Regardless of your thoughts on Marvel Studios’ latest film, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” there’s no one who can deny that the film is VFX-heavy. From the moment the main characters venture into the Quantum Realm (about 15 minutes into the film), there isn’t a moment on screen that doesn’t include some sort of VFX work. I mean, we’re talking about a film that takes place in an alternate reality.

Continue reading ‘Ant-Man 3’ VFX Workers Allege Marvel Put Focus On ‘Wakanda Forever’ & Sacrificed ‘Quantumania’ Visuals at The Playlist.

The Oscar nomination announcement may have come and gone, but some guild award nominations have not. This morning the Writers Guild of America completed the reveal of the WGA Award nominations by announcing the 2023 film nominees. This year’s crop included a number of films not nominated for the Academy Awards including “The Menu,” “Nope,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “She Said.” The union dropped the television nominees last month.

READ MORE: ‘Andor,’ ‘Abbott Elementary’ And ‘The Bear’ Earn WGA Awards TV nominations

As only union members are only eligible for a WGA Awards nomination, many of this year’s most critically acclaimed films did not make the cut including “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Triangle of Sadness,” “Aftersun,” “Close,” “Corsage,” “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande,” “RRR,” “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” “The Whale,” “The Wonder” and “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” among many others.

Continue reading ‘The Menu,’ ‘Nope’ & ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Earn 2023 WGA Awards Film Nominations at The Playlist.

Many details have been coming out about the making of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” this week. Director Ryan Coogler has slowly been revealing details about the original version of the screenplay written before Chadwick Boseman‘s died—a version he was sadly too sick to read and never got the chance to do so. And recently, Coogler disclosed the full original version of the story beat for beat in a new post-mortem interview.

Continue reading ‘Black Panther’: Danai Gurira Says A Deleted Scene Reveals Okoye‘s Left The Dora Milaje & Wakanda at The Playlist.

By now, you know the story of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” a meditation on grief and vengeance centered on the point of view of T’Challa’s sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), who eventually dons the mantle of the new Black Panther (read our review). You probably also know the story of the original ‘Wakanda Forever’ screenplay too; the one written after Chadwick Boseman’s death, and tragically, one he was never able to read before he passed.

Continue reading ‘Wakanda Forever’: Ryan Coogler Says The Original Script Featured A Father/Son Dynamic Post Thanos Snap at The Playlist.

The Makeup and Hairstyling branch is always full of surprises and their 2023 Oscar shortlist selections lived up to their reputation. Expected players such as “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “Elvis” and, despite the controversy over its fat suit, “The Whale” made the cut. As did a number of unexpected selections, “Blonde,” “Crimes of the Future” and “Amsterdam.”

READ MORE: “Everything Everywhere All At Once” lands 14 Critics Choice Awards nominations

A long list of snubs included “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” “The Northman,” “Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness,” and “Till,” among others.

Continue reading ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,’ ‘Elvis’ & ‘The Whale’ Land On Makeup & Hairstyling Oscars Shortlist at The Playlist.

Music! It is the beating soul beneath a film’s imagery, visuals, and performance. And one of the things we love most about writing about the Best Scores & Soundtracks of the year, in this case, 2022, is how it just makes us understand a film all over again on a deeper, more intuitive-level, especially when you’re just listening to a score or soundtrack on its own, without the context of a movie, and it’s just communicating so much to you.

Continue reading The Best Scores & Soundtracks Of 2022 at The Playlist.

**Spoilers below for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” You’ve been warned…**

Though it’s unlikely Letitia Wright will get any major awards nominations for her performance in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” it isn’t for lack of quality and effort. The young actress clearly puts every bit of herself into her role as Shuri, the new Black Panther and protector of Wakanda. But for how emotional the entire film is for Wright, as she and the cast/crew had to move on from the passing of Chadwick Boseman, there was one scene in particular that really hit hard for the actress.

Continue reading Letitia Wright Talks About Emotions Behind ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Post-Credits Surprise: “That Scene Messed Me Up” at The Playlist.

**Spoilers ahead for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” You’ve been warned.**

In a long, epic film about grief and loss, one of the most emotional moments in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” comes at the very end. In the mid-credits scene, it is revealed that T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) actually had a kid off-screen, and he’s been living with Nakia in Haiti, away from Wakanda and his place in the kingdom.

Continue reading ‘Wakanda Forever’: Angela Bassett Reveals Cut Scene That Would Have Introduced The Post-Credits Surprise Earlier In The Film at The Playlist.

As cinema continues to shapeshift in a very literal formatting sense, and the future remains unclear regarding the size of the screen on which we’ll get to appreciate it, trailers often give us the only taste of a cinematic experience. To feel the rumbling drums of “The Northman” on the big screen or to hear Jenny Slate’s weirdly therapeutic voice for “Marcel The Shell With Shoes On” becomes a physical experience.

Continue reading The Best Movie Trailers Of 2022 at The Playlist.

Hannah Beachler already has one Oscar thanks to her incredible world-building in Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther.” She may soon be in the running for a second after helping conceive the Mayan-influenced Talokan civilization in the follow-up, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” A process that involved countless hours of research and a year of prep work.

READ MORE: ‘Wakanda Forever’: Ruth Carter on fashioning Namor’s undersea costumes and the new Black Panther armor [Interview]

During our conversation, Beachler reveals just how much consideration went into imagining an underwater world influenced by classic Mayan architecture.

Continue reading ‘Wakanda Forever’: Hannah Beachler On Creating Namor’s Talokan World at The Playlist.

After three weeks in theaters, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” has made $363 million domestically, over $600 million worldwide, and it looks like it’s going to be Marvel’s second biggest hit of the year following “Doctor Strange & The Multiverse Of Madness.” The film is full of action, grief, and emotion and, of course, is highlighted by a classic Marvel character that fans have wanted to see onscreen for decades: Namor, The Submariner (played by Tenoch Huerta).

Continue reading Marvel Can’t Make A Namor Solo Movie & “Borrowed” The Character For ‘Wakanda Forever’ From Universal at The Playlist.

*Be warned, major spoilers ahead for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”*

Marvel’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is expected to cross $600 million at the global box office this weekend. And it’s really quite the feat that co-writer/director Ryan Coogler was able to pull off, given the heartbreaking development process after losing actor Chadwick Boseman and trying to get the massive film completed while honoring his memory.

Continue reading ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’: Angela Bassett Asked Ryan Coogler To Reconsider Her Character’s Fate at The Playlist.

After Chadwick Boseman‘s tragic death in 2020, MCU fans wondered who would take over the Black Panther mantle for the actor in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”  Marvel Studios did a good job keeping it secret, but now that the film’s in theaters, the secret’s out.  Letitia Wright‘s Shuri became the new Black Panther in Wakanda’s battle against Namor the Sub-Mariner in the sequel to Ryan Coogler‘s 2018 film.

Continue reading ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’: Co-Writer Joe Robert Cole Reveals Two Other Black Panther Replacements Considered For New Film at The Playlist.

With a career spanning over three decades, costume designer Ruth Carter has crafted looks for the early 1800s, mid-20th Century America and all aspect of ’90s and early 2000’s Los Angeles (from “B.A.P.S.” to “Love & Basketball”). Her efforts have seen her rewarded with three Oscar nominations for Best Costume Design and a win in 2020 for Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther.” She revisited that pop culture inflection in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and it was arguably one of the biggest challenges of her career.

Continue reading ‘Wakanda Forever’: Ruth Carter On Fashioning Namor’s Undersea Costumes & The New Black Panther Armor at The Playlist.

**Spoiler Alert: This is an article for those that have already seen “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” If you have not, bookmark this page, turn around, see the movie and come back. Spoiler Alert end.**

A dramatic meditation on grief, mourning, and healing, while also acting as an action-packed superhero look at how vengeance can consume us—not to mention all its geopolitical and ideological ideas of protecting one’s identities, traditions, and right to exist—Marvel’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is in theaters now and is a lot of movie.

Continue reading ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Ends With Three Ellipses That Point To The Future of The Franchise at The Playlist.

There were a lot of questions going into the release of Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” How would the sequel deal with the sudden passing of Chadwick Boseman, the franchise’s leader? Who is going to suit up as the new Black Panther? And do we really need a villain with pointy ears and winged ankles? Thankfully, Ryan Cooger and his fantastic cast have once again delivered a “Black Panther” film that answers all those questions a whole lot more.

Continue reading ‘Wakanda Forever’: The ‘Black Panther’ Sequel Offers Superhero Grief Counseling & Another Dose Of Geopolitical Intrigue [The Playlist Podcast] at The Playlist.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” opens in theaters today in the US to close out Phase 4 for the MCU. But don’t expect the film’s worldwide box office numbers to reach those of Ryan Coogler‘s 2018 film. How come? The Hollywood Reporter reports that it looks like China blocks “Wakanda Forever” and another Fall 2022 superhero movie, “Black Adam,” from release in the world’s second-biggest theatrical market.

Continue reading ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ & ‘Black Adam’ Won’t See Theatrical Releases In China at The Playlist.

While it’s unclear whether or not Ryan Coogler is going to return to direct another “Black Panther” film after the release of ‘Wakanda Forever,’ it has long been known the filmmaker is working alongside Marvel Studios to develop spinoffs for Disney+. Originally, it was revealed that the spinoff would be focused on the Dora Milaje, led by Danai Gurira’s Okoye.

Continue reading ‘Black Panther’ Producer Suggests Multiple Wakanda Series Coming To Disney+ With Some “Completely New” Characters at The Playlist.

We are just a couple of days away from the long-awaited release of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and believe me, it’s going to be an absolutely massive film at the box office and fans are going to lose their minds (in a good way, obviously) when they see what Ryan Coogler and Co. have done with the story. Naturally, as with any Marvel Studios film, however, the conversation will quickly change to what the future holds for the “Black Panther” franchise, but also, perhaps more importantly, what happens next for Coogler. 

Continue reading Ryan Coogler Denies ‘Secret Wars’ Directing Rumors: “That’s Crazy” at The Playlist.

There’s no line in ‘Wakanda Forever,’ the sequel to Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” (2018), as bruising and seething as “Bury me in the ocean with my ancestors that jumped from the ships because they knew death was better than bondage.” But emotionally, this somber ‘Black Panther’ sequel is just as visceral and lacerating and perhaps just as absolutist. And spiritually, there is great lineage to this bitter resignation about demise, pride, ancestries, the great depths below us, and the refusal to accept enslavement.

Continue reading ‘Wakanda Forever’ Review: ‘Black Panther’ Sequel Is Overstuffed & Yet Still Succeeds With Heart, Soul, Grief & Great Stakes at The Playlist.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” hits theaters next weekend to wrap up Phase 4 of the MCU, and Marvel fans have lots of questions in the lead-up to the film’s release. For instance, will the sequel be as successful as Ryan Coogler‘s 2018 film, which reeled in $1.3 billion at the global box office? Or how will this show set up Phase 5 content, such as the upcoming Disney+ series “Ironheart,” which centers on Dominique Thorne‘s Riri Williams/Ironheart?

Continue reading Ryan Coogler Says Original ‘Wakanda Forever’ Story Had T’Challa’s Struggles After The “Blip”: “He Was Going To Be Grieving The Loss of Time” at The Playlist.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” hits theaters next Friday to wrap Phase 4 of the MCU. And while that’s exciting for Marvel fans, another more serious ambiance hangs over Ryan Coogler‘s sequel to his 2018 film. “Wakanda Forever” is a “Black Panther” movie without T’Challa himself, Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in 2020 after a long battle with colon cancer.

Continue reading Ryan Coogler Says Chadwick Boseman Passed Away Before Reading The Completed Original ‘Wakanda Forever’ Script at The Playlist.

Marvel’s first mutant, Namor, is finally making his live-action debut in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” next week. Played by Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta, Namor’s inclusion comes after a long journey that includes failed attempts by Universal Pictures to make a solo film back in the 2000s before the character could join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, it sounds like director Ryan Coogler had planned to use Namor long before the original film’s release and always planned on circling back to him for the sequel.

Continue reading Ryan Coogler Says Marvel Has Been Trying To Use Namor Before ‘Aquaman’ & Always Planned To Use Him For ‘Black Panther 2’ at The Playlist.

For anyone concerned that the release schedule had been oddly slow (for us non-metropolitan area folks), worry not because November is begging that we dedicate a good half of our time in the theaters. There’s almost too much packed into the upcoming weeks with new films from filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, Noah Baumbach, Guillermo Del Toro, and more. 

Along with director showcases, there are also plenty of performances worth seeking out this month, from Daniel Radcliffe’s committed performance in “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” Taylor Russell’s star-making turn in “Bones and All” and Jonathan Majors captivating presence in “Devotion.” It will be tough fitting everything in, but there’s no doubt the level of quality on display in November is enough to make us try and see everything we possibly can – and there will still be plenty left over. 

Continue reading 15 Movies To See in November: ‘Causeway,’ ‘Bones & All’ ‘Armageddon Time’ & More at The Playlist.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” hits theaters next Friday and closes out Phase 4 of the MCU. But Ryan Coogler‘s sequel to his 2018 film is highly anticipated for several reasons. First, the film sees Tenoch Huerta bring Namor, one of the original Marvel Comics heroes, onto the big screen for the first time. The film also introduces other comic favorites like Dominique Thorne‘s Riri Williams/Ironhart to the MCU.

Continue reading Ryan Coogler Explains Why Recasting T’Challa in ‘Wakanda Forever Was Never Really An Option at The Playlist.