What Now for the Superman Franchise?

After all the effort to make Man of Steel the film to steer Superman back on track, this is not exactly the conversation Warner Brothers was hoping for. In the short term, they got what they wanted. It is a hit. A big hit, actually, and they got the big numbers here and abroad. In over a week, it's out-earned Superman Returns and exceeded $400 million worldwide on a path headed to $600-$700 million, according to box-office prognosticators.

Only its second weekend drop stateside was sharper than anticipated losing 65% of its first weekend earnings. A $300 million gross, considered a lock last Sunday, is no longer guaranteed. In all probability, it will get there one look at Warner Brothers' history of saving face has shown. Infamously dragged Returns to the $200 million cross line, ditto The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey last Christmas to $300 million.

Queue fan freak out. "Oh my God! What does this mean for the sequel?" many ask. "I can't go through this again," other proclaim.

Relax. Even it stalls at $270 million, the sequel is still happening. So while Man of Steel is fine and made its bread that puts the next installment in a tricky spot. General public seemed to like it fine. But they saw it and moved on (Stiff competition from Monsters University and World War Z didn't help). It wasn't the Destroying Everything in its Path monster many expected. How do you stabilize the franchise you thought you just fixed... when you kinda didn't but did?

Move it to July; probably the first decision they made, besides re-upping Zack Snyder and David Goyer. Since The Dark Knight phenomenon in 2008, studio has been religious about that date. They haven't had a film in that slot that wasn't a mega hit (Pacific Rim will test that leap of faith).

Continue the Keep it Classy casting trend. If anything this will probably be Christopher Nolan's big role, committing more well-known actors. Expect to see Household name types for Lex Luthor, whoever the supervillain is and Jimmy Olsen. Willing to bet a few bills "Jenny Olsen" (Rebecca Buller; perfectly fine yet forgettable) is a one movie wonder character and replaced by someone like Jonah Hill as Supes' pal.

Address the main criticisms, namely the mass destruction of Metropolis and lack of humor. Not one to listen to fan speculation but, for once, they actually have a good idea. Bring in Luthor and his rebuilding the city as a means to comment on that issue and the presence of the afore-mentioned Olsen can inject a sensor of humor. Man of Steel had a few humorous moments (Supes breaking his handcuffs by simply getting up from his chair and throwing the asshole driver’s truck into a tree) but you can't argue it was a mostly serious affair.

Oh and keep it a self-containded franchise. Ruining your narrative just to segway into Justice League doesn't make for a better movie. Just ask Iron Man 2 and Captain America: The First Avenger.

Independence Day 2 to Invade the Planet July 2015

Seventeen years in the rumor-mill, hearing the word come down Independence Day 2 is impending for July 3, 2015, the only feeling to arise is intrigue.

"Is this for real?" many are thinking.

It is, alright. Fox made the announcement along with several other moves (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and X-Men: Days of Future Past swapped their Memorial Day and late July 2014 dates).

Since Roland Emmerich made a name for himself in CG destruction porn and turning Will Smith into a movie-star along the way, status reports on a follow-up are seemingly an annual tradition. It's not all hit-whoring, Internet nonsense. Fox has wanted the sequel for years. Back when Peter and I ran another movie-news site, we reported how Fox had agreed to Smith's demands in the wake of the Avatar phenomenon. That didn't pan out at the time.

Is it fair to say After Earth is to thank here? Facing the biggest financial failure of his career, and signs of his movie-star days are dwindling, safest thing to do is to grab that Independence Day sequel out of your back pocket. This is pure speculation, mind you. The studio announced the release date and nothing more. But it's hard to imagine it without Smith and now is the perfect time to have another close encounter.

Source: Box Office Mojo

Robert Downey Jr. Isn't Leaving Marvel Universe Anytime Soon; Signs Up for Avengers 2 & 3

All that bullshit of Kevin Feige saying Robert Downey Jr. was replaceable was just that. Bullshit.

Downey has struck a new deal to return to the red-and-gold armor for The Avengers 2 and The Avengers 3. Nary a mention made of any more solo Iron Mans. So those days may be over... or Downey and his representation are playing smart with negotiations. Iron Man 3 made over $1 billion after all.

They wouldn't be in this position were it not for Downey, and Jon Favreau let's give credit where it's due. He's earned every penny and as long as this doesn't get into Captain Jack Sparrow level of oversaturation (You laugh at the thought but Johnny Depp's weirdo bullshit routine was the gold standard circa 2005) it's all good.

Source: Marvel

Universal Picks Fifty Shades of Grey Director

Fifty Shades of Grey has a director. No it's not Joe Wright. Or anyone else you, dear film nerd, are familiar with.

Sam Taylor-Johnson got the assignment. She directed Nowhere Boy, the biopic on the teenage John Lennon none of you saw. Her real claim to fame, sadly, has dick to do with any work accomplishments, but her marriage to onscreen Lennon Aaron Johnson.

That's a "big deal" because he's twenty years younger and, for some reason that gets frowned upon when the woman in the relationship is older. Totally fine if it’s the other way around, of course. Alright, alright, I'm stepping off the soapbox.

For all the press of who Universal would settle on, it's a surprise choice. Given the subject matter, banking on the book's popularity and less on who directs, let alone who stars, makes the most sense economically.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Jon Chu to Yell "YO JOE!" Again

G.I. Joe: Retaliation was terrible.

Not in a "Made for 10 year olds" kind of terrible, which one can excuse and still find charmingly entertainment. That's G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra. No, terrible. As in "Shouting out loud in the theater 'Who made this crap?'" terrible.

But it made money, or more likely, Paramount needs inventory to fill release slots. G.I. Joe 3, it is, and its controversial director Jon Chu will return.

"Controversial" I mean the Internet decided he sucked before shooting a frame of film thanks to his Justin Bieber connection. When initial footage suggested he wasn't a fluke, they pretended they always loved him. And then it opened and everyone went back to their Chu hatred. The Internet is a sad, funny bunch.

Widely reported the studio mandated reshoots, 3D post-conversion and zero hour shift from June 2012 to March 2013 didn't sit well with Chu, and yeah to be fair, he did his best to put a good face on a bad situation. Guess I'm surprised he's game for more.

While Paramount waits to announce the writer, please enjoy the infamous Fenslerfilm dubs for the old animated PSAs.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Trailer

Here is the first trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

The scope is broader, the set-pieces bigger, the cast expanding including the returning Orlando Bloom and Evangeline Lilly. It feels like an improvement is in order from the disappointment of last Christmas' baggy An Unexpected Journey. Hopefully Peter Jackson doesn't let us down, again.

Yeah, yeah, you’re thinking. What we're all waiting is a full glimpse of the titular dragon. Good news is you get it. The bad news is... well... it looks like any other CG dragon.

Hello, Man of Steel Sequel Scoop We First Reported in February

Tracking is strong, buzz building, reviews generally good (creeping closer to mixed) Warner Brothers believes this is the time for Superman to be cool again, for the first time since 1981.

So after all the rampant talk of how the studio would postpone any follow-up to have Justice League out first and by 2015 (dumb and illogical as it all was), the answer us with common sense knew was coming has arrived. The Man of Steel is getting that sequel first. Assuming grosses speed faster than a speeding bullet to $100 million this weekend… or around that area.

David Goyer is staying put in Metropolis. You only heard us report that back in February first; not TOLDJA's fat ass yesterday. Zack Snyder is too. As a matter of fact, heard last week Snyder was so locked, he was taking no break. Once all the press tours are over and it is out everywhere (which should be in a few more weeks), he's going straight into pre-production on... whatever they call the sequel. That means Henry Cavill will be back in the red-and-blue suit by next spring, after he shoots Man From U.N.C.L.E. this fall and enjoys Christmas/New Year's off. Justice League is somewhere in that mix. Goyer's deal involves two Superman movies and that.

HitFix's Drew McWeeny recently remarked how four different filmmakers had seen The Man of Steel and wanted Snyder to move on so they could get their hands on that cast and that universe.

Don't care who said directors were. Where were they in 2010 when the property was in need of their talent? Snyder and Goyer took the risk of reinventing Superman for the big screen. They deserve to reap the rewards of their work and those other filmmakers can go fuck off. If you ask me.

For Some Reason There's a 4 MINUTE White House Down Trailer

Turning the White House to rumble in spectacular fashion made Roland Emmerich's career. Easy to see why he went back to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for White House Down.

It looks like an absolute blast. But why oh why did they feel the need for a new four-minute, no you didn't misread that, long trailer? As if two minutes of CG mayhem, Channing Tatum charmingly ad-libbing and kicking ass next to Jamie Foxx wasn't enough to guarantee that sold ticket.

What kills me the most? Still little idea of who the villain is (Official listings say Jason Clarke, on a roll starting with Zero Black Thirty, continuing to this summer's surprise hit The Great Gatsby) or what his evil plan is.

New Man of Steel Trailer From Nokia

A week from tonight, Man of Steel will be in theaters. If all goes according to plan, and the increasingly positive buzz from screenings, the world will be hot for Superman again and Henry Cavill will forever lose his anonymity.

But because they are the superstitious type, Warner Brothers has released one final trailer sponsored by Nokia. They did the exact same thing last year with The Dark Knight Rises and that did $448 million. Until the Christopher Nolan strategy fails, the studio will stay loyal to the faith.

What little dialogue focuses on Jor-El (Russell Crowe) voice-over and primarily Hans Zimmer's score. It echoes the mantra of the last trailer. Action! Action! And more action!

Welcome to a Year Ago - Evangeline Lilly in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The term "Exclusive" has the same value for us online pundits as used toilet paper. Even time-stamps get doctored so assholes can claim they "told you" something first.

One Ring gave us the legitimate First Look at Evangeline Lilly in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. A year ago. It wasn't studio-sanctioned. Came directly from the artwork from her action-figure display (Roll your sleeves up journalism!) But they got it out first. We know how Lilly looks in the Hobbit follow-ups.

Only EW is here to say, "Oh no. You. DIDN'T!" Here is the spruced-up gander at the Jackson/Walsh/Boyens concoction Tauriel, the elf warrior princess.

The picture itself is exclusive, yes, but far from "First Look."