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The original lighsaber used by Darth Vader in “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” and its sequel “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” has been sold at an auction for $3,654,000.

According to Propstore, the movie memorabilia auction house, the prop is the only hero lightsaber from “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) and “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” (1983) with verifiable screen use ever to be offered at public auction. Originally used by actor David Prowse, who played Darth Vader, it now holds the title of the highest-priced “Star Wars” item ever sold at auction.

Propstore

Brandon Alinger, Propstore COO said, “The result marks a landmark moment not just for Propstore, but for the entire world of film collecting. To see a ‘Star Wars’ lightsaber — the symbol of one of cinema’s greatest sagas — become the highest-valued piece of the franchise ever sold at auction is incredibly special. It speaks...

Sci-fi thriller Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die – Gore Verbinski’s first film in nine years – has a distributor and a US release date.

The 2016 mountain clinic horror A Cure For Wellness was the last time we saw Gore Verbinski direct a film, but he’ll soon be back with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. The cast was announced last year, and it’s a good one: the most familiar names include Sam Rockwell, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz and Juno Temple.

Over the past few days, however, there’s been another significant announcement: it’s secured a distributor. Briarcliff Entertainment have picked up Good Luck for release in the US,...

The Bold and the Beautiful is set to start its new filming era this month. Back in June, Deadline reported the soap would be saying au revoir to Television City after 38 years. The daytime series had been at the Los Angeles studio complex since its launch, but will now be charting new territory at Sunset Las Palmas Studios.

Their location shift is just 2.5 miles northeast from their previous studio, so they’re still in the heart of Hollywood. But we could be in for a vibe shift even if the sets themselves look pretty much the same. We won’t know until episodes filmed in August begin to air later this fall, but B&b star Don Diamont did take to Instagram to give fans a look at the soap’s new digs.

Don Diamont Shares B&b’s New Studio With Fans

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The Star Trek franchise turns 60 years old next year, and it’s hard to believe how it’s grown! From the original series, which ran for three seasons from 1966 to 1969, to today’s fare like Picard, there seems to be a series to suit anyone’s taste. While some fans let their instincts guide them, they may skip a series after seeing negative reviews online or hearing them from friends.

With so much content out there, it's hard for new fans to choose which series they might like. While not every series is a bona fide hit, some have been judged unfairly, so it’s time to take a look at three shows that definitely deserve their due!

1. Star Trek: The Animated Series

This series ran for 2 seasons, from 1973-1974, and includes 22 episodes. It starred the voices of the original cast, minus Walter Koenig, due to budget constraints. James Doohan voiced his own character,...

With blockbusters such as Top Gun: Maverickand F1 on his resume, it's easy to forget that director Joseph Kosinski made his debut with the very successful Tron: Legacy, back in 2010. The legacy sequel grossed over $400 million at the worldwide box office, but a series of unrelated mega-budget misfires prevented Disney from putting a sequel in motion for the longest time. The movie has now been overtaken at the domestic box office by the recently released blockbuster film Jurassic World Rebirth, which overtook Kosinski's F1 on the domestic charts in its opening weekend alone.

With $174 million so far at the domestic box office, Rebirthhas passed the $172 million haul that Tron: Legacy concluded its run with. Rebirth has also passed the lifetime domestic hauls of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum ($171 million), the recent hit Gladiator II ($172 million), and the word-of-mouth sensation Crazy Rich Asians($174 million). Globally, Rebirth will pass the $400 million milestone as early as today,...

Westerns were a hugely popular genre in the 1950s, producing incredible movies like "The Searchers" or "3:10 to Yuma," but also television shows like "Gunsmoke" and "The Lone Ranger." After World War II, audiences were infatuated with the ideas of lone heroes bravely upholding law and order, putting dastardly outlaws or savage Native Americans in their place. By the 1980s, the genre had undergone a radical transformation, with new Westerns questioning the corruption behind the American mythos and viewing the exploited Indigenous community through more sympathetic eyes. This reflected how most Americans grew tired of their country boasting about its strength and moral superiority after becoming involved in the unwanted Vietnam War.

Putting twists on Western genre conventions also opened the door for spoof films, such as Mel Brooks' provocative "Blazing Saddles," which parodied quick-draw duels and laconic cowboys with raunchy, meta humor. Prolific sitcom writer David Lloyd channeled that...

Fallen Hollywood icon Johnny Depp discusses being fired from Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. In 2016, Warner Bros. and the Wizarding World franchise seemingly had a big get with the reveal that Johnny Depp had signed on to play the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald for a cameo in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, with him being set up to be the main villain across the five planned films. However, the casting came five months after Depp's then-wife, Amber Heard, filed a restraining order against Depp, accusing him of domestic abuse. By 2020, Warner Bros. asked Depp to step down after the actor lost his U.K. libel case against The Sun, which had accused him of being a domestic abuser.

Speaking with The Telegraph, Johnny Depp recounts his experience of being let go from the Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Depp was initially reported to have stepped down from the role,...

It's great news that Rick Moranis will be returning to acting for a "Spaceballs" theatrical sequel. Even if the material turns out to be stale, Moranis won't be, as he's been semi-retired from acting since 2008 to spend more time rainsing his kids as a single dad. The "Ghostbusters" franchise may not have been able to bring him back, but those movies are getting pretty crowded, anyway, and the lure of the Schwartz is strong. We're mostly used to Moranis playing likable, relatable characters, but it's his most famous villain role of Dark Helmet that we have to thank for what may (and should) be a full-on Moranissance.

Considering how beloved the comedic actor is, readers might be surprised to know that his filmography is relatively short. Eliminate the occasional outright dud, and there are barely a dozen great movies left. Naturally, we're ranking them. Here is our countdown of the 12 best Rick Moranis movies.

Robert De Niro’s Box Office Bomb Is Now a Surprise Smash on Streaming(Photo Credit –YouTube)

In an industry filled with superhero fatigue and recycled sequels, The Alto Knights seemed like a sure bet. Directed by Barry Levinson, the period gangster drama features Robert De Niro as not one but two notorious mob bosses. On paper, it had every element needed to succeed at the box office. However, things didn’t exactly go as planned when it debuted in theaters in March 2025.

The $45 million budgeted crime saga floundered, earning just $9.5 million at the global box office, as per Box Office Mojo. Reviews were mixed, the buzz fizzled, and The Alto Knights quietly disappeared from theaters. But something unexpected happened, as the film began to surge back on streaming platforms. So here’s all you need to know about The Alto Knights.

What Is The Plot Of The Alto Knights?...

What Are Johnny Depp’s Biggest Box Office Flops? ( Photo Credit – YouTube; Prime Video )

It’s been over 40 years since Johnny Depp has been a part of Hollywood, and even after getting entangled in several controversies, he still remains relevant and very much in discussion. He has had an interesting career in Hollywood, and time and again, he has proved his worth as an actor and shown his versatility, whether in a villainous role or as a pirate. He always charmed his way into our hearts.

Depp has starred in some of the most memorable movies, including A Nightmare on Elm Street, Edward Scissorhands, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, among others, and even minted millions at the box office through his films. But amid all the successes, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor has also suffered from major box office flops. So, here we...

Do movie stars still exist? Film journalists, cinephiles, and producers have been debating this point for over a decade, declaring the movie star extinct.

But throughout the 2010s, Hollywood leaned into intellectual properties and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while original films starring A-list talents like Jennifer Lawrence (“Passengers”), Johnny Depp (“The Lone Ranger”), and Will Smith (“Gemini Man”) flopped, and gradually everybody seemed to be lining up to pay their respects at the grave of the movie star.

They’ve blamed the death on Hollywood’s hunger for IP, the erasure of the mid-budget movie, and the rise of television. But many of these arguments miss the forest for the trees: We not only still have movie stars today, but stardom today is very similar to what it was in the Golden Age of Hollywood. The film industry is not post-movie stars, and big-name actors still influence audiences’ viewing habits and films’ financial success.

The Italian mainland boasts a host of film festivals from the giants like Venice, Torino and Rome to the specialist cinephile celebrations like the Bologna Cinema Ritrovato and Pordenone’s annual celebration of silent cinema. But few of them boast as beautiful and historical a setting as the ancient amphitheater that hosts the screenings of the Taormina Film Festival, which celebrates its 71st edition this year.

The Greco-Roman theater, which once saw spectators enjoying the spectacle of gladiators fighting ferocious beasts, now serves as an open air cinema where viewers have watched the likes of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and “Twisters.” Sometimes, Mount Etna will erupt in the distance, spouting plumes of molten lava and stealing the show. With such ancient history in mind, here’s a run through of some milestones in the admittedly shorter history of the Sicilian film festival:

● 1957 – The film festival, which had...

One has to wonder how Snow White's tragic commercial performance will impact star Rachel Zegler's career and Disney's future with live-action remakes. She was thrown under the bus after trolls targeted her for making pro-Palestine comments ahead of the film's release, and its subsequent underperformance was unfairly blamed on her. It isn't her first major bomb; Zegler also headlined Steven Spielberg's West Side Story re-imagining a few years ago. Combined, both films couldn't even crack the $300 million mark worldwide, even though West Side Story was much more well-received and even earned Zegler a deserved. As it concludes its theatrical run and hopes to get a new lease of life on streaming and transactional platforms, Snow White has passed what will likely be its final global box office milestone.

With $85 million domestically and around $115 million from overseas markets, the film's global box office haul now stands at exactly $200 million.

Welcome to the latest instalment of our Dissected feature here on Nerdly, where one of our comic gurus, Ian Wells, delves into comics history and looks back at Comics Interview, the long-running journal of interviews and criticism from David Anthony Kraft (Dak).

Lord of The Jungle

I am not going to pretend for an instance to know anything about the life and works of Gaylord Dubois. I do think it is a bold move to feature someone from the Golden Age as the main feature interview when comics and especially superhero comics are such a pinnacle. Dubois has written all of the pulp heroes you can think of; Tarzan, Turok and The Lone Ranger. He began writing Lone Ranger in 1936. This seems like a lifetime ago. It’s pre-wwii! But when you think of it in terms of comics it’s not that far away from Fantastic Four #1 in 1963. Really...

Having completed almost a month in theaters worldwide, Disney’s Snow White is staring at the unfortunate scenario in which it fails to pass three minor box office milestones. It still hasn’t hit the $100 million mark, neither domestically nor worldwide, which means that it hasn’t hit the $200 million mark globally. Snow White cost a fortune, but the writing was on the wall even before it debuted. A section of the public unfairly targeted star Rachel Zegler for making pro-Palestine statements, and Disney appeared to allow it. She was made the scapegoat for a project that was struggling to attract attention from the get-go.

With $81 million domestically and another $99 million from overseas markets, Snow White has grossed a cumulative total of $181 million worldwide. Directed by Marc Webb, the movie famously cost over $250 million to produce, which means that Disney probably has a bigger bomb on its hands than Joker: Folie à Deuxlast year.

The Lone Ranger isn't terrible popular among newer generations -- the spectacular failure of the 2013 "Lone Ranger" feature film cemented that notion -- but for many Baby Boomers, the character is a vital pop culture figure. For those who may need a refresher, The Lone Ranger is a masked vigilante who toured the Old West with his Indigenous American compatriot Tonto, writing wrongs on a freelance basis. He was previously a Texas Ranger (hence his moniker), rode a horse named Silver, and dispatched bad guys with specially made silver bullets. 

The Lone Ranger first appeared as the protagonist of a 1933 radio serial co-created by Fran Striker and George W. Trendle, which broadcasted on Wxyz out of Detroit, Michigan. This radio show was popular enough to warrant a "Lone Ranger" TV series, which is what really thrust the titular character into the pop culture zeitgeist as it ran for 221 episodes over nine years.

In a move that likely doesn't surprise many, Uwe Boll has revealed that his upcoming action movie is no longer titled The Dark Knight. The German filmmaker also shared that Warner Bros., who released an unrelated movie titled The Dark Knight in 2008, was behind the title change.

Speaking with Variety, Boll confirmed that his upcoming Armie Hammer-led crime thriller The Dark Knight had been retitled Citizen Vigilante after listening to both Warner Bros. and Batman fans. "We had a very friendly conversation with Warner Bros. and decided to change our title to Citizen Vigilante to avoid any confusion with Warners’ famous character," explained Boll, noting how the Dark Knight is a popular nickname for the DC hero Batman as well as the title of the Christopher Nolan-helmed blockbuster that was released in 2008 to critical and commercial success.

When Citizen Vigilante was first announced earlier this year under its original title,...

Armie Hammer’s new crime thriller has been renamed after discussions with Warner Bros. and feedback from ‘Batman’ fans. German filmmaker Uwe Boll reportedly agreed to swap the name of his upcoming movie, originally called ‘The Dark Knight’, to ‘Citizen Vigilante’.Based on an original script by Uwe, the film stars Armie, 37, as Sanders, a man who takes justice into his own hands and sets out to hunt down criminals. His vigilante actions turn him into a social media sensation and a hero in the eyes of the public. Use told Variety: “We had a very friendly conversation with Warner Bros. and decided to change our title to ‘Citizen Vigilante’ to avoid any confusion with Warners’ famous character.”Executive producer Michael Roesch added feedback from fans also played a role in the decision.He was quoted by Variety saying: “We also got a lot of feedback from fans, who asked...

German filmmaker Uwe Boll has changed the name of his upcoming Armie Hammer crime thriller “The Dark Knight” to “Citizen Vigilante” after hearing from both Warner Bros. and Batman fans alike.

Based on an original script by Boll, the film stars Hammer as Sanders, a man who takes justice into his own hands and sets out to hunt down criminals. His vigilante crusade turns him into a social media sensation and a hero in the eyes of the public. Variety has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment about the title change.

“We had a very friendly conversation with Warner Bros. and decided to change our title to ‘Citizen Vigilante’ to avoid any confusion with Warners’ famous character,” Boll told Variety.

“We also got a lot of feedback from fans, who asked us to change the title because of its similarity with Chris Nolan’s movie, so this was another factor in changing the title,...

Disney’s penchant for live-action has been nothing but a recipe for disaster for the House of Mouse. But the Rachel Zegler starrer Snow White has taken it to another level with its mammoth of a budget, controversy, and more. Recently, a Disney producer’s son blamed the reception of the film on Zegler, citing her pro-Palestine stand as the cause. However, despite the backlash, the actress received critical praise for her performance.

However, even after all the negativity and hate, Zegler’s Snow White will not turn out to be such a major loss for Disney, given how A-listers like Brie Larson, Harrison Ford, and Johnny Depp have given bigger bombs than this latest live-action fiasco.

Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot in Snow White | Credit: Disney How much loss will Rachel Zegler’s Snow White cause Disney? Rachel Zegler | Credits: Snow White / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Snow White...

When we first met Dom Pascal, he was in the midst of marital troubles, and he wasn’t taking it well.

Is it any surprise that Chicago Fire Season 13 Episode 16 found him struggling to cope in the wake of his wife’s death?

Coping with death is never easy, but when your job involves literally saving the lives of others, you can’t afford to ride it out like the Lone Ranger.

( Peter Gordon/NBC)

This was one of those episodes where it seemed like nothing really happened because the emotional weight of someone’s experience was overbearing.

That’s what makes great television, and it’s been a while since we’ve seen a truly great episode of Chicago Fire.

The Wheel of Time Season 3 Episode 5 Prophesizes That for Rand to Rise, Another Character Must Fallby Joshua Pleming Happy Face Season 1 Episode 3 Tackles So Much, It’s Hard to...

Johnny Depp was one of Disney’s most profitable actors, thanks to his work with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. However, Depp has had his fair share of flops with the House of Mouse, among which The Lone Ranger stands with quite some discourse around it.

The Lone Ranger || Credit: Disney

The Lone Ranger was a film with a great example of Bob Iger’s tentpole strategy. The CEO told Variety it was a sound tactic that Disney wished to employ time and time again. This is also visible in a more recent film like Snow White, which similarly looks to shock and awe the audience with said strategy, as is signaled by its big budget, big actors, and big production.

The Lone Ranger was a film that was expected to cost Disney over $190 million Johnny Depp in The Lone Ranger || Credit: Disney

In 2013, Variety reported that Disney was...

Armie Hammer has returned to public life of late after claims of cannibalism, sexual misconduct and rape upended his career. Although he has yet to land studio work following the controversy, one former collaborator is sharing support for the actor.

Director Tarsem Singh, who cast Hammer as the prince opposite Lily Collins’ Snow White and Julia Roberts’ evil queen in the 2012 film Mirror Mirror, tells The Hollywood Reporter that he continues to be a fan of Hammer’s work and does not feel that the headlines around the star’s personal life should impact his career.

“I love Armie Hammer,” Singh says. “I hope all this crap goes away on what adults do in their own spare time, and if everybody’s a consensual adult, I’m Ok.” (The director notes that he does not know “all the background” on the allegations against Hammer.)

Singh explains that he had not...

After the notorious Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard trial, it almost seemed for a while that Depp’s Hollywood downfall was all because of Heard and her allegations. The explosive 2022 trial thus left fans divided—some rallied behind him, while others called him problematic. But here’s the thing—Depp’s career struggles didn’t start with the courtroom drama.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in a still from The Rum Diary | image: FilmDistrict

It’s now time to admit how Johnny Depp had been struggling with his dimming star power even before the legal battle. From The Lone Ranger (2013) to Mortdecai (2015), Depp had been repeatedly delivering high-profile box office flops. Now, for those unaware—his fading star power wasn’t just bad luck—it was partly his own doing.

Johnny Depp’s 2022 trial against Amber Heard worsened his already damaged career

After Amber Heard‘s 2018 Washington Post op-ed, as...

To most anime fans, the mark of a good anime adaptation is how faithful it is to the manga it's based on. This doesn't just pertain to the narrative or the characters, but the manga's art and visuals as well. Nothing will satisfy fans more than a great one-to-one visual recreation of the manga's best panels and splash pages, or seeing certain characters' iconic facial reactions brought to life with animation, voice acting and music. Meanwhile, Dandadanbegs to differ.

Animated by Science Saru and based on the manga of the same name by Tatsu Yukinobu, Dandadan was easily the biggest anime of 2024. This wasn't only because it adapted one of Shonen Jump's most popular ongoing manga, but because Dandadan pushed the medium to a new level in a year already jam-packed with some of the best-animated series and films of recent memory. The animators accomplished this not only by being big fans of the manga,...

On March 7, 2025, Hollywood was once again greeted with another eye-watering expensive flop. And this time, it’s The Electric State—a $320M Netflix sci-fi epic starring Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown. But calling it “epic” feels generous especially when critics obliterated it with a brutal 20% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt in the Russo Brothers’ The Electric State (2025) | image: Netflix

It feels like, had The Electric State hit the theaters, it would have joined the hall of legendary flops. Perhaps it would have made Johnny Depp’s 2013 disaster The Lone Ranger look good after the movie floundered at the box office. So now, instead of a theatrical debut, as Chris Pratt’s movie joined Netflix, it seems the steamer bought a whole lot of regret for $320M.

Millie Bobby Brown’s The Electric State became the Russo Brothers’ lowest-rated film

Following the release of Chris Pratt...

Does Johnny Depp always do everything he can for his friends? (Photo Credit – Prime Video)

Yep! Johnny Depp reportedly spent $3 million firing Hunter S. Thompson’s ashes from a cannon. Because that’s exactly what the gonzo journalist wanted.

“All I’m doing is trying to make sure his last wish comes true,” Depp once said (via The Guardian). “I just want to send my pal out the way he wants to go out.”

Thompson, the legendary writer behind Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, had made it clear before his death in 2005: he wanted his ashes blasted into the sky in a grand, fiery send-off. Depp, who played Thompson in the 1998 film adaptation of the same name, made sure it happened.

Trending Ne Zha 2 Worldwide Box Office: Knocks Out Avengers: Infinity War’s $2.05 Billion To Achieve This Spectacular Feat Mickey 17 North America Box Office: Opens With Decent Numbers,...

More than a decade ago, Stuart Weitzman introduced some truly distinctive shoes for the brand’s spring collection, and their impact is still remembered today.

One standout style was the ‘Perfbootie’ wedge booties, which Audrina Patridge—who stands 5ft 5 ¼ (165.7 cm) and wears a US shoe size 8—was spotted wearing while filming scenes for her reality show Audrina.

Audrina Patridge wearing a breezy pastel ensemble paired with Stuart Weitzman laser-cut peep-toe lace-up wedges and a chic Chanel chain bag

Like the Tyrols from the same designer, these Perfbooties are also light, neutral, and wedge-style. The distinctive features are the lace-up front and the patterned small-sized cutouts on the leather upper.

Audrina Patridge films scenes for her new reality show “Audrina” at Joan’s On Third in West Hollywood, California on April 7, 2011 (Credit: WENN)

We agree with Audrina— the tan (Adobe Vecchio Nappa) is the superior choice over black (Black Vecchio Nappa...

Here’s A Look At The Lowering Opening Weekend Estimates Of Rachel Zegler’s Snow White (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Disney’s live-action Snow White, featuring the outspoken Rachel Zegler, is about to emerge from the incessant production later this month. But the aggravation persists. Co-starring Gal Gadot as Evil Queen, Disney’s movie has incited quite a stir over the years, perpetually ballooning its budget into abject financial ruin.

Such discourses are scarcely pleasant news for studios, and as general consensus and trade analysts would consider it, Snow White might just be a walking box office bomb. The movie initially registered a debut forecast of $60-70 million in North America, though the latest prognostications aren’t as kind.

The spring break release is now tracking up to $58 million, but there still lies a situation where it falls shy of $50 million, subsiding to $48 million — the lower end of its vicinity, with an unimpressive $53 million mean.

A female CIA operative leads a dangerous undercover mission. A just-out-of-jail gangster relocates to the sticks. An oil company fixer deals with cartels, corporate intrigue and his chaotic ex-wife. A real-life cowboy, said to be the inspiration for The Lone Ranger, has his life more fully dramatized. And a man leading a private prison struggles to maintain order.

What all of these shows have in common – besides being massive hits for streaming service Paramount+ — is the involvement of one man: Taylor Sheridan. While TV remains an unpredictable business, Sheridan has become as close as a talent can get to representing a sure thing, launching one success after another. Sheridan often creates, executive produces and writes most of the episodes of every season. If his shows are cattle, he’s the lone cowboy.

And this is a rodeo people love to watch. During its most popular week, “Landman” was the second-most-watched title across streaming,...

If you're into Christopher Nolan's superb superhero movie The Dark Knight, then chances are your Google search showed a few bizarre results in recent days thanks to the latest project by the divisive filmmakerUwe Boll. Boll has named his new endeavorThe Dark Knight, and it didn't take long for Warner Bros. Discovery to react to this. With the studio owning pretty much everything related to the Caped Crusader, including the names used in Nolan's trilogy, they very quickly sent Boll a Cease & Desist notice, but the director has no plans to comply.

Boll is no stranger to controversy. His early films were almost always panned by critics, but then again, they were movies based on video games. What followed in the 2010s wasn't exactly pretty, as Boll made bomb after bomb and was unable to understand the criticism towards his work. His reactions have been so notorious that documentaries have been made about it.

James Mangold directed films across genres including rom-coms, dramas, and biopics. He also helmed 2007's 3:10 to Yuma, one of cinema's best Western remakes.

James Mangold's 3:10 to Yuma joins Hulu's streaming library on Mar. 1. This 2007 Western is an impressive remake of the 1957 film, one of cinema's genre-defining classics. With an impressive ensemble led by Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Peter Fonda, and Ben Foster, 3:10 to Yuma is a darker, grittier version of the original, which had a hopeful, triumphant ending. In contrast, James Mangold's remake is character-driven with its complex villain and tragic protagonist. The film was a modest success upon release, and it has since earned a cult following; Western fans consider it a worthy remake, acclaimed by critics and the general audiences.

Related10 Great Movies That Are Actually Remakes

Whether it be 2003's Freaky Friday or 1983's Scarface, many great movies of their time are actually film remakes in disguise.

Earlier this year, the news broke that Armie Hammer, whose career came to a screeching halt in 2021 following some pretty disturbing allegations of sexual misconduct, had been cast as the lead in a movie called The Dark Knight from director Uwe Boll.

Based on an original script by Boll, Hammer is set to play Sanders, a man "who takes justice into his own hands as he sets out to hunt down criminals. While his crusade transforms him into a social media sensation and a hero in the eyes of the public, the local police chief sees him as a menace to society and aims to take him down."

“The story of The Dark Knight couldn’t be a more current topic, and I’m excited to bring it to life with this excellent cast,” said Boll in a statement (via Variety).

We knew it was only a matter of time...

The Lone Ranger made his debut on a Detroit radio station in 1933, invented by either the station's owner, George W. Trendle, or the show's writer, Fran Striker. (There's some debate on the matter.) As fans of Westerns will know, The Lone Ranger was a masked vigilante who operated in the wilds of 19th century America, tracking down criminals with his best friend, a man named Tonto. Tonto's origins were never made wholly clear, although he's most likely Apache, Comanche, or Potawatomi. The Lone Ranger rode a horse named Silver, and used silver bullets to dispatch his victims.

The Lone Ranger's origin story is the stuff of comic book lore. The Ranger's older brother and a posse of other Texas Rangers were on the trail of an evil criminal named Cavendish, when, thanks to a betrayal, Cavendish got the drop on them. Cavendish killed them all, but left a young boy alive.

Johnny Depp’s fans are feral. Even Armie Hammer, way before his own controversies, was left speechless at the sheer chaos that followed Depp wherever he went. We’re talking fans so obsessed they’d literally try to yank out his hair like it was some kind of Hollywood relic.

Johnny Depp in a still from The Brave | Credits: Majestic Films International

Hammer, back then just a guy in awe of Depp’s superstardom, couldn’t believe the madness. Little did he know, his own name would one day send the internet into a meltdown — but for very different reasons.

From Johnny Depp’s wild world to his own scandal: Armie Hammer’s shock came full circle Armie Hammer in Call Me by Your Name | Credit: Sony Pictures

Johnny Depp’s over-the-top lifestyle didn’t just shock fans; it left Armie Hammer baffled years before his own scandal rocked Hollywood.

Armie Hammer was slated to become one of the leading actors in Hollywood. However, that was until the s*xual misconduct and abuse allegations against him had not surfaced. Following the revelation, three and a half years back, the actor was dropped from several projects and apparently disappeared from the public eye.

Armie Hammer in Call Me by Your Name | Credit: Sony Pictures

While he has been trying to make a comeback and has been active in the public sphere for quite some while now, the actor’s past is not going to be leaving him anytime soon, in a recent interview, he opened up about his shocking texts to women and revealed what he thought about them.

Armie Hammer on his past and problematic texts Armie Hammer is trying to make a comeback | Credit: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. / Warner Bros. Pictures

Armie Hammer has been...

Johnny Depp Native Adoption ( Photo Credit – Wikimedia )

Johnny Depp, one of Hollywood’s biggest names, has been a crown champion of the movie industry since the 1990s. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor, as expected from a superstar of his caliber, has dominated media headlines for textbook reasons—ranging from his alleged addictions and high-profile love life to his frequent collaborations with Tim Burton.

Beyond his silver screen ventures, Depp’s relationships and family also rouse curiosity. His daughter, Lily-Rose Depp, recently garnered wide recognition for her role in Nosferatu, and the less said about his ordeal with ex-wife Amber Heard, the better. However, not much is discussed about Depp’s parents — aside from his adoptive mother, which often goes unnoticed in public discourse.

Depp, just a month short of celebrating his 49th birthday, was adopted by Ladonna Harris, president and founder of Americans for Indian Opportunity. This made him...

It’s no secret that the Western genre has changed in recent years. It’s no longer acceptable to lean into the old-fashioned — and frankly offensive — “cowboys versus Indians” tales. However, that doesn’t mean all “old” Western content is steeped in offensive stereotypes. While many can’t be separated from their unpleasant cultural norms, there are still some examples of culturally conscientious Western filmmaking. One of the most prominent of these films is — perhaps surprisingly — DreamWorks’ Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

Marketed as a children’s film, Spirit was both praised and ridiculed by contemporary critics. Viewers hailed its rich visuals and toe-tapping soundtrack. At the same time, others criticized DreamWorks’ Western tale for its culturally conscious narrative. Among its target audience, Spirit joined the lineup of quintessential 2000s “horse girl” movies, but a more mature rewatch quickly reveals its deeper truths.

DreamWork’s Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron...

Jan Shepard, who acted opposite Elvis Presley in 1958’s King Creole and 1966’s Paradise, Hawaiian Style, and appeared in more than 30 TV Westerns, died Jan. 17 at a hospital in Burbank, Calif. of pneumonia brought on by respiratory failure. She was 96.

In King Creole, noted as Presley’s favorite of his films, she portrayed his on-screen sister Mimi. Eight years later, Shepard played Presley’s business partner’s wife in the ’60s buddy musical comedy. In an interview from last year, Shepard said she wasn’t a fan of Presley’s ahead of working with him, but “once I met him, I just adored him.”

Per an official obituary, Presley and Shepard got on well and went to off-set lunches (where Marlon Brando once made a chance appearance). Describing him as a “big teddy bear,” Shepard once recalled that he gave her a pair of 10-cent earrings as a joke before...

Jan Shepard, who guest-starred on Rawhide, The Virginian, Gunsmoke and two dozen other TV Westerns and played opposite Elvis Presley in movies eight years apart, has died. She was 96.

Shepard died Jan. 17 at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank of pneumonia brought on by respiratory failure, her son, Hollywood prop master, Brandon Boyle, told The Hollywood Reporter. “She was a good one and will be dearly missed,” he said.

Shepard portrayed Mimi, the sister of Presley’s Danny Fisher, in the Michael Curtiz-directed King Creole (1958) and the wife of Danny Kohana (James Shigeta), who partners with Presley’s Rick Richards in a helicopter business, in Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966).

“The first time, I found him to be just the cutest kid around, a big teddy bear, a lot of fun,” she said in an interview for Boyd Magers and Michael G. Fitzgerald’s 1999 book, Westerns Women. But on their next movie,...

The Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp as Tonto and Armie Hammer as the titular masked hero, was a highly ambitious project that ultimately flopped at the box office. Despite its massive $225 million budget and a star-studded cast, the film failed to connect with audiences and critics alike.

Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp in The Lone Ranger | Credits: Walt Disney Pictures

One of the more peculiar aspects of the movie was Depp’s striking choice to portray Tonto with a dead crow perched atop his head. This visual choice sparked discussions and criticisms but wasn’t even the most problematic aspect of The Lone Ranger. While Depp’s creative input shaped the character’s bizarre appearance, deeper issues played a significant role in the film’s downfall.

Is Johnny Depp’s dead crow a symbol of creative ambition or misdirection? Johnny Depp as Tonto in The Lone Ranger | Credits: Walt Disney...

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As one of the oldest film genres of all time, the Western has more than its fair share of legendary movies under its holster belt. The genres range from the often-imitated, never-duplicated The Searchers from the iconic John Ford to the Spaghetti Western pulp greatness of Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, all the way to the neo-Westerns of the modern day, like the Best Picture-winning No Country for Old Men, the highest peak that Marvel ever reached with Logan, or late-career Clint Eastwood classics like Cry Macho. As is to be expected, as the genre accumulated all-time great films, it also accumulated all-time great filmmakers, from actors to screenwriters to producers to cinematographers, all the way to, of course, directors.

It is...

(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.)

"I only directed something someone else wrote once and it was a misbegotten adventure from the beginning, as much my fault as anybody else's." Those are the words of director David Koepp, speaking to UCLA in 2022. The misbegotten adventure in question was 2015's "Mortdecai," a globe-trotting comedy starring then-a-lister Johnny Depp. It was a massive failure both critically and commercially, one that Koepp doesn't seem to have an interest in defending.

Koepp is no stranger to big hits. As a screenwriter, he helped turn "Jurassic Park" into one of the biggest movies ever, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. As a director? It's a touch more spotty, but the man knows his way around a success. He previously helmed the thriller "Secret Window,...

We all love it when a classic screen villain makes an unexpected return. That certainly drives “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” the first Wallace & Gromit feature since 2005’s Oscar-winning “The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” and the first film to feature the beloved characters since 2008’s “A Matter of Loaf and Death”. The villain? Feathers McGraw, the larcenous penguin (disguised as a rooster thanks to a red rubber glove) from 1993’s “The Wrong Trousers,” which, yes, won the Oscar for animated short.

This time around, Feathers frames cuddly inventor Wallace (voiced by Ben Whitehead) and his beloved pooch Gromit for a series of crimes by hacking into the “smart gnome” Wallace has invented, named Norbot.

Director Nick Park said that the central idea for the new film had been hanging around since “Curse of the Were-Rabbit:” “What if Wallace invented a robot gnome to help Gromit in the garden?” The idea,...

Netflix's American Primeval has finally been released, and here are all of the filming locations that have been revealed so far. Netflix's new Western drama miniseries tells the story of a woman and her son who are attempting to cross the frontier, with much of the show taking place in the Utah Territory in 1857. Because of this setting, American Primeval uses a lot of wilderness and fort settings, so here is what real-world locations were featured in the show.

American Primeval is a dark and gritty Western series from director Peter Berg and The Revenant writer Mark L. Smith, with it featuring many of the types of locations that have become associated with the genre. Wagon trains, Mormon armies, Indigenous camps, and wild animals make up the world of American Primeval, with the production design of the series perfectly pulling off the Old West setting. However, much of the...

Armie Hammer is making a return to the big screen, taking on the lead role in Uwe Boll’s new film, The Dark Knight. This vigilante thriller is set to begin filming in Croatia on January 27, with Hammer playing Sanders, a man who turns to crime-fighting and becomes both a hero and a controversial figure.

The project marks a significant comeback for the actor, whose career took a sharp turn in 2021 following allegations of sexual misconduct.

In a recent podcast interview, Hammer opened up about the challenges he faced during his time away from Hollywood, describing the experience as isolating but also reflecting on his return to work. “That first job I turned down after four years of this—well, it felt amazing,” he shared.

Hammer’s previous work included prominent roles in films like Call Me by Your Name, The Lone Ranger, and The Man from U.N.C.

Armie Hammer is gearing up for a comeback and, considering how his career was derailed in 2021, this particular trajectory for a comeback seems to make sense as major studios and directors may still be hesitant to cast the once-promising actor. Hammer is teaming up with infamous schlock director Uwe Boll on an upcoming project that will take him all the way to Croatia.

Per Variety, Hammer will lead Boll's The Dark Knight, described as a vigilante thriller that will see the actor playing the titular crime fighter. Shooting on the project will start on Jan. 27 in Croatia, and it follows Hammer returning to acting in the western Frontier Crucible alongside Thomas Janes and William H. Macy. The actor recently mentioned that his acting career was picking up steam once again, and that it was getting so hot that he was starting to turn down jobs.

"My dance card's getting pretty full.

After missing out on the chance to play Batman in George Miller's defunct Justice League Mortal, Armie Hammer will finally get the opportunity to suit-up as The Dark Knight. Well, a Dark Knight.

Hammer, whose career came to a screeching halt in 2021 following some pretty disturbing allegations of sexual misconduct, is set to play the lead in a movie called The Dark Knight from director Uwe Boll, who has previously helmed classics such as BloodRayne, House of the Dead, and Alone in the Dark.

The Lone Ranger and The Social Network star was accused of sexual abuse (involving cannibalistic and Bdsm fetishes) by several women, but The Los Angeles County D.A.’s office decided not to file any charges against the actor following a lengthy investigation by the LAPD.

Based on an original script by Boll, Hammer has signed on to play Sanders, a man "who takes justice...

By getting the lead role in Uwe Boll’s upcoming vigilante thriller The Dark Knight, Armie Hammer is making a big comeback to Hollywood. The movie will start being made in Croatia on January 27.

Hammer portrays Sanders, a vigilante who becomes famous on social media for his fight against crime in the film. The story is about how Sanders’s support from the people and the police chief’s efforts to stop him from doing illegal things are at odds with each other.

This choice is a big step in Hammer’s return to the screen after a break that began in 2021 because of sexual misconduct claims. Following a thorough probe, prosecutors in Los Angeles chose not to bring charges against him in 2023. Hammer just finished shooting the western Frontier Crucible, which Travis Mills directed. He starred with experienced actors Thomas Jane and William H. Macy.

Hammer recently talked about...

Armie Hammer’s comeback is picking up steam after nabbing the starring role in Uwe Boll’s latest film, “The Dark Knight.”

Hammer is set to play the crime-fighting titular character in the vigilante thriller, which is scheduled to begin principal photography in Croatia on Jan. 27.

The embattled actor, who saw his career come to a halt in 2021 following allegations of sexual misconduct, recently returned to work in Travis Mills’ forthcoming western “Frontier Crucible,” which also stars Thomas Jane and William H. Macy.

Following a lengthy probe, Los Angeles prosecutors in 2023 declined to charge the actor with any crime.

Prior to the allegations, Hammer starred in such high-profile pics as Gore Verbinski’s “The Lone Ranger” alongside Johnny Depp, Guy Ritchie’s “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” with Henry Cavill and Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me by Your Name” with Timothée Chalamet.

In a recent podcast interview, Hammer said that his...