Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- The Best Series to Watch If You Love 'Sex and the City'
- Here Are the 2016 Teen Choice Awards Nominees
- 'Beauty and the Beast' Teaser Tops 'The Force Awakens' in Views Record
- Bill Cosby to Stand Trial for Sexual Assault
- Twitter Wants Marvel to Give Captain America a Boyfriend
- Chewbacca Mom Carpools With James Corden and J.J. Abrams
- Animals Make Sweet, Sweet Music in New 'Sing' Trailer
- New 'Finding Dory' Trailer Introduces a Whole New World of Fish
- 'X-Men': 15 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Marvel's Mutants
- 'Mission: Impossible': 15 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About the Tom Cruise Blockbuster
| The Best Series to Watch If You Love 'Sex and the City' Posted:
'Girls' (2012 - ) "Girls", which follows four 20-somethings in New York City, is the natural successor to the "Sex and the City" throne. It also helps that they share a network in HBO. The New York City of "Girls" is darker and grittier than the candy-colored fairy-tale Manhattan of "SATC." Hannah Horvath and her girlfriends are quite a bit more cynical than Carrie and company. Despite those surface differences and the generation gap, the core DNA of "Girls" and "Sex and the City" is the same. Both explore the complicated layers of female friendship, sex, and basic adult survival in the big city, and both shows are fiercely and unapologetically feminist. 'The Mindy Project' (2012 - ) If you're looking for a heroine as complicated and messy as Carrie Bradshaw, look no further than "The Mindy Project's" Mindy Lahiri. Mindy is self-absorbed and shallow when you meet her in the pilot, and her journey toward self-awareness is at the crux of the series. "The Mindy Project" revels in playing with romantic-comedy tropes, such as a rendezvous on the observation deck of the Empire State Building gone awry. Its whip-smart dialogue keeps viewers on their toes as it tears through one pop-culture reference after another. Plus, Mindy's wardrobe full of bright colors and bold patterns may be the closest thing to Carrie Bradshaw's outrageous style these days. 'Desperate Housewives' (2004 - 2012) What happens when you mix the four archetypes of "Sex and the City" with a seemingly perfect suburban neighborhood where everything is not as pristine as it seems? You get "Desperate Housewives," one of the seminal soaps of the past decade, filled with enough wicked humor and OMG moments to satisfy any "SATC" fan. Fans of Charlotte York will immediately connect with prim and proper Bree Van de Kamp, the model housewife who is obsessed with maintaining appearances, no matter the cost. 'The Golden Girls' (1985 - 1992) Also known as: What would happen if the SATC ladies all retired and moved to Miami. Much like "SATC" and its bold attitude about sex, "The Golden Girls" was considered revolutionary when it premiered, thanks to its plot centered around the lives and loves of older women -- proving that the fun doesn't stop once you pass 50. You can easily picture sharp-tongued Miranda Hobbes aging into the acerbic Dorothy and Samantha Jones still having a revolving door of men like Blanche. "Thank you for being a friend ... " indeed. 'Jane the Virgin' (2014 - ) You may not think a show with the word "Virgin" in its title would have anything in common with "Sex and the City." When you look closer, though, the fundamental elements that made "SATC" so compelling are alive and well in "Jane the Virgin." The show masterfully balances zany comedy and heartfelt emotion, a style that "SATC" perfected over the course of its run. "JTV" is driven by strong female performances, from Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez's effervescent Jane to Yael Grobglas' spoiled trophy wife, Petra. There's even a narrator for those who lived for Carrie's voice-overs! And if you loved debating the merits of Aiden vs. Big, the love triangle of Jane torn between dependable Michael vs. reformed playboy Rafael will hook you immediately. (#TeamMichael all the way!) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Here Are the 2016 Teen Choice Awards Nominees Posted:  The nominees for the 2016 Teen Choice Awards were revealed on Tuesday, with familiar faces ("Pretty Little Liars," "The Vampire Diaries," the "Divergent" and "Hunger Games" franchises) dominating the television and movie categories.As with every batch of Teen Choice honorees, this year's nominees included both some expected candidates ("Furious 7" for best action/adventure movie, as well as a bunch of other nods) and some surprising ones, too (does anyone actually remember the Taylor Lautner-starring actioner "Tracers"? Teens actually saw -- and liked -- "Aloha"?). Still, the Teen Choice Awards pride themselves on being tapped directly into the teen zeitgeist (a.k.a. several social media channels), and with nominees and winners coming straight from the target demo themselves, this is one of very few awards shows that's always guaranteed to make its core audience happy. Check out the movie and TV nominees below. The full list of honorees across all categories (including music, fashion, sports, and "choice selfie taker," among other quirky designations) can be found here and here. MOVIES: Choice Movie: Action/Adventure Furious 7 Insurgent Kingsman: The Secret Service San Andreas The Maze Runner Tracers Choice Movie Actor: Action/Adventure Ansel Elgort - Insurgent Dylan O'Brien- The Maze Runner Paul Walker - Furious 7 Taylor Lautner- Tracers Theo James - Insurgent Vin Diesel - Furious 7 Choice Movie Actress: Action/Adventure Alexandra Daddario -San Andreas Jordana Brewster - Furious 7 Kaya Scodelario- The Maze Runner Maggie Grace - Taken 3 Michelle Rodriguez - Furious 7 Shailene Woodley - Insurgent Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Avengers: Age of Ultron Cinderella Mad Max: Fury Road The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Tomorrowland Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Channing Tatum - Jupiter Rising Chris Hemsworth - Avengers: Age of Ultron George Clooney - Tomorrowland Josh Hutcherson - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Liam Hemsworth - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Robert Downey, Jr. - Avengers: Age of Ultron Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mila Kunis - Jupiter Rising Britt Robertson - Tomorrowland Jennifer Lawrence - The Hunger Games: The Mockingjay Part 1 Lily James - Cinderella Scarlett Johansson - Avengers: Age of Ultron Mackenzie Foy - Interstellar Choice Movie: Drama Fury If I Stay McFarland, USA The Age of Adaline The Longest Ride The Theory of Everything Choice Movie Actor: Drama Scott Eastwood - The Longest Ride James Franco - True Story Jonah Hill - True Story Chris Hemsworth - Blackhat Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything Logan Lerman - Fury Choice Movie Actress: Drama Blake Lively - The Age of Adaline Britt Robertson - The Longest Ride Felicity Jones - True Story / The Theory of Everything Reese Witherspoon - Wild Kristen Stewart - Still Alice Chloë Grace Moretz - If I Stay Choice Movie: Comedy Aloha Dumb and Dumber To Night At The Museum: Secret of The Tomb Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 Pitch Perfect 2 The Duff Choice Movie Actor: Comedy Ben Stiller - Night At The Museum: Secret of The Tomb Bradley Cooper - Aloha Jim Carrey - Dumb and Dumber To Kevin James - Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 Robbie Amell - The Duff Skylar Astin - Pitch Perfect 2 Choice Movie Actress: Comedy Anna Kendrick - Pitch Perfect 2 Emma Stone - Aloha Mae Whitman- The Duff Raini Rodriguez - Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 Rebel Wilson - Pitch Perfect 2 Reese Witherspoon - Hot Pursuit Choice Movie Villain Rose Byrne, "Spy" Vincent D' Onofrio, "Jurassic World" Jason Statham, "Furious 7" Donald Sutherland, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1" Bella Thorne, "The Duff" Kate Winslet, "Insurgent" Choice Movie Scene Stealer Adam DeVine, "Pitch Perfect 2" Chris Evans, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" Nicholas Hoult, "Mad Max: Fury Road" Hailee Steinfeld, "Pitch Perfect 2" Miles Teller, "Insurgent" The Green Bay Packers, "Pitch Perfect 2" Choice Movie Breakout Star Thomas Brodie-Sangster, "The Maze Runner" Cara Delevingne, "Paper Towns" Scott Eastwood, "The Longest Ride" Taron Egerton, "Kingsman: The Secret Service" Elizabeth Olsen, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" Thomas Mann, "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" Choice Movie Chemistry Jim Carrey & Jeff Daniels, "Dumb and Dumber To" Vin Diesel, Tyrese Gibson, Dwayne Johnson, Ludacris, Michelle Rodriguez, Paul Walker, "Furious Seven" Sofia Vergara & Reese Witherspoon, "Hot Pursuit" Thomas Mann & RJ Cyler, "Me and Earl and The Dying Girl" Anna Kendrick & Brittany Snow, "Pitch Perfect 2" Dylan O'Brien & Thomas Brodie-Sangster, "The Maze Runner" Choice Movie Liplock Reese Witherspoon & Sofia Vergara- "Hot Pursuit" Shailene Woodley & Theo James, "Insurgent" Rebel Wilson & Adam DeVine, "Pitch Perfect 2" Blake Lively & Michiel Huisman, "The Age of Adaline" Mae Whitman & Robbie Amell, "The Duff" Jennifer Lawrence & Liam Hemsworth, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1" Choice Movie Hissy Fit Reese Witherspoon, "Hot Pursuit" Lewis Black as Anger, "Inside Out" Bryce Dallas Howard, "Jurassic World" Anna Kendrick, "Pitch Perfect 2" Melissa McCarthy, "Spy" Choice Summer Movie "Inside Out" "Jurassic World" "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" "Paper Towns" "Spy" "Terminator Genisys" Choice Summer Movie Star: Male Paul Rudd, "Ant Man" Channing Tatum, "Magic Mike XXL" Chris Pratt, "Jurassic World" Nat Wolff, "Paper Towns" Adam Sandler, "Pixels" Dwayne Johnson, "San Andreas" Choice Summer Movie Star: Female Emilia Clarke, "Terminator Genisys" Cara Delevingne, "Paper Towns" Bryce Dallas Howard, "Jurassic World" Evangeline Lilly, "Ant Man" Melissa McCarthy, "Spy" Amy Poehler as Joy, "Inside Out" TV: Choice TV Show: Drama "Empire" "Gotham" "Grey's Anatomy" "Pretty Little Liars" "Rosewood" "Shades of Blue" Choice TV Actor: Drama Ben McKenzie – "Gotham" Ian Harding – "Pretty Little Liars" Jussie Smollett – "Empire" Keegan Allen – "Pretty Little Liars" Terrence Howard – "Empire" Tyler Blackburn – "Pretty Little Liars" Choice TV Actress: Drama Ashley Benson – "Pretty Little Liars" Jennifer Lopez – "Shades of Blue" Kerry Washington – "Scandal" Maia Mitchell – "The Fosters" Taraji P. Henson – "Empire" Troian Bellisario – "Pretty Little Liars" Choice TV Show: Sci-Fi/Fantasy "Arrow" "iZombie" "Once Upon a Time" "Supernatural" "The Flash" "The Vampire Diaries" Choice TV Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Andrew Lincoln – "The Walking Dead" Grant Gustin – "The Flash" Ian Somerhalder – "The Vampire Diaries" Jared Padalecki – "Supernatural" Joseph Morgan – "The Originals" Paul Wesley – "The Vampire Diaries" Choice TV Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Candice King – "The Vampire Diaries" Emily Bett Rickards – "Arrow" Danielle Panabaker – "The Flash" Eliza Taylor – "The 100" Kat Graham – "The Vampire Diaries" Lana Parrilla – "Once Upon a Time" Choice TV Show: Comedy "Austin & Ally" "Jane the Virgin" "Liv and Maddie" "Modern Family" "Fuller House" "Scream Queens" Choice TV Actor: Comedy Andy Samberg – "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" Anthony Anderson – "Black-ish" Jaime Camil – "Jane the Virgin" Jim Parsons – "The Big Bang Theory" Ross Lynch – "Austin & Ally" Taylor Lautner – "Cuckoo" Choice TV Actress: Comedy Candace Cameron Bure – "Fuller House" Dove Cameron – "Liv and Maddie " Emma Roberts – "Scream Queens" Gina Rodriguez – "Jane the Virgin" Laura Marano – "Austin & Ally" Lea Michele – "Scream Queens" Choice TV: Animated Show "Descendants: Wicked World" "Family Guy" "Gravity Falls" "Over the Garden Wall" "Steven Universe" "The Simpsons" Choice TV: Reality Show "Mob Wives" "Dance Moms" "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" "MasterChef Junior" "The Voice" "Total Divas" Choice TV Villain "A," "Pretty Little Liars" Tom Cavanagh, "The Flash" The Dread Doctors, "Teen Wolf" Terrence Howard, "Empire" Matt Nable, "Arrow" Chris Wood, "The Vampire Diaries" Choice TV: Scene Stealer Trai Byers, "Empire" Kat Graham, "The Vampire Diaries" Dylan O'Brien, "Teen Wolf" Sasha Pieterse, "Pretty Little Liars" Bella Thorne, "Scream" Ashley Tisdale, "Young & Hungry" Choice TV: Breakout Star Grant Gustin, "The Flash" Bryshere "Yazz" Gray, "Empire" Candice Patton, "The Flash" Gina Rodriguez, "Jane The Virgin" Yara Shahidi, "Black-ish" Jussie Smollett, "Empire" Choice TV: Breakout Show "Becoming Us" "Black-ish" "Empire" "iZombie" "Jane The Virgin" "Younger" Choice TV: Chemistry Jensen Ackles & Misha Collins, "Supernatural" Trai Byers, Bryshere "Yazz" Gray, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard and Jussie Smollett, "Empire" Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, "The Big Bang Theory" Kat Graham & Ian Somerhalder, "The Vampire Diaries" Grant Gustin & Candice Patton, "The Flash" Ross Lynch & Laura Marano, "Austin & Ally" Choice TV: Liplock Candice Accola & Paul Wesley, "The Vampire Diaries" Nina Dobrev & Ian Somerhalder, "The Vampire Diaries" Jennifer Morrison & Colin O'Donoghue, "Once Upon A Time" Candice Patton & Grant Gustin, "The Flash" Emily Bett Rickards & Stephen Amell, "Arrow" Gina Rodriguez & Justin Baldoni, "Jane The Virgin" Choice Summer TV Show "Baby Daddy" "Chasing Life" "faking it" "Scream" "So You Think You Can Dance" "Teen Wolf" Choice Summer TV Star: Male Tyler Blackburn, "Pretty Little Liars " David Lambert, "The Fosters" Ross Lynch, "Teen Beach 2" Tyler Posey, "Teen Wolf" Gregg Sulkin, "Faking It" Mike Vogel, "Under The Dome" Choice Summer TV Star: Female Troian Bellisario, "Pretty Little Liars" Ashley Benson, "Pretty Little Liars" Laura Marano, "Austin & Ally" Maia Mitchell- "Teen Beach 2" Willa Fitzgerald, "Scream" Italia Ricci, "Chasing Life" OTHER: Choice Comedian Amy Schumer Ellen DeGeneres George Lopez Jimmy Fallon Jimmy Kimmel Kevin Hart [via: Teen Choice Awards, Teen Choice Awards] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Beauty and the Beast' Teaser Tops 'The Force Awakens' in Views Record Posted:  The Force is strong with Disney, and that no longer applies solely to the "Star Wars" franchise: Its first teaser trailer for the upcoming live-action remake of "Beauty and the Beast" conjured up a whopping 91.8 million views in its first 24 hours of release, besting previous one-day pageview champ "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."The latter film (also a Disney outing) boasted an impressive 88 million views when it debuted last year. But it was no match for the beloved musical (like "Star Wars," another nostalgia-inducing property with a sizable, devoted fan base), which first hit theaters in animated form back in 1991. With the announcement of the live-action remake, and its starry cast led by "Harry Potter" actress Emma Watson, Disney was no doubt banking on lots of interest in the property. But it seems that that interest is even greater than the Mouse House was expecting. The studio will no doubt try to top itself once more in the viewing game with the eventual release of a full-length "Beauty" trailer (as well as clips from its other upcoming big-budget movies, including additional entries in the "Star Wars" franchise). But for now, it can enjoy the intrigue it's created for the hotly-anticipated flick, which should continue to build considerably until the film's early 2017 release. "Beauty and the Beast" hits theaters on March 17, 2017. [via: The Hollywood Reporter] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Bill Cosby to Stand Trial for Sexual Assault Posted:  After months of legal wrangling, a Pennsylvania judge on Tuesday overruled Bill Cobsy's attempts to dismiss a sexual assault case against him, ordering the comedian to stand trial on the charges.Cosby faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the charge that he sexually assaulted accuser Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia home back in 2004. The comedian has maintained that the encounter was consensual, and that he merely gave Constand some Benadryl; Constand claims that she was drugged with mysterious blue pills, was in and out of consciousness while Cosby fondled her, and did not give her consent to the encounter. Constand's allegations resurfaced in recent years as dozens of women -- more than 50 so far -- have publicly come forward with similar claims against the comedian, many of them saying they were also drugged and assaulted or raped by the comedian. Cosby has continually denied all allegations against him. Reports of those allegations reached a fever pitch last fall, bringing additional attention to Constand's case, which she originally reported back in 2005. At the time, prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges against Cosby, though he did submit to a deposition which was later used as evidence in a civil suit that Constand filed against him in 2005. That dispute was settled in 2006. Portions of Cosby's deposition were unsealed in July 2015, prompting Philadelphia prosecutors to reexamine Constand's original complaint, and three counts of aggravated assault were filed against the comedian in December. Since then, Cosby's legal team has fought to have those charges thrown out, leading to Tuesday's hearing and the judge's ruling. It is the lone criminal trial to result from the accusations, though Cosby is currently facing several civil suits in other states. As recently as 2014, Cosby had a pilot in development at NBC, and was working on a comedy special for Netflix. Both projects were eventually canceled as more allegations against him resurfaced, spearheaded in part by viral remarks made by comedian Hannibal Buress, who accused Cosby of raping women. Accusers, some whose alleged assaults date back several decades, have questioned why it took so long before they were taken seriously. Some supporters, meanwhile, have continued to stand by the comedian, with many attending his last comedy tour, "Far From Finished," which wrapped in May 2015. (Some dates were canceled, however, and many were the subject of protests.) Cosby's arraignment was originally scheduled for July 20, though he has waived his right to appear at that proceeding. No word yet on when his trial may start. [via: USA Today, Associated Press] Photo credit: Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Twitter Wants Marvel to Give Captain America a Boyfriend Posted:  Following the explosion of the hashtag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend, which encouraged Disney to include some LGBT representation in its upcoming "Frozen" sequel, Marvel fans are now calling on the comic powerhouse to do the same, this time with Captain America.Twitter user Jess Salerno first tweeted out the hashtag #GiveCaptainAmericaABoyfriend a couple weeks ago, but in the past few days it's gained some serious traction on the social media site, generating thousands of mentions as fans clamor to get Steve Rogers together with another guy (preferably Bucky Barnes, a.k.a The Winter Soldier, though other potential paramours have surfaced as well). — jess (@thewntersoIdier) May 11, 2016 According to fans, the move would not only jibe with what previous Marvel movies and comics have foreshadowed (Cap and Bucky's close relationship in "The Winter Solider" and the recently-released "Captain America: Civil War," for instance), but also give LGBT filmgoers a prominent figure to relate to on the big screen. That's exactly why Salerno started the hashtag, as she explained in an interview with Metro.co.uk. "I feel like it sucks that people in the LGBT community don't get the representation that they deserve and it would be so amazing for something like Captain America or Marvel to be able to portray that," Salerno told the site, adding that the move would be especially affirming for LGBT youth, and would "just let people know that it's okay to be who you are." "I feel like it would do amazing things for the future," she added. Based on the response she's getting so far (and how many people disliked Cap's romantic storyline in "Civil War"), it seems like the movement is already making a difference. Now fans will have to wait and see if Marvel responds. [via: Jess Salerno, Metro.co.uk] Photo credit: Zade Rosenthal/Marvel This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Chewbacca Mom Carpools With James Corden and J.J. Abrams Posted:  Can anyone out-Chewbacca Chewbacca Mom?Candace Payne has become an internet sensation thanks to a viral video showing her laughing hysterically while trying on a Chewbacca mask. She was bound to show up on one of the late night shows, but it really made the most sense for her to go with James Corden's "Late Late Show," since he also makes very popular videos set in cars. Not only did Payne carpool with Corden, but "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams came along for the ride. And all three of them donned the Chewbacca masks from Kohl's and laughed and laughed and laughed .... Should we call it "Carpool Chewy-oke?" Even better? Corden read a letter from original Chewbacca portrayer Peter Mayhew inviting Payne to meet him at an upcoming convention. May the Wookiee be with you. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Animals Make Sweet, Sweet Music in New 'Sing' Trailer Posted:  And heeeeere is your next Animal Idol!The trailer for "Sing" debuted during last night's "The Voice," a very apt marketing move since the animated movie revolves around a singing competition. A koala (Matthew McConaughey) wants to put one on to save his failing theatre, and contestants include a porcine housewife (Reese Witherspoon), a sneaky mouse (Seth MacFarlane), and a young gorilla (Taron Egerton) who's trying to get away from his gangster family.These anthropomorphized worlds are all the rage now, and "Sing" will look to live up to the massive hit "Zootopia," as well as Illumination sibling "The Secret Life of Pets," which is out this summer. Certainly, the voice talent for "Sing" is top-notch, and singing competitions are popular. The trailer already mines a lot of humor out of a gold-lame-wearing pig covering Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." "Sing" opens in theaters December 21. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| New 'Finding Dory' Trailer Introduces a Whole New World of Fish Posted:  Dory just needs a little help from some new friends in the new trailer for Pixar's "Finding Dory."The forgetful blue tang fish (Ellen DeGeneres) is on a quest to find her parents in the sequel to "Finding Nemo," but her journey goes awry when she's taken by well-meaning humans to a marine life institute. There, she makes some new friends, like Hank the Octopus (Ed O'Neill), Destiny the whale shark (Kaitlin Olson), and Bailey the beluga whale (Ty Burrell). The trailer shows that "Finding Dory" will be much like its parent movie, with its colorful characters and emotional storylines. There's the typical gentle Pixar humor — in the form of sea lions voiced by Idris Elba and Dominic West — and darker beats, in the form of some possible enemies. The movie looks like a worthy follow-up to one of Pixar's most iconic movies. "Finding Dory" opens in theaters June 17. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'X-Men': 15 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Marvel's Mutants Posted:  At this point in its run, the X-Men franchise must be imbibing a little of Wolverine's healing factor.These movies have been a fixture since the original "X-Men" exploded onto the scene in 2000. They've weathered every misstep and survived the rise of Marvel Studios and the Avengers. And now "X-Men: Apocalypse" is here to introduce a whole new wave of mutant heroes and the biggest, baddest X-Men villain of them all. To celebrate this big release, we're looking back at the five core "X-Men" movies released so far and explore some of the interesting trivia and hidden cameos you might not know about. 'X-Men' (2000)  1. Hugh Jackman wasn't the first choice to play Wolverine. Actor Dougray Scott was originally cast in the role, but he dropped out because of a conflict with the filming of "Mission: Impossible II." We imagine he regretted that decision later.2. Joss Whedon penned a rewrite of the screenplay. Whedon's draft was rejected by the studio because of its "quick-witted" approach to the source material. Somehow, Marvel Studios didn't seem to mind that approach when Whedon directed "The Avengers" 12 years later. 3. Several major characters (Beast, Nightcrawler and Pyro) and other iconic X-Men elements (including the Danger Room) were cut from the script before filming because of budget concerns. 'X2: X-Men United' (2003)  4. This sequel is one of the major reasons leading to Marvel's decision to reveal Wolverine's origin story in the comic book, "Origin." Many within the publisher feared that the movies would end up revealing this murky period of Wolverine's past before they got the chance.5. Rather than resort to digital trickery, director Bryan Singer relied on a group of trained mimes to play the museum crowd that Xavier freezes in place with his psychic powers. 6. In the scene where Mystique accesses Yuriko's computer terminal, viewers are treated to a number of references to other Marvel characters. Among many other things, the computer files reference Gambit, Mister Sinister, Omega Red, Project Wideawake, the Von Strucker twins, and even Franklin Richards from the "Fantastic Four" franchise. 'X3' (2006)  7. Alan Cumming was expected to reprise his role as Nightcrawler in this sequel. However, because the role was so small and Cumming disliked the painstaking process of applying Nightcrawler's makeup, he opted not to return. The prequel video game "X-Men: The Official Game" offered a story-based explanation for why Nightcrawler was absent.8. When Singer dropped out of this sequel to direct "Superman Returns," Fox approached a number of potential replacements before ultimately choosing Brett Ratner. That list included Peter Berg, Joss Whedon, Alex Proyas, and 'X-Men: First Class" director Matthew Vaughn. 9. Gambit was originally intended to appear in this sequel as one of the X-Men and a rival for Rogue's affections. Though the role was written out of the script, Gambit does have a small cameo in the novelization. 'X-Men: First Class' (2011)  10. This prequel started life as a Magneto-centric story in the vein of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." But in light of the lukewarm reception to that movie, the Magneto project evolved into an ensemble X-Men movie.11. While there was once a Marvel comic called "X-Men: First Class," it featured an almost completely different cast of mutant heroes, including Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Angel, and Beast. 12. The film's original ending featured a "psychic" battle between Emma Frost and Charles Xavier, involving a city of the mind that the two would battle each other within -- think punching each other into buildings or with buildings. The filmmakers were very excited to film, but never got the chance. Why? Fox cut it when "Inception" came out because of similar sequences in that film. Womp womp. 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' (2014)  13. Wolverine's apartment in 1973 is decorated with many references and homages to his Japanese travels, including samurai swords and a photo of Mt. Fuji. Even the red and yellow color scheme pays tribute to his 1980's-era costume from the comics (a costume that he has yet to actually wear in the films).14. When Mystique infiltrates the army base in Vietnam, her cover identity is "Col. Sanders." Apparently she loves those 11 herbs and spices. 15. Quicksilver's appearance in both this film and "Avengers: Age of Ultron" created some tension between Fox and Marvel Studios. The two studios hammered out an agreement that stated that the X-Men movies can't reference Quicksilver's status as an Avenger, while the Avengers movies can't acknowledge his mutant heritage or the fact that Magneto is his father. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Mission: Impossible': 15 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About the Tom Cruise Blockbuster Posted:  Before 1996, "Mission: Impossible" was a long-since-cancelled TV spy series, beloved by Boomers but forgotten by anyone younger. Today, of course, it's a popular Tom Cruise movie franchise, known for its twisty plotting and jaw-dropping stunt sequences, whose five installments to date have grossed $935 million in North America and $2.8 billion worldwide.The change came, of course, with the release of Cruise's first "Mission: Impossible" 20 years ago, on May 22, 1996. Since then, Brian De Palma's clever, convoluted blockbuster has been watched and copied plenty. And while some of the spy franchise's secrets have become widely known, there are still some that have remained classified -- until now.  1. "Mission: Impossible" marked Cruise's debut as a producer. In a deal that would become his then-customary contract, he took no money up front but negotiated a lucrative percentage of the theatrical and video gross profits, reportedly as high as 22 percent. Cruise reportedly pocketed an estimated $70 million for the first "Mission."2. The most celebrated (and imitated) action set piece De Palma created for the film was the vault heist at CIA headquarters. That's really Cruise dangling from those cables and balancing himself inches from the floor. Initially, he kept banging his head on the floor, but he came up with an ingenious way to stay level: He put coins in his shoes as counterweights.  3. When Jim Phelps (Jon Voight) is reading his team's personal files on the plane, the one for Jack Harmon (Emilio Estevez) lists his alias as "Tony Baretta," the name of Robert Blake's bird-loving sleuth from 1970s detective show "Baretta."4. In another in-joke, a shout out to "Top Gun," when Cruise's Ethan Hunt looks over the list of aliases on the NOC spy list, one of them is "Maverick."  5. The exploding fish tank stunt was reportedly Cruise's idea. De Palma tried to shoot it with a stunt double, but the results were unconvincing. So that's really Cruise you see as he flees from 16 tons of rushing water.6. The film's final action set piece, the battle atop a moving bullet train, almost didn't happen because the train's owners didn't want to allow it, since it appeared too dangerous. Cruise charmed them over dinner, and they changed their minds.  7. Even so, much of that sequence was filmed in front of a blue screen on the James Bond soundstage at Pinewood Studios. But the scene where the helicopter blast hurls Ethan onto the surface of the train (above) still involved flinging Cruise himself through the air.The producers had to search throughout Europe to find the sole wind machine forceful enough for the stunt. Blowing at 140 miles per hour, it even made the skin on Cruise's face visibly ripple. "I ended up doing it three or four times and it hurt -- I was black and blue for days," the actor recalled. "But I wanted to make it real, to make it believable." 8. Apple ponied up $15 million for a promotional product placement deal, which included showing Ethan using a PowerBook 5300c in key scenes. Unfortunately for the company, it came aboard the production too late to have script approval, so it couldn't rewrite the scenes where Ving Rhames' master hacker demands and later uses a Windows laptop. What was worse, the PowerBook was subject of a recall around the time of the film's release, so consumers inspired by the film to buy one couldn't find one in stock for four months. Plus, Apple was smarting from a $740 million quarterly loss, the second-worst in the company's history at the time. As a PR move, the "M:I" tie-in was a compete backfire.  9. The opening sequence in Prague marked the first time a major Hollywood production had filmed in the Czech capital since the fall of communism. Unfortunately, Cruise and his fellow producers felt gouged by the local authorities when they rented the historic Lichetenstein Palace as an exterior location and were charged 10 times the fee they expected. City authorities claimed the lower-quoted price had never been an authorized offer.Playwright-turned-president Vaclav Havel sided with the Americans, arguing that the officials, who were new to capitalism, didn't see the bigger picture, that they were risking the ultimately more profitable benefits of travel-brochure-worthy footage in a Hollywood blockbuster and a positive reputation among international filmmakers. Indeed, Team Cruise threatened to warn other Hollywood crews against working in Prague, though the actor did use the city again as a double for Moscow in "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol." 10. Thanks in part to Cruise's deferred fee and De Palma's limited use of CGI, the film cost just $80 to make, a relative bargain by today's standards. (Last year's "Rogue Nation" cost $150 million).  11. "Mission: Impossible" was the first film to open on more than 3,000 screens. (3,012, to be exact.) It earned $181 million in North America and $458 million worldwide.12. Many fans of the original TV series bristled at the radical changes the movie made. After all, Jim Phelps was the only character from the old show who's also in the movie, and the film makes Voight's Phelps anything but a hero. Peter Graves, who played the original Phelps, said he wished they'd just given Voight's character a new name. Greg Morris, who played tech whiz Barney Collier, left a screening of the movie partway through. Martin Landau, who played master of disguise Rollin Hand on the show, said of the big-screen version, "It was basically an action-adventure movie and not 'Mission.' ' Mission' was a mind game. The ideal mission was getting in and getting out without anyone ever knowing we were there. So the whole texture changed." He also said he and the other original stars had rejected an early screenplay that would have killed off most of the old team. "Why volunteer to essentially have our characters commit suicide?" Landau added that J.J. Abrams invited him to do a cameo in "Mission: Impossible III," but he said no.  13. One original element from the show that remained intact was Lalo Schifrin's iconic, pounding theme song, which De Palma used over the opening credits. But the film closed with a new version by U2 members Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. Their pop instrumental became a top 10 hit worldwide and was nominated at the 1997 Grammys, where it competed against Schifrin's own new recording of the song.14. The movie doesn't offer much backstory on Ethan Hunt or any of his colleagues. But the "Mission: Impossible" Blu-ray includes dossiers on Ethan and his teammates, letting viewers know that Ethan speaks 15 languages (three fewer than his mentor, Jim Phelps) and that he first developed his talent for impersonating other people while playing alone as a child on the Hunt family farm.  15. "Mission: Impossible" establishes Ethan for the rest of the franchise as a spy who prefers deception and disguise to violence. In this film, though not in future installments, he never gets involved in a gunfight; in fact, he never even fires a weapon. And the body count for the entire film is just seven casualties.This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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