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Ben Affleck No Longer Directing 'The Batman'

2/1/2017

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​Hello, fellow moviegoers!
   The DC Cinematic Universe is one of the most divisive things amongst comic-book movie fans right now. It started back in 2013 with Man of Steel, which I still believe is a truly fantastic movie, but admittedly many people did not take to it. That division streak continued last year with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad not being as well received as hoped. From what we’ve seen so far, Warner Bros. is really struggling with their DC properties. However, this year Wonder Woman looks incredible, and I’m really excited for Justice League. Those two films could really turn things around! Or could they? There’s a lot of drama going on behind the scenes at DC that could be the causes of a lot of these issues. What might be the biggest individual piece of bad news to come out of the DC universe just broke this past week, Ben Affleck will no longer be directing The Batman.
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​   For those of you who haven’t been keeping up with what’s going on here, to sum it up, DC is having major issues. A few years back, DC announced a slew of movies they were going to be making and when said films would be released. One thing led to another, and now that schedule is sort of falling apart. First off there’s the Flash movie that was supposed to be released in March 2018 has lost two directors, and is currently undergoing a complete script rewrite. It's probably not going to make that release date. In addition to that, there’s the delay of Justice League 2, and they’ve also thrown both a Black Adam and a Gotham City Sirens movie in there somewhere. Aside from the films coming out this year, James Wan's Aquaman is the only DC film that seems to actually be going well, thankfully.
   For just over a month now there has been talk of trouble with The Batman, the solo Batman flick that was supposed to be directed by Ben Affleck. Things were going well, Joe Manganiello was cast as Deathstroke, and people were excited. Until a few months back there were rumblings about the script not being very good. Then, on top of that, Affleck started playing coy about whether or not he would do it. That was, at least, until a couple weeks ago on Jimmy Kimmel where he came out and actually said he was going to direct it. That put a lot of fans at ease. Well, there goes that. As of a couple days ago, Ben Affleck is officially not directing The Batman. Affleck is still remaining on the project as a producer and star. He had this to say about his departure from the director’s chair.

    “Performing this role demands focus, passion and the very best performance I can give. It has become clear that I cannot do both jobs to the level they require. Together with the studio, I have decided to find a partner in a director who will collaborate with me on this massive film. I am still in this, and we are making it, but we are currently looking for a director. I remain extremely committed to this project, and look forward to bringing this to life for fans around the world.”

   While this is still really disappointing, that was a great statement for Affleck to release.  It’s reassuring that the project is still going to happen, and it shows that Affleck is still really committed to it. Plus, it does make a little bit of sense. That doesn’t mean that this is a good thing, though. It’s still a really big bummer that Affleck won’t direct, as he is arguably a better director than he is an actor.
   As for who will step in to take Affleck’s place as director, that’s still up in the air. There was a rumored shortlist that appeared a couple days ago that includes names such as Matt Reeves, Denis Villeneuve, and Gavin O’Connor. Hopefully, WB can get a really good director onto this project soon to help save their fans’ enthusiasm for it. Personally, I think Matt Reeves (Cloverfield, War of the Planet of the Apes) would be a great choice, however seeing The Batman directed by Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Arrival) would be really interesting, though let's see what he does with Blade Runner 2049 first. We’ll just have to wait and see. 
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​   So what are your thoughts on Ben Affleck’s departure as the director of The Batman? Who would you like to see direct? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this article, share it on Facebook and Twitter. It really helps! Don’t forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back then for more movie reviews and miscellaneous movie thoughts!
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Thanks for stopping by!
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Four Recent Pieces of Movie News

9/21/2016

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Hello, fellow moviegoers!
   It seems like every day there is another “huge” piece of movie news that people want to talk about. However, sometimes these big stories really don’t mean much at all. So, for today’s blog post, I decided to talk about what I believe to be the four biggest pieces of movie news from the past week or so. Hopefully, this gives you a good look at what is going on in Hollywood, and what might be coming sooner rather than later. 
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Jared Leto to play Andy Warhol
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   Jared Leto, known for recently playing the Joker in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, has found his next big role. Leto, along with Michael De Luca, is set to produce the film based on the life of Andy Warhol. Terence Winter will be writing the screenplay appropriately titled Warhol.
   Warhol will be Leto’s next major project after the currently untitled Blade Runner sequel, which he is currently filming. This project could be Leto’s attempt to get back the in awards limelight following his Oscar win for Dallas Buyers Club three years ago. Leto is sure to have a busy schedule in the future, as you know he is playing The Joker in the ongoing DCEU. This might be the only opening in his schedule for a film like this in a while, especially if the new Blade Runner spawns more sequels. The untitled Blade Runner sequel hits theaters October 6, 2017.
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​Mad Max Prequel
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   According to a recent report making its way around the web, a prequel to 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road is on the way. The prequel will focus on fan-favorite character Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron. Director George Miller will return to helm the project which could start production in Australia as early as this year.
   A Mad Max prequel focusing on the character of Furiosa could either be a really good, or a really bad idea. People came out of Fury Road talking more about Furiosa than Max himself. Charlize Theron brought so much to that character, and they already set up an interesting backstory for her. It would also make sense as Theron and Tom Hardy, who played Max, did not get along on set. My only concern is that it is focusing on too specific of an audience. Those who saw Fury Road and loved Furiosa. The only way I can see this film being successful is if they market the film to more than just the die-hard Mad Max fans.
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Passengers Trailer
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   The first trailer to the highly anticipated Chris Pratt/Jennifer Lawrence film Passengers was officially released online earlier this week. The trailer shows Pratt and Lawrence as two characters who were awakened too early in their 100-year journey across the cosmos.
   Personally, I really liked this first trailer for Passengers. I thought it did a very good job conveying the tone of the film. It starts very light-heartedly and makes you think that this might even be a romance. The tone builds throughout the trailer to show that there is much more to Passengers than that. It shows glimpses of exciting action sequences and even a little twinge of mystery. You feel like there is more going on in this film that what it shows on the surface. Passengers definitely has the potential to be one of the best films of the year. Passengers will hit theaters on December 21. 
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New “Tactical” Batsuit
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   Last week, director Zack Snyder tweeted out a picture from the set of Justice League, which is currently filming in London. Snyder revealed the first look at Batman’s new “Tactical Batsuit”, which he will presumably don at some point in the film. The picture shows off the new suit which looks similar to that of Nite Owl’s in Watchmen, coincidentally also directed by Snyder.
   The tweet also reveals that filming is about to draw to a close. Snyder said “Homestretch. Last day filming Batman in the new Tactical Batsuit.” Many assume the suit won’t be used frequently throughout the film, but more to the extent that the Armored Suit was in Batman v Superman. Justice League hits theaters on November 17, 2017.
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​   What do you think about all of this recent movie news? Which story stands out to you the most? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this article, share it on Facebook and Twitter. It really helps! Don’t forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back then for more movie reviews and miscellaneous movie thoughts!
 
Thanks for stopping by!
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Benedict Cumberbatch officially cast as Doctor Strange!

12/4/2014

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Hello fellow moviegoers!
      So, over the past few months there has been an enormous number of rumors about who is going to play Doctor Strange. About a month ago, it was broke online that Marvel had cast Benedict Cumberbatch as the Doctor. But it was quickly shot down by head-honcho Kevin Feige, who say they were not quite done with negotiations yet. Well, now it is official, Benedict Cumberbatch will be the Sorcerer Supreme in Marvel's 2016 movie!
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      There are quite a few people out there that ridicule this casting, calling it too safe and predictable. But they forget to realize, it is still great casting! This is probably some of the best comic-book movie casting I have seen in a while (except for Batfleck of course). Benedict Cumberbatch is a magnificent A-Class actor. I have yet to see The Imitation Game, but from everything I have been hearing about it, he gives an oscar-worthy performance. 
      This is brilliant casting, Cumberbatch is a brilliant actor. I cannot wait to see him join the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his new character. Speaking of which, while I know more about Strange than I do about something like InHumans, I still don't know much about this character. But from the few Dr. Strange comics I have read, I think it is safe to say that Cumberbatch fits this character pretty well! 
      One thing I want to point out though, is that Marvel and DC have a bit of a back and forth going on.
Marvel: Civil War Rumor?
DC: Film Slate, Flash cast, Aquaman cast
Marvel: Phase 3 Slate, Black Panther Cast
DC: Suicide Squad cast
Marvel: Doctor Strange cast

     Your move DC...

      So what do you think of the Benedict Cumberbatch casting as Doctor Strange? Do you think he is a right fit for the role? Let me know by commenting on this post!

Thanks for stopping by!
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Official cast for the 'Suicide Squad' movie has been revealed!

12/3/2014

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Hello fellow moviegoers!
      So, we have known that there has been a 'Suicide Squad' movie in the works for a while now. There has definitely been a large amount of rumors surrounding the project, and its cast. I even covered a recent rumor that Jared Leto would play the Joker. Well, as it turns out, there was some validity to those rumors as the official cast for Suicide Squad has just been revealed!
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      The official cast is as follows...

  • Jared Leto---------The Joker
  • Margot Robbie----Harley Quinn
  • Will Smith---------Deadshot
  • Tom Hardy--------Rick Flag
  • Jai Courtney-------Boomerang
  • Cara Delevigne----Enchantress

      Personally, I am a pretty big fan of this casting. When they first announced this movie, I was one of those people that went out of my way to say "WHY?!?!?". But as time has gone on, and rumors were starting to spread about the project and the cast, I started warming up to it. Now that this cast is official, I can say that I am very excited for this movie. This is a very star-studded cast, and these actors and actresses are very good at what they do. Add on to that, that a few of these people are very good at choosing what movies they should be in and what not to. 
      One casting I am very happy about is Will Smith as Deadshot. When his name started to be thrown around I was excited at the thought of who he could be, but now that he is Deadshot, I am ecstatic. Tom Hardy is another name I am happy with. Tom Hardy is one of the best young actors out there right now, and rumor states he was even offered the role of Apocalypse in 'X-Men: Apocalypse' before it was given to Oscar Isaac. I am happy to see him returning to DC even though his friendly director Christopher Nolan is not. 
      I have already talked about my thoughts of Jared Leto as the Joker, which you can read about here. I love the casting, but I am still afraid that his character is being forced into the script, which I don't like. Margot Robbie will make a great Harley Quinn, and I am so glad we finally get this character on the big screen. I just really hope, that they cast her after they cast Leto. You should cast Quinn based on her chemistry with The Joker, not the other way around.
      There is still a rumor that Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor will appear in the film, and that Oprah will be playing the villain, which will most likely be Amanda Waller. I am all in for seeing Eisenberg's Luthor just as long as he is not part of the team. I hope he is a side character, not a main one. I am kind of meh on Oprah being Waller, but it is still just rumor at this point. 
     I haven't really seen Jai Courtney, or Cara Delevigne in anything, but I have faith in Warner Bros. decisions with the rest of the cast, so I have faith in this as well. Overall I love the casting, I am a little worried Joker will be forced, but I honestly cannot wait for this film. Good job DC. The hype-train is starting to take off!!
     What do you think of this casting? Do you think Joker and Luthor should be in this film? Let me know by commenting on this post! Thanks for stopping by!
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    Kyle Kruse

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