen Bell as Anna, Jodi Benson as Ariel, Paige O'Hara as Belle, Linda Larkin as Jasmine, Irene Bedard as Pocahontas, Anika Noni Rose as Tiana, Mandy Moore as Rapunzel, Kelly Macdonald as Merida, and Auli'i Cravalho as Moana. Snow White and Aurora from "Sleeping Beauty" are voiced by new actresses.

USA Today notes that, in the scene, "Cinderella initially freaks out at Vanellope's surprise appearance, breaking her glass slipper and wielding it in self-defense."

There are more details out there about the scene, but why not save some surprises for the theater? That said, if Disney wants to start working on a spinoff just featuring the Disney princesses, we're game.

"Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2" opens in theaters November 21st.

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11 Things You Never Knew About Tom Hanks' 'Big' on its 30th Anniversary

It's hard to believe that it's been 30 years since "Big" came along and showed us what happens when a 12-year-old boy becomes an adult overnight. Spoiler alert: Adulthood isn't all it's cracked up to be.

To celebrate this *big* milestone, here are some fun facts you might not know about this beloved comedy.

1. Thanks to "Big," Penny Marshall became thew first woman to direct a movie that grossed more than $100 million.
2. Writer Anne Spielberg originally wrote the screenplay under the assumption that her brother Steven Spielberg would direct and that Harrison Ford would star.

3. Disappointed to learn than the actual "walking piano" at FAO Schwartz didn't have enough keys to play "Heart and Soul," Marshall turned to creator Remo Saraceni to design a new version that had three times as many keys.
4. Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia managed to perform the walking piano scene entirely on their own, despite the fact that stunt doubles were hired to assist them.

5. To help Hanks accurately portray a 12-year-old trapped in an adult's body, Marshall filmed test scenes with actor David Moscow playing the part of the older Josh so that Hanks could then imitate Moscow's mannerisms in the real scenes.

6. Moscow had to wear colored contacts in order to help him more closely resemble Hanks. Hanks, for his part, wore oversized shoes in order to better mimic Moscow's gait.7. Actress Frances Fisher was cast as Billy's mother, but her scenes were cut from the theatrical release and never surfaced until the extended edition DVD release.

8. At first, scheduling conflicts prevented Hanks from taking on the role of adult Josh, resulting in Robert De Niro being offered the role instead. However, De Niro's salary requirement was too high, and eventually Hanks became available.

9. John Travolta was also considered for the lead role. While Marshall herself was enthusiastic about the choice, 20th Century Fox apparently felt otherwise, given Travolta's recent string of box office disappointments.

10. A Hollywood urban legend claims that Marshall filmed an alternate ending where Elizabeth Perkins' character, Susan, uses the Zoltar machine to transform herself into a young girl and reunite with Josh. Despite rumors that this ending surfaced on the VHS release in New Zealand, it doesn't actually exist.11. "Big" was adapted into a Broadway musical in 1996. While it was nominated for five Tony Awards, the show was deemed too costly and closed by the end of the year after 193 performances.



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Wednesday, May 30, 2018

'Locke and Key' Finally Coming to TV in Netflix Series

After eight years, "Locke and Key" has finally found a home on Netflix.

The adaptation of the popular comics series by Joe Hill has been through development hell. There was talk of a movie, but that gave way to a TV pilot executive produced by Steven Spielberg. It was supposed to air on Fox in 2011, but the network pulled the plug before it ever aired.

Then, the project was revived with "Lost" and "Bates Motel" producer Carlton Cuse on board. Last year, Hulu ordered a pilot helmed by "It" director Andy Muschietti, but the streaming service declined to move forward. Now, Netflix is in serious talks to buy the rights and reignite it as a series.

"Locke and Key" centers on three siblings recovering from the gruesome murder of their father. They move to their ancestral home in Maine and discover it comes with a set of keys that have magical powers. Problem is a demon also covets the keys.

Cuse is still executive producing, as are Muschietti, and Muschietti's sister, Barbara Muschietti. However, Muschietti won't direct a new pilot since he's busy with "It 2." The project will also be entirely recast.



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Paul Rudd Eyed for 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Movie? Not Anymore

Sorry, Paul Rudd fans -- aka everyone.

We're happy to see Rudd in anything and everything, no matter how strange, but apparently he won't be part of the upcoming "Sonic the Hedgehog" movie.

That Hashtag Show had initially reported that Rudd was being considered for the lead human role of Tom, a cop who reportedly teams up with Sonic to take down Robotnik.

The video game adaptation will be a mix of live-action and CGI, and it's expected to start filming in Vancouver this summer to meet its November 15, 2019 release date. Jeff Fowler is set to direct, with "Deadpool" director Tim Miller as executive producer.

However, Sonic will have to find another Tom first. After the initial report, Paramount reached out to THS to say Rudd was no longer being considered for the role of Tom.

There are no further details at this point on what happened and who might be cast. But -- if you are interested -- THS said they'd have more coming up.

Sonic has been featured in multiple TV series, including "The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog," "Sonic the Hedgehog" (aka "Sonic SatAM"), and "Sonic Boom."

Meanwhile, Paul Rudd is busy with "Ant-Man and the Wasp," which opens in theaters July 6.

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'This Is Us' Has a Plan for the End, and Already Shot Pieces of the Final Scene

"This Is Us" doesn't plan to be one of those shows that doesn't know when to say goodbye.

Creator Dan Fogelman said he and the writers "are kind of to the end" in terms of mapping out the full course of the show:

"We have a path for each season of the show," Fogelman said during a For Your Emmy consideration panel, via EW. "We've always had a plan... I don't think this show will ever — despite any success it may or may not have — will ever overstay its welcome, and we have a story to tell. And we want to do this the right way. And so we have a plan. [...] I've actually already shot pieces of the final scene in the series."

Do you think those "pieces of the final scene" have to do with some of the flash-forwards we saw at the end of Season 2?

Fogelman said he thinks fans will be "surprised" at how they use the mysterious Randall/Tess flash-forward timeline. He said the upcoming Season 3 will answer "big questions" on that front, but not all questions. The cast members know the truth about who Randall and Tess were going to see. Chrissy Metz (Kate) said it was "heartbreaking." Sterling K. Brown (Randall) said it "will be a while" before that mystery is answered. Susan Kelechi Watson (Beth) tried to reassure Beth fans that she will be OK.

Fogelman also said we'll be surprised by Season 3 flashbacks showing what Beth and Toby were like before they joined the Pearson family.

Speaking of Toby, he was featured in his own dark flash-forward scene at the end of Season 2. Chris Sullivan recently said he was looking forward to the audience getting a more grounded view of Toby to see why he is the way he is.

In other character development news, Milo Ventimiglia also recently said Season 3 would show more of Jack in the Vietnam era. "We're going to explore that side of Jack's 20s and what brought him into the man that we all knew."

"This Is Us" Season 3 starts production this summer for a premiere date this fall on NBC. No set date has been released yet.

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Letitia Wright Says Shuri Will Step Up as the Next Black Panther, When Needed

Has it already come to that?

SPOILERS AHEAD for "Avengers: Infinity War."

"Avengers: Infinity War" ended with Thanos turning half the population to dust. That 50 percent included T'Challa, the Black Panther ruler of Wakanda. It wasn't completely clear what happened to Shuri (Letitia Wright) but it sounds like she's OK.

In the comics, after T'Challa is wounded in battle, Shuri ends up briefly taking the role of Black Panther. She passes the test.

After "Black Panther" and "Infinity War," fans are more curious about Shuri. Will she be the next Black Panther, in "Avengers 4," or an upcoming spinoff?

During the recent MCM Comic-con in the U.K., Wright was asked if Shuri is ready to step up as leader, now that Thanos' actions have left a vacancy in Wakanda. Here's her careful answer, per Deadline:

"To be comic-book accurate, yes."

Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige recently said, "I think Shuri's astounding, and you'll see much more of her in our universe."

Before "Infinity War" came out, Letitia Wright talked to Comicbook.com about following Chadwick Boseman as the Black Panther:

"If that's meant to happen then why not? But my thing is: where we meet her now in the Marvel Universe, she's young, she's preparing, she's just into technology, she's creating, she's just really fun and really focused on that. So, if that's meant to happen, then cool, but at the moment, hey, man, Chadwick [Boseman] is killing as Black Panther! I'm happy to help out with the gadgets for now. If that's meant to be, it'll be, but he's amazing as Black Panther."

There's been talk of giving Shuri her own standalone, which Wright finds very flattering:

"I hope, whenever the time is right, if it's meant to happen, I would happily do it. But you can't have a Shuri movie without T'Challa and you can't have a Shuri movie without Ramonda and Nakia and the rest of the Dora Milaje and Okoye. So, I guess, the question is: when can we have Black Panther 2?"

She's selling herself short. It's very possible we will have to have a Shuri movie without T'Challa, at least until the "Snappening" dust-busting situation is resolved in some way in "Avengers 4."

Our favorite new Disney princess is expected back with everyone else in "Avengers 4," which opens May 3, 2019.

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Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Disney Reportedly Rethinking 'Star Wars' Release Strategy After Disappointing 'Solo' Debut

The lackluster opening weekend box office haul of spinoff flick "Solo: A Star Wars Story" has shocked the suits at Disney and Lucasfilm, so much so that the studio is reportedly rethinking its release strategy for the series going forward.

That's according to The Hollywood Reporter, which spoke with industry analysts about the film's disappointing $103 million four-day total over Memorial Day weekend. According to the trade, sources at Disney have chalked up most of the problem with the film's underperformance to a case of poor scheduling, with "Solo" bowing only five months after the last "Star Wars" flick, "The Last Jedi."

THR reports:

While the studio isn't abandoning its plan to release one Star Wars feature per year, insiders concede Disney and Lucasfilm aren't likely to release two Star Wars movies so close together again, regardless of whether they are anthology films, like Solo, which tells of Han Solo's beginnings, or part of the official episodes, like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and its follow-up, The Last Jedi.

Setting aside the "Star Wars" fatigue factor, another problem plaguing "Solo" is all the current competition at the multiplex. There's a reason why "Deadpool 2" moved up its release date: avoid competing for eyeballs with the folks at Lucasfilm. That strategy actually wound up being smarter than Fox could have predicted, since the demand for "Deadpool" was incredibly high, and continued to be during "Solo's" debut outing, perhaps part of the reason why the latter flick fell short of early estimates.

Disney execs are pointing to that exact problem, with the studio's distribution chief, Dave Hollis, telling THR he thinks that "Deadpool 2" and "Avengers: Infinity War" hitting theaters so close to "Solo" certainly cut into its business.

"There's a question of frequency, and how many times people will go to the movies," Hollis told THR. "Is this too much and too soon for a third time in a five-week period?"

That may be, but luckily for Disney, it has well over a year to figure out its issues: "Star Wars: Episode IX" isn't due for release until December 2019. That should give fans plenty of time to yearn for a return to a galaxy far, far away.

[via: The Hollywood Reporter]



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ABC Cancels 'Roseanne' After Star's Racist Tweet

In a stunning move, ABC has canceled hit series "Roseanne" following its titular star's racist tweet Tuesday morning.

ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey released a statement announcing the surprising news Tuesday afternoon, saying:

"Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show."

This is a breaking news story. This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available.



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Wanda Sykes Quits 'Roseanne' After Roseanne Barr's Racist Tweet

29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards - ArrivalsWanda Sykes is quitting as a consulting producer on "Roseanne" after the show's star, Roseanne Barr, posted a racist tweet about former presidential advisor Valerie Jarrett.

Sykes announced her decision to leave the hit ABC sitcom on Twitter:

The move comes after Barr sparked outrage by tweeting a racially-charged remark about Jarrett, former advisor to President Barack Obama, that referenced "Planet of the Apes" and the Muslim Brotherhood.

After coming under fire, Barr apologized, saying it was a bad joke, and also indicated she would delete her Twitter account:

Many are calling for ABC to cancel the show and stop giving Barr a platform for her views:

Sykes' departure would be the second major exit from the show's staff; last week, Whitney Cummings stepped down as co-showrunner, citing scheduling conflicts.

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'Ant-Man and the Wasp' Are Having Fun Saving the World in New TV Spot

"Ant-Man and the Wasp" are making a list and checking it twice as they go about saving the world.

A new TV spot for the Marvel movie is definitely a dose of lighthearted air after the downer ending of "Avengers: Infinity War." As they've made clear, "Ant-Man and the Wasp" takes place before the events of "Infinity War," so all the you-know-whats aren't hanging over Scott Lang's (Paul Rudd) head.

And proving two heads are really better than one, his team-up with Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) looks like it brings out the best in both of them — particularly Scott's smart-aleck charm.

And though the tone of this movie is a nice escape from all the you-know-whats from "Infinity War," it also seems likely that the ending of "Ant-Man and the Wasp" will dovetail with current events.

"Ant-Man and the Wasp" also stars Michael Douglas, Michael Pena, Laurence Fishburne, and Michelle Pfeiffer, and opens in theaters July 6.



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Zack Snyder Says His Next Movie Is 'The Fountainhead'

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - European PremiereZack Snyder has talked for several years about making a movie version of Ayn Rand's novel "The Fountainhead." And over the weekend, the director confirmed it's happening.

In response to a fan question on the social media site Vero, Snyder said his next project will be an adaptation of Rand's controversial 1943 book, which is a is a favorite of Paul Ryan and Donald Trump. It tells the story of a young architect who refuses to compromise his vision for the architectural establishment. "The Fountainhead."

Snyder's last movie was the much-maligned (though still high-grossing) "Justice League." He had been developing "The Last Photograph," a thriller about a war correspondent and a special-ops soldier who team up in Afghanistan. But it seems he's moved on to this passion project.

In 2016, Snyder told The Hollywood Reporter, "I've always felt like 'The Fountainhead' was such a thesis on the creative process and what it is to create something. Warner Bros. owns [Ayn Rand's] script and I've just been working on that a little bit."



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Monday, May 28, 2018

What's New on TV, Netflix, Digital & DVD/Blu-ray This Week: May 28-June 3

At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's new on Netflix and TV, we've got you covered.

New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital

"The Hurricane Heist"
Memorial Day weekend is winding down, but a week of new releases is just getting started. Toby Kebbell, Maggie Grace, and Ryan Kwanten star in this action thriller about a high-stakes heist held during a massive hurricane. The perfect storm goes down on Digital May 29, then on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand June 5. Extras include deleted scenes, audio commentary with director Rob Cohen, and two making-of featurettes.

Check out this exclusive clip from the bonus features, with Rob Cohen using choice words for any climate change deniers:"Social Animals"
Zoe Crandle (Noël Wells) is facing eviction, her business is going under, and she is resigned to a life of one-night stands -- until she meets Paul. This fellow loveable loser seems perfect for her, except he's married. With help from her best friend, Zoe devises a plan to save her business and salvage her love life. The quirky dark comedy costars Josh Radnor, Aya Cash, Carly Chaikin, and Samira Wiley. It opens in theaters, On Demand, and on Digital this Friday, June 1.

Here's an exclusive clip from "Social Animals," featuring Samira Wiley, Noel Wells, and comedian Fortune Feimster:"A Wrinkle in Time"
Disney's fantasy adaptation -- starring Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine, and young Storm Reid -- arrives on Digital HD, 4K Ultra HD and Movies Anywhere on May 29. Ava DuVernay's film will be available on Blu-ray, DVD, On Demand, and 4K Ultra HD on June 5. The Digital and Blu-ray editions come with so many bonus features -- including deleted scenes, audio commentary, bloopers, original song music videos, and the making-of featurette "A Journey Through Time."

"Love, Simon"
This coming-of-age love story follows 17-year-old Simon Spier (Nick Robinson) has yet to tell his family or friends he's gay and he doesn't actually know the identity of the anonymous classmate he's fallen for online. The romantic comedy -- costarring Josh Duhamel, Katherine Langford and Jennifer Garner -- will be available on Digital formats May 29, and then Blu-ray/DVD/4K Ultra HD on June 12.

"Peter Pan"
Fly away to Never Land with Disney's "Peter Pan" which is coming out of the vault for its 65th anniversary to join the Walt Disney Signature Collection. Watch the classic on Digital and Movies Anywhere on May 29, and on Blu-ray June 5. The Blu-ray and Digital editions are jam-packed with bonus features: There are several new signature collection extras, in addition to the many legacy/classic extras.

"The Last Witness"
Alex Pettyfer, Robert Więckiewicz, Talulah Riley, and Michael Gambon star in this thriller available on VOD and Digital May 29. "An ambitious young journalist uncovers the horrific slaughter of 22,000 Polish officers during the Second World War. A secret that has been kept hidden for far too many years." Check out the trailer.

***

New on NetflixThis Friday marks the start of a new month, and you know what that means -- a ton of new titles will be added to Netflix, and several more will be leaving.

However, the final week of May still has some tricks up its sleeve with several worthy shows and movies:

"Arrested Development" Season 5, Part 1 (Netflix Original)
The Bluths are back for Season 5 on Tuesday, May 29! Or the first batch of episodes will be back, anyway with the rest coming later. Hate when they do that, but they're doing it to "Kimmy," too. (See below.) Season 5 will include the Lucille 2 mystery, among other detours. Fingers crossed that it's up to the original run's standard!

"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" Season 4, Part 1 (Netflix Original)
Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) is also only giving us a few episodes this week, but we'll take what we can get! The first six episodes drop May 30, with seven episodes coming later this year. Sadly, the fourth season will be the final one for Kimmy, Titus, Jacqueline, Lillian and the gang, so maybe it's for the best that the farewell is being spread out.

"Coco"
Disney·Pixar's two-time Oscar winner (Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for "Remember Me") is headed to Netflix on May 29.

"Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story"
Did you know glamorous '40s actress Hedy Lamarr was also an inventor who created a radio system that is now considered the basis of Bluetooth technology? Learn some stuff in this fascinating documentary arriving on Netflix May 31.

Here's everything coming to Netflix this Friday, June 1 alone:

  • "Assassination Games" (2011)
  • "Blue Jasmine" (2013)
  • "Busted!" [Netflix Original]
  • "Disney's 101 Dalmatians" (1996)
  • "George Balanchine's The Nutcracker" (1993)
  • "He Named Me Malala" (2015)
  • "Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth" (1988)
  • "Just Friends" (2005)
  • "Miracle" (2004)
  • "National Treasure" (2004)
  • "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" (2008)
  • "November 13: Attack on Paris" [Netflix Original]
  • "Outside In" (2018)
  • "Righteous Kill" (2008)
  • "Rumor Has It" (2005)
  • "Singularity" (2017)
  • "Taking Lives" (2004)
  • "Terms and Conditions May Apply" (2013)
  • "The Boy" (2016)
  • "The Covenant" (2006)
  • "The Departed" (2006)
  • "The Prince & Me 4: The Elephant Adventure" (2010)

***

TV Worth Watching

"Succession" (Sunday on HBO at 10 p.m.)HBO is getting its own heap of new releases (and losing some stuff) this month. It's also premiering this intriguing new series, starring Brian Cox as the patriarch of the Roy family. Logan Roy and his four children (Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Alan Ruck) control one of the biggest media and entertainment conglomerates in the world. "Succession" tracks this powerful, ambitious, dysfunctional family as they contemplate what will happen when their aging father steps away from the company. The first episode, called "Celebration," airs June 3.

"C.B. Strike" (Friday on Cinemax at 10 p.m.)
When she's not busy writing the "Fantastic Beasts" scripts, or more "Harry Potter" stories, J.K. Rowling switches gears into crime writer Robert Galbraith. Under that name, she's been writing the fantastic Cormoran Strike detective novels. The ongoing series includes "The Cuckoo's Calling", "The Silkworm," and "Career of Evil," with "Lethal White" still ahead. Cinemax picked up this U.K. adaptation and called it "C.B. Strike," with Tom Burke ("Only God Forgives") as war veteran turned private detective Cormoran Strike, and Holliday Grainger ("The Borgias") as his assistant Robin Ellacott. The series premieres June 1.

"The Bachelorette" Season 14 Premiere (Monday on ABC at 8 p.m.)
Arie's ex-fiancee Becca will do the damn thing herself starting this week when ABC's horrible but addictive franchise continues. In Monday's premiere, "Former bachelorettes Rachel, JoJo and Kaitlyn help Becca prepare for her big night; the men try to make a good impression on Becca; 21 bachelors advance to the next stage."

"Reverie" Season 1 Premiere (Wednesday on NBC at 10 p.m.)
NBC's new thriller follows Mara Kint (Sarah Shahi), "a former hostage negotiator and expert on human behavior, who became a college professor after facing an unimaginable personal tragedy. But when her former boss, Charlie Ventana (Dennis Haysbert), brings her in to save ordinary people who have lost themselves in an immersive, highly advanced virtual reality program in which users can live out their wildest dreams, she finds that in saving others, she may actually have discovered a way to save herself." Cheesy closer there, but the cast also includes Sendhil Ramamurthy, Kathryn Morris, and Jessica Lu.

New on DVD and Blu-ray

"Annihilation"Director Alex Garland's ("Ex Machina") mind-bending sci-fi film arrives on on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD May 29. "Biologist and former soldier Lena (Natalie Portman) is shocked when her missing husband (Oscar Isaac) comes home near death from a top-secret mission into The Shimmer, a mysterious quarantine zone no one has ever returned from. Now, Lena and her elite team must enter a beautiful, deadly world of mutated landscapes and creatures, to discover how to stop the growing phenomenon that threatens all life on Earth." Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, and Tuva Novotny costar. The Blu-ray comes with more than an hour of bonus content on the stunts, set design, visual effects, and more.

"They Remain"
Based on the 2010 short story, "-30-," this horror thriller explores the evolving relationship between Keith (William Jackson Harper) and Jessica (Rebecca Henderson), "two scientists who are employed by a vast, impersonal corporation to investigate an unspeakable horror that took place at the remote encampment of a mysterious cult. Working and living in a state-of-the-art, high tech environment that is completely at odds with their surroundings, they spend their days gathering physical evidence, analyzing it, and reporting on their findings." "They Remain" will be available on Blu-ray, VOD, and on Demand on May 29.

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11 Things You Never Knew About 'Cliffhanger' on its 25th Anniversary

While not quite as famous as "Rocky" or "First Blood," "Cliffhanger" is nonetheless a must-watch for any Sylvester Stallone fanatic.

And hard as it may be to believe, the film was released 25 years ago this week. Celebrate this death-defying action movie by checking out some fun facts you may not know about "Cliffhanger."

1. Star Sylvester Stallone is afraid of heights, and he has said that he took on the role specifically to help himself confront that fear.2. The aerial helicopter transfer scene broke the Guinness World Record for the most expensive aerial stunt ever filmed. Stuntman Simon Crane alone was paid $1 million for his participation, as the scene required the filmmakers to forgo the use of safety equipment.

3. While the movie is set in the Colorado Rockies, it was actually filmed in Italy's Cortina d'Ampezzo-Dolomites mountains.4. Stallone paid $100,000 out of pocket in order to reshoot the rabbit hunting scene, as test audiences had a severely negative reaction to (shocker to no one) seeing the rabbit get killed.
5. Test audiences also reacted poorly to a scene where Gabe makes an impossible 40-foot cliff-to-cliff leap. The original scene appears in the theatrical trailer, but it was re-shaped in post to look more plausible in the finished version.6. Christopher Walken was originally cast as the villain Qualen. John Lithgow was cast only after Walken dropped out before production began.

7. Director Renny Harlin revealed that his first choice to play Qualen was actually singer David Bowie.

8. Originally, the bat cave scene featured live bats, but they had to be removed and digitally added during post-production because neither Stallone nor co-star Janine Turner were willing to film near the animals.
9. The film is dedicated to Wolfgang Gullich, who served as Stallone's stunt double and died in a car accident shortly after production ended.

10. In 1994, development began on a sequel called "Cliffhanger 2: The Dam," which would have pitted Stallone's character against a group of terrorists at the Hoover Dam.

11. As recently as 2015, Stallone has voiced an interest in returning for a sequel, though no plans have materialized so far.



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Friday, May 25, 2018

New 'Christopher Robin' Trailer Will Warm Even the Coldest Hearts

Your cold, dead heart is no match for Winnie the Pooh and his Hundred Acre Wood friends in the new, full-length trailer for "Christopher Robin."

This trailer explains a bit more of what's going on in this movie, which bears striking resemblance to "Hook." Ewan McGregor stars as the titular character, now an adult with his own family and struggling with demons from World War II. He's forgotten that youthful, hopeful, joyful side of himself — until Winnie, Tigger, Eeyore, and crew show up to remind Christopher of the simple pleasures of life.

The trailer is filled with gentle humor and a delightful whimsical quality. This movie definitely seems like one of those heartwarming, heart-tugging family films where you may need a few tissues at times.

The cast is certainly top-notch, with Hayley Atwell as Christopher's wife Evelyn; Bronte Carmichael as his daughter Madeline; and Mark Gatiss as Giles Winslow, Robin's boss. Jim Cummings voices Winnie the Pooh and Tigger; Brad Garrett voices Eeyore; Toby Jones voices Owl; Nick Mohammed voices Piglet; Peter Capaldi voices Rabbit; and Sophie Okonedo voices Kanga.

"Christopher Robin" opens in theaters August 3.



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Harvey Weinstein Arrested on Rape Charges, Posts $1 Million Bail

Harvey Weinstein Turns Himself In After Sex Assault Investigation In NYCHarvey Weinstein was arrested this morning on rape charges, a culmination of months of investigation triggered by the blistering New York Times expose in which many women accused him of sexual assault and harassment.

Weinstein turned himself into the New York City Police Department and appeared in court on charges of first- and third-degree rape and committing a criminal sexual act in the first degree.

The charges involved two separate women in 2013 and 2004, the Manhattan district attorney said in a statement. If convicted, Weinstein could face up to 25 years in prison.

During his arraignment hearing, the judge set a $1 million bond. Weinstein will have to wear a GPS monitoring system and is restricted to travel in New York and Connecticut.

The disgraced mogul's attorney attorney Benjamin Brafman said in a statement, "Mr. Weinstein has always maintained that he has never engaged in non-consensual sexual behavior with anyone. Nothing about today's proceedings changes Mr. Weinstein's position. He has entered a plea of not guilty and fully expects to be exonerated."

This may not be the last of Weinstein's legal troubles; investigations are also underway by police in Los Angeles and London.

Some of his accusers responded with surprise and relief at Weinstein's arrest:



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Chris Pratt Is 'Certain' He Swam in 'Jurassic World 2' Crew & Costars' Pee

Just call it "Jurassic World: Pee Pee Kingdom"!

There's a scene in "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" where a sphere falls off a cliff, with Bryce Dallas Howard's character Claire and Justice Jesse Smith's Franklin inside. Chris Pratt's Owen Grady tries to save them. You've probably seen clips in the trailers.

Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Jeff Goldblum repped the sequel on "The Graham Norton Show" on Friday, with "Westworld" star Thandie Newton joining them on the couch.

Graham Norton Show - LondonPratt said they spent about eight or nine days in that gross water.

Chris Pratt: "I tell you, they put a lot of chlorine in the water. Because you've got a crew of about 85 people just pissing in this pool. ... We didn't have time for people to pee."

Thandie Newton: "So you knew people were peeing?"

Chris: "Oh, I'm certain of it."

That's when Thandie showed off her "pee face" -- the expression people make when they're peeing on the sly.

Thandie: "Chris, did you pee?"

Chris: "I, actually, sh*t myself."

Bryce neither confirmed nor denied peeing under water. But it sure sounds like she did.

Chris: "YOU didn't pee. Claire peed."

Bryce laughed, and joked that her character panicked. She was "deeply ashamed," but tried to laugh it off.

Bryce: "I really made an effort to stay as dehydrated as possible."

Well, now we'll have that added "ick" factor when we watch that scene.

"Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" opens in theaters June 22nd.

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'The Bachelorette' 2018 Spoiler Photos Reveal Who Becca Picked

A few days before the start of Becca Kufrin's "journey" on ABC's "The Bachelorette" Season 14, her rumored fiancé has been revealed.

This time, it was not spoiler guru Reality Steve who spilled the beans. Not completely, anyway.

It started with someone sharing some photos with TMZ, showing Becca in final rose ceremony mode with her Chosen One.

Here's part of TMZ's report, and you can head to the site to see the photos:

"Becca can clearly be seen kissing a man in a suit at the Shangri-La's Resort in the Maldives -- possibly her new fiance -- while filming at the location on May 10. We're told there was a big cheer, hugging and group photos taken after what appeared to be a proposal.

Our sources also say the crew held a party for the couple the next day at the resort."

According to Reality Steve, the guy in the photos is Garrett Yrigoyen. He was apparently a frontrunner from the first episode -- which airs this Monday, May 28 -- even getting Becca's first impression rose.

Here's part of Steve's report:

"If you haven't seen the news by now, TMZ posted pictures from Becca's final rose ceremony in the Maldives this morning which clearly shows Becca is engaged to Garrett. Pretty clear. No smoke and mirrors here. Only on Ben and Courtney's season had pics of the final rose ceremony ever surfaced before the finale. Although Ben and Courtney in Switzerland didn't come out until right before the finale aired though, so props to TMZ for getting this out early.

[...] Am I surprised at Garrett? No. Told you in week 4 he was the front runner. Told you he was in the final 2 with Blake. Told you the first episode you can make a strong case that for the 4th season in a row the first impression rose guy/first kiss guy was your winner since on Monday, you'll see how clear it was she was into him. Told you last week I heard he won and that I heard that Blake won. Just needed to figure out which info was wrong. Now I know."


Here's ABC's official photo and bio for Garrett:

Garrett
29
Medical Sales Rep
Reno, NV
bachelor biography
Raised in a small town in Central California, Garrett is a true outdoorsman who loves fly fishing, hiking and snowshoeing. When he's not on an outdoor adventure, he's perfecting his Chris Farley impression. He's excited to find love with the Bachelorette...down by the river!

Here's more from Steve:

Garrett Yrigoyen: 29, Reno, Nevada. Currently a Surgical Technology consultant. Former baseball player at the University of Nevada. I'm assuming this is the same guy since he doesn't have the most common name in the world, but looks like he was engaged to be married back in 2015. I mean, same city, same name. Sure looks that way. Anyway, he got the first impression rose and the last 3 Bachelorettes (Kaitlyn, JoJo, and Rachel) all ended up choosing their first impression recipient in the end, so make of that what you will.

Apparently Blake Horstmann will be the runner-up. Here's his ABC bio.


Becca confirmed that she did get engaged on the show, calling it "the happiest moment of my life." She's fresh off Arie Luyendyk, Jr.'s season of "The Bachelor," which she "won." They got engaged, then Arie dumped her for his runner-up, Lauren. Arie and Lauren recently revealed their wedding plans. (Do you think he'll stalk her down the aisle, then chase her through the reception as she begs him to just leave?)

"The Bachelorette" airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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Details Leak on Disney's Next Animated Film, 'Dragon Empire'

Sounds like Disney has plans for a brand new original animated film, after this year's "Wreck It Ralph 2" and next year's "Frozen 2."

According to THS, Disney Animation Studios is working on a movie called "Dragon Empire," and Jamie Chung may (or may not) voice the lead character.

Paul Briggs -- head of story on "Big Hero 6" and "Frozen" -- will make his directorial debut, THS added, alongside "Tangled" animator Dean Wellins. "Cars" and "Cars 3" writer Kiel Murray is said to be developing the script, with "Moana" producer Osnat Shurer back to produce.

THS said Disney is currently meeting with actors for roles, and they shared three character breakdowns.

Jamie Chung has shown interest in the female lead character and heroine of the film, named Jan-Nin. Chung is already part of the Disney family, playing Mulan in ABC's "Once Upon a Time"; she's also known from Disney's "Big Hero 6," plus "The Gifted."

The lead male character, Bolin, is said to be comic relief and a 900-year-old mentor to Jan-Nin. There's also a supporting male character called Katsu.

Are those characters dragons? They'd better be. Dragons need to be the true stars, or else the film needs a title change. (The photo at top is Maleficent in Disney's "Sleeping Beauty.")

DreamWorks already has a dragon franchise with "How to Train Your Dragon," but that feature film trilogy ends in March 2019 with "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World." So there's a bit of an opening in the dragon market.

There's no release date yet for Disney's "Dragon Empire," but THS speculated that it might take the November 25, 2020 Thanksgiving spot that had previously been given to the Jack on the Beanstalk movie "Gigantic."

When Disney shelved "Gigantic" in October 2017, execs teased the next original project:

"It's impossible to know when we begin a project how the creative process will unfold, and sometimes, no matter how much we love an idea or how much heart goes into it, we find that it just isn't working," said Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios president Ed Catmull. "With Gigantic, we've come to that point, and although it's a difficult decision, we are ending active development for now. We are focusing our energies on another project that has been in the works, which we'll be sharing more about soon, now set for Thanksgiving 2020."

As The Hollywood Reporter noted at the time, "Details regarding the new project were not revealed, although insiders said it would be an original feature."

Sounds like maybe they were teasing "Dragon Empire."

Meanwhile, "Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck It Ralph 2" opens November 21, 2018, and "Frozen 2" is scheduled for November 27, 2019.

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Ryan Reynolds Uses 'Golden Girls' to Thank 'Deadpool 2' Fans Before Memorial Day

NBC Reveals 'Hair' Will Be Its Next Live Musical, for 2019

NBC is ready to let the sunshine in with "Hair"! The network announced Broadway's 1968 anti-war classic will be its next live musical adaptation, after the recent success of "Jesus Christ Superstar Live."

"Hair" will air next spring 2019.

Producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron share a joint statement:

"When we both, individually, saw Hair on Broadway, we were knocked out by how musical theater could be stretched into something so daring, immersive and audacious. Its recent Broadway revival showed how timeless the show is and that it's relevant to any era. Hair is filled with heartfelt emotion, joy and thrilling music and it really will be the new dawning of the Age of Aquarius."

Several "Hair" songs became top radio hits, including "Aquarius" and "Good Morning Starshine." (Guessing they will skip "Sodomy" -- and maybe the nude scene, although they could find a way to adapt that for network TV.

NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt also shared a statement:

"These songs are part of the vocabulary of popular music, and this rebellious story of young people protesting and standing up for what they believe in is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago. This will be the perfect live event, and I'm looking forward to seeing Craig and Neil, along with our partners at MGM and the original creators, bring the audience to their feet as they experience these beloved songs and recognizable young characters."

Stay tuned for casting announcements. Milos Forman directed an adaptation of the musical in 1979, starring John Savage, Treat Williams, and Beverly D'Angelo.

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17 Things You Never Knew About 'Return of the Jedi' on Its 35th Anniversary

It's been a mind-boggling 35 years since "Return of the Jedi" hit theaters and capped off the original Star Wars trilogy.

At the time, fans feared it might be the last they ever saw of Luke, Leia, Han, and the rest of the gang. That didn't turn out to be the case, but this movie still holds a special place in the hearts of Star Wars fanatics the world over. And to celebrate this milestone, here are 16 interesting facts you might not know about this epic threequel.
1. George Lucas created several fake shooting scripts to guard against leaked spoilers. One of these scripts revealed Lando to be the person Yoda alluded to in "The Empire Strikes Back" when he said, "No, there is another."

2. Speaking of Yoda, the aged Jedi Master wasn't originally meant to be included in the film. Lucas added the Luke/Yoda reunion after speaking with a child psychologist and being told that younger viewers needed hard confirmation that Darth Vader is Luke's father in order to accept the twist.
3. Lucas clashed with writer Lawrence Kasdan over how to end "Return of the Jedi." The two considered scrapping the entire Endor sequence and instead setting the climax on Had Abbadon, a planet Lucas envisioned as the capital world of the Empire. The Special Edition re-release instead features a brief glimpse of Coruscant, a world that would become well-established in the Prequels.

4. Another option considered was to set the climactic battle on Kashyyk, teaming Chewbacca with his fellow Wookiees instead of Ewoks.5. The costume designers tried -- and failed -- to design Ewok masks that featured blinking eyes. Lucas later digitally added blinking eyes for the 2011 Blu-ray release.
6. The word "Ewok" is never actually spoken in the film. Also not spoken in the film? Palpatine. The big bad is never referred to by his actual name, just "The Emperor."7. Originally, Luke's lightsaber blade was colored blue in the film, and appeared that way in early footage and on the "Revenge of the Jedi" teaser poster. Lucas changed the color to green in order to make it clearer that Luke had built a new saber and not recovered the one he lost in Cloud City.8. Lando's co-pilot, Nien Nunb, isn't speaking alien gibberish, but an actual Kenyan dialect known as Haya. His lines were dubbed by a Kenyan student named Kipsang Rotich.9. "Return of the Jedi" is the only Star Wars movie in which Darth Vader appears but doesn't Force-choke another character.

10. There actually was a scene of Vader choking an Imperial officer outside Palpatine's throne room, but Lucas deemed it unnecessary.
11. When filming his Endor scenes at the Redwood National Forest in California, Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew had to be escorted by crew members so locals wouldn't mistake him for Bigfoot.

12. Death Star administrator Moff Jerjerrod originally had a more significant role in the story. An earlier draft depicted Jerjerrod as Palpatine's right-hand man, helping his master scheme to turn Luke against Vader and eventually being killed by Vader in retaliation.
13. Han Solo's fate at the end of "Empire Strikes Back" was left ambiguous in case Harrison Ford elected not to return for the sequel. Ford also campaigned for Lucas to kill off his character in "Return of the Jedi," though he wound up having to wait until 2015's "Force Awakens" to get his wish.
14. Four different actors were required to bring Vader to life in this sequel. David Prowse and Bob Anderson both wore the suit at different points, while James Earl Jones provided Vader's voice and Sebastian Shaw portrayed the unmasked Anakin Skywalker. And that's not even counting Hayden Christensen's cameo in the Blu-ray version.

15. Ian McDiarmid had to rotate his throne by using his feet because the actual mechanism never worked properly during filming.
16. Lucas has admitted to regretting Boba Fett's infamous death scene after learning just how popular the bounty hunter had become with fans. Lucas even considered adding a scene on the 2004 DVD release that would have shown Fett escaping from the Sarlacc.17. When it came time to expand the musical sequence in Jabba's palace, actress Femi Taylor was called on to reprise the role of Twi'lek dancer, Oola. She was the only Original Trilogy actor to return for the Special Editions.



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