Jump to content

Blue Beetle (film)

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Blue Beetle (TV series))

Blue Beetle
Theatrical release poster
Directed byÁngel Manuel Soto
Written byGareth Dunnet-Alcocer
Based onCharacters from DC
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPawel Pogorzelski
Edited byCraig Alpert
Music byBobby Krlic
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • August 14, 2023 (2023-08-14) (El Paso, Texas)
  • August 18, 2023 (2023-08-18) (United States)
Running time
127 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • Spanish
Budget$104–125 million[2][3][a]
Box office$130.8 million[5]

Blue Beetle is a 2023 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle. Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto and written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, it is the 14th film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Xolo Maridueña stars as Reyes, a recent college graduate who is bestowed with an armor that grants him superpowers after being accidentally chosen by an ancient alien relic known as the Scarab. Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Raoul Max Trujillo, Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez also star in the film.

Development of a film featuring Reyes began by the end of November 2018 with Dunnet-Alcocer attached as screenwriter. Soto was hired to direct the film in February 2021 for the streaming service HBO Max. Maridueña was cast that August, and the film was changed to have a theatrical release in December. Further casting took place in early 2022, and filming lasted from late May to mid-July at Wilder Studios in Decatur, Georgia, as well as in El Paso, Texas, and Puerto Rico. It is the first live-action superhero film with a Latino lead.

Blue Beetle premiered in El Paso on August 14, 2023, and was released in the United States on August 18. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and became the most streamed film on Warner Bros.' service Max, the successor to HBO Max, in the United States. It underperformed at the box office, grossing $131 million worldwide against a production budget of $104–125 million, which made it the lowest-grossing film in the DCEU. Its box office performance was attributed to factors such as the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, the franchise's imminent reboot with the DC Universe (DCU), and Hurricane Hilary. An animated follow-up series is in development.

Plot

In Antarctica, members of Kord Industries, led by its co-founder and CEO Victoria Kord, locate an ancient alien artifact known as the Scarab. Meanwhile, Jaime Reyes returns to his hometown of Palmera City after graduating from Gotham Law University, only to learn that his family is facing eviction from their home due to financial difficulties. Jaime's sister Milagro manages to get him a job at Victoria's mansion. However, both are fired after Jaime stops a confrontation between Victoria and her niece Jenny. Jenny later tells Jaime to meet her at Kord Tower the next day to discuss a "job opportunity".

The next day, Jenny finds that Victoria is using the Scarab for her One Man Army Corps (OMAC) projects. She steals the Scarab and avoids security by giving it to Jaime, hidden inside a Big Belly Burger to-go box. At home, Jaime's family convinces him to open the box, and when Jaime ends up holding the Scarab, it activates and fuses with him, encasing him in an armored exoskeleton that launches him from the stratosphere to all over the city. Jaime tracks down Jenny for answers, rescuing her from Victoria's armed forces. She tells Jaime the Scarab is a sentient weapon and it has chosen Jaime to be its host. With the help of Jaime's uncle Rudy, Jaime and Jenny break into Kord Tower to retrieve a smartwatch that once belonged to Jenny's father Ted, but are attacked by Victoria's bodyguard Ignacio Carapax, who has an OMAC prototype infused in his body. The Scarab, revealed to be named Khaji-Da, temporarily takes over Jaime's body and battles Carapax, but Jaime refuses to let it kill Carapax. Rudy and Jenny help incapacitate Carapax, then escape to Jenny's childhood home with Jaime.

Jenny uses Ted's watch to activate his secret laboratory and reveals that Ted was originally a vigilante named Blue Beetle who spent his life studying Khaji-Da before mysteriously disappearing, leaving his company in Victoria's hands. When they notice Victoria's helicopter flying toward Jaime's home, Jaime summons Khaji-Da and returns to protect his family, but Jaime's father Alberto collapses and dies from a heart attack, distracting Jaime and allowing Carapax to capture him. Jaime is taken to an island fortress near Cuba, where he is strapped to a machine that downloads information from Khaji-Da into the OMACs. While unconscious, Jaime experiences a vision from Alberto in the afterlife, who encourages him to embrace his destiny as the new Blue Beetle.

While Jenny and the Reyes family use Ted's Bugship and its weapons arsenal to storm the island, Jaime awakens and escapes as Carapax's OMAC suit evolves into a more powerful form. Jaime reunites with his family, then encounters Carapax and battles him. Jaime nearly kills Carapax before Khaji-Da stops him, showing Jaime memories of Carapax's from the information download revealing his enslavement by Victoria for the OMAC experiments, including the death of Carapax's mother at Victoria's hands, leading Jaime to spare him, and Carapax to subsequently turn on Victoria, setting his OMAC suit to explode and destroy the island, himself and Victoria as vengeance for his mother. As the Reyes family escapes the island, they take time to mourn Alberto.

In the aftermath, Jenny becomes the new CEO of Kord Industries and promises to repair the damage caused to the Reyes family, by helping them rebuild their home. As the neighbors gather around the remains of the Reyes family's home and provide support, Jaime kisses Jenny and then offers to fly her to the Kord Estate. In a mid-credits scene, a distorted recording is broadcast in Ted's laboratory, attempting to inform Jenny that he is alive.

Cast

Additionally, Becky G provides the voice of Khaji-Da, a sentient entity that imbues and controls the Scarab,[16] while Bobby McGruther has a voice-only cameo as Ted Kord, a previous Blue Beetle, in the mid-credits scene.[17]

Production

Development

Ángel Manuel Soto, the director of Blue Beetle

Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Films were developing a film based on Jaime Reyes / Blue Beetle by the end of November 2018, with Mexican-born Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer writing the screenplay. Zev Foreman was executive producing the project for Warner Bros., which was set to be the first DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film as well as the first live-action superhero film starring a Latino lead.[18] By December 2020, DC Films was planning to release several mid-budget films a year exclusively on the streaming service HBO Max, rather than in theaters, as part of new DC Films president Walter Hamada's plan for the DCEU,[19] with Blue Beetle listed as one such project in 2021.[20] Puerto Rican director Ángel Manuel Soto was hired to direct the film in February 2021.[21] During a call received from Warner Bros., Soto had pitched various ideas, including a film about Bane's origin story, but Warner Bros. had intended for him to direct a film based on Reyes' Blue Beetle.[22] In April, Blue Beetle was included on DC's slate of films that were expected to be released in 2022 or 2023.[23]

John Rickard, the president of production at the Safran Company, was producing the film for HBO Max by that August,[24][25] when filming was expected to begin in early 2022.[7] In December 2021, Warner Bros. revealed that the film would be receiving a theatrical release in August 2023 instead of being produced directly for HBO Max; Though the film was originally intended to be released as an HBO Max exclusive, the studio decided to release it theatrically after they enjoyed Soto's creative vision.[26][27] In mid-April 2022, Soto and cinematographer Pawel Pogorzelski visited El Paso, Texas, to meet with local artists, muralists, musicians, and historians to understand the feel of the city.[28] Peter Safran was revealed as a producer that October,[25] and worked on the film until he became the co-chairman and co-CEO of DC Studios alongside James Gunn the next month;[29][30] Rickard and Foreman were ultimately credited as the producers.[9]

Writing

In October 2021, Soto said Dunnet-Alcocer's script featured "the Latino family at its core",[31] while star Xolo Maridueña said in August 2022 that the family aspect of the film and character were "inherent to the comics" and felt had not been explored as much with other superhero films.[32] Soto did not want the film to be "another story where 15 minutes in, something happens, and 50 minutes later, he's dominating the experience, and by the end, he's saving the world" and instead wanted to explore his growth, saying that "He's [Reyes] not going to save the world yet; he doesn't deserve to yet". Soto and Dunnet-Alcocer had decided to do so by taking a grounded approach towards his character while exploring his relationship with his family and Khaji-Da, the symbiotic alien that provides Reyes's powers. Soto also took inspiration from DC's The New 52 comics, and the Mission: Impossible and Indiana Jones franchises.[33][26]

The film also features Reyes's family witnessing his first transformation into Blue Beetle. The intention was twofold, as Soto had amusingly felt Latino families were "very nosy" while also showing that "family is our superpower to some extent". He also described Reyes' transformation as being similar to the works of David Cronenberg but for kids and wanted the film to be fun.[33][22] He also focused on the pronunciation of names in the film, and included a scene in which Victoria Kord called an employee Sanchez despite it not being his name. The decision to include the scene was to show that "Latinos are not a monolith", with Soto further adding that the audience would feel the warmth of Reyes' family and become familiarized with them after the first act.[33] Fellow star Susan Sarandon revealed the following month that the film would have several scenes spoken in Spanish, with subtitles being provided.[34] Soto affirmed this, saying the film would feature "Spanglish", saying Spanish will be used for scenes that feature elder characters and also when characters "speak from the heart".[26] The final writing credits were given to Dunnet-Alcocer, with off-screen additional literary credit given to Gary Dauberman.[35] Soto had also stated that the film would explore Victoria Kord's relationship with her brother Ted Kord. He had also stated that the presence of Ted's daughter, his gadgets, and the idea of Ted and Dan Garrett would also impact the film's story, although it would be contextualized through Reyes's perspective.[22]

The film is set in the fictional Palmera City, which was an original creation for the film, rather than El Paso, Texas as is featured in the comics.[36] Soto said this was to create a world specific to Jaime Reyes on a similar level to Metropolis for Superman and Gotham City for Batman, and to help position the character as "a potential leader" in the new DC-based franchise the DC Universe (DCU),[37] while stating that Gunn and Safran felt that the film could be included anywhere in the DCU timeline.[38] Soto had explained that the creative team had created the city as a "metropolitan of Latinos", and that the city was divided into two parts: Reyes's neighborhood and the affluent financial district. He had also identified Reyes's upbringing as being more humble, as his family had come from the working class, had been struggling, and was also a part of "marginalized communities under the threat of gentrification".[22] Inspiration for the film came from the video game Injustice 2 (2017) and the comic book storyline "Infinite Crisis" (2005–2006), in which Jaime Reyes debuted, along with the comics in The New 52 for the design of the suit, while the comic book miniseries Blue Beetle: Graduation Day (2022–2023) incorporated elements from the film, such as Palmera City and Victoria Kord.[37]

Casting

Xolo Maridueña in 2024.
Bruna Marquezine in 2021.
George Lopez at the 2019 Summit on Race in America at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas.
Adriana Barraza at the 2011 Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara in Guadalajara, México.
Elpidia Carrillo at the 2010 Festival Internacional de Cine de Guadalajara in Guadalajara, México.
Damián Alcázar in 2019 in Mexico.
(Clockwise from top left) Blue Beetle stars Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez, Damián Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo, and Adriana Barraza

Xolo Maridueña was Soto's first choice to portray Reyes, with Soto explaining that he "couldn't stop seeing [Maridueña] as the character" since he was hired to direct the film, enjoying his performance in Cobra Kai. He also noted that his experience with martial arts while filming Cobra Kai would help with his role as Blue Beetle.[7][22] Soto and Warner Bros. offered the role to Maridueña on August 1, 2021,[39] he was publicly revealed to be in talks for the film the next day,[6] and his casting was officially confirmed later that day at the premiere for the DCEU film The Suicide Squad (2021).[7][39] When learning of the role, Maridueña was most excited that Reyes is a Latino character and he could bring Latino representation to a superhero project.[7]

In early March 2022, Bruna Marquezine was cast as Reyes's love interest, Jenny Kord,[10][9] with Belissa Escobedo playing Reyes's sister Milagros,[10] and Harvey Guillén cast as Dr. Delacruz.[10][9] Later that month, the rest of Reyes's family was cast: George Lopez as uncle Rudy, Adriana Barraza as Nana, Elpidia Carrillo as Rocio, and Damián Alcázar as Alberto. Soto said he wanted to create an authentic Mexican family with real accents and experiences, and also wanted the elder members of the family to be portrayed by "beloved" Mexican actors from Latin American cinema who had also crossed over to United States cinema and paved the way for members of the younger generation, such as Maridueña and Escobedo.[8] By the end of the same month, Sharon Stone was in talks to play the villain Victoria Kord, an original creation for the film which was believed to be the wife of Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle in the comics.[40] Raoul Trujillo also joined the cast then as Carapax the Indestructible Man.[13] In mid-April 2022, Susan Sarandon was cast as Victoria Kord after negotiations with Stone ended.[14] In June 2023, Becky G announced that she would be providing the voice of Khaji-Da for the film.[16]

Design

Blue Beetle's suit was designed by Mayes C. Rubeo and the team from Nine B Collective. The design team was inspired by artist Cully Hamner's original design of the comic book character and from his appearance in Infinite Crisis #3, the Injustice games, Young Justice, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. They had difficulty in creating the mask to fit Maridueña's full face but also allow him to be emotive, particularly for the mouth area. As such, the team had decided to merge the designs of organic alien technology and insectoid features within his suit. Visual inspiration for Palmera City came from Akira (1988), Neo Tokyo (1987), and Miami.[22] Soto decided to insert a Nintendo Power Glove for Blue Beetle following the inclusion of a shield in the script.[41]

Filming

Principal photography began by May 25, 2022,[42][43] taking place in the Atlanta metropolitan area, primarily at Wilder Studios in Decatur, Georgia,[44] using the working title Mofongo.[45] Pawel Pogorzelski served as the cinematographer.[28] Scenes for the film's third act took place at the Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a 500-year-old Spanish fortress located in the Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.[46] Filming also occurred in El Paso.[47] Sarandon completed filming her scenes by the end of June,[48] and Trujillo said in early July that filming was almost complete.[47] Filming wrapped on July 18 in Puerto Rico.[49] Two days of additional photography took place in February 2023.[30] The film was primarily shot on location with a heavy use of practical effects, such as for the Blue Beetle suit. Soto felt that the use of real-life locations allowed for the practical effects to be better integrated into the film. He said he wanted to prevent the film from relying too heavily on visual effects, which he described as "a tool, not a dependency", to avoid overworking the visual effects artists.[46]

Editing and visual effects

Craig Alpert edited the film while Kelvin McIlwain served as the visual effects supervisor, after previously working on the DCEU films Aquaman (2018) and The Suicide Squad (2021).[9] Visual effects were provided by Digital Domain, Rise FX, Rodeo FX, and Industrial Light & Magic.[50] The film features a stop-motion sequence featuring the eponymous character from the Mexican television series El Chapulin Colorado (1973–1979), recreating the 1979 intro of the series; the sequence was animated at Achó Studios, with Quique Rivera serving as animation director on the sequence.[51] The sequence was conceived by Soto and Dunnet-Alcocer, both of whom grew up watching the series and wanted to include an homage to it.[52][53]

Music

Main article: Blue Beetle (soundtrack)

Bobby Krlic was confirmed to score the film by the trailer's release in April 2023.[54] A soundtrack album featuring his score was released by WaterTower Music on August 18, 2023;[55] a track from the soundtrack album, "Blue Beetle Suite", was released as a single on August 11.[56]

Marketing

Soto, Dunnet-Alcocer, and Maridueña promoted the film at the virtual DC FanDome event in October 2021, where they discussed their preparation for filming and revealed concept art for the film.[57] The first trailer for the film was released on April 3, 2023, revealing that the film takes place in Palmera City, an original location created for the film. It also showed a first look at the costumes of Dan Garrett and Ted Kord, the previous Blue Beetles before Jaime.[36] The Verge's Ash Parrish thought that the trailer looked "fun" and stated: "I didn't immediately roll my eyes at yet another superhero flick, so that might be a good sign DC has something decent on its hands."[58] Devan Coggan from Entertainment Weekly thought Lopez comparing Jaime's situation to Batman was an amusing moment, while noting the trailer had posited Jaime's character as being "an aimless college grad, who's close with his family but a bit directionless".[59]

The 2024 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck designed after the Blue Beetle suit to cross-promote the film

A second trailer was released on July 11, 2023, through Entertainment Tonight. Andy Behbakht, writing for Screen Rant, felt the trailer contained more action scenes than the first and focused on Jaime's relationship with the Scarab.[60] For Empire, James White opined that the trailer's tone was a "blend" of other films such as Iron Man (2008), Spider-Man (2002), and Spy Kids (2001) and remarked that the trailer "promises action over angst".[61] Griff Griffin from Men's Journal felt the CGI in the trailer was better, and described the suit as being an "insectoid version of Iron Man's nanotech" from Avengers: Infinity War (2018).[62] However, Kat Bailey from IGN felt that while the trailer offered a "more straightforward look at Reyes' powers" and fan reception was positive, fans were also worried about the film's success due to the critical and commercial failure of DC's previous 2023 films.[63]

Toyota entered a 360-degree marketing campaign with Warner Bros. to cross-promote the film and the 2024 Toyota Tacoma model pickup truck across digital and social media platforms, television programs, and in-theater advertising spots. The 2024 Tacoma model was featured in the film along with a 2018 model named "Taco" as the personal vehicle of Uncle Rudy. Toyota Motor North America's group vice president of marketing Lisa Materazzo said the film appealed to the company due to its high anticipation and to showcase the heritage of the Tacoma truck, which she said were aligned with the characters in the film and what they wanted to emphasize with the Tacoma.[64]

Release

Theatrical

Blue Beetle premiered in El Paso, Texas on August 14, 2023, in partnership with the El Paso Times,[65] and had its red carpet premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre on August 15. Due to the then-ongoing 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, the cast of the film did not attend the premiere, with Soto praising them as "heroes".[66] Blue Beetle was theatrically released in the United States on August 18.[27]

Home media

Blue Beetle was released on digital download on September 26, 2023, and on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 31, by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.[67] The film became available for streaming on Max, the successor to HBO Max, on November 17, 2023,[68] where it debuted as the most streamed film on the platform in the United States.[69]

Reception

Box office

Blue Beetle grossed $72.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $58.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $130.8 million.[5] It is the lowest-grossing film in the DCEU, behind Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023), and underperformed at the box office.[2][70][64]

In the United States and Canada, Blue Beetle was released alongside Strays, and was projected to gross $25–32 million from 3,871 theaters in its opening weekend.[71][3] The film earned $10 million on its first day, including $3.3 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $25 million, topping the box office and becoming the first film to dethrone Barbie; 39% of the opening weekend audience was Hispanic, while 66% was male.[2] The film's $43 million global opening was described by Variety as "one of the softest starts in the history of the DC Cinematic Universe",[72] which was attributed to two concurrent strikes in Hollywood, and a tepid audience awaiting the arrival of Gunn and Safran's DCU slate.[2] Warner Bros. cited the effects of Hurricane Hilary as a reason behind the poor domestic opening, given it affected Los Angeles which was one of the film's top markets.[73] The film earned $12.2 million in its second weekend (a drop of 51%), finishing third behind newcomer Gran Turismo and Barbie.[74] National Cinema Day, a day where movie theaters offer discounted tickets for moviegoers, was credited for boosting the film's Sunday numbers in its second weekend.[75] It earned $7.1 million in its third weekend (and a total of $9.4 million during the four-day Labor Day weekend), remaining in third place.[76]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 77% of 277 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Led by Xolo Maridueña's magnetic performance in the title role, Blue Beetle is a refreshingly family-focused superhero movie with plenty of humor and heart."[77] On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 61 out of 100 from 52 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[78] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported that moviegoers gave the film a 82% positive score, with 65% saying they would definitely recommend it.[2]

Mark Kermode of The Guardian gave the film 4/5 stars, writing, "Blue Beetle may be frontloaded with visual fireworks that neatly meld the practical and the virtual, but it is the likable interplay between its down-to-earth characters that gives the film oomph, making it more than just a Shazam-style romp."[79] Odie Henderson of The Boston Globe gave the film 3/4 stars, calling it "a watchable time-waster made better by the actors and the cinematography by Pawel Pogorzelski."[80] The A.V. Club's Justin Lowe gave it a B− grade, writing, "the filmmakers and the SFX team have created a memorable visual style for the film, supported by a wide array of Latino talent that underpins the authenticity of the narrative and the visuals."[81] The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey gave it 3/5 stars, calling it "a likeable, if predictable, take on the superhero origin story that at no point invokes time travel, the multiverse, or a ginormous portal in the sky. And thank god for that."[82]

Jake Wilson of The Age was more critical, writing, "Director Angel Manuel Soto and writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer do their best to weave a few additional progressive elements into this basically routine production, evidently aimed at younger viewers." He gave the film 2.5/5 stars.[83] Ed Potton of The Times gave it 2/5 stars and wrote, "Blue Beetle is the latest product off the superhero production line and it's as tediously familiar as rail strikes and rainy Augusts. The only thing that differentiates this DC Comics adaptation from its scores of predecessors is the fact that its characters are mostly Latino-American."[84] CNN Entertainment's Brian Lowry praised the casting and action sequences, but criticized the villain as "lousy". He concluded, "Blue Beetle might be able to soar into the stratosphere, but that feels like a hurdle the movie just doesn't clear."[85]

Accolades

At the 51st Saturn Awards, Blue Beetle was nominated for Best Superhero Film and won for Best Younger Performer in a Film (Maridueña).[86] Blue Beetle was nominated for the Emerging Technology Award at the 22nd Visual Effects Society Awards for the development of "Machine Learning Cloth".[87]

Future

Continuation in the DC Universe

In January 2023, Gunn said the film was "disconnected" from previous DCEU entries and could connect to the DCU.[88] By April, the Blue Beetle character was reportedly part of Gunn and Safran's plans for the DCU.[9] In June, Gunn said Blue Beetle would be the first DCU character while noting Superman (2025) is the first DCU film,[89] while Safran soon clarified that Maridueña's Reyes would continue in the DCU but the film itself would stand on its own.[90] Later that month, Soto said Blue Beetle was a part of the DCU and future plans for the franchise, but was not connected to all prior DCEU films, explaining the film "lives in the world where superheroes exist. But that doesn't mean that a certain event, or certain alliance, or certain things from the past dictate where our film is going". He also expressed interest in the film being the first part of a trilogy.[91] In September, Gunn reiterated that Maridueña would continue to play Reyes in the DCU, but clarified that any DC media released before the first projects for the DCU in 2024 would not be canon to that franchise.[92]

Animated series

In June 2024, DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation were revealed to be developing an animated television series focused on Blue Beetle for the DCU. It was expected to build off the film but tell its own story, and had the potential to lead to Maridueña starring in a DCU film if successful. Miguel Puga had been working on the series since early 2024 and was expected to serve as showrunner and director. Cristian Martinez was set as writer, with Soto, Dunnet-Alcocer, and Rickard all serving as executive producers. Galen Vaisman, an executive producer on the film, was overseeing the series for DC Studios. Contracts with the main cast were said to be "in flux" but DC Studios had received positive responses when asking the film's cast about returning to reprise their roles.[93] Maridueña confirmed in July that he would reprise his role as Blue Beetle in the series.[94]

Notes

  1. ^ Deadline Hollywood reported that Blue Beetle had a budget of $104 million,[2] while Variety reported a $125 million figure,[3] and TheWrap reported it cost $120 million.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Blue Beetle (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. July 28, 2023. Archived from the original on July 28, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 19, 2023). "Blue Beetle Lands At $25M+; Strays Goes To The Dogs With $8M+ – Sunday Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 20, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Rubin, Rebecca (August 16, 2023). "Blue Beetle Aims to End Barbie's Box Office Reign With $30 Million Debut". Variety. Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  4. ^ Fuster, Jeremy (June 19, 2023). "The Flash and Elemental Flops Send Red Alerts for 2 of Hollywood's Biggest Box Office Brands | Analysis". TheWrap. Archived from the original on September 14, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Blue Beetle". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.Edit this at Wikidata
  6. ^ a b Gonzalez, Umberto (August 2, 2021). "Cobra Kai Star Xolo Maridueña in Talks to Star as Latino Superhero Blue Beetle for HBO Max (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d e Malkin, Marc (August 4, 2021). "Cobra Kai Star Xolo Maridueña on Being Cast as Blue Beetle for HBO Max: 'Representation Is So Important'". Variety. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d e Gonzalez, Umberto (March 18, 2022). "Blue Beetle Cast Adds George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo and Damián Alcázar (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 3, 2023). "Warner Bros Springs First Trailer For DC's Blue Beetle". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  10. ^ a b c d e Gonzalez, Umberto (March 8, 2022). "Blue Beetle: Bruna Marquezine, Belissa Escobedo and Harvey Guillén Join Cast of DC Movie (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c Romano, Nick (July 27, 2023). "Susan Sarandon sees her Blue Beetle villain as the embodiment of imperialism". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  12. ^ "Blue Beetle (2023) Cast and Crew". Moviefone. August 15, 2023. Archived from the original on January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Couch, Aaron (March 29, 2022). "Sharon Stone Joins DC's Blue Beetle as Villain". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 30, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Gonzalez, Umberto (April 14, 2022). "Susan Sarandon to Play Villain Victoria Kord in DC's Blue Beetle (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
  15. ^ a b Romano, Nick (May 8, 2023). "Blue Beetle reveals first look at Harvey Guillén role: 'The character was complex'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  16. ^ a b Kit, Borys (June 5, 2023). "Becky G Joins DC Movie Blue Beetle in Key Voice Role". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  17. ^ Erdmann, Kevin (August 18, 2023). "Blue Beetle's Shocking Twist Sets Up A Perfect DCU Casting". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on August 19, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  18. ^ Gonzalez, Umberto (November 29, 2018). "Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle Latino Superhero Movie in Development at DC and Warner Bros (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  19. ^ Barnes, Brooks (December 27, 2020). "Managing Movie Superheroes Is About to Get a Lot More Complicated". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  20. ^ Faughnder, Ryan (June 8, 2021). "Theaters or HBO Max? Warner Bros. movie plans take shape as Discovery merger looms". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  21. ^ Gonzalez, Umberto (February 23, 2021). "Blue Beetle: Angel Manuel Soto to Direct Film About DC Comics' Latino Superhero (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on February 23, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  22. ^ a b c d e f Knight, Rosie (July 20, 2023). "Blue Beetle's Long Journey to the Big Screen: Xolo Maridueña on Becoming a DC Legend". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  23. ^ Couch, Aaron; Kit, Borys (April 1, 2021). "Ava DuVernay's New Gods, James Wan's The Trench DC Movies Not Moving Forward at Warner Bros. (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  24. ^ Vlessing, Etan (August 3, 2021). "Cobra Kai Star Xolo Maridueña in Talks to Lead DC's Blue Beetle". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  25. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 20, 2022). "DC Films & Conjuring Universe Producer Peter Safran Re-Ups Warner Bros Production Pact". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  26. ^ a b c Radish, Christina (April 3, 2023). "Blue Beetle Star Xolo Maridueña & Director Angel Manuel Soto on the DC Superhero and the Use of Spanish in the Film". Collider. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  27. ^ a b Couch, Aaron (December 16, 2021). "DC's Blue Beetle Moves From HBO Max, Sets 2023 Theatrical Release". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  28. ^ a b Monika (April 18, 2022). "Director Of DC's Blue Beetle & Transformers Scopes Out El Paso". 93.1 KISS-FM. Archived from the original on April 18, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
  29. ^ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (October 25, 2022). "DC Shocker: James Gunn, Peter Safran to Lead Film, TV and Animation Division (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  30. ^ a b Kit, Borys (July 19, 2023). "Warner Bros.' Quest to Build a Better Aquaman Sequel: 3 Reshoots, Two Batmans and Non-Stop Test Screenings". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 19, 2023. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  31. ^ Rivera, Joshua (October 16, 2021). "Blue Beetle's HBO Max movie got a first look at DC FanDome". Polygon. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  32. ^ Hibberd, James (September 1, 2022). "DC's New Superhero Xolo Maridueña on Blue Beetle, Cobra Kai and Keeping His Cool". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  33. ^ a b c Davis, Clayton (August 2, 2023). "Blue Beetle Director Ángel Manuel Soto Talks Latino Resilience and Creating 'Cronenberg for Kids'". Variety. Archived from the original on August 2, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  34. ^ Nathaniel, Brail (September 8, 2022). "Blue Beetle: Susan Sarandon Reveals Film Will Be Partially in Spanish with Subtitles". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2022. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
  35. ^ "Blue Beetle". Writers Guild of America West. September 21, 2022. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  36. ^ a b Couch, Aaron (April 3, 2023). "DC's Blue Beetle Trailer: An Alien Encounter Launches a Superhero". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  37. ^ a b Zachary, Brandon (April 3, 2023). "Blue Beetle: Angel Manuel Soto and Xolo Maridueña on Latino Superheroes & the Importance of Authenticity". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  38. ^ Barnhardt, Adam (August 5, 2023). "Blue Beetle Director Addresses Movie's Place in DCU Timeline". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  39. ^ a b Anderson, Jenna (August 2, 2021). "Blue Beetle: Xolo Maridueña Casting Confirmed at The Suicide Squad Premiere". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  40. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 29, 2022). "Sharon Stone In Final Talks To Play Villain In Warner Bros/DC's Blue Beetle". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  41. ^ McPherson, Chris (August 9, 2023). "How the Nintendo Power Glove Inspired a Blue Beetle Prop". Collider. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  42. ^ Behbakht, Andy (May 25, 2022). "Blue Beetle Movie Set Photos Reveal First Look At DC Superhero Costume". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  43. ^ McPherson, Chris (August 25, 2023). "Blue Beetle Took Less Time to Film Than a Romantic Comedy". Collider. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  44. ^ Ho, Rodney (February 4, 2022). "DC superhero flick 'Blue Beetle' will be shooting in metro Atlanta". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  45. ^ Ho, Rodney (June 15, 2022). "What is filming in Georgia in June 2022?". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  46. ^ a b Davids, Brian (August 17, 2023). "Blue Beetle Director Ángel Manuel Soto Is Relieved That His Characters Have a DCU Future". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  47. ^ a b Oddo, Marco Vito (July 5, 2022). "Blue Beetle Nearly Done Shooting, Reveals Star Raoul Trujillo". Collider. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  48. ^ Hermanns, Grant (June 27, 2022). "Susan Sarandon Confirms Blue Beetle Movie Filming Wrap With New Image". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 27, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  49. ^ Melendez, Marcos (July 18, 2022). "DC Comics' Blue Beetle Wraps Production in Puerto Rico". Collider. Archived from the original on July 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  50. ^ Frei, Vincent (July 12, 2023). "Blue Beetle". The Art of VFX. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  51. ^ Radix. "Blue Beetle y el Chapulín Colorado: Detrás de cámaras del crossover stop motion del DC Universe". Radix (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  52. ^ Digital, Milenio (January 8, 2023). "Blue Beetle tendrá homenaje al Chapulín Colorado". Milenio (in Mexican Spanish). Archived from the original on August 1, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  53. ^ Knight, Rosie (August 19, 2023). "Blue Beetle Ending and Post Credits Scenes Explained: What's the Future for Jaime Reyes?". IGN. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  54. ^ "Bobby Krlic (The Haxan Cloak) Scoring Angel Manuel Soto's Blue Beetle". Film Music Reporter. April 3, 2023. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  55. ^ "Blue Beetle Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. August 11, 2023. Archived from the original on August 13, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  56. ^ "First Single From Blue Beetle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) With Music by Bobby Krlic Now Available" (Press release). WaterTower Music. August 11, 2023. Archived from the original on August 11, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023 – via Business Wire.
  57. ^ Couch, Aaron (October 16, 2021). "The Batman Trailer Closes Out DC FanDome Following Looks at The Flash, Aquaman 2". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  58. ^ Parrish, Ash (April 3, 2023). "The Blue Beetle busts out a Buster Sword in first trailer". The Verge. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  59. ^ Coggan, Devan (April 3, 2023). "Blue Beetle trailer drops thrilling first look at DC's Latino-led superhero movie". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  60. ^ Behbakt, Andy (July 11, 2023). "DC's Blue Beetle Trailer Makes It Look Like Iron Man Mixed With Spider-Man: Homecoming". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  61. ^ White, James (July 11, 2023). "New Blue Beetle Trailer Promises Action Over Angst". Empire. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  62. ^ Griffin, Griff (July 12, 2023). "Blue Beetle's Final Trailer Saves Best For Last". Men's Journal. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  63. ^ Bailey, Kat (July 11, 2023). "Blue Beetle's Second Trailer Wants to Usher in the New DCU, But Fans are Worried". IGN. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  64. ^ a b Buss, Dale (August 31, 2023). "Toyota Tacoma Takes Starring Role In Blue Beetle Superhero Release". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  65. ^ Gonzalez, Maria Cortes (August 11, 2023). "Win a pair of Blue Beetle advance screening tickets in El Paso". El Paso Times. Archived from the original on August 13, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  66. ^ Jackson, Angelique (August 15, 2023). "Blue Beetle Director Calls Cast 'Heroes' for Skipping Premiere Amid Strikes: 'They're Sacrificing This Big Opportunity'". Variety. Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  67. ^ Graves, Sabina (September 20, 2023). "Blue Beetle Races Home on September 26". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  68. ^ Peralta, Diego (November 10, 2023). "Blue Beetle Sets Streaming Date on Max". Collider. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  69. ^ Owens, Lucy (November 23, 2023). "Blue Beetle Finally Scores A Win After Bombing At The Box Office". Game Rant. Archived from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  70. ^ Echebiri, Makuochi (October 14, 2023). "Blue Beetle Ends Theatrical Run as Lowest-Grossing DCEU Movie at the Global Box Office". Collider. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  71. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 15, 2023). "Blue Beetle Has Ticket To Ride Past Barbie This Weekend – Box Office Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  72. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (August 20, 2023). "Box Office: Blue Beetle Stumbles With $25 Million Debut, Ends Barbie's Four-Week Streak". Variety. Archived from the original on August 20, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  73. ^ Levy, Carly (August 22, 2023). "Blue Beetle: Warner Bros. Boss Blames Hurricane For Disappointing Box Office Turnout". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  74. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 28, 2023). "Gran Turismo & Barbie Bumping Heads With $17M+ Each This Weekend; Doll Leading National Cinema Day Early Admissions – Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  75. ^ Rothenberg, Eva (August 27, 2023). "National Cinema Day is back with $4 movie tickets". CNN Business. CNN. Archived from the original on September 3, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  76. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 4, 2023). "Equalizer 3 Still On Track For $42M+ 4-Day Opening; Next Up Nun 2 Eyes $30M+ Debut – Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  77. ^ "Blue Beetle". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  78. ^ "Blue Beetle". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  79. ^ Kermode, Mark (August 20, 2023). "Blue Beetle review – superhero fun with immigrant survival subtext". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on August 20, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  80. ^ Henderson, Odie (August 17, 2023). "DC's 'Blue Beetle' shines when focusing on the family of its Latino superhero". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  81. ^ Lowe, Justin (August 16, 2023). "Blue Beetle review: DC's Latino superhero gets a fun origin story". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  82. ^ Loughrey, Clarisse (August 17, 2023). "DC's Blue Beetle doesn't involve time travel or multiverses. Thank god – review". The Independent. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  83. ^ Wilson, Jake (September 13, 2023). "It's the first superhero film with a Latino lead, but does it match the hype?". The Age. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  84. ^ Potton, Ed (September 23, 2023). "Blue Beetle review — a wearily formulaic tale". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  85. ^ Lowry, Brian (August 17, 2023). "In Blue Beetle, DC bulks up a TV-style superhero origin story for theaters". CNN Entertainment. CNN. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  86. ^ Hipes, Patrick (February 5, 2024). "Avatar: The Way Of Water, Oppenheimer, Star Trek: Picard Among Winners At Saturn Awards". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  87. ^ Giardina, Carolyn; Bechara, Diego Ramos (February 21, 2024). "The Creator Dominates Visual Effects Awards With Five Wins, Spider-Verse Wins Four Including Top Animated Film". Variety. Archived from the original on February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  88. ^ Lussier, Germain (January 31, 2023). "James Gunn DC Slate Q&A: Flash, Aquaman, Crossover, More". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on January 31, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  89. ^ Gonzalez, Umberto (June 13, 2023). "Blue Beetle Will Be the First Character in the New DC Universe, James Gunn Confirms". TheWrap. Archived from the original on June 14, 2023. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  90. ^ Breznican, Anthony (July 11, 2023). "Superman Legacy Cast Adds Isabela Merced, Edi Gathegi and Nathan Fillion: Exclusive". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  91. ^ Taylor-Foster, Kim (June 17, 2023). "Blue Beetle director confirms movie's place in DCU". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on June 17, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  92. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 28, 2023). "James Gunn Confirms Three Actors In DC Universe; Filmmaker-Studio Boss 'Very Happy With The Outcome' Of WGA Strike, But Was 'Real Wrench In The Process'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  93. ^ Cordero, Rosy (June 14, 2024). "Blue Beetle Animated Series In Works As DC Plots Next Chapter For Superhero Franchise". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 14, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  94. ^ Freitag, Lee (July 18, 2024). "'I'm Just So Honored': Xolo Maridueña Teases Blue Beetle Animated Series". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blue_Beetle_(film)&oldid=1255480050#Animated_series"