Avengers 3: Everything We Know About Infinity War

Between the movies, the one shots, the limited-series and the television shows, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is constantly growing bigger and bigger week to week – and it’s all headed in a rather epic direction. As confirmed by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, everything we’ve seen so far in the comic book movie world has been building towards an epic big screen battle against the alien warlord known as Thanos, and that huge event will unfold across two huge blockbusters: 2018’sThe Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 and 2019’s The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2. 

But who amongst the established heroes and villains in the MCU can we expect to see pop up in the movie? Who are the filmmakers responsible for making it? Well, to organize all of that key information we have organized this handy guide, which we’ll keep updating to let you know the latest info about the giant blockbuster. Read on! 

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The Writers And The Directors

Marvel Studios seems to have a lot of trust in abilities of the directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo and writing pair Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus. The four men first worked together on Captain America: The Winter Soldier; were reteamed for Captain America: Civil War; and now have been locked in to orchestrate things behind the scenes for The Avengers: Infinity War. The 2018/2019 two-parter should definitely be a different kind of beast then the second and third Captain Americamovies, but given how great Winter Soldier was, it’s pretty damn hard to doubt their abilities. 

Iron Man

Iron Man’s future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is interesting, and not just because there is no Iron Man 4 currently on the books. What makes him a fascinating figure is that we can soon expect Tony Stark to become an antagonist, squaring off against his Avengers teammate in Captain America: Civil War. Robert Downey Jr. has gone on record saying that he doesn’t see himself as the villain of the movie – but that is really where the Civil War comics position him, fighting against Cap on the issue of superhero registration. As a result of this, it’s unknown exactly how we will feel about Iron Man once that story has concluded – but it does seem likely that the character will continue his run in The Avengers: Infinity War. Years ago we learned that Downey Jr. signed a deal to be in the third Avengers movie, and there’s no real reason to believe anything has changed. 

Captain America

Following the battle against A.I gone mad in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America’s next big screen adventure is set to unfold in the epic Captain America: Civil War – though it’s questionable how much time left the patriotic hero has in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After all, it was the events of the Civil War event in the comics that eventually led to the death of Captain America a few years ago (and also to Bucky Barnes picking up the legendary shield). If the next Captain Americamovie takes this route, it may mean that Steve Rogers may actually not have a role in The Avengers: Infinity War. That being said, Chris Evans has a six picture contract with Marvel Studios that will have one picture left on it after Civil War, and there is no real reason at this point to assume that the film will follow the direct path of the comics. 

Thor

Like Captain America, Thor is going to have a hell of a lot to deal with when Phase Three rolls around. This is apparent just by looking at the official title of Thor 3, which will be heading into theaters called Thor: Ragnarok. This name suggests that what essentially amounts to the Norse version of the apocalypse will be hitting Asgard in the next installment of the series, and it probably doesn’t help things that Loki has been sitting on the throne since the events at the end of Thor: The Dark World. Whether or not Thor will actually make it out of the sequel is actually an unknown at this point, but if he does survive, then he surely will once again reteam with Earth’s Mighetiest Heroes for The Avengers: Infinity War. 

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Hulk

Exactly where we can expect to see The Hulk show up in Phase Three is one of the bigger questions lingering in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unlike Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and Black Widow, there is no set future for the big green monster, and the comic book studio has not yet announced when we can see him next. That being said, it has been said in the past that Marvel likes to save Hulk forAvengers movies, so that could be a form of confirmation that we will get to see Bruce Banner and his destructive alter ego play a role in The Avengers: Infinity War.

Black Widow

Since making her debut in Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow has grown to become a fan favorite, and that level of appreciation has led to an expanded role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In addition to being a full-fledged Avenger, she has also become a key character in Captain America’s adventures (she’s been confirmed for a role in Captain America: Civil War). Unless some serious tragedy strikes between now and The Avengers: Infinity War, it feels like a safe bet that she will be involved in the epic adventure, though he part has not yet been confirmed.

Hawkeye

Beyond The Avengers: Age of Ultron, we have read stories that Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye could make an appearance in Captain America: Civil War, but that’s pretty much the extent of everything we’ve heard about him in Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (it definitely doesn’t sound like a solo film is coming any time soon). Given his status as an original Avenger, it makes all the sense in the world to bring him back for The Avengers: Infinity War – if not only because Earth will need as many superheroes as possible in the fight against Thanos. 

Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver

With their introduction in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Quicksilver become the two newest superpowered individuals making their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe… but where the siblings will fit in to future developments currently has a question mark hanging over it. Olsen has hinted that she might be making an appearance inCaptain America: Civil War, but is The Avengers: Infinity War on the table for the Maximoff twins as well? Marvel hasn’t announced anything yet, but it doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibility. 

Thanos

While he’s not expected to be the only villain featured in The Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos will certainly be the main antagonist of the two films. We’ve officially known about the character’s presence in the universe since the mid-credits sequence ofThe Avengers, which revealed him as having a desire to conquer Earth, and we got to know him a bit better in Guardians of the Galaxy through his interactions with Ronan The Accuser. In the third Avengers adventure, we will see Thanos finally pursuing all of the Infinity Stones in the hopes of assembling them in the Infinity Gauntlet, which will see him effectively gain the powers of a god and gain control over all time and space. Naturally, it will be up to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s greatest heroes to stop him. 

Ant-Man

Ant-Man will be making his big Marvel Cinematic Universe debut later this summer in his very own solo film, but his existence in the continuity beyond that point is a total mystery at this stage. Like all of the other lead actors in the MCU, we can assume that Paul Rudd signed a multipicture contract with Marvel, but right now it’s unclear exactly when and where he will be fulfilling that contract. There is no Ant-Man 2 on the books right now, and even if the first movie is successful enough to generate a sequel, then we won’t actually get to see it until at least late 2019. Presumably Marvel will be interested in keeping a character as historically important as Ant-Man and an actor as popular as Rudd in the mix with other players, so it would be little surprise to anyone if he were to officially be announced for The Avengers: Infinity War. 


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Wasp

This is a tricky section, because while both Hank Pym and Scott Lang versions of Ant-Man have been promised for this summer’s Ant-Man solo movie, we have not actually heard anything official regarding Wasp actually making her way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s additionally worth noting that the Peyton Reed-directed film won’t even have Janet Van Dyne (the Wasp from the comics) as a main character, but instead will feature Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, the daughter of Janet and Hank Pym. If anyone is going to turn into Wasp, it’s most likely going to be her – but what that possibly means for the future, including The Avengers: Infinity War is entirely unclear. 

Spider-Man

Thanks to a landmark deal between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, Spider-Man will soon finally be swinging his way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The adventure will begin with the wall-crawler popping up in Captain America: Civil War, and that movie will be followed by the new Spidey getting his own MCU solo film in 2017, but nobody expects Marvel will stop there. If The Avengers: Infinity War has plans to bring every corner of the big screen comic book world together, then that will require them to throw everyone’s favorite web-slinger into the mix. It has been rumored that the 2017 movie will see the character on the road to becoming an Avenger, and that would basically take him halfway to the goal line. 

The Defenders

Marvel’s superhero work isn’t being limited to the big screen these days. They’ve also breached into the world of online streaming content, and they’re using that format – and a deal with Netflix – to bring together the likes of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist to form the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of The Defenders. Being that they are heroes of the MCU, that obviously makes them candidates to be a part of The Avengers: Infinity War – but whether or not that will actually happen is unclear right now. There have been rumors saying that the New York-based characters won’t show up in the movies until Infinity War Part 2 in 2019, but even the prospect of them showing up in cinemas at all is exciting at this point. 

Doctor Strange

At this point in time, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange hasn’t been officially attached to appear in any Marvel Studios project outside of the Scott Derrickson-directed solo film that will be hitting theaters in late 2016, but there are many reasons to expect that the Master of the Mystic Arts will show up in The Avengers: Infinity War. Not only is the character expected to become an important and influential figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – as he is in the comics – but he also serves as the gatekeeper for a very important aspect of the big screen world. He will be the audience’s access point to the world of magic and alternate dimensions in the Marvel films, and that area should definitely be explored in the battle against Thanos. 

Black Panther

Announced during the big Marvel Studios presentation in fall 2014, Chadwick Boseman is set to play the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Black Panther in future movies – and the truth is that the comic book company has already lined up some big titles for him. In addition to getting his own solo movie in 2018 (a project that is actually the first post-Avengers: Infinity War – Part 1 title), the character will be making his big screen debut in Joe and Anthony Russo’s Captain America: Civil War. He is pretty obviously being set up for important things in the MCU, and given his significance in Phase 3, it’s hard to imagine that the Avengers won’t call on him in the battle against Thanos – even if the role hasn’t been 100 percent confirmed just yet.

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Guardians of the Galaxy

Of all the established heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Guardians of the Galaxy definitely sit in the oddest position where The Avengers: Infinity War is concerned. While it would make sense for the likes of Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot to join the battle against Thanos, given that the Mad Titan got his first chance to actually speak in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, that hasn’t been the story sold to us thus far. Director James Gunn has said multiple times thatGuardians of the Galaxy 2 isn’t a project being used to move towards The Avengers: Infinity War, but instead towards future films set in the cosmos. Of course, at the same time Dave Bautista has talked about how he wants to see Drax show up alongside the likes of Iron Man and The Hulk, so who is to say at this point how things will shake out. 

Vision

After years of voicing Tony Stark’s digital butler Jarvis in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Paul Bettany is finally joining the live-action ensemble of the gigantic comic book world by playing Vision in The Avengers: Age of Ultron. But while we know that movie’s titular villain is responsible for the creation of Vision in that film, exactly what he will be doing in the future is currently a mystery. Given the character’s incredible abilities – from flight to phasing to energy projection – he would certainly be an asset in the fight against Thanos in The Avengers: Infinity War, so it’s probably fair to assume that he will be showing up in the upcoming two-parter.

‘Batman V Superman’: New Villain, Hero & Plot Detail Rumors

Now that production has finished on Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice we can start to move away from the mountain of speculation, and towards more concrete details about what the film – which features possibly THE most iconic superhero team-up of them all – will offer.

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But while fans wait for a trailer or more solid story/character details, we still have only the rumor mill to go by. However, with a working script already put to film, we can probably say that there’s higher probability that any Batman V Superman rumors coming our way at this point are going to be a lot more credible. Badass Digest is once again dropping rumors about what all is going down in Dawn of Justice, and here are some tidbits about the initial setup of the film:

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• The movie opens with a flashback of Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) arriving in Metropolis during Superman’s fight with General Zod. We get to know the new Batman here.
• Dawn of Justice actually takes place a few years after Man of Steel, when Superman (who is the focus) has established himself as a hero – with some obvious detractors like Lex Luthor and Batman.
• Clark Kent and Lois Lane are still together – living together in fact – and are working at the Daily Planet.
• Clark is covering fluff pieces for the Planet (like a certain Metropolis vs. Gotham football game that may or may not introduce Cyborg). However, his personal area of interest is investigating The Batman.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Moving on, here are some alleged details from the actual story of the film – including how Superman is perceived after killing Zod in Man of Steel:

• While covering a story in the Middle East, Lois requires a save from Superman. This causes an international incident, as other nations see Supes as an American weapon.
• General Swanwick (Harry Lennix) has supposedly come around to supporting Superman. When the final battle comes (Doomsday is name-dropped) it’s Swanwick who vouches for Supes’ ability to win the battle – safely, away from human casualties (wink, wink).
• At one point, after stopping an unnamed villain’s scheme, Superman tells him that he’s not going to break his neck, he’s going to take him to jail instead (WINK! WINK!).

Now that you’ve read the latest rumors, here are a few things we heard before (or recently since the film has finished up production):

• Jeremy Irons’ Alfred will be more actively involved in Batman’s crimefighting campaign (think Arkham Asylum games).
• RUMOR: Commissioner Gordon will be dead in this continuity.
• RUMOR: There could be additional villains in the film (KGBeast).
• Batman will have multiple Batsuits and a new voice.
• Aquaman (Jason Mamoa) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) will at least be introduced.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Ever since Batman V Superman was announced, fans have figured on a story that feels something like this; i.e., the controversial ending of Man of Steel provoking characters both good (Batman) and bad (Luthor) to question the danger of a world with Superman in it.

Additional details in today’s rumor report also synch up to what fans have been speculating about for some time – specifically ever since this film’s Justice League connections were made evident in the title. We knew that there could only be a handful of villains able to draw Superman, Batman AND Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) into some kind of major third-act alliance – so hearing Doomsday’s name dropped again is little surprise.

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(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Doomsday is a threat that could conceivably be spawned within LexCorp – whether through genetics research, or as part of the early machinations by another villain like Brainiac, who is rumored to be the villain in Justice League.

As we’ve repeatedly pointed out, Doomsday is also just a great mindless physical threat for heroes like Superman or Wonder Woman to beat on – while Batman’s technological and strategic prowess could be utilized to defeat the unstoppable brute.

How do you feel about the latest rumored character/plot details? (Beyond casting) is this the sort of Batman/Superman movie you always hoped to see?

Rumor: ‘Spider-Man’ Marvel Reboot Titled ‘The New Avenger’

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The wishes of many comic book movie fans were granted earlier this year when Marvel Studios and Sony stuck a deal that would allow Spider-Man and related characters to take part in the ever-expanding and ultra-luctrative Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yes, this meant yet another reboot of the renowned web-slinger, but the possibilities such an agreement presented were too exciting for moviegoers to gripe too much – especially since the origin story will be bypassed this time around.

Ever since that major announcement, many have been wondering who will portray Peter Parker in the MCU (an actor shortlist has been revealed), and when we’ll get our first chance to see him. All signs are pointing to the new Spidey getting his debut in next year’s Captain America: Civil War, but there’s also a solo Spider-Man movie that’s in the works for a July 2017 release. That project is the subject of a new rumor, one pertaining to the film’s title.

Previously, we heard that the standalone Spidey reboot would be called The Spectacular Spider-Man, but it apparently has a different working name. Super-scoopster Umberto Gonzalez was back at it again, taking to his Instagram page to detail the supposed title of the new movie, one that hints at potential plot threads and story arcs:

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); In all honesty, 
giving the third cinematic incarnation of Spider-Man the name Spider-Man: 
The New Avenger is smart from a business viewpoint. 
It instantly creates brand association with the super-popular Avengers franchise 
and lets the uninitiated immediately know that this version of Peter Parker will 
be able to play with Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. 
Ideally, the subtitle (while a little on-the-nose) will generate tons of excitement for the new take; 
something that is much-needed after the character’s 
reputation was weakened by mixed reaction to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 last year.

One of the other rumors that has been floating around for the reboot is that it will feature Robert Downey, Jr. in his Iron Man role once more, as Tony Stark “tests” Spider-Man to see if he is indeed Avenger material. The specification that Parker is The New Avenger seemingly confirms that this story beat will be explored at some point in the film, since the meaning behind the full title suggests the main narrative will involve Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man proving his worth as a hero and earning his spot alongside Earth’s Mightiest when all is said and done.

Furthermore, the possible title has another connection to the larger MCU. It has largely been expectedthat when the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron have played out, the team will be fractured and in need for some new recruits. With the subtitle in mind, it’s possible that the new Spider-Man film will be a launching point to usher in the era of the New Avengers, with characters like Spidey, Black Panther, and others filling in for the old guard of Thor, Hulk, and the rest – as the original Avengers are allegedly going their own separate ways before the Infinity War brings everyone together.

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Of course, this is just a rumor, so it’s important for readers to take it in with that trusty grain of salt until Marvel comes out and says something. That said, this is a strong title that accomplishes a lot in just a few words (arguably more than The Spectacular Spider-Man even), and would get the buzz for the film going strong right off the bat. However, it won’t matter if the reboot has the greatest title ever if the actual content in the film isn’t up to par. That’s the real challenge the filmmakers face by bringing Spider-Man home.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron will be in theaters May 1, 2015; Ant-Man on July 17, 2015; Captain America: Civil War – May 6, 2016; Doctor Strange – November 4, 2016; Guardians of the Galaxy 2 – May 5, 2017; Spider-Man reboot – July 28, 2017; Thor: Ragnarok – November 3, 2017; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 – May 4, 2018; Black Panther – July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel – November 2, 2018;The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 – May 3, 2019; Inhumans – July 12, 2019.

The second trailer for The Avengers: Age of Ultron has dropped. Just in case you missed it:

We’ve watched it countless times, scrubbed through it frame-by-frame, and you can see exactly what we found in the video up top. Alternatively, we’ve broken it down in written form below.

As always, it’s been combined with an unhealthy mix of speculation and inference. Otherwise, we’d just be saying look at man with shoes; look at woman, also wearing shoes.

00:04: It’s still unclear where this action is taking place. Obviously something bad has happened to necessitate the presence of The Avengers.

Hawkeye is seen ushering people into a drop ship. One of those people, as seen in the next shot, is Scarlet Witch. Have her and her brother, Quicksilver, just been freed from von Strucker’s asylum (the place where we first saw them in the MCU)? Are they even responsible for some of the destruction we see?

00:09: Here’s a better look at the carrier from above. You can spy rows of seats through the roof, and on the side of the ship it carries the number 20. There’s a lot of these, then. It also looks like it’s been through the wars.

It’s unclear as to whom this technology belongs. It’s possible it’s leftover SHIELD hardware or maybe it belongs to Stark Industries. Maybe it was once used to carry people into battle, not save them.

Also, what caused so much destruction? The Hulk – the colour-grading seem to place the scene where Banner loses is elsewhere. Maybe this was all down to Ultron or, perhaps, Scarlett Witch and Quicksilver could be responsible.

00:14: Notice the Avengers branding on the uniform. Unlike the first film, they’re now an established team with their own nifty logo. And based on this new trailer, how long they can stay united as a team appears to one of the tensions running through the sequel.

00:18: “Everyone creates the thing they dread,” intones Ultron, over this shot of Tony Stark stepping into a warehouse filled with missiles and bombs, presumably of his own creation.

Are we watching Tony having his Oppenheimer moment? In Ultron has he unwittingly created a weapon of total destruction?

00:23: This is interesting. Banner identifies Ultron the moment he gatecrashes the party.

The relationship between Banner and Stark formed one of most interesting dynamics in the original Avengers movie. At last, Stark found someone who was his intellectual equal.

(Banner: “Well, if he could do that, he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet.” Stark: “Finally, someone who speaks English.”)

The feeling was mutual, with Banner meeting someone who didn’t let him runaway, and ultimately made him accept the monster inside and recognise the importance of his terrible condition. (Stark: “It’s good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I’m a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.”)

The Avengers concluded with Banner and Stark heading off into the sunset in Stark’s convertible. Since then, have they been conducting research together? Did Banner help out with the Ultron project? We know from descriptions onleaked promotional art that The Vision is “programmed by the combined geniuses of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner”.

This is also interesting from a dramatic perspective, since later in the trailer (and therefore film) Banner and Stark end up fighting each other in spectacular fashion. What do they disagree about?

00:26: Are we seeing Ultron in his initial corporeal form, inhabiting one of the Avenger robots. Look at the breastplate, and you can see the robot sports the new Avengers logo and is decked out in the rather inspirational colours of red, white, and blue.

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Iron Man 3 showed how the events of the first Avengers movie affected Stark – he was paranoid, stricken with anxiety. He withdrew from the world, and built more and more elaborate suits. The movie also showed how Stark had begun work on automation, with a little help by JARVIS of course. Does Stark create these Avengers-branded robots because he’s given up being Iron Man, yet still wants to contribute to the Avengers initiative?

00:31: Following the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Nick Fury is believed to be dead and is on the run. (This is signified by him wearing a beanie.)

00:33: Definitely the most enigmatic shot in the new trailer. Who is this disrobing in a cave?

Our best guess is Shuri, the younger sister of T’Challa (aka The Black Panther). She is the Princess of Wakanda and possesses similar abilities to her brother.

But where is she? Is this cave a source of precious Vibranium?

Vibranium is a fictional metal in the Marvel Universe. It’s the stuff Stark’s family used to craft Captain America’s shield. This is a hunch, but it’s likely that Ultron wishes to forge himself a body constructed entirely from Vibranium (remember the first trailer opened with shots of molten metal cooling). This is likely the impetus for the Avengers travelling to Africa, and more specifically the nation of Wakanda, where there are natural deposits of the metal.

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00:39: Flash back alert!

This looks like a young Black Widow, and she’s being grabbed around the face. Interesting to note, the hand doing the grabbing is a woman’s (it’s not von Strucker).

The trailer implies she was once an inmate/patient of von Strucker. Will this allow her to identify more closely with the plight of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver? Will it also fill in some of Natasha’s murky past?

This overplayed with a VO by Natasha herself, in which she says, rather melancholically, “We have no place in this world.” This tells us a lot about the tone of the movie. The MCU is starting to deal with much more the heroes and villains fighting each other; it’s beginning to reflect on the impact that superheroes are having upon the world, politically, socially, ethically. It seems Age of Ultron is laying plenty of groundwork for future films, particularly Captain America 3: Civil War, which we expect will deal with a lot of these issues head-on.

00:43: A closer a look at one of Ultron’s sentinels. It’s appears the blue eyes are being used to denote one of his legion, while red is being used to distinguish Ultron himself from the crowd.

00:49: Here’s the Mark XLIII armour in action. Is this a raid of von Strucker’s facility? All previous Iron Man suits were destroyed at the climax of Iron Man 3 at the Battle on the Norco. And following on from that, Stark relinquished the Iron Man persona, yet it seems the rise of Ultron has forced him back into the armour.

00:51: Stretchy pants! Not much to say on this apart from Hulk’s wearing stretchy purple pants. In the first movie, he sported the improbably elastic, ripped shorts look, but for the sequel it seems he’s been given an official outfit. (Maybe that’s what Stark and Banner spent months working on.)

00:54: Another look at Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaw. In the comics, he’s a scientist who specialises in ‘applied sonics’ and is an expert when it comes to Vibranium. He kills T’Chaka, the Black Panther’s father, and goes on to become one of the Panther’s chief adversaries.

Does Ultron enslave him to create him a body of pure Vibranium? You’d think Ultron would be able to take of it solo, but perhaps he needs Klaw for some other reason.

00:55: The quinjet has also received a nice new lick of paint and an Avengers logo.

00:57: Cap takes on one of Ultron’s minions. Steve Rogers is 6’4″, which puts Ultron’s army probably somewhere around 6’5″/6″.

01:00: This moment featured in the first trailer, and it appears again here. It’s a quiet, touching moment between Hulk and Black Widow. It appears to take place just before Hulk fights Iron Man. Is it simply a nice, emotive visual or is it being built up as a pivotal scene in the movie? Is something really bad about to happen?

01:03: Is this Ultron’s final form? Is it forged from Vibranium? If so, this could be bad news. The rare metallic element possesses the ability to absorb all vibrations and kinetic energy directed at it. This energy is trapped at a molecular level, making the metal even stronger. A virtually indestructible Ultron would be bad news.

We also witness one of Ultron’s chief offensive abilities – he can shoot red-tinted electricity from his hands.

01:03: Where the heck is this? Is this von Strucker’s facility? Perhaps, but the candles and design work carved into the brickwork might place it somewhere in Asgaard.

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01:06: Thor chokes Stark by the throat, foreshadowing what the latter will do to Hulk later in the trailer. The first Avengers started off with a lot of fighting, but ultimately it was the story of how a disparate set of heroes were forged together as a team. It seems that harmony was short-lived. Expect the decisions made by Stark and the other heroes in the movie to have ramifications that extend well beyond the events of this movie.

01:17: Hulkbuster choke slamming Hulk. No comment, no real insight, apart from this is pretty cool.

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01:21: Why’s Hulk got red eyes? If we rule out the possibility of him going full Red Hulk, is it because he’s been crying? (Is this somehow related to that touching moment he shares with Natasha?) Or is simply a result from an intense battle with Hulkbuster Iron Man?

The Next Planet Of The Apes Movie Has A Dangerous Title

Warning: Spoilers for Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes and Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes are in play. If you haven’t seen either film, bookmark this page and come back when you’re up to date. 

By the end of Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes, ape leader Caesar (Andy Serkis) and human leader Malcolm (Jason Clarke) had remained friends but sadly had to part company, anyway. The reason being that the events involving Koba’s sabotage and Dreyfus’ (Gary Oldman) call for back up had basically locked humanity into the long, hard struggle that would eventually see the Planet Of The Apes come to historical fruition. While we’re not going to get to that point just yet, we do have an idea where things are going, as the new title for the 2017 sequel has been revealed. You’ve seen the Rise and survived the Dawn… now it’s time to prepare for the War Of The Planet Of The Apes. 

Collider broke the exclusive tidbit this afternoon, as a source of theirs has reported that the title to the untitled Planet Of The Apes sequel has decided to beat the drums of war. The scoop also provides a great refresher on why this title makes sense on a surface level, as Caesar’s last lines were confirming that “Apes start war… and Human will not forgive.” It looks like director Matt Reeves and company weren’t only setting us up for a really effective ending with that line, but they were foreshadowing the fact that they’re ready to go all out in the next film. 

On one hand, this is a great title! Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes altered its ending to allow for breathing room in the plot of the series’ future trajectory, so instead of the original ending — which would have seen warships arriving in San Francisco — we instead saw Caesar surrounded by the love and respect of his people. Our protagonist had turned from an unlikely figure of power to a reluctant figure of war. War has been a long time coming in the world of the Apes, and with the aid of one of last year’s greatest action sequences, audiences should be stoked for the War Of The Planet Of The Apes 
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Of course, there’s a slight downside to the next film being titled as such. While War Of The Planet Of The Apes is a grabbing title, and promises a lot of mayhem involving primates of all shapes and sizes, it puts a little added pressure on the story. Depending on how far of a jump in time there is between Dawn and War Of The Planet Of The Apes, the direct mention of war in the title promises a lot of forward action for the ape civilization. This goes against Matt Reeves’ storytelling approach of a slow, eventual arrival to the world we know from the original Planet Of The Apes. But most important, it doesn’t spell a good end for Caesar. 

Both Caesar and Malcolm could try to push for peace within their time, as neither of them really wants a conflict. Just because Caesar acknowledged the coming storm doesn’t mean he wants to get wet when it all comes down. Having already survived one attack by a compatriot who felt that humanity needed to go, it’s only a matter of time before another challenger tries to usurp the throne. It’s not personal, it’s just the way nature goes. Of course, there’s plenty of time for speculation and guesswork, as the film isn’t scheduled to be released until 2017; but for now we’ve got a pretty awesome title to build a ton of high expectations and fan art off of. 

War Of The Planet Of The Apes gears up for conflict on July 14, 2017; and our fingers are crossed that at least one more tie in book will fill in some of the gaps that will undoubtedly be present between the present and future installment. 

The Little Girl From ‘Hook’ is All Grown Up!

Wow, Amber Scott!

You may remember Amber Scott as Robin Williams’ adorable daughter in the 1991 classic film Hook.

While she won our hearts back then, she doesn’t appear to be doing any major acting today. However she does have a publicly available headshot of herself all grown up, and she just happens to be GORGEOUS!

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(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Amber graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. in 2006 as a member of the Delta Psi Epsilon sorority.
er co-star Dante Basco, also known as Rufio, leader of the Lost Boys, also has a pretty fun Instagram account. One person you might not remember from Hook, who you definitely know today…

That’s right! Gwyneth Paltrow played young Wendy in the series. You already know what she looks like today, so we’ll just tell you that yesterday, she celebrated her son Moses’ ninth birthday.

Dwayne Johnson Back for ‘Fast and Furious 8,’ Hobbs Spin-Off Still Possible

As of the beginning of April,
there hadn’t been any public movement on Fast and Furious 8. However,
once CinemaCon rolled around later that month,
Universal Pictures got the hype machine started by announcing a release date on April 14th,
2017. And while there’s likely not a complete story developed for the sequel just yet,
that hasn’t stopped one of the film’s stars from confirming that he will be back for more action.
At a press conference for San Andreas (coming to theaters later this month),
Dwayne Johnson revealed that we’ll definitely see him in Fast and Furious 8,
and we may still get more Hobbs action in his own movie too.
Johnson didn’t have any extra details to divulge,
but when asked about the sequel,
he didn’t hesitate to confirm his eventual return (via Collider):
“Of course. It can’t go on without Hobbs.”
Considering Johnson injected new life into the action franchise,
it’s difficult to disagree with him.
Every sequel since he joined the series in Fast Five has continued to get bigger and arguably better.
In addition, since Paul Walker will no longer be part of the franchise,
Johnson’s presence is more important than ever.
However, fans are surely hoping that Johnson has much bigger role in
Fast & Furious 8 than he had in Furious 7 last month.
Even though he had one big fight in the beginning,
followed by his own “save the day” sequence in the action-packed climax,
Johnson was gone for pretty much the entire second act.
Thankfully everything that happened without him was insane and awesome enough without him.
But there’s also a chance we might get to see
his character Hobbs in action without the rest of the Fast & Furious crew.
In case you hadn’t heard,
there have been rumblings of a spin-off film focusing on Johnson as Hobbs in the lead role.
Johnson was also asked about the possibility of that film happening,
and while there hasn’t been any solid development,
there’s still a chance it could come together.
He says:
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); “We all are interested in it.
I just had a big conversation with the studio.
So we’ll see.
I still think for me personally we’ve created a little bit of space for him in
7 and the gauge is set for what  the audience will want.
That’s my take on it, you know, but a lot of other people have to have input.”
While Johnson is undoubtedly a box office draw,
I think a lot of the appeal of Hobbs as a character comes from
the dynamic he has with the rest of the Fast & Furious crew now.
There’s a mutual sense of respect and loyalty that Hobbs has with Vin Diesel as Dom,
and I also love how he interacts with Tyrese Gibson as Roman and Ludacris as Tej for comic relief.
And if Hobbs gets his own flick, that won’t happen.
While I don’t have a doubt that Johnson can lead his own film set in the Fast & Furious universe,
we’ve already seen Johnson lead his own team into action in G.I. Joe: Retaliation,
so it might just be a little too familiar territory. But then again,
he’ll be doing something similar with the action comedy Alpha Squad Seven,
so we might just have to get used to that (which won’t be hard). Either way,
it’s good to know that we’ll get more of Dwayne Johnson in Fast and Furious 8. Otherwise,
all we know is that the film might take place in New York this time,
which would be a nice change of pace. Stay tuned for more updates.
Are you happy to hear we’ll see Dwayne Johnson in Fast and Furious 8?
Does he deserve his own spin-off?

30 Most Anticipated Summer Movie of 2015 Preview

As you can tell from our “ABCs of Summer Movies” video — which you can watch above — this summer promises to be one of the most spectacular moviegoing seasons in years, featuring everything from globetrotting spies to mutating superheroes to dangerous dinos.

The festivities kick off with a bang (or, at least, a Hulk smash) whenAvengers: Age of Ultron lands in theaters May 1. But Marvel’s A team won’t be the only familiar faces making their way to cineplexes: We’ll also see the return of Ethan Hunt, Mad Max, Magic Mike, The Terminator, the Poltergeist poltergeist, and the Griswold family. Looking for something more original? Circle the dates for the buzzy Amy Schumer comedy Trainwreck or the latest Pixar creation Inside Out. If it’s indie fare you favor, there’s plenty of that to look forward to as well, with Sundance darlings like Me and Earl and the Dying Girland The Wolfpack (which, no, is not a Hangover spinoff) getting their time to shine in theaters. Here are our 30 most anticipated movies opening between May and August.

30. Self/lessRelease Date: July 10
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Ben Kingsley, Matthew Goode
Director: Tarsem Singh
The Scoop: After a rough stretch of flops that included Green Lanternand R.I.P.D., Ryan Reynolds is primed for a Reynaissance, especially with Deadpool on the horizon. His comeback could very well start with this futuristic thriller about a dying real estate tycoon (Kingsley) given a shot at immortality by having his soul transferred into a younger vessel (Reynolds). It’s like a thinking man’s 17 Again. —Kevin Polowy

Related: Watch the trailer for ‘Self/less’

https://www.youtube.com/embed/3agaVwt0tb8?feature=player_embedded

29. Paper Towns

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Release Date: July 24
Starring: Nat Wolff, Cara Delevingne, Halston Sage
Director: Jake Schreier
The Scoop: After watching the trailer, we have considerable faith that the John Green magic that made The Fault in Our Stars a hit just might strike again for the author’s second big-screen adaptation. After a wild, prank-filled night with Margo Roth Spiegelman (Delevingne) at the end of their senior year of high school, Q (Wolff) wakes up to find his enigmatic crush missing. What follows is a quest we can’t wait to go on. —Breanne L. Heldman

Related: Watch the trailer for ‘Paper Towns’

https://www.youtube.com/embed/rFGiHm5WMLk?feature=player_embedded

28. MastermindsRelease Date: Aug. 7
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis, Zach Galifianakis
Director: Jared Hess
The Scoop: Hess has a track record of wonderfully weird comedies like Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre, and Gentlemen Broncos. So we’re hoping this heist movie, based on a bumbling, real-life 1997 robbery, goes as far off the deep end as his previous endeavors. It helps that he’s found such merry band of misfits for the big score: In addition to Wiig, Wilson, Sudeikis, and Galifianakis, current Saturday Night Live stars (and future Ghostbusters) Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones also join in the misadventures. —Meriah Doty

 Related: Watch the trailer for ‘Masterminds’

https://www.youtube.com/embed/6XYVXJ2pVuk?feature=player_embedded

27. PoltergeistRelease Date: May 22
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jared Harris
Director: Gil Kenan
The Scoop: The 1982 film Poltergeist is thoroughly embedded in our collective unconscious, and this faithful remake promises to revive its scares for a new generation. Kenan explored the spooky secrets of the suburbs with his Oscar-nominated animated feature Monster House, so this tale of a family terrorized by a malevolent ghost should be right up his haunted alley. —Gwynne WatkinsRelated: Watch the ‘Poltergeist’ trailer

https://www.youtube.com/embed/fhr8d1yxSP8?feature=player_embedded

26. The Gift

Release Date: July 31
Starring: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton
Director: Joel Edgerton
The Scoop: Warrior star Edgerton makes his directorial debut with this psychological thriller about a married couple (Bateman and Hall) who are visited by Gordo (Edgerton), a guy the husband knew as a teenager. Gordo’s not interested in just reminiscing though: The creepy interloper comes bearing inappropriate gifts and dark secrets, making for a deeply unnerving high-school reunion. —M.D.

 Related: Watch the trailer for ‘The Gift’

https://www.youtube.com/embed/I3IiZU9JBuE?feature=player_embedded

25. Fantastic FourRelease Date: Aug. 7
Starring: Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell
Director: Josh Trank
The Scoop: We first saw the superhero troop onscreen a decade ago in 2005’s Fantastic Four. Now, the quartet returns to the Marvel universe with a new version courtesy of Chronicle and future Star Wars spinoff director Trank. The reboot follows the Ultimate comic-book storyline and retells the origin story of Mr. Fantastic (Teller), Human Torch (Jordan), Invisible Woman (Mara), and the Thing (Jamie Bell) who gain their powers after a teleportation attempt gone awry. We really hope it’s going to rock. —M.D.Related: Watch the trailer for ‘Fantastic Four’

https://www.youtube.com/embed/_rRoD28-WgU?feature=player_embedded

24. The D Train

Release Date: May 8
Starring: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn
Directors: Andrew Mogel, Jarrad Paul
The Scoop: Jack Black hasn’t headlined a movie since 2011’s Bernie, but the comedian already earned raves at Sundance for his newest starring role. Black plays a Pittsburgh dweeb determined to make his 20th high school reunion a hit by recruiting a “celebrity” classmate — a commercial actor played by Marsden — back to town for the festivities. Let’s just say things take an unexpected twist.  —K.P.Related: Watch the trailer for  The D Train

https://www.youtube.com/embed/A4vqHV44eZE?feature=player_embedded

23. The Look of SilenceRelease Date: July 17
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer
The Scoop: Festival favorite The Look of Silence comes with an impeccable pedigree. First, it’s produced by nonfiction legends Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line, Fog of War) and Werner Herzog (Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Into the Abyss). Second, it’s Oppenheimer’s follow-up to his 2012 Oscar-nominated documentary The Act of Killing, about some of the perpetrators of the mid-1960s Indonesian genocide. InSilence, he picks up with a family whose son was killed during the purge and who is now trying to track down his murderers. —M.D.

Related: Watch the trailer for ‘The Look of Silence’https://www.youtube.com/embed/aA_ZHAs4M9k?feature=player_embedded

22. SpyRelease Date: June 5
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Jude Law, Rose Byrne
Director: Paul Feig
The Scoop: Who needs James Bond when you’ve got Melissa McCarthy? The star reunites with her Bridesmaids and The Heatdirector for this over-the-top action comedy about a CIA analyst who moves from a desk job into the field. The cast is packed with comedy veterans, but a surprisingly hilarious Jason Statham may be this movie’s secret weapon. —G.W.Related: Watch the ‘Spy’ trailer Spy

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ltijEmlyqlg?feature=player_embedded

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21. Welcome to Me

Release Date: May 1
Starring: Kristen Wiig, James Marsden, Linda Cardellini
Director: Shira Piven
The Scoop: After a dazzling dramatic performance in last year’s The Skeleton Twins, Kristen Wiig veers back into comedy with the dark, offbeat Welcome to Me. In the film, which opened to positive reviews at the Toronto Film Festival, Wiig plays an Oprah-obsessed woman who wins the lottery, then uses her earnings to produce a talk show entirely about herself. —G.W.

Related: Watch the trailer for ‘Welcome to Me’ https://www.youtube.com/embed/r0KEe-hMsLg?feature=player_embedded

20. Pitch Perfect 2Release Date: May 15
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow
Director: Elizabeth Banks
The Scoop: These ladies don’t need superpowers — they have their mouths. The Barden Bellas are back for a whole lot more aca-mazingness, and this time, they’ll be battling in an international a cappella competition. They’ll face tough competish from the Germans, but no matter what happens, they’re all winners because they haveach other. Girls! — B.L.H.Related: Watch the trailer for ‘Pitch Perfect 2′

https://www.youtube.com/embed/DrChpXyXtcE?feature=player_embedded

19. DopeRelease Date: June 12
Starring: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Zoe Kravitz
Director: Rick Famuyiwa
The Scoop: A breakout hit at Sundance, Dope is a hip hop-infused madcap adolescent adventure — think a John Hughes flick set in South Central. Directed by Rick Famuyiwa, the film stars newcomer Shameik Moore as Malcolm, a smart high-school senior who gets stuck with a huge bag of drugs belonging to the local kingpin (played by rap star A$AP Rocky). With thugs in pursuit, Malcolm and besties Jib (Tony Revolori, Grand Budapest Hotel) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons) embark on a crazy odyssey that rivals even Ferris Bueller’s day off. — Jordan Zakarin

Related: Watch the trailer for ‘Dope’

https://www.youtube.com/embed/3ViVPRWRRmk?feature=player_embedded

18. VacationRelease Date: July 31
Starring: Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Chris Hemsworth
Director: John Francis Daley, Jonathan M. Goldstein
The Scoop: The Griswolds are back with a grownup Rusty (Helms), his wife (Applegate) and their two sons carry on the family tradition of disastrous adventures. They embark on a trip to — where else? — Walley World. Of course, not before stopping to check in on grandparents Clark and Ellen; both Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo return for cameo/torch-passing roles. — K.P.Related: Watch the trailer for Vacation

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ScMOyURq9os?feature=player_embedded

17. Ricki and the FlashRelease Date: Aug. 7
Starring: Meryl Streep, Sebastian Stan, Kevin Kline
Director: Jonathan Demme
The Scoop: Streep with a guitar?! Seeing as the three-time Oscar winner is a rock-star actress, it’s about time we see her wielding an axe on screen. The musically inclined comedic drama, directed by Oscar winner Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) and written by Oscar winner Diablo Cody (Juno), revolves around a musician who returns to her family to make good on past mistakes. Oh, and Rick Springfield co-stars. — M.D.Related: Watch the trailer for Ricki and the Flash

https://www.youtube.com/embed/x8PVK6Hky2A?feature=player_embedded

16. Terminator GenisysRelease Date: July 1
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, J.K. Simmons
Director: Alan Taylor
The Scoop: After a series of mind-bending teasers that played out like fan fiction on steroids, the premise of Genisys became clearer with the release of the second full trailer. Maybe too clear. The film revisits the dual timelines of the 1984 original, but now we’re not sure whether John (Jason Clarke), son of Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke), is good or evil. — M.D.Related: Watch the trailer for Terminator Genisys

https://www.youtube.com/embed/62E4FJTwSuc?feature=player_embedded

15. Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the WorldRelease Date: June 26
Director: Dana Nachman
The Scoop: Remember how much we collectively cried during thenews segments chronicling how the city of San Francisco came together to make a 5-year-old cancer-stricken boy feel like Batman for a day? Well, get your tearducts ready for this heart-wrenching documentary that premiered at Slamdance and is already being adapted into a feature film produced by Julia Roberts. — K.P. Related: Watch the trailer for Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the World

https://www.youtube.com/embed/l4kiiwqKnSI?feature=player_embedded

14. Magic Mike XXLRelease Date: July 1
Starring: Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello
Director: Gregory Jacobs
The Scoop: It’s three years on and Magic Mike (Tatum) is still dancing to that sexed-up Ginuwine jam. XXL is poised to be a lot more outrageous — if you can imagine it — with less gritty realism than the original. This time around, the guys hit the road for a stripper convention in Myrtle Beach, S.C., linking up with Mike newcomers, including Jada Pinkett Smith and Michael Strahan. And since we’ve already seen sparks fly off Tatum in the teaser trailer, we can’t wait to see if they’re even more spectacular with Amber Heard involved. —M.D.Related: Watch the trailer for Magic Mike XXL

https://www.youtube.com/embed/oLoyU3xYwbs?feature=player_embedded

13. Straight Outta Compton

Release Date: Aug. 14
Starring: O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell
Director: F. Gary Gray
The Scoop: Following biopics about legendary funk and soul stars (James Brown in Get On Up, Ray Charles in Ray), Universal makes a natural progression to the hip-hop realm with the story of seminal gangsta rap collective NWA, which launched the careers of Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Eazy-E. While the leads are mostly unknown (aside from Paul Giamatti as manager Jerry Heller), the filmmakers appear to have nailed it in the casting department: It helps that Cube’s oldest son, O’Shea, is the perfect age to play the rap icon as an upstart. — K.P.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Related: Watch the trailer for ‘Straight Outta Compton’https://www.youtube.com/embed/OrlLcb7zYmw?feature=player_embedded

12. TomorrowlandRelease Date: May 22
Starring: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie
Director: Brad Bird
The Scoop: No company is better at transforming its own history into screen projects than Disney, which can turn a cartoon into live action and an animatronic ride into a hit movie franchise with the wave of Mickey’s wand. Next up: Tomorrowland, a movie inspired by the futuristic section of Disneyland. But the film aspires to be more than just integrated marketing, with a cast led by George Clooney and Hugh Laurie, a sci-fi story developed by Damon Lindelof, and action orchestrated by director Brad Bird (The Incredibles and Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol). — J.Z.

Related: Watch the trailer for ‘Tomorrowland’ 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/lNzukD8pS_s?feature=player_embedded

11. Ant-ManRelease Date: July 17
Starring: Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Evangeline Lilly
Director: Peyton Reed
The Scoop: Can Ant-Man be 2015’s Guardians of the Galaxy? In terms of owning the year’s box office, there’s no chance — not in a year with Avengers and Stars Wars movies. But Ant-Man has much in common with GOTG: The film taps into Marvel’s canon of (relatively) obscure superheroes, it has a lovable funnyman (Rudd) in the lead, and its plot is less traditional than Captain America‘s or Thor‘s (whileGOTG went to space, this one is framed like a heist flick). Based on Marvel’s track record, we have big expectations for this little guy. — K.P.Related: Watch the trailer for Ant-Man

https://www.youtube.com/embed/pWdKf3MneyI?feature=player_embedded

10. The Wolfpack

Release Date: June 12
Director: Crystal Moselle
The Scoop: This hit Sundance documentary tells the incredible story of six brothers who spent much of their childhoods locked away in a crowded New York City apartment, where they learned about life via popular culture, especially movies like Goodfellas and The Dark Knight. Moselle spent years chronicling the boys’ daily lives, observing the stresses and strains of their situation — and capturing the moment when one of the kids decides to open the door and walk outside. —J.Z.Related: Watch the trailer for The Wolfpack

https://www.youtube.com/embed/rDbqcMfUdlI?feature=player_embedded

9. SouthpawRelease Date: July 31
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rachel McAdams, Forest Whitaker
Director: Antoine Fuqua
The Scoop: Gyllenhaal might just have Hollywood’s most malleable metabolism: Last year, he slimmed down to play an emaciated crime-scene videographer in the indie hit Nightcrawler. Now, for this boxing drama from Training Day director Antoine Fuqua, the 34-year-old actor has transformed himself once again, this time to play an uber-ripped fighting-machine. That extra strength no doubt came in handy during the filming of this riches-to-rags drama, in which a hot-tempered scrapper loses his wife (played by Rachel McAdams) and subsequently watches his family — and his career — fall apart. — J.Z.

Related: Watch the trailer for Southpaw

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mh2ebPxhoLs?feature=player_embedded

8. Mission: Impossible – Rogue NationRelease Date: July 31
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
The Scoop: Most of the IMF gang is back together… but, as usual, they’re under attack, this time by the seemingly fictional Syndicate, a league of rogue operatives and assassins. If Ghost Protocol was any indication, this franchise is far from over, and we anticipate more ridiculous, unrealistic, and undeniably fun action and stunts. We wholeheartedly accept this mission. —B.L.H.Related: Watch the trailer for ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’https://www.youtube.com/embed/gOW_azQbOjw?feature=player_embedded

7. The End of the Tour

Release Date: July 31
Starring: Jason Segel, Jesse Eisenberg, Anna Chlumsky
Director: James Ponsoldt
The Scoop: In the Sundance-adored Tour, Segel departs from some of the goofier roles of his past to play David Foster Wallace, the funny, brilliant, Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer who committed suicide in 2008. Directed by The Spectacular Now’s James Ponsoldt, this road-trip tale documents a mid-‘90s encounter between Wallace and aRolling Stone writer (played by Jesse Eisenberg), which took place just as Wallace was beginning his uncomfortable reign as a literary superstar. Expect an awards-season push for this funny, poignant drama. —M.D.Related: Watch the trailer for The End of the Tour

https://www.youtube.com/embed/ySdlyKphryY?feature=player_embedded

6. Jurassic WorldRelease Date: June 12
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Judy Greer
Director: Colin Trevvorow
The Scoop: There are plenty of heroes to root for this summer, but the one we’re most intrigued by is the velociraptor. We first met the deliciously vicious big bad in Steven Spielberg’s original Jurassic Park,and now the raptors are back in World, the fourth in the series (and the first since 2001’s lackluster Jurassic Park III). This time, the vicious beasties just might be one of humanity’s best allies, as the park has been transformed into a luxe resort with all kinds of dino attractions — including the dangerous Indominous Rex, a genetically modified monster. Once the new rex gets loose, he becomes a major headache for the park’s prim operations manager Claire (Howard) and a for-hire raptor whisperer (Pratt), who pits dino versus dino in an attempt to save the park (and possibly mankind). —Kerrie MitchellRelated: Watch the trailer for Jurassic World

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https://www.youtube.com/embed/aJJrkyHas78?feature=player_embedded

5. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Release Date: June 12
Starring: Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler
Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
The Scoop: As you could probably guess from the title, this won’t be the feel-good smash of the summer, but that doesn’t mean Girl — which won jury and audience awards at Sundance — isn’t a potential crowd-pleaser. The drama follows a misfit high-schooler (Mann) and his friend Earl (Cyler), who spend their days making low-budget movie parodies. Their lives change, though, when they befriend a cancer-stricken neighbor (Cooke). It sounds a bit like Fault in Our Stars meetsBe Kind Rewind — which is exactly why we’re so excited to see it. —K.P.

Related: Watch the trailer for ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl’

https://www.youtube.com/embed/2qfmAllbYC8?feature=player_embedded

4. Inside OutRelease Date: June 19
Starring: Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black
Director: Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del Carmen
The Scoop: Pixar has taken audiences to the toy room, a space station, and the deep blue sea. This summer though, we’re going to get a trip into one of the most formidable spaces imaginable: the mind of a young girl. Inside Out follows the life of Riley, an 11-year-old who’s dealing with a turbulent move to San Francisco after her dad lands a new job. While she navigates the homesickness and loneliness of the outside world, inside her actual Headquarters, her emotions Joy (Poehler), Sadness (The Office’s Smith), Disgust (Kaling), Fear (Hader), and Anger (Black) are desperate to keep Riley righted. —K.M.Related: Watch the trailer: Inside Out

https://www.youtube.com/embed/seMwpP0yeu4?feature=player_embedded

3. Mad Max: Fury Road

Release Date: May 15
Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult
Director: George Miller
The Scoop: It’s common — and perfectly understandable — for movie buffs to rail against summer’s oversaturation of reboots, remakes and sequels. But this fourth incarnation of Mad Max has a major selling point: The return of George Miller, the man who wrote and directed the first three installments. In other words, this isn’t some cheap knockoff. The brooding, brawny Hardy is the perfect choice to reclaim Australia as the new Max Rockatansky, and Miller — who’s reinvented himself as an animation filmmaker (Happy Feet) in recent years — sure looks like he’s taken advantage of three decades of technological advances in making the dystopian Outback look cooler than ever. —J.Z.Related: Watch the trailer for ‘Mad Max: Fury Road:’

https://www.youtube.com/embed/hEJnMQG9ev8?feature=player_embedded

2. TrainwreckRelease Date: July 17
Starring: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, LeBron James
Director: Judd Apatow
The Scoop: A rapturous reception greeted Amy Schumer’s romantic comedywhen it premiered at SXSW — and that wasn’t even the final version. The Comedy Central star plays a commitment-averse New York City magazine writer drawn into a romance with a sports doctor (Hader) whose clients include LeBron James, here making his comedy debut. Trainwreck is the first movie Apatow has directed that he didn’t write himself — a strong endorsement for Schumer, who wrote the screenplay and whose world domination will likely be made complete with this breakout comedy. —G.W.Related: Watch the trailer for Trainwreck

https://www.youtube.com/embed/2MxnhBPoIx4?feature=player_embedded

1. Avengers: Age of UltronRelease Date: May 1
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner
Director: Joss Whedon
The Scoop: The sequel to 2012’s The Avengers brings all the threads of the Marvel universe (including the intervening Iron Man, Captain America, andThor movies) together in a full-scale superhero epic. This time, the reunited Avengers face a threat that may divide them forever: Ultron (James Spader), an artificially intelligent monster created inadvertently by Tony Stark (Downey). Get ready to geek out hard. —G.W.
Related: Watch the trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron

https://www.youtube.com/embed/G-D0JQ2aZ5c?feature=player_embedded

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Mel Gibson Makes Surprise Appearance at ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Premiere

Mel Gibson and Tom Hardy at Thursday night’s premiere of ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (Photo: Getty Images)

Mel Gibson made an unannounced stop at the Mad Max: Fury Road premiere in Hollywood on Thursday.

The 59 year-old actor-director, who portrayed the original Max Rockatansky in the 1979 dystopian action film, posed for photosMad Max Tom Hardy.

 on the red carpet with the new

Both versions were directed by filmmaker George Miller.

Warner Bros.’ Mad Max: Fury Road is on track for an opening weekend of $40 million-plus.

Co-starring Charlize Theron, Fury Road opens nationwide May 15.

Director George Miller with Hardy and Gibson.

Review: ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Is a Madly Entertaining High-Speed Spectacle

Thirty years after surviving Thunderdome, the reluctant warrior of modern movies’ first and most memorable post-apocalyptic action fantasy series is finally back and ready for more in Mad Max: Fury Road. George Miller has directed only five films in all that time, three of which starred pigs and penguins, but it can safely be said that this madly entertaining new action extravaganza energetically kicks more ass, as well as all other parts of the anatomy, than any film ever made by a 70-year-old — and does so far more skillfully than those turned out by most young turks half his age.

Although the earlier entries were made before the target audience for this one was even born (its new leading man was just a baby when the first one was released), Mad Max has lingered in the zeitgeist through the years, and a fair portion of the international public that has just wound down from Furious 7 will be happy to suck in the fumes from this equally action-packed and infinitely superior film.

One could plausibly observe that Fury Road is basically The Road Warrior on a new generation of steroids, and no doubt some critics will leave it at that; like the second and best film in the series, this one is mostly devoted to maniacal anarchic goons chasing Max and his small group of rebels across a scenically parched desert and leaving some of the most spectacularly destroyed vehicles ever seen in their dust. The new film certainly boasts a higher percentage of flat-out amazing action than any of its predecessors, and that’s probably enough said for most of its potential audience.

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Perhaps the long gestation period served it well. While very similar to its predecessors in almost every way, the film has devilishness in its details: the tribal-style makeup, the endlessly inventive vehicles and armaments, the wild costumes and facial adornments, the startling apparition of a harem of stunning beauties in the middle of the desert, radiantly parched locations that resemble and yet go beyond the series’ previous wasteland evocations and a society equally lawless but more entrenched than those earlier seen (one that is, in fact, presided over by the same imposing actor who played the chief bad guy in the original Mad Max in 1979).

And then there’s the new leading actor, Tom Hardy, who’s so ideal a replacement for Mel Gibson that one wouldn’t want to imagine anyone else having taken over the role. Re-watching the initial two installments today, it’s striking to see how little Max Rockatansky (whose name is uttered just once, in the first film) actually does during long stretches of them, and so it is here; at the outset he’s captured by soldiers of the Citadel and detained in a rocky hell-hole where thousands of wailing captives do slave labor while awaiting small doses of precious water dispensed by their tyrannical leader from his looming cliff-side headquarters.

When the time comes to hit the road, Max, his face confined behind a trident-like mask, is strapped like a grille ornament on the front of a marauding car, a predicament he is not expected to survive. But emerge from it he does, of course, and slowly the man behind the victim emerges, first to exciting then to ultimately touching effect in the final scene. It’s as if Hardy was cast for his brawn but ultimately used for his soul.

Except for its mechanized details, the heavy chains, pulleys and steam-punk/heavy metal aspects of which lend a certain 19th century feel, the world on display here is straight out of dire early Biblical times. Presiding over the Citadel is the fearsome Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne, the nasty Toecutter in Mad Max), who has grotesque offspring, sports flowing gray locks and wears a toothsome face-mask fed by large oxygen tubes. The slaves are covered in ashen white powder and live in a state of starvation and terror dispensed by violent punks known as War Boys.

The story cooked up by Miller and co-screenwriters Brendan McCarthy and Nico Lathouris is no more complex than this: Entrusted by Immortan Joe with driving the large War Rig truck across the desert to an oil-producing outpost, tough ruling class babe Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron, with close-cropped hair and raccoon eyes) instead diverts it across the desert with an illicit cargo — Immortan’s harem of breeding wives, who have memorable names such as Capable, Cheedo the Fragile and, best of all, Toast the Knowing. When first glimpsed, they look like a bunch of supermodels strewn across the desert for an exotic fashion shoot, although one of them, The Splendid Angharad (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley), is soon due to give birth.

Related: Meet iOTA, the Guitar Hero From ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’

The first two Max features ran barely 90 minutes and it takes guts and real confidence to dare push a straight chase film with very little dialogue to two hours. But Miller has pulled it off by coming up with innumerable new elements to keep the action compelling: The pitiless mindset of a brutish-minded society; bending poles sticking up from vehicles that allow marauders atop them to by lowered into enemy trucks for hand-to-hand combat; an insane heavy metal guitarist affixed to one of the Citadel’s rigs, whose raucous wailings and flame-throwing ability perfectly express this world’s extremity; and a central woman, missing one arm, who’s as tough-minded as any man but also retains a special link to a remote society of women she intends to find.

During the first extended, high-speed, jaw-dropping chase of Furiosa by the goon squad, which only ends when it’s engulfed by an enormous desert dust storm, Max remains frustrated by the chain linking him to his tormentors’ rig. But developing any trust with Furiosa takes considerably longer; she wants to kill him immediately and be done with it. They are, it would seem, potential soulmates, but the world they inhabit is not exactly conducive to developing trust, much less anything of a more amorous nature. Life is, in this world, not only cheap but almost assuredly very short.

If one wanted to map out a chronology of Max’s life and adventures, it would no longer make any sense in terms of the man’s age, nor does it matter at all. Miller recently absolved himself of any need to somehow explain the character’s newfound youthfulness by comparing him to James Bond; Max just goes on and on, with perennial access to rejuvenation via new actors.

Tom Hardy as Max in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’

The difference between this and Bond and many other such durable series is that it’s so palpably the product of one man’s imagination, a man who also possesses the skill, discipline and energy to put it all up on the screen so convincingly. Mad Max films are known for the moments when the cars’ super-chargers are engaged for surges of speed, and it’s clear that Miller’s personal super-chargers are in excellent working order. The colors are bold, the Namibia locations look like Arizona on steroids, virtually all the action looks real (thoughts of CGI only intrude with the massive dust clouds and certain personal and vehicular wipe-outs), cinematographer John Seale’s cameras are everywhere they need to be to record the action maximally, Junkie XL’s score hammers and soars. Second unit director and stunt coordinator Guy Norris clearly deserves major credit for delivering much of what’s most eye-popping onscreen and the film never sits still for more than a moment or two.

Related: 

1)  George Miller Spills Secrets From 4 Famous ‘Mad Max’ Stunts

2)  60 Mad Facts About the Original ‘Mad Max’ Films

3)   We Caught Up With the ‘Feral Kid’ From the Original ‘Mad Max’ Trilogy

Miller originally spoke of filming a sequel called Furiosa back-to-back with this one, so presumably he has material more or less ready to go, and Hardy has claimed he’s signed for three more installments. In other words, the world may not have heard the last from Mad Max.