Matthew Monagle
Oscar-Nominated Iranian Filmmaker Caught Up in American Immigrant Ban
While the Academy Awards may leave a sour taste in the mouths of those who think artists shouldn’t be forced to compete, there’s no denying that an Oscar nomination is still a powerful piece of validation for a lot of filmmakers, especially those from other countries. Filmmakers like Asghar Farhadi — whose 2016 film The Salesman will be seen by many Americans due to its Best Foreign Language Film nomination — should be able to take this time to engage with audiences about the importance of this work. Instead, Farhadi will have to watch the Academy Awards on television like the rest of us.
‘Stranger Things’ Star Joins the Cast of ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’
After a breakout role in the popular Netflix series Stranger Things, it was only a matter of time before Millie Bobby Brown made her feature film debut. Many fans of the Star Wars films have pointed out her uncanny resemblance to a young Carrie Fisher and raised the possibility of a Princess Leia standalone movie. And while that film seems destined to happen at some point — after all, for better or worse, the internet typically gets what it wants — it appears that Brown has targeted another blockbuster science fiction franchise for her big screen break out.
Fox Orders the ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ Series We All Must’ve Wanted
Here are some facts you may not know about the 2001 Owen Wilson-led war thriller Behind Enemy Lines. First, despite overwhelmingly negative reviews, the movie was a box office success, grossing over $90 million worldwide. Second, the film spawned three loosely related direct-to-video sequels: Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil, Behind Enemy Lives: Colombia (starring Joe Manganiello!), and SEAL Team 8: Behind Enemy Lines. And finally, despite nobody anywhere requesting it, Fox is about to give us our very own Behind Enemy Lines television show.
David Ayer Wishes He’d Made Joker the Big Bad in ‘Suicide Squad’
It’s been six months since Suicide Squad was released in theaters and a collective history is starting to shape up around the film. Despite denials from Warner Bros., it’s now pretty much understood that the studio rushed production of Suicide Squad and backed director David Ayer into a corner about the film’s final cut. Despite these issues, Ayer has remained a loyal solider for the studio, regularly commenting that the film we saw in theaters was his and his alone.
Hugh Jackman Explains the ‘Slightly Different Universe’ of ‘Logan’
How about that last Logan trailer, huh? While the first trailer will probably be remembered as the one that got everyone excited for a mature Wolverine movie, the second trailer — even without the Johnny Cash music playing in the background — is the one that really sets the hook. What was hinted at in the first go-around now feels lived in and personal; Hugh Jackman’s Logan has never seemed more tired, and Dafne Keen’s X-23 has never seemed more dangerous.
James Cameron Is Taking Back the Reigns of the ‘Terminator’ Franchise
With James Cameron caught in an endless loop of Avatar rumors and delays, it’s become fashionable for some fans to treat the director like a Hollywood has-been. I don’t get it. Even if you think the original Avatar is a hollow mess of special effects, it’s still a fun entry in Cameron’s ‘Soldiers vs. Monsters’ filmography. Are we so awash in incredible action directors that we can afford to dismiss Cameron’s eye for spectacle and clean action scenes? I think not.
Keira Knightley Will Return in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’
It seems like forever ago that the original Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was an unexpected Hollywood hit, a questionable adaptation of a popular carnival ride that somehow managed to be one of the best action movies of the year. In the original film, Johnny Depp surprised us all with his mimicry and knack for physical comedy, even bringing home an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Captain Jack Sparrow. Fast forward a few years, however, and the franchise seems to have devolved into what we originally feared: a hollow cash grab from Disney that has quite clearly overstayed its welcome.
Sony Sets a ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming 2’ Release Date
File this one under ‘Least Surprising News Stories of the Day’: right on the heels of releasing the first trailer for Spider-Man: Homecoming, Sony has announced the release date for Spider-Man: Homecoming 2, proving that no title is so awkward as to prevent Hollywood from slapping the number ‘2’ on it and calling it a day.
Rumor: Did a Copyright Filing Reveal the ‘Star Wars: Episode 8’ Subtitle?
Look, we get it. Even with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story set to hit theaters next week, some of you just prefer your Star Wars stories to be part of the main story. And although we might be as caught up as everyone else in talking about the prospect of prequels and standalone movies, that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten how to give you some good, old-fashioned Star Wars: Episode VIII gossip. Here’s one we know you’ll like: rumors are circulating that the title of the next film popped up in the most unlikely of places.
‘Rogue One’ Composer Michael Giacchino Only Had Four Weeks to Write the Score
In the four decades that Star Wars has dominated pop culture, we’ve never had to hear a soundtrack for a live-action movie that wasn’t written by John Williams. Williams wrote the original trilogy, and then the follow-up prequels, and even dove back in for the soundtrack for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. So the fact that Williams did not write the music for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is just one of many ways in which Rogue One represents a departure from the main story. No Star Wars crawl, no John Williams, no problem? I guess we’ll see.