The mighty Planet of the Apes franchise ruled again at the box office, with the movie earning a mighty $56.5 million domestically (according to ComScore), which puts it right in line with the previous openings of Rise of the Planet of the Apes ($54.8 million) and War for the Planet of the Apes ($56.2 million). Dawn of the Planet of the Apes made a lot more at $72 million, but times have changed, and now a $50 million-plus opening is cause for celebration at the House of Mouse, with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes the first solid box office win for Disney (who are releasing through 20th Century Films) in a while. This is much more than the $40 million we predicted earlier this week. 

However, there is one potential cloud on the horizon for the film. According to Deadline, the CinemaScore for the film has only garnered a B rating, which is low for a tentpole blockbuster and might hurt the film’s word of mouth. THe Caesar trilogy (Rise, Dawn and War) all earned an A- rating. Next weekend sees the release of John Krasinski’s family film, IF, which is considered a bit of a gamble, in that it could vastly under (or over) perform. 

Meanwhile, Universal’s The Fall Guy lost around 50% of its audience for a $13.7 million weekend. The movie seems unlikely to gross more than $80-90 million at the domestic box office, which is a drag, as the film will likely go down as one of the year’s biggest money-losers. It’s so strange that this movie hasn’t performed, with reviews and audiences all seemingly loving the film, but clearly, something somewhere didn’t connect, and audiences didn’t see this as a must-see.

The Zendaya-led tennis film Challengers continued to do well, with a $4.684 million weekend and a total just over $38 million. Could the film pass $50 million domestically? We’ll have to see, but even still it’s destined for a quick turnaround to Prime Video, which makes this a solid win for Amazon/MGM. The Sony horror flick Tarot made $3.45 million for an $11.7 million total. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire added another $2.525 million to its coffers, with it well on its way to making $200 million domestically. 

The faith-based Unsung Hero made $2.25 million, and with a $16 million total, it seems like this one isn’t going to become a huge breakthrough hit for the Christian market. Kung Fu Panda 4 continued its strong box office showing, thanks mainly to a lack of competition out there for families, making $2 million for a $190 million-plus total. Could it pass the $200 million mark?

A24’s Civil War started to wind down a bit this week, with it making just under $2 million for a strong $65 million plus total, which makes it A24’s second-biggest movie ever domestically. Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace continued its 25th-anniversary celebration this year, with it making another $1.5 million (even if the movie’s new look has been controversial). Finally, Abigail, which just made its PVOD debut, made just over $1 million for tenth place and a total of just under $25 million. 

Next weekend sees the release of IF, as well as The Strangers: Chapter I, so it’ll be interesting to see if those damn dirty apes can hold on to a chunk of their audience. With many more films in the franchise planned, its second weekend will no doubt be the ultimate judge of whether or not this saga continues on the big screen.

The post Weekend Box Office: Apes Rule with a mighty opening (but so-so CinemaScore) appeared first on JoBlo.

Casting Chris Pratt as Star-Lord was a pretty big gamble for Marvel. After all, to most of us he was the man-child Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation and nothing more. Fortunately for Pratt and the MCU, director James Gunn saw something special in him. While a number of actors also auditioned for the part, one who still remembers that moment and why he didn’t land Peter Quill is Joel Edgerton, who is well aware he just didn’t understand the tone they were going for.

Appearing on The Playlist’s Bingeworthy podcast (via Variety), Joel Edgerton remembered Guardians of the Galaxy being one of the most high-profile projects he missed out on, probably for good reason. “Star-Lord’s a good one, actually, because I, unlike Chris [Pratt], didn’t quite sort of understand the tone of it the way he did and the way that those guys did. And I wasn’t really sure how I could be a part of that tone.” He added that it all turned out for the best, though, saying, “And I truly think that the world is a much better place that I’m not Star-Lord, even if I had the opportunity or I did a good enough audition because it is the way it’s meant to be.”

Joel Edgerton also made it clear that he was far away from ever being truly considered, adding, “And there was never a real conversation that it would have definitely been me. It was just, I had the opportunity to try and audition. I just didn’t quite understand it.”

Joel Edgerton is in the company of Adam Brody, Eddie Redmayne, Jim Sturgess, and more as far as those who auditioned for Star-Lord. But we couldn’t imagine anyone else in that role now other than Pratt, who has helped mold Guardians of the Galaxy into one of the most cherished series within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy pulled in just under $2.5 billion worldwide, with Vol. 2 ranking as the most successful of the series. Edgerton, meanwhile, can be seen in sci-fi series Dark Matter.

Do you think Joel Edgerton could have done well as Star-Lord or was there nobody better for the part than Chris Pratt?

The post How Joel Edgerton botched his Marvel audition appeared first on JoBlo.

Folks, I love the X-Men. When I was a kid, Professor Charles Xavier and his band of mutant outcasts were at their peak with Chris Claremont’s X-Men bringing the super-team into the households of young comic book readers everywhere. Needless to say, I’m absolutely stoked by the recently released Disney Plus continuation of the 1990s animated TV series and have had X-Men on the brain 24/7 these days… seriously guys, I’ve worn this sweatshirt like every day since mid-March… And seeing as I’ve been let down by the last couple of movies I’ve covered on this show- Today I’m going to be selfish and talk about an entry in the Fox X-Men universe that I love. A film that breathed new life into the decaying franchise with exciting new timelines and a fresh filmmaker with bright eyes and a passion for comics. A movie that promised a very exciting future for the coming X-Men adventures… And we were almost immediately let down. But we did get a few great entries in the First Class saga and that’s where we’re going to begin for today. I just can’t handle any more bad superhero movies right now without getting depressed. So, in today’s video I’m going to revisit Matthew Vaughn’s X-cellent 2011 prequel film, X-Men: First Class.

Now, this movie (and really this entire collection of movies) is sort of a soft reboot of the X-Men series that was originally led by Brian Singer. This film introduced Charles Xavier as a young man in the 1960s whose life purpose is found through his discovery of a way to help other mutants hone their abilities and use them for good. The film feels like a new telling of the X-Men altogether with some continuity changes and switcharoos being present throughout the film, but it also is the same film that came before Fox brought back the original cast for a time-travel crossover film adaptation of “Days of Future Past”- so honestly- don’t get too caught up on the timeline and continuity of these movies because, boy is it fucked.

But in any scenario- First Class truly represents what makes the X-Men such a juggernaut (pun very intended) in the comic book community. It’s a story about family, purpose, sacrifice, and rebirth, and it really is one of those movies that I swoon over every time I watch it so, let’s see if today’s video goes better than the last few on Marvel Revisited.

2011’s X-Men First Class follows the early years of Charles Xavier and his ambitions to find others like him and show them that they are not alone. The movie serves as a prequel to the original Fox trilogy but does rewrite some history here and there to make the movie a little less tethered to its predecessor. We see an 11-year-old Raven Darkholm sneaking around Xavier’s childhood home looking for food in the middle of the night. When Charles senses her with his blossoming abilities, he confronts her and immediately befriends her as he notes that she is the first mutant he’s encountered outside of himself. This sets up Charles and Raven for a lifelong friendship lasting well into their adult years. More on that later.

In contrast, we also get an extended version of Magneto’s origin scene from the 2000 X-Men film, with Erik Lencher being taken from his family at a Nazi camp when his magnetic abilities show themselves for the first time. This scene is very similar to that of the original X-Men movie and it nicely paints a contrast between Erik and Charles that will ultimately lead to their rivalry down the line. See, this movie is interested in showing us the roots of the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants and how they started as one singular cause that split into two opposing factions. This shit is X-Men through and through, true believers.

Now, what’s the conflict here? Well, similar to many other entries in this franchise- The X-Men will find themselves at odds with the United States Government, as well as the Russian military and an underground group of extremist mutants known as The Hellfire Club, led by Sebastian Shaw, AKA Black King- A nazi mutant who was responsible for killing Erik’s parents in the camps, and whose abilities allow him to absorb energy and store it inside his body to be dispensed at his will. Meaning, if you shoot this guy, he can absorb the force of the bullet and send it back to you with the ease of a hand wave. The energy he absorbs keeps him almost ageless, so while he was an adult when Erik was a child in the camp, he’s now the same age as Erik and Charles as the years have not affected him. Also rolling with the Hellfire Club is Emma Frost (played by January Jones), Azazal (played by Jason Flemyng), and Riptide (played by Alex Gonzalez).

The grand plan is that The Hellfire Club plans to hijack some nukes from Russia and the US and fire them at each other which would prompt a massive War between countries and lead to the overall destruction of humans, so that mutants can rise as the next step in human evolution. Pretty standard X-Men stuff again, and I love it. When Shaw and his goons start their plans, the CIA recruits Charles and Raven to help them locate other mutants and defend the US from an all-out war with Russia. Now, in the 1960s, mutants were barely understood and made known by the masses. So, Charles is excited to find more mutants and continue his discoveries of his species.

The first half of this movie is mostly putting the chess pieces in place and getting us adjusted to this team dynamic. There’s a sense of kinship between Charles and the other mutants that really illustrates the honorable nature of Xavier’s school. See, Charles in these movies starts off as a total empath. If nothing else, this movie shows his abilities as being able to feel what others feel and truly understand the pain of everyone. His motivation is to learn more about people of his kind, but also to allow mutants to serve alongside humans as equals in harmony. This effort will seem futile most of the time as humans think they’re freaks, mutants don’t feel safe, and the bad guys are both parties. It’s about 45min into the film when Charles meets Magneto for the first time and the two become fast friends. Charles saves Erik’s life when Erik attacks Shaw’s yacht and nearly drowns. Charles demonstrates his bond with Erik from the very beginning, as when Charles senses him in the water below the ship- he refuses to abandon him and instead dives into the dark water to save him- and recruits him to the CIA’s new Mutant division.

The relationship between Magneto and Professor X is also something to be appreciated in this movie. The scene in the middle of the film where Erik and Charles go on the road to find and recruit other mutants is so much fun and full of character moments that make these two surrogate brothers a believable duo. The recruits include Zoey Kravitz as Angel, of course J-Law as Mystique, Nicholas Hoult as Beast, Caleb Landry Jones as Banshee, Edi Gathegi as Darwin, and Lucas Till as Havok. Oh, and how about when they TRY to recruit Wolverine and we get this:

Okay, so up until this point there’s been mostly enjoyable and somewhat soapy character and plot development. It’s difficult to establish believable dynamics between each character when there’s this many on screen and they’re all so vastly unique. But Vaughn does well at keeping it light and interesting the whole time- But then we get to a scene in the film that I don’t love…

The scene where the new recruits are sitting around the military base and demonstrating their powers started off kind of cute. It’s just a bunch of young kids who are discovering that they’re not alone for the first time. They’re bonding over their differences and united purpose- but it goes on for a while and starts to feel a little bit too overstuffed with cheese. For example, when they’re coming up with their code names- I just don’t buy it. I think it was cool that this movie goes out of its way to explain the origin of like everything in the X-Men universe, but some stuff was just too on the nose. I didn’t dig it. I also didn’t like that for most of this movie Beast isn’t blue- as it’s explained that his physical mutation wasn’t genetic but self-inflicted when trying to cure his ugly feet syndrome. I get that sitting in the makeup chair for 6-10 hours a day can be troubling- but I don’t want to see Jennifer Lawrence as Jennifer Lawrence if she’s meant to be Mystique. ALTHOUGH- This line from X2 has so much more bite behind it now because of this prequel so… Actually, maybe I don’t hate it THAT much.

I mentioned some retcons that happen in this movie, and I guess now is the time to explain that. While some of these changes aren’t as blatant, they do have some impact on the original story. For example, it’s never explicitly said in X-Men 2000 that Mystique and Charles weren’t family- but if this movie is canon to that movie (which it is) it is very weird that that never gets referenced or hinted at in the original trilogy. Or how Shaw is the first owner of the Magneto helmet that blocks Charles from getting into his head- not quite a retcon but also Charles seems surprised by the helmet in X-Men 2000 which wouldn’t make sense if this movie is their history. I mean, it’s no secret that the Fox X-Men franchise has a seriously fucked up timeline and so many continuity errors that even a movie like Days of Future Past couldn’t fix them all. But here’s the thing- it’s not enough to distract me from how much I like this movie. Remember folks, The X-Men is meant to be sort of a soap opera that focuses on misfit mutants that choose to anonymously protect the very humans that fear and hate them. It’s meant to be bold with its interpersonal relationships and make us care about the person behind the superpowers. Continuity aside, this film does that.

Let’s look at some scenes that REALLY make this movie worth the rewatch:

• The scene where Magneto kills the pig farmer and the tailor is iconic. Seeing Michael Fassbender’s rage and lust for revenge fuel his power is classic Magneto. See, Magneto relates his power to anger. He thinks the key to maxing out your potential is getting angry enough to master it. This of course contrasts Charles’ belief that calmness is the key to unlocking your ability.
• The scene where Banshee learns to fly is perfect. The team dynamics during this entire training
• montage is brilliant and it really shines in both capturing the tone of the Giant Sized X-Men, but also creating that foundation of hope and empathy that the X-Mansion is built on. Love it.
• The first scene of Charles using the prototype of Cerebro is also very well done. The way they depict Charles’s connection to the mutants looks very similar to the original trilogy so i like that- and James Macavoy as Professor X is literally spot on casting. Look at his eyebrows! Also- this pickup line that Charlie boy uses to get girls at bars is so much fun.
• The costume reveal scene took a little too long for my liking but man was it glorious. Now, this movie IS an origin so I can forgive the X-Men symbol not being on the suit as the team wasn’t yet known as the X-Men. And the blue and yellow color scheme is everything for X-Men fans. Although, I do not love the look of Beast in this movie… yikes.
• Shaw’s mutant breakout attempt is another favorite of mine. It shows how Shaw’s motivations, while misguided, aren’t exactly unrelatable for the young mutants.
• The Rebecca Romjin cameo is a nice moment for fans of her portrayal as Mystique and the timing of it in the movie was definitely appreciated.

And finally, the entire final battle of the movie is FANTASTIC. This movie has a lot of ground to cover as a prequel, but Vaughn and his editors did a great job of keeping the pacing mostly on point- But anywhere that the film drags in the first half is immediately made up for when the 25-minute-final battle sequence sets off. Shaw is in a submarine with a nuke and his plan is to absorb the bomb’s energy to basically be a walking warhead. Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, Havok, Banshee, Beast, and the CIA are on their way to stop him while the US and Russian military are aiming cannons at each other waiting for the World War to begin. 

This final act will give us iconic X-Men action, cruel revelations, heartbreak, betrayal, death, and rebirth all in one shot with Magneto attacking Shaw and finally killing him as he completes his revenge. This leads to a conflict between the X-Men and their co-leader as Magneto realizes that there is no sense in fighting to be equal with humans as they will blame mutants for the war in the end. Magneto recruits Mystique, Azazel, Angel, and Riptide to form the brotherhood of mutants after he mistakenly paralyzes Charles in a scuffle. And just like that, the divide between The X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants begins, and we pick up with the official opening of Xavier’s school for gifted youngsters.

Whoo, this movie is 2 hours and 15 minutes long and I kind of want it again just for that final act. This movie shines in it’s casting and strong leads in James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, it delivers on action, humor, political thrills, and even a cute group dynamic- all things that I want from my X-Men. 8/10 this movie kicks ass.

What did YOU think of X-Men First Class? When was the last time you saw it and do you plan on going back to revisit it? Also, who else is watching X-Men ’97 and what do you think of it so far?

The post X-Men: First Class Revisited appeared first on JoBlo.

Up, Up, and Away! Truth, Justice, and The American Way. These immediately cause comic fans to conjure up one specific character, The Big Blue Boy Scout. Superman. Heralded as the one that started the superhero boom in comics way back in 1938, there have been a lot of live-action versions over the years. Last year’s Flash movie highlighted some of the more popular ones and even one that had never actually been put on film. With James Gunn taking over the DCU and using a new Superman film as the starting line, what can we expect from the upcoming film?

Who’s In It?

It’s always interesting to see who will get the chance to put on the suit. Will they go more for the look of Superman, or will they find an actor who can convey the wholesomeness of the character? Sometimes, they get both. The characters surrounding him are just as crucial as the Man of Steel himself. Something past films have failed to nail. So, who is playing our favorite characters?

Clark Kent/Superman – David Corenswet

Corenswet will be donning the S this time around. Most film fans will have seen him in such films as Pearl and the upcoming Twisters. He made a quick stop for one episode of House Of Cards. Hopefully, he didn’t run afoul of Kevin Spacey’s diva behavior. With Superman, Corenswet will be pushed into the Hollywood spotlight. Fans online had pointed out his resemblance to the last actor to play the character on the big screen. When asked about possibly playing the character before he was confirmed for the role, he stated, ” I would love to see somebody do an upbeat, throwback [take on Superman].” Here’s hoping he gets his wish.

Lois Lane – Rachel Brosnahan

Lois is always a tough character to cast. She has to be tough as nails but still soft enough to fall for Superman. Margot Kidder hit it out of the park in the 1978 film, and everyone else has been trying to play catch up ever since. With Rachel Brosnahan, they may have a winner on their hands. Her turn on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel shows she can portray someone who can hold her own but knows when she can’t do it alone. I’m excited to see what she brings to the role.

Lex Luthor – Nicholas Hoult

Many fans say that no one has really nailed the comic book version of Lex Luthor. Those of us who grew up in the 80s still have a soft spot for the Gene Hackman version, but they may be right. The closest version we may have gotten was with Michael Rosenbaum on Smallville, but he had a lot more time to develop the character than most. Hopefully, Nicholas Hoult will give us what we’ve been wanting. He’s no stranger to comic book films after playing Beast in the throwback X-Men films starting with First Class. He even talked with Rosenbaum on his podcast about playing the character. Here’s hoping we get a great version of Luthor this time around. We should be okay if he’s not the sniveling version of Snyder’s Luthor.

Others

Gunn has filled out some of the other characters with some interesting choices. Jimmy Olson will be played by Skyler Gisondo, who will be pretty spot-on. Neva Howell and Pruitt Taylor Vince will play Ma and Pa Kent. That last one seems to be a head-scratcher, but we’ll have to see what Gunn has in mind. Playing Perry White will be Wendell Pierce. He is a good choice, as many have enjoyed his turns in shows like The Wire and Treme.

Interestingly, we already know the film will have more superheroes than just Superman. Some confirmed characters are Guy Gardner, played by regular Gunn collaborator Nathan Fillion, and Kara Zor-El is rumored to be played by Milly Alcock. Edi Gathegi is listed as playing Mister Terrific, which is a pretty deep pull for casual moviegoers. Barry’s Anthony Carrigan will be playing Metamorpho, which is a great casting choice. We’ll have to see what other surprises the film will have in store.

What’s It About?

Of course, we don’t know yet. With superheroes being big money makers at the box office, they tend to get pretty tightlipped about the films’ plots until they get closer to release. As long as it’s not about Lex Luthor trying to pull off a real estate scheme or another origin story. We have gotten both done over and over again in the past. Even Brandon Routh’s Superman Returns ended up with Luthor creating an entire island of Kryptonite. When will that guy have enough land?

For years, comic fans have been clamoring to see Lex Luthor in his battle armor and for Brainiac to make an appearance. Both have happened in the TV shows that were on the CW for years, but maybe it’s finally time to happen in James Gunn’s Superman. Hopefully, James Gunn will listen, as both things are way overdue. The recent photo of David Corenswet in the new Superman suit shows something big happening in the background that could indicate a Braniac appearance.

The hope for the film is to show that Superman’s old-school morals are still relevant to a modern audience. One thing Snyder’s Man Of Steel was dinged for was throwing out his old values for a contemporary sensibility. He even kills Zod at the end. Many said his old values didn’t work anymore, but Marvel then showed that was false in Captain America: Winter Soldier. I hope Gunn keeps this in mind and brings us a throwback to what Superman used to stand for.

The Suit

An interesting thing about the new Superman suit is the biggest reappearance in the franchise. The red trunks are back! As time passed, DC Comics started to phase out the trunks of their characters. They said it was from a bygone era that had been irrelevant for decades. Strong Men in the circus were shown to wear trunks over their tights, and the characters’ original designs used this. Most don’t even know why that was a thing, and they were eliminated across the board. They have come back in the comics for Superman, and now it looks like they are back in James Gunn’s Superman.

When Can We See It?

It’s going to be a while. Production started in March and won’t hit screens until July 11th, 2025. This year, the only DC movie we are getting in the theater is the follow-up to the Joker film. If you’re craving superhero action, head to your favorite streaming service and rent the animated Crisis On Infinite Earths films. The three-part animated film has lots of Superman action and is a fun adaptation of the classic comic story.

Are you excited for James Gunn’s Superman? Let us know in the comments.

The post Everything We Know About James Gunn’s Superman appeared first on JoBlo.

Yesterday, we posted our rankings of all the Planet of the Apes movies, and now, with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes in theaters and ruling the box office, we wanted to put the question to all of you! What are the best Planet of the Apes movies? Let us know by taking the poll below!

The post POLL: What’s Your Favorite Planet of the Apes Movie? appeared first on JoBlo.

Hades 2 is here, bringing with it all kinds of questions about how to gather materials, unlock the ward, and a whole lost of other things. Well, we’ve got answers. We’ll also shine a little light on the darkness of Shadow Moses with some fun tips for Metal Gear Solid, get you started right in V Rising, and more.

Read more…

Hades 2 is here, bringing with it all kinds of questions about how to gather materials, unlock the ward, and a whole lost of other things. Well, we’ve got answers. We’ll also shine a little light on the darkness of Shadow Moses with some fun tips for Metal Gear Solid, get you started right in V Rising, and more.

Read more…

Roger Corman, a pioneering producer, actor, and King of B Movies, passed away at 98. Few people in the entertainment industry leave a mark as lasting and essential as Mr. Corman’s. With 493 producer credits, Roger Corman championed the B movie tier, giving horror fanatics, science-fiction enthusiasts, and action addicts reasons to holler at screens while pumping their fists. With a sharp eye for talent, Corman discovered industry heavyweights like Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, and more. Mr. Corman died at his home in Santa Monica, California, on May 9, while surrounded by family.

“His films were revolutionary and iconoclastic, and captured the spirit of an age. When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, ‘I was a filmmaker, just that,’” the family said in a statement.

Through New World Pictures and Concorde/New Horizons, Corman wore many hats. When he wasn’t producing, he wrote; when he wasn’t writing, he acted in various films across several genres. As a producer, Corman advocated for women to be essential to the film industry by casting them in significant roles and hiring them for high-level positions. Corman saw his fellow filmmakers as equals and strived to meet them on common ground or raise them to his level.

Roger Corman’s directorial debut was for the Western drama Five Guns West, starring John Lund, Dorothy Malone, and Mike Conners. With his foot firmly in the door, Corman continued to shoot films like Not of This Earth, Teenage Doll, Machine Gun-Kelly, his famous horror film A Bucket of Blood, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Masque of the Red Death, Roger Corman’s Frankenstein Unbound, and more.

As a writer, Corman penned The Fast and the Furious (1954), The Little Shop of Horrors (1960), Roger Corman Presents Black Scorpion, and more. He also co-wrote the 1986 remake of The Little Shop of Horrors, starring Rick Morranis, Steve Martin, Ellen Greene, and Levi Stubbs as the voice of Audrey II, the killer plant.

We here at JoBlo wish Mr. Corman’s family, friends, and fans peace and healing during this difficult time. Many of us at the site have admired Mr. Corman’s work since our love of film first blossomed. We wish him safe passage to the hereafter and thank him for his incredible contributions to the art form.

The post Roger Corman, the King of B Movies and legend of the silver screen, dies at 98 appeared first on JoBlo.

The third movie in The Strangers series, the appropriately subtitled prequel Chapter 1, had its Los Angeles premiere earlier this week, and based off of the initial reactions, it’s looking like a solid homage to the 2008 original and a way to establish the rest of the trilogy.

Our own Tyler Nichols was at the premiere for the movie, where he also chatted with director Renny Harlin and some of the movie’s stars. As for his thoughts: “The Stranger: Chapter 1 is sure to be divisive as it feels like a soft reboot of the original with a more slashery approach, but its usage of tension is what elevates it. Petsch is a great final girl and I can’t wait to see what is to come.”

Check out some of the other reactions to The Strangers: Chapter 1 below:

Maybe The Strangers: Chapter 1 isn’t looking to break any ground, but it also doesn’t need to. Most of the reviews are far from bonafide raves, but Lionsgate and Renny Harlin are all in here (as odd of an endeavor it may seem for the guy who brought us Die Hard 2 and The Long Kiss Goodnight), with this first movie arriving on May 17th and the second and third installments also hitting theaters this year. Harlin even has plans for a four-and-a-half-hour cut of the trilogy.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 has also had a pretty invasive viral marketing campaign, with characters from the movie creepily moving about last month’s Coachella and Lionsgate launching a TikTok livestream that ultimately got shut down for freaking people out. As such, the studio might want to reconsider their marketing strategy going forward – and there will be a lot of it to plan.

As for how the story itself will evolve over the span of a trilogy, Harlin said, the The Strangers: Chapter 1 “is close to the original movie in its set-up of a young couple in an isolated environment in a house and a home invasion happening for random reasons” while the subsequent movies will “explore what happens to the victims of this kind of violence and who the perpetrators are of this kind of violence. Where are they coming from and why?” That’s actually pretty compelling for an arc we never expected.

Will you be checking out The Strangers: Chapter 1 when it breaks into theaters next week? What do you think of a full trilogy?

The post First reactions say The Strangers: Chapter 1 is tense setup for trilogy appeared first on JoBlo.

Taking legal action against Disney and Lucasfilm is a monumental task, but Gina Carano is ensuring everybody – especially those she is suing  – that she is up for the challenge. This all stems from Carano being fired from The Mandalorian over a series of viewpoints on gender, the Covid-19 pandemic and more, something that triggered the former MMA fighter to enact legal action.

Gina Carano maintained that she was unjustly canned from The Mandalorian, a move that found her being defended by co-star Bill Burr, in addition to Elon Musk, who offered to foot her legal bills. While Disney and Lucasfilm sought to have the case tossed, Carano has refused to back down. Here is a partial response to the studios’ request to dismiss, as per Deadline: “After admitting that they discriminated against Carano for her personal political beliefs and subjected her to disparate treatment from her similarly situated male co-stars, The Walt Disney Company, Lucasfilm LTD, and Huckleberry Industries (collectively, “Defendants”) assert that the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives them absolute immunity. Defendants are incorrect.”

The response on behalf of Gina Carano also maintains that “there are no facts in the Complaint to suggest that Carano’s claims implicate, let alone clearly establish, the First Amendment interests Defendants assert…They only assert that they have absolute First Amendment immunity to terminate any actor for any reason they see fit. The law does not support their claim.” A hearing over the dismissal request is set for next month.

Gina Carano previously said that she hoped to have her name cleared of any clear wrongdoing, although that’s going to be tough to do for a number of reasons: one, she is going up against powerhouses in the industry; two, her social media posts and other comments are highly questionable and damaging to say the very least.

Gina Carano played Cara Dune in the first two seasons of The Mandalorian before she was fired back in 2021, with the character ultimately being written out of the show as well, only briefly being mentioned in season three.

What do you think will come of Gina Carano’s legal action against Disney and Lucasfilm? Where do you see her acting career going?

The post Gina Carano moving forward with Disney, Lucasfilm lawsuit appeared first on JoBlo.