When we first began covering the holidays in 2025, I expected topics like Kim Kardashian’s infamous hallway of trees and Jennifer Aniston's plans with her new beau to come up. However, I did not expect there to be a brand new tree trend when it came to celebrity Christmas trees, and yet that’s exactly what ended up happening. If you’re ready to embrace the “Naked Christmas Tree” trend, or at least to learn what the heck that means, we have you covered.

What The Heck Is The Naked Christmas Tree?

Earlier this year, Khloé Kardashian showed off some photos with mom Kris and her kids, True and Tatum, whom she co-parents with ex Tristan Thompson. If you glance behind her in the post, you'll see a lit Christmas tree with a few pops of color. You may also notice it’s completely bereft of one hallmark of Christmas trees over the last 50+ years: ornaments.

Enter the naked Christmas tree. At first I assumed naked simply meant an evergreen tree with no ornamentation whatsoever, but in this context naked means bereft of ornamentation (or mostly bereft, which we'll get into later). As far as lights and small pops of colors though, a few extras seem fair game and count toward the trend. Think regular Christmas tree, but make it as stripped down as possible.

At first I thought this might only be a Kardashian trend (as Kim’s aforementioned hallway of trees is also skipping the ornaments). However, Victoria Beckham, Julianne Moore and other celebrities are also enjoying the minimalist trend this holiday season.

Victoria Beckham, Julianne Moore And More Advocate For The Naked Christmas Tree

The trend has been more common than you might guess for a while, as last year Julianne Moore shared her dainty New York Christmas tree, appropriately townhouse sized and bereft of anything but lights, this time last year.

Apparently, if you have a tree with a few ornaments but not a confluence of them, like Victoria Beckham’s 2025 tree, it’s called a “nearly naked tree” and not a “naked tree.” Either way, the effect is similar. Here’s the Beckham’s take on holiday decor ahead of 2026:

So, what do you think? Is this a Christmas tree look you wouldn't put in your house?

Celebrity Christmas trees are often a topic of interest this time of year. The GOAT of all holiday plans still probably has to be Martha Stewart, who planted her own Christmas tree farm so she can pick out the perfect tree every year. Yes, truly. Last we checked, she's still going hard in the ornament paint, but we'll be sure to keep you posted about other celebrities as they share their own popular home looks just in the nick of time for the holidays.

Look, it’s summer, and that means one of two things if you're a TV and movie fan. You can either go out and enjoy the warm weather, or you can turn up the A/C and hide from the heat by sitting on the couch and watching whatever you can find on your favorite streaming service. Honestly, I suggest the latter option.

From Jaws, the original summer blockbuster, to a preview of the next big summer movie release, How to Train Your Dragon, to the Disney live-action remake you probably didn’t see in theaters, there is plenty of good stuff streaming this week. Here are a few of the highlights.

How To Train Your Dragon Sneak Peek - June 9 (Peacock)

Disney may be the studio known for the concept of remaking popular animated hits in live-action, but any idea that shows success in Hollywood is going to be copied, and here we are. This week will see the live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon hit theaters. However, if you have a Peacock subscription, you can get an early look at the film with a special Sneak Peek.

Snow White - June 11 (Disney+)

I can guess what you’ve heard about Disney’s live-action Snow White and, while I personally thought Snow White was good, I know I’m in the minority on that. What I do know is that based on the Disney film's box office struggles, you probably haven’t seen it. So, if you have a Disney+ subscription, use it to check the movie out this week and come to your own conclusions.

FUBAR, Season 2 - June 12 (Netflix)

I’m not sure anybody was asking for a second season of FUBAR starring Arnold Schwarzenegger but, if you were one of the people who were holding on to your Netflix subscription waiting for it to arrive, good news. And, honestly, who doesn’t love Arnie enough to enjoy seeing the aging action hero have some fun as an aging CIA agent?

Deep Cover - June 12 (Prime Video)

Lighthearted comedies are exactly the sorts of movies we don’t see much of in theaters anymore, but they’ve found a home on streaming services. Deep Cover stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Blood, and Ted Lasso’s Nick Mohammod as improv actors who are enlisted to go undercover and get in over their heads. It’s just the sort of silly premise you’ll only see at the movies, but there’s great comedy potential and, if nothing else, it’s great to see Orlando Bloom again.

Echo Valley - June 13 (Apple TV+)

Sydney Sweeney is one of the world’s hottest young stars, so it’s a safe bet that a lot of people will be using their Apple TV+ subscription to check out Echo Valley. The new thriller stars Sweeney as a young woman who enlists her mother’s (Julianne Moore) help to cover up the death of her boyfriend.

Jaws Franchise - June 15 (Peacock)

2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the original Jaws. The movie is viewed by many as the original summer blockbuster so, if you’ve somehow never seen it or haven’t seen it in a long time, you’ll be able to do so again when the movie arrives on Peacock this week. Alongside it will come its three less-than-stellar sequels, in case you just have to watch them all.

There’s plenty more great streaming content in the coming weeks, from a new Marvel Cinematic Universe series to Broadway performances of your favorite Disney movies. Keep checking in with CinemaBlend so you don’t miss the next big thing.

Considering Sirens is still the No. 1 TV show on the 2025 TV schedule, at least for those streaming with a Netflix subscription, I’m guessing I’m not the only one with a lot of questions about the thriller. One detail you might have noticed is all the women on the fictional island of Port Haven wear the same kind of necklaces.

What’s up with those? Well, I looked into it, and as it turns out, the show’s creator Molly Smith Metzler, who based the new Netflix TV show on her 2011 play, “Elemeno Pea,” had a very specific reason why they are wearing them. When she spoke with Variety, the journalist asked if the lockets are “full of drugs” or something of that sort. Here’s how Metzler replied:

It’s not a stretch that Sirens would be inspired by wealthy New England beachside communities like Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. As the creator shares, the lockets worn by most of the women in Port Haven are pulled directly from the fashion sense of two similar islands in Massachusetts, and it plays right into the creepy aesthetic of the series itself. As she continued:

While there’s clearly some theories ablaze about the lockets being more than just fashion statements, the show’s creator has put that to rest. Perhaps what’s more terrifying is that this “culty” mentality is very much at play in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard rather than it being made up for the show without any truth behind it.

Molly Smith Metzler is also right about the basket necklaces being expensive. I found one online from Chatham Jewelers for $1,200!

The series creator has also talked about the backstory behind “hey, hey”, which is also inspired by her summers in Martha’s Vineyard where she worked at a yacht club and noticed women would pick up on “each other’s way of saying things.” along with the same expensive necklace to show “status” and an unspoken unity within their ingroup.

It’s details like the lockets that make Sirens one of the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix right now. I knew I was hooked as soon as I saw Milly Alcock’s Simone and Julianne Moore’s Michaela sharing gum (which they really did on set by the way) in episode one. It pulled me in to this fictional community where Simone is so close with her billionaire boss that she’s swapping spit and helping her own with sexts with her husband.

Sure, I definitely was left furious at one character in particular and ruminating on if I want the ending’s loose ends to be tied up, but after learning about the creator’s real-life inspirations, I’m clutching my jewelry a little tighter thinking about the real messages the TV show cleverly touched upon.

SPOILERS are ahead for the Sirens ending. You can stream all five episodes now with a Netflix subscription.

Have you noticed this? In recent years, it’s been in high fashion for miniseries to suddenly become an ongoing series. The White Lotus, for example, was going to be one season, but here we are getting excited for Season 4. This also recently happened with Tina Fey’s The Four Seasons, which was renewed for a second season even though it was crafted initially as a limited series. Big Little Lies, too. While I’m usually game for this kind of thing, after watching Sirens, I want to talk about why I’m actually totally good with its ending staying where it is.

When it comes to 2025 Netflix releases, I don’t think I’ve binged a new show faster than Sirens this year. I was drawn in by Milly Alcock and Julianne Moore’s characters being so creepily close as coworkers they share gum (yes, actually the actors really did on set), and what would happen when Meghann Fahy crashed her sister’s life at a lavish beach estate. I got properly hooked on this show, but I’m totally satisfied with how things were left. Let me talk about it:

I Binge-Watched Sirens On Netflix, And I Thoroughly Enjoyed It

I’ve actually slowed down when it comes to bingeing shows in one sitting lately. It’s a long time commitment to sit on my couch for, and honestly not many shows keep my attention for that long. However, Sirens is kind of the perfect binge. It’s only five episodes long, so it was more realistic for me to start and finish the show on the same day. Plus, it was a great combination of being both gripping and an easy watch.

And then there’s the plotline itself – it plays like a summer beach read novel that I would simply eat up while accidentally getting sunburned because of laying out next to the waves. It instantly pulled me in with its opening where Fahy’s Devon charges off to her sister with the fruit basket in hand she had delivered to her home in response to learning their father has dementia. I found it really clever how the show instantly had me buying into Devon’s perspective, while also being really interested in what was going on with Alcock’s Simone and her very rich boss, Moore’s Michaela, and their unique world we are introduced to.

Now, I don’t think it was necessarily an amazing series, as I definitely thought it was going to get a lot more twisted than it actually did, but I enjoyed the journey from beginning to end, and that’s a total win in my book. I thought it was fun, it got into some really interesting topics and I didn’t necessarily expect the ending.

Of Course I'm Curious What's Next For Simone, Michaela And Devon

Sirens ends with Simone becoming the new partner for Kevin Bacon’s billionaire character, Peter Kell, who’s character totally threw me for a loop. Michaela on the other hand, ends up on a ferry leaving her longtime home, and Simone’s sister Devon decides to skip the sexy yacht trip she was invited to and return with her father to continue to focus on taking care of him. Obviously, after growing attached to this trio of characters across the five episodes, I instantly was curious about where each of their fates would take them after the credits rolled.

Like, where is Michaela really going to go after losing all her money and status? And, is Simone really going to last as Peter’s new partner, and how will her promotion of sorts lead her life next? I also want to know how Devon’s relationship with her dad and taking care of him will develop after this wild trip to see her sister.

However, The Ending Gave Me All The Closure I Need

Given my praise for Sirens, you’d think I’d want to see another season, however, I really don’t think the story would necessarily benefit from being an ongoing series. Even though I am curious about what’s next for all the characters, I think the insular story it tells is more interesting than anything a second season could tell me following its finale. And I think the last episode wonderfully brings home the messaging of Sirens with these words between Michaela and Devon on the ferry:

• Devon: “You think my sister’s gonna be okay with him?”
• Michaela: “No. Well, who knows, you know? I’m sure Jocelyn thought the same thing about me, but I had a pretty good run. Took him 13 years to decide that I was a monster.”
• Devon: “You’re not a monster, Michaela.”
• Michaela: “Neither is she.”

At its core, I personally think Sirens is about cycles of privilege and trauma, and when Simone chooses her path to become Michaela, it’s not because the writers have a grand plan for her coming up, it’s to illustrate how easily women are replaceable to a billionaire like Peter, and how Simone’s traumatic childhood is what is leading her to betray the women close to her and selfishly choose affluence over connection and responsibility.

I Think It's Actually More Powerful To Leave Sirens Be

The thing is, I think we’re supposed to be both frustrated with Simone by the end of the show and also understand her choice. It’s clearly established that Simone had a really traumatic childhood where her alcoholic father abandoned her and left her to basically starve at one point, and how being taken in by an affluent woman who needs her for every little thing was kind of perfect for her.

But, when Michaela abandons her by firing her and she realizes she’ll have to move back in with her father, she finds a way to stay in her fantasy by going to Peter. It’s her means of survival. There’s something powerful in sitting in this ending and knowing she’ll make a lot of the same mistakes Michaela did, and then be thrown away at some point, too.

I think sometimes Hollywood forgets that one story with a beginning, middle and an end is absolutely enough. Just because something is popular doesn’t mean it needs a sequel. It just means the creators made something good, and should get hired again, and that could be for something completely different and new. I want to see more trust in original ideas; part of why Sirens was interesting to me. The ending is going to stick with me because I’m not sure what will happen to Simone, Michaela and Devon after the ending, because what the series had to say on its own is enough.

SPOILERS for Sirens are ahead!

I’ll admit it took me an episode or two of Sirens, the new five-part miniseries available with a Netflix subscription, to hook me. At first, I didn’t like it and was unfavorably comparing it to The White Lotus, mostly because of the choice of music Sirens used. Then, about halfway through the second episode, we were introduced to the until-then mysterious Peter Kell, played by Kevin Bacon.

I immediately liked the character. Sure, it helps that Kevin Bacon is incredibly charming both on and off screen, but I also just liked how nice Pete was. Up to that point, we’d really only met some horrible people, like the conniving Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore), her ruthlessly ambitious assistant Simone DeWitt (Milly Alcock), and Simone’s tragic sister Devon (Meghann Fahy). All three were obnoxious in their own way. Then there was Pete.

He Was Nice To The Help And Seemed Down To Earth (For A Billionaire)

Sirens sets Pete up as the nice guy. Sure, he’s a billionaire who probably stepped on a lot of people on his way up the financial ladder, but he was a kind person. He got to know the people who worked for them and seemed to have a real connection with many of them. Many had clearly been loyal to him, even as the group texts between staff members trashed Simone and Michaela, or “Kiki,” as she was known to her friends.

As the series progressed, it seemed like Pete was victim of his wife Kiki’s manipulations just like everyone else in her orbit. He’d cheated on his wife, which can be unforgivable, but we learn just how persuasive Kiki is, and I began to understand how it happened. Or I thought I did, anyway.

Still, Pete likes to clam and then make clam chowder with his staff in the kitchen. He smokes the occasional doobie and is seemingly at ease with everyone he meets; even the wildest characters on the show, like Devon and her father Bruce (Bill Camp). Most importantly, he clearly loathes some of the ridiculous requests made of him and the staff by his overbearing wife and is never afraid to offer his unvarnished opinion.

Boy, Was I Wrong About Pete, Though

In the end, it turns out Pete is as bad or worse than all the other silly rich people on whatever New England island enclave they are existing on in Sirens. For Pete, cheating on his wife and moving right on to the next young thing seems to be second nature. He thinks nothing of ditching Kiki when she’s no longer serving him and moving right on to Simone.

At one point, Kiki even explains that they are all working for Pete. It doesn’t seem like for most of the show. Kiki appears to be the one making all the decisions. However, in Pete's final scene, as he is making his toast at the garden gala with Simone by his side mere moments after dumping Kiki, we learn that he’s just as heartless and sociopathic as anyone else on the show. Maybe more so.

Just like so many others around him, I was completely taken in by Pete’s charms, only to be let down at the end when I learned he’s just like everyone else. It’s truly one of Kevin Bacon’s best performances because of it.

I can’t remember the last time I watched a show that hooked me like Sirens. A few days ago, I had no idea it existed. Now, after consuming all five episodes, I’m watching every YouTube analysis video and reading every interview in an effort to stay on the island a little longer. I just can’t mentally get on the ferry and leave, and I don’t know why.

The limited series is creatively weird, has a jumpy unnerving tone and some obvious storytelling issues, but also, I’m entirely under its spell and desperate to stay, even if it means starting to say “hey hey.”

On the surface, Michaela’s “hey hey” catch phrase means nothing. It’s not as quirky as Gretchen Wieners’ “fetch” or as consequential as Columbo’s “just one more thing,” but it does a great job of explaining her character’s vibe. It’s like Matthew McConaughey’s “alright alright alright.” You see the way she expresses it and the tone she says it in and sort of intuitively understand her character, especially when Simone dutifully repeats it back.

Recently, Variety asked creator Molly Smith Metzler where it came from, and in a way, I think the backstory explains so much about the show. Here’s a portion of her quote…

The fact that the actual catch phrase is “hey hey” is random and meaningless. What’s actually important is that Michaela says it, and that makes everyone else want to say. They say it not because “hey hey” is so great. They say it because they, like me, are obsessed with being on the island. They’re obsessed with being a part of that world and spending time in the cliff house. That means fitting in, sharing gum and embracing and assigning meaning to everything, even if there’s not any inherent meaning.

Michaela actually says something similar during her final scene. Devon asks her what “hey hey” means, and she gives an almost shockingly frank answer. It’s just something she says. Here’s the quote…

You’re either in or you’re out. If you want to be in, you have to follow the rules, whether you agree with them or not, whether they have any inherent meaning or not. That means no smoking, and it also means, if the lady of the island says “hey hey,” you better respond with a “hey hey” right back.

Sirens just premiered this weekend. All five episodes of the limited series are now streaming for free with a Netflix subscription. Do yourself a favor and check it out. Julianne Moore, Milly Alcock, Meghann Fahy and Kevin Bacon are all fantastic, and the support cast is really stacked too.

I have a new title to add to the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix, and it's Sirens. For me, the thrilling miniseries kind of came out of nowhere, but I’ve been zooming right through it, and it’s very much worth a watch if you have a Netflix subscription. I’m personally almost done with the series, which is currently No. 1 amongst TV shows on the aforementioned platform's Top 10. At the while, I still can’t stop thinking about that gum swapping scene from the first episode. Now, I've learned some wild facts about it.

Sirens does a great job of illustrating how Milly Alcock’s Simone is a bit too close and intimate with her boss early in the series. That's evident when Julianne Moore’s Michaela asks Simone, her live-in assistant, to help her sext her husband. But the one scene that got me thinking is the moment when Michaela asks Simone to take her gum to improve the scent of her breath as they enter a function. I thought it had to be real, and turns out I was right. Here's what Alcock told Yahoo Canada:

I mean, there wasn’t really any way around it, was there? While I would definitely be repulsed if I saw someone do this in real life, I guess it’s theoretically the same as swapping spit during a make-out scene, which definitely tends to be part of the job of an actor. However, Alcock shared one way it could have been worse:

So not only did they swap gum, but they did so for multiple takes. This anecdote sure isn't for the germaphobes of the world. As it stands, the scene is wild enough, but it would've been repulsive had it involved the gum becoming stringy and getting caught in someone’s teeth. It's interesting that Alcock was sure that particular version would make it in the show. Ultimately, though, I guess the filmmakers decided to spare us on that. (Thanks, guys.)

25-year-old Milly Alcock is just getting her start in Hollywood, and now she has an odd story (or brag?): sharing gum with Oscar winner Julianne Moore. The Australian actor made her breakthrough via the fantasy series House of the Dragon, playing the role of young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. More recently, she wrapped on the Supergirl movie and is expected to make her debut as Kara Zor-El in this summer’s Superman movie.

As for Sirens, Alcock is incredible as Simone, and I’m really enjoying watching her play the assistant to Moore’s enigmatic socialite as her older sister, Devon (played by Meaghan Fahy) rocks the boat of her pastel-colored life when she desperately visits her in hopes of getting some assistance for their sick father. It's safe to say this is a show that's going to stick with me, as that gum surely stuck to those teeth.

Check out Sirens for yourself right now. Also, read up on the titles that are set to hit the 2025 Netflix schedule of releases. Also, watch Alcock's best movie and TV performances.

The Big Lebowski is without a doubt one of the wildest yet best movies of the '90s. And that's, in part, because the film is riddled with recognizable Hollywood faces and crazy moments like that unforgettable dream sequence. Speaking of that scene and one of the big stars in it, Julianne Moore, who played Maude Lebowski, just revealed she was secretly expecting her first child at the time, making this whole movie and moment even wilder.

Moore went on The Drew Barrymore Show to talk about her new film with Tilda Swinton, The Room Next Door. While in conversation with Barrymore, the May December star threw it back to her time as part of The Big Lebowski cast too, revealing that she was expecting her first child while filming it. However, that didn't stop her from wearing that crazy viking dress and performing that wild dream sequence, as she explained, via EW:

If you need a memory jog, Moore, as Maude Lebowski, wore a gold armor-like dress that hit mid-thigh, a bowling ball bra (in the style of a coconut bra), and a horned hat, plus, she had a trident staff of sorts. To learn that the dress from the legendary Lebowski moment was made of styrofoam and she was pregnant too surprises me, because it makes the situation even crazier.

What a complete badass, though, because the thought of pulling off what she did while pregnant makes my stomach turn and she did it effortlessly.

For context, this scene in question plays out in a grandiose fever sequence for The Dude (Jeff Bridges), and it's comparable to an Old Hollywood show, complete with decorated dancers and a grand staircase. Then, Maude Lebowski is revealed among them all. She and The Dude have a moment together, and then, they’re bowling. In the last leg of the dream, The Dude turns into the bowling ball and floats down the alley under a bunch of female legs–which Bridges shared later that he was surprised when he looked up those skirts–to get a strike. That's all to say, the whole sequence is one wild ride, man.

The takeaway here is that Julianne Moore deserves big props, as she played it cool in that styrofoam fever dream get-up while also being secretly pregnant. And while the whole thing makes me want to go bowling or drum up my rewatch plans, Donny’s demise is a heartbreaking movie death I will never get over. So, maybe I'll just stick to re-watching this fever dream and appreciating the actress's hard work in it.

If you’d like to experience the bowling dream from The Big Lebowski, you’ll need a premium Hulu subscription or Starz subscription.

Hugh Grant has had an incredible career thus far that only continues to grow, such as with his terrifying turn in the horror film Heretic, However, he’ll always be remembered most for being in the best romantic comedies. While his movies of the genre are pretty much loved by everyone (even a peculiar one from Quentin Tarantino), the actor recently revealed there’s one movie of his he absolutely will not let his wife watch.

In 1995, just a few years before his biggest movies of the rom-com genre like Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary and Love Actually, Hugh Grant made a movie with Julianne Moore called Nine Months. This movie from the director of classic movies like The Goonies and Home Alone Chris Columbus is about a long-term couple dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. When Nine Months was recently brought up to him, Grant had this to say:

While speaking to Variety, Grant revealed that while he thinks all involved in the romantic comedy were great, he’s not fond of the film due to his own performance in it. When Grant made the movie, the Brit was 34 and it marked his first starring role in a Hollywood movie. Surely he wasn’t as confident back then regarding his talent as he might be now. Still, he hilariously suggested he put “parental controls” on his personal TV to keep his wife, Anna Eberstein, from viewing the movie.

Of course, as one should already know if you’re familiar with Grant, the actor is known for his cleverness and dry personality, so one should perhaps read this in his accent. Recently, Grant spoke about how his humor led to rumors circulating that he “hated” making Wonka.

Sure, Nine Months isn’t exactly the best of Hugh Grant movies. The movie has a 27% critics score and 37% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with some critics calling Grant’s performance “an endurance” and the movie itself “forgettable.” However, it also seems to have tons of fans as well, with people calling the movie “cute,” “romantic” and someone even describing it as one of their “favorites.”

While Grant’s wife may never have the chance to see it, it does sound like Hugh Grant is just being hard on himself regarding the movie. It may not be his most loved movie, but that’s OK, every actor has a stinker or two. You can rent and buy Hugh Grant’s latest movie, Heretic, which critics absolutely loved, on Amazon now.

Ah, the famed Venice Film Festival standing ovation. The famed standing ovation is often used as a metric for the quality of the highly-anticipated movies that premiere there. But, the amount of applause a movie gets doesn't always equal the overall quality of the films themselves. That being said, this week there were already two huge moments when it comes to standing ovations for two projects on the 2024 movie schedule: Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton’s drama The Room Next Door and Brad Pitt and George Clooney’s action comedy Wolfs.

Julianne Moore And Tilda Swinton Basically Won Venice With A 17-Minute Standing Ovation 

First of all, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton seriously stunned the first audiences of The Room Next Door on Monday, September 2, when the movie had people standing and clapping for a staggering 17 minutes. It’s reportedly the longest applause for the festival this year (so far). Other movies like Angelina Jolie’s Maria (which the actress strutted to in a gorgeous gown) received eight minutes of applause while the Daniel Craig-led movie Queer got nine minutes.

The Room Next Door comes from beloved Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar in what is his first full-length English debut. The movie is about two old friends who reconnect after Moore’s character of Martha learns that Swinston’s character Ingrid is being treated for cancer.

It sounds like a deeply emotional film and one that I can't wait to see, especially after that standing ovation.

But, George Clooney And Brad Pitt Won My Heart By Dancing During Wolfs’ Venice Applause

That’s all well and good, but my favorite instance of Venice standing ovations I’ve seen this year has to be from Brad Pitt and George Clooney for Wolfs. The pair famously worked together in the 2000s on the Ocean’s movies and the Coen Brothers’ Burn After Reading back in 2008. Now, for the first time in years, they have come back together to work on Jon Watts’ Wolfs. Check out what happened when they received an extended applause:

What a great moment! The pair of big movie stars, who appear to be wearing matching suits, embraced each other after the movie’s runtime before they decided to go into a little dance with each other to celebrate all the audience's affection.

And, there are plenty of reasons for the actors to dance about the movie. Wolfs has been getting high praise from critics since its premiere, including through CinemaBlend’s own Wolfs review. Our site gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars, with Mike Reyes writing that “Clooney and Pitt do not miss a beat, as their combined and individual resumes have given them the shorthand needed to make the most out” of the new flick.

So, yeah, I think the dance was warranted.

Wolfs is set to hit select theaters on September 20 before arriving to those with an AppleTV+ subscription a week later on September 27. The Room Next Door, on the other hand, is hitting select theaters on Christmas Day, before going wide in January 2025 – just in time to receive all the Oscars buzz after that long-standing ovation moment.

As with many years prior, several upcoming films will bring us tales of joy and woe with animated adventures, heartfelt family films, people overcoming horrific circumstances, fun comedies and more. But, something that many people love to see is a story that focuses either on people who do intriguing work or who have some true magic in their lives. As such, let’s take a look at 32 famous actors who’ve given us that by playing a wizard, witch or magician in some popular movies. 

Nicole Kidman (Practical Magic, Bewitched)

An Oscar winner who’s notably portrayed a witch twice in her big screen efforts is Nicole Kidman. Seeing as how Practical Magic 2 is now being worked on in earnest, you probably remember her 1998 hit with Sandra Bullock easily. But, do you recall her turn as a real witch hired to play a fictional one in the 2005 comedy, Bewitched?

Hugh Jackman (The Prestige)

We actually don’t get as many magicians on screen as one might think, but Hugh Jackman did us all a solid when he starred as one in the 2006 Christopher Nolan movie, The Prestige. If you somehow still haven’t seen this Edwardian London-set thriller, do yourself a favor and track it down. You won’t regret it.

Ian McKellen (The Lord Of The Rings And The Hobbit Trilogies)

This list would be nothing without mentioning maybe the most famous wizard in all of literary history, who made his major motion picture appearances courtesy of Sir Ian McKellen in The Lord of the Rings movies, as well as The Hobbit trilogy. Gandalf the Grey cannot be ignored, and not just because he’s so much taller than most of his traveling companions!

Neve Campbell (The Craft)

Fledgling teen witches count just as much as those who’ve been witchin’ for decades, which is why Neve Campbell’s eventual power-hungry sorceress, Bonnie, is on this list. The Craft is a teen horror classic that’s worth a watch.

Bette Midler (Hocus Pocus)

Here’s another classic movie witch who’s hard to forget. Bette Midler really dialed it up for her performance as Winifred Sanderson in 1993’s Hocus Pocus (along with fellow witchy Sanderson sisters Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker), and the results were so memorable that a Disney+ sequel was made nearly 30 years later.

Jesse Eisenberg (Now You See Me)

We’ve come to another magician, but Jesse Eisenberg’s modern-day character, Atlas, is an illusionist who works in Las Vegas in a popular group…who are really teamed up to steal lots and lots of money. It was so popular that a sequel followed.

Alexandra Daddario (Mayfair Witches)

If anything, we could trust late horror author Anne Rice to pen an intriguing tale that keeps us glued to the pages of a book. It also turns out that White Lotus star Alexandra Daddario can help turn that story into a can’t-miss TV show, as she’s done by playing witchy lead Rowan on Mayfair Witches.

Cher (The Witches Of Eastwick)

Cher has excelled in pretty much every role she’s ever had, and that includes widowed mother/witch Alex in The Witches of Eastwick. This one gets wild but you’ll never regret watching her (or her co-stars Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jack Nicholson) as things go from weird to worse.

Nicolas Cage (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice)

We all know that Nicolas Cage has played a multitude of roles during his decades-long career, so it should be little surprise that he’s portrayed as a user of magic. Before you get too deep into wondering whether or not there’s a real difference between a wizard and a sorcerer, just know that Cage played the latter in this 2010 film that takes some inspiration from a segment in Disney’s animated classic, Fantasia.

Tia And Tamera Mowry (Twitches)

Sure, there have already been people on this list who played witches along with other really famous people, and those co-stars weren’t listed as the main star, but guess what: none of those other people starred with their twin, which is the case with Tia and Tamera Mowry in the beloved Disney Channel original film, Twitches. Did this one get a sequel? You bet it did!

Meryl Streep (Into The Woods)

No one can deny the prowess or ability of 21-time Oscar nominee (and three-time winner) Meryl Streep to deliver an amazing performance. The same can be true for when she played the character known simply as The Witch in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Into the Woods (and, yes, got an Academy Award nomination for her work).

Steve Carell (The Incredible Burt Wonderstone)

And here we have another Las Vegas magician in Steve Carell’s Burt Wonderstone. Instead of watching him steal money, we follow along in this comedy as Burt attempts to reunite with his former partner (Steve Buschemi) so they can gain more traction than a competing magician (Jim Carrey) whose “tricks” mostly involve odd feats of endurance and real pain.

Edward Norton (The Illusionist)

You’d be forgiven for confusing this film with the above-mentioned The Prestige, as they’re both about old-timey magicians and released in 2006. However, this film stars Edward Norton as our…illusionist, and is more of a romantic mystery than Nolan’s thriller.

Lucy Lawless (Salem)

So many evil witches, so little time. The WGN TV series, Salem, was loosely inspired by the Salem witch trials, and focused on a lead who was trying to bring the Devil to earth. But, that wasn’t even the character played by Xena actress Lucy Lawless, as her Countess Palatine Ingrid von Marburg was simply a different and far more evil witch. Can’t anyone use magic to just like, keep everyone’s house clean so we can all have more free time?

Guy Pearce (Death Defying Acts)

It’s actually rather surprising that we’ve gotten this far into the list without coming to someone who portrayed a famous real-life magician, so we can thank Guy Pearce for that. His 2007 supernatural romance, Death Defying Acts, saw him play Harry Houdini.

Angela Bassett (American Horror Story: Coven)

Even for those who don’t follow along with the amazing antics on every season of the anthology series, American Horror Story, it would probably be a little shock to find out that the show has cast several witches during its long run. The subtitle of this 2013 season tells you that it was dedicated to witchy goings-on, and double Oscar nominee Angela Bassett had a notable guest role as real historical figure/Voodoo practitioner Marie Laveau.

Sebastian Stan (The Covenant)

The actor who would come to be known as Bucky “Winter Soldier” Barnes, Sebastian Stan, played a very different type of super-powered character in 2006, when he played teen warlock Chase Collins in the fantasy film The Covenant. It also features stars like Taylor Kitsch and Chase Crawford, who also get their magic on in the film.

Michelle Pfeiffer (Stardust)

As we’ve seen from the entry on Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer had already played a witchy woman by the time she appeared in the 2007 movie Stardust, as an evil (of course) witch looking to retrieve a fallen star to have ever-lasting beauty and youth.

Debbie Reynolds (Halloweentown)

Here’s another Disney Channel classic, which follows a young witch who realizes she has powers on her 13th Halloween, only to be transported to the titular town where supernatural creatures can live without human interference. The late Debbie Reynolds plays her grandmother (also a witch), and returned for all three sequels.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange)

This 2016 MCU entry stars Benedict Cumberbatch as an injured doctor who involves himself in the business of fighting evil with sorcery after losing the use of his hands and heading to a mysterious enclave to look for healing. Cumberbatch has appeared as the character in a number of Marvel franchise films now, including a 2022 sequel to his original solo film.

Mila Kunis (Oz The Great And Powerful)

Here’s a movie filled with magical beings that’s often forgotten. Oz the Great and Powerful saw Mila Kunis, along with Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz, play witches of, yes, that Oz who have to determine if the Kansas magician who’s turned up in their realm is really the “great” wizard they’ve been waiting for.

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone)

This is another actor and portrayal that this list would basically be pointless without. Though Daniel Radcliffe has gone on to portray a wide variety of good and bad guys in the past decade or so of his career, for many he will always be known as the boy wizard, Harry Potter.

Selena Gomez (Wizards Of Waverly Place)

What? Did you forget that Selena Gomez, the Grammy-nominated singer and star of the Hulu hit show Only Murders in the Building, got her first taste of fame on a Disney Channel series? Well, shame on you for not being able to remember that Gomez led Wizards of Waverly Place through a magical four-season run as the supernaturally gifted teen, Alex Russo.

Elizabeth Olsen (WandaVision)

Do we have yet another MCU stalwart for you? You bet we do! Elizabeth Olsen first took on the role of Scarlet Witch during the post-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, later starring in several more of the franchise films and the critically lauded Disney+ series, WandaVision, for which she received an Emmy nomination.

Sam Neill (Merlin)

While there have certainly been a number of movies and shows that have given us versions of the mythical wizard known as Merlin, NBC’s two-part, 1998 miniseries saw Sam Neill use his recent Jurassic Park stardom to show us an adventurous tale of Merlin’s life before the birth of King Arthur.

Rosamund Pike (The Wheel Of Time)

Many of the portrayals we’ve discussed (and will continue to discuss below) have dealt with book-to-screen adaptations that are based on already incredibly popular novels, and The Wheel of Time is certainly one of those. The Amazon series, which takes its story from the 14-book franchise by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, stars Rosamund Pike as powerful magic user Moiraine Damodred, who takes a group of young adults on a journey to save the world.

Julia Ormond (Witches Of East End)

This Lifetime series, which ran for two seasons from 2013 to 2014, followed the women of the Beauchamp family, witches in a small, fictional seaside town who are led by their mother, Julia Ormond’s Joanna, and have to fight to save themselves and the people of their town from dark magical forces.

Emma Thompson (Beautiful Creatures)

This 2013 Gothic fantasy romance focuses on a teen who will learn on her 16th birthday whether or not her witch tendencies will be for good or ill. Two-time Academy Award-winning actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson plays her mother, Sarafine, who didn’t raise the girl but wants her on that dark side really, really badly.

Tilda Swinton (The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, Suspiria)

Considering that Tilda Swinton has played everything from a gender-switching hero in Orlando to the MCU’s version of the Ancient One in the aforementioned Doctor Strange and the archangel Gabriel in Constantine, is anyone surprised to know that she’s played some witches? In both The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe and Suspiria she was very good at playing magical ladies who wanted (or already had and wanted to continue) to do some very bad things, but the latter film has WAY more serious and bloody fun for those who watch.

Jack Black (The House With A Clock In Its Walls)

Frequent funny man Jack Black as a warlock? That’s what the 2018 fantasy The House With A Clock In Its Walls delivers, as the Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle star portrays a boy’s magic uncle who lives in the house of a dead evil wizard and is trying to discover the location and purpose of a clock the previous dastardly owner hid in the walls.

Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald)

While much of the Harry Potter franchise featured either actors Richard Harris or Michael Gambon as the beloved Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, when the prequels were made, a younger Albus Dumbledore was needed and they called in Jude Law to fill the wizard’s very important and legendary shoes.

Julianne Moore (Seventh Son)

Last but certainly not least on our list of famed actors who’ve brought wizards, witches and magicians to life is lauded talent Julianne Moore. The Academy Award winner starred in 2015’s Seventh Son as the evil witch Mother Malkin, who escapes after many years imprisoned and looks to restore her full power by any means necessary.

As you can see, many of our most beloved stars have portrayed wizards, witches and magicians!

There are fewer more popular cult classics than The Big Lebowski. Some of the cast is very well known of course, and they are on this list, but others are less so. They are all phenomenal actors, and most have had long careers outside of the Coen Brothers classic, and while you might think to yourself, "Oh yeah, I know that guy," you might not remember from where. That's why we're here to fill in those gaps and give you 32 cast members from The Big Lebowski and where else you've seen them on screen. 

Jeff Bridges (The Dude)

Of course, you can't talk about The Big Lebowski without talking about The Dude, or "El Duderino" if you're not into the whole brevity thing. Jeff Bridges is on the record as saying it was one of his favorite roles and that's saying a lot considering he's won an Oscar for another role in Crazy Heart and is the star of another beloved cult classic, Tron. Bridges' full list of accomplishments is far too long to mention here. 

Peter Stormare (Uli Kunkel/Karl Hungus)

Any fan of the Coens probably immediately recognizes Peter Stormare as the nihilist Uli Kunkel and from his role as Gaear Grimsrud, Steve Buscemi partner in Fargo. Before Lebowski, he also was in The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Armageddon. Most recently, he is probably best known for playing Abram Tarasov, the main baddie in John Wick: Chapter 2. 

John Goodman (Walter Sobchak)

John Goodman's performance as Walter Sobchak is one of the best of the legend's career. It's hardly his only great performance in a Coen Brothers movie, either. He's worked with the writing and directing team in Raising Arizona, O Brother Where Are Thou?, Inside Llewellyn Davis, and Barton Fink as well. Not to mention all the other roles he's well known for. 

David Huddlestone

The late David Huddlestone, who passed away in 2016 was amazing as the other Jeff Lebowski. He also pops up in some other great roles you may have missed, like Mayor Olson Johnson in Blazing Saddles and as Sen. Max Lobell in a couple of episodes of The West Wing. 

Philip Moon (Woo)

Philip Moon's Woo is one of the two goons sent by Jackie Treehorn to shakedown the wrong Lebowski and his actions towards The Dude's rug is what kicks off the whole adventure. Outside of this movie, Moon is probably best known as Mr. Lee in Season 2 of Deadwood. 

Mark Pellegrino (Thug #2)

Mark Pellegrino plays one of the thugs who assault The Dude at the beginning of the movie, dropping The Dude's bowling ball on the floor in the bathroom. Pellegrino has dozens of credits on his resume going all the way back to the 1980s including the wrestling movie No Holds Barred, plus Lethal Weapon 3, Mulholland Drive, Capote, and National Treasure. Pellegrino is also well known for playing Jacob in Lost. 

Flea (Kieffer)

The three idiot nihilists who fake the kidnapping of Bunny Lebowski were all in a band together called Autobahn. Every band needs a bass player, so adding the Red Hot Chili Pepper's Flea to the mix is perfect casting. It's not Flea's only acting work, either. He has also appeared in Back to the Future II as one of the skating thugs, and alongside his bandmate, Anthony Kiedis in The Chase among other roles. 

Leon Russom (Malibu Police Chief)

The chief of the Malibu police department, played by Leon Russom, is a real reactionary. Russom himself is, presumably, not, but he is a fantastic actor. He's best known these days for his smaller, but very important role as the old man in the woods in A Quiet Place. 

Torsten Voges (Franz)

German Torsten Voges' first big role in the U.S. was as one of the nihilists, Franz. He's the least known of the three actors playing the supposed kidnappers, but since he's appeared in movies like 88mm and TV shows like Grimm. 

Julianne Moore (Maude Lebowski)

The late '90s were a peak moment in Julianne Moore's career, one of a few, as she continues to be one of the best actors in Hollywood. Around the same that she starred in The Big Lebowski, she also starred in Boogie Nights and Magnolia. More recently she received acclaim for her acting in May December, one of the best movies of 2023. 

Jerry Haleva (Saddam Hussein)

Jerry Haleva isn't a big name actor, but he found a lot of success in the 1990s for playing Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, including in The Big Lebowski. As the spitting image of Hussein, he also showed up in Hot Shots! and Hot Shots! Part Deux.

Sam Elliott (The Stranger)

Sam Elliott has one of the greatest mustaches in movie history and it's on full display in the movie. Elliott is beloved for his decades of work in movies like Mask, the classic western Tombstone, and Road House. 

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Brandt)

The Big Lebowski was released just as the late Philip Seymour Hoffman's career was really starting to take off. He'd had some important roles previously, as in Boogie Nights, Twister, and Scent of a Woman, and of course after he became a pretty huge star. 

Jimmie Dale Gilmore (Smokey)

Jimmie Dale Gilmore plays the burnout pacifist Smokey whose foot was over the line in a league match against Walter and The Dude. Gilmore isn't a professional actor, but he is one of the most accomplished and underrated country singer/songwriters of '70s and '80s. 

Ben Gazzara (Jackie Treehorn)

When Ben Gazzara died in 2012, he'd been in show business for nearly 60 years. He started on the stage but also made a huge mark on TV and in movies. Some of his most well-known roles came in The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Summer of Sam, and, of course, as the main antagonist in the original Road House, alongside fellow Lebowski actor Sam Elliott.

Aimee Mann (Nihilist Woman)

Aimee Mann doesn't have a huge role in the movie, as she's seen just in one scene, ordering pancakes with the other nihilists, and missing a toe nail, with nail polish. Of course, Mann is best known as one of Canada's greatest singer/songwriters and while her music has been in many movies, she's only acted in a couple. 

Jon Polito (Da Fino)

Jon Polito was a Coen Brothers regular, playing in five of their movies before his death in 2015. He also was a series regular in the first couple of seasons of Homicide Life On The Streets and in movies like The Crow and American Gangster. 

Tara Reid (Bunny Lebowski)

Pretty much everyone knows Tara Reid, right? In the '90s, she was huge, starring not only as Bunny in The Big Lebowski, but as Vicky in American Pie and its sequels. Since, her most infamous role has been in the Sharknado series. Bunny is still her best role though, don't you think? Brandt does. 

Jack Kehler (Marty The Dancing Landlord)

Jack Kehler is a fantastic character actor who completely disappears into his roles. So much so that you might love some his movies and not even know he's in it - and that's meant as a compliment. He's been in Point Break, Men In Black, Waterworld, and many others. 

Steve Buscemi (Donny)

Donny was a bowler. And a surfer. Steve Buscemi is an actor. And a legend. And so much more. There isn't much we can add that most people don't know about Buscemi. He's starred in some of the best movies and TV shows of all time, including Reservoir Dogs, Con Air, and The Sopranos. It's arguably he's most loved as Donny though. 

Carlos Leon (Maude's Thug)

Carlos Leon has a pretty small role in The Big Lebowski as one of Maude's thugs who knocks The Dude out and takes the rug back. After Lebowski, he found his biggest fame as a series regular, Carlos, in Oz. He's got dozens of other credits to his name, especially on shows shot in New York like Law & Order and others. Of course, he is most known for being Madonna's ex-partner and the father of her daughter, Lourdes Leon.

John Turturro (Jesus)

It could be easily argued that John Turturro steals the show as Jesus. Of course, he steals the show in almost every movie his in, and he's well-known for doing it. His breakout role came in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing and since he's got dozens and dozens of impressive credits, including three Golden Globe-winning performances. 

Richard Gant (Older Cop)

Richard Gant's small role in The Big Lebowski as the more skeptical cop investigating The Dude's car theft is a character actor with an impressive career. He's worked with Eddie Murphy in movies like Norbit, Daddy Day Care, and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, among other roles. 

Christian Clemenson (Younger Cop)

The more enthusiastic cop helping The Dude with his car is played by Christian Clemenson. Clemenson has been working in Hollywood since the mid-'80s when he had a small role in Hannah and Her Sisters. He's also been in blockbusters like United 93, Apollo 13, J. Edgar, The Fisher King, and Broadcast News. 

Dom Irrera (Tony The Chauffeur) 

When The Dude learns all about his chauffeur's rash, he can do nothing but sympathize. the chauffeur, played by comedian Dom Irrera, is a small but memorable role. It's Irrera that makes it so. The standup has been in the business for decades and often pops up in screwball comedies like Silence of the Hams and the forgotten Rodney Dangerfield movie The Fourth Tenor. 

David Thewlis (Knox Harrington)

David Thewlis plays the visual artist Knox Harrington. Most people know Thewlis as Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter series. He's was also Ares in Wonder Woman and Justice League, plus he'll star in the next two installments of the Avatar series. He's a fantastic actor who you might now know the name of, but love him nonetheless. 

Lu Elrod (Diner Waitress)

Lu Elrod is one of the actors that you know you've seen before, but can't always place. In Lebowski she's the waitress that tries to hush Walter, but she's also played small roles in about a dozen other movies like Primary Colors, Wag The Dog, and Kicking And Screaming.  

Mike Gomez (Laughing Cop)

The most memeable moment in the movie is the laughing cop when The Dude asks about any leads in the case of his stolen car. Mike Gomez is that laughing cop and as such, has become more recognizable for that rile. Outside of that, he's probably best known as Quinones in the Clint Eastwood movie Heartbreak Ridge.  

Peter Siragusa (Gary The Bartender)

Heard more than seen, Peter Siragusa as Gary the bartender doesn't have a big role in the movie, serving The Dude his White Russians at the bowling alley. Peter Siragusa was an accomplished actor, however. Much of it was voice work before he died in 2022, but you would certainly recognize him as the lineman in Home Alone. 

Warren Keith (The Funeral Director)

Warren Keith is one of the Coen Brothers' go-to actors, having appeared in four of their movies, Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski and well as off screen in Fargo and A Serious Man. He was recently in the acclaimed 2020 Oscar-winner Nomandland as well. 

Gérard L'Heureux (The Big Lebowski's Chauffeur)

Gérard L'Heureux doesn't have a big role in the movie either, but he is a great actor, despite not really having any lines as he drags The Dude from one limo to another. He's probably best known as one of the prison guards in Con Air, a movie that doesn't make any sense but is still one of the most re-watchable movies ever. 

Asia Carrera (Woman in Adult Movie)

Some of you out there might not want to admit to knowing who Asia Carrera is, but certainly many do. As one of the most-booked adult film stars of the '90s, Carrera was very famous, but not often talked about. The Big Lebowski is one of her very few roles in straight Hollywood, but she's got hundreds of credits in that other Hollywood that people don't always admit to watching. She's really a legend in that way. 

With The Lost World: Jurassic Park recently being added to everything new on Netflix, audiences are going to be able to relive the excitement of the first cinematic sequel to the Jurassic Park Universe. Playing her own crucial role in that endeavor was Julianne Moore, who as Dr. Sarah Harding got to experience a lot of action involving dinosaurs great and small. 

And just as you’d expect, the Academy Award winner still remembers exactly what was like to carry around a 70-lb animatronic dinosaur on that set. That revelation comes from a recent Vanity Fair video, which caught up with the May December star to promote what some consider to be one of the best 2023 Netflix movies. 

When discussing this spot on her career’s timeline, Ms. Moore recalled toting around a baby Tyrannosaurus Rex for director Steven Spielberg in the following anecdote: 

Recruited to star in the only sequel based on a novel penned by author Michael Crichton, Julianne Moore’s casting in Jurassic Park’s follow-up came at a time when her star was on the rise. It wasn’t long before she’d score two more of her most iconic roles, as Boogie Nights and The Big Lebowski would arrive within a year of The Lost World’s 1997 premiere. 

So one could say that her workout regimen with a 70-lb animatronic baby T-Rex helped buff up Julianne's career muscles, as well as the undoubtedly potent arm workout the experience provided. While you can read all about it in remarks above, it’s really a treat to see Julianne Moore discuss the process of working on The Lost World: Jurassic Park in such animated detail. If that interests you, then feel free to watch the magic happen below:  

It's unfortunate that, a little over 25 years later, we still haven't seen any indication of Dr. Sarah Harding’s potential Jurassic return. Maybe with the presence of Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler's romance plot line in 2021’s Jurassic World Dominion, it would have been seen as redundant if Sarah and Dr. Ian Malcolm were seen making up and chasing dinosaurs again for old time's sake. 

Then again, the recent reminder that there’s plenty of life left in the franchise keeps such hopes alive. As we’ve seen with Jurassic World: Chaos Theory’s announcement trailer, a new Netflix animated series is acting as the keeper of this very flame. So perhaps some sorts of clues will be dropped towards Dr. Harding's whereabouts when that series finally debuts, at a currently undisclosed spot on the 2024 TV schedule.

If Julianne Moore’s rugged hero from The Lost World: Jurassic Park does return, at least in animated form she won’t have to worry about lugging a 70-lb Tyrannosaurus. Though she might just have to recall that experience from memory in the voice-over booth, as life has surely found a way for more prehistoric tykes to make their way into the world throughout the Jurassic World storyline.  

For the moment, there’s plenty of thrills to behold with your Netflix subscription. At the time of this writing the Jurassic Park trilogy, as well as May December, are all waiting to be streamed at your convenience. So if you want to rediscover The Lost World, it’s there for the taking. Just watch which dinosaurs you choose to pick up, as that decision is a potentially dangerous one to make. Be sure to check the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie.

Back in 2013, Julianne Moore was eyed for a crucial role in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2. This role was President Coin who was the leader of District 13 looking to be the new President of Panem once she and the other rebels decided to take down the villainous President Snow. It's a vital role in the films, and it turns out the Oscar winner joined the cast of the dystopian film series for a single simple reason, and it's an endearing one.

In Mockingjay, Julianne Moore plays a complex role as her character takes on a leadership position with no awareness that she's imitating the power plays of the tyrannical President Snow. In a TikTok released by People, the May December actress spoke about the “only” reason she took on the role of President Alma Coin in the first place, saying:

As Julianne Moore hasn’t taken on very many family film roles, I can understand why she would say yes to being part of the young adult book-adapted series. If you want your kids to be able to see more of your movies, playing an iconic role in books they read would certainly be the way to go. I'd like to believe they were really proud of their mom.

A lot of actors make movies their kids would enjoy like Ryan Reynolds, who took on Detective Pikachu so he could be in a movie his kids would love compared to his usual R-rated stuff. 

Jennifer Garner was also inspired by her kids to star in Netflix’s Yes Day after saying no to them a lot during the pandemic. Garner’s kids may not watch their mother’s movies to avoid seeing her portray sadness or romance, but it’s still nice she’s been signing on to more family films so her kids have the option of watching them.

The Freeheld actress slayed as President Coin making the role as haunting and sinister as it was written in Suzanne Collins' books. Plus, it was a project her kids were stoked about. So, all around, Moore joining this movie was a win.

As for what The Hunger Games cast member is doing right now, she is starring in the Netflix new release May December, playing a controversial figure being shadowed by an actress who plans on playing her in a new movie.

Julianne Moore’s next movie will be co-starring with Sydney Sweeney in the thriller Echo Valley (which will eventually be available with an Apple TV+ subscription). It's about a horse trainer testing to see how far she’ll go to save her daughter after she shows up at her house covered in someone else’s blood. From the sounds of it, I’m confident this will be yet another role Moore will wow audiences with.

Julianne Moore is not only a dedicated actress, but a devoted mother as she took on her Hunger Games role because she and her kids were reading the same books. It’s a great way to invite your kids along for the ride of your career, and now maybe they want to watch Moore's other great movies, like May December. 

If you want to watch the Golden Globe winner’s performance in Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2, you can stream it on Starz.

Finally, the actors' strike came to an end earlier this month, which allowed for Hollywood’s biggest stars to promote their fall movies. Julianne Moore has taken full advantage of this, as she is currently in the midst of a press cycle for her upcoming Netflix film, May December. While promoting the drama is very much a priority for the Oscar winner, Moore took a break from promoting her own work this week to shout out the summer comedy Bottoms. The cast and crew couldn’t be happier to receive Moore’s endorsement, and stars like Ayo Edebiri commented sweet messages.

Bottoms was released during the actors' strike, so it made it difficult for stars to promote the film. Nevertheless, the comedy found its audience and received fantastic reviews from critics. So many adored the film, including Julianne Moore, who posted about the movie and how much she enjoyed it. She also shouted out key Bottoms cast and crew in the caption to ensure the love was shared. You can see her sweet post from Instagram below:

The Bottoms creative team could not have been more excited to receive such a compliment from one of Hollywood’s most respected actresses. Ayo Edibiri, who plays one of the protagonists in the film, commented:

Emma Seligman, the director of Bottoms, also saw the post and was moved. Clearly a fan, it seems like the shout out meant the world to the filmmaker. She commented:

Elizabeth Banks, who produced the film, also shared the love with simple emojis expressing her gratitude. She said:

The official Instagram account for Bottoms used its blue check to share a message that reflects the feelings of the rest of the cast and crew, commented: 

Julianne Moore loving Bottoms may seem surprising considering the actress has mostly committed herself to serious dramas as of late. Her new film, May December, is no exception. It follows the aftermath of a scandalous relationship 20 years after it became tabloid fodder. Emotions run high as an actress comes into a couples life to uncover uncomfortable truths about their past. Also starring Natalie Portman and Charles Melton, May December is one of the buzziest movies this Oscar season.

However, the fact that the Still Alice star loved a teen comedy like Bottoms shows the fast range of Moore’s taste. The actress is no stranger to a raunchy comedy herself as she starred in both Boogie Nights and The Big Lebowski in the 90s. Both are iconic performances, and this post shows that Moore still has a soft spot for the genre. Maybe after May December, the actress will look towards something more light and fun. If these comments are any indication, the creative team would love to have someone like Julianne Moore join their next project. 

You can catch Julianne Moore in May December, which will be available for Netflix subscribers on December 1st, 2023. If you missed Bottoms in the theaters, you can check out the hilarious film now by streaming it on MGM+. For more information on other films heading to streaming and cinemas this year, make sure to consult our 2023 movie release schedule. 

Soap Operas are not usually the first thing we think of when we think of “Prestige Television” but they have been popular since the dawn of TV and without them, some of our favorite stars might not have ever gotten their big break. In honor of that, we’ve compiled quite a list of famous actors who started out in soap operas. 

Brad Pitt (Another World)

There aren’t many bigger stars in the world than Brad Pitt. While he famously made his first mark in pop culture in Thelma & Louise, his first professional, credited acting role came on the soap Another World. The Ocean’s Eleven star played a character named Chris on two episodes in 1987. Little did anyone know just how famous he would soon be. 

Leonardo DiCaprio (Santa Barbara)

Pitt’s co-star in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio, is also one of the biggest stars in the world. Like Pitt, DiCaprio also can point to a turn on a soap opera early in his career as a launching pad. DiCaprio had a smattering of bit parts before starring in Santa Barbara, but it was five episodes on the soap that really got his career moving. 

Demi Moore (General Hospital)

In the ‘80s and ‘90s, Demi Moore was box office gold with films like St. Elmo’s Fire, A Few Good Men, and Ghost. Moore earned a then-unprecedented $12.5 million with her role in Striptease, but she got her start much more modestly as reporter Jackie Templeton in 85 episodes of General Hospital from 1982 until 1984. 

Marisa Tomei (As The World Turns)

Marisa Tomei’s career went into the stratosphere with her Academy Award-winning turn in My Cousin Vinny in 1992. She’s since been nominated for two more Oscars in her lauded career that all started with the role of Marcy Thompson, as a series regular on As The World Turns for three seasons. 

Alec Baldwin (The Doctors)

The Doctors debuted on NBC in April of 1963, on the very same day as General Hospital premiered on ABC. Unlike GH, which is still on the air, The Doctors lasted only a mere 20 years, but like GH, it helped launch a lot of careers. Alec Baldwin was one of those actors who appeared on the soap, as the character Billy Aldrich for a few years in the early 1980s, years before his big breaks would come in Beetlejuice and The Hunt For Red October. 

Kathy Bates (The Doctors)

Another actor who got her start on the oft-forgotten The Doctors is the great Kathy Bates. Bates worked hard while scratching out a living as an actor in New York City. After scoring just one bit part in the movie Taking Off in 1971, it was another 6 years before she would land a big role, this time on The Doctors.

Laurence Fishburne (One Life To Live)

Laurence Fishburne famously made waves as a teenager starring (as Larry Fishburne) in Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece Apocalypse Now. While the role made him famous, his career started years earlier as Josh Hall in One Life To Live. Fishburne was only 11 years old when he debuted on the show.

Jordana Brewster (As The World Turns)

Jordana Brewster is a star in one of the biggest film franchises in history as Mia Toretto in the Fast & Furious movies. She got her start in one of the biggest soap operas in history as well. After a quick one-off on All My Children in 1995, Brewster landed a regular role on As The World Turns later that same year. She remained on the show for 118 episodes over the next six years. 

Shemar Moore (The Young and the Restless)

For over a decade, Shemar Moore starred as Derek Morgan on the beloved Criminal Minds and then on S.W.A.T for six years. Neither was his first long-time role on television, however, as Moore got his start on eight seasons of The Young and the Restless as Malcolm Winters, a role he’s returned to a number of times, most recently in 2023. 

Tom Selleck (The Young And The Restless)

Another actor who got his start on The Young and the Restless is the legendary TV star Tom Selleck. After bouncing around in bit parts for most of the ‘70s. The Blue Bloods star found a semi-regular role on the soap in 1974. He would later own TV in the ‘80s as Thomas Magnum on one of the greatest TV shows of all time, Magnum PI.

Meg Ryan (As The World Turns)

Meg Ryan was America’s sweetheart in the 1980s and '90s. Before she starred in numerous rom-coms, from When Harry Met Sally To You’ve Got Mail, she was Steve Andropoulos’ sweetheart Betsy on As The World Turns. She would play the role for three years, before snagging a role in a little movie called Top Gun, and off she went to stardom. 

Lauryn Hill (As The World Turns)

It’s not just actors who got their start on soap operas. Singer and rapper Ms. Lauryn Hill is famous for her amazing neo-soul album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998, but seven years before that, and before The Fugees, she starred as Kira Johnson on As The World Turns.

Taye Diggs (Guiding Light)

This one is a bit of a stretch because Taye Diggs had already put together a great career on Broadway, starring in the original cast of Rent and other shows. He did, however, get his regular screen time on Guiding Light in 1997, after a couple of smaller parts on TV. 

Julianne Moore (As The World Turns)

Julianne Moore has won a slew of awards in her career. The Boogie Nights star can boast five Oscar nominations and one win, she has an Emmy, multiple Golden Globe and SAG awards, and even one Daytime Emmy, which she won for Best Actress on the soap As The World Turns in 1988.

David Hasselhoff (The Young And The Restless)

Baywatch might have been a soap opera on the beach, but it wasn’t the first time David Hasselhoff starred in one. The Hoff played Snapper Foster (yes, that’s the name of the character) for seven years in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s on The Young and the Restless, before scoring his gig on Knight Rider. While starring on Knight Rider, The Hoff also appeared on one episode of Santa Barbara.

Mark Hamill (General Hospital)

Stars Wars has often been described as a “space opera” so it only makes sense that Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, got his start on a soap opera. The future superstar started smaller, with a role as Kent Murray on General Hospital for a couple of years right before Star Wars became the biggest thing, well, ever. 

Josh Duhamel (All My Children)

Transformers star Josh Duhamel has starred in 39 movies and had roles on 18 TV shows, including Las Vegas and Jupiter Rising, and it all started with a breakout role on ABC’s All My Children in 1999. He starred on the soap opera for a few years, before moving on, but did return briefly in 2011 to reprise his role as Leo du Pres. He even won a Daytime Emmy in 2002 for his performance. 

Kelly Ripa (All My Children)

Kelly Ripa has been everyone’s favorite morning talk show host for years now and over 30 years ago, she was a dancer on Dance Party USA. Her first serious acting gig came in 1990 as Hayley Vaughan on All My Children, a role she would play for more than a decade. Not only did it jumpstart her career, but the soap played an even more important role in her life, as that’s how she met her husband, Mark Consuelos.

Mark Consuelos (All My Children)

That’s right, Mark Consuelos also began his career on All My Children, playing Mateo Santos on the show for six years. The Riverdale star was a huge hit on the show, and like Ripa, returned in 2010 to help celebrate the show’s 40th anniversary. Consuelos and Ripa married in 1996 while starring on the show together and now almost 30 years later are still working together as co-hosts on Live.

Ryan Phillippe (One Life To Live)

From I Know What You Last Summer to Cruel Intentions, Ryan Phillippe played some iconic parts in the 1990s. It was One Life To Live where he landed his first one, though, in 1992. In the ‘00s, he got more serious, with major roles in Gosford Park and Crash, but none of it might have happened with the soap opera casting him as a teenager. 

Amber Tamblyn (General Hospital)

Amber Tamblyn wasn’t even a teen when she landed her first on-screen role on General Hospital in 1995. The 127 Hours star played Emily Quatermaine for six seasons on the soap.

John Stamos (General Hospital)

Before playing Uncle Jesse on Full House, and before playing bongos for The Beach Boys, John Stamos was breaking hearts as Blackie Parrish on General Hospital for three seasons in the early ‘80s. Stamos even earned a nomination for a Daytime Emmy for the role in 1983.

Mario Van Peebles (One Life To Live)

Mario Van Peebles made his permanent mark on film with his direction of the 1991 classic New Jack City. The cult classic was huge at the time, and Van Peebles has been acting and directing in TV and film ever since, but his career really got going a decade prior to New Jack City when he appeared as Doc Gilmore in One Life To Live in 1982 and 1983. 

Hayden Panettiere (One Life To Live)

“Save the cheerleader, save the world” is a now-legendary catchphrase from the TV series Heroes and the cheerleader was, of course, the great Hayden Panettiere. Panettiere had already scored numerous credits before Heroes, including her first role as a five-year-old One Life To Live for 26 episodes in the mid-'90s. She followed that up as Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light for four seasons.

Justin Hartley (Passions)

Justin Harley was part of the cast that made more TV viewers cry than any other as a part of the brilliant ensemble on This Is Us. Hartley got his start probably making daytime TV fans emotional on the short-lived (by soap opera standards) Passions. After becoming a series regular on Smallville, he returned to daytime TV on The Young and the Restless before landing his award-winning gig on This Is Us. 

Robin Wright (Santa Barbara)

In 1987 Robin Wright became part of cinema history with her role as Buttercup in the much-beloved The Princess Bride. It took a few years of starring on the soap Santa Barbara before she would get that breakout role, but she’s been on top ever since, with iconic roles on the Netflix series House of Cards and in movies like Wonder Woman 1984, which is pretty fitting, as that was the year she started on Santa Barbara.

Lindsay Lohan (Guiding Light and Another World)

Lindsay Lohan’s first movie role was actually two roles in 1998’s The Parent Trap. She immediately endeared herself to audiences, and that love only grew with Freaky Friday and Mean Girls. She’s had an up-and-down career since, but like so many others, that career started as a kid on a soap. Two soaps, actually. First, a brief one-off on Guiding Light, with a reoccurring role on Another World for two seasons. 

Kevin Kline (Search For Tomorrow)

Search for Tomorrow is one of those soaps that despite running for more than 35 years, it’s completely forgotten about today. It was canceled in 1986, but it was around long enough for Kevin Kline to make his first on-screen appearance. The classically trained Kline returned to the stage after leaving the show, but in 1982 he found himself in a role in Sophie’s Choice alongside Meryl Streep, and he’s never looked back. 

Tommy Lee Jones (One Life To Live)

Harvard grad Tommy Lee Jones actually got his first role in the classic Love Story but it was a minor “blink and you’ll miss it” type of role. It was probably his 21 episodes on One Life To Live in the early 1970s that really jumpstarted his now-legendary career. 

Tom Berenger (One Life To Live)

Speaking of One Life to Live in the ‘70s, Platoon star Tom Berenger overlapped with Jones for one season on the long-running soap. Berenger played Tim Siegel for 66 episodes from 1975 until his character’s death just after getting married in the 1976 season. Classic soap opera plot!  

While budgets of soap operas might not be that of prime-time TV, there is undoubtedly plenty of talent on these shows, and has been for many years, as this amazing of list famous actors who started out in soap operas proves. 

Unfortunately, it’s well-documented that Hollywood has a tendency to be sexist and ageist as told by various women in the industry over the years. As we continue to observe Women’s History Month this year, we’re looking at the actresses across movies and television currently working today that have carved out a place for themselves despite the status quo favoring younger actresses, whilst it's the norm for the male actors to enjoy careers well into their 60s, 70s and beyond. 

It was reported a few years back by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media that while characters over 50 make up a fifth of characters on television, only a fourth of them are played by women (via Buzzfeed). With that in mind, there’s a gender gap with opportunities being favored for older men much more than women. Thankfully, these actresses have found a way to thrive in Hollywood after turning 50.  

Michelle Yeoh 

Recently, at the 2023 Oscars, the ceremony actually celebrated numerous actresses that are thriving after 50, including Best Actress winner, Michelle Yeoh. The Everything Everywhere All At Once lead accepted the award not only as the first Asian actress to win in the category, but as a “beacon” of hope for more women her age to be seen in major roles. As she accepted the trophy, she said: "Ladies, don't let anybody tell you you are past your prime." 

Yeoh has been over 50 in Hollywood for over a decade now, and is enjoying an exciting era in her career by finding key roles in successful movies like Crazy Rich Asians and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, or finding empowering roles in recent TV series like Star Trek: Discovery and The Witcher: Blood Origin. 

Jamie Lee Curtis

Yeoh’s Everything Everywhere co-star Jamie Lee Curtis also took home an Oscar for the movie in the Best Supporting Actress category after over 45 years working in Hollywood. Curtis was a teenager when she found her breakout role in Halloween, but decade after decade she has continued to be cast in exciting roles, especially after turning 50. In Curtis’ fifties and sixties the actress has revived her role as Laurie Strode in a new Halloween trilogy, starred in Knives Out and has a wealth of roles on the horizon, including Borderlands and Haunted Mansion. 

Angela Bassett 

Curtis’ fellow nominee in the Best Supporting Actress category in 2023 was Angela Bassett, for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, who also remains a working icon into her mid-sixties. Aside from starring as Queen Ramonda in the Marvel franchise, the actress continues to lead the network series 9-1-1 along with appearing in multiple seasons of American Horror Story and recently being part of the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Helen Mirren

One of the most iconic actresses to consistently nab interesting roles for herself following turning 50 is Helen Mirren. The British talent hit the milestone in 1995, before she’d made some of her most beloved and best movies, like 2001’s Gosford Park, 2003’s Calendar Girls or her 2006 Oscar-winning performance in The Queen. Mirren has continued to play leading roles in the past decade, such as starring in the Red films, her incredible role in the Fast and the Furious movies along with leading 1923 and Shazam! Fury of the Gods within the past year. 

Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin

While I could certainly talk about Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in their own right, the fact that this pair got themselves their own hit comedy series, Grace and Frankie, in their late seventies (across seven seasons, no less) deserves to be celebrated. These two have modeled, brought life to and joked about the lives of older women who are best friends, and we’re so blessed it exists. The pair hit 50 in the late ‘80s and thrived, remaining booked and busy. Among the 2023 new movie releases, they are in back-to-back movies together, too, 80 For Brady and Moving On. 

Rita Moreno

One of Rita Moreno’s first roles was in 1952’s Singin’ in the Rain. Seventy years later her career is still very much popping, between starring in Netflix’s sitcom, One Day At A Time, and voicing the role of Carmen Sandiego for the original animated series. This year, Moreno also starred in 80 For Brady and has joined the Fast and the Furious franchise as Dominic Toretto’s grandma. 

Sally Field

Speaking of 80 For Brady leads, Sally Field has continued to remain relevant and very much respected in Hollywood at the age of 76. From being nominated for an Oscar for her role in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln to bringing new life to Aunt May in The Amazing Spider-Man movies, or starring in critically acclaimed movies like Hello, My Name Is Doris and Spoiler Alert, Field has continued to impress after a massive first half of her career. 

Emma Thompson

In the nearly 15 years that Emma Thompson has been over 50, she has accomplished a lot. She gave a powerful performance as P.L. Travers in the sweet Saving Mr. Banks' movie alongside Tom Hanks, she gave Cruella a formidable foe of her own in the titular 2021 Disney prequel, and tackled the usually taboo topic of exploring sexuality past one’s “prime” and filmed nude scenes for Good Luck To You, Leo Grande. 

Ming-Na Wen

When Ming-Na Wen turned 50 back in 2013, she was just getting her start playing Melinda May on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, a badass and highly-skilled operative she continued to play for over 100 episodes. Since finding success with that series, which is now her most famous role outside Mulan, Wen has joined the Star Wars universe as Fennec Shand, a female bounty hunter and master assassin. 

Catherine O’Hara

Catherine O’Hara is well-known to an entirely new generation than those who grew up seeing her in movies like Best In Show, Beetlejuice or Home Alone, thanks to her beloved role in Schitt’s Creek as Moira Rose. O’Hara will go down in history as playing one of the funniest TV characters in a big role she found well after 50. 

Jane Lynch

Jane Lynch booked her most popular role of Sue Sylvester on Glee right as she was turning 50 and played the character for six seasons before finding all sorts of work in showbiz otherwise. She notably voices the role of Calhoun in the Wreck-It Ralph movies, along with having major roles in the hit shows The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Party Down and with hosting 75 episodes of the original celebrity game show, Celebrity Game Night. 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

The Seinfeld star not only found herself a whole other well-loved TV show to lead and produce after 50 with HBO’s Veep, which she also won nine consecutive Emmy awards for, but she’s a major player in the Marvel universe now. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has been consistently quick on her feet on the comedy front and proved to be an impressive dramatic actress as well, with roles in films like Enough Said. 

Jennifer Coolidge

Then, there’s Jennifer Coolidge’s recent comeback for The White Lotus that has the actress literally everywhere right now. Along with the 61-year-old recently winning her first Emmy for her hilarious role as Tanya McQuoid, Coolidge has had loads of projects she has stolen the show in, in the past couple of years in particular, like Promising Young Woman, The Watcher and Shotgun Wedding alongside Jennifer Lopez.

Jessica Lange 

Four decades after Jessica Lange became a star for roles like her Oscar-nominated work in Tootsie and Frances, she is still a huge name, particularly thanks to her move to TV in collaboration with Ryan Murphy on his numerous shows. Lange always provides strong performances in her ever-changing American Horror Story roles, along with portraying Joan Crawford in Feud. 

Allison Janney 

Allison Janney is another actress who got wide recognition for being in one of the best-regarded TV shows of all time, The West Wing. After starring in 155 episodes of the drama, Janney has continued to explore all sorts of interesting characters across her career, especially after 50, whether it be in the sitcom Mom, winning an Oscar for her chilling mother role in I, Tonya or her booked 2022 that put an additional three movies under her belt. Janney is even more famous now than she was when she was a younger actress. 

Julianne Moore 

A new role from Julianne Moore is never too far away these days. The 62-year-old actress has accomplished a lot over 50 and has even been in with the kids because of her key role in the Hunger Games franchise or starring alongside Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard in the recent indie, When You Finish Saving the World. Moore has starred in so many great movies just within the past decade that it can be hard to recall she’s also the same actress from Boogie Nights and Far From Heaven. 

Tilda Swinton 

We don’t have enough female character actors in the world, but Tilda Swinton embodies someone new so frequently that we can barely imagine what she’s like in real life. The majority of Swinton’s best roles have occurred since she turned 50, such as We Need To Talk About Kevin, or her numerous times working with Wes Anderson and Bong Joon-Ho. 

Viola Davis

Viola Davis is one of the most acclaimed actors of our time right now and it feels like she’s also just getting started. Recently, the actress did just about every stunt as a warrior and leader in The Woman King and has become the most-nominated Black actress in Academy Awards history. 

Meryl Streep 

I mean, it’s Meryl. What else do we have to say? The 73-year-old actress has always been magnificent on screen no matter her age and has proven her great talent and ability to be a chameleon on the screen again and again. Since turning 50, Streep has starred in all-time great movies like The Devil Wears Prada, Mamma Mia, and Iron Lady, and looking forward, she's about to guest star in Only Murders In the Building. 

It’s great to see so many women have broken through and found roles for themselves after 50 in the industry. It really comes down to great roles being written for women of all ages for their opportunities to exist. 

Apple TV+ has put out some awesome movies over the last few years, ever since the service's launch. From the Academy-Award winning CODA, to some of the latest films like Causeway, the streamer has been knocking it out of the park with some of its original films. And now Sharper has made its way to the scene. 

Sharper tells the story of a young man who wants to seek revenge on his family after they don’t accept who he is, and he uses his skills in order to achieve all his desires from the rich. The Sharper cast is filled to the brim with stars, so here is where you might have seen them before their appearances in the movie. 

Julianne Moore (Madeline)

First up on the list is Julianne Moore, who portrays Madeline in Sharper. If you haven’t heard of Moore, I’m pretty sure you’ve been living under a rock for your whole life, because she has been in many, many movies over her career that you might have seen her in. 

Her television appearances haven't been as frequent as her film work has,  as while she did get her start on the soap opera, As the World Turns, she’s mainly stuck to guest roles and miniseries parts in properties such as 30 Rock, Lisey’s Story, Mary and George, and many more. 

I personally know Moore from both The Hunger Games franchise, where she played one of the villains, as well as her Academy-Award winning role in Still Alice. But she’s been in so many other movies that you might recognize her from, including Don Jon, Far From Heaven, Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski, Maggie’s Plan, The Fugitive, the Liam Neeson-led film, Non-Stop, Magnolia, the hilarious romantic comedy, Crazy Stupid Love, and so many more. 

She’s truly become one of our biggest stars – and Sharper is only going to add to her already impressive resume. 

Sebastian Stan (Max)

Next up is Sebastian Stan, another one of the main stars, and he plays Max. If we’re being honest, I’ve known of Stan for a long time (like millions of others), mainly because I’ve followed him since his time in Captain America: The First Avenger, where he first played Bucky Barnes, leading to his work in several Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. Most recently, he reprised the role in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast, and is set to return for the Thunderbolts movie.

However, Stan has done plenty of other great movies during his time in Hollywood, starting off with a lot of smaller movies and moving into bigger ones that won him a lot of praise. Some of his biggest roles have been in The Martian, Logan Lucky, I, Tonya (alongside Margot Robbie), We Have Always Lived in the Castle, The Last Full Measure, The Devil All The Time, the Darron Aronofsky feature, Black Swan, and in 2022, he was featured in the horror movie, Fresh.

Stan has also had plenty of work in television, as well. Older fans such as myself might recognize him from one of his earliest roles as a recurring character on the CW show, Gossip Girl, but he’s been in many others, such as Pam and Tommy, which saw him be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, Political Animals, Kings, and the fantasy show, Once Upon a Time. 

Justice Smith (Tom)

Justice Smith is who we’re talking about next, and he plays Tom. While Smith is certainly the youngest on this list, he’s done plenty in his career so far. I actually knew about him from the severely underrated show, The Get Down, on Netflix, but he’s also been in the HBO Max original, Generation.

Smith has appeared in a variety of films, including the sexy Amazon Prime movie, The Voyeurs, Paper Towns, and both Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and its sequel, Jurassic World: Dominion. The actor also had a starring role in one of my favorite video game adaptations, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, and is set to have a starring role in the upcoming 2023 film, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Amongst Thieves. Truly, someone so young who is making a name for himself.  

Briana Middleton (Sandra)

Next up on the list is Briana Middleton, who portrays Sandra in Sharper. Middleton is relatively new to Hollywood, as she hasn’t had the chance to appear in any television series just yet. But she has appeared in movies such as The Tender Bar, and Augustus. 

Hopefully, after her role in Sharper, you’ll be seeing a lot more of her soon enough. 

Darren Goldstein (Pat)

Darren Goldstein portrays Pat in Shaper, and the actor has appeared in a variety of movies in very small roles, including Almost Christmas, The Girl on the Train, Win Win, Five Days Gone, and Detroit. He was also a part of the TV film, Paterno. 

Goldstein has been successful elsewhere, with work in television as well, appearing in many recurring roles on shows such as the hype-deserving Ozark, Ryan Murphy-created American Crime Story, The Affair, and Under the Banner of Heaven, along with several other guest roles. And, I’m sure we’ll only get to see more of him. 

John Lithgow (Richard)

Last but not least, we have John Lithgow, who is arguably one of the biggest names on this list and has been in Hollywood for a long time. He portrays Richard in Sharper, and has had a very successful career in both TV and film, so let’s start off with his television work. 

Besides his excellent guest roles on many TV shows, he had a major role during Season 4 of Dexter as a villain, was a part of the main cast of 3rd Rock From the Sun, and has had parts in shows such as The Crown, Trial and Error, Twenty Good Years, Once Upon A Time In Wonderland, and The Old Man. 

On the big screen, Lithgow has been seen for a very long time, so it might be hard to name everything you might know him from. Some of his most known films are the dance movie, All that Jazz, Obsession, The Big Fix, Rich Kids, Blow Out, The World According to Garp, Terms of Endearment, The Manhattan Project, The Pelican Brief, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dreamgirls, Kinsey, and so many others. Truly, an actor for all time. 

With such a stellar yet small cast, Sharper is most certainly a great way to see everyone at their best, and hopefully, you've found new movies or shows where you can enjoy watching each of the actors.  

While most people might still agree that the finest chapter of the Jurassic Park movies (which you watch streaming), so far, is still the 1993 original, the second installment is certainly not without its fans. Director Steven Spielberg would return to helm 1997's The Lost World: Jurassic Park - which takes place on another island overrun with prehistoric beasts, and also sees dinosaurs visit to the United States for the first time in the franchise.

However, what really sells an entertaining thriller as a worthy follow-up (outside of the creepier suspense and breathtaking creature effects, of course) is the onscreen talent involved, such as Jeff Goldblum - who would later also play Dr. Ian Malcolm a fourth time in the 2022 movie release, Jurassic World Dominion - and future Academy Award winner Julianne Moore. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, take a look at this slideshow of the Lost World: Jurassic Park cast at the film's red carpet premiere and peak at how they look now.

Boogie Nights was an incredibly packed ensemble experience from filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson. The critically acclaimed drama featured the story of a dishwasher who ends up becoming famous by making pornographic films, and shows his rise and fall in the porn industry.

But, with such a large ensemble, one might be wondering where the Boogie Nights cast is now and what they’ve been up to after nearly twenty-five years. Well, look no further, as we aim to answer that question today and let you know exactly where stars like Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, and others are now. 

Mark Wahlberg (Eddie Adams/Dirk Diggler)

As the star of Boogie Nights, Mark Wahlberg received wide-spread acclaim for his role as Eddie Adams, otherwise known as Dirk Diggler. Since his role in the film, Wahlberg has been up to so much. 

Wahlberg’s biggest film roles so far have included a major role in The Transformers series, an Academy Award-nominated role in The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese, The Italian Job, The Perfect Storm, the Daddy’s Home series, and many more. He’s also had success in television too, producing shows like Boardwalk Empire, Entourage, Ballers, and others. 

Some of his upcoming work are the films Father Stu, Me Time, Arthur the King, Our Man From Jersey, and The Six Billion Dollar Man, so he’ll surely be appearing in more awesome movies. 

Julianne Moore (Maggie/Amber Waves)

Next up, we have Julianne Moore, who played Maggie/Amber Waves in Boogie Nights and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Since her performance in the movie, Moore has become an even bigger star. 

While she has had some small roles on television, such as an appearance on Sesame Street and a minor recurring role on the classic series, 30 Rock, Moore has mainly kept her talents to the big screen. Some of her biggest roles thus far have included Still Alice, for which she won an Academy Award, The Big Lebowski, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Maps to the Stars, Far From Heaven, Dear Evan Hansen, and The Hunger Games series, which recently just turned ten years old. 

Coming up, Moore will be in many new movies, including Sharper, Mothertrucker, May December, and Fruitcake, so I’m sure the next couple of years are going to be jam-packed for this amazing actress. 

Burt Reynolds (Jack Horner)

Burt Reynolds was a legendary name in Hollywood, and he earned rave reviews for his performance in Boogie Nights as Jack Horner, including a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. 

After his role in the film, Reynolds would go on to have a prominent film career, just as he did before, appearing in movies like Crazy Six, Hotel, Driven, The Longest Yard, Grilled, In The Name of the King, Deal, and others. He also had a recurring role in the TV series, My Name is Earl, as well as playing Ron Wilcox in Hitting the Breaks. 

Unfortunately, Burt Reynolds passed away in 2018 at the age of 82, but we have the rest of his amazing legacy in Hollywood to look back on to remember him.

Don Cheadle (Buck Swope)

Playing Buck Swope in Boogie Nights was Don Cheadle, someone who's only gotten more and more popular over the years. Cheadle has had a prominent career in both movies and TV. 

One of his biggest roles that he has reprised many times is playing James Rhodes, otherwise known as War Machine, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for more than ten years, and he will reprise that role in the upcoming Armor Wars series on Disney+. Some of his other big films roles include Hotel Rwanda, which scored him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, Traffic, Out of Sight, No Sudden Move. Space Jam: A New Legacy, and more. 

He’s also had a great career in television, with a main role in the Showtime series, House of Lies, as well as a main role on Black Monday. Currently, he actually stars in the series, The Wonder Years. 

Soon, he’s going to be appearing in many new movies, including White Noise and Black Stallions, so he certainly has a good line-up for the next couple of years. 

John C. Reilly (Reed Rothchild)

Next up, we have Reed Rothchild in Boogie Nights, played by John C. Reilly. The actor has had quite the career since Boogie Nights took off, and has appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows. 

Some of his biggest movies were appearing in Magnolia (another Paul Thomas Anderson film), The Thin Red Line, the musical film, Chicago, The Aviator, Step Brothers alongside Will Ferrell, Kong: Skull Island, The Guardians of the Galaxy, and so many more.

He’s also had a prominent career in television too, including a voice role in Stone Quackers, a starring role in Check It Out! With Dr. Steve Brule, a recurring role in Moonbase 8, a voice role in Ultra City Smiths, and more. His latest project is playing Jerry Buss, owner of the L.A. Lakers, in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, on HBO. 

William H. Macy (Bill “Little Bill” Thompson)

Another big name in Boogie Nights is William H. Macy, and while he had already made a name for himself years before with movies such as Fargo, Macy has had a huge career in the last twenty-five years. 

Some of his biggest film accomplishments have been starring in Magnolia, as well, Psycho, The Cooler, the Studio Ghibli film, The Wind Rises, Cake, Room, The Layover, Krystal, and so much more. However, his longest-running project thus far was portraying patriarch Frank Gallagher on the popular Showtime series, Shameless, for a 11 seasons, becoming a character fans loved to hate on the series.

His latest project is The Dropout on Hulu, where he plays Richard Fuisz, so keep an eye out for him. 

Heather Graham (Brandy/Rollergirl)

Next up, we have Heather Graham, who played Brandy/Rollergirl in Boogie Nights. Graham has appeared in many other movies since, with some of her biggest roles being in Bowfinger, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, The Hangover and The Hangover Part III, the Daniel Radcliffe-led film, Horns, The Last Son, and more. 

Graham has also done some television work as well, appearing in shows like Bliss, Angie Tribeca, Get Shorty, Law & Order True Crime, and others. Coming up, she’s going to be in many new movies, including Oracle, On a Wing and a Prayer, and more. 

Nicole Ari Parker (Becky Barnett)

Playing Becky Barnett in Boogie Nights was Nicole Ari Parker, who has had a huge career in television. While she has appeared in many movies as well, including Remember the Titans, Brown Sugar, Almost Christmas, How It Ends, and more, she’s mainly kept her talents to TV. 

Parker appeared as a recurring cast member on Cosby, was a part of the main cast on Soul Food, as well as The Second Time Around and The Deep End. She was a recurring cast member on Revolution, as well as on I’m Dying Up Here, Empire, and Chicago P.D. Most recently, she was a part of the recurring cast of the Sex and the City spinoff, And Just Like That…,which just got renewed for a second season. 

Soon, she’s going to have a role in two new movies, We Are Gathered Here Today and HeadShop, as well as appear in a new TV series called At That Age. 

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Scotty J.)

Moving on, we have Philip Seymour Hoffman, who played Scotty J in Boogie Nights. After his role in the film, Hoffman appeared in many movies. 

Some of his biggest roles were in Patch Adams, The Big Lebowski, Magnolia, Charlie Wilson’s War, Doubt, The Master, The Savages, and more, alongside a bigger role in The Hunger Games series. He did have some minor appearance on TV, including two episodes of Empire Falls, but mainly stuck to movies. 

Sadly, Philip Seymour Hoffman passed away in 2014 at the age of 46. 

Luis Guzman (Maurice Rodriguez/T.T. Rodriguez)

Next up is Luis Guzman, who played Maurice Rodriguez/T.T. Rodriguez in Boogie Nights. After his role in the film, Guzman has appeared in many movies, including Magnolia (like many of his other castmates) Traffic, Punch-Drunk Love, War, We’re the Millers, The Last Stand, 9/11, The Birthday Cake, and several others. 

He’s also had a great career in television as well, with several main roles and recurring appearances. Some of his most-known were playing the titular role in Luis, Rene Calderon in How to Make It in America, Jesse Salander in Code Black, Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha in Narcos, Mikey O’Shea in Shameless (usually alongside William H. Macy) and Jorge Cuevas in Hightown. Talk about a stacked resume. 

Coming up soon, he is going to be portraying one of the most iconic TV characters ever, Gomez Addams, in the upcoming series, Wednesday, so definitely be on the lookout for this Netflix series to drop.

Philip Baker Hall (Floyd Gondolli)

Floyd Gondolli in Boogie Nights was played by Philip Baker Hall, who has had a great career in both movies and television. Some of his biggest roles include Psycho, The Insider, Magnolia, Rules of Engagement, The Amityville Horror, The Last Word, and more. 

Some of his most-known television roles have been a recurring role on Pasadena, as well as work on The Loop, Second Change, and Messiah. 

Thomas Jane (Todd Parker)

Last but not least, we have Thomas Jane, who played Todd Parker in Boogie Nights. Since his appearance, Jane has popped up in many movies and television shows. Some of his biggest movies include, but aren’t limited to, The Punisher, 1922, Deep Blue Sea, The Mist, The Predator, Vice, Hot Summer Nights, and many others. 

He’s also had some major roles in television, including playing Ray Drecker on Hung, James Wykoff in Texas Rising, Joe Miller in The Expanse, and Ted Conkaffey in Troppo. Coming up soon, he’s going to be in several new films, including Vendetta, Slayers, and Bad Hombres, among many others. 

There are still plenty of other names that you might recognize from Boogie Nights, such as Alfred Molina, Michael Penn, Robert Downey Sr., and more. However, this updates you on the main stars who have been active to this day with some amazing film and TV work. 

During an era in which fan service pop culture has become a standard (for better and for worse), seeing a film that challenges audiences with un-likability is fascinating. It’s obviously risky storytelling, as simple missteps can derail an effort into “unwatchable” territory, but balanced properly it can be its own kind of captivating and provide a distinctive perspective which movies that overly try to please cannot. Jesse Eisenberg’s When You Finish Saving The World is a genuine example of the latter, and all the more impressive because it is the Oscar-nominated actor’s debut as a writer/director.

When You Finish Saving The World premiered last night as a curtain-raiser for the all-virtual 2022 Sundance Film Festival, and it’s an odd feature to take that position given how it naturally divisive it is. It’s a movie that requires an audience to be tuned into its wavelength – but what you discover if you’re tuned in is a snarky, smart comment on egotism in modern liberal ideology, and also an often bitter but sometimes sweet mother/son story.

Adapted from Jesse Eisenberg’s Audie Award-winning audio drama of the same name, the film is quick to leave a bad impression with its characters – Evelyn Katz (Julianne Moore) making her entrance by shushing a co-worker’s birthday party, and her son Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard) crooning songs of teenage woe and virtually panhandling in a popular livestream before raging at his mom for having the audacity to knock on his door. We learn that they are noble in their aspirations, but also spectacularly narcissistic in their actions.

Ziggy, who doesn’t go anywhere without at least some form of self-branded clothing, claims that he wants to be more political in his music, but he has no opinions or cognizance of what’s happening in the world, and is in actuality far more focused on impressing his activist crush, Lila (Alisha Boe). This unfortunately also comes paired with a powerful lack of self-awareness, singing songs about fearing graduation during a meeting of progressive students sharing art about global issues.

Evelyn, meanwhile, is the director of a domestic abuse shelter and has a degree in social work, but she is consumed with resentment directed toward her narcissistic progeny, and acts to fill that void in her life. When she meets Kyle (Billy Bryk), the caring, thoughtful teenage son of a woman (Eleonore Hendricks) who becomes a resident of the shelter, she perceives an opportunity, and begins trying to guide his life and future to fit her own ideals and standards – remaining ignorant of his actual passions.

Jesse Eisenberg makes an impressive directorial debut with his tale of mother-and-son narcissists.

For his directorial debut, Jesse Eisenberg makes some bold choices, and he succeeds with a deft approach to tone that allows When You Finish Saving The World to function as a biting and funny commentary with dramatic subject matter. Its sweet spot is cringe comedy, and it delivers spectacularly in both narratives, but it also never feels mean, as the writer/director does give the characters moments of genuineness that allows you to see their hearts beating under many layers of self-absorption.

Both Ziggy and Evelyn are roles that require layered performances, and Finn Wolfhard (fresh off of last year’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife) and Julianne Moore are phenomenal and deliver ironically ego-free turns. They’re both typically so charming and charismatic on screen that there is something almost throttling to see them in these parts, but ultimately it’s a tribute to the impressive quality of their work in the film. And not only are they excellent in their respective stories, but they have a sharp, claws-out dynamic when they share scenes, and it can be both shocking and hilarious.

There’s a lot of what Jesse Eisenberg does best as an actor in When You Finish Saving The World, and it’s exciting to see him so quickly establish a prominent voice in his work as a filmmaker (like many great actor-cum-directors before him). It’s a surprising and impressive start to a new road in his career, and he’s going to have great success if he can continue to deliver unique perspectives and evoke more performances like these.

A24 is already on board to distribute the film, adding it to its excellent catalogue of indie movies, and while no release date has been announced, hopefully that will change soon.

Especially looking back on it 10 years later, 2011's Crazy, Stupid, Love is the sort of star-studded ensemble dramedy that's becoming increasingly rare in today's studio system. Starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Bacon, Josh Groban, and Joey King, to list only a few famous names attached, this multi-layered romantic comedy would be a defining film for Dan Fogelman, who went to create NBC's This is Us; this expansive piece became his bread and butter. Now that it's been a decade, the stars have only continued ascending in their respective careers, winning awards and assuring themselves as Hollywood mainstays. Let's see what Crazy, Stupid, Love's cast is doing next. 

Steve Carell (Cal Weaver)

As Cal Weaver, a middle-aged sadsack who finds his life in turmoil when his wife cheats on him, Steve Carell plays our romantically-yearning protagonist in Crazy, Stupid, Love, which he also produced. Most notably, the actor is recognized and acclaimed for his star-making performance as Michael Scott in NBC’s The Office. Additionally, Carell was Emmy-nominated for Apple TV+’s The Morning Show. He also stars in Netflix’s Space Force, which he also created. Next, Carell will appear in FX’s The Patient. 

Outside of TV, Steve Carell was Oscar-nominated for his menacing supporting turn in Foxcatcher. Also, the actor co-wrote, produced, and starred in Judd Apatow's The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Carell’s other notable film credits include Little Miss Sunshine, Get Smart, The Way Way Back, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (which he also produced), Vice, Last Flag Flying, Welcome to Marwen, Beautiful Boy, and the Anchorman movies. Moreover, he reunited with Emma Stone for Battle of the Sexes. As a voice actor, additionally, Carell is heard as Gru in the Despicable Me movies and Minions. 

Most recently, the actor was seen in Irresistible. Next, Carell will reprise his role as Gru in Minions: The Rise of Gru. The film star also co-wrote and produced Our Thing.

Ryan Gosling (Jacob Palmer)

In the role of Jacob Palmer, a suave and sophisticated bachelor who helps Cal transfer into the next phase of his romantic life, Ryan Gosling is arguably at his most charming in Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s Crazy, Stupid, Love. Later, the actor reunited with Emma Stone for Gangster Squad and La La Land, the latter earning him his second Oscar nomination. 

Away from these performances, he's known for The Notebook, Drive, Blade Runner 2049, Blue Valentine (which he also produced), Lars and the Real Girl, Remember the Titans, The Place Beyond the Pines, First Man, The Nice Guys, and The Big Short. Also, Gosling starred in The Ides of March, Song to Song, Only God Forgives (which he produced), and All Good Things. 

Outside of acting, Ryan Gosling produced, wrote, and directed Lost River. Next, the actor will be seen in The Gray Man. Gosling is also signed on to star in Barbie, Project Hail Mary, Wolfman, and The Actor, the latter three he’ll also produce. 

Julianne Moore (Emily Weaver)

Playing the part of Emily Weaver, Cal’s unfaithful ex-wife, Julianne Moore is an adventure-seeking woman in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Most notably, the actress won an Oscar for Still Alice. Also, Moore was nominated for starring in Far from Heaven and The End of the Affair, as well as her supporting turns in Boogie Nights and The Hours. Additionally, she’s known for Magnolia, The Kids Are All Right, A Single Man, I’m Not There, Children of Men, Hannibal, The Big Lebowski, Safe, Nine Months, Short Cuts, The Fugitive, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 and 2. Furthermore, Moore was seen in Maps to the Stars, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Gloria Bell (which she also produced), and The Glorias.

Most recently, Julianne Moore was seen in Dear Evan Hansen, Netflix’s The Woman in the Window, With/In: Volume 1, and the short film, French Water. The actress was also heard in Spirit Untamed. Next, Moore will star in and produce When You Finish Saving the World. She's also currently filming and producing Sharper. Moreover, Moore is signed on to star in Mothertrucker, May December, and Fruitcake. Outside of film, she was Emmy-nominated for HBO’s Game Change. This year, Moore starred in Apple TV+’s Lisey’s Story, which she also produced. 

Emma Stone (Hannah Weaver)

As Hannah Weaver, Cal and Emily’s eldest child and Jacob’s love interest, Emma Stone plays a young romantic in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Most notably, the actress won an Oscar when she reunited with Ryan Gosling to star in La La Land. Additionally, Stone and Gosling starred in Gangster Squad. She was also Oscar-nominated for her supporting turns in Birdman and The Favourite. Stone’s other credits include Easy A, Superbad, The Help, The Amazing Spider-Man movies, the Zombieland films, The House Bunny, and Friends with Benefits. Furthermore, she reunited with Steve Carell for Battle of the Sexes. Stone can also be seen in Aloha, Irrational Man, and Movie 43. Moreover, she's heard in The Croods movies. This year, Stone starred in Cruella. Currently, she’s filming Poor Things. Next, Emma Stone will star in Cruella 2 and an untitled Greek National Opera project. 

Additionally, away from film, Emma Stone was acclaimed for her performance(s) in Netflix’s limited series, Maniac, which she also produced. She’s also signed on to star in Showtime’s The Curse, which the award-winning actress will produce. 

Marisa Tomei (Kate Tafferty)

In the role of Kate Tafferty, Marisa Tomei plays a woman Cal has a fling with in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Most notably, she won an Oscar for her stand-out supporting turn in My Cousin Vinny. Tomei is also acclaimed for The Wrestler, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Slums of Beverly Hills, and In the Bedroom. Additionally, the actress plays May Parker, i.e. Aunt May, in MCU’s Spider-Man movies, Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Endgame. Her other film credits include What Women Want, Anger Management, Wild Hogs, The Big Short, The First Purge, The Lincoln Lawyer, and The Ides of March. 

Most recently, Marisa Tomei appeared in Human Capital, Judd Apatow's The King of Staten Island, and the Netflix special, Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine. Next, the actress reprises her role as Aunt May in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Also, Tomei will be seen in Delia's Gone and heard in the short film, A Better Half. 

Kevin Bacon (David Lindhagen)

in Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s Crazy, Stupid, Love, Kevin Bacon plays the part of David Lindhagen, the co-worker with whom Emily had an affair. Most notably, Bacon is known for Footloose, JFK, Apollo 13, Mystic River, Hollow Man, A Few Good Men, Animal House, Sleepers, Friday the 13th, Tremors, Wild Things, Planes, Trains, & Automobiles, and Flatliners. His other film credits include The Woodsman, X-Men: First Class, Diner, Frost/Nixon, Death Sentence, Super, and Cop Car. Furthermore, Bacon directed and starred in Loverboy. Most recently, he starred in You Should Have Left, which he produced. Next, Bacon appears in One Way, Whistler Camp, Space Oddity, and the short film, North Star. He’s filming The Toxic Avenger and John Logan’s horror movie. 

Additionally, on TV, Kevin Bacon starred in Fox's The Following and Amazon Prime's I Love Dick. Moreover, he was Emmy-nominated for his performance in HBO’s Taking Chance. Currently, Bacon headlines Showtime's City on a Hill. 

John Carroll Lynch (Bernie Riley)

As Bernie Riley, Cal’s estranged best friend, John Carroll Lynch is a domesticated dad in Crazy, Stupid, Love. The character actor first gained notice for his warm supporting turn in the blizzard-friendly classic, Fargo. Lynch later was acclaimed for Zodiac, Gran Torino, Face/Off, Shutter Island, The Invitation, The Founder, and last year’s The Trial of the Chicago 7. His other notable film credits include Jackie, Private Life, Mozart and the Whale, Gothika, The Good Girl, Gone in 60 Seconds, Waking the Dead, Grumpy Old Men, and Beautiful Girls. Last year, Lynch starred in Kiss Me Before It Blows Up. Outside of acting, he directed Lucky and 2020’s short film, Be Absolute for Death, which he edited. 

On TV, John Carroll Lynch was well-acclaimed for his performance as Twisty the Clown in FX’s American Horror Story: Freak Show and Cult. The actor can also be seen in American Horror Story: 1984, The Drew Carey Show, and Veep. Currently, Lynch stars in ABC’s Big Sky. He also appeared in FX’s American Horror Story: Double Feature. Next, Lynch stars in The White House Plumbers. 

Josh Groban (Richard)

Josh Groban plays Hannah’s disappointing boyfriend, Richard, in Crazy, Stupid, Love. As an actor, he starred in Netflix’s The Good Cop. Groban’s other television credits include Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Parks and Recreation, and Ally McBeal. He was also Tony-nominated for Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and Emmy-nominated for 72nd Tony Awards. 

Most notably, as a musician, Josh Groban is a multi-Grammy nominated artist who has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. His most recent album was 2020's Harmony. Currently, he's preparing for Josh’s Great Big Radio City Show. 

Lio Tipton (Jessica Riley) 

Playing the part of Jessica Riley, Robbie’s babysitter, Lio Tipton has a supporting role in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Their other notable film credits include Warm Bodies, Damsels in Distress, The Green Hornet, Lucy, Mississippi Grind, and Golden Exits. Additionally, Tipton starred in Two Night Stand, Viral, Compulsion, and Between Us. Next, they'll star in The Long Home, Vengeance, Riddle of Fire, and Continue. 

Furthermore, away from film, Lio Tipton starred in ABC’s Manhattan Love Story. They're also seen in The Big Bang Theory, Hung, Why Women Kill, and America's Next Top Model. Next, Tipton will star in the YouTube series, The Edge of Sleep. 

Joey King (Molly Weaver)

As Molly Weaver, the youngest Weaver daughter, Joey King received one of her earliest roles in Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s Crazy, Stupid, Love. Following this part, the former child actress garnered acclaim for her lead role in Hulu’s The Act. King also had a recurring part in FX’s Fargo Season 1. Her other TV credits include Life in Pieces and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Last year, King was seen in Quibi’s Home Movie: The Princess Bride. Recently, the star was heard in Calls. 

Furthermore, away from TV, Joey King was the star of Netflix’s The Kissing Booth movies, two of which she also produced. Additionally, the actress appeared in Slender Man, Wish Upon, The Conjuring, The Dark Knight Rises, Oz the Great and Powerful, Ramona and Beezus, Wish I Was Here, and Summer ‘03. Last year, King was seen in Zeroville and The Lie. Next, she’ll star in and produce Camp. King will also appear in Bullet Train, The Princess, and The In-Between — the latter two she produces. She's also set to star in and executive produce Netflix's Uglies adaptation.

Jonah Bobo (Robbie Weaver) 

In the role of Robbie Weaver, Cal’s floppy-haired, emotionally turmoiled son, Jonah Bobo is a tormented teen in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Most notably, as a voice actor, he was heard as Austin in Nickelodeon’s The Backyardigans. Bobo was also heard in The Backyardigans: Mighty Match-Up! and The Backyardigans: The Snow Fort. In live-action, his other TV credits include 30 Rock and Royal Pains. 

Additionally, away from TV, Jonah Bobo starred in Zathura: A Space Adventure. His other film credits include Disconnect, Choke, Strangers with Candy, Around the Bend, and The Best Thief in the World. Also, Bobo can be heard in The Fox and the Hound 2. Most recently, he was seen in 2014’s short film, To Instigate Blue. Also, outside of acting, Bobo composed 2019’s short film, The Pickle Aisle. 

Beth Littleford (Claire Riley)

Beth Littleford plays the part of Claire Riley, Bernie’s wife, in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Most notably, she was a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Additionally, Littleford starred in Disney Channel’s Dog with a Blog. Her other TV credits include Method & Red and The Hard Times of RJ Berger. Currently, Littleford stars in Hulu’s Love, Victor. 

Away from TV, Beth Littleford’s other film credits include Mystery, Alaska, Drillbit Taylor, and Movie 43. Earlier this year, the actress was seen in Senior Moment. 

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Dear Evan Hansen has been a huge hit musical on Broadway since it arrived to the New York stage in 2016 and went on to become a Tony-winning production, including receiving the Best Musical accolade. Last weekend, the coming-of-age story’s movie adaptation hit theaters, and fans of Dear Evan Hansen, along with movie fans who’d never watched it on stage, had the chance to see it on the big screen. So now we answer, how did the movie play with audiences? 

Dear Evan Hansen follows the eponymous socially anxious teenager (played by Ben Platt), who is asked to write letters to himself by his therapist. When one of his classmates, Connor, dies by suicide, Evan Hansen becomes unexpectedly connected to him when his parents come to believe that one of Evan’s letters was a suicide note by Connor. 

Critics did not connect with Dear Evan Hansen overall, with many reviewers pointing to “glaring problems” in Stephen Chobsky’s movie and the musical itself. CinemaBlend’s own Corey Chichizola gave the movie a positive review, saying that the movie actually “improves' on the original musical in his 3.5 out of 5 star review. Although Dear Evan Hansen seems to be a decisive movie among audiences, it did receive an impressive A- Cinemascore. So from a moviegoer’s perspective, it was well worth the watch in contrast. 

Let’s get into the big internet discussions among fans about Dear Evan Hansen. First off, many had a bone to pick about the Dear Evan Hansen movie adaptation. 

A Lot Of People Had Problems With The Musical Adaptation 

Movie musicals are often subjected to more scrutiny than the usual adaptations because Broadway fans really know their stuff and truly love the productions they love. In terms of Dear Evan Hansen, a lot of fans are finding joy in making fun of the movie version, with tweets like this: 

Dear Evan Hansen is not your typical movie musical because it takes place in a very palpable place of the present day rather than being based in a fairytale or olden times. It stars Ben Platt, who made the role of Evan Hansen famous on stage, but is currently a decade older than a high school student (we’ll get to that later). It seems like the movie was not impressing even some musical fans: 

Not every musical is going to hit the same! One Broadway fan went as far as to call the movie worse than 2019’s Cats, which is an absolutely savage comment if you’ve read the peculiar buzz around that movie. 

There were plenty of well-reasoned negative reviews about Dear Evan Hansen to add to the conversation. The movie deals with the subject of teen suicide and mental health, and that makes it an especially complex subject to set to the screen. Many have characterized it as “flawed,” especially in terms of its lead character, Evan Hansen: 

Evan Hansen going along with a lie relating to someone’s suicide was not swallowed easily by a lot of audiences. Here’s another disappointed fan: 

Along with the story itself, Ben Platt as the lead also bothered some people. We’ll head to that conversation next. 

The Reactions Were Harsh About Ben Platt's Age 

Ever since the Dear Evan Hansen movie was announced, and especially when the movie’s first trailer came out, a 28-year-old Ben Platt playing a high school student has become somewhat of a meme for the movie. Seriously, people on the internet can’t get enough of making fun of him: 

That one is a tad extreme, but a lot of it may have to do with some of the hairstyling and wardrobe decisions as well for Ben Platt. Additionally, Platt was paired with younger actors playing his classmates, in turn making him being older more obvious. Some of his co-stars, include 22-year-old Amandla Stenberg and 24-year-old Kaitlyn Dever, are honestly not that much younger, but Platt having played a college freshman in Pitch Perfect almost ten years ago doesn’t help. 

The Steve Buscemi “How do you do, fellow kids?” meme from 30 Rock has also been prevalent when people talk about Ben Platt in Dear Evan Hansen. Additionally, people are having fun making other comparisons at the expense of the Tony-winner. 

You could make the argument that no one knows the character quite like Ben Platt, considering at one point in time he played the character eight times a week. On the other hand, perhaps it was time for the role to be passed on to a younger actor. It’s a contentious topic, but not everyone was turned off by Platt in the role: 

It goes to show that between some heavily negative comments about Dear Evan Hansen, the movie also had plenty of fans too. Let’s close out with those. 

Dear Evan Hansen Struck A Meaningful Chord With Many

Nitpicks aside, Dear Evan Hansen still pleased a lot of people and they took to social media to share their emotional reactions. One fan said it was “everything” he wanted, sharing that the entire theater he went to see it with were in tears thanks to the musical: 

Another fan wanted to particularly shout out to Kaitlyn Dever, who plays Connor’s sister Zoe in the film. She also really loved the new music that was added just for the movie. One of the new songs is called “The Anonymous Ones,” which was written and sung by Amandla Stenberg in the movie: 

Dear Evan Hansen definitely sounds like a tearjerker and it created a profound experience for many people who experienced the movie in its first week. As another fan added: 

There’s certainly a lot of opinions about Dear Evan Hansen and whether you like it or not will defer from person to person. 

Major spoilers ahead for Dear Evan Hansen, both the stage and movie versions.

After countless movies were pushed back last year, 2021 has been an exciting time for moviegoers who are thrilled to be returning to theaters. It’s also a year with tons of movie musicals, as we’ve already seen In the Heights, The Prom, and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie arrive. Director Stephen Chbosky’s Dear Evan Hansen is the latest of these movies, with Ben Platt back in his Tony Award winning role alongside some A-listers. But what happens in the movie, and how does it differ from the stage production?

The narrative of Dear Evan Hansen is an emotional one. Ben Platt’s title character goes to his first day of school only to have a scuffle with classmate Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan) after writing a therapist-assigned letter to himself. When Connor commits suicide later that day, his grieving parents (Amy Adams and Danny Pino) mistake it for a suicide note written to his “best friend” Evan. An innocent white lie snowballs, and soon he ingratiates himself with the family, as well as Connor’s sister/ his crush Zoe (Kaitlyn Devers). The lies start piling up, especially when Evan has to explain his absence to his single mother Heidi (Julianne Moore).

Watching the big lie of Dear Evan Hansen spiral out of control is a tense moviegoing experience, and eventually the situation explodes. The truth comes out, resulting in a heartbroken Murphy family. Evan must then atone for his missteps, in a moment that will help to alleviate the tension, while also allowing for an emotional catharsis with the final three songs. So how exactly does the story end?

What Happens At The End Of Dear Evan Hansen?

The drama of Dear Evan Hansen explodes for a few different reasons. Throughout the movie Evan’s friend Alana (Amandla Stenberg) from the Connor Project is trying to fundraise and memorialize the late character with an orchard in his name. When Evan shared Connor’s “suicide note” in order to quell her suspicions about the truth, things go haywire. She shares the note to drum up more donations, but the Murphy Family becomes the target of online harassment.

With Evan Hansen now dating Zoe and the Murphys even offering to pay for his college education, he understandably rushes over. The guilt finally takes him over, and Ben Platt sings his big 11 o’clock number “Words Fail.” In the song Evan admits to everything: he was never friends with Connor, and he’s been lying to Zoe and her family for months. It’s a truly devastating scene, and he’s promptly asked to leave their house.

Evan eventually returns home, and reunites with his mother Heidi. Julianne Moore’s matriarch tells him she loves her son no matter what with the heartbreaking song “So Big/So Small.” Ben Platt’s character admits to his mother that his fall out of the tree was actually a suciide attempt. And to make sure the Murphys are left alone, he posts a public confession and apology online, before going back to his regular, isolated life. Evan once again sits alone at lunch, and finishes up his high school career quietly.

From there the story of Dear Evan Hansen jumps ahead in time, and with Ben Platt and Kaitlyn Devers sharing a scene in the completed Connor Murphy Orchard. He once again apologizes for his lies, and Zoe gives him some peace by revealing that the orchard has become a special place for the family to remember her brother. They part ways for the last time, while Evan writes himself a new letter vowing to be himself moving forward.

How Does Dear Evan Hansen End On Broadway?

The main story beats of Dear Evan Hansen play out around the same way on stage. Alana’s suspicion of Evan eventually reaches a boiling point, and he shares the letter that started the entire show’s plot. She once again uses it to help fundraise, which backfires as people online blame the Murphys for being parents who are more worried about money than their son’s mental health.

Both “Words Fail” and “So Big/So Small” come and go, as Evan tells the truth to both the Murphys and his mother Heidi. But while the Dear Evan Hansen movie gives us plenty of time with Ben Platt’s character after the truth comes out, the stage musical ends a bit more abruptly. While there’s sure to be some purists who prefer the original, the movie arguably gives us more closure.

On stage, Dear Evan Hansen goes straight from “So Big/So Small” to the flash forward coda shared between the title character and Zoe. While we get to see the former couple make amends, the audience doesn’t physically get to see him atoning for his sins. Instead we simply hear about it during this brief chat and put the pieces together.

What’s Dear Evan Hansen’s New Ending Song?

Another big way the ending of Dear Evan Hansen’s movie differs from the stage musical is because there’s a brand new song added. After Ben Platt’s character reveals the truth about his big lie, Evan goes searching for real information about Connor. He reads his favorite books and listens to the late student’s favorite music. Evan eventually finds a video of Connor from when he was in rehab, with actor Colton Ryan debuting a new song by Pasek & Paul in the archive footage.

This new track is titled “A Little Closer” and helps to show who Connor was as a person in life, especially while being honest and in recovery. It’s a beautiful new number, which helps to flesh out a character that we don’t see very much of in the Dear Evan Hansen movie. The way Evan finds the video and forwards it on to the Murphys offers a nice sense of closure, as he finally provides them with a real memory of their son. And since Connor’s stage song “Disappear” was cut from the film adaptation, it gives the character some much-needed screen time.

Dear Evan Hansen is in theaters now, so bring your tissues. Be sure to check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

2021 is the year full of movie musicals, with Stephen Chbosky’s Dear Evan Hansen being the latest to hit theaters. Original star Ben Platt is back as the title character, and he’s joined by a killer supporting cast including the incomparable Julianne Moore. And as you can see in the video above, Moore recently shared with CinemaBlend which of Pasek & Paul’s songs still resonate with her today.

Justin Paul and Benj Pasek are songwriters known for their acclaimed work on projects like La La Land and The Greatest Showman. But Dear Evan Hansen was their first Broadway musical, and there are a ton of killer songs in the soundtrack. I had the privilege of speaking with Julianne Moore ahead of the movie’s release, where I asked about her favorite tracks. Unsurprisingly her big solo “So Big/So Small” made the list, as she shared:

Julianne Moore’s big vocal solo doesn’t come until late into the runtime of Dear Evan Hansen, but it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Her character Heidi makes an emotional appeal to Ben Platt’s, and it’s a real tear-jerker. Moore understandably has quite the connection with that number after preparing and filming the movie musical.

The Dear Evan Hansen movie was filmed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, so the cast was isolated in a bubble when not filming. This experience likely gave Julianne Moore extra time to prep and stress about her big song “So Big/So Small.” And for that reason it’s the biggest earworm that’s stuck with her.

Of course, Julianne Moore didn’t only list her big 11 o’clock number as her only favorite from Dear Evan Hansen. She revealed that the music is something shared with her family, and cited Ben Platt’s sweet love song “If I Could Tell Her” as another favorite. She went on to tell me,

Dear Evan Hansen is definitely one of those shows that leaves audiences humming tunes as they leave the theater. And as Julianne Moore has shared the music with her family, it’s a movie that has the potential to inspire important conversations between the generations. Besides, who doesn’t want to see Moore and Amy Adams belting out some showtunes?

Dear Evan Hansen will hit theaters on September 24th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

With audiences returning to theaters, there’s a variety of new releases arriving over the next few months. This includes a number of movie musicals like Stephen Chbosky’s Dear Evan Hansen. Ben Platt is back in his Tony-winning role, and there’s a stellar support cast attached including the incomparable Julianne Moore. And she recently explained why the story of Dear Evan Hansen continues to resonate so well with audiences.

Dear Evan Hansen became a massive hit as soon as it premiered on Broadway, in no small part due to Ben Platt’s tour-de-force performance. Now an even wider audience will get to see the emotional story thanks to the movie adaptation, and they should probably bring their tissues. As you can see in the video above, I had the privilege of speaking with both Julianne Moore and director Stephen Chbosky, where they explained why they think Dear Evan Hansen is able to inspire such an emotional response. As Moore put it,

She’s got a point. Adolescent years are hard for most of us, especially those moments of uncertainty when in high school. And with Dear Evan Hansen focusing on that feeling of isolation and other-ness, it’s easy to relate to the musical’s story. Add in some killer songs by The Greatest Showman’s Pasek & Paul and you’ve got the recipe for success.

In Dear Evan Hansen, Julianne Moore plays the title character’s mother Heidi. She shares all of her scenes with Ben Platt in the process, as they bring that home to life on the big screen. Later in our conversation, Moore explained how Platt’s award-winning performance helps to bring in the audience, saying:

Ben Platt’s run in the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen one was a legendary one, as he managed to belt and weep through the character’s epic songs. Now the role will be recorded for prosperity in the movie adaptation, with a supporting cast that includes the likes of Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, and Kaitlyn Devers.

The universal nature of Dear Evan Hansen’s story was also addressed by Stephen Chbosky in the same video. He specifically cited how countless young people out there are deadline with mental health issues. And given his history with Perks of Being a Wallflower, Chbosky knows how to tell authentic teenage stories.

Dear Evan Hansen will hit theaters on September 24th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Film adaptations of musicals have certainly taken off in the past few years, such as Hamilton last year and In The Heights this summer. Now we’re going to see a movie adaption of the smash hit musical Dear Evan Hansen, which won several Tony Awards and will continue its Broadway run after it resumes production after the Covid-19 delay. Evan Hansen, a high school student with Social Anxiety Disorder, has a therapeutic self-intended letter stolen by a classmate named Connor Murphy, who later dies by suicide. Connor's family mistakes the letter as a letter sent to Evan by Connor. Evan then inserts himself into the boy's past, leading to a series of lies and confrontational events.

Ben Platt portrayed the original Evan Hansen in the show’s Broadway run, and he reprises his role for the movie musical (a decision that led to some controversy). The movie musical was directed by Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) and also features Amy Adams, Kaitlyn Dever, Julianne Moore, Amandla Stenberg, Nik Dodani, Danny Pino, and Colton Ryan. Dear Evan Hansen will premiere in theaters on September 24, but critics have started to share their official reviews, so let's check them out.

Let’s start with the home team. CinemaBlend’s Corey Chichizola enjoyed Dear Evan Hansen, especially Ben Platt’s return to the titular role. Platt won a Tony Award for originating Evan Hansen on Broadway, and Chichizola argued that the actor killed it this time around, too. He also noted that this film iteration allows for viewers to see even more details in the actor’s face, which helps to immerse us in his journey. He also really enjoyed the performances from the supporting cast members, though he noted that some of them were underused, which is a result of the musical having to be condensed into a shorter runtime. Overall, here’s what he said:

Steve Pond from The Wrap also commended Platt’s star quality as Evan Hansen, but he also praised the other characters like Stenberg, Dever, Adams, and Moore. While Pond noted that the narrative is a little too messy at times and that it could have gone with a more nuanced approach to addressing mental health issues, he argued that you will still enjoy the movie musical overall, saying:

Michael Rechtshaffen from The Hollywood Reporter had a somewhat mixed opinion of the drama. He really enjoyed the acting from the main characters (definitely sensing a pattern in these reviews) and the beautiful moments of human connection the film offers. But he argued that those intimate moments too often bump up against distancing cutaways and music video cliches that take away from the impact. Rechtshaffen thought director Chbosky leaned too much into the drama formula aspect, saying:

IndieWire’s Tina Hassannia did not have a very positive review of Dear Evan Hansen. She criticized Chbosky’s direction, such as making Platt’s larger-than-life characterization of Evan Hansen too pronounced, as that affectation works well on stage, but looks too “creepy” on screen. Hassania also noted that the mix of dialogue and song was too choppy. She argued that unfortunately, the music is what will make the drama lose the audience, saying:

Valerie Complex from Deadline also had many criticisms of the movie musical, though she did praise the singing, particularly from Amandla Stenberg. But Complex considered Dear Evan Hansen “terrible,” criticizing the storytelling and the shallow statements on community and class structure. She also argued that it was a problematic choice to force the audience to feel sympathy for a compulsive liar whose mental illness is exploited. Overall, Complex noted:

Well, those were pretty mixed reviews. You'll be able to check out the teen drama soon, as Dear Evan Hansen debuts in theaters only on September 24th. Until then, plan your next movie-going experience with our 2021 new movie release guide.

2021 has become the year of the movie musicals, with a variety of beloved stage productions being adapted for the screen. Dear Evan Hansen is the latest of these projects, helmed by Perks of Being A Wallflower’s Stephen Chbosky. Tony Award winning star Ben Platt is back as the title character, and truly manages to shine in this emotionally exhausting drama.

Dear Evan Hansen became a hit Broadway musical when it debuted back in 2016. Ben Platt had already been in movies like Pitch Perfect, but his ability to weep and sing through such an emotional story was a star-making moment that led to way more TV and film roles. Luckily for those of us who were unable to see his run in New York, that performance has now been immortalized through this film adaptation.

The story of Dear Evan Hansen is a dark one, with mental health and sucide at the center of the narrative. The isolated Evan has a chance encounter with Conner Murphy (Colton Ryan) shortly before his suicide, and a misunderstanding endears him to a mourning family. This includes his crush Zoe (Kaitlyn Dever) and her parents (Amy Adams and Danny Pino). It’s a story about connection, lies, and mourning that makes for an emotional moviegoing experience. Luckily filmmaker Stephen Chbosky is experienced with telling authentic teenage stories.

This difficult material is buoyed by the music of Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, who became household names thanks to their work on The Greatest Showman and La La Land. Every musical number helps to raise the stakes, especially when Ben Platt is given the time to embody Evan Hansen’s social anxiety and longing for acceptance. Acceptance is ultimately a theme of the movie, although we’ll have to sit with Evan’s lies and the discomfort that causes throughout most of the movie’s runtime.

Ben Platt Gives The Same Heart And Commitment That Won Him A Tony For Dear Evan Hansen

As previously mentioned, Ben Platt won a Tony Award for originating the title role of Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. His return to the role years later was the cause of some backlash by naysayers, although the film performance doesn’t falter. Platt sounds killer singing those beloved songs, and also gets more stillness and time with the character this time around.

Dear Evan Hansen opens with the show’s biggest anthem, “Waving Through the Window,” which allows the audience to see his invisible Evan feels. This is invaluable to the audience’s experience of the story, which is one where Ben Platt’s character lies time and time again to a mourning family. His own anxiety and isolation makes the situation easier to digest, but the part of Evan needs to be played perfectly in order for the audience to be on his side.

Despite the various cards that may be stacked against him, Ben Platt's triumphant return as Evan is an emotional tour-de-force that deserves to be seen on the big screen. Fans will be able to see every micro expression in the actor’s face, which helps us to be immersed in the title character’s journey. And while the material of Dear Evan Hansen is super heavy, Platt time time again dodges opportunities for melodrama.

Supporting Cast Members Like Julianne Moore Are Underused

Of course, Ben Platt isn’t the only familiar name bringing the story of Dear Evan Hansen to life in Stephen Chbosky’s film adaptation. Platt is the only original actor in the cast, allowing for icons like Julianne Moore and Amy Adams to play the roles of Heidi Hansen and Cynthia Murphy. The movie also got a ton of attention for casting Last Man Standing’s Kaitlyn Dever as Evan’s love interest Zoe. In the end, the movie is a deeply emotional experience filled with stunning performances, although some cast members like Moore do end up being underused.

As is the case with every film adaptation of a Broadway musical, certain songs from Dear Evan Hansen were cut in order to condense the narrative into its 137-minute runtime. While this helps to streamline the story, it also leaves supporting characters like Evan’s mother Heidi without as much screen time. Julianne Moore sings and acts the hell out of the ballad “So Close, So Small”, but unfortunately her other two big songs were cut out of the film adaptation. But unsurprisingly Moore is able to make the most out of every scene and brings a quiet sincerity to the film.

Amy Adams’ role is also smaller as a result of these cuts, although Enchanted fans will be thrilled to hear her singing alongside Kaitlyn Dever and Danny Pino in “Requiem.” But given the pedigree attached to Dear Evan Hansen’s cast, the film does ultimately leave one wanting more from those talented names. For her part Dever gives a solid performance as Zoe, and is able to duet with the likes of Ben Platt.

The Dear Evan Hansen Movie Improves On The Original With Inclusion And Closure

While there are notable cuts in Dear Evan Hansen, there are ways that the movie adaptation improves on the narrative. For one, more inclusion and diversity is brought to the starring cast of actors. Evan’s friend Jared (Nik Dodani) is queer in this adaptation, while the Murphys are a mixed family featuring Cuban American actor Danny Pino as Larry. Additionally, the role of supporting character Alana is expanded, with actress Amandla Beck getting a new song in the process.

But perhaps the best change in Dear Evan Hansen comes from the movie’s ending. While the show’s conclusion is a bit vague, audiences will be given appropriate closure by the time the credits roll. That being said, it’s an emotionally grueling process to get through to the end, so pack your tissues.

Dear Evan Hansen is a solid movie musical with some gorgeous performances. While the story might have suffered a bit in its journey to the screen, it’s ultimately a moving piece that asks some tough, contemporary questions. Now we’ll just have to see if “You Will Be Found” heading back to theaters to see it all shake out on the big screen.

You’d think that a veteran film actor wouldn’t get nervous about new releases. After all, they’ve done it a million times. But what happens when that actor decides to try something completely out of their wheelhouse? Being anxious starts to make more sense. Just look at Academy Award-winning actress Julianne Moore, whose upcoming appearance in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen will make her try something new: sing.

Julianne Moore appeared on an after-show segment for What What Happens Live! with Andy Cohen to discuss her new movie musical, where she’ll play Heidi, mother of the titular Evan Hansen. When Andy Cohen asked if she had seen the final cut of the film, she said:

It’s hard to imagine being as critically lauded as Julianne Moore and still thinking you might stink in a movie. But her concerns do seem valid. Acting is one thing; singing is entirely another. And having to act and sing at the same time? Even more difficult, especially if you’re not a trained vocalist. Broadway singers spend years fine-tuning their pipes, and even then there are many ways a performance can go wrong.

But I personally think Julianne Moore will be okay. She’s an incredible actress, and I would personally rather watch a performance that’s beautifully acted with a so-so singing voice than a dull, boring performance from a vocal powerhouse. Rachel Bay Jones, who originally played Heidi on Broadway, won a Tony for her emotional depth, not her voice (although she does sound great). In addition, the role of Heidi Hansen isn’t super vocally demanding - at least, not compared to the high tenor notes required of Ben Platt as Evan. How he managed to hit that high note in ‘Waving Through a Window’ eight times a week remains a mystery to scientists everywhere.

Dear Evan Hansen tells the story of teenager Evan Hansen, who fabricates a friendship with a classmate who committed suicide in the hopes that it will comfort the grieving family. In addition to Julianne Moore as Heidi Hansen and Ben Platt as Evan Hansen, the cast includes Kaitlyn Dever as Zoe Murphy, Amy Adams as Cynthia Murphy, Colton Ryan as Connor Murphy, and Amandla Steinburg as Alana Beck.

Dear Evan Hansen is slated for a late 2021 release date, so we won’t have to wait long for Julianne Moore’s vocal debut. In the meantime, you can check out the trailer here.

The process of starring in an animated project is a much different experience for its actors than being physically on set. It’s the artists’ craft being supported by its voice cast, and Spirit Untamed brought on some incredible talent. Alongside Dora the Explorer’s Isabela Mercad taking the reins as Spirit’s new friend Lucky Prescott, she is joined by award-winning actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Julianne Moore, who play Lucky’s father Jim and aunt Cora, respectively.

When CinemaBlend spoke to the actors about their roles in the film, Jake Gyllenhaal and Julianne Moore shared their experiences with their characters throughout the making of the DreamWorks film. As Lisey’s Story star Julianne Moore shared during the Spirit Untamed interview:

In contrast to being on a set where once you’ve picked your costumes and setting, you’re ready to roll, DreamWorks had the ability to play around with its character design throughout the process and very much changed things around with Aunt Cora. Moore shared that the age of her character changed quite drastically throughout the production, going from an older woman to a much younger character. Jake Gyllenhaal jumped into the conversation by explaining his own experience with her character and his own funny memories:

It sounds like Spirit Untamed was an odd process for the actors, especially considering each of them had somehow never voiced a role in an animated feature film before. Gyllenhaal also told CinemaBlend that working on the film was a lot about “letting go” with something he usually had control over in a live-action production, and allowing the process to inspire him and the other cast and crew throughout the making of Spirit Untamed.

Spirit Untamed follows Lucky as she meets a new generation of the Spirit horse that began back in 2002 with Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. Unlike the early DreamWorks classic, this new movie will focus on Lucky and her family as she befriends the wild mustang and helps him, despite pushback from them. It’s a big adventure film geared toward young audiences.

Spirit Untamed reviews debuted with overall mixed critical reception and is expected to open this weekend to $5 to $7 million domestically for its exclusive theatrical release. It will open alongside Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and against Cruella and A Quiet Place Part II’s second weekend in theaters.

Check out CinemaBlend’s interview with the film’s co-director Elaine Bogan about the inclusion of Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” and see Spirit Untamed in theaters now.

By now, you have either started or plan to start Lisey’s Story, the new Apple TV+ limited series based Stephen King’s 2006 psychological horror novel of the same name. With the first two chapters of the eight-episode series premiering on Friday, June 4, now is the perfect time to go back and see where all you’ve seen the Lisey’s Story cast, including Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, Dane DeHaan, and Joan Allen before they appeared in this tense and other-wordly television adaptation from the mind of one of the world’s best and most prolific living authors.

But outside of the Apple TV+'s main stars, you may be asking yourself where you have seen the Lisey's Story cast before. Well, fear not, as we have put together a quick rundown of the show's biggest stars, where they fit into the story, and some of the movies, television shows, and stage productions that they have called home over the years.

Julianne Moore (Lisey Landon)

Julianne Moore plays the titular heroine on Lisey’s Story, a woman that is not only still dealing with the death of her husband but also a dangerous stalker obsessed with her late husband’s body of work. Outside of leading the latest in a long line of Stephen King adaptations, Moore has given one remarkable performance after another in film and on television, earning an Academy Award and Golden Globe for her role in 2015’s Still Alice, as well as two additional Golden Globes for Game Change and Short Cuts. Moore has also appeared in everything from Boogie Nights to The Big Lebowski and The Kids Are All Right to Children of Men, which also featured her Lisey’s Story co-star Clive Owen.

Clive Owen (Scott Landon)

Clive Owen plays Scott Landon, a prolific author and husband of Lisey’s Story’s heroine who has been dead for two years prior to the start of the Apple TV+ limited series. In addition to the aforementioned Children of Men, which remains just as impactful today as it did upon its release 15 years ago, Owen has received an Academy Award nomination for Closer, lead films like Sin City and Inside Man, and had his fair share of hits on the television side of things with celebrated performances in everything from Hemingway & Gellhorn to The Knick, which earned him nominations for a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe, respectively.

Joan Allen (Amanda Debusher)

Portraying Amanda Debusher, Lisey’s older and sometimes catatonic sister whose episodes transport her to another world, is Joan Allen. Prior to landing one of the main roles on Lisey’s Story, Allen made a name for herself on Broadway, winning a Tony Award in 1988 for her debut in Burn This. She has also earned three Academy Award nominations over the years including a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Nixon and The Crucible and a Best Actress nomination for The Contender. Other memorable movies from Allen include Pleasantville, The Notebook, and Room. Allen also received multiple nominations for her portrayal of iconic American artist Georgia O’Keeffe in the 2009 Lifetime movie Georgia O’Keeffe.

Dane DeHaan (Jim Dooley)

Dane DeHaan lends his talents to Lisey’s Story, bringing the novel’s antagonistic Jim Dooley, to life in a frightening display of obsession. Prior to taking on the role of a man who will do anything to get Lisey’s late husband’s unpublished work out of the shadows, the talented DeHaan appeared in everything from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 to Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. He also gave memorable performances in The Place Beyond the Pines, Kill Your Darlings, and Lawless, to name only a few.

Jennifer Jason Leigh (Darla)

Jennifer Jason Leigh appears throughout Lisey’s Story as Darla, the middle child in Lisey’s family who helps her two sisters with their other-worldly conditions. Since breaking through with Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Leigh has led a remarkable career in film, television, and various stage productions over the course of the past 40 years. With Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for her turn as Daisy Domergue in The Hateful Eight, another Golden Globe nod for Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, and various other decorated performances, Leigh as cemented her place on the list of greatest living actresses. And this isn’t even the first time Leigh has appeared in a Stephen King adaptation, having had a pivotal role in 1995’s Dolores Claiborne.

Ron Cephas Jones (Professor Roger Dashmiel)

Ron Cephas Jones appears in Lisey’s Story, taking on the role of Roger Dashmiel, a professor at Scott Landon’s alma mater who wants to see the late author’s unpublished work see the light of day. Fans of This Is Us will immediately recognize Jones as William “Shakespeare” Hill, a role which has earned the actor two Primetime Emmys for his performance on the NBC drama series. Jones’ other television work includes Luke Cage and Mr. Robot, among others. Jones has also shown up in movies like He Got Game, Venom, and Dolemite Is My Name.

Sung Kang (Officer Dan Boeckman)

Taking on the role of Officer Dan Boeckman, the police officer assigned to watching over the Landon house in Lisey’s Story is star of the Fast and Furious franchise Sung Kang. Mostly known for his portrayal of Han Lue (and the Justice for Han movement) in five entries in the multi-billion-dollar franchise starting with The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Kang has shown up in everything from Live Free or Die Hard to We Can Be Heroes with a ton of other movies in between. Over on the television side of things, Kang has had main roles on shows like Power and Gang Related, and even appeared on an episode of Monk like so many up-and-coming actors before him.

Remember, this is just the main actors in the Lisey’s Story cast, as the limited series written by Stephen King and directed by Pablo Larraín features a large supporting cast who will all play a role in some shape or form. You can watch Lisey’s Story every Friday on Apple TV+ through mid-July, but if you want to know what else is coming out this summer, check out CinemaBlend’s 2021 TV schedule.

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In 2002, Dreamworks Pictures released Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, the story of one horse’s journey to find his own freedom which also features the voice of Matt Damon as the titular animal through narration. Nearly two decades later, Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal, Oscar winner Julianne Moore, and Emmy winner Andre Braugher, among others, have joined the Spirit Untamed cast to lend their voices to the hoofed hero’s return to the big screen. - There are a few other actors and actresses whom you will likely recognize from Spirit Untamed, which is out on Friday, June 4, 2021, and is actually a feature-length adaptation of a computer animated Netflix series which premiered in 2017 and was spun-off from the original movie. The following is an in-depth look at who from the cast is voicing which characters and where else you may know them from, starting with the young lead role.

Isabela Merced (Lucky Prescott)

Before voicing the lead (human) character of Spirit Untamed - an animated feature-length spin-off of a popular animated children’s series - Isabela Merced played the lead character of Dora and the Lost City of Gold - a live-action, feature-length spin-off of a popular animated children’s series released in 2019. However, that was not the 20-year-old Latinx actress’ first live-action animated TV show adaptation (2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight) nor her first action-adventure flick (2018’s Sicario: Day of the Soldado) or even her first foray into the Dora the Explorer franchise (she voiced Kate in Dora and Friends: Into the City for 12 episodes).

The Instant Family star, who broke out on the short-lived 2014 sitcom Growing Up Fisher opposite J.K. Simmons, is also as a pop music singer and will next appear in the Netflix original thriller Sweet Girl as Jason Momoa’s daughter.

Jake Gyllenhaal (Jim Prescott)

Playing Lucky Prescott’s protective father, Jim, is Jake Gyllenhaal, who also started out at a young age - making his debut in 1991’s City Slickers as Billy Crystal’s son. Eventually, he would be leading inventive fantasy dramas like Donnie Darko in 2001, boundary pushing romances like Brokeback Mountain (which earned him an Oscar nomination), and thrillers like David Fincher’s true crime masterpiece Zodiac from 2007.

The 40-year-old actor has made several returns to each of those genres, among others, over the years such as with the 2018 western The Sisters Brothers, his transformative performance in 2014’s Nightcrawler, or playing Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019. Spirit Untamed marks the first vocal performance in a feature-length film for Gyllenhaal, who is actually reuniting with another member of the animated film’s cast for the upcoming Michael Bay movie Ambulance, which is in post-production.

Eiza Gonzalez (Milagro Navarro)

Starring in Ambulance with Jake Gyllenhaal is Eiza Gonzalez, who voices his late wife, Milagro Navarro, in Spirit Untamed. The casting is a sort of a reverse to her previous reinvention of a role that was made for the big screen on the small screen as Santánico Pandemonium (originally played by Salma Hayek) on From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series in 2014.

American audiences started to really pay notice to the Mexican-born actress and singer, who broke out as the lead of the Cinderella-inspired telenovela Lola: Érase una vez, after appearing as Darling in Baby Driver in 2017. This would lead to roles in more blockbusters like Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, comic book movies Alita: Battle Angel and Bloodshot, the Golden Globe-nominated dark comedy I Care A Lot in 2020, and earth-rumbling blockbuster Godzilla vs. Kong the following year.

Julianne Moore (Aunt Cora)

Starring in Spirit Untamed as Lucky’s aunt, Cora, is Julianne Moore, who would win a Best Actress Oscar in 2015 for Still Alice after doing everything from blockbusters like The Lost World: Jurassic Park, dark comedies like The Big Lebowski, or ensemble dramas like Magnolia from writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson. Said filmmaker's 1998 masterpiece Boogie Nights also earned her her first Oscar nod.

Beyond the 1990s, Julianne Moore gave two Oscar-nominated performances in 2002 in Far From Heaven and The Hours (both period pieces with LGBTQ+ themes), returned to her original '80s role on As the World Turns in 2010, joined another instant classic ensemble dramedy with 2011 Crazy Stupid Love, and recently played one of several women portraying feminist icon Gloria Steinem in The Glorias. Moore will show up next in the Apple TV+’s Stephen King-inspired miniseries Lisey’s Story and the adaptation of Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen, to name a few.

Marsai Martin (Pru Granger)

On her journey to guide Spirit to freedom, Lucky is accompanied by two good friends - one of them is a girl named Pru Granger, voiced by Marsai Martin. At just 16 years old, the young actres has already earned an impressive repertoire since breaking out on the Black-ish cast as Diane Johnson, which has earned her many NAACP Image Awards.

Her most notable roles thus far include playing an American Girl Doll in the uplifting Amazon Prime original special An American Girl Story - Melody 1963: Love Has to Win and a younger Regina Hall in Little - a gender and age-swapped remake of the Tom Hanks classic Big. Spirit Untamed is far form Martin’s first voice acting performance, having played Aggro on Netflix’s Dragons: Rescue Riders and appeared in two episodes of Disney’s Elena of Avalor as Prince Caterina, and it will not be her last as August’s Paw Patrol: The Movie is her next big release.

McKenna Grace (Abigail Stone)

Playing Lucky’s other good friend, Abigail Stone, is fellow Elena of Avalor vet McKenna Grace, who also has one of the most impressive child acting careers in Hollywood right now. At only about 15 years old, she has earned more than 50 credits to her name thus far, including Gifted with Chris Evans or the Big Bang Theory prequel Young Sheldon in the recurring role of the title character’s prodigious rival.

Following a two-year run on The Young and the Restless, McKenna Grace would also become later known for playing younger versions of her adult co-stars, such as Margot Robbie in I, Tonya, Kiernan Shipka on Netflix’s Chilling Adventure of Sabrina, and Brie Larson in Captain Marvel, to name a few. After appearing in 2017’s Amityville: The Awakening and Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House, the Handmaid’s Tale Season 4 star is on her way to Scream Queen status, which she will continue to earn with James Wan’s Malignant and Ghostbusters: Afterlife in 2021.

Andre Braugher (Al Granger)

Playing Pru Granger’s father, Al Granger, is Andre Braugher. The veteran actor has also lent his distinct voice to animated roles in the past such as the tyrannical DC villain Darkseid in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse in 2010, the half-man, half-crustacean vigilante Lobster Man in the irreverent comic book adaptation Axe Cop, and Woodchuck Coodchuck-Berkowitz on Netflix’s Bojack Horseman for several episodes.

You would also recognize his face face from movies, such as his debut in 1989’s Glory, the sci-fi crime thriller/father-son story that is 1999’s Frequency, the 2007 superhero movie sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, or the polarizing Stephen King adaptation The Mist that same year. Braugher has also earned two Emmy Awards, the first of which was for the hit procedural Homicide: Life on the Street, and several other nominations, four of which have been for his tonally different return to playing a cop on TV as Captain Raymond Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine since 2013.

Walton Goggins (Hendricks)

Another prolific veteran of superhero movies, period pieces, and TV crime thrillers and comedies alike is Walton Goggins, who has been preparing to voice a role like Hendricks in Spirit Untamed for much of his career. He has been frequently been cast in western movies like Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight and was a favorite on the Justified cast as Boyd Crowder.

Before becoming one of the busiest actors of his generation (he has been juggling a film career with leading the cancelled CBS sitcom The Unicorn and now voicing a role on the superhero series Invincible cast), he won an Oscar for producing the 2001 short The Accountant, played Detective Shane Vendrell on The Shield, and later appeared in the Sons of Anarchy cast as transgender sex worker Venus Van Dam. I could go on for much much longer about the Emmy nominee, who has also played villains in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp and Tomb Raider and the 2020 holiday action comedy Fatman, but I only have so much room.

It is not every day that an animated film boasts a voice cast this exciting, including multiple Oscar winners, Emmy darlings, and young, talented up-and-comers. Hopefully, the journey of Spirit Untamed proves to be just as exciting and also just as successful as its predecessors from the big screen, namely Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and the small screen, the Netflix original Spirit Riding Free to be exact, as well.

For the past year we’ve been waiting to see Amy Adams, Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman, and Bryan Tyree Henry team up for the claustrophobic thriller The Woman in the Window. The movie is adapted from the 2018 novel from A.J. Finn and directed by Pride and Prejudice’s Joe Wright. Now that the movie has landed on Netflix, we can finally talk about the audience consensus for the new streaming release.

Now, originally, The Woman in the Window was set to hit theaters last fall, until the Fox film was delayed (for obvious reasons). It was later removed from the release schedule and announced as a Netflix title, raising some eyebrows. On the critic front, it’s been greatly panned and for the past week, but it has been high on the streamer’s trending movies. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what the social media chatter has been surrounding The Woman in the Window on Netflix.

Overall It’s Mixed, But Some People Really Liked It

Considering all the bad reviews, a lot of people went into The Woman in the Window expecting a disaster, but that’s not what everyone saw. There’s a range of opinions on the movie that we’ll get to throughout this piece, but first we should recognize the true fans of it. Check out this short review:

The Woman in the Window has fans who have read the book before seeing the movie, and by this Twitter user’s measure it was a good adaptation of the novel, which he really dug. He wasn’t the only one, either. Another fan took to social media to not only second the ‘I don’t get the hate’ take, but send some love the way of Amy Adams and Julianne Moore (who will soon co-star in Dear Evan Hansen). So, here you go:

It’s always interesting to watch a movie that is being broken apart as much as The Woman in the Window and not feel like you 're watching the same film as those critical of it. It’s always better when you like a movie, but it can also just be odd when you feel like you didn’t watch the same thing everyone is talking about. As this person shared:

Hey, movies are subjective! That’s the beauty of them. If you liked something someone else hated, congratulations, you have different tastes then that person. Now, let’s dive deeper into the other elements of The Woman in the Window.

It Left A Lot Of People Bored And Confounded

While it’s been established that there are a lot of different opinions here about Amy Adams’ latest role, and there are those who weren’t feeling it due to the tone and structure of the movie. It sits at one hour and 40 minutes and follows an agoraphobic woman and psychologist who spies on her neighbors and reports a crime in their apartment. One viewer made some progress on the movie before taking to social media to ask people if it was even worth it to keep going:

In reply, a lot of people told her it was “a waste of time,” while others referred her to the book instead. It goes to show that the pacing just didn’t grab some people. Another Woman in the Window viewer complained about the stillness of the movie, which involves a lot of Amy Adams nearby a window. If you like people watching, this might be the movie for you, though:

Some people just couldn’t believe what they were watching. One admitted that they felt like they were hallucinating in the back half of the film, and decided to actually watch it again to see if it was real. It sounds like the movie surprised some viewers in a negative way:

How puzzling. It’s comments like this that may have more people pressing play, purely out of curiosity of what goes on in the film.

Punch The Cat Was A Fan-Favorite

Some movies find an unexpected twist in the characters who fans gravitate towards, and on social media one might be surprised to see so many people ditching praise for the all-star cast to write up posts about Amy Adam’s cat in the film, Punch. One viewer wasn’t super impressed with The Woman in the Window, but chose to give a shout out to the white kitty, because praise is given, where praise is deserved:

Another person was ready to send Punch straight to award season with its performance and cuteness:

Considering the movie revolves around Amy Adams’ character in her home as she deals with witnessing a deadly stabbing, Punch serves as an important companion to her throughout the panic. Another viewer couldn’t help but empathize with Punch’s role in the film, as Adams' Anna Fox deals with the disturbing events throughout the movie:

Long live Punch! That looked like a stressful work environment, but we can't wait to follow more of your work.

It Couldn’t Escape Rear Window Comparisons

At the beginning of The Woman in the Window, the movie references Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window with a scene of the movie being shown on a TV. It seems to be tipping its cap off to a movie that must have influenced it. If you’ve seen the classic Hitchcock movie, though, the set up is quite close to this Netflix movie. And, many people on social media were not here for this film borrowing from it:

Some people actually thought The Woman in the Window was supposed to be a Rear Window remake. One viewer called the movie straight up plagiarism while viewing the film, saying this:

It sounds like if you’re a big fan of the ‘60s classic, the movie may rub you the wrong way. It could be noted that the novel’s author, A.J. Finn, was subject to a controversy about aspects of his life, career, and plagiarism, following a report in The New Yorker, that he has since addressed.

Now that you’ve heard what some fans had to say, what did you think? Vote in our poll and check out what’s next for Amy Adams with her upcoming projects, including a sequel for Enchanted!

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Movie musicals are a tried and true genre, which have the potential to be both critically and financially successful. Contemporary Broadway musicals like In The Heights and The Prom were recently given a film adaptation, and that trend continues with Stephen Chbosky’s Dear Evan Hansen. The movie features a killer cast including original star Ben Platt, Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever, and Amy Adams. And the first trailer showed Dear Evan Hansen is going to be a serious tear-jerker.

Dear Evan Hansen is a hit Broadway show from the musical minds of Pasek & Paul, who are known for their work on The Greatest Showman. It’s an emotional story that tackles issues like depression and suicide, and the first trailer showed those high stakes, plus some signature musical moments.

The trailer for Dear Evan Hansen is set to the backdrop of the Act I closing song "You Will Be Found." As the lyrics tell the movie's story about isolation and hope, the characters of the movie musical come together. Ben Platt's title character is a lonely high school student crippled by anxiety, who happens to have an encounter with classmate Conner Murphy (Colton Ryan) shortly before his suicide. Misunderstanding and tragedy set off a series of events that make for Dear Evan Hansen's many twists and turns.

Director Stephen Chbosky assembled a killer cast to bring Dear Evan Hansen to life on the big screen, and join original actor and Tony Winner Ben Platt. Julianne Moore plays his mother Heidi, a single mother trying to keep her head above water and monitor her son's mental health issues. The mixup with Conor puts Evan in direct communication with his grieving parents (Amy Adams and Danny Pino), and sister Zoe (Kaitlyn Dever).

As the trailer shows, Evan ends up lying to Conner's family, in hopes of giving them some sense of closure in the midst of a horrible tragedy. Eventually that lie snowballs, as a movement forms about Connor's suicide and Evan's message of hope. As you can imagine, there are plenty of tears along the way. Oh and lots of songs too, with Ben Platt's signature voice shining throughout the first Dear Evan Hansen trailer.

Obviously from the subject matter alone, Dear Evan Hansen is a far cry from what audiences saw with Pasek & Paul's The Greatest Showman back in 2017. But Dear Evan Hansen is a huge hit on Broadway, so there's definitely a very invested audience ready to see the film adaptation. It's currently unclear how much the story will be altered for the movie, but the important beats of the musical seemingly play out throughout the course of this first trailer. We'll just have to see which musical numbers end up cut, and which ones get their life in movie form.

Ben Platt's voice was the only one heard singing throughout the trailer, but Dear Evan Hansen should give musical moments to the ensemble cast, especially Kaitlyn Dever and Julianne Moore. Dever's Zoe is the female protagonist, who gets some lovely vocal features throughout the course of the show. As for Moore's character Heidi Hansen, she's very much an emotional core of the story. And smart money says she'll be able to shed some signature tears throughout the course of the movie's mysterious runtime.

Dear Evan Hansen is currently set to arrive in theaters on September 24th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

While there are presently more than a dozen upcoming Stephen King movie and television adaptations in the works, few (if any) are more anticipated than director Edgar Wright’s announced remake of The Running Man. As great as the 1987 version starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is, it’s a film that deviates from the source material in some extreme ways, which makes the prospect of a more faithful big screen take potent with potential. Having only been announced a few weeks ago, it’s a project that is still very much in its early stages, but that fact certainly isn’t stopping my brain from spinning and imagining what it could be.

That being said, I figured I might have some speculation-driven fun thinking about the cast of the new movie – and just as I did for the upcoming remake of Firestarter with Zac Efron, I’ve challenged myself by only considering actors with past experience in Stephen King adaptations. The result is an ensemble that I definitely feel could do justice to The Running Man, so read on for my picks, and my arguments for why each of them should land their respective roles.

Jovan Adepo (The Stand) As Ben Richards

I previously wrote a feature detailing my argument as to why Ben Richards should be a Black character, so in an effort to not repeat myself I’ll just focus on why Jovan Adepo is the right pick to play the protagonist of The Running Man – a destitute and desperate citizen of a horrible future who agrees to be the contestant on a televised nationwide manhunt so that he can afford medicine for his wife and dying child. This is a role that requires an actor who exudes fortitude and resilience, and Adepo has proven consistently that he both has those qualities, and is one of the most talented up-and-coming stars in the industry. 

From his portrayal of Larry Underwood in the recent The Stand miniseries, to his remarkable turn as young Will Reeves a.k.a. Hooded Justice in HBO’s Watchmen, Adepo clearly has the skills to play a version of Richards who deeply contrasts with the Arnold Schwarzenegger version and deliver a dark and powerful performance as the hero.

Patrick Wilson (In The Tall Grass) as Dan Killian

Patrick Wilson is an impressive talent who has regularly proven that he can play heroes just as well as villains, but Vincenzo Natali’s In The Tall Grass definitely took advantage of his ability to do the latter, and Edgar Wright’s The Running Man would do well by casting him as Dan Killian to do the same. Killian is the head producer of the titular dystopian television program, and gives off classic smarmy executive vibes while also being charming enough to be persuasive. Wilson is a star who could easily take material like that and use it to run chills up and down the spines of audiences.

Jharrel Jerome (Mr. Mercedes) As Bradley Throckmorton

Bradley Throckmorton is one of the most important characters in Stephen King/Richard Bachman’s The Running Man. While Ben Richards has his own axe to grind, it’s Bradley who helps open the protagonist’s eyes to some big truths about the horrors of the world – specifically dealing with pollution in lower income urban neighborhoods and the bogus nose filters that offer zero protection. Thinking about this, I found myself reflecting on the dramatic scene in the second season of Mr. Mercedes when Jharrel Jerome’s Jerome Robinson talks about how life is wholly different while attending Harvard, and in doing so realized he would be a great choice as Ben’s vital resource who helps him better understand the realities of the world and figure out how to survive while on the run.

Jeremy Ray Taylor (IT/IT Chapter Two) As Elton Parrakis

When describing Elton Parrakis in The Running Man, Stephen King/Richard Bachman repeatedly remarks on his “baby face,” and while technically IT/IT Chapter Two star Jeremy Ray Taylor is too young for the part (in the book he’s a full grown adult who works in vending machine maintenance), he just fits the bill too well to not be the choice for this feature. Like Bradley, Elton is another resource that Ben goes to as he continues to evade his pursuers, but while he has great intentions, he also has some liabilities – the most significant being…

Adrienne Barbeau (Creepshow) As Virginia Parrakis

While Ben Richards has enough charm and perseverance to get help from people when he really needs it, some individuals are too wrapped up in the evil fictions spun by The Running Man television show to believe him, and they turn on him when they get the opportunity. Virginia Parrakis is one such individual, and also happens to be Elton’s mother, who lives with him in his house in Portland, Maine. Adrienne Barbeau, who memorably plays the grating Wilma “Billie” Northrup in “The Crate” segment of Creepshow, could do fantastic things with the part, and while she would perhaps be a touch too old to play Jeremy Ray Taylor’s mother, Virginia could easily be changed to be Elton’s grandmother.

Julianne Moore (Carrie/Lisey’s Story) As Amelia Williams

Following her turn as Margaret White in the 2013 remake of Carrie, Julianne Moore will soon be returning to the world of Stephen King adaptations playing the lead role in the Apple TV+ miniseries Lisey’s Story – but it would be amazing to see her add another title to that specific filmography by playing Amelia Williams in Edgar Wright’s The Running Man. Though she arrives late in the story, Amelia is a major player in the third act of the story, as she starts off as Ben Richard’s carjacking victim/hostage and slowly begins to trust him as threats begin to close in. It’s a fascinating character because you’re never quite sure what move she is going to make – be it to turn on Ben or help him – and Moore could do wonderful things with that kind of enigmatic personality.

Kiefer Sutherland (Stand By Me/A Creepshow Animated Special) as Evan McCone

Kiefer Sutherland has already played one of the best villains in a Stephen King adaptation, delivering a terrifying turn as Ace Merrill in the classic Stand By Me, and while he recently returned to the author’s material with a role in 2020’s A Creepshow Animated Special, The Running Man would be an opportunity to play another awesome antagonist. Evan McCone is the leader of a group known as the Hunters, who have a specific role to play on the eponymous reality program tracking down and eventually killing the contestants. It’s a character brimming with both authority and menace, and Sutherland’s presence and famously gritty voice could make him a sincerely scary individual.

With The Running Man remake still only in the early stages of development, it can’t be said for certain when we’ll start hearing about actors actually being cast in the film – but that news is being anticipated with bated breath. You can be sure that CinemaBlend will have all of the information about the movie as more updates are announced, so stay tuned!

Stephen King fans were originally supposed to see the release of Apple TV+'s Lisey's Story in 2020... but then the pandemic happened. As a result, production on the miniseries had to hit pause, and plans were delayed. For a long time we were left with no idea what was going on, and it was only back in February that the streaming service teased that the adaptation would premiere during the summer – but now we are over Boo'ya Moon excited to reveal not only that we now have a release date, but also a wonderful set of first look images.

AppleTV+ officially announced today that Lisey's Story, which will run as a eight-episode miniseries, is now set to premiere on Friday, June 4. Stephen King wrote the adaptation by himself, and the story follows the eponymous character (Julianne Moore) as she copes with the death of her husband, a world-famous writer, and faces down events that cause her to reflect on her marriage and recognize that she has a number of repressed memories. The limited series has an absolutely phenomenal cast, including Julianne Moore as the titular Lisey, Clive Owen, Joan Allen, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Dane DeHaan, and Ron Cephas Jones, and we now have actual stills that show us what the characters will look like.

Up at the top of this article is obviously a shot of Julianne Moore's Lisey, but below you'll find a shot of her from a flashback with her husband, Scott Landon (Clive Owen). Without giving away too much, this still is from an absolutely crucial scene where the couple sit under what they call the yum-yum tree, and Scott reveals a vital secret about his childhood that changes Lisey's perspective on everything.

Also playing vital roles in Lisey's Story will be Lisey's sisters – with whom she has some complicated relationships. The oldest sister is Amanda, who sadly suffers from emotional and mental issues, though at the same time Lisey is closer to her than anyone else in her family. She is prone to spells of catatonia, which looks to be what's going on with her in the below still (this is notably the second time that Joan Allen has starred in a Stephen King adaptation, having previously played the lead in Peter Askin's A Good Marriage)

Lisey's other key sibling relationship in the series is with Jennifer Jason Leigh's Darla, though that has its own complications, drama, and personality clashes . At the start of Lisey's Story, Amanda has one of her episodes, and Lisey and Darla have to come together to figure out what to do (Jennifer Jason Leigh is also Stephen King veteran, having previously starred alongside Kathy Bates in Taylor Hackford's Dolores Claiborne.

Having covered the people closest to Lisey in Lisey's Story, let's now take a moment to discuss the streaming miniseries' main human villain: Dane DeHaan's Jim Dooley. One of the stresses that the titular character has to deal with in the book are all of her deceased husband's never-published writings, which she is constantly hounded for by aggressive individuals that she dubs "Incunks" (a play on/short for "incuncabilla," which itself is a misremembering of the word "incunabulum"). There are a lot of assholes, but they are mostly harmless. Not Jim. Instead, Jim is an insane, obsessed fan who makes an agreement with a third party to get all of Scott's works by any means necessary.

Next up we have another still from a flashback, and one showing off the character played by Ron Cephas Jones. In Lisey's Story, Jones will be playing Roger Dashmiel, a professor at Scott Landon's alma mater who, during a flashback, introduces Scott during a special event that winds up going horribly, horribly wrong and sees the writer encounter a brush with death.

As for this last image... it's possible that the less that is said, the better – for spoiler reasons. Without explaining too much to those of you who have not yet read Lisey's Story, let's just say that it fits into the Stephen King tradition of seemingly normal stories being hit with an extreme dose of the fantastical. What's pictured below is an otherworldly location called Boo'ya Moon where some of the most consequential events of the book take place.

Lisey's Story is now less than two months away from its premiere – and fans can get extra excited because on June 4 the first two episodes will be made available to AppleTV+ subscribers. Hopefully the release of these stills means that the first ever trailer isn't long off; I'm keeping my fingers crossed. To learn about what other adaptations are currently in the works, be sure to check out our Upcoming Stephen King Movies And TV guide.

Stephen King's works have done quite well in the streaming age. In 2016, the novel 11.22.63 was developed as a miniseries for Hulu that turned out to be exceptional, and since then there have been both shows (The Stand, Castle Rock, Creepshow) and movies (Gerald's Game, 1922) that have created an exciting new subsection in the author/filmmaker's awesome legacy. That particular legacy will further expand later this year with the launch of Lisey's Story on Apple TV+, and King is getting us hyped for it simply by highlighting the remarkable talent that is involved.

Ever the active Twitter user, Stephen King took to his personal account this morning and gave his followers a preview of his next adaptation with some name-dropping and some short, content-rich sentences. Preparing Constant Readers for what's to come, he wrote,

It feels a bit blasphemous to make a New York Yankees reference while discussing Stephen King, but I'm going to make it anyway: that's a murderers' row of talent right there – both in front of and behind the camera. And what adds a bit of extra fun is that there are some Stephen King adaptation veterans highlighted in this list, including Jennifer Jason Leigh (who played the daughter of Kathy Bates' eponymous character in Dolores Claiborne) and Joan Allen (who is one half of the lead betrothed couple in A Good Marriage).

Based on the novel of the same name, which was first published in 2006, Lisey's Story will feature Julianne Moore in the titular role (pronounced "Lee-See") and begin as she works to sort out her life in the wake of the death of her husband, renowned fiction author Scott Landon (Clive Owen). Her greatest obstacle in this task is in the handling of Scott's unpublished manuscripts and dealing with rude and pushy "Incuncs" who want her to give up the works – and things quickly ratchet up from "nuisance" to "violent threat." Throughout this scary drama, Lisey reflects on her years with the man she loves, and while doing so uncovers repressed memories that unveil whole new worlds of possibilities.

It was back in 2017 that Stephen King first expressed public interest in the book being adapted – having prior to that named it as his favorite among those he has written. Apple became involved in 2019 when the company purchased the rights, and inside that same year Lisey's Story started production. Unfortunately, production had to halt as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which hindered plans to start releasing episodes of the miniseries last year. Now, however, filming has been completed, and while there is no firm date set, the premiere is being planned for the summer.

Pablo Larraín, who is best known for directing the Natalie Portman-starring biopic Jackie, took the helm of all eight episodes of Lisey's Story, and Stephen King has adapted the book himself – his first time doing so since 2006's Desperation (obviously not counting the coda he wrote for The Stand).

With summer really not all that far away at this point, I'm hoping that it won't be too much longer before we get our first look at Lisey's Story – be it in the form of some official stills or possibly even a trailer. CinemaBlend is keeping an eye out, and I'm keeping my fingers tightly crossed that the Apple TV+ miniseries can live up to its phenomenal potential. (And in the meantime, do yourself a favor and read the book, because it truly is one of his best.)

To see what other Stephen King adaptations are currently in the works, be sure to check out our Upcoming Stephen King guide.

You may not be familiar with the Stephen King novel Lisey’s Story, but, frankly, that’s an issue that you’d be doing yourself a favor by resolving. The book is a haunting and creepy thriller that both celebrates the art of writing, and will invade your dreams. It’s also a work that the author has also wanted to see adapted for many years, and now that’s actually happening courtesy of the upcoming miniseries.

But where can you see Lisey’s Story? Who is making it? And when will it be released? For all of the questions that you may have about the project now, we have answers, and you can find them all in our quick rundown below!

Lisey’s Story Will Be An Apple TV+ Exclusive

Netflix has Gerald’s Game, 1922, and In The Tall Grass. Hulu has 11.22.63 and Castle Rock. Paramount+ has The Stand. And now Apple TV+ will also have its very own Stephen King programming too. Lisey’s Story has been developed as an exclusive for the streaming service – though it’s not impossible that the show could one day get a physical home video release as well.

Stephen King Considers Lisey’s Story To Be His Favorite Novel Of Those He’s Written

Lisey’s Story was first published in 2006, but just because it isn’t one of Stephen King’s older classics doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a special place in his heart. In fact, during a 2013 AMA session on Reddit he called it the favorite of the novels that he has written. (It should be noted that he has written 11 novels since then, and it’s possible his feelings have changed, but the praise is more than significant enough to warrant a mention, and he hasn’t exactly been shy about sharing his affection for it elsewhere).

Stephen King Has Adapted Lisey’s Story Himself

The rate at which Stephen King has produced books over the last five decades is nothing short of extraordinary – but what makes his work all the more impressive is that he also somehow finds time to write his own screenplay adaptations for film and television projects. His credits as a screenwriter include 1985’s Silver Bullet, 1989’s Pet Sematary, and 2006’s Desperation, and most recently he wrote the teleplays for the entirety of Apple TV+’s Lisey’s Story.

Lisey’s Story Will Be An 8-Episode Miniseries

Because Stephen King has a tendency to immerse readers in details and deeply explore his characters, filmmakers frequently find themselves challenged to adapt the entire scope of a novel into a two hour movie. That won’t be an issue for Lisey’s Story, however, as the Apple TV+ version will have eight commercial-free hours to work with.

Pablo Larrain Is Directing The Full Lisey’s Story Miniseries

Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain is probably best known to cinephiles as the director behind the 2016 Jackie Kennedy biopic Jackie starring Natalie Portman, but he’s making his first American miniseries with Lisey’s Story, and is credited as the director on all eight episodes. This marks the first time since 2011’s Bag Of Bones that a single director has made every chapter of a small screen Stephen King adaptation.

J.J. Abrams Is Producing Lisey’s Story

There are few pop culture pies that J.J. Abrams doesn’t have a finger in these days, and that extends to Stephen King adaptations as well. The two creatives first had the chance to work together when Abrams produced the 11.22.63 miniseries for Hulu, and that project with the streamer was followed up by a collaboration on the show Castle Rock. Sadly the Maine-set show won’t be coming back for a third season, but the Abrams-King relationship has held strong thanks to the former having a hand in developing Lisey’s Story for Apple TV+.

Julianne Moore Is Playing Lisey

The titular character in Lisey’s Story is Lisey Debusher Landon, who we meet while she is trying to figure out her life two years after the death of her husband, author Scott Landon. This includes dealing with the literary works that her husband never had published – which unfortunately winds up bringing trouble to her doorstep. Julianne Moore is set to play the lead role in the Apple TV+ miniseries, marking her second time being in a Stephen King adaptation after the Kimberly Pierce-directed remake of Carrie (though she does also have a part in the horror anthology Tales From The Darkside: The Movie, which features a segment based on King’s story “The Cat From Hell.”)

Clive Owen Is Playing Lisey’s Late Husband Scott

Clive Owen is another newbie in the world of Stephen King adaptations, but he will play the key role of Scott Landon in Lisey’s Story. Though Scott is dead when the book begins, he has a massive part to play that emerges through the narrative’s non-linear structure. Trying not to reveal too much to those who haven’t read the novel, let’s just say that it’s not just the baggage of Scott’s books that Lisey has to deal with, as he is a character with a complicated and horrifying past.

Joan Allen And Jennifer Jason Leigh Have Key Supporting Roles

Unlike Julianne Moore and Clive Owen, both Joan Allen (A Good Marriage) and Jennifer Jason Leigh (Dolores Claiborne) have been a part of Stephen King adaptations before, and they will both be back in action for key supporting roles in Lisey’s Story. While the part played by Leigh has not yet been confirmed, Allen will be play Amanda Debusher, Lisey’s emotionally fragile sister who winds up being a key piece in the plot’s central mystery.

The Lisey's Story Cast Also Includes Sung Kang, Dane DeHaan, And Ron Cephas Jones

In case the aforementioned four award-winning stars weren’t enough to get you excited, Lisey’s Story also has an outstanding supporting cast that includes Sung Kang, Dane DeHaan, and Ron Cephas Jones. Kang will play Dan Beckman, a police officer who is assigned to watch over Lisey’s house after she receives a disturbing threat; DeHaan is bringing to life Jim Dooley, the man responsible for said disturbing threat; and Cephas Jones is Professor Roger Dashmiel, a professor from Scott Landon's alma mater.

Lisey’s Story Will Be Arriving June 4

Lisey’s Story was originally planned as a 2020 release, but the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted production before shooting was finished. As a result the schedule had to be delayed, but now the project has finished filming and is in post-production – and it means that we are only months away from seeing it in its finished form. It was officially announced by Apple in January 2021 that the Stephen King adaptation is on their slate for the year, and it's been clarified since that it will arrive on June 4 with a two-episode premiere. So you may proceed waiting for it with baited breath.

Hopefully it won’t be long before more information is revealed about Lisey’s Story, and when it arrives we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it will contain some first-looks. We’re as excited as you are to see what this miniseries is going to be, so stay on the lookout for more news, features, and updates!

Elliot Page has long been an ardent supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and, after the actor came out as a non-binary, transgender person earlier this month, he received a wave of support from across the web. Kind words came from a number of stars, including his castmates from Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy. Now, Page has taken to social media to share his gratitude for the support, while stars like Jennifer Garner continue to reach out.

In a recent Instagram post, Elliot Page took the time to share a selfie and thank those who have shown their support since he came out. The actor also used the opportunity to encourage his followers to support TranSanta, an initiative that seeks to provide gifts for transgender youth in need, and Trans Lifeline, a crisis hotline that provides support for transgender people. Check out his post down below:

The amount of positive energy surrounding Elliot Page’s announcement was nice to see, and it’s still going strong. Sometime after he posted the message, Jennifer Garner, who worked with Page on 2007’s Juno, lent her support to her former co-star saying, “Major, huge love to you, Elliot.”

Garner’s comment would be the first of a few positive comments that would follow. Page’s Freeheld co-star, Julianne Moore, also chimed in with a short and sweet, “Love u.” Sharon Stone also commented, wishing Page “the happiest and safest life journey with every blessing, filled with love and joy.”

Elliot Page has been a well-known and well-loved actor for years now, having starred alongside a variety of stars in films ranging from Juno and Super to Inception and Whip It. But as mentioned, the actor has always used his platform to show support for others.

During his career, Page has done work with The Human Rights Campaign and actually came out as a gay woman when during the organization’s THRIVE conference back in 2014. By doing this, Page may have helped those who could have been having a hard time coming to terms with their sexuality.

The actor has also been a vocal supporter for those who have experienced abuse, especially within the entertainment industry. Page did so by detailing his experiences with X-Men: The Last Stand director, Brett Ratner, who outed his sexual preference while he was working on set. Others like Page’s X-Men co-star, Anna Paquin, came to his defense and corroborated the claims, which helped to spark a serious conversation about the industry.

With all that Elliot Page has done for so many over the years, it’s truly fitting that he receives that same measure of love. The actor has a bright future ahead of him, and we’ll be waiting intently for his upcoming projects, including the third season of The Umbrella Academy.

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

If I had to make a list of actors who were shirtless most often in movies, Jamie Dornan and Zac Efron would come to mind very early on. When it comes to NSFW sex scenes, they absolutely make that list too, though there are some other surprising Hollywood actors and actresses who have also landed on a list of most “severe” aka racy sex scenes in movies. In fact, the number one slot actually goes to Julianne Moore, but there’s a whole Top 10 list to peruse through.

So, how does one come up with a list of “severe” sex scenes in movies? A survey conducted by Online Gambling looked into a number of parental advisory warnings for sex and nudity compiled by IMDB and triangulated those with movies that were marked “most severe” to find some of the raciest scenes in movies. The list of actors and actresses came from figuring out which celebrities were in the most movies on the list that fit within the "severe" definition. As it turns out, some of the people who made the list make total sense and some are Seth Rogen.

Really though, if you look at the full list, you can zoom in on Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson. Both have three movies on the list, which obviously makes so much sense given both of them are the leads in the notably raunchy Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. No one’s out there accusing The Peanut Butter Falcon of being gratuitous, though it’s worth pointing out that Jamie Dornan’s Endings, Beginnings has a fair amount of sex in it.

Julianne Moore topped the list thanks to roles like The Kids Are Alright, in which she’s (spoilers) in a same-sex relationship with Annette Bening’s character but also does the deed with Mark Ruffalo’s character. She’s also in The End of the Affair and three more movies that landed her right at the top of this NSFW list.

Kate Winslet gets naked a lot in The Reader and other movies, and the outlet also declares Ewan McGregor’s raunchiest movie to be Velvet Goldmine, in case you were wanting to check out what pushed him over the edge and helped him to land in one of those two 4-movie slots.

All the movies are not listed in relation to the actors, so they leave some gaps, particularly thanks to my cinematic memory. I know Zac Efron, for example, has a lengthy and memorable sex scene with Taylor Schilling in The Lucky One that might have helped him achieve such great heights on this list. And Seth Rogen’s NSFW sex scenes may include the famous condom-less sex scene in Knocked Up and probably Zack and Miri Make A Porno--at least that’s my best guess.

The study also looked into genres, determining that dramas actually more often feature this sort of “severe” sex scene, even more so than comedies (makes sense) or romances (more surprising) might. Thirty-three of the drama movies studied had high ratings in regards to sex and nudity, whereas 12 comedies and 14 romances made the list. Low on the sex and nudity totem pole were horror and fantasy movies, with only one fantasy flick making the list and two horror movies total fitting the criteria.

At the end of the day, sex and nudity goes in waves in films and on TV. "Severe" nudity always exists of course, and we’ll have to wait and see a few years down the line if any new names populate this list.

Jurassic World: Dominion has been banking on tying the classic Jurassic Park franchise together with the current run of films that started with 2015’s Jurassic World. It’s a pretty big goal, and with the return of not only Jeff Goldblum’s Dr. Ian Malcolm, but also Sam Neill's Dr. Alan Grant and Laura Dern’s Dr. Ellie Satler returing to the Jurassic fold, it looks like that promise will be fulfilled and then some. So why then hasn’t The Lost World: Jurassic Park co-star/acclaimed actor Julianne Moore never been asked to return for the Jurassic World fun?

It’s not like there’s a shortage of ideas that would bring Julianne Moore’s character, Sarah Harding, back into the universe. When your franchise can literally clone an entire human being and release a herd of wild dinosaurs into the continental United States, the sky’s pretty much the limit for what you can do. As recent news has added another year on the clock to the release of Jurassic World: Dominion, let’s talk about how the franchise can bring Julianne Moore back without a hitch in its step. The first example of such a plan already has the basis it needs to exist, both at the movies and on bookshelves far and wide.

Sarah Harding Is Asked To Assist In Capturing Free Range Dinosaurs By Lewis Dodgson

Since Jurassic World: Dominion seems keen on tying both the cinematic canon of The Lost World: Jurassic Park and aspects from Michael Crichton’s source novel into its own story, this seems to be the easiest way for Sarah Harding to work her way back into film canon. Julianne Moore’s character is asked for assistance in the book, specifically by none other than legendary dirty dealer himself, Lewis Dodgson. With Campbell Scott set to play that character in Dominion, it feels only fitting that this piece of literary lore be used in bringing Moore back to the table as well. And semi-spoilers for those who haven’t read the book, there’s a chance that Dodgson’s overall fate could be sealed by Sarah Harding yet again, making her return worth the price of admission.

A Quick World Building Cameo Could Take Place In Jurassic World: Dominion

When Jeff Goldblum’s Dr. Ian Malcolm was finally brought back in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, it was assumed that it was going to be in a meaningful role. However, it would take another film for Dr. Malcolm to get his due, with Jurassic World: Dominion offering the opportunity to give Goldblum’s character a more substantial part. While it might be too late to sneak Julianne Moore’s Sarah Harding in as a player of equal stature, there is a possibility that she could be included with a quick world-building cameo. It could be a short phone call between Sarah and Ian, or it could even be an interview that consults her expertise in dinosaur behavior. It worked for Dr. Malcolm, and should this opportunity be taken, it leads to another pathway to more Moore in the Jurassic World future.

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous’ Story Could Use Sarah’s Knowledge In Dinosaur Behavior

There’s still no word as to whether the Netflix original series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous will be coming back for a second season. But should the animated spinoff that is firmly lodged in the Jurassic World canon be renewed, there are still a lot of gaps between the events of the first film and its sequels that need to be addressed. Spoilers aside, let’s just say that a post-Indominus Rex theme park, with tons of dinosaurs roaming about in wild conditions, feels like a good place to drop an animal/dinosaur behavioralist. With the canon between this animated series and the films tied together rather tightly, Sarah Harding could find her way to Jurassic World in an earlier point in history, which could lead to future feature film appearances for Julianne Moore in the Jurassic World franchise.

Sarah Harding Could Be A Good Lead For A Jurassic World: Dominion Sequel

All of the factors above lead to one overwhelming opportunity that awaits Julianne Moore’s Sarah Harding and her Jurassic World future. With plans to keep the franchise going past Jurassic World: Dominion firmly planted in the ground, there will obviously be a need for more characters to help further this adventure 65 million years in the making. It’s also not guaranteed that Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler or even Dr. Malcolm will be recurring very frequently past this point, but that’s ok, because there’s more legacy characters that deserve their time in the spotlight.

While Sarah Harding was introduced partially as a romantic interest/scene partner for Jeff Goldblum’s iconic Jurassic Park character to take part in the action with, Harding’s resourcefulness was crucial to keeping The Lost World: Jurassic Park on track. Without her help, a baby T-Rex might have died from injuries it had cruelly sustained, and there still might be a T-Rex roaming the streets of San Francisco. Those sorts of traits are handy with a lot of dinosaurs roaming free around the country.

Jurassic World: Dominion is supposed to be a celebration of the Jurassic Park franchise on the whole, which makes the decision to not try and bring Sarah Harding back into the picture all the more puzzling. As the series goes forth, both on the journey to completing this third entry and planning out whatever steps will be taken past that point, this glaring omission should be rectified, as not even mentioning Sarah’s part in the history of The Lost World: Jurassic Park is awkward, to say the least.

Jurassic World: Dominion opens a new chapter in the neo-Jurassic era of history on June 10, 2022, and you can be sure that CinemaBlend will be here to keep up with the latest news developments on this franchise and plenty of others. Though if you’re still bummed out by the lack of dinosaur carnage on next summer’s calendar, you can try to fill that void with another adventure on the constantly updated 2021 release schedule.

Making a movie in the biopic genre can be a dangerous exercise. Adhere too close to the fabric of your subject and you risk coming across as stiff, patronizing or dull. Veer too far away from your subject’s core story, though, and you risk alienating audiences who might come out to see the life of an admired person translated to the big screen.

The best biopics, in my humble opinion, strike a balance between the life led by the film’s subject, and the voice of the filmmaker attempting to put those life accomplishments on screen. That’s probably why I connected deeply with Julie Taymor’s The Glorias, a hefty, unflinchingly opinionated account of journalist Gloria Steinem’s life’s work that covers 80 years of material, but nimbly dances through the key events that helped make Steinem exactly who she is today.

The Glorias makes terrific use of Alicia Vikander, Julianne Moore and its stellar ensemble.

It’s derivative whenever a bioipic marries itself to the traditional formula set by previous works. The early years lead into the accomplishment eras, followed by a descent into inevitable decline. The Glorias circumvents that by casting four women to play noted writer and female-rights advocate Gloria Steinem at different stages of her life – then encouraging them to share scenes, interact, trade off wisdoms or reflect on things that could have gone differently if alternate decisions were made.

Julie Taymor is a visual risk-taker. Her bold decisions won her the Tony when she reimagined Disney’s The Lion King on stage (but also backfired as she worked on the controversial stage show Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark). For The Glorias, she invents an ingenious concept of a bus that carries all four Glorias – Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Lulu Wilson, Alicia Vikander and Julianne Moore – through the highlights of Steinems life. As mentioned, the women converse with each other in between re-enactments, and it provides a window into Steinem that wouldn’t be possible in a traditional biopic.

Vikander does the heaviest lifting in The Glorias, establishing the journalist’s struggles against sexism and advancements into activism during the tumultuous 1960s. There’s a lot of material to mine, and Vikander does an admirable job of personifying Steinem during adversity, passing the baton off to Moore at a time when Steinem had become an elder statesperson for causes she deemed pivotal.

The Glorias is educational without ever being preachy.

You can go into The Glorias knowing very little about Gloria Steinem, and leave the film having a better understanding of the political and social barriers she broke through. But where other screenplays might have stood on a pulpit and lectured the reasons why this person was deemed worthy of a biopic, The Glorias takes a cue from Steinem and leads with its actions.

The more we learn about Steinem, and her forceful push through frustrating inequalities, the more engrossed we become in the feature film. Julie Taymor pulls us deeper into the story as she introduces expertly-cast support characters. Lorraine Toussaint is a force of nature as civil rights advocate Flo Kennedy, and Bette Midler is the ideal choice to play the colorful Bella Abzug, a leader of the Women’s Movement who earned the nickname “Battling Bella.”

The presence of the bus isn’t Taymor’s lone flourish – not by a long shot. The director embellishes her historical actions with detours into the surreal. A male talk show host trying to figure out why Steinem didn’t yet have a husband gets sucked up in a Wizard of Oz-type tornado and spit right out of the studio while all four Glorias chant about “toil and trouble.” But the inspired asides don’t steal from the message, which pays tribute to all that Gloria Steinem accomplished on behalf of women.

If anything, The Glorias could have dug deeper into Steinem’s psyche, revealing more about the passionate reasons for her activism, or the impact that her parents had on her personality. There are hints toward the influences that sent Steinem down her various paths, and they are picked up and analyzed by Moore and Vikander. But with so much ground to cover, there’s only so much The Glorias can do without ballooning to an extreme runtime. I found that it accomplished an awful lot with the space and time it was given.

The Jurassic Park franchise has played host to countless unforgettable characters, and some of them will be making a return in next year’s Jurassic World: Dominion. However, others -- the ones that have survived thus far anyway -- have disappeared without much of a trace. While part of that may be due to scheduling conflicts or other issues, it looks like at least one Jurassic Park star has never even been approached about reprising her role.

Sarah Harding was one of the main protagonists in The Lost World: Jurassic Park. A young paleontologist, she journeyed to Isla Sorna to document the dinosaurs’ behavior in their natural habitat. Her boyfriend, Ian Malcolm, reluctantly returned to the island to try and retrieve her, and they end up in a whole mess of danger, trying to keep Jurassic Park’s most dangerous predators from causing too much damage after they’re shipped to the mainland United States.

Malcolm and Sarah ultimately survived the events of the Jurassic Park sequel. But even though the franchise has continued, we never learned her fate after the credits rolled. Julianne Moore, who played Sarah Harding, recently told Collider that she hasn’t forgotten her Lost World character:

It’s good to know Julianne Moore would be up for giving the Jurassic Park franchise another go. Given the way the events of the Jurassic World series have unfolded, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for Sarah Harding to come back into the fold -- especially now that the series is bringing back Ian Malcolm once again in Jurassic World: Dominion.

We still don’t have too many details about how the idiosyncratic scientist will fit into the upcoming film. However, it will be cool to see Jeff Goldblum reunited with his Jurassic Park co-stars, Sam Neill and Laura Dern. The trio were a huge part of making Jurassic Park what it is today -- so however they feature in Jurassic World: Dominion, it’s sure to be memorable.

Though we know we won’t see Sarah Harding in Dominion, there are a lot of different ways they could feature Sarah Harding in future Jurassic World films, even if she didn’t cross paths with Ian Malcolm. Her expertise as a scientist proved to be a huge factor in her survival in The Lost World -- and could surely come in handy in whatever future dangers the Jurassic World crew encounters.

As for Jurassic Park: Dominion, the film is currently back in production after an extended COVID-19 induced hiatus. It’s currently scheduled to hit theaters in June 2021.

Would you be excited to see Julianne Moore back with the Jurassic Park franchise? Let us know in the comments!

It's just not the fall season in Hollywood if we're not seeing the release of biopics starring high-caliber stars bringing history to life, and though 2020 has been far from a typical year in cinema, it's going to be no exception. In less than a months audiences will be able to see Julianne Moore transform into feminist icon Gloria Steinem in the upcoming Julie Taymor movie The Glorias – which co-stars Alicia Vikander, Lulu Wilson, Ryan Keira Armstrong, Janelle Monáe, Lorraine Toussaint, Bette Midler, Monica Sanchez, Kimberly Guerrero – and now the first trailer for the film has been released online. Check it out below!

Based on Steinem's memoir My Life On The Road, The Glorias is a film that follows its central protagonist over the course of several decades through the rise and growth of the women's movement in the latter half of the 20th century. The famed journalist/feminist is being played by both Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander, and will highlight key events in Steinem's life such as the creation of Ms. Magazine and the 1977 National Women's Conference.

In addition to Gloria Steinem, The Glorias will also prominently feature other massively important figures in the feminist movement, including Dorothy Pitman Hughes (Janelle Monáe), Flo Kennedy (Lorraine Toussaint), Bella Abzug (Bette Midler), Dolores Huerta (Monica Sanchez) and Wilma Mankiller (Kimberly Guerrero).

Not only is it exciting that we will be seeing this story told on the big screen with such an awesome cast, but it's also notably the first film we've seen from Julie Taymor in 10 years – her last feature being the William Shakespeare adaptation The Tempest. Taymor, who has a impressive history making big screen epics with some explosive visuals, isn't a filmmaker who one would describe as prolific, as The Glorias is only the fifth movie she has made since her 1999 debut Titus, so the arrival of a new project should be eye-catching all by itself.

The new movie also happens to be a return to the biopic genre for the filmmaker, who previously directed Frida starring Salma Hayek. That film ended up being Oscar nominated six times over (ultimately winning in two categories), so there is plenty of reason to get hyped for this one.

The Glorias had its world premiere earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was greeted with a warm reception, and now the wait is almost over to watch the film in your own home. The star-studded biopic is getting an exclusive release on Amazon Prime, and will be available to subscribers at the end of this month – specifically on September 30. Mark it on your calendar, and check back for more of our coverage of the film here on CinemaBlend as we get closer to the date.

Over the course of four years, The Hunger Games series went from another YA adaptation hoping to win over the masses to one of the biggest movie franchises of the past decade. Based on the dystopian novels by Suzanne Collins, the movies were led by Jennifer Lawrence, an actress who went from a rising young talent to one of the biggest stars in the world over the course of the popular series. Now that the blockbuster franchise has concluded, The Hunger Games cast has moved on to different projects. Some of these stars have gained incredible fame or continued their ascension, while a few others remain busy with other, smaller projects. Let's take a look at the The Hunger Games cast members and see what they're doing now.

Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen)

In the central role of Katniss Everdeen, Jennifer Lawrence served as the central protagonist of The Hunger Games franchise. From the time the series started until its final fourth film, Lawrence went from rising Oscar-nominated young actress to arguably one of the biggest movie stars of her time (and possibly even the biggest), particularly when she won an Oscar for Best Actress with Silver Linings Playbook. 

Since Mockingjay - Part 2, Lawrence has appeared in a few others movies, including Joy, mother!, Red Sparrow, Passengers, X-Men: Apocalypse and, most recently, X-Men: Dark Phoenix. She took a year off from acting to focus on other ambitions, though she has a few new projects in the works, including an untitled new drama from director Lila Neugebauer, Mob Girl, Don't Look Up from director Adam McKay, and the biopic Bad Blood, based on the controversial figure, Elizabeth Holmes.

Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark)

In the role of Peeta Mellark, Josh Hutcherson served as one of the central characters in The Hunger Games, particularly when he became a potential love interest for Katniss Everdeen. A former child actor who has been working on the screen for the majority of his life, Hutcherson has appeared in a few other projects since The Hunger Games concluded. Notably, Hutcherson has appeared in The Disaster Artist and Tragedy Girls, and he plays the lead role in the Hulu sci-fi comedy series, Future Man. Up next, Hutcherson will star in the new movie Rita.

Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthrone)

As Gale Hawthorne, Katniss' childhood best friend and one of her main love interests, Liam Hemsworth plays a key role in The Hunger Games series. Since the franchise concluded, Hemsworth has been seen in Independence Day: Resurgence, Isn't It Romantic, and, most recently, Killerman. Up next, Hemsworth stars in the indie dark comedy, Arkansas, and he'll play one of the lead roles in the forthcoming Quibi thriller series Most Dangerous Game.

Woody Harrelson (Haymitch Abernathy)

As Haymitch Abernathy, Woody Harrelson played a mentor figure throughout The Hunger Games saga. As a versatile actor with commendable range, Harrelson has appeared in many movies since The Hunger Games wrapped, including Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, War For the Planet of the Apes, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Zombieland: Double Tap. Additionally, Harrelson made his screenwriting and directorial debut in 2017's Lost in London, an autobiographical comedy that was shot live in real-time. His next role is playing Carnage in Venom 2. He is also soon set to be seen in Kate and Triangle of Sadness, and he was cast in the limited series The Most Wanted Man in America.

Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket)

In the role of Effie Trinket, Elizabeth Banks served as an advisory character throughout The Hunger Games saga. Since finishing her commitments to the franchise, Banks has appeared in film and television alike, and she has expanded herself into roles behind-the-camera as well. In 2015, she made her feature directorial debut with Pitch Perfect 2. Last year, she wrote and directed the newest Charlie's Angels reboot. Up next, Banks appears in the new Hulu mini-series, Mrs. America. She's also attached to the drama Signal Hill, and has a few directorial projects in store, including Invisible Woman.

Donald Sutherland (President Coriolanus Snow)

As the menacing President Coriolanus Snow, Donald Sutherland played a menacing part in The Hunger Games series. Outside of this villainous role, he has worked consistently in film and on television. His most recent roles include Ad Astra and The Burnt Orange Heresy. He'll next be seen in the thriller Alone, and he's got two TV roles lined up with HBO's The Undoing and Swimming with Sharks, which is based on the 1994 movie of the same name.

Stanley Tucci (Caesar Flickerman)

As Ceaser Flickerman, Stanley Tucci served as a colorful supporting character throughout The Hunger Games saga. A refined, Oscar-nominated actor with years of experience on the stage and screen, Tucci is a dynamite actor, and he continues to excel. Most recently, he was seen in Limetown. He'll next be seen in Worth, opposite Michael Keaton, and he'll appear in The King's Man, The Witches, Jolt, Supernova, and a few more upcoming projects.

Willow Shields (Primose Everdeen)

As Primose Everdeen, the younger sister of Katniss, Willow Shields played a key role throughout The Hunger Games series. Making her feature debut in the original film, Shields continues to work primarily on the small screen, notably with roles in The Unsettling and Netflix's Spinning Out. She'll next be seen in two upcoming movies, When Time Got Louder and A Fall From Grace, both of which are expected to come out sometime within the next year.

Paula Malcomson (Mrs. Everdeen)

As the concerned mother of Katniss, Paula Malcomson played an emotional role in The Hunger Games franchise, particularly in the early installments. Also known as Paula Williams, the actress has bounced between film and television since The Hunger Games, though her television roles are notable, including Ray Donovan, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Krypton. She was last seen in Deadwood: The Movie and HBO's Watchmen last year.

Lenny Kravitz (Cinna)

As Cinna, Katniss' stylist, Lenny Kravitz's character played a major role in the rise to prominence seen by our central protagonist. Primarily a musician, Kravitz hasn't appeared in too many projects as an actor since The Hunger Games outside of brief appearances in FX's Better Things and Fox's Star. As a musician, Kravitz continues to perform, particularly when he appeared during the Super Bowl halftime show in 2015 alongside Katy Perry. More recently, Kravitz released his 11th studio album, Raise Vibrations, and toured the album in 2018. In an interview with Rolling Stone that year, Kravitz mentioned that he was already working on his follow-up to this studio album, and that it might serve as a companion piece to a future film project.

Sam Claflin (Finnick Odair)

As Finnick Odair, Sam Claflin was seen prominently throughout The Hunger Games sequels, notably Catching Fire. Since his time in the franchise, the young actor has split his time on the big and small screen, appearing The Huntsman: Winter's War, Me Before You, Adrift, Peaky Blinders, Charlie's Angels, and a particularly menacing role in The Nightingale, most recently. Up next is the comedy Love. Wedding, Repeat., the drama-mystery Enola Holmes, the thriller Every Breath You Take, and the musical mini-series Daisy Jones & The Six.

Jena Malone (Johanna Mason)

As the victor of the 71st Hunger Games and the only living member of her district, Johanna Mason, played by Jena Malone, had a memorable part in The Hunger Games saga. Since her time in The Hunger Games sequels, Malone has appeared in movies both big and small. Most recently, the actress appeared in the Amazon mini-series Too Old To Die Young. She'll next be seen in the David Bowie biopic, Stardust, as well as Lorelei and Antebellum.

Jeffrey Wright (Beetee)

In the role of Beetee, Jeffrey Wright was seen prominently throughout The Hunger Games sequels. An acclaimed actor of the stage and screen, Wright has appeared in numerous productions over the course of his career. Most notably, Wright can be seen on HBO's Westworld, which is currently airing its third season. But he's also set to appear in Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch, the new Bond blockbuster No Time to Die, and the drama All Day and a Night soon. He is also playing James Gordon in the forthcoming The Batman.

Stef Dawson (Annie Cresta)

As Annie Creta, Stef Dawson played a key role in The Hunger Games sequels as Annie. Since her time in these gigantic blockbusters, Dawson has opted to make primarily indie movies, though her latest film was the sci-fi thriller The Dustwalker, which was released last year. She'll next appear in the crime drama thriller, 10-13.

Julianne Moore (President Alma Coin)

Though she was only seen in the last two installments, Julianne Moore played a key part in the Hunger Games' final moments. Since her time in the YA blockbusters, Moore has been seen in movies big and small, and she has a few dramatic projects in the works. She'll later be seen as Gloria Steinem in The Glorias, and she is also soon set to appear in The Woman in the Window. She's also set to star in Mothertrucker, Fruitcake, and the Apple limited series, Lisey's Story, based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King.

Natalie Dormer (Cressida)

Introduced in the final two installments of The Hunger Games series, Natalie Dormer's Cressida was a distinctive figure towards the end of the saga. Outside of The Hunger Games, Dormer has been seen or heard in several prominent TV shows lately, including Game of Thrones, Picnic at Hanging Rock, and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Up next, Dormer will play a major part in the upcoming spin-off series, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.

Wes Bentley (Seneca Crane)

As the Head Gamemaker in the 74th Hunger Games, Seneca Crane, played by Wes Bentley, served as a small-but-distinctive person in The Hunger Games (notably for his extravagantly strange facial hair). Since his time in the franchise starter, he has been seen in a number of prominent movies and TV shows, including Interstellar, Mission: Impossible — Fallout, and American Horror Story: Roanoke. Bentley can currently be seen on Yellowstone.

Mahershala Ali (Boggs)

Shortly before he became a multi-award winning actor, Mahershala Ali played Boggs, a key role in the final two Hunger Games movies. Since then, Ali has won two Oscars for Best Supporting Actor in 2016's Moonlight and 2018's Green Book, respectively. Most recently, Ali appeared in Alita: Battle Angel and the third season of HBO's True Detective. He's got several exciting projects lined up; one of the biggest will be playing Blade in the MCU.

Who is your favorite Hunger Games actor? Let us know in the comment section below!

Much of the widespread acclaim Scarlett Johansson has received in the past year has come from both her lead performance in Marriage Story and her supporting role in Jojo Rabbit. The Academy seems to agree with the acclaim, nominating the actress for both roles in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories for the 2020 Oscars.

While this may seem like an unusual circumstance for awards shows, Scarlett Johansson is not the first actress to receive dual nominations simultaneously. In fact, several performers have had the honor of being nominated for an Oscars in a leading role and a supporting role in the same year without breaking any of the rules the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been known to be quite stern about.

With that in mind, what other actors and actresses have impressed the Academy enough to earn nominations in both acting categories in the same year? Has any actor ever taken home two Oscars in one night? We shall provide the answers here.

Scarlett Johansson

2020 - Best Actress: Marriage Story, Best Supporting Actress: Jojo Rabbit

Starting with the woman of the hour, Scarlett Johansson had quite a year in 2019 from the emotional, pre-solo-movie send-off of her MCU character, Black Widow, in Avengers: Endgame to her engagement to Saturday Night Live star and “Weekend Update” anchor, Colin Jost. Receiving nods in both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress category (her first ever Oscar nominations) for the 2020 Academy Awards puts a nice cap on things, so far.

Scarlett Johansson shares top billing with her onscreen husband Adam Driver in the Netflix original movie Marriage Story, director Noah Baumbach’s darkly comedic tale of a marriage falling apart, and in Taika Waititi’s Holocaust-era satire Jojo Rabbit, she plays Rosie, a woman hiding a Jewish girl in her home, despite her young son’s devotion to the German Army. Both are roles of a challenging nature that exist in even more challenging worlds and either of which could finally see the illustrious actress taking home the gold for the first time in her decades-long career.

Cate Blanchett

2008 - Best Actress: Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Best Supporting Actress: I’m Not There

Cate Blanchett has the bragging rights of winning Oscars for Best Actress for 2014’s Blue Jasmine and for her supporting role as Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator in 2006. She also can claim to have been nominated in both of those categories at the same time.

The Australian actress has earned an Oscar nomination for playing Queen Elizabeth I twice, first for leading the 1998 biopic Elizabeth and the second for its sequel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, in 2008, the same year in which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for playing Jude, a controversial male musician and one of the many characters inspired by different points in Bob Dylan’s life in Toddy Haynes’ experimental biopic I’m Not There. Cate Blanchett walked away without an award for either category that year, but at least can say she is one of only two women to be nominated by the Academy for playing a man, alongside Linda Hunt.

Jamie Foxx

2005 - Best Actor: Ray, Best Supporting Actor: Collateral

Jamie Foxx is the kind of multi-talented entertainer whose luck at awards shows is no surprise to anyone. Therefore, learning the Academy honored him with Oscar nominations for both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in 2005 is, in retrospect, nothing too mind-blowing either.

Jamie Foxx’s Oscar-nominated supporting role in Michael Mann’s thriller Collateral, as a cab driver taken hostage by Tom Cruise’s cold contract killer Vincent, was seen as a major turning point in the former stand-up comedian’s acting career, but it was his transcendent performance as blind music legend Ray Charles in the biopic Ray that earned him the top prize in the Best Actor category that year. Fun fact: Foxx was also nominated in 2005 for those same roles at the Golden Globes, as well as a third nomination for the made-for-TV biopic of a Crips member-turned-Nobel Peace Prize-nominee, Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story.

Holly Hunter

1994 - Best Actress: The Piano, Best Supporting Actress: The Firm

Georgia-native and The Incredibles star Holly Hunter has been an Oscar darling since her first nomination for 1988’s Broadcast News. However, she became Oscar royalty in 1994 when two different films earned her Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress nominations.

While she took home the Best Actress Oscar for her role as a mute New Zealand mother in an abusive arranged marriage in The Piano, Holly Hunter did not win for her supporting role alongside Tom Cruise in the John Grisham-novel inspired legal drama, The Firm. She must have been happy, at least, to have lost to her onscreen daughter from The Piano, a then 11-year-old Anna Paquin.

Julianne Moore

2003 - Best Actress: Far From Heaven, Best Supporting Actress: The Hours

Before winning her first Oscar in 2015 as a woman diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in Still Alice, Julianne Moore had been nominated by Academy four times prior. Two of these nominations both occurred in 2003 for each respective actress category.

Coincidentally, both films that Julianne Moore had been nominated for that year involve LGBTQ+ themes. Her lead role in Todd Haynes’ Far From Heaven is that of a 1950s housewife who starts an affair with a black man (Dennis Haysbert) after discovering her husband’s (Dennis Quaid) closeted homosexuality. And in The Hours, she stars opposite Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep as another 1950s housewife and one of three women of differing generations whose lives are all dramatically affected in some way by Virginia Woolf’s novel, Mrs. Dalloway, which is famous for its allusions to lesbianism.

Al Pacino

1993 - Best Actor: Scent of a Woman, Best Supporting Actor: Glengarry Glen Ross

His career was already the stuff of legend early on with two nominations for playing Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola’s Best Picture-winning The Godfather films, as well as nominations for playing real people in crime dramas Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon. However, Al Pacino would not win his only Academy Award for Best Actor until 1993, the same year he was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for another, which must be why he has been playing close variations of those same characters ever since.

Al Pacino was nominated for playing one of an ensemble cast of desperate businessmen feeling the pressures of the real estate industry in David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross, but took home the Oscar that year for his role as a blind retired army colonel aided by a young Chris O’Donnell in Scent of a Woman. Pacino would not receive another nomination until this year for his supporting role as Jimmy Hoffa in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman.

Emma Thompson

1994 - Best Actress: The Remains of the Day, Best Supporting Actress: In the Name of the Father

In 1996, Dame Emma Thompson received two Oscar nominations for the film Sense and Sensibility: one for Best Actress and the other for adapted screenplay, the latter of which she ended up winning. Two years earlier, she earned a nomination in each of the acting categories for two separate films.

Emma Thompson was nominated for Best Actress for playing a housekeeper in love with the head butler (Anthony Hopkins) of a Nazi sympathizer in the World War II-era Britain-set The Remains of the Day and for Best Supporting Actress as the attorney for a man falsely accused or being IRA bomber (Daniel Day-Lewis) in In the Name of the Father. She ended up going home empty-handed for either category in 1994, but, of course, it was not the beginning or the end of her Oscar glory.

Sigourney Weaver

1989 - Best Actress: Gorillas in the Mist, Best Supporting Actress: Working Girl

Sigourney Weaver’s relationship with the Academy began in 1987 when she earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination for reprising her role as Ellen Ripley in James Cameron’s action-packed sci-fi sequel, Aliens. She lost to Marlee Matlin for Children of a Lesser God, but got even more attention two years later with double acting nominations.

In 1989, Sigourney Weaver was nominated for playing murdered primatologist Dian Fossey in the biopic Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey as well as playing Melanie Griffith’s overbearing boss in Working Girl. While she did not receive the Oscar for either role, she won for both at the Golden Globes that year and even tied for Best Actress with Shirley MacLaine and Jodie Foster.

Scarlett Johansson could become the latest person (alongside Fay Bainter, Teresa Wright, Barry Fitzgerald, and Jessica Lange and others previously mentioned) to take home an Oscar after receiving nominations for both categories in the same year or, better yet, be the first to win both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress in one night. What are her chances of pulling off such an unprecedented achievement? Check back for more updates on the Oscar race before the ceremony airs on February 9, 2020, here at CinemaBlend.

Some authors out there may be more comparatively prolific than horror maestro Stephen King, but they can't dare top his universal popularity. But for all the many, many things that he's written in the past 40+ years, King has somehow never penned a full-blown TV series adaptation from one of his own works. That long streak will end soon, however, as King is masterminding the scripts for Lisey's Story, his 2006 supernatural romance that received a straight-to-series order from Apple, with Julianne Moore set to star.

That's right, Constant Readers, the man himself will get the chance to pare down the lengthy Lisey's Story for television, which could hypothetically mean fans will get one of the most truly sincere adaptations of his work yet. No one likely needs to worry about the TV project eventually going off the rails like so many Stephen King adaptations have done in the past, as Lisey's Story is being planned as an eight-episode tale. Thankfully, King will be the one writing each episode, according to THR.

The new Apple TV+ series will feature a rare TV-starring turn from the Oscar-winning Julianne Moore, who will play a wife still mourning the loss of her husband two years prior. A thriller that delves into personal emotions as much as any other horrors, Lisey's Story puts its title character in a situation that forces her to reconcile with parts of her past that had been long closed off and forgotten.

When Lisey begins going through the motions of clearing out the office of her late husband, a writer, she stumbles back into memories of him that she'd long ago repressed. She recalls her husband's damaging childhood and the reality-thwarting aftermath of that situation, all while dealing with the current-day threat of one of her husband's biggest fans harassing her.

The role of Lisey needs a powerful actress who can do just as much with silence as with a page full of dialogue, and Julianne Moore is a downright excellent choice for the part. The show will require her to wallow deeply in melancholy, confusion, rage, fear and everything else on that end of the emotional spectrum. If anyone can handle all that and then some, it's Moore.

Considering Lisey's husband Scott also plays a big role in the book – in flashbacks, of course – a big named actor would likely be preferable for the part. No other casting has been revealed just yet, but with Moore involved, expect some major actors to sign on soon.

Stephen King will also be executive producing Lisey's Story, as well as writing it, while Moore will also be an EP. They'll be joined by J.J. Abrams and Ben Stephenson through their Bad Robot studio. (Abrams will also serve as a straight-up producer.) The project is one that King has wanted for some time, having admitted in the past that Lisey's Story would be the one work of his that he would actively want to create the adaptation for.

That's an understandable urge, too, considering Lisey's Story has such a darkly personal inspiration. The author got the idea for the book after being hospitalized in 1999, when he was hit by a van and got seriously injured. Upon returning home, he noticed many of his belongings in boxes, as his wife Tabitha was redesigning his work studio, and envisioned things would have been like that if he'd died. Boom: there's the hook.

Lisey's Story marks the third collaboration between Stephen King and J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot. Their first co-project was the Hulu limited series 11.22.63, which was a good time, if a rather streamlined one. Next came the far more sprawling and ambitious Castle Rock, also for Hulu, which weaves together various King plot threads and characters.

It's interesting that the collaborators are flipping from Hulu to Apple TV+. Abrams does already have a couple of projects lined up at Apple, though, so it's not too weird.

Stephen King, meanwhile, currently has around 10-100 of his works in line for adaptations, with the new Pet Sematary remake hitting theaters this past weekend and earning beaucoup box office dollars. (King was fine with that major change, too.) As far as TV shows go, he's got The Stand coming to CBS All Access, more Mr. Mercedes coming to Audience, his short story "Survivor Type" will be adapted for Greg Nicotero's Creepshow revival, and there's also The Dark Tower and The Outsider coming.

For now, no release dates have been revealed for when Lisey's Story will be heading to TV, but stay tuned for any updates in the meantime.

Sex sells, as they say, and that means that sex in movies and on television (where allowed) is as popular now as it has ever been. However, Julianne Moore, who has filmed her share of those scenes over the years, has a problem with movie sex scenes. She doesn't think they shouldn't exist, but she says it would be nice if they resembled real life sex a bit more. Moore would apparently have a real problem if an actual sexual encounter played out the way it frequently does on the big screen. According to the actress...

It has to be said, I'd love to see a scene in a movie where two people begin to have sex, only to have the encounter stopped cold when he rips her shirt and she screams "dude, what the hell? That was a perfectly good shirt." I feel like in real life that would totally kill the mood. More than one actual sexual encounter has probably ended because somebody tried to recreate what they'd seen in the movies only to discover it doesn't really work like that.

Sex is almost always perfect and passionate in the movies. Of course, while the characters and stories and films are meant to be relatable, they're also meant to be somewhat larger than life. Everything is always perfect in the movies, including the sex.

Julianne Moore tells People she wanted her new film, Gloria Bell, to portray sex a bit more realistically. In this case, that meant making the sex look a bit more awkward than we're used to seeing on screen. Her character begins a new relationship in the film, so the sex isn't full of Hollywood magic, because that's rarely if ever what sex looks like, especially the first time.

Not every movie needs to have perfectly realistic sex scenes. Those scenes, like all the others, should fit together in a way that makes sense. Gloria Bell is very much a movie about reality. It focuses on Julianne Moore as the title character, an older woman trying to navigate her life. It's a very grounded movie and making the sex scenes feel anything less than real would have been a disservice to the rest of the film.

Gloria Bell is in theaters now.

Sebastian Lelio is probably best known to American audiences, if he's known at all, for his 2017 film A Fantastic Woman, a movie which would go on to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. However, four years prior to that, he made a well regarded movie called Gloria, the story of a free spirited older woman. Now, Lelio has returned to the same story, with a new cast, and a new language.

Gloria Bell is a remake of Gloria in almost every possible sense of the term. If you have seen Gloria, every shot of this English language version will look familiar. If, however, foreign language films aren't your style, then this more accessible version should be embraced, because Gloria Bell is a beautiful film with a remarkable lead performance that should be witnessed by all.

Gloria Bell (Julianne Moore) is 58 years old. She's been divorced for 12 years and has spent most or all of that time living alone. She likes to go out dancing and it's on one of her evenings out that she meets Arnold (John Turturro), a freshly divorced former Marine. The two hit it off and a relationship begins to form.

While the ups and downs of this newly formed couple may take up a large portion of the run time of Gloria Bell, it's still somewhat difficult to say that it's what the film is actually about. Ultimately, it's simply about Gloria, and the life that she is living as a 58-year-old single woman. If this were a movie about a teenager or somebody in their mid-20s I'd call it a coming of age story. Most of those same elements are here, navigating life and love and trying to find one's place in the world.

Of course, Gloria Bell is much older than that, which is part of what makes the film so fascinating. It's clear that Gloria has had her coming of age moments already. She knows who she is, she's comfortable in her own skin. She navigates the world mostly alone, but never does she seem without the confidence to do so. Arnold still isn't sure how to handle being divorced, in many ways, we learn, that he really isn't yet. Gloria has been there and done that.

The movie industry seems focused exclusively on the younger demographic, which means that the vast majority of movies are about that younger demographic. Gloria Bell is refreshing because it allows an older woman to be an older woman, thus reminding us that they still have something to offer as film subjects. Gloria may be older but she's not dead yet. She has dreams and desires just like the rest of us.

Julianne Moore has always been a great actress, there's nothing new in that statement, but her performance in Gloria Bell is herculean in scope. Not only is Moore in every scene of the film, she's in every shot of the camera (unless I missed the one where she was missing). There's never a moment where we don't see what Gloria is doing. When another character is talking on the phone, we're with Gloria to follow her reaction to the call. When she's singing along (off-key) to a song on the radio (a song which always fits with where we are in Gloria's emotional arc), we're there.

At times, it can feel like a little too much. There's nothing tawdry in what we see but watching Gloria wash her underwear in the sink and then stop to pluck a hair from her chin feels almost voyeuristic. Like we're seeing something that we aren't supposed to. That's how intimate it all is.

It's made all the more intimate by the fact that Moore spends so much of the film alone. Gloria visits her kids and seems to have a good relationship with them, but they have lives of their own, as well. We meet one acquaintance Gloria has at her job, but we only see her in relation to her job. They never go out for a drink after work. Few people see Gloria most of the time, which makes the fact that we do all the more personal.

Julianne Moore's performance, every word, every facial expression, tells a story all its own. If Gloria Bell came out eight months from now we'd at least be wondering if Moore would be up for awards. By next fall most people will probably have forgotten this movie came out at all, which is a shame.

The rest of the cast, which includes Brad Garrett as Gloria's ex and Jeanne Tripplehorn as his new wife, does equally well, but none of them are more than tertiary characters. We see flickers of other stories in them, Gloria's son (Michael Cera) is having marriage problems of his own. Gloria's daughter clearly has unresolved issues with Gloria's ex, but none of these stories are important beyond how they impact Gloria during the time we spend with her. Sean Astin briefly appears as a character who isn't in the movie long enough to have any lines.

To say the movie is a "slow burn" would be an understatement. While the events in Gloria's life certainly have drama, there's never a feeling that even the most dramatic events will really have much of an impact. If we had spent time with Gloria a year earlier in her life, or a year later, it feels like we would see the same person. It's not clear why seeing this part of her story was any more important than any other. If Gloria is a significantly different person at the end of the story than she was at the beginning, it's not that obvious.

In the end, however, spending any time with Julianne Moore and Gloria Bell is time worth spending. Gloria Bell is about showing that just because somebody has gotten older, it doesn't mean that their life is over. It also shows that movies about those people still have a place as well.

Oh, sweet rejection! We’ve all faced it at one point in our lives, and actors are certainly no stranger to it in the cutthroat business of Hollywood. Even with the status and acclaim Oscar winner Julianne Moore has achieved in her over 30 years as an actress, she is not untouchable to it either.

During a recent visit to What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Julianne Moore was asked why she left the film Can You Ever Forgive Me? which was a buzzy award season title. Here’s her blunt response:

Wow! It’s hard to wrap our heads around such a phenomenal actress being fired from a role. However, every director has a vision, and if the way Julianne Moore played the part didn’t match up with that, it certainly happens! Melissa McCarthy was later cast instead in the true story of best-selling biographer Lee Israel, who decides to forge letters from famous deceased authors and playwrights.

Julianne Moore admitted that she took the firing pretty hard, continuing with these words:

The 58-year-old actress has been enjoying over 40 years without career rejection (after already nabbing a role anyway), so her pain surrounding the situation is understandable. That’s without mentioning the high praise the movie received throughout award season.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? also earned three nominations at the Oscars, including a Best Actress nod for Melissa McCarthy (in Moore’s former role), Richard E. Grant for Best Supporting Actor, and a nod for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Julianne Moore signed on to the project back in 2015 when the screenplay writer, Nicole Holofcener, was also going to direct the film as well. Soon after Moore was fired, Marielle Heller took Holofcener’s place as director and Melissa McCarthy was cast. Chris O’Dowd was also previously attached to play Richard E. Grant’s role of Jack Hook; here’s what O'Dowd told the BBC in February about it:

At the end of the day, Chris O’Dowd feels like it was meant to be for Richard E. Grant, and thought he did a wonderful job, but does note “I would've preferred if it was me!” The actors above all else seemed bummed because it was a project they were excited to be a part of. McCarthy and Grant delivered some incredible performances and Moore and O’Dowd will certainly have more chances to dazzle on screen.