The Important Role Monarch Will Play In Godzilla: King Of The Monsters

The Important Role Monarch Will Play In Godzilla: King Of The Monsters

Naturally the main reason one goes to a Godzilla movie is to see the eponymous creature fight other monsters, but it’s also important to have human characters involved to anchor the story. In the MonsterVerse franchise, most of those humans are part of or affiliated with Monarch, which has studied these Titans for nearly three-quarters of a century.

While 2014’s Godzilla and 2017’s Kong: Skull Island provided some information on Monarch, this month’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters pulling the curtain back even further on this organization. I recently interviewed King of the Monsters production designer Scott Chambliss, and he explained that Monarch’s headquarters is representative of the clash between man and nature in the movie. Speaking about the inspiration for designing these headquarters, Chambliss said:

Our story boiled down to its most essential archetype is one of man vs. nature, and the Monarch HQ was the perfect environment in which to visually express this. Located deep in the heart of an oceanic mountain miles below the water’s surface, Monarch brought together all the human and technological engineering firepower conceivable to house its monumental and labyrinthine HQ within an utterly hostile environment...one that didn’t even exist until they created the initial negative void itself.

Although Kong: Skull Island’s post-credits scenes showed Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson’s characters being held inside one of Monarch’s interrogation rooms, that’s hardly a good look into the kind of work space the agency’s employees operate in. Fortunately, Godzilla: King of the Monsters will not have that issue, and clearly Monarch is not lacking for funds if it can set up its headquarters within an underwater mountain.

More importantly, though, is how Godzilla: King of the Monsters reflects the core archetype through both the artificial elements making up Monrach’s base and its natural home. Scott Chambliss provided additional details about what to expect from the headquarters, saying:

Within the compound you see evidence of both: the technologically advanced monitoring, scientific, and manufacturing floors expressed in the language of advanced fortified architecture within the larger and very visible raw volcanic rock volume that houses it. This isn’t the kind of metaphoric visualizing that is intended to be showily theatrical. It is instead a presentation of starkly contrasting ingredients- raw, powerful nature and utterly refined human engineering- which is by itself an interpretation of our archetype. I’m very curious to see if this translates into the final film in any meaningful way.

In the present day MonsterVerse, the two main representatives of Monarch have been Ken Watanabe’s Ishiro Serizawa and Sally Hawkins’ Vivienne Graham. Both will be back for Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and in addition to meeting some of their other coworkers, we finally get to see the kind of environment they’re in when not doing fieldwork.

Scott Chambliss also confirmed that it was incredibly difficult to put together the Monarch headquarters set. As he put it:

The great volume of Monarch HQ made it by far the most demanding build of our movie. All the scenic and technical arts of set creation were employed here, down to robotic set dressing components. A large number of complicated parts working together comprised our final Monarch HQ world.

It’s hard to say just how much time Godzilla: King of the Monsters is spending inside the Monarch headquarters, and obviously the main draw of this latest MonsterVerse tale is witnessing Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah collide out in the open. Still, considering how little we’ve learned about the organization, it’s cool to see Monarch will have a bigger presence for this third entry.

Along with Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins reprising their roles, Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ main cast includes Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, g, Bradley Whitford, Charles Dance, Thomas Middleditch, Aisha Hinds, O’Shea Jackson, David Strathairn and Zhang Ziyi. Michael Dougherty directed and co-wrote the script with Zach Shields.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters rampages into theaters on May 31, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. In the meantime, head to our 2019 release schedule to find out what movies are coming out later in the year.

Read More

Rambo: Last Blood Trailer Has Sylvester Stallone Going Full Home Alone

Rambo: Last Blood Trailer Has Sylvester Stallone Going Full Home Alone

John Rambo has survived war, become war, and ultimately released himself from the bonds of war over the course of the four films we’ve already seen in the Rambo franchise. Now, with Rambo: Last Blood heading our way, the formidable warrior is about to embark on what should be his last mission; and you can get your first look at the battle field in the first trailer released for the film.

In what promises to be his big swan song, Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo has retired to the family ranch that he returned to at the end of the previous film, Rambo. But just as he was ready to give up the ways of violence, a new crisis springs him into action.

In Rambo: Last Blood, the stakes are at their most personal, as John is waging war against a drug cartel that’s kidnapped the sister of one of his friends. And it’s going to spur him to become his most dangerous self, complete with a house full of booby traps that’d qualify Kevin McCallister for a spot on The Expendables.

Seriously though, take a look at the modifications that Rambo makes to his farmhouse in Rambo: Last Blood. Crossbows outfitted with trip wires, a tunnel system that has a pitchfork just waiting to meet some guy’s chest, and enough vantage points to give Rambo his best shot every shot are all part of Rambo: Last Blood’s house of horrors. All that’s missing are some explosive Micro Machines and mini wrecking balls made out of paint cans, and you’ve got an R-rated version of Home Alone that’s ready for you, the mature adult, to enjoy in theaters.

It’s not all about wanton violence though, as John Rambo is in quite a reflective mood in Rambo: Last Blood’s trailer. With his past weighing on him, and that world of death making him into the grizzled veteran that he is, Rambo looks mostly content with his new life. But he's ready to pay his past debts as they come due.

And while these debts don’t take American Express, they can surely be paid by rifles, crossbows, and pitchfork traps. If Rambo: Last Blood really is the final entry in the John Rambo saga, then rest assured, it looks like he’s going to close that book with his most chaotic chapter yet.

And looking at the film’s first teaser poster shown below, that theory only seems to be supported by the amount of smoke and flames obscuring John Rambo from frame:

Sylvester Stallone has done pretty interesting work when it comes to revisiting or even saying goodbye to his most iconic roles of movie making history. If his work on Rambo: Last Blood is as good as it has been on films like the Creed series, then you can pretty much count us in for an opening night seat. Though unless Rambo takes the big train to the sky at the end of this film, we’ll still be inclined to believe that Stallone will change his mind, as he’s been known to do now and again.

Rambo: Last Blood closes old wounds on September 20th.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More