Movies

Kurt Sutter’s projects haven’t fared well when he’s moved away from gritty biker dramas, and his new Western, The Abandons, now streaming on Netflix, is a big gamble for the platform. They’re hoping it will launch a franchise similar to Yellowstone. However, Sutter’s reputation for being challenging to collaborate with has resurfaced during the production of The Abandons, and it risks failing like his previous historical drama, The Bastard Executioner. It’s unfortunate, because The Bastard Executioner, a violent medieval series, had the potential to be a worthy successor to Sons of Anarchy if it had been allowed to develop.

Tarantino didn’t just criticize the cast of Five Nights at Freddy’s; during a podcast, he also claimed The Hunger Games heavily borrowed from the Japanese novel Battle Royale. He expressed disbelief that the author of Battle Royale didn’t sue Suzanne Collins, saying The Hunger Games was a direct copy. He felt critics wouldn’t notice because they weren’t familiar with the Japanese film. Josh Hutcherson, who played Peeta in The Hunger Games, acknowledged some thematic similarities but suggested that all stories borrow from each other. As for Tarantino, it might be best if he avoids any restaurants with animatronic robots for now, considering their reputation for getting even.

The animated film The Mitchells vs. the Machines boasts a fantastic cast, including Abbi Jacobson (from A League of Their Own), Danny McBride (The Righteous Gemstones), and Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live). Its journey to release was quite a story: Sony originally planned a 2020 theatrical release with a different title, but then sold the film to Netflix during the pandemic, and the original title was reinstated. When it premiered on Netflix in early 2021, it was a huge success, earning a remarkable 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and becoming the streamer’s most popular animated film at the time.

I’m really excited about Will Byers’s journey in the final season of Stranger Things! It’s amazing to see him finally embrace his powers and grow as a person. And I absolutely love that he’s finding support and connection with Robin Buckley. As the only main LGBTQ+ characters on the show, their friendship feels natural and it’s honestly been one of my favorite parts of the season so far. It’s just so heartwarming to see them connect!

Warner Bros. announced last night it will be put up for sale after splitting from Discovery Global. Several major companies, including Comcast and Netflix, expressed interest in buying it. Netflix ultimately made the winning bid. Although the deal has sparked controversy, Netflix is assuring viewers that significant changes aren’t expected anytime soon.

Sana Amanat, an Executive Producer, recently told Empire magazine that Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones will maintain a key part of her personality when she appears in Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again. Jessica will only get involved because of her own personal reasons and will continue to be a largely independent character.

The fallout from Picard’s most difficult experience culminates in what many consider the most powerfully moving scene in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Season 4 episode, “Family,” is a subdued and realistic story, a change of pace after the previous episodes’ excitement. However, like the viewers, Picard struggles to overcome being assimilated by the Borg. Following a compelling episode focused on his brother, Patrick Stewart gives a particularly memorable and heartbreaking performance as Picard, in a scene that remains iconic to the series.

Marvel Studios usually keeps details about its upcoming movies secret, but some information about Avengers: Doomsday has leaked. A key member of the film’s creative team recently shared his experiences working on set, and his comments suggest a significant change in direction for the movie – a change that could be positive for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Honestly, I was surprised to see the film’s numbers dip over Thanksgiving weekend. It made $61.7 million domestically, which was actually less than the original Wicked film made during its second weekend over the same holiday – that one brought in $81.2 million! The sequel dropped a huge 58% in attendance, and that’s really unusual because Thanksgiving is usually a big moviegoing weekend and films don’t usually fall that much week to week.

Movies like Titanic really changed the game, ushering in a new age of films that made over a billion dollars. But James Cameron’s blockbuster wasn’t the only huge hit of the 1990s – each year brought several films that became all-time classics. And even if a movie didn’t do great in theaters, it could still become profitable thanks to sales of VHS and DVDs.