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
Movie About Wonder Woman’s Real-Life Origin Story to Star Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall
Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman solo film isn’t the only project about the Amazonian superhero that’s in the works. Sony is developing their own Wonder Woman movie — well, sort of. It’s called Professor Marston and The Wonder Women, and it centers on the iconic comic-book character’s creator, William Moulton Marston, his wife, and their unconventional relationship.
Disney’s ‘Gigantic’ Promotes ‘Inside Out’ and ‘Captain Marvel’ Writer to Co-Director
Disney’s Gigantic just got a little more interesting, as the studio has promoted screenwriter Meg LeFauve to co-director for the upcoming animated project. The co-writer of Inside Out and Marvel’s Captain Marvel solo movie joins Tangled director Nathan Greno on the new film, which offers an animated reimagining of the classic Jack and the Beanstalk story, first previewed during last year’s D23 Expo.
‘Harry Potter’ Movies (Yes, All of Them) Heading to IMAX for One Week Only
We’ll be returning to J.K. Rowling’s magical world of wizards this November with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and to help get you in the proper spirit, Warner Bros. is re-releasing all eight of the Harry Potter films — in IMAX, no less. There is a catch, of course: The films will only screen for one week, so if you want to see Mr. Potter & Co. on the very-very-big screen, you might want to clear your calendar.
‘Beauty and the Beast’ Images Reveal First Look at Emma Watson’s Belle, Dan Stevens’ Beast
The wait for the full Beauty and the Beast trailer has reached agonizing levels, as Disney spent the last couple of months promoting the new 25th anniversary Blu-ray release of the classic animated film. Thankfully, we’ve gotten a few sneak peeks at the live-action redo via concept art, behind-the-scenes stills and a clip from a featurette on the aforementioned Blu-ray — and now we have a couple of new photos giving us our first look at Emma Watson’s Belle and Dan Stevens’ beast. But still no trailer. Sad trombone.
‘Jurassic World 2’ Will Have More Scares and Practical Effects, But No Raptors With Guns
One of the biggest complaints (of which there were many) about Jurassic World was the over-abundance of CGI — it’s a simple problem that the upcoming sequel could address quite easily, and according to Colin Trevorrow, it’s definitely a concern shared by Jurassic World 2 director Juan Antonio Bayona. In a new interview, Trevorrow not only promises more animatronic dinosaurs, but more suspense and scares. Oh, and if you were hoping for some weaponized dinos (looking at you, Vincent D’Onofrio), you can stop holding your breath.
Disney CEO Says Third ‘Star Wars Story’ Film Has a Writer, Teases Franchise Plans Beyond 2020
Lucasfilm has a pretty full slate between now and 2020, with one new Star Wars movie hitting theaters each year — and yes, that includes the mysterious third anthology film which once had Josh Trank attached to direct. We have plenty of Star Wars to keep us busy for the next few years, but according to Disney CEO Bob Iger, Lucasfilm hasn’t forgotten about that third spinoff project, which is still in the works along with tentative plans for more franchise installments beyond 2020.
‘Blair Witch’ Director Adam Wingard on the Challenges of Making a Scary Sequel and That Wild Ending
Adam Wingard and screenwriter Simon Barrett have collaborated on several projects together, including recent genre favorites You’re Next and The Guest, in which they subversively repurposed familiar tropes in new and original ways — which is what makes their decision to create a sequel to The Blair Witch Project kind of surprising. A solid follow-up to the 1999 found footage classic, Blair Witch offers recognizable beats with bigger, more frightening (and louder) scares, and a third act that features a pretty clever twist. Ahead of the film’s release, we had a chance to speak with Wingard about the challenges of making a sequel to one of the most beloved horror films, the evolution of found footage and that crazy, mind-bending ending.
Relax, Tom Cruise Is Officially Returning For ‘Mission: Impossible 6’
Pre-production on Mission: Impossible 6 came to a halt last month when a contract dispute between Tom Cruise and Paramount threatened to stall the sixth installment in the blockbuster franchise. The sticking point? Cruise wanted the studio to match — or top — what Universal is paying him to star in The Mummy reboot, but Paramount was a little contentious…yeah right, as if they weren’t going to give Tom Cruise, the star of one of their biggest franchises, what he wants.
Stan Lee (Yes, That Stan Lee) to Become 007-Style Hero in 1970s-Set Action Movie
He’s had a hand in creating some of the most beloved superheroes of all time for Marvel, but now comic-book icon Stan Lee is getting the hero treatment. 20th Century Fox has reportedly acquired the rights to Lee’s life story with the intention of turning it into a fictional action-adventure movie set in the 1970s, with Lee as a James Bond-style protagonist — now there’s a series of words you’d never conceive of stringing together.
‘Fifty Shades Darker’ Trailer Promises Fireworks and Stalkers, Apparently
Uh, wait — is Fifty Shades Darker a ’90s thriller? That certainly seems to be the case based on the first full trailer for the upcoming sequel to Fifty Shades of Grey, in which Dakota Johnson’s Anastasia Steele reunites with Jamie Dornan’s Christian Grey for another quasi-erotic outing. This time there are no rules (or any humor that we can see), but there are lots of fireworks, a masquerade party, a new beau and a stalker…or two?
Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson’s ‘Shanghai’ Sequel Lands ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ Director
Last year it was reported that Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson were still planning on teaming up for a third installment in the action-comedy series that began back in 2000 with Shanghai Noon. It’s been 13 years since the sequel — Shanghai Knights — hit theaters, but it looks like the duo’s goofy adventures will continue sooner rather than later (even though it’s already much, much later now).
‘Ghostbusters’ Blu-ray Features Extended Cut and Tons of Deleted and Alternate Scenes
With Paul Feig at the helm and a quartet of hilarious women who are great at improvising, it’s not surprising that the upcoming Blu-ray and DVD release of the Ghostbusters reboot is packed with additional scenes, outtakes, deleted scenes, gag reels and — as many fans hoped — an extended cut of the film. We won’t have a chance to see any of these bonus materials until October, but it should be interesting for those who felt as though Feig’s theatrical version may have been a little too safe.
Rumor: Warner Bros. Likes Money, Wants Daniel Radcliffe For ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ Trilogy
Just last month, Warner Bros. filed for a trademark on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the hit stage play (the script was also released in book form) that serves as the eighth installment in J.K. Rowling’s classic series. While that doesn’t necessarily indicate that WB is plotting a new Harry Potter movie, a new rumor suggests that that’s exactly what it means — and they want Daniel Radcliffe to return for not just one, but three films.
‘Beauty and the Beast’ Concept Art Offers First Look at Live-Action Lumiere and Cogsworth
Back in May, Disney released the first teaser trailer for their live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast, and although it was a rather lovely homage to the teaser for the classic animated version, it’s the only real preview we’ve had for the upcoming film. While we anxiously await the full official trailer, new concept art has debuted online that offers our first look at Lumiere and Cogsworth, along with a behind-the-scenes image of Gaston’s famous musical sequence.
Yes, There Will Be an ‘Angry Birds Movie’ Sequel
Despite mixed reviews, The Angry Birds Movie was pretty successful at the box office, thanks to an early summer release date, a solid voice cast and an established franchise with a strong fan base. As you might have guessed, the animated adaptation of the hit video game series was successful enough to warrant a sequel, and if you’re rolling your eyes at the prospect, just remember that we’ve gotten sequels to movies that were far worse than this one, based on much less success.
‘Rogue One’ Director Explains the Meaning Behind the Film’s Title
Thanks to modern journalism, we already know quite a bit about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, including character names and background info, new aliens and villains, and even new spaceships we’ll see in the upcoming spinoff. The only thing that hasn’t been extensively covered as of yet is the film’s mysterious title, which is no longer a mystery thanks to director Gareth Edwards.