Sour Grapes? “Valerian” (@ValerianMovie) Director, Luc Besson (@lucbesson), Calls Captain America Propaganda

We are here for the superheroes, especially for the films! One European director is not, and he has targeted one superhero in particular as propaganda.

Valerian and The City of a Thousand Plants director, Luc Besson, has called Captain America and his movies propaganda!

via Screenrant.com

Luc Besson thinks Captain America is “propaganda.” This isn’t the first time that he has railed against superhero movies, previously saying that he finds protagonists with superpowers hard to relate to, and stating his preference for more normal, flawed heroes. Besson is of course far from the first filmmaker – or moviegoer for that matter – to express fatigue with the now constant onslaught of superhero-based pop culture, as it sometimes seems like nearly every possible superhero is now getting a film or TV show made about them.

For reference, in 2017 alone, Marvel has released or will soon release Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Thor: Ragnarok, while DC’s 2017 docket includes Wonder Womanand Justice League. Over on Netflix, Marvel already released Iron Fist season 1 this year, with The Defenders and The Punisher soon to follow. The CW continues to be dominated by DC heroes, FOX has Gotham, and ABC continues to air more than one Marvel show. 2018 won’t ease up the pace either, with the arrival of the mammoth Avengers: Infinity War on the horizon.

“What bothers me most is it’s always here to show the supremacy of America and how they are great. I mean, which country in the world would have the guts to call a film Captain Brazil or Captain France? I mean, no one! We would be like so ashamed and say, ‘No, no, come on, we can’t do that.’ They can. They can call it Captain America and everybody think it’s normal. I’m not here for propaganda, I’m here to tell a story.”

We can respect Besson’s opinion but we have to wonder if his rant and assessments of Cap are sour grapes. It is no secret that Valerian was an epic fail at the box office, despite being the most expensive independent film ever made. Luc might want to let this argument go clearly superhero films aren’t going anywhere and Captain America is well over 70 years in the works we doubt he’s losing any popularity or momentum anytime soon.

Written By: Michael “Hey Mikey” Fanning

Follow me on Twitter/IG @HeyMikeyATL

In Case You Missed It! Flash Movie Will Be Based on “Flashpoint” Storyline!

The DC Cinematic Universe is expanding–and rapidly! Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman have already appeared on The Big Screen, then came villains and anti-heroes of the Suicide Squad, and later this year the Justice League join the fray bringing on Aquaman, The Flash, and Cyborg.

We definitely love all of these superheroes, but we are stoked at the latest news surrounding The Flash’s stand alone film–Flashpoint!

Flashpoint, if you did not already know, is an event that took place when The Flash, Barry Allen, used his powers to travel back into time and save his mother’s life. This act changed the world completely resulting in Bruce Wayne’s being killed by Joe Chill and his parents becoming Batman and The Joker, respectively, Wonder Woman and Aquaman nearly destroy the world when Themyscira and Atlantis go to war with one another, Cyborg becomes the world’s greatest superhero, and Superman’s rocket is taken by the US government.

[VIDEO] In Case You Missed It! Avengers: Infinity War Trailer Leaks at San Diego Comic-Con!

It is no secret that we at HeyMikeyATL LOVE our superheroes! San Diego Comic-Con happens to be the best place to debut it–well at least that’s what Disney and Marvel were hoping for.

Apparently, the full trailer for Avengers: Infinity War has been leaked onto the internet much to the two companies’ chagrin. Although they are steadily snatching it off line we managed to find, albeit, bootleg and somewhat gritty on Comicbookmovie.com. Check it out below!

We know it is a bit hard to see, but from what we can tell it is EPIC! Thanos is coming and from the looks of it The Guardians of The Galaxy will have to team up with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to take him down–or at the very least–survive the power he seeks to wield buy acquiring the famed Infinity Stones that have appeared in previous Marvel films. From appearances alone we can tell Iron Man, Gamora, Groot, Nebula, The Scarlet Witch, Falcon, The Winter Soldier,  Drax The Destroyer, Star-Lord, Mantis, War Machine, Doctor Strange, Captain America,  Spider-Man, Vision, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Black Panther and The Dora Milaje are all battling the Mad Titan.

[TRAILER] Lakeith Stanfield (@stanfield_keith) to Star in “Crown Heights” film About A Man Wrongfully Imprisoned for Murder for 20+ Years!

Major congrats are in order for Lakeith Stanfield!

He is one actor who knows how to not let one role define him. For many, the first time they saw Lakeith Stanfield act was in the Jordan Peele critically acclaimed film “Get Out” and for others, they know him for his role as Darius in the FX network show “Atlanta”. Now they can get ready to see Lakeith star as Colin Warner, a man wrongfully imprisoned for over 20 years for a murder he didn’t commit, which is based on a true story.

“Crown Heights” still starring actor Lakeith Stanfield

via Deadline.com

Based on a podcast titled This American Life, the pic is set spring of 1980, where a teenager is gunned down in the streets of Flatbush, Brooklyn. The police pressure a child witness to identify a suspect. As a result, Colin Warner, an 18-year-old kid from nearby Crown Heights, is wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Colin’s childhood friend Carl ‘KC’ King devotes his life to fighting for Colin’s freedom. He works on appeals, takes loans for lawyer fees and becomes a legal courier to learn the court system.

Many will read this and think this film comes on the heels of the many racial injustices we’ve face in the last few years but the story of Colin Warner is in fact true. Warner’s conviction was overturned in 201 with the help of his friend Carl King (who will be portrayed by former NFL cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha). The Ringer poses a very intricate question in the write-up of the film’s trailer; The more compelling question is whether writer-director Matt Ruskin can illustrate the immense human cost of discriminatory practices thoughtlessly signed into law.

I decided to do my own research on the background of this case and I can honestly say that I will be going to see this film. What about you loves? Check out the trailer below and sound off below because we’re long overdue for #OpinionHour.

Written By: Monique C. Tillman

@moniquechanae

More Whitewashing? Disney (@Disney) Slammed for Casting Non-Arab Actress for Aladdin’s Princess Jasmine!

In 2017 you would think whitewashing and accusations thereof would be a thing of the past. Well we definitely thought wrong!

Casting news for Disney’s upcoming, live action remake of Aladdin has been marred by accusations of whitewashing after casting Power Rangers actress, Naomi Scott, in the role of Princess Jasmine!

via Fortune

Casting for Disney’s Aladdin; Will Smith, Naomi Scott, and Mena Massoud

To find the cast for its upcoming live-action reboot of the 1992 animated classic Aladdin, Disney and director Guy Ritchie reportedly undertook a months-long, worldwide search with an estimated 2,000 actors reading for the lead roles of Jasmine and Aladdin.

And after all that buildup, fans are still finding fault in the studio’s picks. Disney is catching some blowback for casting a non-Arab actress to play Jasmine.

Naomi Scott, who starred in this year’s Power Rangers film, landed the role alongside Mena Massoud as Aladdin, and Will Smith as Genie. Scott is of British and Indian heritage and some critics of the decision see it as a suggestion by Disney that women of Indian and Middle Eastern heritage look the same. Massoud is of Egyptian descent.

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[PHOTOS] “Creed 2 (@creedmovie)!” Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) Drops Major Teaser for Sequel!

It is hard to believe it has been two years since Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone starred in Rocky franchise spinoff, Creed.

Jordan played the role of “Adonis Creed,” the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed, Rocky Balboa’s friend and rival. We know a sequel to the film is in the works, but we have not heard much about it until today when Stallone dropped a huge teaser for it via Instagram!

Check it out below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWEa6DRjrBN/?taken-by=officialslystallone

[VIDEO] WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES | Watch Andy Serkis Transform into Caesar in Powerful new “Face of Caesar” promo!

Not all heroes are human. 

20th Century Fox has just released “Face of Caesar,” a new WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES promo highlighting the incredible transformation of Andy Serkis to “Caesar.”

In War for the Planet of the Apes, the third chapter of the critically acclaimed blockbuster franchise, Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel.  After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind.  As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.

 

Over the course of three films, Weta Digital has mastered the art of translating human actors to apes. The apes level of sentience has developed throughout each film and so too have Weta Digital’s techniques and toolsets. Developing some of the most advanced techniques in the industry Weta artists employ these tools to create exceptional CG characters. Check out the process below!

You never really know just how much goes into making these CGI effects into movies. The animators for War For The Planet of The Apes definitely put in some serious work on this film. Caesar looks so realistic and the way they mimic the actor’s face is truly astonishing. We definitely have high hopes for this film and are hoping we finally get to see how it all went down for the humans and gave rise to an Earth dominated by apes.  What do you think of Andy Serkis’s tranformation? Sound off in the comments’ section below!

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES hits theaters everywhere July 14, 2017! Happy viewing!

$223 Million Dollars! “Wonder Woman” (@WonderWomanFilm) Rules Weekend Box Office & Breaks Records!

It is no surprise that Wonder Woman was this weekend’s top grossing film grossing a whopping $223 million dollars!

Wonder Woman surpassed everyone’s expectations as is being hailed as one of the greatest superhero films to date and the best film the DC Cinematic Universe has released to date. Even more impressive, however, are the records the film has broken. As of now it is the biggest opening for a female director ever! This breaks a glass ceiling in Hollywood and will definitely open opportunities for female directors in the action genre.

via Love B. Scott

DC’s ‘Wonder Woman’ is a hit!

As of Sunday morning, the movie raked in a massive $100.5 million domestically combined with an additional $122.5 internationally for a total global opening of $223 million.

$18.3 million of the global total came from Imax screens — that’s the third biggest opening for a DC Comics film behind ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and ahead of ‘Suicide Squad.’

“X-Men Spinoff, “New Mutants'” Movie Cast Sunspot & Moonstar, Amidst Accusations of Whitewashing!

The movie world of Marvel Comics’ X-Men continues to grow as Fox has decided to explore the other X-Teams (splinter teams of mutants related to the X-Men) and more mutant heroes. One of which has been The New Mutants. The film is set to be released on Apri 13, 2018, and it looks like the most of the cast has been found.

Recently, however, two more important roles, those of Sunspot and Moonstar have cast with Henry Zaga (13 Reasons Why) and newcomer, Blu Hunt!

Henry Zaga cast as “Roberto Da Costa/Sunspot” in New Mutants Movie

Blu Hunt cast as “Dani Moonstar/Mirage” in New Mutants Movie

As you may already know Roberto Da Costa, AKA “Sunspot” is a mutant with the ability to absorb solar energy, to augment his strength, fly, and fire intense heat. His skin is blackened in the process, hence his code name. Moonstar AKA “Danielle ‘Dani’ Moonstar”, originally called “Mirage” in the comics, is a psychic mutant who can create telepathic illusions of her enemies fears and desires. Eventually she is able to harness her psychic energy into powerful arrows that can harm others similar to Psylocke’s “psychic dagger.” Moonstar is also an excellent fighter. Moonstar’s inclusion on the cast is not only critical to the source material of the movie, but the plot of the film as the director has stated the film will be a horror story of sorts, based off the New Mutants’ Demon Bear story line.

[VIDEO] Yesss! Wonder Woman Movie (@WonderWomanFilm) Receives 96% From Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes)!

Marvel Entertainment eat your heart out!

Warner Bros./DC Comics films have just received their highest rating yet from Rotten Tomatoes all thanks to the new Wonder Woman movie!

The highly anticipated superhero film has received an amazing, and surprising, 96% from the film critic site which is highly coveted!

As you may recall most of the DC superhero films have been met with lackluster reviews from the critics. Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice received 63%, and Suicide Squad received 62%, despite mass fan approval and controversy. It looks like Warner Bros. finally got it together behind the scenes and are delivering some serious storytelling when it comes to The Amazon Princess. This means we are going to see a lot more female superheroes on the Big Screen and makes this film the highest rated female-led superhero to date!