Matthew Monagle
Dwayne Johnson Talks Up Armie Hammer for DC’s ‘Shazam!’
In the wake of this past weekend’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword failure, I’ve had a few conversations about Charlie Hunnam and the generic actors Hollywood keeps trying to turn into a thing. These conversations inevitably cycle through a few of the usual suspects (Jai Courtney, Sam Worthington, etc.) before someone throws out Armie Hammer, and that’s when I find myself forced to shut. it. down. Blame Hammer’s agent if you want for his mediocre track record, but when it comes to talent — physicality, humor, and depth of acting ability — Hammer is absolutely the real deal.
Josh Gad Says He Was Just ‘Having Fun’ With His ‘The Batman’ Tease
Last week, Josh Gad briefly set the internet on fire by posting, without comment, a photo of Batman nemesis The Penguin. As we noted at the time, this also came on the heels of several DC Films executives following the actor on Twitter. That’s a not-inconsequential amount of smoke for any casting rumor, which led plenty of people (ourselves included) to wonder aloud if Gad would have a role in Ben Affleck and Matt Reeves’ upcoming The Batman movie.
Harrison Ford Explains Why He Returned for ‘Blade Runner 2049’
Despite a reputation that suggests he’d rather walk through glass than slog through another Hollywood junket, Harrison Ford has been surprisingly game when it comes to reprising iconic characters. Not only has Ford starred as Indiana Jones in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, he’s also set to return as Rick Deckard in this falls’s Blade Runner 2049. And in each case, it would seem that Ford’s curiosity got the better of him, inspiring him to revisit some of his dynamic action heroes in the twilight of his career.
Danny McBride Says His ‘Halloween’ Movie Will Do Away With the ‘Supernatural’ Michael Myers
In the beginning, there was a messed up kid with an inside-out William Shatner mask, and it was good. And then, through countless sequels and reinterpretations and bigger budgets, the Halloween franchise became the story of an unstoppable killing machine. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to like about some of the later Halloween movies, but there’s a reason characters like Michael Myers have become a cliche in the horror genre. When everyone’s anticipating the “shocking” moment where it turns out the killer isn’t dead, how scary can your film really be?
New Study Shows Too Many People Are Naming Their Kids ‘Khaleesi’ and ‘Kylo’
We’ve reached one of my favorite times of the year: the annual announcement by the Social Security Administration of the most popular baby names from the previous year. Why is that such a big deal, you might ask? Because each year we get to shake our heads at the number of parents who jump on the pop culture hype train and name their children after movie and television characters. While this year’s list showed that old-fashioned names such as Liam, Mason, and Olivia are back in style, it also featured a predictable handful of names from popular 2015 franchises. Sorry, kids.
Daniel Radcliffe to Star in ‘Running Man’-esque ‘Guns Akimbo’
I’m endlessly fascinated by the career of Daniel Radcliffe. Many actors coming off a childhood franchise as ubiquitous as the Harry Potter films would take a few years to reframe themselves as a dramatic actor or, at least, a major Hollywood sex symbol. Not so with Radcliffe. Radcliffe has chosen to fire off a rapid succession of utterly unique choices, from his demonic leading role in Horns to his supporting turns in Victor Frankenstein and Swiss Army Man (aka the farting corpse movie). I guess this is what Harry Potter money looks like; Radcliffe can spend the rest of his career making whatever bizarre choices he wants without anyone ever telling him no.
Tyrese Teases a Potential ‘Green Lantern Corps’ Casting Announcement
With the announcement that DC’s Green Lantern Corps film would feature two separate leads — Hal Jordan and John Stewart — fans have been wondering which actors could ultimately land these roles. Jordan has been linked to actors like Chris Pine, Armie Hammer, and Tom Cruise (really); meanwhile, actors like Sterling K. Brown and Common have actively campaigned for the role to play Stewart. And now, years after the film was first announced, one actor who has been rumored from the very beginning dropped a not-so-subtle hint that he might end up being the one to wear the green power armor.
Diana Becomes a Hero in the Final ‘Wonder Woman’ Trailer
While Wonder Woman fans might’ve been worried about the lack of advertising for the upcoming film, pundits were quick to tell audiences to relax, they’re coming, you just have to let them get to the other side of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. It would seem the pundits are right: last night’s episode of Saturday Night Live with Wonder Woman co-star Chris Pine capped a week of new television spots, publicity photos, and interviews with the cast and crew. And now Warner Bros. has gone all out with a brand new trailer for Wonder Woman during tonight’s MTV Movie & TV Awards.
The Losers’ Club Heads Underground in This Creepy New ‘It’ Trailer
After breaking the record for the most trailer views in a single day, expectations couldn’t be higher for Andres Muschietti’s remake of It. It wasn’t long ago that this seemed like a project destined for trouble; the film’s original director — and still credited screenwriter — Cary Fukunaga dropped out of the production after the studio wouldn’t budge on letting him make an ‘unconventional’ horror film, causing fans to worry we were in for another bland adaptation of a Stephen King novel. All was forgiven, of course, when New Lined delivered that amazing first It teaser trailer, but could they keep it up?
‘Edge of Tomorrow’ Sequel Has a Title, Will Bring Back Emily Blunt
While Doug Liman may be hard at work promoting his upcoming war thriller The Wall, that doesn’t mean he’s forgotten about an Edge of Tomorrow sequel. Last October, Liman promised that the movie was still moving forward, with the director even going so far as to suggest that the second film would “revolutionize” how people thought about movie sequels. And now Liman has dropped a few exciting updates, including a new title for the film and the promise of returning stars Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. The short version? It’s happening, dopey name or not.
The First Reviews of ‘Alien: Covenant’ Are Bursting Out of Critics’ Chests
If you’re one of the people who thought that Ridley Scott’s Prometheus was a franchise-killer, then you’ve probably awaited the first round of Alien: Covenant reviews with a strong sense of dread. Maybe even the same degree of dread you experienced while watching Alien for the first time, come to think of it. And while I’ll passionately defend Prometheus for days — I’ve recently come around on that film in a big way — there’s no denying that Alien: Covenant is the biggest question mark of the summer. Could Scott build a bridge between the grandiose science-fiction of Prometheus and the grounded horror of Alien?
Kevin Feige Says the Marvel Movies and Shows Will Cross Over ‘At Some Point’
Ever since Daredevil paved the way for a new wave of Marvel television shows, fans have been waiting for the day that the studio would throw all its beloved superheroes into one giant pot. Spider-Man fighting alongside Daredevil; Jessica Jones and Gamora arguing over which one of them has more anger issues; Black Panther beating the ever-loving crap out of Iron Fist just because. Unfortunately for us, Marvel has maintained a strict separation between its television and movie properties, always suggesting that the legal and logistical requirements of bringing everyone together would require a (sorry) superhuman effort on the part of the studio