Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director James Wan says behind-the-scenes drama regarding reshoots is far from the truth.

Aquaman will likely go down as the most successful film in the DCEU, grossing $1.1 billion worldwide, so it didn’t take long for Warner Bros. to get the ball rolling on a sequel. Unfortunately, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has been plagued with rumblings of lackluster test screenings and multiple reshoots, but director James Wan told Empire that a lot of the behind-the-scenes drama written about online is far from the truth.

“I’ve had to learn to be more Zen in dealing with all the noise around me, for sure,” James Wan said. “I’m a pretty private person. I don’t get on social media and have fights, but it’s difficult because this narrative has emerged that is not the reality. The noise is fun to write about, and it gets clicks, but people don’t know the truth.“

Wan added that the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom reshoots have been made to seem like a bigger deal than they actually are. “We probably did seven or eight days,” he said. “Which is nothing for a movie of this size. It was just spread out because it’s so hard to get your actors back once you’ve finished the initial shoot.“

The new DC Universe may be heading in a new direction, but Wan said that he’s open to directing another Aquaman movie. “I haven’t directed a third movie [in a series] before, so I’d be open to doing another [Aquaman] if I got the same freedom I’ve had on these first two,” he said. “I’m not sure what direction [Gunn and Safran] are going in, though, so who knows? I’ve learned to never say never.“

“Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all,” reads the official synopsis for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. “This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.“

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will hit theaters on December 20th.

Good Omens season 3 renewal is looking good, but co-showrunner Douglas Mackinnon won’t be back for what will likely be the final season.

It took four years for the second season of Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens to arrive, but hopefully, the wait won’t be quite so long for season 3.

Deadline reports that it’s “looking good” that Amazon and the BBC will renew Good Omens for a third season, which will likely be the last for the fantasy series. However, Douglas Mackinnon, who served as executive producer, director, and co-showrunner of the first two seasons, won’t be returning for Good Omens season 3. Mackinnon confirmed his exit on Instagram after posting a photo from the set. In response to a fan, he stated, “I’m not involved with this show anymore.” A fan asked Neil Gaiman what was going on, and he said “Douglas has moved on to other projects.“

Based on the novel of the same name by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, Good Omens follows the demon Crowley (David Tennant) and the angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen), longtime acquaintances who have “grown accustomed to each other’s company, and to a pleasant life on Earth as representatives of Heaven and Hell, and who have agreed not to let the conflict between their sides prevent their friendship.“

The second season of Good Omens “explores storylines that go beyond the original source material to illuminate the uncanny friendship between Aziraphale, a fussy angel and rare book dealer, and the fast-living demon Crowley. Having been on Earth since The Beginning, and with the Apocalypse thwarted, Aziraphale and Crowley are getting back to easy living amongst mortals in London’s Soho when an unexpected messenger presents a surprising mystery.“

Neil Gaiman comments on Good Omens season 3 back in August, saying it was already “planned and plotted” and he would have been writing it at that moment if the WGA strike wasn’t happening. Now that the strike is over, Gaiman is likely in the middle of putting the new season together. The creator also confirmed that this will indeed be the end of the series as “there won’t be a [season 4].“

What do you hope to see in Good Omens season 3?

Blackberry, the movie about the creation of the world’s first smartphone, will premiere on AMC as a three-part limited series.

Blackberry, the comedy-drama movie starring Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton as the two men responsible for the launch of the world’s first smartphone, will premiere on AMC next month, but there’s a twist. AMC announced today that Blackberry has been transformed into a three-part limited series.

The release of Mission: Impossible 8 has been pushed back to 2025, along with new dates for A Quiet Place prequel.

Tom Cruise was in the middle of production on the next Mission: Impossible movie, when it was forced to shut down due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. The sequel was slated to hit theaters next summer, so it should come as no surprise that Paramount has pushed the release of to 2025.

To note, the film no longer carries the Dead Reckoning – Part 2 subtitle, with a new title to be released shortly. The next Mission Impossible movie was originally scheduled for June 28, 2024, but that release has been delayed to May 23, 2025. Paramount also shuffled the dates of several of its other movies around, with A Quiet Place: Day One moving from March 8, 2024 to June 28, 2024. The studio also bumped a new Spongebob Squarepants movie from May 23, 2025 to December 19, 2025.

The SAG-AFTRA strike has now reached the 100-day mark, but talks with the AMPTP are expected to resume on Tuesday. Hopefully, a fair deal can be reached, and everyone will be able to get back to work. However, if the strike isn’t resolved, we can expect to see the release of more movies pushed back.

In Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.

You can check out a review of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One from our own Chris Bumbray right here, and be sure to let us know what you thought of the film as well. Dead Reckoning Part One (although the Part 1 will likely be dropped on all further releases of the film) will be released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 31st.

A new wax figure of Dwayne Johnson has raised some eyebrows, with The Rock himself already calling for updates.

Do you smell what The Rock is cookin’? If so, you’d know that Dwayne Johnson isn’t exactly pleased with a new wax figure, which features a rather inaccurate depiction of the star. Johnson has taken to social media to express his dismay with the wax figure, particularly in how it shows him with a far lighter skin tone, with many pointing to it as an example of whitewashing.

Posting on Instagram, Dwayne Johnson took a chance to slam his new wax figure at the Grevin Museum, writing, “I knew my boy @jamesjeffersonj had this Rock wax statue in his roasting crosshairs…is this how y’all felt when you lost the Little Mermaid?”, referring to the somehow controversial casting of Halle Bailey as Ariel in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. Johnson added he “legit belly laughed at this…For the record, I’m going to have my team reach out to our friends at Grevin Museum, in Paris France…so we can work at “updating” my wax figure here with some important details and improvements- starting with my skin color…And next time I’m in Paris, I’ll stop in and have a drink with myself”.

Wax figures can be hard to get right, but it seems like this interpretation of Dwayne Johnson could have been avoided by, you know, looking at the guy. Don’t they know Johnson is one of the most decorated professional wrestlers ever, capable of laying out anybody with a Rock Bottom and a People’s Elbow? Those alone seem enough reason to make sure that Johnson looks as good as possible and not like – as many have made the comparison to – Mr. Clean.

As far as wax figures go in the Fast and Furious community, Dwayne Johnson is in the minority of those disapproving of their museum representations. A few years ago, Jason Momoa (who played Dante Reyes in Fast X) came face-to-face with Aquaman and seemed to be in a more positive disbelief than Johnson.

What do you think of Dwayne Johnson’s new wax figure? What is the worst wax figure you’ve ever seen? Let us know in the comments section below!

Point Break is widely considered one of the greatest action movies ever made. Kathryn Bigelow’s epic 1991 action film is getting a gorgeous 4K restoration courtesy of Shout Factory, which should make the movie look better than ever. Speaking as a fan, I can’t wait to get my hands on a 4K version of the film to watch Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Utah infiltrate a team of bank-robber surfers in ultra-high definition. I genuinely feel like it’s one of the best movies of its era, with the late, great Patrick Swayze particularly iconic as the zen master surf guru/ bank robber Bodhi.

A little while ago, the movie was remade terribly, in an iteration I humbly refer to as Point Fake (I’m surprised that never caught on). I think folks have mostly forgotten that movie by now, and with Keanu Reeves still dominating the action genre with John Wick, why not do a sequel?

I think Point Break would be the perfect 90s film to sequelize. Reeves is more popular than ever, and Kathryn Bigelow is also an A-lister, even if she has not made a movie since Detroit in 2017. The ending has always left the possibility of a wide-open sequel, with Johnny Utah flinging his FBI badge into the sea after watching Bodhi die in the open ocean chasing that perfect wave.

Here’s my idea for a sequel:

In the decades since quitting the FBI, Utah has become the surfing zen master that Bodhi always wanted to be, albeit one without the need to chase that constant adrenaline high. I see him with long hair, living on the beach, and having a massive group of acolytes. In a sequel, Utah could encounter another violent crew of surfers whose flash and lifestyle threaten to corrupt someone close to him (maybe a daughter who could be in the FBI?). Thus, Utah could go back into action.

Granted, I’m not a screenwriter, but Keanu Reeves is as cool as ever, and with him taking an extended break from John Wick, now would be an excellent time for him to climb on the surfboard for one last wave. That said, I personally don’t want a Point Break 2 unless Bieglow is directing, so that’s the caveat.

How would you tackle Point Break 2? Let us know in the comments.

One of Shawn Levy’s biggest tasks is a new Star Wars film. The director talks about the massive undertaking of such a project and how he’s optimistic.

Shawn Levy has the fun task of bringing Wolverine and Deadpool into the MCU with multiple possibilities for a cavalcade of fourth-wall-breaking references. And because of these possibilities, rumors are flying everywhere about possible cameos that could potentially happen in Deadpool 3. Levy recently sat down with Variety to discuss not only Deadpool 3, but his anticipated final season of Stranger Things and his announced Star Wars project.

Levy was inquired about how his approach to his Star Wars film will differ from past incarnations. Levy replies, “When Kathy Kennedy brought me on board to make a Star Wars movie, her central mandate to me was ‘I want a Shawn Levy movie. I want a story and a tone that reflects you and your taste and what you bring to your movies — with a Star Wars story.’ So I have felt extremely empowered. We are in early days, unfortunately, because the development process was abruptly paused [due to the WGA strike], but I feel very empowered to trust my instincts in the development of this story and movie.”

Taking on a massive project like Deadpool 3 carries enormous pressure. The pressure is no different for something like Star Wars, which has the challenge of bringing something new to the decades-old franchise while still pleasing die-hard fans. Levy mentions that, luckily, Deadpool 3 is giving him the confidence to tackle Star Wars, “The experience that I’m currently having with Marvel on Deadpool is showing me firsthand that it is indeed really possible to feel empowered and personal about making a movie within a universe that is bigger than any one film. My Deadpool movie is turning out to be exactly what Ryan [Reynolds] and I had hoped when we started off. So I’m going into the development of my Star Wars movie with a similar optimism and faith that my instincts will be allowed to lead the way.”

The interviewer would also point out that Levy is known to be close with Kylo Ren himself, Adam Driver, and asks if their friendship could mean there’s a possibility his project involves being a Kylo Ren prequel of some kind. Levy would amusingly respond, “Your words, not mine! As you know, Adam is a buddy, and I’ve always been a huge fan of Kylo Ren. But no comment.”

A star-studded cast makes up the ensemble in the trailer for the creator of Mr. Robot’s new film — an apocalyptic thriller from Netflix.

Netflix has now unveiled the cryptic and creepy trailer for its upcoming thriller, Leave the World Behind. The Netflix original is based on the terrifying novel from author Rumaan Alam. The film comes from Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail, who has written and directed this feature. Leave the World Behind also sports an impressive ensemble cast that includes actors such as Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha’la, Farrah Mackenzie, Charlie Evans and Kevin Bacon.

The official synopsis from Netflix reads,
“In this apocalyptic thriller from award-winning writer and director Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot), Amanda (Academy Award winner Julia Roberts) and her husband Clay (Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke), rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their kids, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Their vacation is soon upended when two strangers — G.H. (Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la) — arrive in the night, bearing news of a mysterious cyberattack and seeking refuge in the house they claim is theirs. The two families reckon with a looming disaster that grows more terrifying by the minute, forcing everyone to come to terms with their places in a collapsing world. Based on the National Book Award-nominated novel by Rumaan Alam, LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND is produced by Esmail Corp, Red Om Films, and executive produced by Higher Ground Productions.”

Esmail, in addition to writing and directing, also produces the film along with Chad Hamilton, Julia Roberts, Marisa Yeres Gill and Lisa Gillan. The executive producers of Leave the World Behind include such names as Barack and Michelle Obama, Tonia Davis, Daniel M. Stillman, Nick Krishnamurthy and Rumaan Alam.

The director recently worked with Julia Roberts in 2018’s Homecoming and told Netflix that he knew she was the ideal actor for this new movie, “What’s really great about casting someone like Julia Roberts is that you don’t have to worry about the likeability factor. Julia has the uncanny ability to channel the humanity out of any character, regardless of how flawed they may be.” He would also glow about casting Mahershala Ali in this movie, “Mahershala’s poignant everyman quality mixed with his undeniable charisma make it nearly impossible for him to deliver a substandard performance. That was what G.H. needed, a deep-hearted accessibility that lets him be your avatar into the story.”

In this episode of Marvel Revisited, we look back at Tim Story’s 2007 superhero sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

The Silver Surfer hasn’t been treated well on the big screen. When 20th Century Fox announced the character would be appearing in their 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, well, we’d be lying if we said fans were enthusiastic, given the lackluster reaction to the first film. But, people were happy that Doug Jones would be playing the role in motion capture, even if Lawrence Fishburne doing the voice seemed like an odd mismatch. When it came out in the summer of 2007, reviews were slightly more optimistic than they were for this first film, but it was a box-office disappointment. Yet, we think it’s not quite as bad as people remember as we dig into this episode of Marvel Revisited.

Ioan Gruffudd (Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic), Jessica Alba (Susan Storm/Invisible Woman), Chris Evans (Johnny Storm/Human Torch), and Michael Chiklis (Ben Grimm/The Thing)return as Marvel’s first family for a sequel that gave fans hope for a course-correction after the first film left audiences feeling like the sweat-drenched hairs on Mole Man’s upper lip. Thankfully, Rise of the Silver Surfer skews closer to what makes the Fantastic Four a beloved and essential aspect of Marvel lore.

Despite Reed’s cringe-worthy dance number and Galactus making his silver screen debut in the shape of a psychedelic cloud instead of a planet-gobbling titan, Tim Story’s sequel finds the team coming together in extraordinary ways to save the universe one impossible scenario after another.

With the promise of another Fantastic Four movie, one must assume Marvel Studios won’t let past mistakes be repeated. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is an excellent source for executing the team’s family dynamics and synergistic power sets. If Marvel Studios can craft a story worthy of the Fantastic Four’s legacy, the studio could introduce audiences to a franchise that feels like Lost in Space meets Indiana Jones.

What do you think about Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer? Is this ofttimes silly sequel the best of what the Fab Four offers? How would you change Marvel’s approach to this team when the MCU reboot goes into production? Let us know in the comments section!