Paddington Bear’s third cinematic adventure is almost here, and this time it will involve the talents of Antonio Banderas and Olivia Colman as characters he and the Brown family meet while on a quest in Peru. When CinemaBlend spoke to the two Paddington In Peru actors about the latest of the 2025 movies, who previously worked together on beloved DreamWorks film Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, they shared their thoughts on the two characters crossing paths.

How would an adventure between Paddington and Puss go? Here’s what Antonio Banderas, who is, of course, the voice of the animated orange kitty, had to say:

Isn’t this fun to think about? Both are fan-favorite comfort characters when it comes to family movies, but how would they interact together? Antonio Banderas thinks Puss’ personality would initially clash with Paddington, but after a while, he’d see how good-natured Paddington is and they’d become good friends. Here’s how Olivia Colman jumped in:

Sign me up! Now, unfortunately the potential of these two characters actually appearing together is rather unlikely due to the Paddington movies coming from Sony and the Puss In Boots coming from DreamWorks, but it certainly is fun to imagine these two interacting together. It would be so fun! As the Paddington In Peru trailer teases, this time around the British bear and his human family decide to venture to the South American country to visit Paddington’s Aunt Lucy.

Once they get there, Aunt Lucy has gone missing and they have to venture into the Peruvian jungle to find her. There, they meet Antonio Banderas’ Hunter Cabot and Olivia Colman’s Reverend Mother at the Home of Retired Bears. Like Nicole Kidman did in the first Paddington movie and Hugh Grant did in Paddington 2, Banderas and Colman bring their talent and star power to the Paddington movies by playing two fun, whimsical and unexpected characters.

Along with Antonio Banderas being an action star and accomplished dramatic actor, he has become beloved for his roles in family movies like Spongebob and Spy Kids. Not long ago, the actor said he finds doing the genre “very rewarding” because of how much it means to people. During our interview, Banderas also said doing movies all over the map is one of the things he loves about his career.

While Paddington In Peru previously released in the UK, it’s finally among the upcoming kids movies you can watch this weekend with all ages. The movie is available to watch in theaters this Friday, February 14.

Nothing has been confirmed at this point, but judging by the big tease during the Back in Action ending, there's certainly potential for a sequel, especially with the tease at the ending. And while I could go on a long spiel about what I think will happen in the follow-up to the remarkably popular Netflix movie, I instead want to focus on who I think could play Cameron Diaz’s on-screen dad (remember, his existence was teased just before the credits rolled?).

Considering the information provided throughout the movie about Diaz’s character, the fact that Glenn Close played her, and decades of watching all kinds of action and spy franchises, I’ve come up with a list of what I think are the best options. Here are my top picks for Back in Action 2 if the 2025 Netflix movie gets the teased sequel.

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman is probably the most obvious choice to play Emily’s dad in Back in Action 2, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad option. With plenty of experience in the world of spies – Slow Horses is one of the best Apple TV+ originals, and his performance in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is underrated – and the ability to balance humor, drama, and action, this Academy Award winner would be tremendous.

I’m just over here imagining not only Oldman’s character and Emily having some kind of reunion after decades apart, but also the potential awkwardness of Matt meeting a father-in-law he never knew existed. Hell, just give me those two on some adventure and I’ll be happy.

Michael Douglas

Even though Emily’s mom, Ginny Curtis, played by Glenn Close, is British in Back in Action, it’s never mentioned if her father is a Brit or an American. That leaves the door open for all kinds of possibilities. One American actor I’d love to see enter the picture is Michael Douglas, who would be absolutely incredible as a long-lost father who probably has more tricks up his sleeves than years away from his daughter.

I'm not saying Back in Action 2 has to be some "what if" sequel to Fatal Attraction, in which Dan Gallagher and Alex Forrest had a daughter, but it would be great to see Douglas and Close share the screen again.

Pierce Brosnan

Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond used some ridiculous gadgets during his tenure as cinema’s most famous spy, and some of us have been waiting more than 20 years to see the beloved actor get back into the spy game. I would love to see Brosnan show up as Emily’s dad in a possible Back in Action sequel because there are just so many places the spy comedy could go.

Imagine this… Back in Action 2: Dads in Action, which would involve Brosnan and Jamie Foxx’s Matt having to team up to save Emily and/or their kids (I’m over here just laughing at a former spy loosely based on 007 coming to terms with being a grandfather). It probably won’t happen, but maybe I can manifest it.

Kevin Kline

Kevin Kline and Glenn Close were amazing together in The Big Chill. While a Back in Action sequel probably isn’t the best way for the two to share the screen again after 40-plus years, it could be a lot of fun, albeit a little absurd. Kevin Kline is one of those actors who can be great in just about anything, even when a movie is a honker like Wild Wild West, and generally seems to have a good time no matter the project.

After watching Kline’s work on Disclaimer, one of my favorite TV thrillers of 2024, I’m convinced he could pull off a British accent if they made the character from across the pond like Emily’s mom; they could also make him more dramatic and deranged like his small-screen character.

Kurt Russell

There are a lot of badass Kurt Russell characters from the actor’s decades-long career, and I think he’d be perfect for a silly spy-action comedy like Back in Action. If a sequel is made, it would be wild to see the man who brought Snake Plisken and R.J. MacReady to life play a spy who has been doing God knows what for the past 30 or so years.

He’s got the action chops, he has great comedic timing, and he’s charming as all hell, which makes Russell one of my top choices for the role of Emily’s dad. I would love to see him trading barbs with Cameron Diaz on screen, flirting with Glenn Close’s Ginny, or having awkward conversations with Nigel (Jamie Demetriou) about who’s the real “granddad.”

Michael Keaton

The list of great Michael Keaton quotes could get a little bit longer if the former Batman actor were brought in for Back in Action 2 (Bat in Action, anyone? No?). The prolific actor has a dynamic range and a mystique that you don’t see all that much, and he has long shown that he can be as crazy as can be whenever needed. That kind of energy would be perfect for a movie like this.

With roles like Beetlejuice, Keaton has proven he can be funny and lovable even when being a little evil and condescending, and all of those traits would mesh well with the characters who have already been introduced so far.

Antonio Banderas

I’m not just including Antonio Banderas as an option because I think it would make for a great Shrek reunion with Cameron Diaz, but I’m not saying that’s not one of the reasons, either. It would be hilarious to see Princess Fiona and Puss in Boots channel some of that energy for a live-action movie ahead of the release of Shrek 5, and I think they could make a funny father-daughter pairing.

Banderas, who has been great in action movies, comedies, dramas, thrillers, and pretty much every genre (yes, even musicals), could add a lot to the cast of the Netflix movie and give audiences a hilarious new character.

Jonathan Pryce

And then there is Jonathan Pryce, who has the acting chops to hold his own when sharing the screen with Glenn Close (as he showed in The Wife). Like Gary Oldman, Pryce has experience in the spy world, with his most recent offering also being Slow Horses. If he could channel that energy and make it a little bit more comedic, it could be hilarious. But on second thought, having Pryce be the straight guy in the mix could be even funnier.

Regardless of the direction the character would take, Back in Action 2 would be a lot better with someone like Pryce being a part of the cast.

Who knows when we’ll see the Back in Action sequel, or who’ll play Cameron Diaz’s on-screen dad? While we wait, there are plenty of great 2025 movies streaming for anyone with a Netflix subscription, with more on the way.

Stream Back in Action on Netflix.

Antonio Banderas’ best movies may be in the realm of violent action films like the Zorro movies or NC-17-rated flicks like Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! However, the Spanish actor also does well in the family-friendly genre. With roles in the best kids movies like Shrek 2 and Spy Kids, the Academy Award nominee shares a sweet reason why doing “movies for kids” is still so rewarding.

The first time that I ever heard of Antonio Banderas was when the Spy Kids movies came out. Little did I know that he previously was in critically acclaimed movies like Philadelphia, Desperado and The Mask of Zorro because I wasn’t old enough. But the talented actor being in the Roberto Rodriguez spy movies helped me realize who the Golden Globe nominee was. While being interviewed on the set of Paddington 3, Banderas shared with BAFTA why doing “movies for kids” is still so “rewarding” for him after all of these years, and I feel like I’m gonna cry:

I can understand why it must be so endearing for Antonio Banderas to have people come up to him to talk about the kids’ movies he did. Since the Evita actor helped these adults take a trip down memory lane due to his movies from their childhoods, it truly must be a “rewarding” feeling to do that for someone. For all we know, those particular adults could be parents of their own who’d like to introduce their kids to their childhood idol through Banderas’ age-appropriate films.

After Spy Kids, Antonio Banderas continued to please the kiddies by taking part in the Shrek movies as Puss in Boots. The adorable cat proved to be a great talking animal companion for the lovable green ogre (next to Donkey, of course). Using inspiration from Banderas’ iconic character Zorro, the anthropomorphic cat is a swashbuckling professional who's handy with a sword and distracting threats with those adorable big eyes.

Puss’ boots were made for walking with Antonio Banderas voicing the iconic cat in two spinoffs: Puss in Boots which followed the crime-fighting cat’s origin story and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish where the infamous cat is in a race to save eight of his nine lives. For his first time voicing an animated character, Banderas did an amazing job bringing humor and charm into the role, making him memorable for people of all ages. In between the two Puss in Boots movies, Banderas also played the antagonist Burger Beard in Spongebob Squarepants: Sponge Out of Water where he continued to bring humor and flair to the scheming pirate who stole the Krabby Patty secret formula.

The kid-friendly fun for Antonio Banderas wasn’t over yet. He's in the cast of Paddington 3 playing riverboat captain Hunter Cabot who's part of Paddington and the Browns’ family journey in Peru. As the threequel adventure comedy continues the impressive streak of the Paddington movies with an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 93%, Banderas seems to be a good luck charm for another kid-friendly franchise. You can watch the Nine actor’s sweet TikTok interview in full below:

It’s no wonder that Antonio Banderas finds doing kids' movies still so “rewarding” if adults can come up to him and call him their childhood hero. If not for family-friendly movies like Spy Kids and Shrek, kids wouldn’t get the chance to know the stellar actor the Emmy Award nominee is. It’s all the more reason why actors need to star in movies made for adults and kids to appeal to a mass audience. You can see Banderas in Paddington in Peru when it opens January 25th on the 2025 movie schedule.

Sometimes, all it takes is one joint appearance in a movie or television show for two popular actors to become known as an acting duo, and sometimes they prove to work so well together that they go on to star in even more projects together. We’ve come up with a list of 32 acting duos who have worked together multiple times, so you can see if you’ve watched all of the times these talented stars have been on screen with each other.

Tina Fey And Amy Poehler

Obviously, this funny duo began their most famed time together while starring on Saturday Night Live, but Tina Fey and Amy Poehler didn’t let the good times end there. The women were both in Mean Girls, starred in the movies Baby Mama and Sisters, and used their talents to great effect when co-hosting the Golden Globe Awards for several years.

Robert De Niro And Al Pacino

Two legendary actors make for a legendary acting duo, and while Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are frequently mentioned in the same breath, they’ve only been featured in four films together. Two of those movies, however, are absolutely the reason people often talk about them together as they count The Godfather Part II, Heat, Righteous Kill and The Irishman as their joint efforts.

Julia Roberts And George Clooney

Now, these two actually have made quite a few movies with one another, and largely with both in on-screen roles. Of course, it’s hard to forget that George Clooney and Julia Roberts are in all three of the Ocean’s Eleven films, but they’ve also starred in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (which Clooney also directed), Money Monster and the 2022 rom-com Ticket to Paradise. The erstwhile Danny Ocean also produced August: Osage County, while Roberts starred.

Jane Fonda And Lily Tomlin

Frequently we see an acting duo together multiple times because they really are buddies in real life, and that’s true for Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. After first starring together in the 1980 hit 9 to 5 (with Dolly Parton, of course) they eventually re-teamed for the Netflix series Grace and Frankie (which ran for seven seasons), as well as the dark comedy Moving On and 80 for Brady.

Emma Stone And Ryan Gosling

This duo has produced some well-known and beloved comedies and dramas over the years, as Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling first starred together in Crazy, Stupid, Love in 2011, moving on to Gangster Squad in 2013 and the Oscar-winning musical La La Land in 2016. Stone even once said she couldn’t “imagine” her life without Gosling, so these two will probably be friends forever.

Salma Hayek And Antonio Banderas

Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas sharing the screen in Desperado caused considerable heat, along with igniting a very real friendship, so it’s no surprise that they’ve now worked together a number of times. They’ve also been in the casts of Four Rooms, Frida, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Spy Kids 3: Game Over, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and both Puss in Boots animated movies. That’s a lot!

Dwayne Johnson And Kevin Hart

We’ve already born witness to a rather lengthy history of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart ripping on each other during their (apparently) laugh and roast-filled friendship, and the two megastars have, indeed, brought that chemistry to the big screen multiple times. The duo counts Central Intelligence, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and its sequel, Hobbs & Shaw and DC League of Super-Pets as the titles they’ve appeared in together.

Matt Damon And Ben Affleck

If this isn’t a classic acting duo by now, there are none. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been “bizarrely close” friends since childhood, and they first joined forces to great effect by penning and starring in Good Will Hunting (after having both appeared in School Ties), which won them the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. They also worked on Dogma in the 1990s, then, after nearly 25 years, they joined forces again to write and star in The Last Duel, and since then have also worked together on Air and the upcoming RIP for Netflix.

Denzel Washington And Don Cheadle

If only these two powerhouse stars had already been in more movies together…Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle’s first pairing was as P.I. Easy Rawlins and his loyal but unpredictable friend, Mouse, in 1995’s Devil in a Blue Dress. While their work in the film garnered critical acclaim, it would be over 15 years before they teamed again for Flight.

Sanaa Lathan And Taye Diggs

We should never underestimate the power of a franchise when it comes to popular on-screen pairings. Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs appeared in The Wood together in 1999 and then went on to star in The Best Man, its sequel and the Peacock mini-series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters. The duo also played the lead couple in the rom-com, Brown Sugar in 2002.

Scarlett Johansson And Chris Evans

Co-starring in a franchise with the same people will take an acting duo far, but Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans have surpassed even the typical standard where that’s concerned. Thanks to their joint time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they’ve appeared in a whopping seven movies together (including their mid-end credits cameo in Captain Marvel), and prior to their time as blockbuster movie-making superheroes they starred in The Perfect Score and The Nanny Diaries, bringing their current total to nine.

Anthony Mackie And Chris Evans

If you did enjoy many of those MCU movies, then you know that Chris Evans rubbed elbows with Anthony Mackie quite a bit there. But, did you also know that the two have been in XX non-Marvel movies together? Playing It Cool, What’s Your Number, and Ghosted also star/feature both actors and if you add in all their shared time in tights on screen, their total is also at nine.

Emily Blunt And Dwayne Johnson

The first time was a hit, so why not join forces again, right? Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson famously delivered winning chemistry in Jungle Cruise, and are coming back together for the upcoming drama The Smashing Machine. The two are also said to be willing to return for Jungle Cruise 2, whenever that can finally get off the ground.

Chris Pine And Ben Foster

The third time has been the charm so far for Chris Pine and Ben Foster. The duo famously portrayed bank-robbing brothers in Hell or High Water, joined up for The Finest Hours, and made it a three-peat in 2022 for The Contractor.

Margot Robbie And Will Smith

If it seemed that there could have been a little something extra going on between Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Will Smith’s Deadshot when you watched 2016’s Suicide Squad, then it might have been because you picked up on the chemistry the duo first built in Focus from the year before.

Margot Robbie And Brad Pitt

This big screen coupling made quite a showing for themselves across less than a decade, as Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt have starred in The Big Short, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and Babylon. 

Margot Robbie And Leonardo DiCaprio

Just imagine, had it not been for this pairing, we might not have the megastar who is Barbie actor/producer Margot Robbie right now. Her role in Wolf of Wall Street as the second wife of Leonardo DiCaprio’s corrupt fraudster propelled her career, and by the time they starred in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood together Robbie was a major star.

Halle Berry And Hugh Jackman

We, again, have a superhero franchise to thank for bringing two great talents together, as Oscar winner Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman both have four of the X-Men movies among their credits. The duo also starred in Swordfish and Movie 43.

Awkwafina And Michelle Yeoh

This duo counts two megahits in their joint credits, with Awkwafina and Everything Everywhere All At Once Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh both having starred in Crazy Rich Asians (and we’re still waiting for that rom-com sequel) and the MCU entry Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Michelle Yeoh And Jackie Chan

Michelle Yeoh has been a star for several decades, and part of that reason is because of her breakout role in the 1992’s Supercop, which also starred Jackie Chan. But, they’ve made a number of other films with each other, including Supercop 2, and Hong Kong action films Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars, Project S, and both voiced characters in Kung Fu Panda 2, along with having starred in a 1984 watch commercial together.

Angela Bassett And Laurence Fishburne

While Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne were famously nominated for Oscars for their lead roles as Tina Turner and Ike Turner in 1993’s What’s Love Got to Do with It?, the duo was actually first together on screen for Boyz n the Hood in ‘91. They then later teamed up for Akeela and the Bee in 2006.

Julia Roberts And Richard Gere

If this isn’t a famous acting duo, then none are, despite their only making two movies with each other. Of course, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere starred in the mega-hit classic rom-com Pretty Woman and teamed up again for Runaway Bride in 1999.

Jennifer Aniston And Jason Bateman

For a while there, Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman, who are friends in real life, were kinda on a roll. Their first joint film was The Break-Up in 2006, and since then they’ve filmed four additional movies with one another: The Switch, Horrible Bosses and its sequel, and 2016’s Office Christmas Party.

Kate Hudson And Matthew McConaughey

Who can forget the glorious chemistry created by Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey in How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days? No one, that’s who! This is why they made a second rom-com, Fool’s Gold, just five years later.

Kirsten Dunst And Jesse Plemons

It’s not unusual for an acting duo to become friends in real life, but Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons took that a few steps further after working on the TV series Fargo together. Not only have they since starred in the film The Power of the Dog (which netted each their first Oscar nomination) and the A24 drama Civil War, but they married in 2022 and have two sons.

Meg Ryan And Tom Hanks

We could hardly leave Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks off of this list, as the famed actors have co-starred in two of the biggest romantic comedies of all time. Everyone knows them for making Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail hits, but before all of that, they led one of the weirder rom-coms made with Joe Versus the Volcano, and reunited for the 2016 drama Ithaca, which Ryan directed.

Drew Barrymore And Adam Sandler

People often mention Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler as an acting duo they want to see more of and with good reason. The two have made magic in the classics The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates and Blended.

Adam Sandler And Chris Rock

This pairing goes back decades, to the time when Adam Sandler and Chris Rock starred on Saturday Night Live together in the ‘90s. Since then, the real-life buddies have appeared in seven movies together, with The Longest Yard, Grown Ups and its sequel, The Week Of and Top Five counted among that number.

George Clooney And Brad Pitt

Of course, George Clooney and Brad Pitt helped to make the Ocean’s Eleven franchise a hit, but the friends additionally teamed up for the live TV movie 8, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (which Clooney directed), Burn After Reading and the 2024 films If and Wolfs.

Keegan-Michael Key And Jordan Peele

The duo of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, who first became recognizable during their time on MadTV, eventually went on to their own acclaimed sketch comedy series, Key and Peele. But, while making names for themselves on other series and in a number of movies, they continue to work with one another on projects like Keanu, Toy Story 4 and Wendell & Wild.

Awkwafina And Simu Liu

It was the MCU that first brought Awkwafina and Simu Liu together in the hit film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and while we’re still waiting to see when that franchise will bring them back together, 2024 saw them team up again for the action comedy, Jackpot!.

Jane Fonda And Robert Redford

Dedicated film fans probably know that legends Jane Fonda and Robert Redford starred together in Barefoot in the Park and The Electric Horseman, but their joint movie appearances do go beyond that. They also starred in The Chase in ‘66 and reunited for Our Souls at Night in 2017, and both had their film debuts in 1960’s Tall Story.

As you can see, film history is packed with acting duos who’ve worked together more than once, and that will probably always be the case.

If you know me, you know I love animation. I’ve always been a fan, from the latest animated movies coming out as part of the 2024 movie schedule to classics that I could rewatch again and again. I also love animation on television, something that I grew up on and have come to appreciate even more. But there are just some characters voiced by actors that I genuinely could not imagine another actor voicing them – and today, we’ll be going over them. 

Robin Williams As Genie (Aladdin)

This is the obvious answer. Robin Williams as the Genie in Aladdin was honestly one of Robin Williams' best roles, and he wasn’t even on screen. He was able to give so much energy, wit, and fun to a character that was drawn, and it almost made you feel like Genie was a friend rather than some random side character.

Tim Allen As Buzz (Toy Story Franchise)

Toy Story is hands down one of the best Pixar films, and a big reason for this is the natural partnership between Buzz and Woody. Of course, I had to put Tim Allen as Buzz here. I’m pretty sure we can barely think of Buzz in any other way aside from Allen doing it, even if Chris Evans did give it his all in the Lightyear cast. 

Dante Basco As Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

“Hello, Zuko here,” is a line that has lived in my brain since I was literally a child and will forever be there. Dante Basco as Zuko is iconic. Not only is Basco basically the biggest Avatar: The Last Airbender fan out there, but he’s also voiced not one but two characters in the ATLA universe. However, he, like Zuko, can’t be beaten, and we will always love him voicing one of the best redemption arcs on television. 

Bryce Papenbrook As Eren Yeager (Attack On Titan)

Let me preface this by saying that yes, I know the primary voice roles for anime are the Japanese voice actors but have you ever heard an English dub actor who is just so good that it makes it almost impossible to watch it in Japanese? That’s Bryce Papenbrook with Eren Yeager in Attack on Titan. As one of my favorite anime, I started this series listening to Papenbrook, and I ended it with him, too, when I watched the finale again with the dub. He does Eren so well, and it’s hard to picture anyone else but him. 

Eddie Murphy As Mushu (Mulan)

Eddie Murphy is one of those actors where it feels like he plays himself in his voice roles, and he, as Mushu, is certainly one of them. I cannot tell you how often I quote this character. “Dishonor on you! Dishonor on your cow!” I mean, only Murphy could have that kind of delivery. 

Tara Strong As Timmy Turner (The Fairly Oddparents)

There are some voice actors out there who ultimately defined my childhood, and Tara Strong is one of them. I could put so many of her characters on here from multiple different TV shows, but I think the best one has to be Timmy Turner from The Fairly Oddparents. I couldn’t imagine Timmy having a distinct voice, and Strong brought so much character to his iconic kid. 

Seth MacFarlane As Stewie Griffin (Family Guy)

Family Guy has cemented itself as a show that just won’t stop, and the voice actors have pretty much stayed the same since the beginning. One that hasn’t changed is Stewie Griffin, who is voiced by the creator of the show, Seth MacFarlane, and obviously, he has to be here. I’m pretty sure Stewie is probably the most iconic character from the show, and it’s because of MacFarlane’s delivery and his hilarious lines. 

Tom Hanks As Woody (Toy Story Franchise)

Come on. You knew Tom Hanks would be here. Hanks is like the grandfather of our generation when it comes to voice roles, and his role as Woody will live on in our memories long after we’re all gone and Toy Story becomes a certified classic (if it isn’t already). Hanks is just that good, and I will listen to him voice Woody over and over again. 

Ellen DeGeneres As Dory (Finding Nemo)

Ellen DeGeneres isn’t exactly known for her movies, as she was mainly a daytime talk show host for many, many years, but her voice acting as Dory in Finding Nemo is top-notch. Dory wound up becoming just as big as the clown fishes that we followed in the movie and became a loveable character that children all around the world flocked to, and that’s because of DeGeneres and her voice skills. 

Jay Baruchel As Hiccup (How To Train Your Dragon)

Even though there’s a live-action How To Train Your Dragon set to release, you can’t beat the animated movies, and of course, Jay Baruchel is voicing Hiccup, the main character. Honestly, I think Hiccup would have been really tough to nail if the voice actor wasn’t right. Baruchel had to find the delicate balance between a surprisingly brave warrior and a kind of wimpy teenager and build on that for three movies straight – and he rocks it. 

Eddie Murphy As Donkey (Shrek)

Eddie Murphy as Donkey is everything. Look at me. Look at me and tell me you can picture someone else as Donkey because I surely can’t. This talking animal has cemented itself into pop culture with hilarious lines, memes, and so much more, and it’s because of Murphy’s delivery. Now I’m gonna go and make some waffles. 

Kaiji Tang As Gojo (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Kaiji Tang is an example of an English dub actor in anime who knocks it out of the park. I honestly love any version of Jujutsu Kaisen, and Season 2 was one of my favorite anime of 2023, but let me tell you, Tang, as Gojo, made it so much better. His line delivery is just phenomenal – it’s no wonder the character is, like, the anime community’s crush. With that smooth voice, it’d be hard not to crush on him.

Trey Parker As Eric Cartman (South Park)

There are so many outrageous episodes in South Park that make you squirm, and you want to know who’s behind most of them. Eric Cartman, because he’s a menace to society – so, of course, one of the creators is the voice behind him. Trey Parker is a naturally funny person, so he as Eric Cartman makes sense – only he could think of the most ridiculous and awful lines to say for a literal fourth-grader. 

Billy Crystal As Mike Wazowski (Monsters Inc.)

When making this list, I thought about putting maybe John Goodman as Sully, but then I really thought about it and realized that Mike is actually low-key more iconic. Mike, in general, is a great character with a good backstory and a hilarious sense of humor, but you want to know why he’s so funny? It’s because of Billy Crystal—I can almost feel him through Mike. Mike is Billy, Billy is Mike. 

Shameik Moore As Miles Morales (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse)

Miles Morales proved anyone can wear the mask in Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse, a film that became a huge hit and spawned a sequel and another movie coming out soon enough. However, a big reason why Miles is such a great character is because of the voice behind him, Shameik Moore. Since the first film, Moore has brought humility to Miles, but also that kind of smooth swagger that we know only he could have. He’s excellent, and I can’t wait to hear more from him. 

Tom Kenny As Spongebob (SpongeBob SquarePants)

How could I not include Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants from the SpongeBob SquarePants series here? This man is my childhood. Sure, there are impressionists out there who believe they can impersonate SpongeBob, but no one can do it like Tom Kenny, and I stand by that. 

Kaley Cuoco As Harley Quinn (Harley Quinn)

There have been multiple people who have voiced Harley Quinn in Batman TV shows and animated movies, but I’m sorry. Kaley Cuoco takes the cake, and I want her to be the animated version of Harley Quinn from now on. Her take on Harley in the TV show Harley Quinn is hilarious, on-brand, and unforgettable, and if you haven’t had the chance to watch her voice the heck out of his classic DC villain/antihero, then you have to. 

Mike Myers As Shrek (Shrek)

Obviously, I had to put Mike Myers on this list. While I do think Donkey is a little more iconic, Mike Myers as Shrek is pretty much the same as butter and toast, or Oreos and milk, or popcorn and movies—you get my gist. Myers as Shrek is pretty much the standard for celebrities voicing animated characters, and he’s quite hard to beat. 

Dakota Fanning As Coraline (Coraline)

Coraline is one of the best stop-motion films out there, and surprisingly, no matter how creepy it might be to others, it’s a comfort film for me. And, of course, I can’t imagine anyone else voicing Coraline other than Dakota Fanning. She was so young at the time but still brought so much sass and wonder to the character, and it made me love Coraline for the explorer she was. 

Dan Castellaneta As Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)

Oh, you know he would be here. The Simpsons is hands down the most iconic TV series of all time and has been around since the 1980s. Dan Castellaneta has voiced the patriarch of the Simpsons family since the very beginning and has cemented himself in television just as much as the rest of the cast. But you can’t get more iconic than Homer freaking Simpson. 

Christy Carlson Romano As Kim Possible (Kim Possible)

Kim Possible was a show from my childhood on The Disney Channel that made me want to be a spy. It likely led to a few injuries when I jumped from trees to show how cool I was. Either way, it was mainly because of Kim and how kick-butt she was while also being a remarkable teenager, and thanks to Christy Carlson Romano’s voice acting, she was made all the better. 

Christian Bale As Howl (Howl’s Moving Castle)

Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my favourite Studio Ghibli movies, and I have to admit that for this, I do like the English dub better because, come on, you can’t beat Christian Bale as Howl! That man has a voice as smooth as butter, and you will find yourself falling for Howl so quickly because of how he voices the character. Ugh, I’m getting butterflies just thinking about it. 

Antonio Banderas As Puss (Shrek 2)

Shrek has plenty of iconic voices, but you want to know who has one of the best ones? Antonio Banderas didn’t even show up in the Shrek franchise until the second movie. But Banderas’ voice was so popular that he spawned not one but two spin-off films – the second of which featured one of the best DreamWorks Animation villains of all time, so you know he’s iconic. 

Jeff Bennett As Johnny Bravo (Johnny Bravo)

Okay, so, if we’re being honest, Johnny Bravo is actually a pretty lousy person and very misogynistic, but man, is it funny to get his butt handed to him in so many situations? It’s because of Jeff Bennett and the way he voices him. He’s just so funny in a messed-up way. I love it. 

Matthew Mercer As Levi Ackerman (Attack On Titan)

Attack on Titan is a case where I tend to lean more towards the English dub than the Japanese because of some of the voice-acting choices, and Matthew Mercer as Levi Ackerman is just *chef’s kiss.* Don’t get me wrong, the Japanese voice actor Hiroshi Kamiya does a great job, too, but when I think of Levi, I think of Matthew Mercer’s voice, and that just means I literally cannot imagine anything else.

Jack Black As Po (Kung Fu Panda)

Po the Panda is one of those characters that has become a pretty big name for DreamWorks Animation. In reality, it’s really just Jack Black behind a microphone in the sound booth voicing some of the most hilarious moments ever. Sometimes, it feels like I’m almost just watching Jack Black on screen because Po is as funny as him.

Helena Bonham Carter As Emily (The Corpse Bride)

The Corpse Bride is an excellent stop-motion animated film that certainly has a specific group of people who watch it every year (me included during Halloween). I could talk about Johnny Depp as Victor, but I have to point out Helene Bonham Carter as Emily. She voices the character so well and gives so much life to a literal corpse. It’s one of Carter’s best movies. 

Chris Rock As Marty (Madagascar)

Chris Rock as Marty makes sense. While there were only three Madagascar movies, Rock voiced the zebra in each of them and killed it every time. I could literally watch an entire spinoff film on just Marty. I want more, Marty. Please give me more hilarious lines like “Oh, sugar honey iced tea!”

Bill Fagerbakke As Patrick Star (SpongeBob SquarePants)

You can’t have SpongeBob without his best friend, and Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick Star is a match made in heaven. Since the show’s beginning, Fagerbakke has voiced the sea star, and he’s perfect for the role. Honestly, I almost want to watch him and Kenny voiceover the Super Bowl again next year because he as Patrick and them together is just perfect. 

Matthew Lillard As Shaggy (Scooby Doo)

There have been many voice actors who have come and gone to voice Shaggy, but let’s be honest here – Matthew Lillard has become Shaggy. Ever since he did the live-action version of Shaggy in the Scooby-Doo films, we’ve loved seeing him as Shaggy, and then he began doing the animated version. He’s been voicing the character (except for Velma, but we don’t talk about that), and he’s fantastic. 

Oscar Isaac As Miguel O’Hara (Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse)

Oh, Miguel. TikTok’s boyfriend of Summer 2023. The man, the myth, the legend that somehow captured my heart and reminded me that I have a thing for fictional brooding men. Either way, Oscar Isaac voices Miguel, and yes, this man is Miguel, and I will not accept any other person voicing him. 

Idina Menzel As Elsa (Frozen)

I had to put Elsa here somehow. Frozen is one of the biggest animated franchises of all time, and it’s mainly because of Elsa, her ice powers, and the incredible force of Idina Menzel’s voice. There isn’t another singer/actress on the planet that could belt like that.

While there are plenty of other animated characters we could discuss, these were just some of the first ones that came to mind—and now I feel like having an animated movie marathon. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been around for more than a decade-and-a-half, and after 30-plus movies, TV shows, and specials, we’ve seen a ton of great actors play fan-favorite comic book heroes and villains. There are even actors who have played more than one character in the expansive franchise. But at the same time, there’s an even larger group of talented big-screen stars who haven’t donned a cape, mask, or spandex in the best Marvel movies. Here are 32 actors we still want to see in the MCU…

Ryan Gosling

For one reason or another, Ryan Gosling has yet to play a character in the MCU. One of the most talented and beloved actors of his time, the Barbie star would be perfect to play several characters ranging from Nova to Mr. Fantastic to even Earth-616’s Norman Osbourne if they wanted to have a younger actor take on the role of the famous Spider-Man villain. 

John David Washington

John David Washington has previously said he’d be open for an MCU role, and it’s probably going to happen sooner or later, considering the son of Oscar winner Denzel Washington is an incredibly talented and versatile actor. The Tenet and The Creator star has the range to handle just about everything thrown his way, be it as a villain or the next great Marvel hero.

Margot Robbie

It wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Margot Robbie join the list of actors to appear in the MCU at some point down the line, it’s just a matter of finding the right character for the beloved actress to play. There have been rumors about a Sue Storm role over the years, but Robbie would also be great playing villains like Lady Deathstrike.

Dev Patel

Dev Patel has established himself as one of the most interesting actors in Hollywood thanks to outstanding performances in movies like The Green Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, and his 2023 work with Wes Anderson. Watching the Lion star take on someone like Reed Richards or even Doctor Doom would be awesome, and he could honestly handle both.

Keanu Reeves

Throughout his career, Keanu Reeves has played iconic action characters like Johnny Utah, Neo, and John Wick. How cool would it be to see the eternally young actor join the MCU as someone like Dracula, Ghost Rider, or even Silver Surfer? We would even settle for a small voice role as a random one-off character.

Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy showing up in the MCU would be a massive get for the cinematic universe as it works towards the two upcoming Avengers projects, especially if he were to play Doctor Doom. While other actors would probably be better suited for the physicality of the iconic Marvel villain, Murphy would be perfect for the psychological aspects of the character. Add in his experience from playing Scarecrow in the Dark Knight trilogy and you have a perfect fit.

Vanessa Kirby

Vanessa Kirby has said in the past that it would be an honor to play Sue Storm, but the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning actress could also handle a more sinister role if given the chance. Just imagine Kirby playing someone like Lady Death or even Black Cat if we get another Spider-Man movie.

Cynthia Erivo

How Cynthia Erivo hasn’t landed a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is somewhere between a travesty and a mystery, because the multi-talented actor has everything you want in an actress to play your next comic book star. Just imagine the Harriet and Bad Times at the El Royale actress showing up as Storm whenever the X-Men are eventually introduced to the franchise. That would be electric to say the very least.

Antonio Banderas

Though Ant-tonio Banderas, Scott Lang’s ant in Ant-Man and the Wasp is already a thing in the MCU, the actor on which the flying arthropods was based has not had a chance to appear just yet. This needs to change and we need to see Antonio Banderas show up at some point down the road. He’s got the skills and intangibles to pull off someone as big as Galactus, a character comic book fans have been dying to see for years now.

LaKeith Stanfield

LaKeith Stanfield has been one of the more interesting actors of the past decade thanks to unforgettable roles in movies like Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah, and The Book of Clarence, and the MCU would be better off if he joined the fray. There was talk in early 2024 of Stanfield replacing Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, which could work, but he could also bring to life X-Men staples like Cyclopes or even Gambit.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise flirted with the idea of playing Tony Stark way before Robert Downey Jr. rejuvenated his career in the MCU-launching Iron Man, but we never got to see the Top Gun: Maverick star play the iconic billionaire playboy philanthropist. Though it never came to fruition, we’d still love to see the Hollywood legend show up in the MCU, even if he only briefly played an alternate version of Iron Man.

Christoph Waltz

Christoph Waltz has played great villains in everything from the James Bond movies to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, but he’s never played a big bad in the MCU. That should change, sooner rather than later, and he could be a great fit for someone like Norman Osborn or Doc Ock if we get more Spidey movies. He has the charisma, skill, and look for either of those roles.

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain showed up in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, but since that’s outside of the MCU (for now, anyway), she’s fair game. There’s been the Sue Storm talk over the years, but the Interstellar star could also take on someone like Jean Grey and try her luck with the Dark Phoenix character.

Alan Ritchson

Okay, imagine Alan Ritchson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom. In addition to having a ridiculous physique, the Jack Reacher star can also be cerebral and mysterious, kind of like his character from Fast X. He would be a formidable foe, that’s for sure. And if not, we’d love to see Ritchson take on someone like Rhino or Juggernaut and breathe new life into those characters.

Pedro Pascal

There’s been a lot of talk about Pedro Pascal being the frontrunner for Reed Richards in the Fantastic Four’s eventual MCU debut, and that would be awesome. The star of The Mandalorian and The Last of Us has shown over the years that he has what it takes to lead a successful franchise, and he has enough talent and charisma to pay one of Marvel’s most iconic heroes.

Amber Midthunder

Amber Midthunder became a star-in-the-making after the 2022 release of Prey, and the star of the Predator spinoff prequel could very well make an impact in the MCU if given the opportunity. Lady Hellbender, Lyja, and Silver Fox are just three of the Marvel characters she would be well-suited to play.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington has long stayed out of the superhero realm, though he has made a career out of playing characters who are pretty much comic book characters. That being said, we’d love to see the two-time Oscar winner take on a role like Magento or Bahsenga, the warrior shaman who was the first to adopt the Black Panther mantel.

Emily Blunt

Her husband, John Krasinksi, has already appeared in the MCU, albeit briefly, as Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so it wouldn’t be crazy to see Emily Blunt show up at some point, either for a similar-sized role or in a larger capacity. According to Deadline, the Oppenheimer star turned down a chance to play Black Widow in Iron Man 2 and was reportedly approached to play other famous characters in the years following. 

Gary Oldman

We’ve seen Gary Oldman play Jim Gordon masterfully in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, but the Academy Award-winning actor has yet to show up in the MCU. It would be so cool to see the legendary actor enter the fold as Dr. Xavier in the eventual X-Men movie, and it would be just as awesome to see him play a more villainous role like Mephisto or even Dracula, with the latter being a throwback to his turn in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Jesse Plemons

Jesse Plemons has been everywhere for the past few years. Well, everywhere besides the MCU. The Breaking Bad and Killers of the Flower Moon star has shared the screen with Marvel actors like Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Christian Bale over the years, and it’s only a matter of time before he follows suit and shows up as a comic book character. This guy has Sabretooth written all over him…

Paul Giamatti

Paul Giamatti has already been in Sony’s Marvel movies thanks to his portrayal of Rhino in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but we’d love to see more of the beloved actor. It doesn’t have to be anything over-the-top like a mech suit, but instead something like a government official who tries to get in the Avengers’ way or is tempted by a big bad.

Glen Powell

Glen Powell has "superhero" written all over him. The Physique, the charm, the million-dollar smile, he has it all. It’s only a matter of time before someone swoops him up and makes him the next great comic book hero, and that someone could be Marvel. Nova, Cyclops, or even a young Magneto would be great fits for the Anyone But You star.

Tati Gabrielle

Since making her acting debut a decade ago, Tati Gabrielle has given commanding performances on shows like You, Kaleidoscope, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, to name a few. The actress, who also has experience in video game adaptations like Uncharted and the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2, would be perfect for the MCU in the coming years, especially if she could land a role like Storm, Black Cat, or other fan-favorite characters.

Javier Bardem

Javier Bardem is an actor with an incredible skillset and the ability to play both nuanced and over-the-top characters, which would make him perfect for something in the MCU. The No Country For Old Men star would be a great fit for the iconic Galactus whenever the villain is introduced in the future.

Rosamund Pike

Rosamund Pike has played all manner of characters over the years, and that makes her a perfect fit for the MCU moving forward. Her dynamic range and ability to play both good and evil roles masterfully would be perfect for comic book staples like Emma Frost and Liandra Nermani, both of whom are tied to the X-Men franchise.

Lily Gladstone

Lily Gladstone became an overnight sensation upon the release of Killers of the Flower Moon, and rightfully so. We’re not saying it’s going to happen, but the Golden Globe-winning actress would be perfect in the MCU. Imagine Gladstone playing Indigenous characters like Silver Fox or Kushala.  

Iwan Rheon

Iwan Rheon technically appeared on Inhumans back in 2017, but this doesn’t mean we don’t want to see him show up in an MCU movie at some point in the future. The Game of Thrones actor, who didn’t appear in as many episodes as you’d think, played Maximus on the short-lived ABC series, so he could reprise his role or he could take on something new. However, it wouldn’t be nearly as intense as Ramsay Bolton.

Viola Davis

Viola Davis has already made her mark in the comic book world with her portrayal of Amanda Waller over in the DCEU, but this doesn’t mean she can’t jump over to the MCU and play an equally menacing character. The Oscar winner has already led a blockbuster with The Woman King, so she is more than capable of doing the same in a Marvel movie.

Naomie Harris

Naomie Harris has already shown up in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe with her portrayal of Shriek in Venom: Let There Be Carnage where she was crushed by a falling cathedral, but there’s no reason she couldn’t just play another version of the character in the MCU or take on a completely different role entirely.

Brendan Gleeson

Brendan Gleeson is appearing in Joker 2, and it would be really cool if the legendary actor also landed a role in the MCU somewhere down the road. The Harry Potter and The Banshees of Inisherin star would be perfect for a role if the Thor franchise is to continue, even if it meant voicing someone like Beta Ray Bill. 

Iko Uwais

Iko Uwais, star of the phenomenal Raid movies, has the acting ability and fighting skills to be a big hit in the MCU if given the chance. In the event this does happen, we’d hate for Uwais’ talents to be wasted like they were with his extremely small role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis retired after 2017’s Phantom Thread, but we’d love to see him step in front of the camera again in an MCU movie. The There Will Be Blood and Gangs of New York star would be a killer option for a character like Galactus and drink up all the planets like a big milkshake.

Who knows if we’ll see any of these actors show up in any of the upcoming Marvel movies, but with the way the MCU has shown us over the years, don’t count anyone out.

Babygirl is another new A24 movie – and this is what we know about it.

A24 has continued to surprise and delight with their movies over the last few years. From the 2023 Academy Award for Best Picture-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once to one of the scariest A24 horror movies, Talk to Me, to even the strange dramatic comedy stories of Dream Scenario, the production company has created some of the best films.

And soon, Babygirl is joining the list, as part of the 2024 movie release schedule. Here is what we know so far.

What Is The Babygirl Release Date?

As of updating this in November 2024, A24 has confirmed that Babygirl will release on December 25, 2024, so talk about a Christmas surprise.

Three other films are set to come out that day – the long-awaited Nosferatu, The Fire Inside and A Complete Unknown, and now Babygirl is joining that list.

Check Out The Babygirl Trailer

If this title interests you, and the name A24 does as well, then you have to check out the Babygirl trailer. It features our star-studded cast in the thrilling movie – as well as the beginning of a not-so-appropriate relationship that is sure to turn heads.

What Is Babygirl About?

If you're curious about what Babygirl will be about, according to A24, Babygirl will be an erotic thriller that follows a CEO who decides to engage in an affair with a “much-younger intern.” However, in doing so, she risks both her job and her family.

This isn't the first time that a movie has discussed the topic of not only age gaps but internal relations in companies, but it's exciting to see that A24 is going to be tackling that topic. There are so many great A24 movies, and I have a feeling this could be one of them.

The Babygirl Cast

We know plenty about the cast of Babygirl, specifically from A24. Here is who you can expect to see:

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman is confirmed to star in Babygirl. The actress has been in the industry for a long time. Aside from starring in major movies such as Moulin Rouge!, Eyes Wide Shut, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Paddington, and more, she's also appeared in TV shows and earned critical acclaim, such as Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers.

Antonio Banderas

Also confirmed is Antonio Banderas. The actor has appeared in several major movies such as Philadelphia, Interview with the Vampire, Desperado, the Spy Kids movies, and many others. He also voiced Puss in the Shrek movies and the Puss in Boots movies.

Harris Dickinson

A24 also confirmed that Harris Dickinson would star in the film. Dickinson is relatively new to Hollywood, having arrived within the last decade or so. He's appeared in films like Beach Rats, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, The King's Man, and Triangle of Sadness. Recently, however, he also appeared in the critically acclaimed A24 film The Iron Claw, receiving outstanding reviews, so seeing him in yet another A24 film is excellent.

Sophie Wilde

Lastly, we have Sophie Wilde, which A24 also confirmed. The actress is relatively new to the movie industry but made waves in 2023 with her starring role in the terrifying Talk to Me, which earned stellar praise. She also appeared in the 2023 Netflix series Everything Now.

With such an impressive cast list, I'm eager to see what Babygirl will offer. I have a feeling the acting will blow me away.

Halina Reijn Directed And Wrote The Film

Also confirmed from A24 is that Halina Reijn, known for her directing on Bodies Bodies Bodies, directed and wrote Babygirl.

Truthfully, this makes so much sense. Bodies Bodies Bodies was a horror film but is also divided into more genres, such as comedy and a bit of drama, and what made it so good was that it talked about modern-day culture and relationships in a healthy but exciting way.

Reign has also previously worked in the drama genre with her directorial debut, Instinct. The film was Dutch and followed the story of a prison therapist who becomes obsessed with her patient, so it's clear she's had plenty of experience in the world of thrillers regarding romantic relationships.

Babygirl Will Be Rated R

I mean, with a synopsis like the one above, it’s not that surprising that Babygirl will be Rated R, but A24 did confirm this on their press site.

This makes a lot of sense, as Nicole Kidman recently opened up about the intimacy scenes within the film and how it explored the kink of S&M in a screening of the film in LA (via People):

So, yeah, keep the kids home for this, but I have a feeling Babygirl would be a great date night film if you want a good erotic thriller.

What are you excited about the most when it comes to Babygirl? This already sounds interesting, and I can't wait to see it unfold.

There will always be moments that even people as famous as Antonio Banderas can “remember where they were” when certain shifts in the world take place. For Banderas, one of those was on the set of 1998’s The Mask of Zorro, a film that was executive produced by the legendary Steven Spielberg. The reason the encounter was so memorable was the fact that the man behind watershed films like Jurassic Park predicted the future, as Spielberg told Banderas about what movie-making would be like in the years to come.

During an interview celebrating 25 years of director Martin Campbell’s reboot of the classic saga, Antonio Banderas revealed this recollection to Yahoo. Fittingly, the story you’re about to read took place on a day that touched on the importance of practical effects:

Just imagine being on a movie set in 1997, or any point pre-1999, and hearing such a prediction! It would have felt odd, even though Steven Spielberg’s 1993 dinosaur classic opened the door to the future pretty wide by pushing for CGI dinosaurs over stop-motion. 

Of course, at this point in history, one could also assume that Spielberg’s comments were partially based on seeing his friend George Lucas’ work on Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. As both The Mask of Zorro and that first Star Wars prequel were in production throughout 1997, it’s not a stretch. 

Even removing this possibility from the equation, with 1999 bringing movies like The Mummy and The Matrix, plus reflecting on the mammoth success that would be Titanic in '97, that particular writing was practically on the wall. Antonio Banderas continued to express that point, through these further remarks: 

Steven Spielberg was absolutely right on the money when he predicted that The Mask of Zorro would be one of the final true Westerns filmed in a traditional way. With CGI and digital photography becoming industry standards, it’s now an occasion when a filmmaker like Christopher Nolan commits their projects to actual film and with little to no digital trickery involved. 

Some franchises, like Indiana Jones, have kept that practical horseplay in the mix, which yields fun stories like that time Harrison Ford hurled f-bombs at his stuntmen. Considering that Antonio Banderas was also part of Dial of Destiny's cast, his work on that action spectacle probably reminded him of his conversation with Steven Spielberg so long ago. To see it all come full circle must have been amusing, while also a little eerie.

Then again, that's something that tends to happen while working with visionaries like Spielberg. So whenever the man who has dreamed up a world involving aliens, dinosaurs, and artificial intelligence makes a prediction, it's probably best to listen rather closely. 

It’s been a while since we’ve caught up with our friend Paddington Bear and the human family that’s been looking after him. 2017’s Paddington 2 is the last time that this young Peruvian joy-maker was seen on the big screen, and now with production continuing to move forward on Paddington 3, also known as Paddington in Peru, it shouldn’t be long before the next adventure begins. 

With this new story comes a reunion with a lot of the existing talent in the Paddington cast, as well as the opportunity for new players like Antonio Banderas, Carla Tous, and even Academy Award winner Olivia Colman to take their places on the board. As what we know so far about Paddington 3 has Paddington and the Brown family venturing to Peru to visit Aunt Lucy, we also know some of the new characters and actors that will be taking part in this new romp.

There’s even a major recasting of one of the Brown family members, which marks a bittersweet torch passing between actors. So let’s not delay any further, shall we? Here’s the cast list for Paddington in Peru as it currently stands.

Ben Whishaw

If the original casting for 2014’s Paddington had stuck, we’d have heard actor Colin Firth voicing this young ursine with a big heart. But fate had other ideas, as Firth parted ways with the production, leading to Ben Whishaw’s initial casting as Paddington in the first film. The rest, as usual, can be considered delicious history. 

Through two previous installments, Whishaw’s beautiful voice has given life to Michael Bond’s whimsical creation. Always ready to help those in need, with a keen eye on supporting his family, the little traveler from Peru has foiled crimes and always kept in contact with his Aunt Lucy. 

Aunt Lucy has been in the Home for Retired Bears since Paddington, and the titular ray of sunshine saw her come to visit at the end of Paddington 2. Now with the onus on him to make a trip, Paddington will be venturing back into darkest Peru after some time. This means he’ll need some assistance to make such a trek.

Antonio Banderas

Our first new player in Paddington 3 is the legendarily suave Antonio Banderas. Per the mega announcement from Variety that shared the knowledge of the first new castings, the Mask of Zorro actor will be playing a role that seems to be written just for him. 

Banderas’ character is apparently named Hunter Cabot, who, according to the report previously mentioned, is “a dashing and intrepid riverboat captain who offers to help the Brown family on their Peruvian adventure.” If that doesn’t sound like the sort of explorer type that Paddington’s Aunt Lucy has met in the past, then I don’t know what is. What's even better is the fact that Hunter won’t be alone in offering aid.

Carla Tous

Relative newcomer Carla Tous is one of the most recent additions to the Paddington 3 cast; as she's stepping in for the recently exited Rachel Zegler. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes star unfortunately had to drop out, due to the SAG-AFTRA actors' strike. 

As reported by THR in October 2023, Zegler's departure allowed for the young star of Through My Window: Across the Sea to assume the role of Gina Cabot, the daughter to Antonio Banderas’ Hunter. While we don't know much about Gina's piece of the story puzzle, one could assume that she becomes a new friend to Paddington Bear, as it's kind of hard for the character not to make some fresh allies in whatever he does.

Olivia Colman

Academy Award winner, recent Marvel Cinematic Universe addition and former queen in Netflix’s The Crown, the versatile Olivia Colman is also on board for the next Paddington feature. In a throwback to her career in comedy, Colman’s role was specified in that previously cited Variety report as “the reverend mother, a blithe and sunny guitar-playing nun who runs the home for retired bears.” 

On the one hand, to see Olivia go full on Julie Andrews from The Sound of Music would be terrific. But if there’s anything to remember about this franchise, it’s that evil sometimes wears a disarmingly charming disguise. So there’s a chance that Paddington in Peru’s secret villain could be Olivia Colman’s sunny nun.

Emily Mortimer

Our final newcomer at the moment happens to be Emily Mortimer, who will be taking over the role of Mrs. Mary Brown from Paddington alum Sally Hawkins. In the previous two installments, Hawkins’ artistic author of “adventure stories” soaked in all the chaos that the family’s adopted animal pal, using it as inspiration for her art.

If anyone’s going to be the most excited about Paddington 3’s Peruvian adventure, it’s going to be her. As for why Sally Hawkins is vacating the role, a statement included in Variety’s casting announcement cited above stated that Hawkins felt it was “the right time to hand over the reins to another.” 

Pleased with the selection of Emily Mortimer as her successor, fans of the series should be delighted to get their first glimpse at Mortimer’s incarnation of the role at some point in the future. It's also a coincidental reunion between Emily and Ben Whishaw, as both actors played the adult versions of the Banks children in Mary Poppins Returns.

Hugh Bonneville

Starting off the rest of the returning cast is Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville, who has been a part of the Paddington cinematic universe since its inception. In the role of Mr. Henry Brown, Bonneville has seen his character slowly breaking out of his cautious habits in order to help save the day.

This has involved everything from dressing as a cleaning woman to infiltrate the Geographer’s Guild in Paddington, to performing a rather flexible split between two speeding trains in Paddington 2. Presumably still working as a risk analyst at an insurance company, the adventure ahead in Paddington in Peru will probably be the greatest test of just how much of Henry’s previously carefree spirit he’s rediscovered in the wake of his adopted bear son’s antics.

Julie Walters

The housekeeper to the Brown household, Mrs. Bird loves order and cleanliness, but isn’t above some mischief. Played by the legendary Julie Walters, bringing her Paddington character to Peru feels like another “hand in glove” fit when it comes to this change of venue. 

That is, provided she tags along, as Paddington 3's story may find her staying at home. For all we know, this story might find her keeping things nice and neat from any prying eyes that may try to take advantage of the absence of the family. (We’re looking at you, Mr. Curry.)

Jim Broadbent

Another character who might find themselves sticking to the homefront during Paddington in Peru is Mr. Samuel Gruber. The warmly eccentric antique shop owner who's been present through the iconic presence of actor Jim Broadbent, there may not be much reason to send him to Peru in this upcoming threequel. So maybe he can challenge Mrs. Bird to a friendly drinking contest and see who can hold their schnapps the best. 

Madeleine Harris

Judy Brown (Madeleine Harris) has always been a headstrong young woman, growing with each adventure that the Paddington movies have sent her through. Industrious to the point of starting a newspaper, and with the skills to learn pretty much any language, Judy just might be the family’s resident interpreter as they make their way through Paddington in Peru’s new and adventurous setting.

Samuel Joslin

Much like his onscreen sister, Samuel Joslin’s Jonathan Brown has areas of expertise that could come in handy during this new chapter. Possessing a knack for chemistry, as well as a love of steam trains, both of those disciplines may make Paddington 3 all the easier on the Brown family’s journey. Then again, there may be some new skills that both Jonathan and Judy will show off to the world, once they’re back on the big screen.

Imelda Staunton

Rounding out our Paddington in Peru cast is the ever delightful Imelda Staunton, whose character, Aunt Lucy, is the catalyst for this grand outing. Living at the Home for Retired Bears ever since she lost her husband in the disastrous earthquake that prompted her to send Paddington away. 

Receiving regular letters from her nephew, she paid him a heartfelt visit that ended the events of Paddington 2 with a tear-jerking reunion. Now it's Paddington Bear's turn to make the journey, which just might show us what Aunt Lucy had to go through when she made her trip to London, further endearing us all to this beloved literary icon. 

With a cast like this, Paddington 3 already sounds like an absolute delight; and that’s in the absence of any concrete plot details! We’ll have to wait for more of the particulars to be released to the public, which shouldn’t be too far off as this project is set to start filming at some point in the month to come. 

So be sure to keep your eyes peeled and your emergency sandwich on hand, as you never know what will be revealed next in the world of Paddington Bear! While one could assume that Paddington in Peru could make its way to the 2024 movie schedule, that's another question we're going to have to wait to see answered. 

After over a decade, Antonio Banderas’ feisty feline has finally returned to theaters in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. The new adventure in the Shrek universe and its decidedly darker tones have received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. Many have praised the animated movie for its deeper emotional depths than the previous 6 Shrek entries in the Dreamworks franchise. Well, the film’s lead explains how a heart attack and his brush with mortality positively impacted his life and influenced the latest animated spinoff. 

While speaking with Page Six, Antonio Banderas revealed that, in retrospect, his 2017 heart attack might have been one of the “best things” to ever happen to the actor. The Desperado star says the life-threatening event helped him reprioritize his life. He told Page Six: 

The Mask of Zorro actor says he always knew intellectually that he--like everyone else--was going to die but facing mortality up close and personal helped him let the little worries go. Banderas continued: 

The 62-year-old Spanish-born actor shared with Page Six that the important things like his daughter, friends, family, and his “vocation as an actor” remained, but he deliberately detached from “things that I thought were important before but weren’t really.”

Banderas reprises his role as the swashbuckling feline in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, in which Puss discovers that he has used up eight of his nine lives and sets out to find the mystical “last wish.” It’s not hard to see the real-life connection between the adventure-seeking cat embracing the 9 lives he’s given and Banderas’ personal brush with death. 

The 13th Warrior star told Yahoo! the latest outing for Puss is a “daring” movie, especially for a flick meant for a younger audience. He reflected on the issues he is all too familiar with beautifully and elegantly. The actor continued: 

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish sees the return of Salma Hayek as Kitty Softpaws, and they’re joined by actors including Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, John Mulaney, and Wagner Moura. The all-star cast joins Puss on his adventure to claim the Last Wish hoping it will restore the eight lives he has lost. 

The latest adventure in the Shrek franchise opened theatrically in the United States on December 21st with a projected weekend gross of $25-30 million. It’s still to be seen how the darker themes of life and death will impact the family-oriented offering and how it will compete against James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water at the box office. Still, based on positive reviews, moviegoers will have a couple of great cinema options this holiday season. Check your local listings if you want to check out Puss in Boots: The Last Wish on the big screen. You can also look at our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to see what’s coming to theaters in the new year.

A long time ago, a new popular animated movie franchise came to life about a far off land, and that franchise started with Shrek. Spanning four movies, it was one of DreamWorks most popular film series and spawned plenty of TV specials, merchandise and so much more. But, in that series came a cat that everyone seemed to fall in love with that was introduced in Shrek 2 – Puss in Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas. 

The character became so popular with audiences that he got his own, titular spinoff film in 2011, and it even scored an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Film. And now, more than ten years later, the sequel is finally out and fans of the famous cat are hankering to see him again in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

But, where might you have seen or heard the Puss in Boots: The Last Wish cast before? Be prepared, because this list is full of stars.  

Antonio Banderas (Puss In Boots)

First up on the list, we have the main star himself, Antonio Banderas, who voices the lead in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. As someone who has been around for a long time, Banderas has starred in many movies. Most recently in 2022, he was a part of the movie adaptation of Uncharted, based on the very popular game series, but has done so much more. 

Besides that, he obviously voiced Puss in the original Shrek series as well as the spinoff, but his other films include Desperado, The Mask of Zorro, Philadelphia, The Enforcer, Interview With The Vampire, the Spy Kids series, Pain and Glory, and more. He has also been a part of television shows, with a main role in the series, Genius, but movies is where Banderas really shines. 

Banderas is also set to appear in the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, so be sure to keep an eye out for him.

Salma Hayek (Kitty Softpaws)

Moving on, we take a look at a legendary actress, Salma Hayek, who voices Kitty Softpaws in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Reprising her role from the last film, Hayek has done so much in both movies and television. In terms of film, she has appeared in so many amazing ones. 

In 2021, she was a part of the Eternals cast, but has starred in other movies such as Desperado (where she co-starred with Banderas), Frida (which got her an Academy Award nomination), Bandidas, From Dusk ‘Till Dawn, Dogma, Wild Wild West, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, House of Gucci, and more. She also voiced one of the main characters in Sausage Party, an adult animated film. 

In terms of television, Hayek has also appeared in many shows. She started off her career in the telenovela, Teresa, but has since been in shows such as 30 Rock, Ugly Betty, and more.  

Olivia Colman (Mama Bear)

A true queen, Olivia Colman voices Mama Bear in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Colman has done so much in television and movies that it’s almost hard to keep track of what she’s done, but we’ll go over the highlights here. 

In movies, most recently in 2022, she starred with the Empire of Light cast, but she’s also appeared in films such as The Favourite, The Father, The Lost Daughter, The Iron Lady, Murder on the Orient Express, and so many more. She also had a voice role in the popular 2021 film, The Mitchell’s vs. The Machines. 

With television, Colman might be primarily known for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the third and fourth season of The Crown, but has appeared in many other parts in shows like Heartstopper, Peep Show, Flowers, Fleabag, The Night Manager, and Broadchurch, among others. 

Harvey Guillen (Perrito)

Next up is Harvey Guillen, who voices Perrito in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Some movies that you might have seen him in before this one are General Education, the horror film Truth or Dare, Status Update, and The Internship, but Guillen has done so much more in television. 

He’s primarily known for his role on the FX show What We Do In The Shadows, but has appeared in and voiced characters for many other TV series, including The Magicians, the underrated animated show, The Owl House, and The Thundermans, and has a recurring role in Human Resources. 

Samson Kayo (Baby Bear)

Moving on, we take a look at Samson Kayo, who voices Baby Bear in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Kayo has appeared in a few films, including 2022’s The Bubble, as well as Dolittle and Grandpa’s Great Escape, but he’s been in a few more television shows. Most recently in 2022, he appeared in the HBO Max original series, Our Flag Means Death. 

Other than that, he’s appeared in shows such as Murder in Successville, Truth Seekers, Bloods, Famalam, and Timewaster. 

Wagner Moura (Big Bad Wolf)

You remember those pigs in the Shrek series? Well, now it’s time to look out for the Big Bad Wolf, because he’s going to be making an appearance in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Voiced by Wagner Moura, the actor is primarily known for his role as Pablo Escobar in the popular Netflix series, Narcos, but has appeared in several other movies and television shows. 

Some of his biggest films this far have been Behind the Sun, The Man of the Year, The Middle of the World, Wasp Network, Sergio, and 2022’s The Gray Man, among many Spanish-language films. With television, besides Narcos, Moura also has a main role on the TV series, Shining Girls. 

Anthony Mendez (Doctor)

Moving on, we have Anthony Mendez, who plays the Doctor in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Mendez hasn’t done any major movies yet, so his role in here will be his first. However, he’s done plenty on television. 

You might recognize his voice the most, because he was known as the narrator for the popular CW show, Jane the Virgin, but he’s had roles in other TV shows such as Foodtastic, The Unexplained Files and Elena of Avalor. 

John Mulaney (Jack Horner)

You’d have to be living under a rock to not know who John Mulaney is, and now, he’s transferring his voice talents over to Puss in Boots: The Last Wish as Jack Horner. Mulaney is primarily known for his hilarious comedy specials and his time on Saturday Night Live, which he has hosted several times since he left, but he’s done plenty of other television work. 

He’s been in shows such as Documentary Now!, Kroll Show, his own series called The Mulaney Show, and more. Mulaney hasn’t appeared in any live-action films yet, but he’s done voice work for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (one of my personal favorite Spider-Man movies) and was one of the leads of the Chip N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers cast. 

Florence Pugh (Goldi)

Next up on this Puss in Boots: The Last Wish cast list is Florence Pugh, who voices Goldi in the film (a version of Goldilocks). Pugh has been making a name for herself these past several years, appearing in many movies that have taken her to star status. 

Some of her biggest hits have been starring as Yelena Belova Black Widow, the A24 horror film, Midsommar, Little Women, Malevolent, Outlaw King, Fighting With My Family, The Commuter, The Falling, and so many more. She also starred in the 2022 psychological thriller, Don’t Worry Darling, and is set to appear in several new movies, including Dune 2, and the upcoming film, Oppenheimer. 

With television, Pugh reprised her role from Black Widow in the Disney+ original series, Hawkeye, but has also appeared in other shows such as Marvella, The Little Drummer Girl, and more. She is also going to be reprising Yelena Belova again in the Marvel film, Thunderbolts. 

Ray Winstone (Papa Bear)

Next up, we have Ray Winstone, who voices Papa Bear in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. The actor has been around for a long time, and has appeared in many, many movies, so we’re just going to go over some of his most known. 

Winstone has had roles in films such as Quadrophenia, Scum, Nil by Mouth, Sexy Beast, The Proposition, The Departed, Beowulf, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Black Widow (alongside Pugh), Snow White and the Huntsman, Point Break, and more. 

With television, he’s had main roles in many TV shows, including Robin of Sherwood, Get Back, Vincent, Of Kings and Prophets, and Ice, among many guest roles, as well. 

Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Mama Luna)

Last but not least, we have Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who voices Mama Luna in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Randolph had been in several movies that you might have heard of, including Dolemite Is My Name, Office Christmas Party, Kajillionaire, The Last Shift, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, and 2022’s The Lost City. 

She’s also appeared in many TV shows in recurring roles, including the Hulu original series, Only Murders in the Building, The Last O.G., This Is Us, Birdgirl, and more. She also had a main role in the show, High Fidelity, as well as a main part in Selfie and People of Earth. 

With such a stellar cast, it’s no wonder that Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is shaping up to be an amazing movie. And now, you just might find something new that they’re a part of. Time to re-watch Shrek 2 again.   

It’s been a full 11 years since we last heard Antonio Banderas as the voice of the titular feline in Puss in Boots, and his highly anticipated return in the upcoming sequel proves there’s no bad time for a new adventure in the Shrek universe. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is set to hit theaters on December 21, fresh for those seeking some holiday respite at the theater, and reviews are here to tell us if the new tale of the hilarious, sword-wielding cat was worth the decade-long wait for its arrival.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the sixth movie in the Shrek franchise and the second in the spinoffs that star Antonio Banderas. Salma Hayek is also back as Kitty Softpaws, and they’re joined by actors including Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, John Mulaney and Wagner Moura, as Puss seeks the Last Wish that will restore the eight lives he has lost. Director Joel Crawford has warned that this sequel will have some darker tones, as the main character struggles with mortality and a fear of death, so let’s take a look at what the critics are saying.

Zaki Hasan of the San Francisco Chronicle says there are enough swerves in the plot to make this an adventure worth going on, and that’s not to mention the dynamic animation. This critic sees more to come for this character after the whimsical, sassy journey, and says hopefully we don’t have have to wait another 11 years: 

Leigh Monson of the AV Club says DreamWorks has delivered the best of the six Shrek films, calling The Last Wish “visually striking and narratively engaging.” This critic and the previous one each compared the animation style to that of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. Monson grades the movie a B+, calling it one of cinema’s biggest surprises of the year: 

Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times says Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek’s characters have great chemistry, and the new additions to the voice cast are impressive as well, noting: 

Peter Debruge of Variety posits that similarly to the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, DreamWorks seems to have learned that cartoon characters get a lot more interesting if they’re not immortal. The review reads:

Emma Stefansky of IndieWire also praises the movie for not being afraid to test its young audience members with themes of mortality and appreciating the life you have. The critic grades this movie an A, saying:  

There is some question as to how the family friendly offering will compete against Avatar: The Way of Water at the box office, and based on these positive reviews, it sounds like moviegoers will have a couple of good options. If you want to check out Puss in Boots: The Last Wish on the big screen, you can do so beginning Wednesday, December 21. Also be sure to take a peek at our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to see what’s coming to theaters in the new year.

Shrek, was a cultural phenomenon, a meme machine, a formative film for many (myself included), and it’s always exciting when we get more stories from Far, Far Away, even 20+ years after the first film's release. So far there have been four installments in the Shrek franchise, with various spin-offs here and there, like Antonio Banderas’ solo outings as Puss in Boots, but the question of Shrek 5 still remains. Lucky for us, the actor behind the iconic cat is opening up about the likelihood of a fifth film. 

Banderas was speaking at the Red Sea Film Festival after a screening of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and commented on the possibility of a fifth Shrek film. The actor behind the sword-wielding feline said (via Deadline): 

Well, this is exciting news, I sure do hope Mr. Banderas is right because I’d love to see the “All-Star” cast of Shrek re-team for a fifth film. I feel like Shrek and Shrek 2 are easily some of the ensemble's best films, including Antonio Banderas, so to add one more film into the mix would be super fun.

According to Deadline, there was a fifth Shrek in the works that was set for release in 2019. However, it never moved forward. Although there hasn't been another story about Shrek and Fiona recently, there have been multiple spin-offs, like the two Puss in Boots movies from 2011 and 2012, and the upcoming Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which is on the 2022 movie schedule. 

I’d assume that with the continuation of Shrek adjacent content, it’s not far-fetched to think they could make another story following the adventures of Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots and co. 

I could totally see Mike Myers being down to reprise his role as the lead ogre, and now that Cameron Diaz has come out of retirement for a new movie, she could easily add a voice-acting gig into the mix.

Luckily, while we wait to see if Shrek 5 eventually comes to fruition, we will get Puss in Boots’ third solo outing in The Last Wish. According to the film’s synopsis, it will follow the cat as he realizes he’s used eight of his nine lives, and he embarks on a journey to find the last wish and restore all nine of his lives. Along with Banderas, Salma Hayek is returning as Kitty Softpaws, and they are joined by an exciting ensemble that includes Florence Pugh as Goldilocks, John Mulaney as Jack Horner and What We Do in the Shadow’s Harvey Guillén as Perro. 

So, while we wait for Shrek 5 to happen, and I do it's likely based on Banderas’ comment, you can check out Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in theaters on December 21, and you can head over to CinemaBlend’s guide to find out how to stream the OG Shrek movies. 

Although Harrison Ford’s Dr. Henry Jones Jr. will reunite with John Rhys-Davies’ Sallah, next summer, most of the Indiana Jones 5 cast is comprised of new faces. This includes Antonio Banderas, an actor who’s no stranger to adventure moves thanks to his outings as Zorro, voicing Puss in Boots and starring in Uncharted. Now we finally have some details straight from Banderas himself on how he fits into Indiana Jones 5, which will be Ford’s final time playing the fedora-wearing title protagonist.

We learned that Antonio Banderas will appear in Indiana Jones 5 back in July 2021, and this past June, the actor shared how he reacted the first time he met Harrison Ford on the 2023 movie release’s set. Cut to his recent interview with Collider on behalf of his next movie, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, while Banderas didn’t share the name of his Indiana Jones 5 character, he did reveal this individual’s relationship with Indy and roughly how much screen time he’s getting, saying:

So evidently we won’t be seeing much of Antonio Banderas in Indiana Jones 5, but his character will provide some aid to Indy in his latest cinematic outing. Hopefully we at least learn how far back Indy goes with Banderas’ character. Have these two known each other since the World War II days, or is this someone Indy met after the events of the not-as-beloved Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? Whatever the nature of their relationship is, at least we know Banderas’ character will be an ally to Indy rather than an enemy, and the actor reiterated that he had a “great time” working with Harrison Ford.

The last few weeks have delivered some major Indiana Jones 5 goodies, including our first full look at Harrison Ford back in character following the teasier image that was shown in May. Set in 1969 against the backdrop of the Space Race, Indiana Jones 5 sees Indy facing off against Mads Mikkelsen’s Voller, a Nazi who’s been recruited into the United States’ moon-landing program and is wanting to obtain a mysterious object that he believes would allow him to “correct some of the mistakes of the past.” Voller will be aided by Boyd Holbrook’s Clabber, who’s described as a “crazed lapdog,” while Indy will be accompanied by his goddaughter Helena, played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The movie will also open with a World War II-set action sequence featuring a de-aged Ford.

Indiana Jones 5 opens in theaters on June 30, 2023, but you can hear Antonio Banderas on the big screen sooner than that when Puss in Boots: The Last Wish comes out on December 21. Break out your Paramount+ subscription if you want to stream the older Indiana Jones movies.

As far as ratings go, at least those handed out by the Motion Picture Association, there is nothing more extreme these days than NC-17. That means no one under the age of 18 can be admitted to a movie with this rating for a multitude of reasons.

Some directors, producers, and studios will re-cut their films to get an R-rating, but there are plenty of NC-17 movies that have been left unedited and sent out into the wild as is, which has resulted in limited releases of some of the most notorious movies of all time. Find out why these films were branded this way, as well as how you can watch them if you are curious, in the following list.

Henry & June (1990) - Fred Ward, Uma Thurman

What better way to start than with the very first movie to earn the NC-17 rating – according to SlashFilm – Henry & June. Director Philip Kaufman’s adaptation of Anaïs Nin’s memoir focuses on a love triangle between novelist Henry Miller (Fred Ward), his wife, June (Uma Thurman), and the French-American author (portrayed by Thurman’s future fellow Pulp Fiction cast member, Maria de Medeiros) in 1930s Paris. Despite its controversially explicit sexual content, the drama was a mild critical and commercial success and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography.

Buy Henry & June on Blu-ray on Amazon.  

Killer Joe (2012) - Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple

Directed by the late William Friedkin and written by 2019’s Little Women cast member Tracy Letts (also based on his stage play), Killer Joe stars Emile Hirsch as an indebted young man who hatches a plan to have his mother (played by Gina Gershon) killed to collect insurance money. Matthew McConaughey gives one of his most underrated performances as the titular hitman he hires, whose fee is so high that he agrees to let his teenage sister (Juno Temple) be treated as collateral.

According to Deadline, the shamelessly twisted crime thriller was released with an NC-17 rating after Friedkin and distributor LD Entertainment opted not to change its ending. While an R-rated version of the film was later made available for home viewing, those interested in seeing it in its original form could also seek out the unrated director’s cut of Killer Joe instead.

Rent or buy Killer Joe on Amazon.
Buy Killer Joe on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Mysterious Skin (2004) - Joseph Gordon-Levitt

One of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s best movies from earlier in his career is Mysterious Skin, in which he plays a gay teen making a living as a sex worker who recalls a disturbing encounter from his childhood through narration. Meanwhile, another teen, played by Brady Corbet, struggles to figure out the truth behind a blackout he suffered when he was younger, leading the two men to cross paths unexpectedly.

Writer and director Gregg Araki is notorious for including pervasive sexual content in his films, but the NC-17 rating for Mysterious Skin – also starring Elisabeth Shue and Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast member Michelle Trachtenberg – was largely determined by its graphic depiction of pedophilia. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the challenging subject matter sparked controversy when the Australian Family Association feared child predators could use the film as a grooming tool or for their own gratification.
 
Rent or buy Mysterious Skin on Amazon.
Buy Mysterious Skin on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1989) - Antonio Banderas

In one of his many racy collaborations with writer and director Pedro Almodóvar, Antonio Banderas stars in Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! as Ricky, who is released from a mental hospital with the intent of finding love. So, he tracks down a former adult film star, played by Victoria Abril, whom he once shared an intimate encounter with and takes her prisoner in hopes he can convince her to be his wife.

According to Gwyne Edwards’ 2001 book Almodóvar: Labyrinths of Passion, the controversial subject matter of Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! was instrumental in the creation of the NC-17 rating itself. Thus, the MPA branded it as such in 1990 for a “scene of strong adult sensuality with nudity,” according to FilmRatings.com.

Stream Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! on Max.
Rent or buy Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! on Amazon.
Buy Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! on Blu-ray Amazon.

Blonde (2022) - Ana de Armas

Based on the book by Joyce Carol Oates, Blonde is director Andrew Dominik’s in-depth and fictionalized look at the tragically short life of Norma Jeane Baker, better known as Marilyn Monroe. Ana de Armas disappears into the role of one of Hollywood’s most iconic figures, portraying a side of the actress and model that was long kept hidden from the public.

Dominik once said that he anticipated his nearly three-hour biopic would be rated NC-17 before the MPA made it official in June 2022, citing “some sexual content” as the reasoning. The film’s more hardcore scenes would inspire some strong reactions from both critics and audiences since it was made available to stream in 2022.

Stream Blonde on Netflix.

Crash (1996) - James Spader, Holly Hunter

Not to be confused with director Paul Haggis’ Best Picture Oscar winner from 2005, Crash is one of the more bizarre and inventive movies directed by David Cronenberg (which is really saying something). Based on the novel by J.G. Ballard, it stars James Spader as a TV producer who becomes seduced into an unusual and dangerous obsession with car wrecks and the intense, sexually stimulating effect they seem to have on him and others, including his mistress (played by Holly Hunter).

Just from learning the plot, it seems pretty clear why a movie like Crash would have been given the NC-17 rating and why it inspired controversy so pervasive that it was chronicled in a 2001 book called The Crash Controversy: Censorship Campaigns and Film Reception. Nonetheless, it was still relatively well-received by critics, according to Rotten Tomatoes, and earned Cronenberg a Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, despite vehement opposition from the jury’s then-president, Francis Ford Coppola.

Buy Crash on DVD on Amazon.

Descent (2007) - Rosario Dawson

Not to be confused with the Scottish 2005 horror movie THE Descent, this film sees Rosario Dawson giving her most provocative and extreme performance since she broke out in another controversial classic, Kids. This time, she plays a woman who undergoes a dramatic and violent change of character after she is assaulted by a man she meets at a fraternity party.

This brutal and upsetting revenge drama was actually released with two alternative cuts: one rated NC-17 and an R-rated edit that omits seven minutes of footage. Still, both versions contain brutal rape, language, some sexual content and drug use.

Buy Descent on DVD on Amazon.

Showgirls (1995) - Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan

Perhaps the most infamous movie on this list, Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 erotic cult classic, Showgirls, stars a post-Save by the Bell Elizabeth Berkley as a young drifter named Nomi Malone. As she hitchhikes to Las Vegas with dreams of becoming a famous dancer on the Strip, she has some ups and downs on her journey, but finally makes her dreams come true, at a price…

According to the MPA, Showgirls was given its NC-17 rating due to the amount of nudity and erotic sexuality throughout the movie, as well as graphic language and sexual violence. If you’ve seen the movie (and not the VH1 version with digitized bras), you’re well aware of the film’s graphic nature.

Stream Showgirls on Tubi.
Stream Showgirls on Pluto TV.
Buy Showgirls on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Shame (2011) - Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan

Released in 2011, Steve McQueen’s psychological drama, Shame, stars Michael Fassbender as Brandon Sullivan – a successful and dashing executive who is secretly a traumatized sex addict who will do anything and everything to get his kicks in New York City. Just when he thinks life can’t get any worse, his equally damaged sister (Carey Mulligan) storms into his life, causing more complications.

Upon release, Shame was given an NC-17 rating by the MPA for explicit sexual content as well as some truly troubling scenes. I’ve walked out of several movies before, but this was the first I exited simply because what was happening on the screen was way too real and unnerving to finish.

Rent or buy Shame on Amazon.
Buy Shame on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013) - Léa Seydoux 

Abdellatif Kechiche’s 2013 French drama, Blue is the Warmest Color, stars Adèle Exarchopoulos as a high school student who experiences a sexual awakening after meeting an art school student and aspiring painter named Emma, played by James Bond movies actor, Léa Seydoux. Over the years, the two form a contentious and highly-emotional relationship that opens their eyes to a whole new world around them.

Though tamer than some of the other titles on this list, Blue is the Warmest Color was given an NC-17 rating because of the explicit sexual content the MPA felt was unsuitable for younger audiences. However, at least one theater allowed teens to watch the movie upon release.

Rent or buy Blue is the Warmest Color on Amazon.
Buy Blue is the Warmest Color on Blu-ray Amazon.

Bad Lieutenant (1992) - Harvey Keitel

Abel Ferrara’s 1992 crime thriller Bad Lieutenant follows Harvey Keitel as a broken NYPD detective whose stress over his job, life, and gambling habits get the best of him. From one interaction to the next, the unnamed lieutenant falls deeper down the rabbit hole of depravity, committing some irredeemable crimes of his own along the way.

If there has ever been a movie deserving of an NC-17 rating it would have to be Bad Lieutenant. With an abundance of sexual violence, intense sexual situations, endless drug use, and extreme language throughout, it’s no wonder the MPA came down hard on the movie, which later inspired a sequel only in name, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Werner Herzog.

Stream Bad Lieutenant on Tubi.
Rent or buy Bad Lieutenant on Amazon.
Buy Bad Lieutenant on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Orgazmo (1997) - Trey Parker, Matt Stone

Co-writer and director Trey Parker plays a normal Mormon missionary trying to find enough money to support and marry his longtime girlfriend. But when he stumbles upon a porn set, the once strait-laced and deeply devoted young man becomes the biggest thing going in the adult entertainment industry in Orgazmo.

It should come as no surprise that a movie written by the creators of South Park, and one centered on the porn industry, would receive an NC-17 rating from the MPA in 1998. It should come as even less of a surprise that the rating was handed down due to the sexual content and dialogue featured throughout.

Rent or buy Orgazmo on Amazon.
Buy Orgazmo on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Bent (1997) - Clive Owen, Ian McKellen

After being discovered and arrested by the Gestapo in Nazi Germany, Max – a proud gay man played by Clive Owen – is sent on a perilous journey to the Dachau concentration camp where he is subjected to indescribable horrors while still being able to find love.

Possibly one of the most harrowing movies about the Holocaust, Sean Mathias’ 1997 drama Bent is absolutely heartbreaking and disturbing with its graphic displays of violence. Upon its release, the movie received an NC-17 rating from the MPA due to its graphic sexual nature.

Stream Bent on Peacock.
Stream Bent on Tubi.
Stream Bent on Plex.
Rent or buy Bent on Amazon.
Buy Bent on Blu-ray Amazon.

Matador (1986) - Antonio Banderas

In one of his most disturbing roles, Antonio Banderas plays Angel, a young student who confesses to an attempted rape and a series of murders he may or may not have committed, in Pedro Almodóvar’s 1986 dark comedy, Matador.

Just like some of the other movies featuring the director and actor, Matador pushed the limits with its dark, twisted, and oddly humorous story. Still, the MPA would later give the film an NC-17 rating in 2005 (nearly 20 years after initial release) due to “aberrant sexuality” and violence.

Rent or buy Matador on Amazon.
Buy Matador on DVD on Amazon.

The Dreamers (2003) - Eva Green, Michael Pitt

In the midst of the 1968 Student Riots in Paris, an American student named Matthew (played by Michael Pitt) finds himself getting caught up in the lives of formerly conjoined twins – Louis Garrel as Théo and Eva Green as Isabelle – whose relationship is far from normal. When asked to spend a month with the siblings, Matthew falls deeper into their wild and free-flowing lifestyle.

Bernardo Bertolucci’s 2003 erotic drama, The Dreamers, pushes several boundaries and deviates from societal norms to tell a story about young love in the midst of a chaotic time. With the extreme sexual content and nudity, it’s no surprise the MPA gave the movie an NC-17 rating upon release.

Buy The Dreamers on DVD on Amazon.

A Dirty Shame (2004) - Selma Blair, Johnny Knoxville

A John Waters movie receiving an NC-17 rating? You don’t say! The filthy filmmaker’s 2004 comedy, A Dirty Shame, follows Tracey Ullman as Sylvia Stickles– a puritanical resident of the Hatford Road area of Baltimore who experiences a sexual awakening after being hit by a car. 

Selma Blair, Johnny Knoxville, and Chris Isaak also star in A Dirty Shame, which (no shocker here) was given the NC-17 rating by the MPA due to its pervasive sexual content. And if you’ve seen the movie, you are all too aware of just how pervasive and graphic it is.

Rent or buy A Dirty Shame on Amazon.
Buy A Dirty Shame on DVD on Amazon.

Pink Flamingos (1972) - Divine

When Connie (Mink Stole) and Raymond Marble (David Lochary) attempt to steal Babs Johnson’s (Divine) title of “the filthiest person alive,” the down and dirty criminal and her family make it their mission in life to prevent the newcomers from accomplishing their mission by any means necessary.

With scenes featuring incest, people eating dog poop, flashers, and an infamously notorious scene involving a chicken, it shouldn’t shock anyone that John Waters’ classic exploitation comedy film, Pink Flamingos, was given an NC-17 rating by the MPA upon re-release in 1997, 25 years after it first shocked audiences around the world. Maybe that’s why Roger Ebert hated the movie.

Buy Pink Flamingos on Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Evil Dead (1981) - Bruce Campbell

Bruce Campbell stars in the film that kickstarted the Evil Dead franchise as Ash Williams who – along with his girlfriend and a small group of friends – set off for a night away in an isolated cabin. However, the night quickly takes a turn for the worst after they discover the Necronomicon – a powerful book that awakens possessive, malevolent spirits.

Sam Raimi’s classic horror film, The Evil Dead, was initially released with an X rating back in 1981 on account of its substantial graphic violence and gore. It was later given an NC-17 by the MPA when the movie was re-released back in 1994.

Rent or buy The Evil Dead on Amazon.
Buy The Evil Dead on Blu-ray on Amazon.

BONUS: Elles (2011) - Juliette Binoche

The title of Elles refers to the French magazine, Elle, for which Juliette Binoche’s character is researching an article about an underground sex worker ring orchestrated by female college students in Paris. However, the closer she gets to the facts behind the story, the more she begins to question her own personal interests. Graphic sexual content that goes as far as urinary fetishes initially earned this drama from Polish filmmaker Malgoska Szumowska an NC-17 rating.

Buy Elles on Blu-ray on Amazon.

BONUS: Happiness (1998) - Philip Seymour Hoffman 

The late Philip Seymour Hoffman plays one of several interconnected people all searching desperately for the most coveted emotion there is: happiness. Of course, their chosen ways of acquiring it are exactly the kind of reasons this Golden Globe nominee was initially given an NC-17 rating. 

Also starring the likes of Trick ‘r Treat’s Dylan Baker, Twin Peaks cast member Lara Flynn Boyle, and SNL’s Jon Lovitz, Happiness is one of the darkest comedies of its time. However, that does not mean so much when you learn it comes from writer and director Todd Solondz.

Buy Happiness on DVD on Amazon.

Elles and Happiness are some of a few notable examples of films that surrendered their NC-17 ratings upon release and are now deemed “unrated,” such as the aforementioned Kids. However, they are just as challenging and provocative as any of the films listed above, which is why we’ll still count them as NC-17 in our book.

The last time we saw Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones on the big screen, he was chasing down crystal skulls, fending off KGB agents, and learning that Shia LaBeouf’s Mutt was his son. Of course, it’s no secret that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was polarizing among fans of the franchise when it came out in 2008, but that didn’t spell the end of our favorite fedora-wearing, whip-wielding archaeologist going on cinematic adventures. Indiana Jones 5 was officially announced in 2016, and now it is one of the most anticipated 2023 movies.

This time around, Logan’s James Mangold has inherited directing duties from Steven Spielberg, who’s still involved with the film as a “hands on” producer. With the movie hitting theaters today, we have some concrete details about who plays who in the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny cast. Let’s go over who’s on board, starting with the man who’s been the face of this franchise since the beginning.

Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones)

Other than Han Solo, Indiana Jones is Harrison Ford’s most famous character, having not only played him in the four movies, but also briefly reprising him for an episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles TV series, which starred Sean Patrick Flanery in the title role. While there may come a day when the Indiana Jones film series is rebooted with a new actor, this marks another recent time Ford has reprised a familiar  role, having appeared as Han in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (and briefly in The Rise of Skywalker) and Rick Deckard in Blade Runner 2049. He more recently earned raves for his work in television, namely as the lead of Paramount+’s 1923 cast and playing a psychiatrist in the Shrinking cast for Apple TV+.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Helena Shaw)

As Indy’s goddaughter, Helena – as it was revealed during the Dial of Destiny cast’s D23 appearance in 2022 –  we have Phoebe Waller-Bridge in her first collaboration with Ford, but not with one of his iconic characters, having played the droid L3-37 in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Most are likely more familiar with the Emmy winner as the lead of Fleabag, as the creator of Killing Eve, or as the co-writer of Daniel Craig's 007 swan song, No Time to Die. 

Mads Mikkelsen (Jürgen Voller)

Mads Mikkelsen adds to his already hefty list of roles in iconic franchises by starring in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny as Jürgen Voller, who’s been recruited into the United States’ moon-landing program. The ex-Nazi character – who first meets Indy in a World War II-set opener – is also the latest of many villains the Danish actor has played, including Le Chiffre in the first of Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies, Kaecilius in Doctor Strange’s great Marvel movies debut, the title role of NBC’s Hannibal, and when he took over the role of Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. However, his contribution to the Star Wars movies as Galen Erso in Rogue One was not antagonistic, despite being the Death Star’s designer.

Thomas Kretschmann (Colonel Weber)

Like Mikkelsen, Thomas Kretschmann – who appears as Colonel Weber, a Nazi aiding Voller, during that World War II sequence – has some experience causing trouble in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He appeared as HYDRA leader Wolfgang von Strucker in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron, and you may also remember him from projects like The Pianist, 24, Valkyrie, and Greyhound. So it would be easy enough to imagine him playing an antagonist in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Boyd Holbrook (Klaber)

In his second collaboration with director James Mangold after playing Donald Pierce in 2017’s Logan, Boyd Holbrook is playing Klaber, Voller’s right-hand man who has been described as a “crazed lapdog,” in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Holbrook’s other film credits include The Skeleton Twins, Gone Girl, The Predator, and We Can Be Heroes, while in the TV realm, he starred in Netflix’s Narcos, in The Sandman cast as The Corinthian, and is starring in FX’s Justified: City Primeval cast for his next villainous role.

Shaunette Renée Wilson (Mason)

Playing a government agent named Mason in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is just the latest terrific accomplishment for actor Shaunette Renée Wilson. While she hasn’t been professionally acting as long as the people already mentioned on this list, she’s nonetheless collected some impressive credits in this shorter span of time. Along with playing one of the Dora Milaje in Black Panther, Wilson was a main cast member on the NBC series The Resident for its first four seasons, and also recurred on Showtime’s Billions.

Toby Jones (Basil Shaw)

How about that? Someone who shares the title character’s last name is also in the Indiana Jones 5 cast as an ally named Basil Shaw, who is also Helena’s father. Toby Jones has starred in all sorts of movies and TV shows over the years – from Captain America: The First Avenger and Infinite to Wayward Pines and Sherlock. The Emmy nominee had a busy year in 2022, which included being a part of Amazon Prime’s The English cast and Sam Mendes’ Empire of Light, and he already got off to an interesting start in 2023 by starring in the Tetris cast for Apple TV+. 

Antonio Banderas (Renaldo)

Renaldo, a friend of Indy’s who shows up briefly when he is enlisted for his diving expertise, is played by Antonio Banderas, who is no stranger to movies involving action and adventure, whether it’s from his time voicing Puss in Boots in the Shrek franchise, playing Greg Cortez in the Spy Kids movies, or the title role of two Zorro movies. More recently, he gave an Oscar-nominated performance in Pain and Glory in 2019 and played the main villain in 2021’s The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and in Uncharted the following year.

Olivier Richters (Hauke)

Olivier Richters’ role as Voller’s henchperson, Hauke, is the latest in a long line of physically imposing characters Indiana Jones would come at odds with. The Dutch bodybuilder could previously be seen in Black Widow as an inmate whom David Harbour’s Alexei beats at arm wrestling and in The King’s Man as a machine shack guard whom Ralph Fiennes fails to stop with throwing knives. 

Ethann Isidore (Teddy)

As Helena’s sidekick, Teddy, we have Ethann Isidore, according to The Guardian’s review of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Similar to Ke Huy Quan’s role as Indy’s sidekick Short Round in Temple of Doom, the blockbuster marks the young French actor’s feature film debut, but not his first acting experience, however. In his home country, Isidore previously appeared in shorts like Les Passengers and TV shows like the dramedy Sam and the Netflix exclusive fantasy series, Mortel.

John Rhys-Davies (Sallah)

Perhaps the most exciting known addition to the cast outside of Harrison Ford coming back to play the title role is John Rhys-Davies as Indy’s trusted comrade, Sallah, whom he portrayed in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The Welsh actor – who is also known from the Lord of the Rings movies as Gimli – was confirmed to be returning to the franchise in footage shown at 2022’s D23 expo. Some of his more recent credits include lending his voice to Netflix’s animated fantasy series, Wizards, joining the DCEU as the Brine King in Aquaman, and – speaking of DC – voicing Bruce Wayne’s psychiatrist in the hit, Winston Duke-led podcast, Batman Unburied.  

If this is truthfully the last big screen adventure for Hollywood’s favorite thrill-seeking archaeologist, what a great ensemble he has to join him, at least. Head to the theater to see if there are any surprise appearances in the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny cast now!

Indiana Jones is one of the most iconic action/adventure protagonists of all time. Harrison Ford embodies the character with insane high-level stunts and humor to further entertain audiences. The Legend of Zorro’s Antonio Banderas may be a memorable actor himself for playing a masked, sword-slinging hero, but it doesn’t mean seeing Indiana Jones right in front of him doesn’t make him feel like a fan again. With Antonio Banderas having been brought into Indiana Jones 5, he talked about what it was like seeing Harrison Ford on set.

Antonio Banderas is part the Indiana Jones 5 cast. While we have no idea if he will be a friend or foe to our favorite archeologist, it’ll still be a real treat to see him there. At the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of his new movie Official Competition, Entertainment Tonight spoke to Banderas about what it was like to meet Harrison Ford as he wore his full Indiana Jones apparel on set. Banderas responded:

While it was once unclear over whether or not we would get a fifth Indiana Jones movie after the fourth installment, now it is definitely happening. It’s been 14 years since Indiana Jones came back to the big screen in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and even though this sequel didn’t live up to many fans' expectations, it should still come as no surprise that we’d be getting a fifth movie. It seems like a growing trend to revisit ‘80s classics like Top Gun: Maverick. With Maverick breaking box office records for Paramount and Tom Cruise, we can only hope to see the same results for Indiana Jones 5 and Harrison Ford.

Indiana Jones 5 has been in development ever since 2016, but has hit a lot of major obstacles. The movie was once going to be released this July, but Disney shifted its release date ahead 11 months. Steven Spielberg also stepped down from his role as director and was replaced by Ford Vs. Ferrari director James Mangold. This is Us’s Dan Fogelman will be the film’s new screenwriter after replacing Jonathan Kasdan, who replaced David Koepp. Indiana Jones 5 began filming began in June 2021 and wrapped up in February. While we don’t know any plot specific yet, it's a good bet this will be the last time we see Harrison Ford crack that whip. 

Along with Indiana Jones 5, Antonio Banderas will be co-starring with Penelope Cruz in Official Competition. This Spanish-Argentine comedy follows a billionaire entrepreneur who impulsively hires a renowned filmmaker to create an art film. Banderas said in his ET interview that he saw a side of Penelope Cruz that American audiences have not seen her before in terms of showing off her comedic side. This film is set to hit a limited release on June 17th.

It will be a very interesting dynamic to see Harrison Ford and Antonio Banderas work together in Indiana Jones 5. With two action-packed stars returning to their roots for this generation of audiences to see, let’s cross our fingers that this fifth film will not leave us disappointed. You can watch Ford and Banderas when the upcoming action-adventure film comes out on June 30, 2023.

Whether he is portraying dashing and swashbuckling masked heroes, playing unsavory and unhinged characters, or providing his voice for one of the most successful animated film franchises in cinematic history, the extremely busy Antonio Banderas gives it his all at every opportunity. Over the years, the decorated actor who can bounce between comedy, drama, and action with little to no trouble at all, has provided for some of the best characters and movie moments the world has ever seen.

I was reminded of this when I, like millions of others, saw Uncharted on opening weekend and was blown away by the sinister yet charismatic performance by the versatile actor. And so I thought now would be a good a time as any to go through the best Antonio Banderas movies, talk about them, and show how you can watch them streaming (as well as buy them). Here are 11 of those movies…

Desperado (1995)

In the wake of his girlfriend’s brutal murder at the hands of the power-hungry drug lord known as “Bucho,” (Joaquim de Almeida) “El Mariachi” (Antonio Banderas) goes on a reign of terror to avenge the love of his life. With a guitar case full of high-powered weapons, the “man in black” leaves behind a trail of blood and vengeance.

The second chapter in Robert Rodriguez’s “Mexico” trilogy, Desperado is often the title people first think about when the neo-western franchise is brought up, and a lot of that has to do with Antonio Banderas interpretation of the character. Both dashing and deadly, El Mariachi will forever be one of the most iconic characters in Rodriguez’s body of work and gives Banderas an opportunity to show off his innate charm, badass action skills, and his heartbreakingly beautiful singing voice.

Shrek 2 (2004)

Upon returning from their honeymoon, Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona’s (Cameron Diaz) relationship is put to the ultimate test when the Fairy Godmother and her son, Prince Charming, hatch a diabolical plan to steal the princess away from the lovable ogre. With potions, scheming, and a swashbuckling feline assassin named Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) among the mother-son duo’s bag of tricks, it’ll be quite the fight.

Improving upon what made the first movie such a success, Shrek 2 keeps what works with some new additions for extra flavor. The best of those additions? None other than Antonio Banderas' adorable and lethal Puss in Boots, who would become one of the franchise’s stars post-release. What works so well with the character is the way in which in plays on Banderas’ best characters while not trivializing his cinematic work.

Stream Shrek 2 on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Shrek 2 on Amazon.
Buy Shrek 2 on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Pain And Glory (2019)

Pedro Almodovar’s intimate and semi-autobiographical Pain and Glory centers on Spanish film director Salvador Mallo (Antonio Banderas) as he looks back on his past and contemplates his future as both his body and mind deteriorate. By exploring memories — both good and bad — the aging and closed-off filmmaker attempts to find new meaning in life.

The most recent collaboration between director Almodovar and Banderas (a partnership that goes back to the 1980s), Pain and Glory is near the top of that list. The movie, which was nominated for Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and a spot on numerous best-of lists in 2019, shows the greatness of Banderas’ craft with his introspective and pained portrayal of an artist in conflict. 

Rent/Buy Pain and Glory on Amazon.
Buy Pain and Gain on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Frida (2002)

Julie Taymor’s 2002 biographical drama Frida tells the life story of groundbreaking Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek) as she grows from a talented yet timid painter to one of the most celebrated creative spirits of the early 20th Century.

In addition to featuring a tremendous performance by Hayek and one of Alfred Molina’s best roles with his portrayal of Diego Rivera, Frida also has an amazing supporting cast that includes Edward Norton, Ashley Judd, and Antonio Banderas. The Spanish actor’s portrayal of surrealist artist (and Rivera’s rival) David Alfaro Siqueiros is especially masterful here and is made all the better with the undying flame in the actor’s eyes throughout all his scenes.

Stream Frida on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Frida on Amazon.
Buy Frida on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown (1988)

Equal parts film noir and romantic comedy, Pedro Almodóvar’s 1988 film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown follows Pepa Marcos’ (Carmen Maura), a women whose lover mysteriously vanished from her life, as she and a colorful cast of characters attempt to make sense of the peculiar situation that only seems to get stranger as it carries on.

Although he plays a supporting role in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, it is hard to deny the charm Antonio Banderas brings to the character of Carlos, the son of Pepa’s former lover who gets caught up in this hilariously complicated narrative, one that includes terrorist plots, records and phones being thrown out a window, and a group of women pushed to the edge.

Rent/Buy Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown on Amazon.
Buy Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Mask Of Zorro (1998)

Every hero’s journey has to start somewhere, and for Antonio Banderas’ Alejandro Murrieta, that start happens in Martin Campbell’s 1998 action adventure The Mask of Zorro. With the aging Zorro, Don Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins) out of prison but not capable of fighting evil on his own, he takes the tough yet irresponsible Alejandro under his wing in hopes of passing on the moniker to the next generation.

This throwback to the old Zorro stories is a wild, daring, and entertaining experiment that sees Banderas come into his own as the masked vigilante, and the accomplished actor makes the already likable hero all the more enjoyable to watch. 

Stream The Mask of Zorro on Netflix.
Rent/Buy The Mask of Zorro on Amazon.
Buy The Mask of Zorro on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Philadelphia (1993)

After being fired from a prestigious Philadelphia law firm, Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) sues his former employer for unlawful termination and discrimination because of his homosexuality and AIDS diagnosis. Together with Denzel Washington’s Joe Miller, the courageous attorney attempts to argues his case before he succumbs to the deadly virus.

Jonathan Demme’s Philadelphia is remembered for the outstanding performances by the two leads (Hanks did win his first Oscar for his part), but the supporting cast shouldn’t be overlooked. This includes Antonio Banderas and his portrayal of Andrew’s lover and caretaker Miguel Alvarez, who stays by his side until the end, braving everything life throws at him with a great deal of tenderness, respect, and love.

Stream Philadelphia on Showtime.
Rent/Buy Philadelphia on Amazon.
Buy Philadelphia on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Evita (1996)

The late Alan Parker’s 1996 musical biographical drama Evita follows Eva Perón (Madonna) as she goes from a beautiful and talented actress and singer to the First Lady of Argentina in the first half of the 20th Century. Each of the various chapters in this sprawling story are narrated by a character simply known as Ché (Antonio Banderas) who sings about the popular figure’s rise and legacy.

What’s really cool about Evita is the way it pays tribute to the stage production on which it was based, especially with Banderas’ various musical numbers that help establish the movie’s most pivotal moments. And even though he has no hand in the film’s plot, his character helps explain the specifics of Perón’s life and he sounds amazing doing so.

Stream Evita on Hoopla.
Rent/Buy Evita on Amazon.
Buy Evita on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Interview With The Vampire (1994)

Neil Jordan’s 1994 adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire follows Louis de Pointe du Lac (Brad Pitt) as he goes from being a member of the Louisiana elite in the late 18th Century to an immortal vampire following a chance encounter with Lestat de Lioncourt (Tom Cruise), and eventually centers on his attempts to escape his master by any means necessary.

One of the major players in the story is the mysterious vampire Armand (Antonio Banderas) who offers Louis shelter while teaching him about the life of a vampire but while also taking something very near to his heart. Banderas’ suave portrayal of the sophisticated vampire is up there with some of the best representations of the character-type so far, and can be attributed to manner in which the talented actor brings him to life.

Stream Interview with the Vampire on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Interview with the Vampire on Amazon.
Buy Interview with the Vampire on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Skin I Live In (2011)

Driven to the point of insanity after his wife is terribly burned in an accident, plastic surgeon Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas) dedicates his life to creating a new skin to prevent others from going through so much pain and suffering. But in doing so, he holds a woman (Elena Anaya) hostage as a test subject in Pedro Almodóvar’s The Skin I Live In.

Antonio Banderas beautifully shows what kind of an impact extreme grief and suffering can have on a person’s psyche, pushing them to the point where they are able to look past the consequences of their actions.

Rent/Buy The Skin I Live In on Amazon.
Buy The Skin I Live In on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Spy Kids (2001)

When their parents are kidnapped by the diabolical Fegan Floop (Alan Cumming), Carmen (Alexa PenaVega) and Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) rise to the occasion become spies to save them and prevent a sinister plot from being carried out. 

Robert Rodriguez and Antonio Banderas have one of the best collaborative partnerships in the action genre, and they don’t need blood-soaked revenge thrillers to show that. This happens to be the case with Spy Kids, which feels a lot like their previous work but with a lighter tone and loads of comedic elements. And just like the rest of the cast, Banderas looks like he’s having one hell of a time throughout this family-friendly spy flick.

Stream Spy Kids on Showtime.
Rent/Buy Spy Kids on Amazon.
Buy Spy Kids on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

This is just a small portion of the great Antonio Banderas movies you can watch, as there are dozens of other titles worth checking out. After taking a look at all these films, why not check out CinemaBlend's schedule of all the 2022 movie premiere dates so you don't miss a thing?

Years of development hell, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, have convinced some people that director Ruben Fleischer’s adaptation of Uncharted doesn’t actually exist. Even though we’ve gotten some small glimpses here and there, fans have been skeptical, or at least salty enough to make that joke while waiting for the movie. That wait is about to feel both a lot shorter and almost like forever, as we now have the first trailer of Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg mixing it up as Nate and Sully. 

Released by Sony Pictures to get the Uncharted fans hyped for the 2022 release, we now have our first look at the action that sees Holland’s Nate on a treasure hunt that precedes the events of his Naughty Dog game franchise. While we did previously get a short glimpse of Mark Wahlberg in a tuxedo, this comparatively longer trailer has Tom Holland pulling some high flying moves you’d expect from his Spider-Man movies. The only problem is, he doesn’t have the suit, or the powers, to protect him as Nathan Drake.

It’s up for discussion which Uncharted obstacle looks like it hurts more: Tom Holland getting hit by a beautiful red Mercedes Benz falling out of a cargo plane, or jumping and falling past crates dangling out of that same vessel. Though, in the grand scheme of things, one would think that it doesn’t matter, as both are pretty perilous. No wonder Holland took such a heroic style beating while filming what serves as a prequel to Nathan Drake’s career as a seeker of antiquities. 

But what treasure adventure would be without some adversaries to make the journey more eventful? Uncharted brings some impressive firepower in that respect as well, thanks to the ever charming Antonio Banderas looking like he’s the big bad of the film. Plus, he’s got some hired muscle in the form of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star Tati Gabrielle, who looks absolutely chilling herself with that blade she’s holding. 

Originally, the world was supposed to have seen Uncharted hit theaters in the lost year of 2020. Through previous production delays, thanks to the departures of directors like David O. Russell, Shawn Levy, and Travis Knight, the December 18, 2020 slot was where things landed when Venom helmer Ruben Fleischer landed the gig. Cut to a couple more delays in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we’re treated to the February 2022 release slot Uncharted currently occupies. 

Earning the approval of actor Nolan North, the actor behind Uncharted’s older, video game based incarnation of Nathan Drake, Tom Holland already seems to have cleared the most intimidating gate. Now, with this action-packed trailer out in the world, it looks like Sony might have two movies on their hands that will help rehabilitate the image of video game adaptations. But even if Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City doesn’t live up its awesome trailer, fans of Uncharted look to have a pleasant surprise on the treasure hunting horizon.

Blades, quips, and quick time events reimagined into lavish set-pieces show that Uncharted truly has it all when it comes to video game movies. The film begins the adventure of a lifetime on February 18, 2022; only in theaters. So you’ll have to occupy yourself with some other exploits from the remaining 2021 movie releases in the months to come. Or, you could start planning the beginning of the next cinematic year, through the 2022 release schedule.

As a young Hispanic woman, there were many Spanish stars that I grew up watching in my household, in various Latinx films or Mexican films, from Salma Hayek to Sofia Vergara to many others, but one that was a pretty constant staple in my household was Antonio Banderas, a Spanish actor who has been in some of my favorite movies, like Desperado, the Shrek series, Interview with a Vampire and many others.

With someone who’s been in as many films as him, he’s bound to have some awesome films coming out. And sure enough, he does, from Indiana Jones to Uncharted. While he won’t be appearing in any upcoming 2021 movies, you should keep an eye out for him in the next year for all these great Antonio Banderas movies.

Uncharted - Feb 18, 2022 (Post-Production)

There have been plenty of video game adaptations over the years and recently, and more coming up, from big names like The Last Of Us coming to HBO, or Resident Evil yet again getting adapted, but one movie that everyone is talking about is Uncharted. And Antonio Banderas is set to have a role in it.

According to Variety, Antonio Banderas is a part of the Uncharted film coming out next year, alongside Tom Holland, known for his role as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The movie, which will be directed by Venom director, Ruben Fleischer, follows the tale of a Nathan Drake, a treasure hunter who journeys around the world to uncover various historical artifacts and mysteries.

Variety reported in the same article that Tait Gabrielle, known for her role in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina cast, has joined onto the film as well. It’s unknown what role Antonio Banderas will play in the Uncharted cast.

While the movie has been pushed off many times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems that it’s on track to come out soon.

I for one can’t wait to see this video-game adaptation, and hope it will be just as good as it looks. It’s set to come out in February 2022, so hopefully, we won’t have to wait much longer.

Indiana Jones 5 - July 29, 2022 (Filming)

Indiana Jones is a series that I truly think will go on forever, and now, we have a fifth film to prove that - with Antonio Banderas signing on, according to Deadline. Banderas is set to co-star alongside Indiana himself, Harrison Ford, in the untitled fifth Indiana Jones film, set to come out on July 29, 2022.

The Indiana Jones 5 cast is also filled with other stars alongside Harrison Ford and Antonio Banderas, including Phoebe Waller-Bridge from Fleabag, Mads Mikkelson, Boyd Holbrook, and Shaunette Renee Wilson.

It’s unknown what whatever Banderas will be playing - or what the plot of Indiana Jones 5 might even be about - but I’m sure with this cast, it’s going to be a fun ride - except for the fact that this might be Indiana’s last official film.

As IGN reported, Kathleen Kennedy said during Disney's investor day presentation in December 2020 that this movie would conclude Harrison Ford's character's journey.

There was also a report from The Daily Mail, that fellow co-star Phoebe Waller-Bridge could be taking on the mantle next of Indiana Jones following Indy's conclusion. Whether this is true or not, I can only think what the story of this movie might be - and how they might pass on the legacy of Indiana Jones to the next.

I’m sure Antonio Banderas will be awesome in whatever role he plays in the upcoming adventure. Deadline reported in June 2021 that filming was underway, so thankfully it won't be long before we see Indy on the big screen again - and possibly for the last time.

Puss In Boots 2: The Last Wish - 2022 (Post-Production)

You guys remember the cat from Shrek 2? That adorable ginger one with the big eyes? His name is Puss, and he is in Boots, and he will be getting a sequel that's due to release in 2022, according to The Wrap.

Antonio Banderas is set to reprise his famous voice role as the adorable cat that’s good with a sword and looks cute in a hat. They say that the film stars Puss, who has not burned through eight of his nine lives, and follows an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore all of his nine lives.

The set release date so far is September 23, 2022. Hopefully there will be no push backs for this anticipated new movie, and we’ll get to see Puss be a badass cat yet again.

The Enforcer - Expected To Be Released In 2022 (Filming)

Next, we take a look at the upcoming crime thriller film, The Enforcer. According to Deadline, Antonio Banderas is set to star in the film, alongside Mojean Aria, Zolee Griggs, Alexis Ren, and Aaron Cohen.

Two other stars are Kate Bosworth and rapper, 2 Chainz, who are both set to join the film.

The thriller is set in Miami, following an enforcer who discovers his femme fatale boss has breached out into cyber sex trafficking, putting a young runaway that he has become friends with at risk. Now, he sacrifices everything to save the young girl from the deadly organization he’s spent his whole life building up.

Filming was underway in June 2021, as reported by the Deadline article from before, so keep an eye out for any new news about this upcoming movie. A crime thriller with Antonio Banderas starring in it? Sign me up.

Banshee - TBA (TBA)

According to Variety, Antonio Banderas is set to star in Banshee, an action movie that is directed by Jon Keeyes. Jaime King and Tommy Flanagan are also set to star alongside him.

Per the Variety article, the film will follow a freelance assassin, codenamed Banshee (who is played by King), and is ambushed by Anthony Greene (played by Flanagan) a mercenary who killed her father and is now seeking to collect a bounty that was set on Caleb (played by Banderas), her former black ops mentor.

Casting for this movie was announced in September 2021, so not a lot of news has come out yet on when a release date might be. Hopefully soon, we’ll have some updates on when filming will begin, and how soon we can expect to see Banshee hit theaters.

The Monster Of Florence - TBA (Pre-Production)

While this is a limited series, it’s worth putting up on this list. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Antonio Banderas is set to star in The Monster of Florence, a miniseries about a reporter (played by Banderas), who alongside American fiction writer Douglas Preston, investigates one of the most notorious serial murder cases in Europe.

The book is based on the novel The Monster of Florence: A True Story, written by Mario Spezi and Douglas Preston, the two main characters in the limited series. As someone who is a fan of true crime series, I am so excited for something like this. There’s no set premiere date for this interesting-sounding miniseries, but I’m sure that whenever it does come out, it will be just as interesting and intriguing as it sounds.

Which one of these films are you looking forward to the most in this upcoming line-up? For me, I’m eager to see what Indiana Jones 5 is going to look like - and who Banderas will play. Hero? Or villain? The anticipation is killing me.

This poll is no longer available.

Just when you thought the acting pool for Indiana Jones 5 couldn’t get any more exciting, a new and surprising casting decision has been made. The currently-filming sequel has co-writer/director James Mangold already working with the likes of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen and, of course, Harrison Ford. But now, Antonio Banderas has been announced as joining the cast, and wow, that is indeed an impressive hire.

Freshly reported by Deadline, Antonio Banderas is the latest in the long line of amazing talent netted to star in Indiana Jones 5. That said, his exact role in the film has not been disclosed just yet, as the fourth sequel in the legendary Lucasfilm franchise is still in the midst of production. Whether he be friend or foe, Banderas joining the Indiana Jones 5 cast is still pretty amazing, and is the latest sign that Harrison Ford’s final adventure in the fedora is planning to pull out all the stops.

What’s even more interesting about Antonio Banderas’ casting in Indiana Jones 5 is that the actor has had links to other modern blockbusters that have drawn inspiration from Steven Spielberg’s previous entries. More recently, Banderas was cast in Sony’s live-action adaptation of the famed video game franchise Uncharted; but the actor was also considered as a villain in the unmade fourth Mummy movie. So treasure, adventure and a little bit of the mystical seem to have always been Antonio Banderas’ destiny, and now he’s going to be partaking in all three!

This latest round of casting also feels like it’s destined to muddy the waters as to who the true villain of Indiana Jones 5 is. With international superstars like Mads Mikkelsen and Thomas Kretschmann already slotted into this sequel’s roster, either of those actors could be the big bad. But Antonio Banderas could also be a heel, especially after his turn as a charming psychopath/baddie in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard. Then again, Banderas has been known to have a goofy charm of his own, and wonderful comedic timing, which could see him stepping in as a new ally in the vein of Marcus Brody or even Sallah.

Cameras are already rolling on Indiana Jones 5, which means we might actually see some set photos of Antonio Banderas at work before the year is out. While we probably won’t get too many details from those stolen glances, it’ll help keep the speculation mill turning as we wait to see the finished film in theaters. For now, we’ll just have to enjoy thinking up the various scenarios that see Banderas and Harrison Ford going head to head on the big screen, and all the excitement that entails.

Cracking the whip of excitement, Indiana Jones 5 will hit theaters on July 29, 2022. Antonio Banderas fans can get a much sooner dose of his comedic charms with The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, which is currently in theaters. And for everyone else looking for a night out at the movies, the 2021 release schedule is here for all of your planning needs.

Sex scenes are no doubt one of the more difficult parts of filming as an actor. Some of the best in the business won’t even entertain doing them. Salma Hayek recently shared a not-so-glamorous behind the scenes story about filming the famous sex scene for 1995's Desperado opposite Antonio Banderas, and why she was afraid to do it.

In a recent podcast appearance, Salma Hayek revealed, years later, why she was so afraid to film the Desperado scene and how she felt embarrassed by the whole situation. It was so early in her career. She noted:

The Oscar-nominated actress recently detailed the entire ordeal on the podcast Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. She went on the describe exactly why the entire situation was more awkward than anything, and how it was intimidating to work with Antonio Banderas, who was "very free" with his acting on the set.

She did note that those involved did their best to make the filming as comfortable as possible. Director Robert Rodriguez cleared the entire area, only allowing Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, producer Elizabeth Avellán and himself to be a part of the scene. While the ordeal was no doubt traumatic, Hayek went on to commend the group for their support while speaking with Dax Shepherd. Despite the one scene, she mostly seems to have positive things to say.

Desperado was the second installment of the Mexico Trilogy from director Robert Rodriguez. In it, Salma Hayek played Carolina, the love interest of El Mariachi, played by Antonio Banderas. Despite the ordeal during the filming of the 1995 film, Hayek returned for the third and final installment of the series, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, which released in 2003.

Salma Hayek has had an impressive career since Desperado, appearing in major titles such as From Dusk Until Dawn, Wild Wild West, and her breakout hit Frida, for which she was nominated for an Academy award. Recently, she co-starred alongside Owen Wilson for Bliss, which is now streaming on Amazon Prime and features an ending that has had people talking. She will also be appearing in the upcoming MCU Phase 4 installment, Eternals, alongside an impressive cast. In the meantime, fans can stay up to date on the ever-changing upcoming slate of movies with CinemaBlend’s 2021 release schedule.

In the midst of the ongoing global health crisis, a number of high-profile celebrities have either confirmed that they’ve tested positive for the coronavirus or revealed that they previously battled it. A few weeks ago, Antonio Banderas revealed that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and that he was following the appropriate medical protocol. Now, the actor has confirmed that he’s recovered and is extending his thoughts to those who are currently dealing with it:

As he did with his initial announcement, Antonio Banderas posted the sincere message on Twitter. The actor originally confirmed his diagnosis when he revealed that he had to spend his 60th birthday in self-quarantine. While Banderas said that he mostly felt fine, he did admit to feeling more tired than usual. Still, he was optimistic that he would recover from the virus.

In his most recent Twitter post, the actor also included a picture of himself fighting off the virus. You can see it for yourself down below:

I think I speak for everyone when I say that it’s great to see that Antonio Banderas seems to be doing well. At this point, it goes without saying, but COVID-19 has taken so many lives and affected so many. With this in mind, it’s always incredible to hear when anyone has managed to beat it.

Most likely remember that the first high-profile celebrity to test positive for the virus was Tom Hanks, who along with wife Rita Wilson, contracted it while filming Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biopic. The couple would eventually recover from the virus after weeks of isolation in Australia.

Throughout this situation, celebrities have not hesitated to give their thoughts on safety. Stars like Idris Elba and Frozen II’s Rachel Matthews have shared their own experiences with COVID and have urged the public to stay safe and informed. Some have also found other ways to be proactive during this time. Tom Hanks, who’s had blunt thoughts about those who don’t wear masks or follow social distancing rules, has been donating plasma to aid in the fight against COVID-19.

By the look of things, we still have a ways to go before things are totally back to normal, but it’s encouraging that members of the public are doing their best to lend a hand. And like Antonio Banderas, we can extend our thoughts to those dealing with COVID-19 but also do what we can to help one another during these uncertain times.

Keep it here at CinemaBlend for more news from the world of film and TV.

Spoilers below for the Season 2 finale of What We Do In the Shadows, so be warned!

For its final installment of Season 2, What We Do In the Shadows hearkened back to the first-season episode ("The Trial") that introduced the vampiric council, which featured cameos from former vampire actors such as Tilda Swinton, Paul Reubens, Evan Rachel Wood and more. With "Nouveau The?a?tre des Vampires," the FX comedy creators wanted to bring in the most suitable actor possible to lead a group of theatrical vamps: Interview with the Vampire star Antonio Banderas.

As fans of the Neil Jordan film will no doubt remember, Antonio Banderas played the role of Armand in Interview with the Vampire. Armand was the leader of the Théâtre des Vampires (19th century edition), who would put on violent and perverse stage shows for humans that usually ended in deaths. It seemed like he would pop up at any moment during What We Do In the Shadows, and co-creator Jemaine Clement definitely intended to make it so. Here's what he told EW:

While it would have been equally awesome to see Brad Pitt and/or Kirsten Dunst sitting in the crowd watching Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja and Colin on stage, that scenario would have probably been even more impossible than securing Antonio Banderas. Of course, it's unknown exactly why Banderas hasn't been able to reprise the role of Armand for What We Do In the Shadows. I certainly hope it's more of a scheduling issue than a case of him not being interested in doing it.

To be sure, Antonio Banderas is a busy man. Having taken on his first big U.S. TV acting role as Pablo Picasso in Genius in 2018, the actor appeared in a handful of movies in 2019, he showed up as a pirate king in 2020's Doolittle, and he's got several movies set for 2021, including the action sequel The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, the comedic drama Official Competition and the video game adaptation Uncharted with Tom Holland. (Don't expect for his rumored role in The New Mutants sequel, though, since that probably won't happen.) Banderas probably would have needed to be an actual vampire in order to make a cameo work for What We Do In the Shadows.

Even though Antonio Banderas wasn't able to lead the vampiric theater group, his absence allowed for Jemaine Clement to step up and take on the Master of Ceremonies role, reprising his role of Vladislav from the original What We Do In the Shadows film. (No Taika Waititi this time, though.) It was the second time he showed up on screen in the TV series, having first returned for the aforementioned installment "The Trial." It turns out he actually wasn't planning on filling in for the role, even without Banderas involved, but the timing worked out just so. In his words:

Unlike just about every other vampire in the theater, Jemaine Clement's Vladislav escaped the deadly wrath of Guillermo Buillermo, er, of Guillermo de la Cruz. Just when Nandor's familiar dropped in to save the day, Vladislav turned into a bat and hauled his fuzzy ass out of there.

What We Do In the Shadows is done with Season 2, which featured cameos from other A-listers such as Mark Hamill, Benedict Wong, Haley Joel Osment and more. All episodes are available to stream in full on Hulu, and the show has already been renewed for Season 3 by FX, so fans can expect to see more bloodsucking fun in 2021. Here's hoping Antonio Banderas can find the time to jump in a coffin and head to the set. While waiting to hear more about the next season, check out our Summer 2020 TV premiere schedule.

The New Mutants is finally coming out this April, two years after it was originally supposed to hit the silver screen. While originally the intention was for the movie to spawn a sequel or two, as so many comic book movies do, given that Disney now owns 20th Century Fox and there are plans to incorporate the X-Men into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it seems unlikely that The New Mutants 2 will ever happen.

As a result, Josh Boone is willing to share some details about what would have happened in the sequel, like how it would have starred Antonio Banderas and introduced classic New Mutants characters Warlock and Karma. Regarding Banderas, who recently scored an Oscar nomination for his performance in Pain and Glory, this isn’t the first time his name has been associated with The New Mutants, as it was reported in 2018 that he was going to appear in a post-credits scene to replace an earlier one featuring Jon Hamm as Mr. Sinister.

Josh Boone has confirmed that the plan was for Antonio Banderas to play Emmanuel da Costa, the father of Henry Zaga’s Roberto da Costa, a.k.a. Sunspot. Banderas would have reprised this role in The New Mutants 2, which Boone described as New Mutants: Brazil. However, because the New Mutants reshoots never took place, the post-credits scene was never shot, with Boone explaining:

For those unfamiliar with the New Mutants comic lore, Emmanuel da Costa was a member of the Hellfire Club, and he tried to kill Roberto’s estranged mother, archaeologist Nina da Costa, for his own nefarious interests as Roberto attempted to reconnect with her. So having Emmanuel serve as The New Mutants 2’s villain would have been fitting… well, one of its villains.

Had The New Mutants 2 moved forward, Warlock and Karma would have also featured prominently, with the latter initially serving as another antagonist. Here’s what Josh Boone had to say about these characters during his interview with EW:

In the comics, Karma is a mutant who’s able to telepathically control other beings, and she was one of the founding members of the New Mutants. Warlock is a shapeshifting techno-organic alien who joined the New Mutants later on in their solo book, and it had been rumored that he might show up in The New Mutants movie.

Josh Boone added that just like the first New Mutants movie, The New Mutants 2 would have been inspired by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz run on the team's comic book, specifically in “the tone and the look and kids not necessarily in costumes.” Looking at all this new information, it sounds like the New Mutants could have opened up some cool corners for Fox’s X-Men universe, just like the Wolverine and Deadpool spinoffs did.

Alas, the X-Men landscape has changed so much since the Disney/Fox merger, and while Josh Boone is hopeful that The New Mutants “makes a bunch of money” so a sequel can get the green light, Marvel Studios having its own plans for the X-Men characters means that the chances of such a project moving forward. Still, fingers crossed The New Mutants will function well enough as a standalone tale, and it’ll also stand out as one of the few horror-infused superhero movies out there.

The New Mutants opens in theaters on April 3, and feel free to browse through our 2020 release schedule to learn what other movies arrive later in the year.

For nearly as long as the Uncharted video game series has been around, there have been numerous efforts to get a film adaptation off the ground. However, after more than a decade of delays, setbacks, obstacles, etc, it looks like the Uncharted movie is finally moving forward, as evidenced by Sony giving it a 2021 release date, tapping Venom’s Ruben Fleischer to direct and finally starting to assemble the cast.

We’re still in the dark about specific details concerning Uncharted aside from the fact that it’ll chronicle Nathan Drake’s earlier years of seeking out historical mysteries. Will it be one of the few video game movies that’s able to shine in theaters? That remains to be seen, but judging by the names attached to this project so far, there certainly isn’t a lack of onscreen talent involved. So let’s take a look at who will be part of the Uncharted cast.

Tom Holland

Making the Uncharted movie a prequel means you need a younger actor to bring globe-trotting treasure hunter Nathan Drake to life, and Tom Holland is the man for that job. This marks the second way in which the actor is contributing to the Sony film landscape, as he’s also the current live-action Spider-Man, who, thanks to a partnership with Disney, gets to keep participating in the MCU. Holland has been attached to Uncharted since May 2017, and while the world is already quite familiar with him from his time as the Web-Slinger, not to mention from movies like The Current War and Onward, Uncharted will give him the chance to show off his chops as lead of a different property.

Mark Wahlberg

Back when David O. Russell was set to helm the Uncharted movie, Mark Wahlberg, who has recently popped up in Mile 22 and Instant Family, had been selected to play Nathan Drake. Considering Wahlberg’s age at the time, presumably this would have followed a Nathan Drake who’s at the same level of experience he is in the video games, rather than the prequel it is now. Regardless, following Russell’s exit, eventually Wahlberg dropped off the project, but as of late 2019, he’s back aboard. This time around, Wahlberg has been cast as Victor “Sully” Sullivan, Nathan’s mentor and father figure. So while he won’t be the main star of the show, he’ll still have plenty to do in Uncharted.

Antonio Banderas

Fresh off earning an Oscar nomination for his role as Salvador Mallo in Pain and Glory, word’s come in from Variety that Antonio Banderas will lend his talents to Uncharted. It hasn’t been revealed who Banderas’ character is, but considering his long list of accomplishments, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s been hired to play the main villain. Whether that ends up being the case or not, Banderas is definitely a big get for Uncharted, with his notable credits including Philadelphia, Interview with the Vampire, Evita, two Zorro movies, three Shrek movies (and the Puss in Boots spinoff) and the Season 2 of National Geographic’s Genius.

Sophia Ali

If you haven’t caught Sophia Ali recurring role as Dr. Dahlia Qadri on Grey’s Anatomy, then you might have seen her in movies like Everybody Wants Some!! and Truth or Dare. Well, now Ali is jumping into the blockbuster game with Uncharted, though there’s no word yet on who she’s playing. It is worth noting that among the most important characters in the Uncharted video games are Elena Fisher and Chloe Frazer. The former is an investigative journalist who becomes romantically involved with Nathan Drake, and the latter is an adventurer who’s just as skilled in fighting as Nathan, but is also more reckless. Could Ali be playing one of these women?

Tati Gabrielle

While Uncharted will be Tati Gabrielle’s second time working on a Sony movie, following 2017’s infamous The Emoji Movie, most people know her either Gaia on The 100 or Prudence Night in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Well, now she gets to take a big step forward in her career with a mysterious role in Uncharted. As with Sophia Ali, perhaps she’s playing either Elena Fisher and Chloe Frazer, or maybe she’s been brought aboard as a brand-new character. Time will tell.

Uncharted is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on March 5, 2021. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on its development, and find out what movies are hitting the big screen this year with our 2020 release schedule.

The Best Actor field at this year’s Academy Awards has been an unusual beast. Those who pay attention to the comings and going of possible nominees braced for several possible snubs, because there were a lot of potential candidates but only five slots to fill in the category. Weeks after the nominees in Best Actor were revealed, passionate camps still were complaining about Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems), Eddie Murphy (Dolemite is my Name) and Taron Egerton (Rocketman) being overlooked.

That means, however, that we haven’t spent as much time (or enough time) discussing the five men who DID make the cut thanks to the extraordinary performances. Let’s take care of that now. The CinemaBlend staff collectively weighed in to decide, via poll, who from the five Best Actor candidates should emerge victorious on February 9. “Duh, of course you went with Joker, you guys are a geek site!” Well, nope. We went in a different direction. Check out our scores, based on averages from ranking them from #1 (favorite to win) to #5 (least favorite to win), on who we think should win Best Actor at this year’s Academy Awards!

#5. Antonio Banderas, Pain And Glory

Average Rank: 4.1666666

Given how long he has been entertaining audiences, you might be surprised to learn that Pain and Glory marks Antonio Banderas’ first Oscar nomination in any category. I know, Puss in Boots was robbed. But as Banderas ages, he’s growing into more mature roles that tap into all of his gifts as a performer, and they are all on display in this new collaboration with director Pedro Almodovar.

It helps that Banderas essentially is playing Almodovar in the movie, starring as a filmmaker reflecting on his past, and his present, as decisions he has made over the course of his career come around to haunt him. It’s a terrific part for Banderas, and he rises to the challenge of the material. But he’s likely to come in fifth in this five-man race, which is still impressive given the talent showcased in the category.

#4. Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Average Rank: 3.5

Let’s hear it for the Popes! Both Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce earned Oscar nominations for playing Pope Benedict and Pope Francis during a time of transition in the Roman Catholic Church. And why not? The movie is carried completely by the performances of the two men, as The Two Popes is mainly just a series of conversations about the direction the Church should go in the years to come.

Pryce gets credit for being the progressive voice, with Pope Francis arriving at the Vatican as a counterbalance to the arch-conservatism preached by Benedict. It’s Old School versus New School, and Pryce playfully banters with the stoic, stubborn Hopkins. It’s Oscar worthy, for sure, but in this year’s category, you really have to rise above if you are going to triumph.

#3. Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Average Rank: 3.16666

Superhero movies never really got much respect at the Oscars, but the tide has been turning in recent years. The Dark Knight might have bene snubbed for Best Picture, but Heath Ledger took home an Oscar for playing Gotham’s craziest resident, The Joker, and Joaquin Phoenix is hoping to follow in the late actor’s footsteps.

While Phoenix has won virtually every acting award leading up to the Oscars, he would not take home the statue on Sunday evening for playing Arthur Fleck, a disturbed man transforming into a criminal mastermind. Phoenix landed in third place on our poll, despite losing himself in the maniacal DC Comics role. Will the Academy agree with the masses… or with us?

#2. Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Average Rank: 2.166667

For years, Leonardo DiCaprio was that “name” the industry collectively wanted to win an Oscar, as they felt he had been putting in the work (on screen and behind the scenes) to be rewarded with a prestigious Oscar. Well, DiCaprio finally broke through thanks to his performance in The Revenant, which honestly could hurt him as he tries to win for playing fading character actor Rick Dalton in Quentin Tarantino’s homage, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.

It’s unfortunate that politics of that sort play into the Oscar race each year, because DiCaprio is far better in Hollywood than he was in Revenant (in my humble opinion), and I’d love to see him be acknowledged by the industry for bringing a wounded, recognizable personality like Dalton to life on screen. What’s funny is that Brad Pitt is leading all contenders in the Best Supporting Actor category for Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, and Pitt keeps saying that his performance wouldn’t work without DiCaprio. But the CinemaBlend staff put Leo second, so let’s see who the staff would go with instead.

#1. Adam Driver, Marriage Story

Average Rank: 2

If it were up to CinemaBlend, Adam Driver would win the Oscar for Best Actor this year. Not for playing Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, you goose. He’s win it for playing one half of a crumbling relationship in Noah Baumbach’s brilliant and emotionally fine-tuned Marriage Story.

And it’s hard to argue. Driver plays a mildly self-centered Broadway director whose life is turned upside down when his spouse (the equally fantastic Scarlett Johansson) decides she wants to start living her own life in California… taking their child with her. It’s the modern-day Kramer vs. Kramer, delivering on everything that summary promises, and Driver is superb as a decent man being blasted out of his comfort zone. Some of it is the writing. Some of it is the direction. But an awful lot of the success of Marriage Story is owed to the riveting turns from Driver and Johansson, and CinemaBlend’s staff thinks he did enough to win Best Actor.

Now we want to hear from you? Did you manage to see all five of the above Oscar-nominated performances? Which of the five would you choose to win, if you had to decide between these men? Hit the comments, tell us who you would pick, and why. Then tune in to the Oscars ceremony on Sunday, February 9.

This poll is no longer available.

From 1999-2008, Brendan Fraser starred in The Mummy Trilogy, Universal’s most successful attempt in the modern era to leverage its Universal Monsters characters. Brendan Fraser recently expressed his willingness to return to Universal’s The Mummy franchise if a continuation or reboot possessed that essential ingredient of fun. While that may be intriguing to fans of the campy Stephen Sommers adventure films, people forget there was almost a fourth Brendan Fraser Mummy movie already.

In a piece talking about the future of Universal’s Monsters, The Hollywood Reporter’s Richard Newby said of the fourthquel:

Given that it’s been over a decade since the last film in the Brendan Fraser-led Mummy franchise, it’s easy to forget that the fourth film almost happened after the third entry made $401.1 million worldwide. But it was a legitimate possibility and there was even an actor in mind for the role of the villain. The fourth Mummy movie would have taken the existing formula and plugged in some new ingredients for another campy, old school adventure.

The Mummy and The Mummy Returns were both set in Egypt before the franchise moved to China for the final film in the trilogy, 2008’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. It seems that the fourth film would have again changed locations again and found Brendan Fraser’s Rick O’Connell and Rachel Weisz/Maria Bello’s Evelyn O’Connell in South America.

There the mummy-fighting duo would have faced off with a mummy of the Aztec variety, as the quest for eternal life is a worldwide pursuit. It’s unclear if Antonio Banderas’s character would have played an undead ancient like Arnold Vosloo, Dwayne Johnson and Jet Li before him, but he would have been the villain in the fourth film and presumably a mummy brought back to life.

Based on the description The Mummy 4 wouldn’t have broken the mold, but it still sounds like it could have been a fun movie. Obviously, none of this happened though.

Rather than continue the existing, financially successful franchise with a fourth film, which was rumored online to be titled The Mummy 4: Rise of the Aztec, Universal decided to reboot the property in the hopes of starting a cinematic universe instead.

This was around the time that the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s success and impact on the industry was becoming abundantly clear so Universal’s decision to reboot The Mummy to pursue the de rigueur film franchise format of the day is understandable. That choice obviously didn’t work out though as Universal’s Dark Universe proved dead on arrival with the 2017 reboot of The Mummy starring Tom Cruise.

Now we’ve circled back around. And in a marketplace dominated by nostalgic properties, the prospect of a fourth Brendan Fraser Mummy movie is highly appealing, especially as we continue to wait for Indiana Jones 5. Universal has abandoned the Dark Universe and is instead moving forward with individual projects like Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man and Paul Feig’s Dark Army, so perhaps the time is right. But as Brendan Fraser said, it has to be fun.

Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see what’s headed to theaters this fall and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest movie news.

Director Pedro Almodovar has never been one to shy away from the intimate, with his films regularly tackling very personal themes about love, family, and passion in up-close fashion. His new movie, Pain And Glory, however, takes things to a different level. When comparing the plot to the story of the man who has brought it to life, it is very clear that it’s an autobiographical piece, serving as a non-linear retrospective of the man’s experiences growing up, and reflecting on his artistic career to this point.

As you might expect, it leads to a touch of self-indulgence, as the movie equips its straight-forward plot with some deliberate pacing, but it also provides a potent and emotional experience. While playing his director and frequent collaborator, Antonio Banderas delivers a beautiful, subtle, and powerful performance, driving a story that examines the pain and glory of a life dedicated to art.

Based on Almodovar’s own script, the film centers on director Salvador Mallo (Banderas) as he grapples with angst and emotional crisis as he looks back on the life he has led. He is not a well man physically, dealing with a number of serious medical issues that have required particular living adjustments, and a looming anniversary for one of his earlier works forces him to return to conflicts and disappointments from his past.

As he takes up a heroin habit that allows him to ease both his physical pain and ennui, he remembers his life growing up poor with his hard-working, loving mother (Penelope Cruz), and also works to repair his relationship with Alberto Crespo (Asier Etxeandia) – an actor and former collaborator whom he parted ways from following a conflict-filled experience making what would wind up being one of his most successful and beloved movies.

It’s an oddly structured film, not just because of the way it bounces back and forth through time, but also because it never necessarily bothers to establish a story centerpiece around which it can expand its narrative. There are instances where you think you know where the movie is building to – for example, a screening that is set to publically reunite Salvador with Alberto; or the production of a project on which they agree to collaborate – but then those events quickly transpire, and you’re left once again questioning where it’s all going.

This creates a touch of frustration for the viewer, as Pain and Glory feels a bit meandering, but it’s still able to keep you engaged thanks to the strength of the central performance, and a legitimate curiosity that’s created around the “character.” Antonio Banderas, who has been working with Pedro Almodovar for nearly 40 years now, provides a turn that is truly captivating, as he is able to radiate a palpable hurt that stems from both the physical and the emotional. It’s raw, honest, and affecting.

Naturally, it’s not just the common themes of Pedro Almodovar’s work that are all over the new release, as the movie is also rich and striking in its style. One could argue that the titular pain is in Banderas’ performance, and the glory is in the film’s gorgeous aesthetic. Few filmmakers can utilize bright, bold colors the way Almodovar can, and it’s almost funny to see the way in which they surround his personal life (as the movie was actually partially filmed in his own house). Even in flashbacks, which find a young Salvador living with his mother in what’s casually referred to as “a cave,” there is a particular beauty discovered and expanded – starting with the stunning light that comes through a rebar skylight, and eventually coming out in the whitewashed walls and a tile backsplash as the home is furnished over time.

Pain and Glory is a movie that is certainly going to mostly appeal to those familiar with Pedro Almodovar’s work, as it provides a peek behind the curtain at the man responsible for some truly fantastic films dating back to the late 1970s. But it’s not exclusive in that way. Really it can be appreciated by anyone with a fascination with the creative mind, as that exploration is ultimately what’s at the center of it all.

Auteur Quentin Tarantino is no stranger to controversy as he and his films have basically courted it his entire career. That certainly did not change for his penultimate film, this summer’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The star-studded love letter to the Tinseltown of Tarantino’s youth has been criticized for a variety of perceived sins, resulting in not insignificant backlash to the film. Coming to Quentin Tarantino’s defense though is his Desperado co-star Antonio Banderas, saying:

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has been criticized for its portrayal of violence against women, the amount of dialogue Margot Robbie gets as Sharon Tate and that character’s role in the film and the depiction of Hollywood and martial arts legend, Bruce Lee. But Antonio Banderas does not weigh in on any of those criticisms or make any judgments about their validity.

Antonio Banderas isn’t defending Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or the choices Tarantino makes in the film, he is simply defending his right to make them. What is perfectly evident in his comments to the Independent is that Antonio Banderas believes strongly in artistic freedom and freedom of expression and a filmmaker’s entitlement to make the movie he or she wants to make.

That’s not to say that those movies should be immune from criticism because of artistic freedom, just that people should be able to make up their own minds. If a person doesn’t like a film, if it offends or disgust them, they can vote with their dollar by not supporting that filmmaker in the future. It’s a sane and nuanced take and I frankly have no idea what it’s doing on the internet of 2019.

And lest you think that Antonio Banderas’ sensibilities are such that he isn’t offended by anything he sees onscreen, he goes on:

Like many people, Antonio Banderas will see things in art that rub him the wrong way and get to him. But instead of adopting what seems to be the modus operandi in the modern age, he doesn’t immediately take to social media calling for the artist’s head and demanding that their career be over. Instead he votes with his dollar and his attention by not watching those things that he doesn’t like.

Antonio Banderas might not like something in art, he may even hate it, but he believes in its right to exist and the artist’s right to make it. The way he sees it, you can judge the art, but you can’t police it. So, to Antonio Banderas, if you don’t like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or have issues with Quentin Tarantino’s art, that is every bit your right, but it shouldn't be censored.

Now obviously Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a thornier film than some because it deals with real people who existed and whose family members still exist. Therefore, it can be more directly and personally hurtful than a situation where someone is just offended by a fictional movie. I’m not sure there is a perfect answer in these situations, but Antonio Banderas’ opinion seems pretty sensible.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is still in theaters so you can judge it for yourself. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule for all this year’s biggest movies.

February is birthday month in the O'Connell household, as I and my two sons all share birthdays within a few days of each other. It's a joyous annual celebration -- and it's pure hell on my poor wife, who manages a weeklong celebration for the men in her life with superhuman enthusiasm and a staggering amount of care. One tradition involves hanging streamers from every doorway in the house, so that the boys can walk around all week bursting through colorful curtains of celebratory ribbon. It's a nice touch, but a lot of work. One year, I snapped a picture of her hanging the streamers, somewhere around 11:30 pm, because the boys finally had gone to bed and she was hellbent on surprising them. And a comment, made by one of my childhood friends, sticks with me, to this day. He commented, "And somewhere in this world, a little girl sleeps, totally unaware of the disappointment she will be to her future mother-in-law for not meeting the bar set by Michele."

That story weaves perfectly with writer-director Dan Fogelman's Life Itself. The movie has a lot of characters, and those characters all have their own stories. But Fogelman understands that stories taking place all over the globe have the potential to intersect, and that one story you might have no interest in whatsoever can suddenly become the most important story in the world, because now it pertains to you.

We think that the main character in Life Itself is Will (Oscar Isaac), a Manhattan man suffering from a loss who's spilling his guts to his therapist (Annette Bening). But we're never 100% certain, because Fogelman flirts with the concept of an "Unreliable Narrator." (This isn't sly. The concept is mentioned numerous times, and even spelled out in a lengthy monologue. Life Itself, for all its good intentions, is anything but subtle.) The focus of the movie, arguably, could also be Abby (Olivia Wilde), Will's dream girl who left him... for reasons that the movie will reveal when the time is right. Or maybe it's Dylan (Olivia Cooke), a punk-rock Millennial being raised by her grandfather (Mandy Patinkin)? Wait, why is Life Itself also following a storyline where Antonio Banderas assists a skilled olive picker and his wife as they raise a young child in the rural outposts of Spain?

Life Itself takes chances, particularly with regards to structure. It opens with a very funny bit involving Samuel L. Jackson that announces this to be a movie that won't follow traditional rules. (Those who also follow Dan Fogelman's TV creation, This Is Us, will be accustomed to the way he uses flashbacks and flash-forwards to fill in gaps on a sprawling story.) But the unwieldy approach to story only proves Fogelman's point in Life Itself, and that's the fact that we're all part of a larger life story that might be playing out simultaneous to your own existence, and you won't realize it until the events of one story intersect with your own path. Like that little girl, sleeping peacefully somewhere, unaware of my wife's presence in what will be her story, someday.

Life Itself can be hokey, and melodramatic, peddling dime-store psychology that isn't probing nearly as deeply into the human condition as Dan Fogelman probably believes. But it also deflects that heavy-handed sentimentality with a needed sarcasm and a foul-mouthed screenplay. One friend called this "the R-rated episode of This Is Us," and that's fair. But the cast is on point -- particularly Oscar Isaac, shouldering a very difficult role that has to connect two points of the story that really shouldn't connect -- and the witty, tender and curious structure of the narrative kept me engaged. Messy? Sure. But whose life isn't?

Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith separated back in 2015 after nearly 20 years together, but for Banderas, there is no lost love between them. Banderas believes there are still warm feelings between the two actors -- even though they are no longer romantically intertwined -- and he's grateful for the extended time they spent together as lovers, despite their fractured marriage. He even went so far as to say that he'll still hold loving regards for her even until the day he leaves this Earth, believing that his love for Griffith will be there as long as he is with us. As the actor put it:

The quote came from Entertainment Tonight. The outlet caught up with the veteran performer on the red carpet for Life Itself, the actor's latest film. Antonio Banderas was asked about his recent loss for Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series this past Monday, for which Banderas was nominated for his portrayal of Pablo Picasso in the second season of Genius. The recognized actor ultimately lost to Darren Criss for his work in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. He claims Melanie Griffith sent him a text expressing her remorse for him walking home empty-handed that evening, and he appears to be grateful not only for Griffith reaching out to him during that vulnerable moment, but for the prolonged relationship they shared.

Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith were married in 1996, and they stayed together until separating only a few years earlier. They starred in two movies together: the 1995 romantic comedy Two Much, alongside Daryl Hannah, and 2014's dystopian action-thriller Automata. At one point, the actor and his wife-at-the-time were going to work together on the film Akil, a love story he wrote and planned to direct with Griffith to star. He previously directed the actress in his 1999 directorial debut, Crazy in Alabama. The Hollywood couple shares one child together, 21-year-old Stella Banderas. While they are no longer together, the break-up was widely considered "amicable," and they appear to be at least pretty good friends throughout this whole ordeal. Griffith also expressed fond memories of her time with Banderas in a recent interview. And thankfully, Banderas is not lovelorn. He is currently in a relationship with his girlfriend, Nicole Kimpel. Rumor has it they might soon be engaged, although if that happens, Banderas claims it will happen in private, away from the cameras and the leering eyes of the wandering public.

Additionally, Antonio Banderas was asked about Melanie Griffith's recent health scare, where she recently had skin cancer removed from her nose. It was when he was asked about this recent health crisis that Banderas utter his line about loving Melanie Griffith for the foreseeable future. It's evident that while they are no longer an official couple, they are not bitter about their break-up. If anything, they might still be in love with each other, even if they are no longer an item in the eyes of the laws. There's perhaps a bittersweet beauty to the idea of Antonio Banderas holding these tender feelings.

Life Itself enters theaters this weekend.

We're still reeling from the delay of Josh Boone's The New Mutants, but it sounds like the change in release date isn't the only new story related to the horror-themed X-Men spinoff. It now looks like a major, previously unknown cast member may have joined the ensemble. In fact, new rumors seem to suggest that The Mask of Zorro star Antonio Banderas may have a role in the film.

Per a rumor floated by The Tracking Board, it sounds like this is one of many changes that has taken place in The New Mutants as the film has evolved. The report suggests that Antonio Banderas has a small role in the movie as a villain, but the exact villain that he would portray has not been established yet. If true, it sounds like he will appear in a post-credits tag.

What makes the potential inclusion of Antonio Banderas in The New Mutants so interesting is the fact that he's not the only high-profile actor whose name has surfaced among the cast list in recent days. Specifically, there were reports that Baby Driver star Jon Hamm would appear in the film as Mister Sinister during a post-credits stinger, but those plans were eventually scrapped.

Of course, as has been the case with The New Mutants in recent weeks, we need to take this rumor with a grain of salt. The film has evolved quite a bit as its release date has been pushed, and substantial reshoots have been ordered, so we still don't exactly know what to expect from the film just yet. Having said that, the possible presence of Antonio Banderas within the film's decidedly younger cast offers up an intriguing change and some room for interesting story ideas.

The New Mutants is reportedly the first in a planned trilogy of X-Men spinoffs by director Josh Boone. Focusing more heavily on the younger characters from the X-Men lore (and keeping them out of their iconic costumes for now), The New Mutants will follow our young heroes as they learn to cope and handle their powers while also being haunted by a mysterious presence in a mental hospital. We still don't know what The New Mutants' behind-the-scenes issues could mean for the future of the sub-franchise, but it's certainly evident that the first film doesn't have a shortage of talent in front of the camera.

The New Mutants is now set to hit theaters on August 2, 2019. As for 2018's X-Men movies, Deadpool 2 will debut on the big screen on May 18. As for Antonio Banderas, let us know what character you think he may play in The New Mutants in the comments, below!

As if someone was reading our minds on a regular basis, it was announced last weekend that director Robert Rodriguez is looking to bring the long developing remake of Escape From New York to the big screen. So with such a dynamic director behind the camera, you can expect not only a lot of fun in front of the camera, but also some top notch casting. After all, the man's not a contemporary of Quentin Tarantino's for no good reason. But just who could take the role of Snake Plissken and make it as balls out exciting as Kurt Russell did in John Carpenter's 1981 original?

Well, in the 36 years between the original film's release and now, there have been quite a few actors that came along and walked the line between bad ass and wise ass that Plissken has always occupied in our hearts and minds. And these 10 contestants are the ones that should be on Rodriguez's short list, with a couple of them undoubtedly being on that list already as he's worked with them in the past. So join us now as we slither through these select few people who could possibly come close to that 80s Kurt Russell magic synonymous with Snake's legacy.

Ben Foster

Snake Plissken needs an actor that knows how to take the bad guys to task, and do so with a smile on his face. We need to identify with him, but at the same time know that he's going to do some stuff we might begin to question. After watching Ben Foster in his turn as Chris Pine's brother in Hell or High Water, he became one of the first people we'd cast in this role in a heartbeat. Even with his total resume laid out on the line, we'd be sold to cast Foster as the next stage of Snake's pop culture lifespan. But recalling the mix of raw threatening energy and good ol' boy charm, piss and vinegar, just makes us thrill at the prospect of Ben Foster turning New York city into his own playground.

Antonio Banderas

Robert Rodriguez and Antonio Banderas are like peanut butter and chocolate: they've been paired before, they'll be paired again and we'll line up for our fair share whenever they decide to do it again! In the case of the Escape from New York remake, it'd pair the two together for a project that'd harken back to the days of Desperado and Once Upon A Time In Mexico. Except Snake is a bit more of an anti-hero than El Mariachi ever was, which should be fun when played with Banderas' darker sensibilities. It's also been way too long since Antonio Banderas has gotten to shoot stuff up and spout witty lines, so this is too good a possibility to pass up.

Alexa Vega

Now, let's say for a moment that Robert Rodriguez wants to go in a really different direction with Snake Plissken and gender swap the character. Snake is a pretty gender neutral name, last we checked, so why not bring in long time Rodriguez contributor Alexa Vega into the mix? She's already worked on some action friendly projects with the director, such as Machete Kills and Sin City: A Dame To Kill For, and she's young enough that a franchise wouldn't be out of the picture. Also, it'd be kind of cool to see how the role of Snake would change with a female actor taking the lead, and it's the sort of experimentation that can make a remake like this really sing.

Chris Pine

Hewing closer to the short list a major studio would probably draft up once Escape From New York's remake was announced, Chris Pine's name seems like a natural to be linked to Snake Plissken. That said, Pine has definitely shown range outside of any typical studio picture, in both Hell or High Water and Stretch. Pine is definitely up for getting crazy while staring danger dead in the eye, and he just has one of those faces that screams Snake. You could practically imagine him speaking in a low, menacing drawl similar to that of Kurt Russell as you're reading this sentence.

Gael Garcia Bernal

With what could arguably be the most varied range roles in his personal canon, Gael Garcia Bernal definitely has what it takes to play Snake Plissken. Bernal's experience in everything from independent dramas to a Spanish language Will Ferrell comedy, he's flexible enough that you could drop him in any project, and he'd fit. But between the cheerful defiance of authority in Mozart In The Jungle, and the pulse pounding action he endured in Desierto, it's that combination that wins Gael Garcia Bernal a spot on this list.

Chris Pratt

You can blame James Gunn for this one, as casting Kurt Russell as the father of Chris Pratt's Star-Lord in Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2 showed us just how alike the two actors are. In fact, it could even be said that Peter Quill feels like a Marvel/Disney version of Snake Plissken, only with more humanity and the ability to give a shit about the people he's working with. Those could easily fall away though, and Pratt's natural swagger and command of the screen take after his soon-to-be on screen dad's earlier masterworks. From here on out, you're probably going to hear Pratt's name as an automatic option whenever a Russell picture is being remade.

Diego Luna

Above any other role on Diego Luna's resume, Cassian Andor from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is the one that really sold us on Luna becoming the next Snake Plissken. Charming when he has to be, yet dangerous all the time, Cassian was a vital piece to the operation that stole the Death Star plans. He's also a dyed in the wool anti-hero for a good portion of the film, which also helps sell his credibility in the role. So naturally, if Diego Luna can navigate through Imperial forces to complete such a task, rescuing the president from post-apocalyptic New York should be a walk in the park.

John Leguizamo

It's no secret that Robert Rodriguez loves to work with Latino and Latina actors, and we've definitely played that fact to the hilt with previous contenders we've put onto this short list. But if there's anyone who could use an awesome career resurrection in the vein of so many others Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino have brought into the modern world, John Leguizamo is certainly one of them. With his work in the John Wick franchise laying down some serious framework, Leguizamo would not only be a perfect fit for the gruff and grumpy side of the character, but he's also a shoo-in for the wise cracking part of the deal. Giving him a chance to take on a wild future New York, with all of the gangs and freaks waiting to take a piece of him, would be a glorious cherry on top of an already legendary career.

Michael Biehn

Dipping into the Robert Rodriguez stable of character actors for one final time, we can't help but think that Michael Biehn would be a fantastic Snake to bring Escape From New York into the 21st century. As if plum roles in films like Terminator, Aliens and Tombstone didn't prime us to automatically cast this fellow 80s bad-ass in Rodriguez's new iteration of Snake Plissken's infamous adventure, his work with the director only reinforces our feelings. Playing the sheriff in Planet Terror has familiarized him with the director's unique touch, so this is only another hand in glove combo that could serve the material perfectly. Well, maybe there's one last person that could do justice to Snake Plissken.

Kurt Russell

If something's not broken, then you really shouldn't try to fix it. Which is why we think if Robert Rodriguez is going to give Escape From New York some serious thought, he should consider making a call to Kurt Russell and inviting him to grow out his hair and don the eye patch once more. The only real drawback is the fact that casting Russell does limit Rodriguez's remake in terms of how much it can innovate or diverge from the original. Still, with his action franchise cred being renewed with Furious 7, having the OG Snake riding again would not only help us forget Escape From L.A. ever existed, it kind of makes sense.

Having made nearly $3 billion at the global box office, one can easily make the argument that the Shrek franchise has had more than its fair share of success - but it seems that we have not seen the last of the titular green ogre. This is because Antonio Banderas has hinted that the Mike Myers-voiced character could show up in the forthcoming Puss In Boots sequel, Puss In Boots 2: Nine Lives and Forty Thieves.

Banderas was recently a guest on the Empire podcast, and it was there that the actor hinted at the return of Shrek to the big screen. It was while discussing Puss In Boots 2 that he shared some behind the scenes info from DreamWorks Animation, telling the show hosts that he had heard some rumors that his feline character would reunite with the green monster in his next adventure. Asked for his thoughts on that idea, the actor exclaimed in his Puss-In-Boots voice,

DreamWorks Animation has been in a lot of trouble in recent years, and the last quarter of 2014 actually saw the company lose $247 million. This was partially because of the dull box office performance of Penguins of Madagascar, but a big problem for them has also been delaying productions (Puss In Boots 2: Nine Lives & Forty Thieves is one of these projects). In order to try and fix their problems, one solution that the company has implemented is a stronger focus on franchise films. Obviously, Shrek is one of their most popular of all time, so it would make sense for them to bring him back in this time of crisis.

If Shrek does make his way back to the big screen, there might be a bit of hemming and hawing about the fact that the ogre's last movie, Shrek Forever After, was heavily advertised as being "the final chapter" for the franchise.

Then again, DreamWorks Animation probably didn't anticipate their profits' downward trajectory back in 2010.

Antonio Banderas may be talking big about Puss In Boots 2: Nine Lives & Forty Thieves now, but the truth of the matter is that it's going to be a pretty long time until we actually get to see the movie - and the reappearance of Shrek. DreamWorks Animation isn't planning to have the film in theaters until December 21, 2018, which feels pretty far away in Hollywood terms. Still, we'll be following it as it develops.

After months and months of speculation and rumor - some of it generated by Sylvester Stallone himself - the full cast of The Expendables 3 has been announced, and what's more we now have the movie's first official plot synopsis as well.

With production on the film officially beginning today all the way out in Sofia, Bulgaria, Lionsgate and Millennium Films have officially announced that Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews and Arnold Schwarzenegger are all set to reprise their roles from the first two movies in the franchise, while new additions will include Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Kellan Lutz, MMA star Ronda Rousey, welterweight boxing champion Victor Ortiz and Glen Powell. Despite reports from earlier this year, it would appear that Nicolas Cage, Jackie Chan and Milla Jovovich won't be part of the project (though I suppose you can't fully rule out surprise cameos at this stage).

The Expendables 3, which is being directed by Australian filmmaker Patrick Hughes, is based on a script by Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt and Sylvester Stallone, and you can read the film's full plot synopsis below:

Strangely, Gibson's role as an arms dealer sounds very similar to his part in Robert Rodriguez's Machete Kills. Hopefully we can trust Gibson as a performer to give varied performances so that the two roles don't seem too overly similar. Either that or maybe find a way to have The Expendables 3 include Danny Trejo as Machete...

This plot description also upturns earlier plot rumors that suggested that the new movie would feature a whole team of younger tech-savvy mercenaries that The Expendables would have to square off against before uniting with against Gibson's character. Basically, it sounds like whoever assembled the rumor had the right pieces of the puzzle but didn't put them together properly. The official plot synopsis doesn't mention it, but presumably Lutz and Powell will be playing the young geniuses that join the titular group.

The Expendables 3 will be in theaters on August 15, 2014.

Will the real Expendables lease stand up? We have been dealing with a steady shuffling of the chairs on the deck of Sylvester Stallone’s third Expendables film over the past few days. The latest news, though, seems to confirm the inclusion of two major players (one of which we already kind of knew).

Vulture goes on record to say that Mel Gibson will play the villain in Stallone’s movie … a fact that the director/star Tweeted almost a month ago, but then had to backtrack. Well, now the former Mad Max star appears to be back on the roster, or “in talks,” alongside Antonio Banderas. The site doesn’t say who Banderas wil play – or which side he’ll fight for – but if Stallone can transition Gibson over from Machete Kills and team him with Banderas, another Robert Rodriguez personality, he might be on to something. Have you seen Gibson chatting up Machete with Extra? He’s pretty insane:

Where does Mel fit into the casting carousel that has been The Expendables 3 after the dust has settled from the past few days? Let’s take a look. Bruce Willis left the sequel before it went into production, reportedly asking $1 million in salary per day for four days of work. (Stallone, according to reports, offered the Die Hard star $3M for four days, but that wasn’t enough.) Sly then countered that news with the Tweet that Harrison Ford had been brought in to replace Willis … though I’m not sure if that has been officially confirmed by anyone outside of Stallone’s Twitter feed.

Of course, Gibson and Banderas join an ever-growing name of Wish List talents Stallone has attached to Expendables 3. Nicolas Cage, Jackie Chan, Wesley Snipes, Milla Jovovich, Twilight hunk Kellan Lutz … they all have been connected with the next Expendables movie at some point during this lengthy run up to production. And don’t forget all the old familiar faces Sly has to fit in from the previous films, from Jason Statham to Jet Li. How long is this new movie going to have to be in order to get everyone a little bit of screen time?

The third Expendables, will be in theaters on Aug. 15, 2014, so director Patrick Hughes is going to have to roll cameras shortly. That means the ensemble should be locked into place in the next few weeks, and then we’ll know for sure who’s fighting alongside Stallone … and who they are fighting against.

The 33, the upcoming film about the Chilean mining accident that left 33 men trapped underground for 69 days, has promised to assemble an ensemble cast, and thus far it has done a pretty solid job doing so. Martin Sheen and Rodrigo Santoro have all been announced as being part of the new movie, and today Variety has learned that yet another star has been added to the project's ranks.

Antonio Banderas, who will soon be seen in Pedro Almodóvar's comedy I'm So Excited, has landed a part in The 33 playing Mario Sepulveda, one of the trapped miners who earned the nickname “Super Mario.” According to the trade, the film will be based on the true events, which occurred in 2010, and tell the story of both the miners stuck a half mile beneath the Earth and "the international effort to rescue them." Mikko Alanne and Jose Rivera penned the screenplay for the movie, which will be directed by Girl in Progress' Patricia Riggen. International sales are currently being handles at the Cannes Film Festival and plans are to start production this fall in Chile.

Banderas seems to be strangely drawn to the number 33, as he is also currently set to star as Pablo Picasso in the drama 33 Days, but that's not all he has on his upcoming slate. In February it was announced that he would be returning to the director's chair to make Akil, starring his wife Melanie Griffith, and later this year we will see him in Robert Rodriguez's Machete Kills, and (possibly) Terrence Malick's Knight of Cups.

Antonio Banderas has been tearing it up in front of the camera lately. This year alone he's poised to hit theaters in five films, including Pedro Almodovàr's high-flying musical comedy I'm So Excited, Terrence Malick's mysterious Knight of Cups, and the recently wrapped Robert Rodriguez action flick Machete Kills. Perhaps needing a break from performing, or maybe inspired by all the big name filmmakers he's been working with over the past year, Banderas is looking to move behind the camera. And he's taking his long-time wife Melanie Griffith along for the ride.

Variety reports Banderas is prepping for production on Akil, a love story he's written, and will direct and produce. This will mark his third directorial effort, following the 1999 dramedy Crazy in Alabama and the 2006 Spanish-language romantic drama Summer Rain. And as she did in the former, Griffith will front her husband's film.

Named for its title character, Akil centers on an African boy who sails to Spain in a small boat. Once there, he eludes police and finds shelter in the home of an American woman (Griffith). From here, a platonic love will grow between the boy and his reluctant protector, which makes this movie sound a lot like Aki Kaurismäki's celebrated dramedy Le Havre. That film was set in France, but also focused on an African refugee seeking sanctuary from an older stranger, in that case a cantankerous shoe shiner. There's no mention made of Le Havre in Variety's report, so it's unclear if Akil is intended as a remake or just features a very similar premise.

Banderas will be self-financing his latest directorial effort, which he describes as "a love story between two completely different people -- in age, attitude, religion, wealth -- who end up being essential to each other."

Akil will shoot as soon as Banderas can wedge it into his schedule. He's currently committed to star in the Pablo Picasso docudrama 33 Days as well as Gabe Ibanez's Automata, which is slated to roll into production at the end of April. Plus, he might be a part of the cast of The 33, a drama based on the incredible tale of the 33 Chilean miners who survived being trapped underground for 69 days.

January is easily the worst month of the year for movies, but this year there is at least one amazing bright spot: Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire. I had the pleasure of being at the film’s world premiere back in November and every time it has been brought up in conversation I have made note to express just how badass the movie really is. Now, however, the wait is over and Haywire is arriving in theaters today. And to go with it, I recently had the chance to attend a press conference with the movie’s stars in which they spilled all of the juicy on-set details.

Below you will find Gina Carano, Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor and Antonio Banderas talking about perception of action movies prior to working on the film, the combat scenes with a real MMA fighter, and what it was like working with Steven Soderbergh.

Gina, what was your perception of the initial process of how you got the part?

Gina Carano: I got the phone call after I lost my first fight to “Cyborg” Santos. And I didn’t really want to speak to anybody at the time I was bummed. I had a black eye, and my agent called me and he said that this director wanted to meet me, and I didn’t know who he was. I don’t know anything about Hollywood really, still. I’m still learning. So, he called me, and I knew he did Traffic, and that was a movie that really touched me. So I decided to pick him up at the train station in San Diego. We had a four hour lunch and at the end of it he offered me a movie. So, there was no auditioning. I don’t know what that is like yet.

How were you gentlemen informed about the movie and Gina’s role in it? How were you sold on the movie?

Ewan McGregor: The script was very, very strong. It was a really good piece of writing. It had good strong elements from obviously fight movies, which I am not familiar with particularly. There was a spy element. What it is like to be an undercover spy, James Bond. And at the center of it this incredible strong female lead, which is unusual in a film like this, I think. So it was very intriguing, and for me personally the opportunity to work with Steven was very strong. I wanted to, he’s a filmmaker who I think is on all of our list in terms of people you really want to work with.

Channing Tatum: Yeah, that was definitely. I got the call and I didn’t even need to know what the role was. I was like, yes. Soderbergh is by far one of my favorite directors of all time, and then I got to talk to him. I got to read the script. I had meet Gina earlier that year at a Strikeforce fight. One of my buddies is a Strikeforce fighter. She is just a lovely girl. I followed MMA for a long time and been a fan of hers. I saw her first fight. She’s the first sanctioned MMA fight if I’m correct of that, in Nevada. So, that was a pretty monumental occasion to see that ushered in. So, I just followed her. I followed her on Girl Fight, the reality show.

GC: Fight Girls.

CT: Yeah, Fight Girls. After that I didn’t really need to know anything else. I knew for the first time there was going to be a real, maybe even a male or female in action movies. There was going to be a real fighter. I don’t know, maybe probably in some Japanese or Chinese movies where you have some action stars that could actually step in the ring and could hold their own, but in America she’s probably the first one.

Antonio Banderas: In my particular case, just following the answers of my fellow actors. Yes, Steven Soderbergh is one of those guys you say yes to sometimes without reading the script. I had the opportunity, he’d called me twice in my career, but I couldn’t actually work with him. One was for Che and the other one was Traffic. You know, I was signed at that particular time with other movies, but I knew. I had talked to him very early when I came to Los Angeles. He just presented Sex, Lies, and Videotape. I loved that movie. We were talking about Almodóvar, because he’s a fan of Pedro. So, at that time he said to me, I would like to have the opportunity to work together some day. But many years, almost twenty years, happened in the middle. He sent me the script. It was very confusing to me, to tell you the truth, but it was an immediate positive answer to work with him. I don’t regret it for a second. It was great.

Did you have to adjust your workout when you were working full time on the movie?

GC: Absolutely, they had me getting up at five o’clock, and then I did three hours of stunts, and then three hours of Mossad secret service training with guns and pretty much boot camp, and getting yelled at. And getting stalked and stalking other people. And then after that I did strength and conditioning, and there wasn’t any acting training until probably like the week before. I had the script with me and I had so much anxiety about it. I don’t even know what to do with this damn thing. And then finally the week before, they were like let’s try reading some lines with this acting coach.

It sounds like more training than just your fight training?

GC: I believe they were trying to brainwash me.

What was it like adjusting to fighting for a movie with these actors? For the gentlemen, was this a different experience working on an action movie doing more of your own fight scenes?

GC: These guys wanted to do everything, from the smallest things off camera. Which I don’t know if it’s normal or not, off camera to on camera. I showed up with the stunt crew and we coordinated the fights together. 87 Eleven is the stunt is the stunt crews name. And then these guys you know have busy schedules, and they would come in whenever they could and learn. We learned our fight scene in two days.

EM: Two days yeah.

GC: Which was kind of a…

EM: A struggle.

GC: No, it was a hard fight scene. It was a long fight scene, and when you put it on sand, and the water, and added all those crazy elements to it. But they wanted to do everything. Which I think Steven Soderbergh did a good job surrounding me with some of the best people he could in a film.

What about the one with Fassbender?

GC: Fassbender’s crazy. He loves that shit. He had no problem slamming me into anything. Actually Steven Soderbergh told him once, “We need to get this shot better when you slam her head into the wall.” I was like, damn that thing’s not soft. Soderbergh is behind the camera and he’s being really mischievous. He wants something bad to happen.

CT: He’s always trying to piss her off. And see what happens…

GC: I don’t know, better acting that way? I’m supposed to slam a vase on his face. I supposed to throw the vase right past him just for that take, because we want to get that slam, my head slamming into the wall. So, we were going for it and he slammed my head so hard into the wall I kind of lost it for a second. I kind of slammed the vase right into Fassbender’s face, but he said he know it was coming because he saw a flash in my eyes. And right after that happened I thought, I’m so fired I’m going to lose this job, because this is the first fight scene we did. Fassbender, he loved training for the fight scenes. He did 300 with the 87Eleven group too.

CT: He’s a masochist. He loves it.

How about yours in the dinner?

CT: We kind of did it really quickly.

GC: He wanted me to do more to him. He said “I want some bruises.”

CT: I wanted stories to tell my buddies.

GC: I can’t force that, Channing.

CT: I’ve said it before, and I want to say it again. My wife hates when I say it. Find a girl that you think can whip my butt and I’ll go to her movie. And then they did. And I wanted to be in the movie, like yes it’s for real. She can really do this stuff. There’s no faking it. She only fakes it, because she has too. It was fun. I’ve never got to move, even most of the stunt guys I’ve gotten to work with because I’ve done a lot of action movies and fight scenes, but she’s one of the best dancer-athletes that I’ve gotten to move with. And that goes to different martial artist to football players, basketball players. I mean she’s one to the best athletes I’ve gotten to move with.

AB: I was saved by the bell. You can actually imagine what she is going to do with me. If there is a sequel to that I may need a wheelchair.

Gina, how did you perceive action films before doing this move? And now after?

GC: I’m definitely not a judgmental person. I fight for living and I think every fighter probably watches action scenes, and they think what they would have done and what is realistic. And everybody has been trying to compare me, and take away from certain females that are skinny and beautiful and great at acting. I don’t want that comparison. Does she have to do that? She’s gorgeous. Does she have to go and put herself out there in these physical roles? No, and I respect that about these women. They are good at acting and they can do anything they want but they still do these types of roles physicality. It’s a beautiful thing. What I’m bringing is just whatever I can to make fights look with my own flavor and my own personality.

Did you have to overcome the idea of hitting a woman?

CT: Yes, very much so for me. I grow up in the south and you don’t hit women you don’t even cuss at them, yell at them or anything even though people do down there. She had to call me the P-word, basically, to make me hit her. I’ll let you fill that in, you polite sir. I had to smash a ketchup bottle on her face. And it was so alarming to see a beautiful girl sitting across from me, and we had to do it to see if it was going to break, and how hard I was going to have to do it, and I was going to do it and I couldn’t physically do it. And then she had to make fun of me, and challenge of my man hood to do it. I finally did it and I realized I did a huge mistake. Because I did it way too hard, and her face came back like that. Oh, I think I’m faster but I’m not sure. Her conditioning is probably better than mine. She can run longer. I’m going to have to play this smart. But yeah it was pretty different. You see everywhere you go two men fighting. You see it in the bars. You see it on TV. You see it in movies. You see it everywhere. You very rarely see a man and a women fight, and even more rare a women beating the hell out of some men. And it was kind of a pleasure.

EM: I think my fight is very different. I’m fighting for my life. So, as Channing’s is instigating it. I didn’t have the same, because I’m defending. He’s not really up to it my Kenneth, not really in reality would have lasted that long. So I didn’t feel like that. I did note that it was a very different experience than the fights I’ve had with other guys, because what’s missing is the bullshit masculine, there’s always an element of that when you’re pretending to fight with another stunt guy or another actor. That was missing and what was left was this great care for each other and working together with that removed. And that was lovely. I thought it was great.

GC: There was no egos. It was just about making the best possible fight that we could.

CT: I had an ego with it.

EM: But it is different don’t you think, because you’re in there and throw the coffee and lay into her in a violent way. And my fight was kind of more about get me out of here. In fact to the point where he turns and runs and tries to climbs an un-climbable cliff. Poor old Kenneth.

Antonio, where did the beard come from?

EM: The beard was magnificent by the way.

AB: It was an accident. I did a workshop in New York for Zorba, a project I had in mind and may happen. I didn’t have anything to do and I wanted to do the workshop with a beard, because I just pictured the character of Zorba with a big beard. I was going to shave the next day, but I had an interview with Steven for the movie. He wanted to see me here in Los Angeles and he said I like the beard. I said, no please I haven’t shaved in two months. No, no the beard is fine it’s a different you. So I was trapped with my beard for another three to four months. My wife was not very happy about it. The interesting thing is I finished the movie. I wrapped in New Mexico, and I went to Spain and was doing the movie with Pedro Almodóvar and I think it was the last week I was working with him. Steven called me, and he said “I just put together the movie, your character is very enigmatic, and very shadowy, I kind of like him but we have to close him. It’s my fault. I’m just going to write a couple of scenes for him that is going to explain the whole entire thing, actually you became the mastermind of the whole entire operation, and you’re going to have a scene with Gina.” And I said, Steven I am still working with Pedro and I will be free in a week and I don’t have the beard. And he said “we built it for you.” So I came a year after we finished the movie and we did those new scenes which is actually the end of the movie. With the beard, we did a couple of scenes underground with the French actor, and then shaved for the last moment with her.

EM: I love that last scene with the ‘stache it’s so kooky. It’s such a great look. It’s brilliant.

Do you feel different without the beard afterwards?

AB: Yes, those scenes are … like a mask. When you have beard you act differently. It’s almost like working with different languages. I’ve done movies in Italy for example and you start doing things with the hands. All these kinds of things are different. You act differently with a beard. I don’t know how to explain it. I felt older. I can actually hide behind my beard in a way. It’s interesting for my character in a way, because he’s the guy that nobody knows what he’s really doing not until the end. I think it was a smart decision on Steven Soderbergh’s part. This is the guys that nobody is paying attention to, he never got beat up by the girl, but he is the one who is cooking everything in the background. Yes, you act differently with a beard.

Gina, are you trying to become an action star? What about a sequel?

GC: To be honest, I think a lot of people have been waiting to see how this does and my performance. You know, it’s not the easiest world to break into. But we have ideas, and we have scripts, and people who do want to work, but as we all know in this room it’s not the easiest thing to get a film made. As far as Haywire 2, that’s all up to Soderbergh, and I think everyone is just waiting for this film to come out. Regardless, I am really excited to get onto the other side of it and just land somewhere.

Steven Soderbergh’s hard-hitting espionage thriller Haywire finally opens in theaters on Friday, and if you’ve been hanging around this site the past few months. You know that we’re big fans. Someone from the cats made it into our feature on the finest Soderbergh performances or all time! Katey Rich graded Haywire a 4-out-of-5 in her official review. Basically, we love it, and soon you’ll be able to see why. Still need an appetizer to hold you over until the main course. So greedy. Fine. Here are two new Haywire clips that recently hit the Web:

I’m not the biggest proponent of watching full clips out of context. In a perfect scenario, we’d just be able to watch the whole film from start to finish instead of the first 5 minutes of an anticipated thriller. But with Soderbergh hanging Haywire on the shoulders of an acting newcomer in Gina Carano, I guess I can understand the studio’s need to tease the style and grit of the director’s latest genre exercise.

Plus, Soderbergh surrounds Carano – a former MMA fighter – with such outstanding character actors that they’d be worth the price of admission, alone, even if Carano was a bust. (Which she isn’t.) That’s Shame star Michael Fassbender Gina’s pummeling in that hotel room above. And then that’s Michael Douglas and Antonio Banderas discussing the wrath of Carano in clip number two. You haven’t even seen Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton and the always amazing Channing Tatum. How can you resist?

It would appear that the marketing for Dreamworks Animation's Puss in Boots is trying an interesting experiment. Set to be released in early November, we saw the first teaser trailer for the film back in June, but since then the previews have been funny viral videos. It began with the commerical for "No Pants" Pants last month and today we have a video titled "The Most Interesting Cat In The World." Check it out:

While I like the video a lot, there are a couple things that I find bizarre about it. For starters, it's a parody of a parody, as the Dos Equis commercials are making fun of "Chuck Norris Facts" fad that spread around the internet like wildfire a while back. Secondly, is there a large crossover between age groups that want to see Puss in Boots and those that regularly watch beer commercials? Adults will get it in a second, but I don't think kids will have any idea what's going on.

In the film, directed by Chris Miller, Puss (Antonio Banderas) teams up with Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and another cat named Kitty (Salma Hayek) to steal the goose that lays the golden eggs. For more about Puss in Boots, including news, images, trailers and more, be sure to head over to our Blend Film Database.

Usually, Antonio Banderas plays the suave ladies man, too cool for his own good, making guys wish they were him. But famed director Pedro Almodovar has different ideas for the Spanish heartbreaker.

In The Skin That I Inhabit Banderas sheds his lady-killer comfort suit and trades it for a lab coat. He’ll be playing a doctor who will either be getting revenge on the men who raped his daughter, or a doctor who is creating a skin with which he could have saved his wife who died in a car accident years before. There are too many sources equally spouting both of those synopses that it’s impossible to tell which is right. However, the book by Thierry Jonquet is about the latter so expect that.

Either story sounds interesting and c7nema.net has the first image from the film. Banderas seems to have been able to pull off creepy here, but it’s hard to tell what exactly he’s going to do with Patrick Stewart all marked up. Scope out the picture below and check back often to find out exactly what to expect out of Almodovar’s next.

Back in May Woody Allen's new comedy You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger debuted with a whimper-- critics seemed to barely muster up the energy to even review it, calling it serviceable at best. So now that you know not to expect a Vicky Cristina Barcelona-level triumph, take a look at the first trailer, an international one complete with Spanish subtitles and the very exotic-sounding title Cononceras al hombre de tus suenos.

Basically this is one those Woody Allen movies with a jaunty score and lots of wealthy white people-- this time with British accents-- who are continually wanting what they can't have. Elderly Alfie (Anthony Hopkins) has left his wife Helena (Gemma Jones) for a ditzy young actress (Lucy Punch), and Helena has taken to consulting psychics and exasperating her daughter (Naomi Watts), who is married to a bookish-looking Josh Brolin but has eyes for her swarthy boss (Antonio Banderas). Yes, it sounds awfully complicated, but if it's this clear in the trailer it has to work in feature-length, right? OK, hardened survivors of Scoop and Melinda and Melinda, you don't have to answer that.

Just like the domestic poster, the international artwork for Woody Allen’s You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger is extremely minimalistic, especially compared to the digitally rendered, effect heavy one sheet imagery we’re used to. The international version more telling than the simplistic domestic doodle, actually hinting at what the film is about.

Alfie and Helena (Anthony Hopkins and Gemma Jones) are married, but Alfie decides to leave his wife in pursuit of a younger woman (Lucy Punch) leading Helena to seek the help of a fortuneteller. Meanwhile, their daughter Sally (Naomi Watts) is having relationship troubles of her own. She’s married to Roy (Josh Brolin), but finds herself falling for her boss (Antonio Banderas). It turns out Roy isn’t so innocent himself. He’s crushing on Dia (Freida Pinto), a mysterious young woman whom he spots in a nearby window.

Check out both posters below, the international one first and the domestic one second, courtesy of IMP Awards.

While the series may be over now that Shrek Forever After has been released, the folks over at Dreamworks aren't ready to let their cash cow die just yet. While the project has been in the works since Shrek 2, Puss In Boots, a spin-off featuring Antonio Banderas' character, is finally coming to fruition with the actors currently in-studio doing their voice-overs. Paired alongside Banderas in the film will be Salma Hayek playing the character of Kitty, who will presumably become a love interest. With the film still in production and not due out until November of next year, it's not shocking that we haven't seen anything from the film yet, but now they've decided to give us a glimpse.

Dreamworks has launched the film's homepage at www.pussinbootsthemovie.com, and while the main page features a close-up of Puss' face, clicking on "Read The Story" reveals Kitty as a black cat with white markings. The site also reveals that the story will follow Puss, Kitty and Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) as they try and steal the goose that lays the golden egg.

Check out the first look at Kitty below and click the image to go to the site and view it full-size.

With Shrek Forever After opening this Friday, expect to see even more marketing than ever before for the final chapter in the near-decade-old series. The franchise has brought in quite a lot of money with each installment and I'm sure Dreamworks would like to send the green grump off with a bang.

We received four new clips from the film, most of which are laid out in one way or another in the trailer. Two of the clips basically run together, in the forest with the ogre army, and the others reintroduce us to Donkey and Puss, no longer in boots. For Shrek faithfuls this should be enough to hold you over for the next 5 days, and for everyone else, the time is near when we don't have to see his big ugly mug ever again.

Check out the clips below.

Over the course of just a few days, Steven Soderbergh's Knockout has gone from yet another one of his under-the-radar projects to a star-studded spectacle. Late last week we told you what Michael Fassbender had to say about his role in the film, in addition to the news that Ewan McGregor, Dennis Quaid and Michael Douglas had also joined the film. Now The Playlist has once again gotten a casting scoop, announcing that Channing Tatum and Antonio Banderas are also on board.

Apparently in touch with a very well-connected source, The Playlist has extensive details about the roles each actor will play alongside cagefighter Gina Carano, in the lead role as black ops spy who is betrayed by her team.

Banderas, additionally, would play the head of a black-ops European unit. It's hugely exciting to see Soderbergh pulling together a cast this gigantic, and not made up of usual suspects like Matt Damon or George Clooney (though Michael Douglas is obviously an old friend). Even though Tatum's role is apparently fairly small, the actor seems well poised to break out of his standard meathead parts, and working with Soderbergh isn't a bad way to get there.

Antonio Banderas is set to star in The Big Bang which is not a movie in which he becomes so sexy that he finally explodes, nor is it a film in which he plays a cliché nerd living in an apartment with a bunch of other cliché nerds across the hallway from a ditzy hot chick. Though cast Antonio Banderas in either of those movies, and that’s something I have to see.

No Variety says this Big Bang has Banderas doing something almost equally cool. It’s a neo-noir detective story. What the hell is neo-noir? Did you see Brick? Dark City? Neo-noir. It’s noir of the 40s and 50s done up with modern elements. It’s also almost always, very very cool.

In the film, Banderas will play a Los Angeles private dick hired to find a missing stripper. See? Neo-noir. You’d never catch Fred MacMurray running around town after a stripper. Banderas will follow a trail of dead bodies into the New Mexico desert where he’ll face off with a Russian boxer, an aging billionair, a physicist, and johnny law. Hopefully, he’ll also wear a cool hat. Good noir should always involve a fedora.

It’s directed by Tony Krantz, who once directed a straight to video movie called Otis. It’s not about elevators.