Author: Christopher Marc

Posted on in Film News

‘Monster Hunter’: A Scene That References Racist Nursery Rhyme Gets Movie Pulled From Theaters In China

Deadline and other outlets reported that the release of Paul W.S. Anderson’s (Resident Evil, Event Horizon, Soldier, AVP) latest video game adaptation Monster Hunter, met with some angry Chinese audiences as the movie released there and it included a racist 10-second scene referencing the offensive nursery rhyme “Chinese, Japanese, dirty knees”.

Leading Monster Hunter to be pulled from the screens.

The 10-second scene that has generated an outcry features Asian-American rapper/actor Jin Au-Yeung (aka MC Jin), who at one point riffs to his scene partner, “Look at my knees. What kind of knees are these? Chinese.” This is being linked to a racist playground rhyme used to mock children of Asian origin. Upset, we understand, has further been sown by the scene’s local subtitles.

There are expectations the scene will be removed but it’s unknown if the government will allow Monster Hunter to return to local screens. It’s also possible the backlash will have done enough damage there that big dollars expected from China while most theaters around the world are closed aren’t likely going to be as massive as the studio first imagined.

It’s a little disheartening because the film is an adaption of Japanese-based Capcom’s video game franchise with Chinese-based distribution company Tencent working on the film as well. Monster Hunter also had a very impressive international trailer marketed towards the Chinese audience that was miles better than the domestic cut trailer.

However, this does seem to highlight that extra care needed to make sure that you’re not offending entire countries or a race of people with outdated humor or references.

I think it’s worth pointing out this even isn’t the only 2020 film from a British director to reference the rhyme. Guy Ritchie’s most recent film The Gentlemen has Hugh Grant’s character Fletcher also play with the racist rhyme when Fletcher is referencing Henry Golding’s character Dry Eye and his Asian heritage.

FLETCHER: “I talk Raymondo of Dry Eye. Oh Dry Eye, what is he? Chinese, Japanese, Pekingese, get on your fucking knees. Dirty dragon filth. Yellow is the colour, gambling is the game.”

It seems like Hollywood still needs to do better when attempting humor and making sure they’re not returning to racist tropes we thought that were over decades ago.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Film News

‘Bullet Train’: Brad Pitt Action Movie Officially Adds ‘John Wick’ Cinematographer and ‘The Mandalorian’ Stunt Coordinator

Bullet Train is currently filming and director David Leitch has announced on Instagram the film’s production team will include cinematographer Jonathan Sela (John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, Transformers: The Last Knight), stunt coordinator Greg Rementer (The Mandalorian, Nobody, Hobbs & Shaw), and costume designer Sarah Evelyn (Hobbs & Shaw, Hollywood, American Horror Story).

He also confirmed The Ronin’s previous report that he would be reuniting with production designer David Scheunemann (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, Gunpowder Milkshake).

The action is considered a big project at Sony Pictures which is reflected with it’s rather large and established cast. Bullet Train’s cast lineup consists of Brad Pitt (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), Joey King (The Dark Knight Rises), Andrew Koji (G.I. Joe Origins: Snake Eyes), Michael Shannon (Knives Out, Man of Steel), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Godzilla, Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron), Brian Tyree Henry (Godzilla vs Kong, Widows, Joker, Eternals), Hiroyuki Sanada (The Wolverine, Avengers: Endgame, Sunshine, Westworld, The Last Samurai), Karen Fukuhara (The Boys, Suicide Squad), Logan Lerman (Fury, Hunters), Lady Gaga (Gucci, A Star Is Born, Machete Kills), Masi Oka (Heroes), and Zazie Beetz (Joker, Deadpool 2).

Filming is currently underway in Los Angeles and Sony Pictures has yet to give Bullet Train an official release date.

SOURCE: DAVID LEITCH

Posted on in Film News

‘Bullet Train’: ‘The Boys’ Actress Karen Fukuhara Confirmed For Role In Brad Pitt Action Flick

The cast for action director David Leitch’s new film titled Bullet Train has landed another key cast member as the director announced on Instagram that actress Karen Fukuhara (The Boys, Suicide Squad) has joined the project.

Bullet Train focuses on a group of assassins on a Tokyo train with mysterious motivations.

David Leitch has a strong action film pedigree with credits that include John Wick, Hobbs & Shaw, Atomic Blonde, and Deadpool 2. He’s also assembled a fantastic cast.

The rest of the cast consists of Brad Pitt (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood), Joey King (The Dark Knight Rises), Andrew Koji (G.I. Joe Origins: Snake Eyes), Michael Shannon (Knives Out, Man of Steel), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Godzilla, Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron), Brian Tyree Henry (Godzilla vs Kong, Widows, Joker, Eternals), Hiroyuki Sanada (The Wolverine, Avengers: Endgame, Sunshine, Westworld, The Last Samurai), Logan Lerman (Fury, Hunters), Lady Gaga (Gucci, A Star Is Born, Machete Kills), Masi Oka (Heroes), and Zazie Beetz (Joker, Deadpool 2).

Filming is currently underway in Los Angeles and Karen is expected to begin shooting Season 3 of The Boys in Toronto starting in February.

Sony Pictures has yet to give Bullet Train an official release date.

SOURCE: DAVID LEITCH

Posted on in Film News

‘Terminator’: Mackenzie Davis Says She Would Have Returned For ‘Terminator 7’ and Dishes Details

You might remember that during the promotion of Terminator: Dark Fate, that producer and co-creator James Cameron (also has story credit on Terminator: Dark Fate) talked-up to Cinema Blend knowing where a new Terminator trilogy could be going and having all these “ideas” about the next two films.

CAMERON: “I feel like one of my major motivations on this film or coming back to the, hopefully franchise, was to explore the human relationship with artificial intelligence. I don’t feel we did that in Dark Fate. I feel that we set the stage or we set the table for that exploration, and that exploration would take place in a second film and a third film.”

“And we know exactly where we’re going to take that idea. What we wanted to get in the first movie was this idea that it’s just going to keep happening. The names will change, but the basic conflict is going to continue to take place until it gets resolved one way or the other.”

This ultimately is unlikely happening anytime soon as the box office on Dark Fate was again disappointing and sequel plans have seemingly been placed on ice. Actress Mackenzie Davis has now revealed during an interview on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast that Terminator 7 would have allowed another version of Grace to appear and she’d reprise the role again.

HOROWITZ: Your character obviously didn’t make it through to the end of the movie. Was that it? Was there any resurrection plan if there were sequels?

DAVIS: “When does an NDA expire?…Yeah…like it was gonna be a timeline thing sort of , where there’d be another timeline that you’d explore. Like, there’s no resurrection, but she came from the future, so…”

HOROWITZ: So we go to the future and we see you in the future? Presumably.

DAVIS: “Yeah.”

What will happen with the Terminator franchise in the future is unknown but with Skydance and Paramount developing shows based on their film properties, a streaming series likely wouldn’t be out the realm of possibilities. However, I’m sure there are plenty of fans that would be fine with nothing new happening anytime soon.

SOURCE: HAPPY SAD CONFUSED PODCAST

Posted on in Television News

‘Hawkeye’: Series Taking Place Years After The Events of ‘Avengers: Endgame’

Filming on Marvel’s Hawkeye series began this week in NYC and there have been a few reveals including Lucky aka Pizza Dog. Another interesting group of set photos from the other day posted on HQ Celeb Corner reveals when the show could be taking place and it’s well after the events of Avengers: Endgame which took place in 2023.

A set dressing poster on a Chinatown set celebrates the Chinese New Year in 2025 (January 29th, 2025) , the year of the snake. This would allude to this scene being set around or after the Chinese New Year.

There had been some question if the series would be taking place after Thanos’ snap leading him down to the path of his violent vigilante persona Ronin or would be taking place post-Endgame. It looks like at least the scenes with Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop will be taking place in or around 2025, around two years after Avengers: Endgame.

We could still see flashbacks to Barton’s dark patch between Infinity War and Endgame.

The rest of the cast includes Florence Pugh confirmed to reprise the Black Widow role of Yelena Belova, Alaqua Cox is Maya Lopez aka Echo, Vera Farmiga is playing Kate Bishop’s mother Eleanor, Fra Fee is playing Kazi aka Clown, Tony Dalton is playing Jack Duquesne aka Swordsman, and Zahn McClarnon is playing William Lopez (Maya’s father).

If production stays on track without anymore hiccups it’s possible that it could begin airing on Disney+ before the end of 2021.

SOURCE: HQ CELEB CORNER

Posted on in Film News

‘Plastic Man’: Screenwriter Cat Vasko Tackling A Female-Led Version

I guess it should be called Plastic Woman as there is word from The Hollywood Reporter that Warner Bros. has tasked newcomer Cat Vasko to write a female take on the DC Comics hero Plastic Man. The project said to be more in the comedic realm and had a script previously worked on by Amanda Idoko.

Sources tell THR that the project, which is in the earliest stages of development, will now become a female-leading vehicle. It is unclear if that means a title change or not.

Sonic The Hedgehog actor Ben Schwartz had been actively campaigning to play Plastic Man on social media but that campaign seemingly is now over.

Neither a star or a director is mentioned for the project but joins a laundry list of DC Comics films in various stages of development at the studio. It remains to be seen if they ultimately make the project but hiring a new writer is a good sign along.

I’ll be curious to see how DC fans will react to the idea that the studio is tinkering with the hero like this, but really hasn’t had a feature film adaptation which gives Warner Bros. some wiggle-room to do their own thing with the character.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in Film News

AT&T CEO Suggests New Release Model For WB Films Will Extend Beyond 2021

Yesterday, WarnerMedia announced that they would be releasing their 2021 slate with a new day-and-date model releasing their films the same day on HBO Max (for one month) and theatrically. Those 17 films will include The Little Things, Judas and the Black Messiah, Tom & Jerry, Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat, Those Who Wish Me Dead, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, In The Heights, Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, Reminiscence, Malignant, Dune, The Many Saints of Newark, King Richard, Cry Macho, and Matrix 4.

While speaking with Deadline, WarnerMedia’s Jason Kilar dodged their question about what 2022 would look like moving forward.

KILNAR: “As to what the world looks like after 2021, I have no grand proclamations to make. Our focus, candidly, is on the here and now. We’re focused on getting through this pandemic like any business is, and we’re putting a lot of brain cells against what the right thing is to do to serve fans and to serve partners and to server ourselves. And all those things are important to do and that’s what our focus is, obviously that is what we announced today.”

However, AT&T CEO John Stankey seemingly jumped into future when asked by The Washington Post if they’d return to normal business practices including severing the day-and-date model they announced yesterday once the pandemic recedes. Stating the following which sounds a lot like they’re keen to keep this model.

STANKEY: “In March, we unleashed a new normal in society. That horse left the barn. I don’t think any of us are going to change that dynamic.”

Stankey did highlight the importance of movie theaters but didn’t really go into extensive detail what that relationship will look like post-pandemic. It’ll be interesting to see the reactions of domestic theaters who are going to be the most impacted if this model becomes a permanent thing as they’ll be in direct competition with HBO Max (a domestic streaming service).

You can watch that exchange below they start talking about the announcement around the 43 minute mark.

It was also mentioned by The Hollywood Reporter that WarnerMedia partners like Legendary Entertainment weren’t even told about the day-and-date model prior to the announcement and were just as blindsided as theaters. Legendary is behind WB’s massive upcoming releases such as Dune and Godzilla vs Kong.

SOURCE: THE WASHINGTON POST

Posted on in News

Disney Combining Hulu and Disney+ To Give Older Subscribers Mature Content Options?

Disney has had huge success with their family-friendly streaming service Disney+, however, the service is indeed geared towards families and younger audiences which means other Disney-owned content can’t really appear there.

A new report from Collider claims things might be changing soon with sources suggesting that their domestic service Hulu is being prepared to be folded into Disney+, Disney is a majority owner of Hulu and plenty of people have suggested this becoming an option given that Hulu doesn’t have an international presence being a domestic service but could with some help from Disney/Disney+ take the leap into the global realm like Netflix.

Sources say Disney is looking to combine its two streaming services into a single juggernaut.

For more than a year now, there has been speculation that Disney might one day fold Hulu into its Disney+ streaming service, and sure enough, Collider is hearing that multiple Hulu executives have been leaving or let go from the streaming service in anticipation of the move, which makes a lot of sense from a business perspective.

They phrase the report’s headline as a question which could mean this might be more of a rumor circulating among reliable people they’re talking to.

If this officially happens, Disney+ adding Hulu’s content, the 20th Century Studios library and their multiple television offerings from 20th Television/FX would add a massive under served demographic to their international streaming service. Another upside is that Disney might be forced into developing mature content with the Disney branding moving into the 21st Century as the media company will need to attract adult audiences as well and move beyond children’s entertainment.

We’ve already seen this with 20th Century Studios moving forward with Predator 5 and Marvel Studios hiring screenwriters for Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool 3, both expected to be R-rated offerings. This could be a way for Disney+ to start making mature shows using their budgets that they’ve used for Star Wars and Marvel series. I’m sure that Alien series that Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion) wanted to make wouldn’t have as much trouble getting the budget it would need to look proper. It also gives a home to franchise films like Die Hard, Alien/Predator franchises, Logan, and Deadpool.

Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video are doing a lot to attract older subscribers with original content which to some extent HBO/HBO Max is doing as well but like Hulu isn’t on the global stage.

Speaking of HBO Max, does this mean Disney announces this and then throws their entire 2021 slate of films on the combined service? We don’t really know if they’re going to mirror HBO Max’s new release model for 2021 and if this happens it could be another ding on the theatrical runs of future films. Alongside their potential to earn the billions at the box office that Disney is accustomed to. Hulu could be placed in an odd spot here and might see massive layoffs as jobs become redundant.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

Posted on in Film News

‘Metal Gear Solid’: Oscar Isaac Lands His Dream Role Playing Solid Snake As Video Game Film Finally Moves Forward At Sony

A while ago during an interview with IGN to promote the Netflix film Triple Frontier, Star Wars actor Oscar Isaac revealed he’d like to play Snake in a Metal Gear Solid movie, a project that was in active development at Sony Pictures with director Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island) attached. Jordan seemed extremely hot on the idea of Oscar in the role on social media and it looks like we have an update on that casting.

Deadline now reports that Oscar is set for the lead role of Solid Snake, the main character in the original Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots. Raiden was the main playable character of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty with Big Boss featured as the main character prequel games Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

Sony’s long awaited Metal Gear Solid adaptation looks to have gained some major momentum as sources tell Deadline that Oscar Isaac is attached to play Solid Snake in the Jordan Vogt-Roberts film.

METAL GEAR SOLID (1998) – A crack government anti-terrorist squad takes over an obscure Alaskan nuclear disposal facility. Solid Snake is up for the task to infiltrate the facility, rescue the two hostages and thwart the terrorists’ plans.

Derek Connolly (Kong: Island, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdon, Jurassic World: Dominion. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) wrote the most current version of the script.

Isaac is currently filming Scenes From A Marriage and is expected to begin shooting Marvel’s Moon Knight series in March, when Metal Gear Solid will begin production is unknown at this time given Oscar’s busy schedule.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Television News

‘Star Wars’: Diego Luna Says The ‘Cassian Andor’ Series Has Begun Filming In London!

It looks like another Star Wars series has begun production!

Rogue One actor Diego Luna mentioned on Jimmy Kimmel Live that filming on his untitled Cassian Andor prequel series has started in London (we have to assume he’s referring to Pinewood Studios UK). We’ll keep our fingers crossed he’ll finally have his wished granted and be able to touch Jabba.

Back in September, it was announced that Black Mirror’s Toby Haynes would be taking over as director as Tony Gilroy couldn’t do it. However, there is a chance Tony will be able to direct episodes later on. The cast for the Star Wars series includes Luna, Alan Tudyk, Adria Arjona, Denise Gough, Genevieve O’Reilly, Stellan Skarsgard, and Kyle Soller. Andor will skew more in the spy genre and might continue the tone established in Rogue One.

Since this series takes place before the ending of Star Wars: Rebels there is a good chance they could include the live-action incarnation of a character like Grand Admiral Thrawn that recently got a nod by Ahsoka Tano in The Mandalorian and we might eventually see the Imperial villain show up on Disney+ at some point. A series like Andor would be a perfect excuse to use him.

When the show is expected to drop on Disney+ remains a bit of mystery since they’re said to be currently shooting a Boba Fett project and Season 3 of The Mandalorian is going to be starting up soon. Ewan McGregor also said back in October that Kenobi would begin production sometime in March with Deborah Chow set to direct that series.

There are plenty of rumors concerning future Star Wars shows in development at Lucasfiilm with teases that Bo-Katan and Ahsoka Tano could land their own shows. Lucasfilm also announced an official one is coming from Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland that is reportedly going to be female-centric with martial arts elements.

SOURCE: JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE