Coming Up in the Pixar World

Coming Up in the Pixar World
Anthony Breznican - Entertainment Weekly

Pixar turned its table lamp on its voice actors for the upcoming films The Good Dinosaur and Inside Out at the Disney fan convention D23.

The equivalent of Disney’s Comic-Con brought new revelations about the plots for the upcoming movies, which feature a dinosaur keeping a toddler human as a pet, a journey inside the workings of the human mind, and a return to the ocean for a sequel to a Pixar classic.

Disney animation czar John Lasseter also showed off footage from the films, and presided over a parade of voice talent.

Among the biggest news was that Pixar’s Finding Nemo sequel…

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Is the 3D Fad Over? (Please say yes!)

Is the 3D Fad Over? (Please say yes!)
Grady Smith - Entertainment Weekly

Up-charged tickets made up a full 71 percent of Avatar‘s 2009 opening-weekend gross of $77 million, and Alice in Wonderland (70 percent),TRON: Legacy (82 percent), and The Final Destination (70 percent) also got major boosts. Animated family movies have never done as well in the format, but even Toy Story 3 managed 60 percent in 2010. This summer a different tale has unfolded: During the 30-day span from June 21 to July 21, 3-D business hit a new low three separate times (that’s since 2009, when this new golden age began).

Only 31 percent of Monsters University‘s June 21 opening-weekend…

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Loki Might Appear in ‘Agents of SHIELD’

Loki Might Appear in ‘Agents of SHIELD’
Fred Topel - CraveOnline

After the “Hollow Crown” session, the TCA couldn’t help ask Hiddleston if he would be open to reprising his Thor and Avengers role of Loki in an episode of the “S.H.I.E.L.D.” series. Whedon told us yesterday that he would consider asking Marvel movie stars to do episodes if it makes sense for the story. Hiddleston agreed.

“It would be something that would depend upon script and story but yeah, of course,” said Hiddleston.

And this right after I said on the Podcast last night (episode coming up to be posted very soon this morning) that I didn’t think we would see much, if any, Marvel movie…

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The Threat of ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Still Looms

The Threat of ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Still Looms
Kevin Jagernauth - The Playlist

The threat/promise of “Indiana Jones 5” still looms overhead, and at the very least, conversations have been happening in some capacity or another. Back in 2011, Steven Spielberg revealed that there was already some discussion as to what the MacGuffin might be, a few months later it seemed that plans for continuing the franchise were kiboshed due to George Lucas’ retirement. But as we well know from “Star Wars,” even if he’s kicking up his feet on a beach somewhere, brands mean money and studios will always find a way to keep them alive, but should it even been attempted with Harrison…

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Del Torro Wanted Charlie Day to Be Villain in ‘Pacific Rim 2’

Del Torro Wanted Charlie Day to Be Villain in ‘Pacific Rim 2’
Charlie Schmidlin - The Playlist

Talking with Crave Online (via Shock Til You Drop), Day touched on his early meetings with Del Toro about the project, and the director’s overall plans for his nerdy scientist character, Newt. “[He] liked the idea of Newt becoming a bit of a villain in the second film,” Day said. “But, I think over the course of making the film, and the way the character resonated with the audience, I don’t think he would want to turn him into a villain now.” In the original, Day collaborated with co-worker Hermann Gottlieb (Burn Gorman) to discover the prime weakness of the Kaiju, and help bring them… Read The Rest

Critics Are Mean to ‘The Lone Ranger’

Critics Are Mean to ‘The Lone Ranger’
Jesse David Fox - Vulture

Ever since the film’s embarrassing, sub-$30 million opening, the people behindThe Lone Ranger have been complaining about critics. And now, as the film opens internationally, they seem to be doubling their efforts. That’s where this interview clip with Yahoo U.K. comes in. For three minutes, it features Armie Hammer, Johnny Depp, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and director Gore Verbinski just complaining about the American press. 

Deppp posits that “the reviews were written seven to eight months before” the film’s release. Bruckheimer adds, “they were reviewing the budget, not reviewing the…

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Tom Hiddleston Confirms Loki is not in ‘Avengers 2’

Tom Hiddleston Confirms Loki is not in ‘Avengers 2’
Drew Taylor - The Playlist

First and foremost, Tom Hiddleston, who has become a breakout star of the Marvel cinematic universe (especially when he adorably appeared at Comic-Con in full Loki regalia), confirmed to Entertainment Weekly what he had been skirting around since his appearance at the Con: that Loki will not be a part of “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” “He’s not in it,” Hiddleston told EW flat out. “Here’s the thing: I don’t think there’s anything else Loki could contribute to ‘The Avengers,’ narratively. Joss gave me so many wonderful things to do in that first film that we’d only be trying to repeat ourselves…

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Mission: Accepted - Christopher McQuarrie to Direct ‘MI:5’

Mission: Accepted - Christopher McQuarrie to Direct ‘MI:5’
Kevin Jagernauth - The Playlist

Even though he’s been playing it cagey and cool, this news is hardly shocking. As far back as last fall, prior to the release of “Jack Reacher,” Christopher McQuarrie was expected to write and direct “Mission: Impossible 5” for his bud Tom Cruise. Even earlier this year he was undecided on directing and attached himself to some other projects along the way, including Warner Bros. long developing remake of “Ice Station Zebra” and a U.S. adaptation of the U.K. miniseries, “Unforgiven.” But it looks like he’s accepting the mission.

The writer/director hit Twitter to day to reveal simply: “ Read The Rest

A Klingon Warrior Has Passed On to Sto-vo-kor

A Klingon Warrior Has Passed On to Sto-vo-kor
Lindsey Bahr - Entertainment Weekly

Michael Ansara, the actor best known for playing Kang, a Klingon warrior on three versions of Star Trek, died Wednesday at the age of 91 at his home in Calabasas, CA. The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.

Ansara’s former publicist and longtime friend Michael B. Druxman confirmed the news.  Druxman told EW: “Michael and I have been friends since 1968. He was my best friend. He had a long illness. He died at home. He was a great guy, and a wonderful actor.” He added: “I really miss him.”

Michael Ansara appeared as Kang in three itterations of Star Trek on TV. He appeared in Star…

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‘Agents of SHEILD’ Questions Answered

‘Agents of SHEILD’ Questions Answered
Megan Masters - TV Line

The cast and producers of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., led by prolific EP Joss Whedon, on Sunday granted members of the Television Critics Assoc. Level 7 access to scoop and (very light) spoilers from the hotly-anticipated ABC drama, which bows Sept. 24 at 8/7c.

RESURRECTION | Acknowledging theAvengers’ death of Clark Gregg‘s now-very-much-alive Agent Coulson, exec producer Jeph Loeb admitted, “There was never going to be a show called Marvel’sAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D. without Clark.” The actor, for his part, shared that he didn’t want his character’s resurrection to be “anything that…

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