Moviefone Editorial

Tag: bill-hader

  • 6 Things You Need to Know Before Seeing ‘Power Rangers’

    It’s only March, and it already feels like summer movie season is in full swing.

    The next blockbuster out of the gate is “Power Rangers,” a big-budget reboot of the popular TV series. But don’t worry if you haven’t watched an episode in 20 years. We’re breaking down everything you need to know so you can bring a little Morphin’ Time into your life.

    1. It’s a RebootDon’t worry if you’re not caught up on all 24 seasons of the “Power Rangers” TV show. Unlike the previous theatrical film from 1995, this movie serves as a total reboot for the franchise. Hardcore fans will recognize the main characters and many other callbacks to classic TV episodes, but the point is to appeal to a wider audience thirsty for a mash-up of superhero movies and “Pacific Rim.”

    All you really need to know about the movie is that it features five ordinary high schoolers who gain super-powers and band together to fight an evil sorceress using their giant robots. You know, the typical teen experience.

    2. You’ll See Some Familiar Faces
    The Power Rangers have gone through countless changes over the years, with the show constantly re-branding itself and rotating out old cast members in favor of new ones. But for many Power Rangers fans, the original cast of “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” will always be the definitive lineup, so we’re not surprised to see the movie going back to that well.

    “Power Rangers” features new versions of the original five Rangers — Red Ranger Jason (Dacre Montgomery), Pink Ranger Kimberly (Naomi Scott), Blue Ranger Billy (RJ Cyler), Yellow Ranger Trini (Becky G), and Black Ranger Zack (Ludi Lin).

    Naturally, the Rangers will still be accompanied by their giant-headed mentor, Zordon (Bryan Cranston) and hyperactive sidekick Alpha-5 (voiced by Bill Hader).

    Also, the film will feature a cameo by OG Pink Ranger, Amy Jo Johnson.

    3. These Are the Most ‘Grounded’ Power Rangers Ever“Power Rangers” is directed by Dean Israelite, best known for 2015’s “Project Almanac.” That’s apparently a sign of what fans can expect from this reboot, as Israelite has said the tone will be similar. (Here’s hoping it’s not as terrible as the director’s feature debut.)

    Expect a slightly more grounded take on the Power Rangers mythos, one that focuses a great deal on the team’s dysfunctional relationships with each other and their parents.

    4. The Rangers Get Super-Power’d UpDon’t expect things to be too grounded, however. At the end of the day, “Power Rangers” is still the story of five color-coded heroes battling monsters through the twin powers of martial arts and friendship. The story, judging by the trailers, seems to be “Chronicle” meets Power Rangers, with our heroes getting expose to a space rock thing that gives them the need for morphin’ time.

    Expect plenty of crazy monster designs in the new films, though, including some seriously upgraded Putties and a new take on iconic villain Goldar.

    The Rangers themselves will also be getting a serious upgrade in the costume department. Whereas the show tends to portray them as simple martial artists in spandex, the Rangers will be gaining actual super-powers in this reboot. Between super-strength and some seriously upgraded armor, these Rangers are ready to punch evil in the face.

    5. Rita Repulsa Is the Big BadWith the original team of Power Rangers being featured in this reboot, it’s only fair that their greatest nemesis, Rita Repulsa, also sticks around. This time around, the green everything will be played be a very cackle-heavy Elizabeth Banks.

    But rather than being just a hammy villainess who conjures an endless stream of giant monsters for the Power Rangers to fight, look for the movie to devote a lot more time to exploring her backstory. We’ll learn a lot more about the history between Rita and Zordon, and how she went from being Earth’s greatest protector to its worst nightmare.

    6. There Could Be SequelsSaban Entertainment is planning for multiple sequels to this reboot, possibly even “five or six” by the time all is said and done. (Read: If the movie is a hit, and that is a big “if”). And with so many new Rangers and monsters left to explore, it’s not as if there’s a shortage of material for these movies to mine.

    We assume that the first order of business for the sequel will be to introduce Rita’s master, Lord Zedd, and fan-favorite hero Tommy, the Green Ranger.

    We’re keeping our fingers crossed that one or both of these characters will have some sort of cameo appearance in the film.

    “Power Rangers” hits theaters March 24th.

  • Bill Hader Joins ‘Power Rangers’ as Robot Sidekick Alpha 5

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    The upcoming “Power Rangers” reboot continues to add some surprising names to its cast, with the production announcing this week that Bill Hader has joined the ensemble.

    The “Saturday Night Live” alum will play Alpha 5, the Rangers’ panic-prone robot sidekick, whose “aye-yi-yi” catchphrase added some comic relief to the campy original series. And it looks like the character in the film will encapsulate that same sensibility, since the official “Power Rangers” Twitter account, which revealed the news, used the catchphrase to welcome Hader to the cast.

    While the Rangers will all be played by relative newcomers, Hader joins an ensemble of supporting characters with some pretty big names. The flick first grabbed fans’ attentions earlier this year when it cast Elizabeth Banks as villain Rita Repulsa, and then kept the intrigue going with the addition of Emmy and Tony winner Bryan Cranston as Zordon, the giant floating head that advises the Rangers.

    The first few images released from the flick have been a bit head-scratching (what’s up with that odd, curve-hugging armor for the female Rangers? And why does Rita look like a lizard this time around?), though with such an eclectic and surprisingly starry supporting cast, we’re certainly intrigued. And we can’t wait to see what Hader — who helped voice BB-8 in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” and is likely doing voiceover work with this character, too — brings to the table.

    “Power Rangers” is due in theaters on March 24, 2017.

    [via: Power Rangers]

    Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images

  • 8 Things You Should Know Before You See Disney’s ‘The BFG’

    In “The BFG,” a young orphan named Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) spends a sleepless night wandering (as she does quite a bit) and catches a glimpse of a big friendly giant (Mark Rylance) roaming the town. Terrified, Ruby runs to her bed and pretends to go back to sleep, but the giant — knowing that she’s seen him — takes her away to giant country for fear that his kind would be discovered by humans. Together, the pair form an unlikely friendship and a giant adventure ensues.

    Curious yet?

    Well, in anticipation of Steven Spielberg and Disney‘s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s “The BFG,” we’ve collected a few details about the movie and how the beloved story was brought to big-screen life.1. ‘The BFG’ Is Steven Spielberg’s First Disney Film

    This is the first time audiences will be seeing the Disney Castle logo alongside another iconic production house, Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment. The director has always been drawn to working with Disney as a fan of Walt himself. “It was very brave of him to introduce that combination of darkness and light, which was so much Walt Disney‘s original signature in a lot of his earlier works like “Dumbo,’ “Fantasia,” “Snow White,” and “Cinderella.” Being able to be scary and redemptive at the same time, and teach a lesson, an enduring lesson, to everyone,” Spielberg said of his inspiration, which stemmed from the first time he saw “Snow White.”

    2. There’s a Magical 1982 Connection
    While “The BFG” is released alongside the celebration of Roald Dahl’s 100th birthday, the author shares another very important year with director Steven Spielberg. The same year “The BFG” was published, Spielberg released his own tale of transformative friendship, “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.” Melissa Mathison, who passed away during production, penned the scripts for both “E.T.” and “The BFG.” “Melissa was the first and only writer we thought of,” said “BFG” producer Kathleen Kennedy. “Her gifts as a writer and her particular sensibility were essential to bringing Dahl’s visionary tale to life.”

    3. It’s All About Family
    As Kennedy put it: “Steven has always gravitated towards stories about families, which is one of the reasons his films have resonated with so many people.” This is key to how writer Mathison and Spielberg connected on their work. “Melissa took Dahl’s book and did the most extraordinary but faithful translation, with a magic only Melissa possesses,” Spielberg asserted, on reuniting with his friend. Before her death, Mathison shared her inspiration behind the heart of the film: “It is a very sweet relationship,” she said of the BFG and the little girl, “but they actually start off a little combative and are suspicious of one another and even have their own little power struggles. But from the moment they have a plan and move forward as partners, there’s just so much love between them. It’s a wonderful little love story.”4. The BFG Was Meant to Be

    Playing the Big Friendly Giant is Spielberg’s recent collaborator Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies,” “Ready Player One“). Spielberg was confident in his choice, “Mark would go into complete character transformation when the camera was rolling,” he said, “and while he is one of the greatest stage actors ever, it was the Mark in-between takes that really touched my heart. It was then that I knew he could do anything.” This includes bringing the warmth and heart of the kindest giant. Not to mention the smallest. His brothers and the film’s antagonists range in size from 39 to 52 feet tall. “The BFG is a vegetable-eating, peaceful giant,” said Mathison. “Even though he detests Snozzcumber (Veggies, ew!), he eats it, almost as if contrition for the fact that his fellow giants eat children.”

    5. The Search for Sophie Was Intense
    The search for the film’s lead took six months. The production team looked at thousands of girls, but it was Ruby Barnhill, a school girl from Knutsford in Cheshire, England, who captured Spielberg’s attention. “She is one of the strongest female characters I think I have ever had in one of my films,” Spielberg said about working with Barnhill to bring Sophie to life.

    The young actress also formed a deep bond with Rylance. “Ruby is a very imaginative young woman and just a complete natural actress,” the actor said. “I learned from her really, as you do from all the young people. Her ability to take very complicated technical notes from Steven and make them natural is just miraculous, just remarkable.”6. Combining Fantastical Worlds With the Real One Was the Real Magic
    “I could have made ‘The BFG’ with actors on oversized sets using a digital blend, but I wanted the giants to look beyond human,” Spielberg revealed while talking about using the Simulcam. “The only way I could capture magic with the giants was to animate them based on the performances of the actors I was casting and have the animation be super-photorealistic.” To do this, he enlisted the help of Weta Digital’s Joe Letteri to create a new process that could bring them as close to live-action shooting as possible. Combining live-action, performance capture, and real-life sets with Simulcam allowed them to use real actors working alongside each other in both a natural and digital landscape.

    7. It’s All About Eye Contact
    To root the relationships in truth, Spielberg took painstaking lengths to ensure his performers could maintain eye contact during each performance. While working with Barnhill on a two-story scaffold, Rylance would stand with a performance capture camera in front of his face so that he was actually in the moment with his young costar. The same was true of the performance capture work with the BFG and his bullying brothers, played by Jemaine Clement (“What We Do In the Shadows”) and Bill Hader (“Inside Out”).

    8. Dahl’s Language Was Very Important
    In order to keep the whimsy of Dahl’s work intact, writer Melissa Mathison researched the author to get his voice right in the film’s narrative, including his language of the giants: Gobblefunk. Created to give the BFG a unique voice, Dahl mashed the ordinary with the silly. After hearing Rylance take to the language quickly, the production realized how essential to the BFG the language truly was. “He wasn’t just pulling things out of his hat,” said Rylance. “The BFG has words that he uses for certain things and he repeats them in his life.” Listen for gems like chidlers (children), frobscottle (carbonated soft drink where bubbles float downwards rather than upwards) and phizzwizards (happy dreams that are the BFG’s favorite to collect and share with children). Aw.

    Disney’s “The BFG” opens July 1st.

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  • Watch 3 Hilarious ‘Star Wars’ Bad Lip Readings, With Jack Black as Vader

    Yes. Watch Yoda sing, you should. Mmmm! Bad Lip Reading just posted three brilliant new “Star Wars” lip reading videos — one for the original movie, “Episode IV: A New Hope,” one for “The Empire Strikes Back,” and another for “Return of the Jedi.” Clearly, these early Christmas gifts were timed for the release of “Episode VII: The Force Awakens.”

    Warning: The videos may replace your memories of the original trilogy — especially that “A New Hope” end song from Obi-Wan, the hip-hop song that ends “Empire,” Luke’s in-flight rap, Yoda’s funky dance tune, and Jabba the Hutt’s dirty little ditty.

    Jack Black voices Darth Vader, who trades yo mama jokes with Obi-Wan when they cross lightsabers. Vader also uses his lightsaber for batting practice, only to be called “foul” by dog-walker Luke Skywalker, who really can’t be trusted to know how to boil water. Maya Rudolph is Princess Leia and Bill Hader voices a couple of different people, including Uncle Owen and Boba Fett.

    The best part of the whole thing is arguably Chewie’s perfect high-pitched voice. Or it could be Jabba’s little “ta-da!’ when he appears. Or maybe it’s Mon Mothma’s blank-eyed announcement, “FYI, all you single guys, my emotional state really isn’t the greatest.”

    Here are all three Bad Lip Readings:

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  • Best of Late Night TV: Patrick Stewart Kisses Conan, Josh Groban Sings Trump Tweets, Zac Efron’s Egg Russian Roulette

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

    This is how to start your day. Sir Patrick Stewart loves a good male kiss — and why not? — so he shared the wealth with Conan O’Brien. Sir Patrick was on “Conan” and talked about his lip-lock with good friend Sir Ian McKellen. Patrick explained that he’s not a one-man kisser, and he doesn’t just kiss other “sirs” — although he said he might give a bit of tongue to Sir Sean Connery. (Go for it!) Sir Patrick said he doesn’t go around smooching strangers, but he was happy to try K-I-S-S-I-N-G Conan. So they had their own quick, passionate lock complete with little floating hearts. Beautiful! Conan was left dumbstruck. They decided more heterosexual men should kiss each other like this.

    They say egg is good for your hair, so Zac Efron just helped his hair game Monday night on “The Tonight Show.” Zac and Jimmy Fallon played a classic game of Egg Russian Roulette and it got even messier for Jimmy.

    Halle Berry brought her own interesting hair game — and a very sexy, Catwoman-esque outfit — to “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” The “Extant” star talked about life on other planets, saxophones as the sexiest instrument, her bra, and Jimmy’s new beard. (Jimmy’s new beard does look pretty hot, but nowhere near as hot as Halle. Is she really human? Have we checked?)
    Because Donald Trump must always be the center of everything, Josh Groban sang Donald Trump tweets on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” You may recall when Josh sang Kanye West’s tweets.
    Bill Hader was on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and talked about getting stoned with the cast of “Trainwreck” when they were in Amsterdam. Because of course! Bill said he doesn’t smoke pot too often and Seth Rogen said it was like smoking pot with his dad. (You have to watch the video just for Bill’s awesome Seth Rogen impression.) Apparently they lost Vanessa Bayer while in Amsterdam, and she showed up for a studio cameo — toting luggage — as if she just arrived.
    Lake Bell, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Little Mix were on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” and James talked to Little Mix about performing with Taylor Swift. James also asked Perrie Edwards how she’s holding up after her breakup with Zayn Malik. She said “I’m good. Absolute blast in America. Things are going so well.” She said she wakes up every day and thanks her lucky stars she has those three girls. The group also performed “Back Magic.”

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  • Best of Late Night TV: Bill Hader’s Point Pleasant Police Department and Ian McKellen’s Gorilla Impression

    Point Pleasant Police Department SNL

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

    Welcome to the “Point Pleasant Police Department,” this time starring Jimmy Fallon and Tonight Show” skit of all time, so watch it and make your Friday that much better.


    Late Night” to celebrate. By which we mean she talked about how she lives alone and is “super lonely.” But like, in a funny way, because this is Amy Schumer.
    Amy was also honored at the Time 100 Gala, and she spoke to Seth about how massively unimportant she is. Please, we beg to differ.

    Conan” and faking him out when it comes to showing clips from the movie he’s promoting –– and this time was no different. Yep, he mashed up “Ant Man” with “Mac and Me,” and the results were amazing.
    And finally, Ian McKellen hit up the “Late Late Show” and did a gorilla impression. You’re welcome.

  • When Amy Schumer and Bill Hader Gave Up and Improvised

    To go inside the mind of Amy Schumer, it takes some real comedic chops. So it’s no wonder her “Trainwreck” costar Bill Hader, a “Saturday Night Live” alum, was able to synchronize his improvisational shorthand for acting opposite the hot comedienne during filming.

    “We were very connected,” Schumer explains to “Made in Hollywood.” “There’s a scene where I say, ‘I haven’t had much to eat today. I just had, like…,’ And then he looked at me and he knew.”

    She continues: “That wasn’t in the script – that I was just going to start saying a lot of food – and he knew even before I started it. We were looking at each other’s eyes and he was, ‘All right, go ahead.’”

    “It was fun to work with Amy,” Hader reveals. “We like to work the same way.”

    Still, it was not simply a glare into each other’s eyes and improv skills that made the raunchy comedy one of summer’s most-hyped flicks.

    Much of “Trainwreck’s” humor comes from Schumer writing the gags herself, Hader explains, praising his onscreen love interest. “It was a great time,” he said. “And it was fun just because she wrote such a great script, you know.”

    Starring Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, LeBron James, Vanessa Bayer and Tilda Swinton, “Trainrwreck” hits theaters Friday. Watch the trailer below:

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  • New ‘Inside Out’ Trailer Takes Us Deeper into Riley’s Mind (VIDEO)

    Inside OutThe latest trailer for Pixar’s “Inside Out” takes us further into the depths of main character Riley’s mind, and makes us even more excited for the flick’s summer debut.

    We’re re-introduced to the emotions inside the 11-year-old’s head — Joy (Amy Poehler), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Bill Hader), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) — who are all readjusting to life in a new city after Riley’s family relocates from the Midwest to San Francisco. In a struggle to control how Riley views her memories, Joy and Sadness accidentally get lost in a different section of Riley’s mind, prompting a trip through Long-Term Memory, Imagination Land, and Dream Productions.

    It’s a fantastical examination of what’s really going on in a tween’s head, and hilarious when left to the devices of Poehler and co. Joy gushes over a rainbow unicorn she recognizes from one of Riley’s recurring dreams, while Anger spouts quips that both kids and parents are sure to enjoy (declaring, “Congratulations, San Francisco, you’ve ruined pizza!” when he spots broccoli on a slice; a racy one-liner about seeing a bear — or was that just a hairy dude? — in San Fran).

    The trailer ties up its funny and heartwarming tale with the perfect soundtrack (the Boston classic “More Than a Feeling”), and leaves us wanting so much more. Is it June yet?

    “Inside Out” also features the voices of Kaitlyn Dias (as Riley), Diane Lane (Riley’s mom), and Kyle MacLachlan (Riley’s dad). It’s due in theaters on June 19.

    Photo credit: Disney
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  • Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg Pay Tribute To Ruining Sketches on ‘SNL 40’ (VIDEO)


    Andy Samberg is largely credited with bringing “Saturday Night Live” into the digital age with his highly sharable digital shorts (created with his cohorts in the Lonely Island, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone), so it wasn’t much of a surprise that he would be back as part of the “SNL 40” celebration last night with another pre-recorded gem. This time the subject was cracking up during a sketch, something that virtually every “Saturday Night Live” cast member does from time to time.

    Samberg was joined by his “That’s My Boy” costar Adam Sandler, for an impromptu ’80s-rock-style tribute to breaking, set to the tune of “Simply the Best.” It’s a hoot and exactly the kind of sublime silliness that Samberg and Sandler were known to bring to “Saturday Night Live” during their respective years.

    Just watch and try not to crack up! It’s impossible! Now you know how Fallon and Sanz felt!

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