It’s fair to say that Ridley Scott knows a thing or two about action, but the director tackled what could be the biggest action sequence of his career with Gladiator II.

“We begin the film with probably the biggest action sequence I’ve ever done,” Scott teased to Empire. “Probably bigger than anything in Napoleon.” The first trailer for Gladiator II teased quite a number of crazy action sequences, including a flooded Colosseum and a rampaging rhino. Speaking of that rhino, Scott had originally envisioned it for the first movie, but it was deemed too expensive at the time. Thanks to modern technologies, he was finally able to pull it off.

“Computerisation and AI — you have to embrace it,” Scott said. “I can have a computer read every molecule and wrinkle on a rhino and then cut it on a thick piece of plastic, absolutely as a rhino’s body, which is then tailored to a skeleton shape. I have this thing that can do 40 miles an hour, spin on the spot, wag its head and snarl. A two-ton rhino with a guy on its back! I mean, it’s a lot of fun.“

“From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome,” reads the official Gladiator II synopsis. “Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.“

Gladiator II is set to hit theaters on November 11th, the same day as Wicked, which has some hoping that we’ve got Barbenheimer 2.0 on our hands, including Gladiator sequel star Paul Mescal. “Wickdiator doesn’t really roll off the tongue does it? I think my preference would probably be Glicked if it has a similar effect to what it did for Barbie and Oppenheimer,” Mescal said. “It would be amazing ’cause I think the films couldn’t be more polar opposites and it worked in that context previously. So fingers crossed people come out and see both films on opening weekend.“

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Clone High has, er uh, been cancelled after two seasons by Max, bringing the saga of the clones to an end… er uh, again.

“Although Max will not proceed with a third season of Clone High, we will always cherish our creative partnership with Chris Miller, Phil Lord, Bill Lawrence, Erica Rivinoja, Erik Durbin, Judah Miller, Corey Campodonico, Alex Bulkley, and the team at MTV Entertainment Studios,” Max said in a statement obtained by TVLine. “The incredibly talented voice actors, writers, cast and crew provided the opportunity to thaw out these legendary characters.“

The original Clone High series was created by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Bill Lawrence, all of whom have returned for the revival. Dubbed a “modern refresh” of the original series, Clone High is “set at a high school for clones of historical figures. After a high school that was secretly being run as an elaborate military experiment to clone the greatest minds in history was put on ice, the clones have been thawed out 20 years later to resume the experiment with new clone classmates – all while navigating a new set of cultural norms and overly dramatic teen relationships.“

The returning cast included Will Forte as Abe, Nicole Sullivan as Joan, Phil Lord as Scudworth, Chris Miller as JFK and Mr. B, Donald Faison as George Washington Carner, and Judah Miller as Scangrade. Christa Miller, who voiced Cleo in the original series, instead voiced Candide Sampson. The role of Cleo was filled by Mitra Jouhari. The rest of the new cast included Ayo Edebiri as Harriet, Vicci Martinez as Frida, Kelvin Yu as Confucious, Neil Casey as Topher Bus, Jana Schmieding as Sacagawea, Sam Richardson as Wesley, Mo Gaffney as Ms. Grumbles, Al Madrigal as Frederico; Danny Pudi as Dr. Neelankavil, Emily Maya Mills as Ethel Merman, Michael Bolton as Michael Bolton, Mandy Moore as Mandy Moore, Ian Ziering as Ian Ziering, and Steve Kerr as Steve Kerr.

One of the original Clone High characters was not featured in the revival. Of course, I’m talking about Gandhi. The character sparked protests in India, as they were outraged by the show’s depiction of the real-life figure. In the revival, Gandhi was left on ice, with Lord saying, “The reason the show was cancelled in the first place was because of Gandhi, so we didn’t want to have it cancelled again before it even started.” Miller added, “We’re stupid, but not that stupid.“

I’ll admit that the Clone High revival didn’t quite hit the same buttons as the original did for me, but I’m still saddened that it’s been cancelled. What did you think of the series?

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Deadpool & Wolverine is a massive success, grossing over $444.3 million over its opening weekend, instantly making it the eighth highest-grossing movie of the year. This is especially impressive considering that this is Marvel’s first leap into R-rated waters. To celebrate the movie’s success, Hugh Jackman has recreated the classic Wolverine meme (you know the one) on Instagram.

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A post shared by Hugh Jackman (@thehughjackman)

In response, Ryan Reynolds posted his own take on the Wolverine meme. Love it.

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A post shared by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds)

The success of Deadpool & Wolverine has even spilled over to other movies, such as The Proposal, the 2009 romantic comedy starring Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. Fans have been revisiting the movie since the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, which has caused it to shoot up to #15 on Hulu in the U.S.

Taking place six years after the events of the last movie, Deadpool & Wolverine finds Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) toiling away in civilian life with his days as Deadpool behind him. But when his homeworld faces an existential threat, he must suit up once again and convince a reluctant Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to help save his universe. In addition to Reynolds and Jackman, the cast also includes Matthew Macfadyen, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand, Shioli Kutsuna, Rob Delany, Stefan Kapičić, and more.

Our own Chris Bumbray had a lot of fun with Deadpool & Wolverine, which sounds like a real crowd-pleaser. “Have you ever been to a concert and wished that your favourite band would stop playing their not-as-good new stuff and play the hits? That’s exactly what Marvel is doing with Deadpool & Wolverine,” Bumbray wrote in his review. “After a rough run of movies, with many saying their Phase 5 has been disastrous, this feels like an everything but the kitchen-sink attempt by the company to win back those fans who feel alienated by the new direction the company seemed to be heading in. With this, you have a rock ‘em, sock ‘em thrill ride that delivers fans exactly the movie they wanted to see, with nary a message to be found amidst all the charred, sliced and diced corpses our heroes leave in their wake. It’s glorious fun.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s spoiler-free review right here, and don’t forget to let us know what you think of Deadpool & Wolverine as well!

The post Ryan Reynolds & Hugh Jackman recreate classic Wolverine meme to celebrate the success of Deadpool & Wolverine appeared first on JoBlo.

I’m convinced that this year’s Olympics are for the gamers. A while ago, a runner who was on his way to the Olympics kept flashing Yu-Gi-Oh cards before his races. Then, the Games actually began with an apparent nod to Assassin’s Creed, complete with rooftop parkour and hooded figures. There was even a Hunter from Destiny 2

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I’m convinced that this year’s Olympics are for the gamers. A while ago, a runner who was on his way to the Olympics kept flashing Yu-Gi-Oh cards before his races. Then, the Games actually began with an apparent nod to Assassin’s Creed, complete with rooftop parkour and hooded figures. There was even a Hunter from Destiny 2

Read more…

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is only a couple months away, and before today we didn’t have a good idea what it really looked like to play. Now, a new trailer teases the fantasy sports game in action, along with famous characters and a character creator that doesn’t seem saddled with franchise creator J.K.…

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Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is only a couple months away, and before today we didn’t have a good idea what it really looked like to play. Now, a new trailer teases the fantasy sports game in action, along with famous characters and a character creator that doesn’t seem saddled with franchise creator J.K.…

Read more…

Almost exactly one year has passed since we heard that production had wrapped on Manborg, Father’s Day, The Void, Leprechaun Returns, and Psycho Goreman director Steven Kostanski’s horror comedy Frankie Freako, which is said to be a “commemoration of various practical FX-led projects including Gremlins 2: The New Batch and Ghoulies Go to College.” We still don’t know of a release date for this one, but the movie did just have its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival, and we got our hands on the teaser trailer, which you can watch in the embed above. Shout! Studio holds the U.S. distribution rights to Frankie Freako.

The story follows Conor Sweeney (The Editor) as a workaholic yuppie with a dilemma: no one in his life respects him! Not his boss, not his coworkers, not even his wife Kristina, who thinks he’s an uptight “square”! Conor sees no way out of this existential rut until one night channel-surfing he catches a bizarre ad for a party hotline hosted by a strange dancing goblin: Frankie Freako. Conor is entranced by Frankie’s promises of wild and freaky adventures, just a phone call away – could this be the recipe to spice up his flavorless life? Home alone for the weekend, Conor works up the courage to dial the number for the Frankie Freako hotline. As soon as the call connects, it unleashes chaos into his white-collar world, releasing Frankie and his troublemaker friends from their dimensional prison. It’s a race against time as Conor must defeat the rambunctious ruffians and clean up their trail of destruction before Kristina returns from her trip, all while going on an unexpected journey of self-discovery.

Sweeney is joined in the cast by Adam Brooks (The Return) and Kristy Wordsworth (The Spy Who Never Dies).

Kostanski provided the following statement to Bloody Disgusting: “The little monster movie is a subgenre beloved by horror fans. Franchises like Critters, Ghoulies and Puppet Master are still immensely popular despite there being no recent entries in the franchises. Frankie Freako is my vision for the next tiny monster franchise, brought to life through a combination of modern visual effects as well as old-school practical puppeteering techniques. Additionally, I envision the film as my personal take on the Evil Dead 2 format: it is a contained story centered around one flawed man fighting an onslaught of tiny terrors, with each set-piece escalating in absurdity and inventiveness. Frankie Freako is meant to be the complete antithesis of the current trend of overly self-serious A24- style horror films, with a tone more akin to early Tim Burton films like Beetlejuice or Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.“

Sounds like a good time to me!

Are you interested in Frankie Freako? Take a look at the teaser trailer, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Frankie Freako teaser trailer gives a preview of Steven Kostanski’s tribute to Gremlins 2 and Ghoulies 3 appeared first on JoBlo.

Twenty-seven years after the release of the the slasher I Know What You Did Last Summer (watch it HERE) and twenty-six years after the follow-up I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (watch that one HERE), Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. might be reprising the roles of Julie James and Ray Bronson in a new sequel, which is set for a July 18, 2025 release date. When this project was first announced, Hewitt and Prinze were mentioned in the announcement like their involvement was a sure thing – but we’ve since found out that wasn’t the case, as they didn’t even start contract negotiations until long after that. Hewitt confirmed a couple of months ago that she was in talks to come back for the new film, and now Prinze has finally confirmed that he is as well, telling Us Weekly that he is “motivated” to close the deal.

Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Do Revenge) is attached to direct the film from a screenplay by Leah McKendrick (M.F.A.), and McKendrick told Collider a while back that the new sequel will reckon with “some big ideas about hero and villain, right and wrong, how your skeletons come back to haunt you. And in the age of the internet and the age where fame is such a revered concept, the creation of TikTok and social media, who is Julie James in a world where there are no secrets anymore?“ McKendrick also said that when she went in to pitch her take to Sony, the most important things they wanted to hear about were “the accident, the event that kicks it off, and who the killer is.“

I Know What You Did Last Summer was directed by Jim Gillespie from a screenplay by Kevin Williamson that was inspired by a Lois Duncan novel. The film has the following synopsis: A year after running over a fisherman and dumping his body in the water, four friends reconvene when Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) receives a frightening letter telling her that their crime was seen. While pursuing who he thinks is responsible for the letter, Barry (Ryan Phillippe) is run over by a man with a meat hook. The bloodletting only increases from there, as the killer with the hook continues to stalk Julie, Helen (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.).

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer was directed by Danny Cannon from a screenplay by Trey Callaway. The synopsis: A year after killing vengeful hit-and-run victim Ben Wills (Muse Watson), who gutted her friends with an iron hook, college student Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) is still shaken by the experience. When her roommate, Karla (Brandy), wins a vacation for four to the Bahamas, she plans to bring along her boyfriend, Tyrell (Mekhi Phifer), attractive Will (Matthew Settle) and Julie. At the resort, Julie starts receiving threatening notes and realizes Ben is still alive.

Prinze told Us Weekly, “Nothing’s a lock until there’s ink on paper, until the contract’s signed, but I’m definitely talking to them. And if we can make everything work — and I know they wanna make everything work, I know I wanna make everything work — then we’ll try and make it work. But we gotta make sure everyone’s schedules fit. Everybody has to be happy with the script. I know Jen Robinson, the director, and I like Jen Robinson very much as a director and as a person. I think people like her are the future of this business. So there’s a lot of good things that make me want to do the movie. I’m motivated, I know they’re motivated. I know both sides are trying to make it work. And hopefully we do.“

While we wait for Hewitt and Prinze to close their deals, we know that Camila Mendes (Riverdale), Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), Sarah Pidgeon (Tiny Beautiful Things), Tyriq Withers (Atlanta), and Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid) have signed on to star in the film.

Are you hoping to see Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. in the new I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Boogiemen come in all shapes and sizes. They hide beneath your bed, lurk in shadows, and patiently wait to devour you from the depths of your closet. Children try to avoid them at all costs, but now and then, one is so determined to sink its pointed teeth into your tasty meats that it’ll ignore every ward and warning to claim its prize. Today’s Bagman trailer features a sinister ghoul who snatches children and stuffs them into a haunted bag, like Krampus’s kleptomaniac cousin.

Here’s the official synopsis for Bagman courtesy of Lionsgate:

In the dark horror film Bagman, a family finds themselves ensnared in a nightmare as they are hunted by a malevolent, mythical creature. For centuries and across cultures, parents have warned their children of the legendary Bagman, who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag—never to be seen again. Patrick McKee (Sam Claflin) narrowly escaped such an encounter as a boy, which left him with lasting scars throughout his adulthood. Now, Patrick’s childhood tormentor has returned, threatening the safety of his wife Karina (Antonia Thomas) and son Jake (Caréll Rhoden).

Colm McCarthy (The Girl With All the Gifts, Outcast) directs Bagman from a script by John Hulme. Sharon D. Clarke, Steven Cree, William Hope, Adelle Leonce, Peter McDonald, Henry Pettigrew, and Will Davis also star.

In today’s Bagman trailer, Sam Claflin’s Patrick faces a nightmare from his past as a mythological figure used to keep children from misbehaving reemerges to finish what it started. As the kids disappear, the Bagman targets Patrick and his wife Karina’s son Jake, almost as if to taunt Patrick into coming after it. Sick and tired of living in fear, and with his son’s life on the line, Patrick attempts to solve the mystery of the Bagman and rid the world of its evil deeds before it can contort Jake into another trinket for his vile bag of tricks.

Did you encounter anything similar to the Bagman when you were a child? My grandfather used to tell us stories of a little boy he met at a funeral home who followed him home to stand outside his window at night. The child would tap on the glass of his bedroom, begging to come in and play. My grandfather delighted in scaring the daylights out of me and my cousins. He even told us he eventually killed the boy, and he buried the body in the basement of his house. They house we would visit for years. We never got much sleep in that house. I miss my grandfather. He was a riot.

What do you think of today’s Bagman trailer? Let us know in the comments section below.

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