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
Ben Affleck’s ‘Batman’ Movie Had Some Help From ‘Justice League’ Scribe Chris Terrio
With Ben Affleck no longer directing the solo Batman movie (guess he finally watched Live by Night, huh?), the search is on for a new director to take his place. Amid various reports regarding Affleck’s exit from the director’s chair was an interesting tidbit of news you might have missed: The screenplay for The Batman, penned by Affleck with DC’s own Geoff Johns, received a rewrite from Chris Terrio.
15 Movie Sequels That Promised to Be the Last and Totally Lied
This week, Milla Jovovich’s Alice (we know her name is Alice because she says “My name is Alice” like, 12 times in every movie) returns to the big screen to battle viral zombies yet again in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. As the title implies, this is to be the last sequel in the franchise, which would be great because Milla clearly deserves a nap — I say “would be” because, as movie franchise history has taught us, there is no such thing as a final chapter. To prove it, we’ve collected 15 movie sequels with titles that promised they’d be the last; they most definitely were not.
Charming ‘Beauty and the Beast‘ Motion Posters Tease Final Trailer Premiere
The tale as old as time (OK, that’s an exaggeration) is returning to theaters this spring with Disney’s new live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. With less than two months left to go until the studio’s latest reimagining (and guaranteed box-office hit) arrives, Disney has revealed when we’ll see the new — and final — trailer, and as an added bonus, they’ve thrown in some enchanted motion posters.
Who Is ‘The Last Jedi’ in ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII’? Maybe It’s Not That Obvious
The official title of the next chapter in the Star Wars saga was announced this morning, and there’s already been a little speculation among fans about who The Last Jedi might be — is it Luke Skywalker (the obvious choice) or Rey (the second-most obvious choice)? As it turns out, we already know, and by “we,” we mean you do, too…unless you didn’t see The Force Awakens. But observant fans will tell you that there may be a third option — one that’s less apparent, but a little more intriguing.
Donald Trump’s Inauguration Speech Was Totally Lifted From ‘Dark Knight’ Villain Bane
At some point we’re all going to have to stop asking, “Is this real life?! Is this really happening right now?!” The daily proliferation of surreal news headlines will never feel normal (nor should they), but it’s the frequency our country is operating at now, and it will likely continue at this pitch for the next four years, which officially kicked off today. In the latest episode of The Surreal Life, Donald Trump basically plagiarized Bane, Tom Hardy’s mush-mouthed villain from The Dark Knight Rises, in his inauguration speech.
M. Night Shyamalan on ‘Split’ and the (Super) Power of Empathy
The Visit was a welcome, wonderfully kooky return to smaller, simpler genre-bending fare for M. Night Shyamalan, who’s back this year with yet another effective thriller: Split, in which James McAvoy gives a remarkable performance (or 23) as a man suffering from dissociative identity disorder. One of those identities kidnaps three young women, including one (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) whose ability to empathize with McAvoy puts her in a rather unique position.
Donald Trump’s 2020 Campaign Slogan Is, No Joke, the Tagline From ‘The Purge: Election Year’
This is real life. After insisting that he’ll “Make America Great Again” throughout his 2016 campaign, president-elect Donald Trump is already trying to trademark the slogan for his re-election campaign in 2020: “Keep America Great.” If that phrase sounds at all familiar to you, that’s because it was the tagline for The Purge: Election Year — James DeMonaco’s horror sequel, which envisions a dystopia where the government is controlled by far-right conservatives and all crime, particularly murder, is legal for one night every year.
Watch Gal Gadot and Jason Statham Team Up to Kick Some Butt in This Super Bowl Ad
Super Bowl ads often employ a familiar algorithm: Beloved pop culture noun + beloved pop culture noun = Entertainment. That equation isn’t always successful (see also: Passengers), but that hasn’t stopped studios and businesses, like Wix.com, from trying it out. The company has tapped Gal Gadot, aka Wonder Woman, and Jason Statham, aka Badass Action Dude, for their Super Bowl ad, which just so happens to be the first of this year’s bunch.
‘Split’ Review: M. Night Shyamalan’s Best Film in Years Is a Surprisingly Poignant Thriller
The Visit was a fun, kooky and simple little horror flick that reminded audiences that M. Night Shyamalan still has the capacity to surprise and entertain us — but more than anything, it inspired optimism with the promise of more good things to come. Shyamalan has fully delivered on that promise with Split, an incredibly thoughtful and thought-provoking thriller. Although occasionally heavy-handed, Shyamalan’s latest is his most considerate and effective film in years, with a startling emotional core.
Will Smith in Talks for Disney’s Live-Action ‘Dumbo’ Movie
If you’ve ever wondered what a Tim Burton movie starring Will Smith would look like, you might find out relatively soon. The actor is reportedly circling a role in Disney’s live-action remake of Dumbo, which Burton has been attached to direct for some time now. After delivering the disappointing one-two punch of Suicide Squad and Collateral Beauty, Smith sure could use a win, and joining Disney’s growing empire of live-action remakes seems like a pretty safe bet.
Young Han Solo Directors Confirm Woody Harrelson for ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff
Just a couple of weeks back we learned that Woody Harrelson was in talks to join the young Han Solo movie, the next spinoff under the Star Wars Story banner. Today, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller officially confirmed the actor’s casting via Lucasfilm with a statement in which they praised Harrelson’s talents — both in front of the camera and behind a ping pong table. Hopefully those skills come in handy for the role of Han Solo’s mentor.
New ‘Baywatch’ Trailer Is NSFW and Totally Ridiculous
“Everything that you guys are talking about sounds like a really entertaining but far-fetched TV show” — so says Zac Efron in the new international trailer for Baywatch, which combines the self-awareness of 21 Jump Street (or seems to be trying to do that) with the ridiculous action of your average Dwayne Johnson movie. The latest trailer for the comedic retread of the classic ’90s TV series drops the green-band pleasantries for a profanity-laden, NSFW sneak peek at the upcoming film, and though we’re not 100 percent sold on it just yet, Baywatch looks pretty darn watchable, at the very least.