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“Ant-Man 3” Writer Reacts To Film’s Bad Reviews, Said They Left Him “Really Sad”

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Whether you’re a Marvel fan or not, you have to admit that the films draw in plenty of intrigue at the box office. Most recently, the third flick in the Ant-Man franchise, Quantumania, made its theatre debut, and so far, reactions have been mixed. The Paul Rudd-led project scored just 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, putting it just ahead of Eternals as one of the MCU’s lowest-rated releases of all time.

The outlet spoke with screenwriter Jeff Loveness, who had the responsibility of crafting Ant-Man’s most ambitious storyline to date. Apparently, he wasn’t at all expecting to see a 69% drop at the box office during Quantumania‘s second weekend, or so many unfavourable reactions. “To be honest, those reviews took me by surprise,” he told The Daily Beast.

Ant-Man 3 Misses the Mark for Some

“I was in a pretty low spot… Those were not good reviews, and I was like, ‘What the..?’ Loveness confessed. “I’m really proud of what I wrote for Jonathan [Majors] and Michelle Pfeiffer [scientist Janet Pym]. I thought that was good stuff, you know? And so I was just despondent, and I was really sad about it.” While he was sad over the internet discourse, attending an in-person screening of Ant-Man 3 helped turn the writer’s mood around.

For him, hearing other audience members laughing at the jokes he crafted felt amazing. “I’m like, ‘Goddamn! No, [the reviews] are wrong! I’m right! MODOK is great!” he gushed earlier this month. “I’m pretty happy with it overall,” Loveness said of his Marvel debut. “I think I learned how to take a punch this week. And now that I learned that it’s not too bad, I can just get on with making things.”

What’s Next for the MCU?

Paul Rudd, Kathryn Newton and Jonathan Majors attend the “Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania” UK Gala Screening at BFI IMAX Waterloo on February 16, 2023, in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

Prior to Ant-Man 3, the MCU took us back to Wakanda in Black Panther 2. Next up, we’ll be getting Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 this May, and The Marvels in November. 2024 is also set to be a big year, with Captain America: New World Order, Thunderbolts, and Blade all arriving from the months of May to September to complete phase five. Which of Marvel’s upcoming movies are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more pop culture news updates.

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The Weeknd & Jenna Ortega Join Forces With Barry Keoghan In Upcoming Movie

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Now that he’s had an undeniably successful run in the music industry, Abel Tesfaye is turning his talents to acting. He’s been in plenty of his own creative visuals to accompany his songs over the years. However, it wasn’t until 2019 that he captured the world’s attention while playing himself in A24’s Uncut Gems alongside Julia Fox and Adam Sandler.

Since then, the Canadian has also tried his hand at voice acting on shows like American Dad! and The Simpsons, both of which received a positive response from fans. Later this year, he’ll appear in the Sam Levinson-directed series, The Idol alongside Lily-Rose Depp for HBO. As we eagerly wait for the arrival of that, more exciting news comes from The Weeknd’s camp today (February 28).

Abel’s Leading Man Debut

Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett, The Weeknd and Adam Sandler attend the premiere of A24’s “Uncut Gems” at The Dome at ArcLight Hollywood on December 11, 2019, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

According to Variety, the “Blinding Lights” singer has co-written a movie script with Reza Fahim, Kevin Turen, and Harrison Kreiss. At this time, the story’s premise remains unknown, but so far, we know that a buzzworthy cast will be assisting The Weeknd. Tesfaye will take on his first leading role in the forthcoming film, with Oscar-nominated The Banshees of Inisherin star Barry Keoghan appearing beside him.

Additionally, 20-year-old Jenna Ortega, who most recently found success as the lead in Netflix’s Wednesday, is on board. Trey Edward Shults will be sitting in the director’s chair, following his work on Waves and It Comes at Night. He also played a role in writing the unnamed project’s script and will be executive producing alongside The Weeknd. Shooting will take place in Los Angeles, with more updates likely to pour in over the coming months.

Jenny Ortega is Booked & Busy

For someone so young, Ortega certainly has a lot going for her. Not only did she entertain audiences in The Addams Family spinoff series, but she was also a staple in season two of You and the Scream IV film. Her working relationship with Tesfaye is an exciting development, but it has nothing on the possibility of the rising starlet working with Aubrey Plaza.

During this past weekend’s SAG Awards, the actresses presented an award together, causing Twitter to run rampant with pleas to have them cast in the same project. After hearing what fans want, the Parks & Rec alum responded, “I’m down. We’ll just kill everybody with our eyes.” Are you excited about Ortega and The Weeknd’s upcoming movie? Sound off in the comments, and check back later for more pop culture news updates.

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Orlando Bloom Discusses His Future In “Pirates Of The Caribbean”

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Orlando Bloom says he’d love the opportunity to return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise as blacksmith-made-pirate, Will Turner. Over the course of five films, the franchise has earned $4.5 billion worldwide at the box office. Furthermore, Bloom’s character appeared in four of the five Pirates of the Caribbean films. The only time he did not appear was in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. However, Will gets his curse lifted in the franchise’s, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). This makes it possible for him to end his time as the immortal captain of the Flying Dutchman.

Recently, Bloom spoke with Parade about his time as Will Turner. They asked him if he would like to return to any of his past roles. He mentioned a potential return as Will Turner for Pirates of the Caribbean 6. Apparently, he would love to come back to the character. Bloom answered, “I think Will [Turner from Pirates of the Caribbean]—I mean Will’s so great. I wouldn’t mind seeing what Will looked like today in some ways, because he was such this earnest guy. But, after rumbling around the bottom of the ocean for as long as he would have done at this point, it’d be interesting to see how he surfaces and what he’s like.”

Orlando Bloom Speaks

Orlando Bloom attends UNICEF at 75 in Los Angeles at NeueHouse Los Angeles on November 30, 2021 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for UNICEF USA)

While the franchise is one of Disney’s most popular, things have been rather up in the air for its future. Plans for Pirates of the Caribbean 6 have been in the works since before the release of Dead Man Tell No Tales. However, these plans were affected when Disney parted ways with Johnny Depp. This turn of events occurred because of his defamation trial with his ex-wife, Amber Heard. Additionally, the female-centric spinoff that was supposedly in development has been an object of speculation. Margot Robbie, who was going to star in the film, suggested that the project is no longer moving forward.

Despite these claims, Jerry Bruckheimer says the projects are both still in active development. Additionally, each of these films could benefit from Bloom’s involvement. Bruckheimer is a producer of the franchise. With the unsure fate of Depp’s return as Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner could connect past stories to future installments of the franchise. Furthermore, Bruckheimer is suggesting Pirates of the Caribbean 6 will include a younger cast. One of these characters could be Will’s son Henry (Brenton Thwaites). Because Pirates of the Caribbean movies rely heavily on fantasy elements, the former Flying Dutchman would be a wonderful character to include in upcoming sagas. Regardless, Bloom seems very interested in returning to the role.

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“Murder Mystery 2” Trailer: Adam Sandler & Jennifer Aniston Take Their Crime-Solving Antics To Paris

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We’ve had droves of new music coming out already in 2023 – now it’s time to start getting excited about the year’s upcoming movie releases. While some huge titles like Margot Robbie’s Barbie and Halle Bailey’s The Little Mermaid will be making their debut in theatres, others, like Murder Mystery 2 will be available on Netflix for your streaming pleasure.

On Monday (January 30), the platform unveiled the long-awaited trailer for the 2019 favourite’s sequel. Starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, the original movie went on to become the year’s most-streamed project, though it earned just a 44% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Murder Mystery found the on-screen couple attempting to revive their marriage’s spark in Europe. The follow-up takes place four years later, as Nick and Audrey Spitz (Sandler and Aniston) are working as full-time detectives with aspirations of launching their own private eye agency.

As PEOPLE notes, a wedding invitation comes their way from Maharaja (played by Adeel Akhtar), who requests their presence on his private island. “Trouble follows the Spitzes again when the groom is kidnapped for ransom soon after the festivities begin — making each glamorous guest, family member and the bride herself a suspect,” a synopsis explains.

Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston attend the Photocall Of Netflix’s “Murder Mystery” at Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey on June 11, 2019 in Marina del Rey, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)

Aside from the Uncut Gems lead and the Friends starlet, other MM2 cast members include Jodie Turner-Smith, Mélanie Laurent, Dany Boon, and Mark Strong, among others.

In today’s trailer, it was confirmed that the highly anticipated movie will make its debut on March 31.

If you’re in need of a Netflix recommendation while we wait for the arrival of Murder Mystery 2, we suggest you stream You People. The comedy stars Jonah Hill, Lauren London, Nia Long, Eddie Murphy, and more – it’s a must-watch for anyone in need of a good laugh.

Check out the trailer for that movie here, and check back later for more pop culture news updates.

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“Girls Trip 2” Is A Go, Movie Will Reportedly Film In Ghana

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Good news for fans of the 2017 film Girls Trip – a sequel is finally on the way, according to writer/director/producer Tracy Oliver. The news came on Monday (January 23) as the creative was promoting her Amazon Prime series, Harlem.

While speaking with the press, she revealed that GT2 has officially been greenlit. Details are mostly tightly under wraps. However, she did reveal that the upcoming project will take audiences to an exciting new setting – Africa.

Oliver joked that her co-producer, Will Packer, “might kill [her]” as she spilled the tea. “We’re looking to set it in Ghana,” she specifically noted. Shortly after, Harlem actress Shoniqua Shandai provided another potential hit, yelling out “Afrochella!” upon hearing the good news.

Afterward, the director gave confirmation that her sequel will see the leading ladies attend the Coachella-inspired festival. In the past, artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Uncle Waffles have all taken the stage there. As a result, it’s entirely likely Girls Trip 2 will be jam-packed with infectious music.

As Okay Player notes, the production timeline is presently unknown. Seeing as the six-year anniversary of the original movie is quickly approaching, though, fans are eager for the creators to begin making moves as soon as possible.

The first Girls Trip grossed an impressive $140M at the box office worldwide with a $16M budget. Malcolm D. Lee sat in the director’s chair, and Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, and Tiffany Haddish were all cast as leads.

The latter of the four became a household name in comedy as a result of her work, and even previously admitted to using her paycheck from the film to pay off her house.

Tiffany Haddish visits the IMDb Portrait Studio at Acura Festival Village on Location at Sundance 2023 on January 23, 2023 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Corey Nickols/Getty Images for IMDb)

Prior to finding fame, Haddish experienced homelessness and didn’t want to risk repeating her past. At one point, the actress says she was living comfortably on $500 a month to ensure she could pay off her property.

Read all about that here, and let us know if you’re excited about Girls Trip 2 in the comments.

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Margot Robbie “Barbie” Film Shares Teaser, Fans Think Dua Lipa Will Appear

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If any actress has been booked and busy as of late, it’s Margot Robbie. The Australian starlet appeared in the Drake-produced Amsterdam alongside Christian Bale and John David Washington earlier this year. Additionally, she’s been preparing for the quickly approaching premiere of her upcoming Babylon project later this month.

Of the latter, the 32-year-old has teased fans with hints that it will be even more wild than her most popular release, The Wolf of Wall Street. While there’s certainly excitement drumming up surrounding the picture, it’s got nothing on the anticipation surrounding another of the actresses’ recent endeavours.

Margot Robbie is seen on December 11, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)

As you may already know, Robbie was previously cast to star as the titular character in Greta Gerwig’s rendition of Barbie. Starring opposite her as Ken is Canadian actor Ryan Gosling. Others in the cast include Will Ferrell, Issa Rae, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, and Michael Cera.

Thus far a lot of the film’s plot remains mysterious. Paparazzi took photos of the lead actors rollerskating around in neon gear, and some official pictures of the I, Tonya actress in costume have been circulating. However, on Friday (December 16), the world is finally getting a vague idea of what to expect from the movie.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling film new scenes for ‘Barbie’ in Venice California. 27 Jun 2022. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)

As Uproxx notes, the brief clip is obviously a parody of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The camera sees several little girls happily playing with their “baby dolls.” However, when a larger-than-life Robbie-as-Barbie descends upon them, chaos accordingly ensues.

Footage from the film itself is minimal, though we do see quick appearances from Gosling, Rae, and Liu. Additionally, it sets a premiere date of July 21st, 2023.

Elsewhere in the news, the internet has been speculating that we could see an appearance from Future Nostalgia hitmaker Dua Lipa in Gerwig’s film. Another Uproxx report points out that the movie’s official account follows the English singer, along with other cast members exclusively.

No confirmation is coming out just yet. It’s also worth noting that she could simply be contributing to the soundtrack. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the performer try her hand at acting – it’s what her new beau, Jack Harlow, is doing as well, after all.

Check out the Barbie teaser below, and check back with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.

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