The Most Ridiculous Avengers: Endgame Fan Theory Ever, According To The Russos

The Most Ridiculous Avengers: Endgame Fan Theory Ever, According To The Russos

The absence of almost any plot details for Avengers: Endgame has led fans to run with their imaginations and create countless theories about how the biggest movie of the summer will end. Some are clever, others are outside-of-the-box, and the rest are fun. But there's one fan theory that is so ridiculous that it's become a viral hit. It involves Ant-Man jumping up Thanos' butthole, and the Russo Bros. can confirm its the silliest theory they've ever heard.

If you've been on the internet for the past few weeks looking up Avengers: Endgame news then you have almost certainly seen the "Thanus" Theory. According to the theory, the Avengers have a surefire way to defeat Thanos. If Ant-Man shrinks down and jumps up Thanos' asshole, he can grow to giant-size and explode Thanos from within.

It's an extremely goofy theory that obviously won't happen in the movie, but it's taken on a life of its own. It became a popular meme and anyone with access to Photoshop and some free time has found some creative way to joke about the theory. One fan even went as far as to create an animated video solely about the theory.

It's now gotten to the point where poor Paul Rudd is asked about whether he gets to know Thanos on an up close and personal level during every single interview. Honestly, the joke has worn itself really thin by this point, but it's funny to see how this has all exploded to such levels.

The Russo Bros. seem to agree. The duo hear a lot of fan theories, but Thanus is without question the most ridiculous they have ever heard. Here's what the co-directors had to say about the theory in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Anthony Russo: 'Thanus' is truly the most ridiculous fan theory we've ever heard.

Joe Russo: But it's a highly inventive one. I want to know who came up with it.

Paul Rudd: I've been asked about it a bunch. I am amused a bit at how widespread it seems to have gotten.

The Russo Bros. previously said that no fan theory has ever been 100% correct, so it looks like we've got our confirmation that Ant-Man won't be taking one for the team next week.

Either way, we will know for sure soon enough. Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters in less than one week (!!!) and all of our many, many questions will finally be answered. Be sure to stick with CinemaBlend because we are going to have tons to say about this film. To learn everything that we currently know, here's our handy guide for one of the biggest blockbusters ever made. For everything Marvel-related, here's what films the studio has coming up.

Read More

The Moment In The Hobbs And Shaw Trailer That’s Very Special To Dwayne Johnson

The Moment In The Hobbs And Shaw Trailer That’s Very Special To Dwayne Johnson

Earlier this month at CinemaCon, Universal Pictures threw all of its energy into celebrity performances from the likes of Octavia Spencer, Kevin Hart (holding a rabbit meant to represent his Secret Life of Pets 2 character), Tiffany Haddish, Danny Boyle—I could go on and on. But the particular highlight was a new Hobbs & Shaw trailer, which really amped the energy in the room.

Ahead of that happening though, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham and David Leitch were in attendance to talk about why the Hobbs & Shaw Fast and Furious spinoff movie is going to deliver the goods. The three men talked about how the Fast and Furious spinoff movie combines the cultures that Johnson and Statham are familiar with and grew up in, and there’s a specific moment shown in the trailer that is very near and dear to Dwayne Johnson’s heart.

Here’s what he revealed:

There’s a moment in [the] trailer where the energy changes… and there’s something called the Haka. You guys familiar with the Haka? OK great. Well, we don’t do that in this movie. But what we do is called the ‘Siva Tau.’ The Siva Tau is the Samoan version of the Haka and we still call upon our ancestors. [In this trailer] I leave the Siva Tau and for the very first time in a blockbuster tentpole movie we’re very proud to showcase our two cultures, England and culture Samoa.

There’s been a push to incorporate more from a diverse variety of cultures in movies lately. In fact, the Haka that Dwayne Johnson mentions was put to use at the Aquaman premiere by Jason Momoa and that culture was brought into that movie as well.

Dwayne Johnson is both black and Samoan and he has been open about his family’s history and his pride related to that history. He recently tweeted about how he was able to “transcend race in wrestling” so that he wouldn’t just “get booked that way," but he's ready to share his heritage in a big way in Hobbs & Shaw.

Johnson went on to state at CinemaCon 2019:

It’s the very first time we’ve seen Samoa ever featured and ever showcased in the movie…Yes we have the explosions and the epic-ness of everything you’d expect from a Fast and Furious movie but now you also have this mana, the spirit that we lived in Jason and I, David, all of us.

Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham went on to talk about the hugging – and joke about too close hugging—as well as talk about the camaraderie on the set of Hobbs & Shaw. So even though Deckard Shaw and Luke Hobbs have a bit of a competitive relationship, it’s clear the idea of “family” that’s such a big deal to the Fast and Furious franchise is going to translate into this new offshoot as well.

In terms of the Siva Tau, the Samoan war dance, we’ve already seen a preview of this sort of chanting thanks to an official photo shared by Dwayne Johnson himself.

If that image doesn’t already give you an idea of the vibe of Hobbs & Shaw perhaps a look at the new trailer is what you need.

Now that we’ve seen a the sneak preview at the scene, I’m very hopeful that you’ll get to see the special moment that was a big deal for Dwayne Johnson soon. After all Hobbs & Shaw is officially released on Friday August 2, which is not so very far away. More footage is coming and it will definitely be an explosive day when it does.

To check out what all Universal and the other studios have hitting theaters this year, take a look at our full 2019 movie schedule or take a look at what all is coming in Hobbs & Shaw with CinemaBlend’s full cast list.

Read More

The Marvel Cinematic Universe Just Had Its Star Trek VI Moment

The Marvel Cinematic Universe Just Had Its Star Trek VI Moment

Warning: SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame are in play. If you haven’t seen the film, come back once you’ve seen the film.

There’s been a lot of talk about Avengers: Endgame in the media as of late, what with the first arc of recorded history ending with the Infinity Saga’s close. For a juggernaut as huge as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 22 films across 11 years is quite a bit of time for an audience to be invested in a story’s progression. And when I think about it, there’s only one other event that comes close to matching it.

Back in 1991, the original crew of the Star Trek series made their final appearance as a complete group. It was a moment that saw the end of one era,and the dawn of another, dovetailing each other for one brief moment in time. And as Avengers: Endgame honored its original crew’s departure in a very similar way as Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country did, I realized that the Marvel Cinematic Universe had its very own Star Trek VI moment.

What’s a Star Trek VI moment? Allow me to explain.

What Is The Star Trek VI Moment?

At the end of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, we see the original crew of the USS Enterprise-A prepared to sail off for decommissioning. With Captain Kirk’s orders of “Second star to the left, straight on until morning,” Kirk and his fellow Federation members make their way into the history books, retiring the original crew that started the bold journey to where no one has gone before. Ending literally with the signatures of the original Star Trek cast flying off into space, it was a truly emotional moment.

While the Star Trek franchise would continue in the decades past director Nicholas Meyer’s swan song for the original series cast, it was a moment that would stand as a fixed point in the timeline. Every crew, every captain, every ship would be compared to that original lineup and the adventures that they embarked on. With that gold standard in place, as the signatures of the original cast flew into the stars of Star Trek VI’s finale, series history had an official gold standard of what to do and what not to do in future installments.

The voyages of Starfleet would continue, surely enough; but the first storied era of adventures in the Star Trek universe were officially complete. Which paved the way for the likes of Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Kathryn Janeway and Jonathan Archer to lead with distinction and carve their own legacies into the stars.

How Did Avengers: Endgame Have Its Star Trek VI Moment?

Keeping the definition of a Star Trek VI moment in mind, Avengers: Endgame approached its own version of that very ending with a battle so great, it ensured that the original lineup of Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes would never be able to return to the series. Consequences were set and honored, and the message was clear: this is the end of the MCU as we know it, but not the end of Marvel’s cinematic world by a long shot.

By time Avengers: Endgame said its final goodbyes to the Avengers that either fell in the line of duty or retired, the MCU found itself on the same sort of path that Star Trek before it had. With Phase 4 still officially unannounced and the future unknown, the landmark cinematic franchise is now at a crossroads as to how it should proceed. But as Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country had done in the past, the original six Avengers all saw their autographs commemorated on screen, as if putting their final signature on the characters they helped bring to life.

Just as we saw Captain Kirk soar into series history, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff all saw themselves consigned to the past when all was said and done. Avengers: Endgame served not only as the close of an arc 11 years in the making, it also opened the door for whatever came next to have autonomy to find its own voice.

Will We Ever See The Marvel Cinematic Universe Have Another Star Trek VI Moment

While it’s easy to appreciate a Star Trek VI moment, it’s not something that comes easy. Even in the Trek franchise, it only happened once or twice more, with the departure of the Next Generation and Deep Space Nine casts. It’s a fair assessment that to have a Star Trek VI moment, you really need the people to love you a ridiculous amount.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe does have a legion of loyal fans who’ll follow it to the moon and back, and that’s not too much of an exaggeration. But, again, with the future being an unspecified blank outside of Spider-Man: Far From Home, we can’t really tell if there will be a sendoff so huge that it’ll eclipse or even match this point.

That’s not to say that it can’t happen though. Much like Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country gave original series fans their goodbye, it also left them open to really invest in Star Trek: The Next Generation. And on top of that, the next phase of fandom came in, which would eventually mark the TNG cast’s departure as a cultural touchstone of their own. So while it’s unclear when or where it’ll happen, there are probably at least a couple more Star Trek VI moments waiting in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It really just depends on the fans.

The fandom isn’t in the same place it was when the Marvel Cinematic Universe started, so some may change with the times and keep up with the MCU past Avengers: Endgame. Others may call it quits and leave the past where it lies, as they aren’t convinced the future is something they want to see.

But no matter what either of those two factions think, everyone has this one moment in time where the two halves overlapped. Past and present are one, and all got the spectacular battle that Avengers: Endgame used to close off this first arc of history. And that’s still a win on both sides of that particular fence.

Like my Trekker father did back in the day, I’ve now seen a great age of fandom come and gone. And just like he moved into The Next Generation without a hitch, I look forward to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while acknowledging all the bright and bountiful moments that came before.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now, waiting for history to ultimately judge its efforts. But if you’re more interested in the future of moviegoing, look at 2019’s release schedule for some more immediate fun. And be sure to keep your eyes open for any Marvel Cinematic Universe scheduling that comes to pass, with our Upcoming Marvel Movies guide.

Read More

The Marvel Cameos We Never Expected to See in Avengers: Endgame

The Marvel Cameos We Never Expected to See in Avengers: Endgame

Warning: Spoilers for Marvel's latest are in play. If you haven’t seen the film yet, use the Time Stone to rewind and see the film before reading this piece. And if you have seen the film, please make sure not to spoil the Endgame for those who haven’t made it out yet.

Amidst all of the madness, time travel, and heroic sacrifice that makes Avengers: Endgame this year's blockbuster to beat, there are a lot of surprising faces that made their way back into frame in the MCU. Much like Red Skull’s return to the fold in Avengers: Infinity War, there are some head-turning cameos that we, quite frankly, never saw coming.

Which is why we’re providing this list of the cameos from Avengers: Endgame so insanely out of left field, they made us smile after pulling a double take. There’s even one that’s so surprising, we had to see the film again to make sure we’d seen what we thought we saw. How surprised were you when you saw the following faces make their appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest megahit?

Korg And Miek

It’s not that Thor: Ragnarok’s twin comic reliefs were unwelcomed in Avengers: Endgame, as both Korg and Miek were welcome additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But at the same time, we really didn’t expect to see them on Earth, or even in a film for that matter, as their fate weren’t exactly clear after the Asgardian wreck we saw at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War.

But thankfully, when Thor was revealed to be in New Asgard, acting like Norse Mythology’s answer to The Dude, Korg and Miek (and Valkyrie) were there to help lighten the mood. Though Korg may have been going a little too far calling Thor in to shout down Fortnite user N00bKiller69. That’s what the dabbing emoji is for, Korg.

Alexander Pierce

When you have a villain like Alexander Pierce make such a big impact in the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you kind of never expect them to rear their heads again; despite the fact that we really wanted him to. But the fact that said Captain America: The Winter Soldier baddie was played by esteemed actor Robert Redford had us severely convinced that he’d never pop up in future films. And yet, here we are.

During the big time heist at the center of Avengers: Endgame, we’re treated to one mass cluster of cameos as the Battle of New York winds down, and one of them happens to be Pierce who was on hand to recover the Tesseract and Loki’s scepter when it all went down. Add some comedic confusion, and a little bit of bureaucratic dancing, and you’ve got a pretty hilarious return to the screen. Of course, he wasn’t the only dirty S.H.I.E.L.D. operative on hand that day.

Brock Rumlow and the S.H.I.E.L.D. Strike Team

Going back to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the infamous elevator fight scene is one of the most iconic moments that ever took place in the action-packed world of the MCU. Captain America taking on an enclosed room full of opponents, including Brock Rumlow (aka Crossbones) was pretty damned impressive, and made a mark in such an early phase of the universe’s development.

Which means that when that exact same strike team gets walked in on by Cap during the retrieval of the Tesseract and the scepter in Avengers: Endgame, a lot of people thought a rematch would be in order. And yet, being the good time traveler that he was, Steve Rogers conned that entire group to make the hand off with two words: “Hail Hydra.”

Agent Jasper Sitwell

Naturally, you can’t have a HYDRA reunion from Captain America: The Winter Soldier without including some more of the bureaucratic faces that weren’t named Alexander Pierce in the proceedings. The Battle of New York was a large enough happening that a lot of S.H.I.E.L.D. movers and shakers were present, so obviously seeing someone like Agent Jasper Sitwell popping in to help wasn’t a total surprise.

But at the same time, much like that surprise panning shot of Brock Rumlow getting off the elevator, we didn’t see Jasper’s return to the fold coming. All told, the huge reunion of traitors to S.H.I.E.L.D. made our timeline’s Steve Rogers’ job a lot harder, and made our enjoyment of his actual triumph all the more hysterical. Seriously, getting him to pretend to be HYDRA in front of those guys checked a lot of boxes.

Frigga

One of the most bittersweet cameos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was that of Thor’s dearly departed mother, Frigga. Played by Rene Russo in both Thor and Thor: The Dark World, the kindly queen of Asgard was sadly taken during an enemy assault on Asgard in the latter film’s crucial moments. But since those moments were on the list of events to burgle through time, they were slightly altered.

That alteration included a moment where a much bigger Thor spoke with his mother, who clearly saw that not all was well with her son. But on top of that, Frigga knew that the future would hold her death, and warned her son to let it happen as intended. It added an emotional beat for Thor’s story, and gave us a little more time with a character that definitely deserved the screen time.

Jane Foster

Yes, this one seemed pretty much like it happened merely through the magic of digital footage, but we actually saw Jane Foster appear in Avengers: Endgame through the time heist’s segment taking place during the events of Thor: The Dark World. It was still quite a bit of surprise seeing Natalie Portman’s face show up in a Marvel movie again.

While Jane really didn’t do anything or get many lines, we still saw her carrying the essence of the Aether in her, which counted for the Reality Stone in need of heisting. Something Rocket Raccoon did off screen, with an extractor. Seeing as Portman and Marvel aren’t as at odds as they used to be, what with her presence at the Hollywood premiere for Avengers: Endgame, this kind of feels like a proper burying of the hatchet. Not to mention, it’s a key to closing off Thor’s story in the event he doesn’t return to theater screens.

Howard Stark

While Hank Pym’s cameo in Avengers: Endgame wasn’t exactly under the circumstances people predicted it would be, Pym still showed up. And with his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe fold, it was decided that another very important figure in the world of MCU science show up for some closure: huge industrialist and father of Tony, Howard Stark. During a time travel mission to 1970, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers try to steal the Tessaract out of that point in space time, leaving them both very important pieces in the same objective.

While Tony steals the actual Infinity Stone itself, he runs into his own father, expecting his infant self to be born any day now. After a talk about having kids, and the excitement and terror that follows, Howard says goodbye to the man he thinks is named “Howard Potts,” and starts to ask some serious questions about why that man looks familiar.

Edwin Jarvis

History was made with a very important cameo that was not only a surprise, it was the first time a character specifically created for Marvel’s TV shows came into the cinematic world. Edwin Jarvis, Howard Stark and Peggy Carter’s loyal friend and often co-conspirator, was seen for the first time since Agent Carter went off the air, and he was seen with Howard Stark.

In the record-breaking hit of this past weekend, Jarvis pops up as Howard is about to climb into his car to leave Camp Lehigh, wondering where he’s seen the man he’s been chatting with for several minutes of Avengers: Endgame’s runtime. Jarvis hasn’t a clue, but we already know that Howard was really talking to his own son. So it’s nice to see Edwin, possibly for the last time, doing what he does best: being as helpful as possible.

Howard The Duck

Now here’s a cameo audiences had to look really closely for, as somehow, Howard The Duck joined the battle for good in Avengers: Endgame in a small, but still pretty awesome manner. Basically, while he hasn’t shown up since Guardians of the Galaxy’s end credits stinger, Howard was seen in Endgame’s climactic battle in the third act.

There are specific directions as to where you could find him in the film, but it’s pretty much a given. This basically confirms that everyone we ever wanted to see from the MCU appears in Endgame. The Bingo card is full. Except Darcy. Poor Darcy.

Harley Keener

Quite possibly the deepest cut when it comes to Marvel Cinematic Universe cameos, Tony Stark’s funeral saw a nearly unrecognizable young man standing among the ranks of the mourning. While thoughts may have turned to questioning if some new character was joining the MCU in a sneaky cameo, it was actually a heartbreaking callback.

Harley Keener, the young man Tony befriended and gifted an entire lab to in Iron Man 3, was standing at the lakeside ceremony that saw the dearly departed Avenger honored with a weep worthy sendoff. Whether it be a hint that maybe someone else could take up the mantle of Iron Man in the future, or just someone who Tony happened to touch paying his respects, it snuck up on audiences and is just now nailing in that last bit of heartbreak into the total package.

While Marvel cameos have been a pretty recurring thread through the MCU, these particular appearances made Endgame stand out even more above the films that had preceded it. We may never even see this big of a happening in the history of Marvel Studios again, so it’s even more of a feat to behold while we can.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now, making one hell of a racket towards possibly becoming the biggest movie in history. We’ll see if it can go the distance, but we’d like to think that it can be done.

Read More

The Lion King’s Mufasa Is Barely Being Changed For The Remake

The Lion King’s Mufasa Is Barely Being Changed For The Remake

Disney is moving through the “circle of life” with its remake slate this year and using new talent to tell their familiar stories. However, for The Lion King, director Jon Favreau enlisted the original Mufasa, James Earl Jones, to voice Simba’s father among a fresh cast including Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé as Nala and Seth Rogen as Pumbaa.

While Jon Favreau recently promised that the remake won’t be a shot-for-shot of the original and will surprise audiences, when it came to Jones reprising his iconic voice role, fans should expect the Mufasa they know. In Favreau's words:

So many of his lines have not actually changed that much, because that’s the one role where it really didn’t feel dated at all. All of the speeches Mufasa makes during the film are timeless and apply to each age, whereas with the humor, the music, some of those other aspects, there were opportunities to update. But with him, that role stayed as close to the original as any.

Why would they? James Earl Jones’ Mufasa is perfection. It's a voice seared into many of our brains since childhood and holds up really well! There’s not much room for growth or change in a performance such as this. Just take a look and listen at this scene from the 1994 original and tell me what’s missing:

Chills! Jon Favreau made a good call casting James Earl Jones again for the role, but the director did admit in his Entertainment Weekly interview that he was surprised he agreed to take it on again 25 years later. Mufasa has the legacy of being one of the most recognizable and treasured cartoon character voices of all time and certainly brings in nostalgia from the ‘90s. The director felt this during their recording sessions too. Here’s what he said:

He would do a take and then he would ask me for direction and I honestly couldn’t give an answer! I was like, ‘You’re Mufasa.’ Far be it from me… Everything he said sounded perfect because it was him saying it.

How does one give notes to Mufasa? While fans can expect a lot of the same performance for Mufasa, perhaps there are a few extra lines here and there the “live-action” version builds upon before the character receives his fate from Scar.

On the other paw, it may feel off-putting to hear James Earl Jones’ Mufasa and not hear Jeremy Irons’ Scar, as this new version of the character will be voiced by Chiwetel Ejiofor. Some have already voiced their distaste with the new take on the movie’s villain after the first full trailer dropped a couple weeks ago.

It looks like the new Lion King will tread the line between doing justice to the beats we all hold dear from the original and offering something fresh and new to the story that will hopefully make the movie’s existence feel earned. Jon Favreau is a huge fan of the classic animated feature who still feels like it holds up well, but wants to deliver on expectation on this version and astonish audiences when it comes to theaters on July 19.

Read More

The Lion King Official Trailer Adds Some Humor To Simba’s Stunning Savanna

The Lion King Official Trailer Adds Some Humor To Simba’s Stunning Savanna

The Lion King is one of the most popular animated movies Disney has made to date. It's almost a foregone conclusion it will be one of the studio's most popular remakes. A brand new trailer for the CGI spectacle is now here, and while it contains a lot of epic moments you'll remember from the original, it also provides us with some laughs, in the form of fan-favorite sidekicks Timon and Pumbaa. Check it out.

The trailer gives us a couple of new voices compared to the last one. Previously, the only voice we heard was James Earl Jones' which, considering he was in the original film, was something of a cheat. Now we hear Chiwetel Ejiofor for the first time as Scar. It's certainly a very different voice than that of Jeremy Irons, but no less menacing. We also get to see, but not hear, other characters like the hyenas, Nala, Zazu, and, of course, Simba himself.

Then, at the end, we hear Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen for the first time, as the voices of Timon and Pumbaa. The pair are performing a chorus of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," which I guess means this is our first chance hearing any of the music in The Lion King, even though this probably wasn't the song people were waiting for.

Timon and Pumbaa sang the same song in the original Lion King as well, and seeing what we've seen before is pretty much what this trailer is all about. While some of the dialogue that we hear in the trailer isn't identical to lines from the original, many of the images are. We see Scar telling Simba to run away, and the hyenas chasing him as he does. We see Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa, walking along together in single file profile, one of the most iconic images from the animated classic.

While people certainly have fond memories of the original version, and are going to want to see their favorite parts in the remake, I certainly would like to see a little something different in the remake that will set it apart from the original, not simply have it be a complete retelling of the story as we already know. There's still plenty of space for such things to fit in between the scenes we love, and the classic moments are going to be what draws in a lot of the audience, but it would be nice to see something a little new in the trailer.

Either way, The Lion King is almost destined to be a hit. It will be the third Disney remake of 2019 following the recently released Dumbo and the upcoming Aladdin, but with a movie as popular as this one remake fatigue seems highly unlikely.

The new Lion King arrives in July.

Read More

The Lion King Fans Aren't Sold On The New Scar After First Look

The Lion King Fans Aren't Sold On The New Scar After First Look

This morning brought Disney fans something they’ve been waiting for: the first full trailer for the upcoming Lion King. While a first look at the movie, featuring a shot-for-shot reenactment of the iconic “Circle of Life” opening scene and James Earl Jones return to the role of Mufasa, came out late last year, it left many wanting to see and hear more from the new additions to the Disney classic. The latest footage introduced fans to a couple notes of Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen's Timon and Pumbaa, a few frames of Nala, and most importantly, Chiwetel Ejiofor taking command of the movie’s notorious villain, Scar.

However, many fans may have struggled to recognize The Lion King baddie due to his new look. Once it’s made clear who Scar is when he stands in front of his hyena minions and tells young Simba to never return to Pride Rock, some found themselves disappointed in this realistic take on Scar, Naturally took to Twitter to share their thoughts. Take a look:

When you look at the animated and “live-action” Scars side by side, you can definitely tell there were some creative liberties taken with the latter that separates him from the green-eyed, sassy villain. The new Scar looks looks like a realistic lion who would be the brother of Mufasa, as he has the same light-colored mane. Though he nonetheless retains a gritty look, shown through the cut in his left ear and the iconic, though less prominent scar down his eye.

One criticism many fans voiced is that Scar just simply doesn’t look like his animated character. While some noted that the villain’s look in the original film wouldn’t be found in the wild, this Twitter user proved otherwise. Check it:

There you have it! Disney could have easily made a little more effort to meet fans in the middle and give Scar a black mane as they remember him to have, even if the green and yellow eyes were off the table. That’s not all the qualms they have with his look though. @_Zeets felt like the studio straight up has done the character wrong. In his words:

As he hilariously comments, Scar wasn’t characterized through his look as a more menacing as this scrawny version of him portrays him as. The lion had a commanding presence that brought about fear in the eyes of much of our childhoods. I feel like Simba could totally take this Scar.

There is another matter at hand here with the differences between the animated and realistic Scars that is very much due to the medium being used to recreate the iconic baddie. Here’s what @alip1118 contributed to the discussion:

There’s just something magical about that hand-drawn animation that will always be close to the hearts of Disney fans, and the CGI technology the new Lion King movie is using may take some of that away with their realistic representations. Besides that, the voice work of Jeremy Iron from the '90s is close to a lot of hearts as well, per this comment:

There’s still a lot to be seen from The Lion King then has already been seen in this first look. Perhaps the movie is trying to set the character apart from the original to deter comparisons to the original, and he may have a different character arc then the one we know already. So far, this Lion King looks like it’s borrowing a lot from the animated version visually and with much of the dialogue we’ve seen but the remake may be more than a nostalgia fest.

The Lion King comes to theaters 100 days from now on July 19 (as director Jon Favreau noted today). The epic is sure to make tons of money for the studio, which has become known for reimagining its beloved animated classics into blockbusters.

Read More

The Lion King Director Jon Favreau Promises It'll Surprise Audiences

The Lion King Director Jon Favreau Promises It'll Surprise Audiences

The Lion King has a tough job balancing expectations ahead of its July release. On one hand, some fans like the heavy nostalgia factor. They like the recognizable scenes. They don't want many changes. On the other hand, why bother remaking The Lion King if it's going to look so similar to the beloved 1994 movie?

So now it's director Jon Favreau's job to convince everybody that The Lion King movie he's making is exactly the one they'll want:

The original holds up incredibly well, so the challenge here was to tell a story in a different way but still deliver on people's expectations while surprising them somehow.

Jon Favreau told USA Today the humor has been updated from the original animated movie, but the iconic moments are still there. He reiterated that it won't be a shot-for-shot remake.

That was a concern of some fans after the first "Circle of Life" teaser came out. Shortly after that, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures production chief Sean Bailey explained how the computer-animated Lion King wouldn't just repeat the past:

The Lion King is a revered and beloved movie, so you'd better revere and love those parts that the audience wants. But there are things in the movie that are going to be new. [And] it is a new form of filmmaking. Historical definitions don't work. It uses some techniques that would traditionally be called animation, and other techniques that would traditionally be called live action. It is an evolution of the technology Jon [Favreau] used in Jungle Book.

Jon Favreau has earned some credit on this front, not just for directing The Jungle Book in 2016, but also from his previous successes with Elf and Iron Man. So if Happy Hogan says surprises are ahead, hopefully they will be pleasant ones.

Unfortunately, change-averse fans have already shown their claws. There was instant criticism about the depiction of Scar in the most recent trailer.

So it's really going to be a challenge to please everyone. That's always the case, but these many upcoming Disney remakes are really putting themselves in a delicate position. Then again, it worked for The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and Maleficent.

Sometimes copying the past works, sometimes going in a very different direction works. And sometimes it just doesn't quite click with audiences, like the new Dumbo. The upcoming Aladdin movie is in a similar boat. Will Smith's Genie has been the focus of early criticism, but maybe most fans will end up loving the result. After all, the internet does not offer a full representation of the fandom, young or old. It's the box office that will be the true judge.

In one very good sign for The Lion King, the first teaser it dropped back in November broke Disney's record for trailer views. There's a lot of interest out there, and that does come with high expectations and early criticism. It would be worse if people didn't have anything to say at all.

The Lion King features the voice talents of Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, James Earl Jones back as Mufasa, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, Alfre Woodard as Sarabi, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar. The movie opens in theaters July 19, as one of the many films -- both Disney and non-Disney -- headed to theaters in 2019.

Read More

The Latest Hobbs And Shaw Footage Totally Kicked Our Asses

The Latest Hobbs And Shaw Footage Totally Kicked Our Asses

Back in February we got our first look at a film that seems like it could be one of the most fun blockbuster releases to come out in 2019. Spinning off from the Fast & Furious franchise with two of the most charismatic stars in the ensemble, David Leitch’s Hobbs & Shaw looks like an over-the-top, insane, and ridiculous ride, packed with some brilliant action that should seriously thrill audiences worldwide this summer.

It seems, however, that what we’ve seen so far is only the tip of the iceberg. Today at CinemaCon in Las Vegas during the Universal Studios presentation, we got to see the latest trailer for Hobbs & Shaw, and it succeeded in not just blowing our minds, but also presenting some crazy set pieces that sent legitimate chills down the spine.

Wasting no time diving straight into the ass kicking, the Hobbs & Shaw footage began with the two titular characters in the middle of a mission and standing in front of a pair of twin doors. After some quick debate over which door belongs to who, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) makes the call to open the one on the right – and it turns out to be not such a great choice, as he suddenly discovers a team of henchmen waiting for him on the other side. As Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) mocks the choice that was made, Shaw immediately jumps into action and starts taking down his enemies with his impressive skills.

Meanwhile, Hobbs opens his door, and though there is only one dude standing behind it, he is so big that he actually makes the former Diplomatic Security Service agent look tiny, and he wields a giant wrench. Still, the hero is able to make quick work of his enemy, felling him with a single hit. As it happens, the two opposite hallways in which the eponymous characters find themselves are separated by a glass window, and so Hobbs is able to watch his partner fight as he himself casually strolls to the exit on the other side. Eventually they both reach the end, and Hobbs picks up his single foe and pushes his face against a scanner, opening a door. Staring back daggers, Shaw tries to replicate the action with one of his unconscious “companions,” but it doesn’t quite work – leading the British fighting machine to smash the guys face into the scanner multiple times with sincere frustration.

From there the trailer offered a bit more of the plot, explaining that bulletproof villain Brixton (Idris Elba) has put a target on the back of Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby), Deckard’s sister, who has stolen a virus from him that could kill half of the human population. As Shaw and Hobbs debate family business versus world saving business, we briefly see a shot of Magdalene Shaw (Helen Mirren), Deckard’s mom, during a behind glass prison visitation telling Deckard to look out for his sister.

It’s agreed between the two heroes that the only way to succeed is to work together, but a full partnership doesn’t really seem to be totally possible. After all, we then see them in a jet preparing to use their ejector seats, and as Shaw counts down Hobbs pulls his frenemy’s cord and fires him out of the cockpit – laughing as he does it.

As the action continues, Brixton expresses a high opinion of himself, calling himself Black Superman, which the lead duo gets to experience first-hand when the villain jumps on to the back of a flatbed truck with them and proceeds to kick both of their asses – leading Hobbs to later agree, “Damn, he really is Black Superman.”

Understanding that they are in serious trouble, a plan is made by Hobbs and the two Shaw siblings to get off the grid, which then takes them to the island of American Samoa, where Hobbs is reunited with his family, specifically his mother and brothers. They’re all willing to work together so that they can save the world, but they are at a bit of a disadvantage. While they have plenty of cars to get the job done, it turns out that the Hobbs household has gotten rid of all their guns.

Still, that doesn’t stop them from engaging in full on war, leading to an epic ground battle that is previewed in bits and pieces. The big showstopper is delivered at the end, however, when Hobbs, Shaw, and Hobbs’ brothers are driving cars and doing battle with a military helicopter. While driving, the giant Samoan is able to throw a giant hook on to the chopper, and at the same time more hooks and chains are connected between the family’s vehicles to combine their strength. The end result is pure cliffside madness, as the helicopter tries to fly away, pulling the cars, while the cars at the same time try to pull the helicopter down – with Luke holding on to a chain and pulling with all of his might.

Nothing previewed thus far at CinemaCon has been able to match the epic-ness that was on display in the Hobbs & Shaw footage, and while I was already way beyond simple anticipation for the blockbuster, that excitement has only gone way, way up. Everything we’ve seen from this movie thus far has suggested it could be the biggest and most bodacious story in the entire Fast & Furious canon, and it truly can’t get here soon enough.

At this time we don’t know if this specific footage will eventually be making its way online, or when the next official trailer for Hobbs & Shaw will hit, but take our word that you are going to want to pay attention. The movie is still a few months away, set for release on August 2nd, but you can be sure that we’ll be writing a lot more about it between now and then. Be on the lookout for more of our stories, as well as plenty more coverage out of CinemaCon 2019.

Read More

The Last Jedi’s Rian Johnson Really Loves First The Rise of Skywalker Trailer

The Last Jedi’s Rian Johnson Really Loves First The Rise of Skywalker Trailer

Unofficially, there seems to be a war between those who support Star Wars: The Last Jedi and those who are embracing Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. With J.J. Abrams returning to the fold as co-writer and director of this new film, it felt to some like a bit of a rejection of the bold new direction that Rian Johnson had brought his Star Wars film towards. Those feelings are invalid now, as Johnson himself saw the trailer for the ninth episode of the Skywalker Saga, and shared the following rave review:

It’s hard to argue with a statement like that, as Rian Johnson is as much of a Star Wars fan as J.J. Abrams is. While some may have thought that Abrams’ return would look radically different from Johnson’s middle installment of this third act trilogy, the trailer to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker looks like it fits nicely into the trajectory that the previous film already set up.

What’s also nice to know is the admiration between these two directors is mutual, as earlier today J.J. Abrams handed out a very special thank you to Rian Johnson, in particular for hiring actor Kelly Marie Tran. This comes after Johnson commented on how he’s actually interested to see what J.J. Abrams does with the Star Wars universe in his latest film, even if it happens to retcon pieces of The Last Jedi in order to close this portion of the series.

Though it’s not like Rian Johnson isn’t heading back to that galaxy far, far away himself. Much as Abrams came back for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Johnson will be making more magic in the franchise himself. As previously reported, Rian Johnson is still on track for the trilogy of Star Wars films that take place outside of the Skywalker Saga’s episodic structure. When exactly that’ll take place is in question, particularly in the light of the hiatus recently announced by Disney CEO Bob Iger. But at least for now, as exhibited in his Twitter feed’s latest output, Johnson is still very much on board for whatever comes next.

Star Wars fans, as any fandom at its best behavior, lift each other up in the name of their appreciation of the series. Now that both J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson have provided a bridge between their theoretical halves of the property, it’s up to the fans of both directors to meet in the middle, as they await this next and last chapter of the classic story arc to come to a close.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker heads to theaters on December 20. However, if you’re looking for some movie excitement to tide you over until then, head to our 2019 release schedule to get a jump on this year’s biggest debuts.

Read More

The Key Ways Greta’s Script Changed To Make Isabelle Huppert A Perfect Fit

The Key Ways Greta’s Script Changed To Make Isabelle Huppert A Perfect Fit

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the film Greta**. If you have not yet seen the film, read on at your own risk!**

Over the course of Neil Jordan’s Greta, Isabelle Huppert’s titular character evolves quite a bit. When we first meet her, through the eyes of Chloe Moretz’s Francis she appears to be a lonely old woman with a lot of love to give and nobody to give it to, but developments in the plot reveal that to only be a fraction of the real story. It makes for a fun performance from a veteran star, and it should surprise few to learn that it was tailor made for Huppert – as I recently learned from the film’s writer director:

When Isabelle [Huppert] read it, and Chloe [Moretz] read it, they liked it, and we began to have a serious prospect of making it as a movie. I got out my pen and I rewrote the part for Isabelle. In the initial script she was an older Hungarian woman. And I said to Miss Huppert that we would develop all sorts of dimensions to this character.

Earlier this month I sat down with Neil Jordan during the domestic press day for Greta in Los Angeles, and one of the earliest subjects discussed during the interview was the film’s evolution. Jordan told me that he had a lot of appreciation for Ray Wright’s script when he first read it, particularly the story about a female stalker and its approach to what he called “familiar” material, but when Isabelle Huppert started to express interest he started to produce new drafts of the movie that had her very much in mind for the antagonist.

One of the key ways that Greta changed is that she became a Hungarian woman who pretends that she is French – playing specifically to Isabelle Huppert’s natural accent – but that was only the start. Based on Neil Jordan’s description, the character was originally going to be considerably older, and appear to be a lot more helpless. Having Huppert interested brought Greta’s age down, but Jordan’s version also gave her a bit more flair and charisma. He explained,

We gave her a French persona that she presents to the world. We gave her sophistication, we gave her a piano. We'd give her all sorts of stories about our life, which turn out not to be true - made her considerably younger, and gave her an elegance.

From the outside Greta appears to be an innocent woman in need of good company, but as we witness as the story unfolds that’s not really the case. Francis first meets her when she discovers Greta’s “lost” bag on the subway, and the two quickly begin a mother-daughter-esque relationship as Francis tries to help her (and it doesn’t hurt that Francis just recently lost her mom and has only just moved to New York City). Before too long, however, she realizes that the bag was planted to try and lure her in, and Greta’s obsessive personality starts to become excessively disturbing.

The key to everything in Greta is the relationship between Francis and Greta, and Neil Jordan stressed how changing the latter in new drafts of the script significantly altered their dynamic. While Ray Wright’s script had Francis primarily motivated by sympathy and a level of benevolence, the alterations that Jordan made had it so that Francis was almost entranced by the woman, and wanted to spend more time with her:

In the first script, Francis' relationship to Greta was one of the pity really. She pitied this apparently helpless woman. But in this iteration of it, Francis was kind of seduced by Greta. She's seduced by her piano playing, by her elegance, by her offer of friendship.

It’s pretty easy to imagine anyone falling into that same trap, but after watching the nightmarish results that play out in Greta, audiences may be a bit more wary.

Greta, which stars Maika Monroe, Colm Feore, and Stephen Rea in addition to Isabelle Huppert and Chloe Moretz, is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Read More

The John Wick Match-Up We Need To See In Chapter 4

The John Wick Match-Up We Need To See In Chapter 4

Warning! The following contains SPOILERS for John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. Read at your own risk!

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum featured John Wick going up against some of The High Table's finest assassins, although none were good enough to take down the film's hero and eliminate him when he was excommunicado. That may be because one of the key assassins who might have been most capable wasn't one seeking to kill the famed assassin, but was on his side for a majority of the movie.

Now that they're seemingly on opposite sides and John Wick: Chapter 4 is officially a go for 2021, it may finally be time for John to take on a character who may actually stand a chance at bringing him to his knees. Even if he was unsuccessful, it would be a good fight, which is why John Wick vs. Charon, The Continental's hotel concierge, is the match-up we need to see for a number of reasons.

Why Charon Is The Underrated Assassin Of John Wick

For the first two movies of the franchise, Charon has been both seen and heard, but we don't know a whole lot about him. What we do know is he's the bodyguard of New York's Continental manager, Winston, and the overall gatekeeper of sorts to The Continental. He's calm and collected regardless of the situation, and he doesn't seem to fear much of anything.

It wasn't until John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum that we really saw Charon in action, as he helped John defend The Continental from the High Table forces that invaded the hotel. He did so as competently as John, and while he didn't have the same fatigue as his colleague, seemed to be of equal standing in terms of marksmanship.

If Charon is a capable assassin, why is he not out taking missions on behalf of the High Table? It depends on how one looks at it, but one would think being the gatekeeper to New York City's Continental is a huge honor perhaps bestowed to him for exceptional service, or maybe because he's more than capable of keeping a building of assassins in check. Whether that's true I can only speculate, but I'd wager Charon is a talented assassin.

Would Charon Fight John Wick?

Charon looked as though he could at least put up a decent fight againt John Wick if it came down to it, but would he really go toe-to-toe with him? After all, Charon has been shown to have a deep respect for John, and has gone above and beyond for him in the past without being asked. There's certainly some admiration on his end, and John seems to have that same respect for Charon.

As audiences learned in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, however, admiration does not always keep assassins from pursuing each other. In fact, Zero (the Adjudicator's skilled assassin) seemed to be a huge fanboy of John Wick, which made him all the more eager to fight and attempt to kill him. Clearly assassins' minds work a bit differently than others.

Plus, for all the admiration that Charon has for John, he's Winston's employee. Protecting his boss appears to be his priority above all else, and if John is coming for Winston, then it looks like Charon is going to be standing in the way. Even if he's sure it will end in his death, Charon doesn't seem like the type to break his loyalty to his employer.

Could Charon Defeat John Wick In A Fight?

This is a tough question to answer, as it's hard to ever discount John Wick in a fight after these past three movies. He is the title character after all, and has escaped certain death plenty of times. Does Charon really stand a chance against one of the most notable assassins in the High Table's history?

Charon has one big advantage after the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. To start, he's aligned with Winston, who got back into the High Table's good graces at the end of the movie. With John still possibly being hunted, it's safe to say that if he is coming for Winston, and he'll run into quite a few High Table cronies on the road. That means he could be somewhat fatigued by the time the two meet, which gives Charon an advantage.

Additionally, one would reckon that neither Winston or Charon have any reason to leave The Continental now that Winston's name has been cleared. John is likely familiar with the facility, but it's doubtful he knows the grounds as well as Charon. Knowledge of a location is a huge tactical advantage in most battle situations, so John could be in a very precarious position if he's forced to take on Charon inside the hotel.

Will Charon And John Wick Fight In Chapter 4?

The ending of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is somewhat strange, as Winston's betrayal seemed to come out of nowhere. Was it really an on the spot decision for Winston to turn the tables on John, or was it an elaborate scheme the two concocted that will further an agenda to usurp the High Table?

If there was some plan like that in play, it doesn't seem as though John was in on it. He arrived before the Bowery King broken and, in his words, pissed off. Getting shot off of a building is liable to piss anyone off, but is John mad about that, or that Winston tried to kill him when John defied the High Table's order to kill The Continental manager? He can be mad at both things, right?

It's possible Winston thought on his toes and ensured John was initially believed to be dead knowing he wasn't in an effort to protect him. Unfortunately, he probably won't have a way of convincing John of that anytime soon, which means Charon may be forced to defend Winston even though he understands the move was made to protect John. Oof, wouldn't that be a tragic end to one of the franchise's more interesting characters?

John Wick Kill Count: All The Kills In All 3 Movies

We'll get to see if Charon and John go toe to toe In John Wick: Chapter 4 when the film is in theaters Friday, May 21, 2021. Stick with CinemaBlend until then for more updates on its development, as well as the latest news in movies, television and pop culture.

Read More

The John Wick Franchise Methodically Plans Out Its Use Of Blood

The John Wick Franchise Methodically Plans Out Its Use Of Blood

If things had played out differently with director David Leitch and Chad Stahelski’s John Wick franchise, we might have seen a franchise that splattered a whole lot more blood onto the screen. But as their intentions were to have a more realistic, but still brutal series of kills in their film, the directors instructed their visual effects team to bring things down a notch.

So while you do see blood in the John Wick series, it’s very methodically placed in its usage. Part of that is due to the reality of the wounds the series inflicts on its various baddies, as you’ll see in the following remarks from Kirk Brillon, the VFX supervisor from John Wick: Chapter 2:

A lot of times when you’re doing special effects for action movies, when someone gets shot, the blood explodes out toward you, toward the camera. But when you’re actually shot by a bullet, the blood’s coming out the back.

Apparently, the call for more realistic gore in the John Wick universe came from the fact that David Leitch and Chad Stahelski, both trained stuntmen who worked on The Matrix with Keanu Reeves, are versed in how things like gunshot wounds, snapped limbs and other sorts of grotesqueries look in the practical world. So rather than ramp things up Tarantino style, the call was made early on to keep it real, straight on through to John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.

Comparatively, that decision was, and still is, a wise play to keep in the John Wick series of films. The action pretty much speaks for itself, with the blood being an accent of realism showing that those bone crunching stunts hurt the characters as much as you thought they would.

Ultimately, the policy on blood in the John Wick universe can be summed up in the following words spoken by Kirk Brillon, also spoken during this very interview he gave to Variety:

The blood’s gonna be there, but it’s gonna be subtle, and it’s gonna be behind them.

While there’s not an excess of blood shed during the course of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, there’s certainly a lot of cash and goodwill being thrown around by its audience. Weighing in with $109 million in its first week at the box office, this third film opens the door wide open for a fourth chapter, both in terms of where the plot winds up in the ending, and with Lionsgate excited to get to work on that very film’s scheduling.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is currently in theaters, making peace and preparing for war. But if you’ve already caught that film, or if you want to check something else out at the movies, take a look at our 2019 release schedule for futrher information.

Read More

The Insane Number Of Costume Changes Taron Egerton Has In Rocketman

The Insane Number Of Costume Changes Taron Egerton Has In Rocketman

Elton John changes costumes more than most people change their bed sheets. The charismatic, stage-dominating pianist has established himself as a fashion role model over the course of his hall-of-fame career, entertaining audiences with his visual presentation as much as he did with his musical prowess.

For that reason, it goes without saying that Rocketman costume designer Julian Day (Rush, Bohemian Rhapsody) had his work cut out for himself when trying to dress Taron Egerton as Elton John. Needless to say, Day didn’t disappoint. While I’d need a second viewing to confirm, I was fairly confident that Sir Elton never wore the same outfit more than once in the movie, and had a different costume in every major scene.

At the Rocketman junket in London, we asked Egerton how many costume changes he thinks he has in the film, and he guessed:

It’s north of 50, I think. Yeah, it’s a lot. … There’s little things that might crop up repeatedly, but not a great deal. I think I retained my Troubadour boots for the scene afterwards at Mama Cass’s [house]. I think I just -- Julian and I figured, they’re fabulous boots!

They’re so fabulous, he even uses them to PLAY the piano when entertaining audiences at the famed Troubadour club in Los Angeles:

So, Taron Egerton guessed “north of 50,” and you’d assume he would know, seeing as how he had to wear all of those outfits to play Sir Elton John in this fantasy musical biopic. The movie begins with John heading to rehab, wearing the bold orange jumpsuit and devil horns. Where do you go from there?

But we also put the question to Rocketman director Dexter Fletcher, who also estimated:

I don’t know the answer to that. I reckon it’s got to be upwards of 40. I would imagine. I wonder. I’ll have to ask Julian. Julian Day, the costume designer, will absolutely know that number. … [Taron] came in every day and he had to wear something different. Look, he was in 60 days, minimum. So I would say 50 was probably a good guess.

You know what matters? That there are five slots in the Costume Design category at the Academy Awards, and one of them better go to Julian Day. Here’s Taron Egerton and Dexter Fletcher waxing poetic on the beautiful costumes in their new movie:

Rocketman is in theaters as we speak.

Read More

The Incredible Way Pet Sematary Uses Sound To Amplify Its Scares

The Incredible Way Pet Sematary Uses Sound To Amplify Its Scares

The scares in a horror movie seldomly only comes from the terrors on screen. The genre has long used music cues and precise sound design to create a complete sensory experience that has audiences jumping out of their seats and belting out screams. It looks like the upcoming remake of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary is no exception.

CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell spoke with Pet Sematary directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer at SXSW, where the film premiered. Check out what Kölsch said about the importance of focusing sound design in the horror epic:

We said going in that the one thing we really wanted to capture was the chapter in the book where they bury the cat - people online have called that Stephen King’s scariest chapter. If you go back and you read it, they are just on a journey through the woods and a swamp. They’re not encountered by anything. Louis maybe thinks he sees something moving in the trees that might be the Wendigo but every single thing in that chapter is all sound. It’s all describing the feeling of this forest through sound. So we went in going, we have to really get a great sound design team because we want to do this chapter and we want to have this journey and we’re not going to want to show anything.

In CinemaBlend’s recent interview with the Pet Sematary filmmakers, they explained the inspiration on the movie’s sound design came straight from the pages of Stephen King’s 1983 novel. Kevin Kölsch maintains that while one chapter in the horror bestseller when Louis and Jud go to bury Winston Church the cat may be regarded as the author’s scariest chapter to date, the contents of the chapter is not visually terrifying scene. It’s all about what they don’t see.

Enter sound design. A simple journey through the woods and swamp in which they fear the Wendigo is all captured through the music notes and noises the sound team worked on the film. It really is amazing how sound can inform audiences into the tension of the scene and terrify audiences, even when what’s happening on screen is as simple as a nervous walk through the woods. As director Dennis Widmeyer said:

What you don’t see is stronger.

Looks like fans of the novel Pet Sematary may find some satisfaction in watching the upcoming remake since the directors paid so much attention to replicating details like these into their iteration of the horror film. Check out the directors talk about sound design below:

There has already been a huge change made from the original novel, as the daughter instead of the son in the Creed family will be killed in an accident and then resurrected in an ancient graveyard. Stephen King has however voiced his understanding of the justification, along with calling the movie “fucking great!”

Stephen King’s sentiments about the new Pet Sematary has also been echoed by critics, who have largely praised the movie for being crazy scary, and a great adaptation to the classic horror novel. The 1989 movie hasn’t exactly aged well, and horror is making serious waves right now. Just look at how much Jordan Peele’s Us opening weekend box office record. So this is a welcome story to explore all over again.

This Friday, Pet Sematary will open alongside Shazam!, DC’s next superhero origin story. While the high-flying action flick is expected to win the weekend at around $45 million, Pet Sematary is tracking close behind at $30 million.

So get ready for some serious tension when you see Pet Sematary, thanks to the movie’s sound design. The movie will be the first of two King adaptations to come out in 2019, as IT: Chapter 2 delivers more frights on September 6, 2019.

Read More