Why Tolkien’s Work Is Timeless, According To The New Movie’s Cast

Why Tolkien’s Work Is Timeless, According To The New Movie’s Cast

Between the various incarnations of both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, as well as the new biopic Tolkien, the fascination with the world of Middle-Earth is one that is still as strong today as it was when this literary legend first got its start.

It certainly isn’t by accident, as the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy franchise has captivated the imagination of audiences since The Hobbit’s first publication in 1936. And no one knows this better than the cast of director Dome Karukoski’s film centered around the years that Tolkien himself spent in the halls of academia and the trenches of war.

Depending on who you talk to, there are various aspects to J.R.R. Tolkien’s work that attract any particular reader. And as it happens, CinemaBlend was on hand during the press day for Tolkien, and was able to ask the actors present on the day just what makes those works so timeless. In the case of Nicholas Hoult, the man who plays Tolkien himself, those works of literature stand out for the following reasons:

I think it feels so real, and that is a testament to how creative and in depth his knowledge of language and the worlds he created were. It’s completely immersive, his work. So that’s something that no matter what age you read it at, and luckily for me going back to revisit it to research this, I appreciated it in a whole new way.

Of course, J.R.R. Tolkien didn’t create the world of Middle Earth in a vacuum, and there were a couple very important people that stand out in both the story of the author’s life, as well as the film version that Tolkien will dramatize for audiences that will see the film in theaters.

One such person was the love of his life, Edith Bratt, who is played in the film by Lily Collins. When asked what she felt made Tolkien’s work so special, she shared some of the same aspects that Nicholas Hoult had highlighted, but with some additional details as to how her character fit into the legend behind the history.

In particular, Collins had the following to say on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien:

I think his love of language, and his love of magic and fantasy is something that people are going to always resonate with, because it’s a form of escapism. Edith [Bratt] got that out of his storytelling, and it was a way for her to really leave her present existence. You know, she was a woman of the time, she was an orphan, she had a very specific social standing, and didn’t have many prospects, and so this allowed her the ability to disappear. I think we love the ability to go somewhere else for a little while in our heads, and these stories allow us to do that.

As there is a lot of romantic love to be highlighted in the world of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, especially when it comes to the Elvish beauties that Edith Bratt had inspired Tolkien to create, there’s also a strong bond of fellowship.

That particular branch of the mythos that J.R.R. Tolkien wove into his works came from the friendship he had with a personal society of school friends known as the Tea Club, Barovian Society, or TCBS for short. In Tolkien, the world of this informal fraternity is depicted at length, as the author and his friends, Geoffrey Bache Smith, Robert Q. Gilson, and Christopher Wiseman, are seen creating the club and using it to achieve their great goal in life: to change the world through art.

Played respectively by actors Anthony Boyle, Patrick Gibson, and Tom Glynn-Carney, they too had a unique perspective as to why J.R.R. Tolkien’s work translates so well through the ages, as shown below in their individual remarks during a grouped interview:

Glynn-Carney: His incredible capability to create another world, out of nothing. To be as imaginative as he is, and to see it in such vivid technicolor, and be able to bring it to life.

Boyle: Few authors have had the sort of cultural impact that Tolkien has had.

Gibson: And to be able to incorporate such human stories at the middle of a fantastical world, you feel like you could know those characters, yet it’s a tree. It’s Treebeard, and you think you’ve met him before.

With both massive sales of his printed works, as well as the various adaptations for stage and screen that have seen The Lord of the Rings presented to the world, J.R.R. Tolkien’s impact on the world of fantasy is one that isn’t going to go away any time soon. This is especially true when taking into account the fact that Amazon is about to bring the world of Middle-Earth back to the masses, courtesy of their upcoming epic TV series.

Though you can see just how excited the cast is about the works of Tolkien, as well as their part in bringing his personal story to life, in the footage from the Tolkien press day shown below:

While storytelling and fantasy have come a long way since J.R.R. Tolkien's era of literature, the core values of Tolkien's storytelling have never gone out of style. So even if audiences aren't particularly keyed into the author's famous tales, his work lives on due to his influence being felt on stories like Harry Potter and even Game of Thrones.

Tolkien opens in theaters in early showings this Thursday night. If you’re interested in more coverage with the cast of the film, stay tuned to CinemaBlend for further updates as the week goes on.

Read More

Ma Is Hilarious, But That Probably Wasn't The Movie's Intent

Ma Is Hilarious, But That Probably Wasn't The Movie's Intent

Warning! The following contains spoilers regarding Ma. Read at your own risk!

As I drove to the theater for my screening of Ma, I was half regretting my decision to attend. Sunday nights are for relaxing, and seeing a horror movie in which a woman befriends and then torments teenagers didn't seem like a calm and relaxing way to prepare for the work week ahead.

As it turns out, I was completely wrong. Ma is the hardest I've laughed in a theater in some time, and though I still have yet to see Booksmart, it may be one of the funniest movies I've seen in 2019. Unfortunately, that's probably not really the point of the movie, which was billed and presented itself as a horror movie. So, why then was I laughing as opposed to jumping out of my theater seat? Let's dive in.

Ma Is An Objectively Hilarious Character

Ma does a solid job of making Sue Ann appear unhinged, and the story of how she got to where she is laid all that out perfectly. Where it struggles, however, is that her more manic moments in the film portray her less as a frightening sociopath and more of a somewhat hilarious individual. Whether she unexpectedly pulled a gun on a teen or karate kicked a pile of beer cans over, I was laughing.

For what it's worth, I think this is more a product of the film's tone and story than anything related to Octavia Spencer. She did bring an intensity to the role I haven't seen in her past work, but those scenes lack the music or build up of tension needed to make those moments legitimately scary. Instead, there might be a chuckle or two as Ma frequently comes out of left field with some actions that come out of nowhere!

The Gore In Ma Is More Cartoonish Than Frightening

Just to get this out of the way right now, Ma is not a movie I would consider to be excessively gory. Most of the violence happens in the latter part of the feature, but hoo boy, when it arrives it really makes an entrance. Fans see a pretty brutal death to kick things up, and things really escalate from that point on.

As the header states though, it's not at all scary. One death feels straight up like something out of a Final Destination movie, and the rest are weird, but almost cartoonish in how they go down. Those who haven't seen the movie need only wait until the final scenes of Ma to understand. It's necessarily as weird as the paint scene (you'll know when you watch), but just an odd display of violence when things seemed more grounded before.

The Teens In Ma Aren't Sympathetic And Make Terrible Decisions

One thing that makes Ma especially funny to me was the lack of emotion I felt towards the teenage cast, who also somehow fell below the standard for teens that make bad decisions in horror films. Like, it's one thing to do the stereotypical trope of running upstairs when being chased by a mass murderer, but these characters do that equivalent while adding "don't forget your knife!" on the way up.

Now, that situation doesn't literally happen, but it might as well have as it's pretty clear from the get go that Sue Ann is bad news. Yet they continue to show up at her house, which can certainly make the audience feel more like "well that's what you get" rather than, "oh poor kids." It also doesn't help that we only the smallest details about each character, which in turn could leave folks largely unaffected by what happens to them.

Ma Has A Good Deal Of Seemingly Intentional Humor

For all the moments in Ma that are unintentionally funny, there are some moments that were brought in, I'm assuming, to lighten the mood with some actual humor. At least, that's what we can assume when it comes to Allison Janney's Dr. Brown, whose sole purpose throughout the movie is to be on Sue Ann's ass whenever she's slacking off on the job.

Another bizarre character was Dominic Burgess' Stu, a relatively minor character with a performance that really sticks out and makes you think he has a larger part to play. Alas he doesn't, although the effort he put into the role really has me wondering if he maybe had more scenes that were cut later in development? Whatever the case, characters like this elevate the humor exponentially, but drastically reduce the creepiness and horror elements.

Ma's Ending Is Just So Damn Bizarre

Massive spoiler warning for those that don't want to know the ending of the movie. You've been warned! Sue Ann/Ma ends up drugging all the teens and keeping them in their basement, and after some unique punishments for most of the characters, Maggie's mom Erica arrives with Stu and the house goes up in flames. Maggie stabs Ma in order to rescue Ma's secret daughter (which is the twist I'm assuming promotions are touting).

Ma is stabbed and everybody else escapes and chills in the front yard in shock of what all happened. Meanwhile, Ma comes to in the burning house and casually watches everyone from the window of her living room. Again, the house is on fire, but she decides to head upstairs, curl up in bed with the dead man that orchestrated her sexual assault when she was younger and wait for the flames to take her. Fade to black, credits roll.

There's no resolution and no falling action; Ma just dips in its most pivotal scene like it has somewhere to be. It's arguably the most hilarious part of the movie, because we're left to wonder what the hell happens in the minutes that follow. Alas, it's an answer that may only come if Ma 2 gets made, which I'd honestly be on board with. Let Ma escape and bump the camp up even further in a sequel, and I'm 100% there.

Annabelle Comes Home Is Definitely Not A Horror Comedy, But It Will Have Funny Moments

Ma is currently in theaters right now for those who haven't seen it yet. Those that have can feel free to share their thoughts in the comments, and let us know if they'd be up for Ma 2.

Read More

Is Bo Peep The Villain In Toy Story 4?

Is Bo Peep The Villain In Toy Story 4?

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for a few past Pixar films along with the opening scene of Toy Story 4.

Toy Story 4 is just under three months away, and recently Pixar hasn’t been shy about pulling back the curtain a bit on what to expect from the long-awaited comeback of Andy’s gang of childhood toys. The upcoming animated sequel will also mark the return of Bo Peep, a shiny porcelain sheep-herder who was a loving confidant to Woody up until the studio decidedly cut her out of 2010’s Toy Story 3 – or perhaps just forgot to pencil her in?

Now, Bo Peep seems to be getting her redemption story in Toy Story 4, as the character has traded her bonnet and pink dress for a badass (but still feminine) take on her character. This includes her wearing pantaloons, a pink bow and using her crook as a powerful weapon instead of a mere accessory as she shows Woody around her new way of life, which seems to be between an antique store and lively carnival. She certainly has a prominent presence in the marketing for Toy Story 4 thus far, and now there's been speculation that this is because she is being developed into the next Toy Story villain.

But could Bo Peep really be the crook (pun intended) that Woody, Buzz and the gang will ultimately face in Toy Story 4? I certainly think there's a good case for it! Time to break this theory down.

Bo Peep is introduced in the first Toy Story film as a porcelain doll who is part of a lamp belonging to Andy’s sister, Molly. This already makes her a bit of an outsider to the other toys, but she is often used as a “damsel in distress” to Woody’s adventures during play time. The pair share an undeniable connection with one another, as she’s often thought of as Woody’s love interest. But then, something happens between Toy Story 2 and 3 that makes Bo Peep disappear from the cast of characters in the animated franchise.

Perhaps she is given away? That seems to be the way Toy Story 4 will fill in the gaps in the beginning of the film (which was recently shown at CinemaCon). The story will be set up by showing Woody and Bo Peep’s final exchange before they reunite in the upcoming movie, which includes her telling Woody that she’s okay with being given away and her asking him to come with her. He doesn’t, as his loyalty stays with Andy, though Toy Story 3 famously ends with the now-college-aged lad giving his childhood toys away to a toddler named Bonnie, who they belong to in the new movie.

Toy Story 4 will see Woody getting separated by Bonnie when he runs after her new craft project, Forky, who is having an existential crisis about his purpose. As Woody tries to rescue Forky and bring him back to Bonnie, they will come across Bo Peep. She will introduce Woody to her new lifestyle as someone who has taken control of her narrative as a toy, who roams freely without the need of one child and seems to help other forgotten toys find a home without an “Andy” to call their own. She seems to tempt Woody to adopt this life as well and the movie seems to center on a decision for him to either stay with her or again remain loyal to his kid.

Bo Peep has already been rejected before by Woody, so what if she’s not willing to take no for an answer this time? What starts off as her giving him the illusion of choice by using persuading words like “sometimes change can be good” and “kids lose their toys everyday” (which she utters in the trailer) is actually entrapment. Her story arc could easily become an origin story of the next Toy Story villain. As the other toys go out to save Woody, maybe they end up needing to confront and rescue Bo Peep. It would be the ultimate showdown if the last installment of Toy Story revolved around Woody and the gang face off with a character they love and once called a friend from the past.

The Toy Story franchise is certainly no stranger to pulling the old friend-turned-foe switcheroo. In the second film, Stinky Pete was painted as a new friend to Woody before he tried to force him and Jessie to be shipped off to a toy museum in Japan. This formula was used again in the third movie when the once welcoming Lotso tried to keep the toys from going home in order to keep them safe in the confines of the preschool, where they wouldn't be given away or replaced. Based on this track record, when toys face abandonment, something seriously cracks, and we know Bo Peep has received this treatment already.

Pixar has used this plotline in two other of their recent releases too! In Coco, Ernesto de la Cruz is introduced as Miguel’s hero, but winds up being the film’s villain, and in Incredibles 2 Evelyn is set up to be on the heroes' side before being revealed as the movie’s main baddie as well. Would Pixar dare use this familiar formula for its third release in a row? I think it’s certainly a possibility!

The villain that seems to be set up in Toy Story 4, a doll named Gabby Gabby, just doesn’t seem to hold as much emotional weight to the toys as Bo Peep would as a villain. Plus, her tragic backstory has already been revealed. She’s a vintage doll that was manufactured with a broken voice box and she has some creepy ventriloquist dummies who do her bidding. This story certainly has the makings of a sinister evil plot - such as attempting to steal away Woody’s working one so she can be finally loved by a child perhaps?

But it’s actually more predictable than Bo Peep’s potential as a villain because we don’t know yet what happened to her between Toy Story 2 and today. That’s 20 years of backstory we may learn and could play a bigger role in the story, then what’s being revealed by Pixar. Even if I’m right, Toy Story 4 could still be a really interesting and unique addition to the franchise, and there could still be a ton we don’t know about where it goes.

We of course won’t know for sure until Toy Story 4 hits theaters on June 21. What do you think? Do you think this theory will play out in any way in the upcoming sequel. Feel free to tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

Read More

So Many People Are Going to Galaxy's Edge, Disneyland Has To Actually Expand Entryway

So Many People Are Going to Galaxy's Edge, Disneyland Has To Actually Expand Entryway

We're coming into the home stretch before Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens at Disneyland, but the park still has a lot of work to do to get ready. In anticipation of the major crowds that are expected to swarm the park, Disneyland recently took to modifying the entrance to Adventureland, which will be one of the major pathways to Galaxy's Edge, in order to allow it to accommodate more people. This included removing the iconic sign above the hub entrance, though the word is Disney Parks plans to reuse as much of the sign as possible for the brand new entrance.

Disneyland's hub and spoke design is an iconic part of the park's layout that allowed guests to enter any of the park's major areas once they reached the end of Main Street USA. However, even with the park's first major expansion back in the 1960s, this concept began to fall apart. New Orleans Square was built out of a corner of Frontierland, meaning guests had to go through either Adventureland or Frontierland to get there.

Mickey's Toontown likewise requires guests to trek all the way through Fantasyland to see it.

The only space that Disneyland has had available for expansion has been in the back of the park, in an area previously holding offices and other "behind the scenes" cast member areas. This is going to make traffic a serious concern at Disneyland as the new area that everybody is going to be headed towards requires guests to pass through the rest of the park, making pretty much the entire park feel more crowded.

Adventureland Sign Removal

In order to make this a little more painless, Disneyland recently widened the path between the hub and Adventureland. One problem, that has DIsney fans a little sad, is that the wider path means the existing Adventureland sign no longer fits.

The permit to remove the iconic Adventureland sign was first uncovered by theme park fan Matthew Gotula in early April. The new entrance has been largely completed, and now has a very small sign denoting your location.

While there is only a small sign there now, a new larger sign is planned to be created, which will utilize as much of the previous sign as possible. The plan, according to the OC Register, is to have the new sign in place in time for the Galaxy's Edge opening May 31.

Dole Whip Diversion

A number of other changes are being implemented to help deal with crowds. One potentially surprising change is that the Dole Whip stand in front of the Enchanted Tiki Room will be closed on busy days, in order to prevent the crowds that often line up to get the popular soft serve pineapple treat.

Fear not, however, Dole Whip will still be available at the new Tropical Hideway, the grab-and-go food stand that opened late last year. Dole Whip is always available there. Also, you can get it with rum at the Disneyland Hotel coffee house, if you're inclined to such things.

The Dole Whip stand situation shows just how important these changes are. Normally, on a busy day, Disneyland would want to have as many places to buy Dole Whip, or anything else for that matter, as possible. However, in this case traffic flow is actually even more important than selling more food.

Project Stardust

All of these changes are part of a large, park wide, traffic review called Project Stardust (Star Wars+ Pixie Dust). Everything from seating and planter locations to stroller parking has been under review, and much of it has been moved or removed, in order to make it easier for people to make their way through the park.

Early estimates were that Disneyland could see as many as 200,000 people on the opening day of Galaxy's Edge. While the exact capacity of the park is unknown, estimates put the number at someplace around 85,000 people.

It's unclear if things will be quite that dire, since Disneyland has instituted a reservation system for the first three weeks after Galaxy's Edge opens. You can secure a reservation for Galaxy's Edge by making a Disneyland Resort hotel reservation. Everybody, booked into the room is guaranteed entry into Galaxy's Edge during one day of the booked stay, for a period that appears to be four hours long.

Anybody not staying on property will have an opportunity to book a reservation for Galaxy's Edge on May 2.

While the reservation system will likely keep those that don't have reservations away, the four hour block will mean that those waiting for their reservation time will be all over the rest of Disneyland, making traffic flow important not only in the areas that lead to Galaxy's Edge, but everywhere in the park.

Of course, the big question is just how long the massive crowds are expected to fill Galaxy's Edge? The interest in Galaxy's Edge clearly exceeds anything that has ever come before. The new attractions will likely be the most popular in the park for years to come. Does that mean the crowds won't die down for years?

One item that could prolong the popularity of Galaxy's Edge is that the initial opening will actually only be the beginning of phase one for Galaxy's Edge. Only one of the two E-ticket attractions, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run will be open on say one. The second attraction, Rise of the Resistance will come later. Exactly when has not been announced, but it will come later in 2019.

This means that even those that get to experience Galaxy's Edge early will have every reason to want to return if only to get a chance to ride the second attraction.

It's also unclear just how much you'll be able to do in a four window. Will that be enough time to ride Smuggler's Run and have dinner, or will you have to come back if you want to do both?

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens at Disneyland May 31 and will come to Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World on August 29.

Read More

How Toy Story 4 Included Don Rickles After His Death

How Toy Story 4 Included Don Rickles After His Death

The Toy Story franchise has been capturing moviegoers attention and breaking hearts since 1995, and the iconic group of toys will soon return to theaters with the upcoming fourth movie. Toy Story 4 will pick up on Woody, Buzz and company now that they're living with Bonnie, and will reunite them with Annie Potts' Bo Peep in the process. But there's another toy who fans were worried about as the movie was being worked on: Mr. Potato Head.

Potato Head was voiced by comedy legend Don Rickles. But when Rickles passed away in 2017, fans worried about the character's future in Toy Story 4. But Rickles is still on the cast in the upcoming sequel, and director Josh Cooley recently explained how Mr. Potato Head was given life, saying:

We went back through all of the outtakes for all of the films, all the shorts, all the video games, all the ice-capades shows, every possible thing, and there was a lot of Don Rickles. So I wouldn’t say it was easy, but there was a lot to work with. So I’m very, very, very honored that he’s in this film.

It seems that nothing is impossible in the current age of film, and that includes bringing characters to life on screen after the actor in question passes on. The Star Wars franchise has famously made strides in this department, and now it look like Toy Story 4 will follow suit.

Josh Cooley's comments to Comic Book are sure to be a relief for Toy Story fans, who were worried about how the fourth movie would be utilizing Mr. Potato Head in the wake of Don Rickles' death. But Cooley and his team utilized the Disney Vault, and found unused footage from the first three Toy Story movies, as well as the various specials that he recorded content for.

Since Toy Story 4 is an animated blockbuster, the House of Mouse doesn't have the pressure of bringing Don Rickles' physical likeness to theaters. Instead, Mr. Potato Head's movement and participation in scenes can be built around what extra dialogue Josh Cooley found. As such, it will probably not be super obvious that previously recorded dialogue is being utilized in the upcoming movie.

Related: Full Toy Story 4 Trailer Brings Back Bo Peep And Even Andy

In addition to keeping Don Rickles as Potato Head in Toy Story 4, the upcoming movie will also contain a special tribute to the late comedian. Considering his contributions to the franchise and comedy as a whole, it's safe so say Rickles deserves it.

The Star Wars franchise is pulling a similar (albeit far more ambitious) move with The Rise of Skywalker. Carrie Fisher's General Leia will have a role thanks to unused footage of the late actress in previous two installments. And Fisher's brief appearance in the first trailer is already enough to make fans well up.

You can see Don Rickles' final bow as Mr. Potato Head when Toy Story 4 arrives in theaters on June 21st. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies

Read More

What The James Gunn Guardians 3 News Means For The Suicide Squad

What The James Gunn Guardians 3 News Means For The Suicide Squad

In a surprising bombshell, it has been reported that James Gunn will be returning to direct Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after being fired from the project last summer. This is great news for the film and Marvel fans, but is it bad news for Suicide Squad 2, the DC film Gunn signed on to write and direct after his firing? Thankfully, no, James Gunn’s return to Guardians 3 will not impact The Suicide Squad.

In the report from Deadline about James Gunn’s reinstatement as director for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it is revealed that James Gunn will still write and direct The Suicide Squad as planned. This complicates the time table for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but Marvel Studios has agreed to wait to begin production on the threequel until after James Gunn finishes The Suicide Squad for Warner Bros. and DC.

This was all made possible because Marvel never even met with or considered other filmmakers to replace James Gunn. The studio seemingly knew that there was nobody else who could do the job and infuse the same personality James Gunn did that would appease the fans and the cast. So Marvel was willing to wait for him to do Suicide Squad 2 first.

It would have been easy for DC fans and those excited to see what James Gunn could do with The Suicide Squad to get worried upon reading headlines about his Marvel return, but those fears are unfounded. Essentially, James Gunn’s return to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 means nothing for The Suicide Squad other than that we’ll be getting two James Gunn comic book movies, in two different universes, back to back.

This is one of those rare situations that is pretty much a win-win all around. James Gunn gets a second chance and those who felt he was unfairly fired see that situation righted, DC still gets a great filmmaker to come in and put his stamp on the universe with some exciting characters in The Suicide Squad, and we get James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Sure, we aren’t getting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as soon as we once expected, but up until today it seemed like the best we could hope for was that James Gunn’s script would be used. Now James Gunn will return to both write and direct. Dave Bautista and the rest of the cast have to be ecstatic.

Speaking of casts, we still don’t know exactly who will and won’t be returning for Suicide Squad 2, but we do know that Idris Elba will be replacing Will Smith as Deadshot and Margot Robbie is expected to reprise her role as Harley Quinn.

The Suicide Squad is set to hit theaters on August 6, 2021. A new release date for James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has not been set. For release dates we do know, check out our premiere guide to see what’s headed to theaters this year.

Read More

Keanu Reeves Was Put In ‘Movie Jail’ After Turning Down Speed 2

Keanu Reeves Was Put In ‘Movie Jail’ After Turning Down Speed 2

Keanu Reeves made the leap from Bill and Ted slacker to legitimate action star thanks to his role in 1994's Speed. The movie made over $350 million (in 1994 dollars) and was one of the top 10 movies at the box office that year. The fact that a sequel went into the works is no surprise. However, when it came time to make the movie, Reeves ended up turning the role down, a decision which apparently sent him to "movie jail" for more than a decade. According to the actor...

I didn’t work with [Fox] again until The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Speed 2: Cruise Control was released in 1997 and The Day the Earth Stood Still came out in 2008. It seems that in that time, Fox was none to happy with Keanu Reeves. The actor doesn't go into detail with GQ regarding "movie jail," but it seems Reeves was well aware that it wasn't a coincidence that none of his projects for the next decade or so ended up at the studio. Apparently, Fox was miffed that he turned down the Speed sequel. One certainly wonders what sorts of Fox projects Reeves could have potentially been a part of had it not been for his 10 year sentence to movie jail.

A brief look at the box office results makes it clear why Fox was unhappy. Speed 2 made $168 million, less than half what the original movie did. While it's hard to chalk up all of that difference to the fact Keanu Reeves wasn't in the movie, Reeves was certainly a bigger name than Jason Patric, the guy who took the role of male lead opposite Sandra Bullock in the sequel. Also, the simple fact that Reeves didn't return could have potentially signaled to many moviegoers that the follow-up wasn't worth their time. If Reeves was the reason you saw the first one, why bother with the sequel.

It's unclear here if the reason Reeves didn't reprise his role from Speed was because he had any issues with the movie itself. He chose to play Hamlet on stage in Canada instead, but he may have just really wanted to play Hamlet more than make the movie.

Of course, Reeves would go on to star in the Matrix trilogy which turned him into an even bigger star. Now he's part of another major franchise, the John Wick series, which is produced by Lionsgate, a much smaller studio. In fact, as GQ points out, Reeves hasn't made a movie with any major studio since 2013's 47 Ronin, which was something of a flop, so perhaps the actor is actually back in movie jail, but just doesn't know it.

At the end of the day, business is business, but those businesses are also run by people, and if you upset people, they can react in emotional ways. It seems that's what happened here.

Read More

Andy Serkis Went Through Extensive Makeup For Long Shot, Despite Nobody Asking Him To

Andy Serkis Went Through Extensive Makeup For Long Shot, Despite Nobody Asking Him To

Since his breakout role as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Andy Serkis has established himself as one of the most brilliantly transformative actors in modern Hollywood. Obviously a big part of it is his dedication to and expertise in the world of performance capture, but even when it comes to his “live-action” parts he rarely appears as he does in everyday life.

All that being said, you wouldn’t necessarily expect him to bring that same kind of energy to a role in a comedy like Jonathan Levine’s Long Shot, and yet he did… with absolutely nobody actually telling him to do it.

I learned the full story about Andy Serkis’ serious commitment when I attended the Los Angeles press day for Long Shot late month and had the pleasure of sitting down with the director and stars. Having gotten word about Serkis’ special initiative in the making of the movie, I first brought up the actor’s work during my interview with Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron, and both of them expressed their genuine surprise about their co-stars’ transformation into the role of Australian media mogul Parker Wembley:

Seth Rogen: We offered him the role, and then he was like, 'Okay.' And then he started sending ideas for what he would look like. And we were like, 'What do you mean? I thought he kind of looked a lot like Andy Serkis.' But he was like, 'No, I got this whole thing.' And we were like, 'Whatever, man!'

Charlize Theron: It was impressive!

The same sentiment was echoed later by Jonathan Levine, who confirmed that nobody actually asked Andy Serkis to sit in the make-up chair for many hours each day so that he could fully embody his vision of the character. At the same time, though, the director ultimately came to the realization of what the actor was doing, and got to understand the importance of physicality in the parts that Serkis takes on. Said Levine,

Andy Serkis made choices that nobody asked him to make, and that sounds like a negative thing, but as a director, actually, that's one of the most beautiful gifts you can give a director. Because he really dove into the character, and he really wanted to make it his own. The biggest thing was that he decided to be in prosthetic makeup for six hours a day. But you start to realize that this is how Andy Serkis accesses characters. If you think about Andy Serkis' career, it's facial expressions; it's very primal stuff. And so that really helped him figure out this guy.

In Long Shot, Andy Serkis’ Parker Wembley is basically halfway between Rupert Murdoch and Richard Branson, and is quickly introduced to the story as an antagonist. He winds up purchasing the independent newspaper for which Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) works as a reporter, and because Flarsky disagrees with Wembley’s politics he decides to quit. This quickly establishes legitimate conflict, but his role becomes more substantial because of his interest in gaining influence over Secretary of State Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron), who has ambitions to run for President of the United States.

Andy Serkis’ level of devotion to his craft should be obvious to this point, but what makes the whole thing even more jaw-dropping is the extra detail that Seth Rogen dropped during our conversation. After all, it’s one thing to be willing to sit in a make-up chair for six hours every day, but the choice becomes even more extreme when you learn that sometimes he would go through the entire process and then not shoot a single frame of footage:

Seth Rogen: It was ridiculous! And there were some days, because it was self-inflicted, there were some days - and this happens a lot of movies - where you think you're going to shoot a scene, and then you don't, and then you shoot it the next day or something like that. And he would go through like six hours of makeup or something like that, and then we would just be like, 'Oh, we're not to do it today.' And he's just like, 'All right!'

Charlize Theron: He was fine!

Seth Rogen: You're just like, 'Dude! Like, wow.' He's truly one of the nicest dudes in the world, which is weird cause he like exclusively plays evil people. [laughs]

This is pretty insane to think about, particularly when you consider that actors regularly complain about the process of going through extreme transformations – but perhaps it’s a bit like taking long car trips: if you go on them regularly enough, eventually you just kind of get numb to their monotony.

You'll obviously be able to see Andy Serkis' full performance in the film, but he can briefly be spotted a couple times in the trailers - the first being in the screenshot above, and a second time in the shot below:

Regardless of exactly how Andy Serkis was able to put himself through that painstaking process in the making of Long Shot, at the end of the day it was something for which Jonathan Levine expressed extreme admiration and appreciation. Said the director,

It was amazing for us, because for me it reminded me of Coming To America or Dick Tracy, you know - movies where you're like, 'Who is that guy?' and that part of it becomes part of the fun of the movie. So it was always came from a fun place, and it was always consistent with what we were going for tonally. What's great about Serkis is he's a director too, so he knew he wasn't like 'going rogue.' It was a collaborative decision, but it was one that I was just kind of like, 'Dude, you really want to be here six hours longer than you have to?' I love directing, but you know, as soon as that whistle blows, I'm out the door. [laughs]

You can watch Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron, and Jonathan Levine discuss their time working with Andy Serkis in the making of Long Shot by clicking play on the video below.

Also starring O’Shea Jackson Jr., Ravi Patel, June Diane Raphael, Alexander Skarsgard, and Bob Odenkirk, Long Shot is a romantic comedy that ultimately follows the relationship between the aforementioned Fred Flarsky and Charlotte Field, the latter having previously been the former’s babysitter. After losing his job, Flarsky winds up becoming a part of Field’s speechwriting team, and while he starts to learn how to not constantly get in his own way, she is also inspired to stand up for the ideals in which she believes. It’s one of the best comedies of the year so far, so be sure to look for it in a theater near you when it’s released this Friday.

Read More

American Gods’ Ricky Whittle Has Had Talks About Playing Green Lantern

American Gods’ Ricky Whittle Has Had Talks About Playing Green Lantern

It’s no secret that Green Lantern’s theatrical debut wasn’t the hit that DC and Warner Bros were hoping for, as the hero’s 2011 movie was met with negative reception and didn’t make a profit. However, the Emerald Knight’s mythology is getting a chance at cinematic redemption with Green Lantern Corps, and in late 2017, Green Lantern writer Michael Green suggested that American Gods star Ricky Whittle would be a good actor to don the power ring next. Since then, Whittle has actually met with certain parties about playing Green Lantern, as he explained:

We know that Green Lantern Corps is coming out. I’ve had conversations, and to be in the conversation is a big honor. That's all I can really ever ask for. Lots of fans have been campaigning for me. If they can get me Green Lantern, too, we are going to have to do something special. I'm going to have to start doing tours in full costume and go and watch with all the fans. But, yeah, I would love to be a part of that world. Hopefully, they do it justice this time.

Remember that just because an actor has had conversations with people working on a movie doesn’t mean that said actor will necessarily obtain the role, but it’s definitely a step up from campaigning to play a character. Ricky Whittle is clearly interested in getting to be Green Lantern, so maybe he sends a better than most of obtaining the role. Of course, he’s currently starring as Shadow Moon on American Gods, but since that’s a premium cable show with less episodes compared to something on broadcast, that would presumably allow more freedom in his schedule to take on Green Lantern Corps (not to mention that there’s no word yet on if the Starz show will get a third season).

Announced back in 2014 as part of the initial slate of DC Extended Universe movies, Green Lantern Corps has been put on the back burner in recent years, but it is definitely still in the works. Geoff Johns, whose run on the Green Lantern comic book spanned nearly a decade and propelled the property to a new level of popularity, is writing the script. As for which Green Lantern he’d portray, Ricky Whittle also mentioned in his interview with Syfy Wire that’d he’d be up for playing John Stewart or Simon Baz, though he noted that bringing John in particular to life would “be the dream.” He continued:

It's a fantastic character, and an important character, if you read the comics in terms of human society and race and different issues that we are engulfed by in at the moment in America. You never know. If Geoff Johns is reading this, I am definitely up for it. I'm a huge fan. What I like is they are taking their time with it. They are not rushing it like with the first one. They are taking their time and doing it right, which is how it should be. It's in good hands with Geoff. Fingers crossed. Whatever he does, I'll be watching it, no matter what.

All we know for sure about Green Lantern Corps so far is that it will involve Hal Jordan and John Stewart teaming up, although back when the script was being written by David Goyer and Justin Rhodes, the project was described as “Lethal Weapon in space.” It’s unclear if that description still applies, but at the very least, Green Lantern Corps could be used to dive deep into the DCEU’s cosmic corners.

Green Lantern Corps was originally set for a 2020 release, but it’s currently undated, with Birds of Prey and Wonder Woman 1984 holding down the DC fort next year. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for any major updates concerning Green Lantern Corps’ development.

Read More

Netflix's Always Be My Maybe Trailer: Watch Keanu Reeves And Ali Wong Dirty Talk

Netflix's Always Be My Maybe Trailer: Watch Keanu Reeves And Ali Wong Dirty Talk

While we may never understand just how Netflix manages to develop so many original films and television shows each month, but we’re not complaining. The streaming platform has recently played a part in a resurgence of the romantic comedy with hits such as To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and Set It Up. Now it’s releasing a rom-com with some seriously funny comedians including Ali Wong, Randall Park and … Keanu Reeves? Check out Always Be My Maybe.

Wait… you watched until the end right? I promised you Keanu Reeves and the only way to deliver is if you’ve see the trailer to the very end, but we’ll get back to him in a bit.

Always Be My Maybe follows Sasha (Ali Wong) a successful celebrity chef with a good-looking fiancé, played by Lost and Hawaii Five-0’s Daniel Dae Kim. When she goes home to San Francisco for business, she runs into her childhood crush Marcus (Fresh Off the Boat’s Randall Park). Will Sasha gets starry eyes for the one who got away? Or in her case, the one who didn’t move as she left and pursued her career goals.

The trailer from Netflix reveals her fiancé skips out on their wedding plans while she’s at home and he’s on vacation, sparking a hilarious line from Wong as she says she hopes he gets Malaria and shits himself to death. Then, it’s revealed a child’s birthday party was in close vicinity to hear her vile burn.

Sasha then finds herself spending more time with Marcus as she pursues dating on the side. Their chemistry is pretty obvious to everyone else but the couple seem oblivious to it on their own. It’s a classic “will-they-won’t-they” scenario for rom-com fans to eat up.

Always Be My Maybe drives down memory lane a bunch with the couple, flashing back scenes of them when they were kids and in a funny scene where the two make jokes about being in the same car where they once had sex as teens. Oh, and of course Mariah Carey’s ‘90s hit “Always Be My Baby” is playing in the background.

Right when it seems Marcus has drummed up the courage to tell Sasha he’s been in love with her for 15 years, Sasha drops a big bomb. She met someone… and yes, he’s played by Keanu Reeves. The actor makes a grand entrance and helps end out the trailer on a hilarious note as he and Ali Wong say things like “I missed your thumbs” closely into each others faces and Marcus’ heart drops.

It’s also perfect for Reeves to show up in the Always Be My Maybe on the heels of John Wick 3 heading to theaters this weekend and his new role in Toy Story 4 soon hitting screens.

While the trailer shows a lot about the movie, this moment serves as a great hook for audiences to watch the release on the streaming platform when it’s released on May 31.

Read More

Jumanji 3 Wraps Filming In Atlanta, The Rock Previews New Desert And Mountain Locations Ahead

Jumanji 3 Wraps Filming In Atlanta, The Rock Previews New Desert And Mountain Locations Ahead

Jumanji 3 is coming out this Christmas, which feels like a fast-turnaround -- but the team is filming fast, so apparently it'll all work out. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been updating fans from set each week, and today he revealed that they were actually finished production on the Atlanta set. That doesn't mean they're done filming by a long shot. But he previewed some of the new locations ahead -- including "icy snow capped mountains" and "blistering desert dunes" in addition to the jungles we're familiar with from Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

Check out Dwayne Johnson's latest Instagram post, which also seemed to show off one of his character's new looks for Jumanji 3:

Everyone is heading to the desert for their action movies this year. Interesting trend.

Just a couple of weeks ago, The Rock (Dr. Smolder Bravestone) posted another photo from set, this one with Karen Gillan (Ruby Roundhouse). They were both dressed in warm-weather gear -- very different costumes from Welcome to the Jungle -- possibly teasing a scene from the snow-capped mountain section of their Jumanji 3 game.

Jumanji 3 is bringing back pretty much everyone from Jumanji 2, Welcome to the Jungle. Jack Black (Professor Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon) added that Karen Gillan's Ruby Roundhouse kicks ass in the new movie and has a more evolved role with more to do.

The whole band is back together in Jumanji 3 -- including Kevin Hart as avatar Franklin Finbar, Nick Jonas as Jefferson "Seaplane," and the four young actors who played the high school players. Plus, Rhys Darby will be back as Nigel the in-game guide. New additions include Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, Awkwafina, and Dania Ramirez. We don't know what they'll be doing yet, but there's a good chance they're either players or avatars in the next level of the game.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was a massive hit after its December 2017 debut, holding its own against Star Wars: The Last Jedi with a worldwide gross of $962,126,927. That near billion was off a reported production budget of around $90 million, per Box Office Mojo. Jumanji 3 -- which has yet to reveal its official title -- is aiming for lightning to strike again this year. It's opening December 13, just a week before Star Wars: Episode IX. Will that gamble pay off? We'll see.

Jumanji 3 still has a lot of filming left to do in some "wild" hot and cold locations. The Rock and company will probably continue sharing updates along the way, crossing their fingers that fans love this movie as much as both the Robin Williams movie and Welcome to the Jungle. Keep up with all of the upcoming movie release dates with our guide to 2019.

Read More

Sorry, Ms. Marvel Was Not Teased During Captain Marvel

Sorry, Ms. Marvel Was Not Teased During Captain Marvel

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been on a serious roll with Phase Three, as every single installment has been a box office and critical success. This includes the most recent release: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel. The 90's origin story has been making some serious money during its first week in theaters, as the MCU is expanded further thanks to recurring characters Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Korath, and Ronan.

But there is another character that Marvel fans were looking out for: Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. The teenage hero is usually a denizen of Jersey City, and is inspired heavily by Carol Danvers' superhero identity. While some fans were hoping Kamala might have been hinted at during Captain Marvel's runtime, Kevin Feige recently shut down these rumors, saying:

I think she's a contemporary story. I don't think she was a little kid in 1990. I'm not sure she was born in 1995.

Touche. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe's timeline hasn't always been super clear to the fandom, Kevin Feige's math makes sense. Kamala Khan will need to be a teenager for her story to function, so there's no way she'd be around in 1995 when Captain Marvel is set. But when will she finally show up?

Kevin Feige's comments to Comic Book may illicit a mixture of emotions from the hardcore Marvel fans. For one, there's relief. If Ms. Marvel was teased during the events of Captain Marvel, it means that the first week of audiences didn't notice it. But since Kevin Feige shut that fan theory down, cinephiles can simply sit and enjoy the latest Marvel blockbuster, without having to pour over every frame.

Then again, there are plenty of fans who are waiting and hoping that Kamala Khan ends up being brought into the massive Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ms. Marvel made history as the first Muslim hero to come from Marvel's pages, and became a massively popular figure in the comic book universe. Mindy Kaling and Riz Ahmed have both voiced their interest in working on a Ms. Marvel movie for Marvel Studios. Plus, Brie Larson hopes the character pops up in the Captain Marvel sequel.

The MCU has been a more inclusive place in Phase Three, as people of color and women were given the chance to shine in projects like Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and Ant-Man and The Wasp. As such, it might be the perfect time for Marvel Studios to move forward and bring Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel to the silver screen for the first time. And it looks like Kevin Feige might have ideas brewing.

Unfortunately, Phase Four of the MCU is a complete mystery, as the studio is keeping its cards close to the chest until the release of Avengers: Endgame next month. The release schedule would presumably include potential spoilers, especially regarding who survives the final battle against Thanos. So we'll just have to wait and see if Ms. Marvel ever makes it to theaters.

Captain Marvel is in theaters now, and Avengers: Endgame will arrive on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Read More

Apparently Avengers: Endgame's Second Half Is Mind-Blowing

Apparently Avengers: Endgame's Second Half Is Mind-Blowing

Thanks to the intense secrecy of Avengers: Endgame, fans know very little of what to expect when they eventually sit down to watch the film later this month. Spectacle and tears have been assured by the filmmakers and cast, but specific plot details are locked in the vault. We still only have broad statements to work off of, but fans are apparently in for a treat, because a source claims that the second half of Endgame is "mind-blowing."

In Avengers: Endgame, the surviving members of the team must band together and find a way to reverse the damage done to the universe by Thanos -- or at least get revenge on the Mad Titan. That's already one epic logline that promises drama and action, and fan theories have risen up to try and plug the various holes. People have pitched everything from time travel to Ant-Man jumping up Thanos' butt, but whatever it ends up being, it will be absolutely wild.

Endgame is projected to have a record-breaking domestic opening that could earn as high as $300 million. As we get closer to the release date, that number could change depending on the reviews of the film. While a bad review can hurt box office performance, Deadline doesn't think Endgame has to worry about bad reviews. A reliable source who has seen the movie told the publication that the second half of Endgame is mind-blowing.

Deadline doesn't go any more specific than that, but mind-blowing feels like it's an accurate word for Endgame based on what we know already. Marvel has been hyping that it pulled off all the stops for this one, and while I think being overhyped is generally a bad thing, all evidence so far suggests Endgame will be a movie to remember.

And it's not just shadowy industry insiders who like the film. Test audiences apparently loved it, too! Per co-director Joe Russo during an interview with BoxOfficePro, Endgame had one of the highest test scores of any Marvel movie.

We’re vigilant about using test audiences to tell us whether we’re on the right track or we’re making bad decisions. With Endgame, it had one of the most incredible audience responses in Marvel history. Irrespective of the length, it’s been consistently embraced by the test audiences.

Butts likely won't be leaving seats during Endgame's wild runtime of three hours. Expect a lot more hype over these next coming weeks and be careful of the leaks that will inevitable arrive online. Something tells me going in as dry as possible will yield the best experience for everyone.

We'll finally have all of our questions answered when Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters on April 26. To learn all the information that we do know, here's our helpful guide.

Read More

Apparently, The Twilight Movies Are Hits On Hulu

Apparently, The Twilight Movies Are Hits On Hulu

At the end of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, Bella and Edward promise each other that they will be together and love each other forever. Forever is a long time, and while I can’t speak to their current relationship status, the love fans have for the Twilight franchise burns as brightly as ever nearly seven years after the last film’s release. This is evident because apparently The Twilight Saga is a hit on Hulu.

Although we don’t often get a lot of clear insight into viewership numbers from streaming services, when you do hear something, it’s usually good. Such is the case with the Twilight films, which arrived on Hulu on January 1. Hulu revealed to Decider that approximately 5,000 of its subscribers binged all five movies in the saga on New Year’s Day. That shows that these hardcore fans were probably waiting for the films to drop and could think of no better way to spend the holiday than with the popular franchise.

Those 5,000 were just the Hulu subscribers and Twilight fans who had the most ambitious binging aspirations. Over 135,000 Hulu subscribers finished all five films within the first week of their availability on the now primarily Disney-owned service. There is clearly still a passionate Twilight fandom out there and likely some new Twi-hards as well considering how streaming services allow for people to discover things they might have missed.

Hulu also provided some insight into who was spending all this time with Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, and the most common age of Twilight streamers was 20 year old. That makes sense considering that those watchers would have been 9 when the first Twilight film released in 2008 and they essentially grew up with the franchise. Nostalgic properties are powerful value propositions for streaming services and Hulu has one in Twilight.

As you might expect, 63% of those who streamed The Twilight Saga on Hulu were females. The other 37% were dudes being forced to watch it (I kid). The combined heartthrob power of Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson persists. If only more Twilight fans would follow all the great work in smaller films Robert Pattinson has done since then. Maybe if he’s the next Batman, those who like seeing him as a brooding creature of the night will tune in.

Although The Twilight Saga anecdotally doesn’t seem to have maintained the pop culture relevance it once had, the series’ success on Hulu is a reminder that this franchise was no fluke. Over five films from 2008 to 2012, fans of the franchise and Stephenie Meyer’s books flocked to theaters to the tune of $1.36 billion domestic and $3.34 billion worldwide.

Twilight’s performance on Hulu shows that should the studio one day decide to pursue a reboot of the property or tell more stories in that world, they can point to these numbers and the continued fan enthusiasm as evidence that such an endeavor could be successful.

For all this year’s new movies hoping to have similar success, check out our 2019 Release Schedule.

Read More

The Hellboy Reboot Will Surprise A Lot Of People, Ian McShane Says

The Hellboy Reboot Will Surprise A Lot Of People, Ian McShane Says

It's no secret that superhero movies are everywhere. Comic book adaptations have been proven the most profitable and popular genre in the business, with plenty of studios making their own attempts at box office supremacy. Guillermo del Toro adapted the Hellboy comics back in the early 2000's, and now a reboot is heading to theaters starring Stranger Things' David Harbour as the title character.

Joining David Harbour in the new Hellboy cast is Ian McShane, who has been seen in the John Wick and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises, as well as Game of Thrones. McShane is taking on the role of Hellboy's father figure Trevor Bruttenholm, which was played in the original Hellboy movies by John Hurt. According to the 76 year-old actor, the new movie is going to pack plenty of surprises. He recently said:

Hellboy, yeah! I think that’s going to surprise a lot of people. David [Harbour of Stranger Things] is a marvelous actor. He just fills out the role. It was nice and bittersweet taking over [Professor Bruttenholm] from a dear old friend of mine, John Hurt. But it’s not Part 3. It’s a complete reboot of [Guillermo del Toro’s] Hellboy, and I think they picked the right guy in David. It was a pleasure to work with him and be in Bulgaria for three weeks, a country I’ve never been to before. Greatest fresh vegetables I’ve ever tasted. And the scripts are funny and smart and bright, and the action is fantastic, and I have grandkids who love all that. They can’t wait.

It looks like Hellboy is going to be a blockbuster that somewhat defies genre, at least according to Ian McShane's description of the project. The script will feature comedy and brightness, while the R-rated reboot will also be far more violent and bloody than Guillermo del Toro's set of films. So basically, there's no telling what's coming down the pipeline.

Ian McShane's comments to the New York Times are sure to excite fans of Hellboy, as well as moviegoers who are curious about the new adaptation. Comic fans are always looking to how accurately the work on the page will be adapted for the silver screen. Guillermo del Toro brought the colorful world to life through his movies, but the PG-13 rating prevented them from being as brutal as the title character is wont to be. So that'll likely be one big way the upcoming movie will surprise audiences.

But Ian McShane also referenced how comedic and light Hellboy will be at the same time. The trailers showed how much attitude David Harbour will have as the big red guy, and it'll be fascinating to see how "funny and smart and bright" the bloody superhero adaptation ends up being.

All will be revealed when Hellboy arrives in theaters on April 12, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Read More

How A Dog's Journey's Opening Box Office Compares To A Dog's Purpose

How A Dog's Journey's Opening Box Office Compares To A Dog's Purpose

John Wick: Chapter 3 is not the only movie going to the dogs this weekend. A Dog's Journey also just opened May 17, as a direct sequel to the 2017 movie A Dog's Purpose. It's also the second movie adaptation of a W. Bruce Cameron book to open in 2019, after A Dog's Way Home.

Is that too many doggone dog movies? Maybe. That could be why A Dog's Journey had the lowest opening of the trio. Or it could just purely be from too much other competition.

A Dog's Journey just opened to $8 million, putting it in 4th place on the weekend box office chart, behind John Wick 3, Avengers: Endgame, and Detective Pikachu.

That $8 million debut is significantly less than the $18.2 million A Dog's Purpose made in its January 2017 opening weekend. A Dog's Way Home also had a higher debut, making $11.2 million in January 2019.

A Dog's Purpose opened amid controversy after set footage emerged showing a German Shepherd being dragged into rushing water. Josh Gad, who voiced the dogs in the movie, said he was "shaken and sad" to see any animal forced into a situation against its will. The film's Los Angeles premiere was cancelled. But the film went on to make $64.5 million at the domestic box office and $140.5 million worldwide, off a $22 production budget, per Box Office Mojo.

Josh Gad returned for the sequel A Dog's Journey, along with Dennis Quaid as Ethan Montgomery. That film just doesn't seem to be on track for the same box office success as A Dog's Purpose. Why not? Possibly because A Dog's Way Home just came out in January and made $42 million at the domestic box office, and $34 million overseas. Or maybe fans were just too interested in seeing Avengers: Endgame again, or Detective Pikachu.

Critics didn't care much for A Dog's Journey, giving it a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But the same is true for A Dog's Purpose, which got an even lower 34% rating from critics, but a 73% Audience Score from fans. A Dog's Journey got an even higher boost with a whopping 95% RT Audience Score, and an A CinemaScore from polled moviegoers. A Dog's Purpose also got an A CinemaScore, with A Dog's Way Home getting an A-.

So the fans who saw A Dog's Journey seemed to love it, there just haven't been that many fans heading out to see it yet. Memorial Day weekend is coming up, though, so maybe some parents are just waiting until the kids have more time off. But The Secret Life of Pets 2 is coming soon to steal family time and pet-loving attention, so A Dog's Journey needs to hurry up and find an audience or it'll be stuck in the box office dog house.

Read More