JJ Abrams, Steven Spielberg back day-and-date movie service

The notion of paying $50 to watch new-in-theaters movies at home may sound wild, but it apparently has the support of the biggest directors and producers in the business.  Variety sources claim that the already hyped Screening Room service has the financial support of JJ Abrams, Ron Howard, Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg, among other Hollywood luminaries. Only some of them are directly investing money, according to the tipsters, but all of them are shareholders.

Neither Screening Room nor the movie veterans are commenting on the supposed leak. If it's accurate, though, the support could be key to getting the service's foot in the door. While the startup is reportedly charging steep prices to prevent theater chains from freaking out over lost revenue, that might not be enough to assuage those fears. The backing of famous directors might convince theaters that they have little to worry about if they let you watch movies on a set-top box in your living room.

Star Trek Beyond Cast Adds Shohreh Aghdashloo as Reshoots Get Underway

Since rebooting the Star Trek series, J.J. Abrams’ faster paced, less cerebral brand of Trek has faced some criticism. However, with the 50th Anniversary of the series coming up this year and celebrations already getting underway, hopes are riding high on Star Trek Beyond to renew faith in the alternative timeline series. Director Justin Lin has already stated that, despite the “Fast and Furious Trek” Trailer, he plans on returning the series to its roots, while keeping the film exciting enough for casual moviegoers.

The production already had its troubles after Roberto Orci’s concept was drastically altered, forcing breakneck rewrites and a major reshuffling of resources. As its July release date rounds the corner, though, things are still cooking down for the Christopher Pine (Captain Kirk), Zoe Saldana (Lieutenant Uhura), and Zachary Quinto (Commander Spock) fronted series.

According to Deadline, Star Trek Beyond is in the process of reshooting a few scenes. The film has also added another cast member at the last minute: Emmy-winning actress Shohreh Aghdashloo (Rosewater). The actress has apparently been cast as a member of the Federation High Command. Fortunately, though, it looks like the Enterprise’s third mission in the altered timeline is still on course for a late July release.

The first Iranian woman to be awarded an Emmy, Aghdashloo should bring an austere presence to Star Trek Beyond. Her recent work in The Expanse – which begins production on its second season this coming April in Toronto – also saw her playing an authority figure (U.N. Assistant Undersecretary of Executive Administration Chrisjen Avasarala. to be exact). The reason for the reshoots is unclear, but her addition as a higher up may indicate some slight tweaks to the script by Orci, Simon Pegg, Doug Jung, John D. Payne, and Patrick McKay.

Although a surplus of scribes may bode poorly for Star Trek Beyond, neither extra writing help nor reshooting scenes necessarily sounds the death knell for a production. Adding or rearranging aspects of the film is a routine practice in Hollywood. Classic films like Wrath of Khan, Star Wars: A New Hope, and The Wizard of Oz all underwent major or minor alterations before becoming the cinematic staples they are today. And since the third installment of Abrams’ Star Trek reimagined series will either take the franchise to new heights or potentially finish it off, Lin and company are likely taking their test screening audiences very seriously.

Adding a renowned actor like Aghdashloo as a Federation bigwig may indicate a slight change in direction for the script. Or it could mean the producers wanted to add some heft to a decision in the film – likely related to Idris Elba’s alien villain and the potential alien invasion of Earth seen in the trailer. How it will affect the finished film and the future of the Federation, and the planet, remains to be seen.

How Captain America: Civil War Star Sebastian Stan Felt Watching The Movie For The First Time

One of the most highly anticipated movies of  2016 is the upcoming superhero ensemble piece Captain America: Civil War. After building a universe and lineup of heroes over the course of eight years, we’ll now be able to see all the superpowered individuals duke it out amongst themselves. Hype for Civil War only increased with both trailers for the film, which gave us just enough of a tease, without giving away too much. But now the question is: how good will the film actually be?

Much of the conflict in Civil War revolves around Captain America (Chris Evans) and his relationship and loyalty to his former best friend Bucky aka The Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan. Stan recently spoke out regarding his reaction to seeing Civil War for the first time, saying:

I sat there and basically there was a bowl of candy and fruit and gum in front of me and then there were sparkling waters and I basically sat on the edge of my couch the entire time and ate through the entire bowl of candy. I was overly stimulated with this movie, which I’m so proud to be in because everyone is fucking awesome in it. Everyone is fucking fantastic. I walked out of it speechless, and I worked on the movie and I was there! I walked out of there and I had back pain from leaning.

Well, that’s a glowing review to say the least. Bowl of candy aside, Sebastian Stan’s comment seems to tell us a something about the upcoming third chapter of the Captain America franchise.

Not that is is a huge surprise, but it seems like we’re going to be getting a ton of action during Civil War. We all knew that there was going to be a giant super powered battle at the climax of the film, including the brand spankin new Spider-Man, but now it seems that the fighting and battles will be pretty consistent throughout. In order to keep Sebastian Stan, who worked on the project, at the edge of his seat then things must be pretty wild. Considering that Captain America: Civil War has a pretty long runtime of 2 hours and 26 minutes, something big has to happen in order to keep the audience’s attention for so long.

Of course, given how epic the newest trailer is, I doubt I’ll be bored at anytime throughout the new film. Check it out.

One Key Way Justice League Will Be Different From Batman V Superman

The DC Extended Universe has only just gotten started, but a course has already been plotted for where the franchise will take its biggest heroes. After the events of Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice not only explores the aftermath of Superman’s debut and Batman’s distrust towards the Kryptonian, but also introduces the main members of the Justice League (minus Green Lantern). These movies subsequently form an unofficial “trilogy” with 2017’s Justice League: Part One, but the first official team-up adventure with these heroes will adopt a different tone from its predecessor.

Having described Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as being similar Empire Strikes Back or The Two Towers, writer Chris Terrio told The Wall Street Journal that he doesn’t expect Justice League: Part One to quite as dark the previous entry in this “trilogy.” He stated:

I expect Justice League will be tonally not quite as dark as Batman v Superman. From that point of view, I felt compelled to go back and try to lift us and myself into a different tonal place because I think when you write a darker film, sometimes you want to redeem it all a bit.

Ever since Man of Steel delivered a Superman story that was darker than its cinematic predecessors, some fans have been worried that the DCEU might be going too dark with their storytelling. While the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justicepreviews certainly show that the movie will be intense and emotional, it’s becoming clearer that this won’t be the case for this entire cinematic universe. For instance, The Flash and Shazam will reportedly be more lighthearted, and Terrio’s comments point to Justice League: Part One being brighter than the earlier films. If Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is Empire Strikes Back, then Justice League: Part Oneis Return of the Jedi. Sure, there will be some dark moments, but they won’t take hold of the entire story.

Chris Terrio also mentioned that despite Justice League: Part Two following in 2019, he’s not sure yet if he’ll pen the sequel, noting that writing the first movie has been “the most rigorous intellectual exercise” he’s had with writing. His research for characters like The Flash, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman has included reading about physics, mythology, and even what kind of sealife may exist at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean.

Aside from new characters being added, like Mera and Commissioner Gordon, details are scarce about what to expect from Justice League: Part One, aside from Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, and Cyborg officially joining forces for the first time. Still, it will no doubt be a comfort to many fans that the movie will lighten up a bit in the midst of all the action. So, no matter which villain they’re battling (whether it’s Darkseid, Brainiac, or someone else), these heroes won’t be in a somber-feeling environment,

Justice League: Part One hits theaters on November 17, 2017, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens in a few weeks, on March 25.