Stuart Conover – ScienceFiction.com

Looks Like We Almost Had An R-Rated ‘Fantasy Island’

Stuart Conover — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 18:40:21 +0000

When director Jeff Wadlow first discussed ‘Fantasy Island’ with Blumhouse he was firm on wanting the film to have an R-rating. Now that the movie is out, we know that it ended up clocking in with a PG-13 one instead, as so many horror movies do these days. With the directing being so set on the rating, you’ll be surprised to know that he doesn’t care in the slightest that cuts were done to lower it! In fact, Wadlow feels that the story they ended up telling was easily doable with a PG-13 due to the amazing cast he worked with. In an interview with Cinemablend, Wadlow shared that: “Upfront I said, ‘Jason Blum, the movie has to be rated R.’ And it’s not. That’s great example of having to change and kind of go with the flow. I felt that it had to be R, and I thought I shot an R movie, but then when we showed it to an audience we were like, ‘Well, it’s not really that R.’ And just a couple of trims and it was a PG-13.” It appears that these changes didn’t change the tone of the film, and Wadlow ended up being […]

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Here’s Why Doug Liman Walked Away From Directing ‘Gambit’ And ‘Justice League Dark’

Stuart Conover — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 15:20:08 +0000

Long before the Fox buy-out by Disney, Doug Liman was attached to direct ‘Gambit‘ for the studio. On top of that, the director was also attached to helm ‘Justice League Dark‘ before Warner Bros. ended up scrapping the project. So you have to wonder why this visionary director ended up leaving these films. It would have been an easy payday for the director after his success with ‘Edge of Tomorrow,’ but he had a specific reason for walking away. According to Liman: “It’s always about the script. Getting a great script is so hard, especially for an action script because – and especially for the movies I want to make – I want to be completely original and yet still be commercially satisfying and usually the commercially satisfying ideas are things that people have seen before, like if someone already discovered that and that’s why it shows up in movie after movie. So, if you’re trying to be like, “Okay, I’m going to do a superhero thing,” and there’s been umpteen movies and TV shows about superpowers and I want to do something that’s totally unique with Impulse, you know, a lot of the good ideas are already done, and […]

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Move Over Baby Yoda! Colin Trevorrow Has Given Us A Look At A Baby Dino From ‘Jurassic World 3’

Stuart Conover — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 07:34:17 +0000

Holy Cuteness! It is already exciting to know that the third ‘Jurassic World’ movie is going to feature the return of Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum but now it has been confirmed that there will be baby dinosaurs as well! Director Colin Trevorrow has shared one of the most adorable teasers yet from his upcoming trilogy endcap: our first look at a baby triceratops. The fact that there are baby dinosaurs in this movie shouldn’t come as a real surprise to anyone. Before the end credits finished for ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,’ we knew that a slew of different dino species was on the loose in North America, and it should come as no surprise that they’d be busy procreating. I mean, the next installment is supposed to deal with the fallout of dinosaurs expanding across the continent, so a few hatchlings should be expected. Especially since one of the key points to the original ‘Jurassic World’ when “life, uh finds a way.” Here is the image Trevorrow shared on Twitter: Ready. pic.twitter.com/mkTbGYbaGV — Colin Trevorrow (@colintrevorrow) February 17, 2020 If that “ready” comment is accurate, this is our first look at the final screen-ready triceratops which […]

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There Will Be 2 New Witchers Joining The Second Season Of ‘The Witcher’

Stuart Conover — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 07:31:30 +0000

It still isn’t clear if Henry Cavill‘s Geralt of Rivia will be fighting the forces of darkness alone in the second season of ‘The Witcher’ but we do know that at least 2 more Witchers will make an appearance in the series! After all, in the third episode, “Betrayer Moon,” we were already introduced to a second Witcher named Remus played by Gudmundur Thorvaldsson. However, Remus ended up not surviving and the only screen time he shared with Geralt was as a corpse. While episodes being aired through different timelines are said to not happen in the second season, it doesn’t mean that these two new Witchers will be sharing any screen time with Geralt either. As to which Witchers we’ll end up seeing? The two are fan-favorites: Lambert and Coën. Lambert will be played by Paul Bullion (‘Peaky Blinders,’ ‘The Bastard Executioner’) and is the only Witcher that we know of who Geralt wrote a limerick for. This means that, at least in the games, the two were known to one another. He also is the one who ended up training Ciri in combat. RELATED: How Much Was ‘The Witcher’s Author Involved With The Show? Not Much… And […]

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Tom Holland Shares How ‘Uncharted’ Deals With A Fresh Take On Videogame Movies

Stuart Conover — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 14:15:33 +0000

Fans have been clamoring for a successful videogame to cinematic adaptation for years now. Yes, you can make the argument that ‘Resident Evil’ pulled off a successful franchise and ‘Detective Pikachu‘ was a fan-favorite, but the true box office potential of these have never been realized. Now, in a recent interview with IGN, Tom Holland is opening up as to what he thinks will make ‘Uncharted’ work where so many have failed. “I think what ‘Uncharted’ offers that most video games films don’t is that it’s an origin story to the games. So if you played the games, you haven’t seen what’s going to happen in the film. And if you haven’t played the games, you’re going to enjoy the film because it’s information that everyone else is getting at the same time. But I’m super excited to make that movie, and it’s been a long time coming.” RELATED: Sony Once Again Pushes ‘Uncharted’ Back, This Time To Next Spring One of the main complaints you can find about videogame cinematic adaptations is that they stray too far from the source material. Providing an origin story of the characters is a new approach but it could also draw […]

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‘Battlestar Galactica’: That New Show We Heard About Isn’t Another Reboot?!

Stuart Conover — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 14:05:02 +0000

After a new ‘Battlestar Galactica’ show was announced, fans of Ronald D. Moore‘s reboot were annoyed that the show was getting even another reboot. Only, now it appears that the series, which Sam Esmail (‘Mr. Robot’) is creating for the Peacock streaming service, isn’t another restart of the franchise. In fact, Moore has revealed that this new ‘Battlestar Galactica’ will actually take place in the same continuity which he created for Syfy back in 2004! That being said, there is no news as to if this new series will take place in the same time period as ‘Battlestar Galactica’ or in its prequel,’Caprica’, or in another era entirely. RELATED: ‘So Say We All’ Shares The Problems Killing Starbuck Had For ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Moore shared this much in a recent interview with Variety: “Sam called me and was very gracious, he didn’t pitch me the story, so I don’t know. But he said his plans, and he wasn’t going to re-start the show and recast it, but he wanted to do something in the same universe. Sam’s amazing, and I love ‘Mr. Robot.’ I was like, you know, ‘You’re an amazing guy and amazing writer, go with god!'” If […]

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‘Locke & Key’: Will We See Ellie Again? Carlton Cuse Weighs In

Stuart Conover — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 22:04:57 +0000

Netflix’s adaptation of ‘Locke & Key’ has people buzzing about the final episode and now the showrunners are weighing in. While the big twist and reveal at the end really has people talking, there is a lot to unpack about the episode. For starters, co-showrunner Carlton Cuse is opening up a bit on Sherri Saum’s Ellie. Last we saw of the character; she was being thrown into the Black Door at Dodge’s place, which isn’t a good sign for her. According to Cuse: “We don’t have Season 2 picked up yet, but we are working on the writing. Let’s just say there is more to come on that whole story line. It’s not fully resolved. We don’t want to say too much without spoiling anything, but we’re definitely conscious of the reaction people will probably have to the end of the first season and will want to know more about what happened there.” While the show does need to get picked up for a second season for there to be any chance of Ellie making a return, it does sound like this likely won’t be the end of the character. Cuse isn’t giving us specifics, but my guess is he […]

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Hopper Lives In First ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Teaser

Stuart Conover — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 16:05:06 +0000

The one thing which we’ve all been dying to know is if Hopper was The American from the after-the-credits scene of the third season for ‘Stranger Things‘ and now the fourth season teaser confirms he is alive! We still have almost no details about the story but just knowing that David Harbour is back as Sheriff Hopper is going to have fans squealing with joy. I was always hopeful that we would see Eleven’s adoptive father return as he has been such a great character for the story, but we all know that no one is really safe on the show. You can view the ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 teaser in the tweet below! From Russia with love… pic.twitter.com/ZWEMgy63Et — Stranger Things (@Stranger_Things) February 14, 2020 As you can tell from the Tweet, this clip is called “From Russia with love” and indicates that Hopper is currently working as forced labor by his captors. Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to see how he ended up in Russia instead of The Upside Down. We’ve seen hints that the US Government was trying to use Eleven’s powers to spy and possibly even assassinate targets across the globe, and you can bet […]

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‘The Witcher’: Henry Cavill Reads From ‘The Last Wish’

Stuart Conover — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 08:44:37 +0000

While we’re all waiting for the second season of ‘The Witcher,’ fans might enjoy watching Henry Cavill read from the first book, ‘The Last Wish.’ The first season was only 8 episodes long so I feel our only complaint, aside from those who didn’t enjoy the convoluted timeline, was how little there was! You can check out the reading right here! I have to admit, reading with a nice drink sounds like an extremely relaxing way to spend an evening. Just throw in a fireplace and comfy recliner, and I’d be all in! RELATED: How Much Was ‘The Witcher’s Author Involved With The Show? Not Much… And That’s Just How He Wants It The author of the series wanted to leave readers, and now viewers, “hot. In every sense.” I suspect that the same part of the audience who were fans of Cavill’s shirtless scenes will also react positively to his voice as he reads from ‘The Last Wish’ above. Entertainingly enough, “The Lesser Evil” which opened the series was the fourth short story from ‘The Last Wish.’ I’m sure they went this route in the reading above directly for fans of the novels. Did you enjoy […]

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Damon Lindelof Has An Idea How A ‘Dark Knight Returns’ Film Could Work

Stuart Conover — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 08:39:49 +0000

Damon Lindelof knocked it out of the park with his HBO take on ‘Watchmen‘ and now the creator is sharing how he’d be interested in seeing another iconic work tackled with Frank Miller’s ‘Dark Knight Returns.’ The story was already told in an animated format from DC and the basis was used to lay the groundwork for ‘Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.’ However, the iconic story Miller put together still hasn’t been properly told in a live-action format. While the idea of just adapting the story without adding anything new isn’t something that thrills Lindelof, the director does have one way that such a concept would be interesting to see play out on the big screen. According to Lindelof: “The reason that I don’t have any interest in it is because that would be a straight-up adaptation where you’re taking something Frank Miller already wrote and illustrated and is perfect. Basically, you’re bringing it to life. Obviously, Superman is going to be in it if you’re doing Dark Knight straight up. All you’re basically doing is adapting something. What made Dark Knight so amazing and revolutionary was that it was so original and groundbreaking. So, it’s like taking […]

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Can’t Get Enough ‘Umbrella Academy’? Dark Horse Is Releasing A “Making Of” Book This July!

Stuart Conover — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 00:51:42 +0000

This July, you can get even more behind-the-scenes knowledge of ‘The Umbrella Academy’ as Dark Horse will be releasing a 200-page book titled ‘The Making of The Umbrella Academy.’ The first season of the live-action adaption of Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s comic was a smash hit for fans and critics alike so it should come as no surprise that they’re trying to capitalize on this success. Since Dark Horse Comics is where the series was first released, it makes sense that the comic book company should be handling the “Making Of” book. Dark Horse describes the novel as follows: The Making of The Umbrella Academy is a vividly designed hardcover volume exposing the idiosyncratic wit and dysfunctional dynamism of Netflix’s family of superheroic savants. Whether you’re a diehard alumnus of the comics or a freshman to the Netflix series, this fantastic tome is one you will not want to miss! It’ll be fun to see how many comic book to live-action series comparisons might end up in the book. In recent years, this kind of behind-the-scenes books has been a fountain of information for fans. We likely won’t just see hints at what could have been in the first […]

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Want To Know The Rules For Visiting ‘Fantasy Island’? A New Clip Has You Covered!

Stuart Conover — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 20:55:24 +0000

The final trailer for ‘Fantasy Island might be out, but Sony and Blumhouse are still releasing new clips from the film that is set to launch this weekend. The latest one is giving out some critical details about the rules for those who visit the island of their dreams. This horror film is full of genre stars with a cast that consists of Michael Peña, Lucy Hale, Jimmy O. Yang, Charlotte McKinney, Michael Rooker, Parisa Fitz-Henley, Austin Stowell, Maggie Q, Portia Doubleday, and Ryan Hansen. With this much raw talent sharing the screen, you have to hope that we’re in for a treat. The main thing that will work against ‘Fantasy Island’ is there hasn’t been much hype for the film so far. You can check out the latest ‘Fantasy Island’ clip which shows Peña’s character of Mr. Roarke sharing the rules of the island below! For anyone who might have been a fan of the original television series, it is quite clear that this is only loosely based on the concept at best. Blumhouse took the idea in a new direction, which should resonate with fans of horror and suspense as the vacationers visiting ‘Fantasy Island’ end up […]

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This Is Why Batgirl Didn’t Appear In ‘Birds Of Prey’

Stuart Conover — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 18:00:29 +0000

‘Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn‘ was just released to mixed results on the big screen. While critics, moviegoers, and fans of both the comics and films are loving it, there was one character they hoped would be in the film that wasn’t, and that was Batgirl. Batgirl has long been a central character for the ‘Birds of Prey‘ so it was surprising to some that they didn’t find a way to fit her into the film. However, it sounds like it was never an option for the filmmakers. According to producer Sue Kroll: “You’ll not see Batgirl. Just gonna say ‘No.’ This is a studio question. That character’s in development on her own film, right?” That is very true as a ‘Batgirl’ film has been officially in development since 2017 though we haven’t heard when the hero will grace the big screen. Sadly, ‘Birds of Prey’ was a missed opportunity to tie her in. However, producer Bryan Unkeless explained: “… a lot of it also has just originated from Margot and Christina kind of having this fun, open canvas or being attracted to the characters. So there certainly are some of those studio primers, […]

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The CW Taps 3 Actors For ‘The 100’ Spinoff

Stuart Conover — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 09:19:00 +0000

The CW is working on a backdoor pilot to a spinoff of ‘The 100’ and now we’ve learned that the network has signed on three cast members for the episode. The actors they’ve tapped so far are Iola Evans (‘Carnival Row’), Adain Bradley (‘The Bold and the Beautiful’), and rounding out the initial cast is Leo Howard (‘Why Women Kill’). The backdoor pilot is slated to run during the seventh and final season of ‘The 100’ and transports viewers back 97 years before the first apocalypse. At this time, showrunner Jason Rothenberg has shared that the new series will be called ‘Anaconda,’ but it isn’t clear if that is just a working title or if it will be changed if the project gets a series order. Evans is set to play Callie, who is “whip-smart and passionate with a rebellious streak to boot.” Callie was big on causes that she believed in her previous life, “but when the apocalypse devastates the world she had been working so hard to save, Callie must find a new purpose — and future — for all that remains of humanity.” RELATED: ‘The 100’ Will End After Seven Seasons And 100 Episodes As […]

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Simon Kinberg Is Moving From The Big Screen To Netflix With ‘Endurance’

Stuart Conover — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 09:15:54 +0000

Netflix just bet big on a new script and spent nearly seven figures to acquire the rights to ‘Endurance.’ One can only imagine that there must have been a bidding war for the price of the feature film. The script is the first official sale by Dalton Leeb, who is an actor that works in commercials and Nicholas Jacobson-Larson, who is a conductor and composer that is in the middle of a Michael Bublé tour. ‘Endurance’ is the first commercial sale by the two though they made a name for themselves when their script for ‘Strong Man’ ended up on the 2017 Black List. The numbers attached to ‘Endurance’ are more than impressive for their first successful sale. It will also make for how these two interact with future sales as they’ll be required to fire their agents from the current disagreements between the Writers Guild of America and major agencies CAA, WME and UTA. The reason for this is that the script was grown within CCA. As to Simon Kinberg‘s involvement, the “X-Men” writer and director is attached to produce through his Genre Films production banner. This is his first venture since having parted ways with Fox once Disney […]

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