A New Trailer For Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker Has Emerged
Dark times call for dark measures.
After wowing attendees of D23 with footage from the final chapter of the Skywalker saga this past weekend, Lucasfilm has now officially released that footage online. Primarily a montage of the entire saga, it concludes with brand new footage from the upcoming movie, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Heroes united! Fleets new and old ready for galactic civil war! A duel between Kylo Ren and Rey! General Leia! All this, and then yes… a dark look for Rey indeed, complete with a foldable, red-bladed double-edged lightsaber. A vision of the Force? A trick? Or has Emperor Palpatine corrupted another fallen warrior of the light?
We’ll have to wait a few months to see. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters December 20.
Marvel Studios took to the stage in Hall H to reveal the forthcoming movies and TV shows from the studio – including the next chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and what’s planned for Disney+. Here are all the revelations that came out of Hall H!
Fans can look forward to these titles over the next two years:
Marvel Studios’ The Eternals starring Richard Madden as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Don Lee as Gilgamesh, and Angelina Jolie as Thena. The Eternals, which will be directed by Chloé Zhao, will come to theaters November 6, 2020.
Next up was the first show coming exclusively to Disney+, Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and The Winter Soldier! Anthony Mackie (The Falcon) and Sebastian Stan (The Winter Soldier) came on stage to greet the fans, and it was revealed that Daniel Brühl will return as the villain, Baron Zemo. Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will come to Disney+ in the fall of 2020.
Next up is a classic Marvel Comics character making his movie debut — Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings starring Simu Liu in the title role. Appearing alongside Liu will be Awkwafina in an undisclosed role and Tony Leung as the (real) Mandarin. Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringswill be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. In theaters February 12, 2021.
Marvel Studio’s WandaVision, an original series starring Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, reprising their MCU roles as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch and Vision. Costarring with them is Teyonah Parris, whom Feige revealed would be playing the adult Monica Rambeau, who was introduced as a child in Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel. Marvel Studios’ WandaVision will arrive on Disney+ in the spring of 2021.
The MCU’s favorite trickster Loki will also make his way to Disney+! Marvel Studios’ Loki, an original series starring Tom Hiddleston, will see the god of mischief causing even more trouble starting in the spring of 2021.
Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange with Scott Derrickson returning as director. But joining Doctor Strange this time around will be the Scarlet Witch, played by Elizabeth Olsen. In another twist, the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will connect with the Disney+ series Marvel Studios’ WandaVision. Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will cast its spell in theaters May 7, 2021.
The legacy of the WHAT IF…? comics will be adapted for the screen! Marvel Studios’ What If…?, the first animated series in the MCU, will star Jeffrey Wright as the voice of The Watcher — many actors from across the MCU will reprise their roles as voice talent. What If…? will present alternate realities in the Marvel Universe that are set to warp your world in the summer of 2021, exclusively on Disney+.
Another character from the MCU will appear on the small screen: Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye starring Jeremy Renner, who joined Kevin Feige onstage share more details about the show, which will introduce Kate Bishop, who has been hitting her mark in Marvel Comics. Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye will come to Disney+ in the fall of 2021.
It was also revealed that someone from Thor’s story will return to the MCU — Natalie Portman will return for Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunder, joining stars Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. Taika Waititi returns as director, and he confirmed that Jane Foster will become the Mighty Thor, goddess of Thunder. Marvel Studios’ Thor: Love and Thunderwill arrive in theaters November 5, 2021.
It looks like we’re going to find out a lot more about Natasha Romanoff! Marvel Studios’ Black Widow starring Scarlett Johansson reprising her MCU role. She will be joined by David Harbour as Alexei AKA The Red Guardian, Florence Pugh as Yelena, O-T Fagbenle as Mason, and Rachel Weisz as Melina. Cate Shortland is directing. Marvel Studios’ Black Widowwill come to theaters May 1, 2020.
And if all this massive Marvel Studios news wasn’t enough… Kevin Feige introduced Mahershala Ali as Blade! Not only that — Marvel Studios’ Blade will also slash its way into theaters!
Stan Lee, the Comic Book Legend Behind Marvel, Dies at 95
Legendary comic book writer and editor Stan Lee has passed away. He was 95.
Lee, the most famous figure in American comics, started his comics career in the 1940s and is widely recognized with revolutionizing superhero storytelling by co-creating (largely with the late Jack Kirby) the Marvel Comics Universe in the 1960s.
The co-creator of comic book legends like Spider-Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, and the X-Men, Lee is credited with popularizing the flawed hero, or characters with complex, human personalities. This came in stark contrast to the superhero archetypes of the Golden Age of comics, who were typically flawless muscle-bound god-like figures.
Born Stanley Lieber in 1922, Lee was raised on Errol Flynn movies and dreamed of one day writing the “Great American Novel.” He joined the newly-formed Timely Comics in 1939 — a partnership that would shape the pop culture landscape, as Timely ultimately evolved into Marvel Comics.
The Accomplishments of The Marvel Comics Legend Stan Lee
In 1971, The U. S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare asked Lee to help generate public awareness of teen drug abuse, and Lee wrote a three-part story in The Amazing Spider-Man to call attention to the problem.
He was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995. Lee received a National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush in 2008.
Stan Lee Had A Huge Role In Hollywood As Well
His imagination, business acumen, and innovative storytelling propelled Marvel Comics from a small subset of a larger publication company, into a multimedia conglomerate purchased by The Walt Disney Company for $4 billion in 2009.
Over decades of such productions, Lee has also become the king of the cameo, appearing in dozens of Marvel-related film and TV projects. He can next be seen in Black Panther, out next week. Lee filmed a number of cameos with Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker James Gunn prior to his death, so it is not clear when his final film appearance for Marvel will be.
Lee has also done a great deal of charity work, often through the Stan Lee Foundation, a nonprofit for literacy, education and the arts.
Lee’s wife, Joan, passed away in 2017. He is survived by his daughter, JC.
Iconic Smokey & The Bandit & Deliverance Actor Burt Reynolds Dies At Age 82
Cultural icon Burt Reynolds, who starred in popular movies like Deliverance, Smokey and the Bandit, The Cannonball Run, and Boogie Nights, has passed away at the age of 82.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the story of Reynolds’ death on Thursday midday. According to the report, Reynolds died on Thursday morning at Jupiter Medical in Flordia, per his manager Erik Kritzer.
While THR didn’t include a cause of death, The Daily Mail reports that Reynolds died of a heart attack. This was a previous health concern for the actor, who underwent heart surgery in 2010.
Reynolds began taking over as one of Hollywood’s top leading men in the late 1970s when he became the number one box-office draw for five consecutive years. The actor became well known amongst fans for his fun-loving, good-ol‘-boy roles.
He was nominated for an Oscar in 1997, for his depiction of porn director Jack Horner in Boogie Nights. While Reynolds ended up losing the award to Good Will Hunting’s Robin Williams, he did take home a Golden Globe.
Even in his older years, Reynolds advanced his work in both film and television. The actor recently performed in the indie film The Last Movie Star, which told the story of an aging acting legend. Reynolds was currently shooting Quentin Tarantino‘s upcoming film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, beside Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie. That film is scheduled to be released in 2019.Reynolds has also become well known for the roles that he turned down over the years. The actor reportedly turned down the parts of both Han Solo in Star Wars and John McLane in Die Hard. He also “backed away” from playing Batman on TV in the ’60s.
He is survived by his son, Quenton, whom he adopted with ex-wife Loni Anderson when he was three days old.
Back in my day(yeah, I went there), also known as the ’80s, toys were a huge part of pop culture. They have princesses, dolls, and even unicorns, the things that made a little boy hurl. Then came the Garbage Pail Kids who seemingly mocked the Cabbage Patch Kids. Moreover, as a child, this was a response all boys and horror fans wanted.
Beginning as a series of trading cards, Pulitzer-prize-winning illustrator Art Spiegelman created the series with fellow illustrator Mark Newgarden. Produced by the Topps Company, the first way of the series was drawn solely by artist John Pound.
Following the flaming success of the initial run, they brought other artists in to aid in the design of subsequent lines of personalities. The demand for the Garbage Pail Kids drove to a feature-length live-action film (widely thought to be one of the worst movies ever made).
The Garbage Pail Kids have made a cultural influence because they have been graced with a line of Funko Pop! toys. The announcement comes straight from a statement at the London Toy Fair.
Funko Beastly Boyd (Via Entertainment Earth)
Check out the rest of the line of Garbage Pail Kids Funko Pop! below, and if you’re excited, you can pre-order the figures over at Entertainment Earth. They are ready to have a release in June 2018
Funko Adam Bomb And Slow Chase Variant (Via Entertainment Earth)
Funko Adam Bomb And Slow Chase Variant (Via Entertainment Earth)
As every year comes and goes, there are always a select few movies that people tend to look forward to seeing. Sometimes it is worth the wait, Sometimes, not so much. It seems we can always count on a batch of superhero based blockbusters, brand-name sequels and plenty of great name actors and actresses starring in vying for your attention. When you look at the lineup of what’s hitting theaters near you over the next year, however, it is hard not to get excited. So I have decided to compile a list of what I am passionate about hitting theaters this year.
Black Panther
Director: Ryan Coogler
Writers: Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole
Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o
Synopsis: T’Challa, after the loss of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the remote, technologically superior African country to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king.
Without a doubt, February is going to be the month that sets the tone for the rest of the year for the MCU. Black Panther was formally presented in Captain America: Civil War which placed him as king of the isolationist nation of Wakanda, he is alone in defying a threat to his kingdom – and a possible world war.
Annihilation
Director: Alex Garland
Writers: Alex Garland, Jeff VanderMeer
Stars: Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Oscar Isaac, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Synopsis: A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition where the laws of nature do not apply.
Annihilation turns an environmental mutation into its a crossbreed of sci-fi and action/horror. Natalie Portman stars as a biologist who heads a quintet of ladies – including Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, and Tuva Novotny – into “the Shimmer,” an obscure disaster area that seems like “the Zone” in Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker reimagined as a Predator film.
Game Night
Directors: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Writer: Mark Perez
Stars: Rachel McAdams, Jesse Plemons, Jason Bateman
Synopsis: A gathering of friends who meet regularly for game nights finds themselves trying to solve a murder mystery.
Ok, so if you were not aware, the solve a murder mystery craze is real. Here in Austin alone, there are several places like this. Well, imagine something similar to that but at your neighbor’s house in the suburbs. Now imagine your host informs you that anything possible could take place. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams lead a TV-star massive cast (Friday Night Lights’ Kyle Chandler! New Girl’s Lamorne Morris! Catastrophe’s Sharon Horgan!!!).
Synopsis: When the creator of a virtual reality world called the OASIS dies, he releases a video in which he challenges all OASIS users to find his Easter Egg, which will give the finder his fortune. Wade Watts finds the first clue and starts a race for the Egg.
I will be honest; I did not expect this to be a Stephen Spielberg film. I mean come on, how many VR/Gamer type movies have you heard of winning any awards. However, this film has the potential to at least grab my attention. Just from the trailer alone, I am ready to see it!
Super Troopers 2
Director: Jay Chandrasekhar
Writers: Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan
Stars: Emmanuelle Chriqui, Rob Lowe, Lynda Carter, Brian Cox
Synopsis: When a border dispute arises between the U.S. and Canada, the Super Troopers are tasked with establishing a Highway Patrol station in the disputed area.
Comedy sequels are a very tricky thing. The only thing they succeed in is a disappointment. Anchorman 2: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Zoolander 2 feel like typical cases of long-awaited sequels that just couldn’t come close to seizing the magic of the original. While the magic of any kind may be an exalted word for Super Troopers, it is a popular comedy by many that are ultimately getting a sequel. Thanks to an amazingly triumphant crowdfunding campaign, Super Troopers 2 is on the way and arriving in 2018. The film hit various snags during production, but the Broken Lizard gang got back together, and this time, they are bringing Rob Lowe, as well as some surprise cameos with them. Could this be one of the rare, great comedy sequels? Meow all we can do is hope and pray. Super Troopers 2, quite fittingly, arrives in theaters on April 20.
Avengers: Infinity War
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Writers: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely
Stars: Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Tessa Thompson, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Holland, Josh Brolin, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Paul Rudd, Gwyneth Paltrow,
Synopsis: The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the all-powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
Marvel fans, it has all been driving to this. This is what you have been anticipating forever about since that first post-credits scene appeared during The Avengers. Thanos is befalling to Earth, and he is carrying the Infinity Gauntlet with him. He needs those Infinity Stones, and he is willing to kill many lives, be it of the human race or something else entirely to do it. That, among many other things, easily makes Avengers: Infinity War one of the most, if not the single most, anticipated movie of 2018. An entire decade of Marvel Cinematic Universe filmmaking will culminate in this huge event. Avengers: Infinity War truly kicks off the movie season in a big way on May 4.
Synopsis: No official synopsis given by Fox but this statement was provided
“After surviving a near-fatal knee boarding accident, a disfigured guidance counselor (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Poughkeepsie’s most celebrated French Bulldog breeder while also learning to cope with an open relationship. Searching to regain his passion for life, as well as a newly stuffed unicorn, Wade must battle ninjas, tight assed metal men, and babysit a group stereotypical side characters as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and creative outlets for his very open-minded sex life. He manages to find a new lust for being a do-gooder, a sparkly Hello Kitty backpack, all while earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best 4th Wall Breaking Superhero.“
—Twentieth Century Fox
So with that statement given alone, I think that pretty much sums it up. This film is going to be amazing.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
Writers: Jon Kasdan, Lawrence Kasdan
Stars: Emilia Clarke, Alden Ehrenreich, Paul Bettany, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover
Synopsis: Han Solo and Chewbacca’s adventures before joining the Rebellion, including their early encounters with Lando Calrissian.
With Ron Howard directing the film that depicts the gaps in the main stories and early life of Han Solo, it is sure to be a winner. With Lawrence Kasdan, the original screenwriter of Empire Strikes Back on board I can only imagine how it may play out.
A Star Is Born
Courtesy Of Neal Preston/Warner Bros. Entertainment
Director: Bradley Cooper
Writers: Will Fetters, Bradley Cooper
Stars: Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott, Bonnie Somerville, Lady Gaga
Synopsis: A movie star helps a young singer and actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his career into a downward spiral.
Tale as old as time: Thriving older man courts pretty protégé, launching her to stardom as they fall in love. Now Bradley Cooper undertakes this iconic story for its fourth iteration, playing past-his-prime singer Jackson Maine who becomes fascinated by Lady Gaga’s prodigiously gifted Ally. This Star Is Born notable for several firsts: Cooper makes his directorial première on the film; it is also Gaga’s first big-screen starring role. However, Warner Bros. is no doubt wishing for some déjà vu: The earlier variants all received multiple Oscar nominations, and Cooper’s remake begins during the rush of awards season.
Halloween
Director: David Gordon Green
Writers: John Carpenter, David Gordon Green
Stars: Virginia Gardner, Judy Greer, Jamie Lee Curtis
Synopsis: Laurie Strode comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.
The Halloween franchise has always been my favorite. It has had several sequels and even an envisioned reboot by Rob Zombie. No matter how much I either love or despise the attempts at recreating the same magic that the original has that John Carpenter brought to life. With this installment, it looks like The Shape may finally get the closure it deserves to get. John Carpenter is back on board as the Executive Producer and doing the musical score. That alone should tell you everything you need to know about how badass this film is going to be. Since we are still waiting on the trailer, I thought it would be appropriate to at least include the trailer for the original film
Suspiria
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Writers: Dario Argento, Daria Nicolodi
Stars: Chloë Grace Moretz, Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton
Synopsis: A young American ballerina comes to train at a prestigious German dance academy and uncovers the school’s dark and menacing secrets.
Dario Argento’s 1977 Italian horror classic – of an American ballerina visiting a prestigious German academy – has devotees from David Lynch to Nicolas Winding Refn to Edgar Wright. The latest acolyte is Call Me By Your Name filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, who’s crafted an English-language remake that stars Dakota Johnson as the American who reveals the dance troupe’s terrible secrets. This new Suspiria not only stars Johnson, who was a summery temptress in Guadagnino’s A Bigger Splash, but also Chloe Grace Moretz and longtime Guadagnino associate Tilda Swinton. Moreover, take note, fans: Jessica Harper, the star of the original, is part of this remake in a new part.
X-Men: Dark Phoenix
Director: Simon Kinberg
Writers: John Byrne, Chris Claremont
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Tye Sheridan, Jessica Chastain
Synopsis: Jean Grey begins to develop incredible powers that corrupt and turn her into a Dark Phoenix. Now the X-Men will have to decide if the life of a team member is worth more than all the people living in the world.
Dark Phoenix reassembles the crew that was last seen in 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse, concentrating on Sophie Turner’s Jean Grey – who’s now been exposed to dark powers while in outer space that makes her a threat to the rest of the team. James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence are all back, but it is the new names that are the most interesting: Jessica Chastain will be performing as a mysterious alien, while Simon Kinberg makes his directorial debut. Sadly, there is no Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in this one. The film Logan was his last appearance as Logan/Wolverine/Weapon-X.
Aquaman
Director: James Wan
Writers: Will Beall, Geoff Johns
Stars: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, William Dafoe, Dolf Lundgren
Synopsis: Arthur Curry learns that he is the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, and must step forward to lead his people and to be a hero to the world.
After the disaster of Justice League, maybe it is best if our superfriends spend some quality time apart. That is one of the aims to be optimistic about Aquaman, which gives Jason Momoa’s marine hero a chance to be his fishman away from the rest of his DC partners. Also exciting is that this standalone adventure is directed by James Wan, one of Hollywood’s most inventive genre filmmakers namely the Saw franchise. He has assembled a murderers’ row of character actors, Oscar-winners and inspired oddities for this ensemble: Everyone from Willem Dafoe to Nicole Kidman to Dolph Lundgren will be participating in on the fun.
