Mike Sampson is the Editor-in-Chief of ScreenCrush. He studied to become a lawyer and worked as an architectural planner after graduating college but neither of these professions afforded him the opportunity to watch movies and TV for a living. He previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of JoBlo.com for 10 years. He lives in New Jersey and probably spends too much time playing video games and overthinking things.
Mike Sampson
The ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Stormtroopers Were Inspired by Apple
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is introducing a whole new set of characters for the upcoming trilogy, including Finn, Rey, Kylo Ren and, most importantly, BB-8. It’s also bringing back some old favorites like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and the Stormtroopers. Because the movie takes place 30 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, the looks for the new characters needed to be updated. We know Luke has a bushy new beard, Han Solo has visibly aged and the Stormtroopers have gotten a new look. But instead of looking older, the Stormtroopers look brand new, and that wasn’t an accident. The new Star Wars costume designer says they were created to look like they were designed by Apple.
Watch a Brutal Fight Between Cap and Crossbones on the ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Set
Captain America: Civil War continues to film outdoors in Atlanta, which is currently standing in for the fictional African city (and home to Black Panther), Wakanda. We brought you a first look at Frank Grillo as the new villain Crossbones, and today you can get a look at Crossbones and Captain America in a major fight scene, including some video from the set!
‘Star Wars: Episode 7’ Photos Reveal Kylo Ren Unmasked, Lupita Nyong’o and More!
It's a Star Wars tradition to participate in a splashy Vanity Fair cover shoot by famed photographer Annie Liebowitz and Star Wars: Episode 7 is no different (although it almost was: rumors were that J.J. Abrams wanted to buck that tradition, but Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy was able to talk him into it). The cast and crew of The Force Awakens are on the cover of the upcoming June issue and while even more photos will be revealed, we do get our first look at Adam Driver without his Kylo Ren mask and Lupita Nyong’o’s motion-capture character!
Watch the New ‘Star Wars: Episode 7’ Trailer!
The brand new Star Wars: Episode 7 trailer premiered this morning at Star Wars Celebration, as J.J. Abrams and the film’s cast showed off the footage to a packed audience of hardcore Star Wars fans. But, you don't have to be in Anaheim to get a new look at The Force Awakens: we've got the trailer for you right here, right now!
‘Ant-Man’ Trailer: Superheroes Don’t Get Bigger Than This
Ant-Man may provide Marvel it's biggest challenge yet. Yes, even bigger than that movie that starred a talking tree and a talking raccoon. But, just as they turned the little-known Guardians of the Galaxy into one of the biggest movies of the year, Marvel may be able to do the same with Ant-Man. The new Ant-Man trailer has a balance of action and humor that might remind you of some friends from another part of the Galaxy.
‘Star Wars’ Movies Coming to Digital HD For First Time on April 10
While it may not be the original theatrical release DVD box set that everyone has been clamoring for, 20th Century Fox, Disney and Lucasfilm have teamed up for a brand new home video release. The Star Wars saga — Episodes I-VI — will be available on Digital HD for the first time on April 10.
‘The Daily Show’ Names Trevor Noah as Jon Stewart’s Replacement
The Daily Show and Comedy Central have announced that, after a long search with many rumored candidates, Trevor Noah will succeed the retiring Jon Stewart as the host of the late night program. Noah, a 31-year-old stand-up comedian, has served as a correspondent for the show but, so far, has only made three appearances.
‘Deadpool’ First Look: Ryan Reynolds Reveals the Movie Costume
Deadpool has finally begun filming after over 8 years in development. It's been a long time for Ryan Reynolds and fans of the merc with a mouth, but to help thank you for your support (and help getting this movie made), Reynolds has tweeted out the first look at his new costume in the film.
‘Batman vs. Superman’ First Look: Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor!
Batman vs. Superman has remarkably kept the look of their villain — Lex Luthor — under wraps to the point where we still had no idea whether Jesse Eisenberg would go bald for the role. Today, we get our first look at the villainous Lex Luthor and, indeed, he's bald.
‘Captain America: Civil War’ Plot Revealed and Start Date Announced
Avengers 2 doesn't open for another few weeks, but deep inside Marvel headquarters they've already begun turning their attention to the next big movie: Captain America: Civil War. Frequently referred to as Avengers 2.5 because of the sheer amount of superheroes packed into this one film — Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Falcon, Black Panther, Spider-Man and Hawkeye are all confirmed to star — the third Captain America movie might be the biggest superhero film yet. As Marvel gets ready to begin filming, a casting call has given us our first look at the film's plot.
New ‘Avengers 2’ TV Spot Features a Ton of New Footage
We're all done with Avengers 2 trailers, but this new extended TV spot (which will air during the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament) has so much awesome new footage, it's almost as good as a full trailer.
J.J. Abrams Returning to Direct ‘Star Wars: Episode 9’?
When Rian Johnson was officially announced as the Star Wars: Episode 8 director last week, one name was conspicuously absent from the initial press release: J.J. Abrams. Among the producers listed — Kathleen Kennedy, Ram Bergman (Looper) and Johnson — Abrams was nowhere to be found. An updated release was later sent with Abrams noted as an Executive Producer, but it only fueled the flames that J.J. Abrams may be one-and-done with the Star Wars franchise. Not so fast.