'Rogue One' Reshoots Spelling Disaster? Not Even Close.

According to Page Six, Disney executives are not happy with what they've seen so far from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, so they've ordered "expensive" reshoots to take place during the month of July. In essence, they feel that this film is not living up to the success of The Force Awakens. Before I get into why this is a non-issue and does not spell disaster for the highly anticipated film, I'll provide you with the exact quote from the alleged source:

“The filmmaking team and the studio always anticipated additional shooting and second unit work to make the film the absolute best it can be, and the actors were aware there would be additional shooting. Coming off ‘The Force Awakens,’ there’s an incredibly high bar for this movie and we have a responsibility to the franchise and to the fans to deliver the best possible movie we can.”

First of all, if this report is true, remember who said the film isn't testing well: Disney. Not Kathleen Kennedy. We have to remember that the nature of this film will probably be the most adult oriented Star Wars film we've ever had. Disney has always produced lighthearted films with adult themes, but knowing how to hide those behind a hopeful backdrop. They know this will be much different. You don't bring people involved with films like Black Hawk Down and Zero Dark Thirty to make a happy, G-rated fantasy film. This is going to be a straight up war movie with a lot of death, so I wouldn't doubt that the test screenings may feel pretty dark, if that's the issue. But, we also have to remember that reshoots happen all the time for one reason or another. Its a common occurrence in filmmaking. Remember all of the noise created by Suicide Squad when that film had to undergo reshoots? Oh, and The Force Awakens underwent reshoots as well, and so will Episode VIII.

Above all, I wouldn't trust this report unless I hear Kathleen Kennedy confirm what the source said in one way or another. Page Six has a reputation of being gossipy, although they did get the Alden Ehrenreich casting right (even though we all speculated he was the frontrunner for the role, but I digress). There have been so many bogus stories concerning these films since Disney bought Lucasfilm. If its not a "leaked" script, its character information, or something else to grab headlines (remember the Finn action figure that alluded to him being Lando's son?). This is nothing more than click-bait, in my opinion, just to stir up controversy and plant seeds of doubt in the minds of Star Wars fans. All I'll say is this: we're gonna see Vader kicking ass on that battlefield and that alone should make you freaking excited.

Also, some advice to Page Six, if you wanted to make a bigger splash with this story, you should've waited until Star Wars Celebration since there will be a Rogue One panel. Chances are people will forget about this in about a week. Just sayin'.

May the Force be with you.

Chris O'Dowd Set to Join 'God Particle' Cast

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chris O'Dowd (The IT Crowd, Thor: The Dark World) is in final negotiations to join Bad Robot's God Particle. Alongside O'Dowd will be David Oyelowo (Interstellar, Selma), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Concussion), John Krasinski (13 Hours, The Office), Elizabeth Debicki (The Night Manager, The Man From U.N.C.L.E.), and Daniel Bruhl (Captain America: Civil War).The sci-fi feature is said to revolve around an "American space station, that after an accident with a particle accelerator, suddenly finds that Earth has vanished." This synopsis of  God Particle was reported by Spencer Perry on ComingSoon.net. The Hollywood Reporter discussed a bit more of the plot in a story a few weeks ago that touched on Bruhl's negotiations to join the film, saying that after the disappearance of Earth and finding themselves alone, the crew of the space station must decide whether those aboard a newly appeared space shuttle are hostile.

God Particle was originally written by Oren Uziel of 22 Jump Street and Freaks of Nature, and has since seen a rewrite by Doug Jung. God Particle will be directed by Julius Onah and is set to be released on February 24, 2017.

Rumors Suggest Solo Films for More 'Suicide Squad' Characters

It appears DC has the hit its been looking for.

Back in March, DC believed itself to have one of the most epic films of the year in Batman v. Superman. Bringing two of the most iconic characters of all time on screen together for the first time, and have them at odds? Sign me up. Unfortunately, as we all know, the film did not critically perform as expected. However, by the looks of early reviews, this could be the film to point the DCEU in the right direction.

News already broke that a Harley Quinn solo movie will be one of the spinoffs from Suicide Squad, but now we're also getting word that more of the characters from the film could be getting their own solo films as well. According to We Got This Covered, a source close to the studio revealed the future plans for Warner Bros. regarding the DC franchise, noting that Jai Courtney's Boomerang and Jared Leto's Joker are among those in talks to get their own stand alone films.

All of this news, if true, is very promising. But, I fear that making these kinds of decisions before the movie has been released isn't the right move. Despite positive early reviews, how do you know audiences will receive all of these characters well? You can't pre-determine an audiences reaction to a film. If that were the case, Batman v. Superman should've been the movie to beat this year and probably one of the most profitable superhero films of all time, if not the most. With that being said, I really hope this film knocks it out of the park. DC has some of the best comic book characters out there and being able to see a worthy adaptation on screen is something we all want as fans.

Suicide Squad is set for release on August 5th, 2016.

Beauty and the Beast Official US Teaser Trailer

Disney has returned with another live action adaptation of one of its most beloved films, Beauty and the Beast. Hoping to go beyond 2015's Cinderella, a very well received adaptation of the classic Disney film, Beauty and the Beast is already off to a great start with its first teaser trailer. I think the opening shot of the castle says it all, hinting at a film filled with charm and a hint of mystery.



The cast for Beauty and the Beast features Emma Watson (Belle), Dan Stevens (Beast), Ian McKellen (Cogsworth), Luke Evans (Gaston), Josh Gad (LeFou), Kevin Kline (Maurice), Emma Thompson (Mrs. Potts), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Plumette), Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, and Stanly Tucci (Credenza).



Directed by Bill Condon, Beauty and the Beast is slated for release on March 17, 2017.

'Star Trek Beyond' Trailer #2

The third installment in the 2009 Star Trek reboot is finally upon us, and with a new trailer. Returning to their iconic roles will be Chris Pine, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, John Cho and Zachary Quinto. New additions to the cast will include Sofia Boutella, Joe Taslim and Idris Elba. Now, the first trailer for Star Trek Beyond was highly criticized due to the music and overall tone of the film, feeling more like an action film rather than a Star Trek film. The use of the Beastie Boys track from the 2009 film was intended to be a throwback, but using it for the duration of the trailer seemed totally out of place. Also, you could totally feel Justin Lin's stamp on this film since he directed four of the Fast and the Furious films, featuring motorcycles and aerial stunts that should've featured Vin Diesel attempting to save Letty from some terrible fate.


However, the second trailer felt like the J.J. Abrams Star Trek (which I like a lot). There was no out of place music, they weren't trying to sell the movie solely based on the action sequences, and we were able to get a feel for what story this movie will tell. I think we're going to see Captain Kirk really come into his own in this film because it looks like another "Either we're going down, or they are," scenario.


Star Trek Beyond is set for release on July 22, 2016.

'The Nice Guys' Initial Reaction and Review

*I couldn't remember the name of my own blog.*

Joe Pesci Turns Down Role in Martin Scorsese's 'The Irishman'

Martin Scorsese (left), Joe Pesci (right) in Casino 1995
Photo via imdb.com

Coming off his last mobster film The Departed, director Martin Scorsese is returning to the genre with The Irishman. The film will be an adaptation of the book entitled "I Heard You Paint Houses," written by Charles Brandt and follows the story of Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a union guy connected to the mob and the death of Jimmy Hoffa. Originally, the film was going to star Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, but it appears that Pesci has turned down the role.

Pesci's last film was 2010's Love Ranch, a relatively unknown film. He has also turned down comedian Louis C.K., so this doesn't seem to be a decision based on this particular project. Having starred in films such as Raging Bull, Casino and Goodfellas, all of which were directed by Scorsese, it appears as if Pesci just doesn't want to be a part of anything at the moment. However, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, Scorsese seems optimistic that they'll be able to persuade Pesci to be part of the film.

If Pesci does not return to the film, I will be very disappointed. His performances in Goodfellas and Casino are incredible and I don't believe we would see anything different in The Irishman. However, if they need to replace him, Ray Liotta (Goodfellas) or Frank Vincent (Goodfellas, Casino, Raging Bull) would be the perfect men for the job. Both have worked with Scorsese before and turn in great performances.

As it stands today, The Irishman will feature Robert De Niro (Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino), Al Pacino (Scarface, The Godfather), Harvey Keitel (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction), and Bobby Cannavale (Ant-Man, Chef, The Bone Collector).