Comedic actor Randall Park (“Always Be My Maybe,” “Ant-Man & The Wasp“) is coming off a popular supporting role in Marvel Studios‘ first canonical entry into the world of television with “WandaVision,” reprising his MCU role of FBI Agent Jimmy Woo. It looks like he’ll be teaming up with another Marvel actor for an untitled action-comedy at Amazon Studios.

Continue reading Sterling K. Brown & Randall Park Team For Action Comedy Similar To ’48 Hours’ At Amazon at The Playlist.

Of the 22 films that comprise the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the two “Ant-Man” films seem to be the most divisive. Not really fitting with any of the other films in terms of tone and/or stakes, Peyton Reed’s two films exist as outliers in a series that is dominated by titans. But that doesn’t mean that Paul Rudd’s superhero character isn’t beloved by many. In fact, even after the first two ‘Ant-Man’ films failed to truly light up the box office like the rest of the MCU, there’s still a healthy amount of people itching to know when Scott Lang will show up again.

Continue reading Paul Rudd Has No Clue What The Future Holds For ‘Ant-Man’ Franchise But Hopes It Includes Director Peyton Reed at The Playlist.

Now it’s time to get our action yah-yahs out. 2018 is coming to a close so as is our usual wont to do, we’re running down many of the particulars of the year in cinema; Best Films, Posters, Trailers, Breakthrough Performances, and much more to come. Action is an art, but it’s not always artfully crafted, sometimes placing a premium on noise, loudness, chaos, and all the things Michael Bay values. But the best action sequences we always tend to love always put a focus on staging, crafty editing, tension, and orchestration.

Continue reading The 20 Best Action Movies Of 2018 at The Playlist.

The Academy of Motion Pictures announced the 20 contenders in the running for the 2019 Visual Effects Oscar this afternoon. There were a few notable snubs among the submissions including “Venom,” “A Wrinkle in Time,” “The Meg” and “Rampage.”  Some of the surprise entries included “Isle of Dogs,” “Mary Poppins Returns” and “Incredibles 2.”

READ MORE: ‘Aquaman’ early reactions: ‘Avatar’ meets ‘Jupiter Ascending’

The full list of all 20 films still in the race are as follows:

“Ant-Man and the Wasp”
“Aquaman”
“Avengers: Infinity War”
“Black Panther”
“Bumblebee”
“Christopher Robin”
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”
“First Man”
“Incredibles 2”
“Isle of Dogs”
“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”
“Mary Poppins Returns”
“Mission: Impossible – Fallout”
“Mortal Engines”
“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms”
“Paddington 2”
“A Quiet Place”
“Ready Player One”
“Solo: A Star Wars Story”
“Welcome to Marwen”

The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the preliminary list of films eligible for further awards consideration.

Continue reading ‘Aquaman,’ ‘Black Panther’ & ‘First Man’ Among 20 Visual Effects Oscar Finalists at The Playlist.

Released in the shadow of “Avengers: Infinity War” (much like the first film), “Ant-Man And The Wasp,” was nevertheless a summer hit and a nice, playful antidote to the grim seriousness of the ‘Avengers’ epic. Directed by Peyton Reed (“Bring It On,” “The Break-Up,”), the filmmaker inherited the “Ant-Man” franchise under controversial and questionable circumstances—Edgar Wright and Marvel parted ways last minute on his iteration of the superhero movie.

Continue reading Peyton Reed Talks ‘Ant-Man & The Wasp,’ Quantum Realm Easter Eggs, Inheriting Plot From ‘Civil War’ & More at The Playlist.

If you don’t know what happened at the end of “Avengers: Infinity War,” then you’ve probably been in a coma for the last six months. So, in that case, welcome back and get ready to have the film spoiled. For the rest of humanity, we all know about Thanos’ snap heard around the world…err, universe.

In the closing moments of ‘Infinity War,’ half the universe disintegrates into ash, as audiences watched in horror.

Continue reading Evangeline Lilly Says ‘Ant-Man & Wasp’ Post-Credits Snap Scene Was Shortened Because “We Totally Blew It” at The Playlist.

We are quickly running out of superlatives to throw at Warner Bros’ “Crazy Rich Asians.” The rom-com opened to a really nice box office number three weeks ago, combined with impressive reviews, ensuring the film would be picked up for a sequel. Then a week later, the film shows almost no Box Office drop, which is not only incredible but pretty much unheard of. And for its third weekend?

Continue reading ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Dominates Final Weekend Of Summer Box Office As Milestones Are Crossed at The Playlist.

Marvel Studios has a problem wholly unique to themselves. While Sony, Fox, Universal, and Paramount are desperate to find characters and franchises that can sustain sequels and perhaps cinematic universes, Disney and Marvel have probably two dozen characters that could do that. They have such a wealth of characters that fans and filmmakers have been speculating new and exciting combinations that would be major hits that Marvel Studios may not ever make.

Continue reading ‘Ant-Man’ Director Peyton Reed And Evangeline Lilly Have Opinions On The All-Female ‘Avengers’ at The Playlist.

It’s been over two decades since Tom Cruise and his “Mission: Impossible” franchise first hit theaters. Normally, that would mean diminishing returns, with an aging leading man and a sixth entry in the franchise. However, with “Mission: Impossible — Fallout,” Cruise has proven that the spy franchise is doing better than ever.

This weekend, ‘Fallout’ hit theaters and earned an estimated $61.5 million, which was easily good enough for the top spot.

Continue reading ‘Mission: Impossible — Fallout’ Scores Best-Ever Box Office Opening For The 22-Year-Old Franchise at The Playlist.

As this weekend approached, box office analysts predicted that the #1 spot would be a battle between the animated threequel “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” and Dwayne Johnson’s “Die Hard” knock-off, “Skyscraper.” While ‘Hotel Transylvania’ did what was expected, “Skyscraper” ended up burning to the ground, so to speak.

Coming in at #1, surprising no one, is ‘Hotel Transylvania 3,’ with a weekend total of $44.1 million.

Continue reading ‘Hotel Transylvania 3’ Wins The Weekend As ‘Skyscraper’ Crumbles At The Box Office at The Playlist.

Perhaps one of the most underrated aspects of Marvel Studios’ dominance at the box office is their uncanny ability to have sequels outperform the previous films. Unless it’s a rare exception, common sense would dictate that a sequel will do less than its predecessor. But when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’re almost guaranteed a higher opening weekend with each subsequent film.

So, it’s no surprise that this weekend’s first weekend total for “Ant-Man and the Wasp” performed far better than the first “Ant-Man” back in 2015.

Continue reading ‘Ant-Man And The Wasp’ Scores A Giant-Sized Opening Weekend at The Playlist.

With Marvel’s most recent franchise-leviathan “Avengers: Infinity War” becoming only the fourth film to make $2 billion dollars worldwide – paired with the release of another highly-anticipated Disney-owned release “Incredibles 2” –  it’s fair to say that this summer will be dominated by superheroes. And of course, Marvel’s second release of the summer, “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” is upon us, and looking like it could gross as high as $95 million this weekend which would be a massive 66% jump from “Ant-Man” in 2015 (even a low-end $85 million weekend is a nearly a 50% increase).

Continue reading ‘Ant-Man & The Wasp’: Watch All The Clips Plus The Post-Credits Scenes “Explained” at The Playlist.

Welcome to another edition of The Playlist Podcast, a discussion about film news and other film and television related items. On the first half of the episode, I’m joined as always by Playlist Editor-in-Chief Rodrigo Perez to discuss the in and outs of the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Peyton Reed‘s “Ant-Man & The Wasp.”

READ MORE: ‘Ant-Man & The Wasp’: Size Matters In A Familiar Scale, But Delightful Marvel Adventure [Review]

For the first fifteen minutes, we discuss our-spoiler free thoughts on the movie, which we both agree that it is a minor – but frequently hilarious – entry into the MCU.

Continue reading What ‘Ant-Man & The Wasp’ Means For The MCU Future & ‘Avengers 4,’ Plus 5 Fave Insect Movies [Podcast] at The Playlist.

Word of warning. If you have not seen “Ant-Man and the Wasp” you’re likely going to want to wait to read this.  There are a number of major spoilers in the context of our discussion with director Peyton Reed.  Best known for “Bring and On” and “Yes Man,” Reed was famously a last minute replacement for the first “Ant-Man” movie after Edgar Wright left following creative differences with the studio.  

Continue reading ‘Ant-Man And The Wasp’s’ Peyton Reed On Challenges And Randall Park’s Genius [Inteview] at The Playlist.

June was something of a let down with, albeit, some decent films sprinkled throughout. However, mostly the month featured a list of films that immediately fell off of audience’s radar. Despite there being some high profile talent leading the films and a sequel from an animation titan, nothing felt particularly noteworthy, particularly in the blockbuster realm. July, on the other hand, is exciting due to the bizarre mix and match to be done over the course of the month with everything from a new Marvel Studios film, yet another installment to the “Mission: Impossible” franchise and one of buzzed-about about films of the year, “Sorry to Bother You,” which was a standout at the Sundance Film Festival this past January.

Continue reading 11 Movies To See In July at The Playlist.

While “Ant-Man & The Wasp” might not have the strong MCU ties that something like “Avengers: Infinity War” does, it appears that some seeds are being planted that very well might lead to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At least, if you believe Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige.

In a recent interview with Heroic Hollywood, Feige was asked about the future of the MCU and more specifically, if some younger characters from the Marvel Universe might get their time to shine.

Continue reading Kevin Feige Says That ‘Ant-Man & The Wasp’ Sets Up Legacy Characters For Future MCU Films at The Playlist.

Stories come in all shapes and sizes and Marvel Studios has thankfully recognized that not all their superhero movies need to be blockbusters about saving the world. Once again directed by Peyton Reed, “Ant-Man & The Wasp” sequel to 2015’s modestly-sized “Ant-Man” is larger in scale, ambition, and size, but it never forgets the flawed, but lovable human at the heart of its little diorama-like story nor its objective of charming its audience.

Continue reading ‘Ant-Man & The Wasp’: Size Matters In A Familiar Scale, But Delightful Marvel Adventure [Review] at The Playlist.

Marvel Studios is celebrating 10 years of filmmaking and much of that success is due to its president, Kevin Feige.   Now a veteran producer with over $16 billion in ticket sales to his credit and two of the top 4 movies of all-time in the U.S., Feige is on the precipice of having Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther” crack the Best Picture race for the studio for the first time.  And, of course, there is another blockbuster on the way, Peyton Reed’s “Ant-Man and The Wasp.”

Feige is a fun interview because if you ask the right question he’ll give you a revealing answer.  

Continue reading Kevin Feige On ‘Ant-Man And The Wasp,’ ‘Black Panther’ And Big Expectations [Interview] at The Playlist.

If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Marvel has a formula, and they’re sticking to it because audiences seem to love it. The studio seems to always know the right balance of action, heart and comedy –  never quite too serious (‘Infinity War‘ aside), and never too silly unless the story demands it (“Guardians Of The Galaxy“). And it appears that the company has created yet another winner with their latest sequel and second Marvel film of 2018, “Ant-Man And The Wasp.” The film stars Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly, who finally gets her time to shine as the diminutive superheroine.

Continue reading ‘Ant-Man & The Wasp’ Reactions Promise A “Charming… Total Blast” And Marvel Winner at The Playlist.

Even though “Avengers: Infinity War” is still bringing in money for Marvel Studios and Disney, with over $2 billion worldwide, it’s time to move on and focus on the next chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – “Ant-Man and the Wasp.” And as is customary during this part of the Disney Marketing Machine, set-visits are starting to hit the Internet, with juicy bits of information that we’ve been wanting to know.

Continue reading ‘Ant-Man And The Wasp’ Takes Place Pre-‘Infinity War’ And Is Compared To Scorsese’s ‘After Hours’ at The Playlist.

For a film that’s about to be released in less than a month, you’d think we’d at least know the time period it takes place in, right? Well, for “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” the biggest question surrounding the film doesn’t seem to be the plot, secret villains, or any Easter Eggs. Nope, the big question is whether the film takes place BEFORE or AFTER “Avengers: Infinity War.”

We still don’t have an answer to that, but many are assuming the film takes place before Thanos famously snaps his fingers at the end of ‘Infinity War.’ That would explain how the trailers and footage for “Ant-Man and the Wasp” are conspicuously missing any mention of half the universe dying.

Continue reading ‘Ant-Man And The Wasp’ Actress Talks Post-‘Infinity War’ MCU Plans, Comparing It To ‘Lost’ at The Playlist.

Marvel Studios has released another “Ant-Man” TV spot (and international trailer) teasing audiences with what Scott Lang has been up to since “Captain America: Civil War,” and most importantly during “Avengers: Infinity War.”  However this time, the focus seems to be more on Hope van Dyne, aka The Wasp.

While Hope and Dr. Pym need Scott Lang to put his freedom at risk in order to save the world, it’s clear to all of them that if they’re going to succeed, they need to form a larger team.

Continue reading ‘Ant-Man & The Wasp’ International Trailer & TV Spot Makes Room For Hope Van Dyne & The Ghost at The Playlist.

As the newly-updated old adage goes, nothing is certain except death and taxes and Marvel blockbusters. With the forthcoming “Ant-Man And The Wasp,” the question everyone is asking is: where were Ant-Man and The Wasp during “Avengers: Infinity War” the ending of which we won’t talk about here but let’s just say the results were cataclysmic. It’s a question Marvel teased yesterday, but not answered today in the new trailer.

Continue reading ‘Ant-Man And The Wasp’ Trailer: A Hero Needs Someone Watching Their Back at The Playlist.

Sure, it’s still April, but summer is almost here. At least the summer movie season, which starts extra early this year thanks to Marvel’s early release of “Avengers Infinity War”—yep, blockbusters are even encroaching into the spring because that precious release date real estate is getting harder and harder to find. And summer means blockbusters and huge tentpoles, but for the eclectic, omnivorous filmgoer, there’s a variety of high, low and in the middle art to take in.

Continue reading Summer Movie Preview: 36 Films Worth The Watch at The Playlist.

Where DC Films can’t seem to get one movie out without some kind of major problem (“Wonder Woman” aside), even when Edgar Wright left “Ant-Man,” Marvel didn’t seem too ruffled. The reins were passed to Peyton Reed, Adam McKay was brought in to polish the script, and the result was a hit with fans and critics alike.

Continue reading ‘Ant-Man And The Wasp’ Trailer: Small Superheroes Have Another Big Adventure at The Playlist.