Author: Trafficblast

Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are splitting up. The producing partners who worked together on a number of comedy films such as Anchorman, Step Brothers, and Talladega Nights, are ending the lengthy partnership at production company Gary Sanchez in a move that sounds amicable.

Ferrell and McKay said in a joint statement that the past 13 years working together “could not have been more enjoyable and satisfying,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. “The two of us will always work together creatively and always be friends. And we recognize we are lucky as hell to end this venture as such.”

Ferrell and McKay have a number of films still in the works under their previous arrangement, including the Hustlers movie starring Jennifer Lopez. All of the in-production movies will go forward. THR points out that the specific details of how Gary Sanchez and Gloria Sanchez (the female-fronted label) will operate going forward are unknown.

McKay has pushed more into the drama genre lately with his Oscar-nominated movies like The Big Short and more recently the Dick Cheney movie Vice. At the same time, he’s continued to produce Will Ferrell comedies such as the recent flop Holmes & Watson.

McKay and Ferrell’s Sanchez Production also owns the comedy website Funny or Die.

“Thank you to everyone who collaborated with us for 13 years. Proud of the stuff we got to work on and most of all, the amazing people we worked with. Also excited for new stuff to come…” McKay said on Twitter.

A new Marvel movie will film in Sydney, though it’s unclear at this stage what production it is. A news release from Mitch Fifield, Australia’s Minister for Communications and the Arts, and New South Wales Minister for the Arts Don Harwin, confirmed that the “Untitled Marvel Studios Feature Film” will begin production at some point in 2019 in and around Sydney.

The Australian Federal Government put in $24 million from the “Made in NSW fund” to help entice Marvel and owner Disney to film in Australia. Filming will take place at Fox Studios Australia and “other locations” in the country. Disney claimed ownership of Fox Studios Australia as part of its acquisition of Fox.

It’s not the first Marvel movie to film in Australia, as Thor: Ragnarok also filmed in the country.

According to Fifield, the new Marvel movie filming in Australia will create 4,700 new jobs and utilise the services of around 1,200 local businesses. In total, Australia is expecting to see “over $150 million of new international investment” related to this decision.

The production of the movie is expected to spend in excess of $100 million in New South Wales and establish as many as 770 jobs for local screen professionals specifically.

“The film needs a large workforce of highly specialised special effects technicians and will also require sophisticated stunts, all of which NSW’s incredibly skilled and experienced screen industry can deliver,” Harwin said in a statement.

“Marvel Studios thanks the Australian and NSW Governments and is thrilled to be returning to Australia to work with the talented and highly skilled Australian crew, stunt performers, and actors together with the thousands of small businesses across Australia that supply world class equipment, goods, facilities, and services to large budget productions,” Marvel Studios vice president David Grant said.

According to Sydney Morning Herald, the Marvel movie shooting in Sydney is Shang-Chi, which would be Marvel’s first superhero film starring an Asian protagonist.

The next Marvel movie is the much-anticipated Avengers: Endgame, which will wrap up 10 years worth of MCU storytelling.

Rush Hour stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker have yet again teased the next Rush Hour film. Tucker posted a picture of himself and Chan on Instagram, with each actor raising four fingers.

This image itself doesn’t confirm anything, but it appears to be a tease for the fourth film that both actors have been talking about for a while now.

In 2017, Chan said he had been turning down scripts for new Rush Hour films for seven years, but he finally read a script that was good enough. The plan, at least at one point, was for a second draft of the approved script to be finished in 2018. He said he was eager to make the fourth Rush Hour film with Tucker sooner rather than later before they get old.

As for Tucker, he said on an ESPN podcast in 2018 that the fourth film will be the “rush of all rushes.”

Chan and Tucker play mismatched police officers in the Rush Hour series. The first movie came out in 1998, with sequels following in 2001 and 2007. Together, the movies have made around $850 million. Each film was directed by Brett Ratner, who in 2017 was accused by multiple women of sexual harassment or misconduct. In 2011, he was dropped as a producer of The Oscars after he made a gay slur.

It’s been quite a while since Sony has shared any details on The Last of Us: Part II. And with Sony not coming to E3 this year, some fans are wondering when they may hear more about the long-awaited PlayStation 4 game. It’s still unknown when more details or footage may be released.

Naughty Dog community manager Arne Meyer said on Twitter that he appreciates the enthusiasm from fans, but all there is to say for now is that Naughty Dog will share more details when the studio is ready. Meyer tweeted in response to an article from the satirical website The Onion that made a joke about The Last of Us: Part II launching 2019.

Sony showcased The Last of Us: Part II during its E3 2018 briefing where Naughty Dog premiered a brutal new gameplay trailer. We haven’t seen much of the title since then.

The Last of Us: Part II is directed by Anthony Newman and Kurt Margenau, both of whom were lead game designers on Uncharted 4 and worked on the first Last of Us. The original Last of Us was directed by Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley; Druckmann has since been promoted to Vice President of Naughty Dog, while Straley has left Naughty Dog.

Druckmann has teased that “no one is safe” in The Last of Us: Part II. No release date has been announced for the PlayStation 4 game.

Part of what made Star Wars: The Last Jedi a controversial film among fans was the way it handled Rey’s parentage. Fans speculated wildly about who her parents might be, but it was revealed in The Last Jedi–written and directed by Rian Johnson–that her parents were … apparently no one of any significance at all. That revelation, in addition to the killing off of Supreme Leader Snoke, irked some fans. They thought the reveal of Rey’s parentage and plans for Snoke were part of some grander storytelling scheme.

Now, Johnson has suggested that he wouldn’t be bothered if Star Wars: Episode IX from JJ Abrams retcons some of the storytelling beats from The Last Jedi. Johnson was asked directly by MTV News if he would be bothered if Episode IX retcons Rey’s lineage.

“Like I said, man, I want to let go of all my expectations,” Johnson replied. “I want to sit back. I want to be entertained. I want to be surprised. I want to be thrilled. I want him to do stuff that I wasn’t expecting him to do, and just go along for the ride. For me, that’s why I go to the movies, you know?”

Explaining the reveal of Rey’s parents, who were nothing more than “filthy junk traders” according to Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), Johnson said, “We’re not here to give Rey an easy time; we’re here to put her on the hard path so that she has to. Because that’s the path of a hero.”

Abrams reportedly had a different idea for Rey’s parents, so it’ll be interesting to see if he decides to retcon Rey’s parents in Episode IX.

Very little is known about the story of Episode IX, but it’s expected to wrap up the new trilogy that began with 2015’s The Force Awakens. Abrams also directed The Force Awakens, and he wasn’t originally attached to Episode IX until director Colin Trevorrow was released.

Also in the interview, which you can watch in the embed above, Johnson confirms that he’s still working on his new trilogy of Star Wars movies, while he also talks excitedly about the new Star Wars movies from the creators of Game of Thrones.

Episode IX releases in theatres this December.

It appears the DC Extended Universe of films is back on track. After Batman v Superman disappointed audiences, 2017’s Wonder Woman and 2018’s Aquaman struck better chords and made a lot of money at the box office. The latest DCEU movie, Shazam, opened this weekend–and it, too, is doing well out of the gate.

The movie made $53.5 million in the US and Canada for its opening weekend, which represents a good start but of course not as strong as other, big DCEU films starring bigger and better-known characters like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Joker. It is the seventh movie in the DCEU.

Counting preview ticket sales, Shazam has made $56.8 million in the US and Canada, according to Entertainment Weekly, which supplied all the box office figures. Shazam was the No. 1 movie of the weekend in the US and Canada. Shazam has made more than $100 million so far from international markets, for a global total of around $158 million to date.

Shazam focuses on a young boy, Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who can turn into an adult superhero named Shazam by yelling “Shazam!” Zachary Levi plays Shazam. The movie also stars Adam Brody, Ron Cephas Jones, Mark Strong, and Djimon Hounsou. It was directed by David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation) off a script by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke.

Elsewhere at the box office, the newest Stephen King movie, Pete Semetary, opened to $25 million, while another new release, The Best Enemies starring Sam Rockwell and Taraji P. Henson, opened at No. 6. You can see the full weekend box office report below, via EW.

April 5-7 US/Canada Box Office

1. Shazam! — $53.5 million
2. Pet Sematary — $25 million
3. Dumbo — $18.2 million
4. Us — $13.8 million
5. Captain Marvel — $12.7 million
6. The Best of Enemies — $4.5 million
7. Five Feet Apart — $3.7 million
8. Unplanned — $3.2 million
9. Wonder Park — $2 million
10. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World — $2 million

If it’s turning to spring in your part of the world, you might be dealing with bugs. Fortunately, this episode of New Releases has Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain to help take care of your pest problem. There are also expansions for existing games, like Hearthstone‘s Rise of Shadows and the Nintendo Labo VR Kit on Switch. Switch is also getting its own port of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and speed demons can get their fix with Dangerous Driving.

Hearthstone – Rise of Shadows — April 9

Available on: PC, iOS, Android

The eleventh expansion for Hearthstone is adding 135 new cards to the mix. These come alongside a new Twinspell keyword, which can duplicate an existing card in your hand, and new Lackey minions, which can be generated by other cards. While the expansion arrives April 9, card packs are available to pre-order right now.

Further Reading:

Dangerous Driving — April 9

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC

Sometimes the fun isn’t in winning a race, but in all the destruction you cause along the way. Enter Dangerous Driving, from some of the minds behind the Burnout franchise. It has dozens of sedans, SUVs, supercars, and more to choose from as you race across a variety of environments in over 60 events.

Further Reading:

Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain — April 11

Available on: PS4

The latest in the long-running bug-slaying series is meant to be a more serious take on the EDF formula. That said, you’ll still be suiting up in mechs and raining all sorts of firepower down on giant insect invaders. You can battle the big bugs with friends online or on your couch through local co-op.

Further Reading:

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice — April 11

Available on: Switch

One of 2017’s best games is coming to Nintendo Switch this week. Hellblade is pretty action-packed, but Senua’s journey is about much more than battling Norse gods. Her story highlights mental illness, and its portrayal of such issues has been praised by reviewers and activists alike.

Further Reading:

Nintendo Labo VR Kit — April 12

Available on: Switch

The Nintendo Switch is also getting some new Labo Toy-Cons this week. The virtual reality kit provides new peripherals like Goggles, Bird, Elephant, and Camera, which let you play a variety of immersive, quirky minigames. Beyond that, you can design your own VR games in the expanded Toy-Con Garage. We’ve also just learned that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey will support VR functionality via the new Labo kit.

Further Reading:

April has even more video games on the horizon. Next week, New Releases will take a look at some previous games on new platforms, as Cuphead and Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age both come to Nintendo Switch.

Game of Thrones returns for its eighth and final season in less than one week. The show’s stars are making the press rounds, talking about the final season and what it means. John Bradley, who plays Samwell Tarly, told Collider that as the show ends, he sees that Game of Thrones has helped TV stand taller and rival cinema in some regards.

“A lot of the TV that comes after [Game of Thrones] is taking lessons from it and using it as a springboard in terms of what can be achieved through the medium of television and how, given the right set of people and the right circumstances, it can rival cinema,” Bradley said. “And it’s got a right to be ambitious. It’s created a whole new sense of ambition in TV that wasn’t really there before. There has never been anything on this visual scale before. And I think TV is no longer seen as a kind of poor cousin of cinema. I hope that TV going forward feels that we’ve empowered it to be as ambitious as we’ve been.”

The final season of Game of Thrones was a massive effort, according to Gwendoline Christie, who plays Brienne of Tarth and is also featured in the Collider video.

“This season has really outdone all the others in all regards,” she said. “The production values, and the way in which everyone was pushed is much further than anything they’ve ever done on the show before. The scale is so much bigger.”

In regards to special effects specifically, VFX producer Steve Kullback recalled that Seasons 2 and 3 had about 600-800 VFX shots in each season. Season 8, meanwhile, has “multiples of that” in a single episode, so it is no small undertaking.

Game of Thrones Season 8 premieres on HBO April 14. Soon we’ll know who lives and dies, and everything else there is to know. While the show is ending, a prequel series is on the way.