Britt Hayes is a writer, movie lover, and sensible sweater enthusiast living in Austin, Texas. She watches too much TV and never eats her vegetables.
Britt Hayes
New Netflix Instant Releases: May 2017
The ratio of Netflix Originals to acquired content continues to skew more toward the former each month, and May is absolutely stacked with fresh original films, comedy specials and TV shows — including new season premieres of some of our favorite series, like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Master of None (finally!), Sense8, Bloodline, House of Cards and more. As for original films, next month’s additions include War Machine, along with specials from beloved comedians like Marie Bamford and Tracy Morgan.
James Gunn Will Write and Direct ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’
Ever since he signed on to direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the biggest question James Gunn has faced — aside from the usual inquiries about Star-Lord’s dad and what’s up with the villain — is whether he’d return for Vol. 3. His answer, consistently: He just doesn’t know. That changed this afternoon, as Gunn himself made an official announcement on his Facebook page — no need to play coy about this one since you already read the headline.
Big ‘Star Wars’ Announcement Teased for 40th Anniversary
Star Wars Celebration is set to kick off in just a few days, and with the 40th anniversary of the iconic franchise on the horizon, fans are expecting this year’s festivities to be extra special — but it looks like we won’t have to wait until later this week for major news from a galaxy far, far away. Good Morning America is teasing a big Star Wars announcement for tomorrow’s episode, but what could it possibly be? The first teaser for The Last Jedi? A revelation about one of your favorite characters?
Sylvester Stallone Exits ‘The Expendables’ Franchise
They might be called The Expendables, but the team is losing one of its key members as Sylvester Stallone is officially parting ways with the franchise he helped create. Following a crucial dispute over the creative direction for the fourth chapter in the ensemble action series, Stallone has walked away from the project — and from what would be his biggest paycheck yet, which says something substantial about his stake in the franchise.
New ‘Jumanji’ Movie Features a Magical Video Game Instead of a Magical Board Game
The only people who still regularly play board games are adults: 30-somethings who drink craft beer, elderly people who get bored and raid the nursing home activity closet, my mom’s overly-competitive boyfriend. Some kids play them, sure — but it’s usually begrudgingly during forced “family night,” or if they come from one of those homes without TVs and where the only magazines are Highlights. There’s a reason why you can play Monopoly and Scrabble on your iPhone now, which is why it’s not surprising that the new Jumanji movie doesn’t center around a tangible board game, but a video game.
It’s TGIF For Spidey in New ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Poster
If it’s been a while since the last trailer was released for an upcoming film, and the studio debuts a new poster, then chances are pretty good that a new trailer is just around the corner — at least that’s our hope after seeing this new Spider-Man: Homecoming poster, which Sony revealed this afternoon. Or maybe we have a case of TGIF-induced optimism.
What’s Leaving Netflix Instant: April 2017
Every month, as dozens of new titles are added to Netflix Instant’s vast streaming library (with even more possibilities for your endlessly indecisive scrolling), several movies and TV shows are taken away, spirited into the expiration ether. Now’s the time to stop procrastinating and do a little spring queue-cleaning by watching some of these titles before they disappear — possibly for good. Read on for a full list of what’s expiring from Netflix Instant in April.
New Netflix Instant Releases: April 2017
April showers bring…new titles to stream on Netflix Instant. That doesn’t rhyme, but you get the idea. Next month’s additions include new seasons of Netflix Original series The Get Down and Chewing Gum, as well as the first season of Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return, and the premiere of one of two Louis C.K. comedy specials hitting the service this year. You’ll also find a couple of recent Disney films, classic movies like Gremlins and A Nightmare on Elm Street, and plenty of new Netflix Original Films. Read on for the full list of releases coming to Netflix Instant in April.
Netflix CEO Thinks He Can Bait More Talent With a Few Oscars
In 2017, Netflix will spend $6 billion on original content (up $1 billion from 2016), including 20 new TV shows and, pending negotiations, Martin Scorsese’s long-awaited mob drama The Irishman — which could finally earn Netflix a spot at the Oscars. That’s certainly a goal, but according to Reed Hastings, it’s not the only goal for the streaming giant, which has struggled to find balance between quantity and quality despite massive spending. The CEO and co-founder of Netflix recently offered some insight into their plans for original content and threw some shade at theater chains for good measure.
Luke Skywalker Speaks, General Leia Returns in ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Footage Description
While we wait for the first teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which should be arriving in the next couple of months (more on that in a minute), some footage was recently screened for Disney shareholders. That footage won’t be released online, but one reporter in attendance was kind enough to share a few interesting details — it’s not much, but it should keep your spirits up until the first trailer debuts.
Anna Faris and Eugenio Derbez to Star in ‘Overboard’ Remake
A gender-swapped remake of a 1987 rom-com starring Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn as a mismatched couple? Sure, why not. It’s not exactly the most inventive idea, nor is Overboard the sort of movie begging for a contemporary remake, but that’s what sort of makes this news unsurprising: Anna Faris and Eugenio Derbez will star in a new remake of the classic Garry Marshall film.
‘Beauty and the Beast’ Review: Even a Tale as Old as Time Can Become New Again
To say that the first trailer for Beauty and the Beast was evocative of the 1991 animated classic would be an understatement; it was a live-action carbon copy, and if Disney’s remake of Cinderella was any indication, we were in for yet another tedious — if visually stunning, well-acted and beautifully-designed — exercise in nostalgia-based capitalism. But Bill Condon’s live-action update of Beauty and the Beast is more reimagining than remake, a lavish and lovely take on a familiar tale (as old as time, no doubt) that enriches its source material without betraying it, embellishing a cherished antique with modern ideas.