Emma Stefansky
The Academy’s Huge New 2017 Class Highlights a Push for Diversity, Superheroes
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has issued a whopping 774 invitations to members of the film community for their 2017 class of new members, and the names on the list highlight a drastic push for race, gender, and worldwide diversity.
‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ Standee Reveals Colin Firth Wearing a Snazzy New Outfit
When the first trailer for Kingsman: The Golden Circle revealed that Colin Firth’s Harry Hart would be back from the dead in the upcoming sequel, it was great news, but not necessarily a surprise. Hart’s return had been hinted at for some time, and it really wouldn’t be a Kingsman movie without his particular debonair style. But exactly how he’ll return has remained a mystery, made all the more strange by the shot in the trailers in which his return is revealed: He seems to be behind glass, perhaps imprisoned, unaware that Eggsy and Merlin are looking at him.
James Gunn Has Already Started Writing the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Script
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hasn’t even officially hit theaters yet — we’ve still got a couple hours — but James Gunn is already hard at work drafting the screenplay of Vol. 3.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ Spot: Nebula’s on the Team, but She’s Not a Hero Yet
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 adds a few intriguing wrinkles into everything we thought we knew about the Universe’s most dysfunctional heroes. For one thing, we’re finally going to meet Peter Quill’s dad Ego the Living Planet who, until now, has been kept a mystery (unless you’ve read the comics). But there’s another interesting development in place: Nebula, Gamora’s blue-headed adopted sister and fellow daughter of Thanos, seems to have joined up with the Guardians. And, at first, it doesn’t go so well.
The Next Cinematic Universe Is Going to Be ‘Call of Duty’
Back in 2015, Activision created Activision Blizzard Studios, which was in charge of coming up with ideas for how to turn their “vast library of intellectual property” into films and TV shows. It’s an ambitious undertaking, given the vast amount of video game content they have at their disposal, and now, after almost two years, a team of writers has planned out a Call of Duty cinematic universe.
Some of Patty Jenkins’ ‘Thor’ Plans Made It Into ‘Wonder Woman’
Before signing on for Wonder Woman, Patty Jenkins was almost Marvel’s first female director — for Thor: The Dark World. Citing universal uh-oh phrase “creative differences,” Jenkins left that project and later made a deal with Warner Bros. for Wonder Woman. But that doesn’t mean all of her Thor plans have been consigned to the dust of history.
‘Star Wars’ Han Solo Spinoff May Feature the Franchise’s First Major Female Droid
The Star Wars universe has always been a pretty great place for women (unless you’re a director, that is), so why is it that we haven’t yet seen a female droid in as significant a capacity as C-3P0 or R2-D2, or scene-stealer BB-8? There have been female droids in the canon, but usually that’s not revealed until after the fact, and no woman has ever voiced a major speaking role for a robot. With the new Han Solo prequel/spinoff, that’s about to change.
Mary Tyler Moore, TV and Comedy Icon, Dies at 80
Mary Tyler Moore, star of The Dick Van Dyke Show and her own television sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show, has died after being in “grave condition” at a Connecticut hospital. The actress was 80.
Time Warner CEO Says DC Films Have “a Little Room for Improvement”
So far, the DC cinematic universe hasn’t had a great start. With reviews of Man of Steel, and this year’s Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad leaning towards the negative, the folks in charge are trying anything they can think of to get their next few films in development back on track. Whether those fixes will actually work remains to be seen, but at least the movies’ lackluster performance is being noticed by those on the production side.