New Toy Story 4 Trailer Shows Buzz Flying And Rex Panicking

New Toy Story 4 Trailer Shows Buzz Flying And Rex Panicking

As the summer release of Pixar’s fourth Toy Story adventure is now just under three months away, the studio is starting to give us a closer look regarding just what the beloved toys will be up to this time around. We already know we’ll meet a craft-project named Forky, the gang will go on a roadtrip with Bonnie and Woody will reunite with Bo Peep at a carnival. The new international trailer is showing us a bit more of Buzz Lightyear’s storyline, along with some memorable lines we already can’t wait to quote. Check it out:

Excited yet? The Disney UK trailer features a ton of the fun footage we have seen thanks to the release of the full Toy Story 4 trailer last week, but also has a few more tidbits to show off we have yet to see until now. First off, there’s a great Rex line that will certainly find its way into reaction gifs: “the panic is attacking me!” The plastic T-Rex looks to be talking about the toys’ upcoming road trip, but it’s a great addition to the anxious character’s other lines such as “I just don’t think I can take that kind of rejection” and “Oh, I hate all this uncertainty”. Same Rex. Same.

Another new moment seen in this new trailer is a bit more of what looks to be a hilarious exchange between Woody and Forky on the side of the road. The craft project runs away from the vacation because he doesn’t feel like he belongs there and Woody goes after him to convince him to come back to Bonnie. The new footage features Forky asking Woody to carry him before Tom Hanks’ iconic character gives him a hard “no”.

There is also more footage of what will be going on for Buzz in Toy Story 4. After Woody and Forky leave the RV, Buzz plays the hero (as always) and decides to opt for his own rescue mission and fly out the window. The character voiced by Tim Allen seems to learn nothing from the first movie, as his flight attempt turns into one big “fall with style” that gets him captured and turned into a carnival prize.

Buzz ends up next to Key and Peele’s new characters, Ducky and Bunny, who seem a little threatened by his presence in the toy lineup. Ducky makes fun of Buzz by saying “To infinity and my foot” while kicking the space cadet before it gets stuck in his helmet.

The new Toy Story 4 moments are primarily comedic ones that tease some laugh-out-loud moments between the new and old toy characters as they venture into the carnival setting that the new movie seems to largely take place in. Where will the movie take us (and our tears) this time? The movie comes out on June 21, 2019.

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New Dark Phoenix Clip Has The Mutants Debating What To Do With Jean

New Dark Phoenix Clip Has The Mutants Debating What To Do With Jean

It's no secret that comic book movies are everywhere. The superhero genre has been dominating the filmmaking world for years, with a variety of studios working on their own cinematic universes. But the X-Men franchise was there before any of it, dating back to the original film's release in 2000. The long-running property looks like it's coming to an end with Simon Kinberg's Dark Phoenix, the whopping 12th film in the series.

Dark Phoenix is the X-Men franchise's second go at the titular comic book plot, putting Game of Thrones' Sophie Turner in the spotlight as Jean Grey. Jean's terrifying cosmic power will divide the mutants after they take over her body and mind, and a new clip teased that coming conflict. Check it out.

Does anyone else have chills? Despite the X-Men's long tenure in theaters, it looks like new ground is being broken with Dark Phoenix. And Jean Grey's struggle with the Phoenix Force will also cause new alliances to be formed

This new Dark Phoenix clip shows the mutants in Central Park. It looks like Jean has traveled to New York City during her conflict with the Phoenix Force, and both the X-Men and Brotherhood are attempting to find her. Professor X and Magneto share some choice words with each other, debating what Jean had done, and the implications that come with the two groups doing battle with each other.

Obviously what the character are referencing is Jean's (accidental?) murder of Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique. Mystique's death was spoiled during the full Dark Phoenix trailer, and looks like that action will have a grave affect on the rest of the characters, as well as the blockbuster as a whole. And from this new clip, it looks like X-Men have already begun defecting to Magneto's cause.

Most notably, it looks like Nicholas Hoult's Beast is going to be joining the villain side of the argument when Dark Phoenix arrives in theaters. This plot twist certainly tracks, as Beast and Mystique shared a romantic connection, most notably in First Class. It looks like her death will hit the big blue guy hard, and he's on a mission for justice regarding Sophie Turner's character.

Related: Looks Like Dark Phoenix Might Have The Smallest Opening Of The X-Men Franchise

Dark Phoenix was reportedly always planned to be the final installment in the long-running X-Men franchise, so it should be interesting to see what narrative choices Simon Kinberg and his team settle on. If its truly poised to be the grand finale, Kinberg should be able to kill off as many characters as he wants, with no real consequences. So perhaps Mystique isn't the only mutant to meet the wrath of Jean's new abilities.

Luckily, answers are coming shorty. Dark Phoenix will arrive in theaters on June 7, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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The Wolf Of Wall Street’s Trial Has Begun In Malaysia

The Wolf Of Wall Street’s Trial Has Begun In Malaysia

Back in 2013, the release of Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street was the smash hit that not only made a cultural impact on pop culture, it also made a huge splash with critics as well. But the financing that went into the film came into question not too long after, as investor 1Malaysia Development Berhad, 1MDB for short, became the focus of an investigation that alleged the funds granted to make the film were ill gotten goods. Now, almost six years after the film’s release, a key figure in the scandal is about to go on trial in connection with these charges of malfeasance.

Former Prime Minster of Malaysia Najib Razak, who was recently arrested in connection to the 1MDB scandal, is the man going on trial, as he created the sovereign wealth fund, which by intent is supposed to invest in “real and financial” assets globally. 1MDB was kind of like a 401(k) plan for the country of Malaysia. The intent, overall, is to enrich the country whose money is being entered into this sort of financial arrangement.

Only, as the charges mentioned by The Hollywood Reporter allege, Najib Razak abused those funds by funneling them into his own high living lifestyle, which included helping fund The Wolf of Wall Street. In addition to funding the film, the money went into celebrating it in a fashion that sounds similar to the events depicted within the film. Now, years of investigation and litigation surrounding are about to kick into high gear, as this trial is the latest step in the overall case against 1MDB and its actions.

Previously, we’d learned that the U.S. Department of Justice cut a deal with Razak’s stepson, and Red Granite producer, Riz Aziz, in which a $60 million settlement was paid to close off a lawsuit from the state of California. Though that settlement was legally announced as no admission of wrongdoing or guilt on the part of Red Granite Productions, so that was somewhat of a temporary reprieve in the overall matter.

Making this story all the more unbelievable is the fact that Jordan Belfort, the Wolf of Wall Street himself, had a deep seated feeling that some familiar tricks were being played behind the scenes on the film depicting his own financial crimes. But, sometimes, the truth needs to be discovered bit by bit, eventually creating a provable pattern of behavior. A pattern that now stands as proof that Najib Razak could have been the head of the most ambitious scheme in political, financial and filmmaking history.

This will definitely be a case to watch, as it’s a pretty large and unique incident that the world will want to avoid allowing to happen in the future. Even more interesting will be the potential fallout and reaction of producer/star Leonardo DiCaprio to this further movement of this Wolf of Wall Street scandal. At the very least, it’d probably be a good idea to pay back the money that he earned for playing his part in the film’s production, as a gesture of good faith.

The Wolf of Wall Street is currently on Digital HD, Blu-ray, and DVD.

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Mark Ruffalo's Marvel Behind-The-Scenes Tribute Video Will Make You Feel All The Feels

Mark Ruffalo's Marvel Behind-The-Scenes Tribute Video Will Make You Feel All The Feels

Ending a run of films as big as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Infinity Saga is bound to be emotional for both fans and cast members alike. This is especially true when it comes to fans making tribute videos in honor of films like Avengers: Endgame that are so touching, people like Mark Ruffalo just have to share. That’s exactly what the big guy has done with the video below, complete with a beautifully emotional message, take a look:

Comprised of outtakes from what looks like almost every film from Marvel Studio’s first cinematic arc, there’s plenty of goofing around from cast members included in this tribute reel, set to ELO’s “Mr. Blue Sky.” Among some of the highlights are the many funny faces that Chris Evans has been known to make, even in costume as Captain America. You'll also see a lot of smiles from cast members ranging from Chadwick Boseman and Scarlet Johansson, to of course, a lot of Robert Downey Jr. smiling mischievously and making faces that might not make it into a Disney-produced picture!

So yeah, it’s a video that’ll make Avengers: Endgame fans totally emotional, as it acts as kind of a family scrapbook of moments that led to the huge finale that fans had been waiting for across the span of 11 years and 22 movies. With the finale also marking the end of Joe and Anthony Russo’s current tenure at Marvel Studios, the reaction seems to indicate that emotional isn’t even the word for how folks may be feeling at the moment.

With Avengers: Endgame poised to surpass Avatar at any moment in the near future, this Twitter post is a good reminder of just how and why the Marvel Cinematic Universe has hit with the folks that helped make it possible. Even Mark Ruffalo knows that as he shares this video, honoring both his co-stars and the moviegoers who made their collective job an honor and a privilege.

The future of the MCU, and just what its next saga will entail, is still up in the air to a certain point. We’ll probably receive a lot of clues with Spider-Man: Far From Home acting as the official end of Phase Three, and the first step into a post-Infinity Saga world. Even then, the announcement of whatever Phase Four and beyond hold will be the ultimate clue as to where fans will be headed next.

So long as Marvel Studios and the cast of those upcoming movies continue to uphold the believe that fan and actor alike are what make this enterprise truly special, the success is likely to follow in both the undertaking and release of such projects.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now; with the final flick in the phase, Spider-Man: Far From Home, webbing up the box office on July 2nd. However, if you’re ready to look for another movie to entertain yourself with, you can take a look at the 2019 release schedule to see what other options are open.

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Shazam! Just Passed A Box Office Milestone

Shazam! Just Passed A Box Office Milestone

Shazam! was top of the charts for two weeks in a row and just passed the $100 million milestone at the domestic box office.

Shazam! is heading into its third weekend with $104 million on the domestic front and $178 million from the foreign box office for a current total of $282 million worldwide. That's not counting the money it'll pick up this Easter weekend. (Speaking of Easter, don't miss some key Shazam! Easter eggs.)

According to Deadline, Shazam! passed the $100 million mark at the North American market in its 13th day of release.

Are these huge numbers? No, and certainly not for a major superhero movie. But everything about Shazam! has been positive so far, from the critics' reviews (90% on Rotten Tomatoes) to the fan response (A CinemaScore, 88% RT audience score) to the humble and grateful reactions of star Zachary Levi, director David F. Sandberg, and the rest of the cast.

Shazam! had a reported production budget of $100 million, per Box Office Mojo, and that doesn't usually include things like marketing. So Shazam! is just starting to break even and make a profit worldwide.

This weekend, though, Shazam! is expected to take second place to another Warner Bros. movie, The Curse of La Llorona. The Conjuring Universe movie is expected to make around $17 million, with Shazam! following with around $13.5 million. That's just at the domestic box office, and more will be added from foreign markets. Shazam! has already made $40 million in China, the second biggest box office market in the world after us.

Shazam! is technically part of the DC Extended Universe and even originally planned to have an appearance from Superman himself, Henry Cavill. So far, as compared to the previous six DCEU films, Shazam! is squarely at the bottom of that pack. That seems expected -- it was never eyed for massive blockbuster money. Then again, Aquaman was something of a surprise as the first DCEU movie to pass $1 billion, and the highest-grossing DC Comics movie of all time.

At the domestic box office, Shazam!'s current $104 million is just below Justice League's $229 million, and they are far below the current domestic leader, Wonder Woman, who has $412.5 million. Worldwide, Aquaman is the overall champ with a current total of $1.14 billion. Justice League is at the bottom of that pack, other than Shazam! (which is still earning money), with the Zack Snyder/Joss Whedon movie making $657.9 million total.

Shazam! has a long to way to go in its journey, but do you think it has any hopes of beating Justice League at the box office, or will it stay #7 on the list of the seven DCEU movies so far? There's no shame in it. Someone has to be the scrappy underdog.

Besides, there's a long way up from here. Shazam! could potentially lead to several sequels, including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Black Adam movie, which he's already plugging a year before filming.

Shazam! is still playing in theaters as one of the many movies worth watching in 2019. Come back to CinemaBlend Easter Sunday afternoon for our full box office report on how Shazam! fared against the many new releases out this week.

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What Marvel’s War Machine Movie Would Have Been About, According To Don Cheadle

What Marvel’s War Machine Movie Would Have Been About, According To Don Cheadle

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a massive franchise. Marvel Studios revolutionized serialized storytelling, and introduced a massive pool of iconic characters. Avengers: Endgame will mark the 22nd installment in the property, but there are a few movies that never came to fruition over the last decade of filmmaking. No, I'm not talking about the ill-fated Inhumans flick, but a War Machine movie starring Don Cheadle.

Joe Robert Cole wrote the screenplay for Black Panther, but was originally tasked with penning an Iron Man spinoff for War Machine. Ultimately it got scrapped, but now we've got an idea regarding what the movie could have been. Don Cheadle himself recently opened up about the possible blockbuster, saying:

There was definitely going to be a lot of tension between his job as a military man and his allegiances to the code that he swore an oath to uphold, versus the changing world. I think they probably would have run afoul of each other a little bit, but I don’t know if he would have been a straight fugitive, or if he would have become decommissioned. But there was definitely going to be some tension between those two worlds.

Does anyone else have some serious FOMO right now? Because the War Machine movie sounds like an interesting an unique blockbuster for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Furthermore, it seems to tease the conflict that would eventually split the heroes in Captain America: Civil War. Do superheroes have the ability to work outside the law?

Don Cheadle's comments to EW are sure to illicit a mix of emotions from fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. On one hand, it's exciting to get a glimpse into the development process of Marvel Studios, and see how things are constantly in motion. But considering how cool Cheadle's description of the doomed project is, there are no doubt cinephiles who are bummed War Machine's spinoff never happened.

War Machine has had an interesting tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, serving as a recurring supporting character alongside others like Black Widow and Falcon. Rhodes actually debuted back in 2007 with Iron Man, played by Terrence Howard. Howard ultimately dropped out after having fiscal differences with the studio, and Cheadler replaced him in Iron Man 2, which was also the movie where Rhodey became War Machine for the very first time.

According to earlier reports, this was when a War Machine was tossed around at the studio. Joe Robert Cole explained this process over a year ago, stating Iron Man 3 as the reason why the movie never got the green lit. As he told it:

At that meeting, they also said they were thinking of doing a War Machine movie. I pitched a concept and won that job to write the script but they decided, based on what Iron Man 3 was going to be, they weren't going to do War Machine anymore.

Talk about a bummer. While fans would no doubt have loved to see War Machine take the spotlight in his own solo movie, he never really got the chance. Instead, he'd reprise his role in Iron Man 3, Captain America: Civil War, as well as the Avengers movies.

War Machine ultimately survived Thanos' snap in Avengers: Infinity War, and he'll presumably have a meaty role with the rest of the survivors in Endgame.

You can catch him return to theaters when Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Captain Marvel Is Well On Its Way To Hitting A Billion Dollars

Captain Marvel Is Well On Its Way To Hitting A Billion Dollars

Captain Marvel has been putting up impressive box office numbers since it opened and it's not done yet. The movie has been open for all of 13 days and while we don't have official totals for yesterday's box office yet, it's all but guaranteed that the movie cleared the $800 million mark, putting it well on its way to do doing a billion dollars before it's all said and done.

Through Tuesday of this week Captain Marvel had brought in just short of $797 million in total global box office. Even if the film did half as much business yesterday as it did on Wednesday of last week, which is how the numbers appear to be tracking, it will still do well over $4 million, putting the movie over the $800 million mark in total.

While the box office is clearly slowing down for Captain Marvel, it's doing so much slower than your average blockbuster. The film only saw a 55% drop in sales from its opening weekend to its second weekend, which is actually a pretty small number when compared to other major superhero movies. This weekend's big release is Jordan Peele's horror movie Us, which, while one would expect it will have a big weekend, is still in a genre, and with a rating, that isn't going to bring in the widest possible audience, meaning Marvel is still in a strong position to have a nice weekend of its own, even though it likely won't take first place.

In actuality, while the official numbers, according to Deadline, still put Captain Marvel behind $800 million, it's probably already past that numbers. We don't have perfect reporting up through this week in all foreign territories where the film has opened, and as such it's probably got a lot of foreign dollars that need to be added to the total. The film has done two-thirds of its total business overseas and that's where it will likely still continue to do a lot of business.

If Captain Marvel is able to hit the billion dollar mark it will become the seventh Marvel Cinematic Universe movie to do so. This will happen just ahead of Avengers: Endgame hitting the same mark, which the film is fully expected to do.

Even if Captain Marvel doesn't quite join the billion dollar movie club, it's still a massive hit that has done some incredible numbers. We can fully expect to see Brie Larson's Captain Marvel returning to the MCU beyond Avengers: Endgame as the character is clearly popular.

2019 is almost guaranteed to be a banner year for Disney at the box office and Captain Marvel has gotten the studio off to an epic start. Now we just wait to see how many billions the studio will bring in before the year comes to an end.

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Captain Marvel Is Still Doing Incredibly Well, Despite Being On Fewer Movie Screens

Captain Marvel Is Still Doing Incredibly Well, Despite Being On Fewer Movie Screens

The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film, March’s Captain Marvel, has been in theaters for over a month now and it has enjoyed massive, record-breaking success during its run. That run is slowly coming to an end as more new blockbusters are released, and Captain Marvel’s theater count continues to drop to make room at the multiplex. Yet despite being on fewer movie screens, Captain Marvel is still doing incredibly well.

Captain Marvel lost a whopping 598 screens last weekend as new releases like Little, Missing Link and fellow comic book movie Hellboy opened. Despite that huge drop in screen count, Brie Larson’s heroine still managed to hold on at the box office remarkably well week after week. According to Forbes, Captain Marvel pulled in $884,741 on Monday, which is up 2.2% from last Monday. It didn’t do quite as well on Tuesday, dropping 6.1% from the previous week to $1.297 million, then rebounded on Wednesday with an 8% jump over last Wednesday to $971,000.

That type of hold and box office performance is very impressive given that there were almost 600 fewer screens on which audiences could see Captain Marvel. It’s not like there’s no competition at the box office either. Both Shazam! and Hellboy are now out and are competing for largely the same audience’s superhero dollars.

The Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck-directed film will now pass $390 million at the domestic box office. When it does, Captain Marvel will pass Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s domestic performance to become #7 on the MCU’s domestic box office charts.

If Captain Marvel continues to have small drops in the coming weeks as it gives more ground to the start of the summer blockbusters, and receives a bump around Avengers: Endgame, it could pass the $400 million mark domestically and beyond. When it’s all said and done, it could surpass Captain America: Civil War’s $408 million and Iron Man 3’s $409 million to land in the MCU’s top 5.

Captain Marvel has made over $1 billion worldwide, so that it is doing well is no surprise, but the solid box office hold despite playing on fewer screens reflects something of an Avengers: Endgame bump. Black Panther enjoyed something similar with Avengers: Infinity War last year, and with about a week left until the first Endgame screenings begin, all eyes are on the concluding chapter in the MCU’s Infinity Saga.

So some MCU fans may be going back to see Captain Marvel again as part of their pre-Endgame MCU watch list. If you want to rewatch all 21 films, that means heading back to the theater to check out Captain Marvel before next weekend.

Given that Brie Larson’s character has been more prominent in the trailers than I think many suspected (she’s clearly not being saved as a third-act savior), it’s also possible that some who thought they could skip Captain Marvel are finally getting around to seeing it. Captain Marvel is also likely benefitting from kids being out of school for the Easter holiday.

You can check out Captain Marvel again in theaters now before Avengers: Endgame arrives to dominate on April 26.

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Marvel Asked For Loki To Be 'A Villain As Good As Magneto,' Thor Writer Reveals

Marvel Asked For Loki To Be 'A Villain As Good As Magneto,' Thor Writer Reveals

One of the strongest criticisms of the MCU for a long time was that it had a villain problem. Despite producing iconic heroes left and right, Marvel Studios could never quite create a memorable villain. During the early phases of the MCU, the notable exception was Loki, who would be labeled as Marvel's best villain before he finally got some competition. Apparently, Marvel knew early on that it had to nail Loki, and executives told Thor screenwriter Zack Stentz that his top priority was making Loki as good a villain as Magneto.

Way back in the early days of of the MCU, Marvel Studios knew that it was building up to The Avengers. As such, studio execs had the idea that Loki would the villain of that film, but they were also aware that they weren't super great with making good villains. Iron Monger, Whiplash, and the Abomination were forgotten as soon as people left the theater.

So, if Loki had to be their Big Bad of Phase One, they needed to get it right. Here's what the studio told Zack Stentz when he was writing the screenplay for Thor.

It's a complicated issue because we had a very clear mandate when we were writing Thor. They already knew that they were building towards The Avengers and they already had the notion that Loki was going to be the villain. They knew that their villains thus far in the MCU had been a bit underwhelming, and they said -- one of the executives literally said, 'Look, if you fail at everything else, give us a villain as good as Magneto in Loki.' We need someone at that level because that’s going to be our villain for The Avengers.

Back in 2011, The Dark Knight's Joker was the villain to beat, but before that film came along, Magneto was probably the best modern day comic book movie villain. He appeared in every X-Men movie, he had cool powers, and the audience could sympathize with his rationale because of his sad backstory.

Loki certainly has the audience's sympathy. Zack Stentz told The Fanboy Podcast that while writing the character, he knew that one of the most important things for making Loki a great villain is that he had to be relatable.

We always put a lot of effort into our villains, but in this case we really worked hard giving Loki an interesting story and making him sympathetic at the same time as he's doing these terrible things.

I would say that Zack Stentz and his fellow Thor writers certainly gave Marvel what they wanted. Loki went on to become a huge hit with fans, and even after all these years he's still in the Top Five of MCU villains. Of course, a lot of the credit also goes to Tom Hiddleston for his performance as the character.

Loki's movie future was made unclear by Avengers: Endgame, but the character will be the star of his very own mini-series on Disney+, which doesn't have a release date yet. Magneto, currently played by Michael Fassbender, will be seen on screen again soon in Dark Phoenix, which opens in theaters July 7.

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This Rotten Week: Predicting Us Reviews

This Rotten Week: Predicting Us Reviews

We’ve only got one movie on the docket this week, but it’s definitely an exciting one, as we are once again seeing writer/director Jordan Peele return to the horror genre following the Oscar-winning success of Get Out two years ago. Get ready to meet the doppelgangers of your nightmares in Us.

Just remember, I'm not reviewing these movies, but rather predicting where they'll end up on the Tomatometer. Let's take a look at This Rotten Week has to offer.

After taking the horror world by storm, combining legit creeps with a commentary about race in America in the award-winning Get Out (98%), Jordan Peele is back. And his latest one looks, well, pretty fucked up in all the right ways. The guy is taking over the genre, and Us looks like it is going to be another huge win for the filmmaker

As we've seen previously in the genre, what we have here is another family outing/get together gone horribly wrong - this time the story playing out in a beach town where the Tyler family is stalked by... well, the Tyler family (just a creepier version). Where Get Out had plenty of frights with a slightly tongue-in-cheek tone, Us looks like a full-out horror fest. Even from the trailer one can tell the visuals will keep you up at night. Critics thus far are all over this movie. Following its debut at the SXSW Film Festival, it’s currently sitting at 100% through more than 50 reviews. I doubt it slips much, if at all. It’s tough to ever predict a movie hitting the 100% mark, and I don’t think this one will end up at the top of the mountain - but it'll be damn close. We’ll have one or two negatives come in over the course of the week, but the sentiment will remain the same.

While only one of the movies fell within ten percent of my predictions last week, the other two came incredibly close to being called wins. When it’s all said and done, and a few more reviews come trickling in, this week could look a lot better. Captive State (Predicted: 48% Actual: 49%) was nearly right on the money, dipping down under the 50% mark from Saturday into Sunday. Critics fell mostly in line with what I suspected was the case: the movie had too many moving parts. While the central theme is intriguing, they tried to do too many things within the framework and it ended up being confusing.

Meanwhile, Five Feet Apart (Predicted: 39% Actual: 52%) was looking like a clear win until it ticked up over 50% in the last two days. Frankly, I’m kind of shocked it fell out of range. Of the three movies from last week, this prediction was my most confident. Critics seemed to mostly agree that the two leads carried the movie out of the sappy and cliched depths it could have ventured considering the subject matter.

And finally, Wonder Park(Predicted: 41% Actual: 30%) also just missed the mark. See what I mean with this week? This could easily be a three-for-three. This animated movie had critics incredibly un-enthused. The general theme of the reviews was the plot line was just way too sad for what should be a sort of joyous kids’ flick about imagination and, well, wonder.

Next time around we’ve got Dumbo. It’s gonna be a Rotten Week!

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Why Captain Marvel Got A New Look For Avengers: Endgame

Why Captain Marvel Got A New Look For Avengers: Endgame

Brie Larson's Captain Marvel doesn't have a massive part to play in Avengers: Endgame, but the small role is an important one that required a lot of work when it comes to post-production digital effects.

However, it turns out it wasn't simply Carol Danvers' powers that required a lot of effects, but her costume as well. While Brie Larson wore a physical superhero suit on the set of Avengers: Endgame, it was decided later the suit needed to be changed up, and so a completely digital costume was drawn over Captain Marvel in post-production. According to visual effects supervisor Matt Aitken...

She was filmed with her physical costume with a great costume from the costume department. But after her sequences were filmed, it was decided by the filmmakers that her costume needed to be more different from the costume that she was wearing in the 25 years ago, whatever the era of the Captain Marvel movie. So we ended up replacing her costume with a CG suit for all her shots.

Brie Larson actually filmed Avengers: Endgame prior to making the Captain Marvel movie. It seems that one side effect of this was that only one suit was produced for the character. At the time, this probably made sense, but eventually it was decided that it Carol Danvers was going to change other things about her appearance in the 25 years of time that pass between the two films chronologically, she'd probably change her costume at some point as well.

Since the scenes had already been filmed, it just meant changing the costume in post-production as Matt Aitken told Comicbook.com. CGI costumes are nothing new, Iron Man's entire suit is a digital effect after all.

Captain Marvel is one of the more interesting characters in the MCU right now simply by virtue of how new she is. Introduced in between the two recent Avengers film, and not having a massive role in the finale, we're still not sure quite where the character stands. The feeling is that Carol Danvers will be playing a major role in the future of the MCU, but we didn't really get that idea from Avengers: Endgame. She's clearly powerful, but that's about all we can say with certainty.

The fact that the character was introduced so recently, and then used so quickly, so much so that they clearly didn't consider how the chronology would impact the character's look, shows how Captain Marvel may still be something of an unknown quantity to Marvel Studios as well.

Or at the very least, she was at the time. While we don't know what the future holds for the MCU characters, Marvel certainly does. Bob Iger has said that we'll learn more about what Marvel has planned for the future this summer, and with both SDCC and D23 set to happen in the coming months, we can guess one or both of those events will be our massive unveiling.

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Avengers: Endgame's Chinese Opening Looks Massive

Avengers: Endgame's Chinese Opening Looks Massive

With pre-sales records broken and theaters planning round-the-clock showings, it looks likely that Avengers: Endgame will have an unprecedented debut at the domestic box office opening weekend. But while domestic audiences still have a day to go until the first preview showings begin, audiences in China, the world’s second-biggest film market, got to experience it a little earlier. Avengers: Endgame has begun its run in The Middle Kingdom and it already looks to be headed towards a massive opening.

Avengers: Endgame opened on Wednesday in China and in its first day in release it smashed the single-day record for the market with a huge $107.2 million. That easily eclipses the previous single-day record holder in the country, the local blockbuster Monster Hunt, which earned $85 million in its opening last year. It is also the best single-day opening for a Hollywood film in the country, racing past The Fate of the Furious’s $69 million.

Avengers: Endgame’s single-day record includes the record $28.2 million the movie earned from midnight preview screenings according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Avengers completely dominated Chinese cinema screens on opening day, with 99% of all movie tickets sold on Wednesday being for the 3-hour MCU epic. To satisfy demand, many of the country’s multiplexes had Endgame playing on every screen and showings were starting every 15 to 30 minutes.

This incredibly fast start portends a ridiculous opening weekend in China for Avengers: Endgame. Prior to its release, the tracking had the Russo Brothers’ film landing at around $270 million for the five-day, Wednesday-Sunday opening. Now some of those prognosticators are amending those predictions with a belief that the film could go as high as $300 million over the five-day opening.

To date, no imported film has ever cracked $500 million in China, but Avengers: Endgame could change that. Hollywood’s biggest box office hit in the country is currently 2017’s The Fate of the Furious, which finished its run with $392.8 million (Avengers: Infinity War made $359.5 million in China). Dom and the family may not hold that record for long though as Chinese online ticketing company Maoyan is projecting a $521 million run for Endgame when it’s all said and done.

We’ve seen in recent years how Hollywood blockbusters and the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe perform well in China, and how the country’s box office buoys their worldwide totals. So it is not a surprise that Avengers: Endgame is doing well there, but it seems to be outperforming expectations.

Part of that is likely due to the positive reception the film has received. Here in the U.S., Avengers: Endgame is receiving stellar reviews and boasts a fantastic score on Rotten Tomatoes and those in China are echoing that positive reception. The film is enjoying great word of mouth and has a 9.3/10 score on the aforementioned Maoyan’s ticketing app and the more hard to please site Douban, Endgame sits at a 9.2 out of 10.

All these signs point towards Avengers: Endgame doing extremely well, perhaps historically so, over the course of its run. Combined with what is sure to be a huge domestic opening and the Avengers are going out with a serious bang.

Avengers: Endgame opens in domestic theaters this weekend. We’ll keep you updated as previous box office records get snapped to dust and check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all the movies headed your way as we enter the summer blockbuster season.

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Miss Klaus? See The Originals' Joseph Morgan At His New Movie's Screening

Miss Klaus? See The Originals' Joseph Morgan At His New Movie's Screening

Klaus Mikaelson is gone but not forgotten to fans of The Originals and The Vampire Diaries. Klaus is regularly name-dropped on The CW's current spinoff series Legacies, keeping him fresh in fans' minds. It happened again this week in a big Klaroline way, leading many fans to wistfully wonder what actor Joseph Morgan is up to.

Well, if you'll be in the Southern California area in early April, you may be able to see for yourself. His short film Carousel is working the film festival circuit, and the actor himself teased the the next screening would be April 3 in Beverly Hills:

Joseph Morgan tweeted out a link to the Beverly Hills Film Festival, hoping to see fans there. Morgan directed Carousel, which he also co-wrote and co-starred in alongside Persia White. The two stars are also married, after meeting on the set of The Vampire Diaries, where she played the recurring role of Abby Bennett Wilson.

Here's the film description on the Night Owl Productions site:

Carousel is a story of love, loss and the hope for redemption when a criminal escapes death and gets a second chance at life in more than one way. As we delve into an emotional journey that beckons us to consider how the consequences of our past actions, like a carousel, keep returning to us again, and again, until time runs out.

Check out the trailer:

Carousel has traveled to many film festivals since October 2018, and you can check the site to see if it will be playing anywhere near you, or if it might become available to watch in other ways.

Persia White and Joseph Morgan also produced the comedy Juice Truck, which is listed as playing at the Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival in March 2019.

The Originals Season 5 finale, also the series finale, aired August 1, 2018. So it hasn't even been a full year since the first Vampire Diaries spinoff went off the air. Still, there had been hope that we'd see Joseph Morgan back on screen with the Gone Baby Gone series. He had the role of Patrick Kenzie, the same role Casey Affleck had in the 2007 movie. But in May 2018, Deadline revealed that Fox had passed on the Gone Baby Gone pilot.

If you're looking for other stars of The Originals, Riley Voelkel (Freya Mikaelson) joined The CW's Roswell, New Mexico, which also co-stars Vampire Diaries alum Michael Trevino. And Charles Michael Davis (Marcel Gerard) is a new addition to For the People Season 2 on ABC. Of course, Joseph Morgan's on-screen daughter Danielle Rose Russell (Hope Mikaelson) is now the star of the spinoff Legacies, which just saw the return of another supporting character from The Originals this past week.

Earlier in Legacies Season 1, we got an update on what happened to Klaus in the afterlife. Unfortunately, The Originals finale pretty much ruled out Joseph Morgan's return to the show, unless they want to do the vision/spirit thing.

The Vampire Diaries ended a full two years ago, as of this past March 10, and those stars have also been keeping busy on TV and in some films through 2019. Keep up with everything headed to the big screen this year with our 2019 movie release schedule.

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Zoe Saldana On The Process Behind Shaping Her Missing Link Character

Zoe Saldana On The Process Behind Shaping Her Missing Link Character

Zoe Saldana, best known for playing iconic modern-day heroines such as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, Uhura in the Star Trek films and Neytiri in Avatar, brought her strong will to Missing Link as Adelina Fortnight, a unapologetic “Gibson Girl” who ends up joining adventurer Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman) and a Sasquatch named Susan (Zach Galifianakis) on their quest to find his long lost cousins, the Yeti, in the mysterious land of Shangri-La.

Saldana has ventured into the world of animation before for Book of Life in 2014 and My Little Pony: The Movie in 2017, but she’d never been part of the process behind crafting a character with the stop-motion studio, Laika. During the Missing Link press day I recently attended for CinemaBlend, the actress admitted it was a bit more of a lengthy job this time around. In her words:

It took a little more time than the animation projects I’ve been part of before. One animation I did in a year and a half, this one took two and a half years I believe of going back into the studio and recording her voice. Sometimes the tweaks were happening because Adelina and the story was continuously being shaped even though [writer/director] Chris Butler had a clear idea of what the story was.

The actress apparently worked on the character with Laika for over two years! Now this isn’t uncommon these days with all of the detailed work animated films go through. There was a primary focus on getting Adelina just right. Zoe Saldana continued by explaining what exactly changed about her character through the making of Missing Link:

Her accent. At first Chris really wanted her to have a dense accent and then in our following recording session, he knew that he wanted to shave it off a little bit and still have Adelina feel comfortable navigating the English language and conveying her feelings. It was very important that her dynamic toward Lionel was evident. So, I liked those little adjustments that Chris continued to make for her.

Adelina is an immigrant and widow who is in possession of the map Lionel and Susan need to find the Yeti. She is nothing but a “damsel in distress” as she ends up going on the journey with them across half the world and serves as the voice of reason amongst the selfishness of Lionel and light and fluffy personality of Susan. Check out Zoe Saldana discussing her character:

Zoe Saldana’s character in Missing Link will certainly win tons of hearts when it opens in theaters this Friday but for a reason: her character went through a lot during the filmmaking process before arriving on screen. Tune in with CinemaBlend to see how Missing Link does this weekend alongside new titles Hellboy and Little.

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7 Jumbo Dumbo Facts You May Not Know About Disney's Animated Original

7 Jumbo Dumbo Facts You May Not Know About Disney's Animated Original

Now that Dumbo is coming back into our lives, nostalgic folks may seek out the original for a family movie night, or just to relive the nostalgia of one of Disney's most magical tales. While the film itself is interesting, however, there's a lot about it in general that make it so much more than an animated movie. Check out some of these jumbo Dumbo facts below, which will certainly give you a greater appreciation for this Walt Disney classic.

Dumbo Is Only 64 Minutes Long

The first thing those who jump back into Dumbo might notice is that the ride is over almost as soon as it begins. Hell, it's shorter than a majority of episodes in Season 8 of Game of Thrones, and one of the shortest feature length films in the Disney catalog. One can hunker down on the couch to watch this classic, and not even need to get up for a bathroom break!

For the record, this runtime wasn't a sign of the times. RKO Pictures initially balked when Disney presented Dumbo to it, and requested the film either be cut down to short-form, scenes be added to make it longer, or it be allowed to release it as a B-movie. Disney refused all three options, as it was cutting serious corners at the time, and RKO eventually relented and allowed it to run as is.

Dumbo Basically Saved Disney

Disney had a great start with its animated films, but it only took a few failures to jeopardize the company's future. Pinocchio and Fantasia both failed at the box office, and European film distribution was impossible at the time due to World War II. Bottom line, Disney needed a hit, and it needed to spend as little money as possible to ensure its American audience showed up for the movie.

Dumbo did that, and in addition to doubling its modest budget of $950,000 (one-third of Pinocchio's budget), it managed to stand out in a good way. Its low-budget style resonated with audiences, and it has continued to do so throughout the years. The movie got some re-releases in theaters not long after the war, and two additional releases in the 70s. I guess non-verbal baby elephants can be a hit no matter the decade?

Dumbo Was Nearly Time's "Mammal Of The Year"

Response to Dumbo was so positive in America, that Time Magazine wanted to feature the character on its cover. Dumbo was to be it's "Mammal of the Year" a title that was meant to be a play on its iconic "Man of the Year" award. Unfortunately, a bigger news item bumped the character off the cover, as Time thought it may be more prudent to cover the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Obviously, Time made the right call in covering an event that would change the world as we know it. Plus, Dumbo still got an article in that issue, although it wasn't the cover story that was originally planned. Still, how many other movies can say it took one of the biggest wars in world history to knock it out of the news cycle?

There Was Once A Dumbo II In Development

This fact isn't too hard to believe, as it seems like every Disney animated feature seems to get a sequel whether it's warranted or not (albeit it's been a history of almost exclusively home video releases). This was going to happen with Dumbo, as Disney had concocted a story that took place not long after the first film in which the elephant, Timothy Q. Mouse and other animals were separated from the circus.

Among other things, the sequel would've explained some details on Dumbo's father, Mr. Jumbo. A behind-the-scenes trailer for the sequel was packaged with the 2001 DVD release to coincide with the movie's 60th anniversary, but the move was ultimately cancelled by John Lasseter when he took control of the company. The movie will likely never see the light of day, but if the live-action adaptation is a hit, perhaps elements from Dumbo II could appear in a sequel to that?

It Was The First Disney Movie For Sterling Holloway

Dumbo was the first Disney voice acting role for actor Sterling Holloway, who audiences hear as the Stork that delivers baby Dumbo to Mrs. Jumbo. For those who don't recognize the name, Holloway would go on to do many voices for the House of Mouse, including another iconic animal in the Disney family. Holloway was the original voice of Winnie The Pooh, and voiced the character from its beginning all the way up until 1982.

Beyond Pooh, Disney lovers can also hear Sterling Holloway voice the adult flower in Bambi, The Cheshire Cat in Alice In Wonderland, and Kaa The Snake in The Jungle Book. Even if they didn't know the name, most probably knew that based on Sterling Holloway's distinctive voice, which is rather easy to pick out given the popularity of Pooh. Had he never gotten his role in Dumbo, who knows how the rest of his career would've went.

Timothy's Encouragement Of Dumbo Is Low Key Shade Towards Clark Gable

When one talks about the golden age of Hollywood, it's only a matter of time before Clark Gable comes up. He was the actor of the era, and still remains relevant today primarily thanks to his iconic role in Gone With The Wind. Despite that, audiences of today may overlook a statement made by Timothy E. Mouse that viewers at the time almost immediately attributed to the actor.

In one particular scene, which also appeared in the Dumbo trailer, Timothy informs Dumbo that his big ears aren't bad. In fact, he states "lots of people with big ears are famous," which audiences at the time took as a reference to Gable's large ears. It's a little mean spirited, but the movie came out during the prime of Gable's success, and there's no evidence he took particular offense to it. One could assume, frankly, he didn't give a damn.

"Look Out For Mister Stork" References A Famous Family

Here's another reference that, while relevant for viewers in the 40s, may not ring a bell to anyone in 2019. "Look Out For Mister Stork" references the classic nursery rhyme The Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe, but also "those quintuplets" like any of us are supposed to know what that means today. As mentioned, folks back then knew the reference was made to the Dionne quintuplets of Ontario.

So, why did these five kids get a shout out in Dumbo? Well, they were famous because they were the first set of five kids to survive their infancy. It's impressive given the mortality rate of children at the time, and even more impressive when one reads about how the doctor who delivered them managed to keep them all alive. Suffice to say giving a newborn corn syrup with two drops of rum wouldn't have a doctor's recommendation these days.

As the new Dumbo makes its run in theaters, be sure to stick with CinemaBlend for updates on its performance at the box office and other news on the Disney front. For those unsure of whether or not they'll be going to check out the live-action adaptation, see what those who saw the film early are saying.

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When Are We Getting The Star Wars Episode IX Trailer?

When Are We Getting The Star Wars Episode IX Trailer?

It's a very exciting time to be a Star Wars fan. Once Disney acquired Lucasfilm, a variety of new and exciting projects came to the galaxy far, far away. This includes standalone films and main installments, which continue the narrative George Lucas began back in A New Hope. The Skywalker Saga will end forever with J.J. Abrams mysterious Episode IX, and the generations of fans are eager for any and all information regarding the upcoming blockbuster.

The wait for Episode IX has been especially hard, since December of 2018 was the first time in years that a new addition didn't arrive in theaters for the holiday season. And given the pressure of completing a narrative that spans nine films, anticipation is at a fever pitch. So when will we finally get to see the first trailer? If you ask me, it's coming next month.

Smart money says that the first trailer for Episode IX (and likely the debut of its mysterious title) will be timed with the release of Avengers: Endgame. The movie has a similar sense of stakes and pressure, as it will complete Phase Three of the MCU. Endgame is expected to break box office records, so it's the perfect venue to debut the first look at Episode IX, and continue Disney's domination over the blockbuster landscape.

While this is just a theory and totally unconfirmed by the studio, there has been some precedent set for the first Star Wars trailer arriving in April. For instance, the first trailer for The Last Jedi arrived in April of 2017, amping up excitement for Rian Johson's December release. The Last Jedi didn't have a massive MCU blockbuster to use as a proxy, while Episode IX's potential trailer debut could send the fandom into a frenzy-- especially combined with their excitement over Endgame.

The House Of Mouse has their marketing game on point, and masterfully chooses trailers to accompany their big releases-- building up excitement for the next Disney release. For instance, Captain Marvel's trailer included a stunning look at the upcoming remake of The Lion King, which was made all the more enticing in 3-D showings. Avengers: Endgame seems like a prime time to finally debut some information and footage of Episode IX, as the public has seen nothing from J.J. Abrams' return to the franchise.

The stakes for Episode IX could not be higher, as J.J. Abrams must conclude the trilogy he began with The Force Awakens, as well as the entire Skywalker Saga. Generations of fans are looking to see how the beloved space opera will end, and see characters return like Lando Calrissian and Luke Skywalker. Additionally, Carrie Fisher's Leia will be included through unused footage from the last two movies, which is sure to be a fascinating to watch.

Episode IX will arrive in theaters on December 20th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Emilia Clarke Admits She Regrets 'Stupid Action Movies' She's Filmed

Emilia Clarke Admits She Regrets 'Stupid Action Movies' She's Filmed

As the eight-season journey on Game of Thrones soon comes to an end, fans are certainly curious about where we will see our favorite stars next on the big screen. Jason Momoa certainly made waves as Aquaman after portraying Khal Drogo, and Sophie Turner is playing the titular role in the next installment of the X-Men franchise, Dark Phoenix. What about fan-favorites Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow, a.k.a. Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington?

Emilia Clarke recently spoke with Variety about her time as a big screen actress thus far, and part of the discussion was about how her and co-star Kit Harington have bonded over their common career accomplishments… and mistakes. Said the actress,

Kit and I are counterparts in terms of experience. We are pretty much the same age, and our characters have had parallel journeys, and we as actors have had parallel journeys. We’ve both done stupid action movies we regret and fabulous things we’re proud of, and we’ve always come back to Thrones. And he’s the person I’d ask, ‘How are you handling this? Are you alright?’ We were in sync, even if we were filming on opposite sides of the world.

Their characters are connected in more way than one! The two actors have notably had some bad luck with their big budget action movie endeavors, and here Emilia Clarke admits to regretting them. Of course, Clarke notably played Sarah Connor in the 2015 failed reboot Terminator: Genisys, which in the past she has said she was “relieved” to see fail at the box office so she wouldn’t have to return for a sequel because “no one had a good time” making it.

Clarke also recently played Qi’ra in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which was deemed the biggest disappointment for the franchise – though obviously nobody is placing any blame on the actress. The movie dealt with some problems during production, such as the replacement of Phil Lord and Chris Miller with Ron Howard in the midst of filming.

On Kit Harington’s end, the actor starred in 2014’s period volcano thriller Pompeii, which only made $117 million worldwide with a $100 million budget, and Seventh Son, which has comparative disappointing numbers with a $114 million worldwide take against a $95 million budget. These are reasons enough for the Game of Thrones stars to be apprehensive about starring in action movies, but luckily they had each other to talk out shared experiences, even though they were on completely different projects.

Looking ahead, Emilia Clarke is starring in a rom-com with Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding called Last Christmas, and in a crime-thriller titled Above Suspicion - neither of which are being made as tent-pole blockbusters. Kit Harington will next be seen on the big screen starring in the drama The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, which premiered last year at the Toronto International Film Festival and isn't currently set up with a domestic release date or distributor.

The actors will be the talk of the world when the premiere of Game of Thrones' six-episode final season premieres on April 14th, leading to an ending for their characters that Clarke said “fucked [her] up” and got Harington crying at a table read.

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Dark Phoenix Final Trailer Shows Off New, Dark Powers For Jean Grey

Dark Phoenix Final Trailer Shows Off New, Dark Powers For Jean Grey

Breaking news: a random mutant sighting has been reported this morning, and it’s a pretty big one. That’s right, Fox has dropped another trailer for Dark Phoenix, and it's all about Jean Grey and her newer, darker powers. Better still, this is probably the best trailer for the latest, and probably the last X-Men film we'll see for a while. But don't take my word for it, as you can see for yourself below:

Perhaps the greatest asset this trailer for Dark Phoenix presents is the fact that we see a clear line of story for Jean's ascendence into darkness. From the shuttle rescue that she and the rest of the crew are sent to execute, straight to her confrontation with Magneto, we see some slick storytelling at work.

Of course, there are quite a bit of powers that are used to tell that story as well, and we see Jean not only absorb the alien power force that will turn her into the Phoenix, but she also deflects lightning attacks launched by Storm, and even shatters Magneto's helmet into pieces. That's some pretty damned powerful mutation at work there.

While the usual gang of young X-Men are on display (we see Storm, Nightcrawler, and Cyclops all strutting their stuff), it's Sophie Turner's Jean Grey that's definitely ruling the show here. Seeing what we've got in front of us with this final trailer, her big moments with Michael Fassbender's Magneto and even James McAvoy's Professor Xavier look to be some of the most powerful stuff in the series.

Just the scene where she confronts Magneto "threatening her" speaks volumes on the potential that this film has to close out this chapter of X-Men history in a strong, satisfying manner.

As we've also seen in Dark Phoenix trailers of (future) past, Jean Grey is indeed going through a bit of a crisis. Something so big that the mysterious Jessica Chastain is trying to spur it on, and the rest of the X-Men universe is still trying to decide how to handle. It all comes to a head in director Simon Kinberg's big summer blockbuster, as the other side of Jean we started to see in X-Men: Apocalypse's big finale is shining through in full force. And may the spirit of Stan Lee help anyone who gets in her way.

The kitchen sink is proverbially thrown in Dark Phoenix, as there looks to be quite a bit of heartache heading our way, with Jennifer Lawrence’s Mystique being one of the many victims we should expect in this final installment of the series’ revitalization that started with 2011’s X-Men: First Class.

It’s truly an end of an era, and it looks like Dark Phoenix is planning to close this saga out with some heavy firepower.

Dark Phoenix marks the end of the X-Men saga as we know it on June 7th. Though that shouldn't stop you from taking the 2019 release schedule and finding some super-powered and/or more grounded delights to take in at the movies!

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To 3D Or Not To 3D: Buy The Right Wonder Park Ticket

To 3D Or Not To 3D: Buy The Right Wonder Park Ticket

The days are getting longer, the weather is getting nicer, and it's almost time for that age-old tradition of strapping oneself inside a metal roller coaster and defying gravity for fun! However, you might not have a local theme park open for the season, depending on where you hail from, so a movie like Wonder Park could be the thrill ride fix you need, mixed in with a family drama about the power of imagination. But, of course, there's something else we have to wonder about with this particular film. Yes, it's time to ask that beautiful question, “To 3D, or Not To 3D?”

If you're wondering what we thought about Wonder Park as a movie, head over to our official review for the full scoop. But if you're wondering whether the film is worth the extra ticket money, or if you'd be better off throwing that money towards a box of popcorn at your local theme park, you've come to the right place. Glasses on, as we're about to ride the 3D attraction that is Wonder Park.

Wonder Park, at its heart, is a film about a young girl's imagination, and the theme park it inspires. So that alone would be a pretty big treat in 3D, especially during the theme park sequences in the film. But Wonder Park isn't content with just showing off impressive attractions with 3D panache, as it takes both the real and imaginary worlds of its protagonist and does a pretty bang up job of finding something to surprise the eye with in both.

Looking at the finished product of Wonder Park's 3D conversion, it's a clear verdict in how much time and effort was put into the execution of this enhanced version of the film. The overall package is crisp and eye pleasing, with none of the defects that crop up in some lesser 3D presentations. While there's still some holding back with the film's visuals, it's not to the extent that the film suffers from it.

There are a couple of key shots in Wonder Park that show the perfect example of a self-imposed limitation when it comes to the 3D presentation. Those shots have objects like ice cream cones and other debris from the various adventures the film engages in hitting an invisible camera lens / glass wall and bouncing back into the picture. While those little touches are kinda fun, and definitely play with the visual fourth wall, they cause the film to stop short of any sort of thrills involving the objects in play flying out towards the audience.

While objects may not fly out of the screen, and into the audience's laps, Wonder Park does happen to boast some of the best depth in a 3D animated film. And that's besides the standard shots flying through roller coaster loops and the far off vistas of Wonderland being shown in fantastic depth and clarity. This film goes the extra mile, and includes impressive panning shots of crowds occupying the park that are so well drawn, you can feel each individual guest standing in front of you. It actually feels like a crowd shot, and not just a background effect, which is the ultimate cherry on top of this visual sundae.

There are a lot of beautiful colors and night shots at work in Wonder Park, which are both the types of aspects that get lost in a film with sub-par brightness. Now your mileage may vary when it comes to the brightness of your Wonder Park showing, as theaters maintain their projection rigs to varying degrees. That fact alone throws in a variable that can't always be accounted for. But in this screening of Wonder Park, there was only a slight dimming between putting the 3D glasses on and taking them off at various points in the film. The colors still look beautiful, and the night shots aren't a pain to look at.

Speaking of taking your glasses off, if you're tempted to remove your glasses during any point of Wonder Park, you'll see that classic blur that is a significant part of any good 3D film's visual language. The level of blur you experience in a movie such as this usually indicates how well the 3D effects are being manipulated in service of the thrills portrayed on screen. In the case of Wonder Park, there is a beautiful spectrum of blurred vision, from the extremely blurred backgrounds to the subtle blur of close up shots with characters and objects they're interacting with.

As with any good theme park, there's a lot of fast motion, with spirals, dips, and whipping around in the visuals of Wonder Park. But don't get intimidated by that, as it all flows smoothly, and with great precision. Rather than confuse your eyes, or your stomach, the 3D thrills in this film will not rattle either into a sense of discomfort. So if you decide to take this ride, you won't have to keep a waste bag or eye drops handy, as you'll be able to enjoy Wonder Park with no discomfort whatsoever.

Wonder Park is a stunning film to look at, with the 3D aspect making things only that much more interesting. If you're going to see this movie, you're getting the best return on your hard earned ticket money by seeing it with the added bells and whistles. There's extra wonder in Wonder Park's 3D conversion, and you owe it to yourself to experience every bit of it.

Be sure to visit our full To 3D Or Not To 3D Archive.

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