Monday, April 30, 2018

'13 Reasons Why' Season 2 Teaser Reveals Premiere Date (And It's Soon!)

The tapes were just the beginning on "13 Reasons Why."

Netflix released the first teaser for the second season of its hit (and somewhat controversial) teen drama, which is set to return Friday, May 18.

Season 2 continues to follow the aftermath of the suicide of Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford), as friend Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) and various connections struggle with what they heard on the tapes she left behind. Meanwhile, Hannah's parents battle against the school district, which they believe is complicit in her death.

The teaser reveals that the new technology this season are Polaroid pictures. A series of ominous Polaroids lead Clay and his classmates to sickening secret and a conspiracy to cover it up.

Many threads were left unresolved at the end of Season 1, including whether Alex (Miles Heizer) survived his own suicide attempt and if Tyler (Devin Druid) is a potential school shooter. There are also some new faces at Liberty High, including new "It Girl" Chloe (Anna Winters).

As previously announced, Netflix has added new resources to the site 13ReasonsWhy.info for teens and their families to discuss the difficult issues the show addresses, including suicide, bullying, and rape.



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'Fear the Walking Dead' Actor Reveals Why He Asked to Be Killed Off

Death is a fact of life for the stars of "Fear the Walking Dead." But in one actor's case, it was a death that was welcomed.

[Spoilers ahead for Sunday night's episode!!]

"FTWD" Fans were shocked when Frank Dillane's Nick was shot in the chest by a young girl working as a mole for the Vultures. Dillane was an original cast member who was with the show from day one.

Immediately, fans blamed new showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg. But they explained to The Hollywood Reporter that Dillane himself asked to be written out of the show before they even came on board.

"One of the first things we were tasked with when we came on to run season four was to find a story that would give Nick a fitting sendoff," Chambliss said, who added, "It was very important to us and to Frank to find a death for him that was emotional and one that would ripple forward throughout the storytelling."

Dillane told Entertainment Weekly that he felt the urge to pursue other opportunities.

"I had been doing it for three or four years, the show has undergone many changes in terms of different people in charge, all of this stuff, and I just felt like the beginning of this season kind of felt like the end of an era with this show," he said.

"And television is hard work, and you have to shoot a lot. I also missed Europe very much. I'm not American, so after a while I get quite homesick and all of those things. I also felt like we had achieved what needed to be achieved in the first few seasons, so I thought it was time to keep moving."

Dillane will continue to be part of Season 4, since "FTWD" is playing around with different timelines and Nick is still alive in the past. Still, seeing his character's death scene made the actor emotional.

"I had a little cry yesterday, funnily enough," he laughed. "It takes me a while before stuff sinks in. I'm certainly going to miss Nick."

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'Solo' Featurette Details Han's Rite of Passage

How did Han Solo become, well, Han f---ing Solo? Fans will finally get the ne'er-do-well's back story in "Solo: A Star Wars Story."

Lucasfilm released a featurette, "Becoming Solo," that has the standard cast soundbites, with director Ron Howard teasing the rite of passage and tests that the young Han (Alden Ehrenreich) undergoes on his journey through that galaxy far, far away.

More interesting are the new bits of footage that weren't in the previous trailers or TV spots. There are more flashes of Han's interactions with Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), his piloting abilities, and that reckless, devil-may-care attitude that Harrison Ford carried off so easily in the original trilogy and "The Force Awakens."

"Solo" also stars Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, and Paul Bettany, and opens in theaters May 25.



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'Ant-Man and the Wasp' Trailer Tease Asks Where They Were During 'Infinity War'

Marvel knows its fans probably have a million questions after the emotional rollercoaster that was "Avengers: Infinity War," and it's going to answer a big one this week: Why weren't Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) in the movie?

Of course, that's probably not the most pressing concern for MCU diehards right now, but it's still an important query, since we already know that those heroes will be making some key contributions to next year's "Avengers 4." And according to a new trailer tease for upcoming "Ant-Man" sequel "Ant-Man and the Wasp," it looks like we're going to see exactly what the titular pair were up to while everyone else in the MCU was off fighting Thanos in Wakanda.

The full trailer won't be dropping until Tuesday, but Marvel also released a new poster for the flick (featuring new cast member Michelle Pfeiffer as Hope/The Wasp's mother, Janet Van Dyne) to tide over fans until then. It's hard to believe that another Marvel flick will be coming out so soon, since fans are still riding high after "Infinity War"'s record-breaking opening weekend, but Marvel is nothing if not productive.

Stay tuned for the new "Ant-Man and the Wasp" trailer tomorrow. The movie hits theaters on July 6.

[via: Marvel/Twitter, Marvel/Twitter]



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Marvel Chief Kevin Feige Thanks Fans for Helping 'Infinity War' Break Records

Marvel fans are nothing if not a loyal bunch, something they proved this past weekend when "Avengers: Infinity War" broke all kinds of box office records. Now, the film studio is thanking those fans for their unwavering support.

In a heartfelt letter shared on social media, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige reflected on the 10th anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and praised the entire Marvel team, the cast and crew of all the MCU films, and the comic book creators who shepherded their iconic characters. But Feige saved his biggest shout-out for the fans.

"Thank you for embracing these characters and stories since we kicked off the MCU ten years ago," the exec's letter said. "This past weekend was beyond our wildest dreams. ... [T]hank you for being the best fans in the universe and making Avengers: Infinity War the biggest opening weekend of all time."

"Infinity War" raked in a jaw-dropping $630 million worldwide in its opening frame, including a $250 million domestic haul that topped previous champ "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which pulled in $248 million in 2015. With little competition standing in its way right now, it should easily earn another huge pile of cash this coming weekend, too.

The sky is truly the limit for the MCU, and with plenty more movies on the horizon, the studio should have multiple opportunities to top itself in the coming years. Feige may want to keep his stationery handy.

[via: Kevin Feige/Twitter]



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Claire Foy Reportedly Received $275,000 Back Pay After 'The Crown' Wage Gap Scandal

Splashy Netflix series "The Crown" was tarnished earlier this year after it was revealed that its star, Claire Foy, received a lower salary than her co-star, Matt Smith, despite playing the queen of freaking England. Now, a new report suggests that the team behind the show has finally made the situation right.

According to the Daily Mail, Foy has received £200,000 -- approximately $275,000 -- in back pay for her role as Queen Elizabeth II on the first two seasons of "The Crown." It's unclear exactly who ponied up the cash, since the Daily Mail's report simply says it came from "the show's producers." The likely benefactor is production company Left Bank Productions (which previously took responsibility for the wage gap), though based on how much money the streaming service initially threw at the series, it seems like Netflix could definitely afford to shell out some additional cash.

Whoever reportedly wrote the check, it was a smart decision, since Foy wound up being the breakout of the series, snagging a Golden Globe, a SAG award, and lots of critical accolades for her work. Left Bank Productions initially defended their decision to give Smith more money, since his role on beloved British series "Doctor Who" meant he was a much bigger star than Foy when filming on "The Crown" started. But after fan furor boiled over, they quickly issued an apology.

Smith alluded to Foy's overdue payday in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, telling the trade earlier this month that he agreed with the backlash.

"Claire is one of my best friends, and I believe that we should be paid equally and fairly and there should be equality for all," the actor told THR. "I support her completely, and I'm pleased that it was resolved and they made amends for it because that's what needed to happen."

We couldn't agree more. All hail the queen.

[via: The Daily Mail, The Hollywood Reporter]



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Marvel Is Already Planning MCU Films Through 2025

The MCU has once again proven it has a choke hold on the box office, with "Avengers: Infinity War" breaking a ridiculous number of records and raking in a boatload of cash on its opening weekend. But the folks at Marvel are already looking ahead at what's next, and movie fans may want to keep their schedules clear for the next few years.

In an interview with The Associated Press ahead of "Infinity War"'s big debut, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige revealed that the company has no plans to slow down once this chapter of the "Avengers" saga wraps. In fact, Feige said that the studio just convened to discuss movies that aren't slated to hit theaters for another seven years -- and fans will definitely be surprised by the future MCU's direction.

"We're always thinking ahead," the exec explained to The AP. "Just when people think they can pin us down, we go somewhere else and that's going to happen again after 'Infinity War' in the build-up to the next Avengers film. And we had meetings earlier today about 2024 and 2025."

What those films might be is currently a closely guarded secret (what, did you expect anything different from the notoriously tight-lipped studio?), and fans won't be getting any clues at this year's Comic-Con, either. But based on the reaction to "Infinity War," it seems Marvel fans are willing to wait for big payoffs. Looks like they won't have any trouble standing by for more intel, whenever Feige and co. may choose to reveal it.

[via: The Associated Press]



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What's the 'Arrested Development' Easter Egg in 'Avengers: Infinity War'?

When we interviewed the immensely talented filmmaking team of Joe and Anthony Russo, just a few days before their monolithic superhero mash-up "Avengers: Infinity War" debuted (to rapturous reviews and astronomical box office), we asked if they could give us something that would only make sense after we saw the movie.

This is what they said:

Joe: How about "blue man?"

Anthony: That's a good one.

Now, having seen the film twice already (what? We have a rich social life full of interpersonal interactions!), we can safely assume what they were referring to. Spoilers follow, so turn back until you haven't seen the movie yet.

Still there?

Okay, cool.

There's a moment when the Guardians of the Galaxy (specifically Chris Pratt's Star Lord, Zoe Saldana's Gamora, Dave Bautista's Drax and Pom Klementieff's Mantis –- Rocket and Groot have already joined up with Thor at this point) land on Knowhere, the giant, floating head of a space god known as a celestial. (Bonus trivia: Kurt Russell is revealed to be a celestial in "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2.") They're sneaking into the workspace of the Collector (Benicio del Toro), but are intercepted by Thanos (Josh Brolin). As they make their way through the maze of Collector's display cases, there is a familiar figure -- a blue man, if you will.

But who is this Smurf-colored being?

It's none other than Tobias Fünke, the character played by David Cross, on the long-running meta-comedy "Arrested Development."

It's unclear if that was actually David Cross in the plastic box (Disney did not respond to our request for comment in time for publish), but that's 100% the character -- the characteristic denim shorts (he's a never-nude, remember), the bushy mustache, the bald head, and the Crayola-colored blue-skin (from some time he spent with the Blue Man Group).

But what's the connection between "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Arrested Development?" It's actually the Russos, who directed the pilot for the highly influential series and who, between the two of them, helmed more than a dozen additional episodes. So, clearly, the show helped them develop as filmmakers and remains a standard-bearer for television comedy.

The experience on "Arrested Development" also helped them in the whole balancing-multiple-storylines thing, which would come in handy when tackling something as sprawling and character-stuffed as "Avengers: Infinity War."

So there you go, blue man decoded!



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Tessa Thompson Jokes About Valkyrie's Role in 'Avengers: Infinity War'

SPOILERS ahead from "Avengers: Infinity War."

Fans were left with a lot of questions after "Avengers: Infinity War," including "Where was Valkyrie?" (Or, if you're Drax, "Why was Valkyrie?")

It wasn't the biggest question after the whole movie turned to dust, but since the first big scene was set after "Thor: Ragnarok," and we saw Thor, Banner, and Loki, it was reasonable to wonder what happened to Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie. Shouldn't she have been there -- shown alive or dead?

Answers may come later, but for now we just have jokes from Tessa Thompson. She has this whole Tessa As Goats running joke, and she tied it into her "Infinity War" absence:

Thor probably would've called that goat a rabbit, too. But at least the goat would've been part of the team -- unlike Hawkeye and Ant-Man, who just stayed home. And what? Watched half of their family members turn to dust?

Sadly, Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie never joined Thor to bond with Rabbit and Tree. But there's always "Avengers 4," not to mention more "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies. However, there may not be more "Thor" movies, now that Chris Hemsworth's contract is ending. But Hemsworth and Thompson will re-team for the "Men in Black" spinoff.

"Avengers 4" opens May 3, 2019.

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Netflix to Focus More on Sci-Fi & Fantasy Originals After Popularity Spike

Sci-fi just overtook comedy as Netflix subscribers' favorite genre. You know what's even better? When they can combine both in one series.

Netflix likes to know what makes you chill, and Business Insider just reported some findings from the streamer's first quarter of 2018. The most popular genre in Q1 was "sci-fi and fantasy," which is a change from this time last year when "comedy" was named the top choice. Now comedy is in second, followed by "action and adventure."

So Netflix is responding to meet this demand by making 29 percent of upcoming original content fit into the sci-fi/fantasy genre.

It's not that surprising when you consider the popularity of Netflix series like "Stranger Things," "Lost in Space," "Altered Carbon," "The OA," etc., and movies like "Bright." (Critics didn't love it, but fans ate it up.)

Of course, more content doesn't necessarily mean better content. Even Netflix fans didn't seem that fond of "The Cloverfield Paradox." Netflix does tend to have better luck with series over films, in terms of quality, but they don't release their streaming numbers to compare viewing trends.

And the popularity numbers are still close.

According to the Ampere Analysis data quoted by BI, 12 percent of subscribers picked sci-fi/fantasy as their favorite to put it on top. That's not a huge number, and last year 14 percent of subscribers picked comedy to put it at No. 1. Now comedy is down to 11 percent, but that's still very close behind sci-fi/fantasy. (So start sweating, Adam Sandler, but don't sweat too hard.)

Netflix's increase in sci-fi/fantasy may also be a strategic movie against Amazon's planned "Lord of the Rings" series -- which will reportedly feature five seasons and a potential spinoff.

"Stranger Things 3" just started production with no current release date. Here's everything coming to Netflix in May, and here's what's leaving.

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Ryan Reynolds Congratulates 'Avengers: Infinity War' Via Tony Stark Rejection Letter

Ryan Reynolds' "Deadpool 2" opens in just a few weeks, and it will still have to fight "Avengers: Infinity War" for box office dominance.

That might be tougher than beating Thanos himself.

"Avengers 3" just had the biggest opening of all time, and it's not going to slow down soon. Reynolds showed he's a good sport about these things -- and still Deadpool at all times -- by sharing a congratulatory note to the "Avengers" team.

He cleverly lauded their success at his own expense, showing off a rejection letter from Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.):

Re: Joining the Avengers

No.

Absolutely not.

Go bother Prof X.

No.

Aww. But that letter is from 2012, man. Try again next year! (Gotta love the coffee mug stain and the other little details. We need that stationary.)

Fans replied on Professor Xavier's behalf:


Deadpool isn't quite in the Marvel universe yet, despite Disney's plan to acquire 21st Century Fox. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige said any kind of "X-Men"/"Avengers" crossover "would be years away."

You know what's not years away? "Deadpool 2." It opens in theaters May 18. The final trailer had a Thanos shout-out, since Josh Brolin plays both Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Cable in "Deadpool 2."

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'Annabelle 3' Is Coming, and It Took That 'Conjuring' Release Date

A third "Annabelle" movie is officially happening, and it will be directed by Gary Dauberman, who wrote the previous "Annabelle" scripts. This will mark his directorial debut, and he'll once again write the screenplay.

The Hollywood Reporter shared the news, adding no further plot details beyond the obvious connection to the creepy demon doll.

New Line has put "Annabelle 3" (full title to be revealed later) on the fast track, with a release of July 3, 2019.

If that date looks familiar -- beyond looking like it wants a Will Smith movie to open on that same day -- it's because Warner Bros. just announced they'd be releasing another movie in the "Conjuring" universe on that date.

"Annabelle" is a "Conjuring" spinoff, so this looks like the movie in question. That means we still don't know when "The Conjuring 3" or "The Crooked Man" will be released.

Gary Dauberman, writer/director of this "Annabelle" movie, is one of the "It" writers (including "Chapter Two") and he also wrote "The Nun," coming out this September. "The Nun" is considered the fifth movie in the "Conjuring" series, after the two "Conjuring" movies so far, and the two "Annabelle" movies. That makes "Annabelle 3" the sixth movie in the "Conjuring" franchise.

Are you disappointed that it's "Annabelle" taking that July 2019 date and not "Conjuring 3" or "The Crooked Man"? Don't worry, they're still on the way.

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What's New on TV, Netflix, Digital & DVD/Blu-ray This Week: April 30-May 6

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 on DVD and Blu-ray

• "12 Strong"
When Chris Hemsworth isn't busy as Thor, he tends to gravitate toward action movies like "12 Strong," which is out on DVD/Blu-ray this Tuesday, May 1. The war drama is based on the true Special Forces mission that took place just days after the 9/11 attacks. Michael Shannon and Michael Peña co-star in the film, which comes with two featurettes on Blu-ray: "12 Strong: The Making of an Impossible Mission," and "Monumental Effort: Building America's Response Monument."

• "Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell"
Michael Gross' Burt Gummer is back for his sixth "Tremors" movie, alongside Jamie Kennedy as son Travis. In "A Cold Day in Hell" -- out on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand May 1 -- father and son "find themselves up to their ears in Graboids and Ass-Blasters when they head to Canada to investigate a series of deadly giant-worm attacks. Arriving at a remote research facility in the Arctic tundra, Burt begins to suspect that Graboids are secretly being weaponized."

Check out this exclusive behind-the-scenes clip focused on director Don Michael Paul:• "Peter Rabbit"
James Corden, Margot Robbie, Daisy Ridley, and Domhnall Gleeson lead the voice cast of this family movie available on Blu-ray and DVD May 1. The Blu-ray and Digital versions include the new mini movie "Flopsy Turvy." All versions include a "Shake Your Cotton-Tail Dance Along" and the behind-the-scenes featurette "Mischief In The Making."

• "All I Wish"
Sharon Stone, Tony Goldwyn, Famke Janssen, and Ellen Burstyn star in this wry romantic comedy available on DVD May 1. Bonus features include interviews with the cast and crew and a gag reel.

******

New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital

• "Last Flag Flying" (Amazon Original)This Amazon original movie from Richard Linklater follows three Vietnam War vets (Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell, Laurence Fishburne -- what a cast!) who reunite after 30 years and embark on a bittersweet road trip to bury a young Marine killed in the Iraq War. The comedy-drama is available for streaming May 4. Here's the trailer.

• "The Con Is On"
"Pulp Fiction" reunion alert: Uma Thurman and Tim Roth star in this caper comedy, which will be released in select theaters and available On Demand Friday, May 4. Maggie Q, Parker Posey, Alice Eve, Sofia Vergara, Stephen Fry, and Crispin Glover costar in the story of a con-artist couple who cook up a jewel-theft scam to pay off a gangster. You should really watch the trailer, it's great.

• "Being Serena" (HBO NOW)
This HBO documentary series give viewers unprecedented access to tennis icon Serena Williams during her pregnancy, new motherhood, and marriage -- while also documenting her journey back to supremacy on the court. The series premieres May 2, and ends May 30 on HBO. Head here for everything HBO NOW is getting in May.

*****

New on Netflix

This week marks the start of a new month, and you know what that means: A ton of new titles will be added to Netflix as of Tuesday, May 1; and many others will be leaving.

Netflix usually likes to premiere its original series and films on Fridays, so here are a few originals ready for streaming May 4:

• "Anon" (Netflix Film)Clive Owen, Amanda Seyfried, Colm Feore, and Sonya Walger, star in this sci-fi thriller from Andrew Niccol, available for streaming May 4. Check out the trailer and synopsis:

"Sal Frieland is a detective in a world with no privacy or anonymity; where everyone's lives are transparent, traceable, and recorded by the authorities; where crime almost ceases to exist. But in trying to solve a series of murders, Frieland stumbles on a young woman known only as the Girl. She has no identity, no history and is invisible to the cops. Sal realizes this may not be the end of crime, but the beginning."

• "The Rain" Season 1 (Netflix Original)
This original series starts streaming May 4. The trailer looks very intriguing.

"You never know when your life is going to change. After a brutal virus wipes out most of the population, two young siblings embark on a perilous search for safety."

• "Kong: King of the Apes" Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Find out what happened to Kong and Lukas when Season 2 starts up this Friday.

"At the start of Season 2, the fate of the group will be revealed and viewers will discover a prehistoric underworld where dinosaurs roam the land, pterosaurs soar and giant insects still exist. Will Kong, Lukas and their loyal team manage to save the Earth from Botila's plans to replace nature with technology?"

• "Dear White People" Volume 2 (Netflix Original)
Netflix's satirical dramedy returns May 4. Check out the trailer.

"Welcome back to Winchester, this is the remix."

• "End Game" (Netflix Original)
Netflix documentaries are always strong, and this looks like a heartbreaker. Here's the trailer.

"Netflix's latest documentary explores the end-of-life support system provided by doctors, nurses, and hospice professionals. Streaming May 4."

TV Worth Watching

• "AMC Visionaries: James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction" (Monday on AMC at 10 p.m.)In each episode of this six-part TV series, writer/director/producer James Cameron explores science fiction's "roots, futuristic vision and our fascination with its ideas" through interviews with A-list storytellers, stars and others whose careers have defined the field. Those stars include Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Will Smith, Sigourney Weaver, and many more. The premiere episode focuses on "Alien Life."

• "Dancing With the Stars: Athletes" (Monday on ABC at 8 p.m.)
The spring season of "Dancing With the Stars" is a bit different than usual this year. First of all, it's shorter -- only a month. Plus, the 10 "stars" are all athletes, with several fresh off the 2018 Olympics. In night 1, "Each couple performs a cha-cha, salsa, fox-trot or Viennese Waltz; eliminations are based on judges' scores and live viewer votes."

• "Colony" Season 3 (Wednesday on USA Network at 10 p.m.)
Josh Holloway and Sarah Wayne Callies return as the Bowman parents -- with Peter Jacobson staying strong as Proxy Snyder -- in the third season of this fantastic sci-fi drama. The Season 3 premiere, "Maquis," begins six months after the Bowmans and Snyder escaped Los Angeles. They're enjoying "a simple life in the mountains until a sudden arrival changes everything."

• "Frontline: Blackout in Puerto Rico" (Tuesday on PBS at 10 p.m.)
This "Frontline" investigation follows the humanitarian and economic crisis in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria -- examining how the federal response, Wall Street and years of neglect have left the island struggling to survive. The investigation was done by Laura Sullivan and Rick Young, who previously collaborated on the "Frontline" investigation of the Hurricane Sandy relief effort, and an investigation of America's affordable housing crisis.

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14 Things You Never Knew About 'Iron Man' On its 10th Anniversary

It's hard to believe it's been ten years since "Iron Man" first hit theaters.

That blockbuster birthed an entire cinematic universe and paved the way for countless other Marvel characters to make their way to the big screen. To celebrate that anniversary (and the impending debut of "Avengers: Infinity War"), here are 14 interesting facts you might not know about "Iron Man."

1. "Iron Man" was trapped in development hell for nearly two decades before finally seeing the light of day. The film rights passed from Universal to Fox to New Line before ultimately reverting back to Marvel.

2. Quentin Tarantino was approached to direct "Iron Man" in 1999. Other potential directors included Joss Whedon and Nick Cassavetes.MOMA Quentin Tarantino Tribute3. An early draft of the screenplay positioned Tony's own father Howard as the main villain, with Howard becoming War Machine in the film's climax.

4. Another early script featured a connection to Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy, with Tony being revealed as the inventor of Doctor Octopus' robotic tentacles.5. Sam Rockwell was another top contender for the role of Tony Stark. While Robert Downey, Jr. eventually won the part, director Jon Favreau turned to Rockwell again to play Justin Hammer in "Iron Man 2."

6. "A Christmas Story" star Peter Billingsley was one of the producers on "Iron Man." He also has a small cameo role in the film as a scientist being yelled at by Obadiah Stane.7. Paul Bettany took on the role of J.A.R.V.I.S. as a favor to director Jon Favreau, and recorded all of his lines in about two hours. At the time, he wasn't aware of what film he was working on.

8. J.A.R.V.I.S., in the comics, stands for "Just A Rather Very Intelligent System." Fans of the TV series "Marvel's Agent Carter" would come to learn that the Stark family had an actual human butler named Jarvis.9. Filming began before the script was completed, and much of the dialogue was improvised on-set, often to the chagrin of studio executives.

10. One scene features Stane playing a piano piece by composer Antonio Salieri, whose rivalry with Mozart was made famous in the film "Amadeus." That musical choice was meant to subtly foreshadow Stane's betrayal of Tony.

11. Clark Gregg's Agent Coulson proved to be one of the breakout characters in "Iron Man," but originally the character had a much smaller role. At first he didn't even have a name -- just "Agent."

12. Near the end of the film, Tony can be seen reading a newspaper with a grainy photo of his Iron Man armor on the front page. That photo is actually taken from real-life paparazzi footage shot during production.

13. The three armors in the film were built by the legendary Stan Winston Studios. "Iron Man" proved to be the final film Winston worked on before his death in 2008.14. The post-credits scene featuring Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury was removed from preview cuts of the film in order to preserve the surprise.



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Sunday, April 29, 2018

Box Office: 'Avengers: Infinity War' Rockets to the Biggest Opening of All Time

Nothing is impossible in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including, it turns out, securing the biggest opening weekend in the history of motion pictures. Whoa.

When early tracking was released on Friday, it looked like "Avengers: Infinity War," the third canonical film in the "Avengers" series and the triumphant apex of ten years of interconnected superhero stories in the MCU, would be huge. But how huge emailed to be seen, with most pegging its opening haul to come in slightly below that of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which secured $248 million back in 2015. But, as the weekend reached its conclusion, the superhero-stuffed saga, which features virtually every character from the previous ten years of movies fighting a villainous space baddie named Thanos (Josh Brolin), ended up clearing $250 million domestically. With its overseas haul of $380 million, its combined $630 million made it the top worldwide debut of all time too. And it hasn't even opened in China yet.

What makes this accomplishment downright miraculous is that "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was the first entry in the beloved franchise in more than 10 years, whereas Marvel's last blockbuster, the phenomenal "Black Panther," is playing next door to "Avengers: Infinity War" in most theaters. In fact, "Black Panther," which opened way back in February, is still in the top 5 (it brought in another $4.4 million for a cumulative domestic haul of $688 million).

In fact, "Avengers: Infinity War," seems to have surged, in part, with the goodwill from "Black Panther." That film proved to be a genuine cultural phenomenon, a kind of zeitgeist-capturing flashpoint that only comes along every so often, to the point when a character even mentions the fictional African country of Wakanda, the "Infinity War" audience erupts in applause. (This happened both times I saw "Avengers: Infinity War" this past week.) The latest "Avengers" entry might not be "Black Panther 1.5" but with its third act centralized in Wakanda and many of the characters returning, it at leas prolonged that movie's impact and boosted "Infinity War's" must-see factor.

"A Quiet Place," the surprise smash of 2018, came in at #2 with another $10.7 million, bringing its domestic total to $148.2 million. Not bad for a movie with a budget of less than $20 million. By comparison, Steven Spielberg's operatic "Ready Player One," which brought in $2.4 million (enough to secure the #8 spot), has made only $130.7 million domestically on a budget of $175 million (and that's before a sizable marketing spend).

Amy Schumer comedy "I Feel Pretty" came in at #3 ($8.1 million), with Dwayne Johnson-led monster mash "Rampage" at #4 ($7.1 million). After "Black Panther," which, again, is still in the top 5, it was "Super Troopers 2" at #6 ($3.6 million), "Truth or Dare" at #7 ($3.2 million, for a robust $35.3 total), "Blockers" at #8 ($2.9 million) and thriller "Traffik" at #10 ($1.6 million).

With virtually uninterrupted space at the box office, until "Deadpool 2" joins the party on May 18th, look for "Avengers: Infinity War" to rule the box office and set even more records. And can you blame it? You know how much you want to see it again too.



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Friday, April 27, 2018

'Grey's Anatomy' Season 14 Casts Alex Karev's Mom (Again)

The most recent episode of "Grey's Anatomy" revealed a shocking detail about Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers): He went over a year without checking his own bank account. Who does that?! Must be nice.

When he did check his account, to see how much money he could contribute to his wedding to Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington), he discovered he had A LOT more money than he thought. It took him all that time to realize his mother had not been using the money he gave her.

Cue the upcoming May 3 episode, "Fight for Your Mind," directed by Jackson Avery himself, Jesse Williams. Here's the synopsis from ABC:

"Alex and Jo go on a road trip to Iowa to find Alex's mom, whom he hasn't heard from in a very long time. Meanwhile, Meredith gives a presentation on her mini-livers project, which attracts a ton of attention; and Jackson works to rebuild the foundation after its reputation is threatened."

According to Deadline, Alex Karev's mom, Helen, will now be played by "The Bionic Woman" icon Lindsay Wagner.

Wagner has been in dozens of films and TV shows since the '70s, beyond her role as Jaime Sommers in "The Six Million Dollar Man" and "Bionic Woman." Syfy fans may also be familiar with Wagner from the series "Warehouse 13," and she recently starred as Samson's mother in the 2018 biblical movie "Samson."

The Paley Honors: Celebrating Women In TelevisionThe last time we saw Helen Karev was just a few weeks ago in the March 15 episode, directed by Ellen Pompeo. In that flashback-heavy episode, younger Helen was played by Emily Rutherfurd.

As that episode showed, Helen struggles with mental illness and was later diagnosed with schizophrenia. At one point, Alex had to have his mother committed to a psychiatric facility. (Alex's father was addicted to drugs and alcohol. Between his two parents, it explains why he grew up in several foster homes, and also spent time in juvie.)

Alex's last name is Karev because he wanted to distance himself from his father, James Evans, so he took his mother's last name, Karev. Jimmy Evans' death was shown back in Season 10.

"Fight for Your Mind" is Episode 22, which means we are very close to the end of this 24-episode season. We know April and Arizona are leaving soon, but hopefully the "celebratory" finale at least means good news for Jolex.

"Grey's Anatomy" Season 14 airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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'The Predator' Reveals Plot Synopsis as First Trailer Is Mostly Praised

Shane Black's "The Predator" movie could go either way. Most of the reactions to the first teaser, shared during CinemaCon, were positive. But at least one critic was "underwhelmed." Unfortunately, you won't get a chance to judge for yourself today.

"The Predator," opening in theaters this September, is the fourth film in the franchise, and it's set between "Predator 2" and "Predators." The cast looks strong: Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Edward James Olmos, Trevante Rhodes, Keegan-Michael Key, Thomas Jane, Yvonne Strahovski, and young Jacob Tremblay.

The first synopsis for the movie was shared during 20th Century Fox's CinemaCon presentation:

"From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home in Shane Black's explosive reinvention of the Predator series. Now, the universe's most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a young boy accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race."

The first teaser trailer was shown during CinemaCon; here are some details from IndieWire:

"The footage begins with Tremblay's young boy on Halloween playing with a toy box that has a toy alien ship inside of it. It turns out the toy is controlling a real alien spaceship, similar to the way Anne Hathaway controlled a monster in 'Colossal.' The vessel ends up crash landing on Earth and releasing tons of Predators.

The trailer cuts to an interrogation room featuring Boyd Holbrook, who is playing a military sniper. It turns out Holbrook is the father of the boy we saw earlier. Footage of soldiers battling Predators and a Predator violently holding one by the neck cut through Holbrook's integration narration. Olivia Munn's scientist makes a big impression during the trailer. Her character is seen expertly handling a gun. When Sterling K. Brown's character asks, 'You're pretty handy with a gun, where'd you learn?' Munn replies: 'America.'"

Here are some of the positive reactions:


However, io9 was so underwhelmed they posted a story titled "Unfortunately, the First Footage From The Predator Does Not Inspire Much Confidence."

Here's part of that story:

"Jacob Tremblay opening a box was the best thing in the first footage from Shane Black's The Predator. Fox showed a taste of the highly anticipated next entry in the scifi series at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, and while opinions will obviously be mixed, I was left very underwhelmed. [...] There was no big standout moment in the footage. No hero shot of the Predator or clear idea of what exactly is going on. We assume Holbrook's character sees a crashed ship, his team is killed, he sends his son evidence, the evidence brings down more Predators. Then, things go wild and soldiers are called in to stop the Predators, with the complication of scientists wanting to study them. Right?"


Maybe? While you can't see the teaser trailer yet, you can see Jacob Tremblay's great Ahhhnold impression:


"The Predator" opens in theaters on September 14.

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'Star Trek: Discovery' Season 2 Teaser Provides a Peek at the Enterprise and Crew

What's old is new again in a new behind-the-scenes teaser for "Star Trek: Discovery" Season 2.

The first season of the CBS All-Access show ended on a major cliffhanger: Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the Discovery crew running into the not-yet-legendary ship Enterprise and her captain, Christopher Pike.

Pike (who will be played by Ansom Mount), of course, is the predecessor of James T. Kirk, who led the ship on the original "Star Trek" series.

"Discovery" is doing its own take on the beloved Enterprise, and the video gives a glimpse at the construction of the bridge. There are also tantalizing images of the original gold, blue, and red uniforms, as well as what appears to be costume materials for new aliens.

But one thing missing from the video is any hint that Spock may be part of Season 2. If canon timing holds, he should be on board. And since Burnham's adopted father is Spock's father, Sarek, a meeting between the sort-of siblings should be interesting!

"Star Trek: Discovery" Season 2 does not yet have a release date.



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'Kin' Trailer Sends Two Brothers on the Run in Sci-Fi Adventure

Brothers always watch each other's backs, as shown in the first trailer for "Kin."

The sci-fi adventure film focuses on a recently released ex-con (Jack Reynor) and his adopted teen brother (Myles Truitt). The latter discovers a mysterious alien weapon capable of causing massive damage and uses it to help his brother out of a jam with a shady criminal (James Franco). This forces them to go on the run from the criminal's gang, from law enforcement, and from the original owners of that weapon.

"Kin" feels like a bit of a throwback, which perhaps shouldn't be a surprise since it was produced by "Stranger Things" producer Shawn Levy. And like the Netflix supernatural drama, "Kin" comes from director siblings Jonathan and Josh Baker.

The movie also stars Dennis Quaid as the brothers' dad, Zoe Kravitz as a friend along for the ride, and Carrie Coon. It opens in theaters August 31.



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'Leave No Trace' Trailer Is First Glimpse at New Movie By 'Winter's Bone' Director

"Winter's Bone" made Jennifer Lawrence a star and a first-time Oscar nominee. Now, writer/director Debra Granik finally has made another movie, "Leave No Trace," which also features a tenacious teen girl.

The first trailer introduces us to Will (Ben Foster) and his daughter, Tom (Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie), who have lived off the grid for years in the forests outside Portland, Oregon. Their idyllic life is shattered when authorities discover their situation and put them both into social services. After struggling to adjust to modern society, the pair seek a way back home to the woods.

The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and next plays at Cannes and is already getting rave reviews, particularly for the breakout performance of McKenzie.

Granik's "Winter's Bone" received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor (for John Hawkes). It's not hard to imagine "Leave No Trace" following a very similar path come awards season.

"Leave No Trace" opens in theaters June 29.



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Alexis Bledel Reveals 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' Cast Has Pitched Third Movie

'Paint It Black' New York Premiere - After PartyThe "Sisterhood" is ready for its third act.

Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, Blake Lively, and Amber Tamblyn have remained close friends since they first starred together in 2005's "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and its 2008 sequel. And in recent years, they've often reunited to support each other's work. But they've also talked about reuniting on the big screen.

Now, a third movie is closer than ever to actually happening, as Bledel (currently starring on Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale") told Jimmy Fallon on Thursday's "The Tonight Show."

"We just pitched a third movie," she revealed. "I hope it comes together. It would be so great."

The time seems right for a revival, a decade after the second film. And revivals are big these days; Bledel herself was in the Netflix's "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life" follow-up.

Lively also recently added fuel to the fire at CinemaCon, saying, "I think it could really happen."

"I think that people who love the movie want to see it. So, I mean, fans have gotten bigger movies made," she added. Then, referencing husband Ryan Reynolds' biggest hit, "'Deadpool' is all thanks to the fans. So I'm saying we'll do it."

And of course, the pants always fit!



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'Avengers: Infinity War' Thursday Previews Break Marvel Record, as Fan Reviews Roll In

So far, fans seem to like "Avengers: Infinity War" even more than the critics did. But they're also feeling very, very emotional.

When are you seeing it? If you saw "Avengers 3" Thursday night or Friday day, you're probably a Marvel superfan. Many more fans will watch the movie this opening weekend, and a few will probably try to hold off until the crowds die down, seeing it next week or the week after, etc. It'll be in theaters for a while, and we all know it.

Since the Thursday preview crowd is composed of the true Marvel faithful, you can't be surprised that they showed up in force and were completely floored by "Avengers 3."

And so "Avengers: Infinity War" is already breaking records for Marvel, if not Thursday records in general:

According to Deadline, "Avengers 3" made $39 million Thursday night, beating "Avengers 2" ($27.6M), "Black Panther" ($25.2M), and "Captain America: Civil War" ($25 million).

However, it's still the fourth-best Thursday opening ever behind two "Star Wars" movie and the final "Harry Potter" film -- "The Force Awakens" ($57M), "The Last Jedi" ($45M), and "Deathly Hallows Part 2 ($43.5M).

Worldwide, "Avengers: Infinity War" has already earned $95 million in its first two days, and some reports estimate it could make over $500 million at the global box office by the end of the weekend.

As of Friday afternoon, fan and critic reviews are still rolling in. But the movie currently has an 85 percent rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with an audience score of 94 percent from about 20,000 users. The Metascore is currently 68 (compared to 88 for "Black Panther"), with a user score of 9.0. Over at IMDb, 65,000 users have rated "Infinity War" very high with a current score of 9.2/10.

It's possible fans who aren't as hardcore as the Thursday night/Friday day crowd won't have similar extreme reactions, but here are some fresh reports from fans:

SEMI-SPOILER ALERT, JUST FROM EMOTIONAL RESPONSES:

We may all need therapy before "Avengers 4" opens next year.

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'Heredity' Studio Trolls 'Peter Rabbit' After Horror Trailer Accidentally Plays for Kids

Oops. The studio behind "Heredity" is laughing off a case of mistaken trailer play in Perth, Western Australia.

Apparently a projectionist accidentally played the trailer for the R-rated horror movie before "Peter Rabbit," confusing and upsetting the families expecting PG entertainment.

The trailer for the Toni Collette horror movie -- plugged as "this generation's The Exorcist" -- included "scenes of scissors being pinched into a dead pigeon's neck, a corpse laid out in a coffin, a boy bloodily smashing his head into a desk and a man on fire, all set to tense music and sharp sound effects."

So not what the parents had in mind for their kids. Here's what one woman told the Sydney Morning Herald:

"It was dreadful. Very quickly you could tell this was not a kid's film. Parents were yelling at the projectionist to stop, covering their kids' eyes and ears. A few went out to get a staff member but she was overwhelmed and didn't really know what to do. Some parents fled the cinema with their kids in tow. Eventually a senior staff member came in with a walkie talkie and he shut the screen off. To his credit he apologised and offered us complimentary movie passes to make up for it."

Fled the cinema! If this was the trailer they saw, it takes a while before it gets really dark:Well, A24 -- the studio behind "Heredity" -- had some fun with the incident and even mocked "Peter Rabbit" for its controversial food allergy bullying scene:


Shots fired. Poor Peter Rabbit. That movie's studio apologized for the food allergy scene. "Peter Rabbit" is coming out on Blu-ray/DVD here in the States next week. Meanwhile, "Heredity" just got some extra publicity before it opens in theaters on June 8.

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