Zack Sharf Digital News Director Dwayne Jonson appeared on a new episode of Kevin Hart’s “Hart to Hart” talk show on Peacock (recorded prior to the strike, of course) and looked back at the rise and fall of “Black Adam.” His 2022 comic book tentpole was designed to launch a new chapter of storytelling within Warner Bros.’ DC Universe (the film ended with Henry Cavill’s return as Superman, and the franchise intended to build up to a face off between Johnson and Cavill), but DC Studios was overhauled soon after its release, with new leaders James Gunn and Peter Safran taking the reins. Johnson announced in December that “Black Adam 2” was not moving forward for now. “‘Black Adam’ got caught in a vortex of new leadership,” Johnson said when Hart asked how it felt for franchise to be stopped.
Zachary Levi Says ‘Shazam 2’ Reviews Were ‘Perplexingly Low and People Were Insanely Unkind’: ‘I Have No Idea Where We Go From Here’
26.07.2023 - 22:15 / variety.com
Zack Sharf Digital News Director It’s been several months since “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” flopped at the box office, and star Zachary Levi is still somewhat perplexed by the comic book sequel’s reception. Levi appeared on a new episode of “The FilmUp Podcast” (via IGN) and lamented over people being so “insanely unkind” to his second “Shazam” movie. Critics dismissed the movie (it holds a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it only grossed $57 million at the domestic box office.
Worldwide, “Fury of the Gods” didn’t even crack $160 million. “I don’t know what the future holds for it all because, unfortunately, the second movie was not as well received,” Levi said. “The audience score is still quite good, but the critics’ score was very oddly and perplexingly low, and people were insanely unkind.” “I’ve been a part of things, and as much as I wish they were good, I know they’re okay,” he added.
“I know that they miss a lot. And I’m not saying ‘Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ is some perfect, Orson Welles-like masterpiece, but it’s a good darn movie.” Immediately after “Fury of the Gods” bombed at the box office, Levi took to Twitter to cite the film’s marketing as a problem. “This is a perfect family movie, and yet a lot of families aren’t aware of that.
Which is just a shame,” he wrote. “I think even just the world, from the first movie to the second movie, the world has shifted so much,” Levi added on “The FilmUp Podcast.” “Social media has shifted so much. Hate, online hate and haters and trolls, and factions and all that has just gotten more galvanized in its toxicity.
Cillian Murphy Says ‘Oppenheimer’ Deleted Scenes Don’t Exist: Christopher Nolan Doesn’t ‘Fiddle Around Trying to Change the Story’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Oppenheimer” is Christopher Nolan’s longest movie at 180 minutes, but don’t expect it to get even longer whenever it arrives on home video. Neither a director’s cut of the atomic bomb epic nor deleted scenes from the movie exist, Cillian Murphy recently told Collider. “There’s no deleted scenes in Chris Nolan movies,” Murphy added.
‘The Office’ Actor Is Giving Back $110,000 Worth of Fan Donations for Stalled Stanley Spinoff, Says Funds Were Never Used for Personal Matters
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Leslie David Baker, who starred as Stanley Hudson on all nine seasons of NBC’s popular sitcom “The Office,” announced on social media that he is returning all of the donations fans sent it via Kickstarter for his proposed Stanley spinoff. The exact donation total being returned is $110,629.81, Baker said. Back in 2020, Baker went viral for launching a Kickstarter campaign in an effort to create a spinoff of “The Office” centered around Stanley Hudson.
Jessica Chastain Says Oscar Isaac Friendship ‘Has Never Been Quite the Same’ After Playing a Divorced Couple on HBO’s ‘Scenes’: I Needed ‘A Breather’ After
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac set social media on fire in 2021 due to their electric chemistry on the Venice Film Festival red carpet for HBO’s “Scenes From a Marriage.” The devastating limited series, based on Ingmar Bergman’s 1973 miniseries of the same name, cast the two actors as a married couple going through a grueling divorce. Chastain told Vanity Fair her and Isaac’s longtime friendship hasn’t been the same since. “‘Scenes From a Marriage’ was very tough,” Chastain said.
Oscar Nominee Sophia Nahli Allison Says She Exited Lizzo Doc Because Singer Was ‘Arrogant and Unkind’: ‘I Was Treated With Such Disrespect by Her’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Sophia Nahli Allison, whose short film “A Love Song for Latasha” (2019) was nominated at the Oscars for best documentary short subject, revealed on her social media pages that she exited her role as the director of a Lizzo documentary in 2019 after only two weeks because she “was treated with such disrespect” by the Grammy-winning pop star. Allison’s post went live several hours after a trio of former dancers for Lizzo filed a lawsuit against the singer accusing her of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. “I usually do not comment on anything pop culture related,” Allison wrote in her post.
Zack Snyder Says ‘Sucker Punch’ Being Called ‘Exploitative’ Was ‘Disheartening,’ Hopes for Director’s Cut After Studio Axed ‘Too Weird’ Ending
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Zack Snyder recently joined Letterboxd for an interview about “Sucker Punch,” his hugely divisive 2011 fantasy action movie that was a box office bomb for Warner Bros. with just $89 million grossed worldwide. The film, which was notable at the time for being Snyder’s first original concept, stars Emily Browning as Babydoll, a young woman committed to a mental institution whose fantastical imagination creates a dream heist for her to escape imprisonment.
Elizabeth Banks Says the Media Gendered ‘Charlie’s Angels,’ and She Had to Ask for It to Be Promoted to Men: ‘Could We Have an Ad During Baseball?’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Elizabeth Banks recently told Rolling Stone that the media was behind the “gendered agenda” of “Charlie’s Angels,” her 2019 action-comedy starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska that flopped at the box office. The director told The New York Times last year that she wished the film’s marketing “had not been presented as just for girls,” but now she told Rolling Stone that’s the only perspective the media was interested in perpetuating anyway. “So much of the story that the media wanted to tell about ‘Charlie’s Angels’ was that it was some feminist manifesto,” Banks said.
Judi Dench ‘Can’t See on a Film Set Anymore’ and Says It’s ‘Ghastly’ and ‘Terrible to Be So Dependent on Others’ Amid Eyesight Loss
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Judi Dench’s latest update on her deteriorating eyesight is that she can no longer see on film sets. She previously disclosed that her eyesight loss had made it near impossible to read film scripts. Speaking to the Sunday Mirror (via The Guardian), the Oscar winner said losing her ability to see has been “the most terrible shock to the system,” adding, “Ghastly.
Nicolas Cage Says Superman Cameo in ‘The Flash’ Was ‘Satisfying,’ Tells Fans to Watch ‘City of Angels’ to Know What He’d ‘Really Do With the Character’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Nicolas Cage finally sounded off to USA Today on his brief return as Superman in Warner Bros.’ “The Flash.” The Oscar winner made a surprise cameo appearance as the Man of Steel he never got to play back in the late 1990s, although he did not say any lines. “Well, I was glad I didn’t blink,” Cage said about his brief return. “For me, it was the feeling of being actualized.
Zachary Levi says ‘Shazam!’ sequel flopped because of “insanely unkind” reviews
Shazam! Fury Of The Gods’ poor reception.Directed by David F. Sandberg, the DC sequel received a mixed response from critics, earning a score of 49 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Seth Rogen Says ‘Fear of the Process’ Has Turned Him Off From Marvel and DC Films: ‘Is It a System We’d Get Really Frustrated With?’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Seth Rogen is bringing the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” franchise back to life in the upcoming animated movie “Mutant Mayhem,” which he has a story credit on and produced through his Point Grey Pictures company. During an interview with Polygon ahead of the film’s release, Rogen was ask what has kept him “turned off” from joining other movie franchises like the Marvel and DC superhero films. “Honestly, probably fear,” Rogen said.
Zachary Levi On ‘Shazam!’ Future & The “Perplexingly Low” Critics’ Score For ‘Fury Of The Gods’
Zachary Levi is talking Shazam! and the future of the superhero while also opening up about the negative reviews the sequel dubbed Fury of the Gods received from critics.
Cillian Murphy Calls Oppenheimer ‘Naive,’ Says He’s Open to Playing a Ken in ‘Barbie 2’: ‘Let’s Read the Script’ and ‘Have a Conversation’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Cillian Murphy is the star of Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” but is he ready to embrace the pink? Given the “Barbenheimer” craze that’s sweeping the nation, Murphy has naturally been asked a lot about Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.” Cinéfilos even asked the “Oppenheimer” actor if he’d play a Ken in a potential sequel to Gerwig’s now historic comedy blockbuster. “Sure, yeah. Let’s read the script, let’s have a conversation,” Murphy responded about playing Ken.
Bowen Yang, Dan Levy and Ben Platt Almost Played Kens in ‘Barbie’: ‘They Were Really Bummed They Couldn’t Do It’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director The search for the perfect Barbie and Ken actors in Greta Gerwig’s record-breaking blockbuster “Barbie” fell to casting directors Lucy Bevan and Allison Jones, who recently revealed to Vanity Fair that “Saturday Night Live” Emmy nominee Bowen Yang, “Schitt’s Creek” Emmy winner Dan Levy and “Dear Evan Hansen” Tony winner Ben Platt were all in the running to land roles as different variations of Ken. “They were definitely really different, but they had to feel like a cohesive group,” Bevan said about the search for the perfect Ken ensemble. “You wanted to cast people who were really going to get on and be great and enjoy it.” “Barbie” was shot in London under strict COVID protocols, which meant every cast member was required to spend three months in the city close to production.
‘Oppenheimer’: Robert Downey Jr. Says Cillian Murphy Made the Greatest ‘Sacrifice by a Lead Actor’ He’s Ever Seen in His 53-Year Career
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Cillian Murphy is earning some of the best reviews of his career for leading Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer, but no praise might be higher than this rave from co-star Robert Downey Jr.: “I have never witnessed a greater sacrifice by a lead actor in my career,” the “Iron Man” star told People magazine about Murphy’s performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer. “He knew it was going to be a behemoth ask when Chris called him,” Downey Jr. added. “But I think he also had the humility that is required to survive playing a role like this. We’d be like, ‘Hey, we got a three-day weekend. Maybe we’ll go antiquing in Santa Fe. What are you going to do?’ ‘Oh, I have to learn 30,000 words of Dutch. Have a nice time.’ But that’s the nature of the ask.”
Samuel L. Jackson Says ‘A Time to Kill’ Cut Scenes Robbed Him of ‘Getting an Oscar’: ‘Really, Motherf—ers? You Just Took That S— From Me?’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Samuel L. Jackson told The Times last year that he deserved to win the Oscar for best supporting actor over Martin Landau (“Ed Wood”) at the 1995 Academy Awards. In a new interview with Vulture, the actor said he was robbed of a second chance to win an Oscar just a couple years later with Joel Schumacher’s 1996 legal drama “A Time to Kill,” co-starring Matthew McConaughey and Sandra Bullock. The John Grisham adaptation starred Jackson as a man on trial in Mississippi for killing the two men who raped his daughter. “In ‘A Time to Kill,’ when I kill those guys, I kill them because my daughter needs to know that those guys are not on the planet anymore and they will never hurt her again — that I will do anything to protect her,” Jackson said. “That’s how I played that character throughout. And there were specific things we shot, things I did to make sure that she understood that, but in the editing process, they got taken out. And it looked like I killed those dudes and then planned every move to make sure that I was going to get away with it. When I saw it, I was sitting there like, ‘What the fuck?'”
James Cameron Doubts AI Can Write Good Scripts, Says the ‘Weaponization of AI Is the Biggest Danger’: ‘I Warned You in 1984 and You Didn’t Listen’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director James Cameron has no intention of using artificial intelligence to write a film script. In a new interview with CTV News, the Oscar winner expressed doubt over AI bots being able to write “a good story.” According to Cameron: “I just don’t personally believe that a disembodied mind that’s just regurgitating what other embodied minds have said — about the life that they’ve had, about love, about lying, about fear, about mortality — and just put it all together into a word salad and then regurgitate it…I don’t believe that’s ever going to have something that’s going to move an audience. You have to be human to write that. I don’t know anyone that’s even thinking about having AI write a screenplay.”
Steven Spielberg Warned Antonio Banderas on ‘Zorro’ Set in 1997 That CGI Would Replace Practical Filmmaking: ‘Things Are Going to Change Fast’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Antonio Banderas celebrated the 25th anniversary of “The Mask of Zorro” in a recent interview with Yahoo Entertainment. The Martin Campbell-directed adventure movie was produced by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and grossed $250 million at the worldwide box office in 1998. Spielberg was hand during the film’s 1997 production, and Banderas said the Oscar-winning director correctly warned him about the future of practical vs. CGI filmmaking. “Steven Spielberg said to me once when we were shooting, ‘This is probably going to be one of the last Westerns shot in the way the Westerns were shot in the old days, with real scenes with real horses, where everything is real, [real] sword fighting, no CGI,'” Banderas remembered. “Everything was [practical].”
Cillian Murphy Says ‘Oppenheimer’ Was Shot in an ‘Unbelievably Quick’ 57 Days: ‘The Pace of That Was Insane’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Cillian Murphy said during an interview on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast that Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” was made on a relentlessly fast schedule. “We made the movie unbelievably quickly. We made it in 57 days,” the actor revealed. “The pace of that was insane.” By comparison, Nolan’s World War II survival thriller “Dunkirk” shot for 68 days, and his massive spy movie “Tenet” shot for 96 days. Murphy is front and center in a majority of “Oppenheimer” scenes, making the shorter shooting schedule all the more intense for the actor. “The sets are huge, but it feels like being on an independent movie,” Murphy added about working with Nolan, which he has been doing for over 20 years now. “There’s just Chris and the cameraman — one camera always, unless there’s some huge, huge set piece — and the boom op and that’s it. There’s no video village, there’s no monitors, nothing. He’s a very analog filmmaker.”
Christopher Nolan Says ‘No’ to Directing Another Superhero Movie, Criticizes Studios for Viewing Films as Plot and Not an ‘Audiovisual Experience’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Christian Bale is probably not going to play Batman again after “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises.” The Oscar-winning actor told ScreenRant last summer that he would only play Batman for a fourth time if Christopher Nolan was directing, but Nolan doesn’t appear to be interested in returning to the comic book genre. YouTuber HugoDécrypte asked Nolan point blank if he would make “another superhero movie.” Nolan bluntly answered, “No.” The question came during a speed round in which HugoDécrypte also asked the “Oppenheimer” filmmaker if he “could make a TV show one day.” Nolan also answered “no.” The director wasn’t as definitive when asked if he would want to direct a “Star Wars” movie. Nolan passed on giving an answer.