“Black Widow” Smashes Pandemic-Era Box Office Records
It turns out, people really are eager to get back into the theater. Director Cate Shortland’s Black Widow had a pandemic-era best $80 million opening weekend at the domestic box office, netting the biggest premiere since the pre-pandemic release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker way back in December of 2019. If there were any lingering questions about whether people yearned to see big movies on the big screen again,
“Black Widow” Stunt Coordinator Rob Inch on the Art of Adrenaline
In her swan song as Russian assassin-turned-Avenger Natasha Romanoff, Scarlett Johansson fights her way through Black Widow (opening Friday) on a mission to destroy evil mastermind Dreykov (Ray Winstone) and his network of brainwashed female killers. But first, Natasha has to confront her equally ferocious kid sister Yelena, portrayed by Florence Pugh. (Some light spoilers ahead). Abandoned as children by their spy parents (David Harbour and Rachel Weisz),
Early Highlights From Cannes 2021: Spike Lee, “Annette” & More
The 74th Annual Cannes Film Festival kicked off on July 6 after a two-year hiatus. Spike Lee became the first Black Cannes’ jury president, leading a nine-person jury that includes five women—French actress Melanie Laurent, American actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, film directors Jessica Hausner and Mati Diop, and singer Mylene Farmer.
The opening ceremony saw the return of the most recent Palme d’Or winner, Bong Joon Ho (for Parasite) and Cannes veteran Jodie Foster,
“Black Widow” Review Roundup: An Epic Spy Thriller That Was Worth The Wait
With Black Widow opening in theaters and on Disney+ Premiere Access on July 9, we’re reposting our review roundup of the film. The short and sweet take: director Cate Shortland’s film is not only a shot of adrenalin but an emotional final chapter for Scarlett Johansson’s titular Avenger. It also offers a fresh perspective on things that have happened, as well as a glimpse at the future of the MCU.
New “Black Widow” Video Explains Why It’s The Perfect Phase 4 Kickoff Film
We are a mere two days away from the premiere of director Cate Shortland’s Black Widow, the long-awaited standalone film for Scarlett Johansson’s titular Avenger. If you’re reading this, you likely know the basics about Black Widow—the film tracks Natasha Romanoff (Johansson) during events between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. Natasha heads east to contend with the darker parts of her ledger, that is,
Zack Snyder’s “Star Wars” Inspired Sci-Fi Epic “Rebel Moon” Headed to Netflix
Zack Snyder will move from a zombie scourge in Las Vegas to a sci-fi epic in deep space. The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop that Snyder’s Rebel Moon, inspired by both the Star Wars franchise and the films of Japanese filmmaking legend Akira Kurosawa, is headed to Netflix.
Rebel Moon will center on a peaceful colony situated on the edge of the galaxy that finds itself threatened by the armies of a despot named Balisarius.
Meet Heidi Moneymaker, The Stunt Woman Behind “Black Widow”
When you think of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), one of the first things that come to mind is how gloriously grounded and beautifully performed her fight sequences are. Natasha/Black has mastered several martial arts (aikido, judo, karate, etc.), she’s a highly skilled gymnast, and she marries to her technical precision a level of confidence and fearlessness that make even the toughest bad guys flinch. In real life, one woman makes many of the moves we see Black Widow pull off on screen possible,
New “Black Widow” Clip Features an Attempt at a Great Escape
You can’t blame them for trying. Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) attempt to spring Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) from prison in a brand new Black Widow clip. This minute’s worth of an attempted prison break showcases director Cate Shortland’s more grounded approach to action, which feels like it owes at least a little more debt to actual physics than most Marvel movies pay. (There is a long-standing joke within the MCU that Captain America’s shield is offender number one when it comes to bending or flat out breaking the laws of motion).
“Summer of Soul” Editor on Piecing Together the Nearly Forgotten Black Woodstock
For nearly half a century, videotapes documenting the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival gathered dust in the basement of a Bronxville home. Filmed by Hal Tuchin and his four-person camera crew, the trove included goosebump-inducing performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, Mavis Staples, B.B. King, the 5th Dimension, jazz drummer Max Roach and other masters of American music. Tuchin tried to package his work as “The Black Woodstock”
“Werewolves Within” Director Josh Ruben on His Hilarious Creature Feature
Werewolves Within invites you to the cozy town of Beverfield, Vermont, where things that go bump in the night are manifold. They might be a creature out to get you, or, they might be your neighbor, out to bother the crap out of you. Director Josh Ruben has crafted a deliciously nimble murder mystery/monster story/comedy in the comfy (if cold and often creepy) confines of this wooded would-be paradise. Based on Mishna Wolff’s script,
Natasha Romanoff’s Journey From “Iron Man 2” to “Black Widow”
We are just a week and change away from seeing Scarlett Johansson’s (likely) final turn as Natasha Romanoff. Director Cate Shortland’s Black Widow is repelling into theaters and onto Disney+ Premiere Access on July 9, and to celebrate Johansson’s run as the incredibly capable former KGB assassin-turned-Avenger, Marvel Entertainment has released a brief video tracking Natasha’s journey in the MCU.
The first time we meet Natasha is in Iron Man 2 when she helps Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) take down Ivan Wanko (Mickey Rourke).
Charlize Theron Says “The Old Guard” Sequel Will Film Next Year
One of the best movies of 2020 is getting a sequel. Charlize Theron has told Variety that the script for The Old Guard 2 is finished, and she’ll be returning as Andy, one of the immortal covert operatives who have been running dangerous missions for centuries. The original film was a thrilling action-adventure epic, deftly directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, and featuring a stellar cast. Joining Theron were rising star KiKi Layne,
Kate Beckinsale is Amped Up in First “Jolt” Trailer
Now, this is a very different kind of shock therapy. Meet Lindy (Kate Beckinsale), a woman with some serious anger management issues. Lindy’s condition makes her a problematic person to, say, sit next to on a subway and eat with your mouth open. In the first trailer for Jolt, we see Beckinsale’s Lindy snap in all sorts of situations, including on a poor sap sitting next to her on that aforementioned subway. This first glimpse of the film recalls Charlize Theron meting out brutal justice in Atomic Blonde and Jason Statham’s epic fight sequences in Crank.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Starts Filming in Atlanta
At long last, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has started filming. The sequel to director Ryan Coogler’s world-conquering 2018 original started production on Tuesday at Pinewood Studios in Atlanta. Variety has the scoop from Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige himself. Coogler returns to direct, based on his original screenplay, and has just about all his stars returning, save, of course, the late Chadwick Boseman, who died in August of 2020 from colon cancer.
“Black Widow” Review Roundup: An Epic Spy Thriller That Was Worth The Wait
The early reactions to director Cate Shortland’s Black Widow were very positive, so it’s not surprising that with the review embargo lifted we’d get more of the same. Still, it’s heartening to know that after a very, very long wait to see Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff get her own Marvel movie, the result is a satisfying, emotional thrill ride. Many critics also hail the fact that Black Widow feels more grounded than recent MCU films,
The Official Trailer For “Clifford The Big Red Dog” is Here
What does a family do when their new dog becomes monstrously big? If you’re Emily Elizabeth and her uncle Casey, you adapt—or try to—to your new circumstances. This is the premise of director Walt Becker’s Clifford the Big Red Dog, based on the beloved Scholastic cartoon character. If you live in New York City, there’s the added pleasure of imagining trying to share your limited space (unless you’re rich) with a Great Dane,
James Wan Reveals Cryptic First “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” Set Photo
If you’re going to reveal that you’ve started shooting Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, what better way to do it than by sharing a cryptic photo that leaves fans speculating? That’s what director James Wan has done via his Instagram account, sharing a photo of a frozen landscape and a movie slate with the title “Necrus” on it. But what does “Necrus” mean?
For those not fully versed in DC Comics,
New “Black Widow” Images Herald Marvel’s First Phase 4 Film
We’re a little less than two weeks away from the long-awaited premiere of director Cate Shortland’s Black Widow, the first MCU film since 2019, the first film in Marvel’s Phase 4, and likely the last film we’ll see Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in. With all that in mind, Marvel and Disney+ have made a huge trove of new photos available, and we’ve embedded them for your viewing pleasure. The new photos give us fresh looks at the film’s villain,
Three New “Black Widow” Videos Highlight Villain Taskmaster & More
Three new Black Widow videos dropped during the weekend, teasing the first Marvel Studios film to hit theaters since 2019. Director Cate Shortland’s action-adventure epic is also the first film in Marvel’s Phase 4 and will round out the story of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), the (spoiler alert!) former Avenger who sacrificed everything to save her friends—and a few billion strangers—in Avengers: Endgame.
The new looks include a bit more background on the film’s villain,
New “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” Trailer Reveals The Mandarin
When we saw the first teaser for Destin Daniel Cretton’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, we were enthused to see Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), Marvel’s first Asian superhero, in action. Now, a full-length trailer reveals more of Certton’s vision and digs a little deeper into Shang-Chi’s family history.
That family has a classic set-up—Shang-Chi has an overbearing if beguiling father, Wenwu (Tony Leung), who appears to be playing the film’s villain.
