by admin | Apr 11, 2025 | Articles, Cinemablend Articles
Finally, after years and years and years, the Academy Awards will officially award stunts! For a very long time now, there’s been a campaign to add a category that honors those who create epic action in some of the best movies. Now, it will happen, and two of films’ top action directors, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, reacted to the news alongside a bunch of other excited folks.
For context, John Wick’s Chad Stahelski has been one of the biggest advocates for the addition of an Achievement in Stunt Design award. After the news was announced, the director got on the phone with Deadline in the midst of working on the 2025 movie schedule’s Ballerina (which he’s a producer on) and said:
the stunt category needed to be added, that’s not necessarily why this addition took so long. Instead, they took their time figuring out “how to give the award, who to give it to,” and “how do we select it.”
Now, the first Achievement in Stunt Design award will be given out in 2028 at the 100th Oscars for films released in 2027, per Variety. Rules for eligibility and voting will also be announced around then.
Alongside Stahelski, many other suntmen-turned-directors played a role in the addition of this category. This included David Leitch, the director of films like The Fall Guy and Deadpool 2. He took to his Instagram to post an image of The Academy’s letter announcing the news and wrote:
In the comments on Leitch’s post, many actors shared their excitement for the addition as well, and the list included Hannah Waddingham, who notably starred in his film The Fall Guy:
- “????????????”-Pom Klementieff
- “Oh my GOD,this is immense! Beyond thrilled for the global stunt community. So riDICulously well deserved. A phenomenal band of humans who give everything of themselves every day and look after us ALL every minute. Couldn’t be happier. ???? What a day finally! XXXXXXXXX” -Hannah Waddingham
- “????????????” -Nicholas Hoult
Many others in the stunt community also reacted to this historic and thrilling news. Notably, this included The Fall Guy’s stunt coordinator Chris O’Hara and Josh Oreck, who has been a producer on many John Wick movies. In a joint IG post with David Leitch and Narrator Inc, the group expressed:
Overall, this is a massive and historic win for stunts, and so many people can’t wait to see these incredible teams nominated and awarded for their action-packed work.
While it’s too bad we can’t go back and award the best action movies from decades past with this award, at least it will be given moving forward. And who knows, maybe the inaugural Achievement in Stunt Design award will go to one of the folks mentioned above. It’s certainly possible, especially with films like John Wick: Chapter 5 coming down the line.
by admin | Apr 11, 2025 | Articles, Cinemablend Articles
When one thinks of Drew Barrymore, one probably thinks of her breakout role in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial or her myriad of iconic romantic comedies. Her name is definitely not synonymous with performing her own stunts in the way Tom Cruise’s name is, and yet, Barrymore is still nursing an injury from filming Fever Pitch over 20 years ago.
This particular scene in the 2005 movie, which took place at a baseball game, saw the Charlie’s Angels actress actually performing the stunt on camera instead of using a stunt double. It turns out Barrymore is still paying the price for the move, telling Entertainment Weekly:
underrated rom-com, Fever Pitch followed Ben (Jimmy Fallon), a Red-Sox-obsessed teacher who falls in love with executive Lindsey (Barrymore) during baseball’s off-season. They have the perfect relationship until baseball starts up again, and Ben starts putting baseball before his relationship.
This, of course, leads to problems, and Lindsey breaks up with Ben. Desperate to prove that he’s serious about her, Ben decides to sell his season tickets, but when Lindsey finds out about it, she feels terrible. Determined to stop him from making a terrible mistake, she buys tickets in the outfield and jumps down onto the field before sprinting to Ben to stop the sale from happening. It’s a butterfly-inducing moment in the movie and one of the few times we see a man on the opposite side of a grand romantic gesture
Like the true professional she is, Barrymore pushed through the pain to finish the scene, but maybe she should have used a stunt double after all. Thankfully, Barrymore doesn’t regret the movie and instead has fond memories about filming the sports rom-com that allowed her to work with the Farrelly brothers — one of her favorite directors.
In addition to telling the story about the potential that her chronic back pain stems from the movie, Drew Barrymore also shared that she believes Lindsey and Ben are still going strong, attending Red Sox games, and loving life. Barrymore also opened up about what her favorite thing about filming Fever Pitch was, and it has nothing to do with the love story on screen.
Instead, the Emmy-nominated talk show host said the thing she enjoyed the most was getting to watch Fallon fall in love with Barrymore’s “favorite person,” Nancy Juoven, who has been the Never Been Kissed star’s producing partner and co-founder to their production company since 1995. The happily married couple met for the first time when Barrymore hosted Saturday Night Live and brought Juoven along. However, it wasn’t until Fever Pitch that a relationship started to bloom.
Given this trio’s rich history together and Barrymore and Fallon’s masterful chemistry, I think it’s time we see them reunite on screen and make another movie together. And with Fever Pitch turning 20, now might be the perfect time to start thinking about potential sequels. I know I would definitely be watching.
by admin | Apr 11, 2025 | Articles, Cinemablend Articles
As a wonderfully told father-son story with gut-busting gags and a banging soundtrack, I genuinely believe that 1995’s A Goofy Movie, in which the classic Disney character (voiced by Bill Farmer) takes the reluctant Max (Jason Marsden), on an ill-fated road trip, is one of the best Disney animated movies of all time. Thus, I was deeply surprised to learn from a new documentary called Not Just a Goof that the film was not well received in the 1990s and was not a huge hit at the box office, either.
However, even that is not the most shocking revelation from the new 2025 movie (now available with a Disney+ subscription), which covers the filmmakers’ struggle to ensure their vision for Goofy’s first feature was fully realized. One such roadblock was a suggestion to bring in an otherwise beloved comedy legend to play the title role.
Jeffrey Katzenberg Proposed Casting Steve Martin As Goofy
Walt Disney Studios from 1984 to 1994, as THR recalls, and he responded with a surprising note. He felt that longtime Goofy voice actor Bill Farmer’s traditional take on the character (who is not exactly a dog like Pluto, but related to the same family) sounded too “insincere,” as co-writer Brian Pimenthal describes it.
As a solution, Katzenberg (later known as the founder of Quibi) considered rerecording the entire movie with A-list comedian Steve Martin, not doing a Goofy impression but using his natural voice. As someone who adores Martin and his movies, I believe that this would have been a disaster, especially after so many decades of the iconic character’s distinct drawl, chuckle, and hollar, which Farmer had perfected. Luckily, the director came up with a plan.
Robin Williams refused to reprise Genie in the first Aladdin sequel because the exec tried to stop him from starring in Ferngully: The Last Rainforest. At least his bizarre idea of casting Steve Martin as Goofy did not go through, or A Goofy Movie’s popularity might not have endured over the past 30 years.
by admin | Apr 11, 2025 | Articles, Cinemablend Articles
While the main draw of the MonsterVerse movies is obviously to watch towering Titans fight each other, the fact of the matter is human characters are needed to help anchor the stories. One of those characters was Alexander Skarsgard’s Dr. Nathan Lind, who appeared in Godzilla vs. Kong (which you can access with a Max subscription). But Skarsgard ended up getting much of his role cut down, though he did make a solid point about that development while reflecting on his time in the MonsterVerse.
Ahead of his new Apple TV+ subscription-exclusive series Murderbot premiering on the 2025 TV schedule next month, Skarsgard sat down for an interview with Empire (via Comicbook), and Godzilla vs. Kong came up. The actor confirmed that Nathan Lind was supposed to have more scenes in the fourth MonsterVerse movie, saying:
Adam Wingard thusly:
So far, no actor in the MonsterVerse film series has appeared in more than two movies, and while I’d like that to change someday, again, the Titans are the priority. However, if you’re looking for a solid character-driven story in this franchise, I recommend watching the show Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which is returning for a second season and can be found on Apple TV+. You’ll still get to see Godzilla and various other Titans, but here, the humans are just as important to the tale being told.
Next up on the MonsterVerse cinematic front is the yet-to-be-titled sequel to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Kaitlyn Dever, Dan Stevens (reprising Trapper), Jack O’Connell, Delroy Lindo, Matthew Modine and Alycia Debnam-Carey star in this Grant Sputore-directed feature coming out on March 26, 2027.
by admin | Apr 10, 2025 | Articles, Cinemablend Articles
I’m a huge fan of video games, so I’ve seen most of the best video game movies. Usually, I just wait until I can watch at home, so I would have seen A Minecraft Movie eventually.
That said, my children are massive Minecraft fans, so there was no waiting this time. We had to see it ASAP. However, even though I know quite a bit about the game because I’ve watched my children play it endlessly, I’m not a player myself. If I’m being completely honest, I find it kind of boring.
how huge it actually is. So, here was what it was like for a non-Minecraft player to be crammed inside of a theater full of fanatics.
Oh, and minor spoilers up ahead.
Fans Were Getting A Bit Antsy In The “Ordinary World” Section Of The Movie
Now, the audience I sat with was almost entirely kids. And, I’m talking young kids. Like, 9 or 10-years-old. It’s almost like their parents bought them tickets, and then skedaddled.
Well, anyway, here I was, sitting with a bunch of 9 and 10-year olds (plus a smattering of parents), and I could tell that a lot of the kids were getting antsy in the beginning of the movie. That’s because even though we’re introduced to the Overworld and the Nether in the first few minutes, it takes a surprisingly long time to get back to it.
Personally, I found myself enjoying the sections in the “ordinary world,” because all of the characters were Jared Hess (of whom I’m a big fan–especially Nacho Libre)-quirky. In fact, there’s one part involving a storage unit where I was the only person laughing, which was kind of embarrassing.
I could tell that a lot of the kids weren’t into it. The child behind me kept kicking my seat, and another kid nearby whispered, “This is taking too long.”
There was just a lot of rustling, and an overall sense of boredom, but that all changed once the actual Minecraft stuff started happening…
Jack Black, and he was expectedly off the wall in A Minecraft Movie. But, I honestly didn’t think the fans would be fond of his manic performance, because Steve in the game is…well, he’s kind of plain.
I mean, even in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where he’s a playable character, I always see people changing his costume to be an Enderman, or Alex. In truth, Steve just doesn’t seem to have much of a personality in the game, and Black is ALL personality.
But, let me tell you. When Black first appeared in the movie, the audience went BALLISTIC.
It was a collective enthusiasm. It wasn’t just some kids going nuts for the sake of going nuts. My audience was truly pumped once he arrived. When he gave that pregnant pause before he said his name, the excitement was palpable. Kids were literally on the edge of their seats waiting for him to say, “My name…is Steve.”
And, oh Lord. The crowd got so loud once he said that. It was cute, but also madness. I mean, all he said was his name! However, that wasn’t the only moment that made the crowd go crazy. Not by a long shot.
I loved The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and there were a lot of easter eggs in it, but nobody in the crowd screamed when something familiar came on the screen. I’ll tell you. You Minecraft folk…you’re a different breed, and I like it!
Jason Momoa should have done the “ladder clutch”…whatever that means.
He also didn’t like a part where they threw some jelly thing on a bridge and jumped on it. He said there was another solution, and was quite adamant that they “messed up” that part of the film. So, yeah. My son–the Minecraft expert–had some notes that I’m sure he would have given to the screenwriters if he had a chance.
a wildly different opinion on the film). My daughter even said that it’s her new favorite movie, overtaking Trolls Band Together, which was her previous favorite film.
Despite my son’s few complaints, he agreed. It kind of broke my heart that he enjoyed it more than Godzilla Minus One, but, you know. I love Godzilla. He loves Minecraft. It makes sense that he much preferred this.
He wasn’t the only one, though, since the kids in my theater clapped at the end. Many of them stood up to applaud, only to sit back down at a scene that had kids saying, “He can talk?!” (I won’t tell you who “he” is).
As for my thoughts on the film? It was okay. I actually think the best part was the stuff before they all got to the Overworld, but again, I seemed to be the only one, since nobody else laughed.
Even so, I’m happy that the kids loved it, and that the audience had such a good time. That made my heart glad.
What do you think? Did you see A Minecraft Movie with fans? I’d love to hear about your experience.
by admin | Apr 10, 2025 | Articles, Cinemablend Articles
We were first introduced to one of the scariest modern movie villains, Esther, in Orphan (which is available on your Hulu subscription). Her cold, manipulative nature gives us chills in each movie, as well as her ultra-violent nature. With announcements of another sequel being done, I have no idea how Esther will come back. However, actress Isabelle Fuhrman has a completely made-up word to tease how.
The first Orphan movie made such an impact among fans that a prequel was made over a decade later called Orphan: First Kill (which is streaming on your Paramount+ subscription). While the 2009 horror film introduced us to a child-like murderer, the prequel taught us all about the origins of the first family she committed her deceptive acts against.
Bloody Disgusting), actress Isabelle Fuhrman has a completely made-up word to describe if Orphan 3 will take place after the original movie or the prequel:
That just makes me so confused. The ending of Orphan had Esther die of a broken neck after being kicked into a frozen pond. There’s no way you can possibly survive that…right? And Orphan: First Kill was a prequel that showed how her first adoptive family met their demise, which led to her being placed in an orphanage.
So, if I were to guess, I would think a third movie would be about the next family that takes Esther in before the Colemans did in the original. But if the upcoming horror film is after the original and after First Kill, does that mean there’s a chance Esther lives? Or maybe flashbacks and flashforwards? So many questions. Either way she’ll continue her murder spree, and I’m really excited and terrified to find out how.
Another tease Isabelle Fuhrman sent our way was that a script has been written with the twists “wilder and crazier” than ever. The previous films already threw powerful punches with twists we’d never see coming. In the first movie, we found out that “Esther” is actually a 33-year-old serial killer with Hypopituitarism that makes her look like a child. Her diabolical plan involved pretending to be an orphan to manipulate and control her adoptive family, only for things to get violent when the truth came out.
Orphan 2 brought out another horror twist that the woman who adopted Esther knew the whole time that she was not her missing daughter that she masqueraded as. Now I’m wondering what more twists and turns can there possibly be. Well, if Esther did survive in the first movie, that would surely be a twist like no other.
It looks like one of the greatest female horror movie villains is coming back in Orphan 3, an “inbetween-quel.” Only time will tell exactly what that means.
