Tag Archives: trailer

‘Star Wars’ drops theatrical poster and trailer ahead of ‘Force Awakens’ December release [Update: New character posters]

The new Star Wars is just a little over a month away from hitting theatres–can you believe it?! To satiate fans’ eager anticipation, Disney and Lucasfilm have released the official poster for J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens as well as the official full-length theatrical trailers that clocks in at 2 minutes and 35 seconds. Eye the poster above, and watch the new trailer after the break.

On a slightly depressing note, said poster is surprisingly not illustrated by iconic artist Drew Struzman. Special effects master and my friend Greg Aronowitz says it like it is in his latest blog post titled, “You disappoint me, Disney.” Though I didn’t grow up with Star Wars, I empathize with Greg’s ultimate grief over Disney attempt at replicating Struzman’s work as opposed to simply using it.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens December 18.

Update (11/4): Today a slew of new posters hit the ‘Net, each featuring a major player from The Force Awakens. Newbies Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) look fiercely confident with their respective staff and blue-bladed lightsaber. Kylo Ren’s (Adam Driver lightsaber emits a sinister red hue. And then, of course, we have our returning franchise veterans, Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford); thanks to some fancy photoshop, they both have aged incredibly well. All in all, I’m definitely digging the design motif here–the left side of each poster draws a distinct vertical line. What can it mean? Also, where’s Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill)? Here’s not here, and he isn’t even positioned in the official theatrical poster posted above even though everybody else is. Abrams certainly has a trick up his sleeve here, and I can’t wait to get to the bottom of this mystery. Eye the new character posters in the gallery below.

Update 2 (11/6): Another new trailer–this one’s international and is targeted towards the Japanese audience–has landed and it features new, never-before-seen footage. What are you waiting for–it’s embedded after the break!

Update 3 (12/5): A sixth character poster starring the third hero newbie is here! Eye Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron in the gallery below. Notice that the X-Wing fighter’s portrait does not mimic the others; he prefers flying machines to lightsabers, after all.

Continue reading ‘Star Wars’ drops theatrical poster and trailer ahead of ‘Force Awakens’ December release [Update: New character posters]

Disney brings ‘The Jungle Book’ to life in live-action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic

Following Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella, Disney continues to pump out live-action adaptations of its classic animated films and next up is The Jungle Book. Still based on Rudyard Kipling’s book, the new Jungle Book deviates from its 1967 animated adaptation by involving a real human boy playing Mowgli–newcomer Neel Sethi–and blending live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments. The differences don’t stop there. Iron Man helmer Jon Favreau takes the timeless tale into a more heightened direction; danger lurks around every corner in this teaser trailer. If you’ve seen Her, there’s no mistaking the voice of Indian python Kaa, seductively played by Scarlett Johansson. She narrates the action-packed teaser. The preview ends on a nostalgic note–free-spirited bear Baloo (voiced by Bill Murray) whistles “The Bare Necessities” as Mowlgi rides on his stomach down a river. The rest of the stellar voice cast is listed below inside the movie’s official synopsis:

“The Jungle Book” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray). Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire. The all-star cast also includes Lupita Nyong’o as the voice of the fiercely protective mother wolf Raksha, and Giancarlo Esposito as the voice of wolf pack’s alpha male Akela.

The Jungle Book hits theatres in 3D on April 15, 2016.

Marvel ditches fourth wall: ‘Deadpool’ is coming [Update: Red-band trailer is here]

Update (8/4): Here’s the Deadpool red-band trailer, right on schedule. Without giving anything away, I’m just going to say that this is the Deadpool fans have been clamoring for (read: incredibly funny & incredibly violent) and Ryan Reynolds delivers. Interested in watching the more “family-friendly” version of the trailer? Click here; don’t miss Deadpool’s tag at the end of it! Yesterday’s trailer teaser has been pushed below the fold.

Previous: The Merc with the Mouth is ready to play. In typical Deadpool fashion, 20th Century Fox has released a teaser teasing a theatrical trailer due to drop tomorrow. In it, star Ryan Reynolds sits menacingly in the shadows, putting on his best Don LaFontaine impersonation and poking fun at the studio that “sewed [his character’s] f**king mouth shut the first time.” Reynolds, of course, is referring to 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the movie in which Deadpool received screen time with Hugh Jackman’s alter ego but wasn’t afforded the opportunity to fully realize the character. In the upcoming Deadpool, due out in 2016, a deserved redo is in order.

For the uninitiated, Deadpool is yet another character from Marvel’s playpen of superheroes, but he’s starkly different from the rest in that he’s a breaker of the fourth wall. Across comic books, video games, and movies, Deadpool is aware of the medium he’s placed in. At the end of this teaser, Reynolds-as-Deadpool says, “Get ready to blow out your collective sphincters cuz my trailer is coming…tomorrow.” This isn’t simply a tongue-in-cheek trick; this is specifically how Deadpool operates and it’s sure to make the movie weird in all the right ways. Oh, and that’s also why he’s oft-referred to as “The Merc with the Mouth”–he’s got a dirty mouth and he’s not afraid to use it. Deadpool is rated-R, allowing the unfiltered, comic book version of the character to really come alive.

When the red-band trailer releases tomorrow, I’ll be sure to amend this post accordingly. Reynolds is sharing it on Conan Tuesday night, and a lighter green-band version will play in front of Fantastic Four in theatres at the end of the week.

Deadpool also stars Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, Gina Carano, and Brianna Hildebrand, and it’s directed by visual effects artist Tim Miller. Due out February 12, 2016. Continue reading Marvel ditches fourth wall: ‘Deadpool’ is coming [Update: Red-band trailer is here]

Steve Jobs documentary examines the multifaceted trendsetter

“Bold. Brilliant. Brutal.” That’s the tagline for Alex Gibney’s documentary focusing on Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Gibney, who directed the critically-acclaimed HBO scientology doc Going Clear, picks away at Jobs’ sheen he accumulated over the years as he helped build Apple into a major technological innovating machine. By the end of the trailer you get a sense that Gibney aims to shine a light on the good, the bad, and the ugly surrounding Jobs’ rise to iconic status and yes, emotions run high. Apple exec Eddy Cue publicly denounced the film calling it “an inaccurate and mean-spirited view of my friend.”

Apple fanboys and fangirls will get their opportunity to conjure an opinion about Gibney’s doc when Steve Jobs: The Man In The Machine hits theatres and digital platforms (including iTunes and On Demand) September 4.

“This is a story that’s amazing,” Jobs exclaims in the trailer. “Its got theft, stolen property, extortion, there’s sex in there. Somebody should make a movie out of this!” It’s already been done…and then there’s this doc…and coming this fall is another movie based on his life. Steve, whether or not you stand by them up there in the clouds, movies are being made about you and your wish is coming true.

Christoph Waltz steps out of the shadows in latest ‘SPECTRE’ sneak

The first full-length trailer for Bond 24 aka SPECTRE has arrived. Sam Mendes directs Daniel Craig as the actor suits up to portray the British Secret Service agent 007 for the fourth time. All of the major players get some screen in this extended look at the action-packed movie, even Bond’s new getaway vehicle, the Astin Martin DB10. Christoph Waltz’ Hannes Oberhauser remains shrouded in mystery, but at least we get a better look at him here than before. “You came across me so many times and yet you never saw me. What took you so long?” And then: “It was me, James. The author of all your pain.” Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) has perfected playing sinister. The official film synopsis follows:

A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci), the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE.

Meanwhile back in London, Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), the new head of the Centre for National Security, questions Bond’s actions and challenges the relevance of MI6, led by M (Ralph Fiennes). Bond covertly enlists Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) to help him seek out Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), the daughter of his old nemesis Mr White (Jesper Christensen), who may hold the clue to untangling the web of SPECTRE. As the daughter of an assassin, she understands Bond in a way most others cannot.

As Bond ventures towards the heart of SPECTRE, he learns of a chilling connection between himself and the enemy he seeks, played by Christoph Waltz.

SPECTRE hits theatres November 6.

Pixar forgoes dialogue to set the mood in its next adventure ‘The Good Dinosaur’

Disney and Pixar pick up right where they left off in this first official trailer for the upcoming animated pic The Good Dinosaur. The June teaser ended with a heartwarming glimpse at a green dinosaur and his pet human (more on that in a second), and the new trailer comes to life with an elevated sense of discovery, trepidation, and adventure.

The Good Dinosaur asks this question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? The film follows an Apatosaurus named Arlo and Spot the cave-boy. Director Peter Sohn, a Pixar Story Artist who previously worked on films such as Finding Nemo and Up!, describes Dino as a boy-and-his-dog story, except here the roles are reversed. “Arlo himself is what we would have become, able to articulate and have certain emotions and connection to family,” says Sohn. [The dinosaurs have] become us, essentially… I’m trying to treat Spot in a very kind of animalistic way, where he doesn’t speak very much. He’s very feral.”

You’ll notice the trailer barely includes any dialogue, besides a few grunts and growls. Featured prominently is the song “Crystals” by Of Monsters and Men, a sweet tune that succinctly sets the mood for Pixar’s latest adventure. I say, who needs dialogue in a trailer that so magically brings to life an alternate reality ruled by dinosaurs; the animation here is incredibly life-like at times and pushes CGI to new limits. What say you?

The Good Dinosaur hits theatres November 25.

Comic Con: ‘The Walking Dead’ & ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ land premiere dates (Epic trailers inside)

Screen Shot 2015-07-16 at 3.05.45 AM

The following post contains spoilers for The Walking Dead season 5.

The Walking Dead never fails to impress in San Diego every summer since creator Robert Kirkman and company always share the next season’s jam-packed trailer. The season 6 trailer, hanging after the break, previews the power struggle going on in the not-so-safe-zone known as Alexandria. With Lennie James’ Morgan in the mix, Rick Grimes has someone else to contend with. However, EP Scott M. Gimple states, “Things might not be as they seem…We sometimes play with the truth in trailers.” Interpret that as you will.

What else? After saying that there will be some “flashbackery” and time jumps coming soon, he later corrected himself and said, “A whole lot of flashbacks” are on the way; in fact, an entire episode will be a flashback. The Wolves are coming, as hinted across episodes in season 5; they will factor into the next season in “a way you might not expect,” teased Gimple. Casting announcements were made as well; Corey Hawkins is Heath from the comics, Nurse Jackie‘s Merritt Wever is also playing somebody from the comics, and Ethan Embry is featured in the new trailer.

In addition to Gimple, EPs Gale Anne Hurd, Dave Alpert, and Greg Nicotero were on the panel along with stars Andrew Lincoln, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Danai Gurira, Michael Cudlitz, Melissa McBride, Lennie James, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Norman Reedus.

What was it like being there? Well… McBride walked onto the stage with a tray of freshly baked cookies (hello, Scare-ol!). Reedus disclosed the three things he needs to get into character as Daryl Dixon: Motörhead, coffee, and Candy Crush (he’s a level 275 and proud of it!). Cudlitz said of his character, “Abraham’s defining moment hasn’t come yet.” Boom. Do you miss Rick’s beard? So does he? Gimple says his facial hair will continue to serve as a barometer of where his head is at; so, if the proverbial shit continues to hit the fan, expect that beard to be meaner than ever. Kirkman and Lauren Cohan couldn’t make the panel so everyone on the panel wore shirts with the creator’s big head on it and Cohan texted Nicotero for Yeun to read a love note to the fans (it was very sweet and then very funny). Also, an entertaining season 5 blooper reel was shown; unfortunately it wasn’t made available online so you’ll have to nab the DVD to see it.

The Walking Dead premieres its sixth season on Sunday, October 11 at 9pm on AMC. The super-sized 90-minute episode, directed by Greg Nicotero, will be followed by a new installment of Talking Dead hosted by Chris Hardwick. It was also announced that the premiere will screen for fans at Madison Square Garden; details here. Jump into the gallery below to see pictures from the panel as well as first looks at newly decomposed walkers designed, of course, by Mr. Nicotero.

Jump after the break for scoop on companion series Fear the Walking Dead. Continue reading Comic Con: ‘The Walking Dead’ & ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ land premiere dates (Epic trailers inside)

Comic Con: Emma embraces her dark side in ‘Once Upon a Time’ to become The Dark Swan (video inside)

This post contains spoilers for Once Upon a Time season 4.

Meet The Dark Swan. That’s what Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, executive producers of ABC’s fairytale drama Once Upon a Time, are calling Emma Swan, now that she’s carrying the darkness that once lived inside Rumpelstiltskin (formally known as The Dark One). The image you see above is being used as the official key art for the upcoming fifth season of OUAT and was featured outside the convention center in San Diego during the week of Comic Con. It’s certainly a bold image to use as it stylistically transforms Jennifer Morrison’s character into something sinister. It might be hard to see, but along the side it reads, “Evil isn’t born. It’s made.”

“Emma went through a lot in her life,” Morrison said at the OUAT panel. “She had a tough childhood. She’s had to overcome a lot of things. She’s tried to be the bigger person. Now that she’s tethered to the darkness, she’s free of that…She’s going to face the darkness in herself and figure out how to overcome it.”

In the first of three clips embedded after the break, you will witness Emma’s storied journey from bail bondswoman to Storybrooke non-believer to The Savior and her eventual decent into darkness. Emma lost her love from the “real world” when Neil met his maker last season, and more recently she found out that her parents–Snow White and Prince Charming–lied to her about her Savior origins. When all of this came to head in the season four finale, The Apprentice accidentally released the darkness living inside Rumpelstiltskin unto Storybrooke. Emma sacrificed herself and allowed the darkness to consume her to save the town from death and destruction.

In the second clip, you’ll get a first look at Morrison playing The Dark Swan: slicked back, bleached blonde hair, deep red lipstick, and shiny sparkles make up her appearance. And oh yes, she’s evil alright: locked inside a cage (did the darkness transport her to the Enchanted Forest?), Evil Emma rips the heart out of a jailor and crushes it to smithereens without flinching. Want a closer look at Morrison in character? Click over to EW for two stills.

The third and final clip released from the Con introduces a brand new character from Disney/Pixar lore and it’s Merida from Brave. Amy Manson (Being Human) plays the red-haired princess of DunBroch who happens to be a master archer. How she’s connected to the rest of the Once gang has not been disclosed.

The search for Merlin the Sorcerer and a way to save Emma from the darkness (herself!) begins this September when Once Upon a Time returns to ABC.

[Via EW] Continue reading Comic Con: Emma embraces her dark side in ‘Once Upon a Time’ to become The Dark Swan (video inside)

Comic Con: ‘Person of Interest’ aims to up the ante in shortened fifth (and possibly final) season

This post contains spoilers for Person of Interest season 4.

The Machine now lives inside a suitcase. Team Machine, namely Finch, Reese, Root, and Fusco, are racing against the clock to bring it back to “life” so they can take down its nefarious counterpart, Samaritan.

Johnathan Nolan and Greg Plageman, the executive producers behind Person of Interest, are also on a tight schedule to produce even more gripping content for the show’s rabid fanbase. CBS renewed POI for a fifth season, thankfully, but it did so with a caveat: it’s 13 episodes this time around, as opposed to the typical 22 or 23. Cancellation whispers are in the air, and so Nolan and the creative team are prepared to go out with a bang if this is indeed the end.

“In terms of the reduced order, we’re going to make 13 kick-ass episodes, drop the microphone, and if we’re asked to pick it up again, we’ll have more stories to tell,” Nolan told fans at Comic Con. “We’re very, very proud of the show and very excited with the show we’ve been making. If it’s the last season, no one is going to be disappointed with the story that we tell.”

Viewers can expect a lot less filler (i.e. “numbers of the week” episodes) and a whole lot more story connected to the overarching battle for supremacy over Samaritan. “They’ve got to find a way to go on the offensive–attack Samaritan and hit them hard,” said Jim Caviezel, who plays Reese.

How will season 5 approach the Second Coming of The Machine? “If [Finch] has to rebuild it, he may not do it the way he did it initially,” said Michael Emerson. “He may give it more of the freedom that Root was always demanding for it. And maybe the new Machine is a greater warrior than the old Machine was.” In a video interview with TVLine (watch that here), Emerson adds that he hopes and expects Finch “to have a more personal relationship with The Machine.” He says the lines are blurring when it comes to The Machine serving as a tool and acting like a person. Intrigue!

Need more to chew on? Watch the 4-minute sizzle reel that premiered in San Diego above. It highlights the high stakes drama that’s been permeating throughout the series from the very beginning, and at the very end (wait for it!) it plays a recorded message from Root teasing a fight for the future. It’s epic, it’s cinematic, and it perfectly encapsulates just how great this show can be on a consistent basis.

After mastering the art of weaving in and out of procedural and serial episodes, Person of Interest is prepared to put the pedal to the metal, reaching deep into its mythos to resuscitate The Machine and save the world from Samaritan, in what may very well be the final string of episodes. POI returns in midseason to CBS.

[Via THR; TVLine]

Comic Con: ‘Heroes Reborn’ aims to reinvigorate the old-school superhero series

Following those two initial teasersHeroes creator Tim Kring unleashed an extended trailer at Comic Con for his upcoming NBC event series Heroes Reborn. And I’ve got to say, it looks pretty damn good to me. I consider the first season of Heroes, which aired way back in 2006, one of the most exciting and gripping debuts for a TV series (even with the somewhat anti-climactic conclusion with Sylar slithering away). The show wavered in its ability to remain creatively charged over the course of its next few seasons, and it eventually fizzled out and was cancelled after its fourth batch of episodes aired in 2010. Now, Kring is back with a truncated 13-episode count and a tight story promising a beginning, middle, and end to wholly satisfy viewers. Kring is pushing for Reborn to harken back to the series’ season 1 roots, featuring a new cast of characters discovering extraordinary abilities for the very first time and dealing with the ramifications. Tying Reborn to Heroes proper are returning characters such as Noah “HRG” Bennet (Jack Coleman), among others. They all get nods in this trailer.

At the Heroes Reborn panel at Comic Con, Kring confirmed that the event series takes place 5 years after the conclusion of season 4 when–spoiler alert–it was made public that “EVOs” or evolved humans have powers. “The world knows about these people, so it changes the story considerably,” said Kring. “When you discovered you had a power, it was mystical journey of discovery. Now, if you wake up with a power, you know it’s a very bad thing because you’ll be exploited.”

Longtime viewers will find out what happened to fan-favorite characters, even the ones who aren’t returning to reprise their roles, such as Hayden Panettiere (who played cheerleader Claire Bennet) and Milo Ventimiglia (Peter Petrelli). “The universe that we’re building around the show does all that,” Kring said. “We do unpack what happened in the previous years. By the time you watch the finale, you’ll have a big chunk of that answered for you.”

While you’re waiting for Heroes Reborn to premiere this fall on NBC, there’s a digital web series that servers a prequel for what’s coming up. It actually stars Henry Zebrowski as Quentin Frady, a character who also has a major role in the event series. To watch the multi-part Dark Matter series, download the free Heroes Reborn app.

Dark Matter tells a story that connects up with the show in a really unique way,” says Kring. “I don’t think anybody’s ever quite done a series that connects up to the show in the way this does.” Sounds to me like Heroes fans know what they’re going to do tonight.

[Via Deadline 1, 2; TVLine]

Comic Con: Bruce Campbell is spectacular in small-screen adaptation ‘Ash vs. Evil Dead’

The band is back together. Director Sam Raimi, producer Rob Tapert, and star Bruce Campbell have reunited to summon the Deadites again in a TV adaptation of The Evil Dead. 57-year-old Campbell starred in the original trilogy of Evil Dead movies from 1981-1992, and now he’s back to reprise his iconic role as Ash Williams in Ash vs. Evil Dead for Starz.

If you’ve seen the Evil Dead movies, you know that the franchise is best known for its equal balance of gruesome horror, campy fun, and ultimate one-liners. Despite the opening sequence in this trailer, Campbell falls back into the role quite snuggly and fans from before are going to eat this up. Missed out on the movies? That’s okay. If battling evil undead forces with more than a pinch of campy mayhem sounds entertaining to you, then Ash vs. Evil Dead is a must-see. And, as witnessed in the trailer, Ash gives his younger compatriots (and the audience) a history lesson about how he unintentionally woke the creepy crawlers 30 years ago.

Starring alongside Campbell are Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess), Ray Santiago (Bad Judge), Dana Delorenzo (Barely Famous), and Jill Marie Jones (Sleepy Hollow).

Ash vs. Evil Dead, appropriately enough, premieres this Halloween on Starz. Now go watch the trailer like five more times because it is that good.

Comic Con: Batman takes on Superman–with a pinch of Lex Luthor & Wonder Woman–in latest peek at ‘Dawn of Justice’

During the climactic scene in Man of Steel, Superman (Henry Cavill) battles General Zod (Michael Shannon) and in the process decimates the city of Metropolis. Turns out Batman (Ben Affleck) was witness to the destruction, too. “He has the power to wipe out the entire human race,” growls Bruce Wayne. There we have it:  the “v” in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is clearer than ever now. Batman wants to take out Superman before he destroys us all. We, of course, know that Clark Kent’s intentions are good, but the mess he made in Man of Steel and the death toll to come out of all that tell a different story. What else does this positively jam-packed trailer tease? Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is up to no good and still has hair, and Gal Gadot looks fantastic as Wonder Woman. No sign of Aquaman (Jason Momoa) just yet.

If you were ever on the fence here, this latest peek at Dawn of Justice should reel you right in. A stellar trailer, indeed. Zack Snyder’s upcoming DC adventure is out March 26, 2016.