Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- Will Reese Witherspoon Pull a Matthew McConaughey With 'Wild'?
- Networks Cancel 23 Shows; Which of Your Favorites Won't Be Returning?
- NBC Adds 'The Music Man' to Its Roster of Live TV Musicals
- Jane Krakowski Reunites With Tina Fey for New Comedy
- 'Parks and Recreation' Season 7 Will Be Its Last
- The New 'Edge of Tomorrow' Extended Trailer Is Worth Playing on Repeat (VIDEO)
- 'Frozen''s Princess Elsa Casts Her Spell on the 'Once Upon a Time' Season 3 Finale
- Watch Matt Ryan Get His Keanu on in the First Trailer for NBC's 'Constantine' (VIDEO)
- 'A Million Ways to Die in the West' Unscripted: Ask Seth MacFarlane and Charlize Theron a Question
- James Franco Calls 'Spring Breakers 2' BS, Eats Rice Cake as Alien (VIDEO)
- The Autobots Have a New Look in 'Transformers 4' (PHOTOS)
- Zack Snyder Teases the New Batmobile From 'Batman vs. Superman' (PHOTO)
- If Quentin Tarantino Made 'Star Wars,' It Would Look Like This (VIDEO)
- 'Game of Thrones' Review: What Did You Think of Season 4, Episode 6 'The Laws of Gods and Men'?
- Box Office: 'Neighbors' and the Importance of Theater Count
| Will Reese Witherspoon Pull a Matthew McConaughey With 'Wild'? Posted:  Reese Witherspoon will journey from the Pacific Crest trail into awards season: Her new film, "Wild," is set for release in December.The movie, an adaptation of the memoir of the same name by Cheryl Strayed, will open on December 5, just in time to campaign for the Oscars. It focuses on Strayed (Witherspoon), who ventured out on a solo trek filled with introspection following a series of personal tragedies. Jean-Marc Vallee, who directed recent Best Picture nominee "Dallas Buyers Club," is helming the film. Author Nick Hornby (an Academy Award nominee for his screenplay for "An Education") adapted "Wild" for the big screen. "Wild" also stars Laura Dern, Thomas Sadoski, Gaby Hoffman, Kevin Rankin, and Michiel Huisman. [via Variety] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Networks Cancel 23 Shows; Which of Your Favorites Won't Be Returning? Posted:
Fox pulled the plug on three of their freshman series. Say goodbye to "Dads," "Surviving Jack," and the well-reviewed fan fave "Enlisted." ABC's casualties include the quirky comedy "Suburgatory," which ran for an impressive three seasons, and the much-anticipated Rebel Wilson-helmed "Super Fun Night." And alas, The CW is hanging up those Manolos. The network is letting go of "The Carrie Diaries," but we all know how that story turns out, right? Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar were touted as an unlikely dynamic duo, yukking up our screens for many moons, but CBS bid adieu to "The Crazy Ones." They also dropped "Hostages" and "Friends With Better Lives." And so it is. See the complete list of the recently chopped below. Tear. ABC "Mixology" "Neighbors" "Suburgatory" "Super Fun Night" "Trophy Wife" NBC "Believe" "Community" "Crisis" "Dracula" "Growing Up Fisher" "Revolution" FOX "Dads" "Enlisted" "Rake" "Surviving Jack" The CW "The Carrie Diaries" "Star-Crossed" "The Tomorrow People" CBS "Bad Teacher" "The Crazy Ones" "Friends With Better Lives" "Hostages" "Intelligence" So, take a moment of silence for these short-lived dramas and sit-coms, will you? Which series will you miss the most? Photo by NBC, Fox, CBS This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| NBC Adds 'The Music Man' to Its Roster of Live TV Musicals Posted:  Looks like the peacock has song and dance fever: NBC will stage a live adaptation of "The Music Man" in 2015. NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt made the announcement Monday during the network's upfronts presentation, confirming the latest in what will most likely be an open-ended series of live musical broadcasts. "The Music Man" is the third such production for NBC, following last year's ratings hit "The Sound of Music," and the upcoming staging of "Peter Pan." "The Music Man," a Tony award-winning 1957 musical, follows Harold Hill, a con man who poses as a band leader, selling instruments and uniforms to naive members of a small town. The townsfolk get swept up with excitement, thinking Hill will teach them how to play. The stage version of the show was a hit, and spawned a popular film version in 1962, starring Shirley Jones and Robert Preston. Following a successful Broadway revival in 2000, a 2003 film adaptation aired on ABC, starring Matthew Broderick, Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber, and Molly Shannon. No other details about NBC's staging were revealed, though it is expected to air sometime in 2015. Meanwhile, "Peter Pan" is currently in the casting stage, and is set to air on December 4. [via The Hollywood Reporter] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Jane Krakowski Reunites With Tina Fey for New Comedy Posted:  Over a year after they parted ways following the series finale of "30 Rock," Tina Fey and Jane Krakowski are teaming up for another NBC comedy.Krakowski just joined "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," which is being co-produced by Fey and fellow "30 Rock" showrunner Robert Carlock. The series follows Kimmy (played by "The Office" alum Ellie Kemper), who's recently escaped from a religious cult and moved to New York City to experience real life for the first time. Krakowski will appear in a supporting, recurring role as an uptight Upper West Side mother for whom Kimmy nannies. The actress joined the project after her Fox pilot, "Dead Boss," was not picked up to series. She replaced Megan Dodds, who played the character in one scene in the "Kimmy" pilot; the scene will be re-shot. This isn't Krakowski's first time replacing an actress in an already-picked-up pilot; she also did the same for "30 Rock," taking over the role of Jenna Maroney from Rachel Dratch. Dratch later recurred as several different characters in the series; maybe Dodds can do the same with "Kimmy"? NBC has already picked up "Kimmy" for 13 episodes, and considering the strong buzz the show has gotten so far, we'd imagine it will get a full 22-episode season order. "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" will debut this fall on NBC. [via: Deadline, h/t Uproxx] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Parks and Recreation' Season 7 Will Be Its Last Posted:  The upcoming seventh season of "Parks and Recreation" will be the series' last. NBC confirmed the news when it released its 2014-2015 season schedule this weekend, saying in a press release that the show would premiere midseason. On Monday, NBC Entertainment chair Bob Greenblatt said that the series would wrap up with 13 episodes, a number agreed upon by "Parks and Rec" creator Mike Schur and star Amy Poehler. After last month's sixth season finale, which featured a three-year time jump, many speculated that "Parks"'s next season would be its last, something Schur alluded to in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "The idea that we're nearing the end is part of what gave us the courage to do something like jumping ahead in time," he told the trade at the time. "We know we don't have to sustain it for five years. It's a move you do when you know that the show is nearing the end of its run." On Sunday, Schur tweeted about the news, writing, "We felt it was time to bring #ParksandRec to a close." He also said that the the decision to end the series was "100% mutual between [the] creative team and network," adding that he was "Sad, but happy and excited." A premiere date for the final season has not yet been set. [via The Hollywood Reporter] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The New 'Edge of Tomorrow' Extended Trailer Is Worth Playing on Repeat (VIDEO) Posted:  "Live. Die. Repeat." is the mantra in the new, extended trailer for "Edge of Tomorrow," and that's an accurate description for the film that's been pegged as a sci-fi version of "Groundhog Day." Tom Cruise stars as Lt. Col. Bill Cage, who's sent to battle a mysterious alien race that's taken over Earth. The bad news: he's killed within minutes. The good news: he's not really dead -- but he is stuck in an endless time loop that forces him to re-live the same battle (and horrific death) over and over. Luckily, Cage figures out that if he learns enough about the aliens and builds up his battle skills, he can eventually take them down. And it doesn't hurt that he's got the gorgeous Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) helping him train. There's a lot of action in this clip, and some of it is admittedly hard to follow, though it seems likely that viewers -- like Cage -- will eventually pick up on everything as it repeats itself. Whether or not that will prepare the average moviegoer for some Tom Cruise-style butt-kicking remains to be seen. "Edge of Tomorrow" opens on June 6. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Frozen''s Princess Elsa Casts Her Spell on the 'Once Upon a Time' Season 3 Finale Posted:  After conquering the multiplex, "Frozen" is set to take over television, too. "Once Upon a Time," which airs on Disney-owned ABC, featured a cameo from Queen Elsa herself during Sunday night's season finale, teasing a new story arc set to begin during the show's upcoming fourth season season. During the final seconds of the episode, Elsa is seen emerging in Storybrooke, shooting icy beams from her hands and stalking away with her back to the camera. Showrunners Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the big reveal, telling the trade that they came up with the idea to incorporate "Frozen" into "Once Upon a Time" shortly after the movie's November release. Though it's a nifty bit of corporate synergy, the pair said that they had to ask for permission from Disney in order to proceed with the storyline -- "It's actually quite hard to get these characters on the show," Kitsis told THR -- and the studio will have a hand in vetting plot points going forward. "[What] we loved so much about the character of Elsa was that she was considered a villain but she never really really was," Kitsis said. "She was misunderstood. That, on our show, speaks to us so strongly, that it was a toy we had to play with." "We are honored to be allowed to do it," Horowitz added. "We loved the movie. We fell in love with it when it came out last year like everyone did and we want to do our best to do it justice." The pair said that they still haven't settled on an actress to play Elsa (the woman seen on the air Sunday night was a stand-in), though they expect to make a decision sometime in the next few weeks. The character is tentatively slated to appear on the show again during the season four premiere. Photo courtesy ABC This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Watch Matt Ryan Get His Keanu on in the First Trailer for NBC's 'Constantine' (VIDEO) Posted:  Back in 2005, Keanu Reeves starred in "Constantine," a supernatural thriller whose central character was John Constantine, a hard luck paranormal private eye whose battles with the forces of darkness also included trying to save his own soul. The character originated during Alan Moore's influential run on "Swamp Thing," before continuing on in his own long-running comic book for Vertigo Comics (entitled "Hellblazer") ever since. Well, NBC, in the rush to make television just as superhero-filled as the multiplexes, have given the series order for "Constantine," another adaptation of the property, and unleashed a fire-and-brimstone-filled 3-minute preview (below) to get you properly amped. This new "Constantine" features Welsh actor Matt Ryan in the title role, bringing the character back to his British roots. His look is much more in keeping with the comic book, as well: ruffled, poorly bleached blond hair, with thick stubble and wrinkled overcoat. It's not exact, but the look captures the character pretty (damned) well. And the trailer certainly promises lots of action, too: he seems to be institutionalized at the start of the pilot (at Ravenscar, again a nod to the comics) before getting out and teaming with a comely young lass (Lucy Griffiths) who can see similarly otherworldly things. There are also ghosts, demons, and angels, not to mention lots of scary imagery that might keep you up at night. Neil Marshall, who has been responsible for kicky genre movies like "The Descent" and "Doomsday" directed the pilot and his kinetic visual style is all over this teaser (he also directed the "Blackwater" episode of "Game of Thrones"). Constantine is one of the very best characters in comic book history, and while the "Constantine" movie was OK, it captured the spirit of the character and comic book more than actually translating anything directly, and a new take on the character is definitely appreciated. This new series should please fans of the comic book and those who enjoy supernatural television shows like "Grimm" and, well, "Supernatural." Color us intrigued. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'A Million Ways to Die in the West' Unscripted: Ask Seth MacFarlane and Charlize Theron a Question Posted:  In his big screen follow-up to the R-rated comedy hit "Ted," Seth MacFarlane is throwing another gut-wrenching punch with the hilariously dirty "A Million Ways to Die in the West." This time, MacFarlane will also be seen in front of the camera opposite stars Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, and Charlize Theron, and fighting for his life in the reckless frontier town. Luckily for all of us, Theron and MacFarlane will be sitting down for another installment of Moviefone's Unscripted to answer some of your questions. You'll have until noon PT Wednesday, May 14, to submit your questions. Leave them in the comments below, on Moviefone's Facebook page, or via Twitter using the hashtag #AMillionWaysUnscripted. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or come on back to Moviefone.com closer to "A Million Ways to Die in the West"'s May 30 release date to see if your question made the cut. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| James Franco Calls 'Spring Breakers 2' BS, Eats Rice Cake as Alien (VIDEO) Posted:  Since the announcement that there would be a very real, very different, and completely insane sequel to Harmony Korine's neon-piped masterpiece "Spring Breakers," it was hard not to wonder what James Franco, the outspoken, rarely still star of the original, thought of the news. Well, a few days ago Franco posted a video on Instagram of himself as his "Spring Breakers" character, the minor league crime kingpin and regional rap star Alien, as well as a few of his thoughts about the sequel. The video is pretty weird, and features Franco, his eyes shut, his hair twirled into Alien's patented on-vacation braids, absent-mindedly crunching on a rice cake, with an unseen female photographer saying, "This is James feeling a bit sick because he smoked too much dope in the club. His tummy is a bit sensitive." The shot is so tranquil and her voice such a delicate purr, that it feels oddly contemplative and calm for a gangster rapper whose trademark jam is a song called "Hangin' with Da Dopeboys." Franco's tag for the video? "ALIEN IN REHAB!" But what really makes this Instagram post un-missable is Franco's description of the video, which includes his thoughts on the upcoming, Korine-less sequel: "BTW f*** that SBer 2 BS, they're doing it without HARMONY'S CONSENT. Sounds LAME AS A MUTHA!" So... neither Franco or, apparently, Korine, are all that jazzed about the "Spring Breakers 2" news, although it still sounds nutty enough to potentially work (at least to us). We hope Alien feels better soon. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Autobots Have a New Look in 'Transformers 4' (PHOTOS) Posted:  There's been a lot of talk about next month's "Transformers: Age of Extinction," and how it serves as an in-franchise reboot, updating much of what's come before while saying true to the series' roots and longstanding mythology. But how, exactly, things had been updated (besides jettisoning much of the cast, both robotic and human, from the previous films), was still much of a mystery. Until now. Thanks to some photos published by USA Today, we now have a better understanding of what's been added to the Autobots' arsenal (as it turns out -- a lot). The photos that reveal the most are a full-body shot of Optimus Prime (below) and another shot of Prime wielding a sword (above) and Bubblebee pointing a very large gun (and, yes, there's another shot of Grimlock, the crazy leader of the fan-favorite Dinobots). Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura told USA Today that the robots are "bigger and badder-ass than they have ever been," saying that Bay insisted that they top the already-ginormous third movie, with this new film. Bay told the site that the robots' new look is similar to other superheroes. "It's like Batman with a new suit," Bay said. "We needed to change the look from top to bottom." Di Bonaventura added, in regards to Optimus Prime's new accessory, "The sword is emblematic of what we've done to Optimus Prime as a whole. He's been upgraded with new abilities." But what does the voice of Optimus prime have to say about the supposed upgrades? Peter Cullen, who voiced the character in the influential animated series on television (from 1984-1987) and in the big screen movies, told USA Today, "There are changes, but he still maintains the element of characters that are so important to him. Since the original concept of Optimus Prime, the trustworthiness, the honor, the courage are still there. That will always prevail. And that's the basis of his popularity." Spoken like a true Autobot leader. "Transformers: Age of Extinction" opens one June 27th. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Zack Snyder Teases the New Batmobile From 'Batman vs. Superman' (PHOTO) Posted:  Oh, that Zack Snyder.The director of such hugely expensive studio movies as "300" and "Man of Steel" is also a big fan of social media... And today tweeted a tease of the new Batmobile that should feature heavily into 2016's still-untitled Batman vs. Superman movie, as well as his cumulative "Justice League" project (to follow either in 2017 or 2018). The image certainly seems to signify the direction the filmmaker is going in, with a promise to unveil the whole vehicle sometime tomorrow... The black-and-white photo was taken inside a large industrial space, complete with blacked-out windows and puddles of fetid water. While the Batmobile is heavily covered (by a large tarp), you get what Snyder was going for: the back wheels look like the more all-terrain, "realistic" wheels that were on the Tumbler from Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, but it's also got the sharp, swooping fin that's been a staple of the Batmobile from almost the beginning, perhaps best immortalized by the sleek, neo-gothic design of the two Tim Burton movies (a design that remained more or less intact during the two subsequent Joel Schumacher outings). Yes, Ben Affleck's Batman will have lots of fun driving this thing. It's interesting that the whimsy of the previous designs are being merged with the more industrial-strength look of the newer movies, to deliver something both fresh and familiar. Snyder's caption was telling: "Could be time to pull the tarp... Tomorrow?" So even if we don't see the full Batmobile, expect some kind of announcement or photo or something tomorrow. Whatever the Batman vs. Superman movie ends up being called, it'll be out in summer 2016. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| If Quentin Tarantino Made 'Star Wars,' It Would Look Like This (VIDEO) Posted:  Ever wonder what it would look like had Quentin Tarantino written and directed the inaugural "Star Wars" film? Well, apparently you're not alone. Sure, Tarantino may have only been 14 years old when "Star Wars: Episode IV" (1977) first hit theaters, but that didn't stop some crafty Tarantino fan from constructing a two-minute video that reflects what it would have been like had the "Pulp Fiction" creator been in the director's chair. This "Star Wars" meets Tarantino take -- just a short trailer, really -- is essentially footage from the space epic beefed up with Tarantino-esque music and choice Han Solo dialogue. May the force be with you, motherf*er. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Game of Thrones' Review: What Did You Think of Season 4, Episode 6 'The Laws of Gods and Men'? Posted:  So, a lot of important/crazy stuff went down on last night's "Game of Thrones," and we want to know what you thought about it. But, before that, let's take a moment to reflect on the madness. Ready? OK. SPOILERS AHEAD!
So, what did you think of episode? Tell us in the comments at the bottom of the page. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Box Office: 'Neighbors' and the Importance of Theater Count Posted:  This weekend's box office winners and losers defied expectations in extreme ways; with its estimated $51.1 million debut, the R-rated comedy "Neighbors" knocked "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" off its perch and earned $10 to $15 million more than anyone predicted, while the animated musical "Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return" barely managed an eighth-place debut with an estimated $3.7 million, about a half to a third of what many pundits predicted. But both movies have something in common: they're examples of the importance of booking the right number of theaters."Neighbors" had a lot going for it: it was well-marketed, it follows the trend of raunchy comedies doing well in the summer, it had weak competition, and even critics liked it. Still, Universal was wise to book it on 3,279 screens and no more. "Spider-Man 2" is playing on nearly 1,000 more screens, but it was due for a big fall (almost 60 percent) in its second week, as is typical for superhero movies. Had it booked more aggressively; "Neighbors" might have spread itself too thin, but its impressive per-screen average of $15,575 (far and away the best of any new wide release this weekend, and nearly twice the $8,603 of "Spider-Man 2,") suggests that Universal played it just right. "Oz," on the other hand, was a $70 million musical from a first-time distributor, Clarius Entertainment. So maybe 2,575 venues was too ambitious, especially given that fellow animated feature "Rio 2" is still going strong on 2,973 screens (it nabbed an estimated $5.1 million this weekend, its fifth in theaters. Plus, reviews were weak, which likely discouraged parents and older kids. Had the movie opened on fewer screens, it might have been able to build over a few weeks. As it is, its poor $,1439 per-screen average suggests that theater owners will be quick to boot it to make room for the next major fantasy film (probably May 30's "Maleficent"). Other films on this week's chart also illustrated the importance of the right theater count. The new "Moms' Night Out," a Christian-targeted comedy meant to emulate the likes of "Bridesmaids" and "The Other Woman" without the raunch, managed to land a major distributor in Tri-Star and a timely slot on Mother's Day weekend, but even with studio backing and church group pre-sales, 1,044 screens was overly optimistic. As a result, the film opened with a modest $4,023 per-screen average, good for seventh place and an estimated total of $4.2 million. It was an especially tough week to open yet another Christian-themed film, given that similar movies are still holding up well in the marketplace -- notably, "God's Not Dead," whose estimated $1.3 million take this weekend gives it an eight-week total of $57.5 million, and "Heaven Is for Real," which actually added another 118 screens in its fourth weekend (for a total count of 3,048) and was rewarded with a fourth-place finish estimated at $7.0 million and a total to date of $75.2 million. Speaking of "The Other Woman," it bravely added 68 screens this weekend (despite competition from "Neighbors" and "Moms' Night Out" ) for a total of 3,306. The tactic worked, and the movie earned an estimate $9.3 million, good for third place and a three-week total of $61.7 million. Even among art-house movies, smart booking paid off this weekend. Historical drama "Belle," which opened on four screens last weekend, expanded to 45 screens and averaged $10.511 per theater, for a weekend take estimated at $473,000. Jon Favreau's "Chef" opened on just six screens but averaged $34,000 on each of them, the best per-theater average of any movie this week. James Franco's "Palo Alto" opened on four screens but did very well on each of them, averaging $20,150 per venue. Those high per-screen averages bode well as these movies slowly expand over the next few weeks and word-of-mouth takes hold. By the way, in its fourth weekend, "Transcendence" dropped 1,260 screens (it's down to just 515) and finished in 23rd place with an estimated $321,000, or just $621 per venue. Which proves that, if no one really wants to see your movie, any theater count is too big. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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