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Here's How To Make Sense Of The Many Storylines Of 'X-Men: Days of Future Past'

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xmen days of future past groupX-Men: Days of Future Past is out on Friday and represents a unique moment in comic-book movie history. In knitting together the series' original cast, its quasi-reboot cast from First Class and some story threads from the standalone Wolverine movies, Days of Future Past is trying to streamline all these gummy threads into something that makes sense and can have one functional cast moving forwards.

This is tricky business for a 14-year-old franchise, but something comic books do all the time: "retconning" plots and clearing away things fans didn't like through plot devices like time travel. So what's happening in the various X-Men universes that Days of Future Past, directed by Bryan Singer (who made the first two X-Men films), will try to clean up?

In X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), the last film to feature all of the original cast, director Brett Ratner set about ruining everyone's fun by killing off Cyclops (James Marsden) and Professor X (Patrick Stewart), bringing back Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) only to nastily botch her famous "Dark Phoenix" subplot in which she is corrupted with cosmic powers, and de-powering Magneto (Ian McKellen) and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn). It left enough loose threads to suggest that Professor X could be revived and Magneto re-powered, but was so reviled by critics and fans that the franchise then turned to spinoffs and flashbacks rather than attempt to directly follow up this dreck.

XMEN first classIn X-Men: First Class (2011), we got a look at the young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) founding his school for mutants in the 1960s alongside Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), who turn to a darker path. Aside from them, it largely stayed away from the original cast, giving just a jokey cameo to Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), no mention of Jean or Storm, and a cute nod to Cyclops in the form of a teenager wearing sunglasses. There was also Nicholas Hoult as a young Beast, who Kelsey Grammer had rather adorably played in The Last Stand.

The first Wolverine movie, X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), jumped all over time, starting in 1845 and including both World Wars, a sojurn in Vietnam, and then an extended plot in the 1980s that included cameos from a young Cyclops and a returning villain in William Stryker, played as an older man by Brian Cox in X2 but by Danny Huston here. This is where things really stop making sense. Last year's follow-up The Wolverine made the correct choice to stay out of everyone's way by just focusing on a solo plot in Japan for its hero. But it ended with Wolvie being approached by Professor X and Magneto, warning of a dire future and setting up Days of Future Past.

One example of just how messy this business is: '70s Wolverine will sport bone claws, since he hasn't been experimented on yet; but future Wolverine has metal claws, even though those were cut off at the end of The Wolverine and supplanted by the original bone. Bryan Singer says they're back because of Magneto maybe? Really, they're back because Wolverine should have unbreakable metal claws, and that's that. Days of Future Past is taking what it wants from the previous films and ignoring what it doesn't like, and that is the key to any good retcon. 

Where most studios are trying to expand their superhero universes, Fox is looking to streamline the X-Men, not only because some of these sequels were so badly received, but also because a lot of its cast (Stewart, McKellen, Halle Berry) are getting long in the tooth and/or too expensive for such work. They'll still use Jackman (whose character conveniently never ages) as long as they can, but he's been making noise about retirement himself.

I'll leave you with a brief rundown of where everyone is at in the X-Men Universe to prepare you for Friday's release.

Wolverine: He killed Jean Grey at the end of The Last Stand then wandered around in Japan being sad about it in The Wolverine, before fighting a big guy in a robot-samurai suit. In X-Men Origins: Wolverine we saw how he got his metal skeleton from evil mutant-experimenter William Stryker.

Professor X (Patrick Stewart): Blasted into smithereens by Jean Grey, he somehow zapped his brain into another body and approached Wolverine at the end of The Wolverine. This revival was never fully explained; do not expect it to be.

Vintage Professor X (James McAvoy): Paralyzed at the end of First Class by a stray bullet deflected by Magneto. Wheelchair-bound, but decided to found a school for mutants. A little bummed out by the whole "no legs" thing.

Magneto (Ian McKellen): Is he good? Is he bad? He leads a mutant assault against a "cure" in Last Stand, then gets depowered himself. He gets those powers back somehow, and looks to be buddies with Professor X again by The Wolverine.

Vintage Magneto (Michael Fassbender): Disgusted with humanity, he breaks away from his old friend Charles and was last seen freeing Emma Frost (January Jones) from confinement for some evil ends. Emma Frost isn't appearing in Days of Future Past, though, and we all know why. (It's because January Jones gave a monumentally bad performance)

Vintage Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence): After years of suppressing her identity, she embraces her shape-shifting blue form at the end of First Class and breaks away from Charles with Magneto. Older Mystique got depowered in The Last Stand and won't be around in the latest entry.

Storm (Halle Berry): Storm's hanging out. This will be Halle Berry's fourth crack at the role, but she really hasn't done anything of significance in the series, which is a bummer because comic book Storm is the best. (The gulf between the greatness of comic-book Storm and the lameness of movie Storm might be best expressed in this here fan video from YouTuber PlutoPlanetPower, combing Storm voiceover from the animated series with visuals from the movies.)

Beast (Nicholas Hoult): He was just a nerdy kid with big feet in First Class, but an attempt to cure his powers ended up just boosting them further, covering him in blue fur. He was still allied with Charles at the end of that film.

Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page): Remember her? She can walk through walls and stuff! She caused some trouble in the Rogue/Iceman relationship in The Last Stand. In the comic books, Kitty (aka Shadowcat) is the protagonist of the "Days of Future Past" storyline, but that business is being handed to Wolverine for the movie.

Iceman (Shawn Ashmore): Iceman was seen holding hands with Rogue at the end of The Last Stand, where he also finally figured out how to transform his whole body into ice, which is his standard form in the comic books.

Rogue (Anna Paquin): Rogue's apparently gonna be in this one for a hot second after most of her scenes got left on the cutting room floor. She got voluntarily de-powered in The Last Stand.

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

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5 Things You Should Know Before Seeing 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past'

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Xmen magneto prisoner

If you head out to see "X-Men: Days of Future Past," you may want to brush up on your "X-Men" knowledge.

The film includes a lot of little references to the previous five films. In no way is it necessary to watch a full-out "X-Men" marathon, but it is helpful, and for those who catch up you'll be rewarded little nods and one liners that make the film even more satisfying.

If you're going to watch any films, we recommend watching director Bryan Singer's first two installments, "X-Men" (2000) and "X2: X-Men United" (2003). 

If you don't have time to catch up, here are a few handy things to know going in.

1. Magneto is a Holocaust survivor

magneto x men days of future past

If you've never seen "X-Men" or aren't a fan of the comics, you probably aren't aware the Holocaust has a lot of influence in the series. In the opening scene to the 2000 film we're introduced to a young boy ripped away from his family during the Holocaust. This boy grows up to be Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Ian McKellen/Michael Fassbender) who has the power to manipulate metal.

Many of the stories in the "X-Men" universe involve humans who want to exterminate any "mutants" with special powers who may present a danger to society.

In the beginning of "Days of Future Past," we see a scene that directly parallels the opening to the first film along with "X-Men: First Class" in which mutants are being shepherded in groups to their death. Mutants are also walking around branded with the letter "M" on their heads.

You can watch the scene here.

2. If there's one person you need to know going into this film, it's William Styrker.

william stryker days of future pastThis is probably the singularly most important piece of information you need going into the film.

Stryker is referenced multiple times as he comes into contact with both Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). If you've recently watched "X2," you'll immediately recognize him as the main villain for the film. If not, you're probably a little fuzzy until you start seeing some flashbacks mid-movie.

Who is he?

Stryker leads an anti-mutant group within the Government. He's the man responsible for turning Logan into Wolverine by fusing both his skeleton and bone claws with a fictitious and indestructible metal alloy adamantium. 

You probably recognize him like this in "X2":

william stryker x2or like this from "X-Men Origins: Wolverine":william strykerThat brings us to our next point.

3. Wolverine's bone claws

wolverine bone clawsWhen Wolverine travels back to the past, you'll notice he doesn't have the use of his metal claws. Instead, he has these weak bone claws. What gives?

Since it's 1973, this is a long time before Wolverine received an infusion of adamantium so it would be impossible for him to have his claws.

4. Forget everything you know about "X-Men: The Last Stand."

x-men the last standWell, almost everything. Directed by Brett Ratner, the movie upset a lot of comic fans when it took liberties with "The Dark Phoenix Saga" storyline in which Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) returns as a dark alter ego after being assumed dead in "X2." 

All you need to know from here is that Grey ends up killing her former boyfriend Cyclops and Professor Xavier. Wolverine was then forced to kill Grey, the love of his life. That death has haunted him in a series of flashbacks in all ensuing films.

The one thing that may bother "X-Men" fans is that "Days of Future Past" (DoFP) never really explains how Xavier comes back to life. In the end credits for "The Last Stand" it was suggested he was still alive; however, Slashfilm points out that Ratner revealed on the film's commentary the man in the credits is Xavier's twin brother.

It appears Director Byran Singer has taken some liberties to wipe the existence of the third film clean because fans will also recall Magneto lost his powers in the third film but appears to have them fully restored in DoFP. Though at the end of "Last Stand" it is suggested Magneto was starting to regain his powers so it's not a complete stretch.

5. There's a serum which can control the X-Men.

This isn't TOO important to know, but in "X2," we see Magneto brainwashed by a chemical given to him by Colonel William Stryker (more on him in a bit). The chemical is administered through the back of the neck, leaving a small circular imprint. It temporarily allows the mutant to be under someone else's power. 

At the start of DoFP we briefly see mutants with small contraptions strapped to the back of their necks. It appears they're being administered a similar drug forcing them to walk to their death. 

SEE ALSO: What the end-credits scene in "X-Men: Days of Future Past" means

AND: The actor who delivers the best scene in the movie

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Why 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past' Changed The Iconic Look Of The Mutant-Hunting Sentinels

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old sentinels, xmen days of future past

When "X-Men: Days of Future Past" comes out this weekend, the X-Men will take on mutant-hunting robots known as the Sentinels.

For the film's production designer John Myhre it was important to bring the killer machines to life while also focusing on their look from the comics.

"The first thing I did was say, 'What do the Sentinels look like?' And it’s amazing how often they’ve changed since the 60s and stayed quite often the same," Myhre told Collider.

For example, when the Sentinels first appeared in X-Men No. 14 back in 1965 they looked more human than robot.

Sentinels first appearance comicsAs the years went on, they became more and more robotic looking while varying in detail and size.

X-Men, Sentinels, robot lookYet, they maintained their signature look focusing on their purple helmet shape and glowing yellow eyes.

Ultimate X-Men, SentinelsFor "X-Men: Days of Future Past" Myhre created two different versions of the Sentinels to match the two timelines of the film.

The premise of the movie will see Hugh Jackman's Wolverine character getting sent back in time to prevent the creation of the giant bots.

The 1970s version of the machines stayed true to the robots' look in the comics.

Xmen days of future past, sentinelsMyhre went in a different direction for the futuristic version of the Sentinels, coming up with an entirely new design.

If you've seen the film, you know this is because *minor spoilers* the future Sentinels are made with the help of the shape-shifting mutant Mystique's DNA. *minor spoilers*

Future Sentinels, xmen days of future past"They're biomechanical weapons," Myhre told Empire. "We had to come up with what would be the ultimate version that could actually, in principle, stop the X-Men."

To do this Myhre reconsidered both the design of the robots and their ability to attack mutants.

"We started with this idea that they were almost made up of magnetic plates slapped over one another," Myhre added. "The plates could contract or grow, so the Sentinel can be skinny to get through a small space or the plates can open up to become a bigger shape."

This includes shape-shifting parts of their bodies into weapons.

Sentinels stab storm xmenWhile also being able to change in size to take on the strongest X-Men.

Sentinel punch, xmenBy doing this, Myhre took the iconic design of the Sentinels and made them an invincible force in the film.

"They have become virtually unstoppable," Myhre said.

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

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The First Real Competition To Disney's Avengers Has Arrived

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x-men days of future past

In Marvel Comics, which is owned by Disney, the Avengers defeated the X-Men in a recent crossover known simply as "Avengers vs X-Men." In the box-office battle between Disney's recently dominant Avengers franchise and 20th Century Fox's X-Men, however, the mutants may be making a comeback.

"X-Men: Days Of Future Past," which opened on Friday, is on track to earn the fifth-highest Memorial Day weekend gross at $110 million in the U.S. Although those numbers are not exceptional, it's a decent start, and very strong reviews should help generate a long run. Its timing seems good, too, stealing the spotlight from "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and not facing another comic book movie until "Guardians of the Galaxy" in August. And it's got star power, with Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Lawrence, plus Michael Fassbender, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, Chinese superstar Fan Bingbing and more.

Most importantly, the new X-Men movie appears to be an effective step in launching a new and marketable superhero universe. That is, after all, what every studio has been trying to do since Marvel Studios, which was bought by Mouse House in 2009, launched its popular and prolific Avengers franchise — including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and Hulk, and their super team — which has grossed over $6.3 billion since 2008 and is expanding rapidly in spinoffs and sequels. "Marvel's The Avengers" (2012) alone is the third-highest grossing movie ever at $1.5 billion.

Catching Disney has seemed nearly impossible in recent years.

Sony, which licensed Spider-Man from Marvel in the '90s, has released a string of hit movies but gotten mixed critical reception and struggled to launch an expanded universe. "Spider-Man 3" (2007) was widely panned; "The Amazing Spider-Man" (2012) was better; "The Amazing-Spider-Man 2" (2014) was also panned, with critics assailing its lame attempts to set up spinoffs that no one cares about like "The Sinister Six" and "Venom" as part of a plan to release Spider-Man-related movies every year.

Warner Bros., which owns DC Comics characters like Batman, Superman, plus less popular superheroes, has a lot to prove as it relaunches or introduces for the first time all characters but Superman in a sequel to the mediocre "Man of Steel" (2013) called "Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice" (2016).

Fox, which licensed X-Men and Fantastic Four characters from Marvel in the '90s, lost momentum in its X-Men franchise after the high selling but poorly reviewed sequel "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006) and spinoff "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (2009). But it quietly started a comeback with retro relaunch "X-Men: First Class" (2011) and an improved sequel for Jackman in "The Wolverine," which were well reviewed and successful at $350 million and $415 million gross but still small by Avengers standards.

Enter "X-Men: Days Of Future Past." Possibly Fox's most expensive movie ever at an estimated $250 million, the movie is an ambitious attempt to take the X-Men back to the big leagues in not just this movie but also the spinoffs and sequels the studio is already planning or hoping for.

"It really needs to be one of the top five films of the summer, in terms of grosses. And that's just the bottom line,"Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co., told CNBC."It has to succeed on a major level."

Will it succeed? It's got a long way to go on ticket sales, but again, good word of mouth should help.

Directed by Bryan Singer in his first X-Men movie since the popular "X2,""X-Men: Days Of Future Past" has an engaging plot that is surprisingly comprehensible for a time travel story, complex and believable characters, smart dialogue and acting, sharp direction, well-crafted settings from the desolate future to the fantastic 1970s, and great action including the jaw-dropping Quicksilver sequence everyone's talking about. It really is better than Disney's latest offering, the disappointingly dumb though popular "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," in every nearly every facet.

What's more, Singer and writer-producer Simon Kinberg adeptly bring together stars from the old and new X-Men franchises, making Jackman's Wolverine part of the new franchise; close off the old franchise in a satisfying loop that reverses some of the problems of "X-Men: The Last Stand"; and clear the way for the new franchise to advance into exciting and uncharted territory.

Now Singer has urged restraint with Avengers comparisons, telling SciFiNow:  “[Disney's Marvel movies] are huge, colossal franchises that are peppered with all these other characters that are, again, extremely famous and so yes, Fox will at some point synergise [the X-Men] characters and that process is slowly beginning, but it’s very different than taking movies that gross close to a billion dollars and then pushing them together into these giant broad movies."

But the comparison may not be too far-fetched. Fox, under Kinberg's lead, plans to follow this movie with a relaunched "Fantastic Four" in 2015, "X-Men: Apocalypse" in 2016, with talk of a Wolverine sequel, an X-Force spinoff, Deadpool and Gambit movies, a crossover between Fantastic Four and X-Men, and more. Notably, Jackman, after previously saying the next Wolverine movie would be his last, now says he will reconsider since "the whole thing feels fresher to me than ever."

Speaking as one of the all-important 18–35 male demographic, I will say that I am at least as excited for the next X-Men movies as for any superhero franchise.

SEE ALSO: "X-Men: Days Of Future Past" post-credit sequence explained

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Here's The 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past' Actor Who Steals The Movie

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quicksilver xmen days of future pastWarning: There are some spoilers ahead.

Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Lawrence may be the two main stars of “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” but it's another young actor who steals the movie. 

Sure, Jackman is great as always in his seventh run as the Wolverine and Lawrence captivates as the all-blue Mystique. It's also fun to see the offscreen bromance between Sirs Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart reignited on the big screen. 

However, the hands-down best scene in the movie belongs to a silver-haired lightening speed mutant Quicksilver, played by Evan Peters. evan peters quicksilverHe's given the seemingly impossible task to break into the Pentagon and bust a young Magneto (Michael Fassbender) out of a prison cell 100 floors beneath the government building.

magneto prison cell pentagon days of future past

No problem.quicksilver x men days of future past

The big payoff scene is when we see Quicksilver racing around a room filled with armed forces to prevent an onslaught of bullets from hitting Wolverine, Magneto, and Professor Xavier.quicksilver x men days of future past

Before addressing the oncoming danger, he's more interested in messing with the guards —

... poking one's face ...quicksilver pokes guards face x men... swiping another's hat ...

quicksilver steals hat days of future past... and knocking the cap off the head of one more.

quicksilver knocks hat off headIt's great.

What makes Quicksilver so memorable is not just the execution of the scene, but also the adaptation of the Marvel character from comic to screen. His personality as a fast-talking, rambunctious, fidgety, and slightly awkward teen is a direct extension of his speedy power.

It's by far the funniest part of the movie — our entire theater was cracking up — and it's a scene that will have you talking long after the movie is over.

The performance will also probably leave you wondering one question.

Who is Evan Peters?

x men days of future past evan peters

Peters is most known for a role in 2010's "Kick-Ass."

However you may recognize him from FX's "American Horror Story." In the most recent season he played a young boy brought back from the dead by witches.

evan peters american horror story

The wild turn in popularity for the character is a bit funny.

When Peters was originally cast in "Days of Future Past," some fans were outraged by the character's makeover saying he looked downright silly.

Here's one version of how Quicksilver looks in the comics.quicksilver comics

Very different.

Since Disney purchased Marvel for $4 billion in 2009, 20th Century Fox had to negotiate to use Marvel character Quicksilver in the film.

In the comics, both Quicksilver, and his sister the Scarlet Witch, are X-Men mutants who later become Avengers. It also just so happens they're the children of Magneto (played by Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender in the X-Men films).

As far as the deal, Hitfix has reported Disney can't use the word mutant in its film or make any mention of their relation to Magneto. Fox simply can't use the Avengers term. 

Both Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch will appear in Disney's "Avengers" sequel out next summer. quicksilver the avengersAaron Taylor-Johnson, who stars in "Godzilla" right now (and was also in "Kick-Ass" with Peters), will play Quicksilver in that film. 

Needless to say, director Joss Whedon has his work cut out for him since fans have taken to one incarnation of the character on screen.

And if you loved Peters as Quicksilver, don’t worry, he’ll be back in the sequel, “X-Men: Apocalypse,” with a larger role.

“The plan was to use him in the next X-Men movie and have him expand his part and grow into the franchise” “Days of Future Past” screenwriter Simon Kinberg told IGN. “Hopefully we can do more some unique things with his powers, and go a little deeper with the character too.” 

That will probably involve digging into his relationship with Magneto. xmen days of future daysFans may have picked up on a subtle exchange between Magneto (Fassbender) and Quicksilver in "Days of Future Past" in which the silver-haired youngster asks Magneto about his ability to control metal and casually mentions his mom "once knew a guy who could do that."

If you want to see what happens in the best scene from the film, Fox released a video which shows off a lot of the action 

Director Bryan Singer used a high-speed camera filming at 3,600 frames per second to capture everything in the scene except for Peters to slow everything down and give the illusion he was running at supersonic speed.

So when you see Quicksilver touch a guard's cheek and it ripples, that's not a special effect.

quicksilver pokes guard x men days of future past

Normally, movies are filmed and viewed at a much slower 24 frames per second.

Check it out below:

SEE ALSO: There's an end-credits scene after "Days of Future Past"— here's what it means

AND: What you should know before seeing the movie

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'X-Men: Days Of Future Past' Made More Than $100 Million Memorial Day Weekend

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magneto x-men days of future past

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" had a huge Memorial Day Weekend.

The return of the mutants in their seventh movie banked $111 million over the course of the four-day weekend.

In three days, the film made $91.4 million.

While the film didn't set any records — it scored the fifth-highest Memorial Day Weekend opening — it was one of the largest debuts of the year behind "Captain America: The Winter Soldier,""Godzilla," and "The Amazing Spider-Man 2."

One of the most expensive X-Men movie to date, the sequel has already made $302 million worldwide

Here's how "Days of Future Past" lived up to previous installments in the franchise opening weekend.

MovieReleaseOpening WeekendWorldwideBudget
"X-Men"2000$54.5 million$296.3 million$75 million
"X2: X-Men United"2003$85.6 million$407.7 million$110 million
"X-Men: The Last Stand"2006$102.8 million$459.4 million$210 million
"X-Men Origins: Wolverine"2009$85.1 million$373 million$150 million
"X-Men: First Class"2011$55.1 million$353.6 million$160 million
"The Wolverine"2013$53.1 million$414.8 million$120 million
"X-Men: Days of Future Past"2014$91.4 million

$302 million 

as of 5/26/14

$200 million

Adjusted for inflation, "Days of Future Past" has the third largest opening weekend behind "The Last Stand" ($124.9 million) and "X2" ($112.9 million).

Here are the largest Memorial Day Weekend openings:

MovieReleaseOpening WeekendWorldwideBudget
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"2007$139.8 million$963.4
million
$300 million
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"2008$126.9 million$786.6 million$185 million
"X-Men: The Last Stand"2006$122.9 million$459.4 million$210 million
"Fast & Furious 6"2013$117 million$788.7 million$160 million
"X-Men: Days of Future Past"2014$111 million$300 million to date$200 million

SEE ALSO: What the end-credits scene in the film means for "X-Men: Apocalypse"

AND: The scene-stealing actor from "X-Men: Days of Future Past"

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'X-Men: Apocalypse' Will Feature Some Original Cast Members

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x men days of future past beast wolverine

If you haven't seen X-Men: Days of Future Past in theaters yet, there will be plenty of spoilers below, so read on at your own risk.

While the end credits scene of X-Men: Days of Future Past helps set up X-Men: Apocalypse, the story helps broaden the X-Men universe in general, merging several cast members from the original X-Men trilogy with the 2011 prequel X-Men: First Class. Director Bryan Singer revealed in January that X-Men: Apocalypse will be more of a sequel to X-Men: First Class, featuring the younger version of the mutants set in the 1980s.

During a recent interview, writer-producer Simon Kinberg revealed that there will be a few original X-Men cast members popping up in X-Men: Apocalypse.

"It will focus primarily on the First Class cast, but it will certainly have some of the original cast involved, too."

It seems things may have changed with the story between now and December, when Simon Kinberg said the sequel would "not necessarily" follow the original X-Men. Here's what he had to say back in December.

"[Apocalypse] really follows the First Class cast. Meaning it is a sequel that will feature (James) McAvoy(Michael) FassbenderJennifer LawrenceNic Hoult and that cast. It is not a sequel that would necessarily feature Ian (McKellen)Patrick (Stewart)Halle (Berry) and the original cast. It would take place roughly between the past of Days of Future Past and when X-Men first started."

The ending of X-Men: Days of Future Past brings up several questions that will have to be answered in X-Men: Apocalypse, since it creates a new timeline that will seemingly alter the destiny of Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), while bringing Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) back from the dead. Simon Kinberg revealed that this new timeline was created to make amends for X-Men: The Last Stand.

"The original outline, the first thing anyone read - the studio, the producers, anyone - it was something me and Matthew Vaughn worked on together. In that original outline, the characters that come back at the end of this movie came back. For me, the fun of this movie from when I said, 'We should do Days of Future Past,' was literally the scene of changing the future and Jean is going to come back and Jean and Wolverine are going to have a reunion. Mainly because I carry such guilt over X-Men: The Last Stand. The way we killed Jean in X3 haunts me because I love the Dark Phoenix saga so much."

The ending of X-Men: Days of Future Past also showed William Stryker (Josh Helman) recovering Wolverine's body, although it was revealed that Stryker was actually Mystique in disguise. Simon Kinberg teased that Mystique's reveal will certainly be addressed in X-Men: Apocalypse.

"We really wanted to do something subtle with Stryker in this movie. We wanted it to be the beginning of the origin of him. He's in the shadows most of this film. In some ways, Stryker was included in order to trigger something for Wolverine. How would it impact Wolverine, going back in time and seeing this guy who is going to manipulate him in the future. That was just interesting. Stryker's been interesting in the books and the Brian Cox version was fantastic. But the last moment in the movie with the Mystique reveal ... there's for sure more to that. As we follow the characters in to X-Men: Apocalypse, we have to address that and make it a real thing."

The writer-producer also addressed the addition of Gambit in X-Men: Apocalypse, a character Channing Tatum was confirmed to play earlier this month.

"Gambit is still in-motion and being figured out. Channing made it known that it was a character that he loved and would love to play, and all the people who work on the X-Men movies are huge fans of his, so the notion of him playing it is exciting. I'm more fascinated by anti-heroes, and Gambit is one of those. I don't know why he wasn't explored in the original X-Men movies. Maybe the reason why was because they wanted to focus on Rogue/Bobby or the platonic Rogue/Wolverine relationship, and maybe there were too many similarities between Wolverine and Gambit, so in order to make it a Wolverine-centric franchise they had to cut him loose."

X-Men: Apocalypse comes to theaters May 27th, 2016. The film is directed by Bryan Singer.

SEE ALSO: Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains The Time Travel In ‘X-Men: Days Of Future Past’

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Here's What Happens In Anna Paquin's Deleted 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past' Scene

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x men days of future past

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" reunites most of the old "X-Men" cast with the newer, younger cast of "X-Men: First Class." 

The film has everyone from Hugh Jackman and Ian McKellen to Jennifer Lawrence and James McAvoy. Even Halle Berry reprises her role as Storm in the sequel. 

However, you may have noticed one major character from the original series missing from most of the action.

Except for a minor cameo near the film's end, Anna Paquin's Rogue, who was a focus of the original "X-Men" in 2000, was removed in the film's editing process.

Director Bryan Singer previously explained to Entertainment Weekly how Paquin's appearance would have involved a big rescue sequence involving Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Ian McKellen), and Iceman (Shawn Ashmore).

Unfortunately, Singer said it ended up being "extraneous" to the overall film.

There's been a lot of speculation on what exactly Rogue's cut scene was and how it fit into the overall arc of 'Days of Future Past."

Screenwriter Simon Kinberg recently expanded on Rogue's cut sequence in an interview with Empire magazine, detailing what went on in an elaborate 10-minute scene that would have pushed the film closer to a two-and-a-half hour movie.

What Happens In The Deleted Scene

x men days of future past wolverine

For those who haven’t seen the film there are some spoilers ahead.

In the film, Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page) sends Wolverine (Jackman) back to the past to save the X-Men and all of mankind from giant mutant-hunting robots (just go with it).

During one part late in the film, Pryde accidentally gets stabbed by Wolverine while he's being sent back in time leaving her wounded badly. There's one X-Men who has the ability to borrow other mutants' powers for a while.

Enter Rogue.

Iceman, Magneto, and Xavier would have went to save the mutant from some "dark, scary place" and bring her to where the X-Men were hiding out to step in for Kitty.*

If you go back and watch the first official trailer for the movie, you can actually catch glimpses of the cut scenes with Paquin.

Here's Paquin being saved from that dark place by Iceman and Magneto (no Xavier in sight).

anna paquin x men days of future past

Here's another image of McKellen and Ashmore. Things are looking pretty bleak.iceman magneto days of future past

And here's Rogue appearing to get ready to use her powers on Kitty Pryde.rogue days of future past

For fans watching the movie knowing Rogue was cut, it's pretty evident this is where she most likely would have made her entrance. In this case, it would have made perfect sense for her character to aid Pryde.

Why It Was Cut

Kinberg went into depth with Empire magazine on why the scene didn't make it into the film.

Via Empire

“The Rogue subplot was originally there because I wanted a mission for the older Charles and Eric to do, something like Unforgiven – two last gunslingers, Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman – that kind of a mission for them. I just loved the idea of that. Nothing in the story necessitated that, but just for a lark, I thought it would be a cool thing to see, because we may never see it again.

“But it does not service the main story. I thought it would increase the urgency and the stakes of the plot in the future, but it actually does the opposite, because it makes you feel like there is an answer out there. You think once Rogue gets here, we’ll have an unlimited amount of time. The ticking clock that we’d established with Kitty getting wounded and losing her powers… well, Rogue would show up and press stop on the clock. So for all of those narrative reasons, there was this ten-minute subplot that had to go.”

As Kinberg and Singer have said, the big rescue scene doesn't sound necessary (though cool nonetheless). 

However, if they really wanted to keep Paquin in the film, it would have made sense if Rogue was just with the group of X-Men from the movie's start so she could have helped out with Wolverine later on.

If you're bummed about the scene being cut, both Singer and Kinberg have said it will most likely appear as an extra once the film's released. 

*Earlier, I noted Rogue would most likely step in to borrow Wolverine’s healing powers to save a wounded Kitty Pryde, but as a reader pointed out Rogue would only be able to heal herself as opposed to other characters (sorry Kitty). The story has been edited to reflect this change.

SEE ALSO: Here's the "X-Men: Days of Future Past" actor who steals the movie

AND: 5 things you should know before seeing "Days of Future Past"

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Why 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past' Changed A Pivotal Storyline From The Comics

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Wolverine, time travelWarning: Minor spoilers ahead!

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" is killing it at the box office.

The movie is now the highest-grossing "X-Men" movie to date

While the film's performing well at theaters, it's also receiving one big complaint from fans.

Based on the popular 1981 comic of the same name, the sequel sends Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time to save the X-Men, and all of humanity, from a group of robot sentinels.

However, in the original comic's storyline it was Kitty Pryde (played by Ellen Page) who was sent back to change the future instead of Wolverine.

Pryde's consciousness is sent back thanks to a telekinetic mutant named Rachel Summers. It helped that Pryde's power is the ability to pass through objects, and in this scenario space and time. 

xmen Days of future past kitty power

"Days of Future Past" had a huge impact on the comic world — it's been considered one of the most influential storylines ever written— but its biggest impact may have been on the character of Kitty Pryde herself.

The story was one of the character's first big adventures, and helped make Pryde a fan favorite.

In the movie, Pryde is shown to have the telekinetic powers of Summers and sends Wolverine back in time. Many saw this as a nod to Pryde time travelling in the comic.

This is why so many X-Men fans were disappointed with the film's switch (even Jon Stewart questioned the choice).

Why send Wolverine back in time instead of Pryde?

The film's screenwriter Simon Kinberg claims the reasoning was about age. 

“The biggest place we diverged from the original books in who gets sent back in time," Kinberg told Empire. "We wanted someone’s consciousness sent back in time instead of their bodies, and if you send Ellen Page’s consciousness back... she’s negative-20 years old, so immediately we realized it wasn’t going to the pre-ghost of Ellen Page." 

Kinberg says production went through other X-men to send back, but ultimately landed on the series' most popular character, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman).Wolverine, Hugh Jackman, muscles, Days of future past“Somewhere in that process we realized we had a character that doesn’t age and happens to be the most popular character in the movie franchise," Kinberg added. "It then became Wolverine who was sent back in time.”

However, the big switcheroo may be more easily explained by each actor's popularity.

As Kinberg noted, Wolverine is the most recognizable X-Men to audiences. Jackman not only appeared in every single "X-Men" film to date since 2000, including two spin-offmovies of his own, but he has also become a huge star in his own right in the past 14 years.

Jackman has gone on to conquer Broadway, host the Academy Awards, and also starred in Oscar-nominated "Les Miserables" along with last year's hit mystery thriller "Prisoners."

Meanwhile, Page appeared in two "X-Men" movies in a supporting role. The actress is best known for roles in "Juno" and "Inception," the latter of which was her last big hit in 2010.

Her movies have made a collective $1.7 billion worldwide (thanks to a big bump from "Inception"). Jackman's movies? $5.1 billion.

The Mary Sue suggested Pryde's lack of popularity was a fault of the writers.

"Falling back on Wolverine yet again is a mixture of kowtowing to audience familiarity and plain old writing laziness touched with sexism."

It's hard to disagree with that argument, but regardless of the reasoning many fans still found the change disappointing. 

MORE X-MEN: Why 'X-Men: Days Of Future Past' Changed The Iconic Look Of The Mutant-Hunting Sentinels

AND: Here's what happens in Anna Paquin's deleted "X-Men: Days of Future Past" scene

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The Miracle Cancer Drug In ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ Doesn’t Really Exist

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the fault in our stars

If you get swept into the teen frenzy of "The Fault in Our Stars" this weekend, two things will happen.

The first is that it will reduce you to a puddle of tears.

Second, it will make you wonder if there's a miracle cancer treatment drug called Phalanxifor.

The adaptation of the best-selling young adult novel by John Green tells the story of two star-crossed lovers, Hazel (Shailene Woodley) and Augustus (Ansel Elgort), who meet at a cancer support group. 

You soon learn that Hazel, diagnosed with thyroid cancer that spread to her lungs, is alive because of the experimental drug called Phalanxifor.

Fans of the book going into the movie know it's a fictional drug.

Green makes note of this in his acknowledgments at the end of the novel, saying he made the drug up simply because he would like it to exist. However, not everyone who sees the film is going to know that.

Business Insider headed to the inaugural Book Con (think of it as Comic Con for bookies) last weekend to see "The Fault in Our Stars" author himself speak on a panel for the film.

john green book con
We caught up with Green on the phone the following day to discuss the book, its film adaptation, crying, and the fictional drug he put in the book. 

He tells us that while Phalanxifor may not be real, it is inspired by very real cancer treatments.

"It's based on a couple of drugs that have emerged in the past decade or two that are extremely well-targeted drugs for very specific kinds of cancers like Herceptin, used for certain kinds of breast cancers," says Greene. "Then there's one that treats abdominal cancer."

"In both of those cases, people who are very, very sick and very close to death were able to maintain and recover their health and live, still with cancer, but with much longer lives," Greene added.

According to a pharmacist we spoke with, Herceptin is an IV drug used to treat patients with breast cancer who have the HER2+ gene.

If you're wondering why the drug is called Phalanxifor, look no further than the root word of the fictitious drug.  

"I was imagining, the way that those drugs usually work, they connect to something in the molecule and the phalanx means like finger," says Greene. "I was imagining a drug that sort of connects like a key into a keyhole."

SEE ALSO: The only 10 shows you should watch this summer

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'The Fault In Our Stars' Got Its Name From This Shakespeare Line

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the fault in our stars

The Fault In Our Stars laugh-cries its way into theaters this weekend, and it seems by now we’ve spent enough time with the film’s cast and crew and the novel’s author to know everything there is to know about the story, its characters, and what it means in the wider scopes of death, love, and modern fandom.

But there are always more questions to be asked, so let’s take a second to delve into The Fault In Our Stars origins. More specifically, its name. 

Though John Green didn’t exist until the 20th Century and the novel didn’t exist until the 21st, the book’s title has its origins in the 16th: It was inspired by a line in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, thought to be written in 1599:

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars/ But in ourselves.

The book takes on that concept by presenting its opposition: Two teenagers whom “fate” has dealt a fundamentally unfair hand. The fault there isn’t with Hazel or Augustus, or any of the other humans operating in their world; they didn’t give themselves cancer, the “stars” gave it to them, giving new meaning to the term star-crossed. Fittingly, the Norwegian title for both the book and movie is F--- Fate

SEE ALSO: The Miracle Cancer Drug In ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ Doesn’t Really Exist

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Sigourney Weaver Will Return For All 3 'Avatar' Sequels In A New Role

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sigourney weaver avatar

Sigourney Weaver will be back for all three "Avatar" sequels in a new role, 20th Century Fox announced late Monday.

The news may come as a surprise since Weaver's character, Grace Augustine, was killed in James Cameron's 2009 film.

However, Cameron says Weaver will return as a "more challenging character" in the upcoming sequels.

“Sigourney and I have a long creative history, dating back to 1985 when we made 'Aliens,'” said Cameron in a studio statement. “We're good friends who've always worked well together, so it just feels right that she's coming back for the Avatar sequels.”

Weaver will reteam with Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Stephen Lang.

"Avatar" became the highest-grossing film ever making $2.8 billion at theaters.

The next three films are due out December 2016, 2017, and 2018.

SEE ALSO: James Cameron explains how he wrote three "Avatar sequels simultaneously

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New 'Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes' Trailer Will Make You Jump

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ape planet of the apes sequel

20th Century Fox just released the final trailer for “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and we were surprised it actually made us jump back in our seats and go "Whoa."

We’ll admit that we’ve been pretty skeptical about this sequel.

Sure, the film, which pits the apes against humans in an inescapable war, does have Gary Oldman, who’s always golden on screen; however, director Rupert Wyatt and James Franco aren’t returning from the first film. 

According to Deadline, Wyatt thought a 2014 release would be a rush for the film and Franco will be seen through a video flashback.

So for this final trailer to make us actually jump halfway through and go "whoa" is a big deal. We watch a lot of trailers, and I think the last time I've had any sort of emotional response was while watching the first "X-Men: Days of Future Past" trailer or the one for "The Fault in Our Stars" (come on, it's a sad movie). Coincidentally, both also happen to be movies put out by Fox.

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is in theaters July 11.

Now, that you've watched the trailer, it's worth noting two versions of it were released that are slightly different from each other. The biggest change is the edit of the brutal gunning scene I was talking about.

In one version, an ape is seen viciously holding a firearm. In the the trailer above, a man’s hand obscures it from view. You'll notice the coloring is also different.

Here's what you see in the domestic trailer:ape gun

And here's what's shown in the international ones:ape gun handdawn of the planet of the apes

What really gets us and makes us jump is the man's reaction to watching his buddy get gunned down by an ape. It's visibly shown in the international trailer and cut from the other. I'm not putting an image in here because it's slightly graphic.

You can watch the other version with a few swapped out scenes, here.

SEE ALSO: Here's how the apes in "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" look without CGI

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It Wasn't Just You — 'The Fault In Our Stars' Cast And Crew Cried While Making The Movie

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the fault in our stars john green

It wasn't just audiences who were reduced to puddles of tears while watching teen phenomenon "The Fault in our Stars." 

An adaptation of the 2012 best-selling novel of the same name, we caught up with author John Green recently who told us there were a lot of tears shed on set, too.

"I cried every day," Green told Business Insider. "Most people cried much less than I did. I'm a bit of a crier generally. But yeah, certainly there were times when everyone in the room was crying."

The film follows the relationship of two teenagers, Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters, who are diagnosed with cancer.

While it's definitely recommended to have a box of tissues on hand while watching, Green said not all of the tears on set were for sad moments in the film.  

When the book was picked up by 20th Century Fox to be made into a movie shortly after its release in 2012, the author was there every step of the way to make sure his novel was captured correctly on screen.

"I was just so grateful to all the people who made it. I felt absolutely overwhelmed with gratitude toward the cast and crew and I was crying throughout watching the movie," said Green. "Crying because part of me was relieved, partly because I was overjoyed, [and] partly because I was sad."

"You know, I was worried that I would feel sad that it was over but instead I just felt so grateful to them for finding a way to honor the story," Green added.

SEE ALSO: The miracle cancer drug in "The Fault in our Stars" doesn't really exist.

SEE ALSO: Why "The Fault in our Stars" author wrote a fictional book about cancer

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Bryan Singer Teases The Script For Next 'X-Men' Movie

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"X-Men: Days of Future Past" may still be raking in cash at theaters, but director Bryan Singer is already looking ahead to the next sequel out May 2016.

Singer joined Instagram today and his inaugural image was a tease at the next film's working script.

Check it out below:

Fans will notice the prologue starts in the same setting as the end-credits scene seen at the end of "Days of Future Past" this summer. 

That scene showed a camera pan over Ancient Egypt and gave a brief glimpse at Apocalypse, one of the X-Men's most famed villains.

Apocalypse X Men

"THE FOUR HORSEMEN" reference alludes to four mutants he recruits to work alongside him that were briefly teased in the end credits.

The script is written by Singer, Simon Kinberg, Michael Dougherty, and Dan Harris.

SEE ALSO: Here's what the "Days of Future Past" end-credits scene means for the sequel

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Ben Affleck Is The Most Hated Man In America In New 'Gone Girl' Trailer

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gone girl ben affleck

20th Century Fox released the second trailer for the adaptation of New York Times bestseller "Gone Girl" and it looks like one of this fall's must see films.

The Gillian Flynn novel follows Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) who is accused of murdering his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) after she goes missing on the couple's five-year wedding anniversary.

As the case continues, Dunne becomes dubbed "the most hated man in America" by media.

The thriller is the latest from director David Fincher who brought mindbenders "Se7en" and "Fight Club" to screen. Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry also star.

"Gone Girl" is in theaters October 3.

SEE ALSO: The most expensive celebrity homes in NYC

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The First Trailer For Ridley Scott's Hugely Ambitious Next Film 'Exodus'

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exodus movieWe've been waiting for this trailer for a long time.

Christian Bale is trading in the Caped Crusader costume for gladiator gear in Ridley Scott's next big epic, "Exodus: Gods and Kings."

20th Century Fox released the first trailer for the movie Tuesday night exclusively on Apple.

The movie stars Bale and Joel Edgerton ("The Great Gatsby") as Moses and Ramses in the familiar Bible tale famously brought on screen in "The Ten Commandments" starring Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner.

Here's the official synopsis:

"From acclaimed director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Prometheus) comes the epic adventure 'Exodus: Gods and Kings,' the story of one man’s daring courage to take on the might of an empire. Using state of the art visual effects and 3D immersion, Scott brings new life to the story of the defiant leader Moses (Christian Bale) as he rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses (Joel Edgerton), setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues."

The film is the latest in a string of faith-based movies that have seen success at theaters this year after break-out “Heaven is for Real.” Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah” released in March with Russell Crowe brought in $359.2 million worldwide. 

"Exodus: Gods and Kings" is in theaters December 12. 

Everything about the film looks grand from the elaborate sets to that last ocean wave teased at the end ...exodus setwave exodus

However, there's one thing that stands out in particular with the trailer.

It may be one too many TV re-runs of “Gladiator” but the film feels a lot like Scott’s 2000 Oscar-winning flick which watched a slave rise through the ranks to not only fight for his freedom (and avenge his family) but also the freedom of other slaves.christian bale moses exodus

SEE ALSO: Why Hollywood is inserting these two huge Chinese actresses into its summer blockbusters

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The Special Effects In 'Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes' Are Amazing

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dawn of the planet of the apes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is out in theaters this weekend. 

The film is the sequel to 2011’s reboot which featured James Franco. This time around Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, and Jason Clarke ("Zero Dark Thirty") join a new cast in what is surprisingly sounding like one of the better summer movies in a pretty lackluster season.

Currently, the movie sits at at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's not a feat many summer blockbusters have accomplished joining "X-Men: Days of Future Past" and "Edge of Tomorrow."

"Apes" is expected to make at least $50 million this weekend matching the amount of its predecessor. The 20th Century Fox movie cost an estimated $170 million to make.

And while the film isn’t being heralded by everyone as an overall masterpiece, there is one overwhelmingly positive reason to go out to see the film.

Critics are absolutely entranced by motion-capture wizard Andy Serkis and the apes on screen. serkis planet of the apes

L.A. Times:

"The film is so fortunate to have Serkis, whose work here and as Gollum in the 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Hobbit' films turns motion capture into an art form all by himself. He and his fellow mo-cap actors truly make us believe we are watching intelligent apes in action, and that is not something you see every day."

Time:

"Splendidly realized by actors transformed by visual effects supervisor Joe Letteri, the simians are creatures of remarkable power and nuance. Serkis, who brought Peter Jackson’s Gollum and King Kong to pulsing life, and who deservedly gets top billing in Dawn, plays Caesar as a wise, wizened leader stooped by the burden of wielding power judiciously."

Indiewire:

"'Dawn' gives Serkis a bonafide performance that's like an organic special effect. Even James Cameron's blue-faced 'Avatar' creations didn't contain such facial nuances."

The Washington Post: 

“All of the apes are incredibly enjoyable to watch on screen. The apes’ feelings are conveyed beautifully, mainly through facial animation and sign language. Though only one or two of them actually speak, they are remarkably expressive characters.”

Associated Press:

"To a surprising degree, 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' belongs to the monkeys. In the uncommonly sure-handed fusion of computer-generated and live-action images, apes are the more fully realized, expressive characters. Given that the apes communicate in sign language and spurts of English, this may be the biggest summer movie with so many subtitles.”

AV Club:

"The undisputed king of motion-capture performance, Serkis makes this older, wiser Caesar both physically and emotionally convincing. A scene of him watching footage of his old “master” is a triumph of collaboration, the CGI animators capturing the small waves of sadness and affection dancing across Serkis’ digitally scanned face."

New York Times:

"His facial expressions and body language are so evocatively and precisely rendered that it is impossible to say where his art ends and the exquisite artifice of Weta Digital, the special-effects company, begins."

The biggest complaints pick at the film for feeling like a franchise vehicle and for offering bland human characters alongside such charismatic computer-animated apes.

Associated Press

"A failing of 'Apes," it's that it feels like yet another manufactured franchise. Talented people like Reeves and Serkis are brought in like HGTV fixer-uppers to restore mossy pop-culture properties."

EW:

If only as much care were put into the film's human characters. Oldman nearly pops a hernia from hamming it up so hard, and Clarke's melancholy eyes are so perpetually moist in his admiration of the apes, you want to offer a tissue.”

However, if you're to believe the New York Post, you would think it's one of the best movies you'll ever see.

"The eighth “Planet of the Apes” movie is easily the best, suspenseful and scary and cured of the silliness that infused all previous iterations, even the 1968 original — a fun kids’ movie oddly anointed a classic when those kids grew up while retaining their childish tastes.”

Check out a trailer for the film below:

SEE ALSO: How the apes in the sequel look without CGI

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

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"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" came out this weekend and was a massive hit making more than $70 million. 

By far, one of the best parts of the movie was the incredible motion capture work used in the sequel.

Motion capture guru Andy Serkis, who is known for his work as Gollum / Smeagol in both "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "The Hobbit,reprised his role of Caesar the ape from the first film. 

andy serkis gollum

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.

Back in May, 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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Here's The Insanely Long List Of Things Rupert Murdoch Would Own If He Bought Time Warner

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game of thrones dragon daenerys

Time Warner just turned down an offer valued at $80 billion from 21st Century Fox to acquire the company.

A merger of the two companies would create a massive media empire.

If the two were two join forces, what properties would fall under the same umbrella?

Among Time Warner's properties are one of the top movie studios, Warner Bros., premium content network HBO, and Turner Broadcasting System.

21st Century Fox already has a movie studio of its own, along with Fox and its many sports channels, National Geographics networks, and FX.

For a complete list, we turn to Columbia Journalism Review's Who Owns What guide.

Here's everything Time Warner currently owns:

Home Box Office (HBO), Inc.

@ Max
5 Star Max
Action Max
Cinemax
Cinemax Brasil (Latin America)
Cinemax On Demand
HBO
HBO 2 (Latin America)
HBO Asia/South Asia
HBO Brasil (Latin America)
HBO Bulgaria
HBO Canada
HBO Caribe (Latin America)
HBO Croatia
HBO Comedy
HBO Family (Latin America)
HBO Domestic and International Program Distribution
HBO Europe
HBO Family
HBO Go
HBO HD (Brazil)
HBO Home Entertainment
HBO Hungary
HBO Latin America
HBO Latino
HBO Macedonia
HBO Ole (Latin America)
HBO On Demand
HBO Plus (Latin America)
HBO Plus Brazil (Latin America)
HBO Poland
HBO Romania
HBO Serbia
HBO Signature
HBO United Kingdom
HBO Zone
MAX
MAX Go
Max Prime (Latin America)
More Max
Outer Max
Thriller Max
W Max

Turner Broadcasting System

Adult Swim
Amo El Cine
Boomerang
Cartoonito
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network Asia Pacific

Cartoon Network Asia
Cartoon Network Australia
Cartoon Network India
Cartoon Network Japan
Cartoon Network Korea, South
Cartoon Network New Zealand
Cartoon Network Philippines
Cartoon Network Southeast Asia
Cartoon Network Taiwan
Cartoon Network Thailand
Cartoon Network Vietnam

Cartoon Network Europe, The Middle East, and Africa

Cartoon Network United Kingdom
Cartoon Network France
Cartoon Network Spain
Cartoon Network Italy
Cartoon Network Poland
Cartoon Network Netherlands
Cartoon Network Sweden
Cartoon Network Denmark
Cartoon Network Romania
Cartoon Network Hungary
Cartoon Network Germany
Cartoon Network Africa
Cartoon Network Pan Europe
Cartoon Network Turkey
Cartoon Network Scandinavia
Cartoon Network Russia
Cartoon Network Bulgaria
Cartoon Network Arabic

Cartoon Network Japan
Cartoon Network Latin America

Cartoon Network Argentina
Cartoon Network Bogata
Cartoon Network Brazil
Cartoon Network Chile
Cartoon Network Mexico
Cartoon Network Venezuela
Cartoon Network Too

Japan Image Communications Co., Ltd. (JIC)

Tabi Channel
Mondo TV Channel

HLN
HLN in Asia Pacific
HLN in Latin America
I-SAT
Much Music
NASCAR.com
Peachtree TV
PGA.com
Pogo
TBS
TCM Asia
TCM Australia/ New Zealand
TCM Canada
TCM France
TCM Latin America
TCM Spain
TCM UK
TheSmokingGun.com
TNT HD
TNT Latin America
Tooncast
Toonami
truTV
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Network Television
Turner Sports

Joint Ventures

BOING
Cartoon Network Korea
CNN.co.jp (Japanese)
CNN.de (German)
CNN-IBN
CNNj
CNNMexico.com
CNNMoney.com
CNN Chile
CNN Türk
Lumière Movies
Q-TV
WB
Warner Channel

Warner Bros. Entertainment

DC Entertainment

DC Comics
DC Universe
DCUniverseOnline.com
MAD Magazine
Vertigo

Flixster
New Line Cinema
Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Warner Bros. International Cinemas
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group

Warner Bros. Advanced Digital Services
Warner Bros. Anti-Piracy Operations
Warner Bros. Digital Distribution
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Technical Operations
Warner Home Video

Warner Bros. Pictures Group

Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures International

Warner Bros. Studio Facilities
Warner Bros. Television Group

Warner Bros. Animation
The CW Television Network
Studio 2.0
Telepictures Productions
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
Warner Bros. International Branded Services
Warner Bros. International Television Distribution
Warner Bros. International Television Production
Warner Horizon Television

Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures

Time Warner Investments Group

Adaptly
Adify
Admeld
Arroyo
Bigband Networks
Bluefin Labs
BroadLogic
Conviva
CrowdStar
Dynamic Signal
Double Fusion
Everyday Health
Exent
Gaia Online
GetGlue
GoldPocket
Glu Mobile
Kosmix
MediaVast
Meebo
N2 Broadband
Nuvo TV
PlanetOut Inc.
PlaySpan
ScanScout
Simulmedia
SkyStream Networks
Tremor Video
Trion Worlds
Tumri
Turbine
Vindigo
Visible World

We are not including CNN under Time Warner because, according to The New York Times' Andrew Ross Sorkin and Michael De La Merced, the cable property would be spun off under any deal.

And here's everything 21st Century Fox currently owns:

Cable Network Programming

Fox Networks (A unit of Fox Networking Group)

FX Networks and Productions (FX, FXX, FXM)
National Geographic Channel
Nat Geo WILD
Nat Geo Mundo
Fox Sports Network (FSN) and 22 regional cable sports networks
FOX Sports 1
FOX Sports 2
FOX Soccer Plus
FOX College Sports
FOX Deportes
FOX Life
Baby TV
BTN (co-venture with the Big Ten Conference)
(Digital Extensions of Fox Networks:)
BTN2Go
FOX Sports GO
FXNOW
Nat Geo TV

Big Ten Network (A joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Networks)
Fox Business Network
Fox Deportes
Fox News Channel
Fox International Channels (300 channels across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, in 44 languages)

24Kitchen
BabyTV
Channel M
Channel V
Cinecanal
Film Zone
FOX
FOX Crime
FOX Life
FOX Movies
FOX Retro
FOX Sports
FOX Sports 2
FOX Sports 3
FOX Traveller
FX
Moviecity
MundoFOX
Nat Geo People
Nat Geo Wild
National Geographic Channel
S
tar Chinese Movies
Star Movies
Star World
Viajar
Voyage

FX Networks and Productions
MundoFox (a joint venture between Fox International Channels (FIC), News Corporation's international multi-media business, and RCN, which is owned by Organización Ardila Lülle (OAL))
STAR India
A network of over thirty channels in seven languages, including:

Star Gold
Channel [V]
Star Jalsha
Star Pravah
Star World
Star Movies
Star Utsav
Life OK
Movies OK
Star Plus
Asianet Channels
Star Vijay

YES Network

Filmed Entertainment

Twentieth Century Fox Film

Twentieth Century Fox
Fox 2000 Pictures
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox International Productions
Twentieth Century Fox Animation

Twentieth Century Fox Television

Fox 21 (cable production division)

Fox 2000
Fox Animation/Blue Sky Studios
Fox Home Entertainment
Fox International Productions
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Fox Television Studios
Shine Group (An international television production and distribution group with 26 production companies across 12 countries)

Television

Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Sports
Fox Television Stations Group

WAGA (Atlanta)
KTBC (Austin)
WUTB (Baltimore)
KFTC (Bemidji, MN; satelite of WFTC, Minneapolis)
WFXT (Boston)
WFLD (Chicago)
WPWR (Chicago)
KDFW (Dallas)
KDFI (Dallas)
WJBK (Detroit)
KRIV (Houston)
KTXH (Houston)
KTTV (Los Angeles)
KCOP (Los Angeles)
WHBQ (Memphis)
KMSP (Minneapolis)
WFTC (Minneapolis)
WNYW (New York City)
WWOR (New Jersey)
WOGX (Ocala-Gainesville)
WRBW (Orlando)
WOFL (Orlando)
WTXF (Philadelphia)
KUTP (Phoenix)
KSAZ (Phoenix)
WTVT (Tampa Bay)
WTTG (Washington D.C.)
WDCA (Washington D.C.)

MyNetworkTV

Direct Broadcast Satellite Television 

BSkyB (Britain, Ireland)
Sky Deutschland
Sky Italia

*An earlier version of this post included Time Inc. properties which were spun off from the company.

SEE ALSO: Here's why Rupert Murdoch offered $80 billion to buy Time Warner

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