Moviefone Editorial

Tag: brie-larson

  • Director Justin Lin Leaves ‘Fast X’

    Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson in 'Fast Five,' directed by Justin Lin.
    (L to R) Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson in ‘Fast Five,’ directed by Justin Lin.

    As a franchise, the ‘Fast & Furious’ movies have sped through all manner of challenges: changing cast rosters, the clashing, outsized movie star and music egos of some of its actors and even a long delay for the last movie because of the pandemic.

    Yet somehow, none of them have screamed, “the wheels are coming off!” quite like the departure of director Justin Lin 10 days into shooting the latest installment, ‘Fast X’.

    While it is not unusual for directors to depart movies, especially big ones, the fact that one of the acknowledged architects of the ‘Fast’ series, one who has produced and directed five of the movies since kicking off his association with ‘The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift’ in 2006, has stepped away – in the middle of shooting, no less – is something of a shocker.

    “With the support of Universal, I have made the difficult decision to step back as director of ‘Fast X’, while remaining with the project as a producer. Over 10 years and five films, we have been able to shoot the best actors, the best stunts, and the best damn car chases,” Lin says in a statement posted to the franchise’s official twitter feed. “On a personal note, as the child of Asian immigrants, I am proud of helping to build the most diverse franchise in movie history. I will forever be grateful to the amazing cast, crew and studio for their support, and for welcoming me into the ‘Fast’ family.”

    So far, so diplomatic. And according to sources who spoke to the likes of Deadline, the parting was amicable, if rooted in the age-old reason of “creative differences”. It’s a little more surprising, (though again, not unheard of), for those to emerge now, while the cameras are rolling, than in the months of scripting and pre-production that precede a giant movie such as this.

    In the past few months there has been nothing but positivity from Camp Fast, albeit that’s because it’s primarily driven by star and producer Vin Diesel, who offers semi-regular updates on his Instagram page. It’s perhaps telling, though, that one recent example, shot to celebrate the end of the first week’s filming features a Lin who seems both tired and less than thrilled about participating.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CcqfJkADqkW

    At the time of writing, Diesel has made no comment on the matter, and Universal, which is about to present its upcoming slate to theater owners at this year’s CinemaCon, may be holding back until there is something to announced. Second Unit filming, also underway in London, is continuing.

    ‘Fast X’, which has kept its plot under wraps so far (though you can guess there will be outrageous car stunts, scheming villains to be thwarted and references to “family”), boasts the likes of Jason Momoa, Brie Larson and ‘The Suicide Squad’s Daniela Melchior joining the more regular ensemble, which includes Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang and Nathalie Emmanuel, plus Charlize Theron, returning as the crafty Cipher.

    Right now, the movie is still scheduled to race into theaters on May 19th next year.

    PeUoT2JG3jB1iiHmbfYgB2

  • ‘Fast & Furious 10’ is Titled ‘Fast X’

    'Fast X' Logo.
    ‘Fast X’ Logo. Courtesy of Vin Diesel’s Instagram account.

    Ever the one ready to reveal the slightest hint of ‘Fast & Furious’ news, Vin Diesel has once again taken to Instagram, this time with both title details and word of production cranking into gear of the tenth installment.

    So, with a drumroll that somehow also sounds like the revving of a Dodge Charger, the word arrives that the new movie is called… ‘Fast X’.

    It’s certainly a striking, short title, but offers little clues as to what the movie itself might be about. And it has, predictably, already fallen afoul of social media jokers, who have likened the title to a pill of some sort.

    Not forgetting the camp who would rather the movie have been called ‘Fast 10 Your Seatbelts’.

    Shrugging off all such concerns, Diesel simply captioned his logo image with, “Day One…” pointing to the fact that the cameras are now rolling and, if we know anything about this franchise, wheels are already turning. And likely jumping over/off things.

    Despite the regular updates from Diesel – AKA family and car-obsessed Dominic Toretto in the movies – nothing has yet been said about the plot for this latest offering of ‘Fast’ fuel.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Cck6QKJLpHS/

    Given the reportedly returning presence of Charlize Theron’s Cipher, we can reliably predict that Dom and the team will have to thwart her latest nefarious scheme (unless, of course, she’s in the process of switching to Dom’s side, though that seems unlikely for now).

    And aiding her this time around will be a new, mysterious baddie brought to booming life by Jason Momoa, who has already expressed his enthusiasm for playing an “amazing” character. “He’s ornery,” Momoa told Entertainment Tonight – when the show caught up with him at the LA premiere of ‘Ambulance’. “He’s misunderstood.” Again, we’re forced to wonder whether he might follow a traditional road of starting out as a villain but ending up helping Dom and the rest.

    Diesel’s Toretto is naturally back behind the wheel alongside an assortment of the ‘Fast’ regulars including Michelle Rodriguez as Letty, Tyrese Gibson as Roman, Ludacris as Tej, Sung Kang as Han, and Nathalie Emmanuel as Ramsey.

    They’ll be joined by two new faces – at least to this franchise: ‘Captain Marvel’ star and Oscar winner Brie Larson, who chalks up another big franchise and ‘The Suicide Squad’s Daniela Melchior, both of whose characters remain a mystery for now.

    Justin Lin, who has directed more of the ‘Fast’ movies than anyone else, is back overseeing this new one and while all involved remain secretive about what we can expect, allow us to speculate that huge vehicular stunts, jokey repartee between Roman and Tej, possibly some dangerous McGuffin to be found/stopped and, of course, more references to “family” than your average Mafia miniseries.

    ‘Fast X’ will be headed into theaters on May 19th.

    PeUoT2JG3jB1iiHmbfYgB2

  • Brie Larson Joins ‘Fast and Furious 10’

    Brie Larson as Captain Marvel
    Brie Larson as Carol Danvers in 2019’s ‘Captain Marvel.’

    When it comes to news about the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise, it’s often best to skip the usual PR announcements and just head straight to Vin Diesel’s social media feeds. Because the star and producer of the speedy franchise frequently offers up the first information about forward movement. Case in point? Revealing that Brie Larson has joined ‘Fast & Furious 10’.

    Posting a smiling picture of himself hanging out with Larson, the man who plays Dominic Toretto remarked in his trademark style about the new addition. “Yeah yeah yeah… you see this angel over my shoulder cracking me up, you say to your self [Sic] ‘that’s captain Marvel’,” Diesel wrote. “Clearly there is love and laughter in this image. What you don’t see however, is the character you will be introduced to in ‘Fast10’. You have no idea how timeless and amazing she will be in our mythology. Beyond her beauty, her intellect… her Oscar, haha is this profound soul who will add something you might not have expected but yearned for.”

    You can find the full post below…

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CcJ-Yw0rCqd

    Quite what Larson will be doing in the film is anyone’s guess, beyond Diesel’s comment about her being “timeless and amazing” and adding “something you might not have expected but yearned for.” His parting comment of “welcome to the FAMILY” suggests she might be joining Dom’s crew, but there’s always a chance she’ll be on the other side of the equation, helping Charlize Theron’s scheming Cipher. But even if she is, expect a traditional ‘Fast’ switch to Team Dom.

    It’s the latest blockbuster move for Oscar winner Larson, who is best known for playing Captain Marvel in her eponymous film and ‘Avengers: Endgame’ (plus her brief credits cameo in ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘). She’ll be back in theaters next year for ‘The Marvels,’ which will see her Carol Danvers sharing the screen with Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel (who has her own Disney+ series starting June 8) and Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau, the adult version of the character we met in ‘WandaVision’.

    ‘Fast 10’, meanwhile, has been busy adding various actors to its cast ahead of director Justin Lin starting shooting soon. Jason Momoa and ‘The Suicide Squad’s Daniela Melchior are both already aboard and set to share the screen with returning ‘Fast’ regulars Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sung Kang.

    The plot for the movie remains a mystery, but who are we kidding? Few people are looking to the ‘Fast’ franchise for its plot – we go for the massive, physics-mocking vehicular set pieces, banter between the cast, Diesel’s Dominic Toretto growling about “family” at every given opportunity and the wide array of twists and turns.

    ‘Fast 10’ is planned as the beginning of the end for the franchise, with a May 19, 2023 release date on the books and a follow-up film that will wrap up the story. We’d be shocked if Diesel and co. take their foot off the gas completely after that, though: the ‘Fast’ movies have been too lucrative for that. Expect spin-offs and other ways to keep things moving beyond that.

    PeUoT2JG3jB1iiHmbfYgB2

  • First Trailer for Disney+ Series ‘Ms. Marvel’

    Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan
    Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan in Disney+’s ‘Ms. Marvel.’

    Marvel has shown a real willingness to expand its roster of characters of late, seeking out people from the pages of the comics who don’t look like a lot of the current crop. And whose stories are on the weirder side. With ‘Moon Knight’ (starring Oscar Isaac as a vigilante who has multiple personalities and a penchant for white suits) due to hit Disney+ on March 30th, we now know that he’ll be followed by ‘Ms. Marvel.’

    The focus here is Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old Jersey City native who hero worships Captain Marvel (hence her alter ego), crushes on boys at school, hasn’t quite figured out her life. Iman Vellani plays the main character, Marvel’s first Muslim title hero.

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ premiered as a standalone comic book series back in 2014 from creators Sana Amanat, G. Willow Wilson, and Adrian Alphona. The TV adaptation was originally announced at the D23 convention back in 2019.

    Boasting a visual style that harkens back to its comic book roots more than even Marvel has tried before, it also has similarities to how ‘Turning Red’ played with form, and with just a hint of ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’. It’s bubbly, bright, and from the looks of the trailer alone, star Vellani brings a bright, unforced performance that juggles the starstruck Avengers fan-turned-hero with the adorkable teen side.

    There are flights of fantasy, dream montages and, when the moment calls for it, crashing back down to reality thanks to her family and friends.

    SCuojqGl

    Marvel is tweaking her power origin (in the comics, she’s an Inhuman, activated by the Terrigen Mist, but after the benighted ‘Inhumans’ the studio is clearly backing away from that idea so fast you’d barely have time to hear the beeping warning sound. Here, her energy is much more like purple cosmic crystals, which she can manipulate.

    And then there’s her abilities, which were once more focused on Mr. Fantastic-style body morphing but have moved towards the crystal idea (though there is some stretchiness to be found lurking in the trailer.)

    ‘Ms. Marvel’ has ‘Sex Education’ and (keeping it in the Marvel family) ‘Loki’ veteran Bisha K. Ali as its head writer, with episodes directed by ‘Bad Boys for Life’ duo Adil & Bilall, as well as Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Meera Menon. ‘Ms. Marvel’ also stars Saagar Shaikh as Kamala’s older brother Amir, and Zenobia Shroff and Mohan Kapur as her mother and father. Matt Lintz plays her best friend Bruno. But maybe we don’t talk about him yet.

    The series has been delayed at least once – originally thought to be aimed at a late 2021 release, it was pushed to this year, with talk of a late 2022 release. But as the trailer reveals, it’ll make its Disney+ bow on June 8.

    There had been thought that the delay was because of fan concerns for the character moving too far away from her roots in terms of powers (see above), but it might have been to shift the show closer to the character’s next step.

    Vellani’s Khan, you see, is part of ‘Captain Marvel’ sequel ‘The Marvels’, so let the speculation begin as to whether Brie Larson shows up as Kamala’s idol at some point in the show (final episode end credit sting?) to invite her on a bigger adventure.

    Ms. Marvel Poster
    Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan in Disney+’s ‘Ms. Marvel.’

    ‘The Marvels’ arrives in theaters on February 17th next year.

    XVsT1d7zkJcDxiIuB3qk74

  • Marvel, Star Wars, & Pixar Updates from the Disney+ Day Announcements

    On Friday, November 12th, Disney+ celebrated its second anniversary with Disney+ Day, where they announced literally dozens of upcoming series from Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar and more. The presentations, which include some new clips, first looks, and upcoming announcements, can currently be viewed on Disney+, but Moviefone is here to break it all down for you.

    MARVEL

    The Marvel video presentation, which is now available on Disney+, begins with recaps of all the 2021 Marvel series that have been released so far including ‘WandaVision,’ ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,’ ‘Loki,’ and ‘What If…?’ Then we get an extended trailer for ‘Hawkeye,’ which drops on November 24th. We also got to see a full scene from the show, which involves Jeremey Renner’s Hawkeye and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop stealing a car and then getting into a chase while Hawkeye teaches Kate how to use his trick arrows. The sequence is one continuous shot, ending with the two heroes swinging off of a bridge on to a moving train.

    The official synopsis for the series confirms that it is set in a post-blip New York City and follows Clint Barton on a seemingly simple mission to get back to his family for Christmas. But when a threat from his past shows up, Hawkeye reluctantly teams up with 22-year-old skilled archer Kate Bishop to unravel a criminal conspiracy. In addition to Renner and Stanfield, the series also features Vera Farmiga (‘The Departed’), Brian d’Arcy James (‘Spotlight’) and Florence Pugh reprising her ‘Black Widow’ role as Yelena Belova.

    The video presentation also includes fans first look at Oscar Isaac in ‘Moon Knight.’ The series will follow the story of this complex vigilante who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. The multiple identities that live inside him find themselves thrusted into a deadly war of the Gods against the backdrop of modern and ancient Egypt. The clips basically show Isaac’s Marc Spencer being tortured by his dreams, with the character’s voice-over explaining that to the audience. We only get very quick glimpses of Isaac in the Moon Knight outfit, but the presentation ends with him in full costume jumping off of rooftops with the Moon lit full behind him. Actor Ethan Hawke is also set to appear as the show’s big bad.

    We also got new footage from the upcoming series, ‘She-Hulk.’ The teaser is narrated by Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, as she explains that she is a lawyer but also, something else. There is a quick body shot of Jennifer fully-green with her comic book accurate costume, although it cuts away before we see She-Hulk’s face. We also get two glimpses of Mark Ruffalo, who returns as Jennifer’s cousin, Bruce Banner/Hulk.

    The first scene shows Bruce experimenting on Jennifer when she is just a child, presumably in a flashback, but what is interesting is that he is Smart Hulk in this scene. Since ‘Shang-Chi’ gave us an end-credit scene that revealed that at some point after the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ Smart Hulk reverted back to Bruce, it makes you wonder if this scene takes place between ‘Endgame’ and ‘Shang-Chi.’ If that is the case, and Jennifer was a child during that time period, it makes you wonder if the bulk of the series itself will make a time jump and take place decades after ‘Endgame’? We also get a clip that looks more like a commercial, with Jennifer and Bruce dressed in retro clothes and Jennifer saying, “”Don’t make me angry, you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry,” which is clearly a nod to the 1970’s series, The Incredible Hulk.

    The last series to get new footage in the video presentation was ‘Ms. Marvel,’ which stars Iman Vellani as 16-year-old Kamala Khan. A Pakistani American and a fan-girl of the Avengers, Kamala is overjoyed when she discovers she has superpowers, and now must use them to find her place in the world. The footage shows her revealing her iconic mask for the first time and ends with Kamala standing on a New Jersey rooftop wearing a Captain Marvel Halloween Costume and preparing to use her powers to fly for the first time. Vellani is set to reprise her role, along with Teyonah Parris from ‘WandaVision’ and Brie Larson, in the upcoming feature film, ‘The Marvels.’

    But that’s not it! Marvel also announced a slew of new upcoming shows, some of which had been rumored, and also confirmed that ‘Loki’ and ‘What If…?’ will be getting second seasons. In fact, ‘What If…?’ will also be getting a spinoff with the new animated series ‘Marvel Zombies,’ which imagines a world where Marvel’s heroes have been turned into the undead. Staying with animation, Disney+ also announced a sequel to the classic 90’s animated X-Men series entitled ‘X-Men ’97,’ as well as ‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year,’ which will look at Peter Parker’s first year in high school, and ‘I Am Groot,’ a series of original shorts starring everyone’s favorite sentient tree.

    On the live-action side, ‘Secret Invasion’ was confirmed, which is based on the popular Marvel Comics series. The show will bring Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos back together to fight a faction of shape-shifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years. Also confirmed were ‘Echo,’ which will star Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez, who will be introduced in ‘Hawkeye,’ and James Gunn will write and direct ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.’

    Marvel also announced two new series based on the Iron Man franchise. First is ‘Armor Wars,’ which will star Don Cheadle reprising his role as War Machine. The second is ‘Ironheart,’ a series that will star Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, a genius inventor who creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man. Finally, Marvel confirmed the recent rumor that Kathryn Hahn will reprise her ‘WandaVision’ role as Agatha Harkness in her own series, which will be called ‘Agatha: House of Harkness.’

    LUCASFILM

    While there was no new footage included, fans got their first look at the making of the upcoming Star Wars series, ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi.’ The video is narrated by director Debbie Chow and actor Ewan McGregor and explains what fans can expect from the new series. “For this character to come back, the fans have been waiting long enough,” said McGregor. Chow explained that this is a “dark time,” for Kenobi and that it is “not safe” for him with “Jedi hunters” on the rise. McGregor said that his character has one task, which is “to keep Luke safe,” but Chow explained how that is just a starting point for the series.

    “The most beautiful thing of all is that it has brought me back together with Hayden,” McGregor said about the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. “We couldn’t tell the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi without addressing Anakin or Darth Vader,” added Chow. We are then given some behind the scenes shots of McGregor at rehearsal practicing his lightsaber skills. “To have another swing at each other, might be quite satisfying for everybody,” the actor teased in closing.

    Disney+ also released a Boba Fett documentary called ‘Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett.’ It is mostly a “history of the character” video and does not include any new footage from the upcoming series ‘The Book of Boba Fett,’ which premieres on December 29th.

    Finally, the presentation included a video from the set of the new series ‘Willow,’ which is based on the 1988 Ron Howard-directed and George Lucas-produced movie. The film’s star, Warwick Davis returns as the title character, and introduced the cast that includes Ruby Cruz (‘Mare of Easttown’), Erin Kellyman (‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’), and Tony Revolori (‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’). The video was done “tongue in cheek” with Davis playing a version of his arrogant ‘Life’s Too Short’ character and getting upset when the younger cast can’t remember the original film and begin to question why anyone would want a sequel series!

    PIXAR

    Unfortunately, Pixar did not have a lot to announce outside of a Cars-based animated series called ‘Cars on the Road,’ which will feature Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy reprising their roles as Lightning McQueen and Mater, respectively. Other announcements from the animation company included behind the scenes documentaries for the upcoming feature films ‘Turning Red’ and ‘Lightyear,’ as well as a new series called ‘Win or Lose,’ which is an animated show that will highlight the perspectives of different characters as a middle school coed softball team prepares for their championship game.

    DISNEY STUDIOS AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

    On the Disney Studios side, a remake of ‘Cheaper by the Dozen’ was announced, which will star Gabrielle Union (‘Bad Boys II’) and Zach Braff (‘Oz the Great and Powerful’) and is set to premiere in March 2022. ‘Enchanted’ fans will be happy to learn that the long-awaited sequel, ‘Disenchanted’ will hit the streaming network in the fall of 2022 and once again star Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey. It was also announced that comedians John Mulaney and Andy Samberg will star in the new live-action/CG animation film entitled ‘Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers,’ which is based on Disney’s popular chipmunk characters and will premiere in the spring of 2022.

    Director Robert Zemeckis’ ‘Pinocchio,’ based on the Disney animated classic, will bow in the fall of 2022 as well, and stars Tom Hanks, Cynthia Erivo, and Luke Evans, with the voices of Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Keegan-Michael Key and Lorraine Bracco. Also premiering in the fall of 2022, just in time for Halloween, is ‘Hocus Pocus 2,’ which is a sequel to the cult classic 1990’s movie. Returning stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are all set to reprise their roles as the Sanderson sisters in the new sequel. A new clip from Peter Jackson’s upcoming documentary, ‘The Beatles: Get Back’ was also released featuring the legendary band performing “I Got a Feeling” in rare behind the scenes footage. The three-part documentary launches on Disney+ November 25th.

    Disney also announced a new series based on the beloved best-selling novels ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles,’ as well as animated spinoff series from some of their most popular films, including Baymax from ‘Big Hero Six,’ Tiana from ‘The Princess and the Frog,’ and’ Zootopia+,’ which opens up the world of ‘Zootopia.’ They also announced ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild,’ which will star Simon Pegg as his ‘Ice Age: Collision Course’ character.

    Finally, National Geographic announced a new six-part series for 2022 called ‘Limitless’ with Chris Hemsworth. The series will follow the ‘Thor’ actor as he helps viewers discover the full potential of the human body. Nat Geo also announced a series called ‘Welcome to Earth,’ which is set to premiere on Disney+ next month. The series will be hosted by Will Smith as he encounters Earth’s greatest wonders.

  • Michael B. Jordan Legal Drama ‘Just Mercy’ Bumped Up Into Awards Season

    Michael B. Jordan Legal Drama ‘Just Mercy’ Bumped Up Into Awards Season

    Warner Bros.

    Warner Bros. just moved the “based on a true story” legal drama “Just Mercy” from January 2020 to December 2019, making it eligible for the 2019 awards season.

    The film, which was originally set for a January 27 release, will now open in limited release on December 25.  That means star Michael B. Jordan and his Oscar-winning costars Brie Larson and Jamie Foxx just got added to everyone’s awards scoreboard.

    The “Black Panther” and “Creed” star plays attorney Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative. The film follows the case of death row inmate Walter McMillan (played by Jamie Foxx), who was convicted for a 1986 murder in Alabama.

    It was Stevenson’s first case as an attorney — damn, this story is just made for awards season — and he proved that prosecution had suppressed evidence at the original trial.

    Stevenson went on to write the book the film is based on, “Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption.”

    Larson costars as Eva Ansley, who confounded EJI with Stevenson. Rounding out the cast: Tim Blake Nelson, Rafe Spall, Rob Morgan and O’Shea Jackson, Jr.

    Jordan was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for “Fruitvale Station,” but has gotten no Oscar love so far.

    “Just Mercy” will open wide on Jan. 10.

    [Via Variety]

  • ‘Captain Marvel’ Executive Producers Jonathan Schwartz and Victoria Alonso on the One 90s-Era Logo They Couldn’t Clear

    ‘Captain Marvel’ Executive Producers Jonathan Schwartz and Victoria Alonso on the One 90s-Era Logo They Couldn’t Clear

    Marvel Studios

    Marvel Studios’ “Captain Marvel” (their first female-led superhero romp) zoomed into theaters earlier this year and instantly became a fan favorite, amassing over $1 billion dollars and paving the way for a very memorable appearance from Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) in this spring’s monolithic “Avengers: Endgame.” Thanks to Larson’s charismatic performance, a nifty 1990’s setting and some wonderfully unexpected twists, “Captain Marvel” instantly became an essential part of the MCU. And we’re very excited to watch it again, now that it’s available on home video (it’s currently available on digital HD and will be on Blu-ray tomorrow).

    We got to sit down with executive producers Jonathan Schwartz and Victoria Alonso about what it was like getting the structure of “Captain Marvel” just right, whether or not the Skrulls can return (in truly villainous form), whether or not time travel was ever an option and reveal the one 90s-era logo they couldn’t get permission to use.


    Moviefone: How hard was it to crack the structure of this movie?

    Jonathan Schwartz: We played around a lot. It was a, it was a higher degree of difficulty than I think we’re usually used to. I think we wanted that on some level. We knew that would be a trickier road to go down, but it felt like a more rewarding road. I think that’s what led us to the structure that ended up on screen.

    Did you ever start with her as a human woman?

    Schwartz: Oh yeah. We, we, we would, whenever you see one of these movies, every version of that movie exists somewhere in a Final Draft folder.

    Victoria Alonso: One of the most frustrating moments about working with us is that we take it apart to build it again. And sometimes it’s built at the beginning and you take it up apart a thousand times and then when you put it back together, it’s almost exactly as it was. But there’s three things that are key that changed and that’s what redefined for us for that particular moment.

    Well, what was, what’s like the most dramatically different version of the movie that you guys put together?

    Schwartz: I think we hit on the bones relatively quickly and they’ve stayed pretty much the same. I think one of the bigger changes along the way was that the Skrulls became what they ended up being in the movie, sort of refugees. And not even a shades of gray intergalactic war, but really the emotional core of the film. And Talos and his family was another layer that also came along relatively late.

    Well, I was going to ask about that because a lot of people know the Skrulls from “Secret Invasion” or one of the big comic book crossover events. But these scrolls are very sympathetic. Does this close the door on something like that? Or is that still something that you guys are playing around with?

    Alonso: I don’t think we ever close the doors on anything. I think it’s what it was for this particular chapter of this story.

    Schwartz: Look, just because these Skulls are good that doesn’t necessarily mean that that pertains to all Skrulls.

    Alonso: And that should be the rule. The way you are, the way I am, the way Jonathan is, we don’t define humanity and we are a part of it. That was deep and dense.

    Schwartz: Soak it in.

    Marvel Studios

    Brie has talked about how she filmed “Endgame” before “Captain Marvel.” Was there any course correction on the character or things that you tweaked from her performance or characterization in that?

    Alonso: No, I think that it was hard for her because she had to have a fully formed character with all of the remaining Avengers and go film that before she got to do her origin picture. And as unfair as that seemed, as a performer, she had to do that because that was our time frame. But she pulled it off.

    Have people come up and tell you how much “Captain Marvel” meant to them?

    Schwartz: I am on Twitter a little bit, which I really shouldn’t be. And I have seen some really passionate and eloquent Twitter reactions just from people who really thought the movie spoke to them and on a deep level, and then really broke down why in very specific ways that totally mirrored exactly what we were trying to do, which was really nice to see.

    Alonso: I’ve had women come up to me with tears in their eyes saying thank you. Really people that, I don’t know, for what it meant to them for, having seen themselves on the screen and for having something to show to their daughters, something that they can look up to, something they can see that even though not perfect, she can reach a level of power that they want to show their daughters.

    Well, there was that recent interview where “Captain Marvel” comic book writer Kelly Sue DeConnick talked about a version of the character that involved time travel, where she actually like got the power herself. Was that ever something that you guys played around with?

    Schwartz: It was something we talked about. One of the reasons we sat down with Kelly Sue was to get her take on the character and get all of her ideas. And that was a really powerful idea. It was a road we traveled down for a while. It was tough to make it work. Plus we were sort of about to tee up a big time travel movie, which was another complication.

    Alonso: Yes. We couldn’t take away from the time trouble because it was such a big component of “Endgame.” We were just throwing a grenade on something that doesn’t need any help exploding.

    Schwartz: But the spirit of that idea from Kelly Sue was like really important and really powerful and is still animating the final version.

    Marvel Studios

    As producers you get to do annoying things like clear licenses. Where there any 90s-era logos that didn’t get cleared?

    Schwartz: Yes!

    Alonso: It was so annoying.

    Schwartz: There was a Rock the Vote poster that we couldn’t clear.

    Alonso: We didn’t know.

    Schwartz: We wanted to put Carol in a Rock the Vote T-shirt and Rock the Vote wouldn’t let us. They would make us pay this exorbitant licensing fee.  It was like, What?

    Alonso: And we thought it was important. It was about voting and empowering people to actually get the word out, but I guess we couldn’t do it.

    Schwartz: We ended up with a Nine Inch Nails T-shirt and Trent Reznor was like, “This sounds cool.”

    What do you want next for Carol? Not plot-wise because I know you can’t talk about that, but just her journey.

    Alonso: I just want to see her again. She’s a phenomenal character and it will be great to have her be with us.

    Schwartz: My favorite part of the movie is the end of the movie where Carol realizes her full power, full potential and humanity and just has a lot of fun kicking ass. And I would hope that in that if we were to see more out of this character, that we would get to spend more time in that space.

    “Captain Marvel” is on digital HD now and Blu-ray tomorrow.

  • All the Oscar Winners in the MCU

    All the Oscar Winners in the MCU

    Marvel

    The MCU cast can’t be beat… including at awards shows. We’re so invested in these characters, it’s sometimes easy to forget a number of them won Oscars for other roles.

    Here are all the Oscar winners, in order of their appearance in the franchise, beginning with “Iron Man” in 2008.

    1. Jeff Bridges, Obadiah Stane

    n Marvel

    Sure, he’s best known as The Dude in “The Big Lebowski,” but he also made a damn good villain in “Iron Man” as Obadiah Stane, Tony Stark’s supposed mentor who was really trying to kill him. After several nominations, Bridges won Best Actor for 2009’s “Crazy Heart.”

    2. Gwyneth Paltrow, Pepper Potts

    Marvel

    As Pepper Potts, Paltrow went from irreplaceable right-hand woman to a fierce fighter in her own right. And if she hadn’t saved Tony’s first arc reactor (against his wishes), there would have been exactly one Iron Man movie. And the universe would pretty much be dust. Paltrow won Best Actress for 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love.”

    3. Sam Rockwell, Justin Hammer

    Marvel

    Before he nabbed an Oscar for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” Rockwell was a defense contractor intent on taking down business rival Tony Stark in “Iron Man 2.” He unwisely partnered with Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), who had an even bigger grudge against Tony. We prefer his dancing villain in “Charlie’s Angels,” tbh.

    4. Anthony Hopkins, Odin

    Marvel

    The “Silence of the Lambs” Oscar winner lent his gravitas to the All-Father, who casts out unworthy Thor (Chris Hemsworth) to Earth.

    5. Natalie Portman, Jane Foster

    Marvel

    Astrophysicist Jane Foster never expected her years of study to lead her to an incredibly handsome demigod, but there you go. Hurrah for science. She bowed out of the franchise after “Thor: The Dark World,” but appears briefly in “Avengers: Endgame.” Portman won Best Actress for “Black Swan.”

    6. Tommy Lee Jones, Col. Chester Phillips

    Marvel

    In “Captain America: The First Avenger,” Jones plays the superlatively grumpy Colonel who at first doesn’t see the potential in scrawny Steve Rogers. Favorite scene: He interrogates Dr. Zola while asking if arsenic gives him a “rumbly tummy.” Jones won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his similarly gruff U.S. Marshal in “The Fugitive.”

    7. Ben Kingsley, The Mandarin/Trevor Slattery

    Marvel

    Sir Ben Kingsley, who won a Best Actor Academy Award for “Gandhi,” makes a fearsome opponent as The Mandarin in “Iron Man 3.” But there’s a twist! He’s really a washed-up actor hired to play the part. Kingsley plays both characters to perfection.

    8. Benicio del Toro, The Collector

    Marvel

    The Collector first pops up in an end-credits scene of “Thor: The Dark World.” Turns out, he has one of the Infinity Stones, which everyone in the galaxy wants. “Infinity War” would have been quite different if he’d been the one to collect them all. Del Toro won Best Supporting Actor for his role as an undercover cop in “Traffic” (2000).

    9. Robert Redford, Alexander Pierce

    Marvel

    Since “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” was inspired by such ’70s conspiracy films as “Three Days of the Condor,” it was a real coup to score “Condor” star Robert Redford as SHIELD’s Secretary of Defense. Redford (who says he’s retired now) never won an acting Oscar, but took home a Best Director for “Ordinary People” (1980) and an Honorary Oscar in 2002.

    10. Michael Douglas, Hank Pym

    Marvel

    We wouldn’t have Ant-Man without the “Wall Street” Oscar winner’s character, who finds a way to shrink (and supersize) people and objects.

    11. William Hurt, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross

    Marvel

    Taking over the role first played by Sam Elliott in Ang Lee’s “Hulk,” Hurt’s  general is there in “Civil War” to force the Avengers to sign the Sokovia Accords after everything that went down in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” And to strongly disapprove of everything Avengers-related. Hurt won Best Actor for 1985’s “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” (Which, we hardly need point out, has absolutely nothing to do with Spider-Man).

    12. Tilda Swinton, The Ancient One

    Marvel

    The Doctor Strange character, a Tibetan man in the comics, was reworked to be an androgynous Celtic woman (a decision not without controversy). Swinton’s previously played Archangel Gabriel (in “Constantine“) and a vampire (in “Only Lovers Left Alive“), so she’s (ahem) an old hand at playing otherworldly, seemingly ageless characters. She won her Oscar for playing an unethical lawyer in “Michael Clayton.”

    13. Marisa Tomei, Aunt May

    Marvel

    Tomei (who won her Oscar for “My Cousin Vinny“) was so eager to sign on, she didn’t realize that Peter Parker’s aunt is usually portrayed as a little old woman with gray hair.  But we’re fine with “Hot Aunt May.” And a teenager’s aunt is just as likely be in her early 50s than her 70s. (For what it’s worth, Rosemary Harris was 64, only 12 years older than Tomei, for her first appearance as Aunt May in 2002’s “Spider-Man.”) Plus, this way we get an “Only You” reunion with Robert Downey Jr.

    14. Jennifer Connelly, Karen

    Universal/Marvel

    You may not be aware that was Jennifer Connelly as Karen, the voice of Peter Parker’s suit A.I. in “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” Which is nifty because, in real life, Connelly is married to Paul Bettany, the voice of Iron Man’s AI,  JARVIS. And she costarred as Betty Ross in the 2003 “Hulk.” Connelly won Best Supporting Actress for “A Beautiful Mind.”

    15. Cate Blanchett, Hela

    Marvel

    The double Oscar winner clearly had a blast playing wicked Hela, who wreaks untold havoc on Asgard in “Thor: Ragnarok.” All hail Goth Queen Blanchett!

    16. Matt Damon, Actor playing Loki

    Marvel

    The “Good Will Hunting” star (who collected an Oscar for cowriting the film), had a hilarious cameo in “Thor: Ragnarok” as an actor reenacting the tragic death of Loki. (Who isn’t really dead after all, of course.)

    17. Lupita Nyong’o, Nakia

    Marvel

    Nakia is not only T’Challa’s freeze-inducing love interest in “Black Panther,” but a conscientious force for all who are exploited and underrepresented. After holding her own in battle, she helps steer Wakanda towards a more benevolent, open relationship with the rest of the world. After a number of voice-only roles, it’s good to actually see Nyong’o, who won an Oscar for “12 Years a Slave,” in action.

    18. Forest Whitaker, Zuri

    Marvel

    The “The Last King of Scotland” Oscar winner played elder Wakanda statesman Zuri, who is the keeper of the heart-shaped herb. According to director Ryan Coogler,  Whitaker thinks of him as “the Wise Old Man, Black Panther’s version of Obi-Wan Kenobi.” (Speaking of… Whitaker also appeared as Rebel leader Saw Gerrera in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”)

    19. Brie Larson, Captain Marvel

    Marvel

    Larson went from playing an abducted and imprisoned woman in “Room” (for which she won Best Actress) to a superhero whose realm is the entire galaxy. In the first solo film, Carol Danvers has to figure out who she is, exactly, and overcome the limitations others put on her. In “Room,” she saves herself and her son. In “Captain Marvel,” she saves a whole lot more.

  • 12 Things You Didn’t Know About ’13 Going on 30′ on its 15th Anniversary

    12 Things You Didn’t Know About ’13 Going on 30′ on its 15th Anniversary

    Columbia Pictures

    It’s been 15 years since “13 Going on 30” hit theaters, meaning this rom-com about an awkward teenager morphing into an adult is now old enough to be an awkward teenager itself. Celebrate this anniversary with a few fun facts you might not know about “13 Going on 30.”

    1. “13 Going On 30” isn’t the only time Christa B. Allen has played a younger version of a Jennifer Garner character. She also shared a role with Garner in 2009’s “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.”

    2. Gwyneth Paltrow, Hilary Swank and Renée Zellweger were all considered for the lead role before Jennifer Garner was cast.

    Columbia Pictures

    3. Jenna morphs into a 30-year-old woman exactly 13 minutes into the film.

    4. Both Jenna and Lucy’s wardrobes evolve as the character’s respective personalities change. That’s why Jenna wears progressively warmer colors over the course of the movie.

    Columbia Pictures

    5. On the DVD director’s commentary, Gary Winick notes that he originally clashed with the studio over their insistence on including the slumber party scene. In hindsight, Winick considers it to be one of the best scenes in the movie.

    6. Jenna’s birth date is shown to be May 26, 1974, making her about two years younger than Garner herself.

    7. The scene where Jenna first sees her adult self in the mirror was framed as an intentional homage to 1988’s “Big,” which features a similar premise.

    Columbia Pictures

    8. Choreographer Michael Peters is included in the credits despite Peters having died in 1994. That’s because Peters performed the choreography for the “Thriller” music video, which is replicated in one of the most memorable scenes in “13 Going On 30.”

    9. Future Oscar winner Brie Larson made her film debut here as one of the “Six Chicks.” Her character is the one who is replaced by Jenna in the altered yearbook photo.

    Marvel Studios

    10. The scene in which Jenna confronts Matt before his wedding features a copy of Martin Amis’ “Time’s Arrow” on a shelf. This is appropriate, as “Time’s Arrow” is about a man experiencing his life in reverse order.

    11. The train scene was filmed on the exact same train Winick previously used in 2000’s “Tadpole.”

    12. The movie’s title was changed to “Suddenly 30” in Australia, as executives feared the original title would be too confusing.

  • ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Clip Explains Where Captain Marvel Has Been All This Time

    ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Clip Explains Where Captain Marvel Has Been All This Time

    Marvel

    New girl is stepping up the “Avengers” game.

    Marvel debuted a clip from “Avengers: Endgame” on “Good Morning America.” We’ve seen snippets of the footage in trailers, but the scene shows Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) meeting with the remaining Avengers to discuss how to defeat Thanos. After all, he’s still got the Infinity Stones.

    “So, let’s get them. Use them to bring everyone back,” Carol says nonchalantly.

    Bruce Banner aka The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) is incredulous. “Just like that?” Why would this fight with Thanos turn out differently than the last one?

    “Because before, you didn’t have me,” Captain Marvel notes confidently.

    And when Rhodes (Don Cheadle) questions where “new girl” has been all this time, she informs him there’s a whole universe out there and she’s kinda been busy saving it.

    “Avengers: Endgame” opens in theaters April 26.