Month: October 2024

keanu reeves, sandra bullock

Earlier this summer, Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock would reunite for an interview on the 50 MPH podcast, where they were asked the inevitable question of whether there will be a Speed 3. Reeves would show his confidence that he and Bullock could do it when he said, “I mean, you know — we’d freakin’ knock it out of the park.” Bullock noted that their chemistry is too good to let go to waste, “Before I die, before I leave this planet, I do think that Keanu and I need to do something in front of the camera. Are we, you know, in wheelchairs or with walkers? Maybe. Are we on little scooters at Disneyland?” Reeves added, “It does feel like there is a siren call to it, like there’s something that wasn’t done. I would love to work with you again before our eyes close.“

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bullock and Reeves would reunite again with their Speed director, Jan de Bont, for a special 30th anniversary screening of their film about a bus that couldn’t slow down. All three would partake in a Q&A session at the screening, where de Bullock addressed the topic of a new sequel. Bullock would turn her attention to Jan de Bont in answering the question, “He’s the man who put the energy and the idea together, knew what the audience wanted and demanded it from everyone and everyone stepped up to play it. So what would that movie be that would make Jan’s brain and brilliance happy? It would require a lot from everybody. I don’t know if we’re in an industry anymore that’s willing to tolerate it and be brave enough to do it. Maybe I could be wrong. … If he can’t make [what’s in his brain] for the audience, then he’s failed it felt like. I don’t know what we could do that would be good enough for the audience.”

Reeves would reveal that he originally turned down the movie and he would eventually change his mind when he met with de Bont, “I read the second draft, and the next draft and I was like, oh yeah, OK…it could be fun. I met this mad genius and I was like, oh f*** yeah, this is a director. This is a person with a vision. This is someone who has a passion for this story. At the time, I guess what struck me was the cinematographer on Die Hard. That he shot that, I was like, f*** yeah.”

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PLOT: Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.

REVIEW: When you think Terrifier, you usually think Art the Clown and a whole lot of murder. And if there’s one thing he’s good at, it’s the red stuff. The one issue I’ve always had with the Terrifier series is that it’s always been lacking in narrative. It mostly felt like moving from kill to kill and trying to soak in the trauma of it all. The second one introduces more background but it still doesn’t feel like a cohesive story. Finally, Terrifier 3 feels like what the series was always meant to be.

Terrifier 3 picks up five years after the events of 2, with the survivors just trying to live their lives. Sienna (Lauren LaVera) still has a lot of PTSD. And it only gets worse when she starts seeing Art the Clown yet again, and townsfolk start getting violently murdered. Her brother Jonathan is much more of a side character this time around (thank god) and we get a whole Christmas theme. Despite this, it doesn’t feel overly holiday-themed, giving enough of its own identity to not solely be grouped as Christmas horror. This can definitely be watched at any time of the year.

The entire opening sequence is ridiculously impressive. It’s pretty much what you would expect from a slasher but it ramps things up so quickly and heads firmly into: “Did they just do that?” territory. It’s one of many iconic scenes that puts shocking kills at the forefront but makes sure not to skimp on the tension. There are great shots that fully utilize the Christmas atmosphere. The acting is much better this time around, with nearly everyone that returns improving their performances. There are some really funny cameos from the world of horror like Clint Howard, Tom Savini, Daniel Roebuck, and Jason Patric.

I was skeptical about Art the Clown being touted as being a “legendary horror villain” with so many limited appearances. But I’m finally starting to see it. David Howard Thornton brings some maniacal joy to Art that can’t be matched. When Art isn’t murdering, I love how much more lore is added to the series. They add just enough to give more of a clear image of his evil, without going overboard with origin. Art becomes more and more intriguing with every entry because there’s still a layer of mystery surrounding him.

One element I loved was the introduction of a girl obsessed with Art and his killings. There’s a great moment where she talks all about Art’s exploits as he gets giddy out in the hallway, hearing all of his achievements. Moments like that help to bring in the fun versus soaking in the traumatic moments. While there is certainly a fair share of brutal scenes, it’s all presented in such an entertaining way. The setup and payoff are expertly handled.

If I had to complain about anything it’s some of the stereotypical story beats. The fact that people still don’t believe Sienna after all she’s gone through results in nothing but frustration and annoyance. But it doesn’t make their murders all the more satisfying. There’s also a child character that doesn’t entirely work and I wish was excised completely. And I’d still argue there’s no reason for a film like this to be over 2 hours long. Despite that, Terrifier 3 is a lot of fun. By not selling out to a studio,Damien Leone continues to be absolutely relentless in his pursuit of horrific murder. Art even takes aim at children this time (quite a few times) so this isn’t for the sensitive.  And that’s precisely the kind of franchise the horror world needs right now.

TERRIFIER 3 will release In Theaters Nationwide on October 11, 2024

Terrifier 4


Terrifier 3

GREAT

8

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dogma smith

We don’t know if Satan sold his soul to get the deal made on this one, but Kevin Smith has shared some incredible news for Dogma fans. After years upon years of Dogma being under the grip of Harvey Weinstein, the writer/director revealed that that’s no offer the case and he now has direct access to his controversial 1999 comedy. So what’s next? Smith wants to hit the road!

Speaking with That Hashtag Show, Kevin Smith announced that Dogma has found a new home and may have longer legs than ever before. “The movie has been bought away from the guy that had it for years and whatnot. The company that bought it, we met with them a couple months ago. They were like, ‘Would you be interested in re-releasing it and touring it like you do with your movies?’ I said ‘100 percent, are you kidding me? Touring a movie that I know people like, and it’s sentimental and nostalgic? Like, we’ll clean up.’”

As for a time frame on when we can expect Dogma to make the rounds, Kevin Smith noted that the movie marks its 25th anniversary this year…unfortunately, it won’t be that quick of a turnaround. Instead, the target is next year once a few more items get in order. He, too, is hoping for a proper home video re-release, something Dogma has sorely been missing for far too long.

Smith, too, hinted not just at a tour and a possibly Blu-ray but also a sequel and possibly even TV versions, citing the cast of Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Chris Rock, and Selma Hayak as still active in the business and thus possibly options to build on the world. And if not that, they could at least participate in the roadshow in some capacity.

Rumors that Kevin Smith himself had snatched up the rights to Dogma began circulating earlier this year, but now that he has brought word of it outside of screenings, it feels much more real.

What do you think the reputation of Dogma is 25 years after its release? How do you think the movie would be accepted today?

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The Goriest, Bloodiest Films Ever Made: some of our favorites

Do you like blood? Violence? Freaks of nature? Well, here at Arrow in the Head, we love all of those things – and that has inspired us to put together this list of some of The Goriest, Bloodiest Films Ever Made. Some of the movies are on here due to their historical significance, some are due to the amount of fake blood that was used during the production, and all of them are quite messy. Here we go:

The Goriest, Bloodiest Films Ever Made

Blood Feast (1963)

This is where it all began. In the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, independent filmmaker Herschell Gordon Lewis and his producing partner David F. Friedman were looking at the major movies of the day to find what they could offer the moviegoing public that the studios weren’t providing. They started out with “nudie cutie” sexploitation movies, meeting the demand for bare flesh. After taking note that violence in movies had always been rather tame and/or relatively bloodless, even in Alfred Hitchcock’s recent proto-slasher hit Psycho, they decided that, with the next stage of their careers, they would bring gore to the movies, in vibrant color. Armed with animal parts collected from butcher shops and a blood mixture with the secret ingredient of Kaopectate, Lewis and Friedman brought the world Blood Feast. It tells the story of caterer Fuad Ramses, a devotee of the ancient Egyptian goddess Ishtar. 5000 years ago, Ishtar’s followers would offer up human sacrifices to their deity, sacrificing female virgins to appease her and then feeding on their flesh and blood. Fuad Ramses believes it’s time to bring back the old ways. After booking a job to cook up an Egyptian feast for an unsuspecting woman, Ramses sets out to collect the ingredients he’ll need to make a traditional feast in the name of Ishtar. He stalks the Miami area, killing nubile girls and hacking off body parts from his victims – a leg from one, the tongue from another, a brain, blood collected from whip wounds, etc. Lewis made several more blood-soaked movies after this one, most notably Two Thousand Maniacs!, earning himself the nickname “the Godfather of Gore” along the way. And every time we’ve seen a slasher make a bloody mess of their victims since 1963, we’ve had H.G. Lewis and Fuad Ramses to thank for it.

Bloodiest Films Ever Made: Tokyo Gore Police

Tokyo Gore Police (2008) 

Asian horror films and Japanese horror in particular have a ton of entries where the blood flows freely and impressively. One of the goriest movies to come out of Japan is Tokyo Gore Police, as you might have guessed from its title. Just a quick look at its trailer will be enough to convince anyone who loves to watch insane bloodshed to order it ASAP. The film has some of the most insane set-ups in terms of characters having body modifications and the blood shed by some of them is just beautifully insane in quantity. The film was shot in just two weeks and the total amount of fake blood used is not clear, but it definitely was a whole lot. This film is over-the-top in just about every aspect and it appeals only to a very specific audience, but for those folks, it’s a beauty to behold. Director Yoshihiro Nishimura is better known as a makeup effects artist with films such as Meatball Machine Kodoku, Mutant Girl Squad, and the Tomie series on his filmography. His movies feature some gooey, juicy, and gory stuff, so having his name attached to this can only be a good omen for those who have yet to see the film. 

bloodies films, dead alive

Braindead, a.k.a. Dead-Alive (1992) 

Whether you call it Braindead or Dead-Alive, this horror comedy from Peter Jackson is a longtime favorite for many horror fans, both for its sense of humor and for the sheer amount of blood, gore, and practical effects seen throughout the film. The moment where an ear falls into a bowl of soup may be the grossest scene in the film, but it’s definitely not the bloodiest. One of the most famous gore sequences in cinema history is the one where lead Lionel, played by Timothy Balme, faces a horde of zombies that just keep on coming, forcing him to use whatever he can to dispatch them as fast as he can. In this moment, he gets his trusty lawnmower and just decimates the horde of zombies with blood and limbs flying in every direction. Three hundred gallons of fake blood are said to have been used in the final scene of the film alone. And to think, everything that happens in this movie was all caused by a little Sumatran Rat Monkey.

The new episode of the Deconstructing... video series looks back at director Fede Alvarez's 2013 reboot of Evil Dead.

Evil Dead (2013) 

If any Evil Dead movie were to show up on this list, you might have expected it to be Sam Raimi’s original, with its messy demon meltdowns, or Evil Dead II, with its blood flood… but it’s actually the 2013 Evil Dead, directed by Fede Alvarez, that holds the unofficial record for the largest amount of fake blood ever used on a movie production. Alvarez has said in interviews that 50,000 gallons of fake blood were used just during the climax of the film, which features blood literally raining from the sky. Other reports have the total amount of fake blood used at 70,000 gallons for the whole film. The original had about 300 gallons used, so the filmmakers really upped their blood game on this one. Adding to that, this Evil Dead was mostly shot in order, so the blood sprayed on the walls, props, and actors could remain and help with continuity, avoiding having to have the crew re-spray the same places later or go back and adjust blood on previously shot scenes. Most of the blood may not come out of human bodies, but when bringing the violence to the screen, Alvarez made sure to include moments that are likely to make pretty much any viewer cringe.

Bloodiest Films Ever Made: Terrifier 2

Terrifier 2 (2022) 

This low budget, independent production beat all odds and became a box office success with only a few screens and word of mouth to get tickets sold. Writer/director Damien Leone went into Terrifier 2 wanting to make one of the goriest, bloodiest films of all time. Some absolutely love the result and others just hate it; there seems to be no middle ground when it comes of the adventures of supernatural serial killer Art the Clown. In this sequel, Art had to increase his bloodshed and thus causes all kinds of mayhem and murder, allowing the viewer to see a cat o’ nine tails used on two people, mashed potatoes used in a whole new way, a very particular birth sequence, and more death and mayhem than the first film could ever have dared. The amount of blood and guts here caused the film to earn torture porn accusations and a boundary-pushing NC-17 rating.  

Let us know your goriest film favorites in the comments below!

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Best werewolf movies arrow in the head

While the werewolf is one of the coolest creatures ever imagined, there seems to be a belief that there hasn’t been many good werewolf movies. So we here at Arrow in the Head decided to take a look back at the films that have been made over the decades and compile a list of the Best Werewolf Movies. Check out our picks below, and leave a comment letting us know what your favorite werewolf movies are!

Best werewolf movies 2

WOLF (1994)

Wolf is generally not a highly regarded movie, which is kind of shocking when you take into account that it was directed by Mike Nichols, started off as an idea from Legends of the Fall writer Jim Harrison (his script was rewritten – and neutered, he felt – by Wesley Strick), and has a cast packed with Oscar winners and nominees. Well, it is rather dull for large stretches of its overly long 125 minute running time and there’s way too much about the lead character’s job at a publishing house, but still, it is a movie about Jack Nicholson turning into a werewolf and having a climactic brawl with another wolfman played by James Spader. You can’t completely disregard a film that has elements as awesome as that.

Best werewolf movies 3

SILVER BULLET (1985)

Based on a Stephen King novella that featured Bernie Wrightson artwork (a collaboration that was originally intended to be a calendar), director Dan Attias’s Silver Bullet is about a werewolf terrorizing the town of Tarker’s Mills, Maine throughout most of 1976 – a set-up that allows for some very cool attack scenes. Corey Haim and Megan Follows star as the young siblings who are determined to figure out who this werewolf is, and Gary Busey co-stars as their alcoholic uncle. While the novella was called Cycle of the Werewolf, the film is called Silver Bullet not only because that’s what’s required to kill the werewolf that’s making a mess of people, it’s also the name of the souped-up motorized wheelchair Haim’s character gets around in.

The Monster Squad

THE MONSTER SQUAD (1987)

The Wolfman is just one of several monsters in The Monster Squad, a Universal Monsters tribute (not released by Universal) about a group of young horror fans who realize their town is being invaded by classic creatures. He shares the screen with Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Mummy, and the Gillman, and writer/director Fred Dekker and co-writer Shane Black gave us great versions of each one of them. The Wolfman’s face is a bit goofy looking, but he’s involved in some awesome scenes, like the one where he gets blown up with dynamite and then his body reforms, because the only way to stop him is with a silver bullet. He’s also the subject of one of the great laugh lines in horror comedy history, “Wolfman’s got nards!”

Best werewolf movies 4

WEREWOLF OF LONDON (1935)

Director Stuart Walker’s Werewolf of London is the film that gave the world the modern concept of the werewolf. The ideas that a person becomes a werewolf after being bitten by one and turns into a werewolf under a full moon, they come from Werewolf of London. The film stars Henry Hull as a man who is bitten by a werewolf during a trip to Tibet, then starts turning into a werewolf himself after he returns home to London. The wolfman makeup was created by Jack Pierce, whose first design for the creature was rejected because it covered up Hull’s features too much. He would put that rejected design on Lon Chaney Jr. in The Wolf Man six years later.

The Wolf Man Lon Chaney Jr. George Waggner Evelyn Ankers

THE WOLF MAN (1941)

Speaking of The Wolf Man, that George Waggner-directed film not only features the better Jack Pierce werewolf design, it also takes the ideas introduced in Werewolf of London and uses them as the foundation for an even better, more effective movie. Lon Chaney Jr. stars as Larry Talbot, who is bitten by a wolf during a trip home to Wales after spending a couple decades in America. Soon he’s turning into the title character and terrorizing his neighbors. He appears to be put out of his misery in the end, but Chaney would be back as Larry Talbot for four more films, where he would meet the likes of Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, and Abbott and Costello. He did a fantastic job in the role every time.

The Mark of the Wolfman Enrique Lopez Eguiluz Paul Naschy

THE MARK OF THE WOLFMAN (1968)

Aside from Lon Chaney Jr., the actor best known for playing a wolfman multiple times is Spanish actor Paul Naschy, who kicked off his own wolfman franchise with The Mark of the Wolfman in 1968. Directed by Enrique Lopez Eguiluz, the film stars Naschy as Count Waldemar Daninsky, who becomes a werewolf after being bitten by one and seeks help from a doctor who turns out to be a Satan-worshipping vampire. In the end, our hero has to fight the werewolf that bit him, the doctor, and the doctor’s vampire bride. With a plot like that, it’s no wonder The Mark of the Wolfman proved to be so popular that Naschy was able to make eleven more Waldemar Daninsky movies (although one of them was never completed because the director died during production).

An American Werewolf in London

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (1981)

Writer/director John Landis’s An American Werewolf in London is one of the most popular horror films of the 1980s due to its strong sense of humor and the mind-blowing special effects provided by Rick Baker, including the greatest on-screen werewolf transformation of all time. The title really tells the story: an American backpacker (David Naughton) is attacked by a werewolf while in London, becomes a werewolf himself, and terrorizes London. The execution of that simple story, which involves crazy dream sequences, some terrific and frequently amusing dialogue, and the werewolf being haunted by the rotting corpses of its victims, makes An American Werewolf in London a delight. Rick Baker won the first of his seven (so far) Oscars for his work on this film.

Bad Moon

BAD MOON (1996)

Eric Red’s Bad Moon (watch or own it here) still shines bright to this day as one as the most underrated cinematic tales of lethal lycanthropy out there. At 80 minutes, the flick flies by and remains genuinely terrifying throughout due to its excellent FX work, impressive animatronics (both provided by the genius Steve Johnson), and disturbingly gruesome makeup shown during each brutal on-screen vitiation. The terror is ameliorated by the pure pathos elicited by Michael Pare and the trio of German Shepherds who played the ONE hero dog, all of which is bundled tightly and terrifically by Eric Red’s terse direction.

The Howling

THE HOWLING (1981)

The Howling is technically based on a novel by Gary Brandner, but director Joe Dante and screenwriter John Sayles were not faithful to the source material when crafting the adaptation – and in the process, they made a movie that’s better than the book. Dee Wallace stars as news anchor Karen White, who goes to an “experimental living community” for some therapeutic relaxation after a traumatic encounter with a serial killer. She soon discovers that the community is made up of werewolves. The serial killer was one of them, and her husband (Christopher Stone) is becoming one of them as well. This is a clever film, boasts a great cast, and thanks to effects artist Rob Bottin it features some of the best werewolves ever put on screen.

Dog Soldiers

DOG SOLDIERS (2002)

When it comes to delivering lycanthrope action, writer/director Neil Marshall’s Dog Soldiers may be the most crowd-pleasing werewolf movie ever made. The set-up is basically a blend of Predator and Night of the Living Dead, as the film follows a group of British soldiers (including Kevin McKidd, Liam Cunningham, and Sean Pertwee) on a training exercise in the Scottish wilderness, which they’ll come to find out is infested with werewolves. Seeking shelter in an isolated country home, the soldiers spend a night fighting for their lives against the werewolves that want to bust into the place and devour them. Packed with bloody action, cool werewolves, and characters that are easy to root for, Dog Soldiers is a total blast.

Ginger Snaps

GINGER SNAPS (2000)

Emily Perkins and Katharine Isabelle deliver amazing performances as the lead characters in director John Fawcett’s Ginger Snaps, playing teenage sisters Brigitte and Ginger. The girls are outsiders in their dreary suburban hometown and extremely dependent on each other. The genius screenplay by Karen Walton has Ginger getting bitten by a werewolf at almost the exact same moment she gets her period for the first time, so she’s becoming a werewolf and a woman simultaneously – and leaving her slightly younger sister behind in the process. Appalled to see Ginger gleefully turning into a monster, Brigitte tries to find a cure for lycanthropy before it’s too late. Ginger Snaps is a truly brilliant movie with a wonderful tone, expertly balancing amusing moments, effective emotional scenes, and intense bursts of horror.

Did we miss any werewolf movies you think should have made on the list? Should The Company of Wolves (1984) have made the cut? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Matt Damon, Christopher Nolan

Deadline reports that Matt Damon is in talks to star in Christopher Nolan’s next movie. The director is sticking with Universal Pictures for this new project, which will be released in IMAX on July 17, 2026. As is typical with any Nolan project, details are being kept under wraps.

More to come…

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Spencer Treat Clark, Gladiator II, Paul Mescal

The upcoming Gladiator II stars Paul Mescal as Lucius, the character we first met as a child played by Spencer Treat Clark in the original movie. Although Clark is the right age to reprise the role (he’s actually nearly a decade older than Mescal), he wasn’t asked back for the sequel, but it doesn’t sound like he’s too upset about it.

The movie looks so good, and Paul’s going to do such a great job,” Clark told People. “I’ve actually heard great things about the movie.” The actor also noted that he made the first Gladiator movie 25 years ago, so he understands why audiences might not recall that he played the original Lucius. “I feel like it was 25 years ago, but for some people, seeing me as an adult and being like, ‘Oh my God, you’re right. You were Lucius in Gladiator,’ is so wild,” he said. “But I’m really excited to see the movie and to see what Paul brings to it. And yeah, it comes out soon. So I’m excited for it.

Paul Mescal was nervous about taking on such a big project, but he quickly learned that he needed to keep his nerves under control. “I think the very first day, and just coming out and there being a couple of hundred to a thousand SAs [supporting artists/extras], with fires burning, and the walls of Morocco, I was like, ‘Ooh – this is f***ing big,’” Mescal recently told Total Film. “But… the first thing [Ridley] said before filming was, ‘Your nerves are no f***ing good to me.’ Which is Ridley in a nutshell, but it’s the perfect thing to say, because it’s so liberating. He’s totally right.” Should the film do well, Mescal could return for Gladiator III, which Scott is already working on.

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.” The film is set to hit theaters on November 22nd.

Spencer Treat Clark can currently be seen in ‘Salem’s Lot, which is now streaming on Max. You can check out a review from our own Tyler Nicols right here.

Would you have liked to have seen Spencer Treat Clark reprise the role of Lucius for Gladiator II?

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Shinobi movie, Sam Hargrave

Universal Pictures has tapped Extraction director Sam Hargrave to helm Shinobi, a movie adaptation of the video game franchise created by Sega.

Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the original Shinobi game featured Joe Musashi as a modern-day ninja who confronts great evil. Ken Kobayashi (Sunny) is writing the script for the Shinobi movie, which will be produced by Marc Platt and Adam Siegel through Marc Platt Production. Dmitri M. Johnson will produce through Story Kitchen, with Toru Nakahara producing through Sega. Mike Goldberg will executive produce alongside co-producer Timothy I. Stevenson.

The original Shinobi arcade game was released in 1987. The franchise has grown to include over a dozen games, with the latest announced at last year’s Game Awards. Universal already has a couple of successful video game movies under its belt, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie (which grossed $1.35 billion) and Five Nights at Freddy’s (which grossed $297 million). The studio is moving forward with sequels to both films.

Sam Hargrave has a couple of projects in the works. He’s set to direct Matchbox, a live-action movie from Skydance and Mattel Films based on the iconic toy brand. John Cena will star in the project, with David Coggeshall and Jonathan Tropper penning the script.

He will also direct an adaptation of Kyle M. Stark’s graphic novel Kill Them All, which follows an “elite female assassin, who, after finding out she is going to be ‘terminated’ by the criminal syndicate she’s been loyal to, decides to take them out first. Joining forces with a hard-drinking ex-cop, she embarks on a relentless action-packed assault through the 15 floors of the Syndicate’s Headquarters. Her ultimate target is the Boss, with whom she has a complicated past.

There’s also another Extraction sequel in development at Netflix with Hargrave returning alongside series star Chris Hemsworth. The actor has previously teased that he already has an idea of where Extraction 3 can go. “There is so much room for this franchise to expand and places where it can go,” Hemsworth said. “I’m excited about what that next adventure for Tyler Rake could be. We’ll see how this one does. We’ll see how people feel and respond. And if the world is craving another Tyler Rake adventure, I think it’d be something I’d be interested in seeing put up on screen.’ He grins. ‘I have an idea, but I won’t give it away here…

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Joker: Folie à Deux, Todd Phillips

Joker: Folie à Deux wasn’t meant to be a gamble. After the first film grossed over $1 billion worldwide against a budget of just $60 million, a sequel was a no-brainer. However, the studio wound up spending $200 million (plus $100 million in marketing costs) for a sequel which the fanbase is largely rejecting. So what went wrong? According to a report from Variety, someone really needed to say “no” to Joker: Folie à Deux director Todd Phillips.

The report states that Phillips “wanted nothing to do with DC” during the production of the Joker sequel. Production began just months after James Gunn and Peter Safran took control of DC. It was expected that the pair would provide feedback, but Phillips refused and would only discuss the project with Warner Bros. motion picture group chiefs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy. However, it seemed that Phillips always got his way.

Sources say that the studio wanted to shoot the film in London, where it could have saved millions, but would agree to shoot in Los Angeles if the budget was reduced. The film was shot in Los Angeles. The budget didn’t change. Warner Bros. also wasn’t keen on debuting the film at the Venice Film Festival, especially as Phillips had refused to test screen the sequel. The Venice debut marked the first time an audience had seen the film, and it didn’t go over well. A Warner Bros. spokesperson said, “Given the film contains spoilers, the studio did not want to unnecessarily divulge plot points too early to test audiences, but rather, allow moviegoers to discover the film in their own time.

The report also wonders whether Joker: Folie à Deux suffered from not having Bradley Cooper involved. He was a producer on the first movie and helped play a part in shaping the film during the editing process. Cooper and Phillips dissolved their partnership in 2021. “No one could get through to Todd,” said a source directly involved with the film. “And the one thing about genre stuff: If you don’t listen and pay attention to what the fan expectations are, you’re going to fail.” No one wants to be catered to, but they’re going to a film called Joker because of its connection to the DC character. “If the first movie was about some down-on-his-luck, mentally ill guy in a downtrodden city, it makes maybe $150 [million] worldwide. Not a billion,” said another source. “People showed up because that guy was Joker.

As it stands, Joker: Folie à Deux will need to make at least $450 million to break even. That seems increasingly unlikely.

Our own Chris Bumbray wasn’t a fan of the sequel, feeling that it only exists because the first movie made a boatload of money. “Perhaps Joker was too big of a hit not to get a sequel, but watching Joker: Folie à Deux, you get the distinct feeling that this was an exercise in style for Phillips rather than a sequel that HAD to be made,” Bumbray wrote. “As it is, though, this Joker sequel spins its wheels and winds up being an often dull courtroom movie livened up by occasional flights of fancy into musical numbers. Those sequences are the best in the film, as without them, this would feel like a wholly unnecessary epilogue to what was originally a pretty powerful film.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here, and be sure to let us know what you think of the film as well.

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