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Kamis, 04 Juli 2019

Tom Holland's Marvel Contract: How Many Spider-Man Movies Does He Have Left? - IGN

Peter Parker's story (probably) won't end with Far From Home.

By Jesse Schedeen

Tom Holland's Spider-Man has quickly grown into one of the most important characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the last few years. That's even more true in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, as the MCU is distressingly short on Avengers even as newer and bigger threats loom on the horizon. This raises an important question - how many movies does actor Tom Holland have left on his Marvel contract? Will we even get another solo Spider-Man movie in the MCU?

The short answer is, yes, most likely. While there have sometimes been conflicting reports over the years regarding exactly how many movies Holland signed on for, the actor is currently under a six-picture contract with Marvel Studios. This was confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter back in 2016. According to THR, Holland's contract covers three solo Spider-Man movies and three other MCU projects.

For those keeping track, that means Holland has completed five of those six movies. Between Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Holland has already completed all three miscellaneous MCU projects. And with Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home in the bag, that just leaves one more Spider-Man sequel to go.

This isn't to say Far From Home's sequel will necessarily be the last we ever see of Holland as Spider-Man. Robert Downey Jr. renegotiated his Marvel contract multiple times between 2008's Iron Man and 2019's Avengers: Endgame, and Chris Hemsworth has voiced an interest in continuing his Thor role despite completing his contract with Endgame. Holland could theoretically re-up his agreement and appear in future Spider-Man and Avengers sequels. Though there are other factors at play in this case, as Holland's MCU future also depends on Marvel Studios and Sony maintaining their current relationship.

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Unfortunately, that relationship may wind up being the true limiting factor. Producer Amy Pascal hinted in 2017 that Spider-Man and his supporting cast could eventually disappear from the MCU. She said at the time, “One of the things that I think is so amazing about this experience is that you don’t have studios deciding to work together to make a film very often. In fact it may never happen again, after we do the sequel [to Spider-Man: Homecoming]."

The takeaway from Pascal's comments is that the length of Holland's contract may be irrelevant if Marvel and Sony opt to part ways after Far From Home. Fortunately, there's not much reason to assume the two studios won't continue to work together for the time being. Far From Home's box office projections are impressive, and the ending even directly sets the stage for a third Spider-Man movie.

Warning: The rest of this article contains major spoilers for Spider-Man: Far From Home!

It seems very unlikely Marvel and Sony aren't planning a sequel given the cliffhanger ending introduced in the mid-credits sequence, as J. Jonah Jameson appears on national television to accuse Spider-Man of Mysterio's crimes and reveal his secret identity to the world. The fallout of that identity leak will no doubt play a big role in the third movie.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has also compared these movies to the Harry Potter series, with each chronicling one year of Peter's high school career (beginning with his sophomore year in Homecoming). Part 3 will presumably complete that process and cover his senior year and graduation, assuming Peter even has room left in his life for school after being outed.

Whatever does happen, the third Spider-Man movie is poised to cap off this phase of Peter Parker's MCU career. As to whether there will be more Marvel movies in Holland's future after that, we can only hope Marvel will have more to say later this summer.

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For more on the new movie, read our review of Spider-Man: Far From Home and then check out our breakdown of the two post-credits scenes, learn our 9 biggest WTF questions and see the best Marvel Easter eggs.

Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

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https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/07/04/tom-holland-marvel-contract-spider-man-upcoming-movies-phase-4-mcu

2019-07-04 15:05:30Z
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Mysterio in 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' vs. the Comics - Hollywood Reporter

Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko for The Amazing Spider-Man #13 (1964), Quinten Beck was a professional stuntman who was at the top of his craft when it came to working on movies. Not only was he a skilled hand-to-hand combatant, but his knowledge of robotics and special effects made him one of the most highly respected people in his field. However, that respect didn’t transfer when he decided he wanted to become an actor and a leading man. Hurt by the repeated rejection, he crafted a suit that would utilize his greatest skill — the art of deception. He used his trained skills of illusions, hallucinogens, and even hypnotic methods to terrorize the city of New York and even other universes. Beck doesn’t have any mutant powers or bestowed abilities. Instead, he went to work creating gear that will let him compete in the age of heroes.

In fact, one of Mysterio’s most well-known story lines barely mentions him at all — Old Man Logan. The alternate future comic arc, published from 2008-09 and also loosely adapted into 2017's Logan, showed a reclusive and weary Wolverine, having been in a self-imposed isolation. The reason, we find out, is that he fought off an attack at the X-Men’s headquarters, killing every villain that tried to harm the team. Except, it wasn’t an attack at all. Mysterio managed to trick Logan into thinking that all his teammates were actually villains. To put this into perspective, Logan is one of, if not the best, experts in the Marvel universe when it comes to his senses. His enhanced abilities of smell and sound can lead him to the most elusive targets with ease. For Mysterio to pull off a feat like this on the entire X-Men team shows how much of a treat he is to the teenage web-slinger from Queens.

In Far From Home, we meet Quinten Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), a lone surviving warrior from Earth 833. Thanos, Hulk, and the now deceased Iron Man’s (we love you 3000) repeated use of the Infinity Gauntlet have opened Earth up to a type of Ground Zero for the multiverse. Beck has teamed with a resourceless Nick Fury, to track down the elemental creatures that destroyed his home world. Fury, who has reappeared five years later thanks to the Snappening — or as it’s called in the MCU, the “Blip” — appreciates the refugee’s aid in helping protect Earth from the same fate of Beck’s home planet. During a televised battle in Italy, the public gives the name of the newest costumed hero “Mysterio,” which Beck humbly accepts as he shoulders the mantle that one of the Avengers would normally carry.

Meanwhile, Fury gifts Peter with a last present from Tony Stark — access to the satellite network that Stark’s had in place for any unforeseen events from domestic threats. Peter admires Beck’s work and trusts him with the access to Stark’s satellite. However, this is where we finally begin to understand the incredible depths that Mysterio’s talents are rooted.

Mysterio isn’t, in fact, the lone survivor of a destroyed world from another dimension. His work has been seen before in the MCU’s previous offerings. In 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) begins the film by explaining to MIT students how he invested in a high-tech holographic system as a sort of therapy. Dismissed as a waste of money, it’s revealed that Beck was the lead scientist on that project. He, alone with others who’ve been disrespected by Stark’s cockiness and seeming disregard for what they accomplished, concocted a plan to take advantage of a post-Stark world and to gain the admiration Iron Man has had for so long. Using a hyper-complex system unlike anything the MCU has ever seen, he not only manages to gain Spider-Man’s trust, but Nick Fury’s as well.

While the onscreen portrayal of Mysterio’s origin may be different, he’s no less lethal than his comic counterpart. True to fashion, he taps into Parker’s fears of being inadequate. In a chilling moment calling back to an Mysterio’s storyline in The Amazing Spider-Man #141 - #142, Beck makes an emotionally distraught Peter confront a zombie-like, rusting Iron Man, who accuses Peter of letting him down. In the comic storyline, Mysterio (inside the suit is Beck's fellow stuntman Danny Berkhart) makes Spider-Man see a number of illusions, including his deceased girlfriend Gwen Stacy, who died after Peter’s web accidentally snapped her neck in a battle with the Green Goblin. Seeing the grave of Tony being ripped apart is a jarring moment that instantly reminds the audience of the sacrifice Tony made, and how that’s shaped Peter.

While Mysterio’s story seemingly comes to an end at the end of the film, he’s saved his greatest illusion for last. As Spider-Man lands after taking a much-deserved swing with MJ (Zendaya), a pre-recorded video from Beck appears on the large marquee in front of a huge crowd, courtesy of J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons). Beck not only tells the city that Spider-Man is the one who killed him, but reveals that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Readers of 2006’s Civil War comic book storyline — in which Peter reveals his identity — can imagine the ramifications this will have on the MCU.

Mysterio’s preferred methods of fighting are on the psychological battlefield as opposed to the rock-em, sock-em method of Spidey’s other rogues. But in every showdown with him, whether it’s a comic, film, cartoon, or video game, Spider-Man’s heart and mind will undoubtedly be main target, with Mysterio ripping open any scar and secret Peter holds dear. While Mysterio may be a new addition big screen favorites such as Venom or Otto Octavius, he’s no less a more than capable villain. For Far From Home’s Peter Parker, he’s arguably his most dangerous yet.

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https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/mysterio-spider-man-far-home-comics-1222601

2019-07-04 13:30:00Z
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Mad Magazine to cease publication of new material - BBC News

US satirical publication Mad Magazine is ceasing publication of new material after 67 years.

The magazine will stop publishing new content after its next issue. Any new issues will feature previously released content with a new cover.

It will also now only be available in comic stores and to subscribers.

Many fans responded to the news to share their disappointment. Some described how influential the magazine had been growing up.

Mad Magazine was known for its striking front covers, in which it parodies both current affairs and popular television programmes. It often featured the magazine's gap-toothed child mascot Alfred E. Newman on the cover.

The magazine was founded in 1952 and began life as a comic book before changing to a magazine format in 1955.

DC, which publishes the magazine, told ABC in a statement: "After issue #10 this fall there will no longer be new content - except for the end of year specials which will always be new. So starting with issue #11, the magazine will feature classic, best of and nostalgic content from the last 67 years."

Many people, including singer and comedian "Weird Al" Yankovic, shared their sadness at new content coming to an end.

He said: "I can't begin to describe the impact it had on me as a young kid - it's pretty much the reason I turned out weird. Goodbye to one of the all-time greatest American institutions."

Brock Baker shared an image of a letter he had from an editor after he submitted jokes and cartoons to the magazine.

Issue 10 of Mad Magazine is set for release in August.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48865342

2019-07-04 11:15:18Z
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Stranger Things Season 3, reviewed. - Slate

The teen protagonists of Stranger Things huddle in a circle below a lamp. — *Stranger Things.*

Netflix

Can you be nostalgic for the first season of Stranger Things? Slavish worship of the 1980s has been the raison d’être—as well as the raison d’everything else—for Matt and Ross Duffer’s Netflix series. But in its third season, the show has become less loving homage and more vampire squid, sucking increasingly hard at a corpse that has long since run dry.

The new season finds us back in the town of Hawkins, Indiana, where adolescent hormones are coursing through the bodies of the series’ now-teenage protagonists. Telekinetic Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who mostly goes by “El” now, is doing her best to live the life of a normal teen, which means constantly making out with her new boyfriend, Mike (Finn Wolfhard). Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) has come back from a month at science camp with a long-distance girlfriend of his own—or so he says, anyway—and love is in the air elsewhere, from the ongoing flirtation between Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) and police chief Hopper (David Harbour) to the simmering sexual tension at the community pool, where bored housewives put on their best one-pieces to make eyes at Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery) in his lifeguard suit.

Like its characters, Stranger Things is growing up, or at least putting on a show of maturity. Season 3 discovers the Cold War, introducing a passel of Central Casting Soviets as the human antagonists, and building a large chunk of the season around the introduction of Hawkins’ first shopping mall, which gives the Duffers an excuse to mock up neon-pink Sam Goody signs and make vague comments about the destruction of small-town life. (Communism is bad, but capitalism is … also bad.) Beginning with a group of children sneaking their way into a showing of George Romero’s R-rated Day of the Dead, the new season ups the ante on violence generally and gore specifically, with rats and eventually larger creatures collapsing into puddles of bloody ooze in order to feed the alien entity that the Dungeons and Dragons–obsessed kids have dubbed the Mind Flayer. But the violence is amped up without thought or discretion; every punch lands with a sledgehammer whomp, whether it’s directed at a hulking Russian enforcer or a teenage boy. Set in 1985, the year after movies introduced the PG-13 rating, the season seems infatuated with its own extremely modest maturity, eager to flex its tiny biceps and show off the imperceptible fuzz on its upper lip.

One of the things that distinguished Stranger Things’ first season was its meticulous attention to period detail; it felt like a show that could have been shot in the 1980s, not just set then. But in the third season, that attention has gone out the window. The cutesy signifiers are there—the geometric neon patterns on standard-issue mall wear, a running gag about New Coke—but the rest has gotten sloppy. The dialogue is awash in expressions that weren’t common 10 years ago, let alone 35: At one point, Dustin gives an impromptu lecture on the tropes of nerdism, using a word that was the exclusive province of graduate students and expressing a sentiment that no teenage boy would have laid claim to. New characters like the town’s stuffed-shirt mayor (Cary Elwes) are so underdeveloped that they barely count as types, indebted as they are to the lousy ’80s movies the show apparently fetishizes. (Why recreate something that wasn’t worth watching the first time?) And the returning characters feel like they’ve been twisted to fit the plot rather than developed in any coherent way, especially sheriff Hopper, who deals with El’s modest teenage rebellion by becoming a drunken lout.

Stranger Things’ greatest legacy may be helping move Netflix toward shorter seasons, but even at eight episodes, the third feels distended, less like “one big movie” than a regular-size movie pumped full of digressions of dead ends. Some of those digressions, like Steve’s banter with Robin (Maya Hawke), his sarcastic co-worker at the mall ice cream shop, can be fitful delights, but the cumulative effect is to actively repel your attention, binge TV as background noise. There are frequently flashbacks not only to previous seasons but previous episodes in this season, as if the show knows it never had your full attention.

If there’s nothing as painful as Season 2’s “punk” episode, there’s nothing in Stranger Things’ third season as memorable either. Even the most distinctive moments feel disconnected from the rest, especially a segment in the final episode that feels as if its sole purpose is to be extracted and recirculated as a meme. (Knowing that it absolutely will does not make watching it any more pleasant.) Netflix has lately been moving toward an unofficial policy of capping series at three seasons, and although Stranger Things shows no signs of stopping, the Duffers might want to consider it anyway.

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https://slate.com/culture/2019/07/stranger-things-season-3-netflix-review.html

2019-07-04 09:45:00Z
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British singer Joss Stone says she was deported from Iran - Aljazeera.com

British soul singer Joss Stone says she was deported from Iran after arriving in the Islamic Republic while on a worldwide concert tour, even though she says she didn't plan to perform there.

Posting on Instagram, Stone appears in a video wearing a white headscarf saying: "Well, we got to Iran, we got detained and then we got deported." She said she knew solo performances by women were illegal, but she still wanted to see Iran.

She wrote that Iranian authorities placed her on a "black list" because they believed she might try to perform a public show. She described the authorities that met her on arrival at Iran's Kish Island as professional throughout their interaction.

"These people are genuinely nice, kind people that felt bad that they couldn't override the system," the 33-year-old wrote in a caption.

Under Iranian law, women cannot perform solo concerts, though women do play in ensemble bands and orchestras.

Last January, Ali Ghamsari, a popular Iranian musician, was banned from performing after a woman sang during one of his concerts.

A month later, Iranian authorities banned the music of singer Hamid Askari and his band after his female guitarist Negin Parsa sang a solo at the end of a song at Tehran's Milad Tower Musi.

And in May, Iranian singer Negar Moazzam was summoned to court for singing to tourists in the village of Abyaneh.

'Bringing good feeling'

It is unclear what Stone planned to otherwise do in Iran, though her Instagram post described her desire to show "the positives of our globe".

"I told them my story and explained my mission, to bring good feeling with what I have to give and show those who want to look the positives of our globe, all with the understanding that public performance wasn't an option in this scenario," she said.

"There is music everywhere, even here. We just have to play by their rules and they have to believe we will. It's a trust thing."

Iranian newspapers reported Stone's Instagram comments on Thursday, though there was no immediate government comment on her claims.

Stone earlier posted images of herself boarding a flight to Iran's Kish Island in the Gulf, which is an economic free zone that allows travel by all nationalities.

Stone came to fame in 2003 as a small-town teenager with a big, soulful voice, showcased on her best-selling debut album, The Soul Sessions, and hit singles including Fell In Love With A Boy.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies

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2019-07-04 08:58:00Z
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Netflix's Stranger Things: Season 3 Review - IGN

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Stranger Things Season 3 is the series' best offering (so far).

By David Griffin

The following contains SPOILERS for all of Stranger Things Season 3 on Netflix. Below, you can also find links to all the individual episode reviews for Season 3, for those who'd like a more focused take on a specific chapter, followed by our full (mostly spoiler-free) Season 3 review.

In the same vein as Game of Thrones, the adolescent cast members of Stranger Things have undergone a striking transformation over the years - both physically and as people. Season 3 effectively highlights the profound changes affecting the kids of Hawkins as they prepare for high school, while also trying to figure out how to grow up without growing apart. Series creators the Duffer brothers succeed in this particular narrative quest, by delivering a darker, scarier, and more action-packed season that surpasses its predecessors.

There's a lot to like about Season 3, but it all starts with the younger characters, who, after seemingly closing the portal to the Upside Down last year, are endeavoring to just be kids during the summer of 1985. Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Eleven's (Millie Bobby Brown) constant make-out sessions are getting in the way of Will's (Noah Schnapp) yearning to play Dungeons & Dragons with the boys, while Dustin's (Gaten Matarazzo) return home from a month-long summer camp doesn't produce the happy reunion he was expecting. And while it's heartbreaking to see hormones getting in the way of established friendships, the group's division leads to a few exciting team-ups.

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Dustin and Steve (Joe Keery) are the ultimate comedic pairing in Season 3, with their evolving bromance leading to some emotionally stirring scenes. Both young men are struggling to come to grips with their respective new circumstances: Steve not getting into college and being forced to work at the local ice cream shop, and Dustin's friends not taking an interest in any of his new inventions. Throughout the season, Steve and Dustin's mentor/mentee dynamic is both charming and hilarious.

Joining the dynamic duo is newcomer Robin (played by Maya Hawke), who works with Steve at Scoops Ahoy. Like Dustin, Robin is another mentor for Steve "The Hair" Harrington, challenging the former high school heartthrob in unexpected ways. Hawke blends into the growing ensemble nicely, making it easy to forget that she's brand new.

Without getting into specifics, we can tell you that the Upside Down, the Mind Flayer, and its minions are alive and well, producing some terrifying new creatures and thrilling action sequences later in the season. The new monsters are unlike anything we've ever seen before, and you can tell that Netflix spared no expense in bringing them to life. The season finale, titled "The Battle of Starcourt," is an 80-minute supernatural roller coaster of suspense with movie-size production values. And we're happy to report that all eight episodes are essential viewing, without any of the "Netflix bloat" we've grown accustomed to.

On the adult side of things, Police Chief Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) are going through their own significant character metamorphoses. Joyce is still struggling to get over the death of her beloved Bob Newby back in Season 2. Ryder's heartfelt performance is elevated by the Duffers' creative choices behind the camera, using flashbacks and violent imagery to accentuate Joyce's fractured state of mind.

For Hopper, he's going through the school of parenting hard knocks with his adopted daughter, Eleven. Harbour is incredible in his portrayal of an over-protective dad who's having difficulty accepting that his child is growing up. Together, Hopper and Joyce are an entertaining pair to follow, and their "will they/won't they" chemistry is delightful.

Apart from the supernatural creatures from the Upside Down, Stranger Things Season 3 also boasts a badass human villain named Grigori (Andrey Ivchenko), who eerily resembles Arnold Schwarzenegger from the first Terminator film. Grigori doesn't say much, but his threatening looks and '80s haircut speak louder than words. The mysterious Russian agent has some memorable fist-throwing encounters with Hopper, which are a nice change of pace from battling slimy monsters.

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Genre favorite Cary Elwes, who plays Hawkins' smarmy Mayor Larry Kline, is, unfortunately, one of the more forgettable additions to Season 3. Elwes plays his part as the villain well, but there's no nuance to his character - he's exactly who you presume him to be, which is a shame since Elwes is such a capable actor.

Stranger Things continues to grow in terms of its cast and the scope of its story, so it's understandable that not every character will get the attention they deserve... But it's still noticeable. Jonathan Byers (Charlie Heaton) and Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) fall into this particular category, with their respective storylines feeling inconsequential compared to the rest of the Hawkins gang. Even though Nancy and Jonathan are involved with the main plot, if you took them out of the equation, the season wouldn't suffer. Hopefully, the two aspiring reporters will have more to do in Season 4. Time will tell.

The Verdict

Netflix's Stranger Things Season 3 is the series' best outing so far, with bigger stakes and stronger character development than its previous two iterations. As the kids mature, so do their respective stories and the young actors continue to deliver the goods.

Newcomer Maya Hawke is an outstanding addition to the already stacked ensemble, with David Harbour's Hopper and Winona Ryder's Joyce adding a nice bit of emotional depth with their compelling storyline. The production value has also been given a boost, making this Season 3 feel more like something you might see in a movie theater.

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https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/07/04/netflixs-stranger-things-season-3-review

2019-07-04 07:06:28Z
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Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner Share Sweet First Photo of Their Wedding Day — See Her Fairytale Dress! - PEOPLE.com

| PEOPLE.com

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https://people.com/music/joe-jonas-sophie-turner-share-photo-wedding-day-see-her-dress/

2019-07-04 04:55:00Z
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