IT'S HERE!!! First Trailer For GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2

Oh man have I been waiting for this one and it delivers. I won't spoil it, but really it's the characters that I have been wanting to see engage each other again, and engage they do!

What do you think? Are you excited about what James Gunn has in store this time around?

Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 is directed by James Gunn and stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Tommy Flanagan, Laura Haddock and Kurt Russell. Kevin Feige is producing, and Louis D’Esposito, Jonathan Schwartz, Victoria Alonso, Nik Korda and Stan Lee are the executive producers. The screenplay is by James Gunn.



GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 is coming in May 2017.

First Trailer For Sci-Fi PASSENGERS Looks Like An Awesome Ride!

Director Morten Tyldum's PASSENGERS looks VERY promising. First of all the casting is intriguing with Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence headlining (Michael Sheen and Laurence Fishburne are no slouches either). But what I find most interesting is the mystery behind being woken up too soon on an epic space journey. Let's hope what has been done before is not repeated here - perhaps something original. I don't think that's too much to ask from screenplay writer Jon Spaihts.

Here's the movie's storyline:
Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt are two passengers onboard a spaceship transporting them to a new life on another planet. The trip takes a deadly turn when their hibernation pods mysteriously wake them 90 years before they reach their destination. As Jim and Aurora try to unravel the mystery behind the malfunction, they begin to fall for each other, unable to deny their intense attraction... only to be threatened by the imminent collapse of the ship and the discovery of the truth behind why they woke up.

Should look amazing in 3D. Can't wait to see this!

PASSENGERS opens on December 21.

JURASSIC WORLD Shatters Global And Domestic Best Openings Of All Time!

JURASSIC WORLD was grossly underestimated for it's opening weekend, probably by many of the critics who decided to write negatively about it. Personally I knew it would do much better than the estimates - even the studio pegged it at $100m domestically. But I was off too - this movie is a phenomenon.

This thing's a monster itself. JW captured the domestic opening weekend record by biting into a $208.8m opening topping the previous record holder THE AVENGERS ($207.1) from 2012. It would have been higher too, but it was competing with NBA and NHL finals taking place.

Internationally, box offices were swallowed whole. An all time record of $315.3 million topping HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PT. 2 ($314m). And a stunning $524.1 million - over half a BILLION dollars in one weekend in total worldwide box office. Think about that.

JW also topped THE AVENGERS for the all time record in the revenue per theater with a whopping $47.8k in 4,274 locations. 

Over 50% of the box office take was driven by 3D screenings which is obviously a huge amount of revenue. I'm very impressed with the numbers driven here by 3D - especially in the large premium formats. 

When there is a record breaker like this - all bets are off. Word of mouth can do massive, sustained business with many repeat viewers in the mix. A solid "A" Cinema Score, 52% male / 48% female audience with 39% below the age of 25, an excellent 3D conversion means this thing WILL have legs. Will it reach TITANIC levels? (2.187b) It's conceivable but we do have some big openings coming up. TED 2 is next weekend and TERMINATOR: GENISYS is July 1 - but it is more or less clear sailing for JW until June 26. Obviously lots of money to be made in between.

I'll be seeing the movie again in the coming week and will have my review out shortly for the 3D side of things - but trust me, it looks great! If you haven't seen it yet - get out and see it!!

Source: Variety

Monster Opening Coming For JURASSIC WORLD

JURASSIC WORLD will be taking a huge bite out of the box office this coming weekend - but just how huge? HUGE. Estimates are now pegging the opening at $115 million and while still behind FURIOUS 7 and AGE OF ULTRON it's still a massive opening. I look for it to do more than that - in the $125 million range because I feel the 3D surcharge uplift will be greater than expected.

If you haven't secured your IMAX or premium large format 3D screen now for the weekend, do it SOON. It will be selling out and you don't want to miss this event.

From THR: "Fandango reports that the latest chapter in the “Jurassic Park” franchise is outselling all major 2014 summer blockbusters — a group that includes “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past” — at the same point in those film’s sales cycles. The picture accounts for over 90% of all weekend ticket sales."

Here's the movie's storyline:
Steven Spielberg returns to executive produce the long-awaited next installment of his groundbreaking Jurassic Park series, Jurassic World. Colin Trevorrow directs the epic action-adventure from a screenplay he wrote with Derek Connolly. Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley join the team as producers.

JURASSIC WORLD opens this Friday!

New JURASSIC WORLD Clip: This Isn't The Tasty Snack You're Looking For...

Yes, Chris Pratt's character gives off some Jedi vibe here in the latest JURASSIC WORLD clip. He's fending off a certain raptor attack against a poor soul who falls into their paddock - and it looks like this may be the start of a beautiful friendship.

Remember these creatures have intelligence. Still, it's hard to check the disbelief at the door for this one. I truly hope director Colin Trevorrow is successful in this endeavor because I'm dearly looking forward to a kick-butt JURASSIC PARK revisit. I can't coun how many times I've seen the original and I'm sure a lot of you are in the same boat... errr, electric Jeep.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Steven Spielberg returns to executive produce the long-awaited next installment of his groundbreaking Jurassic Park series, Jurassic World. Colin Trevorrow directs the epic action-adventure from a screenplay he wrote with Derek Connolly. Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley join the team as producers.

JURASSIC WORLD opens on June 12!

New Extended TV Spot For JURASSIC WORLD

I remember seeing JURASSIC PARK for the first time like it was yesterday. That feeling of awe when the first dinosaurs were revealed. I'm feeling a bit more of that with this new "designed to be bigger than the T-Rex" would-be sequel to the original movie. I'm so hoping they can recapture that original feeling - much like my anticipation for STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS in December.

So far so good. Nothing like being in a hamster ball right in the thick of it!

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Steven Spielberg returns to executive produce the long-awaited next installment of his groundbreaking Jurassic Park series, Jurassic World. Colin Trevorrow directs the epic action-adventure from a screenplay he wrote with Derek Connolly. Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley join the team as producers.

JURASSIC WORLD opens WIDE on June 12.

New JURASSIC WORLD Trailer Clamps Down Hard On Action

This is a little more like it; more action and more teeth! The latest and greatest trailer for Universal's JURASSIC WORLD succeeds on amping up the frenzy and emotion as we get closer to the dinosaurs AND the release date.

Obviously this time of year is huge for trailers as Cinemacon opens in Las Vegas bringing theater owners to their own Comic-Con of sorts (not open to the general public). I definitely tried to make it this year but alas wasn't able to make it. Next year is a definite must see as is the year after.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
Steven Spielberg returns to executive produce the long-awaited next installment of his groundbreaking Jurassic Park series, Jurassic World. Colin Trevorrow directs the epic action-adventure from a screenplay he wrote with Derek Connolly. Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley join the team as producers.

JURASSIC WORLD opens WIDE on June 12.

Movie Review: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - 9.1 Stars! $94M Opening!!

I have to say that director James Gunn has really nailed this one (9.1 stars - details below), and Marvel has yet another trophy opening on their mantle. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY earned $94 million + over the weekend with a worldwide take of $160 million +. This is getting to be a habit Marvel!

But this movie is more than just your standard Tier A comic book hero movie release. These guys are Tier B, unknown and unproven outside of a core group of comic fans - a huge risk for Marvel and Disney. However with large risks come large potential rewards! How does owning the box office record for best August opening sound? And not by a small margin - GOTG beat out THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM by $25 million.

AND... GOTG has tied or beat out it's own family's recent juggernauts, namely CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER ($95m) and THOR: THE DARK WORLD ($85.7m). How's that for unknown? It's a testament to the marketing power of Disney and the brand of Marvel - an unbeatable pairing. Nobody is going to be in Disney's neighborhood for the next decade with their onslaught of Marvel, Pixar and Lucasfilm productions, not to mention their own formidable studio offerings.

But this is not just about short term box office - to the contrary it's more about long term. GOTG opens up, well, the galaxy. Nothing really is untouchable now for Marvel and their vault of characters. Sure Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot can all have their own standalone movies. Sure the Avengers are sure to line up with these guys at some point in the future, especially when Thanos fully hits the scene. But now Marvel can feel much more confident about opening up their roster into the very depths of their library. I'd like to see some standalone / team up villain movies too. The sky is not the limit these days. The galaxy is.

So just how good was the movie? I won't spoil anything here for you but I can tell you this - it is the perfect blend of action, comedy, character development and visual effects that leave you wanting much, much more - and thinking about the movie the next day. THAT'S when you know you've hit the nail on the head. Top of mind discussion.

Some things that disappointed me (few and far between) were suspension of disbelief first and foremost - in some scenes, the visual effects were absolutely jaw dropping - some of the best I have ever seen, if not the best (some flight scenes with the Milano (spaceship) for example); however some other scenes were jarringly fake like and immediately yanked me out of enjoyment (some skyline scenes) - it just looked fake and hand painted. The lighting was off too. If I had to wager, I'd say different VFX companies were working on those scenes and believe me when I say to you Marvel, hire the Milano crew back and expand their tasks next time around. Heck I still gave the movie a 9.2 out of 10 for VFX, mainly because of those Milano flight scenes, etc. Don't NOT go to the movie because of this though, just be weary of it.

The stereoscopic 3D was good. Not as great as other Marvel productions, but good. A 9 out of 10 might be a little high, but the 3D didn't bother me much - it just didn't punch it to me. I noticed that both Stereo D and Prime Focus did the conversions - perhaps that split affected the end result - I don't know. Heck I wish Marvel would just go with native 3D and get it over with. For the life of me I don't understand why DC doesn't go native for a further differentiation between them and Marvel - more of a "high class" move. *Shake my head*

3D screenings were responsible for 45% of ticket sales which is not bad for a conversion. IMAX 3D was definitely enjoyable (I saw it in that format, and I will see it in Real D again this week) - with $11.7 million coming from IMAX showings.

The story is brilliant. Just it uses tropes but it does so with original and unknown character and seeing their story's develop, especially Star-Lord's was heart warming. A couple of times I had to wipe "moisture" from my eyes. It's a seriously good story. Love how Gunn pulled in the soundtrack too. LOVE it.

Acting was par at best, but we're not talking about a drama here - and comedy is hard to convey adequately - I thought Chris Pratt nailed it (the reason why my score for acting is as high as it is) and Dave Bautista shone. Saldana left a little on the plate I think. I know what she is capable of (AVATAR anyone?) and while her fighting skills were clearly excellent, I'd like to see more character depth in her portrayal of Gamora. The character definitely deserves it.

So yeah, 9.1 stars out of 10. A blockbuster breaking box office records and a heckuva summer movie. GO SEE IT!

Watch: Two More TV Spots For GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Curious about the origins of Star-Lord, Drax and Gamora? These TV spots spend some time giving you some background as well as dropping in a sprinkling of new shots and scenes about the characters played by Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista and Zoe Saldana respectively.

Here's the movie's storyline:
An action-packed epic space adventure, Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits – Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Peter discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand – with the galaxy’s fate in the balance. Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is presented by Marvel Studios.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY opens on August 1.

Yes! Finally Here: First Trailer For Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY !!

PERFECT. I can't imagine a better first look at this production! I'm floored. Simply perfection.

The GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY trailer aired during Jimmy Kimmel and as soon as it appeared here on their YouTube channel I must have watched it 5 times. Anyway - what are you waiting for? Pan down and get the trailer!

Here's the movie's storyline:
From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team--the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits--Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon; Groot, a tree-like humanoid; the deadly and enigmatic Gamora; and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand--with the galaxy's fate in the balance.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, which first appeared in comic books in MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #18 (Jan. 1969), stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Nova Prime Rael and Benicio del Toro as The Collector.

James Gunn is the director of the film with Kevin Feige producing, and Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Alan Fine and Stan Lee serve as executive producers. The story is by Nicole Perlman and James Gunn, with screenplay by James Gunn. 

Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY releases in U.S. theaters on August 1, 2014.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Characters Poster

Got a characters poster for you from GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY direct from the director, James Gunn himself. Gunn has been quite active in social circles in getting the word out and occasionally some cool items like this pic.

The cast is filling out as well. Below I have some interesting quotes from some of the actors that have been tapped thus far and the roles they will be playing...

Dave Bautista (Drax the Destroyer): "@ComicFansUnite Mean this from the heart...I hope i do justice to Drax and bring him to life the way comic fans would want. Thats my mission"

Vin Diesel (Groot - casting still not official): "I’m an actor. I can do whatever the … I want. As an actor, not everything has to be the most obvious choice. And sometimes, the best thing you can do — as far as Steven Spielberg and his advice — is to defy expectations. So if everybody thinks you’re going to go for this one thing and you flip it entirely and go for the strangest Marvel character, it’s interesting. And when something is interesting, it’s inspiring."

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY also stars Chris Pratt (Peter Quill / Star-Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Benicio Del Toro (The Collector), Djimon Hounsou (Korath), John C. Reilly (Rhomman Dey), Glenn Close (Dey's superior), Michael Rooker (Yondu), Lee Pace (Ronan the Accuser), Peter Serafinowicz and Karen Gillan (Nebula).

GOTG is slated for release on August 1, 2014.