When the topic of Disney turning their animated classics into live-action remakes comes up, the conversation rarely focuses on how the original cast of those projects feels when they’re recast. However, Tangled’s original Mother Gothel, Donna Murphy, is taking a page out of animated Moana’s Auli’i Cravalho’s book, reflecting on the news of Kathryn Hahn’s casting as the iconic Disney villain.

Five-time Tony Award nominee Murphy is the original speaking and singing voice of Mother Gothel in the 2010 animated version of Tangled. A talented Broadway actress in her own right, Walt Disney Studios could have approached her to reprise the role for the live-action remake, but instead they opted to cast the Agatha All Along star.

Thankfully, Murphy has no issue with the recasting. In fact, she expressed nothing but excitement, which she shared with PEOPLE. In fact, the “Mother Knows Best” singer has been a huge fan of Hahn for several years, saying:

Stepping into any role previously held by someone else is always intimidating, but doing so in a Disney live-action remake is even more formidable. When pressed on whether she had any advice for the Bad Moms star, Murphy said:

The internet seems to agree with The Gilded Age star, considering many of Hahn’s most devoted fans believe they "manifested" the role for her by endlessly fancasting her as Mother Gothel, especially after seeing her act and sing in the Disney+ original Agatha All Along. If the OG Mother Gothel is on board, then it’s safe to assume the sinister villain is in good hands.

Tangled officially began filming in Europe in Summer 2026, and fans were treated to leaked photos of Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim as Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder. There are also a few photos of Hahn in Gothel’s maroon dress floating around, and it definitely looks like she jumped out of the animated classic.

While we definitely won’t see Tangled on the 2026 Movie Schedule, it is slated for a March 31, 2028 release. When it hits theaters, it will be the first live-action remake since this summer’s Moana. Until then, you can stream the beloved original with an active Disney+ subscription.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, thanks to new projects arriving in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Despite this pace of releases, Marvel is also known for its tight security, especially when it comes to crossover events like the Avengers movies. Case in point: actors are not even given full scripts for those projects. It's pretty mind-blowing to think about, and Bucky actor Sebastian Stan got real about how difficult that can make the job.

Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have heard stories about the great lengths the studio goes to in order guard spoilers. This is especially important for Avengers films, and during a video for GQ, Stan spoke about the experience of playing his signature character in this top-secret setting. In his words:

Honestly, this makes a great deal of sense. Most actors require access to a movie's full script in order to properly track their characters' story, and how it fits into the movie's overall message. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen for the Avengers movies. While Stan is part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast list, he might have just gotten the pages where Bucky appears.

Luckily for Sebastian Stan, he's been playing his Marvel role since Captain America: The First Avenger shot back in 2010. As such, he's able to slip back into character for upcoming Marvel movies even if he doesn't have the context of a full script. The 44 year-old actor spoke about this dynamic by offering:

This is an interesting perspective. Not having a script might be challenging, it sounds like it can open up the Avengers sets to more play. Actors are able to rely on their instincts and understand of their characters, rather than being able to rely on what's on the page.

The stars of these blockbusters sometimes don't even know their character's fate in the shared universe. Stan opened up about this dynamic, saying:

That's one way to keep fans in the dark about each new movie until its release. Because if not even the actors know if their actors know if they survive, how can the information leak?

Indeed, there are a number of beloved characters whose fate is still unclear. Fans have been debating whether or not Wanda is alive since she seemingly died at the end of Doctor Strange 2. One can only imagine how many characters might perish during the next Avengers flick.

All will be revealed when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Fingers crossed that Sebastian Stan's Bucky survives the fight again Doctor Doom.

Scarlett Johansson has always looked good in red. I particularly remember her curve-hugging ballgown from the 2020 Golden Globes that was fit over her ribs, then flared out gloriously. This weekend she was back in a dress that perfectly matched the Paper Tiger red carpet in color, and it was a custom Prada number that certainly popped. When you're among the highest paid celebrities out there, you have options for outfits, that's all I'm saying.

For the celebrity fashion moment, the actress chose a bias cut gown. It was floor length, it was flowy, and it had ruching that helped the dress hug her body in the right places and otherwise shift as she moved. I also liked the standout gold choker from Barron London she paired it with, but the color was really the eye-catching bit, here. If you haven’t gotten a look at it, you can see the look from the The Royal Festival Hall event in full, below.

Turns Out, Red Was The Theme Of The Festival

Johansson was in London at the BFI Festival this week, and she repeated red twice. She’d also worn the color for the Ray Gunn premiere, the new Brad Bird Netflix movie coming from John Lasseter’s Skydance Animation. Both premieres occurred on the same day, so I guess red was just the theme of the weekend for the actress.

Not that I’m mad about it.

Part of me wonders if staying on the same theme meant the actress could keep the same makeup look throughout the day, which would certainly make things easier when one is jumping from event to event. Either way, as I said, red is a great color for her, and I wouldn't mind seeing it continue through the upcoming movie season.

It's worth noting that unlike the first dress, this second dress was resortwear from Hermès’ recent collection and not a custom outfit.

This weekend is really just a tease, as we should be about to get a spectacular run of carpet looks from the actress coming up. Paper Tiger hits the 2026 movie release schedule in mid-November, and Ray Gunn should be coming a few weeks later in early December. I'm actually hoping for more red, here, but I'm also hoping she'll start bringing husband Colin Jost along for the ride so we can catch him trolling in more carpet photos. What's a hot gown without a goofy husband in tow? I mean, really?

There’s nothing Hollywood loves more these days than a franchise with positive name recognition. If a movie or television show has ever, at any singular point, made money and/ or cultivated an invested fanbase, there is someone out there currently trying to make a sequel or prequel or reboot or remake. At this point, we’re all swimming in nostalgic follow-ups, most of which we didn’t ask for, which is why it’s so bizarre that Barbie, a smash hit movie we all want a sequel to, has made no forward progress. Fortunately, there might finally be some reason for optimism.

First, let’s talk about the bad news. Earlier this year, a widely cited New York Times report ripped the band-aid off on what’s allegedly going on behind the scenes with Barbie, and many fans were left disappointed. Director Greta Gerwig reportedly has an idea for a sequel she wants to do, but Warner Bros has been unable to come to terms with Gerwig, co-writer Noah Baumbach and stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling on a new deal. If an agreement isn’t reached this year, the rights reportedly revert back to Mattel, who could work with another studio but would have to completely reboot the franchise without using this most recent iteration of characters.

Given the timeframe we’re dealing with and the fact that six offers have allegedly been rejected, you would think there’s no way this is going to happen, but some behind the scenes shake-ups at the ownership and executive level could be good news. The most obvious change is, of course, Paramount/ Skydance buying Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav may have been unwilling to give the Barbie creative team the money they’re asking for, but that doesn’t mean Paramount’s leadership isn’t. They’re clearly going to be looking to make a splash, and one of the loudest ways they could do that would be by officially putting a Barbie sequel into development.

There are also several key players in leadership roles who you would think would have a very personal interest in making it happen. Last week, Mattel announced it was bringing in a new executive to run all things Barbie, as well as its entire doll division. The company picked Catherine Wood, who until recently, ran the global franchise strategy for Warner Bros. She was responsible for the overall vision of Harry Potter, Game Of Thrones and more, and obviously has extremely close connections back at her old company.

In an unrelated but extremely interesting parallel decision, Skydance announced last week that Ynon Kreiz was officially taking over as co-CEO. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he used to be the former CEO of Mattel. So, to sum up, the woman running Barbie used to be a high level executive at Warner Bros, and the guy now running Warner Bros’ parent company used to be the CEO of Mattel.

2023’s smash hit adaptation of Barbie grossed $1.4B with a b dollars at the global box office. It also received eight Oscar nominations and got an overwhelmingly positive response from fans and critics. You could make a strong case that it was the most culturally relevant movie of the entire year, which is extremely impressive given the first Barbie doll went to market in 1959.

At the time, it was widely assumed we’d get an entire franchise of movies in short order, but we’re now just a few months away from the rights running out and Mattel executives are using ominous phrases like "one day." Fingers crossed these behind the scenes changes are what everyone needs to get a deal done and give us some optimism.

Ever since the first trailer for Hexed came out, I’ve been excited about the movie’s punk rock witch protagonist Billie. But did you know that when Hexed was first announced, its main character was a teenage boy? When CinemaBlend visited Walt Disney Animation recently, we learned why the filmmakers made the significant change behind the scenes.

Hexed follows Billie, a teenage girl who finds out she’s a witch. Her mother has been hiding the the secret from her for her entire life through an enchanted bracelet. Once the secret's out, she goes on an adventure in the secret witch realm of “Hexe” to discover who she is, and her mom ends up tagging along with her. You can check out the latest trailer below:

I never would have imagined the story being handled differently, but when the movie was first introduced in August of 2025, its main character was described as an “awkward teenage boy”. This goes to show anything can change during the production of a Disney animated film. Here’s what Jared Bush, the co-writer of Hexed and CCO of Walt Disney Animation said about the switch up:

A lot of main characters in Walt Disney Animation have been young women, so I can understand the want to change things up. At the same time, in a world of witches, it definitely makes a lot more sense for the movie’s main hero to be one too. As Bush added in our interview:

It sounds like the move was for the better. Of course, there is a very famous story about a young male protagonist who finds out he lives among witches and wizards called Harry Potter. That could have potentially drawn a lot of comparisons – especially as the new HBO series based on J.K. Rowling’s books soon arrive on the 2026 TV schedule – just a month after the release of Hexed.

Plus, now we get Billie, who’s unlike any character I’ve ever seen Disney animate before. Check out her character design:

Billie Doe is voiced by Hailee Steinfeld, who’s said that she felt closer to the story of Hexed after recently becoming a first-time mom herself. Plus her mother Alice is voiced by Rashida Jones. While at Walt Disney Animation, we got to see some of the scenes between Billie and Alice, and there's definitely a very resonant and emotional story between them. It’s the kind of movie I’m going to want to see with my own mom. Co-writer Dana Ledoux Miller told CinemaBlend this about Billie’s character, too:

Walt Disney Animation has certainly been telling stories about witches and magic for decades upon decades, but Hexed feels like a really modern and exciting approach to add to its legacy. There’s even a storyline about a retired cat familiar named Beef Roger (and voiced by Walton Goggins) who Billie seeks out from her mom’s past. He's a scene-stealer from what Disney showed us, too.

Plus, we can look forward to an intriguing villain played by Disney Legend Jodie Foster named Celeste. She’s the rosy-hued queen of witches who has her own minions of dark (and pretty scary) witches that have her back. I’ve also heard the movie was somewhat inspired by Chainsaw Man when it comes to some of its visual style, which blew my mind.

The more I learn about it, the more I can’t wait for it. I know Hexed is one of my most anticipated upcoming Disney movies on the way, now, and a big part of that is because of its female protagonist, Billie. Hexed hits theaters on November 25.

Spoilers for Verity are ahead! You can catch the movie in theaters now.

We talk often about how sex scenes are filmed and how intimacy coordinators work on set. However, there’s another element to the intimate moments in the book-to-screen adaptation of Verity that had my attention when I watched the flick. That would be the graphic words from Verity’s manuscript that were used as an overlay on various sex scenes in the movie, and I spoke to the director Michael Showalter about that creative choice and the meaning behind it.

The Way Verity's Sex Scenes Worked Was A First For Me

I can safely say I’ve never watched a movie that featured sex scenes and spicy pages from a book on top of them. In the movie, this happens when intimate moments of Verity’s manuscript are being described, and we see both the actors playing out the scene literally and the page of her book that’s describing the actions.

In fact, smutty words are flashed across the screen while Anne Hathaway’s titular character and Josh Hartnett’s Jeremy are having sex. Why is that the case? Michael Showalter told CinemaBlend it wasn't just one thing.

OK, let’s break down these reasons. From a style perspective, I do think this was a cool choice for the project on the 2026 movie schedule. It was unexpected and highlighted the manuscript at the center of this story. To me, it also kind of paid homage to the book that inspired this movie.

From a story perspective, it really was a valuable reminder. It was important to note that when we were watching Verity and Jeremy in flashbacks, it was through Verity’s manuscript. So, we were seeing what she wanted us to see, and that does not mean what we were seeing was the truth.

That’s significant because we really don’t know what’s true and what’s not in this movie. Verity’s manuscript seems untrustworthy from the jump. However, it becomes even more of an unreliable source when Lowen finds a letter from her at the end of the movie that claims everything she wrote in the manuscript was a writing exercise and therefore false.

It’s unclear which document was the truth, and it’s possible they could both be lies. Multiple endings were filmed for this movie. People who watched Verity are still unsure. Everything we, the audience, know about Verity’s past is unreliable.

The graphic words that overlay the sex scenes really do help amplify that point, and it also emphasizes how we really need to be careful while trying to figure out what Jeremy’s relationship was with both Verity and Lowen, because all we know is what his wife has written down.

So, the next time you watch Verity, make sure to take note of this choice. It’s not just stylistic; it’s also a helpful reminder that when it comes to the writers at the center of this story, we can’t always believe the words they put on the page and what we see on screen.

Be warned, as major spoilers for Animals lie ahead.

Animals is the latest directorial effort from Ben Affleck, and it’s also one of the newest titles to hit the 2026 movie schedule. The film, in which Affleck also plays one of the lead roles, revolves around a mayoral candidate and his wife, whose relationship unravels as they deal with their son’s apparent kidnapping. Yet the paradigm shifts for them and those in their orbit when a new revelation comes to light. CinemaBlend spoke to Affleck about his new flick, and he not only broke down the ending but shared some details on the main villain.

California-based politician Mark Kimball and his wife, Abigail (Kerry Washington) are distraught when someone calls and claims they’ve kidnapped their son, Denny (Christopher Woodley) and wants $7 million for his safe return. They are relieved, however, when Denny returns home on his own after trick-or-treating. However, it’s revealed that the true kidnapee is the child Denny was with, Hector (Jacob Estrada) – who’s the son of Ramon (Luis Gerardo Méndez), the man Kimball family maid, Cecilia Trujillo (Adriana Paz) is dating.

The Kimballs eventually decide to save Hector regardless, with the help of enigmatic deal broker Dayle Burton (Gillian Anderson). The Kimballs later, however, take Dayle up on her offer to have the kidnapper killed during the cash exchange. Ultimately, the situation ends with Hector being saved, and the kidnappers – along with Gayle and her assistant, Rand – being killed. When CB spoke to Affleck, he didn’t divulge the exact identity of the lead antagonist, but he shared some details on the character’s backstory and link to Mark:

Affleck is indeed right that there are clues that seem to allude to the identity of the main kidnapper, and a solid theory is that the character – played by Matt Gerald – could be James Bureaux. Viewers may recall that Bureaux is the man who Mark researches at the beginning of the movie. That would track, given what the director/leading man says about the man who kidnaps Hector:

During the 2026 Netflix movie, Mark attempts to appeal to the Los Angeles community, as he attempts to become mayor. It’s also a big gamble for the Spanish-speaking politician, as he seeks pretty much all of his assets into his campaign. Given Mark’s position and status as a wealthy man, it would make sense that the man (who may or may not be Bureaux) would target him. At the end of the day, though, Affleck seems to be concerned with much more than just audiences knowing the criminal’s identity:

It seems like Affleck put a lot of thought into this narrative, and that tracks, given how passionate he’s been when speaking about his work on the film. At one point, it looked like Animals wouldn’t even happen, but Affleck revived it. However, by that point, the original leading man, Matt Damon, had to step away to film The Odyssey, and Jennifer Garner dropped out as well. What Affleck ultimately crafts is a classic thriller filled with political and social undertones.

As for the villain, I’d be surprised if Ben Affleck ever overtly revealed their identity but, then again, that’s just more reason for viewers to check out the movie and make their own assumptions. So, on that note, grab a Netflix subscription and stream Animals now.

Just as a warning, there are some very minor spoilers below for The Social Reckoning, which hit the 2026 movie schedule this weekend, but nothing that would ruin the movie for those who haven’t seen it.

I like The Social Reckoning. I know reviews for the Aaron Sorkin-led drama have been pretty mid, but I’m still a sucker for Sorkin’s writing. I thought all the acting performances were good, and while I don’t think it’s as slick or cool-looking as the David Fincher-directed The Social Network, I think Sorkin did a fine job directing this “spiritual sequel.” I haven’t gotten in the weeds with how historically accurate The Social Reckoning is, but I know that Sorkin took some artistic liberties with the story. I know the actors chose not to meet the people they were playing as well, but as a movie, I think it delivers.

The movie wraps up in a good spot, with whistleblower Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison) testifying before Congress in October 2021. That isn’t the end of Haugen’s battle with Facebook.

After Congress

Aaron Sorkin picked a natural place to end his movie, but the months and years after Haugen testified have been busy, too. After her testimony, Haugen has filed a number of complaints against her former employer with the Securities and Exchange Commission, both before and after her testimony. Most of those are related to the files she leaked to reporter Jeff Horowitz, portrayed by Jeremy Allen White in The Social Reckoning. Horowitz subsequently reported on them in The Wall Street Journal’s series called “The Facebook Files.”

State attorneys general across the country have also filed multiple lawsuits against Facebook and its parent company, Meta, based on her leak and testimony. Haugen herself has also testified in front of Parliament in the United Kingdom and the European Parliament in the weeks after her appearance on The Hill. She has also reportedly worked with the French Parliament and with the Federal Trade Commission back in the U.S. Haugen has also started a non-profit organization, Beyond the Screen with the goal of making social media “safer, more transparent, and more accountable.”

Big Changes In Her Personal Life, As Well

Haugen, as seen in the movie, relocated to Puerto Rico, where she still lives today. In 2021, she eloped on a Puerto Rican beach with Alex Newman, and together they have one child and still live in Puerto Rico. This is Haugen’s second marriage. The first came before the time period covered in The Social Reckoning. Haugen has also written a memoir about her experience with The Facebook Files and the era the movie covers, called The Power of One: How I Found the Strength to Tell the Truth and Why I Blew the Whistle on Facebook.

Though she and Madison didn’t meet before Madison made the movie, the two recently sat down for an interview together with Time, and she revealed that Sorkin used the book for some of his source material while writing the film.

The Social Reckoning is currently in theaters, and while critics haven’t loved the movie and its box office results don't look spectacular, I think it’s well worth anyone’s time. I’ve never laughed so hard at a movie that made me so mad. And I mean that in a good way.

Blake Lively has been linked to legal drama for nearly two years now due to her court battle with It Ends with Us collaborator Justin Baldoni. At this point, the case has been settled, though further developments continue to arise, including a set of newly revealed texts from Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, which recently hit the web. There’s apparently been a question regarding how Lively’s reputation and that of her husband will hold up amid the situation. With that, several alleged industry bigwigs are sharing their takes.

On Friday, newly unsealed court documents revealed text correspondences that Reynolds allegedly had with It Ends with Us author Colleen Hoover and more. Reynolds reportedly made blistering comments about Baldoni, calling him a “predator and sociopath.” According to Daily Mail, the Deadpool star also spoke to talent agent Warren Zavala and blasted Sony Pictures (which distributed IEWU) for supposedly not defending Lively. One LA source spoke to the outlet about what the industry’s perception of Lively and Reynolds is now:

In one of his texts to Zavala, Reynolds reportedly said, “[Sony] need[s] to frame it the right way” and, in another, he asserted that the studio needed to “get in front of” the Lively/Baldoni controversy. Zavala apparently concurred that the company was “covering” itself. The contents of the texts aside, sources seem to be in agreement that the optics of such messages don’t bode well for Reynolds and his spouse. Daily Mail’s second insider, a Hollywood casting director, added:

Over the last few years, Reynolds has appeared in a few films produced under his Maximum Effort production banner, including Deadpool & Wolverine and Mayday. It’s worth noting, however, that both movies were either released or in production by the time Lively filed her legal complaint of alleged sexual harassment and defamation against Baldoni (who denied the claims). Throughout the nearly year-and-a-half-long case, both Lively and Baldoni’s reputations apparently took hits, and much was said about the immense time and money they were putting into their eventual lawsuits. Unnamed execs have weighed in on Baldoni and Lively’s professional prospects, and all seem to believe they’re in for a tough time.

Still, Baldoni announced big news weeks ago. It was confirmed that Baldoni’s company, Wayfarer Studios, would produce a boxing movie called House of Guerrero, with his Jane the Virgin co-star Gina Rodriguez, set to star. Meanwhile, Lively is reportedly planning a career comeback and, just recently, it was reported that she made a big professional change by firing her longtime publicist, Leslie Sloane. Per reports, Reynolds played a role in that decision. Despite the changes, the alleged casting director still says this about the texts:

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds haven’t spoken candidly about the former’s legal conflict in any public setting. Any discussion about what may or may not happen with their careers moving forward can only be regarded as speculation.

Tom Holland is having quite the year. After taking some much needed time off starting in 2022, the actor came back to the silver screen by making a huge splash. He was one of the stars of The Odyssey, which had a great box office opening and has maintained huge numbers throughout the summer. He also ran victory lap with Spider-Man: Brand New Day which had a historic run domestically, maintaining its number one spot week after week. On the heels of Holland's success, one of his directors, Joe Russo, is weighing in on why he's the last true movie star.

Joe Russo and his brother, Anthony, worked with Holland on a few Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, and the former Russo sibling recently discussed that collaboration. While speaking with CBR.com, Joe didn't hold back his admiration for the Spider-Man star and laid out several key elements that have arguably contributed to the British star endearing himself to audiences. Joe explained:

I agree that the way Holland takes on a character is unique from a lot of his peers. While contemporaries like Jacob Elordi and Timothee Chalamet seem to be taking inspiration from actors like Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale, there is something far more old school about Holland's approach. He has a jovial energy of old Hollywood, kind of like a Gene Kelly. He’s youthful without feeling childish, and his energy is electric. This “vintage” quality is something Russo picked up on as well, as he said:

It’s hard to deny that there is something special about Tom Holland. It’s why filmmakers like Christopher Nolan, Paul King and of course, the Russo Brothers are jumping at the chance to work with. Holland never feels like he’s fighting for a performance. It flows naturally to him, and there's a charm he has that brings a very specific energy to the screen. Even though Joe alludes to other great performers of this generation, his claim that Holland is “the last great movie star” is quite bold.

Ultimately, I think what Joe Russo means is Holland may be the last great movie star by the old Hollywood standard of what a movie star is. The Cherry star, like a lot of early movie stars, is a studio darling. He is a fantastic tool to use in many different kinds of movies to play the boyish everyman. However, the modern-day definition of a movie star has changed. They can be an intense method actor like Daniel Day Lewis or even a powerhouse woman like Holland's own wife, Zendaya.

Holland may be his own unique kind of movie star in his own right, but there are a lot of up-in-comers bringing their own flair to modern moviemaking. We'll have to wait and see if the current popularity of Holland’s traditional charm will stand the test of time.

For now, fans can catch Tom Holland in two of the buzziest films on the 2026 movie calendar, The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. They are in select theaters now for a limited time, as both of these films are at the tail-end of their theatrical runs. You can also revisit his performance as Peter Parker in the previous Spider-Man and Avengers movies, which are now streaming with a Disney+ subscription.

Early on, it looked like Digger, the latest Tom Cruise movie that hit the 2026 movie schedule last weekend, would be a box office flop. So, I wasn’t surprised to see it fail, but I’m still shocked that a Tom Cruise movie is doing this poorly with moviegoers. Cruise is one of the rare Hollywood superstars who almost always guarantees a big opening and a big hit. The Mission: Impossible actor sells most movies just on his name alone. That name doesn’t seem able to overcome lackluster reviews for the Alejandro González Iñárritu-directed film.

Teaming Up With A Great Director

To be clear, Digger isn’t a typical Tom Cruise movie, and I should note that I haven’t seen it yet. I haven’t seen it due to a confluence of events in my life that means I just haven’t had a chance to get to the theater to watch it, but I’m not here to condemn or defend the movie; I'm here to talk about just how shocking it is that it is such a massive box office miss. Cruise rarely misses, and to bomb at this level, both with critics and at the box office, basically never happens.

He’s teamed up on Digger with one of the best directors in the business. Iñárritu has won four Oscars, including Best Director for Birdman and The Revenant, and always seems to make interesting pictures. This one looks that way too, and maybe that is the problem? It’s hard to say, but I was excited to see Cruise step out of the action genre for the first time in a while and sink his teeth into an interesting role. I guess audiences weren’t as keen as I am.

Losses On An Historic Level?

Not every Cruise-led film reaches the heights (no pun intended) of Top Gun: Maverick or the Mission: Impossible franchise, but they basically always at least make their money back and more. That’s far from the case with Digger, which, as of Friday, October 9th, has only brought in $29 million worldwide, after a meek $8 opening weekend in the U.S., according to Box Office Mojo. That’s on a reported budget of somewhere between $160 and $180 million, per Variety, though numbers are hard to pin down on the actual cost of Digger. Either way, it’s on pace to be one of the worst-performing Tom Cruise movies of all time.

Digger could very well become the most notorious flop of the actor’s career, overtaking The Mummy, and I really did not see that coming. I wasn’t all in on Digger ranking in money on the level of, say, War of the Worlds, but some in the media are already calling Digger one of the biggest busts of all time. It’s set to follow up its really poor opening weekend performance with a massive drop-off in its second weekend, well behind this weekend’s winners like Other Mommy, The Social Reckoning, and Verity in its second weekend.

The good news for Cruise is that this will likely just be a blip on his career, with his next movies likely being sequels, one for the legendary Days of Thunder and a third movie in the Top Gun franchise. It only goes up from here!

The latest upcoming Marvel flick, Avengers: Doomsday, will draw millions of superhero fans to cinemas later this year and pick up some of Endgame's plot threads. Returning to the directors' chairs for the superhero team-up movie are Joe and Anthony Russo, who have plenty of experience working within this franchise. Still, as one can imagine, making these movies isn't easy, and Anthony revealed one particularly challenging aspect of crafting this fifth installment that fans may not believe.

What's known about Avengers: Doomsday is that it'll see heroes from multiple universes to face off against the villainous Doctor Doom. But, with so many fan-favorite heroes in one movie, that, of course, can create story-building challenges. In a Q&A held after an Avengers: Endgame Encore screening, Anthony Russo (via GamesRadar+) explained how hard it was to bring returning characters into a new story while still respecting other key players fans love:

This obstacle is definitely understandable, considering just how much fans love these characters and how much real estate the Russos have to cover in a given film. There are plenty of massive expectations for Doomsday as well, especially considering Avengers: Endgame killed it at the box office, surpassing Avatar as the top-grossing movie of all time.

As Marvel fans still flock to theaters to see their favorite characters' journeys of their favorite heroes, it’s natural that the Russo Brothers want to make sure they do them all justice for Doomsday. While it appears the sibling directors want to make sure that audiences have an enjoyable experience, they’re also realistic about not being able to please all fans if certain characters go in a different direction than fans expect. Anthony also said:

The Cherry co-director makes a great point, as some people may like a specific take on a character, while others may not be as receptive. For example, fans seem to love the Russo's handling of Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, but many are divided (including Hemsworth's own kids and their friends) on the comical way the character is depicted in Ragnarok and Love and Thunder. But, based on the trailer for Doomsday, it looks like Hemsworth will return as a more “serious” Thor as he motivates his superhero cohorts on the importance of taking down Doom as a team.

Character growth is very important to the actors as well. Tom Hiddleston, for instance, promised that Loki’s hard-earned development from his eponymous Disney+ series will not be discarded in the upcoming Avengers movie. All in all, I'm hopeful that the Russo Brothers will make continuity efforts to ensure that our favorite Marvel characters will be honored as they come together for the 2026 movie release.

Joe and Anthony Russo deserve some serious credit for the way in which they've handled ensemble casts in the MCU thus far, and this latest film may be their greatest undertaking. Doomsday has such a stacked cast with actors portraying Avengers, the Fantastic Four, X-Men, the Thunderbolts/New Avengers and more. It remains to be seen if everyone' stories will be serviced accordingly but, if anyone can accomplish that, it's the Russos.

See Earth's Mightiest Heroes and their allies assemble to face Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, which opens in theaters on December 18th. In the meantime, prepare by streaming other MCU films with a Disney+ subscription.

Hollywood has spent the last week talking about how Digger’s very disappointing reviews may have affected its box office performance. Now, the powers that be are going to have the same conversation about The Social Reckoning after Aaron Sorkin’s long-awaited second take on Mark Zuckerberg underwhelmed at the ticket booth. Another movie, however, just proved that you don’t need praise from critics to put people in the seats.

The estimates for this weekend’s box office are here, and it’s great news for Other Mommy. The Jessica Chastain-led horror flick from Blumhouse is tracking to make $27,500,000 this weekend, only counting domestic grosses. That’s more than its rumored budget and a huge performance for a movie that’s getting absolutely crushed by critics. Much has been made about Digger's very divisive reviews and The Social Reckoning's bland to negative reviews, but they both look like Parasite comparatively. Other Mommy is currently sitting at 18% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the early audience scores aren’t strong either.

What it does have, however, is a target audience. Horror fans are always down to go to the movies, and they’re especially down during October. Without a ton of other scary options, it’s not a surprise they showed up in droves to support the film, to the point where it made more than three times the second highest grossing film. Here’s an estimated look at the top of the charts, per The Numbers.

Most of the conversation this week is going to be around The Social Reckoning only making $5.5M, as well as Digger continuing to disappoint, but there is some good news to be had here outside of Other Mommy. Resident Evil is still holding on quite well and looks likely to top $150M in domestic grosses. That’s a really impressive number, especially when there were some initial questions about the reboot. Director Zach Cregger, who made Weapons and Barbarian, is really starting to look like he’s got a huge career ahead of him.

Verity also held up well enough after its debut weekend victory. Its sixty percent or so fall week-over-week definitely isn't what the studio dreamed up, but more than fifty million after ten days or so of box office returns is a really strong return for a book adaptation. It's also further proof that Colleen Hoover is becoming one of the most bankable writers, as her adapted works have steadily performed at the box office, especially It Ends With Us.

The Brad Pitt-fronted Heart Of The Beast also had another solid weekend. I’m sure the movie had higher aspirations when it was in the planning stages, but it just keeps hanging around at the box office and only fell about 1/3rd weekend over weekend. That’s a good sign for its staying power and likely means it’ll remain in the top ten for a few more weekends.

As for Digger and The Social Reckoning, I think their fates are a little bit different. Digger has a way bigger hill to climb from a financial standpoint, as its budget was reportedly over $100M, but it has plenty of enthusiastic defenders. Many critics hated it, but many others are calling it the best movie of the entire year. It could gather some momentum and still make a run at awards season. The movies that stick around and matter over the long haul tend to be the ones with zealous advocates, not ones everyone blandly likes.

The Social Reckoning, however, seems a little more stuck. In theory, its reviews are about the same as Digger, but in practice, the tone of them is very different. The movie hasn’t generated a ton of advocates, and even those who like it, seem to more casually like it. Its middling reviews probably mean it’s mostly out on awards season, and while it may eventually make back its budget on streaming, it seems unlikely we’ll get another Mark Zuckerberg movie anytime soon.

Sydney Sweeney has made a lot of money in general thanks to producing movies but also partnering with companies like Novig, yes, of the viral “just sports” ad fame. She also has an extremely solid partnership with denim company American Eagle, and despite some backlash to an early “great genes/jeans” campaign, has put out some pretty fashion forward denim. Now though, she’s embracing a trend I just don’t think I can get behind.

Yes, I am talking low-rise jeans. Sweeney’s still making money with AE, and she’s been a giant proponent of them via her latest American Eagle collaboration, which gives fans everywhere the opportunity to try the trend in a bunch of different silhouettes. Sweeney called the new trend “exciting” in an interview with Refinery 29, and said we should all be ready to embrace the new look.

Sydney Sweeney has been candid she doesn’t care when the Internet calls her out for her fashion choices, and she’s definitely standing by the low-rise, here. I mean she’s not wrong about the fashion being recycled part. I remember painfully pushing through the days low-rise was popular in the Noughties, and this isn’t exactly the first time I’ve seen low rise on the rise lately.

For example, the look was all OVER the VMAs this year on celebrities from Taylor Swift to Charli XCX. The MTV event is known for being on the cutting edge of some more casual celebrity fashion trends. Meanwhile, my pal’s teen daughter recently gave me a pair of awesome brand new high waisted jeans because she’s moved on to low-rise, so if you wondered where I'm at with this trend, I don't think I need to type much else.

Low-rise is certainly a fashion staple not everyone can pull off. Here’s a list of some of the types of people who low-rise denim isn't made for:

• Anyone who doesn’t have rock-hard abs
• Anyone who doesn’t really have a butt to hold up the more relaxed waist low rise jeans (what’s next whale tail?)
• Anyone with a short torso
• Anyone with short legs
• Anyone who is relatively curvy

So to be clear, I feel as if you really need to be thin, but still have a cushy derriere, and oh be at least average or above in height to pull this look off. I think it’s pretty clear from this post that I am a hater, and I am not alone. Gen Xer Elizabeth Banks has also shared a similar sentiment, but as Sweeney herself notes, it's apparently high time we get with the times.

However, I will say I’m not exactly always the earliest adopter, and from the way I’m seeing my friends’ kids dressing, I do think low-rise will be here to stay for a while. So kudos to 29-year-old Sydney Sweeney for being ahead of the bell curve. I’m only a little jealous about how well she pulls off the look.

Given all their highly-successful careers at this point, it’s pretty wild Andrew Garfield, Robert Pattinson, Charlie Cox, Jamie Dornan and Eddie Redmayne used to be roommates. This was, of course, back in the 2000s when they were all on the cusp of their big breaks in Hollywood. It was a while ago, but they all still remember living together. According to Garfield, there’s an easy answer regarding who was the messiest of the bunch: Robert Pattinson.

Listen, I don't want to put Pattinson on blast here, but Andrew Garfield did, so I'm just going to dive right in. We all know roommates can vary in terms of cleanliness, but when Garfield was asked about this spectacular lineup of celebrity, roomies, he had a clear answer when it came to who was the biggest "mess" when he spoke with Capital.

This isn't the first time Garfield hilariously discussed his old friend, but it is the first time I've realized he was too dirty to clean his act up. I mean, half-eaten cheeseburger dude? Eww.

To be clear, just about everyone in the aforementioned group has been asked about what it was like to frequently share space with each other before their fame. On a previous occasion, Garfield said the five of them feel “like a family” even now despite living much busier lives these days. But family can still be messes, and dudes in their early 20s all sharing a common space can't be a pretty sight. Still, I'm not defending The Batman star's habits.

But hey, Pattinson is beloved enough these days that the story is barely a chip on his shoulder. Also, I don’t expect the 40-year-old is leaving around half-eaten cheeseburgers much these days. I'd assume partner Suki Waterhouse would put the kibosh on that.

Of the five of them, Robert Pattinson actually found fame the earliest between his roles in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and the Twilight movies. Garfield has talked before about how at the time when the five Brits were all close Pattinson was already “working all the time” and had hit a “different stratosphere” before them.

On the fame train, Garfield was probably the next in line, given he got his role in The Amazing Spider-Man and debuted his part in The Social Network a couple years later in 2010. Then, Redmayne, who got Les Misérables in 2011, and later Jamie Dornan for The Fall and Fifty Shades of Grey. I mean, Charlie Cox technically bested them all with 2007’s Stardust alongside Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer, but he’s of course, best now best known for playing the role of Daredevil, starting in 2015.

This year, in particular, Robert Pattinson has been all over the place. The actor is in four movies on the 2026 movie schedule including the highly-anticipated Dune: Part Three, which opens on December 18. Leave it to a good buddy to make a little fun of the old days amidst all his fame and acclaim. Now, I just need Pattinson, Andrew Garfield and their pals to reunite and share more tea about how they were all like back in the day or at least all star in a movie together.

Can we give it up for The Year of Anne Hathaway? The 43-year-old actress just had an all-time great run of 2026 movies. She was not only in five of them, but they made a combined total of over $2.6 billion at the worldwide box office (so far). As a fan of Hathaway since she got her start in The Princess Diaries, I turned up for every single one. I really wasn’t expecting one performance to be my favorite, but here we are.

Anne Hathaway’s Best Movie Wasn’t Her Best IMO

Now, let’s get this out of the way. Obviously, the best movie Anne Hathaway was in this year was Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. I think most of us can agree on that, but The Odyssey is also an ensemble piece. If there’s any performance I’m going to point out, it’s Matt Damon or Zendaya. I thought Anne Hathaway was an excellent Penelope, but it’s not really her movie. And she's sort of forgettable in it.

So, what’s left? Her first movie that came out this year was Mother Mary. It’s the least talked about and watched of the bunch. And while I liked it and thought Hathaway brought a great performance to his spooky two-hander, I get why it fell through the cracks. It’s a bit too heady and weird.

Then, there’s The Devil Wears Prada 2. I really liked this one too, a lot more than Mother Mary, but it hasn’t totally stuck with me either. I’m so happy there was a sequel for the classic 2000s-era movie, but nostalgia can only carry one so far. It couldn’t quite get out of the original's shadow for me, and, honestly, why would it want to?

Hathaway’s latest and final of 2026 films is Verity, which I thought might turn out to be my favorite. Turns out, the CinemaBlend staff and I have a lot of feelings about Verity, but not one of them is that the thriller is her peak role of the year. It was another solid performance, but the end left me with more confusion about what actually happened at the end rather than getting chills. It was also just OK.

My Unexpected Pick For 2026’s Top Hathaway Performance

So, that’s how my favorite oddly ended up being The End of Oak Street. The late-summer release may have been a commercial flop, but Hathaway’s performance surprised and delighted me most. Part of that is because I had no expectations, but another part is how much I enjoyed her taking on the role of a family matriarch in a sci-fi horror movie. I needed that.

The J.J. Abrams-produced movie oddly feels like the biggest swing Hathaway took this year. It's also a film that feels hers completely more than any of the others. Let's not forget it received sneaky good reviews from both critics and audiences. I think The End Of Oak Street stands out to me as well because it’s a wholly original idea that I hadn’t seen before. Even though its script wasn’t technically better than The Odyssey or The Devil Wears Prada 2, I appreciated going on the wild ride of the dinosaur movie and doing so with her character at the forefront. Hathaway’s character really subverted other mom characters within the genre with her performance.

I know, I surprised myself with my pick too, but I stand by it! All in all, Hathaway had an incredible year of diverse performances, and I don't think there's a real stinker in the bunch.

I’ve spent a decent chunk of my life watching and rewatching Anthony Michael Hall in John Hughes movies from the 1980s, like The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Weird Science. I grew up with them, and I’ve never stopped being a fan of them, or quoting them. That’s why I was so surprised to learn that Hall turned down two other Hughes movies (filmed in and around Chicago, of course) that I love–Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Pretty in Pink. Hall recently talked about the and what turning them down meant for his relationship with Hughes.

While speaking with Danielle Fischel on her podcast Teen Beat, Hall talked a lot about how great it was to work with Hughes over four films in the ‘80s, and he talked about the two he didn’t do. The first one he talked about was Pretty in Pink and why he turned down the role of Duckie:

Jon Cryer is amazing as Duckie, and if you ask me, I think Hall made a good decision, but boy, that's got to be hard to be had, given the success of the movie. I totally see Hall’s choice here, as he would be playing another character dealing with unrequited love from a character played by Molly Ringwald. He has a healthy take on turning it down, despite its success:

The other he turned down is one of the stone-cold classics of all time, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It’s frankly impossible to picture anyone other than Matthew Broderick in that role, but according to Hall, who I believe here, John Hughes wrote the title role for him. Hall says of turning it down:

Sadly, that seems to have fractured their relationship somewhat. Hughes and Hall wouldn’t work together again after 1985’s Weird Science, and Hall acknowledged in the interview that turning down those roles affected their relationship.

Part of me really wants to see these alternate universe versions of Ferris Bueller and Pretty in Pink (and the unrealized Breakfast Club sequel) because I think Hall in the ‘80s would have been great in them. Then again, as I wrote, I’m not sure I could ever truly see anyone other than Cryer and Broderick in the roles.

Few celebrity friendships are arguably as tight as Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s as the two stars knew each other long before they became famous. The Boston-bred pair were childhood pals who pushed each other and eventually found success in Hollywood, in great part due to Good Will Hunting, which they won Oscars for. Because Damon and Affleck are still so close, they don’t mind ribbing each other now and then. Affleck recently trolled his buddy over The Odyssey again, but his thoughts also signify how close they are.

Ben Affleck has been promoting his directorial entry on the 2026 movie schedule release, Animals, and has revealed some interesting behind-the-scenes details. While making the rounds, the filmmaker revealed that before he decided to play the lead role, Damon was supposed to take it on. However, due to delays, Damon had to bow out to film The Odyssey. This came up during Affleck’s recent chat on The Today Show, and he had all the jokes when discussing his pal’s decision. Take a look:

It’s been fun to watch Affleck poke fun at Damon over his decision to join Christopher Nolan’s box-office breaking historical epic. As can be seen in the Instagram video above, the Daredevil alum has no trouble joking not only about Damon but the film he headlined this past summer. As Affleck said when he joked about not being the first choice for the lead:

As a fan, I find it hard not to love whenever Damon or Affleck jab each other, but that’s just one part of their awesome friendship. There’s also the part that sees the two expressing true happiness when one of them lands a new opportunity. With that in mind, Affleck gives off true proud friend vibes during the interview as well:

Now, these comments represent friendship goals. I’d like to assume that many of us have those friends we’ve known long enough that can troll them in fun ways. But, at the end of the day, there’s nothing but pure love, and we can also celebrate each other’s successes. There’s also that sense of camaraderie, which Damon and Affleck have and is one of the biggest reasons they wanted to reunite to work on The Rip, another 2026 release.

So yes, Affleck and Damon can roast each other over getting in shape for a film or comparing the beards they grow for roles. Fans should remember, however, that at the heart of that ribbing is firm friendship that’s withstood the test of time. Here’s hoping that that bond – and the occasional roasting – will continue for years to come.

Check out Ben Affleck in Animals, which is currently available to stream with a Netflix subscription. Fans can also see Affleck acting alongside Damon in The Rip, which can also be found on the aforementioned streamer.

One of my most anticipated 2026 movie releases has been Ray Gunn. And, no, it’s not a film about the viral breakdancer, but an animated film from one of Pixar’s most legendary filmmakers, Brad Bird. This new flick is a neo-noir science fiction mystery (such a mouthful) that the writer/director behind The Incredibles and Ratatouille has been trying to make for decades. I had the chance to see it early with a bunch of fellow press members, and I have a theory about the mixed reception its received via its reviews thus far.

As for my thoughts, Bird's latest film is an easy four stars out of five. It’s one of the most visually dazzling and original movies I’ve seen all year (just check out the Ray Gunn trailer), and definitely a highlight in the animation space. I particularly thought it was a treat to see Bird take his expertise with the medium and apply it to an action-packed ride in a world that isn't child-proofed, so to speak. Not all of the reviews match my level of praise, though, as The Hollywood Reporter's Angie Han says about it:

So, here’s my point off the bat. Brad Bird has arguably made some real masterpieces in the world of animation. While I agree Ray Gunn doesn’t best his previous work, why does it have to? My theory is the filmmaker has set a crazy bar for himself, and critics are holding him to it.

The story behind Ray Gunn is that Bird initially wrote the script in the 1990s before it was shelved for decades. It wasn’t until the filmmaker inked a deal with Skydance Animation and Netflix that it was finally made. And, honestly, I'm surprised by how timely the movie feels despite how long ago it was written. Someone else who seems to have enjoyed the film is IndieWire's Kate Erbland:

Bird's film focuses on the titular character -- the final human detective -- and his exploits in a futuristic environment. As part of that, he's enlisted a strong cast, consisting of Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Michelle Rodriguez, Bobby Cannavale and more. Still, the film doesn't seem to be resonating with everyone, as The A.V. Club's Siddhant Adlakha has some brutally honest thoughts:

Critics are always harder on movies, because well… it’s in the job title. While this new movie's social commentary clearly didn’t hit with everyone, I personally don’t think it’s bad enough to knock it. Of course, I always find it super interesting to read reviews, and it allows you and me to think more in depth with what we’re watching. Ray Gunn, to me, feels like one of those hyper-stylized action movies that might fire on all cylinders sometimes, but in my case, that’s kind of why I appreciate it.

On the positive end of things, Next Best Picture's Giovanni Lago, is clearly a fan of the upcoming Netflix 2026 movie release, which arrives this holiday season. As they wrote:

While I totally get the nitpicks, I think Ray Gunn is going to be a lot more beloved by audiences than the reviews point to once it finally comes out. Here’s one take from Awards Radar's Joy Magidson, who also liked the movie:

When considering all of these early reviews, I still can't help but think about my initial point, which is that Brad Bird has set a high bar for himself. So it's definitely fair that expectations for the film have been so high. Nevertheless, I do my best to view the movie on its own merits and see it for what it is.

Anyways, you’ll get to form your own opinion soon enough. Ray Gunn will be streamable with a Netflix subscription on December 18, and before that, it'll open in select theaters on December 4.

Back around 2010, we in the gaming community used to call the Japanese video game company Capcom a pretty disparaging name. We used to call them “Crapcom”.

This was mostly due to greedy DLC, poor games in respective series (like Resident Evil 6, and–though I love it–Street Fighter X Tekken), and just an overall lack of punch and good titles. However, in the year 2026, we have a new name for the storied company: CapGOD.

This is because they're having a total banger of a year with games, yes, but also movies. So, as a bona fide ‘90s kid, I just want to gush about one of my favorite video game companies from my childhood, and why 2026 might be their best year ever.

First Off, We Have To Talk About Their Video Game Output This Year

Earlier this year, before I knew the Resident Evil movie would be so widely embraced, I wrote an article about how I thought future Resident Evil movies should pluck from the most recent game, Resident Evil Requiem. For some reason, I didn't have faith in Zach Cregger (I don't know why; he directed Barbarian!). Now that I realize he was doing his own thing, I think things look bright for the series’ cinematic future.

Honestly, though, can you blame me for looking so fondly upon Resident Evil Requiem? It really kickstarted this banner year for Capcom as it came out in February, and it’s definitely a contender for Game of the Year (GOTY). About a month later came the highly anticipated Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, which is another entry in the respectable turn-based RPG wing of the highly successful Monster Hunter series.

However, only a month after that, in April, came Pragmata, which is actually a new IP from Capcom that also might be a GOTY contender, given its reception. Three major, respected games would be enough for any video game company, but they also had to bring Onimusha back in September with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and no lie, it's ANOTHER possible GOTY contender. I mean, damn, CapGod! Slow down. You're making everybody else look bad!

Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil Might Be The Real Star Attraction

I've already brought up the recent Resident Evil movie, but it bears repeating how well it’s been received. Sure, some gamers have derided it for being too humorous or not including characters from the games, but other gamers have fully embraced it, saying that it has the same FEEL of the games, if not the same characters.

This is a big deal, because most people will agree that while the previous Resident Evil movies might have been fun, they've never actually been “good” (though I've really come around on the original).

So, for some people to actually call the recent Resident Evil one of - if not THE - best video game movies of all time, well, that speaks volumes for the franchise, and also puts another feather in Capcom's, er, cap for having such an amazing year.

But that's not all!

What If Street Fighter Is Also Amazing?

I'm not gonna lie. Some of the stuff I've seen for the upcoming Street Fighter movie, which comes out on October 16th, has got me a little worried. Be that as it may, what if all of my concerns are misguided and Street Fighter is actually amazing?

I mean, it definitely has the potential. I've been on board with this project for quite some time now, and I SO want it to be good. Which makes me wonder: What if it IS good? No, scratch that. What if it's great? Because while I do love Resident Evil (I've played all of the mainline games in the series), I'm an even bigger Street Fighter nerd, and I always have been.

If this upcoming movie comes even remotely close to being as good as the recent Resident Evil, then I think it's safe to say that Capcom has had possibly the greatest year in video game history, and nobody will convince me otherwise.

Hugh Jackman has been busy this past year, as he’s been promoting his 2026 movie schedule entries and teasing what he’s working on. Simultaneously, fans have been eager to know whether the Australian actor might reprise his role as Logan/Wolverine in an upcoming Marvel movie. Jackman – who’s more than media-trained at this point – has remained coy in regard to whether he’ll be donning those adamantium claws again. Still, I wasn’t expecting him to give such a screwball answer when he was recently asked about a reprisal.

To put it mildly at this point, the Death of Robin Hood star is definitely no stranger to fielding questions about his beloved Marvel role, which he’s played for over 25 years now. To be honest, it’s actually gotten to the point where it’s become funny to see Jackman try to dodge questions about Ol’ Wolvie. During an interview with Variety, Jackman was asked about whether he’d return for the highly anticipated Avengers: Secret Wars. Not only did the actor not give a concrete answer, but he also spoke about his “internal chip:

Jackman is, of course, cheekily referring to the heavy level of caution he needs to exercise when fielding queries about Marvel Cinematic Universe-related projects. It would be an understatement to say that Disney – like other major studios – aren’t exactly keen on details being leaked by scoopers or actors and crew members. So, while there isn’t anyone actually controlling a physical chip in Jackman’s head, I’m definitely sure he wouldn’t want to get an earful from his team or any execs at the House of Mouse.

The upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars are expected to bring back various characters, with some of them being from continuities that lie outside the MCU proper. It’s known, for instance, that Doomsday will feature the OG actors from the X-Men movie franchise. That’s a major reason why there’s been a lot of speculation regarding a possible role for Jackman’s Logan. And that’s not the only detail that has some fans convinced that the cigar-smoking mutant will return sometime soon.

Even though Hugh Jackman has been swatting down Avengers rumors in recent months, he also posted some workout videos over the summer, prompting further speculation that he was working out to play Wolverine again. And, in August, Jackman appeared as part of a “hostage video” shared by Deadpool, er…. Ryan Reynolds, in which Jackman asked that Logan and Wade Wilson be included in Doomsday. That piece of marketing also came after it was rumored that Logan and Wade would appear in the film.

It’s honestly hard to say what’s really going on right now, but I would be very surprised if Jackman didn’t reprise his role in either of the MCU’s upcoming team-up movies. Secret Wars, in particular, has been teased as a massive culmination film that will feature plenty of pinch-me moments for fans. So, between that and the fact that Marvel is saying goodbye to the OG X-Men ahead of its reboot, it’d be weird if Jackman didn’t appear. In the meantime, though, I’d expect Jackman’s “internal chip” to keep him from spilling details.

Check out Avengers: Doomsday, which opens in theaters on December 18, and Secret Wars will be released on December 17, 2027. In the meantime, grab a Disney+ subscription to stream MCU movies and shows.

Four years after Bradley Cooper’s relationship with Irina Shayk ended, he reportedly began dating Gigi Hadid in 2023. Around that time, it was alleged that Cooper and Hadid were holding up just fine and that the two were keeping their romance low-key and getting “more serious.” This past summer, the pair really turned heads when they seemed to be taking a page out of Tom Holland and Zendaya's book. Hadid and Cooper did that by wearing matching bands, leading to marriage speculation. Now, insiders are dropping fresh tea about their relationship status.

In August, Bradley Cooper (51) and Gigi Hadid (31) were spotted walking in Paris and wearing Boucheron wedding bands. So does this mean the A-list couple tied the knot? Insiders spoke to Rob Shuter for his Naughty But Nice substack, and if one of them is to be believed, Cooper and Hadid have taken things to the next level:

If this marriage claim were true, it would mark a major turn from what was reported last year. Back in 2025, insiders speculated claimed Cooper and Hadid were not ready to take that “big step” towards marriage due to their work and family priorities. However, during the following summer, insiders alleged that the Maestro star was considering proposing to Hadid and wanted to start a family with her.

Still, it’s important to note that neither Cooper nor Hadid has confirmed or denied anything about whether they've tied the knot. As for why there’s allegedly cloak-and-dagger around Cooper and Hadid’s supposed wedding, another source alleged to Shuter that the two apparently didn’t want media attention on their supposed nuptials:

In theory, it would be understandable that they'd want to keep something as personal as marriage within the company of loved ones rather than the world. The aforementioned Zendaya and Holland also kept their wedding tightly under wraps.

When the A Star is Born actor/director and the Maybelline spokesmodel first got together, it was rumored that their romance was putting a damper on Cooper’s friendship with Leonardo DiCaprio, who was linked with Hadid from 2022 to 2023. However, sources later said those rumors were “completely ridiculous.” Needless to say, there's been a keen level of scrutiny surrounding this celebrity romance.

The second source also claimed to Naughty But Nice why Cooper and Hadid reportedly kept their purported wedding a secret:

Up to this point, Hadid and Cooper have kept their relationship low-key and have rarely discussed each other publicly. As previously mentioned, Cooper has been in a high-profile relationship, and the same is also true for Hadid. The Vogue model was previously involved with Zayn Malik -- with whom she shares 6-year-old daughter Khai -- from 2015 to 2021. Meanwhile, Cooper also shares 9-year-old Lea with Shayk.

Despite these latest claims about Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid, we'll have to wait for official confirmation from them or their representatives. Whatever the case, though, hopefully, both stars are enjoying their relationship the way they see fit.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth franchise, one that's constantly expanding on the big screen and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The next upcoming MCU show will be VisionQuest, with Paul Bettany once again reprising his signature role in the process. Moviegoers love to debate which Avenger is the weakest, and it turns out that Bettany's kids love throwing shade at their father's signature hero.

Fans who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order watched as Bettany went from the voice of of J.A.R.V.I.S. to the live-action Vision actor. It's quite an awesome story, but apparently the actor's children aren't big fans of his signature hero. During a recent appearance on The View, Bettany recalled how his children bully him at home over Vision, as he put it:

Shots fired. Unfortunately it looks like Bettany's kids are echoing some fan theories that Vision is actually the weakest member of The Avengers. Hearing this type of criticism online is one thing, but getting that feedback from your own children in your own home is another thing entirely. Luckily it seems like the 55 year-old actor has a good senes of humor about it all.

Vision's tenure in the MCU has been an interesting one, and there's been some debate about his power levels. When he was introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron, he seemed super strong, and even able to wield Mjolnir. But after that he started getting beat up quite a bit. Wanda famously buried him in Civil War, and he was weakened with an injury shortly after his entrance in Infinity War. There was test footage of Vision brutally killing Corvus Glaive in the latter movie, but that was scrapped. There are entire Reddit threads about Bettany's character not being strong enough in the MCU, and that debate will likely pick back up when VisionQuests arrives on Disney+.

Vision's power level is just one of many questions surrounding the upcoming TV series, along with how Ultron survived his death in Avengers 2. It should be fascinating to see those two characters' dynamic, especially given their history from Age of Ultron. Luckily the wait for that new series is nearly over.

VisionQuest is set to be the final chapter in the trilogy that began with WandaVision, and the pressure is on for it deliver the same way its predecessors did. What's more, it has the potential to greatly influence upcoming Marvel movies.

VisionQuest will debut on October 14th as part of the 2026 TV release list. We'll see if Paul Bettany's kids put more respect on his hero's name after the season concludes.

The reviews for The Breadwinner warned me that Nate Bargatze's movie debut wasn't the most progressive of movies, but even that was an understatement. As a fan of the comedian and his past sketches, I decided to watch it when it was available with my Netflix subscription, and it made me so angry as a dad that I almost shut it off a few times.

Beyond a dated message explaining that gender-defined household duties can be bad, The Breadwinner commits a sin I can't overlook. The story revolves around and somewhat idealizes the stereotype of a dad that, quite frankly, I can't believe exists in 2026.

I Can't Imagine Any Happy Family In 2026 In Which The Father Knows Nothing About Basic Chores Or His Children's Lives

There's nothing aggravating about Nate being "the breadwinner" in the movie, but there is something aggravating about the film's repeated hook that it's all he's ever had to do. Even in a family comedy, how much disbelief should we suspend that outside of selling cars, this man knows absolutely nothing about how to run a household?

As a father, I'd be pretty embarrassed if I couldn't prepare eggs for my child without burning them, or do laundry. Not as embarrassed as I'd be if I didn't know basic details about where they go to school, or who their friends were. All of those things happen in the movie, by the way, and it infuriated me.

Nate Could've Definitely Learned How To Do Laundry, Cook Adequately, And Many Other Things In A Month

Don't get me wrong, I get it's a comedy, but it's only funny if Nate is called out for what he actually is. What The Breadwinner will tell you is that Nate is just a man who doesn't know how to do things because he was busy working while his wife handled all that stuff. As he says early in the movie, perhaps because there was an inkling this movie wouldn't go over well, it's not what everyone does, but it works for them.

The reality is, Nate is a man-child. He's given a full month to attempt to learn any of these skills he should've known well before marriage, and yet somehow, by the end of the movie, he still doesn't know how to do any of them.

The Breadwinner resolves all this at the end by showing that Nate let go of his goal of becoming the top salesman at his car dealership in order to help his wife around the house more. The moral? Your husband can be useful at home, ladies, but his work will suffer.

I've seen the show has a high audience score, and honestly, it's probably because people aren't thinking about it as deeply as I am. At the base level, this was made to be a family comedy, and it succeeds in being a movie for all ages.

What I don't like about it as a dad is that there may be a generation of boys who think it's ok if they're clueless about buying groceries or keeping a home clean. These are basic life skills people should maintain, regardless of their job. Nate Bargatze may have some funny one-liners in his stand-up, but I think he needs to take a better look at the scripts he signs on for in the future.

The Breadwinner is available to stream on Netflix. While I can't give it my official seal of approval, I can say that I enjoyed Mandy Moore in it and how the movie referenced her pop roots.

In many ways, Finding Emily is the typical rom-com. It’s boy-meets-girl, boy loses girl, but then goes on a quest to find her. Surprise! He falls for someone else. Some of the best rom-coms of all time have a similar premise. I am a rom-com purist; I don’t need things to change to love the genre.

I appreciate it when they do, but it’s not a requirement. Finding Emily is a very cute, simple, and entertaining romantic comedy. However, a few things make it unique. It’s not the average romantic movie story.

Warning: Finding Emily spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

Finding Emily Has Awkward Lead Characters, Which Makes Them Feel More Real

Some romantic leads are suave, even when they’re awkward. Hugh Grant and his many memorable rom-coms are a perfect example of this type of male lead. He’s always charming even when playing socially complicated characters. Some movie characters are charming because they’re awkward. That’s the case with Owen (Spike Fearn) in Finding Emily. You like him because he’s a bit of a romantic weirdo.

He’s never suave but always charismatic. Young men are often awkward, and that’s what made Owen feel so believable. Additionally, Emily (Angourie Rice) isn’t exactly this cool girl herself. Their awkwardness meshed in a way that made it easy to see why they would work as a couple.

The Love Story Feels More Like A Slow Burn Than Instant Lust

There is a part of me that believes in love at first sight. The idea that you can see, hear, or even smell someone and instantly know that they’re the one for you. However, the logical part of me knows that that’s often more lust than love. Many great movies about young love play on this idea of instant attraction.

Part of love is sensory attraction, but deeper love requires a lot more time and effort. That’s when the slow-burn romances often prove to be more true love. Emily and Owen are the classic friends-to-lovers slow-burn romance. It starts with her trying to help him, then they become friends, and then that evolves into a crush.

Emily and Owen’s relationship feels more logical than passionate. This probably means that they have the necessary foundation to grow their love story into something long-term. Passion fades, so that’s why it’s important to really get to know someone to keep it going.

Owen Isn't Perfect In Finding Emily, But He's Really Likable

Finding Emily dissects many things that men do in romantic movies that we swoon over. However, it real-life we may take these gestures as creepier than romantic. That’s partly what makes the movie so funny. However, Finding Emily isn’t an anti-rom-com movie. It very much exists and thrives in that space. This is why even when Owen is being a bit of a creep, he’s still insanely likable. We know he’s a good guy and his intentions are pure. He’s just not realistic when it comes to love.

It’s a coming-of-age movie as well as a romantic comedy. Emily and Owen must unlearn some of the preexisting notions of romance and love. It’s only then that they dare to try with each other. Finding Emily is a romantic comedy worth the watch, no matter what its Rotten Tomatoes score shows.

Rent or buy Finding Emily on Amazon.

The 2026 movie release schedule has been a good one for horror. So, when I first laid eyes on Jessica Chastain’s viral Other Mommy smile in front of The Odyssey this summer, I marked my calendar for this weekend immediately. I caught Other Mommy on opening night, and I didn’t get the spine-chilling October release I was hoping for. I found it to be another middle-of-the-road Blumhouse film. But most critics seem to straight-up hate the latest of new horror movies.

Reviews are still rolling in for Other Mommy since it was screened for press on opening night, but last time I looked, its Rotten Tomatoes score was at 19 percent after 37 reviews. That’s definitely rotten, and the worst score for a movie playing in theaters right now. Of course I had to look at the reviews. Here’s what NY Post’s Johnny Oleksinski had to say about it:

Yeah, I feel this. Chastain is honestly excellent, but I felt the problem has more to do with the movie around her and the young actress Arabella Olivia Clark, who plays her daughter, Bela. Other Mommy is one of this year’s highly anticipated book-to-screen adaptations with beloved source material from author Josh Malerman. But I’m going to guess it’s one of those films that took great liberties because the plot was sort of all over the place.

I can also behind what Variety’s Siddhant Adlakha had to say about the movie’s tone because I was so confused about it. In his words:

In Other Mommy, Bela becomes haunted by a doppelgänger of her mom – who might be a demon. There’s definitely something weird going on not only tonally, but storywise, too. It seesawed between feeling like a horror comedy and a slow-burn scary movie. What’s frustrating is you can tell there could have been more to tell around family dynamics, but it takes the shallow route. Simon Abrams said this in his review with Roger Ebert:

I did like that it’s a quick 93 minutes, but I also felt the disappointment in the room in my theater, who weren’t quite on the rollercoaster they signed up for. In a very similar vein, JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols concisely shared his thoughts on the Rob Savage film. As he wrote:

Other Mommy may be a real stinker for critics, but I can’t say I hated it like they did. Yes, it’s a bummer, but it’s also just fine. It did its job of scaring me, and I don't mind a tonally awkward horror movie. I think the problem is it ultimately didn’t go anywhere new or unfamiliar, when the marketing seemed to feel like it might. Here’s one more thought from Dread Central’s Matt Konopka:

That about sums it up. I’d say if you were planning on seeing it anyway in the name of spooky season, go check it out. If these reviews make you feel like you’re going to be wasting your time, well, now you’ve been warned.

Outside of Other Mommy, you can take a look at reactions to The Social Reckoning, which is also new to theaters. Plus, the very divisive Digger and Verity are both going into their second weekend and should have plenty of showtimes at your local theater as well.

It’s fair to say that almost from his first days in Hollywood, Ben Affleck has had more than his fair share of haters. For whatever reason, some people just love to diss the multi-Oscar-winning producer, writer, director, and actor. I’m not one of those haters. I’ve been a fan of Affleck's movies ever since I watched Dazed and Confused and Mallrats on repeat in college in the ‘90s. One of the things I like about him is that he is definitely self-aware and always a little self-deprecating–two traits I really admire. He showed both those qualities during a recent appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

In the interview, Meyers brought up Affleck winning the celebrity edition of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, with the grand prize being donated to the Eastern Congo Initiative, Affleck’s charity in the DR Congo. Affleck immediately gave credit to his partner, 31-time Jeopardy! Champion Jamie Ding, one of the biggest winners in Jeopardy! history. Affleck told Meyers he was hesitant to play at first, until he was told who he would be partnered with. As Affleck explained when the pitch was made to him:

So there’s that first quality I appreciate: he’s self-aware of what he thinks are his limitations. Though, as Millionaire showed, he’s being a little self-deprecating there. He was even more so when he followed up that answer with a comment about how people constantly underestimate him. Affleck said:

It’s not just movie fans or people in Hollywood, either. Apparently, that goes even more for his personal life, too. As Affleck added:

Watch the whole exchange here:

I have to say, as a former resident of Boston, “Sully” is perfect for the joke. That aside, it is kind of incredible that after decades of success in Hollywood with movies like Good Will Hunting, Argo (both of which he won Oscars for), The Town, and, you know, playing Batman, people still love to cut Affleck down. Most recently, we have Animals, which hits the 2026 movie schedule this week and can be viewed with a Netflix subscription. Maybe it really is because of his “colorful history,” as he alludes to. I don’t get it.

It’s the Gone Girl star who always gets the last laugh, though, as he just keeps churning out great movies both in front of and behind the camera.

Celebrities aren’t strangers to being tabloid fodder, but typically the rumors you hear are about who is dating who and who is seeing who’s ex. However, for one Spider-Man star, it has to do with something more …unique. Now Andrew Garfield’s all for “keeping expectations low,” but there’s one internet rumor that did him dirty.

The rumor came up when the actor was reading fan comments as part of the game Straight to the Comments with Hits Radio UK. Garfield was there to promote his historical NOT Robin Hood movie The Uprising, when things quickly pivoted. The comment reads, “I can’t comprehend why Andrew Garfield always looks SO tall, he’s only 5’10.” Of course, the actor immediately called out the rumor and promptly cleared the air:

Most celebrities have to clear up relationship drama, like Ben Affleck not being set up with Shakira. For Garfield, he just wants to clear up the status of his height. Now the official internet report states that the actor is, in fact, 5’10, but he’s determined to prove otherwise. He even offered to compare heights with anyone who’s 6 ft. This has yet to be done, but I, for one, am choosing to take Garfield's word for it.

We may be able to put the rumor to bed completely if he ever gets to live out his dream and join The Traitors. Someone needs to get Alan Cumming on this. This could give Garfield a chance at proving just how Faithful he is about his height. However, Garfield does see a slight advantage to the misunderstanding:

You’d think after three movies this year, the answer to “why he looks so tall” would have come out. While Garfield insists on using the correct height, fans in the comments are unsure about this, with one even claiming, “He’s definitely not 6 feet he wasn’t that tall next to me and I’m 5’3.” For dedicated fans, height doesn’t matter, and for them the truth that does matter is that Garfield is “a wonderful person.”

You can see how tall the actor is for yourself if you check out one of his movies. Ben Gregor’s family-friendly The Magic Faraway Tree hit the US 2026 movie schedule in August, with the Paul Greengrass historical drama The Uprising following in September. He’ll finish the year out strong with Artificial, which is getting its start at film festivals before hitting theaters on Christmas Day. The Luca Guadagnino biographical dramedy stars Garfield as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, alongside reported girlfriend Monica Barbaro.

For now, fans can raise their expectations, as Garfield has officially squashed this internet rumor.

Sometimes Tom Cruise takes a bad rap from movie fans. That was especially true during Covid and the production of 2023’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, when he was caught on tape in an angry moment lecturing the crew of the movie. His co-stars, on the other hand, usually have nothing but praise. In fact, one co-star in the M:I franchise, Melissa George, recently posted a video of herself and Cruise behind the scenes and captioned it with a lengthy comment about working with him. It’s all good things.

George, who starred in The Mosquito Coast, which you can watch with an Apple TV subscription, was cast in the franchise, and obviously she filmed some stuff, but in the end, her role was left on the cutting room floor when the final trilogy was rewritten. In the video, the Australian actress speaks with a French accent, but having no context for why, I’ll just assume it was for the role. She is speaking into the camera with Cruise behind her, filming a video saying hello to her kids. In the caption, George wrote on Instagram:

She then tells an anecdote about Cruise picking her up in a helicopter to take her to the set, saving her a couple of hours of commuting time from London, so that’s pretty awesome! That’s not all George wrote, though, as she also called him “kind, giving, and generous,” before she told another story about Cruise's generosity when her son was injured at home:

She wasn’t able to take him up on the offer due to poor weather, but you can tell in her writing just how grateful she was for the offer, and called Cruise a “gorgeous human being.”

While Cruise may get a little emotional on set, his co-collaborators usually say that it’s his passion that gets the best of him. He, according to many of them, is very dedicated to his craft and the success of whatever movie he's making. That may turn some people off, which is understandable, but when those around him are so generous with their praise, it’s probably best to listen.

Cruise’s latest movie, Digger, hit the 2026 movie schedule last weekend and has struggled, to say the least, at the box office, but it's a safe bet that his next big movies, Top Gun 3 and a sequel to Days of Thunder, will put him back on top.

Dwayne Johnson and John Cena have both gone from all-time great WWE wrestlers to huge stars in Hollywood. They’ve also both taken breaks from Hollywood to return to WWE, sometimes working together and sometimes working separately. They’ve also both been key players in the Fast & Furious franchise. Given the shared history, similar trajectories and obvious overlap in fans, there’s periodic speculation about the two making a movie together. Well, it turns out that’s complicated.

Cena was on the Happy Sad Confused podcast and was asked about his relationship with Johnson and whether a co-starring turn might be in their future. As per usual with Cena, the multi-time WWE champion gave a very measured but also honest answer about why he hasn’t pushed for it to happen, nor will he push for it to happen. Here’s a portion of his quote…

During the same conversation, Cena was clear that the two have talked extensively and collaborate really well together when they’re actively doing business together. They’ve main evented WrestleMania together multiple times and clearly have the ability to brainstorm, scheme and put together awesome matches and moments. Cena said they also have the type of relationship where they go out of their way to make time for each other’s spouses and do other meaningful gestures, but he’s never going to use what time he has with Johnson to try and set up future projects. That’s just not the relationship they have or how he wants to spend the time they share together.

That being said, Cena also made it very clear that if someone else wants to bring an opportunity to both of them, he’s very interested. He was very clear during the interview that it would be an honor to make a movie with The Rock, who is arguably one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and if a power broker in Hollywood wants to orchestrate that, he’s ready to sign. Here’s another portion of his quote…

Johnson and Cena are only five years apart in age, but they actually didn’t spend as much time together in WWE as you would guess. The Rock’s original and most famous WWE run was between 1996 and 2004, at which point he left for a full-time career in Hollywood. Cena didn’t debut on WWE’s main roster until 2003 and wasn’t really in the main event scene for the company until after Johnson left. The two have worked together for big matches and big angles in the year since, most notably at WrestleMania 28 and WrestleMania 29, but it’s not like they spent decades sharing locker rooms and travel itineraries.

Still, there would be something very fitting about the two leading a movie together. I know fans want to see it, and if they had the right script, I’m sure it would be a blast to watch. Fingers crossed it happens, and if it does, maybe they find a part for their fellow WWE legend turned actor Dave Bautista.

Celebrity fashion goes through a lot of phases, but no matter what it’s men’s fashion that’s getting the short end of the stick. There are a few exceptions, of course, and I’ll shout out Glen Powell going full velvet and Colman Domingo on pretty much any carpet as another. There are only so many ways to make a red carpet suit look interesting though. Intriguingly, it was Alexander Skarsgård who managed it this week, and now he's probably gonna be the next a-lister to land on wikifeet.

Promotion for Wicker has been kicking off with a bang. The movie’s already got a popcorn bucket that’s made from a 3D scan of Alexander Skarsgård’s actual torso. It wasn’t on my bingo card that the actor would go into full fashion mode for the indie flick, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year. Yet he went sans shirt for the movie’s BFI London Film Festival premiere, wearing only a gold suit.

He’s so cool, that’s not even what I want to talk about with this outfit. You looking more carefully? Do you notice the man has on dress shoes that are completely see-through?

The whole cast looked pretty fun on the red carpet. The opted for black except for the former True Blood actor, who sort of gave off outsider vibes in the gold. I think it was perfectly fitting for a movie like this one, and definitely a step up from the Twilight tee Peter Dinklage wore at another Wicker event. Skarsgård’s co-star Elizabeth Debicki also went with a shirtless suit, though hers was a stunning black sequined number.

I've seen some incredible red carpet shoes, but I don’t think anything will really outshine see-through shoes though. That’s the kind of footwear that is generally relegated to casual jellies, and yet transcends its humble origins here. I’ve never seen anything like these shoes on a man out in the wild, and I may never see shoes like these live in action, but I’m glad the actor took the chance.

The shoes, from Saint Laurent, already did go a bit viral in the fashion world a few weeks back, when Anthony Vaccarello posted scenes from the Spring 2026/2027 line (before exiting just a few hours ago).

They’re still a very new trend at this point, and I can’t wait to see whether or not they bring a little oomph to red carpets moving forward. One thing I do know, Gen Z doesn't like posting their footsies for a very good reason, but at least if you're gonna show those dogs off, he's doing it in style.

I can't remember the last time I experienced a movie like Digger. One of the reasons I enjoyed it was because I went in unspoiled, so when I say there are spoilers in this article, know that I mean big spoilers.🛑 If you haven't seen the 2026 movie yet and plan to, I do recommend trying to go knowing as little as possible about the Alejandro Iñárritu movie. In which case, now's your chance to stop reading! 🛑

First and foremost, I liked Digger. I went into the movie with uncertain expectations, as reviews were mixed-to-negative, and there was already talk about the box office situation not being great (understatement). I ended up leaving the theater with a smile on my face, feeling pleasantly surprised to have experienced a film that felt truly one-of-a-kind. I can't remember the last time a movie surprised me like this one, and my enjoyment has only deepened in the days since. A big part of my enjoyment stems from that first jarring twist, and in retrospect, being kept in the dark at the start of the movie was more impactful than I initially realized.

The Twist In Digger

The movie drops a major twist that shifts the whole reality of the story. I'm talking about the moment in the film where there's a malfunction with one of the trees outside, and we realize that what seemed like an introduction to the movie's main character, Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise), is actually a rehearsal for a high-budget stage production, and that Tom Cruise is playing an actor. It actually took me a little bit to fully wrap my mind around what was going on at that point, almost as though I'd been abruptly woken up in the middle of a dream and couldn't figure out what was real.

Up until this reveal, Digger seemed to be more or less what the trailer showed. Tom Cruise's character is exaggerated and unlikable, and though I absolutely love cats, I wanted to vomit the moment he used his fingernail to feed his ancient kitty a bit of fish that he scooped out of a can from his nightstand. By the time it's revealed to be a play, we've already learned quite a bit about Digger, including that his drilling company is causing a possibly major environmental disaster, and that John Goodman's character, President Compson, is battling cancer.

Level 4 Conditions

It wasn't until days later that my mind made the connection between the opening act of the film and the final words spoken in the movie. I kept going back to wondering why they would hide the actual plot of the movie (the play) from us for so long. After all, there were even bigger reveals to come later -- like that the play is telling a true story, and this whole thing takes place years into the future in a world that's been devastated by the disaster that came as a result of Digger and Compson's choices. Why keep us in the dark about this all being a play for such a long time?

Then I thought about the announcement that comes in the final moments of the film, about the conditions being "Level 4." It happens after the credits have started and we've gotten a long look at the state of the area outside of the theater, illustrating just how bad things are in the world.

It's the same announcement that came up earlier for the play's audience, prompting them to put on their masks, except this time it's for the film's audience. It happens as we're preparing to leave the theater, and sure, we're not putting on masks to shield us from pollution and the fallout of a global disaster, but we did just have our own experience as an audience member, and that started with the very first scene. We weren't really in the dark in the first act, we were right where we needed to be, watching the events that started it all, and it works because it was told to us as the story.

Why That First Twist Was Important

If I'd known this movie was about a stage production from the start, I might not have felt the same level of investment in the play's story that I did by the time that first reveal took place. Part of the movie's story is Digger's story. It's tied so heavily into why the play exists in the first place and the circumstances everyone on screen is living in. I needed to be invested in that as much as I was the rest of the story.

Presenting the play as the actual movie put me into that mode my mind goes to when I watch a film. It activated my imagination, suspended my disbelief and set me up to buy into the outcome before I was allowed to know that I was actually seeing the aftermath of that outcome. My level of investment began to build before the first twist, and then continued to simmer, even when the story moved us back and forth between the play and the rehearsal.

I'm not sure I can remember a time when I felt my role as an audience member so clearly, but it clicked here, when thinking about that final announcement, and it made me appreciate the movie even more.

Digger is absolutely a movie I'm going to have to watch again when it's streaming. In the meantime, I'm eager to see more reactions to the film from people who appreciate it.

Wicker has been a movie that I think has been intriguing to a lot of people over the last several months. It’s a romantasy drama that premiered at Sundance, and has some heavy hitters in Alexander Skarsgård, Olivia Colman and Peter Dinklage. I know it’s drawing attention because my friend who only sees one or two movies a year in theaters asked me to go see it with her. People are catching on after its weirdly erotic trailer went viral, and also came with the tagline “a hard man is good to find.” (I don’t know who wrote that, but my congratulations.)

The medieval movie brings a Wicker Husband (Skarsgard) to life for a fisherwoman who’s known around town for being a little smelly. Being made of wood, the Wicker Husband doesn’t mind, and the two embark on an epic romance. One might even call it “spicy,” and it’s only fair that Regal’s popcorn bucket is following suit.

I mean, this thing needs its own intimacy coordinator. Someone ask if it’s OK being displayed under this lighting!

Regal jokingly noted people have a lot of “questions” about the upcoming 2026 movie’s premise, and one of them is, “Can I eat popcorn out of that?” The that in question just so happens to be the actor’s torso. Why yes, yes you can.

(Honestly in terms of ability to hold popcorn, this is actually a pretty great bucket. Here's looking at you, Lobo.)

Regal’s popcorn container is, in fact, modeled off a 3D scan of Alexander Skarsgård’s actual torso. I’m no a torso expert, but I can see why someone would think the 6’4” actor is a pretty solid specimen, and would then want to encase said torso in plastic in perpetuity. I do wonder if it's giving the actor flashbacks to the utter nightmare of wearing all that wicker on set, though.

It gets better. If you would like your own version of Skarsgard’s torso to blithely consume popcorn out of, you don't need to even need to empty your pockets to shell out for it. While popcorn buckets can be quite expensive, like sneaky so, Regal is offering you the ability to 3D print this popcorn bucket for free. What will they think of next?

Listen, we’ve seen some absolutely not safe for work popcorn buckets before. The Dune one obviously kicked off the trend, but The Boys’ popcorn bucket was so over-the-top it made Dune look demure. In Wicker’s case, this is certainly the sexiest popcorn bucket I’ve ever seen. It’s almost too much to display, and you just know there’s already some nifty person out there trying to turn this bucket into a lamp. For art’s sake, of course.

SPOILERS are ahead for Beware Boiúna, now in theaters.

Being one of horror’s final girls is no joke. It often comes with a lot of screaming, fake blood splatters and being chased over and over. Kiana Madeira has earned the badge of “final girl” for the second time in Beware Boiúna after previously earning it as part of the Fear Street cast. While a lot of her scenes looked very gross, she told CinemaBlend about why at times it felt like she was at her very own “spa day” on set. Yes, I thought that comparison was unexpected too.

Beware Boiúna is one of the latest of new horror movies to arrive on the 2026 movie schedule just in time for spooky season. In the creature feature, Madeira plays Lena, an Amazon native who guides a group of doctors on a routine humanitarian mission. She had this to say to CinemaBlend when asked about spending prolonged periods in that gnarly mud in the movie:

Oh my goodness, what? Here I was thinking that Kiana Madeira was having the worst time filming those scenes when in fact she was being bathed in collagen! If you’re not familiar, collagen is often credited with its ability to improve skin moisture, smoothness, and elasticity along with contributing to improving mobility and helping with joint pain. It also can improve nail and hair growth and support bone density. So Madeira’s mud bath must have been actually super revitalizing. As she added in our email interview:

Yeah, that sounds like one acting test for the 33-year-old actress. Still, she absolutely sold it in the horror film revolved around an ancient giant serpent! When we asked her how it felt to be able to take on the role of final girl, even over Happy Death Day’s Jessica Rothe, who plays one of the doctors named Alli, she said this:

In a year full of excellent scary movies, Beware Boiúna did a great job of providing the immersive scares and getting us scared of what secret creatures could lie in the Amazon. CinemaBlend also spoke to the movie’s director Mike P. Nelson, who told us about how that botfly extraction scene was done practically, and how it’s based on real life.

I don’t know about you, but after hearing Kiana Madeira’s “spa day” story, I kind of want to take a dip in the same mud bath she did.

Digger’s first reactions were all over the place. Many who have seen it either absolutely love it or they really, really don’t. And those polarizing reactions, as well as Digger’s poor box office performance, have been highly talked about following its premiere on the 2026 movie schedule. Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu is aware of what everyone has been saying about his film, too, and now he’s shared his take on the matter.

For various reasons, Digger has been polarizing, and it’s left audiences (myself included) with a lot of thoughts. Objectively, it’s a big swing of a movie that puts Tom Cruise in a role we haven’t seen him in before, and it has a lot to say about how we treat the environment, political leadership, power, money, art and more. While there are plenty of people who appreciate the swing Iñárritu took – like Guillermo Del Toro, who called out the “petty” haters – many do not.

So, during an interview with the NYT, the director was asked if he worries about people not getting his movie. In response, he said:

He went on to say they kind of “expected” this reaction. In fact, Digger’s negative reviews were used in its marketing to prompt viewers to see the movie and make up their minds for themselves.

In the filmmaker’s words, Digger is not “ice cream”; it’s not a sweet movie that will provide “more certainty in the storytelling.” So, he knew people might have strong (and negative) feelings toward this film about an oil tycoon. However, Alejandro G. Iñárritu will take these passionate reactions over middling ones:

Well, it’s kind of like the saying “all press is good press.” He’d rather have people talking passionately about his film, even if it’s not positive, than have people feel just kind of meh about it. It’s also worth noting that Digger is not disliked by everyone, with Ron Howard even calling it “impressive on so many levels.”

Plus, this kind of strong reaction is what Digger is asking audiences for. It wants to provoke us and rub us the wrong way, I think. In fact, in NYT’s report, it’s explained that the film is a big swing and a “roiling satire” with a twist that leaves us wondering what’s true and what’s not and performances that are “high-pitched.” Following that explanation in the story, the director said:

It’s clear that Digger is showing us a heightened and scary version of a world that’s not totally unlike our own. I left feeling like I was supposed to feel unsettled and annoyed.

So, I can see where both audiences and the director are coming from, and ultimately, it’s made for one very interesting conversation about this film led by Tom Cruise.

Remember when Crazy Rich Asians became one of Hollywood's book-to-screen adaptations? It turned into a phenomenon in the summer of 2018 when the romantic comedy featuring an all-Asian cast became the highest-grossing movie in the genre in the 2010s. For years, we've been waiting to hear about the sequel, and we finally, officially have a follow-up set to start production in 2027. It's unexpected, but I'm so happy it's happening.

How The Crazy Rich Asians Followup Is Finally Happening

Warner Bros. Television just put out a press release that a Crazy Rich Asians streaming series will be coming to those with an HBO Max subscription in the near future. It will follow the events of the beloved romantic comedy and is confirmed to star Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Ronny Chieng and Michelle Yeoh back in their roles. Plus, the movie's co-writer Adele Lim is set to showrun and executive produce the series alongside Crazy Rich Asian author Kevin Kwan, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, and the movie's director Jon M. Chu. Here's what Lim had to say in the announcement:

It wasn't specified if the series will cover the events of both China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems, but having the author on board is definitely a good sign for fans of the trilogy of books. Chu also said this of the Crazy Rich Asians follow-up that's long been in the making:

If you've been following along all these years, you probably know that Crazy Rich Asians' sequel was greenlit not long after the movie's blockbuster success. But then, the project was stalled due to a pay disparity controversy between co-writers Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim. Then, over the years, we've heard multiple updates about a sequel that never came to pass. This ultimately sounds like the best-case scenario, considering most of the talent that made the original a sensation are all back together.

Why I'm Surprised It's A TV Show

Look, I'm all for any property based on a book to be turned into a TV show. It just gives audiences more time to see the characters' plotlines develop, and there's definitely a lot of characters to explore in Crazy Rich Asians. But given the first movie was one of the few romantic comedies to break big among moviegoers, I must say I'm surprised Warner Bros. decided to go this route.

Though, it does seem like this route was the one that all the original creatives opted for, and I'm excited to see it once it's out, and I'm so happy this Crazy Rich Asians reunion is finally, actually in the works. For real. Now we have to wait and see if Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Harry Shum Jr and more of the original cast will also join, too.

Remember when Sadie Sink was first spotted on the Spider-Man: Brand New Day set? We had no idea who she was playing, and the theories were all over the place. Now that the film has become the highest-grossing project on the 2026 movie schedule worldwide, it’s common knowledge that she’s our new Jean Grey. Now, it's been revealed that deciding how to show the mutant’s powers in this iteration came with a lot of trial and error.

We’ve seen Jean Grey in live-action two other times – as played by Famke Janssen in the original X-Men movies and Sophie Turner in Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix. In Brand New Day, the filmmakers were tasked with bringing audiences a whole new version of the character that we expect to see in many upcoming Marvel movies. When CinemaBlend spoke to Brand New Day's Visual Effects Supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks, Chris Waegner, he shared with us the process of bringing Jean’s powers to life. In his words:

If you’re not familiar with the filmmaking lingo, “previs” is the process of mapping out how shots in a movie are going to look before shooting even starts. So, prior to Sadie Sink stepping on set, the Brand New Day team had to think deeply about what Jean Grey’s powers were going to look like. And rather than relying on some sort of new visual effect, they decided to lean into Jean’s powers being shown mainly through choreography like this:

In a landscape where it feels like we’ve seen every VFX trick in the book, you've got to love Brand New Day’s approach to Jean Grey’s powers. Waegner suggested there were many different iterations of them during pre-production, but ultimately, leaning heavily on the choreography accomplished by over a hundred dancers won out. As he added:

Now, Brand New Day is absolutely filled with visual effects. For example, the movie was actually filmed in Scotland, so a lot of work was put into making Glasgow look like New York City. It’s pretty cool that, in the case of the movie’s complex villain, they went for a unique and unexpected approach. Seeing the choreography come together as Jean jumps from one host to the other is absolutely memorable, and such an impressive feat by the stunt team.

The latest Spider-Man movie is now available to rent and buy on digital platforms, and will come out on physical platforms on December 15. You can pre-order it on Amazon right now. I know I'll be rewatching it just to see Jean's powers come to life again!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a well-oiled machine at this point, consistently putting out new content in theater and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Fans who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have watched as longtime characters changed and grew, including Sebastian Stan's Bucky. Although I can't get over the wild way he found out he'd be becoming The Winter Soldier.

Fans are always looking forward to upcoming Marvel movies, but the anticipation for Avengers: Doomsday is on another level. Stan's Bucky will seemingly have a major role, and during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the 44 year-old actor revealed the unorthodox way that he found out he'd be transforming into The Winter Soldier for the first Captain America sequel. In his words:

Well, my mind is blown. Marvel's security is notoriously tight, so it's shocking that the public knew about Captain America: The Winter Soldier before Sebastian Stan did. After all, he was the one who had to bring that title character to life. I guess since he was locked into a nine-picture deal with the studio, Marvel didn't think he needed to get the news first.

Plenty of thrilling MCU announcements have come out of San Diego Comic-Con over the years. Case in point: just this year the X-Men cast was revealed. In the same interview, Stan shared more about his reaction to Bucky becoming The Winter Soldier, saying:

Bucky has had one of the biggest arcs in the entire MCU. He went from Steve's friend in The First Avenger to a brainwashed Super Soldier in The Winter Soldier and Civil War. Luckily he was eventually deprogrammed in Wakanda, and was able to have full control over his mind and body. Most recently Bucky became became a congressman Thunderbolts*, as well as a member of the New Avengers.

Stan is part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast, and fans are curious to see what's next for Bucky. Specifically his interactions with Sam Wilson's Avengers team, as well as his unexpected reunion with Steve Rogers. Hopefully the studio gave him all the information about his character this time around.

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. While we wait, Stan's entire tenure in the MCU (so far) Is currently streaming over on Disney+.

In The Social Reckoning, which hits the 2026 movie schedule this weekend, Jeremy Allen White and Mikey Madison both play real people. White plays Wall Street Journal writer Jeff Horowitz, and Madison plays Frances Haugen in the follow-up to The Social Network. However, neither actor met the people they play in the film, at least before filming, partly because writer and director Aaron Sorkin wanted the characters to be original.

Both White and Madison discussed the decision with CinemaBlend in a recent conversation. When we asked Madison if she had met Haugen, she said no and explained why:

That doesn’t mean Madison was dismissing the real Haugen. As she explained, she wanted to meet her, at least eventually, adding:

As for Jeremy Allen White, he followed the same advice from Sorkin. White also portrayed Bruce Springsteen in last year’s Deliver Me From Nowhere, and that impacted his decision, too. He told us:

That’s not to say White didn’t do his research for the role. While he didn’t actually meet with Horowitz, he did get a sense of who the journalist is and what he is about through public information. White says:

Both White and Madison are fantastic in the movie. While there are sure to be people who criticize the movie and Sorkin’s script for not being 100% accurate, it’s easy to understand why these choices were made in service of the story. Dramatizations of real people and true events are tricky, as the creators have to balance accuracy with engaging storytelling, and so decisions like this have to be made. Having seen the movie, I can say it works for me, though the critics' opinions have been split. You can decide for yourself this weekend!

With Disclosure Day set to arrive on streaming for those with a Peacock subscription (beginning October 9th!), now seems like a great time to look back at some of the many movies directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg for this week's movie quiz. If you're a fan of his decades-long body of work, now's your chance to prove it! How many clues can you solve?

David Fincher has plenty of great movies, chief among them being 2014's Gone Girl. The book-to-screen adaptation was universally acclaimed upon its release, with a ton of praise coming to both Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck. Someone recently asked if a prosthetic was used for Affleck's nude scene, and his response was A+.

Shortly after it was released, Gone Girl's nude scene started making headlines. After all, there is a brief moment where Affleck's penis is seemingly in view during that iconic shower scene between Nick and Amy Dunne. In a recent conversation with Variety, he was asked whether or not he wore a prosthesis in that sequence, with the Oscar winner responding by saying:

That was honest. Despite the debate online, Affleck admits that he actually went nude during the full-frontal moment in Gone Girl. It wasn't a fake penis, but the actor/director/filmmaker's anatomy on display. I have to assume that there are plenty of people who are going to give that movie a rewatch as these comments start making the rounds online.

Ben Affleck refused to wear a Yankees hat in Gone Girl, but he evidently didn't mind going nude for Nick's reunion with Amy in the shower. That's just where his priorities were at the time, and he seems to stand by both of those costume decisions. Or in the case of the shower, the lack of a costume.

In recent years, prosthetics have become quite common for nude scenes, both on TV and film. Jason Isaacs wore a fake penis for The White Lotus Season 3 (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription), while 28 Years Later had one for a hulking zombie. Most recently, Alexander Skarsgård used a prosthetic for a nude scene in Pillion, which otherwise would have shown quite a lot of the actor.

Prosthetic penises might have slowly become commonplace in recent years, but that wasn't necessarily the case when Gone Girl was shooting back in 2013. I've got to give Affleck credit for being so brave as to expose himself on film, which will live forever and can be watched whenever cinephiles want to. David Fincher's movie became an instant classic upon its release, and the performances of its leading actors are especially key to the way audiences responded to it. Although a touch of nudity doesn't hurt either.

While Gone Girl isn't streaming anywhere, it can be purchased online in places like Amazon and Apple. As for Ben Affleck, he's always keeping busy with a variety of acting, producing, directing, and writing gigs. The next big movie release will be Animals on October 9th as part of the 2026 movie release list and arriving on Netflix.

David Corenswet put on a lot of muscle to play Superman, which makes sense when your job description includes lifting buildings and looking believable in a pretty tight blue supersuit. After watching him fill out the cape in James Gunn’s take on the character, I assumed there probably wasn’t much physically the guy couldn’t handle. Turns out I was giving Superman way too much credit in one department: running.

While discussing training for his upcoming football movie Mr. Irrelevant, Corenswet admitted that all the work he did to become the Man of Steel didn't prepare him for the sprinting required to play an NFL running back. The actor broke down the difference during a red carpet interview with People, which the outlet shared in an Instagram Reel. He had a head start after recently bulking up for Big Blue, so the strict diet and heavy training were familiar territory. Football-specific conditioning, however, was a whole different beast. As he explained:

Superman may be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but don't you dare ask him to run wind sprints. We may have discovered Kryptonite No. 2.

According to the Twisters actor, the training had a considerable toll on his body. He continued:

Honestly, I can't blame the guy for not being up on his running, as the whole thing sounds miserable. Shin splints? No, thank you. But it also makes sense, given how different the physical demands were. His preparation for a new DC movie centered heavily on gaining size and strength. For Mr. Irrelevant, he needed to move like an NFL running back.

That meant considerably more time actually running instead of pretending to fly. Mr. Irrelevant, which has already seen some strong test screenings, tells the true story of John Tuggle, who earned the slightly brutal nickname after becoming the final player selected in the 1983 NFL Draft. The New York Giants picked him at No. 335, and Tuggle made the roster and became an important special teams player before cancer cut his career short. He died in 1986 at just 25 years old.

The movie stars Corenswet opposite Isabel May, with Michael Shannon playing Giants coach Bill Parcells and David Krumholtz portraying Julius “Whitey” Horai. Jonathan Levine directs from a screenplay by Nick Santora. The actor's Superman physique didn't go to waste. The first images from Mr. Irrelevant showed him looking very much like someone who could survive an NFL training camp. But playing Tuggle required a different kind of athleticism than filling out the red trunks, and I kind of love that running was what humbled him.

It is also funny to realize the Pearl actor spent all that time making Superman look superhuman without necessarily needing elite endurance. Why would Clark run five miles when he can simply float there?

Fans can see whether all those sprints and shin splints paid off when Mr. Irrelevant hits the 2026 movie calendar on Dec. 25. Corenswet will then trade the football pads back for the cape when he returns as Clark Kent in Man of Tomorrow, currently scheduled for July 9, 2027.

Florence Pugh is an Oscar-nominated actress and Hollywood A-lister known for her incredible performances. But aside from her thriving career (including both movies coming with Dunesday), she's also a fashion icon. Lately, Pugh's been wearing ruffled looks to promote East of Eden (streaming with a Netflix subscription), but she recently ditched that for a fierce black gown and stunning necklace. Seriously, what can't she pull off?

Method dressing has become quite popular in Hollywood, and Pugh's East of Eden looks have been turning heads. Although now that the book-to-screen adaptation is out, she's able to change her style once again. Case in point: the gorgeous black gown and silver necklace she rocked at the Jaguar Type 01 Reveal in New York City. Check it out below.

Once again, Pugh has proven why she's one of the most fashionable movie stars in the business. Her styling is always on point, and I love how she's pivoted away from the frilly looks she rocked while promoting East of Eden. Since she's about to start promoting both Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday, I have to wonder what looks might be coming out way before the end of the year.

The 30-year-old actress started becoming a fashion icon back in 2022, when Pugh went viral for wearing a sheer dress that freed the nipple. This kickstarted the sheer dress trend in Hollywood, which plenty of women have emulated in the years that followed. Now she's joined the ranks of actresses who are method dressing, something that seemingly began with Zendaya and her stylist Law Roach.

As previously mentioned, the end of 2026 is a busy time for Florence Pugh. First, she celebrated the release of East of Eden, and she's got two giant blockbusters hitting theaters in December. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order are psyched for her to reprise her role as Yelena as part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast. She'll also be returning as Princess Irulan in Dune: Part Three.

I have to assume that Florence Pugh will once again be method dressing for these two movies, especially the Dune threequel. Her character Irulan has worn some very bold costumes in her appearances in Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi franchise, usually with metal work/ armor included. This might end up being inspiration for some epic red carpet fits of fashion. Alas, we'll have to wait and see as it gets closer to the release of both projects, aka Dunesday.

All will be revealed when both Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three hit theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. For now, fans can binge-watch East of Eden in its entirety over on Netflix.

It’s fair to say that Ben Affleck is a man of many talents. He can act, write and direct and, if that weren’t enough, he’s also a skilled producer, with those skills having earned him one of his Oscars. Those who’ve long followed Affleck’s career and personal life may also be aware that he’s bilingual, as he can speak Spanish fluently. He was able to put that skill to use in his latest 2026 movie schedule entry, Animals. CinemaBlend recently spoke to two of Affleck’s co-stars, and they shared a funny take on his “sexy” delivery of the language.

This 2026 Netflix movie release sees Affleck (who also directs) playing mayoral candidate Mark Kimball, who – along with his wife, Abigail (Kerry Washington) – experiences a crisis when their son is kidnapped. Mark and Abigail’s crisis ultimately has far-reaching ramifications, and married undocumented immigrants played by Adriana Paz and Luis Gerardo Méndez end up being drawn into it. When CB spoke to Méndez and Paz, who are both of Mexican descent, we asked about their director/co-star’s Spanish, and Paz said:

Believe it or not, the “coach” Paz referred to wasn’t a specified member of the crew but instead Méndez. In fact, as the Me Time alum explained, Affleck told him directly that he wanted him to be his dialect coach. Méndez did indeed assist his colleague and, while Affleck ultimately nailed it, his Spanish also sounded “very sexy.”

There's actually a really funny reason for this, and I'm so glad Méndez told us about it. It all goes back to Affleck's formative years...

Anyone who’s seen a telenovela can likely tell you that many of them are very over-the-top, and that motif extends to the way actors deliver dialogue. Honestly, that’s pretty much a trope of many soap operas at this point.

However, it’s cool and funny to hear that it worked for the purposes of Affleck’s latest role. Paz also spoke to the significance of the filmmaker speaking her native language in the film:

On the whole, this movie was a bit of a passionate project for Affleck, who was originally set to direct the film with his buddy, Matt Damon, and his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, playing the lead roles. However, the project was eventually put on the back burner and, when it was revived, Damon stepped away to film The Odyssey. Affleck decided to take on the role in Damon’s place, though Garner exited the project, after advising her ex that playing spouses may be distracting to audiences. Luckily, though, Affleck cast Washington.

All in all, Ben Affleck and his cast – which also includes beloved actors like Steven Yeun and Gillian Anderson – seem to have enjoyed their time working together. The trailers suggest the stars are giving it their all and, based on Adriana Paz and Luis Gerardo Méndez, audiences will also want to take note of Affleck’s sexy way of speaking spanish. Check out Animals when it becomes streamable for Netflix subscription holders starting on October 9.

Even though critics have never really loved Colleen Hoover’s movies, audiences tend to. That proved to be true again when Verity premiered on the 2026 movie schedule. However, the wrinkle here is that Verity actually has the lowest audience score out of Hoover’s book-to-screen adaptations, while a different movie holds the lowest critics' score. So, let’s break down the numbers and talk about Hoover’s most recent adaptation and this other movie that audiences like more despite what critics think.

Verity Has The Lowest Audience Score

Verity is the fourth Colleen Hoover movie to be adapted following the releases of It Ends With Us in 2023, Regretting You in 2025 and Reminders of Him earlier this year. And shockingly, this film, led by Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson, does not boast the same audience numbers as the movies that came before it (which you can see below in chronological order).

As you can see, when it comes to how the critics feel, Reminders of Him ranks the highest, followed by It Ends With Us, Verity and Regretting You. Interestingly, Verity’s audience score is significantly lower than the rest, and it’s notably the only one that drops below 80%.

Overall, there was a lot to talk about with Verity, and it was met with mixed responses from critics and audiences alike. While people adored Anne Hathaway’s performance, and I did too, the ambiguous ending was a hurdle some people had a hard time jumping over (myself included).

So, that could help explain why the numbers are the way they are. However, I do find it interesting that one Colleen Hoover movie has a worse critics' score than Verity, but audiences like it a lot more.

Regretting You Has The Worst Critics Score, But Audiences Loved It

Now, let’s talk about the movie that critics didn’t like as much as Verity but has a higher audience score. The film in question is Regretting You, which stars Allison Williams, Dave Franco, Mckenna Grace and Mason Thames.

As you can see above, this film is the only Hoover movie with a critics score that falls below 30%. And they really didn’t like it, as Regretting You reviews called the movie “soap opera silliness” and stated that they regretted seeing the film. However, its audience score is 83%, proving that many who went to the theater enjoyed the film. That audience reaction is also notable because it’s 12% higher than Verity’s score.

Personally, I liked this movie because of the chemistry between Mason Thames and Mckenna Grace. The love story between their teenage characters, Miller and Clara, was so sweet, and it was hard not to root for them.

Meanwhile, I was invested in Morgan (Williams) and Jonah (Franco) fully realizing and acting on their feelings, despite how wild their story was. Yes, it was odd that they had just lost their partners and found out said dead significant others were having an affair with each other when they decided to get together. However, it was a compelling story to watch.

While I’m not quite sure why audiences rank this movie higher than Verity, I do get why they like it. So, the fact that its audience score is higher but its critics' score is lower than Hoover's newest movie makes sense to me.

Now, to make up your mind about these films, you can catch Verity in theaters now and stream Regretting You with a Paramount+ subscription.

After winning Best Actor at the Oscars last year and spending a lot of his time after that directing his remake of The Thomas Crown Affair, Michael B. Jordan is in some rarefied Hollywood air these days. The film, which will hit the 2027 movie schedule on March 5, has a big budget and big expectations (including from me). Jordan knows that with big budgets comes big responsibilities, especially as a Black filmmaker.

Jordan was interviewed recently at CultureCon, and he talked about that responsibility, saying (via People):

Jordan also knows he can’t be complacent and strives to make sure he’s presenting himself and his movies in a way that will always be seen positively. He knows he’s become a role model, and he takes that seriously, adding:

It’s very affirming stuff, and hardly surprising coming from an actor and director as thoughtful as Jordan is. He’s a guy who got his big break on TV in one of the most acclaimed shows of all time, The Wire, and has continued to crush it in every role his had, both in front of the camera in movies like Sinners, Fruitvale Station, and Black Panther, and behind it with Creed III and now The Thomas Crown Affair.

I, for one, am really excited about Thomas Crown. I’m a huge fan of the original version starring Steve McQueen from 1968 and an even bigger fan of the 1999 remake starring Pierce Brosnan in the title role. The movie’s first trailer definitely has a vibe much closer to the latter, and for that, I’m completely stoked. I think it’s the perfect role for an actor like Jordan at this point in his career, and I love how seriously he’s taken both the movie and his larger role in Hollywood. It only has me more excited for March to get here!

After Bob Iger ousted Bob Chapek as CEO of Disney in 2022 and took back control of the company, the two had a serious falling out. That’s not surprising, of course. Chapek was originally Iger’s handpicked successor when Iger retired the first time from the House of Mouse in 2020. Chapek’s tenure as CEO was controversial, which led to Iger returning just months after the board extended Chapek's contract. That seems to have understandably led to some bad blood and the two no longer speaking, as Chapek writes about in his new memoir, Behind the Castle Walls. That isn’t all that surprising, but I was surprised by how close they were before Chapek resigned.

Chapek And Iger Were A Team At One Point

Before the ugliness that came at the end of Chapek’s tenure, before he was CEO, he had a very successful run as Chairman of Parks & Resorts. He was one of Iger’s top lieutenants at Disney, and that meant they worked a lot together. They also became good friends. Chapek recently appeared on the Yahoo! Finance podcast, Power Players with Brian Sozzi, where Sozzi summarized their friendship that was forged in long hours, long flights, and socializing. Chapek explained that he even gifted Iger a gold coin to be laid inside the mast of Iger’s sailboat.

What happened next is confounding, because they seemed so close, and obviously Chapek thought they were close, too. I never realized how close they were. That makes the way Chapek was dismissed so fascinating. According to Chapek, Iger and Disney have been more than dismissive of the one-time CEO, they been “vindictive.” They’ve taken his name off of the corporate history on the website and removed all references to him in the parks.

If you’re wondering if their previous working relationship and friendship can ever be fixed, Chapek doubts it, telling the podcast (via Yahoo! Finance):

According to Chapek, the ball is in Iger’s court. Though Chapek is clearly upset about how his firing was handled by Iger and Disney’s board, he would be willing to hash things out, adding:

Iger has since left Disney again and just recently purchased a stake in the Los Angeles Lakers. Chapek, meanwhile, has been busy writing his new book, which, for him, is a way to clear up what he says are misconceptions about his time as CEO of Disney and the process that led to his leaving the company. A lot has been written about both men, and I get the impression that there is still more to come.

Many fans haven’t been happy that Marvel decided to shelve certain projects, from Wonder Man Season 2 to the Mahershala Ali-led Blade. Since the news broke, Ali has been candid about his disappointment in the decision to scrap the movie. Now the director of his Blade film just got honest about Marvel (and Kevin Feige).

Bassam Tariq discussed the silver lining to Blade getting cancelled druing an interview with ComingSoon about his new movie Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother. When asked if the Marvel experience allowed him to create “such a personal film,” the director was open about the positives that he got out of it:

It’s nice to see the director taking the cancellation in stride. While he may have been disappointed, he did get a chance to work with Ali on a different major and personal project, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother. The actor plays Latif, who, according to the official description, is a “devoutly religious hitman who struggles to balance work, faith and fatherhood.” That certainly sounds like a complex enough role for Ali to really sink his teeth into. Plus, judging by the rave reviews Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother has been getting, I think it’s easy to find some positives in the Blade situation.

One critic has even noted that Ali was “perfectly cast in the role of Latif,” and if you’ve already seen it, you’ll understand what has people talking and this entry on the 2026 movie schedule. Plus, it has proven what Tariq means when he said he figured out “how to think big.” It was one of this year’s most anticipated action movies for a reason.

Now, the director is crediting another positive to the Blade cancellation and explains how this helped Your Mother:

Given that some critics are calling the movie “a leading role suitable for an Oscar-winning actor of [Ali’s] stature,” I think it’s safe to say that Tariq found the secret ingredient.

However, this doesn’t mean the director doesn’t think about what could have been with Blade, and he has previously shared some details of the scrapped project. The movie would have taken place (at least partly) in the 1920s, and even had Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth Carter attached.

It’s unclear how it would have connected to the MCU, but we do know that a major train set had been built and they had already cast some impressive names, such as Lanterns star Aaron Pierre. It’s sad to see this concept get swept under the rug, because I for one would have loved to see flapper vampires.

Maybe one day Kevin Feige will take another stab at the idea, but for now we can check out Ali in Your Mother and appreciate Tariq’s honest perspective on Blade's cancellation.

Have you been excited for Hallmark’s upcoming movies slate? Would it make you more excited if I told you 2026’s Christmas movies are about to come down the pipeline? OK, what if I told you Hallmark is kicking off with a big bang this year? Behold: The NFL movie I personally have always dreamt about.

We Have One Week Of Fall/Halloween Movies Left

I love fall. I’m a millennial, so I’m not going to sit here and hate on Starbucks promoting pumpkin spice lattes, sitting outside watching leaves fall, and all the plaid tops I can possibly get my hands on. I’m also not going to hate on fall Hallmark movies, and the network does have one more of these coming down the pipeline on October 10. It’s called The Spirit of Halloween, and it’s got Meghan Ory and When Calls The Heart’s Kevin McGarry getting up to spooky season romantic hijinks.

I know Halloween isn't for a few weeks after that, but Hallmark is ready and rearing to get its most popular season off the ground, and starting the weekend of October 16-18th the network will do just that.

Which brings me to Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story with regulars Lyndsey Fonseca and Robert Buckley starring. Both are actually from California, not the midwest, but I won’t hold it against them. (That much.)

Da Bears Are Getting Their Own Hallmark Movie

Listen, I know some of ya’ll want those Halloween romances to roll all the way until October 31st, and I don’t necessarily disagree. But I do like the idea of seeing the NFL holiday movie be the one to really kick off the Christmas season with that prime slot on Saturday, October 17th. We've known for a while The Bears would be getting their own movie (as fans were all making the same joke), and to see it be in Hallmark's starting lineup makes me very happy.

Interest in football is at an all-time high right now, and the subject is a great bridge between fall and Christmas as the sport has ties to both Thanksgiving and the holiday season. The Bears have also been playing relatively well, and are 3-1 at the time of this writing despite quarterback Caleb Williams being out. It’s a feat, and it’s nice to see The Bears being highlighted in a time when the team is really starting to figure things out.

Even if you don’t care a lick about football, I would argue the NFL collaborations on Hallmark have been awesome. I don’t care about The Bills outside of Josh Allen’s sweet romance with Hailee Steinfeld, and I still thought Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story was one of last year’s best. Plus, I live in St. Louis, so I would have been biased to like the Chiefs movie anyway, but tying Hallmark favorite Tyler Hynes and Hunter King together was truly delightful. The Bears flick will doubtless be bringing the same vibes.

Anyway, I love spooky season, but this all is basically just a PSA to remind you Hallmark starts the holidays in October and will roll all the way up to December 20th when Save the Date for Christmas with Jonathan Bennett and Italia Ricci airs. Technically week 1 will also feature Friday's Amanda Schull-led Tis the Season for Setups and Sunday's Mr and Mrs. Christmas with Brendan Penny and Pascale Hutton, as well. So I encourage you to make a plan to stay home with some hot chocolate, as it should be one for the books.

It may have been a while since Friends went off the air (we won’t count the years), but the cast is still throwing out references when I least expect it. Though I wouldn’t have guessed a Stranger Things alum would ever be a part of the fun. In fact, I was recently so distracted by Noah Schnapp asking to do pilates with Jennifer Aniston that it nearly made me miss her Friends nod.

The actress hared a feel-good “Sunday Love” Instagram post that gave us a little peak at cute dogs, living life, and even a promotion for her boyfriend Jim Curtis’ latest book, The Book of Possibility. Right in the middle of the post was the perfect Friends reference, and no it wasn’t a chick or a duck. While Rachel Green is the character she’s most like, Aniston can be seen wearing a “My Eyes!” Phoebe sweatshirt and even mimicking her co-star Lisa Kudrow’s actions from the iconic s Friends cene. Check it out:

The scene in question happens in Season 5, Episode 14 “The One Where Everybody Finds Out,” and the shirt is showing the moment where Phoebe found out about Monica and Chandler. After it was revealed in the two-part Season 4 finale that the two long-time pals slept together in London, there was a half-season-long arc of sneaking around. That is, until everyone found out. The moment came when Phoebe and Rachel were checking out Ugly Naked Guy’s apartment with Ross when she caught 'Mondler' in the act, which led to her freaking out and going “My eyes! My eyes!”

I’m so glad I didn’t miss the fan-favorite moment, but I swear it’s not my fault. Seeing Will Byers commenting on Rachel Green’s post was very distracting! Apparently, the Stranger Things star follows the actress, and was not shy about getting a request in. Schnapp definitely took the cheesecake with his invite:

However, does Schnapp have Unagi? Because that answer is a deal-breaker.

Listen, I do know Schnapp isn’t the only celebrity superfan of the sitcom. Only Murders star Selena Gomez binges the sitcom on her days off, and really who could blame her? Then soccer legend David Beckham surprised me when he appeared in Friends: The Reunion to gush about his favorite show. He may be the first celebrity to ask to work out with Aniston, though.

Meanwhile, this isn't the first time Friends has come up in the month of October. A docuseries is coming about the late Matthew Perry, though the Friends cast has chosen to not participate. The One About Matthew Perry will chronicle his life, career, and death in three parts, but an insider stated that Aniston would not be involved as she “doesn’t want to relive [his death] and have it be so public.” Another source claimed that the rest of the cast were asked and also declined, so the docuseries will instead focus on other people in his life. This will be available with a Netflix subscription on October 27.

I'm excited about the documentary, and the I'm glad the legacy of Friends lives on, but I'm left with one big question: Will we find out if Aniston accepts the Pilates invite... and will she wear a Friends shirt?