Mike Ryan is currently the senior editor at ScreenCrush. Mike most recently served as Senior Entertainment Writer for The Huffington Post. Previously, Mr. Ryan was a frequent contributor at Vanity Fair and Wired magazine and wrote for Time, GQ, ELLE-UK, and New York magazine.
Mike Ryan
Emily Blunt on ‘Captain Marvel’ Role: “Let’s Call Marvel About That Right Now”
On Sunday afternoon, we spoke to Emily Blunt who is promoting her role in Disney’s ‘Into the Woods.’ During this conversation, Blunt referenced her character in this summer’s ‘Edge of Tomorrow,’ comparing that role to what a possible Marvel movie might be. It just so happens, Blunt’s name has been mentioned in Internet buzz as a possible lead in Marvel’s ‘Captain Marvel’ (due in 2018), which would be Marvel’s first movie with a female lead. Has Blunt heard this buzz? As it turns out, she has. And she seems to find that buzz quite flattering, but admits she has had no discussions with Marvel at this time.
What Exactly Is a ‘Big Hero 6’? (And 24 Other Urgent Questions)
Opening on November 7 is the new Disney animated hullabaloo titled ‘Big Hero 6.’ In ‘Big Hero 6,’ five regular human beings are brought together to fight crime alongside an inflatable robot doctor. I swear that all of this will make sense, kind of. Ahead, as a service to the world, we answer every question that you could possibly have about ‘Big Hero 6.’
Remembering Robin Williams: The Actor We All Felt We Knew
“Can you believe Popeye is played by the guy who plays Mork?” These words from my mother blew my seven-year-old mind. That's my intro to a piece I don’t know how to write and, honestly, probably shouldn’t be writing so soon after learning about Robin Williams’ death. I only had one encounter with Williams professionally – an interview promoting ‘Happy Feet 2,’ of all things – yet there are tears coming down my face as I type this for what is essentially a stranger. Even though he’s not a stranger. Everyone knew him. This is everyone’s loss.
‘Into the Storm’ Star Richard Armitage on Tornadoes, ‘The Hobbit 3′ and His Lost Role in ‘Star Wars’
Armitage -- who kinda, sorta practices method acting; depending on your definition of method acting -- has the final chapter of 'The Hobbit' trilogy coming out this December, 'The Battle of Five Armies.' Here, Armitage, who plays the dwarf Thorin Oakenshield, reflects on what he thinks the legacy of this trilogy will be in comparison to 'The Lord of the Rings.' Armitage also dares us to find him somewhere in 'Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace' -- a movie that he is in -- and gives us some clues on how to do so, but even he's not exactly sure if he's seen himself.
Comic-Con 2014: Freddie Prinze, Jr. On ‘Star Wars Rebels,’ Hulk Hogan and Thundarr the Barbarian
The first thing you notice about Freddie Prinze Jr. is his almost manic ability to make analogies between almost any subject and professional wrestling. (And considering that Prinze has worked on and off for WWE over the last few years, this wasn't necessarily surprising.) Prinze is at San Diego Comic-Con in support of 'Star Wars Rebels,' the new animated series that takes place between 'Revenge of the Sith' and the original 'Star Wars.' Prinze plays Kanan, a Jedi who survived 'Revenge of the Sith' who hides his Jedi powers so as to not draw attention to himself.
Comic-Con 2014: The 7 Best Moments From ‘The Boxtrolls’ Panel
‘The Boxtrolls’ – which hit Hall H on Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con -- is the third feature film from Laika, the stop motion animation studio that brought the world ‘Coraline’ and the wonderful ‘ParaNorman.’ Honestly, I cannot get enough of these movies, and Laika is quietly becoming the most unique animation studio working today. (Pixar’s last three films have been ‘Monsters University,’ ‘Brave,’ and ‘Cars 2,’ which is not exactly that studio’s best work. And, yes, I realize ‘Brave’ won an Oscar, but that was a travesty.) Anyway, here are our seven favorite moments from ‘The Boxtrolls’ Comic-Con panel.
‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Talks About Everything
It's almost impossible to stay on topic when interviewing 'Weird Al'. He's a walking encyclopedia of popular culture knowledge and every answer leaves multiple alleyways to explore. Ahead, the topics covered include 'Star Wars,' 'UHF,' Charlie Kaufman, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Springsteen, 'The LEGO' Movie, his is favorite movie of all-time, Joe Piscopo, 'The Naked Gun,' 'Rocky' and a host of other topics that don't have much to do with one another.
Comic-Con 2014: Jeff Bridges On ‘The Giver,’ The ‘Fargo’ TV Show, ‘Iron Man’ And The Viral Sandwich
At one point during this interview, Jeff Bridges leaned back in his chair, laughed, then broke into an impression of Jeffrey Lebowski, his character from 'The Big Lebowski' who is also famously known as The Dude. It was at this moment that I decided that the trip from New York City to San Diego for Comic-Con was worth it.
Yes, the Director of ‘The Purge: Anarchy’ Has Heard Your Complaints About the First ‘Purge’ Movie
James DeMonaco is well aware of your complaints. Yes, the first installment of 'The Purge' (which DeMonaco directed) was a box office behemoth, grossing just under $90 million on a budget of only $3 million. 'The Purge' should have been a feel-good success story ... and then those Cinemascores came rolling in and, as it turns out, the audience that showed up to see 'The Purge" wound up kind of despising 'The Purge.'
Richard Linklater on ‘Boyhood’ and the Film That Shaped His Non-Hollywood Career
Filming on 'Boyhood' started in 2002. Then, Linklater filmed his cast -- Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane and Linklater's own daughter, Lorelei Linklater -- every year for 12 years, finally finishing in 2013.