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Brendan Fraser saved the world from mummies twice. How can someone follow up success like that? By saving the world from mummies a third time! When he signed on for another Mummy sequel, he was working with a new director and new writers. Some of his co-stars were recast. Some were absent. But his task remained the same: stop the rampage of a power-hungry walking corpse. That’s what he set out to do in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor… and it’s time to figure out What Happened to This Horror Movie.

Fraser played treasure hunter Rick O’Connell in the 1999 reboot of the Universal Monsters classic The Mummy and its 2001 sequel The Mummy Returns. Both movies were written and directed by Stephen Sommers – but Sommers had no intention of directing a third Mummy film. After making the second one, he was ready to work on smaller projects.

A young man sits alone with nothing but his thoughts and his hunger… his hunger to succeed and his hunger for In-n-Out burgers and milkshakes, which he was using to bulk up. Because this man is an actor, not just any actor, he is an up-and-coming movie star with something to prove and he is going to do just that through his artistry and his physicality. No longer would Aaron Johnson be known as the Kick-Ass kid, he was about to be known as the top performer to watch, known as the man who was about to be an A-lister until he was known as Aaron Taylor-Johnson, cuz he decided to take his wife’s last name and confuse everyone on so many levels – especially me! ”I was always told at school that you had to have a backup plan, but all I ever wanted to do was act.

Karate Kid: Legends' cast unites two sections of the franchise, bringing together actors and characters that are both unfamiliar and recognizable. Karate Kid: Legends' spin-off story was announced as early as 2022, capitalizing on the franchise's resurgence. While the ranking of Karate Kid movies often sees the latter two installments of the original trilogy looked back upon less fondly, the popularity of Cobra Kai began to usher in an era of revisionism for the franchise. With Cobra Kai season 6 ending the show, attention turned to the cinematic future of the martial arts series.

Thus, Karate Kid: Legends was born thanks to the franchise being more popular than ever. Karate Kid: Legends connects Mr. Miyagi with Mr. Han, making what seemed like a remake of the 1984 original - 2010's The Karate Kid - part of a larger shared universe. Karate Kid: Legends explores this even further, uniting two iconic characters from the...

Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Last Five Films At The Worldwide Box Office( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is an English actor best known for starring in movies like Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Godzilla. The actor is now playing a savage Marvel supervillain in his latest release, Kraven the Hunter. The film is set to have an underwhelming debut at the box office. As we await the film’s opening weekend numbers, let’s take a look at his last five films at the worldwide box office. Scroll below for the deets.

He has worked as a child actor and performed in films, including 2003’s Shanghai Knights, The Illusionist, and Angus. The English actor gained recognition for portraying the title character in Kick-Ass, which was released in 2010. He also drew attention with his performance in Savages and the period drama Anna Karenina. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best...

Before Aaron Taylor-Johnson began gracing the big screen as a stunning action hero, he was making his acting debut in the unlikeliest of places—a three-part television drama, Armadillo. That’s right, in 2001, long before his fame in films like Kick-Ass and Avengers: Age of Ultron, Taylor-Johnson made his first television appearance as the young version of James Frain’s Lorimer Black.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Kraven The Hunter | image: Marvel Studios

But over time, after starting acting at the age of 11, Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s career took a pivotal turn in 2006 when he made his debut on the long-running BBC medical drama Casualty. While the series had already acted as a launching pad for stars like Kate Winslet and Tom Hiddleston, Taylor-Johnson’s appearance marked a significant milestone in his rise to fame. So let’s rewind the clock and dive into the early moments of this MCU star’s career.

Shanghai Noon screenwriter Alfred Gough sheds light on the unmade third movie, what its story would have entailed, and why it ultimately fell apart. The 2000 action-Western starred Jackie Chan as a Chinese Imperial Guard who joins forces with Owen Wilson's outlaw in order to rescue a kidnapped princess. A sequel titled Shanghai Knights was released in 2003, taking the duo on a quest to recover a priceless artifact. A Shanghai Noon 3 was also announced in 2015, but few updates emerged after.

While Gough is currently known for his collaborations with Tim Burton on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Wednesday, the writer reflected on his early collaboration with Miles Millar, his co-writer on Shanghai Noon, while talking to Collider. Gough recalled how far development on a third movie had progressed before things fell apart, admitting it had reached the script stage and had partial involvement from Chan and Wilson. He said:

We came very close.

Hulu is giving Shark Week a run for its money this July with not one but seven National Geographic specials dropping on the streaming service at the start of the month. From Shark Beach with Anthony Mackie to Baby Sharks in the City, there are plenty of options for fans of these fearsome finned creatures.

Hulu also has a couple of fun offerings for adult animation fans with the full second season of Marvel’s Hit Monkey dropping on July 15 and Futurama returning for its 12th season on July 29th.

There’s not really anything notable in the way of original movies on Hulu this month, but Aliens, Step Brothers, and (500) Days of Summer are just a few of the noteworthy movies joining the library.

Here’s everything that’s coming to (and leaving) Hulu in July.

Hulu New Releases – July 2024

July 1

Attack of the Red Sea Sharks: Special Premiere...

2024 sees Donnie Yen cementing his place as Hollywood's biggest martial arts action star. Yen's upcoming projects, including the John Wick spin-off and Ip Man 5, will solidify his status as a martial arts movie legend. Donnie Yen remains one of Hong Kong cinema's biggest stars, but his reach in Hollywood is still growing.

A legend in Hong Kong cinema, Donnie Yen has made his mark in Hollywood, but 2024 is set to take the martial artist and actor's career to new heights. In 1984, Yen landed his first starring role in the martial arts action flick Drunken Tai Chi. From there, he rose to fame in Hong Kong, eventually making his directorial debut with 1997's Legend of the Wolf. A few years later, he appeared in the Hollywood film Highlander: Endgame and, soon enough, played the antagonist in Jackie Chan's action comedy Shanghai Knights. Decades later, Donnie Yen is now the new Jackie Chan.

The Judge, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall, subtly references Duvall's feature film debut in To Kill A Mockingbird. Both The Judge and To Kill A Mockingbird share themes of corruption and murder, creating ethical dilemmas for the characters. Despite mixed reviews, The Judge gained popularity on Netflix for its powerful legal drama and strong cast performances.

Robert Duvall's role in The Judge includes a major callback to his feature film debut that was released more than 6 decades ago. Directed by David Dobkin, The Judge is a powerful legal drama that gained popularity on Netflix in May 2024 after originally being released in 2014. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, earning just a 48 Metascore and a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Judge has strong ratings among audiences.

Duvall, the celebrated actor who starred in The Godfather (1971), The Godfather Part II (1974), Network (1976), and Apocalypse Now (1979), leads the cast of The Judge alongside...

Loki star Owen Wilson is still not letting O. J. Simpson off the hook for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. Simpson was acquitted in the infamous trial that still has many people divided on the final non-guilty verdict. Wilson refused to star in the upcoming film, titled The Juice, which portrays the NFL star as innocent of the murder. The Wedding Crashers star was offered a boatload of money for the role.

Joshua Newton is making a film on O. J. Simpson showing the NFL star in a positive light (credits: Roots 1977)

While the majority of fans appreciated Wilson walking away from the project, a few believed that the actor should have respected the justice system’s motto of ‘innocent until proven guilty.’ The controversial film is being helmed by British director Joshua Newton.

Owen Wilson Will Not Be Starring In Controversial O.

Danny Boyle's lo-fi 2002 zombie apocalypse film "28 Days Later" caused a stir in the horror community for its grainy digital photography (shot by Anthony Dod Mantle) and for its introduction of "fast zombies" into the pop vernacular. The zombies in "28 Days Later" were, unlike most movie zombies seen up to that point, fast-moving and vicious rather than mindless and shambling. It is credited for breathing new life into the zombie genre, followed as it was by other zombie hits like the "Dawn of the Dead" remake, George Romero's "Land of the Dead," and the hit 2010 series "The Walking Dead." "28 Days Later" also tapped into a lot of America's post-9/11 ennui, presenting hard-edged images of urban desolation. Everyone felt like the world had ended, and Boyle aesthetically agreed. 

"28 Days Later," penned by "Civil War" director Alex Garland, was followed by a sequel in 2007 called "28 Weeks Later,...

The MCU changed forever after Loki premiered. Starring Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson in the lead roles, the series was truly brilliant. With the recent passing away of O.J. Simpson who was infamous for the murder trial, the world has renewed its interest in the Simpson trial.

Loki star Owen Wilson was offered the lead role in a movie where he would have to portray the role of Simpson. The catch was that the film showcased Simpson as innocent. Well, the Loki star didn’t have a kind reply for the project where O.J. Simpson is shown innocent!

Owen Wilson’s Mobius and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki at the Tva in Loki.

Loki Star Owen Wilson Was Not In A Kidding Mood!

Before his case became infamous, O.J. Simpson was an NFL player with quite a career to his name. Back in 1994, Simpson’s wife and her friend were found murdered and O.

Martial arts movies often borrow elements of Westerns, highlighting the contrast between the Old World and the New. The incongruity between East and West is often portrayed humorously in martial arts Western comedies. Martial arts Westerns can examine racial stereotyping and cultural acceptance through the lens of action-packed stories.

For whatever reason, the Western genre has always gone hand in hand with martial arts. Some of the greatest martial arts movie stars of all time have made films in the Wild West, including Jackie Chan and Jet Li. These stories tend to focus on the implicit conflict between the traditional and the new way, as exemplified by the East and the West. Western movies explore the exciting time when American society was pushing into a new uncharted frontier, and this makes it a perfect backdrop for martial arts stories which can have themes of loyalty, justice and moral strength.

The...

Jackie Chan is set to star in an action comedy called Panda Plan where he will play an international action star version of himself. The movie's plot revolves around Chan attempting to foil a plan to kidnap a group of baby pandas from China's Noah Zoo, including one who has become a worldwide sensation. This idea of Chan playing himself mirrors Nicolas Cage's role in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and is particularly exciting due to Chan's incorporation of comedy into so many of his roles.

Jackie Chan is undertaking a fun Nicolas Cage-like twist in his upcoming action comedy, Panda Plan. After dazzling Chinese audiences throughout the 1980s, Chan finally became a breakout star in America in the 1990s. The 69-year-old martial artist and actor is best known for starring in hits like Police Story, Rush Hour, Shanghai Knights, The Foreigner, and, recently, Hidden Strike, and he...

Martial arts movies often portray villains with superior fighting skills, posing a great challenge for the heroes. Some films emphasize the power of the villains, showcasing the hero's struggle to barely emerge victorious. Iconic fights between heroes and villains in martial arts movies contribute to their timeless appeal and influence in the genre.

Martial arts movie villains often possess great fighting skills, and sometimes, they are even better fighters than the heroes and heroines opposing them. Martial arts films strive to make their protagonists strong fighters, often showing them training to develop their fighting skills and occasionally portraying them as underdogs who must push themselves especially hard. At the same time, just as much attention goes to the fighting skills of the villains, who must provide a great challenge for their enemies to overcome.

Sometimes, great martial arts movies go even further with their villains, portraying them as nearly insurmountable...

In the world of buddy cop comedies, the "Rush Hour" franchise remains a standout. The odd coupling of a reserved chief inspector from Hong Kong and a fast-talking LAPD officer sparked three action-packed, hilarious films popular the world over, amassing over $850 million at the global box office.

Across the three films, Chief Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) and Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) solve cases in Hong Kong and the U.S., even paying a brief visit to France, typically involving the Triads and government officials. And while the trilogy offers adrenaline-inducing action sequences, it's the comedic chemistry between the two actors that has endured.

When the first installment of "Rush Hour" debuted in 1998, North American audiences had just become acquainted with Chan following the success of "Rumble in the Bronx," while films like "Friday" and "The Fifth Element" highlighted Tucker as an emerging comedic voice. Their natural banter won audiences...

If you’re a fan of true crime documentaries or early millennium classic cartoons then boy does Hulu’s list of new releases have some great news for you!

Hulu continues its implicit understanding that streaming services are basically true crime distribution machines this month with a trio of intriguing titles. While it’s not necessarily true crime per se, The Ashley Madison Affair about the notorious dating platform premieres on July 7. That will be followed by Betrayal: The Perfect Husband on July 11, which is based on a compelling podcast of the same name. The Jewel Thief arrives on July 13 to provide an account of Gerald Blanchard, one of history’s most creative criminals.

But where does the cartoon excitement comes in? Well, that’s because season 11 of Matt Groening’s beloved Futurama premieres on July 24. Fry, Leela, the Professor, and Bender will all return for a direct continuation of...

Vampires are taking a wacky bite out of summer. In Season 5 of FX and Hulu’s “What We Do In The Shadows,” Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) looks for a vampire who can give him the transformation that Nandor the Relentless has kept from him. But it may not go as planned. The beloved comedy, which takes a mockumentary look at four vampires living in Staten Island, returns on July 14.

Check out the Season 5 trailer of “What We Do In the Shadows”:

Another highly anticipated return coming to Hulu in July is the latest season of long-running animated series “Futurama.” The show’s first four seasons aired on Fox from 1999 to 2003, it was then picked up by Comedy Central for three seasons from 2008 to 2013. Now, nearly a decade later, the Mike Judge-created series will return for the first half of the 20-episode Season 8 on July 24 with the original voice cast.

The long-in-development, at least from a post-production point-of-view, action comedy “Hidden Strike” has its first trailer, which you can watch above. That means the Jackie Chan/John Cena team-up flick, which was shot back in 2018, may finally reach cinemas or at least VOD. The film, initially titled “Snafu,” became a consistent victim of changing circumstances but external and internal.

The film was green-lit and shot amid a resurgence specifically in China for Jackie Chan-fronted actioners like “Kung Fu Yoga” and “Skiptrace.” The latter was also a (partially) English-language romp starring Johnny Knoxville in a clear attempt to recapture some of that “Rush Hour” or “Shanghai Knights” magic from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

“Skiptrace” earned $131 million in 2016 while the former globe-trotting adventure film “Kung Fu Yoga” earned $256 million in 2017. “Since then, “The Climbers” earned $174 million in 2019, but Covid obviously put a damper on such robust earnings for a moment.

Jackie Chan brings two major comedy influences to his 2003 movie Shanghai Knights, which are a bigger deal than they seem. Following on 2000's Shanghai Noon, Shanghai Knights sees Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) and Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson) join forces again to stop a plot against the throne in Victorian London. They are also joined in their mission by Chon's sister Chon Lin (Fann Wong), who Roy develops a romance with.

When it comes to Jackie Chan's Hollywood filmography, Shanghai Knights is one of his most beloved action-comedies, and one reason for that lies in just how much of Jackie Chan's Hong Kong style of comedy and action are prevalent in the film. Moreover, Chan also brings two key influences from his career into Shanghai Knights. Considering how infrequently they have been seen in the rest of his Hollywood career, that makes their use a much bigger deal in Shanghai Knights.

Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson are a hilarious buddy comedy duo in the Shanghai Noon movies, but franchise's intended third installment, Shanghai Dawn, has never gotten off the ground. Shanghai Noon debuted in 2000, with Jackie Chan's Chinese Imperial Guard Chon Wang venturing to America to rescue the kidnapped Princess Pei Pei. He also crosses paths with outlaw Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson), who joins forces with him on his mission.

Chon Wang and Roy O'Bannon reunited for another wacky adventure in 2003's Shanghai Knights, traveling from the Old West to Victorian England with Chon's sister Chon Lin (Fann Wong). Shanghai Dawn was also announced and discussed at various points since the release of Shanghai Knights. However, despite Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights being highlights of Jackie Chan's Hollywood career, Shanghai Dawn has sadly yet to be realized.

Related: There's 1 Sequel Jackie Chan Still Needs To Make (It's Not Rush Hour...

April on Prime Video is stacked with returning favorites, the launch of one of Amazon’s biggest shows ever and a bevy of great movies to watch. The fifth and final season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” launches on April 14, while Amazon will premiere the globe-trotting action-thriller series “Citadel” – starring Priyanka Chopra-Jonas and Richard Madden – on April 28. The show hails from “Avengers: Endgame” filmmaker Joe and Anthony Russo.

Noteworthy movies arriving on April 1 include the “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” movies, “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Looper,” “Vanilla Sky” and “Top Gun.”

You can also stream the Billy Eichner rom-com “Bros” starting April 4 and the George Clooney/Julia Roberts rom-com “Ticket to Paradise” on April 11.

Check out the full list of what’s new on Amazon Prime Video in April 2023 below.

Also Read:

The 41 Best Movies on Amazon Prime (April 2023)

April 1

American Gigolo

At the Gate...

As befitting its status as one of the world’s biggest companies, every now and then Amazon likes to take a big swing with its Prime Video originals. With its list of new releases for April 2023, the streamer is taking one of its biggest swings yet.

Though it’s not quite as vast or expensive as fellow Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Citadel (premiering April 28) is a massive, massive undertaking. Starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, this spy series is described as “an expansive and groundbreaking global event comprising a mothership series and several local language satellite series.” This means that the Russo Brothers-produced project will eventually feature several spinoffs in multiple countries and languages around the world. Neat-o!

The only other major TV original of note this month is Dead Ringers, based on the 1988 David Cronenberg film of the same name,...

John Wick: Chapter 4 is finally giving Donnie Yen some immense exposure in the U.S. The martial arts cinema legend is nearing 60 years old and has been in the business since the 80s. He has previously been seen in American productions such as Blade II, Shanghai Knights, XXX: The Return of Xander Cage, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. However, John Wick is the first time he’s been given a significant supporting character role as Caine, the blind assassin who is tasked to hunt down the titular character. Audiences are pretty unanimous in thinking that Yen steals the movie, and the Ip Man star speaks with Variety on where Caine might go from here.

If you’ve already seen Chapter 4, you’ve witnessed the glory that is Yen. He hasn’t slowed down one iota, which is immensely impressive for a 59-year-old. The film’s director, Chad Stahelski,...

On a chilly Oscars eve, Donnie Yen has just returned from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, where he was rehearsing for the Academy Awards along with a slew of fellow global superstar presenters like Spain’s Antonio Banderas and India’s Deepika Padukone. The “John Wick: Chapter 4” scene-stealer, who hails from southern China, feels good about how the following night might unfold, namely for his friend and Hong Kong neighbor Michelle Yeoh. Her victory and that of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” would be a landmark moment for Asian representation, he says.

“I’ve known her for more than 20 years, and that’s one of the reasons I’m here — to support her and share in a possible historical moment,” he says of his “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny” co-star. “And ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ has a lot of Chinese language and it talks about the Chinese heritage,...

Prime Video is hoping to launch its own extended franchise universe in April with the premiere of international spy series “Citadel” from the minds of the Russo Brothers. The show stars Richard Madden, Priyanka Chopra, and Stanley Tucci, and is intended to be the first block of an interconnected story with different spinoffs in countries and regions around the world. The first version will begin streaming on April 28. In the show, the world is in the grips of Manticore, a criminal organization, and several former spies are recruited to restore order despite having their memories erased.

Watch the trailer for “Citadel”:

Beloved young adult author Judy Blume opened the door to discussion about difficult subjects for generations of kids. Now, the writer is the subject of a new documentary, “Judy Blume Forever,” coming to Prime Video on April 21. The doc looks at her trajectory — from a scared kid to...

Warning: Spoilers for John Wick: Chapter 4 Below!John Wick: Chapter 4 is the first Hollywood movie to truly use Donnie Yen’s talents to their fullest. In John Wick: Chapter 4, John and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) prepare to take on the High Table. While John is determined to finally win his freedom from the High Table, this mission is complicated by the return of his old friend Caine (Donnie Yen).

As a retired assassin himself, Caine is coerced to take out John Wick for the High Table, in order to save his daughter. Yen’s performance as Caine is a major highlight of John Wick: Chapter 4, but it does not stop there. John Wick: Chapter 4 is also by far the best Hollywood role Donnie Yen has ever had, and the one to really let the Hong Kong martial arts star show what he can do.

Related:...

Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen recently recalled two different occasions when legendary martial arts actor Jet Li nearly blinded him. Beginning in the early 80s, Li made a name for himself as one of the top martial artist action stars in Hong Kong cinema with films including Born to Defence and Shaolin Temple 3: Martial Arts of Shaolin. Li solidified himself as an icon in the genre with his historical fiction epic Once Upon a Time in China as folk hero Wong Fei-hung. Yen joined Li in the sequel as the villainous Commander Lan.

Speaking with GQ, Yen admitted that he was nearly blinded by Li while filming with him on two different movies. Yen details his famous fight scene in 1992's Once Upon a Time in China II when Li cut his left brow with a large bamboo staff, causing him to get stitches.

Ten years later, the...

Lionsgate has dropped its third and final trailer for “John Wick: Chapter 4.” The Keanu Reeves-led action franchise is the brightest bright spot on Lionsgate’s theatrical slate and their most obvious hope for a 2023 breakout.

As with previous trailers, this one shows off new action scenes, new opponents and new comparative niche — at least to North American viewers — movie stars coming to the party.

To those in the know, the likes of Chinese action-god Donnie Yen and direct-to-dvd and VOD action king Scott Adkins (also seen by American theatergoers in “Doctor Strange” and “Expendables 2”) qualify as added value elements. The film will give these folks a higher-profile platform, at least in terms of mainstream Hollywood audiences, to show off their star power.

Clancy Brown showing up and subtly riffing on his “Highlander” appearance is for fans old enough to have kids who can buy an R-rated movie ticket sans parent or guardian.

Jackie Chan in Everything Everywhere All At Once — which came closer to happening than many realize — would have changed the movie in one big way. In Everything Everywhere All At Once, the multiverse-exploring martial arts comedy from Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Michelle Yeoh plays Evelyn Wang, a laundromat owner trying to get her taxes done. However, Evelyn finds herself called upon to save the whole Multiverse by Alpha Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), a version of her husband Waymond originating from another parallel universe. While Yeoh’s performance as Evelyn has been highly praised, it could have been quite different had directors Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan cast their original choice to lead the film, Jackie Chan.

A key difference is the character archetypes Yeoh and Chan have embodied throughout their careers. Jackie Chan is perfect on paper, having played the kind of protagonists almost specifically designed for the Everything Everywhere All At Once...

The Bruce Lee-led martial arts classic Enter the Dragon includes appearances by numerous future martial arts stars. Released in 1973, Enter the Dragon debuted not long after the untimely and unexpected passing of Bruce Lee. Enter the Dragon not only finally made Bruce Lee an international star, it also skyrocketed interest in martial arts in the West, with the film continuing to be revered as one of the best martial arts films of all time.

Bruce Lee's appearance in Enter the Dragon also put him alongside dozens of martial artists who were recruited for the movie's fight scenes. After the release of Enter the Dragon, a number of them would go on to become big stars in later years themselves. Here are the 10 major martial artists in Enter the Dragon would who go on to become big stars after the film's release.

Related: Every Fighting Style Practiced By Bruce Lee...

While Jackie Chan has always been an affable and comedic performer, even going back to his early martial arts films from the 1970s, something curious happened when he broke into the Hollywood mainstream in the late 1990s. Producers looked at Chan's playful, heroic, somewhat goofy charm and shifted it into overdrive. Chan's American films, as a result, tended to be incredibly broad, full of silly mugging, "culture clash" humor, and a general lack of stakes. Chan's first major American hit was Brett Ratner's "Rush Hour" in 1998, a serviceable but largely unremarkable police comedy wherein Chan played opposite Chris Tucker. That film was such a runaway success (it made over 244 million worldwide) that a pattern was immediately set for Chan. Pair him with an unlikely co-star, put him in generic action scenarios, and watch the money roll in. 

The next few years saw such pieces of mainstream fluff as Kevin Donovan...

Jackie Chan's first attempt to make a name for himself in Hollywood was The Big Brawl. The kung fu legend has been a household name for decades, but it took time for him to develop the huge international following that he currently enjoys. Though Chan has been starring in films since the mid-1970s, he didn't begin making waves in Hollywood until the 1990s.

Several of Chan's most well-known movies are tied to the time he spent in the United States. In the span of a few years, Chan played the lead role in a number of high-profile American action movies, with 1998's Rush Hour being one of his biggest box office hits. In addition to continuing his work in the Hong Kong movie industry, Chan followed up Rush Hour with a string of American films, including Shanghai Noon, Shanghai Knights, two Rush Hour sequels, The Tuxedo, and Around the World in 80 Days.

Rush Hour 4 is reportedly in the works, but the Jackie Chan sequel that should be underway is the long-discussed Shanghai Dawn. After starring in Hong Kong action cinema in the 1970s and 1980s, Jackie Chan achieved his long-sought-after success in Hollywood near the end of the 20th century. After first making a splash with Rumble in the Bronx in 1996, Chan fully broke out in the 1998 blockbuster action-comedy Rush Hour, which paired him with Chris Tucker for the movie's cop comedy hijinks. Rush Hour's runaway success also spawned two sequels, Rush Hour 2 and Rush Hour 3.

At the Red Sea Film Festival, Chan announced Rush Hour 4 was in development, but Rush Hour was not the only buddy comedy hit Chan had at the turn of the century. 2000's Shanghai Noon partnered him with Owen Wilson in the Old West and spawned its 2003 sequel Shanghai Knights. A third film in the series,...

In February of this year Hulu unleashed the true crime limited series “Pam & Tommy.” The Emmy-nominated series prompted audiences to look at the nature of celebrity culture, misogyny, and complicity in the wake of the infamous 1990s sex tape that shaped the internet. This month Robert Siegel, one-half of the creative team that brought “Pam & Tommy” to screens, returns with a similar true-life story: “Welcome to Chippendales.”

“Welcome to Chippendales” follows Somen “Steve” Banerjee’s (Kumail Nanjiani) rise and fall in the adult entertainment industry. Matt Shakman directs the series, with Nanjiani, his wife Emily V. Gordon, co-showrunner and writer Siegel, co-showrunner Jenni Konner, and writer Rajiv Joseph among the executive producers.

Per the official synopsis, the sprawling true crime saga “Welcome to Chippendales” tells the outrageous true story of Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s greatest male-stripping empire. The series...

The New York Asian Film Foundation and Film at Lincoln Center have announced two final titles, completing the lineup for the upcoming 20th edition of the New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff). The festival will be screening over 70 films, both virtually and in person, to audiences in New York and across the country from August 6 – 22, 2021. Tickets are already on sale.

Nyaff is thrilled to present as its festival Centerpiece the international premiere of Nyaff favorite director Benny Chan’s final work, Raging Fire. Completed shortly before his untimely death in August 2020, the Hong Kong-Chinese action film stars the inimitable Donnie Yen as Shan, a by-the-book cop whose past returns to haunt him. After a sting operation goes disastrously awry, Shan finds himself pitted against Ngo (Nicholas Tse), a former protégé who has turned criminal mastermind and is out for revenge. Nothing, it seems, can stop him, including his former mentor.

Festival runs August 6-22.

Organisers at 2021 New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff) have announced the international premiere of Benny Chan’s Hong Kong-Chinese action film Raging Fire as the Centerpiece film.

Chan completed the film prior to his death in August 2020. Donnie Yen stars as Shan, a by-the-book cop whose past returns to haunt him. After a sting operation goes wrong Shan finds himself pitted against Ngo (Nicholas Tse), a former protégé who has turned criminal mastermind and is out for revenge.

Chan, a Nyaff Centerpiece guest in 2011, produced with Yen, whose credits include Shanghai Knights, The Monkey King, Ip Man,...

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is set to join the ensemble cast of David Leitch’s action movie “Bullet Train,” starring Brad Pitt.

The Sony Pictures project is based on Kotaro Isaka’s Japanese book “Maria Beetle” and centers on a group of hitmen and assassins with conflicting motives on a train in Tokyo. Zak Olkewitz wrote the script.

Kelly McCormick is producing through 87North with Antoine Fuqua. Kat Samick is executive producing along with Ryosuke Saegusa and Yuma Terada of Ctb Inc., who represent Isaka and the IP. Brittany Morrissey is the executive overseeing the project for Sony Pictures.

Pitt came on to the project in early July. He had been weighing his options since winning his first acting Oscar for Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” for playing stuntman Cliff Booth. Pitt is also attached to co-star with Emma Stone on the Damien Chazelle movie “Babylon,” which moved...

Before I say that “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” isn’t very funny, I should point out that I’ve underestimated the humor and the staying power of Will Ferrell comedies in the past. “Step Brothers” and “The Other Guys,” for instance, both seemed pretty flat the first time I saw them – but after a few more viewings, I began to appreciate the durability of Catalina Wine Mixer and Little River Band jokes.

So maybe one day “Eurovision Song Contest,” which premieres on Netflix on Friday, will be one of those Ferrell films that needs repeat viewings and that will one day prove to be a surprisingly durable source of laughs.

But, you know, probably not.

Oh, there’s humor to be had in making fun of the glitzy musical competition that brought us Abba (back in 1974), Celine Dion (in ’88) and others of their ilk. And Dan Stevens...

Will Ferrell’s singing voice is like a combination of Fergie and Jesus, which makes him the perfect choice to get involved in an international singing competition, which his character does in the upcoming Netflix film, fully titled Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.

Ferrell was heavily involved with Eurovision, having co-written the script with frequent collaborator Andrew Steele, and also served as co-star and producer. The feature was directed by David Dobkin.

The premise is based on the long running international TV music competition, The Eurovision Song Contest. The contest, created in 1956, pits each participating nation from the European Broadcasting Union against one another, challenging them to write and perform an original song for a live TV and radio performance. Notable past winners include Sweden’s Abba in 1974 and Switzerland’s Celine Dion in 1988.

Eurovision Song Contest Trailer

The trailer for Netflix’s Eurovision Song Contest has arrived,...

Disney is now so known for market dominance and popular culture ubiquity that it’s easy to forget how bad Disney’s box office fortunes were when outgoing CEO Bob Iger took charge in 2005. In the final years of Michael Eisner’s tenure atop Disney in the early 2000s, the studio had its box office hits. Pixar, still rising to power as the top animation studio in the world, was pumping out hits like “Finding Nemo” and “The Incredibles.” And Walt Disney Pictures made live-action hits like “Pirates of the Caribbean” — despite Eisner’s initial resistance to make that film. Touchstone Pictures was also producing more mature films that found widespread success like M. Night Shyamalan’s “Signs.” But for every one of those hits, there were also plenty of misses. Walt Disney Animation Studios flopped with films like “Treasure Planet” and “Home on the Range,” and the live-action division...

Exclusive: Fox has given a script commitment plus penalty to Anthem, a drama with music elements from Into the Badlands creators Al Gough and Miles Millar, Scooter Braun’s Sb Projects, eOne and Fox Entertainment.

Written by Gough and Millar, Anthem is set in Hope, Indiana, a suburban city with nothing special about it, until a shocking tragedy strikes. As the survivors struggle to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, they are brought together by the unlikeliest of heroes to form the unlikeliest of choirs. Always inspiring, sometimes heartbreaking, and ultimately redemptive, the series is a celebration of American resilience and showcases music’s power to reach across the divides of race, age, religion, and politics to heal.

Gough and Millar executive produce with Sb Projects’ Braun, Scott Manson and James Shin. The project is a co-production between eOne and Fox Entertainment.

This is Sb Projects and eOne...

Wme has signed Into the Badlands creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.

In addition to the ongoing AMC drama, the duo also created MTV's The Shannara Chronicles as well as Smallville, which ran for 10 seasons first on The WB and then on The CW.

The pair got their start in features, working on the screenplays for Lethal Weapon 4, Spider-Man 2 and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. They also wrote the Jackie Chan-Owen Wilson starrer Shanghai Noon and its sequel, Shanghai Knights, as well as Ya-focused movies like 2011 sci-fi adaptation I Am Number Four.

Gough and Millar continue to be represented by attorney Michael ...

Documentary fans, get ready to queue up Hulu next month with the arrival of two originals on the streamer.

“Minding the Gap” (pictured above) will drop on Aug.17, a documentary that compiles more than 12 years of footage in Rockford, Illinois, filmmaker Bing Liu looks at the correlation between skateboarders’ upbringings and the complex nature of modern masculinity.

“Crime and Punishment” will follow, dropping on Aug. 24. Stephen Maing directed, produced and filmed this documentary that goes behind the scenes of discriminatory policing practices and corruption in the New York Police Department.

Also Read: Anne Rice's 'Vampire Chronicles' TV Series Heads to Hulu

Additionally, Hulu users can enjoy “10 Things I Hate About You” starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles on Aug. 1 (at least the ones who have the Showtime add-on), 2004’s “Hidalgo,” 2008’s “The Hurt Locker” and more throughout the month.

See the complete list of what’s coming to and leaving Hulu below.

Nick Harley Joseph Baxter Aug 21, 2019

The former SNL star will lend his pipes for a Netflix feature based on the international singing competition, The Eurovision Song Contest.

Will Ferrell’s signing voice is like a combination Fergie and Jesus, which makes him the perfect choice to get involved in an international singing competition, like his character will be doing in the upcoming Netflix film, Eurovision.

Ferrell is heavily involved with Eurovision, having co-written the script with frequent collaborator Andrew Steele, and also serves as co-star and producer. The feature will be directed by David Dobkin.

The premise is based on the long running international TV music competition The Eurovision Song Contest. The contest, created in 1956, pits each participating nation from the European Broadcasting Union against one another, challenging them to write and perform an original song for a live TV and radio performance. Notable past winners include Sweden's Abba in...

Action Star Donnie Yen (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”) has joined the cast of Disney’s live-action “Mulan,” an individual with knowledge of the project tells TheWrap.

Yen will play Commander Tung in remake of 1998 Disney animated film.

Niki Caro is directing the film, which stars Chinese actress Liu Yifei in the title role. Jason Reed, Chris Bender and Jake Weiner are producing, and Bill Kong is executive producing.

Also Read: 'Mulan' Fans Thank Disney for Not Whitewashing Live-Action Movie by Casting of Chinese Star

Disney’s live-action version of the classic Disney tale comes on the heels of various revival projects like “The Jungle Book” and “Beauty and the Beast,” both of which grossed over $1 billion worldwide. “Beauty and the Beast” grossed $174.8 million its opening weekend alone. A remake of “The Lion King” is one of many upcoming live-action projects.

The animated “Mulan,” released in 1998, was based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan and was directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook. It grossed $304.3 million worldwide after earning $22.7 million its opening weekend.

Yen was the martial arts choreographer for 2000’s “Highlander: Endgame” and 2002’s “Blade II,” appearing in both of those films as an actor, as well. He also starred opposite Jackie Chan in 2003’s “Shanghai Knights.”

Also Read: Ex-Disney Star Joins White House Press Team

Yen made his movie debut in the 1984 Hong Kong film “Drunken Tai Chi” and came to wider attention with his portrayal of Nap-lan Yun-seut in 1992’s “Once Upon a Time in China II.” His international breakthrough came playing the title character in 2008’s “Ip Man,” based on Wing Chun grandmaster — and Bruce Lee’s teacher — Yip Man. He reprised that role in 2010’s “Ip Man 2” and last year’s “Ip Man 3,” where Yen starred opposite boxing legend Mike Tyson – and accidentally broke the champ’s finger during a fight scene.

Yen is repped by CAA, Bullet Films, and Bloom Hergott.

Read original story Donnie Yen Joins the Cast of Disney’s Live-Action ‘Mulan’ At TheWrap...

The enemy think they’re amateurs. Big mistake.

A slam-bang, all-out action spectacular from the martial arts master Jackie Chan, in an eye-popping suicide mission adventure, packed with mad stunts, stunning set pieces and plenty of belly laughs.

Railroad Tigers is laughs, lunacy and nonstop thrills as soon as it pulls out of the station. Out on Blu-ray, DVD and for download 8th May.

Enter now for your chance to win a copy on Blu-ray!

To win a copy of Railroad Tigers on Blu-ray, just answer the following question:

Which of the following is Not a sequel to Jackie Chan’s Armour of God? Is it:

a) Operation Condor

b) Chinese Zodiac

c) Shanghai Knights

Email your answer to NerdlyComps@gmail.com, making sure to include your name and address. You can also leave your answer on our Facebook page, just make sure to like us first or your entry will be invalid.

MaryAnn’s quick take… There’s genuine fun here, but the humor is cynical, the heroics are tinged with regret, and it’s all delivered with a cold smack of — yes — political relevance. I’m “biast” (pro): massive Star Wars fan, don’t even get me started

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Damn.

Did we think, at the end of the very first Star Wars movie, that Luke Skywalker was a hero? He was nothing. Nothing.

Did we think Luke Skywalker was a hero? What he did was nothing to what we see here.

Okay, not nothing. But, as Rogue One reveals with brutal clarity, Luke’s lucky Force-assisted like–bulls-eying–womprats bombing run at the Death Star was only the final link in a very long chain of people doing way more brave and way more daring things.

Everyone knows Owen Wilson says “what?” a lot in movies. What this video presupposes is…maybe he says it even more than we realized? One brave YouTube user has compiled a two-minute super-cut of the actor uttering that one word ad infinitum, with Wilson’s delivery ranging from mildly confused to utterly exasperated. Watch it below.

Read More: ‘Cars 3’ Teaser Trailer: Pixar’s Latest Sequel Features The Dramatic Return of Lightning McQueen

The video accounts for almost all of the actor’s filmography, including “Bottle Rocket,” “Wedding Crashers,” “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Shanghai Noon,” “Shanghai Knights,” “The Darjeeling Limited,” “The Internship,” “The Haunting,” “Midnight in Paris” and so on and so forth. Wilson’s slight drawl has always been part and parcel of his onscreen charisma, imbuing even the most mundane dialogue with a certain verve, and here he displays that talent over and over again.

Read More: ‘Bastards’ Trailer:...

One year ago, the “Star Wars” franchise was reawakened with the new film “The Force Awakens,” the beginning of the sequel trilogy following the events of “Revenge of the Sith.” The film was a critical and commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing films in history. But the “Star Wars” train is not stopping anytime soon. Next month, the first film in the “Star Wars Anthology” series, a collection of stand-alone films from the vast “Star Wars” universe that are not part of the main canon, will premiere in theaters.

The new film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” will follow the events immediately after “Revenge of the Sith” and shortly before the original “Star Wars.” It will center upon the group of Rebel spies tasked to steal the designs for the Galactic Empire’s new weapon,...