Hollywood top earners meet with SAG-AFTRA leaders, offering to remove the cap on membership dues
The actors are asking for better work conditions and pay, including residuals from streaming services and protection from AI
The AMPTP and SAG walked away from the table on October 11, unable to come to an agreement on a deal
The biggest stars in Hollywood may have a solution to help end the actors’ strike, offering to remove the $1 million cap on membership dues, as well as a “bottom-up” residual structure to help actors lower on the call sheet to be paid first.
George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Tyler Perry, And More Spoke With SAG-AFTRA Leaders
George Clooney and Tiffany Boone on the set of Netflix’s ‘The Midnight Sky.’
Deadline has learned exclusively that some of the top-paid actors in Hollywood met with SAG-AFTRA leaders on Tuesday to find a way to end the actors strike. George Clooney, who spoke with Deadline, confirms the meeting:
‘A lot of the top earners want to be part of the solution,” the two-time Oscar winner told Deadline. “We’ve offered to remove the cap on dues, which would bring over $50 million to the union annually. Well over $150 million over the next three years. We think it’s fair for us to pay more into the union. We also are suggesting a bottom-up residual structure — meaning the top of the call sheet would be the last to collect residuals, not the first. These negotiations will be ongoing, but we wanted to show that we’re all in this together and find ways to help close the gap on actors getting paid.”
The SAG-AFTRA Strike Has Been Going For Over 98 Days
SAG-AFTRA members Nia Vardalos and Octavia Spencer walk the line at Disney Studios in Burbank, CA on 9/20. Photo courtesy of SAG.
The SAG-AFTRA strike began on July 14, 2023, and has been ongoing for over 98 days. The actors are seeking a new deal for better work conditions and wages as well as residuals, especially since streaming has changed the landscape of entertainment. They also seek protection from the use of AI, something that can replicate an actor’s likeness and performance.
The strike has caused a significant pause in the entertainment industry, along with the WGA strike, which began on May 2, 2023. Recently, the WGA has reached an agreement with the AMPTP after a grueling 148 days. Due to the SAG strike, the actors are prohibited from doing promotion or publicity work for any struck projects, meaning they cannot appear on red carpets for premieres or take part in interviews. All production is halted, with the exception of a production where an interim agreement has been approved by SAG-AFTRA.
The negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP paused on October 11, without reaching a deal.
The film is set after the events of ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’, where we find the band of misfits in their new home on Knowhere. Unexpectedly, a new powerful enemy crashes in and injures Rocket, and if the Guardians don’t act fast enough, it could mean life or death for their teammate.
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The official synopsis for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is below:
“In Marvel Studios ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.”
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ opened in theaters on May 5th, 2023, to $118.4 million domestically and has grossed over $348.5 million since its opening. Worldwide box office earnings have grossed over $825.3 million since its release. This was a highly anticipated film among Marvel fans and is certified Fresh on aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, with an 82% score from critics and a 94% score from the audience.
The team faces brand new threats in this movie, with the stakes being higher than ever when it involves one of the members of the team. Still recovering from his heartbreak and loss of Gamora, Peter Quill and his band of misfits are settled in on Knowhere when Adam Warlock crashes in.
Adam Warlock has long been teased to appear in the MCU since ‘Thor: Dark World’ and the first ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ However, it was in the post-credit scene in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2’ that confirmed his appearance. Played by Will Poulter, the MCU’s Adam Warlock origin differs from the comics. Instead of being created by scientists, Adam Warlock in the film is a Sovereign warrior created by the high priestess Ayesha and The High Evolutionary.
The film also introduces The High Evolutionary (played by Chukwudi Iwuji) to the MCU. A geneticist whose personal mission is to create the perfect species, he abducted various creatures for his experiment, with Rocket Raccoon (then named 89P13) being one of his test subjects. When Rocket points out the flaws in The High Evolutionary’s project, it confuses and angers him to the point where he orders Rocket’s brain to be removed so that he can study him.
Rocket manages to escape. Years later, when The High Evolutionary learns of his involvement with the Guardians of the Galaxy, he orders Adam Warlock to retrieve him at all costs.
When it comes to the Guardians of the Galaxy, we know we’re in for a grand space adventure, with hilarious banter between the Guardians. However, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ takes on a more somber and emotional tone. With director James Gunn being the co-chairman of DC Studios, this is likely the final film he’ll direct for Marvel. This movie not only wraps up the adventures of the current team of the Guardians, but it also dives into the origin story of Rocket.
Previously named 89P13, Rocket Raccoon is subjected to tests and experiments by The High Evolutionary. In flashback scenes, we meet Rocket’s fellow cagemates Floor, Teefs, and Lylla. The four friends found comfort in each other, often playing games and daydreaming about the “forever and beautiful sky.” The message of animal cruelty is not missed in the film, and what The High Evolutionary does to Rocket and his friends will send a shock through your system and gives you an insight into some of Rocket’s hardened personality.
Though the Guardians tend to bicker with each other, the group has become quite close-knit. Once Rocket’s life is on the line, his friends will stop at nothing to save him, even if it means sacrificing themselves. Rocket is definitely the heart of this story and we suggest you have some tissues on standby when you watch.
Where Can I Watch ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’?
(L to R) Karen Gillan as Nebula, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
The film premiered at Disneyland Paris on April 22nd, 2023. Later, the US premiere was held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California, on April 27th, 2023. The movie is still showing in theaters, so be sure to check with Moviefone below for showtimes in your area. ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ has a total runtime of 2 hours and 30 minutes, making it the longest film in the Guardians franchise.
Watch the official trailers for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3’ below:
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Can’t make it out to the theater? You will soon have the option to rent or purchase the movie on VOD. Services such as Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, and Movies Anywhere will have the movie available digitally on July 7th, 2023.
As for as streaming goes, an official date hasn’t been confirmed. The movie is released by Disney so it is likely to end up on Disney+ once it is ready to go to streaming.
For those who prefer physical copies, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ will be available on DVD/Blu-Ray on August 1st, 2023, complete with special features such as featurettes, deleted scenes, director’s commentary, and gag reel.
To watch our exclusive interview with writer/director James Gunn and Chris Pratt about ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3,’ please click on the video player below.
(Left) Bradley Cooper at the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ World Premiere. (Right) Will Arnett in ‘Muppets Haunted Mansion.’ Photo: Disney/Mitch Haaseth.
They have been friends for years, but Bradley Cooper and Will Arnett haven’t collaborated on screen much besides both being in the casts for ‘The Comebacks’ and ‘The Rocker’. But all that is set to change now they’re teaming up for a new movie called‘Is This Thing On?’
What’s the story of Cooper and Arnett’s new movie?
Bradley Cooper at the premiere of ‘American Sniper.’
That’s the big mystery right now. In keeping with so many movies at an early stage of development, the plot details have yet to be released.
But can we postulate that the title refers to stand-up comedians? It certainly sounds like something someone on stage would say to a bad audience.
Arnett wrote the script with Mark Chappell, with whom he collaborated on Netflix comedy drama ‘Flaked’. He’ll star in the movie alongside Cooper, and the latter will direct.
According to Deadline, Arnett and Chappell completed a draft before the start of the WGA strike, but it still needs more work, but that will have to wait until the strike is over.
Bradley Cooper’s advancing career
(L to R) Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in 2018’s ‘A Star Is Born.’
But in more recent years has also become a respected director and producer, scooping up Oscar nominations for the likes of ‘A Star is Born’ and ‘Joker’.
Right now, he’s in post-production on ‘Maestro’, focused on composer Leonard Bernstein, in which he plays the music legend as well as directing, producing and co-writing. Netflix is hoping that this could be one of its big awards players this year.
Arnett’s credentials
(L to R) Michael Cera as Robin and Will Arnett as Batman in ‘The Lego Batman Movie.’
Arnett, meanwhile, is probably still best known for TV’s ‘Arrested Development’, where he played the smug Gob. He’s also the lead voice in ‘BoJack Horseman’.
Movie-wise, he’s the voice of Batman in the ‘Lego Movies’ (including leading ‘The Lego Batman Movie’) and has been seen in such movies as the live-action/CG ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ outings, ‘Blades of Glory’ and ‘Hot Rod’. He’s also one of the hosts of the ‘SmartLess’ Podcast, which has just released a documentary series on Max covering its recent live tour. Next up for the actor? The long-awaited release of Taika Waititi’s ‘Next Goal Wins’, due in theaters on November 17th.
‘Is This Thing On’ is set up at Searchlight Pictures, but, as mentioned above, there’s no idea when it’ll start shooting, which means it also doesn’t yet have an assigned release date.
Bradley Cooper at the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ World Premiere.
After an attack from Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) injures Rocket, the Guardians learn of his origins and confront his creator, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). Meanwhile, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is still coming to terms with the “new” Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), who is now a Ravager. In order to save their friend, the Guardians must go on a dangerous mission that could lead to the team dissolving if they fail.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3?’
Joining the cast are actors Chukwudi Iwuji (‘Peacemaker‘) as the High Evolutionary, and Will Poulter (‘We’re the Millers‘) as Adam Warlock.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with writer and director James Gunn and Chris Pratt about their work on ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3,’ telling Rocket’s story, what the franchise has meant to Pratt, and what fans can expect from the new film.
(L to R) James Gunn and Chris Pratt attend the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood CA on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview with Gunn and Pratt.
Moviefone: To begin with, James, what would you tell fans sitting down to watch this movie now to prepare them for the theater experience they are about to have?
James Gunn: I know so many of you have grown up with ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ So many of you have seen and supported us over the years. We’re so grateful to you for that and we really put our hearts and souls in this movie. We put in every ounce of everything we could, and I hope you guys enjoy it from the bottom of my heart.
Marvel Studio’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
MF: Chris, what would you say to the fans to get them ready for this movie?
Chris Pratt: First of all, I’d say thank you. Thank you. You sitting down in these seats right now are the reason the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ are the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ We’ve been able to full on live our dreams because of the support of the greatest fans in the world. Thank you so much. We really owe it all to you. James is extraordinary. He’s led me on this journey and he’s created what I think is the best of the three films. Buckle up and I hope you have some tissues nearby.
MF: James, can you talk about the decision to tell Rocket’s origin story in this movie and how his journey is the heart of the franchise?
JG: I’ve always thought of Rocket as sort of the heart of the ‘Guardian’s story. In a lot of ways he’s the least mature of the characters, he’s just been a very angry guy. I think that throughout the series we see characters do heroic things. Rocket does heroic things, but it’s only been for himself or for his friends. He doesn’t really have a sense of empathy for anyone beyond that, and this is a movie about how he became that way. We go back to where he was born, how he came about, how he was created by the High Evolutionary, and we learn everything about him and his tragic past.
(L to R) Karen Gillan as Nebula, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
MF: Finally, Chris, can you talk about your ‘Guardians’ experience, what playing Star-Lord, working on this franchise, and creating friendships with the cast and James has meant to you?
CP: It’s just now starting to hit me how grateful I am to have had a friend in James. It’s been amazing. He’s made my life. He’s changed my life. He’s changed the life of me and my family, my children, and probably their children. He took me by the hand. He found a working actor who had already at that point done way better than most people who come out to town. I wasn’t a waiter any longer, I was a series regular on a show. I was getting recognition. He brought me to a whole new level that ultimately changed the entire way the industry saw me. I no longer was auditioning. That was the last audition I ever had. So he changed my life.
(L to R) Writer and director James Gunn and Chris Pratt from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’
Other Movies Similar to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3:’
Witten and directed by James Gunn, the Sci-Fi action adventure comedy ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is scheduled for release from Marvel Studios on May 5th 2023.
(L to R) Karen Gillan as Nebula, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, and Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
After an attack from Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) injures Rocket, the Guardians learn of his origins and confront his creator, the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). Meanwhile, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is still coming to terms with the “new” Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), who is now a Ravager. In order to save their friend, the Guardians must go on a dangerous mission that could lead to the team dissolving if they fail.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?’
While it’s not a perfect movie, James Gunn finishes his trilogy off with a heartfelt love letter to the franchise, in a character-driven movie that ties up loose ends and brings many arcs to a close. The actors are given room to explore their characters, and the villain is strong, but make no mistakes … this is Rocket’s movie!
Writer and director James Gunn at Los Angeles premiere of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’
Story, Direction and Visual Effects
Full disclosure: I love the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movies, in fact, they’re both in my top ten of MCU movies. But ‘Guardians 3’ is different than the previous films, its somber, character-driven, and darker, while still having James Gunn’s signature weirdness, humor, and music. The story ties up all the loose ends of the trilogy, including Quill and Gamora’s relationship, but really takes time to explore all the core characters, especially Rocket.
Obviously a lot of time is spent on Quill, Gamora, and Rocket, but Drax, Mantis, Nebula, Groot, and even Kraglin are all given their time to shine. The movie starts off slow and somber, and drags a bit in the middle, but has a very touching and action-packed third act. James Gunn clearly has an affection for this trilogy and these actors, and it shows in the film which is really a love letter to them.
For the most part, the visual effects work, and the colorful costumes and creatures are interesting and fun. But I do question the odd flesh-colored uniforms that the guards (including Nathan Fillion) wear at the High Evolutionary’s headquarters. They were just a little too weird and goofy for me, and distracted from the story.
Make no mistakes … this is Rocket’s movie! The film actually takes place in two timelines, flashing back throughout the movie to tell Rocket’s origin story. Over the course of the previous ‘Guardian’ movies and his appearances in ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame,’ Rocket’s become my favorite Marvel character and his story arc here is extremely touching. He’s the heart of the movie, and exploring his past while saying something about animal cruelty was both smart and affective. Some of the creatures we meet in his past are very creepy, but again, the message is not lost. While it’s only a voice role, Bradley Cooper’s “Gilbert Gottfried meets Bill the Butcher” performance has brought the character to life and his work here is touching, emotional, funny and makes Rocket a stronger character.
Marvel Studio’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Chris Pratt is given a lot more emotional work to do with Quill this time around, and handles it well, especially his scenes with Gamora. Zoe Saldaña returns as the ‘Avengers: Endgame’ version of Gamora, allowing the actress to play a new character, in a sense. When the original Gamora died in ‘Infinity War,’ I was really sad to see her go because she had grown so much since the original film and I loved her relationship with Quill, but the new Gamora had really grown on me by the end of this film, thanks to Saldaña’s layered performance.
In a movie with so many characters, it’s easy for some to get lost in the shuffle and not get the screen time they deserve, but the movie balances the characters well and gives them all a moment to shine. Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, and even Sean Gunn, are all given time to explore their characters and grow through the course of the movie. As for Groot, he’s not a kid anymore and like Rocket, also has a great arc over the course of the trilogy, and surprisingly, Vin Diesel gets to do a little more in this movie than just say: “I Am Groot.”
Chukwudi Iwuji plays the High Evolutionary and is actually a pretty good Marvel villain. I found the performance menacing and effective, even though his ultimate evil plan is confusing at times. But his motivations and hubris made the character believable, and Iwuji gives a fun, if not over-the-top at times, performance.
Chukwudi Iwuji as the High Evolutionary in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Is Adam Warlock a Good Guy?
Yes and no. He’s an unwilling villain in the beginning, but has a change of heart over the course of the film, which I must say is paced well and is ultimately effective. But to be honest, I didn’t like the way the character was depicted, and didn’t care for Will Poulter’s performance, although it’s through no fault of his own. In the film, the character is the son of ‘Guardians Vol. 2’ baddie Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), and is depicted as a brainless, bratty mama’s boy, and while the characterization gets a few laughs, it didn’t work for me knowing the character’s importance in the comics. Poulter physically transformed to play the role, and looks great, but for me, the character and performance just didn’t work.
(L to R) Will Poulter as Adam Warlock and Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Are There End-Credit Scenes in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?’
Yes. There are two in fact. The first sets up a possible future for the franchise, beyond the current lineup, and the second would set up a spinoff of sorts for one of the main characters. Both scenes are ‘Guardians’ centric and do not hint to any other upcoming MCU projects.
Will There Be a ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 4?’
That’s hard to say at this time. James Gunn certainly is saying goodbye to the franchise, as he’ll be busy in the near future working on ‘Superman: Legacy’ and running DC Studios. As previously mentioned, the first end-credit scene does hint at a possible future installment, and the team teased for that is incredibly intriguing. As is the possibility of the spinoff teased in the other end-credit scene, with a character that is strong enough to carry their own film franchise, or at least a Disney+ series. Whether or not we will see any of the other Guardians in future Marvel projects, is anyone’s guess.
Vin Diesel as Groot in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Final Thoughts
In the end, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’ is not a perfect film, and in some ways is not quite as fun as the previous two movies, but is a very loving sendoff to the current team and a dark and emotional look at these beloved characters.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.
Marvel Studio’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3.’ Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
Other Movies Similar to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3:’
Witten and directed by James Gunn, the Sci-Fi action adventure comedy ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is scheduled for release from Marvel Studios on May 5th 2023.
Marvel Comics’ Adam Warlock. Photo courtesy of Marvel.com.
If you’ve watched the moody trailer for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’, you’ll know that the third ‘Guardians’ outing, once again written and directed by James Gunn, promises to be an emotional capper to at least this incarnation of the team.
Though Gunn insists that it’s not some huge cull that will leave everyone permanently off the board (particularly as, thanks to their participation in the ‘Avengers’ movies, they’re important to the fabric of the MCU), it seems like we’ll be saying goodbye to more than one member (and comments by Dave Bautista about leaving Drax behind makes us suspect he could either die heroically or sail off somewhere else in the universe).
And one of the biggest issues that the Guardians––Bautista’s Drax, Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill, Zoe Saldana’s Gamora, Karen Gillan’s Nebula and Pom Klementieff’s Mantis, plus CG characters Rocket Racoon (brought to life by Sean Gunn in performance capture and voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel)––will face is Adam Warlock, played by British actor Will Poulter.
Created by gold-hued Sovereign leader Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) after the Guardians double-crossed her in ‘Vol. 2’, Warlock promises that this prime example of the Sovereign race will destroy our morally changeable heroes. He’s a powerful warrior… But is he entirely a bad guy?
“It’s kind of more complicated than that,” Gunn tells Empire. “But he’s definitely not a good guy. What we’re seeing is the infant form of Warlock, newly out of the cocoon, and he does not understand life very well. He’s basically a baby.”
Will Poulter as Adam Warlock in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Photo courtesy of Empire Magazine.
After a long search for the right actor to bring him to life, Gunn settled on Poulter, known for films such as the ‘Maze Runner’ movies and, more recently, horror title ‘Midsommar’.
“People online were saying, ‘Oh, Tom Cruise should be Adam Warlock,’” says Gunn. “I wanted somebody who was youthful, and I wanted the person who had the dramatic chops and the comedic chops, not only for this movie but for what Marvel will use Adam Warlock for in the future. He could become this really important character.”
Yes, in true Marvel style, Warlock looks to be hanging around the MCU for a while yet, and he’ll certainly be handy for the future of the Multiverse Saga, which is the overarching title for Phases four, five and six.
For now, though, we’ll have to wait and see how Warlock pans out in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’, which will also feature Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary, who promises to be even more of a problem for our heroes.
The special follows Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) as they set out to give Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) the best Christmas ever, after discovering that Yondu (Michael Rooker) ruined the holiday for him as a child. So, the two Guardians travel to Earth to kidnap Peter’s childhood hero, the ‘Footloose’ actor Kevin Bacon (playing himself), as the ultimate gift for Peter.
The result is a fun and heartwarming holiday special, and while the plot is somewhat predictable, it features great alternative Christmas music, a funny Kevin Bacon performance, and tees up ‘Guardians Vol. 3’ perfectly.
Pound for pound, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is probably my favorite MCU movie, and the story was expanded well in ‘Guardians Vol. 2.’ But those two movies take place back to back, and with ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’ taking place before ‘Guardians Vol. 3,’ and the untimely firing and rehiring of Gunn by Disney, I’ve been concerned that the third ‘Guardians’ movie would not be what the filmmaker originally conceived for the trilogy. Remember, had Gunn not been fired, ‘Guardians Vol. 3,’ would have been released towards the beginning of Phase Four rather than the end.
Also, with the original Gamora (Zoe Saldana) dead, and a younger version of her running around the universe, this is not the Guardians team we began with and the ‘Holiday Special’ does a great job of setting up where our characters will be when ‘Vol. 3’ begins.
The Guardians now comprise of Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, Nebula (Karen Gillan), Kraglin (Sean Gunn), Rocket (Voice of Bradley Cooper), new member Cosmo the Spacedog (Voiced for the first time by Maria Bakalova) and Groot (Voiced by Vin Diesel), who is now in his late teens but almost fully grown. We soon discover that they have inherited Nowhere from the Collector (Benicio del Toro) and are helping the locals rebuild their community. Other Marvel secrets revealed include the identity of Mantis’ father, and that Gamora is still missing at the time of the special.
Since this is a Disney+ special, and not a theatrical movie, obviously it did not have the same budget as other ‘Guardians’ films, but for the most part it never compromises the project. However, there were two scenes that could have used more effects work.
The movie begins with a flashback to Peter’s first Christmas with Yondu, and crude animation is used instead of live-action. One can assume this is because Michael Rooker is not in ‘Guardians Vol. 3,’ and was not available on set when they shot the special. The animation is rough, which matches Peter’s foggy memory, but distracted from the rest of the production. If animation was the only way to go with this sequence, using similar animation to the Disney+ series ‘What If…?’ would have fit the project better.
While Rocket and Groot are used sparingly, probably for budget reasons, Rocket looks good and is on par with his big screen appearances. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Groot, who at times looks more like the theme park character at Disneyland. In the special, Groot looks like someone in a rubber suit, rather than the CGI character we are used to.
But it’s the music, holiday themes, our beloved characters, and Gunn’s unique storytelling style that puts the “Special” in ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.’ Gunn clearly understands the spirit of Christmas and knows what works in a project like this, with obvious influences from holiday specials of the past like 1964’s ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’ 1966’s ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!,’ and of course, 1978’s ‘Star Wars Holiday Special.’
The filmmaker also fills the special with non-traditional Christmas music like “Christmastime” by The Smashing Pumpkins or The Pogues’ classic song, “Fairytale of New York.” The underrated rock band the Old 97’s actually makes an appearance as an alien rock group on Nowhere learning about Christmas, and has a great performance at the end of the special with Kevin Bacon, who don’t forget is a musician himself.
Bacon is great playing a confused version of himself when Drax and Mantis abduct him, and he eventually befriends the whole group, becoming an honorary Guardian, which is fitting. The actor, who appeared in Gunn’s ‘Super,’ is a good sport spoofing his own persona and clearly understands what Gunn was aiming for. It’s also worth noting that Bacon’s real-life wife, actress Kyra Sedgwick makes a vocal cameo in the project.
As far as the core actors, Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff have the largest roles, and have become a fantastic comedic team over the last few films. Drax and Mantis’ platonic friendship is one of the most engaging relationships in the franchise, and I’m intrigued to see where it goes in the next installment.
But the other Guardians have smaller roles. Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord does not have a lot to do but react to Mantis and Drax’s spontaneous Christmas, which he is emotionally touched by until he realizes that they kidnapped Kevin Bacon! Pratt’s basically just there to react, but has a touching scene with Mantis at the end, which I imagine will have large repercussions moving forward.
While Sean Gunn’s Kraglin is involved in the retelling of Peter’s first Christmas with Yondu, he’s basically in the background with Karen Gillan’s Nebula, who could have had a larger role. I also would have liked to see more interaction between Rocket and Groot, two fan-favorites, but we’ll have to wait for the next movie as Rocket mostly shares his scenes with Cosmo the Spacedog, who was originally introduced in the first film. But it was nice to get a tease of ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’s Maria Bakalova as the voice of Cosmo.
In the end, ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ may not be the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.5’ fans were hoping for, but it is a very funny and entertaining Christmas special that should offer enough character interaction, humor, and music to hold fans over until ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ hits theaters on May 5th, 2023.
‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special’ receives 4 out of 5 stars.
Bradley Cooper at the premiere of ‘American Sniper.’
Fittingly, given how speedy the character tends to be in his first movie, things are moving quickly for Steven Spielberg’s movie based around Frank Bullitt, as ironically brought to screens by Steve McQueen in 1968.
We brought you the news in February that Spielberg was developing a new movie that would take the hard-nosed policeman and bring him to a new story for Warner Bros.
Deadline has now heard that Bradley Cooper is closing a deal to play the man, putting his own impressive charisma up against McQueen’s. Quite the challenge…
In Peter Yates’ original movie, the story finds ambitious Senator Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) aiming to take down mob boss Pete Ross (Vic Tayback) with the help of testimony from the criminal’s hothead brother Johnny (Pat Renella). The witness is in protective custody in San Francisco under the watch of police lieutenant Frank Bullitt (McQueen). When a pair of mob hitmen enter the scene, Bullitt follows their trail through a maze of complications and double-crosses.
The result is widely regarded as one of the most iconic car chases in movie history, barreling through the streets of San Francisco and jumping its many hills, all scored with Lalo Schifrin’s memorable music.
Steve McQueen in 1968’s ‘Bullitt.’
No details have been released about what the new film will find Bullitt doing, but chances are it’ll involve fast cars, hard knocks and plenty of action. Josh Springer, who wrote ‘The Post’ for Spielberg, is developing the script with the director.
This marks Spielberg and Cooper finding a way to work directly together at last after a couple of false starts. Spielberg was originally aboard ‘American Sniper’ (which starred Cooper) before leaving ahead of shooting, to be replaced by Clint Eastwood. Then there’s the more recent ‘Maestro’, about legendary composer Leonard Bernstein.
As with ‘Sniper’, Spielberg was considering directing, but began to reconsider. And after seeing how Cooper handled calling the shots (and starring) in the Oscar-winning ‘A Star is Born’, he was confident in handing the reins over to the actor, who pulled double duty on the biopic. It’ll be out via Netflix next year.
And this potential ‘Bullitt’ collaboration has been rumbling for a while like the engine of a 1968 Ford Mustang. Spielberg and Cooper apparently spent time spit-balling what might make for a good outing during the pandemic (presumably over zoom like everyone else) and figuring out whether it’s something they wanted to work on.
Looks like they worked it all out, though the movie is still just in development for now.
As for Spielberg, his semi-autobiographical drama ‘The Fabelmans’ is on limited release now, ahead of a wider platform schedule next week.
(L to R) Gabriel LaBelle and co-writer/producer/director Steven Spielberg on the set of ‘The Fabelmans.’
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Even as its live-action offerings continue to expand (‘She-Hulk’ is next up on the roster), Disney and Marvel are not neglecting the animated side of their televisual universe.
At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, the Marvel team offered a blend of announcements, confirmations and new details on their various animated series.
‘What If…?’ of course, has already had its first season out on the streaming service, will be back for more early next year. The panel included a screening of one episode of Season 2, plus news that Season 3 has just been commissioned. Season 2 includes episodes featuring characters such as ‘Thor: Ragnarok’s Hela.
The Zombies episode of ‘What If…?’ was a popular one among fans, so of course the MCU is spinning that one off. ‘Marvel Zombies’, also inspired by the 2005 comics run, takes place in an alternate reality where a new generation of heroes must battle against a zombie apocalypse.
That show is overseen by executive producer Bryan Andrews (who directs) and written by fellow executive producer Zeb Wells.
San Diego Comic-Con 2022 Marvel Animation panel.
Further away in terms of release is ‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year’, the new Spidey cartoon series.
Originally announced on Disney+ Day last year, ‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year’ is an animated series that follows Peter Parker on his way to becoming Spider-Man in the MCU, with a journey unlike we’ve ever seen and a style that celebrates the character’s early comic book roots. With Jeff Trammel as head writer, the show will be set before the events of ‘Captain America: Civil War’ and naturally sees Peter wearing a version of his earlier, more homemade suit.
Jeff Trammell teased the show with the cast of characters, and Ryan Meinerding showed off the new Spider-Man suit designed for the series. A fun reveal was that moderator Paul F. Tompkins will be playing a character in the series. A second season was also announced, aptly titled ‘Spider-Man: Sophomore Year.’
We learned at the panel that Charlie Cox is aboard to voice Matt Murdock/Daredevil in the series, though there’s no word on whether Tom Holland is playing Peter (he’s said before he’d be happy to do it). Doctor Strange was also featured in the artwork shown at the panel.
‘Freshman Year’ will debut on Disney+ in 2024.
Before that, we’ll see one of the more anticipated offerings, ‘X-Men ’97’. Written and produced by Beau DeMayo, it’ll further the legacy of the 1990s ‘X-Men: The Animated Series’ and, to the delight of fans in the audience at the Con, will indeed feature the iconic theme music.
San Diego Comic-Con 2022 Marvel Animation panel.
While the show is still in an unfinished state, DeMayo brought artwork and an animatic, and announced that a Season 2 is also being figured out.
‘X-Men ’97’ heads to Disney+ in Fall 2023.
On the sillier and more adorable side of things, we have ‘I Am Groot’, which spins off the toddler version of the leafy ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ character. Voiced, as usual by Vin Diesel, the five initial shorts while chronicles his glory days growing up — and getting into trouble — among the stars.
Written, produced and directed by Kirsten Lepore the Groot shorts, teased in the first trailer for the show, offer the chance for limited dialogue fun as Groot encounters other creatures – and has problems with them!
Bradley Cooper is back to voice Rocket and Lepore announced that a further five shorts are now in the works.
The first batch will take root on Disney+ on August 10th.
(L to R) Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in 2018’s ‘A Star Is Born.’
After co-writer/director Todd Phillips offered an update about the status of the sequel to 2018 hit ‘Joker’ last week, the latest developments to emerge about the movie are quite the follow-up.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, not only is Lady Gaga now in early talks to co-star, but the movie is shaping up to be a musical, or at least carry a solid musical element. As if people weren’t paying attention to the sequel already, that’s certainly something to make them.
Gaga, of course, is a big star these days, with an Oscar on her mantel and plenty of acclaim for ‘A Star is Born’ in particular (it’s perhaps little coincidence that Phillips co-produced that Bradley Cooper-directed movie).
And, if she does end up making a deal to appear, word is she’ll be playing iconic Joker character Harley Quinn, his psychiatrist at the mental institution known as Arkham Asylum who falls in love with him and becomes his sidekick and partner in crime.
This being Phillips’ own world, not connected to the DC Extended Universe, any potential Gaga Harley would be different from Margot Robbie’s Quinn, who has so far appeared in two ‘Suicide Squad’ movies and her own spin-off, ‘Birds of Prey’.
And it’s not like ‘Joker’ eschewed other Batman characters completely: we got a smattering of them in Phillips’ vision of Gotham, including a young Bruce Wayne and a corrupt version of his father, Thomas.
Joaquin Phoenix in 2019’s ‘Joker’ courtesy of Warner Bros.
The musical element is harder to pin down, but it certainly makes Gaga’s casting resonate even further. While the first ‘Joker’ movie certainly had music in it (and one iconic scene featuring Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck dancing), the idea that the sequel will be a full-blown, tune-filled affair is an intriguing one.
If you were looking to sidestep the usual cries of sequel fatigue, that’s certainly one way to go about it! Right now, it’s all up the air as Gaga still has to lock in her deal, while Phoenix is also in the midst of figuring out the financials for his return to the lead.
Co-writer Scott Silver and Phillips have been hard at work on drafts of the script, and the movie’s current working title is ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ which translates to the term for a mental disorder that affects more than one person. And that’s definitely a good way to describe the viral chaos that Arthur Fleck began spreading around Gotham in the original.
How closely the new movie will hew to established DC lore is unknown at this point – we’d honestly put money on Phillips continuing to chart his own path, picking and choosing how Fleck’s story intersects with the wider Bat-world.
The ‘Joker’ sequel doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet, but there’s a chance it could be ready for screens next year. And will it be a full-blown musical? Lady Gaga might have scored a trophy for “Shallow”, but it’s Arthur Fleck who is off the deep end.
