He doesn’t like it and he doesn’t agree with it, but he won’t accept it. Donald Glover has taken aim at the Star Wars franchise, saying that all of the fun and excitement it once had has drifted off into a tight-ass galaxy far, far away.

Maybe it’s the nostalgia getting the best of us or that some of us have aged out of that thrill of seeing Star Wars repeatedly on opening weekend or that the franchise just can’t focus on “fun”, but Donald Glover is having none of it, hoping he can be part of bringing some pure entertainment back into the series. “I just want it to be fun. As a Star Wars fan myself, I think it’s important that there needs to be fun being had.” Glover would say that the state of our society may be partly responsible for this, potentially damaging both entertainment and our connection to one another. “It’s very hard to have fun right now. It’s tough because there are very serious things happening and those are the only things that connect us, weirdly. So I get why things are serious, but part of the human experience, I believe, is we have a responsibility to have enjoyment. And I just feel like we’re lacking in that department.”

So, where does Donald Glover fit into all of this straight-faced Star Wars material? Through Lando Calrissian, of course, the character he adopted for Solo: A Star Wars Story and will play in a spin-off feature. As he added, Star Wars “can be super serious. Sometimes it’s way too serious. Everything that has to do with the Skywalkers is like so serious. [With] Lando, I think the best part about him is he’s a scoundrel. And I feel like people can relate to that, and he’s probably like ‘man, this war is whack. I need money,’ which I feel everyone can relate to. I want to bring fun to Star Wars. I just want it to be fun.”

Many op-ed pieces have been written about Star Wars losing that fun factor, so Donald Glover isn’t exactly out on a Cloudy City gantry here. There is entertainment to be found in the series still but with so much – six shows alone have debuted since 2019, with Skeleton Crew coming in December – and some drastic tonal shifts, how can proper attention really be given to “fun”? And, really, how can we define that?

Is Star Wars lacking “fun” at this point? Are the current shows a necessary reflection of our times? Give us your take in the comments below.

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Are Optimus Prime and Megatron about to banish Beetlejuice Beetlejuice back to the Neitherworld when Transformers One rolls out in theaters this weekend? Analysts say Paramount‘s animated Transformers origin story could ride to the top of the box office with a $30-$40M debut. If these numbers hold, Transformers One will take the top spot, burying Tim Burton’s worth-the-wait sequel beneath a mound of dirt and static grass.

Despite Transformers One likely taking the box office crown this weekend, let’s give it up for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which earned $188 million domestically and $264 million worldwide. A little more than $106 of that $264M is mine after taking myself, my wife, and three friends to see Burton’s new film this past weekend. Was it worth waiting for? Absolutely! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie. I expected a nostalgia-driven throwback with little meat on the bone. I got a loving tribute to beloved characters, new and fun storylines, heart-warming practical effects, and a new dance sequence that left me in stitches. See it!

The official synopsis for Transformers One reads:

“TRANSFORMERS ONE is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. In the first-ever fully CG-animated Transformers movie, TRANSFORMERS ONE features a star-studded voice cast, including Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi with Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm.“

JoBlo’s Editor-in-Chief, Chris Bumbray, reviewed Transformers One, saying it’s the best Transformers movie to date. In his review, Chris said, “One thing worth noting is that the audience I saw this with REALLY seemed to love the movie. They laughed and cheered throughout, and when it was over, the audience gave it a huge round of applause, which is something you really never get at free screenings in my neck of the woods. There’s a reason why Paramount’s been doing so many word-of-mouth screenings, as this has the potential to be a major hit, and, again, it’s the best Transformers movie ever made by a wide margin.”

How much money will Transformers One make at the box office this weekend? Let’s see your predictions in the comments section below.

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With a career that stretches back 50 years, Charles Band is one of the most well-known names in genre filmmaking. The head of companies like Empire Pictures and Full Moon Features, Band has over 400 producing credits, nearly 90 directing credits, and over 60 writing credits. A few years ago, he started telling the story of what it has been like bringing all of that entertainment into the world with his autobiography Confessions of a Puppetmaster: A Hollywood Memoir of Ghouls, Guts, and Gonzo Filmmaking (you can pick up a copy at THIS LINK) – and now he has revealed that he’s currently working on a second autobiography, titled Horror Puppet!

Band told PopGeeks, “I don’t want to step back (from filmmaking) until I’m forced to, by end of life. I enjoy what I do and, yeah, I’ve done it for a long time. Sometimes I feel like I’m the puppet and someone else is sort of pulling the strings. Like, ‘Keep making movies, Charlie.’ As a matter of fact, I wrote a book a few years ago that did quite well, published by Harper Collins, called Confessions of a Puppet Master, and it ended where I stopped telling my story around the beginning of COVID and so much has happened since then. I’ve gone back with the biographer, and we’re halfway through a new book called Horror Puppet, which is exactly how I feel these days. Sometimes it’s like, ‘Okay, now what?’ But I love the process …“

Written with Adam Felber, Confessions of a Puppetmaster had the following description: Renowned producer, director, and “B movie” showman Charles Band takes readers on a wild romp through Hollywood’s decidedly un-Oscar-worthy underbelly, where mayhem and zombies reign supreme, and cheap thrills and entertainment are king. Zombies, aliens, a little skin, lots of gore — and even more laughs — the cinematic universe of Charles Band is legendary. From the toilet-invading creatures of Ghoulies to the time-travelling bounty hunter in Trancers to the pandemic-crashed Corona Zombies, Band has spent four decades giving B-movie lovers exactly what they love. In Confessions of a Puppetmaster, this congenial master of Grindhouse cinema tells his own story, uncut.

Born into a family of artists, Band spent much of his childhood in Rome, where his father worked in the film industry. Early visits to movie sets sealed young Charlie’s fate. By his twenties he had plunged into moviemaking himself and found his calling in exploitation movies — quick, low-budget efforts that exploit the zeitgeist and feed people’s desire for clever, low-brow entertainment. His films crossed genres, from vampire flicks to sci-fi to erotic musical adaptations of fairy tales. As he came into his own as a director, he was the first to give starring roles to household names like Demi Moore, Helen Hunt, and Bill Maher. Off set, Band’s life has been equally epic. Returning to his beloved Italy, he bought both Dino De Laurentiis’s movie studio and a medieval castle. After Romania’s oppressive communist regime fell, he circumvented the U.S. State Department to shoot films in Dracula’s homeland. He made — and then lost — a moviemaking fortune. A visionary, Band was also at the vanguard of the transition to home video and streaming, making and distributing direct-to-video movies long before the major studios caught on.

In this revealing tell-all, Band details the dizzying heights and catastrophic depths of his four decades in showbiz. A candid and engaging glimpse at Hollywood’s wild side, Confessions of a Puppetmaster is as entertaining as the movies that made this consummate schlockmeister famous.

As a longtime fan of Band’s movies, I found Confessions of a Puppetmaster to be a fascinating read, and I was surprised that he was able to cover so much ground in a book that’s just under 300 pages. His childhood, business endeavors like selling leatherbound copies of the New York Times and getting into video distribution, wacky adventures, illnesses, love and loss. Starting movie companies like Empire and Full Moon. The ups and downs of those companies. The time his house was firebombed. What it was like to own a castle in Italy. From 1951 (the year of his birth) to 2020 (when he didn’t let the pandemic stop him from continuing to make new Full Moon content), it’s all in there… But I’m sure he has a lot more stories to tell, so I’m glad to hear there’s going to be another book. I’ll definitely be reading Horror Puppet.

Have you read Confessions of a Puppetmaster, and will you be reading Horror Puppet? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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John Cena is going from Universal’s Fast & Furious franchise to Apple’s Matchbox, a live-action movie from Skydance and Mattel Films based on the iconic toy brand. While John Cena gets behind the wheel to lead the film, Extraction helmer Sam Hargrave sits shotgun to direct based on a screenplay by David Coggeshall and Jonathan Tropper.

Matchbox was invented in 1953 by automotive expert and enthusiast Jack Odell, who was asked to solve a problem for his daughter. She could bring any toy to school if it fit inside a matchbox. After showing off her father’s miniature invention to school, kids coveted the item and wanted one of their own. As the Matchbox die-cast vehicle toy line grew, Mattel began to diversify the makes and models of cars in the collection. Amazingly, analysts say a Matchbox car sells two cars every second somewhere around the globe.

Matchbox will be produced by Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger for Skydance, and Robbie Brenner for Mattel Films.

“For nearly 70 years, Matchbox has carried enormous cultural relevance and inspired generations of kids to unleash their imaginations, combining what they see in the world every day with what they dream their own world to be,” said Robbie Brenner, Executive Producer of Mattel Films in July 2022. “We look forward to working with our incredible partners at Skydance Media to craft a story for the big screen that evokes the same, imaginative spirit of this beloved Mattel franchise and delights fans of all ages.”

“We are thrilled to be working with Robbie Brenner and her amazing creative team at Mattel,” said Don Granger, President of Feature Films of Skydance, echoing Brenner’s enthusiasm. “Pairing Skydance’s unique brand of premium, elevated action-adventure entertainment with the incredible legacy of the Matchbox brand is a fantastic opportunity. There is a shared experience for everyone who has played with a Matchbox vehicle or playset, where they create their own inventive action sequence and we’re excited to craft a worldwide adventure film worthy of such imagination.”

Meanwhile, Peacemaker fans eagerly await news about the anti-hero’s sophomore season. Last month, John Cena said James Gunn intends to work on Peacemaker Season 2 after Superman is complete, with a 2025 release window targeted for the DC series.

Is John Cena a great fit to lead Mattel’s Matchbox movie? Do you have a favorite Matchbox vehicle? Let us know in the comments below.

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Who’s ready to bring a scarecrow to life, join a cult, and have Father Winter’s baby? EA’s The Sims is coming to Amazon MGM courtesy of Loki’s helmer Kate Herron. Herron’s effort to bring the quirky and comical world of simulated scandals, shenanigans, and serendipity to life on screens is a curious endeavor, given the random nature of the Sims gameplay and emergent storytelling mechanics. How do you recreate this type of chaos on screens? Inquiring minds and rabid fans want to know!

The Sims is an immensely popular game from Maxis, the company that first let gamers play God with the legendary simulator SimCity. While the brand followed up with other similar-natured games like SimFarm, Sim Hospital, and SimAnt, it was in 2000 that they gave players the chance to live life in The Sims. Herron is directing, co-writing, and executive producing the film with Briony Redman. Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap also produces with Tom Ackerly, Josey McNamara, and Sophia Kerr as producers. They’re collaborating with Roy Lee and Miri Yoon of Vertigo Entertainment. The publisher of the computer game, Electronic Arts, will also be included in the creative and producing aspects. Robbie has not been confirmed to star in The Sims movie for now.

The Sims is similar to the Barbie brand in that no formal narrative can be source material for a specific feature film plot or themes. The “story” of The Sims is essentially decided by the player, who controls any and all aspects of the world with the click of a button. Do you remember MTV’s The Real World? The Sims is similar, meaning individuals with different personalities occupy a confined space. Their schedules, routines, and habits often intersect to produce wacky results. Many players enjoy recreating their friends and family in the game, creating outrageous situations to overcome and relationship snafus to conquer. Some players keep their Sims alive for years, creating an ongoing narrative of soap opera-like proportions. Just be careful of how you handle the relationship slider, folks. You don’t want to start a war.

What do you think a movie based on The Sims looks like? What types of personalities would you put inside a house to interact with one another? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post Brush up on your Simlish because a movie based on The Sims is happening with Loki’s Kate Herron at the helm appeared first on JoBlo.

Last year, after more than thirty years, we finally got a new entry in the Gremlins franchise – and this was an unexpected addition, coming in the form of the animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, which serves as a prequel to the 1984 classic Gremlins (watch it HERE). The show was released through the Max streaming service, and now Max is preparing to bring us the second season of the series, titled Gremlins: The Wild Batch, starting next month! Part one of the two-part second season will be available to watch as of Thursday, October 3rd, and with that date right around the corner, a trailer for the season has arrived online, along with a poster. The trailer can be viewed in the embed above and the poster can be found at the bottom of this article.

Made by Amblin Television in association with Warner Bros. Animation, Gremlins: The Wild Batch takes place one year after the events of season one and follows Gizmo, Sam, and Elle as they travel from their home in Shanghai to San Francisco, bringing even more magic, mystery and Mogwai mayhem. Hot on the trail of a new brood of evil Mogwai, our heroes journey deep into the American West, coming up against new supernatural creatures and picking up a few mysterious characters along the way.

The returning voice cast includes Ming-Na Wen, James Hong, BD Wong, Izaac Wang, AJ LoCascio, Gabrielle Nevaeh and George Takei. Simu Liu has joined the voice cast for the new season, which also features notable guest stars including John Glover (who starred as eccentric billionaire Daniel Clamp in Gremlins 2: The New Batch), Michael Paul Chan, Ronny Chieng, Keith David, Will Forte, Kelly Hu, and Jimmy O. Yang,

Steven Spielberg serves as an executive producer on Gremlins: The Wild Batch alongside Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, Presidents of Amblin Television, and Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios. Tze Chun serves as showrunner and executive producer. Brendan Hay serves as executive producer with Dan Krall serving as supervising producer. Joe Dante, the director of Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch, serves as consulting producer.

What did you think of the trailer for Gremlins: The Wild Batch? Did you watch Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, and will you be tuning in for the new season? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Blumhouse Productions has been one of the biggest names in the horror genre for a couple of decades now, and Deadline reports that this Halloween season they’re teaming up with AMC Theatres for a special event called BlumFest, which will bring six Blumhouse movies back to the big screen in 54 cities and 150 AMC multiplexes.

The six week event begins on September 25th and will see a different Blumhouse movie screening in AMC theatres every Wednesday through the night before Halloween. Deadline notes that, “Blumhouse fans can attend special screenings, score one-time-only giveaways, be the first to see exclusive sneak peeks, and more.“

Here’s the line-up, starting with a 15th anniversary celebration of the release of Paranormal Activity:

Wednesday, September 25, 2024 – Paranormal Activity – written and directed by Oren Peli

Wednesday, October 2, 2024 – Lights Out – written by Eric Heisserer and David F. Sandberg and directed by David F. Sandberg

Wednesday, October 9, 2024 – Insidious: Chapter 2 – written by James Wan and Leigh Whannell and directed by James Wan

Wednesday, October 16, 2024 – Happy Death Day – written by Scott Lobdell and directed by Christopher Landon

Wednesday, October 23, 2024 – The Black Phone – written by Joe Hill, Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, and directed by Scott Derrickson

Wednesday, October 30, 2024 – Five Nights at Freddy’s – written by Scott Cawthon, Seth Cuddeback and Emma Tammi and directed by Emma Tammi

And here’s the full list of cities: Atlanta (GA), Austin (TX), Baltimore (MD), Boston (MA), Charlotte (NC), Chattanooga (TN), Chicago (IL), Cincinnati (OH), Columbus (GA), Columbus (OH), Dallas (TX), Denver (CO), Detroit (MI), El Paso (TX), Grand Rapids (MI), Harlingen (TX), Hartford (CT), Houston (TX), Huntsville (AL), Indianapolis (IN), Jacksonville (FL), Kansas City (MO), Las Vegas (NV), Los Angeles (CA), Madison (WI), Miami (FL), Milwaukee (WI), Minneapolis (MN), Mobile (AL), Nashville (TN), New Haven (CT), New Orleans (LA), New York (NY), Norfolk (VA), Oklahoma City (OK), Orlando (FL), Peoria (IL), Philadelphia (PA), Phoenix (AZ), Pittsburgh (PA), Portland (OR), Raleigh (NC), Rockford (IL), Sacramento (CA), San Diego (CA), San Francisco (CA), Seattle (WA), Spokane (WA), St. Louis (MO), Tallahassee (FL), Tampa (FL), Tucson (AZ), Tulsa (OK), Washington, D.C.

Blumhouse founder and CEO Jason Blum provided the following statement: “This whole month is a love letter to Halloween and our fans, and we’re grateful to our partners at AMC for joining us for BlumFest, our annual October celebration of all things Blumhouse. I can’t believe we’re already celebrating the 15th anniversary of Paranormal Activity, because it feels like we’re just getting started.“

Elizabeth Frank, EVP of Worldwide Programming and Chief Content Officer at AMC Theatres, added: “Though AMC entertains Blumhouse film fans year-round, the Halloween season makes horror movies even more fun. We’re excited to bring the BlumFest celebration to the big screen with fan favorite movies and unique extra content.“

Will you be attending any of these BlumFest screenings? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Never Let Go is definitely one of the most highly anticipated genre movies of the fall season. The latest from Alexandre Aja features Halle Barry, Anthony B. Jenkins, and Percy Daggs IV is one that resonated with me big time. In it, a mother and her children are tormented by a malicious spirit which keeps them, literally, tied to the foundations of their home. At its heart, it has an amazing performance from star Halle Berry, who grounds the horror somewhat. The sweet and loving nature of her relationship with her children is beautifully played out. But, it also has plenty of horror elements baked in, which show off Aja’s amazing talent for the genre in a big way.

Recently,  I spoke with Berry, Jenkins, and Daggs, and I found it to be an utterly charming experience. First off, I’ve never had the chance to talk to Ms. Barry before. She is a spectacularly sweet person, and I’m still giddy about how damn cool she is. It was so enjoyable just talking with her and her co-stars. We chatted about playing this kind of role and her connection to horror. Both Anthony and Percy were very easy to talk to. They had such great energy that it was clear why they worked as well as they did, casting-wise, in the film.

I also had the chance to chat with Alexandre Aja. We’ve spoken on a couple of projects before, and he is always a very friendly guy. And I still have such a ridiculous love for Haute Tension (even with that twist). We discussed how he approached dealing with the themes involved in the film. And it was clear that this was a movie-making experience that meant a lot to Barry and the rest of the cast. I dug it a lot.

The post Never Let Go: We Interview Halle Berry, Alexandre Aja and more! appeared first on JoBlo.

Never Let Go is definitely one of the most highly anticipated genre movies of the fall season. The latest from Alexandre Aja features Halle Barry, Anthony B. Jenkins, and Percy Daggs IV is one that resonated with me big time. In it, a mother and her children are tormented by a malicious spirit which keeps them, literally, tied to the foundations of their home. At its heart, it has an amazing performance from star Halle Berry, who grounds the horror somewhat. The sweet and loving nature of her relationship with her children is beautifully played out. But, it also has plenty of horror elements baked in, which show off Aja’s amazing talent for the genre in a big way. Recently, I had the chance to interview Berry, Jenkins, and Daggs, and I found it to be an utterly charming experience.

First off, I’ve never had the chance to talk to Ms. Berry before. She is a spectacularly sweet person, and I’m still giddy about how damn cool she is. It was so enjoyable just talking with her and her co-stars. We chatted about playing this kind of role and her connection to horror. Both Anthony and Percy were very easy to talk to. They had such great energy that it was clear why they worked as well as they did, casting-wise, in the film.

I also had the chance to chat with Alexandre Aja. We’ve spoken on a couple of projects before, and he is always a very friendly guy. And I still have such a ridiculous love for Haute Tension (even with that twist). We discussed how he approached dealing with the themes involved in the film. And it was clear that this was a movie-making experience that meant a lot to Barry and the rest of the cast. I dug it a lot.

Scripted by KC Coughlin and Ryan Grassby, Never Let Go follows a mother (Berry) and her fraternal twin sons (Daggs and Jenkins) who have been tormented by an evil spirit for years and are convinced to never let go of their family’s protective bond. But when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, their connection is severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival. Here’s a different version of the synopsis: As Evil takes over the world beyond their front doorstep, the only protection for a mother (Berry) and her twin sons is their house and their family’s protective bond. Needing to stay connected at all times – even tethering themselves with ropes – they cling to one another, urging each other to never let go. But when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, the ties that bind them together are severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival.

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Things are going from bad to worse for Sean’ Diddy’ Combs after an unsealed three-count indictment reveals the rapper and record producer could get 20 years in jail if found guilty of multiple charges. Federal authorities arrested Combs on Monday evening at a New York City hotel after Combs was formally charged with racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

“For decades, SEAN COMBS, a/k/a “Puff Daddy,” a/k/a “P. Diddy,” a/k/a “Diddy,” a/k/a “PD,” a/k/a “Love,” the defendant, abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct,” reads the unsealed indictment.

“To do so, COMBS relied on the employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled–creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice,” the filing from the U.S. Attorney Damian Williams’ office adds.

The latest indictment against Combs comes after a video containing hotel surveillance footage of the mogul beating his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016 went viral on social media. The latest indictment alleges Combs used drugs, violence, and career-advancing tactics to manipulate his victims, entourage, and others in his influential orbit. The new charges also suggest Combs used scare tactics to blackmail his victims into keeping hush about his unlawful actions.

Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, says his client will likely enter a not-guilty plea and “fight this with all of his energy and all of his might.” Authorities plan to keep Combs in custody during the pre-trial process, and he is currently undergoing arraignment in a Manhattan courthouse. In addition to facing decades of jail time, the government plans to confiscate “any and all property, real and personal,” and an unspecified “sum of money” related to Combs’ alleged crimes.

Filings against Combs continue to pile up beyond the latest indictment, including a case brought by Dawn Richards, a singer from the ABC/MTV series Making the Band. Danity Kane cites abuse and assault on Combs’ behalf, saying he sexually assaulted her, starved her, deprived her of sleep, and failed to pay her fairly for years. Many of the cases brought against Combs cite his lording of power over his victims, threatening to sink their careers if they fail to meet his demands.

More details about Combs’ involvement with his alleged victims are sure to come as courts process complaints made against the once untouchable industry giant.

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