Universal Releases Emotional "A Tribute to Paul Walker" Video.

 

Days after the tragic death of Fast/Furious, Running Scared, Eight Below, and TAKERS star Paul Walker, Universal, who earlier today shut down the upcoming Fast and Furious 7, released a video tribute to the later star, showing clips through the franchise of Paul Walker as Brian O'Conner set to Skylar Grey's "I'm Coming Home".

Post by Fast & Furious.

Courtesy of The Fast & Furious Official Facebook Page.

Walker will be missed, as we've all seen the emotional posts from stars who acted with him and those that only knew him, as well as the huge outpour of support on Twitter and Facebook for Walker and his many associated charities. 

Just Who Might Be Villain in 'Batman vs. Superman'? Well It's Not Lex...Sort Of

With today's news of Gal Gadot being cast as Wonder Woman in the still untitled Batman vs. Superman movie, speculation can now turn to who will be the main antagonist in the film.

It's already been reported in that same announcement from Variety that Warner Bros. is looking at 300: Rise of an Empire and Zero Dark Thirty actor Callan Mulvey for the villain role but no word as to whom it is.  Well, according to our sources here at ThinkMcFlyThink, the villian role Mulvey is being considered for is none other than...Metallo.

That's right, the man with the sheilded metal body and Kryptonite for a heart is said to be the main baddie in Batman vs. Superman.

But that's not all.

According to our sources as well, Mulvey was also at one point considered for...Lex Luthor.

Now I don't know if this means Lex was originally the main villain and is now out of the film after rewrites (as some have speculated) or if WB decided to go with someone else for the role. but we can tell you that Mulvey was indeed looked at for the part.

Mulvey's name seems to make sense for the studio as they like to stay in-house and work with people they're familar with (a la Ben Affleck).

So what do you all think?  Is Mulvey a good candidate for Metallo, or even Lex for that matter?  Or would you like to see someone else play either role?

Sound off below.

Universal Indefinitely Delays Fast & Furious 7

There is no right way for Universal to handle Fast 7. In the days following the tragic death of co-star Paul Walker, conversation naturally went to how the studio would proceed. Production was already under the gun to meet its July 2014 release date.

The Wrap reported yesterday one such option on the table was scrapping it altogether and starting over. I heard some cry, "NO WAY!" But this situation is so unprecedented, who was to say otherwise. Internal rumblings on how far along filming, and Walker's work, varied too. One thing that his material was finished and then the tragedy occurred, such as the case with Heath Ledger on The Dark Knight, and another it was halfway complete.

This afternoon the studio confirmed Fast 7 is at a standstill for the remaining time:

"Right now, all of us at Universal are dedicated to providing support to Paul's immediate family and our extended 'Fast & Furious' family of cast, crew and filmmakers. At this time we feel it is our responsibility to shut down production on 'Fast & Furious 7' for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise.  We are committed to keeping 'Fast & Furious' fans informed, and we will provide further information to them when we have it.  Until then, we know they join us in mourning the passing of our dear friend Paul Walker."

Wonder Woman Officially Crashing the Batman Vs. Superman Party

Whatever they call it, one thing is for sure. Zack Snyder's Superman/Batman Team-Up is filled like a stuffed jalapeño. Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, maybe the Serial Killer from Girls as Nightwing and, yep, the Rumor-Mill pegged it right. Wonder Woman is officially in the mix.

The Amazon princess will be played by Gal Gadot. She was in The Fast & the Furious 6 this summer but for the life of me, I don't remember her. Here's a puff-piece quote from Snyder:

"Wonder Woman is arguably one of the most powerful female characters of all time and a fan favorite in the DC Universe. Not only is Gal an amazing actress, but she also has that magical quality that makes her perfect for the role. We look forward to audiences discovering Gal in the first feature film incarnation of this beloved character."

Is this de facto going to be Justice League or are they saying that for later? Can't imagine why wait if they're so many superheroes in what was supposed to be Batman Vs. Superman (or Superman Vs. Batman, Warner Brothers hasn't decided) and before that a straight-forward solo sequel to Man of Steel.

Give a Tolkien Gift This Christmas - Rise of the Fellowship Is Now Available

Last month, we at TMT had the privilege of chatting with filmmaker Ron Newcomb for Rise of the Fellowship.

His love-letter to all things Tolkien is now available for your viewing pleasure on DVD at Walmart, Amazon and iTunes. What better time to watch this Middle Earth homage as The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug breathes fires in cinemas next week?

"A group of Lord of the Rings fans embark on an amazing and amusing journey in director Ron Newcomb’s fantastical and fun adventure. Rise of the Fellowship, features Lord of the Rings Online. This comedy was written in honor of online gamers and The Lord of the Rings. Full of Tolkien-references and good-hearted parody, Justin Moe, Emma Earnest, Jayme Bell, Alyssa Jacobsen, and Cole Matson star in a film that 'will keep the audience laughing throughout and, at times, provide real tension' (LOTRO Players)."

Check out the trailer on YouTube and purchase the DVD on Amazon, stream it at Walmart via Vudu or view it on iTunes.

Oscar Issac Joins 'A Most Violent Year'

 

Oscar Issac - currently in the conversation for an 'Oscar' himself for his lead role in the Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis - is set to join J.C. Chandor's A Most Violent Year, replacing an already Oscar winner in Javier Bardem (also ironically worked with Coen brothers too).

Chandor - himself also in the Oscar conversation for his directorial effort with Robert Redford in All Is Lost - announced last night that Issac would be replacing Bardem in the period-drama set in 1981, statistically the most violent year on record in America.

Acting opposite two-time Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain, Issac would play an Hispanic man who comes to America with dreams of making it big, going on to become a successful businessman.

Bardem had been attached to the project for months and was working on the script with Chandor, but ultimately, left due to creative differences.

I say no loss there as I think Issac has the potential to be just as great, if not better than Bardem himself.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in New York the end of next month.

Source:  The Hollywood Reporter

Official Banner for THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, Trailer Coming Thursday

 

This summer, Spider-Man's greatest battle begins as we see Spider-Man about to go toe-to-toe with a Decepticon from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, acclaimed singer-song-writer Billy Elliot in a space costume and rocket-board, and the evil blue twin of Sean Patrick Flanery's Powder. 

 

His Greatest Battle Begins...check out the in-theater banner for #TheAmazingSpiderMan 2 and watch Spidey swing into action this Thursday in the worldwide trailer premiere!

Courtesy of The Amazing Spider-Man Official Facebook Page.

Also stay tuned for the word-premier of the trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 that everyone has already watched on Youtube from Comic Con.

We’ve always known that Spider-Man’s most important battle has been within himself: the struggle between the ordinary obligations of Peter Parker and the extraordinary responsibilities of Spider-Man. But in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker finds that a greater conflict lies ahead.

It’s great to be Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield). For Peter Parker, there’s no feeling quite like swinging between skyscrapers, embracing being the hero, and spending time with Gwen (Emma Stone). But being Spider-Man comes at a price: only Spider-Man can protect his fellow New Yorkers from the formidable villains that threaten the city. With the emergence of Electro (Jamie Foxx), Peter must confront a foe far more powerful than he. And as his old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, Peter comes to realize that all of his enemies have one thing in common: OsCorp.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 swings into theaters and IMAX 3D on May 2 2014.

Universal Doesn't Care What You Think "Bourne 5" - August 14, 2015

When I walked out of The Bourne Ultimatum in August of 2007 I was satisfied. I feel like my questions and those of Jason Bourne had been answered. Jason grew and changed and we grew and changed with him. It was the same feeling you had after a hearty Thanksgiving dinner; you were full and you were content. I had the same reaction to The Dark Knight Rises, I was contentment.

Then Universal woke us up out of our tryptophan inspired slumber and released The Bourne Legacy. The TV spots and trailers featured some of the familiar characters of the Bourne universe, even randomly shouting out the name "Bourne", but featuring Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross. You really fooled us studio suits, we thought Jason Bourne was in it.

You would think the lack of interest on the general public's behalf as evidenced by the average box office take, (113 Million + Domestically), would have been a red flag to the studio. Not so much. Universal has officially decided to bring back Aaron Cross for Bourne 5 on August 15th 2015, our lack of interest be damned.

It's nothing against Renner, the guy is a really solid actor, sometimes you just need to leave it alone.  I would have rather they just recast Bourne with Jeremy Renner, similar to what they are doing with Ben Affleck in Batman Vs Superman but they don't give me a corner office in Hollyweird.

J.J. Abrams Thinks You Are An Idiot

The Mystery Box is J.J. Abrams' thing. He is simpatico with keeping everything, even minuscule details like character names, titles and even costumes, in the dark. The fun in being surprised is appreciated, yes. But it goes so far with J.J. to hear him suggest it's all someone else's doing is not funny; it's an insult to our intelligence.

Well Star Trek Into Darkness came and went and with Abrams off on Star Wars: Episode VII, he's seemingly on an Apology Tour for the iffy-received Wrath of Khan retread. Right down to whose fault it was to keep Benedict Cumberbatch's true identity a secret. Only he's lying his ass off as he puts it "truthfully" to MTV:

"The truth is because it was so important to the studio that we not angle this thing for existing fans. If we said it was Khan, it would feel like you've really got to know what 'Star Trek' is about to see this movie," he said. "That would have been limiting. I can understand their argument to try to keep that quiet, but I do wonder if it would have seemed a little bit less like an attempt at deception if we had just come out with it."

Sure, J.J. Paramount loved keeping the most famous Star Trek baddie played by an actor not known to anyone outside of the Internet under wraps. Part of taking responsbility involves being a man and actually owning up to your mistakes. Blaming it on the studio, especially in such a laughable manner, is pretty weaselly.

In Memory of Paul Walker (1973 - 2013)

If you hadn't heard by now, Fast & Furious franchise star Paul Walker was killed yesterday in a tragic car accident.  Walker was coming from a charity event for those devastated by the tsunami in the Philippines and went for a quick drive in his friend's Porsche as a passenger.

Little is known about how the accident occured, but if you've seen either photos or video from the crash, the vehicle seemingly lost control and slammed into a tree.  While first responders tried to extinguish the fire and pull both an unconscious Walker and his friend from the wreckage, they were unable to in time.

Over the past 24 hours, much has come out about the late 40 year-old actor in terms of his generosity and kindness as a human being.  Many - especially his Fast & Furious co-stars - described him as a down-to-earth, likable, easy going man who was full of life and always treated everyone with respect.

I for one can cite Paul Walker's relevance in terms of my generation, growing up in the late 90s and 2000s.

Yeah, he was the guy next to Vin Diesel who starred in 2001's The Fast and the Furious, but he was also in Pleasantville, Varsity Blues, The Skulls and the very underrated Joyride.  Films that may not mean much to someone whose in their teenage years now or currently in the 30s to 40s, but to people like myself who were growing up when these movies came out, a guy like Walker resonates with you.

But of course, how can you not bring up the Fast & Furious franchise.

Walker had appeared in every film except the 3rd, and while some might say it was Vin Diesel who turned the franchise around, I think many fans will tell you Walker's character of Brian O'Conner was the undeniable heart and soul.  Throughout the series, he was always the one who started off on one side of the tracks only to end up on the other.  No other character can say the same.

A lot's been speculated about what will happen to the currently in-production Fast & Furious 7, due out next July, and was only halfway through filming.  Walker certainly hadn't finished filming his scenes - and it's likely major rewrites must now take place - but that concern can be worried about another day.

For now, let's just come to terms with the fact that Paul Walker - an actor who has resonated with many for 15 plus years now - is gone.

Condolences to his family and friends.