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'Fate of the Furious' Director Touted for 'Men in Black' Spin-off

The Italian Job

Here come the Men in Black… again. Everyone’s favorite alien-monitoring agency will see a spin-off film in 2019. We last saw the sunglasses-wearing, neuralyzer-wielding gents in Men in Black 3 (2012), which came out a whole decade after Men in Black II. This new installment is separate from the previously reported crossover with 21 Jump Street, a mashup that may never see the light of day.

According to Deadline, Sony and Amblin are in negotiations with F. Gary Gray (above on the set of The Italian Job) to helm the spin-off, who has directed back-to-back successes for Universal. The hot streak began with Straight Outta Compton in 2015. He followed that up with The Fate of the Furious, the eighth film in the ongoing action saga and the 12th top grossing film of all-time with $1.2 billion in the worldwide box office. With this newfound golden touch, it’s no wonder Gray has been pegged to revive a dormant franchise.

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Gray will be directing a script penned by Matt Holloway and Art Marcum, who previously tackled Iron Man and Transformers: The Last Knight together. Long-time series producer Walter F. Parkes had this to say in a previous report, “It’s so rare to get to the end of the script and know you’re holding a movie in your hands, but Art and Matt have written a spinoff that somehow is true to the core of the MiB world and yet expands the franchise to a fresh new place.”

From the sounds of it, we’re in for a new cast of agents and possibly an international (or intergalactic?) storyline. The global box office has grown in importance since the series last flew by; expect to see that change reflected in the film’s cast and scenarios. Who would you like to see in black suit and tie? And what celebrity will cameo as an undercover alien this time? Join the discussion in the comments below.

Sony has set a July 14, 2019 release day for the untitled spin-off adventure.

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Sense Of Place, South Africa: Freshlyground

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As a part of our Sense of Place, South Africa trip, we traveled to Cape Town and recorded the band Freshlyground on their home turf.

  • “Love Someone”
  • “Pot Belly”
  • “Jealous”
  • “Banana Republic”
  • “Coming Over”

The group is led by the energetic and powerful singer Zolani Mahola, and includes members from Mozambique and Zimbabwe as well as South Africa, where Mahola grew up. Mahola talked about what it was like for her to realize how Apartheid impacted her father’s life as well as her own, and shared the funny reason she got kicked out of a ska band before joining Freshlyground.

But before we get to that, our session starts off with a set of live music starting with the 2007 South African hit “Potbelly.” Listen in the player above.

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Movie News: Next 'Purge' Gets Revealing Title, Teaser; First Look at Jamie Lee Curtis in New 'Halloween'

The First Purge

The First Purge: The title for the next installment in the Purge series has now been announced: The First Purge. The horror-thriller will examine how a small-scale test of a sociological theory became a nationwide phenomenon in which all crime becomes legal for a single night. James DeMonaco, who wrote and directed the first three installments, also scripted the next entry, which will open theatrically on July 4. Watch the first teaser video below. [Deadline]

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Halloween

Halloween: Jamie Lee Curtis, who first portrayed the heroic Laurie Strode in John Carpenter’s classic horror film Halloween (above), shared the first official look at herself as the character in the upcoming direct sequel (below). Production has begun under the direction of David Gordon Green; a theatrical release is set for October 19. [Twitter via The Wrap]

First shot! First day. Same slate. Same Laurie. David Gordon Green directing from his script. Happy Halloween 2018 everyone. See you 10/19/18 @halloweenmovie#HalloweenMoviepic.twitter.com/iSC7NOblEA

— Jamie Lee Curtis (@jamieleecurtis) January 30, 2018

The Girl on the Train

Jungle Cruise: Emily Blunt (The Girl on the Train, above) will star in Disney’s Jungle Cruise. Inspired by the theme park attraction, the action-adventure stars Dwayne Johnson and will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (The Commuter). Reportedly, Johnson sees the film as taking inspiration from the classic romantic adventure The African Queen, starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn; Disney hopes it will kick off a franchise. Production will begin in May. [Variety]

Hereditary

Hereditary Trailer: Debuting at the recently-concluded Sundance Film Festival, Hereditary shook up critics with its unsettling, disturbing atmosphere. Toni Collette stars in the dramatic horror film. Watch the first trailer below; it will open in theaters on June 8. [Movieclips]

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Today in Movie Culture: 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' Easter Eggs, 'Call Me By Your Name' VFX Breakdown and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Easter Eggs of the Day:

ScreenCrush has already broken down the new trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp to highlight Easter eggs, theories and other details:

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Video Essay of the Day:

Speaking of Marvel movies, Wisecrack explores the political philosophy of Captain America: Civil War in this video:

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VFX Breakdown of the Day:

Funny or Die parodies visual effects breakdown videos with this pretend look at how Call Me By Your Name was made:

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Fake Movie Trailer of the Day:

The latest trailer for the fake Crocodile Dundee sequel features a who’s who of Australian stars, including Hugh Jackman, Margot Robbie and Russell Crowe:

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Vintage Image of the Day:

Gene Hackman, who turns 88 today, receives direction from Richard Donner on the set of Superman:

Screenwriting Lesson of the Day:

In the latest Lessons from the Screenplay video, Michael Tucker looks at how The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo breaks convention:

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Genre Deconstruction of the Day:

Speaking of breaking from conventions, Mr. Nerdista’s new video explores how Alien redefines the language of sci-fi:

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Cosplay of the Day:

Just in time for the first Black Panther reactions being shared online, Nerdist showcases this amazing Black Panther cosplay:

See @EscoBlades‘ incredible #BlackPanther cosplay and learn how it came together: https://t.co/O4zOGAx61Gpic.twitter.com/hvt8ecbOtu

— Nerdist (@nerdist) January 30, 2018

Truthful Marketing of the Day:

Honest Trailers frustratingly tries to make sense of Transformers: The Last Knight to properly sell the thing:

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

In honor of tonight’s State of the Union address, here is the original trailer for the Ice Cube action movie xXx: State of the Union:

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Today in Movie Culture: The Ideal 'Star Wars IX' Opening Crawl, the Philosophy of 'Blade Runner 2049' and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Fandom Parody of the Day:

Nerdist has created the ideal (spoiler filled) opening crawl for Star Wars: Episode IX to appease all the fans disappointed with The Last Jedi:

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Video Essay of the Day:

The latest video from Like Stories of Old looks at the philosophy of Blade Runner 2049:

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Movie Influencer of the Day:

Netflix celebrates the subject of its new biopic A Futile and Stupid Gesture with this look at the incredible influence of writer Doug Kenney:

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Movie Comparison of the Day:

Speaking of A Futile and Stupid Gesture, Dimitreze presents scenes from the new Netflix movie side by side with clips from Saturday Night Live, Animal House, and Caddyshack that it re-creates:

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Vintage Image of the Day:

W.C. Fields, who was born on this day in 1880, sits with Mae West on the set of their iconic pairing, My Little Chickadee, in 1939:

Filmmaker in Focus:

Screen Rant explores the fan theory that all of Tim Burton’s movies exist in the same universe:

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Song Cover of the Day:

You know “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” thanks to one movie, Benny & Joon. Now watch it sung by characters from 127 movies in this video from Unusual Suspects:

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DIY Fan Build of the Day:

Jake from Indy Mogul’s Backyard FX shows how to make a cheap and easy Jurassic Park-inspired velociraptor:

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Cosplay of the Day:

This Spirited Away fan cosplaying as Yubaba has created a perfect wig:

Cosplay that made me scream: THIS pic.twitter.com/xV3EPu8rOK

— Diana “Hanyaan” Soreil @ ALA (@silencedrowns) January 29, 2018

Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 25th anniversary of the release of Joe Dante’s Matinee. Watch the original trailer for the classic tribute to shlocky horror below.

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globalFEST: Highlights From A Concert Without Borders

Jupiter & Okwess

Courtesy of the artist

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  • Jarlath Henderson, “Courting Is A Pleasure”
  • La Dame Blanche, “Yo Quiero Trabajar”
  • Delgres, “Lanme La”
  • Jupiter & Okwess, “Hello”

globalFEST has been a staple of the New York City music scene for the last 15 years. The one-night global music showcase spotlights a dozen artists from around the world that even die-hard music fans likely haven’t seen with their own two eyes.

This year, globalFEST took place across two venues — BB King’s and the Liberty Theater in midtown Manhattan — and three stages. And to my ears, the most exciting artists were those who re-imagined traditional styles in stunning new ways. Two bands that brought this creative energy played consecutively — and could not have represented more of a sonic whiplash.

The Jarlath Henderson Band are from Glasgow. Henderson, the band’s singer, relocated there from Northern Ireland and found the musicians he needed to complete his vision. He sings traditional Celtic ballads — love and murder are major plot points, usually connected. He plays guitar and pipes, including wheezing bagpipes. But it was the band’s keyboard and electronics that brought something new and otherworldly, often quieting the crowd.

Meanwhile, across the street, Jupiter and Okwess, a seven-piece band from The Congo, took the stage in multi-colored ragamuffin style. Their take on subverting the traditional was much more in-your-face. Jupiter Bokondji led his band through a set that combined funk and rock with chiming soukous guitar and four-part harmonies. This was the freshest set of the night. It wasn’t surprising to learn after the fact that Bokondji’s latest album, Kin Sonic, featured Damon Albarn on keyboards.

Another highlight included Parisian band Delgres, which combined music from the Caribbean island Guadeloupe with New Orleans sousaphone and drums. The trio had the sweaty drive of a up-all-night Crescent City dance hall.

As straight-ahead as Delgres were, La Dame Blanche brought things back to the theatrical. Cuban singer and flautist Yaite Ramos Rodriguez took the stage in all white (and a cigar) and began the set with a somewhat-classical moment on her flute before steering the show toward dancehall and hip-hop.

Listen to clips from these four acts in the audio player at the top of this story.

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The Week in Movie News: Oscar Nominations, Sundance Buzz, 'Jumanji' Sequel Plans and More

Need a quick recap on the past week in movie news? Here are the highlights:

BIG NEWS

The Shape of Water leads Oscar nominations with 13: Nominees for the 90th Academy Awards were announced this week, with Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water earning the most at 13. Other movies represented well include Dunkirk, Darkest Hour and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. See the full list of nominees here. And read about the biggest snubs and surprises here, Logan‘s Oscar milestone here, and the winners of the SAG and PGA Awards here.

GREAT NEWS

Jumanji and Star Wars will compete again next year: After the surprising level of success Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has reached at the box office, holding its own against Star Wars: The Last Jedi after opening just five days later, Sony is planning for the next sequel to go head-to-head with Episode IX. Read more here.

SURPRISING NEWS

Ryan Reynolds is remaking Clue: We’ve been hearing about the possibility of a Clue remake for years, but now Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds has been revealed to be the latest person developing the board game adaptation. Read more here.

FESTIVAL BUZZ

Sundance 2018 reviews: We were at Sundance all this week, sharing buzz on our favorite movies screening at the film festival, including Eighth Grade. Read our review of the coming-of-age feature here and see some of the other topical buzz from Park City here.

EXCLUSIVE REPORT

Black Panther character guide: We visited the set of Marvel’s Black Panther last year and have now shared our first-hand report, including an in-depth guide to the characters in the movie. Read our exclusive take here.

COOL CULTURE

Crocodile Dundee got a pretend sequel: Many fans were fooled by fake teaser trailers that appears online for a Crocodile Dundee reboot/sequel starring Danny McBride and Chris Hemsworth. It turned out that the movie isn’t real and the videos are part of a Super Bowl ad campaign for Australia tourism. Watch one of the teasers below.

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MUST-WATCH TRAILERS

Pacific Rim Uprising cancels the apocalypse again: The second trailer for Pacific Rim Uprising arrived to get fans further excited about the sequel, which stars John Boyega in the lead this time. Watch it here:

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A Wrinkle in Time unleashes its warrior spirit: An international trailer for Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time showcases its young star and a focus on the movie being an adventure story in need of warriors. Watch it here:

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Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again brings back the dancing queens: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again also received a new international trailer, which focuses on the sequel’s characters in their younger years. Check it out here:

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Today in Movie Culture: 'The Shape of Water' VFX Breakdown, Great Cinematography Explained and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

VFX Breakdown of the Day:

The Shape of Water was not nominated for a visual effects Oscar but you can see the magic that went into creating Amphibian Man in this video from Fox Searchlight:

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Film Studies Lesson of the Day:

The Academy helps us appreciate their Best Cinematography category with this video about the craft (plus this one and this one):

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Cinematographer Showcase:

The work of Rachel Morrison, who just became the first woman nominated for the Oscar for Best Cinematography, is celebrated in the latest Free Cinema Now video essay by Nelson Carvajal:

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Hollywood Custom of the Day:

Slate explores the history of American fantasy movies featuring British accents, even from actors who aren’t British:

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Franchise Guide of the Day:

Revisit the elements of the Pixar’s Toy Story trilogy in alphabetical form with this guide from Screen Rant:

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Vintage Image of the Day:

Tobe Hooper, who died last summer, would have turned 75 today. Here he is with producer Steven Spielberg actors Craig T. Nelson and James Karen on the set of Poltergeist in 1981:

Filmmaker in Focus:

Moon Film showcases all of Alfred Hitchcock’s cameos in his own movies in this look at the famous tradition:

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Mashup of the Day:

Dimitreze creates a ’90s hip-hop cinematic universe by mashing the rap biopics Notorious and All Eyez on Me together:

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Cosplay of the Day:

Couples costumes don’t have to be two separate entities, as proven with these Star Wars fans co-cosplaying an AT-AT:

Couples cosplay outfit #WeirdWeddingGiftspic.twitter.com/vl4q3p0I5w

— Ziggy (@mrjafri) January 25, 2018

Classic Trailer of the Day:

Yesterday we shared the trailer for The Maze Runner in anticipation of this week’s new sequel, and now here’s the original trailer for its 2015 follow-up, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials:

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'We Are Them': Jon Balke and Siwan Call For Coexistence On 'Nahnou Houm'

Nahnou Houm isn’t Jon Balke’s first Andalusian experiment: 2009’s Siwan also explored traditional music from the region.

Antonio Baiano for ECM Records/Courtesy of the artist

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Antonio Baiano for ECM Records/Courtesy of the artist

Al-Andalus was a region of Spain which, after the expansion of the Islamic Empire, was governed by Muslim rulers for nearly eight centuries – from 711 to 1492.

During the first part of that time, followers of Judaism and Christianity were tolerated by most of the Muslim rulers, which encouraged a relative climate of cooperation between scholars of all three faiths. That climate of cooperation produced advances in math, science, art and music that influenced the rest of Europe.

The region’s spirit has inspired contemporary Norwegian pianist and composer Jon Balke — who, with his group Siwan, recently released his second album drawn from those influences, titled Nahnou Houm.

Balke first learned of Al-Andalus when he was commissioned to write music by a Moroccan promoter to celebrate a venue’s 15th anniversary.

“This was how I stumbled upon Gharnati music, which is the Andalusian music that existed in 1400 in Spain and was driven out,” Balke says.

The intellectual and social exchange fostered by its rulers helped make Al-Andalus one of the most culturally rich areas of Europe. But the Christian kingdoms to the north attacked repeatedly, and in 1492, the Spanish crown reclaimed the last vestiges of the region. Muslims and Jews were either forced to convert, killed or expelled. Many sought refuge across the Mediterranean Sea.

“They left Andalucía and went to North Africa, and Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria,” Mona Boutchebak says.

An Algerian classical singer, Boutchebak is the lead vocalist on the new album by Jon Balke and Siwan. She says the culture of what came to be called Andalusia was carried and preserved by the exiles.

Algerian singer Mona Boutchebak gives the traditional music of Al-Andalus a modern voice.

Antonio Baiano for ECM Records/Courtesy of the artist

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Antonio Baiano for ECM Records/Courtesy of the artist

“It is a mixture between Arabic music [and] Spanish,” Boutchebak says. “Flamenco comes from this music, from this tradition. I’m from this tradition, from the Arab-Andalusian one.”

It’s a tradition that’s still taught in schools — “what we call in Algeria the Arabo-Andalusian schools, where you can learn to sing the Arabo-Andalusian tradition,” Boutchebak explains. “So I went and I said, ‘This is what I want to do.’ I started to sing when I was 11, to learn this tradition.”

Jon Balke has taken this tradition’s poetry and composed his own music around it.

“It’s a framing of the musical project,” Balke says. “It puts the project in a framework that speaks about history and that speaks about a kind of a mentality that, from what you can read, existed in the best parts of this period — a kind of open, liberal practice of tolerance and coexistence.

“These poems, they speak about this kind of attitude, even if they speak about love or rain on the river or mystical experiences. You get the kind of a feeling of a period which was a really booming period in European history.”

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At first, Boutchebak resisted the idea of combining her ancient tradition with jazz improvisation and music from the north.

“At the beginning, even for me, it was a little bit hard to imagine baroque music, improvisations, Andalusian music, and me in the middle,” she says. “I was asking myself, ‘What am I going to do?’ At times I felt it like it was so far from me, but it isn’t. We are all the same. The title of the album is ‘We Are Them,’ Nahnou Houm.”

Balke hopes that by trying to recapture a long-gone period of cultural and religious coexistence, his Siwan project can offer an alternative intolerance in the modern world.

“It is possible to coexist,” Balke says. “It is possible to respect even a person who believes something different from you or comes from a totally different background. And even if there are conflicts, it’s possible to solve them in another way than shooting the person.”

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Today in Movie Culture: 2018 Oscar Nominees Supercut, 'Maze Runner: The Death Cure' in Lego and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Supercut of the Day:

You saw the list of contenders yesterday, now watch highlights from the honored movies in Cineplex’s 2018 Oscar nominees supercut:

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Alternate Movie Posters of the Day:

In honor of their Oscar nominations, Get Out and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri got some cool For Your Consideration posters by artist Matt Needle:

Here are two of my #ForYourConsideration#Oscar#Posters (next up #LadyBird) #GetOut#ThreeBillboardshttps://t.co/gawfBrgRJF@TheAcademy@TheFilmStage@TheCinegogue@OnePerfectShot@RealEOC@mubi@PosterPosse@PosterSpy@altmovieposters@brokehorrorfan@slashfilm@cinemateaserpic.twitter.com/sSf6HwVQqW

— Matt Needle (@needledesign) January 24, 2018

Cinematographer Showcase of the Day:

In honor of Roger Deakins receiving his 14th Oscar nomination, the Toronto International Film Festival made a video highlighting all his nominated work and what each movie lost the Best Cinematography award to:

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Fan Theory of the Day:

Just as Pixar announced the cast of Incredibles 2 this week, MatPat of Film Theory considers which one of The Incredibles is the most incredible:

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Vintage Image of the Day:

Sharon Tate, who would have turned 75 today if she hadn’t been murdered by the Manson Family, gets a lift from co-star Tony Curtis while director Alexander Mackendrick falls out of the way on the set of the 1967 movie Don’t Make Waves:

Filmmaker in Focus:

The British Film Institute presents Ingmar Bergman’s influence on pop culture in this video by filmmaker Nic Wassell:

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Cosplay of the Day:

Black Panther co-star Lupita Nyong’o is sharing cosplay inspired by the movie starting with this adorable photo:

Welcome to #WakandaWednesday! Leading up to the film’s premiere, I will be showcasing YOUR #BlackPanther cosplay every Wednesday. First up is the Children of Wakanda! They might have more swagger in the costumes than @ChadwickBoseman and I do… #Regram#MarvelHeauxpic.twitter.com/kCGyEzFYlE

— Lupita Nyong’o (@Lupita_Nyongo) January 24, 2018

Remade Trailer of the Day:

In honor of Maze Runner: The Death Cure finally arriving this weekend, Huxley Berg Studios redid its trailer in Lego:

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Movie Comparison of the Day:

Also in honor of the new movie, Couch Tomato shows us 24 reasons why the last installment, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, is basically the same movie as I Am Legend:

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

Speaking of the Maze Runner movies, now is a good time to revisit the intriguing original trailer for the first movie, 2014’s The Maze Runner:

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