It has been four years since Shazam! came out. This time the Shazam family faces the Daughters of Atlas, who are powerful gods. The film stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Adam Brody, Ian Chen, Ross Butler, Faithe Herman, Meagan Good, Jovan Armand, D.J. Cotrona, Grace Caroline Currey, Cooper Andrews, Marta Milans, Djimon Hounsou, Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu, and Helen Mirren.
This is going to be a spoiler free review. I enjoyed the movie. I did not see it on opening day. I saw it a few days later. I usually try to see some of these movies on opening day. I was aware of some of the reviews but I did not read any. While watching the movie I could understand some concerns, but I did enjoy the movie. I think the movie is fun. It has a youthfulness to it which makes sense given the heroes are kids and teenagers. Even when they turn into their adult counterparts, it’s still kids and teenagers in those roles. Zachary Levi does a great job as Adult Billy Batson/Shazam. At the end of the day Adult Billy Batson is really a seventeen year old in an adult body. That is what makes the Shazam movies fun. The adults get to act like kids. It is also obvious the actors who play the adult Shazam family had a blast making the movie. That is what adds to the fun of these films.
The whole cast does a great job. There is a lot more screen time for the adult Shazam family. It has a good story. The heart of the story is family. Rachel Zegler, Lucy Liu, and Helen Mirren all do a great job as the Daughters of Atlas. They each have their own distinct personalities. It was fun to see Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu as the villains of the movie. It has been a while since I have seen Lucy Liu in this type of project. It seems she has not done an action movie in some time. It was a blast to see Helen Mirren who has quite the resume. I recently saw Helen Mirren in F9: The Fast Saga and she will be reprising her role in Fast and Furious 10. Rachel Zegler is a rising star, and this shows it. She does a good job in her role and I can see her have a bright future ahead of her. She will be starring in the Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and she will be Snow White in Disney’s live version of the animated classic.
One thing that made the headlines was the fact a recent commercial had spoiled a major cameo. I had not seen the commercial prior to seeing the movie. I was unaware who the appearance was from. I figured it out once watching the movie. I am glad I did not see the commercial or read any articles talking about it. I am also aware that the credit scenes were considered polarizing and raised some fan concern. Without spoiling the credit scenes, I will say I understand why there is some concern. Obviously, when making Shazam! Fury of the Gods there were hopes and ideas for a Shazam! 3. That is in question since the DCEU will be rebooted and become the DCU. Shazam has not been mentioned in terms of how it would fit into the bigger picture. It has not been said if there are plans for the character regardless if its Zachary Levi or a different actor. A lot of things are in question when it comes to the old roster. Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck are the only confirmed actors not reprising their roles as Superman and Batman. They will be recast. At this point in time, it has not been stated which heroes will be the same actors and which ones will be recast. Viola Davis, John Cena, and Steve Agee have been confirmed to be staying in their roles. None of their characters are heroes. Peacemaker is sort of a hero but I am mostly referring to the Justice League. Even Black Adam, who was played by Dwayne Johnson in a solo movie is guaranteed to be in the DCU let alone it being Dwayne Johnson. There are two credit scenes. I recommend staying through the whole entire movie. The credit scenes do set up a future. We will just have to wait and see if it will pay off or if it will be something else that is left open ended.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods is a fun movie. It has a strong ensemble, and it has a lot of heart. It is also funny. Superhero movies should be fun. Not every movie in the genre needs to be dark and brooding. It is a solid sequel and I hope there will be a third film to continue the stories of the Shazam family.
I was very excited to see Scream VI. Scream VI is deemed the final chapter. If that is true remains to be seen. Look at Saw: The Final Chapter and The Final Destination. Both went beyond their final chapters. If this is a huge hit, there may end up being a Scream 7. For the first time in the franchise’s history, Scream VI moves to a new setting, New York City. This is the first film not to take place in Woodsboro at all. The movie follows Samantha Carpenter (Melissa Barrera), Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega), Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown), and Chad Meeks-Martin (Mason Gooding) as they now live in the Big Apple and are the four survivors from the events in the last movie, Scream. Also, Gail Weathers (Courtney Cox) is in NYC working for a news station and Kirby Reed (Hayden Panettiere) is back as well last seen in Scream 4. Scream VI stars Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Courtney Cox, Hayden Panettiere, Josh Segarra, Jack Champion, Liana Libertato, Devyn Nekoda, Tony Revolori, Samara Weaving, Henry Czerny, and Dermot Mulroney.
Scream VI is the bloodiest and over the top Scream yet in the franchise. Its kind of like how the longer the Fast and the Furious goes the more outrageous it becomes. I enjoyed Scream VI and I enjoy the Fast and the Furious franchise. Over the top does not bother me at all. It has always been fascinating with long running franchises how things evolve over time. Looking back at the earliest Scream movies, they seem tame compared to the recent ones including Scream 4. I would say the first three Scream movies were tame and the last three Scream movies got bloodier and bloodier. This will be a spoiler free review given it just opened.
The opening sequence was unique and put its own spin and twist on what is expected of the opening sequences in the Scream franchise. Just like the prior movie Scream also known as Scream 5, this movie pays respect to the history of the franchise and acknowledges the legacy. Even though Sydney Prescot (Neve Campbell) is not in the film and that was known shortly before filming started on Scream VI, Sydney was still part of the film. There was still acknowledgement of her and her legacy.
It was said before Scream VI opened that it was going to be the bloodiest yet. That is true and this probably has the highest body count in the franchise. The first Scream opened on December 20, 1996. This franchise is over twenty-five years old. There have been significant gaps between films. After Scream 3, Scream 4 opened eleven years later. It was eleven more years until Scream 5 was released. Scream 5 and Scream VI have breathed new life into an aging franchise while paying respects to the legacy of the franchise. I found Scream VI refreshing for the franchise. I think the change in scenery helped make this a solid slasher movie. Adding New York City to the mix really brought something different to the franchise. It made the film bigger and crazier. It is New York after all. It had cool twists and turns.
Scream VI has the same plot as the other films in the franchise. As they say its about the journey not the destination. The journey was a wild and crazy ride. I was invested the whole time. Sometimes the film gave me some anxiety and horror films are supposed to do that. I wasn’t sure who would live and who would live to be honest. I was more surprised of who did live as opposed to who died. Personally, I always enjoyed the plots of the Scream franchise and think they are solid movies. I think they are a little more than just slasher films. A strong suit of this movie is the bonds of the characters specifically Samantha, Tara, Mindy, and Chad. They survived the horrific events of the last movie, and they stick together in this movie. Some of the strongest scenes were them supporting each other. It was nice to see them have such a solid friendship. It was something different. The original three, Sydney, Gail, and Dewey Riley (David Arquette) had a bond. They were in all the prior films. That was different than the bond between the main four in this. It helped get invested in the characters. It makes the audience hope the four of them can survive this again. It also adds tension to the movie, not knowing if they will all survive. Also, there is an explanation to how Kirby is alive given her fate in Scream 4.
Scream VI is a solid movie and one of the best in the franchise. If this truly is the final chapter in this franchise, it is a great final chapter. The big question will be, is this really the end or will there be more films? That will be answered once the Box Office numbers come in. I would not be surprised if the movie opens big and the studio announces a Scream 7. This could be the final chapter for the current characters and have a completely new group in another film. The ending is open ended enough for it to continue if there winds up being more. It also has a good ending for the franchise as well. It could go either way. Whatever happens, Scream VI is a wild and crazy ride and it is a lot of fun.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is nominated for 11 Oscars including Best Picture, Lead Actress Michelle Yeoh, Supporting Actor Ke Huy Quan, Supporting Actress Jaime Lee Curtis, Supporting Actress Stephanie Hsu, and Best Director Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert. The movie is about Evelyn Wang who learns there is a multiverse that is in danger, and she is the only one can save it. The film stars Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, Harry Shum Jr., Jenny Slate, & Jamie Lee Curtis.
I saw this in honor of the Oscars that is airing this upcoming weekend. AMC Theaters has been showing the Best Picture Oscar nominated films. This is a unique movie. It is very strange. That is not necessarily a bad thing. I thought it was an interesting movie. It is one that makes you think about things. The multiverse is nothing new and has been a concept that has been covered in Marvel and DC. The Arrowverse on television dealt with the multiverse. Marvel is currently in their Multiverse Saga. Everything Everywhere All At Once handles the multiverse in a different way.
There is a slow build until the multiverse comes into play. Once it gets going, it really ramps up. The film has an absurdity to it. It is not afraid to play with the absurd and it can get absurd sometimes. Through all the multiversal shenanigans the heart of the movie is about Evelyn and her family and her life. Without spoiling too much, Evelyn gets to see the lives she could have lived in other universes. This played into the What If? scenario which is something everyone has asked themselves at one point or another in their life. Evelyn is unhappy in her life and feels she has accomplished nothing. This journey really changes everything for her and changes her relationships with her family.
Everything Everywhere All at Once covers a lot of ground. It clocks in at two hours and twenty minutes. It is both big and small at the same time. When it goes big and when it gets absurd it never loses the heart of the film which is family. The movie explores Evelyn’s relationship with her daughter Joy and her husband Waymond. It never loses sight of those relationships.
Similar to when I saw Elvis, it is hard to say if I enjoyed Everything Everywhere All at Once. It did make me think and it was a strange and bizarre ride. Out of multiverse movies this is definitely the kookiest. It also has a simplistic but powerful message that really hits home toward the end of the movie. In terms of its Oscar nominations, I think it has a good shot at winning some, but we will have to wait and see how it plays out. I don’t know if this will get Best Picture. It may have the edge over Elvis, Avtar: The Way of Water, and Top Gun: Maverick. I don’t know if it could beat the other nominees. I think Michelle Yeoh has a good shot at winning her first Oscar as well as Ke Huy Quan. The only category that is tough is Supporting Actress. If the movie can win Supporting Actress Jamie Lee Curtis is the front runner between her and Stephanie Hsu, but Angela Bassett is still a front runner in the category altogether who is nominated for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. Whatever happens, Everything Everywhere All at Once has accomplished a lot.
Elvis came out last summer and was a smash hit grossing over 151 million domestically. Elvis is a biopic about Elvis Presley and his manager Colonel Tom Parker. Elvis is directed by Baz Luhrmann and stars Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, and Richard Roxburgh.
Elvis is nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for Austin Butler. I was able to see this on the big screen in honor of the Oscars this upcoming weekend. I will say that Austin Butler does a phenomenal job as Elvis Presley. He really embodies the role. I think his Oscar nomination is well deserved and well earned. Will he win the Oscar? I think he has a good shot at winning but we’ll see how that plays out. Tom Hanks was also a stand out of the movie as Colonel Tom Parker and unrecognizable. Tom Hanks gives quite the performance. The movie is set from his perspective. I thought that was an interesting choice. I wonder what it would have been like if the movie was from Elvis’ perspective. Nevertheless, Elvis has a lot of screen time. The movie really is about Elvis and Colonel Parker and their business relationship. Colonel Parker was instrumental in Elvis’ career.
The movie was directed by Baz Luhrmann, and it felt like a Baz Luhrmann production. Baz Lurhmann directed The Great Gatsby with Leonardo Dicaprio, Australia, Moulin Rouge!, and Romeo + Juliet which also starred Leonardo Dicaprio. The trailers alone made it seem similar to The Great Gatsby in style. I have not seen The Great Gatsby. This observation is based off the trailers for The Great Gatsby. Also, The Great Gatsby’s soundtrack used hiphop whereas Elvis spawned the smash hit single Vegas by Doja Cat. The Elvis soundtrack has a mix of songs spanning different genres including hiphop. Both of these films had contemporary music given both films were also period pieces. In this case most of the music featured in the movie are Elvis Pressley songs. Most of the modern songs on the soundtrack are not in the film itself. Doja Cat Vegas is featured in the movie a little bit. The only other film I saw by Baz Lurhmann is Moulin Rouge! which I enjoyed. That is another film that uses contemporary music while the film is a period piece.
I found the movie frenetic at times. It seemed a bit all over the place especially when it opened. This may have been a deliberate choice to show the whirlwind that this journey takes for both Elvis and Colonel Parker. As a biopic it was a bit different than the usual structure for these types of films. It seems to fit in Baz Lurhmann’s wheelhouse when looking at his other films especially those that are period pieces which seem to be most of them. The best comparison I can make is the Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody which I saw back in January. That movie heavily focused on Whitney Houston’s career and her music which Elvis does as well. The movie touches on key events in Elvis’ life but a big chunk of the film is also about the music and his performances. The movie blends real footage of Elvis Pressley with the movie. I thought that was done effectively. The movie’s ending is similar to the Whitney Houston biopic. Given both artists died tragically, it was always going to be interesting to see how each film would handle their deaths. In the Whitney Houston movie it did not show Whitney’s death. Elvis does the same thing. I found that an interesting choice.
The movie briefly touches on Elvis’ drug addiction but late in the movie. It does cover his relationship with Priscilla Presley a little bit. It did not really go that in depth with it. It felt like Priscilla was more of a background character. It would have been nice to see more of that relationship. There is a snapshot of it and that might be what the intention was.
Elvis is an interesting biopic that has stellar performances by Austin Butler and Tom Hanks. I am a little surprised Tom Hanks did not get nominated for an Oscar given he also gave a transformative performance. Elvis’ strong suit is the music and there is plenty of music in the movie. Will Elvis win any Oscars? I think it has a good shot at winning some. I think Austin Butler does deserve to win the Oscar for his performance. It truly is a breakout performance. Does it deserve to win Best Picture? I am curious to see if it will win Best Picture. Personally, I don’t think it necessarily should win. The frenetic pace of the movie made it a bit hard to enjoy at times. The movie felt a little long too. It is hard for me to say if I enjoyed the movie. I am not really sure how I felt about it. I was invested in watching the movie. I will say the movie improved once the frenetic pacing calmed down. Once it picked a focus, it made a difference.
There are tons of sequels these days. Look at Marvel and Star Wars and the Fast and the Furious. If a movie does semi well a sequel gets announced. Book Club is getting a sequel this May. In this day and age anything is possible. There are no rules. Look at Hocus Pocus 2 and Top Gun: Maverick. Both came out thirty or more years after its predecessors. Hocus Pocus 2 became the biggest movie ever for Disney Plus while Top Gun: Maverick became the number 1 movie of 2022 and one of the only films that year to gross a billion worldwide. Here is a rundown of some long in development or talked about sequels and where they currently stand.
Legally Blonde 3
Credit MGM
It is being worked on. This actually had several release dates and missed them all. It originally was supposed to come out in 2020. Obviously, that didn’t happen for several reasons. Mindy Kaling is one of the writers of the current script. It is still being worked on. They want to get it right. Top Gun: Maverick has been said to be the inspiration for Legally Blonde 3 probably in terms of how to do a sequel the right way. This will probably happen. Current cast would include Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, and Jennifer Coolidge. Reese Witherspoon said recently there is no Legally Blonde without Jennifer Coolidge. At this point the earliest this could come out would be in either 2024 or 2025. Given its only the beginning of March, there is enough time for this to film later this year and come out next year.
Now You See Me 3
Credit Summit Entertainment
This was announced years ago. After Now You See Me 2 opened and did not do as well as Now You See Me, talk of a third one seemed to die down. The last update was last fall when director Ruben Fleischer who directed Zombieland was announced as the director for Now You See Me 3. Jesse Eisenberg is still interested in doing another one. Presumably Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Mark Ruffalo, possibly Isla Fisher and Lizzy Caplan would reprise their roles. The way the second one left off, there is the chance for Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Daniel Radcliffe to pop up as well. Since there is renewed interest from the studio, this has a decent shot of actually coming to fruition. The earliest this could be released would probably be either 2024 or 2025 if not beyond that.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 3
Credit Warner Brothers
It has been almost fifteen years since the second film. The most recent update from Amber Tamblyn was that the cast still wants to do one. Scheduling is a big reason why it is taking so long for this one to happen. Since the last one, all four of the leads have been busy between motherhood, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds just had their fourth child, and their respective careers. Blake Lively headlined Gossip Girl for its entire run. She is gearing up to film A Simple Favor 2 later this year with Anna Kendrick. Alexis Bledel reunited with Lauren Graham for Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life and she also was on The Handmaid’s Tale. Amber Tamblyn did movies and television including House and Two and a Half Men. America Ferrera headlined Superstore for five out of the six seasons it was on, and she will be in the Barbie movie later this year. Amber Tamblyn also said there is a script and they also need a studio to pick it up. If this gets off the ground all four leading ladies would return. It is also possible some of the other characters from the prior movies could turn up as well specifically the significant others. This seems it is still far off from happening. Unless a miracle happens and a studio picks it up and wants to get a move on it, the earliest this could be released is 2025 or 2026 or way beyond.
Charlie’s Angels 3
Credit Columbia Pictures
Plans for a third film died near the end of the 2000s. In 2011 there was a reboot TV show for ABC that was quickly canceled due to low ratings. In 2018, there was a movie reboot with three Bosleys and three new angels including Kristen Stewart. That movie bombed. Recently Drew Barrymore has expressed interest in wanting to do a third movie reuniting her with Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu. It is possible this could get off the ground now that Drew Barrymore wants to revisit it. If this happens Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu would return. Presumably they would find a new Bosley since Bernie Mac who played the Bosley in the second film passed away. Bernie Mac was the brother of Bill Murray’s Bosley from the first movie. Also, John Forsythe who voiced Charlie in the prior movies passed away also. There would have to be some casting changes. Presumably Matt Leblanc and Luke Wilson who played the boyfriends of Lucy Liu and Cameron Diaz would return. This is a ways off. The earlirest this film would realistically be able to film would be 2024 based off Drew Barrymore’s busy schedule due to her talk show if a script were ready by that point.
Hocus Pocus 3
Credit Disney
Bette Midler said she would be interested in doing another one. This has not been officially announced. Given the success of Hocus Pocus 2, one would think Disney would want to hop another one. We’ll see if it is something of interest for them. If a third one happens expect Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy to reprise their roles as the Sanderson sisters.
Zombieland 3
Credit Columbia Pictures
This will probably happen at some point. Given it was ten years in between the first and second movies, Emma Stone thought it would be fitting if this one came out ten years after the second one. If that were to happen that would see this getting released in 2028. It is safe to presume all four stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin would return.
Mean Girls 2
Credit Paramount Pictures
This has never been officially announced. It is one fans have wanted for a long time including the cast. Lindsay Lohan said a Mean Girls 2 is completely up to Tina Fey. There is a chance this will happen. Tina Fey is a busy lady. Lindsay Lohan said she would return. Rachel McAdams also said she would be open to returning. Next year marks the twentieth anniversary of Mean Girls. Maybe it could happen sooner than later.
Austin Powers 4
Credit New Line Cinema
There are still plans for a fourth Austin Powers movie. When will that happen? Who knows. There is still interest even after Verne Troyer passed away. Hopefully this will happen sooner than later. Besides Mike Myers, it is safe to assume Seth Green, Mindy Sterling, Robert Wagner, and Michael York would return.
Shrek 5
Credit Dreamworks
This one might have new steam given the release of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish which ended up setting up a fifth Shrek. There has been talk of a fifth one since the fourth one came out. Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas would all return. Given the success of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, this may be enough to get Dreamworks to finally move forward with Shrek 5.
Cars 4
Credit Disney/Pixar
There have been some rumors of Disney wanting to do a fourth one. Nothing has really been said about this since Cars 3. To be seen. I’m not really sure what else they could do but I also had those same thoughts for Toy Story 5 and that is happening.
The Greatest Showman 2
Credit Twentieth Century Fox
This was a smash hit and has a beloved soundtrack. This is Me should have won the Oscar for song. Hugh Jackman would like to do another one. If this one can happen, I think along with Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, and Zendaya would reprise their roles. It would be cool to see what they do with this movie and what great music they would come up with.
National Treasure 3
Credit Disney
There is still interest in this. Nicolas Cage is still open to doing another one. Disney may finally move forward with this. There was concern that the film was not going to happen once Disney announced a spin-off TV show for Disney Plus, National Treasure: Edge of History. Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer of the films said the third film was still being worked on. The show is set in the same universe as the films. This could be an opportunity to incorporate the characters from the show and vice versa. There was at one point talks of a fourth National Treasure as well. If this moves forward and does as well if not better it could lead to a fourth one. I would think Disney would want to strike while the iron is hot and before Nicolas Cage gets any older.
The Princess Diaries 3
Credit Disney
Fans and the cast have wanted another one for many years. It almost was going to happen but then Gary Marshall, the director of the first two films passed away. He wanted to do a third one with Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews. Since then not much movement had happened. Last year Disney finally announced plans to move forward with a third film. Anne Hathaway wants to do it. The big question will be if they can be able to get Julie Andrews to return. Julie Andrews was open to doing another one but that seemed to change when Gary Marshall passed away. Also, Julie Andrews is currently 87 years old. If Disney truly wants to move forward with this and try to convince Julie Andrews to do it, they better get a move on it. If they moved forward with this back when Gary Marshall was alive, it would have had the whole cast and Gary Marshall as the director. We’ll see if this finally moves forward. If Disney is serious about this, then the earliest it could come out is 2024 with filming sometime later this year assuming there is a finished script. Anne Hathaway has suggested that a script has been ready for a while. The ball is Disney’s court.
Freaky Friday 2
Credit Disney
Jaime Lee Curtis recently said that Freaky Friday 2 will happen. Disney has yet to officially announce it but sounds like this could actually happen. Jaime Lee Curtis has been pushing for a sequel and wants to reunite with Lindsay Lohan. Lindsay Lohan said she would do it if it happens. If this will happen, filming could take place later this year and aim for a release date in 2024.
Wedding Crashers 2
Credit New Line Cinema
It will be eighteen years in the summer since Wedding Crashers came out. At this point it is doubtful this will happen, but Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn still seem interested in doing it. There were rumors that suggested that Wedding Crashers 2 was close to happening but then Owen Wilson got cast in The Haunted Mansion and that set this film back. We will see if it does eventually happen. Never say never. Look at Top Gun and Hocus Pocus that happened at least thirty years after their predecessors. Wedding Crashers will turn twenty in 2025. This has plenty of time.
Studios have tried building universes around hopeful franchises. At this point in time many have failed. The only ones that have found success are the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and the MonsterVerse (Godzilla, King Kong). After the success of the MCU, every studio has wanted their own version. Here are the ones that did not make it off the ground or stumbled off the ground.
DCEU
Credit Warner Brothers
The DCEU (DC Extended Universe) was the only other universe that was supposed to succeed. When it started, most people believed it would be around for a long time. Well, that was not the case. The DCEU is getting a reboot and will become the DCU (DC Universe) run by James Gunn and Peter Safran. The DCU will be one cohesive universe amongst film, television, animation, and video games. Properties that are not related to the DCU like the Joker sequel and The Batman will fall under the DC Banner DC Elseworlds. The DCEU technically launched with Man of Steel, however it was not entirely known that was supposed to be the kick off, therefore the official kick off was technically Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The movie was a hit financially but hated by critics and fans. Then Suicide Squad came out and did well financially and had a hit soundtrack but was hated by critics and fans. Wonder Woman came out and was a big hit and was loved by critics and fans. Then Justice League happened and everything went down hill from there. There were some highlights. Aquaman did very well financially even hitting a billion worldwide. Shazam! found success and was liked. Whereas Marvel found success having a cinematic universe, the DCEU never quite got there. There were a lot of hits and misses. There was never really a goal in sight. Even the big bad that was meant for the Justice League films was cut out of the theatrical cut of the film. Darkside was only seen in the Zack Snyder cut. While the DCEU is dead, may the DCU have a bright future ahead.
The Dark Universe
Credit Universal Studios
The Dark Universe was supposed to be the other monster verse with Dracula, the Wolfman, Frankenstein, The Mummy, etc. It was only called the Dark Universe because the MonsterVerse name was already taken by the Godzilla and King Kong movies. Whereas the DCEU had multiple films before it evidently collapsed, the Dark Universe only had one film. The Mummy starred Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella and came out in 2007. It made 80 million domestically and 409 million worldwide. After that, the other films in development were pulled. At the time it was announced that Javier Bardem would play Frankenstein’s Monster, Johnny Dep was the Invisible Man, Sofia Boutella was the Mummy, Tom Cruise would return as soldier Nick Morton, and Russell Crowe was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. There were also rumors of Dwayne Johnson being in the running for the Wolfman. The Mummy even set up the plans for the world by having Russell Crowe in the movie. Presumably Russell Crowe would have appeared in the other monster movies. It seemed like he would be the Nick Fury of the Dark Universe. The other movie that was deep in development was The Bride of Frankenstein. It had Bill Condon attached to direct. He directed the smash hit live version of Beauty and the Beast for Disney. It would star Angelina Jolie as the Bride of Frankenstein and Javier Bardem as Frankenstein’s Monster. It was set for release in February 2019. After the Mummy came out, the movie got delayed for the script to be reworked. Eventually the movie never materialized. There were even plans for the Creature of the Black Lagoon, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Phantom of the Opera to be part of the Dark Universe. Of course, there were plans for Van Helsing as well. Rumors were that Channing Tatum was in the running. The Dark Universe had a logo pictured above that debuted with The Mummy. It even had a cast photo with Tom Cruise, Javier Bardem, Johnny Depp, Sofia Boutella, and Russell Crowe pictured below. Shortly after The Mummy came out, plans for the Dark Universe died. The Invisible Man came out in 2020 and was a smaller solo movie with Elizabeth Moss from Blumhouse Productions. The film did well at the box office. Universal also announced plans for the monster movies to be their own films.
Russell Crowe, Javier Bardem, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Sofia Boutella Credit Universal Studios
Lego Movie Universe
Credit Warner Brothers
This never had an official title. However, after the success of The LEGO Movie there were plans for multiple LEGO films. All the films were supposed to be set in the same universe. The LEGO Batman Movie came out and was a hit but made less than The LEGO Movie. The LEGO Ninjago Movie did not do well. The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part finally came out five years after the first one and did not do as well as the first one. It seemed audiences lost interest in it. There were plans for a LEGO Batman 2 as well as another LEGO movie The Billion Brick Race. Both films have not happened. The Billion Brick Race was going to be a LEGO racing movie. The LEGO Batman Movie sequel was going to be a LEGO Superfriends Movie. Universal made a deal with LEGO to distribute future projects. A sequel to LEGO Batman will probably not happen given the fact that Batman and the DC characters are under Warner Brothers. The last update that was given in regard to the LEGO franchise was near the end of 2022. It was said by Dan Lin one of the producers of the films that Universal is actively developing LEGO Movie 3 and they are reinventing it. We will have to wait and see if that ends up happening and if so, will anyone care? It seems interest in this franchise has significantly dropped.
King Arthur Universe
Credit Warner Brothers
To be honest I didn’t even remember this one until I did some research and read about it. I remember this being the plan at the time this film came out which was 2017. Although thinking back on it, I think I thought it said the plan was for six sequels at the time. Now reading there were plans for a universe seems ridiculous and forced. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword was planned to set up a world. After doing further research it said that future films would have been solo movies on other characters eventually leading up to a team up movie against one villain. Pretty much it was looking to do their own Avengers movie. This movie starred Charlie Hunnam as King Arthur and Jude Law who played the villain and was a villain in the MCU. Out of the worlds listed, this is the only one I have not seen. After reading about it, I am intrigued to see it for myself. I have seen some of the LEGO movies and I did see The Mummy. I have seen some of the DCEU films as well.
There have been a lot of disappointments and some successes. Besides the MCU and the MonsterVerse, the Conjuring Universe has been successful. There could still be hope for some of these, well except for King Arthur. I don’t see that functioning as a world.
This will be the 95th Academy Awards that will be airing on Sunday March 12th on ABC. I have always loved the Oscars. I used to watch the Oscars Preshow on E!. When that would end, I would switch over to ABC to watch their Red Carpet before the show were to begin. Some years were better than others. 2004 was a good one for me. That was the year Lord of the Rings: Return of the King swept the awards. They won all eleven nominations including Best Picture. I thought it was well deserved. I have only missed the Oscars a few times. Once or twice was during college. I don’t remember if it was once or twice. I know it definitely was once. I did not see the Oscars last year because I had work. I also did not watch it afterward. I did DVR it but I decided there was not a point to watch it. The Oscars have always been long. I never had a problem with that. Since I was busy with work, I knew there would not be time to watch it which is why I decided to skip it. I am aware of the Will Smith/Chris Rock slap incident. It was all over the news. As I recall, I think there were not many exciting nominees last year. It has seemed that lately even before the pandemic that the nominees have been less exciting. This is my personal opinion. A lot of the nominations stem from things I have never heard of.
I am not sure if I am going to watch the Oscars this year. I would like to. There are several factors that will determine if this will happen, one including my work schedule. Based on the nominations I am not that excited for the show. There are ten Best Picture nominees. Out of the ten nominees I have only seen two of them. I have seen Avatar: The Way of Water, which I think almost everybody has seen. I also have seen Top Gun: Maverick which I think is another one that almost everybody and their grandmother has seen. Top Gun and Avatar are the two highest grossing films of 2022 which also probably means neither one will win the award. Top Gun: Maverick might have a better shot at winning Best Picture over Avatar but realistically it will go to another film. I have not seen Elvis or Everything Everywhere All At Once. Those are two films I am hoping to try to see before the Oscars. The rest of the movies that are nominated for Best Picture I have no interest in seeing. I have never heard of All Quiet on the Western Front. I am only vaguely familiar with Tar and The Banshees of Inisherin. I know what The Fabelmans is. The trailer was attached to a few movies I went to see in the fall. I heard of Triangle of Sadness in name only. I have no idea what its about. I have also heard of Women Talking. It is not necessary to have seen every single film, but lately it seems the numbers have been dwindling for how many films I have seen. I have not seen any of the films nominated for last year’s Oscars for Best Picture and the same for the year before that. I like all kinds of movies and I will see all kinds of movies. In more recent years it seems the Oscars is a bit more disconnected than usual. A common complaint has been that people have never seen or heard of half of the nominations. That seems to become truer and truer each year.
Animated Feature Film is another category that I have not seen most of the nominations. The nominees are Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Sea Beast, and Turning Red. I have only seen Puss in Boots: The Last Wish which I loved. The only films I will probably see at some point are Turning Red and Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio. Pinocchio looks interesting and I am a fan of stop motion. I love Pixar. At some point I will check out Turning Red. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the highest grossing film in this category.
The acting categories, I know who most of the actors are. I have not seen most of the films they are nominated for. That will change if I get to see Elvis and Everything Everywhere All At Once. I did get to see Angela Bassett in Blank Panther: Wakanda Forever which I thought she was amazing in. I think she deserves to be nominated.
Something I was surprised about was the fact Marvel did not land many nominations, even in the typical categories that those films wind up in. Even Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was not able to secure a lot of nominations especially compared to Black Panther which was also nominated for Best Picture. Maybe this years crop of films will have a better shot for next year’s.
I still enjoy the Oscars. I am hoping the Oscars will be a little more open minded in the future. It seems they are still very particular about who gets nominated and who ends up winning. This is similar to the Grammys as well. Avatar: The Way of Water is a huge hit and for the most part audiences enjoyed the movie. I think it is safe to say this will not win Best Picture. Top Gun: Maverick has a better shot but I would not be surprised if Best Picture goes to a film that no one really saw. Top Gun was a huge hit and a crowd pleasure. Elvis also did very well in theaters too. Everything Everywhere All At Once was a surprise hit. It does have a good shot at winning Best Picture. Out of the nominees for Best Picture these would be the four highest grossing nominees. One thing that has made the Oscars great is its unpredictability. It was always a nice surprise when someone wins an award you weren’t expecting. Sometimes there would be the edge of your seat battles in various categories not knowing who will come out as the victor. That does not seem to be much of a factor these days. It seems by the time the Oscars roll around everyone knows for the most part who will win the Oscars. I hope one day the Oscars will become event television again like it once was. Just like the Grammys and live award shows in general, the Oscars have had lower ratings each year. Maybe this year it will pick up a bit. The Grammys did have higher ratings this year than last year. One will have to wait and see.
Disney recently announced plans for Toy Story 5, Frozen 3, and Zootopia 2. The biggest surprise was Toy Story 5. Most were under the impression that Toy Story 4 was the final film. The biggest question fans asked was “what else could they do?” Those were my initial thoughts as well when I found out there were plans for a fifth Toy Story. Frozen 3 and Zootopia 2 were not surprising. There have been talks of doing a Frozen 3 back when Frozen 2 had come out. There were even talks about a Frozen 3 after the first Frozen came out. As I recall, after it was released and became a huge hit, talks of Zootopia 2 started floating around. I just figured the studio lost interest in doing one. Besides these three there are more sequels on the way in the coming years. These three projects do not have release dates yet.
There are plans for Legally Blonde 3 which was originally set to come out in 2020 and has been delayed multiple times. It is still being worked on. They just want to get it right. Reese Witherspoon is set to star once again. Drew Barrymore has expressed interest in doing a third Charlie’s Angels with Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu. There was interest in this many years ago around the time of Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle but nothing ever materialized. A Simple Favor 2 is in the works with Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick reprising their roles. Of course there are the Avatar sequels, Avatar 3, 4, and 5. Fast and Furious 11 will be coming out and will be the final film in the main franchise. There is talks of spinoffs including a sequel to Hobbs & Shaw.
On the animated front, there are plans for Despicable Me 4 and Kung Fu Panda 4. There has been renewed interest in Shrek 5. Puss in Boots 2 seemed to set up a fifth Shrek movie. With the success of Puss in Boots 2, there is the chance of a third one. There is also a chance for Sing 3. Nothing is confirmed but there is interest amongst fans and the cast.
Besides Toy Story 5, Frozen 3, and Zootopia 2, Disney has other sequels in the works. The Princess Diaries 3 may finally be moving forward. There is interest in making National Treasure 3 happen. There is also the possibility of Pirates of the Caribbean 6 as well as Freaky Friday 2. Jaimee Lee Curtis has been pushing for a sequel and Lindsay Lohan said she would do it if the project happens. Inside Out 2 will be coming out in the next few years. It was recently announced that Tron 3 will be moving forward, and it will star Jared Leto. Disney also wants to move forward with Aladdin 2 with Will Smith.
There are lots of sequels heading our way. Will these projects all happen? Who knows? Some of them will. It may be a long wait for some others. In the case of several of the projects mentioned, it has already been a long wait. Who knows what other sequels will get announced or finally move forward? We will just have to wait and see.
Here is my list of sequels that are better than the original, in no particular order. For the sake of the list, only one sequel per main franchise.
Avengers: Endgame
Credit Marvel Studios
Endgame has everything, high stakes, a huge cast, a strong plot and it was bold. Avengers: Endgame is currently the longest Marvel movie clocking in a little over three hours. It is both the biggest and most intimate Marvel movie yet. For the purpose of this list, Avengers: Endgame counts for the Avengers movies. Other sequels that make the list would be for their respective franchise.
X2: X-Men United
Credit Twentieth Century Fox
X-Men 2 is still one of the best sequels of the X-Men franchise. It is action packed and has a great ensemble.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Credit Universal Pictures/Dreamworks Animation
Out of the Puss in Boots movies, The Last Wish far exceeds Puss in Boots. Is a great movie with a great story and it is hilarious.
Shrek 2
Credit Dreamworks Animation
Out of the Shrek films, Shrek 2 still ranks as the best. Shrek 2 also gave us Puss in Boots who has become a fan favorite character.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Credit Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures
Easily the best MCU Spider-Man movie, it tops both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home and it successfully unites Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s respective Spider-Man movies.
The Dark Knight Rises
Credit Warner Brothers
Christopher Nolan has the best Batman trilogy yet. We have to wait and see how Matt Reeves does with the next two Batman movies. For me The Dark Knight Rises is the best out of the trilogy. It is bigger, longer, and a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Credit New Line Cinema
Epic. Emotional. A satisfying conclusion to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It deserves every Oscar it won back in 2004. It won all eleven categories it was nominated for.
I had a conversation a few weeks ago and it was mentioned that when it comes to sequels, the original is always better. The comment was made in referring to Hocus Pocus 2 and how it was a letdown compared to the original. I have not yet seen Hocus Pocus 2. It is on my very long to watch list. It got me thinking how true is this statement? This is not the first time I have heard this. I have seen reviews and comments on social media saying similar things when referring to any new movie in a respective franchise or a film that got a sequel. Currently there have not been any concrete plans for a Hocus Pocus 3. At this point it only stands as two films. We will see if there will be another one.
Is the original always the superior one? No, not always. It will always come down to taste. Some sequels are not as good as the original. Sometimes the sequels are better than the original. Sometimes the original was not that great to begin with and the sequel or sequels were far superior. I cannot comment specifically on Hocus Pocus 2 since I did not see it. There are plenty of others to look at.
There are two big components when it comes to this question. Studios tend to look at the financials of a project. If the sequel makes less than the predecessor, it is considered a failure or a disappointment. There is the audience reception. A sequel could be a smash hit financially but hated by the audience therefore making the sequel a disappointment. Sometimes they both go hand and hand where the sequel bombs and is hated by the audience. The same can be said for the opposite. A sequel could be loved by the audience and a smash hit.
This may be a bit divisive, but I was not the biggest fan of The Matrix. It was a smash hit and is beloved by the fans. I only saw the Matrix because I wanted to see The Matrix Reloaded. I watched the first movie before seeing the second one in theaters. I liked The Matrix Reloaded better than The Matrix. At the time I found The Matrix boring. I liked the second one and the third one better. Yes, I also liked The Matrix Revolutions. I have yet to see The Matrix Resurrections. I just found the second and third one better. I felt the same way about Charlie’s Angels. I saw the first movie because I wanted to see Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle in theaters. I did not like Charlie’s Angels, but I liked the second one. In those cases, I found the sequel better than the original. Mamma Mia! was a smash hit and ten years later got a sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Was a sequel necessary? Probably not. Was it a good movie? I enjoyed it. I thought it was fun. It was just as fun as the original. Was it better than the original? I would say they are equal, but I would not say it was better than the original.
I would say Iron Man 3 is the best out of the Iron Man films. I know there will be plenty who don’t agree on that. I liked Iron Man 3 because it was different than other two. Pretty much the reasons I liked Iron Man 3 are the same reasons why a lot of people did not like Iron Man 3. I would say Thor: The Dark World was not better than Thor. I would say Thor: Ragnarok is the best out of the Thor films including Love and Thunder. Captain America: The Winter Soldier surpassed the first Captain America. Out of the three Captain America films, I feel Civil War is the best but it only inches The Winter Soldier out by an inch.
Animation is a genre that a lot feel sequels do not match the originals. Cars 2 was not better than Cars. However, Cars 3 was better than Cars 2. This is really the only franchise that falls in this category. Pixar’s franchises have typically exceeded the predecessors. Toy Story got better with each subsequent film. The same goes for Finding Dory and The Incredibles 2. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is better than the original. I enjoyed the first Puss in Boots movie, but it was not some amazing film. I had low expectations before seeing The Last Wish and I was blown away by how great the film was. It also made me realize what was lacking in the first Puss in Boots movie. Out of the Shrek films, I would say Shrek 2 is probably the best one out of the core franchise. Despicable Me 2 is better than the first one but Despicable Me 3 falls short of both. This can go on and on.
To answer the question, are the originals always the best one? No. It varies. Some sequels are better, and others are not. It all comes down to taste. Even the great franchises can have a weaker entry. I love Marvel but at this point there are some films that would rank lower than others in the franchise. The difference is even the films that aren’t that great are usually pretty okay when it comes to Marvel. Some films are just inferior to their predecessors. The Hobbit trilogy is inferior to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was truly an epic whereas The Hobbit trilogy lost some if its heart that the original had. Also, the Hobbit trilogy was a bit unnecessary since they stretched out one book into three films. X-Men 2 is one of the greatest sequels ever made. I still stand by that today. X-Men 3 was a huge disappointment. The film itself is not terrible but it was not wonderful either. The films after that became hit and miss. Sequels like films in general are hit and miss. A lot either miss the mark entirely or are just okay and others hit the target which is always a nice surprise.
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