She-Hulk Still Looks Extremely CGI In New MCU Show Image

A She-Hulk show image includes a new glimpse at the titular heroine, who still looks noticeably computer-generated. The upcoming Marvel Studios series will introduce Emmy-winner Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, bringing the character into the MCU and portraying her in live-action for the first time. Officially titled She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the show will premiere on Disney+ August 12.

While the announcement of the series generated a tremendous amount of excitement, the general feeling has grown far more skeptical in recent weeks. The first She-Hulk show trailer revealed special effects for the hulked-out character that struck many as unusually rough, causing trepidation over whether the TV project could match the impressive VFX for characters like Hulk and Thanos that fans have grown accustomed to in the feature films. While Disney+ has since released an improved version, and Marvel audiences are aware that CGI is worked on until the very last minute, prospective viewers are nervous about what the final product will look like.

Now, Empire shares a new She-Hulk: Attorney at Law image that won't exactly quell those fears. The frame depicts Maslany in She-Hulk form attending some formal event, wearing a sparkly, silver dress and looking noticeably taller than the humans surrounding her. While viewers got to see this outfit in a shot from the trailer, the character still looks very much like something added in during post-production. 

It is generally true that CGI elements are more noticeable in still images than in motion, so Marvel fans shouldn't really take this as a sign of the VFX team's progress. However, as the studio's marketing department must know, many will anyway, and it's somewhat surprising they would release something that wasn't 100% solid following the She-Hulk show trailer backlash. This is especially so considering they could focus more on Maslany's human Jennifer Walters, since the actor brings with her plenty of goodwill from her acclaimed performances as several clones throughout Orphan Black.

Also, while the She-Hulk CGI will continue to be the main story leading up to the show's premiere, there are other interesting elements that could be highlighted instead. The series will follow up on the surprising Abomination cameo in Shang-Chi, with Tim Roth returning to his The Incredible Hulk character after many elements of that early MCU film were seemingly ignored in subsequent phases. Additionally, the trailer depicted Bruce Banner as Professor Hulk after the Shang-Chi post-credits scene showed he later returns to human form, so fans will be looking for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law to explain that transition.

Elvis: Colonel Tom Parker’s Biographer Has Perfect Description for Biopic

Biographer Alanna Nash provides an interesting description of the new Elvis biopic from director Baz Luhrmann and starring Austin Butler. Nash wrote the biography of the singer's longtime manager Colonel Tom Parker, played in the movie by Tom Hanks. The film was released on June 24 and received positive reviews from critics, with Butler's performance receiving particular acclaim. The film marks Luhrmann's return to the big screen for the first time in almost a decade, with his last movie being The Great Gatsby in 2013.

Elvis follows the life and career of legendary performer Elvis Presley (Butler) as he navigates becoming the King of Rock and Roll, as well as his tumultuous relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks). Nash published her biography of Parker, The Colonel, in 2003, the product of six years of exhaustive research into the elusive subject. Elvis has received praise from the family of the singer, saying it well captured the dynamic between Elvis and the Colonel, but Nash has some issues with the story.

In an interview with Variety, Nash lays out her problems with the film, saying it relies too much on style and a slippery timeline. She says the timeline of the film is nonexistent, presenting facts in a compressed and loose way, comparing it to a "fever dream." She particularly criticizes the film's use of the Colonel as an antagonist, saying it didn't capture his many accomplishments while managing Elvis. Read her quote below:

"The timeline… well, what timeline? It’s all a Baz Luhrmann fever dream. The past, present and future are all shook up like a ‘50s milkshake and served with a thousand straws! Other than the tremendous pains Baz has taken to make this story seem “woke,” the liberties are essentially fair — except to Parker. In making him such an antagonist, they have robbed him of his many accomplishments with his client."

The problem facing most biopics is the difficulty to capture the full essence of an individual in one movie, especially when they're not the main character. Many of a person's nuances, therefore, can be lost when adapted for the big screen and have to be compressed or altered. With Luhrmann directing Elvis, there was bound to be an emphasis on style over substance, which a number of critics and Elvis fans are claiming. Nash has other criticisms for the film, but also concedes that some of the artistic liberties Lurhmann takes are justifiable.

Even granting the use of artistic license, it's still worth talking about what the film does and doesn't get right. It's not Hollywood's job to educate, only entertain, and since Elvis isn't a documentary, it's up to the audience to do their own research into the turbulent life of the beloved icon and come to their own conclusions. While Nash's criticisms are perfectly valid, Elvis is a movie that sets out to entertain its audience with its visual splendor first and foremost, something it succeeds in doing in a way only Luhrmann could pull off.

Ezra Miller Reportedly No Longer Part of DCEU Plan After The Flash

Warner Bros. plans for the DCEU moving forward reportedly do not involve The Flash star Ezra Miller. After multiple delays and creative shakeups, The Flash is finally set to arrive in theaters on June 23, 2023. The film sees Ezra Miller reprising the role of Barry Allen from Justice League and will be joined by Sasha Callie as Supergirl and Michael Keaton making his grand return as Batman 31 years after his last appearance in Batman Returns.

However, Miller has been at the center of a number of troubling headlines in the past few weeks. Miller was arrested in Hawaii twice in 2022 with charges of second-degree assault. More headlines have surfaced since then, first when the parents of an 18-year-old filed paperwork asking a judge to issue an order of protection against the actor on behalf of their child. News then broke that a Massacuttes family was granted a temporary restraining order against Miller for menacing the family and acting inappropriately toward the nonbinary child. Originally mocking authorities about their whereabouts, Miller has since deleted their Instagram account.

While Warner Bros. still has over a year until the release of The Flash, they reportedly already have begun discussing the future of the franchise, and it is not looking good for Miller. In a recent report by Deadline, insiders say that the studio has tried getting help for Miller, but as the headlines continue to pile up, it appears that Miller does not fit in with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav's plans for the DCEU. Regardless of how the current situation with Miller turns out, it appears that they have no future in the DCEU.

Warner Bros. Discovery has been making big changes behind the scenes, with special emphasis being placed on revitalizing the DC brand in hopes of competing with Marvel Studios. This meant canceling projects like the HBO Max film Wonder Twins while also greenlighting Joker 2, which will reportedly be a musical starring Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. These headlines surrounding Miller are certainly not what Warner Bros. wants audiences talking about when it comes to their big-budget summer tentpole film, and some tough choices regarding the film will need to be made soon.

Warner Bros. originally had no plans to recast Miller in The Flash, yet as more headlines buildup, the future of the entire franchise might be at stake. What Warner Bros. will do with The Flash remains to be seen, but if the studio does recast the role of Barry Allen, they could reshoot the movie's ending and use the film's multiverse plot to explain the change in performer. The studio could also always opt for a different Flash other than Barry Allen, like bringing in Wally West or Bart Allen into the DCEU and letting The Flash serve as the closing chapter for Miller's incarnation of the scarlet speedster while looking forward to a new, hopefully, less controversial future.

Ethan Hawke Explains How The Black Phone Is Better Than Sinister

Ethan Hawke is feeling pretty confident that The Black Phone is better than Sinister and is sharing his thoughts on why. Hawke starred in the 2012 horror film as true-crime novelist Ellison Oswalt as he and his family move into a house with a collection of home videos depicting grisly murders that awakens a terrifying spirit. Sinister scored mixed-to-positive reviews from critics and largely positive reviews from audiences, becoming a major box office hit with over $87 million grossed against its $3 million budget.

Hawke and co-writer/director Scott Derrickson are reuniting for The Black Phone, an adaptation of Joe Hill's short story of the same name centered on a young boy kidnapped by a serial killer who begins communicating with his past victims in the hopes of escaping. Derrickson co-wrote the adaptation with his creative partner C. Robert Cargill, with the two putting their focus on the film after departing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness over creative differences with the studio. Following its acclaimed Fantastic Fest debut, The Black Phone is set to hit theaters this month.

Ahead of the film's release, Ethan Hawke caught up with SlashFilm to discuss The Black Phone. In looking at his prior collaboration with Scott Derrickson, Hawke felt that The Black Phone is better than Sinister thanks to Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill's script and more "mature filmmaking." See what Hawke explained below:

"Making a good horror film is a lot like solving a geometry problem. There's a math to a building. It has to be simple enough, complicated enough. People write books about Hitchcock and the timing and the way the cuts work. There's just a math to it. Scott's a very elegant filmmaker. I feel like this script was even better than Sinister, and it's more mature filmmaking. He makes good movies. If you love acting, you want to be with serious filmmakers because it gives you a shot."

Anticipation has been high for The Black Phone since it was first announced that Hawke and Derrickson would be reuniting for the film after the success of Sinister. Despite its initial mixed reception, the film has enjoyed a major cult following in the decade since it hit theaters, holding the ranking of the scariest movie ever in a study. Sinister would ultimately find itself dethroned in the study by Shudder's 2020 screenlife horror pic Host, which holds a rare 100 percent approval rating from critics on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes.

As Hawke references in his explanation, The Black Phone appears to have a number of elements in its favor when pitted against Sinister. Following its debut at Fantastic Fest, critics were much more favorable in early Black Phone reviews when compared to the 2012 horror film, praising the faithfulness to Hill's source novel, Derrickson's more matured direction and Hawke's menacing performance as The Grabber, leaving many hopeful that Hawke and Derrickson's reunion has made for a more terrifying outing. Only time will tell where audiences sit on comparing the two films when The Black Phone hits theaters on June 24.

Prey: Hulu Reveals Official Trailer For The Upcoming Predator Movie

It’s been four years since the latest Predator movie, that movie was called a “missed opportunity” and it grossed only $160.5 million against an $88 million budget. Now, producers decided to make a prequel, officially titled Prey, exclusively for the streaming service. Disney acquired rights for the Predator franchise with the acquisition of Fox in 2019, and the upcoming prequel will be released on Hulu, Disney+’s sister streaming platform, on August 5, 2022.

Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, “Prey” is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior. She has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.” — Prey, official synopsis

The Predator franchise kicked off in 1987 with the original movie of the same name, which was followed by the sequel Predator 2 in 1990. The third installment, Predators, was released in 2010, and the latest movie, The Predator, was released in 2018. Additionally, two crossover movies Alien vs. Predator were released in 2004 and 2007, respectively.

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who worked on The Boys and 10 Cloverfield Lane, Prey stars Amber Midthunder Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, and Julian Black Antelope.

Prey is scheduled to debut exclusively on Hulu on August 5, 2022.

Chris Evans Found Buzz Lightyear's Iconic Line Intimidating At First

Lightyear star Chris Evans reveals he found Buzz Lightyear's iconic "to infinity and beyond" line intimidating at first. Pixar's Lightyear movie story is set to detail the in-world, fictional astronaut who served as the inspiration behind the Buzz Lightyear toy, who was first introduced in 1995's Toy Story and voiced by Tim Allen. The film follows Buzz on a heroic mission to get him and his Star Command crew back home, after becoming stranded on an alien planet. Lightyear will also welcome back a Toy Story 2 villain, the evil Emperor Zurg.

Lightyear sees director Angus MacLane at the helm, having previously worked on a number of Toy Story spinoff specials, as well as co-directing 2016's Finding Dory. With Evans set to lend his voice to the film's titular character, the Lightyear voice cast will also feature ta number of big names, including Keke Palmer, Taika Waititi, Uzo Aduba, Dale Soules, James Brolin, and Peter Sohn. The film's highly anticipated trailer offered a tease of Evans' voice for his character, with many fans eager to hear the difference between both his and Allen's iterations of Buzz.

During an interview with Variety at the Los Angeles premiere of Lightyear, Evans discusses creating his own version of Buzz Lightyear and taking over from such a seasoned actor as Allen. The star opens up about the first time he delivered Buzz's iconic line, "to infinity and beyond," revealing his initial instinct was simply to do a "shameless Tim Allen impression." Evans went on to say, however, that both MacLane and the team at Pixar were incredibly collaborative throughout the process, which ultimately aided him in discovering his own voice for Buzz. Check out his quote below:

"It's tough, I mean, the first time you have to do that iconic line, 'To infinity and beyond,' you kinda just do a shameless Tim Allen impression, 'cause it's intimidating. But Angus and everyone at Pixar was so collaborative and you kinda let them guide you, and eventually you feel comfortable enough to try and make your own tracks in the snow and find your own interpretation, while still using Tim Allen as the blueprint."

News of Evans' Buzz Lightyear casting initially led to some considerable confusion among audiences, who wondered why Allen had been replaced as the voice of Buzz. Evans later took to Twitter to quell any concerns, confirming that he was not replacing the actor, since the film itself actually serves as an in-universe origin story for the creation of Allen's character. Throughout the movie's promotional run, the star has discussed his gratitude for the role at length, with Lightyear's producer Galyn Susman previously revealing that the studio "couldn't be happier" about their collaboration with the star.

It's certainly understandable that Evans would find it intimidating to step into a role of such renown, but it seems as though audiences will truly get to see the actor come into his own upon Lightyear's release. Early reviews for Pixar's latest film have been largely positive, with many praising it as a fun-filled space adventure, that draws inspiration from the Star Wars universe. For now, audiences do not have long to wait as Lightyear releases in theaters next week.