"Gotham City Sirens" Gets Green Light

While many fans are torn between whether or not Suicide Squad was a good movie (just for the record, I liked it.  Didn't love it, but I thought it was a fun movie) Warner Brothers and DC have decided to go ahead and green light a follow-up movie that will primarily focus on one Harley Quinn.  The title of the movie is, if you haven't already figured it out from the headline of this post, is going to be Gotham City Sirens and it will pair up Margot Robbie with the director of Suicide Squad David Ayer, both seen in the above picture.  Margot Robbie will also be the EP for the film.


The film is said to follow in the footsteps of the comic book of the same name and will feature some of the more popular female villains.  How do we know this?  Well, we don't know this for certain, but Ayer tweeted an illustration of Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn with the hashtag #Sirens4ever, so it looks like he's already got a few characters for the movie in mind.  The last time we saw Poison Ivy on the big screen, she was played by Uma Thurman in the movie Batman and Robin, by far the worst Batman movie ever made.  Not because of Thurman, she was actually quite good in a movie that was difficult to watch.  Don't believe me?  I've just got one thing to say about that..."Bat-Nipples."  End of argument.


As for Catwoman, she's gone through a few different incarnations over the years when it comes to movies.  She was first played by Michelle Pfeiffer in 1992's Batman Returns, was then recast for the movie Catwoman in 2004 by Halle Berry, and then the final incarnation of the character came in 2012's The Dark Knight Rises and was played by Anne Hathaway.  If we do get to see Catwoman appear in this film, it will be done by a new actress and will tie her to the bigger DCEU that Warner Brothers has been working on building.


I guess the bigger question is whether or not Batman or the Joker will be making cameo appearances in the film, like they both did in Suicide Squad.  We'll just have to wait and see if more news about the film leaks out before we know.  No news on when it's planning on being released, but I'll keep you informed as news trickles out. 


So that's it for this year!  The next week or so is going to be hectic, so unless something ground-breaking is announced, I'll be back on January 3, 2017.  I hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

The "Dune" Remake Now Has It's Director

The Dune novels have long been fan favorites for those who love science-fiction, but when the book was made into a movie back in 1984, it was a huge disappointment to audiences.  Even though it bombed at the box-office, it has since garnered "cult" status with viewers.  Because of this, a remake of the film was all but inevitable.  Last month Legendary Entertainment acquired the rights to the property, and started moving forward on a remake.  To show their intent, they recently revealed that they have hired a director for the upcoming film, and it's none other than Denis Villeneuve, even though it hasn't been made "official".  Not familiar with his name?  Well, let me introduce you to some of his work...


It's safe to say that the past couple of years have been very good for Villeneuve.  Back in October 2015 he released Sicario,  which received critical acclaim with movie critics.  In fact, the studio was so pleased with his work on the film, a sequel has been given the green light which is to be called Soldado.  This past year he released the movie Arrival, a movie that has been nominated for two Golden globes, one for Best Actress, and another for Best Original Score.  He's also the director for next year's Blade Runner 2049, that will star Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford and will be released October 6, 2017.  Now, we can expect his cinematic touch on Dune, which while in development, has not received a release date.


Having seen the original '84 film when it was released, I can tell you that I was lost during most of the film.  Not necessarily because a was just a kid when it came out, but the film left out crucial information from the novel that would have helped explain scenes in the movie.  I'm excited to see this new take on the book, and having Villeneuve directing the film, I'm sure that it will be a much better version of this literary classic.  Those are my thoughts on the remake, but what are yours?  Let me know what you think in the comments section down below.

Rogue One/Rebels Easter Eggs

If you haven't seen the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story yet, there are a few things that you should keep an eye out for when you finally do.  Rogue One has tied the animated television show Rebels to it's storyline, and even expands on it.  Here are a few things to watch for when you go see it...


The first one I've already talked about, but at the time it was just speculation.  I used the image up above for that post, and after watching the movie last Thursday, it turned out to be true.  The spaceship from Rebels does make an appearance in the movie while the Rebels are battling the Empire while Rogue One is planet-side trying to steal the plans for the Empire's Death Star. It doesn't last very long, but it is a nice nod to the show.  But who's flying the Ghost?


That could possibly be one General Hera.  Yes, I said "General."  During the film, there's a call out over the intercom for a General Syndulla.  Many were under the impression that this was referring to Hera's father Cham, who is a known Rebel general, but when talking to Dave Filoni (executive producer for Rebels), he acknowledges that it is in fact Hera.  Here's what he had to say:


"I can clarify that’s absolutely Hera being paged, not her dad. The movie gives that away, but I would rather have all the [references] be right. Hera will eventually become a general in the Rebel Alliance."


So I guess that there's going to be a promotion for her at some point during the series.  It would be fun to see how that happens.  Filoni also said that there may be an episode of Rebels that features the movie's space battle over Scarif, but shown from the Ghost's point of view.  Something else to look forward to...


The last thing that you should look for in the movie that ties it to Rebels is the big screen debut of Chopper.  It's a "blink and you'll miss it" moment, but when Mon Mothma is being told of about Rogue One heading out on their own to steal the plans, you can see Chopper on the left side of the screen. Filoni confirmed this as well:


"Everybody working on set knew Chopper, and referred to him the way you would about a dog. They all liked him, they think he’s funny, but they know he’s grumpy."


So when you go and see Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, be sure to enjoy it, but also keep an eye out for these and other Easter Eggs hidden throughout the film.

Blade Runner 2049

Warner Brothers gave everyone an early Christmas present by releasing a teaser trailer for next year's highly anticipated Blade Runner 2049.  While the movie won't be released until October of next year, it's never too early to start advertising for it.


The trailer starts off with a street sweeper moving towards the camera, followed by K, played by Ryan Gosling.  It moves to showing him crossing a desert, while one of the most famous lines from the original film plays over the scene.  It's Harrison Ford's Deckard saying, "Replicants are like any other machine, they're either a benefit or a hazard.  If they're a benefit, that's not my problem."  While K makes his way through the desert, we're given the impression that it was once an inhabited land, now littered with debris and signs that life used to take place there.  K passes by a giant head from a sculpture, mouth open and the concrete around it crumbled, showing the steel mesh that was used to mold it.  He finally reaches a building, and upon entering it, it looks immaculate.  It has a feeling like an old train station.  With the world around it a mess, the inside of the building is the exact opposite.  K makes his way to a piano and after touching one of the keys, Deckard walks out holding a gun pointed at K and says, "I did your job once.  I was good at it," to which K replies, "Things were simpler then."  It finishes up showing K walking around L.A.


While the teaser trailer was short, it showed some important things.  Here's something that Alex Leadbeater writes about in his article from Screenrant.com:


"In the hideaway, K finds a piano covered in dust from lack of use. This is an essential callback to one of the most hotly debated moments in Blade Runner, and with it the film’s defining mystery.


For the Director’s Cut, Ridley Scott reinserted a dream sequence Deckard has when sat at his piano, of a unicorn running through a forest. Mysterious and befitting of the film’s lucid flow, it subtly reframed the ending; when Deckard finds a origami unicorn from retired blade runner and all-round cynic Gaff, it suggests that – in having his dreams seen by others – he is actually a replicant.


Moreso than anything we’ll see, this reference being so prominent in such a short trailer is a pretty blatant clue that, while the producers have said the film may not provide an answer, Deckard’s true nature will still be a prevalent question in the film."


That's pretty deep stuff, and impressive to pull out of a teaser trailer that only lasted a little over a minute and a half.  This guy has to be a true fan of the original!  But what about all of you?  What are your thoughts on the teaser trailer?  Does it get you excited for the film to come out?  Have you seen the original?  If you have, do you think that there really needs to be a sequel?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments section down below.


Blade Runner 2049 comes out October 6, 2017.

I Went And Saw Rogue One Last Night...

So last night, my buddies Ken, Shane and I went and watched Rogue One: A Star Wars story , and it was everything that I hoped that it would be.  The characters were absolutely incredible, and even though it was only two hours and fifteen minutes (roughly) long, they develop all of the characters very well and it was well worth the money that was spent not only on the movie, but the candy and freezes that I ended up paying for.  This movie by far surpassed the expectations that Star Wars: The Force Awakens had for me because I thought that anything that Disney would do would be better than the prequels...this was the first "stand-alone" movie that was done that deals with the Star Wars universe, so there was a lot more to lose if this movie bombed.  The good news?  There is no way that this movie will bomb...in fact, it made over $30 million on it's Thursday night release alone!  That is an incredible feat! I'm not going to give anything away because technically tonight is the opening night for the film, and I don't want to ruin the movie for anybody.  All I can say is that it is really good, the acting is incredible, the movie is better than Star Wars: The Force Awakens,  and you REALLY HAVE TO WATCH THIS MOVIE!!!  Here's What Ken and I thought of the movie as soon as we got out of the theater:

If you only go and see one more movie this year, make sure that it is this movie!  It's the Science Fiction "Dirty Dozen" that fans have been clamoring for!  Go see this movie, then come back here, message me and tell me what you think about the movie...but don't do so until you watch the video up above!  I know that I said that I wouldn't be back until next Tuesday, but this was too great and too important to pass up on!

Aquaman Signs Actor To Play Villian Orm

The Aquaman movie is slowly moving forward, and will hit theaters after the first Justice League movie makes it's debut.  The movie has already hired actors already.  Including Jason Momoa as the title character, Amber Heard and William Dafoe have also signed on.  Now, we can include Patrick Wilson to that list of actors.  Wilson will be playing Orm, Arthur Curry's (a.k.a. Aquaman) evil half-brother.  He'll be joining Black Manta as one of the villains in the film.


Williams is best known for his roles in Insidious, The Conjuring, and Watchmen.  Williams has joined an ever growing list of actors from the Watchmen movie to jump over to the DCEU (DC Expanded Universe).  He joins Jeffery Dean Morgan, who played the older Thomas Wayne in the movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Billy Crudup, who will play Henry Allen in the upcoming movie The Flash. 


Orm was first introduced into DC comics in 1966 in Aquaman #29, and shares the same mother as Arthur.  Since The New 52, Orm is full Atlantean, and while Arthur was growing up on the surface living with his dad, Orm ended up inheriting the thrown of Atlantis...until Arthur finally learned of his true nature and made his way down to Atlantis.  Since Arthur was his mother's first born son, he ends up having the title of Ruler of Atlantis passed over to him.  As you can probably guess, this pisses Orm off to no end.  Hence, the bad blood.


Off subject for a moment, but I'll be away from the computer until Tuesday of next week.  I need to use up my remaining vacation days before the end of the year, and am taking advantage of them.  Don't forget about when while I'm away, I'll be back before you know it.


So what do you think about Patrick Williams joining the movie?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments section down below.


Aquaman will be released into theaters October 5, 2018.

NBC's New DC Based Television Series "Powerless"

While Marvel may rule the roost when it comes to movies, DC hails as king on television.  With Arrow, Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, and Gotham, it's hard to find a night during the week that doesn't have a DC based television series on it.  Now, NBC is getting into the game with a new comic book-based comedy called Powerless.


After viewing the pilot for the show, NBC ordered the series so it can debut this coming February, and it follows a group of employees that work at a firm called Retcon Insurance that deals with the aftermath of superhero related incidents in the fictional metropolis of Charm City.  However, after ordering it to series, some changes have been made by NBC, and now, instead of it taking place in Charm City,  it will take place in Gotham, and instead of having the employees work at Retcon, they will now work for Wayne Security, a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises.  Here's the synopsis that NBC released explaining the show:


 "In a world where humanity must cope with the collateral damage of Super Heroes and Super-Villains, Emily Locke (Vanessa Hudgens) begins her first day as Director of Research & Development for Wayne Security, a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises that specializes in products that make defenseless bystanders feel a little safer. Full of confidence and big ideas, Emily quickly learns that her expectations far exceed those of her new boss (Alan Tudyk) and officemates, so it will be up to her to lead the team toward their full potential and the realization that you don’t need superpowers to be a hero."


Even though the show will take place in Gotham and the group work at Wayne Security, it's unclear if we will be seeing any of the popular characters from the DC comic book universe making an appearance, or if they will be generic, never-heard-of-them types.  What is clear is that it takes place in a world that is filled with superheroes, and there is a definite need for this cleanup crew.


So what do you think about this idea?  Do you think that we need another superhero series on television, let alone one that is going to be a comedy?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments section down below.


Powerless is set to premier on NBC Thursday, February 2, 2017 @8:30 PM.

Spider-Man: Homecoming Trailer To Be Released Tonight

The other day Marvel released a very short "teaser trailer" for the upcoming movie Spider-Man: Homecoming. 

                                   

As you can see in the teaser, it looks like it takes place before the events of Captain America: Civil War.  For one thing, his costume that he's wearing before opening the suitcase looks like it's homemade.  Also, when he reaches for the case, look how big his web-shooters are.  Nothing like the smaller ones that he uses in the fight during Civil War that Tony gave him.  We know that the suit and the web-shooters aren't the only toys that Tony made for Peter Parker.  At the end of Civil War, Peter receives a "Spider-Signal" and his costume got some "Web Wings" that help him glide, a nice nod to the early incarnation of Spider-Man from the comics.

The first full trailer for the film will debut tonight on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and I'm more than certain that it will be available on the web immediately afterwards.  I won't be able to upload it for you to see until some time Monday or Tuesday, I'll be away from technology all weekend, starting tomorrow, and Monday and Tuesday will be the only days next week that I'll be posting, going out of town for a rest.

Spider-Man: Homecoming will open in theaters July 7, 2017.

Could "Rebels" Make An Appearance In "Rogue One"?

A few of you think that I'm spending too much time talking about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, so in response to this I decided to write another post that deals with the movie.  Don't worry, though, as soon as I see the movie and give you my opinion on it, I'll stop talking about it.


Any of you out there watch Star Wars: Rebels?  If you do, then you are probably familiar with a VCX-100.  That is the model of the ship that the crew uses (the Ghost) in the show, and some eagle-eyed viewers of the Rogue One trailer think that they've seen the same model ship in the trailer (see picture above).  This may just be a small Eater Egg telling us that the show is, albeit in just a small way, is apart of this timeline.  After all, Rebels takes place a few years before the events that take place in Rogue One, so if this is in fact the "Ghost," it could still be possible that there's a different crew aboard.  Could we get a glimpse of the crew from Rebels in the movie?  After all, Forest Whitaker's character Saw Gerrera made his first appearance on the show. Here's what Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy had to say on the matter:


"That isn't really the approach we have. We don't sit down and start isolating a list of characters and build stories around them.  We really are starting with the stories themselves, and then if some of those characters might come in to what we want to do or say, we might consider it then.  But that's not part of the strategy."


So if that is the "Ghost," and it is just an Easter Egg, cool.  It's still a nice nod to the television series.  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens in theaters December 16.

Could This Character Be Appearing In Rogue One?

A new rumor is going around surrounding Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and in about ten days we'll find out if it's true.


Just to be sure, this could be a ***POTENTIAL SPOILER!!!*** for the upcoming film, so be warned if you do not want to know.  Still with me?  Okay, let's get started...


We all know that there are going to be characters from the previous movies appearing in Rogue One.  Darth Vader is appearing, as well as Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Grand Moff Tarkin.  Now, according to Reddit user "tphilb", we can add Princess Leia to that list.  He claims that he was able to get the end credit list at his job, and that it listed Princess Leia being played by Ingvild Deila.  If you aren't familiar with her, don't feel bad.  While she's done a lot of acting in short films, her largest role was listed as "World Hub Tech" in Avengers: Age of Ultron, according to IMDB.  Since this is just a list of names, the size of her role isn't known.  It could be a large part, or it could just be a cameo.  This makes sense, to be honest, since we see Princess Leia smuggling the plans to the Death Star to the Rebels at the beginning to A New Hope.  Until it comes out ten days from now, we won't know the size of her role for certain.


Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theaters December 16.

Edwards Teases Reporters With 28 Minutes Of Rogue One Footage

Director Gareth Edwards recently released 28 minutes of the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to a select group of reporters.  Not only that, but it was viewed at none other than Skywalker Ranch.  The 28 minutes only covered the origins of each of the Rogue One crew and the spread of the Empire across the galaxy, but did not cover the operation to steal the Death Star plans itself.  The screening tool place this past Saturday, and to explain why they only viewed 28 minutes, Edwards joked that they thought about showing them 30 minutes, but decided that they needed to save something.


While the reporters were allowed to see the 28 minute of footage, so far only a few people have seen the entire finished film.  This includes the crew, who were given a private screening, and George Lucas himself.  It seemed that after Star Wars: The Force Awakens George Lucas was a little bitter, and may have even regretted selling off his Star Wars franchise and Lucasfilm studio and properties.  He was quoted as saying that the movie was "unoriginal," and didn't seem very pleased with it.  While he said that he gave some ideas for the movie, none of his suggestions were used.  Now, however, he seems to have had a change of heart after viewing the movie Rogue One.  At the screening for the reporters, Edwards said the following:


“Two days ago we got to show George the movie, and we all had a phone call and I got to speak with him yesterday, and I don’t want to put words into his mouth, but I can honestly say that I can die happy now. He really liked the movie. It meant a lot. To be honest, and no offense to anyone here, it was the most important review to me. You know, you guys are important too, but he’s kind of god… I will take that conversation to my grave. His opinion means the world to me.”


It sounds like Lucas liked it.  It should be noted that the idea of stand-alone Star Wars movies was something that Lucas himself wanted to do, and discussed it with Kathleen Kennedy after the first movie, A New Hope, had been released.  It's unclear, however, if the idea behind Rogue One was one of the projects he'd considered.


Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will have a special screening on December 10 in Los Angeles, before opening worldwide on December 16.

The Mummy Teaser Trailer

                    

A very short teaser trailer for next year's movie The Mummy has been released online.

        

             

As you can see, it's quite short, but after all it is a teaser trailer.  The first official trailer will be released this Sunday, December 4.  The Mummy is Universal's attempt at creating their own movie universe to go up against DC and Marvel, but instead of superheroes, it will contain all of the classic monsters like the Mummy, Wolfman, Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, and so forth.  In fact, Russell Crowe will be appearing in the movie as Dr. Henry Jekyll, so I'm sure that Mr. Hyde will be making an appearance at some point in the series.

The Mummy will be released next June, so in order to build up interest in this movie, Universal will be using the holiday season to introduce us to the film.  It will probably be shown before movies like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Passengers so it can reach the largest audiences possible.  Let me know what you think about the trailer in the comments section down below, and let me know if you think that this reboot is a good idea or not.

Indiana Jones 5 Is Slow Going...

There was a collected sigh when it was learned that Disney and Lucasfilm were planning on releasing a fifth movie in the Indiana Jones storyline, but there was also a bit of worry about the announcement as well.  Considering how poorly Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull faired in theaters and with fans, people began wondering if a fifth movie would even be a good idea.  Still, the idea of a new Indiana Jones movie was pretty exciting.


While the announcement of the movie, and even it's release date, made it sound like the script for the film had for the most part been completed, that doesn't seem to be the case.  In an interview with Fandango, Frank Marshall, who was the executive producer for the previous four Indiana Jones films, said in regards to the fifth film,, "That's still in the thinking stages."  That's not necessarily a bad thing, though.  With the collective despise of The Crystal Skull,  it would make sense that they would want to get the best script and story possible, and with it still being in the "thinking stages," it's not known whether or not Karen Allen will be returning as Indy's wife or not.  It's a pretty safe bet that Shia LaBeouf won't be appearing in the film.  While he was a rising star when The Crystal Skull was released, his career has had it's ups and downs.  He's a tremendous actor (don't believe me? Go watch Tank) but his personal life and some of the things he's said and done have made him toxic for some production companies.  Case in point, he was at one point considered for a role in Suicide Squad, but WB and DC decided against him, worrying about controversies.  It's unlikely that Disney and Lucasfilm will want to take a gamble on him, as well.


The release date for the fifth film is set for July 19, 2019, which means that they have roughly until the fall of next year to get the script finished, and will probably start filming at the end of 2017 and into early 2018, which will give them a year for post-production.  That should be plenty of time for them to get this one right.  Besides, it's well known that the odd numbered movies in this franchise have been the best, so let's hope that number five lives up to what we expect from our favorite archeologist.

Is Time Travel Possible?

While time travel isn't possible at this moment, scientists are theorizing that it is possible...kind of. 


Do you believe in parallel universes?  There are scientists that do.  A team of physicists have claimed that there are multiple timelines that play out in parallel universes.  Professors Howard Wiseman and Dr. Michael Hall from Griffith University's Centre for Quantum Dynamics claim that this isn't science fiction, but real.  Helped by Dr. Dirk-Andre Deckert from the University of California, they are pushing the theory that there are not only multiple universes, but that they interact with one another.  They say in their "Many Interacting Worlds Theory" that it would be possible for a time traveler to not only go back into the past, but that they could travel to parallel universes where events might not have played out like they have in our own history.


Professor Wiseman said:


"The idea of parallel universes in quantum mechanics has been around since 1957.  In the well-known 'Many Worlds Interpretation', each universe branches into a bunch of new universes every time a quantum measurement is made.  All possibilities are therefore realized - in some universes the dinosaur-killing asteroid missed Earth.  In others, Australia was colonized by Portuguese.  But critics question the reality of these other universes, since they do not influence our universe at all.  On this score, our 'Many Interacting Worlds' approach is completely different, as the name implies."


What he is saying is that there many, many Earths, and that they all differ from one another, some greatly from ours, and some that you'd hardly be able to notice the difference.  He's saying that all of the worlds are real, and that they all exist on the same timeline, but they interact when they "essentially bump into each other."  Dr. Hall says that the groups theory fits into current scientific understanding, and that this new perspective could rewrite the physics rulebook completely.


I guess that The Flash got it right...

Could Obi-Wan Be Appearing In Episodes VIII And IX?

One of the biggest things that got the new Star Wars movies going was the announcement of the return of the main characters from the original trilogy, Luke, Han, Leia, Chewbacca, C3PO, and R2D2.  This got fans all worked up to see the film, and it worked.  Star Wars: The Force Awakens made over $1.2 billion world wide, and it opened the door for future projects that deal with a galaxy far, far away.  Case in point, in just under a few weeks, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will open in theaters, and it will be the first Star Wars movie that will one, take place outside of the regular "Episode" films (which have also been referred to as the "Skywalker Saga"), and two, it will be the first Star Wars film to (at least it's being rumored to) not have the opening crawl that we've become accustomed to.  Rogue One will also be featuring Darth Vader, who will once again be voiced by James Earl Jones.  Bringing back the original actors seems to be working for the franchise, and it doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon, either.


Case in point, Ewan McGregor has voiced his desire to reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi, and there had been rumors that an Obi-Wan stand alone film might be in the works, but then it was announced that the next film in the "Anthology Series" would instead be a story featuring a young Han Solo.  While the news of a Han Solo film was a welcome one to fans, it was surprising that they went this route instead of making an Obi-Wan film, since the actor already said that he was interested in playing him again, and that bringing back actors from the previous films seems to be good business for the franchise.  So why not an Obi-Wan stand alone film?


In an interview with Rebel Force Radio, Anthony Breznican from EW said that while he can't confirm directly what Lucasfilm is planning on doing with future projects, he did say the following:


"Um, I have heard rumors that the one reason they haven’t moved sooner on Obi-Wan is that they’re not done with Obi-Wan quite yet… in the Saga films. So I wouldn’t be surprised to see an Obi-Wan thing happen beyond Episode IX."


This actually makes a lot of sense.  In fact, McGregor was called in to speak some lines for The Force Awakens which were used in Rey's "Lightsaber Dream," a scene that also used Sir Alec Guinness' voice as well.  Using him in future films wouldn't be that big of a surprise, since we know that Luke has been in contact with the Force Spirit of Obi-Wan since he first saw him on Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back.  But why would Luke need to turn to Obi-Wan for guidance?  You would think that with all of the experience Luke has gained over the last thirty years, he should be pretty in tune with the Force that he'd be able to figure things out on his own, right?  I guess you're never too old to take advice from a mentor.


While the Saga films may not be done with Obi-Wan yet, a stand alone film still isn't out of the question for him.  We'll just have to wait until this current trilogy comes to it's conclusion.  Where they go after that is anyone's guess.

What Is An EM Drive?

Welcome back!  I thought I'd start the week off with a little science news.

While it might seem like space exploration has been at a standstill, I mean, we haven't gone back to the moon, and they keep talking about sending a man to Mars but yet we still haven't, there are a few areas of study that are trying to develop new ways of getting us out there the most efficient way possible.  One of the these areas that NASA is working hard on is propulsion.  Why propulsion?  Because most of the weight that needs to be accounted for when sending a rocket into space, and then for it to travel to the stars is fuel.  If we could eliminate the amount of, or even the need for fuel, this would make space travel all the more obtainable.  The latter, a fuel-free engine, seems to be making grounds in the research department.

It's called an EM Drive, and how it works is it bounces microwaves in an enclosed device to create thrust.  It's been tested on a small scale when NASA Eagleworks tested a model in a vacuum and it created thrust without the need for fuel.  Could this work on a larger scale in the vacuum of space?  That's what they are trying to find out.  If they can, then after launching a space craft into space, they could hook up the EM Drive and go.  No refueling would be necessary.  As for speed?  They are estimating that it could get astronauts to Mars in about six weeks.

It should be noted that this is still in the beginning stages of research and isn't definitive proof that it will work, but it is a step in the right direction.  You can learn more of the EM Drive in the video below:

This Idea For Star Wars Wasn't Originally Disney's

A lot of people have been crediting Disney for the idea of the Star Wars Anthology film, but according to one Lucasfilm insider, the idea was actually that of it's creator...George Lucas.  This isn't just some run of the mill insider either, it was Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm's current president.  She recently sat down with EW for an interview when she discussed her time working with Lucas, and made the revelation then.

“George talked to me about doing this when I first came aboard. He had often thought about doing it and he had actually written down three or four thoughts and ideas, directions you could go. Obviously inside the mythology there were lots of opportunities. So that was the first conversation I had.”

She went into a few other details about early ideas, and when she was asked if the Han Solo stand alone film that Disney is currently working on was another of Lucas' ideas, she said this:

“No, we certainly talked about origin type stories, but we didn’t get into the specifics of that. We talked a lot about the Jedi and the foundational ideas that George had thought about when he created the mythology. It was sort of spit-balling ideas.”

These ideas being discussed back in the early eighties was pretty revolutionary.  If you think about it, the idea of a cinematic "shared universe" wasn't even considered seriously until Marvel came out with Iron Man back in 2007.  Now it seems that everyone and their brother are trying to establish one for themselves.  While the actual designs for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the yet to be titled Han Solo Anthology Film weren't necessarily ideas that George Lucas came up with himself, the idea for spinoffs and stand alone films for the Star Wars universe was.  You've got to give credit where credit is due, right?

I hope that everyone that reads this and gets to celebrate Thanksgiving has a happy holiday weekend.  I'll be away until Monday, spending time with family and friends.  If you have anything you want me to look into when I get back, feel free to leave your ideas in the comments section down below.

Rogue One Will Feature Attacks On Two Fronts

For anyone that has seen the movie Star Wars: A New Hope, which I'm assuming is everyone, we know that the upcoming movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story deals with the Rebels stealing the plans to the Death Star.  The thing is, it sounds like the Death Star isn't the Rebel's only target.  The second, and possibly equally important site, is a key Imperial military bas on the planet Scarif.


In a recently aired trailer for the film, there's a scene that shows some X-Wings attacking a wheel-shaped space station in orbit above a blue colored planet, which you can see a quick shot of in the picture above.  EW is reporting that the space station is referred to as the Shield Gate, and is Scarif's primary protection.  While the Death Star may not have been built there, Scarif is responsible for all of the new technology the Empire uses in their weapon production.  Their complex spans the entire planet, and needs a force shield to protect their installations.  Co-producer John Swartz describes it in the following quote:


"You can see the blue sheen surrounding the entire planet. The shield gate is the security. As Imperial ships and cargo comes through, it punches a hole in the shield so they can pass. The gate officer gives clearances as they give out their call signs."


He went on to confirm the information that I described up above:


"It's part of their military industrial complex. It's not necessarily where the Death Star was constructed, but a lot of military research goes on there. That's why Krennic spends time there. It's the site of research, structural engineering, munitions and manufacturing, all rolled into one facility."


Krennic, whom Swartz refers to in the quote, is the one who runs the operation on the planet, and will be played by Ben Mendelsohn.  It's being assumed by many that the blue planet of Scarif is the place where we see the fight happening in a tropical setting on a beachfront.  We won't have to wait much longer to find out, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opens in theaters December 16.

Could This MCU Character Be Making A Comeback?

I think that the appearance of Howard the Duck in Guardians of the Galaxy was probably the best surprise for me out of the whole film.  James Gunn has long said that Howard the Duck was one of his favorite comic books to read while growing up.  So could we be getting to see our favorite foul mouth Fowl make another appearance?  Or, better yet, could he be getting his own movie that takes place in the MCU?  This past weekend at the Heroes and Villains Fan Fest in Atlanta, comicbook.com's Brandon David attended a panel that had some of the stars of Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 on it, and he reported on what Dave Batista had to say on the matter:


"As long as there’s a James Gunn directing the film, there’s a possibility of a Howard the Duck."


This isn't the first time that the subject has come up.  Even Gunn himself weighed in on this topic a couple of years ago.


"I'll be honest with you, I was just talking about it with my assistant right now.  It's possible that Howard could reappear as more of a character in the Marvel Universe.  But if people think that’s going to lead to a Howard The Duck movie, that’s probably not going to happen in the next four years. Who knows after that?"


Even George Lucas, who produced the 1986 live action film, thinks that there's room for a Howard the Duck remake.  While he was attending the Tribeca Film Festival last year, he was quoted as saying, "Even Howard the Duck is a cult classic.  I have a feeling that Marvel's gonna redo it because of the technology that we have today." 


So whether or not we get to see Howard making another appearance in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 it doesn't sound like it will be that last we see of him.  Would you want to see an updated movie starring Howard the Duck?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments section down below.

Spider-Man: Homecoming Trailer To Debut Before...

It seems that the partnership between Marvel (well, actually Disney) and Sony goes beyond them just sharing their Marvel properties with one another.  Because of the news/rumor that Tony Stark will be appearing in Spider-Man: Homecoming, I think that is a safe assumption, that they are sharing their properties now that Spidey is part of the greater MCU, but back to what I was starting to say.  It looks like their partnership goes beyond this because it was revealed that the first official Spider-Man: Homecoming movie trailer will debut during the previews for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.  Since Disney owns both Marvel and Lucasfilm, this was a savvy move for them.  They've invested a lot of time, money, and effort into build their Marvel Cinematic Universe, and they'll want to let people know that with the inclusion of Spider-Man, this shared universe is still in good hands.  This is good for Sony, too, considering that the upcoming Star Wars movie will more than likely be one of the biggest movies of the year.


Spider-Man: Homecoming will hit theaters July 7, 2017, while Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will open in theaters December 16, 2016.

Russo Brothers Upload, Then Delete Set Photo From Avengers Set

The two brothers that are in charge of the next two Avengers movies uploaded a picture while searching for sets to film at, and then quickly deleted it.  The picture (seen above) shows the two standing in a large stone room, and it quickly got fans talking.  There are, in fact, two theories going around on what this could be.

The first is that this picture is part of a scene that will take place in Asgard.  If this is the case, then the reason that they deleted the picture so quickly is that they don't want to reveal where the movie could be taking place just yet.  This seems like the most reasonable theory, but there is another one that has fans excited.

People are saying that the photo looks like it could be from a castle, and they are saying that it could be Doctor Doom's castle in Latveria.  This would be pretty cool if the Doctor Doom property wasn't in the hands of 20th Century Fox.  Could the Russo brothers been able to broker a deal with Fox to use Doctor Doom in their movie like they did with Sony and their Spider-Man property?  Who knows.  While Fox's X-Men properties have been very good to them, their Fantastic Four properties have fallen flat with fans.  Maybe they're cutting their losses with this one?  It should be noted that Doctor Doom played a pretty big role in the Infinity Gauntlet storyline in the comic books.

So what are your theories on this picture, and which one do you think sounds more plausible?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments section down below. 

DC's Next Animated Feature Releases Trailer

On the heels of it's widely popular Batman: The Killing Joke, Warner Brothers Animation and DC have just released a trailer for their next movie, Justice League Dark.

Justice League Dark was created during DC's New 52 initiative to work as a Justice League like team that fights the supernatural and magical threats.  The team is comprised of John Constantine, Zatanna, Madame Xanadu, Deadman, Enchantress, and Shade the Changing Man.  In the animated film, though, it looks like the team will feature Swamp Thing and Etrigan the Demon, in place of Madame Xanadu, Shade, and Enchantress.  One of the things that this movie will feature that I'm looking forward to is the return of Matt Ryan as John Constantine.  I thought that he got a raw deal from NBC when they cancelled his television series a couple of years back.  And who knows?  Maybe he'll get another shot at it through the CW, considering that they've pretty much cornered the market with popular comic book TV series.  I mean, they've still got a Friday that needs a superhero to appear on.

No release date has been set, but WB and DC usually release their first feature of the year around January or February, so I think it's a safe bet that we can expect it out around then, but I'll still let you know as soon as they announce it.



The Marvel/20th Century Fox Swap

I'm back!  Hope y'all didn't miss me too much!

So!  Ever since Marvel and Sony came to an agreement over the property rights concerning Spider-Man, there has been a lot of talk over whether or not Marvel and 20th Century Fox can come to an arrangement with regards to the MCU and the X-Men and Fantastic Four.  While there hasn't been any progress as far as this is concerned, the two have met, and there was some wheeling and dealing that dealt with Marvel's comic book properties.

When the Deadpool was in it's infancy, Fox had to go to Marvel and ask if they could change the powers of Negasonic Teenage Warhead.  They needed a powerful mutant, and the reason the went with her was because he name sounded soooo cool!  In order for them to get this approval, they had to relinquish the rights to Ego the Living Planet, so Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy vol, 2 could use him in their movie.  While Ego originally debuted in the Thor comic books, he was apparently included in the sell off of properties that Marvel made with Fox before the creation of their own movie studio.  So Marvel agreed to their request in return for the rights to Ego.  Who says that rival movie studios can't get along?

Speaking of Deadpool, there have been a lot of rumors going around about Tim Miller's quitting the sequel.  While many are a little nervous about this, it's really not that unusual when dealing with sequels.  Chris Columbus left the Harry Potter films, JJ Abrams left the Star Trek films, and even George Lucas left the Star Wars movies after directing the first one.  Ryan Reynolds recently sat down GQ and discussed the departure of Miller.  He began by saying:

"Making the movie was very, very difficult. It was the most passionate group of individuals I've ever worked with in my life. And for whatever reason, that mercurial crazy burgoo of people is what made this thing work so well, not just because I had this vision and I saw it this way and it had to be this way. It worked because we all had that feeling. But there were vaguely scary fights in the post-production process that escalated quickly. Luckily, everybody's grown up and at the end of the day enjoys and loves each other."

He went on to say:

"I know when I need to exert control, and I know when I need to let go of it. I'm not gonna go and sit with Tim Miller and say, 'The visual effects of Deadpool need to be done this way.' The man is a visual-effects wizard. But there are character and tone things that I know really well. And I've also been with this thing the longest out of anybody, aside from the guys that wrote the comics. Eleven years I've been trying to get this Sisyphus rock up the hill, and it kept rolling back on top of me. So I'm gonna be all the fuck over it from the moment it starts to the moment it finishes."

Don't hate the man for wanting to get everything perfect for these movies.  After the disaster that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine, I can understand why he wants to get everything right.  It took a lot of lobbying just to get the movie made!  20th Century Fox didn't think that fans would go see a Deadpool movie after the panning that Origins got, but luckily for us, they cave after the test footage was leaked and got rave reviews.

Deadpool 2, which is set to start filming earl next year, is scheduled to come out January 12, 2018.



Taking Some Time Off

Here's the first of my few breaks from the blog.  I'm going to be away until Tuesday of next week.  Everybody needs some time off, and I think mine is a well deserved break.  Don't forget about this blog while I'm away, and I hope to have a lot to write about when I get back!

Too Dark For Disney?

Back in the late 70's (1979 to be exact) Disney released a movie called The Black Hole, which was a fun space adventure that was riddled with scientific inaccuracies.  Hey, it was the 70's!  We've learned a lot about space in the last forty years!  And yet, movie studios haven't learned that audiences want original movies and not remakes!  Sorry, I'm getting off topic.  So Disney is wanting to do a remake of The Black Hole,  which like I said was a fun space adventure, and they had the same team that had been working on Tron: Legacy putting together an updated version of the film, but we haven't heard anything about it since Disney first let us know that it was a project they were wanting to do.  So what happened?

According to screenwriter Jon Spaihts (Passengers, Doctor Strange) it might not have fit into the Disney brand on what we've come to expect from them.  Here, let him explain it.  This is what he told Slashfilm about the project while he was going around promoting Doctor Strange:

"Black Hole was an amazing experience. That was one of those movies I was stuck on until I cracked the beginning, and suddenly it just started to flow. I loved that script. It sits uneasily in Disney’s world as a dark epic, and Disney is in a very colorful place. They already have multiple big space epics going, so I don’t know how or whether it’ll find its way to light of day, but I sure wrote a heck of a movie and was thrilled to do it. It was very faithful to the original but clever in all the ways in that first film was silly, I hope."

He's right, by the way.  The original movie was quite silly when it came to explaining things, whether scientific or otherwise, but it was a fun movie for an eight year old.  This is also depressing is the way that we now know that there is a script out there for this movie...a really good script...and we may not get to see it because Disney wants a happy, bright family movie instead of a good movie.  I say let Spaihts vision be made.  Find a great director, make the movie, and then let the fans decide what they want to go see.  Disney may have been smart when they bought Marvel and Lucasfilm, but they aren't above making huge blunders (Yeah, I'm looking at you John Carter!) 

Have any of you out there seen this movie?  I mean, the original?  I used to have the action figures from this film, and I wish I still did because they are worth some money now!  Especially the robot V.I.N.C.E.N.T.  He was my favorite figure growing up.  Okay, so if you have seen the original, do you think that they should do a remake of this film?  Would you want to see a remake of this film, and if you do...what sort of tone do you think it should take?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments section down below.

Kevin Feige Talks Marvel's Phase 4

Yesterday I talked about the possibility of the Captain America franchise moving forward without Steve Rogers, and how Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel's movie division, talked about how someone else could become Captain America (like in the comic books) in the future.  That isn't the only thing that Feige has been discussing lately, when dealing with the future of Marvel movies.  This time he sat down with Vulture to talk about "Phase 4" and the what we might expect from it.

The subject of "Phase 4" has been a hot topic lately after reports surfaced that Marvel and Disney have been planning out their MCU movies up through 2020 behind closed doors.  Considering that they have been starting to release three movies a year, that's a lot of story work to be talking about and new characters to consider.  New characters being introduced into the MCU shouldn't be surprising, considering that actors do age, and considering how the movies fare with audiences, they can demand higher salaries each go around.  It also keeps things fresh for the fans with new faces and storylines.  While Feige hasn't divulged much on who we can expect to see, he did tease that we may be getting a lot more superhero team-ups, similar to the Hulk/Thor partnership in next years Thor: Ragnarok.   He mulled over who he'd like to see team-up:

“There are so many, but I would say, both because of the characters and the actors who’ve created them, Doctor Strange and Tony Stark. Particularly in Infinity War and the movie after that, there are … unexpected team-ups.”

One of the things that has both fans and Marvel wondering is if they are growing beyond being able to do "small" movies.  With every MCU movie that's released, it seems to be bigger and better than the one that came before it.  Does Feige think that Marvel will still be able to do these smaller films that are driven more by story than special effects?

"I think it’s possible to have more intimate movies after that, or to have more interesting, unexpected combinations of characters after that, absolutely. It never is intentionally about ‘being even bigger.’ Arguably, one of the biggest scenes we’ve ever had in a movie was the airport battle in Civil War, and there weren’t world-ending stakes in that scene, there wasn’t an asteroid smashing into a city in that scene, but there was a conflict between the characters that made you feel something. To us, it’s less about continuing to go bigger with spectacle — although in some cases, we will — and more about continuing to go deeper with those character interactions.”

While nothing has been confirmed as far as "Phase 4" goes, as news trickles out, I'll be posting the news here.  What new characters from the Marvel Universe would you like to see make their way onto the silver screen?  Let me know who and why in the comments section down below.

Could Marvel Ever Replace Steve Rogers As Captain America?

One of the biggest films of this past summer was Captain America: Civil War, and the fact that Avengers were fighting Avengers was really the biggest thing to come out of that movie, it was the fact that Steve Rogers quit being Captain America.  Tired of arguing for what he believes is right, and not wanting to fight with his friends, I guess it was easier to just walk away.  At the end of the movie, he left for Wakanda with T'Challa and Bucky, who voluntarily put himself back on ice until they could find a way to get rid of the code stuck in his head that would allow him to be controlled by other people.  T'Challa said that Steve could stay there under his protection for as long as he'd like, and that's where the movie left us.  So where does that leave Steve Rogers and the Captain America franchise moving forward?  Could they really make another Captain America film without Steve Rogers?

Kevin Feige, the guy in charge of all of the Marvel movies that come out, recently sat down with Collider to talk about the MCU and where it's heading.  The question about their Captain America franchise came up, and while he says he still sees Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, he didn't rule out the possibility that the franchise could move on without him.

“It’s a good question and if we look back at the comic books as our inspiration and as the well from which this all springs, then the answer is “no.” I’m not saying we’ll do it in the movie but I’ve read Captain America comics that don’t have Steve Rogers in them.”

Marvel doesn't even have to really continue the Captain America franchise at all at this point.  They have become such a successful studio that they can role out new characters and storylines without worrying about not connecting with the audience (like when they released their first movie Iron Man and had know idea if it would be a hit or not).  Fans seem to have embraced all things Marvel (even Ant-Man!) and there is no slowing down for them when it comes to new releases.  Doctor Strange opens this weekend in the United States, and next year we'll see Spider-Man: Homecoming, Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2, and Thor: Ragnarok. 

If they do decide to carry on the Captain America franchise without Chris Evans (who, incidentally has said he'd like to continue playing Steve Rogers and Captain America) who do you think would make the best replacement Captain America?  There are plety of characters to choose from, but who do you think would be the best fit for the role?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments section down below.

Kevin Feige Says "Don't Hold Your Breath..."

This past summer gave us one of the biggest "crossovers" in movie history when Sony's Spider-Man property joined Marvel's MCU in Captain America: Civil War.  This came about when Sony's sequel to their Spider-Man reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man, failed to connect with fans and it tanked with audiences.  Not wanting to give up their rights to the web-slinger, but in a funk on what to do about making it popular again, they went into negotiations with Marvel to "share" the wall crawler with them, allowing them to use him in their Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as allowing Marvel characters to appear in their Spider-Man movies.  This arrangement turned out to be a huge success, because when Civil War was released to the masses, everyone seemed to agree that Spider-Man stole the show whenever he graced the screen.  Now that Spider-Man has become part of the MCU, fans started wondering if we'd ever get to see the X-Men join the MCU as well.  Well, according to Marvel big-wig Kevin Feige, that doesn't seem to be a possibility at this point in time.

During a recent interview with Collider,  Feige discussed the possibility for a 20th Century Fox/Marvel crossover.  Here's what he had to say:

“Well, it’s the same as it has always been. I don’t want to attribute it as a frozen wasteland or anything like that. We all get along and I see them occasionally but there’s no change in any dynamic.“

If anybody is in the know as far as this sort of information goes, it would be him.  While the partnership between Sony and Marvel seems to be working out tremendously, it doesn't sound like 20th Century Fox is ready to release the reins on their Marvel properties (X-Men, Fantastic Four, Deadpool) and allow them to join the rest of the superheroes over in the MCU.  While this would be HUGE, it might take a few more years (decades) before this will ever happen.  Still, it's kind of surprising that Fox wants to hold onto their Fantastic Four property, seeing as how the last attempt to re-invent them fell pretty flat.  Agreeing to share that property, at least, would seem to be a smart move for Fox in order to get that franchise back up and running again.  As far as their X-Men and Deadpool properties go, I can understand why they don't want to share them yet, considering that they are doing quite well and are pulling in boat loads of money for the studio.

So how do you feel about this?  Are you upset, or do you think that this is the best thing for both movie companies to keep them separate?  If they ever did come to an agreement of some sort, what storyline would you like to see take place that would introduce the two groups together?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments section down below.