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Netflix has emerged as the winner in a competitive bidding war for an upcoming series starring Matthew McConaughey. The yet-to-be-named project will reunite the Academy Award-winning actor with True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto, with Yellowstone fan-favorite Cole Hauser also set to star. The project also marks a reunion for him and McConaughey, who first shared the screen in the cult classic Dazed and Confused.

The upcoming series, details of which were revealed via The Hollywood Reporter, is currently under development at the streaming giant, and will feature McConaughey and Hauser portraying brothers. While specific plot details are being kept under wraps, the series is produced by Skydance Sports, which hints...

Everyone knows the story of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's lifelong friendship; how they broke into Hollywood together by writing and starring in "Good Will Hunting," winning an Oscar and establishing themselves as two of the most significant forces in the industry for decades to come. That's the short version, anyway. The slightly longer version begins with the boys growing up together in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where they lived just two blocks apart and attended the same school. After high school, Damon enrolled in Harvard, where he wrote the beginnings of "Good Will Hunting" before dropping out and traveling to live with his buddy, Affleck, out in Los Angeles.

During that pre-"Good Will Hunting" period, both actors found work in multiple projects, with Damon appearing in a forgotten 1994 Western that marked Tommy Lee Jones' directorial debut and Affleck landing a role in the Danielle Steel TV movie adaptation, "Daddy.

In 2010's "True Grit" — one of the best Westerns of recent years — Matt Damon plays Texas Ranger Laboeuf, whose pursuit of murderer Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) leads him to join forces with U.S. marshal Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges). Laboeuf is a by-the-book lawman who also happens to be a bit of a windbag who likes the sound of his own voice. As such, I'm not sure Tommy Lee Jones would be all that flattered to learn he was a big part of the inspiration behind Damon's performance.

Back in 1995, Damon appeared alongside Jones in "The Good Old Boys," a TV movie that also marked Jones' directorial debut and which he co-wrote with J.T. Allen. The film was based on Elmer Kelton's 1978 novel of the same name, in which a West Texas man named Hewey Calloway witnesses his town developing rapidly, much to his distaste. He dreams of a...

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...

Hollywood's metaphorical attic is full of stories and rumors about legendary actors who turned down or missed out on iconic roles that could've steered their careers in an entirely different direction. Jake Gyllenhaal bombed his "The Lord of the Rings" audition, Matthew McConaughey thought he got Jack's role in "Titanic" when he didn't, and Russell Crowe had one of the worst table reads ever (according to director P.J. Hogan) that prevented him from getting the lead part in the beloved rom-com "My Best Friend's Wedding." I'm here to tell you about another scenario that, in retrospect, probably wasn't as painful or unfortunate, considering how the life path of the actor in question has unfolded after missing out on an Oscar-nominated role in one of the most memorable "twist movies" of the '90s.

As you might've figured, I'm talking about Gregory Hoblit's "Primal Fear," the 1996 psychological thriller led by Richard Gere,...

Yellowstone‘s Rip Wheeler is making some big bucks. The stocky ranch hand-turned-family member, played by Cole Hauser, quickly rose to fame in Taylor Sheridan’s Western show. After nearly three decades of pursuing an acting career, Hauser’s odds began getting bigger and better with this lead role. And he is currently looking to become one of the highest-paid TV actors.

While Hauser’s recent money and fame may come from Yellowstone, it should be noted that Hauser comes from a family of show business. And he is best friends with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. So, how much did Hauser earn from his last 30 years in the industry?

What is Cole Hauser’s net worth in 2025? Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler in a still from Yellowstone | Credits: Paramount Network

Cole Hauser turned to acting after getting the lead role in the school play, Dark of the Moon. His...

Netflix has shared the premiere date for The Rip, a new crime thriller film from writer-director Joe Carnahan. Starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, the film will begin streaming on January 16, 2026.

The Rip is officially described as follows: “Upon discovering millions in cash in a derelict stash house, trust among a team of Miami cops begins to fray. As outside forces learn about the size of the seizure, everything is called into question, including who they can rely on.”

The cast also includes Steven Yeun, Kyle Chandler, Teyana Taylor, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Sasha Calle.

“The Rip came out of a deeply personal experience that my friend went through, both as a father and as head of tactical narcotics for the Miami-Dade police department,” Carnahan told the Netflix blog Tudum.

“It’s inspired in part by his life and then, by my enduring love for those classic ’70s cop thrillers...

The Accountant 2 has passed a domestic box office milestone and landed on a major chart at the same time. The new movie is a sequel to Ben Affleck's 2016 action-thriller and features the return of his autistic accountant character Christian Wolff alongside Jon Bernthal as his brother Braxton, Cynthia Addai-Robinson as FinCEN Deputy Director Marybeth Medina, and J. K. Simmons as ex-FinCEN director Raymond King. The Accountant 2 release kicked off with an opening weekend that grossed $24.5 million, landing at No. 3 for the weekend behind the Revenge of the Sith re-release and the sophomore weekend of Sinners.

Per Deadline, as of Saturday morning, The Accountant 2 is projected to gross a 3-day total of $9.8 million by the end of its sophomore weekend at the domestic box office. This total, which sees it dropping roughly 60%, will push the movie's cumulative domestic gross to $41.4 million, making it the 10th 2025 release so...

Warner Bros Hollywood Connection ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Cole Hauser, best known as Rip Wheeler from Yellowstone, has a surprising link to Hollywood’s beginnings. His great-grandfather was Harry M. Warner, the co-founder of Warner Bros. back in 1923. Long before movie debuts and ticket smashes existed, Harry was setting the stage for what would grow into one of Hollywood’s most legendary film kingdoms.

He led the studio as its top boss until 1956, steering it through major milestones, including the groundbreaking shift from silent films to talkies. Hauser, however, didn’t grow up bragging about this heritage. In fact, he didn’t even know. He found out much later during his teenage years. It was when his interest in acting flashed more profound queries about his background.

His mother, Cass Warner, never made a big deal out of their prominent origins either. Despite being Harry’s granddaughter, Cass chose to focus on her own creative track.

Ben Affleck has had a rollercoaster of a Hollywood career packed with blockbuster hits, critical darlings, and a fair share of underappreciated gems. While he’s best known for films like Good Will Hunting and Argo, there are quite a few performances that didn’t get the recognition they truly deserved. Despite the ups and downs, Affleck has proven time and again that he’s more than just a heartthrob or a tabloid favorite—he’s a powerhouse talent with impressive versatility.

Starting as one of the breakout stars of the ‘90s, Affleck made waves with his Oscar-winning screenplay for the film Good Will Hunting. It was co-written with his longtime friend Matt Damon, who himself is a legendary actor.

Ben Affleck in a still from the film Argo | Credit: Warner Bros.

He dabbled in everything—rom-coms, action thrillers, and even suited up as Daredevil and Batman. But after a few missteps,...

There are certainly harder, more unforgiving jobs than being a main cast member of a long-running network television series (like the Steven Spielberg movie-turned NBC smash-hit "ER"). Still, while the gig pays remarkably well, the hours can be brutally long when a 20-plus episode season is in production. This means you're away from your loved ones for extended periods of time, which can be incredibly rough, especially if you have young children. You're missing important moments of their childhood, and, obviously, you can never get those back. This can take quite the toll.

I'm not suggesting you should grieve for the plight of TV actors, but you might keep this in mind as the seasons begin to pile on. Because when a key cast member departs one of your favorite series, they might be cutting out because no paycheck is worth placing an emotional strain on your personal relationships.

Was...

Stanley R. Jaffe, a former Paramount Pictures president who became the youngest studio chief in history and later won a Best Picture Oscar for producing Kramer vs. Kramer and was nominated for Fatal Attraction, died today. He was 84.

CAA, which repped Jaffe, confirmed his death to Deadline.

Jaffe was a decade into his career when he produced Kramer vs. Kramer, the riveting 1979 child-custody drama starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep, both winning lead acting Oscars — Streep’s first of three. It also scored Best Director and Adapted Screenplay Oscars for director Robert Benton.

He followed that by producing Taps, about a mutiny at a soon-to-close military academy, starred Timothy Hutton and launched the careers of such future stars as Tom Cruise, Sean Penn and Giancarlo Esposito.

Those films came after Jaffe produced the 1969 Richard Benjamin-Ali MacGraw drama Goodbye, Columbus; I Start Counting (1970); the Jeff Bridges Civil War-era Bad Company (1972); and...

For five seasons as Rip Wheeler on the Paramount drama series Yellowstone, Cole Hauser cut the figure of the tough guy masculine ideal: strong, a man of few words, fiercely loyal to his boss and willing to get his hands dirty when necessary. Taken in by Dutton Ranch patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner) as an orphan, Rip became Dutton's right-hand man, willing to do anything to protect the Dutton family while also developing a relationship with John's daughter Bethany (Kelly Reilly).

But while Yellowstone marked a big step forward in Hauser's career, it's certainly far from his first credit, having been making steady appearances in film and television since the early 1990s. In only his third-ever film role, Hauser appeared alongside several other up-and-coming young actors, including future superstars like Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, and Milla Jovovich in Dazed and Confused, director Richard Linklater's 1993 ode to his teenage...

It’s been a couple of years since Oscar-winners Ben Affleck and Matt Damon shared the screen together in 2023's Air, but all that is about to change this year when the duo reunite once more for the Netflix thriller Rip, which is helmed by director Joe Carnahan. Based on actual events, the true-crime flick promises to be an action-packed affair that "takes a look at the things people will do for money."

Affleck was on hand today at the 2025 Next on Netflix Special Presentation held in Los Angeles (via People) to give viewers a sneak peek at Rip, which also stars Teyana Taylor (Coming 2 America) and Sasha Calle (The Flash). "It's the seventh movie that Matt Damon and my company, Artists Equity, has made, and it really is in a lot of ways the most important for us," he told a crowd of onlookers, adding:

We've found some...

Best known for playing the character Chris Alonso on 106 episodes of the CBS TV series S.W.A.T., Lina Esco has now become the latest actor to sign on for a role in Rip, a crime thriller that’s written and directed by Joe Carnahan and is set up at the Netflix streaming service. According to Variety, Esco will be taking on the role of Captain Jackie Velez.

Rip will follow a group of Miami cops whose trust begins to fray after they discover millions in cash in a derelict stash house. As outside forces learn about the size of the seizure, everything is called into question — including who they can rely on.

Esco joins a cast that includes Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, as well as Kyle Chandler of Super 8, Sasha Calle, who played Supergirl in The Flash, singer/songwriter Teyana Taylor, who starred in the drama A Thousand and One,...

Film audiences may have first recognized Ben Affleck for his appearance in the 1992 film "School Ties," where he played the main sidekick of the film's central bully. In 1993, Affleck was already behind the camera as well, having made a rather notorious 16-minute short film called "I Killed My Lesbian Wife, Hung Her on a Meat Hook, and Now I Have a Three-Picture Deal at Disney." Affleck played a boorish womanizer named Shannon in Kevin Smith's 1995 comedy "Mallrats," and he teamed with Smith again in 1997 to make the stirring queer romantic drama "Chasing Amy." At the end of 1997, Affleck and his friend Matt Damon became awards darlings thanks to Gun Van Sant's "Good Will Hunting" which they both wrote and starred in. 

Affleck has remained a superstar ever since, having appeared in terse studio dramas, mainstream romances, and numerous action films. He played the superheroes Daredevil and Batman and continued to work with Kevin Smith.

Some audiences might have first spotted Matt Damon during a notable dinner scene in Donald Petrie's hit 1988 drama "Mystic Pizza." Thereafter, Damon turned up as an extra in "Field of Dreams" and as one of the many handsome students in the 1992 boarding school thriller "School Ties," both of them with his longtime friend and collaborator Ben Affleck. Damon went on to score some considerable screen time in Edward Zwick's "Courage Under Fire" before delivering his first lead performance in 1997 in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Rainmaker." That same year, Damon and Affleck became acclaimed Academy darlings for writing and starring in Gus Van Sant's "Good Will Hunting." The pair won Oscars for their screenplay and have both been major Hollywood players since.

Damon, having gained the clout to be picky and the fame to be noticed, thereafter became attracted to projects by established directors. After having alreayd...

The late nineties and early 2000s marked the peak of Brendan Fraser’s career as a leading man. The 1992 comedy classic, Encino Man put him on the map in a big way, and he had several other comedy hits throughout the decade, including George of the Jungle (along with an underrated drama called School Ties). But, it was 1999’s The Mummy that truly elevated him, with him cast as the wisecracking, Indiana Jones-style hero in what turned out to be one of the year’s biggest hits.

Yet, one movie Fraser did pretty soon after The Mummy has all but been forgotten, the live-action/ stop-motion hybrid Monkeybone, which was directed by The Nightmare Before Christmas’s Henry Selick. In it, Fraser played a harried cartoonist who meets his most famous creation, Monkeybone (voiced by John Turturro) while in a state of limbo following a car accident. Bridget Fonda, Chris Kattan and Rose McGowan co-star.

Back in June, we heard that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are set to share the screen again in Rip, a crime thriller that’s written and directed by Joe Carnahan and is set up at the Netflix streaming service. Earlier this week, Sasha Calle, who played Supergirl in The Flash, and singer/songwriter Teyana Taylor, who starred in the drama A Thousand and One, joined the cast. Now, The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that two more actors have signed on to appear in the film: Catalina Sandino Moreno of the MGM+ series From and Néstor Carbonell, who was recently seen on the FX / Hulu series Shōgun.

Rip will follow a group of Miami cops whose trust begins to fray after they discover millions in cash in a derelict stash house. As outside forces learn about the size of the seizure, everything is called into question — including who they can rely on.

Actor Cole Hauser is arguably best known for his role as Rip Wheeler in the hit Western drama series Yellowstone. However, Hauser has been working in Hollywood for a long time, having breakthrough roles in ensemble movies like School Ties and Dazed and Confused during the 1990s. While working on the former movie, Hauser met Bourne Identity star Matt Damon.

Matt Damon and Cole Hauser starred together in 1992’s School Ties (Credit: Paramount Pictures).

In an interview, Hauser opened up about working with Damon and revealed taking inspiration from the actor. Hauser stated that he admired Damon’s attention to his physical well-being and fitness and tried to follow in his colleague’s footsteps. Here is what Hauser said about taking fitness inspiration from Damon and one other prominent star.

Yellowstone Star Cole Hauser Revealed Taking Inspiration From Matt Damon

Actor Cole Hauser played the role of Jack Connors in the 1992 drama School Ties.

Oscar winner Matt Damon has been one of Hollywood’s most reliable leading men for over two decades. But how many of his titles remain classics? Let’s take a look back at 23 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Though Damon and his childhood friend Ben Affleck became famous by writing their own ticket to fame and fortune with “Good Will Hunting” (1997), the pair had been acting for years before that film became an art house hit, even appearing together in “School Ties” (1992). But it was by returning to their native Boston to tell the inspirational story about a secret math genius (Damon) that put them on the map, winning them an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and bringing Damon his first Best Actor nomination.

Damon has returned to the Oscar race three times in three different categories: Best Supporting Actor for “Invictus” (2009), Best Actor for “The Martian...

When it comes to Hollywood’s top names, Matt Damon definitely fits the bill. He’s been in the game for a long time, having kicked off his career at a young age. By the 1990s, he was already considered one of the rising stars, right up there with Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Leonardo DiCaprio. As the years went by, he gained even more recognition, starring in films that are still iconic today.

Matt Damon in Jason Bourne (Credits: Universal Pictures)

Damon dives into a range of genres, though he’s best known for his action films. Over his career, he’s been nominated for numerous awards and even won an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Despite this, there are still a few of his films that haven’t gotten the attention they deserve and could definitely use more spotlight and reviews.

1. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) Still from The Talented Mr.

Though he has recently earned the most popularity in his career with his role as Rip Wheeler on Yellowstone, the best of Cole Hauser's movies and TV shows highlight the strong work he has been doing in a variety of projects over the decades. Hauser is an American actor who has shown his range in everything from young teen roles to playing the villains in blockbusters to stoic antiheroes on the small screen. While some of his roles have become iconic, there are some underseen roles that Hauser fans should seek out.

Hauser's Hollywood career began with roles as part of young ensembles of up-and-coming actors, in the likes of School Ties and Dazed and Confused. He has appeared in some beloved franchises over the years, including the Fast and Furious franchise and the Die Hard franchise. While he made a strong career as a character actor for many years,...

Though he’s best known as an actor, the two-time Oscar winner Ben Affleck has excelled in a variety of fields, including writing, directing and producing. And it was the writing and producing catgories that brought him his two Academy Awards. Let’s take a look back at 18 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1972, Affleck first gained notice as a hot young actor with supporting performances in movies such as “School Ties” (1992), “Dazed and Confused” (1993) and “Mallrats” (1995). He shot to stardom when he and Damon, lifelong friends, decided to write a couple of plum roles for themselves in the inspirational drama “Good Will Hunting” (1997). The box office smash bring the duo an Oscar and Golden Globe for screenwriting, launching both of their onscreen careers.

Having firmly established himself as a leading man, Affleck decided to try his luck behind the camera by directing the murder mystery...

Cole Hauser, a hidden gem in Hollywood’s treasure chest, may have flown under the radar for a good decade, but has anyone really taken the time to appraise the facets of his career? From his breakout role in 1992’s School Ties to his magnetic draw in Yellowstone, it’s evident this actor carries a Midas touch, albeit one that’s been somewhat veiled from the A-list spotlight.

His acting journey continued through the ebbs and flows of Hollywood, where he plunged into the depths of genre classics like Pitch Black and took the wheel in action-packed 2 Fast 2 Furious. Despite a stint in the movies, Hauser has firmly established himself as the fan-favorite ranch foreman Rip Wheeler in Taylor Sheridan’s acclaimed Western TV show.

Cole Hauser in Yellowstone | Paramount+

We must admit that his role, despite some noted plot holes and a swirling debate on Sheridan’s writing finesse,...

Steven Spielberg's desire for efficiency led to Jim Cummings' casting as Steele in Balto. Cummings' villain role was originally supposed to go to then-rising actor Brendan Fraser. Opting against a notable on-camera actor, Spielberg chose to cast a seasoned voice actor.

Actor Jim Cummings explains how Steven Spielberg managed to get him recast in the movie Balto. Balto is a hand-drawn, 2D animated animal adventure film about a Husky whose life is put in peril when he is tasked to try to prevent a deadly epidemic from spreading. Balto was directed by Simon Wells and features a leading voice cast including Kevin Bacon, Bob Hoskins, Bridget Fonda, Cummings, Phil Collins, Jack Angel, Danny Mann, and Robbie Rist. The film was produced by Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment.

Speaking on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, Cummings recounts how Spielberg assisted his casting in Balto.

Cummings explained that the Balto team had...

Academy Award-winning actor Brendan Fraser has been tapped to star as Dwight D. Eisenhower in the new film, Pressure, which is being billed as a "ticking-clock drama" that will tell the true story of the days leading up to the Normandy landings in 1944. Before serving as the 34th President of the United States, Eisenhower was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, who supervised the invasion of Normandy (codenamed Operation Overlord), which lasted for nearly three months and resulted in a victory for the Allies.

Per Deadline, Fraser joins the previously announced Andrew Scott, who will portray Group Captain James Stagg, the Allies Chief Meteorologist who played a key role in the Normandy victory, informing Eisenhower of the weather conditions that led to its success. Pressure is to be directed by Anthony Maras (Hotel Mumbai), with filming expected to begin in September in the UK. Check out...

Few actors can make a successful jump from the front of the camera to behind it. While stars like Ben Affleck have navigated this transition, Taylor Sheridan has proved that he isn’t far behind. The star who became a recognizable face on television in shows like Sons of Anarchy and Veronica Mars, found his true calling as a writer with his hugely popular series,Yellowstone.

Taylor Sheridan in Yellowstone (image credit: Paramount+)

The actor-turned-director also had the knack of getting the best out of his stars, even if it meant employing unconventional ways to do so. Cole Hauser who became very popular for his portrayal of the rough and tough Rip Wheeler in the series, was involved with Sheridan in a physical fight in only their second meeting together for the show, which turned out to be for the best.

This Yellowstone Star Got Into Character Right Away With...

Damon and Affleck's first genre-specific collaboration, Rip, will be their 10th film together, marking a major milestone in their partnership. Despite individual action movie success, Damon and Affleck have never starred in an action thriller together, making Rip a groundbreaking project. With a track record in action films, both stars will bring their unique strengths to Rip, promising an exciting and successful collaboration.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's work together runs 35 years deep, but their next joint movie will mark their first-ever genre-specific collaboration. Long before bursting onto the Hollywood scene, Damon and Affleck were childhood buddies in Boston. Their acquaintance made the earliest film projects of their late teens and early twenties extra special, as in movies like Field of Dreams and School Ties, they got to share the experience. Yet, it wasn't until '97 that they - and the world - got to truly revel in their...

The dynamic duo of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are teaming back up to co-star in another movie together. This time, they'll be featured in a new crime thriller.

Per Deadline, Damon and Affleck are attached to star in a new thriller called Rip. Written and directed by Joe Carnahan, Rip will be produced by Artists Equity, Damon and Affleck's company. The project is planned to start filming by the fall. It follows Artists Equity's first movie, 2023's Air, which also featured both Damon and Affleck. Given the talent involved, the project is said to be sparking a lot of interest for a potential release in both theaters and on streaming services, and it's not expected to have much trouble with soon landing a distributor.

Related Ben Affleck's Daredevil Movie Gets Disney+ Premiere Date

20th Century Fox's Daredevil movie, starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, is heading to Disney...

Affleck was never in Saving Private Ryan, but he later starred in Pearl Harbor, a less serious WWII movie than Spielberg's. Burns, not Affleck, played a main role in Saving Private Ryan and is often mistaken for his friend due to their physical resemblance. Damon played the title character in Saving Private Ryan, but his career trajectory differs from that of Ben Affleck.

Some viewers misremember Ben Affleck in the Saving Private Ryan cast. Saving Private Ryan is a men-on-a-mission tale at its heart, with Tom Hanks' Captain Miller reluctantly leading his squad in search of a young soldier named Ryan, whose brothers were all killed in combat. The movie is full of then-up-and-coming acting talent, with Giovanni Ribisi and Vin Diesel both being part of Miller's squad, Nathon Fillion playing a young soldier mistaken for Ryan, and even Bryan Cranston in a small role.

However, many people mistakenly...

Matt Damon has been in the film industry for a long, long time and has made quite some good friends along the way. While his friendship with Ben Affleck is always the talk of the town, the actor has collaborated and worked with a plethora of stars, resulting in some lifelong friendships and bonds. And Yellowstone star Cole Hauser is one such actor.

Matt Damon [PC: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]Having worked with him for the first time in the iconic School Ties and then later collaborating with home on his Oscar-winning Good Will Hunting, Damon in an interview exclaimed that he could not believe it took so long for Hauser to get as famous.

Matt Damon Cannot Believe Cole Hauser Was Not Popular Before Cole Hauser in Yellowstone | Paramount Pictures

Actor Cole Hauser portrays the ranch’s foreman, Rip Wheeler, in the hit Western show Yellowstone. One of...

Have you ever found yourself questioning the future success of an up-and-coming star, only to be later delightfully proven wrong? That was precisely the case with The Dark Knight star Christian Bale, who, after watching Matt Damon’s performance in Robert Mandel’s School Ties, harbored doubts about the latter’s prospects in Hollywood.

In a candid GQ interview, Bale reflected on a time when his own career seemed to be in a lull, revealing how he wasn’t quite convinced that Damon, despite his evident talent, would achieve fame. For Bale, the realization came quickly, but just “three days” later, while watching Good Will Hunting, it led him to the undeniable conclusion: talent combined with perseverance is a force to be reckoned with!

Christian Bale in Batman Begins | Warner Bros.

Note that School Ties did launch the careers of many acclaimed actors working today, including Anthony Rapp, Brendan Fraser,...

Although he is now regarded as one of the best, and certainly among the most popular, actors of his generation, Matt Damon did not have a traditional route to stardom. Although Damon was able to demonstrate his capabilities thanks to a series of early roles in the 1990s, including School Ties, Courage Under Fire, and Glory Daze, it was his breakout role in the inspirational drama Good Will Hunting that established him as the voice of a generation. The performance showed that Damon had wisdom and maturity beyond his years, and earned widespread acclaim and major awards nominations. However, Good Will Hunting exists in the way that it does because Damon lost out on the opportunity to play a teenage murder suspect in the 1996 thriller Primal Fear.

Matt Damon's potential return in Jason Bourne 6 would mark a full-circle moment in his celebrated career. Affleck and Damon's friendly rivalry could play out onscreen in a monumental Bourne franchise showdown. Damon's involvement in Bourne 6 could take the $1.6 billion franchise to an impressive new milestone.

A major casting in Jason Bourne 6 would mark a full-circle moment in Matt Damon's celebrated career. Since skyrocketing to Hollywood acclaim after writing and starring in Good Will Hunting (1997), Damon has maintained his status as one of the most recognized actors in the world. This is largely in part due to Damon's acclaimed Bourne movies, the first three of which were released in the 2000s. During that era, Damon has also starred in instant classics such as The Talented Mr. Ripley, Saving Private Ryan, Ocean's Eleven, and Martin Scorsese's Academy Award-winning film The Departed.

Damon reprised his iconic role in 2016's reboot Jason Bourne,...

After years in the industry, Brendan Fraser was awarded an Oscar in 2023, recognizing the actor’s exceptional acting chops. In recognition of his role as Charlie in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, the American-Canadian actor, 55, received his first Academy Award for Best Actor. He was the first Canadian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his starring role as an obese gay man, which brought him critical acclaim and many other honors.

Brendan Fraser in a still from The Whale (2022)

Still, he has remained modest and affable both on and off set, never allowing his success to get to his head. This is a rare quality in Hollywood, where celebrity and fortune can breed arrogance and entitlement. Acknowledging this, his School Ties co-stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck once mentioned that Fraser has “no ego”.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Have Sweet Things To Say About Brendan Fraser

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon,...

The Dunkin’ Super Bowl Lviii commercial starring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Tom Brady as part of an ultimate boyband dubbed ‘The DunKings’ became the talk of the town after its airing during the big game.

The ad sees the Argo alum and his newly-formed supergroup storm into Jennifer Lopez’s studio donning pink and orange tracksuits. They bust into some sick moves, and show off their musical chops with an original pop track, albeit to Matt Damon’s reluctance, who appeared to be second-guessing everything that led up to this moment.

Ben Affleck’s Dunkin’ Spot aired during Super Bowl Lviii

More comedic sequences ensue, but at the very end, we see Affleck and Damon walk side-by-side out of the studio as the latter says, “Remember how I said I would do anything for you? This is anything.” Turns out, this moment wasn’t even scripted!

The Elysium alum did,...

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are teaming up again for Netflix's Animals, with Affleck directing and Damon starring. The crime thriller revolves around a mayoral candidate and his wife whose son is kidnapped, forcing them to get their hands dirty to save him. Damon and Affleck have a long history of collaborating, starting as childhood friends and working together on films like Field of Dreams, Good Will Hunting and Dogma.

“How you like them apples?” Most fans do, especially when Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are doling them out in their creative collaborations. The Hollywood duo is arguably best known for their Oscar-winning work on Good Will Hunting (1997), and they are teaming up again for Netflix's Animals.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Affleck will direct the crime thriller, while Damon will star in the Netflix project. Damon and Affleck's latest collaboration, which also operated under the title The Animals...

Since his career kicked off in the 1990s, Brendan Fraser has worked his way into the hearts of generations of moviegoers as one of the greatest actors of his time. Ranging from touching dramas to box office action adventure movies, the actor helped define an entire era of cinema, and earned a devoted fan base. Having experienced something of a career renaissance in recent years, the actor's footprint on cinema has grown.

Brendan Fraser has starred in some of Hollywood's most memorable stories alongside the industry's luminaries, such as Ian McKellen, Michael Caine and Leonardo DiCaprio. As with any actor, the success of Fraser's career can be measured in part with critical and audience reception, and Rotten Tomatoes offers up a good look at such perceptions. With one of the most memorable careers in Hollywood, Fraser's films have earned some strong feedback.

Journey To The Center Of The Earth...

It took nearly 20 years to make "The Conjuring," a "based on a true story" film about the supposed hauntings of the Perron family in Harrisville, Rhode Island. For over 14 years, producer Tony DeRosa-Grund went from studio to studio trying to make the film happen, but it wasn't until writers Chad and Carey W. Hayes updated the script and shifted the perspective from the Perron family to paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren that there was movement on the picture. The duo interviewed Lorraine Warren to ensure authenticity, and the new script sparked a massive bidding war. The Hayes brothers had cracked the code — the secret of what would become a massive franchise lay with the Warrens.

Before the era of televised paranormal investigators like Zak Bagans of "Ghost Adventures" or "Kindred Spirits" stars Amy Bruni and Adam Berry, there were Ed and Lorraine Warren. Ed was a professed demonologist, while...

From Sideways and Nebraska to The Descendants and even his previous film Downsizing, you can trace a fascination with American livelihood across all of Alexander Payne's movies. He has a knack for imbuing the sharpest of humor in his characters' suffering, and The Holdovers is no different. Hilarious and heartfelt, it might be premature, though no less certain, to say that Payne has crafted one of the best movies of the year that is also destined to become a holiday classic. It made its American premiere just last month at the Telluride Film Festival, and at its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, it's already proven to be ahead of the pack.

Reuniting with Paul Giamatti — their first collaboration since Sideways and second overall — The Holdovers takes place during the 1970 holiday season in a northeastern boarding school called Barton Academy. Giamatti is one of the school's tenured teachers,...

Robin, the Boy Wonder was first introduced in the pages of Batman comic books in 1940, having been created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. The character's domino mask and green-forward costume, as well as his name, were inspired by Robin Hood. In the myth of the comics, the young Dick Grayson was a mere eight years old and worked as a traveling circus performer with his family, aka The Flying Graysons. Dick's parents were murdered by a wicked gangster who had been extorting the circus owners. Orphaned, Dick was taken in by Bruce Wayne and trained in the art of crime-fighting. 

As is the natural progression for a comic book character, Robin underwent multiple transformations and iterations over the decades. When Dick Grayson aged out of the role of Boy Wonder (he eventually became a superhero of his own named Nightwing), other younger people, usually teenagers, took on the mantle of Batman's brightly colored sidekick.

Brendan Fraser's richly deserved comeback crested last March when he won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Darren Aronofsky's "The Whale." It was the end of a long, hard road that began in the 2000s with a messy divorce, an alleged sexual assault at the groping hands of the then-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and a deep depression caused by the death of his mother. Fraser had gone from being one of the most exciting talents of his generation to a C-level movie star.

That generation included Chris O'Donnell, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck, all three of whom co-starred with Fraser in the 1992 antisemitism drama "School Ties." They were all often in competition for the same roles, but they eventually made their own way in the industry. Fraser's square-jawed good looks and comedic gifts landed him leading roles in "The Mummy" and "George of the Jungle,...

Ben Affleck’s “Air,” arguably the first real awards contender of 2023, will debut on Prime Video starting May 12, Amazon announced Tuesday.

The film, which was released on April 5 in theaters around the world, has grossed more than $79 million worldwide.

“Air” has been embraced by critics and audiences, Amazon was more than happy to note in its press release about the Prime Video debut, with Affleck’s feature generating a 92 percent Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, a 98 percent audience score, and an A-grade from CinemaScore. Here’s some boilerplate language about the project:

From award-winning director Ben Affleck, Air reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division, which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of...

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have shared the screen and bank accounts, but one thing they didn’t agree on was Damon’s lifestyle when they were roommates.

Ben Affleck appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden as part of the show’s final group of guests, promoting his latest directorial effort, Air, which co-stars both himself and Matt Damon. On their early days as roommates, Affleck said of Damon, “Matt is a beautiful guy, I love him. He’s my best friend, he’s been great to me my whole life, he’s a brilliant guy…I would not suggest living with him.” How do you like them apples, Matt?

Affleck recalled devising a plan with his brother Casey, a fellow roommate, that they hoped would expose Damon as a slob. “We’re just going to wait and see how long he will go before he actually gets up and goes,...

The best Brendan Fraser movies prove that the actor already had a career to be proud of long before his Oscar-winning role in The Whale. Fraser was always seen as one of the most likable actors in Hollywood whose charm and charisma onscreen led to him becoming a star in the 1990s before gradually falling out of favor among the big movie projects. Yet through it all, Brendan Fraser's movies kept reminding audiences of the incredible versatility the actor has, and it was no surprise that he eventually found the right project to bring him back into the spotlight.

Fraser's rise to fame began with broad comedies like Encino Man and Blast From the Past. However, he also showed off his dramatic chops in intense and acclaimed dramas like School Ties and Gods and Monsters. He also became a blockbuster action star thanks to the smash hit The Mummy. Throughout all these movies and beyond,...

"Beautiful lawn you got going there." "Check out this new grill!" "You a Ford or Chevy man?" Have you overheard your dad say these things? Or if you are a proud father, maybe even uttered them yourself. There's no such thing as a bad joke or a corny pun anymore. Any witticism that misses the mark these days is now known as a "Dad Joke." We're here for it, and it's okay because along with the dad joke, we have also established a new film subgenre over the last few decades called "The Dad Movie." And Matt Damon, the young man that we grew up watching in superb films like Good Will Hunting, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Rounders, and School Ties is no more. The now 52-year-old star of the new movie Air has comfortably moved into his new niche as the unquestioned King of Dad Movies.

1992's "School Ties" didn't do very well at the box office, but it managed to launch the careers of a whole bunch of major Hollywood stars, including Brendan Fraser, Chris O'Donnell, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Anthony Rapp, and more. I'll never forget watching TV after school one day in the late afternoon and catching "School Ties" on cable, shocked that I had never heard of this movie before. Not only is it a heartbreaking and potent film about anti-Semitism that's unfortunately still all-too-relevant, but it's also a who's-who of then-unknowns who went on to become major players.

In a 2017 retrospective for Entertainment Weekly, the cast and crew of "School Ties" looked back on how the movie came to be and how it impacted many of the actors' careers. Producer Stanley Jaffe had the idea for the film and had a hand in casting the class of unknowns, making him at...

April on Prime Video is stacked with returning favorites, the launch of one of Amazon’s biggest shows ever and a bevy of great movies to watch. The fifth and final season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” launches on April 14, while Amazon will premiere the globe-trotting action-thriller series “Citadel” – starring Priyanka Chopra-Jonas and Richard Madden – on April 28. The show hails from “Avengers: Endgame” filmmaker Joe and Anthony Russo.

Noteworthy movies arriving on April 1 include the “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” movies, “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Looper,” “Vanilla Sky” and “Top Gun.”

You can also stream the Billy Eichner rom-com “Bros” starting April 4 and the George Clooney/Julia Roberts rom-com “Ticket to Paradise” on April 11.

Check out the full list of what’s new on Amazon Prime Video in April 2023 below.

Also Read:

The 41 Best Movies on Amazon Prime (April 2023)

April 1

American Gigolo

At the Gate...

A few years before he became a Hollywood superstar, Ben Affleck had a small role in the 1992 teen movie School Ties. Affleck's movie career took off in the mid-'90s, and he could always be relied on to give a down-to-earth and natural performance no matter what part he played. His creative partnerships with people like Matt Damon and Kevin Smith yielded great results, and he scored his first Oscar for co-writing 1997's Good Will Hunting, which he also starred in with Damon. Though School Ties features one of his earliest roles, Affleck's performance in the movie showed every bit of the potential that would make him a star.

Noted today for its illustrious cast of future stars, School Ties was not a hit by any stretch of the imagination. It lost money at the box office, grossing only $14 million (via Box Office Mojo). Despite that, the movie received decent reviews,...