Britt Hayes is a writer, movie lover, and sensible sweater enthusiast living in Austin, Texas. She watches too much TV and never eats her vegetables.
Britt Hayes
Margot Robbie to Play Infamous Figure Skater Tonya Harding in ‘I, Tonya’
It was the cry heard ‘round the world, and while Nancy Kerrigan’s harrowing story has rightfully drawn empathy for decades, the story of her infamous foe has often been reduced to a mess of tabloid drama. But Tonya Harding’s story will now be told with the help of Margot Robbie, who is set to play the world-class figure skater in I, Tonya — and when you think about it, that’s kind of perfect.
New Movie Releases: April 2016
With Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hitting theaters this month and Captain America: Civil War arriving in May, April offers us a chance to catch our breath a bit between superhero movies and steel ourselves for the blockbuster onslaught of summer. Next month brings exciting films like The Jungle Book and Key & Peele’s Keanu, along with the totally bonkers Huntsman: Winter’s War and a few thrilling indies (Green Room, anyone?). There’s much more in store in our guide to April’s new movie releases.
‘Frozen 2’ Star Kristen Bell Says She’s Recording Her Lines This Month
Disney took for-ev-er to announce a sequel to their wildly successful animated film Frozen. Since the film’s release in 2013, the studio has released one animated short, and announced plans for another along with a Broadway musical adaptation. It wasn’t until late last year that Disney officially confirmed plans for Frozen 2, and while we still don’t know exactly when we’ll get to see it, Kristen Bell reveals that production is beginning very, very, very soon.
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg to Produce ‘Where’s Waldo?’ Movie
Studios have been trying to replicate the success of Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s The LEGO Movie, with films based on Play-Doh, Minecraft, Playmobil and more in the works. And while we’ve yet to see exactly how these attempts will pan out, we can add another one to the pile as Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have signed on to produce a movie based on the Where’s Waldo? series of books.
Han Solo ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff Will Explore Chewbacca’s Origins
Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s young Han Solo movie won’t arrive in theaters until 2018, which means we have quite a bit of time before we see anything concrete from the Star Wars spinoff. Lucasfilm hasn’t even announced who will play the young version of Harrison Ford’s iconic character — much less who or what else we might see in the film. We now know of at least one other character who will appear opposite whoever ends up piloting the Millennium Falcon, and it’s a friendly, furry face you’ll be quite happy to see.
‘Baywatch’ Photos Show Off Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron and More of the Team
Baywatch doesn’t hit theaters until next summer, so it’s going to be quite a while before we see the first trailer or official photos. Thankfully, Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron are pretty fond of Instagram, and the pair have been sharing lots of images from the set, including our first looks at co-stars Kelly Rohrbach, Priyanka Chopra and Ilfenesh Hadera. If nothing else, the R-rated comedy has a diverse cast and they all look like they’re having a blast.
‘Batman vs. Superman’ TV Spot: Alfred Thinks Bruce Is Getting Too Old for This, You Know
It’s both cool and a little silly to hear the name “Alfred” come out of Ben Affleck’s mouth, but the brief moments we’ve seen between our new Batman and Jeremy Irons’ Alfred have been one of the highlights of the trailers and TV spots for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The latest spot opens with Bruce Wayne and his most trusted friend bantering about the Dark Knight’s age, though that does not stop him from taking on the Man of Steel later on in the new sneak peek.
Ben Affleck Hides in the Batmobile to Surprise Fans for ‘Batman vs. Superman’ Charity Campaign
Like last year’s Omaze charity campaign for Star Trek Beyond, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s partnership with the organization has yielded some similarly charming results. The latest video promoting the charity drive features Ben Affleck surprising fans during the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, with the actor hiding out in the new Batmobile and interacting with the crowd — and throwing some shade at Superman, obviously.
‘Star Wars’ Will Soon Have Its First Openly Gay Character
Much has been made of the diversity in the new era of Star Wars, with J.J. Abrams smartly casting the franchise’s first black and female leading characters in John Boyega’s Finn and Daisy Ridley’s Rey. They weren’t the only diverse part of The Force Awakens, which boasted a noticeably varied assortment of genders and ethnicities in its supporting and extras casting, but many fans are still wondering when — or if — we might see an openly gay character in the newly inclusive franchise. According to J.J. Abrams, it will happen, and soon.
Daniel Craig Is Probably Done With James Bond, According to His BFF Mark Strong
Daniel Craig has made no secret that he wants to exit the 007 franchise, and if it were up to him, Spectre would have been his last outing as James Bond. During the press tour for the 24th Bond film, Craig was pretty blunt about his desire to leave the franchise behind, suggesting that he’d rather slit his wrists than play 007 again. It’s not entirely up to Craig, though, but according to his best pal and fellow actor Mark Strong, he might be done with the franchise. Or not. Who knows.
What’s Expiring on Netflix Instant: March 2016
In addition to all the great new stuff hitting Netflix Instant in March, several titles will be exiting the service. Now's the time to stop procrastinating and watch these movies before they leave the service — perhaps for good. Lucky for you, Netflix isn't letting too many titles expire in March, and we even have a few alternatives to recommend.
‘The Jungle Book’ TV Spot Invites You to ‘Live the Legend’
Disney has released a new TV spot for The Jungle Book, offering a fresh look at Jon Favreau’s live-action / CGI adventure with a little bit of new footage thrown in for good measure. Titled “Live the Legend,” the spot opens with Ben Kingsley’s Bagheera, the panther mentor of young Mowgli, explaining the (bare?) necessity of returning the boy to the jungle.
New DVD and Blu-ray Releases: March 2016
There’s plenty of stuff to keep you busy at the movie theater next month, from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to 10 Cloverfield Lane and all the other titles in between. But if you’re looking to enjoy some movies in the comfort of your home, March brings lots of new releases for you to rent or buy, including 2015 hits like Creed, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 and much more. Read on for our guide to March’s new DVD and Blu-ray releases.
Original ‘Star Wars’ Print Is Discovered and Restored by Anonymous Group
Back in 1997, George Lucas re-released the original Star Wars trilogy in digitally altered “special editions,” and asserted that these were the only “true” editions of the classic films. The original, unaltered versions became rare — you can find them on VHS, and they are included on a DVD release (though the transfer is poor), and there are some original 35mm prints floating around, but fans have been desperate for Lucasfilm to restore and re-release the unaltered versions on Blu-ray. While we wait for something that may never come, one anonymous group has uncovered an original 35mm print and cleaned it up.
New ‘Zootopia‘ Images Reveal a Cute ‘Frozen’ Easter Egg
The marketing for Disney’s Zootopia hasn’t exactly hooked us just yet, but early word-of-mouth suggests that the studio’s latest animated adventure is not only smarter and more subversive than the trailers would have you believe, but that Zootopia is right up there with the best of Pixar. Speaking of which: Like Pixar, Zootopia has its own easter eggs connecting it to other Disney films — well, it has at least one easter egg, and you can check it out in this gallery of new, high-res photos from the upcoming film.
‘Batman v Superman’ Gave Alfred a New Backstory and a Particular Set of Skills
While much of Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent’s origins remain faithful to well-known iterations of the characters, at least one person’s backstory in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is getting a makeover. Zack Snyder has given Batman / Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler Alfred a bit of a promotion, upgrading him from devoted servant and caretaker to former British Special Air Service officer with expertise in weapons, vehicles and various other useful skills.