A lot can be argued about the overall quality of “A Minecraft Movie.” /Film’s review defended the film’s merits, while other critics have dismissed its ambitions and humor as being too juvenile. However, there’s no denying director Jared Hess brought his unique sensibilities to one of this year’s biggest box office hits. Known for his work on comedies such as “Napoleon Dynamite” and “Nacho Libre” (the latter of which also stars Black), Hess often tells stories about eccentric characters who are thrust into circumstances bigger than themselves. In some ways, these tales mirror the formula of the blockbusters that legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg helmed in his prime — making it all the more appropriate that “A Minecraft Movie” features a surprisingly clever callback to one of Spielberg’s classic sci-fi movies.
A Minecraft Movie references Close Encounters of the Third Kind in its opening scene
Warner Bros.
In the opening sequence of “A Minecraft Movie,” Jack Black’s Steve narrates about his childhood, in which he “yearned for the mines” (in one of the many memed-about lines that young audiences audibly recited in sold-out theaters back in April). Much to his chagrin, however, he grew up to be a miserable adult man working as a doorknob salesman. Then, one day, while feeling stuck in the rut of mundanity, Steve has an epiphany during his lunch break. While preparing a TV dinner for himself, he molds his side dish of mashed potatoes together to craft a mineshaft, which inspires him to dig deeper into the same one he yearned to explore in his childhood.
Steve’s mashed potato-induced epiphany is, of course, a direct reference to one of the most memorable moments from Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” The scene in question involves the film’s protagonist, Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss), whose growing obsession following an encounter with a UFO leads to his crafting of mashed potatoes to resemble Devils Tower in Wyoming, where he’s drawn during the movie’s unforgettable climax. Much like how Roy is attracted to the allure of UFOs, Steve is drawn to the allure of where the mineshaft leads. This scene is not only referenced in “A Minecraft Movie” but also parodied in the “Simpsons” episode “Homie the Clown” and the “Weird Al” Yankovic film “UHF,” among other movies and TV shows.
Jared Hess has acknowledged Steven Spielberg’s influence on his films
Universal Pictures
If the “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” reference in the opening scene of “A Minecraft Movie” is any indication, it’s clear that, just like most other filmmakers working today, Jared Hess has been heavily influenced by the movies of Steven Spielberg. In fact, Hess has acknowledged another one of Spielberg’s sci-fi classics as being one of the films that influenced his video game adaptation. Fittingly, he was referring to the seminal family film “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”
On Letterboxd, Hess shared a list of 10 films that served as a major influence on “A Minecraft Movie.” In acknowledging “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” the filmmaker had nothing but the highest praises for Spielberg’s 1982 cultural phenomenon, proclaiming via Letterboxd notes, “This is a perfect film. The BMX chase is probably my favorite scene in all of cinema.” Given the playful nature of some of the chase sequences in “A Minecraft Movie,” it’s not hard to see how Hess was inspired by the spectacle of that climactic moment.
“A Minecraft Movie” is available to own on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD, and digital HD. It’s also available to stream exclusively on HBO Max.
As documented by The Hollywood Reporter, Nicholas Hoult, Tom Brittney, and David Corenswet all received calls to audition for Superman in 2023. At the time, they were paired up with Rachel Brosnahan, Phoebe Dynevor, and Emma Mackey, respectively, who were all being considered for the role of Lois Lane, which ultimately went to Brosnahan. Hoult, on the other hand, was cast as Lex Luthor, and that’s a sweet gig in its own right.
The race didn’t end there, though. Hoult, Brittney, and Corenswet all faced competition from Andrew Richardson, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Jacob Elordi, each of whom was asked to either submit tapes or audition for the role of Krypton’s most noble hero. However, Elordi turned down the chance to read for “Superman,” revealing that the project was too dark for him (and this is the same guy who starred in “Saltburn” and “Euphoria”). Brittney, though, was very interested in landing the part, as he’s confirmed that he attended his audition and accidentally tore the same suit that was worn by Henry Cavill in the past.
Schwarzenegger, meanwhile, didn’t even make it to the in-person audition stage. During an interview with the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast (via Variety), he confirmed that he was asked to submit a tape, and it seems that it didn’t make an impression on Gunn and co. “I don’t think I got any feedback,” Schwarzenegger recalled. “I think it was like, ‘No, not for you.'”
Now that a “Superman” follow-up is reportedly in the works at DC Studios, fans can look forward to seeing Corenswet play the Man of Steel in more big screen adventures. The only downside is that the project isn’t the studio’s number one priority at the moment, as Gunn and the gang are focusing on building out the DC Universe one movie at a time.
SPOILERS ahead for TheFantastic Four: First Steps!
The latest of the new Marvel movies is here with the release of TheFantastic Four: First Steps, and leading up to its debut in theaters you might have heard that the Silver Surfer would be in the movie after Doug Jones previously played him. However, when Julia Garner was cast in the role, some backlash took shape around a female version of the iconic comic book character being portrayed. However, now that the movie is out, I need to talk about what a lot of people have wrong about the gender-swap conversation.
Julia Garner Is Not Portraying The Original Silver Surfer
Reddit user said last year: “I’m sorry if you are using Silver Surfer, why not just use the actual Surfer??? What’s wrong with Norrin?” or another saying: “Wow, great actress, but this is an L for the movie.”
achieved thanks to mo-cap technology. I thought it worked really well in the context of the story, and its themes about parenting. Now that we’ve seen it, I think it was really smart for her Silver Surfer to show up. Her origin story of giving herself up to save her own child served as a really nice parallel to the Fantastic Four’s difficult decision with Galactus and Franklin, which really gave the movie more heart all around.
Her specifically being a mother who was previously met with the same problem as Sue Storm and Reed Richards, and reaching another conclusion, before later helping the team, really served the storyline of First Steps in a great way. I wasn’t expecting to feel this way, but how Shalla-Bal fit into the team saving the world really stuck with me.
Who Is Shalla-Bal In The Comics?
In the comic books, Shalla-Bal first appeared in The Silver Surfer #1 in 1968 in an issue written by Stan Lee and with art by John Buscema. She’s initially depicted as the love interest of the original Silver Surfer, Norrin Radd. He is known for roaming the cosmos to search for planets for Galactus to consume, as Shalla-Bal does in Fantastic Four, while she’s been often used as a pawn by Mephisto and Doctor Doom to defeat Silver Surfer.
(Image credit: Marvel Comics)
In the comics, Shalla-Ball is the empress of her planet, Zenn-La and Norrin’s love interest. In the source material, however, Norrin is the one who volunteers to become Galactus’s herald.
Considering we’re in the Multiverse Saga, and Fantastic Four does not take place on the main Earth we know, I think it makes a lot of sense for the MCU to shuffle the story a bit while also leaving room for Norrin to appear down the line. I like that Silver Surfer is a woman, not just because that’s what was decided, but because it actually enriches all involved in the story for the better. And, yes, I hope to see Norrin Ladd (and I think there’s room for him to) show up at some point, as well.
Jeremy Allen White and Mikey Madison are the top choices for ‘The Social Network II”.
Aaron Sorkin is writing and directing the follow-up.
It’s not a direct sequel to the 2010 David Fincher Oscar winner, but continues focusing on Facebook.
Around a month ago, we learned that, after fiddling with ideas for a while, Aaron Sorkin had come up with a way to follow up 2010’s ‘The Social Network’, which won three Oscars, including one for Sorkin’s screenplay, and chronicled the difficult birth of Facebook.
Now, with the result widespread (and one of the key players in social media harm), Sorkin is developing ‘The Social Network II’ –– not a direct sequel, but instead something peeling back the layers of Facebook and its parent company Meta.
“You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies.”
Showtimes & Tickets
According to Deadline, Sorkin and Sony are confident in the material to begin putting out feelers to actors, with white-hot names Jeremy Allen White (a multiple award winner for ‘The Bear’) and ‘Anora’ Oscar winner Mikey Madison at the top of the list.
No formal offers have been made to either actor, so watch this space to see if they do jump aboard.
The Hollywood Reporter has learned that, assuming their deals close, Madison would be Frances Haugen, the data engineer-turned-whistleblower who went to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Wall Street Journal with her information. White would play the former WSJ tech reporter who leads the breaking of the Facebook files.
And that’s not all… Jeremy Strong is also reportedly under consideration, and might end up playing debated Facebook creator (and current boss) Mark Zuckerberg this time around, replacing Jesse Eisenberg.
Related Article: Aaron Sorkin Ready to Write and Direct ‘The Social Network Part II’
What was the story of ‘The Social Network’?
(L to R) Andrew Garfield and Jesse Eisenberg in ‘The Social Network’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
The 2010 original, which as mentioned had David Fincher calling the shots, looked at the difficult evolution of Facebook from college ranking system created –– again, there’s debate as the movie suggests –– by Zuckerberg, played there by Eisenberg.
‘The Social Network’ charts Zuckerberg and his system’s rise to ubiquity and the people who ended up suing for their share of the profits, including the Winklevoss twins and old college friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield).
A huge hit with audiences and critics, it earned $226 million at the global box office.
What has Aaron Sorkin said about a ‘Social Network’ follow-up?
Jesse Eisenberg in ‘The Social Network’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Talking on a live edition of ‘The Town’ Podcast, Sorkin announced that his concern regarding how Facebook’s system has poisoned politics on the personal and national level led him to start work on a new script, which while not a direct sequel to ‘The Social Network’, would follow up on the low-key fears that were subtextual in the original.
Here’s what Sorkin told hosts Matthew Belloni and Peter Hamby:
“Look, yeah, I’ll be writing about this. I blame Facebook for January 6. Facebook has been, among other things, tuning its algorithm to promote the most divisive material possible. Because that is what will increase engagement. That is what will get you to — what they call inside the hallways of Facebook — ‘the infinite scroll’ … There’s supposed to be a constant tension at Facebook between growth and integrity. There isn’t. There’s just growth. If Mark Zuckerberg woke up tomorrow morning and realized there is nothing you can buy for $120 billion that you can’t buy for $119 billion dollars, ‘So how about if I make a little bit less money? I will tune up integrity and tune down growth.’ Yes, you can do that by switching a one to a zero.”
Asked what exactly he’d be focused on, he told the audience that they’d have to buy a movie ticket to find that out.
We do know a little more now, though: Sorkin’s screenplay for the new movie explores the story behind the Wall Street Journal‘s ‘The Facebook Files’, an explosive series of articles published in October 2021 that exposed the inner workings of — and multiple harms caused by — the world’s largest social network.
When will ‘The Social Network II’ be on screens?
Sony has yet to confirm a release date for the new movie.
upcoming “Harry Potter” series on HBO Max has a lot it needs to overcome to be seen as more than just a cheap nostalgia play. For starters, it needs to circumnavigate mistakes J.K. Rowling made to the lore with the “Fantastic Beasts” prequels, and the actors need to stand out in the minds of fans compared to the solid performances across the board in the films.
Thankfully, while Alan Rickman’s take on Severus Snape is a highlight throughout the series, there’s reason to be optimistic about what Paapa Essiedu, who was among the first crop of actors announced for the series, could bring to the role. If you don’t believe us, check out a stellar sci-fi series on Netflix, “The Lazarus Project,” to see what Essiedu can do.
Essiedu plays George, a man who wakes up one day to discover himself in a time loop. He possesses a special gene that allows him to be aware of such time leaps, and he’s soon recruited into an organization that aims to avoid apocalyptic scenarios. If one such event occurs, then they reset the timeline to keep civilization going. Despite holding a 100% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, “The Lazarus Project” was cancelled after two series.
That’s not stopping it from finding a new audience though. The show originally aired on the British channel Sky Max, but the second series was recently just added to Netflix. It was the sixth most-watched show on the platform for the week ending on July 30. Unfortunately, it does end on a cliffhanger that seemingly won’t get a resolution, unless it can become another show revived after cancellation. Even if it doesn’t, it’s worth watching to see why Essiedu is an exciting actor for Snape.
Paapa Essiedu will make for a different Snape, and that’s a good thing
Sky Max
News of Paapa Essiedu’s casting as the new “Harry Potter” Snape was met with trepidation online. There was, of course, a very vocal chorus pointing out that Essiedu is Black, whereas Alan Rickman was white. There’s also the fact Essiedu is conventionally attractive, which seems to go against Snape’s description in the books where he has sickly skin and greasy hair. However, after watching “The Lazarus Project,” it’ll be clear of what could make Essiedu a great Snape, even if it’s one different from Rickman’s portrayal.
His character, George, is a total lover boy. In the process of saving the world, his girlfriend Sarah (Charly Clive) dies, so he has a massive decision whether to endanger billions of lives for the sake of saving one. Essiedu runs the gamut of emotions upon stumbling onto this sci-fi world, from excited to trepidatious, and his performance can be downright gut-wrenching at times. Essiedu can carry those same feelings with him into Snape, holding onto the memory that the girl he loved most, Lily Potter, was killed, and his duty now is to ensure her son can stop Lord Voldemort.
Before Essiedu landed the gig, many fan castings wanted Adam Driver as Snape, probably because he kind of looks like a young Rickman. There’s no doubt Driver would’ve killed in the part, but honestly, having someone else just riff on what Rickman did would be boring. Essiedu can bring more of that love-lost quality to the character, especially in the earlier seasons before we learn about Snape’s backstory. Though Essiedu may not have been on anyone’s fan casting card, he’s one of the more intriguing picks that could make this whole show worthwhile.
