#drew chadwick fan fiction | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

daniel306gaming · 2 years ago

Text

¿What if Black Panther snapped in Avengers Endgame?

To: Ryan Coogler, Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios and the cast of Wakanda Forever

Intro

¿What if events went differently in the MCU? ¿What if Black Panther snapped in Avengers Endgame? In today fan fiction we’re going to be exploring what would have happened if Black Panther had been the one to dust away Thanos and his armies in Avengers Endgame? ¿How can this affect Wakanda Forever going forward? This is an original what if created by me following the mythology of Black Panther and the Avengers and the timeline of the MCU. Without wasting anymore time sit back and relax and enjoy this fan fiction.

Prologue

Have you ever wondered what would have happened if someone else had snapped away Thanos and his armies instead of Iron Man? Well in this occasion we’re going to be seeing a world where Black Panther died saving the world from the Mad Titan himself but this won’t be a long one so let’s get right into it. I am one of the Watchers and I am ur guide to these vast new realities. Follow me and pounder the question. What if…

Story

The events of Endgame were playing out the same as in our universe. The Avengers and their allies were struggling to take down Thanos and his armies. Hawkeye was running with the Gauntlet like in our universe and Black Panther arrived telling Hawkeye to give it to him to which he did. Our short story will begin with Black Panther not giving the gauntlet to Spider-Man as he thought it was better for him to have it. The rest of the battle would play out the same but things truly change during the struggle for the Gauntlet as Thanos was beating up the big three including Captain Marvel and after that Black Panther would come in the nick of time briefly fighting Thanos before gaining control of the Gauntlet. He put the Gauntlet on and Stark told him not to do it but T’Challa that this was for Wakanda explaining that the vibranium suit should and would be able to take the damage even if it kills him. Thanos watched on in horror at what was unfolding as T’Challa was screaming loudly as he was trying to handle the raw power of the Gauntlet. T’Challa then said “WAKANDA FOREVER” before he snapped dusting away Thanos and his armies. Black Panther then fell to the ground with his body scarred. Iron Man and Shuri were trying to help him before T’Challa said that he was happy that he became the king of Wakanda but that now it was time for him to be reunited with his father and the other ancestors and in his final words he said “Wakanda Forever” before he drew his last breath dying. The heroes and Wakanda bowed to T’Challa just like what they did to Tony in our universe. In the aftermath of the battle a funeral would be held for T’Challa similar to the Wakanda Forever film and Tony Stark would still be alive but he would keep his promise to Pepper to retire his role as Iron Man for good to which he did and began training Riri Williams who would later become IronHeart while the events of Wakanda Forever would still play out the same just this time it will be taking place a year earlier in 2024 instead of 2025 like in our universe…

THE END!

And that is going to be the short but sad and tribute story on what if Black Panther snapped at the end of the final battle in Avengers Endgame. At the time I’m writing this I wanna ask you’ll this. ¿Have you’ll seen Wakanda Forever and if so do you’ll wanna see a third installment of the franchise? This fan fiction is dedicated to Chadwick Boseman and there is another Black Panther what if coming so be on the lookout for that and more what ifs coming soon. Take care guys and have a fantastic day.

R.I.P. CHADWICK BOSEMAN

1976-2020

#marvel studios #infinity saga

1 note · View note

wazafam · 4 years ago

Link

New fan art envisions what it might look like if Killmonger were to return from the dead in Black Panther 2. Ryan Coogler's Marvel movie Black Panther grossed over $1.3 billion at the box office in 2018 and has inspired a passionate fanbase. The MCU movie chronicles T'Challa's struggle for political control over the fictional African nation of Wakanda after he's crowned King, a job that includes donning the Black Panther costume. Chadwick Boseman immortalized the character as an icon of cinematic history with a performance that was equal parts strong and vulnerable, before passing away in August of last year due to colon cancer.

Killmonger (Wakandan name N'Jadaka, English name Erik Stevens) is T'Challa's antagonist and his estranged cousin. Unlike T'Challa, who was raised in a prosperous country surrounded by his respected royal family, Killmonger grew up in the projects in Oakland, raised by a father who was hawking precious Wakandan metal on the black market. The cousins' starkly different outlooks on the world, one optimistic and the other cynical, reflect their divergent upbringings, which in turn affect their respective codes of ethics. Where T'Challa feels a responsibility to first and foremost protect his own people, Killmonger is motivated by a sense of the world's injustice that, while noble, he seeks to rectify via self-serving and misguided means. When Killmonger learns of his Wakandan heritage, he challenges T'Challa to the throne in a battle to the death that he loses. He has the opportunity to be healed by Shuri, but his pride gets in the way.

Related: How Phase 4 Can Set Up Namor In The MCU (Before Black Panther 2)

A Black Panther fan, professional digital illustrator Yadvender Singh Rana who goes by the username ultraraw26, drew up a visual of Killmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan) in Black Panther 2 in an Instagram post. The movie poster mock-up shows the supervillain standing with Shuri (Letitia Wright), T'Challa's genius teenage sister who engineers technology for the Wakandan government. In the image, Shuri is forming the country's official salute with her arms, while Killmonger is represented as a more abstract figure with mostly his head and shoulders shown. See the art below:

In the post caption, Singh Rana writes that some fans were upset about a previous post showing Shuri (as opposed to N'Jadaka) in the Black Panther costume. After Boseman's passing, it was obvious to both fans and the movie's creators that recasting the role would be both disrespectful and impossible: a version of T'Challa played by any other actor would be a poor facsimile of the real thing. The idea of Shuri taking up the Black Panther mantle has been bandied about, and would logically make sense according to Wakandan law, but may or may not be the right job for a brainy scientist. It sounds like there may be even more fan support for the idea of Erik Stevens returning to assume the throne, but Singh Rana is right to observe that fan art won't influence the script one way or the other.

Setting aside his tragic fate at the end of the first movie, Killmonger is an obvious candidate for the job of Black Panther/leader of Wakanda, in part because he's one of only a few who applied for the position. T'Challa and Killmonger are such direct foils of one another that the characters themselves almost seem aware of it: T'Challa is pained by his cousin's misfortune, while Killmonger envies the hand T'Challa was dealt in life. Both characters struggle with internal crises that affect their leadership styles: in T'Challa's case, his commitment to moral purity impairs his ability to make tough decisions. Erik Stevens, by contrast, is weakened by psychological damage that makes him distrustful and defensive in the face of any perceived challenge. A sequel exploring Killmonger's reign over Wakanda would allow Black Panther 2 to continue exploring the complicated philosophical questions posed in the first movie.

Next: Every Real Martial Artist Cast In The MCU (So Far)

Source: ultraraw26/Instagram

Black Panther 2 Art Imagines Return of a Resurrected Killmonger from https://ift.tt/3i6Q3OZ

#Blogger

0 notes

ramajmedia · 5 years ago

Text

25 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now (September 2019) | ScreenRant

While Netflix remains far and away the most popular streaming subscription service out there, it's fair to say that their selection of movies isn't quite what it once was. Netflix is opting more and more to focus on their own original content, and while much of that content is good, it doesn't do much for those looking to take in a great movie that Netflix didn't produce.

Reduction in library size aside, Netflix still plays host to some truly great films, ranging all the way from relatively recent superhero adventures to bonafide Oscar-winning classic dramas. Here are the 25 best films on Netflix that you can watch right now.

NOTE: This list is updated regularly - to ensure availability of the movies listed. Also, the list isn't ranked from worst to best, so a lower number is not meant to denote higher quality. It's just a list of 25 great movies.

Last updated: September 5, 2019

Related: Netflix Stock Hits All-Time High, Now Worth $130 Billion

Before the list proper, there are some notes to be made. First, Netflix offers a different selection in every country it services, and this list focuses solely on films available to U.S. subscribers. That said, those outside the U.S. are encouraged to still check their country's line-up, as some of these picks may also be available to them. Secondly, these 25 films are available to stream as of this writing. If and when included titles are removed from Netflix, this list will be updated with new selections.

25 Monty Python and the Holy Grail

A feature-film offshoot of the classic sketch comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus, 1975's Monty Python and the Holy Grail is regularly cited as one of the funniest comedies of all time, and is also one of the most influential movies in history. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the film that launched a thousand memes, and anyone who watches it for the first time on Netflix is likely to come away in awe at how many common pop cultural references they now understand. For those who can't get enough, Monty Pyton's Flying Circus' full run is also available to stream.

24 Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

One of the lesser-known movies on this list, 2010's Tucker & Dale vs. Evil only received a limited theatrical release, but that doesn't make it any less a great option for a night of Netflix viewing. Directed by Eli Craig, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil stars Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine as the titular duo, mild-mannered hillbillies living in West Virginia. Tucker and Dale are nice people, but resemble the type of backwoods villains seen in many a horror movie, and a series of comic misunderstandings lead a group of young friends to believe the two capable of murder. A lesson in not judging a book by its cover, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil is a great blend of slasher and comedy.

23 Pulp Fiction

Director Quentin Tarantino's resume boasts many terrific films, but 1994's Pulp Fiction is still arguably his signature work, decades after it took pop culture by storm. Boasting a star-studded cast of acting greats - John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhames, and more - Pulp Fiction is one of the slickest, coolest crime thrillers to emerge from the 1990s. Chances are most reading this have seen it, but those who haven't owe it to themselves to give it a watch on Netflix.

Related: All of Quentin Tarantino's Movies, Ranked

22 American Psycho

While landing the role of Batman in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy may be what cemented Christian Bale as an A-list star, just a few years earlier, the actor drew raves for his portrayal of yuppie serial killer Patrick Bateman in director Mary Harron's American Psycho. An adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis' controversial 80s-set book, the recently added to Netflix film excises some of Ellis' more upsetting sequences, but still manages to craft one of the most fascinating horror films of its decade. For his part, Bale is a revelation, exuding both undeniable menace and his own odd charm.

21 Hellboy

While it's sad that director Guillermo Del Toro and star Ron Perlman never got to finish their Hellboy trilogy, there's no reason not to go back and watch their original 2004 effort again on Netflix. Hellboy only did decently at the box office, but was critically acclaimed, and earned a big enough cult fanbase to receive 2008 sequel Hellboy II: The Golden Army. The Hellboy franchise will soon be rebooted with David Harbour in the lead role and Neil Marshall behind the camera, but to many, Perlman will be always be Big Red.

20 Moonlight

Directed by Barry Jenkins, 2016's coming-of-age drama Moonlight will - for better or worse - probably always be known as the movie that won Best Picture only after the award had been mistakenly given to La La Land. That aside, Moonlight deserved the awards love, and is definitely in the top tier of Netflix's movie selection. The film follows three stages in the life of Chiron Harris (Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes), a young black man trying to both make his way in the world and come to terms with his sexuality, despite dealing with homophobia and his drug-addicted mother. Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Janelle Monae, and Andre Holland also star.

Related: Where Does Moonlight Rank Among Recent Best Picture Winners?

19 Groundhog Day

Bill Murray is generally regarded as one of the most beloved actors of all time, and boasts a resume most performers would be jealous of. Truly one of his best turns came in 1993's Groundhog Day, playing acerbic weatherman Phil Connors. To call Phil a huge jerk would be putting it mildly, but fate has decided to make him relive the same titular day over and over again, until he learns to be a better man. A critical darling, the film was directed by Murray's old Ghostbusters pal Harold Ramis, and is a top-tier Netflix addition.

18 Platoon

While director Oliver Stone is most closely associated nowadays with his penchant for conspiracy theories and being outspoken politically, that doesn't mean his films aren't still by and large brilliant, and worth checking out on Netflix. One of the best is 1986's Platoon, which is based on Stone's own experiences serving in the Vietnam War. The cast is loaded with talent, including Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Keith David, Forest Whitaker, and even Johnny Depp in an early role. War truly is hell, and Platoon presents that reality more vividly than the vast majority of movies.

17 Taxi Driver

Often cited as one of legendary director Martin Scorsese’s best films, 1976’s Taxi Driver also features one of the greatest performances to come out of the long acting career of Robert De Niro. Written by Paul Schrader, Taxi Driver stars De Niro as Travis Bickle, an already tightly wound Vietnam veteran who finds himself slowly becoming more and more disillusioned with society after witnessing the rampant crime and corruption in New York City. Bickle of course eventually snaps, going on one of cinema’s most infamous violent rampages. Any serious film fan needs to have seen this film, and Netflix is a great way to do it.

Related: Martin Scorsese's 10 Best Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes

16 Raiders of the Lost Ark

Directed by legendary hit-maker Steven Spielberg, 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark introduced the world to one of the greatest action/adventure franchises in cinematic history, and also one of cinema's greatest heroes. Harrison Ford stars as Indiana Jones, a university professor professionally, but a crusading archaeologist and adventurer in his off time. In his film debut, Indy outruns giant boulders, punches out giant Nazis, and quests for the fabled biblical artifact known as the Ark of the Covenant. All three Indiana Jones sequels are also now on Netflix.

15 V for Vendetta

Many pieces of dystopian fiction have taken a look at what the residents of a so-called democracy will tolerate in the name of security, and V for Vendetta treads that well-worn path to an extent. Based on a graphic novel written by comics legend Alan Moore though, the Wachowskis' film manages to inject new life into the idea of a dystopian future. Set in an alternative UK ruled by a neo-fascist regime, V for Vendetta stars Hugo Weaving as the titular enigmatic revolutionary, and Natalie Portman as Evey, who (initially unwillingly) gets sucked into his crusade. This movie is more than worth streaming on Netflix, even if it isn't the 5th of November.

14 Black Panther

After making a celebrated debut in Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) got a movie to call his own with colossal 2018 hit Black Panther. To refer to director Ryan Coogler's new to Netflix film as a success would almost be a disservice to just how well it performed, hauling in over $1 billion at the box office, and earning critical raves (97% on RT). While T'Challa was snuffed out by Thanos' snap near the end of Avengers: Infinity War, it's obviously only a matter of time until the King of Wakanda returns.

Related: Black Panther’s Success ‘Emboldened’ Marvel To Pursue More Diverse Movies

13 Gremlins

It really says something about the enduring popularity of director Joe Dante's 1984 hit Gremlins that there's seemingly always talk about a new addition to the franchise, despite no films being made since 1990's Gremlins 2: The New Batch. A seamless blend of comedy, horror, and Christmas, Gremlins introduced the world to the adorable Mogwai known as Gizmo, as well as the malevolent titular creatures that spawn when the rules of Mogwai care are violated. Produced by Steven Spielberg, Gremlins was also one of the films that pushed the limits of the PG rating, leading to the creation of PG-13. It may not be December, but Gremlins is a great year-round Netflix pick.

12 The Sixth Sense

While director M. Night Shyamalan's career hasn't quite lived up to what most expected, his 1999 breakout hit (85% score on RT) The Sixth Sense made such a great first impression that he's arguably been riding its wave ever since. Bruce Willis stars as Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a psychiatrist trying to help troubled young boy Cole (Haley Joel Osment), who is burdened with the ability to see and interact with ghosts. For those wondering, no, the big twist won't be spoiled here, for the small subset of Netflix subscribers who aren't already aware of what it is.

11 Rain Man

One of the many triumphs to come out of the 1980s from director Barry Levinson, Rain Man tells the unlikely story of slick, fast-talking hustler Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise, in one of the early roles that proved to audiences that he was capable of far more then headlining popcorn fare like Top Gun), who's shocked to find out his father’s sizable estate is being passed on almost entirely to autistic savant Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), an older brother he never knew he had. A critical darling, Rain Man picked up four Oscars, including Best Picture, and Best Actor for Hoffman. It's a great addition to the Netflix catalog.

Related: Tom Cruise's 10 Best Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes

10 The Conjuring

One of the creepiest films to grace Netflix, director James Wan's The Conjuring impressed both fans and critics, earning an 86% RT score and making a truckload of money. The Conjuring has since spawned its own cinematic universe of sequels and spinoffs, including about the possessed doll Annabelle. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga star as real life "demonologists" Ed and Lorraine Warren, while Lili Taylor and Ron Livingston play the heads of the family beset by demonic forces.

9 Avengers: Infinity War

Arriving on Netflix just in time for Christmas 2018 is Marvel Studios' MCU blockbuster to end all MCU blockbusters, Avengers: Infinity War. Well, at least until the story continues in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. It's hard to imagine anyone reading this hasn't seen Joe and Anthony Russo's $2 billion-grossing, critically acclaimed hit, but that doesn't mean there''s no reason to stream it again. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Josh Brolin, Tom Holland, Scarlett Johansson, and more fill-out Marvel's most star-studded project to date.

8 Schindler's List

An Oscar-darling - winning seven awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Steven Spielberg - Schindler's List (97% on Rotten Tomatoes) is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time, and it's now on Netflix. However, it's also one of the hardest to watch, as the subject matter is just so incredibly sad. Liam Neeson stars as Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who effectively saved the lives of over a thousand Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes also star.

Related: Our 10 Favorite Modern Black and White Movies

7 All the President's Men

Considering the modern day scandal surrounding the American presidency, there's never been a better time to revisit the 1976 classic All the President's Men on Netflix. Directed by Alan J. Pakula, All the President's Men shines a spotlight on the real story of reporting duo Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman), whose work helped expose the truth behind the infamous Watergate scandal, and bring down president Richard Nixon. The film earned eight Oscar nominations, winning four.

6 Thor: Ragnarok

One of the most recent entries into Marvel Studios' MCU canon, director Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok represented a major shift in tone and style from the prior Thor films. Thankfully, this new, sillier version of Thor went over well with the masses, and is an excellent choice for Netflix streaming. Critics also loved it, with the sequel sporting a 92% score on RT. Ragnarok sees Chris Hemsworth's Asgardian hero set out to save his home from Hela (Cate Blanchett), aka the Goddess of Death. Assisting him in this quest are Loki (Tom Hiddleston), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson).

5 Rocky

While all the sequels don't necessarily live up to the greatness of the original, inspirational sports dramas don't really get more inspirational than 1976's Rocky, the movie that made star Sylvester Stallone an icon. Stallone also wrote the script, which concerns small-time boxer Rocky Balboa getting an unexpected shot at world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Rocky would go on to win Best Picture at the Oscars, and give birth to a franchise that still continues via the Creed films. Rocky II through Rocky V are also available on Netflix.

Read More: All 8 Rocky & Creed Movies Ranked: From 1976 To 2018

4 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Since 2016, Peter Parker's live-action film incarnation has been swinging under the auspices of Marvel Studios' MCU franchise, but last year, Sony did something outside those bounds, creating an Oscar-winning animated masterpiece called Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Featuring the voice of Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, Into the Spider-Verse sees an experiment ordered by Kingpin go awry, and rip a hole in reality that allows Spider-people from various alternate universes to journey over to Miles' world. It's then up to the group of heroes to close the rift, and get everyone back to the dimension they belong in.

3 Jackie Brown

The third feature film by director Quentin Tarantino, Jackie Brown is an adaptation of author Elmore Leonard's 1992 novel Rum Punch, and stars blaxploitation legend Pam Grier in the titular role of a stewardess who runs afoul of a crime lord. In many ways a tribute to Grier's classics like Foxy Brown, Jackie Brown's star-studded cast also includes Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster, Bridget Fonda, Michael Keaton, and Robert De Niro. While not as highly regarded as predecessor Pulp Fiction, critics still loved Jackie Brown, and it’s a prime Netflix pick.

2 Scream

After ruling the 1980s, the slasher subgenre of horror had fallen off big time by the mid-1990s. That was until director Wes Craven came along in 1996 to revitalize it, just as he had in 1984 with A Nightmare on Elm Street. In addition to being a brutal slasher flick, Scream is also one big love letter to horror fans, taking pleasure in both pointing out the cliches of the genre and still indulging in many of them. Scream is also a damn good murder mystery, keeping the viewer guessing as to the identity of the masked Ghostface killer. Those wanting to binge the franchise are out of luck though, as the only sequel Netflix offers is Scream 4.

1 Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Easily one of - if not the - most controversial and divisive entries in the entire Star Wars canon among fans, director Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi was nevertheless a huge hit with critics, earning a stellar 91% score on RT. The sequel also earned huge bank at the box office, hauling in over $1.3 billion worldwide, and easily topping the list of the highest-grossing movies of 2017. Whatever one thinks of The Last Jedi, it's impossible to deny that the film is worth a Netflix watch at least once, in order to be part of the ongoing cultural conversation surrounding it.

More: The 25 Best Movies on Hulu Right Now

source https://screenrant.com/netflix-best-films/

#screenrant

0 notes

googlenewson · 6 years ago

Link

When moviegoers first saw King T'Challa in action as Black Panther it was a real showstopper: The Marvel comic book character clings to the top of a sleek new Lexus LC sports coupe as he surfs through the busy streets of Busan, South Korea, in a high-speed chase that ultimately destroys his remote-controlled ride.

The scene’s a crowdpleaser, to be sure--and it successfully sells Lexus' image as a maker of high-performance luxury sports cars to a younger audience. Starting this weekend, with a prominent role in Sony's sci-fi franchise Men in Black: International, the Japanese automotive company hopes to add another hit to its credits, giving it supporting roles in summer blockbusters for two years running.

But betting on a movie's success is a game that most veteran studio executives have a hard time playing, let alone luxury automotive brands. And no matter how much money is sunk into a project, there are no guarantees at the box office.

For instance, Black Panther could have been a big miss for the Japanese luxury automaker. The titular main character, who rules a fictional technologically advanced African nation, was relatively unknown to most audiences prior to the movie’s release. Lexus executives weren’t allowed to read the script before signing on to support the film, giving the company no guarantee of how its brand would appear on screen. The production also wanted six coupes to use for filming, which forced Lexus to provide custom-built prototypes that can cost upwards of $1 million each, since the actual car was not being produced.

For Lexus, whose corporate parent Toyota isn't known for risk taking, the gamble paid off. Black Panther blew away expectations to become 2018’s highest-grossing movie in the U.S., earning more than $700 million domestically, and nearly $1.4 billion worldwide. And the film didn't just appeal to comic book fans, it also over-indexed with African-Americans, given that Black Panther was the first big-budget Marvel Studio’s movie to feature a black actor as the lead.

"Lexus has always been committed to celebrating the rich diversity of our customers, but Black Panther catapulted it to a new level," says Lisa Materazzo, Lexus’ vice president of marketing.

Betting on blockbusters

With Men in Black: International, Lexus is taking less of a risk. Sony has put considerable resources into breathing new life into its $2 billion franchise, which now stars Chris Hemsworth (Marvel's hammer-wielding Thor) and Tessa Thompson, who proved a winning duo together in Thor: Ragnarok.

In the new MIB film, Lexus' aggressive RC F sports coupe races through London, helping agents escape threatening aliens, before transforming into a jet. Lexus' RX Hybrid and LX SUVs are also featured in scenes with alien encounters.

In both MIB and Panther, Lexus is portrayed as a future-forward designer of high-tech vehicles, a positioning that promotes the company's newest slogan "Experience Amazing." "The beauty of film integrations is that none of the traditional rules apply," Materazzo says. "It's an opportunity to partner with filmmakers to imagine all of the possibilities."

This isn't necessarily new ground for Lexus, which has introduced other high-tech products like a hoverboard and sports yacht concept over the past several years to expand the brand's appeal to affluent buyers in the sought-after 45- to 55-year-old market.

Lexus is looking to use films as a way to launch new emotionally engaging campaigns around the release of its new sports cars and luxury sedans and SUVs. It especially sees movies as a way to tap into conversations around cultural events.

But forcing your brand into the story doesn’t come cheap. In addition to providing expensive prototypes to filmmakers for Panther, Lexus produced a comic book and custom videos, as well as bought a 30-second Super Bowl spot for the tie-in and LC 500 launch that cost the company more than $5 million.

But when Marvel's movies have made a combined $21 billion worldwide to date (including the most recent "Avengers"), you take the risk.

A strategy as old as Bond, James Bond

If Lexus seems like it's siding up to well-dressed secret agents, there's a reason: The brand is focused on pushing the performance of its cars, technological innovation and style--while having some fun. That kind of limits just who gets to drive its hero cars.

"We consider how our product aligns with the character who drives it," Materazzo says, and "how the integration might enable us to illuminate a core brand truth within the story.”

But the automaker wasn't specifically looking to get into the superhero business, though Black Panther was expected to be groundbreaking in bringing the character to the big screen, given that star Chadwick Boseman is the first black actor to headline a big-budget superhero film which features a largely African-American cast.

So putting Black Panther in a LS 500 sedan and LC 500 coupe in the film and marketing materials was akin to pairing James Bond with Aston Martin.

But moviegoers haven't always embraced the films Lexus has supported with product placement. In 2017, the same year "Experience Amazing" launched, Lexus developed the designs for a futuristic jet for Luc Besson's pricey sci-fi fantasy Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, which didn't take off, earning just $226 million worldwide.

On the other hand, when the films work, they clearly help improve Lexus' brand image, and boost sales. It’s "Long Live the King" Super Bowl spot helped boost searches for Lexus' LS sedan by 2,500%, according to auto site Kelley Blue Book shortly after the ad launched. And online searches for Lexus rose 15% the week after Panther's debut, while the LC 500 was up 10% on its own, according to Autotrader.

Lexus recorded its best global sales year in 2018, moving 698,330 vehicles off dealership lots, an increase of 4.5%--a tough figure for anyone to reach, in what's becoming a crowded luxury auto market.

"Auto companies partnering on movies is more about exposure than sales," says Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Autotrader. This is true especially summer blockbusters that attract millions of moviegoers, she adds, noting that Nissan's affiliation with the Star Wars films enabled it to have a themed auto show exhibit, "which surely drew lots of kids with their parents in tow to an exhibit they might otherwise have skipped."

In addition to the Black Panther franchise--which Lexus isn't expected to give up though a sequel isn't expected until 2021--the automaker will likely appear in future Marvel movies. Marvel Studios' marketing mavens prefer long-term relationships with brands. For instance, Audi has been the vehicle of choice for Iron Man since 2008. Other Avengers films also featured Acura.

But it also has eyes on other franchises, as evidenced by its high-visibility role in MIB. Lexus says doesn't have a "strict rule" for how many films it wants to rally around per year, "one high profile partnership per year (feels) about right," Materazzo says. "We are actively considering several possibilities."

Whether MIB tanks or soars, Lexus’ diversification is a smart strategy for Hollywood tentpole brand integrations. Because even with all of Black Panther‘s success, if the movie proved one thing it’s that you can’t stay in Wakanda forever.

from Fortune http://bit.ly/31woXIw

#World News

0 notes

viralhottopics · 8 years ago

Text

Scarlett Johansson, charismatic queen of science fiction

With her role as a cyborg in Ghost in the Shell, the actress has sealed her position as our favourite space invader

Hollywood quickly made room on its red carpets for the young Scarlett Johansson in 2003, when she first created a stir in Sofia Coppolas film, Lost in Translation. It seemed clear that this blonde bombshell from New York, who was so ably sharing the screen with a dyspeptic Bill Murray, would go on to deliver popcorn buckets-full of mainstream audience appeal. Beautiful, mysterious and charismatic: she was already an aspirational trophy for any traditional leading man.

Yet, 14 years on, Johansson is established instead as a rather different sort of screen idol. Following a succession of high-octane blockbusters and off-beat critical hits, the actress is now enshrined as perhaps the leading sci-fi action star of her generation. Where once her sardonic smirks and sultry looks spoke of old-school movie glamour, she is now more likely to grab the limelight by kickboxing than by smouldering.

From this Friday, Johansson, 32, will be seen fighting her way to further futuristic box office glory from the midst of a vast, glassy pool of water. Ghost in the Shell, her new cyborg film, is based on Japanese anime characters and features a key combat scene set in a dystopian urban lake. It is a watery sequence clearly designed to become a totemic bit of modern cinema, like that horizontal tussle in The Matrix or the folding streetscape in Inception.

Johansson as Major in Ghost in the Shell Photograph: Paramount Pictures

Whether or not the British director Rupert Sanderss new film achieves the status of a sci-fi classic, it is clear that Johansson, who earned a rumoured 12.4m, has increasingly steered her career towards unexpectedly violent and often unnerving roles. While it is true that she has tackled a few family-oriented outings over the years, such as Cameron Crowes We Bought a Zoo in 2011, it is her more aggressive work in zip-up Lycra that has earned her a place up among the Hollywood A-listers.

This adventurous side of Johansson was most apparent in 2013, when she took the part of the alien in Under the Skin. A horror film directed by Brit Jonathan Glazer, it was a big risk for the star, not just because she would be playing a carnivorous, marauding visitor from another planet, nor because the film had been notoriously hard to make, but because she had to work on location in Glasgow, driving around in a Transit van and interacting with real people, many of whom had no idea they were taking part in the film.

The risk paid off in style. Many critics agreed with the Guardians Peter Bradshaw in finding Under the Skin visually stunning and deeply disturbing: very freaky, very scary and very erotic.

At the same time as Glazers weird thriller came out, a voice-role that Johansson had recorded for director Spike Jonze was to underline the actresss move towards sci-fi. She played Samantha, a captivating computer operating system in his film, Her.

By then, the star had also taken up the screen persona that was to project her right into the heart of a global superhero franchise. Since 2012, she has played Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow of the Marvel Avengers series. First donning her black Neoprene jumpsuit for Avengers Assemble, the actress has already reprised the Black Widow role three times and is currently filming Avengers: Infinity War.

Johansson in Under The Skin, 2013 Photograph: REX

In last years Marvel extravaganza, Captain America: Civil War, the star flashed across the screen in a bewildering swirl of special effects. Ghost in the Shell, by contrast, promises to be a slightly more sedate piece of crowd-pleasing entertainment. Sanders, with whom Johansson has been romantically linked since her separation from her French husband, Romain Dauriac, has aimed, he has said, for a Victorian theatre sense of depth and has avoided thrashing the camera around like crazy.

Its quite restrained and anime-like, the director has said. I loved the idea of this world inhabited by figures, objects and typography that would be different for everyone who saw them. The biggest thing for me was to honour and respect what had come before and to open it to a wider audience, but try to make an original film.

Based on the Kodansha Comics manga series of the same name, the Ghost in the Shell script was developed using screenshots from the original anime movie adaptation and from its sequel, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, as well as the television series Stand Alone Complex. The central character, the Major, is multi-layered and this is what drew in Johansson. Shes living a unique experience as somebody who has an idea of who she thinks she was, and then who she is now, and the person that she feels she is, this sort of gnawing feeling she has in her ghost, the star has explained. Being able to play those three sides: the ego, the superego and the id … That was pretty enticing.

Whether Johansson has permanently left behind her cinematic reputation as a costume drama actress in favour of robotic antics and superheroes is not yet clear. In 2003, she made a big impression as the moody Girl with a Pearl Earring, and again later as Natalie Portmans co-star in Justin Chadwicks adaptation of the Tudor saga, The Other Boleyn Girl.

Johansson in Woody Allens Vicky Cristina Barcelona, 2008 Photograph: REX

It does look, however, as if the actress will keep honing her comedic skills. Although she was briefly a fully signed-up Woody Allen muse in the mid 2000s, she was never allowed much comic range in either Match Point, Scoop or her highly acclaimed final outing with the director in 2008s Vicky Cristina Barcelona. She managed to be very funny, though, in last years Coen Brothers Hollywood period piece, Hail, Caesar!. Her brassy portrayal of an Esther Williams-style swimming star was a highlight of the film.

Most recently, Johansson has appeared on Americas leading satirical television show Saturday Night Live, building up a close friendship with one of its regular stars, Kate Mckinnon. A sketch earlier this month had her playing a scientist who is disturbed to discover her dog is a Trump supporter.

Always political, Johansson has been outspoken on several fronts. In 2014, she alienated some fans when, as a performer from a Jewish background, she agreed to promote the Israeli company, SodaStream, explaining she did not hold with boycotts and had researched the company ethos. Oxfam was not impressed, all the same, and promptly asked her to stand down from her eight-year role as a goodwill ambassador.

The star also spoke out a year ago on the gender pay gap facing working women. Her response to the problem was nicely nuanced. She remained reluctant to be drawn into the row personally, she said, because her own situation, as one of the highest paid actors in the world, was so impossible for most women to relate to.

Ghost in the Shell: trailer for Scarlett Johansson anime adaptation

Theres something icky about me having that conversation unless it applies to a greater whole, she said. I am very fortunate, I make a really good living, and Im proud to be an actress whos making as much as many of my male peers at this stage. For me to talk about my own personal experience with it feels a little obnoxious. Its part of a larger conversation about feminism in general.

Growing up in New York with her Danish father Karsten, an architect, and her mother Melanie, a film producer, she has recounted watching presidential elections with her family, including her twin brother, Hunter, and her actress sister, Vanessa.

We just naturally became politically active. It was just understood that it was important, that it was our responsibility, she once said. I never tell people who to vote for. Im not telling people where to give money, but if there is to be a spotlight shed on me, then Id like to direct that spotlight on to causes I think are worthy or on to interesting, progressive figures.

The fierce spotlight that has focused on her professionally and personally ever since the end of her first marriage to the actor Ryan Reynolds is unlikely to move away soon. So it seems possible that, for Johansson, simply slipping into the disguise of a superhero, an alien, and now a powerful cyborg, feels like a pretty good way out.

JOHANSSON CV

Born 22 November, 1984. Manhattan, New York.

On screen Established her place on the Hollywood A-list in 2003 with Lost in Translation and Girl With a Pearl Earring. Since then, she has starred in Woody Allens Match Point (2005) and Scoop (2006), and later in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), Hes Just Not That Into You (2009) and Her (2013). She has also played the Marvel Comics character Black Widow. As a singer, she has released two albums.