Rami Malek Says He Wouldn't Have Gotten Bohemian Rhapsody Role Without Mr. Robot

Rami Malek Says He Wouldn't Have Gotten Bohemian Rhapsody Role Without Mr. Robot

It is good to be Rami Malek right now. The actor was the lead in Bohemian Rhapsody, one of 2018’s most successful films, for which he won a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and an Oscar for his performance as Freddie Mercury. On top of that he’s dating his gorgeous co-star. Yet, he might never have gotten the role of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody if it weren’t for his breakout role in USA’s Mr. Robot. According to Rami Malek:

This seemed to propel me into a different space. I wouldn't have gotten the role of Freddie Murphy in Bohemian Rhapsody if it wasn't for this show. [I] probably wouldn't have had the type of success I'm seeing in my career right now, so I'm so fortunate to this show, especially for giving me this platform, giving me one of the greatest characters that I could ever play, anyone could ever play.

It’s impossible to know for sure what would have happened, but at least as far as Rami Malek is concerned, his current career success, epitomized by Bohemian Rhapsody, is attributable to his role as Elliot Alderson on Mr. Robot. As he told ET, Sam Esmail’s mind-bending show gave him visibility and a compelling character with whom he could show the world what he was capable of.

Prior to Mr. Robot, Rami Malek had plenty of credits to his name, but he himself wasn’t an established name by any stretch. His roles were mostly on TV shows and his biggest film credits were in the Night at the Museum movies, as well as taking roles in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2 and in smaller films like The Master and Short Term 12. Mr. Robot was Rami Malek’s first big starring role and it put him on the map in a way he wasn’t before.

Mr. Robot was a huge hit in its first season and was watercooler TV that had people talking. Rami Malek’s work on the show got people’s attention and it is possible that his presence in a buzzed about TV show put him on the right people’s radar. He believes that eventually snowballed into him landing the role of Freddie Mercury, a role that has changed his life. Sometimes all it takes is that breakthrough performance to get the ball rolling.

Rami Malek’s newfound success isn’t just limited to Bohemian Rhapsody and his award-winning performance as Freddie Mercury; the actor, now a name with a golden statue attached to it, is carrying that good fortune forward. Next year he joins a star-studded voice cast as Chee-Chee, opposite Robert Downey Jr.’s John Doolittle in The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle.

The actor also joins one of cinema’s most storied franchises as the villain in the as yet unnamed Bond 25. As Bohemian Rhapsody propels his career into the theatrical realm, Rami Malek will return one last time to the role of Elliot Alderson, to which he credits so much of his success, when Mr. Robot airs its fourth and final season later this year on USA. And of course, there's always the off-chance Bohemian Rhapsody could get a sequel.

We’ll keep you updated on what Rami Malek is working on next and in the meantime, check out our 2019 release schedule to gear up for all of this summer’s biggest movies.

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Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Has Blue And Green Milk But Which Is Better?

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Has Blue And Green Milk But Which Is Better?

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is a new land that is all about making you feel like you're standing on an alien world in the galaxy far, far away. You get to fly in Star Wars spaceships. You can craft Star Wars weapons and droids. You can shop in an alien marketplace. However, one thing that Disneyland is especially known for is innovative and interesting food and drinks, and Galaxy's Edge is no exception.

A number of culinary delicacies have been created for guests to try, but if you're a serious Star Wars fan, then none may be quite as important as the beverages you can find at the Batuu milk stand.

From the moment Luke Skywalker sat down to breakfast in A New Hope, fans have wondered exactly what that blue concoction he was drinking actually was. The food and beverage team at Disney Parks have come up with their best approximation of that, as well as the green liquid Luke Skywalker pulled right from the source in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

The two drinks don't have special names. They're known simply as "blue milk" and "green milk" and are both available in a single place inside Galaxy's Edge, a location known simply as the milk stand. Both types of milk go for $7.99, so they're not cheap drinks, to be sure, but that's honestly pretty standard for a non-alcoholic specialty beverage at Disneyland.

What Exactly Is Blue Milk And Green Milk?

So, first and foremost, the most important thing to know is that neither of these drinks is technically milk. Both are beverages with a rice and coconut base rather than coming from any form of actual dairy. This is done largely to simply allow more people to enjoy the drinks. Both of them are vegan, so everybody from vegetarians to the simply lactose intolerant can still have a glass.

The drinks also are not quite the same consistency as milk. Both are closer to a milkshake than milk, or, since both have strong fruit flavors, maybe calling them a smoothie is more accurate. Either way, pouring blue milk on your morning breakfast cereal wouldn't simply change the color of your breakfast, but everything about the meal.

Blue Milk

Starting with the iconic blue milk made famous in Star Wars: A New Hope, this icy cold beverage is going to hit all your buttons, especially if you're a fan of tropical fruits. It's got flavors of pineapple and dragonfruit, but also watermelon. If you're looking for something cold and refreshing to drink on a hot day in Southern CA and there will be a lot of those this summer, or on Batuu, the blue milk is probably going to be much more your speed.

My guess is that the blue milk will be the favorite among most guests as it's something of a safer choice. The other option is a bit more adventurous.

Green Milk

Green milk is also very much a fruit smoothie, though the fruits here are quite different. The green option is very heavy in the citrus flavors -- think oranges and grapefruits above all. There's a bit of tropical fruit here as well as I think there's passion fruit also included.

This could have made the green milk the more popular choice overall, but green milk has a bit of a twist. In addition to these citrus flavors, there's also a strong element that I can only describe as floral tasting. It comes in at the back of the sip and is very strong. Because of this, it's the flavor that is still lingering after you swallow, making the green milk the more unique taste of the two.

This will be the determining factor in which of the two you like better. These floral notes are either going to appeal to you or they're going to turn you off in a big way.

So Which Is Better?

Going in I sort of assumed this would be an easy enough question to answer, but as it turns out, not so much.

Personally, I have to say I actually enjoyed the green milk more. I found the floral notes of the beverage to be quite interesting and unexpected and I love any food or drink that combines flavors I like in unique and interesting ways.

Having said that, it seems, based on those who have given both milks a try at Galaxy's Edge, that I'm very much in the minority. Odds are you will prefer the blue milk over the green. I can totally see that many might not go for the floral component of the green milk. It's not the first flavor you think of when you think "ice cold fruit smoothie."

The best comparison that I can come up with comes from the world of beer. What's often referred to as a "west coast IPA" is a beer that is usually heavy in hops and thus is more bitter. It certainly has a strong flavor to it, but it's one that doesn't appeal to everybody.

Green milk isn't bitter, but it has a strong flavor in the same way. You're either going to like the taste or you're going to hand the glass to your friend and see if they want to finish it.

Blue milk is more like your session IPA. Its flavors are smoother and more balanced. It's easier to drink. It's designed specifically to appeal to a wider variety of palettes.

If you're going to be checking out Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and you want to try something at the milk stand, my recommendation is go with the blue milk first. If you're there with a group of friends, consider getting one green milk among the group so that everybody can at least give it a try. There's a decent chance somebody will like it enough that it won't go to waste, and if everybody loves it, you can always get more.

You can still check out Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge now by booking a stay at a Disneyland Resort hotel, everybody booked in the room will get access to a four hour visit to Batuu. Starting June 24, no reservations will be required.

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The Guardians Of The Galaxy Cameo You Probably Missed In Avengers: Endgame

The Guardians Of The Galaxy Cameo You Probably Missed In Avengers: Endgame

Warning! The following contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame. Read at your own risk!

Avengers: Endgame's battle sequence at the end was massive. So massive, that if an unexpected character happened to help out, many in the audience may have missed it. Fortunately there were some who happened to catch an entirely unexpected Guardians of the Galaxy cameo, as a character from the movie popped in to lend a hand in the Avengers' time of need. Howard the Duck, of all people, showed up to fight for the world alongside the universe's mightiest heroes.

For those attending another showing in the near future, Howard can be spotted amongst the many warriors showing up when Doctor Strange, Wong, and the rest of the sorcerers start opening portals. When Hope Van Dyne is spotted, viewers should move their eyes to the blueish alien to her right, and then follow that character's gun downward. There's Howard, in the distance, looking a lot like he did in his cameo scene following Guardians of the Galaxy.

Howard's packing heat in lieu of a drink this time around, and he's looking poised to kick some Earth invader ass when the signal is given. His contributions beyond that are unknown, as he doesn't get a big action sequence to show what he's up to like other key characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Apparently, the Russos didn't find it pertinent to zero in on what one of the MCU's most bizarre characters was up to.

Here's the good news: There's still a chance we may learn what role Howard played in the battle. That's all thanks to an upcoming Howard The Duck television series which will feature the Marvel hero trapped on Earth. Provided this series takes place post-Avengers: Endgame, there's certainly an opportunity for the series to show that scene from Howard's perspective, or have him recall something from the event. Hell, this may even be the event that strands him on earth!

Whatever the case regarding the future series, it's been known that the Russos have wanted to include Howard in the action since Avengers: Infinity War. According to Joe Russo, the original idea was to have Peter Quill go to Howard and ask him about the whereabouts of an Infinity Stone while he was in the midst of a poker game. That would've been great to see, although one could argue this is better.

The real question now is, what was Howard The Duck up to before his arrival? The Russos confirmed he survived the snap, so there could be some deleted scene or one shot in the future that outlines what Howard was up to in the time between Infinity War and Endgame. If not, at least it's good to see him alongside the rest of the good guys, and possibly making a case to become a future Avenger?

Stick with CinemaBlend for more Avengers: Endgame analysis, and news on what is becoming a monumental box office run.

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This Rotten Week: Predicting Us Reviews

This Rotten Week: Predicting Us Reviews

We’ve only got one movie on the docket this week, but it’s definitely an exciting one, as we are once again seeing writer/director Jordan Peele return to the horror genre following the Oscar-winning success of Get Out two years ago. Get ready to meet the doppelgangers of your nightmares in Us.

Just remember, I'm not reviewing these movies, but rather predicting where they'll end up on the Tomatometer. Let's take a look at This Rotten Week has to offer.

After taking the horror world by storm, combining legit creeps with a commentary about race in America in the award-winning Get Out (98%), Jordan Peele is back. And his latest one looks, well, pretty fucked up in all the right ways. The guy is taking over the genre, and Us looks like it is going to be another huge win for the filmmaker

As we've seen previously in the genre, what we have here is another family outing/get together gone horribly wrong - this time the story playing out in a beach town where the Tyler family is stalked by... well, the Tyler family (just a creepier version). Where Get Out had plenty of frights with a slightly tongue-in-cheek tone, Us looks like a full-out horror fest. Even from the trailer one can tell the visuals will keep you up at night. Critics thus far are all over this movie. Following its debut at the SXSW Film Festival, it’s currently sitting at 100% through more than 50 reviews. I doubt it slips much, if at all. It’s tough to ever predict a movie hitting the 100% mark, and I don’t think this one will end up at the top of the mountain - but it'll be damn close. We’ll have one or two negatives come in over the course of the week, but the sentiment will remain the same.

While only one of the movies fell within ten percent of my predictions last week, the other two came incredibly close to being called wins. When it’s all said and done, and a few more reviews come trickling in, this week could look a lot better. Captive State (Predicted: 48% Actual: 49%) was nearly right on the money, dipping down under the 50% mark from Saturday into Sunday. Critics fell mostly in line with what I suspected was the case: the movie had too many moving parts. While the central theme is intriguing, they tried to do too many things within the framework and it ended up being confusing.

Meanwhile, Five Feet Apart (Predicted: 39% Actual: 52%) was looking like a clear win until it ticked up over 50% in the last two days. Frankly, I’m kind of shocked it fell out of range. Of the three movies from last week, this prediction was my most confident. Critics seemed to mostly agree that the two leads carried the movie out of the sappy and cliched depths it could have ventured considering the subject matter.

And finally, Wonder Park(Predicted: 41% Actual: 30%) also just missed the mark. See what I mean with this week? This could easily be a three-for-three. This animated movie had critics incredibly un-enthused. The general theme of the reviews was the plot line was just way too sad for what should be a sort of joyous kids’ flick about imagination and, well, wonder.

Next time around we’ve got Dumbo. It’s gonna be a Rotten Week!

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Detective Pikachu Cinematographer ‘Is So Glad’ He Turned Down Sonic The Hedgehog

Detective Pikachu Cinematographer ‘Is So Glad’ He Turned Down Sonic The Hedgehog

If you logged on to the internet in the past few days or glanced at the image above, then you’ve likely witnessed some of the anxieties many fans have dealt with about the upcoming live-action Sonic the Hedgehog release. The first trailer for the video game adaptation was packed with odd moments, between the use of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” to soundtrack the introduction, to the iconic blue hedgehog having human-like teeth and being an alien now.

At least one person out there gave one big sigh of relief upon witnessing the early look at Sonic the Hedgehog in all its glory: Detective Pikachu cinematographer, John Mathieson. Here’s what he had to say:

Funny enough, I was offered [Sonic the Hedgehog] and after watching the trailer I thought I’m so glad we don’t look like that.

That’s some shade! Mathieson is an experienced cinematographer who has worked on fan favorites such as Logan and X-Men: First Class, and has earned Oscars nominations for his photography on The Phantom of the Opera and Gladiator. The filmmaker is certainly feeling like he dodged a bullet right about now. He attributes the difference between his video game adaptation of Pokemon and Sonic by the fact that he opted to shoot the former on traditional film. Check out more of his words to Newsweek below:

If all we’re talking about is how these two films look, our film is better than Sonic the Hedgehog and I’m sorry, I don’t care who I upset by saying that, but I think it looks better. There’s no reason why you can’t shoot a film like [Detective Pikachu] or Sonic the Hedgehog on film. If you had, [Sonic the Hedgehog] would look more realistic. I look at Sonic the Hedgehog and I just go ‘yeah whatever.’

It is unlikely that shooting on film instead of digital would have made a difference regarding fans’ most popular gripe with Sonic the Hedgehog: the character design of the ‘90s icon. Some artists have even gone so far as to take matters into their own hands and rework some of the images. Take a look this one from Twitter user @EdwardPun1:

John Mathieson said the contrast in colors between Detective Pikachu and Sonic the Hedgehog makes a difference, especially since shooting a movie on digital film doesn’t capture colors such as blues and reds as well. The look of Pikachu is certainly more stylized and true to the character fans know and love. Just look at this fluffy pika-pika voiced by Ryan Reynolds:

Detective Pikachu has screened for critics ahead of its release on May 10 and the response has been positive, but before that, the movie had also been marketed in a way that has drummed up positive buzz with its first trailer. At this point, Sonic the Hedgehog won’t likely go down the same road when it hits theaters on November 8.

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Keanu Reeves Was Put In ‘Movie Jail’ After Turning Down Speed 2

Keanu Reeves Was Put In ‘Movie Jail’ After Turning Down Speed 2

Keanu Reeves made the leap from Bill and Ted slacker to legitimate action star thanks to his role in 1994's Speed. The movie made over $350 million (in 1994 dollars) and was one of the top 10 movies at the box office that year. The fact that a sequel went into the works is no surprise. However, when it came time to make the movie, Reeves ended up turning the role down, a decision which apparently sent him to "movie jail" for more than a decade. According to the actor...

I didn’t work with [Fox] again until The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Speed 2: Cruise Control was released in 1997 and The Day the Earth Stood Still came out in 2008. It seems that in that time, Fox was none to happy with Keanu Reeves. The actor doesn't go into detail with GQ regarding "movie jail," but it seems Reeves was well aware that it wasn't a coincidence that none of his projects for the next decade or so ended up at the studio. Apparently, Fox was miffed that he turned down the Speed sequel. One certainly wonders what sorts of Fox projects Reeves could have potentially been a part of had it not been for his 10 year sentence to movie jail.

A brief look at the box office results makes it clear why Fox was unhappy. Speed 2 made $168 million, less than half what the original movie did. While it's hard to chalk up all of that difference to the fact Keanu Reeves wasn't in the movie, Reeves was certainly a bigger name than Jason Patric, the guy who took the role of male lead opposite Sandra Bullock in the sequel. Also, the simple fact that Reeves didn't return could have potentially signaled to many moviegoers that the follow-up wasn't worth their time. If Reeves was the reason you saw the first one, why bother with the sequel.

It's unclear here if the reason Reeves didn't reprise his role from Speed was because he had any issues with the movie itself. He chose to play Hamlet on stage in Canada instead, but he may have just really wanted to play Hamlet more than make the movie.

Of course, Reeves would go on to star in the Matrix trilogy which turned him into an even bigger star. Now he's part of another major franchise, the John Wick series, which is produced by Lionsgate, a much smaller studio. In fact, as GQ points out, Reeves hasn't made a movie with any major studio since 2013's 47 Ronin, which was something of a flop, so perhaps the actor is actually back in movie jail, but just doesn't know it.

At the end of the day, business is business, but those businesses are also run by people, and if you upset people, they can react in emotional ways. It seems that's what happened here.

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How The Best Of Enemies Stands Out From All Other Civil Rights Biopics

How The Best Of Enemies Stands Out From All Other Civil Rights Biopics

When making a film that covers a part of history as cinematically saturated as the civil rights movement, it’s important to have a fresh angle for the audience to take in. It’s not an easy job, but when done correctly, it really makes the difference when trying to sell a film like this weekend’s The Best of Enemies. Based on the true story of the fight for school desegregation in Durham, North Carolina, this story’s unique perspective is a tried and true method that focuses more on the characters and their transformation, rather than the events themselves.

No one understands this better than the film’s stars, Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell, and they said as much in their conversation with CinemaBlend, as we were on hand for The Best of Enemies’ recent press day. Sitting down with Henson and Rockwell, their feelings on just how this film stands out are pretty indicative of such an angle, as they provided the following thoughts when asked about that subject:

Henson: 'I think that what makes [The Best of Enemies] uniquely different is that you see a real transformation happen. Not that in other movies you don’t see the transformations of the characters, but I’ve never seen a film where a Ku Klux member denounces the KKK, and becomes a civil rights activist.'

Rockwell: 'And that’s true, he tore up his card. Spoiler alert for the movie. It spoils the ending.'

Respectively playing civil rights activist Ann Atwater and prominent regional leader of the Ku Klux Klan C.P. Ellis, Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell are in agreement that the key detail that makes The Best of Enemies different from the various civil rights biopics that exist is the element of transformation.

While Ellis’ transformation from white supremacist to his eventual position as a labor crusader who denounces his Klan membership may be the more visible, and definitely more surprising one, there’s still a transformation that occurs on Atwater’s end. Seeing her go from a sworn enemy of C.P. Ellis to an actual friend and collaborator is the other half of the equation, which only makes the end result of The Best of Enemies all the sweeter. However, there’s another interesting discussion to be had thanks to this conversation.

Specifically, that second line of thought is in the debate over what counts as a spoiler when it comes to a movie like The Best of Enemies. As the film is an adaptation of a piece of history, rather than a whole cloth fabrication of fictional basis, but is also based on a story that’s not widely discussed, the line between spoiled or not spoiled can be somewhat blurry. This is especially true as not only is there a treasure trove of information available on this very subject in reference materials, there’s other adaptations that have told this story before the narrative film version was even in production.

Taking all of this into account, Sam Rockwell, a recent veteran of historical adaptation pictures thanks to his work on Vice and the upcoming FX series Fosse/Verdon, sounded like he was of the mind that revealing that detail about his character before people have been able to see The Best of Enemies was indeed a spoiler. However, Taraji P. Henson believes that the other side of the coin is true. She said as much during that very same conversation, as she laid out the following case for historical movies being somewhat spoiler proof:

It doesn’t, because the movie is already out there. It’s a play. If you know anything about this film, it’s not like the gig is up. It actually happened, and if anybody wants to google it, they’re gonna find out.

One could say that even with the historical evidence provided, knowing that C.P. Ellis tears up his Klan card at the end of The Best of Enemies is a spoiler because it’s crucial to the story that the film is telling. But no matter which side of the argument you land on, it’s easy to agree that The Best of Enemies’ usage of the personal transformation angle is what makes it a special case when it comes to a film approaching an often covered part of history. And so long as there are stories deeply rooted in how people reacted to events such as these, then there’s still room left to tell those stories in the world of cinema.

The Best of Enemies bridges the gap between history and cinema, on April 5. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend, as we’ll have more coverage on this film throughout the week. Though if you’re looking for more true to life stories headed to theaters this year, our 2019 release calendar is there to help you decide on which stories to follow.

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