Mike Sampson is the Editor-in-Chief of ScreenCrush. He studied to become a lawyer and worked as an architectural planner after graduating college but neither of these professions afforded him the opportunity to watch movies and TV for a living. He previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of JoBlo.com for 10 years. He lives in New Jersey and probably spends too much time playing video games and overthinking things.
Mike Sampson
Joss Whedon Explains Why He’s Not Returning For ‘Avengers: Infinity War’
We were on the ‘Avengers 2’ set last year and it was very clear, even though filming was only about halfway done, that Joss Whedon wouldn’t be coming back for another ‘Avengers’ movie. As we mentioned in our interview with him, he was, by his own admission, completely worn out. We didn’t address his future at the time, but now that filming has wrapped and the movie is only about three months away, Whedon was asked point blank about his return, and it’s pretty much what we all expected.
Adam Sandler to Star in ‘Ridiculous 6′ With All His Same Old Friends
Back in October, Netflix announced that they had signed Adam Sandler to star in four original movies that would premiere exclusively on their streaming service. Today, we have news on Sandler’s first project under this partnership; a western-comedy titled ‘Ridiculous 6’ that stars such familiar Sandler faces as Rob Schneider, Nick Swardson, Steve Buscemi, Jon Lovitz and Vanilla Ice as Mark Twain.
Whoopidy doo!
Joss Whedon on ‘Age of Ultron’: “The Avengers Must Die”
‘Avengers 2’ graced the cover of Empire Magazine this month, and while there are two covers featuring new looks at Ultron and the team’s new lineup, it’s something on the inside of this issue that caught our attention. Director Joss Whedon spoke to Empire and dropped this bomb: “I’ve come to the conclusion that Ultron is right. The Avengers need to die.”
‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay’ Passed ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ to Become the Biggest Movie of 2014
Sorry, Star-Lord. Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ was just passed by ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay’ as the highest grossing film of 2014. And, making that feat all the more impressive: ‘Mockingjay’ reached that mark in just 62 days, without the help of 3D or IMAX.
Anthony Mackie Calls ‘Captain America 3’ “Stupendous,” Wants to Star in Every Marvel Movie
There are some actors, like Idris Elba, who are weary of starring in big-budget superhero movies (“torture” was the specific word he used to describe the process). Anthony Mackie is not one of those actors. In fact, he couldn’t be more excited about his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only is he completely jacked up about starring in ‘Captain America 3’, he wants to star in every Marvel sequel. “Me and Groot can boogie!”
Ben Affleck’s Batman Will Reportedly Appear in ‘Suicide Squad’
While the upcoming DC Comics movie ‘Suicide Squad’ may have lost a Tom Hardy, it may be gaining a Ben Affleck. A new report suggests that Ben Affleck's Batman, will make a cameo at the end of the movie, introducing him to the new Joker (Jared Leto) and setting up his future standalone movies.
Possible spoilers ahead...
The Worst Oscar-Nominated Movies of All Time
Every year, when the Oscar nominations are announced, a considerable amount of time is spent debating who was snubbed. But for every film that was expecting to get nominated and didn't, there's a film that no one was expecting to get nominated and did. This is the story of those films. The movies you'll look back on and wonder exactly how the heck it ever got nominated for an Oscar.
‘Gremlins’ Remake Likely Dead, World Rejoices
A lot of your favorite 80s classics have been rebooted or remade into not-so-classics. It's the unfortunate state of the movie business. But, today, we get one back. The proposed ‘Gremlins’ remake, that was on the “fast track” as recently as this past April, may be as dead as a Gremlin in a hot tub.
Report: Marvel and Sony Deal Done, Spider-Man to Debut in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’
It was one of the most enticing bits of news to come out of the Sony e-mail hack: Marvel and Sony had deep discussions about introducing Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel badly wanted Spider-Man to be a part of 'Captain America: Civil War', but despite the best intentions from all parties, a deal was never struck and progress was reset back to square one. But, has hope been restored? A new report suggests that Marvel and Sony returned to the negotiating table and have struck a deal for Spidey to make his spectacular debut in 'Avengers: Infinity War, Part 1'.
James Cameron Says ‘Avatar 2’ Has Been Delayed Until 2017
Not long ago, we wondered aloud why James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ had been largely forgotten about only five years later, despite being the biggest movie of all-time. It doesn’t even seem like there is a lot of anticipation for ‘Avatar 2’, which Cameron is developing concurrently with Parts 3 & 4. Well, people will suddenly have a little more time to start getting excited for an ‘Avatar 2’, because Cameron announced today that the upcoming sequel has been pushed back a full year, to December 2017.