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You can now get a first look at new footage of Heathers The Musical, Off-Broadway at New World Stages. The New York production began performances on June 22, 2025 at New World Stages. Originally slated to run until September 28, 2025, the show has been extended through January 25, 2026, due to demand. Based on the iconic 1989 cult film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, Heathers first premiered in Los Angeles in 2013 to sold-out audiences before transferring to New York’s New World Stages in 2014. The show was reimagined for its 2018 London debut, featuring new songs and updated script elements that are now being showcased in the current New York production. Since its premiere, Heathers has gained a large,...

Saturday Night Live has always been about reinventing itself. Every few years, the show experiences a wave of change. Some beloved cast members say their goodbyes while fresh faces walk into Studio 8H, ready to leave their own stamp on comedy history. Season 51 is shaping up to be one of those transition years. With longtime players moving on, including the departure of Heidi Gardner, the spotlight now falls on the new batch of featured cast members who are about to test their skills under the biggest comedy microscope in America.

This fall, five names are joining the ensemble, but one is already a familiar figure. Ben Marshall, who audiences may...

Heathers The Musical is heading back out on tour in 2026, playing dates across the UK. Tour dates for the show are to be announced soon. The show will also hit the road in Australia and New Zealand from April 2026, including Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Canberra, Perth, Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. A new US tour is also set for Spring 2027. Heathers is based on the cult 1989 film starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, and the musical first premiered in LA in 2013 before transferring to New York’s New World Stages in 2014. This new production of...

HBO’s untitled Rachel Sennott series now has a release date — and a title. The “Bottoms” and “Shiva Baby” star and co-writer will executive produce and lead the series “I Love LA,” which will air weekly on HBO and stream on HBO Max, kicking off this fall.

The series will center around a group of friends navigating life and love in the city of angels, like so many before them. Sennott stars as Maia, with Jordan Firstman as Charlie, Josh Hutcherson as Dylan, Odessa A’zion as Tallulah, and True Whitaker as Alani. Guest stars include Leighton Meester, Moses Ingram, Lauren Holt, Elijah Wood, Quenlin Blackwell, Josh Brener, Tim Baltz, Froy Gutierrez, and Colin Woodell. Emma Barrie, Aida Rodgers, Max Silvestri, and Lorene Scafaria also executive produce, with the eight-episode season directed by Sennott, Lorene Scafaria, Bill Benz, and Kevin Bray.

“I Love LA” was announced in fall 2024 without a title,...

Stars: Rose Deghan, Chloë MacLeod, Victoria Wardell, Talisa Mae Stewart, Ashkan Nejati, Maryam Sadeghi | Written and Directed by Ava Maria Safai

In the opening moments, writer/director Ava Maria Safai effectively establishes the 2004 setting of her feature debut, Foreigner. This is achieved through a retro-looking advertisement recorded on videotape, as the grainy ad for blonde hair dye promotes “fitting in” with friends. It serves as a solid lead-in to the story of Yasamin (Rose Deghan), an Iranian teenager new to Canada, who wishes to fit in with her peers.

Her first day at a new high school catches the attention of a pastel coloured clique, led by the beguiling Rachel...

“Dexter: Original Sin” is not returning for Season 2 after all.

Variety has learned from sources that Paramount has opted not to move forward with another season of the prequel series. A Season 2 renewal announcement went out in April, but sources say the series has in fact been on hiatus and no plans to shoot a second season had moved forward and no production dates were scheduled. The show had originally debuted in December 2024 and wrapped up its first, and now only season, in February.

Variety has also learned that Paramount is imminently planning to open a writers room for a potential Season 2 of “Dexter: Resurrection,” a followup to “Dexter” and “Dexter: New Blood” in which Michael C. Hall stars in the role of Dexter Morgan once again. The first season debuted on July 11 with the finale scheduled for Sept. 5. While a renewal is by no means a guarantee, the show...

A year after starring in cult favorite Heathers, Christian Slater made noise with another movie that has since earned a loyal following. Decades before podcasters started using their medium for raw confessionals, writer-director Allan Moyle’s Pump Up the Volume featured Slater as a high school student and pirate radio DJ who causes a stir with candid commentary from his alter ego, “Hard Harry.”

Moyle, who would later helm the well-regarded 1995 teen movie Empire Records, had written an unpublished novel that became the basis for Pump Up the Volume. John Cusack was considered for the role before it went to Slater.

“I’m quite surprised that it got greenlit when it did, but I doubt very much that it would get greenlit today,” says producer Rupert Harvey, who notes that New Line’s later projects, including the Lord of the Rings franchise, were considerably more ambitious. Scott Paulin, Ellen Greene...

Watch Leo Roberts sing 'The Song of Roland' from the new musical Huzzah!, with book, music, and lyrics by Olivier Award winners and Tony Award nominees Nell Benjamin and Laurence O'Keefe. The musical is directed by Lortel Award winner Annie Tippe. Two sisters, one a princess and one who works in insurance, must stop fighting to save their father's Renaissance Faire from financial ruin (and the occasional mead-based fire). When they gamble the payroll to hire the greatest swordsman on the whole Ren Faire circuit, will things go fair or foul at the Faire? Don thy doublet, cinch thy corset, and grab a turkey leg...

Billy Crystal recently stopped by Heathers: The Musical to pay a visit to the off-Broadway musical revival. BroadwayWorld was there to capture the moment, taking photos of Crystal with the Heathers cast. Check out photos below! Heathers features book, music and lyrics by Kevin Murphy (Reefer Madness The Musical) & Laurence O’Keefe, based on the film by Daniel Waters. The production, directed by Andy Fickman, officially opened on July 10, 2025. Welcome to Westerberg High, where popularity is a matter of life and death, and Veronica Sawyer is just another nobody dreaming of a better day. But when she's unexpectedly taken under the wings of The Heathers – three beautiful and impossibly cruel classmates all...

A month prior to the release of "Heathers," the American moviegoing public was warned that a couple of upstart film brats had concocted an unspeakably cruel dark comedy about the epidemic of teen suicide. The critics were generally impressed, but some worried that communities that had been traumatized by this tragedy in real life would picket theaters playing the movie (or worse). "Heathers" was toying with raw emotions, we were told. A storm was coming, one that could end the careers of director Michael Lehmann, screenwriter Daniel Waters, and the rising star duo of Winona Ryder and Christian Slater.

New World Pictures obviously wanted "Heathers" to be a sleeper hit, but the combination of the film's subject matter and the company's limited resources placed it at an immediate disadvantage. So, it toe-dipped with a 35-screen opening on March 31, 1989. The movie's per-screen average was encouraging for an indie, but not the stuff of an ambitious expansion.

Kerry Butler is taking a month off of Off-Broadway's Heathers the Musical to star in City Center's Bat Boy! As announced this morning, Butler – who starred in the original production of the Off-Broadway musical – will be taking on the role of Meredith Parker in the upcoming City Center revival. In a note posted to the Heathers social media pages, Butler will be taking a month long leave of absence from the hit musical, from October 10 through November 10. Read more below. "To Whom It May Concern, (aka the students of Westerberg High) I'll be temporarily stepping away from the guidance office on October 10th to lend my light and love to another production. But don't worry, this is just a field trip and I'll...

Get a first look at “Candy Store” from Heathers the Musical, featuring Lorna Courtney as Veronica Sawyer, McKenzie Kurtz as Heather Chandler, Olivia Hardy as Heather Duke, Elizabeth Teeter as Heather McNamara, and more. Heathers is currently running at New World Stages through January 25, 2026. Heathers also stars Tony Award nominee Casey Likes as Jason “J.D.” Dean, Xavier McKinnon as Ram Sweeney, Cade Ostermeyer as Kurt Kelly, Ben Davis as Ram’s Dad/Big Bud Dean/Coach Ripper, and Cameron Loyal as Kurt’s Dad/Veronica’s Dad/Principal Gowan. Welcome to Westerberg High, where popularity is a matter of life and death, and Veronica Sawyer is just another nobody dreaming of a better day. But when she's unexpectedly taken under the wings of The Heathers – three beautiful and impossibly cruel classmates all named Heather – her...

Throughout her long acting career, Winona Ryder has played a number of memorable roles, but it was the 1989 dark comedy Heathers that led to her losing a job.

The Oscar-nominated actress, who became popular with a younger generation through her role in Netflix’s Stranger Things, says in a new Elle UK cover story that she was told that her early-career role in Heathers, alongside Shannen Doherty and Christian Slater, would mark the end of her career.

“I was told I was never gonna work again if I did Heathers,” she says.

And while she went on to book multiple well-known movies and TV shows, Ryder admits that after Heathers, “I did lose a job.”

Ryder says she had landed a role in The Freshman, the 1990 movie with Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick, but after the filmmakers saw Heathers, she says, “they revoked the offer.”

“They thought it was making fun of teen suicide,...

Winona Ryder is opening up about a big risk she took in her career!

The 53-year-old actress spoke to Elle UK recently about the fact that being in one of her most iconic movie roles made her “lose a job.”

According to Winona, choosing to be in 1988′s Heathers cost her to miss out on a role in another movie.

Keep reading to find out more…

“I was told I was never gonna work again if I did Heathers. I did lose a job,” Winona revealed. She went on to share that the movie she lost a role in because of Heathers was the 1990 crime comedy The Freshman starring Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick.

Winona went on to explain that she didn’t back down after she was warned about losing the role if she went on to appear in Heathers. She told Elle UK, “They thought it was making fun of teen suicide.

Although Heathers (1988) has gone down as a cult classic over the past four decades, it was a career liability for star Winona Ryder after its release.

The 2x Oscar nominee recently revealed the Michael Lehmann-directed teen dark comedy cost her a role alongside Marlon Brando and Matthew Broderick in the 1990 crime comedy The Freshman.

“I was told I was never gonna work again if I did Heathers. I did lose a job,” she told Elle UK, hesitating to reveal the part she lost. “Ok, Ok, I’ll tell you. You remember the movie The Freshman?”

Ryder explained, “They thought it was making fun of teen suicide. They were deeply offended and, yeah, they revoked the offer. I’m like, ‘I can’t work with Marlon Brando?’ But I had to stand my ground. I wasn’t gonna apologise.”

In Heathers, Ryder stars as the formerly unpopular Veronica, who joins...

Amid her rise to fame in the 1980s, Winona Ryder took on one of her most memorable roles when she joined the cast of Heathers. It came with a price, however, as it meant missing out on a chance to co-star in another big movie with Marlon Brando.

Per Elle UK, Ryder reflected on the early years of her career in a new interview. She brought up 1988's Heathers, in which she starred in the lead role as Veronica Sawyer. At the time of the movie's release, she had already been cast to appear in the 1990 film The Freshman alongside Brando. However, she was fired from the project before filming after the filmmakers watched Heathers, offended by its content.

"I was told I was never gonna work again if I did Heathers," Ryder said. "I did lose a job [because of Heathers]. They thought it was making fun of teen suicide. They were deeply offended and,...

Winona Ryder recently told Elle UK that she was warned against starring in “Heathers” as a teen actor. Her team told her she would “never work again” if she signed on to play Veronica Sawyers in the 1988 dark comedy, which centers on a high school clique upended by a new student who starts murdering his classmates. Christian Slater and Shannen Doherty co-star in the cult classic.

“I did lose a job,” Ryder told the publication, noting that her team was technically right about “Heathers” potentially having a negative impact on her career. Although she was hesitant to name the project, Ryder eventually revealed she was dropped from the 1990 crime comedy “The Freshman.” It was a big deal considering Marlon Brando was the star.

“They thought it was making fun of teen suicide,” Ryder said of “The Freshman” team. “They were deeply offended and, yeah, they revoked the offer… I’m like,...

Winona Ryder opted to stand by her iconic dark comedy “Heathers,” and it ultimately cost her a gig starring alongside Matthew Broderick and Marlon Brando. Ryder has long been open that she decided to star in the 1989 dark comedy “Heathers” against warnings from her agents at the time. Now, Ryder is telling Elle UK that starring in the cult classic directly led her to losing out on a role in “The Freshman” with Brando.

Ryder recalled how she was told she would “never work again” if she played teen sociopath Veronica Sawyers in “Heathers,” adding that she did in fact “lose a job” because of the film. Ryder was already cast in “The Freshman” before “Heathers” was released; however, after the “Freshman” studio executives saw controversial “Heathers,” she said her offer was rescinded.

“They thought it was making fun of teen suicide,” Ryder said. “They were deeply offended and they revoked the offer.

Get a first look at “Beautiful” from Heathers the Musical, featuring Lorna Courtney as Veronica Sawyer, McKenzie Kurtz as Heather Chandler, Olivia Hardy as Heather Duke, Elizabeth Teeter as Heather McNamara, Tony Award nominee Kerry Butler as Ms. Fleming, Erin Morton as Martha Dunnstock, and more! Heathers is currently running at New World Stages through January 25, 2026. Heathers also stars Tony Award nominee Casey Likes as Jason “J.D.” Dean, Xavier McKinnon as Ram Sweeney, Cade Ostermeyer as Kurt Kelly, Ben Davis as Ram’s Dad/Big Bud Dean/Coach Ripper, and Cameron Loyal as Kurt’s Dad/Veronica’s Dad/Principal Gowan. Welcome to Westerberg High, where popularity is a matter of life and death, and Veronica Sawyer is just another nobody dreaming of a better day. But when she's unexpectedly taken under the wings of The Heathers – three beautiful and impossibly cruel classmates all named Heather –...

What begins as a satirical jab at influencer culture soon spirals into a disorienting nightmare in director Danny Jelinke’s Word of Mouth. Blurring the lines between genuine interaction and corporate manipulation, Ana, a lonely young woman, becomes addicted to an AI-driven mobile app, trapping her in a deteriorating world where capitalism doesn’t just influence our behaviour but rewires our very means of communication. Jelinek employs a bright, saturated aesthetic reminiscent of classic teen comedies, creating a deceptive veneer of cheerfulness that makes the encroaching warped ethics and shady behaviour all the more jarring. The glossy, artificial sheen of tech advertising is replicated in every frame, emphasising how seamlessly...

Mitzi Peirone’s 2018 first feature “Braid” was a series of kinky dress-up games posing as a thriller, one that valued style over substance to such a point that there was almost nothing solid for a viewer to hang onto. Her sophomore effort, “Saint Clare,” takes a step in the right direction, with Guinevere Turner onboard as co-writer in adapting Don Roff’s 2021 novel “Clare at Sixteen.” That injects a greater degree of narrative spine to this vehicle for Bella Thorne as a young woman in a small town uniquely equipped to deal with a plague of possibly lethal disappearances — she is a sort of serial killer herself, albeit one who only preys upon predators.

The book (which commenced an ongoing series) has been described as a “delightfully dark teen horror comedy” reminiscent of “Heathers.” Peirone’s film doesn’t hit that tonal mark, however, aiming instead for an unsteady combination of quasi-slasher,...

In 2012, Gillian Flynn's novel "Gone Girl" took the literary world by storm. For the next decade, publishers described a certain brand of psychological thriller as "for fans of Gone Girl" so often that the phrase has now lost much of its meaning. David Fincher's 2014 film adaptation of the book spawned a similar phenomenon, inspiring a trend called the "Gone Girl Effect," i.e., stories of women behaving in an immoral or disturbing manner.

Suffice it to say, "Gone Girl" comparisons abound in both the literature and film marketing. Because these associations have become so common, it can be difficult to parse out which pieces of media are actually similar to "Gone Girl," and which are worth seeking out. We're here to cut through the noise. What follows is a thorough list of worthy films that have something in common with "Gone Girl," whether that be in style, story,...

The candy store is open! Heathers The Musical, the cult-hit musical returns Off-Broadway this season at New World Stages in a new production starring Lorna Courtney, Casey Likes and more! Read the reviews! Heathers features book, music and lyrics by Kevin Murphy & Laurence O’Keefe, based on the film by Daniel Waters. Welcome to Westerberg High, where popularity is a matter of life and death, and Veronica Sawyer is just another nobody dreaming of a better day. But when she's unexpectedly taken under the wings of The Heathers – three beautiful and impossibly cruel classmates all named Heather – her dreams of popularity finally start to come true. That is until J.D., the mysterious teen rebel, turns up and teaches her that it might kill to be...

Mr. Robot is back, and this time, it's gaining ground on Netflix in impressive fashion. In its first few days since launching on the platform on July 3, the crime-tech thriller has surged onto the Top 10. It's an unsurprising success given how popular and well-received the show was when it first premiered in 2015 on the USA Network. Now, a decade later, the show is proving just how powerful its cult status is, as returning fans have helped push the title up the charts, precisely from the #7 spot on the first day to #5 in just a few days. It's a well-deserved second wind that will likely last for a while, as this resurgence is sure to earn it a slew of new fans.

Headlining the series is Oscar-winning actor Rami Malek, who plays Elliot Alderson, a brilliant but mentally unstable cybersecurity engineer by day and vigilante hacker by night. The actor delivered...

The off-Broadway musical Heathers is now officially open and an extension has been announced!

The musical’s stars Lorna Courtney, Casey Likes, McKenzie Kurtz, Elizabeth Teeter, and Olivia Hardy hit the red carpet at the opening night gala performance on Monday (June 30) at New World Stages in New York City.

Also spotted on the carpet was co-star Kerry Butler, who is a Broadway veteran best known for shows like Hairspray, Xanadu, and Beetlejuice.

The off-Broadway revival of the fan-favorite musical was originally scheduled to have a limited run through September 28, but it was announced on opening night that the run has been extended through January 25, 2026.

Here’s the synopsis: “Welcome to Westerberg High, where popularity is a matter of life and death, and Veronica Sawyer is just another of the nobodies dreaming of a better day. But when she’s unexpectedly taken under the wings of the three beautiful and impossibly cruel Heathers,...

"I feel like ten years ago I stood here, probably talking to you, experiencing Heathers 2014," said director Andy Fickman at the show's 2025 opening night gala. "This is a dream come true, because now we've returned with this version of the show. This cast and everything... I can't wait for audiences old and new to experience it." Earlier this week, Heathers The Musical celebrated its opening night with a special gala performance. Originally scheduled to play through September 28, 2025, Heathers will now play through January 25, 2026. "There's a legacy, and that's what makes this feel even more special, like home" added Lorna Courtney, who plays Veronica. "[This show] is Andy, Larry [O'Keefe] and Kevin [Murphy]'s baby that we are caring for. And...

Heathers The Musical is now playing at New World Stages. Heathers features book, music and lyrics by Kevin Murphy & Laurence O’Keefe, based on the film by Daniel Waters. You can now check out new production images here! Welcome to Westerberg High, where popularity is a matter of life and death, and Veronica Sawyer is just another nobody dreaming of a better day. But when she's unexpectedly taken under the wings of The Heathers – three beautiful and impossibly cruel classmates all named Heather – her dreams of popularity finally start to come true. That is until J.D., the mysterious teen rebel, turns up and teaches her that it might kill to be a nobody, but it’s murder being a somebody. Heathers stars Tony Award nominee Lorna Courtney...

When Winona Ryder was just nine, she watched a movie that had a big impact on her. Her parents let her see Ridley Scott’s Alien, one of the scariest films ever made. Instead of being terrified, Ryder actually loved the movie.

She even had a poster of Sigourney Weaver’s character, Ellen Ripley, hanging above her bed during her childhood.

Years later, Ryder became a famous actress with roles in Beetlejuice, Heathers, and Edward Scissorhands. When Alien 3 came out, her family was excited to see what happened next. But the ending shocked them—Ripley died. Ryder said in a 1997 interview, “We were all pretty pissed off. The idea of Ripley dying wasn’t received well, especially in my home. For fans, it was a big disappointment. I was like, ‘Goddamn it.’”

Then, five years after that, Ryder got to work with Weaver in Alien: Resurrection. The film brought...

When Winona Ryder was just nine years old, she saw a movie that changed everything for her. Her parents let her watch Ridley Scott’s Alien, one of the scariest films ever made. Instead of running away scared, Ryder fell in love with the movie. She even kept a poster of Sigourney Weaver’s character, Ellen Ripley, above her bed throughout her childhood.

Years later, Ryder was already a well-known actress thanks to movies like Beetlejuice, Heathers, and Edward Scissorhands. When Alien 3 came out, her family was excited to see what would happen next.

But then, Ripley died at the end of that film, which upset many fans—including Ryder herself. She said in 1997, “We were all pretty pissed off. The idea of Ripley dying wasn’t received well, especially in my home. For fans, it was a big disappointment. I was like, ‘Goddamn it.’”

Related: All 14 ‘Alien’ Franchise...

Mr. Robot was plugged in from the get-go. By the time it premiered on USA Network on June 24, 2015, the pilot episode of the Sam Esmail-masterminded series about a paranoid hacker (Rami Malek) battling a nefarious multinational conglomerate had already been available online for a month, streamed more than 2.6 million times.

“That show was ahead of its time, man,” Christian Slater, who played the eponymous character, recently told Gold Derby, alluding to the current state of Big Brother technology and politics, especially given the rise of artificial intelligence.

Or as Malek once told us: “It astonishes me how well Sam Esmail, our brilliant creator, can foresee the future. But that's also troubling.”

A brief recap of the show’s premise: Slater’s Mr. Robot recruits Malek’s gifted but troubled cybersecurity whiz Elliot as a modern-day Robin Hood to take down E Corp, which they call E Corp — and which...

When Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country hit theaters in 1991, fans of George Takei and his character, the venerable Hikaru Sulu, thrilled to the sight of him with a captain’s rank and command of the USS Excelsior.

As events of the film unfold, Uhura and Chekov refuse to leave the imprisoned Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy on Rura Penthe and send a false report to Starfleet that Enterprise’s backup systems have failed. Starfleet sends a message to Captain Sulu, and the appearance of the communications officer who delivers this message probably made more than one moviegoer blink in surprise! Was that...?

Yes! The unnamed officer was, in fact, Christian Slater!

How Slater got his cameo

Slater, of course, was no stranger to the big screen by the time he received his much-coveted Star Trek cameo. He’d starred in a variety of movies like Gleaming the Cube, Heathers,...

When Christian Slater made his purported "comeback" on Mr. Robot in 2015, winning a Golden Globe for the eponymous role, he didn’t think he had gone anywhere. He had been steadily working onscreen for 30 years, since his film debut in 1985’s The Legend of Billie Jean.

Sure, most of the films and television series he made over the first decade-plus of the 2000s weren’t smash hits out of the gate, but neither were many of what would ultimately be his most memorable projects. Heathers, Pump Up the Volume, True Romance, Very Bad Things — all box-office failures-turned-cult classics.

The fact that Slater has so few blockbusters on his résumé (his highest-grossing movie is 1991’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) yet has remained such a beloved figure in Hollywood for 40 years now is a testament to his both his undeniable talent and enduring appeal. He just has a presence that’s unforgettable.

What are some of the milestone moments that have most impacted our favorite Broadway performers? We're finding out with 'Broadway Firsts'- a series that unpacks the events that shaped the stars who grace theatre's biggest stages. What was Kerry Butler's first cast recording? "My first cast recording was Bat Boy, which was also with Laurence O'Keefe, who is doing Heathers! It was my first time getting to originate a role, which was super exciting. It was a another dark, cult classic. That's all I'm doing now... dark cult classics for the teens!" Catch more of her firsts in this video and find out even more about the off-Broadway return of Heathers. An acclaimed veteran of a dozen Broadway shows, Kerry Butler is one...

Winona Ryder’s cult classic Heathers may’ve earned a 95% rating and a permanent spot in dark comedy history, but its TV reboot stirred up a whole different kind of buzz, and not the good kind. Inspired by the original’s razor-sharp take on teen chaos, the series tried to modernize the madness, but ended up getting slammed for its controversial characters and themes.

Anti-Trump supporters weren’t having it, calling out the show for what they saw as tone-deaf commentary. The result was delays, backlash, and a quiet burial. It’s a reboot that had all the right ingredients except the cultural timing.

When Winona Ryder’s Heathers went from cult classic to controversial cringe Winona Ryder in a still from Beetlejuice | Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures

The Heathers TV reboot didn’t just update a cult classic, it torched it. Inspired by Winona Ryder’s iconic 1988 film (which boasts...

Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby drew from the well of modern cringe comedies to tell its story of a pressure cooker of a shiva. That setting kept the film firmly grounded in a recognizable reality. So it’s all the more surprising that Seligman’s follow-up, Bottoms, is a far more silly, over-the-top affair, but the film’s unique blend of deadpan and absurdist humor, and its tendency to occasionally push the boundaries of good taste, shows that Seligman is equally comfortable working at the opposite end of the comic spectrum.

Following queer high school besties P.J. (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) as they start a fight club in an attempt to impress two cheerleaders, Isabel (Havana Rose Liu) and Brittany (Kaia Gerber), Bottoms immediately announces itself as a warped reimagining of the high school comedy rather than a straightforward satire of one. Its kinship, then, is less...

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When you think of movies that perfectly define the 2000s as a decade, "Mean Girls" should be a film that pops up frequently in conversation. Based on Rosalind Wiseman's book "Queen Bees and Wannabes," the high school comedy is the brainchild of "Saturday Night Alive" alum Tina Fey, shortly before her transition to TV with one of the best sitcoms of all time, "30 Rock." In a time when comedy films were dominated by men, "Mean Girls" set itself apart as a generational 2000s comedy centered on teenage girls, without sacrificing the raunchiness and drama that populated movies set in all boys schools. 

After being imprinted on pop culture for over 20 years, even inspiring a musical-turned-movie in 2024, "Mean Girls" has influenced a lot of teen comedies over the past two decades. However, there were films decades earlier than "Mean Girls...

Insanely prolific “Goosebumps” author R.L. Stine’s other major publishing franchise, the young adult “Fear Street” series, made a decent splash on Netflix four years ago with the premiere of three interlocking features, each set in the same fictitious “cursed” town during a different era. All directed by Leigh Janiak, the trio was uneven in some respects, but lively, stylistically diverse and reasonably ambitious — overall, a definite cut above the usual formulaic run of horror entries.

That sense of occasion is missing from the new “Fear Street: Prom Queen,” a belated stand-alone chapter that feels considerably more mundane. Reprising high-school slasher cliches dating back at least to 1980’s “Prom Night,” minus any particular invention or irony, this new entry is a slick-enough but disappointingly unimaginative effort that can’t even be bothered to reference the mythology established in the prior films.

The story is back in perpetually ill-starred burg Shadyside,...

Broadway’s official game night, Broadway Bets, brought together industry insiders, stars and fans on May 19, 2025, for an evening of cards, camaraderie and record-breaking fundraising, produced by and benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The annual evening of Texas Hold ’em poker at the legendary Sardi’s restaurant raised a record $546,500. Those in attendance included leading luminaries from across the business of Broadway, with theater owners, producers, actors, theatrical executives, advertising and marketing leaders and fans joining in the action. Among the stars of stage and screen attending were Emmy Award winner Hank Azaria (TV’s The Simpsons), Kelli Barrett (Parade), John Behlmann (Smash), Tony Award nominee Laura Bell Bundy (Off-Broadway’s Mama I’m a Big Girl Now!), Tony nominee Kerry Butler (Off-Broadway’s Heathers), Lea DeLaria (Off-Broadway’s Titanique), 2025 Tony nominee Glenn Davis (Purpose), Nihar Duvvuri (John Proctor is the Villain), 2025 Tony...

Box office numbers don’t always tell the full story. Although they are considered the most important aspect of a movie’s journey, they are just one part of its journey. Over the years, many movies have not been successful in theatrical release but are still enjoyed by many every time they appear on screen.

These late bloomers fail initially for many reasons. It could be bad timing for the release, maybe they were too bold or edgy for the mainstream audience at the time, or it could be due to poor marketing. However, many of these underdogs became cult classics, thanks to home video, TV reruns, and die-hard fans. Let’s look at 10 such movies that flopped in theaters initially but rose from the ashes.

1. Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory (1971)

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory can be considered a sweet dream with a bitter start. When the movie first came to theaters,...

Exclusive: The upcoming Off Broadway revival of Heathers The Musical has announced the casting of its title trio: McKenzie Kurtz (Broadway’s Frozen and The Heart of Rock and Roll) will play Heather Chandler; Olivia Hardy (Broadway’s Kimberly Akimbo) will play Heather Duke; and Elizabeth Teeter (Broadway’s Beetlejuice) will play Heather McNamara.

Kurtz, Hardy and Teeter join the previously announced Lorna Courtney (Broadway’s & Juliet), who will star as Veronica Sawyer, and Casey Likes (Broadway’s Back to the Future), who has been cast as J.D.

Additional casting will be announced next week.

The castings were announced by producers Bill Kenwright Ltd., Paul Taylor-Mills and Jerry Goehring.

Directed by Andy Fickman, Heathers begins previews at New World Stages, Stage I on June 22 and runs through September 28. The musical features a book, music, and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe.

The official synopsis: “Welcome to Westerberg High, where...

The Off-Broadway return of Heathers the Musical will be led by Lorna Courtney and Casey Likes. Courtney, known for her breakout performance in & Juliet, will play Veronica Sawyer, with Likes as J.D. The fan-favorite musical's highly-anticipated return to New World Stages will start performances on June 22, 2025 and will play a limited engagement through September 28, 2025 at New World Stages, Stage 1. Featuring book, music, and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe, Heathers the Musical will be directed by Andy Fickman, who staged the record-breaking UK production. Likes is best known for his back to back leading roles on Broadway as William Miller in Almost Famous the Musical and currently as Marty McFly in Back to the Future the Musical. At the age of 17, Likes won...

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" originates from the gruesome fairy tales by Giambattista Basile and the Brothers Grimm, which are bloody, nightmarish stories that most parents wouldn't read to their children. Since then, "Snow White" has inspired everything from horror flicks to erotic films, further adding to its legacy as a twisted story at heart.

However, thanks to Disney reimagining the once-brutal narrative as a more wholesome story, "Snow White" is now regarded as a family-friendly fantasy about a princess, her loyal dwarf companions, and a handsome prince who steals her heart. Well, that's how it used to be perceived, as the House of Mouse's live-action "Snow White" remake, starring Rachel Zegler as the titular princess, is even more controversial than the story's horrifying roots.

2025's "Snow White" is a passable live-action retelling that updates the story for modern times, but the film's myriad of scandals have turned it...

Tori Spelling is honoring her late co-star Shannen Doherty on what would’ve been her 54th birthday.

On Saturday (April 12), the 51-year-old actress took to her Instagram story to share a vintage photograph of her and Shannen holding hands and smiling.

“Happy Earth birthday. I miss you Shan. I love you. I hope my power makes you proud,” she wrote on the photo.

“Forever friends,” she also captioned a throwback snapshot of her, Shannen, and Brian Austin Green on the set of Beverly Hills, 90210.

Keep reading to find out more…

Shannen passed away from breast cancer at the age of 53 on July 14, 2024. She is known for playing Brenda Walsh on the hit teen drama 90210 from 1990-1999, while Tori played Donna Martin alongside her. Shannen‘s other roles include Prue Halliwell in Charmed, Heather Duke in Heathers, and more.

If you didn’t see, in the news of her passing,...

As with every year, the Academy Awards’ In Memoriam segment left a lot of notable people out of the tribute. Look, it’s bound to happen – there’s only so much time allotted and by and large the video package has to match with the length of the music. But when a friend or co-star is dissed, you better believe they’re going to leap to the defense. Enter Tori Spelling, who can’t believe that the Oscars left off her Beverly Hills 90210 co-star Shannen Doherty.

Tori Spelling – who played Donna Martint to Shannen Doherty’s Brenda Walsh – recently spoke out against the Academy’s decision to leave out her late friend, who died last July after a long battle with cancer. While Doherty was no doubt better known for her TV work with shows like 90210 and Charmed, we can’t ignore movies like Heathers, Mallrats and some select others.

The prequel series “Dexter: Original Sin” has been renewed for Season 2 at Paramount+ with Showtime, Variety has learned.

The news comes roughly a month after the show’s first season concluded on Feb. 14. It originally premiered in December 2024. Set in 1991, the show serves as the origin story of Dexter Morgan, with Patrick Gibson playing the young version of the iconic killer of killers. Michael C. Hall, who originated the title role in the Showtime series “Dexter,” provides the young Dexter’s inner monologue.

Along with Gibson and Hall, the cast also includes Molly Brown, Christina Milian, Christian Slater, James Martinez, Alex Shimizu, Reno Wilson, special guest star Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Patrick Dempsey.

The official description of the show states:

“When his bloodthirsty urges can’t be ignored any longer, Dexter must learn to channel his inner darkness. With the guidance of his father, Harry (Slater), he adopts a Code...

Sometimes, a movie just needs to be brought back from the dead. Or at least that's the case for 2024's romantic comedy Lisa Frankenstein, the brainchild of Diablo Cody (fun fact: a pen name), and the directorial debut of Zelda Williams. Cody is the Academy-Award-winning writer of Juno, as well as many other female-empowering films like Young Adult, Ricky and the Flash, and, of course, the cult horror classic Jennifer's Body. Infamously, Jennifer's Body, which stars Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried, suffered an egregious case of mismarketing prior to its release. The explicitly feminist, satirical film was packaged by the marketing team as a raunchy sex comedy to cater to male audiences, causing it to be panned by critics for not meeting expectations. Over time, Jennifer's Body has come to be loved for the hilarious and salient movie it always was.

Earlier this year, another horror satire written by Cody,...

Some of the greatest movies in cinema history began as a box office disappointment. There are several factors that go into whether films become blockbuster hits or box office bombs. Film history has proved that some of these factors have worked against great films, resulting in a poor box office performance.

These factors could vary, such as poor marketing efforts, as seen in the case of The Iron Giant, a badly made theatrical cut like the Blade Runner theatrical cut, or unfavorable circumstances like in the case of Donnie Darko.

Fight Club was one of the box office bombs that went on to become a cult classic | Credits: 20th Century Fox

However, these films were lucky because the audiences gave them a second chance, and they are now considered cult classics. From Alfred Hitchcock’s classic to IMDb’s top-rated film, here are the films that were initially ruled out...

Quick LinksThe Age of Innocence Adapts an Acclaimed NovelWinona Ryder Explores the Depths of Her CharacterMartin Scorsese Shines as an Imaginative DirectorThe Age of Innocence Visualizes Its Scandalous Narrative Wonderfully

Among the most overlooked movies within an icon’s eclectic filmography, as well as a standout feature for a talented actress, the 1993 historical romantic drama flick The Age of Innocence combines the efforts of director Martin Scorsese and performer Winona Ryder, who each bring a dynamic sensibility to the film. Exploring a passionate narrative that excites audiences, the film hones in on the standout elements within the romantic drama genre while having talented artists work together to bring the material to life.

Considering the array of overindulgent movies that have been produced in the romantic drama field, The Age of Innocence has the maturity and craftsmanship that elevates it above its cinematic peers, thanks to a valuable production team and...

If you were alive and paying attention in the early 2000s, chances are you remember Tim Burton’s Big Fish. Or maybe you don’t. That’s kind of the problem. Here we are, over twenty years later, and Big Fish remains a cinematic anomaly—loved by those who saw it but often forgotten in broader conversations about Burton’s filmography. How did one of the director’s most ambitious, heartfelt, and visually stunning films fade into relative obscurity? And why does it deserve to be remembered as his second-best film, right behind Ed Wood? Let’s dive into this weird, wonderful, and sadly overlooked masterpiece to figure out just what the fuck happened to Big Fish.

Released in 2003, Big Fish hit theaters when Tim Burton’s career was at a crossroads. He was still riding high from his ‘90s dominance—where he cranked out Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, and...

Actress Shannen Doherty, who appeared in numerous films and TV shows like Heathers, Mallrats, Beverly Hills 90201 and Charmed, was notably absent from the Academy Awards’ In Memoriam tribute at the March 2 ceremony. Doherty died in July 2024 at the age of 53. She had been living with breast cancer since 2015.

Per TMZ, Jennie Garth, who played Kelly Taylor on the teen drama 90210 from 1990 to 2000, voiced her opinion on the Oscars’ omission of Doherty from the In Memoriam segment. When asked about Doherty being missing from the tribute, Garth said, “Yeah, that’s messed up.”

When Garth was asked whether the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should issue an apology for excluding Doherty, who played Brenda Walsh on 90210 from 1990 to 1994, she said “Maybe.”

Jennie Garth On Shannen Doherty Oscars In Memoriam Snub pic.twitter.com/6FO0G9pKWq— TMZ (@TMZ) March 5, 2025

RelatedTony Todd's Widow Blasts the Oscars for In Memoriam...