Latest news with #TheAvengers'
News18
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Collab You Didn't Expect: 'The Avengers' X Indian Politics. And It Starts With 'Tell Modi...' Video
Last Updated: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who stays updated with Gen Z terms, too has referred to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) on stage. The video is morphed. The original is a promotional clip for *The New Avengers that shows American actor Sebastian Stan changing posters. A video of a man, in a foreign country, replacing ' go tell Modi" poster with 'I told Modi" banner has been going viral on social media. One of the X users who shared the 10-second clip has received over one lakh views, more than 54,000 likes and 9,300 reshares. While many have flooded the comments section with praise for the Indian government for avenging the Pahalgam terror attack with Operation Sindoor, some others pointed out that the video is morphed. So, what's the original video? The original video is of American actor Sebastian Stan, who has long portrayed James 'Bucky" Buchanan Barnes in the Marvel Cinematic universe as early as films like Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). In a video tweeted by Marvel Studios in May, the actor was seen replacing a poster for the latest Marvel installment film Thunderbolts*, directed by Jake Schreier, at a bus stop. This is, however, not the first time that 'Avengers' have surfaced in Indian politics. Yes, as popular as it is among Marvel fans, netas too seem to be fond of it. In fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who stays updated with Gen Z terms, too has referred to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) on stage. 'The Avengers' & Indian Politics • At an event by a new organisation in 2019, PM Modi was shown a clipping where Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was accusing the prime minister of 'snatching" large portions of land from the poor and 'giving it to businessmen". In response, Modi said that Gandhi, perhaps, has stumbled upon 'The Avengers' script. '…I've got to know that people from different planets are part of this Universe…For the script, the writer may be trying to assess the size of the each planet. The size estimate is likely to have fallen in his bag." The answer left the audience laughing. Modi Used Avengers Example to slammed Rahul Gandhi 😂😂 #DeshKiPasandModi — Amit Kumar Sindhi (@AMIT_GUJJU) May 4, 2019 • The 'world of adventure", however, has never inspired PM Narendra Modi personally. A news anchor asked him before elections if he would want a tenure like 'Sholay' — a classic that cannot be remade or 'The Avengers' — a superhero film that is released after every couple of years with a new plot. The prime minister replied that politics is more real. 'It has to be built on firm ground, with true intent; and should be a one that gives you true results," PM Modi said. #ModiOnZee: When asked PM if he'd want to be a one-time hit like 'Sholay' or a multiple-sequel hit like 'Avengers'. See, here's what PM @narendramodi has to say… @sudhirchaudhary — Zee News English (@ZeeNewsEnglish) May 10, 2019 • BJP MP Tejasvi Surya had once compared PM Modi to the superheros. Posting a picture of the prime minister with characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Surya wrote, 'Energy better than Hulk. Agility better than Captain America. Heavy lifting better than Thor. Vision better than Iron man. Tactics better than Black Widow. Narendra Modi – Real hero, with the fictional ones." Energy better than Hulk. Agility better than Captain America. Heavy lifting better than Thor. Vision better than Iron man. Tactics better than Black Modi – Real hero, with the fictional ones. PS: Thank your Gods, @kunalkamra88. It's Modi and not Mamata Di. 😉 — Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) May 12, 2019 • Not just Surya, netizens too keep comparing Narendra Modi to superheros from 'The Avengers'. #AvengersEndame Spoiler Alert:Thanos vs Avengers is basically Modi vs Opposition. Battling out to fix the wrong which has been already unleashed upon The India. — History of India (@RealHistoryPic) April 26, 2019 MODI IS THE NEW IRON MAN. And Indira is not even close! — Loomi Pema Modgil (@LoomiModgil) May 12, 2025 What Is 'Go Tell Modi' Poster: The animation surfaced on social media after Operation Sindoor. The netizens recalled what terrorists had told a Pahalgam attack survivor. A survivor from Karnataka had recounted that a terrorist shot dead her husband for 'following Hindu religion", and told her to tell about this to PM Modi. After Operation Sindoor that eliminated nine terror camps in Pakistan, netizens shared the two images in 'before-after' format to signal that the April 22 attack was avenged. First Published:
San Francisco Chronicle
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Which Bay Area theaters have the best projection and sound?
Dear Mick LaSalle: Which theaters have the best projection and sound? Teresa Concepcion, Emeryville Dear Teresa Concepcion: Well, in one sense of the word 'best,' I'd say the Roxie Theater, the Stanford Theatre, the Rafael Film Center and the theater inside the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive have the best projection, because they project the best movies. But in the sense that I think you mean it, the best sound and picture is at the private Dolby Theatre on Market Street. As for what's available to the public, I have no love for the Metreon, but its IMAX theater is very good. Dear Mr. LaSalle: I was surprised to learn from your article that apparently lots of people spread out a movie over several nights. I thought I was one of the few lazybones who did that. Michael Biehl, San Francisco Dear Mr. Biehl: Everybody does it, but it doesn't mean they should. True, 95 times out of 100, it doesn't matter, because most movies are unremarkable. But with great and near-great movies, watching them over several nights on a small screen – that is, watching them in the wrong way – can bland out the experience and make real greatness seem merely good. Cinema is an art form that assumes and needs a captive audience. Movies are made with the assumption that you're small and the screen is huge, and that you're staying in your seat, that the volume is turned up, and that you can't rewind anything, so you have to pay attention. Even with all those conditions in place, movies face a hard climb, because they're trying to make you believe in an imaginary world and care about the people in it. But strip away those conditions, and their task becomes even more difficult. The sad part of this is that some of the best films are subtle and most are in need of being met halfway. I mean, you can half-watch 'The Avengers' and get the idea. But a quiet masterpiece like 'Before Sunrise' requires that you actually watch, listen and take it in. Otherwise, it might seem like endless, pointless conversation. And no, checking your phone to read about the movie as it's playing doesn't count as watching the movie. Still, we all do it, probably for the same reason that there's a certain resistance to being hypnotized, and in the same way that it requires an act of will to take a nap in the middle of the day, even if you're sleepy. There's an inertia that must be overcome in order to let go of the state we're in, even when we want to or need to. Dear Mick: I just watched 'The Vanishing' (1988) and found the ending very disturbing. The kind of movie that stays with you but not in a good way. Have you watched any really creepy movies that you wished you had not watched? Joyce Harvis, Stockton Hi Joyce: Yes. I have one, and it's the same as yours – 'The Vanishing.' It's a seriously unsettling film, and while I can't say that I wish I never saw it, I can confirm that the movie's disturbing quality doesn't go away, ever. I saw 'The Vanishing' when it was released in the United States in 1989, and a few months ago I made the mistake of thinking of the movie's ending right before bed, and I couldn't sleep. Talk about a lasting impact. Here was this movie keeping me up some 35 years after I saw it. I won't reveal the nature of the ending here, because there may be hearty souls out there willing to risk it. Consider this a combination recommendation/warning. Also, readers should note that we're talking about the original 1988 'The Vanishing' from the Netherlands, and not the idiotic American remake from 1993.
Wall Street Journal
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
Even Marvel Knows Its Movies and Shows Need to Be Better
LOS ANGELES—The head of Marvel Studios told colleagues recently that watching all the comic-book giant's new TV shows and films had started to feel more like homework than entertainment. The problem, Kevin Feige acknowledged, is that in an effort to satisfy parent company Disney's DIS 1.85%increase; green up pointing triangle hunger for content on its new streaming service, the studio behind 'The Avengers' churned out too many movies and shows with interconnected stories. The deluge of material from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU, on Disney+ overwhelmed and eventually alienated viewers. It also stretched Feige and his team's resources thin, diluting the quality of their output. Marvel's box-office sales, streaming popularity and formerly untouchable position in pop culture suffered. Now, Feige is leading an internal overhaul aimed at getting the studio back on track. Marvel is making fewer TV shows, with stand-alone stories that don't require prior knowledge of the MCU. Feige is focused on fixing the studio's movie slate following recent flops like February's 'Captain America: Brave New World.' The first major test of his reset arrived this week with 'Thunderbolts,' about a team of sidekicks, has-beens and other C-listers who save the world in the Avengers' absence. Early box office sales indicate it will open to between $70 million and $75 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend, which would put it in the lowest tier of the company's releases. Still, reviews for 'Thunderbolts' have been largely positive. If fans like the film, they'll likely be primed to see July's 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps.' That movie's story will lead directly into a pair of 'Avengers' sequels in 2026 and 2027 that Marvel needs to be massive hits to restore its former glory. Feige declined requests for an interview. This article is based on interviews with more than a dozen people who have worked at Marvel or done business with the studio. Feige, 51 years old, is widely acknowledged as the most successful movie producer in modern Hollywood. After starting as an assistant to the producer of 2000's 'X-Men,' he was hired by Marvel that year and rose to become the final decision maker on everything from scripts to casting, editing and visual effects. Under his guidance, Marvel released an unprecedented string of hits including 'Iron Man' (2008), 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014) and 'Black Panther' (2018). Along the way, Marvel was acquired by Disney for $4 billion in 2009. Its crowning achievement was 2019's 'Avengers: Endgame,' which united the story lines and characters of all 21 films that preceded it and grossed $2.8 billion, a record at the time. During Marvel's heyday in the 2010s, Feige was heavily involved in film development. He deployed lower-ranking executives to supervise shooting, then got his hands dirty again in the editing room, often making significant changes and ordering new scenes. His longtime deputy, Louis D'Esposito, had a recurring joke: 'We can fix any movie if we shoot it again.' On 2013's 'Thor: The Dark World,' there were 35 days of reshoots—longer than the entire production of many low-budget films. Though the studio had a few early duds, Feige's process worked almost flawlessly for years. Every film Marvel released between 2010 and 2019 was a hit, grossing an average of about $1 billion. Fans loved that each had a distinct tone, but were bound together by an overarching narrative. The movies were overseen by a small team of creative executives who came to be known as 'the parliament.' Most had been with the company since its founding or joined as assistants and were promoted, giving Marvel a family-like culture. Feige was the studio's beloved and charismatic dad—a creative genius from whom everyone sought attention and approval. Soon after 'Endgame,' creative staffers began meeting in their office on the Disney studio lot to figure out where the MCU could possibly go next. In the nearby executive building, Disney's senior leadership had another priority. Chief Executive Bob Iger was launching Disney+ as his answer to Netflix. He needed loads of new series for it and was counting on Marvel to provide many of them. 'The strategy became just expansion, expansion, expansion,' said a person who worked at Marvel at the time. Feige recently told colleagues he agreed to the plan because of a zealousness to tell more stories and a desire to be an 'excellent corporate citizen.' It turned out to be a mistake. Marvel's first two Disney+ shows came in 2021: the time-travel adventure 'Loki' and 'WandaVision,' which continued the stories of two heroes from 'Endgame' in a satirical sitcom world. Both were hits. But Marvel's transition from producing a few hours of movie content annually to several dozen hours of streaming shows and films eventually broke down the studio's processes. A pair of executives oversaw each show, while Feige remained the final decision maker on every significant creative issue, even though there were exponentially more decisions to make each day. People who worked at Marvel in the early 2020s said it was challenging to secure enough time with Feige to get his feedback. As a result, they sometimes spent weeks on work that proved irrelevant once he weighed in, then found themselves with little time to implement his changes before a deadline. Desperate staffers resorted to chasing Feige in the halls to get answers. Long known as one of the most frugal studios in Hollywood, Marvel began spending like crazy. As at other media companies starting streaming services, cost was no object in the race to impress Wall Street with big increases in subscribers. Marvel series made in the early 2020s regularly cost more than $100 million a season and sometimes approached $200 million, because they included A-list actors and costly visual effects. The internal dysfunction began to show in Marvel's output. Viewers complained that there was too much Marvel content to keep up with and a growing proportion of it felt subpar. 'I loved it for so many years, but after all the TV shows and everything, it just started getting a little confusing and all over the place,' said Leslie Rodriguez, a 23-year-old social-media manager. Fans rejected big-budget event series like the alien-attack drama 'Secret Invasion,' starring Samuel L. Jackson. Shows the company was proud of, including 'Ms. Marvel,' about a Pakistani American teenager who gains superpowers, failed to attract many viewers. In theaters, Marvel's biggest hits during this period were nostalgia plays that tied up old story lines, such as 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' and 'Deadpool & Wolverine.' 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' was critical to the MCU's future because it featured the title villain of the next planned Avengers sequel, subtitled 'The Kang Dynasty.' But the early 2023 film flopped at the box office and was widely panned. Employees talked regularly about 'Marvel fatigue.' They worried they had created a 'no new fans club,' in which people unfamiliar with the state of the MCU couldn't watch a new release because they'd have no idea what was going on. Meanwhile, Wall Street's obsession with streaming growth gave way to a focus on profitability. Iger and Feige began scrutinizing Marvel's costs and creative choices more closely. At the last second, Marvel decided the script for its vampire movie 'Blade' wasn't good enough and halted production in 2023, while equipment was being shipped to soundstages in Atlanta. When production started on the 2023 film 'The Marvels,' the filmmakers got little attention from the overstretched Feige. After 'Quantumania' bombed, Feige became more involved, hoping to avoid a second faceplant in one year. The filmmakers cycled through dozens of versions of a voice-over to catch up viewers with plot points from past movies and series they needed to understand, but it wasn't enough. 'The Marvels,' which cost around $300 million, was Marvel's biggest-ever bomb, grossing just $206 million. Since Marvel's early years, Feige's parliament has gone to a retreat every fall in Palm Springs, Calif., where they would plan out the future of the MCU. The get-together in 2023 was somber. Many of Marvel's movies and TV shows weren't working. The studio had just laid off employees for the first time in its history. Parliament members discussed whether they could salvage plans for 'Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.' They also talked about a new TV strategy in which shows would have plots divorced from the MCU, making them easier for new fans to understand. The company decided to cut back significantly on TV production. 'Quantity, in our case, diluted quality—and Marvel has suffered greatly from that,' Iger said at the New York Times's Dealbook summit that November. Marvel is releasing only one or two live-action streaming series annually starting next year, and has already ordered multiple seasons of some so their stories can continue without crossing over to the big screen. A senior executive is overseeing television so Feige can focus on film. Marvel's top priority is ensuring the next two Avengers extend the track record of the franchise, which has provided four of the company's five highest-grossing films. Around early 2024, executives decided to dump Kang and started brainstorming who would make a better antagonist for their next superhero team-up. Feige had been talking for more than a year to Robert Downey Jr., who played Iron Man and was beloved by fans, about returning to the MCU. They discussed his playing Dr. Doom, one of Marvel's best known comic-book villains. But they hadn't determined when or in what film. Marvel executives concluded that Downey was the solution to their Avengers problem. They retitled the 2026 movie 'Avengers: Doomsday,' with their biggest star in the title role. Feige also rehired Anthony and Joe Russo, who directed Downey in 'Avengers: Endgame.' Bringing back the talent behind a blockbuster for a sequel is one of the most expensive propositions in Hollywood, but people who have worked with Feige say he likes to go back to people he trusts, particularly in moments of urgency. To get fans excited about the new plan, Marvel had Downey take off a Dr. Doom mask and reveal himself at San Diego Comic-Con in 2024—a moment that immediately went viral online. 'I saw the whole announcement and, not to exaggerate, I fell to my knees,' Bailey Bowen, a 25-year-old teacher's aide, said while peeking at the red carpet for the 'Thunderbolts' premiere in Hollywood Monday. In his introduction to the screening that night, 'Thunderbolts' director Jake Schreier said: 'When I first started on the movie, Kevin said, 'Make it different.' ' This weekend's box-office receipts will show whether that's what Marvel fans want. In many ways, Marvel has reverted to its strategy from before the streaming boom, as if the past five years had been a bad dream. As he did when Marvel Studios started, Feige has an expansive vision for his company's big-screen future. The upcoming Avengers movies are expected to introduce the X-Men, one of Marvel's most popular superhero teams, to the MCU. Feige has told colleagues he has a 10-year plan for the characters. Write to Ben Fritz at
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Why did the 'The Hulk' films fail? Kenneth Johnson feels THIS is the reason
Kenneth Johnson , the creator of the classic 1977–1982 television series ' The Incredible Hulk ,' delivered a grounded, character-driven adaptation that resonated with audiences. The show, starring Bill Bixby as Dr. David Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk, focused on emotional storytelling and the humanity of its central character, which Johnson felt was key to its success. The CGI dilemma in Hulk films Speaking to BANG Showbiz, Johnson has openly criticized the solo Hulk films- Ang Lee's 2003 'Hulk' and Louis Leterrier's 2008 'The Incredible Hulk '- for their reliance on CGI, arguing that audiences struggled to accept a computer-generated Hulk interacting with live-action actors. He compared the effect to suddenly inserting a real human into a 3D animated film like 'Shrek,' saying, 'your brain is, 'No, it's not the same genre, you can't do that'". Box office fallout and audience disconnect The 2003 'Hulk' movie had a strong opening but suffered a historic 75–80% drop in box office sales by its second week. Johnson recalled, 'Folks saw it and said, 'Oh no, this is not it,'' attributing the decline to the jarring disparity between the CGI Hulk and the realistic human characters. The 2008 reboot with Edward Norton initially showed promise, focusing more on the character's humanity, but ultimately disappointed when trailers revealed a CGI-heavy Hulk, breaking the tone and connection with viewers. Why did Hulk work in the Avengers? Johnson believes the Hulk finally succeeded in 2012's 'The Avengers' because he was placed among other comic book characters. In this ensemble setting, the Hulk's larger-than-life presence felt more natural, as he was no longer the only fantastical element in a realistic world. Classic moments and enduring influence Johnson recounted being at the 2003 'Hulk' premiere, where the audience's only positive reaction came when Eric Bana delivered a variation of the TV show's iconic line: 'Mr. McGee, don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.' The rest of the film, according to Johnson, failed to connect, reinforcing his point about the importance of character-driven storytelling over spectacle. Johnson's Broader Sci-Fi Legacy Beyond 'Hulk,' Johnson's influence continues with projects like his 1983 miniseries V, which recently inspired a new audio drama. Through his reflections on Hollywood's 'CGI addiction,' Johnson emphasizes that it's character and story-not visual effects-that create lasting impact.
Mint
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Jeremy Renner says he could see his 'left eye with his right eye' after near-fatal accident
Washington [US], April 23 (ANI): Actor Jeremy Renner's memoir My Next Breath, where he shares personal memories from his near-fatal accident in 2023, is set to release on April 29 this year. 'The Avengers' star was injured by his 14,000-pound Snowcat vehicle while trying to stop it from hitting his nephew in January 2023. He suffered over 35 broken bones and serious injuries to his head and chest, reported People. Renner, who recently spoke to the publication, opened up about the accident, stating that it is a part of his life now and that writing about it helped him process the trauma. "Writing about it has been very emotionally cathartic to have to go word by word through it all again. I don't not talk about it. It's part of my life every day, and it's always a wonderful reminder of the strength of the human spirit and how fragile the body is and how badass it is at recovery," Renner told People. In the book, he recalls a shocking moment when he could see his "left eye with [his] right eye" after his head hit the pavement. Despite the pain, Renner says he is not haunted by the memories. "I'm not haunted by the incident -- not too often anyway -- by the images, the sounds. But I am reminded of my new reality, and it's wonderfully positive. I didn't die." Renner had suffered injuries while trying to save his nephew, Alex, who was 27 at the time of the accident. (ANI) First Published: 23 Apr 2025, 07:27 PM IST
