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WAMG At The GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Press Conference (Video)

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is tearing up the box office right now! After a record breaking weekend of $94 million dollars, and $160 million dollars world wide, it’s pretty safe to say that the Galaxy has embraced it’s new band of misfit guardians! Recently, WAMG attended the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY press day where director James Gunn and stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Michael Rooker, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista and Benecio Del Toro talked about their experiences working together. Check it out below.

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team—the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.

While at the conference Director James Gunn talked about how liberating it was to create a new story for the Marvel Universe :

“It was, frankly, liberating. It was, you know, for me I think I would have had a harder time trying to fit into the regular, you know, Marvel scheme of things and this gave me a chance to take what I loved about Marvel movies and Marvel comics and create a whole new universe which is really, you know, what has been the most exciting thing for, you know, in my entire professional career. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the different planets in the solar system and I — we used to create for every single planet a different alien race with a certain kinda pet and a certain kinda house and a certain kind of, you know, water system and everything. And I would draw these pictures and I had hundreds of these pictures and had them in a box and really to me this was like going back to that childhood box and creating this, you know, fun universe.”

He also let us in on he relationship between Chris Pratt and Michael Rooker:

“Rooker and Chris like kinda hit it off immediately and the three of us would hang out a lot at my house in London. And they came and they sat down and this was when they first met each other and they started talking about all these things that they have in common. They’re both a couple of hicks and, you know, loved to shoot and stuff like that. And so they’re sitting there talking and they’re really getting along and Chris is like, you know, this wide eyed kid and he’s like, “You know, we oughtta go and hang out and, you know, like get to know each other like in a father son way so that we, you know, can bring that in the movie. We oughtta go and hang out like that” and Rooker goes, “No.” [LAUGHTER]”

Chris Pratt seemed to have an easy time taking on the role of Star-Lord, but expains that it’s not always easy to perform in front of an audience:

“You know, in terms of the attitude, that was something that like, you know, in kind of the whole process for me on this one was just trusting James really. And taking big swings and sometimes falling flat on my face and just like the big challenge for me was just trying to ignore the embarrassment of being an actor. It’s a pretty embarrassing thing to do and you got people pointing cameras at you and hundreds of people watching you as you’re trying to be great and often — almost every time you’re not. And then there’s one moment where you are and the editor will dig through all the shit to find it and then put it in the movie, you know. So the challenge is not like finding the attitude, it’s really just like being open and willing to go for it and try different things and having a director that you can trust. And so the attitude is not something that I intended or created. It’s something James intended and created by getting me to try different things and so that’s really what that was about.”

Although Gunn was not sold on Pratt as Star-Lord, he quickly warmed up after seeing him audition:

“We had screen tests of at least 20 people, actually screen tested at least 20 people of all, you know, big stars, you know, no names, looking for the right person because I really wanted somebody who could embody this character and take it beyond what was on the page in the same way Robert Downey, Jr. did for IRON MAN, essentially. And nobody blew me away. Plenty of people were really good; maybe the people were great, but nobody blew me away. And this — Sarah Finn, our casting director really deserves the credit for Chris in a lot of ways because she kept putting his picture in front of me and saying, you know, “what about this guy? Why don’t you meet with him?” And I was like, “the chubby guy from ‘Parks & Rec?” [LAUGHTER] “You’re stupid, you know.” And she kept doing it and kept doing it and finally she like really — I don’t remember ever agreeing to see Chris. I just remember her saying okay and after this guy, you know, Chris Pratt’s here and I was like I thought I — and I was a little mad. I was like ‘I thought I didn’t wanna see him.’ But, you know, and then Chris came in and, you know, he started to read and this is a hundred percent true that within 20 seconds I was like, ‘holy shit, that’s the guy. That’s who we’ve been looking for.’ He had this thing that was himself and sometimes a role and a person are meant for each other and that’s what I felt this was. And I turned around to Sarah Finn was sitting behind me and I’m like ‘he’s the guy.’ And I’m like, “chubby or not, if he’s chubby, the world’s gonna have to be ready for the first chubby super hero” [LAUGHTER] “because he’s still gonna be better than all the other people we had.”

In fact, Pratt himself didn’t necessarily see himself as Star-Lord right off the bat:

“People probably didn’t see me. I’m not sure I even saw myself in this kind of a role. I’m never — but what’s really kind of nice about this movie and I believe this is that we did something with this movie that’s never been done before. I think this is like unlike anything that’s ever been done and I think anyone who has seen this movie would agree. I’ve never seen anything like this movie before. And I so I don’t think I was — I don’t think I was right to do anything that’s, you know, similar to what’s been done before. Like, you know, I wouldn’t have been right to do those — to do other movies. So maybe people wouldn’t have seen me in this role, but that’s because they weren’t able to have the vision that kinda James had for what this could be, you know. And so he just told me in the audition, he was like I’m just looking for someone to come in and just own this and just do what they — do their thing. And at the time, I’d been sort of having an identity crisis as an actor. I didn’t know what I was; if I was a action guy, you know, or a comedy guy. And I thought maybe I could do a combination of both, but there’s nothing out there that’s like it. Maybe I have to develop something and my manager just kept saying GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, man. I said all right, maybe you’re right, let’s go meet on it, you know. And then James said I just want somebody to do their thing and part of me thought okay, well then I’ll just do my thing and if it’s not right, that’s okay, but now I had an idea what thing was and it was the thing that I got to do in this movie.”

To take on the role of Gamora, Zoe Saldana didn’t train as hard as she has done with her past action flicks:

“Actually, I stepped down from the training. I’ve done so many action movies and I was sort of like looking at last summer thinking oh my God, I’m in love and I just wanna chill and go to Italy and eat pasta. And then all of a sudden, James calls and he’s like, “Hey, you wanna be in GUARDIANS and be green, work six day weeks, for five hour sessions of makeup and yeah, be an alien again.” And I’m like ohhh. So then I did it, but the training process, after I kind of figured out where she was going to be spiritually, there’s muscle memory in all of the things that I’ve done in the past seven or eight years. So I was able to kind of relax with my body and, you know, work the stunt coordinators but not excessively like I’ve done on other films.”

As for Vin Diesel, he and his family have found joy in his portrayal of Groot:

“I took my kids to a screening to see this movie and they walk around the house reciting Star-Lord, Gamora, and all the characters and something very beautiful happened in playing this role. Something that as an actor I never would have imagined. And that is when my kids see trees, they refer to the trees as my brothers and sisters. [LAUGHTER] And so, they’ll say, “Look daddy, it’s your brothers and sisters.” And the idea to be associated with trees like that is remarkable. It’s so much more gratifying than you would ever imagine. It was — I was really lucky. I was really lucky that that specific role came up. I was really, really, really lucky that when I went to breathe life into the role, I had a director that was willing to indulge in the way that he did. I felt like I was the last person in, so I got to see all of the performances and I was so blown away by the performances. It felt almost too good to be true.”

To find out what else James Gunn and the cast of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY had to say check out the video at the top of the page. If you haven’t seen GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, don’t miss out. Go see it now!

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GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY IS IN THEATERS NOW

Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Has Record Breaking $94 Million Box Office Weekend; $160M Worldwide

Guardians of the Galaxy RULES! Moviegoers were living in the Age of Marvel this weekend as director James Gunn’s epic film took in $94 miilion at the box office domestically, $66.4 million overseas. Estimates have GUARDIANS tipping the global scales at $160 million making it the number one August opener of all-time.

During Comic Con last weekend, Gunn announced via Twitter that he was on board for GUARDIANS 2.

Yes, I’m writing and directing the sequel to #GuardiansoftheGalaxy for theaters July 28 2017. But first go see the first one out next week!

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 27, 2014

Here’s where the film stands now:

Cinemascore – A
Metacritic – 76
Rotten Tomatoes – 92%

Read our review HERE

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close and Benicio del Toro, the movie’s score is from composer Tyler Bates (300, DAWN OF THE DEAD, SLITHER).

Read our interview with him HERE.

Have a look at all the triumphs from the Marvel cinematic universe.

Meanwhile the TRANSFORMERS franchise shows no signs of stopping as Michael Bay’s TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION crossed the $1 billion mark globally. Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Li Bingbing , Kelsey Grammer, Sophia Myles, T. J. Miller, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor and Titus Welliver star in the fourth film. (Opened June 27).

20th Century Fox’s hit DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES has brought in $189M in the U.S. Along with an international boost from foreign markets, the total now stands at $449 million worldwide. Bowing in cinemas on July 11th, Matt Reeves’ sequel stars Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, and Kodi Smith-McPhee.

BOYHOOD (IFC Films) expanded to 311 theaters giving Richard Linklater’s film an estimated take of $7.5 million. The cast includes Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater and Patricia Arquette and the movie has been a critical sensation since it was released earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival.

Opening in theaters nationwide next weekend (Aug. 8) is Paramount Pictures’ TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, Warner Bros. Pictures’ INTO THE STORM and Dreamworks Pictures’ THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY .

1. Guardians Of The Galaxy – Disney – $94.0M
2. Lucy – Universal – $18.3M
3. Get On Up – Universal – $14.0M
4. Hercules – Paramount – $10.7M
5. Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes – 20th Century Fox – $8.7M
6. Planes: Fire and Rescue – Disney – $6.4M
7. Purge: Anarchy, The – Universal – $5.6M
8. Sex Tape – Sony – $3.5M
9. And So It Goes – Freestyle Releasing – $3.3M
10. Most Wanted Man, A – Roadside Attractions – $3.3M
11. Boyhood – IFC Films – $2.5M
12. Transformers: Age Of Extinction – Paramount – $2.2M

MORE YONDU! WAMG Talks GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY With MICHAEL ROOKER

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY opened today, and has already broken the record for box office midnight sales this year! To celebrate such a momentous occasion, check out my interview with Mr. Michael Rooker, who plays Yondu in the film, as we talk about GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’s social media praise, Merle Dixon, and why James Gunn continues to cover his beautiful face.

Last night, (after the press screening) Twitter and Facebook blew up with positive reactions to the film. Did you ever expect such a big reaction?

MICHAEL ROOKER : Yeah! [Laughs] I kinda did. I saw it last week, and wow… I went crazy over it. I thought it was really fucking cool! It’s really nice, and it’s all there. The guy’s a genius! [Referring to James Gunn] What the hell is that all about? He put all of this together. The puzzling of putting all of these characters together, and molding them, and making them all make sense… Boy, oh boy! What are you gonna do, man? He did a really wonderful job with it.

James Gunn wrote this part for you. Is there an added pressure that comes with having a part written for you, as opposed to a role that you are simply cast for?

MICHAEL ROOKER : Less pressure. I just gotta be me. Just be me and do my stupid thing, you know? [Laughs] Duh! I just have to do what I do. It’s me, so however it comes out, it’s right. It’s correct. I didn’t have to… We mesh really well. He wanted me to do it because there’s some weird thing that goes on where I can be really bad and people still like me… in some weird way. I do it in a lot of things, like ‘The Walking Dead’. People come up to me and they want to weep. They feel so sorry that they killed me off. They’re mad, and they feel sorry for me, and all this stuff, but Merle’s a dick. [Laughs] Come on! He doesn’t like many people. He likes his brother! That’s all he likes! He doesn’t care about anybody else, yet the audience, the fans, the people who watch this – they connect to that. I think they really, truly… No matter how anti-social you can be, or whoever you are… I think it’s natural that people will latch on to any cool thing, and they won’t give up. They have faith in you – that you are going to get better… and Merle did. In their eyes Merle got better. Merle redeemed himself by going and trying to take out the Governor, and giving his life for his brother, and hence, the group. People are invested in this group – in this ‘The Walking Dead’ group. This character of Merle Dixon is more popular now that he’s dead and off the show than he was when he was on the show.

Yondu is very similar. He’s a real tough love guy. Yondu is the surrogate dad / father figure for this young man who grew up to be Star-Lord. Whenever he steals from me, and cheats me, and does all this stuff I give him some tough love, beat his little ass and then I’m proud. It’s like, ‘God. He did that to me? That’s my boy!’ you know? ‘Wow. I can’t believe he did that!’ and I love him for it. I love him because of it. Even the last moment, when I don’t have the real thing – that last moment is so cool. It’s like ‘That’s my boy! He did it again! Oh, am I gonna get him!’ and I love it for it. I love him even more for it. It’s that kind of stuff. It’s good, and it’s fun. People like it, and I love it. I love doing that. You know what I like? I like the whole concept of being this bad, bad-ass, but the only person amongst hundreds who would run out and save the puppy when the semi-truck is baring down. Not a lot of people will do that. That’s, sort of, part of me. It’s also part of a lot of things that I do. It’s that kind of real gritty, tough… but with soft spots deep inside somewhere.

You were a monster in SLITHER…

MICHAEL ROOKER : I was!

James covered in blood during ‘Scream Queens’, and you get attacked by the ladies. Now you’re painted blue with some incredible choppers. Why do you think James keeps trying to hide your beauty?

MICHAEL ROOKER : You know what? He’s just jealous. He’s just plain and simple jealous. [Laughs] He’s jealous of my good looks. He looks in the mirror, probably every day, and goes ‘Dammit! I wish I was as good-looking as Rooker! That damn Rooker! How does he look so good? And having been out until 5am! How is that possible?’ [Laughs] You know, his brother gets worse! ‘Humanzee!’… Come on! His brother gets worse. His brother’s been getting it all his life! I’ve only been getting it for about eight years. His brother’s been getting abused his entire life. ‘Hey, why don’t you do this… Climb up that tree and fall off. I’m gonna film it here… I’m the director!’ [Laughs] That’s what James does. That’s what he’s been doing all of his life… abusing the people he likes and cares about!

Where would you like to see Yondu in a sequel? What would you like to see?

MICHAEL ROOKER : Ooh! More! [Laughs] Just more! More! More Yondu! More Yondu, dammit!

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GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is in theaters now

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Review: He Said, She Said

The blockbuster of the year hits theaters on Friday, but before you head out to your local cinema, WAMG has your review of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY – twice – with a He Said, She Said look at the film.

©Marvel 2014

By Jim Batts

It’s been nearly four months since Captain America and company took down the forces of Hydra (and dismantled SHIELD along the way), and so, after the new cinematic adventures of the X-Men and Spider-Man from Fox and Sony, film fans are eager for another trip to the Marvel Studios “movie universe”. With this new feature, that arena gets a major expansion. That’s because they’re getting away from their comfort zone. Actually light years away. We’re not trodding the same ground as Cap and Tony Stark (although much of the Thor flicks bounced between Earth and far-off Asgard). We’re probably nearby that “galaxy far, far away”. Besides the setting, the film’s characters may be seen as a gamble for the six year-old studio. While Cap is a pillar of Marvel going back 73 years (!), and Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk were part of the core early 1960’s group, this film’s series has had a spotty comics history. It began as a one-shot try-out in the usually reprint-filled “Marvel Superheroes” book in 1969. There were follow-up miniseries in the 70’s and 90’s, but it didn’t really click with readers until the current incarnation that just began in 2008. And so, zooming into multiplexes everywhere, it’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. Movie goers should strap themselves in for this Summer’s most entertaining popcorn-fueled fun ride. As fans of a certain amusement park used to say, “It’s a real ‘E’ ticket!’.

We’re clued in that something different’s going on when the film does not begin with the now familiar comics page-flipping Marvel movie logo. After an emotional, dramatic sequence ( a real heart-tugger), that logo pops in, whisking us to a brutal, far-away planet. Bouncing from rock-to-rock, dodging the local nasty beasties, is apparently an Earth man named Peter Quill AKA “Star-Lord” (Chris Pratt). He makes his way into a temple-like structure and scoops up a mysterious metal orb. But before he can leave with his booty, Quill is accosted by several heavily armed soldiers led by the no-nonsense Korath (Djimon Hounsou). After a quick escape, Korath reports to his boss, the menacing, metallic gavel-wielding Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), an important officer of the Kree, a planet-conquering race. Ronan soon consults with his ally/superior,the ominous. powerful Thanos (we saw him with the Chitari aliens at the end of MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS) and his two adopted daughters, the bald, shiny blue Nebula (Karen Gillan) and green-skinned, magenta-haired Gamora (Zoe Saldana), who volunteers to track down Quill and retrieve the orb. Later on Xandar, home world of the Nova Corps, Quill is tracked by her and a couple of bounty hunters hired by his former partner, the blue-tinted Yondu (Michael Rooker) the leader of a band of space pirates called ‘the Ravengers”. The duo are the diminutive, genetically enhanced Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), a three-foot tall, walking, talking racoon, and the incredibly strong, eight foot-tall ambulatory tree, Groot (voice by Vin Diesel, both are CGI/motion capture creatures), who serves as Rocket’s almost monosybellic (he only says “I am Groot”) muscle. All four are quickly captured by the Nova Corps officers and sent to the floating prison planet, the Kyln. There they bond with the savage warrior, Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) who only wishes to escape in order to have his revenge against Ronan who murdered his family. But it seems that Gamora has decided to turn on Ronan also, and did not plan on giving him the orb. After breaking free, this rag-tag group must stay ahead of the Ravengers and keep the orb away from Ronan in order to save the lives of the billions on Xandar. Quill, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot must work together as the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Besides gambling on the cult-fave comics series, Marvel Studios gambled a bit in anchoring the start of their hopeful new franchise with a uncoventional leading man. The gamble really paid off. Pratt has had several supporting film roles over the years (MONEYBALL, ZERO DARK THIRTY), but may be best known for his TV work, particularly as the loveable goofball Andy Dwyer on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” (returning in the Fall for its final season). He brings much of that frisky puppy dog charm to Quill along with a Han Solo/Jim Kirk space stud swagger, but we still see his vulnerability. He knows that the odds are overwhelmingly against him, but Quill has learned to care about others after spending most of his life taking and using alongside the Ravengers. Part of that is due to his feelings for Gamora, As played by Saldana, she’s the required exotic alien babe/warrior princess with elements of her big roles in AVATAR and the rebooted STAR TREK series. She changes during the film also, as her heart begins to thaw after years under the thumb of Thanos and Ronan, and eventually Gamora chooses to be a hero. Bautista is very funny as the quite literal Drax (he doesn’t get metaphors) whose tough exterior tries to contain his still boiling grief. His acceptance into this new family helps him turn his quest for revenge into a quest for justice. If those three are the mom, dad, and uncle of said family then Rocket and Groot are the mischievous kids. Cooper gives the masked critter a 40’s tough guy vocal attitude much like that Oscar-winning “wascally wabbit” while he also shows us his melancholy side as he bemoans being one of a kind (this is spurred on by many outta’ this world beverages). He’s a mechanical genius, rattling off items needed for a new gadget, while finding time for a prank (“Naw, I need it..heh, heh…it…I really..heh..do!”). But his heart is best shown in his big brother relationship with Groot. For much of the movie Rocket interprets for him, much as Han Solo did with Chewbacca, but thanks to Diesel’s vocal nuances, we get the gist of his intentions. Yes, he only says three little words, but it’s how he says them that matters. These five, each worthy of solo adventures, meld together for a great screen team.

Well, there are lots of great actors in addition to the five title principals. On the side of the good guys is the ruler of Xandar, Nova Prime played by the great Glenn Close who projects a gravitas that gives an urgency to the film’s big final battles. She’s aided by two high-ranking Nova Corpsmen including the affable John C. Reilly (away from the Apatow/Will Ferrell universe) as Dey who sees something special and perhaps noble in this group that his cohort Denarian Saal played by the hilariously deadpan Peter Serafinowicz calls “a bunch of A-holes” (you’ve seen it in all the trailers and teasers). Wavering on the fence between the heroes and villains is the crafty Collector (we saw him at the end of THOR: THE DARK WORLD) played by a mysterious effete Benicio Del Toro. Definitely leaning towards the villainous is Rooker, whose Yondu always seems to be ticked off and impatient. There’s a devious joy in his work though, especially when he whistles for his most deadly floating arrow while his parroting toadie Kraglin, played by Sean Gunn, leers. Of course, the real big bad of the film is Pace as the even more ill-tempered Ronan who crushes anything that gets in the way of his quest for power and lust for destruction. Gillan is a compelling presence that’s deserving of much more screen time as Ronan’s main enforcer alongside the intimidating Hounsou as the snarling Korath.

To use an old baseball analogy, James Gunn got the call that took him from the minor leagues (working on Troma pictures and directing the fun low-budget treasures SLITHER and SUPER) up to the majors and, at his first time up at bat, he hits it out of the park. This is briskly paced, almost non-stop fun, a mash-note to Saturday matinée space sagas from the 1930’s Flash Gordon serials through the original George Lucas produced trilogy and all its offshoots (happily recalling fun flicks like BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, KRULL, and THE LAST STARFIGHTER). But this is not just fanboy homage. Gunn has opened up the Marvel Universe to present a glorious playground where movie goers of any age can frolic for a far-too-short couple of hours. Yes, the action scenes are truly “slam bang”, but he makes the heartfelt character moments just as riveting as when Groot bonds with a young urchin. Much of this comes from the witty screenplay written by Mr. Gunn himself along with first-time feature writer Nicole Perlman (looking forward to her future flicks). Tyler Bates contributes a sweeping, adventurous score that blends effortlessly with the delicious classic pop tunes (it is indeed an “awesome mix”). 3D truly does enhance the fun of the film, because of the sharp, eye candy images courtesy of cinematographer Ben Davis. And bonus kudos for setting many of the big action set pieces in bright sunlight (love the shiny, sparkly Xandarian outdoor mall looking like Krypton should’ve looked), not in the rainy dark that was the battleground for the big “G” a few weeks back. After the final Marvel logo faded, I racked my brain over what seemed to feel a bit off. After much thought, I believe it was the choice of villain . We saw a couple of scenes of brutality, but mostly we hear stories of how mean and nasty Ronan is. This group of heroes deserves a more enigmatic villain (think Loki) and the bellowing space judge comes off as a place holder for Thanos (a truly commanding, compelling visage of evil), who is perhaps being saved for an even bigger mega- epic, maybe with all the Marvel movie stars? Hey, I know this is a minor quibble, a teeny-tiny discoloration in a gleaming gorgeous jewel. And indeed GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is a glittering gem in Marvel Studios’ luminous cinema crown. And Mr.Gunn, enjoy the well-earned cheers from the fans. We can hardly wait till you step up the plate again! Welcome to the big leagues!

OVERALL RATING: 4.5 Out of 5

By Melissa Howland

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, Marvel’s all new 3-D, superhero space opera written and directed by James Gunn, opens in theaters this Friday… and I cannot wait for the world to see it!

In Marvel’s all new space adventure, a young Peter Quill a.k.a Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) is taken from his home on Earth, and thrust into the outer universe where he learns to survive as an intergalactic pirate, thanks to his surrogate space guardian Yondu (Michael Rooker). After a seemingly routine mission to Morag in the hopes of acquiring an Orb for an interested buyer, the space outlaw finds himself in a galaxy of trouble. The ancient powers possessed by the Orb attract Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), a murderous militarist and right-hand to Thanos, who is determined to use it to eradicate his enemies, and will stop at nothing to get it.

Along the way Quill runs into a wide variety of misfits that, for one reason or another, are interested in the Orb : Gamora (Zoe Saldana), adopted (not by choice) daughter of Thanos that was raised as a weapon, Drax the Destroyer (David Bautista), a man driven by vengeance against Thanos, who murdered his wife and daughter, Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), a genetically modified creature that is in it solely for the money, and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), a tree-like organism that serves as both Rocket’s muscle, as well as friend. Things take a drastic turn when the this unlikely group learns the true nature of the Orb, and learn that the fate of the galaxy is in their hands.

I don’t even know where to start! This film is out of this world! James Gunn created a masterpiece that is easily the Star Wars of this generation. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is fun, witty, and snarky… with just the right amount of heart. To be honest (and without spoiling anything), I did not expect the emotional aspect of this film. I was pleasantly surprised. Hell, I have seen the film twice now, and this smart-ass of a writer cried both times when it came to the nitty-gritty, serious moments. This is the perfect example of writing and story being the main focus, rather than giving audiences an action packed movie with no soul. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is a heart and soul film that also gives audiences the laughs and action that they crave.

I cannot think of a better choice for Peter Quill / Star-Lord than Chris Pratt. His comedic timing meshes well with Gunn’s dark, sarcastic sense of humor. Not only that, but there is something extremely likable when it comes to Pratt, so he is able to pull off the emotional scenes with ease. He feels like a relatable star to audiences, therefor pulling them in. Saldana plays the lethal Gamora with ease. She is an incredible action star, so there was never any doubt that she would play her character well. Her comedic timing and chemistry with Pratt is fantastic. David Bautista proves that he is more than just a muscly action star by showing off his funny side as his brooding character of Drax. He not only proves that he is hilarious, but he also shows audiences that he has a deep, emotional range. He goes deeper in his performance than we have seen him go before, and it’s impressive. Bradley Cooper lends his voice to the spunky, jerk of a being named Rocket. His voice is almost unrecognizable, which I found shocking… in a good way! I haven’t heard his voice vary this much in a performance yet. I’m astonished. The real heart of the film is owed to Groot, voiced by Vin Diesel. Although he only says the same few words, the giant tree conveys a world of emotion, and acts as a guide towards the mood of the film. Diesel proves to audiences that he’s at the top of his game by showing just how many things an actor can do with limited lines. Words are brought to life by the tone and emotion behind them, and he is sure to steal your heart as Groot. I guarantee it.

©Marvel 2014

Complimenting the story and cast is an amazing soundtrack filled with 70’s treats that will make your toes tap. The iconic songs from Quill’s ‘Awesome Mix’ cassette tape, such as Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling”, Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love, and (my personal favorite) The Runaways’ “Cherry Bomb”, set the mood for a monumental space adventure. Add some of the best IMAX 3-D I’ve seen this year, and you are in for a treat. I know it seems as though I’m fan-girling about this film, but that is because I am. Once you see it you will understand. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is different from the past Marvel films. While I am a fan of Marvel’s film adventures, this film stands apart from the others in all of the best ways. It’s original, smart, it doesn’t talk down to audiences, and it’s above all, an emotional film about outsiders finally finding a place to fit in. I can’t wait to see it again.

OVERALL RATING: 5 out of 5 stars

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY OPENS IN THEATERS AUGUST 1

Marvel Announces Sequel To James Gunn’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY At Comic Con

©Marvel 2014

On Saturday night at Comic Con in San Diego, director James Gunn and actor Chris Pratt announced a sequel to Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY. July 28, 2017 to be exact.

It was also officially announced that actor Josh Brolin can be seen and heard as the villain Thanos in Gunn’s upcoming film, opening in theaters this Friday, August 1st.

Brolin will also play Thanos in future movies for Marvel Studios.

“Josh brings all the weight and stature necessary for a character as iconic and significant as Thanos,” said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. “We’re incredibly excited for fans to see more of him as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand.”

A #GuardiansOfTheGalaxy sequel in 2017? #YoureWelcome http://t.co/7DTgF2dBxb pic.twitter.com/y4rtIdrwPA

— GuardiansOfTheGalaxy (@Guardians) July 27, 2014

Yes, I’m writing and directing the sequel to #GuardiansoftheGalaxy for theaters July 28 2017. But first go see the first one out next week! — James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 27, 2014

Many of us here at WAMG have seen the film and it’s terrific. Unlike anything you’ve truly ever seen, the epic space adventure is one you’ll definitely want to experience in IMAX 3D.

The action-packed Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand – with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.

Marvel also revealed at the panel that Corey Stoll and Evangeline Lilly are joining the cast of ANT-MAN as Hope Pym and Darren Cross. Starring Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas, the film hits theaters July 31, 2015.

Lastly, the stars of Joss Whedon’s THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON were in Hall H to discuss the film with the audience and show new footage.

All together, now! The cast & crew of @Avengers #AgeOfUltron take over the #HallH stage at the Marvel Studios panel. pic.twitter.com/Iy35qC4zAE

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) July 27, 2014

Deadline reports:

Whedon couldn’t be here because of an injury. Feige said, “Scarlett couldn’t be here because she’s pregnant.” Then she introduced a clip via video from Age of Ultron in which the team, in a penthouse, play a round of trying to pick up Thor’s hammer. Tony Stark puts his Iron Man hand on, Captain American makes a go. Then Ultron crashes the party. Iron Man gets in a big super suit as apocalypse dawns again. A lot of crash-bang-boom, like the finale of the first film. Playing throughout the trailer is a child singing, “I Got No Strings” from Disney’s Pinocchio. Last shot in the clip shows all the Avengers lying dead, with Tony Stark the only one standing alive. The audience gave the clip a standing ovation. Amplifying the room’s mood was Josh Brolin walking in as Thanos.

Directed by Joss Whedon (“Marvel’s The Avengers”), the film returns its iconic cast, including Robert Downey Jr. (“Iron Man 3,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”) as Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Chris Hemsworth (“Thor: The Dark World,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”) as Thor, Mark Ruffalo (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Now You See Me”) as Hulk, Chris Evans (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”) as Captain America, Scarlett Johansson (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”) as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner(“American Hustle,” “Marvel’s The Avengers,”) as Hawkeye, and Samuel L. Jackson (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”) as Nick Fury.

Joining the cast are Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Godzilla,” “Kick Ass 2″) as Quicksilver, Elizabeth Olsen (“Godzilla”) as Scarlet Witch and James Spader (“The Blacklist,” “Lincoln”) as Ultron.

Set for release in the United States on May 1, 2015, Marvel’s AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON is produced by Kevin Feige. Executive Producers are Louis D’Esposito, Jeremy Latcham, Victoria Alonso, Patricia Whitcher, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, and Jon Favreau.

ANT-MAN Poster Arrives

(EW)

Marvel’s ANT-MAN hits theaters next summer July 17, 2015 and as this is the week of Comic-Con, Marvel has unveiled the first poster for the film.

If you’re in San Diego, stop by the Marvel Booth (#2329) to pick up this epic concept poster art for ANT-MAN by Andy Park.

For more on the history of this super hero, read HERE.

The film is directed by Peyton Reed (BRING IT ON) and writer Adam McKay is contributing to the script.

Although the character of Ant-Man is somewhat overshadowed by Spider-Man and the mutants of X-Men he predates all of them and is one of the cornerstones of the ever-expanding Marvel universe. A few months after the debut of the Fantastic Four, the forerunner of Marvel, Atlas comics, published “the Man in the Ant Hill” in Tales to Astonish number 27. The title was frequently the home of invading giant “beasties” and monstrous creatures, but this story from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby centered on scientist Henry Pym who found a way to shrink down to the size of ants. This one shot tale (perhaps inspired by the 50’s classic THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN) is now considered a “proto” series story by many comics historians. When the Fantastic Four became a surprise hit, Lee was eager to expand the superhero roster and returned to Pym. This time the scientific genius got the full costume treatment including a skin tight red and black protective jumpsuit made of unstable molecules (so it would shrink with him) and a white metalic helmet complete with antennae which aided in controlling the size shifts and enabled him to communicate with ants (often using them for transport). The series running in Astonish was somewhat inspired by Quality Comics’ Doll Man character from the 1940’s, who retains his normal strength although he has no control over insects as does the DC Comics’ character introduced in 1961, the Atom. Actually this version (Ray Palmer) was an updated take on the 40’s Atom, Al Pratt, a short-statured man possessing great physical prowess.

After several issues battling commie agents and super-villains, Pym was joined by beautiful jet-setter Janet Van Dyne, who, thanks to another Pym invention, became the Wasp. She too could shrink down to bug size, but she would sprout wings (and zip about) and shoot bioelectric blasts (“the Wasp’s sting”) from her hands. The two became a crime-fighting team much in the mode of Fawcett Comics’ Bulletman and Bulletgirl and DC’s Hawkman and Hawkgirl (as opposed to the usual adult hero/kid sidekick team first begun with DC’s Batman and Robin). Henry (Hank) and Janet soon became romantically involved and were engaged (sort of a super Nick and Nora Charles). The two were also founding members of the Avengers back in issue one with Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk. Shortly after, Pym adjusted the particle formula once more to enable him to increase his size and adopt the new name, Giant-Man. It’s actually his massive arm that reaches out of the submarine to grab the leg of the floating frozen Captain America in Avengers number four. The duo continued their own series in Tales to Astonish (sharing the book with the Hulk), until they were replaced in issue 69 by new series of Sub-Mariner stories. But they continued on in the Avengers comic with Pym eventually becoming Goliath and Yellowjacket (who married the Wasp) until returning to Ant-Man in order to repair the android avenger, the Vision in a visually stunning sequence drawn by Neal Adams that evoked FANTASTIC VOYAGE. This spurred another solo series (with the Wasp, of course) that ran briefly in the early 70’s in Marvel Feature.

Ant-man got a new series in Marvel Premiere number 47 in 1979, but a different person was wearing the helmet. Stark Industries tech Scott Lang broke into Henry Pym’s lab to take the growth formula (and uniform) in order to rescue the only doctor who can cure Lang’s critically ill young daughter. When Lang returned the equipment, Pym insisted he keep it and fight evil in his old persona (so Hank could devote more time to his inventions). This is the version of Ant-Man in production at Marvel Studios with Paul Rudd as Lang and Michael Douglas as Pym.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in August.

https://www.facebook.com/antman

Conceptual Film Test Stills/Artwork. ©Marvel 2015.

Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Red Carpet Premiere This Monday; Watch The New Clips & Early Reactions

With less than a week to go until thousands descend on San Diego for Comic Con 2014, Marvel gave critics a first look at director James Gunn’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY this past Friday and Saturday.

Here are a few of the twitter reactions from the screenings from over the weekend.

In love w/ #GuardiansOfTheGalaxy. Will be talking about it a lot. So wonderfully entertaining and just beautiful. ALL awards to the VFX team — Kara Warner (@karawarner) July 19, 2014

Holy CRAP #GuardiansOfTheGalaxy was an absolute blast!!! LOVELOVELOVE! Also, I must have a #Groot! @JamesGunn nailed it!! — JennaBusch (@JennaBusch) July 20, 2014

I can’t wait for audience to see GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY! It’s got me over the moon! Amazing job by @JamesGunn and the cast! #GOTG — Melissa Howland (@WrathOfHearts) July 19, 2014

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is everything I hoped it would be and more. Fun, funny, epic scale, just fantastic. Well done @JamesGunn — John Campea (@johncampea) July 19, 2014

Marvel’s @Guardians is magnificent. Hilarious, touching, action packed, I don’t think I could’ve liked it more. @JamesGunn killed it. Wow. — Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) July 19, 2014

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY opens up the Marvel universe in a great way. Movie is awesome & extremely funny. Congrats @JamesGunn. You did it. — Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) July 19, 2014

Even Gunn was humbled by the response.

Sorry about all the retweets, guys. I didn’t expect all the responses. Thanks so much. Can’t wait for the rest of you to see it. — James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 19, 2014

The film opens on August 1, but in the meantime watch the latest clips and featurette.

Don’t miss the online livestream of the Hollywood premiere red carpet, this Monday, 7/21 at 9:30PM ET. More info here: http://marvel.com/guardianspremiere

Watch it here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bZa_V-qNEo

Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper will appear on a special GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” the same evening as the film’s worldwide premiere. The stars will talk about the project and debut exclusive content.

For all of you who love the Superhero/Fantasy Universe, get out you calendars.

Albeit a tad mysterious with the titles, Marvel has unveiled the release dates of their upcoming movies.

July 28 and November 3, 2017; July 6 and November 2, 2018; and May 3, 2019. Expect to hear more about the five films at Comic Con next weekend.

EW.com

However, we do know these titles/releases:

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON – May 1, 2015
ANT-MAN – July 31, 2015
CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 – May 6, 2016

Added to the superhero dance mix is DC Comics/Entertainment. According to Variety, Warner Bros Pictures is still planning to release BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE on May 6, 2016 as well.

DOCTOR STRANGE (Scott Derrickson directing) is coming to the Marvel cinematic universe on July 8, 2016.

Empire Online recently asked Marvel’s Kevin Fiege about Strange.

Does the choice of Scott Derrickson, who’s best known for horror, as director for Doctor Strange indicate where the film is going?

I would say you can certainly look at the past work of the filmmakers we hire as a bit of an indication for the tone of the movie, but not necessary everything. The Russos, who are well known for their sitcoms, there is nothing sitcom about The Winter Soldier! No, I wouldn’t say just because he has only done horror movies means that Doctor Strange is going to be a horror movie. It means he is a talented filmmaker who we think could add something unique and very fresh to the particular franchise. But there could be scary moments. There are scary moments in all our movies! There are some scary people that Strange has to deal with, I will say.

Lest we forget, STAR WARS: EPISODE VII will hit theaters December 18, 2015.

To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.

Hollywood Records and Marvel are set to release three albums from Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy on July 29, 2014. Check out how you can order all 3 here.

Get your tickets for Guardians of the Galaxy now: http://fandan.co/1thBrQi

Follow the Guardians of the Galaxy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/guardians
Like the Guardians of the Galaxy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guardiansoft…

Subscribe to Marvel: http://bit.ly/WeO3YJ

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’s Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper To Appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Monday, July 21

Jimmy Kimmel welcomes Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper to a special GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Monday, July 21 the same evening as the film’s worldwide premiere. The stars of the highly anticipated new film will talk about the project and debut exclusive content.

“JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE” (Weeknights at 11:35|10:35c on ABC)

You can watch the premiere online HERE.

MARVEL’S GUARDIANS
OF THE GALAXY
WATCH THE RED CARPET WORLD PREMIERE!
LIVE FROM HOLLYWOOD
July 21, 2014, 9:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM PT

From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers, comes a new team—the Guardians of the Galaxy. An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.

Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, which first appeared in comic books in Marvel Super-Heroes, Issue #18 (Jan. 1969), stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Nova Prime and Benicio Del Toro as The Collector.

James Gunn is the director of the film with Kevin Feige, p.g.a., producing. Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Nik Korda and Stan Lee serve as executive producers.

Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY is written by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman and releases in U.S. theaters on August 1, 2014.

Get your tickets for Guardians of the Galaxy now: http://fandan.co/1thBrQi

Follow the Guardians of the Galaxy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/guardians
Like the Guardians of the Galaxy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guardiansoft…

Subscribe to Marvel: http://bit.ly/WeO3YJ

Win Tickets To The Advance Screening Of Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY In St. Louis

©2014 MARVEL

Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY finds space adventurer Peter Quill the object of a bounty hunt after stealing an orb coveted by a treacherous villain, but when Quill discovers the power it holds, he must find a way to rally the quartet of ragtag rivals hot on his trail to save the universe.

Directed by James Gunn, the film stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Nova Prime and Benicio Del Toro as The Collector.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY hits in theaters August 1.

Ready to win passes to see the must-see film of the summer?! WAMG has you passes to the 3D advance screening on July 23rd at 7PM in St. Louis.

Answer the following questions –

Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” first appeared in comic books in Marvel Super-Heroes, Issue #18 (Jan. 1969) and was created by Arnold Drake and Gene Colan. The modern Guardians team is the second to be featured under the name, and first appeared in “Guardians of the Galaxy, (Vol. 2) Issue #1 (May 2008).

Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning created the new team, whose initial Guardians were:

__________, __________, _________, __________, ___________, ____________ and ___________.

Name Peter Quill’s spaceship.
It was inspired by what rocket plane?

The film is rated PG-13.

Please note: No purchase necessary. Void where restricted or prohibited by law. At the screening seating is not guaranteed and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Screening pass winners will be drawn at random and notified via email.

Limit two (admit-one) passes per person. Must be age 13 or over to enter.

Extended Look at Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Trailer

On Monday, moviegoers got an exclusive look at never-before-seen footage from Marvel’s upcoming blockbuster, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY starring Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista and Zoe Saldana. The first glimpse showed Pratt as Star-Lord assembling the Guardians.

The IMAX 3D First Look featured 17 minutes of exclusive footage of director James Gunn’s film.

We begin with an expansion of the sequence from the teasers and trailers of the Nova Corps scanning each individual guardian for their histories and arrest records (look for a glimpse of a major Marvel Universe baddie). Then there’s more of Peter Quill trying to retrieve his audio player with the “awesome mix” cassette from one of the jailers. After a detox spray the five are lead to the prison courtyard. Shortly Rocket formulates an escape plan and, due to unexpected circumstances, that plan is quickly put into motion. The Marvel logo concludes the scene with many quick action shots from the rest of the film. Groot and Rocket look to be the best team/bromance of the Summer. Can’t wait for August!

Missed the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY IMAX event tonight? Get a sampling with this extended look trailer.

(via Fandango)

“Movie fans having post-holiday weekend blues will get extra fireworks with this new ‘Guardians’ material,” says Fandango Fangirl Tiffany Smith. “We get our first extended intro to Groot, with Vin Diesel’s voice uttering the classic ‘I am Groot’ line, and Bradley Cooper bringing to life Rocket. The music, including The Runaways’ ‘Cherry Bomb’, gives us a cool retro vibe.”

To celebrate the upcoming debut of the action adventure film, Fandango is also launching a sweepstakes where fans can take home actual props used in two of Marvel Studios’ biggest movies. Prizes include Captain America’s Stunt “Stealth Shield,” used in the action sequences from “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and the “S.H.I.E.L.D.” license plate from “The Avengers.”

The sweepstakes runs July 7 through August 4, 2014 and there are two ways to enter.

Moviegoers may receive an automatic entry by purchasing a “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie ticket or tickets at www.fandango.com or via Fandango’s apps.

Fans can also enter without purchasing a movie ticket by sending an email with the subject line “Fandango’s Guardians of the Galaxy Sweepstakes” to marketing@fandango.com, with the entrant’s name, email address, state of residence, and date of birth. Entrants must be at least eighteen years of age. The full sweepstakes rules are available at www.fandango.com/guardians.

An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand—with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.

Kevin Feige, p.g.a., is the producer and Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Nik Korda and Stan Lee serve as executive producers. James Gunn and Nicole Perlman wrote the screenplay.

Opens in U.S. theatres on August 1.

http://marvel.com/guardians

https://www.facebook.com/guardiansofthegalaxy

https://twitter.com/Guardians

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY IS IN THEATERS NOW

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GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY OPENS IN THEATERS AUGUST 1

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©2014 MARVEL

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