Dune: Part Two has been a phenomenon even prior to its release, with sold-out screenings, pushes for an Oscar campaign already and some questionable tie-in merchandise…But one story adds an entirely new element to not only for fans but director Denis Villeneuve, who granted a dying man’s wish to see Dune: Part Two before he passed away.
Josée Gagnon, who runs the Canada-based charity L’Avant, recounted his journey of getting in touch with Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve and producer wife Tanya Lapointe in hopes of making the screening happen, even though it was more than a month and a half before the film was due to hit theaters. They had invited him to see it in Los Angeles, but the man was too weak to travel. Instead, they sent an assistant with Villeneuve’s laptop, which contained a full version of the film. The screening happened on January 16th.
As Gagnon wrote on Facebook (via Google Translate), “They were extremely touched by this man’s last wish. They told me, ‘It’s precisely for him that we make films.’” Still, it was an arduous journey in making the intimate Dune: Part Two screening happen. “Nothing was possible. Time was passing. The dying man was dying. A race against time. Then with the help of my accomplice and Denis’ team, we managed to create something wonderful…”
That wonderful moment found the man’s dreams coming true, experiencing Dune: Part Two before the general public. “The man was so weak that we thought he might die while watching the film. He didn’t have the strength to listen to it all. It didn’t matter. This man who had a very difficult start to life saw extremely important people mobilize to carry out his last wish. Then that was worth all the gold in the world.” The man would die just a few days later.
This is a pretty remarkable and touching story, one that even further puts the filmmakers behind Dune: Part Two in good light, showing a level of humanity that we don’t often associate with Hollywood.
A lot of stand-up comedians have bad nights, but only a select few get leaked to mainstream media and prove to be TMZ fodder. But that’s just what happened to Nick Swardson at a recent gig, showing up on stage inebriated to the point that he couldn’t go on with his act and was escorted off stage.
In clips that surfaced online, Nick Swardson is seen repeatedly saying, “Here we go” and referring to Jason Statham in The Beekeeper, teasing an impression that never quite materialized in the way Swardson probably intended. This was quickly greeted with boos and walk-outs. At one point he asks, “Do you want me to finish this or no?” Tickets buyers did not, to which Swardson sloppily responded, “But what if… I finish this?” He was not allowed to finish his set, being taken off stage around 20 minutes in. At this point, a stage manager told the crowd, “We’ve decided to conclude the show early in the best interest of those who bought tickets… We apologize for what you’ve seen tonight. Please email the box office. We’ll be responding to inquiries and processing credits and refunds.”
On Monday, the day after the disastrous performance in Colorado, Nick Swardson took to social media to address the situation, posting on X, “Just casually woke up on TMZ. Travel tip: don’t drink and take edibles in high altitude. F*cking brain diarrhea. I’ll make it up to you Beaver Creek!”
Just casually woke up on TMZ. Travel tip: don’t drink and take edibles in high altitude. Fucking brain diarrhea. I’ll make it up to you Beaver Creek!
After the lights were turned off, Nick Swardson stayed on stage, asking the remaining attendees, “Who here knows who Norm MacDonald is?”, referring to Swardson’s friend who died in September 2021. This does seem like the most troubling point in the night; and while we don’t know if Swardson’s drunkenness was a reaction to memories of MacDonald or if there is actually a point in the set that works in a MacDonald bit (having not seen Swardson perform; I’ll keep my $30 thank you very much), his closeness with the late comedian may point to a serious issue of coping for Swardson.
It can be easy to mock a comedian who bombs – or is bombed – but Nick Swardson’s alcohol intake on set has been documented before by those in attendance. Obviously this is no joke and hopefully he gets any help he may need. Fellow comedian Adam Carolla – whose own drinking has been the discussion of fans – showed his support, writing, “Love you, Nick.”
According to his official website, Nick Swardson – who recently leant his voice to Leo for friend Adam Sandler – has more shows this month in Colorado before heading to Florida, New York and Connecticut.
What do you make of Nick Swardson’s disastrous set?
A lot of stand-up comedians have bad nights, but only a select few get leaked to mainstream media and prove to be TMZ fodder. But that’s just what happened to Nick Swardson at a recent gig, showing up on stage inebriated to the point that he couldn’t go on with his act and was escorted off stage.
In clips that surfaced online, Nick Swardson is seen repeatedly saying, “Here we go” and referring to Jason Statham in The Beekeeper, teasing an impression that never quite materialized in the way Swardson probably intended. This was quickly greeted with boos and walk-outs. At one point he asks, “Do you want me to finish this or no?” Tickets buyers did not, to which Swardson sloppily responded, “But what if…I finish this?” He was not allowed to finish his set, being taken off stage around 20 minutes in. At this point, a stage manager told the crowd, “We’ve decided to conclude the show early in the best interest of those who bought tickets…We apologize for what you’ve seen tonight. Please email the box office. We’ll be responding to inquiries and processing credits and refunds.”
On Monday, the day after the disastrous performance in Colorado, Nick Swardson took to social media to address the situation, posting on X, “Just casually woke up on TMZ. Travel tip: don’t drink and take edibles in high altitude. F*cking brain diarrhea. I’ll make it up to you Beaver Creek!”
Just casually woke up on TMZ. Travel tip: don’t drink and take edibles in high altitude. Fucking brain diarrhea. I’ll make it up to you Beaver Creek!
After the lights were turned off, Nick Swardson stayed on stage, asking the remaining attendees, “Who here knows who Norm MacDonald is?”, referring to Swardson’s friend who died in September 2021. This does seem like the most troubling point in the night; and while we don’t know if Swardson’s drunkenness was a reaction to memories of MacDonald or if there is actually a point in the set that works in a MacDonald bit (having not seen Swardson perform; I’ll keep my $30 thank you very much), his closeness with the late comedian may point to a serious issue of coping for Swardson.
It can be easy to mock a comedian who bombs – or is bombed – but Nick Swardson’s alcohol intake on set has been documented before by those in attendance. Obviously this is no joke and hopefully he gets any help he may need. Fellow comedian Adam Carolla – whose own drinking has been the discussion of fans – showed his support, writing, “Love you, Nick.”
According to his official website, Nick Swardson – who recently leant his voice to Leo for friend Adam Sandler – has more shows this month in Colorado before heading to Florida, New York and Connecticut.
What do you make of Nick Swardson’s disastrous set?
Just a few weeks after one of the stars of the John Wick franchise, Ian McShane, ripped Lionsgate’s TV spin-offThe Continental live on TV, the studio seems like it’s going full steam ahead on a John Wick TV show. According to Deadline, Lionsgate vice chairman Michael Burns said as much during a Q&A at the Morgan Stanley media conference. “I think we’ll take one of our great action franchises starring Keanu Reeves, I think it’ll be a television series,” said Burns, who also revealed that the studio is planning a Twilight animated series too.
Readers will remember another John Wick tv series, The Continental, dropping just a few months ago. According to Burns, the new Wick show will not be related to that series of three 90-minute telefilms, which was about the early adventures of the character played by Ian McShane in the proper John Wick movies, Winston. The series wasn’t terribly well received by fans (although apparently it was popular on Peacock), nor by McShane himself, who recently complained about it during an interview with BBC, saying, “they never asked anybody about it. They just went and did it. Just went and did it. Somebody asked Keanu and me about it. We both went, ‘I don’t know. Nobody ever asked us about it.’”
No news yet on whether or not anyone involved with the John Wick films, such as director Chad Stahelski will be involved in a hands-on capacity. The studio seems hellbent on expanding the John Wick series into a major franchise. They recently bumped the Ana de Armas spin-off, Ballerina, to 2025 after Stahelski was called in for additional shooting. As McShane himself explained, “we did it about a year ago. And they’ve looked at it and Chad’s come in. And they wanna make it better cause they have to protect [the franchise].”
One thing worth noting is how rarely TV adaptations of big-screen action properties tend to work. Just recently, TV spin-offs for Taken and The Transporter laid an egg. Without a strong premise, fans tend to regard small-screen clones as little more than rip-offs.
Is Lionsgate making a mistake trying to build out the John Wick universe, or should they just let Stahelski do his thing and keep it limited to movies? Let us know in the comments.
Just a few weeks after one of the stars of the John Wick franchise, Ian McShane, ripped Lionsgate’s TV spin-offThe Continental live on TV, the studio seems like it’s going full steam ahead on a John Wick TV show. According to Deadline, Lionsgate vice chairman Michael Burns said as much during a Q&A at the Morgan Stanley media conference. “I think we’ll take one of our great action franchises starring Keanu Reeves, I think it’ll be a television series,” said Burns, who also revealed that the studio is planning a Twilight animated series too.
Readers will remember another John Wick tv series, The Continental, dropping just a few months ago. According to Burns, the new Wick show will not be related to that series of three 90-minute telefilms, which was about the early adventures of the character played by Ian McShane in the proper John Wick movies, Winston. The series wasn’t terribly well received by fans (although apparently it was popular on Peacock), nor by McShane himself, who recently complained about it during an interview with BBC, saying, “they never asked anybody about it. They just went and did it. Just went and did it. Somebody asked Keanu and me about it. We both went, ‘I don’t know. Nobody ever asked us about it.’”
No news yet on whether or not anyone involved with the John Wick films, such as director Chad Stahelski will be involved in a hands-on capacity. The studio seems hellbent on expanding the John Wick series into a major franchise. They recently bumped the Ana de Armas spin-off, Ballerina, to 2025 after Stahelski was called in for additional shooting. As McShane himself explained, “we did it about a year ago. And they’ve looked at it and Chad’s come in. And they wanna make it better cause they have to protect [the franchise].”
One thing worth noting is how rarely TV adaptations of big-screen action properties tend to work. Just recently, TV spin-offs for Taken and The Transporter laid an egg. Without a strong premise, fans tend to regard small-screen clones as little more than rip-offs.
Is Lionsgate making a mistake trying to build out the John Wick universe, or should they just let Stahelski do his thing and keep it limited to movies? Let us know in the comments.
It might be hard to believe, but it has been 30 years since the world lost one of the most beloved screen presences in modern times, John Candy. And while we can honor his too-short life and career by watching some of his greatest movies, we’ll never get to experience what his children did. But they are at least letting fans in on their personal feelings for their father, who died on March 4th, 1994.
Posting on her personal Instagram, John Candy’s eldest daughter Jennifer shared a photo of the two with the caption, “30 years ago today … feels like both a lifetime with and without you . Miss you and love you always”, along with a heart emoji. Jennifer had previously said, “He was your everyday kind of guy and a great dad and very lovable…Very much similar to characters that he was on film.”
Posting on his own social media account, John Candy’s only son Chris wrote, “All my love to my father today”, along with a picture of John in a Hawaiian shirt.
A number of co-stars also fondly remembered John Candy for his humor, spirit and good nature. Steve Martin, who co-started in Planes, Trains and Automobile — perhaps the greatest Thanksgiving movie ever — stated, “John’s comedy lives on, but my memory of him has the words ‘kindness’ and ‘sweetness’ in the headlines.” Meanwhile, Cool Runnings director Jon Turteltaub remembered Candy’s giving nature, saying, “When you were with John, he did something very few brilliantly funny and famous people do: He laughed at other people’s jokes…That’s actually a big deal. He made people feel welcome. He made people feel wanted.”
Most touching of all were comments from Wagons East co-star Richard Lewis, who spoke about John Candy weeks before his February death and remembered being in “comedy heaven” working with Candy, who frequently improved on the set. John Candy would succumb to a heart attack with just a few days left of filming left on Wagons East. It would be the first of two posthumous releases, with Canadian Bacon arriving in 1995.
While those were near the bottom of John Candy’s filmography, he still left behind some tremendous works, with such charming performances in The Great Outdoors, Home Alone, Uncle Buck, and many more, not to mention sketch comedy series SCTV. There, too, were so many “What if?” projects, like a version of the doomed A Confederacy of Dunces, a Fatty Arbuckle biopic and even Stephen King’s Thinner, turning out to be the author’s original choice for the lead.
What are your all-time favorite John Candy movie or TV performances? Give us your top 3 in the comments section below.
When James Gunn announced that production had begun on Superman, he included a close-up of the new costume covered in snow, and now we know why. While speaking with Svalbardposten, Gunn revealed that the first scene he filmed for Superman was shot in Svalbard and featured Superman fleeing to the Fortress of Solitude.
“We have filmed the first scenes, which show Superman fleeing to the ice fortress,” Gunn said. “We wanted a place that was beautiful and felt like being in the middle of the Arctic, so we looked at several places in the world. But there were many things that sold Svalbard for us over the other places. First, there is the natural beauty. But there’s also the fact that you’ll find a varied landscape here that you won’t find anywhere else. Nature gives a special feeling.” We’ve seen the Fortress of Solitude many times in previous Superman adaptations, but it’s always a special location.
Gunn added that they attracted a few curious onlookers, which he’s fine with so long as they’re not trying to sneak photos. “We have had some who have been curious, yes, who have stood and watched,” he said. “But that’s perfectly fine. And that’s a big difference. Because being interested in just watching is something completely different than when you have people trying to sneak into the set to take pictures that they can make money from by selling online.“
Superman is set to star David Corenswet (Pearl) as Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Ms. Maisel) as Lois Lane. The cast also includes Nathan Fillion (The Rookie) as Guy Gardner, a charismatic and slightly obnoxious member of the Green Lantern Corps; Isabela Merced (Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as Hawkgirl; Edi Gathegi (X-Men: First Class) as Mister Terrific; Anthony Carrigan (Barry) as Metamorpho; María Gabriela de Faría (Deadly Class) as The Engineer, a member of The Authority; Sara Sampaio (At Midnight) as Eve Teschmacher; Skyler Gisondo (The Righteous Gemstones) as Jimmy Olsen; and Wendell Pierce as Perry White. Nicholas Hoult is also set to appear as Lex Luthor, which Gunn finally confirmed late last year.
Co-chair of DC Studios Peter Safran has teased that Supermanwill not be an origin story and will focus on “Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned.” Superman is slated to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.
It’d been nearly a decade since our last trip to the wasteland, but we’ll be returning to the world of Mad Max in just a few short months. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will put the focus on Furiosa, the breakout character played by Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road. As this spinoff deals with a younger version of Furiosa, Anya Taylor-Joy has taken over the role, and she’s joined by none other than Chris Hemsworth, who plays Warlord Dementus.
Chris Hemsworth took to social media to share a new image of his character from Furiosa, who is perched atop an aggressive-looking bike. Love the little teddy bear strapped to his chest. Check it out below!
Chris Hemsworth has stated that playing Dementus in Furiosa has been the best experience of his career. “I came into that film exhausted. I thought, ‘How am I going to get through this?’” Hemsworth said. “Week one of rehearsals with [Miller], all of a sudden it was this reigniting of my creative energy.” The actor said the production of Furiosa was “by far the best experience of my career, and something I feel the most proud of. It made me think, the work isn’t what’s exhausting it’s what kind of work it is, and how invested I am in it and if it is challenging in the right way.“
The first reactions to a recent test screening of Furiosa were quite positive, which has left fans anxious to see the film for themselves. There have also been rumblings that we should be seeing a second trailer quite soon, so keep an eye out for that.
The official synopsis for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga: “As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland they come across the Citadel presided over by the Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.“
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will hit theaters on May 24th.
It’s unfortunate, but most streaming shows (and movies for that matter) never get a physical release, but thankfully, Disney has been releasing some of their most popular Marvel and Star Wars shows on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. Following in the footsteps of Loki season 1, WandaVision, and the firsttwo seasons of The Mandalorian, Disney announced today that they will be releasing collector’s editions of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Moon Knight, Andor, and Obi-Wan Kenobi on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. Hurray for physical media!
You can check out the Steelbook cover art for each of the releases below, as well as the special features which will be included, courtesy of the Disney press-release. All four titles will be released on April 30th, with pre-orders going up on March 12th.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: The Complete First Season
SYNOPSIS Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and The Winter Soldier stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, aka The Falcon, and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier. The pair, who came together in the final moments of Avengers: Endgame, team up on a global adventure that tests their abilities — and patience.
BONUS FEATURES Featurette:
Cap’s Shield – Sometimes a shield isn’t just a shield. Anthony Mackie and the creative team behind The Falcon and the Winter Soldier discuss what Captain America’s iconic accessory ultimately represents — along with the numerous challenges of capturing the cumbersome prop in action once cameras started rolling.
Gag Reel: Watch the hilarious outtakes with cast and crew. Deleted scenes:
Flight Lesson – Sam and Rhodey have a heart to heart and bond over flying.
Still Not Funny – Bucky brings a treat to Sam’s family gathering.
Documentary:
Assembled: The Making of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier – Embark on the making of this high-flying, globe-trotting action series with the cast and crew in Assembled: The Making of Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
Moon Knight: The Complete First Season
SYNOPSIS When Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac), a mild-mannered gift shop employee, becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life, he discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector. As Steven/Marc’s enemies converge upon them, they must navigate their complex identities while thrust into a deadly mystery among the powerful gods of Egypt.
BONUS FEATURES Featurette:
Egyptology – Join Egyptologist Ramy Romany, Oscar Isaac and more, as they further explore the ancient Egyptian mythology that helped inspire the Moon Knight series.
Documentary:
Assembled: The Making of Moon Knight – Pull back the curtain with Oscar Isaac, Ethan Hawke, and the rest of the cast and crew in ASSEMBLED as they reveal how MOON KNIGHT was brought to life.
Deleted Scenes:
Don’t Go There – While walking in the streets of Egypt, Layla questions Marc’s state of mind and motivations.
Breaking the Cycle – Arthur delivers a prompting speech to his crew, urging them to take action alongside him.
Gag Reel: Watch some hilarious outtakes on set with the cast and crew.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: The Complete Series
SYNOPSIS Obi-Wan Kenobi begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his greatest defeat—the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, who turned to the dark side as evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.
BONUS FEATURES Featurettes:
Duels of Fate: Obi-Wan vs Vader – Deborah Chow, Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen examine the lightsaber battles of Obi-Wan and Darth Vader.
The Dark Times: Villains – Uncover the lore of the deadly Inquisitors, and Darth Vader’s iconic look.
Designing The Galaxy – Say hello to Leia’s loveable sidekick, Lola, then explore the new planets of the Star Wars galaxy.
Director’s Commentary – Join director Deborah Chow for an exclusive audio commentary on the action-packed finale.
Andor: The Complete First Season
SYNOPSIS Explore a new perspective from the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor’s journey to discover the difference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire and how people and planets became involved. It’s an era filled with danger, deception, and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.
BONUS FEATURES Featurettes:
Ferrix Part 1: Imperial Occupation – Tony Gilroy, Kathleen Kennedy and Diego Luna discuss the series’ origins.
Aldhani: Rebel Heist – Join the shoot in Scotland with character spotlights, rebel training, stunts, a VFX breakdown and more.
Coruscant: Whispers of Rebellion – Explore the stories of ISB agent Dedra, Senator Mon Mothma and spymaster Luthen Rael.
Narkina 5: One Way Out – Uncover the Empire’s penal system and the prison’s stark look, get to know Kino Loy, and view VFX breakdowns.
Ferrix Part 2: Fight the Empire – Tony Gilroy, Diego Luna, cast and crew reveal the making of the season finale.
You’ll notice that the 4K release of Obi-Wan Kenobi is being billed as “The Complete Series” rather than “The Complete First Season,” which seemingly puts the nail in the coffin of a second season… at least for now.
Will you be adding The Falcon and the Winter Solider, Andor, Moon Knight, and/or Obi-Wan Kenobi to your 4K Blu-ray collections?
Dragon’s Dogma 2 launches on most platforms on March 22, and I checked it out at a preview event in New York City. In his 2023 hands-on preview of the high-fantasy RPG, Kotaku senior reporter Ethan Gach said that it’s “shaping up to have all the tools necessary to become the widely acclaimed hit it deserves to be”—and…
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