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Avatar’s Mocap Tech Caused Some (Literal) Headaches For The Cast By Witney Seibold/July 26, 2022 9:06 pm EST For whatever complaints some might level at James Cameron’s “Avatar” for being forgettable, it certainly influenced movie special effects to a degree that audiences have seen in every CGI-based blockbuster film made since. Facial motion capture, as it was pioneered in “Avatar,” would make films like “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Read Player One,” and even the widely-seen smash hit “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” possible....

Cecily Strong Hasn’t Left Saturday Night Live, So Why Wasn’t She In Season 48’s Opening Credits? NBC By Sarah Musnicky/Oct. 2, 2022 12:52 pm EST There have been so many changes to the “Saturday Night Live” cast member roster heading into the show’s 48th season that fans have been experiencing whiplash. Heading into the premiere, eight cast members announced their departures: Aristotle Athari, Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Alex Moffat, Kyle Mooney, Chris Redd, and Melissa Villaseñor....

Chris Evans Knew The Gray Man Was A Risky Role For Him To Take Netflix By Ernesto Valenzuela/July 14, 2022 1:11 pm EST After playing a star-spangled man with a plan for nearly ten years, you start wanting something different. And according to “The Gray Man” directors Joe and Anthony Russo, it’s all about taking risks for Chris Evans. The actor, best known for his time as Captain America during the “Infinity Saga” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has reunited with the Russo Brothers for their upcoming action film for Netflix....

Curb Your Enthusiasm Bled A Little Too Much Into Richard Lewis’ Real Life Warner Bros. Television Distribution/HBO Enterprises By Shae Sennett/Sept. 7, 2022 4:52 pm EST “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is Larry David’s semi-fictional masterpiece, but the show can occasionally get all too real for some of the main cast members. David plays a dramatized version of himself on the HBO comedy series, as do many of his long-time friends. This includes comedian Richard Lewis, who has been heavily featured on “Curb” for many years....

Directing Himself In Creed III Was The Toughest Challenge Of Michael B. Jordan’s Career Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer By Drew Tinnin/Dec. 12, 2022 4:00 pm EST There’s a fitting symmetry to actor Michael B. Jordan’s move into the director’s chair for “Creed III,” where he will also be starring as Adonis Creed, the ascending son of Apollo (Carl Weathers) from the original “Rocky” franchise. “Rocky” star and writer Sylvester Stallone also went on to direct several films in the series, helming the second, third, and fourth “Rocky” movies before returning 20 years later to star in and direct 2006’s “Rocky Balboa....

Truffaut was used to a more intimate set Sony Pictures Entertainment The French filmmaker was a fish out of water on the set of “Close Encounters.” Truffaut was not accustomed to being in productions of such a massive physical scale. The environment was so foreign for him, he was apparently unimpressed by the set altogether, per Close Encounters… The Ultimate Visual History. There was one more modest set in “Close Encounters,” however, where Truffaut did feel at home....

Gal Gadot Read From A Surprising Script For Her Wonder Woman Audition Warner Bros. Pictures By Matt Rainis/Oct. 15, 2022 8:30 pm EST Following the exorbitant success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it made sense that DC, the other big name in the comic book industry, would try to get in on the action. They decided they’d launch their own series of films that would lead to an eventual blockbuster crossover movie in “Justice League....

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Called For A Complete Reinvention Of Marilyn Monroe By Devin Meenan/Sept. 26, 2022 4:00 am EST Monroe plays Lorelei Lee, the titular blonde and one of the film’s two co-leads; the other is her brunette best friend Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell). Lorelei is a bit ditzy and not shy about her expensive tastes (in men and otherwise), but there’s no more loyal friend around. Earlier that year, Monroe starred in the technicolor thriller “Niagara” as the murderous Rose Loomis, who conspires with her lover (Richard Allen) to murder her husband (Joseph Cotton)....

Malignant Warner Bros. Pictures / YouTube In “Malignant,” horror maestro James Wan puts his own spin on the evil twin trope by hiding his villain in plain sight and making the big bad the dark side of his protagonist’s persona. Okay, okay, we get it. This one’s a bit of a funny pick as, technically, some viewers might consider the hero of “Malignant,” Madison Mitchell (Annabelle Wallis), and her parasitic twin brother, Gabriel (Marina Mazepa), two separate people....

How Alfred Hitchcock Brought The Birds’ Titular Terrors To Life Universal Pictures By Anya Stanley/Aug. 12, 2022 2:50 pm EST One of Alfred Hitchcock’s most beloved films also happens to be one of the most technically challenging productions; in the days before CGI, orchestrating a creature feature was a daunting task — but not too daunting for a filmmaker known for pioneering storytelling techniques. “The Birds” is Hitchcock’s thrilling 1963 adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s 1952 story of the same name, concerning a series of sudden, violent bird attacks on the people of the sleepy seaside town of Bodega Bay, California....

A matter of perspective Paramount+ Bell continued by saying that just about everything Fuhrman interacted with as Esther was given the forced perspective treatment. “Whether it be the size of her fork or putting her co-stars on a platform – it’s a really fun challenge,” he said. Fuhrman echoed the sentiments in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, noting that her childlike appearance was also achieved without any makeup tricks:...

‘They changed culture’ Sony Pictures Releasing Viola Davis stars in “The Woman King” as the Agojie general Nanisca, who trains a group of fighters that includes Nawi, a young recruit once set to be played by Lupita Nyong’o. And while the character would eventually be rewritten as a younger person (as portrayed by “The Underground Railroad” breakout star Thuso Mbedu), Nyong’o would instead go on to star in “Black Panther” opposite Danai Gurira as Okoye, the head of a unit of Wakandan warriors — the Dora Milaje — directly inspired by the real-life Agojie....

‘It’s never quite like the real kid’ Morrison explained that when you see CGI versions of children, “it’s never quite like the real kid.” He went on to elaborate that they developed a system where they shot the scene and lit the young actors from four different angles at the same time. This system allowed the effects team to “take that apart, and then you can use any given light.” In the video, you can see this in practice, with shots of the same child lit in different ways....

James Cameron Reveals How His Approach To Writing The Avatar Movies Has Changed 20th Century Studios By Witney Seibold/Dec. 14, 2022 4:19 pm EST It’s been 13 years since the release of James Cameron’s “Avatar,” and about that much time has likewise passed in the film’s fictional timeline. In the new sequel, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), blissfully living life on the planet Pandora, are now parents of four children....

From fish king to space biker? Warner Bros The Hollywood Reporter piece on the shakeup of the DCEU says that they have multiple sources saying that James Gunn and Peter Safran are considering crafting a “Lobo” film with Jason Momoa in the lead. If you’ve ever read that book then you know how right for the part Momoa is. Lobo is a galactic bounty hunter who looks like Rob Zombie got melded with Arnold Schwarzenegger and the entire band KISS in full makeup and costume....

Jeff Bridges Was A Little Confused About His Big Lebowski Casting Gramercy Pictures By Anya Stanley/July 21, 2022 10:03 am EST There is a Church of the Latter-Day Dude. Although it’s “the slowest-growing religion in the world,” Dudeism touts non-preachiness and “practices as little as possible.” Ordained Dude ministers can preside over special celebrations, sip on White Russians, and, above all, abide. Such is the impact of “The Big Lebowski,” Joel and Ethan Coen’s 1998 black comedy about a dude and his rug....

What about the $1 billion club? Universal Pictures The big, lingering question at this point is whether or not “Dominion” has enough juice left in the tank to get past the $1 billion mark. As mentioned, the U.S. won’t be much help at this point as the film has already been on VOD for weeks and the Blu-ray release will eat even further into whatever may remain in the domestic market....

Linus Roache On His Most Recognizable Role And Keeping A Dark Secret In The Apology [Exclusive Interview] Shudder By Drew Tinnin/Dec. 16, 2022 2:00 pm EST Over numerous appearances in film and television, Linus Roache has become somewhat of a chameleonic actor that can lose himself in a role. After memorable turns as Thomas Wayne in “Batman Begins” and the obsessive cult leader Jeremiah Sand in “Mandy,” he’s shown the ability to convey a calm, compassionate presence in one film and transform into a manipulative villain in another....

‘Stories are a way to memorialize folks that we love’ Netflix There are some thematic similarities between “Lost Ollie” and “Kubo and the Two Strings,” particularly in how it deals with grief and how we carry the memories of lost loved ones. Is there something in that particular theme that appeals to you as a writer? I like stories that matter and I like stories that I think can heal. I’m at the point in my life where I’m losing more family members than I’m gaining, and it’s been an emotional time....

Meet Andor’s Kino Loy, One Of The Most Complex Star Wars Characters Of All Time [Exclusive] Lucasfilm By Ryan Scott/Nov. 16, 2022 12:00 pm EST “Andor” has been one heck of an unexpected ride for “Star Wars” fans through its first season, and with the finale just around the corner, it feels pretty safe to say this whole show has felt … well, special. While there is much to discuss in regards to the “Rogue One” prequel, one thing that showrunner Tony Gilroy and his team have absolutely nailed is character....