E. Oliver Whitney is a senior editor at ScreenCrush. When not talking Game of Thrones theories or waiting for the next Terrence Malick film, Oliver is probably having an SVU marathon. Oliver was formerly an entertainment editor at Huff Post and has written for Variety, New York magazine, Indiewire, Moviefone, and Backstage.
E. Oliver Whitney
Watch Star Wars Celebration’s Beautiful Tribute to Carrie Fisher
Star Wars Celebration kicked off in Orlando this afternoon with a giant panel to honor the upcoming 40th anniversary of the beloved franchise. As exciting as it all was, including guest appearances by everyone from George Lucas to Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford, there was still a glimmer of sadness in the air as one member of the gang was absent this year. The loss of Carrie Fisher last December left a stain of melancholy across not only the Star Wars fanbase, but all of Hollywood. To celebrate the brilliance, charisma and warmth Fisher gave us throughout her lengthy career, and the iconic status of General Leia Organa, LucasFilm paid tribute to the actress in a beautiful video.
John Boyega Stars in First Intense Trailer for Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘Detroit’
The violence and chaos of the Detroit riots in the summer of 1967 began early on Sunday, July 23 when the police raided a local bar. It incited five long days of police brutality that ended in 43 deaths. But there was one infamous and tragic episode during those five days that left three black teenagers dead.
The First Teaser Trailer for Taika Waititi’s ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Is Pure Wild Fun
If you thought the first official photos of Thor: Ragnarok were wild, just wait till you get a taste of the new teaser trailer. The third solo outing for the God of Thunder isn’t just any new Marvel movie, but a distinctly Taika Waititi one. That means it’s going to be a heck of a lot more fun than you’d imagine.
You Better Run, Pray, and Hide in Three New ‘Alien: Covenant’ TV Spots
Xenomorphs aren’t the most welcoming neighbors. They’re not going to leave a basket of freshly baked cookies on your porch or invite you to the weekend barbecue; they’re going to skip right ahead to eating you for the barbecue. Too bad the crew of the Covenant thought otherwise when they landed on a new alien-infested planet in Ridley Scott’s latest.
A Teenager Finds A Mysterious Notebook In First Teaser for Netflix’s ‘Death Note’
What would you do if you mysterious notebook fell into your hands and gave you the power to kill anyone? Maybe you’d write the name of a high school enemy or a crappy ex in the notebook just for giggles, then realizing its murderous magic is for real, quickly toss it out the window and run away. But for Light Turner, he decides to use that notebook for all the power it gives him.
Ego in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ Will Be the ‘Biggest Visual Effect of All Time’
The latest Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 trailer saved the biggest reveal for last when Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill finally met his father, Kurt Russell’s Ego. But that was just a taste of Russell’s character.
Tom Hardy and Ridley Scott Will Have a ‘War Party’ For Netflix
By the sounds of it, War Party could be the title of a fun satire that parodies war movie cliches. Or it could be a black comedy where Tom Hardy plays the owner of a small party supplies store that suffers once the locals start buying their birthday and baby shower decorations on Amazon. But War Party, a new project purchased by Netflix for seven figures, is neither of those things – one can dream! – but a historical film about Navy SEALs.
Carrie Fisher Thought Her ‘Rogue One’ Cameo Was Actual Footage From ‘A New Hope’
The final few moments of Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One are jam-packed with surprises. First Darth Vader storms onto the scene wielding his red lightsaber, which the director revealed was a last-minute addition. Then Princess Leia suddenly appears to acquire the Death Star plans. Not everyone was a fan of the CGI-created Leia – some of us here at ScreenCrush found the visual effects to be a but creepy – but most importantly, Carrie Fisher gave the scene her blessing.
Jim Broadbent Reveals Who He’s Playing in ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 7
Back in August it was confirmed that British actor Jim Broadbent was named as a major addition to the cast of Game of Thrones Season 7. He was said to be joining the production in a “significant” role, but this being the most top secret TV show of all, we of course learned nothing else about his character, until today. The beloved British character actor, best known for his roles in everything from the Harry Potter films to Moulin Rouge! and Bridget Jones, has revealed to ScreenCrush who he’s playing with some new details.
Michael K. Williams Is the Latest Actor in Talks To Join ‘Star Wars’ Han Solo Spinoff
Oh boy, the cast for Star Wars’ Han Solo spinoff is quickly becoming one of the most exciting in ages. Omar Michael K. Williams of The Wire is the latest actor tapped to join the galaxy far far away.
Oscars Stage Manager Reveals Why It Took So Long To Correct the Best Picture Mistake
The Envelopegate investigation continues, and now we have more information on what exactly went down backstage during the Oscars Best Picture snafu. One of the biggest questions has been why exactly it took so long for the Academy producers and PricewaterhouseCooper accountants to notice La La Land had wrongly been named the winner. In a new interview with The Wrap, Oscars stage manager Gary Natoli reveals a whole bunch of details on what exactly happened and why the two PwC accounts were held responsible for the mistake.
Watch Ryan Gosling, Natalie Portman, and More Oscar Nominees Read Mean Tweets
What would an Oscars hosted by Jimmy Kimmel be without a new edition of Mean Tweets?
Meet the Smiling Crew of ‘Alien: Covenant,’ Plus James Franco, In New Photo
We haven’t seen much from Alien: Covenant since the red band trailer dropped late last year and a few photos here and there. But today brings a brand new photo of the colony ship’s crew (and a guest cameo), which finds everyone smiley and free of danger.
‘Star Wars’ Names Jimmy Vee as the New R2-D2
It’s been a big week for Star Wars droid news. Yesterday we learned the Star Wars universe might get its first female droid in the Han Solo spinoff, a character who might be voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge of Fleabag. And today the new R2-D2 has been announced.
John Hurt, Oscar-Nominated Actor of ‘Alien’ and ‘The Elephant Man,’ Dies at Age 77
John Hurt, the British actor best known for Alien and The Elephant Man, has reportedly died at the age of 77, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
2017 Oscar Nominations: ‘La La Land’ Leads with a Record-Tying 14 Nominations
Ah, can you smell it? The aroma of scorching hot awards season debates is already in the air! The nominees for the 2017 Oscars were announced bright and early this morning – or should we say dark and early, as the ScreenCrush team beat the sunrise for the big announcement.
Ben Affleck Gives ‘The Batman’ Update, Says Chill Out, He’s Working On It
Ben Affleck is frustrated. And who could blame him? Anyone who dons Batman’s iconic cape and mask is immediately the center of superhero fans’ attention, both positive and negative. But Affleck doesn’t just want to live in a Batman bubble and only be asked about Batman. (Valid, but what did you expect dude?)
Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, The Flash and Aquaman Pose for New ‘Justice League’ Photo
Over the weekend, USA Today dropped their 2017 movie preview featuring new photos of some of the year’s most anticipated movies. One of those was, of course, DC’s Justice League. We’ve seen some behind-the-scenes footage and some new looks at Wonder Woman, Batman, and The Flash, but now the whole gang has arrived.
First Photos of Duncan Jones’ ‘Mute’ Find Paul Rudd, Alexander Skarsgard, and Justin Theroux in the Future
Things have been fairly quiet around Duncan Jones’ Mute (sorry, I had to) for some time now. The Moon and Source Code director, also known for last summer’s Warcraft, started production on his latest film late last September, a project he intended to make his first feature before the Sam Rockwell-led space drama. Now that film is finally happening and Netflix has a first look at the lead cast and gorgeous futuristic set design.
Alan Tudyk on Creating His ‘Rogue One’ Droid K-2SO, Doing Improv on Set, and a ‘Dodgeball’ Sequel
Alan Tudyk is no stranger to playing non-human characters. From Sonny in 2004’s I, Robot to a scene-stealing rooster in Moana, he’s made a long career out of voice work. But if you think Tudyk’s droid in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is just another voiceover gig in a major studio movie, think again.