Bruce Campbell Is Playing Evil Dead’s Ash Again, But Not How You’d Think

Bruce Campbell Is Playing Evil Dead’s Ash Again, But Not How You’d Think

Heroes may come and go, but only the most resilient find their way back to the danger. Just ask Bruce Campbell, as his most famous role as the Evil Dead franchise’s Ash Williams is one that’s waxed and waned like our fickle moon. And just when everyone thought he was gone for good, Ash is about to saddle up for action yet again. Only this time, it’s going to be in another realm he’s not unfamiliar with: the world of video games.

Despite Campbell, for the most part, retiring the role of Evil Dead’s Ash Williams after the cancelation of Ash vs. Evil Dead, it looks like he’ll be strapping on the chainsaw again for the multi-platform game, Dead By Daylight. Currently available on PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox One, the concept of the game is very much an Evil Dead inspired affair.

With the objective of the game being that the four survivors in play must repair the required number of emergency generators that will allow for their escape, it’s already terra firma for the man who survived three films, three seasons of his own TV show, and various comic book appearances. The similarities only increase in Dead By Daylight’s gameplay when it’s hindered by the fact that there’s one player hunting those survivors as the killer, whose objective is to clear the board in vicious, bloody fashion. And, you’ll get to play through it all, with the likeness and vocal stylings of Bruce Campbell being fully integrated into the game’s killer engine.

So, yeah, adding Ash Williams as a playable survivor is as good of an idea as when a previous Dead By Dayilght update brought fellow horror legend Laurie Strode to the game. If you’re one of those types that’s liable to want to cross over famous franchises such as Halloween and Evil Dead, this news from Variety just gave you further incentive to go out and buy yourself a copy. Unless you’re a Nintendo Switch owner, in which case you’ll have to wait until this fall. Still, it’s pretty exciting news.

Though he’s had plenty of video game adventures of his own on various console generations, seeing Ash Williams heading to Dead By Daylight so soon after being told we would probably never see or hear from him again has us hopeful. Should this recent offering in a long line of famous franchise themed DLC sell like hotcakes, maybe there’s a possibility that Bruce Campbell could snag an Evil Dead themed game franchise as previously promised; which opens up a pathway for him to rope dear friend and series creator Sam Raimi back in to tell more stories in that particular sandbox. It’s far from a given, but fans can dream, can’t they?

If you’re looking to try out Dead By Daylight’s latest, boomstick toting survivor, and just happen to be at the PAX East convention this weekend, stop by their booth and hail to the king! Otherwise, the DLC featuring Ash Williams will be available on April 2nd.

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Solo 2: Writer 'Grateful And Galvanized' By Viral Campaign For Star Wars Sequel

Solo 2: Writer 'Grateful And Galvanized' By Viral Campaign For Star Wars Sequel

The first Star Wars movie opened 42 years ago today on May 25, 1977. That's when we first met Han Solo, as played by Harrison Ford. Over 40 years later, we finally got Han's backstory in Solo: A Star Wars Story, with the young scoundrel played by Alden Ehrenreich. Solo ended up a Star Wars scapegoat, since the box office wasn't quite what was expected for a franchise movie. Reviews were mixed, but the fans who loved it are staunch defenders for it. Those fans recently launched a campaign to continue the story, getting #MakeSolo2Happen trending. Solo director Ron Howard had a simple reaction, but co-screenwriter Jon Kasdan had more expansive thoughts:

Yeah, Solo was set several years before the first Star Wars movie and ended with potential for how to continue Han's story until reaching the point of Episode IV - A New Hope. Solo 2 could've filled that timeline easily -- and maybe still could?

Jonathan Kasdan worked on the Solo script that his father, longtime Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan, had started before joining the The Force Awakens writing team. Solo infamously hit a rough patch when initial directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller left the film. One of the rumored issues behind-the-scenes was the directors encouraging a lot of improvisation away from the script. Ron Howard took over as director for the rest of filming, and reshoots.

The resulting film has a 70% fresh rating from 442 critics and a 64% audience score from nearly 41,000 RT users. Solo also has an A- CinemaScore from polled moviegoers, which is slightly down from the A that Rogue One, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi all received. But the A- ties all three prequels, and it's still better than the B- that The Clone Wars got in 2008, marking the lowest Star Wars CinemaScore.

Solo wasn't everyone's cup of blue milk, but it's clear the film still has a lot of fans out there, and they have "galvanized" Jon Kasdan. Maybe he's gearing up to make a new argument to Lucasfilm to give Solo 2 a chance -- either in theaters or (more likely?) on the new Disney+ streamer launching in November. Never tell him the odds!

Meanwhile, there's disagreement in the rest of the galaxy when it comes to the Star Wars movies that will hit the big screen. There's a petition against the Star Wars movie being made by the Game of Thrones showrunners, and some fans aren't excited about The Rise of Skywalker after The Last Jedi. But on the flip side, some fans are thrilled about the new Star Wars movies coming, especially The Rise of Skywalker as it ends the nine-film Skywalker Saga. Keep up with everything heading to theaters this year with our 2019 movie schedule.

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Twilight Alum Dakota Fanning Thinks Robert Pattinson As Batman Is 'Awesome'

Twilight Alum Dakota Fanning Thinks Robert Pattinson As Batman Is 'Awesome'

Despite his other work and serious roles in indie films from auteurs like David Cronenberg, actor Robert Pattinson is still best known for playing sparkly vampire Edward Cullen in the Twilight franchise. That perception is likely part of the backlash to the reports that he is in talks to play the Caped Crusader in Matt Reeves’ Batman film. That aversion to his casting is not shared by fellow Twilight alum Dakota Fanning, who supports Robert Pattinson in the role, as she explained:

I think it's awesome. I love Rob, and he's great, and he's great in whatever he does.

While speaking with Variety at the Cannes Film Festival where her new film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is premiering, Dakota Fanning expressed real confidence in the talents of Robert Pattinson to be great in whatever role he takes on. That includes Batman, and Dakota Fanning seemed to be genuinely excited and happy for her fellow Twilight alum.

Although I wouldn’t expect Dakota Fanning to boo the casting of her former co-star or advocate people sign a silly petition (those always work) to have him removed from the role, it is nice to hear that she has positive feelings about him and what he can do. And she would know. The actress starred in three Twilight movies as Jane, a member of the villainous Volturi coven set against Robert Pattinson’s Edward and Kristen Stewart’s Bella.

So she has gotten to know him and seen his acting in person on set, giving her greater insight into his abilities. It’s also possible that she’s actually seen him in more than just the Twilight movies and has a better knowledge of his work and range as an actor and that informs her faith in him playing Batman.

Robert Pattinson has Dakota Fanning in his corner, but as is seemingly the case with every big time superhero casting, he’ll have to prove himself to many fans. Rightly or wrong, he is still known mainly for Twilight-- even though he has proven to be much more than that in plenty of other films. But even if fans acknowledge he is a good actor, they may still not see him as Batman.

That’s understandable and like Ben Affleck before him in the role or Heath Ledger as Joker or Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, it will take time if that acceptance is to happen at all. Now may be the right time for him to take on the role though, with DC trying new things and the details about Matt Reeves’ exact vision for his movie The Batman still under wraps.

It's also important to note that we also still don’t know with 100% certainty that Robert Pattinson will be Bruce Wayne in The Batman. That seems to be the way things are trending but until the deal is final it’s not final and other reports say that Nicholas Hoult is still in the running for the part. Whoever gets it, he’ll be possibly be facing off with Penguin and Catwoman, two of the film’s reported villains.

The Batman is scheduled for release on June 25, 2021. While we await that, there are plenty of other movies hitting theaters this summer, check them out in our 2019 Release Schedule.

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Triple Frontier Has A Donkey Scene That Was Hilarious To Film

Triple Frontier Has A Donkey Scene That Was Hilarious To Film

In the new Netflix action thriller Triple Frontier, there’s a serious montage of scenes where, as part of said montage, actors Charlie Hunnam and Garrett Hedlund are seen shepherding a couple of donkeys across a river in the South American jungle. So leave it to their animal co-stars to make things interesting when it came time to actually shoot those scenes, as the actors recently spoke with CinemaBlend about a particularly hilarious day on set involving donkeys, water, and bathroom humor. Here’s how the actors described the scenario, when asked what day on set made them most feel like an action hero:

Hunnam: Probably the day we had to swim with the donkeys, right?

[Hunnam and Hedlund break into laughter]

Hunnam: Garrett and I picked the short straw. Or, I guess, in his usual Machiavellian way, J.C. [Chandor] went and asked all of us, independently, if we would be prepared to swim across the length of a swimming pool with a pack of mules. And everybody else said no, apart from, I guess, Garrett and I.

Hedlund: It was more of a fecal matter issue for some of the cast.

While the finished product is a sobering experience, when the heroes at the center of Triple Frontier are at a particularly difficult time in their heist, the story above is anything but. And watching Hunnam and Hedlund laughing it up during the telling of said story only makes the tale that much more interesting.

This is only compounded by the fact that, of course, this story involving animal actors contains a moment where the donkeys involved had to relieve themselves. It's a classic trope in humor that has legs, and for very good reason. At this point, the story gets even more interesting as this old saw gets a new spin through some colorful descriptions from Charlie Hunnam and Garrett Hedlund. The Triple Frontier co-stars elaborated on this story with the following:

Hunnam: Well it was when we got into the pool, and they started defecating all over the place.

Hedlund: The fun thing is, my donkey had to go first, and when a donkey gets in the water, they tend to try and get to the other side…

Hunnam: That’s going to be the name of your biography, ‘My Donkey Had To Go First.’

Hedlund: ...so if a donkey gets in the water, they tend to try and get to the other side as quick as they can. So trying to see Charlie keep up with his donkey, following my donkey, was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen in my life.

It’s certainly not the easiest thing in the world to work with an animal actor on a set such as the one for Triple Frontier. Considering they’re one of the two types of performers that have historically been on the list of collaborators not to work with, you can kind of see why. Just imagining two actors such as Charlie Hunnam and Garrett Hedlund, trying to get through the day of shooting with a donkey that really had to go is enough to break even the most stoic spectator into a fit of laughter.

Of course, describing their humorous reactions to filming this particular stretch of Triple Frontier is one thing. But if you want to watch Hunnam and Hedlund really delight in the reveal of this story, you can see it all for yourself below.

Don't let that story about the donkeys fool you, as the behind the scenes story you've just experienced doesn't sour the Triple Frontier experience at all. If anything, it proves that all involved, particularly Charlie Hunnam and Garrett Hedlund in this specific instance, are total professionals. It takes an extremely focused actor to portray a dramatic scene of crime and consequences, while wading through donkey dung; and this cast passes that test with flying colors.

Triple Frontier is in theaters now, with its Netflix streaming debut set for March 13th.

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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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Iron Man 3 Star Reveals What Harley Was Thinking In Avengers: Endgame Funeral Scene

Iron Man 3 Star Reveals What Harley Was Thinking In Avengers: Endgame Funeral Scene

Almost every MCU character that you can think of appears in Avengers: Endgame, and perhaps the most star-studded moment in the film is the funeral scene. Just about anybody who's anybody attends Tony Stark's funeral, but the one outlier is Harley Keener, aka The Kid From Iron Man 3. Ty Simpkins reprised his role for the scene, which was a momentous occasion for the actor, who took his real-life love of Iron Man and used it to fuel his acting.

Audience members were likely surprised to see Harley in the funeral scene, but even Ty Simpkins was surprised to get the call. He recently talked about the moment he first got wind he was in consideration to appear in Endgame, and how Iron Man meant so much to him as a kid.

I was about to do an audition and my manager at the time called me and he said they were thinking about putting me in, and I was screaming so much in the car with my mom. My mom is like, 'What? What is it?' And I just didn’t tell her because it wasn’t confirmed. I didn’t want to jinx it or anything. [...] I got the call when I was waiting to go to baseball practice that they were confirming it, and I just remember — because they told me what the scene was about — tearing up and just feeling so nostalgic about everything. ... Iron Man [was] probably one of the first movies I saw in theaters. I was 6, sat in the front row and I was just looking up, and that’s all I can remember. Iron Man was so inspirational and just meant so much to me. That’s how I felt.

Originally, The Russo Bros. were concerned about having older teen Harley appear in that scene because barely anyone in the test audiences knew who he was. However, the directors figured that easter eggs like this were half the fun of the MCU and kept Harley in the scene. That's obviously good news for Ty Simpkins. He told HuffPost what filming the scene was like and what Harley was thinking about during the funeral.

I didn’t get a script, but [the directors] came up to me and were like just think about what Tony meant to you and how he impacted your character’s life and your life. So I just thought about what I said earlier, how Iron Man is very sentimental to me and how he felt to Harley. I imagine Tony was really Harley’s only father figure and that they would’ve stayed in touch over the years. I just kind of took that sentimental part of my real life and Harley’s life into the scene.

Ty Simpkins, now 17, said he and Robert Downey Jr. have kept in touch over the years, and they texted after it was revealed that Ty would be part of Endgame, so it felt nice to be included again for RDJ's final goodbye.

Ultimately, Harley does feel like a pretty random inclusion for the scene, seeing as how he has never been mentioned once since he debuted in Iron Man 3. This has led some fans to speculate that Marvel is setting Harley up for future appearances, possibly as a new Iron Man-type hero or being in a Young Avengers-style team-up movie. Here's what Ty Simpkins had to say about that possibility:

I mean, I’d love that. I have no idea if it would happen, but I love that.

I'm not sure what the future holds for Harley in the MCU, but stick with CinemaBlend and we will keep you updated.

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Brightburn Reviews Are In, Here’s What The Critics Think

Brightburn Reviews Are In, Here’s What The Critics Think

The last several years have been good to superhero movies and horror movies, as those genres have delivered many cinematic offerings that have been met with critical and/or commercial success. This weekend, the two genres are being merged together for Brightburn, the twisted, R-rated story during by David Yarovesky and produced by James Gunn that shows what would happen if a Superman-like figure became a force for evil, using superpowers like super strength, flight and heat vision to wreak havoc on humanity.

With Brightburn only days away from release, reviews for the movie have started coming in, and it looks like it’s fallen into mixed territory, with some appreciating the story and others being underwhelmed by it. CinemaBlend’s own Eric Eisenberg gave Brightburn 4 out of 5 stars in his review, saying that it’s not filled with “big, complex contemplations,” but nonetheless succeeds in delivering a number of “fantastic shudder/scream-inducing sequences” and boasting a great cast.

Brightburn is ultimately a fine example of high-concept storytelling: taking an easily digestible idea, and exploring it to its full potential in compelling and entertaining fashion.

io9’s Germain Lussier wasn’t as kind towards Brightburn, writing in his review that although he would have watched a sequel right after Brightburn concluded, overall it’s a “poorly told story.” While Brightburn works within the horror genre structure in how it shows the young Brandon Beyer giving in to his dark impulses and some of the later payoffs and reveals are “satisfying,” the movie as a whole suffered from poor execution, which Lussier speculates might have been fixed had James Gunn directed.

Alas, Brightburn is a competent movie crafted out of incredible ideas. It’s gross, interesting, scary, and has fascinating mythology, all of which would be so much better if nearly all of it wasn’t delivered in such an obtuse way. Still, this is a story worth telling with characters we’d love to see again. Maybe next time, though, with a bit more care taken as to how the story is presented.

Back on the more positive end of the spectrum, Witney Seibold from IGN awarded Brightburn a 7.1 out of 10 score. Seibold noted that many of us have similarly deconstructed Superman, which might make the movie feel “weirdly familiar,” and that rather than providing dark commentary on how power corrupts, Brightburn plays out like a standard slasher, making for a “perfectly entertaining” experience.

… A wickedly fun little horror flick with enough gore and superhero lore to keep fans of both satisfied.

Conversely, The Wrap’s Robert Abele was disappointed by Brightburn, saying that its idea of showing an evil Superman isn’t enough to sustain an entire movie and will not please “either horror aficionados or even a caped-crusader fandom hungry for variations on the theme.” The main character is unremarkable and there's little weight to the actions his parents take when trying to stop his rampage.

But while we can perhaps be grateful that the superficiality of “Brightburn” probably kept it from opting to exploit elements of disturbed-kid narratives that have been all too common in our more tragic news stories, what remains is still never terribly entertaining as either popcorn or a bent take on superhero myths.

Chris Evangelista from Slashfilm was more receptive towards Brightburn, stamping a 7.5 out of 10 score on it and calling it a “bleak, brutal subversion of the Superman mythos” that works. As mentioned earlier, this isn’t a story where redemption is on the table, and Evangelista notes that there a “nihilistic streak” that reminded him of the Rob Zombie Halloween remake. While Elizabeth Banks’ part is “disappointingly underwritten,” it’s David Yarovesky’s direction that keeps Brightburn “flying high.”

Nasty is indeed the name of the game here – Brightburn is cold and unflinching, fully committed to unsettling its audience. It’s the type of movie that will make you thank your lucky stars that superheroes don’t really exist.

The AV Club’s Jesse Hassenger was among those underwhelmed by Brightburn, giving it a C- grade. In Hassenger’s opinion, the movie doesn’t have a “modicum of wit or insight on its human side,” resulting in Brandon’s parents being terribly predictable, and Brandon himself fails to be interesting. Ultimately, Hassenger saw Brightburn primarily as a dunk on Zack Snyder’s depiction of Superman in the DC Extended Universe.

For such a specific, clever-on-paper idea, Brightburn follows a shockingly predictable turn of events, possibly because it has few reference points beyond other pop-culture stories.

Finally, William Bibbiani from Bloody Disgusting bestowed Brightburn a 3.5 out of 5 score, calling it a “exceedingly clever genre mash-up,” albeit a gross one, both literally and figuratively. The movie also doesn’t feel quite “genuine,” and it’s Brandon’s parents that infuse a sense of humanity in the proceedings, but Bibbiani concludes that after watching Brightburn, you’ll be left wanting more, signifying franchise potential.

The film is, in the end, mostly just an ambitious slasher movie about a monster modeled loosely on Superman, and on that level it’s certainly a success. David Yarovesky makes an impressive impression with a film that walks a fine line between wry pop culture commentary and genuine terror, the cast is great and – perhaps most important of all – it leaves you wanting more. Much more. Sequels and sequels after sequels.

These are just some of the reviews out for Brightburn, so feel free to venture into other corners of the internet find out what other critics are saying. Overall, it sounds like Brightburn won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, but there are at least a scattering of moments for comic book and/or horror fans to enjoy.

Brightburn’s main cast includes Jackson A. Dunn, Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Matt Jones, Meredith Hagner, Steve Agee and Becky Wahlstrom. The movie is already playing in various territories worldwide, but it’ll have some competition this weekend in the form of Disney’s live action Aladdin remake and the Olivia Wilde-directed Booksmart.

You can judge Brightburn for yourself starting this Friday, May 24, and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more coverage on the movie. In the meantime, you can plan your visits to the theater for the rest of the year accordingly by checking out our 2019 release schedule.

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Avengers: Endgame Sold Five Times As Many Advance Tickets As Infinity War In First Week

Avengers: Endgame Sold Five Times As Many Advance Tickets As Infinity War In First Week

Long story short, Avengers: Endgame is already breaking all kinds of records. It sold a stupid number of tickets in the first week of presales. That's not surprising -- even if it's good to hear people managed to actually buy tickets after all of the site crashes. No one should be surprised to hear Endgame is setting new ticket sale records. It already did so within 24 hours of ticket availability.

What's surprising, to me, is the sheer volume we're talking about.

For Fandango, Avengers: Endgame sold five times as many tickets in its first week as Avengers: Infinity War sold in its first seven days of presales.

For Atom Tickets, per CNBC, Avengers: Endgame sold nearly twice as many tickets in its first week as Aquaman, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Avengers: Infinity War, and Captain Marvel combined. Nearly twice as many -- combined! All of those other films made at least $1 billion at the box office, with Infinity War doubling that.

Fandango reports that thousands of showtimes are already sold out across the country. You probably knew that at some point when you tried to get tickets yourself.

What's cool is the note that theaters have been adding new showtimes -- some as early as 4:00 am and 6:30 am Friday, April 26 -- to meet the fan demand to see the three-hour movie ASAP on opening day.

As you might expect, Endgame now holds Fandango's records for both the best first day and best first week of presales, knocking out Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

In terms of what this could mean for Avengers: Endgame's opening weekend, and ultimate box office total? Well, I've already put it on the record that I think this movie could rival Avatar. I know. That might be pushing it, even if we don't adjust for inflation. But look at these pre-sales -- and fans are probably going to watch the 3-hour movie multiple times, especially if Avengers 4 does say goodbye to some or all of The Original 6 Avengers.

For comparison, since Endgame just broke Star Wars: The Force Awakens' record for Fandango, The Force Awakens made $2,068,223,624 worldwide. Avengers: Infinity War made $2,048,359,754 worldwide. And Endgame just sold five times as many presale tickets in the same period of time as Infinity War.

We're definitely look at at a film in the 2 Billion Club. But how long will the movie leg out? Opening weekend anticipation for Endgame is so high because fans don't want to be spoiled on what happens. How do the Avengers beat Thanos and reverse or at least change Infinity War's Decimation? So it's not shocking that fans are rushing to see this movie opening night, even before opening night, or at least opening weekend.

Fandango Managing Editor Erik Davis even added this note about the April 26 demand:

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a record amount of fans reporting sick to work or taking the day off on Friday, April 26 because they’ll be attending opening day screenings of Avengers: Endgame.

Productivity is going to take a dive that day, with the exception of movie theater employees, who should be paid extra. So, on that note, please respond in the poll below if you plan to take work or school off in order to see Endgame. Don't worry, it's an anonymous poll...

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Christopher McQuarrie Admits He’s ‘Freaked Out’ About Directing Two More Mission: Impossible Movies

Christopher McQuarrie Admits He’s ‘Freaked Out’ About Directing Two More Mission: Impossible Movies

If there’s a word that describes the direction that the Mission: Impossible franchise has taken in its most recent years, it’s “escalation.” Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie has been working on the franchise since his uncredited work on Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol brought him to the table, with Rogue Nation marking his directing debut in the series. And now, with Mission: Impossible – Fallout driving the stakes even higher, and two more films on the franchise slate, McQuarrie is unsurprisingly freaked out about making the next two entries in the series.

With three films under his belt, and the pair known as Mission: Impossible 7 and Mission: Impossible 8 in his cart for the foreseeable future, Christopher McQuarrie talked about the way he landed himself into this proverbial mess. McQuarrie’s summation of the situation was as follows:

I pitched the idea of making two movies, and now I have to justify why it’s two movies. You’ve got to earn that. You’ve got to make something that swallows the last three movies whole. I’m freaked out now. We’ve talked ourselves into something. Holy shit.

The first nugget to unpack from Christopher McQuarrie’s comments on the next two Mission: Impossible films is the fact that he’s planning something so big, it needed two films to tell. Right there, any sane director who isn’t named Joe or Anthony Russo would be shaking more than a little bit, as making two back-to-back films as big in scope and budget as Mission: Impossible is a prospect.

Then comes the fact that while Mission: Impossible 7 and 8 are continuing the franchise, judging by Christopher McQuarrie’s comments above, it sounds like these twin amazements are going to bring a new level of story continuity to the franchise. While previous history had the series operating on a "mission of the movie" strategy, the films have slowly been morphing into something akin to James Bond's continuing war with SPECTRE.

It increasingly sounds like these two films, opening just a little over a year apart from each other, are going to operate on the same sort of schedule, and some information already available would support that theory. Previous stories have reported that Mission: Impossible 7 would not only see the confirmed return of Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust, but there was also a potential for the return of Henry Cavill’s August Walker and Alec Baldwin’s Alan Hunley, both of whom perished in Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Coupled with the seventh film being close in release, and continuity, to Mission: Impossible 8, we can pretty much assume that the story of the IMF versus The Syndicate isn’t over just yet.

Still, as McQuarrie told Empire Online, the prospect of making two more Mission: Impossible movies would be intimidating at face value. This story that Christopher McQuarrie has expanded the series lore with has grown more exciting, and more elaborate, with each passing film. If there’s anything that’s gotten bigger than the story these movies have to tell, it’s the impressive stunts and action sequences, which see Tom Cruise pushing himself into harder edged practical thrills each time out.

Perhaps the best way to sum up the supposed problem Christopher McQuarrie has with his continuation of the Mission: Impossible series is summed up in a further comment he offered in this same interview:

Here’s the problem with going to the moon: how do you fall from the moon?

While we don’t know how one is supposed to fall from the moon, we certainly hope Tom Cruise hasn’t read that and started drawing plans for a lunar freefall in his head. That particular feat seems too impossible, but what isn’t outside of the realm of possibility is the fact that Cruise and McQuarrie can definitely work out something so impressive that the next two Mission: Impossible films will be something to behold. After all, this franchise isn’t Mission: Play It Safe, it’s Mission: Impossible.

Mission: Impossible 7 is slated for release on July 23, 2021, with Mission: Impossible 8 having an August 5, 2022 debut penciled into its schedule. But if you want to see something in your local theater in a more recent context, check out our 2019 release schedule for an up-to-date roster of this year’s major releases.

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New DVD And Blu-ray Releases Coming In May 2019

New DVD And Blu-ray Releases Coming In May 2019

It’s finally May and rather than pelt you with Justin Timberlake memes, we’re bringing you the full list of the best and the brightest home entertainment releases this month. It’s not quite as catchy as a long-running meme, but we promise it’ll be more rewarding.

This month, we’re really finally starting to get into new 2019 movies in earnest. It usually takes about three months for a movie to transition from theaters into our homes, so look for early 2019 hits like How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World to dazzle and What Men Want to make you laugh a lot.

If you are looking for the flicks that came out last month, we have you covered. In the meantime, you can check out what’s coming in May below. Per usual, Digital releases are the same day as the Blu-ray and DVD release, unless otherwise noted in the early Digital column!

New Blu-ray And DVD Releases May 7, 2019

First off this month are a slew of unconnected titles for different fandoms. The comedy What Men Want is finally coming into homes, as is the latest season of the Breaking Bad spinoff and a movie just for families.

What Men Want

Better Call Saul: The Complete Fourth Season

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part

The Prodigy

Bundy and the Green River Killer

Blaze

Everybody Knows

My Scientology Movie

They Shall Not Grow Old

Liar: Season 1

The Head Hunter

Early Digital Releases Week Of May 7, 2019

Liam Neeson's Cold Pursuit didn't make a huge splash at the box office, but if it's something you want to purse, you'll be able to do so very soon.

Cold Pursuit (May 3)

Climax

Peel

New Blu-ray And DVD Releases May 14, 2019

Happy Death Day 2U did decently at the box office, but it didn't attract the notice the first movie in the franchise did, which is a shame, considering it's a fun movie and plans for the third installment may not go through now. Do check this one out on DVD or Digital.

Happy Death Day 2U

Cold Pursuit

Fighting With My Family

Apollo 11

Never Look Away

Power: The Complete Fifth Season

Triple Threat

Ashes In The Snow

Backdraft 2

Never Grow Old

Early Digital Releases Week Of May 14, 2019

The Upside to nabbing a copy of The Upside is that it's a fun, funny and sometimes even uplifting buddy comedy about a paraplegic man and his caretaker. That may not sound like a bundle of joy, but it's worth checking out.

The Upside

Greta

New Blu-ray And DVD Releases May 21, 2019

Like the first week of the month, there are a lot of different and interesting titles out this week in the realm of TV and movie theaters, from indie's to big budget animated titles. Take a look.

The Upside

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

13 Reasons Why: The Complete Second Season

Call The Midwife: Season Eight

Isn’t It Romantic

Drunk Parents

A Dark Place

Trading Paint

Early Digital Releases Week Of May 21, 2019

Madea's final installation -- unless that prequel happens -- is out this week.

A Madea Family Funeral

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

New Blu-ray And DVD Releases May 28, 2019

No droughtlander here! Outlander fans can relive favorite moments while we wait for Seasons 5 and 6 to come together.

Outlander: Season Four

South Park: The Complete Twenty-Second Season

Greta

Climax

Lords of Chaos

A Vigilante

As we head into the busy summer movie season, the number of Blu-ray, DVD and Digital releases should only grow. So, stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more on the latest titles that are coming out. In addition, if you're more interested in what's coming to theaters, take a look at our 2019 movies release schedule.

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Shazam! Director Reveals Behind The Scenes Look At His Cameo

Shazam! Director Reveals Behind The Scenes Look At His Cameo

Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Shazam!

Big movies will often have fun cameos from their directors and DC’s Shazam! is no different. Director David F. Sandberg did show up in his delightful first foray into superhero moviemaking, but you could be forgiven for not spotting him. While many of Shazam!’s cameos are front and center for the audience to see, David F. Sandberg’s is very well hidden. The director recently revealed his cameo though and the process that went in to making it happen. Check it out:

The way David F. Sandberg presents this behind the scenes is funny, because when you first see him with his head covered in some kind of mold, you start wracking your brain trying to remember the movie and figure out what this cameo could possibly be. Or at least I did. The director was clearly getting fitted for some sort of molded costume and as you scroll through his Instagram pictures, you discover what that costume was.

David F. Sandberg cameoed as one of the Crocodile Men towards the end of the film, and it was clearly quite the involved process to make this cameo happen. Once the molds were made, we see that David F. Sandberg got to wear and test out a remote controlled crocodile head helmet that he could move with and snap its jaws. The prosthetic croc head even had the ability to electronically control the movement of the eyes and the eyelids.

The whole thing honestly looks ridiculous and kind of fun, if not a little stuffy. This also makes it plainly obvious why you could watch Shazam! a thousand times and not spot David F. Sandberg’s cameo without his reveal here. Quite a bit of work went in to making this practical effect and cameo happen, which is admirable considering that it could have just been done with CGI (without the cameo) for what was ultimately a very quick shot.

The cameo occurs towards the end of the movie, when Shazam and his foster siblings are trying to escape from the Rock of Eternity and Doctor Sivana and they come to a cavern filled with many doors to the Seven Realms. They begin opening doors to find a way out and one of those doors had the strange sight of three crocodile men in suits playing cards in it.

As David F. Sandberg shows in his Instagram, this isn’t an invention for the film but an Easter egg that has a basis in the comics. The Crocodile Men of the planet Punkus are villains of Shazam and members of the Monster Society of Evil.

This is quite a cool cameo that doubles as an Easter egg, and also shows how much fun David F. Sandberg wanted to have in this. He could have just shown up in the crowd during the bus scene or at the Christmas carnival at the end of the film but he went all out to do something different. There’s nothing wrong with more traditional cameos but its fitting that the horror director wanted to get a monster costume for his cameo.

David F. Sandberg’s heavily concealed appearance was far from the only cameo in Shazam! The film also featured a host of cameos from actors like Adam Brody as members of the adult Shazam Family, the appearance of which was a well-guarded secret prior to the film’s release. There was also something of a half-cameo by Superman at the end of the film, although it was not Henry Cavill.

Shazam! is now playing. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all this year’s biggest movies and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all your movie news.

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The Suicide Squad Has Found Its First New Actress

The Suicide Squad Has Found Its First New Actress

The new Suicide Squad team coming to the screen is going to look very different from the the one in the previous film. It's made up almost entirely of new characters, and now it appears it will include one brand new actress as well. Portuguese soap opera star Daniela Melchior has reportedly been tapped to play the role of the character known as Ratcatcher.

Melchior is joining the returning Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang. Additional new characters include David Dastmalchian as Polka Dot Man, John Cena, who is rumored to be playing Peacemaker, and Idris Elba, who is taking on an as yet unspecified role.

In the comics, Ratcatcher, who has the ability to train and control rats, has traditionally been a male role but the part has been gender swapped by writer/director James Gunn. Exactly why isn't clear at this point, though Variety is reporting that Ratcatcher will have some sort of a connection to Idris Elba's character in the film and it sounds like the switch is related to that story point.

Daniela Melchior has been a star of Portuguese film and television since 2014. Suicide Squad 2 will mark her debut in a major Hollywood film. With a cast that is otherwise made up of major stars, this is clearly a big move for Melchior, as, so far, the only major newcomer to the production. The movie could have almost certainly picked up another known star for the Ratcatcher role. Comic book movie parts are about as popular with Hollywood stars as they are with the audiences who watch the films.

While previous comments from the studio tried to argue that the new Suicide Squad movie was not a sequel to the previous film, it seems the truth of the matter is that, while the new film will follow the first chronologically, it will tell a very different story by virtue of having mostly brand new characters. The sequel will also follow a second appearance by Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, who will be starring in Birds of Prey before rejoining the Suicide Squad.

Reports are that at least one other major character, King Shark, will figure into the story. Unless it turns out that's the role Idris Elba is playing, then there is at least one other team member left to cast, assuming there aren't others that have not been revealed.

With casting well underway it looks like Suicide Squad 2, or The Suicide Squad or whatever it's called will be going into production this fall, ahead of a summer 2021 release.

Once the new Suicide Squad movie is completed, James Gunn will be crossing the comic demilitarized zone between DC and Marvel to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

The first Suicide Squad was a massive success bringing in almost $750 million at the global box office. With the new movie being so different from the first entry, the sequel may not be an obvious hit, but with a strong new cast it certainly is being given the best possible shot.

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Quentin Tarantino Might Actually Make Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Longer

Quentin Tarantino Might Actually Make Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Longer

The subject of how long a movie could and should be has come up more than a couple of times in recent news cycles. And no one knows about it better than Quentin Tarantino, as he’s already dropped a stealth experiment in re-editing a previous film with the extended mini-series version of The Hateful Eight, and a longer cut of Django Unchained mentioned as in the works.

And now that he’s premiered his new film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood to an eager and accepting crowd at the Cannes Film Festival, he’s preemptively talking about making this latest film longer than it already is.

The current cut of Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film sits at the running time of 2 hours and 39 minutes. And that'a because, as Tarantino himself stated in a recent interview, he had a specific mantra when it came to how he and editor Fred Raskin decided how to put it all together. It coincides with his wishes to extend Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which he expresses in the remarks below:

I wouldn’t take anything else out. I’m going to explore possibly putting something back in. If anything, I wanted to go to Cannes too short. if I’m going to err, I’m going to err on too tight.

As the story goes, Quentin Tarantino and Fred Raskin aimed for a cut that not only satisfied what Tarantino wanted out of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, but also outpaced the “old Quentin movie” time frame of 2 hours and 45 minutes. Now that the job’s been done though, it feels like QT is ready to take the audience’s reactions, and his own mental notes, to put some more material back into his next blockbuster picture.

He has a lot of material to work with too, as IndieWire’s coverage on Quentin Tarantino’s latest mentioned that Fred Raskin had crafted an initial 4 hour and 20 minute cut, which basically had “everything” intact. So we could see the length of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood jump anywhere from a couple of minutes to a whole lot of time, depending on where Quentin Tarantino wants to go with the film.

We wouldn’t expect all that much to be added back in, as after all, this is supposed to be a theatrical experience. But as with Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight (and hopefully fulfilling a promise he made years ago, Kill Bill), Once Upon A Time In Hollywood could find itself expanded into a much longer experience in the streaming and home video afterglow. That's provided it’s a success in the box office, as originally intended. Which, after watching the most recent trailer below, feels like a distinct possibility.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood shakes up history on July 26th, but if you’re looking for something a little more immediate at the box office, check out our 2019 release schedule and see what’s headed down the road.

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To 3D Or Not To 3D: Buy The Right Dumbo Ticket

To 3D Or Not To 3D: Buy The Right Dumbo Ticket

Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, and Disney aficionados far and wide! It’s time to step right up and see the latest wonder of the world, the one, the only, the absolutely adorable Dumbo! The latest in Disney’s remake crusade to update the classics, this Tim Burton film is ready to take off into the wild blue yonder, stealing your heart in the process. But, of course, there’s another question pertaining to this circus of delights; one that we find ourselves asking quite often, asides from that one where we wonder what we know about a movie like Dumbo. To 3D, or not to 3D?

If you want to find out how much we enjoyed Dumbo as a movie, take a look at our official review. But if you’re wondering if this particular circus is worth the extra 3D ticket money, or if you should save that money to buy some peanuts, you’ve come to the right place. Step under the big top, and get ready to see if the prince of the skies flies off the big screen!

While there’s certainly a lot of thrills and excitement to see in Dumbo’s finished product, it’s not a perfect 3D fit. For a good piece of the film, what we see on screen is focused on a family drama that plays out in the confines of a circus, and ponders the morals of using live animals in entertainment. But that being said, there’s still a lot of fantastic detail that the 3D conversion to Dumbo adds to the visuals that are presented; and once the higher flying action kicks in, the additional visual flare definitely shines.

There's certainly a lot of work that went into the planning and effort of Dumbo's 3D coat of paint. Quite a lot of detail is drawn in the images shown, and while it's not a total showstopper, there's a lot of panache that's on display. Though as far as 3D movies go, this is a cohesive whole that doesn't stumble on any particular aspect, but rather does a serviceable job of being a good finished product. There's nothing wrong with that, for sure, but it's something to think about in the long run.

There are a couple of flourishes in Dumbo really take advantage of the opportunity to point objects out at the crowd. All are very subtle but important things, like Michael Keaton’s cane, Colin Farrell’s hand, or Eva Green gesturing to the audience as she’s about to engage in her act. There’s even some water splashing that looks like it’s going to come out of the frame and soak you to the bone. But if you’re looking for huge scale eye popping thrills involving items flying out of the screen, then you might be a bit disappointed.

Winning the Before/Beyond The Window tug of war in Dumbo’s 3D conversion, the Beyond factor pulls more of the visual weight this time around. Characters and their environments are properly spaced, and the spacing between characters and each other is exemplary as well. Crowd shots at the circus really sparkle, with the feel of an actual audience being conveyed to a tee. Unfortunately, the background shots for Dumbo aren’t as limitless as one would want, and if they are the eye is drawn more to the close up action throughout the film.

Brightness is a factor that tends to be a common weak point for 3D films, as the greyish tint of the glasses required tends to wash out the colors a bit. Also, there’s some variance depending on how well your local theater tends to their projectors and screens, so Dumbo’s brightness in 3D won’t be consistent across all screens. With those stipulations, I’m happy to report that Dumbo still shines in beautiful color with its 3D conversion. Besides the slight washing of colors, again expected with putting on 3D glasses that correspond with the image on the screen, you’re not going to lose any action in the dark.

Watching a 3D movie, any audience member is going to be tempted to either remove or slide their glasses up at any point during the film. Whether it’s to give your eyes a break, or to see the historic blur that’s always been a part of 3D presentations, you’ll notice that in fact the image in front of you is blurred to varied degrees. Dumbo uses this blur to full effect, with even the closest of closeups taking on nuanced degrees of distortion, with only seconds long moments of 2D appearance in order to help anchor the elements of a particular scene. Backgrounds also get a pretty big dose of blurred wonder, showing just how much manipulation is used to make the film as 3D as it possibly could be.

Possibly the most important factor of a 3D film is how comfortable the audience is with watching it. In terms of Dumbo’s comfort levels, everything is a-ok, as the film doesn’t cause nausea or eye strain of any sort. With a crisp, clear visual intelligence poured into every frame, your eyes won’t burn and your stomach will be clear of nausea. This is particularly comforting if you’re bringing your little ones to see Dumbo, as there won’t be any messy clean-up involved after the show.

Dumbo does a pretty fine job of being a 3D spectacle. It isn’t a full stop must see in the visually enhanced format, but it’s certainly not a waste of time either. Rather, it’s a pretty good example of a middle of the road 3D conversion, which adds some flash but doesn’t go the extra mile to be essential viewing in this premium format. If you're looking for a special flare to your showing of Dumbo, it might be a good idea to check out the IMAX format presentation instead.

Be sure to visit our full To 3D Or Not To 3D Archive.

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Apparently Johnny Depp's Return For Fantastic Beasts 3 Isn't Official Yet

Apparently Johnny Depp's Return For Fantastic Beasts 3 Isn't Official Yet

Johnny Depp is still currently expected to continue as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3 and the rest of the planned five-film franchise. However, on the heels of Warner Bros. delaying Fantastic Beasts 3 production again, but finally giving the movie a confirmed release date, word has come that Depp has yet to officially sign on for the 2021 movie.

This is one of those anonymous source situations, so stay in a skeptical Hermione mindset. That said, "a source close to Johnny Depp" told The Blast the actor has not been approached by the studio yet to exercise the option in his contract for Fantastic Beasts 3. The site said Depp does have a contract through the five-film franchise but, like the rest of the stars, his option for each movie is handled separately by Warner Bros.

What does that mean? Maybe nothing, especially without knowing the situations of the other main cast members. But The Blast also brought up Johnny Depp's legal issues -- specifically the ugly back-and-forth abuse allegations with ex-wife Amber Heard. The site said it too had been told a few Warner Bros. execs were pushing for Depp to be fired from Fantastic Beasts, but many of the "heavy hitters" have maintained full support.

One of those heavy hitters is said to be J.K. Rowling herself, and the Harry Potter author already made it clear before The Crimes of Grindelwald came out that she was fully supportive of Johnny Depp.

The very public issues between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard have been going on so long that his casting was put up for debate even before the second film came out. Now here we are waiting for the third film, and the ongoing lawsuits keep adding new allegations from both sides.

Johnny Depp has a defamation suit against Amber Heard tied to her Washington Post op-ed piece on speaking up against sexual violence. He claims her abuse allegations are part of an "elaborate hoax" to boost her career. His team is also trying to tie that op-ed to Depp losing his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in future Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Amber Heard's side accused Depp of trying to get her fired from her role as Mera in DC/Warner Bros.'s Aquaman.

Fantastic Beasts 3 was originally set to begin production this summer, with a hoped-for but not official release date of November 2020. Production was initially pushed back to late fall 2019. Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski) said filming was delayed because the third movie is "bigger than the first two combined." The "gigantic" movie needed more time to prep, and they didn't want to rush anything.

Just recently, filming was pushed back to start in spring 2020, with the film getting an official release date of November 2021. The first two films were released in November 2016 and November 2018, respectively.

J.K. Rowling is writing all five movies in this franchise; she is said to currently be re-working the third movie's script to try and make it better than Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald after the relative disappointment of the second movie with fans, critics, and the box office.

As far as we know, Johnny Depp and the rest of the cast will continue in their roles from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. If that changes due to contracts or other issues, you can bet there will be big reactions from every side of the fandom. The third film's title has yet to be revealed, but here's what we do know so far about Fantastic Beasts 3.

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Pet Sematary Could Get A Prequel

Pet Sematary Could Get A Prequel

While any novel being adapted for the screen is going to lose some pieces that are deemed unnecessary for the film to flow, Pet Sematary gave up a lot of real estate when it came to the story of its iconic next door neighbor Jud Crandall. It doesn’t hurt the film’s narrative, though viewers familiar with the source novel or even the 1989 adaptation might miss those parts of the story they remember pertaining to the big lesson Jud learned when dealing with the titular burial ground. Those fans might be consoled by the fact those pieces of the story are not only fresh in producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura’s mind, he’s open to adapting them into their own story.

Naturally, it feels like this whole conversation started with the fact that the 2019 adaptation’s radically different ending leaves some room for a sequel to Pet Sematary; and that notion is certainly not out of the realm of possibility. Regardless, while making the rounds with the press, Di Bonaventura expressed that going forward isn’t the direction that intrigues him most with this particular story. Speaking to that point in one interview, he laid out his thoughts as follows:

I generally don’t start thinking about [sequels] until they’re a success. I think if there’s anything here, there’s a prequel. I think if you look at the book, we didn’t cover all that stuff that happens before the Creed family moves in. So, I think there’s a movie there, and I think I’d be particularly interested in doing that, because, again, it’s the source material and you are going toward something that also has a lot of crazy, creepy feelings about it.

With Pet Sematary’s 2019 refresh already grossing almost double its production costs, there’s a case to be made for the film’s commercial viability. Not only does it have the Stephen King brand name working in its favor, but the film’s story is also one of the more popular titles out of King’s catalog. What’s more, the story of Jud Grandall’s youth and the local experiences with the old Micmac burial ground are ripe for fans -- old and new -- to see brought to the big screen.

Lorenzo Di Bonaventura’s remarks to Consequence of Sound during his time at this year’s SXSW festival pretty much sum up why he’d want to explore this particular avenue of franchise extension, and, in my opinion, his reasoning’s sound. But what about the story material? Well, fans of the novel know that Jud’s story about how various pets, and eventually war vet Timmy Baterman, were buried in that stony, supernatural soil turned out. But there’s so much to that particular story that a prequel film could easily inhabit that earlier era, and would only require a bit of padding out to make a unique narrative.

Pet Sematary isn’t even the first Stephen King property to find itself looking towards the prequel treatment as of late, as Season 2 of Hulu’s Castle Rock anthology is going to follow young Annie Wilkes from Misery, and her path to unstable evil. The big difference here is that Jud Crandall’s backstory, as well as that of the town that he inhabits, provides an advantage to expanding the world that the story of Pet Sematary inhabits.

This universe is already built to accommodate this prequel, as Pet Sematary does sneak in references to these past events. Most notably, when Jason Clarke’s Louis Creed is researching Ludlow’s rather colorful history, he comes across a newspaper story discussing Timmy Baterman, now updated to be a veteran of the Vietnam War, rather than his service taking place during World War II in the original novel’s time frame.

Strangely enough, it sounds like some of the storied past of Pet Sematary almost made it into the finished product of directors Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer’s reboot, as Lorenzo Di Bonaventura shared the following details, courtesy of an interview with /Film:

Do we get to meet young Jud? There’s a lot of opportunity I think that we don’t have to make up out of whole cloth. As fans of the book, I know for me I’ve increasingly liked the idea that that’s how we would approach it. ... Yeah, and one of the things we did try to get in is we tried to get the Micmacs in. At one point we had written an opening scene where you see them flee and you’re left with some information but not too much information about the why of it. Less about establishing what it is they’re running [from] and more establishing what is the thing that’s freaking them out.

It's certainly not lost on Di Bonaventura that Jud Crandall’s story has a lot of potential, should the decision makers at Paramount find themselves in the mood to further resurrect their legacy property. Though given the studio’s recent attempts to bring back some of previous hits through sequels, like Coming To America 2, and reboots, like the smash hit Bumblebee, this has to have been a thought that already crossed several minds before Pet Sematary even opened.

Whether or not this story becomes the next entry in Pet Sematary’s canon remains to be seen, as the film’s only been out for a little over a week. The next couple of weekends will undoubtedly be crucial to such a prospect, and if the numbers add up, it looks like there’s some room to scare up some more box office horror in the sleepy town of Ludlow, Maine. After all, old Jud was right when he said that sometimes dead is better. At the same time, why let the dead rest, when they’re having such a good time?

Pet Sematary is in theaters now, but if you’re looking for more box office excitement, our 2019 release schedule is the place you should be to find it. Though if you’re dead set on seeking out more Stephen King adaptations, we have a special guide to projects strictly from the author’s pen that are currently on track for release and production.

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