Britt Hayes is a writer, movie lover, and sensible sweater enthusiast living in Austin, Texas. She watches too much TV and never eats her vegetables.
Britt Hayes
Some Theaters Are Refusing to Show ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’
While Disney and Lucasfilm are preparing to unleash Star Wars: The Last Jedi in theaters on December 15, some theater owners aren’t feeling the Force — specifically, the demands Disney has in place for screenings and their cut of the profits. Although most moviegoers in larger markets with bigger theaters won’t have to worry about missing out on the next chapter in the Star Wars saga, fans in smaller cities might get burned.
New Netflix Instant Releases: November 2017
Attention, Chappie fans. Your time has finally come. Neill Blomkamp’s bizarre sci-fi experiment is arriving on Netflix in November. This is truly a momentous occasion for all five of you. As for the rest of us, a bunch of other new titles are coming to the streaming service next month, including Sundance favorite Mudbound, along with the debut seasons of Marvel’s The Punisher and the Steven Soderbergh-produced western Godless.
Netflix CEO Thinks He Can Bait More Talent With a Few Oscars
In 2017, Netflix will spend $6 billion on original content (up $1 billion from 2016), including 20 new TV shows and, pending negotiations, Martin Scorsese’s long-awaited mob drama The Irishman — which could finally earn Netflix a spot at the Oscars. That’s certainly a goal, but according to Reed Hastings, it’s not the only goal for the streaming giant, which has struggled to find balance between quantity and quality despite massive spending. The CEO and co-founder of Netflix recently offered some insight into their plans for original content and threw some shade at theater chains for good measure.
‘La La Land’ Wins Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy at the 2017 Golden Globes
La La Land’s backlash arrived a little later than expected this awards season, but that didn’t stop the jazzy bittersweet musical from claiming a top prize at the 2017 Golden Globe awards. In one of the least surprising moments of the evening, Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash follow-up received the award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Next stop: The Oscars, most likely.
This iPhone ‘Theatre Mode’ Update Sounds Like a Threat
It’s hard to pass judgment on iPhone’s new “theatre mode” because, well, it doesn’t exist out in the real world just yet. But according to a new report, that might be changing sooner rather than later, as Apple’s latest update is said to include this mysterious function. What is it, exactly? What does it do? Is this good news or bad news? Is the sanctity of the theatrical experience facing a new, insidious threat? Whatever it is, we’ll probably find out on January 10, when the iOS 10.3 beta rolls out to iPhone users.
Ryan Reynolds May Have Filmed a Deadpool Scene for ‘Logan’ [UPDATE]
Ryan Reynolds’ wish for a proper Deadpool and Wolverine crossover movie may never come true, but the actor has apparently achieved something pretty close with a small cameo in Logan. According to a new report, the actor recently filmed a scene for Hugh Jackman’s final bow as Wolverine, though it’s unclear if we’ll actually see the two characters share the screen when Logan hits theaters next spring.
Baby Groot Is in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ For a Reason, and It’s Not to Sell Toys
After experiencing the utter joy that is Dancing Baby Groot in the Guardians of the Galaxy post-credits scene, his inclusion in Vol. 2 seems like a real no-brainer — especially for Marvel and Disney, which stand to make serious bank off of that adorable, wide-eyed little twig in merchandising alone. But according to director James Gunn, Baby Groot’s involvement in the sequel has nothing to do with merchandising at all (though I’m sure it doesn’t hurt the bottom line in that department).
Johnny Depp Is Hollywood’s Most Overpaid Actor For the Second Year in a Row
Every year, Forbes releases rankings of the highest-paid and highest-grossing actors around the world, but their most interesting list comes a little later in the year when the publication unveils their annual rundown of the most overpaid actors in Hollywood. Unsurprisingly, Johnny Depp’s name tops the list for the second year in a row — and yet, sadistic Hollywood executives just keep right on putting him and his big dumb hats in big budget blockbusters.
‘Rogue One’ Is Not Getting a Sequel Because That Would Be Silly
Look, pretty much every Star Wars fan with functioning brain cells knows that there won’t be a sequel to Rogue One, but there’s an unspoken (and kind of dumb) rule in any setting which involves people asking questions and receiving answers about movies: If it can be asked, someone will ask it, especially if it’s a question with a really obvious answer — like “will there be a sequel to Rogue One?”
Lucasfilm Will Hire Female ‘Star Wars’ Director ‘When the Time Is Right,’ But We’re Tired of Waiting
Colin Trevorrow, Jordan Vogt-Roberts and Josh Trank are just a few of the names among those that have transitioned from acclaimed first-time indie filmmakers to first-time blockbuster directors. The list of filmmakers who have made that giant leap includes very few women, and it’s something that Disney and subsidiaries Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios have been working to address. Change comes slowly, and it’s been even slower for Star Wars, which has yet to hire a woman to direct any of their upcoming films. While it’s definitely a priority for Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, we might have to wait a bit longer for it to happen.
‘Kong: Skull Island’ Trailer: All Hail the King
The first trailer for Kong: Skull Island debuted at Comic-Con back in July, offering a sneak peek that was more visually exciting and intriguing than we could have possibly hoped, clearly evoking classic war films like Apocalypse Now and The Thin Red Line — you know, but with a giant ape. After a week of teasers and images preparing us for Kong’s revival, a new official trailer has arrived online heralding a bigger, badder return for the legendary movie monster.
New ‘Willy Wonka’ Prequel Will Challenge Your Belief in a World of Pure Imagination
Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory may be a world of pure imagination where the sky is the limit and anything is possible, but it’s hard to say the same about major studios, which keep returning to the same well of established franchises (including board games and toys) to cash-in on name recognition — why risk millions on an original, inventive idea when they can just repurpose a tried-and-true classic? Such is the case with good ol’ Willy Wonka, who is returning to the big screen in a new prequel film from the producer of the Harry Potter series.