Latest news with #Batmans
Pink Villa
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
The Dark Knight Trilogy Writer Had Bigger Plans for Joker in Third Outing of Christopher Nolan
Christian Bale is still considered one of the best Batmans ever on screen. All thanks to Christopher Nolan, who brought the character to life, and Heath Ledger's character, who gave a tough time to the Caped Crusader onscreen. Meanwhile, the writer of the trilogy recently reflected on the initial plans of the film and how Joker had a major role in The Dark Knight Rises. As per a recent report, David Goyer, who penned the trilogy, working alongside the director of The Prestige, stated that he wanted much more of Joker in The Dark Knight Rises, which was even implemented in the original draft of the film. According to the writer, the original plan for the trilogy would have had Harvey Dent, aka Two-Face, be one of the villains in the third film. Meanwhile, Joker would have an even more crucial role in The Dark Knight, as he alone would have fought Batman, getting on his nerves and making the superhero even more frustrated. As per Fortress, this was the plan even before the principal photography for The Dark Knight. Coming to The Dark Knight Rises, that gave an even deadlier villain, Bane, it would have been another outing for Joker to play his games again. The movie was at first set to focus on Joker slowly corrupting Dent after he would be sent on trial for his crimes in the previous outing. However, the third outing, The Dark Knight Rises, still won many hearts and gave the trilogy a brought forth by Christopher Nolan a perfect ending. Besides Bale and Ledger, the trilogy even brought forth the talents of Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow, Liam Neeson as Ra's al Ghul, and Marion Cotillard as his daughter Talia al Ghul. Two-Face was played by Aaron Eckhart, with Gary Oldman playing James Gordon and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.
The Guardian
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Mufasa: The Lion King to O'Dessa – the seven best films to watch on TV this week
The idea of photorealistic lions speaking English is a bit weird, but Disney's remake juggernaut rolls on with a prequel to the reboot of the animated musical. Lin-Manuel Miranda takes over from Elton John in the song department, while Barry Jenkins, creator of Oscar-winning arthouse gem Moonlight, is an intriguing choice to direct this child-friendly origin story for Simba's dad and evil uncle Scar – AKA Taka (Kelvin J Harrison). Young orphan Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre) is adopted by Taka's pride but when a gang of white lions attack, the brothers flee. They encounter a lioness Sarabi (Tiffany Boone) and her possibly familiar mandrill and hornbill pals, with danger and betrayal on the cards. Simon Wardell Wednesday 26 March, Disney+ In between his first two Batmans, Christopher Nolan conjured up this tantalising Victorian-era mystery, adapted from Christopher Priest's novel. It tracks the rivalry between two magicians in London – the great showman Angier (Hugh Jackman) and the more talented but less crowd-pleasing Borden (Christian Bale). There are secrets aplenty to be uncovered as Angier tries to figure out how Borden's astounding trick the Transported Man is done (including a visit to inventor Nikola Tesla – a nice cameo from David Bowie) in a wonderfully twisty tale. Sunday 23 March, 10.30pm, BBC One Geremy Jasper's new sci-fi film has similarities to the We Will Rock You musical in its simple morality and dressing-up-box punk aesthetic. In this dystopian world, there is a prophecy of 'one who could stir souls … armed with a guitar'. That would be folksy farm girl O'Dessa (Stranger Things's Sadie Sink), who follows her late father's stolen guitar to Satylite City, a neon-lit tip whose inhabitants are in thrall to quasi-religious TV entertainer/dictator Plutonovich (Murray Bartlett). Kelvin J Harrison is a standout as O'Dessa's gender-fluid rock star love interest. Out now, Disney+ Producer Roger Corman gave a leg up to many future stars of the movie business, including Francis Ford Coppola and James Cameron. In 1972, he funded Martin Scorsese's atypical second feature, a caper set in the deep south during the Great Depression about the adventures of crop-dusting pilot's daughter Bertha (Barbara Hershey). While riding the trains, she joins up with a union man (David Carradine), her dad's mechanic (Bernie Casey) and Barry Primus's Yankee card sharp on a spree of bank robberies. A freewheeling yarn – violent, scrappy and sexy. Sunday 23 March, 11.05pm, Sky Arts Sign up to What's On Get the best TV reviews, news and features in your inbox every Monday after newsletter promotion Richard Ayoade's directorial debut is as quirky and unexpectedly touching as you'd expect from the comic actor. It's a coming-of-age story with twin angles – 15-year-old, duffel-coated dreamer Oliver (Craig Roberts) experiences first love with the unforgiving Jordana (Yasmin Paige), while coming to understand the very middle-class relationship of his parents Lloyd and Jill (Noah Taylor and Sally Hawkins). Paddy Considine pops up with a terrific cameo as a stage psychic old flame of Jill. SW Monday 24 March, 1.50am, Film4 Mimi Cave's comic mystery is set not in the Netherlands but Holland, Michigan, though it does boast tulips and a windmill. Nicole Kidman's 'life management' schoolteacher Nancy Vandergroot lives a chintzy, slightly suffocating life as a dutiful wife and mother. But her husband, optician and model railway enthusiast Fred (Matthew Macfadyen), is away at conferences a lot and Nancy suspects he is having an affair. She and her colleague Dave (Gael García Bernal) try their hand at amateur sleuthing in a story of humorous, if mild, peril – until an almighty twist throws everything out of whack. Thursday 27 March, Prime Video Arguably the Hong Kong star's greatest action film starts with the near total destruction of a shanty town then a man v double decker bus chase. It barely lets up from there, as our cop hero pursues a drug lord while trying to protect Brigitte Lin's witness. There is some slapstick content (cakes do feature), but this is a more serious affair than Chan's subsequent screen persona would suggest. The climactic fight sequence in a shopping centre is a riot of smashed glass and battered bodies, with one stunt so impressive we see it three times. Friday 28 March, 6.25am, 2.05am, Sky Cinema Greats
Chicago Tribune
23-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Tinley Park police take the plunge to raise more than $35,000 for Special Olympics
The man once known as 'Chef Boyardee with an attitude' has learned his lesson. Tinley Park part-time police Officer Dennis Reilly has taken hundreds of polar plunges in his years with both the Riverdale and Tinley Park departments. While with the Riverdale force, Reilly took part in his first polar plunge to benefit Illinois Special Olympics about 17 or 18 years ago at Lake Bluff in Lake County. 'Everybody had a costume on,' he said. 'I used to be a cook in the Navy, and I dressed up as Chef Boyardee with an attitude. I had a spatula and a billy club along with a chef's apron and a chef's hat. 'Everyone had costumes. You had Shreks. You had Batmans. You name it. You had everything and anything out there.' Now at age 61 and making his most recent plunges for Tinley Park Saturday at the police station, Reilly is no longer dressing up. 'You would think that the more you wear, the warmer you will be,' he said. 'But that's not the case. The cold water sticks to the clothes.' Reilly was a part of the first group taking one of many plunges in a pool east of the station on Saturday. In all, more than 10 people took multiple plunges during the daylong event, including a period of double plunges in the afternoon. The cops estimated the temperature was 19 degrees during the first jump and detective Robby Frias said it was cold but worth it as the event was expected to raise $35,000 in pledges and other donations. Frias, who organized the event, is continuing a family tradition. His father, Bob Frias, was a longtime member of the Oak Forest Police Department. 'He was big into the Special Olympics and the Torch Run,' Frias said. 'He explained that this is something that is bigger than yourself. 'This job that we do is a vocation. It's where your skill set and the needs of the world meet. You get a chance to help people, and you get a chance to do stuff above and beyond.' Frias said cops can be a hero to Special Olympians. 'It's great when you can put a medal around a special athlete's neck,' he said. 'The biggest hugs you get are from the athletes. It's just infectious. You can't have a bad day after one of those events or even after this event once you know what your effort is benefitting.' Chief Thomas Tilton joined the morning crew of Frias, Reilly, Officers Dominic Manzella and Kyle Heneghan and Special Olympic volunteer Scott Fridrych for 'moral support.' He did not venture into the pool. He said he has never done a plunge. Meanwhile, he is happy with the work the department has done for Special Olympics. 'It's a national association that the police have with Special Olympics,' he said. 'But it's been a really personal part of this Police Department. 'One of our retired commanders was a state and national leader in this for a long time, so it's really become ingrained in this department.' Plunging in cold water on a cold day is a tough job but someone has to do it. Frias said it's not hard to round up people to do it. 'You know what? When you see the athletes at these events and you see where all of this support goes to, it's easy to ignite that fire and get people jazzed up about it,' Frias said. Reilly doesn't have to be convinced. Even before taking up plunging for the cause, he supported the Special Olympics. He estimates he has volunteered with the organization in some capacity for 33 years. 'I was fortunate to be able to be healthy and there are other people who aren't,' he said. 'This is my way of giving back. It's been a blessing for me more than the athletes. 'I made great relationships with numerous athletes over the years. We can learn more as a society from these athletes because they just want to be treated equal.' Reilly said people in the world are worried about so many things but that's not what it's about. 'I'm here to raise awareness and raise money for our athletes so that they can enjoy life just as much and you and I,' Reilly said.
The Hill
27-01-2025
- Business
- The Hill
The Trump-Musk bromance is breaking up and could break America
It was a marriage made in heaven — until it wasn't. President Trump and Elon Musk, two titans of ego, united for the cameras and the 'greater good.' But like all fairy tales, this one didn't last. The honeymoon is now officially over. Barely had Trump announced his artificial intelligence infrastructure project, Stargate, when Musk, his so-called 'First Buddy,' slipped into the role of disgruntled spouse. The White House rollout, featuring SoftBank, OpenAI and Oracle, promised a half-trillion-dollar leap into AI supremacy. 'They don't actually have the money,' Musk sniped on X, his personal soapbox. 'SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority.' Musk's rapid turn from ally to adversary sends a clear signal: Trump needs to cut ties — before the bromance drags him, and possibly the nation, under. What might have initially seemed like a strategic alignment — a billionaire tech mogul and a bombastic political leader coming together to shape America's future — was, in reality, a ticking time bomb. Musk and Trump are not Batman and Robin. They are two Batmans, each with their own unyielding desire to dominate the spotlight, the narrative and the accolades. The combustible mix of their egos, coupled with their insatiable need for public adoration, is destined to end in a fiery implosion. Musk's recent public mockery of Trump's AI initiative is not just a minor jab — it's a declaration of independence. For Trump, who demands absolute loyalty and reverence, this is tantamount to betrayal. But Musk has never been one to play second fiddle, and Trump has never been one to share the stage. Their alliance was never rooted in mutual respect. Rather, it was a transaction of convenience, driven by mutual utility. Musk had the money, the influence, and the tech-world clout to help amplify Trump's reelection campaign, casting himself as a visionary willing to bet on a populist wildcard. Trump, in turn, held the ultimate prize: the keys to the kingdom. For Musk, those keys unlocked an unprecedented opportunity for federal largesse — contracts worth billions, aimed squarely at propelling his enterprises to new heights. SpaceX could solidify its dominance in the race for the stars with long-term NASA and Department of Defense funding. Tesla could secure its place as the backbone of the nation's energy infrastructure, with federal dollars subsidizing sprawling projects tied to renewable energy grids. The newly announced AI infrastructure project, Stargate, represented yet another goldmine, with Musk poised to position himself as the architect of America's technological future. For Trump, Musk's support was a strategic coup. Musk's backing brought an air of Silicon Valley sophistication to Trump's administration, creating a rare bridge between populism and the tech elite. It was lust, not love — a high-stakes quid pro quo driven by ambition, not allegiance. Moreover, and this is a critical point, Trump's brand of traditionalism stands in direct opposition to Musk's vision of a tech-driven future. Musk fancies himself a modern-day Prometheus, delivering the fire of innovation to humanity: electric vehicles to revolutionize transportation, plans to colonize Mars as a backup for civilization and AI advancements to reshape industries. His worldview is one of relentless progress, a future unshackled from the constraints of the past. Trump, by contrast, embodies a different archetype of power. His appeal is rooted in populism, nostalgia, and a promise to restore America to a bygone era of strength and simplicity — a time when industry roared, borders were fortified and traditional values defined the nation's character. Trump wants to make Detroit great again. Musk wants to turn it into a launchpad for Mars. These conflicting ideologies were always destined to clash. Musk's techno-utopianism leaves little room for Trump's vision of a grounded, tradition-oriented resurgence. This will not end well. When billionaires feud, the repercussions rarely stay confined to their personal disputes. Both Musk and Trump command vast influence, shaping entire industries, political ideologies and cultural movements. A public falling out between these two powerhouses risks exacerbating existing societal divides, potentially stalling progress in crucial areas of innovation and policy. We've already had a preview of this clash during the H-1B visa controversy, where Musk's call for expanded tech talent collided head-on with MAGA's staunch protectionism. Now, I ask you to imagine this tension writ large. Musk's legion of tech-savvy futurists, who hail him as a modern-day Tony Stark, pitted against Trump's loyal traditionalists, who view him as the guardian of American values. Such a schism would not only deepen ideological fractures but also risk turning cultural and policy debates into entrenched battlegrounds, paralyzing collaboration. The two men represent two competing forces shaping the 21st century. When personal quests outweigh collaboration, the price is paid by everyone. Trump would be wise to cut ties with Musk now — before it's too late.
