Britt Hayes is a writer, movie lover, and sensible sweater enthusiast living in Austin, Texas. She watches too much TV and never eats her vegetables.
Britt Hayes
Mindy Kaling, Helena Bonham Carter Join Female-Fronted ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ Project
Gary Ross’ female-fronted Ocean’s Eleven sorta-sequel-spinoff-whatever has started picking up steam, and in addition to confirming Cate Blanchett’s casting, the latest update adds two more talented names to the ensemble: Mindy Kaling and Helena Bonham Carter. The trio join Sandra Bullock in the upcoming project, which is being produced by original Ocean’s trilogy director Steven Soderbergh.
Jennifer Lawrence to Play Another Innovative Business Woman, This Time For Adam McKay
This might help explain why Jennifer Lawrence is a little too busy to join that female-fronted Ocean’s Eleven spinoff / reboot: The actress has signed on to star in an untitled project for Adam McKay, which — like Joy — casts Lawrence as an ambitious and innovative business woman, but this time she won’t have such a happy ending.
Set Sail With the First ‘Moana’ Poster, Disney to Debut Teaser Trailer on Sunday
Somehow — in between working out, reading scripts, and filming Fast 8 and Jumanji — Dwayne Johnson finds time to share updates and sneak peeks from his upcoming films with his sizable fan base. Today’s Rock-sclusive is the first official poster for Disney’s Moana, the animated musical adventure featuring the voices of Johnson (obviously) and newcomer Auli’i Cravalho. And in case you were wondering when we might see the first teaser, Johnson’s got you covered there, too.
Stephen King’s ‘It’ Remake Finds Its Pennywise as Casting Begins
While we continue to mourn Cary Fukunaga’s adaptation of It that might have been, the remake of Stephen King’s classic horror story is still chugging right along with Mama director Andy Muschietti at the helm. Casting has begun for the long-developing project, which has officially locked down the role of Pennywise the terrifying clown, along with at least one of the young kids he’ll be tormenting.
Dan Aykroyd Praises New ‘Ghostbusters’ and the Internet’s Reaction Is Predictably Ugly
It’s become impossible to talk about Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters without acknowledging the unsavory reactions from fans of the original who have declared the reboot cinema non grata (to say the least). It’s also been suggested that perhaps some words of support from the original cast members might help soothe the aggressive fanbase, that if their so-called childhood heroes give Feig’s film the stamp of approval (as if their willingness to cameo in the film wasn’t endorsement enough), maybe the anti-reboot fan contingent would settle down and come to accept a crew of female Ghostbusters. That’s not the case, as OG Ghostbuster Dan Aykroyd shared his positive thoughts on Feig’s reboot, inspiring a slew of predictably angry reactions.
Netflix to Officially Begin Streaming New Disney Films in September
Way back in 2012 (or at least it feels way back), Netflix and Disney struck a deal for all of Disney’s movies — including Marvel, Pixar and Lucasfilm — to stream exclusively on Netflix Instant. According to the terms of their agreement, the deal wouldn’t kick in until 2016, which just so happens to be the year in which we are currently living. As announced today, Netflix will officially begin streaming Disney films in September, but that doesn’t mean the studio’s entire library will magically appear in your Instant browser.
Are You Ready For a ‘Benji’ Reboot? Good, Because You’re Getting One
If studio developments in recent years have taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected when it comes to reboots and adaptations. From upcoming movies based on video games like Centipede and Tetris to the Jumanji reboot, it’s as if studios are plucking titles from the Least Likely pile (where is my Easy Bake Oven movie already?). The latest movie to get the unexpected reboot treatment is Benji — you know, the feel-good doggy adventure movie from 1974, which many of you probably remember best from its near-constant presence on The Disney Channel in the ’80s and early ’90s.
‘Fruit Ninja’ Is the Next Mobile Game Heading to the Big Screen
If you had any doubt that a mobile game would make for a successful film, look no further than The Angry Birds Movie, which effortlessly claimed the top spot at the box office over the weekend. So it’s not particularly surprising that another popular mobile game is getting an animated film adaptation, this one based on the slice-happy Fruit Ninja series. Scoff if you must, but never underestimate the power of brand recognition.
Warren Beatty Is Howard Hughes in ‘Rules Don’t Apply’ First Look
Rules Don’t Apply is the first film Warren Beatty has directed in 20 years, and the first film he’s starred in since 2001’s Town and Country. It’s taken many years for Beatty to get his passion project off the ground, but Rules Don’t Apply will finally hit theaters this fall, and the first photos from the long-developing film have arrived to give us a sneak peek at Beatty’s highly-anticipated return to the big screen.
New Movie Releases: June 2016
In case you didn’t get enough inspiration from our list of the 20 films you absolutely must see this summer, then perhaps our guide to June’s new movie releases will give you a few more ideas. Next months brings sequels to Independence Day, The Conjuring and Now You See Me, a new Pixar film, and a comedy from the Lonely Island trio. And that’s only half of it. Did we mention Daniel Radcliffe’s magical farting corpse? That’s something you definitely do not want to miss (and we say that sincerely).
Helen Mirren to Play Tormented ‘Winchester’ Rifle Heir in Supernatural Thriller
One of the most compelling actresses in the world is about to take on one of the most compelling true stories of all time, which makes this movie an instant must-see. Helen Mirren is closing a deal to play Sarah Winchester in a new supernatural thriller based on the unnervingly strange story of the heir to the famed rifle manufacturing fortune. Simply titled Winchester, the project comes from the directing duo behind Daybreakers and Predestination.
Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Irishman’ Is Finally Happening With Robert De Niro and Al Pacino
It was reported last week that foreign distribution rights were being shopped around Cannes for Martin Scorsese’s long-developing mob drama The Irishman — a project that’s been gestating for so long that we started to think it might not ever happen. But STX Entertainment has snatched up the rights to distribute the film overseas, which means that The Irishman is finally happening after all.
CBS Passes on ‘Nancy Drew’ Series Because It’s ‘Too Female’
Just take a moment to really soak in that headline. CBS, a major network in the United States, reportedly passed on a new Nancy Drew series because it was “too female.” Wow. In a country where women make up 51 percent of the population, it would just be totally crazy to green light a show about us. Thankfully, the contemporary update on the classic detective character is being shopped elsewhere, so hopefully they’ll find another network that doesn’t cringe at the thought of all this lady stuff.
ABC Cancels ‘The Muppets’ After Just One Baffling Season
Despite an attempt to turn things around with a new showrunner in the middle of the first season, The Muppets hasn’t really caught on with audiences the way ABC had hoped. What once seemed like a surefire hit (it’s the Muppets!) turned into a bizarre experiment (it’s a meta-fake-documentary series!) before ultimately becoming an interesting failure (shrug emoji), at best. The short version: ABC has cancelled The Muppets after just one season.
Dwayne Johnson’s ‘Jumanji’ Reboot Will Honor Robin Williams in a ‘Cool Way’
You really have no idea how loved a movie is until a studio announces plans to reboot it — such is the case with Jumanji, the 1995 film starring Robin Williams, which performed pretty well at the box office but didn’t leave a big impression on critics and (adult) audiences. But reactions to Dwayne Johnson’s new Jumanji movie offer a valuable lesson in the power of nostalgia, as fans have been quick to cry foul on the reboot. Johnson has heard you, and not only is he committed to making the best reboot possible, but he’s also found a “cool” way to honor the memory of Robin Williams.
Andre the Giant Biopic in the Works Based on Wrestler’s Graphic Novel Biography
A biography told in graphic novel form is far from typical, but then again, so was Andre Roussimoff, the pro-wrestling legend better known to fans as Andre the Giant. The 2015 graphic novel Andre the Giant: Closer to Heaven will serve as the inspiration for the late wrestler’s big screen biopic, with his daughter Robin Christensen-Roussimoff serving as consultant on the project.