Elton John Blasts Distributor For Cutting Rocketman’s Homosexual Content

If the 2018 music biopic genre belonged to Rami Malek and the crazy popular Bohemian Rhapsody, then 2019 is without a doubt all about another legendary icon – Sir Elton John.

He’s the focus of the new film Rocketman, in which Taron Egerton, star of Kingsman and the underwhelming Robin Hood movie, embodies the beloved musician and brings him to life perfectly – from the star-spangled costumes down to his beloved singing voice.

Of course, another big selling point about the film – aside from Egerton’s stunning performance – is the R-rating, which allows Rocketman to be raunchier and a lot more mature than your average music biopic. It’s much more open about Elton’s sexuality and drug usage, too – one of the biggest detriments of Bohemian Rhapsody – which in turn adds another layer of faithfulness to the story. But it seems that some distributors aren’t quite alright with everything that’s shown in the movie.

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Central Partnership, the Russian distributor for Rocketman, has removed all of the scenes depicting drug use and homosexual content. This was done in an effort to “conform with the Russian Federation’s legislation against homosexual propaganda,” and understandably, it’s ruffled a few feathers.

John, in particular, has taken issue with it, blasting the distributor for what they did via a statement released by his team earlier today.

“We reject in the strongest possible terms the decision to pander to local laws and censor Rocketman for the Russian market, a move we were unaware of until today. Paramount Pictures have been brave and bold partners in allowing us to create a film which is a true representation of Elton’s extraordinary life, warts and all.

That the local distributor has edited out certain scenes, denying the audience the opportunity to see the film as it was intended is a sad reflection of the divided world we still live in and how it can still be so cruelly unaccepting of the love between two people. We believe in building bridges and open dialogue, and will continue to push for the breaking down of barriers until all people are heard equally across the world.”

Paramount, meanwhile, chimed in as well, saying:

“We are incredibly proud of the movie that we made, which is told in the way that Elton John wanted his story to be depicted. We are releasing the film in its entirety around the world regardless of rating, but like all studios, we must adhere to local laws and requirements in certain territories in which the film is being shown.”

All fair points, and while it’s a shame that some territories feel the need to censor the movie and not show it as it’s intended to be shown to audiences, like Paramount says, they need to adhere to the local laws.

Thankfully, though, here in North America and most major markets, Rocketman is being released into theaters in all its glory, and while reviews have been a little mixed thus far, the general consensus is that it’s a well made biopic with a strong central performance and some incredible musical numbers that’ll keep audiences entertained throughout.

from Movies – We Got This Covered http://bit.ly/2KiJ1Ys

Elton John Blasts Distributor For Cutting Rocketman’s Homosexual Content

If the 2018 music biopic genre belonged to Rami Malek and the crazy popular Bohemian Rhapsody, then 2019 is without a doubt all about another legendary icon – Sir Elton John.

He’s the focus of the new film Rocketman, in which Taron Egerton, star of Kingsman and the underwhelming Robin Hood movie, embodies the beloved musician and brings him to life – from the star-spangled costumes down to his beloved singing voice.

Of course, another big selling point about the film – aside from Egerton’s stunning performance – is the R-rating, which allows Rocketman to be raunchier and a lot more mature than your average music biopic. It’s a lot more open about Elton’s sexuality and drug usage, too – one of the biggest detriments of Bohemian Rhapsody – which in turn adds another layer of faithfulness to the story. But it seems that some distributors aren’t quite alright with everything shown in the movie.

Taron Egerton Transforms Into Elton John In New Rocketman Photos

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Central Partnership, the Russian distributor for Rocketman, has removed all of the scenes depicting drug use and homosexual content. This was done in an effort to “conform with the Russian Federation’s legislation against homosexual propaganda,” and understandably, it’s ruffled a few feathers.

John, in particular, has taken issue with it, blasting the distributor for what they did in a statement released by his team earlier today.

“We reject in the strongest possible terms the decision to pander to local laws and censor Rocketman for the Russian market, a move we were unaware of until today. Paramount Pictures have been brave and bold partners in allowing us to create a film which is a true representation of Elton’s extraordinary life, warts and all.

That the local distributor has edited out certain scenes, denying the audience the opportunity to see the film as it was intended is a sad reflection of the divided world we still live in and how it can still be so cruelly unaccepting of the love between two people. We believe in building bridges and open dialogue, and will continue to push for the breaking down of barriers until all people are heard equally across the world.”

Paramount, meanwhile, chimed in as well, saying:

“We are incredibly proud of the movie that we made, which is told in the way that Elton John wanted his story to be depicted. We are releasing the film in its entirety around the world regardless of rating, but like all studios, we must adhere to local laws and requirements in certain territories in which the film is being shown.”

All fair points, and while it’s a shame that some territories feel the need to censor the movie and not show it as it’s intended to be shown to audiences, like Paramount says, they need to adhere to the local laws.

Thankfully, though, here in North America and most major markets, Rocketman is being shown in all its glory, and while reviews have been a little mixed thus far, the general consensus is that it’s a well made musical biopic with a strong central performance and some incredible musical numbers that’ll keep audiences entertained throughout.

from We Got This Covered http://bit.ly/2JRDatI

Cancelled X-Men Movie Would’ve Featured Fantastic Four And Deadpool

We’re now at the tail-end of the era of Fox’s Marvel movies, as the recent Disney deal means that Marvel Studios has hoovered up the rights to their comic book characters. As we await Dark Phoenix, though, it’s worth reflecting on an epic crossover of Fox’s Marvel properties that could’ve been at the start of the decade. Apparently, the studio was planning to do an Avengers of their own, featuring the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Deadpool and Daredevil!

Speaking with Kevin Smith on his Fatman Beyond podcast, X-Men: First Class screenwriter Zack Stentz revealed that he and former writing partner Ashley Edward Miller penned a script for an abandoned movie that would’ve reunited every major Marvel character Fox had access to at the time. It sounds like he’s still restricted from saying too much, but he did comment that Bourne director Paul Greengrass was attached and it could’ve been “really good.”

“My ex-partner and I, when we were working at Fox and we were working on X-Men: First Class, we did a secret movie for them that, I can’t tell you what the plot was, but I can tell you that it used all of the characters, all of the Marvel characters that Fox had at the time in 2011. It used the X-Men. It used the Fantastic Four. It used Daredevil. It used Deadpool. Daredevil was still at Fox at the time. We almost had Paul Greengrass directing it which would’ve been so cool but he had another project to do instead. It didn’t end up going but it was a script I was really proud of and it would’ve been really good.”

Dark Phoenix Director Dishes On Jessica Chastain's Villain, New Pics Debut

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As this was back in 2011, let’s take a moment to work out what this jaw-dropping cast would’ve looked like. Presumably, it would’ve brought back the team from First Class, especially considering Stentz’s involvement. Rise of the Silver Surfer was only four years before, too, so it may have also brought back the original Fantastic Four cast – though Chris Evans had just signed up as Captain America. As for Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds had been attached to that role since 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, so it probably would’ve been him.

Daredevil’s an interesting one, though, as Ben Affleck’s movie was back in 2003, so Fox would no doubt have found a fresh actor to play Matt Murdock. As the studio didn’t end up reusing the character, Marvel got the rights back and gave us Netflix’s Daredevil. In a world where this crossover film was made, though, they likely would’ve kept hold of the hero.

While this didn’t happen, all of these characters will soon be able to interact with each other under the umbrella of the MCU once Kevin Feige sets about folding Fox’s properties into the franchise. In the meantime, Dark Phoenix brings the original X-Men saga to a close on June 7th.

from Movies – We Got This Covered http://bit.ly/30VkjmU

Cancelled X-Men Movie Would’ve Featured Fantastic Four And Deadpool

We’re now at the tail-end of the era of Fox’s Marvel movies, as the recent Disney deal means that Marvel Studios has hoovered up the rights to their comic book characters. As we await Dark Phoenix, though, it’s worth reflecting on an epic crossover of Fox’s Marvel properties that could’ve been at the start of the decade. Apparently, the studio was planning to do an Avengers of their own, featuring the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Deadpool and Daredevil!

Speaking with Kevin Smith on his Fatman Beyond podcast, X-Men: First Class screenwriter Zack Stentz revealed that he and former writing partner Ashley Edward Miller penned a script for an abandoned movie that would’ve reunited every major Marvel character Fox had access to at the time. It sounds like he’s still restricted from saying too much, but he did comment that Bourne director Paul Greengrass was attached and it could’ve been “really good.”

“My ex-partner and I, when we were working at Fox and we were working on X-Men: First Class, we did a secret movie for them that, I can’t tell you what the plot was, but I can tell you that it used all of the characters, all of the Marvel characters that Fox had at the time in 2011. It used the X-Men. It used the Fantastic Four. It used Daredevil. It used Deadpool. Daredevil was still at Fox at the time. We almost had Paul Greengrass directing it which would’ve been so cool but he had another project to do instead. It didn’t end up going but it was a script I was really proud of and it would’ve been really good.”

Dark Phoenix Director Dishes On Jessica Chastain's Villain, New Pics Debut

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As this was back in 2011, let’s take a moment to work out what this jaw-dropping cast would’ve looked like. Presumably, it would’ve brought back the team from First Class, especially considering Stentz’s involvement. Rise of the Silver Surfer was only four years before, too, so it may have also brought back the original Fantastic Four cast – though Chris Evans had just signed up as Captain America. As for Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds had been attached to that role since 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, so it probably would’ve been him.

Daredevil’s an interesting one, though, as Ben Affleck’s movie was back in 2003, so Fox would no doubt have found a fresh actor to play Matt Murdock. As the studio didn’t end up reusing the character, Marvel got the rights back and gave us Netflix’s Daredevil. In a world where this crossover film was made, though, they likely would’ve kept hold of the hero.

While this didn’t happen, all of these characters will soon be able to interact with each other under the umbrella of the MCU once Kevin Feige sets about folding Fox’s properties into the franchise. In the meantime, Dark Phoenix brings the original X-Men saga to a close on June 7th.

from We Got This Covered http://bit.ly/2wtG6nI

Robin Will Reportedly Feature In Matt Reeves’ The Batman

At last, Robert Pattinson was officially announced as the new Batman today, meaning that Matt Reeves’ upcoming reboot of the Dark Knight’s big screen adventures is finally on the go. Alongside that news though, we might’ve also learned that Pattinson’s hero won’t be saving Gotham all by his lonesome but may be about to form a dynamic duo with Robin.

Forbes reports that the Boy Wonder could “potentially” play a role in The Batman, with a casting announcement said to be coming soon. When it’ll arrive, we can’t say for sure, but while Batman and Robin are traditionally inseparable in the comics, in the movies, it’s a different story.

Only four of the ten Batman solo films released so far have featured Dick Grayson’s sidekick. And one of those is Michael Cera’s turn in The LEGO Batman Movie. Another, meanwhile, is Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s “Robin” John Blake from The Dark Knight Rises, who hardly counts, while the two other are obviously Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, starring Chris O’Donnell.

It’s worth mentioning that Forbes doesn’t specify that Reeves will use the Grayson iteration of the character, so other Robins like Tim Drake, Jason Todd or even Damian Wayne could stand a chance of getting their due. However, seeing as the film is set to explore the Bat’s earlier years, it stands to reason that it would include the original Robin.

New Fan Art Imagines Robert Pattinson As The Next Batman

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Forbes also adds that the Riddler is likely to appear as one of The Batman‘s six villains, alongside the previously confirmed Penguin and Catwoman. This corroborates intel that We Got This Covered previously shared about Edward Nygma serving as the tertiary antagonist of the movie. Again, though, no casting was mentioned in regards to the role.

Though Warner Bros. has yet to officially announce any of this, it certainly makes sense that Reeves would want to establish so many key characters from the Bat-mythos, as he’s hoping to turn The Batman into a trilogy. As long as he doesn’t overstuff the film with too many familiar faces, he should be fine and as soon as we hear who he may be eyeing for the Dark Knight’s sidekick, we’ll be sure to let you know.

from Movies – We Got This Covered http://bit.ly/2QAZ8Sx

Robert Pattinson Now Officially Confirmed For The Batman

Earlier this month, the internet was sent into a frenzy from the news that Robert Pattinson was in talks for the title role of Matt Reeves’ The Batman. But for all the noise this revelation has created, neither the studio nor Pattinson himself have been willing to make any kind of official announcement. Nonetheless, a new report from Deadline now confirms that the Twilight star is indeed our next Dark Knight.

Of course, Pattinson has been linked to the role for a few months already, but it wasn’t until the other week that folks began to actively take his casting seriously. Given that a lot of people were hoping for a safer choice like Armie Hammer or even an older actor like Jon Hamm, there was considerable backlash against the idea of “Battinson.” However, many leapt to his defense, telling those only familiar with his work in Twilight to seek out his other films.

Regardless, it seems Pattinson is now locked in, as Deadline says Warner Bros. has approved the actor. Apparently, the choice came down to him and Nicholas Hoult, but it looks like Pattinson has emerged victorious. From what we understand, negotiations are expected to get underway today and an official announcement is said to be imminent.

New Fan Art Imagines Robert Pattinson As The Next Batman

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As for the supporting cast that’ll surround Pattinson, we still don’t have any names, but we do know that he’ll square off against not one or two but six of Gotham’s worst villains, with Penguin and Catwoman already confirmed. We’ve also heard that the Riddler will be the tertiary antagonist of The Batman, while Bane and Scarecrow could show up, too.

Meanwhile, Vanessa Hudgens, Josh Gad, Theo Rossi and Toby Kebbell have all been linked to the movie in the past, but at the moment, none of them have been confirmed. All we know for now is that Robert Pattinson will suit up as the Caped Crusader when The Batman swoops into theaters on June 25th, 2021.

from We Got This Covered http://bit.ly/2JOugxl

Apex Legends’ Legendary Hunt Event Kicks Off Next Week

Respawn has been struggling for some time now, to give Apex Legends players a reason to stick around. Beyond Season 1: Wild Frontier and the addition of new character Octane back in March, the assembly line dedicated to new content has remained out of order indefinitely. Several unforeseen issues have been blamed for that drought, not least cheaters and persistent performance woes, though with those irritants now largely dealt with, it appears the battle royale is ready to get back on track.

We already know, of course, that the first details for Season 2 are scheduled to arrive alongside next week’s E3, though with several under-the-hood improvements already teased and a brand new event arriving before then, excitement levels are already beginning to hit outrageous heights. You can learn all about the former over here, for we’ve got a so-called Legendary Hunt to discuss. First things first, check out the gallery below for some of the tasty rewards you’ll be earning when the celebration kicks off next week, June 4.

Apex Legends' Legendary Hunt Event Rewards

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As to how you’ll go about unlocking those snazzy cosmetics, the answer is simple: challenges. Similarly to Epic Games’ Fortnite, players will need to complete the tasks outlined by each in order to tick them off, a process which will ultimately lead to the coveted prizes displayed above and more. Do note, too, that while those will be accessible to free and Battle Pass players alike, the latter will have access to two further Legendary Skins. One of these will be awarded automatically, while the other requires reaching Battle Pass level 15 before the event’s conclusion.

Rounding out the remainder of the event is a double XP weekend beginning June 7, as well as a new ‘Apex Elite Queue’ mode. See below for all the details.

Apex Elite Queue

• Test yourself against the best with the Apex Elite queue. Make it to the Top 5 in any match to earn your way into a select queue full of other Top 5 winners.
• Here’s the catch: in order to continue playing in the queue you will have to keep placing in the Top 5.

That about wraps up all the relevant details for Legendary Hunt, though King’s Canyon regulars can expect a wealth of further news concerning Apex Legends‘ future next week. Stay tuned.

from We Got This Covered http://bit.ly/2QDgwGk