George Lucas in 2012: "Why would I make any more when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?"



Lucas seized control of his movies from the studios only to discover that the fanboys could still give him script notes.

“Why would I make any more,” Lucas says of the “Star Wars” movies, “when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?” When fanboys wailed, Lucas did not just hear the scream of young Jedis; he heard something like the voice of the studio. The dumb, uncomprehending voice in his Socratic dialogues — a voice telling him how to make a blockbuster. “On the Internet, all those same guys that are complaining I made a change are completely changing the movie,” Lucas says, referring to fans who, like the dreaded studios, have done their own forcible re-edits. “I’m saying: ‘Fine. But my movie, with my name on it, that says I did it, needs to be the way I want it.’ ”

What do I think about this? For a film series about peace, love, and understanding, "Star Wars" fans are a high strung bunch. Those defending "The Last Jedi" and those that hate it seem to be at major odds with each other, which is strange considering they no doubt love to death Lucas' original films.

[THR]

"Mad Max" Sequel Delayed Indefnitely Due to Legal Dsipute



With all the rubbish sequels that are being made these days in cinema, a "Fury Road" sequel is one of the few that would make actual, concrete sense to greenlight. George Miller was apparently in pre-production on "Mad Max: the Wasteland" and even had Tom Hardy signed up to do two more films. That is until Miller sued his studio Warner Bros. for not paying him a bonus that was contractually obligated by contract.

"Details have emerged (via Sydney Morning Herald) that Miller's studio Kennedy Miller Mitchell is suing the WB over what they claim is an unpaid bonus. According to Justice David Hammerschlag, the $7m bonus itself was dependent on the production coming in under $157m – after certain costs were excluded – with Miller and co believing they are owed that money due to unforeseen circumstances during production."
"While Warner Bros. are claiming that the production went over budget, thus making them ineligible for the bonus, Miller's company argue that the studio made "a series of decisions which caused changes and delays to the production".
"On top of that, it is reported that the deal included a clause that said Kennedy Miller Mitchell would be given the chance to finance the project should Warner Bros. seek a deal with a new co-financier."
"According to Justice David Hammerschlag, the $7m bonus itself was dependent on the production coming in under $157m – after certain costs were excluded – with Miller and co believing they are owed that money due to unforeseen circumstances during production."
"While Warner Bros. are claiming that the production went over budget, thus making them ineligible for the bonus, Miller's company argue that the studio made "a series of decisions which caused changes and delays to the production"."
"On top of that, it is reported that the deal included a clause that said Kennedy Miller Mitchell would be given the chance to finance the project should Warner Bros. seek a deal with a new co-financier."

To be fair, Y'all - Miller owns the rights to the Mad Max characters. They're his. So, while we might not see any more films, we also won't see any blatant cash grabs banking on the franchise name alone because Miller lost out.  Miller's got two scripts ready to go. Fury Road was a massive hit. Warner Brothers are literally sitting on a blockbuster franchise and they won't make it because they're bickering over 7-10 million. At the other end of the argument you could say Warner Brothers has plenty of franchises, Miller has Mad Max and both he and his cast will be aging irreversibly as those sequels are delayed on and on again as this lawsuit continues. Warner also has to watch out not to set a bad precedent where their producers and directors can sue them quickly into submission every time a contract dispute emerges. So it makes plenty of sense. Both sides have plenty to win if the sequels are made, but plenty to lose if they concede the lawsuit. So the game of chicken is on.

Peter Jackson made a huge push to get Andy Serkis nominated for his role as Gollum in ‘Lord of the Rings.’ The Academy denied his request, stating that the motion-capture performance was ineligible as it “technically wasn’t the actor being nominated for the role, but rather the character.”





If the academy had any sense, Andy Serkis' monumental performance as Ceasar in "War for the Planet of the Apes" would be rewarded with an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. This is a weak-ass year for the male category, Serkis' performance towers above almost all other candidates. In fact, as the technology becomes better in the next few years and motion-capture becomes a fixture of cinema, Serkis will most likely be known as the groundbreaker, the legend that made it possible for great acting to infiltrate the art. In fact, the actor has called for motion-captured performances to finally be eligible for a nomination at the Academy Awards.
Serkis is the star of the show. It's hard to explain just how incredible his work is in "War," so much so that a special Oscar should be made for what will surely be a landmark effort in CGI acting. Every movement, every facial gesture is fully controlled and calculated by him. There is barely a false note in the way the motion-capture actor creates Caesar. Serkis has invented an entirely new medium of performance, it's a landmark feat. Give this man the appreciation he deserves. As they say, history will be kind to him and his talents.
The Independent goes on to say:

 "Many will be unaware that movies using significant motion-captured performances are currently deemed ineligible for Best Animated Feature nominations. Furthermore, motion-captured roles in both animated and more “traditional” features have never been nominated in Best Actor categories."

 "You would think this transformative work would be universally and critically applauded, but unfortunately this is not the case. And Serkis is of course not alone acting in features that rely heavily on motion capture."

 "Yet no motion-captured performance has ever been nominated for an Academy Award. Avatar (2009) was nominated for nine Academy Awards, but none of them were for acting. Nearly 50 per cent of the film was made using motion capture (as will the next series of Cameron’s Avatar films)."
I feel like they should create a new category for this. Best virtual character or something. The award would go to the actor and the creative lead on animation.
[–]mfranko88 410 points  
Totally agreed. Cause the problem is, no matter how great the performance is from Serkis, it's impossible to know how much was added or changed by the digital artists. The digital team in charge of Ceaser, for example, worked very hard to bring that character to life, much like Serkis did.
[–]BaronOfBeanDip 135 points  
All of the facial animation in the Planet Of The Apes reboot trilogy was hand keyframed by animators, based on a performance by the actor. It's his performance, but the animators brought it to the screen.

Rian Johnson Responds to Fan Backlash of "The Last Jedi"



For many, the joys of Star Wars come from the comfort of familiarity, the mythology Lucas created. "The Last Jedi" erases all that. I knew "The Last Jedi" would likely rub purist fans the wrong way. The primary intent of the film was to reinvent the franchise. Of course, these purists want things to stay the same, but watching "The Last Jedi" you can sense director Rian Jonson trying to, as Kylo Ren says, "let the past die." It's a theme that resonates throughout the film.

 Its director Rian Johnson has finally responded to the fan backlash we've witnessed the last few days, most notably a campaigned petition to oust the film as being officially part of the canon of the Star Wars universe. 

 "The goal is never to divide or make people upset, but I do think the conversations that are happening were going to have to happen at some point if sw is going to grow, move forward and stay vital," Johnson tweeted.

Documentary 'Icarus' Returning to Theaters Following Russia Olympics Ban, Now Eligible For Oscars

Netflix has a goldmine with “Icarus,” its documentary about Russia’s doping program, especially  with the recent announcement by the International Olympic Committee that bans Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.  Icarus is about an elaborate doping scheme involving Russian government and its athletes. Many are saying that because Fogel stumbled onto an international scandal while making the film, it led to the IOC ban.

The film is expected to screen this weekend in Los Angeles and the same next weekend in New York. “Icarus” is available to Netflix subscribers on its streaming platform. Controversy or not, “Icarus” is an incredible documentary and quite possibly a contender for a best documentary Academy Award, it just needs this theatrical release to be eligible for the award.

On 2.1.17 I wrote:

"Given all the attention that Russia’s Vladmir Putin has been getting of late, it would be very hard to find a more relevant film than Bryan Fogel’s documentary Icarus, which deals with the Russian government’s Olympic cheating scandal. The scandal was uncovered by accident by Fogel, who was following a Russian scientist for a doping documentary, but found out he had a much bigger story at hand. This is the kind of film where a twist happens in almost every frame and the filmmaker, Fogel, seems to have stumbled upon a goldmine of a narrative."

The Last Jedi: Mark Hamill Says 'He's Not My Luke Skywalker'



"Luke would never say that, I'm talking about the George Lucas Star Wars. This is the next generation of Star Wars. I almost had to think of Luke as another character. Maybe he's jake Skywalker, he's not my Luke Skywalker".

The controversy surrounding "The Last Jedi" has not subsided since its release more than a week ago. Many fans have disagreed with the against-the-rules approach director Rian Johnson took with the movie, suffice to say this is the most politically and narratively radical "Star Wars" movie we've ever seen.

Well now, Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, has chimed about his issues with Johnson's portrayal of Luke, watch the video above. 

Here's the quote in question:

“I said to Rian: ‘Jedis don’t give up. I mean even if he had a problem he would maybe take a year to try and regroup, but if he made a mistake he would try and right that wrong.’ So right there we had a fundamental difference, but it’s not my story anymore. It’s somebody else’s story, and Rian needed me to be a certain way to make the ending effective. That’s the crux of my problem. Luke would never say that. I’m sorry. Well in this version, see I’m talking about the George Lucas Star Wars. This is the next generation of Star Wars, so I almost had to think of Luke as another character. Maybe he is Jake Skywalker. He’s not my Luke Skywalker, but I had to do what Rian wanted me to do because it serves the story well, but listen, I still haven’t accepted it completely. But it’s only a movie. I hope people like it. I hope they don’t get upset, and I came to really believe that Rian was the exact man that they need for this job.”

"Sicario 2: Soldado" Trailer Features Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin Tackling U.S/Mexico Border Violence



Taylor Sheridan on why Emily Blunt is not in this sequel to "Sicario."
That was my decision, and at some point I’m going to have to talk to her about it,” Sheridan said in a recent interview for TheWrap. “Her arc was complete … I couldn’t figure out a way to write a character that would do her talent justice."

 “Look what she went through. It was a difficult role. Here I write this lead character and then I use her as a surrogate for the audience. I make her completely passive against her own will so the audience feels the same impotence that a lot of law enforcement officers feel, I drag her through hell, and betray her in the end. It was an arduous journey for the character, and for Emily. That character had arc,” Sheridan said."

“What do you do next? She moves to some little town and becomes a sheriff and then gets kidnapped and then we have ‘Taken?'” he joked about Blunt’s role. “I had to tell the story that was true to this role, and I didn’t feel like I could create something with that character that would further that world that would do Emily’s character justice. That said, there could be room for Kate somewhere else down the road.”

 Ain't it just great when screenwriters know when enough is enough? When to stop? Sparing any of the characters they created on page from becoming caricatures of themselves? 
Sheridan also wrote a very similar screenplay, in structure, to "Sicario" last year, the great "Hell or High Water," and had a semi-successful debut as a director this year with "Wind River."
“Sicario 2: Soldado,” has Benicio Del Toro returning as undercover operative Alejandro Gillick and Josh Brolin back as CIA agent Matt Graver.

“You want to see this thing through? I’m going to have to get dirty,” Brolin tells a room full of government officials. The pair will again be involved in the middle of the violent war against drugs alongside the United States-Mexico border. How relevant a topic to tackle. Drug cartels are smuggling terrorists across the U.S. border, Gillick and Graver decide to pit the cartels against each other.

The cast includes Matthew Modine, Catherine Keener, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Jeffrey Donovan. Blunt and director Denis Villeneuve opted not to return.

Italian filmmaker Stefano Sollima directs the movie.

“Sicario 2: Soldado” opens on June 29.  

Best Picture:
“Call Me by Your Name”, “Darkest Hour”, “Dunkirk”, “Get Out”, “Lady Bird”, “Phantom Thread”, “The Post”, “The Shape of Water”, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.”
Best Director:
“Dunkirk,” Christopher Nolan
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“Phantom Thread,” Paul Thomas Anderson
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro
Best Actor:
Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me by Your Name”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Phantom Thread”
Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out”
Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”
Denzel Washington, “Roman J. Israel, Esq.”

COMMENTS: 
Best Actress:
Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water”
Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”
Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”
Meryl Streep, “The Post”

COMMENTS:
Best Supporting Actor:
Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project”
Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”
Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water”
Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World”
Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

COMMENTS:
Best Supporting Actress:
Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound”
Allison Janney, “I, Tonya”
Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread”
Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird”
Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water”

COMMENTS:
Best Adapted Screenplay:
“Call Me by Your Name,” James Ivory
“The Disaster Artist,” Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
“Logan,” Scott Frank & James Mangold and Michael Green
“Molly’s Game,” Aaron Sorkin
“Mudbound,” Virgil Williams and Dee Rees
Best Original Screenplay:
“The Big Sick,” Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele
“Lady Bird,” Greta Gerwig
“The Shape of Water,” Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Martin McDonagh
Best Foreign Language Film:
“A Fantastic Woman” (Chile)
“The Insult” (Lebanon)
“Loveless” (Russia)
“On Body and Soul (Hungary)
“The Square” (Sweden)
Best Cinematography:
“Blade Runner 2049,” Roger Deakins
“Darkest Hour,” Bruno Delbonnel
“Dunkirk,” Hoyte van Hoytema
“Mudbound,” Rachel Morrison
“The Shape of Water,” Dan Laustsen
Best Documentary Feature:
“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail”
“Faces Places”
“Icarus”
“Last Men in Aleppo”
“Strong Island”
Best Animated Feature:
“The Boss Baby”
“The Breadwinner”
“Coco”
“Ferdinand”
“Loving Vincent”
Best Animated Short:
“DeKalb Elementary”
“The Eleven O’Clock”
“My Nephew Emmett”
“The Silent Child”
“Watu Wote/All of Us”
Best Documentary Short Subject:
“Edith+Eddie”
“Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405”
“Heroin(e)”
“Knife Skills”
“Traffic Stop”
Best Live Action Short Film:
“Dear Basketball”
“Garden Party”
“Lou”
“Negative Space”
“Revolting Rhymes”
Best Film Editing:
“Baby Driver,” Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss
“Dunkirk,” Lee Smith
“I, Tonya,” Tatiana S. Riegel
“The Shape of Water,” Sidney Wolinsky
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Jon Gregory
Best Sound Editing:
“Baby Driver,” Julian Slater
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mark Mangini, Theo Green
“Dunkirk,” Alex Gibson, Richard King
“The Shape of Water,” Nathan Robitaille
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Ren Klyce, Matthew Wood
Best Sound Mixing:
“Baby Driver,” Mary H. Ellis, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin
“Blade Runner 2049,” Mac Ruth, Ron Bartlett, Doug Hephill
“Dunkirk,” Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker, Gary A. Rizzo
“The Shape of Water,” Glen Gauthier, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Stuart Wilson, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick
Best Production Design:
“Beauty and the Beast”
“Blade Runner 2049″
“Darkest Hour”
“Dunkirk”
“The Shape of Water”
Best Original Score:
“Dunkirk,” Hans Zimmer
“Phantom Thread,” Jonny Greenwood
“The Shape of Water,” Alexandre Desplat
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” John Williams
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Carter Burwell
Best Original Song:
“Mighty River” from “Mudbound,” Mary J. Blige
“Mystery of Love” from “Call Me by Your Name,” Sufjan Stevens
“Remember Me” from “Coco,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez
“Stand Up for Something” from “Marshall,” Diane Warren, Common
“This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman,” Benj Pasek, Justin Paul
Best Makeup and Hair:
“Darkest Hour”
“Victoria and Abdul”
“Wonder”
Best Costume Design:
“Beauty and the Beast”
“Darkest Hour
“Phantom Thread”
“The Shape of Water”
“Victoria and Abdul”
Best Visual Effects:
“Blade Runner 2049”
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
“Kong: Skull Island”
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
“War for the Planet of the Apes”

Meryl Streep "She Knew" art posters scattered all over Los Angeles



In a deleted, Rose McGowan went after Meryl Streep on Twitter in a since deleted tweet.  McGowan's claim are that Streep allegedly knew about Harvey Weinstein’s sexual behavior but said nothing: 
“Actresses, like Meryl Streep, who happily worked for The Pig Monster, are wearing black @goldenglobes in a silent protest. YOUR SILENCE is THE problem. You’ll accept a fake award breathlessly & affect no real change. I despise your hypocrisy. Maybe you should all wear Marchesa.”
Ouch. How about "He knew?" For Ben Affleck and Matt Damon who have been much more buddy-buddy
The #MeToo movement will more or less create a backlash movement and that'll just be swell to watch.
Streep did respond about the McGowan charge. Here’s the statement:
“It hurt to be attacked by Rose McGowan in banner headlines this weekend, but I want to let her know I did not know about Weinstein’s crimes, not in the 90s when he attacked her, or through subsequent decades when he proceeded to attack others.
“I wasn’t deliberately silent. I didn’t know. I don’t tacitly approve of rape. I didn’t know. I don’t like young women being assaulted. I didn’t know this was happening.
“Rose assumed and broadcast something untrue about me, and I wanted to let her know the truth. Through friends who know her, I got my home phone number to her the minute I read the headlines. I sat by that phone all day yesterday and this morning, hoping to express both my deep respect for her and others’ bravery in exposing the monsters among us, and my sympathy for the untold, ongoing pain she suffers. No one can bring back what entitled bosses like Bill O’Reilly, Roger Ailes and HW took from the women who endured attacks on their bodies and their ability to make a living.. And I hoped that she would give me a hearing. She did not, but I hope she reads this.
“I am truly sorry she sees me as an adversary, because we are both together with all the women in our business, standing in defiance of the same implacable foe: a status quo that wants so badly to return to the bad old days, the old ways where women were used, abused and refused entry into the decision-making, top levels of the industry. That’s where the cover-ups convene. Those rooms must be disinfected, and integrated, before anything even begins to change.”

2017 IndieWire Critics Poll: The Best Films According to Over 200 Critics

Beanie Feldstein and Saoirse Ronan in "Lady Bird."

Best Picture
  1. “Get Out” (713 points)
  2. “Lady Bird” (673 points)
  3. “Dunkirk” (549 points)
  4. “Phantom Thread” (368 points)
  5. “The Florida Project” (348 points)
  6. “The Shape of Water” (324 points)
  7. “Call Me By Your Name” (312 points)
  8. “Personal Shopper” (296 points)
  9. “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (245 points)
  10. “The Post” (140 points)

Best Undistributed Films
  1. “Bodied” (22.86%)
  2. “Spoor” (14.91%)
  3. “Wajib” (11.43%)
  4. “Caniba” (5.71%)
  5. “Mrs. Fang” (5.71%)
  6. “Mrs. Hyde” (5.71%)

Best Director
  1. Paul Thomas Anderson, “Phantom Thread” (18.3%)
  2. Luca Guadagnino, “”Call Me By Your Name” (11.6%)
  3. Greta Gerwig, “Lady Bird” (10%)
  4. Sean Baker, “The Florida Project” (8.5%)
  5. Jordan Peele, “Get Out” (6%)

Best Actress
  1. Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird” (20%)
  2. Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (17%)
  3. Cynthia Nixon, “A Quiet Passion” (11.76%)
  4. Sally Hawkins, “The Shape of Water” (12.4%)
  5. Kristen Stewart, “Personal Shopper” (9%)

Best Actor
  1. Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me By Your Name” (26.43%)
  2. Daniel Day Lewis, “Phantom Thread” (15%)
  3. Robert Pattinson, “Good Time” (12.86%)
  4. James Franco, “The Disaster Artist” (11.4%)
  5. Daniel Kaluuya, “Get Out” (10.71%)
  6. Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour” (10.71%)

Best Supporting Actress
  1. Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird” (35.1%)
  2. Tiffany Haddish, “Girls Trip” (16.67%)
  3. Alison Janney, “I, Tonya” (13.4%)
  4. Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread” (8%)
  5. Holly Hunter, “The Big Sick” (3.62%)
  6. Michelle Pfeiffer, “mother!” (3.62%)

Best Supporting Actor
  1. Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project” (35.21%)
  2. Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (15.49%)
  3. Armie Hammer, “Call Me By Your Name” (13.38%)
  4. Michael Stuhlbarg, “Call Me By Your Name” (12.68%)
  5. Jason Mitchell, “Mudbound” (5.63%)

Best Cinematography
  1. “Blade Runner 2049” (35.51%)
  2. “Dunkirk” (15.49%)
  3. “Phantom Thread” (7.04%)
  4. “Call Me By Your Name” (6.34%)
  5. “The Shape of Water” (6.34%)

Best Screenplay
  1. “Get Out” (28.36%)
  2. “Lady Bird” (16.42%)
  3. “Phantom Thread” (14.18%)
  4. “Call Me By Your Name” (12%)
  5. “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (7.46%)

Best Documentary
  1. “Faces Places” (33.86%)
  2. “Dawson City: Frozen Time” (15.75%)
  3. “Ex Libris — The New York Public Library” (8.66%)
  4. “Kedi” (5.51%)
  5. “Jane” (3.94%)
  6. “Rat Film” (3.94%)
  7. “I Called Him Morgan” (2.36%)

Best Foreign Language Film
  1. “BPM (Beats Per Minute)” (14.84%)
  2. “Faces Places” (13.28%)
  3. “The Square” (7.03%)
  4. “Raw” (7.8%)
  5. “Thelma” (6.25%)

Best Animated Films
  1. “Coco” (32.61%)
  2. “The Breadwinner” (23.91%)
  3. “Loving Vincent” (16.3%)
  4. “The Lego Batman” (11.96%)
  5. “My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea” (8.7%)

New Poster for Wes Anderson's 'Isle of Dogs'



I was rather disappointed to learn that Wes Anderson's "Isle of Dogs" won't be at the Sundance film festival, but it was announced earlier this month that Anderson's upcoming animated feature would debut at the 68th edition of the Berlin film fest, which I won't attend.

Of all the great Wes Anderson movies, and there quite a few, I've always a real fondness for "The Fantastic Mr. Fox," a stop-motion animation treat from 2009 that was the most formally realized picture of his career. So it is with great joy that I see  that there's another film of his that will be in stop motion animation form. If that wasn't enough he has amassed another fantastic cast to take part in this adventure.

 Earlier this year, Anderson had mentioned that the film was “less influenced by stop-motion movies than it is by Akira Kurosawa.”

The full cast includes Bryan Cranston, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson, F. Murray Abraham, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Kunichi Nomura, Harvey Keitel, Akira Ito, Akira Takayama, Koyu Rankin, Yoko Ono (!), Courtney B. Vance (!), Greta Gerwig (!!!), Frances McDormand, Bob Balaban and Liev Schreiber

"Isle of Dogs" comes out on April 20th, 2018. Is it a coincidence that this is coming out on 4/20?

Trailer: "Ocean's 8" starring Bullock, Blanchett, Hathaway, Bonham Carter, Kaling, Paulson and, Rihanna?



We still don't really know anything about the movie. What we do know is that it's a spinoff rather than a remake, or reboot, and that the cast is great. I'm praying this gets a decent script. Don't fuck it up Warner Bros. We don't need another "Ghostbusters" debacle.

 Because humor is, in a way, subjective with the "Ocean's" films, this stands a much better chance at being successful as compared to "Ghosbusters" which had to rely heavily on humor. Also look at the great cast they have assembled here: Blanchett, Bullock, Hathaway and Carter are some of the best actresses of their generations, but Rihanna? I'm skeptical about that casting choice but I presume she won't get too much screen time either.

The date for "Ocean's 8," hey that's a nice little rhyme, is set for Summer of 2018. In a way, those mediocre sequels that followed Soderbergh's original 2001 "Ocean's Eleven" are definitely going to help make the case for this all-female version. Soderbergh's version is a heist classic, a pop masterpiece if you will.

For the time being I'll leave you with this relevant line from comedian John Mulaney. This was said way before there was any talk of this even happening.
"A heist film can't work with women. You couldn't do Ocean's 11 with women. It won't work because 2 of them would always be breaking off to talk shit about the other 9." - John Mulaney

The film will be directed by Gary Ross and set for release June 8th, 2018

Fans Start Petition To Remove 'The Last Jedi' From 'Star Wars' Canon

Image result for the last jedi petition
"Star Wars" fans that were unsatisfied with "The Last Jedi," and there were many, have decided to start a petition to have "The Last Jedi" removed from the franchise's canon. [You can read more about the backlash HERE)
You can see the petition posted to Change.org, which has received close to 16,000 signatures and counting, which was started by Georgia native Henry Walsh. 
Walsh wrote this in the petition's description:
"Star Wars has long been a story about two things, the Jedi and Luke Skywalker," Walsh wrote. "After over 260 novels where we could follow the adventures of that great hero you, the Walt Disney Company decided to strike all of that from the official canon and wiped out three decades of lore. We were excited to see Episode VII to see how our heroes lives turned out since you took away what we knew. We saw the death of Han Solo, we saw less than a minute of Luke Skywalker."
"We stuck by you when you did things that hurt us before, so we ask you now, please don't let this film stand," Walsh said. Don't do this to us. Don't take something so many of us loved so much and destroy it like this. Let us keep our heroes."

Box Office Week: Star Wars: The Last Jedi has the second highest opening weekend of all time, opening at #1 with $220M, as well as opening to $450M worldwide. Meanwhile, Ferdinand could not compete with the worst Blue Sky Animation opening ever at #2 with $13.3M

Image result for the last jedi

 1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi— $220,047,000
2. Ferdinand — $13,325,000
3. Coco — $10,025,000 ($150,810,896)
4. Wonder — $5,400,000 ($109,256,738)
5. Justice League — $4,170,000 ($219,456,347)
6. Daddy’s Home 2 — $3,800,000 ($96,579,982)
7. Thor: Ragnarok — $2,981,000 ($306,375,120)
8. The Disaster Artist — $2,636,908 ($12,932,039)
9. Murder on the Orient Express — $2,470,000 ($97,252,742)
10. Lady Bird — $2,108,117 ($25,977,506)

Robert Pattinson set to star in French art house director Claire Denis' first English-language film 'High Life', a genre-bending sci-fi drama about a death row inmate sent on an isolated, no-return mission to explore a black hole

The art house helmer tells THR of making 'High Life,' researching astrophysics and facing her fear of special effects.

A fascinating interview with writer-director Claire Denis courtesy of THR. She's about to shoot "High Life" with Robert Pattinson, fresh off his "Good Time" triumph, the drama will also star, Juliette Binoche, Mia Goth and musician-actor Andre Benjamin. Denis is 71, and has been working on this story for "years" according to THR, which has "a crew of convicts sent on a no-return mission to explore a black hole." Claire Denis is an art-house critical darling, I highly recommend "35 Shots of Rum," "White Material" and "Beau Travail" if you're a newbie. Shre actually started off as an assistant director on many films - including Wim Wenders' legendary "Wings of Desire" and "Paris, Texas". So, basically, Claire Denis, is a badass. 
But for me, this is less a science-fiction film than a drama, a Claire Denis film, set outside the solar system. The story of the film is about this crew, who are prisoners and are offered the chance to take part in this trip into space, knowing that there is no return.

"Justice League" Petition Creator Teases ‘Snyder Cut’ Victory

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Joss Whedon‘s extensive reshoots on “Justice League” no doubt clashed with Zack Snyder‘s original vision. Among the changes, Jesse Eisenberg‘s return as Lex Luthor was reportedly axed, and Gal Gadot‘s Wonder Woman is said to have received more scenes and screentime. It’s not just the characters, the overall mood was rumored to get a lighter makeover with Whedon deviating away from Snyder’s darker palettes for a more colorful tone. “Justice League,” in short, was the mix of two visions and you could see that while watching the film. Sure there’s Zack Snyder’s use of ultra slow-mo, the dark interiors and exteriors he so loves to use, and his penchant for the camera zooming in and out of action  sequences, but Whedon crashed the party by pulling back on some of that, so much so that as you’re watching the movie you can tell exactly who shot what. The work of these two titan directors that couldn’t be more different, resulted in the “Justice League” that we got. 

Meanwhile, fans are rallying behind an online petition demanding Zack Snyder’s original director’s cut. The film’s cinematographer has also added his voice to the mix, hoping to see Snyder’s fully realized film. The petition creator is now claiming "victory." Of course, take this with a grain of salt. This is super cryptic and the commenters on the petition are calling him on being vague. Could be he’s claiming victory because they hit 162 K signatures. Could be he’s heard something.Who knows. But it's no secret that a Zack Snyder director's cut would make sense.

‘The Last Jedi’ Is Leaving Fans Divided, A Strong Backlash Has Emerged


For many, the joys of Star Wars come from the comfort of familiarity, the mythology Lucas created. "The Last Jedi" erases all that. I knew "The Last Jedi" would likely rub purist fans the wrong way. The primary intent of the film was to reinvent the franchise. Of course, these purists want things to stay the same, but watching "The Last Jedi" you can sense director Rian Jonson trying to, as Kylo Ren says, "let the past die." It's a theme that resonates throughout the film.
With all that being said it is then no surprise that the fan response has been mixed. The audience score is lower than expected. Hell, lower than Justice League. Over at Rotten Tomatoes, despite endless critic raves and a score of 93%, the audience score is down to 56%. That can't be as bad as "Justice League," right? Wrong. The Snyder/Whedon fiasco is at 80% on RT.

 "The Last Jedi" has so much meta-humor that it caught "Star Wars" fans off-guard. I've heard of screenings where fans were left dumbfounded once credits rolled, that no applause could be heard and even boos. Everything we thought we knew about Star Wars or expected this movie to be was turned upside down, much like what "The Empire Strikes Back" did to the series back in 1980. Personally, I really liked the new movie.
So what are people complaining about exactly?

  • The little moments that make up this backlash are not "little" to fans of Lucas' original films. Rey handing off Anakin's blue lightsaber to Luke, who then goes on to toss it over his shoulder and brush off Rey? That's a nono. Luke doesn't even believe in himself anymore.  The mythology, his legend, was, in fact, a sham according to this new movie. 

  • The notion that the only way for the rebels to win is to abandon everything they knew and start fresh? That's sacrilege. What happened to "trust inthe force to defeat the dark side"? Oh, and that whole disappearing act Luke pulls on Kylo in the climax? That had a Saturday evening audience here laughing, and some boos were heard.

  • Kylo Ren destroying his Vader-esque mask and continuing his battle, unmasked? Say goodbye to the toy collectibles. This is a fully-fleshed villain that is unlike any we've seen in the "Star Wars" universe before. He doesn't hide behind any facial armor, he is flawed, unmasked, destroyed by his inability to make up his mind and, oh yeah, conflicted.

Chances are you either hated or loved these new ideas. Episode IX looks like it will go along those lines as well. All this backlash is very ironic given the fact that the main complaint about "The Force Awakens" was that it was a rehash of "A New Hope." For now, we have no idea where "Star Wars" is going, something that hasn't been the case since anticipation for "The Empire Strikes Back" grew at a fever pitch more than 37 years ago. Let us wait and see what JJ Abrams holds for this trilogy's final moments in Episode IX,  due for release in 2019 , before we start hammering down this trilogy as a failure. 



Rian Johnson Wanted Audiences to Have Carrie Fisher's 'Beautiful, Complete' Performance

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"That was the very first conversation I had with [Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy] after we came back, after New Year's. I kind of looked through the footage. That was the very first question. I felt really strongly that what we have here is so beautiful and the way that the character develops, the way it's paid off, and not only that, the horror of trying to manufacture something that — I don’t even know what it would have been, but something for the end of this movie that leaves it in a place where the transition is easier, the idea of, "Oh God, how would you fake something like that, and how would it not be terrible?" Given that we have a beautiful, complete performance from her that I think audiences deserve to see, and I think it will mean a lot for them, that ray of hope from Leia. For all of those reasons I felt really strongly that we had to let this fly. Luckily we have a fantastic storyteller in J.J. Abrams who is going to figure out a way to bring it home in the end, that's going to be satisfying, I know he's going to. With this movie I just wanted audiences to have this performance. "

 [THR]