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The Musicians Union Sues Fox And Universal Over 'Simpsons' Theme Song

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homer simpson oh no

Be careful when you play the catchy "Simpsons" theme song.

Last week, the American Federation of Musicians sued both 20th Century Fox and NBC Universal for what they call improper use of music from the long-running cartoon series.

According to a complaint filed October 2 in Los Angeles by the union, Universal obtained a recorded music sound track from "The Simpsons" and used it a roller coaster attraction in its theme park in Hollywood without notifying the AFM.

The union claims this goes against a former agreement made with Fox when the AFM first recorded music for "The Simpsons."

In an excerpt from the agreement: 

"The Producer agrees that all music sound track already recorded, or which will be recorded prior to the expiration of this Agreement, will not be used at any time for any purpose whatsoever except to accompany the picture for which the music sound track was originally prepared." 

The AFM is suing for breach of contract agreement, seeking injunctive relief. The musician's union also wants damages for the musicians who recorded "The Simpsons" music.

However, according to Article 8A of the Agreement:

" … No additional compensation shall be payable for the reuse of any portion of the music sound track of a motion picture in the following circumstances: (a) When used for promotional, trailer, news or review purposes ...

Upon learning of any unauthorized use of either 'the making of …' or 'behind-the-scenes'-type promotional programs, the parties will jointly discuss appropriate steps to be taken to collect monies for such unauthorized use."

NBC Universal is claiming use of the soundtrack is solely promotional.

SEE ALSO: Check out the fairly unknown screenwriter set to pen the "Fifty Shades of Grey" film >

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Police Found Car Connected To Missing Hollywood Exec At A Drug House

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gavin smithPolice plan to search a gray SUV in connection with the disappearance of 20th Century Fox executive Gavin Smith. 

Back in May of last year, Smith went missing after he failed to pick up one of his children from school.

Wednesday, police found the SUV at a marijuana grow house in Granada Hills, according to Los Angeles radio station KFI. 

"We believe that this truck, it's possible this truck, may have been involved, but we don't know yet," L.A. County Sheriffs homicide detective Ty Labbe told reporters.  

The vehicle belongs to suspected drug dealer, John Creech, the husband of a woman who authorities believe Smith may have been having an affair.   

Creech's wife, Chandrika, had met Smith prior to his disappearance at counseling sessions, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

Back in June, authorities searched Chandrika Creech's home in connection with Smith's case.

The last time Smith was seen was leaving a friend's home in Oak Park in his 2000 Mercedes-Benz 420E. The car hasn't been found. 

HIs family set up the website findgavinsmith.com to aid in the search for Smith.

SEE ALSO: Kate Middleton artist lashes out against criticism >

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Cops Find Missing Hollywood Exec's Car And Now Think He Was Murdered

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gavin smith

Police have found the car of the missing 20th Century Fox executive Gavin Smith. 

Smith went missing May of last year after failing to pick up one of his three sons from school.  

The 57-year-old was last seen leaving a friend's home May 1 in his 2000 Mercedes-Benz 420E. 

The car was found last month in a Simi Valley storage locker in California.  

L.A. Sheriff spokesman Steve Whitmore told Deadline they now believe Smith was likely murdered. 

“Evidence in there and from other sources has led investigators in the case to preliminarily reclassify this as a homicide,"said Whitmore. "While no body has been found, they believe it was a murder." 

As of January, police were looking into John Creech as a person of interest in the case. Creech was the husband of a woman with whom Smith may have had an affair.  

Creech is currently in custody due to unrelated drug charges.

Website findgavinsmith.com was set up to aid in the search for Smith. A $20,000 reward for information regarding his whereabouts is being offered.

SEE ALSO: Car tied to Gavin Smith found at drug house >

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Brand New 21st Century Fox Unveils Logo — And It Isn't Great

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Last month, Rupert Murdoch announced that Twentieth Century Fox was entering the 21st century, albeit 13 years late, by splitting its publishing and entertainment units and renaming the News Corp TV and film entertainment divisions "21st Century Fox."

Things get a little confusing because even though the newly named company will parent FX and the 20th Century Fox, those entities will keep their names. Meaning that there will be both a 21st Century Fox and a 20th Century Fox.

Regardless, Murdoch sent colleagues an announcement unveiling the new company's design. And it looks like this:21st century fox logo

Which kind of looks like a combination of FX's old logo:fx old logo

And Fox Searchlight:Fox Searchlight logo

Deadline editor Nikki Finke got her hands on Murdoch's morning memo, which reads:

Today I am proud to unveil our new logo, which serves as a powerful symbol of the inspiration and high bar set by our company. Like our name, the logo reflects the rich creative heritage of Twentieth Century Fox and signals the promise of the 21st century and our restless drive toward the future.

Ultimately, our new logo celebrates the powerful commitment of you and your colleagues to the excellence and innovation that will propel 21st Century Fox forward.

We, however, fail to see power exuding from the new logo. The font almost appears too casual for such a substantial media giant.

What do you think?

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Movie Studios Are Using Instagram To Cleverly Promote Films

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transformers 4

From gradient sunsets, to antique-filtered airplane wings, gourmet food dishes, and pets being cute – Instagram has fast become the preferred platform for sharing important and trivial moments alike with followers near and far.

The social image-sharing platform now boasts 130 million active monthly users, which means there’s a lot more to behold than ‘hot dog legs’ and ‘eyebombing.

Since its inception in 2010, Instagram has become a veritable channel for staying engaged with and informed by influencers. And for movie lovers, that means keeping up-to-date with studios about new releases and exclusive movie news.

Whether it’s studio premieres, stills from classic films, behind-the-scenes shots, or movie-themed memes, Hollywood’s top studios are making it easier than ever to connect with the films we love and the talented people who make them. Here are eight great accounts to follow for the ultimate cinematic Instagram experience:

Warner Bros. 

Warner Bros.’ Instagram feed features stills and memes from their new and upcoming releases. Among the many great photos, you’ll find reminders about highly-anticipated hits like The Hangover III’s Blu-Ray release, to beautiful scenes from movies like The Great Gatsby, and quotable dialogue from memorable films like Jack and the Giant Slayer.

Universal Entertainment

Universal’s Instagram feed showcases the studio’s fantastic films, in addition to images from new release premieres, film stills, and trivia. At present, followers will find photos from the film The Place Beyond the PinesOblivion, and Despicable Me 2.

Disney

Disney’s Instagram feed is as magical a reprieve as its flagship amusement park. Followers will find plenty of great photos in the company’s feed, from shots of Disneyland rollercoasters to film stills, shots from classic Disney movies, and plenty of Mickey Mouse ‘#selfies.’

 

Paramount 

What do Brad Pitt, Will Ferrell, and the Paramount Studios lot entrance all have in common? You can find shots of all of them over on the Paramount Pictures Instagram. The studio’s feed is a hotbed of fun film stills, homages to the Paramount lot, and memes from some of the film house’s most meme-worthy movies, like Anchorman 2 and World War Z.

Sony

The Sony Pictures Instagram feed is a great place to keep up with new Sony releases, check out studio memes and countdown to upcoming flicks. Visitors will find stills from the One Direction: This is Us premiere, quotes from Elysium, images fromThe Mortal Instruments, and much more.

20th Century Fox 

From Wolverine to The Croods, 20th Century Fox has a fun and engaging Instagram feed. Followers will glimpse quotes from movies like Parental Guidance and Life of Pi, in addition to reminders about anticipated upcoming releases.

Fox Searchlight 

For fans of film fests, Fox Searchlight boasts a ton of in-the-moment stills from this year’s Toronto Film Festival, as well as promo photos from upcoming films like Baggage Claim12 Years A Slave, and Enough Said.

Marvel Entertainment 

Film buffs and comic book aficionados alike will appreciate the dynamic Instagram feed from Marvel. Premieres, celebrity snapshots, and your favorite Marvel comic book heroes from Thor to Iron Man all convene in one colorful feed that adds up to a stimulating – and seriously entertaining – Instagram follow.

SEE ALSO: Behind-the-scenes photos from "Iron Man 3"

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This Mysterious Blank N.Y. Times Print Ad Shows Why Less Is More, And Sometimes Nothing Is Most

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The New York Times perplexed readers this morning by printing two pages that were completely blank, save for the page number, issue date, and a small mention at the bottom of the page for the URL "wordsarelife.com."

As it turns out, the blank pages are actually an advertisement for the upcoming 20th Century Fox movie "The Book Thief," whose protagonist is a young girl who steals books to share them with others during WWII-era Germany.

The wordsarelife.com URL, which redirects to the movie's official website, was deployed by 20th Century Fox's digital, media, and publicity teams to convey the importance of the written word and how shocking it would be if we one day opened the newspaper to find it absent.

It's not much to look at, but here's what the "ad" looked like in the New York Times today:

Wordsarelife trailer for "The Book Thief"

It's debatable whether the marketing ploy was particular clever, but it undeniably appears to be working. So far, the stunt has been covered by The Huffington Post, Variety, and others. And it's generated plenty of chatter on Twitter.

The ad's success is the latest example of how brands are using mysterious "old media" in the physical world to multiply the number of people who see their ads through online buzz created by social media and online news outlets.

Earlier this month, the file-sharing service BitTorrent was successful at this trick when it revealed itself to be the party behind the creepy billboards that had cropped up in New York and San Francisco satirizing government surveillance. And another movie, "Carrie," also got in on the action with a scary feigned telekinesis stunt that took place in a New York City coffee shop.

SEE ALSO: Here's Who Is Behind Those Creepy Billboards That Say 'Your Data Should Belong To The NSA'

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Gary Oldman Fights To Save The Human Race In First 'Planet Of The Apes' Trailer

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caesar dawn of the planet of the apes

In case you didn't know, 20th Century Fox is releasing a sequel to 2011's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" next summer called "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes." 

The first trailer for the film was released today and it's not too exciting. 

Here's the synopsis for the film:

"A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species." 

Essentially, it's apes and humans fighting for the title of most dominant species on Earth.

A few things you should know about the sequel you'll soon discover from watching the trailer: 

James Franco isn't in it. Director Rupert Wyatt who worked on the first film isn't back either.  

What happened? 

Deadline reported Wyatt wasn't comfortable with having the sequel ready for an original May 2014 release date.  

With Wyatt gone, Franco exited as well. He told MTV News he was originally set to have a small role in the sequel.  

Instead, we have Gary Oldman (always a favorite to watch), Jason Clarke ("Zero Dark Thirty"), and Keri Russell. 

As for the director, Matt Reeves took over. You'll know him for 2008's monster movie "Cloverfield." 

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is in theaters next July.

SEE ALSO: "Anchorman 2" is a hilarious sequel fans have been waiting nearly a decade to see.

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The Most Successful Movie Studios Of 2013

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We talk a lot about movies here — those that bomb on the weekly and that do well over the course of the year. 

At the end of 2013, how did each studio fare? We took a look at the seven biggest movie studios of 2013 — Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, Paramount, Sony, Fox, and Lionsgate.

Despite Disney's billion dollar "Iron Man" film, Warner Bros. became the top-grossing studio for the year with $5 billion worldwide at theaters.

Below, we've outlined the five biggest movies for each studio in 2013:

Warner Bros.: $5 billion
1. “Man of Steel”: $662.8 million
2. “Gravity”: $653.3 million
3. “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”: $633.1 million
4. “Pacific Rim”: $407.6 million
5. “The Hangover Part III”: $351 million

warner bros movie grosses 2013Disney: $4.7 billion
1. “Iron Man 3”: $1.2 billion
2. “Monsters University”: $743.6 million
3. “Thor: The Dark World”: $630 million
4. “Frozen”: $551.2 million
5. “Oz the Great and Powerful”: $493.3 million

disney movie grosses 2013Universal: $3.7 billion
1. “Despicable Me 2”: $918.8 million
2. “Fast & Furious 6”: $788.7 million
3. “Oblivion”: $286.2 million
4. “Identity Thief”: $174 million
5. “Mama”: $146.4 million

universal movie grosses 201320th Century Fox$3.4 billion
1. “The Croods”: $587.2 million
2. “The Wolverine”: $414.8 million
3. “A Good Day to Die Hard”: $304.7 million
4. “Turbo”: $282.6 million
5. “Epic”: $267.9 million

Fox movie grosses 2013
Sony Pictures / Columbia: $3 billion
1. “The Smurfs 2”: $347.5 million
2. “Grown Ups 2”: $247 million
3. “After Earth”: $243.8 million
4. “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2”: $238.8 million
5. “Captain Phillips”: $209.3 million
sony movie grosses 2013Lionsgate/Summit Entertainment: $2.32 billion*
Note how important the “Hunger Games” franchise is to the studio.
1. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”: $802.3 million
2. "Now You See Me": $351.7 million 
3. "Red 2": $142.1 million
4. "Escape Plan": $125.8 million
5. "Warm Bodies": $117 million
lionsgate movie grosses 2013Paramount: $2.27 billion
1. “World War Z”: $540 million
2. “Star Trek Into Darkness”: $467.4 million
3. “G.I. Joe: Retaliation”: $375.7 million
4. “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters”: $225.7 million
5. “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa”: $142.7 millionParamount Pictures movie grosses 2013*An earlier version of this story failed to include Summit Entertainment's film slate along with Lionsgate.  We regret the error.

SEE ALSO: The highest-grossing movies of 2013

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Zoe Saldana And Sam Worthington Will Return For 3 'Avatar' Sequels

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Avatar movie

Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington will be back for all three "Avatar" sequels, according to reports from The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline. 

James Cameron and 20th Century Fox announced a total of three sequels to the 2009 film last summer. 

They'll rejoin Stephen Lang who has signed on for the sequels as well. Lang played main antagonist Marine Colonel Miles Quaritch who was killed off in the 2009 film. 

"Avatar" demolished box-office records in 2009 when it became the highest-grossing movie of all time making $2.8 billion worldwide. 

There's not much news on the plot of the film, but THR reports Saldana and Worthington's characters, Sully and Neytiri, will have kids. 

The films are expected to come out back to back in December 2016, 2017, and 2018. 

SEE ALSO: 'Avatar' sequels will use groundbreaking underwater technology

AND: James Cameron wants 'Avatar' to be epic 'Godfather'-like franchise

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Will Smith Will Not Be In The 'Independence Day' Sequel

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will smith independence day

In case you didn't know, Fox is working on a sequel to 1996's "Independence Day." 

However, don't expect to see Will Smith return as the lead. 

Deadline reports Smith has officially turned down working on the film

This shouldn’t be much of a surprise. 

Last summer, Emmerich told The New Daily News they wouldn’t be able to afford Smith because “he’s too expensive.” 

Smith makes an estimated $20 million per film now. 

How will the movie continue without Smith?

Apparently two versions of the film have been worked out in the event Smith couldn’t be a part of it.

Though Smith will be absent, other stars from the original including Randy Quaid, Bill Pullman, and Jeff Goldblum are expected to be in the sequel. 

The first movie was a huge success for Fox, bringing in $817.4 million. 

Roland Emmerich (“White House Down,” “The Day After Tomorrow”) will be returning to direct.

The "Independence Day" sequel is currently set for the July 4 weekend of 2016.

SEE ALSO: "The LEGO Movie" has second largest February Opening Weekend Ever

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These 4 Young Actors Were Just Cast In The 'Fantastic Four' Reboot

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fanstastic 4 reboot cast Michael B. Jordan Miles Teller Kate Mara Jamie Bell

We've known for a while that Fox has had plans to reboot the "Fantastic Four" franchise.

It's a smart move considering Warner Bros. and especially Disney are dominating with superhero films at the box office. For the past year, there have been rumors about which actors will star in the remake of the 2005 film.

Now Variety reports that Miles Teller ("The Spectacular Now"), Kate Mara ("House of Cards"), and Jamie Bell will join the reboot. 

Mara is officially locked to play Sue Storm / The Invisible Woman while Teller has been offered to play Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic. According to Variety, Bell is expected to play Ben Grimm/The Thing. 

The three will join Michael B. Jordan who has been rumored to play Johnny Storm/The Human Torch since last year.

Josh Trank ("Chronicle") will direct the reboot while Simon Kinberg ("Sherlock Holmes") is working on the script.

There's no word on the villains expected for the film  yet, but for now, meet your new Fantastic Four!

Kate Mara will play Sue Storm / The Invisible Woman. 

kate mara sue storm

Michael B. Jordan will be Johnny Storm/The Human Torch.
It’s worth noting that Sue and Johnny are siblings, so it will be interesting to see how the screenplay addresses that.michael b jordan human torch

Miles Teller has an offer to play Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic.
Teller recently starred alongside Jordan in "That Awkward Moment."
miles teller mr fantastic

Jamie Bell is expected to play Ben Grimm/The Thing.jamie bell the thing

SEE ALSO: 20 actors who started their careers as models

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'Fantastic Four' Studio Was Reportedly Looking To Hire New Director, Writer, And Cast

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the thing fantastic 4

In a rather shocking yet unconfirmed development, 20th Century Fox has reportedly fired director Josh Trank from The Fantastic Four, while also discarding the screenplay from writer Simon Kinberg, less than six months before production is scheduled to begin.

Bleeding Cool reports that the studio is actively searching for a new writer and director, and that there are also casting issues as well. We reported last month that Michael B. Jordan (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch), Miles Teller (Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic), Kate Mara (Sue Storm/The Invisible Girl) and Jamie Bell(Ben Grimm/The Thing) officially signed on after months of casting speculation.

It isn't known if these "issues" refer to these actors who have already signed on, or other characters that have yet to be cast. We reported earlier this week that Domhnall GleesonEddie RedmayneSam Riley and Toby Kebbell were the front runners to play the villainous Dr. Doom.

We'll have to wait and see whether the studio will confirm this report or not. If it does turn out to be true, the June 19, 2015 release date will likely have to be pushed, since there may not be enough time to develop a new script in just six months.

The Fantastic Four comes to theaters June 19th, 2015 and stars Michael B. Jordan,Miles TellerKate MaraJamie Bell. The film is directed by Josh Trank.

UPDATE: 20th Century Fox has since denied the reports with Bleeding Cool posting an article this morning saying:

"Our sources were impeccable. By which we mean those who had actually been approached by Fox for this gig.

We ran the story and there was a pretty much immediate spinback from Fox via Screen Crush. Massive denial. Covered by all sorts of folks.

We are in no doubt that Fox are going ahead with their current production plans with Fantastic Four.

Right now. But, last week we were also in no doubt that they’d been looking to junk it all. And these aren’t mutually exclusive notions."

SEE ALSO: These 4 Young Actors Were Just Cast In The 'Fantastic Four' Reboot

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Here's The First Trailer For Dystopian Thriller ‘The Maze Runner’

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the maze runnerWith the success of "The Hunger Games," studios are constantly in search of the next big young adult novel to adapt for the big screen.

The next book series Hollywood will bet on is James Dashner's sci-fi dystopian "The Maze Runner."20th Century Fox released the first trailer for the film today. 

The film stars Dylan O'Brien ("The Internship,""Teen Wolf"), Will Poulter ("We're the Millers"), Thomas Brodie-Sangster ("Game of Thrones,""Phineas and Ferb").

Here's the plot via 20th Century Fox:

"When Thomas ( Dylan O'Brien) wakes up trapped in a massive maze with a group of other boys, he has no memory of the outside world other than strange dreams about a mysterious organization known as W.C.K.D. Only by piecing together fragments of his past with clues he discovers in the maze can Thomas hope to uncover his true purpose and a way to escape."

"The Maze Runner" hits theaters September 19.

SEE ALSO: Tyler Perry's latest box-office bomb shows a terrible trend in his movies

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Why Fox's Superhero Movies Lag Behind

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xmen

Fox wants the X-Men and the Fanastic Four to battle The Avengers.

Now before the fanboy universe gets too excited, the studio is not planning a giant comic book-style crossover between the teams. Instead it's planning a new slate of films it hopes will reach the box office highs that ones based on various Avengers have reached.

Disney's Marvel has had an unparalleled run of success with its superhero movies based on characters from the long-running Avengers comic books. Time Warner's DC Comics has also had an impressive run with Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy and the rebirth of its Superman franchise. Even Sony has enjoyed huge success with two different versions of Spider-Man — the Tobey Maguire/Sam Raimi trilogy and the new Andrew Garfield-starring series.

Foxhas had hits with its X-Men movies and to a much lesser extent its Fantastic Four films, but none of those have been blockbusters — the most successful was X-Men: The Last Stand, which made $459 million in global box office, according to Box Office Mojo. That makes it the 13th most successful superhero movie, if you don't adjust for changes in ticket prices (which would send it a little farther down the list).

Understanding the superhero universe

Before Marvel was owned by Disney and before it was in the movie production business, it licensed its characters to other companies — Sony and Fox — for films. It kept comic book rights to the characters as well as television rights, but it sold Spider-Man to Sony for movies and X-Men and Fantastic Four to Fox for the same. So even though Spider-Man, various X-Men, the Fantastic Four and some Avengers team up in the comic book world, they can't interact on the big screen.

The whole thing gets even more confusing when you realize that some characters — Quicksilver for example — are both Avengers and X-Men. Both Disney and Fox have rights to use those lesser characters (and both are, as Quicksilver appears in the upcoming Avengers and X-Men sequels), but there a limits on what they can say and do. None of these contracts are publicly released but ComicVine, a comic industry website, reports that Sony and Fox maintain rights to the characters they license as long as they make movies with them at contracted intervals.

Given the success of comic book movies in general, that makes in unlikely that Fox or Sony will give up their rights so comic book fans won't be seeing Spider-Man join the Avengers anytime soon.

How poorly has Fox done with its superhero movies? 

There are 12 superhero films that have made at least $500 million in global box office and Fox has none of them. Marvel took in $1.5 billion in global box office with The Avengers and topped $1 billion with Iron Man 3, according to Box Office Mojo. Warner Brothers/D.C. topped $1 billion for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises and Sony has four Spider-Man movies that have taken in over $700 million.

Fox is decidedly behind topping out at the aforementioned  X-Men: The Last Stand at $459 million. The rest of the X-Men movies were less successful with the most recent film X-Men First Class taking in $353 million. The Fantastic Four films did even worse with the sequel Rise of the Silver Surfer earning $289 million globally and the original besting it slightly at $330 million.

These films weren't flops but they did not approach the level of success that has become normal for Marvel and Sony.

Can Fox make Fantastic Four a hit?

The casting announcement for the new Fantastic Four movie raised the expected level of fanboy outrage when Fox announced that Michael B. Jordan (who is black) would be playing Johnny Storm/The Human Torch (who is white in the comic books). Storm is also sisters in the comic book world with Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, who will be played by the decidedly white Kate Mara.

Casting controversies can doom a comic book movie (see Ben Affleck as Daredevil, which tanked at $179 million globally) but they can also raise awareness of a film and force people to see it just to complain and/or be surprised (see Michael Keaton in Batman, which did $411 million in global box office in 1989). The first two Fox Fantastic Four movies were mediocre and lacked the grand cinematic feel of the Batman, Spider-Man, and Avengers movies partially because they starred TV actors (Michael Chiklis as The Thing and Julian McMahon as Dr. Doom) in key roles.

Fox needs fans both hardcore and casual to know that its new Fantastic Four movies have no links to the old ones. If it can do that — and a little casting controversy can go a long way to get the word out — it gets another chance to launch a franchise with one of the most popular teams in comic history. 

Can Fox make X-Men a bigger hit?

The X-Men franchise has been more successful than Fantastic Four with box office totals building from $297 million for X-Men to $407 million for X-Men United, and $459 million for Last Stand, according to Box Office Mojo. The series was semi-rebooted with First Class ($353 million) not because it wasn't doing well but because it had become too expensive/difficult to bring the cast of the original trilogy back.

The upcoming X-Men Days of Future Past not only brings the original team back, it does so with a time-travel story that allows Fox to include the young actors from First Class, which includes Jennifer Lawrence — who is smoking hot at the box office right now — as Mystique. The return of the original crew plus the hot casting may well launch the series in if not Avengers territory, at least the low-end of Spider-Man-land.

The public loves comic book movies

The increased acceptance of comic book movies bodes well for Fox. The X-Men movies were genre hits with appeal beyond the strict comic book audience, but not movies for the whole family. Avengers, the Iron Man films and the Batman trilogy took comic book films to a new level and made them blockbusters that had to be seen by moviegoers no matter their personal taste in films.

Fantastic Four is a wild card — maybe the first movies just weren't good enough to cross over to a wide audience or maybe the characters are a little too hokey. If Fox makes a good movie that highlights the heroic aspect of the team (which in the comics has saved the world countless times) and not the petty family interplay of the characters than perhaps it can launch a franchise.

X-Men Days of Future Past seems like a more sure bet as the X-Men movies have established the characters and have been hits of a certain level, but the return of the original actors gives this entry into the series an event feel. If Fox plays it right this isn't yet another Wolverine movie, it's the X-Men's answer to The Avengers. 

SEE ALSO: 10 Incredible Things You Didn't Know About Christopher Nolan And His Movies

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Bryan Singer Drops Out Of All Press For 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past'

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Bryan Singer

In light of recent allegations in a widely publicized sexual abuse case against the director, Bryan Singer has dropped out of all press for X-Men: Days of Future Past. He also pulled out of a scheduled appearance at this weekend's WonderCon in Anaheim, where he was excited to promote the latest film in the long-standing Fox franchise.

Bryan Singer was accused this week of using drugs and alcohol to force a teenage boy to have sex with him in a case that stretches back to 1999. The director denies any wrongdoing, as his lawyer Martin Singer (no relation) claims the case is 'completely fabricated'.

Accuser Michael Egan claims the abuse took place in Hawaii during August and October of 1999. Bryan Singer himself claims to have an alibi, saying he was in Toronto at that time working on the first X-Men movie. He will soon file credit card bills and various other documents that prove he was in Canada at the time of the incident.

X-Men: Days of Future Past screenwriter and producer Simon Kinberg will be takingBryan Singer's place at WonderCon this weekend.

20th Century Fox did not comment on the matter, and it is unclear how this will affect Bryan Singer's future career, as he is in the middle of writing and pre-production work on X-Men: Apocalypse. He is reportedly directing the franchise sequel as well, but that could change as Michael Egan prepares to file more lawsuits on this matter in the coming weeks. Bryan Singer could be tied up with the lawsuit for a very longtime.

With a budget of $225 million, X-Men: Days of Future Past is the second biggest movie Fox has ever produced behind Avatar, and it is the biggest film of Bryan Singer's career. For the foreseeable future, everyone feels the best thing Bryan Singer is not talk.

X-Men: Days of Future Past comes to theaters May 23rd, 2014 and stars Jennifer LawrenceMichael FassbenderNicholas HoultPeter DinklageHugh Jackman,Evan PetersJames McAvoyEllen Page. The film is directed by Bryan Singer.

SEE ALSO: Singer Lawsuit Is Tied To Marc Collins-Rector, Infamous Child Abuser Of The Dot-Com Boom

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Critics Are Trashing Kate Upton And Cameron Diaz's New Movie 'The Other Woman'

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cameron diaz kate upton the other woman

Cameron Diaz's new movie starring Leslie Mann and Kate Upton, "The Other Woman" is out this weekend.

In what appears to be a modern-day version of "The First Wives Club", Carly (Diaz), Kate (Mann), and Amber (Upton) seek revenge on the guy (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, "Game of Thrones") who has been romancing all three of them — and more — while married to Kate.

So far, the reviews are pretty brutal with the film sitting at 25% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Here are a few:

The New York Times

“This female revenge comedy is so dumb, lazy, clumsily assembled and unoriginal, it could crush any actor forced to execute its leaden slapstick gags and mouth its crude, humorless dialogue (by the first-time screenwriter Melissa K. Stack).” 

NJ.com:

“Nick Cassavetes, who hasn't had a hit since ‘The Notebook,’ directs as deftly as if he were wearing boxing gloves. Scenes are overlit — the photography does Diaz no favors — the sound editing is awful and music cues are scored with a sledgehammer … The only thing missing from this steaming casserole, in fact, is the one crucial ingredient: A sense of humor.” 

The NYPost: 

“‘The Other Woman’ is a weak adultery rom-com in which the most authentic performance comes from a non-housebroken Great Dane.” 

“Cassavetes also relies heavily on tired visual shorthand. We know Carly is a career woman because she wears all black and stilettos; we know Mark is an alpha male because he drives a sports car. We know Upton’s the eye candy because she’s running down the beach in slow motion, “Baywatch”-style.” 

Time Out: 

“There’s a strong whiff of ‘The First Wives Club’ and an even a sprinkling of ‘Working Girl’ here – but instead of updating the genre, ‘The Other Woman’ rehashes it, bringing little more than a few giggles and a dash of glamour to the table.” 

A similar sentiment by many outlets is that Kate Upton’s presence in the film appears to be simply just for “eye candy."

the other woman

NYT:

"Amber [Upton] is crassly shoehorned into the movie to provide jiggling eye candy for boys." 

NPR: 

“It is a film that features a vomiting scene, a farting scene, a huge dog taking an extravagant, full-view dump on an apartment floor, the aforementioned diarrhea and nipple segments, a joke — the approach of which is visible from space — when a man is sexually humiliated by a transgender woman, and plenty of appreciative ogling of Kate Upton's caboose.”

The Hollywood Reporter

"Upton does what she's called upon to do, look great in a bikini, and rarely has more than one line to speak at a time."

Instead, a few suggest Nicki Minaj’s brief role is the best part of the film.  

Time: 

“All three women are less watchable and amusing that [sic] Nicki Minaj as Carly’s legal assistant Lydia. Here’s someone who enjoys a job she doesn’t feel the need to excel in — ‘It’s like having a hobby that pays well’ — and dispenses the working-girl wisdom that ‘Selfish people live longer.’”

Here's a clip of her in the film.

Despite the reviews, the film is set to win the box-office weekend with an estimated $16.5 million.

Now, watch a trailer for the film.

SEE ALSO: 15 movies you should see this summer

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New 'Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes' Trailer Shows All-Out War

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dawn of the planet of the apes

20th Century Fox just released the second trailer for "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes."

The film is the sequel to 2011's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" which starred James Franco.

While Franco will appear via flashback video in this film, Gary Oldman and Jason Clarke ("Zero Dark Thirty") will star along with Keri Russell ("The Americans") continuing the story of Caesar, the ape from the first installment.

Here's the synopsis from Fox:

"A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species."

The film is in theaters July 11.

SEE ALSO: 15 movies you should see this summer

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Here Is The Real Baseball Stadium Magneto Destroys In 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past'

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Magneto, X Men, Baseball

20th Century Fox released a new clip from "X-Men: Days of Future Past" Thursday.

In the clip, Michael Fassbender's Magneto drops into a baseball stadium before he uses his mutant magnetic powers to rip it from the ground.

Watch the short clip below:  

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" takes place in the real world and in the real time of the 1970s, so the stadium Magneto is destroying is actually a real place.

From watching the clip, you can see that the stadium has distinct red and yellow seats and doesn't look like one that is still being used by a professional Major League Baseball team.

RFK destroyed

So what is the real-life baseball stadium that Magneto is destroying?

Magneto, X Men, RFK

According to The Washington Post, the answer is Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.

RFK Stadium

RFK is the former home of Washington, D.C.'s baseball teams the Senators (from the park's opening in 1961 to 1971) and the Nationals (from 2005 to 2007) along with the Washington Redskins football team (from 1961 to 1996).

The field is no longer used for baseball or football but is the current home to Washington's Major League Soccer team, DC United.

Why Magneto chooses to uproot RFK won't be known for sure until the film hits theaters next Friday.

But by the looks of the film's trailers, Magneto's hatred of the government and the stadium's proximity to the White House (which is only 4 miles away) probably isn't good news for the president.

Magneto levitating RFK, X-Men

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" hits theaters May 23.

SEE ALSO: Here’s Why An ‘X-Men’ Teaser Is Playing At The End Of ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’

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'X-Men: Days Of Future Past' Is Going To Be The Movie Of The Summer

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x men magneto

Forget Spider-Man. Forget Godzilla

This summer will belong to the mutants.

Early reviews are pegging "X-Men: Days of Future Past" as the movie of the summer.

Currently, the movie is sitting at 94% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. While we still have a week before its release, that's better than "Godzilla" (74%) and "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" (53%).

Here's why the movie sounds like a must-see.

Unlike other superhero movies, “X-Men” isn’t full of gratuitous destruction. 

Variety:

"No skyscrapers blow up, no cities are leveled, and while the White House and a football stadium suffer some serious structural damage, the wholesale destruction of human civilization is kept to a refreshing minimum."

Jennifer Lawrence and Hugh Jackman are both great, returning as Mystique and Wolverine.x men days of future past mystique jennifer lawrenceThe Hollywood Reporter (THR)

"Jackman brings powerful physicality, laconic humor and depths of sorrow beneath his gruffness that make him an unusually nuanced figure for a sci-fi action movie."

"Lawrence is sensational, whether slinking around in Mystique's body-hugging blue reptilian skin, displaying the shape-shifter's balletic fight skills or adopting seductive human form."

However, it's Quicksilver, a lightning-fast mutant played by Evan Peters, who will have everyone talking.evan peters quicksilverIGN:

"The movie’s biggest surprise is actually the character that’s been the greatest object of scorn online: Quicksilver. Yes, Quicksilver’s not only awesome here, but he pretty much steals the show at one point."

Variety:

"Quicksilver steals every scene he’s in, especially one brilliant, deliriously fun action sequence that reveals how everything seems to advance in slow-motion from his perspective."

It's not the only awesome sequence.

THR

"The midsection includes thrilling action set pieces too. One involves the chaos that ensues when the X-Men thwart Mystique's initial attempt to kill Trask, spilling from an official building out into the crowded square below." 

One of the only issues, The Wrap notes that you may want to brush up on your X-Men history before heading to theaters.Xmen magneto prisoner

"Do some light streaming, dig out the DVD box sets, browse the Wikipedia pages or consult the cashier at your neighborhood comic store, but make sure you come into the theater with a fairly confident grasp of what went down in “X-Men,” “X2,” “X-Men: The Last Stand” and “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” — “The Wolverine,” oddly, not so much — since the screenplay by Simon Kinberg (“Sherlock Holmes”) assumes you already know mutant chapter and verse."

A few reviews also suggest Peter Dinklage's character Bolivar Trask is a bit of a letdown.peter dinklage x men days of future past

HitFix:

"The one weak link, script-wise, is Bolivar Trask, played here by Peter Dinklage. It feels like Dinklage does as much as he can with the role, but there's really no weight to him as an antagonist." 

IGN:

"It's also surprising how mundane Dinklage’s Bolivar Trask turns out to be. He may be played by an awesome actor, but Trask never manages to be that compelling a villain despite the huge stakes hinging on his survival."

Overall, it sounds like a good time.

The Wrap:

"Still, this is the best “X-Men” movie since Singer went off to other pursuits, and it puts enough of a whammy onto the mutant narrative to allow future sequels to veer off in any number of directions." 

Total Film:

"With style, heart and thrills, Singer has nailed the most ambitious X-flick yet. Popcorn pizzazz combines with X2’s emotional sweep and something extra: a platform for the X-Men’s screen survival."

The Hollywood Reporter:

"While it's more dramatically diffuse than the reboot and lacks a definitive villain, the new film is shot through with a stirring reverence for the Marvel Comics characters and their universe. And it ups the stakes by threatening nothing less than the genocide of the mutant population, among them faces old and new. Huge worldwide box office seems guaranteed." 

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" is in theaters May 23. Check out a trailer below: 

SEE ALSO: 25 photos that show what it would be like if "Godzilla" tore through the US today

AND: Here's how the military would fight Godzilla

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Here's How The Apes In 'The Planet Of The Apes' Sequel Look Without CGI

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Actor Andy Serkis is known for his motion capture roles in film.

His most recognizable work has been as Gollum / Smeagol in both "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "The Hobbit."andy serkis gollum

When "The Dawn of The Planet of the Apes" comes out this July, Serkis will reprise his role of Caesar the ape he played in the 2011 film.

However, he's not just voicing an ape. Serkis acts out the entire role, crawling around and making very specific facial expressions to translate on screen. 

Everything the ape does, Serkis does along with the team of actors who lend their talents to the other apes in the film. 

20th Century Fox released a splitscreen video that shows exactly how Serkis and actors Toby Kebbell, Larramie Doc Shaw, Terry Notary, and Karin Konoval bring the apes to life on screen.

It's pretty cool.

First, the actors get into full body motion capture suits. The white markers on the actor's faces help track their movement on the digital animal. The tracking picks up everything from spoken words ... 

andy serkis planet of the apes

... to movements ... Andy Serkis caesar planet of the apes

dawn of the planet of the apes motion capture

... and facial expressions.andy serkis caesardawn of the planet of the apes planet of the apes motion capturedawn of the planet of the apes motion capture

Watch the video below:

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is in theaters July 11. 

SEE ALSO: A trailer for the movie

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