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Hobbits were a vital part of J.R.R Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Along with other races, they had an essential role in the narrative, including destroying the One Ring. Frodo and Sam were the main two Hobbits that audiences got to know best, as their friendship pushed them to complete what they had set out to do.

Nonetheless, Merry and Pippin also had a secure place in the plot line, again pushing the story forward. At first, it seemed like the two were part of the trilogy for amusing entertainment. But as it progressed, it became clear that their character arcs would be just as engrossing to follow. As a result, some of their best quotes come in a range from youthful and fun to serious and retrospective.

Updated on February 23, 2025, by Robert Vaux: The three Lord of the Rings films constitute over ten hours of running time from stem to stern,...

Family matters in Middle-earth. Frodo and Bilbo are cousins. Frodo, Pippin, and Merry are all connected by blood in different ways, as well. Galadriel and Elrond end up in-laws. Even Aragorn and Arwen are ever-so-distantly related if you go back far enough.

Everywhere you look, family history influences events in Tolkien's world. The author even gives us some glimpses into family details that don't directly impact the main story, even if they're critical in setting the stage for it. For instance, we know who Frodo's parents are — and we know about their tragic fate, too.

Frodo's mom and dad are Miss Primula Brandybuck and Mr. Drogo Baggins. These are Bilbo's first and second cousins, respectively, which explains why Frodo initially got onto the Hobbit bachelor's radar as a potential heir. Frodo's parents both come from well-respected Hobbit households. The Baggins are down-to-earth, practical Hobbits who never go out of their...

The tale of The Lord of the Rings set the precedent for modern high fantasy. Peter Jackson’s live-action trilogy revolutionized cinematic adaptations. And Sir Ian McKellen lived up to the name and reputation of Gandalf the White. J.R.R. Tolkien’s imaginative universe never felt more realized than in the hands of Peter Jackson and his merry band of hobbits, trolls, men, and elves.

The Shire in Lord of the Rings [Credit: New Line Cinema]

However, despite the colorful and honest rendition of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, there was a somewhat troublesome aspect in Jackson’s vision of the Lotr trilogy. This not only irked the young actors in the film but Sir Ian McKellen, too, regardless of how brilliant he was in film and theater.

Sir Ian McKellen’s love-hate relationship with Lotr Sir Ian McKellen with Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings [Credit: New Line Cinema]

Despite having a long, enduring, and flourishing career in theater,...

When you lose everything, it’s the little things that make the difference. And at this moment one of those things, for Jonathan Sims and Kyle Shire, is that Altadena’s Grocery Outlet is still standing.

“Oh my God, oh my God,” Shire says through laughter as we drive past the discount store with a postcard-perfect mural declaring “Greetings from Altadena” on its side, a little patch of normalcy on a street that is now studded with the torched remains of businesses. The couple will soon exclaim over the loss of several favorite spots devoured by the Eaton Fire — a breakfast joint here, a pizza restaurant there — but here is a favorite destination for bargain groceries, suddenly glorious in its mundanity. “I’m so sorry, but I’m really happy to see that grocery store,” Shire says.

Shire and Sims are just two of the thousands of entertainment workers whose...

Jake Gyllenhaal Lord of the Rings Audition (Photo Credit – Instagram/Facebook)

Imagine walking into an audition for The Lord of the Rings, thinking you’ve got it in the bag. Now imagine you’re Jake Gyllenhaal, and you’re about to make Peter Jackson facepalm. Yep, that happened.

Back in the late ‘90s, Jackson was looking for his Frodo, someone young, fresh, and preferably English. Enter Gyllenhaal. Fresh off October Sky, this boyish-eyed actor seemed like a perfect Hobbit candidate. But when it was time for an audition, Gyllenhaal missed the memo on one crucial detail: Frodo ain’t your average carefree teen.

Gyllenhaal’s audition, as he hilariously alluded to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, was… well, let’s say “casual” isn’t the word Jackson was hoping for. He strolled in, casually picked up the One Ring, and acted like he was picking up a rock in the Shire.

The Lord of the Rings has quotable moments by the bucketload, and some will be remembered for generations. Peter Jackson's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies adapted J.R.R. Tolkien's famous novels of the same names and will go down in history as some of the best fantasy movies in the world. While not all the movies' most quotable moments were lifted directly off the pages of Tolkien's masterpieces, Jackson's scripts had their own flair in spades. The movies provided each Lord of the Rings character with their own incredible quotes.

Jackson wrote some of the scripts himself and left the rest to Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh, and Stephen Sinclair. This strong team still stands behind The Lord of the Rings franchise, with The War of the Rohirrim movie presenting some memorable quotes of its own. Out in December 2024, the animated Third Age Rohan movie is the first Warner Bros.

Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers from Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 8, "Winter Break."

Abbott Elementary has featured numerous impressive guest stars over the course of its four seasons, with one of the most recent being the perfect casting for Melissa's mother in the season 4 fall finale. Lisa Ann Walter stars as Melissa Schemmenti, a role she has played since the beginning of Quinta Brunson's ABC mockumentary sitcom. Over the years, viewers have learned a lot about Melissa, including teases about her family and their history in Philadelphia. With this in mind, it makes sense why Brunson and co. decided to cast one particular actress to play Melissa's mom in Abbott Elementary season 4.

Abbott Elementary season 4 returns with episode 9 on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 8:30 pm Et on ABC. The midseason premiere will serve as the first part of the highly anticipated crossover with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season...

Melissa’s mother finally appeared for the first time in Abbott Elementary season 4, and a notable guest star portrayed the supporting character. Abbott Elementary’s cast of characters are all memorably funny, but some of them receive more focus than others. Abbott Elementary’s Janine and Gregory relationship was central to the show’s first three seasons, as the two trepidatious teachers navigated their attraction towards each other. This meant that many beloved supporting characters, like Lisa Ann Walter’s Melissa and Janelle James’s Principal Ava, were largely relegated to B-stories in most episodes. Season 4 has changed this.

Related Abbott Elementary Season 4’s Character Return Had An Unexpected Significance

Abbott Elementary season 4, episode 6 brought back a major supporting star from season 3, but they were playing a very different role this time.

Throughout Abbott Elementary season 4, the acclaimed sitcom has devoted more screen time and story focus to characters like Ava,...

The Godfather Part III might be the worst installment in the trilogy (by far), but it did succeed in finally giving Connie Corleone the larger role she always deserved. Connie is Vito’s only daughter and is often described as his favorite child besides Michael. The character was played by director Francis Ford Coppola’s sister Talia Shire, best known for her role as Adrian Pennino Balboa in the Rocky franchise. Shire earned plenty of critical acclaim for her performance as Connie (and even earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress), but she was often sidelined by The Godfather movies.

There are a few reasons why The Godfather Part III didn’t match the universal acclaim of its predecessors. Sofia Coppola’s performance as Mary was criticized for being wooden (although her acting has since been reappraised), while the narrative wasn’t as vital. But the threequel did do...

Leave it to Abbott Elementary to make us a casting offer we couldn't refuse. The Philadelphia-set comedy from Quinta Brunson has become a beloved ABC sitcom, so it's no surprise that the series is continuing to bust out the most impressive guest star names for its current season. Like Godfather patriarch Vito Corleone's youngest daughter Connie, and Adrian from Rocky herself, Talia Shire.

The Academy Award-winning actress beat out the desperate pleas of Bette Midler to play the matriarchal role of Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter)'s mother during an upcoming episode of the Emmy Award-winning series.

Airing on December 4, the seventh episode of the season titled "Winter Break" will focus on Walter's character, Melissa, as she, the logline reads:

"hosts the Schemmenti family Christmas Eve dinner and goes to great lengths to make sure everything is perfect. Meanwhile, Janine and Gregory get an unexpected guest."

'Abbott Elementary...

Middle-earth cinema is abuzz with projects at the moment — including multiple new additions to Peter Jackson's adaptive take on J.R.R. Tolkien's world. The resurrection of Jackson's work a decade after the release of his "Hobbit" trilogy and two decades after his "Lord of the Rings" movies premiered has led to a flood of questions about what actors could return to reprise their roles on the silver screen. Actor Miranda Otto is already narrating as Éwoyn in the anime film "The War of the Rohirrim," while Ian McKellen has also hinted that he is in talks to return in a future project as Gandalf. Other potential returning players include Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Elijah Wood as Frodo, Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, and now John Rhys-Davies as Gimli.

Davies voiced his willingness to return in a recent interview, clarifying that he didn't come back for the "Hobbit" films because...

Francis Ford Coppola says he hopes to live long enough to make his ‘live cinema’ project Distant Vision.

During an in-conversation event in Rome on the eve of the Rome Film Festival, Coppola also decried the film business for its lack of risk taking, and said aspiring filmmakers should hone their skills in theatre rather than make short films.

Coppola said he wanted to film Distant Vision entirely live. It will reportedly tell the story of a family over three generations whose history coincides with the development of television. He started working on the project a decade ago, first workshopping...

The early 2000s were a bad time for Sylvester Stallone professionally. In the mid-nineties, after a short-lived resurgence of three hit movies, Cliffhanger, Demolition Man and The Specialist, Stallone’s career as a bankable action star began to sputter, with Judge Dredd, Assassins and Daylight all losing money. Copland, an indie drama directed by James Mangold, made money and earned Stallone his best reviews since the original Rocky, but his follow-up movies were disastrous. His attempt at a slasher/ horror movie, D-Tox, sat on the shelf for years, finally being released under the lame title Eye See You. His 2000 remake of Get Carter was another disaster, with critics eviscerating him for remaking the Michael Caine classic, with even a cameo from Caine himself not easing their fury. In 2001, he teamed with Cliffhanger’s Renny Harlin on a go-for-broke would-be blockbuster called Driven.

Sporting a huge budget, for the time, a...

Rings of Power: The Origin of the Name 'Gandalf' Finally Revealed - Main Image

A lot of fans saw it coming from a mile away, but the finale of The Rings of Power Season 2 had finally confirmed that the Stranger, who was introduced way back in Season 1, was wandering wizard Gandalf the Grey.

While some fans may still be nitpicky about how he got the name (the stoors referred to him as ‘Grand-elf’), the origin in the show is actually pretty close to how author J.R.R. Tolkien came up with the name when he was just starting out building Middle-earth.

“Gandalf the Gray… That is What They Used to Call Me”

In an extensive thread on Twitter by user @timboltonuk, they break down the etymology of how Gandalf got his name and its history outside of the Middle-earth lore. Here’s the start of the thread:

According to the Tolkien Legendarium,...

Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis features a 23-year actor-director reunion that most audiences wouldn't know about. Throughout his five-decade career, Coppola is most commonly associated with actors like Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, and Talia Shire, who all appeared in his famous Godfather trilogy, among other projects. Aside from Shire, the cast of Megalopolis features primarily younger movie stars who are new to working with Coppola, from Adam Driver to Aubrey Plaza to Nathalie Emmanuel.

Megalopolis stars Adam Driver as Cesar Catalina, a futuristic architect who learns to harness a mysterious power called Megalon to build a utopian city. The city's mayor, Frank Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), resists Catalina's ideas, making him the film's main antagonist. Giancarlo Esposito is a veteran actor best known for his role as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, which granted him widespread recognition decades into his career. He's since found success with...

J.R.R Tolkien was responsible for crafting one of the most epic and intricate universes full of fantastical Lord Of The Rings creatures. While the world might be more familiar with the movie trilogies and the Rings of Power Amazon Prime series, they are just the tip of the iceberg. A century's worth of history took place by the time the movies arrived, and the prequel series only covers part of that history. The beasts and monsters fans encountered during the Third Age are pretty fantastical, but if fans journey back to the Second and First Ages they will find even stronger creatures capable of ransacking cities and terrorizing entire armies.

Middle-earth is populated by a lot of the same animals that exist in the real world, but Tolkien borrowed a lot of classic critters from folklore like dragons and werewolves, and even invented a lot of his own. The definition...

The Hunt For Gollum is on, and by the sounds of things, it's going be a long one. Following in the tradition of relatively short Lord Of The Rings prequels being unnecessarily stretched into multi-part epics, the recently announced Hunt For Gollum might already be a multi-part epic. Appearing after...

Exclusive: Netflix has won an auction for the Stephen Chbosky-directed comedy Nonnas in a deal Deadline hears is $20 million-plus for worldwide rights. Several bidders were in the mix on a film that had been invited to be part of the Toronto International Film Festival slate. That has changed and the film won’t make the trip. Netflix will release the film globally in 2025.

Scripted by Liz Maccie, and based on a true story, Nonnas stars Vince Vaughn, Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, Linda Cardellini, Drea De Matteo, Joe Manganiello, Michael Rispoli, and Campbell Scott.

Vaughn plays Joe, a single man in a dead-end job whose mother has spoiled him with her cooking. When she dies, he tries to pull himself out of grief mode by risking everything to open an Italian restaurants and honor his mother. He enlists a group of Italian grandmothers, who feed his love for home cooking, and they become surrogate moms. Chbosky has a knack for this kind of material, directing Wonder and The Perks of Being a Wallflower among others.

Nonnas is produced by Gigi Pritzker and Rachel Shane for Madison Wells, and Jack Turner for Matador Content. The exec producers are Alexis Garcia, Scott Budnick and Ameet Shukla for 1Community, Vince Vaughn, Jay Peterson and Todd Lubin for Matador Content, Amanda Morgan Palmer and Stacy Calabrese for Madison Wells.

Related: The 7 Best Vince Vaughn Movies To Stream From ‘The Break-Up’ To ‘Swingers’

Netflix confirmed the deal, and offered reaction from Nonnas‘ filmmaking team:

Gigi Pritzker, whose Madison Wells originated the film, said she was “delighted that Nonnas has found a great home at Netflix, where it will be widely seen and enjoyed. The film focuses on family, food and community, and in this turbulent time those are things we can all celebrate.”

Said Fifth Season Head of Film Christopher Slager: “Once again Stephen Chbosky has brought magic to the screen in this heartfelt and joyous film. We cannot wait for audiences everywhere to sit down at the table with us and share this fantastic film thanks to our partners at Netflix.”

Scott Budnick, 1Community Executive Producer added that “Nonnas is a celebration of family – the ones you’re born into and the ones you create. We are thrilled to bring this family to Netflix.”

Related: Jimmy Tatro Joins Vince Vaughn In 20th Century’s ‘Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice’

The deal was brokered by WME Independent and Fifth Season, latter of which was the studio on the film. It marks the third deal in the run-up to a Toronto Festival that is chock full of acquisition titles, including some titles that played Telluride. This after the Dito Montiel-directed Riff Raff was acquired for US by Roadside Attractions, and Sony Pictures Classics acquired Jane Austen Wrecked My Life before its TIFF premiere.

The available titles that buyers saw at Telluride include September 5, about how ABC Sports team broadcasting the 1972 Olympics in Munich, German rose to the moment and covered the kidnap and massacre of 11 members of the Israeli team in real time. The twists and turns and split-second decisions they made under Roone Arledge make for a harrowing thriller. Also in that mix is The Friend. In that film, Bill Murray plays an acclaimed writer whose companion is a Great Dane named Apollo. When he dies, the dog is adopted by one of the writer’s protegees (Naomi Watts) who tries to stash the oversized high-maintenance pooch in her Manhattan rent-controlled apartment, which has a firm no dogs allowed policy. Scott McGehee and David Siegel direct a film that was one of the buzz titles of Tellurides.

While recent TIFF deal making has been slow going each year since the pandemic, the abundance of plum titles with strong casts, and an expected buyer appetite could portend a strong atmosphere for deals. TIFF begins tomorrow night.

Related: ‘Dodgeball’ Sequel In Works At 20th With Vince Vaughn Returning; Jordan VanDina To Write The Script...

Jackson's Lotr movies left out key plot points to fit cinematic constraints, altering characters and storylines for better or worse. Some changes, like cutting Tom Bombadil, streamlined the narrative, while others like Erkenbrand's omission affected the depth of the story. The adaptation's success depended on bold commercial choices to bring Tolkien's expansive world to the big screen.

Peter Jackson's critically acclaimed The Lord of the Rings movies adapted J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings novel, but they weren't always faithful to the source material. Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies left out a lot of Tolkien's content. The movies' theatrical editions all have long runtimes compared to other releases as it is, and Jackson likely couldn't have crammed in much more. The movies necessitated substantial change to the source material due to the inherent challenge of adapting books to cinema, and in particular, adapting Tolkien's vast,...

The Lord of the Rings franchise is returning with all-new movies based on ancillary stories in J.R.R. Tolkien's vast mythology of Middle-earth, beginning with the 2026 film, The Hunt for Gollum. The new films promise to reignite viewers' love for the franchise, which remains one of the most charming, exciting, and unforgettable fantasy franchises ever.

The realm of Middle-earth divides its history into different ages, beginning with the First Age, which saw the birth of the races of Men and Elves. The Second Age saw the rise of both good and evil forces, culminating in the defeat of Sauron. The Third Age, however, was one of the most active periods in Middle-earth history, including several major events that would change the world forever.

Isildur Is Killed And Loses The One Ring

Year

2

Year by Shire-Reckoning

-1598

Related Why Most Fans Are Wrong About This Divisive Lord of the Rings...

It was the year 2003 when Peter Jackson released the end of his iconic trilogy with the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. With an ensemble cast that included Andy Serkis, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, and, countless others, the film was a spiritual experience for the people.

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King [Credit: New Line Cinema/Allstar]Well, Amazon Studios brought renewed interest in the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien with the release of The Rings of Power. However, there’s some more good news. An animated film is about to release and Gollum actor Andy Serkis has nothing but praise for the film!

Andy Serkis Praises The War of the Rohirrim

Late actor Bernard Hill once asked Aragorn “Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell?” and the iconic dialogue became a meme and a famous line from the franchise.

Samwise Gamgee played a crucial role in the journey to Mount Doom and continued to shape the fate of the Shire after the Ring's destruction. Tolkien's expanded lore reveals Sam's life as Mayor and his legacy as the "Gardeners of the Hill," showcasing his growth beyond a simple gardener. Sam's ability to heal and find happiness contrasts with Frodo's tragic fate, emphasizing the themes of sacrifice and the importance of the Shire.

While Frodo struggled with carrying the One Ring, Samwise Gamgee was the true reason for it made it to Mount Doom. He saved Frodo countless times from the clutches of death and even carried the Ring himself for a short time. But after all was said and done, the Fellowship parted ways, and Frodo set off into the Undying Lands, leaving Samwise to start a new journey after the events of The Lord of the Rings.

While...

Bringing together a legendary ensemble to translate Mario Puzo’s glorious novel to life was no cakewalk; being a part of the iconic star cast of The Godfather was perhaps even more complicated a feat to achieve. But even out of those who did get to work in Francis Ford Coppola’s crime classic, not everyone felt exhilarated about the opportunity.

Marlon Brando in The Godfather (1972) (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

In fact, there was one star who felt anything but elated for the most endearing reason, though.

The Rocky Star Who Didn’t Wish to Be Cast in The Godfather

If Talia Shire could go back in time and extricate herself from the colossal blockbuster that her brother helmed, she probably would.

Shire, 78, who happens to be Francis Ford Coppola’s younger sister, was cast as Connie Corleone – the tenacious and only daughter of the formidable patriarch of the Corleone family.

I am in a fix here with the Ross brothers’ 2023 film, Gasoline Rainbow. Usually, I admire the kind of cinema where nothing really happens; the likes of Richard Linklater’s Slacker (1991) and Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) are what I’m talking about. These movies rely solely on the vibe and the conversations between characters; most of the time, I dig those. Gasoline Rainbow is a coming-of-age road-trip movie, which should remind you of movies like Andrea Arnold’s masterful American Honey (2016), a film I absolutely loved, and Harmony Korine’s super-trippy Spring Breakers (2012), which worked for me despite its erratic nature.

The reason I’m bringing up all these is because, while I thought there was a lot to love in Gasoline Rainbow, the whole thing fell quite short of my expectations. And while I convinced myself that I probably would have loved it if I saw it...

Exclusive: Vincent Pastore, who recurred as Donnie “Glasses” Sisto in Season 2 of Gravesend, has been promoted to series regular for the upcoming third season. Additionally, Vincent Curatola and Talia Shire have joined the cast as series regulars for Season 3.

Set in 1986, Gravesend follows Benny, a soldier in the Colezzo crime family who is torn between the good that his devout Catholic parents taught him and the life his Mafioso cousin Charlie (Chris Tardio) showed him. Benny chooses to follow in Charlie’s footsteps and in turn, denounces his father.

In Season 2, viewers learned who was behind the hit against Benny Zerletta (series creator William DeMeo) in the church. Also, in a twist, Benny headed to Miami.

Pastore portrays Donnie Sisto, the Consigliere, who works directly under the boss Cesar Tremaldo (Chazz Palminteri), boss of the Colezzo Family.

Curatola plays Larry Sisto, the brother of Donnie (Consigliere), who is a Captain,...

Is Francis Ford Coppola’s controversial magnum opus “Megalopolis” any good?

The two hour and 20 minute dystopian drama certainly divided the audience at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday night with its collision course of shocking scenes: a doctored sex tape featuring Adam Driver, Shia Labeouf in drag playing a Trumpian figure and Aubrey Plaza dominating her way through a slew of men.

But there was still a huge amount of respect for iconic director Coppola, who received a four-minute standing ovation upon entering the room. After the credits rolled — which included a tribute to his late wife Eleanor — and the standing ovation began, Coppola hugged Driver and Giancarlo Esposito and got emotional as he made a speech dedicating the film to hope and family.

“Thank you all so much. It is so impossible to find words to tell you how I feel,” Coppola said, then introducing his family members in the audience.

A new Lord of the Rings spin-off movie has been announced, and it’s getting the old gang back together; the producers/writers of both film trilogies, Peter Jackson, Phillipa Boyens, and Fran Walsh will be producing once more, and directing duties will be taken over from Jackson by Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in both trilogies and who was also second unit director on The Hobbit films. Since then, he has directed three movies so he is well prepared to take on this one.

Serkis will also star in his original role of Smeagol/Gollum, and the film is currently tentatively titled The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. If that title means what we think it means, it could be a really exciting prospect.

The (Presumed) Story

We are assuming, on the basis of the title, that this film will cover Gandalf and Strider/Aragorn’s search for Gollum,...

To celebrate "The Godfather" turning 50 in 2022, The Hollywood Reporter sat down with actors James Caan, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire, and John Martino, who reflected on the creation and enduring legacy of director Francis Ford Coppola's cinematic masterpiece. Shire expressed her admiration for Marlon Brando's "breathtaking" transformation into the formidable Don Corleone.

"When he came to the set the first time, he was this handsome male," she recalled, but he utilized various makeup and acting techniques to transform himself into a weathered and wise mafioso, making him almost unrecognizable. The use of dental prosthetics gave Brando protruding jowls that made him resemble a bulldog, somehow lending Don Corleone a more dignified power.

Shire said that Brando also employed another unique performance method called "active listening" during filming. "It's not always when you say your lines that you pay attention; it is the listening to all the others around you.

Francis Ford Coppola’s passion project “Megalopolis” will officially premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, according to an individual familiar with the project. The film will debut in a gala slot on May 17.

“Megalopolis” boasts an all-star cast, including Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Shia Labeouf, Coppola’s sister Talia Shire, Jason Schwartzman (Shire’s son), Chloe Fineman, Kathryn Hunter, Dustin Hoffman, D.B. Sweeney, Baily Ives, Grace VanderWaal and James Remar.

Coppola wrote the screenplay in the 1980s and has finally brought the film to fruition, investing over $100 million of his own money into the project.

Last week, Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux told Variety that he’d been courting Coppola to bring his latest film to the Croisette after the famed director presented “Apocalypse Now Redux” during Fremaux’s first year at the festival in 1995.

“‘Megalopolis’ is a project that he...

Superhero movies were nearing their maximalist peak in 2017 — "Avengers: Infinity War" was a year away, while the DC Extended Universe was self-destructively racing toward "Justice League" without a roadmap or significant audience buy-in — when James Mangold quietly, confidently subverted the genre with "Logan." There had been attempts at revisionist superhero films before, but they were mostly based on/influenced by explicitly revisionist graphic novels (e.g. Zack Snyder's "Watchmen" and Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy). Josh Trank's "Chronicle" was probably the boldest of the bunch, but that was a top-to-bottom original.

Mangold's "Logan" was different. It used Hugh Jackman, the man who'd been playing Wolverine for 17 years, to tell an X-Men tale that branched out from the film franchise's narrative to depict a Logan in physical decline. Nothing lasts forever — not even, apparently, Wolverine's mutant healing process. He is in unremitting pain, and each altercation plunges him deeper into agony.

Megalopolis is the first collaboration between Talia Shire and Francis Ford Coppola since The Godfather 3 in 1990. Talia Shire is Francis Ford Coppola's younger sister. Megalopolis is shaping up to be a family affair, with Talia Shire's son, Jason Schwartzman, and Francis Ford Coppola's son, Roman, also involved in the film.

Francis Ford Coppola will be reuniting with a Godfather actor in his upcoming sci-fi movie Megalopolis, marking their first collaboration in 34 years. Set in post-apocalyptic New York, Megalopolis follows an architect, Caesar (Adam Driver), who wants to rebuild the city as a utopia after a global disaster. Megalopolis has been a passion project of Coppola's since the '80s when he first started writing the screenplay, and he's been trying to make the sci-fi epic a reality ever since.

Despite being one of the most esteemed directors of all time, Coppola was unable to secure financing for the production from any major studios.

It's been almost 50 years since "Rocky" first arrived in 1976, and in that time the franchise has changed dramatically. The "Rocky" saga has now grown beyond original star Sylvester Stallone, with Michael B. Jordan's "Creed III" barely mentioning the man who birthed the now legendary film series. Whatever you think about that, everyone can surely recognize the staying power of the "Rocky" movies, which have formed part of our pop cultural history for the better part of a half century.

None of this could have happened without the first entry in the saga, of course. "Rocky" introduced the world to the scrappy Southpaw from South Philly, who led a film that was remarkable for its realism and affecting performances. Much of that was down to Stallone who, having written the script during a particularly challenging time in his personal life, insisted on starring in the film, only to wow audiences...

The Leaves of Lórien played a crucial role in The Lord of the Rings. J. R. R. Tolkien's novel included significant scenes involving the Leaves of Lórien that were absent from Peter Jackson's film adaptations. The Leaves of Lórien provided practical and spiritual benefits to the Fellowship.

Early in The Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship traveled to the Elven realm of Lothlórien. There, Lady Galadriel gifted them cloaks and leaf-shaped brooches called the Leaves of Lórien. In the chapter "Farewell to Lórien" from the novel version of The Fellowship of the Ring, J. R. R. Tolkien described a Leaf of Lórien as "a green leaf veined with silver." While not magical objects like some of The Lord of the Rings' jewelry, the Leaves of Lórien were just as significant.

The Leaves of Lórien were front and center in Peter Jackson's film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings,...

When adapting any great work of literature, or even one that is just mid, filmmakers and visual artists will be forced to make changes big and small for any myriad of reasons. Sometimes it is due to the economy of storytelling in a truncated form—such as the famous example of Scarlett O’Hara’s number of children shrinking from three to one in Gone with the Wind. Other times, the changes are made because the requirements of a visual medium shifts the structure of the story; like showing the massacre at Hardhome by ice zombies in Game of Thrones instead of simply reading about it in a letter. There are even times when the filmmaker wants to put a modern spin on the text. This would be how every Dracula now is a sexy rock star god.

But then, dear reader, there are times when the filmmaker or screenwriter sees...

If not for a friend of Sylvester Stallone having an emotional reaction to the screenplay, Rocky Balboa may have been a very different character in the Rocky series.

Per Deadline, Stallone reflected on writing Rocky in his new Netflix documentary, Sly. He explained how he originally wrote Rocky as a "thuggish" character, as he was inspired by Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets. He then had a friend read the script, and he recalled how she started crying over the character's behavior, feeling that the rising boxer was too "cruel" to root for. That led to discussions on how to make Rocky more likable along with the key suggestion of partnering him up with a girlfriend, leading to the addition of Talia Shire's Adrian.

The 10 Best Sports Movies of All Time

"She goes, ‘I hate Rocky. I hate him. He’s cruel. He hits people. He beats them up,'” Stallone explained.

Nicolas Cage is living out his “Dream Scenario.”

The star of the upcoming A24 film revealed to The Guardian that he asks his subconscious for acting tips from his dreams. “If I’m stressed about how to play a scene, I’ll ask for a gift from my dreams,” Cage said. “Sometimes I’m so nervous about not having any hook on a scene that I’ll go to bed and dream about it and then I’ll get some residual feeling that I can apply to the performance.”

Cage has also had “beautifully weird” premonitions from his dreams, including a “wonderfully bizarre” experience where he dreamt of a two-headed eagle, and then was presented with the opportunity to purchase a two-headed snake the following day.

As for his acting career, Cage said he was blessed with five scripts over his decades-long career that did not require a single word to be changed,...

Francis Ford Coppola is joining the Roman Empire TikTok trend by asking himself the viral question: “How often do you think about the Roman Empire?”

“How often do I think of Ancient Rome? Quite a lot, as the Roman Republic served as the example for my country America and its institutions, and was the inspiration for my upcoming film ‘Megalopolis,'” the “Apocalypse Now” and “Godfather” director wrote on Instagram Friday.

In the recent trend on TikTok, women ask the men in their lives how often they think about the Roman Empire, with most men claiming that they think about it daily or multiple times a week.

Coppola continued, “My fascination with the Roman Republic is based on the struggle between the political parties during which the interest of the Republic yielded to the ambitions of a few powerful men who espoused the aims of political parties to establish their...

Adrian's off-screen death in Rocky Balboa was a risky move that paid off, creating a weighty absence and empowering Rocky's journey. Adrian's death improved the original story of Rocky Balboa by providing a richer and more heart-wrenching narrative centered around grief and purpose. Adrian's absence allowed for the exploration of Rocky's relationship with his son, creating one of the best aspects of the movie and a fitting end for the character.

Given how important she was to the main character and his franchise, many fans wonder what happened to Adrian in Rocky. Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) and Adrian's (Talia Shire) characters both complement each other superbly throughout the series. Watching Adrian from Rocky slowly come out of her shell, assert herself more, and gain confidence mirrors Rocky's own underdog journey. Unfortunately, due to a tragic death, her character isn't present past a certain point in the franchise's timeline. The franchise...

Queen By Midnight, the latest game from Darrington Press, has sold out in less than an hour every day at GenCon, creating a buzz in the Ttrpg space. Kyle Shire, the game's creator and designer, drew inspiration from strong female characters and wanted to create a game with cool, three-dimensional depictions of princesses. The development process with Darrington Press involved finding artists, balancing the game mechanics, and collaborating to enhance the overall gameplay experience.

Queen By Midnight is the latest game to come from Darrington Press, Critical Role's game publishing company, and it has taken the Ttrpg space by storm. Selling out in less than an hour every day at GenCon, this battle royale deck-building card game allows players to step into the roles of badass princesses to compete to become Queen of the Midnight Court by the time the clock strikes midnight. Each princess has their own in-depth backstory,...

Howard Shore's The Lord of the Rings score has been voted the best movie score of all time in a new survey of over 10,000 U.K. citizens. John Williams occupies the #2 and #3 spots with Schindler's List and Star Wars, respectively. Howard Shore's score for The Lord of the Rings plays a crucial role in the films, with different characters and locations having their own themes that add emotional depth.

The Lord of the Rings has beaten Star Wars in a new survey in which U.K. citizens voted on the best movie scores of all time. Directed by Peter Jackson, the hit trilogy of films is based on the novels by author J.R.R. Tolkien. Despite hitting theaters about 20 years ago now, The Lord of the Rings movies remain beloved and are widely considered some of the best fantasy films ever made, with Howard Shore's score playing an important part in this.

In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers film, Frodo recalls Gollum's given name "Sméagol" and how his life is "a sad story." Frodo also mentions how Gollum was one of "the river folk" and "not so very different from a Hobbit once," but that's about as far as director Peter Jackson takes Gollum's prior history. At least, when it comes to specifics. The Return of the King opens with a scene between Sméagol and his cousin Déagol that explains how Gollum got the Ring, and it's full of visual cues about the life Sméagol led prior to his entanglement with the One Ring.

Still, Lord of the Rings fans would know little else about the rich history of Hobbits in Middle-earth simply by watching the films. And though Jackson tells just enough of Gollum's story to fulfill the character's purpose cinematically -- he barely touches on the full...

While there are many theories surrounding The Lord of the Rings series, one of the most interesting suggests that Gollum may have killed Frodo’s parents. With as much world building and history as there is in The Lord of the Rings, some questions and mysteries related to the lore continue to linger. Naturally, there's no shortage of fan theories offering possible explanations for them.

One of these unexplored elements of the franchise relates to Frodo's past before The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. His backstory is crucial to the narrative of the Lord of the Rings saga, although there are parts of it that are still ambiguous. It's well-known that Bilbo brought Frodo up, encouraged his adventurous spirit, and introduced him to the Elvish languages. Frodo then follows in Bilbo’s footsteps when he is swept up in his quest to destroy the One Ring alongside Merry,...

Exclusive: Vince Vaughn (Bad Monkey) will topline Nonnas, an original comedy that Stephen Chbosky (Wonder) has been tapped to direct for Fifth Season (80 for Brady), 1Community (Just Mercy) and Madison Wells (The Eyes of Tammy Faye).

Among those joining Vaughn in the film, which wrapped production last month in New Jersey, are Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon (Blue Beetle) and Academy Award nominees Lorraine Bracco (Goodfellas), Talia Shire (Megalopolis) and Brenda Vaccaro (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood). Others in the cast include Emmy nominee Linda Cardellini (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Emmy winner Drea De Matteo (The Sopranos), Joe Manganiello (The Kill Room), Michael Rispoli (Power Book III: Raising Kanan) and Campbell Scott (Jurassic World Dominion).

Written by Liz Maccie, Nonnas is based on the true story of Brooklyn native Joe Scaravella (Vaughn), who, after losing his beloved mother, realizes he’s wasted...

The Lord of the Rings books saw two characters form an unlikely friendship, but this was cut from Peter Jackson's film trilogy - which was likely a good choice. Typically, changes from author J.R.R. Tolkien's works are criticized by long-time fans, and the Lord of the Rings films are no exception. However, some changes made so much sense with the plot that it's easy to forget they were never part of the canon tale. In fact, certain alterations can lead to a far better arc for several characters at once, which was the case for King Théoden and his niece, Éowyn.

In the Lord of the Rings movies, when King Théoden was brought out of Saruman's control by Gandalf, he was devastated to find that his son Théodred had died. However, he found comfort in his niece, Éowyn, and nephew, Éomer. They became as good as his own children,...

Amazon Studios is taking to the streets to promote Ben Affleck’s “Air,” which chronicles the beginnings of the iconic Air Jordan sneaker brand.

The studio has teamed up with iconic sneaker culture icon Jason Markk to host a multi-city consumer experience, dubbed “Fresh Air,” which ties into the film’s social campaign, “A shoe is just a shoe until I step into it.”

The activation will see guerilla street teams flood U.S. cities including Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Chicago, in a unique opportunity to bring together sneakerheads and celebrate the culture and history of the sneaker community. The street team will also have a presence at the Jason Markk flagship store in L.A.

Free to the public, the “Fresh Air” activation allows attendees to celebrate self-expression through fashion as they share their sneaker stories while getting a complimentary shoe cleaning, with premium care products from...

John G. Avildsen's "Rocky" was only one of three films to star actor Burgess Meredith in 1976. That year he also appeared in the horror film "Burnt Offerings" and the Irish short film "Circasia" which also starred Sean Connery, Eric Clapton, John Huston, and Shirley MacLaine. Meredith was one of those lucky character actors who seemingly never stopped working. His career began in 1935, when he played the uncredited "Flop House Bum" in the Noël Coward film "The Scoundrel." Meredith gained mainstream attention when he appeared in Lewis Milestone's 1939 adaptation of "Of Mice and Men," and had been a showbiz darling ever after. A quick look through his filmography reveals that he had at least one film or television project every year from 1935 through 1995. Meredith passed away in 1997 at the age of 89 with hundreds of acting credits to his name.

Meredith was the largest known star when "Rocky" debuted in...

I know they are favorites for a lot of people, but I struggle with the "Rocky" sequels and even the "Creed" movies to a certain extent. They became high-gloss Hollywood productions, which is fine, but they get so far away from what made the original Best Picture-winning film such a special movie. For me, what sets "Rocky" apart from so many of its imitators and successors is its immense sense of authenticity to the lives of ordinary, working-class people, and where I feel this most acutely is with the character of Adrian, played by Talia Shire.

In theory, Shire could not be more Hollywood. Her brother is this little filmmaker you may have heard of named Francis Ford Coppola, who made some movies people like, but nothing about the way she carries herself indicates that stature in the slightest. She is a proper character actor and a damn good one at that.

For all the unbridled machismo that defines the "Rocky" franchise, more credit does need to be given to the woman that stood in Rocky Balboa's corner. Talia Shire played Adrian with a quiet resignation in "Rocky" that really tapped into the feelings of desperation that the character had before meeting the Italian Stallion. She has accepted her fate. She's going to work in that pet store forever and take care of her abusive brother Paulie until he croaks. Shire portrays Adrian's devastating shyness beautifully. When Rocky starts chipping away at her defense, she slowly starts to come alive the more attention is paid to her. Rocky and Adrian's relationship is about transformation, and in order for Rocky to truly believe in himself, he needs to make Adrian believe in herself first. The closer they become, their dynamic changes gradually until Adrian is the one that's holding Rocky up, not the other way around.

Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather trilogy is one of the most celebrated movie series, and part of what makes it great is its cast of actors. The original 1972 movie follows Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) as he ultimately becomes the head of the Corleone mafia family after the death of his father. The Godfather Part II, released two years later, follows Michael becoming more power-hungry and relentlessly evil than anyone could have imagined. Finally, 1990's The Godfather Part III depicts Michael as a more regretful mobster, attempting to legitimize the family business and redeem himself for his past crimes.

The series has received several accolades, including a ton of acting nominations and awards. and The Godfather Part II was the first sequel to win Best Picture. Given that the epic period crime series spans decades, the trilogy features over a hundred different characters, and even the smallest roles are unforgettable. However,...

(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)

There are few franchises as enduring and roundly beloved as "Rocky." Sylvester Stallone was a nobody actor who managed to pick himself up by his bootstraps and turn this story of a nobody boxer into a critical darling and box office smash, as well as an enduring piece of Americana. More than that, the perceived quality of this franchise, nearly 50 years after its inception and nine films in, is pretty damn impressive. But before "Creed" came along to revitalize the series for a new generation, it was "Rocky Balboa" that revived it and made the spin-off possible in the first place.

The 2006 film is notable for an array of reasons, most notably that it featured Stallone getting back in the ring at...