Matthew Monagle
Edgar Wright Explains Why He Left Marvel’s ‘Ant-Man’
This is kind of a necessary evil of the film criticism industry: now that Edgar Wright has a new movie in theaters — Baby Driver is really fun! You should go see it! — it was only a matter of time before someone asked the director for clarification on his decision to leave Marvel’s Ant-Man. In hindsight, Wright was always something of an odd choice for a Marvel movie. A visionary and idiosyncratic filmmaker, Wright was probably always a bad meeting away from the fabled “creative differences” dissolution, and when he left the project in 2014, fans were upset but not exactly surprised. Therefore, someone was always going to ask Wright during a Baby Driver interview to explain his decision to leave the film.
Weekend Box Office Report: ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ Both Bombs and Breaks Records
Another weekend, another Weekend Box Office Report! While it won’t surprise you to find out that Michael Bay’s latest episode of Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots won the weekend, the specifics of that win come with enough asterisks to make even Barry Bonds blush. It was a terrible weekend for Transformers: The Last Knight one on continent and a record-breaking opening on another, which just goes to show how confusing this whole box office thing can be at times. Here’s the projected numbers as of Sunday afternoon:
Colin Trevorrow Went Back to the Books for ‘Jurassic World 2’s Ian Malcolm
Whether you are someone who loved or hated Jurassic World when it first hit theaters, there’s probably something we can all agree on: the movie needed itself some Jeff Goldblum. Goldblum’s Ian Malcolm — mathematician-turned-dinosaur-expert-turned-intellectual-action-hero — is one of the standouts of both the original Jurassic Park film and its sequel, and the news that Goldblum would be returning for Colin Trevorrow’s sequel was a welcome one. Goldblum may not have been enough to save Independence Day: Resurgence, but its a quantifiable fact that all movies are better with a little bit of his signature ‘ums’ and ‘ahs.’
Happy Production-Has-Officially-Started-on-‘Deadpool 2’ Day, Dear
It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for: Deadpool 2 is officially underway! Even though we’ve spent more than a year analyzing and talking about Ryan Reynolds’ merc with a mouth, the success of the original Deadpool movie is still kinda hard to believe. A $58 million R-rated superhero movie that went on to gross $780 million worldwide? A comic book movie that broke the mold so thoroughly that now every major studio is openly courting the R-rated crowd? Deadpool was a phenomenon, and none of us can wait to see if Reynolds and company are capable of avoiding the sophomore slump.
Squad Up: Here’s the Awesome Female Cast of ‘Mission: Impossible 6’
With this past week’s news that Michelle Monaghan has joined the cast of Mission: Impossible 6, we’re now looking at a pretty awesome group of leading ladies for next year’s installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise. The Monaghan casting was both exciting and not particularly surprising; when writer-director Christopher McQuarrie announced a few unexpected returns to the cast for this film, Monaghan’s character seemed the most obvious piece of unfinished business in the film. This franchise has always attempted to build out continuity between films — loose though it may be — and bringing back Ethan Hunt’s ex-wife was the perfect way to add emotional gravitas to the spectacle.
Early Buzz Suggests Critics Are Going Bananas for ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’
If we’re lucky, a few times each year we’ll be treated to a $100 million blockbuster that manages to wow critics and audiences alike. This was the case with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, which managed to pull in both a 90% on RottenTomatoes — normal caveats about RottenTomatoes aside — and grossed over $700 million at the global box office. When Hollywood finds just the right balance of magic and money, we catch a glimpse at the potential of the right filmmaker with a ton of money at his or her disposal. It’s what has so many fans excited for War for the Planet of the Apes. Can Matt Reeves and 20th Century Fox team up for a second incredible blockbuster movie?
Watch a Special Father’s Day Teaser for ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’
This has been a good weekend for Planet of the Apes fans. Not only did we get our first look at some of the early buzz for the final film in the trilogy — buzz that suggest that War for the Planet of the Apes might just be the best and bleakest movie in the series yet — we’ve also been treated to a special Father’s Day trailer that explores the universal truths of fathers, sons, and legacy. Sentient apes or human, we’re all just trying to leave behind a better world for our children.
The Director of ‘Tank Girl’ Has a ‘Strong Vision’ for a ‘She-Hulk’ Movie
If anybody knows a thing or two about fun and empowering comic book movies, it’s Rachel Talalay. In 1995’s Tank Girl, Talalay introduced the world to the comics’ bizarre world of armored vehicles and mutated kangaroos, and Tank Girl would quickly become a cult classic. You can hardly go to any kind of comic or movie convention without seeing a handful of Tank Girl cosplayers these days, and the film has even earned its fair share of critical reevaluation over the past few years. If Talalay were to make a movie like Tank Girl today, odds are good that fans would flock to its unique vision and punk girl-power vibe. So Hollywood, when Talalay says she’s got a good idea for another superhero movie, maybe you should take her at her word?
Judge Declares a Mistrial in the Bill Cosby Rape Case
For years now, America has been struggling with the allegations that Bill Cosby — once a beloved television father and comedian — may have used his position in Hollywood to commit a series of violent sexual assaults. For those unfamiliar with the timeline involved in the Cosby case, I would encourage you to check out ABC’s detailed recap of everything that led up to this past month’s trial, including the civil cases brought against the actor-comedian and the Hannibal Burgess joke that is widely regarded as the instigating event in bringing these accusations to the public. And today, as noted by Deadline, a Norristown, PA jury has forced the judge to declare a mistrial in Andrea Costand’s case against Cosby.
Film Production in Cuba Is on Hold Because of the Trump Administration
While most fans walked away from Universal’s Fate of the Furious impressed by the movie’s use of New York City, it was the film’s use of Cuba that really opened the eyes of American audiences. Back in April, Variety sat down with Fate of the Furious director F. Gary Gray and discussed what it was like to be one of the first major studio films to be shot on location in Cuba. Gray recalled several logistical challenges — hotel rooms, location shoots, and the like — while also complimenting the people they had met on their trip. By all accounts, Fate of the Furious was to be the film that opened up the Cuban film market to the broader Hollywood community.