Mike Sampson is the Editor-in-Chief of ScreenCrush. He studied to become a lawyer and worked as an architectural planner after graduating college but neither of these professions afforded him the opportunity to watch movies and TV for a living. He previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of JoBlo.com for 10 years. He lives in New Jersey and probably spends too much time playing video games and overthinking things.
Mike Sampson
Rumor Buster: No, ‘Step Brothers 2’ Isn’t Filming This Year
If you’ve logged onto Facebook or trolled Reddit today, you surely saw the exciting news: Step Brothers 2 is officially happening and it begins filming this year! Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are back and they’re taking care of a baby! Oh great, a sequel to one of the funniest comedies of the past 25 years! Except it’s not true.
‘Batman vs. Superman’ R-Rated Cut Will Be Over 3 Hours, Says Zack Snyder
Batman vs. Superman is opening in theaters next week, but an extended, R-rated cut of the film will be included with the DVD and Blu-ray release of the film. While many extended cuts just include a few additional minutes of footage and a couple random edits, Batman vs. Superman director Zack Snyder says his planned R-rated cut will include a whopping 30 minutes of new footage, pushing it past the three hour mark.
Adult Swim’s Latest WTF-ery Will Break Your Brain
Remember Too Many Cooks? Of course you do, how could anyone possibly forget that happened? Adult Swim unleashed that popular short film with little fanfare during its 4am slot usually reserved for infomercials and it quickly went viral. It was hilarious and weird and about as dark as dark comedy can get. Then came Unedited Footage of a Bear, which was definitely weird and dark, but decidedly less
Marvel to Release ‘Star Wars: Rogue One’ Prequel Comic Series
One of the reasons Disney paid $3 billion for rights to Lucasfilm and Star Wars was because they knew they could synergy the s— out of it. No company does cross-promotion quite like Disney does and they’ve already proven adept at using each of their brands to help promote their other brands (remember when the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer debuted on ESPN?). Continuing on the path “Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens” started last year Marvel Comics has officially announced that they’ll be publishing a Star Wars: Rogue One prequel comic series later this year.
Theater Owners Shoot Down Proposed Plan to Release New Films at Home on Opening Day
Two weeks ago came word of a controversial, yet intriguing concept proposed to both Hollywood studios and theater owners: a new encrypted set-top box that would allow moviegoers to watch new releases the same day they open in theaters. So, for example, you could watch Batman vs. Superman on March 25 on your couch for $50. The plan was generating some buzz and support from filmmakers like J.J. Abrams and Peter Jackson, but received its biggest setback today as the National Organization of Theater Owners have officially dismissed the proposal.
‘Finding Dory’ Trailer: You Can Go Home Again
Pixar has settled into a rhythm of releasing both sequels to huge hits and new, original movies in theaters. 2015 was home to two original Pixar movies — the Oscar-winning Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur — which means now it’s time for another sequel. Pixar’s next film is a follow-up to one of their most successful films of all-time, Finding Nemo, which sees director Andrew Stanton returning for
How Disney Turned a Cute, Talking Animal Movie Into an Commentary on Race Relations
As the story goes, corrupt government officials intentionally introduced a dangerous drug into marginalized minority communities resulting in increased power for politicians and law enforcement through the manipulated fear of the middle class.
This narrative has been the subject of a number of popular conspiracy theories over the years concerning the CIA’s alleged involvement in the crack cocaine epidemic among the African American community in the mid-80s. It’s also the plot of the 55th Disney animated movie starring a group of cute, talking animals.
Ben Affleck Reportedly Rewrote ‘Batman vs. Superman’ Script Every Day…in Costume
One of the stipulations when Ben Affleck signed on to star in Batman vs. Superman was that his Argo writer, Chris Terrio, would come aboard to help fix the script. Though Terrio was indeed brought in to rewrite the script (originally written by David Goyer), it seems Affleck still was not happy with it. According to a recent report, Affleck spent each day rewriting that day’s scenes until they were up to snuff. Oh, and he did it dressed as Batman.
Over 20,000 Goobers Sign Petition to Get Deadpool to Host SNL
Deadpool made a ton of money this past weekend. At 84% on Rotten Tomatoes it’s been a success with critics too. It’s already influencing multiple future blockbusters. People love Deadpool. Apparently people love Deadpool so much they want him to host SNL. No, not Ryan Reynolds, he already hosted back in 2009 with musical guest Lady Gaga. Over 20,000 fans and counting want the character himself to host a full episode of SNL.
Disney to Face Criminal Charges Over Harrison Ford’s ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Injury
Back in June of last year, Harrison Ford was injured on the set of Star Wars: The Force Awakens when the door of the Millennium Falcon fell, dislocating his ankle and breaking his leg in two places. The production was put on hold for six months while Ford recuperated and director J.J. Abrams would later say of the incident, “Once we knew that Harrison was going to be okay, we all realized this was this greatest gift to the movie.” Abrams, and his bosses at Lucasfilm and Disney, may be disagreeing with that sentiment today as officials in London have brought four criminal charges against the Star Wars: The Force Awakens production company.