Monthly Archives: April 2016
The Jungle Book Roars in Stellar Box Office Debut
Disney's live-action remake of The Jungle Book has become an instant hit, grossing just over $100 million at the domestic box office this weekend.
The Jungle Book is miles ahead of the pack this week, taking in $103,567,000 compared to its closest rival, Barbershop: The Next Cut's $20 million.
The movie has seen critical acclaim as well as box office dollars. IGN's review of The Jungle Book says it's "a stunning take on a classic tale."
Its success makes it seem as though Disney's decision to already start planning the sequel is going to pay off. Director Jon Favreau is in talks to return as director, and the company will reportedly delve deeper into Rudyard Kipling's stories about Mowgli.
In-Store PlayStation VR Demos Coming Soon
According to Sony Interactive Entertainment vice president of marketing John Koller, PlayStation VR is a technology that "needs to be lived to be believed."
And that's why—starting in June—Sony will be rolling out over 500,000 in-store demos across retailers. Speaking at a GameStop investors meeting last week, Koller said "experiential marketing" will be a large part of PlayStation VR's marketing.
"Trial drives the conversion to purchase," Koller said. "We'll have a fantastic technology, but you need to get your hands on it."
Fortune reported GameStop will be a "key launch partner" for Sony. The retailer will have a "significant" amount of stores with "dedicated PlayStation VR demo stations."
What ‘The Dead Are Coming’ Means for Game of Thrones: Season 6
“The dead are coming.”
So Davos Seaworth says in the trailer for Game of Thrones: Season 6, heralding the biggest threat to the Seven Kingdoms that disturbingly few characters on the show seem to be concerned about. Even with infighting in Westeros between the Lannisters, Boltons, Martells and last remaining Starks, the biggest threat to face the world is the army of the dead, led by the Night’s King and White Walkers, ready to invade from the north.
That’s a conflict that’s been brewing since the opening scene of Season 1, and it seems like it will finally boil over in Season 6. When I had a chance to sit down with the cast of Game of Thrones and preview the new season, I asked each of them what the words “the dead are coming” means to them and their characters, and their answers should put the fear of the Night’s King in each and every viewer.
Director Discusses Big Change Made to The Jungle Book
Disney’s latest big-screen version of The Jungle Book is a photo-realistic feast for the eyes that combines the wisdom of Rudyard Kipling’s tales with the charm of their 1967 animated adaptation. But how did the studio decide what to include and what to leave out?
We sat down with director Jon Favreau to discuss getting that combination of songs, scares and laughs right, his dissatisfaction with the ending of the original, and how he's endeavoured to put that right. Plus some clues as to where the inevitable sequel could begin...
IGN: What specifically did you want to capture from the original Kipling tales?
Jon Favreau: From the Kipling I wanted to have them inform the tone and the life-or-death stakes of the story. I liked the mythic quality. I liked the sense of order and the culture of the jungle with things like ‘The Law of the Jungle’ and the water truce and the peace rock. That’s all from the original Kipling and we found a way to incorporate it, especially through the character of Bagheera, who often as narrator will quote chapter and verse from the passages of the Kipling stories, which I felt was a nice way to make the two worlds come together and also gave us a sense of cultural history that could be drawn upon as back story and to give dimension to this world. Whereas in the 1967 film it all felt like a kid’s musical and there were emotional scenes, but they were mostly emotional because of the quality of the character animation as opposed to the depth of the story.
What Outlander’s Huge Black Jack Reveal Means for the Show
Full spoilers for Outlander: Season 2 continue below.
The monster who haunts the dreams of Jamie Fraser isn’t as dead as the Scotsman and his wife Claire might have hoped. Even worse, Claire can’t reveal to her husband that the man who raped and tortured him, Black Jack Randall, is still alive.
In the second episode of Outlander: Season 2, Claire comes face-to-face with Black Jack’s younger brother, Alex Randall, and learns that the garrison commander survived the bull stampede at Wentworth Prison. Not only is she immediately concerned for her husband’s safety and wellbeing, but she also has to grapple with what Black Jack’s survival means for her other husband, Frank Randall.
Suicide Squad: Leto Met With Killers to Prepare for Joker
Suicide Squad star Jared Leto put a lot of effort into playing the Joker. In preparation for the role, the actor met with "psychopaths and people who had committed horrendous crimes."
Maybe that's where Leto picked up the used condoms and anal beads?
Leto told Entertainment Weekly when he takes on a role like the Joker, he becomes "part detective, part writer."
"I knew I had to be committed as much as possible," Leto said. "I had to be committed beyond belief. And I did what I needed to do deliver the best I possibly could."
F Is For Family Renewed for Season 2
Netflix has renewed comedian Bill Burr's animated comedy, F Is For Family, for a second season.
Burr revealed the news on Twitter yesterday with an expletive-filled, celebratory video. In a later tweet, Burr added Season 2 will contain ten episodes -- four more than its six-episode first season.
Netflix's F Is For Family
New Mutants: Josh Boone Turns in Second Draft of Script
20th Century Fox's X-Men spinoff The New Mutants moves one step closer to becoming a reality, as the second draft of the film's script is now complete.
In a post on Instagram, filmmaker Josh Boone shared the cover of The New Mutants' completed draft, which he and Knate Lee crafted based on Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod's original Marvel Comics series of the same name.
The New Mutants will be directed by Boone, and tells the story of a group of teenage mutants who are training to become heroes. According to producer Simon Kinberg, the film will bring a young adult vibe to the X-Men universe.
Spider-Man: Homecoming Casts 2 of Parker’s Classmates
Laura Harrier (One Life to Live) and Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Dope) have both joined Spider-Man: Homecoming as two of Peter Parker's high school classmates.
According to The Wrap, Harrier will have a "significant role," while there are conflicting reports about Revolori's character. The Wrap reports he'll play Manuel, a friend of Parker's, while Deadline reports Revolori will play Parker's high school nemesis.
Why Mark Hamill Didn’t Want to Return as Luke
As well as setting the internet on fire last night with his talk of a certain character's parentage, J.J. Abrams has also been discussing problems behind-the-scenes on The Force Awakens set, revealing that there was no initial chemistry between Rey and Finn, explaining why the plot of Episode 7 is so similar to Episode 4, and revealing why Mark Hamill was resistant to returning as Luke.
Speaking to Chris Rock at the Tribeca Film Festival, Abrams kicked off by stating that Episodes 8 and 9 will move the Star Wars saga to new lands. Abrams said, “This movie
was a bridge and a kind of reminder; the audience needed to be reminded what Star Wars is, but it needed to be established with something familiar, with a sense of where we are going to new lands, which is very much what 8 and 9 do.”