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
Don’t Worry, ‘Justice League’ Won’t Be as Dark as ‘Batman vs. Superman’
As we speculated the other day, it’s possible that the negative reception to Batman vs. Superman could impact how Warner Bros. and director Zack Snyder proceed with Justice League. The two-part Justice League movie is currently scheduled to begin filming in three weeks, but it looks like Snyder and team have already made the decision to have their superhero crossover movie be less dark and more fun.
Zack Snyder and Cast Talk Bad ‘Batman vs. Superman’ Reviews: ‘It Is What It Is’
As has been widely reported, the early critical reception to Batman vs. Superman has not been kind. The Rotten Tomatoes rating continues to plummet; what was once at 42% yesterday, now stands at 32%. What’s awkward is that the cast is still making their rounds promoting the film, and one brave and intrepid British reporter gathered the nerve to ask Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Amy Adams and director
‘Wonder Woman’ Movie First Look: The Amazon Women Assemble!
Though critics so far have not been kind to Batman vs. Superman (currently at a 32% on Rotten Tomatoes), one of the bright spots for the film has been the reception to Wonder Woman who, despite her minimal screen time, has earned highly positive reviews. Perhaps looking to capitalize on that word of mouth, Warner Bros. has wisely decided to reveal the first official photo from the upcoming Wonder Woman movie, including our first look at Hippolyta, Antiope and Menalippe.
‘The LEGO Batman Movie’ Trailer: The Dawn of Justice in Brick Form
Everyone who goes to see Batman vs. Superman this weekend is going to get an extra treat: a first look at the new Batman movie. No, not Batfleck, the real Batman. LEGO Batman. But, if you absolutely, positively can’t wait until you see it in the theaters, you can watch The LEGO Batman Movie trailer right now...
Critics Slam ‘Batman vs. Superman’, What Does This Mean For ‘Justice League’ Plans?
The first critic reviews of Batman vs. Superman hit the web last night and early word was…not kind. The film currently sits at 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. By comparison, the divisive Man of Steel had a 56%. Even The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had a 53% and that film was so bad it single-handedly killed a franchise. Our own critic, Matt Singer, called it a “a burdensome 150-minute slog” in his review. Other reviews have called it “an holy mess,” “a near-total drag” and “a deeply disappointing experience.” Perhaps most importantly though is this sentiment from GQ, which seems to be a recurring theme amongst negative reviews: “The wider problem is that [Batman vs. Superman] doesn’t make you want a Justice League film.” Studios are used to bad reviews, but if the overwhelming sentiment is that the Dawn of Justice doesn’t make you want to see Justice arrive, Warner Bros. has a supersized problem.
‘Captain America: Civil War’ Is a ‘Love Story’ Say Directors; Slashfic Writers Squeal With Delight
Much has been made about the “friendship” between Captain America and Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though most take their relationship as face value, there is a growing subset of fans who are reading a little bit more into their bond, something far more romantic. They even have a clever portmanteau: Stucky (Steve/Bucky). There have been entire articles examining the “barely concealed intimations of love” between Cap and Bucky. And don’t even get me started on Tumblr. All that speculation and slashfic is about to get a major boost as the directors of the upcoming Captain America: Civil War have described the movie as a “love story.”
‘Captain America: Civil War’ Directors Say You’ll ‘S— Yourself’ Over Spider-Man
The big Spider-Man reveal at the end of the Captain America: Civil War trailer certainly got the internet, and all of superhero fandom, in a tizzy. There were those that absolutely loved it and then there were those who were left disappointed...
New ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Posters Show Off Team Cap
Can you smell that? That’s the fresh scene of a brand new Captain America: Civil War trailer, which is arriving later this week. When? Well, we can’t tell you that yet, but we can tell you in advance of the trailer, there will be a lot of Captain America: Civil War items popping up on the internet this week. Starting with six new Civil War posters highlighting the members of Team Cap.
Did ‘Guardians of the Galaxy 2’ Just Add Sylvester Stallone to the Cast?
Last month when Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 director James Gunn revealed on Facebook that Kurt Russell, Elizabeth Debicki and Chris Sullivan had joined the cast of his sequel, he promised “We’ll have more surprises for you in the coming months.” Has one of those surprises already been spoiled?
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.
J.J. Abrams Already Has Plans For Third ‘Cloverfield’ Movie
Are you ready for the CCU (the Cloverfield Cinematic Universe)? Paramount and producer J.J. Abrams are doubling down on their upcoming sequel/spinoff 10 Cloverfield Lane with plans to turn the Cloverfield universe into a legitimate anthology of films and Abrams says he already knows what the next movie will be.
Josh Brolin on His ‘Jonah Hex’ Movie: ‘Hated it. Hated It.’
Josh Brolin is very excited about his place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where he’s playing Thanos, the villainous mastermind scheming to destroy Earth and The Avengers. He is not so excited about his first role in a comic book movie, 2010’s Jonah Hex, based the DC Comics character of the same name. Brolin did not mince words recently when he said he “hated it.” And if you didn’t quite understand how serious he was, he repeated it one more time. “Hated it.”