Don't Breathe is a intense and claustrophobic thriller that showcases Stephen Lang's amazing acting abilities
Morgan is an underwhelming sci-fi thriller that we've seen done better many times before
Kubo and the Two Strings is a beautiful stop-motion Japanese folktale that offers a great story, gorgeous visuals, and a lot of heart for all viewers
What you won't expect from Hell or High Water is how two bank robbers and two U.S. Marshals will all warm your heart as it builds to the inevitable showdown
Suicide Squad might not be a perfect movie, but it is definitely the best in the DC Extended Universe so far. Hopefully this will be the start of a new, better direction
The next, and possibly the last bit of news I'll mention out of Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) came from Paramount and CBS. So without further adieu... I'll leave you to it.
Star Trek: Discovery
This is the new teaser trailer for Star Trek: Discover that was released at SDCC. There were only two other pieces of information released during the event that I could find:
- A Director has been hired for the pilot episode. With Star Trek: Discovery coming out in January of next year, it was only a matter of time until directors started to be hired for the series.
- Discovery will take place in the prime timeline set by the original series. The Star Trek movies established by J. J. Abrams introduced an alternate time line that followed beside the original series, but weren't bound by that timeline. This alternate reality has since been dubbed the "Kelvin" timeline. Well Paramount has officially stated that Discovery will not share that alternate timeline but will instead be part of the same timeline of The Original Series, Next Generation, Voyager, Deep Space Nine, and Enterprise.
- I don't believe they have announced what century Discovery will take place in, but seeing how Enterprise took place before the original series and was panned by critics and fans, I'd assume that it will take place at least after then.
I am currently not a subscriber of CBS All Access, and do not plan to be one for a single show. But if I hear good buzz surrounding the show, I could see myself doing a free trial, binge watching all the episodes, and the canceling just to get my Star Trek needs satisfied.
Wrap-Up
What are your thoughts on Star Trek: Discovery? Leave your comments below and don't forget to keep it unpopped.
Next up for a news round-up from Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) is my personal favorite! Let's dive in.
Marvel Studios
Just like almost everyone else, I have always enjoyed Marvel Studios' films. Even the worst ones are better than other director's best films of all time. So any news that comes out of SDCC about Marvel Studios I was sure to be all over.
Captain Marvel
This has been a long awaited announcement. Back in 2014 it was announced that Captain Marvel was going to fly onto the big screen. It was even reported that it was in the initial plans to have Captain Marvel appear near the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron during the final fight sequence. However, having not cast Captain Marvel at the time, the role was switched to be War Machine instead.
The expected introduction of Captain Marvel was then set for Avengers: Infinity War. Additionally, the last few month there have been rumors swirling of an offer being extended to a particular high profile actress. So with filming beginning near the end of this year, SDCC was a perfect time to finally make the announcement.
And they did!! After much anticipation Brie Larson has finally been announced as Captain Marvel! She recently secured an Oscar win for her portrayal as a kidnapped and abused woman in the critically acclaimed Room. Being one of my favorite movies last year, I believed anything she was going to do next was going to be great, but being Captain Marvel is just awesome!
Below you can see a mock up done of what Brie Larson may look like as Captain Marvel. Only time will tell of how it will turn out, but I'm sure it will be great!
This is probably the biggest news that came out of Marvel Studios this week. Guardians of the Galaxy's success has led to a huge following and even bigger anticipation for Vol. 2. At the announcement there was a trailer shown. However, it has not yet been publicly released, so anything I say is only based on other reports that I have read. Here is a rundown of some of the biggest information that came out of SDCC:
- Kurt Russell as Ego and... Star-Lord's dad! This one is kind of odd... let me explain why. Here are two pictures:
-This one was taken at SDCC and is Kurt Russell's costume as Ego. That seems normal enough right... right?? Well, let me now show you the next picture:
-This is Ego... he's a living planet! He is quite literally the size of a planet! So how does that huge head of a thing become the human shaped man that can fit inside of that costume? Well, all description say that it is explained in the trailer. It states that Ego (the giant head) created a human like form and thus was able to have Star-Lord as a son. I don't believe that has been a characteristic of Ego in the past, but as long as we see a giant Kurt Russell shaped planet, I'll honestly forgive anything. As far as learning more about Ego, I personally plan to read up on some Ego centered comics and I'll come back with a list of comics to get you familiar as well.
- Sylvester Stallone confirmed. This has been rumored for a few weeks now, but we finally have confirmation that he is in fact in the movie. However, his identity has not yet been revealed. Those that saw the trailer said that he was in Yondu's presence and had a similar constume as his crew, but cleaner. With this very basic and vague description there are currently two possibilities: 1) he is a member of Yondu's crew as a Ravager. 2) He is a member of the Nova Corps (see picture below). Of those two possibilities, the Nova Corps is more exciting and is the one I'm hoping for, but honestly a Ravager makes more sense.
Netflix
Netflix and Marvel have a great relationship and will hopefully have one for many years to come. There are numerous videos and teasers that were release by Netflix about their upcoming shows, but I'll just bullet point some of the biggest news.
- Luke Cage. This is going to be Marvel's next Netflix show that is going to be released in November. The main plot is still unknown, but just seeing him again on the screen after his debut in Jessica Jones last year is a welcome sight.
- Iron Fist. Included in the announcements was a very quick teaser of Iron Fist. His origin is teased and he is shown doing punching out a wall. That pretty much sums up the trailer, but I'm sure more will be released as we get closer to its early 2017 release date.
- The Defenders. This hasn't officially started shooting yet, but the potential of having Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist all teaming up to defeat a larger threat is something that I know I'm excited for.
- Daredevil will get a season 3. With so many other Netflix/Marvel shows, it was unsure when we would get another season of Daredevil, and while we still don't know the exact answer, the fact that one is planned is at least comforting for many.
Wrap-Up
So those are my overall thoughts on all things Marvel Studios. What were some of your favorite announcements? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.
Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) is always the best place to get all the latest news on everything movie and nerd-culture related. I have been following the news extremely closely, and have decided to break down the biggest and most important news that I thought you would care about. Every few days I'll post a breakdown of another companies events and news. So let's get started.
Now with any change in the film industry there is always a slight delay. Movies can often be in development for multiple years. So even with the cementing of Geoff Johns, it was very unlikely we would see his complete influence until at least the movies being release in 2018. That means that we still have to wade through Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, and Justice League until a full directional change could have been realized.
DC's Commitment to Improvement
Back in July, DC Films and Zack Synder held a Justice League set visit to help increase buzz for the upcoming film and rebuild faith in the franchise. DC Films exclusively invited critics that were mixed to negative in their reviews. Everything I read was extremely positive and was able to instill faith in some of the most skeptical critics.
I personally didn't not write anything on the set visits, but one of the scenes that was shot on the day of the set visit was an interaction between Bruce Wayne (Batman) and Barry Allen (The Flash). The scene was said to be funny and enjoyable, two words that were not said about Batman v Superman.
So now with SDCC, DC Films had a chance to not only convince the critics, but the fans as well.
Wonder Woman
First up is Wonder Woman. Critics of Batman v Superman unanimously praised Gal Gadot as Diana Prince (Wonder Woman), so Wonder Woman was always going to be one of the most anticipated of DC Films.
As you can see in the trailer above, there is very little that can be easily determined. I haven't read very many Wonder Woman comics, I'm currently up to a whopping 3 with DC comics current Rebirth story line. So even though I'm probably not the best person to breakdown this trailer, here is everything that I was able to determine:
- Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) washing up on Themyscira, the island of the Amazons. This leads to Wonder Woman's first interaction with a man.
- As reported during the early development of the movie, the setting of Wonder Woman takes place during WWI.
- Wonder Woman is able to take on entire armies single handed... which is completely AWESOME!
- All the typical Wonder Woman weapons are present, including her Lasso of Truth. Now only if we get to "see" the Invisible Jet as well. That'd be pretty cool.
- The Amazons are going to war against an army on a beach. It may just be how it is cut, but I believe this may take place during the climax of the movie. I think that after Wonder Woman ventures out of Themyscira, others become interested in finding where she is from. This then will lead them straight to the island of the Amazons where an epic battle will take place. But I'm probably wrong... maybe not... maybe.
- Gal Gadot kicks some serious butt!
Honestly, I was already pretty hyped for Wonder Woman to come out next year, and the trailer did very little to increase those expectations. Not that it was bad, just that I was already excited and I just want to see it rather than wait almost a full year.
Justice League
Justice League has only been filming since March, so roughly 4 months. So I figured that we would be lucky if we got some set photos, a behind the scenes sizzle reel, or maybe an unfinished look at the scene that was described in the set visit. So when I heard there was an actual released trailer, I couldn't believe that Warner Bros. had one prepared. Then, after viewing the trailer I couldn't believe how finished many of the effects looked. Cyborg was the most obvious with his suit almost completely computer generated. So let's break this down and talk about my favorite parts:
- Batman recruiting the Justice League. The trailer shows multiple interactions of Bruce Wayne with every member of the Justice League. Most being comical which is a welcome change to BvS.
- The Flash as the comic relief. It is hard to not mention the similarities between the scene with Bruce Wayne and Barry Allen with the scene in Civil War with Tony Stark and Peter Parker. From the rich guy recruiting the young kid, to Barry's eagerness to join something bigger than himself. Now I wouldn't say this is a bad thing, because adding some levity to DC Films is exactly what is needed, and it appears that Ezra Miller has what it takes to do the job of being the funny one.
- Aquaman the drunk. This is a little bit of speculation, but I believe that Aquaman is going to be the kind of hero that doesn't want to be one. He's going to not only be reluctant, but angry about having to help the puny mortals. He'll eventually join, but only after drinking an untold amount of alcohol. Of course with this we'll just have to wait and see.
- "I hear you talk to fish." This is a common misconception of Aquaman and one that Geoff Johns explicitly points out in his 2011 Aquaman and Justice League run. In the comics it is often used comically from people that don't know Aquaman and it is a nice touch to include this in the trailer. This is exactly the kind of humor that exists in DC Comics and it's nice to finally see it translated into DC Films.
As I already stated, I was more than excited to see the level of trailer that was released in such a short time. Now the question is if Zack Snyder can completely win over his hardest critics, but based on the trailer, I think we are all in good hands.
Wrap-Up
Those are my thoughts on DC Films Comic Con announcements. What did you think, and what are some other news items that you liked? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.
I honestly didn't think anything like this was possible, but Ars Technica has defied the impossible and has trained a computer to write a screenplay for a short film entitled Sunspring.
The way it accomplished the task was they had to first build an algorithm, which now calls itself Benjamin. They based it on text recognition and text prediction. Then they fed numerous sci-fi screenplays into the algorithm. After "learning" from the many different types of things that happen in a sci-fi movie, Benjamin was then given a few prompts to go on such as the title, a small scene, and an idea.
Then the impossible happens, Benjamin actually spits out a screenplay. The screenplay can be downloaded from Ars Technica's site (here).
Honestly what came out was exactly what one would expect from a text prediction algorithm. It is completely nonsensical and one of the worst things ever.
However, that isn't the most exciting part of this project because then a director and actors were hired to actually perform out the screenplay that was written by Benjamin. A lot of creative liberty had to be taken to make any sense of what was in the screenplay, but overall, the short film that was created is entirely based on what Benjamin created.
So without further adieu, I present to you the "Oscar caliber" short film adapted from the screenplay written by Benjamin the algorithm. Here is Sunspring.
That is the weirdest yet most interesting thing that I have ever seen, and I can't wait to see what else Benjamin can come up with.
I watched it a second time while reading the screenplay along with it, and it surprisingly made more sense that time. I'm still 100% confused, but the overarching story was a little more clear... if there is an overarching story. Anyways, so definitely give that a try as well.
So what do you think of Sunspring? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.
After the first trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was released back in April, fans been ravenous to get their hands on another Star Wars movie to follow last years Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Rogue One is set to take place before A New Hope with a team infiltrating the empire to steal the plans for the Death Star.
PageSix has recently received reports stating that, "The execs at Disney are not happy with the movie, and Rogue One will have to go back into four weeks of expensive reshoots in July.”
Why I'm Not Worried:
Now, before anyone freaks out, you have to understand that every big budget movie goes through reshoots. Disney even builds an extensive reshoot schedule into ALL of their actor's contracts. They know that sometimes an idea on paper doesn't translate as well as they thought it would on the screen. Additionally, it is not until a scene is viewed as a whole that they realize that there are plot holes or it simply doesn't work. So after viewing the movie they do some quick rewrites and get back to shooting.
Why I'm a Little Worried:
Now that I have extinguished some of the flames, it's time to fan them back up again. Although reshoots are perfectly normal, some of the wording does worry me.
1) Execs aren't happy
By this point in the process, the film should be pretty much complete, needing only minor tweaks needing to be made. The fact that Rogue One is due in December and that they still aren't happy is not a good sign.
2) "Four Weeks of Expensive Reshoots"
Four weeks is a long time for reshoots. Usually two is considered a normal amount of time, but since they've established four weeks of reshoots means that they are really going to be doing some major changes. Plus with them being expensive, it will make it difficult for the studio to make back their money if Rogue One is not as good as we are all hoping.
Take A Step Back:
A Disney source went on to tell PageSix that “the film making team and the studio always anticipated additional shooting and second unit work to make the film the absolute best it can be, and the actors were aware there would be additional shooting. Coming off The Force Awakens there’s an incredibly high bar for this movie and we have a responsibility to the franchise and to the fans to deliver the best possible movie we can.”
What that means to me is that everyone involved in the process is doing the best they can to deliver a movie that fans will be proud of. Like any studio, Disney does have its missteps, but more often than not Disney is able to deliver a product that brings joy to many. So regardless of these reshoots, Rogue One, is bound to be an exciting movie that will expand the Star Wars universe and bring joy to millions of people.
What are your thoughts on Rogue One getting expensive reshoots? Are you still excited, or does this worry you a little? And what other Star Wars stories are you excited to see Disney expand upon? Leave your comments below, and remember to always keep it unpopped.
Early this morning Paramount Pictures released the second trailer for the next film in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek Beyond.
Trailer 2:
Trailer 1:
Why I Was Worried After Trailer 1:
Star Trek has always stood on its own because it has never spoken down to its audience. Although the universe that J. J. Abrams created does rely heavily on action, it has always stood firmly in its roots as a space opera rather than a space action movie.
That is where trailer 1 went wrong. It inserted a rock song over the footage and relied on quick cuts and action to drive home the point that "this ain't your daddy's Star Trek." But we already knew that in 2009 when the first reboot came out. There was no need to "action it up" even more. The formula set by Abrams was perfect, and all Paramount needed to do was stick to that formula.
When J. J. Abrams left Star Trek Beyond to go to Star Wars VII, I was excited for him, but I was a little sad for the future of Star Trek. I grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager with my father and I have always had a love for the universe.
After Abrams departure, Beyond went through a few script changes and another director before cementing with Justin Lin. Justin Lin is a great director, but he is mostly known for directing Fast 5 and Fast & Furious 6, and while those movies are popular, they are completely different from Star Trek films. So when trailer 1 was released and it showed a series of action set pieces, I was a bit worried at the direction they had gone.
Why I Still Had Hope After Trailer 1:
A trailer can sometimes be cut without input from the director or producers. It is usually a number of marketers in a room with a video editor cutting the trailer in a way that will appeal to mass audiences.
Then about 2 days after trailer 1 was released, Simon Pegg came out and said that the trailer does not accurately portray his script or the movie that was going to be released. Pegg plays Scotty in the new film and was also Star Trek Beyond's writer. He is a huge fan of everything nerdy, and he wanted nothing else than for the Star Trek franchise to be a big hit. That is why he stepped up to write the script and help guide the franchise in a successful direction.
So knowing that the trailer might not have been cut correctly and that Pegg was still behind the project, I did still have hope for this movie even after the 1st trailer was released.
Trailer 2 Restored All Hope:
As I stated before, Star Trek has never spoken down to its audience. It consistently tries to elevate our thinking and expand our horizons. It has done this over the decades by having compelling characters. The crew of the ships have always been the main focus in Star Trek, and this trailer showed that perfectly.
It showed us how this Captain Kirk is striving to live up to his father and at the same time trying to find himself. It focuses very heavily on all the crew, their unity, and the crisis that will have to overcome.
On top of that, Simon Pegg appears at the end of the trailer to promote Paramount's YouTube channel. Now... he may have done this because the studio was a little upset with him speaking out about the quality of the 1st trailer, but it also is a simple gesture to show his approval of this trailer and the movie that will follow. And for me, it definitely worked to keep my hopes high.
Conclusion:
I do realize that this trailer could have been the one that suffers from misdirectional editing and the first trailer could end up being more accurate to the film, but I want to hold out hope that Paramount understands the Star Trek community and will honor the films and series that have come before.
That's what I thought of Star Trek Beyond's 2nd trailer, what did you think? Leave your comments below, and remember to always keep it unpopped.
Paramount Pictures
Star Trek Beyond will be released in theaters on July 22, 2016 and stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, and Idris Elba.
In reports by Daily Mail, Daniel Craig has turned down £68M (about $99M US) to return as James Bond 007 for two more films. A source told Daily Mail, "Daniel is done – pure and simple – he told top brass at MGM after Spectre. They threw huge amounts of money at him, but it just wasn’t what he wanted."
After Spectre finished filming, there were many reports that Daniel Craig (48) was worn down from the role. He even had sustained a knee injury when filming a fight scene in Spectre. Because of his general exhaustion, there was very little hope that Daniel Craig was going to return as the British MI6 spy 007.
Daniel Craig as 007
Daniel Craig began playing James Bond in 2005 with Casino Royal. When Craig's casting was first announced, many felt that he didn't have the charisma and swagger that James Bond requires. However, after the parkour scene in Casino Royal, most of the worry was washed away. Casino Royal was able to delve into the psyche of James Bond. It focused on how he was a lone man against the world who will always struggle to find love.
In 2012, James Bond returned to prominence with Skyfall. The script, direction, and acting was loved by critics and fans. The focus, much like in Casino Royal, was to show how fragile and tortured James Bond is as a character.
Last year in 2015 Spectre failed in many aspects. That was even with the return of Skyfall director, Sam Mendes, and Daniel Craig as 007. Although it was was decent, it was panned for having pointless action, a lack-luster love interest, and a confusing plot. Because of the lukewarm reaction and the numerous reports that Daniel Craig was tired of the role, it was only a matter of time until news came that his time as Bond would soon end.
What's Next for 007
There are many actors that can take up the mantle of James Bond. Here are a few of my favorites:
Tom Hiddleston
Hiddleston is currently the favorite to play James Bond. His time as Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is rumored to be ending shortly. If this is true, his schedule will open up giving him the ability to accept a role. This will give him the chance to be a lead of a franchise rather than a supporting character.
Idris Elba
This choice became popular about a year ago. If MGM wants to change the race of James Bond, this is a perfect time to do it, and Idris Elba is the perfect choice. The only problem that I see is that Idris Elba is currently 43 years-old. So even though he is a great choice, his age might keep him from achieving the role.
Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill is best known as Superman in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman; however, he has also played an womanizing American spy in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Although the movie didn't do well financially, his role in the film was a perfect audition for the role of James Bond. It will be good for him to play a lighter character than the brooding Superman he has been tasked with lately.
Tom Hardy
Coming off of Mad Max: Fury Road, Hardy is a good choice to replace James Bond. He has the action chops to fill the role. My only fear with this choice is that Tom Hardy is notorious for playing roles that are hard to understand (The Revenant, Legend, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dark Knight Rises, The Take). So although he does have the acting chops, his charisma is a little worrisome.
Michael Fassbender
Fassbender is probably going to end his role as Magneto pretty soon, but he is currently beginning to star in Assassin's Creed. So although he does have an ability to take on the mantle of James Bond, his schedule might restrict him into accepting such a time consuming role.
Conclusion:
Those are some of my favorites to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond, what are some of yours? And what are your thoughts on Daniel Craig stepping down as 007? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.
For a number of years, Kevin Feige has been the executive producer for Marvel Studios and has carefully guided that Marvel Cinematic Universe to what it has become today. Fans have clamored for Warner Bros. to do the same. Fans want someone who understands and loves the characters that can weave an overarching story for the purpose of creating a DC film universe as extensive as Marvel's. Well, Warner Bros. has finally listened as, Geoff Johns, Chief Content Officer of DC, and Jon Berg, a Warner Bros. Vice President, have both been named co-leads of the newly formed DC Films.
What Lead to the Change:
Although Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice made $868.2 Million in theaters, many believed that the tone was completely wrong for the characters and have clamored that Zack Snyder, the director, is wrong for the project.
Zack Snyder
Good news began to come in last week when Ben Affleck was named a producer on Justice League Part 1. It was believed that Warner Bros. have become worried about Zack Snyder's vision for the films and the hope was that Ben Affleck could help guide Zack Snyder into creating a film that pleases both fans and critics.
Ben Affleck as Batman
Who is Geoff Johns:
Geoff Johns is currently the Chief Content Officer of DC Comics. Most of his time currently is overseeing the overall direction of the comics. Although he has done this for a time, he is much more known as being a comic book writer. His most recent works include the 50 issue run on Justice League. In addition to this, he also has written years of experience writing stories on other iconic DC characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, and Superman. Almost every character he touches becomes an instant hit.
Geoff Johns
The only sad news to him becoming a lead on DC Films is that he will have less time to devote to writing comic books.
Why You Should Care:
Everyone has different opinions on Batman v Superman, but one semi-consistent criticism is that Zack Snyder doesn't understand the characters and should not be leading the charge in creating the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Zack Snyder as I've state before (here), is a very visual director, but he lacks the ability to create realistic stories and compelling characters. Geoff Johns, on the other hand, has written these characters for years. He understands how they tick, what people like about them and how to incorporate them into a story. Geoff Johns also has experience in creating small stories that complement a larger overarching story line.
Conclusion:
Although I have always been excited for where the DCEU was going, Zack Snyder's direction was making me increasingly more worried. However, now with Ben Affleck as a producer and Geoff Johns overseeing the entire project, I am not only excited, I'm ecstatic to see what great movies will come out of the DCEU.
I know this is the one that everyone has been waiting for. Tetris, the 32-year-old video game about shifting different sized blocks, has official secured a budget of $80M and will being filming in China in 2017, according to Deadline. Tetris the Movie will be produced by Threshold Global Studios, which is a new production company from USA based Threshold Entertainment Group and China based Seven Star Works.
What?!
I honestly don't even know what to say. When I heard of The Lego Movie, I was actually pretty excited. I knew that Lego had success making video games and that the story telling could transition into movies. The Angry Birds Movie was also a mystery to me, but I figured with they could take the simple story of the game and expand it in a way that could at least be entertaining for kids (see my full review here). But Tetris?? I have no idea how they are going to pull this one off. Pixels proved last year that the nostalgia for 80's video games isn't has high as people may think.
Trilogy?!
What is even more crazy is that Larry Kasanoff of Threshold Entertainment Group has stated that the film is being billed as a sci-fi thriller and will be the first in a trilogy of movies based on the classic game. I don't even know what one movie could be about, let alone three. Then billing it as a sci-fi thriller, once again all I can really envision is a more serious Pixels, and the only thing that could have make Pixels worse was by making it more serious.
Wait and See
I know I'm throwing out a lot of judgments on a film that is extremely early in production, and that is why we just have to wait and see what happens. With filming beginning in 2017, we'll probably start seeing casting a plot details being revealed near the end of the year. However, even that little bit of optimism that I may have does not outweigh the confusion I have to the thought of Tetris being made into a movie.
What do you think of the idea of Tetris being made into a movie? What are some other classic games that you think could be made into films? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.
After a period of limbo, the CBS show Supergirl has officially been renewed for a second season, but not by CBS. Instead, Supergirl has officially moved to The CW.
CBS
For the past few weeks the future of Supergirl has been unknown. Even though the first season has seen a relatively high volume of viewers, the high production costs has made the show unprofitable for CBS to maintain. Part of the production costs were the license fees that CBS had to pay Warner Bros. to use their character. With Supergirl moving to The CW, which is owned by Warner Bros., much of those production costs can be diminished.
The Good:
I have actually not been able to watch a single episode of Supergirl. I have been a strict cord cutter for nearly 4 years now and watch all of my TV and movie content through Netflix and Hulu. Since CBS doesn't play very nicely with these services, I have simply chosen not to watch any show airing on CBS. However, with Supergirl moving to The CW, new episodes will be released on Hulu like their other shows.
I am also excited to see if The CW decides to do more Flash/Supergirl crossovers. Who knows, maybe now they will even change Supergirl in a way so that the show takes place permanently in the Arrow universe, thus, being able to cross-over with all the characters from Arrow, Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow.
The Ehh:
Although I haven't had the pleasure to see Supergirl, I have heard that the production value is pretty good for a TV show. So now with it moving to The CW, there may be some more cost cuts to help the longevity of the show. So going forward there is no telling whether this move will be good or possibly very, very bad.
The Ugh-ly:
Supergirl season 2 is scheduled to premier in the fall. That means that Arrow, Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl will all be airing episodes at roughly the same time. That doesn't even include iZombie which is officially a DC show that is also on The CW. Then Gotham and Lucifer on Fox. Oh, and I can't forget that NBC has officially announced another DC show called Powerless to air in the fall as well.
That means in an average week in the fall there will be 8 episodes released under the DC TV umbrella. There just isn't enough time in the week to be able to keep up with all of those episodes and the other shows I want to watch.
Conclusion:
I am truly happy that Supergirl is moving over to The CW since it will make it easier for me to watch and enjoy. However, now I will need to find some other show to drop so that I have enough time to enjoy it the best that I can.
What are your thoughts on Supergirl moving to The CW? Do you currently watch it on CBS? Leave your comments below and remember to always keep it unpopped.
The first look of Lionsgate's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' suits have officially been released and, per the usual, the internet has exploded. Some are referencing the notable similarities of these suits to that of Iron Man. Others are pointing out the sexist differences between the male and female costumes. Some are happy to see the Power Rangers being taken seriously. So let's take a look at all these points of view and try and determine if they have any merit. I'll give you a hint, there's never a clear answer.
Iron Rangers
This is the most notable "problem" with the newly released suits. From the metallic look to the apparently glowing center chest piece there is a definite similarity to Iron Man. Is that a bad thing though? Take a look at the suits from the Power Rangers The Movie (1995).
The more armor-like suits from this 1995 film and the addition of guns gave the Rangers a more "professional" feel than the simplistic "cosplayers" of the TV show. When making a comparison of the cloth suits from the original TV show to the current picture one does notice a striking difference. However, comparing the picture to the '95 movie it is a much smoother jump.
The Sexism
People have pointed out how the pink and yellow ranger have definite female characteristics that are lacking in the male suits. Such as chest plates being more form fitted and having high heels. This one is also hard to refute. There is no apparent need to have these features on the female costume. The designers could have developed a more uni-sex costume to accommodate all the Rangers. However, once against looking at the 1995 movie, there were definite chest plates for the female rangers, although less pronounced.
Additionally, the original pink ranger sported a small skirt to distinguish her as a female.
"Mr. Unpopped," you may ask, "why doesn't the yellow ranger have a skirt then?" Good question. Well, some of you may know that Mighty Morphin Power Rangers took footage for their action sequences from a Japanese show called Super Sentai. In that show the yellow ranger was a male rather than a female. Thus the skirt was kept off.
Now, I'm not a female, so I have no right to say whether the new suits are sexist or not. That's why I'm going to stay out of saying whether they are or not. Instead I will state what production designer Andrew Menzies has said and then make a comment on that.
"It’s tricky finding a new language for a superhero costume. Ours is an alien costume that grows on them, that’s not man-made. You can’t win everyone over, but we are trying to appeal to a more mature audience and gain new fans."
If these suits are "organic" in some way, it only makes sense the the suit would form itself around the body. And since men and women have distinct differences in body types, it only makes sense that those differences would be apparent in their suits.
Once again, I'm not saying it's right or wrong, just saying that with what they were going for, it makes sense. Except for the high heels... that doesn't make sense.
Excitement
No matter what you think of the newly revealed Power Ranger suits, when you combine it with the picture release of Elizabeth Banks as Rita Repulsa, there is no doubt that Lionsgate is finally taking this property seriously and wants to do something interesting.
Lionsgate Films
Conclusion
Regardless of how the suits look or what others are saying about the films potential, I'm still very excited. I realize I'm a little bias. I honestly can't remember a time when I wasn't actively watching Power Rangers at least weekly. It was a big part of my childhood. My only hope is that this movie will have some kind of success. That way Power Rangers will have an impact on not only my childhood, but on my adulthood as well.
Seth Grahame-Smith has officially stepped away from directing The Flash movie that is scheduled to be released on March 16, 2018. The official reason is "creative differences." Surprisingly, this is not the first DC movie that has lost its director early in the development stage. Michelle MacLaren left as director of Wonder Woman in April of 2015. Wonder Woman was able to find a replacement director in Patty Jenkins a few days later and was able to keep its release schedule of June of 2017.
With The Flash still being two years away, there is time to find a placement director. However, usually when a new director steps onto a project there are script rewrites and other pre-production shifts. So even though there is plenty of time, a new director will need to be hired soon in order to account for these changes.
I wish this was the only bad news to report about the DC Extended Universe, but there is another rumor currently brewing. It is rumored that director James Wan may be leaving the Aquaman movie that is also set to release in 2018.
When James Wan was announced to direct the movie featuring DC's King of Atlantis, it was believed that Warner Bros traded directing Aquaman for him developing and directing a sequel to the 2013 horror hit The Conjuring. With the sequel The Conjuring 2 entering theaters in June of 2016 he has apparently fulfilled his end of the bargain. Even with this though, James Wan can choose to leave the project if he feels that the movie he wants to make doesn't align with WB's vision.
So why the sudden departure of Seth Grahame-Smith and possibly James Wan? Well, Seth Grahame-Smith has historically been known for script writing and has yet to direct a feature length movie. So it is very possible that he simply wasn't up to the task and was asked or decided to step down. James Wan has directed multiple horror films such as Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring, but he has also shown his skills in directing with 2015's Furious 7. So his departure is a little more puzzling.
The answer may lie in the aftermath of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Although the movie had considerable support and did fairly well at the box office (depending who you ask) there are still many fans and critics that are asking for Warner Bros to fire Zack Snyder and move in a different direction for future films. However, since Justice League started shooting a mere week after BvS released, Zack Snyder could not possibly be taken off of Justice League: Part 1. However, it is possible that the current round of directors exiting projects is a result of the reaction to BvS.
I still stand by the fact that I'm excited for the DC movies to come, as you can read here, but these increasing rumors of creative teams dissolving is certainly putting a damper on my expectations.
What do you think of Seth Grahame-Smith leaving The Flash? How would you react if the rumor of James Wan leaving proves to be true? Comment below to let me know of your unpopped comments.
The Punisher featuring Jon Bernthal from Netflix's Daredevil season 2 has officially been ordered as a Netflix original series. The teaser trailer can be seen below.
Daredevil season 2 had it's ups and down, but was able to receive generally positive reviews. The most common talking point was from reviewers praising Jon Bernthal's portrayal as Frank Castle aka The Punisher.
Even before season 2 was released, there were reports of The Punisher getting his very own Netflix series. Jon Bernthal has even expressed his personal interest in continuing with the character in whatever capacity Marvel seemed fit. However, Netflix continually spoke out against their plans to make a Punisher series. All speculation can now end. It is now officially a reality, and my little nerd brain couldn't be any happier.
The question currently on my mind is what direction the series will take. They very likely won't go origin story since Daredevil kind of tackled that. They could go prequel showing how Frank Castle learned his skills from his military career. That could be interesting, but fans would rather see The Punisher in his current iteration than have to see how he became who he is today.
Instead, I think it is going to be a direct sequel to Daredevil season 2. Frank Castle, after having discovered himself as a brutal vigilante, leaves NY on the run from the law, only to find even more criminals that deserve punishing. In 2014 Marvel comics had a Punisher series written by Nathan Edmondson and drawn by Mitchell Gerads. It featured a weathered Punisher in Los Angeles taking on the cartels as he is being hunted by a navy seal-like organization ordered to kill him. With drug cartels being on everyone's mind, I think this would be a very appropriate direction to take the series. It will also allow the Punisher to separate himself from all of the other heroes that crowd NYC.
Honstely, I don't care what direction the Punisher goes because I'm sure that Netflix and Marvel will be able to build a great team to handle the series.
There is currently no set release schedule for the Punisher series, but I'm assuming there will be some sort of announcement around the release of Luke Cage this fall.
Are you excited for The Punisher solo series? What direction do you think it should or could take? Let me know in the comments.
As I discussed in my editorial about Critic v Fan reviews, the first week is filled with often opposing opinions by two very distinct groups. During the second week fans tend to trickle out of the theater and it is then up to the average moviegoer to determine if a blockbuster has sustainability or not.
Well, the reports are starting to come in. Forbes reports that BvS only made $15.35 million in the domestic box office on its second Friday. Compared to $81.5m on opening day, this shows an 81.2% decrease. That is in spite of only going up against God's Not Dead 2 and Meet the Blacks that opened this weekend, two films that shouldn't jeopardize BvS's sustainability. Even other critically panned films Fantastic Four and Green Lantern only dropped 78.7% and 78.4% respectively.
On Thursday The Wrap reported that Batman v Superman was receiving higher than average repeat ticket purchases. It was reportedly 30% higher than average. Even with the repeat business, BvS may see a difficult journey ahead.
This doesn't necessarily mean that audiences are mad or disappointed in the film, simply that they are indifferent and are choosing not to see it. Batman v Superman will have one more weekend to see if it can increase it box office results before Disney's The Jungle Book opens on April 15th which will most likely win that weekend.
Currently Batman v Superman has a worldwide box office of $587.8m making the film still a box office success. However, at this time, it seems doubtful that BvS will surpass the coveted $1 billion worldwide box office that many ensemble comic book movies are receiving.
