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Joe Camp, filmmaker behind the ‘Benji’ franchise, dies at 84

Sabir Ansary — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 21:35:44 +0000

Joe Camp, a groundbreaking filmmaker who created the groundbreaking “Benji” franchise, which brought a lovable dog to the masses in a live-action film and became a smash hit, died Friday at his home in Bell Buckle, Tennessee. He was 84 years old. .

The cause was an unspecified illness, his son, director Brandon Camp, said in a statement.

Joe Camp started thinking about directing at the age of eight, but he would first encounter decades of rejection. While attending the University of Mississippi, he attempted to transfer to UCLA’s film school but was rejected. After his studies, Mr. Camp worked in advertising at McCann Erickson’s Houston office and then at Norsworthy-Mercer, a Dallas agency, while also writing unproduced sitcom scripts.

In 1971, Mr. Camp and James Nicodenius, a cinematographer, founded their own production company, Mulberry Square Productions, based in Dallas, far from the traditional centers of the television and film industries, Los Angeles and New York.

The idea for “Benji” came from watching the Disney animated film “Lady and the Tramp” in the late 1960s with his first wife, Carolyn (Hopkins) Camp. Afterward, Mr. Camp observed his own dog’s facial expressions and wondered if a movie could be made starring one in real life, told from the dog’s perspective.

“I went to sleep with the clear concept that dogs will talk if you really pay attention,” Mr. Camp said told The Associated Press 2003.

With little professional experience, Mr. Camp feverishly wrote a script in one go – his first feature film – in which a cute stray dog would save two children from being kidnapped. He raised $500,000 and shot the film in twelve weeks in 1973.

He initially had trouble finding a dog trainer to work on the film, before acclaimed trainer Frank Inn agreed to participate. But back then, no Hollywood studios were interested in distributing it. So Mr. Camp did it independently through his production company.

“Making that first ‘Benji’ movie was like running through a minefield of slammed doors, unplanned disasters, catastrophic mistakes and a noticeable vacuum of money, knowledge and experience,” Mr. Camp said. wrote on his website.

“Benji” premiered in 1974. The film would go on to gross approximately $40 million (about $250 million in today’s dollars) and shattered notions of successful filmmaking. It was one of the top moneymakers of the year, along with ‘Jaws’ and ‘The Towering Inferno’.

Mr. Camp went on to make several other “Benji” films, including 1977’s “For the Love of Benji”; The 80’s Oh heavenly dog, starring Chevy Chase and Jane Seymour; 1987’s ‘Benji the Hunted’ and ‘Benji: Off the Leash!’ from 2004 There was also a CBS children’s show in 1983, “Benji, Zax and the Alien Prince.”

“If you do it well enough, the dollars will take care of themselves,” Camp told the New York Times in 1975.

“Benji” was re-released as a film for Netflix in 2018 and was co-written by Mr. Camp and his son Brandon, who also directed the film.

Mr. Camp, inspired by Walt Disneys vision, insisted on creative control over his films and that no profanity of any kind should occur. He recalled that during negotiations with studios over the distribution of “Benji Off the Leash,” an executive at one of the studios argued that sexual innuendo and smut was something kids increasingly wanted in their programming.

“I said to him, ‘Do you have children?’ ‘Mr. Camp recalled to The Telegram & Gazette in 2004.

After the director said yes, Mr. Camp responded, “Are you giving them what they want or what you think they should have?” And that put a nice end to the conversation.”

Joseph Shelton Camp Jr. was born on April 20, 1939 in St. Louis. His father, Joseph Shelton Camp, was an insurance executive, and mother, Ruth Wilhelmina Mclaulin, a homemaker. Mr. Camp is survived by his wife, Kathleen; his two sons, Joe and Brandon; and his stepchildren, David Wolff, Dylan Wolff and Allegra Wolff. His first wife, Carolyn, whom he married in 1960, died of heart disease in 1997 at the age of 58.

After “Benji: On a leash!” disappointed at the box office, Mr. Camp turned into a new love: horses. He wrote several books, including the 2009 memoir, “The Soul of a Horse: Life Lessons from the Herd,” about his journey to become a rider.

But it is the series ‘Benji’ for which Mr. Camp will be remembered most. For decades, he defied Hollywood suits to tell heartwarming stories the way he wanted to.

“The whole point of it is to say, ‘If this dog can do it, if I can do it, this idiot from the sticks of the South can do it, and anyone can do it.’ If you try hard enough and don’t give up,” Mr Camp said The Associated Press in 2003. “That’s what ‘Benji’ movies are about.”

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2024 MLB ‘Wild-Card Era’ Franchise Rankings: Rangers break into top 10, Cubs fall out

Jeffrey Bailey — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 15:45:48 +0000

As Jonah Heim squeezed the final strike of the 2023 postseason and Josh Sborz spiked his mitt on the mound to celebrate the Texas Rangers’ first World Series title, a thought crossed my mind: How will this change the franchise rankings?

See, the Wild-Card Era (1995 to present) franchise rankings are not a creation of my fallible mind. They are borne from a tested, trusted, completely objective, never-been-questioned, all-math, no-bias formula borrowed from football writer Bob Sturm and tweaked to fit baseball’s postseason structure.

Winning the World Series (WS): 9 points
Losing in the World Series (WSL): 6 points
Losing in the Championship Series (CS): 3 points
Losing in Division Series (DS): 2 points
Losing in Wild Card (WC): 1 point

As of last year, the scoring system also incentivizes division titles (+1 point) and penalizes prolonged losing cycles, docking teams (-1 point) each time they lose at least 90 games in consecutive seasons.

Tally the point totals for the past 29 seasons, from 1995 to 2023, and the result is the franchise rankings as listed below — along with each team’s point totals from the past decade, and average points per season. Tiebreakers are World Series wins, then World Series losses, then Championship Series appearances, then Division Series appearances, then division titles.

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The Pirates’ 76-86 season in 2023 didn’t dig their hole deeper, but it didn’t get them out of it, either. Since winning the 1979 World Series, they have reached the postseason six times — three-year runs from 1990-92 and 2013-15. The team is hoping its next core will author another such run. After signing Ke’Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds and Mitch Keller to extensions, the Pirates need continued progression from young big leaguers — Oneil Cruz, Jack Suwinki, Henry Davis — and top prospects Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Termarr Johnson.

Total playoff years: 13DS, 14WC, 15WC

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 1 point (MLB rank: t-26th)

Average: -.14 points per season

The Royals bottomed out at 106 losses last season, tying the 2005 Royals for most losses in franchise history, and fell to 29th in this year’s franchise ranking as they were vaulted by the Orioles. After seven consecutive losing seasons, the Royals clearly are trying to turn a corner now. This winter, they guaranteed Bobby Witt Jr. $288.7 million, filled out their bench and pitching staff with free agents, and unveiled plans for a proposed downtown Kansas City ballpark. This fall marks a decade since the Royals ended their 29-year playoff drought and reached the World Series — then won it a year later. It remains the case that no team has made the playoffs fewer times in the Wild-Card Era than the Royals.

Total playoff years: 14WSL, 15WS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 14 points (MLB rank: t-10th)

Average: .24 points per season

With the Detroit Lions defeating the Los Angeles Rams in January for their first playoff win since 1992, the Reds now own the longest active streak of not advancing in the playoffs among the four major US men’s sports leagues. Cincinnati swept the Dodgers in the 1995 NLDS, then were swept by the Braves in the NLCS, and they haven’t advanced in any of their four playoff seasons since. The current Reds core has a chance to remove themselves from that trivia answer. The lineup has several potential stars and only one projected starter over the age of 28.

Total playoff years: 95CS, 10DS, 12DS, 13WC, 20WC

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: -2 points (MLB rank: 30th)

The Orioles jumped two spots in this ranking by winning 101 games and the AL East last year, even if their playoff run fizzled fast. Adley Rutschman was AL Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2022, Gunnar Henderson won the award in 2023, and now top prospect Jackson Holliday is one of the favorites to win in 2024. The Orioles still have the best farm system in baseball, according to The Athletic’s Keith Law, even after trading top-100 prospect Joey Ortiz and former top-100 prospect DL Hall to Milwaukee for former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes.

Total playoff years: 96CS, 97CS, 12DS, 14CS, 16WC, 23DS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 7 points (MLB rank: t-19th)

The Blue Jays are one of a few teams toward the bottom of this list that would fare better if this exercise included the entire 1990s instead of starting in 1995. Toronto won back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993, but didn’t return to the playoffs for another 21 years. Though the Blue Jays have been a playoff team five times in the past nine seasons, including 2023, they’ve been swept in the Wild-Card Series in their last three tries. Even after failing to land a premier free agent this offseason, the Blue Jays have the bats, gloves and arms to be a division winner in 2024 — but so do three other teams in the AL East.

Total playoff years: 15CS, 16CS, 20WC, 22WC, 23WC

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 10 points (MLB rank: 15th)

The Rockies stayed in the same spot in the franchise rankings but were deducted a point for having back-to-back 90-loss seasons. They chased 94 losses in 2022 with 103 in 2023 — their first triple-digit loss total in franchise history. Todd Helton is a Hall of Famer, bringing back memories of the Rockies’ magical run to the 2007 World Series. The other bit of good news is that Nolan Jones could be a certified star in Colorado. But this doesn’t look like it’ll be the Rockies’ year to win their first division title. FanGraphs has their current playoff odds at 0.1 percent; their odds of winning the NL West, however, are 0.0 percent.

Total playoff years: 95DS, 07WSL, 09DS, 17WC, 18DS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 1 point (MLB rank: t-26th)

The Brewers won their division last season yet still have the same points total. What gives? Well, time for a mea culpa. In auditing and updating the franchise rankings spreadsheet last month, I discovered an error. From 2001 to 2004, the Brewers lost 94, 106, 94 and 94 games, respectively, so they should have been deducted three points. I had only deducted one. To Brewers fans: I regret the error, just as the Brewers surely regret that era. As The Athletic’s Tyler Kepner wrote recently, Milwaukee has not finished last in their division since 2004. The Brewers have never won a World Series and have only one pennant (1982), but they’re reliably solid in a small market. They are now without Corbin Burnes, but they still have plenty of talent on the roster, plus Law’s No. 2 farm system.

Total playoff years: 08DS, 11CS, 18CS, 19WC, 20WC, 21DS, 23WC

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 11 points (MLB rank: 14th)

The Mariners had the pieces to be a playoff team again last season, having already exorcized demons in 2023 to end a two-decade postseason drought. But after getting hot in the second half Seattle stumbled in September and was eliminated from the playoffs with one game left in the season. On paper, they have one of the league’s best pitching staffs for 2024. The lineup still features Julio Rodríguez, Cal Raleigh and J.P. Crawford, but it has been overhauled with the additions of a new Mitch (Garver), an old Mitch (Haniger), Luke Raley and Jorge Polanco in hopes of getting more runs and fewer whiffs.

Total playoff years: 95CS, 97DS, 00CS, 01CS, 22DS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 2 points (MLB rank: t-25th)

Never let it be said that this franchise-ranking formula doesn’t punish teams that subject their fans to prolonged down cycles (see also: Brewers blurb). The Nats/Expos lost five points for consecutive 90-loss seasons in the 1990s and 2000s, which they more than made up for with five playoff seasons (and a World Series title) in the 2010s. But their current rebuild has cost them another two points. There were some positive signs last year, like Lane Thomas’ 20-20 season, CJ Abrams’ second half and the law firm of (Josiah) Gray and (MacKenzie) Gore figuring some things out. Next, we await the arrival of top prospects Dylan Crews, James Wood and Brady House.

Total playoff years: 12DS, 14DS, 16DS, 17DS, 19WS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 16 points (MLB rank: 8th)

I ended last year’s blurb this way: Unless Luis Arraez bats .400, offense will likely be an issue again in 2023. He flirted with .400 until July! Offense was indeed an issue, one the Marlins addressed by adding Josh Bell and Jake Burger at the trade deadline. Losing Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara to Tommy John surgery was a massive blow softened by the performances of Jesús Luzardo, Eury Pérez and Braxton Garrett as the Marlins secured a wild-card spot. The Marlins have never won their division, and odds are against that changing in 2024, but they have enough intriguing talent to stay on the fringe of the playoff picture.

Total playoff years: 97WS, 03WS, 20DS, 23WC

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 1 point (MLB rank: t-26th)

Believers in positive regression will find no finer team to back than the 2024 Padres. The club’s late owner, Peter Seidler, spent big in his final years to bring a World Series to San Diego, and so cutting payroll was a priority this offseason. The team is now without one of the best hitters (Juan Soto), starters (Blake Snell) and closers (Josh Hader) in the game. The amount of talent they’ve lost is staggering, underscoring how strange it was to see them come up short in 2023. The lineup still has Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts locked in long-term and Ha-Seong Kim in the fold for another season. The rotation has Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, depth replenished in the Soto trade and now, after A.J. Preller’s Wednesday night blockbuster, another ace-caliber starter: Dylan Cease.

Total playoff years: 96DS, 98WSL, 05DS, 06DS, 20DS, 22CS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 2 points (MLB rank: t-24th)

The Tigers took a surprising second place in the AL Central last season, their best finish since 2016, though few confused them for a contender. They saw encouraging signs in 2023 from Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene (when healthy), Kerry Carpenter and several pitchers, especially Tarik Skubal. They’ve added a handful of veterans this offseason — Mark Canha, Gio Urshela, Jack Flaherty, Kenta Maeda, Shelby Miller and Andrew Chafin — and have a couple top prospects approaching the majors. Better days should be ahead for an organization that hasn’t gained a franchise-ranking point (and, in fact, has lost two) since 2014.

Total playoff years: 06WSL, 11CS, 12WSL, 13CS, 14DS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 1 point (MLB rank: t-26th)

We begin the way we always do, with an updated win/loss record since the 2007 name change.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays: 645-972 (.399)

Tampa Bay Rays: 1,366-1,125 (.548)

The 2023 Rays raced out to a record-setting start and still managed to win 99 games despite being without star shortstop Wander Franco and losing starters Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs to elbow surgeries. They’ve continued team-building their way this winter — prioritizing young regulars and undervalued platoon players and relievers — and will, in all likelihood, be a handful for the rest of the AL East in 2024.

Total playoff years: 08WSL, 10DS, 11DS, 13DS, 19DS, 20WSL, 21DS, 22WC, 23WC

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 14 points (MLB rank: t-10th)

When writing a year ago “it’s hard to argue the White Sox are better than they were in 2022, and their farm system is one of the weakest in baseball,” I somehow still fell woefully short of predicting their 2023 season. The White Sox self-destructed. They fired Ken Williams and Rick Hahn, lost 101 games and moved seven veterans at the trade deadline. The positive outcome is that the farm system no longer stinks. Law ranked them 10th and noted, “This is about as good as their system has ever looked.” The same cannot be said of their major-league roster. The White Sox have had consecutive 90-loss seasons only once since 1995; they’re projected to add a second this season. They are playing for the future, as evidenced by the Dylan Cease trade Wednesday night.

Total playoff years: 00DS, 05WS, 08DS, 20WC, 21DS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 3 points (MLB rank: t-22nd)

The Mets haven’t advanced in the playoffs since their pennant-winning 2015 season. After the Mets won 101 games in 2022, the 2023 season saw Edwin Díaz injured, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer traded, and the Mets missing the playoffs by nine games. They still have the highest payroll in the game, but expectations are lower this season. Spring training started with a sour note as Kodai Senga was diagnosed with a right shoulder strain. FanGraphs gives the Braves a 98.6 percent chance of making the playoffs, the Phillies at 59 percent and the Marlins and Mets tied at 29.5 percent.

Total playoff years: 99CS, 00WSL, 06CS, 15WSL, 16WC, 22WC

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 9 points (MLB rank: 16th)

The Twins blew some long-standing narratives to smithereens last fall by ending their 18-game postseason losing streak and sweeping the Blue Jays in the Wild Card Series. Then they lost Sonny Gray to free agency, traded Jorge Polanco and cut payroll. They remain the favorite in the AL Central — a division they’ve won three of the past five years — but may be leaving the door open. The Pablo López-led rotation has upside; Jhoan Duran and the bullpen are nasty; and a lineup that starts with Edouard Julien, Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa and Max Kepler is likely to do some serious damage.

Total playoff years: 02CS, 03DS, 04DS, 06DS, 09DS, 10DS, 17WC, 19DS, 20WC, 23DS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 8 points (MLB rank: t-17th)

Before 2022, the A’s hadn’t endured a 100-loss season since 1979. Now they’ve done it two years in a row for the first time since 1964-65. They lost a rankings point for that, dropped one spot in the rankings and will surely continue in that downward direction. Law ranked their farm system last. In 2023, Brent Rooker had an early breakout, Ryan Noda and Zack Gelof emerged and Esteury Ruiz led the AL with 67 steals. But overshadowing all of that in Oakland is the team’s desire to flee to Las Vegas and fans’ attempts to make their objections heard.

Total playoff years: 00DS, 01DS, 02DS, 03DS, 06CS, 12DS, 13DS, 14WC, 18WC, 19WC, 20DS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 4 points (MLB rank: 21st)

Let’s break down the Wild-Card Era Angels by decade.

1995-99: 387-405 (.489)

2000s: 900-720 (.556)

2010s: 822-798 (.507)

2020s: 176-208 (.458)

Just as I suspected. The Angels are feeling rather fourth place-ish. They haven’t had a winning record since 2015 (their last “of Anaheim” season), haven’t made the playoffs since 2014, and haven’t won a playoff game since 2009. A 2023 recap: Arte Moreno didn’t sell the team, and GM Perry Minasian didn’t trade Shohei Ohtani before the season, didn’t trade him after the season, made a big bet as a trade deadline buyer and lost. Now the Angels trudge toward whatever is next. They have Mike Trout and Law’s 29th-ranked farm system, and no Ohtani.

Total playoff years: 02WS, 04DS, 05CS, 07DS, 08DS, 09CS, 14DS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 3 points (MLB rank: t-22nd)

The Cubs hold the third tiebreaker (Championship Series appearances) over the Angels but were knocked out of the top 10 this year after being jumped by the Diamondbacks and Rangers. The Cubs ended the 2023 season one game back of a wild-card spot. The Chicago roster, though, hasn’t changed substantially since. They lost Marcus Stroman, brought back Cody Bellinger, traded for Michael Busch and signed Shota Imanaga and Héctor Neris. They also have the No. 5 farm system, per Law. The NL Central race should be compelling; FanGraphs projects all five teams between 77 and 84 wins.

Total playoff years: 98DS, 03CS, 07DS, 08DS, 15CS, 16WS, 17CS, 18WC, 20WC

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 20 points (MLB rank: 4th)

Snakes alive. They climbed three spots in this year’s ranking. They also didn’t exist at the start of the Wild-Card Era, so if we look at their average points per season they rank 10th, ahead of the Phillies by 0.01. Indeed, here come the D-Backs. They may not have won the offseason like the division-rival Dodgers, but they have Corbin Carroll and Zac Gallen and enough talent surrounding them to make noise again in 2024. As for the new arrivals: Eduardo Rodríguez fortifies a rotation that could have used one more starter last fall, Eugenio Suárez gives Arizona more thump at third base, and Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk are mix-and-match platoon options at DH and in the outfield.

Total playoff years: 99DS, 01WS, 02DS, 07CS, 11DS, 17DS, 23WSL

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 8 points (MLB rank: t-17th)

The Phillies in the past two years have played in a World Series and come one win short of appearing in another. After flailing for most of the 2010s, they’ve built a formidable core and so far have spent to keep it mostly intact. They let Rhys Hoskins walk in free agency this winter but brought back Aaron Nola and extended Zack Wheeler. This is more or less a run-it-back year for Philadelphia. They have the horses, and they have them healthy for now. But they’ll need to click from the jump if the Phillies are going to win their first division title since 2011.

Total playoff years: 07DS, 08WS, 09WSL, 10CS, 11DS, 22WSL, 23CS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 7 points (MLB rank: t-19th)

A World Series title doesn’t guarantee you a top-10 spot in the franchise rankings, but the nine points the Rangers bagged for winning their first ring last fall got them there. It was far from an ideal season for Texas. Jacob deGrom made only six starts before suffering an elbow injury. Nathan Eovaldi and Corey Seager both missed significant time in the regular season. The team fell out of first place and nearly lost their wild-card spot. But Seager, Adolis García, Josh Jung and Evan Carter led the Rangers lineup in October, and the pitching arms of Eovaldi, Jordan Montgomery, José Leclerc and Josh Sborz did the rest. There are reasons to doubt the Rangers in 2024, but they’re about as good as they were last spring.

Total playoff years: 96DS, 98DS, 99DS, 10WSL, 11WSL, 12WC, 15DS, 16DS, 23WS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 14 points (MLB rank: t-10th)

The Guardians couldn’t give Tito Francona a storybook finish to his likely Hall of Fame career. They played .500 ball in the first half, were 10 games worse than that in the second half and finished third (or lower) in the AL Central for the first time since 2015. Their overall position on this list is incredibly respectable, especially since they’re the only one of the top 13 teams without a World Series title juicing their numbers. The Guardians have made the playoffs 13 times in the 29 years of the Wild-Card Era, won the division 11 times and captured three pennants. With José Ramírez, a young cast of hitters and a strong pitching staff, the Guardians have a shot at the AL Central crown this season.

Total playoff years: 95WSL, 96DS, 97WSL, 98CS, 99DS, 01DS, 07CS, 13WC, 16WSL, 17DS, 18DS, 20WC, 22DS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 17 points (MLB rank: t-6th)

Three World Series titles will take you a long way, so the Giants are still sitting pretty here at No. 7 despite not seeing much playoff success since 2014. They backslid from 107 wins in 2021 to 81 in 2022 to 79 in 2023, leading to manager Gabe Kapler’s ouster. This offseason they signed Jordan Hicks, Jorge Soler and Jung Hoo Lee, traded for former Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray, who’s rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and waited out the market to land free agent Matt Chapman on a remarkably palatable three-year contract with two opt-outs. The Giants, however, still seem undermanned as they face an uphill climb in a division led by the Dodgers and the defending NL champs in Arizona.

Total playoff years: 97DS, 00DS, 02WSL, 03DS, 10WS, 12WS, 14WS, 16DS, 21DS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 14 points (MLB rank: t-10th)

Houston has reached the ALCS in seven consecutive seasons, played in four World Series and twice — including 2023 — fallen one win short. They are tied with the Dodgers for most points in the past decade; Houston holds the tiebreaker. They’d be in the top five in this year’s franchise rankings if not for the three points deducted for 90-loss seasons in the early 2010s. For now, they’re well clear of the Giants and Guardians and nipping at the heels of the Red Sox. In 2024, the Astros return almost the same lineup as last season, but with an offensive upgrade at catcher in Yainer Díaz. They’ll have Justin Verlander back in the rotation, once healthy. And they have two top-end closers in Josh Hader and Ryan Pressly.

Total playoff years: 97DS, 98DS, 99DS, 01DS, 04CS, 05WSL, 15DS, 17WS, 18CS, 19WSL, 20CS, 21WSL, 22WS, 23CS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 46 points (MLB rank: t-1st)

The long-term organizational momentum the Red Sox built with four World Series titles in the past 20 years has stalled. They’ve finished last in the AL East the past two seasons, with identical 78-84 records, and now they have a new chief baseball officer, Craig Breslow, but not a significantly upgraded roster. The Red Sox have strong left-handed hitters but could use some thunder from the right side at Fenway Park. With free-agent add Lucas Giolito out for the season, Boston needs another starter or two to lead the pitching staff alongside Brayan Bello. There’s still time to start spending, but the Red Sox so far have shown no urgency.

Total playoff years: 95DS, 98DS, 99CS, 03CS, 04WS, 05DS, 07WS, 08CS, 09DS, 13WS, 16DS, 17DS, 18WS, 21CS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 19 points (MLB rank: 5th)

This wasn’t necessarily the top headline of the Dodgers’ offseason, but they finally ran down the Red Sox and stole fourth place in the franchise rankings. They are a Death Star. The Dodgers have an 11-year playoff streak going, with 10 division titles in that stretch. If the franchise rankings covered only the past decade, the Dodgers would be tied with the Astros at No. 1. They’ve operated at a 102-win clip in manager Dave Roberts’ eight years in Los Angeles, and all of that was before they added [huge breath] Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, James Paxton and Teoscar Hernández, and re-signed Clayton Kershaw, Jason Heyward and Kiké Hernández. Probably a team to watch in 2024.

Total playoff years: 95DS, 96DS, 04DS, 06DS, 08CS, 09CS, 13CS, 14DS, 15DS, 16CS, 17WSL, 18WSL, 19DS, 20WS, 21CS, 22DS, 23DS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 46 points (MLB rank: t-1st)

No movement in our top three for 2024, but a couple teams are in striking distance of the Cardinals this season. After three consecutive wild-card exits, St. Louis had a deeply disappointing 2023, finishing 71-91. It was their first losing season since 2007, and their first 90-loss season since 1990. The Cardinals overhauled their pitching staff this winter, bringing in veterans Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, Keynan Middleton and Andrew Kittredge. The talent in their lineup is still eye-popping, so with halfway decent pitching and positive regression from a few hitters the Cardinals could be back in 2024.

Total playoff years: 96CS, 00CS, 01DS, 02CS, 04WSL, 05CS, 06WS, 09DS, 11WS, 12CS, 13WSL, 14CS, 15DS, 19CS, 20WC, 21WC, 22WC

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 15 points (MLB rank: 9th)

The only one of our top three teams to reach the postseason in 2023, the Braves won the NL East for the sixth consecutive season before bowing out again in the NLDS. They’ve already won a World Series in this competitive window, but it feels like they’ve left a lot on the table. The good news for Braves fans, and bad for most others, is the team’s current core isn’t going anywhere. The Braves have built a behemoth without a top-five payroll, as reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Spencer Strider, Sean Murphy, Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II all have agreed to long-term extensions.

Total playoff years: 95WS, 96WSL, 97CS, 98CS, 99WSL, 00DS, 01CS, 02DS, 03DS, 04DS, 05DS, 10DS, 12WC, 13DS, 18DS, 19DS, 20CS, 21WS, 22DS, 23DS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade: 24 points (MLB rank: 3rd)

The Yankees are still the class of the Wild-Card Era, though they certainly haven’t been baseball’s top franchise recently. The overall body of work is immensely impressive: In the 29 seasons included in this exercise, the Yankees have 24 playoff berths, 15 division titles, seven AL pennants and five World Series titles. (Only one title and pennant, however, in the past two decades.) In 2023, the Yankees narrowly avoided their first losing season since 1992, but their 80 losses still were their most of the Wild-Card Era. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo and Carlos Rodón all missed significant time with injury. Gerrit Cole was the AL Cy Young and also the Yankees’ only reliable starter last season, but now there’s uncertainty regarding his health for 2024. The Yankees will have Judge, Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo across the outfield. They added Marcus Stroman to the rotation. We’ll see if that’s enough.

Total playoff years: 95DS, 96WS, 97DS, 98WS, 99WS, 00WS, 01WSL, 02DS, 03WSL, 04CS, 05DS, 06DS, 07DS, 09WS, 10CS, 11DS, 12CS, 15WC, 17CS, 18DS, 19CS, 20DS, 21WC, 22CS

Consecutive 90-loss seasons

Last decade (since 2014): 17 points (MLB rank: t-6th)

Rank	Total	Average	Decade
1	110	3.79	17
2	81	2.79	24
3	72	2.48	15
4	68	2.34	46
5	66	2.28	19
6	65	2.24	46
7	48	1.66	14
8	48	1.66	17
9	37	1.28	14
10	33	1.14	7
11	30	1.15	8
12	29	1	20
13	29	1	3
14	25	0.86	4
15	22	0.76	8
16	21	0.72	9
17	19	0.66	3
18	19	0.73	14
19	17	0.59	1
20	17	0.59	2
21	16	0.55	1
22	14	0.48	16
23	14	0.48	2
24	14	0.48	11
25	10	0.34	1
26	10	0.34	10
27	9	0.31	7
28	9	0.31	-2
29	7	0.24	14
30	-4	-0.14	1

(Top illustration by Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Photos by Justin Berl / Getty Images; Rob Tringali / Sportschrome; Matt Dirksen / Getty Images; Brian Blanco / Getty Images)

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Neve Campbell returns to the Scream franchise! Star reveals she WILL appear in Scream 7 after leaving the horror movie series due to a salary dispute

Sabir Ansary — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 18:36:46 +0000

Neve Campbell has announced her shock return to the Scream franchise after back-to-back exits from the film series due to her salary.

The 50-year-old actress, who played iconic final girl Sidney Prescott in five Scream films but bowed out for Scream VI, revealed her return for Scream 7 in an Instagram post detailing the script for the untitled next film.

Scream 7 will reunite Campbell with Kevin Williamson, who developed and wrote the screenplay for Scream (1996), along with those for Scream 2 (1997) and Scream 4 (2011). He will direct the new episode.

She wrote: ‘Hello everyone. I am so excited to announce this news!!! Sidney Prescott returns!!!! It has always been a blast and an honor to play Sidney in the Scream films.

“My appreciation for these films and what they have meant to me has never diminished. I am very happy and proud to say that I have been asked in the most respectful way to bring Sidney back to the screen, and I couldn’t be happier!!! Well actually I could.

“Although I have been so lucky to have been able to make these films with both the master of horror Wes Craven and the wonderfully talented team of Matt and Tyler, I have dreamed for years of how amazing it would be to make one of these films.” with Kevin Williamson at the helm.

Neve Campbell has announced her shock return to the Scream franchise after leaving the film series in a row due to her salary (pictured in Scream 3 in 1999)

The actress, 50, who played iconic final girl Sidney Prescott in five Scream films but bowed out for Scream 6, revealed her return for Scream 7 in an Instagram post detailing the script for the untitled next film (pictured in Scream in 1996)

“And now that the time has come, Kevin Williamson will be directing Scream 7! This was his baby and it is his brilliant mind that created this world.

‘Kevin is not only a source of inspiration as an artist, but has been a dear friend for years. To the awesome Scream fans, I hope you’re as excited as I am. See you on set @kevwilliamson.’

Campbell played lead character Sidney Prescott for five films over twenty years, but announced in 2022 that she would not appear in the sixth installment.

She said the difficult decision was the result of failed salary negotiations, which she blamed for rampant “gender inequality” in the film business.

Campbell felt “undervalued” because she was starring in a horror franchise that grossed almost $1 billion.

But the Canadian star previously insisted that she'[doesn’t] wish these movies ill will” and revealed that she recently saw Scream 6 for the first time.

‘I wanted the movie to be good. It’s not like I’m sitting in my house thinking, ‘I hope it sucks, I hope it doesn’t go well,'” she told fans at Monster-Mania Con earlier this month.

She said she doesn’t know why it “took me a minute” to finally see it, but she was impressed.

Scream VI features a star-studded cast, including Wednesday star Jenna Ortega and The Babysitter’s Samara Weaving.

It also saw the return of franchise vets Courteney Cox, Skeet Ulrich and Hayden Panettiere.

It premiered in theaters on March 10, 2023, and earned $169 million at the worldwide box office on a production budget of a reported $24 million.

“I actually thought they did a really good job,” Campbell said. “I think the cast is really powerful, great actors.”

Regardless of whether she stars in the film or not, Campbell said she cares deeply about “all the people involved” and only takes issue with the studio executives who denied her salary request.

‘There is someone at the top who only thinks about money and that is their prerogative. But for the rest, for everyone else, I think it’s important that these films are good. And I think that’s important for you too, because I know you love these movies,” she concluded.

Last year, Campbell further explained her decision to leave the cult horror that made her famous.

Speak with PEOPLEthe Canadian actress doubled down on previous comments about walking away from her role as Sidney Prescott due to a salary dispute.

“I love this franchise. “I’m so grateful for it, but at the same time I really couldn’t bear the idea of walking up there and feeling undervalued,” she explained.

She reiterated that this was solely due to the fact that she did not receive the amount of money she deserved for her contribution.

“I didn’t feel like what was being offered to me equaled the value that I have brought to this franchise for 25 years and that I have brought to this franchise.

“And as a woman in this industry, I think it’s really important for us to be valued and to fight to be valued.”

Campbell said she felt slighted because of gender inequality, saying: “I don’t believe that if I were a man and had done five installments of a huge blockbuster franchise in 25 years, the number I was offered would be the number given to a man would be offered.

“And deep down, I just couldn’t do that.”

The star announced in June 2022 that he would not return for the next blockbuster.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be doing the next Scream movie,” she revealed. “As a woman, I have had to work extremely hard in my career to establish my value, especially when it comes to Scream.

“I felt that the offer presented to me did not match the value I brought to the franchise. It was a very difficult decision to move on.

“To all my Scream fans: I love you. You have always been so incredibly supportive of me. I am forever grateful to you and what this franchise has given me over the past 25 years.”

The film’s most recent revival, released in January 2022, brought back original stars Courteney Cox and David Arquette and earned $140 million at the box office against a $24 million budget.

Scream IV saw newcomers Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding and Jenna Ortega join the cast.

Prior to her official departure announcement, Campbell told Entertainment Tonight that she was unsure if she would return for the sixth film, saying, “I don’t know if I am,” adding that she “can’t get into it.”

Scream hit theaters in December 1996 and made a huge splash, raking in $173 million worldwide on a $14 million budget, according to Box Office Mojo.

The Wes Craven-directed film featured a cast including David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Rose McGowan, Drew Barrymore and Campbell, and spawned three sequels: 1997’s Scream 2, 2000’s Scream 3 and 2011’s Scream 4.

A troubled Sidney and her boyfriend Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) went upstairs to get intimate, but shortly afterwards he was stabbed by Ghostface.

Sidney stumbles downstairs and after taking a gun belonging to police officer Dewey (David Arquette), she is left stunned when her friends Stu and Randy (Jamie Kennedy) accuse each other of being the killer.

She then finds Billy injured but alive. He then takes the gun and says “we all go a little crazy sometimes” and shoots Randy, revealing that he faked his injuries with corn syrup and that he and Stu are the killers.

They plan to kill Sidney and frame her father Neil for the killing spree, while also admitting that they killed her mother Maureen because she was having an affair with Billy’s father.

A bloody battle ensues in which Stu is stabbed by Billy and Billy is ultimately shot in the head by Sidney.

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Iconic horror franchise returns with a FREE new game on PS5 and a second surprise

Jeffrey Bailey — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 07:53:24 +0000

ONE of the world's most iconic horror game franchises returns after a decade.

Konami shocked fans with not one but two announcements – and the latest entry is available today completely free on PS5.

The last Silent Hill game came out in 2014 – and that was just a demoCredit: Konami

Konami says the new game will feature “contemporary issues.”Credit: Konami

Silent Hill was a hit from the 1990s with several games and even two films.

Fans of the series have been craving a new game ever since the ill-fated PT demo released in 2014.

“We wanted to create a new, modern Silent Hill. As part of this, we explored how we could integrate contemporary issues.

Motoi OkamotoProducer, Konami

It was sensationally pulled following a decision to cancel a planned Silent Hills title and not much from the franchise has appeared since, aside from last year's interactive streaming series Silent Hill: Ascension.

Such is the desire for more Silent Hill, PS4 consoles with PT installed before it was removed can fetch around £500.

“In 2022, we announced a revival of the Silent Hill series, along with several new titles in development, and this marks the first of that new wave of games to be released,” said Motoi Okamoto, a producer for Konami.

“We're releasing the entire game for free, so if you've never played a Silent Hill game, we hope you take this opportunity to get a taste of what Silent Hill is all about.”

This latest installment, Silent Hill: The Short Message, follows protagonist Anita as her sense of reality is shattered by a series of bizarre and alien spaces and a twisted monster.

“We wanted to create a new, modern Silent Hill,” Okamoto continued.

'As part of this, we investigated how we could integrate contemporary problems.

'Ultimately we looked at how modern young people communicate online and via telephones, and what role that could play in a psychological horror story.

“The scary thing about social media, for example, is how even insignificant individual comments can build and build en masse until they become an overwhelming wave of hate crashing down on you.”

Gamers have already rushed to download the new title, saying it lasts about an hour and a half.

“That actually came out of nowhere, I just finished it…hits right on the mark…” one user wrote.

“Welp, looks like we're in for a scare tonight, boiz,” wrote another.

“I'm playing this right now and the message is DEEP!” a third commented.

Others were quick to point to the PT fiasco and say, “DO NOT erase your hard drives this time!”

Looking back at Silent Hill

The very first Silent Hill game was released on the PS1 in 1999.

It grew into one of the most recognized horror game franchises and included a dozen more titles.

In 2006, Silent Hill was adapted into a film that grossed $156 million – a sequel was released in 2012 and a third called Return to Silent Hill is currently being filmed.

Gamers have been waiting for a new Silent Hill game for years – their last disappointment was 2012's Silent Hills, which had Japanese video game design legend Hideo Kojima and Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro attached.

But the title was dramatically canceled and the entire franchise was left in limbo for an undisclosed reason – rumors suggested it was due to a falling out between Kojima and Konami.

Remake

Silent Hill's return came during a packed PlayStation State of Play, an event the gaming giant uses to tease all its upcoming projects.

Fans have also learned that Silent Hill 2 is being remade for the PS5 with “improved and modernized” combat.

The game was first released in 2001, but there is no date yet for the remake to be released.

All the latest PS5 reviews from The Sun

Learn about the latest PS5 releases from our expert reviewers.

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10 Canceled Franchise Movies Made into Something Else – Listverse

Sabir Ansary — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 08:05:23 +0000

Franchise building is big business in the film world today, with studios seeking ever-more creative ways to connect fan-favorite characters across as many films as possible. While this has made Marvel the undisputed champion of the big screen for the past decade and a half, things don’t always go as planned. There are perhaps as many planned and canceled sequels, reboots, and spin-offs as there are movies to watch.

However, just because an idea has been nixed by the studio doesn’t mean it can’t come back in some future form. Chopped up, carried over, or reworked with a new cast, many of these planned films, or at least aspects of them, live on for our viewing pleasure. Thus, here are 10 canceled franchise films that were made into something else.

Related: Top 10 Books That Deserve Another Movie Adaptation

10 Escape from Earth (Escape from New York)

Although John Carpenter’s sci-fi prison heist Escape from New York was an ’80s cultural sensation, it took 15 years for the sequel Escape from L.A. to be made. Unfortunately, it was released alongside the likes of the family-friendly Independence Day, and its dark, nihilistic tone didn’t do well.

Escape from Earth, the planned third entry, would have seen the world plunged into a new dark age as protagonist Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) uses a superweapon to shut down the planet’s power. But Escape from L.A.’s poor critical and commercial performance put the skids on this idea.

Thus, Carpenter made Ghosts of Mars instead, whose setup follows the Escape series’ core template of a rogue element (Ice Cube’s James Williams) aiding an extraction mission—this time from Mars—and which bears more than a passing resemblance to Escape from Earth. While Carpenter has protested claims that Ghosts is just the third Escape movie repurposed for a market that wanted nothing to do with his franchise, the similarities between the projects are too numerous to mention. While not a direct reworking of Escape from Earth, Ghosts of Mars definitely carried across many of the canceled film’s ideas.^[1]

9 Monsters, Inc. 2: Lost in Scaradise (Monsters, Inc.)

During the mid-aughts breakdown of the Disney-Pixar partnership, the House of Mouse (who owned the relevant copyright) planned a sequel to the beloved monsters-at-work animation film Monsters, Inc. The follow-up Monsters, Inc. 2: Lost in Scaradise would have seen the first film’s leading duo, Mike and Sully, trapped in the human world while tracking down their child friend Boo and encountering all the monsters we know from our world.

When Bob Iger took over at Disney, however, he rescued their relationship with Pixar and brought the smaller company in-house. This meant many of the sequels Disney had the rights to make without Pixar—including Lost in Scaradise—got scrapped.

While the project was canceled in its prime, Pixar did bring the characters back for the prequel Monsters University. But it was the 2021 show Monsters at Work that actually created new material from the ruins of the planned sequel, carrying over several ideas, including Sully running the company and Mike getting trapped in the human world.^[2]

8 The Amazing Spider-Man 3 (Spider-Man)

The Amazing Spider-Man series offered a new Peter Parker for the 2010s, in the form of Andrew Garfield. His first franchise entry got off to an acceptable start. While its sequel wasn’t a massive hit with critics, it made enough at the box office to ensure the franchise’s longevity—or so we thought.

In early 2015, the deal between Sony (rights-holders for Spider-Man on film) and Marvel/Disney allowed Spider-Man to become part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and initiated a recast for the role, calling time on the existing franchise.

Amazing Spider-Man 3 would have brought back the second film’s writers and director and continued the setup of Peter coming to terms with the death of his girlfriend, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), alongside the emergence of supervillain group the Sinister Six. Although we never got to see a fully realized third film, the MCU brought back Garfield for 2021’s No Way Home. This showed us Garfield-Peter’s grief over Gwen’s death, providing a moment of redemption for not saving her, and gave us 5/6ths of a Sinister Six lineup—which is the next best thing.^[3]

7 MIB 23 (21 Jump Street/Men in Black)

Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller revitalized the late-1980s police procedural 21 Jump Street as a comedy franchise in the 2010s, with Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in the lead roles. At the same time, Men in Black 3 brought back the presumed-dead sci-fi franchise with a time-traveling entry to the canon that felt reverential of previous films and fresh enough for a new audience.

Recognizing the promise of both franchises, Sony Pictures executives planned a crossover Jump Street and Men in Black film MIB 23. It would have ditched MIB franchise regulars Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, replacing them with Hill and Tatum for something a little sillier and more light-hearted.

Though the idea gained traction with fans, the sequel languished in development for years. Eventually, Sony took on the proposal of new blood and a more comedy-focused direction with Men in Black: International. They drafted in Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, hoping to capture some of the effortless banter, comedy, and chemistry the pair shared on Thor: Ragnarok, but it never lived up to expectations. ^[4]

6 Kick-Ass 3 (Kick-Ass)

During the initial comic book movie boom, Matthew Vaughn treated us to an R-rated look at the world of amateur superheroes by adapting Mark Millar’s Kick-Ass. The film introduced us to the darker side of heroics, made a decent innings at the box office, and turned Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass), Chloe Grace-Moretz (Hit-Girl) and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Red Mist) into stars.

Unfortunately, Kick-Ass 2 did worse than expected at the box office and turned critics, fans, and the cast off future installments. The canceled third film would have picked up the story of Millar’s graphic novel Kick-Ass 3, which has Kick-Ass leading his own superhero team, Hit-Girl in jail, and a broken Red Mist learning from a new supervillain.

Vaughn has since confirmed he will be rebooting the franchise soon, and getting some new blood in that can speak to the current moment. However, that doesn’t mean the plans for the original sequel will go to waste, as he is still adapting from the same material, instructing fans to “look what Mark Millar is doing with the comic for clues” about what’s coming next.^[5]

5 X-Men Origins: Magneto (X-Men)

Thanks to the success of the original X-Men films, 20th Century Fox conceived of a follow-up series focusing on specific characters. X-Men Origins: Wolverine was the first out the gate in 2009, and the studio green-lit several others, including X-Men Origins: Magneto, whose script had been gestating for years.

Following Ian McKellen’s original trilogy mutant, Erik Lehnsherr, the film would tell the story of his transformation into Magneto. Writer Sheldon Turner pitched his script as The Pianist meets X-Men, with events spanning from Lehnsherr’s Holocaust childhood through to his present-day super-villainy. Dark Knight trilogy/Snyderverse co-writer David S. Goyer was onboard to adapt Turner’s script and direct. McKellen would have reprised his role in the present-day segments.

However, after Wolverine failed to do the kind of numbers at the box office that the studio expected, Bryan Singer, director of the first two X-Men films, was brought onboard to reboot the franchise. Magneto was ditched, and in its place came First Class, an origin story of sorts for several of the X-Men. The film includes various aspects of the Magneto story, including his years in a Nazi camp, despite Singer denying having used Turner’s story. The Writers Guild of America, however, disagreed and awarded Turner co-writing credit.^[6]

4 The Silver Surfer (Fantastic Four)

The Fantastic Four has been one Marvel property that no studio or director has been able to get right. Despite three major big-screen versions of the iconic team, none have stuck with audiences, and all have either bombed or only made modest returns at the box office.

Nevertheless, 20th Century Fox recognized the wider appeal of the Silver Surfer, who appeared in 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and hired Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski to pen a script. Straczynski’s Silver Surfer movie would have picked up where Fantastic Four left off, going deep into the mysterious character’s backstory, embracing his intergalactic side, and his relationship with planet-consuming cosmic entity Galactus.

However, after the underperformance of Rise, the two elements of the Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer worlds got split. The former was canceled and eventually rebooted in 2015’s disastrous “gritty” overhaul, and Straczynski completed the comic book series Silver Surfer: Requiem. But with Marvel Studios now working on another F4 film, rumors abound about the possibility of the Surfer making his big-screen return.^[7]

3 Boba Fett (Star Wars)

Since his first on-screen appearance in the second/fifth Star Wars film The Empire Strikes Back, interplanetary bounty hunter Boba Fett has been a fan favorite. In the years following his apparent demise in Return of the Jedi, the very same fans have been clamoring for more.

And more they almost got, in the form of a standalone film directed by Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s James Mangold. Mangold’s vision for the film was to portray Fett as a gunslinging outlaw in the Spaghetti Western tradition, and he would have been shooting for an R rating—definitely not the norm for the typically PG-13 series.

Unfortunately, the first of the deep-dive character movies from the now Disney-owned Lucasfilm, Solo: A Star Wars Story, performed poorly at the box office, and all related projects were put on ice. Nevertheless, streaming series The Book of Boba Fett eventually replaced the potential film, taking a lighter approach than Mangold had written but still offering plenty of backstory, a Western tone, and a new life for the character that assured fans of his longevity.^[8]

2 Tron: Ascension (Tron)

Joseph Kosinski’s Tron: Legacy brought the presumed-dead sci-fi series back to life, turning a cult classic into a franchise. After moderate commercial success (making back over two times its production budget at the box office), a sequel—Tron: Ascension—was in the cards. By 2015, Kosinski had the whole thing storyboarded and ready to go, with the idea of bringing digital and real worlds together, blurring the lines of reality. But Disney pulled the plug.

According to Legacy star Garrett Hedlund, who was on board to star in Ascension, it was the failure of the George Clooney vehicle Tomorrowland that caused the studio to call off the sequel—although Kosinski reckoned they were just hedging their bets by putting resources into other, more bankable franchises instead.

Nonetheless, Ascension became Tron: Ares, a new project built out of the ideas of the Ascension script. Jared Leto is starring, playing a character called Ares, who was supposed to be a key player in the original treatment. And with production currently underway, fans won’t have too long to see for themselves.^[9]

1 Invisible Man (Universal’s Dark Universe)

Originally touted to star Johnny Depp, the latest adaptation of H.G. Wells’s Invisible Man underwent a major overhaul after Universal’s own attempt at universe-building came crashing to its knees on the first film.

The so-called Dark Universe would have drawn together Universal’s classic monsters, including Frankenstein, the Mummy, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, and, of course, the Invisible Man for the first shared film franchise of its kind. But the initial film of the series—2017’s The Mummy, with a thoroughly miscast Tom Cruise as the lead—was a critical failure.

As such, the planned Invisible Man movie was reworked by director Leigh Whannell and producer Jason Blum, with a fraction of the resources (only $7 million), none of Depp’s blockbuster star power, and a firmer grasp on reality. Starring Elizabeth Moss, the movie became the far smaller and more intimate The Invisible Man. It succeeded in not only telling a nuanced story about domestic abuse but also making back around twenty times its budget.^[10]

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Delhi Capitals are hoping for Rishabh Pant's return at IPL 2024, says top franchise official

Sabir Ansary — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 04:00:28 +0000

New Delhi: Delhi Capitals are hoping that Rishabh Pant will be fully fit to play in the upcoming IPL 2024 by March, a top franchise official said. The Indian wicketkeeper has been sidelined from cricket since December 30, 2022, following a horrific car accident. PKSV Sagar, a top official of Delhi Capitals, believes that Pant is one of their biggest players in the franchise and the 26-year-old will make a quick recovery.

“Yes, we are hoping for the best that we can expect him to play this season. He is the greatest player. If he plays, that's good for us. Our coaches and physio are working on him and the best thing is that he is recovering very well. We hope he will be fit and play for us in March,” Sagar told ANI.

Pant was recently seen in Dubai last December during the IPL 2024 player auction and also participated in the release and retention of the players. He had also attended Delhi Capitals' pre-season training in Kolkata under Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly, head coach Ricky Ponting and assistant coach Pravin Amre. During the camp, Pant spent most of his time indoors to work on his fitness.

The Indian cricketer, who underwent three ligament surgeries after an accident, is undergoing recovery at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Pant, who regularly shares his recovery updates on social media, has not been out with bat and gloves.

He has been keeping himself indoors and working on his fitness. Pant has represented Delhi Capitals since 2016 and has scored 2,838 runs in 98 matches with one hundred and ten half-centuries to his name. During the IPL 2024 player auction, Delhi Capitals made headlines in Dubai.

They have roped in young Kumar Kushagra for Rs. 7.20 lakh, a possible backup for Pant. However, Delhi Capitals have retained wicketkeeper Abhishek Porel, who impressed last season. They have also roped in hard-hitting English batsman Harry Brook (Rs 4 crore) and Australian pacer Jhye Richardson (Rs 5 crore).

“Yes, we are working on that we want Harry Brooke to play for us in the middle order and we have made our team strong by adding Kushagra,” Sagar added.

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Daniel Craig reunites with James Bond co-star Jeffery Wright and franchise producer Barbara Broccoli at the New York screening of American Fiction

Sabir Ansary — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 22:44:19 +0000

Former James Bond actor Daniel Craig reunited with his 007 co-stars Jeffery Wright and producer Barbara Broccoli as they stepped out for the screening of American Fiction in New York.

The triple threat dressed to kill as they stepped out at the Crosby St Hotel to support Jefferey's latest starring role in the new comedy drama.

Jeffery, 58, who played Felix Leiter in Casino Royal, stars as novelist Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison, who is fed up with the establishment profiting from 'black' entertainment.

The Batman star looked dapper as ever as he stunned in a chic all-black ensemble.

He opted for a classic look and wore a jet black sweater with a turtleneck, which he tucked into his anthracite-colored trousers.

Former James Bond actor Daniel Craig (right) reunited with his 007 co-stars Jeffery Wright (center) and producer Barbara Broccoli (left) as they stepped out for the screening of American Fiction in New York

Jeffery, 58, who played Felix Leiter in Casino Royal, stars as novelist Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison, who is fed up with the establishment profiting from 'black' entertainment

Jeffery completed his timeless look with a fitted black blazer and refined square glasses.

Linked to his arm is Bond co-star Daniel, 55, who opted for a trendy and polished ensemble as he looked handsome in a checked gray suit.

The Glass Onion star paired his three-piece with a light blue Oxford shirt and a wide satin tie.

Inspired by the '70s, Daniel completed his serious look with oversized yellow-tinted glasses with a silver rim.

In support of Jeffery's new leading role, James Bond producer Barbara, 63, looked stunning as she turned heads in all black.

The Till producer looked sensational as she also stunned in a black sweater and turtleneck trousers.

She showed off her fashion sense with a fitted black velvet blazer with a pretty pink silk floral lining that peaked under her rolled up sleeves.

The new MGM film is said to force white liberals to confront their hypocrisy in Hollywood and beyond, and is receiving rave reviews from the very people it exposes.

The triple threat dressed to kill as they stepped out at the Crosby St Hotel to support Jefferey's latest starring role in the new comedy drama

The new MGM film is said to force white liberals to confront their hypocrisy in Hollywood and beyond, and is receiving rave reviews from the very people it exposes.

Cord Jefferson's American Fiction is a commentary on the way the establishment favors reductive portraits of blackness in the name of diversity and inclusivity, often at the expense of quality.

The film tells the story of a black professor, “Monk,” played by Jeffrey, who is fed up with his snowflake students and struggles to gain any critical interest in his work.

He jokingly wrote a novel full of racial stereotypes, but it became an overnight success.

The biting satire pokes fun at powerful white liberals in the publishing industry and later in Hollywood, who picked up the bizarre parody titled “My Pafology” and later renamed “F***.”

And ironically, the film has gotten great reviews from left-wing publications eager to let it be known that they're in on the joke.

The Washington Post stated that the film is: “Racial parody rooted in chillingly familiar honesty.”

Salon stated that American Fiction “provides a new framework for what black success means for writers.”

While Rolling Stone called the film “an absolute triumph” for the way it “deconstructs how white guilt oppresses black creatives.”

In the film, Jeffrey's middle-class monk only achieves commercial success when he ignores his privilege and writes a “hood” novel under the pseudonym on-the-lam con Stagg R. Leigh.

Before his six-figure book deal, an exasperated Monk feuded with publishers who felt his classics-based work should be categorized under African-American literature because of their fixation on race.

He is advised to write something “blacker” and is ultimately inspired to do so after witnessing the success of fellow author Sintara Golden (Issa Rae), an Oberlin-educated writer praised for her “urgent” and ” raw' poverty porn novel, 'We live in Da Ghetto'.

But by combining this plot point with an exploration of Monk's personal and family life, including his struggle to connect with siblings played by Tracee Ellis Ross and Sterling K Brown, the film attempts to highlight how absurd the fixation solely on race has become.

“The important question to ask, the question I'm asking now, is: Why is this stuff being made to the exclusion of everything else?” Jefferson told Rolling Stone.

The film is expected to be released in the UK and Ireland on February 2, 2024 by Curzon Film.

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CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan talks about Rohit Sharma’s franchise business

Sabir Ansary — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 03:37:08 +0000

Rohit has captained in 158 IPL matches, winning 87 matches, losing 67 matches and four matches ending in a draw, with a win percentage of 55.06.

CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan talks about Rohit Sharma’s franchise business

New Delhi: After Hardik Pandya’s comeback to Mumbai Indians, many rumors and reports are floating around the internet and a new rumor is doing the rounds that Chennai Super Kings will trade Rohit Sharma after a mini-auction.

Hardik’s appointment as Rohit’s successor in MI has created a stir among fans and fellow cricketers and it seems all is not well in MI. Some reports claim that Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav are not happy with the franchise. The reports came with a hint that there could be a possible trade that could see at least one of Rohit, Surya or Bumrah move to another team.

However, Mumbai Indians denied all these rumors and also denied that the franchise approached them to trade for Rohit. One of the teams was reportedly Chennai Super Kings, but franchise CEO Kasi Viswanathan lashed out.

Speaking to Cricbuzz on the sidelines of the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai on Tuesday, Viswanathan explained that CSK does not believe in the principle of trading players, nor do they have players who can actually trade with other five-time IPL winners .

“We basically don’t swap players and we don’t have any players to swap with Mumbai Indians. We have not approached them and have no intention of doing so,” he said.

It also marks the end of an era – of Rohit’s 10-year reign during which he captained Mumbai and led them to five IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. Rohit has emerged as an astute leader since taking over midway. by Ricky Ponting in the 2013 IPL season and received high praise for quickly implementing changes to bowling and fielding placement, with an emphasis on being tactically sharp and firmly controlling the flow of play.

In total, Rohit captained in 158 IPL matches, winning 87 matches, losing 67 matches and four matches ending in a draw, with a win percentage of 55.06.

The post CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan talks about Rohit Sharma’s franchise business appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

Oscar-nominated star named ‘favorite to become next James Bond as film bosses eye TWO actors for next film in 007 franchise’

Sabir Ansary — Sun, 10 Dec 2023 01:55:21 +0000

Paul Mescal is reportedly in talks to play a young James Bond in the next film from the 007 franchise.

It is said that movie bosses are lining up two actors to play the spy, one older and one younger.

And rumors are now swirling that 27-year-old Paul could be in the running to take on the big film role. The sun on Sunday.

Irish star Paul, who shot to fame in BBC Three’s romantic drama Normal People in 2020, told the story Digital spy that year: ‘Would I play Bond? Yes?

‘Don’t know. If it ever came my way, we would talk about it.”

Paul Mescal is reportedly in talks to play a young James Bond in the next film from the 007 franchise (actor Paul pictured in March this year)

MailOnline has contacted a representative for Paul for comment.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson was named the big favorite to become the next James Bond in October.

Ever since Daniel Craig left the role of 007 after five films and made his Bond swan song in 2021’s No Time To Die, rumors have swirled about which suave star will replace the icon.

An insider revealed to MailOnline that the British Aaron actor, 33, was extremely close to landing the role, while Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan, 53, would likely direct the next film in the franchise.

The insider said: ‘Aaron Taylor-Johnson is currently the hot favorite to step into the iconic role. He’s Barbara Broccoli’s first choice – he’s the one to beat.”

They added of Christopher: “He is extremely interested in doing something completely different with the franchise. If he can get his way with producers, he’s all for it.’

It was previously reported that Christopher wanted to direct the next Bond film as a period piece set in the same as the original source material – something director Quentin Tarantino had previously wanted to do with Casino Royale, but was turned down.

However, the insider added: “Whether Nolan’s arrival will impact Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s casting is a gray area at the moment – because he’s very picky about who he works with.”

Ever since Daniel Craig left the role of 007 after five films and made his Bond swan song in 2021’s No Time To Die, rumors have swirled about which suave star will replace the icon (Daniel depicted in 2012’s Skyfall)

Christopher is known for consistently using similar casts in his films, working with another rumored Bond, Tom Hardy, on three films, Inception, Dunkirk and The Dark Knight Rises.

He worked with Aaron on the 2020 film Tenet, in which the actor played the minor character Ives.

Aaron has previously spoken about how he “wanted to be in Nolan’s presence” as he lobbied for a role in Tenet.

Speak with The Hollywood Reporter in 2020 he said: ‘When you get a chance to work with someone like Chris Nolan, you just hope you get your foot in the door.

“He’ll always have his favorite actors, so you never know if something’s going to happen or not.

“John David Washington, Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debicki were already on board, weeks away from shooting, and I was just waiting in the wings and raised my hand and said, ‘I would really like to get in a room with Chris Nolan. ” And it was quite a process if I’m honest.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson was recently named the hot favorite to become the next James Bond (Aaron pictured in August last year)

“I went through a bunch of different castings before I could even get into the room to do another audition for him.

“So it wasn’t a done deal, but the best things are worth fighting and putting yourself down for.

‘So it wasn’t that easy, but luckily he gave me the role. And it didn’t matter to me how big or small the role was.

“I just wanted to be in his presence in his next movie.”

It was previously reported that Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan, 53, was likely to direct the next film in the franchise, with Aaron keen to work with him (Christopher pictured in July this year)

The post Oscar-nominated star named ‘favorite to become next James Bond as film bosses eye TWO actors for next film in 007 franchise’ appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

Bradley Cooper reveals he would make another Hangover movie ‘instantly’… ten years after the comedy franchise ended

Sabir Ansary — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 04:03:31 +0000

By Ashleigh Gray for Dailymail.Com

Published: 10:30 PM EST, November 24, 2023 | Updated: 10:42 PM EST, November 24, 2023

Bradley Cooper said he would be ready for another episode of The Hangover.

While it appears on The New Yorker Radio Hour On Friday, the 48-year-old actor told host David Remnick, “I would probably do Hangover 4 in a heartbeat.”

“Just because I love Todd [Phillips]I love Zach [Galifianakis]I love Ed [Helms] so much, I probably would,” he added.

But the actor — who spent his Thanksgiving with Leonard Bernstein’s adult children in Connecticut — also noted of the franchise director, “I don’t think Todd is ever going to do that.”

Cooper has been making the press rounds to discuss Maestro, the new film he called “the scariest thing I’ve ever done.”

Open to the idea: Bradley Cooper said he would be considered for another episode of The Hangover; seen in November

Excited: Appearing on The New Yorker Radio Hour on Friday, the 48-year-old actor told host David Remnick: ‘I would probably do Hangover 4 in a heartbeat’

Elsewhere in the conversation with Remnick, Bradley discussed his evolution from comedy to drama.

“There’s nothing more fun I’ve experienced than Maestro and A Star is Born,” he said.

Maestro saw Bradley co-write, direct and star in the film about composer and music director of the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein.

The undertaking included extensive research, prosthetics and long-lasting makeup so he could transform into the famous musician.

Actress Carey Mulligan stars opposite him in the feature film, which was released in September.

‘If I’m lucky enough that another idea comes along, I’m willing to put in as much energy [in] – if I can do it two, three more times in my life – I would be very lucky,” the father of one said on Friday.

That’s what Bernstein’s late daughter Jamie said People on Cooper: “We had no idea Bradley had such intensity and dedication to something when he took control of it.

“There are even certain moments in the film, when he’s in motion, where he looks so exactly like our father that it makes us gasp.”

Camaraderie: ‘Just because I love Todd [Phillips]I love Zach [Galifianakis]I love Ed [Helms] so much, I probably would,” he added; pictured promoting The Hangover Part II

Concerned: But Cooper also noted of the franchise director, “I don’t think Todd will ever do that”; depicted in The Hangover Part III

Latest work: Cooper has been making press rounds to discuss Maestro, the new film he called “the scariest thing I’ve ever done”

Playing a Legend: Maestro saw Bradley co-write, direct and star in the film about composer and New York Philharmonic music director Leonard Bernstein; seen quietly

The actor’s choice to use a prosthetic nose to play Leonard was the subject of intense scrutiny.

Before the film’s release, he was accused of “Jewface,” with some people on social media calling him out for wearing the exaggerated facial features and playing a Jewish role as a non-Jewish person.

Cooper later revealed that he burst into tears during a phone call with Leonard’s son Alexander, who – along with siblings Jamie and Nina – defended the actor’s choice to wear the fake nose in a public letter.

Maestro starts streaming on Netflix on December 20.

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Rohit has captained in 158 IPL matches, winning 87 matches, losing 67 matches and four matches ending in a draw, with a win percentage of 55.06.

Oscar-nominated star named ‘favorite to become next James Bond as film bosses eye TWO actors for next film in 007 franchise’

Bradley Cooper reveals he would make another Hangover movie ‘instantly’… ten years after the comedy franchise ended

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