It’s always hard to come back to work after a three-day holiday weekend, but we’ll try to make it a little easier for you in today’s Movie Morsels — what with George Lucas’ latest comments on Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, as well as an update on Deadpool, some unexpected sequel news for Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Howard the Duck, the first photo from Now You See Me: The Second Act, and more!
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
George Lucas has said he knows next to nothing about the production of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, and we now know why — he wants to experience a Star Wars movie for the very first time as a fan. In the midst of promoting his upcoming animated musical fantasy Strange Magic (due out on January 23rd), the Father of the Force explains, “I haven’t seen anything. I mean, I saw the trailer, it looks great, it looks interesting. But as I’ve said before: one thing I regret about Star Wars is that I never got to see it, you know? I never got to be blown away by the big ship coming over the thing, or anything. But this time I’m going to be, because I have no idea what they’re doing.”
It’s oddly comforting to know that for all his success — and despite his often controversial decisions — deep down inside Lucas just wants to watch a new Star Wars movie like every other fan.
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Deadpool
Looks like Ryan Reynolds will be returning to his roots in more than one way with director Tim Miller’s Deadpool. The film will be produced in Reynolds’ home town of Vancouver when shooting begins in March. The city also hosted the production of Fox’s Marvel mutant movies X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (in which Reynolds made his debut as wisecracking mercenary Wade Wilson). Scripted by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Zombieland), Deadpool debuts on Febraury 12, 2016.
Howard the Duck
If any Marvel Studios movie deserves a sequel to its post-credits scene, it’s 2014’s biggest box-office hit Guardians of the Galaxy. Now fans will have a chance to learn how Howard the Duck came to be captured by Benicio del Toro’s Collector — in issue 2 of Marvel’s new Howard the Duck comic book. Here’s the official synopsis…
Howard’s first big case has taken him across the universe and landed him in the clutches of The Collector! But he’s not alone as the very popular Rocket Raccoon is a prisoner as well! Have you ever seen a comic book sequel to a post-credits scene in a movie? Well, you will now!
Howard the Duck #2 will be available in comic book shops in April.
Now You See Me: The Second Act
The first cast photo from the set of director Jon M. Chu’s Now You See Me: The Second Act — the sequel to 2013’s sleeper hit heist film — has just been released by Fandango, featuring returning stars Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, and Michael Caine, as well as newcomers Lizzy Caplan and Daniel Radcliffe (as Walter Tressler, the son of Caine’s character). It’s worth noting that Eisenberg has a buzz cut, presumably due to his work as the famously bald Lex Luthor in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Not pictured but still expected to return for the film are Isla Fisher and Morgan Freeman. Now You See Me: The Second Act works its magic on June 10, 2016.
[Empire]
Underdogs
If you liked Toy Story, Small Soldiers, or Dolls… Well, okay, Underdogs is as unlike those films as they are each other, but it is about tiny inanimate objects — in this case, a team of foosball players — coming to life and helping a kid realize their dreams. Underdogs is a Spanish-Argentine production — which became the biggest Argentine box-office hit in history when it was released as Metegol in its country in 2013. The Weinstein Company acquired US distribution rights and will release the film — directed by Juan J. Campanella and inspired by the short story “Memorias de un wing derecho” (“Memoirs of a Right Wing”) by Argentine writer Roberto Fontanarrosa — on April 10th. Matthew Morrison, Ariana Grande, Katie Holmes and Nicholas Hoult lend their voices to the English-language version. Here’s the trailer…
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