Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- Bryan Fuller Reveals New 'Star Trek' Details, Says Series Will 'Eventually' Revisit Characters
- 'Power Rangers' Movie Adds Bryan Cranston as Zordon, Debuts Poster
- 'Game of Thrones' Season 6 Averages Record High 23.3 Million Viewers
- Michael Bay Shows Off Cute New 'Transformers' Character, Squeaks
- James Gunn Wraps 'Guardians' Sequel, Passes Marvel Baton to 'Spider-Man'
- 17 Problems Only 'Game of Thrones' Fans Can Understand
- Norman Reedus Thinks His Professional Impersonator Gets Laid More Often Than Him
- Watch Anna Kendrick & James Corden Perform a Full Relationship in 5 Minutes
- Mahershala Ali: You'll Be 'Inspired, Educated' by 'Free State of Jones'
- Watch Ben Affleck Go OFF About 'Bullsh-t F--king Outrage' Deflategate
- 'Adventures in Babysitting's' Sabrina Carpenter Isn't Quite Ready to Watch Your Kids
| Bryan Fuller Reveals New 'Star Trek' Details, Says Series Will 'Eventually' Revisit Characters Posted:  Fifty years after the dawn of its original five-year mission, it's clear that there's very likely no final frontier when it comes to "Star Trek." And even as fans celebrate its rich history on the 50th anniversary, Bryan Fuller is ready to captain "Trek's" Next Iteration into an even bolder future.Following its debut in 1966 and an abbreviated three-season network run, creator Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek" has become, in the intervening five decades, the most singular (and profitable) phenomenon ever spawned by the television medium, and holder of many unique distinctions: one of the earliest series ever given a second shot at a pilot when the first outing proved a bit too cerebral but showed great potential; cancelled not once but twice, after a massive, organized fan letter-writing campaign earned a reversal on its first axing; one of the first bona fide syndication sensations, broadening its cult audience into legions of viewers; one of the first series to be adapted into animated form, reuniting the bulk of the live-action cast; and the first-ever series to spawn the fan-centric convention culture and eventual online communities that reign today, attracting and uniting the passionate fanbase, both literally and virtually. There's more: A sequel series was conceived to launch a fourth broadcast network that never came to be in the 1970s, but (with a little help from the sensational popularity of "Star Wars") "Trek" experienced a conversion into the high-budget feature film format, something that at that time had only happened to a handful of series, and only while they still were on the air at the peak of their popularity. Thus was born a blockbuster film franchise that ruled the box office, continually refreshed itself and paved the way for a brand new crew to launch a spinoff series: "Star Trek: The Next Generation" proved the durability of the concept beyond its beloved original cast -- it won Peabody Awards, built a merchandizing juggernaut and launched a profitable first-run syndication market that subsequently gave birth to hits like "Baywatch" and "Xena: Warrior Princess" before ending on its own terms after seven seasons and moving into its own film series. Additional shows like "Deep Space Nine" built the brand, predicting dynastic TV like "Law & Order" and "CSI," and with "Star Trek: Voyager" the franchise got around to launching a new broadcast network, UPN. After a period of cultural oversaturation and subsequent dormancy, "Trek" was successfully rebooted, reimagined, and re-youthified by former TV wunderkind J.J. Abrams into a faster, flashier, and equally popular new film series, proving yet again that "Star Trek" could continually go where no TV series has gone before. And this is merely the show business pedigree. The social impact of "Star Trek" over its 50-year mission -- from including a multiracial crew with minorities in command roles at the height of the Civil Rights struggle to TV's first interracial kiss; from the innumerable fans it inspired to pursue careers in the sciences and the arts to its fictional technologies turned fact today; and from William Shatner's musical career to the Internet dominance of George Takei -- is, quite frankly, without measure or precedent. Which brings me to Bryan Fuller, recently anointed at the next television caretaker of the "Star Trek" storytelling legacy, which once again pioneers new ground as the flagship original series of CBS's All Access streaming service. If Fuller's pedigree as the creator of beloved, creatively adventurous series -- both original, like "Pushing Daisies," and building out pre-existing lore, like "Hannibal" -- isn't enough to excite fans looking for a return to the "Trek" tradition of provocative allegorical storytelling, consider that not only has Fuller already worked in the show's universe as a writer for "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager," he's assembled a dream team of supporting creators from "Trek's" diverse history to work on the show. Among them are filmmaker Nicholas Meyer, the director of "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and screenwriter of "Star Trek: The Voyage Home" (among other franchise credits), the two most popular and critically hailed big-screen entries, as a consulting producer; writer-producer Alex Kurtzman, one of the scribes behind the Abrams films as well as successful series like "Fringe," "Hawaii Five-0" and 'Scorpion"; writer-producer Joe Menosky, a veteran of three "Star Trek" syndicated series; and Roddenberry Productions' Trevor Roth and Rod Roddenberry, the son of the former airline pilot-turned-LAPD speechwriter-turned-TV writer-producer who created it all. While visiting the Saturn Awards, the sci-fi/superhero/fantasy equivalent of the Oscars and Emmys, I had my first chance to chat with Fuller since the new "Trek" series was announced, and as our conversation reveals, the as-yet-untitled new series he's working on may be exploring even more new worlds, new civilizations and, perhaps most importantly, new philosophical questions about human existence at the furthest reaches of the galaxy. The series will never travel far from the legacy he hopes it upholds. Moviefone: You have a history with the franchise, you're going to have more history with the franchise. As we approach the 50th anniversary, what has "Star Trek" meant to you over the years? Bryan Fuller: Oh, well, it's the promise of a better world. Not only is it wonderful high-concept science-fiction storytelling, but it is the promise that we're going to get our sh*t together as a species, fix our planet, and move out to the galaxy as a team. I think that's the most exciting ... that's the most promising thing that "Star Trek" offers, is a vision of the future where we do all get along. You have a dream team assembled -- creative people plucked from various eras in "Star Trek" history. What has that aspect brought to the table for you, in terms of who is putting the show together? I think it's really about making sure that we maintain authenticity. One of the things that I am so excited about is working with Joe Menosky again, who I worked with on "Voyager," and who was a pivotal writing in "Next Generation," and a mentor of mine. So it's wonderful to be working with him on "Star Trek." It's wonderful to be working with Nicholas Meyer, who I've admired for a long time. I pinch myself from time to time just being in the room and having the conversations that we're having. Nick in particular is known for, arguably, the best of the movies, really: "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." I agree. What has he brought to bear on the new series, with that distinctive dramatic sensibility that he has? Well, a clarity and a cleanliness to the storytelling. An ability to ground science-fiction in a relatable way, and also making sure that we're telling character stories. There's been a lot of speculation about the format and setting of the new series. What would you like to put out there now, to wet the appetite for the audience? I mean, it's funny. I've read that we're [set] before "Next Generation," after ["Star Trek VI: The] Undiscovered Country," which is false. I've read that it's an anthology show, which is not accurate. So it's interesting to see those suggestions, and seeing the truth mixed in with them and going like, "Oh, they got that part right..." But it's sort of on the truth-o-meter on PolitiFacts. It's sort of like some truth, and a lot of like, "No -- pants on fire! That's not true." People got excited about the word "crews," plural, in the teaser trailer. Yeah. Does that have a specific meaning? Or was that sort of a word that was used? No, I think we will be seeing lots of crews in the story. One of the things that is exciting for me is that we are telling a "Star Trek" story in a modern way. We're telling a 13-chapter story in this first season. It's nice to be able to dig deep into things that would have been breezed passed if we were doing episodic and had to contain a story to an episode. Would you like to revisit any characters? Is there a window open to bring in characters that have been established in the canon? Eventually. Eventually. Is the streaming aspect of it -- is that going to affect it at all? Are you going to drop them all at once? Do you even know yet? No, it's going to be weekly. And what it does allow us is, we are not subject to broadcast standards and practices. So we can have profanity if we choose -- not that I want to see a "Star Trek" with lots of profanity. But we can certainly be more graphic than you would on broadcast network television. Tell me about the allegory element that is so potent in "Star Trek" storytelling, and what you want to do, what boundaries you want to push in this day and age. Well, I think that "Star Trek" is a show of firsts. And in researching the characters for this new iteration of "Star Trek," I've been talking to Mae Jemison, who's the first black woman in space, and who saw "Star Trek" in the '60s and who saw Nichelle Nichols [as Lt. Uhura] on the bridge of a ship and said, "I see myself in space." So there's something wonderful about the legacy that Nichelle Nichols represents as giving a gift to people who weren't previously able to see themselves in the future. We are going to be continuing that tradition of progressive casting and progressive character work to be an inclusive world. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Power Rangers' Movie Adds Bryan Cranston as Zordon, Debuts Poster Posted:  It's been a big week for the upcoming "Power Rangers" reboot, with the addition of a big name to the cast and the debut of a new poster.First up, the casting news: Emmy winner Bryan Cranston is joining the flick as Zordon, the group's founder and mentor (a.k.a. the giant floating head that gives the titular heroes their instructions). The "Breaking Bad" alum announced the news himself on Twitter.
Cranston also revealed a fun bit of trivia about his connection to the Blue Ranger, alias Billy Cranston, which Variety reports was confirmed back in 2013: Billy was named after the actor. And that's not his only connection to the original 1990s "Power Rangers" series: Cranston previously appeared on the show, voicing the characters Twinman and Snizard. Lionsgate's official Power Rangers Twitter account later welcomed Cranston to the fold.
In addition to that exciting bit of casting, Lionsgate also released a new poster for the film, featuring the Rangers in silhouette against a starry backdrop (which just so happens to form a lightning bolt, the symbol of the franchise). The tagline reads, "Together we are more," a nod to the Rangers' need to join forces to take down Rita.
"Power Rangers" also stars Becky G. as the Yellow Ranger, Ludi Lin as the Black Ranger, Naomi Scott as the Pink Ranger, Dacre Montgomery as the Red Ranger, R.J. Cyler as the Blue Ranger, and Elizabeth Banks as villain Rita Repulsa. It opens on March 24, 2017. [via: Bryan Cranston, Variety, Power Rangers, Power Rangers] Photo credit: Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Game of Thrones' Season 6 Averages Record High 23.3 Million Viewers Posted:
Pie, eh? Get ready to dig in this Sunday, June 26 for the Season 6 finale, Episode 10, "The Winds of Winter." It's not clear why HBO shared those numbers now, instead of waiting for after the full season when the average would potentially increase, thanks to the epic Episode 9 and highly anticipated supersized finale, which will be the longest episode to date. Next, we hope HBO shares official information on Season 7, which is just about ready to start filming, and is rumored to have only seven episodes. And what do we say to more HBO Now crashes? Not today! Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Michael Bay Shows Off Cute New 'Transformers' Character, Squeaks Posted:  "Transformers: The Last Knight," the fifth movie in the franchise, is just about finished filming for release exactly one year from today, on June 23, 2017. Michael Bay is back to direct, and he just introduced one of the new Autobots from the movie, Squeaks (sometimes spelled "Squeeks").First, the "Transformers" crew built up to the big reveal, tweeting some shots around the set before revealing the new guy, who kinda looks like a cross between Pixar's WALL-E and Star Wars droid BB-8.
What do you think of the new kids so far? Actress Isabela Moner plays Izabella, described by TheWrap as "a street-smart tomboy who grew up an orphan and was raised in foster care. She counts a small Transformer as her only friend... until she meets Wahlberg's heroic inventor Cade Yeager." The film brings back Mark Wahlberg and Josh Duhamel, along with Anthony Hopkins, Mitch Pileggi, Jerrod Carmichael, and Laura Haddock. Wahlberg recently posted a video thanking everyone in Arizona for hosting the movie, and promising great things from the finished product:
"The Last Knight," or just "Transformers 5," is currently scheduled for release June 23, 2017. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| James Gunn Wraps 'Guardians' Sequel, Passes Marvel Baton to 'Spider-Man' Posted:
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" is scheduled for release May 5, 2017. "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (co-starring Zendaya, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, and Michael Keaton) is scheduled for July 7, 2017. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 17 Problems Only 'Game of Thrones' Fans Can Understand Posted:  Us "Game of Thrones" fans are gluttons for punishment. Week after week, we count down the hours until we get our next fix of the HBO hit, yearning for the gnarly deaths, mindblowing twists, and satisfying comeuppance that bless our Sunday nights. But there are a lot of problems that come along with loving the weary citizens of Westeros. Here are 17 of them. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Norman Reedus Thinks His Professional Impersonator Gets Laid More Often Than Him Posted:  Can you imagine someone out there whose job -- actual job, business cards and everything -- was to impersonate you? Norman Reedus doesn't have to imagine."The Walking Dead" star was on "Conan" to talk about the time one of his friends went to a hotel and met a guy dressed just like Norman. "My friend goes 'You look like my friend Norman.'" The man responded, "Yeah, I play Norman Reedus." So Norman's friend said, "Oh, you dress as Daryl Dixon," meaning Norman's character on the AMC show. The man replied, "I do that on the weekends, but on the weekdays I play Norman Reedus." Conan said it was pretty creepy, and made the good point that the guy could be using Norman's appearance to write checks in his name, or whatever. "Who knows what he's doing?" Norman replied, deadpan, "I think he's gettin' laid." The audience cheered and Conan guffawed, but Norman basically just shrugged. He knows it's true. Andy Richter said it would be a shame if the guy were doing better than the real Norman Reedus. Norman told Andy, "I think he probably is, to be honest." Conan said the guy not getting laid is the poor Conan impersonator. Watch the interview: Do you think the Norman impersonator gets bitten by fans, too? Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Watch Anna Kendrick & James Corden Perform a Full Relationship in 5 Minutes Posted:  Anna Kendrick and James Corden went "Into the Woods" together, and reunited last night on "The Late Late Show" for a super-compact (but super-awesome) musical event.Corden has already built a reputation for his "Carpool Karaoke" sketches, but it's arguably more impressive when he and his guests perform a montage of live scenes, like this. Sometimes it's, say, getting Tom Hanks to re-enact all of his movies in seven minutes. Last night, it was singing and dancing all the beats of a relationship in "Soundtrack to a Love Story with Anna Kendrick." The soundtrack was pop songs, and the story went through meeting, dating, sex, marriage, a breakup -- complete with Anna singing Adele while fake eating from a tub of ice cream -- and then an "I Will Always Love You" reunion. Watch and love: Because there's no such thing as too much Anna Kendrick, watch her talk about how "Jurassic Park" freaked her out as a child: Oh, and here's Anna talking with fellow guest Jeff Goldblum about which song best describes her love life: Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Mahershala Ali: You'll Be 'Inspired, Educated' by 'Free State of Jones' Posted:  In the Civil War drama "Free State of Jones," Mahershala Ali plays escaped slave Moses, who finds an ally in white farmer Newt Knight (Matthew McConaughey), who also has no love for the Confederacy.When we first meet Moses, he's hiding out in the swamps and wearing an impossibly medieval-looking metal-spiked collar that is -- sadly -- all too true to history. The actor (who you likely know from "House of Cards" and "The Hunger Games - Mockingjay," or maybe "Crossing Jordan" or "The 4400") sat down with Moviefone to talk about the emotional and physical challenges of filming and his family's story. Moviefone: This was a very tough movie to make, I imagine. Just having to wear that metal collar. Mahershala Ali: Yeah. That part of it, the metal collar, was part of the costume. But I think it was more difficult for the cast and crew. I found myself very inspired by the opportunity to embody a character who is reflective of so many experiences, of so many African-Americans that lived and died during that time. I found myself excited to embody him in any way possible because I was very aware of the possibility and potential of those elements and those layers of the character, how deeply those things could resonate for an audience. If we didn't have those things, that would soften it. So I was excited by that. It was probably a relief to finally take it off, though. Oh, for sure. It was uncomfortable. I couldn't imagine living with that. I'm shooting with it a few hours a day, and anytime they could, they're trying their hardest to unscrew it and take it off of me. I can't imagine someone having to wear that thing for years. And some of [the escaped slaves] had [collars with] bells and designs that were even more uncomfortable than what Moses had to endure.  Did you do a lot of research for the part?I did enough research for me. For me, what tends to happen is if I get too academic about it, I feel removed from the spiritual aspects of the character. I can't think about it. When I think about it, it doesn't go too well. [Laughs] I make it too heady, and I'm not an academic actor in that way. Some people read everything under the sun when they do a project and they feel really informed, but that gets in my way. I did read Steven Hahn's "A Nation Under Our Feet" and W.E.B. Du Bois to get familiar with what was going on in that world. And I'm really informed by wardrobe. My wardrobe for me is always my first rehearsal. You can't go to work without having gone to your first wardrobe fitting. Then I know what I'm getting into a few days later. The wardrobe and the beard and the hair, those things are such a departure from who I am and what I experience and how I move around in the world that it did a lot of the work for me. And being on location in the Louisiana swamps helped, I imagine. All of that. Just wearing the environment. Because I'm a relatively porous person, just taking in where I am and who I'm with ... I think all of that gave me something to put out.  Why does this story matter today?I think it's an opportunity for people to be not only entertained, but inspired, educated, and informed about a time that I think we have this perception that we know about, but we really don't. Most people think that, in terms of the black experience, after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, that there was this sense of joy, celebration and freedom, and that we had the opportunity to go pursue the best life that we could. What the vast majority of Americans -- black, white, and in between -- don't get is that there was a process of re-enslaving African-Americans very quickly. These local laws were passed. There were black codes, there was terrorism, and the KKK. Tens of thousands of African-Americans trying to participate in the Democratic process were murdered. Schools were burned down. There were all these things going on in that time that [director] Gary [Ross] touches on in a really fantastic way. It's an opportunity for people to see and be educated about the things that happened after the Emancipation Proclamation and get a vision of this other tile in the mosaic of our history. There are still a lot of parallels with today, unfortunately. You can say that. I don't know. I know the freedom that I get to move around in the world with is very different. My grandfather was a sharecropper, so essentially an extension of slavery for that time. He didn't graduate from high school until he was 20 because the boys had to sharecrop and pick cotton. So you go back to his father, my great-grandfather, he was 98 when he passed in the early '90s, and just getting to be around him and know what he came from ... the further you go back, the more you see that they had less breadth of opportunity and less range. But you still see what people were able to achieve. You go back to the 1860s and people were being murdered -- literally murdered -- for trying to vote. I can take that for granted. The time is very different. I don't have to worry about dying or my family dying because I want to go vote for Hillary Clinton or something. I don't have to worry about that. That, in and of itself, it's a very different world that we live in. There's a long way to go and a lot of progress that needs to be made in any group that finds themselves oppressed and not enjoying the same freedoms that this particular man who sits in this office at this desk may enjoy, but we've made amazing strides. The fact that I'm sitting down with your right now is a sign of that progress.  Sounds like you have a really rich history that's been handed down through your family.I know I have to really dig in and get my grandmother to talk. My grandfather was president of the NAACP for several years in the Bay Area and local chapters in Alameda and Hayward. I just knew that he went through certain things and some of [my relatives] were more politically active and some were just more laypeople who were going through difficult times or being laid off from jobs for reasons of discrimination. There is a history there for all African-Americans, but me seeing that journey personally of people having to strive and struggle and traverse a certain set of circumstances that are related to color. "The Free State of Jones" opens June 24th. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Watch Ben Affleck Go OFF About 'Bullsh-t F--king Outrage' Deflategate Posted:
Watch the video for more, or read a more complete rundown at E! Tom Brady should at least send him some flowers after that, no? Chris Evans is a passionate Brady fan, too (he wants to enjoy nice walks on the beach with his idol), and is probably kicking himself that he didn't get to share this exact rant first. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Adventures in Babysitting's' Sabrina Carpenter Isn't Quite Ready to Watch Your Kids Posted:  Sabrina Carpenter makes for a pretty compelling next-gen take on Elizabeth Shue in Disney Channel's upcoming remake of the 1987 teen classic "Adventures In Babysitting," but she admits that, in real life, she might not be the girl you want to hire to watch your own offspring.In the TV remake, debuting June 24th, the 17-year-old actress plays the uber-responsible Jenny Parker, who squares off against a rival, wild-child babysitter ("Disney's Descendants" star Sofia Carson) who swipes one of her gigs -- the two are subsequently forced to scour the big city in search of a lost babysit-ee. The "Girl Meets World" star reveals how both she and the new movie hope to deliver fresh twists along with some nostalgic nods, even as she questions the current state of her own child-care skills. Moviefone: What got you excited about "Adventures in Babysitting," and what got you most excited when you saw the original? Sabrina Carpenter: I think how classic movie is and how important it was to so many people and their childhood. But also the fact that it wasn't like your stereotypical family movie. There was definitely some scary parts in it, and it was very realistic, and we wanted to keep that sort of excitement and adventure and keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout our entire movie. It's a non-stop cat-and-mouse chase, and the kids are so talented. You've seen some of them, you haven't seen others. For the world to meet them, I'm very excited. How is it different -- at least for your character? Is there a different sort of edge to it? Well, I get to wear the same jacket as Elisabeth Shue, but there are definitely differences in the fact that I am a little bit more of a control freak. I like to stay inside the lines and just try to be the best babysitter I can be, but I learn throughout the movie that life's a wild ride and you can't always predict what's going to happen. It's very exciting how it goes down. Have you babysat? Nope. I'm the worst person to be in this movie! No, never babysat. I wouldn't trust myself. I love children, but I don't know if ... anyways, I don't want to make myself sound like a bad babysitter! I'm just unsure as of right now. Were you a good kid when you were being babysat or did you cause trouble? I want to say yes. I really do. I think, the thing is I was weird, so I used my imagination a lot. So maybe that caused trouble sometimes. But I would never like purposefully get in trouble, it would be accidental. When you sat down and watched the original movie, was there one scene or one element of it that really jumped out for you? Something where you were like, "I love this part!"? "Don't eff with the babysitter" -- which I got to kind of remake, which was really cool. And that's kind of an iconic line for a lot of people, so it was very exciting. On the topic of nostalgia, in "Girl Meets World," you work with a couple of folks -- Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel -- who did this gig at your age. Absolutely. And then, in this age of familiar brand-name entertainment, they got to came back and revisit their roles. Is that something you can even imagine? In 25 years, do you think maybe you'll get to play this role again as an adult? No! [Laughs] Sort of because we're the next version of them, so I feel like it would be incredible if people were still interested. But, then again, they probably thought the same thing when they were younger. No, but I think honestly, if any character lasts that long, it must have been a pretty great character. So they're very lucky to be such iconic roles. It's incredible. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Hotlanta is the place to be this summer, it's like a non-stop Marvel superhero conveyor belt. 
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