Latest news with #ToddPhillips
Geek Tyrant
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Ed Helms Says the Seven Day Work Schedules Between THE OFFICE and THE HANGOVER Were "Insane" and the "Greatest" — GeekTyrant
Two of the biggest franchises Ed Helms has been a part of are the series The Office and the film trilogy of The Hangover . Both were big comedic hits of the 2000s, and it turns out that Helms worked on both the series and the first film simultaneously. Striking while the iron was hot was clearly a good career move for the actor, but it meant a pretty grueling work schedule, which Helms talked about on a recent episode of the MeSsy podcast, hosted by Christina Applegate and Jamie-Lynn Sigler. "I worked seven days a week," Helms said. According to the actor, both filmmaker Todd Phillips and The Office showrunner Greg Daniels were "gracious" enough to work around his schedule. He went on, "Because I was cross-boarded on The Office , they were extremely full days of production. And then on The Hangover , Bradley [Cooper] and Zach [Galifianakis] and I are in literally every scene. Like, there's no scene without all three of us." Helms explained that the film involved a lot of night shoots, which meant some weeks he would finish his Hangover scenes in Las Vegas at 4:30 a.m. and immediately fly back to Los Angeles to start filming The Office two hours later. "It was completely and totally insane. I was drinking, like, you know, six Red Bulls a day or something to get through it," he remembered. Despite the grueling work, being part of the two extremely beloved productions was the "greatest" experience for Helms. "I honestly loved every second of it. I just felt so psyched to be a part of these things that were so cool and so fun," he said. Helms has gone on to have a great career with many more memorable characters and films. He can be seen next in the hockey movie Smudge the Blades from writer-director Cody Lightning, which is in post-production and does not yet have a release date. via: GamesRadar
Geek Tyrant
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Christopher Nolan Reportedly Shut Down a Major BATMAN Spin-Off Project at Warner Bros. — GeekTyrant
Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy redefined Batman and changed the entire trajectory of superhero cinema. It also gave Nolan serious influence at Warner Bros., the kind of pull most directors only dream of. So much so, that even after The Dark Knight Rises wrapped up his Batman saga, Nolan continued shaping what could, and couldn't, happen in Gotham. According to The Wall Street Journal, that influence extended to the cancellation of a full-on Robin spin-off series. The show, which reportedly would've explored the early life of Robin, was axed at Nolan's request sometime in the late 2010s. The report doesn't say much about the show's concept or timeline, only that it was being developed by a separate team of producers. It also doesn't explain why this particular project got Nolan's attention when other Bat-adjacent series like Gotham and Titans were greenlit without issue. It's possible that the show may have been tying itself too closely to Nolan's universe, something the director was notoriously protective of. After all, Nolan made it clear years ago that The Dark Knight Rises was the end of his story. Nolan's creative gatekeeping didn't stop there. WSJ also reports that during production on Joker , Nolan intervened when he heard that director Todd Phillips originally planned for Joaquin Phoenix's Joker to carve a permanent smile into his face, mirroring Heath Ledger's iconic version. According to the report, 'Nolan felt that only his Joker should do that,' and the idea was scrapped. Instead, Joker's final moment leaves Phoenix smearing blood across his face, not slicing it open. At the time, Nolan still had some clout at WB as he had produced Man of Steel and had a guiding hand in shaping the early direction of the DC Extended Universe. His presence was felt behind the scenes, even as other creatives took center stage. But that dynamic changed when Tenet collided with Warner Bros.' pandemic release strategy, leading to a public split between Nolan and the studio. While things may have cooled since then, and there's always a chance they'll collaborate again, Nolan has firmly planted his flag at Universal for now. It would be interesting to find out what WB was planning for this Robin project.
Geek Tyrant
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
JOKER 2's Wild Ride Ends in a $144 Million Loss for WB, Roughly the Budget of WONDER WOMAN — GeekTyrant
As you know, Joker: Folie á Deux didn't exactly laugh its way to the bank. Despite its high-profile cast and the legacy of the 2019 Joker , which grossed over a billion dollars, this sequel has become one of Warner Bros.' most expensive misfires in recent memory. According to a recent Deadline report, Joker 2 left Warner Bros. staring at a staggering $144.25 million net loss. That's almost the same amount it cost to make the first Wonder Woman , a film that grossed $824 million globally and became a cultural touchstone. Joker 2 ? Not so much. Directed once again by Todd Phillips, Folie á Deux brought back Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, and he was joined by Lady Gaga as Harley 'Lee' Quinzel. The film attempted something unique, a musical psychological thriller, but the results didn't resonate. With a Rotten Tomatoes score sitting at 31%, the critical reception frigid. It also picked up a few Razzie Awards. Financially, here's the breakdown that really stings: Production budget: $200 million Marketing & distribution (P&A): $106.3 million Total cost: $371.3 million Total revenue: $227 million Net loss: -$144.3 million This sequel gambled big, and lost bigger. The studio was hoping that lightning would strike twice, but it didn't. Double down on stylized risk didn't work. Joker: Folie á Deux is now streaming on Max if you're curious to see what $371 million looks like when it goes sideways. Did you see the movie? What did you think of the direction it took compared to the first?
