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
Tom Hardy Is ‘Venom’ in Spider-Man Villain Film From ‘Zombieland’ Director
In news that clearly came from the farthest depths of left field, Tom Hardy has been cast as the lead in Venom, Sony’s upcoming film about the famous Spider-Man villain. That’s not all: Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer will direct the movie, which is reportedly not a spinoff from Spider-Man: Homecoming, but a standalone project of sorts. Oh, and that’s still not all: Sony has shared an official announcement photo featuring Hardy in one of his classic Hardy-selfie poses, sporting a Venom t-shirt — in case you missed the point.
New ‘Aquaman’ Photo Shows Off Amber Heard’s Mermaid-esque Mera
This afternoon, director James Wan shared a new photo of Amber Heard’s Mera in Aquaman, and lo and behold, color has arrived in the DCEU at last, and we saw it, and it was good. Well, hopefully it’s good. Wan has a solid track record, and he proved his blockbuster action chops with Furious 7, but we reserve the right to remain skeptical that this, uh, splash of color (sorry) means that the DCEU will magically become a place where “fun” things happen.
Watch ‘Logan’ Star Dafne Keen’s Impressive X-23 Audition With Hugh Jackman
The role of young mutant Laura (aka X-23) in Logan is a demanding one, to say the least, and it’s not surprising that finding the perfect actor for the part was equally challenging for director James Mangold. He needed to find a 12-year-old actress with acrobatic and martial-arts skills who could speak English and Spanish, and, perhaps most important of all, hold her own opposite Hugh Jackman. That’s a pretty specific list of requirements, but Dafne Keen fit the bill (and then some), and now you can watch one of the incredibly impressive (and profanity-laden, FYI) audition tapes that led to her breakout role.
Matthew Vaughn Already Has a ‘Big Idea’ for ‘Kingsman 3’
There are several reasons to be excited for Kingsman: The Golden Circle (mostly every name on the cast list), not the least of which is that it’s the first time that Matthew Vaughn has returned to direct a sequel to one of his own films. After disappointing follow-ups to X-Men: First Class and Kick-Ass, Vaughn’s involvement in The Golden Circle has us feeling far more optimistic about Eggsy’s next mission. And it looks as though Vaughn is feeling pretty good about it, too, because he’s already cooked up an idea for a third Kingsman movie.
You Need to Hear David Hasselhoff’s Ridiculous ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ Song
Young folks are probably best acquainted with David Hasselhoff in the ironic sense, like some kitschy relic unearthed in their parents’ attic during a recon mission to find the most absurd pop culture fossil for their growing collection of dank memes. But us olds know The Hoff as a beloved ’80s icon, star of Baywatch and Knight Rider, and a weird German pop music icon — so it’s not entirely surprising that James Gunn solicited Hasselhoff to help record a song for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. And it is special.
‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Reveals All the ‘Bells and Whistles’ on Spidey’s New Suit
After failing to capture audiences with their last Spider-Man reboot, Sony found a surefire way to win us back by teaming up with Marvel. Thanks to that deal, not only do we get to see Tom Holland’s Peter Parker swing over to the MCU to play with the Avengers, we also get to Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark pal around with everyone’s favorite high school hero in this summer’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. And, as teased at the end of Civil War, being friends with a billionaire inventor / superhero has some serious benefits, like a free super-suit upgrade.
What’s Expiring From Netflix Instant: May 2017
You know the drill: Every month, Netflix Instant delivers a glorious bounty of new titles for us to stream until we can’t feel our butts anymore. But just as Netflix giveth, so must they taketh away, and with each new month comes a list of movies and TV shows that are set to expire from the streaming service — some temporarily, some perhaps forever. Think of it as your monthly reminder to stop procrastinating with that bloated queue of yours.
‘Don’t Breathe’ Director Fede Alvarez Will Take Us Back to the World of ‘Labyrinth’
Everyone has that a special movie (or two) from their childhood that they feel protective of — a film so formative and beloved that even the slightest hint of “remake” elicits a drastic eyebrow-raise. For me, it’s Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, a beautiful and wildly imaginative film filled with great music, performances and wonderful Henson puppetry that also happened to introduce me to my first crush: David Bowie. (I was five. It was significant.) And although revisiting that world with a new director could be fun under the right circumstances, I reserve the right to remain skeptical.
Classic Disney Songs Get the Heavy Metal Treatment on This Wild New Cover Album
Have you ever wondered what Sir Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King soundtrack would sound like if it had been re-recorded by Ozzy Osbourne? Or maybe you’ve always loved the title track from Beauty and the Beast, but thought that Angela Lansbury’s genteel vocals would sound just a hair better if she had the shrieking warble of a demon veering down the highway at 90 miles per hour — you know, like if the artwork from a heavy metal record came to life. If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions or, “What would it sound like if Dokken covered The Little Mermaid?,” then Disney has the album for you.
Sylvester Stallone Exits ‘The Expendables’ Franchise
They might be called The Expendables, but the team is losing one of its key members as Sylvester Stallone is officially parting ways with the franchise he helped create. Following a crucial dispute over the creative direction for the fourth chapter in the ensemble action series, Stallone has walked away from the project — and from what would be his biggest paycheck yet, which says something substantial about his stake in the franchise.
Alicia Vikander Is Ready to Raid in New ‘Tomb Raider’ Photo and Official Synopsis
Following yesterday’s debut of the first two images from the new Tomb Raider movie comes another sneak peek at Alicia Vikander as iconic video game hero Lara Croft — and yep, she definitely looks like she’s gonna do some tomb-raiding. Warner Bros. has also revealed the first (very) full official synopsis for the film, which hits theaters next March. They’re really getting a jump on this thing, huh?
New ‘Jumanji’ Movie Features a Magical Video Game Instead of a Magical Board Game
The only people who still regularly play board games are adults: 30-somethings who drink craft beer, elderly people who get bored and raid the nursing home activity closet, my mom’s overly-competitive boyfriend. Some kids play them, sure — but it’s usually begrudgingly during forced “family night,” or if they come from one of those homes without TVs and where the only magazines are Highlights. There’s a reason why you can play Monopoly and Scrabble on your iPhone now, which is why it’s not surprising that the new Jumanji movie doesn’t center around a tangible board game, but a video game.