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At some point in their lives, every comic fan has wondered how to get superpowers. Flying around and saving lives sounds like a dream come true, and all it takes to accomplish such feats is a great origin story. That is, in most cases. As it turns out, not every hero's origin is as cool as being born on an alien planet like Superman or channeling mutant powers from a young age like the X-Men.

There are multiple characters across the DC and Marvel universes who have unearthed their powers in less enviable ways, with certain origins verging on outright ridiculous. Even the most renowned heroes in comic history aren't exempt from reality checks, nor are the most vile villains. For those who are curious about how superpowers come to fruition, here are ten superheroes and supervillains who unlocked their powers in the weirdest way possible.

Deadman Got His Powers...

Reboots can improve the odds of success by tapping into built-in nostalgia while updating and improving previous entries. Mahershala Ali's involvement in the Blade reboot, along with a multi-billion dollar franchise behind it, gives the project great potential to outshine the previous films. Greta Gerwig's visionary directing style and ability to adapt stories in new and exciting ways makes her the perfect choice to helm a new Netflix adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia.

The film and TV industry can be extremely fickle, especially when choosing new projects, but revisiting older established IPs in a reboot improves the odds of success. Many of the most popular movies and shows currently being released are part of a larger franchise or IP. However, studios need to continue to deliver fresh new stories alongside their growing franchises, and sometimes this can be achieved by looking further back.

Reboots have been around...

Film fans talk about the 1990s as another Golden Age of cinema. Not only is there the jam-packed year of 1999, which gave us classics such as The Matrix, Toy Story 2, and The Talented Mr. Ripley, but the 90s also saw the rise of new auteurs, including Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, David Fincher, and Guillermo del Toro. Hollywood turned its attention to indie and foreign films, enriching a moviegoing experience that still featured fan-favorite blockbusters.

But to really see how good the 90s were, we can’t just look at the hits. Rather, the flops tell us the true tale of the decade’s quality – the movies that audiences skipped at the time but have proven their worth in the years that followed. Here are the best flops of the 1990s; films that couldn’t find a wide enough audience upon release, but still deserve attention today.

Mom and Dad Save the World...

I first became introduced to the work of Robert Townsend unceremoniously when his family sitcom, The Parent ‘Hood, premiered on The WB network in 1995. A professorial father figure with a wife and four children, Townsend’s character seemed, at least to my adolescent eyes, the ideal American dad. A noble role that fit him like a glove, Townsend must have enjoyed following up his caped-crusader directorial effort, The Meteor Man, with a sitcom that afforded him a more domesticated form of heroism. Those types of roles were not often offered to Townsend. Released in 1987, his directorial debut, Hollywood Shuffle, […]

The post “Seeds for the Revolution”: Robert Townsend on Hollywood Shuffle first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

I first became introduced to the work of Robert Townsend unceremoniously when his family sitcom, The Parent ‘Hood, premiered on The WB network in 1995. A professorial father figure with a wife and four children, Townsend’s character seemed, at least to my adolescent eyes, the ideal American dad. A noble role that fit him like a glove, Townsend must have enjoyed following up his caped-crusader directorial effort, The Meteor Man, with a sitcom that afforded him a more domesticated form of heroism. Those types of roles were not often offered to Townsend. Released in 1987, his directorial debut, Hollywood Shuffle, […]

The post “Seeds for the Revolution”: Robert Townsend on Hollywood Shuffle first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Blindspotting isn’t the most obvious candidate for a film-to-tv spinoff. The 2018 movie, co-written by Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs, who star as best friends in Oakland, made less than $5 million at the box office. It was well-reviewed but not a major awards player. And its stories — Diggs’ ex-con Collin finishes out his probation, while Casal’s Miles rails against gentrification — didn’t leave lots of open questions demanding a sequel, on the big or small screen.

But Blindspotting the series, debuting this weekend on Starz, is less a continuation...

Exclusive: The third annual Micheaux Film Festival, which spotlights Bipoc creators and diversity, is set to be the first film festival back in LA theaters since the start of the pandemic.

The hybrid event, supported by The Oprah Winfrey Network, Sony Pictures Entertainment and IMDb, will run virtually between April 26-29 and then as a physical festival between April 30 – May 2 at the AMC 15 Century City.

More than 180 films are slated to play at the event, which this year will honor veteran actor and filmmaker Robert Townsend, known for features Hollywood Shuffle and Meteor Man as well as series The Parent ‘Hood, with The Oscar Micheaux Trailblazer of Excellence Award, which will be presented by descendants of the pioneering Black filmmaker Micheaux.

There will be a physical red carpet and the awards ceremony will take place in-person. Panavision will be awarding $75K in grant funds to winners of certain categories.

Tributes are flooding in for “Hollywood Shuffle” and “Friday” actor John Witherspoon following news of his death on Tuesday at age 77.

“It is with deep sadness we have to tweet this, but our husband & father John Witherspoon has passed away. He was a Legend in the entertainment industry, and a father figure to all who watched him over the years. We love you “Pops” always & forever,” Witherspoon’s family said in a statement announcing his passing at his Sherman Oaks, Calif., home.

Friends, co-stars and famous fans were quick to share their fondest memories of the legendary actor and comedian, expressing sadness over the loss.

Also Read: John Witherspoon, Prolific Character Actor and 'Friday' Star, Dies at 77

“I’m devastated over the passing of John Witherspoon,” Ice Cube wrote. “Life won’t be as funny without him.”

The actor’s son, J.D. Witherspoon tweeted his favorite photos of his father:...

John Witherspoon, a prolific character actor best known for a run of comedic turns in acclaimed films and cult classics like “Hollywood Shuffle” and the “Friday” franchise, died Tuesday in his Sherman Oaks, California, home. He was 77.

“It is with deep sadness we have to tweet this, but our husband & father John Witherspoon has passed away. He was a Legend in the entertainment industry, and a father figure to all who watched him over the years. We love you “Pops” always & forever,” Witherspoon’s family said in a statement posted to his Twitter account.

Born John Weatherspoon in Detroit (he changed his name to Witherspoon later) in 1942, he began his career in the 1960s, performing as an actor, comedian and occasional model. He made his television debut in 1970 on an episode of “Barnaby Jones,” and later in the decade appeared on episodes of “Good Times,” “What’s Happening!!” and “The Incredible Hulk,...

Is it finally time for a B.A.P.S. sequel? It's been 22 years since the movie hit theaters and earned the super rare zero stars from iconic film critic Roger Ebert, and director Robert Townsend is teasing that a sequel might be on the way. Star Halle Berry also posted about the sequel idea on social media, which has started to gain some momentum. Although the movie was seen as a box office and critical flop (it currently holds a 16% Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes), it has become a cult classic over the years.

Earlier this week, B.A.P.S. director Robert Townsend talked about the movie on social media. The basic premise revolved around Halle Berry and Natalie Desselle's characters as they traveled to Hollywood to open up a hair salon/soul food diner. Once in Hollywood, they end up taking care of aging millionaire, Mr. Blakemore,...

Nancy Wilson, a genre-spanning, Grammy-winning singer whose career spanned more than 50 years, died Thursday at age 81. Her longtime manager made the news public.

Born in 1937, Wilson grew up in Ohio and began her music career shortly after high school in 1956, working for Rusty Bryant’s Carolyn Club Big Band. Moving to New York City in 1959 on the advice of Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, she began playing clubs while supporting herself as a secretary, and was signed to Capitol Records the next year.

Though she started out in Jazz, she performed in multiple genres including R&B, Broadway, and pop throughout her long career and resisted categorization, preferring instead to call herself a “song stylist.” She became famous in 1962 through a collaboration with Adderley, an album called “Nancy Wilson and Cannonball Adderley” that produced the hit single “Save Your Love For Me”.

Also Read: Pete Shelley, Buzzcocks Lead Singer, Dies at 63

In...

Abrams Artists Agency has signed comic and actor Eddie Griffin in all areas.

Griffin, who is onscreen as a pastor in the hit feature A Star Is Born, is a veteran stand-up comedian who probably is best known to moviegoers for starring 2002’s Undercover Brother, written by John Ridley and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. He also toplined the 1996-2000 Upn series Malcom & Eddie alongside Malcom-Jamal Warner.

Griffin’s Las Vegas residency, The Eddie Griffin Experience, is in its ninth consecutive year, and he’s been part of The Comedy Get Down Tour for the past five. He also has done stand-up specials for Comedy Central and Showtime.

His most recent film credits include All About the Money, American Hero and Going to America, and his other credits include Norbit, Date Movie, Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo and The Meteor Man.

Roman Polanski felt “blindsided” by the decision of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to expel him, and plans to appeal.

“We plan to ask the Academy to follow its own rules which is to give Roman 10 days notice to present his side,” Polanski’s attorney Harland Braun said in a statement to TheWrap. “We were prepared but were blindsided by their violation of their own standards. What did the 56 members review??”

On Tuesday, the Academy voted to expel Bill Cosby and Polanski in accordance with the organization’s Standard of Conduct.

Also Read: Film Academy Expels Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby

“The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors met on Tuesday night (May 1) and has voted to expel actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski from its membership in accordance with the organization’s Standards of Conduct,” read the statement. “The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity.”

Polanski was expelled 15 years after his film “The Pianist” took home Oscars for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor at the 75th Academy Awards. The film was nominated for Best Picture, but lost to “Chicago.”

Polanski was arrested and charged with raping 13-year-old Samantha Geimer in 1977. He pled guilty and was imprisoned for 42 days, after which he was released and put on probation as part of a plea bargain. When Polanski learned that a judge was planning to revoke the plea deal, the director fled Paris before the sentencing.

Also Read: That Time Quentin Tarantino Said Roman Polanski Didn't Rape 13-Year-Old: 'She Wanted to Have It'

Cosby has never won an Oscar but he was an Academy member. His film credits include “Hickey & Boggs,” “Uptown Saturday Night,” “Ghost Dad,” “The Meteor Man” and “Jack.”

On Wednesday, Cosby’s name was removed from the website of the Television Academy. The comedian was recently found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault in his retrial over accusations made by former Temple University employee Andrea Constand.

Cosby had maintained that his interaction with Constand was consensual and that he had given her Benadryl in an effort to help her relax.

A spokesperson for Cosby has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment on whether Cosby plans to appeal as well. The Academy has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.

Read original story Roman Polanski ‘Blindsided’ by Expulsion From Movie Academy, Plans to Appeal At TheWrap...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors voted to expel Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski in accordance with the organization’s Standard of Conduct, the Academy announced Thursday.

“The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors met on Tuesday night (May 1) and has voted to expel actor Bill Cosby and director Roman Polanski from its membership in accordance with the organization’s Standards of Conduct,” read the statement. “The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity.”

Polanski is out 15 years after his film “The Pianist” took home Oscars for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor at the 75th Academy Awards. The film was nominated for Best Picture but lost to “Chicago.”

Also Read: Bill Cosby Removed From Television Academy Website

Polanski was arrested and charged with raping 13-year-old Samantha Geimer in 1977. He pled guilty and was imprisoned for 42 days, after which he was released and put on probation as part of a plea bargain. When Polanski learned that a judge was planning to revoke the plea deal, the director fled Paris before sentencing.

Cosby has never won an Oscar but he was an Academy member. His film credits include “Hickey & Boggs,” “Uptown Saturday Night,” “Ghost Dad,” “The Meteor Man” and “Jack.”

On Wednesday, Cosby’s name was removed from the website of the Television Academy. The comedian was recently found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault in his retrial over accusations made by former Temple University employee Andrea Constand.

Also Read: Bill Cosby Found Guilty: Here's Where His Civil Cases Stand

Cosby had maintained that his interaction with Constand was consensual, and that he had given her Benadryl in an effort to help her relax.

Read original story Film Academy Expels Roman Polanski, Bill Cosby At TheWrap...

In a very strange coincidence — or a concerted act of counterprogramming — the smallest superhero movie in recent memory hit Netflix on the same day that the biggest superhero movie ever made exploded into theaters. And while “Psychokinesis” was inevitably subsumed into the endless shadow of “Avengers: Infinity War” (the most ambitious crossover event of all time!), this exuberant Korean import is convincing proof that the genre doesn’t always have to be about saving the world, or guarding the galaxy, or stopping a purple space Brolin from snapping his fingers and erasing half of humanity.

When enough spandex is involved, high stakes can be Kryptonite for good storytelling. Even in the monolithic Marvel Cinematic Universe, many of the best movies are the ones that think globally but act locally. The likes of “Black Panther” and “Spider-Man: Homecoming” are so effective because they look inward rather than out, using power as...

Robert Townsend's 'The Meteor Man' Coming to Blu-Ray in October (Overlooked and Unloved?) Continue Reading →...

With all the talk about Black Panther and other black superheroes, it's perhaps odd that Robert Townsend's 1991 film "The Meteor Man" has never really found any love. It was a box office bomb when it was first released; but unlike other black films that also bombed, and would later find an audience, becoming cult favorites (such as "Love Jones" and Townsend's earlier "The Five Heartbeats"), "Meteor Man" wasn't quite as lucky. The premise is straight out of an old comic book in which Townsend plays Jefferson Reed, a Washington D.C. teacher in a troubled neighborhood who is, one day, stuck by a chunk of a meteor, giving him super powers. But, of course,...

Back in 2009, it was reported that Warner Bros was moving forward with another version of "Brewster's Millions," which is based on a 1902 novel. And now comes word that the project is happening again. Variety is reporting that Robert Townsend (The Five Heartbeats, The Meteor Man, Baps) has signed on to direct. The book has been adapted for the big twice already, first in 1945 with Dennis O'Keefe starring and then in 1985 with Richard Pryor and John Candy. The story centers on a man who inherits $1 million from a rich grandfather. When a rich uncle who hated the grandfather also passes away, the will leaves the young man $7 million -- but under the condition he spends the grandfather's million within a year and not end up with any assets from the spending spree.

Actor-filmmaker Robert Townsend has signed on to direct the reboot of Brewster's Millions, news which comes 30 years after the 1985 comedy Brewster's Millions was released, starring Richard Pryor and John Candy. The story is based on George Barr McCutcheon's 1902 novel, which was turned into a stage play in 1906 along with 10 different movie adaptations, including a lost 1914 Cecil B. DeMille version towards the beginning of his career.

Michael William Schmidt is writing the screenplay, which centers on Montgomery Brewster, a man who inherits $1 billion, under one condition: he must spend $100 million in one week, or he loses everything. The financial stakes in the reboot have been increased considerably, since the 1985 version, directed by Walter Hill, centered on Richard Pryor's Brewster tasked with spending $30 million in 30 days, in order to receive his full inheritance of $300 million. No further story details were released at this time.

Joseph Nasser and Jack Nasser are producing the reboot,...

Summer movie season is a magic time of year when Hollywood traditionally rolls out its most appealing merchandise. It’s true that some summer movie seasons are better than others. This is our ranking of all the summer movie seasons since 1980 from worst to best.

On January 20th, 1975, Steven Spielberg and Universal Studios released Jaws. The movie landscape would be forever changed from that date. Jaws is widely credited as being the first blockbuster film because it was the first movie to make over $100 million (non-adjusted). The fact that the film had a meager $8 million budget meant that it was a huge cash cow for the studio and rocketed Spielberg to the the forefront of a new generation of filmmakers for a new era of movie mass-consumption. George Lucas and Spielberg followed up in 1977 with Star Wars, which became a sensational and very profitable hit. It helped to convince production...

The second annual Gary Indiana International Black Film Festival is set to kick off on Friday October 5 and will continue through October 7. One of major events for this years festival will be an appearence by filmmaker Robert Townsend (Five Heartbeats, The Meteor Man, Hollywood Shuffle, The Parent Hood, etc) who will screen and discuss his latest film project In The Hive ststarring the late Michael Clarke Duncan (in one of his last screen appearences), Loretta Devine, Vivica A. Fox and Roger Guenveur Smith Among the other films that will be screened are Byron Hurt's Soul Food Junkies, Steve James' The Interrupters and Rashad Ernesto Green's Gun Hill Road. ...

Seth Rogen isn't exactly the likeliest candidate to star in a comic book movie. Sure, he's enjoyed a great deal of critical and commercial success in the past several years for his comedy work... but an action movie? It's something of a stretch, to say the least. Regardless, Rogen is rolling up his sleeves and getting his hands dirty with an action star role in "The Green Hornet" — and while he might be the latest, Rogen is hardly the first unlikely actor to find himself in a comic book or superhero movie.

Click on the image below for a gallery of our favorite unlikely superheroes!

Here are some of our favorite actors who defied expectations to become superheroes and comic book characters on the big screen.

Michael Keaton as Batman

Bruce Wayne and Beetlejuice aren't exactly the most natural of combinations, so much so that many fans were outraged by...

Release Date: April 16

Studio: Lionsgate

Genre: Action Comedy

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Writer: Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn (based off the comic book series by Mark Millar)

Cast: Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Nicholas Cage, Mark Strong, Lindsy Fonseca, Xander Berkeley

Studio Description: Kick-Ass tells the story of average teenager Dave Lizewski (Johnson), who decides to take his obsession with comic books as inspiration to become a real-life superhero. As any good superhero would, he choose a new name-Kick-Ass-assembles a suit and mask to wear, and gets to work fighting crime. There's only one problem: Kick-Ass has absolutely no superpowers.

His life is forever changed as he inspires a subculture of copycats, meets up with a pair of crazed vigilantes-an 11-year old sword-wielding dynamo, Hit Girl (Moretz) and her father, Big Daddy (Nicholas Cage)-and forges a friendship with another fledgling superhero, Red Mist (Mintz-Plasse). But thanks to...

In 2007, director Jon Favreau and Marvel burst into Comic-Con with jaw-dropping footage that turned heads towards the lesser known (at the time) Iron Man.  The movie eventually earned $318.4 million in the U.S. alone and found a spot among the best comic book movies ever made.  “It all started here,” Favreau told the crowd before this year’s Iron Man 2 panel got underway.

In a way, the success is a blessing for Favreau and friends returning to 2009’s Comic-Con, but it also meant they had to deliver something even better this time.  Favreau was joined on stage Saturday by Marvel’s President of Production Kevin Feige, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell, and Don Cheadle, an amazing line-up without premiering any footage.  They brought some any way as a “thank you” for the support so far.

The five minute sizzle reel served to introduce the new characters to the old fans.

I believe we may have done this once before, and it's a geek-friendly internet game that's been around a lot longer than Cinematical ... but hey, fun is fun, right? Plus we wanted to do something nerdish and colorful to kick off the worldwide Comic Con festivites. (Oh, it's only in San Diego? It only feels like a global event? Gotcha.) Anyway, you should know how this works: Deep within the confines of my hard drive there lies a list of over 64 Superhero Movies. But before we can truly get started we need to whittle that list down to precisely 64, at which point I'll randomize the films, bracket them accordingly, and begin the game proper.

So here's how you start: I will give you a bunch of choices. You pick which film you like more. Yes, just like on Flickchart, you addicts. The winners earn the right to make the big...