Men In Black's 10 Most Iconic Aliens

Men In Black's 10 Most Iconic Aliens

They are a rumor, recognized only as deja vu and dismissed just as quickly. They are the Men In Black, an organization specializing in protecting the identities of and defending the earth from extraterrestrials. This June, the MIB will return in Men In Black: International, the fourth entry of the franchise once headlined by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. Thor and Valkyrie fighting aliens - yeah, that checks out.

What we are most excited to see in F. Gary Gray's reboot of the science fiction and comedy hit is what every Men In Black sequel does best: give us some new otherworldly creatures to gush over, if you find aliens particularly gush-worthy. The thing is, creating new aliens that are just as memorable as what the franchise has already introduced is going to be a challenge, as the creatures we have already been introduced to have been nothing short of unforgettable. But which creatures holds the most lasting memories with Men In Black fans?

We take a look back at 1997's Men In Black, its two sequels, and even a few references to its animated series, and rank the top 10 biggest, baddest, funniest, and most iconic aliens in the universe.

10. Ballchinian

This species earns a spot on our list purely for being, just about, the funniest joke in Men in Black II.

The Ballchinian made its first and last very brief appearance shortly after K regained his previously neuralyzed memory. J is in trouble, fighting a losing battle against a gang of various alien species. As soon as K comes to his senses about his MIB training, he bursts into the assault, taking down the different aliens one by one with J’s suggestions based on each species’ weaknesses.

The final alien K takes down in Men in Black II is, at first, resistant to each strike he lays down, until J reminds him of the creatures namesake. He pulls away his scarf, revealing what can only be described as the most anatomically correct appearance of a “ballchin” ever witnessed. K promptly grasps the low-hanging facial appendage and, with a forceful tug, defeats the perpetrator, giving the audience a much-needed laugh.

9. Beatbox Alien

It probably does not sound too implausible to assume that rapper Biz Markie of “Just A Friend” fame is a creature not of this earth. That must be why the producers of the 2002 Men In Black follow-up decided to cast him as an otherworldly creature with a unique language.

In Men In Black II, Will Smith’s Agent J has proven successful as one of the Men In Black’s best agents, but faces a threat that only the retired and neuralyzed Agent K can help him defeat. J finds K (now Kevin) working as a postman and, in an effort to jog his memory, proves to him that most post office employees are not human. The first alien he exposes is this mail sorter, played by Markee, whom he communicates with through the art of beatboxing, as you can see in all its glory in the clip below.

We have no idea what J and the Beatbox Alien said to each other, but it is one of the most engaging moments of Men In Black II, due to the fun surprise cameo and the opportunity it gives Will Smith to show off his beatboxing skills, as previously demonstrated during his days on The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. What is especially fascinating about the scene is that Markee’s beatboxing requires no special audio modification. That’s just Biz in action, doing what no human could. That’s just perfect casting.

8. Boris The Animal

If there is one thing we can say about Men In Black 3 in terms of improvement over Men In Black II it was the villain in that movie. We went from a huge, malevolent, monstrous bug in the first Men In Black to Serleena: an emotionless, shapeshifting alien plant queen disguised as a lingerie model. Where she succeeded in merciless commitment to world domination, she lacked in personality. Which is why we are thankful that, 10 years later, we met Boris.

Brought to life by an enthusiastic performance by Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement (as well as heavy prosthetics), Boris The Animal is the ruthless, short-tempered sole member of the Boglodite race who hates human beings as much as he hates his nickname. Men In Black 3, opens with his escape from an outer space maximum prison with an intent to seek vengeance on his sworn enemy, Agent K. He achieves his mission by going back in time and killing a younger version of K (played to perfection by Josh Brolin) in 1969, forcing J to travel to the past and team up with young K to prevent his murder and save the world again.

Boris’ presence in Men In Black 3 is the main source of the film’s fun. He is dripping with intriguing -- and often chilling -- character traits, such as having goggle lenses for eyes, razor sharp teeth, and a missing arm (which he blames K for), not to mention the shockingly lethal, spider-like pet Weasel that resides in a hollow part of his hand. Boris is a stone cold killer who treats the galaxy as his personal playpen of carnage. We’re too afraid not to include him on this list.

7. Squid

From battling carnivorous beasts in flying saucers to finding tiny green men residing in the head of rotting corpses, being an MIB agent sounds like the scariest, most revoting job in the galaxy. However, as a key moment in the first Men In Black demonstrates, it does have its more lighthearted perks.

On Agent J’s first official outing as a newly recruited member of the MIB, he and K pull over Redgick, an alien with Earth citizenship looking to seek refuge for him and his pregnant wife, who is visibly in the late stages of labor. J is put to the task of “catching” the approaching newborn. Enduring a visibly rocky process, J successfully delivers a baby “squid,” which he mentions is actually quite cute, right before it pukes on him.

It is a moment that still carries the same danger that makes this a tough job, but concludes with the revelation that not all alien creatures are the vicious kind we fear. In fact, we agree with J: the squid is really cute.

6. Jack Jeebs

Part of the fun of watching the Men In Black movies is keeping a close eye on the random human bystanders in the background, trying to spot who might be here from another world. The idea of extraterrestrials walking in plain sight among us was never fully ingrained into our psyche until we met pawn shop owner Jack Jeebs.

Jeebs (played by Tony Shalhoub) seems (almost) perfectly human at first, until he tests K’s patience enough to promptly blow his head clean off with one shot. At first we, and pre-MIB recruitment J, think K has killed him, but apparently this is not the first head K has ruined for that because Jeebs’ head begins to grow back while he mutters, “You have any idea how much that stings?”

Jeebs returned in Men In Black II for a few more head-losing hijinks, but without much else to bring to the table. While Shalhoub would be more than welcome by us to reprise his role in Men In Black: International, this decidedly one hit wonder’s main joke is in danger of stretching too thin.

5. Twins (Idikiukup and Bob)

We know you have heard the names of each half of MIB’s resident tentacled computer technicians, but we bet you had no idea how to spell Idikiukup. Yeah, we actually had to look it up too.

“The Twins,” Idikiukup and Bob, were introduced in Men In Black during Agent J’s first tour of the headquarters after accepting recruitment as K shows them managing the observation bay. With the push of a few buttons, they reveal that J’s theory about having an extraterrestrial for a third grade teacher turned out to be right.

The Twins were not the biggest talkers and, sadly, did not return in Men In Black II or Men In Black III, but their importance to the fate of the world should not be understated. Using those tentacles to pull off what just our 10 human fingers could never do with a computer, they scan every corner of the galaxy with expert precision to make sure nothing is out of place. I see a standing ovation in order if they make their return in Men In Black: International.

4. Mikey

This one is especially memorable as he can be credited with introducing us to the curious, bizarre world of Men In Black.

In the opening scene of the first MIB film, INS agents pull over a van holding illegal immigrants. Shortly after, Tommy Lee Jones’ Agent K and his original partner Dee (Richard Hamilton) show up posing as the blatantly made up Division 6 of the INS to instigate and discover that one of these “aliens” is from much farther away than south of the border. K pulls away the disguise, simply a large fur coat and an anatomically correct head on a stick, to reveal a familiar face -- to him at least.

Mikey, as K immediately greets him as, is an amphibious creature with six arms and flippers posing as a human immigrant to escape from jail. When one of the INS agents catches a glimpse of K and Dee’s interrogation of Mikey, the alien uses his independent eye to look back at the agent and angrily charge toward him, until K fires at him, disposing him to blue liquid. In just four minutes, we learn everything we need to know about who these mysterious, well-dressed men are all about.

As being the first alien we see in Men In Black, Mikey earns a firm, lasting position in the franchise’s iconography.

3. Frank

Humans are not the only species worth being suspicious about in the Men in Black world. J was even surprised to discover the alien he and K were looking to gain information from was not the creepy, gray-skinned newspaper stand attendant, but the talking dog sitting next to him.

Frank (voiced by Tim Blaney in the films) is a member of the Remoolian species, but lives among earthlings as a cute little pug, a disguise that renders him sensitive to ridicule. Through all of his appearances in the Men In Black franchise, he has proven himself to be an irritating-yet-helpful ally, alerting K and J on the way to learning the location of the Arquilian Galaxy in the first film, becoming J’s temporary partner in Men In Black II, and assisting K and J against alien terrorists in the animated series as well.

Given his absence in Men In Black 3, unless you count the framed photo of him on the wall of Agent J’s apartment bedroom, it does not seem likely that Frank will return to assist in any further intergalactic intrigue in Men In Black: International. Nevertheless, we will never forget him as one of the most endearing extraterrestrial canines in film history.

2. Orthopterous Exomorphs (Bugs)

"Imagine a giant cockroach with unlimited strength, a massive inferiority complex, and a real short temper is tear-assing around Manhattan island in a brand new Edgar suit."

That is how K chooses to describe the Orthopterous Exomorph (or commonly referred to as a “Bug”) to J in Men In Black, when they discover the enemy they are forced to take on to defend the Arquilian Galaxy is going to be tough nut to crack.

The Bug is initially introduced to us in the form of its less-than-convincing disguise, inhabiting the skin of New York famer Edgar (Vincent D’Onofrio). Once the skin comes off in the final act, the creature reveals his true form as a frightening, slimy, multi-legged nightmare worthy of taking the crown in the insect kingdom.

Fortunately, J, being the clever, no-nonsense NYPD cop he is, is able to figure out that the Bug has a soft spot for his earthbound family members. Coming across a small village of cockroaches in a nearby dumpster, J unapologetically stomps on them one by one, successfully tugging at the Bug’s heartstrings and distracting him from carrying out his mission. That, essentially, is what makes Edgar the Bug such an impressive villain: he has a multi-layered persona with a rough, gross exterior, but a sensitive inside.

1. Worms (Annelids)

If there are any fan favorites we are praying to see return in Men In Black: International, it’s this group of pint-sized, nicotine-addicted laugh riots known for making a mean morning brew.

Neeble, Geeble, Sleeble, and Mannix are an alien species called Annelids (better known around MIB headquarters as the “Worms”) who have been a prominent part of the Men In Black franchise (even showing up in the animated series) since they appeared in the first film as the first undisguised aliens Will Smith’s J lays eyes on.

They also keep things interesting around headquarters with a sense of humor that is sure to keep you laughing with them, despite their often indecipherable language, and shamelessly taking part in the vices forbidden on their planet Takwella, most notably coffee. A Men In Black movie without the Worms just would not feel complete.

What do you think of our list? Was it the Men In Black nostalgia trip you were looking for, or even increase your excitement for Men In Black: International? If so, be sure check for more updates here on Cinemablend.

Read More

All The Marvel Movies That Have Made $1 Billion

All The Marvel Movies That Have Made $1 Billion

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is, without question, the biggest movie franchise of all time. The 21-film series has brought in nearly $20 billion in total box office since it began in 2008. Of course, a large part of that success is due to the fact that so many movies have been produced. Only the James Bond franchise has made as many individual films, and nobody has done it quite as quickly as Marvel Studios.

However, what might be more amazing than the total business these films have done is that about half of the total revenue that's been generated actually comes from only a third of the movies produced. Less than 40 movies in the history of cinema have made $1 billion or more at the global box office, and Marvel has made seven of them. Here, in release order, are Marvel's members of the billion dollar club.

Marvel's The Avengers

Global Box Office: $1.518 Billion

When the MCU began, nobody was quite sure just how well it would work. A series of solo movies were released. Some did well at the box office (Iron Man), some didn't do as hot (The Incredible Hulk). However, the real test of the concept was when the heroes would first be brought together in The Avengers. Needless to say it worked. The massive team-up was the first Marvel movie to break $1 billion and it's still the second highest grossing Marvel movie ever. Domestically, it's actually number one if you adjust for inflation.

Iron Man 3

Global Box Office: $1.214 Billion

Once Avengers opened the floodgates, Marvel Studios wouldn't have to wait too long to for its second billion dollar hit. Iron Man 3 followed on the heels of Avengers as the first movie of the MCU's Phase Two and clearly, even 12 months later, interest was still incredibly high. Both previous Iron Man films performed solidly when they were released, though both have been dwarfed by more recent films, but Iron Man 3 absolutely soared. It was the highest grossing solo Marvel movie until quite recently.

Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Global Box Office: $1.405 Billion

After Iron Man 3, things began to calm down for the MCU a little bit. The rest of Phase Two put up solid numbers thanks to well regarded films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, which basically proved Marvel could do anything, but we all still knew the next time the Avengers got together, the audience would come. Avengers: Age of Ultron didn't quite match the total business done by the first Avengers, but it came awfully close. It would be three years before we got another Avengers movie, but other parts of the franchise would pick up the slack.

Captain America: Civil War

Global Box Office: $1.153 Billion

Captain America: Civil War isn't a full Avengers movie, but considering the cast that shows up for it, it might as well be. Thor and Hulk might be missing, but we throw in Black Panther and Spider-Man for good measure. Every other superpowered hero that we've met in the franchise is here. If there were people who only watched Captain America movies at this point, they were probably very confused. The story has significant repercussions for the rest of the MCU, making in a must watch for anybody who wants to keep up with the larger plot. Civil War was the Marvel movie at the bottom of the billion dollar club. We'll have to wait and see if it stays there.

Black Panther

Global Box Office: $1.346 Billion

In the weeks leading up to the release of Black Panther, the box office estimates for the film just kept increasing. Then the movie actually arrived and everything just exploded. While the final tally puts Black Panther just behind Age of Ultron, Panther actually had a bigger opening weekend than Ultron and it came within just a few million of outdoing The Avengers itself. It's currently the highest grossing non-Avengers movie in the MCU. The power of a diverse cast clearly helped this one, but nobody who loves superhero movies stayed away.

Avengers: Infinity War

Global Box Office: $2.048 Billion

Including Avengers: Infinity War in a list of movies that have done more than $1 billion feels like selling it short, as the movie actually doubled that number when it was released last year. Infinity War is the fourth highest grossing movie ever made, behind Avatar, Titanic and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Those four movies have each grossed over $2 billion and number five on the list isn't even close. Infinity War was an event like few other films could ever hope to be. It certainly makes one wonder what the future has in store considering there's more of that story to be told.

Captain Marvel

Global Box Office: $1.003 Billion (and growing)

It looked for a long time like Captain Marvel, the newest entry in the MCU, was going to reach that billion dollar mark, and while it took a slow and steady route, as of now, it has done it, marking the seventh Marvel movie, and the 38th film of all-time, to achieve the milestone. It will likely add a bit more to its box office total before it's all said and done. We'll have to see if the next couple weekend are enough to get to surpass Captain America: Civil War, but with another big Marvel movie on the way, attention will soon be shifting away to other things.

Of course, while Marvel has seven movies on this list, the eighth is practically a foregone conclusion. Avengers: Endgame is selling tickets ahead of release even faster than Avengers: Infinity War did, which implies it will have a bigger opening weekend and very likely a bigger final total. Then Marvel will have two movies that have made $2 billion. We may not know what's to come in Phase Four, but movies making giant piles of cash is probably a pretty safe bet.

Read More

Star Wars' Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill And More React To Peter Mayhew's Death

Star Wars' Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill And More React To Peter Mayhew's Death

Today, it was announced that Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca across five Star Wars movies and numerous other projects, had died earlier this week of a heart attack, just shy of his 75th birthday. This marks yet another passing of a Star Wars icon, and while it’s sad that Mayhew is no longer among us, it’s also touching to see those who worked alongside him paying tribute to the man.

First off, we have Harrison Ford, who acted alongside Peter Mayhew as Han Solo, Chewbacca’s longtime partner, in the original Star Wars trilogy and The Force Awakens. In his statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Ford honored Mayhew not only was a work partner, but as a true friend in real life.

Next, we have Mark Hamill, who also spent a lot of time alongside Peter Mayhew when he was playing Luke Skywalker in the first three Star Wars movies. Hamill said the following:

Then there’s Billy Dee Williams, who joined the Star Wars franchise as Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back and performed alongside Peter Mayhew in that movie and Return of the Jedi. Williams posted:

Following The Force Awakens, Peter Mayhew retired from playing Chewbacca, and Joonas Suotamo, who shared the role with Mayhew in the first installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, has been playing the trusty Wookiee full time ever since. Here’s how Suotamo paid respects to his mentor:

Of course, there wouldn’t be a Star Wars franchise without George Lucas, who discovered Peter Mayhew and personally selected him to play Chewbacca. Lucas paid tribute to Mayhew with the following statement to ABC News:

Then there’s The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, who never worked with Peter Mayhew, but was nonetheless inspired by his work ethic, saying:

Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy recognized Peter Mayhew’s impact on the Star Wars franchise thusly:

Finally, Disney CEO Bob Iger mourned Peter Mayhew’s passing with these words:

These are just some of the many reactions you’ll find about Peter Mayhew’s death, both from well-known figures and regular Star Wars fans. While he’s no longer with us, his presence in the Star Wars franchise will continue to be felt for many years to come. Mayhew also acted in projects like Dark Towers, Dragonball GT: A Hero’s Legacy and Comic Book: The Movie, and along with being a regular on the convention circuit, he opened the Peter Mayhew Foundation, which aids in numerous charitable causes.

Be sure to share your thoughts about Peter Mayhew in the comments below. The Star Wars film series continues later this year with the release of The Rise of Skywalker on December 20. You can also look through our 2019 release schedule to learn what movies not set in a galaxy far, far away are coming soon.

Read More

There’s One More DC Character The Suicide Squad Needs To Bring Back

There’s One More DC Character The Suicide Squad Needs To Bring Back

Although Warner Bros isn’t as focused on interconnectivity between all its DC movies as it once was, the DC Extended Universe continuity isn’t going anywhere. As such, the claims that The Suicide Squad will be a total reboot have been greatly exaggerated, and it will indeed serve as a sequel to 2016’s Suicide Squad. That said, it’s been made abundantly clear over the last couple of months that under writer/director James Gunn’s supervision, The Suicide Squad is more of a relaunch than a direct follow-up, and will feature a lot of new characters. It makes sense to have a mostly new cast if you’re wanting to distance an adventure from its predecessor, though The Suicide Squad would still be wise to bring back Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller to round out its collection of familiar faces.

Thus far, only three characters from the last Suicide Squad movie are confirmed to be returning from the sequel, and one of them isn’t even being reprised by the same actor. Idris Elba is taking over Deadshot duties from Will Smith due to the Aladdin star having scheduling issues, and Margot Robbie and Jai Courtney will reprise Harley Quinn and Captain Boomerang, respectively. It makes sense why these three are being brought back for The Suicide Squad, as Deadshot and Captain Boomerang have on the team since it was revitalized in the late 1980s by writer John Ostrander, and Harley Quinn has been one of the most prominent members ever since The New 52 reboot in 2011.

From there, it’s easy enough to look at the various Suicide Squad iterations over the decades and find other members to fill out the ranks, from villains like Count Vertigo and Blockbuster to heroes like Vixen and Oracle. You can even find a solider to fill in for Rick Flag and make sure the Squad doesn’t get out of hand during field missions. But when it comes to actually putting the officially-named Task Force X together and supervising them from off-site as they carry out their objective, there’s no one better for the job than Amanda Waller.

Just like Deadshot and Captain Boomerang, Amanda Waller has been a part of the modern Suicide Squad mythos (not to be confused with the Silver Age Suicide Squad, which was a team of adventurers that only appeared in six issues of The Brave and the Bold) since the beginning. She may not have superpowers or a colorful costume, but make no mistake, Amanda is one of the most formidable and dangerous individuals in the DC universe. She’ll use intimidation, manipulation, blackmail and whatever other tools are at her disposal to ensure that her goals are carried out, which are usually on behalf of national security. The ends always justify the means in her book, even if it results in casualties. It’s no wonder then why she’s the person who’s putting a group of criminals together to carry out covert black ops missions for the U.S. government. She doesn’t care how many of them die in order to complete the mission and she won’t hesitate to detonate the nano-bombs in their necks.

Although Angela Basset first brought Amanda Waller to life on the big screen in Green Lantern, it wasn’t until Viola Davis played the character five years later that we saw her connected to the Suicide Squad. The Suicide Squad movie certainly wasn’t a critical hit, but Davis was one of its few highlights, nailing her blunt and sinister personality excellently, arguably demonstrated best when she shot those FBI agents without batting an eye (as seen below). The DC Comics universe vast, and looking at just the Suicide Squad corner of it, it’d be easy enough to find someone to replace fill Amanda’s role as the government figure feeding the team orders. But if The Suicide Squad is willing to bring back three lead characters from the last movie who are figureheads for the property as a whole, then Amanda needs to be included in that small group.

I understand James Gunn wanting to fill out these this new Suicide Squad team with mostly new faces. It helps with wiping the slate clean and mostly separating this Suicide Squad movie from its predecessor, not to mention that possibility all of these new characters could be killed off during the course of the story. After all, while there are various characters who have repeatedly served on [Task Force X](https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/TaskForceX(NewEarth) in the comics, there’s been no shortage of recruits who have died after just one or a couple missions. Behind the scenes, though, Amanda Waller has almost always been the woman in charge, and narratively speaking, there’s no reason to change that. Even if this were a total reboot filled with all new actors, I’d still advocate for Amanda to appear. A Suicide Squad without her would be like a Batman movie without Alfred or a Superman movie without Lois Lane.

Since Suicide Squad’s release, Viola Davis’ filmography has grown with Fences and Widows, both of which received positive critical reception. She’s also still leading the ABC series How to Get Away with Murder. It’s possible that her shooting schedule for the TV show might prevent her from appearing in The Suicide Squad, as production is reportedly beginning this fall. If that’s the case, while it’d be disappointing not to have Davis around, the backup plan would be to recast the character, as has been done with Deadshot. That’s how important Amanda is to the Suicide Squad. It’s not absolutely crucial for Rick Flag, Katana, Killer Croc or even a resurrected Diablo to return for The Suicide Squad, but without Amanda alongside Deadshot, Harley Quinn and Captain Boomerang, it feels like there’s a piece of the puzzle missing. Davis getting to play the character once more would be the icing on the cake, so hopefully an arrangement can be worked out.

The Suicide Squad charges into theaters on August 6, 2021, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on how it’s coming along. Don’t forget to look through our DC movies guide to learn what else is in development for the DCEU.

Read More

Captain Marvel Brought Marvel To A Box Office Milestone

Captain Marvel Brought Marvel To A Box Office Milestone

Heading in to its second weekend, Captain Marvel is an unmitigated financial success. Carol Danvers had the biggest March opening ever, the 2nd biggest worldwide opening for any superhero movie and the film has already passed the $500 million milestone. Captain Marvel does not exist in a vacuum though; it is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and its success has rocketed Marvel higher, further, faster to a new box office milestone.

Captain Marvel is the 21st entry into the MCU canon and combined, those 21 titles have now surpassed $18 billion in worldwide ticket sales, according to Variety. That’s billion with a ‘B’ and the MCU is now a member of the three-comma club 18 times over. I guess a $455 million worldwide opening weekend will do a lot to help you reach box office milestones.

If you do the math on that $18 billion over 21 movies, each Marvel movie is worth 4/5th of a billion dollars, or to be more exact, assuming my math is closer to Bruce Banner’s than the Hulk’s, $857.14 million. Or, to put another way, in roughly 11 years in existence, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has averaged about $1.63 billion a year.

The MCU has been the most successful franchise in movie history for a while now, and the $18 billion milestone just further cements the brand’s unparalleled and unprecedented achievements. There is something cool about the fact that it was Captain Marvel, a hero with Marvel in her name that added this notch to Marvel’s belt.

Captain Marvel was just the first entry in the MCU’s stacked 2019 though and Marvel may add a few more billion-dollar notches before it’s all said and done. Captain Marvel is now at $524 million worldwide and is tracking to add another $70-$85 million in its second weekend domestically.

Beyond Captain Marvel is Avengers: Endgame, which premiered a new trailer this morning. That film, the capstone on Phase 3 and the first 11 years of the MCU may hit an absolutely insane $282 million in its opening weekend just domestically. Avengers: Infinity War hit $2 billion worldwide and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Endgame repeat that feat with another $2 billion to follow up Captain Marvel. It’s a good thing too, Disney has bills to pay.

With Spider-Man: Far From Home on the way in July (a Sony film that is still MCU even if Disney doesn’t get the money from it) the MCU will certainly pass the $20 billion milestone at the worldwide box this year.

It is truly remarkable considering how it was only around the turn of the millennium that comic book movies became good and respected after wallowing in mediocrity for a long time. There was even a time not long ago when loving comic books and superheroes was something you didn’t advertise because it was considered uncool. Now superheroes are literally the biggest thing in the history of the movie business the world over and it’s not even close. That's pretty neat.

Captain Marvel is now playing. Check out our 2019 release schedule to keep track of all the biggest films arriving this year and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all your movie news.

Read More

Emilia Clarke Admits She Regrets 'Stupid Action Movies' She's Filmed

Emilia Clarke Admits She Regrets 'Stupid Action Movies' She's Filmed

As the eight-season journey on Game of Thrones soon comes to an end, fans are certainly curious about where we will see our favorite stars next on the big screen. Jason Momoa certainly made waves as Aquaman after portraying Khal Drogo, and Sophie Turner is playing the titular role in the next installment of the X-Men franchise, Dark Phoenix. What about fan-favorites Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow, a.k.a. Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington?

Emilia Clarke recently spoke with Variety about her time as a big screen actress thus far, and part of the discussion was about how her and co-star Kit Harington have bonded over their common career accomplishments… and mistakes. Said the actress,

Kit and I are counterparts in terms of experience. We are pretty much the same age, and our characters have had parallel journeys, and we as actors have had parallel journeys. We’ve both done stupid action movies we regret and fabulous things we’re proud of, and we’ve always come back to Thrones. And he’s the person I’d ask, ‘How are you handling this? Are you alright?’ We were in sync, even if we were filming on opposite sides of the world.

Their characters are connected in more way than one! The two actors have notably had some bad luck with their big budget action movie endeavors, and here Emilia Clarke admits to regretting them. Of course, Clarke notably played Sarah Connor in the 2015 failed reboot Terminator: Genisys, which in the past she has said she was “relieved” to see fail at the box office so she wouldn’t have to return for a sequel because “no one had a good time” making it.

Clarke also recently played Qi’ra in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which was deemed the biggest disappointment for the franchise – though obviously nobody is placing any blame on the actress. The movie dealt with some problems during production, such as the replacement of Phil Lord and Chris Miller with Ron Howard in the midst of filming.

On Kit Harington’s end, the actor starred in 2014’s period volcano thriller Pompeii, which only made $117 million worldwide with a $100 million budget, and Seventh Son, which has comparative disappointing numbers with a $114 million worldwide take against a $95 million budget. These are reasons enough for the Game of Thrones stars to be apprehensive about starring in action movies, but luckily they had each other to talk out shared experiences, even though they were on completely different projects.

Looking ahead, Emilia Clarke is starring in a rom-com with Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding called Last Christmas, and in a crime-thriller titled Above Suspicion - neither of which are being made as tent-pole blockbusters. Kit Harington will next be seen on the big screen starring in the drama The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, which premiered last year at the Toronto International Film Festival and isn't currently set up with a domestic release date or distributor.

The actors will be the talk of the world when the premiere of Game of Thrones' six-episode final season premieres on April 14th, leading to an ending for their characters that Clarke said “fucked [her] up” and got Harington crying at a table read.

Read More

James McAvoy Would Play The Riddler For DC

James McAvoy Would Play The Riddler For DC

It's no secret that superhero movies are everywhere. The comic book genre has proved the most profitable and popular genre in the industry, so plenty of studios and filmmakers are trying to get in on the fun. With multiple cinematic universes battling for box office supremacy, a ton of talented actors have adapted iconic characters from the page to the screen. In fact, actors like Josh Brolin, Peter Dinklage, Chris Evans, and Ryan Reynolds have played multiple comic book characters in their careers.

James McAvoy has put in the hours himself, playing Professor X for the last four X-Men movies. But with that franchise's future unclear in the wake of the Disney and Fox merger, the time might come for him to hop onto another comic book franchise. When asked who he might like to play on the DC side of things, he recently revealed he was interesting in Batman's Edward Nygma aka The Riddler. McAvoy said:

The Riddler, maybe. Always liked him when I was growing up. I’ve always thought DC does really good bad guys.

Do you hear that noise? It's the sound of countless comic book fans cheering in joy. The Riddler hasn't been on the big screen since 1995's Batman Forever, as Jim Carrey played the character with ample supplies of campy energy-- fitting perfectly in with Joel Schumacher's vision for the franchise.

James McAvoy's comments come from his recent Instagram Live video, which was captured and immortalized on Twitter. While he didn't broach the subject of a DC role by himself, he did reveal which character he would like to inhabit, if given the choice. That was none other than the genius Batman villain The Riddler. He also acknowledged that DC knows what it's doing in regards to villains.

Now might be the perfect time to bring The Riddler to the DCEU, as Gotham City looks like it'll become a more important setting in the shared universe. Birds Of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will feature plenty of Gotham City denizens, and Matt Reeves is also developing his movie, The Batman. The latter will reportedly feature Batman's rogues gallery, so could that include The Riddler?

The Riddler hasn't been seen on the big screen since back Jim Carrey portrayed him in Batman Forever. Joel Schumacher took over the Batman franchise from Tim Burton, and made it more colorful and kid friendly. As such, Carrey primarily flexed his comedic muscles for his version of Edward Nygma, sharing an over the top dynamic with Tommy Lee Jones' Two-Face.

On the small screen, The Riddler is a major character in The CW's Gotham. Played by Cory Michael Smith, fans tuned in every week to see him go from GCPD employee to super villain, as well as his complicated relationship with The Penguin. But with Gotham coming to a close this season, the timing also works out to possibly bring a new version of the character to audiences.

James McAvoy will play Professor X once more when Dark Phoenix arrives in theaters on June 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip tot he movies.

Read More