DAVID DUNN

As most of you already know, comedian Gene Wilder died at the age of 83 yesterday. What you might not know are the circumstances surrounding his death.

The actor, most known for roles in movies including Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Young Frankenstein, passed away due to complications with Alzheimer’s disease. He’s been extremely confidential about having the disease, even though he’s been diagnosed with it for over three years. His nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman reveals the reasoning for hiding his serious condition.

“The decision to wait until this time to disclose his condition wasn’t vanity, but more so that the countless young children that would smile or call out to him… would not then be exposed to an adult referencing illness or trouble and causing delight to travel to worry, disappointment or confusion. He simply couldn’t bear the idea of one less smile in the world.”

Today, there are millions of less smiles in the world. But for years, Wilder’s exuberance, joy, and compassion made people smile everywhere. I guess one day of frowning is a small price to pay for the happiness Wilder brought people everywhere.

R.I.P. Willy Wonka, Frederick Frankenstein, and Gene Wilder. Thank you for the smiles you’ve given everyone.

Gene Wilder, 1933 – 2016

SOURCE: NPR, Associated Press

Spoiler alert. Superman isn’t really dead.

Surprised? I’m not. After all, DC did feature him prominently on their promotional materials for San Diego Comic-Con. But if for some reason you needed more proof that Superman isn’t dead, know that Warner Bros. has officially put the Man of Steel sequel on their slate of DC releases.

The news was first reported by The Wrap, which got the scoop from an insider source at Warner Bros. While an official statement has not been released by Warner Bros., its safe to say we won’t be seeing the sequel for quite a few years. After all, DC already has several other films to focus on their slate, including Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg, and The Batman reboot. At the very least, it’s going to be until 2019 when we see Superman fly solo again.

And its totally great that he’s coming back, right? We didn’t see him die or anything in the last movie he was in.

I’m not going to gripe about this development. I’ve already said my piece about Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice and its many failures. That didn’t take away from my enjoyment of Suicide Squad, and it doesn’t take away from my excitement of Justice League and Wonder Woman, both of which looked really good based on their previews.

What do you guys think? Are you excited Superman is returning from the grave, or do you wish he would have stayed buried? Comment below, let me know.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: The Wrap, Entertainment Weekly

Marvelous.

During San Diego Comic-Con 2016, Marvel Studios announced that actress Brie Larson would take the lead role in the upcoming 2019 film Captain Marvel. She joined the stage with cast members from other Marvel productions, including Doctor Strange and Black Panther.

Call me Captain Marvel.

– Brie Larson

This has been a long-anticipated announcement for Marvel fans, mostly because there was so much unknown about the project. Just about the only thing that was known was the fact that it would feature a female lead, considering the project started as Ms. Marvel before it was retitled to Captain Marvel.

Now that we have a name to attach to the project, I’m very happy it’s a talented one. While her career is still relatively young, it has been a successful one nonetheless. Picking up a variety of supporting roles in films including Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and 21 Jump Street, Larson started getting mainstrem recognition for her Academy Award-winning performance in Room, where she portrayed a mother trying to protect her son from a man that used to keep them imprisoned. She’ll be appearing in the upcoming adventure film Kong: Skull Island, where she’ll be starring alongside fellow Marvel actors Tom Hiddleston and Samuel L. Jackson.

What do you guys think? Are you excited to see Larson suit up as Captain Marvel, or do you wish she would be discharged for someone else? Comment below, let me know.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: Entertainment Weekly, Cinemablend

Level up.

Walt Disney Studios recently confirmed that they are planning a sequel to the 2012 animated comedy Wreck-It Ralph. The sequel, which is currently slated for a March 2018 release, will focus on Ralph being uploaded onto the internet as opposed to the arcade setting of the first movie. John C. Reilly is set to reprise his role as Wreck-It Ralph, while director Rich Moore is also planning to return, although time will tell whether he’s planning on sitting in the director’s chair again or is simply interested in producing.

Personally, I’m very excited to hear that a sequel to Wreck-It Ralph is being released. The one thing Disney is not good at is releasing sequels. To date, Walt Disney has released only two sequels, one for Fantasia and another for Winnie the Pooh. With Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen lining up for second entries, its nice to see Disney widening their scopes to see bigger ways of expanding upon their stories. Seeing Ralph back up on the big screen is a treat that I’m looking forward to. At least they’re not like Pixar and waiting 10 years to release a sequel

What do you guys think? Are you excited for Ralph’s return, or would you rather it be just game over? Comment below, let me know.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: Collider, Oh My Disney

Guillermo Del Toro fans, rejoice. It looks like Pacific Rim isn’t dead in the water after all.

Fans were disheartened months ago when The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the sequel to the 2013 sci-fi action movie was put on indefinite hold due to disagreements between Legendary and Universal Pictures. After it was announced that “Daredevil” showrunner and writer Steven S. DeKnight would take over directing duties for the project, we finally have our first casting announcement: Finn himself will be appearing in Pacific Rim 2.

John Boyega, who has gained recognition as the Stormtrooper-turned-hero in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is cast in a yet unspecified role in Pacific Rim 2. Previous to taking on Star Wars, Boyega has also starred in the sci-fi action comedy Attack the Block and in the limited television series “24: Live Another Day.”

Personally, I’m very excited to hear Boyega taking on Pacific Rim. The guy is a great actor and would be a perfect fit for any role in the film. If you’ve seen his chops in The Force Awakens, you’d understand what I’m talking about. The guy can do cocky, confident, funny, shy, awkward, introverted, heroic, whatever you name it. He had a lot of layers to himself in The Force Awakens, and bringing that sort of talent on for Pacific Rim can only benefit the project overall.

What do you guys think? Are you excited for Finn to board a Jaeger, or would you rather he get eaten by a Kaiju? Comment below, let me know.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline

Alicia Vikander is going to be raiding some tombs pretty soon.

The Hollywood Reporter broke news regarding the Swedish actress’s involvement with a video game property. She has reportedly been cast as Lara Croft, a.k.a. The Tomb Raider, in an upcoming reboot by MGM and Warner Bros.

This isn’t the first time Lara Croft has appeared on the big screen. Angelina Jolie was the first to portray the character in 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, then again in a 2003 sequel titled The Cradle of Life. But since the video game series’ reboot in 2013, GK Films have been looking to update the franchise with a new version of the character, and they apparently trust Vikander in bringing that version to life.

It’s been a long casting process for the character too. For the longest time, actresses Jaimie Alexander, Hayley Atwell, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and even the Star Wars breakout Daisy Ridley were all being considered for the role, the last of which even spoke to Deadline. But the studios eventually settled for Vikander, which is not a bad choice for the role at all.

Vikander’s recent career success has spread like a wildfire. In last year alone, she portrayed the robotic Ava in the sci-fi drama Ex Machina, a thief-turned-CIA specialist in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and a loyal yet confused wife in The Danish Girl, the last of which won her the Academy Award for best supporting actress. Later this year, she will also star in the conspiracy-action-thriller Jason Bourne, alongside the likes of Matt Damon and Tommy Lee Jones. If you can’t tell from her already diverse filmography, she’s definitely more than ready for the role. Now it’s just a matter of the studio, writers and director giving Vikander an interesting character to portray.

What do you guys think? Are you excited for Vikander becoming Lara Croft, or do you think she should stay buried in the tomb?

Comment below, let me know.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline

Wait, so Benedict Cumberbatch is now Benedict CumberGrinch? Lol, okay.

So some obviously outlandish news came out today. The highly appreciated English actor, who is most known in roles including Sherlock Holmes, Kahn, Smaug, Alan Turing, and the upcoming Doctor Strange, has recently accepted another equally strange role. He’s going to voice Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch in an upcoming animated feature developed by Illumination Entertainment, the studio behind the likes of Despicable Me and The Secret Life of Pets.

So. Yeah. Pretty outlandish, right?

I’ve got a few questions before I go to Cumberbatch. First of all, why are we remaking the Grinch AGAIN? We’ve had two theatrical renditions of this character now. The first was in the 1966 animated TV movie where he was voiced by Boris Karloff, a definitive performance and serial which is arguably the best representation of the character to date. The second was in the 2000 Ron Howard-directed live-action film starring Jim Carrey. Both were very entertaining adaptations that breathed life into this flawed and twisted bohemian that was brilliantly characterized by Dr. Seuss. We’ve already have two Grinches to appreciate and love. Why do we need a third?

Second, if we have to have a remake to How The Grinch Stole Christmas… why now? And for what purpose? Everyone knows the story by now, whether you’ve read the book or seen the movies. You know what happens. You know the wonderfully creative story Seuss gave us years ago, and it’s parable was something significant we can carry in our hearts. What can you add to the character now that we don’t already know and love? And moreover, how can you expand on the character any further than he already was in the 2000 live-action film? All of this just screams to me as desperate and unnecessary, and I see absolutely no reason why it needs to be remade and why it needs to be released in a date as random as November 2017.

On that note, I support Cumberbatch as an actor and think he will service the role well. He has demonstrated strong versatility in the projects I have mentioned, and voicing the Grinch is a challenge Cumberbatch can easily match. I like him as an actor and I think he would even be a good live-action Grinch if he wanted to be. Again, I just don’t know why this is happening or what the studio plans to add to an already simple and straightforward story.

What does you guys think? Are you excited that CumberGrinch is happening, or do you wish he would stay up in Mount Crumpit? Comment below, let me know.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: The Verge, ComingSoon.net

Don’t write in that book, and definitely don’t be the name written in it.

Netflix has recently picked up the distribution rights to Death Note, a remake to the 2006 Japanese film of the same name adapted from the manga by Tsugumi Ohba. Death Note tells the story of Light Yagami, a brilliant high school student that comes into contact with a death note, a supernatural artifact that can kill someone by simply writing their name in the book. Actor Nat Wolff (The Fault In Our Stars, Paper Towns) is set to portray Light, while actress Margaret Qualley (Palo Alto, the upcoming Nice Guys) is in an undisclosed role. They will be acting off of a script written by Jeremy Slater and will be directed by Adam Wingard.

Okay, okay, calm down manga fans. I know this is big news. I know it’s exciting that Death Note is coming back to the big screen. But take a second to calm down and look at the talent involved.

First of all, I think it’s exciting to see Nat Wolff step into the center role again. The guy has had a handful of film roles up until when he took the lead in Paper Towns, and he did very well at demonstrating the angst and affection of a lonely high school student in that film. He seems to be an upcoming star that has a lot of potential in the growth of his career. Him taking on the complex and thought-provoking role of Light would put him on the spot to prove his chops, and could be a great make-it-or-break-it scenario to show audiences what he’s got.

Granted, they will definitely have to change Light Yagami’s name considering Wolff is American and not Japanese. That’s something fans definitely won’t be pleased with.

The other thing you need to consider is the talent behind the camera as opposed to the front. Wingard is an up-and-coming director that hit major success with the horror films You’re Next and The Guest. Seeing his directing chops shows that he’s definitely ready for Death Note, as the series has horror undertones bleeding through every page of its manga.

The thing to be most concerned about is the fact that Jeremy Slater is writing. He’s the screenwriter behind the recently released The Lazarus Effect and Fantastic Four remake. These movies have three things in common: they’re both dark, they’re both opaque, and they’re both God awful. Seriously, don’t watch them just to see for yourself. It’s not worth it. Those films were grossly uninteresting and released to a widely negative reaction.

That’s not the kind of writer that’s reliable enough for Death Note.

No words on the anticipated release date for Netflix’s Death Note. Filming for the production starts in June.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: Cinemablend, ComingSoon.net

Looks like Charlize Theron is making Fast & Furiosa.

The Oscar-winning actress, whose performances have been featured in films including The Cider House Rules, Monster, and recently Mad Max: Fury Road, has been confirmed to appear in the upcoming Fast & Furious 8. The sequel will have Vin Diesel and others racing against her, as it was reported that she will be playing the film’s villain.

Personally, I see no need to have a Fast & Furious 8, 9, 10, or the upcoming spin-offs that will be attached to the series. It’s too long. Waaaaayy too long. If you’re passing The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Harry Potter series’, you’re pushing it. There’s no reason to have this be a 10-movie franchise, then to plan more on top of that.

Grievances aside, I’m happy to hear that Theron is going to be the movie’s antagonist. Her recent performances in Mad Max: Fury Road and Prometheus shows that she’s still got the chops, and putting her in an opposing role with the rest of the cast seems like it’ll give her a good opportunity to stretch her “villain” muscles. The film reunites Theron with Straight Outta Compton director F. Gary Gray, their first collaboration being the 2003 heist film The Italian Job.

What do you guys think? Are you excited that Theron is joining Fast & Furious, or do you wish she’d get off at the next stop sign? Comment below, let me know.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: ComingSoon.net, Entertainment Weekly

Enough.

Enough. 

Enough. 

ENOUGH.

ENOUGH. 

So yeah. In case you didn’t already find out, Arnold Schwarzenegger recently confirmed that Terminator 6 was happening, despite the critical failure of Terminator Genisys. Here’s what he said to Australia’s Channel 9:

“I am looking forward to it,” he said. “Absolutely.” 

Yeah, well we’re not.

– David Dunn

SOURCE: Telegraph, Cinemablend