Latest news with #Spider-Man
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Jon Watts reveals real reason for quitting Fantastic Four
Jon Watts has finally shared why he dropped out of directing 'Fantastic Four: First Steps'. The 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' director quit the project in 2022 and explained that the 'emotional strain' of pandemic-related fatigue meant he had felt he had no option but to quit. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he explained during a storytelling masterclass at the Mediterranean: 'The emotional strain of having to go through all of those COVID protocols while also trying to make something creative while also trying to make sure that your cast and crew were all safe - literally, people could've died if you did things wrong - that and the postproduction process was very difficult. 'When you're doing [visual effects work], there's a whole international component to it where you're using vendors from all over the world, and the supply chain had been interrupted because of COVID. It was really hard to get effects done in a traditional way.' He had committed to 'Fantastic Four' between the second and third 'Spider-Man' movies but when the time came to get started, he was 'out of gas'. He said: 'The COVID layer on top of making a giant movie layer, I knew I didn't have what it would've taken to make that movie great. I was just out of steam, so I just needed to take some time to recover. Everyone at Marvel totally understood. They had been through it with me as well, so they knew how hard and draining that experience has been; in the end, very satisfying, but at some point, if you can't do it at the level that you feel like you need to for it to be great, then it's better to not do it.'
San Francisco Chronicle
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
I love Denis Villeneuve. Here's why the ‘Dune' director making the next James Bond film is a bad idea
This is a bad idea, but more on that in a minute. Amazon MGM Studios and the new producers of the 007 franchise, Amy Pascal and David Heyman, announced Wednesday, June 25, that the ' Dune ' filmmaker will direct the next Bond picture, which would be the first without Daniel Craig in a quarter of a century. No actor has been cast to slip on the shoulder holster yet, although a report said Spider-Man Tom Holland, 'Euphoria' actor Jacob Elordi and 'Babygirl' star Harris Dickinson top Amazon's wish list. 'Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007,' Villeneuve said in a statement. 'I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since 'Dr. No' with Sean Connery. I'm a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he's sacred territory. I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come.' On the surface, this is a no-brainer. Villeneuve is possibly the best big-budget genre filmmaker out there. He will turn his attention to Bond after completing 'Dune: Messiah,' the third chapter in the trilogy, which is due out in 2026. The first two, 'Dune' and 'Dune: Part Two,' were Oscar-nominated for best picture. He also directed a compelling sequel to a classic, ' Blade Runner: 2049 ' (2017), and his science fiction film ' Arrival ' (2016) has popped up on several ballots for the top 10 movies of the 21st century in a recent New York Times poll. Nevertheless, the choice has left me shaken, not stirred. Villeneuve is exactly who the Bond films don't need right now. Craig reinvigorated the franchise with a tough, serious approach in five films beginning with 'Casino Royale' (2006), a throwback to Connery after years of a more lighthearted approach by Pierce Brosnan and especially Roger Moore. By ' No Time to Die ' (2021), Craig's take on the character took personal torment to an almost Shakespearean level, and when he finally did find time to die, it was … quite the choice. 'No Time to Die,' directed by Oakland native Cary Joji Fukunaga, was an impressive, large-scale movie, no doubt, and it was exciting and compelling, a worthy coda to Craig's reign. But I walked out of the movie theater thinking, 'I remember when James Bond films were fun.' Double-oh-seven needs to be fun again. I'm not saying we should go back to 'Moonraker' (1979), the most unserious Bond film, an almost self-parody in which Moore is one step removed from Leslie Nielsen in the ' Naked Gun ' movies. But let's lighten up a bit. As terrific a filmmaker as he is, Villeneuve is the antithesis of 'lighten up.' His films are deadly serious. The guy who made the FBI drama ' Sicario ' can certainly direct an action sequence, but generating a laugh doesn't seem to be in his wheelhouse. Or, for that matter, a sex scene. When was the last sexually charged moment in a Villeneuve film? The Bond films, of course, are famous for their women, cringey in the 1960s but at least up to date in the Craig universe. Who should Pascal and Heyman have hired instead? Apparently, Christopher Nolan, who has long expressed interest in directing a Bond film, is occupied with his adaptation of Homer's ' The Odyssey,' the Oscar-winning filmmaker's first film since ' Oppenheimer,' the 2023 best picture winner. Villeneuve reportedly got the job over Edward Berger (' All Quiet on the Western Front,' ' Conclave '), Edgar Wright ('Shaun of the Dead,' ' Baby Driver '), Paul King (' Paddington,' ' Wonka ') and Jonathan Nolan, Christopher's brother who has worked mostly in television. My choice would have been David Leitch, the action specialist of ' Bullet Train ' and ' The Fall Guy.' Leitch rose up through the ranks as a stunt performer and coordinator, used to be an actor and co-directed the first ' John Wick ' movie. He has style and, when the script demands it, substance. The old Bonds of Connery and Moore were directed by genre directors, and two of the most successful reboots of the series, 'Goldeneye' (1995) and 'Casino Royale' (2006) were directed by action specialist Martin Campbell.
Los Angeles Times
12 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
California man selling Stan Lee signed memorabilia sentenced to prison for $1.2-million tax fraud
A Riverside County man was sentenced Thursday to more than a year in prison for tax fraud after selling memorabilia signed by comic book legend and Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee, according to authorities. Mac Martin Anderson, a 59-year-old Corona resident, was sentenced to a year and one day in federal prison after allegedly getting more than $1.2 million in proceeds that he never reported to the IRS, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California. Anderson was also ordered to pay $482,833 in restitution. Anderson pleaded guilty in March to two counts of willfully subscribing to a false tax return, according to authorities. Between 2015 and 2028, Anderson had a personal relationship with Lee and sold Marvel items that had Lee's autograph to dealers, brokers and fans. Anderson got an income of about $1.236 million from selling the memorabilia between 2015 and 2018 and admitted that the tax that was due was about $482,833, according to the release. Lee helped spearhead Marvel Comics' transformation in the 1960s into a powerhouse brand. He helped introduce Spider-Man to Marvel in August 1962. He was later credited as associate producer on movies starring Marvel characters including Iron Man, X-Men and Captain America, in addition to Spider-Man.
Otago Daily Times
16 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Applause as direct transtasman flight takes off
The motley crew assembled in the departure lounge are the usual suspects of any airport. A man buried in his book of crosswords, a boy with Spider-Man headphones pressed up against the window, a woman with a pre-emptive fake tan. Holiday-goers, opportunists, children dragged along for the ride — the usual impatience is in the air. But as bums fill seats in the terminal, anticipation begins to swell. John Denver's Leaving, On a Jet Plane and other air travel balladry set the tone. Suit trousers wait next to sweatpants. Two women sip bubbles from wine glasses, one swinging her leg back and forth. Others are in less of a celebratory mood — one passenger slumps cross-armed in her seat, eyes shut tight and mouth agape in a snore. Two aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles creating a water arch — an aviation tradition — draws eyes away from the smartphones and towards the terminal windows. Gazing out the window at the tarmac in a Jetstar-branded cap is retired Dunedin school teacher Peter Humphrey. "I didn't realise until today it was actually the first flight," he tells me. "I'd bought my tickets months ago. I had no idea." He only gets across the Ditch, where he has family, about every seven or eight years and is grateful the route has returned. "It'll mean that if I win the lottery I can go over much more... it's a connection to my family which is very, very important." The inaugural flight is but one first for Ben Calder and Ruby Walton. It is their first big trip together as a couple. "Originally we were just going to do a road trip across New Zealand, but then we saw that it was cheap as to go to Gold Coast, and we were like why not?," Ben says. As the call for boarding is made, a passenger wearing a beanie with a pom-pom seems to have not cottoned-on to the weather awaiting her on the other side. A bloke in shorts has the right idea — or perhaps that is just the southern man's regular winter attire. Sitting towards the front of the packed aircraft is Dunedin teenager Benjamin Paterson, who is congratulated by the captain over the intercom for his 25,000-signature petition to get international flights back. Those aboard this first international voyage applaud the teen's efforts. One wait is over, and another begins. "Please sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight."
Express Tribune
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Denis Villeneuve to direct bond 26 with jacob elordi, tom holland, and harris dickinson eyed for 007
Denis Villeneuve is set to direct the next James Bond movie, with Amazon eyeing a 2028 release for Bond 26, according to sources. Villeneuve was selected over several notable directors, including Edward Berger, Edgar Wright, Paul King, and Jonathan Nolan. With the film's large scale, insiders suggest a 2028 timeline is the most feasible, as a faster production would be challenging. Amazon's next step involves securing a writer and an actor for the coveted role of Agent 007. The studio and producers are reportedly focusing on a British actor under 30, with Jacob Elordi ("Saltburn"), Tom Holland ("Spider-Man"), and Harris Dickinson ("Babygirl") among the top contenders. Though Elordi is Australian, Amazon is not concerned, as seen with George Lazenby, who was Australian and played Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. While Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Henry Cavill have been mentioned as possible options, their ages—35 and 42—make them less likely to fit the studio's preference. Director Alfonso Cuarón was initially considered for the role but withdrew to focus on other projects, including Jane, a film starring Charlize Theron. Christopher Nolan, a potential contender as director, was also of interest to Amazon, but his schedule is occupied with The Odyssey, a project starring Holland. Villeneuve, best known for Dune, is currently planning to film Dune: Messiah later this year, with a 2026 release date in mind. His deal for the Bond film is a one-off, meaning he is not contracted for sequels and does not have final cut privileges, a decision that deviates from previous Bond films where the Broccoli family held tight creative control. Villeneuve's appointment marks a significant shift in the franchise's creative direction as Amazon takes over from MGM.
