Avengers: Endgame

I'm splitting Avengers 4 off from Avengers: Infinity War right away.

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OCTOBER 13, 2018 6:07pm PT by Ryan Parker
'Avengers 4' Directors Announce Film Has Wrapped With Puzzling Photo

https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/f..._joe_russo.jpg
Desiree Navarro/Getty Images
Anthony (left) and Joe Russo

What could the bright blue light be?

Joe and Anthony Russo on Friday announced that production had wrapped on their highly anticipated, yet-to-be-titled fourth Avengers movie — but they also left fans scratching their heads.

Along with tweeting their news, the brothers' account shared a picture of a bright blue glowing light.

Marvel fans immediately went into overdrive trying to figure out what it meant.

In the previous film, Infinity War, half of the superheroes died, so one fan theory about the light was that one more hero is going to die. And since Chris Evans recently confirmed he was done playing Captain America, sights were set on him.

Of course, it could just be the brothers messing with fans and a picture of a set light.

Either way, fans are going to have to wait some time to find out. Before the pic is released, Brie Larson's Captain Marvel will hit theaters March 8, with Avengers 4 is set to open May 3.

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View image on Twitter

Russo Brothers
✔
@Russo_Brothers
#wrapped

8:54 PM - Oct 12, 2018
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RYAN PARKER
ryan.parker@thr.com
theryanparker

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA6hldpSTF8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iFq6IcAxBc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcMBFSGVi1c

Chinese Labor Day. Well played MCU.

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'Avengers: Endgame' to Open in China Two Days Before U.S.
7:39 PM PDT 3/28/2019 by Patrick Brzeski

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Courtesy of Disney Enterprises
'Avengers: Endgame'

The Marvel franchise-ender is now set up for massive earnings at the world's second-biggest box office.

China's millions of Marvel fans were celebrating Friday, as news arrived that Disney's Avengers: Infinity War will open in the country on April 24 — two days before its U.S. rollout on April 26.

The Marvel franchise is enormously popular in the Middle Kingdom — as much, or more so, than anywhere in the world. Avengers: Infinity War opened with a record of $199.3 million in China in April 2018, but it debuted there a full two weeks after launching in the U.S. and most major international markets. This time, China will be among the first to the party.

Some local analysts are already hazarding wild predictions that Endgame could be Hollywood's first film to generate more than half a billion dollars in ticket sales. Three Chinese films have hit that milestone — Wolf Warrior 2 ($854 million), The Wandering Earth ($663 million and counting) and Operation Red Sea ($576 million) — but Hollywood titles have yet to crack the $400 million mark. The biggest U.S. releases to date are The Fate of the Furious with $392 million, Furious 7 at $390.9 million and Infinity War, which finished at $359.9 million.

Endgame, the 22nd installment in the MCU, is the culmination of the 11-year journey that started with Iron Man, and is a direct sequel to Infinity War from last year. The franchise's start coincided with the beginnings of China's box office boom era, meaning a whole generation of young Chinese filmgoers' first memories of the multiplex are nostalgically linked to MCU superhero movies.

With Endgame now opening in China on a Wednesday (April 24), direct comparisons to past opening weekends will be somewhat imprecise. What's clear is that the film has landed a near optimal spring release window.

Endgame's second weekend in China will overlap with the country's Labor Day holiday, which grants Chinese students and workers off from Wednesday, May 1 to Saturday, May 4. But in a quirk of Chinese holiday scheduling, the weekdays off mean that both Sunday, April 28 and Sunday, May 5 become replacement work days. Still, the stretch of holidays and early release slot mean Endgame is well positioned for a record run in the world's second-biggest movie market, where Marvel fandom is as fervent as anywhere in the world.

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APRIL 05, 2019 12:14pm PT by Ryan Parker
Disney, 'Avengers' Stars Team Up for $5M Children's Hospital Donation

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Courtesy of Disney
(From left to right) Paul Rudd, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Robert Iger, Brie Larson, Chris Hemsworth and Jeremy Renner.

"The superheroes in 'Avengers' personify traits like courage, perseverance, bravery and hope — the same traits countless kids and their families in children's hospitals exhibit every day," Robert Iger says.

The stars of the upcoming Avengers: Endgame, along with Disney CEO Robert Iger, appeared at Disneyland Resort on Friday to announce a $5 million donation to children's hospitals across the country.

The donation of cash and toys to Starlight Children's Foundation is through the Avengers Universe Unites campaign, which is Walt Disney Company's signature philanthropic commitment to Disney Team of Heroes, according to Disney. The LEGO Group, Hasbro, Funko and Amazon all donated.

Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd and Brie Larson were all on hand at Disney California Adventure Park to celebrate the donation.

"The superheroes in Avengers personify traits like courage, perseverance, bravery and hope — the same traits countless kids and their families in children's hospitals exhibit every day," Iger said, according to a news release. "We are grateful to have the Avengers cast take time out of their day to be a part of this effort to lift spirits and bring comfort to children during a difficult time."

The Avengers stars were later joined by children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Anaheim and Garden Grove.

"Nobody understands magical experiences better than Disney, and we've been proud to partner with them in bringing those experiences to kids in children's hospitals for more than 20 years," said Adam Garone, CEO of the Starlight Children's Foundation, according to the release. "From delivering hospital care packages to storytelling through Starlight Xperience virtual reality to our recent Disney-themed Starlight Gowns, millions of seriously ill children have benefited from our amazing relationship together."

Avengers: Endgame is due in theaters April 26.

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THREADS
Avengers Endgame
Real Life 'Superheroes'

So who's going to get the first forum review for this one? NO SPOILERS!

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China Box Office: 'Avengers: Endgame' Smashes Presales Record
of $270 million to $300 million in North America
12:15 AM PDT 4/23/2019 by Patrick Brzeski

Analysts predict the Russo Brothers' franchise closer to open to around $270 million, on its way to becoming Hollywood's biggest earner in China ever.

Disney/Marvel's Avengers: Endgame, the Russo Brothers' wildly anticipated franchise closer, is flexing its muscles for a record-smashing run in China.

As of midday Tuesday Beijing time, the tentpole, set to open in China on Wednesday, had already reached $90 million (RMB 603 million) in presales, setting a new all-time presales record, ahead of local tentpole Monster Hunt 2 (RMB 401 million) and Avengers: Infinity War (RMB 398 million).

Avengers: Endgame also is estimated to earn more than $20 million in midnight previews, more than double the existing previews record held by Furious 8 ($9.1 million) since 2017.

Endgame, the 22nd installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), is the culmination of the 11-year journey that started with Iron Man, and is a direct sequel to Infinity War from last year. The franchise's start coincided with the beginnings of China's box office boom era, meaning a whole generation of young Chinese filmgoers' first memories of the multiplex are nostalgically linked to MCU superhero movies. Marvel fandom is as fervent in the Middle Kingdom as anywhere in the world.

Opening in China on Wednesday, two days ahead of the U.S., Avengers: Endgame should have no trouble topping Infinity War's $191 million opening from July last year.

Artisan Gateway, a leading China box office reporting group, predicts Endgame will earn around $270 million (1.8 billion RMB) during its five-day opening. The company forecasts Endgame to finish its run as the first Hollywood film to earn more than RMB 3 billion (just under $450 million) in China. Universal's The Fate of the Furious is currently the biggest U.S. film in China ever, with $392 million (RMB 2.67 billion).

With Endgame opening in China midweek, most direct comparisons to past opening weekends will be somewhat imprecise. Endgame is also well positioned for a strong performance in its second weekend, which will overlap with China's Labor Day holiday, which grants local students and workers off from Wednesday, May 1, to Saturday, May 4. But in a quirk of Chinese holiday scheduling, the weekdays off mean that both Sunday, April 28, and Sunday, May 5, become replacement work days.

China's theatrical film market is notoriously tricky to predict, as word of mouth and online buzz have been known to knock out the legs of heavily hyped fan disappointments or lift more obscure movies to unexpected box office heights. Thus, the true temperature for Avengers: Endgame's China run will only begin to emerge once the midnight previews begin playing and user-generated reviews accumulate en masse on China's ticketing apps.

Endgame is expected to have no trouble scoring the biggest opening ever at the global box office, with $850 million-$900 million (less conservative analysts are even floating the $1 billion milestone). In North America, it's likewise expected to unseat Avengers: Infinity War and post a record debut of $270 million-plus, with some betting on $300 million.

PATRICK BRZESKI
THRnews@thr.com
@thr

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Downey is obvious for Endgame et.al. Wen is clearly more of the Mulan play.

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Marvel's Robert Downey Jr., Ming-Na Wen and Jon Favreau become Disney Legends
Disney says the three have been given the "highest honor" it can bestow.
BY CORINNE REICHERT
MAY 16, 2019 11:59 AM PDT

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Robert Downey Jr. has been named a Disney Legend for his role as Iron Man.
Photo by The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images

Disney said Thursday that Marvel Cinematic Universe members Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau and Ming-Na Wen will be made Disney Legends.

Disney names a series of legends each year in recognition of their contributions to the company.

Downey is being recognized for his role as Tony Stark -- which he almost didn't get -- throughout the Marvel movies, from 2008's Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame, and in supporting roles in Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Ming-Na Wen was the voice of Mulan in the 1996 animated film and in subsequent video games, TV shows and movies, including the famous Disney princess scene in Wreck It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet. She now plays Agent Melinda May, or the Cavalry, on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Favreau served as executive producer on the three Iron Man movies, The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as played Happy Hogan in the Marvel movies.

"The Disney Legends Award is the highest honor we can bestow," Disney CEO Bob Iger said at the D23 Expo. "It's a recognition of talent, a celebration of achievement, and an expression of profound gratitude to the remarkable men and women who have made an indelible mark on our company and our creative legacy."

Also joining the 2019 crop of Disney Legends are Darth Vader actor James Earl Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean composer Hans Zimmer; Executive Vice President of Imagineering Wing Chao, Fantasmic! creator Barnette Ricci, Descendants director and High School Musical producer Kenny Ortega, Hocus Pocus' Bette Midler, ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer, and ESPN and ABC host Robin Roberts.

Already on the list are 289 other Disney stalwarts, including Pixar co-founder Steve Jobs; Marvel Universe co-creator Stan Lee; Star Wars and Indiana Jones creator George Lucas; Pirates of the Caribbean's Johnny Depp; Imagineer and artist Mary Blair; prolific Disney princess movie composer Alan Menken; Star Wars' Carrie Fisher; the original Marry Poppins, Julie Andrews; Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel; Paige O'Hara, the voice of Belle; Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Tiana; Tim Allen, the voice of Buzz Lightyear; Lea Salonga, who provided the singing voice of Jasmine and Mulan; Billy Crystal and John Goodman of Monsters Inc.; and the original Parent Trap star Hayley Mills.

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way to milk it mcu... :rolleyes:

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JUNE 19, 2019 8:00am PT by Ryan Parker
'Avengers: Endgame' to Get Rerelease With New Footage

The Marvel film is chasing 'Avatar' for the highest-grossing film of all time.
It ain't over yet, Avengers fans.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige told multiple outlets that Endgame would be heading back to theaters with new footage.

Disney did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Specifics about how much new footage will be in the film that already runs three hours is unclear.

"Not an extended cut, but there will be a version going into theaters with a bit of a marketing push with a few new things at the end of the movie," Feige told ScreenRant. "If you stay and watch the movie, after the credits, there’ll be a deleted scene, a little tribute, and a few surprises."

Feige said that the rerelease will hit theaters next weekend. It’s unclear how many screens it will play on and how long the rerelease will be in theaters.

The Disney film already broke numerous box office records in its original release, becoming the second-highest grossing film of all time, behind James Cameron's Avatar. Endgame is still 1,420 theaters — a large number for a film that was released nearly two months ago.

Endgame destroyed records in its $1.2 billion worldwide launch. It has an unheard of opening that came in nearly $600 million ahead of the previous mark set a year ago by Avengers: Infinity War.

It is the record-holder for biggest opening in North America with $350 million. Infinity War was the previous record holder at $257.6 million, followed by Star Wars: The Force Awakens at $248 million.

Endgame has made $2.74 billion to date. Avatar, also released into theaters multiple times, made $2.8 billion.

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...that's kinda cheating but I suppose Cameron could re-release Avatar with additional footage too. Avatar was a one-off initially. Endgame was the culmination of what - 17 movies? There's no comparison, except for that box office bottom line. :o

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NEWS JUNE 19, 2019 10:26AM PT
Disney Re-Releasing ‘Avengers: Endgame’ in Effort to Beat ‘Avatar’ Box Office Record
By REBECCA RUBIN
News Editor, Online
@https://twitter.com/rebeccaarubin

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.c...0&h=563&crop=1
CREDIT: COURTESY OF MAVEL/DISNEY

If “Avengers: Endgame” doesn’t beat “Avatar’s” all-time box office record, it won’t be for lack of trying.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige told numerous publications that “Avengers: Endgame” will be re-released in theaters with extended footage that didn’t make it into the initial film, which already clocks in at a butt-numbing three hours and one minute. Disney, which owns Marvel, did not respond to Variety’s request for comment.

The second run of the movie will not be available in the Imax format, a spokesperson for the company told Variety.

“Not an extended cut, but there will be a version going into theaters with a bit of a marketing push with a few new things at the end of the movie,” Feige told ScreenRant. “If you stay and watch the movie, after the credits, there’ll be a deleted scene, a little tribute, and a few surprises. Which will be next weekend.”

Its return to the big screen is likely a bid to take down James Cameron’s “Avatar” as the biggest film of all time. “Avatar” has remained the highest-grossing movie ever for nearly a decade with $2.78 billion in global ticket sales. “Avengers: Endgame,” after two months in theaters, has collected $2.74 billion worldwide to date. “Avengers: Endgame” emerged as a serious challenger to “Avatar’s” record when it came out of the gate sprinting, crossing the $2 billion mark in just 11 days. Since its performance was so front-loaded, its momentum has unsurprisingly slowed. It now needs roughly $44 million to surpass “Avatar.”

It’s unclear if there’s an appetite for an “Avengers: Endgame” re-release so soon, especially since the film is still in most theaters. But then, it’s unwise to underestimate the power of comic-book enthusiasts. After all, few expected that “Avengers: Endgame” would reach $357 million in North America and $1.2 billion worldwide during its opening weekend. The prospect that Marvel might unveil deleted scenes and post-credit footage, features typically reserved for DVD releases, could be enough to already draw fans back to their local movie theater. “Avengers: Endgame” could also get a bump in ticket sales from “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” which hits multiplexes in July.

Marvel devotees have been vocal on social media, utilizing a #WhateverItTakes hashtag to rally support behind “Avengers: Endgame’s” ultimate box office domination. At the very least, “Avengers: Endgame” will have to settle with being the second-biggest movie of all time. “Avengers: Endgame,” a culmination to the current phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, features a band of heroes including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd).

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I still say Endgame cheated with the re-release. Avatar was a one-off at the time, not the culmination of 17+ films.

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Marvel Studios

MOVIES
AVENGERS: ENDGAME FINALLY ENDS AVATAR'S BOX OFFICE SUPREMACY
IT'S NOT JUST CAPTAIN MARVEL WHO'S GONE HIGHER, FURTHER, FASTER
BRITTANY VINCENT
19h ago

It might have taken a while, but it finally happened: Avengers: Endgame has overtaken James Cameron's Avatar in a long, grueling box office battle.

The massively popular superhero movie passed another impressive milestone, having finally surpassed Avatar's box office totals, but only those from the movie's original theatrical run. Much of the earnings that comprise Avatar's impressive totals were actually derived from its theater re-release (much like Avengers: Endgame is getting), so unfortunately this isn't the big hurrah we've all been waiting for, but it's close.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA6hldpSTF8

It's going to be interesting to see if Avengers: Endgame's return to theaters with additional content will bring it even further over the line with all the new moviegoers piling in to see the movie for the first (or thirteenth) time.

The new version of the movie will include a few deleted scenes at its conclusion, a tribute to the legendary Stan Lee, and a post-credits scene that you'll definitely want to stay afterward to see.

You can look forward to seeing Avengers: Endgame with expanded content as early as this weekend (June 28), so the totals will start rolling in after that. If it continues to perform as well as it did when it opened with an estimated $350 million in ticket sales, then there's a very high probability that we'll see the numbers skyrocket even higher over Avatar's performance.

If you're looking to make it a Marvel week and weekend, Captain Marvel is now out to purchase and stream, and Spider-Man: Far From Home is about to debut in theaters on July 2. Your favorite Marvel heroes are far from being retired from the movies, so you can still head out and support your favorites (most of them, anyway) for the time being.

If you want Avatar's record to be beaten, it'll be up to you to show up and show out, because Endgame is definitely worthy of going down in history, right?

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DECEMBER 18, 2019 1:28AM PT
China’s Box Office Total Breaks All-Time Record
By PATRICK FRATER
Asia Bureau Chief

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CREDIT: COURTESY OF CHINA FILM GROUP

The Chinese box office has broken its all-time yearly record, with local films accounting for eight of the top 10 movies so far in 2019 and a few more anticipated releases yet to come. The previous record total, set last year, of RMB60.7 billion – $8.67 billion at current conversion rates – was overtaken last Friday, according to data from online ticketing agency Maoyan.

With nearly two weeks to go until the end of the year, and a clutch of big titles to be released during the busy Christmas season, 2019’s takings could show several percentage points of growth from last year. Maoyan chose not to issue a forecast, noting that some 2019 releases remain fluid even at this late stage.

The record-breaking haul seemed an unlikely outcome throughout the first half of the year, when the local industry was dogged by uncertainty caused by the Fan Bingbing tax scandal. That triggered a sharp slowdown in production from mid-2018, as well as financial difficulties for studios large and small.

The crucial Chinese New Year period in early 2019 did deliver a record total and a breakthrough for Chinese sci-fi, with “The Wandering Earth” taking RMB4.66 billion ($665 million). But the total did not match the rate of cinema construction, and the season included several disappointments.

Summer was rescued by the unexpected performance of Chinese animated film “Nezha,” which achieved RMB4.97 billion ($710 million), making it China’s second-highest-grossing film ever. And the early autumn, which included a clutch of patriotic movies with releases intended to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic, turned into blockbuster season. Winners were “My People, My Country” and “The Captain” (previously known as “The Chinese Pilot”). It also threw up the unlikely breakthrough of oft-delayed “Better Days,” a local film that got yanked at the last minute from the Berlin Film Festival because of Chinese censors.

Among foreign titles, the only two to figure in the year’s current top 10 are “Avengers: Endgame” and “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.”

Maoyan noted that this year has seen a marked polarization of the Chinese box office. “Nezha” and “Wandering Earth” together account for nearly one sixth of the entire annual total. “China needs more high-quality movies to drive the steady growth of the box office,” it said in an announcement. It highlighted “Song of Youth,” “The Legend of Hei” and “White Snake” as examples of low- and mid-budget successes.

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THREADS
Chollywood rising
Avengers: Endgame
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
The Wandering Earth
Nezha

Selected for films we've discussed here.

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THE 92ND ACADEMY AWARDS | 2020
Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Honoring movies released in 2019

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
NOMINEES
LEONARDO DICAPRIO
Once upon a Time...in Hollywood
JOAQUIN PHOENIX
Joker

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
NOMINEES
BRAD PITT
Once upon a Time...in Hollywood

CINEMATOGRAPHY
NOMINEES
JOKER
Lawrence Sher
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Robert Richardson

COSTUME DESIGN
NOMINEES
JOKER
Mark Bridges
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Arianne Phillips

DIRECTING
NOMINEES
JOKER
Todd Phillips
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Quentin Tarantino
PARASITE
Bong Joon Ho

FILM EDITING
NOMINEES
JOKER
Jeff Groth
PARASITE
Yang Jinmo

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
NOMINEES
PARASITE
South Korea

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
NOMINEES
JOKER
Nicki Ledermann and Kay Georgiou

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
NOMINEES
JOKER
Hildur Guðnadóttir
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
John Williams

BEST PICTURE
NOMINEES
JOKER
Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh and Quentin Tarantino, Producers
PARASITE
Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho, Producers

PRODUCTION DESIGN
NOMINEES
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Production Design: Barbara Ling; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
PARASITE
Production Design: Lee Ha Jun; Set Decoration: Cho Won Woo

SOUND EDITING
NOMINEES
JOKER
Alan Robert Murray
1917
Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Wylie Stateman
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Matthew Wood and David Acord

SOUND MIXING
NOMINEES
JOKER
Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic and Tod Maitland
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Michael Minkler, Christian P. Minkler and Mark Ulano

VISUAL EFFECTS
NOMINEES
AVENGERS: ENDGAME
Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken and Dan Sudick
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach and Dominic Tuohy

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
NOMINEES
JOKER
Written by Todd Phillips & Scott Silver

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
NOMINEES
ONCE UPON A TIME...IN HOLLYWOOD
Written by Quentin Tarantino
PARASITE
Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won; Story by Bong Joon Ho

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REVIEWS
Joker
Once upon a Time...in Hollywood

THREADS
Joker
Once upon a Time...in Hollywood
Parasite
Skywalker
Endgame

Hmm, no thread on the SAG Awards? Well, that's easily remedied.

Winners selected for those we've discusses as always.

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CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
RECIPIENT
PARASITE

Outstanding Performance by a
MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
RECIPIENT
JOAQUIN PHOENIX
Joker

Outstanding Performance by a
MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
RECIPIENT
BRAD PITT
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood

Outstanding Performance by a
MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
RECIPIENT
PETER DINKLAGE
Game of Thrones

STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
RECIPIENT
AVENGERS: ENDGAME

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THREADS
Screen Actors Guild Awards
Asian Film Festivals and Awards
GOT
Parasite
Joker
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
Endgame

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Hugo Weaving explains why he wasn’t in ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and won’t be appearing in the new ‘Matrix’
By Andrzej Lukowski
Posted: Monday January 20 2020, 4:53pm

https://media.timeout.com/images/105.../772/image.jpg
Photo: Warner Bros.

One of Australia’s most respected actors, Hugo Weaving is known for his turns in some of the most successful movie franchises of all time. His non-appearance in them has also been noted: after originating the character of Red Skull in 2011‘s ‘Captain America’, he failed to reprise the character in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame’. The directors of the films, Joe and Anthony Russo, confirmed that he had been approached, but did not elaborate as to why he’d turned them down. Speculation has also been rife as to whether his iconic Agent Smith will return for the imminent fourth ‘Matrix’ film.

In an interview with Time Out to promote his upcoming role in the National Theatre’s hotly anticipated ‘The Visit’ opposite Lesley Manville (which you can read in our February 4 issue), he said that he’d turned down Marvel because it offered him less than what he was contracted for to reprise the role. He also shed some light on his absence from the new ‘Matrix’ film. Read on for that Hugo Weaving-related disappointment in full.

The most recent interview with you I’ve seen on the subject said you weren’t doing the new ‘Matrix’ film, but that was a couple of years ago… are you still not doing it?

‘I’m not, no…’

Also, it was widely noted that you weren’t in the last two ‘Avengers’ films – presumably they tried to get you?

‘Oh, yeah. I loved playing that character Red Skull – it was a lot of fun. We were all obliged to sign up for three pictures: I was thinking [Red Skull] probably wouldn’t come back in “Captain America” but he may well come back as a villain in “The Avengers”. By then, they’d pushed back on the contracts that we agreed on and so the money they offered me for “The Avengers” was much less than I got for the very first one, and this was for two films. And the promise when we first signed the contracts was that the money would grow each time. They said: “It’s just a voice job, it’s not a big deal”. I actually found negotiating with them through my agent impossible. And I didn’t really wanna do it that much. But I would have done it.’

He then went on to volunteer the following about the so-far untitled new ‘The Matrix’ film.

‘“The Matrix” is a very different story. It’s unfortunate but actually I had this offer [for “The Visit”] and then the offer came from “The Matrix”, so I knew it was happening but I didn’t have dates. I thought [I] could do both and it took eight weeks to work out that the dates would work – I held off on accepting [a role in “The Visit” during that time]. I was in touch with [director] Lana Wachowski, but in the end she decided that the dates weren’t going to work. So we’d sorted the dates and then she sort of changed her mind. They’re pushing on ahead without me.’

You hear that, Mr Anderson? That is the sound of clashing schedules. Allay any disappointment by catching Weaving in ‘The Visit’, which runs at the National Theatre, Fri Jan 31-May 13.



By Andrzej Lukowski
Andrzej Lukowski has been the theatre and dance editor of Time Out London since 2013.

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THREADS
Matrix 4
Avengers: Endgame