This week, perhaps nothing sparked more discussion than the announcement of the 2024 Game Awards nominees. We weighed in ourselves with a breakdown of the seven biggest surprises in what got nominated, and what didn’t. Also this week, both Sony and Microsoft announced new forays into game streaming, and we took a look…
To work with James Cameron has been a dream for many for decades, especially since he’s only made three films in the past 25 years. But when Josh Brolin had the chance to be directed by James Cameron on the Avatar sequel, he turned it down outright, promptly getting on the wrong side of the Oscar winner.
Appearing on In Depth with Graham Bensinger (via EW), Josh Brolin remembered James Cameron taking the Avatar 2 rejection as a personal slight. Now two years removed from the release of The Way of Water, Brolin admits, “I understand it, because when you have something in your mind and you have a status and a power…you’re used to people feeling really grateful that you are offering it to them.” He added, “I don’t know if that’s the case with him because I don’t know him well enough. But it was based on the [project]. It wasn’t based on him.”
Keep in mind that 2009’s Avatar still stands as the highest-grossing film ever, taking in close to $3 billion worldwide. So you knew that The Way of Water was going to get in that neighborhood, which it kind of did, being just one of just six films to ever make more than $2 billion at the worldwide box office (yes, Titanic ranks there as well). Josh Brolin probably could have talked himself into a box office point, especially if James Cameron was personally seeking him out. That Brolin turned down such a high-profile film and a potential huge payday because he just didn’t see the value in the material (despite Cameron running the show) says a lot about his character in that regard…Perhaps it had to do with the awful dialogue?
But James Cameron and Josh Brolin are obviously doing just fine without each other, with the director aiming for more Avatar movies and Brolin leaning into two entirely different sci-fi franchises: playing Thanos in the MCU and teaming with his Sicario director Denis Villeneuve for his Dune films.
What do you think of Josh Brolin turning down James Cameron? Did it matter or should he have taken the opportunity?
The post Josh Brolin ticked off James Cameron by turning down Avatar 2 appeared first on JoBlo.
To work with James Cameron has been a dream for many for decades, especially since he’s only made three films in the past 25 years. But when Josh Brolin had the chance to be directed by James Cameron on the Avatar sequel, he turned it down outright, promptly getting on the wrong side of the Oscar winner.
Appearing on In Depth with Graham Bensinger (via EW), Josh Brolin remembered James Cameron taking the Avatar 2 rejection as a personal slight. Now two years removed from the release of The Way of Water, Brolin admits, “I understand it, because when you have something in your mind and you have a status and a power…you’re used to people feeling really grateful that you are offering it to them.” He added, “I don’t know if that’s the case with him because I don’t know him well enough. But it was based on the [project]. It wasn’t based on him.”
Keep in mind that 2009’s Avatar still stands as the highest-grossing film ever, taking in close to $3 billion worldwide. So you knew that The Way of Water was going to get in that neighborhood, which it kind of did, being just one of just six films to ever make more than $2 billion at the worldwide box office (yes, Titanic ranks there as well). Josh Brolin probably could have talked himself into a box office point, especially if James Cameron was personally seeking him out. That Brolin turned down such a high-profile film and a potential huge payday because he just didn’t see the value in the material (despite Cameron running the show) says a lot about his character in that regard…Perhaps it had to do with the awful dialogue?
But James Cameron and Josh Brolin are obviously doing just fine without each other, with the director aiming for more Avatar movies and Brolin leaning into two entirely different sci-fi franchises: playing Thanos in the MCU and teaming with his Sicario director Denis Villeneuve for his Dune films.
What do you think of Josh Brolin turning down James Cameron? Did it matter or should he have taken the opportunity?
The post Josh Brolin ticked off James Cameron by turning down Avatar 2 appeared first on JoBlo.
If you’ve got a big family but very little to talk to them about, the holidays can see you go from happy to helpless real quick. What are you to do when Thanksgiving dinner is two hours late and you’ve run out of small talk with that one uncle from out of town who may or may not have voted for the worst person in the…
If you’ve got a big family but very little to talk to them about, the holidays can see you go from happy to helpless real quick. What are you to do when Thanksgiving dinner is two hours late and you’ve run out of small talk with that one uncle from out of town who may or may not have voted for the worst person in the…
Sometimes, there’s a man…well, he’s the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. And that man is Jeff Bridges, who is downright one of the most chill actors in movie history, exuding a calm, Lebowski-esque way about life that can only come naturally. But that can hit the gutter in this unpredictable life, as it did when Jeff Bridges announced in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a form of cancer.
Thankfully, Jeff Bridges’ cancer went into remission the following year, allowing Bridges to not only press on with his life but learn just how special that time was. Appearing on the red carpet at the CMAs (no, Otis Blake did not take the stage), Bridges told Entertainment Tonight, “I’m feeling good! Glad to have it in the rearview mirror but I’m feeling good. That’s a whole subject…Funny to say it but it was wonderful in a way…You’re given gifts during times like that that you can only get while you’re going through times like that. It exacerbates all the love that you feel for being alive and all the people that you love, your family. Then you get all that coming back and so it’s some strong stuff.”
Jeff Bridges started experiencing cancer symptoms while filming TV series The Old Man. The eventual diagnosis made him unsure if he would ever act again. Yet, he presses on with The Old Man, which aired its season two finale just last month, and Tron: Ares, returning as Kevin Flynn. He has even expressed an interest in reprising Iron Man’s Obadiah Stane, which gives an idea just how determined he is to stay on the screen.
As always, Jeff Bridges stands out as an inspiration. But being The Dude is one thing; conquering cancer and persevering is another entirely. Throughout it all, Bridges has received constant support. One standout has been Sam Neill, who is also in cancer remission (from stage 3 T-cell lymphoma) and even sent Bridges well wishes on social media after he shared the news.
What is your favorite Jeff Bridges performance? Give us your pick and send some positive vibes to The Dude in the comments section.
The post Jeff Bridges on how his cancer brought “wonderful” feelings appeared first on JoBlo.
More than three years after the death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, we are finally nearing the moment we weren’t sure would ever happen: the release of the western, whose production was halted and haunted by the accidental shooting death of Hutchins. And while director Joel Souza does hope that Rust serves as a tribute to Hutchins’ work and legacy, he doesn’t want viewers constantly distracted by the death.
Souza partook in a post-screening Q&A for Rust, where one attendee asked which scenes Halyna Hutchins filmed versus those from eventual replacement cinematographer Bianca Cline. To this, Souza replied, “That’s a terrible question. Everything we were doing, she already did. This is Halyna’s film, and I hope that people watch it that way and not try to decipher who shot what.”
As for specifics on the work of Hutchins while filming Rust, Souza added, “There are some scenes that Halyna did in their entirety, and some where we maybe finished only half. When we tried to complete those, sometimes we didn’t have the actor. Sometimes it amounted to digital head replacement…Sometimes silhouettes, sometimes green screens. Sometimes building a matching set.”
Notably, Alec Baldwin – who had his involuntary manslaughter charge against him dismissed – did not attend the premiere of Rust. But that doesn’t mean his presence wasn’t felt; after all, how could it not? Baldwin was the top name in the spotlight over Hutchins’ death, which resulted from a discharged gun that had not been properly checked. Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed would end up being found guilty of that charge. Even with those charges made or dropped, it doesn’t seem like things will entirely clear up just yet, unfortunately continuing to hang over the movie.
Filming on Rust resumed in the spring of 2023. While there is no official release date set and we don’t know how long a theatrical run would be, its world premiere could set the tone for how the film will be handled in that regard.
Are you looking forward to seeing Rust? Do you think people can watch the movie without Hutchins’ death hanging over it? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
The post Will we be able to watch Rust without thinking of Halyna Hutchins? appeared first on JoBlo.
It’s time to stop the music, it’s time to kill the lights. In devastating news for Muppet fans, the curtains are closing on MuppetVision 3D, which has been in operation at Disneyland’s Hollywood Studios since 1991. The move is meant to make room for Monsters Inc. Land. Fans, get your tomatoes ready!
With MuppetVision 3D out, that means that Muppets Courtyard will get a complete overhaul. So bid farewell to Miss Piggy’s fountain (which itself has been chiseled away at over the years), the themed restaurants and wealth of easter eggs that brought joy to fans. Instead, the area will be transformed into one themed after Monsters, Inc., no doubt in part because of the success of Toy Story Land.
Obviously the building that houses MuppetVision 3D will have to be put to use somehow, but what about the short film itself? Thankfully, Disney isn’t just torching it. In a statement, Disney wrote, “As we move forward with these changes, we are having creative conversations and exploring ways to preserve the film and other parts of the experience for fans to enjoy in the future.” While there are no details there, it would be cool to bring MuppetVision 3D not just into the future but our living rooms somehow. Even still, it’s going to be impossible to replicate the 4D effects, explosions and sick Statler & Waldorf burns at home.
But that doesn’t mean the Muppets will be entirely booted from Disneyland (although their faith in the brand has diminished over the years). Instead, The Muppet Show house band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem will be taking over the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster from Aerosmith (hey, these guys are at least still touring), with the revamp promising “laughter, screams and new tunes.” Considering Kermit and Miss Piggy are both also on the promotional poster, we can probably expect some of our favorites to be joining in on the fun as well.
I get the appeal of a Monsters Inc. area of Disneyland and the planner suspended roller coaster that plays off of the door sequence sounds awesome, but the purist and Muppet aficionado in me is going to have a hard time with this one. And with Disneyland prices going through the roof like a botched Great Gonzo stunt, it’s kind of devastating knowing that I’ve walked through the queue, stood anxious in the prop warehouse and stolen those pink 3D sunglasses for the last time.
How do you feel about MuppetVision 3D closing? Are you looking forward to a Monsters, Inc. land?
The post Disney closing curtains on MuppetVision 3D; Muppets are taking over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster appeared first on JoBlo.
Pokémon TCG Pocket is absorbing hours (and dollars) by the thousands since it came out, but it’s not always great about highlighting the features that can make your time with it better. We’ve got a good example waiting for you in this roundup. Also, we’ll help you bypass a potentially frustrating limitation you’ll…