Mike Sampson is the Editor-in-Chief of ScreenCrush. He studied to become a lawyer and worked as an architectural planner after graduating college but neither of these professions afforded him the opportunity to watch movies and TV for a living. He previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of JoBlo.com for 10 years. He lives in New Jersey and probably spends too much time playing video games and overthinking things.
Mike Sampson
Stephen Colbert Predicts the ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Ending
Stephen Colbert may be the wildly successful host of a popular late night talk show on a major television network, but that doesn’t change who he really is: a huge nerd. Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson said of Colbert, “I have never met a bigger Tolkien geek in my life.” The Late Show host appeared in The Desolation of Smaug and hosted a Hobbit panel at Comic-Con. But his geek cred is not limited to Middle Earth. Last night, Colbert delivered an impassioned prediction of how Star Wars: The Force Awakens will end, and the funniest thing is, he wasn’t joking.
Netflix Negotiating With Disney For ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Streaming Rights
Back in 2012, Disney and Netflix struck a deal that would allow all of Disney’s films — including Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars properties — to stream exclusively on Netflix Instant, starting on January 1, 2016. As that date approaches, many have speculated openly about the Star Wars films finally coming to Netflix. There were even rumors recently that Netflix was prepping their database for the Star Wars movies, though Netflix denied those reports. While they have yet to comment specifically on the existing six films in the Star Wars library, Netflix did confirm that, as of now, they do not have the rights to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but are currently in negotiations to bring that title to their streaming library.
Report: New ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Trailer on October 19, Plus Info on Ticket Pre-Sales!
Alright, Star Wars fans, what are you doing on Monday, October 19? Nope, sorry. Whatever you thought you were doing, you might want to readjust your plans, because you’re going to be sitting in front of your computer, watching the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer and pre-ordering your tickets for December 18. At least that’s according to multiple early reports, as well as some of our sources as well.
The Surprising Reason Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio Turned Down ‘Steve Jobs’
Before Michael Fassbender was cast as Steve Jobs, the biopic went down a long and complicated road in pre-production. Directors (including David Fincher) were offered the job and passed. Actors (Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale and Natalie Portman, among them) were offered the title role and passed. With an Aaron Sorkin script we now know is very, very good, it’s surprising that so many talented people declined to participate in the movie. But, we now have an idea why these people decided to pass on Steve Jobs and it has nothing to do with the quality of the film.
Rick Moranis Turned Down a Role in New ‘Ghostbusters’ Movie, Says Reboot “Just Makes No Sense”
So far, all of the surviving original Ghostbusters cast members — Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts — have returned to make cameo appearances in the upcoming reboot. Everyone, that is, expect Rick Moranis. The actor who played Louis Tully in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II mostly retired from the public eye and hasn’t acted in a live-action feature since 1997, but revealed that he was approached to return for the Ghostbusters reboot and he swiftly turned them down.
‘Good Dinosaur’ Trailer: Can a Dinosaur Make You Cry?
In an alternate universe, Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur would’ve opened on its original release date, all the way back in November of 2013. But, it hasn’t been an easy road for Pixar’s next movie, which was delayed over two years while the director and cast was replaced, and almost the entirety of the story was rewritten. With the movie just over a month away, was Pixar able to save The Good Dinosaur? Watch the new trailer and see what you think.
What’s Expiring on Netflix Instant: October 2015
Normally the lists of what is disappearing from Netflix in any given month isn’t that long. Last month it was 15 total titles. But, October is the Great Netflix Cleansing as a whopping 45 movies are expiring. And these aren’t just generic B-movies, these are legit classics like Annie Hall, This is Spinal Tap, The Big Lebowski, The Exorcist and Kangaroo Jack. Not you too, Kangaroo Jack!
Sigourney Weaver Confirmed For a Cameo in the ‘Ghostbusters’ Reboot
Sigourney Weaver was the only one of the core actors from the original film (minus Rick Moranis who retired from acting) who was not going to be appearing in the new Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig version. But, as it turns out, Weaver will be appearing in the new Ghostbusters movie, alongside Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd and Annie Potts.
Wait, Is Vin Diesel Going to Direct ‘Fast and Furious 8’?
The Fast and Furious franchise wouldn’t be where it is now without Vin Diesel. The films didn’t even kick into high gear until Diesel returned for 2009’s Fast and Furious, and the box-office numbers have been climbing astronomically since then. To say Universal owes Vin Diesel a gigantic debt of gratitude is an understatement, but exactly how much do they owe him? Would they actually let Diesel, who has little experience directing a movie let alone directing a movie on the scale of a Fast and Furious film, behind the camera of Fast and Furious 8? According to a new report, this may be what Vin Diesel wants and Universal is terrified.
Disney Developing New ‘Mary Poppins’ Movie, Not a Sequel or Reboot
As they have grown rather fond of doing, Disney is looking back at one of their past hits in order to create some future success. After modern day versions of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Alice in Wonderland (not to mention, upcoming versions of Beauty and the Beast and The Jungle Book), Disney has hired Rob Marshall (Chicago, Into the Woods) to direct a new Mary Poppins musical based on P.L. Travers’ original children’s books.
Listen to Tom Hiddleston Sing as Hank Williams in ‘I Saw the Light’
We all know Tom Hiddleston as Loki, but aside from the Avengers and Thor movies, but American audiences haven’t gotten to see much else from the actor. That’s about to change as Hiddleston has a showy role in the upcoming Hank Williams biopic I Saw the Light. Musical biopics have traditionally been the road to awards and Oscar glory, but can the same be said for Hiddleston’s performance? The film doesn’t open until late November, but today we’ve got our first look, and listen, to the British Hiddleston sing country western.
Ronda Rousey to Star in Remake of Patrick Swayze Classic ‘Road House’
Now that Ronda Rousey has officially dominated the UFC, she’s ready to put Hollywood in a submission hold next. The actress previously set up a biopic at Paramount that she also plans on starring in, and now comes word that she’s ready to take over a classic action movie. Rousey will reportedly star in a gender-swapped Road House remake where she’d take over for the late Patrick Swayze.