The Addams Family First Trailer Has A Classic IT Joke

The Addams Family First Trailer Has A Classic IT Joke

We’ve known for a while now that The Addams Family would be coming back to the big screen in 2019. Now that we’ve gotten the first look at the upcoming animated venture, I can confirm they’re still creepy and they’re kooky, plus they’re absolutely mysterious and spooky. But you don’t need to take my word for it. You can catch the first preview of the new movie, below.

The Addams Family trailer takes great pains to let us know this isn’t your average family. In fact, there’s a whole section at the beginning filled with stick figures to explain how the Addams differ from other people you’ve met in your lifetime.

My favorite moment, however, features Wednesday Addams and a red balloon. She walks into a room her parents are currently occupying with said red balloon and her mother Morticia declares, “Strange there’s usually a murderous clown attached to the other end of these.” Nods to IT are pretty timely right now, given the popularity of the Andy Muschietti venture.

Theme music is present in every corner of this first trailer for The Addams Family and Wednesday is as gloomy as ever in the first look at the computer animated 3D movie, which comes from MGM Pictures and Cinesite.

As for the cast, sometimes with animated movies it can be hard to tell exactly who is involved in all of the voicework, so we'll break it down for you here. Oscar Isaac is on board as Gomez Addams and his lovely wife Morticia (she of the IT jokes) will be voiced by Charlize Theron. Their kids, Wednesday and Pugsley, will be voiced by Chloe Grace Moretz and Finn Wolfhard--the latter is actually in IT: Chapter One and IT: Chapter Two, so that reference in the trailer has an added layer. Nick Kroll will voice Uncle Fester in this iteration of The Addams Family. Bette Midler will voice Grandma and Allison Janney will voice a reality TV host in the upcoming movie.

Related: Take A Look At The The Addams Family Cast

The whole animated venture has two directors in Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, who also worked together on the R-rated animated flick Sausage Party. Matt Lieberman wrote the script for the new movie. This project actually took a long time to come together, as we were already writing about an animated Addams Family venture back in 2013.

Hopefully, the final project will be worth the wait. We'll be able to see for ourselves when The Addams Family hits theaters on October 11, 2019 -- just in time for a family-friendly Halloween. To take a look at what else is hitting theaters later this year, take a look at our full release schedule. And be sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend as a longer trailer should be forthcoming.

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New Lion King Video Debuts Beyonce’s Nala

New Lion King Video Debuts Beyonce’s Nala

Of all the voice actors bringing characters to life in the brand new version of The Lion King, no name is bigger than that of Beyonce. She's one of the biggest names on the planet, and getting her to join the cast was a huge get for Disney. Having said that, the character has largely been in the background of the marketing up to this point.

However, a new video allows Beyonce's Nala to take center stage. We get the best look at the character so far and get to finally hear her for the very first time. Check it out in the video below.

While we've seen a couple shots of Nala in the official trailers, this is our best look at the character yet. We even see Nala actually speak the name Simba, something we've seen surprisingly little of in the marketing, as almost all character dialogue has been in the form of off-screen voice over.

Beyond that, the new video doesn't show us a great deal we haven't seen before. The new Lion King still looks like like it is very much going to follow the animated original quite closely. Although, it's possible that there are significant differences that are being kept out of the marketing.

While The Lion King is one of DIsney's most popular animated films, and the new remake seems destined to be a massive hit, one certainly has to wonder if there are some who are most interested in the new movie because Beyonce happens to be in it. Not only will she voice the character, but, one assumes that she'll also do some singing. One doesn't cast Beyonce in a musical and then not get her to do what she's known for.

Most of the Disney remakes of musicals have included brand new music and while we haven't heard much about that with The Lion King, it wouldn't shock me if there was a new Nala song somewhere in the movie, or at the very least, a new Beyonce tune to play over the closing credits.

Disney has been doing quite well with the remakes of the animated classics overall and while Dumbo's debut earlier this year probably wasn't what the studio was hoping for, Aladdin's box office has been much more in line with expectations. Based on its success, one can easily assume that The Lion King, a movie that did a lot better than Aladdin in animated form, is going to improve on the live-action version in roughly the same way.

Disney could very easily have its second billion dollar movie of the year in The Lion King. The original film came up just short of that number back in the 1990s, a remarkable feat for the era, and with the growth of the international box office since then, anything less would honestly be a little surprising.

With just a little over a month to go before release, expect The Lion King hype to get only bigger from here, even from those people who aren't massive Beyonce fans.

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Captive State Was Inspired By Some Surprising Classics

Captive State Was Inspired By Some Surprising Classics

When new science-fiction films are about to be released, it’s common that we hear a lot of filmmakers talk about what are fairly standard inspirations – films like Star Wars, Alien, Blade Runner, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Obviously this makes sense, as it’s logical to take cues from some of the best genre films of all time, but interestingly that’s not the story behind the new film Captive State. As while the movie is definitely a sci-fi tale featuring a full-scale alien invasion, it wasn’t actually classic alien invasion movies that gave co-writer/director Rupert Wyatt ideas of what he wanted to do with the feature.

The subject of Captive State’s sources of inspiration came up early in a conversation that I had with Rupert Wyatt last week, talking over the phone about his work on the new film. I started the interview asking him about where the initial idea came from, and how it developed as a movie he wanted to make, and I’ll admit that he sincerely surprised me with the titles that he namedropped:

I've always been a fan of stories about characters that rage against the machine, and that'll fight back against the institutions. So Randle P. McMurphy in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, or Paul Newman [as Lucas "Luke" Jackson] and Cool Hand Luke. And I've also been a real fan of stories, or films, rather, that deal with that on a macro level - on a national level. So Battle Of Algiers is one of my favorite films, and Army Of Shadows about the French resistance, Jean-Pierre Melville.

Rather than approaching Captive State from a purely genre perspective, Rupert Wyatt was compelled to tell this story because of a personal fascination with iconoclasts, which he brought to his work on the script alongside co-writer Erica Beeney. What’s more, he was particularly interested in the idea on both small and large scales, noting examples of both personal struggles – namely battles within the walls of mental hospitals and prisons – as well as full scale revolts.

This certainly tracks with the plot developments of Captive State, which is an ensemble film set in the not-to-distant future following an invasion of extraterrestrials known as the Legislators. The story tracks a number of different narratives to show life in this world, including those both trying to maintain a level or order, and those who are trying to take down what they see to be an oppressive system.

Rupert Wyatt is no stranger to science-fiction, having previously directed Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, but his approach to genre with this one was a bit secondary. Taking the inspiration he did from the films mentioned above, he felt he wanted to tell a story in America, but not one that has already been told. As a result, it was felt by the filmmaker that the best move would be to tell a story set in the future instead of the past. Said Wyatt,

I thought it would be really interesting to be able to tell a story like that, but on the footprint of America - North America. And rather than delve back to the American revolution when they were kicking the likes of me out of the country, I thought what about if I kind of push into the future and put a documentary film crew into the future and tell that story - but in a very near future, and the occupying beings being an alien species. It really sprung from that.

It’s ultimately an impressive juggling act, but one that Captive State pulls off – both creating a heavily-detailed world and a number of engaging characters with compelling specific missions. The film, which stars Ashton Sanders, John Goodman, Vera Farmiga, Alan Ruck, James Ransone, and Kevin Dunn, arrives in theaters this Friday, and we’ll have more for you about the movie heading your way in the next few days here on CinemaBlend.

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The Story Behind Captain America’s Butt In Avengers: Endgame

The Story Behind Captain America’s Butt In Avengers: Endgame

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame. Don't read on if you haven't seen it!

After a long year of waiting, Avengers: Endgame is in the midst of its theatrical run, and making an insane amount of money in the process. The Russo Brothers managed to do the impossible, surpassing Infinity War, and cramming in everything and the kitchen sink in the process. While the stakes were at an all-time high in the wake of Thanos' snap, there were still plenty of comedic beats put into the massive blockbuster.

One of the best recurring bits in Avengers: Endgame were focused on Captain America's superpowered butt. Dubbed "America's ass" during the film, it's a joke that pays off big time in the time heist. When Steve Rogers fights and defeats a past version of himself, he admires the doppleganger's backside. Now Endgame writer Stephen McFeely has opened up about that joke's origin, saying:

It's a little meta. Chris Evans has never been comfortable with that outfit from the first Avengers movie. And so in the rearview, it's a little way to wink at how that was then, and this is now. And then it sort of just built from there. By the time we got to the fight scene where he defeated himself, his butt is on the ground and he was just sitting there for a callback.

Joss Whedon's The Avengers might have made history and blown our minds when it hit theaters in 2012, but there was an issue that Chris Evans had: his costume. And it's that disdain that ultimately fueled "America's ass" to get one final laugh during Endgame's second act.

Stephen McFeely's comments to LA Times shows how organically things can develop in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While there's still a larger narrative to consider, directors and writers are given the freedom to do their jobs, and make creative choices. Avengers: Endgame talks about Captain America's butt quite a few times, but the bit wasn't simply written for the movie. It came from a real life conversation between Chris Evans and the creative team of the movie.

Related: Paul Rudd Has A Valid Concern Over Ant-Man And Thanos’ Butt Theory For Endgame

As far as Captain America's costumes go, the one used in The Avengers is definitely more cartoonish. It's super colorful and carries less armor, in stark juxtaposition to the tactical gear he rocked in later appearances. But while the newer costumes may be more gritty and cool, you've got to admire just how colorful Joss Whedon made the first Avengers movie. It's too bad Chris Evans hated how his butt looked in the suit.

Avengers: Endgame's time heist was bigger and more ambitious than anyone of us could have imagined, and The Battle of New York from The Avengers ended up being a very important setting. Three different stones were in the city at that point, and a sizable team of Avengers traveled back to procure them. This put the modern Captain America in contact with Crossbones of 2012, as well as a past version of himself.

Two Captain Americas duking out was a wild and thrilling sequence, and the callback to Steve Roger's ass was icing in the cake of a masterful sequence. And the joke about Cap's backside likely worked so well because it came from a place of truth.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Wonder Woman 1984 Producer Explains The Film’s Delay

Wonder Woman 1984 Producer Explains The Film’s Delay

It may seem like forever since Wonder Woman graced the screens of cinemas everywhere, but in actuality it'll only be a little over two years between director Patty Jenkins' first foray into the DC Comics universe, and her second outing, Wonder Woman 1984. And, as we all know, it would have been a lot sooner if the original 2019 release date Warner Bros. had planned actually stuck, which has us wondering just why the studio would delay a film that's assured to print them so much money. Well, recently, one of the film's producers, Charles Roven, delivered the answer to just what all of the hold up is about, and it all came down to this:

We always wanted the date that we are on right now. The studio felt that until their slate for the year before came together—and they had an amazing end of 2018—that they needed to have a big what I call aircraft carrier, a ‘tentpole’, in [2019]. We had a very rushed pre-production because Patty also did the TNT show and we had a very rushed post-production schedule in order to make the date that we were on, which was November 1, 2019. We were doing it because the studio said they really needed it, and then at a certain point they came to us and they said, ‘You know what, you guys are right. Let’s go back to the month that you guys released Wonder Woman 1 in, and take the extra time.’

Originally slated for December 13, 2019, Wonder Woman 1984 was shifted to November 1, 2019, before eventually having its wish granted with the final extension to a June 5, 2020 release date. With Wonder Woman bowing on June 2, 2017, the film was positioned to become a hit at the summer box office that year with its $102 million opening weekend.

As the second film in the superpowered Gal Gadot starring saga could more than likely outdo that number, it's best to give it the most advantageous release date possible to get the job done. So far, Wonder Woman 1984 is running unopposed in its current slot, ready to campaign for that box office vote in similar conditions to its first time out.

So, what made Warner Bros. change its mind? Well, it looks like one film may have given the studio the confidence to let Wonder Woman 1984 be the summer blockbuster it always wanted to be. That film is the studio's heavily anticipated Mike Flannigan directed adaptation of Stephen King's Doctor Sleep, also known as the direct sequel to one of King's most well known works, The Shining. That film was moved up itself to a November 8, 2019 release date, showing that Warner Bros. clearly has a good amount of faith that the film will deliver the goods.

But, more importantly, and to the point that Charles Roven mentioned in his remarks to Collider, Warner Bros. has decided that maybe it isn't the best decision to rush the second installment of one of their biggest superhero hits into theaters. With Aquaman helping mend fences between the studio and DC Comics fans, and Shazam looking to be another hit in the making, the choice to not pull another Justice League does feel like a refreshing reinforcement of recent strategy.

Wonder Woman 1984 will kick down the doors on theaters worldwide on June 5, 2020.

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Willem Dafoe Has A Great Take On Robert Pattinson As Batman

Willem Dafoe Has A Great Take On Robert Pattinson As Batman

What does it take to play Batman? Early word has Robert Pattinson cast as the younger Caped Crusader for Matt Reeves' The Batman. While that hasn't been confirmed, it also hasn't stopped movie fans from commenting on Pattinson's merits. Most of the conversation has followed his acting in various films, with detractors often (but not always) mentioning Twilight, and his supporters pointing out the many other roles he's played.

But what about his physical features? To Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson has the key attribute on that front.

Right now, Robert Pattison is co-starring with Willem Dafoe in The Lighthouse, a black-and-white horror film that just opened to raves and awards at the Cannes Film Festival. While Dafoe was interviewed about the movie, he was asked to react to the idea of Pattinson as the new Batman. Here's Dafoe's take:

Listen, sure, why not? Why not? He's got a strong chin. That's a part of it. Can you imagine anyone with a weak chin ever playing Batman? I don't think so!

Sold! But seriously, is that the main criteria to be a good Batman -- a strong chin?

Looking back at past Batmans from Adam West and Michael Keaton to Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck -- they do seem to have good chins. A certain jawline does seem to be required, since the cowl covers everything but your mouth and chin. I would also argue that the Batman voice is essential. I'm not down for an overly growly Batman voice, if the actor does not naturally have a voice that low. Don't force it or you sound cartoonish.

Speaking of Willem Dafoe, though, the man knows from superhero movies. He's a great example for Robert Pattinson in how to balance indie films like The Lighthouse and superhero movies like Spider-Man (Norman Osborn) and Aquaman (Vulko).

During the rest of his talk with Variety, Willem Dafoe mentioned that he and "Rob" Pattinson work and rehearse very differently, which may have led to some creative tension on The Lighthouse set. No personal tension, he emphasized, but they didn't hang out or anything.

The Lighthouse sounds like it was an intense shoot in general, and Robert Pattinson said he came the closest he ever had to punching a director when filming a particularly drenching scene. Pattinson seems to approach his roles with a lot of intensity, and that should help if he does end up playing Bruce Wayne in The Batman.

So far, The Lighthouse has earned rave reviews, with a current rating of 100% from 31 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. There's no release date yet, beyond the recent Cannes premiere, but it's another intriguing project for Robert Pattinson's eclectic filmography, which may or may not also include The Batman in 2021.

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Brad Pitt And Edward Norton Talk Fight Club Getting Booed In Early Screenings

Brad Pitt And Edward Norton Talk Fight Club Getting Booed In Early Screenings

Today, David Fincher’s Fight Club is considered a true cult classic, one of the director’s best movies and one of the most enduring titles of the banner year that was 1999. But 20 years ago, when the movie was first coming out, that level of adoration and appreciation was much more difficult to find. The film was a box office flop and was critically lambasted in some corners, for being irresponsible and deplorable. It was even booed.

Fight Club premiered in September of 1999 at the Venice Film Festival and in an excerpt from Brian Raftery’s book Best. Movie. Year. Ever. on The Ringer, Brad Pitt recalls the reaction to that early screening:

It gets to one of Helena’s scandalous lines—‘I haven’t been fucked like that since grade school!’—and literally the guy running the festival got up and left. Edward and I were still the only ones laughing. You could hear two idiots up in the balcony cackling through the whole thing.

What an amusing image that is, a crowd of aghast and offended festivalgoers watching Fight Club for the first time while Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are cracking up like teenagers, enjoying every second of the film and finding it hilarious.

The audience at Fight Club’s premiere clearly did not see the satire in Fight Club or find any humor in it, especially when it comes to Helena Bonham Carter’s most notorious line as Marla Singer. The line was so offensive that the person running the festival decided he had seen enough and decided to leave.

What’s particularly ironic about that is that her scandalous line was actually the result of the original line being considered too offensive and alienating by one of the film’s producers, Laura Ziskin. The original line in the script is the same as in Chuck Palahniuk’s book; after sex Marla turns to Tyler and says ‘I want to have your abortion.’ As retold by The Wrap, Ziskin begged David Fincher to take the abortion line out and the grade school line is what replaced it.

That line may or may not be more offensive, but either way, it didn’t play well, nor did the film overall, as Edward Norton recalled:

It got booed. It wasn’t playing well at all. Brad turns and looks at me says, ‘That’s the best movie I’m ever gonna be in.’ He was so happy.

You occasionally hear stories about films getting booed at festivals, and it ascribes a scarlet letter of sorts to the movie, branding it as something terrible, indecent or both. That a more prudish audience might boo Fight Club is one thing, but a festival attended by adherents of the art from is something wild to consider. Still, no amount of boos were going to rain on Brad Pitt’s parade.

As Edward Norton recalled, Brad Pitt was positively cheery, thrilled with the film itself, regardless of how it was received. Whether it wound up really being the best movie he’s ever been in is up for debate, but it is definitely a career highlight.

For Edward Norton, the hostile response Fight Club received at those early screenings from critics and audiences was something of a defensive response to the messages in the film itself. He said:

I think the establishment, the critical culture, felt a little bit indicted by it. So they responded to it with a little bit more seriousness, and I think they missed the satirical edge of it.

The subversive, anti-establishment message espoused by Tyler Durden in Fight Club was viewed as a dangerous and irresponsible thing to be in a Hollywood film. And rather than take a nuanced look at the satirical nature of the story, the response was to condemn it. It should also be noted that Fight Club came out the same year as the Columbine Shooting happened, so like The Matrix, it also arrived at an inopportune time and was an easy scapegoat and example of the things that caused society’s ills.

The people involved knew that Fight Club was going to have an uphill battle in the public eye, so two days before its opening, Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairman at the time Bill Mechanic let David Fincher know what to expect. He said:

I said there would be two judgments in the movie. One would be on Friday—which I wasn’t so sure about. But there was also the judgment of history. And I thought this would be one of the great films of the decade. So I was fine to take the pummeling.

Bill Mechanic proved prescient in his thoughts. Fight Club was judged a failure when it opened, managing just $11 million in its opening weekend. Yet as predicted, history judged David Fincher’s film far kinder. Fight Club is now a classic and indeed one of the great films of the decade. Sometimes faith in a film is rewarded, but those rewards don’t always come when you expect them. From booed and walked out on to cult classic; Jack’s smirking revenge indeed.

Check out our 2019 Release Schedule for all the films coming to theaters this year.

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