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
Disney Wants Rob Marshall to Direct ‘The Little Mermaid’ Live-Action Remake
And in today’s least shocking news item, Disney wants a white dude to direct an upcoming live-action remake of a classic animated movie. The studio has reportedly made Rob Marshall their top pick to helm The Little Mermaid, based on their 1989 animated adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen tale. Marshall, who previously directed Into the Woods and the forthcoming Mary Poppins Returns for the studio, is said to be taking the holidays to mull it over.
New ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ Teasers Feature Sleepy T-Rex and a…Dino-Cat?
Universal is gearing up to unleash the first official trailer for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom on Thursday with a series of new teasers for the upcoming sequel. The studio has released a total of five teasers since yesterday; at this rate, you won’t even need an actual trailer by the end of the week because you could probably stick all of these clips together via digital glue and make one of your own.
The Juno Temple Hair Test Is the Quickest Way to Determine What Kind of Movie You’re About to See
Every time there’s a new movie starring Juno Temple, I conduct what I like to call The Juno Temple Hair Test. It’s a totally scientific and thoroughly objective test designed to help moviegoers answer one simple question: What is the deal with this movie? By analyzing the volume, style, texture and color of the hairs on the head of everyone’s second favorite British actress with a proclivity for totally bonkers roles (bested only by Eva Green), you can quickly and easily determine what sort of movie you’re about to watch. Disclaimer: Patent pending. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
‘Daphne and Velma’ Live-Action Movie to Explore Totally Necessary Origins of Scooby-Doo’s Pals
Surely, at some point while watching Scooby-Doo’s animated adventures over the years, you must have wondered aloud to no one in particular, “Where the heck did Daphne and Velma come from? I mean, what is their deal?” The history of the Mystery Machine’s lady passengers has been shrouded in secrecy for far too long, but thanks to a new live-action movie, we will finally learn the details of their murky past. And maybe — just maybe — we’ll find out how they wound up hanging out with a stoner who owns a van, a dog with a limited vocabulary and a speech impediment, and a man who is clearly old enough to be their father.
‘Kong: Skull Island’ and ‘Keanu’ Directors Take HBO to Task for Showing Airplane Edits of Their Films
If you’re a particularly committed cinephile with an HBO subscription, then you’re undoubtedly aware that the network is notorious for showing films in the wrong aspect ratio. For instance, Mad Max: Fury Road was formatted in 2.35:1 widescreen, but changed to 1.78:1 for HBO — effectively cropping out a significant portion of the action. Although casual viewers likely don’t notice a difference, it’s rather frustrating for more dedicated movie fans…and directors, as evidenced by an interesting Twitter exchange between Jordan Vogt-Roberts and Peter Atencio.
‘Beauty and the Beast’ Is Returning to Select Theaters for Awards Season
Wonder Woman and IT made a huge impression at the box office this year, but both failed to overtake 2017’s biggest hit: Beauty and the Beast. Released back in March, Disney’s blockbuster reimagining of its animated classic is still the highest-grossing film of the year, and as we wade into the prestigious waters of awards season, the studio is making sure that voters don’t forget about it.
Chris Pratt Plays With a Cute Little Raptor in First ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ Teaser
Pop culture nerds undoubtedly have a laundry list of things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving — maybe it’s Jeff Goldblum, or another great (and overwhelming) year of peak TV, or a new Star Wars sequel. For some of you, it might be this first teaser for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (oh, they’re just going to stick with that title? OK), which features Chris Pratt interacting with a cute little velociraptor. Although…if we’ve learned anything from these people and their terrifying attempts at playing god with “amusement” parks, it’s that you should never, ever get close to these things.
Charlie Rose Fired From CBS Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations
Charlie Rose joined the growing list of men whose alleged histories of sexual harassment and assault have been exposed in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. The 75-year-old host of Charlie Rose and former 60 Minutes correspondent was the subject of a recent exposé in The Washington Post, in which eight women bravely came forward to accuse Rose of sexual harassment and assault. According to a statement from CBS News president David Rhodes, Rose has been officially fired from the network.
What’s Expiring From Netflix: December 2017
Bad news, everyone: All 11 seasons of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia are leaving Netflix next month. Good news: There’s plenty of great stuff — including Baby Groot! — coming to the streaming service in December. But just as tons of new titles are added, so must several others expire. It is the streaming circle of life. And time is running out for you to catch up with these titles before they’re gone — possibly for good.
New Netflix Instant Releases: December 2017
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…Baby Groot nipping at your toes… That’s right. Netflix is giving subscribers an early Christmas gift in December as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits the streaming service — just in time for your family gatherings (or avoidance thereof). Unfortunately, with Disney set to launch their own streaming service, you won’t be able to enjoy the studio’s films on Netflix for much longer. Thankfully, there are a ton of other great, non-Disney movies hitting the service next month.
Phil Lord and Chris Miller Break Silence on Their Firing From ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’
Getting fired from the Han Solo spinoff wasn’t the first time Phil Lord and Chris Miller experienced creative heartbreak. Over the weekend, the filmmaking duo appeared at the Vulture Festival for a panel dedicated to their tragically short-lived series Clone High. During the Q&A, talk inevitably turned to Lord and Miller’s other, more recent career hiccup, with the pair finally — and gracefully — breaking their silence on the departure from the Star Wars universe.
‘Justice League’ Proves That ‘Wonder Woman’ Needs Patty Jenkins
It’s no secret that Wonder Woman was such a hit that Warner Bros. (very wisely) pushed Gal Gadot’s DC superhero front and center in the marketing for Justice League. Unfortunately, fans hoping for a worthy follow-up to the Amazon warrior’s solo film may be fairly disappointed — not by her presence, which is understandably somewhat limited though always welcome, but by the way Diana Prince is presented in comparison to her masculine super-peers.
Sylvester Stallone Accused of Sexually Assaulting Teen Girl in 1980s
Allegations of sexual misconduct and assault continue to mount against Hollywood men and politicians in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Following this morning’s allegations against Senator Al Franken, another prominent and beloved figure has been accused of sexual assault: Sylvester Stallone. According to a recently unearthed police report, the iconic action star and his bodyguard allegedly raped a 16-year-old girl in the 1980s.
The ‘Justice League’ Rotten Tomatoes Score May Have Leaked Early
Today in “Oops, my bad”: Despite Warner Bros.’ commitment to ensuring the Rotten Tomatoes score for Justice League remains under wraps until tomorrow, it looks like that number might have leaked a little early. According to screenshots of the score, which has since been removed, the approval rating for the DCEU’s superhero ensemble is…well, it’s definitely not ideal, but it may be higher than some were expecting, depending on how you feel about the DC movies thus far.
New ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ TV Spots Will Burn the First Order to the Ground
The news cycle has been…upsetting…as of late, but movies are providing a welcome escape over the upcoming holiday season. Lest you forget, there’s a new Star Wars movie hitting theaters in a little over a month, and marketing is in full swing in the lead up to its December 18 release. Two new TV spots have dropped for The Last Jedi — one of which teases the promise of Poe Dameron & Co. burning the First Order to the ground.
‘Wonder Woman 2’ Will Now Be Released a Whole Six Weeks Earlier
Great news, everyone! (And we really could use some great news in the midst of this recent trash fire of a news cycle, right?) Warner Bros., in its infinite wisdom, has decided to move the release date of Wonder Woman 2 up — which means we’ll get to see the continuation of Diana’s adventures in the realm of totally unworthy men a little bit sooner than previously expected.