Latest news with #IoanGruffudd
Forbes
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Fantastic Four' Just Hit A Very Funny Rotten Tomatoes Milestone
Fantastic Four The review embargo lifted for Fantastic Four: First Steps yesterday, which makes it one of the best-reviewed movies of the post-Endgame era. But looking outside that ranking list, Fantastic Four has achieved a rather hilarious milestone on Rotten Tomatoes. It's well known that there have been many attempts at Fantastic Four movies in the past, but they were…bad. The original two Fantastic Four movies, 2005's FF and 2007's Rise of the Silver Surfer, were praised for their core cast, Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis and a pre-MCU Chris Evans as Johnny Storm, but there was no real getting around the fact that they were not very good. Meanwhile, a more recent attempt, 2015's Fantastic Four, is one of the worst comic book movie disasters in the last decade. And that's including the likes of Morbius and Madame Web. The milestone here is that with its current review score, Fantastic Four: First Steps has performed better than all three of the original Fantastic Four movies combined. Fantastic Four Add those up, and it's a 73% total to that 86%. I was curious what it might look like if First Steps got all their box office totals combined, which would be: That's a total of $801 million. I mean, it's not impossible? Granted, the last few Marvel movies have hovered more around $400-500 million hauls, but A) this is reviewing really well and seems bound to be a fan-favorite, and B) unlike say, Thunderbolts or a non-Steve Rogers Captain America, these are some of the most recognizable Marvel characters there are. My gut tells me that Fantastic Four probably won't hit $800 million in this current superhero climate. It should get close, but I'd be surprised if it crossed that, which would be almost double the most recent movies. Granted, we've seen things like Deadpool and Wolverine do over a billion recently, but I think you can understand the difference in terms of the history of both characters and their enduring appeal. The Fantastic Four may be fun and well-cast, but they're still brand new to the MCU. Early projects for opening weekend are in, and have increased after positive reviews, but we'll have to see how it performs over the long term. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy
Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Original Fantastic Four from 20 years ago with ‘perfect cast' is streaming as Marvel reboot hits screens
The Fantastic Four are finally returning to the big screen in the latest Marvel blockbuster, but don't miss out on this superhero nostalgia trip Marvel's earlier attempts at superhero blockbusters are currently streaming on Disney+ as yet another comic book reboot hits screens this week. The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the fourth attempt to bring the first superhero family to the big screen. Following Roger Corman's unreleased version from the 1990s and preceding the much-maligned 2015 reboot, two films starring the beloved superhero squad were released to relative success in 2005 and 2007. Both Fantastic Four and its sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, are available to stream on Disney+, and it's the perfect time for fans to remind themselves of the franchise's humble beginnings. Some would even argue that the cast of these noughties cult classics, including Ioan Gruffudd as Mister Fantastic, Jessica Alba as the Invisible Woman, Chris Evans as Human Torch and Michael Chiklis as the Thing, is even better than the new ensemble. The two films also feature Julian McMahon, who sadly passed away this year, as the iconic nemesis of the Fantastic Four, Doctor Doom. One Google reviewer defended the first film from lacklustre reviews: 'AMAZING I DONT CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS. 'This movie is not only funny but has a very clear plot that establishes the characters (perfect casting for each role btw) compared to the new one this is absolutely perfect in every way. 'It has a good replay value and it's an overall fun movie. If you're thinking of watching the 2015 one DONT this one is actually a movie with some value to it.' Someone else raved: 'Amazing Movie, Many call it cheesy, personally I don't see that. I believe the casting is amazing, They look very close to the Comics.' The praise continued on Letterboxd with a nostalgic fan writing: 'This cast was so perfect it actually amazes me. Watch Andor season 2 on Disney+ with two months free This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more From £89.90 Disney+ Get Disney+ here Product Description 'I wish we got something better than this movie and I wish the cast had a better script to work with but it still holds a very special place in my heart. 'Entirely nostalgic. It's so 2005 and I f***ing love it.' Another said: 'This is legitimately a perfect superhero film. There's so much heart in this and it's so fun, and campy, and charming. The casting is just impeccable.' And a final user posted: 'This is one of my comfort movies. The amount of times I watched it as a kid is unhealthy. It is like watching a comic book in motion. 'Chris Evans, Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd and Michael Chiklis are the peak of casting.' With Marvel's famous family returning to the big screen this week, don't forget to return to the Fantastic Four's roots to appreciate just how far they've come.
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
'Penniless' Alice Evans demands financial lifeline from ex loan Gruffudd to keep a roof over daughters' heads as divorce battle hits boiling point
EXCLUSIVE 'Penniless' Alice Evans demands financial lifeline from ex loan Gruffudd to keep a roof over daughters' heads as divorce battle hits boiling point Actress Alice Evans' bitter legal battle to force her ex - Fantastic Four star Ioan Gruffudd - to cough up more support money for her and their two young daughters is set for a dramatic showdown this week. The former couple are expected to face each other in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday when Evans, 56, will ask Judge Josh Stinn to increase the $4,500 a month Gruffudd, 51, is currently paying. In the run-up to this week's court hearing, has obtained court documents filed by Evans in which she claimed poverty and was so broke that she had to borrow money from friends and set up a GoFundMe account that raised $18,000 in donations. She said that she and her girls - Ella, 15 and Elsie, 11 - were recently evicted from their LA home because she couldn't afford to pay the $6,500 per month rent. She contended that she had to 'burn through' her savings to pay living expenses and legal fees. And she insisted Gruffudd - who married his now-pregnant new wife Bianca Wallace, 32, in April - can afford to pay more than the $3,000 per month child support and $1,500 spousal support he now pays. Alice Evans, 56, and loan Gruffudd's, 51, messy divorce battle is hitting its peak as they're set to face off in court on Wednesday where she will ask the judge to increase his child support payments to keep a roof over their daughter's heads Evans has already created a divorce fundraiser by setting up a GoFundMe, which has so far raised $18,557, as the mother of two claims they were evicted from their LA home since she couldn't afford the monthly $6,500 rent She insists Gruffudd - now married to pregnant actress Bianca Wallace, 32 - can easily afford more than the $3K in child support and $1.5K in spousal support he currently pays But Gruffudd is fighting his ex's cash demands and in his own court filing, poured scorn on Evans' claims, saying that she 'purposely got herself evicted…. intentionally ceasing paying rent and instead taking the children on a vacation trip to Europe.' Her motive, he said, was to 'support her false public narrative of financial destitution in an attempt to further harm my reputation……as a fraudulent way to strong-arm me into paying more support than I can afford.' Gruffudd also maintained that subpoenaed bank records show that, far from being broke, Evans made more than $130,000 in 2024 and is expected to earn a similar amount this year - a claim that Evans called 'false and misleading.' In his recent court filing, Gruffudd told how he was 'mortified' to have received 'dozens of stressed messages from our minor children in which they have parroted Alice's false and manufactured claims of becoming homeless in the immediate future.' But in her new court documents, Evans denies manipulating the children to send plaintive messages to their father. 'I absolutely did not ask the children to send messages to (Gruffudd) about our eviction and pending homelessness,' she said. 'The children are well aware of our financial distress and the eviction.' In April, Ioan and Bianca - who went public with their relationship in October 2021 - took to their respective Instagrams to share a video of them tying the knot in a romantic ceremony, captioned: 'Mr & Mrs Gruffudd. Marriage now, wedding later' Gruffudd is pushing back against Evans' demands, accusing her of deliberately skipping rent, taking the kids to Europe, faking financial ruin to damage his reputation and pressure him for more payouts and influencing their children to send messages to him lamenting over the possibility of being 'homeless' In her newest court filings, Evans pushed back against her husband's claims, claiming she never coerced her 15 and 11-year-old daughters to reach out to their dad and that they simply were aware of the financial situation and eviction The new filings also hit back against Gruffudd's accusation that she was violating a three-year restraining order by stating he was trying to violate her first amendment rights and that she never stalked him or his new wife Evans also pooh-poohed Gruffudd's accusation in his most recent court filing that his ex is still violating a three-year domestic abuse restraining order 'by physically stalking, ongoing harassment and publicly posting denigrating things about me on social media.' She called the restraining order Gruffudd's effort 'to muzzle me and violate my First Amendment rights.' And, she added. 'There is absolutely no evidence of stalking…. I have no idea where he and his wife live, nor do I have any interest in stalking them. This is plainly ridiculous.' Gruffudd sought - and was granted - the restraining order in August 2022 after telling the court how Evans had 'engaged in a smear campaign of hateful text messages, emails and social media posts…aimed at intimidating me and my fiancé Bianca Wallace while alienating our two young children from me.' With the restraining order due to expire next month, Gruffudd is going back to court August 1 to ask Judge Stinn to extend it, and his new wife, Bianca Wallace, is expected to testify against Evans. 'At the (August 1) hearing, I will be calling witnesses and presenting evidence to show Alice's continued abuse,' declared Gruffudd - whose latest movie, Bad Boys: Ride or Die has grossed more than $400million worldwide. Gruffudd and Evans met on the set of the movie 102 Dalmatians more than 20 years ago. They fell in love in real life and were married in Mexico in 2007. Gruffudd filed for divorce in March 2021, shortly after Evans announced on social media that her husband of 14 years was leaving her. They were divorced in July 2023.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ioan Gruffudd and Bianca Wallace's passionate premiere smooch looks EXACTLY like his loved up display with now ex wife Alice Evans in throwback snap from 20 years ago
didn't hold back from putting on a very loved up display with his pregnant wife Bianca Wallace at the world premiere of The Fantastic Four: First Steps in Los Angeles on Monday. The happy couple locked lips in front of photographers, while the Welsh actor, 51, tenderly cradled his new wife's growing baby bump. However the picture gave a striking resemblance to the same premiere 20 years ago, when Ioan packed on the PDA with his now ex wife Alice Evans. Back in 2005 the pair were snapped enjoying a passionate smooch for the world to see, coincidentally also at the original Fantastic Four premiere. The couple couldn't keep their hands off each other in the unearthed snap taken just two years before the pair tied the knot. Ioan and Alice, now 56, met on the set of the movie 102 Dalmatians more than 20 years ago. They fell in love in real life and were married in Mexico in 2007. Ioan Gruffudd and Bianca Wallace's passionate premiere smooch (L) looks EXACTLY like his loved up display with now ex wife Alice Evans in throwback snap from 20 years ago (R) Ioan filed for divorce from Alice in March 2021, shortly after the actress announced on social media that her husband of 14 years was leaving her. They officially divorced in July 2023. And now the former couple are expected to face each other in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday when Alice will ask Judge Josh Stinn to increase the $4,500 a month Ioan is currently paying. In the run-up to this week's court hearing, obtained court documents filed by Alice in which she claimed poverty and was so broke that she had to borrow money from friends and set up a GoFundMe account that raised $18,000 in donations. She said that she and her girls - Ella, 15 and Elsie, 11 - were recently evicted from their LA home because she couldn't afford to pay the $6,500 per month rent. She contended that she had to 'burn through' her savings to pay living expenses and legal fees. And she insisted Ioan - who married his now-pregnant new wife Bianca Wallace, 32, in April - can afford to pay more than the $3,000 per month child support and $1,500 spousal support he now pays. But Ioan is fighting his ex's cash demands and in his own court filing, poured scorn on Alice's claims, saying that she 'purposely got herself evicted…. intentionally ceasing paying rent and instead taking the children on a vacation trip to Europe.' Her motive, he said, was to 'support her false public narrative of financial destitution in an attempt to further harm my reputation……as a fraudulent way to strong-arm me into paying more support than I can afford.' Ioan also maintained that subpoenaed bank records show that, far from being broke, Alice made more than $130,000 in 2024 and is expected to earn a similar amount this year - a claim that Alice called 'false and misleading.' In his recent court filing, Ioan told how he was 'mortified' to have received 'dozens of stressed messages from our minor children in which they have parroted Alice's false and manufactured claims of becoming homeless in the immediate future.' But in her new court documents, Alice denies manipulating the children to send plaintive messages to their father. 'I absolutely did not ask the children to send messages to (Ioan) about our eviction and pending homelessness,' she said. 'The children are well aware of our financial distress and the eviction.' Alice also pooh-poohed Ioan's accusation in his most recent court filing that his ex is still violating a three-year domestic abuse restraining order 'by physically stalking, ongoing harassment and publicly posting denigrating things about me on social media.' She called the restraining order Ioan's effort 'to muzzle me and violate my First Amendment rights.' And, she added. 'There is absolutely no evidence of stalking…. I have no idea where he and his wife live, nor do I have any interest in stalking them. This is plainly ridiculous.' Ioan sought - and was granted - the restraining order in August 2022 after telling the court how Alice had 'engaged in a smear campaign of hateful text messages, emails and social media posts…aimed at intimidating me and my fiancé Bianca Wallace while alienating our two young children from me.' With the restraining order due to expire next month, Ioan is going back to court August 1 to ask Judge Stinn to extend it, and his new wife, Bianca Wallace, is expected to testify against Alice. 'At the (August 1) hearing, I will be calling witnesses and presenting evidence to show Alice's continued abuse,' declared Ioan - whose latest movie, Bad Boys: Ride or Die has grossed more than $400million worldwide.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ioan Gruffudd packs on the PDA with pregnant wife at The Fantastic Four premiere, 20 years after he starred in the original movie
Ioan Gruffudd packed on the PDA with his pregnant wife Bianca Wallace on Monday as they attended the world premiere of The Fantastic Four: First Steps in Los Angeles. The Welsh actor, 51, looked every inch the proud father-to-be as he tenderly cradled his new wife's growing baby bump while posing on the blue carpet. Ioan famously portrayed the role of Mister Fantastic in the 2005 version of the Marvel film, starring alongside Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis. And 20 years later, Ioan stepped out in support of his successors as he and Bianca arrived at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to watch the movie. The film star cut a dapper in a black suit with a white shirt as he cozied up to actress Bianca, 32, whom he married in April this year. Meanwhile, the mother-to-be looked radiant as she displayed her bump in a strapless gray mididress, which she paired with black sandals and a black clutch bag. The couple looked happier than ever despite Ioan's bitter legal battle with his ex Alice Evans, 56, who it's reported to have demanded more support money for her and their two young daughters. The film marks the latest reboot of Marvel's iconic superhero team and is one of the studio's most anticipated releases in years. It follows the title characters as they must protect Earth from the nefarious villain known as Galactus. The film is set in what Marvel describes as, 'a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world,' a nod to the comics origins. The comics - created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby - debuted in 1961 in what was known as the Silver Age of comics. The film will be the Fantastic Four's first foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the quartet has been on the big screen before. 20th Century Fox released Fantastic Four in 2005, starring Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans, Jessica Alba and Michael Chiklis. The film took in $333.5 million worldwide and spawned the 2007 sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The studio also released the much-maligned 2015 Fantastic Four reboot starring Miles Teller, Michael B Jordan, Kate Mara and Jamie Bell. In February, Marvel fans were delighted to see the first-look trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. They took to social media to give their opinions on the latest instalment of the superhero franchise, with one person writing on X: 'Okay the Fantastic Four trailer wasn't bad. I'm pleasantly surprised.' Another added: 'I'm not even a Fantastic Four fan, but this looks really sleek. It's nailing the period setting in the same way that First Avenger did.' Someone else weighed in: 'Watched the Fantastic Four trailer and I actually am excited for a Marvel movie again.' And another social media user described the Fantastic Four comic series as 'the only ones I've been able to stomach,' adding, 'The trailer looks so great. I need this.' The film will be released nationwide on July 24. Meanwhile, Julia Garner, Pedro Pascal, and Natasha Lyonne led the stars at the premiere, as it made its debut as another superhero juggernaut, James Gunn's Superman, was ready to battle after topping the box office for two weeks in a row. Julia looked leggy in a strapless blue metallic Gucci gown, featuring a thigh-high slit, with black stilettos heels selected by stylist Elizabeth Saltzman. Hairstylist Bobby Eliot smoothed the 31-year-old Wolf Man actress' platinum-blonde curly pixie cut, and make-up artist Zoe Taylor applied her white highlighter and neutral pout. Garner won the gender-swapped role of Silver Surfer over Get Out alum LaKeith Stanfield, and she studied comic books and surfing to prepare to play the Marvel baddie. Pedro donned a white blazer over a matching tank top with a black-and-white cravat around his neck, a red carnation in his lapel, black wide-leg pants. The Chilean 50-year-old studied an octopus to get an idea of how to convincingly play the flexible Fantastic Four leader Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic. As usual, Pascal was joined on the blue carpet by his transgender sister Lux Pascal. Pedro also posed with his onscreen leading lady Vanessa Kirby, and he affectionately touched her baby bump. The expectant 38-year-old - who plays Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman - wore a blue fishnet mermaid dress and stilettos. The four-time Emmy nominee made sure to take pictures with his castmates Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn, who also wore black-and-white formal attire. Elegant: As usual, Pascal was joined on the blue carpet by his transgender sister Lux Pascal The 31-year-old Englishman - who plays Johnny Storm/Human Torch - also ditched his necktie in an off-white top and blazer with black pants and patent leather Oxfords. Matt Shakman's $200million-budget reboot, set in a 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic alternate universe known as Earth-828, hits on Friday. Meanwhile, Natasha took the plunge in a black-patterned bustier and fishnet bejeweled maxi-skirt. Relaxed: Joseph Quinn - who plays Johnny Storm/Human Torch - also ditched his necktie in an off-white top and blazer with black pants and patent leather Oxfords Suited: Ebon Moss-Bachrach - who plays Ben Grimm/The Thing - opted for all black suit and patent leather Oxfords with no necktie
