Marvel Creates ‘Spotlight’ Banner for Titles Without ‘Larger MCU Continuity’; ‘The Marvels’ Director Calls It ‘Trial and Error’ Figuring Out What Prior Info Viewers Needed

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Mrs. Doubtfire” director Chris Columbus revealed to Business Insider while celebrating the movie’s 30th anniversary this month that talks for a sequel to the beloved 1993 comedy only started in 2014 shortly before Robin William’s passing. Following the comedian’s death, there was not a shot Columbus would ever make another “Mrs.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director With “Twilight” celebrating its 15th anniversary this month, director Catherine Hardwicke joined the “Happy Sad Confused” spinoff podcast “Watchalong” to remember all the highs and lows that went into getting the vampire romance made. One of her more interesting revelations revolves around how impossible it was to predict the film’s box office. No one was expecting a phenomenon, and Hardwicke was even told her film would probably never crack the $30 million mark.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Mrs. Doubtfire” director Chris Columbus marked the film’s 30th anniversary this month with a new interview courtesy of Business Insider in which he revealed that 2 million feet of film was shot during the making of the 1993 comedy because Robin Williams improvised so much dialogue. The film is home to one of Williams’ most classic characters.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Sarah Paulson revealed on “The View” that Matthew Perry helped land her a supporting role on Aaron Sorkin’s short-lived TV series “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.” Perry headlined the NBC show opposite Bradley Whitford and Amanda Peet, all of whom were cast already when Paulson was auditioning for the role of fictional actor Harriet Hayes. The Emmy winner said Perry took her under his wing and ensured she had an advantage in her final audition by personally running lines with her. “I was at a particular place in my career where I needed that job very desperately,” Paulson said.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke recently joined the “Happy Sad Confused” spinoff podcast “Watchables” to reflect on her 2008 vampire romance, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this month. Hardwicke’s film launched a $3.3 billion movie franchise and turned leads Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson into global superstars. But Pattinson wasn’t exactly an exciting choice at first for Summit Entertainment.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Christopher Nolan made headlines earlier this month when he took a playful jab at streaming platforms while discussing the upcoming home release of “Oppenheimer.” The atomic bomb drama, which grossed a staggering $950 million in theaters worldwide, is hitting Blu-ray and other digital platforms this month. Nolan said at a recent “Oppenheimer” screening that it’s important to own the film on Blu-ray so that “no evil streaming service can come steal it from you.” “It was a joke when I said it. But nothing’s a joke when it’s transcribed onto the internet,” Nolan recently told The Washington Post in a follow-up interview.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Courteney Cox shared a personal tribute to her late “Friends” co-star Matthew Perry on Instagram alongside one of her “favorite” memories of him: an outtake from an episode of “Friends” in which Perry whispered a line for her to stay when it’s revealed that Monica is sleeping in Chandler’s bed. The clip was first released as part of the “Friends” reunion special on Max. “I am so grateful for every moment I had with you Matty and I miss you every day,” Cox wrote.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Taika Waititi told Business Insider while promoting his new sports comedy “Next Goal Wins” that he “won’t be involved” in a fifth “Thor” movie, at least if it’s happening anytime in the next six years or so. The Oscar winner directed Chris Hemsworth in the beloved “Thor: Ragnarok” (2017) and the hugely divisive “Thor: Love and Thunder” (2022). A fifth “Thor” film is currently not on Marvel’s upcoming slate, although the character is still very much alive within the MCU and the door is presumably open for his return.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Stephen King is not a Marvel movie fan, but that didn’t stop him from expressing frustration over the “adolescent fanboys” who are taking pleasure in “The Marvels” flopping at the box office. The latest Marvel tentpole, with a reported budget in the $225 million range, is a box office disaster after opening to $47 million, the lowest start for a film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film’s global debut wasn’t much better at $68 million.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jacob Elordi revealed in a new interview with GQ magazine that he turned down a request to audition for Superman. While the actor did not name the specific superhero movie project, it’s likely he was referring to James Gunn’s 2025 tentpole “Superman: Legacy” as the film went through casting in the spring and summer months. David Corenswet was announced in June as Gunn’s Superman, with Rachel Brosnahan cast as Lois Lane.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director The marketing for Disney and 20th Studios’ “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” got off to a strong start with 75 million views in 24 hours across platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, X/Twitter and more, Variety has learned. Social engagement for the trailer came in with 72,000 mentions in 24 hours, boosted by 11,000 TikTok comments and a top 10 trend on X.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “The Incredible Hulk” director Louis Leterrier was the first guest on the new “Happy Sad Confused” spinoff series “Watchalong” and he got frank while discussing his 2008 comic book movie. The film, which starred Edward Norton as Bruce Banner and the Hulk, was the second movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but its critical and commercial reception nosedived compared to “Iron Man,” which opened a month before. “The Incredible Hulk” only grossed $264 million worldwide, a sharp decline from “Iron Man’s” $585 million.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Video game fans got a huge surprise when Nintendo announced Nov. 7 that it is developing a live-action film based on The Legend of Zelda alongside Sony Pictures. The film is being directed by Wes Ball, best known for helming three “Maze Runner” movies.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jeremy Allen White expressed confusion to GQ magazine over the current trajectory Hollywood has laid out for its rising stars. It appears that whenever a young actor is hitting the pop culture zeitgeist, he or she is immediately snatched up by Marvel or DC and put in a superhero movie universe.

When Echo hits Disney+ on Jan. 10, 2024 it will premiere under the new Marvel Spotlight banner complete with a new intro-logo, scored by Oscar winning composer Michael Giacchino. Essentially, the new sub-category of Marvel is a branding for standalone fare, versus series and movies that connect to the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Marvel Studios’ upcoming series Echo is coming soon and the show is set to make history in multiple ways!

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Emily Hampshire, the actor best known for playing Stevie Budd on all six seasons of the Emmy-winning comedy series “Schitt’s Creek,” has issued an apology for dressing up with a friend as Johnny Depp and Amber Heard for Halloween. Hampshire posted and then deleted photos of the costumes, which ignited outrage on social media. The actor sported fake tattoos as Depp and appeared to wear a suit that closely resembled one that the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star wore during his highly-publicized 2022 libel trial against Heard.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Brooke Shields revealed in a new interview with Glamour that she suffered a seizure in September and none other than Bradley Cooper unexpectedly swooped in to support her. The incident occurred at a restaurant in New York City while Shields was waiting to be seated at a table. “Two women come up to me; I don’t know them.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Selena Gomez informed her 430 million Instagram followers that she is currently taking a break from social media due to the “horror, hate, violence and terror that’s going on in the world.” The pop star and “Only Murders in the Building” actor did not directly reference the Israel-Hamas war by name, but it’s clear posts about the Hamas terrorist attack and the subsequent destruction in Gaza factored into her decision to break from social media platforms. “I’ve been taking a break from social media because my heart breaks to see all of the horror, hate, violence and terror that’s going on in the world,” Gomez wrote on her Instagram story. “People being tortured and killed or any act of hate towards any one group is horrific.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director David Fincher was recently asked by The Guardian about how his 1999 directorial effort “Fight Club” has become a favorite amongst incels and far-right groups for depicting disenfranchised white men coming together to rally against capitalist society. The director distanced himself from such a topic, telling the publication, “I’m not responsible for how people interpret things…Language evolves. Symbols evolve.” “Ok, fine,” Fincher replied when the Guardian writer said “Fight Club” has become a touchstone for the far right.