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
New HBO NOW Releases: June 2016
Game of Thrones Season 6 comes to an end in June (so soon!), but luckily HBO NOW has plenty of viewing options to help keep you occupied during your annual mourning period. Next month brings the premiere of HBO’s new weekly series Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons, hosted by the renowned sports analyst, author and ESPN vet. Cinephiles, meanwhile, will be thrilled to see the addition of Ridley Scott’s The Martian and (maybe) David Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars. But more importantly, the epic Problem Child trilogy is coming to HBO NOW in June, giving you a chance to engage in a fierce familial debate over the finer points of Junior’s schemes — surely a more contentious topic than the resurrection of Jon Snow.
John Boyega Says ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’ Is Darker, Has Bad News For Finn and Rey ’Shippers
The Force Awakens was a pretty epic return to the world of Star Wars, and it’ll be interesting to see how Rian Johnson follows it up with Episode VIII. We’ve seen a few set photos (though nothing particularly revealing), but with the sequel not hitting theaters until December 2017, it’s going to be quite a while before we see anything substantial. While John Boyega isn’t at liberty to say too much about Episode VIII, he does offer a couple of pieces of info that should help you manage your expectations.
Michael Bay Goes Medieval on Official ‘Transformers 5’ Title
What, you didn’t think Michael Bay would actually give his new Transformers sequel a silly title like Transformers 5, did you? Of course not. As with its predecessors, the next installment in the franchise has been given a lengthier, more regal name, and is now officially titled Transformers: The Last Knight. Arise, Sir Optimus Prime.
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.
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.
‘Captain America: Civil War’ Filmmakers Reveal a Couple of Scenes That Were Cut
After two phases of superhero films, Marvel’s filmmaking engine has become rather efficient, which is why you shouldn’t expect to see much in the way of deleted scenes when Captain America: Civil War eventually hits DVD and Blu-ray. Still, cuts are inevitable, and according to the directors and screenwriters, there are at least a couple of notable — if somewhat minor — moments that didn’t make the theatrical version.
Russell Crowe Confirms Role in ‘The Mummy’ Reboot, Says It Will ‘Scare the S— Out of You’
It’s hard to know what to expect from Universal’s ambitious new monster movie franchise, which will reboot many of the studio’s iconic boogeymen in one shared universe of films. And we probably won’t have a decent idea about what the studio is up to until next summer, when The Mummy hits theaters. But thanks to Russell Crowe, we have some indication of what Alex Kurtzman is planning for his reboot, which also stars Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella.
SNL Revives Dana Carvey’s Church Lady to Judge Our Choices Accordingly
It’s been several years since Dana Carvey’s Church Lady graced us with her benevolent presence, but Church Chat finally returns to SNL — and not a moment too soon. With Donald Trump running for president (what a world) and pop culture run amok, we, as a nation, are truly in need of sage wisdom from Carvey’s shrewdly devout Church Lady.
New ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Photos Show Michael Fassbender a Little Restraint
Assassin’s Creed doesn’t hit theaters until December, but it shouldn’t be much longer before the first trailer arrives to give us a proper sneak peek at what may very well be the first good video game movie. In the meantime, two new images have arrived featuring Michael Fassbender in both past and present settings — though his present state doesn’t look very optimistic.
Robert Downey Jr. Is Down For ‘Iron Man 4,’ So Just Forget All That Other Stuff He Said
For the last couple of years, Robert Downey Jr. has said that there are no plans for a fourth Iron Man movie — and he hasn’t appeared to be interested in making another one, to be honest. And that fact is seemingly supported by his Marvel contract, which does not include another solo outing beyond Iron Man 3. When (and if) Marvel re-ups the actor’s contract, that could very well be subject to change, when (and if) Downey Jr. is open to it. That time appears to be now.
Warner Bros. Sets 2017 Release Dates for Stephen King’s ‘It’ and ‘CHiPs’
Warner Bros. has announced release dates for two of their upcoming adaptations / reboots, adding both films — along with an untitled mystery project — to their 2017 slate. First up is CHiPs, Dax Shepard’s new action-comedy based on the classic ’80s TV series, starring Shepard and Michael Peña in the leading roles. Next is It, the long-developing and slightly-delayed adaptation of Stephen King’s beloved horror novel, which became the subject of some minor controversy following director Cary Fukunaga’s departure.
‘Blade Runner 2’ Adds ‘Knock Knock’ Star Ana de Armas
Knock Knock is a pretty terrible movie that not even Keanu Reeves could redeem — though it wasn’t entirely bad. One of the (very) few good things about Eli Roth’s 2015 thriller is Ana de Armas, the charming Cuban actress who made the film somewhat watchable. Luckily, her next project probably won’t need any help in that department, but it’s definitely a huge step up from her most recent roles.