JUNE 2020
SEASON 4: RELEASE DATE, PLOT, THEORIES, AND MORE
WONDER WOMAN
1984 RELEASE DATE
PUSHED BACK WHY FORREST GUMP IS SUCH AN ICONIC FILM
SEX
EDUCATION IS COMING UP WITH SEASON 3 SCARLETT JOHANSSON SAY BLACK WIDOW MOVIE OFFERS
HER “CLOSURE”
EVERY SEASON OF PRISON BREAK RANKED WORST TO BEST
BETTER CALL SAUL VS BREAKING BAD: WE DECIDE WHICH IS BETTER
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LUCIFER
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WONDER WOMAN 1984
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SEX EDUCATION
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STRANGER THINGS
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JOHN WICK 4
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CONTENTS FEATURES STORY
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STRANGER THINGS: SEASON 4: RELEASE DATE, PLOT, THEORIES, AND MORE
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LUCIFER SCORES FIFTH AND FINAL SEASON AT NETFLIX
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SCARLETT JOHANSSON SAY BLACK WIDOW MOVIE OFFERS HER “CLOSURE”
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BIRDS OF PREY IS PURE BISEXUAL DISASTER ENERGY
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EVERY SEASON OF PRISON BREAK RANKED WORST TO BEST
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SEX EDUCATION IS COMING UP WITH SEASON 3
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WONDER WOMAN 1984 RELEASE DATE PUSHED BACK (AGAIN!): GAL GADOT REACTS
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WHY FORREST GUMP IS SUCH AN ICONIC FILM
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JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 TO BE RELEASED IN 2021
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BETTER CALL SAUL VS BREAKING BAD: WE DECIDE WHICH IS BETTER
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SEASON 4 RELEASE DATE, PLOT, THEORIES, AND MORE Production on Stranger Things season 4 may have been put on pause, but that hasn’t quelled our excitement for the fourth adventure into the Upside Down.
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The Stranger Things season 4 release date may be pushed back
W
hile Netflix never revealed an official Stranger Things season 4 release date, David Harbour – who plays Hopper – said during a Q&A that the series was “supposed to come out early 2021” but has “likely” been delayed. The actor did, however, add that he’s no authority on these things. The reason for the delay? The coronavirus pandemic has left many movies and TV shows unable to film, including Stranger Things season 4. Indeed, Netflix has halted filming on other eagerly anticipated shows, including The Witcher season 2. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, Stranger Things had begun filming, as confirmed by Netflix and the Duffer Brothers in a press release. Seeing as season 3 went before the cameras in April 2018 for a July 2019 launch, a similar 15-month production schedule would have seen the new season landing around May or June 2021.
The three previous seasons launched in July 2016, October 2017, and July 2019, respectively. The increasing gap between seasons (15 months between seasons 1 and 2, 21 months between seasons 2 and 3) potentially hints at a slightly earlier 2021 release – which was confirmed by Harbour as being Netflix’s initial intention. With things coming a little later due to the delay in filming, perhaps another July launch for the show? Other theories included Stranger Things season 4 launching on either Christmas Day 2020 or New Year’s Day 2021. Seasons 2 and 3 pegged their storylines and launches to important holidays (Halloween and Independence Day, respectively), so perhaps the intention was for the follow up to once again be tagged to a Holiday. Author: Erum Cinephilia
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Stranger Things season 4 will be the scariest season yet While production on Stranger Things season 4 may have halted, our excitement for the next instalment of Netflix’s show has not dampened. In fact, Joe Keery has us more excited than ever about the upcoming season – even if that instantly iconic Scoops Ahoy outfit has been retired. “Oh man, it’s pretty amazing – the Duffer brothers have really done it again,” Keery told our sister publication Total Film magazine. “I think that this year – and I know I say this every single year – but this is definitely going to be a lot scarier than prior years, because last year was pretty dark.” Quizzed about hanging up the Scoops Ahoy outfit, he replied: “I know that costume served its purpose and I’m glad to retire it [laughs]. Do I have it at home for Halloween? I don’t, unfortunately. They won’t let me have that one. One day! ”Maybe Scoops Ahoy just isn’t scary enough for Stranger Things anymore? 6
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The movies influencing Stranger Things season 4 As per the “Stranger Writers” account on Twitter, the writers’ room have been looking at five films in particular for inspiration: The Peanut Butter Solution, The Fisher King, Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, You’ve Got Mail, and Ordinary People. While each could be a red herring or just something discussed in terms of a particularly minor plot point, the selection still offers a glimpse at the thematic qualities in Stranger Things season 4. Interestingly, a handful of these (The Fisher King, Ordinary People) deal with life in the big city and involve coping with traumatic events, including deaths and suicide. With the first season 4 teaser outright saying, “We’re not in Hawkins anymore,” each could be a touchstone for how the Byers family deals with life outside Indiana. Cinephilia
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LUCIFER SCORES FIFTH
AND FINAL SEASON
AT NETFLIX
The end is near for Lucifer, at least. The fantasy police procedural, which aired for three seasons on Fox before being canceled and brought back to life at Netflix for season 4, has been renewed for a fifth and final season.
Based on the DC Comics character, Lucifer stars Tom Ellis as the eponymous fallen angel, who abandons his throne in hell to work with the LAPD to take down criminals on Earth. Lauren German, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Kevin Alejandro, Scarlett Estevez, D.B. Woodside, and Rachael Harris also star in the show. 8
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“We are so incredibly thankful to Netflix for resurrecting our show last season, and now letting us finish the story of Lucifer on our terms,” showrunners Joe Henderson and Ildy Modrovich said in a statement. “Most importantly, we want to thank the fans for their incredible passion and support. The best is yet to come!” Netflix added, “We’re thrilled that Lucifer fans around the world have embraced this series on Netflix, and we can’t wait to give them the big finish they’ve all been waiting for.” The show’s Twitter account also shared the news with a video of Ellis screaming gleefully. “Thanks to the lucifans, lucifer’s story will come to an end the way it should: the fifth and final season is coming to Netflix,” the tweet read. Lucifer’s back from the dead, thank Dad! Fox canceled the devilish procedural in 2018, but Netflix performed a miracle and resurrected it for 10 episodes premiering May 8. And EW’s here for you with an episode-by-episode guide as you binge this heavenly new season. Follow along as you watch! The squadron of police in pursuit of the armored car verify Lucifer’s connection to Chloe Decker and return him to civilization, where he welcomes Dr. Linda into his home for her recuperation (complete with attractive male caretaker, because Lucifer is thoughtful).
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SCARLETT JOHANSSON
SAYS BLACK WIDOW MOVIE OFFERS HER ‘CLOSURE’
S
carlett Johansson can’t wait to show off Black Widow, her upcoming solo Marvel movie set within the Avengers universe — and part of it is personal.
The actress, forever bound by Disney’s Marvel Studios to uphold #Secrets, did tease to Jimmy Fallon on Monday’s The Tonight Show that the film offers her a sense of closure she definitely didn’t get from Avengers: Endgame.
“I can’t wait to share it with everybody,” she says of Black Widow. “It was fantastic. I mean, I’m partial, but I’m pretty excited about. Honestly, it brought a closure to me that I needed. Yeah, ’cause I was kind of wiped out in that last one, emotionally and literally.”
“There’s very few certain things, but definitely death’s pretty certain, right? Yeah, definitely, for sure,” Johansson says. “But, people… they definitely don’t believe it and have tried to convince me that my character did not actually die, but that maybe my character exists in an alternate universe, but no, I think death is the final thing.”
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T
oward the climax of Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, Harley tumbles to the ground, having been hit by a car. She had been so close to helping Cass, to saving her from Black Mask. The car carrying Cass and the one that hit her speed away and she tries to get up. As she looks up from the pavement, perhaps hoping for a miracle, the irresistible Huntress arrives on her motorcycle. Now, imagine time slowing. (Even though it doesn’t in the film, it does in my heart.) Harley looks up at Huntress with wide eyes filled with gratitude, surprise, joy, and a whole bucketload of attraction. Huntress flips up her visor and says, “Need
a ride?” She throws a rope to Harley, who is wearing roller skates, and Harley, surprised and delighted yet again, is happy to take advantage of the offer. Huntress peels out and the two carry on, resulting in not only saving Cass but blowing Black Mask to bits. Birds of Prey made a big (casually) queer splash when it premiered earlier this year. The film features three canonically queer characters and codes three more c h a ra c t e r s as queer. In the
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IS PURE BISEXUAL
DISASTER ENERGY From the lighting to the characterization to the use of set pieces, Birds of Prey embraces bisexuality and disastrous women, wielding that raw power to create an action film for the rest of us. If using your chaotic energy to break down society’s expectations of who you should be isn’t disaster bisexual energy, I don’t know what is. opening animated sequence, Harley’s exes are shown onscreen — including one redhead who calls to mind a certain buxom botanist. At various points, Detective Renee Montoya works alongside her ex, District Attorney Ellen Yee. Huntress, with all her nervous energy and pointed glances, has been claimed by bisexual+ folks online (if you doubt me, just search bisexual and Huntress on Twitter). And Black Mask and Zsasz are pretty clearly lovers — creepy, messedup, jerkwad
lovers, but lovers nonetheless. But what really makes this film so great and so specifically queer is that it harnesses bisexual disaster energy — for the better. If you’re not bisexual (I’m so sorry), you may not know what bisexual disaster energy means. Well, it’s a bit layered and meta, but here’s the simplest definition: Bisexual disaster energy is a term coined by bisexual+ folks to describe our experiences of being messy, fun queer people.
From not being able to sit in chairs “properly” to the overuse of finger guns to unseasonably cuffed jeans, bisexual disaster energy is the spontaneity of someone who doesn’t fit in a nice clean box. It’s a self-effacing way of saying, “We don’t have it all together, but we’re still fun.
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EVERY SEASON OF
PRISON BREAK
RANKED WORST TO BEST Fox’s hit series, Prison Break, first graced our screens in 2005 with four seasons through to 2009, before being revived for a fifth installment eight years later.
T
he serial followed the story of brothers, Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) and Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell), as they break each other out of multiple prisons and try to survive in an attempt to take down the secret organisation known as ‘The Company’. The success of the series led to a video game release, a spin-off ‘Proof of Innocence’ being produced and an official magazine being published. A sixth season was announced as being in early development in January 2018, but was later retracted.
The franchise kept us gripped to the edge of our seats as we watched our heroes attempting to evade discovery and death. However, there were more than a few moments that had viewers gripping their hair in frustration, due to the complicated and unfinished plotlines as well as off screen issues over the course of the seasons. Spoiler warning, obviously, and to quote Captain Brad Bellick, played by Wade Williams, “You got a problem with that? Because if you do, please feel free to drop it in my suggestion box.”
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Sex Education SEASON
WILL “MEAVE” OPEN UP ABOUT HER FEELINGS T
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IS COMING UP TOWARDS “OTIS”?
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eries, the Sex Education with starring of familiar face, popped up in Series of Otis(Asa Butterfield), Jean ( Gillian Anderson), Maeve(Emma Mackey), Aimee (Aimee Lou Wood), Adam( Connor Swindells), Jackson(Kedar Williams_Stirling), Ola(Patricia Allison), Lily(Tanya Reynolds), Headmaster Groff(Alistair Patrie) and Ncuti Gatwa as Eric, Jacob (Mikael Pers Brandt), Roz (Sharon Duncan Brewster), Remi(James Purefoy), Rahim(Sami Outalbali), Issac (George Robinson) and with other new faces of favorite characters are going to be returned with the Series in the sex education season three. The Series can be expected to release in late 2021 in Netflix, and the filming is going to be started soon with an exciting story. Season 1 and Season 2 has been released fully in Netflix with great exposition, and it has a great hit among the viewers among worldwide, so the season 3 is expected to come soon with an admiring plot of relationship, growing up, sexuality, etc. among the teenagers in their life as season 2 ended where jean was suffering from heartbreak after splitting up with Jacob but after several tests, she finds she is pregnant she didn’t tell him with this the story ends so the season 3 carry out this plot in it. It is a genre of Comedy-drama, Sex Comedy, and teen drama. They were created by Laurie Nunn. Executive producers are Jamie Campbell, Ben Taylor. Its Producer Jon Jennings. The Series is running time 47 to 57 minutes. Editors of the web series are Steve Ackroyd, David Webb, Calum Ross. The Production company Eleven Film. The picture format 4k(UHDTV). So with this team Sex Education by the creator Laurie who has been writing for the season 3 with exciting plots, scenes great twist and romance it will be released soon in the Netflix Network with great viewership as like previous seasons hit among the viewers in Netflix members.
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WONDER WOMAN 1984 RELEASE DATE PUSHED BACK (AGAIN!): GAL GADOT REACTS Wonder Woman is on the move again. Warner Bros. has pushed the superhero sequel Wonder Woman 1984 to a later date. The film’s release is being bumped from Aug. 14 to Oct. 2, 2020. The eagerly anticipated DC Comics title directed by Patty Jenkins with Gal Gadot reprising her starring role as Diana Prince has had quite a unique journey to the big screen. WW1984 was originally announced for release on Dec. 13, 2019.
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Then it was moved up to Nov. 1, 2019. Then it was pushed back to June 5, 2020 (with producer Charles Roven explaining the film had a rushed pre and postproduction and could use the extra time). Then in March, with the coronavirus pandemic closing theaters, the movie was delayed until Aug. 14. Gadot reacted to the move with characteristic optimism: “The new release date for WW84 is 10.2.20. Wow,it’s finally happening, & I couldn’t be more excited! To all the fans that stuck w/ us through this time, thank u so much! We couldn’t have done this w/o you.I’m so excited for you to get to see this #WW84, it will be worth the wait.” Jenkins also shared a message following the announcement. “Wish we were sharing our film yesterday but there are more important things going on in our world we’d rather you focus on for now,” she wrote on Twitter. “Thank you to our fans for being so great, by our sides. Can’t WAIT for you to see it! Sending love and healing to the world. See you October 2nd!!” WW1984 also stars Chris Pine (reprising his role as Steve Trevor), along with newcomers Kristen Wiig (as archeologist Barbara Ann Minerva/Cheetah) and Pedro Pascal (as media entrepreneur Maxwell Lord).
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orrest Gump, Robert Zemeckis’ film, which won six Oscars in 1995, including Best Actor for Tom Hanks, paints a rather sweetly subdued yet critical portrait of American society. A powerful and thought-provoking story. A dual film that raises questions about American society “My mom always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” This introductory phrase has marked several generations and placed Forrest Gump, played by a young Tom Hanks, on the list of the most cherished characters in American cinema. Forrest Gump is the story of a man nicknamed a “wise fool” in his native Alabama, who unwittingly becomes a key player in several major events in American history between the 1950s and 1980s. From John Kennedy to Elvis Presley, Richard Nixon to John Lennon, Gump crossed paths with many political and cultural figures, whom he influenced in spite of himself, and lived through the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, class struggle, flower power, demonstrations for the rights of African Americans and the emergence of AIDS.
Why
It was a time of great social, cultural and political tension, in which he played, almost by chance, a major role that made him the anti-hero par excellence. When it was released in 1994, the film, which was widely acclaimed by the public and won six Oscars and three Golden Globes, was nonetheless the subject of debate. The New York Times and The New Yorker criticized Robert Zemeckis for having overly sugar-coated Winston Groom’s novel from which it is adapted. They equally raised the question of the need to tell beautiful stories full of hope, rather than leaving room for those that truly reflect society and its tensions. This duality is one of the peculiarities of the film. It offers, as a watermark, several readings of American society, from the most naive to the most critical.
is such “My mom always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
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CHAPTER
4
TO BE RELEASED
IN 2021 A
certain hitman played by Keanu
career. If people like it and want to watch
Reeves will continue to wage war
more, I could think of way worse ways to
against his foes in John Wick: Chapter 4. EW
spend your career. We’ll let the audience
has confirmed that the action fourquel will
figure that out.”
be released May 21, 2021.
“I enjoy making these movies because
Prior to the release of Chapter 3, franchise
there’s no limit,” he said. “We create our own
director Chad Stahelski told EW he would
mythology, and we have a studio that both
more than happy to make more films series.
stays out of our way and supports us on the
“I enjoy making these movies because
wacky decisions. If people go see the movie,
there’s no limit,” he said. “We create our own
and it makes money, and they came back to
mythology, and we have a studio that both
us, Keanu and I have ideas for days. It’s a fun
stays out of our way and supports us on the
world. I could live here for the rest of my
wacky decisions. If people go see the movie,
career. If people like it and want to watch
and it makes money, and they came back to
more, I could think of way worse ways to
us, Keanu and I have ideas for days. It’s a fun
spend your career. We’ll let the audience
world. I could live here for the rest of my
figure that out.”
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WE DECIDE WHICH IS BETTER Two writers debate which of AMC’s acclaimed Albuquerque crime dramas is the best. Hear-ye, hear-ye, we’re gathered today for the case of Better Call Saul vs. Breaking Bad to determine which AMC drama truly reigns supreme. EW editorat-large James Hibberd will present the case that Breaking Bad remains the better series while EW TV critic Darren Franich will argue for the defense. Court is now in session...
JAMES: Let’s start with our point of agreement. Better Call Saul is having an incredible run of episodes right now. I particularly loved the recent SaulKim-Lalo standoff. It was a Breaking Bad-like crime drama moment where the scene abruptly shifted into a Better Call Saul-like legal drama with a living room serving as the courtroom. Kim (Rhea Seehorn) acted as Saul’s (Bob Odenkirk) lawyer, fighting for her client’s life, and in that moment became just like Saul, representing a man she knew was hiding something — “Your honor, my criminal client is honest as the day is long and would never lie!” But I’ve come around to respecting Better Call Saul’s eccentric pacing. Saul Goodman was a fabulous grotesque on Breaking Bad, and it’s stunning how completely this spin-off has deepened our understanding of his motivations — and made his shady con-man act the stuff of corrosive drama. Odenkirk keeps plumbing new dark corners of Jimmy McGill’s self-defeating psyche. And Saul co-creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould have turned willful detours into unexpected delights. Jimmy’s goofy Elder Law practice turned into a subplot that totally riveted me. The production design is impeccable. Cinephilia
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And before that, Nacho (Michael Mando) dropping The early seasons were hit-or-miss, depending off Lalo (Tony Dalton) at the well. The way the show
on unnecessary prequel canon and Michael
played that moment out. “Do you want me to stay?” McKean’s too-quirky-for-my-tastes Chuck. The No, no, go. “Sure you don’t want me to stay?” No, no, Fring-Salamanca narconovela hasn’t always fit it’s fine. Your feeling of tension started to rise. You into the show. I didn’t like the Superlab at all. knew something bad was going to happen. Nacho is allllllmost gone when Lalo knocked on his window.
It felt like the ultimate Better Call Saul episode,
Then it led to Goodman chatting blithely away with complete with tense Mesa Verde negotiations and Kim, ignoring that cell ringing over and over again, Chuck’s ghost haunting Jimmy through Howard’s Quid quos aut quasper uptiatist faceatus magnimus perfect tan. And then the next episode, “Bagman,” ipsandit entis evelit dolla cori te solessecto magnihi was some kind of an ultimate Breaking Bad episode, liquatus acesectio essunti aturis res repelest, alit, tense desert gunplay leading into funny, freaky sed then Mike’s urgent Taken-like speech as Kim survival tale. We’re arguing about two great TV fearfully backs away from their door. It was all a shows, James. Am I cheating if I pick the one that world-class scene construction that wrung every achieves the best of both worlds? JAMES: I concur ounce of drama possible out of their confrontation. with “JMM” being terrific — from Kim’s literal “check and mate” move, saying marriage was the DARREN: Kim is a master of unexpected legal only way she’d stay with Saul (and here we thought strategy, whether she’s bigfooting a bank CEO or he was the one outmaneuvering her) — to their Jedi mind-tricking the latest murdering Salamanca incredibly pathetic half-hearted “I dos” to Saul’s drugspawn. In the Wexler spirit, I’ll begin this apocalyptic Emmy-bait meltdown. defense of Better Call Saul with some critiques. Cinephilia
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