Fired by Tom Hanks; Harvey Weinstein’s Forbidden Milk Duds; Zodiac Turns 15

Tom Hanks will soon reveal the reason why he fired Connor Ratliff from the set of HBO’s Band of Brothers 20 years ago; this week marks the 15-year anniversary of David Fincher’s Zodiac; Harvey Weinstein is not allowed to have Milk Duds in jail. All in today’s Movie News Rundown.

Happy Anniversary, Zodiac: David Fincher’s Zodiac was released in theaters 15 years ago this week, and we spoke to screenwriter James Vanderbilt, who dishes on his spec screenplay which he felt was too long — until Fincher started adding scenes instead of deleting them. He also reveals how he pitched and got Zodiac greenlit despite an ending where (spoiler alert) the Zodiac Killer never gets caught.

Future Human: Denis Villeneuve directed a glorious, alien-inspired photoshoot of his Dune star Zendaya titled “Future Human” for the cover of W Magazine‘s Director’s Issue. In the story, the pair talk about returning to the Dune universe for the sequel.

Dead Eyes: Tom Hanks has graciously agreed to be a guest on the Dead Eyes podcast, which is hosted by actor Connor Ratliff, who for 20 years has been trying to figure out why Hanks fired him from the HBO series Band of Brothers after remarking that he has “dead eyes.” Ratliff will finally get to ask Hanks himself on the podcast’s Season 3 finale, according to Deadline.

Milk Duds: Intrepid Variety reporter Gene Maddaus wrote a story about Harvey Weinstein being caught with “contraband” Milk Duds in jail, and Mark Duplass is enjoying the story very much:

Downton Abbey Fire: A fire broke out inside the UK’s Dalton Mills on Thursday, a former West Yorkshire factory building that was used as a set for Downton Abbey and Peaky Blinders, according to Variety. The factory was built in 1869 and was a key filming destination in Yorkshire. Thankfully, no one was injured in the fire, according to Deadline.

Disney+ Ads: The streaming service announced plans to introduce an ad-supported version in the U.S. later this year, and will expand internationally in 2023, in an effort to jump-start subscriptions numbers, according to Deadline. But are they going to bring back celebrities drawing Mickey Mouse ears with a magic wand like they used to on the Disney Channel? That’s my question.

Batman Box Office: Batman has barely been out in theaters for a day, and it has already hit $21.6 million at the domestic box office in previews from Warner Bros. and DC, including Thursday night showings and limited IMAX showings on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It’s expected to hit $100 million by Sunday and have the second-biggest pandemic-era opening weekend after Spider-Man: No Way Home. At least two MovieMaker staffers went to see it last night and paid an extra 50 cents for a commemorative cup — happy to do our part.

Bullet Train: Sony Pictures Entertainment released the trailer for Brad Pitt’s new assassin movie Bullet Train, and it’s full of vibrant colors and neon lights — plus a bunch of epic fight choreography. Watch the trailer below.

Main Image: Jake Gyllenhaal in David Fincher’s Zodiac film.