Moviefone Editorial

Tag: michael-douglas

  • ‘Ant-Man 2’: Michael Douglas Confirms Return & Filming Start Date

    Michael Douglas is officially returning as Dr. Hank Pym for Marvel’s “Ant-Man” sequel, called “Ant-Man and the Wasp.” Paul Rudd (Scott Lang/Ant-Man) and Evangeline Lilly (Hope van Dyne) are on board as the title characters, with Michael Pena also set to return as Luis.

    Douglas was expected/hoped to be back, but he confirmed the news today on Facebook, and also revealed they’d start filming this July 2017 for the July 2018 release date:

    Peyton Reed directed the 2015 Marvel film, and he’s back to direct “Ant-Man 2.” Moviefone talked to Reed late last year, as he was about to head into pre-production on “Ant-Man and the Wasp.” Here’s a section of that Q&A:

    Lastly, what do you want to do with the Wasp now that we’re in this great moment for female superheroes and you’re going to have an opportunity to do something fun and cool with one of the premiere Marvel superheroines — one of the very first. What are you excited about in collaborating with Evangeline, to carry the Wasp forward?

    Well, I’m just personally excited to get to introduce yet another character into the Marvel Universe. After Ant-Man, now we get to see Wasp, so really designing her look, the way she moves, the power set, and figuring out, sort of, who Hope van Dyne is as a hero — because we know her in a certain context in the first movie, but now she’s going to have her coming out party — that’s exciting!

    Evangeline Lilly’s The Wasp is also expected to be in “Avengers 4,” the 2019 movie coming after next year’s “Avengers: Infinity War.”

    “Ant-Man and the Wasp” is scheduled for release on July 6, 2018.

    [via: Collider]

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  • Don’t Watch These Top Movies Before Bed: 5 Box Office Thrillers

    The Silence of the LambsWatching a thriller before bed is rarely a good idea, but it’s always fun: Snuggled up on the couch under a blanket, shivering with horror and delight — then being unable to get up and turn the light on — because what if something grabs you?

    But no matter how much these films convince people of monsters under the bed or serial killers in the closet, thrillers can be addictive. It’s like being on a roller coaster — scary as hell while it’s happening but you know when the ride ends, everything is going to be alright.

    So which movies should you really avoid before bedtime? These thrillers not only scared the pants off people but killed it (so to speak) at the box office, too. Not only that, but every movie on this list received critical acclaim and award nominations. The standout star is, of course, “The Silence of the Lambs,” which won the “big five” Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The only other two movies to have done this are “It Happened One Night” (1934) and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975).

    1. ‘Fatal Attraction’ (1987)

    Remember that scene in “Sleepless In Seattle” when Tom Hanks uses “Fatal Attraction” as an example of why it’s not a good idea to randomly date strange women? “It scared the shit out of me! It scared the shit out of every man in America!” his character, Sam Baldwin, tells his son. And he was right — the movie did scare the living daylights out of every man, woman, child, and probably pet, in America. Glenn Close‘s bunny-boiling lunatic who’s obsessed with Michael Douglas has turned out to be one of the most enduring villains in cinematic history. On the plus side, lots of people probably thought twice about cheating on their significant other after that movie.

    2. ‘The Sixth Sense’ (1999)

    There are ghost stories, and then there’s “The Sixth Sense,” a box office smash with one of the most jaw-dropping story twists of all time. Haley Joel Osment is heartbreaking as the little boy being relentlessly harassed by ghosts who want to use him as a sort of telephone line to their loved ones. Apparently, decades of being deceased haven’t helped these stubborn spooks realize kids don’t respond well to pushy, horrendous-looking apparitions who randomly show up in the middle of the night. Bruce Willis is wonderfully somber as the child psychiatrist who — well, let’s stop there, just in case you haven’t seen it yet. Be prepared for graphic, violent imagery to stay with you well into the night.

    3. ‘Gone Girl’ (2014)

    Ben Affleck has been a very naughty boy. No, this isn’t a reference to his real-life marital strife, but to his on-screen spousal troubles in “Gone Girl.” In this gloriously twisted movie, Ben is a husband accused of murdering wife Rosamund Pike, who turns out to not be what she seems. This is a movie with no clear-cut heroes and villains, so it’s tough to know who to root for — although that’s also what makes this dark thriller so much fun to watch.

    4. ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (2011)

    Nordic noir has become very popular lately (think “Wallander”), and “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” doesn’t disappoint fans of the genre. A remake of the 2009 Swedish original, Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig are riveting in this chilling movie about a girl who goes missing and the people who try to find her decades later. This is not a cheerful movie — it’s explicitly violent and often hard to watch, even for a thriller. Save it for an evening when you’ve already spent all day listening to Radiohead, so you’re mentally prepared for the bleakness.

    5. ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)

    Arguably one of the top 10 thrillers of all time, “The Silence of the Lambs” is brilliant, gruesome, captivating, and utterly terrifying. Jodie Foster‘s Agent Clarice Starling and Anthony Hopkins‘ Hannibal Lecter have become firmly entrenched in modern pop culture, as has Ted Levine in his chilling turn as Jame “It rubs the lotion on its skin” Gumb. This movie is about a serial killer who murders women for his own deviant purposes, and another serial killer helping an FBI agent track him down. So in other words, a perfect bedtime choice — if you never want to sleep again, that is.

    Sources

    • Silence of the Lambs: 25 Years Later, the Film Is Still a Pop Culture Phenomenon

     

  • Quiz: Can You Match the Sleazebag to the Michael Douglas Movie?

    You know how Michael Douglas became a Hollywood icon? By owning the ’80s and early ’90s with his portrayals of slick-haired alpha males, possessing morals that ranged from questionable to non-existent.

    You could tell how next-level the Douglas was gonna get by how much he slicked back his hair, and it was glorious. From “Fatal Attraction” to “Wall Street,” one hasn’t lived until they’ve seen Mikey D. in sleazebag mode.

    In honor of the star’s birthday this week, put your vintage Douglas movie knowledge to the test by matching the sleazebag to the movie he appeared in.

  • Why Paul Rudd Loves Playing a Lesser-Known Superhero

    He may not have the same name recognition as that other bug-turned-hero like Spider-Man.

    But in Paul Rudd’s first foray as a masked do-gooder, he couldn’t be happier playing a character who is unfamiliar to most many moviegoers. The way the 46-year-old sees it, it is Ant-Man’s incredible superpowers that set him apart from his peers in the Marvel universe—and his skills will be enough to win over fans.

    “I like the idea of playing a character that might not be so well known,” Rudd tells “Made in Hollywood.” “When you really think about Ant-Man and what he can do, it’s incredible—you’re invisible.”

    In “Ant-Man,” radical new technology allows the user of a special suit to shrink to the size of an ant and balloon back to human size while its wearer harnesses super strength. As if that isn’t enough, the wardrobe’s helmet allows its user to communicate with ants and other higher order insects.

    Rudd added: “Think about going anywhere, doing anything, seeing anything you want. Also, being able to control ants — they’re everywhere.”

    The action-comedy co-stars Michael Douglas, who serves as Rudd’s character’s mentor, and Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, and Tip “T.I.” Harris, in theaters July 17.

    Watch the trailer below:

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  • Michael Douglas’ Children Finally Think He’s ‘Cool’

    He’s got five Golden Globes, two Oscars and a mouthwatering cinematic resume starring in some of the most acclaimed and popular films of our time.

    Despite his many accomplishments throughout his nearly 50 years in showbiz, it is Michael Douglas’ latest role in the superhero film “Ant-Man” that has finally won him the approval he’s been looking for — from his children.

    “Now they think I’m cool,” the 70-year-old says of his son Dylan, 14, and daughter Carys, 12, from his marriage to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. Douglas also has son Cameron Douglas, 36, from a previous marriage.

    “I’ve finally reached the point in my career where they are actually proud of their old man; that being said, there are a lot of R-rated pictures that they could not see growing up,” the “Basic Instinct” star tells “Made in Hollywood.”

    He continues: “They are 14 and 12 now, so in the future they’ll get more of a sense of my body of work, but right now they are so hot to see this picture they can’t see straight.”

    Douglas plays Dr. Hank Pym in “Ant-Man” opposite Paul Rudd as the titular hero. He serves as the new Ant-Man’s mentor after formerly utilizing the Ant-Man technology himself, finding a protégé in Rudd’s Scott Lang to continue using the armor to thwart evildoers.

    Also starring Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, and Tip “T.I.” Harris, the comedy-action movie hits theaters July 17.

    Watch the trailer below:

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  • 5 Things You Need to Know Before You See ‘Ant-Man’

    When “Ant-Man” hits theaters this Friday, Marvel will introduce yet another iconic comic book hero to the big screen. If the company can find box-office success with a movie about a talking raccoon and a walking tree, surely this is a guaranteed money-maker, right?

    Regardless of Marvel’s Hollywood clout, there are plenty of moviegoers who don’t know Ant-Man from Aquaman. So we decided to break down the five things you should know about Marvel’s latest superhero before you head to the theater.

    1. Paul Rudd is Not the First Ant-Man
    Scott Lang (Rudd) may be the star of the film, but he’s not the only hero to call himself Ant-Man.

    This film is the first one in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to explore the concept of a superhero legacy being passed down from one generation to the next. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) is the first hero to call himself Ant-Man. Decades before Iron Man and Hulk smashed their way onto the scene, Pym discovered the particles that bear his name and developed the Ant-Man suit. Several prologue comics have already explored some of Pym’s early exploits in the MCU.

    In the present-day, however, Pym is a forgotten, washed-up inventor who’s lost control of his company and his Ant-Man tech. Hence why no one has called up offering him a membership card for the Avengers.

    That’s where Lang comes in. As in the comics, Lang is a small-time thief who essentially stumbles his way into becoming a superhero. Despite his checkered past, Pym sees something in Lang that makes him worthy of taking up a mantle he himself abandoned years ago.

    2. His Powers Are Kinda Badass
    No radioactive insect bites or Gamma rays here. Instead, Ant-Man relies on a rare substance known as the aforementioned “Pym Particles,” which allow him to shrink his body (and luckily, his costume) to the size of an insect.

    Even better, as Ant-Man’s body shrinks, his physical strength actually increases. Because science. That makes him a pretty tough opponent to beat. He’s too small to see, yet he can easily knock a full-grown man across a room.

    In the comics, Pym Particles also allow the user to also grow in size as well as shrink. It doesn’t appear Ant-Man will be tapping into that power in this film, but who knows what will happen when he joins up with the Avengers in “Captain America: Civil War“?

    Size-changing is only half of what Ant-Man brings to the table. His signature helmet allows him to communicate with insects (generally ants, hence the name). This talent allows him to control his bug armies in battle and summon a flying ant to be his faithful steed.

    3. He Has an Arch-Nemesis, Naturally
    No superhero is worth much without a good villain to test him. That’s true even for Ant-Man, a hero who historically has always been his own worst enemy.

    The big baddie both Pym and Lang face is Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), aka Yellowjacket. Cross is a former protege of Pym’s who has gone on to take over his boss’s company, steal his inventions and militarize the Ant-Man suit. To draw a comparison to the “Iron Man” movies, Cross is basically a hybrid of Obadiah Stane and Justin Hammer.

    Like Stane, Cross isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and play with his new toy. The climax of the film will see Ant-Man square off with Cross in his Yellowjacket suit. The Yellowjacket armor is sleeker and deadlier than the Ant-Man suit, complete with a few extra appendages to take full advantage of that boosted strength. Get ready for the smallest epic superhero slug-fest you’ve ever seen.

    4. It’s a Story About Fathers and Daughters
    If there’s one thing most of the heroes in the MCU have in common, it’s that they’re loners without much in the way of family ties. Well, except for Hawkeye, as “Avengers: Age of Ultron” went out of its way to show us.

    Both Hank Pym and Scott Lang are different, however. These two men are very much defined by their family relationships in this movie. For Pym, he struggles to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly, pictured above.) Hope now works for Darren Cross and doesn’t seem to want to have much to do with her father, which may be tied to the mysterious fate of her mother, Janet. Comic fans will know that Janet Van Dyne is The Wasp, an insect-like heroine who was once married to Pym — and an Avenger!

    As for Scott, he has a teenage daughter named Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson). Lang is devoted to Cassie, and has even turned to a life of crime to provide for her. But as you might expect, it’s that same life of crime that prevents him from seeing her. For Lang, becoming Ant-Man is that last chance at legitimacy and respect and reconnecting with the one person in the world he cares for.

    5. Lang Stands Alone. Ish.
    Minus a brief cameo from a new Avenger, “Ant-Man” bucks the recent trend with Marvel’s movies in that it doesn’t wedge itself into the increasingly complicated web of continuity and characters. In other words, don’t expect Ant-Man to to be fighting Loki or hunting for an Infinity Stone this time.

    Instead, this movie is a standalone adventure that focuses mainly on establishing a new power player in the Marvel Universe.

    There will be some ties to the larger universe. The film will briefly explore Pym’s past as Ant-Man and an active member of S.H.I.E.L.D. during the Cold War. But for the most part, “Ant-Man” is concerned with its own characters and conflicts. That might make it the most approachable Marvel movie since the original “Iron Man.”

    That said, don’t expect Ant-Man to stay out of the Marvel limelight. It’s already been confirmed that the hero will join the fray in next year’s “Civil War.” From there, don’t be surprised if Rudd reprises his role in the next two “Avengers” sequels.

    After all, what super-team is complete without a guy who floats like a butterfly and stings like a superhuman fist to the face?
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  • Best of Late Night TV: Paul Rudd’s Drinko Game, Jack Black and Boy George Sing The Doors

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

    You know Plinko, the “Price Is Right” game? Monday night on “The Tonight Show,” the human perfection that is “Ant-Man” star Paul Rudd did a version with Jimmy Fallon called Drinko, requiring them to potentially drink things like “Bacon Soda” and Pickle Juice. They both had to drink Gravy, which is too nasty, but one of them ended up having to mix Gravy with Tequila: “They call it ‘Thanksgiving’ south of the border.”
    In his interview, Paul talked to Jimmy about trying to do a full “Basic Instinct” on his “Ant-Man” co-star Michael Douglas. It failed. But it’s hilarious. It ended up looking like he was “pleasuring himself” while Michael was doing a monologue. Michael had his own interview on “Late Night” with Seth Meyers, and you can see that video below. Also, in case you were curious about Jimmy Fallon’s finger injury, Jimmy explained (in a 7 minute video) what happened to sideline him. He tripped and fell — his ring got caught on the countertop when he was going down and stuck there and pulled his finger. He almost lost his finger, but after six hours of microsurgery — taking a vein out of his foot — they saved it. He was in the ICU for 10 days and he won’t get the feeling back in his finger for eight weeks. He’s still wearing bandages. He said what happened is called “ring avulsion” an he suggested not to Google it, since the images are graphic, but everyone did. Gross. Last night, Jack Black and Boy George were both guests on “Conan” so they combined forces to sing The Doors’s “Hello I Love You,” accompanied by The Doors’ guitarist Robby Krieger. Jack insisted, repeatedly, that Jim Morrison had the best yell of all time. He’s probably right. Jack and Boy G seemed to have a blast together — and they really did the song justice. This isn’t from Monday night, but — over the weekend, to close out his Comic-Con coverage — Conan O’Brien talked to the cast of “X-Men: Apocalypse.” Here they discuss goofing around on set — including Nicholas Hoult shooting someone in the ass with a BB gun. Someone complained about the unsafe work environment when they made the last movie. This is the best. Here’s James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender discussing the epic love story between Charles/Professor X and Eric/Magneto. They played a video with a montage of their scenes together, set to Coldplay’s “Fix You.” Fassy got emotional afterward, and James noted that they could get married in America now. Carli Lloyd, Chris Tucker, and Judy Greer were guests on “The Late Late Show with James Corden.” Watch them kick soccer balls at a dunk tank to try and soak James. Considering Carli is the World Cup queen, you had to know she’d be the best. But she didn’t quite nail it the first two tries, which just tortured James. Michael Douglas was on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” to promote “Ant-Man,” his first superhero/green screen kinda film. This is a big deal for his kids, who are 14 and 12; it’s the first film they’re excited for him to be in. For a long time, their mom — Michael’s wife Catherine Zeta-Jones — was the actress and Dad “made pancakes.” Comedian Jim Gaffigan was on “Late Night” and he and Seth discussed food — including Jim’s famous Hot Pockets bit. He said at least three of seven comments on his Twitter feed are about Hot Pockets, and sometimes people yell “Hot Pockets!” at him and he doesn’t know how to respond.

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  • Michael Douglas Goes ‘Wild’ Over CGI in ‘Ant-Man’

    With a career that spans nearly 50 years—shifting from dramas, thrillers and rom-coms—there is little left to impress Michael Douglas. But when the 70-year-old made his foray into the superhero genre with “Ant-Man,” the Hollywood veteran was fascinated by CGI in the filmmaking process.

    “I did a scene with little dots on my faces,” he explained to “Made in Hollywood.” “That was one of the sequences I (later) saw when we were [dubbing audio], and it was only halfway done, so half the scene I had dots on my face and the other half I could see the effect. It was wild, just wild.”

    In “Ant-Man” opposite Paul Rudd, the titular hero, as his mentor Dr. Hank Pym, who formerly utilized Ant-Man technology and finds a protégé in Rudd’s Scott Lang.

    Also starring Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña, and Tip “T.I.” Harris, the comedy-action movie hits theaters July 17.

    Watch the trailer below:

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  • Paul Rudd Faces a Trial By Water in This Cool ‘Ant-Man’ Clip

    Ant-ManBigger isn’t always better, but in the case of a bathtub full of water, being the size of an ant is a terrifying prospect.

    Marvel released a clip from the upcoming “Ant-Man,” and it’s a really cool look at what happens when thief Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) puts on the suit he stole from Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). Standing in the bathtub, he activates the suit — and instantly transforms into the size of an ant!

    As Scott tries to get his bearings, Pym speaks into his helmet. “The world sure seems different from down here, Scott.” Oh, yes, especially when Scott’s friend turns on the faucet, unleashing a tidal wave of water!


    This isn’t a trial by fire; it’s a trial by water! As the first real look at Rudd using the suit, the clip gives us a very tantalizing glimpse at what could potentially be an awesome movie.

    Watch the clip here.

    “Ant-Man” opens in theaters July 17.

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  • Shrink Down for the New ‘Ant-Man’ Trailer


    As far as Marvel movies go, there hasn’t been a question mark as big as the one attached to their forthcoming action comedy “Ant-Man” since, well, ever. Even “Guardians of the Galaxy,” with its roster of unknown characters and tonally daring mixture of comedy and drama, had the space adventure angle to hook people and a cast of likeable and well-known actors. “Ant-Man,” on the other hand, is full of unquantifiable elements and comes complete with a troubled production history that has potentially soured would-be enthusiasts. But if this new trailer is any indication, hope is not lost. “Ant-Man” could be really, really entertaining.

    The trailer certainly gives us more story than anything previously released: Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), the original Ant-Man, recruits thief Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) to stop an evil industrialist named Darren Cross (Corey Stoll). In order to get him into fighting shape, he learns from Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Pym’s daughter. (Her mother is Hope Van Dyne, who fought under the superhero alias Wasp.) Much of the trailer is given over to the training of Scott and various zippy action sequences where Scott shrinks down to the size of an ant and then returns to normal (and back again). It’s a pretty great conceit, at least visually, and ends with a wonderful gag with Ant-Man and Cross, now in his own suit and calling himself Yellowjacket, fighting atop a children’s train set.

    Rudd looks like a perfectly charismatic action star and it’s always good to see Douglas doing something outside of his comfort zone, and while the premise isn’t being sold 100% and its behind-the-scenes headaches still hurt, it’s hard not to be optimistic about something that looks this fun.

    “Ant-Man” opens on July 17th.