James Gunn's Return To Disney Goes Beyond Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

James Gunn's Return To Disney Goes Beyond Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

When big news hits, as you might imagine, things at CinemaBlend go a little bonkers. Everybody goes slightly crazy as we all try to make sure we have all our bases covered. Things went crazy like that last summer when the word came down that Disney had dropped James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and they went that way again just now as the news came out that he's back. While this news is huge for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the fact is that Gunn's involvement with these characters went beyond two, and now one day, three movies. James Gunn's return is going to be very good news for Disney's theme park business as well, because the Guardians of the Galaxy are a big part of that.

James Gunn was directly involved in the development of Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout, the first marvel themed attraction at a Disney theme park. In fact, he directed the video sequences of the ride while he was in production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Right now, a major new E-ticket attraction is under construction at Epcot at Walt Disney World. It's a Guardians of the Galaxy themed roller coaster. While most of the details of the experience itself have yet to be confirmed, beyond some cool technical stuff, we fully expect the MCU versions of these characters to feature prominently. The initial indication was that James Gunn and the Guardians actors would film whatever sequences were required for the attraction while Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was in production. When Gunn left the job and the movie was put on indefinite hold, it was far from clear what that meant for the theme park attraction.

The ride has something of a hard deadline. While no official opening date has been given, the ride has been promised to be open in time for Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary, which will be in 2021.

While we have no idea at this point when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be going into production, we do know that it will happen sometime after The Suicide Squad aka Suicide Squad 2 is completed. With that film looking at a summer 2021 release date, Gunn might not even get around to Guardians 3 until the end of 2021 or so.

Still, I would fully expect James Gunn to spearhead whatever production is necessary for the new Epcot attraction. This means that Gunn's first work back with Disney might not actually be Guardians of the Galaxy 3, it could actually be whatever theme park work is required. It likely can't wait until the movie goes into full production and will probably be handled separately.

The Guardians of the Galaxy are an important part of Disney's plans for Marvel, as the team is one of the few parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that Disney can use freely due to old agreements Marvel made with Universal theme parks before the company was purchased by Disney. At the same time, no part of the MCU is as closely tied to a single creator as the Guardians are to James Gunn.

One of the nice things about Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout is that the structure of the experience allows for new content to be filmed and added to the ride over time. This is now that much more likely happen now that Guardians 3 is back on and Gunn is back involved. This will give the attraction the ability to stay relevant for a longer period of time, and keep guests going back.

What the future holds for the Guardians of the Galaxy at Disney Parks is far from clear, but there is now a brighter future to be sure.

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Aladdin’s Will Smith Really Wanted To Pay Homage To Robin Williams

Aladdin’s Will Smith Really Wanted To Pay Homage To Robin Williams

It’s been a while since Will’s Smith musical career was as hot as his acting gigs, so it would be easy to forget the man’s capable of bringing a lot to the table in the way of music. In the case of Disney’s live action Aladdin, Smith has revealed that it was through the movie’s musical components that he was able to channel and pay homage to late actor Robin Williams.

Previously, Will Smith has talked about how he was able to lend a hip-hop influence to songs like “Friend Like Me,” but in a recent interview he took this explanation further, explaining how playing with the BPM range allowed for both his vision and Robin Williams’ original to shine through. He said:

The music was really how I saw my way in to be able to play the Genie. That first day messing around with ‘Friend Like Me,’ I noticed that it was in the BPM range of old-school hip-hop. So when I started playing with it, it was like, ‘Oh man — this really lends itself to a tempo and a flavor that I really understand.’ And that showed me how I could pay homage to Robin and not change the songs so much, so people would have the nostalgic value, but then also be able to come with my own flavor.

Of course Robin Williams’ version has a lot of energy and enthusiasm. It’s a big number and it even won a nod for best song at the 65th Academy Awards, so it's no real surprise Will Smith would tell Variety that he looked at the iconic performance and what it did while he was crafting his own version. But first, here's the Williams version:

Along with the in-movie song, a separate rap version with DJ Khaled is incorporated into the end credits of Aladdin. Will Smith also brings his own energy to the performance, as he has shown to the press in the weeks leading into Aladdin.

The original animated Aladdin was one of Robin Williams’ most notable performances, winning awards and nods when it came out back in 1992. With Disney remaking a lot of its live action properties, it was only a matter of time before Aladdin got the call.

It would have taken a pretty special performer to even try to measure up to the voice work Robin Williams put in. Of the choices, Will Smith is a big, bold personality with his own ideas.

Related: In Defense Of Will Smith’s Big, Blue Genie In Aladdin

Will Smith has also mentioned that he almost said no to taking on the role, specifically because Robin Williams knocked it out of the park when he played the Genie nearly thirty years ago. Ultimately, the hip-hop narrative is what drove the actor to say “yes” and the rest is history.

The kind of history that makes $86 million domestically and $207 million worldwide on opening weekend. It seems like people dig whatever Will Smith and co. are doing.

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6 Great Reasons Marvel Should Bring Back The One Shots

6 Great Reasons Marvel Should Bring Back The One Shots

There was an idea that Marvel Studios could maintain its Marvel Cinematic Universe with a series of MCU shorts that could tell stories that the movies never could. At least, not at the times they were released. They were called Marvel One Shots: shorts exclusively created for the home video release of each Marvel film from 2011 until 2014, and dedicated to taking the still fledgling franchise everywhere it could go, without having to spend a feature length budget each trip.

Before Team Darryl from Thor: Ragnarok, it had been a while since we’d seen anything close to being known as a One Shot. And even then, the comedic short explaining Thor’s absence from Captain America: Civil War wasn’t technically branded as a One Shot. But it does embody the spirit of the One Shot, and its success helps remind us of just why they should exist.

As we approach Avengers: Endgame, the long-awaited finale of the Infinity Saga, here are six reasons why Marvel Studios should go back to the practice of doling out One Shots with each home video release.

It Could Help Set Up Crucial Characters And Plot Points For Phase Four

Avengers: Endgame is about to wrap up eleven years of storytelling that make up the first arc of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While there’s definitely a plan in play for Phase Four to introduce new franchises like The Eternals and Shang Chi in the near future, as well as handing off the leadership reins to Captain Marvel, that’s only just the beginning.

If Phase Four is going to be more diverse -- and more ambitious -- than the first three phases, it’s going to need a lot of new and exciting content to do so. Which means, the One Shots could very easily help do a little of the heavy lifting by supplementing characters and plot points that start in mid or end credit sequences, and bridge into new films.

Imagine if Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel finally had an opportunity to show up, without the need of a TV series or a full film. That short could lay the groundwork for her character, and keep her in play until she’s used in either capacity. Meanwhile, she’d finally be onscreen, ready to return at a moment’s notice in a natural context.

They’re A Great Way To Tell Additional Stories Outside Of The Films

As we saw with the One Shot All Hail The King, the continuation of the story involving Trevor Slattery and his guise as The Mandarin in Iron Man 3 was eventually used to twist the character in another way. Were Marvel to pursue the eventual fallout of this short, with Slattery being brought to meet the actual Mandarin, there would be a potential to tell an entire story in One Shots.

What if the “true” Mandarin’s story was a serialized happening, scattered throughout home video releases of Marvel Studios titles? Instead of just being a juicy tease for a massive retcon of Iron Man 3, it could be an entire story that adapts the character closer to the comics.

Or, say the idea of telling the stories of jailed villains caught on? You don’t need a full Iron Man movie to tell that story, or at least not to start off. You could bring back Justin Hammer, or the Vulture, or even Colonel Zemo for one short and round off their stories in captivity. Of course, were they popular enough, there would always be the chance to expand further.

One Shots Help Test The Popularity Of Potential Concepts And Characters

Peggy Carter of the Captain America series is the best example of how testing the popularity of a character before launching them into greater things can work perfectly in the One Shot laboratory. While she was pretty beloved in Captain America: The First Avenger, as well as her guest appearances on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., her One Shot short Agent Carter provided the best piggyback for her character to jump into her own TV series.

Again, the foundation was laid out in a short that, at the very least, would have stoked fan support for the character. But at the most, you find the people that really get the fans riled up and ready to come back to the fold, which indicates that it’s a good time to jump back into TV and Movies with said character.

The Marvel Comics universe is so vast that no one is a guaranteed hit, so using One Shots as the test kitchen to cook up further adventures of side characters that are primed for a spinoff makes a lot of sense. If Inhumans had been a One Shot rather than an expensive theatrical event/season of TV, Marvel’s approach to the material, as well as the viability of the property itself, could have been tested in a less costly manner.

The Shorts Are A Nice Extra To Tide Fans Over Between Films

While Marvel Studios seems pretty set with its three-films-a-year layout, they tend to be front-loaded into the earlier part of the year. In 2019, March, April, and July all see the release of an entry into the MCU, leaving the rest of the year untouched except for home video releases.

Should those three films have additional One Shot content on each of those shelf loving physical copies, fans would have at least three more times to get excited about a new gem of information or a new character to fall in love with. It would basically be giving fans extra content in the off season.

Why should the comic movie fan be content with merely switching to another comic company’s films, when Marvel can keep its name in everyone’s minds with fresh supplies of events and characters? And what about the die hards who don’t even touch the competition? Those true believers deserve something extra for this devotion, in my opinion. Besides, it’s not like there’s a shortage of ideas in the One Shot canon.

There Are Already Unused One Shot Scripts That Can Be Made

It has been mentioned on multiple occasions that there were One Shot scripts that simply never got made, post 2014’s All Hail The King. Producer Kevin Feige, and even Marvel creative player Drew Pearce both talked about ideas that were laid out, but never executed for different reasons.

However, with Disney having more clout and position in the entertainment world to call its own shots, some reasons such as budget and effort could theoretically be overcome quite easily. While this isn’t a reason to advocate spending an obscene amount of money on a young Loki or Nick Fury short, it’s also a call to move past such limitations.

Should Marvel spend more money on the studio’s One Shot projects, that would mean that home video might not be the best or only home that those shorts should inhabit. If only there were a streaming platform that Disney owned, that could use such content to entice subscribers.

One Shots Past And Future Could Be Great Disney+ Exclusives

Perhaps the greatest reason that Disney and Marvel should resurrect the One Shot initiative is, quite simply, that Disney+ needs content. While the What If animated series, as well as plenty other spin-offs of popular characters are coming to the platform, there’s so much more potential here.

This new streaming home could take all of the lessons learned above, and turn them into gold. With Loki already getting a spin-off series, the problem of cost involving any Asgardian shorts is solved. Just use the assets already provided with that series.

Think Agent Carter is worth another spin? Make a short that shows us what Season 3 would have looked like, and see where the public lands! Having merely the test shorts of such concepts on Disney+ would be enough to start winning those hungry for more Marvel, all the time. And if Chris Hemsworth wants a TV show between Thor and his human roommate Darryl, you can practically chalk that success up to the unofficial success of the One Shots that was Team Darryl!

There is a tremendous opportunity to expand the depth and scope of the Marvel Cinematic Universe through the redeployment of the One Shots. All that has to happen is for the studio to see the possibilities, and make them happen in reality. For now, we may have to content ourselves with other longform streaming projects.

Which means it’s time for you True Believers, you Marvelous Mavens, to take a poll below and let your voices be heard. Do you want more One Shots, or do you think their day has come and gone? Vote and decide, and don’t forget to explain your choice in the comments below.

In the meantime, Avengers: Endgame will be upon us in early showings on April 25th, so there’s still time to cram a very specific MCU catch up session into your schedule.

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Jordan Peele Says Us Has Enough Fun For Non-Horror Fans

Jordan Peele Says Us Has Enough Fun For Non-Horror Fans

The horror genre has been in a renaissance the past few years, as filmmakers bring new and exciting concepts to the silver screen, and scare the crap out of moviegoers in the process. Rather than stale franchises and torture porn, the genre is thriving thanks to the unique perspective of its contributors. And there's no one quite on top of the game like Jordan Peele.

Jordan Peele made his directorial debut with 2017's Get Out, which he also wrote and produced. The film was a massive critical and financial success, and Peele even earned an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. All eyes were on what would be his follow-up, and this weekend Us finally arrives in theaters. Us has been teased to be much scarier than Get Out, but Peele thinks that the movie is still accessible for moviegoers who aren't necessarily horror buffs. As he tells it,

I think this is a scarier movie than Get Out, but I'm being told that people who don't like horror movies still like this movie. I think the fun outweighs the scary.

While Us has been promised to be a terrifying time in the theater, Jordan Peele seems to think that non-horror fans will still enjoy the project. Namely, because there's still moments of fun in the movie that will outweigh the various jump scares and atmospheric tension.

Jordan Peele's comments to E! Online may give some cinephiles a sense of relief. The hype around Us has been significant, and the movie is already a critical darling. The reviews tease just how terrifying the horror movie is, which may scare off moviegoers who don't typically shell out cash to watch a movie while hiding behind their hands.

Smart money says that Jordan Peele includes moments of levity and fun throughout the course of Us (at least before the chaos begins). Get Out certainly let the director use his comedy roots during the film's first two acts, as things around Daniel Kaluuya's Chris began getting gradually more bizarre. It only seems logical that Us would do the same, especially as Peele teases the fun aspect of his sophomore film.

It should also be interesting to see what message Jordan Peele ultimately shares with Us, as his projects usually have deep connections to the real world. Get Out was a social commentary about race in a post-Obama world, while Us' message is still a bit more mysterious ahead of the film's release.

Jordan Peele took the concept of a doppelganger family from his childhood fears, and the movie has been teased to be a parable about self-destruction. But I've got a feeling the director has some more tricks up his sleeve for the highly anticipated horror flick.

Us is in theaters March 22nd. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Avengers: Endgame Already Passed Titanic In Its Second Weekend, Only Avatar Remains

Avengers: Endgame Already Passed Titanic In Its Second Weekend, Only Avatar Remains

Well, that was quick! So much for "Never let go," eh, Titanic? Someone needs to get James Cameron on the horn to ask him about Avengers: Endgame. It took the Marvel Studios film just two weekends to topple one of JC's top-grossing films, with an eye on his other, the highest-grossing film of all time -- Avatar.

James Cameron may not care at all, it's not like he has anything left to prove. But wow! Avengers: Endgame just keeps topping expectations when the expectations were already high.

Endgame made over $1 billion in its first weekend at the worldwide box office, and it just topped over $2 billion for its second weekend. The current global tally is $2,188,698,638.

That just squeaked it past Titanic, which had a worldwide gross of $2,187,463,944. You're right, that's not adjusted for inflation. It's not comparing the exact number of tickets sold.

But it does move Avengers: Endgame up the list to dethrone Titanic as the #2 highest-grossing movie of all time. After two weekends. Only Avatar remains.

Avatar is well within reach now, despite naysayers. That doesn't mean it will be easy or happen next weekend. Don't bank on it -- unless you want to, since watching this play out in real time is pretty fun.

Avatar's worldwide gross is $2,787,965,087. That's the most total money a movie has ever made at the theatrical box office. As you can see, Endgame is still about $600 million behind Avatar. Definitely doable. When? Eh. I'll say by the end of May, but that could be off.

There's a lot of competition coming to the box office pretty soon, from Detective Pikachu and John Wick 3 to Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Toy Story 4.

There wasn't much competition at the box office this weekend, which is why Endgame's domestic tickets "only" dropped -59.2% from its massive opening, with a still crazy impressive per-screen average of $31,275.

I can feel people arguing that it's not fair to compare grosses without adjusting for inflation. If we do that, at least for domestic ticket prices, Gone with the Wind is number one, followed by the first Star Wars, then The Sound of Music, E.T., and then Titanic. You don't get to Avatar until #15 and Avengers: Endgame is currently at #74. But that's just domestic, and just so far for Endgame, per Box Office Mojo figures.

We ran a poll last weekend asking if Avengers: Endgame would pass Avatar. Most fans said yes, and I think that case just got stronger. So let's turn the conversation to when and how much for the total worldwide gross. Is $3 billion in the cards? You tell me how much, and when.

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Could Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Bring Back Another Classic Character?

Could Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Bring Back Another Classic Character?

The past few years have been very exciting for Star Wars fans. Since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, we've seen a variety of new and exciting projects come to life. In addition to standalone films and the upcoming Mandalorian TV series, the main franchise has also continued through the sequel trilogy. J.J. Abrams kickstarted the property back up with The Force Awakens, which introduced a new set of protagonists to interact with legends like Leia, Luke, and Han Solo.

The generations of Star Wars fans were devastated by Han's fate in The Force Awakens. After mentoring Rey, Han faced his son Ben/Kylo Ren on Starkiller base. While trying to help Ben return to the Light Side, he's shockingly murdered via lightsaber, and tossed over the bridge. But after being absent in The Last Jedi, a new rumor indicates he might pop back up in The Rise of Skywalker this December.

A new report indicated that Han Solo may appear in The Rise of Skywalker, once again attempting to appeal to his son's morality. He's not going to be resurrected, but will apparently come as as vision to Kylo Ren when he's pondering his next move and looking to Darth Vader's old helmet. That's when Han will appear to Ben, and may even forgive him for his death in Episode VII.

These rumors come to us from Making Star Wars, and are unconfirmed by the Lucasfilm or Disney. Still, it's a report that will excite the generations of Star Wars fans out there. Han Solo is arguably the most popular hero in the entire franchise, and he was noticeably missing during the course of The Last Jedi. He had a meaty role in The Force Awakens, and his death was heartbreaking-- proving the new movies weren't holding their punches.

Han's possible role in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker might be able to fix a problem in the current trilogy: the trio of original heroes never got a scene together. Leia and Han got a moment in The Force Awakens, but Luke was kept offscreen until the movie's very final moments. And once Carrie Fisher passed away, it seems we'd never see the three leads in another scene together.

Related: 12 Exciting Shots From The Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker Trailer

Of course, this rumor might not pan out, and Han Solo could very well stay dead and away from the silver screen during Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Actor Harrison Ford doesn't have much of an interest in the franchise anymore, and seems happy with how he was killed off. He wanted Han to die back in Return of the Jedi, so the 76 year-old actor may have hung up his blaster for good.

In the end, there's no telling what J.J. Abrams included in The Rise of Skywalker. Palpatine's laugh at the end of the first trailer seemed to indicate an emphasis on the past, and Episode IX will end both the sequel trilogy and the Skywalker Saga forever.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will arrive in theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Sonic The Hedgehog’s Director Promises That Design Changes Are Coming

Sonic The Hedgehog’s Director Promises That Design Changes Are Coming

Two days ago, the first trailer for the Sonic the Hedgehog movie was released, and the reception has… not been stellar, to put it lightly. Most of the backlash has been directed towards Sonic himself, as the Ben Schwartz-voiced version of the Sega character looks radically different than how he’s been traditionally depicted.

Well, don’t let it be said that fan complaints have never resulted in a movie being changed. Sonic the Hedgehog director Jeff Fowler has seen and heard the negative reactions towards the upcoming video game movie, and he’s promised that improvements are on the way. Here’s what Fowler announced to the world:

While I’m usually not a fan of audiences having a say in how an upcoming movie should look or flow, it is rather refreshing to see a creative mind recognize criticism and, rather than continue on full-stream ahead with the original plan, is willing to make adjustments. For Sonic the Hedgehog, one would think that things can only improve from here, although hopefully this doesn’t result in a slippery slope where filmmakers are caving to the demands of the public more often.

It was always going to be a difficult creative endeavor adapting the cartoonish Sonic into a CGI character who looks like he belongs in the “real world,” but it’s safe to say that most people are not digging his humanoid look for the upcoming movie. His human teeth are especially unsettling, but at least Ben Schwartz’s voice is still a good fit for the super fast extraterrestrial rodent.

There’s only six months to go until Sonic the Hedgehog’s release, so it will be interesting to see how much the eponymous character’s design can be changed in that time. It’s doubtful this will be a total overhaul, otherwise the movie would likely need to be pushed back. Ideally whenever the next Sonic the Hedgehog trailer drops, some, if not all of these changes will be noticeable.

If Jeff Fowler and his team are looking for inspiration on how to improve Sonic the Hedgehog’s design, there’s no shortage of fan creations to be found online. For example, here’s one from Twitter user Edward Pun that’s making the rounds:

For his first movie, Sonic finds himself on Earth trying to collect his rings (just like in the video games), evade being captured by the U.S. government and defeat the maniacal Dr. Ivo Robotnik, a.k.a. Dr. Eggman, played by Jim Carrey. Sonic will be aided by James Marsden’s Tom Wachowski, a former officer from the San Francisco Police Department who is now Sheriff of Green Hills, Montana. The movie’s cast also includes Tika Sumpter, Adam Pally and Neal McDonough.

Sonic the Hedgehog races into theaters on November 8, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. As for what else is coming out this year, check out our 2019 release schedule.

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