Artnewspress : In Star Wars lore, a Jedi Knight’s lightsaber plays an important role in their journey. Luke builds a new green lightsaber by the time we see him in Return of the Jedi, you know, after he lost the other one in Empire Strikes Back. Leia Organa had her own lightsaber during her training with Luke, but she gave it to him for safe keeping. And Rey eventually used Leia’s lightsaber to defeat Emperor Palpatine, but what about Rey’s own lightsaber?
As you may recall, in The Rise of Skywalker, we only get to see Rey’s lightsaber in the very last scene, during which she activates it near Luke’s old farm home on Tatooine. Revealing this new lightsaber at the tail end of her journey did seem a bit odd. But, apparently, it had a much larger part to play in The Rise of Skywalker, according to Lucasfilm art director Phil Szostak. Here’s what he had to say on social media:
The lightsaber was going to be in more than just one shot at the end. There was going to be a subplot throughout the film showing Rey working on it at her bench, using the Jedi texts as a guide.
I think it would have been interesting to intersect this subplot with Rey’s own journey toward defeating Emperor Palpatine. Honestly, revealing her lightsaber at the end doesn’t hold as much weight otherwise.
The importance of lightsabers is a concept that was featured heavily in The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker. In The Force Awakens, Luke’s lightsaber almost takes on a life of its own, as it even calls to Rey. It’s also eventually used by both Finn and Rey to defeat Kylo Ren before the former takes it to Luke Skywalker himself, who would then chuck it over his should in The Last Jedi.
When it comes to the Dark Side, Kylo Ren wields a red lightsaber with a cross guard, a feature that certainly had the internet going crazy at the time. The cross guard, according to J.J. Abrams, was to symbolize Kylo Ren’s position as a powerful and dark knight (not of the Batman variety).
We also get a little taste of what Rey’s Sith lightsaber would have looked like in The Rise of Skywalker. During her vision, she faces off with her darker self who uses a lightsaber that folds. Apparently, this lightsaber was influenced by Darth Vader’s own weapon.
With Rey revealing her new yellow lightsaber at the end of The Rise of Skywalker, it’s almost as if J.J. Abrams and the producers were trying to set up a new series following her journey as a Jedi Knight. But there hasn’t any indication that’s actually going to happen, with Daisy Ridley denying she’s involved in any future projects. Where Star Wars goes from here is anyone’s guess, but as always we’ll be sure to keep you updated on the latest. You can also stream Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker now on Disney+
Almost 60 years have been put into the history of the James Bond series of films, and yet it’s hard to find anyone who delivers action better than 007 himself. Even after 25 movies, six actors playing the lead role, and a slew of memorable allies and villains to make things interesting, there doesn’t feel like there’s a lot of surprises waiting for us past the release of No Time To Die. At least, nothing beyond the usual pitfalls and plot twists.
It’s that step beyond Daniel Craig’s final outing as the famed super spy that has us wondering about the future. In particular, there are six major questions we’re asking ourselves in the lead up to this fall’s hotly anticipated release, and they’re pretty massive once you get down to it.
Let’s start asking around and seeing what the future brings, as we dive into the six major questions we have about the future of the James Bond franchise.
How Long Could The James Bond Franchise Really Last?
Almost 60 years is an amazing spell of history for a movie series, even in the age of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With as many changes and overhauls as the James Bond franchise has undergone, its continued run of skilled thrill seeking feels like it could last forever. But eventually, one has to ask the same question that’s probably been posed every time the lead is recast, or another decade is added to the books: how long could 007’s run at the movies really last?
If we’re completely honest, the wealth of stories in the literary canon, as well as the new and exciting stories has us feeling like we’ll be seeing quite a bit of James Bond in the decades to come. Though, as anyone will tell you, nothing ever lasts forever. So if there’s an end to the James Bond series of films, when that end could come is something people will always wonder about. Plus, if there ever is an ending to the Bond franchise, what that ending would look like is something folks will be talking about until they see it for themselves
When Will James Bond Be Officially Recast?
In a more immediate context, a very important question is just when Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the producers running the James Bond franchise, will officially announce Daniel Craig’s successor. Surely, it’ll be sometime after No Time To Die is released, which will only extend Craig’s record setting run as the actor officially attached to the role.
But with a potential casting hunt underway as we speak, and short lists starting to be written, crossed out, and redrafted, one has to wonder if this particular announcement will come sooner than later. The only definite in this equation is that so long as No Time To Die is being talked about by fans and critics alike, we won’t hear anything definitive about the next potential James Bond being picked.
Will We Ever See An Ethnically Diverse James Bond?
One of the two big questions about casting a new 007 is, naturally, which candidates have the inside edge? That gives way to the other huge scenario that folks have been puzzling over in recent years: will we ever see an ethnically diverse actor being cast as James Bond? There’s certainly been some fantastic competition when it comes to the historic possibility, enough that this is a valid question to keep asking.
As both Henry Golding and Idris Elba have come up as potential contenders for the Bond franchise mantle, with fan reaction on both sides of the spectrum becoming intense, breaking the tradition of a caucasian actor in the James Bond role feels like something the series could engage in to shake things up. It honestly doesn’t feel like a matter of if, but when, and that when is where the questions will remain until it happens. Though, if you ask the experts, Idris Elba’s ship has apparently sailed when it comes to getting his turn in the tuxedo; meaning all eyes will probably turn to Mr. Golding next
Could The James Bond Franchise Trigger Another Reboot?
The classic era of James Bond films always seemed to play around with the introduction of a new actor in the role, while at the same time mostly skating around the question of any sort of cinematic continuity. Though once the series triggered a reboot with 2006’s Casino Royale, it seemed like the days of continuity being thrown out the window were numbered; especially with how the story of SPECTRE has tied together a bunch of loose threads into an overarching plot.
As Daniel Craig’s adventures have been pretty serialized, with No Time To Die promising conclusion to the story starting in his first film, could the Bond franchise be rebooted yet again? Seeing as the 007 saga has used frequent actor changes without even batting an eye, there’s hope that while the person playing Bond will change, the overall story will see somewhat of a painless continuation throughout whomever steps into the role next
Are Any Of The Non Ian Fleming 007 Books Going To Be Adapted?
Throughout his initial run of the literary arm of the James Bond empire, author Ian Fleming wrote the initial collection of 14 books. Between full novels and short stories, almost all of Fleming’s books have been adapted, with only a couple of title still lurking as unadapted works. Should there be a day where we finally see The Property of a Lady or Risico finding their way at the head of an elaborate title sequence, does that mean the non-Fleming canon will find its way into the queue?
Various authors have written everything from a full series of continuous novels, like John Gardner and Raymond Benson, to various one-offs that have peppered the series with various plots that would make for enticing adaptations. But while the options are and have always been on the table, the approach to the 007 franchise is more focused on original stories, rather than simple film adaptations of a pre-existing book. For the moment, it doesn’t look like we’ll see any of the non-Ian Fleming books adapted, either in title or in story. But as Bond fans have learned in the past, it’s best to never say never.
Will There Ever Be A Female James Bond?
You could say everything we’ve discussed up to this point was leading up to the ultimate questions: could we ever see a female James Bond? Honestly, it’s a question that feels like it has a definite answer for the time being. At the moment, there is a firm believe that there will not be a gender swap in James Bond’s future, though there have been some interesting developments that dance around that very subject.
Rumors surrounding No Time To Die have pegged Lashana Lynch’s new agent Nomi not only as a 00 agent, but also the newly minted 007 after Bond’s supposed retirement. So while a female James Bond isn’t exactly a possibility at the moment, a female 007 isn’t that far off. Much like a sports player, numbers can be transferred to other agents. Otherwise, how would you explain 009 dying off on more than one occasion in the series.
That being said, with enough fans asking this very question over a prolonged period of time, there’s an outside chance that James Bond could eventually be changed into a female protagonist. You don’t see a series such as this reaching 60 years, much less out pacing that milestone, without being open to change.
As the decades have seen 007 pivoting to the geopolitical fears and adjustments of the times, there will always be some sort of new, exciting, and even a couple of very strange angles for those in charge of the franchise to take. It’s what keeps audiences returning with each installment, and it’s also what will keep us asking the big questions about where things are going.
The Godzilla And Kong Movies: 6 Questions We Have About The Future Of The MonsterVerse
There’s a lot we already know about the upcoming Godzilla vs. Kong. We know the director, the date, and even some of its competition at the box office. But as much as we do know about the movie, there’s also a lot that we don’t know. Not only that, but there are also many lingering questions about the MonsterVerse in general, since Godzilla: King of the Monsters didn’t do so great at the box office.
But fear not, monster fans, since I’m here to sift through some of the questions and deliver the best answers I can. Because if Godzilla vs. Kong does do well at the box office (despite Pixar’s Soul coming out the exact same weekend – November 20, 2020) then there are a lot of huge possibilities for the future of the MonsterVerse that could potentially make fans very happy. So let’s see what we can find out, shall we?
Will the MonsterVerse Continue After Godzilla vs. Kong?
Here’s the multi-million dollar question. Godzilla vs. Kong is the last movie officially slated for the MonsterVerse, which now includes the 2014 Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. But the question is, will there be any more movies in the MonsterVerse following Godzilla vs. Kong?
Well, possibly, but things aren’t looking so great. Mostly because of diminishing returns. The 2014 Godzilla made a healthy $527 million worldwide against its $160 million budget, making it a hit. Likewise with Kong: Skull Island, which cost $185 million, but made over $566.7 million worldwide. But Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which cost $170 million, only made $386.6 million worldwide. A minor hiccup? Maybe. But with King of the Monsters including fan favorites like Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah, one would think that this would be the biggest movie yet in the MonsterVerse, but instead, it performed the weakest. So that means that Godzilla vs. Kong really has to step it up at the box office if there are going to be more movies in the series.
Will Other Monsters Get Solo Movies?
This really goes to my last point, as it all depends on Godzilla vs. Kong’s box office performance. But you can’t fault Legendary Pictures for trying. Godzilla: King of the Monsters featured many different titans, with some of them seen at the end bowing to Godzilla. King of the Monsters also featured popular monsters like Mothra and Rodan, who’ve had solo movies of their own back in the ’50s and ’60s. One would think that Legendary would love to give these other titans the spotlight.
And they still might. The Mothra twin sisters were teased in King of the Monsters, and Rodan didn’t die in that movie, so there’s always the chance that he might show up again in his own picture. Plus, there will probably be a second Kong movie if Godzilla vs. Kong does well. But a Mothra or a Rodan movie probably wouldn’t be too far off, either. They’ve already been set up as it is.
Who Will Win the Godzilla Vs. Kong Fight, and What Might That Mean For the Future of the Franchise?
Godzilla vs. Kong’s director, Adam Wingard, says that he wants there to be a victor in his movie, which is good news for fans of the 1962 movie, King Kong vs. Godzilla, because neither behemoth won in that film.
But what could the victor of this movie mean for the future of the franchise? Well, as I said in the last entry, if this movie is successful, then there will likely be a Kong 2. And since Godzilla has already gotten two movies, my prediction is that Kong will “win” in this film. What a win will actually look like is debatable, bit my bet is on the King, which would potentially lead into a Kong sequel.
Will We Actually See Mechagodzilla?
And then there’s the possibility that Mechagodzilla could be in this movie! The inspiration for this theory is from newspaper clippings at the end credits of Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Some of the clippings reveal a lead-up to Godzilla vs. Kong, with a few of them mentioning how the titans themselves may be coming from Skull Island, which would technically make King Kong the king of the titans. But the most interesting clipping comes from one with the headline, “Monarch Boosts Forces Around Skull Island”, since it mentions a “mechanized giant.” Monarch, if you don’t remember, is the organization behind keeping the titans in check.
This would be awesome, since Mechagodzilla’s only American appearance, believe it or not, is in the movie, Ready Player One. Could the people at Monarch wage war against the two titans in a giant mech? Signs are certainly pointing in that direction.
Is a Pacific Rim Crossover Still Possibly in the Cards?
This is a crazy idea, but prior to the release of Pacific Rim: Uprising, the film’s director, Steven S. DeKnight, teased that a Pacific Rim/Godzilla crossover was a possibility. Could that be the “mechanized giant” that is being referred to rather than Mechagodzilla?
That would be pretty badass, but unlikely. Unfortunately, Pacific Rim: Uprising didn’t do as well as originally hoped. If you didn’t know, the original Pacific Rim did okay in the U.S., and surprisingly well in China. But with Uprising not doing as well as anticipated, it kind of squelched the likelihood of the Pacific Rim brand continuing on the big screen (though, we are getting a Netflix anime). Still, if Godzilla vs. Kong does well, maybe it might reinvigorate the idea of a crossover. It’s still too early to say.
Will the Next Toho Godzilla Movies Consider the American Godzilla Movies as Canon?
And finally, what might be the most interesting question is where these American Godzilla movies will stand with the Toho Godzilla movies. In an interview with the Japanese publication, Nikkei Style (via Bloody Disgusting), Toho’s Chief Godzilla officer, Keiji Ota, revealed back in 2018 that after the deal with Warner Bros. expires in 2021, Toho plans to create their own Godzilla “shared universe”. This would include all the famous monsters like Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah found in King of the Monsters, and possibly other fan favorites like Gigan, Destoroyah, and Biollante.
The question is, will Toho consider the American Godzilla films as canon, or will they just ignore them altogether? Well, believe it or not, but the Godzilla featured in Roland Emmerich’s 1998 Godzilla movie was actually repurposed in the Toho produced Godzilla: Final Wars and just called Zilla. If Toho isn’t pleased by the results of Godzilla vs. Kong, you might see the American Godzilla in a future Toho movie, getting knocked around by the Japanese Godzilla.
And those are my questions. Do you have any questions of your own?
Vin Diesel Grateful For Time Filming Fast And Furious Movies While F9 Is On Hold
Nearly 20 years after the Fast & Furious franchise launched, Vin Diesel is still arguably best known for his role as Dominic Toretto, having played the character in all but one of the main movies. Diesel and his Fast & Furious crew were set to return this Friday for F9, but as a consequence of the current health crisis, the movie was pushed back an entire year.
So now we must wait until spring 2021 for F9 to arrive, but in the meantime, Vin Diesel expressed gratitude for the time he’s spent working on the Fast & Furious movies with the following social media post:
Here we have Vin Diesel next to Michelle Rodriguez, who’s appeared as Letty Ortiz in six Fast & Furious movies thus far and will be back for F9, in Cuba, which were parts of 2017’s The Fate of the Furious were filmed. As Diesel noted in his Instagram post, Cuba is just one of many locations the Fast & Furious movies have shot footage, thus making it rather apt to refer to the franchise as “the world’s saga” in his mind.
Next year will mark two full decades since this saga began with The Fast and the Furious, which saw Vin Diesel and Michell Rodriguez acting alongside the late Paul Walker and Jordan Brewster. What once a series of movies revolving around street racing has evolved into fantastical adventures that see the protagonists saving the world in their vehicles and frequently breaking the laws of physics.
Still, the Fast & Furious franchise is still going strong, with both Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious both crossing the $1 billion mark. Last year also marked the franchise’s first spinoff, Hobbs & Shaw, which saw Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham’s respective characters teaming up again to prevent Idris Elba’s Brixton, a cybernetically-enhanced terrorist, from unleashing a deadly virus onto the world.
The main Fast & Furious saga will pick back up again with F9, thus bringing us closer to the end of an era. While the franchise as a whole will continue through a Hobbs & Shaw sequel and a female-centric spinoff, the plan is still to wrap up the primary film series with Fast & Furious 10. That movie was set to come out next April, but since F9 has been pushed back to that slot, it’s unclear right now when Movie #10 will arrive.
As for F9, it will see Dominic Toretto and his crew clashing with Dom and Mia’s estranger brother, Jakob Thereto, who has joined forces with Charlize Theron’s Cipher. The F9 trailer also revealed that Sung Kang’s Han Lue, who was believed to have died in Tokyo Drift, is somehow still alive.
F9 races into theaters on April 2, 2021, so keep checking back at CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. Keep track of what’s set to hit the silver screen this year with our 2020 release schedule
The Walking Dead’s Original Plan For Beth Was Even More Gruesome
After all the dark and sordid moments that have gone down on The Walking Dead over the course of its first ten seasons, nothing the show does at this point should really shock me in terms of its depravity. However, one former recurring Walking Dead actor recently threw cold water on my assumptions by revealing the show’s nutso original plans for killing off Emily Kinney’s Beth Greene.
Walking Dead vet Lew Temple, who played the short-lived fan-favorite Axel, dropped by the Talk Suffer to Me podcast to talk about the show and his sports talents. It was there where he revealed the Walking Dead’s showrunner and producers at the time were aiming to not only give Axel a bigger storyline, but they were going to kill off Beth two seasons earlier than the character actually got murdered. Here’s how Temple put it:
There were some episodes that were written where I do take Beth out into the woods and slaughter her. And so we didn’t get to any of those. That was why I kept buttoned up, he was gonna come undone and be totally Henry Rollins tattooed. The whole thing about being a drug addict was all a facade, the thing about the squirt gun and pistol is all bullshit.
For those who need a quick refresher, Axel was part of the prison crew in Season 3. He wasn’t a drug dealer as he’d told the others, but had actually been arrested for armed robbery after holding up a store using a water pistol. But it sounds like the writers had script-tested several situations where Axel would prove himself to be something much more sinister than a gun-fearing softie.
How awesome would it have been to see Axel reveal his Max Cady-esque tats just before going all movie monster on someone. To be sure, it would have been awful for The Walking Dead to kill off Beth before Emily Kinney had really hit her development stride in Seasons 4 and 5. But the way she did get taken out of the story at the hospital was pretty blah, and it received a sizable backlash from viewers, so getting slaughtered by a secret serial killer might have been a more memorable way to bow out.
During the podcast interview, Lew Temple also said that the writers had added moments where Axel was meant to abuse Carol in that same storyline stretch, which would have definitely riled the fanbase up against the actor’s favor. But alas, none of it came to be, with Axel unfortunately getting taken out during an attack by The Governor. Here’s Temple recalling that switcheroo.
I mean, just these really dark things that the writers were talking about. And then all of a sudden, it’s like, ‘Oh, we painted ourselves in the corner, the Governor is showing up and he’s gotta draw blood or he’ll be impotent. He’s gotta draw first blood. And it’s looking like you’re gonna get the short straw.’
To Lew Temple’s credit, his final scene with Carol is his best, and to see him get shot in the head just as he’s in the midst of a warm conversation was as heartbreaking a death as it got for supporting characters. Now, I still think it would have been more interesting and nuanced had that moment happened without anyone realizing that Axel was actually a serial killer. Especially if someone would have discovered Beth’s body (or that of another victim) later, which would set about a wave of fear and panic that Axel couldn’t even relish.
The Walking Dead wasn’t just pulling that serial killer plot line out of the air, of course. It sounds very much like the writers were going to give Axel some of the story beats of Thomas Richards, who was also part of the prison crew in the source material. Thomas was a mostly quite individual whose deadly, decapitation-friendly motivations were soon revealed. Though he wasn’t a major character, Thomas was one of the first times that Rick’s group encountered an all-too-human threat, although there were many more of those to come, both in the comic and on the TV show.
Though The Walking Dead wrapped up Season 10 earlier this year, the show has yet to deliver its official season finale, which was in the midst of being finalized when production had to shut down. In the meantime, you can stream the first nine seasons on Netflix.