Moviefone Editorial

Tag: chiwetel-ejiofor

  • Live-Action ‘The Lion King’ Is Reportedly Ditching One of the Original’s Best Songs

    If this report is accurate, Disney better be prepared for fans’ first question to be “Where’s ‘Be Prepared’?”

    Elton John helped compose the soundtrack for the 1994 movie “The Lion King,” and he talked to The Sun‘s Dan Wootton about the music for the 2019 live-action movie. In good news, Beyoncé — who’ll be playing Nala — reportedly reached out to Elton John to see if they could collaborate on a new song. Elton said that’s in the works for the end credit song.

    Here’s the scoop from Elton John to The Sun:

    “They need to have a new end credits song. There’s going to be four of our songs in the film, from the original: Can You Feel The Love Tonight? Hakuna Matata, I Just Can’t Wait To Be King and Circle of Life. And then there will be an end, closing song, and we’ve been speaking to Beyonce’s people and hopefully Tim and I and her can cook up something.”

    So that sounds like five songs, total, with one new one for the end credits? If that’s official, and not just in the planning stages, what about Scar? The animated movie gave Jeremy Irons‘ villain his own song in “Be Prepared,” but will Chiwetel Ejiofor‘s new Scar be left without his own song?

    Disney tends to do right by these live-action movies, so we’ll stay cautiously optimistic. Elton John teased good things ahead from director Jon Favreau’s film: “I’ve seen a little bit of the opening of it, which is amazing.”

    “The Lion King” — starring Donald Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor, James Earl Jones, Beyoncé , Alfre Woodard, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, and John Kani — is scheduled to open July 19th, 2019.

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  • The Love Triangle Is Back in New ‘Love Actually’ Sequel Photos  

    Dude, she’s just not that into you!

    The Red Nose Day, called “Red Nose Day Actually,” had its last day of filming on March 7. Keira Knightley and Chiwetel Ejiofor returned to their roles as married couple Juliet and Peter, with Andrew Lincoln back as the world’s worst best friend, Mark.

    Producer Emma Freud has been sharing photos from set, from the Daniel, Sam, Joanna, and Carol storyline to David and Natalie. Check out what she and the Red Nose Day account shared for the Juliet/Peter/Mark love triangle:


    It may be time for a restraining order against Mark. (And shouldn’t he be with Michonne?) It’s sweet to think Juliet and Peter are still married, though. And she’s even gotten comfortable enough to hang out in PJs instead of looking done-up and perfect all the time.

    The Red Nose Day special airs in March in the U.K. before arriving on NBC in the U.S. on May 25.

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  • 6 Things You Need to Know Before Seeing Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’

    The Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to get even bigger, as “Doctor Strange” marks the big-screen debut of the Sorcerer Supreme.

    Benedict Cumberbatch dons a cool cloak and even cooler facial hair to play the latest Avenger to get a live-action origin story. Before heading to the theater, check out our list of the six essential things you need to know about Marvel’s newest cinematic hero.

    1. Marvel Has a Very “Harry Potter-y” Side
    The Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding beyond the traditional boundaries of what moviegoers expect from superhero movies. 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” opened up the cosmic side of the MCU, and now “Doctor Strange” is peeling back the curtain on the Multiverse, full of magical spells, almost-supernatural beings, and very, very Dark Arts.

    This is Marvel’s biggest leap since “Thor.” Can the world of magic mesh with a universe where nearly every hero’s powers have been based on science? That’s one question “Strange” will have to answer. Along the way, expect many (and we mean many) psychedelic displays of power and general weirdness as Strange and his allies explore the the other planes of reality beyond the one we know.

    2. It’s an Origin Story
    Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE..Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch)..Photo Credit: Film Frame ..©2016 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.“Doctor Strange” is best described as a mash-up of the first Iron Man movie, with a strong dose of 2005’s “Batman Begins.”

    Like the former, it’s an origin story about a rich, arrogant man suffering a violent tragedy that sets him on the path to learning humility and putting his talents to more noble use. Like “Begins,” that hero’s journey requires Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to travel the globe as he seeks enlightenment and trains to become a superhero.

    Based on early reviews, fans can expect the movie to stick closely to Strange’s origin as established in the comics. We’ll see this brilliant surgeon succumb to a car accident ruins his invaluable hands. We’ll see him squander his fortune in a fruitless quest to heal himself. And we’ll see him cast aside his old life and become a “Master of the Mystic Arts” under the tutelage of the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton).

    3. There Are Many Sorcerers
    Strange won’t be the only one training at the Ancient One’s sanctuary.

    The film will introduce several key players in the magical community, each of whom will react differently to the sudden appearance of this cocky, skeptical rookie. That group will include Wong (Benedict Wong) and Karl Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor).

    Interestingly, both characters look to be quite a bit different from the comic book source material. Wong (thankfully) isn’t Strange’s faithful manservant, but rather an accomplished sorcerer — and badass librarian with an interest in the musical stylings of… Beyonce. Because reasons.

    And while Mordo is one of Strange’s main villains in the comics, he appears to be — for now an ally. Expect Mordo to find himself on the path to the “Dark Side” by the end of the movie.
    Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE..Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor)..Photo Credit: Film Frame ..©2016 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.Also look for Rachel McAdams‘ Christine Palmer to play a major role as one of Strange’s few remaining ties to the mundane world. And, no, she does take on the mantle of Night Nurse in the MCU. For now, the only Night Nurse we have is that of Rosario Dawson‘s character Claire Temple on Netflix’s Marvel shows. (But both Christin and Claire have served as the Nurse in the comics.)

    4. The Big Bad Has a Score to Settle
    Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE..Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen)..Photo Credit: Film Frame ..©2016 Marvel. All Rights Reserved.The film is also veering away from the source material by not emphasizing one of Strange’s main villains. While the demonic entity Dormammu has an influence on the plot, the main baddie driving the story is a minor one from the comics, Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen).

    Kaecilius is another sorcerer who trained under the Ancient One, but he broke away from his mentor after having a philosophical disagreement over what role magic should have in the ordinary world. In the film, he also discovers the “dark” secret to the Ancient One’s immortality. Kaecilius’ goals are less world-domination based, and more, well, let’s just say he wants to kind of terra form the non-magical realm with more mystical elements. With a tragic backstory, expect this villain to be the first major test of Doctor Strange’s newly-acquired magical powers.

    5. Meet the Newest Avenger
    Those who aren’t up to date on the Marvel Cinematic Universe needn’t worry about diving in with Doctor Strange. This is (largely) a standalone adventure, unlike more recent Marvel films.

    However, the movie sets the stage for Strange’s ongoing role in the MCU. He was already mentioned by name in 2014’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” as someone Hydra considers to be a major threat.

    Cumberbatch is set to shoot his role “Avengers: Infinity War” early next year. With the Avengers in shambles after the events of “Civil War,” Tony Stark has to find new recruits somewhere. And who better than a man who can bend reality and make the impossible happen?

    6. You Will Want to Stay for the End Credits
    Only the fans love Marvel’s end-credits stings more than the studio does. And this time around, audiences will get two scenes. One helps set the stage for “Thor: Ragnarok” with some help from a certain Avenger, and the other, well, that sets the stage for (fingers crossed) a sequel to “Doctor Strange.”

    Here’s opening the first movie casts a big enough spell on the box office to warrant more chapters.

    “Doctor Strange” hits theaters Friday.
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  • Here’s What’s in the ‘Doctor Strange’ Post-Credits Scenes

    Positive reviews are pouring in for Marvel’s “Doctor Strange,” and with those reviews are spoilers about what fans can expect in the end credits.

    TheWrap shared details on what’s in the two scenes, and they include spoilers not only for “Doctor Strange,” but a bit for “Thor: Ragnarok,” and potentially for a “Doctor Strange” sequel.

    The first scene arrives mid-credits, and features Thor (Chris Hemsworth) being Thor — chugging a beer stein that keeps refilling itself. (#goals)


    Thor isn’t alone in the scene, though; he’s sharing a drink with Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who tells Thor he is keeping a watch list of beings from other realms who might be a threat to this world. Strange asks Thor why his brother Loki is in New York, and Thor says the bros are trying to find their father Odin to bring him back to Asgard. Strange gets Thor to confirm that, if they find Odin, they will all head back to Asgard “promptly.”

    We’ll see. “Thor: Ragnarok” arrives in theaters November 3, 2017.

    The second scene doesn’t appear to directly connect to other upcoming MCU films — like “Guardians of the Galaxy 2” or “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” Instead, it’s another scene with Chiwetel Ejiofor’s “Doctor Strange” character, Baron Mordo, who has a bit of a falling out with Doctor Strange in the film, and goes to find Jonathan Pangborn (Benjamin Bratt), a paraplegic who learned how to heal himself, in his workshop.

    Here’s how TheWrap describes the scene:

    “Pangborn evidently feels that something is off and grabs a weapon. Mordo incapacitates him, sending him back to his former, paraplegic state. Near the end of the scene, Mordo tells Pangborn that he has figured out what’s wrong with the world: ‘There are too many sorcerers.’ That suggests Mordo could emerge as a primary villain in a sequel.”

    “Doctor Strange” had previously been described as something of an origin story for Baron Mordo, as well as the titular doctor. As director Scott Derrickson told Screen Rant:

    “Mordo, in the comic books… was just really arch. And he’s in the origin issue and even in reading through – and I’ve read the entire body of Doctor Strange now – it was a difficult character, very difficult character to adapt. Because of the very basic archness that he plays all the way through there. So we wanted to keep what were the interesting aspects of him… but with the way that [Mordo] needs to be a presence in the universe of Doctor Strange and, god willing, in sequels, I felt that we had to start by establishing who he was before he got into that arch villainy in the comics. And that’s a lot of what we’re doing in this movie… we’re sort of building a foundational understanding of who he was before the guy that you met in that comic so that that turn isn’t an arch turn.”

    “Doctor Strange” opens Friday, November 4.

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  • Here’s the First Mind-Bending ‘Doctor Strange’ Trailer With Benedict Cumberbatch

    Benedict Cumberbatch gets a trippy (multiple) reality check in the first full trailer for “Doctor Strange,” another upcoming Marvel superhero movie. But unlike most other Marvel flicks, this one has a decidedly more psychedelic, mystical tone.

    The trailer gives us the broad strokes of the story: Dr. Stephen Strange is a gifted surgeon whose hands become crippled in an accident. Then, he meets the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), who reveals that this reality is “one of many.”Marvel's 'Doctor Strange' (2016) Official Trailer

    Ever the doctor, Strange is skeptical at first. “I don’t believe in fairy tales about chakras or energy or the power of belief.” But after seeing some astonishing things — bending cityscapes, a la “Inception” — he’s begging to learn.

    “Doctor Strange,” which also stars Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Mads Mikkelson, hits theaters November 4.

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  • A Heist Spirals Out of Control in Star-Studded ‘Triple 9’ Trailer

    Triple 9What do you do to cover up a bank robbery? Set it up so that an even bigger crime is taking place at the same time.

    That’s the premise we see in the trailer for the star-studded heist drama “Triple 9.” This cast is incredible: Kate Winslet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Casey Affleck, Aaron Paul, Gal Gadot, Michael K. Williams, Norman Reedus, and Clifton Collins Jr.
    Winslet plays a Russian mob boss (so awesome) who puts the screws to a gang of thiefs to pull off a nearly impossible heist. The only way they can get it done is to manufacture a “999,” police code for “officer down.” But things go very awry when the rookie they target foils the plan, putting everyone in a high-stakes game of life or death.

    The trailer looks down and dirty, and it seems we can expect a lot of intense action and scenery-chewing (particularly on the part of Winslet).

    “Triple 9” opens in theaters February 19.

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  • Best of Late Night TV: Daniel Radcliffe’s Water War, Liam Neeson’s ‘Candy Crush’ Movie

    Jimmy Fallon suggested a new game for the family to play on Thanksgiving, preferably outdoors: “Water War,” a twist on the card game “War,” where the loser of each hand has to be doused with water. “The Tonight Show” and, well, he’s really going to need a change of underwear before that film premiere. The overall winner got to water cannon the loser. As a side note, it’s hard to get used to DanRad with that shaved head. But he does NOT look like Voldemort!

    Anthony Anderson told Jimmy Kimmel he gets mistaken for other famous people all the time — like Ruben Studdard, Ice Cube, and Cedric the Entertainer. One time, in Africa, he was mistaken for Idris Elba and he figured he “got a stroke of luck and upgraded or Idris Elba done fell the hell off.”

    Here are two interesting things to know about “Hunger Games” star Jena Malone: She had a stunt head to appear bald in the new “Hunger Games” movie, and her grandfather popularized the dollar slot machine. She didn’t even know that about her grandpa, Jimmy looked him up.
    Chiwetel Ejiofor talked to Conan O’Brien about playing paintball with his “12 Years a Slave” co-star Michael Fassbender and Fassy’s father. Apparently the game started friendly but Fassbender is a paintball fiend and he cheated. He’s ruthless! He could’ve been a good Negan on “The Walking Dead.”
    Anna Faris and Joshua Jackson were on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” and answered the acting question of what’s harder, laughing or crying? So Anna and Joshua gave some crying lessons using a special tear stick. James’s tears came out great, even if they blinded him.
    Lucy Lawless and Bruce Campbell were on “The Late Show” and Lucy said Bruce looks just like Stephen with his glasses on, so Bruce tested the theory by taking over the show. They do look a bit alike.
    Last, but not least, Stephen Colbert decided it’s only a matter of time before Activision makes a “Candy Crush” movie, starring a big name like Liam Neeson. So here’s “Candy Crush: The Movie” with Stephen and Liam Neeson. It’s too long, but props to Neeson for even doing this.
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  • A-List Bad Cops Do the Dirty in Violent ‘Triple 9’ Red Band Trailer

    The streets are sexy, dirty, scary, brutal, and did we mention sexy (that’s for you, Norman Reedus) in the new red band trailer for “Triple 9.”

    The code “Triple 9” is used for an officer down. This heist movie, directed by John Hillcoat and starring a dozen Hollywood standouts — including Casey Affleck, Kate Winslet, Aaron Paul, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Norman Reedus, and Chiwetel Ejiofor, to name a few — follows a group of corrupt cops and criminals who plan the murder of a police officer to pull off a major heist.

    The trailer shows as much sex, violence, bad words, and bare boobs and booty as you’d expect from a crime thriller red band trailer. It starts with Woody Harrelson chiding fellow officer Casey Affleck that his job is not to make a f–king difference, it’s to “out monster the monster and get home at the end of the night.”

    Cue a creepy version of “This Little Piggy…” as we see cops vs. civilians, stuff blowing up, and what looks like several Deadpool cosplay characters running around at the end. (Probably not their intention, but still.) The trailer teases, “On these streets, nothing is black and white.”

    Check it out:


    Watch the trailer.

    “Triple 9” is scheduled for release on February 19, 2016. February is not known to be an impressive release month for movies, but maybe this will be one of the exceptions. After all, “summer” starts earlier ever year!

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  • Chiwetel Ejiofor and Chris Pine Have ‘Masculine Tension’

    There’s nothing quite like widespread global destruction that will ignite feelings between the two last remaining people on Earth. After all, it’s not as if their date cards are full.

    In “Z is for Zachariah,” Chiwetel Ejiofor’s John Loomis and Margot Robbie’s Ann Burden and discover each other, believing they are the last remaining souls of civilization, so sparks fly, naturally.

    But things turn messy when there’s third wheel.

    “If you’re the first guy who turns up in this place and you’re building this dynamic with a girl, and then another guy turns up, the instinct is, sadly, to go, ‘I was here first and that means something, there’s an order to this,’” Ejiofor says.

    Of course, when Caleb, played by Chris Pine, enters the picture later, he’s not willing to wait his turn for Ann’s affections—and Ejiofor says he doesn’t blame him.

     

    “Caleb (Pine) doesn’t believe in that at all, and neither should he,” Ejiofor admits of the love triangle. “That’s what creates their masculine tension.”

    “Z for Zachariah” opens Friday.

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  • Chiwetel Ejiofor on ‘Adam and Eve’ Relationship With Margot Robbie

    As the last people known to be alive on Earth, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Margot Robbie‘s characters wisely learned to get along in “Z for Zachariah.”

    “They navigate each other as the only two people around,” Ejiofor tells Made in Hollywood. It’s the Adam and Eve but for real. It’s a strong element to investigate.”

    The pair bond after discovering each other in the wake of a disaster that has caused widespread destruction and wiped out most of civilization. But halfway through the film, Chris Pine finds the pair – and what happens next is a love triangle between what’s believed to be all that’s left of humanity.

    “Z for Zachariah” hits theaters on Friday.

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