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Hollywood is completely missing the one thing that makes Superman great

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Batman v. Superman trailer screenshot

It's easy to think that making a Superman movie is very hard. Just ask the people making it.

“He’s a tough character," Superman actor Henry Cavill told Entertainment Weekly when talking up "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice."  "People like the darker vigilante." Then he offered a possible reason why:  "I think it speaks to the human psyche more easily rather than the god-like being that we can’t really understand."

That's a load of nonsense. 

To be clear, we really shouldn't blame Cavill for saying any of this. He's an actor, and a great one for Superman, with what looked like buckets of charisma utterly hamstrung by the dour script driving "Man of Steel." It's also his job to fully understand and portray the character that is in the script, not the one from the comics. 

It's a shame then, that the story he's given simply doesn't get Superman. It also totally buys into some of the worst assumptions about the character. superman batman v supermanThere are two popular reasons for why Superman can't succeed in modern movies: They are (1). He's too powerful and (2.) He's a not interesting, because he's just a big ol' goodie two-shoes. 

People are often skeptical that a Superman movie can be good because stories need conflict, and conflict seems pretty hard to come by when your hero is a person who always does the right thing and can't be hurt. That, however, is a reductive way of looking at the character, and the secret to why Superman stories are so great: They're never really about him. They're about us.

This is something Snyder and his team almost get, but they come at it from an angle that totally misses the point of Superman. They treat him as a god among mortals, our greatest fear or our great salvation. The problem with this, though, is that it strips the character of his humanity, and makes him downright unapproachable. 

There's a great anecdote that legendary comics writer Grant Morrison — the man responsible for one of the best Superman stories in recent memory, 2005's "All-Star Superman" —  tells about Superman in his memoir "Supergods." In the memoir, he mentions the inspiration for his story — he was at a convention, and he saw a handsome man in a Superman costume just sitting down and relaxing on a stoop. 

That was Morrison's epiphany: The most powerful man alive wouldn't be tortured, but instead would be the friendliest, most relaxed person you ever saw. Thus this famous cover to "All-Star Superman" #1 by artist Frank Quitely.All_Star_SupermanAnd this, one of the most iconic, touching scenes in all of superhero comics, where Superman stops everything to hug a teenager who thinks life isn't worth it.All-Star Superman you're stronger than you thinkSuperman isn't good or special because he's an alien who crashes on Earth and ends up being incredibly powerful. He's special because after all that he becomes someone who always does the right thing because he was raised by a couple of decent people from Kansas. That's it.

He is someone with the power to be the most selfish being in all of existence, and decides to be selfless because he was raised by a couple of kindly farmers. And the beautiful idea behind him is that we don't need to be bulletproof to be that way — we just have to be decent people. 

This is something that's been coming up again and again as I've read through some recent Superman comics lately, particularly Greg Pak and Aaron Kuder's stellar run on "Action Comics." The current story has Superman with almost none of his signature powers taking on police brutality, but just before that Pak and Kuder were working with a more classic Superman, complete with cape and powers. In those stories, they kept coming back to this basic, beautifully simple idea: Superman doesn't try to beat his foes, he tries to understand them. Even when it doesn't make sense to those around him.Action Comics excerptHe literally does everything he can to turn his foes into friends. That's a million times more important to understanding Superman than knowing how much he can lift or fast he can fly or whether or not Batman could beat him in a fight.  

That's also a perfect source of tension: When someone or something is out to not just hurt you, but everyone around you ... can you intervene in time to achieve these goals before someone else gets hurt?

As for his simplistic morality, the rebuttal to that is a simple one: Captain America is pretty much the literal definition of a Boy Scout, and he's the guy at the center of two of the very best Marvel movies so far. 

In order to make a good Superman story, you have to embrace a few unpopular notions about what makes good superhero stories: Dark doesn't always mean better or more complex, characters fighting for good because it's right is a compelling enough reason, and that a hero's powers isn't their most important aspect (but certainly don't be afraid to show them off).

Unfortunately, that's not where movie makers have been headed so far. And with the next installment, 'Batman v Superman,' it looks once again like we won't get close.

SEE ALSO: 12 things we learned from the 'Batman V. Superman' trailer

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NOW WATCH: Here's the new 'Batman v Superman' trailer that just got a standing ovation at Comic-Con











Rambo vs. ISIS is not happening, Stallone rep says, contrary to reports

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rambo

A representative for Sylvester Stallone says the "Rocky" star will not be fighting ISIS in an upcoming "Rambo" movie, according to Rolling Stone.

Though "Rambo: Last Blood" still might exist, Stallone's rep denies a plotline that has anything to do with ISIS, or that the actor even attended Comic Con, where some reports said he made comments about the upcoming film.

Filming on "Rambo: Last Blood" was originally expected to begin late last year or early this year, but it was delayed. Stallone last appeared as John Rambo in 2008's "Rambo," where Rambo joined a group of mercenaries in war-torn Thailand to rescue a group of kidnapped aid workers. Now 68, Stallone is ready to reprise another one of this major film characters, Rocky Balboa, in "Creed," which arrives later this year and stars Michael B. Jordan.

SEE ALSO: The 'Deadpool' trailer from Comic-Con leaks online, and the movie looks like everything fans hoped it would be

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NOW WATCH: Watching Sylvester Stallone play Rocky again after all these years in the trailer for 'Creed' is fantastic










9 rich and famous people who filed for bankruptcy

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50 Cent Concert

Rapper 50 Cent was once worth $155 million, and now he's just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

He isn't the only one.

From Mike Tyson to Francis Ford Coppola, we rounded up riches-to-rags stories, featuring high-profile people who who found themselves in a tricky financial situation.

 

SEE ALSO: What 9 successful people wish they'd known about money in their 20s

Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye's estate has an estimated net worth of $5 million.

Back in 1976, the Motown legend's divorce from his first wife, Anna Gordy Gaye, led him to file for bankruptcy. In order to cover the $600,000 Gaye owed his wife in alimony payments, the singer gave Anna the rights to his album "Here, My Dear."

The singer's financial troubles — along with drug addiction — followed him for the rest of his life, even though he continued to record albums and perform. He even moved to Europe in 1981 to avoid dealing with the IRS. Gaye was killed in 1984 when his own father shot him after a heated argument. 



Kim Basinger

When Kim Basinger filed for bankruptcy in 1993, the actress had a net worth of $5.4 million.

Her reason for filing for bankruptcy was backing out of filming the movie "Boxing Helena." Main Line Pictures sued her to the tune of $8.1 million for breach of contract. In a new trial three years later, Basinger settled for $3.8 million.

Basinger has since appeared in multiple films, including "8 Mile" and "Cellular," and she signed a contract with IMG Models — at 60 years old. As of last year, she had an estimated net worth of $36 million.



Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf currently has an estimated net worth of $25 million, a far cry from where he was decades earlier.

The singer filed for bankruptcy in the '80s after Jim Steinman — who wrote many of Meat Loaf's songs — filed a lawsuit against Meat Loaf. This came just after the not-so-successful release of Meat Loaf's album "Dead Ringer."

The singer's last hit album was released in 1993He has since acted in movies (including "Fight Club"), released the TV series "VH1 Storytellers," and published an autobiography.



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NASA spacecraft solves 85-year-old debate on Pluto's size and reveals never-before-seen features on Pluto from 1 million miles away

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One million miles might sound like an long way, but for the NASA spacecraft on its way to Pluto it's the very last stretch of a much longer journey.

On July 11, the spacecraft reached a milestone: only 1 million miles to go until it reaches its historic flyby past Pluto. The spacecraft celebrated by snapping this photo of Pluto (right) and its largest moon Charon (left):

plutoThe spacecraft, called New Horizons, has spent the last 9 years in space covering over 3 billion miles. So, one more million is like the last 0.2 miles in a 26.2-mile marathon.

The finish line is finally in sight!

Now, it's less than a day away until its closest approach to Pluto, which will offer a deluge of new and exciting information about this tiny, icy world.

Even at a distance of one million miles, however, the spacecraft is already making important discoveries. For example, NASA announced that they now have a firm estimate of Pluto's size, which they've calculated to have a diameter of 1,473 miles — slightly larger than previous estimates.

“The size of Pluto has been debated since its discovery in 1930," said New Horizons mission scientist Bill McKinnon in NASA release. "We are excited to finally lay this question to rest."

This latest information also confirms that Pluto is the largest object in the solar system beyond the farthest planet, Neptune.

What's more, this latest photo — the most detailed yet — is clear enough to reveal never-before-seen features on Pluto's surface: Shown below is a distinct circular feature in the bottom right corner of Pluto that could be a crater. That's not the only exciting feature, though.

pluto"For the first time on Pluto, this view reveals linear features that may be cliffs, as well as a circular feature that could be an impact crater," NASA said in a release.

Here's a diagram showing some of the newest features on Pluto's surface that had never been seen before the New Horizons mission:

pluto annotatedYou can follow live time status information on the speed and distance of this speedy spacecraft in real time on LIVECometData.com.

LEARN MORE: We're going to reach Pluto for the first time in history tomorrow — here's how to watch

SEE ALSO: NASA just released the 1st clear photo ever taken of Pluto and its largest moon

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NOW WATCH: Neil deGrasse Tyson: Pluto Is Not A Planet So 'Get Over It'










Nobody ever believed Quentin Tarantino and this legendary composer would work together — now it's happening

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Ennio Morricone

Perhaps among the most surprising bits of news that flew under the radar at San Diego Comic-Con this year was that Italian composer Ennio Morricone will score Quentin Tarantino's upcoming western "The Hateful Eight." Tarantino shared the news at the end of the panel for "The Hateful Eight," which comes out this Christmas.

This is huge for many reasons, given that Tarantino doesn't normally use an original score for his films, instead relying on an eclectic mix of old movie soundtracks and pop songsMeanwhile, Morricone once stated publicly that he never wanted to work with Tarantino. This shows just how significant it is that Tarantino will be working with Morricone. 

At the age of 86, Morricone has a long and storied career in the film industry. His claim to fame is his collaboration with director Sergio Leone. With Leone, they invented the Spaghetti Western genre, a wave of westerns made by Italian filmmakers in the 1960s and 1970s. 

Quentin Tarantino

Morricone scored Leone's Dollars Trilogy, which consists of "A Fistful of Dollars," "For a Few Dollars More," and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." It was these films that turned Clint Eastwood into an international movie star. Morricone's music is as big of a star in these films as Eastwood himself. It is his score that brought epic scope and tension to the incredible final showdown in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" which has now become one of the most famous scenes in cinematic history:

Morricone would also score Leone's masterpiece "Once Upon a Time in the West" as well as his underrated gangster epic "Once Upon a Time in America."

Those who are longtime fans of Tarantino know that his films are basically cobbled together tributes to all of his favorite films. One of his biggest influences is the Spaghetti Western genre. 

One of the many ways he pays influence to the genre is by sampling Morricone's music.

He sampled "L'Arena" from "The Mercenary" excellently when depicting The Bride's (Uma Thurman) escape from a coffin in "Kill Bill: Vol. 2":

Meanwhile, in "Inglourious Basterds," he used a sampling of "The Verdict" from "The Big Gundown" to indicate the imminent showdown between self-proclaimed "Jew Hunter" Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) and farmer Perrier LaPadite (Denis Menochet):

"The Hateful Eight" isn't technically the first time Tarantino and Morricone will work together, as Tarantino has used a lot of Morricone's music in his films. However, after Morricone publicly trashed Tarantino, it seemed unlikely that there would ever be an actual collaboration between the two of them, which makes this weekend's news all the more surprising.

There might be no more fitting film for the two of them to work together than "The Hateful Eight." 

"The Hateful Eight" will be the first time Morricone first time working on a western in 40 years. Meanwhile, this is the first true western Tarantino will direct.

Django Unchained

Tarantino's genre-bending oeuvre usually bend towards the wild west, and it seems like over the years he has been slowly building up to making his own true entry in the genre. In 2003 and 2004, The "Kill Bill" films mixed in western elements with samurai and kung fu. In 2009, "Inglourious Basterds" depicted World War II like the wild west. Meanwhile, 2012's "Django Unchained" could qualify as a western for the Texas scenes alone. 

It might have been hard for Tarantino to make a "real" western, given the long-standing myth that the western is dead in Hollywood, despite the success of such recent genre entries as "True Grit" (which grossed $252.3 million worldwide) and "Slow West." Tarantino is clearly an expert on the genre, and having Morricone on board will add a touch of authenticity to "The Hateful Eight." 

Morricone's music remains legendary to this day, and gets used and parodied all over the place. However, it has been a while since he has commanded the music for another classic. Tarantino is known for reviving the careers of actors from John Travolta to Bruce Willis. Perhaps he can do the same for a composer and an entire genre.

SEE ALSO: The absolute best cosplay photos from San Diego Comic-Con 2015

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NOW WATCH: Here's the new 'Batman v Superman' trailer that just got a standing ovation at Comic-Con










This is how rapper 50 Cent made millions and then lost it all

PETA put out a bizarre statement about the unexpected death of Nintendo's president

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Nintendo Co President Satoru Iwata speaks during their strategy and earnings briefings in Tokyo January 27, 2012. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

In a bizarre move, PETA, or "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals," decided to put out a statement on the unexpected death of Nintendo's president, Satoru Iwata.

The organization sent over the following statement this morning:

We at PETA are deeply saddened by the death of Nintendo's Satoru Iwata. Many of us grew up with Nintendo—we've celebrated games such as Nintendogs, which PETA Europe named Best Animal-Friendly Video Game, and our love for these games powered the parodies we've made, such as the Super Mario Bros.–spoofing Super Chick Sisters, in which players try to save Princess Pamela Anderson from the evil Colonel Sanders, and Pokémon Black & Blue: Gotta Free 'Em All, in which players battle to free Pokémon from human enslavement. Our thoughts are with Mr. Iwata's family and everyone at Nintendo today.

That comes from Joel Bartlett, PETA's senior director of marketing innovations.

The statement from PETA follows the news from Sunday night that longtime Nintendo president Iwata passed away from a rare form of cancer (what is known as a bile duct growth). Iwata was 55 years old. 

Iwata's work in the video game industry, and his time at Nintendo, was highly influential on the greater game landscape. He helped create such iconic characters as Kirby, and oversaw Nintendo's most successful home game console in history: The Nintendo Wii.Nintendo Wii U Demo

His death was sudden and unexpected; Iwata had surgery in June 2014 to remove the cancer in his bile duct, and statements following that surgery made it sound like he had recovered.

He issued this statement through Nintendo at the time:

In general, it is said that a bile duct growth can be difficult-to-treat, partly because of the difficulty of detecting it early. In my case, luckily, it was detected very early and I had no symptoms. I was counseled that removal at an early stage would be the desirable medical option. Therefore I had surgery last week, and I came through it well, as predicted.

Iwata missed this year's game industry trade show, E3, in Los Angeles this past June, but spoke at Nintendo's annual shareholder meeting around the same time. When Iwata announced he would miss this year's E3, Nintendo issued the following statement to IGN:

Nintendo’s focus for E3 this year will be showcasing the many games we have coming for both Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Mr. Miyamoto and other members of our development team will be in Los Angeles to explain these games and the unique experiences that each offers. Mr. Iwata’s focus in this period will be on other areas of our business that require his presence in Japan

Iwata even appeared in an aggressively silly Nintendo video this past June – a stand-in for their usual E3 press conference – as a puppet, alongside Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime and Nintendo creative director Shigeru Miyamoto.

 

SEE ALSO: Longtime Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has died

AND: Nintendo's president just passed away — and he was probably a huge part of your childhood

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NOW WATCH: Why it’s so hard to get a good deal when selling used games at GameStop










Here's how 50 Cent spent his millions before filing for bankruptcy

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50 cent money

On Monday, Curtis Jackson, better known as rapper 50 Cent, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following a messy lawsuit in which he was forced to pay his rival Rick Ross' ex-girlfriend $5 million.

The news came as a shock, especially considering the rapper was just ranked No. 4 on Forbes' May list of the wealthiest hip-hop artists thanks to his reported $155 million net worth and his massive 2007 deal with Vitamin Water in which he was awarded between $60 million and $100 million.

50's lawyers have said the filing is simply to "reorganize his financial affairs as he addresses various professional liabilities," but in the meantime, we only want to live in a world 5o Cent is synonymous with his hit 2003 album title, "Get Rich or Die Tryin.'"

Curtis James Jackson III was born July 6, 1975 in Queens, New York, where he grew up dealing drugs. In 2000, he was struck by 9 bullets during a shooting in his neighborhood.



After he released the compilation album 'Guess Who's Back?' in 2002, the young rapper was discovered by Eminem and signed by Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records as part of a $1 million deal.

Source: BBC

 

 



With the help of Eminem and Dr. Dre — who produced his first label album in 2003, 'Get Rich or Die Tryin' — 50 Cent became one of the world's most successful rappers, selling over 30 million albums worldwide.

 



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A bunch of congressmen are holding fundraisers at the Taylor Swift concerts in DC this week

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Taylor Swift

Teens, parents, sports stars, high-power political donors — turns out everyone loves Taylor Swift.

As The Sunlight Foundation points out, at least 19 congressional lawmakers or political action committees will be holding fundraisers at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, during Taylor Swift's two concerts this week. 

The lawmakers are requesting contributions of around $1,000-$2,000 to attend the fundraisers at the sold-out show. 

For Republican donors that are shopping around, there are a few notable bargains: Sens. John Thune (R-South Dakota) and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) are both offering tickets at $750 contribution rate.

Though the list of lawmakers holding fundraisers leans Republican, four Democratic lawmakers are also making appearances.

The bipartisan draw isn't actually that surprising — when Facebook released a study of how users' political beliefs corresponded to their Facebook likes last year, Swift was one of the few musicians who was evenly liked by Republicans and Democrats.

It's also not the first time lawmakers have hosted events at Swift's concerts, according to The Sunlight Foundation, which has logged fundraisers at her shows in 2010, 2011, and 2013.

For her part, Swift has worked to stay above the political fray. Despite her embrace of feminism and public friendship with famous liberals, Swift has demurred when asked about her own political beliefs. 

(h/t Political Party Time)

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NOW WATCH: This animated map shows how the states voted in every presidential election since the Civil War










This could be the real reason 50 Cent filed for bankruptcy, according to the lawyer who just won a $5 million sex-tape lawsuit against the rapper

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50cent starz power bankrupt

Rapper 50 Cent filed for bankruptcy on Monday.

The news came as bit of a surprise since The New York Times just described him as a man of "exceptional business instincts" less than a week ago.

In May, Forbes pegged his net worth at $155 million.

50 Cent, aka Curtis Jackson III, reportedly earned between $60 million and $100 million from a stake in Vitamin Water when it sold to Coca-Cola in 2007, according to The Washington Post.

Yet in the abbreviated Chapter 11 filing Monday, Jackson's lawyers said that his assets range from $10 million to $50 million, including cash. The same goes for his liabilities.

What could be going on here?

The lawyers for a woman who just won a lawsuit against Jackson believe he's trying to protect himself from paying their client. Lastonia Leviston is due $5 million as a result of a sex tape that Jackson posted in 2009 allegedly as part of an attempt to stir the pot with rival rapper Rick Ross.

Hunter Shkolnik, Leviston's lawyer, told Business Insider, "We think this is a failed attempt to avoid paying this woman who has been hurt so badly by his actions."

Here's the backstory: Ross and Leviston had a child together in 2003. In 2008, Leviston was recorded having sex with her boyfriend at the time (who was not Ross). That boyfriend gave Jackson a copy of that sex tape, according to the AP.

Jackson allegedly posted the tape online to humiliate Ross. But he didn't just post the tape: He added his own commentary while wearing a wig. Jackson called himself "Pimpin' Curly" and recorded a demeaning, vulgar voiceover for the tape, according to The Daily News. (We have not watched the video.)

It ended up humiliating Leviston. The AP, citing news reports, says Leviston testified in court, "This was something done to me. I didn't have a choice. I would never, ever do this to myself."

Three days ago Leviston won a $5 million judgement against Jackson for that tape. She could earn more from punitive damages, the AP says.

So what does this have to do with Jackson's bankruptcy?

One source familiar with the matter speculated that the move Monday is an attempt to wrangle better settlement terms from Leviston. Our source speculated that this could be a way to get Leviston to accept a discounted settlement.

And the source said it is possible that Jackson — if he can prove that he is bankrupt — could reduce damages he owes after he lost lost a $17 million lawsuit in Florida with a headphones manufacturer after a botched business partnership.

The same source pointed out that other attempts similar to Jackson's move have failed celebrities. For example, O.J. Simpson was still held in prison but could not duck legal liabilities to Nicole Brown Simpson's survivors even after his bankruptcy filing.

50 cent car If the celebrity committed an intentional act (such as releasing the sex tape) and is responsible for damages, those cannot be discharged through bankruptcy. (That may not extend to the $17 million lawsuit that he lost to the headphones company, however.)

Jackson filed for bankruptcy protection Monday morning in Connecticut, and over the next 30 to 45 days, it is expected that court-ordered sealed documents regarding his finances will come to light.

"This filing for personal bankruptcy permits Mr. Jackson to continue his involvement with various business interests and continue his work as an entertainer, while he pursues an orderly reorganization of his financial affairs," Jackson's attorney, William A. Brewer III, said in a statement. The firm did not provide further comment.

Even if Jackson has assets in excess of his liabilities, it doesn't mean he has enough cash to pay off the sex-tape lawsuit immediately, legal experts say.

The Chapter 11 filing could allow him to buy some time. He will be paying off what he owes in payment installations rather than in one lump sum if the bankruptcy move proves successful in court.

A legal source said that, under Connecticut law, where he filed, Jackson's bankruptcy filing will be treated like a corporation and not an individual.

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NOW WATCH: This is how rapper 50 Cent made millions and then lost it all










Get ready to root for the bad guys — your first look at 'Suicide Squad' is here

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It's finally here, the highly anticipated first look at 'Suicide Squad.'

The folks at Comic-Con got to see this over the weekend, and now we all can, check it out.

"Suicide Squad" comes out August 5, 2016

Produced By Ian Phillips. Video courtesy of Warner Bros.
 
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Here's our first good look at Jared Leto as the new Joker in 'Suicide Squad'

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After a leak, Warner Bros. has officially released the "Suicide Squad" footage that debuted at Comic-Con Friday morning.

The end of the over three-minute trailer gives our best look at the new iteration of the Joker, who will be played by Jared Leto.

He'll be the first actor to play the role since Heath Ledger in 2008's "The Dark Knight."

As we've seen from a few image teases, Leto's Joker doesn't look like any version of the character we've seen before.

Take a look:

joker suide squad joker suicide squad trailerHere he is when his intro is first teased.

joker suicide squad

"Suicide Squad" is in theaters August 5, 2016.

SEE ALSO: 12 things we learned from the new "Batman v Superman" trailer

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Bankrupt 50 Cent is likely still making money on Starz's hit series 'Power'

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50cent starz power bankrupt

Curtis Jackson aka 50 Cent filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday.

The filing followed after a judge ruled that 50 Cent owed Rick Ross's former girlfriend $5 million for exposing a sex tape with her on it. 

And despite what the jokers say on Twitter, that doesn't mean the rapper is actually broke.

In addition to his studio albums selling more than 21 million units and a handful of endorsement deals, 50 Cent serves as an executive producer on Starz's hit show, "Power," which is currently airing its second season.

"Power" stars Omari Hardwick as James "Ghost" St. Patrick. Ghost owns a nightclub and he's involved in New York City's dangerous drug trade. Although he wants to legitimately focus on his nightclub, the drug world has a strong hold on him.

Critics have been pleased with "Power." It scored a 7.8 on IMdB and a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

It has also been a ratings success for Starz. The second season premiere was the premium network's highest-ever season premiere with 1.43 million people tuning in live.

50 Cent doesn't consider himself to be your typical executive producer.

"I'm not doing traditional on-set production," he said during January's Television Critics Association Press Tour. "I kind of keep up communications with the talent. When you participate by acting in the series at the same time with them, you build that bond on the talent level and communication’s open. Everybody feels comfortable to come to you to tell you what a problem is before creating an additional problem."

50cent starz power bankrupt 2On screen, the rapper plays Kanan, Ghost's former mentor who is now gunning for his ex-student's drug empire.

So how much is 50 Cent making off his work on "Power"? According to Glassdoor, TV executive producers make an average of $146,538. Since 50 Cent is a name, he can make more. THR reports TV actors can make between $150,000 to $1 million an episode.

Just this May, Forbes estimated 50's net worth to be around $155 million, ranking him No.4 on the list of the wealthiest hip-hop artists.

50 Cent can depend on the Starz paycheck for at least another year as the series was given a Season 3 renewal in June.

SEE ALSO: Here's how 50 Cent spent his millions before filing for bankruptcy Read more:

MORE: 50 Cent gave a perfect explanation for why people shouldn't buy Jay Z's Tidal

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NOW WATCH: This is how rapper 50 Cent made millions and then lost it all










Ryan Reynolds' raunchy 'Deadpool' crushed Comic-Con for one simple reason — it looks like they nailed it

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deadpool

One of the show-stoppers of 20th Century Fox's big San Diego Comic-Con panel was the trailer for the X-Men spinoff film "Deadpool." Fans reportedly loved it — so much so that the trailer was shown twice! 

But who is Deadpool, and why is this a big deal?

Created in 1991 by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, Deadpool was originally an antihero in the Punisher mold, a scumbag antihero with big guns and two swords. But in 1997 writer Joe Kelly and artist Ed McGuiness decided to reinvent the character completely, and it's thanks to those two that Deadpool is famous. 

Deadpool #1 (1993)

The Deadpool Kelly and McGuiness depicted was a parody machine, lambasting every trope of action heroes and superhero comics with an extra fourth-wall breaking twist: Deadpool knew he was a comic book character, and talked about it all the time. Since then, that's been a defining trait of the character, who has since become the hero of numerous violent action-comedy comics, each more ridiculous than the last (The recently concluded series by Brian Posehn, Gerry Duggan, and Tony Moore kicked off with Deadpool taking on zombie US Presidents).

That's what people love about Deadpool: Over-the-top action and crazy meta-comedy. 

And from the trailer screened at San Diego Comic-Con, it looks like this new movie is getting everything right. ryan reynolds deadpoolWhile it will take the studio three weeks to officially release the trailer (star Ryan Reynolds says that's because the visual effects aren't done yet), what was shown at Comic-Con is remarkably faithful to the source material. We're introduced to Ryan Reynolds character, Wade Wilson, a man with cancer in his "liver, lungs, prostate, and brain," promptly quipping that they are  "all things I can live without."

Humor? Check. 

Wilson then submits himself to a military experiment that promises to make him "a superhero" and heal him. In the comic books, this is the same Weapon X project that gave Wolverine his metal skeleton and claws.  Just before the procedure begins, Wilson requests that they "please don't make the super suit green. Or animated!"

Meta-humor? Double check.

Then, an action sequence that looks like a pretty close live-action approximation of the leaked CGI test footage that fans adored — only with a sudden, surprise cameo by Colossus

Not-very-subtle connection to the X-Men? Check.

Then Deadpool tells the camera to "cue the music."

Breaking down that fourth wall? Definitely.

Oh, and then they reveal the side-effect to the experiment that turned Wade into Deadpool — his skin is horribly scarred and disfigured, and there are several very descriptive and filthy jokes traded between Wade and his pal about how ugly he now looks. "Like an avocado had sex with an older avocado" is probably the tamest one, I swear. Then there's a bunch of stylish and gory violence, complete with headshots.

R-rated comedy and violence? Totally there. 

Deadpool is a character you sort of have to experience for yourself to understand why he has such ardent fans, but it's hard to miss the appeal of an exuberantly irreverent R-rated superhero comedy. It's something that we haven't really seen before outside of maybe the first "Kick-Ass," and as we become more and more accustomed to the spectacle of superheroes onscreen, "Deadpool" could prove to be an extremely fun palate cleanser. 

At the very least, it's a heartfelt apology for the first time Reynolds played Deadpool in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." Because that was horrendous.

 

SEE ALSO: Why can't Hollywood ever get Superman right?

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NOW WATCH: Bryan Cranston's new Crackle series looks like a raunchy version of 'The Incredibles'










Here are all the new characters introduced in the leaked 'X-Men' trailer

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Kodi Smit-McPhee

This weekend at Comic-Con, the first trailer for the upcoming "X-Men: Apocalypse" debuted. While the trailer has not officially been released to anyone outside of San Diego, the footage recently leaked online and it gives an exciting, detailed look at the latest movie.

It also gave us a look at some brand new mutants, good and evil. A few of them were seen in the original X-Men trilogy, while one has never been captured on film before. 

Here are the new mutants that we'll meet in the latest X-Men reboot:

Jean Grey (Sophie Turner)

 

game of thrones sansa stark

The telepathic Jean Grey is a force to be reckoned with. In the original "X-Men" trilogy, Grey was played by Famke Janssen, who was trying to figure out the full extent of her abilities. In "Apocalypse," Grey will be portrayed by Sophie Turner, who is seen in the trailer having visions of an imminent and terrifying apocalypse.

This will mark Turner's first major cinematic role. Her current claim to fame is her portrayal of Sansa Stark in "Game of Thrones."

Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee)

Kodi Smit-McPhee

Nightcrawler was first introduced to the cinematic X-Men universe in 2003's "X2: X-Men United." There, he was played as a quiet outsider by Alan Cumming. The new, younger Nightcrawler will be back in "Apocalyse." As always, he can be seen lurking in the shadows.

Storm (Alexandra Shipp)

Alexandra Shipp

It actually hasn't been too long since we've last seen Storm. The original Storm, played by Halle Berry, appeared in the future scenes in "Days of Future Past."

The time travel and new timelines created in the latest "X-Men" installments have allowed for a young Storm to enter the picture. She is played by a silver-haired Alexandra Shipp.

Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac)

Oscar Isaac

And finally, the latest villain to pose a challenge to Professor X's team is Apocalypse, who gives this sequel its title. Apocalypse is supposedly an ancient mutant who is nearly unstoppable. 

The world got their first glimpse of a hooded Apocalypse during the closing credits of "Days of Future Past." During this trailer, the terrifying Apocalypse finally takes his hood off. If you don't know who Oscar Isaac is, he has had a busy year. In April, he starred in "Ex Machina" and later this year he will star in the latest "Star Wars" sequel, "The Force Awakens."

"X-Men: Apocalypse" will be out in theaters on May 27, 2016. 

SEE ALSO: 12 things we learned from the new 'Batman v Superman' trailer

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There's an amazing new movie from Andy Samberg on HBO that you cannot miss

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When former "Saturday Night Live" star and current "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" star Andy Samberg digs in on stupidity, he really digs in. Take, for example, his latest project: a fake HBO Sports documentary titled, "Seven Days in Hell." This is the movie's promo image, which speaks volumes unto itself:Seven Days in HellThe "mockumentary" features two (fake) professional tennis players – Aaron Williams (Samberg) and Charles Poole ("Game of Thrones" star Kit Harington) – and focuses on the (fake) seven day match they had at Wimbledon 2001. The entire film is shot from the perspective of a serious HBO Sports documentary, with expert interviews from both HBO Sports interviewers and professional tennis players. (Serena Williams and John McEnroe are prominently featured).

Let's be clear right up front: "Seven Days in Hell" is an amazing movie, and by far the funniest film I've seen in 2015. You should watch it immediately. Today.

Here's a GIF of Andy Samberg's character Aaron Williams from his introduction video:

Seven Days in HellRight?

And things get much, much more ridiculous after that. Samberg's character is clearly modeled after tennis superstar Andre Agassi – here's hoping Agassi has a pretty serious sense of humor:

Andy Samberg and Andrew AgassiWhile Samberg plays the role of an even more insane Andre Agassi, "Game of Thrones" star Kit Harington plays his dim-witted upstart competition, Charles Poole, who unwittingly brings Samberg's character out of retirement.

Here's Harrington, as Poole, freaking out on an elliptical machine:

Seven Days in HellThe entire faux-doc is littered with little flashes of brilliant absurdity like this.

Like so many Samberg productions, "Seven Days in Hell" feels like what would happen if you took a teenager's sense of humor, and applied professional production and an editor. Like "Zoolander" or "Wet Hot American Summer," "Seven Days in Hell" takes absurdity well beyond the rational limit; it asks viewers to not just accept its stupidity, but to revel in that stupidity. It expects the same level of careful attention to detail to its stupidity that it lavishes on itself.

Take, for instance, a two minute scene wherein the mockumentary devolves into various "experts" offering commentary on a Swedish courtroom sketch artist's influence on courtroom sketch art around the world. Yes, really.

Seven Days in Hell

I could keep going, but then I'd start spoiling the 42 minutes of juvenile comedy bliss that's waiting for you on HBO Go. Prepare yourself, and maybe use a sippy cup in case of spit takes.

SEE ALSO: Here's how 50 Cent spent his millions before filing for bankruptcy

AND: The best cosplay photos from San Diego Comic-Con 2015

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NOW WATCH: Get ready to root for the bad guys — your first look at 'Suicide Squad' is here










NBC is moving low-rated shows 'Hannibal' and 'Aquarius' to Saturdays

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nbc hannibal aquarius saturdays

NBC is shifting "Hannibal" and "Aquarius" to its Saturday schedule effective immediately, an individual with knowledge of the decision told Business Insider.

"Aquarius," which stars David Duchovny as a special agent on the trail of a young Charles Manson, will air at 9 p.m. on Saturday.

"Hannibal," which is wrapping its run after the current third season, will follow in the 10 p.m. time slot.

"Dateline Thursday Mysteries" will replace the dramas in the 9-11 p.m. time slots starting this Thursday.

Joe Flint of The Washington Journal broke the news on Twitter, saying that the "move is to appease affiliates not happy with their numbers."

It's indeed a strange move as it could be expected for the canceled "Hannibal," but it isn't a vote of confidence for the recently renewed "Aquarius."

"Aquarius" is currently averaging a very low 0.73 rating with the advertiser-coveted 18-49-year-old demographic and only 3.8 million viewers. NBC had hoped to give the show a large promotional push by offering the entire season for streaming at the same time it premiered on TV.

Meanwhile, "Hannibal" is averaging a 0.48 rating in the advertiser demo and 1.67 million viewers in its final season. During San Diego Comic-Con, executive producer Bryan Fuller said that there may be a movie to continue the drama after Amazon and Netflix declined to pick the show up.

SEE ALSO: Amazon and Netflix won't be saving 'Hannibal' from cancellation

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NOW WATCH: Ridley Scott is about to show us a world where the Allies lost World War II










'Mad Max' cosplay was everywhere at Comic-Con

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mad max, cosplay, san diego comic con

"Mad Max: Fury Road" was one of the best movies of the year.

Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, the film follows a team of underdog-vigilantes on the run from the War Boys, a mutant gang, and their leader Immortan Joe. It grossed $350 million worldwide and conjured a rare 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

So it was no surprise that fans showed their love for the film at San Diego Comic-Con

Fans in "Mad Max" cosplay, or role-playing costumes, were everywhere you looked.

We rounded up the best "Mad Max" cast look-a-likes from the Con.

SEE ALSO: This family's elaborate 'Mad Max' cosplay cost $700 to make

Elsa and Anna from “Frozen” dressed for battle on the Fury Road in one of the most creative cosplays we saw at the Con.



Elsa wore black war paint around her eyes and a mechanical hand to match Furiosa.



Olaf rides eternal, shiny, and chrome!



See the rest of the story at Business Insider








25 great photos of actors geeking out at Comic-Con

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San Diego Comic-Con isn't just for the fans. 

Tens of actors and celebrities head to the annual event every year to greet fans of their favorite movies and TV shows and head to network and studio parties.

That doesn't mean they don't get in on the fun of the Con as well. 

Check out some of the best moments from the weekend.

We've found a new photobomb queen and her name is Jennifer Lawrence.



Was anyone ever more excited to meet Bill Murray than Jennifer Lawrence?

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Maybe "Game of Thrones" actress Maisie Williams. She was also at a loss for words.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider








We're going to reach Pluto for the first time in history today — here's how to watch

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pluto new horizons

When it comes to landmark achievements in space exploration, today will be a date for the history books as the day humanity reached Pluto for the first time.

If everything goes according to plan, a NASA spacecraft, called New Horizons, will fly by Pluto at 12.49 pm BST / 7:49 am ET. New Horizons is the first spacecraft in history to ever visit Pluto, and it's been a long time coming after 9 years in space.

NASA will stream live countdown coverage of the event starting at 12.30am / 7:30 am, followed by a briefing on the mission from 1pm / 8am onwards.

So, you might have to get up a little earlier than usual, but if you want to celebrate Pluto with the rest of the world, you can by checking out the live feed below. 

It's important to note that the countdown coverage will not include any live feed of the spacecraft moving by Pluto because we have no telescope strong enough to see the tiny piano-sized spacecraft in enough detail. And the spacecraft is about 4.5 light hours from Earth, so its coverage of the flyby will take at least 4.5 hours to reach us.

At its closest approach, New Horizons is intended to pass within 7,600 miles of Pluto at a speed of 30,8000 miles per hour. At such breakneck speeds, the spacecraft will only have a few hours to collect as much scientific information on the geography and composition of Pluto as it can.

That means that, at the time of its closest approach, New Horizons will be too busy to send a signal to Earth, confirming that the mission was a success. So, that crucial message — letting scientists know if the spacecraft's flyby took place without incident — should come in later on Tuesday at 1.53 am BST / 8:53 pm ET, according to the BBC.

"That [message] is going to be a very highly anticipated even because it’s going to be sort of putting the cherry on top," said Alan Stern, principal investigator for New Horizons mission, said in a NASA news briefing on Monday. 

NASA will stream live coverage of the incoming message starting at 8:30 pm ET Tuesday.

NASA also has a way that you can experience the flyby in real time with their app "Eyes on Pluto." The app uses the calibrations on New Horizons to simulate when and where the spacecraft is in reference to Pluto.

"The picture in picture view shows you where the spacecraft is looking and what its advanced instruments can see," NASA explains. "You can use a 'live' mode to see what New Horizons is doing right now, or preview the flyby of the Pluto System."

LEARN MORE: NASA just released the 1st clear photo ever taken of Pluto and its largest moon

CHECK OUT: Everything you need to know about NASA's epic mission to Pluto

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NOW WATCH: Neil deGrasse Tyson reveals the most underrated planet (and it's not Pluto)










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