With the deserts of Arrakis just on the cinematic event horizon and the Fremen drums of war heralding Dune: Part Two‘s premiere in theaters, the weirdest-looking popcorn bucket you’ll see in your life has surfaced online, and fans don’t know quite what to make of it.
Cinemagoers are no stranger to the art of upsell merchandise. That’s doubly true whenever we talk about prominent franchises with enough hype to carry a dozen independent releases. And while Dune is not a record-shattering blockbuster in the traditional sense, a lot of excitement is hovering around this sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s acclaimed 2021 flick.
And so, to spice up your special night (if you’ll pardon the pun), there will be a special popcorn bucket, increasing your immersion both in the aesthetic and thematic sense. The only problem is the shape of the bucket in question, which will make you feel like you’re reaching into the literal maws of a Sandworm for a handful of corn puffs.
— Papa Woof und Krampus und Bleaken (@woofknight) January 26, 2024
You’ll have to admit that the jokes basically write themselves. When looking at the Sandworm bucket, some folks can’t help but be reminded of something altogether inappropriate. The mere thought of the people seated next to you reaching into their buckets while you’re watching the epic next chapter to Paul Atreides’ story… I think you get the overall gist of it without me having to elaborate any further. (And no, with any luck, your bucket won’t actually begin gnawing on your forearm.)
Me at the theater for Dune 2 pretending like i can't see the guy seated beside me violating a sand worm pic.twitter.com/bBMiGd7U5N
Note that we have no confirmation as to whether these Sandworm-shaped buckets are the official supplementary snack for Dune: Part Two. As such, more details will be forthcoming as we inch closer to the premiere date of March 1.
You might be wondering about the potential price. We know that these special treats can go for egregious sums, like the outrageous $65 Barbie bucket that came with a car and a doll. Other examples include the Groot-inspired Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 buckets, which sold for $25, and of course, the recent Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie, which could go up as much as $20 and ended up on eBay for hundreds of dollars for being limited. You can probably expect to pay more for this Sandworm bucket than your ticket, so I guess it will ultimately boil down to how much of a Dune fan you are, or whether you find the idea of munching on something that comes out of the gullet of a Sandworm particularly appealing.
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Sydney Sweeney‘s latest film doesn’t have much in common with Euphoria.
The 26-year-old star made a name for herself on the mega-popular HBO drama, but she’s branching out into new(ish) territory with the impending release of Immaculate. The incoming flick is far from her first foray into horror, of course, but it may well be her best if initial reactions to the film’s first trailers are any indication.
People are already singing Sweeney’s praises as they stew in excitement for the psychological horror film‘s release. She ventured into similar territory with 2020’s Nocturne and her fans are more than ready to see how she handles horror the second time around.
What will Immaculate be rated?
The enthralling first trailer for Immaculate dropped just over two months ahead of the film’s March 2024 release, but it didn’t provide any specific details on the film’s rating. A number of its themes, including the overarching horror tones, point to an R rating, but it’s still unclear if Immaculate will manage to secure a potentially more lucrative PG-13.
A PG-13 rating is unlikely in Immaculate‘s case, unfortunately for Sweeney’s younger fans, given the film’s dark and bloody nature. That first trailer points to a sinister and occasionally gruesome plot, and PG-13 ratings typically exclude violence that is “both realistic and extreme or persistent.” It’s still hard to say whether or not Immaculate falls into that definition at this early stage, but it feels like a safe bet.
We should know for sure soon, but for now it’s safest to treatImmaculate as an R-rated film. It’s got clearly violent scenes with all that religious torture thrown in, and the presence of eerie, demonic visitors and at least one violent suicide seems to easily qualify the flick for the harsher rating.
Immaculate releases in theaters on March 22, 2024.
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A director spends months — even years — performing their craft on a film in hopes of creating the highest quality picture they can. And although Doug Liman believes he did just that with the remake of the cult classic Road House, he won’t be attending its world premiere.
It’ll be available to stream on Prime Video when it releases on March 21. Amazon MGM Studios is charged with bringing the film to life, as well as the decision to send it straight to people’s devices instead of cinemas, which doesn’t sit well with Liman.
Liman shared his thoughts about Road House in a guest column on Deadline in a blog posted on January 24.
Essentially, Liman is boycotting the movie’s SXSW airing in Austin, Texas, to protest Amazon’s choice to leave it out of theaters. “Contrary to their public statements, Amazon has no interest in supporting cinemas,’ Liman wrote. “Amazon asked me and the film community to trust them and their public statements about supporting cinemas, and then they turned around and are using Road House to sell plumbing fixtures.”
He pointed to Amazon’s apparent strategy with the highly anticipated film. Instead of sending it off to theaters across the globe, it’ll be solely available on Prime Video which, of course, requires an Amazon subscription. Liman claimed in the guest post that Road House has received an obscene amount of traction on social media. And if that translates to movie viewership, Amazon will likely notch more subscriptions, and more potential clients purchasing goods off of its marketplace.
“When Road House opens the SXSW film festival, I won’t be attending,” Liman wrote. “The movie is fantastic, maybe my best, and I’m sure it will bring the house down and possibly have the audience dancing in their seats during the end credits. But I will not be there.”
Amazon acquired MGM in 2022. When Amazon did, the company said it’d invest over $1 billion into theatrical pictures, according to a report from Bloomberg. But, from Liman’s perspective, Amazon doesn’t intend to make good on the promise, which could be another domino in the potential downfall of theaters. “The impact goes far beyond this one movie,” he wrote. “This could be industry-shaping for decades to come.” As an impassioned Liman stated:
“If we don’t put tentpole movies in movie theaters, there won’t be movie theaters in the future. Movies like Road House, people actually want to see on the big screen, and it was made for the big screen. Without movie theaters, we won’t have the commercial box office hits that are the locomotives that allow studios to take gambles on original movies and new directors. Without movie theaters, we won’t have movie stars.”
Liman also wrote that the shift from theatrical to streaming releases would zero out box office revenue, which could lead to film industry layoffs, and ultimately the end of the cinema experience. So, although Liman is glowing about Road House, he’s taking the opportunity to bring awareness to the bigger picture.
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What the MCU really needs right now is a group of remarkable people, an assembly of heroes who can fight the battles that the franchise apparently can’t. No, not the Avengers, they’re sadly still a ways away. I’m talking about that unlikely trio of Daredevil, Deadpool, and Spider-Man.
Yes, this unforeseen trinity may just put the Multiverse Saga back on track if all goes well, or else finish it off for good if it doesn’t. Elsewhere, Sony’s preparing to release its first Marvel movie since Morbius, and even though it’s tracking even worse than The Marvels, Madame Web might yet have a sneaky hack up her sleeves…
Daredevil: Born Again resumes filming as Deadpool 3 finishes reminds us how the MCU is hanging in the balance
Images via Marvel Studios
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have announced to the world that Deadpool 3 has officially finished filming at long last, meaning we’re one step closer to getting the much-anticipated threequel on the big screen. Coincidentally, this week also saw Daredevil: Born Again resume filming. It’s interesting to compare the two projects as they are basically the one movie and the one TV show that the studio is relying on to relaunch the two halves of its cinematic universe to past heights. Marvel really needs both of these to succeed. Or else it’s literally just Spider-Man 4 or bust.
Spider-Man 4 reportedly a tug-of-war between Sony and Marvel as Maguire and Garfield returns are up in the air
Image via Marvel Studios
While much of the Multiverse Saga hasn’t hit home as hoped, Spider-Man: No Way Home remains the saga’s most popular film by some margin. So it’s no surprise that, rumor has it, Sony is keen to replicate the formula in Spider-Man 4 as closely as possible, including potentially bringing back Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as Peters 2 and 3. However, if you believe the scuttlebutt, Kevin Feige and Tom Holland are against the idea, preferring to keep the next movie more grounded and self-contained. Albeit it with some Daredevil connections thrown in for laughs. Expect a civil war to break out in the fandom over which version folks would prefer.
Madame Web heading for woeful opening weekend, but it might somehow still turn a profit
Photo via Sony Pictures
Sorry to break it to you, Madame Web-heads, but the Dakota Johnson vehicle is headed for a dismal opening weekend at the box office, with projections predicting a six-day gross of just $25 million. This would be truly woeful, even worse thanMorbius, and yet here’s the thing: Madame Web‘s budget is so low that whatever happens it’s guaranteed to be less of a costly bomb than The Marvels was for Marvel Studios. That film came with a whopping $219 million price tag while MW cost merely $80 million. That said, at this rate, it might be a chore for the movie to make even that back. We’ll find out come Feb. 14.
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Despite the total lack of interest from the entire world, Sony is pressing ahead with its Spider-Man-less Spider-Man universe in 2024 with the release of two — count ’em, two — new spinoffs about characters Peter Parker occasionally crosses paths with in the comics.
Specifically, we have Dakota Johnson in the fifty shades of unnecessary Madame Web due in February and then former Quicksilver Aaron Taylor-Johnson in August’s Kraven the Hunter (we didn’t see that coming). Somehow, we live in a timeline where an El Muerto movie can be in development but not one where Sony has bothered to bring back one of the best parts of Marvel’s Spider-Man trilogy: Jake Gyllenhaal as the master of manipulation, the guy who spoke about the multiverse before it was cool, Mysterio.
Thankfully, Gyllenhaal is as busy as he’s ever been, and his latest project offers an unlikely way to scratch the itch for those missing Marvel’s Mysterio.
Road House? Gimme a gritty Mysterio spinoff movie, Sony
Screencap via Prime Video
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in Road House, a mid-budget action thriller based on the cult classic 1980s movie of the same name starring Patrick Swayze. Gyllenhaal plays the brilliantly named Elwood Dalton — from Donnie Darko to Quentin Beck, he’s sure had a career full of characters with colorful names. Dalton is a former UFC fighter who winds up working as a bouncer at a roadhouse, only to discover the place isn’t what it seems.
Social media is going crazy for the movie, which promises more of Gyllenhaal in his Southpaw mode, ably supported by The Suicide Squad fave Daniela Melchior, Billy “I Play That Annoying Guy In That Film You Like” Magnussen, and actual MMA legend Conor McGregor.
Whatever its quality, at least we know Road House will be better than the last time director Doug Liman worked with a Spider-Man star — 2021’s chaotic YA sci-fi Chaos Walking. Even if, ironically, Liman will be boycotting his own movie due to Amazon’s decision to sling it onto streaming.
What Road House is really bringing into sharp focus, though, is just how much the Marvel multiverse has wasted Gyllenhaal’s talents to date. I’m just spitballing here, but imagine a Joker-like solo movie based around a more grounded Mysterio variant. Some kind of violent, street-level vigilante who beats up folks in parking lots with a fishbowl on his head. Don’t lie to me, you know you’d be more intrigued to watch that than either Madame Web or Kraven.
I leave you with the awe-inspiring sight of Jake Gyllenhaal doing his best Brad Pitt in Fight Club impression. Catch Road House on Prime Video from March 21.
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Despite Queenpins coming out in 2021, the film is seeing a wave of positive attention after arriving on Netflix. Viewers who are seeing the movie for the first time have found themselves intrigued by the true story, but what happened to Connie and JoJo?
If you haven’t seen it, Queenpins is inspired by a real-life coupon counterfeiting scam. Whilst the story in the movie did happen, some parts were changed or exaggerated to make the flick more entertaining.
First of all the names were changed, in the film we follow the story of Connie Kaminski (Kristen Bell) and JoJo Johnson (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), two friends from Arizona who start selling fake coupons causing corporations to lose millions whilst making themselves rich. In real life, the gang consisted of Robyn Ramirez (the ring leader), Marilyn Johnson, and Amiko Fountain.
Without overtly spoiling the end (just in case you wanted to watch it) their story ends in pretty much the same way as their real-life counterparts. Although only Ramirez served any jail time, and she served a bit more than Kristen Bell’s character in the movie, she was sentenced to two years. All three were ordered to pay back $1.3 million in restitution.
So where are the real Queenpins now?
Image via Netflix
More than ten years after their crimes you’d expect all three to be living pretty normal lives by now. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple, whilst Ramirez did her time in jail she’s not exactly out of the woods yet. Around about the time Queenpins initially came out in theaters it was reported that she was still paying off her share of the $1.3 million that the trio had been ordered to reimburse the companies.
What’s worse is that according to reports, Ramirez is struggling to keep up with her repayments, falling $4000 short which resulted in her probation being extended by 5 years. Currently, she’s paying $300 a month but even so, it would take her over 100 years to pay back everything.
Ramirez’s partners in crime were also still paying back monthly at the time of the movies’ release, and before you ask, no, none of the women will receive any kind of payment from the film’s success due to Arizona laws. In addition, the fact that enough details like names were changed means that the filmmakers wouldn’t be obligated to pay any kind of royalties to the people who inspired it.
So that’s a pretty depressing turn of events for the real Queenpins, I guess the lesson here is that crime doesn’t pay. Whilst not a great deal is known about the three women’s lives now it seems like their movie counterparts got a way happier ending than they did.
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Jeff Celentano’s inspirational baseball drama The Hill hit a home run all the way to the top of Netflix’s United States charts after hitting the platform on Jan. 20, 2024.
Beloved by audiences (but not quite meeting the mark for critics) the movie tells the story of Rickey Hill, a young boy suffering from a degenerative spinal disease who dreams of becoming a baseball player. Moreso than his physical shortcomings, it’s his devout Christian father who stands in his way, not wanting his son to pursue a life as strenuous.
The poorer Reviews of The Hill on Rotten Tomatoes describe Celentano’s film as “preachy,” “hokey,” and suffering from too much “telling” and not enough “showing,” resulting in a slim 44 percent rating. Viewers, however, couldn’t disagree more. The movie is currently sporting a 97 percent audience score with comments highlighting its family friendliness and Christian message.
Does Rickey Hill in the movie The Hill really exist?
Yes. The Hill takes from Rickey Hill’s real life to write its faith-led narrative of perseverance. Jeff Celentano met Hill after his brother overheard him talk to someone on the phone about needing a film director for a script about his life.
Being a huge fan of classic sports movies, the Breaking Point director was taken by the project from the start and dedicated to getting it through the finish line. The Hill took 17 years to make. After repeatedly losing funding, it was finally shot in 2021 in Georgia as a stand-in for Hill’s home state of Texas.
Hill, who is played by Colin Ford in the film, was born with a disability, undergoing multiple surgeries in his legs between ages 1 and 4, and later being diagnosed with degenerative spine disease. He grew up with pain but never stopped doing physical activities for fun. Speaking on the Your Biggest Breakthrough podcast, Hill said he didn’t “have any money so all [he] did was hit rocks, continuously.”
In another interview with Father Edward Looney, Hill also described his Baptist minister father’s influence on his childhood, saying he was “tough,” “strict” and affiliated with the “independent fundamental Baptists.” As seen in the film he wasn’t the most supportive of dads when it came to his son’s sporting dreams, but Hill is a devout Christian to this day because of his upbringing.
Realizing he had an eye for hitting those rocks he played with, Hill decided to become a baseball batter. He trained to improve his running and made it as far as the minor leagues until his condition finally became unbearable. Hill played professional baseball for four years in teams like the Lethbridge Expos, the Rio Grande Valley Whitewings, the Texas City Stars, and the Grays Harbor Loggers.
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On Jan. 22, the much-anticipated reboot of the Man Without Fear’s adventures resumed filming, following a long break brought about by both the 2023 strikes and a major creative overhaul which saw the show’s writers and directors replaced. Meanwhile, on Jan. 24, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman announced that production had finally wrapped on DP3, which has likewise had an uphill journey since cameras started rolling last May.
So while one of Marvel’s most eagerly awaited projects calls it a day, another is just starting out in its new form. And the coincidence of these two comings and goings happening in the same week reminds us just how important this year is to the MCU at large.
Deadpool 3 and Daredevil: Born Again will determine the future of the MCU on the big and small screens
Images via Marvel Studios
It’s hard to sugarcoat it: 2023 was almost a uniform disaster for Marvel Studios across the board. Barring the success of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (which speaks more to the chances of James Gunn’s DCU than the future of Marvel), the studio was hit by flop after flop, from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to Secret Invasion to The Marvels.
With even a sequel to a billion-dollar earner (2019’s Captain Marvel), one which also teased the arrival of the X-Men, crashing at the box office, it’s clear that the studio needs to win back audiences ASAP. And, wouldn’t you know it, it has literally one single attempt in which to do that this year, as July’s Deadpool 3 is Marvel’s only cinematic release of 2024.
Unfortunately, Marvel’s Disney Plus endeavors are facing their own crisis. As She-Hulk being canned due to exorbitant costs makes plain, the studio is going to have to majorly rethink how it makes these shows. Luckily, it’s already in the process of doing that, hence Marvel taking the drastic measure with Born Again to go back to the drawing board halfway through. Casting updates offer an encouraging tease that this was the right decision.
Although Born Again won’t be premiering until 2025, the upcoming TV releases — Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, for example — were produced via the old way of doing things. The Daredevil revival, meanwhile, looks to be the start of a brand-new era. Or, rather, one that goes back to Netflix’s successful methodology — street-level, cheaper shows with longer episode counts.
Similarly, Deadpool 3 seems to be going back to what worked so well for Marvel during the Infinity Saga: star power squared. The partnership of Reynolds and Jackman, and Deadpool and Wolverine, will be the big make-or-break test that determines whether the right combination of movie stars and beloved characters can still reel ’em in like it used to.
Basically, if either or both Daredevil: Born Again and Deadpool 3 fail then, well, we might not need Kang to threaten the Marvel multiverse. Good luck, boys, you’re going to need it.
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We’ve had SpongeBob movies, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot and even a Paw Patrol movie, but I know what you’re asking: when oh when are we getting a Sandy Cheeks movie? Well, say no more, because it’s on its way, and here’s everything we know.
Supposedly the film won’t see a theatrical release like its predecessors and will land directly on Netflix. This will be the fourth SpongeBob SquarePants movie and the full title is rumored to be Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks movie. I don’t know about you, but I’m already sold.
All jokes aside, SpongeBob has always been a favorite of 90s kids but right now the SBU (SpongeBob Universe) has never been in a better place. It’s expanding exponentially with new seasons of the show, more movies, and (despite being against the wishes of the show’s late creator) multiple spin-off series.
We had Kamp Koral, a prequel show following much younger versions of the characters; then we got The Patrick Star Show, neither of these spin-offs is particularly well-liked. This hasn’t stopped Nickelodeon from beginning another project and it seems the studio is determined to systematically work through all the side characters, either giving them their own show or movie. I can’t wait for the Squidward one.
When could the Sandy Cheeks movie be released?
Image via Nickelodeon
With any luck we could be seeing the movie as early as this year, although there has been no confirmed date for release as of the time of writing this article. That suggests that if it were to be released in 2024, it would likely be the second half of this year.
However, the film was originally set for a February 2023 release window before being delayed due to COVID and other factors. If they were aiming for a release almost a year ago, it makes you wonder if maybe the film could drop on Netflix sooner than we think.
The plot
Image via Nickelodeon
No plot details have been given as of yet, however, based on the title we can assume that Sandy’s home town of Bikini Bottom is under some sort of threat, and this time it won’t be up to SpongBob to save the day, but rather the Texan Squirrel.
The cast
Image via Nickelodeon
Sandy Cheeks will be voiced by Carolyn Lawrence, who has voiced the character since her debut back in 1999. Tom Kenny will also be voicing SpongeBob; in fact, all of the show’s original voice actors are expected to reprise their roles including Bill Fagerbakke, Roger Bumpass, Clancy Brown and Mr. Lawrence, Jill Talley and Mary Jo Catlett.
The IMDb page also lists a few recognisable faces such as Wanda Sykes as Sue Nahmee. We’ll also get to meet Sandy’s family with Grey Griffin and Craig Robinson set to play Ma and Pa Cheeks and Johnny Knoxville playing Randy Cheeks.
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Slater became the face of a new generation of musical entertainment when he landed the lead role in the deeply weird SpongeBob SquarePants musical in 2016, a production widely remembered as the thing that theater kids at the time might have talked about if they could have just stopped reciting Hamilton for ten minutes. Since then, he’s been making bigger and bigger waves, appearing in the Broadway production of Spamalot, racking up television and movie credits, and dating Ariana Grande.
But arguably his biggest win: Landing the part of Boq in the upcoming big-screen adaptation of Wicked, which also stars Grande.
With that sort of success comes increased visibility, a bevy of reporters eager to stick microphones in your face, and many, many more opportunities to say the words “love and care.” What’s more, it brings commentary by people who – and this is a weird thing to have to say about an adult stranger – maybe don’t know as much about the Muppets as they think they do.
Ethan Slater and the no-good, very-bad Reddit comments
The first Wicked movie is officially one year away! We spoke with Ethan Slater at the opening night of @Monty Python’s Spamalot about the highly-anticipated movie musical event. #EthanSlater#Spamalot#Wicked#Broadway
In a video that found a pretty remarkable audience thanks to the TikTok account @broadwaydirect, Ethan Slater is seen getting interviewed at a Spamalot-related event. Asked about Wicked, the performer gets a little bit out of sorts, the way that you did when you realized that this man has probably gone to the convenience store to pick up stuff that Ariana Grande forgot to pack in her overnight bag.
The video received no small amount of attention thanks to Slater’s jittery gesticulations, wild facial expressions, and the way that he repeats the phrase “love and care” over and over when describing how the musical is being approached by the filmmakers. One Reddit user even went so far as to call Slater a “Jim Henderson animatronic creation,” which, you have to assume meant “Jim Henson,” right? Unless there’s a guy named Jim Henderson out there, making Rock-afire Explosion jam bands out of guys that look like Griffin Newman from The Tick if he never got a chance to finish cooking.
Wicked is expected to be released in two parts, each of which was treated with love and care, with the first part hitting theaters in November 2024. Part two is slated for November 2025, and was also treated with love and care.
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When the 96th Academy Awards air on March 10, 2024, the live telecast can save precious time because even if someone else takes home the golden statue, the Best Picture category win has already happened — it’s Barbie.
The Academy just elevated its art of “snubbing” when it refused to nominate Greta Gerwig as Best Director and Margot Robbie as Best Actress for Barbie. Why? They didn’t like the film, somehow “just Ken” beat the “everything” Barbie, or recognizing and honoring deserving titles is just that hard? And after these massive snubs, the film might just end up losing to Oppenheimer in the Best Picture category.
Oh, drop those furrowed eyebrows scrunched in justified displeasure — and now, confusion — because Barbie just accomplished its core mission and is, hands down, the Best Picture winner already. Okay, okay, remember we are only angry with the Oscars (not me), and yes, one hot explanation coming right up!
What was the message of Barbie? What were Gerwig, Margot, and the other Barbie actors trying to convey through the film? It employs a metamodern path to dissect, comment, and question the conflicting expectations a society has for a woman and how they want to box her in their perception of what she should be. In the film, Barbie learns that in the real world, women are “just Barbie” — expected to conform to the gazillion demands and objectifications.
It shows that in the so-called matriarchal world, the Kens are happy and free to do what they want, while women pursue their ambitions. But when Ken brings in the patriarchal version from the real world, women are sidelined, expected to be heard but not seen as men get the spotlight.
Now, the ongoing social media debate highlights that Barbie won’t be Barbie without Gerwig’s skilled direction or Robbie’s heartfelt performance as Stereotyped Barbie. The Academy blatantly ignored them but saw Gosling fit for a nomination as Best Supporting Actor — he is exceptional in the film, no doubt about that, but the fact remains that Ken is nominated for Barbie but Barbie is not.
Wait Ryan Gosling got nominated for his role as Ken, but Margot Robbie didn't get nominated for Barbie?! And Greta got snubbed for Best Director?!?!
And what’s more, amid this whole hoopla around his nomination, the fact that America Ferrera has been nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category is buried under it all — a tad awkward given the literal message of the film. Did someone order a double dose of irony because the universe [re: the Academy] seems rather committed to the whole bit.
But you know what, Barbie still wins. The message it set out to impart, the itching questions it dared to scratch, and the ideologies it openly challenged are getting questioned and called out after the Oscars 2024 nominations — the film is accomplishing what it set out to do in the first place. Isn’t that what a Best Picture winner should do — not just be entertaining or different, but unsettle the norms? By snubbing 2023’s biggest accomplishment’s creators, the Oscars went all meta in sealing their victory.
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The most wonderful time of the year is nigh, and we’re obviously talking about the award season. Amidst snubs, duds, and all the animated cubs, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has finally announced the nominations for the 96th Academy Oscars.
Naturally, each of us had our very own predictions in this mighty race, but none of us could’ve predicted the disappointment and glee that came with each category. Amidst all the high-end frontrunners in the directorial departments, let’s pay attention to the very underrated yet highly performing nominees for Best Animated Feature.
The Boy and the Heron
Image via Studio Ghibli
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki and adapted from the 1937 novel How Do You Live? by Genzaburo Yoshino, The Boy and the Heron stands as a frontrunner in the animated race. While it may not reach the heights of Miyazaki’s magnum opus, the film’s inclusion in the award event is further evidence of Miyazaki’s filmmaking prowess and, perhaps most importantly, his storytelling acumen.
Considered a strong contender for victory, The Boy and the Heron represents Miyazaki’s fourth nomination in the Best Animated category, with only one previous triumph. This absolute masterpiece features none other than Robert Pattinson in the English cast and to witness this cinematic gem, head over to Apple TV before the Oscars arrive.
Elemental
Photo via Disney
For the first time in the history of the Best Animated Feature category — a category that only came into existence in 2002, highlighting the long-underestimated nature of animation for decades — Disney was expected to break its streak of nominations. Enter Elemental to shatter that expectation and take us by surprise. Despite initially being labeled as a flop.
The film revolves around the story of the fire girl and water boy from the duo-player browser game Elemental. Considering this, the box office performance could’ve swung in either direction. Fortunately, the Academy recognized it as a success and for now, the film is available on Disney Plus. It’s safe to say that this year’s ceremony won’t be a Disney-less time.
Nimona
Image via Netflix
Very few animated films have experienced as many twists and turns as Nimona. For an extended period, this film, directed by Troy Quane and Nick Bruno, wasn’t even a conceivable idea. The directing duo initially faced funding issues due to the queer themes explored in the film, facing pushback from Disney, which eventually shelved the project when it was 75% complete. Fortunately, Netflix stepped in and picked it up.
Now, Nimonais nominated for an Oscar, and rightfully so. This recognition goes to show that Disney’s outdated and bigoted stances can have more economically serious consequences than they might have anticipated. This nomination marks the first for both directors and to experience Nimona in all its beautiful glory, you can watch it on Netflix.
Robot Dreams
via Arcadia Motion Pictures
You might find the most surprising nomination in the entire category to be none other than the Spanish-French animated tragicomedy, Robot Dreams. Written and directed by Pablo Berger, this film is not going unnoticed in European territories, having previously earned accolades, including Best Film in the Contrechamp section of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
The story ultimately revolves around a genuine friendship between a dog and a robot in 1980s Manhattan. Despite its seemingly simple premise, Robot Dreams could be the unexpected victor in the category, especially considering its 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes even five months after its release. Unfortunately, as of now, the film has no streaming or VOD release dates available.
Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse
Image via Sony Pictures
Truthfully, here at WGTC, we can hardly pick a favorite contender for Best Animated Feature, but let’s face it, Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse is surely topping our betting scorecards. Unsurprisingly, the animated Spider-Man franchise is once again nominated for an Oscar, with its first installment, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse, having received a nomination and victory in 2019.
Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, and Kemp Powers, Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse had everyone hooked from the first web. Even as someone who is no longer keeping up with Marvel’s shenanigans, this franchise still has me heading to the cinema. But if you haven’t seen it on the silver screen, the film is available on Netflix.
The Oscars air on Sunday, Mar. 10, on ABC.
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Marvel has a history of releasing its MCU offerings on Disney Plus at varying times, and The Marvels will be no exception.
Once upon a time (think: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) Marvel used to drop its MCU movies on Disney Plus a mere month and a half after premiering in theaters. It’s hard to imagine that happening now, in the wake of recent additions like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, both of which took twice as long as the aforementioned Doctor Strange 2 to reach the platform.
Of the 10 MCU movies from the Multiverse Saga, seven of them have had different release streaming schedules, meaning some dropped after 47 days, some after 62 days, and others after 89 days. Only in recent memory has the studio begun to follow a strict timeline. And that timeline is being followed by The Marvels, which means the Brie Larson sequel is hitting streaming just in time for Valentine’s Day.
The Marvels Disney Plus release date, confirmed
It has been confirmed that The Marvels will drop on Disney Plus on Wednesday, Feb. 7. Marvel fans good at math could have predicted this as this date is a full 89 days after the movie’s theatrical premiere on Nov. 10, and the last two Phase Five films lead us to believe 89 days is the new norm.
The first half of Phase Four was sporadic in terms of its theatrical-to-streaming release dates. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a turning point, however, as it became the first MCU movie to take over 80 days to reach the platform (82 days, to be exact). Quantumania, the first Phase Five movie, continued that trend, taking a full 89 days post-theatrical release.
The fact that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 also took 89 days and now The Marvels is following the same pattern causes one to assume that Marvel has completely forgone the days of yore when it used to drop MCU movies 45 days after their theatrical release. This was a practice Disney pioneered in the wake of COVID-19, but one the studio and others are slowly abandoning.
With The Marvelscrashing and burning at the box office to the extent that it has, it’ll be interesting to see if Nia DaCosta’s MCU debut can turn out to be a major streaming success for Disney. The odds are good that its reputation will continue to improve at least, following the film’s digital release seeing the fandom belatedly stand up in its corner and sing its praises.
Make the most of The Marvels‘ Disney Plus arrival as this will be the last MCU movie to make its way to streaming for a long while yet. There’s only one new Marvel Studios film releasing in 2024, remember, and that’s Deadpool 3, coming in July.
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Warning: This article makes multiple references to suicide. Viewer discretion is advised.
The Iron Claw has been met with acclaim from critics and audiences since its theatrical release in late December 2023, with much of the praise being directed at the performances surrounding the four brothers of the real-life wrestling family, the Von Erichs. The A24 biographical film has also been lauded for its examination of masculinity and mental health in the rise and fall of the iconic wrestlers, and the ultimate tragic deaths of all but one Von Erich brother, occurring between 1984 and 1993.
As is often the case with films that draw from historical and biographical works, The Iron Claw took several creative liberties to fit its desired cinematic narrative – including a more simplified biography of the Von Erichs, a controversial take on Fritz Von Erich’s parenting, as well as a missing brother. The facts surrounding the fates of the family differ from what was depicted on screen.
Fritz Von Erich (1929 – 1995)
Fritz Von Erich, the patriarch of the Von Erich family, started his career in college football. Fritz, born Jack Barton Adkisson Sr. never played the sport professionally after graduating, despite relocating to Canada to join the Canadian Football League — something which soon turned out in his favor. While visiting the country, he was tapped by legendary wrestler-turned-trainer Stu Hart.
An icon of the wrestling world, Hart saw Adkisson’s potential as a “heel” — the primary villain in wrestling. His size and natural athletic ability made him a perfect match for a German villain, and in 1952, Adkisson and Walter Sieber started their iconic run as the Von Erich brothers, a role they would play until 1959.
During that time, Adkisson and his wife welcomed their first son, Jack Jr. At the age of 6, Jack Jr. died from an electrical shock that led to an accidental drowning death outside of the family’s Niagara Falls home. Jack was the first son of the Adkisson family to die, and by the time of Frtz’s death in 1997, he had outlived five of his six sons.
While Jack Sr. never stopped pursuing his career as a wrestler, he stopped touring the East Coast and left the region to his former partner. Adkisson continued his career grind, becoming a wrestling promoter and inheriting World Class Champion Wrestling (WCCW) after his business partner died of a heart attack in 1969.
He continued to tour the country scouting talent for WCCW while participating in matches, and even travelled overseas to rebuild the Japanese wrestling scene in the 1970s. Jack’s “Iron Claw” grip, a move involving gripping an opponent’s head before slamming them down, became one of the most popular moves in wrestling, helping to combine Japan’s predominant “Puroresu” Sumo style of wrestling with the more theatric elements of televised American wrestling.
Adkisson’s last match came in 1986, just as the WCCW talent pool was running dry. By 1989, his company merged with the Continental Wrestling Association. Shortly after, Adkisson and his wife divorced in 1992 after 42 years of marriage.
Jack Adkisson died of brain and lung cancer in 1997. While holding an overall positive view of The Iron Claw film, Kevin Von Erich, the sole Von Erich son who survived Jack by the time of his death, stated that the film’s depiction of his father as an abusive mentor was inaccurate. The now 66-year-old stated that addiction, rather than upbringing, played a much larger role in his brothers’ premature deaths.
Kevin Von Erich (1957-present)
Kevin Von Erich, the then-eldest living Adkisson son, made his wrestling debut in 1976. With his natural good looks and charming personality, he was frequently used as a headliner for the WCCW, which he spent most of his life wrestling for. His first major success came in the late 1970s, as part of a tag team with his brother David. He wrestled for the WWF and the NWA and made a name for himself in the singles category by taking down Bruiser Brody, a hardcore brawler known for making his opponents bleed.
The Von Erich’s multi-year-long feud with the Fabulous Freebirds is still considered to be one of the best-worked stories in wrestling and one of the most memorable long-term feuds to date. David’s untimely death in 1984 put an end to the Freebirds story, but Kevin wrestled for years after, even mentoring a young “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in the late 1980s.
Adkisson never approved of his father’s decision to sell the WCCW at the turn of the decade, and took a brief hiatus in the early 1990s to focus on rebuilding the brand. His attempt was ultimately unsuccessful, and within the year he was forced to close it down yet again. He took a hiatus from wrestling during the venture but returned to the sport in 1991 when he joined the WWF.
Kevin retired in 2005, but two of his sons have continued on the Von Erich line. In 2017 at the age of 60, Adkisson made a brief comeback after a 22-year-hiatus when he appeared with his sons at The Rage Wrestling Mega Show. Kevin Von Erich was the only member of the Adkisson family to live to accept his induction into The WWE Hall of Fame in 2009, alongside his brothers posthumously.
Kevin Von Erich was not contacted by The Iron Claw’s director, Sean Durkin, until after the screenplay had been finished. Kevin praised the final cut of the film, Zac Efron’s performance as him in particular, and even revealed plans to go on a trip with Efron to celebrate their newfound kinship.
David Von Erich (1958-1984)
With a fiery disposition that led to memorable interviews, David Von Erich was an instant hit after his mainstream debut in 1977. He made his first, and only, WWF appearance that year before transitioning to Florida and following in his father’s footsteps as a heel for Champion Wrestling. During his time in Florida, he teamed up with wrestler Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin, and the two began a year-long feud, becoming nemesis for the remainder of their season. By 1983, Von Erich had returned to Texas to compete with the Fabulous Freebirds in the first-ever Six-Man Championship, with his brothers, Kevin, and Kerry.
Just a few weeks later, David Von Erich died in a Tokyo hotel. While some have claimed that David’s sudden death at the age of 25 could have been from an unintentional overdose, the official coroner’s ruling cites enteritis, swelling of the small intestine, which the Von Erich family also believe to be the case. The disease can be contracted by several factors, such as underlying autoimmune disorders like Crohn’s disease, or contaminated food and drink. In The Iron Claw, David was portrayed by actor Harris Dickinson.
Kerry Von Erich (1960- 1993)
Kerry Adkisson spent more than a decade working for his father’s company, the World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW). He made his debut in 1978, and had a consistent running feud with Ric Flair, one that would tie into the Fabulous Freebirds storyline. Kerry defeated Flair in 1984, just three months after David’s death, declaring the victory a tribute to his late brother. He lost the championship belt just 18 days later in a controversial match, although it was later revealed that the short reign was agreed upon before the match.
In 1986, Kerry was in a near-fatal motorcycle accident that left his right foot mangled. According to Kevin, doctors managed to save his brother’s foot, but Kerry exacerbated the injury while attempting to walk after surgery. The resulting damage resulted in amputation, a fact only revealed posthumously.
He continued to wrestle after the accident, working for various promoters across the globe, winning several championship titles despite his hidden injury. During this time, Kerry developed an addiction to painkillers in order to continue wrestling after his injury.
Kerry died by suicide in 1993 at the age of 33, becoming the third Von Erich brother to die in this way. According to wrestling contemporary Bret Hart, Kerry felt that God had called upon him to join his brothers at what he deemed to be the “right” time, which Hart believes occurred following a depression after the breakdown of his marriage.
In The Iron Claw, Kerry’s belief surrounding his predeceased brothers is depicted in one of the final scenes. When Kerry (played by Jeremy Allen White), is reunited with David, Mike, and Jack Jr.
Mike Von Erich (1964-1987)
Mike Adkisson made his wrestling debut in 1983, just before the Von Erichs’ famous family feud with the Fabulous Freebirds. The feud made up most of Adkisson’s career, but the young wrestler found success in international wrestling federations. Though his brother Kerry tried to give Mike a feud of his own after his 1986 accident, Mike never lived to see the match-up.
The young wrestler tragically died by suicide in 1987 at the age of 23, and was the first Von Erich brother to die by suicide. Many attributed his death to the pressure of living up to his late brother, David, but the wrestler suffered several traumatic brain injuries before his death.
He was diagnosed with Toxic Shock Syndrome after undergoing surgery for a shoulder injury, and brain damage resulted from the infection. The year he took his own life, Adkisson suffered from another Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), worsening his condition significantly.
Kevin Von Erich later said that the injury caused dramatic, more aggressive changes to his brother’s personality, citing an incident where his brother attacked a streetlight out of frustration over his condition. Such changes are thought to perhaps play a role in Kevin’s death by suicide. Mike was portrayed by Stanley Simons in The Iron Claw.
Chirs Von Erich (1969-1991)
The youngest son of Jack Adkisson grew up watching his brother’s successes. He frequently did odd jobs backstage and behind the WCCW’s cameras, and won his first wrestling match at the age of six. His youth prevented him from taking the stage during the company’s heyday, and though he made his debut at 20 in 1990.
At just 5’ 5”, Adkisson was significantly disadvantaged against his much larger brothers, but chronic illness prevented him from matching their strength. He suffered from severe asthma from a young age, and took Prednisone to suppress his immune system. The drug is known to cause bone and skin thinning, and Chriss regularly broke or fractured bones while performing wrestling moves within his skillset.
Despite such disadvantages in comparison to his brothers, Chris remained a fan favorite. Just prior to his 22nd birthday in September 1991, the youngest Adkisson took his own life. Despite the quick intervention of Kevin and his mother, Chris died 20 minutes after arriving at the hospital.
Chris Von Erich was omitted from The Iron Claw entirely, a decision that was met with controversy by fans of wrestling, as well as within the wrestling community itself. While many critics of this decision cited this choice as potentially disrespectful to Chris’ memory, filmmaker Sean Durkin argued the opposite was the case.
“There was a repetition to it, and it was one more tragedy that the film couldn’t really withstand,” Durkin explained to Variety. “These are characters on a page, and this is a film, and there’s no way you’re going to fully capture the life of a person in a film,” Durkin continued.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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Spell-casting, Muggle-shaming, and wand-yielding are just a few elements that make up the wondrous Wizarding World in the ever-popular Harry Potter franchise. Even years after the film franchise officially ended, folks cannot seem to get enough of the Potter lore that was a staple of many of our childhoods — but what exact category does it fall under?
Of course, when it comes to the unwavering onslaught of beloved topics in entertainment, categories such as comedies, romances, musicals, and other eye-popping forms of media are much more followed. And yet, it would be a huge understatement to say that the Harry Potter narrative is exceptionally widespread — with both the novels and movies still being indulged in to this very day. Even despite J.K. Rowling’s popularity notably tanking over the years due to transphobic remarks, the unmovable allure of the franchise has kept fans sucked in with no signs of disinterest or expected fatigue.
But with all of the witchcraft, wizardry, and outright magical chaos showcased in all entertainment forms of the story, perhaps now is as good a time as ever to fully address just what the engaging narrative should actually be categorized as.
So, what genre is Harry Potter?
via Warner Bros
Without a doubt, the biggest genre that Harry Potter perfectly showcases is fantasy. I mean, wasn’t the endless parade of spells, wands, dragons, goblins, hobbits, and other fantasy elements and creatures enough of a clue? That’s not to say that it all isn’t completely entertaining, but it’s definitely obvious that the Potter lore is crawling with a variety of fantasy traits — but that’s what we love about it, after all.
But taking a step back from the seemingly endless sea of magic, it’s certainly hard to disagree with the notion that later novels and movies in the franchise have a particularly dark twist to them. In fact, one could even argue that these projects echo elements of true crime and drama, with the later novels and movies including a larger amount of death, betrayal, despair, and sadness.
Even more so, with the questionable antics committed in these later projects, one could also argue elements of mystery have been thrown into the mix, with one YouTuber even insisting that the acclaimed novels are simply “mystery books disguised as fantasy books.” Of course, it’s all a matter of opinion as to what exactly the franchise should specifically be categorized under, but nevertheless, its pulse-pounding sequences and beloved characters have kept it in the spotlight for decades now.
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It’s no secret that the superhero movie genre is not in the best shape right now. Gone are the days when any blockbuster based on a comic book was guaranteed to sell tickets, as many Marvel and DC releases of 2023 can attest to.
The dubious honor of kicking off 2024’s slate of superhero flicks falls on Madame Web, the first entry in Sony’s Spider-Man universe since April 2022’s Morbius. Although the Jared Leto vehicle may have spawned a legion of memes and earned itself a place in the Halls of Movie Infamy, its notoriety definitely didn’t translate into big ticket sales. Remember when Sony put it back in cinemas, to much ridicule?
Likewise, Madame Web is the first film based on Marvel characters to come out since The Marvels in November 2023, which went down as the lowest-grossing MCU movie ever made. It’s also worth pointing that both films have female leads and you could even argue that Dakota Johnson’s Cassandra Webb owes it to every other comic book heroine to prove that female-led superhero movies can still draw in audiences.
Unfortunately, that is not looking to be the case. Box office projections for Madame Web are in and they are not pretty. But will it end up being a bigger box office bomb than The Marvels and Morbius?
As per Box Office Pro, Madame Web is headed for a domestic opening weekend haul of $25-35 million once it hits theaters on Valentine’s Day. This is then expected to lead to an overall domestic gross somewhere between $56-101 million once its theatrical run is up.
If that opening weekend figure sounds pretty paltry to you, that’s because it is. For comparison, The Marvels brought home $46.1 million over its first few days in cinemas. However, the Brie Larson sequel only made back less than double that on the whole, ending its domestic box office with a mere $84.5 million. So if Madame Web ends up at the top-end of its estimated projections then it could perhaps out-gross The Marvels in the U.S.
The real kicker, however, is that Madame Web‘s opening weekend estimates are even lower than that of Morbius, which managed a domestic opening haul of $39 million. Ultimately, it accrued $73.9 from North American distributors. That means Madame Web has a lower bar to cross if it hopes to beat Morbius’ domestic haul, but its opening weekend predictions suggest it’s going to have a tough time doing even that.
Examining how Morbius and The Marvels were ably to roughly double their domestic openings across their runs, it stands to reason that Madame Web could achieve something similar. So, if projections are accurate, it could ensnare around $50-70 million from U.S. theaters. This would naturally make it an even bigger bomb than either of those two previously infamously underwhelming releases. In other words, there’s a strong chance 2024’s superhero movies aren’t going to fare any better than last year’s. Deadpool 3, it’s all on you.
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All eyes are on Fantastic Four as speculation over the cast heats up hotter than the Human Torch.
We’ve been waiting for a casting announcement ever since Kevin Feige announced the reboot was coming way back in summer 2019. Now, over four and a half years later, the news is surely only a short stretch of one of Reed Richards’ elastic arms away. Especially as one of the most heavily rumored frontrunners to play one of the foursome has finally broken their silence on the prospect of joining Marvel’s First Family.
Those who have been keeping up to date with all the Fantastic Four gossip may know that The Bear‘s Ebon Moss-Bachrach is said to be in line to play the Thing/Ben Grimm in the film, opposite Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic and Vanessa Kirby as Invisible Woman. While speaking to TheWrap on the Emmys red carpet, the Cousin Richie actor was asked if he can either confirm nor deny these rumors. A poker-faked Moss-Bachrach said, “I can’t confirm and I can’t deny, I think.”
There’s not a flicker of a knowing smile or a guilty look in his eye when delivering this answer, so this is either proof yet again of the star’s immense acting talent or an indication that he’s actually nothing to do with the cast after all. That’s up for the fans to decide, but the good news is that the mystery could at long last be over soon, according to the latest intel on the subject.
Fantastic Four casting announcements coming very soon, it seems
Image via Marvel
While we try and decipher the true meaning behind Moss-Bachrach’s cagey comment, rumor has it that the Fantastic Four leading line-up is now locked in and an official announcement from Marvel is “imminent.” Yes, OK, so we’ve heard chatter like this before — remember when we were told the news was coming at D23 in September 2022? — but this really has to be it this time.
Don’t forget that Fantastic Four is currently scheduled for release on May 2, 2025, meaning that we’re coming up to just 15 months to go until it hits theaters with no cast to show for it. From what we’re hearing, production is due to start in summer 2024, which is still cutting it pretty close.
If shooting is starting in July or August, then the cast coming together across, say, February and March would add up. Otherwise, another delay may be unavoidable. And then it really would be clobbering time, as the fans might not be able to stomach another schedule shift.
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