Marvel Studios Chief Kevin Feige confirmed that the upcoming “X-Men,” the company’s introduction of the mutant superhero team in the MCU, will be made up of mutants who “feel like they don’t belong” in the upcoming reboot.

“I don’t want to talk too much about ‘X-Men,’ because that’s still a ways away,” Feige told TheWrap alongside a small group of reporters on Friday. “But you look at what the X-Men comics have always been, and they have been young, and they have been a place to tell stories about young people who feel different, and who feel other, and who feel like they don’t belong.”

Feige added: “that’s the universal story of mutants, and that is sort of where we’re going.”

“The New Avengers” director Jake Schreier is set to helm “X-Men.” “Hunger Games” writer Michael Lesslie wrote the screenplay.

The “X-Men” film franchise began in 2000 with “X-Men,...

“Superman” remains up, up and away at the box office. The superhero reboot retained its crown as three new releases, “Smurfs,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and Ari Aster’s “Eddington,” failed to pack a punch in theaters.

In its second weekend of release, “Superman” collected $57.3 million from 4,774 venues — a standard 54% decline from its $125 million debut. After strong weekday holds, the Warner Bros. comic book adventure has earned $236 million domestically and $406 million globally.

“A 54% second weekend drop is indicative of a marketplace that’s embracing the film,” says senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

The studio needs the well-reviewed “Superman” to keep flying high during the competitive summer movie season, especially since there are just days to go until Disney’s Marvel comic cook adventure “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” touches down on the big screen. Beyond earning back the $225 million production budget, “Superman” is intended to launch a...

Pee-wee Herman’s original red bike has found a new home at the Alamo.

On Friday, the Alamo revealed in a celebratory Instagram post that the stunt bicycle featured in the original 1985 film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure will be featured in the museum that is set to open in 2027.

“In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure this summer, the Alamo has officially acquired the original screen-used stunt bike from the film,” the post read. “The bike will be permanently displayed in the future Alamo Visitor Center and Museum, opening in Fall 2027.”

While there’s still roughly two years until Pee-wee’s iconic red bike will be available to view at the Alamo, they further announced that fans will be available to see the piece of movie magic in a limited-time showing inside the Ralston Family Collection Center.

“We’ll also be hosting a free public screening of the...

Yash Raj Fims (Yrf) and Mohit Suri’s Bollywood love story “Saiyaara” has rewritten box office history, posting record-breaking numbers in India that have transformed newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda into overnight sensations.

The romantic drama delivered a strong opening day performance on July 18, grossing INR25 crore ($2.9 million) and attracting 9,75,000 footfalls nationwide, according to numbers from Yrf.

The stars Ahaan Panday, making his debut, and emerging star Aneet Padda (Prime Video’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry”). Panday stars as Krish Kapoor, a rising musician whose raw talent and ambition set him on a collision course with the realities of the modern music industry. When Krish is introduced to Vaani Batra (Aneet Padda), a gifted and principled songwriter, sparks fly – both creatively and personally. As their partnership deepens, so does their connection, blossoming into a romance that is as passionate as it is complicated.

The film has achieved one...

James Gunn delivered DC fans some good and bad news about the fate of “Sgt. Rock” on Friday. The good news is that the World War II-set Dcu film will still move forward. The bad news is that Luca Guadagnino will no longer be attached to direct the project.

Guadagnino was initially set to direct the DC war movie with Justin Kuritzkes attached as a screenwriter. The two had a double team-up last year when they worked together on both “Challengers” and “Queer.” In April, TheWrap exclusively learned that Guadagnino had dropped out of the project, putting its fate in jeopardy.

Gunn appeared on Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast as the final leg of a lengthy press tour for “Superman.” During the interview, Gunn noted that “Sgt. Rock” was not dead — Guadagnino would simply no longer be attached.

“‘Sgt. Rock’ seemed like it was very close,” Horowitz said...

Spider-Man fans will have to wait just a little bit longer to go “Beyond the Spider-Verse.” The third film in Sony’s popular web-slinging animated series has shifted its release date back by three weeks, from June 4, 2027 to June 25, 2027.

Studio insiders tell Variety the move was made to capitalize on school-aged moviegoers — 100% of schools in the U.S. will be on summer break by the new date, as opposed to only 65% on June 4. There’s hope the new date will also pay off in international markets.

“Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” is the conclusion to a trilogy that began with 2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and continued with 2023’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.”

Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson serve as directors for “Beyond the Spider-Verse.” The screenplay is written by “Spider-Verse” creators Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, alongside David Callaham.

Lord and Miller will also produce with Amy Pascal, Avi Arad and Jinko Gotoh.

James Gunn isn’t in a rush to find the next Wonder Woman.

The Superman director revealed that he’s not currently casting for his Wonder Woman film while responding to rumors that fans shared on Threads. Gunn confirmed that he is not actively looking for actors to star in the movie “nor even discussing it, until a script is finished.”

He also denied speculation that DC Studios is specifically in search of “an actress with a TV-centric resume, akin to Supergirl’s Milly Alcock,” for the titular role.

“Nope. And I’d never in a million years look for a major role based on whether they did TV, films, or whatever,” he wrote. “It’s all about the casting.”

Of the upcoming Wonder Woman film, the Guardians of the Galaxy writer-director further tackled rumors that the project is being “fast-tracked,” according to reports.

“It’s a priority but I wouldn’t call that fast-tracked,...

Taylor Russell has exited her role in Amazon MGM Studios’ reimagining of “The Thomas Crown Affair,” where she was set to star opposite Michael B. Jordan.

Production on the movie, directed by Jordan, is underway in London. Russell is said to have exited the part due to creative differences, and the studio will be recasting her role as progress continues toward the film’s March 5, 2027 theatrical release date.

“The Thomas Crown Affair” also stars Kenneth Branagh, Lily Gladstone, Danai Gurira, Pilou Asbæk and Aiysha Hart. Drew Pearce wrote the script, with plot details being kept under wraps, following a previous draft written by Wes Tooke and Justin Britt-Gibson, which was based on the original film.

Jordan and Elizabeth Raposo are producing the picture for Outlier Society, alongside Charles Roven via Atlas Entertainment. Patrick McCormick and Toberoff Productions’ Marc Toberoff also serve as producers. Alan Trustman (writer of the original 1968 film...

“Girls” always seems to surge back into the cultural conversation, particularly since Lena Dunham’s new series “Too Much” premiered on Netflix earlier this month. In the near-decade since “Girls” aired its HBO finale, its cast has gone on to become film and TV stalwarts. Among the most prolific, of course, is Andrew Rannells — who appeared with Dunham on “Too Much,” giving fans the Hannah and Elijah reunion they were waiting for.

“Too Much” might’ve been the latest project pairing Dunham and Rannells, but it was far from the first. Actually, according to none other than Judd Apatow — “Girls” executive producer (among other things) — we now know exactly what the first scene they shot together was… and it’s a biggie.

In the scene — from way back in 2012 — Hannah and Elijah, her former college boyfriend, have a contentious (and hilarious) conversation about Elijah’s sexuality, focusing on how much...

When looking at American cinema of the late 1980s to the early 1990s, two of the most prominent names within that era come to mind: Steven Spielberg and Jackie Chan. Spielberg's filmography dominated Hollywood throughout the 1980s, serving as a prominent influence in popular culture that helped define the decade. As for Chan, his prolific career in China started to gain prominence within mainstream North America, particularly with his 1995 action comedy, "Rumble in the Bronx."

In 1993, Steven Spielberg had, on paper, the most successful year any filmmaker has had in Hollywood history. For starters, his dinosaur blockbuster, "Jurassic Park," became the highest-grossing film not just of that year, but of all time at the worldwide box office, topping his previous record that "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" had held since 1982. That same year, "Schindler's List" hit theaters to universal acclaim, winning him his first two Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Picture.

Like any other long-running show, Fox's "Bones" has its share of things that don't make sense, as well as episodes everyone should watch at least once. And like any other long-running show, it also took a while to find its feet and become the best possible version of itself. Part of this involved setting up the perfect core cast around clear main characters Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) and Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz). While many components were in place early, some people -- including me -- might argue that the show only truly came to its own when Tamara Taylor's Cam Saroyan and John Francis Daley's Lance Sweets found their places among the main cast. 

Another thing, of course, was knowing which characters to keep in the roster. Case in point: the aforementioned Cam. During a 2012 panel discussion with the show's stars (via IGN), "Bones" creator Hart Hanson...

"Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope" is a film of contrasts. On the one hand, it's a high fantasy tale about noble knights and swashbuckling pirates in an eternal battle against the forces of evil led by a cackling space wizard. On the other, it takes place in a universe where a young, naive, and annoying farm boy complains about being stuck working on his family's farm instead of being able to go out for a fun night on the town with his friends.

Indeed, the movie is full of small details that make Luke Skywalker's (Mark Hamill) home life feel like a warped reflection of everyday life for so many people who've watched the film over time. Perhaps nothing captures this better than Luke's blue milk, which he pours into a glass as he argues with his Uncle Owen (Phil Brown) and Aunt Beru (Shelagh Fraser...

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When we typically muse on who should be considered the "author" of a film, I don't think we ever come to the conclusion of "the studio." Sure, there are some pockets of vision within the history of movie studios -- the Warner Bros. gangster picture, the Universal horror movie, the Paramount "maverick 1970s film" -- but by and large, they provide the means to the end, the money and distribution deal for directors to make their mark on culture.

A24, however, is anything but typical. Founded in 2012 by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges, and named after an Italian motorway Katz was driving down, the independent movie studio has become one of the 21st century's most notable film tastemakers. It's a brand unto itself, a marker of a certain "type" of movie that indicates quality and intrigue. And even...

Erotic thrillers used to be big business. Explorers of late-night cable TV in the late '80s and throughout the '90s likely recall the cavalcade of nudity-infused neo-noirs that filled entire blocks of programming. Many of them starred Shannon Tweed. Because sex and sexuality hadn't yet been moved to the internet, erotic thrillers were vital for a generation exploring adult themes and sexual ideas, even if they were always presented as prurient. Erotic thrillers also proved to be big hits in Hollywood. Adrian Lyne made "9½ Weeks" in 1986 and "Fatal Attraction" in 1987, each of them enormous financial successes. Paul Verhoeven kicked the doors open wide with "Basic Instinct" in 1992, a film that made $353 million on a $49 million budget. Sex became a commercial powerhouse. 

In 1993, Paramount continued the trend with "Indecent Proposal," also a Lyne film, which dealt with the intersection of money and infidelity. In the film, Demi Moore...

“Mahershala Ali is still attached,” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige confirmed at a press event on July 18 (via Variety), bringing some clarity to the long-awaited new “Blade” entry in the MCU.

Just last month, while promoting “Jurassic World Rebirth,” Ali was evasive while discussing the project. “Leave me out of it,” Ali said when his “Jurassic World” co-stars Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey attempted to prod him on a Marvel-related trivia question. “That’s a Scarlett question.” In a separate interview with Variety at the “Rebirth” premiere, he said. “Call Marvel… I’m ready. Let them know I’m ready.”

Now, Feige says the project, originally set for release November 2025, says that Marvel simply got weighed down with projects due to the “over-expansion” of the brand. With the increased demand for product, Feige explained, “for the very first time ever, quantity trumped quality.”

“We had spent 12 years working on the Infinity Saga,...

Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's "The Shining" is widely regarded as one of the best horror movies of all time, and its influence continues to resonate with modern audiences. For proof, look no further than Hulu's "Nine Perfect Strangers" season 2, which follows various people who gather for some psychedelic therapy in the Austrian Alps. The isolated setting, coupled with the show's more mind-boggling elements, has had some viewers comparing the Nicole Kidman-starring drama to Kubrick's classic, and they have a point.

While there is a "Shining" influence throughout "Nine Perfect Strangers" season 2, the finale takes it to another level. The episode sees a crazed -- and heavily tripping -- man called Martin (Lucas Englander) chase Masha (Kidman) through the snow after experiencing a ghostly hallucination in a hotel. The sequence is a clear nod to the ending of "The Shining," which involves Jack Nicholson...

David Corenswet might be the "Superman" of James Gunn's new movie (and one of the greatest iterations of the character on screen), but when looking at the many supporting stars, many of whom are former Marvel actors, Edi Gathegi's Mister Terrific is the man of the hour. The third most intelligent man in the DC Universe outshines the Man of Steel and looks good doing it in one of the standout costumes among the movie's superheroes, adding to what makes this film so great. With that red, white, and black outfit and the signature letter across his face, Gathegi's T-sphere-chucking genius fits the part. But one detail that might confuse casual moviegoers is a signature element of Terrific's costume.

Stitched into the sleeves of his jacket are the words "Fair Play," which are never really mentioned in the film. To those unfamiliar, it looks like a logo, which doesn't suit Mister Terrific's character.

Of all the 1980s properties to survive into the 20th century, "The Equalizer" has proven to be one of the most surprising. Edward Woodward embodied Robert McCall on the original CBS television series for four seasons, while Queen Latifah played a genderbent version named Robyn McCall on a reboot series that lasted five seasons on the same network. However, it's the legendary Denzel Washington who's had the longest tenure as McCall, having played the character for over a decade in Antoine Fuqua's "Equalizer" films. No single actor plays the role like the others either, with the only throughline being a central figure with a violent past using their skills to protect those that can't protect themselves. 

In terms of the McCall with the most brutal sensibilities, that honor goes to Washington without question. Fuqua's first two "Equalizer" films demonstrate just how ruthless he can be (especially with a nail...

Beyond global phenomena like "Squid Game," South Korean scripted television, or K-dramas, have taken the world by storm in recent years. From their tightly scripted stories, appealing main casts, and stylish staging, Korean television has found enormous success with audiences overseas. Notably, many of the best K-dramas of all time run for a set amount of episodes, often just a single season, in contrast to American shows on air for years. That said, there are still a number of Korean series that end their runs sooner than originally intended, to the dismay of their fans.

Whether it's shows that quietly shelved plans for additional seasons or, on rare occasions, series that pulled the plug in the middle of production, there are K-dramas that ended prematurely. Sometimes these early endings are due to particularly low viewership while some are due to the productions being among the most controversial K-dramas of all time.

The first episode of Rod Serling's anthology series "The Twilight Zone" debuted on CBS on October 2, 1959. The episode was titled "Where Is Everybody?," and it starred Earl Holliman as Mike Ferris, a man who walks into a small, suburban neighborhood that is mysteriously devoid of people. He has no memories as to how he got there or even his own identity. He explores the town and finds no people, save for one creepy mannequin. The solitude quickly causes him to deteriorate mentally. All good "Twilight Zone" fans know the twist ending that occurs next.

By the time "The Twilight Zone" premiered, Serling was already a prolific, established TV writer, having written for hit anthology shows like "Playhouse 90," and "Kraft Television Theater." He had even written the screenplays for movies like "Patterns" and "The Rack" and was always trying to push the envelope in terms of what might be allowed on television.

The below contains spoilers for “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” now in theaters.

Major, major spoilers for whoever hasn’t seen “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (the 2025 one) yet. Madelyn Cline, who portrays Danica Richards in the film, has a brutal would-be-death scene at the movie’s climax. With Danica seemingly at the bottom of the ocean, it would appear that there was no coming back to the franchise for the “Outer Banks” star. But instead, right at the end, Danica washes ashore. She’s alive against all odds.

In an interview with THR, released July 20 but conducted on June 28, Cline revealed that the ending was a last-minute revision. “I only got the news that I was coming back about two-and-a-half weeks ago,” she said — meaning the scene was shot just about a month shy of the release.

Another added scene was a throughline that connected...

Television shows, especially comedies, centred around Latino characters have certainly been on the rise in recent years — "This Fool" and "Primo" are just two of the many that I instantly fell in love with — but for some reason, most of them seem to have a brief shelf life. Frankly, it's kind of a miracle that the Gina Rodriguez-led comedy-drama on CW, "Jane the Virgin," managed to remain on air for five years between 2014 and 2019. However, the actress's more recent sitcom, "Not Dead Yet," on ABC wasn't as lucky.

Despite the mixed reviews from critics, the show's ratings were pretty great during the debut season, making it the most-watched comedy on the channel in 2023. Rodriguez's character, Nell Serrano, a broke and newly single journalist, must have resonated with viewers as she was trying to build a new life on the ruins of her old one. After a 10-year break,...

Phillip Noyce's 1999 serial killer thriller "The Bone Collector" wasn't the typical movie that Denzel Washington usually chose in the 1990s. Sure, one could argue that he made "Fallen" (another serial killer flick) just a year earlier, but in Gregory Hoblit's feature, he was an able-bodied and tough homicide detective calling the shots. It was the type of role that greatly suited his strengths and heroic screen presence. Meanwhile, in "The Bone Collector," he played a bedridden quadriplegic forensic analyst with a very limited set of skills. He had little to no leeway to rely on his emblematic swagger or physical mannerisms because he simply couldn't move his body apart from his head. Not as if that was a problem for Denzel — we damn well know by now how vast and impressive his range is — but the part provided him an unusual challenge that he embraced and made the most out of.

Let's get this out of the way from the start: John Wayne was a problematic figure, and he is reviled in some quarters for his track record of bigoted views and Commie-bashing during the Red Scare. However, there is little denying that the Duke was a true Hollywood legend and one of the most memorable actors in the history of cinema. Over 45 years since he passed away, Wayne is still one of the first names that spring to mind when we think about Western movies, and rightly so. But he also transcended the genre that made him a superstar, standing alongside the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Mickey Mouse, and Marilyn Monroe as an icon of the 20th Century.

Like many modern viewers, I didn't know a ton about Wayne until quite recently when I started writing about his movies for /Film; as a progressive type, I felt an aversion towards...

The Marvel Cinematic Universe popularized the post-credits scene in the modern era. Since 2008's "Iron Man," fans had to wait until their seats until the very long credits end just to see if there's any tease to what might happen next. Sometimes, these can be very good, like Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) walking out of the shadows to discuss the Avengers Initiative in "Iron Man." In other cases, they seem pretty tacked on.

Marvel may have popularized the post-credit scene, but make no mistake, it's been around for decades. The very first film to utilize this technique was 1966's "The Silencers," which asserted that Matt Helm (Dean Martin) would return in "Murderer's Row." Since then, many movies have incorporated the bonus scene to sneak one more joke in there or propose a fun sequel idea.

A post-credits scene is usually a harmless bit of fun, but many films have...

Despite numerous false starts, Mahershala Ali’s debut as a vampire slayer in “Blade” is still in the works, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige confirmed.

“Mahershala is still attached,” Feige told a roomful of journalists gathered at Marvel Studios on Friday about the project, which would see the two-time Oscar winner assume the role originated onscreen by Wesley Snipes, who played the part in the late ’90s and 2000s, as well as in 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.” “The obstacle was, Ryan Coogler called and said, ‘We’d love some costumes for ‘Sinners,’” he joked, referring to costumes created by Ruth E. Carter for an abandoned “Blade” film that Marvel commissioned, then sold back to Carter for Coogler’s vampire movie. “And we said, ‘Take ‘em man, no problem’ — he’s a good friend — ‘Take our costumes. We’ll hold off on the movie.’”

In all seriousness, Feige explained, the prolonged...

“Angela left you in here as a test to see who would try to break the lock there.”

Kevin Feige was teasing a small group of journalists, including from Variety, while sitting at one end of the most storied conference rooms in Hollywood, in the heart of Marvel Studios offices on the Disney lot in Burbank. He was there to talk about the past, present, and future of the studio he’s led since Robert Downey Jr. declared himself to be Iron Man in 2008. After Marvel’s communications chief Angela Shaw brought Feige into the room, he gestured to the opposite wall, covered with shutter doors that are secured with a padlock. Behind them, he explained with a smile, are the plans for the next seven years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“It’s traditionally a five-year plan,” he said. “I think it goes to 2032 right now.”

Though it hasn...

The all-new X-Men are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe — and an all-new Tony Stark will (eventually) join them.

In a wide-ranging conversation with press on Friday, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige confirmed that, following the events of 2027’s “Avengers: Secret Wars,” the company will recast the super-powered mutants for its upcoming “X-Men” movie directed by Jake Schreier (“Thunderbolts*”).

Many of the actors who starred in the “X-Men” movies of the 2000s and 2010s are reprising those roles in 2026’s “Avengers: Doomsday,” including Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden and Kelsey Grammer. Stewart also played Charles Xavier in 2022’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” and Grammer appeared as Hank McCoy in a post-credits scene in 2023’s “The Marvels.”

In future films, however, X-Men characters who appeared in previous movies will be played by new actors, along with mutants making their big screen debut.

James Gunn is at the center of geek culture right now. Although all eyes are on his newest film, "Superman" (you can read /Film's review here), now that he's launched the brand new Dcu, it is still worth looking back at how his impressive career has led him. Although he directed the delightful horror film "Slither" and the provocative superhero dark comedy "Super," Gunn's blockbuster sensibilities came into the broader public consciousness in 2014 when Marvel Studios released "Guardians of the Galaxy." The film, about a ragtag group of misfits, was at the time considered a gamble for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it was Gunn's signature sensibilities in humor, heart, spectacle, and music that helped turn the titular team into some of the most beloved characters in the entire MCU.

The first "Guardians of the Galaxy" film introduced the original roster of Guardians, which featured Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt...

Ever-outspoken standup, actor, talk show staple, and “Wtf with Marc Maron” host Marc Maron talked about his “nemesis” Jon Stewart on the NPR series “Wild Card with Rachel Martin.” Way back in the ’90s, Maron was one of Stewart’s successors as host of Comedy Central’s “Short Attention Span Theater,” which was canceled shortly after he took over. Maron, of course, went on to bigger and better things, as did Stewart, but Maron said that he needed a rivalry to keep going.

“I always have a nemesis… like most of that is fueled by resentment, insecurity, jealousy, or whatever,” he explained. “It’s habit and it’s the never ending sort of, you know, struggle against acting out of insecurity… or resentment, self-acceptance.”

For years, Maron continued, Stewart filled that role for Maron, since — as he recalls — “he had figured it out” when it came to being a comic.

In 1928, author Herbert Asbury published "The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld," which rapidly became something of an underground classic. There was good reason for this: Asbury's account of the gangs of old New York was rather detailed and colorful, cobbled together with the help of myth, historical research, exaggerated first-person accounts, dodgy memory, and police records. The scope was vast too, tracing the turbulent nature of gang wars in the area that led up to the rise of the Mafia, while also providing a rogues gallery of individuals who were infamous for one reason or the other.

42 years after Asbury's book was first published, Martin Scorsese became fascinated with its subject matter, but didn't have the means to adapt it at the time. An up-and-coming director who had recently released his debut feature, Scorsese set his sights on other projects, diligently working towards cementing his name.

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The first version of "A Star is Born," directed by William Wellman, was released in 1937, and starred Fredric March as Norman Maine, a slumping Hollywood star whose career has been nearly destroyed by alcoholism. Janet Gaynor starred as Esther Blodgett, stage name Vicki Lester, an up-and-coming singer who Norman takes under his wing. He may or may not be able to salvage his own career, but Norman still succeed vicariously through Vicki. He stops drinking. Naturally, the two begin a doomed romance, and audiences sense that it's only a matter of time before alcoholism rears its ugly head. Maine will not survive to the end.

Wellman's film was acclaimed enough to be nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, the first color film to hold the distinction. It lost to "The Life of Emile Zola" that year, but its reputation remained strong.

As a film critic, the question I get asked more than any other is, “What’s your favorite movie?” For decades, I’ve given the same answer. But in the last 10 years or so, when I say, “My favorite movie is ‘Nashville,'” I always have to wonder if the person I’m talking to has even heard of it. Many have not. A handful have heard of it in an “Oh, yeah, right” sort of way. The rest, a distinct minority, know just what I’m talking about. I can always tell by the look in someone’s eye when I’ve stumbled upon a fellow “Nashville” believer.

I first saw Robert Altman’s teeming, sprawling, exultant, tragic, transporting masterpiece, which came out 50 years ago this summer, when I was a freshman in college. The film had an effect on me that’s hard to describe. I didn’t...

Bradley Cooper continues to be omnipresent on the big screen, but even for the A-lister, the road has been bumpy on occasion. Cooper didn't think he would land his game-changing "The Hangover" role in 2009, and he might have completely quit acting if it weren't for Paul Thomas Anderson's 2021 film "Licorice Pizza."

The actor/filmmaker's first screen role was a 1999 guest star turn on "Sex and the City," which was by no means a small accomplishment considering the show's popularity at the time. However, Cooper originally aimed for loftier things. In fact, had the multi-hyphenate had his way, he would have scored the role of A.J. Frost (ultimately played by Ben Affleck) in Michael Bay's 1998 sci-fi disaster film "Armageddon." In a 2013 interview with NPR's Terry Gross, Cooper described his early DIY audition processes:

"There would be calls for, I remember, 'The Patriot' for the Heath Ledger role,...

Whenever Batman movies are discussed, 1995's "Batman Forever" often gets overlooked. For whatever reason, we don't like to talk too much about this star-studded blockbuster that made $336 million ($70 million more than the previous installment), contained groundbreaking CGI in the form of the first-ever digital stunt double, and successfully kept the Batman franchise afloat after Tim Burton's "weird experiment," "Batman Returns," went a little too dark for mainstream audiences. But we should.

I remember when "Batman Forever" debuted, and it was a big deal. The movie featured a new Batman/Bruce Wayne in the form of Val Kilmer, which, for anyone who'd grown up with Michael Keaton as their Batman, was a major change. Kilmer's Dark Knight arrived with an array of updated Bat-gadgets, too, including an undeniably cool Batmobile with an H.R. Geiger-influenced design. Tim Burton, who'd directed the first two films in the saga, was replaced with Joel Schumacher,...

Steven Spielberg's 2005 film "Munich" might be considered the first of a thematic trilogy -- call it the Current Events Trilogy -- wherein the famed filmmaker examined crucial events of the past to make direct comments on the present. "Munich" was the first part of the trilogy, and it used the bombing -- and subsequent military revenge campaign -- of the 1972 Olympics as a way to comment on the revenge tactics committed by the United States following the events of 9/11. The second part of the trilogy was 2012's "Lincoln," a film that flashes back to 1865, and that used the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to distantly comment on same-sex marriage rights in the present. The third part of the trilogy was 2017's "The Post," a film that used the Washington Post's coverage of the Watergate scandal in 1971 as a means to comment on the relationship of the news media to then-president Trump.

David Corenswet as Superman was not an idea that just dropped out of thin air. In fact, that idea has been gestating for at least six years. The actor even told Men’s Health writer Evan Romano at the time in 2020 that it was his “pie-in-the-sky” dream to play the ultimate comic book hero.

“I mean, the whole point of ‘pie-in-the-sky’ is that it doesn’t happen too often,” he previously said, adding, “I just always felt like Superman was both under-appreciated and over-simplified, and there was a lot of interesting stuff that could happen with it. But that’s all just in my mind. There’s nothing outside of that, at least that I know of.”

Romano told Corenswet that he could see him playing the role, to which the now-Superman, then-mortal replied, “Great to know… I’ll take that in writing. Maybe we can start a petition.”

The ambition,...

Spoiler Alert: This story contains major spoilers from “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” now in theaters.

Sarah Michelle Gellar never thought there would be an “I Know What You Did Last Summer” movie released in 2025.

“I don’t think I had that one pegged,” Gellar told me Thursday at the taping of the Las Culturistas Culture Awards in Los Angeles.

The new movie, directed and co-written by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, follows a group of former high school friends being targeted by a serial killer a year after they were involved in a deadly car accident.

“Jenn Robinson brought it up to me like three or four years ago – this has been a long process – I thought, ‘It’s such a good idea, but you don’t know. Do people still love the movie? Do people still watch the movie?’” Gellar said.

Just days before Las Culturistas, Gellar appeared...

Edi Gathegi has been impressing audiences around the world with his performance as Mister Terrific in James Gunn's "Superman." The DC movie, which marks the beginning of the new DC Universe, introduces not only David Corenswet's new take on the Man of Steel, but a group of superheroes currently calling themselves the Justice Gang. This group includes Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Isabela Merced's Hawkgirl, and Gathegi's Mister Terrific. Fans have quickly taken to all of these heroes, though Mister Terrific in particular has emerged as a fan-favorite character from the film, due in part to his memorable takedown of Lex Luthor's PlanetWatch forces.

2025 could have seen Gathegi taking on another major project, this time alongside Hollywood legend Robert De Niro. Gathegi had originally been cast in De Niro's Netflix miniseries, "Zero Day," which stars De Niro as a former US President who's...

James Gunn's "Superman" does a lot of things right, but arguably the best thing the movie does as the first film in the new DC Universe is create a vast world that feels lived-in. The opening text crawl opens the door for a universe where superheroes have been around for centuries (if not millennia), while the rest of the movie paints a picture of a superhero universe full of magic. Here, kaiju attacks in Metropolis are just another day for the people of the city. Pocket universes are not just theory, they are so real that they simply annoy characters when they find out a villain is using them. This is a world filled with heroes, and one where there's already a corporate superhero team.

And it seems James Gunn is building up to another team, but not the way you think.

In an interview with ScreenRant's Ash Crossan,...

“Superman” continues to rule the worldwide box office, powering to $406 million after two weekends of release.

Those ticket sales include $171.8 million overseas and $235 million from the North American market. Turnout remains softer than expected at the international box office, where “Superman” added $45.2 million in its second weekend. Outsized global appeal is vital because the comic book reboot, starring David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, has the lofty goal of launching a new phase of superhero movies for the Warner Bros.-backed DC Studios. Two interconnected spinoffs, “Supergirl” and “Clayface,” will land in 2026, while a new “Wonder Woman” movie is in the works. Plus, “Superman” will face steep competition next weekend as another comic book adventure, Disney and Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four,” opens in theaters.

Meanwhile, Universal’s “Jurassic World Rebirth” had another huge showing with $40.2 million from 82 overseas territories in its third weekend of release. So far, the...

Some great TV shows become great not because every single moving part fits together seamlessly, but because they're adept at narrowly avoiding utter disaster. A prime example of this is Garry Marshall's "Happy Days," the seminal 1970s sitcom that featured everyone from future "The Karate Kid" great Pat Morita to future master director and "Arrested Development" narrator Ron Howard. The show had to dodge a terrible original title and make changes that saved it from early cancellation before it even had a chance to fully establish itself -- and as we'll soon discuss, these weren't the only issues that could have felled "Happy Days" early on.

While "Happy Days" was technically about a group of 1950s teenagers transitioning into adulthood and their families, Henry Winkler's uber-cool greaser Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli soon all but hijacked the show, becoming a clear breakout character. Similarly, though the series was well-cast throughout,...

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"The Big Bang Theory" might not be one of the best sitcoms of all time, but it's certainly one of the most popular. The show's character-driven, pseudo-nerdy quirkiness has left a mark on the genre, and projects like the upcoming "The Big Bang Theory" spin-off focusing on Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman) are ready to expand the parent show's universe in new directions. With so many "The Big Bang Theory" characters who deserve their own spin-off series waiting in the wings, who knows how long the franchise will endure?

"The Big Bang Theory" has been such a pop culture juggernaut that it's even expanded its tendrils into the real world. The events of the show mostly take place in Pasadena, California, and in 2016, that city honored the CBS comedy by naming a street after the show. This, of course, is an absolutely useless honor in practice,...

There are many reasons for an actor to leave a popular show or an interesting project. Charle Barnett's Peter Mills was written out of "Chicago Fire" to make room for other characters. Barbie Ferreira left "Euphoria" because her character Kat Hernandez had limited storyline options left. 

Sometimes, the departure of a star whom fans saw as key to a show's popularity might be a simple contract issue. For instance, Regé-Jean Page's Simon Basset left "Bridgerton" simply because his contract was up and the esteemed Duke of Hastings opted to go explore other things. A similar thing happened with Gina Torres, who starred in the USA Network legal drama "Suits" as Jessica Pearson for six seasons before departing the show in 2016. In an interview with The New York Times, Torres confirmed that her exit was the simple matter of her contract ending:

"My contract was up, so this wasn't a...

Spoilers for "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" to follow.

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" sure loves to put Spock (Ethan Peck) in comedic situations. In season 1's "Spock Amok," he accidentally exchanged bodies with his fiancee T'Pring (Gia Sandhu) during a mind meld gone wrong. Then, in season 2's "Charades" (which /Film named the funniest "Star Trek" episode ever), Spock was transformed into a full-blooded human and had to relearn how to be a Vulcan.

Now, "Strange New Worlds" season 3 has unveiled its own comedic Spock adventure as part of its two-episode premiere. To do so, it's also brought back one of the campiest yet most powerful villains from "Star Trek: The Original Series."

In "Wedding Bell Blues" (helmed by "Charades" director Jordan Canning), Spock and Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) are getting married! Except, they previously broke up ... and Christine has just arrived on the Enterprise with her new boyfriend,...

It has been almost 20 years since Isaac Hayes left his voice role of Chef in “South Park.” And it has also been 17 years since Hayes died at the age of 65. Now, the legendary performer’s son Isaac Hayes III has addressed the long-held rumor as to why exactly his father Hayes left the popular Comedy Central series.

It should first be noted that Hayes quit following the controversy regarding an episode that skewered Scientology entitled “Trapped in the Closet”, in which Stan joins Scientology after recruiters say he is the reincarnation of church founder L. Ron Hubbard. Scientology has long tentacles in the entertainment industry, even more publicly so in 2005 when the episode aired. Famous members like Tom Cruise and John Travolta were sent up in the episode. Years later, during the podcast “Basic!,” “South Park” co-creator Matt Stone explained why the writers chose to spoof Scientology.

“Everyone knew Scientology was so litigious,...

There are certain movie stars who have "It" the second they walk in front of a camera. It might not happen for them immediately, but all casting directors and filmmakers had to do was watch a minute or two of Cary Grant, Marlene Dietrich, Carole Lombard, or Paul Newman to know that they'd be topping marquees and posters for decades to come. For Gen X-ers, the same could be said of Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, and Halle Berry. For Millennials and Zoomers, you've got Michael B. Jordan, Florence Pugh, Glen Powell, and Sydney Sweeney.

Some future movie stars don't pop like this. They need seasoning and, most importantly, the right role to demonstrate that they're capable of carrying a movie. I don't think anyone envisioned Gene Hackman as a leading man until they saw him whoop it up as Buck Barrow in "Bonnie and Clyde," nor was Renée Zellweger...

One of the more notable one-episode wonders in television history may be "Lookwell." 

"Lookwell," for those unfortunate enough not to know, was a comedy pilot starring Adam West that was produced by Lorne Michaels and co-written by Conan O'Brien and Robert Smigel. It was made in 1991, but despite its high concept and high quality, it never went to series. The pilot aired on NBC in late July of that year as a TV movie, but only those with fast-moving Vcr-record buttons were able to capture it before it vanished into the ether. Those who did manage to capture it on VHS instantly became enamored, falling in love with Adam West's sublime comedic performance and its askew sense of humor. 

The premise of "Lookwell" was a little arch, as was the fashion at the time. West played Ty Lookwell, a wealthy, retired TV actor who loved to lounge around his 1970s-decorated...

Marshall Bruce Mathers III, better known as Eminem, is the best-selling rapper in recording music history. In a career spanning nearly 30 years and counting, Eminem has been one of the most dominant forces in hip-hop and has also pursued some acting roles here and there. Most notably, he appeared as up-and-coming Detroit rapper Jimmy Smith Jr., Aka B-Rabbit, in Curtis Hanson's "8 Mile." The film was semi-autobiographical, based on Eminem's real-life experiences, and won him an Academy Award alongside co-songwriters Jeff Bass and Luis Resto. Although the film follows some derivative cinematic tropes, it is fondly remembered by Eminem fans as one of the highlights of his career, boasting success at the box office and on the Billboard charts.

Not every prominent musician can headline a film to box office success, as proven by The Weeknd's recent box office bomb, "Hurry Up Tomorrow." But to Eminem's credit, he...

“Happy Gilmore 2,” set to drop on Netflix July 25, almost had one more cast member from the original film included: Carl Weathers — who played Derick “Chubbs” Peterson, the sage handless pro golfer who meets an unfortunate end. Weathers, though, died at the age of 76 on February 1, 2024. The movie did not begin shooting until later that year.

“We had a painful change. Carl Weathers had a massive part,” Sandler said in an interview with Collider. “I would talk to Carl, and we were excited, and then Carl passed away. We had to rewrite a lot of the stuff, and even what the story was. We made a lot of nice references to how great Chubbs was in the movie. That was the biggest change.”

In the initial drafts of the “Happy Gilmore 2″ story, Chubbs played an integral role in the plot. “In the first version that we came up with, he had a son.