Overwatch 2 is bringing a lot of sweeping changes in its season nine balance patch, and some of them are controversial. Between giving every hero a passive self-heal and every character getting a health buff across the board, Overwatch 2 feels like it’s shifting from a team-based shooter into one that values hero…
The final season of Stranger Things started production about a month ago, but in the meantime, Netflix has the fix for your Eleven withdrawal. The new trailer for Damsel, starring Millie Bobby Brown, has just dropped online. The fantasy action film co-stars Ray Winstone, Nick Robinson, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Brooke Carter, with Angela Bassett and Robin Wright. Brown has also worked with the streamer on the Enola Holmes movies in addition to Damsel. The movie was initially planned for a 2023 release, but Netflix has confirmed that the film will now come out on March 8, 2024.
A summary of the film from Netflix reads,
“As the determined and courageous Elodie, Brown flips the script on the traditional fairy tale as a princess whose happily ever after is brutally interrupted when her Prince Charming sacrifices her to a dragon. Forget what you’ve heard about tales that begin with ‘Once upon a time…’ — this damsel has only herself to rely on.”
The new film promises lots of large-scale action courtesy of director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, who previously helmed the excellent 28 Days Later sequel, 28 Weeks Later. He directs from a script penned by Dan Mazeau. Sue Baden-Powel, Zack Roth, Millie Bobby Brown, Robert Brown, Dan Mazeau and Mark Bomback are on board as executive producers. Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Chris Castaldi are producing along with co-producer Emily Wolfe.
Brown explained what separates her character from traditional fairytale Princesses, “She’s a damsel who doesn’t need to be saved. She saves herself in many ways. It subverts what you expect: You’re expecting the prince to turn around and save her, and… no. Don’t wait for the prince.”
The director, Fresnadillo, tells Tudum, “What I really loved in the script from Dan Mazeau was embracing the idea of a fantasy adventure and a princess and dragon story, but taking it into a place [where] it’s completely upside down. It was a very intense journey that I was so excited to design and to develop. At the core, this is such a beautiful story about a young woman becoming a strong, independent, and empowered adult. Elodie doesn’t have any kind of support. It’s a real survival experience.”
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Director Doug Liman‘s time loop / alien invasion sci-fi adventure Edge of Tomorrow (watch it HERE) did not set the box office on fire – in fact, compared to another notable under-performer starring Tom Cruise, it made less money than 2017’s The Mummy, on a higher budget. But that hasn’t stopped talk of a sequel from popping up every now and then over the ten years since the film’s release. Liman has let it be known that he has been working on a script, and Cruise’s co-star Emily Blunt has even previously said that she has read the “really promising and really, really cool” script. That was a few years ago… and in a new interview with Blunt, she has said she still thinks an Edge of Tomorrow sequel could be good.
Blunt was interviewed on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, and said, “I think when we were first talking about the sequel it was right before I was about to do (the 2018 film) Mary Poppins Returns, so it was quite a while ago. I think if we’re going to do one, we’d have to reimagine what the sequel would look like. It feels like it could be good.“
Whether or not the sequel ever happens, Blunt looks back on Edge of Tomorrow fondly. “It was exciting to go through it. It was not for the faint of heart. I think we all loved making it so much. It was such a kinetic, exciting experience working with Doug Liman, who is so off his rocker in the best way and such a brilliant filmmaker. And Tom, in that role, where there’s nothing heroic about that part and, yet, actually he becomes so heroic because of his vulnerability in it. We loved it. We were shells of our former selves by the end of it, but it was awesome.“
Based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s manga All You Need Is Kill, the first Edge of Tomorrow was set in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world. Lt. Col. Bill Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop — forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again… and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.
Liman has said the sequel’s title may be Live Die Repeat and Repeat, a play on the first film’s tagline “Live Die Repeat” (which some felt should have been the movie’s title instead of its tagline).
Coming Soon notes that when Tom Cruise signed a deal to partner with Warner Bros. last month, studios chiefs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy were hoping that an Edge of Tomorrow sequel will be one of the projects that comes out of their deal. So it might end up happening one of these days after all.
Would you like to see an Edge of Tomorrow sequel? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
The post Emily Blunt thinks Edge of Tomorrow sequel could be good appeared first on JoBlo.
Top 10? Hell, the only 10! Well not quite, but damn close! We’ve actually tallied a solid list of ten horror/thrillers that happened to be set on Valentine’s Day itself. Now, some spend the entire day reveling in lovelorn lethality, some merely glance past the February 14th date, but in just about every case, old cupid’s shooting an arrow in the head, if not the heart. Ah hell, you’ve heard enough. Here’s the Top 10 Valentine’s Day Set Horror/Thrillers!
#10. LOVERS LANE (1999)
Before Anna Faris was spoofing SCARY MOVIEs and wooing the world as THE HOUSE BUNNY, she happened to stroll down LOVERS LANE, a listless paint-by-numbers slasher flick about a man who went on an indiscriminate murder spree on Valentine’s Day 13 year prior, only to return to town to stalk and slash the victims’ children, foully disemboweling them with his hook-handed murder weapon. Lovers Lane refers to a place for lovebirds to park their cars and make-out, which is where the sadistic slasher shows up for slaughter (hence the tagline: there is no such thing as safe sex). Now, this is clearly a bad and poorly made movie, but far more fun for ardent slasher completists than one might expect. GET HERE
#9. MY BOYFRIENDS BACK (1993)
I can’t be the only 10 or 12 year old one besieged by the inveterate run of MY BOY FRIEND’S BACK on HBO, can I? Not buying it! Thing is, I always dug the lighthearted tone and slapstick humor, almost playing like the best of a cheesy Tales from the Crypt episode crossed with a zanily cartoonish Sam Raimi flick. It’s a perfect intro for budding preteen horror fanatics. Love that shite! Of course, it would take decades to realize the film was directed by Bob Balaban, bringing his own mordant sense of humor to the flick, a la PARENTS. Granted, it would have been killer to see what Peter Jackson could have done with the script (he was offered to direct). Props to late greats Ed Hermann and Phil Hoffman for appearing in the film, and for Matthew McConaughey for making his big screen debut! GET HERE
#8. VALENTINE (2001)
No bullshit, I adore VALENTINE far more than most. Yes, it’s abjectly terrible, but so what, it has a damn good bit of fun knowing just how derivatively lame it is. Moreover, the first time you see it, I’d argue the mysterious whodunit element of the plot actually works more than many of its ilk. Look, I love slasher flicks so much that I have the lowest bar of expectations to enjoy one. Just give me a gaggle of deplorably annoying teenagers, a cool location and a unique array of profligate death-styles and I’m a happy boy. To this end, VALENTINE checks off the most basic of slasher film rubrics, boasting a plot-line about a rejected childhood Valentine’s Day suitor out to vengefully vitiate his female deniers decades later. The cherubic Cupid mask is a cute touch, but nothing tops Denise Richards getting drilled by the killer in a hot tub harder than Charlie f*cking Sheen! GET HERE
#7. HOSPITAL MASSACRE (1981)
Also known as X-RAY, as well as BE MY VALENTINE, OR ELSE, the little known obscure early 80s slasher flick HOSPITAL MASSACRE just might be your required homework assignment for the week. As in, see this f*cking movie stat! Why? It features a vilely vengeful Valentine’s Day subplot, in which a gorgeous gal (Barbi Benton) visits an L.A. hospital for a routine checkup, only to be horrifically hunted by a sick psychopath in O.R. scrubs who she jilted on Valentine’s Day 19 years prior. It’s essentially the plotline for VALENTINE, but directed with beguiling verve by the Israeli madman Boaz Davidson (THE LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN). Oddly, the movie was made and released in Mexico in 1981 but had to wait until April of 1982 to arrive stateside. Props to Shout! Factory for issuing HOSPITAL MASSACRE on Blu-ray as a double feature with SCHIZOID! GET HERE
#6. PONTYPOOL (2008)
Okay, so of all the flicks on our list, this one portrays Valentine’s Day with the least amount of romantic prominence. And yet, technically, PONTYPOOL is indeed set on Valentine’s Day, as a deadly viral outbreak threatens the small Ontario town on February 14th. What’s so coolly original here, other than the kickass performance by stellar Canadian actor Stephen McHattie, is how the aforesaid virus is detected through radio transmission, as a shock-jock radio DJ begins filtering ferocious bits of info through his airwaves as the night wears on. Half of the flick takes place in the claustrophobic radio station, the other half in the Canadian frigidity, with the sum total likely equaling the most unique Valentine’s Day horror flick to date, using the unofficial day of love as a background to explore the threat of universal death! GET HERE
#5. DOWN (2019)
We’re happy to report that our most recent Valentine’s Day themed horror flick on the list is qualitatively good enough to rank among the upper-half. True talk, the fifth episode of Hulu Original’s Into the Dark series, DOWN, is a deeply duplicitous two-hander that gets stronger as it progresses, setting up a wildly unpredictable finale that atones for a few early cliché-ridden scenes. Directed by Daniel Stamm (THE LAST EXORCISM), the story centers on a man and women who happened to get stuck in a parking lot elevator afterhours, on a three-day holiday weekend (V-Day coincides with President’s Day here). Of course, it turns out this was no accident at all, but rather an elaborate kidnap and hostage scheme plotted by the man, in order to bed his stalked-upon female obsession. A solid back-and-forth cat-and-mouse match of wits that pays off handsomely and horrifically!
#4. ST. VALENTINES DAY MASSACRE (1967)
Codify it a crime thriller or a gangster picture all you want, the semantic argument does not change the fact that a real life massacre took place at the hands of mafia magnate, Al Capone, in 1929 Chicago. That is, swap the tommy-guns for knives and you’d easily have one of the gnarliest real life horror stories of all time. The gist? Simple. In order to strike his most formidable foe, Bugs Moran, Capone orchestrated a sneak attack, in which he sent his men in hot, guns-a-blazing, disguised as policemen, until his rivals were mowed the f*ck down into a gory morass of bone, blood and viscera. The great Roger Corman directs, but the real reason to see the flick is for the powerhouse performance of the late great Jason Robards as Capone! GET HERE
#3. PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK (1975)
Few filmmakers have conjured such a mystifying air of ambiguity the way Peter Weir did with his lyrical curio, PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK. Having seen the flick for the first time fairly recently, the story about three students and their schoolteacher suddenly disappearing while taking a walk on Valentine’s Day in 1900 is as fascinating a movie mystery as I’ve ever seen. Part of this is due to the pacing, putting us in a time and place where time moved like molasses, which lends a kind of eerie hypnotic quality to the viewing. The unspeakable haunting of the townsfolk trying to solve what happened feels palpable, and we’re just as vexed trying to piece together the maddening puzzle, all the while steeped in the beauteous Australian idyll! GET HERE
#2. MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D (2009)
One of the most difficult Original Vs. Remake face-offs we’ve seen in the past has to be that between MY BLOODY VALENTINE and its three-dimensional redo in 2009. It’s a tough call, as certain aspects of Patrick Lussier’s version – about a psycho killer in a miner’s mask slaughtering Pennsylvania townsfolk on Valentine’s Day – actually reigns supreme. The whodunit mystery is just as adroitly maneuvered as in the original, keeping us guessing the identity of the killer all the way to the end. The acting goes a long way toward preserving the mystery, and the resplendent grue of the uncut version rivals the uncut version of the original, where the unflinching profusion of graphic gore was forced to be excised by the MPAA on both accounts. Simply put, MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D is the rare case of a remake being on par with its predecessor, the original of which ranks…
#1. MY BLOODY VALENTINE (1981)
…Number one with a mother*cking bullet! Indeed, the one and only definitive Valentine’s Day horror film, George Mihalka’s MY BLOODY VALENTINE really deserves rank as one of the all time best slasher films as well. At least, 1980s slasher flicks, from which the majority of them derive. In addition to brilliantly setting the film on a holiday meant for lovey-dovey romance and horny courtship, thereby subverting the happy holiday in favor of something far more sinister, the setting of an underground mine is a sheer stroke of genius. It gives the murderer reason to don the mining mask, and gives us reason to organically guess who among the miners is moonlighting as a pickaxe wielding murderous madman. The iconic heart-shaped candy boxed filled with a carved out heart, or a gruesomely decapitated head lolling around in a washing machine (both of which were affectionately called back by Lussier in the redo) easily prop MY BLOODY VALENTINE as the most beloved February 14th horror salvo to date! GET MBV ’81 HERE, ’09 HERE
The post Top 10 Valentine’s Day Themed Horror Flicks! appeared first on JoBlo.
Last year, we heard that Gene Simmons of the rock band Kiss would be launching a new production company with Gary Hamilton (so the company is appropriately called Simmons/Hamilton Productions), and the first project they had given the greenlight was a shark thriller called Deep Water – with Deep Blue Sea director Renny Harlin attached to take the helm of the film! That film has since made its way through production, and a press release reveals that the cast includes Aaron Eckhart of Harlin’s The Bricklayer, Sir Ben Kingsley (Gandhi), Molly Wright (Netflix’s True Spirit), Angus Sampson (Mad Max: Fury Road), Kelly Gale (Plane), singer and actor Li Wenhan, who is a member of the Chinese-Korean K-Pop group UNIQ, and Nashi (Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms).
Scripted by Pete Bridges and John Kim, Deep Water centers on an eclectic group of international passengers whose plane, en route from Los Angeles to Shanghai, is forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters. The terrified group is forced to work together and overcome their differences if they hope to escape their sinking plane and the frenzy of sharks drawn to the wreckage.
Arclight Films’ Ying Ye, Gabba Post’s Neal Kingston, Aristos Films’ Grant Bradley and Dale Bradley, and Nostromo Pictures’ Adrian Guerra and Xavier Parache produced the film, while Brian Beckmann and Ryan Hamilton from Arclight Films serve as executive producers alongside Vladimir Artemenko from Top Film Distribution, as well as Rob Van Norden and Johanna Harlin. Arclight Films will be presenting the project to potential buyers at the European Film Market. Filming took place in New Zealand and Spain, wrapping at the end of 2023. Post-production work is being done in Australia.
Harlin had this to say about the project: “Deep Water offered me an epic canvas to work on, which I’ve dreamed of since seeing the original The Poseidon Adventure in a movie theater as a kid in Finland. My superb cast stood by my side valiantly through a rigorous shoot of barrel rolling planes, tidal waves of water and ferocious sharks. This film is my tribute to all the action, imagination, emotion and beauty that made movie making the first love of my life. I can’t wait to show the audiences around the world what an emotional rollercoaster we have created.“
Hamilton added: “Fortune has smiled on us and we are delighted to be working with some of the most talented and creative individuals in the world from New Zealand, Australia, and Spain. We have such a superb ensemble cast led by the talented Aaron Eckhart and Sir Ben Kingsley. With action maven Renny Harlin at the helm, Deep Water is a non-stop thrill ride for the ages, with depth, emotion… and sharks!“
Simmons provided the following statement: “I am pumped and excited to be launching Deep Water as our first project together with Gary Hamilton and the team at Arclight Films. Director Renny Harlin is bold and fearless and is truly in his element in this intense and suspenseful survival thriller – it’s a high-octane, seat-of-your-pants adventure that audiences love.“
Grant and Dale Bradley said they expect the film to become “a great action classic”.
Are you interested in seeing a new shark thriller from Renny Harlin? Share your thoughts on Deep Water by leaving a comment below.
The post Deep Water: Renny Harlin shark thriller stars Aaron Eckhart, Sir Ben Kingsley appeared first on JoBlo.
I’ve known that representation in games mattered ever since that day in 1987 when I finished Metroid and discovered that intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran was that rarest of things (for the time): a cool female video-game protagonist. I loved playing as Mario, or Link, or any intrepid hero, but I was particularly…
I’ve known that representation in games mattered ever since that day in 1987 when I finished Metroid and discovered that intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran was that rarest of things (for the time): a cool female video-game protagonist. I loved playing as Mario, or Link, or any intrepid hero, but I was particularly…
Welcome to another installment of “What Weird Thing Has Someone Ported Doom To This Week?” This time, it’s a user on Reddit who has translated the game into an audio signal that can be displayed by a spectrogram.
Welcome to another installment of “What Weird Thing Has Someone Ported Doom To This Week?” This time, it’s a user on Reddit who has translated the game into an audio signal that can be displayed by a spectrogram.
Mark Ruffalo is no stranger to unknowingly spoiling Marvel secrets. He and Tom Holland have a humorous reputation of being the two least trusted actors at the movie studio due to some amusing slip-ups. In 2017, Ruffalo would notoriously accidentally stream the first few minutes of Thor: Ragnarok from the premiere after his pre-show red carpet social media livestream was unknowingly left rolling as the actor put his phone back in his pocket and 2,500 online viewers could hear the live audio of the premiere audience watching and laughing at the jokes from the film.
Recently, Ruffalo attended a Q&A that reflected on his career at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Sunday. Anne Thompson, the moderator, asked him if he would be appearing in the upcoming film, Captain America: Brave New World. Ruffalo answered, “Yeah.” and nodded his head. Thompson responded, “Are you allowed to talk about that?” Ruffalo replied, “Yeah. It’s going to be great!” His answer started to catch excitement among fans. However, according to Variety, it was revealed by sources that the Academy Award-nominated actor of Poor Things had misspoken at the Q&A.
Multiple sources have assured Variety that “Ruffalo is not actually going to be in Brave New World. Instead, he misspoke, thinking he was agreeing that Brave New World is one of Marvel’s next films, not that he was going to be in it.” This news walking back the comments does not appear to be coming from Ruffalo himself. Could it be damage control from Marvel Studios? In 2021, prior to the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, a leaked on-set picture of Andrew Garfield in the Spider-Man suit made its way online, which prompted the actor to deny any claims that he would be appearing in the film. Fast forward to 2024 and Garfield is now known to have a sizable role in that film and the leaked picture was legit.
Captain America: Brave New World was also reported to be going through extensive reshoots after some test screenings and even hired a new writer to punch up some of the script. Perhaps an effort was made to connect the Hulk to the film. Or even just a quick cameo in a post-credits scene like in Shang-Chi.
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