The MovieByte Podcast #91: Hello Father

Maleficent is not receiving a lot of praise from critics, but Chad and TJ both think this is a little unfair. The film may not be destined for Oscar season or anything, but it was quite a good film and quite an enjoyable experience. Also of interest: set pics from ‘Star Wars VII’ OF THE MILLENNIUM FALCON. Guys, seriously! We’re living in a time when new ‘Star Wars’ is being made. And they’re building a Millennium Falcon Set. Also some casting news in the form of Lupita Nyong’o's and Gwendoline Christie. Secret Cinema is recreating Hill Valley from ‘Back to the Future’ in London and Chad is probably going to get to go. Lucky dog. And Warner Bros. has moved ‘Jupiter Ascending’ to February of 2015… you know, where all the good films are released… sigh.

• Uh, guys, it’s the Millennium Falcon! (I might be geeking out just a little right now!)Brace yourselves Nerf Herders … TMZ obtained a photo of what looks like the beginning stages of Han Solo’s famous spaceship the Millennium Falcon!!!
• Lupita Nyong’o and Gwendoline Christie Join ‘Star Wars Episode VII’Those who were upset that the first big wave of Star Wars Episode VII casting did not include more women can breathe a bit easier. Lupita Nyong’o (Non-Stop, and winner of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for 12 Years a Slave) and Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones) have just been added to the cast.
• Rumor: ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ close to casting Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’oThe casting search for Star Wars: Episode VII has been huge, and if this casting rumor is accurate, Lupita Nyong’o may be close to signing.
• Secret Cinema To Recreate Hill Valley From Back to the FutureKey scenes from Back to the Future will be recreated at a secret location in London this summer for epic screenings of the time travel movie.
• Alfonso Cuarón Won’t Direct ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’[Directing Prisoner of Azkaban] was a very beautiful experience for me. I have a lot of love for that universe and I tremendously admire JK Rowling, but today, for the present, projects based around lots of visual effects don’t attract me. I’m coming out of a five-year process of doing visual effects and now I sort of want to clean my palate of that a little bit.
• Wachowskis’ ‘Jupiter Ascending’ Abruptly Bumped From July to February 2015At the 11th hour, Lana and Andy Wachowski’s sci-fi epic Jupiter Ascending is being pushed back from July 18 to Feb. 6, 2015.
• Maleficent — ReviewOnce upon a dream, Disney brought us the tale of Sleeping Beauty, but according to their latest film, they may not have been entirely truthful in that story they told us, and now they’re here to set the record straight.
• Maleficent — IMDbA vindictive fairy is driven to curse an infant princess only to realize the child may be the only one who can restore peace.
• Maleficent — Rotten TomatoesAngelina Jolie’s magnetic performance outshines Maleficent’s dazzling special effects; unfortunately, the movie around them fails to justify all that impressive effort.
• Maleficent — Box Office MojoDomestic Total as of Jun. 2, 2014: $75,639,040 Distributor: Buena VistaRelease Date: May 30, 2014 Genre: FantasyRuntime: 1 hrs. 37 min. MPAA Rating: PGProduction Budget: N/A