Lewis Hamilton qualified fastest for the Turkish Grand Prix but will start the race 11th after a 10-place grid penalty for breaking engine rules.

The Mercedes driver beat team-mate Valtteri Bottas by 0.13 seconds and the Finn inherits pole position ahead of Hamilton's title rival Max Verstappen.

Verstappen starts the race two points behind Hamilton in the championship.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fourth fastest ahead of Alpha Tauri's Pierre Gasly and Alpine's Fernando Alonso.

Full qualifying results

5 Live F1: Turkish GP preview

Mercedes achieved the perfect result in the circumstances, with both drivers in the best possible position for the start of the race.

Bottas was fastest on the first runs in final qualifying, pipping Hamilton by just 0.022secs, but the Briton went out early for his second run and managed to string together a lap good enough to leapfrog his team-mate.

Bottas appeared to be on course to reclaim the fastest lap, but fell away in the final three corners and just missed out, with his second lap falling just 0.073secs short of his first effort.

The Finn's role in the race will be to win, and prevent Verstappen scoring as many points as possible.

"The last lap I missed a bit in the last sector and started to pick up some understeer," Bottas said. "Lewis is in the best place and I am on pole. I will focus on my own race tomorrow. Try to keep up a good pace."

Verstappen was one of the drivers who spun as the track dried in the first qualifying session

A tricky qualifying

Qualifying started on a track that still had damp patches after overnight rain and a mostly wet final practice session. Teams ran on slick tyres throughout, but there were a number of spins and off-track moments as drivers found the limits of grip.

"The session was really tricky," said Hamilton, who in taking a new engine for reliability reasons over the rest of the season has exceeded his permitted allowance. "There were still some damp patches and getting temperature in the tyres for the first lap wasn't easy.

"Great performance from them getting us out at the right time.

"Tomorrow will be difficult but I will give it everything. It is not the easiest overtaking at the moment and we are all on the same tyres.

"I imagine it will be difficult to move up."

Verstappen said the Red Bull did not have the pace to compete with the Mercedes.

"Compared to yesterday we managed to turn it around quite well," he said. "The laps were quite good. But there was not the lap time in it to fight for pole.

"Third is the maximum for us and tomorrow lining up in second let's wait and see what the weather will do, but overall I'm pretty happy."

Hamilton's remark about tyres was a reference to the fact that only one driver in the top 10 - Alpha Tauri's Yuki Tsunoda in ninth place - will start on the soft tyre, with everyone else preferring the more durable medium in the second session, which defines the starting tyre of the drivers in the top half of the grid.

Behind the big three, Verstappen's Sergio Perez failed to achieve what his team had requested and qualifying close to the Mercedes.

The Mexican, who spun in the second session, had only one set of new tyres available for the final session could manage only seventh and beaten by Leclerc, Gasly and Alonso.

McLaren's Lando Norris, Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and Tsunoda completed the top 10.

Williams driver George Russell will start 13th, with Mick Schumacher an impressive 14th in the Haas, and Daniel Ricciardo a disappointing 16th in the second McLaren.

Stephen Kenny admitted his first competitive win as Republic of Ireland manager was "overdue" after seeing Callum Robinson set up a 3-0 World Cup qualifying victory in Azerbaijan.

Robinson's first-half double and Chiedozie Ogbene's goal secured a first win in 13 meaningful games for Kenny.

"That's one defeat in our last seven games and that was a late Portugal goal from [Cristiano] Ronaldo," said Kenny.

"We're learning all the time and improving in our attacking play."

With the Republic's Group A campaign including a home defeat by Luxembourg and draw in Dublin against Azerbaijan, there have been murmurings about whether Kenny's contract will be extended beyond next summer but the manager brushed aside those questions after Saturday's win.

"I don't care about that, I know we're creating a very exciting team and we've blooded so many players.

"It's not all going to work straightaway, you can see the potential. I definitely feel we'll get better, so we have to continue with our work.

"We have undergone a change in system from March onwards and it suits the players that we have.

"We got some criticism in the home game against Azerbaijan, but they were three great games [against Portugal, Azerbaijan and Serbia last month] and I thought we performed well at times in that week.

"And today was good to get the goals that give us a platform."

It proved a significant evening for Robinson, who boarded the plane having spent the build-up to the game embroiled in controversy having revealed he had not been vaccinated against Covid-19 despite twice contracting the virus.

The West Brom striker needed just seven minutes to make his mark when he sent a left-footed shot past keeper Sahruddin Mehemmedeliyev and he doubled his tally after a period of Azeri pressure six minutes before the break with a deflected effort.

Robinson's midweek admission that he had not been vaccinated against Covid-19 led to controversy but he responded by netting twice for the Republic in Baku

'I enjoy being a free spirit' - Robinson

Kenny has stoutly defended Robinson's freedom of choice over the vaccination issue and heaped praise on the West Brom forward following the game.

"We have missed him as he wasn't always available, but he's very creative and very intelligent in the positions he takes up and the decisions he makes.

"He had three or four easier ones in the second half but the two goals were outstanding finishes. He was terrific."

Robinson admitted some mild disappointment at missing out on a first international hat-trick but said that the win was "the main thing".

Asked about his first goal, as he fired home on the run after taking a pass from James McClean, Robinson said: "it was early in the game so I just thought I'd get a shot off, quick snapshot and caught the keeper off guard.

"I just enjoy being a free spirit almost, getting on the ball and being a threat and trying to get on the half-turn for one v ones.

"I'm lucky enough the gaffer gave me that licence to do that in the game and be a free spirit."

Top-flight clubs have complained to the Premier League after it cleared the £305m takeover of Newcastle by a Saudi Arabian-backed group.

There is understood to be frustration from clubs about how the deal passed the owners' and directors' test.

Concerns also arose as to why they were not kept informed after the surprise news emerged on Wednesday.

Additionally, there are worries as to how Saudi Arabian owners will reflect on the league itself.

There are many human rights issues linked to the kingdom.

Newcastle part-owner Staveley on hopes moving forward

Clubs are demanding a meeting with the Premier League, which has previously said the takeover process would remain confidential.

There is irritation with the Premier League board from all 19 other clubs, who are united in a view they should have been kept updated on an issue of such significance.

The clubs also feel they should have been told what had changed to allow the deal to proceed before it was completed.

When approving the takeover on Thursday, the Premier League said it has received legal assurances from the new owners that the Saudi state would not control Newcastle United and there would be punishments if it was proven otherwise.

The takeover was 80% financed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, whose chair is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Western intelligence agencies say he ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an allegation Bin Salman denies.

Following Thursday's takeover, Amanda Staveley, Newcastle's director, told BBC sports editor Dan Roan that PCP Capital took concerns over Saudi Arabia's human rights record "very seriously" but reiterated that their partner "is not that Saudi state, it's PIF".

When asked if this was a case of 'sportswashing' by Saudi Arabia, she said: "No, not at all, this is very much about the PIF's investment into a fantastic football team and we look forward to growing the club."

Britain's Emma Raducanu lost her first match as a Grand Slam champion, beaten in straight sets by Belarus' Aliaksandra Sasnovich at Indian Wells.

World number 22 Raducanu was seeking an 11th successive victory, having won the US Open last month as a qualifier.

But Sasnovich, ranked 100th in the world, beat the 18-year-old 6-2 6-4 in round two of the BNP Paribas Open.

Raducanu, who received a first-round bye, is next scheduled to play at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow in 10 days' time.

Murray beats Mannarino to reach second round at Indian Wells

Live scores, results and order of play

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The Briton was competing without a permanent coach having ended her partnership with Andrew Richardson, whom she has known since the age of 10, after her US Open success.

Speaking after the match, she told BBC Sport: "We had some great memories together - at the US Open and also previous to that - but I'm looking forward to the next chapter and I think that what I am doing right now is definitely the best for me and my tennis."

Raducanu made an excellent start against Sasnovich - holding to love in the opening game in front of a supportive crowd of about 4,000 for the night session.

But a loose service game followed, and with her 27-year-old opponent playing some excellent defensive tennis, the US Open champion was forced into too many errors.

Raducanu seemed anxious to close out rallies quickly on the slow court, and Sasnovich broke again to love and took the opening set.

It was the first set Raducanu had lost since a three-set defeat by Clara Tauson in the final of the Challenger event in Chicago on 22 August.

Sasnovich broke first in the second set too, as she showed off the attacking side of her game.

But two double faults followed in the next game and with Raducanu beginning to find some composure, the teenager was able to open a 4-2 lead.

The improvement was short-lived, however, and Sasnovich won the final four games of the match to complete a straight-set victory.

The Belarusian will play two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep, after the Romanian overcame Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 7-6 6-1, in the third round on Sunday.

Raducanu said: "I think Aliaksandra played a great match. She was better than me today so she deserves to win.

"I'm kind of glad that what happened today happened so I can learn and take it as a lesson.

"There's going to be disappointment after any loss. I didn't go in there putting any pressure on myself because in my mind I'm so inexperienced that I'm just taking it all in."

Stephens knocked out, Fernandez and Swiatek through

Sloane Stephens, who beat Britain's Heather Watson in the first round, lost in straight sets to American compatriot Jessica Pegula in their second-round match.

Stephens, appearing at the tournament for the 10th time, suffered a 6-2 6-3 defeat to the 19th seed.

Canada's Leylah Fernandez, who lost to Raducanu in the US Open final, defeated Alize Cornet of France 6-2 6-3 to advance to the third round.

Fernandez will play ninth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova following the Russian's emphatic 6-3 6-1 win over USA player Madison Keys.

Polish second seed Iga Swiatek is into the last 32 after a comfortable 6-1 6-3 win against Croatia's Petra Martic.

Meanwhile, Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, seeded seventh, breezed through with a 6-2 6-2 win over Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands.

Liam Smith defeated Anthony Fowler in a commanding display to win the 'Battle of Liverpool' on Saturday with an eighth-round knockout.

Smith, the former WBO light-middleweight champion, weathered a strong start from Fowler to dominate the bout despite suffering a cut above his right eye in the first round.

He knocked Fowler to the canvas in the fifth before going on to win the fight with a left hook in the eighth.

"It was a great fight," Smith said.

"I started slow I think, but from start to finish we did a good job. I said all along I had the bigger punches."

The pair, both from Liverpool, faced off at the city's M&S Arena for the for the WBA international super-welterweight title.

Speaking about the first knockdown, 33-year-old Smith said: "I thought it was over in the fifth. I let him off the hook a bit.

"This wasn't an easy win."

Fowler, 30, added: "I thought I made a good start. He's a class act. I'm humble in defeat. The better man won."

Fowler started on the front foot and Smith suffered the cut above his left eye early in the first round after a strong right hand from his opponent.

By the fourth round, Smith began to have more success, working the body and wobbling Fowler with a late flurry.

But Smith failed to capitalise after knocking Fowler to the canvas in the fifth round, and through the sixth and seventh rounds Fowler was able to get back into the fight before being knocked out in the eighth.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, former boxer David Price said: "It was a fantastic battle. There was a clash of styles but what a finish.

"He [Smith] got the game off to a tee. He was taking big shots early on but he's got world class toughness. Not only that, he showed his clinical finishing tonight."

Williamson claims British title in dramatic bout

Williamson (left) emerged victorious in his 18th pro bout

Earlier, Troy Williamson claimed the British super-welterweight title with a devastating 10th-round knockout against Ted Cheeseman.

The undefeated 30-year-old had to endure punishment as Cheeseman dominated periods of the bout, but produced a brutal flurry of blows to floor the 26-year-old champion.

Cheeseman had medical attention in the ring before being taken to hospital for checks.

The fight had been close until a dominant eighth round from Cheeseman. That was answered by a strong ninth round from Williamson, who then ended the bout in emphatic fashion in the 10th.

"It was a very tough fight," Williamson said. "We knew exactly how tough it was going to be. I showed everyone how tough I am tonight. I've come up the hard way, and now everybody knows what Troy Williamson's all about."

Mitchell claims vacant WBA title

Mitchell and Courtney now expect to contest a rematch

American Jamie Mitchell defeated Shannon Courtenay to claim the WBA bantamweight title on a majority judges' decision after a 10-round fight.

Courtenay, 28, gave up the title after missing the weight for the bout on Friday but a WBA ruling meant a win for Mitchell would allow her to claim the belt.

The Briton only won the world title in her last fight in April, when she beat Australian rival Ebanie Bridges on points.

The judges scored the fight 95-95, 97-93, 96-94 in favour of Mitchell.

"I told you guys I was gonna come out and get the belt and I did exactly what I said I was gonna do," said Mitchell.

"This changes my life, but a belt doesn't make me."

On Saturday, Britain's Tyson Fury fights American Deontay Wilder for the third time, with the WBC heavyweight championship on the line.

The fight in Las Vegas comes after their first bout in December 2018 ended in a controversial draw, before Fury won the rematch in February 2020 with a seventh-round stoppage.

So, can Fury gain another victory, or will Wilder exact his revenge? We have asked some big names from the world of boxing for their thoughts on the big fight.

It is expected to start at 04:00 BST on Sunday and there will be live text commentary on the BBC Sport website.

Two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua: "Let's go with Wilder because he seems obsessed, like he really wants it. A focused man is a dangerous man, and he's focused. Wilder might get the decision. Actually, no... it has to be a knockout. One of them will knock the other out."

Fury's trainer SugarHill Steward: "It's going to be a knockout. Tyson knocks Wilder out. That's what I believed last time and he'll do it again this time, just in a more electrifying fashion. Everything we've been doing, he's got better. He's learning new things and the object and the goal is to get better. That's for me and Tyson. I wanted to make Tyson Fury the best Tyson Fury. The things we've been working on have him on the road to being the best."

Fury's co-promoter Frank Warren: "Wilder will go in seven rounds. If Tyson catches him early, he could go easily. But if he's there after seven rounds I'd be surprised."

Lennox Lewis, former undisputed heavyweight world champion: "I'm a bad predictor. It is going to be a fantastic fight. Tyson Fury has a lot more tools and weapons that he can use. If Deontay went back and learned a couple of tricks he can put to use he'll have a good time in there as well. So all around it is going to be a good fight."

British heavyweight Dillian Whyte: "The smart money would pick Tyson Fury to win again, but something inside of me is saying Wilder might spring a surprise on us."

Super-middleweight Anthony Fowler, who fights Liam Smith in Liverpool on Saturday: "Fury has got Wilder's number - he's a bigger, stronger man. Fury's outboxed him and outbrawned him as well. I can't see Wilder winning, Fury is too good."

Will Fury or Wilder prevail in trilogy?

5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce: Wilder comes in big but is that the right strategy?

'I've trained like Rocky' - Is Fury ready to fight Wilder?

Tyson Fury will 'go down as one of Britain's greatest' if he beats Wilder, Joshua & Usyk

Anthony Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn: "Fury is a huge favourite but Wilder has the ability to end a fight at any time. It's heavyweight boxing and that's why it is so exciting. Fury wins on points."

Steve Egan, who trained Fury when he was an amateur: "Tyson definitely wins. But maybe go to eight or nine. I don't think it will go all the way. He'll definitely finish him. Wilder will punch himself out, being frustrated."

UFC fighter Molly McCann: "Tyson does it in six."

British heavyweight David Price, who announced his retirement this week: "I'm going to go with another Fury win again. I think it'll be a sustained beating. I think Wilder will start quick and then Fury will just take over in the mid to late rounds and stop him."

BBC Radio 5 Live analyst Steve Bunce: "My prediction changed - I fancied Tyson, but having seen him I'm absolutely convinced. I think we get a repeat. Almost a punch-for-punch, round-for-round repeat of what we had last February."

UFC president Dana White: "I think Fury's too good. I think Fury's got that number."

Fury and Wilder are in the best mental and physical state they could be - Bunce

Wilder's trainer Malik Scott: "Is every mistake gone? Absolutely not, but we've prepared him enough to be very surgical and patient, and he can knock Fury out within five rounds, with the pace we've set him out. I believe Tyson Fury takes his opponents for granted between three and six rounds, and Deontay will make him pay. We'll see if Fury can handle this onslaught."

Wilder's manager Shelly Finkel: "Deontay's dream is to get this match. I don't usually act arrogant, but I do believe Deontay is going to knock him out this time."

WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk: "I don't think too much about who wins. It will be a good fight. Don't write Deontay Wilder off since he always has the knockout punch. I am not good at making predictions."

So far, Lewis Hamilton's damage-limitation exercise at the Turkish Grand Prix is going to plan.

Mercedes realised going into the weekend that Hamilton's title rival Max Verstappen was likely to reclaim the championship lead on Sunday.

The Dutchman starts the race only two points adrift and Hamilton has a 10-place grid penalty for using too many engine parts.

But Mercedes needed to find a way to prevent the Red Bull driver from making up too much ground on Hamilton. So they had two main ambitions for Saturday's qualifying session.

The first was for Hamilton to qualify fastest, to guarantee the best possible starting position for the race. The second was for team-mate Valtteri Bottas to be second so the Finn would start from pole following Hamilton's demotion, giving him the best chance to prevent Verstappen from winning.

Saturday, then, was mission accomplished - the seven-time champion pipping Bottas by 0.13 seconds in qualifying, with Verstappen 0.328secs off the pace in third.

Even better for Hamilton is that Verstappen and Red Bull have not managed to get their car in a satisfactory place in terms of handling balance and the Mercedes has had a comfortable pace advantage throughout practice and qualifying at Istanbul Park.

Verstappen also admitted his concerns about starting on the inside of the grid, where grip is considerably poorer than on the racing line, theoretically reducing his chances of beating Bottas into the first corner.

Full practice results

5 Live F1: Turkish GP qualifying review

Hamilton fastest but penalty hands Bottas pole

How might the race develop?

On paper, in the context of the championship standings, there are two races on Sunday, with interlinked consequences.

The first is for the win, between Bottas and Verstappen, although Charles Leclerc's Ferrari may cause some trouble if he can get off the line well from his third place on the grid.

The second is between Hamilton and the rest of the field, in terms of how much progress the Briton can make towards the front by the end of the race.

After qualifying, Hamilton was giving mixed messages about his expectations and ambitions for Sunday afternoon.

With his realistic head on, the 36-year-old said he imagined it would be "difficult to move up". But at the same time, Hamilton was not ruling anything out.

His approach, he said, would be "partly cautious but also super-attacking - I want to win the race somehow, so that's my goal."

A realistic Hamilton referred people back to the last race in Russia, where Verstappen served his own engine-related grid penalty.

There, starting from the back, the 24-year-old made rapid progress until he encountered the quicker midfield runners, who proved impossible to overtake until a downpour in the closing laps.

It was only making the right decisions, over when to stop for tyres in the late-race rain, that allowed Verstappen to convert a likely seventh place into second behind Hamilton.

For Verstappen, then, his damage-limitation race in Russia went as well as he could have hoped.

Hamilton has won five races this season so far

No obvious strategy advantages

Hamilton's hopes on Sunday are complicated by the fact that all but one driver in the top 10 in front of him will be starting on the same 'medium' compound tyres as he is.

Usually, the front group would be split, with the Mercedes and Red Bulls quick enough to progress through second qualifying - which defines a driver's starting tyre - on the optimum race tyre, but the others forced to use the softest option.

This weekend, though, the soft is so poor that only Alpha Tauri's Yuki Tsunoda in 10th will start ahead of Hamilton on it.

This makes it harder for Hamilton to make progress because the others in front will be seeing their tyres go off only as quickly as he does, rather than faster, as would have been the case if they were on the softer tyres. He will have a pace advantage over them, but will it be enough to be able to overtake them?

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said: "It would have been easier if we had a tyre offset strategy, but [trying to get through second qualifying on] the hards would have been little bit too bold.

"We expected that some of the other guys in front of us would run the soft to make sure they were in Q2, but that didn't happen, which is a little bit of a setback.

"He can only try to do the utmost. I wouldn't want to have any other driver in the car when it is about overtaking and going through the field than Lewis. Having said that, yesterday we simulated some of the situations and it's very difficult to follow in traffic.

"There will be not many options left than to try with strategy and to hope the front train is not disappearing into the distance."

Bottas at the front, Wolff said, "is going to race his race". "This is about the race win and we are not going to do any bunching up," he added.

Verstappen, though, suspects he and Hamilton will meet in the course of the race.

"They have a lot of pace the whole weekend," Verstappen said, "so I definitely expect him to be behind me at some point."

And he added he thought the chances of Hamilton ending the race on the podium were "very good".

Anthony Joshua's rematch against heavyweight rival Oleksandr Usyk could take place in March, his promoter Eddie Hearn says.

Hearn confirmed on Saturday night that Joshua had triggered his rematch clause against the Ukrainian.

Usyk stunned Britain's Joshua last month, winning by unanimous decision to take the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight belts.

"He [Joshua] has got his head back in the game," Hearn said.

"He is training now and today we officially triggered the rematch for the Oleksandr Usyk fight which we will see early next spring.

"We're looking for him to become a three-time heavyweight world champion. I think realistically March is when you're likely to see the rematch."

Usyk has previously said he wants the rematch to take place at the Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv.

One of 2021's most anticipated bouts will roar into action in Las Vegas on Saturday as heavyweights Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder meet for a third time.

Britain's Fury will defend his WBC crown against the American, who he stopped in the seventh round during their second fight 20 months ago.

It was Wilder's first defeat of a 44-fight professional career and sparked him into accusing Fury of cheating.

"Deep down in his soul, he knows he lost and he'll lose again," said Fury.

"After this fight, he'll be back working in that fast food chain that he was working at earlier on in his career. It's retirement for him.

"You're in denial and you're getting knocked out. Do yourself a favour and retire - your legacy's in bits, all the excuses, you've been destroyed. No one's even believed you, everyone's laughing at you. You're a weak man."

Fury-Wilder III - big-fight predictions

5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce: Wilder comes in big but is that the right strategy?

In the weigh-in both were the heaviest they have been for a professional fight with Fury at 19st 11lb and Wilder coming in at 17st.

There was no face-off as usual, with promoter Bob Arum having said he felt the process treats fighters like "animals" and that he did not want them getting hurt before their bout.

The pair first met in December 2018 in a bout that ended in a controversial draw, but Fury was rewarded for taking the fight to his opponent last time out.

Afterwards, Wilder blamed the weight of his ring walk costume for draining his energy but also suggested Fury's gloves were tampered with.

Since then, the 35-year-old has parted ways with coach Mark Breland, who threw in the towel against Fury, and brought in former heavyweight opponent Malik Scott.

"I ask the question, if I only won because I cheated, what was the point of changing everything and doing all this other work?" said Fury in a heated final news conference.

"I don't care because obviously it's coming from an unwell person. He accused me of everything: His team, his trainer, the suit, injuries, the State Athletic Commission of Nevada, the referee.

"If he'd have come out with one of these excuses, it would have been believable but not 50 of them. He can believe what he wants, what it tells me is that he's a weak person who I'm going to knock spark out on Saturday night."

'Your legacy is in bits' - Fury tells 'weak' Wilder to retire

The old foe aiming to help Wilder win

Lucasfilm's Pablo Hidalgo has revealed the prequel novels for Star Wars: The Force Awakens incorporated ideas from Rian Johnson. Star Wars may be best known as one of the biggest film franchises of all time, but in truth, its even bigger than that - it's one of the most significant transmedia franchises in the world, with stories sweeping from one medium to another. This is a legacy of the old Expanded Universe, which saw Star Wars embrace the potential of books, comics, and computer games in the decade before the prequel trilogy's release.

Back in 2015, when Lucasfilm began marketing for the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, they incorporated a range of tie-in books and comics into the build-up. Nineteen novels and comics were issued under the banner "Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens," telling stories that helped set the scene for the sequel era. The most important of these was Claudia Gray's Bloodline, which told the story of how the political career of Leia Organa came to an end at a time when she sensed the shadow of the dark side falling over the galaxy once again; the book ended with a key moment in galactic history, as Leia - now a political outcast - began to form the Resistance against the coming threat of the First Order.

RELATED:Star Wars Doubles Down On Lucas’ ROTJ Boba Fett Change

In a fascinating discussion on Twitter, Lucasfilm's Pablo Hidalgo has revealed the story beats of Bloodline didn't originate with Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams, but rather with Star Wars: The Last Jedi's Rian Johnson. As Hidalgo explains, at some point during production, a filmmaker is contacted by the franchise side of Lucasfilm with ideas for tie-ins. This soon establishes what Hidalgo calls "guard rails" - things that are to be avoided - and genuine opportunities. Johnson had sketched out what he thought happened between the end of Return of the Jedi and the beginning of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and part of that became the plot of Claudia Gray's novel Bloodline. Check out Hidalgo's tweet below:

Yep. He had sketched out what he thought happened between VI and VII and part of that became the basis of Bloodline.

— Pablo Hidalghoul (@pabl0hidalgo) October 8, 2021

Bloodline is generally considered one of the best Star Wars books of the Disney era, and Claudia Gray has gone on to write several more novels for Lucasfilm - including some of their most important tie-ins. Her firm grasp of Princess Leia led her to be commissioned to write Leia: Princess of Alderaan, the official story of how Leia first joined the Rebellion, and Master & Apprentice - a story starring Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi - finally revealed the text of the Chosen One prophecy. And it seems Gray's first book, the one that started her off with Lucasfilm Publishing, originated in the fertile imagination of Rian Johnson.

This director-led approach explains why Lucasfilm Publishing's approach seems to vary from movie to movie. The best transmedia campaign to date accompanied Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, with James Luceno's tie-in novel Catalyst and Alexander Freed's novelization perfectly complementing the movie and giving a complete history of the Death Star's construction. Meanwhile, Hidalgo noted J.J. Abrams and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker writer, Chris Terrio, sketched out the bare bones of what became Charles Soule's tie-in comic, The Rise of Kylo Ren, which released ahead of the final movie in the sequel trilogy and explored Kylo Ren's fall to the dark side. Presumably a similar approach is being taken to tie-ins with the Disney+ TV shows as well, given Lucasfilm is preparing a number of Star Wars books to tie in to The Mandalorian.

No Time To Die director Cary Joji Fukunaga has opened up about how he got Daniel Craig to shoot long takes for the film. The story of the latest James Bond film revolves around a now-retired Bond, who has left active service and is living a peaceful life in Jamaica. However, he is contacted by an old friend who shows up and asks him for help in retrieving a kidnapped scientist. Needless to say, Bond finds himself knee-deep in a perilous mission against a new threat. The film also features returning cast members Léa Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Jeffrey Wright and Christoph Waltz, alongside newcomers to the franchise Lashana Lynch, Ana De Armas and Rami Malek, who plays the principal villain, Lyutsifer Safin.

Fukunaga announced himself as a director to watch after his work on the critically acclaimed HBO series, True Detective (starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson). He went on to make Beasts of No Nation and Maniac for Netflix, both of which were very well-received. In 2018, it was reported that he would helm the 25th James Bond film after original director Danny Boyle stepped down due to creative differences, making Fukunaga the first American filmmaker to direct a Bond film. Fukunaga is known for his unique visual style, which includes the frequent use of long takes, in which the shot is not cut, to enhance the impact of a scene. Having had the experience of using the method previously in projects like True Detective, Maniac and Jane Eyre, Fukunaga has brought his cinematography approach to the 007 series.

RELATED: Where To Watch Daniel Craig's Bond Movies Online Before No Time To Die

In a recent interview with SlashFilm, Fukunaga spoke in-depth about everything that went into including long takes in No Time To Die, which the director was very passionate about. Fukunaga said he didn't want to use the technique as a gimmick to distract viewers, but only "if it fit" naturally in the film. Ultimately, the director did find a moment to include a long shot in the intense third act of No Time to Die, but said this type of filming doesn't necessarily suit Craig's "perfectionist" style, and the actor would prefer scenes to be shot "in cuts" rather than an elongated, continual take. However, Fukunaga was able to sell Craig on filming a long take when the right opportunity presented itself, after discussing the approach "at length" with Craig, the producers and stunt coordinators. Read his comments below:

"Daniel's a perfectionist, so he wants every punch, every shot, everything just to be, on a physical level, flawless. And even just that early fight in Matera, where he does three or four combos with Primo (Dali Benssalah) before he wraps the laundry line around his neck, Daniel would have preferred to do that in cuts, just so he can make sure every punch looked good ... It comes from his desire, which I share, to make sure that when people watch, there's no suspension of disbelief issues, no doubts that those aren't real hits landing, or himself taking hits ... So to then pitch another single-take shot (that lasts even longer) later in the film, that was something that we talked about at length with the producers and the stunt coordinators, and discussed, 'Well, what could we do that no one feels like the performance is being sacrificed?"

This isn't the first time that the long take technique was used in the Bond series. It was most recently implemented in the previous James Bond outing by director Sam Mendes in the gorgeously-crafted opening shot in 2015's Spectre, which follows Bond through the crowded Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City. In No Time To Die, however, Fukunaga decided to utilize the take differently by focusing on the action sequences. Craig's commitment to the physical demands of the shot is there for all to see in the final cut, which includes a stunning and pulse-pounding stairwell fight that sees Bond single-handedly take on a myriad of Safin's goons.

The Bond franchise hasn't always been recognized for its technical mastery behind the camera, but since Craig's introduction as the charismatic spy in Casino Royale, the series has consistently attempted to push the boundaries and stay fresh in more ways than one. After several delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the long-awaited swan song from Daniel Craig as the beloved 007 agent finally arrives in U.S. theatres this week. Fans will no doubt be eager to see if Fukunaga has done justice to the character, but with a fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 84% and glowing reviews from critics and audiences worldwide, viewers are likely to be very satisfied with No Time To Die.

The helicopters seen in Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage aren’t actually hunting Venom and Eddie, but were part of the nearby The Matrix 4 filming in San Francisco. The city has long been a filming magnet and February of 2020 was no exception—both Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage and The Matrix 4 had cameras rolling simultaneously. The Matrix 4 began filming first though, leaving Venom 2 to work around them after The Matrix 4 had essentially taken over the city.

In the scene from Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage, Eddie Brock and Venom have fled to the top of San Francisco’s iconic Coit Tower. Helicopters are seen in the background, scouring the city, and Venom and Eddie mention the police pursuit, so it is assumed the helicopters are searching for them. The helicopters, however, were part of the forthcoming Matrix film.

RELATED:Venom 2 Soundtrack Guide: Every Song In Let There Be Carnage

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage Location Manager Christopher Kusiak discusses how having two major blockbusters filming in the city at the same time did lead to some issues. Specifically, Venom 2 lost out on some locations simply because The Matrix 4 was filming there first. In the case of the helicopters, though, having The Matrix 4 in town was actually a benefit.

“Lots of stuff impacted filming. A lot of our driving shots went away because Matrix controlled all of downtown… We ended up moving a stunt up onto the top of the parking garage because we couldn’t get to the areas we wanted because of The Matrix. But if we would’ve been there first, it probably would’ve gone the other way.

"The helicopters were actually on the Matrix movie. The Matrix was filming at the same time so we were catching part of their activity on camera."

As The Matrix 4’s release date is set for December 22, it is unclear what scene from the franchise’s newest edition was being filmed at the time. Various alerts were issued from AlertSF over the course of filming that included helicopters conducting flyovers. Additionally, the filming of The Matrix 4 has spurred dozens of videos on social media with stunt doubles flying off buildings and working their way through the city on motorcycles, so it is unclear exactly which elaborate Matrix 4 stunt is seen in the background during the scene in Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage.

The Matrix 4 paid the San Francisco Police Department $420,371.63 over 21 days of shooting to help manage the public during their stunts. Comparatively, Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage paid only $192,422.58. It seems that Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage made the best of a tricky situation and saved some serious cash along the way.

With No Time to Die now opening across the majority of international markets, Daniel Craig has given his thoughts on one particularly controversial aspect of the James Bond franchise: Bond Girls. Since the first time audiences saw James Bond on screen with Dr. No in 1962, Bond Girls have been a staple in the long-running franchise. The characters, such as Pussy Galore and Honey Ryder, are most often conventionally attractive and significantly younger than 007, becoming Bond’s short-term romantic interest of the film.

In newer Bond films, women have been portrayed in a more diverse range of roles, with Judi Dench recently playing Bond’s superior officer, M. However, the iconic spy-thriller franchise has come under increasing scrutiny over its historic depiction of women, with questions being raised on whether the titular character’s behavior and attitude towards them is appropriate for modern audiences. Newer movies in the franchise have sought to address the perceived problem by writing women into the movies who have a more equal power dynamic with Bond, most recently with Lashana Lynch as Nomi, the new 007 agent in No Time to Die.

RELATED: Lea Seydou's No Time To Die Return Breaks A Major Bond Girl Tradition

Now, following the release of No Time to Die, Craig has revealed his own thoughts on the topic of Bond Girls. Speaking with EW, Craig says he feels he has to correct people about the franchise, going as far as to state that Bond Girls "don’t exist anymore." Read Craig’s full comments below:

"No more Bond girls. They don’t exist anymore. They may exist again, but not in my movies.”

The honesty of Craig’s comments might come as a surprise to some Bond fans, but Craig hasn’t shied away from being outspoken during his tenure as Bond. In the past Craig has been surprisingly direct about not wanting to continue playing Bond, and has previously gone as far as to say that he doesn’t care who takes over as the character after him.

Beyond Craig’s own comments, the No Time to Die production team had clearly given thought to the onscreen portrayal of Bond’s relationship with women. At Daniel Craig’s own request, Phoebe Waller-Bridge was brought in to liven up and improve the script of No Time to Die, being asked to particularly focus on the development of the film’s characters. With Lashana Lynch, Ana de Armas, and Léa Seydoux each portraying characters who go beyond the classic Bond Girl archetype, it seems clear that the Bond franchise is heading towards increasingly equal gender dynamics. What is less clear is whether or not this new direction will continue into the future with a new iteration of 007.

A new set photo from Rob Zombie's The Munsters reveals a Hot Rod Herman costume. Earlier this year, Zombie confirmed he was working on an adaptation of the classic TV show of the same name that ran from 1964 to 1966. While the director and heavy metal musician's latest project does not have a definite release date, it will release to theaters and the Peacock streaming service once it's finished.

Zombie, an avid fan of the original series, has been keeping his fans updated on the progress of the reboot every step of the way. Recently, he shared an Instagram post with images of a complete 1313 Mockingbird Lane exterior, which is the famous house the original Munsters lived in. Additionally, Zombie took to Instagram last month to celebrate the 57th anniversary of the exact date that The Munsters first premiered on CBS, along with the caption, "The greatest show ever premiered today September 24, 1964!" Now, Zombie has a new update on his project that is sure to delight fans.

RELATED: Are The Munsters On Netflix, Hulu, Or Prime? Where To Watch Online

Zombie posted to Instagram a set photo from his upcoming The Munsters that reveals a Hot Rod Herman costume. The image shows the back of Herman's jacket that reads "The Punk Rods" across the back and looks identical to the one the character wore in the original series. Zombie followed the image up with the caption, "A sneak peek at a piece of Herman’s wardrobe. I am sure you Munster maniacs will recognize." View Zombie's set photo of Hot Rod Herman's costume below:

Click here to view the original post

In the 1965 episode of The Munsters, titled "Hot Rod Herman," Herman Munster loses the iconic Koach vehicle during a bet. This prompts Grandpa Munster to build his own roadster, which he dubs the Drag-u-la, in an effort to win back the Koach. Herman then dons the "Punk Rods" jacket during the episode. It's clear that the entire episode left a huge impact on Zombie, which he would later feature in various ways throughout his many works. For instance, the episode is played during Zombie's first movie House of 1000 Corpses as an Easter egg. Additionally, the heavy metal musician's hit song "Dragula" is directly inspired by the Drag-u-la vehicle built by Grandpa Munster.

Given Zombie's continuous updates on the project, it's clear he holds the original show close to his heart. Sneak peeks like the set photo above prove that Zombie's reboot will faithfully follow the original series. While no release date is currently attached to The Munsters, fans of both Zombie and the original show can look forward to more updates from the project along the way.

The early reviews for Ghostbusters: Afterlife are split on whether or not the sequel takes the right approach to breathe new life into the franchise. Directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking, Juno), the son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, Afterlife is a sequel to 1989's Ghostbusters 2. Unlike Paul Feig's 2016 reboot, this Ghostbusters movie connects directly back to the original movies by featuring Egon Spengler's daughter and grandkids.

Playing the Spengler family are Carrie Coon as his daughter, Callie; Finn Wolfhard as her son Trevor; and McKenna Grace as her daughter, Phoebe. Ghostbusters: Afterlife finds them moving back to the Spengler family's farmhouse in Summerville, Oklahoma where unexplained earthquakes are threatening to destroy the town. The Spengler kids along with their teacher, Mr. Gooberson (Paul Rudd), are on the case, and their investigation will have them crossing paths with the original ghost-busting team of Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Raymond "Ray" Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson). Afterlife is also bringing back original movie stars Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts as Dana Barrett and Janine Melnitz, respectively.

RELATED: Ghostbusters 3: Every Original Character Returning In Afterlife

There's still more than a month to go before Ghostbusters: Afterlife hits theaters, but following a surprise screening of the movie at New York Comic Con, early reviews are trickling in. Read what critics are saying about Ghostbusters: Afterlife, below:

Peter Debruge, Variety

Between “Stranger Things” and the upcoming “Top Gun” sequel, ’80s pop culture nostalgia seems to be at an all-time high, but “Afterlife” tries not to lean too heavily on that sentiment alone. It’s designed to work for those who’ve never seen any of the franchise’s earlier incarnations, and though the film adopts an unmistakably Amblin-esque vibe — there’s an obvious “what if the Goonies were Ghostbusters?” sensibility at work here, reinforced by Spielbergian magic-hour shots of kids assembling around a Devils Tower-shaped rock formation — you needn’t have grown up on such movies to appreciate how they elevate adolescent rejects to hero status.

Pete Hammond, Deadline

Perhaps the real star here is Jason Reitman who, like Phoebe, rediscovers and reinvents his own family cinematic legacy and in doing so provides a warm, funny, exciting, nostalgic, emotional, and altogether winning return to the pure joy of that 1984 classic by making something that also seems very new in all the right ways.

Kaitlyn Booth, Bleeding Cool

Ghostbusters: Afterlife could have been an easy cash-in for everyone involved and relied entirely on the fans of the original to get a decent box office. They didn't know, they put in the work, and they put in the effort, and it all pretty much works. It's one of the best movies of the year and is going to bring in a whole slew of new Ghostbusters fans to the party while leaving old fans satisfied. The ending is a gut punch that will not be spoiled here, and fans more so than anyone should make sure they stay through the credits.

Eric Francisco, Inverse

Stripped down, Ghostbusters is an adult comedy about running start-ups before the dot-com bubble burst. I was never mad about Paul Feig’s 2016 reboot because Ghostbusters was never sacred ground. But Ghostbusters: Afterlife pushes back on any genre misconceptions and becomes a resonant, moving picture atop the very foundations the franchise had built.

Outrageously funny characters, superb filmmaking, and heartfelt sentimentality outweigh any flaws in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. It’s a beautiful picture, one fueled by the universal feelings of grief and resentment towards those you loved the most.

Rosie Knight, IGN

Director Jason Reitman does his father and fans proud with a funny, sweet, and spooky family movie that proudly takes on the legacy of Ghostbusters, while also introducing something exciting and new. It helps that Mckenna Grace is the kind of talent that only comes around once in a generation: charming, authentic, and the beating heart of this already heartfelt movie. Get ready to fall in love with the Ghostbusters all over again.

William Bibbiani, The Wrap

The most noteworthy aspect of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is that, by the time the lights go up, one gets the distinct impression that all the really mattered was clearing the slate and setting this franchise up for future exploitation. That Reitman made a heartfelt film about how great the first “Ghost Busters” was (and suspiciously ignoring almost all the rest of the franchise) is nice, in a way, but incidental to the film’s ultimate suggestion that, in the end, all that matters is that the “Ghostbusters” business must go on. Not because ghosts need to be busted, but because rich people simply refuse to let it die.

Scott Mendelson, Forbes

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is good when it’s just being a movie. Despite my copious complaints about what it represents, the thumb still tilts up (and the tomato remains fresh). It looks lovely and Grace and Coons are terrific. It introduces winning new protagonists and offers strong dialogue when it’s not rehashing Ghostbusters exposition. Yes, the movie is funny and light, a reminder that announcement teasers are often darker and grimmer than the movie. Reitman and Kenan tell a straightforward fantasy with funny characters saying funny things. I will happily see it again if my kids still want to when the time comes, and I will very much champion a follow-up with this new cast, one hopefully less tied down by chasing fan approval and less focused on a Force Awakens-style redo. I hate that Ghostbusters: Afterlife exists as it does. But it’s also a mostly well-made movie with just enough singular successes to work for those who don’t care about Ghostbusters.

Sheri Linden, THR

In its climactic sequence, the movie gives in to a more than a bit of self-congratulatory schmaltz — catnip for fans. And though it winks at some of the jabs and critiques that place the original film within the Reagan-era culture of privatization, it also doubles down on the American dream of entrepreneurial destiny. In this Afterlife, nostalgia is a double-edged sword and little has changed: The ghosts are elaborately fantastical MacGuffins that have nothing to do with life and death. But they require vanquishing, and this time there’s more of a rooting interest, delightfully so, in the people called to do the job.

Courtney Howard, IndieWire

What threatens to undermine much of our goodwill takes place in the film’s nostalgia-fueled finale, where nothing is sacred and the spectacle culminates in all-too familiar patterns. All the risks taken up until that point to deepen character drive and further thematic profundity on forgiveness, friendship and familial strife are given an entirely expected safe landing. Add to this a run time of two-hours plus, where every minute is felt, and this new journey feels a bit more busted than one would hope.

Jesse Hassenger, The AV Club

In some ways, it’s a harmless night out for the faithful—the equivalent of a quote-along/egg hunt at a local rep house, with some likable new performances thrown in. Yet seeing Reitman inherit this particular mantle is still discomfiting. His hit-and-miss filmography of comedies and dramas includes a couple of incisive ones about the pleasures and perils of nostalgia. Now he’s made a franchise-starter about how great his wealthy father’s movie is. That movie is also framed as a tribute to someone who often seemed like he could take or leave the prospect of another Ghostbusters sequel, reducing Harold Ramis to an absence from a franchise without paying any attention to his comic sensibility. Afterlife wants desperately to summon the spirit of watching the first movie back in 1984. It winds up ghoulish in the wrong way.

Germain Lussier, Gizmodo

Ghostbusters: Afterlife comes so close so many times to being that perfect sequel fans have wanted for years. But when it becomes too obsessed with its past instead of its future, it loses much of that power. It’s one of those films that works and feels great while you’re watching it because it’s doing so many things you like to see, but when you take a minute to think about how it was all put together, the lack of cohesion becomes a major hindrance. Lots of people are going to love Ghostbusters: Afterlife and boy did I try to. I’m such a fan of the originals that I even made a point to see it a second time before this review just to make sure I felt the same way. On second viewing, some of my complaints did soften because I knew they were coming, but they’re still there and, in the end, Ghostbusters: Afterlife feels like a film scared to be its own thing. You could almost say, it is afraid of a ghost. The ghost of a 1984 film called Ghostbusters.

Christian Holub, EW

Anyone looking for connections to the original '80s blockbusters will find what they're looking for, but it's hard to imagine Ghostbusters: Afterlife minting a new generation of fans.

Daniel Craig's latest James Bond film, No Time To Die, is set to open lower than three previous Craig Bond movies. After months of delay, No Time To Die has finally opened in theaters too much fanfare as the final James Bond film for Daniel Craig, who has been playing the part for 15 years and surpassed Roger Moore as the actor to play 007 the longest. Unlike previous Bond entries, the Craig films have told a serialized story with No Time To Die set to wrap up a fifteen-year story that audiences have been following since Casino Royale.

Early tracking for No Time To Die suggested a strong opening weekend buzz. The film opened in 54 countries a week prior to the domestic opening to $119.1 million and was the highest-grossing film for a Bond film in the UK. The films early tracking had pre-sales for the film outpacing Venom: Let There Be Carnage suggesting the film could take the title for the biggest opening weekend of 2021. The Thursday night screenings of the film brought in $6.3 million in the U.S. and Canada to become the best for the Bond franchise. All indicators led it to be that No Time To Die would be Craig's biggest Bond film.

RELATED: Why James Bond Is So Popular After 60 Years

According to Deadline, No Time To Die is expected to open to $60 million in its opening weekend. It earned $23.3 million on its Friday, including the $6.3 million on the preview screenings. The film is set to open lower than Craig's previous three Bond films Spectre, Skyfall, and Quantum of Solace. It will make No Time To Die the fifth highest-grossing opening weekend of 2021 behind Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and F9.

Skyfall holds the record for the biggest opening weekend for the Bond franchise with $88.4 million and would later go on to become the first Bond film to gross $1 billion worldwide. Spectre opened to $70.4 million in 2015, and Quantum of Solace opened to $67 million in 2008. No Time To Die will top Casino Royale which not only opened with $40 million in 2006 but came in number 2 at the box office behind Happy Feet. Daniel Craig's final outing as James Bond is expected to outperform Pierce Brosnan's final Bond film Die Another Day which opened to $47 million.

There are a number of reasons for the lower than expected opening for No Time To Die. The COVID-19 situation being the most obvious, and the fact that older movie-going audiences, which make up a large percentage of the James Bond audiences, are the group less likely to return to the theaters. The other could be the release date, as all four of the previous James Bond movies opened in November close to the Thanksgiving weekend, while No Time To Die is opening in October in a crowded field. No Time To Die carries a production budget of $250 million without marketing cost as well as the cost of the many delays, so it will take a lot to turn a profit.

The Flash's sound crew has already finished production on the movie. Directed by Argentinian filmmaker Andy Muschietti off a screenplay by Batgirl writer Christina Hudson, The Flash marks the return of Ezra Miller's Barry Allen to the DCEU after his debut cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and prominent appearance in 2017's Justice League. The movie will track Miller's Scarlet Speedster on a journey inspired by the comic book storyline Flashpoint. The superhero will travel back in time to prevent his mother's death, oblivious of the catastrophic repercussions it will bring to his timeline. Currently, The Flash is slated for a release on November 4, 2022, in the United States.

For a myriad of reasons, The Flash has managed to create quite some buzz among DC fans. For one, fans are stoked about the introduction of Sasha Calle as DCEU's Supergirl, and there is also a lot of excitement as both versions of Batman, played by Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton are set to appear in the movie. That being said, The Flash has taken an exceptionally long time to complete shooting. The movie has been filming since April, and even now, six months in, the production is still ongoing. A few weeks earlier, a post from producer Barbara Muschietti seemed to indicate that work on The Flash is drawing closer to the finish line. Now, another confirmation from the film's crew suggests that the movie has nearly completed filming.

RELATED: Why Ben Affleck & Michael Keaton Can Both Be The DCEU's Batman

On Friday, Colin Nicholson, who is a sound mixer on The Flash, shared a picture from the sets of the movie to Instagram (via DCVERSO), announcing he, along with several of his crewmates, has wrapped production on the film. Nicholson's post doesn't make it abundantly clear if the movie has finished filming entirely or if there is still some work left, but it at least confirms that The Flash has managed to get a major part of the production out of the way. In the image, Nicholson and his colleagues can also be seen sporting some of the merch from the film, which they presumably received as wrap-up gifts. Take a look at the post below.

Finalmente!

Acabaram as filmagens de #TheFlash

A equipe de som do filme confirmou a informação no Instagram. pic.twitter.com/4Yzt1bKwxV

— DCVERSO (@DCverso1) October 8, 2021

Click Here to View the Original Post

Although The Flash is on track to finishing production soon, some major questions about the movie remain unanswered. For instance, there are reports that Gal Gadot's Diana Prince/ Wonder Woman is a part of the film. The speculations gained momentum after Gadot shared a picture of Calle posing with her cutout. But so far, there is no confirmation about the rumor. However, some details may get revealed during The Flash's upcoming panel at DC FanDome on October 16, 2021. Miller and Hudson will be among those in attendance, but fans shouldn't tune in expecting a trailer. Although, there might be a sneak-peek at some behind-the-scenes action and a bit more elaboration about what the presence of multiple Batmen would entail for the DCEU multiverse.

The film has certainly come a long way from the start of production, and hopefully, The Flash will be able to wrap up shooting soon. With that, the next step involves post-production, where the movie needs to spend some quality time to get its VFX right. The Flash clearly boasts a lot of interdimensional traversing, high-octane fights, and majestic superpowers, and it needs them to be of high caliber. Based on what has been seen so far, the filmmakers are making quite the effort to deliver on all of these promises. But whether or not The Flash will stand out is something fans will learn once the promotional material begins to roll out, and that probably won't be until early next year.

Evangeline Lilly, who will reprise her Marvel Cinematic Universe role of Hope Pym/Van Dyne in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, teases its script is the best entry in the franchise yet. Lilly made her MCU debut in 2015's Ant-Man, a film that also introduced the concept of the Quantum Realm, which would go on to play a major role in Avengers: Endgame (2019). After suiting up in 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp and Endgame, Hope/the Wasp will return in director Peyton Reed's third Ant-Man film slated for release in 2023.

In addition to Lilly, Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, and Michelle Pfeiffer are all reprising their roles of Scott Lang, Hank Pym, and Janet Van Dyne, respectively. Joining them is Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang and Jonathan Majors as Marvel's much-hyped villain Kang the Conqueror. In Disney+'s Loki, Majors played a variant of Kang, He-Who-Remains, who warned the titular character about the dangers of unleashing "infinite devils" upon the MCU's Multiverse. While Loki's finale teased Kang in season 2, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the next confirmed appearance of the character. Plot details for the film are being characteristically kept under wraps, but it will likely further explain the inner-working of the Quantum Realm concerning the evolving Multiverse.

RELATED:Loki's TVA Is Ant-Man's Secret Quantum Realm City - Theory Explained

In a recent interview with Collider, Lilly was asked about her reaction to reading the script for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The actress praised writer Jeff Loveness (Rick and Morty) and hyped the movie as the best Ant-Man film yet. Read her full response below:

“I was so stoked on the script. Jeff Loveness is our new writer for the film. And we've never worked with him before. I think he is phenomenal. I think he's one of the best writers we've ever had. I think he's got an incredible mastery of voice. So on the page, I could hear all the characters, and I knew that he'd really kind of harnessed each person's unique personality. I just think that it's going to be really special. I think it's going to be really good. I actually think it has the chance to be the best one we've done yet.”

While Lilly hasn't been keeping up with everything MCU, she did go on to gush about WandaVision and Loki. Given the MCU's recent obsession with the Multiverse, it makes sense Loveness isn't the only Rick and Morty vet recruited by Marvel Studios. Michael Waldron, the head writer of Loki, not only worked on Rick and Morty but penned the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which will feature Tom Hiddleston's God of Mischief and Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch. Waldron has said that Kang is the "next big cross-movie villain" of the MCU, implying Majors could cameo in a handful of properties before becoming the main antagonist of the Ant-Man threequel in 2023.

Kang's role in that film, as well as the subtle assembling of the Young Avengers, may not bode well for MCU vets like Rudd and Lilly. As of right now, Spider-Man: No Way Home's multiversal antics are shaping up to be the most anticipated cinematic event of the year. That being said, next year's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and 2023's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania look to top it in Phase 4.

No Time to Die director Cary Joji Fukunaga shares a collection of behind-the-scenes videos and pictures from the set of the James Bond film in Italy, including a video showing the Aston Martin sequence being filmed. After a long wait caused by various pandemic-related delays, Daniel Craig's fifth and final film as James Bond is now playing in theaters in the US. Craig began his tenure as the iconic British spy in 2006 with Casino Royale and then followed that up with Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre, the last of which came in 2015.

The latest Bond film arrives in US theaters with already a ton of momentum behind it, considering it grossed over $100 million in international markets. With Fukunaga at the helm (his first film in the franchise), Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge is one of many writers who had a hand in crafting the screenplay. No Time to Die stars plenty of familiar faces from past films, including Léa Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Christoph Waltz, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, and Rory Kinnear, while Rami Malek, Ana de Armas, and Lashana Lynch join the cast as new characters.

RELATED: No Time To Die: Opening Credits Explained

Now that No Time to Die is playing in the US, director Cary Joji Fukunaga took to Instagram to share a bunch of behind-the-scenes content from the set of the film in Italy. Fukunaga started off with a spoiler warning, advising everyone to proceed through his post with caution before providing some commentary on each picture/video. The second slide in his post is a BTS video shot on Fukunaga's iPhone showing the vintage Aston Martin DB5 doing donuts during the stand-off in the town square. Watch the video below:

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At the end of Spectre, Bond reclaims the repaired Aston Martin DB5 and drives off with Swann (Seydoux) riding shotgun, and the iconic vehicle makes an early appearance in the new movie. As almost every Bond film does, No Time to Die dives straight into the action with an intense sequence early on in the towns of Matera and Gravina di Puglia. Fukunaga's post provides a window into just how difficult it can be to shoot these sequences on-location entirely with IMAX cameras, as the crew sometimes has to lug the massive equipment though tight corridors and other crammed spaces.

Craig's Bond films have seen some incredible cold-open action set pieces, including Skyfall's train sequence in which he is almost killed and Spectre's spectacular helicopter scene that takes place over a Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico City. Fukunaga wasn't the first choice to helm No Time to Die (that was Danny Boyle, who dropped out early on due to creative differences). Now that the film is playing everywhere, audiences can go and see if his opening action sequence is up to snuff.