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Friday, December 18, 2015

Latest Movie News From Moviefone

Latest Movie News From Moviefone

James Bond Was in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'?!

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Royal Film Performance: "Spectre"M isn't going to like this — it seems that James Bond took a side trip to a galaxy far, far away!
Sources tell Entertainment Weekly that Daniel Craig has a brief cameo as a stormtrooper in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." His face is not visible, though he does have one line.

Craig reportedly shot the cameo at England's Pinewood Studios, where both "Spectre" and "The Force Awakens" filmed. With the two sets not far apart from each other, it probably took Craig no time at all to don the stormtrooper costume.

"He did it for sh--s and grins," a source tells EW.

In fact, there had already been rumors that Craig had a small role in the movie, but when EW asked him about earlier this year, the actor angrily denied it. "Why would I ever bother doing something like that? F---ing hell! Pffft. Play an extra in another movie." Ha, well, Craig is a very good actor.

Curious about Craig's appearance? Read on to learn more about his cameo.

"STAR WARS" SPOILERS AHEAD:

Rey (Daisy Ridley) is being held captive, and tries to used a Jedi mind trick to get a stormtrooper (Craig) to remove her restraints and let her free. But the stormtrooper only responds, "I'll tighten those restraints, scavenger scum."

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Amazon's 'Man in the High Castle' Renewed For Season 2

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Man in the High CastleAmazon is bringing "The Man in the High Castle" back for a second season. The streaming service renewed the dystopian drama, based on Philip K. Dick's novel, set in an alternate history in which the United States lost World War II.

The series takes place 20 years after the conclusion of the war, with America's East Coast controlled by Nazis and the West Coast ruled by Japan. San Francisco resident Juliana Crain (Alexa Davalos) is caught up in the resistance movement when she comes into possession of a film that shows what the world would've been like had the U.S. won the war. Along the way, she meets Joe Blake (Luke Kleintank), a Nazi agent posing as a resistance fighter, who reports on their dealings to his commander (Rufus Sewell).

The first season ended on an intriguing note with — SPOILER ALERT — Juliana's boss, the Japanese trade minister Tagomi (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) meditating and waking up to America in the 1960s as we knew it.

The series received generally positive reviews, and the pilot was one of Amazon's most-watched. Season 2 is set to premiere sometime in 2016.

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Oscars 2016: Can a Blockbuster Really Win It All This Year?

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oscars 2016 blockbuster best pictureYou'll notice that not a lot of critics, much less awards-nomination lists like those of the Golden Globes or the Screen Actors Guild awards, included "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" among the year's best pictures. That's not necessarily critical snobbery; it's just that nobody had seen the movie until Monday, after most list-making and awards-nominating deadlines had passed.

But then the space epic screened, and critics went nuts, giving the film a 97 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. And even the august American Film Institute, which released its annual top 10 list on Wednesday, included the new "Star Wars" among such already-anointed Oscar frontrunners as "Spotlight" and "Carol."

Could this be the year, then, that a big, populist, action-heavy blockbuster takes home top Oscars? Could this be the rare year that the Academy's taste and the public's are in sync?

After all, the Academy has never had much love for sci-fi flicks or other genre movies. It usually doesn't deem genre fare weighty enough to win awards. The original 1977 "Star Wars" did get nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture; as a movie that had fundamentally changed the industry, it was impossible for even the Academy to ignore. But the top honors that year went to Woody Allen's "Annie Hall," and no "Star Wars" installment since has made much of a dent in the Academy's consciousness. Six years ago, "Avatar" proved a similar technical breakthrough, but while James Cameron's sci-fi epic did get nominated for Best Picture and a slew of other prizes, the top honors ultimately went to the indie "The Hurt Locker" instead.

Still, over the past 20 years, the Academy has recognized a few genre films as Best Picture. Think 1995's "Braveheart" and 2000's "Gladiator," essentially summer action movies dressed in period garb. "Titanic" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" were both mega-hit action spectacles, but they were also hugely ambitious epics with serious themes and grand-scale performances.

The rule changes of the last few years that have expanded the Academy's Best Picture nomination slots from five to as many as 10 have been the Oscars' most drastic effort to keep splitting the difference between the serious-minded epics the Academy traditionally favors and the fan-favorite blockbusters it tends to snub. Indeed, the expansion was in part a response to the Academy's failure to show much love to Christopher Nolan's brainy blockbuster "The Dark Knight."

Inflating the Best Picture category may not have had the intended effect; the Best Picture winners over the past six years have still been more art-house than multiplex. But if the Academy's tastes haven't changed much, the voters still know that, if they want more people to watch their awards telecast, it helps to nominate movies in which more fans have a rooting interest.

"The Force Awakens," with momentum only from the AFI list, may be too late to the party to be that fan favorite that drives Oscarcast ratings. Besides, it'll have to compete for awards-group attention with such Oscar-friendly last-minute releases as "The Hateful Eight," "The Revenant," and "Joy." But there are several other populist candidates this year, including such box office hits as "The Martian," "Inside Out," "Straight Outta Compton," and "Mad Max: Fury Road." Not to mention Steven Spielberg's "Bridge of Spies," a modest-hit spy thriller for grown-ups that's especially likely to see a supporting actor nomination for co-star Mark Rylance.

True, "Inside Out" and "Compton" are long-shots for Best Picture wins, the former because no cartoon has ever won and the latter because its unlikely to be singled out for individual acting prizes. (And yeah, there's also the prospect that older white voters aren't going to relate to a biopic about gangsta rappers.) Still, they both have a strong shot at Best Picture nominations. "Compton" has already been recognized by the SAGs (where it's nominated for Best Ensemble, the equivalent of Best Picture), the National Board of Review, and the AFI.

Despite their sci-fi narratives, "Martian" and "Mad Max" have even better chances at nominations. "Martian" is being seen as a tour-de-force for 78-year-old Ridley Scott, who seems overdue for an Oscar. (Not even "Gladiator" earned him one; the directing prize that year went to "Traffic" helmer Steven Soderbergh.) A Best Actor nomination for Matt Damon would also boost its odds. (Indeed, last week, the Golden Globes nominated it for Actor, Director, and Picture.)

As for "Mad Max," it won the top film honor from the NBR and earned the most nominations of any 2015 movie on Monday (13 of them) from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the TV-based group of reviewers that tries to upstage the Golden Globes every year with its early-January Critics' Choice awards show. ("Martian" got nine, tying with indie darling "Carol.") Director George Miller, another septuagenarian who's never won an Oscar, earned a nomination at the Golden Globes, where "Mad Max" is also up for Best Picture.

Of course there's also the chance that one of the current Best Picture front-runners (say, "Spotlight") could become a sizable hit in wide release, or that such likely Oscar prospects as "Hateful Eight" and "Revenant" could become smash hits once they hit theaters. (Last year at this time, no one dreamed that the yet-unreleased "American Sniper" would earn $323 million by the time it contended for Best Picture at the Oscar ceremony.) Which is to say that a movie doesn't have to be a big special-effects spectacle to be popular, and that the mass audience and the awards tastemakers are likely to meet each other halfway more often than either side will admit.

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'The Force Awakens' Crushes 'Harry Potter' Box Office Record

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Force Awakens"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is already proving to be an unstoppable Death Star at the box office.

The movie raked in $57 million at Thursday night's previews, shattering the previous record of $43.5 million held by "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2." The box office total was helped by the fact that "Force Awakens" screenings began at 7 p.m., while the final "Harry Potter" previews started at midnight.

The Thursday night figures will be added to today's opening day numbers, and it's very likely that "The Force Awakens" will earn another notch in its box office belt — the top opening day record, also previously held by "Harry Potter." Analysts believe the new "Star Wars" film will wind up with $110 million total for its opening day, and it's probable that it will surpass "Jurassic Park" for the biggest opening weekend ever.

"The Force Awakens" was one of the most anticipated movies of the last decade, and its positive critical ratings only boosted audience interest.

The force really is strong with this one.

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7 Actors You Didn't Know Were in the 'Star Wars' Movies

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7 Actors You Didn't Know Were In Star Wars
"Star Wars" is a very big deal -- maybe the biggest deal -- in Hollywood, so it's no wonder some pretty big names have attached themselves to the franchise over the years. But, then again, there are some very lucky virtual unknowns (at the time) who were #blessed enough to be part of the Force. Here's a list of the latter.star wars attack of the clones dorme rose byrne

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The 12 Best Jennifer Lawrence Movies, Ranked

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It's Jennifer Lawrence's world these days, and we're just living in it. The actress is enjoying a big holiday season, between the fourth and final "Hunger Games" movie and the upcoming drama "Joy," her latest collaboration with director David O. Russell.

With Lawrence-mania at a fever pitch we're taking a look at the best and worst films of her career so far (starting with her breakout role in "Winter's Bone"). There's hardly a bad apple in the whole bunch.

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19 Movies That'll Make You Feel Christmas AF

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Christmas time is here and we are filled with all the holiday cheer! See, we're even rhyming because of it. To get more in the spirit, we recommend a movie marathon of all the holiday classics.

These are the 19 movies guaranteed to make you feel Christmas AF.

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The 12 Best Movies of 2015

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%Slideshow-347056%The movies that dominate year-end best lists -- like this one -- tend to come from the indie camp that relishes deep dives into the human experience, rather than studio blockbusters that offer a two-hour escape from it. If the "Jurassic Worlds" and "Furious 7s" don't get much awards-season love, well, as Don Draper said, "that's what the money's for."

Lists like these aren't an expression of elitist snobbery; they're a wager on the future. They're a bet that the 2015 movies that will stick with you the longest won't be the ones that merely take you away from yourself for two hours. Here are 12 of this year's films that will stick with you long after the credits roll.

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Holiday Movie Guide: What You Should See on Christmas Day 2015

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Per usual, Hollywood is cramming in as many movies as they can for a December 25 release. And this year seems more packed/bloated than previous holidays.

A week after "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opens, you can see it again for a second (or third) time. But should it be sold out, everything from "Joy" to "The Hateful Eight" will hit theaters just in time for you to spend all those gift cards that Santa brought you.

So here's a handy guide to the movies you should see after opening presents on Christmas Day.

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11 Best Martin Scorsese Movies Ever, Ranked

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%Slideshow-348030%One thing that the 35th anniversary of "Raging Bull" (released December 19, 1980) reminds us of is how vividly alive Martin Scorsese's movies are. You can watch them over and over and still enjoy the twists and turns of the ride. And your tour guide, for all his artistic pretensions, all his references to the movies and songs he's catalogued in his encyclopedic brain since childhood, is a showman and entertainer first, bent on seducing and dazzling you before making you think.

From a remarkable career that's lasted nearly half a century so far, it's hard to pick just a handful of must-see movies. Even Scorsese's misfires are more fascinating and watchable than many directors' successes. Still, if you have to separate the essential from the merely great and pretty damn good, you should start with these 11 movies.

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Best of Late Night TV: James Corden's Christmas Carpool Karaoke and Conan's Star Wars Cold Open

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If you're like us and value your sleep, you probably nodded off into your Ambien dreamland before the party started on post-prime time TV. Don't worry; we've got you covered. Here's the best of what happened last night on late night.​

Surprise! James Corden gifted the word yet another round of Carpool Karaoke, but this time it was Christmas themed. With appearances from One Direction, Stevie Wonder, Carrie Underwood, and Justin Bieber, this is clearly the best rendition of "Joy to the World" ever.

Over on "The Tonight Show," Jimmy Fallon told the harrowing story of how his grandmother was run over by a reindeer. She had footmarks on her forehead and claw marks on her back, guys. No comment on what's happening here, but this clip ends with #StarWarsRaps, so you definitely need to watch.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live" put together the ultimate episode of "Lie Witness News," asking people about events from 2015 that definitely didn't happen. Like, at all. Do you remember President Obama taking time off to star in a "Transformers" movie? Because these people do.

The cast of "Sisters" showed up on "Late Night" and proceeded to play with "Star Wars" action figures, one of which ended up down someone's pants. If that's not a motivator to watch, we don't know what is.

Best for last, y'all. Welcome to Conan's "Star Wars" cold open, in which the entire late night crew play characters who were rejected from the new movie. This. Is. Everything.
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