Godzilla Minus One dominated theaters across Japan when it dropped earlier this Fall, and now critics across North America have agreed that the film is taking over for a reason as Godzilla Minus One is now officially certified fresh with Rotten Tomatoes! With Godzilla Minus One dropping this week, reviews started to come in for the newest take on Godzilla. Making a rare debut with 100% for its early review scores, fans had been curious to see whether or not this takeover of Rotten Tomatoes would continue as it reached its wider release. Thankfully, that score has held strong and in the high 90s.

Rotten Tomatoes has announced that Godzilla Minus One is officially certified fresh with a 96% score with critics across 85 reviews as of the time of this writing, and 98% score with audiences with over 1,000 audience reviews catalogued. Given that the newest take on TOHO's famous kaiju has been a huge part of the conversation ever since it was first announced, Godzilla Minus One has been just as big of a critical hit fans had hoped to see!

#GodzillaMinusOne is now Certified Fresh at 96% on the Tomatometer, with 83 reviews: https://t.co/iWqsOuCuJ2 pic.twitter.com/Re6rD4pASO

-- Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) December 4, 2023

How to Watch Godzilla Minus One

Rated PG-13 for "creature violence and action," Godzilla Minus One is now in theaters across the United States. Written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki (Stand By Me Doraemon 3, Lupin III: The First) for Toho ahead of Godzilla's milestone 70th anniversary, Godzilla Minus One stars the likes of Ryunosuke Kamiki as Koichi Shikishima, Minami Hamabe as Noriko Oishi, Yuki Yamada as Shiro Mizushima, Munetaka Aoki as Sosaku Tachibana, Hidetaka Yoshioka as Kenji Nada, Sakura Ando as Sumiko Ota, and Kuranosuke Sasaki as Yoji Akitsu.

Toho teases Godzilla Minus One as such, "After the war, Japan's economic state has been reduced to zero. Godzilla appears and plunges the country into a negative state." Koiju Ueda, President of Toho International further teased the movie as such, "Set in a post-war Japan, Godzilla Minus One will once again show us a Godzilla that is a terrifying and overwhelming force...The concept is that Japan, which had already been devastated by the war, faces a new threat with Godzilla, bringing the country into the 'minus.'"

What did you think of Godzilla Minus One? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

For the first time since his medical emergency earlier this year, Jamie Foxx has appeared in a public manner. During Monday night's Critics Choice Association's Celebration of Cinema and Television event, Foxx appeared to accept an honor from Lovecraft Country star Jurnee Smollett. Foxx received a standing ovation as he walked across the stage, hugging Smollett before taking the mic to address his health scare.

"You know, it's crazy, I couldn't do that six months ago -- I couldn't actually walk," Foxx said in his speech before joking, "I'm not a clone, I'm not a clone. I know a lot of people who was saying I was cloned out there."

He added, "I wouldn't wish what I went through on my worst enemy, because it's tough. I have a new respect for life. I have a new respect for my art. I watched so many movies and listened to so many songs trying to have the time go by. Don't give up on your art, man, don't give up."

Details on Foxx's scare remain minimal, with the actor and his team working overtime to not let any such information leak to the public. After his medical complication in April, which shut down photography on Netflix's Back in Action, Foxx wasn't seen or heard from until late July.

"I know a lot of people were waiting, wanting to hear updates. But, to be honest with you, I just didn't want you to see me like that, man," Foxx said in his July message to fans. "I want you to see me laughing and having a good time, partying, cracking a joke, doing a movie or television show. I didn't want you to see me with tubes running out of me and trying to figure out if I was going to make it through."

Foxx was at the event to accept the Vanguard Award for his performance in Prime Video's The Burial, which he appeared in alongside Smollett.

"Working with Jamie, I found a generous scene partner I can lean on and trust," Smollett said as she introduced her co-star. "Even though we were playing rivals battling it out in the courtroom, in him, I found a great cheerleader -- one who on our very first day shooting y'all he came, and right after the third take, he came up to me, he's like, 'Man, you are killing this role.' Now I don't think he understands what that kind of support means to someone like me who's watched him my entire life."

The Burial is now streaming on Prime Video.

Deadpool 3 may be packed to the brim with surprise cameos. Over the weekend, set photos surfaced online showing the return of who appears to be Tyler Mane's Sabretooth from 2000's X-Men. Not only that, but photos of the same set piece with wider angles have made their way online potentially revealing more to the scene. In one shot, there's what appears to be a cupcake truck, nearly identical to the one seen in Moon Knight. Not only that, but the film appears to have a surprising connection to Captain America: The First Avenger as well.

In one of the photos, a group of antagonists appears to be driving the same car Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) drove during the events of the first Captain America film. Though it's update and includes flames, the car looks eerily similar to same exact 1942 V16 Coupe driven by the iconic Marvel villain in The First Avenger. See it for yourself below.

Bocoran foto di set syuting DEADPOOL 3.

Truk cupcake yg dimodifikasi, mirip sama yg muncul di series MOON KNIGHT. Mobil Red Skull yg muncul di CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER.

Hmmm bakal gimana hubungannya nih?

Dijadwalkan rilis 26 Juli 2024. pic.twitter.com/qL7fCNiuZV

-- Habis Nonton Film (@HabisNontonFilm) December 5, 2023

Who's all in Deadpool 3?

So far, we know for certain most of the actors who've appeared in the first two Deadpool movies will reprise their roles in the threequel. They'll also be joined by Hugh Jackman, reprising his fan-favorite role of Wolverine from 20th Century's X-Men franchise. Other familiar faces include Leslie Uggams (Blind Al), Karan Soni (Dopinder), Morena Baccarin (Vanessa), Rob Delaney (Peter), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), Shioli Kutsuna (Yukio), and Stefan Kapi?i? as Colossus.

The movies was well into principal photography earlier this year when it was shut down as a result of the writers' and actors' strikes.

"Well, like the rest of our industry, or at least large swaths of it, we are paused. We were halfway through filming Deadpool, co-starring Wolverine. It was a joy every day, and that chemistry is, I have to say, spoiler alert, it is as relentlessly awesome as we had all hoped it would be," Deadpool 3 helmer Shawn Levy recently told Deadline. "But we are halfway through filming, we shut down, our crew and the rest of us are awaiting a fair and equitable deal that ends these strikes and puts our industry and certainly inclusive of our movie back at work."

Deadpool 3 is set to hit theaters on July 26, 2024.

What other members of Fox's X-Men universe would you like to see join the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things Marvel!

Barbie became nothing short of a cultural phenomenon, with the Warner Bros. Pictures film breaking records and inspiring countless viewers. Ryan Gosling's portrayal of Ken was easily a standout of the film, thanks to some zany lines of dialogue and the smash success of the "I'm Just Ken" original song. With that in mind, it wouldn't seem illogical to imagine a sequel or spinoff surrounding Ken -- but apparently, co-writers Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach are not hinting at anything. In a recent interview on 60 Minutes, both writers played coy about the prospect of a Ken solo movie.

"We can't comment on that," Baumbach revealed, before Gerwig added, "I can't comment on that. I mean the truth is ... I guess we'll see."

Why Did Ryan Gosling Join Barbie?

Gosling has openly praised Gerwig and Robbie's pitch for the Barbie movie, calling the script the best he has ever read. The actor has also teased the impact that he hoped the film would have.

"This has been coming my whole life," Gosling told Variety back in 2022. "I think a lot of Kens will feel seen when they see this. Gotta do it for the Kens of the world. Nobody plays with Kens!"

Will There Be a Barbie Sequel?

According to a recent report from The Hollywood Reporter, there are currently no options or deals in place for Gerwig and stars Gosling and Margot Robbie to return for a Barbie sequel. Robbie, in particular, is reportedly not obligated to return to her role of Stereotypical Barbie, but could return as a producer on a Barbie sequel if she wanted to. Gerwig has indicated that she currently does not have any ideas for a sequel film.

"At this moment, it's all I've got," Gerwig revealed. "I feel like that at the end of every movie, like I'll never have another idea and everything I've ever wanted to do, I did. I wouldn't want to squash anybody else's dream but for me, at this moment, I'm at totally zero."

How Many Mattel Movies Are in the Works?

According to reporting from The New Yorker earlier this year, there are a total of 45 Mattel-related movies in the process of getting made, including (but not limited to) Barney, Hot Wheels, Polly Pocket, and He-Man. Other projects that have been announced to be in development over the years include American Girl, Big Jim, Chatty Cathy and Betsy Wetsy, Magic 8 Ball, Matchbox, Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, Thomas & Friends, Uno, View-Master, and Wishbone.

"Barbie is one of the most iconic franchises in the world and we are excited to partner with Warner Bros. Pictures and Margot Robbie to bring her to life on the big screen," Ynon Kreiz, Chairman and CEO of Mattel, said in a statement when the film took shape. "We look forward to building on this collaboration with Warner Bros. Pictures as we tell the stories of our beloved brands. Mattel Films is on a path to demonstrate the enormous potential of our brand portfolio, as we continue to execute on our strategy of transforming Mattel into an IP-driven, high performing toy company."

Would you want to see a Ken spinoff movie after Barbie? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Critics took a trip down Candy Cane Lane with Eddie Murphy -- and the consensus is the Christmas comedy is no holiday treat. The movie, released on Amazon Prime Video on December 1, has a 40% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. That's on par with Murphy's other streaming comedy this year, Netflix's You People at 41%, and below his decades-later sequel Coming 2 America at 49%. The comedian has been on a rotten streak since his critically acclaimed comeback in 2019's Dolemite Is My Name, Murphy's highest-rated movie ever on Rotten Tomatoes that earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

Murphy stars in the PG-rated holiday movie as Chris, a Christmas-crazed man on a mission to win his neighborhood's annual Christmas home decoration contest and its $100,000 prize. After Chris inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper (Good Burger 2's Jillian Bell) to better his chances of winning, she casts a magic spell that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life, and wreaks havoc on the whole town. At the risk of ruining the holidays for his family, Chris, his wife Carol (Black-ish's Tracee Ellis Ross), and their three children -- Joy (Genneya Walton), Nick (Thaddeus J. Mixson), and Holly (Madison Thomas) -- must race against the clock to break Pepper's spell, battle deviously magical characters, and save Christmas for everyone.

"I wouldn't call Candy Cane Lane one of Murphy's good comedies; it's too long, too jammed together, and beneath it all too Christmas cookie cutter. Yet Murphy inhabits the role of a doting dad who lives for Christmas with reassuring ease," writes Variety's Owen Gleiberman. "Candy Cane Lane shows you that the Christmas movie as we've known it may be all used up, and that it has now entered its anything-goes surrealist phrase. 'Tis the season to be batty."

CNN critic Brian Lowry called Candy Cane Lane "a basic, indeed boring Christmas movie," comparing it to "a lightweight mix of Jingle All the Way and the ABC reality show The Great Christmas Light Fight" and "an exercise in holiday magic that barely musters a spark." A review from RogerEbert.com critic Marya E. Gates was more favorable, praising leading man Murphy as a "delight" in "the most delightfully deranged family film since The Nutcracker and the Four Realms." The review adds: "Regardless of its shortcomings, Candy Cane Lane is a frenzied family friendly film as overstuffed as a Christmas stocking, as nutty as a chestnut, and, ultimately, as warm as an open fire."

"The main thing to say about Candy Cane Lane is that Eddie Murphy is funny in it," reads a review from SF Chronicle's Mick LaSalle. Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the movie 2 out of 4 stars, writing that the "tone-deaf" Christmas movie is "a stunningly uneven film that careens between cornball family drama, slapstick comedy and special-effects-laden gimmickry."

Candy Cane Lane is now streaming on Prime Video.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a franchise intricately connected between its entries, with one film or television series featuring plot threads and characters that first popped up in previous projects. Not only is the MCU itself a sizable shared universe, but it also happens to be based on one of the biggest fictional universes ever dreamt up. That's why to some, following along with the latest Marvel release may be more complicated than typical cinematic releases; including Marvel stars Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo.

"Well, I mean, in the Marvel days, everything might change or we're talking to a tennis ball. You and I, the science bros, we would've these long passages about absolute gobbledygook," Downey told Ruffalo in Variety's latest Actors on Actors. "But still it's important to us because we know it's important the characters."

After Ruffalo pointed out the "bullsh-t" helped them with developing their characters, Downey admitted the experience across his Marvel films helped him with his lauded role in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.

"Yeah, it'd be really hard to dig in. I mean, we would just drive each other insane on set going, why can't I retain this? But again, we know when it's time to tighten things up a little bit," Downey continued. "Anyway, I found great joy in [making Oppenheimer]. It was this moment where we were shooting something in Pasadena and Nolan just put this mag of 70 millimeter [film] -- they were changing out mags, and he was like, 'Hold this.' And he just put it on my lap."

Is Iron Man returning to the MCU?

Despite rumors suggesting Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man may be returning in Avengers: Secret Wars, top Marvel brass have since debunked the notion. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has shut down rumors the production house was thinking of bringing Stark back through multiversal storytelling.

"We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again," Feige shared. "We all worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way."

"We'd already said tearful goodbyes on the last day of shooting. Everybody had moved on emotionally," Joe Russo added. "We promised him it would be the last time we made him do it-ever."

Avengers: Endgame, and all other Downey and Ruffalo-starring Marvel films, are now streaming on Disney+.

Do you think Iron Man should return? Why or why not? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Warner Bros.' Timoth?e Chalamet starring Wonka is set to open in theaters in just under two weeks with first reviews of the eagerly anticipated film starting to roll in and while film may not exactly be a golden ticket as prequel stories go, there's already a good bit of praise for the film. Wonka is, at the time of this article's writing, sitting at an 80 percent on Rotten Tomatoes with 55 reviews, the general consensus being that while the film does have quite a bit going on, it's a lot of fun with colorful visuals, fun musical numbers, and delivers and overall enjoyable film.

Here's What Critics Are Saying About Wonka

"Wonka is, in fact, a lively, winsome pleasure, a film decidedly aimed at children that nonetheless incorporates some dark matter," Richard Lawson (Vanity Fair) wrote. AV Club's Courtney Howard was a little more positive, writing "Sweet yet never saccharine, their hyper-stylized portrait is not only powered by the pure imagination that inspires the songs' spectacle, but it's also filled with audacious flourishes of charm, whimsy, and poignancy."

Bleeding Cool's Kaitlyn Booth put the film in perspective with the classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, writing, "Wonka isn't a perfect film, but the combination of the whimsy and how earnest everything it is helps recapture the original movie's magic while presenting a new and unique experience."

Not all of the reviews were positive, however. The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney felt that the character was stripped of his edge, writing, "Even if it's plausible that the young Wonka might not have developed the arrogant authoritarian side of the character as conceived by Dahl, Willy feels neutered here, stripped of any edge that made have made him interesting." TheWrap's William Bibbiana went a bit further, writing "Wonka is the sort of safe and corporate product that the hero of Wonka says we shouldn't settle for."

What Is Wonka About?

Here's what Warner Bros. has to say about the film: "From Paul King, writer/director of the Paddington films, David Heyman, producer of Harry Potter, Gravity, Fantastic Beasts and Paddington, and producers Alexandra Derbyshire (the "Paddington" films, "Jurassic World: Dominion") and Luke Kelly ("Roald Dahl's The Witches"), comes an intoxicating mix of magic and music, mayhem and emotion, all told with fabulous heart and humor. Starring Timoth?e Chalamet in the title role, this irresistibly vivid and inventive big screen spectacle will introduce audiences to a young Willy Wonka, chock-full of ideas and determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time-proving that the best things in life begin with a dream, and if you're lucky enough to meet Willy Wonka, anything is possible."

"Starring alongside Chalamet are Calah Lane ("The Day Shall Come"), Emmy and Peabody Award winner Keegan-Michael Key ("The Prom," "Schmigadoon"), Paterson Joseph ("Vigil," "Noughts + Crosses"), Matt Lucas ("Paddington," "Little Britain"), Mathew Baynton ("The Wrong Mans," "Ghosts"), Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins ("The Shape of Water," the "Paddington" films, "Spencer"), Rowan Atkinson (the "Johnny English" and "Mr. Bean" films, "Love Actually"), Jim Carter ("Downton Abbey"), with Oscar winner Olivia Colman ("The Favourite," "The Lost Daughter") and Hugh Grant ("Paddington 2," "A Very English Scandal"). The film also stars Natasha Rothwell ("White Lotus," "Insecure"), Rich Fulcher ("Marriage Story," "Disenchantment"), Rakhee Thakrar ("Sex Education," "Four Weddings and a Funeral"), Tom Davis ("Paddington 2," "King Gary") and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith ("Paddington 2," "Zack Snyder's Justice League," "Mary Poppins Returns")."

Wonka opens in theaters December 15th.

In just a matter of months, audiences will be treated to Dune: Part Two, the long-awaited follow-up to Denis Villeneuve's 2021 blockbuster. The sci-fi epic is expected to adapt the second half of Frank Herbert's iconic novel -- and according to Villeneuve, that will bring about a different kind of flavor. In a recent interview with Total Film, Villeneuve teased that Dune: Part Two will be more "muscular" and action-based than its predecessor, given the journey that Paul Atredies (Timothee Chalamet) is going on.

"The first movie was more meditative and contemplative. We were following a young man discovering a new planet, a new culture," Villeneuve said. "The second movie...it's more of an action film than the first part. It's more muscular."

What Is Dune: Part Two About?

Dune: Part Two will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. Dune: Part Two is expected to also see the return of Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Javier Bardem as Stilgar.

New characters will include Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Lea Seydoux as Margot Fenring, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, and Christopher Walker playing Emperor Shaddam IV.

Will There Be a Dune 3?

As fans of Herbert's books know, the grand narrative of Dune extends far beyond the events of the first book. This has led to the question of whether or not future films are in the works -- and according to Villeneuve, it very well might be.

"If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream," Villeneuve tells Empire. "Dune Messiah was written in reaction to the fact that people perceived Paul Atreides as a hero. Which is not what he wanted to do. My adaptation [of Dune] is closer to his idea that it's actually a warning."

Will There Be a Dune Spinoff?

The Dune franchise is set to be built upon with Dune: Prophecy (formerly known as Dune: The Sisterhood), a television series that will debut exclusively on Max in the fall of 2024. The series has been previously described as being told through the eyes of a mysterious order of women known as the Bene Gesserit. Given extraordinary abilities by their mastery of the body and the mind, the Bene Gesserit expertly weave through the feudal politics and intrigue of The Imperium, pursuing plans of their own that will ultimately lead them to the enigmatic planet Arrakis, known to its inhabitants as Dune.

Are you excited for Dune: Part Two? What do you think of Denis Villeneuve's new comments? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Dune: Part Two is expected to be released exclusively in theaters on March 1, 2024.

There was a lot to talk about with regards to Greta Gerwig's Barbie, from its star-studded ensemble cast to its costuming to its box office impact. One of the smaller, buzzed-about elements of the movie was its pop culture Easter eggs -- including a reference to the 2021 HBO Max film Zack Snyder's Justice League. Midway through Barbie, Writer Barbie (Alexandra Shipp) admits she felt like she was "very invested" in Zack Snyder's Justice League while brainwashed by the hyper-masculine Kens of Barbieland. Given how notorious the "Snyder Cut" has become online over the years, the film's reference caught a lot of attention -- and apparently, even Snyder himself is fond of it.

"I thought [Barbie] was great," Snyder explained in a recent interview with Men's Health. "And I think the joke is pretty good... The thing that I said to [my wife, Deborah Snyder] is - the thing that you need to take a second and think about is that your name is so seamlessly sewed together with a pop culture phenomenon so big it can exist as a joke in a movie about Barbie. That's pretty insane. You just need to step back for a second and go like, 'Whoa, what did we do? What happened? How is that a thing?'"

Why Did Barbie Reference the Snyder Cut?

As director and co-writer Greta Gerwig explained to ComicBook.com in an exclusive interview, the reference to Zack Snyder's Justice League in Barbie felt like a natural thing to include in the finished film.

"Because I don't have a dog in this fight, I didn't even really know, I knew it was a thing," Gerwig explained. "I don't know the contours of all the ins and outs. But it's the kind of thing that I vaguely know. But I think that was the thing, that it was like if [Writer Barbie] had a vague knowledge of, and then all of a sudden in a certain state, it really meant a lot to her, and then it went away."

Did Barbie Reference Blade Runner?

According to Gerwig, before the Snyder Cut reference made its way into Barbie, there was actually a line referencing 1982's Blade Runner, and the infamous debate over its voiceover element. There were very brief plans to include Blade Runner director Ridley Scott in Barbie in a cameo appearance, but it did not pan out.

"One of the Barbies says to Ken, 'Oh my god, I never would have realized that Deckard was a replicant,'" Gerwig recalled with a laugh. "Then when she gets unbrainwashed, there's a version where she said, 'I liked the voiceover. I needed it to help me understand what was happening. Nobody's following this.'"

"It wasn't making fun of him. We loved him as we love all of our references," Baumbach said, with Gerwig adding, "Every reference we had was out of love. We love Sly Stallone. Everything was a lighters-up tribute."

What do you think of Zack Snyder's reaction to Barbie's Snyder Cut joke? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

The Deadpool 3 set photos showing a Wolverine vs. Sabretooth rematch may have eclipsed another detail: a prop from Marvel's Moon Knight. The first episode of the Disney+ series sees Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac) -- the alter of Marc Specter (also Isaac), who has dissociative identity disorder -- steal a S?bwagen Lieferung cupcake delivery van and drive it on a high-speed chase through the Austrian Alps. Fans noticed that same van in new pictures from the set, which appears to show such relics as the old 20th Century Fox logo and the Human Torch's hot rod (a deep-cut from a Fantastic Four comic book).

See the latest Deadpool 3 set photo below:

CUPCAKE VAN FROM MOON KNIGHT IN DEADPOOL 3??? Most unexpected crossover ever but I'm just happy to see more Moon Knight references out there pic.twitter.com/x0dP47BFJW

-- Jack (-_o) (@captaincupkicks) December 4, 2023

The photos suggest that Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) are somehow transported to the void at the end of time -- essentially a multiversal wasteland that appeared in the first season of Loki. Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha Raw) explained that branched realities pruned by the Time Variance Authority aren't entirely destroyed, but moved to a place on the timeline where they can no longer grow.

"Journey Into Mystery" revealed the void to be a hodge-podge of pruned branches, which meant a treasure trove of Easter eggs for fans: there was Thanos' helicopter, Throg (a.k.a. Frog Thor), and the Yellowjacket helmet once worn by Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) in Ant-Man.

Deadpool 3 casting rumors have included everyone from Beast (Kelsey Grammer), Professor X (Patrick Stewart), and Magneto (Ian McKellen) from the Fox X-Men movies to Jennifer Garner -- who played the assassin Elektra Natchios in 2003's Daredevil and 2005's Elektra -- and Liev Schreiber, who played Logan's half-brother Victor Creed/Sabretooth in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Other rumors? A Taylor Swift cameo and Jackman's former X-Men co-stars.

"I'd rather not weigh in on that, but I'll say this. The rumors of actors, singers, sports stars who are all apparently in Deadpool 3 are fabulous," Levy previously told EW. "If all I read was the internet, I would have the greatest cast ever assembled in the history of cinema, so I'll simply say that some of those rumors are true, and some of them aren't."

Actors who are confirmed include Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Stefan Kapi?i? as Colossus of the X-Men, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, and Rob Delaney as the unpowered Peter; Emma Corrin (The Crown) and Matthew Mcfadyen (Succession) are cast in undisclosed roles.

Marvel Studios' Deadpool 3 is scheduled to open in theaters July 26, 2024.

The sci-fi adventure Edge of Tomorrow has earned itself a passionate following in the decade since its release, with interest in a sequel growing each year among fans, though star Emily Blunt recently noted how, despite the creative team's interest in a follow-up, the amount of time that has passed since the original film's release is making a sequel seem more unlikely. Blunt starred alongside Tom Cruise in the picture, with Blunt noting that one roadblock is also just how busy the actor is with massive blockbusters. With Cruise and original director Doug Liman set to reunite on another action film in the near future, it's possible that this could spark even more discussions between them about finally returning to the world of Edge of Tomorrow.

"Doug and I talk all the time about it," Blunt shared with Variety. "I know Tom wants to do it, hopefully, at some point. But it's timing, but it's also been ten years since we made it ... There was an amazing script in the works, but I think it would only have worked if we shot it eight years ago. I'm not saying we're that ancient, but you have to factor in it's been ten years."

An Edge of Tomorrow sequel marks a rare instance in which, every time the topic comes up, the stars and filmmakers behind the project express interest, yet no substantial plans for such a concept ever gestate. Just earlier this year, Blunt similarly expressed her interest in developing a follow-up.

When asked by the Happy Sad Confused podcast whether she should stop being asked about a sequel, Blunt confirmed, "No, I mean, I wish there could be one." In regards to whether she's ever read a script, the actor added, "Yes, we did. There was one that Doug slithered over to me. But I would love to make it a reality, I just don't know when or how. And how many Mission: Impossibles does he need? Come back to the side where you can ... Wasn't he brilliant as the cowardly hero? Incredible."

In the 2014 film, inspired by the Japanese light novel All You Need is Kill, written by Hiroshi Sakurazaka with illustrations provided by Yoshitoshi Abe, "When Earth falls under attack from invincible aliens, no military unit in the world is able to beat them. Maj. William Cage (Cruise), an officer who has never seen combat, is assigned to a suicide mission. Killed within moments, Cage finds himself thrown into a time loop, in which he relives the same brutal fight -- and his death -- over and over again. However, Cage's fighting skills improve with each encore, bringing him and a comrade (Blunt) ever closer to defeating the aliens."

Stay tuned for updates on an Edge of Tomorrow sequel.

Are you hoping we get a sequel? Let us know in the comments!

Even more people are about to be able to go party with Barbie. On Monday, Warner Bros. announced that Barbie would arrive on Max on Friday, December 15th, but this is no ordinary streaming launch. When the Greta Gerwig directed film hits streaming next week it is also getting a special American Sign Language/ASL version available on the platform the same day. The ASL version of Barbie, which is available as a unique title in-app, was created with feedback and research from the Deaf community and features ASL performer Leila Hanuami. According to HBO and Max chairman Casey Bloys, the ASL version of the film makes Barbie "resonate in a more meaningful way".

"Max is the premiere destination for storytelling, so being able to share the biggest movie of the year in ASL, the first language for many, will make this story resonate in a more meaningful way," Bloys said in a statement. "By offering sign language interpretation, we will build upon the film's empowering message of inclusiveness and offer a unique viewing experience for the Deaf community to enjoy with family and friends."

ASL and Closed Captions Are Not The Same

By adding an ASL version of Barbie, Warner Bros. is opening up the film to a wider audience of fans -- particularly among younger Deaf viewers. While Barbie is rated PG-13, given the popularity of Barbie as a children's toy it's not a stretch to see younger audiences sitting down to watch the film at home, particularly now that it is on streaming. While closed captions are available for the film on streaming as well as home release, not everyone who would benefit from the use of captions necessarily has the ability to read. The use of ASL interpretation allows for those with limited reading skills to also enjoy the film. ASL interpretation is also more dynamic and expressive than captions -- something that can be seen in the screenshots above.

Barbie's ASL Version is the Latest Step Forward for Deaf Accessibility

Barbie getting an ASL version on streaming is the latest progress when it comes to inclusion and deaf accessibility in entertainment. Back in 2021, AMC Theatres made headlines when they added open captions to movies across the country -- including Marvel's Eternals. That film starred Lauren Ridloff who played Makkari in the film and uses ASL throughout. Speaking with ComicBook.com at the time, Eternals director Chloe Zhao spoke about the importance of deaf accessibility and open captioned showtimes for films, noting how important it is to have it available for audiences.

"Well, I give props to Marvel. When I came into the process, they already have this deaf superhero written into the treatment. And then Lauren coming in, really, I completely rely on her to bring this character to life," Zhao explained. "And I learned so much about the things that I never thought. The idea of deaf gain, the idea of there's something that she is capable of doing and experiencing with the world that I don't have a chance to experience. And that's something so beautiful.

"And she also really is advocating the experience of theatrical experience and not just relying on the box. There's a box where you read this," she added. "So, it was very important for us to have closed captioning on the screen for the deaf community at our opening, and then also encouraging the theaters and making sure they do that as well."

What Is Barbie About?

In Barbie, to live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you're a Ken. From Oscar-nominated writer/director Greta Gerwig comes Barbie, which hit theaters on July 21st. Barbie stars Oscar-nominees Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, alongside America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Ariana Greenblatt, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell. The film also stars Ana Cruz Kayne, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Scott Evans, Jamie Demetriou, Connor Swindells, Sharon Rooney, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Dua Lipa and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren. Gerwig directed Barbie from a screenplay by Gerwig & Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach, based on Barbie by Mattel.

Barbie, including the ASL version, arrives on Max December 15th.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has dropped it first trailer, and fans of the Monsterverse franchise are buzzing about it. From the plotline that will introduce a whole new threat to both Godzilla and Kong - to the designs for the two titular titans themselves, it's clear that this film is a spectacle "event" that viewers can't ignore.

Godzilla x Kong and Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam WIngard is teasing fans with new secrets about how the film was made, and how much of their eyes should (or should not) believe:

"So much of the film is entirely animated CG shots; so much of it is just pure imagination," Wingard told IGN. "We have some sequences going up to about eight minutes long, where it's just the monsters doing their thing, and so the movie really allows the monsters to tell their own narrative in a visual, nonverbal way."

If you followed the press interviews for Godzilla vs. Kong, then you know that Adam Wingard's statement above is really just the director relishing in completing a goal he set for himself when doing the first film. While doing press for Godzilla vs. Kong, Wingard said that he believed "people are ready for it" when it came to doing MonsterVerse movies with far less human character focus. Now, it sounds like that's exactly what we're getting.

What Is Godzilla x Kong About?

"This latest entry follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs. Kong with an all-new cinematic adventure, pitting the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence - and our own. The epic new film will delve further into the histories of these Titans, their origins and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever."

Already from the Godzilla x Kong trailer we have loads of monster-on-monster drama that is set to unfold in this film. Significant developments happening within the Hollow Earth, with the reveal of a whole new realm where an army of ape-like Titans is seemingly preparing for war. It's already a guessing game as to how much of the movie even requires human characters to convey the story - or if it will be more like Matt Reeves' Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, a film that had long stretches of just the apes interacting with one another. Based on what Wingard is saying, the latter seems very likely. We'll see how it plays with fans, at a time when Japan's new Godzilla Minus One film is being praised for re-introducing the human element into the mix.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has a theatrical release date of April 12, 2024.

Adam McKay's highly-anticipated next film is reportedly not moving forward. On Monday, reports began to surface suggesting that McKay's next project will be something tied to the issue of climate change. According to the reporting, it is believed that became McKay will be focusing on the climate-related story, his previously-reported Netflix movie Average Height, Average Build is no longer moving forward. The film, which was first reported to be in the works earlier this year, would have starred an ensemble cast led by Robert Pattinson, Robert Downey Jr., and Amy Adams.

Reportedly, because McKay will no longer be involved with Average Height, Average Build, the streaming service has elected to scrap the project altogether instead of finding a replacement. It's unclear at this point if future scheduling conflicts -- such as Pattinson being set to star in Warner Bros. The Batman Part II, which is expected to film next year -- are also a reason for this decision.

What Would Average Height, Average Build Be About?

Average Height, Average Build would see Pattinson playing a serial killer who enlists a lobbyist (Adams) to change laws that will allow him to get away with murder more easily. Downey was to play a retired cop who won't give up on the murders, and the killer tries to prevent him from dogging his trail now that he's hung up his gun. The serial killer turns himself into a cause celebre, a Mr. Smith Goes to Washington figure shielding his true motives.

Is Adam McKay Still Working on Bad Blood?

Late last year, it was reported that Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence had stepped down from starring in Bad Blood, a McKay-directed adaptation of the true story of Elizabeth Holmes, the controversial CEO of the blood test company Theranos. As Lawrence put it, she no longer wanted to portray Holmes after seeing Amanda Seyfried portray her in the Emmy-winning Hulu television series The Dropout.

"I thought she was terrific," Lawrence revealed. "I was like, 'Yeah, we don't need to redo that.' She did it."

Will Adam McKay Make a Marvel Movie?

Over the years, McKay has been a name that has been suggested for a number of comic book and superhero-related projects. Outside of McKay helping with the script for the first Ant-Man movie, he has yet to do so -- but he has expressed a desire to helm a Silver Surfer movie.

"Silver Surfer was tricky. There was something about it, cause we did look into it. I think it's connected to the Fantastic Four reboot and because of that kind of lives under its own umbrella," McKay told the Happy Sad Confused podcast in 2021. "But there was something that got in the way of it cause we did look into it a couple of years ago, but I could be wrong. I could be misremembering, but there was some reason it didn't happen or someone else was already working on it. But no, I was definitely into it because that would be a very easy one."

What do you think of the latest update surrounding Average Height, Average Build? Are you sad that the film is now scrapped? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

It is almost time for Studio Ghibli to make its triumphant return to U.S. theaters. This week marks the long-awaited release of The Boy and the Heron, after all. The movie made its debut in Japan earlier this year, and director Hayao Miyazaki has earned top marks for the project. So if you want to watch The Boy and the Heron, we are breaking down all you need to know about the movie.

As of today, IMAX previews of The Boy and the Heron have begun, so fans with nearby events can check out the film early. As of December 6th, theatrical previews will go live all across the United States. And of course, the movie itself has its official premiere date on December 8th in the United States.

For those curious about streaming, well - we have bad news for you. The Boy and the Heron is not out on streaming anywhere at this moment. The Studio Ghibli film is working through its theatrical window in Japan as well as other markets. So for now, the only way to watch The Boy and the Heron is to check it out in theaters.

If you are not familiar with this new Studio Ghibli film, it is the most recent feature film to go live under Miyazaki. Back in 2016, the world learned the director had exited retirement to make a new film, and The Boy and the Heron has been in the works since. Despite production delays due to COVID-19, Miyazaki was able to see the movie through after seven years of work. And according to recent interviews with Studio Ghibli president Toshio Suzuki, the director is already putting together stories for new projects.

As for The Boy and the Heron, the coming-of-age fantasy has earned little but praise since its debut. For more info on the Miyazaki masterpiece, you can read its official synopsis here: "Mahito, a young 12-year-old boy, struggles to settle in a new town after his mother's death. However, when a talking heron informs Mahito that his mother is still alive, he enters an abandoned tower in search of her, which takes him to another world."

Will you be seeing Studio Ghibli's The Boy and the Heron when it hits theaters? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Paul Giamatti is raining praise upon Andrew Garfield's performance as Spider-Man. Giamatti and Garfield were castmates in 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2, with Giamatti playing the mechanized Rhino. While Giamatti's Rhino only had a small part in the film - appearing in the beginning and the end to terrorize the wall-crawler - he's still a prominent villain in Spider-Man's rogues gallery. Plus, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has been Rhino's only live-action appearance. The actor recently spoke about what it was like on set to see Garfield dedicate himself to being the Amazing Spider-Man.

The Happy Sad Confused podcast had Paul Giamatti on as a guest to talk about his film The Holdovers, as well as suiting up as Rhino alongside Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. After making a joke about his minimal role as Rhino in the film, Giamatti discussed some of the specifics that went into shooting the Spider-Man sequel.

"It was interesting to see how much was created on the fly. It was practical stunts," Giamatti said. "Andrew Garfield was amazing in that. There were times where I was like, 'You probably don't have to be doing this. It could just be a guy in a suit and nobody would know it's not you.'" What Giamatti is referring to is Garfield performing his own stunts, instead of relying on a stuntman to do the job for him. On most sets, there will be a stuntperson on hand to do some of the scenes that involve the main cast members to be in harnesses. However, it sounds like Garfield preferred to do the work himself.

Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man movies find new streaming home on Netflix

October 1st saw 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man and 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 transition to Netflix as their new streaming home. Sony and Netflix struck a streaming deal in 2021 that sees films under the Sony Pictures banner land on the latter, which also includes the recently released Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Before moving to Netflix, the Spider-Man movies were on Disney+.

The Amazing Spider-Man movies were led by Andrew Garfield, who played the titular wall-crawler Peter Parker / Spider-Man. Also starring in the films were Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, Rhys Ifans as Curt Conners / The Lizard, Denis Leary as Captain Stacy, Sally Field as Aunt May Parker, Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben Parker, Jamie Foxx as Electro, Dan DeHaan as Harry Osborn, and Paul Giamatti as The Rhino. Garfield, Ifans, and Foxx all reprised their roles in the recent MCU venture Spider-Man: No Way Home.

This Barbie is streaming on Max. The streamer formerly known as HBO Max announced that it will unbox Barbie on December 15 -- 147 days after the blockbuster danced the night away into theaters on July 21. Directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie (The Suicide Squad) as "Stereotypical Barbie" and Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy) as just Ken, the live-action adaptation of the iconic Mattel toy topped the 2023 box office as the No. 1 film of the year at $1.4 billion -- and the highest-grossing release in Warner Bros.' 100-year history.

Max also announced that Barbie will be available to stream with an American Sign Language (ASL) version to champion the film's themes of inclusion and accessibility. The Barbie ASL version is grounded in research and feedback from the Deaf community and counsel from community leaders, the streamer said in a release. Barbie with ASL was produced for Max featuring ASL performer Leila Hanaumi (Deaf Austin Theatre's The Laramie Project, ASL cover for Tove Lo in True Romance music video). Barbie with ASL will be displayed as a unique title in-app and can be identified by its key art with the sign language symbol.

"Max is the premiere destination for storytelling, so being able to share the biggest movie of the year in ASL, the first language for many, will make this story resonate in a more meaningful way," said Casey Bloys Chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content, in a statement. "By offering sign language interpretation, we will build upon the film's empowering message of inclusiveness and offer a unique viewing experience for the Deaf community to enjoy with family and friends."

Barbie stars Oscar-nominees Robbie and Gosling as Barbie and Ken, alongside America Ferrera (the How to Train Your Dragon films), Will Ferrell (the Anchorman films), Jamie Demetriou (Cruella), and Connor Swindells (Sex Education) as (human) Mattel employees. The Barbies include Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live) as Gymnast Barbie; Issa Rae (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) as President Barbie; Dua Lipa (Argylle) as Mermaid Barbie; Alexandra Shipp (the X-Men films) as Writer Barbie; Emma Mackey (Sex Education) as Physicist Barbie; Hari Nef (Transparent) as Doctor Barbie; Ana Cruz Kayne (Little Women) as Judge Barbie; Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy) as Journalist Barbie; Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) as Diplomat Barbie; and Sharon Rooney (Dumbo) as Lawyer Barbie. Helen Mirren (Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Fast X) is the narrator.

Rounding out the cast are the Kens -- Simu Liu (Marvel's Shang-Chi), Kingsley Ben-Adir (Secret Invasion), Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education), and Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie) -- with Michael Cera (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) as Allan. Ariana Greenblatt (Avengers: Infinity War) plays Sasha, Marisa Abela (Back to Black) plays Teen Talk Barbie, John Cena (Peacemaker) plays mermaid Ken; Rhea Perlman (Matilda) portrays Mattel co-founder and Barbie inventor Ruth Handler.

Barbie is streaming on Max December 15; the movie is also available to own on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD. Sign up for Max here.

Ryan Reynolds is preparing for this holiday season -- and helping out a good cause -- as only he can. On Monday, the Deadpool 3 star took to social media to share a new advertisement for the SickKids Foundation, the Canadian charity that he is an official ambassador for. The advertisement sees the return of Reynolds' ugly sweater, which he has worn in previous videos and in a viral photo with fellow Marvel stars Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal.

The video, which you can check out below, pokes fun at some of the less-agreeable parts of children's behavior, and promotes SickKids' ability to help kids get back to "just being a kid." Of course, that involves some jokes, and another cameo from hockey player Auston Matthews and singer Michael Buble.

I love these little pr*cks. Support @SickKids today. pic.twitter.com/QjPWU0DZym

-- Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) December 4, 2023

Who Is in the Cast of Deadpool 3?

Deadpool 3 will star Reynolds as Wade Wilson / Deadpool, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Morena Baccarin as Vanessa Carlysle, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, Stefan Kapi?i? as Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, and Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfadyen in currently-unknown roles. Jennifer Garner will be reprising her role as Elektra.

"I think you're giving me too much credit," Reynolds explained in a previous interview with Collider. "I don't believe that I'm responsible for Hugh coming back. I always wanted Hugh to come back. My first meeting with Kevin Feige when Disney bought Fox years ago, maybe three years ago, or three and a half, four years ago, I'm not sure, was about doing a movie with the two of us, a Deadpool Wolverine movie. And that was not possible at the time. And then Hugh just happened to call at that perfect moment and express that he'd be interested in coming back and doing this one more time. And the contents of that conversation, I'll let Hugh, because I know it's only inevitable that you and Hugh are going to speak at some point soon, I'm sure. I'll let Hugh answer that on his own. But he expressed interest in coming back, and then it was my job to take that to Kevin Feige one more time and sell it."

When Is Deadpool 3's Release Date?

Deadpool 3 is set to be released exclusively in theaters on July 26, 2024, making it the only Marvel Studios film to debut in that calendar year. Production on the film was delayed for several months amid the writers' and actor's strikes in Hollywood.

"I know we were gonna be May 3," director Shawn Levy revealed in an interview earlier this year. "Certainly, the actors' strike and the long pause in production have put that release date in true risk. We've shot half the movie. I've edited half the movie. We're dying to get back to work and get this movie out next year."

What do you think of Ryan Reynolds' newest SickKids video? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Who let the Deadpools out? Ryan Reynolds unleashed a new look at Deadpool 3 on Monday, revealing his disfigured Wade Wilson with viral sensation Dogpool. "Looks like avocado. Tastes like dog sh-t," Reynolds captioned the image of the Merc with a Bark licking the face of the guy whose face looks like "an avocado had sex with an older, more disgusting avocado." It's the second official image to come out of the Deadpool threequel after Reynolds shared the first look at Hugh Jackman suited up in the classic blue and yellow Wolverine costume.

See the new image of dog Deadpool below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dogpool (@dogpool)

In the comics, Dogpool first appears in 2010's Prelude to Deadpool Corps #3. The issue, titled "How Much for That Doggy in the Dumpster?", introduces the Deadpool of Earth-103173: a mutated dog named Wade. Discarded as a failed specimen of Babelline Cosmetics' Mascara-X Project, the immortal and indestructible dog became a death-defying circus stunt performer. Dogpool's creator, the mad scientist Von Braun, then unleashes another creature creation: the adamantium-clawed Badger Wolverine. The human Wade Wilson then recruits the canine Deadpool to the Deadpool Corps, a team of alternate-reality Deadpools from across the multiverse.

It remains to be seen if the Deadpool Corps appear in Deadpool 3, but leaked set photos show that Jackman's Wolverine isn't the only character from the former Fox X-Men movies who will be crossing over into the MCU.

"Not only have [producer] Kevin Feige and Marvel and Disney supported this extremely Deadpool-ian, audacious, R-rated tone, they've also supported our super meta, self-referential self-awareness," director Shawn Levy told Wired of the first R-rated MCU movie. "Some of the jokes are dirty, some of them are cultural observations, but that's what we love about Deadpool, that he knows he's in a movie, even though the stakes are real. Our movie is very loyal to that DNA too, with tremendous Marvel and Disney support, in making fun of and being self-aware about everything, including themselves."

Along with Reynolds and Jackman, the Deadpool 3 cast includes Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Stefan Kapi?i? as Colossus of the X-Men, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Karan Soni as Dopinder, and Rob Delaney as the unpowered Peter; Emma Corrin (The Crown) and Matthew Mcfadyen (Succession) are cast in undisclosed roles.

Marvel Studios' Deadpool 3 is scheduled to open in theaters July 26, 2024.

Verizon is offering a new streaming bundle, which will allow fans to subscribe to both Netflix's and Max's ad-supported tiers for a total of just $10 per month beginning later this week. Starting December 7 and for the first time, Netflix and Max will be offered together - exclusively for Verizon's myPlan customers. The myPlan program allows subscribers to choose their add-ons a la carte rather than requiring a more robust (but expensive) package. At $10 per month, the myPlan bundle represents over 40% savings for Verizon customers.

The Netflix & Max (with ads) bundle is among ten $10 monthly perks available to Verizon customers through myPlan, including Apple TV+, +play credits to save on more streaming and content, Walmart+, TravelPass and more. That means customers can get two content bundles with myPlan perks - the Disney Bundle and the Netflix & Max (with ads) bundle - which would add up to five streaming services for just $20 per month.

"Customers want unbeatable offers from top partners that deliver the best services and experiences they want, and on the nation's most reliable network, said Frank Boulben, Chief Revenue Officer, Verizon Consumer Group, in a press release. "With these only for Verizon deals and first-of-its-kind bundled content offers you can get through myPlan, there's never been a better time to be a Verizon customer."

Verizon is using its strategic relationships with the biggest players in the content industry to create some of these bundles that are totally unique to the telecom company. The idea, of course, is to attract consumers who want these features to Verizon. You can check out some other media deals from Verizon here.

Netflix's first-ever ad-supported tier, Netflix Basic With Ads, rolled out late last year. It also comes with a lower resolution for video, and some content are not available to watch at all on the Basic plan. Netflix has never had ads, and didn't intend to do so until fairly recently, some of the licensing deals they have negotiated for movies and TV shows specifically forbid them being shown with ads. Netflix intends to work on reducing the number of titles that will be unavailable on the Basic plan over time.

The advertising algorithm was developed by Netflix in cooperation with Microsoft. The ads themselves will run 15 or 30 seconds each, and are said to play both before and during movies and TV shows. Peters has said that new release movies will not have ads during the film, opting instead to keep only pre-roll ads.

Paul Giamatti "would like" to take on a role in one of Rian Johnson's Knives Out films, and there may already be a good idea on the table for who he would play!

As awards season rolls in, Paul Giamatti is generating buzz for his performance in the new film The Holdovers. During an in-depth discussion with Happy Sad Confused Podcast, Giamatti and host Josh Horowitz dug into what kind of franchise films the actor would be interested in doing - and there was a clear answer:

"There's been this really great revival of the kind of like specifically Agatha Christie, but the kind of like drawing room murder stuff. I love stuff like that and I think that it's great that people are making stuff like that again - like Knives Out and all the Agatha Christie stuff," Giamatti explained. "And I feel like the kids these days are digging that stuff. [Laughs] ... Knives Out 3... I would like to do something like that. It would be fun to play a detective like that - or just somebody in that movie. That kind of world I love, that whole thing."

Horowitz had a novel idea for how to get Paul Giamatti into the Knives Out Universe: as a rival detective for Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc. As soon as Giamatti heard that idea, he was onboard:

"Sure! Yeah, that would be great: to be the guy who's going up against him. Yes, I like that! That's very good!"

When Is Knives Out 3 Releasing?

Netflix bought the rights for two Knives Out sequels - the first being Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which was released last year. Rian Johnson has confirmed that he's back to work on Knives Out 3's script, following this year's Hollywood Strikes. There's no solid release date for Knives Out 3, but Johnson has previously stated that he wants to deviate from the formulas of the first two films:

"It's coming along. I obviously couldn't work during the strike, and now that it's over, I'm diving in full force, and so it's coming along," Johnson told TheWrap. "I've got the premise, I've got the setting, I've got what the movie is in my head. It's just a matter of writing the damn thing."

"I want it to be in America," Johnson previously shared with Insider. "There's a lot of tempting things of going to - Paris or the Alps - but I feel it's really important that these are American movies. Even with Glass Onion, it's set overseas but it's a group of Americans who are trapped on an island together, so bringing it back to somewhere a little closer to home I think could be a good thing for the next one."

Nicolas Cage is only planning to do three or four more movies before saying goodbye to that lane of acting performance for good - at least that's what the iconic actor is now saying. In a recent interview Cage was taking about the craft of acting and how he approaches it, which inevitably led to a discussion about just how much of it he's done at this point. Nearly half a century entertaining fans onscreen in over 100 films... who can blame him for having an end destination in sight?

"I mean, I like staying fresh. I mean, I like to keep mixing it up. I don't want to get stuck in any genre or any performance style," Cage explained to Uproxx, before adding "I want to do it all. And I feel that I've, at this point - after 45 years of doing this; that in over 100 movies - I feel I've pretty much said what I've had to say with cinema."

That's when the conversation with Nic Cage shifted into his vision of what a graceful exit from the business looks like:

"I'd like to leave on a high note and say, 'Adios,'" Cage said. "I think I have to do maybe three or four more movies before I can get there, and then hopefully switch formats and go into some other way of expressing my acting."

Of course, when you are Nicolas Cage - one of the most prolific actors of his generation - getting out of the game isn't quite that easy, business-wise. By his own account, Cage is already contracted to do more than just those "three or four" more performances he's wishing for:

"I would've liked to have left on a high note... But I have other contracts that I have to fulfill, so we'll see what happens," Cage said. "I mean, I am going to be very severe and very astringent on the selection process moving forward. But for me to do another movie, I do want to explore other formats."

For all the passionate Nic Cage fans out there: do not fret. Cage may leave acting in movies behind, but he isn't leaving acting behind, altogether.

"I am very interested in immersion streaming with episodic television," Cage explained. "I have seen things that can be done now with characters and the time they're given to express themselves. I saw Bryan Cranston stare at a suitcase for an hour on one episode of Breaking Bad. We don't have time to do that in a feature film, so maybe television is the next best step for me. We'll see."

You can watch Nic Cage movies any and everywhere.

Heading into the release of Denis Villeneuve's Dune, promotional materials hinted at the connection between Timoth?e Chalamet's Paul Atreides and Zendaya's Chani, but with the film only telling the first half of the original Dune novel, fans only caught glimpses of that relationship. During a recent appearance at CCXP, Chalamet explained the "beautiful story" that he and his costar finally got to bring to life for the follow-up film. The actor also expressed how quickly the pair was able to establish that connection as performers. Dune: Part Two is currently scheduled to land in theaters on March 1, 2024.

"Me and Z hit it off right away on the first one. She said she was only there for about a week, this time, we get the full Chani effect in the movie," the actor shared at the convention. "We get the beautiful story between Paul and Chani, we get more sandworms. It's an epic adventure, I think you guys are all gonna love it."

Dune: Part Two is described, "This follow-up film will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee."

The upcoming sequel stars Timoth?e Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Dave Bautista as "Beast" Rabban, and Stellan Skarsg?rd as Baron Harkonnen. Newcomers to the franchise include Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, L?a Seydoux as Lady Margot, and Christopher Walker playing Emperor Shaddam IV.

Director Villeneuve previously teased how the upcoming film will serve as a payoff to glimpses of multiple elements of the original experience.

"Part One was like the promise of something, but Part Two delivers on that," Villeneuve shared with Empire Magazine earlier this year. "I'm exhausted, but a happy director."

He continued, "The first movie was more contemplative -- a young man discovering a world. Here, it's a war movie ... At the very core is a love story between Paul and Chani ... How Paul will gain her trust, how she will open her heart to him, and how they will find a way to free Chani's world from the Harkonnen grip. It's a much more emotional movie."

Dune: Part Two is slated to hit theaters on March 1, 2024.

Are you looking forward to the new movie? Let us know in the comments!

Chris Hemsworth says that working on Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga was different from working on most action movies. According to the Thor and Extraction actor, filmmaker George Miller kept things exciting by holding the movie to such precise standards that there was little wiggle room, and no alternate takes to save them in case something didn't work. It sounds like low-budget, guerilla filmmaking on a studio budget, and it's something that many action directors don't do -- either because they want the flexibility, or because they just aren't as clear of vision as Miller is.

Mad Max: Fury Road, the first new Mad Max movie in years and the one that introduced the character of Furiosa, was celebrated for that clarity of vision, becoming one of the only tentpole action blockbusters ever to be nominated for Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards.

"When you do an action film, a lot of the time you're trying different things, you're experimenting, and you're trying to make the sequence as impressive and as big as possible," Hemsworth told an audience at CCXP. "And you have backups and other options, and that can be exhausting. What was refreshing working with George is that every frame was thought out. Every single frame was necessary; it was servicing the whole. It was part of a grander plan and a message, and so there was no waste. Everything you see is essential, and means something, and supports the characters' journey, the narrative, the overall arc of the film, and it was exhausting in the best way. All of us showed up and were willing to commit and throw ourselves on the line to service this journey and this film and this franchise that has existed for forty-something years now."

You can see the full video below.

Here's Warner Bros.' official synopsis for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga:

As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.

Directed by Miller, Furiosa stars Anya Taylor-Joy in the title role, Hemsworth as Immortan Joe. Alyla Browne and Tom Burke appear in Furiosa in supporting roles. The film also stars Nathan Jones as Rictus Erectus, Angus Sampson as The Organic Mechanic, Quaden Bayles, Daniel Webber as War Boy, and Lachy Hulme.

With virtually any program that embraces the spirit of a holiday, whether it's a sitcom or a variety show, by exploring iconic elements of any season celebration, the project will return on an annual basis. In the case of the infamous The Star Wars Holiday Special, however, the 1978 broadcast of the project was met with such negative reactions, it was never shown again, much to the surprise of the writing team responsible of bringing the special to life. An exclusive clip from the documentary A Disturbance in the Force highlights the surprised reactions of the writing team in regard to its attempted erasure. You can check out the clip above and see A Disturbance in the Force when it hits Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital on December 5th.

Per press release, "September Club and Giant Pictures bring home A Disturbance in the Force on December 5th from a galaxy far far away to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the most infamous story in the history of Star Wars. The acclaimed documentary made its debut at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival and chronicles the making of the bizarre (and buried) Star Wars Holiday Special as well as a specific bygone era of 1970s event television. Discover the 'hilarious secrets behind Star Wars' iconically awful Holiday Special' (The Daily Beast) when A Disturbance in the Force arrives on digital platforms, DVD, and Blu-ray on December 5th via Giant Pictures.

"From the filmmakers behind Napoleon Dynamite and Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made, comes A Disturbance in the Force, the documentary about the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. In 1977, Star Wars became a cultural phenomenon that single-handedly revitalized a stagnant film industry, and forever changed how films were sold, made, and marketed. In 1978, filmmaker George Lucas was talked into cashing in on the Star Wars craze by producing a holiday variety TV special. What could possibly go wrong? ANSWER: Everything...

"CBS aired the two-hour Star Wars Holiday Special during the week of Thanksgiving and it was watched by 13 million people. It never re-aired. While some fans of the franchise are aware of this dark secret, this bizarre two hours of television still remains relatively unknown among the general public. Simply put, the documentary will answer how and why the Holiday Special got made.

"Produced by September Club with Giant Pictures handling digital and home entertainment distribution, A Disturbance in the Force can also be experienced in select screenings across the US, UK, and Australia ahead of its digital and home entertainment launch on December 5th on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, and Vudu."

A Disturbance in the Force hits Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital on December 5th.

Will you be checking out the documentary? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

Godzilla: Minus One is now playing in U.S. theaters, and the reviews have been surprisingly stellar. If you're a mega fan that felt like this film delivered the best Godzilla action in ages, then you might be interested in picking up one of the new figures from Bandai Tamashii Nations and Super 7. The choice is yours:

Godzilla Ultimates Godzilla Minus One 8-inch Scale Figure From Super7 ($85 with free US shipping using the code WINTER79 / launches in September) - See at Entertainment Earth: "Godzilla has risen from the sea to ravage an unsuspecting post-war Japan and it has never looked more terrifying! Based on the same 3D models used for the 2023 film Godzilla Minus One and approved by director Takashi Yamazaki for authenticity, this highly-articulated Toho ULTIMATES! Godzilla Minus One figure measures over 8" tall and 14" long, features intricate sculpt and premium paint detailing, and comes with an interchangeable roaring head- all of which give it a visceral sense of power and danger! If you can overcome the undeniable urge to flee for safety, add this made-to-order Toho ULTIMATES! Godzilla: Minus One to your kaiju collection!"

Godzilla Minus One S.H.MonsterArts Action Figure from Tamashii Nations ($139.99 with free US shipping using the code WINTER79 / aunches in February) - See at Entertainment Earth: "Godzilla from 2023's Godzilla Minus One joins S.H.MonsterArts! Based on the same 3D models used for the film, Godzilla was sculpted and colored by kaiju master Yuji Sakai with supervision of director Takashi Yamazaki for accuracy! A wide range of motion allows poses appropriate for the massive movie monster. The kaiju's tail is segmented, and the toes are independently movable! The Godzilla Minus One 2023 S.H.MonsterArts Action Figure stands approximately 6 1/3-inches tall."

Recently, ComicBook.com had the opportunity to talk with Godzilla Minus One director, Takashi Yamazaki, about his iteration of the giant beast, "I feel that my Godzilla for this Godzilla is very specific for the story because there's a tendency with Godzilla is that he's obviously a massive existence and there can be a tendency to split the story a bit versus this is going on with Godzilla, this is going on with the people or the government and things like that. However, one of my goals was to have a good balance between the Godzilla side of the story and the human story. So in Godzilla Minus One, I think it's a lot more unique because you're looking at the individual relationship, what kind of relationship they have to Godzilla, how they see Godzilla. So it's individuals and also civilians that are really focused on their story and relationship to Godzilla. So I think that's unique out of all the Godzillas."

Starring Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe, Godzilla Minus One will take us back to a point shortly after World War II when Japan's economy and military were in shambles. Apparently, Godzilla doesn't have a problem kicking a country when it's down. Toho's official synopsis for the film reads:

"After the war, Japan's economic state has been reduced to zero. Godzilla appears and plunges the country into a negative state." Godzilla Minus One will be arriving in Japan on November 3rd, and will then hit North American theaters on December 1st.

Fans were given the exciting news last week that Robert Eggers' Nosferatu reboot would be arriving in theaters next Christmas, and while we wait for an official look at footage from the experience, an all-new image offers another glimpse at the experience. Understandably, audiences are particularly curious about how the iconic Graf Orlok, played by Bill Skarsg?rd, will look in the new movie, with this photo only offering a hint of how creepy the actor will look as the iconic character. You can check out a new photo from Nosferatu below before it lands in theaters on December 25, 2024.

"There are things that are [actor Max] Schreck-like but I felt we had to do something else," Eggers shared with Total Film. "Basically I was like, 'What would a dead Transylvanian nobleman actually look like for real?' Bill lost a tremendous amount of weight."

The filmmaker continued, "He's so transformed in every aspect that I don't know if people will give him the credit. You can see Bill [as Pennywise] in the IT makeup; you can't detect any Bill here. He worked with an opera coach to lower his voice an octave. I think people are going to think we treated it digitally, but that's his performance."

Robert Eggers' Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake. The movie stars Bill Skarsg?rd, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, and Willem Dafoe.

The original 1922 Nosferatu from director F.W. Murnau served as an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, borrowing a handful of narrative and thematic elements of the novel, though notably portrayed the villain as quite monstrous in appearance. In the 1931 Dracula, the titular character was much more charming and seductive than the ghoulish figure from Nosferatu.

In the decades since those films debuted, these two vampire archetypes have largely set the standard of the ways in which the creatures are interpreted on screen. While both versions of the creature have earned countless on-screen appearances, Nosferatu earned a direct reboot in 1979 from director Werner Herzog in which Klaus Kinski played the main character.

Nosferatu hits theaters on December 25, 2024.

Are you looking forward to the new movie? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

2023 is coming to a close so its time to start looking back on the year in film with accolades in mind, and one movie in particular is clearly the runaway favorite. One of the first critics groups to announce their awards this year is the Atlanta Film Critics Circle (of which I am a voting member), and our collective is made up of 34 Atlanta-based critics working in newspaper, magazine, and online journalism. Our annual Top 10 list of feature films has been revealed today along with our selections in a variety of other categories. Though one might normally expect exclusively "awards bait" movies to dominate in an awards group like this, the Atlanta Film Critics Circle's 2023 winners brings in plenty of blockbusters as well.

In addition to the Top 10 movies of the year, our ballot also includes specific categories for those in front of and behind the camera as well as our two annual special awards, the AFCC Special Awards for Best Breakthrough Performer and Best First Feature Film. If you've been paying attention to the 2023 movie landscape then it shouldn't surprsie you that the two movies at the center of the Barbeinheimer craze, Greta Gerwig's Barbie and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, were major winners this year. Though Oppenheimer was named our Best Film, in addition to a few other wins, the two movies actually tied in a key category, Best Supporting Actor.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse not only won our Best Animated Feature award for the year but was listed on our Top 10 Films of the year. Finally, in our second-ever Best Stunt Work award the winner was none other than John Wick: Chapter Four.

You can find the full list of Atlanta Film Critics Circle 2023 winners below!

BEST FILM: Oppenheimer

TOP 10 FILMS (ranked from first place to tenth place)

1. Oppenheimer
2. Killers of the Flower Moon
3. The Holdovers
4. Past Lives
5. Barbie
6. May December
7. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
8. American Fiction
9. Anatomy of a Fall
10. Poor Things

BEST LEAD ACTOR:

Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

BEST LEAD ACTRESS:

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

TIE - Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer; Ryan Gosling, Barbie

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

Oppenheimer

BEST DIRECTOR:

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

BEST SCREENPLAY:

Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

BEST DOCUMENTARY:

Still: A Michael J. Fox Story

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE:

Anatomy of a Fall (France)

BEST ANIMATED FILM:

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

Hoyte van Hoytema, Oppenheimer

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:

Ludwig G?ransson, Oppenheimer

BEST STUNT WORK:

John Wick: Chapter 4

AFCC Special Award for BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER:

Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

AFCC Special Award for BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM:

Celine Song, Past Lives

At CCXP on Thursday, Warner Bros. Pictures unleashed the first trailer for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road. Director George Miller has not clarified how long before Mad Max: Fury Road the Furiosa movie is set. Miller tells Omelete that Furiosa begins 15 years before Mad Max: Fury Road but that the prequel will lead straight into the 2015 film's story, and also hinted that, while the film is focused on Furiosa, played by Anya Taylor-Joy after Charlize Theron originated the role in Mad Max: Fury Road, franchise hero Max Rockatansky may be hiding out somewhere on the narrative's periphery.

"This story happens 15 years directly before Mad Max: Fury Road, and it runs straight into it, and Max is lurking around somewhere in this story, but it's really the story of Furiosa and how she got to be," Miller says. "A lot of the film will be familiar, and a lot of it's new, which we haven't seen before."

What is Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga about?

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is the prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road (which moved to a new streaming service following the Furiosa trailer's release) that reveals how Furiosa left the Green Place of Many Mothers and ended up serving Immortan Joe. Warner Bros. Pictures released the following official Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga story synopsis:

"As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.

Why is Mad Max: Fury Road getting a prequel?

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is the first spinoff of the main Mad Max film series, which spans Mad Max (1979), Mad Max 2 a.k.a. The Road Warrior (1981), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). Miller has said that he conceived the story of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga while writing Mad Max: Fury Road.

"When we wrote Mad Max, the task was to tell a story that was always on the run and to see how much the audience could pick up in passing," Miller previously told The AV Club. "That was one of the tricks of Mad Max: Fury Road, that there would be references to things of where she's from, why they're doing things, but it was always on the run. There were very few moments of quiet. We never explained how she lost her arm. We never explain what the actual Green Place of Many Mothers was. We never explained the workings of the Citadel. So we had the screenplay virtually complete before we shot Fury Road, and we did it because it arose out of wanting to explain to everybody who Furiosa was--to Charlize when she took on the role, and to all the actors and the designers and everybody else working on the Citadel and so on. The feeling was, gee, this is a pretty good screenplay, and then I kept saying to myself, 'if Fury Road works, I'd really like to tell this story.'"

He continued, "So it came about, I'm not going to say accidentally, but it came out of a need to explain [Fury Road's] world which, as I said, essentially happened over three days and two nights," Miller continued. "It's really trying to explain how that world came to be. We also wrote, not a screenplay, but almost in novel form, Nico Lathouris and I, what happened to Max in that year before, and that's something that we'll look at further down the track later. But in telling each other the story of Furiosa, everything in Fury Road had to be explained. In my mind, I have a back story of the Doof Warrior, who plays the guitar. How could a blind man who all he can do is play a guitar, how does he get to survive in a wasteland where everybody is in extremis? How did he come to be there? So we wrote little stories for every character when we made Fury Road."

Prequel story Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is one of two films Miller said he'd make if Mad Max: Fury Road proved successful (and it did). The second is a sequel titled Mad Max: The Wasteland, which is in development.

Who is in the Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga cast?

Anya Taylor-Joy leads the Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga cast as the title character, Imperator Furiosa. Chris Hemsworth plays the villain, Warlord Dementus.

Alyla Browne and Tom Burke appear in Furiosa in supporting roles. The film also stars Nathan Jones as Rictus Erectus, Angus Sampson as The Organic Mechanic, Quaden Bayles, Daniel Webber as War Boy, and Lachy Hulme.

When is Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga's release date?

George Miller produced and directed Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. He also co-wrote the film's script with Nico Lathouris.

Warner Bros. Pictures is eyeing the 2024 Cannes Film Festival for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga's debut. Furiosa will open in theaters in Australia on May 23rd and worldwide on May 24th.

In The Shift, a new movie that plays as a science fiction, multiversal riff on the Old Testament story of Job, DC's Legends of Tomorrow veteran Neal McDonough plays The Benefactor, an antagonist with a dapper look and a smiling face. In the movie, he tries to tempt Kevin Garner (Kristoffer Polaha) into working with him -- something The Benefactor tells him is an inevitability -- something that happens in every timeline. The Benefactor has a lot to offer, but all Kevin wants is to get back to his wife Molly (Elizabeth Tabish) -- something that the Benefactor doesn't want to happen. In what is technically a spoiler but seemed pretty obvious from the film's trailer, the Benefactor turns out to actually be the Devil, looking to make a deal with a resistant Kevin.

After years as one of Hollywood's most prolific villains, how did McDonough end up playing Lucifer? Well, that wasn't the plan originally. Not only did he initially balk at the role itself -- as a Christian, he didn't feel right at first taking on the part -- but he also spent years trying to cultivate a totally different kind of career.

"I came to Hollywood to be a comedian. My first job was working the improv. My goal was, I wanted to be Ted Knight," McDonough explained. "I wanted to be all these guys that I love watching growing up. And somehow they were like, 'You know, you're very funny, but you look like a soldier, you look like an athlete...' and after Walking Tall, 'You look like you could be a great villain.' As everyone knows, I won't do sex scenes, so my job is to provide for my amazing wife and five kids, so what does that leave me? Soldiers in the middle of the battlefield, or the villain du jour. So I decided I was going to be the greatest villain in Hollywood."

He added that he struggled with the idea of playing a character who is ultimately revealed to actually be Lucifer, but that his wife convinced him that his faith made him a good candidate to take on the part, since it would allow the movie to play him as more nuanced and not as dark and twisted as someone else might make it. That builds on Lucifer's biblical backstory, and informs the movie in a way that deepens the character.

In The Shift, after a tense encounter with a mysterious stranger who has otherworldly powers, a man gets banished to a parallel Earth where he fights to get back to the woman he loves.

You can see The Shift in select theaters now.

Now seven months after its release, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is still ripping the hearts of movie-watchers to shreds. Featuring the origin of Rocket Raccoon, the film takes viewers on a heartbreaking journey throughout the character's life. A lot of the character's pain, according to his voice actor Bradley Cooper, is rooted in real-world personal grief.

"This last one, I'm not sure if you've watched it, but I actually cried like crazy. There's a scene where he loses his friend and the sound Rocket makes is something I could only relate to, is the sound my own voice when my dad passed away," Cooper said during a recent stop on The Howard Stern Show. "When we did it on the sound stage, I think everybody knew there was some deep truth to the sound that came out of my mouth and I think that's why that moment in the movie is really like, 'Holy shit.'"

Rocket has always been a personal favorite of James Gunn's, and the filmmaker has said the character is the one of the bunch he identified with most.

"It was great because the shooting schedules were totally intermingled. Vol. 3 has a lot of the fun and the goofy stuff of Guardians, but it's also incredibly emotional. It's the end of the story for this group of Guardians, so there was a lot of emotion around it," Gunn said of the film's tone to Entertainment Weekly. "It was very serious a lot of the time. The actors were all pushing themselves a lot, especially Chris Pratt. It was heavy. So to be able to take a day off and go shoot this goofy, low-stakes comedy show where nothing was really too serious, that was really a relief, and it was a lot of fun. I really would look forward to those holiday special days on my schedule. It's like, 'Oh, it's a holiday special day today. Let's party.'"

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now streaming Disney+ and available for purchase wherever movies are sold. Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for more updates on the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and James Gunn's next big project as we learn it!

Judging by the marketing surrounding Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom so far, Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) will stop at nothing to get his revenge on the eponymous Justice Leaguer. Some have speculated this means the live-action adaptation of one of Aquaman's most controversial comic story arcs, where Aquaman's nemesis kills Arthur Curry Jr., the child he has with Mera. With James Wan on-hand at CCXP on Sunday, one panelist asked the filmmaker if that storyline would make it into the film.

"We'll see. That'd be dark," Wan said during the Aquaman 2 panel.

Will there be an Aquaman 3?

Though it looks like Jason Momoa is preparing to play Lobo in the new DC Universe after Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom releases, Wan previously revealed the film will set up a potential threequel should studio executives so desire it.

"What I can speak to that is the Jason Momoa story, definitely, as Aquaman definitely has more places to go, and yes," Wan said earlier this fall. "When we get to the end of this... The answer is yes. I don't know how to answer that without giving things away, because where we go at the end of this movie, it does tee up something bigger... Not bigger but it does tee up a direction for that story, and I don't want to speak to that just because it's the end of the movie."

In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which arrives in theaters on December 22nd, when an ancient power is unleashed, Aquaman must forge an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally to protect Atlantis, and the world, from irreversible devastation. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will see the return of Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Amber Heard as Mera, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, and Randall Park as Stephen Shin. Jani Zhao will play new character Stingray, Indya Moore will play Karshon, and Vincent Regan will play Atlan, who was previously portrayed by Graham McTavish in Aquaman. Pilou Asbaek has also joined the cast in a mystery role.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is directed by James Wan, with a script from David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. Producers include Wan and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran.

When news surfaced that Jason Momoa co-wrote the story for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the Aquaman actor said: "It's pretty much all me, and I love it. I'm extremely proud of it." Momoa took the stage at the CCXP convention in S?o Paulo, Brazil on Sunday to reflect on his reign as the underwater king -- a reign that will come to an end when Aquaman 2 concludes the DC Extended Universe. Joined by his co-stars Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and story co-writer and director James Wan, Momoa noted that his tenure as the aquatic hero is "the longest I've ever played a character."

"There's a lot of things you want to do and fulfill as an actor, and also for the fans, and for myself. When we finished the first one, I had a lot of ideas. And I started to put them down, just put down in my heart and my love for the character. Then we got a meeting with DC and Warners and James [Wan]," Momoa explained. The actor then recalled the "nerve-racking" experience pitching his story idea for the follow-up to DC Films' first billion-plus grossing film.

"I've never done that before. I pitched my own idea but I'm like, 'They can't fault me on this, because I love this character and I've played it for so long. Here's some ideas that I would like to do.' And they responded really well to it, and then James liked a lot of ideas, and then they took that and ran with it and took it to another level."

Momoa broke the film's story with Braven and The Last Manhunt writer Thomas Pa'a Sibbett. Also credited is the story writing team of Wan and screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who penned the script. Like Arthur Curry -- the half-merman, half-human hero who is between the underwater and surface worlds -- Momoa found himself in two worlds as he played the character in Zack Snyder's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League before returning for Wan's Aquaman.

"The cool thing about it is, it's not just like I'm hired to do a job. I love this character," Momoa added. "He was made fun of so much. And to bring this character back, and go from Zack's world into James' world -- it's been me for so long. I'm really proud for everyone to see this movie because we all really shine."

Momoa described the Aquaman sequel as a "brothers' journey" partnering Arthur with his scorned half-brother, Orm (Patrick Wilson), who attempted to rule the surface world as the Oceanmaster before he was defeated by Aquaman. Together, the brothers must thwart the vengeful Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who now wields the powerful Black Trident: a mythical weapon capable of destroying their kingdom, the world -- and Aquaman's family. That means Arthur's son with Mera (Amber Heard), heir to the throne of Atlantis.

"I'm a dad, and I get to be the father now," Momoa said, adding The Lost Kingdom explores "responsibility, and weight, and what it means to be a father and a king."

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens in theaters December 22.

It's difficult for most actors to play a character more than a single time, let alone countless times over the span of a decade. Robert Downey Jr. is one such actor who's been able to accomplish such a feat, playing Tony Stark/Iron Man in 10 films. According to the Russo Brothers, who've been able to direct Downey in three of his MCU films, Downey prefers to take things off-script in an attempt to surprise himself and keep his roles fresh.

"When he'll come back to set, Robert is famous for throwing the plan out the window and climbing on top of the couch and whatever, sort of going off-book," Joe said in a recent chat with Vanity Fair. "He does this because he likes to surprise himself. He likes to keep things fresh. He lights up for that."

"There's no other way that he could have played that character for 10 movies unless he was doing that," Anthony added. "Robert has certainly lived a complicated life. He understands the stakes, he understands loss, he understands the turns life can take between ups and downs. He's always looking for that level of depth, that level of complexity. I think he knows that's what we all come to movies for in the first place."

In that same piece, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige to debunks rumors the production house was thinking of bringing Stark back through multiversal storytelling.

"We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again," Feige shared. "We all worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way."

"We'd already said tearful goodbyes on the last day of shooting. Everybody had moved on emotionally," Joe Russo added. "We promised him it would be the last time we made him do it-ever."

Avengers: Endgame, and all other Downey-starring Marvel films, are now streaming on Disney+.

Do you think Iron Man should return? Why or why not? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Witness the rise of a new empire in the MonsterVerse. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire reigned over CCXP on Sunday, revealing the first-look trailer for the sequel to 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong. After that epic battle of the Titans, the titular kaijus unite against a colossal undiscovered threat lurking deep within Hollow Earth: the Skar King. "For most of human civilization, we believed that life could only exist on the surface of our planet," says Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) in the new footage. "What else were we wrong about?"

The trailer for the monster movie raises new questions: Who is "mini-Kong?" What's with King Kong's metal arm gauntlet? And why is Gojira glowing with hot-pink atomic energy? Those answers might have to wait until 2024. Here's everything we know so far about GxK, including its plot, cast, release date, and its place in the MonsterVerse.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Release Date

The Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire trailer states that the new movie is "only in theaters 2024," but the current release date is April 12, 2024.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Cast

Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry reprise their respective roles from Godzilla vs. Kong as Dr. Illene Andrews, a Monarch anthropological linguist, and Bernie Hayes, an ex-Apex Cybernetics technician turned Titans truther and podcaster Bernie Hayes. Kaylee Hottle returns as Jia, the orphaned Skull Island native who formed a kinship with Kong. The cast includes Dan Stevens (Beauty and the Beast) as Trapper and Fala Chen (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Alex Ferns (The Batman), and Rachel House (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) in undisclosed roles.

What Is Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire About?

The fifth film in the rebooted MonsterVerse, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs. Kong and "pits the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence - and our own," the official synopsis states. "The epic new film will delve further into the histories of these Titans, their origins, and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever."

Who Is the Villain in Godzilla x Kong?

The red ape king of the Titanus Kong species is an Orangutan-like ancient ape known as the Skar King.

"We wanted to come up with an antagonist that would both be a match for Kong and Godzilla, and that's really hard to do," director Adam Wingard told IGN. "There's a lot more to this character and how he's a threat, and that's going to be something that's going to be fun to kind of dole out."

Who Wrote and Directed Godzilla x Kong?

Adam Wingard (Godzilla vs. Kong, You're Next, Death Note) returned to direct the sequel written by Terry Rossio (Godzilla vs. Kong, the Pirates of the Caribbean series) and Simon Barrett (You're Next) and Jeremy Slater (Moon Knight), from a story by Rossio & Wingard & Barrett, based on the character Godzilla owned and created by TOHO Co., Ltd.

Is Godzilla x Kong in the MonsterVerse?

The MonsterVerse canon includes:

• Godzilla (2014)
• Skull Island: The Birth of Kong (2017) prequel comic
  
• Kong: Skull Island (2017)
• Godzilla: Aftershock (2019) comic book
  
• Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
• Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
• Godzilla: Dominion (2021) prequel comic
  
• Kingdom Kong (2021) prequel comic
  
• Skull Island (2023) animated series
• Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023) television series
• Godzilla x Kong: The Hunted (2024) graphic novel prequel
  
• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

Godzilla x Kong: Son of Kong

Yes, the Titanus Kong infant that Hayes calls "mini-Kong" appears to be the MonsterVerse version of Little Kong, the son of King Kong, an albino gorilla discovered on Skull Island in 1933's Son of Kong.

In 2021, it was reported that Wingard is attached to direct a planned Godzilla x Kong sequel for Legendary with the working title Son of Kong.

Why Is Godzilla Pink in Godzilla x Kong?

Is Godzilla getting an upgrade? Fans theories suspect that Godzilla emerges from frozen hibernation after "recharging" his bio-nuclear abilities in the pink, glowing energy lurking beneath the frozen tundra.

In the Godzilla vs. Kong novelization, it's stated that Godzilla draws his neon-blue atomic breath from an energy source in Hollow Earth in the planet's core. If the Titan has spent years hibernating and absorbing geothermal radiation, it could explain Godzilla's pink hue.

Follow ComicBook for more Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

These days, multiverse stories seem to be the big topic in Hollywood, but comic book films aren't the only ones tackling the subject. The Shift was released this weekend, and the faith-based sci-fi/thriller is a loose retelling of Job that follows Kristoffer Polaha (Wonder Woman 1984) as Kevin Garner, a man who travels dimensions to reunite with his true love, Molly, played by Elizabeth Tabish (The Chosen). The film also features Neal McDonough (Arrow) as the villainous "Benefactor" while Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings) plays Gabriel, a friend Kevin makes in an apocalyptic landscape. ComicBook.com recently had the chance to chat with Astin and Polaha, and they believe Astin broke a world record while making the film.

"Post-apocalyptic cinema experiences are something that people are comfortable with, they like and they enjoy, but now with the way the world is trending, it somehow feels more and more kind of like immediate and relevant. And so I just felt like, I felt very mortal for most of it. You know, I'm eating all the time," Astin shared.

"I think we set a Guinness World Record for 'man on camera eating a taco and walking,'" Polaha added. "It is an amazing tracking shot. It's gotta be a minute long."

"Well Brad Pitt's eaten more than me," Astin replied, referring to Ocean's Eleven. "But walking and talking, yeah."

"You cross the street and you kind of say hello to some people," Polaha added. "In one shot," Astin confirmed. "In one shot. It's kind of brilliant," Polaha praised.

"And just as I'm ready for a gastronomic break, he like, grabs me and throws me into an alleyway," Astin shared. "Taco spins perfectly in the frame," Polaha added while both men laughed.

You can watch the interview at the top of the page.

What Movie Won the Box Office Weekend?

The Shift came in eighth at the domestic box office this weekend, earning $4.35 million.

Beyonc?'s new concert movie, Renaissance: A Film By Beyonc?, won its opening weekend at the domestic box office. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes fell to second place while the latest Godzilla movie from Japan, Godzilla: Minus One, came in at number three. Trolls Band Together scored the fourth place spot while Wish came in fifth, Napoleon came in sixth, Animal came in seventh, The Shift came in eighth, Silent Night ninth, and Thanksgiving at number ten.

Brock Heasley wrote and directed The Shift. The film stars Kristoffer Polaha, Neal McDonough, Elizabeth Tabish, Rose Reid, John Billingsley, Paras Patel, Jordan Alexandra, and Sean Astin.

Godzilla fans are living large right now. From television to film, the movie monster can do no wrong, and fans of the MonsterVerse are happy for it. Not long ago, the IP went wide by sharing its first trailer for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, and it has fans buzzing all over social media. And to be honest, they all want to know what's going on with Pink Godzilla.

If you have seen the trailer for Godzilla x Kong, you will know what we're talking about. The trailer begins with a look at the Earth before the Hollow Earth comes into view. Something is about to shake up the balance of MUTOs across the land, and Godzilla will need to respond. For part of the trailer, we see the beast in a cocoon of sorts, and the trailer ends with Godzilla coming out of his hibernation with a pink makeover.

From his eyes to his dorsal fins, everything is pink here, and that is a definite change from what we're used to. In the MonsterVerse so far, the beast has been shown with a blue atomic aura, but now that has changed. Sadly, there is no good canon explanation for this, but Godzilla fans have some theories about the hue shift.

Given this trailer, we know Godzilla went into some hibernation after the events of Godzilla vs Kong to heal. During that time, it seems the titan is able to power up, and this time away helps Godzilla unlock his pink form. It could be due to an evolutionary process or a rare source of radiation. But either way, it is safe to say the pink coloration here proves Godzilla is growing stronger. You know, as if he were a Saiyan in Dragon Ball!

As for the real reason behind this color change, well - it comes down to good business. Godzilla looks largely the same in all the MonsterVerse films, and that means merchandise sales can stagnate. If you slap a new color coat on the atomic beast, you make new sales. It really is that simple. So while Godzilla's new power may mean something about his abilities in canon, it is all about toy sales in the real world.

Hopefully, we will find out more about Godzilla x Kong: The New World in the coming weeks. The movie is slated to drop in April 2024, so the film's marketing cycle is about to ramp up. So in the meantime, maybe Godzilla can study Super Saiyan Rose and get some tips on how to handle his new pink aura.

What do you think about this latest peek at Godzilla? Are you ready for the MonsterVerse to return to theaters? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Principal photography on Deadpool 3 has resumed filming after the end of both the writers' and actors' strikes, and the production is already letting some more secrets slip. Sunday afternoon, new set photos revealed the return of Tyler Mane's version of Sabretooth from the original X-Men film. Now, a new report says another mutant villain will be returning.

Hidden away in The Mirror's original piece that included the set leaks was the fact an actor was reportedly on set as Toad. Toad appeared alongside Sabretooth as Magneto's initial Brotherhood in the 2000 film played by The Phantom Menace star Ray Park. It's unclear from the initial reporting if Mane or Park are reprising their role in the Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman-starring picture.

Little is known about the film other than Reynolds and Jackman will be going on an R-rated roadtrip across the multiverse.

"You have two major movie stars together in a movie playing their most iconic signature roles -- that is director heaven," Levy previously told Collider of the "R-rated bloodbath." "So the story, the tone, the movie itself leans into that gift of having Deadpool and Wolverine co-starring in a movie for the first time. So, we're definitely not running away from that."

The film was about halfway through principal photography when it was shut down because of the actors' strike earlier this year.

"Well, like the rest of our industry, or at least large swaths of it, we are paused. We were halfway through filming Deadpool, co-starring Wolverine. It was a joy every day, and that chemistry is, I have to say, spoiler alert, it is as relentlessly awesome as we had all hoped it would be," Levy recently told Deadline. "But we are halfway through filming, we shut down, our crew and the rest of us are awaiting a fair and equitable deal that ends these strikes and puts our industry and certainly inclusive of our movie back at work."

Who's all in Deadpool 3?

Joining Jackman's Wolverine in Deadpool 3 is Ryan Reynolds' eponymous Merc with a Mouth. Other familiar faces include Leslie Uggams (Blind Al), Karan Soni (Dopinder), Morena Baccarin (Vanessa), Rob Delaney (Peter), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), Shioli Kutsuna (Yukio), and Stefan Kapi?i? as Colossus.

Deadpool 3 is set to hit theaters on July 26, 2023.

What other members of Fox's X-Men universe would you like to see join the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things Marvel!

Andy Park is Marvel Studios' Director of Visual Development and has served as a concept illustrator for the majority of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. His list of credits includes The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Black Panther, Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and more. Park often takes to social media to show off some cool concept art from the Marvel projects he works on. Recently, he shared a look at the big cameo that appeared in the mid-credits scene for The Marvels. This week, Park shared some concept art of Brie Larson as Captain Marvel and revealed that the character was originally going to look more "militaristic."

"Here's the approved concept/costume design for CAPTAIN MARVEL I got to do for THE MARVELS! I initially did versions that were still quite the more militaristic armored look from her previous looks. This was a shift in direction to relax her look all while still maintaining the icon. And the sash was always a back & forth talking point. So the the 3rd image is the approved approved one," Park shared. You can check out the art below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Andy Park (@andyparkart)

What Are Critics and Audiences Saying About The Marvels?

Reviews for The Marvels have been fairly positive despite the movie's low earnings at the box office. At the time of this writing, the movie is up on Rotten Tomatoes with a 62% critics score and 82% audience score. ComicBook.com's Jenna Anderson gave the movie a 4.5 out of 5. You can read part of her thoughts below:

"Like Carol Danvers herself, and hopefully like many of the movie's viewers, The Marvels seems to understand on an unspoken level that it doesn't have to carry the weight of the world alone. It doesn't have to redefine the entire genre, or represent all of womanhood in less than two hours, or be a perfect segue into the next male-dominated event movie. The movie can just be, in all of the high-octane, silly, sweet, and imperfect glory that that entails. The fact that we've reached that point - and that the MCU still has the ability to effectively tell such a story - is a marvel in and of itself."

What Is The Marvels About?

In The Marvels, which arrived in theaters on November 10th, Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan, Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol's estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). Together, this unlikely trio must team-up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as "The Marvels." The Marvels will also see the franchise returns of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Saagar Shaikh as Aamir Khan, Zenobia Shroff as Muneeba Khan, and Mohan Kapur as Yusuf Khan. New cast members include Zawe Ashton, Park Seo-joon, and Shamier Anderson. Produced by Marvel Studios, The Marvels is directed by Nia DaCosta with a script from DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, and Elissa Karasik.

In its fourth weekend of release, The Marvels has fallen out of the box office top 10 domestically as it brought in just $2.5 million. The Marvels' total box office now sits at $80.7 million domestic and just over $116.3 internationally for a $197 million total, making it the lowest grossing Marvel Cinematic Universe movie by a huge margin. Normally a November release would benefit from residual interest through the month of December and the Christmas holidays, but the audience doens't appear to be showing up for The Marvels and even Disney notes they will no longer be reporting some of its box office totals.

In a statement, The Walt Disney Company wrote: "With The Marvels box office now winding down, we will stop weekend reporting of international/global grosses on this title." Keep in mind this comes after week four of the film's theatrical run. Going back through the history of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, this has never happened. Even the second-lowest grossing movie in the MCU, 2008's The Incredible Hulk, managed to stay in the Top 10 at the domestic box office through its first five weeks. Here's how The Marvels stacks up compared to the other films that are at the bottom of the MCU box office:

• The Marvels - $80,735,186 domestically; $116,300,000 internationally; $197,035,186 globally
• The Incredible Hulk - $134,806,913 domestically; $130,766,946 internationally; $265,573,859 globally
• Captain America: The First Avenger - $176,654,505 domestically; $193,915,271 internationally; $370,569,776 globally
• Black Widow - $183,651,655 domestically; $196,099,476 internationally; $379,751,131 globally
• Eternals - $164,870,264 domestically; $236,861,495 internationally; $401,731,759 globally

The poor box office performance of The Marvels is something that has taken many by surprise, including the leadership at Marvel and Disney. CEO of The Walt Disney Company Bob Iger sounded off on why he believed the film was failing to meet expectations earlier this week, revealing at the NYT DealBook Summit 2023: "The Marvels was shot during COVID, and there wasn't enough supervision on set [from executives,]"

How much money did The Marvels lose?

This is a leading question when considering the larger place of The Marvels at the box office. The film is certainly a bomb and a major disappointment (in a series of major disappointments for Disney this year), but there is more to the success and failure of a movie like this than purely box office numbers (like merchandising and theme park ticket sales). When looking just at that side of it though, the film had a reported budget that was $274.8 million according to Forbes. This number however managed to get a $55 million subsidy because it was filmed in the United Kingdom, meaning that its total number was a little lower at $219.8 million.

Two things must be brought up after that, frequently the public budget numbers revealed for movies of this size are often even bigger than what's reported in the press, only The Walt Disney Company really knows what the movie costs. In addition, the reported budget for a movie of this size does not take into account the advertising and promotion costs, which for a film this big could be another $120 to $150 million (these numbers are never publicly disclosed but are generally considered to be half or slightly more than half of production costs).

Then there's the film's actual box office totals. As of this writing the movie has brought in just over $197 million worldwide, but the profit here is split between the studio and the exhibitors of the film (the movie theaters). As a result, The Marvels would probably need to bring in over $400 million globally to potentially even begin being profitable. In short, The Marvels may have lost as much as $100 million, and potentially even more, but a number of that magnitude may never be revealed publicly.

In The Marvels, (now in theaters), Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan, Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol's estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). Together, this unlikely trio must team-up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as "The Marvels." The Marvels will also see the franchise returns of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Saagar Shaikh as Aamir Khan, Zenobia Shroff as Muneeba Khan, and Mohan Kapur as Yusuf Khan. New cast members include Zawe Ashton, Park Seo-joon, and Shamier Anderson. Produced by Marvel Studios, The Marvels is directed by Nia DaCosta with a script from DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, and Elissa Karasik.

Are you ready for the biggest monsters in movie to make their comeback? If so, then you are in luck! Next year, we will see Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire go live, and the film just dropped its first trailer for fans alongside a poster.

As you can see above, the first trailer brings Godzilla roaring to the big screen while Kong defends his legacy. We follow the two titans some time after their feud in Godzilla vs Kong. It seems this movie will find our favorite monsters battling against an uprising of MUTOs across the globe, and they'll be led by a terrifying foe.

And who might that foe be? Well, it seems a face from Godzilla's past is about to resurface. Thanks to this trailer and some previous promos, we know the movie's villain is the Scar King. The ancient titan used to run the Hollow Earth, but their desire for power grew greedy. Centuries ago, Godzilla was able to trap the Scar King in the Hollow Earth, and he's been training hard for vengeance. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will follow Scar King as he enacts his plan, and it will fall to our heroes to stop him.

If you are eager to check out Godzilla x Kong, you should know the movie is slated to drop in April 2024. In the meantime, you can keep up with the MonsterVerse on the small screen. Earlier this year, Apple TV+ brought Monarch: Legacy of Monsters to life, and it has been filling in gaps for fans with a ton of nasty titans.

Want to know more about Godzilla x Kong? You can read up on the movie's official synopsis here courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery: "This latest entry follows up the explosive showdown of Godzilla vs. Kong with an all-new cinematic adventure, pitting the almighty Kong and the fearsome Godzilla against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence - and our own. The epic new film will delve further into the histories of these Titans, their origins and the mysteries of Skull Island and beyond, while uncovering the mythic battle that helped forge these extraordinary beings and tied them to humankind forever."

What do you think about this latest look at Godzilla x Kong? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

New Deadpool 3 set photos have sparked even more burning questions and speculation about the multiverse. The new images show Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) -- wearing his classic comic-accurate costume -- claws out in a fight with who appears to be Tyler Mane's Sabretooth from 2000's X-Men movie. But what's more interesting is a background detail that suggests a nod to another former Fox-verse franchise: Fantastic Four. Parked just out of frame is a classic hot rod emblazoned with flames, which appears to be a recreation of the Human Torch's hot rod from an obscure comic book.

In the young reader comic book Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #12, printed in 2006, Johnny Storm -- the hot-headed hero who flames on as the fiery Human Torch -- tricks out Reed Richards' classic car from college. But when it appears that the tyrant Doctor Doom steals the Human Torch's flying car for a joyride, the Fantastic Four track the souped-up speedster to Latveria.

Wolverine Vs Sabretooth #DEADPOOL3 (2024)

Bro.. I'm so happy. This scene is a rematch 24 years in the making but now Rated R todays special effects. This will be EPIC!!! ?? it really does look like Logan & Wade will be killing the Fox universe. pic.twitter.com/4pLDuPuztg

-- AVON (@MagicHandz) December 3, 2023

In Doom's domain of Latveria, an inventor reveals he used a decoy Doombot to return the vehicle to its rightful owner: Victor Von Doom, who traded the "petty contraption" to Reed while they were in college. The issue's title: "Doom, Where's My Car?!"

Currently, filming is taking place on the set where a giant recreation of the 20th Century Fox logo lies in ruins, which raises another question: is this a multiversal wasteland like the Void, a place at the End of Time where branched timelines and variants pruned by the Time Variance Authority ended up in Loki? After all, the Void was host to Easter eggs and long-lost relics like the Thanos-copter.

Could the hot rod's owner be the Human Torch played by Chris Evans in 2005's Fantastic Four and 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer? Evans has seemingly ruled out returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, but the actor is open to reprising his role as Johnny Storm.

"I really love that character, but I think... aren't they doing something now with Fantastic Four?" Evans said in a 2022 interview with MTV News, referring to Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four reboot. But with multiversal variants popping up in Loki, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, Evans said, "I guess all bets are off. Yeah. Look, I would love it. I would love it. That would actually be an easier sell to me than coming back as Cap."

"Cap is so precious to me. And you know, I almost don't wanna disrupt what a beautiful experience that was," Evans added. "But Johnny Storm, I feel like he didn't really get his day. That was before Marvel really found its footing. So I loved that role and, you know, who knows."

Marvel Studios' Deadpool 3 is scheduled to open in theaters July 26, 2024.

James Gunn and Peter Safran were tapped to be the co-chairs and co-CEOs of DC Studios last year, and Gunn's first big project is Superman: Legacy. The cast announcements have been coming along with David Corenswet confirmed to play Superman, Nicholas Hoult signed on as Lex Luthor, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and more. The movie is currently slated to be released in 2025, and some fans are wondering how Gunn's script is coming along.

Gunn recently took to Threads to share that his script for the DC reboot is almost complete. "99.9%," Gunn revealed when asked how far along he was with writing Superman: Legacy. "I'm always changing small things but it's been essentially done since well before the strike." You can view his post here.

What Is Superman: Legacy About?

DC Studios describes Superman: Legacy as the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned. Superman: Legacy will be written and directed by James Gunn, and will serve as the first film installment of his and Peter Safran's DC Universe reboot.

In addition to the previously mentioned stars, Superman: Legacy will feature Mar?a Gabriela de Far?a as Angela Spica/The Engineer, Isabela Merced as Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Edi Gathegi as Michael Holt/Mr. Terrific, Anthony Carrigan as Rex Mason/Metamorpho, and Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher.

"It's not an origin story," Safran previously explained to reporters when asked about the film. "It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice, and the American way. He has kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned."

When Is Superman: Legacy Being Released?

When Superman: Legacy was first announced by Warner Bros. and DC Studios, Gunn confirmed that the movie would be released in theaters on July 11, 2025. Gunn recently revealed that this date is special to him.

"My brother Matt told me when he saw the release date he started to cry. I asked him why. He said, 'Dude, it's Dad's birthday.' I hadn't realized," Gunn tweeted earlier this year. "I lost my Dad almost three years ago. He was my best friend. He didn't understand me as a kid, but he supported my love of comics and my love of film and I wouldn't be making this movie now without him. It has been a long road to this point."

Stay tuned for more updates about Superman: Legacy.

New set photos from 'DEADPOOL 3' show Wolverine & Deadpool's fight with Sabretooth. pic.twitter.com/b32PR56HsM

-- X-Men Updates (@XMenUpdate) December 3, 2023

There are a couple of other interesting details in the photos as well, specifically a car with painted flames that looks just a bit like Human Torch's Hot Rod. Obviously, at this point we don't have a ton of context but seeing Sabretooth in these photos is certainly interesting. As (most) Marvel fans are aware, Wolverine has a significant history with Sabretooth. In terms of the movies, Sabretooth appeared in 2000's X-Men, played by Tyler Maine.

Deadpool 3 Director Shawn Levy Has Teased Massive Cameos

These latest set photos appear to be making good on what Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy has teased are some huge cameo appearances in the upcoming film. He told The Happy Sad Confused podcast that some of those cameos were easier to get than he thought they would be. In fact, a ton of famous people seemed to be lining up for a chance to be a part of the R-rated extravaganza. Movie fans are excited by all the possibilities. But there are probably months to go before we see so much as a trailer for Deadpool 3.

"What blew my mind is how easy some of those cameos have been," Levy shared. "People love Deadpool. People love Ryan [Reynolds]. Thankfully people also seem to like my work. They know that Ryan and I are in a groove of creative brotherhood that is unique and seems to be working."

"So, yeah... I love that there's been a proliferation of casting rumors around my movie because there's so many that it's impossible to know what's real and what's made-up," the director continued. "So, all I'll say is that starting with Ryan and Hugh... some that the world knows about. Matthew McFadyen, Emma Corrin, really just going to work is a delight."

Is Taylor Swift in Deadpool 3?

Marvel Studios has not confirmed if Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter Taylor Swift will appear in Deadpool 3, but the rumors persist. These Taylor Swift-MCU rumors appear to be rooted at least partially in the fact that the performer is personal friends with Reynolds and his wife, Blake Lively. One of the well-publicized NFL games that Swift attended saw her watching the game from a private box occupied not only by Reynolds and Lively but also Levy.

Fans have theorized who Swift could be playing in the movie, despite no real indicator that she's even going to appear, with some believing that she will take on the role of the Marvel character Dazzler.

"It sure escapes the lips of social media every day, and that's all I'm gonna say," Levy said previously. "It sounds like a great idea."

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is being released exclusively in theaters later this month, and it is expected the final movie of the Snyderverse era. The film sees the return of James Wan in the director's chair in addition to Jason Momoa as the titular hero, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Amber Heard as Mera, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, and more. Some new photos were just released from the sequel, including stills from the film as well as shots of Wan directing the stars.

"The technology just in general advances with each passing year," Wan previously explained to ComicBook.com. "It was just on the first movie to this one. I see a huge leap even in the effects, which is obviously there in your face, but even just the process of how we shoot the film is a bit different. The actors had such a hard time shooting the first one, all this really complex rigging that we had to put them through, and it's not the best for them when they're trying to act at the same time, meanwhile they're doing a lot of pain in these really difficult."

Wan continued, "So what's great about this one was I could actually free them up from all that. And my special effects and visual effects team did a really great job with hearing what I had to complain about from the first movie and basically helping me build a process on how to get the same thing that I want, but without putting the actors through all of that, and so therefore I can actually get better performances from them."

You can check out photos of Wan directing below:

James Wan Directing Patrick Wilson

James Wan Directing Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

You can view images from the film below:

Jason Momoa as Aquaman

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta

Patrick Wilson as Orm and Jason Momoa as Aquaman

Aquaman Fighting Black Manta

What Is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom About?

In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which arrives in theaters on December 20th, when an ancient power is unleashed, Aquaman must forge an uneasy alliance with an unlikely ally to protect Atlantis, and the world, from irreversible devastation. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will see the return of Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Amber Heard as Mera, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, and Randall Park as Stephen Shin. Jani Zhao will play new character Stingray, Indya Moore will play Karshon, and Vincent Regan will play Atlan, who was previously portrayed by Graham McTavish in Aquaman. Pilou Asbaek has also joined the cast in a mystery role.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is directed by James Wan, with a script from David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick. Producers include Wan and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran.

Dune: Part Two was originally supposed to be released by now, but the film was delayed due to the SAG strike. The movie just had its release date changed again and it is now scheduled to hit theaters at the beginning of March. The sequel is expected to also see the return of Timoth?e Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Stellan Skarsg?rd as Baron Harkonnen, and Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban. New characters will include Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, L?a Seydoux as Lady Margot, and Christopher Walker as Emperor Shaddam IV. Today, a new set of character posters was released showcasing all of the above talent.

The first set of posters showcases the returning cast. You can check those out in the post below:

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A post shared by DUNE (@dunemovie)

The second set of posters is a mixture of new and old Dune characters. You can view those below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by DUNE (@dunemovie)

What Is Dune: Part Two About?

Dune: Part Two will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

"We have been hearing in the past few decades that it's not possible to adapt this book, and that it's an impossible task. I think that in the back of the mind of the studio, it's still the same!" director and co-writer Denis Villeneuve told Total Film in a 2021 interview. "So the first thing was to prove that there was a beautiful, popular movie that can exist, and I think that I proved that - everybody at Warner Bros and Legendary, they are 100 percent behind the project. They feel that it would need a really bad outcome at the box office to not have a Dune: Part Two, because they love the movie. They are proud of the movie, so they want the movie to move forward. And they still did half of it. So, you know, I'm very optimistic."

"I'm writing [Part Two] now, and I feel like I'm eight years old again," he added. "That's very uncommon for me. It's the first time I've experienced it where I'm watching one of my movies, and I have a moment of deep gratitude, of deep joy, and I say, 'Thank you, life, for having allowed me to bring that to the screen.' [laughs] I don't know how other people will feel about it. But me? Denis Villeneuve when he was 14 years old? Thank you."

Dune: Part Two is currently scheduled to be released on March 1, 2024.

The update went live after Godzilla Minus One had its opening weekend in the United States. Despite lower predictions, Godzilla Minus One overcame the odds to earn $11 million USD in its first three-days. This total marks the biggest opening weekend for any Japanese live-action film at the domestic box office.

Oh, and that's not all. If you want to compare this opening to Shin Godzilla, there is no contest. Godzilla Minus One made 5.5x more than Shin Godzilla did in its opening weekend as the previous kaiju flick earned $1.9 million.

The hype for Godzilla Minus One has been building since the film debuted in Japan. Netizens were quick to praise the movie as one of the best monster flick in ages, and Godzilla Minus One did not disappoint. With fresh ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, Godzilla Minus One marks a new era for Toho's Godzilla Universe. All of this excitement lead the film to earn $2.1 million in previews alone. So clearly, social media heeded the call.

If you have not checked out Godzilla Minus One, you have time to check out the gorgeous monster movie. The film is set against the backdrop of World War II as we find a war veteran named Koichi on the brink. After a run-in with Godzilla, the man is left scrambling for purchase, and things get worse when the monster turns its eyes to Japan. With no help from the outside or the government, the people of Tokyo must band together to stop the atomic monster. But of course, no one ever said beating Godzilla would be easy.

What do you think about Godzilla Minus One now that it is out stateside? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Robert Downey Jr. is a name that's being thrown around a lot this awards season thanks to his performance as Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer. Of course, many know the actor best for playing Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a role he first played in Iron Man and 2008 until the character's death in Avengers: Endgame in 2019. There's been a lot of speculation about whether or not the MCU will revive Downey Jr.'s character with rumors swirling that the original six Avengers will once again return to the franchise. Previously, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said Downey Jr. was "part of the family," but when it comes to his return, "we'll have to see." However, the producer is singing a different tune in a new Vanity Fair profile on the actor.

"We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again," Feige shared. "We all worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way."

"We'd already said tearful goodbyes on the last day of shooting. Everybody had moved on emotionally," Avengers: Endgame co-director Joe Russo added. "We promised him it would be the last time we made him do it-ever."

While it's not surprising to hear there are no plans to resurrect Tony Stark, that doesn't necessarily mean fans won't be seeing Downey Jr. in the MCU again. There are plenty of rumors and theories about Avengers: Secret Wars, including the idea that an alternate version of Tony Stark from another universe could appear in the film. Of course, it's also worth noting that when it comes to the MCU, many of the people involved are known for lying, so you never really know who could be popping up.

Kevin Feige Talks Robert Downey Jr.'s Casting:

Earlier this year, Kevin Feige and Iron Man director Jon Favreau celebrated the 15th anniversary of the release of the film, and Feige called the casting of Downey Jr. as Tony Stark one of the best casting decisions in Hollywood history.

"I think that's probably one of the greatest decisions in the history of Hollywood," Feige shared. "I remember on later movies...I would say, Robert, we wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you. Meaning we wouldn't have a studio if it wasn't for you."

"I remember sitting down with [Robert] and I was like, he just got it and he's got that spark in him and his eye and he's ready," Favreau recalled. "Once it was him, that's when my life got a lot easier." He added that Downey Jr. "had a very [high] standard that he wanted to hit with, not wanting this to feel basic. He wanted it to be special."

"It wasn't really until we cast Robert that I fully understood what the take was," Favreau revealed. "Every decision became a lot easier." Feige said of Favreau and Downey Jr., "You and Robert are that movie, it's the balance right between poking fun at it or taking the piss out of a moment, but also, and this is what you both are so good at, taking it seriously."

Do you think Robert Downey Jr. will ever return to the MCU? Tell us in the comments.