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Daily Mail
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Curse of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Fans rejoice as cult 90s show reboots - but series could be marred by its complicated post-Me Too legacy, 'toxic' accusations and cast tragedy
Ever since its last episode aired more than two decades ago, Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans have been hoping for a reboot and, in February, their prayers were answered. The era-defining show, set in the fictional town of Sunnydale in California, announced that it was making a surprise comeback via streaming platform Hulu, with lead actress Sarah Michelle Gell ar, now 48, reprising her famous role as Buffy Summers. Despite previously shutting down suggestions she'd revive her career-defining role, the actress and mother-of-two has had a change of heart - and teased fans with an Instagram snap suggesting she was at a table read for the pilot of a new series. She wrote 'Baby steps' in the caption. Fans of the series, which originally aired between 1997 and 2003, said they were 'crying, screaming, laughing and throwing up' after seeing Gellar's post. But despite achieving cult status, the hit series now has a complicated legacy among fans after being marred with allegations of abusive behaviour onset and 'toxic' plotlines as many aspects of the show are viewed very differently in a post-Me Too era. Among the figures whose reputations have been sullied are the show's creator Joss Whedon - who was accused by cast members of being 'casually cruel' amid other allegations - and Nicholas Brendon, who plays Buffy's best friend, Xander. Characters who were first written more than 20 years ago are now accused by a modern-day audience of displaying 'toxic masculinity' - while troubling scenes depicting sexual violence make for uncomfortable viewing. It seems the show's creators are aware of the difficulties facing the series as it's revived in the modern day, as a new director, Buffy super fan Chloe Zhao has been enlisted to take over. Sandollar, which produced the original series and its spin-off Angel, will again look after the reboot, with Dolly Parton listed as an executive producer. The series too, will look different to the original. Instead of focusing on Buffy Summers, the reboot will follow a new slayer entirely, to be played by 15-year-old actress Ryan Kiera Armstrong. Tragically Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy's younger sister Dawn in the original series, will be a notable absence in the reboot after her sudden death at the age of 39 in February. And it remains uncertain if other cast members will return for a reboot after facing difficulties in their personal lives and becoming vocal critics of conditions on set the first time around. As production finally begins starts for the long-awaited Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival - albeit in 'baby steps', the show must first grapple with its complicated legacy... Sexism and diversity rows When it hit screens in the late 90s, Buffy was ground breaking in many ways; it featured a female heroine who was skilled in martial arts to defeat 'bad guys', and Willow and Tara's relationship was widely considered the first recurring all-female couple to appear on a TV series. However, as years have passed since the series aired, it has received more and more criticism over a lack of diversity in other areas; while also being slammed for promoting toxic masculinity in male characters - some of whom were presented as heartthrobs. Best friend and side-kick Xander, played by Nicholas Brendon, posed as the typical 'nice guy' but could scarcely walk the streets without ogling or pestering passing women. In one scene in the pilot episode, Buffy drops her books, to which Xander responds by saying 'Can I have you? Oh I mean, can I help you?' - in a slip of the tongue that seems to plague his character throughout all seven seasons of the show. It's a characteristic that has been criticised as anti-feminist by the show's modern viewers. The overall depiction of female characters on the show has sparked furious debate among fans, with some branding the portrayals as sexist, while others say they are empowering. Series six of the show depicted two prominent female characters indulging in 'evil' behaviour after suffering tragedy as they went on vengeful rampages. The notion of female characters 'spiralling' into violence and vengeance led to criticism that the plot was misogynistic - something that the show's creators addressed years later. Both lead show-runner Marti Noxon and Whedon came under fire from fans over the portrayal of the characters; prompting Whedon to respond to such criticisms on a fan forum. Taking to the Bronze Posting Board on the Buffy website before the age of social media, Whedon admitted 'mistakes' in making the series, but insisted he did not 'neglect' female characters. Whedon was further criticised by fans for a lack of diversity among the characters, with only a handful of people of colour ever appearing on the show (many of whom feature for only a brief time). Besides short appearances from Bianca Lawson, who played Kendra Young, Buffy's short-lived fellow Slayer who was killed off in the second season after just three episodes; and Ara Celi, who played the Inca Mummy Girl in one episode of season two - women of colour were essentially non-existent. Season seven brought a little more diversity to the cast when Potential Slayers, or slayers-in-training, were introduced into the cast - but it was right at the end of the show's time on TV. 'Disturbing' plot line Throughout its seven seasons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer tackled dark and demonic themes. But one particularly shocking scene left many viewers horrified when it aired. 'Seeing Red', an episode in series six of the show, depicts a lovesick Spike vying for Buffy's affections as he begs for her forgiveness after sleeping with her friend Anya. However, after tracking her down to a bathroom, Spike's pining turns to violence as he attempts to rape his love interest when she pushes him away. The 60 second-long scene, in which Buffy, screaming and crying, attempts to wrestle off a particularly aggressive Spike who wants to 'make her feel it', makes for deeply uncomfortable viewing and has been branded 'toxic' by fans on Reddit forums. For its contemporary audience, the scene was shocking. However as time has passed, it has become ever steeped in controversy for its portrayal of toxic masculinity and romanticising an abusive dynamic. And it's not just viewers who were left reeling by the scene. James Marsters, who plays Spike, himself described filming the scene as a 'personal hell' and revealed it led him to seek therapy. Speaking on Michael Rosenbaum's Inside of You podcast, he said: 'It's a problematic scene for a lot of people who like the show. And it's the darkest professional day of my life.' He revealed the idea had spawned from a writers' meeting in which people around the table were asked to draw on their own 'dark secrets' as inspiration for plots. He said it had been a female writer's idea to add the scene to the script, after she recalled an incident where she'd returned to an ex's house after being dumped - in the hopes of sleeping with him to 'fix' their breakup. 'She kind of forced herself and he had to physically remove her from the premises, and that was one of the most painful memories of that time of her life,' James continued. While he wasn't comfortable with the plot, Marsters insisted he was contractually obliged to go ahead with filming. In a 2023 interview, Gellar, revealed she had re-watched the series that launched her career with her husband, Freddie Prinze Jr. and their children, Charlotte and Rocky - but they skipped 'Seeing Red'. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2023, she said: 'I have trouble with [season] six. It wasn't appropriate for them at the time, and I just don't want to re-watch it.' Writing for the BBC, journalist Hannah Flint described the highly criticised plot of Seeing Red as a subtle foreshadowing of the allegations against Whedon which later emerged. She wrote: 'In hindsight, the treatment of women in season six seemed to foreshadow the allegations subsequently made against him by female cast members about his behaviour during the making of the show.' Michelle Trachtenberg's untimely death Trachtenberg was a huge character in the original series, as Buffy's abruptly introduced younger sister, Dawn Summers. Despite indicating she'd be interested in a potential revival of her character, Trachtenberg was never able to see it through - as just weeks later, in February, she was found dead in her New York City apartment at the age of 39. News of her death rocked the entire world, from Hollywood to beyond. Initially, police sources confirmed to ABC News that Trachtenberg - who also starred in Gossip Girl as Georgina - died of natural causes following a liver transplant. It was later found that the talented actress had died from complications caused by diabetes, according to the New York City medical examiner's office. Officers did not perform a post-mortem examination, but said that toxicology tests determined Trachtenberg's cause of death. Tragically, insiders revealed to that Trachtenberg had been plotting her upcoming role as Dawn before her untimely death. 'Michelle Trachtenberg was in talks to return to Buffy the reboot and she was incredibly hopeful about it,' a source said. The insider noted that the drama's lead actress Sarah Michelle Gellar was especially keen to bring the actress back to play her younger sister onscreen. They revealed that friends of the actress had been aware of her health issues and had hoped that her return to work could help her. 'She was a pivotal role in the original and everyone was aware of her recent health struggles,' the source said. 'They were hoping that, perhaps, casting her as Sarah's sister in a reboot would help her overcome any issues she was having. She was not cast out by any means.' The insider noted: 'It is still in early stages, but the reboot will feel her void. Fans were hopeful that she would be cast and Michelle expressed interest and excitement at the opportunity.' After nearly five months after she passed away, Trachtenberg's boyfriend opened up about her death. Talent agent Jay Cohen, 63, shared a post to mark a milestone anniversary for his health when he was asked by a fan to 'talk' about Trachtenberg. He simply replied: 'One day soon! I'm very sorry [heartbreak emoji]' Another user apparently pointed out that it was 'not cool' to ask Cohen about his late girlfriend but he gracefully replied: 'Thank you, it's OK comes from the right place. Michelle was loved by so many.' Allegations against Joss Whedon Buffy the Vampire Slayer aired its final episode back in 2003; but it wasn't until 18 years later in 2021 that allegations of 'cruelty' emerged against Joss Whedon. The allegations came about when Charisma Carpenter (who played Cordelia in Buffy) claimed on X/Twitter that Whedon 'abused his power on a number of occasions' and that his behaviour intensified her 'performance anxiety' and worked to 'disempower me and alienate me from my peers'. She said his creating a 'toxic' and 'hostile' work environment 'triggered a chronic physical condition from which I still suffer.' According to the actress, Whedon made 'ongoing, passive-aggressive threats' to fire her, and after she became pregnant, called her 'fat' to colleagues - later asking in a private meeting whether she was 'going to keep it'. The claim triggered an outpouring of similar allegations from other cast members, with Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy's sister Dawn, telling of an onset 'rule' by which Whedon was not allowed to be alone in a room with her. Amber Benson, who played Tara Maclay, added to Carpenter's claim, saying there was a 'toxic environment'. She added: 'There was a lot of damage done during that time and many of us are still processing it twenty plus years later.' She told Digital Spy that during filming for the finale of season five, Whedon had pulled her aside to tell her: 'Hey! Guess what? It's so exciting! We're going to kill your character!' Backing her castmates, Gellar also issued a statement via Instagram. She wrote: 'While I am proud to have my name associated with Buffy Summers, I don't want to be forever associated with the name Joss Whedon.' Rumours also resurfaced that Whedon had had romantic affairs with cast members, which were said to have contributed to his divorce in 2012. Buffy wasn't the only set on which Whedon was accused of inappropriate behaviour. The same year, Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot made fresh claims against the director, saying he had turned on her when she questioned new lines of dialogue he had given her superhero character. A witness said that after one clash, Whedon told her to 'shut up and say the lines', and warned her that he had the power to 'make her look incredibly stupid'. At the time, Gadot told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement: 'I had my issues with [Whedon] and Warner Bros handled it in a timely manner.' After being hit with multiple allegations of 'toxic' behaviour and work environments, Whedon remained silent until January 2021, when he addressed Israeli actress Gadot's claims. In an interview with New York Magazine, the director said her accusations were a 'misunderstanding' as 'English is not her first language'. Addressing the allegations made against him by Buffy cast members, Whedon acknowledged that he had not been as 'civilised' back then. 'I was young,' he said. 'I yelled, and sometimes you had to yell. This was a very young cast, and it was easy for everything to turn into a cocktail party.' He told the publication he would never intentionally humiliate anyone. 'If I am upsetting somebody, it will be a problem for me. I know I would get angry, but I was never physical with people.' He vehemently denied Carpenter's claim that he had called her 'fat' while she was pregnant. He insisted that he had no idea what Trachtenberg was referring to in regards the 'rule' about the two not being allowed in the same room together. In the same interview, he said he felt 'f*****g terrible' about other claims made about affairs with female cast members. The director insisted he felt he 'had' to sleep with them and felt 'powerless' to resist. As early as 2017, four years before cast members spoke out about Whedon, the director's ex-wife, Kai Cole, accused him of pretending to be a 'feminist' to disguise his deception The director has not worked professionally in the industry since 2021, and many from Buffy's extensive fanbase have claimed the allegations have sullied the glittering reputation of the hit show. Nicholas Brendon's multiple arrests Buffy's best friend Xander Harris was a bumbling, adorable, floppy-haired young man trying to find his way in the world. But since the show ended in 2003, Nicholas Brendon, who played Xander, has faced several woes in his life off screen. A year after the show ended, in 2004, he checked himself into rehab for alcohol problems. 'After realising that I had a disease that was taking control of my life, I decided that the best way for me to regain my health was to enter a treatment facility,' he said at the time. Just six years later, he returned to rehab after being tasered by police and charged with vandalism, resisting arrest and battery against a police officer. Afterwards, he pleaded no contest and was sentenced to probation and community service. In October 2014, he was arrested and charged with two misdemeanor counts: malicious injury to property and restraining or obstructing officers, in Boise, Idaho. Police arrived at a hotel after reports of disturbance with Brendon 'showed signs of intoxication and repeatedly refused officers commands to stay seated while officers tried to speak to witnesses.' When he was placed in custody, he reportedly tried to walk away. In a similar incident in February 2015, he was placed under arrest for allegedly drunkenly trashing a hotel room in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, following the break down of his marriage. Two more arrests followed that year, one for allegedly flipping a hotel bedsmashing a porcelain figure, pulling the phone out of the wall and clogging the toilet, and another for public intoxication. Despite another stint in rehab, Brendon was again arrested later that year after grabbing his girlfriend by the throat, taking her car keys and smashing her cell phone in an attempt to stop her from leaving him. He was then treated for 90-days in a treatment facility for depression, and told Dr. Phil during an interview that he'd had 'failed attempts at suicide'. And yet the spiral continued, with the actor being arrested in 2017 after allegedly attacking his girlfriend in a California hotel room. In May 2019, he was charged with domestic violence for the incident and was sentenced to three years probation. After several tumultuous years, Brendon appears to be living a more settled life in LA now, posting updates to fans on his Instagram account.


Tatler Asia
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
13 of the campiest, silliest and best musical episodes on TV
2. 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer': Once More, with Feeling (Season 6, 2001) Why it exists: A demon compels everyone in Sunnydale to sing their deepest truths. The gold standard of TV musical episodes. Creator Joss Whedon wrote the lyrics and music himself (which, against all odds, is good). Each song pushes the plot forward and reveals inner pain, especially Buffy's (Sarah Michelle Gellar). The fact that this became a cult sing-along classic proves musical episodes can be transcendent if they're sharp, meta and a little bit haunted. 3. 'Scrubs': My Musical (Season 6, 2007) Why it exists: A patient hears everything as a musical due to a brain aneurysm. Funny, sweet and strangely moving, Scrubs nails the musical format without losing its slapstick soul. The episode's showstoppers—'Everything Comes Down to Poo,' anyone?—blend humor and hospital drama with surprising grace. And it helps that Broadway veteran Stephanie D'Abruzzo (Avenue Q) leads the vocals. 4. 'Xena: Warrior Princess': The Bitter Suite (Season 3, 1998) Why it exists: Emotional trauma drives Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) into a musical dreamscape. Forget camp; this is operatic fantasy. After a dark betrayal, the heroines fall into a magical land (Illusia) where emotions transform into fully orchestrated songs. Think Les Misérables meets sword fighting and sapphic tension. This is ahead of its time, extra in the best way and still deeply beloved by fans. 5. 'Riverdale': Too many to count (2018–2023) Why it exists: 'Why not?' is more like it. From Carrie: The Musical to Heathers and Next to Normal , Riverdale turned every teen trauma into a Broadway cover band. The musical episodes were campy, clumsy and chaotic, but also impossible to look away from (which is the show's entire appeal anyway). They often made zero narrative sense, but that was the charm. It's like watching a school talent show with a CW budget. 6. 'The Magicians': All That Hard, Glossy Armor (Season 4, 2019) Why it exists: Fantasy trauma, of course. This SyFy gem didn't need to go full Broadway, but it did. And it worked. When Margo (Summer Bishil), the show's acid-tongued queen, sings 'Don't Get Me Wrong' in armour while slaying a magical beast, it's part empowerment anthem, part emotional exorcism. The show had multiple musical moments, but this one was peak chaotic majesty. 7. 'Community': Regional Holiday Music (Season 3, 2011) Why it exists: To roast Glee with precision, pitch and painful honesty. This wasn't just another one of those musical episodes. It was a lovingly savage takedown of Glee -style sentimental manipulation. The students of Greendale are slowly seduced into joining a glee club that's clearly a cult, one genre-bending number at a time. From Abed's (Danny Pudi) holiday rap to Annie's (Alison Brie) breathy, borderline-inappropriate burlesque, every song is both a bop and a barb. 'Regional Holiday Music' stands as one of the smartest musical episodes on television because it sings while it stabs. 8. 'That '70s Show': That '70s Musical (Season 4, 2002) Why it exists: Eric (Topher Grace) gets knocked out, and the writers said, 'Why not disco?' It is the '70s, after all. After a stage accident in drama class, Eric dreams the whole cast into a Technicolour variety show where they perform groovy covers of classic hits. The result? A fever dream of bell-bottoms, glitter and hair flips that barely makes narrative sense—but delivers era-appropriate kitsch. 9. 'Fringe': Brown Betty (Season 2, 2010) Why it exists: Walter (John Noble) gets high and tells a noir bedtime story to cope with guilt. In this ambitious genre-bender, Fringe 's eccentric scientist escapes reality by spinning a detective tale starring his colleagues—with a healthy dose of singing. The musical moments are surreal, the visuals stylised and the heartbreak real. A rare episode where science fiction pauses to sing the blues. 10. 'The Flash': Duet (Season 3, 2017) Why it exists: A magical villain traps Barry and Kara in a jazz-hands dreamscape to help them process their feelings. When you have two main characters with serious Broadway chops, the only appropriate question is: why not? The Music Meister (played with Broadway flair by Darren Criss) zaps the two superheroes (Grant Gustin and Melissa Benoist) into a 1940s-style musical fantasia. Why? Because apparently, singing about your trauma fixes everything faster than therapy or super speed. All three are also Glee alums, so this crossover practically wrote itself. 11. 'Psych': Psych: The Musical (Season 7, 2013) Why it exists: The show always flirted with musicals, and then finally said, 'Let's just do it'. A long-teased musical episode turned two-part event, it sees Shawn (James Roday Rodriguez) and Gus (Dulé Hill) investigating a murderous playwright while singing their way through clues. This wasn't a dream or a spell, but the show embracing its own campy, theatre-kid heart. The result? A Broadway-lite murder mystery full of tap, tunes and tenacity. See more: From 'The Pitt' to 'Grey's Anatomy': 10 medical dramas for every kind of viewer 12. 'Once Upon a Time': The Song in Your Heart (Season 6, 2017) Why it exists: Because a magical wish from Snow White makes music a weapon and a wedding gift. In a flashback, Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Charming (Josh Dallas) wish for their daughter to grow up with hope, and the wish manifests as a musical spell cast over the kingdom. Back in the present day, that spell gets activated during Emma's (Jennifer Morrison) wedding. The logic is loose, but the songs are unapologetically Disney—and the payoff is pure fairytale catharsis. 13. 'Ally McBeal': The Musical, Almost (Season 3, 2000) Why it exists: Ally's (Calista Flockhart) therapist suggests she channel her feelings, so they committed to the bit. After being told to express herself musically, Ally finds her inner life bursting into song. Her friends and coworkers are suddenly backup singers and belting soloists. It's half group therapy, half VH1 Divas Live. However, it is somehow perfectly on-brand for a show where hallucinations and unspoken desires already danced at the edges.


Geek Feed
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Feed
Skeleton Crew's Ryan Kiera Armstrong to Star in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Reboot
News came out back in February that there was going to be a revival of Buffy the Vampire Slayer , and though Sarah Michelle Gellar is expected to return, the show is set to focus on a new protagonist. As per Gellar's IG post, the new lead of the Buffy revival is going to be Ryan Kiera Armstrong , best known for her role as Fern in Star Wars ' Skeleton Crew . Here's a video of Gellar telling Armstrong that she's going to be the new lead of the show: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sarah Michelle (@sarahmgellar) Gellar said this about casting Armstrong in the series, 'From the moment I saw Ryan's audition, I knew there was only one girl that I wanted by my side,' Gellar said in a statement. 'To have that kind of emotional intelligence, and talent, at such a young age is truly gift. The bonus is that her smile lights up even the darkest room.' Besides Gellar coming back to play the part of Buffy Collins, the series is also going to be bringing in Chloe Zhao ( Eternals, Nomadland ) to direct the pilot. The script will also be provided by Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, who had worked on Peacock's fantastic Poker Face series. Admittedly, you can't think of Buffy without its creator Joss Whedon, and it's been reported that he won't be involved in this revival, what with him being in Cancelled Jail and everything since the whole fiasco with Justice League . As for the reboot, there's no official title yet, but the series is expected to focus on a whole new batch of Slayers with Buffy acting as their mentor. We don't have a release date yet, but hopefully we get more updates in the following months.


Buzz Feed
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
43 Hyped Movies That Completely Disappointed Fans
A while back, we asked the BuzzFeed Community* about the movies that people were super excited for everyone to genuinely hate them upon actually seeing them. Here are 43 movies with wild hype that fell disastrously short. It Chapter 2 Prometheus And Alien 3 Justice League This was before we knew the DCEU was unsalvageable and how terrible a person Joss Whedon is. I thought the guy who gave us the first Avengers movie was going to give us an equally great movie with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Instead, we got Henry Cavill's CGIed mouth."—chienychienchien The Dark Tower Incredibles 2 Downsizing "This movie had a very misleading trailer, and the movie itself just seemed rather pointless. Despite the intriguing concept, the actual 'downsizing' aspect of the characters deciding to get shrunk down is basically only relevant in the first 20 minutes or movie then just collapses, loses any sense of direction, and becomes a depressing mess about social, political, and environmental issues. It's almost like they welded two or three movies together with about 20 different plots going on at the same then it just tries to do everything and ultimately does nothing."—[deleted] Jurassic World And also Jurassic World: Dominion Quantum of Solace The Flash Suggested by overtheloveMaybe this is on me, but I genuinely thought this movie was going to be good. Warner Bros. and DC pushed it SO hard, despite all the Ezra Miller drama, that I thought it must actually be too good to let disappear. Plus, if nothing else, the movie featured the return of Michael Keaton!!!But the movie ended up being an awful CGI mess. It was mostly only good for the memes. The whole newborn-babies-falling-to-their-deaths-before-being-saved scene was actually so completely over the top (and the CGI babies were so bad!) that I felt like I must be watching some D-list horror movie and not one of the biggest superhero films of the year. Who even came up with that?!? The Matrix Reloaded Wonder Woman 1984 Ender's Game Suicide Squad Army of the Dead "The trailer promised a big, fun action zombie romp set in Las Vegas. What we got was a bloated, contrived mess of ham-fisted scenes that had way too much build-up for not enough payoff, and a tone that was far too serious for a film of this sort. Zack Snyder seems far more interested in cramming in as many Easter Eggs as possible in the hopes of creating a franchise instead of making a film that can stand on its own Bautista is actually a good actor when he has good material to work with and a director who knows what he is doing. He has good screen presence and decent charisma, but was completely wasted here. As another review once said, it just looks like he's holding in a sneeze when he is trying to convey Zack Snyder could have just exercised a little restraint when it comes to his ideas, he could have given us a tight, fun little 90-minute film. Instead, he's so convinced of his own brilliance that he refuses to cut out any of his multitude of potential ideas, no matter how unrelated they are to what's actually presented as the plot. It's like making soup, but instead of just leaving it with chicken, vegetables, and noodles and having a perfectly decent final product, Snyder insisted on adding chocolate and olives just because they were available."—Cursedbythedicegods Batman v Superman Thor: Love and Thunder Looper Spider-Man 3 Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief "I adore the books and was so excited when they announced there would be a movie... and then I saw the first trailer and immediately knew it was going to be horrible. The characters suddenly went from 11 to 21, huge chunks of the plot were missing, and the big reveal at the end felt like it was just thrown in there at the last second. The whole movie was just trash."—marisak4212bc09f Eragon The Last Airbender "I was beyond excited that there was going to be a live-action movie of a beloved animated series. Then all the reviews I read made it sound (and rightfully so) like one of the worst movies of all time. I was so sad to read such bad reviews."—joannaw4377e18ce Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace Also, Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force really all of the sequel trilogy Mulan (the live-action version) And the live-action version of The Lion King Artemis Fowl "I loved every single book growing up — thoughtful, funny sci-fi with some serious themes. The movie? Garbage."—sheeplosion"I like to forget that movie exists because it was my favorite series growing up, and they did the books sooo dirty with the CHEESY, CRINGEY, AND UNWATCHABLE special effects and bad screenwriting and acting."—moco98"I loved the AF books; they remind me of Terry Pratchett books. The film was unwatchable."—nevl Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Death Note "Some of us were willing to give it a chance. You had Willem DaFoe as Ryuk, and LaKeith Stanfield as L. How. Could. We. LOSE?!?? I have never, in my many years on this earth, ever felt so disrespected by a movie of a CHERISHED manga AND anime. Just…the straight up audacity!!!!"—smileyk Godzilla (1998) And Godzilla (2014) Kung Fu Panda 3 Glass "Glass. My answer to this question will always be Glass."—[deleted]"The trailers were so fucking hype. Props to whoever made the trailers, because they really made the movie look good."—[deleted] Terminator Salvation The Giver "The Giver was horrifically disappointing; even more so because there were actors I love in it. Brilliant book, godawful movie (that had little to do with the brilliant book).—denisef13 Wild Wild West "People forget how HUGE of a star Will Smith was at one point. He was the highest paid actor and the highest grossing actor in the world — then came Wild Wild West. You know the movie was terrible when the soundtrack was better."—jamesarthurwrites Overlord "Overlord (2018) — a WWII horror film. The trailer had me looking forward to seeing it as I was in the mood for a scorch-the-earth type of horror adventure. It had a great opening, but though it wasn't bad, the rest of the film was a bit of a let-down. Not only did it have a slower pace, but overall, it was pretty much a patchwork of famous scenes from earlier WWII and horror films, and the ending was eh."—prolix Hocus Pocus 2 "I had waited years for it, wanted something that continued the storyline, yearned for something that continued the lore, but NO, what I got was a ham-fisted, mediocre musical combined with bad Disney Channel-esque sitcom dialogue. They even retconned how the sisters became witches in the first place. The Sanderson Sisters were evil; that was the point of the first movie. They were fiend-worshipping women who wanted to steal the youth and vitality of children, killing those children in the process. Clumsy execution, awful writing, even worse direction, and MASSIVE overhyping led to a bitter disappointment of a movie. It could've been so, so much better."—SarahDaugherty The King's Man "I love the first two films — I even have a Kingsman tattoo — and was super excited for the prequel, really loved the idea of learning more about this spy society and seeing adventures with it in the past. Instead I got such a dull movie, with an unlikable protagonist and such a dumb twist. The action scenes, still very cool, but otherwise, I was so let down."—constanvee Ghostbusters (the 2016 version) Pearl Harbor And finally, all three of The Hobbit movies What movie was super-hyped that you ended up hating? Let us know in the comments!
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Scarlett Johansson Says Filming ‘The Avengers' Felt ‘Like a Big Mess' and ‘Didn't Feel Cool': ‘We All Looked Insane. What Are We Doing?'
Scarlett Johansson joined Vanity Fair for a career retrospective video interview where she remembered feeling really uncool on the set of 2012's 'The Avengers.' The actor had already made her Marvel debut as Black Widow in 'Iron Man' two years prior. 'When we made the first 'Avengers' none of us knew what the potential would be,' Johansson said. ''Iron Man' was massively successful. It was huge. It built the studio of Marvel. 'Iron Man 2' was also successful. There was 'Thor,' but that character felt like it was from a completely different universe. It was such a different tone from the 'Iron Man' movies. The 'Captain America' movie had its own identity as well. When you added the characters all together, plus Hulk and Hawkeye, it just felt like a big mess to be honest. Even on the set it felt crazy. We all looked insane. What are we doing? I don't think anybody knew if it was going to work or not besides Kevin Feige and Joss Whedon. The cast had blind faith in them.' More from Variety Scarlett Johansson Was Offered 'Sex Object' Roles 'For Years' After 'Lost in Translation,' Says Bill Murray Was in a 'Hard Place' on Set: 'Life Has Humbled Him' Now Scarlett Johansson Calls Out Oscars for Snubbing 'Avengers: Endgame' for Best Picture, Says 'I Miss' Marvel Co-Stars but 'Won't Mess' With Black Widow Return 'Ironheart' Trailer: Riri Williams Makes Her Own Iron Man Armor in Disney+ Series Executive Produced by Ryan Coogler It wasn't until the 'Avengers' actors filmed the icon moment where the camera spins around the superheroes as they prepare to fight that Johansson realized there was great potential in the comic book team-up film. 'I remember the scene where we all are in that 360 of the characters together,' she said. 'That was the moment where we all thought this maybe could work. It felt powerful. When we watched the playback it looked really cool, but so much of it didn't feel cool when we were shooting it. We were young. We were having such a great time. We became such great friends. It was a blast.' 'The Avengers' opened in summer 2012 to critical raves and $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office. While 'Iron Man' had started the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008, it was the blockbuster frenzy that greeted 'The Avengers' that proved the studio's plan to create an interconnected universe of movies could actually work with moviegoers. Watch Johansson's full interview with Vanity Fair in the video before. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival