The Original Scooby Doo Actors Had A Mixed Reaction To The New Cast

The Original Scooby Doo Actors Had A Mixed Reaction To The New Cast

No pop culture property is going to remain dormant for too long when Hollywood has the opportunity to use it. It's been 15 years since popular 1970s animated character Scooby-Doo and his mystery solving buddies were on the big screen, and that's more enough time to justify a reboot. A new animated film is on the way, and some of the actors from the early-2000s live-action version have feelings. Matthew Lillard, who played Shaggy, is more than a little upset to discover that he's being replaced, and also annoyed he didn't get any sort of a heads up.

Last week it was announced that a new animated Scooby-Doo movie was being produced with names like Will Forte and Gina Rodriguez attached to voice the familiar characters that we all remember from the various versions of the cartoon show that started in 1969 and has existed in one form or another ever since.

Of course, for fans of a certain age, the most well-known version of these characters may have come from a pair of live-action movies. The first was released in 2002 and, while it wasn't exactly a critical darling, it ended up grossing over $270 million around the world. That was good enough to spawn the sequel, 2004's Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.

While it seemed highly unlikely that we were ever going to get another live-action Scooby-Doo at this point, at least with the same cast, it wouldn't be the first time that a franchise was brought back after a long hiatus. The one thing a reboot does do is seemingly make that even less likely as we rarely see a franchise go backwards, though that can happen too.

As with any reboot scenario, there are fans that are less than thrilled to learn of it. There's often a feeling that a reboot, simply by existing, is a slight to whatever came before.

Not everybody, however, seems to be too bent out of shape over the reboot. Freddie Prinze Jr. who played Fred in the live-action film, alongside wife Sarah Michelle Geller as Daphne, seems to be taking it all in stride. He's glad Scooby-Doo is making it to the screen in some form for a new generation to enjoy.

While the new movie won't have any connection to the live-action films, it will be connected to the animated characters. Frank Welker has been the voice of Scooby-Doo himself since 2002, and he'll reprise his role in the new film, so this new movie isn't entirely without pedigree.

While the main cast of the new film has been revealed, maybe the previously actors could get voice cameos as a nice nod to their previous work. We'll have to wait and see. The new Scooby-Doo and company is set to bow in May of 2020.

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The Most Ridiculous Avengers: Endgame Fan Theory Ever, According To The Russos

The Most Ridiculous Avengers: Endgame Fan Theory Ever, According To The Russos

The absence of almost any plot details for Avengers: Endgame has led fans to run with their imaginations and create countless theories about how the biggest movie of the summer will end. Some are clever, others are outside-of-the-box, and the rest are fun. But there's one fan theory that is so ridiculous that it's become a viral hit. It involves Ant-Man jumping up Thanos' butthole, and the Russo Bros. can confirm its the silliest theory they've ever heard.

If you've been on the internet for the past few weeks looking up Avengers: Endgame news then you have almost certainly seen the "Thanus" Theory. According to the theory, the Avengers have a surefire way to defeat Thanos. If Ant-Man shrinks down and jumps up Thanos' asshole, he can grow to giant-size and explode Thanos from within.

It's an extremely goofy theory that obviously won't happen in the movie, but it's taken on a life of its own. It became a popular meme and anyone with access to Photoshop and some free time has found some creative way to joke about the theory. One fan even went as far as to create an animated video solely about the theory.

It's now gotten to the point where poor Paul Rudd is asked about whether he gets to know Thanos on an up close and personal level during every single interview. Honestly, the joke has worn itself really thin by this point, but it's funny to see how this has all exploded to such levels.

The Russo Bros. seem to agree. The duo hear a lot of fan theories, but Thanus is without question the most ridiculous they have ever heard. Here's what the co-directors had to say about the theory in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Anthony Russo: 'Thanus' is truly the most ridiculous fan theory we've ever heard.

Joe Russo: But it's a highly inventive one. I want to know who came up with it.

Paul Rudd: I've been asked about it a bunch. I am amused a bit at how widespread it seems to have gotten.

The Russo Bros. previously said that no fan theory has ever been 100% correct, so it looks like we've got our confirmation that Ant-Man won't be taking one for the team next week.

Either way, we will know for sure soon enough. Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters in less than one week (!!!) and all of our many, many questions will finally be answered. Be sure to stick with CinemaBlend because we are going to have tons to say about this film. To learn everything that we currently know, here's our handy guide for one of the biggest blockbusters ever made. For everything Marvel-related, here's what films the studio has coming up.

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Don't Freak, But The Genie Isn't Always Blue In The New Aladdin Trailer

Don't Freak, But The Genie Isn't Always Blue In The New Aladdin Trailer

When the first pictures of Will Smith's Genie appeared, people were shocked and even slightly outraged that Will Smith looked like, Will Smith. He wasn't blue, and as all fans of the classic Disney Aladdin know, the Genie was blue. Will Smith told people not to freak out and when the first footage of Genie came with an early teaser, we saw the Genie being blue. And then everybody freaked out again. Now, the first full trailer is here, and get ready for everybody to freak out again, because the Genie is blue, and also not blue.

This morning we got out best look yet at Disney's live-action Aladdin and it may set a lot of people's minds at ease, because it looks pretty good. We got to really see Aladdin, Jasmine and Jafar in action. We heard a couple pieces of some popular songs and everything looks good. Except maybe the Genie depending on your perspective.

When He's Blue

The trailer shows us Aladdin making his way through the Cave of Wonders, finding the magic lamp and then rubbing it to release the Genie. As we saw in the last teaser, when he is released, the Genie looks how you might have expected. He's big and blue and looks like a pumped up Will Smith. If you're not a fan of the CGI job, this trailer isn't going to change your mind.

It's here we also get the first part of an actual musical performance, some of the Will Smith version of "Friend Like Me." Smith will remain blue throughout this section. The last time that we see him in full CGI mode is during the "Making Aladdin a prince" scene. After that, everything changes.

When He's Not Blue

We first see Genie looking more like normal Will Smith earlier in the trailer, during the scene where Al is asking Genie if he can be made into a prince. We also seem him looking that way later, after "Prince Ali" has made his way into the palace. This is actually the last we see of Genie in the trailer, so it's possible we could see him transforming back and forth several times throughout the movie, depending on whether or not anybody is looking.

What seems likely, and has been my theory from the beginning, is that Genie has made himself look human as a disguise. This way he can interact with the other characters of the film without raising suspicion.

It's what the Genie actually did in the animated movie during the "Prince Ali" song. Genie performed it, and looked like a normal person, before disappearing and keeping himself hidden from the other characters. This way, Disney gets their money's worth out of having Will Smith in the movie. He doesn't need to stay off-screen the whole time.

Whichever version of the Genie you prefer, you're going to have to deal with the other version to some degree, but this way it seems everybody should get what they want at least part of the time.

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Robert Pattinson Says Christopher Nolan's New Movie Is Wildly Long

Robert Pattinson Says Christopher Nolan's New Movie Is Wildly Long

You never know what you’re going to get next with Christopher Nolan. One moment, he’s helming one of the biggest pre-Avengers comic book series with his Dark Knight Trilogy, and the next he’s experimenting in the realms of sci-fi and historical narrative. Back to his old tricks again, Nolan is currently working on a rather enigmatic film that, per his usual process, is being kept tightly under wraps. Details are scarce, but according to one of the film’s actors, Twilight veteran Robert Pattinson, it’s going to be a pretty long sit. And when he says long, it’s about three movies’ worth of length.

This detail casually came out during a recent interview, as he spoke about working on Christopher Nolan’s latest mystery film, and what it means to him as an actor. Robert Pattinson’s remarks were as follows:

As an actor, the only bit of control is whether or not you're doing a movie. Working with these important directors makes you feel more secure in the choices you're making. Like, I'm doing a big movie with Christopher Nolan after this. It's the craziest thing I've seen in years. It's the length of three movies.

The length of three movies sounds pretty intimidating, no matter how you slice it. On the more conservative side of things, per guidelines over what qualifies as a feature length film, you’re looking at three 80-minute Christopher Nolan films strung together, which roughly adds up to a four hour film. While that sort of undertaking has been done before, it’s not exactly a common occurrence in the modern world of filmmaking.

Though, for the sake of audience’s physical comfort, let’s hope that the length is closer to Nolan’s shortest film and not his longest, as 2014’s Interstellar holds that particular record at two hours and 49 minutes. Three movies of that run time wouldn’t feel like a movie anymore, it’d feel closer to a David Lynch TV series, and theater seats just aren’t comfortable enough to sit that long.

However, if you were to take the Nolan standard of film length, with his shortest film being his directorial debut Following, the result would still be in the same ballpark. Clocking in at 69 minutes, Christopher Nolan might have a roughly three and a half hour film lined up for confirmed stars Robert Pattinson, John David Washington, and Elizabeth Debicki to work their way through.

Other than this particular claim from Robert Pattinson’s interview with AZ Central, as well as some interesting stories -- like how he had to read the script in a locked room in the name of privacy -- we don’t know all that much about this untitled Christopher Nolan film. Some reports, such as a recent THR article, have pegged this new film as dealing with the time continuum; while other debunked reports had the film likened to “North By Northwest meets Inception.”

Maybe somewhere in-between lies the truth, both in the realm of the film’s story and its running time, but we probably won’t know until whatever point Christopher Nolan decides to share more details with the world. Let’s hope that if it does run as long as this outrageous claim suggests, it’ll at least come with an intermission to let folks stretch and tend to their bodily needs.

The as of yet untitled Christopher Nolan movie is set to blow minds when it opens on July 17th, 2020. In the meantime, Robert Pattinson can currently be seen in High Life, which is in limited release at this very moment.

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Should Wesley Snipes' Blade Really Return In The MCU?

Should Wesley Snipes' Blade Really Return In The MCU?

As Marvel's plans for Phase 4 officially remain under lock and key, rumors and speculation are running rampant about the brand's future plans for its current characters and plans for other characters who haven't been seen in a long time. The latest update on the latter alleges that Marvel has plans for a Blade return. This alleged film, which would be R-rated, is said to involve Wesley Snipes in some way.

Now there's a chance Marvel could have other plans for Wesley Snipes, but smart money says that if he's involved, it's probably so he can reprise his role as the title character. It's a bold choice given his inclusion would seemingly mean embracing the character's previous films and giving the world the fourth Blade film after over 15 years. Provided these discussions are currently underway, is bringing Wesley Snipes Blade to the MCU something that should happen?

To start, let's acknowledge that Wesley Snipes is in his mid 50s. Him being Blade now would look a lot different than when he first took on the role. Hell, it'd even look different than when he did Blade Trinity at 41. That's not to say he can't pull it off, but one would imagine if Marvel is seriously considering Snipes for Blade, it's because they aren't planning to have him back for long.

Because, let's face it, if Marvel was thinking about making a new Blade movie, it's a good bet it'd use a younger actor. Mahershala Ali already has a strong show of support from MCU fans, and is still in his early 40s. He's just one of the many popular actors that could take on the character, so it's not absolutely necessary that Wesley Snipes be tapped for this role.

Yet, there has been talk from Snipes and Kevin Feige both over the years, which does make it possible these talks are legitimate. Rumors are still just that, but the fact that Marvel Studios has supposedly shown some interest in bringing back Wesley Snipes to play Blade in the past does instill some confidence that there's a plan at play. If it's being discussed, surely there's an idea of how it would happen, right?

Which, in and of itself, is a strong supporting reason for why Snipes should return as Blade. Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios has had a strong track record to date in the MCU, so there's little reason to doubt they'd just up and drop the ball trying to do Blade with Wesley Snipes. After all, why search for another actor when you have the guy who played him in three films before ready and willing to make a comeback.

Well, there is one really big reason not to, and a lot of it is tied to Wesley Snipes on-set behavior during production on Blade: Trinity. There are multiple accounts of Snipes doing some wild stuff on set, one of which included requesting CGI being used to put him in scenes he didn't feel like doing.

Much wilder alleged stories can be found online, but it seemed clear to multiple people on set that Blade wasn't something Snipes wanted to be a part of anymore. People change, obviously, but it's a valid question whether there are those at Marvel who remember that whole incident and may have issues bringing the actor in and risking more behind-the-scenes drama on a high-budget feature.

One big strength in Snipes favor is that he's aged wonderfully, and it's not crazy to think an enhanced lifespan isn't a real-life super power he's capable of. Additionally, after seeing how Marvel de-aged Kurt Russell and Samuel L. Jackson, it's hard to believe what little work it would take to make Snipes look as close to how he looked the last time audiences saw the Dhampir in action.

Perhaps the question isn't why Marvel would want Wesley Snipes back as Blade, but more of a question as to what that would mean. Bringing Snipes back would presumably make Blade 1-3 canon in the MCU, which adds yet another franchise to marry to a very delicate ecosystem at the moment. Could the MCU weather bringing the first three Blade films into its shared universe without worrying about plot inconsistencies or other issues?

It also bears mention that while the character of Blade has been popular, the franchise thus far has not been a hit with critics. Blade II is seen as the high point, according to critic scores on Rotten Tomatoes, and Blade: Trinity's aggregate score makes X-Men: Apocalypse's score seem solid in comparison. None of the films have been critical successes, but the lowest point of this franchise has been pretty damn bad in the eyes of critics.

Absence can tend to make the heart grow fonder though, although it would be a question of why the Marvel universe has had zero mentions of vampires to this point if Blade has been around this whole time. Granted, that is changing as Sony just went into principal photography on Morbius pretty recently, although it remains to be seen how or if the character will be incorporated into the MCU.

If there was a time to make vampires a part of the MCU, Phase 4 seems like a time to do it. The future of the Asgardians and who will headline adventures related to them is potentially on the bubble if Chris Hemsworth exits, and Marvel has already shown a want to expand its universe more with the introduction of the Skrulls. Vampires would be a viable outlet, and wouldn't take a lot of work to incorporate.

There is one story element that Marvel Studios could be looking into, and it's one that admittedly feels like one that avoids a lot of the potential problems in bringing back Wesley Snipes' Blade. Snipes could be the supporting character in a feature that ultimately paves the way to introduce Fallon Grey, Blade's daughter, as the MCU's resident vampire hunter. It's a convenient way to sweep Blade's past under the rug, and also add more inclusivity to the MCU.

Ultimately the decision is Marvel Studios', and it will ultimately decide whether or not Wesley Snipes and the Blade franchise is worth incorporating into the MCU. Right now people probably have a lot of questions as to why, but many will ultimately trust Kevin Feige and those responsible if bringing the vampire hunter back is the right move.

Right now, all this Blade talk is just a rumor, but CinemaBlend will keep an eye out for updates and any developments especially as Marvel gears up to announce its plans for Phase 4 after Spider-Man: Far From Home. For more on Blade, read up on what recent superhero film director actually pitched an idea for a film not all that long ago.

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How Much John Wick 3 Could Make In Its Opening Weekend

How Much John Wick 3 Could Make In Its Opening Weekend

The "Parabellum" of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum means "prepare for war." The spring 2019 box office is going to be quite a minefield, but I have a feeling Mr. Wick will put up a worthy fight. He's beaten the odds before.

John Wick 3 opens in theaters Friday, May 17, and BoxOfficePro is estimating it will make $30-40 million. That would set it up for the best debut of the franchise, especially if it opens on the higher end of that prediction.

Here are the past two opening weekends for the franchise to date:

John Wick opening weekend: $14,415,922 from 2,589 theaters

John Wick: Chapter 2 opening weekend: $30,436,123 from 3,113 theaters

As you can see, the second film's opening doubled the first film's take. It did have more screens, and hopefully The Powers That Be take the hint and open Chapter 3 on even more screens for even more chances at even more money.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say John Wick 3 will open to $43 million. Chapter 2 ended on a great cliffhanger, with John Wick declared excommunicado. There's a $14 million global contract out on his head. He's on the run with his post-puppy dog. If you caught up on the first two movies, wouldn't you be curious how John Wick gets out of this latest mess? What if he doesn't?

Plus, Chapter 3 adds Halle Berry in a major role, with her own lethal two dogs. Anjelica Huston is also in the mix, among the other new characters. Old favorites like Ian McShane's Continental manager Winston; Laurence Fishburne's Bowery King; and Lance Reddick's Charon will also be back.

Director Chad Stahelski -- who met Keanu Reeves as his stunt double for The Matrix, which is just a fun fact on that movie's 20th anniversary -- has said John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is 20% more movie than Chapter 2. It has more characters, and more action by at least three sequences. So the body count is substantially higher. John Wick and John Wick: Chapter 2 were more two-act stories, he added, and in Parabellum there are two storylines going on, so it's more of a three-act film.

There seems to be a lot of interest in this movie, so I'm sticking with my $43 million domestic opening guess, and I'll go ahead and lock in a high total worldwide gross guess of $210 million. It's not even clear how many countries will be getting John Wick 3, and when, but the trend is upward so I'm sticking with it.

Here are the total grosses for the previous two films, per Box Office Mojo:

John Wick

Domestic: $43,037,835

Foreign: $45,723,826

Worldwide total: $88,761,661

John Wick: Chapter 2

Domestic: $92,029,184

Foreign: $79,510,703

Worldwide total: $171,539,887

It's kind of surprising these films don't make more money in theaters, but they do seem to -- ahem -- make a killing with fans in repeat viewings at home. Just through sheer buzz, there seems to be a lot of interest in Parabellum, so I'm pretty confident it will have the best opening of the franchise.

That said, there's a lot of competition out there. May 10 has Ryan Reynolds' Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, with Aladdin and BrightBurn following John Wick 3 on May 24. The month is ending with Godzilla: King of the Monsters. There's not going to be a lot of time to make money, at least in the domestic opening.

Follow every opening with our 2019 movie release date schedule, and post your own John Wick 3 opening prediction below. Do you plan to see the movie when it first opens May 17-19, or wait a bit? Does it depend on reviews, or you wouldn't care?

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Marvel Is Making A Supercut Of Stan Lee Cameos And Unused Footage

Marvel Is Making A Supercut Of Stan Lee Cameos And Unused Footage

It's a very exciting time to be a Marvel fan. Avengers: Endgame is days away from arriving in theaters, and Disney's merger with Fox means that comic book favorites like the Fantastic Four and X-Men may make their way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And although there's plenty to celebrate in the world of Marvel comics, it's sad that visionary Stan Lee is no longer with us to enjoy it all.

But while Stan Lee passed away in November, he's still got a few more appearances on screen. Lee was known for his fantastic Marvel cameos, able to steal the show with one quick line reading. And it looks like Marvel Studios has found another way to honor him, by compiling all his cameos and even some unused footage into one epic tribute. As Kevin Feige recently revealed:

We’ve put a video together. We’ve never done this before, a behind-the-scenes of every cameo. All the B-roll that was shot and his stand-ups there. His passing was very emotional for all of us, but it suddenly all came back to me just when I watched it.

Well, this is exciting. In addition to compiling Stan Lee's countless cameos, it looks like the new tribute video will also include deleted scenes and B-roll of the comic book visionary at work. In short: excelsior!

Kevin Feige's comments to EW are sure to delight the generations of Marvel fans who are missing Stan Lee during this exciting time in film history. Avengers: Endgame will be the cumulation of 21 movies and a decade of filming, and Stan Lee was there throughout almost all of it. The comic book creator always delighted in seeing Marvel's finest on the big screen, and Endgame has been teased to be bigger and better than anything we've seen before.

Given how delightful Stan Lee was up until his death at age 95, many moviegoers who would love to see extra footage of the Stan the Man in action. Many of his MCU roles included one liners, but that doesn't mean those were the only lines offered. Typically Lee tried a few different versions of his cameos, so there should be plenty of unused footage to mine from. So while Avengers: Endgame may be his final cameo in the MCU, the public should expect new clips from him regardless.

Related: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Director Reveals Stan Lee's Cut Lines

The stakes for Avengers: Endgame are already sky high, but Stan Lee's cameo gives the upcoming blockbuster yet another goal to live up to. Luckily for us all, Endgame looks like it will do just that. The early response from the movie's premiere is overwhelmingly positive, and The Russo Brothers might just top the massive success of Infinity War.

Stan Lee will return to screens when Avengers: Endgame arrives on April 26th. In the meantime, check out CinemaBlend's Endgame death pool, and be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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