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Keanu Reeves is Still Kicking Ass at 53

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Keanu Reeves has been making movies for thirty-two years now, and shows no signs of slowing down as he turns 53 this year.

In spite of the jokes, Keanu manages to bounce through genre’s and time periods with almost wild abandon. Not only is he an actor everyone knows, but different generations know him from different movies. From Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure in 1989, to Point Break in 1991. From Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1992, to The Devil’s Advocate in 1997, and The Matrix in 1999. In 2005 he played in Constantine, and the remake of The Day The Earth Stood Still in 2008. Most recently, he’s known as John Wick.

The Matrix. Image courtesy of Filmonic.com

He’s still going strong, too, with IMDB.com listing 9 separate projects in various stages of production that have Keanu Reeve’s name attached to them. That includes John Wick: Chapter 3, and a new Bill and Ted adventure which have both been announced.

Currently finished and waiting to be released is Replicas. Keanu stars as Will Foster, a scientist obsessed with bringing back his family after they die in a major car accident.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Image courtesy of MoviePilot.com

Of course, his movies aren’t the only things Keanu Reeves is known for. Several viral stories about Keanu’s life make the rounds with fair regularity.

Lots of people have seen the “Sad Keanu” meme, as well as several stories about the hardships he’s endured including the death of his close friend Joaquin Phoenix, his son who was stillborn, and the death of his girlfriend in 2001.

Then, there’s his philanthropy. He’s donated to PETA, as well as multiple cancer charities. He’s even set up a cancer charity of his own, though he chose not to attach his name to it. There’s also the story that he made a deal during the making of The Matrix sequels to effectively donate a portion of his royalties to the movie so that they wouldn’t have to skimp on the special effects the movies so heavily relied on.

Keanu Reeves is an actor, to be sure, but he’s also definitely a man to be looked up to as a role model. Here’s hoping he keeps going for the foreseeable future, cranking out great movies, strong roles, and lending a helping hand to the world around him.

Happy birthday, Keanu!

Featured image courtesy of DenofGeek.com

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The Original ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Had an Interesting Location

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Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s sequels to hit movies weren’t as linear as they are today. It was more like “let’s re-do the situation but in a different location.” Remember Speed 2, or National Lampoon’s European Vacation? Even Aliens, as good as it is, follows a lot of the plot points of the original; people stuck on a ship, an android, a little girl in peril instead of a cat. So it makes sense that one of the most popular supernatural comedies of all time, Beetlejuice would follow the same pattern.

In 1991 Tim Burton was interested in doing a sequel to his 1988 original, it was called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian:

“The Deetz family moves to Hawaii to develop a resort. Construction begins, and it’s quickly discovered that the hotel will be sitting on top of an ancient burial ground. Beetlejuice comes in to save the day.”

Burton liked the script but wanted some re-writes so he asked then-hot screenwriter Daniel Waters who had just got done contributing to Heathers. He passed on the opportunity so producer David Geffen offered it to Troop Beverly Hills scribe Pamela Norris to no avail.

Eventually, Warner Bros. asked Kevin Smith to punch up Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, he scoffed at the idea, saying, “Didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”

Nine years later the sequel was killed. The studio said Winona Ryder was now too old for the part and an entire re-cast needed to happen. But Burton never gave up, there were a lot of directions he wanted to take his characters, including a Disney crossover.

“We talked about lots of different things,” the director said in Entertainment Weekly. “That was early on when we were going, Beetlejuice and the Haunted MansionBeetlejuice Goes West, whatever. Lots of things came up.”

Fast-forward to 2011 when another script was pitched for a sequel. This time the writer of Burton’s Dark Shadows,  Seth Grahame-Smith was hired and he wanted to make sure the story wasn’t a cash-grabbing remake or reboot. Four years later, in 2015, a script was approved with both Ryder and Keaton saying they would return to their respective roles. In 2017 that script was revamped and then eventually shelved in 2019.

During the time the sequel script was being tossed around in Hollywood, in 2016 an artist named Alex Murillo posted what looked like one-sheets for a Beetlejuice sequel. Although they were fabricated and had no affiliation with Warner Bros. people thought they were real.

Perhaps the virality of the artwork sparked interest in a Beetlejuice sequel once again, and finally, it was confirmed in 2022 Beetlejuice 2 had a green light from a script written by Wednesday writers  Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The star of that series Jenna Ortega signed on to the new movie with filming starting in 2023. It was also confirmed that Danny Elfman would return to do the score.

Burton and Keaton agreed that the new film titled Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice wouldn’t rely on CGI or other other forms of technology. They wanted the film to feel “handmade.” The film wrapped in November 2023.

It’s been over three decades to come up with a sequel to Beetlejuice. Hopefully, since they said aloha to Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian there has been enough time and creativity to ensure Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will not only honor the characters, but fans of the original.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice will open theatrically on September 6.

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Russell Crowe To Star in Another Exorcism Movie & It’s Not a Sequel

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Maybe it’s because The Exorcist just celebrated its 50th-anniversary last year, or maybe it’s because aging Academy Award-winning actors aren’t too proud to take on obscure roles, but Russell Crowe is visiting the Devil once again in yet another possession film. And it’s not related to his last one, The Pope’s Exorcist.

According to Collider, the film titled The Exorcism was originally going to be released under the name The Georgetown Project. Rights for its North American release were once in the hands of Miramax but then went to Vertical Entertainment. It will release on June 7 in theaters then head over to Shudder for subscribers.

Crowe will also star in this year’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter which is set to drop in theaters on August 30.

As for The Exorcism, Collider provides us with what it’s about:

“The film centers around actor Anthony Miller (Crowe), whose troubles come to the forefront as he shoots a supernatural horror movie. His estranged daughter (Ryan Simpkins) has to figure out whether he’s lapsing into his past addictions, or if something even more horrific is occurring. “

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New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie

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Deadpool & Wolverine might be the buddy movie of the decade. The two heterodox superheroes are back in the latest trailer for the summer blockbuster, this time with more f-bombs than a gangster film.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Movie Trailer

This time the focus is on Wolverine played by Hugh Jackman. The adamantium-infused X-Man is having a bit of a pity party when Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) arrives on the scene who then tries to convince him to team up for selfish reasons. The result is a profanity-filled trailer with a Strange surprise at the end.

Deadpool & Wolverine is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It comes out on July 26. Here is the latest trailer, and we suggest if you are at work and your space isn’t private, you might want to put in headphones.

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