Warning! The following contains spoilers for Among Us! Stream the series with a Paramount+ subscription, and read at your own risk!

Paramount+ surprise dropped Among Us on its platform recently and brought the acclaimed video game series to television with a stellar voice cast. With all episodes dropping at once on the 2026 TV schedule, some fans have already barreled through the entire thing and want more. If creator Owen Dennis has a say, Season 2 is a possibility, but he has an idea to make the series an anthology, rather than giving it a direct follow-up.

As Season 1 ended, Elijah Wood's Green was outed as the imposter, and Red and Purple ejected the remaining alien eggs into space before reaching Industria. It feels like a conclusive end to the adventure, though Dennis told me in an interview that he has a plan for Among Us to continue if he's approached to do so:

It's not the direction I expected another season of Among Us would go, but I'm here for it. I would love to see the story reimagined all over again, with other characters given a bigger spotlight. I know from Solar Opposites that Dan Stevens has great voice acting chops, so it was tragic to see his Blue killed off so soon.

As of writing, we have no idea whether Paramount+ has plans to renew Among Us for another season. The surprise drop, paired with all the episodes landing at once, will likely into the number of people who streamed the series, but that may not factor into a potential renewal. It's possible Season 2 is secretly already in the works, but we can only speculate.

For those who have yet to watch, I love the general vibe of Among Us. It's certainly made for an older audience, which may shut out some of the kids that play the game out of it, but I'd even go so far as to suggest it may be one of the best animated shows I've seen in a minute. I guess it's another notch in the belt for video games, which is already having one of the best years at the movies.

Among Us Season 2 seemingly won't happen unless the series gets a huge response from people who want to see it. Plus, there's already some other great stuff on Paramount+, and it's worth having for those looking to stream great sci-fi and animated shows.

Can you believe it’s been over a decade since a live-action Lord of the Rings movie came out? Next year, Andy Serkis will end the long hiatus with his spinoff film, The Hunt For Gollum. So far, I’ve had a “wait and see” mentality about the movie, but after Elijah Wood’s recent comments, I feel like I’m ready to get the fireworks going for a celebration in The Shire.

What Elijah Wood Said About The Hunt For Gollum

Rumor has it that Elijah Wood is reprising his role as Frodo in The Hunt For Gollum, which he has said he can “neither confirm nor deny.” After the actor was honest before about having read the script for it, he was asked how it can possibly live up to the original trilogy on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. Here’s how he responded:

From what we know about The Hunt For Gollum, it will be another live-action Lord of the Rings movie, this time helmed by Andy Serkis, who is also reprising his role as Gollum in motion capture. It will be set before the events of Fellowship of the Ring and follow Aragorn and Gandalf on a quest to find Gollum to acquire more information about Bilbo’s ring.

Ian McKellan has confirmed his return as Gandalf, and Andy Serkis confirmed to ScreenRant that the role of Aragorn is being recast. Here’s what else Wood said:

He also noted that a lot of the creatives and crew from the original trilogy are part of the new film, including Peter Jackson being on board as a producer. Wood sounds pretty excited about the whole thing!

How His Comments Are Getting Me More Excited For The Upcoming Movie

I think after The Hobbit movies, there’s definitely some negative thoughts out there about more live-action Lord of the Rings. When I first heard the news about The Hunt For Gollum, I wasn’t exactly jumping for joy either. However, I think Elijah Wood makes some really solid points here about this film.

For one, he’s right, the Peter Jackson movies already exist and are greatly admired and stunning achievements. Based on his comments, The Hunt For Gollum sounds like Serkis and the other filmmakers are aiming to give fans more of what they love about the originals and enrich the lore of the movie universe after Fellowship of the Ring could only cover so much of Tolkien’s work.

Sure, I’m still a bit worried about how much The Hunt For Gollum will be in the shadows of the trilogy, but I do deeply miss being in Middle Earth. And as someone who grew up with the Lord of the Rings movies, I’m really excited about getting to see them in theaters and see some of my favorite fantasy characters back on the big screen.

Elijah Wood expressing the filmmakers’ good intentions is also a good sign, too. I think it’d be much more difficult to be on board if the original creatives weren’t in the mix, but Gollum himself is directing and starring. The hype is starting to rise for me! The Hunt For Gollum is slated for December 17, 2027.

In an era where creating the next big franchise can mean billions of dollars in business, it’s not exactly a shock to see every successful movie get a sequel, even sequels we never needed. Honestly, it's a bit surprising that any movie is made today without a post-credits teaser at least leaving a door open to more stories, just in case.

In some cases, however, a single film is all we need. I was a big fan of Ready or Not when it came out back in 2019. I wrote the CinemaBlend review and gave it a perfect score because I thought it was exactly that, perfect. And while I loved the movie, that didn’t mean I needed to see more of it, at least, not until I did.

I Really Wasn’t Sold On Ready Or Not 2

As much as I absolutely loved Ready or Not, and was maybe open to a sequel happening, I wasn’t really excited by the trailers for Ready or Not 2. What I found most fun and interesting about the first movie was how much it wasn’t like any movie I had seen before. It was a movie that tried to balance multiple genres together in an intriguing way, and became something unlike any of them in the process.

By comparison, Ready or Not 2 looked like the same movie all over again. By definition, the one thing it could not be was original. If the sequel had gone in an entirely different direction, we could have gotten something as original as the first, but that wasn’t this movie.

That’s not to say Ready or Not 2 was a bad movie. It is still well written. It has several great performances, including a pair of co-leads in Samara Weaving, who should still be a bigger star than she is, and Kathryn Newton, who is a welcome addition. In this case, just getting more of a thing I like, while it might not have blown me away like the original, was still fine.

And yet, the most surprising thing for me was that after seeing Ready or Not 2, I was ready for Ready or Not 3.

Ready Or Not: Here i Come’s Ending Has Me Hoping For Part 3

Ready or Not 2 does leave itself more or less wrapped up the same way the first movie did. There’s certainly no need for a sequel based on where things leave off, and yet, there was one part of the ending that I will admit left me intrigued.

While Samara Weaving’s Grace was the only survivor of the first movie, and the sequel lets the sisters walk away, there is one other character who survives the new movie. Elijah Wood plays the role of The Lawyer, a man who works on behalf of Mr. Le Bail, who is, for all intents and purposes, Satan. The Lawyer is the one other character who doesn’t get turned into a red mist at the end, and when we last see him, he’s smiling.

He’s got this grin on his face that I kept thinking about as I left the theater. The Lawyer’s job is to enforce the rules of the game. He takes no apparent sides throughout the story, which sees multiple members of the High Council attempt to murder Grace. But in his final scene, he is clearly impressed.

The Lawyer’s smile could just be that, it could just be a look that says, “Well played, Ms. Le Domas.” It is certainly impressive that Grace has survived two battles to the death mere days apart. But it’s a look that could also give us another movie if what’s actually saying is “We’re not done with you yet.”

I find myself actually hoping it’s this later situation. After one movie, simply escaping from the Devil was fine, but after two movies, it does feel like there’s unfinished business here. I would love to see a Ready or Not 3 happen where these two sisters finally have it out with the devil himself.

Since Sarah Michelle Gellar and Elijah Wood are co-stars in one of the latest 2026 movies, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, they’ve been hanging out together to promote it. During one of their interviews, SMG had the best reaction to Wood’s first role ever in Back To The Future 2.

During a chat with Radio Times, the pair of iconic actors were asked about their first memories being on film sets since both of them got started pretty early in life. The interview takes a fun turn when Gellar learns from Wood he has a cameo in one of the most famous movies. Check out her reaction:

You gotta love this real-time reaction of SMG realizing Wood was one of the kids in Cafe 80s along with already being Frodo in the Lord of the Rings movies. If you’re also having a similar life-shattering moment like the Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor is, here’s the scene Elijah Wood is talking about:

Elijah Wood’s career went off to an incredible start when he was cast in a small role in the Back To The Future sequel where he literally got to act alongside Michael J. Fox. Somehow his career went uphill from there. 10 years later, he would become Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, but within that decade he shared credits with a ton of famous names like Tom Hanks, Richard Gere, Kevin Costner, Paul Hogan, Macaulay Culkin and Robert Duvall. Gellar’s reaction to him in BTTF 2 is totally valid:

Sarah Michelle Gellar was truly too stunned to speak. It seems like she totally forgot to answer the question after hearing about Wood’s spectacular first time on a film set. Elijah Wood’s Back To The Future story is pretty amazing, anyways. In his words:

SMG also started acting around the same age as Wood did, but it’s pretty much impossible to compete with Back To The Future 2. She played the daughter of Burt Young’s character in the 1984 rom-com Over The Brooklyn Bridge. The actress’ first big movies were in 1997 with I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream 2. That same year, she debuted in the role of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on TV.

You can see Gellar and Wood in Ready or Not 2 now playing in theaters. Once you see the movie, check out CinemaBlend’s own interviews with the pair, who talked about Gellar’s twist in the movie.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come (which is now playing in theaters everywhere). If you have not yet seen the film, proceed at your own risk!

There are a number of shocking turns of events in the 108 minute runtime of Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come, but easily ranking toward the top is the death of Sarah Michelle Gellar's Ursula Danforth. The actress has a precedent of dying in horror movies (see: Scream 2 and I Know What You Did Last Summer), but it's nonetheless a surprise to see her character exit the film prior to the climax. It's a moment in the film that has inspired gasps from audiences… but for Gellar herself, it was met with a reaction of relief.

It's not the response you'd expect from an actor (one imagines the revelation being met with sadness because it brings their time with a production to a premature end), but Gellar was totally honest about it when I asked her about Ursula's death during the Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come Los Angeles press day late last month. Sitting beside co-star Elijah Wood, she expressed some guilt about her feelings, but had a good reason to back them up:

When one looks back on the ending of the new horror movie, one understands what she means. Scaled way up from the grand finale of 2019's Ready Or Not (set in an expansive living room with a dozen or so actors and some blood cannon explosions), the sequel features a cavernous ceremonial set with a giant pit, a crowd of hooded figures, and gallons upon gallons of fake blood.

Elijah Wood, who plays the mysterious figure known only as The Lawyer, confirmed that filming the end of Ready Or Not 2 took a long time, and it led to a fun exchange between the two genre icons:

• Elijah Wood: It was days. It was days. I was there. I remember.
• Sarah Michelle Gellar: I know. I was back in LA.
• Elijah Wood: It was pretty fun though!

Sarah Michelle Gellar is absent from the climax of Ready Or Not 2 because Ursula's neck is snapped by her brother, Shawn Hatosy's Titus Danforth – but does she at least regret not going out in a big explosion of blood? Said Gellar,

Instead, she leaves all of the messiness to all of her co-stars – and for what it's worth, even while they are acting scared and grossed out, you can still get the sense that there was a lot of fun had on set.

There are a lot of sequels coming out in 2026 (as per usual), and one I've had highlighted for viewing has been Ready or Not 2: Here I Come. I found the first Ready or Not to be one of the most refreshing horror comedies I’d seen in some time. It has that rare but beautiful combination of a fun and biting story that I love from the genre, when you can find it, that is. But, I really didn’t expect to walk out of Here I Come and say to myself, “Wow, I might like that better than the first film." Now that I realize that opinion isn’t a popular one, I need to talk it out.

As we’ve come to expect when a followup comes out, critics have been comparing Ready Or Not to the original, saying it feels "familiar" and “rinses and repeats so much” of what happened the first time around. Just to defend myself a bit with some numbers here, it’s not like people are panning Here I Come. It has a “fresh” score of 76 percent from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and at the moment, the cinephiles on Letterboxd have given it a 3.4 out of 5, with the most common being a healthy rating of 4 out of 5 (which is what I’d rate it myself). For context, the first movie holds a rating of 3.5 on the social media site. Anyways, let’s forget them now, and talk about me and my steaming hot take. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Grace Is Both Way More Unhinged And Well-Rounded In The Sequel

When I sat down to watch Here I Come, and I think this is an important note, I hadn’t seen the original since the first time and the only time I saw it back in 2019 when I caught it in theaters. I have since revisited the first movie, which CinemaBlend gave five stars in our Ready or Not review, after the fact and confirmed to myself my thoughts of being Team Sequel.

I think my particular admiration for No. 2 has to do with the development of Samara Weaving’s Grace as a character this time around. Look, she’s an amazing final girl in the original movie, but in the second she becomes a lot more than that. She becomes a hero. And, she does it literally the day after having the worst wedding night of her life. I love the idea of her nightmare continuing after all the craziness of the first movie, because it allows Grace to fully not give an f- anymore, and allow herself to become as feral as what’s happening around her calls for. In my opinion, Grace fully delivers on that front.

As a horror fan who’s seen an unsuspecting woman manage to make it out alive of a traumatizing and wild event time and time again, I found it to be even more satisfying to see her do it this time. That's not typical in other franchises with sequels.

Grace And Faith Are A Blast To Watch Together

I love the Die Hard of it all that is Ready or Not, but I found myself laughing aloud on multiple occasions as Grace's estranged sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton), was pulled into the world in Here I Come. It kind of felt like a buddy comedy in many parts of it, which was actually so nice to see in a genre where women dealing with pain alone is kind of the big trope.

Yes, I can see why some people might be disappointed by it being more of an action comedy than a horror movie this time around, but I personally love when a followup can switch up its tone a bit and take audiences into a different direction. Not only did I think Grace and Faith were fun to watch hide and seek together this time around, they really offered me an emotionally grounded story about sisters that made me care so much more about Grace, too.

Learning about their backstory and how they grew up as orphans helped me understand why Grace would be in this situation to begin with, and why the whole situation of your new family hunting you kill-or-be-killed style would hit even harder. Grace just wanted to belong, and then she was thrown back into survival mode. I loved how the circumstances of the game in Here I Come allow Grace and Faith to work through their issues, and become a family again through being there for each other. That depth wasn't as present in the first movie.

The Casting Additions Are Too Good

This third reason is probably more about the fangirl in me, but having Sarah Michelle Gellar back in a movie, and playing a baddie made me so happy after growing up watching her play Buffy. Then you add Elijah Wood, a.k.a. sweet Frodo Baggins, as the guy who’s protecting the sanctity of this ring from all these rich families?? I couldn’t handle how good that was. They knew what they were doing there, and I was eating it up.

And, There's So Many Funny Moments I Already Want To Revisit

Both movies have some really great scenes, but there are too many from the sequel that have been living rent free in my head since I saw it (which was actually close to a month before the premiere because I saw an early press screening). I love the random exploding bit in the Ready or Not movies, and Here I Come had a lot more moments with it that really just got me every time. Or, what about the scene where Grace has a showdown with the other “bride” in a wedding venue? And, the finale where Grace single-handedly outsmarts the whole room of satanists!! The whole time I was having an absolute blast, and living for it all.

I think what I love about it is it keeps the spirit of the original, but it feels like it’s everything amplified times two! I will absolutely be watching them both together back-to-back when I get the itch to rewatch, but I just feel like I’ll be anticipating going back to Here I Come more than the first one.

Now, if we want to be objective, of course the first one is more original, and there's nothing like your first time seeing a concept play out, but I just love when a sequel can up the stakes and make me love characters and a world even more, and Here I Come did just that for me.

Fans of the best fantasy adaptations got a very pleasant surprise when it was announced a few years ago that we’d be going back to the shire for more tales from The Lord of the Rings universe with the upcoming The Hunt for Gollum. Not only will Andy Serkis return to play the iconic ring-corrupted hobbit, but he’s also directing the movie, which will reunite fans with others from the original Oscar-winning trilogy, like Ian McKellen, who’ll reprise Gandalf. There have been rumors that Elijah Wood is returning as Frodo, but his reactions to being asked about his potential involvement are just as entertaining as his famed character.

What Did Elijah Wood Recently Say About Playing Frodo In The Hunt For Gollum?

Look, whenever fans find out that we’re getting another film in a beloved franchise after many years, not only do we collectively lose our minds, but we instantly wonder who will come back from previous films. This is exactly what’s been going on with The Hunt for Gollum since it was announced. It was last August, however, when Ian McKellen noted his involvement and gave people “two secrets about the casting,” and added that not only is he in the film, but there's “a character in the movie called Frodo,” that everyone went crazy about the return of Elijah Wood as his heroic hobbit.

There seems to be a problem, though, because since then Wood himself has been unwilling (or more likely, unable) to confirm or even deny his appearance in the new fantasy film, which is said to begin shooting sometime this year. During a recent visit to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Wood (who’s starring in Ready or Not 2: Here I Come on the 2026 movie schedule) was asked if he had “anything to add to the rumors” that he’ll be in Gollum, and after a pause he said with a smile:

Oh, boy. Talk about finding the most entertaining way to say "I can't tell you anything about that," right? Seems like McKellen certainly may have said too much when he revealed his part in Gollum. I’m sure he was just excited, as most actors would be when getting to return to a character they enjoyed playing and also having many of the original creatives around for the new movie, as well.

I’m not big on casting prognostications, but my guess is that we’ll see Wood take part in some way when the movie is finally released in late 2027, largely because the Yellowjackets actor has been answering questions like this in a similar way for months now.

Not only did he admit recently that he “certainly wouldn’t want anybody else to play Frodo” as long as he’s able, but in referencing what McKellen said he’s also noted that “a wizard is to be trusted,” which definitely sounds like a form of covert confirmation. On top of that, the actor does seem to know an awful lot about the LOTR spinoff if he’s not actually in the dang movie, so my hopes are high that we will get the chance to see him sport the shaggy hair once again.

The Lord of the Rings movies are some of the most popular book to screen adaptations in film history. While plenty of folks regularly re-watch Peter Jackson's acclaimed trilogy with a HBO Max subscription, a new chapter in Middle Earth will hit theaters with the developing Hunt for Gollum movie. Fans are wondering which OG actors might be reprising their roles, and Elijah Wood recently spoke about that possibility, and why he doesn't want to see any other actors take on the mantle of Frodo Baggins.

Back in 2024 it was revealed that another Lord of the Rings movie was in early development titled The Hunt for Gollum. Anticipation for this project reached a fever pitch when Ian McKellen confirmed he'd be back as Gandalf. In a recent interview with The Times, Wood spoke about his possible return to the franchise, saying:

While the Sin City actor was careful not to actually confirm his appearance as Frodo in The Hunt for Gollum, it sounds like he's super excited about the concept of reprising his signature role in the forthcoming blockbuster. Hopefully an official deal is inked soon, and we get news about him once again playing the role of everyone's favorite Hobbit.

Later in the same interview, Elijah Wood spoke about his ongoing connection to Frodo, and being a Lord of the Rings fan himself. As the 45 year-old movie star put it:

Wood's comments about being alive and able to play Frodo echo earlier statements made by Ian McKellen. Before confirming his role in The Hunt for Gollum, he said he'd like to play Gandalf in the project as long as he was still alive. Sounds like both he and Wood have ongoing affection for those signature roles.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is currently expected to arrive in theaters on December 17th, 2027. Since it's not on the 2026 movie release list, we might have to try and be patient while waiting for information/footage from the forthcoming project.

Daniel Radcliffe will forever be known as Harry Potter. However, that doesn’t mean that everybody wants Daniel Radcliffe to know that. The actor says that there are other movies and shows that people will bring up when they meet him, although one of them isn’t a movie he was actually in.

Even Daniel Radcliffe knows that everybody knows him from the Harry Potter movies. But in a conversation with ScreenRant he says that a lot of people make a point to claim that they’re not Potter fans when they meet him. Radcliffe says many of them will reference his more oddball films, like Swiss Army Man or Guns Akimbo, as well as his appearance on Ricky Gervais’ hit comedy series. Radcliffe said…

I mean, I’m not even a massive Harry Potter fan, but I wouldn’t bother to tell Daniel Radcliffe that if I met him. Some people apparently feel that they’re too cool for school and want to be sure the actor knows they don’t like the kid wizard movies, and what they actually like are his more unusual and lesser-seen projects. To be fair, both Swiss Army Man, in which Radcliffe plays a corpse, and Guns Akimbo, in which he plays a guy who ends up with handguns fused in both hands, are really great movies that you should see.

Daniel Radcliffe takes it all in stride, it seems. Having said that, there is one franchise other than Harry Potter that the actor says he will get recognized for, which is a problem because he’s not Elijah Wood. Radcliffe said…

I mean, it’s true that Elijah Wood and Daniel Radcliffe were both in major fantasy franchises around the same time. That said, they’re not exactly similar franchises, the two actors don’t really look alike, and Wood is a decade older than Radcliffe. The pair doesn’t necessarily have that much in common beyond success.

Of course, with a new Harry Potter series on the way, perhaps fewer people will remember Daniel Radcliffe from Harry Potter as time goes on. There will still be plenty of things for fans to know him from. Hopefully, all the movies he was actually in.

The Alamo Drafthouse isn’t exactly one of the largest theater chains in America. With just over two dozen locations, it’s quite the limited venture, but with a reputation of being an incredibly popular theater with devoted fans, known for making the movie-viewing theatrical experience its top priority.

One of the reasons those fans are devoted is because of the theater’s commitment to making going to the movies fun for all. They have added rules about bringing young children to rated-R movies and well known for telling people to keep their phones put away during films. That last item is about to change, as the Alamo Drafthouse is reportedly shifting from its long-held pencil-and-paper ordering to an app-based system for the location’s famous food. One fan who is particularly unimpressed with this development is Elijah Wood, who is never shy about his opinions, took to Twitter to voice his displeasure.

Wood’s initial tweet has blown up, with a lot of voices standing alongside him. Many fans seem to be equally frustrated with this change. They agree with Wood’s comments and are very glad to see him make them, because he has the potential to boost this signal to the point where it may do some good. Comments include…

• you are always on the right side of history, elijah wood. on this, on star wars opinions—the list is endless. - @jessjoho
• frodo out here yelling remember the alamo like the crossover i never knew i needed - @fem_boyardee
• See @alamodrafthouse you’ve even upset Elijah Wood. Do fucking better. We can’t have anything nice - @brandonsedai
• Get their ass Elijah. Also tell them to make the food good - @kapposyan
• THE RING BEARER HAS SPOKEN! - @KaptainZorro

At this point, there are two types of people: people who have no problem using their phones in movie theaters and people who hate the people who have no problem using their phones in theaters. Alamo Drafthouse had previously stood firmly on the anti-phone side of things, stating plainly that people who disrupt others' enjoyment of films would be removed. They’ve created numerous anti-phone PSAs, many of which have gone viral.

If you’ve never been to an Alamo Drafthouse, but are familiar with them, it’s a good bet these sorts of things are the reason why. Being against the use of phones in theaters is part of the brand, which makes this planned switch to an app-based ordering system not only surprising but shocking, as using phones in the theater will go from being banned to being required.

The chain’s “no talking, no texting” rules will reportedly remain in place, but it’s not difficult to see how that will become more difficult to enforce with everybody needing to use their phones throughout the film anyway. For many, what’s distracting isn’t what’s being done on the phone, but the fact that it’s in use at all.

I've only been to an Alamo Drafthouse a couple of times myself, but the first was my initial experience with a "dine-In" movie theater with a full menu and bar. It was truly unique at the time, and if nothing else, it makes the theatrical experience feel quite different. Will the mobile orders limit the amount of servers walking in front of seated patrons? Will that outweigh the cons of having mobile devices out and lit up? Only time will tell.

The Alamo Drafthouse mobile ordering system is being rolled out to its various theaters throughout 2026.

It’s far from uncommon these days for a Hollywood studio to announce the return of a beloved franchise to the big screen with new installments, but it was still a shock when it was announced that we would be getting not one, but two new Lord of the Rings movies from producer Peter Jackson. The first planned film, The Hunt for Gollum, will star and be directed by Andy Serkis, but he’s not the only member of the original cast who will be returning.

Last year, during a public appearance, Sir Ian McKellen seemingly spilled the beans by stating that both Gandalf and Frodo would appear in the new movie. Elijah Wood was there at the time and had a smile on his face, though he said nothing. When asked at Fan Expo New Orleans about his “theoretical” return, the actor (via ScreenRant) said…

While Elijah Wood is clearly having some fun with the whole thing, he seems to clearly confirm his return, if a “wizard is to be trusted” without actually saying he’ll be back, likely because if he’s under contract, he’s not allowed to say he’s in it, at least not yet.

One thing Wood can discuss is how excited he is that Andy Serkis will direct The Hunt for Gollum. He thinks it's perfect that Serkis will direct a film focused on the character that he helped create in live-action, and he’s looking forward to the continued expansion of The Lord of the Rings in whatever form that takes. Wood said…

When The Hunt for Gollum was first announced, we were told two Lord of the Rings films were on the way. It’s unclear if they’ll be connected or separate standalone features, but either way, it seems clear that Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings will live on, and while we may not know officially who will be back in the new movies, there will likely be plenty of work for the original cast for any who want to go back to Middle earth.

For all the movies and TV shows adapting branded kids' games like Clue, Trivial Pursuit, Battleship and more, a movie like 2019's Ready or Not really drives home how easily a good game-based movie can be made without any licensing involved. The darkly comedic hide-and-seek horror helped bring directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett into the Scream universe and get their original vamp flick Abigail made, but they returned to the fold for another high-stakes chase. And we now have our first big look at the sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come via the trailer seen above.

Olly olly oxen free! This upcoming horror movie looks like a banger follow-up to the smart and stylish thrills of the first film, and with a cast that's just to DIE for. And each of their characters appears to be the absolute worst, so I'm already looking forward to each and every one meeting a disturbing fate. Yeah, even you, sunglasses-wearing new recruit Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Ready or Not 2 will pick up right where the first movie ended, and apparently won't even give Samara Weaving's newly wed Grace le Domas a grace period to recuperate. Instead, Elijah Wood swoops in to deliver the bad news that she has to essentially go through that whole ordeal again, only instead of her new in-laws, she's taking on four of the families that run the world, in an Illuminati kind of way. It turns out murdering a bunch of important rich people, even in justifiable self-defense, is not a good way to avoid future troubles.

Some of the new characters she'll be dealing with are played by all-stars such as the aforementioned Sarah Michelle Gellar, whose character goes by Ursula Danforth. Even that name is slappable. She's married to The Pitt vet Shawn Hatosy's character Titus Danforth, whose father is portrayed by the great filmmaker David Cronenberg.

Other new recruits include Dark Knight vet Néstor Carbonell, Abigail's Kevin Durand, See's Olivia Cheng, Wynonna Earp's Varun Saranga and more. Although the other most important newbie is Big Little Lies vet Kathryn Newton, who joins the fray as Grace's younger sister Faith. Despite being estranged, the sisters have to work together to keep moving and survive long enough to take over the High Seat of the Council that runs the planet. No big deal.

Check out the new poster below!

Written by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murray, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come will hit the 2026 movie schedule on April 10, 2026.

As many visit the Hobbiton sets in New Zealand every year, I would assume that the odds of them running into any of the Lord of the Rings cast on said sets are low. However, one lucky couple proved that it isn’t impossible, as Frodo himself crashed their wedding. I know, I can’t believe it either, but there’s a video of Elijah Wood showing up at a Shire-based wedding, and it’s the cutest thing. (Oh, and don't worry, he didn't steal any rings.)

Really, if there’s going to be a perfect wedding crasher at a ceremony that’s happening in Hobbiton, that perfect person is Elijah Wood. He is the hobbit of the first three Lord of the Rings movies (which can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription), and thankfully, in this sweet video, he wasn't trying to take any of the “precious” rings; in fact, he was making the whole situation even more precious than it already was:

While you can’t really make out much of what the actor said as this whole interaction went down, the applause and smiles speak volumes. However, I could hear him tell the couple, “Congratulations,” and as he took a photo with the people tying the knot, I heard him complimenting the ceremony and the attendees’ outfits (which were all fantasy themed, it seems).

Overall, everyone, Wood included, was thrilled about this. And so were the people in the comments of this viral video. Joking about the Frodo actor crashing the wedding, many wrote things like:

• That’s like getting married in a church and jesus walks in -Laur
• Was he the ring bearer? -Michael Gillett
• He's just their to streal the ring -Jamamio
• How fortunate to have Frodo Baggins in attendance ❤ -Mul Rahmat
• Imagine him carrying the rings 😂 -Costaspap

Now, those comments are all sweet and quite funny. However, my personal favorite genre of comment came from the folks who want to believe that the Yellowjackets actor simply lives in The Shire. Here are a few of the highlights:

• “Unexpected” like it’s not his front lawn -Hostess Snacks
• Crashes your wedding? That’s literally his house -The Lorax
• “Unexpected Guest”?? He lives there! You’re on his front lawn! -Chay Monci
• It was so nice of him to let them get married in his yard. -John Mack
• I don't care what anyone says. In my mind, he lives there. -Eli

I’d also like to believe that Elijah Wood just lives at the Shire. However, we all know that’s not true.

Although he is still very connected to the franchise and his cast mates, as he happily attends cons regularly with his co-stars. He also seems to know a suspicious amount of information about The Hunt for Gollum, the LOTR movie Andy Serkis is currently working on and Ian McKellen will be in. Therefore, it feels very on-brand for him to be so up for crashing a wedding in the Shire.

Overall, I’m so happy this happened and that couple got to add one more unforgettable moment to a day that probably already was one of the best days of their lives. So, cheers to the happy couple and their union. And also, cheers to their iconic wedding crasher, Elijah Wood.

Considering how every major studio is trying to get as much out of their popular franchises as possible, it’s not exactly a shock that we’re set to get at least two more live-action Lord of the Rings movies, what is potentially exciting is that they look to trying to really make movies on the scale of the previous entries, and possibly with much of the same cast.

Beyond the fact that Andy Serkis, who is also directing The Lord of the RIngs: The Hunt For Gollum, will return as the title character, little has been confirmed regarding who will appear in the new movie, . However, it seems recent indications that Elijah Wood will return as Frodo appear to be accurate, as he apparently knows too much about the upcoming movie. In a recent appearance at DesertCon in Monterrey, Mexico (via Asi SoyTV), Wood says he “knows a great deal” about the films, saying…

It’s a fairly reliable truism in Hollywood that you can tell when an actor is under contract to a film because when they’re not, they say they’re not, but when they are, they say they can’t say anything. That certainly appears to be the situation Elijah Wood is in here. Why would he have read the script for The Hunt for Gollum if he’s not in that script?

Wood’s statement would seem to confirm comments made by Ian McKellen recently that indicated that both Gandalf and Frodo would be appearing in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Wood was in the room when McKellen said this, with a smile on his face, and he certainly hasn’t denied it since.

Whatever his role, Elijah Wood is quite excited by the new film. He says that it’s bringing together so many of the people involved in The Lord of the Rings that the opportunity for the new movie to be great is quite good. He continued…

While Gandalf’s appearance would make some sense, as it’s specifically mentioned in The Fellowship of the Ring that Gandalf tried to track down Gollum as part of confirming exactly what the One Ring was, Frodo’s appearance is a little less clear, as he didn’t do a lot during that period. Of course, Frodo might have little more than a cameo, as he did at the end of the final Hobbit movie.

Most of the Lord of the Rings actors have expressed a willingness, if not an interest, to return to the franchise if the story, or at least the money, is good. We'll have to wait and see who else is asked back. The film is currently set to release in December 2027.

Peter Jackson’s take on the classic Middle-earth J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy is one of the most beloved adaptations of all time, with each of the movies' comparisons to the books an evergreen fandom topic. Now, as the first film's 25th anniversary lurks around the corner, cast members such as Orlando Bloom have been sharing fun BTS tidbits, and I'm all in on the Legolas actor sharing his humorous thoughts about Frodo never saying the Sindar Elf’s name.

This isn’t the first factoid Bloom shared either; he just revealed that he’d sported a mohawk under his Legolas wig for Fellowship. He dropped another while promoting his 2025 movie release, the Prime Video crime caper Deep Cover, but this time it involved Elijah Woods’ Frodo. Bloom guested on the Sirius' Faction Talk, with the discourse involving the nervous Hobbit’s conversational skills came up, and the Pirates of the Caribbean alum started with a good laugh and weighed in on realizing that the name recognition would never come, saying:

It’s thrilling to have Bloom not only open up about the scene but also have a great sense of humor about it! (In case you aren’t recalling the exact moment he’s referencing, the snub comes after they return from Mount Doom, Baggins wakes up and reunites with the Fellowship.) I can only imagine the awkward instance between the two and lol at the finished scene.

The Black Hawk Down actor then jumped into pointing out just how goofy the topic was to be discussing two decades after the initial release. He shared of Woods’ lasting effect flub:

As we all know, the grounds we could cover in regards to Middle-earth are even bigger than the created world they all live in. It’s pretty great that somehow this minute exchange is even a part of the conversation, no matter how silly.

Now we just need to hear why the Over the Garden Wall actor chose not to verbally recognize the bow and arrowsman. Does it fall into the category of a main character who tanked their movies or a brilliant and intentional choice that would endure alongside the megahits? Fingers crossed on that front, and it’s half as thrilling as Bloom recalling working on LOTR as a newbie, we’re in for a treat.

Now, with all of Bloom’s thoughts fresh in my head, I’ll be preemptively planning on getting into my Max subscription for a Lord of the Rings rewatch weekend. And I will likely replay the shared scenes between Legolas and Frodo a few times over, especially when Baggins doesn’t say his name.

No, horror fans, we don’t know if we’ll see the next round of fun and games in the Ready or Not universe on the 2025 movie schedule. However, what we do know about Ready or Not 2 has just changed pretty drastically. While horror icon Sarah Michelle Gellar isn’t appearing in this year's legacy-quel I Know What You Did Last Summer, she now has a role in this Radio Silence sequel's deck of winners! And if you thought that was impressive, wait until you see the rest of this hand of winners stacked in the deck.

The good folks at Searchlight Pictures made this exciting news known through a short, but sweet video. While it’s nowhere near as lengthy as the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement, there are enough names here to boost the anticipation level for this upcoming horror movie:

While Sarah Michelle Gellar was featured on Showtimes’ Dexter: Original Sin, her character, Miami Metro forensics chief Tanya Martin, wasn’t really involved in any sort of horror activity. Also keeping in mind her role on the defunct Paramount+ original Wolf Pack, this is Ms. Gellar’s return to film-based horror.

It’s a feat absolutely worth celebrating, especially since the Buffy the Vampire Slayer icon is going to be mixing it up with this cast! Which leads to another interesting note, which came from Deadline’s reporting.

That outlet’s story not only confirmed this casting, as well as today’s production start on Ready or Not’s next chapter, they also had another name to share that’s not on this list: fellow retired vampire slayer/Abigail vet Kevin Durand.

But of course, if we’re talking about the words “horror” and “legend” in the same sentence, we need to discuss two very distinguished names you probably noticed on this roster.

Elijah Wood And David Cronenberg’s Additions Have Me Even More Hyped For Ready Or Not’s Sequel

I loved the work that writers Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy had accomplished with directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett on the first Ready or Not, so a strong roster for part two always seemed to be in the cards. Keeping that in mind, seeing Sarah Michelle Gellar in the same list as genre mastermind David Cronenberg and acting/producing powerhouse Elijah Wood brought an even wider smile to my face.

Mr. Cronenberg's resume on both sides of the screen makes the Videodrome helmer an inspired addition, especially with dry acting appearances as a guest star on shows such as Star Trek: Discovery. And turning to the Lord of the Rings star in the room, Wood’s creep-tastic roles in ensemble casts like that of Sin City, The Monkey, and the upcoming Toxic Avenger reboot put him on deck to potentially let loose once again.

It’s hard to tell how this all-star cast is going to interact, as Ready or Not 2’s story is under lock and key. That kind of doesn’t matter though, as the same madcap spirit looks like it’s very much infused in this hotly-anticipated sequel. Since Sarah Michelle Gellar, Elijah Wood and David Cronenberg are all usually game for anything in their acting lives, having them play this unique game promises to be a rewarding roll of the dice.

Spoilers below for anyone who isn’t fully up to date on Yellowjackets’ third season by streaming with a Paramount+ subscription, so be warned!

One of the deadliest shows on the current TV schedule has to be Showtime’s cannibalism-infused horror drama Yellowjackets, whose ever-growing body count is strewn across two completely separate timelines and locations. Fans (and Misty) are still getting over losing Juliette Lewis’ Natalie in the hectic Season 2 finale, and while Season 3 hasn’t exactly been littered with shallow graves, two victims have shows up so far: the diligent waiter and Lottie, whose death technically hasn’t been confirmed yet.

But it’s not as if any viewers are sitting at home feeling very confident that their favorite characters will 100% survive the rest of the third season’s installments. And co-star Sophie Nélisse told EW that more harrowing exits are definitely on the way, saying:

If that's the case, then fans may very well expect every single main character on the show to die, since they're all magnificent and beloved. (Even you, scruffy-ass Coach Ben.) But let's take a look at the characters I think are mostly likely to get killed off before this season is over. Early R.I.P., y'all.

Robin

Don't feel weird about scratching your head and wondering who Robin is, since Anisa Harris' character was only added into Season 3 as one of the remaining background survivors. And she admittedly hasn't made a gigantic impact on any scenes thus far.

However, I'd pointed out in Episode 4 that she appeared several times on screen looking as emotionally bereft as one could be without having any meaningful dialogue to back it up. Which likely served as a stepping stone to Robin being given something worthwhile to do in an upcoming episode. But because we barely know anything about her, I think her official introduction will weave in just enough details to have fans hopeful for her survival before she meets a doomed fate.

Coach Ben

I can't believe the trial at the heart of "12 Angry Girls And 1 Drunk Travis" somehow succeeded in watering down my suspicion that Coach was responsible for burning the cabin down at the end of Season 2. And yet it did. But the guilty verdict didn't exactly give me much faith about his survival chances.

Though Nat and Misty still clearly want to keep him alive, even if he's exiled to live alone, the harsh way that Shauna strong-armed others into taking her side does not imply peace talks and happy times ahead for the one-legged beardo.

Tai

Far be it for me to rain on the parade of anyone celebrating Tai and Van’s relationship going as well as it has, but this is a show where happiness is fleeting and temporary. Tawny Cypress' version of the character seems to be in a dark spot that she can't easily escape from, and has already been partly responsible for someone else's death. And we're still not even clear on how Tai being haunted by No-Eyes Man connects with any of the Wilderness survival plotting.

If Van truly is in remission and no longer in danger of succumbing to cancer-related issues, then it only makes TV-logical sense for Tai to be the part of this couple to say farewell. Though we still need more answers before that can happen.

Walter

In Season 2, Elijah Wood's Walter was a spectrum-y breath of fresh air as the ever-prepared and proper knight in crime-hiding armor who gave Misty the attention and friendship she needed most. But here in Season 3, Misty has sadly lost all interest in Walter, and generally lost whatever couth she may have harbored in how she treats him, based on her misguided belief that the other Yellowjackets survivors genuinely like her.

So even though Walter is technically in guardian angel mode right now, inspiring her to leave the house and saving her drunk ass, he's more expendable than he's ever been, and unless he starts selling furniture with Jeff really soon, I think Misty is going to free herself from his doting in a most permanent way.

Mari

With Mari, I think Yellowjackets' creative team could be applying the age-old narrative trick of "Make audiences worry about someone until they see that character is undeniably safe, and then kill them." That's probably not an exact term, but close enough.

Mari's temporary stay in Coach's pit may not have cemented her as the mystery Pit Girl, but having a broken leg isn't going to be much help for the teen if she's being chased or has to escape a dangerous situation quickly, such as passing out in a cave filled with noxious fumes. Of course, if Shauna ends up being the person who does the deed, Mari could have seven legs and still never outrun her foe's fury.

Jeff

While it's unclear how much of Shauna's pre-Wilderness life could be classified as "traumatic," she's faced nothing but horrifying circumstances since that fateful plane crash, from losing (and then ingesting) her best friend to losing (and certainly not ingesting) her stillborn baby. And more ugliness is no doubt yet to come.

But by and large, Melanie Lynskey's grown-up Shauna hasn't faced anything quite as harrowing as her former self, at least where it isn't. her fault entirely. And I don't think the show would go so far as to kill off Sarah Desjardins' Callie. And now that Jeff and Shauna are closer than ever with a bond reforged by heinous criminal acts, his death would serve as the easiest way to break Shauna's heart.

Van

Considering Yellowjackets viewers never actually witnessed Van's doctor telling her the glorious news about her cancer remission, I have my suspicions about whether or not that message was actually given to her. Not that I want to believe all of her recent happiness has been a front to cover up what was actually a much more dour update on her health.

Of course, this could also play out the way I suggested for Mari, where viewers are made to believe that Van is now safe from cancer dangers, only for her to get hit by a car or struck by lightning in some freak accident, with or without the Wilderness' influence involved. It might be more powerful a plot twist for Van and Tai go get killed off together, but I really hope that's not the case.

Find out whose number will be up next when Yellowjackets streams new episodes on Fridays on Paramount+, with Showtime airing the eps on Sunday nights at 8:00 p.m.

For more than 100 years the Walt Disney Company has made some of the most popular and beloved films of all time. The best Disney animated movies are classics and Marvel and Star Wars have provided numerous modern blockbusters It seems like everybody loves at least the occasional Disney movie and today nearly every film the studio releases is an event unto itself.

But that hasn't always been the case. There have been entire eras in Disney's history where the vast majority of what the studio released was forgettable, and even in years when Disney released great films, they sometimes would also release less than memorable ones. Many of these you can watch with a Disney+ subscription but several are apparently so forgotten even Disney doesn't acknowledge them by making them available.

Dragonslayer

In the history of sword and sorcery films, Dragonslayer tends to get overlooked. Even if you do remember it, there's a decent chance you had no idea it was technically a Disney movie, as it was a far cry from their normal output in the early '80s and thus the Disney name was largely left off the film.

The Island At The Top Of The World

A wealthy industrialist charters an expedition into the Arctic to search for his son who has gone missing from a whaling vessel. The movie has no major stars and is seen by some as an attempt to recreate the magic of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, swapping out the submersible for an airship.

The Adventures Of Bullwhip Griffin

The year before Roddy McDowell appeared in the iconic Planet of the Apes he starred in the much less memorable The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin. As the title character, McDowell plays the butler of a young boy during the California Gold Rush. The movie has some laughs and some music from Disney's intrepid songwriting duo the Sherman Brothers, but it doesn't have songs you'd remember.

Baby: Secret Of The Lost Legend

Baby...Secret of the Lost Legend is a movie where the guy who played The Greatest American Hero discovers a dinosaur that still lives in the modern day. What could go wrong? While everybody loves a good dinosaur movie, Jurassic Park this is not. The dinosaur effects were only possible in the '80s and there's a reason nobody since then remembers it.

The Great Mouse Detective

After Disney's golden era of animation but before the Disney Renaissance of the '90s, there are several films that fall through the cracks. In between the bomb that was The Great Cauldron and the smash hit that was The Little Mermaid, there was The Great Mouse Detective, a movie that wasn't at either extreme and thus tends to get overlooked.

Blackbeard's Ghost

Dean Jones and Suzanne Plushette, who would both make several movies for Disney, co-star in the film about a high school track coach who accidentally finds himself haunted by the ghost of Blackbeard the pirate, played by the great Peter Ustinov. The movie was actually reasonably successful in its day but it's had difficulty surviving the test of time.

The Castaway Cowboy

James Garner plays a man who jumps ship from where he was forced to work and finds himself washed up in Hawai'i. He ends up helping out a woman and her young son who are trying to survive farming the land. Even James Garner has admitted he didn't love the movie, and it seems most agree with him.

Candleshoe

Jodie Foster made several movies for Disney as a child actor. Most notably the original Freaky Friday. Candleshoe, in which Foster cons her way into a wealthy household, is far less iconic. The most notable thing about is that it is the film that prevented Jodie Foster from taking the role of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars

Condorman

Decades before Disney bought Marvel, the studio's first superhero movie, Condorman is about a comic book writer who fashions a functioning flying suit as part of the creation of his new hero character. He then ends up involved in a real espionage plot where finds himself in over his head and eventually has to rely on his superhero alter ego to escape. There's a reason this one didn't become a franchise.

Emil and the Detectives

Child detectives foiling a bank robbery is just the sort of movie that you would expect from Disney in 1964. However, the movie is based on a German novel, and thus would not have been that well known to most American audiences. Perhaps that's why this film was largely forgotten.

The One And Only Genuine Original Family Band

The second consecutive Disney live-action musical to star the duo of Leslie Ann Waren and John Davidson, The One And Only Genuine Original Family Band, is mostly known for a really long title and being the last movie that The Sherman Brothers worked on as employees of Disney. Unfortunately, the music is a far cry from Mary Poppins.

The Happiest Millionaire

The Happiest Millionaire is one of the last films that Walt Disney himself produced before his death. It was meant to be the movie that might follow in the footsteps of Mary Poppins as a major awards contender. But the movie is very long, and only has one memorable song in its entire three-hour run time.

Third Man On The Mountain

The only claim to fame that Third Man on the Mountain has is that it allegedly inspired the Matterhorn Bobsleds roller coaster at Disneyland. Unfortunately, chronology makes that claim dubious. Even so, the fact that most people don't know the story is just another reason this film remains largely forgotten.

North Avenue Irregulars

Old ladies in church versus organized crime. That's the elevator pitch for North Avenue Irregulars and it's a perfect example of a late '70s live-action Disney movie. Utterly inoffensive, and utterly forgettable.

Now You See Him Now You Don't/TheStrongest Man in The World

It's possible that you do remember The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, the Disney movie that starred frequent Disney movie star Kurt Russell as a college student who gets a computer-like brain. But did you know that Russell's character from that film Dexter Riley, appeared in two sequels? I didn't think so.

Ride A Wild Pony

There comes a point when you get the feeling that Disney just threw darts to decide what their next movie would be. The only questions were which cute animal would be involved and what semi-exotic location would be included in a story with what sort of children. Ride a Wild Pony fills in those blanks with a story about a boy and girl fighting over a pony in Australia.

So Dear To My Heart

While you've certainly heard of Disney's controversial film Song of the South even if you've never seen it, you're less likely to know So Dear to My Heart. It's a sort of spiritual sequel as it came out a couple of years later and also combines live-action sequences with animation. It tells the story of a young boy's attempts to raise a lamb. The movie was well-loved by Walt Disney himself, but few others have given it much thought since its release.

Unidentified Flying Oddball

A twist on Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. This one follows a NASA astronaut and android duplicate back in time. It's not as much fun as that sounds.

The Watcher In The Woods

One of the last film roles for screen icon Bette Davis, The Watcher in the Woods was actually pulled from theaters so its wild ending could be reshot. It didn't help and the movie was still panned, which is a shame because it's about as close to a horror movie as Disney ever got.

The Moon-Spinners

Haley Mills made six movies for Disney, including the original Parent Trap, but this is one of the films you probably weren't aware of. Mills is old enough to be a romantic lead in this one and it's an unusual film in that regard as the film is devoid of kids, animation, or cute animals. It's a straight mystery drama, though it's still designed for younger viewers. Maybe it needed a cute animal.

The Adventures Of Huck Finn

There have been numerous adaptations of The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn over the years. The one made by Disney in the 1990s is notable if only because the title role is played by a young Elijah Wood, but that's about the only thing that is memorable about it.

The Story Of Robin Hood

The animated version of Robin Hood made by Disney with anthropomorphic animals in the '70s is a film you're likely aware of. However, decades earlier Disney's second-ever life-action film was also a Robin Hood story, though one that made considerably less impact.

The Sword And The Rose

One of Disney's early live-action films was a costume drama telling a heavily fictionalized version of the life of Mary Tudor, a sister of Henry VIII. Even today this one seems like an odd choice for a Disney movie and based on the fact that it's a movie even Disney doesn't talk about it much, it seems maybe the studio agrees.

Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue

You may be familiar with the Rob Roy movie that came out in the 1990s and starred Liam Neeson and got Tim Roth an Oscar nomination. You are likely less familiar with Rob Roy: The Highland Rogue, a version of the story of the Scottish folk hero that Disney made in 1953. The Liam Neeson version is much better.

Tonka

Tonka is the story of a horse, a stallion who is tamed by a Native American boy, played by an American of Sicilian descent. Perhaps it's the fact that the casting from 1958 hasn't aged well that has led to this one being completely overlooked.

Greyfriars Bobby

Many Disney movies that have stood the test of time are focused on animals rather than people. Greyfriars Bobby is the story of a terrier that will not leave the grave of its deceased master. It's a more interesting story than that sounds, but Greyfriars Bobby certainly isn't among the most well-remembered Disney animal characters.

The Misadventures Of Merlin Jones

The Misadventures Of Merlin Jones was an early case of a project originally designed for TV getting a theatrical release instead. Unfortunately, the movie, about a teen who attempts to read people's minds, probably didn't deserve such treatment. Ironically, the sequel The Monkey's Uncle, is actually a more well-known movie thanks to a banger of a title song, written by the Sherman Brothers and sung by Annette Funichello and the Beach Boys.

The Ugly Dachshund

The Ugly Dachshund is about as paint by numbers for a 1960s live-action Disney movie as you can get. It stars Dean Jones and Susanne Pleschette, who both appeared in many Disney films of the era, and focuses on a funny animal. In this case, it's about a dog, a Great Dane, who is raised by a Dachshund mother and thus grows up believing he is one.

The Million Dollar Duck

The Million Dollar Duck, a film about a duck that lays golden eggs, was so bad that famed film critic Gene Siskel is reported to have walked out of it before it ended, one of only three films that ever caused him to do that. Knowing that it's not hard to guess why this one doesn't get talked about anymore.

The World's Greatest Athlete

Disney has made many iconic sports movies over the years, from Remember the Titans to Miracle. The World's Greatest Athlete is not one of them. It's basically "What if Tarzan ran track?" It's about as good as that sounds.

No Deposit, No Return

Don Knotts style of comedy worked well in family-friendly Disney movies like The Apple Dumpling Gang and Hot Lead And Cold Feet. Those are movies that people of a certain generation at least will likely remember fondly. However, No Deposit, No Return, about two kids who stage their own kidnapping, is not nearly as successful.

Treasure of Matecumbe

Treasure of Matecumbeis a classic adventure story about set in post-Civil War America that follows four people on a quest for a lost treasure. National Treasure this is not.

Even the biggest and brightest stars of Hollywood have movies that they’d rather not mention being a part of in polite company. And the list you’re about to read has some of the most infamous examples of those types of projects making silver screen history…just not in the way one would have expected.

Tom Hanks - The Bonfire Of The Vanities

While we’ve seen Tom Hanks’ comments on why The Bonfire of the Vanities didn’t work, the movie’s infamy as a box office dud is something he probably doesn’t address all that often. And who could blame him, as the public considered America’s Dad to be the worst casting choice to lead a satire about the amorality of late ‘80s/early ‘90s stockbrokers.

Jamie Lee Curtis - Virus

The film adaptation of Dark Horse Comics’ Virus is uncompromisingly bad, no matter if you’re familiar with the book or not. But the most entertaining thing to come out of it was the fact that star Jamie Lee Curtis has taken every chance to roast this picture with the most cutting of remarks. It’s truly one of the best cases of entertainers who have trashed their own movies.

Michael Caine - Jaws: The Revenge

This is an example of using class and wit to politely stuff a movie like Jaws: The Revenge into the trash bin of life. Actor Michael Caine’s remarks about never seeing the film, but loving its payday, is something that always hits like the best line at a cocktail party celebrating the movies we love to loathe.

Emily Blunt - Gulliver’s Travels

History almost gave us an Iron Man 2 with Emily Blunt playing the role of Black Widow. And then contractual obligations forced Ms. Blunt to pass, in favor of starring in the Jack Black vehicle Gulliver’s Travels. So yeah, maybe it’s best not to mention this one to this star of A Quiet Place, no matter how much you think she might laugh.

Dennis Quaid - Jaws 3-D

All legendary actors have the gigs that make them, and the ones that they took so early in their career that they’d rather not think about them. Dennis Quaid’s role in Jaws 3-D more than likely falls into the latter bucket, as it’s one of the two Jaws sequels that failed to make the cut with even the franchise’s most devoted fans.

Viola Davis - The Help

Academy Award winner Viola Davis scored a nomination for her role in Tate Taylor’s film adaptation of The Help. Despite her performance’s excellence, Davis still maintains her opinion of regretting having taken part in the movie’s production, and the resulting product. 

Bill Murray - Garfield

No cinematic icon is immune to trickery, especially a trickster like Bill Murray. With his infamous Garfield casting story seeing the comedy legend mistake the movie’s writer for one of the Coen Bros, you can kind of see why he’d use his Zombieland cameo in 2009 to poke fun at the film being his only life’s regret.

Mariah Carey - Glitter

Glitter wasn’t enough of a disaster to kill Mariah Carey’s acting career, and to her credit, she went on to deliver some amazing performances in films like Lee Daniels’ Precious. But whoo-boy, does this musical drama still sting to think about from time to time? 

Elijah Wood - North

While there’s an interesting selection of beloved films Roger Ebert absolutely hated, North is one of the flops that the legendary film critic rightfully roasted. Though it definitely wasn’t Elijah Wood’s fault, it’s probably best if you don’t approach him about this one without some sort of care. 

Jennifer Lopez - Gigli

As a legendary turkey in the world of infamously bad movies, even Gigli’s director Martin Brest has pointed thoughts about that epic fail. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s colossal dud of a rom-com has more than earned its place on the bad side of history, and one could bet that even its mere mention would inspire the most withering side eye from J.Lo herself. 

George Clooney - Batman & Robin

If there’s a constant in George Clooney’s career as an entertainer, it’s his regret over Batman and Robin. Stepping in after Val Kilmer bolted on Joel Schumacher’s second Gotham-based tentpole, you can bet the ER heartthrob wishes he could use a time machine to go back and prevent this experience from ever happening. 

Renee Zellweger - Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation

Out of the Oscar-winning pair of Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, it’s a safe bet that Ms. Zellweger would be the one who’d want to keep Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation off the table of discussion. Then again, she might be a bit more relaxed on the subject since so much time has passed. 

Robert Downey Jr. - The Shaggy Dog

Early on in his mid-Aughts comeback, Robert Downey Jr. diversified his acting portfolio with everything from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang to Good Night, and Good Luck. And mixed in with the lot was his role as the antagonist in Tim Allen’s remake of The Shaggy Dog. Downey would probably talk about the movie if asked, but one has to wonder what he’d say? 

Emma Watson - The Circle

For someone like Emma Watson, an actor who chooses their projects with a level of mindfulness and message in mind, The Circle must have seemed like a good choice. But the eventual public reaction to the film may have caused the Harry Potter vet to think twice even before approaching source material with names as storied as author Dave Eggers and director James Ponsoldt attached. 

Eddie Murphy - The Adventures of Pluto Nash

The Adventures of Pluto Naash is a habitual punching bag when folks choose to talk about the most infamous disasters in movie history. And thanks to that distinction, even the very open Eddie Murphy wouldn’t be mistaken for keeping this sci-fi/comedy flameout away from the conversation. 

Lucy Liu - Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever

Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever is an infamous movie without even taking into account that it somehow managed to snag the star power of Lucy Liu into its clutches. Admittedly, so few people remember this one that it doesn’t feel like she’d have to be on guard for random fans mentioning its existence. 

Matt Damon - The Great Wall

You might think that the “white savior” worries of Matt Damon’s character in The Great Wall are the reason he might not want to talk about this massive box office dud. But the fact of the matter is, he’d probably politely decline any discussion on the matter because it was a thundering failure that didn’t really win him any new fans.

Jennifer Lawrence - Dark Phoenix

How much did Jennifer Lawrence distance herself from the X-Men movies by time she made Dark Phoenix? Well, not only was her time in makeup severely reduced/scaled back in quality, but she died quite early in the final X-Men prequel from the Fox days. Maybe that's part of why the two-part structure was abandoned prior to its release. 

Sylvester Stallone - Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot

It’s the movie so bad that Arnold Schwarzenegger tricked Sylvester Stallone into starring in it. Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is still a punch line for the Rocky franchise star/director, even decades after the film was released and tanked. One has to wonder how awkward some of those Planet Hollywood openings were, thanks to this awkward piece of history existing.

Lily Collins - Rules Don’t Apply

Actor Lily Collins is a talent that has the old Hollywood look down to a tee and isn’t afraid to show it. That confidence is probably what got her cast in Warren Beatty’s misguided rom-com Rules Don’t Apply, and to be fair, she and co-star Alden Ehrenreich are two of the only bright spots in this mostly forgettable throwback. 

Eddie Redmayne - Jupiter Ascending

If anyone is ready to admit Eddie Redmayne’s Jupiter Ascending performance is bad, it’s the man himself. While some might be inclined to give him more credit for his work in the Wachowski’s far-flung space opera, Redmayne’s criticisms of his role do come with some important caveats. 

Jennifer Hudson - Sandy Wexler

Adam Sandler is a talent who’s able to draw a wide range of actors into his orbit, and his Netflix movie Sandy Wexler was no exception. Playing a talent agent who knows a good client when he sees one, Jennifer Hudson is one of the people he rightfully tries to fast-track to fame. By no means does that proper judgment mean that this movie is something she, or most viewers, would even remember.

Hugh Jackman - Pan

Some flops crash and burn with very little trace of the wreckage. Others, like the Hugh Jackman starring Peter Pan adaptation Pan, collapse under ill-fated ambitions that don’t end up adding up in the end. But at least we got Jackman’s Captain Hook singing “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” in a totally bonkers musical number.

Pedro Pascal - Wonder Woman 1984

Pedro Pascal is almost universally recognized as one of, if not the best part of Wonder Woman 1984. That still feels like a far cry from something The Mandalorian star would even want to discuss, as its infamy is something that still echoes pretty strongly so close to its initial execution.

Dame Judi Dench - Cats

You can always count on an acting talent as iconic as Dame Judi Dench to tell it like it is. And whether it was reacting to her Razzie award nomination or the final look of her character in 2019’s Cats, she certainly hasn’t left any of her thoughts to the imagination. 

Daisy Ridley - Chaos Walking

One would probably think that Daisy Ridley would merely not want to remember Chaos Walking because of its unsuccessful bid for box office success. However, the protracted production and crazy amounts of reshoots and edits have probably ensured that the Star Wars vet has actually forgotten the ins and outs of this failed YA franchise.

Ben Kingsley - A Sound of Thunder

You don’t get to be an actor as legendary as Ben Kingsley without logging some seriously wild projects like A Sound of Thunder on your resume. This 2005 sci-fi disaster is so ill-regarded that its Game Boy video game adaptation is seen as a more favorable experience. That’s both terribly unique and just plain old terrible. 

Brendan Fraser - Monkeybone

Brendan Fraser is a lovable actor who knows how, and when, to get goofy. It’s just a shame that a project like Monkeybone never understood how to use those skills to its advantage, saddling The Mummy star with a movie that he more than likely hasn’t thought about for some time. 

Scarlett Johansson - Ghost In The Shell

There are some who might defend the live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell starring Scarlett Johansson. Considering how much the movie has been rejected by even the source anime’s fans, and the kerfluffle that came from her casting as Major Mira Killian being seen as a bit of whitewashing, this project is probably one that the Marvel veteran would reasonably remain silent on.

Keanu Reeves - 47 Ronin

It’s not Keanu Reeves’ fault that 47 Ronin was a stinker for the ages. Although if one were to mention the movie to him in passing, he’d probably just smile and laugh, charmingly admitting defeat in that particular case of cinematic disaster. 

Will Smith - Gemini Man

What’s worse than a movie failing with one Will Smith in the starring role? Apparently, a technologically advanced picture like Gemini Man, which saw Smith playing against a CGI de-aged younger version of himself. Finally, a movie that rivals Wild Wild West for infamy on Mr. Smith’s resume.

Jack Nicholson - How Do You Know?

Jack Nicholson has been comfortably retired ever since making 2010’s How Do You Know? One has to wonder if he’d be equally as comfortable if he were to be prompted to remember the experience and the fallout that came from its release into theaters. 

As you can see, even the most talented of actors have their potential sore spots in conversation. Maybe they're not as shy about discussing these films as we'd think, and you can get a good story out of the deal. In any case, if there was a class of losers that the best and brightest of Hollywood wished they could forget, this is more than a formidable crop of titles that would fit that bill for good reason.

Sometimes, a character and a project come around that impacts the zeitgeist deeply, and when that happens, the role becomes permanently attached to an actor’s legacy. This list includes over 30 actors from some of the greatest movies and TV shows who will forever be remembered for one role. 

Daniel Radcliffe – Harry Potter, Harry Potter 

While Daniel Radcliffe’s list of best movies is long and notable – with entries like Swiss Army Man and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – he will always be known first and foremost as The Boy Who Lived. The actor took on the titular role of Harry Potter when he was 12 years old, and he’s the face of a franchise of movies that have raised countless people. So, while he is beloved for lots of things, nothing will ever be as big and prominent as his role in the Wizarding World.  

Aaron Paul – Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad and its cast truly took the world by storm, and the guys leading the charge, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, became certified legends because of it. It’s hard to separate Paul from Jesse Pinkman, and the impact he made with his fellow ensemble members in this incredible show.  

Sarah Michelle Gellar – Buffy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

When you play one of the greatest TV characters of all time, obviously, it’ll be the thing you’re most remembered for. For Sarah Michelle Gellar, she’ll always be known as the legendary Buffy the Vampire Slayer after playing the empowering and strong titular character for seven seasons in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. 

Robert Downey Jr. – Iron Man/Tony Stark, Iron Man

Yes, Robert Downey Jr. won an Oscar for Oppenheimer, and yes, he’s well known for roles in other films, like Sherlock Holmes. However, when you single-handedly help successfully start a cinematic universe like the one Marvel has and star in nine of those projects, yes, you are going to be known for playing that character forever.

So, when it comes to RDJ’s legacy, his role as Iron Man/Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be the thing he’s remembered forever for.  

Elijah Wood – Frodo, Lord of the Rings

Like Daniel Radcliffe and Harry Potter, so many grew up with Elijah Wood and Lord of the Rings. His portrayal of the hobbit Frodo Baggins was incredibly impactful, and while he has gone on to play a variety of memorable roles, there’s no denying the power of the Rings. 

Carrie Fisher – Princess Leia, Star Wars

You can’t talk about the late great Carrie Fisher and her career without mentioning Princess Leia and the Star Wars movies. She inspired a whole generation as her intelligent, stubborn and empowering princess, and the five films she was a part of helped define sci-fi in film. 

Leonard Nimoy – Spock, Star Trek

Live long and prosper, my friend. Forever and always the legendary Leonard Nimoy will be known for originating the role of the half-Vulcan, half-human Spock in Star Trek. 

Christopher Reeve – Superman, Superman

Christopher Reeve’s legacy is rooted in him playing Superman in four films. Even the documentary that came out about his life in 2024 leans into his time playing Clark Kent, as it’s called Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. 

James Gandolfini – Tony Soprano, The Sopranos

The Sopranos is considered one of the greatest shows on television, and James Gandolfini’s performance as Tony Soprano is a major reason why. The actor won three Emmys for his performance in the series, and his name, face and voice are synonymous with the beloved HBO drama. 

Alicia Silverstone – Cher Horowitz, Clueless

When I think of Alicia Silverstone, I immediately think of Cher, because she is and always will be best known for her iconic performance in one of the best movies of the ‘90s, Clueless. 

Sigourney Weaver – Ellen Ripley, Alien

Sigourney Weaver changed the sci-fi game when she starred in Alien. Ellen Ripley is a magnificent and strong leading woman in this sci-fi horror flick, which in 1979, was not something we saw very often. 

Jim Parsons – Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory

“Bazinga!” Will always follow Jim Parsons, and that’s because of his tenure playing Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The actor has four Emmys for playing the role, he starred in all 280 episodes of the comedy, and his character even inspired a spinoff, Young Sheldon, which came to an end in 2024 after its own seven-season run. 

Kit Harington – Jon Snow, Game of Thrones

The world was introduced to Kit Harington because of Game of Thrones, and he will always be remembered as the heroic Jon Snow. His role in the GOT cast was vital, and over the years, as we watched him battle it out at The Wall and work toward saving Westeros from winter, it was impossible not to fall for him. Now, while Harington has been in numerous other projects since then, it’s impossible not to think of him as this epic fantasy hero first. 

Emma Watson – Hermione Granger, Harry Potter

These days, Emma Watson doesn’t act anymore, and she’s killing with her gin company Renais. However, she’ll also always be remembered as a wonderful actress who brought life to the beloved witch Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films. 

The Entire Cast of Friends

Yes, the cast of Friends all went on to have successful careers after the NBC sitcom. However, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox are best known as Rachel, Ross, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Monica, and they always will be, because they’re the ones with a hit TV show. 

Ralph Macchio – Daniel LaRusso, The Karate Kid

After three Karate Kid movies, and six seasons of its highly successful spinoff Cobra Kai, you’d be silly not to think that Ralph Macchio will always be remembered for playing Daniel LaRusso. 

Linda Hamilton – Sarah Connor, The Terminator

Linda Hamilton played Sarah Connor in The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator: Dark Fate. She’s beloved for portraying the protagonist in this sci-fi franchise, and she’s synonymous with this series that she starred in alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Chris Hemsworth – Thor, Thor

While many Marvel actors have become synonymous with their characters, one who really stands out is Chris Hemsworth and Thor. Physically, the Australian actor perfectly embodies the God of Thunder, and throughout his time playing the character he added an unexpected sense of humor to the role – especially post-Thor: Ragnarok – that he’ll be remembered forever for. 

Kristen Stewart – Bella Swan, Twilight

Twilight, the debate about Team Edward vs. Team Jacob and Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan took over the zeitgeist between 2008-2012. To this day, while she’s gone on to star in incredible films like Spencer and Love Lies Bleeding, the role that made her a household name is one of the parts she’ll always be remembered for. 

Heath Ledger – The Joker, The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger is widely regarded as the best Joker, because of his commanding performance as the legendary Batman villain in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. This movie was also one of his last before his untimely death, and he won a posthumous Oscar for his incredible take on the infamous big bad. 

Millie Bobby Brown – Eleven, Stranger Things

Millie Bobby Brown has made quite a few successful films, like the Enola Holmes movies. However, it’s undeniable that the role that will define her career is Eleven in Stranger Things. She was only 12 when she started playing the mysterious super-powered human, and over the course of the show’s five-season run, both she and the ensemble of the Netflix series, have become pop culture icons because of the show. 

William Shatner – Captain Kirk, Star Trek

If you take a look at the four projects listed at the top of William Shatner’s IMDb page, all of them are Star Trek movies where he played Captain Kirk. The man starred in seven films and a long-running TV show as the beloved captain, so of course it’s what he’s best known for. 

Michael J. Fox – Marty McFly, Back to the Future

From Family Ties to Teen Wolf, Michael J. Fox and his shows and movies were ‘80s staples. However, there’s no denying that the project he’ll always be remembered for is Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future. To this day, the project is considered one of the best ‘80s movies, and Fox is still beloved for playing the charismatic, funny and heroic Marty McFly. 

Reese Witherspoon – Elle Woods, Legally Blonde 

In the over two decades since Legally Blonde’s release, so many have been inspired to pursue their dreams and wear lots and lots of pink. That’s because Elle Woods truly left an amazing mark on the zeitgeist, and it’s because of Reese Witherspoon’s heartfelt, funny and preppy performance as the incredible lawyer-in-training. 

As Elle Woods would say, “What like it’s hard” to create one of the best characters and movies of the 2000s? 

Jon Hamm – Don Draper, Mad Men

While Jon Hamm is a wicked comedic actor, and he’s starred in a myriad of fun movies, nothing will ever come close to Mad Men. For 92 episodes, Hamm led the Mad Men cast as Don Draper – which he took an Emmy home for in 2015 – and he’ll always be recognized for playing the charismatic creative director of Sterling Cooper.

Judy Garland – Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz is a film that has raised generations of kids since 1939, and it’s still a family classic. So, when you lead a beloved musical like that, as Judy Garland did, and it remains relevant and loved for over eight decades, obviously, the role you’ll always be known for is that one. 

David Tennant – The Doctor, Doctor Who

While everyone who has played the titular timelord on Doctor Who is known for that role specifically, David Tennant is a fan-favorite Doctor, and it’s single-handedly the project he’s best known for. While he’s dabbled in many other critically acclaimed projects, like Good Omens and Broadchurch, he is and always will be the beloved actor who graced our screens as the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctors first and foremost. 

Anthony Hopkins – Hannibal Lecter, The Silence of the Lambs

Silence of the Lambs is one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and it’s in part thanks to Anthony Hopkins' truly terrifying cannibal Hannibal Lecter. In fact, his character became so popular that it inspired three more movies and a TV show. 

Sarah Jessica Parker – Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

I’m sure Carrie Bradshaw inspired many women to become writers, and I know she left many of us fantasizing about living out our lives in New York City. Sarah Jessica Parker truly slayed the role, and her own sense of style and charismatic personality meshed perfectly with Carrie. Along with playing the writer in the OG series Sex and the City, SJP has also portrayed her in two movies and the series And Just Like That. 

Emilia Clarke – Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones 

Khaleesi, Mother of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen, those are all the names Emilia Clarke’s dragon rider went by in Game of Thrones, and she gave an absolutely commanding performance as her. While her ending wasn’t what most wanted, there’s no denying how amazing it was to see Daenerys rise from a woman trying to survive to a powerful leader, and that’s because of how brilliant Clarke was in the role. 

Mark Hamill – Luke Skywalker, Star Wars

He was the face of the original trilogy, and you can’t think about Star Wars without thinking about Mark Hamill and Luke Skywalker. While the actor is well-known for other roles, especially in the world of voice acting, his most prominent part has to be this. 

Gal Gadot – Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman

Sadly, there aren’t many superhero movies led by women. However, luckily, we do have a few wonderful ones, and that includes Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. She played the beloved hero with so much grace, poise and strength, and she’ll 100% always be remembered for it. 

Obviously, while all these actors have played other prominent roles in well-known movies and shows, there’s no question that when we consider their legacies, these parts will be the first ones we think about. They’re that iconic, and we have these performers to thank for them. 

Most actors don't just come out of the woodwork and immediately get awards attention, box office success and global stardom. Many start out taking bit parts in big movies or supporting character gigs opposite more successful performers. From Academy Award winners like Charlize Theron and Viola Davis to superhero stars like Tom Holland and Ben Affleck, here are 32 now-famous faces you might not remember popped up in famous movies before they were big. 

Matt Damon

In his movie debut, a very young Matt Damon can briefly be seen in 1988's Mystic Pizza as Steamer Windsor, the younger brother of Adam Storke's Charles, the clean-cut, country-club love interest of fun-loving pizzeria waitress Daisy (Julia Roberts). Steamer is present at an awkward dinner where Charles brings Daisy home to meet the family. 

Viola Davis

In the 1998 crime comedy Out of Sight, which is undoubtedly one of Steven Soderbergh's best movies, Viola Davis has a small role playing Moselle Miller, the wife of boxer Maurice "Snoopy" Miller (Don Cheadle). She would later go on to act alongside her Out of Sight co-star Jennifer Lopez in another crime flick, 2015's Lila & Eve.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

The 1992 Martin Brest melodrama Scent of a Woman memorably stars Al Pacino as a blind retired colonel and Chris O'Donnell as the prep-school student hired to watch over him, but it also features Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of his earliest performances as a fellow student named George Willis, Jr.

Carey Mulligan

The Bennet household is a bustling one in Joe Wright's 2005 adaptation of the Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice, so much so that you might have overlooked that — along with the likes of Keira Knightley, Rosamund Pike and Jena Malone — a teenaged Carey Mulligan is one of the Bennet sisters. (It's just one of many movies that prove Mulligan should be a much bigger star.) 

Elijah Wood

Long before he embarked on a quest to destroy the One Ring as Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, Elijah Wood was a successful child actor in films like The Adventures of Huck Finn, The Good Son, North and Flipper. However, before those starring roles, the pint-sized performer showed up as "Video Game Boy #2" in Back to the Future Part II.

Octavia Spencer

The 1999 Drew Barrymore comedy Never Been Kissed is jam-packed with unexpected actor appearances, from Jessica Alba to James Franco — together they play a dopey but popular high school couple — to Octavia Spencer. The latter plays a coworker of the main character Josie Geller (Barrymore) at the Chicago Sun-Times. 

Timothée Chalamet

With everything that goes on in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar — you know, that whole part about the astronauts who have to travel through a wormhole near Saturn in search of a new home for humankind — viewers may have forgotten that a fresh-faced Timothée Chalamet as Tim, the teen son of Matthew McConaughey's Cooper. 

Brie Larson

Well before she received an Oscar or donned a superhero cape, Captain Marvel star Brie Larson was a tween actress who had a main role in the short-lived WB sitcom Raising Dad. One of her first big-screen gigs, however, was as a popular Six Chick in the 2004 Jennifer Garner favorite 13 Going on 30. (Don't feel too bad, Mark Ruffalo didn't remember her either.) 

Charlize Theron

If you're a fan of The Wonders, you no doubt remember band members Guy (Tom Everett Scott), Lenny (Steve Zahn), Jimmy (Johnathon Schaech) and the bass player (Ethan Embry). However, you may not so readily remember that Charlize Theron is also in That Thing You Do!, as Guy's ex-girlfriend Tina, who leaves him for her dentist. 

Joe Manganiello 

Before making the ladies sweat in the Magic Mike franchise, Joe Manganiello was making Peter Parker sweat for an entirely different reason in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man film series, playing the high-school bully Flash Thompson. His character dated Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane before she ended up with Spidey himself (Tobey Maguire). 

Seth Rogen

The titular teen protagonist of Donnie Darko (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) doesn't just have to deal with those disturbing visions of a rabbit-costumed man named Frank. He also has to deal with a pair of high school bullies, one of whom is played by Seth Rogen in his first ever movie appearance. 

Amy Adams

The Steven Spielberg-directed crime comedy Catch Me If You Can featured several now-well-known actresses before they were household names, including Ellen Pompeo, Elizabeth Banks and Amy Adams. The latter acted opposite Leonardo DiCaprio (played teenage con artist Frank Abagnale Jr.) as Brenda Strong, a young hospital worker who falls for Frank and his fraud. 

Keira Knightley

Given her uncanny resemblance to Natalie Portman, it's only fitting that a teenage Keira Knightley appeared as Sabé, a handmaiden and royal decoy for Portman's Padmé Amidala in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Even Knightley herself could use a reminder about who she played in the space trilogy!

Michael Fassbender

Years before memorable film roles in Inglourious Basterds, Jane Eyre, the X-Men movies and his Oscar-nominated turn in Shame, Michael Fassbender made his film debut in the 2006 action epic 300. He played the character of Stelios, a young, spirited and highly skilled Spartan soldier fighting under Gerard Butler's King Leonidas.

Sandra Oh

"Gupta? Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. The queen is coming!" It's one of the most memorable lines uttered in The Princess Diaries and it's said by none other than a pre-Grey's Anatomy Sandra Oh. Joining Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews in the beloved cast, Oh plays the humorous vice principal at Mia Thermopolis's school. 

Margot Robbie

Before her big breakout in The Wolf of Wall Street — and even longer before she painted the world pink with the phenomenon that is Barbie — rom-com fans got their first introduction to Margot in the 2013 romantic dramedy About Time. Robbie plays Charlotte, a woman that the main character Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) is crushing on before he meets his true love, Mary (played by Rachel McAdams).

Joaquin Phoenix

The 1989 Ron Howard-directed comedy Parenthood already has a stacked cast — Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, Keanu Reeves, Mary Steenburgen and Dianne Wiest, to name a few — before you even remember that one of the youngins in the movie is played by a teenage Joaquin Phoenix, then going by his birth name Leaf.

Samuel L. Jackson

It's hard to remember a time when Samuel L. Jackson wasn't a major movie star, but in the 1970s and '80s, the iconic actor was racking up bit parts in big titles, including Eddie Murphy's Coming to America. In the 1988 rom-com, Jackson plays a character known as "Hold-Up Man," an armed robber who has held up the local fast-food restaurant called McDowell's five times. 

Kristen Stewart

Though she has been acting professionally since grade school, Kristen Stewart didn't become a global star until she played moody teen Bella Swan in 2008's vampire romance Twilight. But years before that, she played a memorable part in the 2002 David Fincher thriller Panic Room, appearing opposite Jodie Foster as her character's daughter. 

Dakota Johnson

\Dakota Johnson had her big Hollywood breakthrough leading a beloved book-to-film adaptation, as Anastasia Steele in the erotic Fifty Shades film series. But she actually showed up in another huge movie five years earlier: 2010's The Social Network, as a college coed who spends the night with Sean Parker, played by Justin Timberlake. 

Gabrielle Union

Before she led the Clovers to cheer competition victory in 2000's Bring It On, Gabrielle Union was given supporting roles in '90s teen favorites like 10 Things I Hate About You and She's All That. The latter was actually her film debut, in which she appeared as popular girl Katie, a member of Zack Siler's (Freddie Prinze Jr.) friend group. 

Nicolas Cage

Technically, Nicolas Cage wasn't in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. But Nicolas Coppola was — when he made his feature film acting debut in the 1982 coming-of-age comedy, the actor was still going by his birth name. However, the Oscar-winning star would later change his name professionally to avoid nepotism allegations. (He is, of course, the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire, and a cousin of director Sofia Coppola and actor Jason Schwartzman.)

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp memorably made his big-screen debut in the 1984 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street, but movie fans might not remember that a short while later, he also appeared in Oliver Stone's war film Platoon as a young soldier fighting in the Vietnam War alongside the likes of Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Forest Whitaker and Kevin Dillon. 

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman has had a prolific acting career ever since she was a tween, starting from when she starred as the young protégée of a hitman in the 1994 action film Léon: The Professional at only twelve years old. Though that was an instantly memorable introduction to the performer, you might have forgotten that only a year later, she worked alongside screen greats like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in the Michael Mann-directed classic, Heat. 

Tom Holland

He's most famous for spinning webs as Spider-Man but long before that, Tom Holland was making his film debut (and making audiences weep) in the 2012 disaster drama The Impossible, as a young boy desperately trying to reunite with his family following a horrific tsunami. 

Vince Vaughn

The heartwarming 1993 sports drama Rudy — about a young man (Sean Astin) who dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame — features an ironic pair of film-acting debuts. It was the first movie roles of both Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, playing teaching assistant D-Bob and tailback Jamie O'Hara, respectively. That duo would famously go on to star in the 1996 buddy comedy Swingers. 

Ryan Gosling

Another early football role for a Hollywood heavyweight, a young Ryan Gosling already had some big TV gigs under his belt (The Mickey Mouse Club, Young Hercules) before he appeared as Alan Bosley, the wiry cornerback of T. C. Williams High School's football team in Remember the Titans. And if you remember that locker-room singalong, you know the little Goose had charisma even then!

Mila Kunis

Yes, that is a mini Mila Kunis in Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves — she played a friend of Wayne Szalinski's (Rick Moranis) niece, who throws a house party once it seems like all of the grown-ups have left for the evening. (Instead, the adults have been accidentally zapped to microscopic proportions, naturally.) 

Daniel Craig

Before he was Bond, James Bond, Daniel Craig was Ballard, John Ballard, in the 1998 historical drama Elizabeth. The British actor portrayed a priest-slash-assassin who conspired with the Duke of Norfolk (Christopher Eccleston) to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I (played by Cate Blanchett) from the throne. Of course, Bond would never treat the Queen of England that way!

Jake Gyllenhaal

Given that filmmaking is a family business for Jake Gyllenhaal — he is the son of film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, and the younger bro of the great actress Maggie Gyllenhaal — it's not a shock that the actor started young. He made his film debut at age ten in 1991's City Slickers, playing the son of Billy Crystal's character Mitch Robbins. 

Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington is best known for playing crisis management expert Olivia Pope in the ABC drama series Scandal, but more than a decade earlier, she showed off her fix-it skills as Chenille Reynolds in Save the Last Dance, helping Julia Stiles's character Sara better integrate into their South Side high school and hip-hop culture at large. 

Ben Affleck

Like his famous best friend Matt Damon, Ben Affleck also began his acting career as a child and while eagle-eyed moviegoers no doubt remember spotting him in early-'90s films like School Ties and Dazed and Confused, they may have forgotten his uncredited early cameos, such as "Basketball Player 10" in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie. 

An acting legend has passed away at 79 years old. Bernard Hill was known for many roles throughout his career, including the James Cameron blockbuster Titanic. No doubt, though, that many remember his performance in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Return of the King and will continue to do so as tributes from Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, and others poured in for the actor who played King Théoden. 

The BBC has reported that Hill passed away on Sunday morning, and tributes to the actor have been spreading throughout the day. It just so happened that the Hobbit actors from Lord of the Rings were at Liverpool Comic Con and filled the audience in on what happened. Sean Astin kicked off the tributes with the following: 

Sean Astin has stated that he was nervous going into the first Lord of the Rings movie because of the scope of what it set out to do. I'd guess having a veteran like Bernard Hill on set likely set some of those fears at ease. 

Billy Boyd continued the singing of praises for Hill, talking about noticing something while watching the movies with fellow Lord of the Rings cast member Dominic Monaghan. Should readers stream his performances with a Max subscription, they may walk away with the same observation that Boyd had: 

Elijah Wood, who went to great lengths to land his starring role as Frodo Baggins, took to Twitter to pay homage to Bernard Hill, writing,

When it comes to Bernard Hill, a lot of people think of Lord of the Rings as well as Titanic. Considering those movies amassed a lot of critical acclaim, box office success, and Academy Awards, that's not surprising. With that said, Hill worked in Hollywood a long time, as actor Michael McKean honored one of his more minor roles they shared together: 

Of course, there was no shortage of fan responses, with many on social media speaking to the brilliance of Bernard Hill's best performances. This included that of the real-life human Captain Edward John Smith in Titanic, and readers would do well to rewatch his memorable turn (and can do so on streaming with a Paramount+ subscription). It always feels like a big deal when an actor passes, but when organizations like BAFTA take a moment to acknowledge it, it feels extra special: 

Rest in peace to the actor, and hopefully his work will be appreciated for decades to come. I know I won't forget these roles anytime soon, especially his role as King Théoden. We here at CinemaBlend extend condolences to the family and friends of Bernard Hill and wish them well during a difficult time.

James Wan is presently one of the biggest names in horror, so it was really only a matter of time before he became invested in the cinematic legacy of adapting Stephen King. In addition to being a producer on Gary Dauberman’s Salem’s Lot, he is also behind the development of another upcoming Stephen King movie: Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey. An adaptation of the eponymous short story, the project was first announced in May 2023, and it has put together a talented ensemble cast.

Having secretly completed production in early 2024, The Monkey centers on a pair of estranged twin brothers who have to reunite when a supernatural cymbal-banging monkey toy from their childhood reemerges. The film will be Osgood Perkins’ follow-up to the buzzy upcoming horror movie Longlegs, and according to Deadline, its cast includes a number of notable names.

Theo James

In The Monkey, Theo James will be playing a pair of identical twin brothers – and it’s actually the second time that he’s taken on a dual role in recent years, having had a brief role in Riley Sterns’ clone-centric dark comedy Dual. James earned heat early in his career for his big screen franchise work, starring in the last two Underworld movies and the Divergent series, but he has more recently been busy on TV with shows like The White Lotus and The Gentlemen (which is based on the Guy Ritchie movie of the same name).

Tatiana Maslany

Tatiana Maslany is now best known for playing the titular role in Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney At Law series (available to stream with a Disney+ subscription), but she spent years earning acclaim for her work on the science-fiction series Orphan Black and won an Emmy in 2016. She has also done a lot of voice work, including shows like Invincible, 3 Below: Tales Of Arcadia, and The Harper House. She hasn’t done a lot of live-action features in the last decade, but her filmography includes David Gordon Green’s Stronger starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Karyn Kusama’s Destroyer starring Nicole Kidman. We can assume that she is playing the female lead in The Monkey, but the reality is that we haven’t heard any details about her character.

Christian Convery

Joining Theo James in playing a dual role in The Monkey (they are playing the same characters at different ages), Christian Convery has quickly established himself as a young star. On the big screen, he is known for his part in the horror comedy Cocaine Bear and for voicing Chase in PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, but he is also known for playing the lead role in the Netflix series Sweet Tooth. He voiced Fregley in 2021’s animated Diary Of A Wimpy Kid and reprised the role in 2023’s Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Christmas: Cabin Fever.

Elijah Wood

Is there anyone who doesn’t know who Elijah Wood is? After all, the guy has been consistently working since he was a young kid in the late 1980s/1990s making movies like Radio Flyer, The Good Son and Flipper. Of course, at the start of the 21st century he famously played Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings movies, and he’s been doing great work in both film and television in the decades since. He’s been a part of some standout horror/thriller titles – like the 2012 remake of Maniac, the screen-life feature Open Windows, and the excellent cannibal-centric Showtime series Yellowjackets, but The Monkey will mark his first time being in a Stephen King adaptation

Colin O’Brien

Colin O’Brien is one of the youngest members of The Monkey’s ensemble cast, and yet he is the only one who has prior experience starring in a Stephen King movie (he played a younger version of Jaeden Martell’s character, Craig, in writer/director John Lee Hancock’s 2022 adaptation of the novella “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone”). That was his first professional acting role, and he has since followed that up with a few credits in multiple mediums. He played a young Willy Wonka in 2023’s Wonka, and has appeared in episodes of the shows S.W.A.T. and Grey’s Anatomy, but his biggest part to date has been playing the eponymous role in the AppleTV+ drama series Dear Edward (which co-stars Taylor Schilling and Connie Britton). In addition to The Monkey, he also has a part opposite Halle Berry in the upcoming Netflix movie The Mothership.

Rohan Campbell

Like a few of his co-stars in The Monkey, Canadian actor Rohan Campbell has been acting since he was a kid, his early career spent mostly making TV movies, but he has raised his profile since then. After a few years of making appearances in shows like The 100, iZombie, Supernarural and Snowpiercer, he landed one of the lead roles in the Hulu original series The Hardy Boys, which completed its third season in 2023. Campbell is also now well known to horror fans thanks to his standout role in David Gordon Green’s Halloween Ends, which saw him play what could be described as a vessel for the evil that is Michael Myers.

Sarah Levy

If you were a fan of the hit Canadian series Schitt’s Creek, then you surely remember the work of Sarah Levy, who played the friendly-but-ditzy waitress Twyla Sands from the Café Tropical. Since the conclusion of that show in 2020, Levy has been on shows including United We Fall and All Rise, but she has mostly been busy co-starring on the Canadian horror/drama SurrealEstate, which completed the run of its second season in December 2023.

We’ll continue to add to this feature as we learn about more actors who are a part of the upcoming horror film. The Monkey is set for release on February 21, 2025, and given its source material, the skilled folks behind the camera, and all of the talented performers mentioned here, you can be sure that we will be keeping a close eye on the project and will be reporting about all future developments. Stay tuned for more news and details, and for a weekly roundup of all things related to Stephen King, check out my Thursday column The King Beat.

Early last summer, it was announced that a brand new Stephen King adaptation was in the works – specifically a movie based on the super creepy short story "The Monkey." It was announced that writer/director Osgood Perkins would helm the film, James Wan would produce, and that Theo James would star. We haven't seen any reports about the project since then... but things have been going very well behind the scenes, as it's now being reported that Perkins' The Monkey has already wrapped production and added some stellar talent to join James on screen.

Deadline has the latest info about the project, saying that principal photography came to an end last week. And while there isn't much in the article about the various characters in the story, the excellent cast includes Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Christian Convery, Colin O’Brien, Rohan Campbell, and Sarah Levy. This will mark the first time that any of them have been in a Stephen King adaptation with the exception of O'Brien, who was in John Lee Hancock's Mr. Harrigan's Phone (based on the novella of the same name).

The trade report includes a logline description of the plot, which notably changes things a bit from the source material (hardly a surprise given the limited length of the short story, which was first published in the November 1980 issue of Gallery magazine before being included in the 1985 omnibus Skeleton Crew). The story centers on a pair of identical twin brothers – played as kids by Christian Convery and as adults by Theo James – who suffer quite a bit of trauma when they are younger after they discover their dad's old cymbal-banging monkey toy. Whenever the toy activates, a gruesome, personal death occurs, and the brothers have to figure out a way to destroy it. Over the years, the siblings grow apart, but when the familiar horror of the monkey reoccurs, they have to reunite to destroy the thing forever.

The Monkey is the fifth film from director Osgood Perkins, who made his feature debut with The Blackcoat's Daughter starring Emma Roberts in 2015 and has developed a strong reputation as a horror-centric filmmaker. His last movie to be released was 2020's Gretel & Hansel starring IT's Sophia Lillis, but the filmmaker has clearly been quite busy of late, as his latest feature, Longlegs starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe, will be in theaters on July 12.

While it's very exciting to know that The Monkey has completed filming, it's worth noting that there are now three upcoming Stephen King adaptations that are in post-production/have been completed and don't have specific release dates. It was recently announced that Gary Dauberman's Salem's Lot will be released as a Max exclusive at some point this year, but that's the extent of what we know about the release plans. Mike Flanagan's The Life Of Chuck wrapped principal photography last fall, but distribution plans are unknown. Updates will be (not so patiently) awaited.

There was a time when music videos were as important as the radio in promoting the hottest artists and songs of the day. Back in the '80s and '90s, MTV was one of the most powerful cultural forces in the country, and that was reflected in how many stars you can spot in videos from the day. 

Sometimes, they were already huge stars, like Robin Williams and Chevy Chase, other times, they were actors looking to get their break and now, years later, we can marvel at their humble beginnings. This is a list of famous people in videos from the zenith of MTV highlights both.

Alicia Silverstone - "Cryin'"

Alicia Silverstone first got famous for starring in videos, specifically Aerosmith videos. The Clueless star appeared in three videos for the Boston rockers, the first for the song "Cryin'", then later showing up in the videos for "Amazing," alongside Dazed & Confused cast member Jason London. Silverstone's final appearance, and maybe the most famous video, was for the song "Crazy," alongside Steven Tyler's daughter, Liv Tyler. 

Courteney Cox - "Dancing In The Dark"

One of the most famous examples of a star getting her first break in a music video is, of course, Friends star Courteney Cox in the video for Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing In The Dark." The video, which came out in 1984, was directed by Brian De Palma and, according to Cox, she was one of several women Springsteen could have picked out of the audience, and it was random that he chose her. What kismit! 

Cindy Crawford - "Freedom '90"

Director David Fincher, who has had quite an amazing career in film, started in music videos. One of those videos, George Michaels' "Freedom '90," was challenging because Michaels told Fincher he wasn't going to appear in the video. Fincher decided to cast a bevy of famous supermodels to lip-sync the song, including Cindy Crawford in a bathtub. 

Eva Mendes - "Miami"

In 1998, a young actress from Miami was cast in a video for the Will Smith song, "Miami." Eva Mendes had starred in one direct-to-video movie at that point and was that actress. It would be another three years before her breakout role in Training Day. It's a brief moment in the video, as she drove her convertible next to Smith's on the causeway to Miami Beach.

In 1993, Janet Jackson was on top of the world. Her fifth album, janet. was another huge hit, selling millions of copies, partly on the strength of the single, "That's the Way Love Goes." Little did anyone know at the time that one of the extras in the video would go on to a career that eclipsed even Jackson's, a then-unknown Jennifer Lopez. 

Matt LeBlanc - "Miracle"

Bon Jovi's "Miracle" is, let's be frank, not the New Jersey legends' best work. One thing they did get right was the casting for the video. Matt LeBlanc was a young actor and model just starting out on a career, so while his job is really only to look good in this video, he certainly does. It would be a few more years before America was introduced to his comedic chops too. 

Hugh Laurie - "Walking On Broken Glass"

By the time Hugh Laurie appeared in the video for Annie Lennox's "Walking on Broken Glass" in 1992, he was already very famous in the UK. It would be a few more years until the legendary TV show House would debut in the US, making Laurie a household name on both sides of the pond. John Malkovich also stars in the video, reminding fans of his role in Dangerous Liaisons. 

Angelina Jolie - "Wondering"

Angelina Jolie was a model in Hollywood from her teen years on, so it's no wonder she would have a few videos of her resume, including The Rolling Stones' video for "Has Anybody Seen My Baby," but it is surprising to see her in a video for the Athens, GA-based jam band Widespread Panic's song "Wondering" from 1993. Jolie also appears on the cover of the band's album Everyday, which includes "Wondering."

Zooey Deschanel - "She's Got Issues"

Zooey Deschanel is as successful in music, with her duo She & Him as she is on the big screen, so of course she has an early credit in a music video. Deschanel appears with fiery red hair in the video for "She's Got Issues" by The Offspring. 

Naomi Campbell - "Is This Love"

Bob Marley died over four decades ago, but his legacy is as big as ever, with the release of the biopic One Love in 2024. Back in the day, the reggae superstar filmed a video in London for his song "Is This Love" featuring a couple of local kids, including a 7-year-old Naomi Campbell!  

Macaulay Culkin - "Black Or White"

Michael Jackson redefined what a music video could be with "Thriller" and after that, he often released short films that were much more than just a song, and often they had big stars in them. For "Black or White" in 1991, MJ brought in Macaulay Culkin and George Wendt to play father and son, for example. 

Christina Hendricks - "One Hit Wonder"

Long before Christina Hendricks hit the big time with her role in Mad Men, she was a model and struggling actor in the '90s. One of her earliest roles, way back in 1998, was in the video for "One Hit Wonder" by Everclear. Luckily for all of us, that wasn't her only hit. 

Matthew McConaughey - "Walkaway Joe"

Alright, alright, alright, we'll concede that Dazed and Confused is what made Matthew McConaughey famous, but before that, he appeared in Trisha Yearwood's video for her hit "Walkaway Joe," playing the titular character of the song. 

Wesley Snipes - "Bad"

For the second single, "Bad" from his album of the same name, Micheal Jackson teamed up with Martin Scorsese to make an 18-minute short film for the video. In the video, Jackson famously has a dance-off with his rivals in a New York subway station. One of the baddies is none other than Wesley Snipes, who only had a few credits under his belt previously. 

Patrick Swayze - "Rosanna"

Toto's song "Rosanna" is famously about Rosanna Arquette. Less well-known is that if you watch the video closely, you'll notice a familiar face as one of the West Side Story-like dancers. Patrick Swayze, one year before his big break in The Outsiders is one of the dancers. In an even cooler bit of trivia, another one of the uncredited dancers in the video is Cynthia Rhodes, who would co-star as Swayze's first dance partner, Penny, in Dirty Dancing. 

Elijah Wood - "Forever Your Girl"

Elijah Wood has been working in Hollywood forever. He started as a child actor in films like Back to the Future II and The Good Sun, but before those even, he had a part in Paula Abdul's video for "Forever Your Girl" in 1989. 

Chevy Chase - "You Can Call Me Al"

Chevy Chase was one of the biggest stars on the planet in 1986 when he starred in the video for "You Can Call Me Al" with his buddy Paul Simon. It is, no lie, one of Chase's best performances, and it's impossible not to crack up at his facial expressions and physical comedy in the video. 

Johnny Depp - "Into The Great Wide Open"

Johnny Depp has always wanted to be a rock star, so it was a great move by Tom Petty to get him to play the part of one in the video for "Into The Great Wide Open" in 1991. The video also stars the legendary Faye Dunaway and Gabrielle Anwar. 

Jennifer Connelly - "I Drove All Night"

The late, great Roy Orbison found almost as much fame after he died as he found in life. Two albums of all-new songs were released posthumously and one song, "I Drove All Night," released in 1992, featured Jennifer Connelly alongside Jason Priestly, in the video, along with Orbison in grainy images of an old TV appearance. 

Kirsten Dunst - "I Knew I Loved You"

Does anybody remember the band Savage Garden? The Aussie duo had a string of huge hits in the late '90s, including the song "I Knew I Loved You" which features Kirsten Dunst as a woman on a subway with whom the lead singer, Darren Hayes, is in love. 

Robin Williams - "Don't Worry, Be Happy"

Bobby McFerrin's 1988 song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" has to be one of the most surprising #1 hits of all time. The song was huge when it came out, and went on to win three Grammys. Someone must have had an inkling though, because superstar Robin Williams co-stars in the video with McFerrin. 

Kim Basinger - "Last Dance With Mary Jane"

Tom Petty made some legendary videos during his career, but the strangest has to be the one for "Last Dance With Mary Jane" which features Kim Basinger playing a corpse, dressed up as a bride. Great song, but a very weird video.

Keanu Reeves - "Rush, Rush"

1991 was a big year for Keanu Reeves. Not only did he star in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey and Point Break, but he also appeared as a James Dean-like character in the video for "Rush, Rush" by Paula Abdul. 

Eddie Murphy - "Do You Remember The Time"

In case you've forgotten just how huge Michael Jackson was in the early '90s, remember there was a time he could premiere a video on MTV, BET, and Fox all at the same time. The video starred Jackson, of course, along with Eddie Murphy and Iman as ancient Egyptian royalty. Magic Johnson also appeared. 

Katie Holmes - "Tongue Tied"

Katie Holmes' career was just starting to take off in 1999 with her starring turn on Dawson's Creek. She also found some time to appear in the video for the song "Tongue Tied" by pop punk band Eve 6. It's not the last time Holmes has appeared in a video, either. A year later, in 2000, she starred with Micheal Douglas and others in a Bob Dylan video. 

Winona Ryder - "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child"

By far the award for the strangest appearance on this list goes to Winona Ryder in the video for Mojo Nixon's song "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child." Leave it to the late Nixon for coming up with the most ridiculous premise for a song, then landing a star like Ryder to star in the video in 1989, the same year she appeared in Heathers. 

RuPaul - "Love Shack"

If one were to guess which 1980s video to expect a RuPaul appearance, the smart money would be a B-52's video. That's exactly what happened in 1989 when RuPaul popped up very briefly in the video for "Love Shack" as a dancer and partygoer. He wasn't close to famous yet, but he was good friends with the band and he fits right into the campiness of the video. 

Benicio del Toro - "La Isla Bonita"

Benicio del Toro made his big screen debut in 1988 in Pee Wee's Big Top, but a year earlier, he was one of the extras in the video for Madonna's "La Isla Bonita." He is way in the background and can only be clearly seen in one shot, but when you watch the video, it's unmistakenly del Toro. 

Liv Tyler - "Crazy"

According to Liv Tyler, she didn't meet her biological father, Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, until she was eight, and didn't know he was her father for another few years. Still, by the time she starred in the video for "Crazy," they had developed a healthy relationship, and the video, in which she co-stars with Alicia Silverstone, launched her career.

Captain Lou Albano - "Girls Just Want To Have Fun"

Cyndi Lauper was one of the biggest breakout stars of early MTV and for good reason. The low-budget video for her debut single, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" featured a quirky cast that included her mother (playing her mother), her lawyer, and wrestling star "Captain" Lou Albano as her father. It's a video as fun as the song and it was played on repeat in those early MTV days. 

John Goodman - "Wild Wild Life"

The song "Wild Wild Life" by The Talking Heads was part of their soundtrack for the David Byrne-directed film True Stories. For the video, he recruited some of the people who appear in the film, including John Goodman, who lip-syncs along with the song in a karaoke bar. 

LeVar Burton - "Word Up"

LeVar Burton first found fame as Kunta Kinte in Roots, one of the most memorable performances by any actor, ever. About a decade later, between Roots and Star Trek: The Next Generation, Burton popped up in the video for "Word Up" by Cameo, playing a police officer trying to arrest the band. 

One video we left off this list because it's just too big a list on its own is the video for Ghostbusters which, in addition to the stars of the film also includes Chevy Chase, Danny Devito, Peter Falk, Al Franken, John Candy, and more. It's all too much to add to his list of some of the coolest appearances of stars in music videos! 

Many Hollywood stars don't actually live in California these days. While some of the stars on this list might have a home in LA, they certainly seem to prefer to spend their off time very far away from the glitz and the glamour. Here are just some of the many stars that live outside of the Golden State. 

Nicole Kidman - Nashville

Nicole Kidman and her husband (and fellow Aussie) Keith Urban have quite a few homes around the world, including LA and their native Australia, but it's the greater Nashville area that they call home most of the time. 

Meryl Streep - Connecticut

21-time Oscar nominee Meryl Streep was born in New Jersey, went to school at Vassar and Yale, and certainly strikes me as an east coast type of person. While she's lived in LA at times throughout her career, it's Connecticut that she's called home for most of her adult life. She's lived in Salisbury for decades now. 

John Goodman - New Orleans

John Goodman spent years living in LA, but in the '90s he'd had enough of California and he and his Louisiana-born wife made a choice between his hometown of St. Louis, and her home state. They moved to New Orleans, where they've been ever since. 

Matthew McConaughey - Austin

You can take the boy out of Texas, but you can't take the Texas out of the boy. Matthew McConaughey was born in Uvalde, TX, went to school in Austin, and has long lived on a ranch near the Texas state capital and getting fed up with the paparazzi in Malibu.

Bill Murray - Charleston, SC

Bill Murray has lived all over the place, LA, NYC, and Chicago... but he's a known fixture around Charleston, South Carolina and even owns his own restaurant in town called Harold's Cabin. He's also invested in the Charleston minor league baseball team. 

Harrison Ford - Jackson Hole, WY

Harrison Ford moved to LA in the '60s to follow his acting dreams, but once he hit it big, he bailed out. While he does own a home in Brentwood, he spends most of his time at his 800-acre ranch outside Jackson Hole, WY. The ranch has been his primary residence since the 1980s and it seems he prefers to call that home. 

Demi Moore - Idaho

When Covid hit in early 2020, Demi Moore and her daughters holed up together in her longtime house in Sun Valley, Idaho. They were soon joined by her ex-husband and father to her daughters, Bruce Willis. Eventually, Willis' current wife Emma Heming, and her child with Willis also joined the big happy family. Moore has lived in Sun Valley for years and it's often featured on her Instagram page.

Jeff Daniels - Chelsea, MI

Jeff Daniels grew up in the small town of Chelsea, Michigan and as soon as he could after finding success in Hollywood, he moved back. He's a true small-town kind of guy and it makes perfect sense. While he makes his money in Hollywood, his heart is always in Michigan. 

Chris Rock - New Jersey

Chris Rock has always been an East Coast guy. Though he was born in South Carolina, his family moved to Brooklyn when he was a baby. He grew up in Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy. He started his comedy career in New York City, and for a couple of decades has lived in Alpine, New Jersey.

John Travolta - Ocala, FL

John Travolta loves to fly and is a first-class plane spotter. As such, he seems to have found the perfect place to live. The Pulp Fiction star has called Ocala, FL home for decades now. While that might sound odd, it's not when you find out his house backs up to an actual airport, so he can park his planes right at home. Sounds pretty awesome. 

Tom Cruise - Clearwater, FL

Superstar Tom Cruise actually has houses all over the world. LA and London, for starters. The most surprising place he's owns property though has to be Clearwater, FL. Cruise has what's described in the Tampa newspaper as a "sprawling penthouse" just blocks from the headquarters of the Church of Scientology, to which he has long been an outspoken member, so it makes sense. 

Taylor Swift - Nashville

Music star Taylor Swift grew up in Pennsylvania and Nashville and still has a home in the latter, where she seems to spend a lot of her time when she's not on the road. In fact, she has homes all over the place, including LA, Rhode Island, and New York City. 

Chris Evans

Chris Evans grew up just outside of Boston in the suburb of Sudbury, MA. Even though he's become one of the biggest stars in the world, he's stayed close to home. He and his new bride live nearby where he grew up in Massachusetts, after getting married in Boston. 

Chris Hemsworth - Byron Bay

The Australian native Chris Hemsworth couldn't ignore the siren call of home. After years in Hollywood becoming one of the biggest stars in the world, he decided it was time to move home. He and his wife Elsa Pataky settled in a small surfing community south of Brisbane called Byron Bay in 2015 and have never looked back. 

Tommy Lee Jones - Texas

Tommy Lee Jones doesn't seem to care much for the trappings of fame, though he has used some of the money he's earned as an actor to buy a huge tract of land in Texas. Jones might be Harvard-educated and work in Hollywood, but he's Texas through and through. 

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani - Tishomingo, OK

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani might be Hollywood's most unlikely couple, at least until you see them together. Less surprising is that they split time between her home stomping grounds in LA and his in Oklahoma. The two built a house on Shelton's ranch in Tishomingo, OK, where they spend most of their time. 

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds - Bedford, NY

The enduring couple of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds don't seem to be interested in big city living, instead opting for the small upstate town of Bedford, NY They maintain a couple of other houses, but their real home is in Westchester County, NY, where they live a quiet, but luxurious life in a small enclave with some celebrity neighbors including Martha Stewart and Micheal Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. 

Mark Ruffalo - Callicoon, NY

Mark Ruffalo is another actor who prefers the peace and quiet of small-town America to the bright lights of Hollywood. The Avengers star and his wife Sunny live in the tiny berg of Callicoon in the Catskill mountains of New York State. 

Elijah Wood - Austin

Elijah Wood doesn't actually live in a shire, like his Lord of the Rings character, but he doesn't live in a huge city, either. Wood has called Austin, TX home for years and a when he was on Hot Ones, he explained where to get all the best meals in town. 

Dave Chappelle - Yellow Springs, OH

Yellow Springs, Ohio might be the last place you'd expect to find a celebrity living among us, but when you understand Dave Chappelle's background, it makes perfect sense. The legendary comedian grew up in Yellow Springs and though he's made a name for himself in Hollywood, the Ohio town is clearly the place he calls home. 

Julia Roberts - Taos, NM

Many years ago, Julia Roberts bought a ranch in Taos, NM, and it seems every year, she spends more and more time there. She even married her husband Danny Moder there. While she does split time in a house in Malibu, closer to work, she seems to prefer the peaceful life of Taos, as she's explained in the past. 

Daniel Day-Lewis - Ireland

Long before Daniel Day-Lewis decided to retire from acting, he had settled into living in Ireland’s County Wicklow. It's hardly surprising that an actor like Lewis would shun the spotlight, after all, he really only worked when the part really fascinated him, and he retired in 2017 despite unparalleled success as a performer. 

John Cena - Land o' Lakes, Florida

Don't confuse John Cena's hometown of Land o' Lakes, Florida for a stick of butter. The Fast X star has lived in the town outside Tampa for a long time. Even as his star has risen in Hollywood, with a major role in the DCEU as Peacemaker both in The Suicide Squad and his own show, The Peacemaker, Cena has resisted moving to California. 

Vera Farmiga - Woodstock, NY

Upstate New York is a popular place for stars to escape the public eye and Vera Farmiga is one of the stars that prefers it that way. The Many Saints of Newark actor lives in the famous artist colony of Woodstock in the Hudson Valley, following in a long tradition of celebrities retreating to the woods to get out of the spotlight, even when she's popping into rock shows in Woodstock to play Iron Maiden covers in a bar band. 

Woody Harrelson - Maui, HI

Woody Harrelson is definitely a man who moves to the beat of his own drummer, so the fact that he lives in Hawaii is hardly a shock. He even semi-retired for a while at the height of his career. While he's not "off the grid", he's certainly off the beaten path. Thankfully, his home was unaffected by the tragic wildfires earlier this year. 

John Mayer - Livingstone, MT

John Mayer has settled down into a much quieter life in recent years. The Dead & Co guitar player has found peace and quiet in the small Montana town of Livingstone. While life on the road certainly has its wild times, one would think, it must be nice for Mayer to get back home for some relaxing peace. 

Ken Jennings - Seattle, WA

Despite being named co-host of Jeopardy! a couple of years ago, and really taking a shine to the gig that shoots in LA, Ken Jennings does not seem to have plans to permanently relocate to Southern California. Jennings and his family have long called Seattle home and it seems he's happy to commute when it's time to shoot new episodes of the legendary game show. 

Robert De Niro - New York City

It's hard to imagine Robert De Niro living anywhere but New York. He just doesn't seem to be a California type of guy at all, right? He even helped get the Tribeca Film Festival off the ground, which bolstered not only NYC but the actual neighborhood he lives in in Manhattan as it struggled to recover from the 9/11 attacks. 

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence is bi-coastal, for sure. She does have a house in LA, but her husband Cooke Maroney is an art dealer whose business and gallery are in New York City, so she seems to spend most of the time she's not working in the Big Apple. 

Dan Aykroyd - Sydenham, Ontario

Dan Aykroyd has always been proud to be Canadian and he's been a longtime resident of Sydenham, Ontario, near Kingston, ON, not too far from where he grew up in Ottawa. 

Jennifer Hudson - Chicagoland Area

Superstar Jennifer Hudson is a Chicago girl and as such, she's stayed close to home. She may be a worldwide star, but Chicago is what made her who she is today and despite the means to live anywhere, Hudson chooses to live in the suburb of Burr Ridge, outside Chi-Town. 

Nikki Glaser - St. Louis, MO

Despite being the hometown of a lot of huge stars like John Goodman, Sterling K. Brown, Jenna Fischer, and Jon Hamm, most don't stay in town. The exception to that rule is comedian and comedy roast specialist Nikki Glaser. She moved back during the pandemic and found it much more fulfilling to live in her hometown than on either coast. 

While Los Angeles may be the city of dreams, it's not always the city of permanent residence for stars that have reached those lofty heights. Most may get their start on the West Coast but many of the biggest stars in the world don't live in California. 

Over the years, Daniel Radcliffe has said things along the lines of “conceptually, we are the same,” while speaking about how he frequently gets mistaken for Elijah Wood, and he’s totally right. This latest quote came from an interview where the Harry Potter star opened up about how he’s amused by fans comparing the two. However, this time, he also explained why the Lord of the Rings star may have had reason to be a bit “annoyed” with the mix-ups when they were younger, and it’s totally understandable. 

It makes sense why these two beloved actors are so connected in people’s minds. Along with kind of looking alike – which we’ll get into later – they also both played the lead roles in massive fantasy franchises that are among the best movies of the 2000s. Both the Harry Potter films and the Lord of the Rings trilogy began in 2001, they’re both based on wickedly popular fantastical novels, and they both star young guys with brown hair and blue eyes. 

However, as Radcliffe pointed out in a Vanity Fair interview, he was 12 years old when he started playing The Boy Who Lived, and Wood was 20 at the beginning of Frodo’s journey. With that age difference in mind, the Swiss Army Man star explained why the Sin City actor had good reason to be annoyed with the mix-ups all those years ago:

Considering how in 2001 Radcliffe was a pre-teen and Wood was an adult, it makes sense why the Harry Potter star said this. These days, when the two get confused it's just fun, but back then that kind of age difference was a lot more jarring, making the comparisons a little bit weirder. 

Right before humorously explaining why his so-called look-alike might have been “annoyed” by people mixing them up back in the early 2000s, Radcliffe revealed why he thinks the two get confused so often. He said:

Overall, these two really seem to get a good laugh out of this whole situation – the Harry Potter star even said he loves it when people shout at him from moving cars. However, Wood and Radcliffe will tell fans the same thing when they get mixed up, which is a simple “no.” This was proven again when the Weird: The Al Yankovic Story star elaborated about how he’s been asked many times to sign photos of Wood. He’ll gladly do it, however, he’ll always sign "Daniel Radcliffe," and not pretend to be his fellow fantasy star. 

While I’d say these two are more like cousins than twins when it comes to looks, there’s no denying that they really are “conceptually” similar. Along with having similar features, they’ve also had parallel career trajectories. Both were young stars in massive fantasy franchises, and these days they are among many child actors who have taken on some wild roles now that they’re all grown up. 

They’re proving this point to be true right now, too. Radcliffe’s wild show Miracle Workers as well as Wood’s performance in the drama Yellowjackets both were part of the 2023 TV schedule. They’re also both continuing to take on fun and unexpected roles. At the moment, the LOTR star has two films in post-production, and his so-called doppelganger is in the midst of starring in the revival of Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway. 

To go back and stream both of these iconic fantasy film franchises, and to see Daniel Radcliffe and Elijah Wood in some seriously legendary roles, you can stream both the Harry Potter movies and Lord of the Rings films with a Max subscription. 

A case can be made that The Lord of the Rings is the greatest film trilogy of all time. Few movie series can maintain quality across all their installments, but somehow, Peter Jackson and crew were able to deliver not one, not two, but three incredible fantasy features. So for most fans, the prospect of a LotR reboot or remake is sacrilege. Well, brace yourselves, Tolkien devotees, because new Rings movies set in  have been announced and, now one of the past stars of the original series is weighing in on the idea. That’s right, Frodo Baggins himself, Elijah Wood, gave his thoughts on Warner Bros.’ plan for a new set of installments in the beloved franchise.

In February, Warner revealed its plan to create several new movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s intellectual property. In a recent interview with GQ, the Elijah Wood told the publication that he is optimistic that the new films will be “good." The fan-favorite actor also made note of one particular hope he has, and it involves the folks making decisions behind the scenes. Wood said: 

It’s clear that the Maniac star understands the business side of filmmaking, but he’s also mindful of what made the original Lord of the Rings movies so special. He continued:

These comments reflect the concerns of many fans who worry that the biggest aim of the new movies is simply to make money as opposed to staying faithful to the source material. However, it’s worth noting that Warner Bros. has a history of producing successful adaptations of the beloved author's work. In addition to the original Rings trilogy, the studio also released The Hobbit trilogy and, although it received mixed reviews, it was a box office success. 

Most recently, Amazon successfully produced the prequel television series The Rings of Power, loosely based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices from the original novels. This small-screen adaptation required a massive budget from the streamer, and it’s still debated whether the series was a win. However, fantasy fans and many Tolkien die-hards seemed to have enjoyed the show, which has already been greenlit for a second season and, based on what we know about RoP Season 2, it's been in production since October 2022. 

As of now, little is known about the new Lord of the Rings movies, including whether they will be adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s other works or entirely new stories set in Middle-earth. Regardless of who's involved, the key to making a successful Rings adaptation, at least according to Elijah Wood, is to stay true to Tolkien’s vision. As the actor said, “Great art can come from commerce,” but it’s important to remember that the original movies succeeded because they were made with a deep respect for the source material. Whether or not the new films can capture that same spirit remains to be seen.

To revisit the enchanting fantasy world, enthusiasts can stream the original trilogy with an HBO Max subscription. Another option is to use your Amazon Prime Video subscription to watch The Rings of Power, which happens to be the first live-action TV series based on the franchise.

When it comes to some of the most popular shows over the last year, I can think of a fair few that have truly blown up and taken TV fans by storm. You could obviously bring up the typical winners such as Bridgerton Season 2, or even Barry Season 3, or the obvious winner in many categories, Succession. Or you can think of the biggest fantasy shows, like House of the Dragon, as well as Shadow and Bone on Netflix, but for me, the series thing that always pops up is Yellowjackets. 

The hit Showtime series ended up exploding onto the scene last year with its thrilling storyline and excellent acting from the entirety of the Yellowjackets cast, featuring some new faces to Hollywood and some veterans who truly showed off just how skilled they are. However, Yellowjackets Season 2 is here, and if you’re wondering where you might have seen the Yellowjackets Season 2 cast, we have the answers for you.

Lauren Ambrose (Adult Van)

First up on this list is Lauren Ambrose, who plays the adult Van in Yellowjackets. For those who don’t remember, Van was one of the survivors of the plane crash in the wilderness, but was attacked by wolves and severely injured, with a scar set right across her face. In the first season, we didn’t really get to see Van as an adult at all, mainly sticking to her younger counterpart, but now, we can see her in Season 2, portrayed by the lovely Ambrose. 

Ambrose is no stranger to television, including playing interesting roles in thrilling series. Originally, she was known for her role as Claire Fisher in the popular drama series, Six Feet Under, a show about a family who ran a funeral parlor, but she’s had plenty of parts in other big shows. 

One of her biggest roles recently was being a part of the popular Apple TV+ show, Servant (where she played Dorothy Turner), created by M. Night Shyamalan, which just finished up its finale after four seasons. 

The actress has also guest starred in a variety of shows, including The X Files, Dig, The Return of Jezebel James, Torchwood: Miracle Day, Party of Five and more. 

Like many of the actors and actresses on this list, Ambrose has also been in a variety of movies, as well. Some of her biggest roles thus far have been in movies like In & Out, Can’t Hardly Wait, Psycho Beach Party, Sleepwalk with Me and Where the Wild Things Are, among other work in films such as Grassroots, Wanderlust, and About Sunny.

Simone Kessell (Adult Lottie)

Next up on this list is Simone Kessell, who is getting the chance to portray adult Lottie. This character was someone who was a big character in Season 1, despite not having an adult counterpart. Lottie, who ends up going off her meds once she runs out in the wilderness, has her mental health steadily decline, to the point where at the very end of the finale, we see her offering a bear heart up to some dark forest God. 

Yeah, wow, just thinking about that gave me chills, but it would take a special person to portray the adult version of Lottie after knowing what she goes through in the forest. There were plenty of actresses who were suited to play the part, but it ended up being Kessell who got the role. 

Like her co-stars, Kessell is a veteran to the world of television and has had multiple roles in shows before, including the TV series Terra Nova, Of Kings and Prophets, Medivac, Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, Wonderland, The Crossing and more. She also portrayed Breha Orgena in the Disney+ original series, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and had a recurring role on the show Our Flag Means Death, a great series on HBO Max. 

She has also appeared in some films as well, including the Dwyane Johnson-led action film, San Andreas, Frost/Nixon, The Lovers, 1%, 2:22, and Burning Man, among other smaller roles. 

Kevin Alves (Travis)

Granted, we already saw Travis in the first season, played by Kevin Alves in Yellowjackets, but now, it’s been confirmed that Alves has been upgraded to a series regular, so we’re going to be seeing a heck of a lot more of him in that forest. 

The actor has been in many TV shows before, including guest roles in Chicago Fire, Star Stable: Mistfall, and Degrassi: The Next Generation. He also had bigger parts on the popular Netflix series, Locke & Key, as well as Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments, but I personally think he’s been killing it in Yellowjackets. 

Elijah Wood (Walter)

I bet you weren’t expecting to see Elijah Wood on this list, but guess what? He’s playing a major recurring guest role in Yellowjackets Season 2. Wood is playing Walter, someone whose storyline is going to be very intertwined with that of Christina Ricci’s character, Misty, according to Entertainment Weekly. 

Wood has obviously been around for some time in Hollywood. Most people know him from his time as the star of The Lord of the Rings franchise, where he played Frodo Baggins for three movies and reprised the role in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Other than that, however, he’s done plenty in the world of movies and television.

Some of his biggest movie roles have been in Avalon, Radio Flyer, Forever Young, The Adventures of Huck Finn, The Good Son, Flipper, The Faculty, Deep Impact, The War, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, Sin City, Maniac, The Last Witch Hunter, Come to Daddy, and many more. Wood has also had experience with voice-acting, portraying Mumble in the Happy Feet movies, as well as the main character in 9. 

Besides several guest roles on TV shows, Wood has had a few big roles on television, including a main role on the sitcom, Wilfred, as well as voice roles in many shows like Summer Camp Island and Star Wars Resistance, but it’ll be awesome to see him in a recurring guest role on television once again.

Another person that I’ll mention really quickly is Nuha Jez Izman, who is set to play Crystal in the new season. Her only other credit thus far has been appearing in FBI, but hopefully after Yellowjackets Season 2, you’ll be seeing a lot more of her. 

With a cast such as this, it’s not surprising that they’ve done so much in the world of movies and TV – and I can’t wait to see them more as the season progresses. 

Despite not having a ‘fro in real life, Daniel Radcliffe was cast to play bespectacled icon Weird Al Yankovic. While Radcliffe does bare some resemblance to the singer, we all know that if they were to make a movie about Elijah Wood, the Harry Potter star would nail that role flat-out. The British actor acknowledges that he looks like Elijah Wood and seems to love it when fans shout to him from moving cars and refer to him as the Lord of the Rings alum.

The resemblance between Daniel Radcliffe and Elijah Wood must come from their pale skin, blue eyes, similar stature, and similarly light brown hair. Whatever the reason why these two get mixed up for each other, the 33-year-old Radcliffe spoke on The Drew Barrymore Show about the first time someone mistook him for the Flipper star:

Sometimes, there’s no escaping an uncanny resemblance to another well-known performer. Drew Barrymore even mentioned to Radcliffe that people weirdly mistake her for Demi Moore due to their having similar names. Creepily, there are many of us who have doppelgänger. For example, a police officer went viral for looking like Jumanji’s Dwayne Johnson. Musician Katy Perry would even pretend to be Zooey Deschanel to get into clubs. So maybe Daniel Radcliffe could pretend to be Wood in order to benefit himself in some form or fashion (and not hurt the LOTR star's cred in doing so, of course).

The Horns star went on to say that he has no problem allowing people to mistake him for Elijah Wood if it makes their day. Apparently, people mistake the English actor for his American counterpart while they're driving:

Believe it or not, Elijah Wood and Daniel Radcliffe have the same reaction when people mix them up. Simply put, when people refer to these two actors by the other’s movies, they respond back with, “Nope.” So instead of people urging for these two actors to fight, we need to have a doppelgänger comedy starring the two of them. A story involving a simpleton becoming famous for being mistaken for a high-profile celebrity. I don't know about any of you, but I paid to see the two headline such a film.

You have to give Daniel Radcliffe credit for seeing the humor in the confused reactions fans have towards him. And of course, let's remember that there are plenty who know exactly who he is and love his work. On that note, you can see the talented actor take on the real-life role of a different performer in the newly released movie Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, which playing now on The Roku Channel.

Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has finally arrived and, with it, has sadly come a wave of backlash from some viewers. Since its premiere, a number of viewers have taken to social media to express their displeasure, with some having made racist or misogynist remarks about certain characters. In turn, a number of fans have spoken out to condemn the comments that have been made. Now, the latest to stand up against the toxicity are none other than OG franchise star Elijah Wood and some of his co-stars/fellow hobbits.

Elijah Wood, lovingly known to fans for playing hobbit Frodo Baggins, teamed up with former Lord of the Rings co-stars Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd – who played Meriadoc Brandybuck and Pippen Took, respectively – to respond. Wood shared a photo to Twitter, which showed him and his colleagues sporting shirts that feature ears with various shades and an inclusive message written in Black speech. Check it out down below: 

I think “You Are All Welcome Here” is a message that just about all of us can get behind. The sentiment would be sweet coming from anyone, but it’s comforting that some of the franchise’s biggest stars are totally supportive of The Rings of Power and its characters. And on top of that, Sean Astin – who famously played Samwise Gamgee – also weighed in on Twitter. The beloved actor shared a photo of himself and, in it, he sports the same saying. Take a look for yourself:

Sean Astin, Elijah Wood and co. have a lot of love for J.R.R. Tolkien’s widely popular fantasy saga. Wood, who went to great lengths to get the role of Frodo, has shown love to the franchise quite a bit since Peter Jackson’s LOTR trilogy ended years ago. Astin also has fond memories from his time working on the acclaimed films and has also spoken about why he thinks fans connect with Sam. Considering all of this love and respect, it’s not surprising that they would support the series as it aims to be more inclusive. 

The Rings of Power notably features a Black elf and a Black female dwarf, which is a fresh direction for the classic franchise. On top of the racist remarks, the show’s lead character, Galadriel (played by Morfydd Clark), has also been the target of sexist sentiments. The show was getting review bombed so hard that Amazon stepped in and disabled reviews on Prime Video. Despite the response from some viewers, the Lord of the Rings show has received favorable reactions from critics, and notable creatives like Neil Gaiman have come to the streaming show’s defense. 

There’s definitely no room for any kind of prejudice when it comes to The Lord of the Rings, and any critiques motivated by specific biases shouldn’t be tolerated. Elijah Wood and co. clearly understand that, and I wouldn’t be surprised if even more of their former co-stars follow suit in showing support.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power drops new episodes on Fridays as part of the 2022 TV schedule. So if you’re eager to check it out, grab an Amazon Prime subscription.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring may have brought Middle Earth to our world in a very real, on-screen way just over 20 years ago, but the cast of the franchise is still bringing some major joy to the fandom. The four hobbits from the world-famous franchise recently reunited at a restaurant, and a nearby fan found himself dining in the shire as his day was totally made by eating near the Lord of the Rings reunion.

One fan had his geek dreams realized when he and his wife went to dinner and got sat next to not one, not two, but four Lord of the Rings hobbits. Frodo Baggins’ Elijah Wood and Samwise Gamgee’s Sean Astin were joined for dinner at the restaurant by none other than Pippin and Merry, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan, respectively. You can check out the evidence of the Lord of the Rings hobbit reunion in Monaghan’s official Instagram post, below:

If you find yourself grinning from ear to ear when looking at the photo, don’t worry, you’re not the only one. The joy this photo brings is immeasurable, and it certainly looks like there was some major joy to be had while taking the photo as well. Just look at Dominic Monaghan’s face, it’s pure hobbit fun.

Peep that face peeking out behind Dominic Monaghan’s, though, and you’ll see an elated fan photobombing probably one of the most cherished images he’ll ever find himself in (sorry wedding photos and new baby births). Even cooler, though, is the fact that Monaghan gives him a shoutout in his photo caption.

The event wasn’t just captured once in this photo, though, because the photobomber himself basically live-tweeted the whole encounter. Even though he *swore* he wouldn’t intervene in their lowkey reunion, he totally did in the best way possible, as we get to kind of relive it through his many tweets. Here’s the words behind the first innocent post on fan Cam Olsen’s Twitter, stating he was totally “geeking out” over sharing a space with the four hobbits:

The tweet is followed by a string of tweets that update his followers, and now everyone who found the encounter between a man and his hobbit heroes to be as endearing as I do, on the developments of the dining experience. At one point he totally admits to photobombing a photo of the four Lord of the Rings stars, and finally sends out a tweet proving he was, in fact, not “playing it cool and all”:

I have no doubt in my mind the four Lord of the Rings stars totally noticed the fan freaking out over his salad at dinner, but their kindness in letting him come to them on his own terms is noted. While being recognized as a hobbit in public is probably a regular occurrence that comes with being a part of one of the most beloved franchises in the world, it’s got to feel good when fans thank you for your work and know your characters have connected with fans and have a place in their fantasy loving hearts. 

While we won’t see any of the hobbits in the now-named LOTR series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the massive budget of the Amazon production will still bring Middle Earth back in a new way for fans who still want more of the story the hobbits, and their actors, helped finish. We still have plenty of questions about the upcoming Lord of the Rings series, including the exact release date, but longtime fans and newcomers to the franchise will be able to stream the series when it does become available with an Amazon Prime subscription.

There are a few massive movie franchises that are able to define a certain period of filmmaking. Peter Jackson’s acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy is certainly in this category, with the starring cast synonymous with their roles. That includes Elijah Wood, who recently compared his Frodo fame to Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford in Star Wars.

Elijah Wood has been in the film business since he was a kid, although he’ll always be known for his performance as Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings movie. Those three epic blockbusters have continued to permeate the pop culture landscape, especially with the extended cuts available to stream on HBO Max. Wood recently spoke about his feelings about his continued LOTR fame, saying:

Talk about a healthy attitude. While some actors might hate being called by their character’s name, Elijah Wood seems to kind of enjoy it. Namely because it represents such a great time in his life: filming Lord of the Rings movies in New Zealand with killer cast mates like Sean Astin.

Elijah Wood’s comments to The New York Times helps to show how the actor feels about his ongoing legacy as a Hobbit. It’s been nearly two decades since The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King arrived in theaters back in 2003. And in that time Wood has presumably been able to reflect about his years spent in Middle Earth.

The comparison between Lord of the Rings and Star Wars fame is a fair one, as both franchises had a massive impact upon their release. And while actors like Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford have had long and successful careers, their names will always be associated with Han Solo and Luke Skywalker respectively. That’s especially true because the galaxy far, far away continues to grow with new movie and television content.

As for Elijah Wood, the Frodo callouts will likely continue as the Lord of the Rings TV show for Amazon eventually starts airing. The generations of fans are definitely intrigued by this concept, and it should be interesting to see if/how it connects to the Peter Jackson movies. Especially since it’s set thousands of years before the events of the franchise.

Elijah Wood has a number of projects coming down the line himself, including The Toxic Avenger and L.A. Rush. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Usually, the job of comic book movie actors is to smoothly transcend their character away from the pulpy graphics and bring them into the real world. However, that was not quite the case for Jessica Alba, Bruce Willis, Alexis Bledel, and the rest of the Sin City cast, because Frank Miller and co-director Robert Rodriguez did more than just adapt his series of gritty, noir-inspired graphic novels into a film. They brought them to life.

The critically acclaimed 2005 hit stays remarkably faithful to the source material - not just to the stories and character motivations, but also (and most importantly) the minimalistic, grayscale aesthetic that results in one of most refreshingly original and visually stunning films of its time. Many Sin City cast members would later appear in more straightforward superhero movies, including Rosario Dawson and Benicio del Toro, to name a few. To see what else the star-studded ensemble has been up to, read on.

Jessica Alba (Nancy Callahan)

After rising to fame with the 1999 horror-comedy Idle Hands and the sci-fi series Dark Angel, Jessica Alba played Nancy - a club dancer with a disturbing past - in Sin City the same year she starred in the first of two Fantastic Four movies as Invisible Woman. She would re-team with Robert Rodriguez for 2010’s Machete, the fourth installment of the Spy Kids movies in 2011, and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, in which she returned as Nancy. 

The mother of three and founder of The Honest Company more recently partnered with Gabrielle Union on the Bad Boys movies spin-off series, L.A.’s Finest, and is currently starring in and producing the upcoming thriller Trigger Warning.

Bruce Willis (Det. John Hartigan)

Also appearing in the Sin City sequel, once again as Det. John Hartigan, was Bruce Willis, who seems to be busier now than ever. He already released six titles in 2021 alone (such as Midnight in the Switchgrass with Megan Fox), with three coming out later in the year (including Fortress, which already has a sequel in the works). 

The Die Hard movies star also had a busy and successful 2019, reprising David Dunn in Glass, playing Edward Norton’s mentor in Motherless Brooklyn, and playing himself in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part and Between Two Ferns: The Movie. Willis has five 2022 movie releases scheduled, including A Good Day to Die (not to be confused with A Good Day to Die Hard) which also features his Cosmic Sin co-star, Frank Grillo.

Devon Aoki (Miho) 

“Deadly little Miho” was recast in the sequel with Jamie Chung, but was portrayed in the original Sin City cast by Devon Aoki. She broke through two years earlier as Suki in 2 Fast 2 Furious before playing one of the four main teen heroes of D.E.B.S. in 2004. 

In 2006, she played another samurai-sword wielding warrior in the video game movie D.O.A.: Dead or Alive, had a small role in the lighter comic book movie, Zoom, appeared alongside Jason Statham and Jet Li for War in 2007, and entered a future war in Mutant Chronicles the following year. After 2009’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead, the model and mother retired from acting, but has appeared in a few music videos - most recently one for her half-brother, Steve Aoki.

Benicio Del Toro (Lt. Det. Jack “Jackie Boy” Rafferty)

Miho’s most memorable kill in Sin City would have to be the crooked cop known as “Jackie Boy,” played by Academy Award winner Benicio del Toro in his comic book movie debut. Years later, he appeared in the Marvel movies as “The Collector,” whom he reprised most recently on Disney+’s What If…? in 2021. 

That same year, he re-teamed with Traffic director Steven Soderbergh for HBO Max’s No Sudden Move, and worked with Wes Anderson for the first time in The French Dispatch. Del Toro has a couple of dramas in the works (including White Lies from Oliver Stone), a comedy from writer and director Jamie Foxx called All-Star Weekend, and a Cuban Mafia biopic called The Corporation.

Rosario Dawson (Gail)

Also part of the MCU (if Netflix’s Marvel TV shows still count) is Rosario Dawson. She actually made her comic book movie debut with Josie and the Pussycats four years before playing Old Town’s Gail in Sin City. 

The “Geek Goddess” has since become especially prolific for comic book character roles, including Wonder Woman in several DC animated movies, Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in The LEGO Batman Movie, Catwoman in HBO Max’s Batman: The Audio Adventures podcast, and Ava DuVernay’s upcoming DMZ series adaptation. The Dopesick cast member is is re-teaming with Kevin Smith for Clerks III and will soon lead her own Ashoka Tano TV show - a miniseries spun-off from The Mandalorian - on Disney+.

Clive Owen (Dwight McCarthy)

Gail’s lover - the mysterious, hard-nosed Dwight McCarthy - was first played in the original Sin City by Academy Award nominee Clive Owen. He has probably never played a more badass character, even though his earlier role in The Bourne Identity and later performance in Inside Man offer worthy options. 

After returning to comic book adaptations with 2017's Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, and playing the enemy of two Will Smiths in 2019’s Gemini Man, the British actor reunited with his Children of Men co-star Julianne Moore for Apple TV+’s Stephen King-inspired miniseries Lisey’s Story in 2021 and, that same year, joined the Impeachment: American Crime Story cast as Bill Clinton. Owen is reportedly planning to head to France to shoot a new TV series called Monsieur Spade, on which he will play Humphrey Bogart’s famous detective character from The Maltese Falcon, Sam Spade.

Alexis Bledel (Becky)

One of the more notably younger Old Town girls is Becky, played by Alexis Bledel - who was best known at the time as Rory from the Gilmore Girls cast, and from her debut film Tuck Everlasting in 2002. This past year, she reprised her Emmy Award-winning role as Emily Malek in The Handmaid’s Tale cast for Season 4 and will reportedly reprise her character from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies in a third installment.

Jaime King (Wendy/Goldie)

The twin sisters who led Old Town in Sin City, Wendy and Goldie, were both played by Jaime King, who would also star in another visually unique comic book movie from director Frank Miller called The Spirit. A year later, 2009’s 3-D My Bloody Valentine remake made her a bit of scream queen (further proven by her lead role on the Netflix original zombie show Black Summer). 

Of course, the model and actress is also known for lighter roles, such as Lemon Breeland in the Hart of Dixie cast or in 2018’s Ocean’s Eight as herself. King recently reunited with Bruce Willis for the 2021 action movie Out of Death and will play the title role in the upcoming assassin thriller Banshee. 

Mickey Rourke (Marv)

Moments before her untimely death at the beginning of Sin City’s first segment, Goldie captured the heart of an extremely tough, but compassionate, criminal named Marv. I would personally rank this character right underneath Mickey Rourke’s Academy Award nominated role in director Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler on a list of his strongest performances. 

After returning to comic book movies with 2010’s Iron Man 2 and the Sin City sequel in 2014, the Angel Heart star would also return to horror movies, such as the Shudder original anthology Nightmare Cinema in 2015 and upcoming titles like The Seeding and She’s Still Here alongside Dexter: New Blood cast member Jennifer Carpenter. Of course, his biggest role in recent memory would have to be on The Masked Singer Season 4 as Gremlin. 

Carla Gugino (Lucille)

Marv’s parole officer, Lucille, is played by Carla Gugino in her fourth collaboration with Spy Kids director Robert Rodriguez. She also did several comic book adaptations directed by Zack Snyder, including Watchmen as Sally Jupiter and all of his DCEU installments as the voice of the Kryptonian ship. 

The Jett star is best known lately for appearing in several projects from Mike Flanagan, including Gerald’s Game, his Haunting Collection on Netflix, and a brief cameo in the Midnight Mass cast as a judge. The Gunpowder Milkshake cast member’s next project, a TV series thriller called Leopard Skin, is now in post-production.

Elijah Wood (Kevin) 

Giving one of Sin City’s creepiest performances (without saying a word) as the cannibalistic Kevin is Elijah Wood. The former child actor became an icon as Frodo in the Lord of the Rings movies, a sitcom star with FX’s surreal American remake of Wilfred, and a horror movie actor (i.e. his inventive 2012 remake of Maniac) and producer (i.e. the brutal revenge tale Mandy from 2018 starring Nicolas Cage). 

In 2021, he played the FBI analyst to whom Ted Bundy revealed the details of his crimes in No Man of God and leant his voice to the video game Psychonauts 2. Speaking of video games, he has a movie about the dark side of video game programming called L.A. Rush in the works, along with his upcoming Toxic Avenger remake.

Nick Stahl (Yellow Bastard)

Perhaps the creepiest and undeniably grossest character in Sin City, however, is Roark Jr., otherwise known as “Yellow Bastard” due to his unique complexion, who is played by Nick Stahl. Also a former child actor who made his film debut in 1991 with Mel Gibson’s The Man Without a Face, he is best known as John Connor in 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines or as the lead of HBO’s Carnivale cast. 

In 2021, he joined the Fear the Walking Dead cast in a recurring role and made a guest appearance among the ruthless Animal Kingdom characters on the TNT drama. He is currently filming a live action adaptation of the hit anime, Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac, expected for 2023.

Josh Hartnett (The Salesman)

The first character we meet and the one who first refers to the film’s setting as “Sin City” is the mysterious, deadly “Salesman.” He is played by The Faculty cast member Josh Hartnett, who would star alongside Bruce Willis in Lucky Number Slevin in 2006. 

The following year, he appeared in a more brutal comic adaptation called 30 Days of Night and then, after an acting break, became the lead of the Penny Dreadful cast. After playing himself on Quibi’s Die Hart in 2020, Hartnett appeared in two cool 2021 thrillers (Wrath of Man and Ida Red), and is now working on the TV series The Fear Index.

There are many Sin City cast members who have, unfortunately, passed away in the years since the film was released - including Powers Boothe (Senator Roark), Michael Clarke Duncan (Manute), Rutger Hauer (Cardinal Roark), and Brittany Murphy (Shellie). However, they will forever be seen as a bright, delightful memory from an otherwise beautifully bleak and deliciously dismal masterpiece. 

According to Lord of the Rings canon, on September 22, a very long time ago, Frodo Baggins was born. It's unlikely anybody had any inkling how important a day that would be, considering what Frodo would eventually do to save middle-earth. But it's certainly a day worth celebrating. The epic importance of Frodo Baggins was probably on the mind of Elijah Wood quite often as he played the role in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies, though perhaps not on the first day of filming, when Wood made everybody on set laugh by letting out a hilarious fart.

The first day of filming on The Lord of the Rings did not reflect the epic undertaking that the production of these movies truly was, it was apparently just a bunch of young guys laughing at a fart. Elijah Wood recently appeared on First We Feast, where he ate hot wings, while talking about his career, especially his work on Lord of the Rings. Specifically how on the first day of filming, on the second take of a scene he let out "the fart heard 'round the Shire." Wood explains...

If there was any tension on the set of Lord of the Rings, one assumes it was broken when the guy playing the biggest role in all three films just farted at the end of a scene. At a certain point, even if you're not the sort of person that finds bodily functions all that funny, it's probably hard not to laugh when everybody else starts laughing when a scene ends in a fart.

It was a perhaps inauspicious start to what would become one of the most famous movie productions of all-time. All three Lord of the Rings movies were filmed together in one epic production. When a group is spending so much time together, being able to enjoy each other's company is going to be that much more important, and perhaps Elijah Wood's gas helped unite the on-screen hobbits in a special way.

If nothing else, it makes for a hilarious story to tell while you're eating wings.

This December will mark the 20th anniversary of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings' theatrical release, an occasion that would mark the beginning of the film franchise's impact on the high fantasy genre. Now, many are wondering if a cast reunion could be on the horizon, but could it really happen? Well, franchise star Elijah Wood weighs in on the possibility of all the main cast members coming back together again.

It would be pretty awesome if a reunion between Elijah Wood and the rest of the Fellowship could happen in New Zealand, the place that's provided Middle Earth with its beautiful landscapes throughout the franchise (which will soon change for the upcoming series), yet Wood explains that may not be possible. In an interview with Looper, the Lord of the Rings star explained how the pandemic may make such an event hard to pull off. Here it is in his own words:

Given the world's current health situation, Elijah Wood's concerns are incredibly valid, as there would certainly be plenty of logistics to figure out should an in-person meeting happen. While it may seem as though the actor isn’t confident that there will be a 20th anniversary reunion, it does sound like there could be a reunion at some point. The actor would go on to add some optimistic sentiments during the same interview:

The idea of the original cast sitting at a huge table, banquet-style, 20 years older than they are in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is making me a little teary eyed, honestly. While a reunion may not be happening this year, fans do have some more Lord of the Rings content to look forward to in the near future. Amazon’s Lord of the Rings spin-off series is set to premiere next year, and even if it’s not the OG cast, its outrageously massive budget will hopefully lead to some pretty epic adventures.

And for those pining to se more of Elijah Wood and the original stars, you can stream the Lord of the Rings trilogy on HBO Max.

Parents aren’t supposed to pick favorites. They love all of their children equally. Actors, similarly, shouldn’t really single out favorites, especially when the movie is part of a trilogy that, when taken together, adds up into one epic adaptation of a beloved fantasy text. But Elijah Wood has had years to reflect back on his time as a Hobbit in The Lord of the Rings, and during a frank conversation recently on CinemaBlend’s ReelBlend podcast, he finally broke down and revealed which film in the trilogy was his favorite, and why.

Elijah Wood first played Frodo Baggins in the first Lord of the Rings movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. During a conversation with the ReelBlend podcast, Wood admitted that Fellowship is his favorite film of the trilogy, telling our hosts:

Frodo has spoken. And he’s accurate in feeling that something special had begun with that initial film, where the vast cast had to figure out how to work together, and see if they’d even be able to bring Peter Jackson’s vision for the epic adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s text to life. And for many, it worked. A lot of fans likely would pick The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King as their favorite, being the most action-packed, and the film that brings resolution to so many threads of the journey. Also, it’s the one that finally won Best Picture for Peter Jackson, undoubtedly a “Thank you” for all of the work that he did on the trilogy. But for Elijah Wood, his favorite for now is Fellowship.

The Tolkien world is set to continue when Amazon Studios brings The Lord of the Rings to its streaming service as an eight-episode season. It won’t arrive until Sept. 2, 2022, but with all of the attention the series is drawing, you can be sure that creators J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay will do their best to make it worth the wait.

Elijah Wood joins ReelBlend to discuss No Man of God, The Lord of the Rings and even Back to the Future. He was incredibly generous with his time, and allowing us to geek out about making The Lord of the Rings now that we’re upon The Fellowship of the Ring’s 20th anniversary.

We are honored to bring you this conversation with a truly special actor and filmmaker that we’re sure means as much to us as he does to many of you.

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Elijah Wood is already the star of one of the biggest movie franchises in history. For most of the 2000s the Lord of the Rings was the major film franchise that every studio wanted to be. Today, that honor goes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the original blockbuster franchise, Star Wars has been building its own successful film universe as well. Elijah Wood is clearly a fan of both, but if he were to choose which universe to become a part of, he is on team Star Wars.

Elijah Wood hasn't been part of a major film franchise for many years but he tells ET that he had so much fun making The Lord of the Rings that he never wanted it to end. It sounds like if he had the chance to join a modern franchise, he'd be up for it, and he'd be interested in joining the MCU or the galaxy, far, far away. But as somebody who grew up on Star Wars, he'd pick that one first. Wood explains...

Elijah Wood probably echoes the feelings of many. Regardless of what one thinks of the modern Star Wars projects, there are millions who grew up with the original trilogy, or even the prequels, that remember them quite fondly. Many of them would probably jump at the chance to become part of Star Wars in any way. Many of those who have been creating the new movies and Disney+ series clearly feel the same way.

While Elijah Wood might pick Star Wars over Marvel, he'd clearly be interested in doing either, or possibly both, if the opportunity presented itself. He says himself that he doesn't worry much about the question of whether or not those sorts of movies are "cinema." He thinks they're fun, and that's a good enough reason for him to join such a project.

And as we continue to see both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Star Wars galaxy expand, the fact is that the chances of seeing Elijah Wood there only increase. He's a great actor and fans would love to see him join another big franchise.

Sometimes actors just know when a role is right for them. When that happens, they’re usually willing to go to some pretty extreme lengths to prove they should be cast. In Elijah Wood’s case, he went all out to make sure that he made as strong a case as possible that he should play Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Nearly two decades ago, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring hit theaters. Fans all over the world were captivated by the scenery, the special effects, and the cast -- including Elijah Wood, whose wide-eyed portrayal of the ring bearer Frodo Baggins helped cement the film as a modern classic. These days, Wood is staying busy with new film and TV roles (and occasionally playing Animal Crossing). But he still has vivid memories of his time as a hobbit. In a segment for GQ, the actor went into detail about how he tried to book the role that would propel him to global stardom. It turns out he went above and prove he was the man to play Frodo:

Elijah Wood also remembered the extra lengths he had to go to in order to get his audition footage to director Peter Jackson, since this all happened well before the digital age fully took hold. And his comments are sure to bring up memories for certain people:

That opportunity included moving to New Zealand to film all three of the Lord of the Rings films, which was an experience that obviously left an indelible impression on the actor. He recently shared his dismay at the news that Amazon’s LOTR series will be moving to the UK for Season 2 -- but he would know better than almost anyone how important the location is for getting Middle Earth right.

Elijah Wood isn’t the only Lord of the Rings alumnus who has opened up about the casting experience for the trilogy. Funnily enough, Ian McKellen doesn’t have a clear memory of how he ended up being cast as Gandalf -- though it’s safe to assume it didn’t involve trips to the park and late-night tape edits.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is currently available to stream on HBO Max.

Lord of the Rings holds a special place in millions of fans' hearts and is a shining jewel on the crown of the fantasy genre, which creates a catch-22 for any potential growth in the franchise. The audience is certainly there, but any additions to Lord of The Rings open the door to some skepticism. That’s why the newly announced decision to move filming for Amazon’s spin-off series from New Zealand to the UK is raising some eyebrows, even from Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood. The actor who plays Frodo in the foundation films of the franchise has a simple, yet all encompassing response to the recent announcement.

Lord of the Rings has traditionally been filmed in New Zealand and has been notable for featuring a lot of the country’s beautiful landscapes. Tours are even available there. In fact, Elijah Wood spent a large amount of time there filming the Lord of the Rings trilogy himself, and he has taken to his Twitter to respond to the news that the Lord of the Rings series has finished filming in the traditional country for Season 1 and will move to the UK to film Season 2.

Elijah Wood seems to feel the decision is a mistake, because his response is a simple facepalm emoji. Such a small response never spoke so clearly though, clearly saying “Wow, that’s a huge mistake.” Even though he doesn’t use any real words and is brief, it’s clear he has feelings about the decision.

For me, it also feels like Elijah Wood really speaks for the fans here, too. One commenter just says, “Well, that’s ruined then.” Another commenter makes a joke that the third season will be moved to Malibu. Honestly, that’s such a ridiculous idea that it’s a good basis for my next fever dream.

Another commenter on Elijah Wood’s post actually makes a great point and even earned a response from the actor himself. The fan says that Lord of the Rings is basically synonymous with New Zealand, but that he believes some of the original films were actually filmed in the UK, as well. Wood responds by saying "interiors, yea[h]", noting that only some interior shots were filmed in the UK studio. While that is definitely acceptable, it’s hard to imagine the entire second season of the series will be filmed indoors. The setting will seemingly change, at least somewhat.

It’s hard to imagine Lord of the Rings without New Zealand and without the epic countryside we see throughout the franchise. As impressive as sets can be, I doubt that one can compare to what fans have grown accustomed to with New Zealand portraying Middle Earth, even if the series does have an absurdly massive budget.

Elijah Wood will not be in the Lord of The Rings series, but his opinion on the franchise and the direction they’re going still matters, especially when it lines up with what the fans want. We still have plenty of questions about the upcoming series, but we do know that Season 1 has finished filming and it will at least show off New Zealand - we’ll have to wait until September 2nd of next year to see it though!

In the history of cinema, there have been a number of actors who have been fortunate enough to play iconic lead roles in blockbuster franchises. Whether it be Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones franchise or Sigourney Weaver in the Alien series. Two other stars who fall into that category are Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe and The Lord of the Rings’ Elijah Wood. With this, one would think that the two are some of the most easily recognizable stars in all of Hollywood. However, they’ve hilariously revealed that a number of people tend to get them confused at times.

Some say that everyone has a twin somewhere, and that could very well be true. However, Daniel Radcliffe, who acknowledges some of the physical similarities between him and Wood, doesn’t think they look exactly the same:

Well, that certainly had to have been an awkward encounter for Daniel Radcliffe, considering just how recognizable he is among most fans. If anything, I guess it might have been refreshing for him to not called out for being “The Boy Who Lived,” maybe?

Likewise, Elijah Wood has also had some interesting fan encounters that involve him being mistaken for Daniel Radcliffe. When he and the Harry Potter star discussed their careers during a lengthy chat for Empire Magazine, Wood recalled one memorable encounter that took place in an elevator:

It’s hard to deny that Daniel Radcliffe and Elijah Wood do look somewhat similar. As Radcliffe mentioned, they do share some key physical attributes. They honestly don’t look exactly alike, but I guess if you’re only vaguely familiar with either actor, then it would be easy to get them mixed up.

One thing the two actors do share is that they both started work on their massive franchises when they were quite young, which gave them pretty unique working experiences. Wood seems to have enjoyed his Lord of the Rings journey, and what amazes him the most is the actual process of making the trilogy. Radcliffe also has fond memories of his time on the Potter set, though he has admitted to still being embarrassed by some of his early work in the franchise.

All in all, both Daniel Radcliffe and Elijah Wood have plenty to be proud of. And even though they’ll likely still get confused for each other at times, it doesn’t actually change their lasting contributions to cinema.

Frodo Baggins of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings book saga was made ever more popular in mainstream media after Elijah Wood played him in 2001's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The actor would go on to star in the film’s sequels and reprise his role in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Now, Amazon is gearing up to launch a Lord of the Rings series, which is set thousands of years prior to Peter Jackson’s movies. Wood is fascinated by the TV adaptation, though he recently explained why he took issue with one particular thing regarding the Lord of the Rings series.

Following production shutdowns in March, New Zealand’s government has allowed for the cast and crew of Lord of the Rings to re-enter the country to carry on filming Season 1. The series has already been renewed for a second season and finalized its cast in January. As for the story, the Amazon show is still set in Middle Earth, but it’ll follow a completely different era than the one in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings novel. As it turns out, the timeline is part of why Elijah Wood can't wrap his head around the show. Here’s what he told IndieWire:

For some background, The Silmarillion is a collection of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works that were published posthumously by the author’s son, Christopher Tolkien. The book contains incomplete narratives and has five different parts, the fourth of which details the fall of the land of Númenor in the Second Age that is set to be depicted by Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series.

On one hand, I get why Elijah Wood might take issue with the show retaining a name that may not be indicative of the era in which it’s set. However, I’d wager that the series’ creative team decided to call it Lord of the Rings for the simple reason of having name recognition. Would anyone have watched a show called The Silmarillion? Maybe, but it arguably may not have gotten the same attention. Either way, it’s hard to tell because there aren’t too many details about the show’s plot just yet.

All that said, Elijah Wood is “glad” that the Amazon show is filming in New Zealand, as it’ll maintain “visual continuity” with The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. And, despite Frodo not having been around in the Second Age, the actor says he would definitely be down to make a cameo appearance so long as it made sense to the story being told.

Amazon’s Lord of the Rings does not yet have a scheduled premiere date, but stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates. In the meantime, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere guide for more on what to watch.

Last year marked a resurgence of interest in serial killer Ted Bunny thanks to two Netflix projects: the documentary series Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, and the biographical movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, both of which were directed by Joe Berlinger. Well, as it turns out, another Ted Bundy movie is on the way, though the focus will be a little different than what we got in the Zac Efron-led feature.

It’s been announced that Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood has been cast as FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier in XYZ Films’ No Man of God, which will be shown off as part of next week’s virtual Cannes market. As laid out by Deadline, the movie mostly takes place in an interrogation room, and is based upon real-life conversations that took place between Hagmaier and Ted Bundy between 1984 and 1989, with the two men forming a “complicated relationship” during Bundy’s final years on death row.

The search for the actor to play Ted Bundy in No Man of God is currently underway, and no other casting details were provided besides Elijah Wood’s involvement. Behind the scenes, No Light and No Land Anywhere’s Amber Sealey is directing from a script penned by Doctor Strange’s C. Robert Cargill. In addition to his performing duties, Elijah Wood will also produce alongside Daniel Noah, Lisa Whalen and Kim Sherman, while Scott Derrickson (who directed Doctor Strange), Bill Hagmaier, Stacy Jorgensen and Mark Ward are serving as executive producers.

Elijah Wood’s turn as Bill Hagmaier comes after the actor had a packed 2019, having appeared in Come to Daddy, Daniel Isn’t Real, Color Out of Space and two episodes of Drunk History. It’ll be interesting to see who ends up being cast as Ted Bundy in No Man of God, as whoever it is will need to have a great dynamic with Wood since they’ll be sharing so much screen time with each other.

Subject matter-wise, No Man of God is distinguishing itself by viewing Ted Bundy through a much smaller lens compared to what Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile did. Rather than put the spotlight on the serial killer as he was still on the loose and claiming victims, this is the time of his life when he’s already been incarcerated and awaiting his execution. By peeking in on the criminal during his conversations with Bill Hagmaier, presumably that’ll lend the narrative to taking on a more personal vibe.

This won’t be the only movie that XYZ is bringing to the Cannes virtual market, with the others being Run Rabbit Run (starring Elisabeth Moss) and Dual (starring Karen Gillan, Aaron Paul and Jesse Eisenberg). Whether No Man of God ends up going to theaters or, like Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, heads to streaming, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates concerning No Man of God, but for now, look through our 2020 release schedule to learn what movies are supposed to arrive in theaters later this year.

It feels like everyone is playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons in lockdown; at least that’s what the recent buzz on the internet would have us believe. This belief is especially easy to buy into after hearing that former Hobbit turned horror producer Elijah Wood interacted with a fellow Animal Crossing player, in the name of the almighty Turnip.

If the Twitter interaction below is to be believed, then Wood actually asked for someone’s Dodo Code, in order to visit their island and sell his Turnips at a favorable rate.

A quick primer on the economy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons: there’s a concept of the Stalk Market, where every Sunday players can buy Turnips from a traveling vendor. Much like the actual financial market it’s based itself on, those Turnips fluctuate in price day by day, and island by island. So with a combination of biding your time, and finding the right exchange rate on another island.

Using his shrewd acumen that’s helped him star in films like Come To Daddy, as well as having ideas as a film producer for the right Nightmare On Elm Street reboot, Elijah Wood randomly connected with a fellow player and made someone’s day by cashing out his Turnips.

There must be something about horror types and video games, as back when Destiny 2 premiered, legendary director/Halloween creator John Carpenter was revealed to be a big fan of the Bungie produced game. So it’s not all that surprising that Wood would be trading Turnips on the Stalk Market, and making friends while he’s making a killing.

Although, Elijah Wood’s connection to video games runs a bit deeper than just playing the most recent trend in gaming. In the past, Wood has lent his voice to video games like The Legend of Spyro trilogy and God of War III; as well as reprising his role as Frodo Baggins in several Lord of the Rings themed games.

Cap that off with his stint as the protagonist of Tron: Uprising, as well as the fact that he hosted MTV’s “Xbox 360: Next Generation Revealed” special, and it’s pretty on brand for Wood to be as into gaming as he is.

Of course, by now, word has probably gotten out that Elijah Wood’s Animal Crossing avatar, Elwood from the island of Driftwood, is out there looking for a good deal. And people are undoubtedly going to try and entice Wood to try and fly over to their island. So make sure to trade your friend codes responsibly, and keep that Nintendo Switch charged at all times. You never know when the Elwood from Driftwood is going to come a knocking.

Remember the big-budget 1998 summer blockbuster about a comet on a collision course with Earth? It had an ensemble cast made up of seasoned actors and Hollywood newcomers? If you're thinking Armageddon, I'm afraid I have some bad news. I'm referring to the cosmic disaster movie that came out a few months earlier. You know, Deep Impact starring the likes of Morgan Freeman, Jon Favreau, and Téa Leoni, to name just a few.

It's hard to believe that it will be 22 years this summer since Mimi Leder and Paramount Pictures went toe-to-toe with Michael Bay and Touchstone Pictures to see who could produce the most epic, end of the world disaster movie of 1998. With all that time passing, some of us are probably wondering what Elijah Wood, Robert Duvall, and Kurtwood Smith have been up as of late, so let's not wast any more time and see what these actors and actresses have been up to since Deep Impact first hit theaters nearly a quarter century ago.

Morgan Freeman (Tom Beck)

Morgan Freeman plays United States President Tom Beck who is secretly working with other world leaders to develop underground shelters after scientists determine that the Wolf-Biederman comet's collision with the planet would be an extinction-level event. In the more than 20 years since the film's release, Freeman has gone on to become one of the most prolific actors in Hollywood, appearing in a great number of successful franchises like Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. The Academy Award-winning actor is next slated to appear in The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, the highly anticipated Coming 2 America, and The Comeback Trail, where he will star alongside Rober De Niro and Tommy Lee Jones.

Jon Favreau (Gus Partenza)

Long before he was kick-starting billion-dollar franchises and creating Star Wars properties, Jon Favreau had a small role in Deep Impact, where he played Gus Partenza, the medical officer of the Messiah spacecraft that attempts to destroy the comet before it can wipe out all life on Earth. Luckily, Favreau has had more success at life than his ill-fated character. The actor/writer/director/producer is probably one of the busiest names in Hollywood with The Mandalorian preparing for Season 2 on Disney+, The Chef Show on Netflix, and sequel to The Jungle Book in the works.

Robert Duvall (Spurgeon "Fish" Tanner)

Hollywood legend Robert Duvall plays Spurgeon "Fish" Tanner, a veteran pilot who takes lead over the Messiah spacecraft after the mission to destroy the comet becomes an epic failure. Similar to other roles the aging Duvall was taking during this stage of his career, Tanner brings calm to the chaotic scenes set in outer space, even when the crew has to embark upon a suicide mission. Since breaking out onto the scene in To Kill A Mockingbird, Duvall has continued to take on a variety of roles on the silver screen and television sets around the world. The Godfather star last appeared in Steve McQueen's riveting 2018 heist film Widows, but the 89-year-old is currently set to star in the upcoming American sports movie 12 Mighty Orphans.

Téa Leoni (Jenny Lerner)

It's hard to pinpoint exactly who's the main protagonist in this large ensemble cast, but it could easily be Téa Leoni's character Jenny Lerner, an MSNBC reporter who inadvertantly uncovers the existence of the comet, which forces the United States government to make an earlier than announced message. Leoni hasn't starred in a feature film since the 2011 comedy Tower Heist, but she had a starring role in the long-running CBS drama series Madame Secretary, which concluded its six-season run in 2019. The actress is reportedly attached to the animated feature Endangered, which is being produced by Bob Weinstein, according to Express.

Elijah Wood (Leo Biederman)

Before he went on a journey to destroy the Ring, Elijah Wood was featured in the Deep Impact as Leo Biederman, the young teenage astronomer who first discovers the comet headed towards the planet. Shortly after appearing in the disaster film, Elijah Wood earned the role of a lifetime as Frodo Baggins in The Lord Of The Rings. Since then, the actor has been able to take on some more unconventional roles, including his most recent effort, the comedy Come To Daddy, which was released in early 2020.

James Cromwell (Alan Rittenhouse)

James Cromwell plays Secretary of the Treasury Alan Rittenhouse whose own personal controversies leads to reveal of the Wolf-Biederman comet before the government is ready to disclose information to the public. Over the years, Cromwell has continued to lend his talents to a number of feature films, television series, and stage productions that have earned him a number of awards and more nominations for his performances. Cromwell's latest movie, Never Too Late, tells the story of four former prisoners of war who are all residents at the same retirement home.

Mike O'Malley (Mike Perry)

Before he would go on to star in hit television series like Yes, Dear and Glee, Mike O'Malley had a small role in Deep Impact, in which he portrayed Mike Perry, Leo Biederman's teacher. O'Malley would go on to have a great deal of success after Deep Impact (and his run as the host of Nickelodeon's Guts). He is currently slated to appear in the television adaptation of the 2013 dystopian future thriller Snowpiercer.

Blair Underwood (Mark Simon)

Blair Underwood, who would go on to find success both in movies and in television was featured in Deep Impact as Mark Simon, the navigator of the Messiah spaceship before it flies directly into the comet. After making his debut in 1985 hip-hop cult classic Krush Groove, Underwood would go on to make a name for himself in shows like L.A. Law and City Of Angels as well as feature film roles in movies such as Rules Of Engagement. Underwood's most recent appearance is in the Netflix original limited series Self Made starring Octavia Spencer s Madam C.J. Walker.

Richard Schiff (Don Biederman)

Emmy Award-winning actor Richard Schiff is probably best known for his portrayal of Toby Ziegler on the long-running political drama The West Wing, but before serving as the White House communications director in the Aaron Sorkin-created series, Schiff had a small role in Deep Impact, where he played Leo Biederman's father, Don. Schiff has gone on to find continued success on a number of television shows, including The Good Doctor, where he plays Dr. Aaron Glassman.

Leelee Sobieski (Sarah Hotchner)

Leelee Sobieski was still just a young teenager when she was cast as Sarah Hotchner, Leo Biederman's girlfriend in Deep Impact. Much of her time in the movie is spent trying to escape the destruction that is to come after the Biederman-Wolf comet is split into two smaller portions still on a collision course with the planet. Sobieski would have a relatively successful film and television career in the late 1990s and 2000s, but she hasn't acted professionally since 2012, when she gave up Hollywood to raise a family.

Dougray Scott (Eric Vennekor)

Dougray Scott, mostly known as the actor who missed out on starring as Wolverine in X-Men after production of Mission: Impossible 2 took longer than expected, had a minor role in Deep Impact, in which he played Eric Vennekor, a coworker of Jenny Lerner. While Scott missed out on starring in a Marvel Comics movie, he was able to enter the D.C. Comics world with his portrayal of leader of the Crows, Jacob Kane, in the CW series Batwoman, which was recently picked up for a second season. After all these years, it's hard to not feel bad for the guy who was so close to becoming an international superstar before Hugh Jackman was cast in his place.

Kurtwood Smith (Otis "Mitch" Hefter)

And then there is Kurtwood Smith, who played NASA worker Otis "Mitch" Hefter in the 1998 planetary disaster movie. Like pretty much everyone else not named Robert Duvall, Morgan Freeman, Elijah Wood, or Téa Leoni, Smith was relegated to small role in Deep Impact. Later that year, the former villain from Robocop would get the role of a lifetime as Red Forman on That '70s Show, which ran until 2006. Smith is currently featured on the NBC comedy Perfect Harmony, but there's no word as to whether the show will be picked up for a second season.

Well, those are just 12 members of the insanely stacked cast of the 1998 disaster film Deep Impact. And before we go, here's a little piece of trivia for all the Veronica Mars fans out there… Jason Dohring, who played Logan in all three of the original seasons, the movie, and the fourth season that premiered on Hulu in 2019, has a small cameo as one of Leo Biederman's classmates in Deep Impact. I'll save you some time and leave a link to the hilarious clip here.

It has been nearly 20 years since audiences first met and fell in love with the stellar and expansive cast of The Lord Of The Rings. Over the course of three epic movies released in sequential years, the Middle Earth saga became one of the most beloved and successful franchises in cinematic history, partly thanks to the all-star cast. But in the years following the conclusion of Peter Jackson's crowning achievement, what have cast-members like Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, and Orlando Bloom been up to?

Well, quite a bit, actually. In the 17 years since the release of The Return Of The King, everyone from Viggo Mortensen to Andy Serkis have gone on to become household names after spring-boarding into stardom for their appearances in J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece. And while we will have to wait a little longer than expected to see the cast of the Amazon's Lord Of The Rings series in action, let's take a look back at the original cast and everything they've been up to since completing their journey.

Cate Blanchett (Galadriel)

Cate Blanchett's voice is one of the first audiences hear in the prologue of The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, during which time her character, Galadriel, explains the creation and history of the Rings of Power. Throughout here appearances in the trilogy, the wise elf provides guidance to Frodo and other members of the fellowship. Over the past 17 years, the Australian-born actress has starred in dozens of feature films, stage productions, and television series, during which time she has won two Academy Awards (Best Supporting Actress in The Aviator; Best Actress Blue Jasmine). In addition to a number of dramatic roles, Blanchett has also popped up in Thor: Ragnarok, Cinderella, Ocean's 8, and is currently working with Guillermo del Toro for Nightmare Alley, a psychological thriller co-starring Bradley Cooper.

Liv Tyler (Arwen Undómiel)

Liv Tyler was at the peak of her career when she starred as Arwen Undómiel in The Lord Of The Rings. Daughter of the powerful Elven leader Elrond, Arwen proves herself to be quite handy throughout the trilogy, including saving Frodo from the black riders and striking up a love affair with future king, Aragorn. Since she completed her role in Peter Jackson's trilogy, Tyler has had a great deal of success in her professional life, with appearances in films like The Strangers, The Incredible Hulk, and Ad Astra, as well as television series like The Leftovers and Harlots. Tyler also has a starring role in the Fox action procedural, 9-1-1: Lone Star, which also stars Rob Lowe.

Orlando Bloom (Legolas)

One of the nine key members of the Fellowship of the Ring, the Sindarian Elf Legolas was a vital character in the The Lord Of The Rings thanks to his cool, calm, and collected demeanor and his impeccable archery and swordsmanship. Brought to life by a young Orlando Bloom, Legolas quickly became a fan favorite. Just as one saga was coming to an end for the English actor, another began with the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise that only boosted Bloom's star appeal. Bloom's latest completed film, The Outpost, was supposed to premiere at the 2020 South by Southwest Film Festival, but the festival, and screening, was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to his movie roles, Bloom is also the star of the Amazon original series Carnival Row, which is currently in production on Season 2.

Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn)

The de facto leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the main protagonist of The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, Aragorn proved time and time again why not all hope is lost for man. Brought to life by the superb acting prowess of Viggo Mortensen, the "King" is character worth remembering. Mortensen followed up his Middle Earth appearances with a long list of roles that includes A History Of Violence, Captain Fantastic, and Green Book, which netted Danish-American actor an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in 2019. Mortensen recently made his directorial debut with Falling, a drama in which he stars alongside Lance Henriksen and Laura Linney.

Andy Serkis (Gollum)

Andy Serkis became a massive star after his gripping and frightening take on Gollum in Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings trilogy. Over the course of three movies, audiences loved and hated this oddly sympathetic character, making Serkis a household name in the process. The English actor has continued to be one of the busiest figures in the film industry since the conclusion of the trilogy 17 years ago, including appearances in Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and The Planet Of The Apes reboot trilogy. The actor and motion-capture mastermind is currently directing the thrilling Venom 2 and starring in The Batman, both of which instantly become better with Serkis attached.

Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins)

Elijah Wood has been a name in Hollywood for about as long as I can remember. Even before he showed up as Frodo Baggins, nephew of Bilbo and carrier of the Ring, Wood was a major child actor and has continued to follow suit with some of the wildest roles in cinema. In recent years, Wood has shown up in everything from the 2019 psychdelic horror film Color Out Of Space to oddball dark comedy I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore, and just about every odd role in between.

Ian McKellen (Gandalf)

Throughout all of the Lord Of The Rings movies (and The Hobbit as well) Sir Ian McKellen kills it as the legendary wizard Gandalf (both grey and white). From the first time audiences catch an eye of Gandalf sitting atop a wagon of fireworks, it was easy to tell that there was a lot to love with this character. But it's not all fun and games with Gandalf, as the wizard proves to be powerful and stern throughout the journey to destroy the Ring once and for all. Much like Gandalf, McKellen has quite a track record, including his most recent appearances in The Good Liar, Ian McKellen On Stage, and Cats. Yes, Gandalf was in Cats.

Miranda Otto (Éowyn)

Introduced in The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, Éowyn, a noblewoman from Rohan, quickly became one of the most badass characters in Peter Jackson's trilogy. Her role was expanded in The Return Of The King where she took on one of the nine Nightriders and gave the empowering line, "I am no man" as she cut him down. Miranda Otto, the Australian actress behind the role, has been quite busy in the years following her time in Middle Earth, including most recently in the Netflix series, Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina, where she portrays the young witch's aunt, Zelda.

Hugo Weaving (Elrond)

Elrond, one of the first of the Elves to be featured in the prologue of The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, was one of the Elven leaders in Middle Earth who provided guidance and counsel for Aragorn and the rest of the Fellowship before and during the quest to destroy the Ring. Hugo Weaving, the man behind the role, is mostly known for the role of Agent Smith in The Matrix and its sequels, but the acclaimed actor has also appeared in V For Vendetta and Captain America: The First Avenger. Weaving is set to appear in three films in 2020: Measure For Measure, Loveland, and Lone Wolf, all three of which are in post-production.

Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee)

Sean Astin was already a star before he signed on to play Samwise Gamgee in The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, mostly notably for his appearances in The Goonies, Encino Man, and Rudy to name a few. His take on Samwise, the friend and sidekick of main protagonist Frodo Baggins, brought a great deal of humor, charm, and surprisingly enough seriousness to the trilogy. Astin has remained busy over the years, including an amazing role as Bob Newby in Stranger Things. Astin is next set to appear in the American crime thriller Adverse at some point in 2020.

Sean Bean (Boromir)

Is there a movie/television show where Sean Bean doesn't die? Patriot Games, Goldeneye, Game Of Thrones, and countless others all feature some pretty gruesome deaths involving the English actor. Well, add The Lord Of The Rings to that list as Bean's character, Boromir, dies in the final moments of The Fellowship Of The Ring. This noble character was a far-stretch from some of Bean's previous roles and cutthroat and power-hungry villains, but laid the groundwork for his portrayal of the ill-fated Ned Stark in Game Of Thrones. Bean is currently set to appear in Posessor, a 2020 horror film from Brandon Cronenberg, the son of body horror legend David Cronenberg.

John Rhys-Davis (Gimli)

John Rhys-Davies is best well known for his role of Gimli, the foul-mouthed and strong-willed dwarven warrior who served as an instrumental member of the Fellowship of the Ring. The Welsh actor also known for his performance in Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, has appeared in dozens of roles following his time in The Lord Of The Rings, including his spin at the Brine King in the 2018 DCEU blockbuster Aquaman.

Dominic Monaghan (Meriadoc Brandybuck)

Dominic Monaghan has been one of the most successful actors who achieved fame in The Lord Of The Rings. Featured in all three movies as the lovable and hilarious Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck, Monaghan, alongside Billy Boyd, brought some much-needed comedic relief to some of the trilogy's darkest moments. In the years following the release of The Return Of The King, Monaghan has starred in Lost, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker. And since 2012, Monaghan has even hosted his own nature series: Wild Things With Dominic Monaghan.

Billy Boyd (Pippin Took)

Wherever Merry went in The Lord Of The Rings, Pippin Took was sure to be right by his side or not far behind. Pippin, the fun-loving Hobbit with the voice of an angel worked his way into the hearts of millions of the trilogies fans thanks to that charm and innocence. Billy Boyd, the actor behind the famous character has had a successful acting and music career in the years following his appearances in The Lord Of The Rings, including a couple one-off performances on the hit fantasy series Outlander.

Ian Holm (Bilbo Baggins)

Actor Ian Holm had one hell of a career in the decades leading up to his portrayal of an older Bilbo Baggins in The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, on the silver screen, on television sets around the world, and the stage. Holm would continue to add titles to his filmography in the years following his take on Bilbo, including Garden State, The Aviator, and The Hobbit, where he reprised his famous role. The English actor hasn't done much since he finished the filming of The Hobbit: The Battled Of The Five Armies, but at 88 years old, I don't blame him for taking it easy after all these years.

Well, that's what the cast of The Lord Of The Rings has been up to over the past 17 years. It's safe to say that each and every one of the actors who lent their talents to the legendary fantasy trilogy have been quite busy since then.

Ever since he hung up his wizarding robes at Hogwarts, Daniel Radcliffe has forged a fascinating acting career in his early adulthood. The former child star grew up before our eyes as Harry Potter, but now that his commitments to the J.K. Rowling property are done, he's made it his mission, it seems, to do as many weird roles as possible in an effort to divorce himself from the character everyone associates him with. That's certainly understandable. He's not alone in that regard, either. Several child actors, in fact, have taken on weird roles as adults. While the results are — expectedly — not always consistent (or successful), they've certainly produced some intriguing performances over the past few years.

Here are some former child actors who've really gone out there and done weird stuff since their famous younger roles, starting with Daniel Radcliffe!

Daniel Radcliffe

As mentioned earlier, Daniel Radcliffe has taken seemingly every professional opportunity made available to him to branch out, expand his horizons as an actor and help people divorce their image of him as Harry Potter from their minds. Since his final film in that franchise, Radcliffe has starred in movies like Horns, where a young man discovers that horns have grown out of his head, the excellent Swiss Army Man, where the former child star plays an animated corpse who can fart, get a boner, and talk, and, most recently, Guns Akimbo, where the actor plays a mild-mannered programmer who finds out that guns have been bolted into his hands. While not all of them have been successful, the ones that work stand out. Notably, in my view, Radcliffe's performance in Swiss Army Man is both beautiful and genuinely Oscar-worthy, despite what you might think from the description.

Elijah Wood

Similar to Daniel Radcliffe, Elijah Wood made all the money he could ever hope to make early in life with Peter Jackson's epic Lord of the Rings movies. Therefore, following that fantasy trilogy, Wood has taken on several bizarre, intriguing projects. Notably, he starred in 2012's first-person Maniac remake, which found Wood playing a mannequin shop owner who stalks and kills women, Cooties, a horror-comedy about a band of school teachers fending for their lives when their students go rabid from a mysterious virus, I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore, where Wood plays a num-chunk loving weirdo, FX's Wilfred, where a suicidal man discovers that he's the only one who sees his dog as a talking man in a costume, and Come To Daddy, where a thirty-year-old man gets in a bloody turn of events when his father asks to visit him inside the woods.

Macaulay Culkin

Best known to many as Kevin McCallister in the Home Alone films, Macaulay Culkin was arguably the most famous child star of the '90s, particularly with My Girl, Richie Rich, The Pagemaster, and The Good Son. But as he got older, Culkin stepped away with the limelight. He branched out into adult content with indies like Party Monster, telling the story of drug-addled NYC party promoter Michael Alig, and Saved! After that, Culkin didn't act much, opting to perform with his comedy band, the Pizza Underground. When he acted, it was in odd web projects like DRYVRS, where he played a high-strung adult Kevin McCallister with martial issues, lingering trauma, and psychopathic tendencies. Additionally, he starred in Father John Misty's "Total Entertainment Forever" music video, where he played Kurt Cobain hanging on the cross, alongside Garfield's Jon Arbuckle (credited as "Juan Arbuckle") and Bill Clinton playing the saxophone.

Zac Efron

Overnight, Zac Efron became a teenage heartthrob when High School Musical premiered on the Disney Channel. Following two more High School Musical movies, along with box office hits like 17 Again, Hairspray, and The Lorax, it wasn't long before Efron shook things up and tackled a few off-kilter projects. It started with Lee Daniel's The Paperboy, a bizarre Southern melodrama where a jellyfish-stung Zac Efron gets peed on by Nicole Kidman. From there, he appeared in several R-rated comedies, including Neighbors and Dirty Grandpa with Robert De Niro, but his desire to make really out-there movies persisted. Notably, Zac Efron appeared in Harmony Korine's stoner dramedy, The Beach Bum, as Flicker, a pyromaniac, Christian rock music-loving drug addict with a beard inspired by a panini. Then Efron played murder Ted Bundy in the controversial Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, which earned strong notices for his menacing turn.

Kristen Stewart

Though unfairly dismissed solely for the Twilight franchise, Kristen Stewart has proven herself to be a tremendously versatile actress, notably with exceptional performances in Clouds of Sils Maria, On the Road, and Certain Women. But in the midst of branching out from Zathura, Panic Room, and Catch That Kid, in addition to the aforementioned Twilight, Stewart has picked some intriguingly off-beat films, including the raunchy stoner action-comedy American Ultra and the soulful supernatural drama, Personal Shopper. The latter, in particular, which finds Stewart as an American in Paris who communicates with her deceased twin via phone, features Stewart's best performance yet — in my view — while her American Ultra performance goes a long way towards bringing grounded humanity (and undervalued comedic chops) to the tonally unfocused movie. While certainly not as weird as the other actors here or Robert Pattinson's post-Twilight work, Stewart continues to prove herself.

Lindsay Lohan

Like many things in her life, Lindsay Lohan's acting choices have been wild. While leading roles in Disney's The Parent Trap, Freaky Friday, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, and Herbie: Fully Loaded, as well as the modern teen classic, Mean Girls, made her a superstar, the career choices she made afterward were ... interesting, to say the least. While things seemed okay in the mid '00s, notably with a great part in Robert Altman's undervalued A Prairie Home Companion, things took a turn when she starred in Chapter 27 with Jared Leto, an ill-advised effort centered around Mark David Chapman, and I Know Who Killed Me, a schlocky D-rate psychological thriller which found Lohan in a dual role as a woman who returns to society after going missing who claim she's another woman. From there, particularly as the tabloids followed her personal life more, things got weirder.

In the years that followed, there was an odd supporting turn in Robert Rodriguez's Machete, an unfortunate appearance in the widely-panned raunchy comedy, InAPPropriate Comedy, directed by Vince Offer (i.e. the creator of the ShamWow), Scary Movie 5, the notoriously troubled The Canyons, which co-starred adult movie star James Deen, and, most recently, Among the Shadows, where Lindsay Lohan starred as a woman hired to help a private detective from a long line of werewolves use her innate instincts to track down her uncle's murderer. Really. Suffice to say, Lohan picks some odd roles.

There are some notable exclusions in this list, including Shia LaBeouf (who certainly garners controversy in his personal life but his acting parts aren't too weird, necessarily) and Miley Cyrus (who has, similarly, participated in a number of bizarre art projects since her Hannah Montana days but hasn't taken on too many odd acting roles since her Disney days). Nevertheless, many former child stars like to diversify their roles and experiment by tackling challenging parts — even if the success rate varies. What your you favorite weird acting choices from one-time child stars? Tell us in the comments.

Family can be unpredictable, no matter how well you think you know those people you’re supposed to love unconditionally. But the more estranged you are, the more likely you are to stumble on to a significant surprise. This is especially true if your family resembles the oddity that we see take shape in director Ant Timpson’s dark comedy thriller Come To Daddy.

What begins as an uneasy reunion that has Norval (Elijah Wood) meeting his long estranged father Gordon (Stephen McHattie) turns into a night from hell as the son is pushed to the edge by his own blood relative. As the night progresses, twists and turns crop up that cause the timid Norval to become a bit of a psychopath, much like his dear old dad.

You don’t know where Come To Daddy is going, and that’s probably for the best.

It should be considered a crime to spoil where exactly Come To Daddy goes with its story past the initial premise, as the twists and turns the story writer Toby Harvard has in store for poor Norval are actually pretty well hidden. Going into this comical misadventure cold is a prerequisite for maximum enjoyment.

With a short and breezy running time that clocks in just a little over an hour-and-a-half, Come To Daddy covers a lot of ground with its nasty funhouse romp, so every little detail counts towards the big picture. Some credit should be given to the marketing department that was tasked with selling the film, as they did a good job of selling the whole package with a vague enough pitch that doesn’t give the store away.

Elijah Wood rides the line between sensitivity and brutality rather nicely.

Something that the trailer for Come To Daddy does manage to sell rather nicely is the central performance by Elijah Wood as the film’s protagonist. As the audience’s surrogate, Norval learns the truth behind his father’s mysterious invitation in time with the audience. It’s a situation that, with the wrong character, falls apart rather quickly.

This is another reason why Wood’s performance in Come To Daddy is important, because we see his main character evolve and adapt to the circumstances around him, slowly morphing him from a very sensitive man into someone with a rougher disposition. The change never feels forced or unbelievable, and Elijah Wood encompasses the kindness and killer instinct that Norval possesses throughout this picture’s lightning fast story.

Come To Daddy is a little slight in its execution, but it’s confident enough to be a good time.

Being as quickly paced as Come To Daddy is, it suffers from the story being a bit slight. To a certain extent, the twists take the audience by surprise because of the fact that there’s not a lot of background setting those facts up ahead of time.

It could be interpreted that without those details being omitted, Come To Daddy’s story wouldn’t be as quick or as sharp as it eventually turned out to be. The absence of backstory doesn’t kill the experience that Ant Timpson and Toby Harvard are trying to give the audience, but at the same time it does make the finished product feel like a fun ride rather than a hard-hitting thriller.

Ultimately, that’s the choice you have to make with this film, as anyone who wants something with more narrative meat on the bones needs to make other arrangements. Should you be ready for a quick and twisty thriller that isn’t afraid to make you laugh with an occasional moment of gross content and bodily harm, then Come To Daddy.

Elijah Wood is not a particularly tall guy, but when he recently found out people frequently Google “how they make Elijah Wood small,” the question had less to do with genetics and more with special effects in the Lord Of The Rings movies. Thankfully, instead of being a little weirded out by the question, Wood took it seriously and gave LOTR fans an answer.

So, if you’ve ever wondered how The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King made Wood’s Frodo and his merry band of hobbit compatriots so small, there were actually three ways and not just one that accomplished the goal.

Blue Screen Definitely Came Into Play

Like a lot of movies these days, green screen – or in this case blue screen – was used to fit the hobbits into scenes in the correct size. Speaking with Wired, Elijah Wood revealed that a lot of scenes would be shot like normal, but just without Elijah Wood or actors like Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monoghan, who played Samwell, Pippin and Merry, respectively.

After the scenes were shot like normal, Wood revealed that is when the blue screen came in, noting:

Stand-In Actors Wore Masks And Walked Around During Wide Shots

The second way The Lord Of The Rings worked in hobbit-sized individuals was through the use of stand-ins. Elijah Wood says this tactic was used for a lot of wide shots, including I presume a lot of scenes where the cast is trudging around on its epic journey.

According to Wood, the franchise hired people of the right size as the hobbits to play the characters in certain shots. It sounds easy, but it also meant the actors in question had to wear masks to look like Elijah Wood and the rest of the main cast while they were hanging out on set. He called these stand-in’s “scale doubles,” noting,

Perspective Was Used To Make Movie Magic

Perspective is a trick a lot of movies use in order to fool the eye into thinking it’s seeing something it is really not. In real life, however, you may have caught perspective being used in places like theme parks. In particular, Disney World and its sister park Disneyland are fond of using perspective to do things like make castles seem larger than they actually are.

Elijah Wood gave a great example of when this was used in The Lord Of The Rings, bringing in the famous scene with Frodo and Gandalf in the cart in Bag End to really explain to audiences how force perspective works.

Wood went on to mention that it was a “super old-fashioned trick” but one that definitely still worked for the LOTR movies when they were being made.

Elijah Wood also said that at one point, specifically with the Prancing Pony scene, the crew was trying to toy with putting real people on stilts with big costumes in order to make them seem much larger than the hobbits. However, that technology was “impractical” and it was ultimately abandoned.

So to recap, The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring and its two sequels used myriad tricks to make the hobbits look small including:

I’m assuming many of these tricks were later used with The Hobbit movies starring Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins later on. All of these multiple tricks ultimately worked as the LOTR movies became notable projects in each of the main cast members’ body of works and still hold up and have fanbases worldwide today.

It has, in fact, been a big couple of weeks for The Lord Of The Rings, as Ian McKellen only just released some of his diaries from the production a few weeks ago, even recalling his last day filming The Return Of The King. Next up, we’ll be getting an Amazon TV series with new actors and hopefully a few more tricks under its belt.