Here’s why Disney’s Hulu takeover won’t matter for a while
With Comcast ceding control of Hulu to Disney while it preps its own streaming platform, Disney is now in complete control of the service. That's great news for Disney, but it won't mean much for regular Hulu subscribers who enjoy NBCUniversal programming — not for now, at any rate.
The Wachowskis are making The Matrix 4, John Wick 3 director claims
Director Chad Stahelski says that Lana and Lilly Wachowski are developing another Matrix flick, and if anyone would know, it's him: Not only did Stahelski turn Matrix star Keanu Reeves into the deadly assassin John Wick, but he performed stunts in all three original Matrix movies.
HBO officially comments on that Game of Thrones coffee cup scene
HBO has released an official statement about the rogue coffee cup that snuck into a shot in last night's episode of Game of Thrones, The Last of the Starks, and that went on to spark a flurry of social media posts, impassioned commentary, and enough memes to fill the Red Keep twice over.
Peter Mayhew, the man who played Chewbacca, is dead at age 74
Mayhew, the 7-foot, 2-inch actor who was cast as Han Solo's faithful Wookiee companion Chewbacca while working as a hospital orderly, died on April 30. Mayhew played Chewbacca in all three original Star Wars movies, as well as Revenge of the Sith and The Force Awakens.
Ron Howard wants to revive Willow as a Disney Plus TV show
Ron Howard is in discussions to produce a television spin-off of Willow, Howard's '80s fantasy epic, for Disney's new streaming service, Disney Plus. The new show, which will be written by Solo's Jon Kasdan, will be a sequel to the feature film. Actor Warwick Davis is expected to return to the lead role.
HBO arrives on Apple’s new TV app, letting fans watch Game of Thrones offline
HBO has been added to the new Apple TV app, which is currently in beta, letting subscribers stream HBO's hit programs, including Game of Thrones, to multiple devices and download episodes for to view offline. If you're not a current HBO subscriber, there's a weeklong free trial, too.
In true Game of Thrones fashion, one potential spinoff has already been killed
Bryan Cogman, who wrote Game of Thrones' character-driven season 8 episode A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, revealed that the Thrones prequel he was developing for HBO will not go forward. An entirely different spinoff, which stars actress Naomi Watts, is still in production.
With Sinemia gone, are movie subscription plans too good to be true?
Amid a class-action suit from subscribers over unexpected fees, complaints about a broken app, ongoing revenue woes, and a lawsuit from its biggest competitor, MoviePass, Sinemia has closed shop in America, casting the future of theatrical movie subscription services into doubt.
Sorry, Spielberg. Streaming movies are still eligible for the Oscars
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has decided that, despite complaints from filmmakers including Steven Spielberg, movies like Netflix's Roma, which are primarily distributed via streaming services, will still be eligible for the Oscars in 2020. In 2019, Roma won three Academy Awards.
Watch the Captain Marvel, other MCU post-credits scenes before Avengers: Endgame
Catch up on the Marvel Cinematic Universe's ongoing storyline before Avengers: Endgame's big finale by watching the post-credits scenes for every Marvel film, starting with Iron Man and going all the way up to the still-in-theaters Captain Marvel, via Marvel Studios' official Twitter account.
The Game of Thrones season premiere was pirated 54 million times in 24 hours
Winter is here, and so are the pirates. The debut episode of Game of Thrones' final season was pirated 54 million times in the 24 hours after it aired, almost tripling the show's official viewership totals and putting HBO's epic fantasy drama on pace to be the year's most pirated show.
Disney Plus: Our first look at Disney’s impressive new $7 streamer
Disney Plus, Disney's brand new streaming service, arrives on phones, and streaming boxes this fall, and we've got your first look at the service's user interface, its coolest features (streaming Simpsons episodes, anyone?), and some of its original Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar content.
You can’t turn away from the 10 most memorable Game of Thrones death scenes
Game of Thrones is known for some of the most brutal, bloody, and shocking death scenes to ever appear on the small screen. If you're a glutton for punishment and want to relive the misery, check out our list of the 10 most gruesome and memorable fatalities in HBO's epic fantasy series.
Kate McKinnon will play disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes for Hulu
Saturday Night Live superstar and all-around funny woman McKinnon has signed on to star as Theranos founder and alleged fraudster Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout, a limited Hulu series based on the podcast of the same name. ABC News' Rebecca Jarvis, who created the podcast, will co-produce.
Netflix looks to buy historic Golden Age movie theater in Hollywood
Amid debates about whether Netflix movies should qualify for the Oscars, Netflix is in talks to buy Hollywood's historic Egyptian Theater for "tens of millions of dollars," which could have a significant impact on the streaming service's prospects the next time that awards season rolls around.
Jeremy Renner will train the next Hawkeye in a new Disney Plus show
It looks like Avengers: Endgame won't be the end for at least one Avenger. Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, will pass the torch to a young woman named Kate Bishop in a new series being developed for Disney Plus, Disney's upcoming streaming service. Jeremy Renner will reprise his MCU role for the show.
YouTube is making its own Bandersnatch-style interactive shows
Not to be outdone by companies like Netflix and Walmart, which are investing more and more money into Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-style programming, YouTube has created a new division devoted to producing original interactive content in the style of Netflix's Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.
For $3,000, you can rent Hollywood blockbusters while they’re still in theaters
Red Carpet Home Cinema, a new service from former Ticketmaster CEO Fred Rosen, lets you skip the multiplex and watch the newest movies in the comfort of your own home -- but with a special $15,000 streaming box and rental costs that run from $1,500 to $3,000, that convenience doesn't come cheap.
Prepare for Avengers: Endgame with AMC’s 60-hour Marvel movie marathon
On April 23, AMC Theaters is hosting a two-and-a-half day Marvel Cinematic Universe Marathon that consists of every single movie in the MCU -- all 22 of them -- and culminates with an early screening of Avengers: Endgame, which promises to wrap up the saga that began in 2008 with Iron Man.
Bear Grylls goes interactive with Netflix’s Bandersnatch-esque You vs. Wild
Think you have what it takes to survive in the wilderness, Bear Grylls-style? You vs. Wild, an eight episode interactive Netflix series that takes cues from Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, will let you prove it by letting you guide Grylls through some of the most inhospitable locations on the planet.
Want free movie tickets? Beam these ads into your eyeballs for 15 minutes
Would you watch ads for 20 minutes to earn a free movie ticket? MoviePass co-founder Stacy Spikes is betting that you will, and he's launching PreShow, a new app with some pretty advanced face-tracking technology (not to mention some built-in concerns about data privacy) to prove it.
New John Wick: Chapter 3 trailer brings gunfights, dogs, and Matrix Easter eggs
A new trailer for John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum punctuates the fast-paced gun and knife fights with deeper looks at new characters played by Halle Berry, Anjelica Huston, and Jason Mantzoukas. There's a sly reference to Keanu Reeves' other big action franchise hidden in there, too.
Bill and Ted 3 finally faces the music once summer 2020 arrives
Wyld Stallyns Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves travel to the famed Hollywood Bowl to make a big announcement: Bill and Ted 3: Face the Music, which will see the duo struggle with their legacy as middle age approaches, begins filming very soon. The film will arrive in theaters about a year later.
Will Smith won’t return for director James Gunn’s Suicide Squad sequel
The Suicide Squad is rreturning under the command of James Gunn, writer and director of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, but one founding member won't be along for the ride. Will Smith won't be reprise his role as master assassin Deadshot when the Suicide Squad sequel hits theaters in August 2021.
James Gunn will return to direct Guardians of the Galaxy 3 after all
Eight months after firing director James Gunn due to a series of off-color social media posts, Disney has rehired the filmmaker to guide the Guardians of the Galaxy on their next adventure -- although not before Gunn helms the Suicide Squad sequel for Marvel's distinguished competition.
Captain Marvel’s original ending didn’t explain her absence in Infinity War
Captain Marvel editor Debbie Berman revealed that Carol Danvers' journey originally had a "jarring" ending that raised more questions than answers, and detailed the changes that were made to help bridge the gap between Captain Marvel's debut and her appearance in Avengers: Endgame.
AT&T jacks up DirecTV Now pricing once again in subscription tier shake-up
Current subscribers to DirecTV Now, AT&T's entry into the competitive streaming television market, will have to pay an extra $10 a month to keep using their existing plans, while new users will only have two subscription tiers to choose from going forward. At least they both include HBO!
Disney Plus will eventually stream every Disney movie, including the ‘Vault’
In a major change to its policy regarding home movie releases, Disney Plus, Disney's upcoming streaming service, will eventually host every movie in the Disney catalog. That includes all of the company's classic animated films, which previously were only freed from the "vault" on a limited-time basis.
‘Jeopardy!’ host Alex Trebek diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer
Game show host Alex Trebek vows that he'll fight his cancer prognosis and promises that, with support from his family and his fans, he will continue working on Jeopardy! until his contract runs out in 2022. Trebek has hosted the syndicated version of Jeopardy! since 1984. Trebek is 78 years old.
Shazam! is full of slapstick superheroics in its second trailer
A magic word transforms 14-year-old Billy Batson (Asher Angel) into a superpowered adult (Zachary Levi), but getting powers is the easy part. It's when Billy has to learn how to use his new abilities that the trouble (and fun) really begins, as DC Entertainment's latest Shazam! trailer demonstrates.
Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard and Carrie Coon strap up for Ghostbusters
Jason Reitman, son of Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, will direct a sequel to the 1984 supernatural comedy. Filming begins this summer, with Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard and The Leftovers' Carrie Coon tapped to show the world that they ain't afraid of no ghost.
New, R-rated Hellboy trailer brings the fire, blood, violence, and laughs
Stranger Things star David Harbour will bring Mike Mignola's monster-hunting demon Hellboy back to the big screen along with Ian McShane, Milla Jovovich, Daniel Dae Kim, a horde of gnarly monsters, and at least one apocalypse. The latest, R-rated Hellboy trailer offers a preview of what's to come.
Star Trek: Discovery is getting a third season on CBS All Access in 2020
The third season of Star Trek: Discovery will air on CBS All Access in 2020. Discovery writer Michelle Paradise will help Alex Kurtzman with showrunner duties while Kurtzman develops a number of other Star Trek projects, including the Patrick Stewart-led Jean-Luc Picard series.
Rotten Tomatoes revamps user reviews after Captain Marvel troll campaign
After angry fans tried to lower Captain Marvel's box office performance by flooding Rotten Tomatoes with negative comments, the site will prohibit users from posting pre-release film reviews. In addition, other changes have already been implemented in an effort to further reduce toxicity.
‘Howard the Duck’ and three other Marvel animated series are coming to Hulu
Patton Oswalt, Kevin Smith, Chelsea Handler, and more are bringing Marvel second-stringers Howard the Duck, MODOK., Hit Monkey, and Tigra and Dazzler to Hulu as adult-oriented cartoon comedies. After that, the heroes will team up to form a new superteam, the Offenders, in a "special animated event."
‘Aquaman’ spin-off ‘The Trench’ in development at Warner Bros.
In the wake of Aquaman's $1 billion box office haul, DC and Warner Bros. have begun work on a "horror-tinged" spin-off starring the Trench, a lost Atlantean tribe that evolved into a race of monsters after losing contact with the rest of the underwater nation. Aquaman director James Wan will produce.
‘Zombieland 2’ has an official title and a familiar-looking promo image
Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin are ready to nut up or shut up once more in the first fan-friendly look at Zombieland: Double Tap. The sequel will be directed by Venom's Ruben Fleischer from a script by Deadpool and Deadpool 2's co-writers.
Zac Efron is Ted Bundy in ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’ trailer
Zac Efron plays serial killer Ted Bundy in the first trailer for Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, a drama from the director of Netflix's Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes that tells the infamous murderer's story from his long-term girlfriend's point of view.