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The Playlist
The obsessives' guide to contemporary cinema via film discussion, news, reviews, features, nostalgia, movie music, soundtracks, DVDs and more.Interviews
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Greta Gerwig Talks 'Frances Ha' & Working With Noah Baumbach -
Joel Edgerton On 'Wish You Were Here,' 'Jane' Drama & More -
James Gray On 'The Immigrant,' 'The Gray Man,' 'The Lost City Of Z' And More -
Brit Marling Talks 'The East' & Espionage Thrillers -
Nicolas Winding Refn Discusses 'Only God Forgives -
Justin Lin Talks 'Fast Furious 6' & The Influence Of Altman -
Interview: Noah Baumbach Talks 'Frances Ha' -
Ben Wheatley Talks 'Sightseers,' Violence & More -
Mark Romanek On 'One Hour Photo' & Leaving 'Cinderella'
The Playlist
Joss Whedon Says Without Robert Downey Jr., He Won't Make 'The Avengers 2'
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- June 5, 2013 4:36 PM
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- 20 Comments
It was about a month ago when something a little bit ugly came out from behind the smiling, mega-successful Marvel -- their talent wasn't quite happy. Specifically, the talent they need for "The Avengers 2" was beginning to bite. With Robert Downey Jr.'s contract up for Marvel, and news that he bagged a cool $50 million from "The Avengers" thanks to a nice little back-end arrangement, the cast members on the superhero sequel have begun to ask for more than the peanuts Marvel usually shells out. What's more, RDJ is supporting his colleagues in getting what's owed to them. And while Kevin Feige has suggested other actors could carry the Iron Man torch, Whedon is not convinced.
Robert Downey Jr. Cooking Up Indie 'Chef' With Jon Favreau
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- May 10, 2013 8:25 PM
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- 2 Comments
So, when is a little indie project not really a little indie project? When it features mega-star Robert Downey Jr. And while it might not boast explosions or CGI, Jon Favreau's next film just got a high wattage actor on board.
Kevin Feige Says Iron Man Can Live On Without Robert Downey Jr. & Continue Like James Bond Or Batman With New Actors
- By Edward Davis
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- May 8, 2013 3:06 PM
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- 42 Comments
Very interesting, in light of last night’s potential negotiations impasse at Marvel Studios, are telling comments that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and the Big Kahuna (Marvel Head Kevin Feige) made to Entertainment Weekly in this past weekend’s cover story. In case you missed the brouhaha yesterday evening, it goes like this: Marvel is notoriously cheap with their salary offers to actors. This is how the company has always operated since they jumped into the feature film game in 2008 with the first “Iron Man.” But “The Avengers” was a billion dollar hit, “Iron Man 3” will soon be a billion dollar hit and the Marvel casts are still being paid lowball figures. With deals not in place for the upcoming 2015 tentpole, “The Avengers 2,” this could prove to be problematic for Marvel. The Avengers want to get paid.
Discuss: Can Marvel Keep Lowballing Their Actors? 'The Avengers 2' Negotiations Get Heated
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- May 7, 2013 6:36 PM
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- 14 Comments
As Marvel enters Phase Two of their cinematic universe, their business universe is also getting a bit of a shake up. No one could have really predicted that Phase One would end with the billion dollar earning "The Avengers," and that really changed the game. Wisely, Robert Downey Jr. had negotiated a deal for a cut of the profits which saw him pocket a cool $50 million. Not bad, right? Well, now imagine you're one of the actors that only got $200,000 for the movie. As you might guess, that is causing some serious friction as Marvel tries to lock everyone in for "The Avengers 2."
The Best & Worst Moments Of 'Iron Man 3'
- By The Playlist Staff
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- May 6, 2013 1:29 PM
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- 43 Comments
If you were in prison, comatose or pinned to the ground by a fallen armoire this weekend, it's possible you didn't see "Iron Man 3." All the rest of us, it seems, ignored our mothers' protestations and spent a couple of hours of this fine sunny summer weekend indoors in the dark, watching Robert Downey Jr. suit up as Tony Stark/Iron Man for his third solo outing. In fact, judging by these numbers, so did Mom. The "Iron Man" threequel (read about some others here) is already in the history books as the second biggest domestic opening of all time, right behind sister film "The Avengers," and looks on track to be another billion-dollar movie for the unprecedentedly successful Marvel Universe project. But with Shane Black a new recruit for the director's chair (Iron Throne?) and expectations vertiginously high for the launch of Phase Two, the finished film could be expected to show at least a few stretch marks. Our early review is here and since then, many of The Playlist have managed to catch up with it, so here's what we thought worked and what did not. **Spoilers abound.**
Ben Stiller Pulling Strings On 'Pinocchio' With Robert Downey Jr; Geppetto A Cross Between Jake LaMotta & Chico Marx
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- May 2, 2013 4:35 PM
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- 1 Comment
A friendly reader had pointed us to this news a couple weeks back, when Robert Downey Jr. dropped the news to Italian press, but Google translate made it all sound iffy... but lo and behold, "Pinocchio" lives.
Robert Downey Jr.'s Career In 7 Films
- By Jessica Kiang
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- April 30, 2013 1:02 PM
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- 3 Comments
"Big man in a suit of armor. Take that away then what are you?" asks Captain America (Chris Evans) in Joss Whedon's "The Avengers." "Genius billionaire playboy philanthropist," shoots back Tony Stark, in a quip that, delivered either of two ways, is only slightly more impressive than the actual truth. Because of course, outside the suit, and outside the Marvel films, Iron Man/Tony Stark is in fact, Robert Downey Jr, and he's one of the biggest movie stars on the planet.
Tony Stark Jumps Out Of A Plane In Clip From 'Iron Man 3' Plus New TV Spot
- By Joe Cunningham
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- April 29, 2013 3:59 PM
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- 1 Comment
“Iron Man 3” may not have opened domestically yet, but it has opened in near enough 80% of international markets and grossed a not inconsiderable $195 million already -ahead of last year's record-breaking “The Avengers." So the question now is: how big will its stateside debut be? And does it have any hope of actually rivalling "The Avengers'" massive haul?
Watch: Tony Stark Talks From The Heart In New Clip From 'Iron Man 3'
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- April 25, 2013 6:19 PM
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- 0 Comments
While the speculation has already started on the status of "Iron Man 4" a week before "Iron Man 3" even opens stateside, let's put our focus back on the third film for a moment. As our review states, it's a solid film, but what fans really need to know is that despite Marvel's proliferation of marketing, there are some truly big surprises that haven't even been hinted at. So don't worry, this isn't a movie that's been given away before it's been released (though now that it has open internationally, you might want to stay off message boards unless you want it spoiled).
Tony Stark In His Cabin In The Woods In New Pics From 'Iron Man 3' Plus A Featurette With Fresh Footage
- By Kevin Jagernauth
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- April 24, 2013 2:43 PM
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- 0 Comments
Launching internationally today, the verdict is starting to come in on "Iron Man 3," and the result? Well, according to our man in the UK, it's solid stuff. Describing it as "an 80s action movie disguised as a superhero flick," he wrote that director Shane Black is "an inspired choice to give the series a fresh lick of paint" and that overall it has a "level of ingenuity and surprise" that shows the franchise is far from over. But the rest of us will have to wait until next week to see the movie, so until then, these will have to suffice.
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