Emma Stefansky
New Amazon Prime Instant Releases — July 2017
It’s that time again — time to mark your calendars for the start of a new month and a new streaming season! Today brings great news for Amazon Prime subscribers, as July’s slate of new additions has some really, really good ones in the mix.
Someone Robbed the Largest Privately-Owned ‘Star Wars’ Collection on Earth
The owner of the largest privately-owned Star Wars memorabilia collection in the world, known as Rancho Obi-Wan, has announced today that it has been systematically robbed over a period of many months from 2015 to 2016. Steve Sansweet, who offers tours of the ranch and its many pieces of Star Wars history, says that not only do the items taken make up about $200,000, it appears to be an inside job.
Gal Gadot Almost Quit Acting, and Then She Was Offered ‘Wonder Woman’
Acting can be a thankless business. With all the work, the rejection, the dealing with people you don’t get along with, the exhausting hours and press tours, it’s a wonder than any celeb can stick it out as long as some of our greatest stars have. Sometimes all that disappointment can push an actor to the brink — and then the right audition at the right time for a fantastic role can pull them back again. That’s exactly what happened to Gal Gadot, a.k.a. our new Wonder Woman: before she was cast, she almost quit acting altogether.
‘The Jetsons’ Movie to Be Developed, Possibly Directed by ‘Sausage Party’s Conrad Vernon
In today’s Things That Make You Go Hmm news: The new animated Jetsons movie, based on the popular Hanna-Barbera TV series, has brought one of Sausage Party’s co-directors, Conrad Vernon, on board to “develop” and probably also to direct the movie.
New HBO NOW Releases: June 2017
It’s summer, which means it’s the perfect time of the year to stay inside all day and watch TV. Just kidding (mostly). Vitamin D is good for you. But if you find yourself with a long weekend or coming down with that dreaded of all ills, the summer cold, the one thing you won’t have to be is bored, thanks to modern technology and streaming services. And for you lucky who subscribe to HBO NOW, we have the full list of everything coming to the service this June, including new seasons of Veep, The Leftovers, T.J. Miller’s new standup special, and recent releases like Krampus and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.
Tom Cruise Just Confirmed ‘Top Gun 2’ Is Happening, May Start Production This Year
Some days it seems like a new sequel rumor hits the Internet every day. Whispers of Top Gun 2 have been floating around the stratosphere for a few years, with the movie even getting a screenwriter at one point, Val Kilmer vowing to return, and even a mysterious meeting with Jerry Bruckheimer. Sometimes, because of timing or lack of resources or myriad other reasons, sequels just don’t end up happening even if they’re hyped. But today brings good news for Top Gun 2 hopefuls: it’s definitely happening, and Tom Cruise himself says it’ll start filming within the next twelve months.
New Netflix Instant Releases: June 2017
It’s that time again: time to round up everything coming and going from all the streaming services at the start of the new month. Netflix has a pretty fantastic slate for this June, which includes their Cannes contender Okja, directed by Bong Joon-ho and starring Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal. There’s also a few popular 2016 releases like Xavier Dolan’s It’s Only the End of the World, and Catfight, that movie about Sandra Oh and Anne Heche beating the living daylights out of each other. And if you want to hear a bunch of animated plants sing Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence,” give Trolls a shot.
Mel Brooks and MGM Are Still Considering a ‘Spaceballs 2’
Mel Brooks is arguably the king of cult classics, having made a ton of movies in his heyday that are still just as funny now as they were in the ’70s and ’80s. And since the current climate in Hollywood is a combination of sequels, reboots, and nostalgia, it’s no wonder that at least one Brooks comedy is looking to get a sequel. Brooks recently revealed that he’s been chatting with MGM about the possibility of a sequel to his immortal Star Wars send-up Spaceballs.
Benedict Cumberbatch’s ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ Gets Sly First Official Promo Art
Just in case you forgot, we’re getting another movie based on Dr. Seuss’s immortal holiday classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas pretty soon. And also just in case you forgot, said title character is going to be voiced by none other than Benedict Cumberbatch. And said Grinch movie, now has its first official, extremely fuzzy promo art.
‘Pirates of the Caribbean 5’ Is Being Held Hostage by Actual Online Pirates
Since online pirates tend to view “don’t steal stuff” as more of a guideline than an actual rule, it’s no surprise that eventually they’d start taking aim at Hollywood. And, hey, why not start big, with, say, Disney, the biggest studio in the business? And instead of pilfering something like Coco, how about going after, I dunno, maybe Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, the fifth installment in one of the most recognizable brands worldwide? Well, that’s exactly what a group of hackers apparently did.