Did You Hear? is a weekly examination of headlines in the entertainment industry and a take on what they could mean for the future of the industry and (often), the little geeky bubble that we occupy.
Venom 2 Eyes Naomie Harris as Villain
Last week a short while after Did You Hear? made it into your news feed Variety exclusively broke that Sony’s Venom 2 had set their sights on James Bond’s most awesome Moneypenny actor, Naomie Harris, to play their next big bad!
Here I should like to fully admit my bias: I think Naomie Harris is amazing and deserves more high profile roles!
Not only is Harris an incredible actor (have you seen her in Best Picture Winner: Moonlight?), but Sony is reportedly in talks to have her take on the role of Shriek.
Per Variety:
Shriek is Carnage’s romantic interest in the comics so she’s bound to team with [Woody] Harrelson in this movie to face off against Hardy’s Venom.
Harrelson, of course, made what can only be described as a cameo appearance as Carnage during the first Venom installment. Fresh off his stint in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Andy Serkis is set to direct.
Will Kevin Feige Oust Ike Perlmutter?
Much has been made of Kevin Feige’s latest Disney promotion, in this article series, on the Major Spoilers podcast, and in the entertainment press in general. Variety brought up an interesting point this week with quotes from a Disney insider about where Feige ascension leaves Disney mainstay Ike Perlmutter. The two executives are famously feuding and have been for years and now that they are closer to a level playing field than ever the future of the Disney power structure is shrouded by some compelling questions.
There is enormous internal confusion,” one company insider tells Variety. “Ike seems to be in a very weak position now.
The seemingly unstoppable success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the rising autonomy Feige has been granted separately him from Perlmutter’s oversight comes to mind immediately, but personal opinions may be to blame for this shift as well.
Per Variety:
Perlmutter is an ardent supporter of President Trump. In total, the Marvel CEO and his wife, Laura, gave $5,448,200 to support Trump’s 2016 campaign, and another $2 million to support Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s presidential bid. So far in 2019, the Perlmutters have given a combined $1,360,200 to the president’s Trump Victory PAC and to the Republican National Committee.
Not to go too much into the current political climate (as someone who is not qualified to cover it), but the article surmises:
Perlmutter’s politics may also have played a role in his increased isolation from Marvel’s creative endeavors.
And on the heels of Jeph Loeb being ousted by Marvel by Marvel Studios it seems more likely than ever that big changes are a-comin’.
Favreau has Thoughts on Scorsese & Coppola”
Let’s not drag our heels too much on the Movies v CInema debate. In the end there’s no winning and there’s 
no accounting for anyone’s taste. However, MCU godfather Jon Favreau weighed in in a recent CNBC interview:
These two guys are my heroes and they’ve earned the right to express their opinions. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing if they didn’t carve the way. They’ve served as a source of inspiration, you can go all the way back to ‘Swingers’ where I was referencing Marty, and I’ve worked with him. For me, they can express whatever opinion they’d like.
Favreau said in response to Scosese’s comment:
I tried, you know? But that’s not cinema. Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.
It’s not my kind of thing; it simply is not. It’s creating another kind of audience that thinks cinema is that. We shouldn’t be invaded by it. We need cinemas to step up and show films that are narrative films.
With Coppola adding:
When Martin Scorsese says that the Marvel pictures are not cinema, he’s right because we expect to learn something from cinema, we expect to gain something, some enlightenment, some knowledge, some inspiration. I don’t know that anyone gets anything out of seeing the same movie over and over again. Martin was kind when he said it’s not cinema. He didn’t say it’s despicable, which is what I say.
Cloak and Dagger Cancelled
Remember a few paragraphs left when we wrote about Jeph Loeb parting ways with Marvel? Cloak and Dagger appears to be an unfortunate casualty of this shift. The first season really surprised fans and critics alike by flipping the classic familial dynamics of the character and coming out swinging with a real point of view.
The second season aired earlier this year on the heels of the series promising future tying into Marvel’s Runaways – which remains Hulu’s sole remaining Marvel show.
Personally, I think Cloak and Dagger is a real loss. It was doing something none of the other shows were doing. In spite of my disappointment, with DIsney+ on the horizon there’s always hope the show can find a second life there. Cross your fingers for me!
Game of Thrones Cut/Deleted Scenes Revealed
**here be spoilers for the final season and final episode of Game of Thrones
Winter Is Coming sent an intrepid reporter and author (Kim Renfro), to the Writer’s Guild building Los Angeles to read the full Game of Thrones season 8 scripts. Since the story broke and Renfro offered her opinions on whether or not scenes which were ultimately removed from the eighth season of the HBO dynamo ought to have been left in Game of Thrones fandom has been up and arms about tiny details which they claim would have “saved the final season”.
The scripts are absolutely a fascinating read.
In my opinion, fans should always seek out the source or original material in order to get the most true understanding of how the things we love are made. Particularly if you are interested – or presently – creating yourself there is always so much to be gleaned. However, scenes/moments/lines are often cut for time. Run time in king on a television show.
Most of what tragically ended up on the Game of Thrones cutting room floor was filler. Renfro states this in her analysis, with only one detail earning the designation of should have been left in. I’ll leave readers of Did You Hear? to read the scripts if they want, but sufficeth to say, it deals with seeing more of Daenerys as she sacks King’s Landing. As someone who was largely positive on the final season of Game of Thrones – and the finale episode – I can’t help but agree. While the Dragon Queen’s descent into madness felt completely accurate to me, it would have been nice to see it come from more of a character-motivated place.
In the same breath, what I don’t believe, is that a couple extra close up shots of Emilia Clarke would have done anything to sway the popular opinion of the finale.
That in mind, as I mentioned above, the scripts are fascinating. Access to them is a touch limited right now, although I suspect they are likely to end up online in the very near future.
HBO Max Adds Another Animated Series Reboot
We previously covered HBO Max reviving THe Boondocks and this week Variety announced that this latest streaming effort would be reviving beloved all-ages series Adventure Time as well.
… but in a slightly different format.
Collectively titled “Adventure Time: Distant Lands,” the specials will once again tell stories of Finn and Jake, the best buds who traversed the mystical Land of Ooo and encountered its colorful inhabitants. “Adventure Time,” which was created Created by Pendleton Ward and executive produced by Adam Muto, ended its 10-season run on Cartoon Network back in Sept. 2018.
Says Variety.
The first two specials will be called “BMO” and “Obsidian,” with the former following the lovable little robot from “Adventure Time,” and the latter featuring Marceline & Princess Bubblegum as they journey to the imposing, beautiful Glass Kingdom to prevent an earthshaking catastrophe.
CBS All-Access has had some success with a shorter format in a recognizable franchise per their Short Trek forrays, so perhaps Distant Lands will provide a more digestible look at Adventure Time that keeps the world fresh!
