Balls Up is available to stream with a Prime subscription, but be warned, this is one of the most irreverent comedies of the year. I doubt any upcoming movie in 2026 is going to top this one, which had me searching the web afterward for two not-safe-for-work reasons.

The movie features Elijah (Paul Walter Hauser) and Brad (Mark Wahlberg), who lose their jobs at a condom company right after developing the revolutionary idea of condoms that go over testicles. Eventually, they find themselves on the run following the World Cup final, and a lot of wild things happen on the way. As such, I had questions, and thankfully, the internet had answers.

There Are Not Commercially Available Condoms That "Cover The Balls"

In the movie, Elijah points out that these condoms are ideal because sexually transmitted infections and diseases can be transferred via the testicles. While this is true, there's another big reason why these types of products don't exist commercially that Balls Up missed an opportunity in highlighting.

As highlighted on Reddit, the answer comes down to the effectiveness of condoms. To be an effective contraceptive, the latex needs to be tight. This would mean tightness around the sensitive areas, which would be uncomfortable for a number of people. Sure, it could be tweaked to be looser, but then we've lost the plot on one of the major reasons people use contraceptives, which is to prevent pregnancy. Balls Up is not a movie about babies, but it definitely could've been!

"Vampire Fish" Do Exist, But The Swimming Up Urine Claim Is Disputed

One of Balls Up's wildest moments comes when Brad pees directly into the river, and falls victim to one of the scariest creatures in the Amazon. Not a jaguar or the popular anaconda often highlighted in movies, but a vampire fish, otherwise known as the candiru fish. The small creature swam up the pee stream, and was about to enter inside of Brad until he "pinched the tip" and left it halfway inside until Elijah could help.

I've heard this before, ever watching Balls Up, and until now, I never felt compelled to question this fact, as I never planned to pee into a river in the Amazon. After seeing this horrifying scene, however, curiosity got the best of me, and I found out that this wild scene may further contribute to an urban legend with no scientific basis.

As Reddit pointed out, the original case of this was heavily disputed, and scientists have ruled there'd be too much air and not enough liquid for a candiru to travel up a urine stream. It would be physics-defying for a fish to achieve this, and even if one did, it's too large to fit inside. And here I thought the 28 Years Later franchise would once again dominate the penis discussion in Hollywood this year! Speaking of which, I need to look and see if any other movie has filmed a scene as we see in Ball Up, or if this was a historical moment in on-camera nudity.

Balls Up is available to stream right now on Prime Video, and I think it's one of the funniest movies I've seen this year. Check it out, especially since I did the legwork of looking up the most NSFW things about the movie.

This week’s list of streaming highlights includes a bit of everything. Whether you subscribe to your favorite platforms for the best streaming movies, the best original series, or to get access to a library of Hollywood films and catch up on the ones you missed in theaters, this week has whatever you want.

Balls Up - April 15 (Prime Video)

Mark Wahlberg has made some insane comedies in his career, but Balls Up certainly has the most insane premise of them all. Wahlberg and Paul Walter Hauser star as marketing executives who find themselves at the World Cup as part of a condom sponsorship deal. However, the two get a bit more involved in the game than planned, leading to a country full of irate soccer fans out for blood.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles - April 15 (Apple TV)

Without question, the most star-studded addition to the streaming calendar this week is the new series Margo’s Got Money Troubles, available with an Apple TV subscription. The movie stars Elle Fanning as the daughter of a Hooters waitress (Michelle Pfeiffer) and a professional wrestler (Nick Offerman) who finds herself a single mother trying to make ends meet. It looks to be a movie that is both heartwarming and hilarious. Nicole Kidman also appears and is producing the new series from David E. Kelley.

Beef, Season 2 - April 16 (Netflix)

The first season of Beef was a runaway hit on Netflix. Now the second season has the unenviable task of matching that success. The show will tell an entirely new story with an entirely new cast of characters. Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan lead the new story as a couple who get into a massive public fight, leading to a chain reaction of wild events.

Roommates - April 17 (Netflix)

Adam Sandler has had incredible success on Netflix, and now your Netflix subscription gives you access to even more members of the Sandler family. Roommates stars Sadie Sandler, daughter of the Happy Gilmore actor, has a woman who goes away to college to find that she might have the roommate from hell... or she may have just made a new best friend.

Dust Bunny - April 17 (HBO Max)

There’s a decent chance that you missed Dust Bunny when it was in theaters, but this fantastical film reunites writer/director Bryan Fuller with his Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen as a hitman hired to kill the monster under a girl’s bed, who she believes ate her family. It’s Fuller's feature film debut in a movie full of his trademark twisted whimsy. It’s the best reason this week to have an HBO Max subscription.

American Gladiators - April 17 (Prime Video)

A staple of syndicated TV in the early 1990s, American Gladiators combined the style and flash of professional wrestling with real athletic competition and a bit of reality TV. The show was already rebooted once with Hulk Hogan as the host, and now the show launches again with a Prime Video subscription, with another WWE star, Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, hosting the show.

WrestleMania 42 - April 18 & 19 (ESPN App)

WWE programming has gone through a lot of changes over the last couple of years, so if you want to watch WrestleMania 42, you’ll need either the ESPN app or a Disney+ subscription with ESPN access.

April has been a great month for streaming content, and it’s not slowing down anytime soon, so after you’ve watched all this, come back next Monday for a new list of what’s not to miss.

Some people are early birds and others are night owls, but there’s a fair faction of celebrities that are early birds to an extreme. Well, at least when it comes to working out. Mark Wahlberg’s been open about his 4AM workout club over the last couple of years, but digging around, it turns out he’s not the only celebrity with a crazy fitness schedule.

Wahlberg’s social media in particular is peppered with 4AM workout club posts. He’s called it a “lifestyle” many times, and has addressed the workout starts at 4 – which usually means he’s up closer to 2:30 a.m, and has confirmed he is not full of hot air when it comes to these daily starting times.

Getting up early and getting in his workout before 6 a.m. means the The Family Plan star has time to get in golf in Las Vegas before it gets too hot. Then he spends the afternoons working and spending time with his family. Obviously, his routine must change when he’s working on a movie set, but doubtless, there’s often still time for those early morning fitness sessions.

Wahlberg has been honest that Mondays (which seem to be leg day) are “the worst,” but he shares his 4AM persistence often, and is a great follow on Instagram if that’s a routine you’re looking to get into yourself. He's been doing this for years; in fact, I once watched him push James Corden through a 4AMer when he was still a late night host like seven years ago, so this doesn't seem to be a routine he'll be ending anytime soon.

Jennifer Lopez And Dwayne Johnson Are Other Examples Of Extreme Early Birds In Hollywood

Jennifer Lopez is another early bird at the gym. Whether she’s doing strength training or even oddball training for movies, like when she learned pole dancing for Hustlers, she’s not wasting time later in the day training. She’s up and at them, as she revealed to US Weekly a couple of years ago, and she likes to break a sweat “first thing,” with some outlets citing this at 5 or 6 AM, and one celebrity insider noting she’s up at 4 a.m., like Wahlberg. Her celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson also opened up about her work ethic, and it sounds like she has a good attitude in the gym, despite the early hours.

Other A-listers also have insanely early workout schedules, like The Rock, who reportedly kicks his day off with a cardio session before doing a separate lifting workout. He’s showed off Stories posts in the past with alarms going off at times as early as 4:09 AM, though some outlets report he can get up as early as 3:30, similar to Wahlberg.

Speaking of The Rock and Mark Wahlberg, a couple of years ago the 4 a.m. workout aficionado told the world he can do more pullups than Johnson. I don’t know if that’s held true as they’ve both aged, but I’d love to see a pullup challenge between the two of them. That wouldn’t happen early in the day for Johnson, though. He typically starts the day with cardio, then gets into lifting weights in the afternoon, with his trainer noting the “right weight” and “intensity” is key to the actor’s success.

Kim Kardashian Gets Up Pretty Early, Too

Which brings me to one more celebrity who likes to get up early: Kim Kardashian. What I like about Kim is that she has work ethic, but she’s a little less crazy about it than some of these a-listers. The reality star reportedly mixes it up with weights, pilates, and a “little bit of cardio,” as she told Vogue earlier this year, also confirming the early AM was her time to get it done.

In the reality star's case, she gets up, throws her workout clothing on, but then often takes her kids to school before she hits the gym.

Kim has worked out with famous trainer Senada Greca, doing exercised like 40-LB banded squats, and she likes to do a few days of upper body a week. She also says she’s a better runner than you’d expect, but she’s not nearly as into dancing or hot yoga.

Before we take off, I’ll remind you that your tray tables should be in the upright and locked position, and that there will be spoilers on this flight!

I didn’t have high hopes for Flight Risk, which I caught recently with my HBO Max subscription. Of all the movies I've seen this year, this wasn’t one that really rated for me. That is, at least before I saw it. I’m not going to sit here and tell you Flight Risk my favorite movie of the year, or anything, but I have to admit that I enjoyed it quite a bit. Like, a lot more than I thought I would. That is, in large part, due to Mark Wahlberg’s over-the-top, but awesome performance as the villain.

I Miss Seeing Wahlberg In This Kind Of Role

I’m of an age that my first exposure (and I mean that literally) to Mark Wahlberg was in those famous Calvin Klein ads in the early ‘90s and, of course, as the leader of The Funky Bunch. The first movie I remember him in was Fear from 1996, co-starring Reese Witherspoon. It’s a movie that seemed to be on cable nonstop when I was in college, and I watched it way too many times.

I haven’t seen it in years, but Wahlberg's character in Flight Risk, the pilot/hitman whom we only know as Daryl Booth, immediately reminded me of his character in Fear. In both movies, he plays a raging psychopath, and while he is, if I’m honest, a much better and more confident actor these days, there were moments where I couldn’t help but compare the two villains. It was really fun.

There is one scene in particular, after “Daryl” is tied up in the back and he’s bleeding from his mouth, when he looks up at Madolyn (Michelle Dockery) with a psychotic look in his eye, that I really put it together. It was the same look he used in Fear. I loved it. It’s not something we see from Mark Wahlberg all that much, but he’s really good at it.

Usually in his movies these days, Wahlberg is playing heroes, like in Patriots Day, or goofballs, like in Ted. Even when he plays baddies, they are usually the more stoic kind and rarely the intensely crazy kind. He should think about letting loose with a character like “Daryl” more often, because it really works.

Flight Risk Is A Fun Ride

As I said, Flight Risk isn’t going to land on my Oscar contenders list or anything like that, but I’m more than happy to recommend it. It’s a well-made movie, mostly shot all in one small place, on a plane, with a tiny cast that mostly features just three actors: Wahlberg, Dockery and Topher Grace. All three are great, as are the actors who we only hear from over the radio: Leah Remini, Paul Ben-Victor and Maaz Ali, who has the perfect voice and delivery for a real pilot.

I love that it’s contained to the plane and nowhere else (save for one short scene in a cabin in the beginning) and that we never see the other characters who aren’t on the plane. It makes for a unique and wild experience. Critics might not have loved it, and it only made a modest amount at the box office as part of the 2025 movie schedule, but check it out. It’s worth taking a flyer on.

The holiday season is getting closer, and while there are more than a few brand new Christmas movies streaming this month, we’re going to take a moment to recognize a few things that may not put you in the holiday spirit, but will still make you feel pretty warm inside. From hilarious comedy to deep character dramas to some Epic theme park attractions, here’s what’s streaming this week.

Epic Ride: The Story of Universal Theme Parks - November 17 (Peacock)

After being previously put on the release schedule for those with a Peacock subscription twice before, only to have the series pushed back (the second time due to tragedy), Epic Ride: The Story of Universal Theme Parks is certainly hoping that the third time will be the charm. The series promises to be for Universal Destinations and Experiences what The Imagineering Story was for Disney Parks. A look at the history of Universal’s incredible creations, as well as a look at the newest addition, Epic Universe, and maybe, if we’re lucky, a peek at what is to come.

A Man on The Inside, Season 2 - November 20 (Netflix)

In an era where it seems that even incredibly popular streaming shows get the ax after only a single season, a problem that seems worse on Netflix than anywhere else, fans are likely very happy that A Man on the Inside, starring Ted Danson, is back for a second season, and returning less than a year after the first season debuted. I hope you didn't cancel that Netflix subscription, thinking Season 2 would take years.

The Great British Baking Show: Holidays - November 20 (Netflix)

The latest season of The Great British Baking Show is over, and while the televised comfort food that is the show may be done, it’s time for our annual holiday treat in the form of the show’s regular holiday episodes. The Christmas and New Year’s episodes are technically from last year, but if you haven’t seen them, they’re new to you.

The Family Plan 2 - November 21 (Apple TV)

The action comedy The Family Plan with Mark Wahlberg probably wouldn’t have been the sort of movie to set a massive box office record even if it had been released in theaters. That said, it was clearly a massive hit for everybody with an Apple TV subscription. It’s been less than two years since the original film’s release, and the sequel is here, which is an incredibly fast turnaround for any film.

Train Dreams - November 21 (Netflix)

This time of year, cinema fans are always on the lookout for the movies that are likely to be part of the new year’s awards conversation. Considering its strong reception and the Sundance Film Festival and the awards Train Dreams has already locked up, this movie could be there. Train Dreams stars Joel Edgerton as a man trying to help bring the railroad across America, despite the toll it takes on him and his family.

Next week is Thanksgiving, and many streaming platforms will have special programming designed to keep you indoors and watching. Get ready for The Beatles to take over Disney+, and not for the first time, alongside the beginning of the end for Stranger Things.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Play Dirty. If you have not yet seen the film, proceed at your own risk!

If you’re a Shane Black fan, you know that the guy really loves his characters and, by extension, doesn’t like killing them off. From Samuel L. Jackson’s Mitch Henessey in the eternally underrated The Long Kiss Goodnight to Val Kilmer’s Gay Perry in the exceptional Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, he has an established history of saving his heroes at the last minute from what seems like certain death. That being said, it’s because of that history that the dark twist at the end of his new movie Play Dirty hits especially hard.

In the third act of the crime film (now available to all with an Amazon Prime subscription), our protagonists, led by Mark Wahlberg’s Parker, claim victory over a corrupt government and The Outfit… but there is still one job left to be done. Parker remains committed to getting revenge for the widow of his best friend, and while Rosa Salazar’s Zen proves to be a talented partner in a heist, that doesn’t make up for her treacherous actions. It’s a shock when we as an audience come to understand that he can’t let her live, but when I spoke with Shane Black virtual earlier this month during the Play Dirty press day, he explained why the dark note was wholly necessary:

As acknowledged by Shane Black, the principal vibe of Play Dirty is fun: the characters are both witty and smart, and it’s a joy to watch them do what they do best, fail, improvise in response to failure, and try again. But the writer/director made the movie because he’s long had a passion for the source material, and it would have been a betrayal to the nature of Parker’s character if he ended the movie choosing to let bygones be bygones and let Zen off the hook.

It still feels like an exceptionally dark twist, if not especially because Rosa Salazar is loaded with charisma and as fun to see work as any other member of the talented ensemble. But as Black notes, it’s clear why Parker has to do what he does.

That being said, the film doesn’t relish in the darkness. We don’t even actually get to see Parker complete his vengeance on behalf of Thomas Jane’s Philly Webb and Gretchen Mol’s Grace. When the last scene between Parker and Zen is coming to a close, the camera takes us out of her hotel room so that we don’t have to witness the gunshot (though we do hear it). Black, seated alongside producer Jules Daly, acknowledged that Zen’s death is not something that we either have to see or want to see, saying,

It’s a tough goodbye, but it’s handled with grace, and it firmly fits Play Dirty into the decades long legacy of Parker on screen.

Not being one to celebrate Christmas in its typical context, I have an annual tradition of celebrating Shane Black Christmas. Since breaking out in Hollywood in the mid-1980s selling his script for Lethal Weapon, Black has made a habit of setting his action movies during the holiday season – understanding that the specific setting has its own kind of heightened atmosphere – and it’s been a special spice used in the majority of his work. He added it to screenplays through the 1990s (including The Last Boy Scout and The Long Kiss Goodnight), and he kept it going when he moved into the director’s chair to make Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3 (I’ll add that I include The Nice Guys in the marathon too given its final scene set in late December).

It should probably go without saying at this point that this is an incredibly specific genre that I am always happy to see get expanded – and this year, proverbial Christmas has come early with Play Dirty: Shane Black’s stab at bringing Donald E. Westlake’s a.k.a. Richard Stark’s legendary thief Parker back to the screen. And while it’s not the equivalent of getting everything on my holiday wish list thanks to overcooked plotting, it successfully satisfies thanks to Black’s signature attitude and snappy dialogue paired with a talented ensemble cast that is very game for the sharp-edged adventure.

Dropping us into a lived-in world that expands on the conflicted dynamic between the independent rogue Parker (Mark Wahlberg) and the dangerous, New York crime syndicate known as The Outfit, the film begins as the protagonist successfully pulls off a successful, big payday job only to be betrayed by a member of the crew (I won’t say who here in order to maintain the surprise). Barely surviving the treachery and promising revenge to the widow of a fallen friend, he goes after the traitor only to get roped into a far bigger operation with far greater riches up for grabs.

After a South American dictator lays claim to a sunken treasure thought lost for centuries, a conspiracy is orchestrated that will see him line his own pockets and leave his people with nothing, but revolutionaries hatch a plan to take the treasure before it can be “stolen” and privately sold. Parker has both the skills and the crew (LaKeith Stanfield, Keegan-Michael Key, Clair Loverling, Chai Hansen) to help pull off the job – but being a part of the operation means breaking a deal with Lozini (Tony Shalhoub), the head of The Outfit, to stay out of his city.

Play Dirty's script struggles to workaround movie-goers' familiarity with the heist genre, and it tries to do too much.

Shane Black loves a twisty mystery, from the false flag operation in The Long Kiss Goodnight to the Hollywood murder plot in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang to the auto industry corruption in The Nice Guys, but what’s he has cooked up in Play Dirty with co-writers Charles Mondry and Anthony Bagarozzi bites off more than it can properly chew and feels overdone as a result. One senses the filmmakers’ efforts to subvert audience expectations formed from decades and decades of heist movies – but instead of zagging in the places where you think it’s going to zig, the strategy instead is more about piling extra twists on top of one another, and it makes an unsteady stack.

Adding insult to injury, it’s still not terribly hard to see some of its bigger surprises coming.

There is a great mix of massive action set pieces and fun, dark bits.

Play Dirty doesn’t quite subvert the genre as much as you’d want from a filmmaker as talented as Shane Black, but what he has definitely not lost his knack for are exciting and fun set pieces that frequently toss in elements of the weird and unexpected to keep things fresh. The movie hits you with this special flavor right from the start – with a robbery interrupted by an opportunist that devolves into a car chase that interrupts a horse race – and those fun ideas keep flowing and hitting even as the plotting teeters. There is an entertaining flow of clever that keeps the film afloat throughout in both big and small ways, from a plan to purposefully crash a train full of garbage to a gag where a man on fire tries to douse himself in a pool of what turns out to be electrified water.

Shane Black's ear for dialogue is as sharp as ever.

Of course, another classic Shane Black-ism is the amazing buddy dynamic that is his bread-and-butter. Being an ensemble-driven narrative and Parker being the independent soul that he is, the movie doesn’t make any overt efforts to carve out that kind of relationship in the cast, but there is plenty of sparking energy created in standout scenes and some wonderful personalities – each of whom work magic with the script's crackling back-and-forths and bon mots.

Mark Wahlberg and Rosa Salazar have a great combative dynamism, the latter playing a freedom fighter who enlists Parker’s help but, despite her best efforts, can’t earn his trust. LaKeith Stanfield is a standout as Grofield, a thespian who operates as a criminal to fund his anti-audience theater efforts, and while Chai Hansen’s Stan is so incredibly dumb and incompetent that he makes a questionable addition to the heist team, his behavior yields some of the film’s funniest moments.

Within the Shane Black Christmas canon, Play Dirty doesn’t represent the filmmaker at the height of his powers, but it is him working square within his wheelhouse (Black and Westlake/Stark is a perfect match) and generating entertaining results. It’s a movie that would have benefited from a little bit more creative energy put towards upending the familiar of heist movies, but it settles for being a solid entry for the genre.

Ever since Flight Risk, the Mark Wahlberg-led thriller directed by Mel Gibson, came out in theaters early in the 2025 movie schedule, it’s been getting some pretty terrible reviews. But let me tell you something… I thoroughly enjoyed watching this suspenseful throwback thriller with a theater of other moviegoers during its surprisingly successful opening weekend.

Does the movie have problems? Yeah, but I didn’t go in expecting something on the same level as Conclave or other great recent thrillers. Despite those issues and in the face of those negative reviews, Flight Risk was kind of great in its own way. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me (I know I’m in the minority here), but at least hear me out…

Flight Risk Isn't The Best Movie Ever Made, But It's Actually More Fun Than I Expected

Let me start off by stating the obvious: Flight Risk isn’t the best movie ever made. Hell, it’s not even my favorite movie from the first month of 2025 (that would be Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, in case you were wondering). That said, this movie was a lot of fun and a whole lot more fun than its first trailer would lead you to believe. Well, maybe the whole bald Mark Wahlberg bit from the teaser was great.

It’s true that Flight Risk has a lackluster 26 percent on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of this writing, but it also has a 63 percent Audience Score, which is honestly a more accurate way of gauging a movie like this. And after looking over several of the user comments, I’m not the only one who thought this movie was actually fun. It never takes itself all too seriously, has some great action sequences, and Wahlberg’s character is a hoot even when he’s not using that campy Southern accent.

Flight Risk Feels Like Something Right Out Of The '90s, And I'm All About It

If you were to tell me that Flight Risk is some unproduced script from the 1990s that Mel Gibson has been sitting on all these years, I would believe you. Despite being released in early 2025, this high-stakes thriller feels like something that would go hand-in-hand with the best ‘90s action movies. I mean, that decade gave us all-time great plane movies like Air Force One, Passenger 57, and Con Air, and this Mark Wahlberg flick feels right at home with those.

The direction, the acting, the writing, and even some of the visual effects feel like throwbacks to a previous era when simpler and shorter action thrillers ruled the box office. And as someone who grew up watching all three of those ‘90s films on HBO, TNT, and AMC, seeing something that pays homage to those (even if it wasn’t the plan), took me back and allowed me to look beyond its shortcomings.

I Love A Good 'Chamber Piece' Setup, And Flight Risk Gave Me That

I’ve always been a fan of “Chamber Piece” movies like 12 Angry Men, Gravity, and Panic Room, and Flight Risk is another good example of the premise. Though there are some scenes early in the movie not set in the small, cramped airplane, the vast majority of the thriller’s 90-minute runtime is confined to that rusty propeller plane flying high above a mountain range in Alaska. And I honestly think it makes for a better movie.

With the action and drama in a single location throughout the movie, I was always focused on what was happening in front of me and not being taken to the U.S. Marshals and FBI as they tried to figure everything out. I was with the three main characters from the time they got into the plane and stayed in the fuselage until that little aircraft came in hot for a wild landing in the final minutes.

Though His Big Reveal Was Given Away In The Trailer, Mark Wahlberg's Character Is Something Wild

When I first saw the Flight Risk trailer ahead of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis last fall, I could not believe it gave away the big reveal about Mark Wahlberg’s pilot not being who he said he was. And while I was initially bummed about this, it ended up having little to no impact on how much I loved the character. Let me tell you… Wahlberg’s first proper villain since Fear was something wild. Like, give-me-another-movie-just-about-this-guy kind of wild.

The fake accent, the over-the-top male pattern baldness, the facial expressions, the gum-chewing, the sinister look in his eyes, the way he asks “Y’all need a pilot,” and the whole “caged animal” demeanor in the final act, all make this one of Wahlberg’s most unhinged and wildest performances in quite some time. Honestly, I need more of it.

Without Going Into Specifics, There Are So Many Twists And Turns (Some Predictable, Others Not So Much)

The whole “Mark Wahlberg is the villain” reveal was given away in the trailer, but this doesn’t mean Flight Risk doesn’t have more twists and turns up its sleeves. Like all those thrillers from yesteryear, Mel Gibson’s first directorial effort since Hacksaw Ridge throws a lot at the audience in the final 20-30 minutes of flight time. Just like the best of them, these reveals are sometimes predictable while others aren’t so much. Without giving too much away, there are times when it’s best to trust your gut and others where the best solution is the easiest solution.

However, there were a couple of characters (again, I’m not going to spoil anything) who I dreaded would end up being one of the bad guys but was pleasantly surprised for that not to be the case. This was honestly extremely refreshing and made me enjoy the movie a little bit more.

Can We Get More 90-Minute Thrillers Like This?

Sure, I love long movies like it’s nobody’s business (I recently watched The Brutalist in theaters twice), but it was a nice change of pace watching a 90-minute thriller like Flight Risk. Basically, movies as a whole are getting way too long these days and a tight throwback thriller about a U.S. Marshal escorting a federal witness so he can testify against the mob doesn’t require all that much time. In fact, the short runtime enhanced the whole experience.

The movie never felt bogged down by unnecessary characters, subplots, or other superfluous details. It was stripped down, it was economical with its time, and it had pretty much all the fat trimmed down. I would love for this to become the norm, at least when it comes to action thrillers like this.

The moral of the story is that even though movies like Flight Risk get dismal reviews, you should still be able to enjoy what you want.

Being a famous actor looks like it’s usually pretty glamorous, but it can also involve a lot of hard work. Being an action hero means a lot of working out to remain in top physical condition. Of course, other roles require very different sorts of transformations, that both the stars and their families then have to deal with. Such was the case for Mark Wahlberg’s newest movie, Flight Risk. Wahlberg didn't have to hit the gym, but he did shave his head. The look has certainly evoked a response, but none can match the one from Wahlbeg's own wife.

Mark Wahlberg is no stranger to having to go through physical transformations for some of his roles. The actor is known to be something of a workout aficionado, but he has gained weight when necessary for the part he is playing. His new movie,Flight Risk sees him play the movie’s villain, and it also sees his character suffering from significant hair loss. Wahlberg tells Extra this sent his wife, model Rhea Durham, into hiding when she first saw it. He said…

It’s maybe not that surprising that Wahlberg’s wife was shocked by his look for Flight Risk. He didn’t simply shave his head. He’s not bald in the movie. Instead, he just looks like a guy who has lost most of his hair naturally. The actor has pretty impressive hair naturally, so seeing him like this is a true shock. It makes him look significantly older and it just looks...wrong.

The fact that he shaved his head to achieve the look meant that he and his family had to simply deal with the look for the duration of production. Walhberg says he could have used makeup and prosthetics to achieve the look, but didn’t want to spend hours in the makeup chair every morning. For him, it was just simpler and easier to shave his head.

Mark Wahlberg isn’t necessarily the next Daniel Day-Lewis or Gary Oldman, actors who can transform themselves so much that they don’t even look like the same person from one movie to the next. Still, his willingness to go through such a real physical change is impressive. He, and his family, certainly went through a lot.

On the plus side, it's great news that Wahlberg's wife got over her initial problems with her bald husband, and even eventually grew to like the look. This means that if the actor ends up looking like this in real life after a couple of decades, it should all work out.

Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell have been co-stars several times over the years in movies like Daddy’s Home (and its sequel) and The Other Guys. Given filming, press junkets and red carpet events, not to mention social events in Hollywood, and their kids periodically communicating, the two have spent considerable time together. That apparently means Wahlberg has had the time to craft a pretty amusing impression of Ferrell, and he's not afraid to use it.

A video of the two appearing on The Graham Norton Show has been running around again, and I can totally see why. In it, the former SNL star is talking about coaching for his kids and his Daddy’s Home co-star busted out an impression of the SNL star that was pretty spot-on and that I really did not see coming. It’s a clip that’s so good, it continually runs around the interwebs.

If you've seen most of Will Ferrell's best movies, including Kicking and Screaming, you might have an idea of what Ferrell sounds like in the above quote. However, in order to get the full effect of the impression, though, you should check out the full clip below.

Meanwhile, Will Ferrell knows when a roast is spot on. He leaned into Wahlberg’s take and admitted his co-star might have been onto something when it comes to his coaching strategy. It’s a moment that both highlights Ferrell’s nice guy personality (and why that maybe isn’t the best fit for a coach). He also joked on the Graham Norton Show that kids "learn more from defeat than winning." What a bit:

I've never really thought of Mark Wahlberg as much of an impressionist, so this video is a welcome surprise.

Given Ferrell himself is known for impressions, though, it's a fun connection for the two co-stars to have. Probably most popular among these was Ferrell's ability to channel Alex Trebek during SNL's wildly funny and long-running "Celebrity Jeopardy!" sketches, sketches Trebek himself adored. However, he's done Harry Carey, Harrison Ford, Dr. Phil, and, of course, the also well-known George W. Bush. (Oh and he has some regrets over a Janet Reno impression.) Now, I just need him to work on a Mark Wahlberg impression and dish it right back.

Celebrities owning restaurants is an old tradition in Hollywood. Sometimes, like Mark Wahlberg, it's a simple burger chain, other times, it's a classy hotel where you can have an elegant meal, like Richard Gere. Everything from tacos to sushi to fried chicken and everything in between. 

Just like people love watching scenes in movies about food, people love to rub elbows with the elite in some of these establishments. Here are 32 actors who own restaurants all over the country. 

Mark Wahlberg - Wahlburgers

The first Wahlburgers opened in Hingham, Massachusetts in 2011. The chain has since grown to dozens of stores all over the country and was the subject of a reality show for 10 seasons on A&E. The chain is collectively owned by three Wahlbergs, including Mark and Donnie, along with their chef brother, Paul. 

Ryan Gosling - Tagline

Ryan Gosling has become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, and so it makes sense he would open a restaurant in Beverly Hills. Co-owned by the Barbie star and Chef Ben Benameur, the Moroccan joint serves up delicious food in a cozy atmosphere.

Lady Gaga - Joanne Trattoria

Joanne Germanotta was a beloved aunt to Lady Gaga (whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta). Not only did Gaga name a 2016 album after her, but the family has also opened Joanne Trattoria on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. In true Gaga style, the restaurant is not only a great place for Italian food, but it supports local artists, hosts regular drag shows, and has regular performances by local musicians. 

Robert De Niro - Nobu

Robert De Niro first became a regular at chef Nobu Matsuhisa's LA sushi joint Nobu way back in the 1980s. In the mid-90s, De Niro approached Matsuhisa about opening a New York spot. Nobu opened in 1994 in Tribeca and the company has since become a powerhouse in the hospitality industry, with dozens of restaurants and hotels all over the world. 

Michael Imperioli - Scarlet

White Lotus star Michael Imperioli has dabbled in the restaurant industry for a long time. In the mid-'90s Imperioli and his wife opened a speakeasy-style bar called Ciel Rouge, in Tribeca. Almost 30 years later, and 20 after Ciel Rouge closed in 2005, the couple opened Scarlet on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It sticks with the classy, chill speakeasy vibe that made their first venture successful. 

Sandra Bullock - Walton's Fancy & Staple

Walton's Fancy & Staple in Austin, TX, is pretty much exactly what you would expect from Sandra Bullock. It's an upscale neighborhood place with hearty food and a cheery atmosphere. Walton's is the Speed star's second restaurant in her adopted hometown. The first, Bess Bistro, closed in 2016 after a successful 10-year run. Walton's opened in 2009. 

Ludacris - Chicken And Beer

Is there anything better than good fried chicken and great beer to wash it down? If you're in Atlanta and don't check out Ludacris' place, simply named Chicken and Beer, you're missing out on those two wonderful things that pair so well together.

Norman Reedus - Nic & Norman's

Norman Reedus is famous for playing rough-around-the-edges characters like Daryl in The Walking Dead, but his restaurant is not. Nic & Norman's, which has locations across the Southeast is rustic, but it's not rough in any way. The upscale but relaxed gastropubs are sure to satisfy anyone. 

Susan Sarandon - SPiN

When Susan Sarandon and her fellow investors opened SPiN in 2009, there was a surge in the popularity of table tennis (or ping pong). The fad was pretty short-lived, but the table tennis-focused restaurants have remained successful with multiple locations around the country. 

Dan Aykroyd - House Of Blues

One of Dan Aykroyd's most beloved SNL characters, Elwood Blues of The Blues Brothers, has proven to be more than just a role for the actor. On Thanksgiving Day 1992, Aykroyd and his partner Isaac Tigrett (who founded the Hard Rock Cafe), opened the first House of Blues in Cambridge, MA. It has since grown into one of the largest chains of live music venues in the world, and serves some pretty delicious food, too. 

Eva Longoria - Beso

Eva Longoria can do no wrong on the big and small screens, but she didn't have much luck in the restaurant industry. Her steakhouse in LA, Beso, ran into multiple problems in its short run, though none were the fault of the actress. 

Kevin Hart - Hart House

Kevin Hart's LA chain Hart House was ambitious. He wanted to create an affordable vegan chain, and despite rave reviews, it just couldn't make it in the market. The company closed all of its locations in 2024 after initially finding success. 

Issa Rae - Hilltop Coffee And Kitchen

Issa Rae is a true force of nature both in front of and behind the camera. She's also found success in the food industry. Hilltop Coffee And Kitchen brings high-end coffee vibes to historical Black neighborhoods in LA, like Inglewood and View Park. 

Danny Trejo - Trejo's Tacos

Everyone loves tacos and every loves Danny Trejo. So of course a concept like Trejo's Tacos is sure to work and it has succeeded greatly. The chain has multiple locations across LA and has even spawned a second concept: Trejo's Donuts which also opened to rave reviews. 

Channing Tatum - Saints And Sinners

Saints And Sinners, a bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans co-owned by Channing Tatum was a wild success... at least for a time. The industry is notoriously fickle and Tatum and his partners learned that the hard way when the bar closed in the summer of 2024 after 12 great years. 

Justin Timberlake - The Twelve Thirty Club

Justin Timberlake first dabbled in the food industry in the early teens when he helped design a Memphis-style BBQ joint in New York City called Southern Hospitality. Though he wasn't an owner, he was involved in the concept phase of the place and was a regular there. More recently, he has teamed up with restauranteur Sam Fox to open The Twelve Thirty Club in Nashville. 

Nicholas Braun - Jac’s On Bond

Cousin Greg may not always get the most respect on Succession, but the actor who plays him, Nicholas Braun, sure gets respect in the hospitality industry. Braun is an investor in multiple restaurants in New York City, including a chill bar and restaurant called Jac's on Bond Street in the trendy NoHo neighborhood. 

Zach Braff - Mermaid Oyster Bar

MacDougal Street in New York's Greenwich Village is home to some great restaurants, like the legendary Caffe Reggio and Mamoun's Falafels. It's also where you can find Zach Braff's more upscale, but still laid-back seafood spot appropriately called Mermaid Oyster Bar. 

Anthony Mackie - NoBar

Like others on this list (and in the world), Anthony Mackie has had mixed results as a bar/restaurant owner. His most famous spot, NoBar, opened in Brooklyn in 2011, followed by a second Booklyn location in 2013. Sadly both closed in 2015. 

Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis - Planet Hollywood

The granddaddy of all actor-owned restaurants has to be Planet Hollywood. The first Planet Hollywood opened in New York City in 1991. Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis, among others, were all investors in the concept and, at least at first, the restaurant was a huge success, opening additional locations across the globe. At its peak, there were upwards of 60 locations in the late '90s, but the fun didn't last. Things started to unravel and the stars started to jump shit and most of the locations, other than their most successful ones, closed. 

Richard Gere - Bedford Post Inn

Legendary actor Richard Gere doesn't just own a restaurant, he owns an 8-room bed and breakfast called the Bedford Post Inn in... appropriately, Bedford, NY. The stylish and quaint inn does include a spot to eat, the Bedford Post Tavern, and the inn and the restaurant both draw all kinds of celebrities for a restful stay or a delicious dinner. 

Robert Redford - Zoom

It shouldn't come as any surprise to learn that Robert Redford's former restaurant in Park City, UT was home to a lot of home to a lot powerbrokers during the Sundance Film Festival for many years. Prior to closing in 2016, the hot spot was where the elite met to eat and strike deals during one of the biggest film festivals in the world. 

Hugh Jackman - Laughing Man Coffee

The origin story for Hugh Jackman's Laughing Man Coffee is one of the best on this list. The Aussie actor and his wife took a trip to Ethiopia to learn more about coffee and how the beans were grown. There, according to the coffee shop's website, Jackman met a coffee farmer named Dukale. Dukale gave Jackman a real hands-on experience and after the trip, he and some partners opened Laughing Man Coffee with the goal of working directly with farmers around the world to bring their coffee to New Yorkers. 

Jon Bon Jovi - Soul Kitchen And JBJ's

Jon Bon Jovi may be most famous for being the voice of the band named after him, but he's dabbled a lot in acting, and a little in the hospitality biz. His first venture was started by his foundation and called Soul Kitchen. The restaurant, located in Red Bank, NJ, sells food for whatever hungry customers can afford. Bon Jovi has also opened a spot on the famous Broadway strip in Nashville called JBJ's which features live music and a full menu, in addition to beer and booze, of course.

Piper Perabo - Jack's Wife Freda

Piper Perabo got her big break playing a bartender in Coyote Ugly and while the New York City chain she's an investor in, called Jack's Wife Frida, doesn't feature half-dressed women dancing on the bar, it's got something even better: delicious Mediterranean food. With five locations across the city, you can always find what you're craving, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Jessica Biel - Au Fudge

Au Fudge, which closed its doors in 2018, was something unique in the celebrity restaurant world - a kid's restaurant. As the name implies, Jessica Biel's spot was all about dessert and candy. It also had all the stuff kids love, like chicken fingers, on the menu. The world needs more of these, right parents?

Debi Mazar - The Tuscan Gun

Debi Mazar and her chef husband's love of food was first shown through a cooking show on the Cooking Channel. They spun that into a Tuscany-themed New York restaurant called The Tuscan Gun. Using chef Mazar's husband Gabriele Corcos' recipes, the Italian joint brought the best of Italy to Williamsburg. 

Quentin Tarantino - Do Hwa

For years, Quentin Tarantino's Korean restaurant Do Hwa brought the delicious flavors of East Asia to the West Village in New York. While very few people would call Tarantino "understated," his restaurant was, in all the best ways. It was cozy and delicious before it closed in 2018.

Jerry Ferrara - Fat Sal's

A sandwich joint called Fat Sal's is just perfect for Entourage star Jerry Ferrara. It sounds exactly like something Turtle would open on the show. Fat Sal's has multiple locations around LA and is a great spot if you want traditional deli sandwiches sold by a guy you can be sure loves them as much as you do. 

Justin Theroux - Ray's

Justin Theroux is a jack of all trades. He's an actor, a writer, and an ex-husband to Jennifer Aniston. He's also a bar owner, along with partner Nicolaus Braun with Ray's on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The dive bar is everything you could ever want in an unpretentious local water hole, which is no surprise, coming from Theroux. 

Ashton Kutcher - Dolce Enoteca E Ristorante

Ashton Kutcher has never been afraid to make risky investments. Some have paid off handsomely, like his early investments in Spotify and Uber. Others haven't worked out so well, like his short-lived Italian spot, Dolce Enoteca E Ristorante. The hot spot worked for a while but it closed in 2020, like so many other restaurants. 

Ty Burrell - The Eating Establishment

Modern Family star Ty Burrell took a slightly different route to restaurant ownership than most of the other actors on his list. Instead of starting a new spot, he bought an old one. The Eating Establishment, which dates back to 1970, was purchased by Burrell and other investors in 2016 and they've continued to run the popular Park City, UT restaurant ever since. 

Eminem - Mom's Spaghetti

Mom's Spaghetti is the perfect kind of place for Eminem to own, right? The Detroit, Michigan-based eatery has name that perfectly describes the food you can get there, and it's taken straight from an Eminem lyric in "Lose Yourself."

Jon Huertas - Clutch

Jon Huertas, best known for playing Brad Alcerro in Sabrina The Teenage Witch, is the proud owner of Clutch Roadhouse in Culver City, CA. Clutch is known for its great food and charitable works, both very important to the This Is Us star. 

The Netflix 2024 movie release The Union premiered during the weekend and has Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg as a rom-com action duo. The spy-action comedy has a construction worker reconnecting with his high school sweetheart only to get roped up into a high-stakes intelligence mission when finding out she’s a secret agent. While The Union has hit No. 1 on Netflix, it’s considered a milestone low for the film’s two leads.

The Mark Wahlberg/Halle Berry spy thriller The Union is currently No. 1 on Netflix. While the 6% Rotten Tomatoes-rated flick The Emoji Movie dominated Netflix last week, it's been bumped to a No. 2 spot followed by Kevin Hart’s Night School at No. 3.

While the No. 1 stat may have hit a high peak on the streaming service, it’s actually considered a milestone low for Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg's careers in the past decade. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the new Netflix film has a 46% critics score and an even lower audience score of 28%. Many within the critics’ consensus site describing the film as “boring” despite two great performers starring in it. However, it's the audience score that makes up the milestone low, as neither actor has had a rating that low in a decade.

When you look back at both Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg’s movies within the past ten years, they haven’t achieved a movie with an audience rating as low as 28%. With the Boogie Nights actor, the movie that didn’t hit audiences the most in the past ten years was 2015’s Mojave with the crime-thriller receiving a 30% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Even The Gambler was one percent above that and Wahlberg’s lowest-rated critics-scored film Me Time was 32% for audiences.

As for Halle Berry, the lowest-rated audience-scored film she got before The Union was Kings at 31%. The rest of her movies that didn’t hit well with audiences were ones like Kidnap (50%) and her directorial debut Bruised (56%). Other than those two films, audiences have been liking the films Berry has starred in like Moonfall (70%), John Wick: Chapter 3- Parabellum (86%), and Kingsmen: The Golden Circle (64%).

While Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg didn’t have the best luck with The Union, they both still have plenty of upcoming 2024 movie releases to look forward to. We’ll see the Bostonian actor with a newly shaved head for Flight Risk on October 18th playing a hitman disguising himself as a pilot to kill a passenger on his plane. He’s also got the crime thriller Play Dirty under his belt and is in the middle of filming the comedy Balls Up co-starring with SNL alum Molly Shannon. These movies look worthy of attention with fun entertainment for audiences.

The Monster’s Ball actress has an upcoming release of her own in fighting freaky creatures and grody ghosts in Never Let Go. The upcoming horror film follows a family in the fight for survival against an evil spirit. So, it looks like she and Mark Wahlberg will have movies audiences will get a real kick out of.

While it’s great news that Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry’s new Netflix movie The Union is No. 1 on the streaming service, its low audience score of 28% is the lowest both stars have gotten in their careers in the past decade. As the career trajectory of the duo isn’t stopping anytime soon, it looks like their newest releases still have the potential to win audiences over again. Make sure to watch the duo’s No. 1 flick The Union on your Netflix subscription.

It's a summer of action, drama, romantic tension and… well, that’s actually as far as it’s been getting lately. Netflix’s action comedy The Union just released amid the 2024 movie schedule. The Union trailer promised epic rom-com vibes from duo Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry, but viewers may have been disappointed find that all the romantic chemistry didn’t culminate in a passionate smooch. And this isn’t the first instance of this happening recently, as Twisters also spurred complaints by leaving out a smooch. So why exactly are these movies giving similar vibes by leaving out kissing scenes?

Honestly, it's somewhat strange that the creative teams behind two massive recently released movies opted to leave out tried and true kissing scenes. When it comes to The Union, director Julian Farino addressed that matter while speaking with Variety. Farino's decision seemed to be based more on one major element -- potential:

In many cases, production companies are playing the long game when it comes to their IPs. Netflix certainly has been trying to push its movies into franchises has found some success. And, yes, people do anticipate a kiss in a movie like Julian Farino's, so keeping one out could theoretically build up anticipation amongst viewers for another installment. But, in my humble opinion, partially hinging a sequel on audiences desire for a kiss is not enough to get a second movie greenlit.

Of course, this is a business, and studios are looking for ways to keep viewers on the hook. Ultimately, the stars of The Union agreed with their director's logic, with Halle Berry saying:

Ok, I understand that. The actors and writers feel like there is more story to tell. That was also the reason given by the Twisters cast and director. A liplock between Glen Powell's Tyler Owens and Daisy Edgar-Jones' Kate Carter was filmed, However, per a note from famed director Steven Spielberg, who served as an EP on the movie, the scene “stopped” the film. All in all, Spielberg was of the belief that it would be better to leave the audience feeling there would be a continuation. It seems we will never see that airport kiss at this point. It's just another item we can add to the list of elements that should have been in the movie, such as a cameo from Powell’s dog, Brisket.

Whether we will get sequels of either Twisters or The Union is still up in the air. As to what that might mean for the reunited high school sweethearts Mike and Roxanne, Mike Wahlberg teased some ideas:

To be fair, the romance and build-up to said missing kisses are still very well done even without the final payoff. (These are still world-class actors, people!) Still, I just want to see two hot people kiss at the end of my movie. Is that too much to ask? Especially ones that look as good as the Arthur The King actor does at age 53. I mean, wow, Mark Wahlberg (who still does shirtless workouts) clearly does not miss a gym day. Alas, I guess until sequels are announced, I’ll just have to rewatch these movies and hope for further installments to come later on.

Twisters is still spinning in theaters and you can stream The Union now with a Netflix subscription.

It’s been nearly two years since Mark Wahlberg not only moved his family to Las Vegas, but also his entire entrepreneurial empire. He’s not the first celebrity to do this, and certainly not the last. Former Superman Dean Cain followed in his footsteps, and other stars have been participating in the trend as well since then. At present, the Family Plan actor plans to set up a giant movie home base near Vegas. Now, following his family's recent trip to Hollywood, Wahlberg weighed in on whether he'd ever move back to Los Angeles.

The Deepwater Horizon actor has been busy in Hollywood lately, given that he has three movies releasing as part of the 2024 movie schedule. His commute these days is a bit longer now that he lives in another state, although that depends on how bad LA traffic is day to day. Despite that, he and his family made the trip for the premiere on The Union, a killer Netflix. While promoting his action rom-com team-up with Halle Berry, the Uncharted actor opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about whether his family would ever consider moving back to LA. Compared to his past remarks about moving away from Hollywood in favor of Vegas, the A-lister's latest answer was somewhat different this time around:

It seems Mark Wahlberg was swept up in nostalgia for a moment. The magic of Hollywood is a powerful force, for sure. But, while he misses sunny California, he still seems to be of the mindset that the decision to root his family in Vegas was the correct one. The Ted actor has always been a family man first and foremost, and he continues to emphasize that Vegas has been a much better environment for raising his kids. And his undying support extends to his siblings as well, as he extended congratulations to brother Donnie when it was confirmed that his longtime cop drama, Blue Bloods, would end on CBS.

Speaking of the family, given the move a state over, it had been a while since fans had seen Marky-Mark’s brood together. That changed, of course, when the Wahlberg clan was photographed together at the Union premiere, except for his oldest daughter who was at college. Can you believe that? The Father Stu actor has adult children now! I’m not sure I can picture Wahlberg playing grandfather roles just yet but, based on comments he's made, he seems up for the challenge.

The Departed alum says the family is thriving in Vegas and, after saying he would like to work closer to home, he set plans into motion to build a $1.8 billion movie studio in the suburbs. And he certainly has his hands in many different pots between movie production, Wahlburgers, his tequila brand and his apparel line, Municipal. Also, given the Daddy’s Home star clearly wants to focus more on his family, it’s really not surprising he’s considering retiring from acting soon. Whatever happens career-wise, though, I just hope that the actor and his loved keep doing well, regardless of whether they return to LA.

At present, Mark Wahlberg is still cranking out action-packed movies. His upcoming film, Flight Risk (which is directed by Mel Gibson), is set to release in October 18. We'll have to wait and see if that manages to earn a spot among guaranteed to earn a spot among Wahlberg’s best movies. And don’t forget to check out the hilarious action-packed The Union, which is now available to stream with a Netflix subscription.

Mark Wahlberg started a “new chapter” in his Hollywood career by taking part in more meaningful movies. Another part of that, though, was his Walhberg's decision to move his family from Hollywood to Las Vegas. Of course, that doesn’t mean he never sets foot in the City of Angels anymore. In fact, Wahlberg trekked back to LA with his family in tow for the premiere of his 2024 Netflix movie, The Union.

Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg are a rom-com duo in The Union, which is about a construction worker who reconnects with his high school sweetheart only for her to pull him into a high-stakes U.S. intelligence mission. Given the star power involved, this is a very big production. So, even though the Wahlbergs have made a new life for themselves in Las Vegas, it makes sense that they decided to visit Los Angeles for the premiere of the 2024 movie release. Take a look at the close-knit clan at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood:

The Bostonian actor looks like a happy husband and father standing next to his wife and kids at the premiere of his comedy-thriller. We see Mark Wahlberg with his wife, Rhea Durham as well as his daughters, Ella and Grace, and his sons Michael and Brendan. It’s incredibly sweet to see the whole family there to support Mark during amid the release of the film.

As has been reported, the Wahlbergs moved into a $14.5 million mansion in Las Vegas in 2022 in order to provide a fresh start for the kids. Originally, Mark’s decision to move to L.A. was due to his hopes of securing bigger acting roles. But he admitted to only making a couple of movies during his time there. Even in Nevada, the Transformers actor still has big plans like forming his own studio, creating a shoe factory and working on new projects in the state.

It’s easy to believe that moving away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood to the neon lights of Las Vegas really isn’t a massive transition. On the contrary, the Departed alum claims his move to Las Vegas wasn’t about “The Strip,” which is only about 15 minutes away from him. This move was about building a family community and ensuring his children have a place where their dreams come true. That sounds like a very dedicated father, if you ask me.

As for how Mark Wahlberg and co. have been doing since leaving Hollywood, the Boogie Nights actor says they all loves Las Vegas. 20-year-old Ella has started college, his 18-year-old Michael plays basketball, 15-year-old Brendan plays golf, and 14-year-old Grace is an equestrian. Mark also mentioned that there's no shortage of shows and restaurants that he can enjoy in Sin City. All in all, it sounds like the Wahlbergs are truly living their best life.

Nevertheless, it's great to see them occasionally pop up in Hollywood for a special event like the Union premiere. One would hope that the bonds amongst the Wahlberg clan will remain intact and that they continue to enjoy their time as Nevada residents.. Make sure to watch Mark's aforementioned new movie, which will be available to access with a Netflix subscription starting on August 16th.

By mid-August, the busy summer movie season has usually run its course. However, for the best streaming services, there is never really a slow season. There’s always something new on Netflix (which has my top movie this week) or something coming up on Hulu that you can watch. What’s difficult is finding the best content among everything that’s available. Luckily, we have a few of the best choices from what’s new this week within the streaming realm.

Almost all the major streaming platforms have at least one major original series or movie on offer. We have a Star Wars animated series for kids that's being added to Disney+ and a Hulu animated series not for kids. There’s also a pair of interesting original movies with unlikely duos that look to combine action and comedy just perfectly. Here’s what’s worth looking at this week.

New Movies

The Union (Netflix) 

In The Union, Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry play former high school sweethearts who reunite 25 years later. Little does he know that she’s a super spy, and she’s about to recruit him to work on a secret mission. Is the premise nuts? Sure but, if the action is solid and the chemistry between the two leads is there, nobody is going to care. One gets the sense that, at the very least, the cast had fun making the movie, and that can go a long way. Needless, this is my top movie, and I'm looking forward to checking it out!

The Union Premieres August 16 on Netflix.

The Woman King (Hulu)

2022’s The Woman King was one of the best-reviewed films of the year by both professional critics and general audiences, and yet it made less than $100 million worldwide at the box office and was ignored by the Oscars. That means there's a solid chance you may have missed one of the best movies of 2022, and you should fix that. The film stars Viola Davis as the leader of an all-female warrior unit in West Africa in the early 1800s. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood's historical epic features some impressive performances as well as excellent action. Don’t miss this one again.

The Woman King arrives on August 13 on Hulu.

The Fast & Furious Franchise (Peacock) 

The Fast & Furious movies are collectively the biggest current franchise that Universal has, and yet being able to watch the films with a Peacock subscription has been hit or miss due to agreements Universal signed before launching its own platform. This week the first eight Fast & Furious films join the ninth, which was added earlier this month, meaning you can watch almost the entire franchise in one place. Fast X is currently available with a Prime Video subscription if you need to watch all the Fast & Furious movies in order.

The Fast & Furious movies arrive August 12 on Peacock.

 Jackpot! (Prime Video) 

Most of us would do just about anything to win a lottery jackpot. The movie Jackpot!, from Bridesmaids director Paul Feig, suggests a hilarious future in which the way to win the lottery is to stay alive while everybody else tries to kill you and take your money. Awkwafina stars as the winner in fear for her life, and John Cena plays a guy trying to help her survive. The movie looks to combine Awkwafina's natural comedic timing with Cena's own comic abilities, while also giving the former WWE star plenty to do physically.

Jackpot! premieres August 15 on Prime Video.

New TV

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Season 2 (Disney+)

So many Star Wars fans became enthralled with the franchise as young kids but, now, even younger children have an easy entry into the galaxy far, far, away. Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Season 2 (which consists of 11 episodes) arrives for those with a Disney+ subscription this week. The show is set during the High Republic era, the same time frame as the recent live-action series The Acolyte. Of course, these stories are more geared toward children and focus on a group of young Jedi learning lessons and trying to make good choices.

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Season 2 premieres August 14 on Disney+.

Solar Opposites: Complete Season 5 (Hulu) 

In an era where a streaming series can be canceled seemingly without warning, the fact that Solar Opposites has made it to Season 5 is an accomplishment unto itself. Despite a high-profile voice actor change prior to Season 4, the show has remained popular among those with a Hulu subscription. The latest season promises fresh hijinks and new characters and looks to be exactly what fans are expecting.

Solar Opposites Season 5 premies August 12 on Hulu.

Bel-Air Season 3 (Peacock) 

When it was first announced that The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the sitcom that made Will Smith a star, was going to be remade as a dramatic series, there were a lot of questions. What’s clear now is that the show is working for a lot of people, as Bel-Air premieres its third season this week.

Bel-Air Season 3 arrives August 15 on Peacock.

Bad Monkey (Apple TV+) 

I’m sure once I watch Bad Monkey with my Apple TV+ subscription, I’ll understand what the title means. All I know is that a good detective story with more than a little humor, courtesy of lead actor Vince Vaughn, looks like exactly the sort of thing I’d enjoy. Vaughn stars as a suspected police detective, who gets a bit too close to a murder case and then has to figure his way out of it.

Bad Monkey premieres August 15 on Apple TV+.

RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars Season 1 (Paramount+)  

It’s difficult to undersell just how popular RuPaul’s Drag Race has become. The series has multiple iterations domestically, but it is now also produced in multiple countries around the world. Now, it's time for the Drag Race World Championship. RuPaul's Drag Race Global All-Stars brings together 12 former contestants from the various international versions of the show to compete against each other. Until a Paramount+ subscription gets you access to the international versions of the show, this will give fans a way to see how the game is played around the world.

RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars Season 1 on Paramount+.

Plenty more good stuff is planned for August and beyond. We’ll be keeping our eyes open to find the best streaming content so you don’t miss it.

The $2 billion lifetime box mark for all their movies is a major milestone for actors and only the most popular ones have reached that level. The full list, per The Numbers, includes a lot of names you'd expect, and a few you wouldn't. Many on the list play major characters in the MCU, though we've limited those somewhat here, to get a fuller picture. So here it is, our list of actors who've topped the $2 billion mark all-time at the box office.

Daniel Radcliffe

There are some huge franchises out there, and few are bigger than the Harry Potter series, so naturally, the actor who played its protagonist, Daniel Radcliffe, is going to find his way onto this list. With a box office total climbing north of $2.6 billion, Radcliffe has supplemented Harry Potter with big movies like Now You See Me 2 and The Lost City.

Tom Cruise

For four decades Tom Cruise has been one of, if not the, most bankable stars in Hollywood. The biggest chunk of the more than $4 billion he's earned has come from the Mission: Impossible movies, but almost every one of his movies, from Top Gun to War of the Worlds and beyond are usually big money makers. 

Harrison Ford

When you star in two of the biggest franchises in Hollywood history, you're going to make this list. As Han Solo in the Star Wars movies and as the titular character in the Indiana Jones series, Harrison Ford has been raking in box office receipts for decades.  He's also had big money earners outside those series as well, like the two Jack Ryan movies he starred in, and movies like The Fugitive and the two Blade Runner flicks.  

Tom Hanks

It's hardly a surprise to see Tom Hanks on this list. With a total box office of over $5 billion, Hanks has consistently crushed it in some of the most iconic roles in Hollywood history. The list of Hanks' best movies includes Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump, Philadelphia, Big, and many more, but the movies that make the biggest contribution to that box office number come from the Toy Story franchise. 

Jack Black

Jack Black movies have brought in more than $2.7 billion. Before you wonder where that has come from, you have to remember just how huge the Kung Fu Panda series of movies have been. They all have collected huge box office numbers. Throw in School of Rock, and the Jumanji series, and all of a sudden, you're climbing in some pretty rarified air. Oh - and it might surprise you that the Super Mario Bros. Movie earned more than a billion on its own.  

Morgan Freeman

Is there a more beloved actor in Hollywood than Morgan Freeman? With movies like The Shawshank Redemption, Driving Miss Daisy, and Unforgiven he's proven he's one the best actors, and with huge movies like The Dark Knight trilogy, he's brought in a ton of money, with over $2 billion total. 

George Clooney

There isn't anyone in Hollywood who quite personifies a classic movie star than George Clooney. He's brought in more than $2 billion lifetime, with only one superhero movie on his resume (and a forgettable one at that, with Batman & Robin). Of course, the Ocean's movies have been his biggest box office successes, but he mostly has just put out great movie after great movie. 

Liam Neeson

While Liam Neeson isn't alone in actors we'd like to see in the MCU one day, he's still earned bank at the box office. He's appeared in a number of other big franchises, like Star Wars, The Dark Knight, and The Chronicles of Narnia, and the franchise he's most known for, the Taken movies. 

Steve Carell

It may surprise you to see Steve Carrell on this list until you remember how huge the Despicable Me franchise is. Those movies print money and Carell has been a monster piece in that puzzle. Of course, he's also had huge hits like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and the Anchorman movies. 

Meryl Streep

It's hard to argue against Meryl Streep being the finest actress of a generation, and perhaps even ever. With more than 20 Oscar nominations, she's built a career that is unparalleled. She has also managed to kill it at the box office despite not being a part of any huge franchises. The Mamma Mia! movies are the closest she's come to something like that, which makes her $2 billion+ that much more impressive.  

Eddie Murphy

Year after year Eddie Murphy just cranks out hit after hit. Sure, he's a long way away from his peak as a comic in the '80s, but you can't argue against the results, with over $3.5 billion in total receipts. The biggest contributors, of course, are the Shrek movies. 

Johnny Depp

Of course, Johnny Depp has to be on this list. Depp led one of the biggest franchises of the early 21st Century with the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He's had a lot of hits outside of his work for Disney, but the role of Jack Sparrow has translated to a big chunk of his more than $3.6 billion total box office. 

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence hasn't been in the MCU proper, but in full disclosure, she did appear in the X-Men franchise when it was outside of the MCU proper. So there is that. Still, she's also got another franchise under her belt with the Hunger Games movies. Outside of that, she's known for taking on serious roles in movies like Winter's Bone and Mother. It all adds up to more than $2.6 billion.

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro has been one of the most famous actors in Hollywood for more than 50 years and with that has come a lot of success at the ticket window. in total, his movies like Cape Fear, The Godfather II, Killers of the Flower Moon, and, the films that have contributed the most to his more than $2.6 billion lifetime box office sales, the Meet The Parents movies. 

Emma Watson

As one of the key cast members of eight Harry Potter movies, it's hardly a surprise to see Emma Watson on this list. That franchise alone has made billions. She also appeared as Belle in the Disney live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast in 2017, which made a cool billion as well. 

Leonardo DiCaprio

The great Leonardo DiCaprio is another actor on this list who has built remarkable box office numbers – well over $2 billion – without the benefit of a major franchise. It helps to have Titanic on your resume though. 

Julia Roberts

Since the late '80s, Julia Roberts has been box office gold. In all, her movies have made more than $2 billion, and without the benefit of a major franchise, aside from the first two Ocean's movies. Instead, she's built her legendary career on movies like Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovich, and Eat Pray Love.

Bruce Willis

There are few action stars as loved as Bruce Willis. Before he retired due to aphasia and dementia, he not only starred in the Die Hard series, but he consistently churned out hits like Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, and one of his biggest movies, Armageddon. He also popped in two of the Expendables movies, earning an overall $3 billion or so. 

Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson may have started out in professional wrestling, but he's owned Hollywood since making the transition to acting. In addition to the Fast and Jumanji franchises, Johnson's box office totals include two Mummy movies and a slew of other hits. It all adds up to well over $3 billion. 

Owen Wilson

There is a small caveat here. Owen Wilson has technically appeared in the MCU, but it was on the Disney+ show Loki and he's never been in one of the movies, so nothing in the MCU is reflected in his box office numbers. What does count is movies like Meet The Parents, Night At The Museum, and The Cars franchise. It all adds up to more than $2.3 billion.

Adam Driver

While he may not have the MCU on his resume, Adam Driver does have three huge Star Wars movies on it. That's a great way to pad your box office numbers. Driver is hardly a one-hit wonder though. House of Gucci, BlacKkKlansman, and others all add up to more than $2.3 billion.

Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock has put together an impressive career that's spanned over three decades. Despite not starring in many major franchises aside from Ocean's 8 and Minions. Still, over her career, she's generated more than $2.6 billion in box office totals. Impressive, to say the least. 

Kevin Hart

Everyone loves Kevin Hart, but it's sort of surprising just how successful his movies have been over the years. He's in rarified air here with over $2.4 billion in tickets sold to movies he's appeared in. It certainly helps that's his popped up in the Fast franchise, as well as the Jumanji movies, of course. 

Jim Carrey

Other than Batman Forever Jim Carrey has avoided major franchises over the years. Still, at one point, he was Hollywood's highest-paid actor because his movies almost always make big bucks, bringing in more than $2.9 million overall. Movies like Bruce Almighty and the Sonic movies have contributed greatly to that haul. 

Will Ferrell

What can you say about Will Ferrell that hasn't already been said? Frankly, he's the premier comedic actor over the last couple of decades. With movies like the Anchorman series, Elf, Step Brothers, and maybe his biggest contributor to his more than $2.8 billion in receipts, the Lego franchise, Farrell movies continue to clean up in theaters. 

Will Smith

Before the infamous "slap" at the Oscars in 2023, Will Smith was one of America's most beloved movie stars. His reputation has taken a hit, but his box office numbers over the years don't lie. With franchises like Bad Boys and Men In Black, in addition to a huge number of other hits over the years, Smith's total take is among the highest ever at over $3.8 billion. 

Keanu Reeves

You don't need comic book movies when you've got monster franchises like John Wick and The Matrix. Those two series have contributed a huge part to Keanu Reeves' amazing box office numbers, which stretch over $2 billion now. Throw in one of the Toy Story movies and a handful of other big hits and you're on top of the world. 

Denzel Washington

Until The Equalizer series, Denzel Washington had never even starred in a sequel, much a franchise. He has still managed to rack up more than $2.5 billion in box office numbers though. Washington has been one of the world's most famous actors for decades and has won a slew of awards, including two Oscars, so it's hardly a surprise, but it's still darn impressive. 

Brad Pitt

If Brad Pitt's Ocean's franchise co-star George Clooney isn't the most famous movie star in the world, Brad Pitt might be. Like Clooney, he's mostly built his box office record without the help of any major franchise, aside from Ocean's. It is worth mentioning that he had that infamous cameo in Deadpool 2, but that's still technically outside of the MCU. 

Adam Sandler

He's not everyone's cup of tea, sure, but Adam Sandler has put together one of the most impressive careers in Hollywood history with his unique brand of humor. Movies like Big Baddy, Mr. Deeds, You Don't Mess with the Zohan and Grown Ups have all tucked away huge amounts of money, as have others, meaning Sandler's overall box office is up over $2.8 billion. 

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck does benefit from his time as Batman in the ill-fated DCEU, which has since been replaced with the reboot DCU. Those movies, despite mostly middling reviews, did all make a lot of money. When you add in movies like Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and Gone Girl, it's easy to see how his total haul adds up to more than $2.4 billion. 

Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg might be the most surprising person on this list, believe it or not. Then you remember he was in some of the Transformer movies, and think about how much the Ted and Daddy's Home movies made, and you realize it's not actually all that shocking. In total, his movies have brought in well over two and a half billion dollars. 

Mark Wahlberg’s latest movie has him involved with actor/director Mel Gibson in the thriller Flight Risk. He’ll be playing a pilot who reveals himself to be a hitman sent to kill a fugitive on a flight. With Wahlberg showing himself in character with a newly shaved head, actor Joe Pantoliano led a chorus of fun comments about the new hairdo.

In the Flight Risk trailer, we already thought Mark Wahlberg was getting heavy into character with his fake Southern accent. Then, when Michelle Dockery’s FBI agent character knocks off the pilot/hitman’s hat, we see the male pattern baldness look in full bloom! The Boston native revealed on Instagram a funny look at his new ‘do for Flight Risk, and no, it’s not a bald cap!

It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that Mark Wahlberg put so much effort into his character’s appearance. For example, the Ted actor made himself all muscly with Dwayne Johnson in Pain & Gain. Then, he lost 60 pounds to play a self-destructing literature professor in The Gambler. A big transformation for Wahlberg was when he gained 20 lbs in three weeks to play a real-life boxer-turned-priest in Father Stu eating 7,000 calories a day. If the American leading man was willing to put his body through the ringer for that role, you'd think shaving his head ought to be a cakewalk for the dedicated actor.

Many Instagram users were quick to leave hilarious comments about Mark Wahlberg’s new hair for Flight Risk. Once The Sopranos’ Joe Pantoliano chimed in with his funny reaction, and many other celebrities and social media users joined in on the fun:

• I knew if I waited long enough, going Bald would be cool… ❤️ @realjoeypants
• Dedication to the craft right there 😂👏🏻 @boyfromboston617
• Finally - the REAL Mark. Bloodied and balding and clumsily surreptitious. @paulwhausergram
• Mark Baldberg @brilling91
• All in foo! @mariolopez

If you thought the reactions of various celebrities were funny, Mark Wahlberg told People that his wife was very surprised to see her husband’s new look for the movie. I can understand that considering it’s a look we’ve never seen before from the Oscar nominee. He also revealed his kids got a lot of laughs from the haircut as well which should be a real motivator for them to see the upcoming film. Wahlberg said that his decision to really shave his hair was due to feeling “ridiculous” wearing a fake mustache or a wig. His reasoning makes sense considering hair does grow back after all.

After Mark Wahlberg showed off a picture of his newly shaved head for his new movie, Joe Pantoliano and many others shared their fun reactions to the actor’s dedicated look. I have a feeling Wahlberg will deliver a performance with this hitman character more shocking than seeing his male pattern baldness reveal. You can see more of The Italian Job actor’s full transformation in Flight Risk, with the 2024 movie release in theaters on October 18th.

Mark Wahlberg seems to really like being a spy, doesn’t he? On top of last year’s breakout streaming hit The Family Plan, the man now has another espionage flavored comedy in which he’s once again in over his head with the wrong people. However, the 2024 movie The Union has a rather interesting twist on the matter, as none other than James Bond movie vet Halle Berry is the seasoned vet this time around; and she’s ensnared Marky Mark into a deadly game.

As an espionage movie fan, I love this; but I’m also pretty well sold on Berry and Wahlberg being one of the next premiere action rom-com duos. Netflix has made sure of that, as the streamer has now shared the first trailer for director Julian Farino’s upcoming action/adventure romp. 

Reuniting former high school sweethearts Roxanne (Halle Berry) and Mike (Mark Wahlberg), these Jersey kids don’t have long to catch up before she whisks him away to London. While the mission to recover a list of “every U.S. spy” for The Union is something ripped straight out of not only Skyfall, but also the Mission: Impossible movies, that’s not what caught my eye.

Rather, the chemistry between Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg, as well as other cast members like spy chief J.K. Simmons, is what’s really sold me on this film’s promise. Any good title in this subgenre of action/adventure needs a team to drive its mission. Berry, Wahlberg, and Simmons feel like a dynamite trio to anchor things down, and having a legend like Jackie Earle Haley playing the Q of the bunch just seals the deal even more. 

Also, I’m not totally sure, but I’m starting to think that Luke Colter is the Bond villain of The Union’s spin on this formula. That’s not confirmed, but between the action in the trailer, and that crisp press image of the man you see above makes that impression harder to shake. If that happens to be true, sweet Christmas we could be in for quite the battle. 

The Union couldn’t be arriving at a better time for Mark Wahlberg enthusiasts. Not only did  The Family Plan’s crowd-pleasing results turned into a record breaking hit for Apple TV+ towards the end of 2023, this spring also saw Arthur the King winning Wahlberg fan's hearts. Pair that with Halle Berry's undeniable star power, as well as Netflix experiences like her directorial debut Bruised, and you've got a recipe for an excitingly intense time.

And with that, you've officially been debriefed on The Union! You now have all the information you need before this mission kicks off on August 16th. Well, except for the fact that you'll need to renew your Netflix subscription in preparation for what looks to be an explosively good time.

Of all the mysteries of life, one that continues to confound us is what, exactly, lies beyond our planet. After thousands of years of peering into outer space as far as we could, we began to look for those answers in a very concrete way by sending people to the stars, and our movies have reflected our desire to know more, meaning that a number of humanity’s biggest and brightest stars have played space-faring individuals on screen. Here for you now are 32 famous actors who’ve played astronauts.

Sandra Bullock (Gravity)

Let’s start with one of the more harrowing views of space travel, Gravity, which garnered a number of Academy Award wins after its 2013 release. Sandra Bullock stars as Dr. Ryan Stone, who’s on her first space mission in order to help upgrade a telescope. But, things very quickly go wrong when she’s doing a spacewalk, and debris from a recently deactivated satellite hits the shuttle and leaves her stranded with many of her crew dead, Ryan floating through space, and desperate to find a way back to earth all on her own.

Brad Pitt (Ad Astra)

A space trip that doesn’t go too much better involves Brad Pitt’s Roy McBride in 2019’s Ad Astra. When Roy is tasked with traveling to Mars to see if the crew of a mission that was searching for other intelligent life, which was led 29 years earlier by his father, is still alive, he’s unwittingly thrust into a situation that’s far more dangerous than even standard space travel is known to be.

Ryan Reynolds (Life)

Noted comedic actor and big-screen superhero talent Ryan Reynolds has also donned a space suit for the very much not comedic Life, a 2017 ode to terror in space. After a probe returns to the International Space Station with soil samples from Mars, what is at first a dormant cell quickly turns into, well, life, and begins to cause a lot of horrific trouble for Reynolds’ engineer and the rest of the crew.

Halle Berry (Moonfall)

If you’re starting to sense a theme here, that outer space is dangerous, congratulations, because you really are paying attention. In the sci-fi disaster epic, Moonfall, Halle Berry’s NASA deputy director has to investigate when the moon begins to leave its orbit and come closer to Earth, threatening all of civilization. When she digs deeper into the mystery, however, she finds a government cover-up that goes back many decades and is forced to head back into space with a small crew to take care of the growing problem herself.

Michael Peña (A Million Miles Away)

Considering the incredible number of films we have where those who head into space are prominent characters, there are actually relatively few based on the lives of real people. A Million Miles Away stars Michael Peña as José M. Hernández, a Mexican-American engineer who served as a migrant worker when he was a child and went on to become an astronaut who worked aboard the International Space Station.

Viola Davis (Solaris)

There are many sci-fi films of the mind-trip variety and Solaris is no different. Viola Davis portrays one of the last surviving members of a space station crew orbiting the titular alien world, who must then try to help George Clooney’s visiting psychologist understand the truly strange phenomena that led to the death or disappearance of most of the crew. If you enjoy a twisty ending that leaves you with lots of questions, you’ll enjoy this one.

Mark Wahlberg (Planet Of The Apes)

You know this story; you love this story. Planet of the Apes saw Mark Wahlberg take over the role of an astronaut who crashes on a foreign planet, only to find that apes are now the dominant species, while humans are mostly without speech and used as slave labor. 

Chris Evans (Sunshine)

And here we have yet another space movie where a mission does not quite go as planned. Sunshine features stars like Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh and a pre-Captain America Chris Evans as the crew of a ship that’s been tasked with traveling to our dying sun to deliver a bomb in the hopes of reigniting it so that our planet can avoid another catastrophic ice age.

Adam Driver (65)

Ever wonder what Earth was like about 65 million years ago when dinosaurs still ruled the land? Well, that’s what alien astronaut Mills (Adam Driver) accidentally finds out when his ship is struck by a large field of asteroids and crashes on our planet, leading him to have to protect the only other survivor as they flee many dangerous beasts in an attempt to get to a faraway escape pod so they can return home.

Sigourney Weaver (Alien)

It’s possible we’d have far fewer of these “if it can go wrong on a space mission it will” science fiction films without what many consider one of the best horror movies of all time, Alien. The classic stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, one of a seven-person crew who unknowingly stumble upon the ultra-dangerous xenomorphs that would go on to become legendary in sci-fi horror, which quickly leads to pretty much nothing but increasingly bad times on their doomed mission.

Tom Hanks (Apollo 13)

We’ve hit upon another story based on some real-life adventures! In Apollo 13, Tom Hanks stars as Commander Jim Lovell who, along with Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), board their 1970 mission to the moon in order to become the third American crew to land there. However, trouble starts almost immediately.

Natalie Portman (Lucy In The Sky)

While not completely a true life story, 2019’s Lucy in the Sky is billed as being “loosely inspired” by the life of NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak. The plot concerns Natalie Portman’s Lucy, who has just returned from her first space mission, which had such a huge impact on her that she no longer feels connected to her family or life here. As she pushes herself to return on the next mission, she undergoes a mental breakdown that sends her life into a tailspin.

Glen Powell (Hidden Figures)

While the amazing biopic, Hidden Figures, focuses on three Black women (Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) who worked as NASA mathematicians during the height of the Space Race in the 1960s, we do still get an astronaut in this film. Twisters star Glen Powell plays John Glenn, who became the first American in orbit in 1962.

Robert Pattinson (High Life)

You’d think a movie called High Life would finally focus on some good times in space, but…nahhhhh. Robert Pattinson is a member of a crew of convicts on death row who’ve been sent to retrieve energy from a black hole, with the experiments of their commander leading to a child being born on board while crew members spiral out of control.

Tom Cruise (Oblivion)

Tom Cruise’s 2013 film, Oblivion, features him in a twisty plot that involves a post-apocalyptic Earth, evil A.I., even more evil aliens, and his character trying to figure out exactly what’s going on with his assigned mission. This is a good one that people hardly ever talk about.

Jodie Foster (Contact)

Based on the 1985 novel by Carl Sagan, Contact stars Academy Award winner Jodie Foster as a scientist who specializes in the search for extraterrestrial life, and finds a big clue toward that goal when she locates a radio signal that appears to be sent from a distant star, and is eventually chosen as the person to make first contact with the alien race behind the signal. Contact is an amazing film that is a must-see for sci-fi and space movie lovers.

Colin Farrell (Voyagers)

This movie is a real (space) trip. Voyagers stars Colin Farrell as the leader of a crew of very young adults who were bred away from humanity and had some of their hormones and emotions suppressed in the hope of keeping them manageable. But, when two of the crew realize what’s been done to them and convince everyone to stop taking the chemical, well, the proceedings get extremely emotional and tension doesn't let up for quite some time.

Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar)

By now, it’s probably pretty clear that our idea of space travel and exploration is mainly one of danger, especially from the unknown, and Christopher Nolan’s wildly successful Interstellar is certainly another addition to the film canon that shows us that. In it, Matthew McConaughey plays a former NASA test pilot who’s chosen to lead a mission through a wormhole that is hoped to lead to at least one habitable planet for humanity, which is dealing with a global famine that’s threatening an extinction event. 

Idris Elba (Prometheus)

Those Alien xenomorphs just won’t leave us alone, will they? In Prometheus, we get their origin story as a crew following an ancient star map searches for the beginnings of humanity, but instead finds…you know, a secret plot and lots of terror. Idris Elba portrays Janek, the heroic captain of the doomed spaceship.

Adam Sandler (Spaceman)

If you’ve ever gotten the sense that space travel can be kind of lonely, Adam Sandler’s Spaceman turns that idea up to 11. His astronaut is six months into a solo mission that sees him missing his wife and the unborn child he left behind, when he realizes he has a stowaway: an alien creature who can communicate telepathically with him, and seeks to understand humans while helping alleviate the astronaut’s loneliness.

Ryan Gosling (First Man)

This biographical drama sees Ryan Gosling play Neil Armstrong, who became the first man to walk on the moon in 1969. The story follows Armstrong, his wife Janet (Claire Foy), and other astronauts and NASA figures as they prepare for the famed Apollo 11 mission that led to Armstrong making history.

Angela Bassett (Supernova)

Even two-time Oscar nominee Angela Bassett has taken a turn at playing a space explorer whose time there does not go as planned. When she and her crew answer a distress call from thousands of light years away during their deep space mission, things go from bad to worse at, well, the speed of light.

Matt Damon (The Martian)

Matt Damon famously starred in one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, playing astronaut Mark Watney, who’s forced to survive on Mars alone after being accidentally left behind when he’s presumed dead by the rest of his crew as they’re forced to evacuate. 

Bruce Willis (Armageddon)

Possibly the best non-traditional astronaut movie ever made, Armageddon stars good guy Bruce Willis as an oil driller recruited to go into space with a team of his mean so that they drill into a massive asteroid, implant a nuke in it and blow it up in the hope of stopping it from destroying the planet and human civilization as we know it. I got excited just writing that!

Laurence Fishburne (Event Horizon)

In space, no one can hear you scream. Unless you’re on a spaceship with other people that’s destined to run into loads of trouble, then, you know, all of those people will probably be able to hear you. There’s lots of screaming in 1997’s Event Horizon, which stars Laurence Fishburne as the captain of a rescue ship that goes to answer a distress call sent by a ship that disappeared several years prior. There’s a vivisection in this one. I’m starting to think we should just leave space alone.

Robert Duvall (Deep Impact)

You must remember Deep Impact, as it was released about two months before the more popular Armageddon, but featured a comet being on a collision course with our precious homeworld. Robert Duvall plays the pilot for the crew that’s dispatched to (you guessed it) drill into the comet and nuke it to smithereens. The mission does not go off without a hitch, and that’s why they call this a disaster movie.

Ethan Hawke (Gattaca)

In a society where most babies are created with genetic altering to make sure they have only the best traits of each parent, a man (Ethan Hawke) who was born without that practice poses as a man who was altered so that he can reach his dream of becoming an astronaut without all of the discrimination that people like him suffer in a society where people are expected to be “perfect” to have the best opportunities in life.

Sam Rockwell (Moon)

Ok, so maybe being in space, in general, isn’t always terrible. But it definitely seems like being alone in space for an extended period could be a bad sign for your future. Such is the case with Moon, where Sam Rockwell plays the lone human operating a mining facility on the titular celestial body, who comes to a startling revelation as he nears the end of his three-year work term.

Clint Eastwood (Space Cowboys)

Clint Eastwood has portrayed a number of (basically) good guys, so it makes complete sense that he would have stepped into the shoes of an Air Force pilot who retired long ago, but ends up leading a mission of other retired pilots to fix an old Soviet communications satellite that’s in danger of crashing to Earth.

Liv Tyler (Space Station 76)

As you’ve likely noticed, there are not a lot of comedies among this bunch, but Space Station 76 is definitely one of them. This “retro-futuristic” parody stars Liv Tyler as the newly arrived station’s co-pilot, who soon comes to realize that the apparently utopian lives of those on board are hiding some very real problems.

Alan Rickman (Galaxy Quest)

Here is another comedy that’s been a cult hit pretty much since its release in 1999. Galaxy Quest focuses on the cast of a fictional Star Trek-like series who are pulled into a hilariously real war between alien races, when the kind, gentle aliens have seen their show and believe it’s a documentary.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox)

The Cloverfield franchise grew with this 2018 entry, which stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as an engineer aboard an orbiting space station where the plan is to test a particle accelerator in the hope of using it to provide the planet with infinite energy. You know what happens, right? Things don’t go as planned.

Many of our finest actors have pretended to travel in space for our entertainment, and this list gives you a number of amazing options should you decide to launch an astronaut movie binge session.

A lot of talented actors auditioned for Titanic to play Jack Dawson, like Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Christian Bale, and more. Ultimately, Leonardo DiCaprio won the role of Rose Dewitt Bukater’s doomed love interest, and Titanic went on to become one of DiCaprio’s best movies. What you may not know is that Mark Wahlberg also auditioned for the romance-drama film, and he reveals what made James Cameron think he was too “unfocused” for the role.

Normally the first part of an audition is an actor going through a script reading. They either get the script in advance or are handed it on the spot. In the case of Mark Wahlberg’s audition for Titanic, his experience was a little different once he met up with James Cameron. While speaking on Josh Horowitz’s podcast Happy Sad Confused, Wahlberg explained why the Canadian filmmaker probably thought the Bostonian actor was too “unfocused” to take on Jack Dawson.

So compared to going along with a script reading, Mark Wahlberg was more focused on driving James Cameron’s Hummer. And no, The Italian Job actor did not shout out the famous Titanic line “I’m King of the world!” It would be kind of hard for him to do that without a script reading. James Cameron is known for being a total perfectionist, I can understand the visionary filmmaker being turned off by an actor showing more focus on his car than his screenplay. You can watch the interview for yourself on Instagram below:

The year Titanic came out still wasn’t a bad year for Mark Wahlberg, as he received high praise in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights. However, the Academy Award nominee almost said no to the period drama because he was turned off by the subject matter of portraying a porn actor. However, this script he actually did read and was slowly won over by it.

If you can believe it, there used to be a rumor that there was a feud going on between Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg during the casting of Boogie Nights. Paul Thomas Anderson ended up squashing the “urban legend” by explaining that shooting Boogie Nights would have conflicted with DiCaprio filming Titanic which is why he turned it down. So it was all just a matter of scheduling conflicts. It looks like Wahlberg got his big movie the same year DiCaprio got his, so 1997 gave them both success in different projects.

Mark Wahlberg revealed that James Cameron may have found the actor “unfocused” for Titanic due to wanting to ride the filmmaker’s Hummer rather than read his script. Even if the box office-winning film isn’t listed under Wahlberg’s best movies, he at least had Boogie Nights that year to help make a name for himself in the film industry.

To learn more about the Ted actor’s future projects, take a look at our 2024 movie releases. Titanic is also available to watch with your Paramount+ subscription and your Amazon Prime subscription.

Mark Wahlberg's career is on a definite upswing, with two promising titles set for the 2024 movie schedule and a successful film wrapping up his 2023 efforts on Apple TV+. While The Family Plan might not rank among Apple TV+'s top offerings, the leading man's fans remain loyal, with audiences propelling Wahlberg's movie to success on the streaming platform. However, it's not just his upcoming movie projects that are attracting attention; it's also his rigorous workout routines and disciplined lifestyle that have enthusiasts captivated. Wahlberg, known for maintaining peak physical condition well into his 40s, recently showcased his latest shirtless workout regimen on social media, causing jaws to drop and gym memberships to soar. Seriously, those back muscles are something to behold.

It's nothing new for fans to witness Marky Mark's relentless pursuit of physical fitness showcased in his recent Instagram video. After all, he's previously shared his 4 am workout and swole AF look. The former model-turned-Hollywood A-lister showcased a chiseled physique that could make even the most dedicated gym-goer question their commitment. The Instagram video, which you can view below, posted with the caption "Sunday is the new Monday!! Get after it 4 am club📈💯🔥 @municipal," captured the actor amid an intense workout session. Shirtless and drenched in sweat, the Hollywood heavyweight demonstrated a level of dedication that is nothing short of awe-inspiring:

In all seriousness, in the video footage, it's the wee hours of the morning, and the Transformers veteran is seen vigorously tackling the gym equipment as if he's gearing up to go toe to toe with the Decepticons again. With the way he highlights his impressive back muscles, one can speculate how he might be able to put the worst the robots in disguise can throw at him in their place. 

Or, if Paramount wants to consider revisiting the shelved plans for an Italian Job sequel, the Oscar nominee's dedication and physical prowess could add an enticing edge to the heist project. Of course, if the studio needs a muscle head to lift a Mini Cooper full of loot, I'm sure he’s up for the challenge as well.

While the Boogie Nights star maintains his gym routine, he's also hinted at a shift in focus for his acting career. Recently, he's spoken about embarking on a "new chapter" in his professional journey, expressing a desire to tackle more "meaningful" roles as he matures. He's even down for playing a grandfather. Despite his penchant for gritty, action-packed films like Four Brothers and Patriots Day, his comedic chops have shown through in some of the best Mark Wahlberg movies. The Other Guys stands out as a prime example, blending humor with action in a way that resonates with audiences and earns a special place in the hearts of fans like myself.

Despite rumors swirling about Mark Wahlberg's potential retirement, the actor seems still eager to tackle plenty of projects on the big screen and motivated to remain fit for the screen. And, if you need a reminder of his commitment, look at those back muscles again.

Right now, the actor can be seen gracing theaters in peak physical shape in Arthur the King, which CinemaBlend reviewed. Our own Dirk Libbey reviewed the family-friendly flick, calling it “a good enough movie about a very good boy."

As much as we like to see Hollywood as a dream factory, some projects can be total nightmares. Maybe people realize that fact during production, or maybe it’s a big case of hindsight providing 20/20 vision; but eventually there comes a time when an entertainer decides that their own movie is the enemy. For one reason or another, the list we’re about to share with you is a bunch of cases where that sort of takedown was warranted by the talent that had to endure making them in the first place. 

Jamie Lee Curtis - Virus

No matter how many times the 1999 sci-fi horror movie Virus comes up, it seems that Jamie Lee Curtis has a colorful variety of responses that detail just how flat-out horrible the finished product was. And depending on which interview you read, the language can get just as cheeky, so reader discretion is definitely advised. 

Michael Caine - Jaws: The Revenge

If you ever want a lesson in destroying a cinematic turkey with great wit and class, look up Michael Caine’s remarks on Jaws: The Revenge. Simultaneously admitting he’d never watched the film, but loved the personal enrichment that came from it, it’s one of the best moments of Sir Michael’s legendary charm at work.

Charlize Theron - Reindeer Games

How bad is the perennial punchline Reindeer Games? Well, if you ask Charlize Theron like Esquire did back in 2008, the Ben Affleck co-starring film is "a bad, bad, bad movie." So that question's pretty much asked and answered. 

George Clooney - Batman and Robin

George Clooney’s continued Batman regrets will never stop being entertaining. Playing that very DC hero in 1997’s Batman & Robin, the infamously campy Joel Schumacher picture holds a very special place in the ER veteran’s heart; and it’s one of intensely self-deprecating comedy. 

Katherine Heigl - Knocked Up

The story about Katherine Heigl and her apparent lack of love for Knocked Up is one that’s circulated pretty much since Judd Apatow’s 2008 comedy mega-hit landed. However, it seems that years after the star seemed to slam her own movie, Heigl’s 2016 comments on the matter painted a different picture.

Christopher Plummer - The Sound of Music

How an actor like the late great Christopher Plummer could grow to despise a musical like The Sound of Music is still a mystery. Well, it’s puzzling in the sense that his apparent criticism of its sentimental and emotional nature feels a bit rough. Despite his misgivings, the Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptation remains one of Christopher Plummer’s best roles. 

Sally Field - The Amazing Spider-Man

Comic book movies aren’t for everyone, and The Amazing Spider-Man’s Sally Field admitted just that when talking about her role as Andrew Garfield’s Aunt May. Field’s reason for taking the role as a favor to her friend, late producer Laura Ziskin, is still sweet. But digging into Sally’s comments about the Marvel role, it would seem that there isn’t enough money in the Multiverse to bring the Academy Award winner back for any hypothetical follow-ups.

Edward Norton - The Italian Job

One of the most infamous stories of modern movie feuds, Edward Norton’s reluctance to play the villain in The Italian Job remake came down to two words: contractual obligations. As Observer covered in the lead-up to the movie’s production, Norton fulfilled his duties; but did so while taking every chance to put the project down. 

Jessica Alba - Fantastic Four

When your director tells you that CGI tears are better than the actual waterworks you’re providing on set, to say things are problematic is a bit of an understatement. That’s the scenario that Jessica Alba faced on Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which she revealed to Elle Magazine (via Today) as the reason she almost quit acting. 

Bill Murray - Garfield: The Movie

Confusion is something that even a legendary comedian like Bill Murray can admit to falling into from time to time. It just so happens that one of those times saw the legacy cast member of Ghostbusters accidentally assume one of The Coen Bros. wrote Garfield: The Movie. Thankfully for Murray, he only had to make one sequel before the franchise shifted gears to another iteration.

Jennifer Lawrence - Passengers

When Adele tells you to skip a movie like Passengers, that’s a sign you should take to heart. Unfortunately, Jennifer Lawrence ignored this advice, and what resulted was a movie that is as questionable as it is baffling. On the plus side, hearing Ms. Lawrence trash that movie means that the project is technically a valuable source of entertainment.

Channing Tatum - G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

We’ve all kind of known that Channing Tatum despises G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra; and rightfully so. But just how horrible was the man’s opinion of this past franchise starter? Well, not only did he pass on this project seven times, but when G.I. Joe: Retaliation came about, Tatum requested to be killed off in that very sequel. 

Viola Davis - The Help

Despite the contemporary hoopla that saw The Help become an Academy Awards darling at 2012’s Oscars, Viola Davis’ opinion on the movie is far from golden. Indeed, the project has become more and more scrutinized as time goes on, and Davis’ upset with the movie has only developed more nuance over time. 

Ryan Reynolds - Green Lantern

Even if you knew nothing about Ryan Reynolds starring in the much-maligned Green Lantern adaptation, his dislike for the picture is legendary. Especially when part of Deadpool 2’s wild time travel-correcting ending saw the Marvel anti-hero icing his reality-bound actor before even getting to make the film. 

Halle Berry - Catwoman

The downside to Halle Berry being in Catwoman is that she, unfortunately, had to actually make the movie. However, the upside to this painful experience is that Berry’s quips and jabs at her unfortunate DC Comics entry continue to show her impeccable sense of humor. 

Oscar Isaac - X-Men: Apocalypse

While Oscar Isaac doesn’t outright disown his X-Men movie, he does express serious regret for taking on the titular role in X-Men: Apocalypse. Though if you were cast to act up against James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, only to have your abilities hampered by an abundance of prosthetics, you’d probably be pretty steamed too. 

Dame Judi Dench - Cats

Not many actors would consider a Razzie nomination entertaining, or even valid. But then again, Cats' Dame Judi Dench isn't "most actors." Proud to have not seen the film, or read its reviews, the famed performer laughed off her own nomination, and even compared her character's final look to a bunch of foxes engaged in some not-so-family-friendly activity. 

Matt Damon - The Bourne Ultimatum

For as much cultural cache as the Jason Bourne movies still have in the world, it’s kind of astounding that the subpar reaction to some of the sequels doesn’t seem to have dampened that pedigree. That’s an especially good question after Matt Damon’s trashing of The Bourne Ultimatum script somehow didn’t prevent the worst sin that franchise has committed, 2016’s Jason Bourne. 

Megan Fox - Transformers

Megan Fox’s relationship with the Transformers franchise saw her putting the Hasbro toy franchise on blast after the release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. More specifically, her comments comparing Michael Bay to Hitler allegedly helped distance her even further from the series that she apparently has no particular love for. 

Matthew Goode - Leap Year

In remarks to The Telegraph about his role in the rom-com Leap Year, Matthew Goode fully admitted that the Amy Adams starring vehicle wasn’t exactly ideal for his tastes. Taking a page out of Michael Caine’s proverbial book on silver linings, Goode did admit that one of the reasons he did enjoy being part of the project was the fact that he could go home easily on the weekends. 

Kate Winslet - Titanic

While the world fell in love with Kate Winslet after her role in Titanic, the actor herself didn’t exactly love watching herself put in, what she feels, was a performance full of errors. Even in a legacy interview with CNN, Winslet criticized everything, even her American accent.  

Mark Wahlberg - Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights was a star making performance for Mark Wahlberg, and to this day it’s a role that’s aged well on his resume. And yet, Wahlberg has asked God to forgive him for making the Paul Thomas Anderson masterpiece, regarding it the biggest mistake of his career. 

Michelle Pfeiffer - Grease 2

Allegedly, Michelle Pfeiffer was cited to have chalked up her experience with Grease 2 as a case of being young and not knowing how to pick a good script. While those stories persist, Pfieffer has apparently started to set the record straight, attributing her supposed Grease sequel bashing to misreported remarks that grew a life of their own.

Sir Alec Guinness - Star Wars

While Sir Alec Guinness’ reaction to watching Star Wars was one of being refreshed, his outlook on taking the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi wasn’t as rosy. Actually making George Lucas’ sci-fi opus was a different story, with Guinness’ on-set feelings seeing the legendary actor less than pleased in the middle of production.

Miriam Margolyes - The Harry Potter Series

Harry Potter fans have been a frequent source of discussion for actor Miriam Margolyes. The performer who brought Madame Sprout to live in the film adaptation of the series not only has no personal connection with the franchise but she’s also shared some thoughts on adult Potter fans that have kicked up more dirt than one of her Herbology classes.

Sylvester Stallone - Stop, Or My Mom Will Shoot!

The widely reported story of how Sylvester Stallone became the action lead in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot! is thanks to his feud with action star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Apparently, Arnie tricked him into thinking he wanted the movie, which led Stallone to lobby for the part, and win it. His enduring torment can still be heard to this day, and Sly has even suggested the film as a form of interrogation enhancement. Yikes.

Dakota Johnson - Madame Web

Madame Web seems to be an experience that barely anyone enjoyed, even the actors who starred in the movie. Dakota Johnson’s skewering of the finished product, while extremely erudite and empathetic towards herself and the rest of the cast, cuts to the core problems that some feel superhero movies have possessed since day one. 

Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Out of all the Harry Potter movies Daniel Radcliffe has fronted, the one that comes in as his least favorite is the sixth entry, The Half Blood Prince. Radcliffe called his own performance “one-note,” especially when compared to his own personal favorite: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Jennifer Aniston - Leprechaun

Jennifer Aniston’s performance in Leprechaun makes her cringe to this day. So much so that in a 2019 interview on The Howard Stern Show, she mentioned that she tried and failed to stop her then-boyfriend Justin Theroux from watching the film; much to her dismay. 

Brad Pitt - The Devil’s Own

“20 pages of dog…” You can fill that phrase in for yourself, but Brad Pitt’s Newsweek interview about 1997’s The Devil’s Own said all that needed to be said about the actor’s feelings for the Harrison Ford co-starring drama. 

Sandra Bullock - Speed 2: Cruise Control

Some experience will stick with you, no matter how hard you try. Sandra Bullock’s no-sequel rule was an echo of such a trauma, thanks to her displeasure with Speed 2: Cruise Control. Admittedly, her concerns about a large cruise ship not being as perceptively speedy as a city bus were part of the equation as well, and can you blame her? 

Robert Pattinson - Twilight

Robert Pattinson’s hate affair with the Twilight Saga is as well-documented as the memes that have committed the franchise’s dialogue to memory. Thankfully, the man didn’t develop an aversion to bats, otherwise The Batman wouldn’t have happened; which is probably one of the best things that actually came out of Twilight when you think about it.

We hope that you’ve enjoyed this trip in the trenches with stars who had to tell it like it is. Judging by some of the movies mentioned here, it might be safe to say that for the most part, these reactions were spot on. But if you’re ever wondering why a movie you're fond of might be slammed by an actor or entertainer involved, keep these tales of woe in mind, and try not to take it too personally.

It’s a known fact that if you pair an animal and a touching storyline together, you’re almost guaranteed to have a winning combination for a movie. Arthur the King is proving this to be true once again as it quickly steals the hearts of audiences everywhere on the 2024 movie schedule. Less than a week after its release, hundreds of fans have voiced their love for the movie online, and one star from the cast is especially thankful for all the kind words: Mark Wahlberg. 

The actor took to Instagram to share his appreciation for how well-received his movie was by viewers, specifically on Rotten Tomatoes. On the rating platform, Arthur the King stands strong with a 98% Audience Score. As the positive comments and ratings continued to to pour in, Wahlberg wrote on his post:

Even though Rotten Tomatoes critics didn’t rate it as highly (67% on the Tomatometer), it definitely landed well with viewers, and they’re not swaying away from their opinions. There were a few words from fans that kept popping up in the reviews: wholesome, feel good, and inspirational. So it seems what audiences really connected to was the heartfelt and family-friendly direction that movie took. Here’s what some of them had to say:

• Linda W.: Heartwarming devotion and determination of man and dog!!
• Danny: Great movie, made you feel good. All actors were great. Need more of this type of movies.
• Serena: Loved it. Based on true events and it's a good movie for the whole family!
• Doris H.: I love true stories, and this had all the ingredients for a hit. So much heart, action and done to perfection.
• Crazygant: Yes! Family entertainment but theres also drama & passion. Heartfelt. Just what we all need these days.
• Deanne: Could not be more inspirational!!! This guy his journey to becoming everything he was looking for took a little left turn for the better! My husband and I loved every second of it. I was sad when it was over!

This movie falls in line with what Mark Wahlberg has mentioned before about starting a “new chapter in his career” and taking on more “meaningful” roles as he gets older. He’s known for not shying away from brutal, action-packed movies like in Four Brothers and Patriots Day. On the flip side, some of the best Mark Wahlberg movies include sometimes-very-inappropriate humor. The Other Guys is one of those, and I will always hold it closely to my heart.

More recently, he’s taken on roleprojectss that are richer and more insightful, like Arthur and Father Stu, or lighter and friendlier, like The Union, another 2024 movie. Wahlberg hasn’t quit the action genre completely though, as a new thriller named Flight Risk is next on his list. But with the glowing reviews for Arthur, there’s no doubt that he’s doing a great job with his career changeup, and that fans are really enjoying seeing him in more wholesome roles. 

While Wahlberg has been the center of rumors about retirement, it looks like the actor still has a lot he wants to do on screen. With the movies he’s starred in recently, I’m very excited to see what warming stories he’ll bring to life next. And if his story about a man with his dog didn’t already bring me to tears enough, if any of his future roles involve him and a cat, then it’s all over for me. 

Arthur the King is currently in theaters. If you’re looking for something that is a great and safe option for you and your loved ones, definitely check this one out!

If you’re a sucker for the subgenre that is highly emotional dog movies and/or you happen to like Mark Wahlberg, you’re in luck! Arthur The King, which is in theaters now, stars the Oscar nominee in the true story of Mikael Lindnord, an adventure racer who befriends a brave pup (Arthur) during his five-day race through the jungles of the Dominican Republic. While cinema is full of cute dogs, the role of Arthur would clearly be quite an undertaking given its physicality. However, what I didn’t expect was for the cast of Arthur The King to put Ukai the dog’s acting ability on par with that of Mark Wahlberg’s.

The film also stars Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel and Ali Suliman. I recently sat down with the three of them and asked who the better costar was, Mark Wahlberg or Ukai, in a clear tongue-in-cheek manner expecting some playful banter. What I got was sincere praise for the dog actor and a clear display of the affection they all grew to feel for him. Suliman, who had previously starred alongside Wahlberg in Lone Survivor, said the following:

Well there you have it! Ukai is a true professional, but don’t just take it from Suliman. The man who worked closest with Ukai, Mark Wahlberg, developed a sincere connection with the dog. While speaking with AMC Theaters, he said the following about Ukai’s acting ability:

In his review for Arthur The King, our own Dirk Libbey says, “You'd have to have a heart of stone (or just really hate dogs) to not be invested in the four-legged friend.” However, it’s important to note that Arthur The King has more to offer audiences than cute dog stuff. It also serves as a fun and inspiring action film, as Wahlberg and company cycle, climb, run and hike their way across the jungles of the Dominican Republic. Wahlberg may have left Hollywood in a literal sense, but despite rumors of retirement, his career is going strong.

You can see Arthur The King in movie theaters right now! It’s a fun and heartwarming family film that has something to offer nearly everyone. If that’s not your jam, we’ll continue to keep you updated on everything coming our way on the 2024 movie release schedule.

The old show business adage is that one should never work with animals or children. This is not because working with animals or children is difficult, but because if you work with animals or children, you will never be the star. Such is certainly the case in the new movie Arthur the King. It includes major movie stars like Mark Wahlberg and Simu Liu, whom their four-legged co-star utterly overshadow.

Based on the book Arthur - The Dog Who Crossed The Jungle To Find A Home by Swedish racer Mikael Lindnord, Arthur the King tells an Americanized version of a true story about a racing team that adopted a dog on their multi-day journey through grueling terrain. 

Michael Light (Wahlberg) is, according to the voice of the sports announcer we hear at the beginning, the best adventure racer to never win a world championship. Adventure racing is a team sport where three men and one woman work together on a multi-day course across hundreds of miles on foot, on bikes, and in kayaks. Despite Light’s reported abilities, the first we see of him, he’s leading his team into disaster, as his ego prevents him from reversing a bad decision until it’s too late, leading to an embarrassing loss.

Three years later, after trying his hand at a real job for a while, Light decides to give the Adventure Racing World Championship another ago. He builds a ragtag team of Chik (Ali Suliman), who is well past his prime, Olivia (Nathalie Emmanuel) the daughter of a well-known climber, but who has no particular desire to compete herself, and Leo (Liu) one of Light’s former team members who hasn’t spoken to him since the loss.

The team gains a fifth member, however, when Michael feeds a stray dog at one of the race checkpoints, resulting in the dog following and ultimately joining them on their race through the Dominican Republic.

Arthur The King’s first act struggles as the audience waits for man and dog to find each other. 

With a runtime barely over 90 minutes long, Arthur the King moves at a breakneck pace to get its story in, and that’s especially true at the outset. We go from Wahlberg’s character losing a race, to trying a life without racing, to building a new team, to training with that team, and then starting the race all before you’ve had a chance to eat a few handfuls of popcorn. Interspersed with all that are a few scenes of the dog that will eventually meet the human characters as it deals with its own struggles living as a stray on the street of the Dominican Republic.

The result of so much happening so fast is that we never get a chance to really get to know the human characters who are the ones the movie is ultimately supposed to be about. We know that Liu’s character is a social media star, that Suliman’s character is the old man with the bad knee, and Emmanual’s character is, well, the woman, and that's about it. The dog and people don't truly get together until well past the middle of the film, so until then the humans are all we have.

There’s no scene where the characters get to know and understand each other, so the audience never gets to understand them either. The movie is trying to get to the bit where the dog and the humans cross paths as quickly as possible and clearly sees this backstory as necessary to set everything up but unimportant.

Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, carry the story on sheer charisma. 

The lack of any serious characterization is a problem because, despite the name of the film, the humans and the race they are in are what the movie tells us it's about. But because the characters have no depth, they also have no arcs. It opens with Mark Wahlberg's character losing because he's unwilling to listen to his team, and so you expect a scene later where he overcomes this flaw, leading to some growth, but that scene never comes.

Luckily, the stars of Arthur the King are pretty charismatic actors, so they’re able to carry the load of the weak story. Wahlberg, Liu, Emmanual, and Suliman have some natural chemistry that makes the fact that the movie didn't bother to establish any chemistry between them work well enough, even if it doesn't work well.

Once man and dog find each other, things pick up a bit. Arthur is a dog that has clearly lived his life on the streets and has the injuries to show for it. He's not in great shape, but the idea that Michael Light may feel a connection to the dog because they're both a bit of a mess is more than clear. Any dog person is instantly going to lose their heart to the pup, which is, of course, the whole point of the movie. 

In the end, the emotional story of Arthur the King wins out.

Still, even then Arthur simply becomes part of the ensemble. The dog becomes a social media star as word travels that the team has picked up a fifth member. 

The race and the dog come into conflict, which is when, despite the issues Arthur the King has had up to this point, the emotions do start to take over. The true drama of Arthur the King is what's going to happen to Arthur, and you'd have to have a heart of stone (or just really hate dogs) to not be invested in the four-legged friend.

Despite some significant flaws, Arthur the King succeeds at its primary goal of being an emotional story about a man and a dog. It's not the best movie of its kind, but for those looking for exactly this sort of heartwarming story, it is exactly the film it appears to be and not much more.

With two titles on the 2024 movie schedule, and a hit flick closing out his 2023 on Apple TV+, Mark Wahlberg’s career is looking good. That totally matches the man himself, as The Family Plan star has been keeping up with what looks like an insane gym routine. Sharing that dedication with the world through a short clip of how he’s been keeping fit, Wahlberg looks swole AF during his 4 AM shenanigans.  

Honestly, I’m not all that surprised to see this Instagram video showcasing Mark Wahlberg putting himself through the paces. He is, after all, a Hollywood star who started as a model, so Mark’s pride in keeping in shape has been present from day one. That being said, take a look at the man making it all happen in the gym and try not to think about how you’re most likely still sleeping at this time of morning: 

Seriously, it’s 4 AM in this footage, and The Italian Job leading man is going to town on that gym equipment as if he’s preparing to steal three Mini Coopers worth of gold bars. Though judging by those muscles his trainer enthusiastically points out with expertise, it probably wouldn’t be hard for him to lift the loot and stash it somewhere safe. Hey Paramount, have you ever thought about resurrecting the planned Italian Job sequel that never got off the ground? 

If that call ever came in, you could bet that Mark Wahlberg would be physically ready to do it. The man has even shown similar dedication in gaining weight, as when I interviewed Mark about Father Stu’s radical transformation, he shared the healthy but “disgusting” way that he made that possible. Of course, the man’s been back to fighting shape for some time now, with the results fully on display above. 

Taking all of this in, I can’t help but think back to Mark Wahlberg’s thoughts on grandfather roles, and how he’s excited to jump into them. That’s definitely a healthy attitude to keep in mind, but you have to admit, that’s going to be one jacked up grandpa movie he’s probably going to have in the future. 

Maybe he can get Tom Cruise and Dwayne Johnson to team up with him, and they can do the ultimate action/comedy that shows age doesn’t matter…so long as muscle mass and quick thinking are still on the table. Or we can just circle back to making The Brazilian Job happen over 20 years later. Just politely putting that out there.

Don’t let the physique fool you, as Mark Wahlberg has still taken time to appeal to the softer side of the world’s hearts. We’ll see that in action soon enough, as his next film Arthur the King will test out his endurance and his dog skills, when it opens on March 15th. Plus, don’t forget that we’re getting a Mark Wahlberg/Halle Berry Netflix movie this summer in The Union, which will debut on August 16th. 

There's a tradition of brands assembling all-star casts for commercials that premiere during the Super Bowl broadcast, and Dunkin' didn't disappoint in 2024. It wasn't a surprise to see Ben Affleck as part of the ad, as he has been a spokesperson for a while now, but the spot also features Matt Damon, Tom Brady, Jack Harlow, Jennifer Lopez, and Fat Joe. Between Affleck, Damon and Brady, there's a lot of Boston power in the mix, and it's action that Mark Wahlberg wants in on in the future.

Wahlberg was a guest on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert this week, and apropos of nothing in particular, the titular host inquired why the Fighter star isn't part of the Dunkin' commercial that aired during the Super Bowl. It was a question that the actor didn't have a specific answer for, but he did note a personal interest in joining the ensemble in the future:

Given the amount of money that Ben Affleck rakes in for being in Dunkin' commercials, it's understandable that Mark Wahlberg would want in on the action. Perhaps the coffee store brand feels that he is somehow competition given his stake in the fast food chain Wahlburgers.

Mark Wahlberg previously worked with Matt Damon on Martin Scorsese's The Departed, and Tom Brady has a cameo in Seth MacFarlane's Ted 2, but it's noteworthy that Ben Affleck and Wahlberg have never been in a movie together. That's a bit surprising given that they've both been popular actors for decades; you'd think that they'd at least appear in some big ensemble project where they were both part of the cast but never actually shared a scene, but not even that kind of feature can be found when comparing their filmographies.

For what it's worth, while the Dunkin' ad certainly appeals directly to Bostonians (that's a whole thing with the brand), it wasn't a quality deemed necessary in the casting. Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Tom Brady all have Boston ties, but Jennifer Lopez and Fat Joe are both from The Bronx, and Jack Harlow is from Louisville, Kentucky. As such, Mark Wahlberg shouldn't specifically feel excluded, regardless of what side of the tracks he is from.

If you're not already aware of the Dunkin' Super bowl trailer, you can give it a watch below:

Mark Wahlberg's latest movie, Arthur The King, will arrive in theaters on March 15. You can learn about all of the films set to be released between now and the end of the year by checking out our 2024 Movie Release Calendar.

In a whirlwind of Hollywood developments, it seems like Halle Berry has lost one movie but still has another. Netflix recently released its 2024 highlight reel, which teased a number of exciting new projects, including a collaboration between Berry and Mark Wahlberg. While this was exciting for fans of the Oscar winner, this teaser comes after another Berry project for the streamer was recently shelved. The disappointment over the scrapped film is real, but I still can't wait to see what she brings to her upcoming action movie with the Boogie Nights actor.

After the actress' most recent Netflix film, Bruised, was a hit on the streaming service, fans seemed surprised when her sci-fi feature was scrapped by the studio. The movie was titled The Mothership, and was in the midst of filming when the streamer pulled it from the slate. According to reports, the entertainment conglomerate didn’t want to fund the hefty reshoots that the movie had to undergo and decided to scrap the project all together. That aside though, the streamer still seems keen on dropping her other film, The Union, which was surely filmed a while before any of the shifts with her other flick occurred. You can see a photo the Departed star posted on Instagram from the upcoming film below:

The Union is an action thriller about a construction worker, played by Mark Wahlberg, who gets caught up in the espionage world by his former high school girlfriend, played by Halle Berry. The cast also includes Mike Colter and J. K. Simmons and is set to land on Netflix in August. If this movie performs like many of Wahlberg's other recent productions, then Netflix may just have another hit on their hands here. The actor consistently turns out high-performing mid-budget films for the streaming service. It’ll also be exciting to see Berry back in action. The two have never starred opposite each other, so it’ll be interesting to see what kind of chemistry they bring to the action-packed film. 

As for scrapping The Mothership, hopefully this doesn't become a trend for the streamer. The company’s Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria explained that canceling a film was “very rare” and not something to be continuously expected from the company. However, Netflix also canceled two other completed films last year, The Inheritance and House/Wife. We'll have to see if this is a financial strategy the studio continues to employ but, for right now, The Union feels like it could be a sure-fire hit, given the premise and talent involved.

Halle Berry has been much more selective with her projects in recent years, so something likely spoke to her about this particular endeavor. Both she and Mark Wahlberg are some of our shiniest action stars and always deliver, so I have faith that their first joint flick will be nothing short of a great time. 

Those who want to see the two stars in The Union will want to have a Netflix subscription ahead of its release on August 16th. It's one of the most intriguing projects landing on Netflix in 2024, so I can’t wait to see how it measures up to the actors' other stellar action films on the service like Bruised and Spenser Confidential. For more information on other movies heading to streaming and cinemas this year, make sure to consult our 2024 movie release schedule. 

The brand new, revamped and rebooted DC Universe (DCU) has opened up endless possibilities. A new Superman has already been cast and is ready to take flight in the first movie in the new universe, which is replacing the old DC Extended Universe (DCEU). 

Producer James Gunn has shown he has a clear vision to wipe away most of the past and move forward with new actors and new stories, so for the purposes of this daydreaming, we're going to leave out the great actors who have appeared in DC-related films in the past, including the most recent movies starring the likes of Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, and Ben Affleck, though we're not against them returning, too. 

Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling is one of the biggest stars in the world, and also one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood. He's the kind of actor you could cast in almost any role and you just know he'd hit it out of the park. He could play a hero or a villain and audiences would be transfixed no matter what. We probably want him as one of the most famous heroes though, someone befitting his star status. 

Daisy Ridley

We know she can carry a franchise, and we know she's a tough woman, so Daisy Ridley just has to find her way into the DCU. Of course, she'd have to be a hero, but who knows, maybe a change of pace from the Star Wars movies could be cool and she could play a villain. Either way, she has to have powers greater than The Force. 

Tom Cruise

It's time. It's hard to believe Tom Cruise has never been in a superhero movie. One of, in not the, biggest action stars of the last few decades still has that "hole" on his resume and it's time it got filled. Of course, we'd all love to see Cruise as a hero, but it would be awesome for him to be in any role, even a cameo like his turn in Tropic Thunder. Just get him in there, James Gunn! 

Jennifer Lawrence

Sure, Jennifer Lawrence appeared in the X-Men franchise, but that was years ago, and the comic book movie scene is a whole lot different today. Lawrence is a perfect fit for any number of roles, and even though she's great as Mystique, what about a hero as big as Wonder Woman or Black Canary? Surely she'd be fantastic. 

John Krasinski

John Krasinski delighted fans with his cameo as Dr. Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. MCU fans have been dying to see him as Mister Fantastic in the Fantastic 4 in the future, but so far, there's only been cold water thrown on the idea. That opens up the DCU for the former The Office star and he needs to step in. 

Zendaya

There isn't a bigger star on the scene right now than Zendaya. Sure, she's played MJ in the MCU and Spider-Man movies, but let's give her some real superpowers and let her run wild in the DCU. 

Jacob Elordi

Sure, Jacob Elordi says he's not interested in playing a superhero, having turned down an opportunity to read for Superman in the new DCU, but that doesn't mean we can't dream, right? There are so many heroes in the universe he could play. Elordi has been a hit in recent years with his role on HBO's Euphoria and movies like Saltburn and Pricilla, so he doesn't really need to be in the DCU, but we need him to be. 

Timothée Chalamet

Timothée Chalamet has a knack for picking great roles for himself. At this point, he can pick and choose anything he wants, given how often his movies are hits. Chalamet could probably just tell James Gunn what role he wanted and they'd find a way for it to happen. So let's do it! 

Meryl Streep

Let's be real, there is nothing Meryl Streep can't do. The greatest actor of her generation, bar none, and yet, she's never appeared in a superhero movie. She's flirted with the idea, according to some reports, and she even did the Wakanda salute at the 2024 Golden Globes, but alas, we still haven't seen her in one. The new DCU must have a spot for her, right?

Patina Miller

Patina Miller has won a Tony and she's starred in two hit shows (Madam Secretary and Power Book III: Raising Kanan), but she hasn't broken big on the big screen, aside from an important but too-brief role in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, and it's time that changed. She looks like a superhero and can act her socks off, so let's make it happen, let's make her a star in the DCU. 

Adam Driver

As Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequels, Adam Driver showed he could play a first-rate villain. Now it's time to see him play a hero. Any hero, pick one, it doesn't matter, he'd kill it. Batman? For sure. Superman? Well, that role is taken, but yes. Aquaman? Oh yes. Martian Manhunter? Check. Wonder Woman? Sure, why not, he's got the hair for it. Let's go! 

Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg may be aging gracefully and while he says he's ready to play grandpa roles, we think he'll never be too old for a spot in the DCU. Somehow he's never been in either the MCU or any of the DC-related properties, so the time is right. 

Cailee Spaeny

She may not jump off the page as a possible superhero, but don't forget that Cailee Spaeny starred in Pacific Rim Uprising and clearly has the chops to be in a big action flick. She's an up-and-coming superstar and jumping into the DCU now would be perfect timing. 

Alan Ritchson

Reacher's Alan Ritchson is over six feet tall and built like a monster truck, is there anyone in Hollywood more perfect to play an intimidating villain in a comic book movie? Sure, he could play a superhero, too, but being a villain would be an awesome departure from his character on Reacher and it would be a ton a fun. And again, just look at the guy! 

Sterling K. Brown

Sterling K. Brown had an all-too-brief role as T'Chala's traitorous brother N'Jobu in Black Panther and it's high time he gets a chance to sink his teeth into a bigger superhero role. How about John Stewart/Green Lantern in the DCU? Brown has even campaigned for the role, so really, it's a perfect opportunity to get him into the DC Universe, it needs to happen, so we're putting it out there into the universe again. 

Peter Dinklage

Peter Dinklage has dabbled in superhero movies in the past, playing the villain, Bolivar Trask, in X-Men: Days of Future Past, as Eitri in Avengers: Infinity War, and as the Toxic Avenger, but it leaves us all wanting more. Let's be honest here, anything Dinklage does is awesome, so getting him into the DCU somehow would be amazing. He's also pretty good at carrying a wildly popular franchise, as he proved with Game of Thrones.

Taraji P. Henson

Taraji P. Henson has done it all, except star in a comic book movie. Henson is one of the best actors of her generation and yet, she's got this hole in her resume that, let's be honest, we all want to see filled. The DCU would be a perfect place for her to land, in just about any role, superhero, villain, regular human... anything, just get her in there! 

Charlize Theron

Audiences were teased with a Charlize Theron character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the actress stars in the Old Guard franchise, but she's not appeared in any DC-related projects yet and she sure deserves to. We'd love to see her in any number of roles, as she can play just about anything. 

Jason Statham

He's one of the biggest action stars in the world, and yet Jason Statham hasn't appeared in the MCU or anything DC-related. This is something that must be remedied! How about Cliff Steele/Robotman, whose origin story comes out of a race car crash, which would dovetail perfectly with Statham's past work as star of The Transporter movies and in the Fast franchise?

Jodie Comer

Jodie Comer has been taking the world by storm over the last few years and that means it's time to find her way into the DCU. Comer could be great in the MCU, but the possibilities in the DCU are endless and for someone like her, on the rise in Hollywood, the sky's the limit. 

Don Cheadle

Don Cheadle is pretty entrenched in the MCU, where he's played James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine 10 times in various movies and TV shows. Still, Cheadle is awesome, and there has to be a way to get him into the DCU, too. He'd need to play a completely different kind of character, like a villain, but we're for it. 

Jenna Ortega

Wednesday star Jenna Ortega is clearly ready for the big time. She'd be great as Aquagirl, or, even better, the villain Lourdes Lucero/Encantadora. There are a lot of options, let's hope she fits into one, because it would be great. 

Zoe Saldaña

Zoe Saldaña is another star that most fans immediately associate with The Guardians of the Galaxy and the MCU, but with the Guardians franchise possibly winding down, and the franchise's director, James Gunn, now in charge over at DC, this could be a good time to switch it up for Saldaña, as there are a lot of different heroes she would be great for. 

Josh Gad

Hear us out. Josh Gad may not be the first person you think of when you think of an action movie or a comic book movie, but some of the best casting decisions are sometimes the ones you least expect. Think Michael Keaton as Batman or even Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man. Gad, with his blend of humor and "everyman" qualities, can be pretty chameleon-like and that could make him perfect for the DCU. 

Gwendoline Christie

How has this happened? How have we gotten dozens of superhero movies in the last couple of decades and Gwendoline Christie hasn't been in any of them? Sure, she's got the physique to play any hero out there, but it's her wit and comedic timing combined with that that makes the Game of Thrones star a no-brainer. This seems too easy.

Naomie Harris

Naomie Harris jumped into the comic book world by playing Shriek in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. She was predictably great, so why not have her cast as a character with a multi-film arc? She should be. With the James Bond Universe in flux with the departure of Daniel Craig, this would be a great time for Harris to find a new franchise to get attached to. 

Daniel Kaluuya

Black Panther star Daniel Kaluuya (who also starred as a real-life Black Panther in Judas and the Black Messiah) is an actor who could fit into the DCU in just about any role. He could be a charming hero, or an evil villain, or even a government bureaucrat. Kaluuya's acting toolbox has a lot of options, the DCU will do well to take advantage of that somehow. 

Natalie Dormer

Natalie Dormer is a veteran of a lot of big-time franchises. Game of Thrones, Hunger Games, and even the MCU. Unfortunately, she was in fewer Game of Thrones episodes than you would think, and her appearances in the other two were also fairly brief. The DCU has a great opportunity to feature her in a much larger role. 

Donald Glover

This is another absolute no-brainer. Donald Glover is one of the most talented and charming actors in the business, there are an endless amount of roles he could fill in the DCU, so someone out there needs to find a spot for him. 

Diego Luna

With Andor (and his other projects) Diego Luna showed the world how great he can be in a franchise. His performance was gripping, and bringing that same energy to the DCU would be fantastic. 

Jack Quaid

Let's take a sec to lament that despite starring in one of the wildest superhero franchises of all time, The Boys, Jack Quaid hasn't really had an opportunity to be a proper superhero (V-24 notwithstanding). So let's give him a proper chance here! Put him in the DCU! 

Hayden Panettiere

Save the cheerleader, save the world. It was a mantra for Heroes and it's time to see Hayden Panettiere play another superhero. She was so great in Heroes, there's no way she wouldn't be great in the DCU

The DC Universe is James Gunn's oyster, these are some of the pearls out there just waiting to be plopped onto his beach. 

It's hard to believe Entourage ended its eight-season run so long ago, in 2011 (not counting the less-than-well-recieved movie in 2015). For the length of the show, one thing that kept audiences coming back for more each week was the great celebrity cameos. What started as a trickle in the first season, became a flood towards the end, with big stars always showing up, usually with hilarious results. Here is our list of some of the funniest celebrity cameos on Entourage. 

Mark Wahlberg

It makes sense that Mark Wahlberg would be the first cameo on the show, appearing in the very first episode of Season 1. Entourage was (very) loosely based on his experiences in Hollywood as a young actor, and the Boogie Nights star was a producer of the show. 

David Schwimmer

A great thing about the cameos was that often the celebrities weren't afraid to poke a little fun at themselves. Take, for example, David Schwimmer's spot in the Season 6 episode "Running on E." Schwimmer sits in a pitch meeting with super agent Ari Gold's (Jeremy Piven) team and offer after offer is for the Friends star to play some sort of neurotic character for comedic effect. The frustration for Schwimmer is palpable. 

Peter Dinklage

One of the most common tropes on the show was the stars taking potshots at Ari. Ari was a character we all loved to hate, but it turns out most of the celebrities playing themselves also hated Ari. Peter Dinklage is one of those when he trades barbs with Ari at a party in the Season 2 "Sundance Kids."

John Stamos

John Stamos was the perfect type of celeb to show on Entourage. It was always fun to see how a cameo appearance might just be an opportunity to take down lovable loser Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon). In a bit of a twist, after getting insulted by Stamos a few times, the two play an epic match of ping pong that ends predicably for Drama in the Season 7 episode "Tequila Sunrise." 

Jeffrey Tambor

Jeffrey Tambor plays a jerk like few others can in Hollywood. When he's playing a fictionalized version of himself being to jerk to his kids, it's comedy gold. Fictional life as a jerk and real life have blurred together for Tambor, but his appearance in Season 6 is still really funny. 

Matt Damon

Matt Damon takes charity very seriously, so his cameo on Entourage, in the Season 6 finale, fits perfectly. It's also a rare time that Vince (Adrian Grenier) is the one getting clowned when he tries to dodge both Damon and Bono into giving money to their charity to help children.  

Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer's guest spot on the show is a little different than most on this list. He doesn't play himself, but the role is so brief – and so funny – that it had to be included. In Season 1, the Top Gun: Maverick star plays a "sherpa" living in a giant house in Beverly Hills like a '60s hippie. 

Snoop Dogg

No one brings joy like Snoop Dogg. There is never a time when people are unhappy to see the legendary rapper show up somewhere on TV and Entourage is no exception. The brief interaction between Snoop, Vince, and Eric (Kevin Connolly), partly highlights the confusion of how to pronounce "Cannes" in the Season 4 episode "The Dream Team."

James Cameron

The Season 2 episode "Sundance Kids" really kicked the cameos on the show into overdrive and one of the best of the whole series is James Cameron. Vince is trying to land a role in his Aquaman movie, so Turtle and Drama try to help (and fail). The best part, though, is Cameron's interaction with a barista (played by This Is Us star Chrissy Metz). 

Tom Brady

Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) is a die-hard New York Giants fan, so when he meets Tom Brady at a charity golf tournament, he does what any self-respecting fan would do, he blows him off and refuses to shake his hand. It's brilliant. 

Martin Scorsese

Entourage proved just how big it was for celeb cameos when none other than Martin Scorsese appeared for a brief scene to offer Vince a role in his fictional The Great Gatsby movie in the finale of Season 5. You know you've made it when Scorsese gets involved. 

Scarlett Johansson

Season 1 ends with a big-time star appearance when the one and only Scarlett Johansson cameos on the phone with Vince, after Eric promises him to land a date with the superstar actress. It works, though it's the last time we'd see Johansson on the show. 

Stan Lee

Comic legend Stan Lee became the king of cameos with his iconic moments in the MCU universe for years, a streak that ended with his death in 2018. It's all too appropriate that we include him on this list, not only due to Lee's status as a cameo-king but because his quick role is just so funny as he can't quite place where he's seen Vince's adult film star girlfriend, Sasha Grey, before.

Lamar Odom

Entourage was replete with professional athletes throughout its run. Lamar Odom shows up pretty early in the show's run, in "An Offer Refused" in Season 2. The cameo is notable because of the way Drama gets obsessed with how men's calves look, including Odom's, which understandably freaks the NBA star out. 

Bono

Bono's appearance in the Season 6 finale is brilliant. He only appears via computer screen, as he's on a video call with Matt Damon and teams up with Damon to gang up on Vince to guilt him into getting on board with their charity. It's vintage Bono, pushing a charity but not taking himself as seriously as the world perceives him to be. 

Bobby Flay

Ari being a jerk to someone isn't a surprise, but Ari being a jerk to Bobby Flay is, pardon the pun, pure gold. Flay is great playing himself as the chef at his own restaurant, one of Ari's favorites, but the two bicker before Flay has had enough in the Season 8 episode "Whiz Kid." 

Sofia Vergara

Sofia Vergara's cameo is notable because she's not playing herself. While she herself is perfect for the role as a Colombian actress auditioning for the movie Medellin, it's funny because of how ridiculous the rest of Vince's team reacts to her. The first episode of Season 2 is one of the most unique, and funniest, of the show's run. 

M. Night Shyamalan

M. Night Shyamalan's appearance in the episode "Sorry, Harvey" in Season 4 is classic Entourage. Playing himself, he's angry at Ari for not reading his latest script and confronts the super agent to call him on it. It's the kind of cameo we've come to expect from this show, a major star fighting with Ari. 

Christina Aguilera

The Season 7 finale, "Lose Yourself" is one of the saddest of the show, for a few reasons. One is Ari throwing a lavish party for his wife to keep her from leaving him complete with Christina Aguilera singing "You Are Beautiful," only to have his wife not show.  Aguilera gets mad at Ari (naturally) and demands his Lakers playoffs tickets to keep performing. 

Adrian Peterson

NFL superstar Adrian Peterson selling a dinosaur skull. Is there anything more that needs to be said? The Season 7 episode "Tequila and Coke" has a great moment poking fun at people investing in fossils, and yes, Nic Cage gets a shout-out. 

Zac Efron

It's no surprise that Ari would be trying to steal a client from another agent, but what makes Zac Efron's cameo on Entourage so funny is his interaction with a fan while on the phone with Ari. A mom using her daughter to get Efron's autograph (and pushing for, um, more) is hilarious. 

Kanye West

Vince and his crew have no problem asking anyone for a favor. Kanye West is the victim of one of the most outlandish requests when they beg him for a ride on his private plane to France, even though Ye is headed for London in "No Cannes Do" from Season 4. The rapper is stunned and doesn't hide it, but still, who can turn down Vince? No one, not even Ye.

David Spade

David Spade is the perfect star for a cameo on Entourage. In his, he's got women on both arms and plays a total jerk. While he's surely not a jerk, he somehow has that public perception, which is what makes the cameo so much fun in the Season 8 episode titled "The Big Bang." Spade is just hilarious. 

Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson is clearly a good sport. Despite the show taking a shot at the pro golfer's failure at the 2006 U.S. Open, he later agreed to appear on the show, if only to show up Ari. A chance meeting on the golf course between Mickelson, and Kevin Dillon and Jerry Ferrara, led to the role. Kizmet. 

50 Cent

50 Cent makes one of the briefest cameos on the show, but it's one of the best. When he sees Turtle driving, he pulls up alongside and manages to take Turtle down a notch, despite the fancy ride he's driving in. Turtle has a rough time in his birthday episode, "One Car, Two Car, Red Car, Blue Car," from Season 6.

Aaron Sorkin

Aaron Sorkin's first cameo (he made two) on Entourage came in an episode named after him, "The Sorkin Notes" in Season 6. Sorkin is caught up in some drama in Ari's office that he wants no part of and is hilarious in a rare acting role for the writer and director. Now can we get that West Wing revival starring Sterling K. Brown that Sorkin had an idea for, please?

Dean Cain

Another very brief cameo comes from Dean Cain. The former Superman actor disrupts one of Drama's auditions, which crushes Drama, as he figures there's no one he can compete with Cain for the part. It's vintage Johnny Drama in the Season 6 episode "Scared Straight." It's another moment in which you can't help but feel terrible for Drama. 

Eminem

The Season 7 finale, "Lose Yourself," not only foreshadows Vince's downward spiral, but Eminem's cameo. In one of the lowest moments of Vince's life, he first insults Minka Kelly, then gets into a fistfight with Eminem. It's as sad as it is funny, a line the show walked brilliantly in the episode. 

Alex Rodriguez

How tragic would be to hear that you lost out on a ton of money from former Yankee Alex Rodriguez? That's what happens to Turtle when the shortstop-turned-third-baseman shows up on screen to tell Turtle that the tequila company he once owned a lot of stock in went public after he sold out. Ouch. 

Steve Nash

Poor Steve Nash. The NBA star was at the height of his fame when he was unwittingly cornered by Eric at his manager's office (Scott Caan). Eric dumps all of his girlfriend problems on the Canadian basketball player's feet in the Season 6 episode "Murphy's Lie," and all Nash can do is look stunned. 

Johnny Galecki

Johnny Galecki's role in Entourage was a little more than one cameo, it was more like three cameos over three episodes and he plays a fictionalized version of himself who makes Eric's life hell by dating Eric's ex-girlfriend Sloan (Emmanuelle Chriqui). This version of Galecki is terrible but completely hilarious. 

Jessica Simpson

As Ari tries to protect his client base, he's forced to go hat in hand to a client who's mad at him for not caring when her dog died. Jessica Simpson meets Ari at the door in "Bottoms Up" from Season 7, and in classic Entourage fashion, makes Ari look like the jerk that he is, despite his insincere attempt to gift another dog to Simpson. It sums up everything a great Entourage cameo should be. A big star, an unrepentant Ari, and some choice lines. 

This is a list that could be almost endless, and we didn't even get into the multiple cameos in the Entourage movie, one of which featured Channing Tatum that didn't actually happen. 

What do actors and models have in common? Well, for the most part, having “the look” will get you in the door in either profession rather quickly. However, for the purposes of the list you’re about to peruse, it just so happens that these Hollywood stars managed to work both sides of that scenario. And as expected, these models-turned-actors have done so with style. 

Mark Wahlberg

Before starring in movies ranging from Boogie Nights to The Family Plan, Mark Wahlberg was known as a rapper and a Calvin Klein model. Showing off his buff body in underwear ads helped give the aspiring star his start in the entertainment industry, with Mark shifting into acting just as his boy-band brother Donnie eventually did. 

Rebecca Romijn

In a career that saw her on Vogue magazine covers and in Victoria’s Secret campaigns, Rebecca Romijn put the “super” in “supermodel.” And then, in a move that only further strengthened that statement, she took her first acting gig as Mystique in X-Men, kickstarting a career that’s led to such fantastic parts as that of Number One on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. 

Tyrese Gibson

Ads for Coca-Cola, Guess, and Tommy Hilfiger had Tyrese Gibson primed for stardom, and gigs on TV shows like Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper and Martin soon followed. But depending on who you ask, it was either Baby Boy or 2 Fast 2 Furious that caused Gibson’s star to rise to the heights it’s at today. 

Halle Berry

It’s no surprise that Halle Berry did some modeling in her entertainment career, as her beauty has always been well renowned. But rather than going for traditional ad campaign work, the future star of X-Men and James Bond movies was a contestant in both the Miss USA and Miss World pageants. 

Jamie Dornan

Prepare for a rollercoaster ride, folks. Jamie Dornan, actor known for everything from Fifty Shades of Grey to A Haunting in Venice, was not only a model…he was part of a reality show that helped get him the gig. Channel 4’s Model Behaviour led to some gigs with Abercrombie & Fitch and Tommy Hilfiger, which eventually made way for Dornan to be discovered by Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. 

Cara Delevingne

We’ve seen Cara Delevingne do everything from John Green adaptations like Paper Towns to DCEU juggernauts such as Suicide Squad. And with a foundation of modeling for Vogue Italia, Tory Burch, and Donna Karan under her belt, the American Horror Story: Delicate star never really gave up her day job, as her modeling continued along with her acting efforts.

Channing Tatum

There was probably a time when people staring at random Armani ads featuring Channing Tatum thought, “I wonder if he can act?” With a resume that has titles like Magic Mike, 21 Jump Street, and Foxcatcher  to boast about, it’s probably safe to say that the answer is a confident “Yes!”

Jaime King

As a young model, Jaime King saw herself making a splash with Vogue, Seventeen, and pretty much any other fashion publication of note you could think of. 2001’s Happy Campers was all it took to help her jump into the acting world, which saw her play some impressive parts in Sin City’s screen adaptation, Fox’s The O.C., and even the voice of Solus Prime in the series Transformers: Power of the Primes.

Shemar Moore

S.W.A.T. star and all around heartthrob Shemar Moore actually had his own moment in the spotlight of modeling. Through catalog jobs with Macy’s and magazine shoots for GQ, among other opportunities, this man of action continues to engage in some modeling here and there; which only brings his fans that much more joy. 

Devon Aoki

Movie fans might recognize Devon Aoki from her standout roles in both Sin City and 2 Fast 2 Furious, but believe it or not her modeling career is the stronger of the two streams she’s dipped her toes into. Brands and magazines alike have showcased her talents in the industry, with Balenciaga and Harper’s Bazaar calling themselves a part of her storied body of work.

James Marsden

Jury Duty and Sonic the Hedgehog star James Marsden feels like the type of guy that’d be a model, right? How couldn’t he, with a smile like that? Well, if the world didn’t know it before his 2011 interview on Ellen, Ms. DeGeneres helped bring that aspect of his career to light; along with the pictures to prove it.

Gal Gadot

Jaguar, Maxim, and Gucci are only some of the brands and publications that Fast Saga star Gal Gadot has modeled for. This Heart of Stone lead eventually saw herself courted by Hollywood in the early-Aughts, thanks to auditions for Quantum of Solace that saw Gal compete with Olga Kurylenko for the role of Bond woman Camille. 

Antonio Sabàto Jr.

Calvin Klein was the name of the brand that gave actor Antonio Sabàto Jr. his start in the public eye, as underwear modeling was his first claim to fame. Eventually, projects like General Hospital, Earth 2, and even a Janet Jackson music video would see Antonio becoming an acting talent that continued to capitalize on their dreamy good looks. 

Charlize Theron

Even after winning her first Academy Award for Monster, and landing big ticket franchise like the Fast Saga, Charlize Theron still managed to fit in some modeling for Dior into her busy schedule. Which is absolutely fitting, considering that Theron got a jump start on her entertainment resume as a teen model throughout Europe in the ‘90s.

Mehcad Brooks

Fans of Law & Order and Supergirl’s Mehcad Brooks may want to brace themselves for what we’re about to tell them. Before Mr. Brooks was a part of worlds where superheroes and top cops reign supreme, he made a killing as a Calvin Klein underwear model; much like Mark Wahlberg, Antonio Sabàto Jr, and Djimon Hounsou.

Milla Jovovich

Before becoming an ace action star/zombie destroyer in the Resident Evil movies, Milla Jovovich found herself in another profession: muse. As an inspiration to designer Miuccia Prada, in addition to the star of shoots with acclaimed photographers such as Herb Ritts, Jovovich built a prolific career as a model; long before she would eventually be deemed a “Supreme Being” once again in 1995’s The Fifth Element.

Tyson Beckford

Before movies such as Biker Boyz and appearances on The Celebrity Dating Game and Match Game saw Tyson Beckford become an actor and personality, he saw himself engaged in another profession cut from similar cloth. Namely, Beckford was a model for magazines like The Source, as well as designer Ralph Lauren’s Polo brand.

Brooklyn Decker

The career of Brooklyn Decker started off with a huge splash, as both Sports Illustrated and Victoria’s Secret employed the future actor as a star model. Eventually, playing a lead in the Adam Sandler film Just Go with It put Decker on the map; which led to a pretty sweet long term gig as one of the stars of Netflix’s Grace and Frankie. 

Ian Somerhalder

Lost star and vampire extraordinaire Ian Somerhalder practiced looking ridiculously good looking in the modeling world, before parlaying it into roles that headed up projects like The CW’s The Vampire Diaries. Among the various brands that saw Somerhalder posing for greatness high end names like Nautica and Versace. 

Iman

In the modeling world, brands and magazines like Vogue, Calvin Klein, and Halston all called upon the mythic talents of the great Iman. Yves Saint-Laurent’s “dream woman” would eventually find the acting profession calling, and would heed its siren song through opportunities like the Kevin Costner thriller No Way Out, as well as a memorable spot in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

Tom Welling

Even handsome men from Smallville manage to find themselves gracing campaigns for the usual glizy subjects. Former Clark Kent Tom Welling knows that first hand, as working with Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein would put him on the map to become a Superman for another generation. 

Tyra Banks

Long before Tyra Banks was trying to help find America’s Next Top Model, she was practically living her life under that very title. Through Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues, Victoria’s Secret campaigns, and cover shoots for Elle and Vogue, Banks’ reputation as an in demand beauty eventually saw her jumping into acting gigs like a recurring role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. 

Kellan Lutz

Vampires seem to make for good fashion models. Or should we reverse that statement? In either case, Kellan Lutz would be covered big time. Known as one of the Cullen family in The Twilight Saga, Lutz had also done some modeling before becoming one of the sparkling undead.

Kate Upton

Roles in The Three Stooges, The Disaster Artist and Robot Chicken have seen model Kate Upton active in the sphere of acting entertainment. However, her big start came from popularity stemming from cover shoots for Vanity fair, as well as modeling for the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. 

Djimon Hounsou

Actor Djimon Hounsou has been known to battle it out heroically throughout various universes and time periods, making huge appearances in Gladiator, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Rebel Moon. But in addition to racking up such heavy hitting acts on his resume, the Academy Award nominee has also done some modeling for Calvin Klein underwear in the midst of his busy run.

Famke Janssen

Both the world of the X-Men movies, as well the James Bond legacy have called upon Famke Janssen’s skills as a performer. That run of good fortune actually came after she retired from modeling, which saw her lending her talents to campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent and Victoria’s Secret throughout the ‘80s.

Kofi Siriboe

Girls Trip and Queen Sugar star Kofi Siriboe is known as both an actor and an all around smokeshow in entertainment. And part of the reason the young actor has come so far so fast is thanks to childhood experience in the world of modeling campaigns!

Elle Macpherson

Everything from brands like Tab to magazines such as Elle and ads for Christian Dior have seen model Elle Macpherson gracing their campaigns for glory. And that was a perfect launching pad for Elle’s acting ambitions, which saw her hosting Saturday Night Live as well as appearing in movies such as Batman & Robin and The Edge throughout the ‘90s.

Robert Pattinson

While the world mostly knows Robert Pattinson for his acting gigs in the Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Batman franchises, you may be surprised to know that he actually did some modeling in his youth. Though he left that world behind a while back, that hasn’t stopped Pattinson from picking up some campaigns for brands like Dior Men from the Batcave.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Levi’s, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Teen Vogue were crucial starts to the career of model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and those pillars suited her well when continuing to be a world class icon. However, Rosie dipped her toes in the world of acting, through roles in both Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Mad Max: Fury Road.

Ashton Kutcher

How’s this for a start to a promising career? The late ‘90s saw Ashton Kutcher landing key gigs in both modeling and acting, with the former getting him started through Calvin Klein campaigns. It’s not hard to see how acting won out, as That ‘70s Show was the acting job that happened to land in his lap around the same time.

Elizabeth Hurley

The world has come to know and love Elizabeth Hurley in her capacity as an actor, throughout a career that’s seen her star in the Austin Powers franchise, as well as the remake of Bedazzled. But before she was selling Brendan Fraser’s soul, or fighting for peace with Mike Myers, Hurley was a model for the Estée Lauder brand. 

There you have it, lovers of modeling and acting talent! Keep these people in mind the next time you see a hot new star in either realm burning bright, for they could be the next exciting example of playing both sides, and looking exceptionally good in the process.

As we wrap up the 2023 movie release schedule, it's natural that we'd look back on some of the surprise cinematic successes of the last month. Thanks to those with an Apple TV+ subscription, the Mark Wahlberg-led ensemble picture, The Family Plan, has become that streamer’s largest hit to date. As such, this family comedy has become a rather hot topic. Part of the conversation surrounds the cast member that actor/producer Wahlberg considers the “missing ingredient,” which he chatted with CinemaBlend about.

I was able to speak with both Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan during the press day for The Family Plan, which led to a discussion pertaining to his shaping of the project. As one of the first parties to join the production’s team, Wahlberg's role as a producer allowed him to help shape the full structure of the story.

It also helped him realize that friend and collaborator Michelle Monaghan was a vital presence that lended the enterprise something it truly needed. As he spoke to CinemaBlend, the leading man showered Monaghan with the following well-earned praises: 

Clearly, Mark Wahlberg is on to something here, as The Family Plan is winning over fans, despite critical reviews being less than favorable. I certainly wouldn’t argue against Michelle Monaghan being a “missing ingredient” in this action-comedy romp, as her pairing with Mr. Wahlberg sells a very important part of the Morgan family’s adventures. Especially when, at the time of publication, this movie has become the most watched Apple TV+ picture in the streaming platform’s history. 

The bond between the two co-stars undoubtedly comes from years of friendship, as well as their previous collaboration on the biographical drama Patriots Day. But, also, both stars have experience with action and comedy-oriented adventures, so their individual skills further bolster that that sort of chemistry you can't fake. 

Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Monaghan aren't the only ones who get to display such charm throughout director Simon Cellan Jones’ family-friendly action fest. Also on the Morgan family’s roster are young co-stars Zoe Colletti and Van Crosby. They, too, felt a special rapport that clicked almost instantly, which led to significant developments, including The Family Plan’s last minute Lizzo easter egg happening on the fly. 

With a cast in a very improv-encouraged groove, and the friendship between the two leading stars greasing the rails, this movie only benefitted from the steady hands that shaped it along the way. And at the center of it all is Michelle Monaghan's evolving maternal figure, who makes the best of the dangers suddenly thrown at her.

Incidentally, Mark Wahlberg's Las Vegas residency may have helped him pick that iconic and glitzy setting as this road trip's final destination. His influence on the shaping of writer David Coggeshall’s 2021 entry on The Black List would have certainly allowed for such a decision, and the third act climax benefits greatly from such a choice. 

It all signals that the Oscar nominee's instincts as a creative force are just as sharp as Dan Morgan’s diaper-changing skills on screen. That could come in handy, should a sequel to The Family Plan come to fruition. While there's no official rumblings on that front, the door left is wide open at the end of the picture. As the whole cast has their own ideas as to where that hypothetical story could go, Michelle Monaghan's potential concept would only capitalize on her "missing ingredient" status with Mark Wahlberg.

You can see what the fuss is about with The Family Plan, as it's currently streaming. While you’re at it, keep an eye out for some of the best Apple TV+ movies that are also available on the platform. They’re not all as family friendly as this title, but this roster of winners will help you get the most bang for your buck. 

Mark Wahlberg is no stranger to family movies or action comedies, so when the trailer for The Family Plan was released, it seemed like a fitting vehicle for the movie star. The Family Plan is a movie about a former government agent, played by Wahlberg, who gets tracked down by former enemies and is forced to take his family on an impromptu road trip to Las Vegas. It combines Walhberg’s strengths and interests as a performer for a fun, PG-13 flick meant to bring families together this holiday season. Despite maybe being a right fit for the actor, the film is getting panned by critics, but this isn’t stopping audiences from checking out the actor’s latest with their Apple TV+ subscriptions. 

Critics Are Not Loving The Family Plan

Apple TV+ has a great track record for putting out some critically adored films including Killers of the Flower Moon and CODA, 2022’s Best Picture winner. However, The Family Plan is not following in the same footsteps. The film is getting panned by critics and currently holds a 24% on Rotten Tomatoes. This means that only 24 percent of critics are giving The Family Plan a positive review, considering it “rotten” by the review aggregator’s standards. A closer look into the written reviews for the movie aren’t any better. Barry Levitt from Empire Magazine called the movie: 

Kevin Maher from the UK Magazine The Times liked the premise, but said that the film didn’t ultimately deliver. He said: 

Brian Tallerico from RobertEbert.com also didn’t have much good to say about the action comedy. He said of the film:

“Unfunny” certainly isn’t the kind of conclusion filmmakers want critics to make about their comedy film. Based on these reviews, The Family Plan isn’t one of the best movies Apple TV+ has to offer, and audiences might want to keep scrolling for more quality when choosing a movie with their family this holiday.

The Family Plan Is Doing Numbers Despite Negative Reviews

While critics may not be responding positively to The Family Plan, audiences are still checking out the movie. Rotten Tomatoes' Audience Score ranks at 63%, meaning more audiences are liking the film than not. It is also attracting streaming numbers in droves, and Deadline reports that The Family Plan has already become Apple TV+'s most streamed film ever. While Rotten Tomatoes numbers have tanked films before, this film seems to be defying the fact that bad reviews ultimately mean financial doom. 

Mark Wahlberg has a history of overcoming bad reviews when it comes to attracting an audience. Daddy’s Home wasn't received well (30% on Rotten Tomatoes), however it still did huge box office numbers, prompted a sequel film and potentially a Daddy's Home 3 in the future. Spenser Confidential and Me Time weren’t exactly critical darlings either, but still attracted Netflix subscribers and found themselves in the Netflix Top 10. This could be a sign that audiences are looking for more easy watching as of recent, and aren’t paying as much attention to critic reviews when it comes to a comedic romp. This also could indicate that Wahlberg’s star power remains incredibly strong and is still able to attract a loyal audience in the face of scrutiny. 

Apple TV+ subscribers can decide for themselves if Mark Wahlberg’s The Family Plan is worth a watch by streaming the film now. Fans of the movie star should also check out where to watch some of The Departed actor’s best movies. For more information on other movies heading to theaters and streaming to round out 2023, you can consult CinemaBlend’s movie release schedule. 

Warning: minor SPOILERS for The Family Plan are in play. If you haven’t caught Apple TV+’s latest action/comedy, you’ve been warned. 

As we head towards the end of the 2023 movie release schedule, there’s a renewed focus on big ticket spectacle. That desire also comes with a want to find something the entire family can watch, and director Simon Cellan Jones’ new film The Family Plan pairs both of those factors into something a household with an Apple TV+ subscription can watch together.

Though in discussing the process surrounding the Mark Wahlberg-led ensemble comedy, both the director and co-stars Zoe Colletti and Van Crosby revealed a pretty fun story about a Lizzo easter egg. Here’s how spur-of-the-moment improv and the sibling dynamic led to a musical gag that’s part of this year's rundown of new family movies perfect to enjoy during the holidays! 

The Family Plan’s Lizzo Easter Egg Was A Last Minute Addition

The scene we’re about to discuss isn’t exactly a plot heavy moment, but it is included in the credits to Apple TV+ and Skydance Productions’ The Family Plan. So I wouldn’t blame you if you want to keep the comedy fresh for the first viewing, as you would with any of the best Apple TV+ movies. Consider this your jumping off point, as when the text picks up again below, it’s about that time. 

During the road trip that sees Dan Morgan (Mark Wahlberg) on the run with his wife (Michelle Monaghan) and kids, some family singalongs crop up in the middle of the action. For the parents, “Ice Ice Baby” happens to be a track of choice that allows Wahlberg and Monaghan to get a bit goofy. As for older children Nina (Zoe Colletti) and Kyle (Van Crosby), Lizzo’s smash hit “About Damn Time” is their go-to song of choice. 

The moment stood out to me when I watched the film in preparation for The Family Plan junket, as it felt like it was either a moment of improv greatness or just a testament to the brother/sister chemistry Colletti & Crosby had in play. As it turns out, it was a little bit of both, and I confirmed as much when I got to speak with all three parties previously mentioned. 

We'll start with Simon Cellan Jones' part of the story, as that's where it was discovered that the Lizzo tune came up so far along in the process, that track almost didn’t make it. Clarifying how this all came to pass, and the hurdles eventually cleared to make it happen, Jones told CinemaBlend the following story:

That decision-making process is pretty indicative of how The Family Plan took its final shape. Starting with writer David Coggeshall’s Black List-charting script, producer/star Mark Wahlberg helped shape the direction of the project into the movie you can see now. And admittedly, a movie where an ex-assassin tries to evade his former employer, while also handling diaper duty, might not sound like a natural family fit at first. 

But in the spirit of some of the best Mark Wahlberg movies, it’s that unexpected curveball that was used to mold The Family Plan into something that definitely doesn’t lack in car crashes or parental pep talks. That diaper remark wasn’t a joke either, as Wahlberg’s character Dan Morgan proves himself to be a quick draw when freshening up his toddler.

With an eye for both humor and action being kept in mind, the improv friendly atmosphere was certainly helpful. Part of the reason for that is the fluid nature that allowed co-stars Zoe Colletti and Van Crosby to play a huge part in bringing Lizzo into the fold. As I spoke with both of those young stars during The Family Plan’s press day, CinemaBlend was able to learn the following details about their role in this choice: 

“Zoe Colletti: We did have to pick the song. It was last minute, but he did let us pick the song. Which probably ended up being me picking the song. But it was fun. 

Van Crosby: Yeah, it was a good time.”

The decision to welcome improvisation onto the set wasn’t a spur of the moment whim either. As my conversations with Simon Cellan Jones, as well as Zoe Colletti and Van Crosby continued, I learned that the “think on your feet” mentality was baked into the structure of this picture from day one.

How Improv Helped Build The Family Plan In Its Early Days

Reaching back to the script level of The Family Plan, Simon Cellan Jones provided more background into just how the fun and free-spirited nature of improv helped further build the film out. However, he also firmly acknowledged that the script, which was a finalist in The Black List’s 2021 slate of hotly-buzzed screenplays, was still very much the law of the land. Here’s how Jones described the handshake between structure and spontaneity: 

“Bonus moments” has to be one of the most creative names for scenes created off the cuff, and it absolutely describes the Lizzo easter egg of sorts at the end of The Family Plan. It may not have happened if Zoe Colletti and Van Crosby weren’t already in tune with each other as on-screen siblings either.

Chalking up their excellent chemistry to, among other things, a dinner with their mothers, Colletti and Crosby found themselves falling into the rhythm very easily. Perhaps the greatest preparation for this plan of attack was the audition experience, which Colletti herself shared through the following details: 

Whether it’s “Ice Ice Baby” or “About Damn Time,” the car ride sequences from The Family Plan show just how creative this new movie got with how it bridges the generation gap. In between big chases, e-sports competitions and learning how to get revenge on someone who did you wrong, it’s easter eggs like this that tie it all together into one, comedy packed bow. And you can see it all for yourself in The Family Plan, which is currently streaming on Apple TV+!

Blue Bloods is coming to an end after Season 14 airs on the 2024 TV schedule, and it’s still hard to believe. The long-running family cop drama has been a Friday night staple for years, but there have been rumors about the show ending. Even Donnie Wahlberg opened up about Danny possibly retiring. Fans have a lot of feelings about Blue Bloods ending as well, and it turns out, Mark Wahlberg does too as he was the latest to say a few things about Blue Bloods and brother Donnie.

While promoting his new Apple TV+ movie The Family Plan, which is now streaming, Mark Wahlberg spoke to ET about the CBS procedural’s long run. He shared praise for his older brother and the rest of the Blue Bloods cast while congratulating them on quite an achievement:

It’s sweet that Mark Wahlberg shared a congratulatory message for his brother and Blue Bloods. Now, I'm curious to hear his thoughts on the final season. 

Since it is coming to an end, maybe fans could even look forward to the actor joining his brother on-screen in a guest appearance on Blue Bloods? Mark Wahlberg hasn’t done too many television roles, and it all depends on his schedule, but it would definitely be the highlight of the final season if he appeared.

If Wahlberg were to guest star in Blue Bloods, how would the show make it work? It would be funny if he were to play himself and tell Danny he looks like his brother. Or perhaps he could play some type of criminal? Maybe the Reagan family can have yet another secret family member, but then the Reagan family dinners would be getting too full. While I know that's a long shot, it would be great to see the Wahlbergs team up for the final season of Blue Bloods. 

Meanwhile, not too much information has been released about Season 14, but as filming continues, more details will likely be released. What is known is the episode count for the split season. The first part, which is premiering on February 16, will be 10 episodes long. The remaining eight episodes of the season will premiere sometime during the fall of 2024. Blue Bloods is going out in a big way, and it’s going to be both exciting and emotional to see what happens. 

Fans will want to tune in to the premiere of the 14th and final season of Blue Bloods on Friday, February 16 at 10 p.m. ET on CBS or you can stream it the next day with a Paramount+ subscription. There will be plenty to look forward to, and hopefully, there will be some surprises in store, such as a certain Wahlberg brother possibly making an appearance? One can dream.

Athletes and movie stars have mingled for decades, and while movie stars rarely show up on the sports field, athletes show up in movies quite a bit. Some, like the late Jim Brown, even become professional actors. Here's a list of the most surprising times an athlete has popped up in a movie. 

Alex Karras - Blazing Saddles

Alex Karras had an impressive acting career after he retired from the NFL. Most notably, Karras starred as George Papadopoulos, foster father to Webster on Webster. He was also a professional wrestler as well. By far his funniest role, though, was that of the powerful Mongo in Blazing Saddles. The scene of Mongo riding into town on a bull and punching a horse is cinema history. 

Mike Tyson - The Hangover

There is no more surprising moment in any movie than when former heavyweight legend Mike Tyson shows up in The Hangover with his tiger. To make matters even better, he takes a healthy swing at Stu (Ed Helms) and knocks him cold, just as you'd expect. Who knew Mike Tyson was such a huge Phil Collins fan?

Dan Marino - Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

In Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, the former Dolphins quarterback, Dan Marino, is the innocent villain of the movie's real villain Ray Finkle (Sean Young). After being talked about the whole movie, the legend himself finds himself rescued at the end by our hero, Ace (Jim Carrey). Laces out, Dan! 

Lee Trevino

Golf legend Lee Trevino was known for his sense of humor on the course, and it shows in his brief moments on camera in Happy Gilmore. Trevino is like a golf angel looking out for Happy, sometimes disappointed, sometimes proud, but always watching. 

Reggie Jackson - The Naked Gun

There is no wilder, or funnier, cameo on this list than Reggie Jackson in The Naked Gun. It's always refreshing to see athletes not take themselves too seriously and Jackson definitely doesn't when he turns robot in his quest to "kill the Queen." It might not have taken a lot of acting chops, but he's perfect in the role. 

Lawrence Taylor - The Waterboy

Lawrence Taylor was another NFL legend who was known for big hits, big plays, and big controversy off the field. In The Waterboy, Taylor recognizes those off-the-field struggles when he tells the whole kids team exactly what not to do with their lives. 

Brett Favre - There's Something About Mary

The thing about Mary (Cameron Diaz) in There's Something About Mary is that basically any guy who meets her falls in love with her. That includes former Packers quarterback and hall of famer Brett Favre. His name is mentioned a few times in the movie before he shows up towards the end, still in love with Mary. 

John McEnroe - Mr. Deeds

The best part about John McEnroe's cameo in Mr. Deeds is that he gets to be exactly what we all love about him. Famous for on-court meltdowns, the tennis hall of famer dodges getting hit by a car and yells at the driver as he yelled at umpires on the court. 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Racing legend Dale Earnhardt, Jr. may not have the best acting skills on this list, as is evident by his brief appearance in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby but when he called Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) a "LIAR" it still brings a hearty laugh that makes the brief scene worth it.  

Shaquille O'Neal - Good Burger

Shaquille O'Neal is no stranger to the screen, both in movies and on TV, so he's hardly the most surprising on this list, still when he showed up in 1997's Good Burger, no one was expecting it. A true legend on and off the court. 

Dale Earnhardt, Sr - BASEketball

What better role for one of the all-time great race car drivers than of a crazy cab driver speeding through traffic? Dale Earnhardt, Sr's turn in BASEketball is hilarious and when he pops his helmet on after being told to speed up, you know what's going to come next. 

Mike Ditka - Kicking And Screaming

In the Will Ferrell movie Kicking and Screaming Mike Ditka actually has more of a role than a simple cameo, yet all the scenes still feel like each one is a classic athlete cameo. Often those cameos include a bit of wisdom or advice, be it good or bad. Ditka offers both in his scenes in the movie. 

Cam Neely - Dumb and Dumber

Boston Bruins great Cam Neely has one of the most famous cameos of all time by an athlete in Dumb and Dumber. Neely plays the truck driver "Seabass" at the diner who gets hit in the head with a salt shaker. Even the delivery of his lines is perfect, along with his costume. 

Roger Clemens - Kingpin

Roger Clemens isn't the first athlete you'd expect to make a cameo in a movie. Then you turn on Kingpin and boom, there he is. The former MLB pitcher plays a role that seems well-suited, an angry Southerner trying to pick a fight with Ishmael Boorg (Randy Quaid). After Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson) knocks out Ishmael to save him from a worse beating from Clemens and his buddies. 

Serena Williams - Ocean's 8

There are times when it seems Serena Williams is everywhere. The tennis legend, fashionista, and mom even managed to find time to shoot a quick scene for Ocean's 8. She plays herself, of course, on the red carpet at the Met Gala where the diamond heist is set to take place. Even though it's something in her wheelhouse – a TV interview in the movie – she nails it with grace and aplomb, as we would fully expect. 

Tom Brady - Ted 2

Mark Wahlberg and Tom Brady have one thing in common: both are legends in Massachusetts. It stands to reason that they would team up at some point, and it happened where else but in Ted 2. In what is maybe the most bizarre moment in the movie to sneak into Brady's house to steal something very private. When Brady chases them out, he throws Ted the teddy bear with a perfect spiral, naturally. 

Lance Armstrong - Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

One thing that comes over and over with athletes make cameos in movies is sage advice. In the case of Lance Armstrong in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, it's really more of a dressing down than straight advice. When Peter (Vince Vaughn) quits the team, Armstrong is there to tell him all he had to go through to win the Tour de France, inspiring – or guilting – Peter to return to the team. 

LeBron James - Trainwreck

Aaron Conners (Bill Hader) needs a lot of advice in Trainwreck. Thankfully, he's BFFs with the one and only LeBron James, who plays himself in the movie. Like many athletes in movies, James is there to give his buddy sage advice, which he does when it comes to dating and everything else. 

Derek Jeter - The Other Guys

All of Detective Terry Hoitz's (Mark Wahlberg) problems in life point back to one moment. The moment he shot Yankees legend Derek Jeter. The whole city hates him for it, so he struggles to move past it. Jeter's role is quick but pivotal, and he does a great job. 

Marty McSorley - Con Air

Okay, this is a deep cut. Con Air is one of the best action movies of all time, but Marty Sorley's cameo as the pilot of the prison plane isn't the reason. That's not to say he's not good in the role -- who can tell, it's so brief. For a guy who was once known as Wayne Gretzky's bodyguard, the former NHL enforcer plays the part well, if briefly. 

Jimmy Butler - Office Christmas Party

NBA star Jimmy Butler's scenes in Office Christmas Party work like a series of cameos. He's got more than one of them, but all are brief, and he says little. Playing himself, Butler is recruited to the party to bring a little life to it. It doesn't work, but soon the party gets cooking and he's still meeting new people and taking photos with them.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Fletch

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's appearance in Fletch isn't his most famous moment in cinema, but it is pretty hilarious. Playing himself on a Lakers' broadcast with the legendary Chick Hearn, Abdul-Jabber plays up the importance of the newest Laker, Fletch (Chevy Chase) in a dream of Fletch's as he falls asleep watching the game. 

Dennis Rodman - Eddie

1997's Eddie starring Whoopi Goldberg as the first female NBA coach is filled with cameos by basketball players and prominent New Yorkers, including Donald Trump in a random appearance. The funniest exchange Goldberg has is with NBA bad boy Dennis Rodman as they trade barbs on the court about their appearances. 

Patrick Ewing - The Exorcist III

This is by far the weirdest cameo on this list. The Exorcist III is one of the scariest movies in the series, and it has some truly bizarre scenes, but none more so than Kinderman's (George C. Scott) very strange hallucination/dream that he is walking through heaven. Fabio makes a cameo, and then comes Patrick Ewing as an angel. He doesn't have any lines, which makes it all the stranger. 

Xavier McDaniel - Singles

In Singles, Steve Dunne (Campbell Scott) has a preoccupation with Seattle Supersonics' star Xavier McDaniel. The X-Man, as he was known, comes up a couple of times in the movie, and even makes an appearance at a very inopportune time for Dunne. What is seemingly a standard post-game interview gets very weird for Scott, but it makes for a good laugh. 

Hines Ward - The Dark Knight Rises

This might be the easiest cameo for an athlete to make. NFL star Hines Ward and some other Steelers play, what else, football players in The Dark Knight Rises. They are on the field when Bane attacks the stadium in Gotham. Hines manages to outrun the collapsing field... for a time. It's one of the craziest scenes they shot in the movie. 

Kevin Garnett - Uncut Gems

Kevin Garnett's appearance in Uncut Gems may qualify as a little more than a simple cameo. He doesn't have a lot to do in the film, but he plays a pivotal role, as it's his championship ring that gets Howard (Adam Sandler) into so much trouble. The scene in the beginning when Garnett first sees Howard's black opal is entrancing. 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Airplane!

This is like the Inception of athlete cameos. In Airplane! Kareem Abdul-Jabber plays himself, playing First Officer Roger Murdock. He's trying to hide his identity, but Joey (Ross Harris) just won't stop talking about the Lakers and his career as a basketball player. Finally, Abdul-Jabber grabs him and tells him to back off.  

Jim Brown - The Running Man

Jim Brown was one of the best football players of all time, but his movie career almost eclipsed that in his life story. The late Brown starred in a lot of movies after his playing days were over, but one of his smallest was also one of his best. As Fireball in The Running Man, Brown is one of the scariest hunters of the bunch, and the one they call on to end it, though Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has other plans. 

Larry Bird - Space Jam

There are quite a few cameos in Space Jam but the funniest might be Larry Bird and his back-and-forth with Bill Murray on the golf course. Larry Bird was known for trash talk on the court, so it must have been very natural for him on set. 

LeBron James - House Party

What better place to throw a party than LeBron James' mansion? That's what happens in House Party (2023). The party is, at first, a success, until James returns home early from his trip. Let's be honest, the movie was kind of a dud, but James is pretty good in it. 

Dan Marino - Little Nicky

Adam Sandler apparently loves working athletes into his movies, and Little Nicky is no exception. In one of the funnier scenes in the movie, ex-Dolphin QB Dan Marino tries to make a deal with the devil (Harvey Keitel) to win a Super Bowl. The devil doesn't want to make the deal, and Marino leaves angry. 

Athletes can make for some very surprising cameos, and while some are better than others, they are always fun to catch as a viewer. 

With all the different streaming services out there and all the TV shows and movies available to watch on them, it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything new that gets released on any given week. In an attempt to keep you endlessly scrolling through every streaming service you own, here’s a look at some of the highlights coming this week from a few of the many available streamers.

Disney+ is in a bit of a holding pattern this week. The three Doctor Who specials have run their course, and the next won't arrive until Christmas. If you’ve got a Netflix subscription or an Amazon Prime Video subscription, there are new seasons of popular shows ready to debut. If you’re a Paramount+ subscriber, you get an original movie co-starring one of the hottest actresses of the moment. Apple TV+ has something new for its subscribers and something classic that’s available even if you’re not an Apple TV+ subscriber.

What’s Coming To Netflix

The Crown: Season 6 Part 2 (December 15)

Throughout five and half seasons, The Crown has told the story of Queen Elizabeth II over the course of more than 70 years. This week, with the final six episodes of Season 6 dropping on Netflix, the series will come to its conclusion. The final episodes will focus on the relationship between Prince Charles and Camila Parker-Bowles as well as the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and wrap up the multigenerational story. 

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (December 15)

2000’s Chicken Run is widely regarded as one of the top achievements of Aardman Animation, the stop-motion studio behind Wallace and Gromit. Dawn of the Nugget will see Ginger and Rocky retire to a bird sanctuary where they have a baby before Mrs. Tweedy returns to get vengeance on her escaped birds. The film has already received high praise from its film festival run, and it should be a popular choice for family movie night this holiday. 

 Yu Yu Hakusho (December 14)

Netflix has had a mixed record when it comes to live-action anime adaptations, with Cowboy Bebop failing to find an audience, yet One Piece has become a big hit. Yu Yu Hakusho, which follows the story of a young man who dies and becomes a sort of police officer of the undead, tracking down demons on Earth, will be a little different in that it’s not an English language adaptation as those others have been. Instead, the live-action series is Japanese, as was the original manga and anime. One hopes this will lead to a faithful adaptation, and subtitles certainly won’t be a problem for anime fans. 

What’s Coming To Paramount+

Finestkind (December 15)

Jenna Ortega is one of the hottest stars in the world right now, and while fans are awaiting her return to Netflix with a new season of Wednesday, until then, she can be found on a different streaming service. Finestkind is the new film from Brian Helgeland, the writer of L.A. Confidential and Man on Fire. The movie stars Ben Foster and Toby Wallace as estranged brothers who come together and run afoul of criminals. Ortega co-stars along with Tommy Lee Jones. When CinemaBlend's own Corey Chichizola saw Finestkind at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this year, he was impressed by Ortega's performance, so fans will want to check this out.

What’s Coming To Amazon

Reacher: Season 2 (December 15)

The first season of Reacher starring Alan Richson as the character from the Lee Child novels was one of Amazon’s biggest recent hits, and fans have been eagerly awaiting a second season. That wait finally comes to an end on December 15. The new season follows Reacher as he comes to the aid of friends from his former Special Investigations unit after one of them is killed. The Reacher Season 2 trailer promises all the bone-breaking action that we got last season amped up to another level. It's going to be a bloody good Christmas for Reacher fans. 

Asteroid City (December 12)

The newest film by Wes Anderson makes its way to Amazon Prime Video this month. The movie has all of Anderson’s trademark style as it tells the story of a junior stargazer convention interrupted by an apparent UFO. Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson co-star alongside many of Anderson’s usual band of players, including Jason Schwartzman, Jeffrey Wright and Tilda Swinton, among others. Maybe Wes Anderson movies aren't for everybody, but if they're for you, you don't want to miss this one. 

What’s Coming To Apple TV+

The Family Plan (December 15)

Mark Wahlberg has made his share of action movies, and he’s also made plenty of fun comedies. The Family Plan will bring both genres together. Wahlberg stars as a former professional assassin who has retired and started a family. However, after former enemies track him down, he must fight the bad guys while trying to prevent his family from learning about his former life. While maybe not a "family" movie in the same way that the Chicken Run sequel is, if you're family is a bit older, this one looks like it will be a lot of fun.

A Charlie Brown Christmas (Free December 16 & 17)

One of the downsides of the carving up of media among streaming platforms is the way some shows and movies have actually become less accessible, not more. When the Peanuts library became part of Apple TV+ it meant classics like A Charlie Brown Christmas, which had aired on free TV for decades, no longer did. The good news is that, for those who can’t get in the spirit without Linus’ speech. Apple TV+ is making A Charlie Brown Christmas free for anybody to watch on December 16 & 17.

There are far too many interesting new series and movies to include here. Be sure to check out the full list of what’s new on Netflix. You can also check out all of what’s coming to Disney+ in December. 

Next week will keep the quality coming as a few potential award darlings arrive on streaming platforms alongside a major science fiction adventure from Zack Snyder and a pair of new original series on Disney+. 

Leading man Mark Wahlberg is 52 years old right now, which may be hard for some to believe. As of late, he’s been making some changes in his life such as moving his family from Hollywood to Las Vegas. Not only that, but Wahlberg wants to start a “new chapter” in his career, one that sees him taking on more “meaningful” roles. As the Father Stu actor isn’t getting any younger, he just discussed the possibility of playing a grandfather in movies soon -- even though he doesn't exactly have a dad bod.

Some actors tend to have concerns about aging up in Hollywood, as the kinds of roles one gets differ as time goes on. Getting older doesn’t seem to both Mark Wahlberg, though. While on the set of the 2023 new movie release of The Family Plan, ET spoke to the man formerly known as Marky Mark, who is proudly embracing what's to come:

Yes, really. Mark Wahlberg is ready to be called "grandpa." At least when he's in character anyway. Considering we all have to get older at some point, it’s better to welcome the inevitable as opposed to straying away from it. He also doesn't mind participating in productions that celebrate the power of a family unit. His latest film, The Family Plan, is about a man who left his life as a top assassin behind to be a husband and father. However, his family eventually discovers his former life once the past catches up with him. The dynamic amongst the clan was what appealed to Wahlberg when he read the script of the action-comedy, and it seems he's all in on this "new chapter."

While he's prepared to get “grandfather” old, his fit body says otherwise. Known for being a real fitness buff, he apparently can do more pull-ups than former wrestler Dwayne Johnson. (40 clean ones, he says!) How does this talented actor stay in shape so flawlessly? The Lovely Bones star shared his fitness tips by advising fans to throw themselves into a routine but to start small. To look like an action star, he's also utilized a healthy diet of egg whites, Ezekiel bread, Greek yogurt, protein shakes, turkey burgers and chicken. Naturally, though, you can adjust that as needed based on your own health needs.

Mark Wahlberg also says it’s important to listen to your body and take a rest when you need it. But of course, don’t get too comfortable and fall into a sedentary lifestyle. It seems he's followed his own advice, as he's gotten back in shape after gaining 30 pounds for Father Stu. With that, I'd say that Wahlberg is a true testament to perseverance and hard work.

Right now, I don’t know if I can picture Mark Wahlberg as a senior citizen who's all gray-haired and chill. But once he’s eligible for the early-bird special, I bet he’ll still look like he just came back from the gym. In the meantime, know that The Family Plan will be hitting your Apple TV+ subscription on December 15th. 

Few people have had quite the roller coaster life in the last few years as Bam Margera. The former Jackass star has been battling addiction, with quite mixed results for years. But the skateboarder may finally be on the right path as he has hit a milestone, having been sober for over 100 days. And he’s congratulations from the likes of Mark Wahlberg.

The connection between the two comes from one of the factors that Margera is crediting with his sobriety being successful, the gym. Specifically, according to TMZ, Margera has been working out at a gym owned by Jarred Taylor, a U.S. Air Force vet who worked with Wahlberg on the film Lone Survivor. Following Margera hitting 100 days sober, and approaching 120 days, he reached out to Wahlberg, and the actor responded to him with a video, saying in part…

120 days sober is quite an accomplishment for Bam, especially considering how difficult it has been for him up to this point. Margera had been in court-ordered rehab in Florida but it had not agreed with him. Bam left the facility on multiple occasions and had to be returned by police more than once.

Margera's sobriety became a professional issue when his addiction led to him being dropped from the most recent Jackass movie. He ended up suing the producers of Jackass Forever over the contract he was forced to sign, which required him to remain sober in order to appear. The unit was eventually settled out of court.

Things got so bad that Margera’s ex-wife cut off all contact with their son, following a viral video where he screamed at her over being able to see the boy. Now Margera has reportedly been given the chance to see his son, so he’ll be traveling from Texas to Los Angeles soon and plans to stop off in Las Vegas to take Mark Wahlberg up on his offer to connect. Wahlberg is one of many Hollywood stars who left L.A. for other cities, and now calls Sin City home.

Bam Margera is working while in Texas, involved in a film project as well as doing art. He’s also started skateboarding again, which was the talent that originally made his name. He credits all this, as well as a new girlfriend, for keeping him sober this long. Fans and friends certainly hope that he’s found the path that will keep him away from drinking. He’s certainly made the right start, but it will now require a lifetime of vigilance.

Typically, actors will work their hardest to promote a film to the best of their ability... at first, that is. Sometimes, years (or months) after said movie releases, the stars will not hold back on their true feelings. See for yourself by taking a look at some of the, so-called, worst movies starring famous actors who would admit that even they agree with the most brutal critiques.

Ben Affleck (Daredevil)

Most would agree that he is one of the best live-action Batman actors, but Ben Affleck’s first stab at playing a superhero in 2003 was not very well received. The actor himself wasn't pleased either, as he told EW (via E!) that he agrees Daredevil “didn’t work, at all.” However, he later explained that what he appreciates about DD is that his commitment to accurately portraying Matt Murdock’s blindness paid off, at least.

Christian Bale (Newsies)

Newsies — a musical retelling of the 1899 New York newsboy strike — was a flop for Disney in 1992 but gained a cult following that star Christian Bale is not a part of. He told EW that the “wounds” he feels he suffered from starring in it healed over time. We suppose leading some great live-action Batman movies and winning an Oscar for The Fighter helped him as well. 

Halle Berry (Catwoman) 

When Halle Berry accepted her Razzie for Worst Actress of 2004 for Catwoman in person, she was one of the few actors to do so and thanked Warner Bros. for putting her in such a “god-awful movie.” At least the actor — who also has an Oscar for Monster’s Ball and a few well-received comic book movies under her belt (the X-Men movies) — has a sense of humor about starring in a DC movie that even John Rogers, one of its writers, thinks is bad.

Josh Brolin (Jonah Hex)

Future MCU and Deadpool 2 star Josh Brolin made his comic book movie debut in 2010 as the titular character in the DC Comics-inspired Western, Jonah Hex. The actor (and star of one of the best Neo-Westerns and, simply, best movies of the 2000s, No Country for Old Men) later told CBR (via CinemaBlend) that he would remake it if he had the chance, as he was not happy with how it turned out.

Sandra Bullock (Speed 2: Cruise Control)

Speed is considered one of the best action movies of all time, but Speed 2: Cruise Control is not remembered so fondly by most, including star Sandra Bullock. The Oscar winner brought up the 1997 sequel — which is set on a cruise ship — when asked by TooFab about movies she was initially embarrassed by before coming around later. However she never actually changed her tune on this one.

George Clooney (Batman & Robin)

While there are some people who actually do enjoy Batman & Robin, George Clooney — who played Bruce Wayne in the 1997 flop — is not one of them. On The Graham Norton Show, the Oscar winner talked about his propensity to constantly apologize for, as he believed at the time, ruining the Dark Knight’s big screen legacy forever, before Christopher Nolan saved it.

Sean Connery (The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen)

It's a shame to learn that an actor is not proud of their final live-action acting credit and such is the case with the late Sean Connery and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The former James Bond actor recalled in a 2007 interview unearthed by Heat Vision (via THR) how he tried to salvage the 2003 Alan Moore adaptation in the editing room and described director Stephen Norrington as insane.

David Cross (Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked)

According to The Washington Post, David Cross once felt the need to defend his participation in 2007’s Alvin and the Chipmunks, but he wasn't so kind about its 2011 threequel. During an appearance on Conan, the comedian recalled his “miserable” experience making Chipwrecked and recommended that the audience that was present not see the family film.

Viola Davis (The Help)

Even though her performance as 1960s Mississippi maid Abilene expanded her notoriety and earned her an Oscar nomination, Viola Davis regrets starring in 2011’s The Help. As she told Vanity Fair, “there’s a part of me that feels like I betrayed myself, and my people, because I was in a movie that wasn’t ready to [tell the whole truth]” and was “created in the filter and the cesspool of systemic racism.” 

Colin Farrell (Miami Vice)

When Michael Mann brought Miami Vice to the big screen in 2006, the action flick did not get the best reviews, based on its Rotten Tomatoes score of 47%. Lead actor Colin Farrell wasn’t too hot on it either, revealing to Total Film (via Far Out) that he “didn’t like it so much,” adding he felt it was “style over substance." Additionally, he even accepts some of the responsibility for that.

Crispin Glover (Back To The Future)

How could anyone dislike one of the best time travel movies ever made, 1985's Back to the Future? Well, George McFly actor Crispin Glover told AV Club that he felt the ending — which saw Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly return to an alternate present in which his family is rich — sent a misguided message, which is why he opted not to appear in the sequels.

Alec Guinness (Star Wars)

The Force was not strong with the Star Wars movies’ original Obi-Wan Kenobi actor, Alec Guinness, apparently. In 1975, the Oscar winner wrote a letter to his friend, Anne Kaufman — which was quoted in his biography and republished by Business Insider in 2013 — describing George Lucas’ script as “fairy-tale rubbish.”

Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up)

In 2008, Knocked Up cast member Katherine Heigl told Vanity Fair that it was “hard for [her] to love the movie,” as she believed it portrayed women in an unfavorable light. While the 2007 comedy is still remembered as one of the best Judd Apatow movies, the former Grey’s Anatomy cast member’s honest comments about sexism would have a negative impact on her career, unfortunately.

Bob Hoskins (Super Mario Bros.)

In 2011, the late Bob Hoskins was asked by The Guardian about his worst job, biggest disappointment, and element he would edit out from his past? His answer to each question was the infamous video game movie adaptation, Super Mario Bros., from 1993.

Jennifer Lawrence (Passengers)

Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence revealed to The New York Times that Adele actually recommended she should say “no” to 2016’s Passengers — in which she and Chris Pratt's characters wake up from a commercial interplanetary journey way too early. Lawrence then said she wished she hadn't ignored the advice from the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter.

Lindsay Lohan (I Know Who Killed Me)

According to a 2013 report by The Daily Mail, Lindsay Lohan was once tweeted at by a fan who told her she had watched I Know Who Killed Me twice the night before. The Parent Trap star replied by saying this fan had watched the 2007 psychological thriller “two times too many.”

Bill Murray (Garfield)

When Bill Murray said he regretted making Garfield during his iconic Zombieland cameo, that was not just a joke. In fact, it was during an interview with GQ that Murray said the only reason he agreed to voice the 2004 live-action movie’s titular cat was because he thought one of the Coen Brothers was writing it, only to learn too late that the scribe was Joel Cohen.

Paul Newman (The Silver Chalice)

According to the Irish Film Institute, Paul Newman’s choice for the “worst motion picture produced during the 1950s” was his screen acting debut: The Silver Chalice. Despite his feelings about it, the late, legendary actor actually received a “Most Promising Newcomer” Golden Globe nomination for playing the Holy Grail’s sculptor in the 1954 drama.

Robert Pattinson (Twilight)

There's no denying that playing Edward Cullen in the Twilight movies made Robert Pattinson the star he is now, but that doesn't change the fact that he's not big on the films. His 2011 interview with Vanity Fair, in which he says “representing something you don’t particularly like” is “weird” in reference to the teen vampire romance stories, is just one of many times the Batman actor has admitted to this.

Christopher Plummer (The Sound Of Music)

When asked about his most challenging role during a roundtable interview with THR, Christopher Plummer’s answer was Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music. His reasoning was nothing akin to Julie Andrews’ rough time shooting the iconic hill sequence, but was that he found the beloved 1965 musical itself to be “so awful and sentimental and gooey.”

Ryan Reynolds (Green Lantern)

Has an actor ever been more shamelessly and frequently vocal about their disdain for their own work than Ryan Reynolds with Green Lantern? Most recently, Reynolds shared his horrified reaction to the 2009 DC flick at London’s Just for Laughs festival in 2023 (according to The Independent). But his most public and unapologetic expression of disappointment can be seen in both Deadpool movies.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Red Sonja)

While recognized as a cult favorite today, Red Sonja — which is being rebooted — is certainly not a film Arnold Schwarzenegger would call one of his best movies. In fact, the former California governor is quoted in Far Out as saying that he used to punish his children by forcing them to watch the 1985 comic book adaptation, which stars Brigette Nielsen as the titular warrior.

Sylvester Stallone (Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot) 

Apparently, Sylvester Stallone has Arnold Schwarzenegger to blame for his decision to star in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, which the Rocky star later told Ain’t It Cool News was “one of the worst movies in the entire solar system.” According to SlashFilm, the Terminator star revealed he tricked his then-rival, Stallone, into signing on for the panned 1992 comedy by feigning interest in the script.

Channing Tatum (G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra)

Radio host Howard Stern once named G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra as guest Channing Tatum’s star-making moment. In turn, Tatum bluntly admitted he hates the 2009 cinematic adaptation of the action figure line, claiming he was “pushed into” making it by Paramount. That explains why he requested to be killed off in the 2013 sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

Charlize Theron (Reindeer Games)

Academy Award winner Charlize Theron did not hold back when telling Esquire that she believes 2000’s Reindeer Games is a “bad, bad, bad movie.” However, she does not regret starring in the Ben Affleck-led Christmas action flick, as it a gave her the chance to work with director John Frankenheimer.

Mark Wahlberg (The Happening)

On a ranked list of M. Night Shyamalan movies, most people might put The Happening at a pretty low spot, including one of its stars. During a press conference for The Fighter, Mark Wahlberg admitted that he does not like The Happening either in an expletive-filled tirade. This came after he revealed that Amy Adams was up for Zooey Deschanel’s part in the unintentionally hilarious 2009 disaster thriller.

Sam Worthington (Clash Of The Titans)

Despite the fact that 2010's Clash of the Titans remake is one of his bigger hits outside of the Avatar movies, Sam Worthington is not a fan. He revealed to IndieWire that he put the blame on his “bland performance” as Perseus and promised to make up for it with the 2012 sequel, Wrath of the Titans.

Gwyneth Paltrow (Shallow Hal)

When Gwyneth Paltrow tested her friend and assistant Kevin Keating’s knowledge of her for a video on Netflix’s X account, he (almost) correctly names her least favorite performance of hers as Rosemary in Shallow Hal. The Academy Award winner and MCU star then describes the Farrelly Brothers’ 2001 fantasy rom-com, which also stars Jack Black, as a “disaster.”

Nicole Kidman (Australia)

Nicole Kidman revealed in an interview with a Sydney radio station (via Daily Mail) that she rarely watches her own movies but did attend the premiere of Australia, which reunited her with Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann. However, she found herself squirming in her seat over her performance in the 2009 romantic period drama, which paired her with Hugh Jackman.

Alec Baldwin (Rock Of Ages)

His fondness for director Adam Shankman and admiration for the all-star cast, including Tom Cruise and Catherine Zeta-Jones, convinced Alec Baldwin to star in Rock of Ages. However, as he revealed in a 2013 interview with American Magazine Media Conference in New York (via The Wrap), the 2012 movie based on a Broadway hit featuring ’80s rock tunes was a “complete disaster” in his eyes.

Brad Pitt (The Devil’s Own)

An action movie starring Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt sounds like a surefire success by those details alone but, as Pitt would share with Newsweek, The Devil’s Own is not all it's cracked up to be. Apparently, the 1997 thriller was a disaster from behind the scenes with the cast and crew being forced to make up the story as they went along after the previous “great script” was “tossed for various reasons.” In addition, Pitt and Ford couldn't get on the same page.

James Franco (Your Highness)

When James Franco jokes about not wanting to do a homemade sequel to 2011’s Your Highness in This is the End, he wasn't exactly kidding. The actor told GQ in 2013 that he thinks the medieval stoner comedy from director David Gordon Green “sucks."

Whether or not you agree with these celebrities’ opinion of their own films, you cannot deny that it takes guts for an actor to admit when one of their own films missed the mark in their eyes.

Mark Wahlberg is contemplating what lies ahead for him and his family. The experienced actor, producer, and entrepreneur recently had an insightful interview in which the 52-year-old Hollywood heavyweight discussed his past achievements, his current ventures, and the uncertainty surrounding his future in the limelight. Specifically, the McMillions producer is pondering how much longer he can continue to be in the spotlight of cameras, and retirement for the Transformers alum maybe sooner than later. 

In a recent interview with Cigar Aficionado (via The Hollywood Reporter), Wahlberg dropped a bombshell that may shock fans of the charismatic actor. The Funky Bunch veteran hinted at the possibility of retiring from acting sooner than expected. While Mark has been a fixture in the entertainment industry for decades, his recent comments shed light on his growing commitments outside of working and his desire to build a legacy for his children. The Deepwater Horizon actor acknowledged the demanding pace of his acting career, saying:

Renowned for his unwavering work ethic and commitment to his craft, the Boogie Nights veteran has been very busy with high-profile projects such as Arthur the King, alongside Shang-Chi’s Simu Liu, The Union, The Family Plan, Flight Risk, and The Six Billion Dollar Man. In their extensive conversation, the Departed star delved into topics like family, faith, and the pivotal role of producing in expanding his Hollywood repertoire. He continued:

Mark Wahlberg's potential retirement from acting may surprise many, but it's not the first time he's hinted at a new career direction. He's been carefully planning his path, focusing strongly on family. Providing opportunities for his children to pursue their dreams was another significant factor for him. He openly shared the challenges of juggling fame and attending his kids' events, ultimately influencing his decision to relocate.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted several celebrities, including Matthew McConaughey, Chris Hemsworth, and Katherine Heigl, to leave Hollywood or the US altogether. The Daddy’s Home star joined this trend by moving his family to Las Vegas last year, a decision he has been candid about. While some may question Las Vegas as a family-friendly choice compared to LA, the Pain & Gain alum shared his unique perspective on the move, openly discussing the reasons behind his family bailing on Hollywood in favor of Sin City.

While retirement might be on the horizon, Mark Wahlberg has been busy with a diverse range of recent projects. Notably, he underwent a remarkable physical transformation, gaining 30 pounds for his role in the biopic Father Stu. He also teamed up with Kevin Hart for Me Time, although the film garnered rather harsh reviews. Marky Mark is still set on bringing The Six Billion Dollar Man series to fruition. Stay tuned for updates on the latest movie releases by following our schedule of 2023 movie releases. 

Some of the biggest stars in Hollywood are also some of the most often snubbed by the Oscars when it comes to Best Actor and Actress Academy Awards. Legends like Harrison Ford, Jamie Lee Curtis, and many others have somehow had some of the most successful careers in film, but have only been nominated for one Academy Award in the acting categories. 

Harrison Ford - Nominated For Best Actor (Witness)

Harrison Ford is a national treasure, most everyone will agree. Everyone, it seems, except The Academy, as he has only ever nominated once, for 1985’s Witness. This actor has been in two of the biggest franchises in history, plus the two Jack Ryan movies and so much more. He should’ve been nominated for The Fugitive at least. 

Eddie Murphy - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (Dreamgirls)

Another icon of the late 20th Century and early 21st Century is Eddie Murphy, who has only been nominated once, for Dreamgirls in 2007. This is probably more testament to the Academy's apparent lack of appreciation for some of his best comedic performances because I dare you to find better ones in history than Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop or Coming To America. 

Gwyneth Paltrow - Nominated For Best Actress (Shakespeare In Love)

Gwyneth Paltrow will likely be a polarizing name on this list because the actor herself tends to be, but she’s had a number of wonderful performances over the years. Roles in The Talented Mr. Ripley, Emma, and The Royal Tenenbaums are all worthy of more consideration than she’s received over the years. She's earned just one nomination for Shakespeare in Love, for which she also won. 

Taraji P. Henson - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button)

Taraji P. Henson has been nominated for more than thirty acting awards across her sterling career. Somehow, only one of those was for an Academy Award. Her lone Oscar nomination was for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2008, and it’s frankly astounding that’s the only one. At a minimum, she should have been nominated for Hidden Figures alongside her cast-mate Octavia Spencer. Hopefully, this changes with her role in the upcoming remake of The Color Purple. 

Hugh Jackman - Nominated For Best Actor (Les Misérables)

Hugh Jackman is one award away from achieving EGOT status. The “O” is missing and shockingly he’s only been nominated once for an Oscar, for his performance in Les Misérables. The multi-talented Jackman has won so many awards, but is shut out yearly at the Academy Awards. The Oscars may not show much respect to comic book films, but everyone else does, and saying he should have been nominated for Logan isn’t a stretch, nor is saying it about his performance in The Greatest Showman.

Jamie Lee Curtis - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

Jamie Lee Curtis is one of the most versatile actors of her generation. Horror, comedy, drama, she does it all. And yet, she has little to show for it in terms of Oscar nominations. She finally was nominated (and won) for Everything Everywhere All At Once but where were the nominations for My Girl and A Fish Called Wanda?

Salma Hayek - Nominated For Best Actress (Frida)

It’s been more than two decades since Salma Hayek was first nominated for an Oscar, for 2001’s Frida and she’s not been nominated since. Hayek is an icon and one of the most beloved actors today, yet never seems to get the attention of the Academy. This is likely in part due to the discounting of action films, which have become Hayek’s bread and butter, but that doesn’t mean her performances in movies like Traffic and Beatriz at Dinner weren't worthy of attention.

Matthew McConaughey - Nominated For Best Actor (Dallas Buyers Club)

When Matthew McConaughey won the Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club after being nominated for the first and only time, he led his speech with his trademark “Alright, alright, alright” and while his role in Dazed and Confused is a classic, he certainly deserved nominations for other roles, like how about a nod for his supporting role in The Wolf Of Wall Street or his performance in the vastly underrated Mud?

Samuel L. Jackson - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (Pulp Fiction)

If there is anyone on the list that should be a perennial nominee, it’s Samuel L. Jackson. His lone nomination came from his unforgettable and meme-able turn in Pulp Fiction, but he’s an actor who steals every scene he's in, in a good way. Just his roles in Quentin Tarantino films alone, like Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight, are worthy of nominations, but it hasn’t happened, sadly. Thankfully for all of us, Jackson was given an honorary Oscar in 2021 for his contributions to film, which is some consolation. 

Uma Thurman - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (Pulp Fiction)

Speaking of Pulp Fiction, the Tarantino classic also led to Uma Thurman’s one and only Academy Award nomination. Despite being one of the biggest stars on the planet, Thurman seems to have no luck getting the attention of the Academy. One role that really stands out is in the under-appreciated Prime. 

Benedict Cumberbatch - Nominated For Best Actor (The Imitation Game)

One has to believe that more nominations will be coming for Benedict Cumberbatch. Thus far, his only acknowledgment from the Oscars was for his wonderful performance as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game. There are plenty of other roles he could have been nominated for, especially as William Bulger in Black Mass and Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate and that’s just the roles in which he’s played real people! 

Mark Wahlberg - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (The Departed)

In 1990, no one would have expected “Marky” Mark Wahlberg to appear on any kind of list like that, but almost 35 years later, it’s astounding his only Oscar nomination has been for The Departed (one of our picks for the 100 best movies of the 2000s). You have to question why he was ignored for Boogie Nights, for sure. The Fighter is another clear snub, though he was technically nominated for Best Picture as a producer of the film. 

Halle Berry - Nominated For Beat Actress (Monster's Ball)

When Halle Berry earned her one Oscar nomination for 2001’s Monster’s Ball, she was the odds-on favorite to win. She had become one of the biggest stars of the 1990s and now was her time to shine. She won, of course, but sadly, it would be the last time Berry would be nominated, so far, at least. It’s a shame because there are plenty of roles she’d be deserving of a nomination, like Frankie & Alice, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Laurence Fishburne - Nominated For Best Actor (What's Love Got To Do With It)

This could be the most shocking on the list. At first thought, you might guess Laurence Fishburne was nominated for his amazing work as Furious Styles in Boyz n the Hood or Professor Phipps in John Singleton’s other masterpiece, Higher Learning. Alas, the Matrix star has only one nomination, for playing Ike Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It, and he didn’t win. 

Josh Brolin  - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (Milk)

Josh Brolin has been a favorite since he was a teenager in The Goonies. He’s also starred in some powerhouse movies, like Sicario and, most of all, No Country For Old Men. No Country won a slew of Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Javier Barden, and yet Brolin wasn’t even nominated. It frankly doesn’t make sense. Brolin’s lone nomination came from his wonderful performance in Milk, but that was the year that the late Heath Ledger won for The Dark Knight.

Sharon Stone - Nominated For Best Actress (Casino)

You could argue that while Sharon Stone was brilliant in Casino, it wasn’t even her best performance, though it’s the only time she’s been nominated. She wasn’t nominated for Basic Instinct, despite winning the Golden Globe for the role, nor for the underrated The Muse in 2000. At least we have Casino. 

Tilda Swinton - Nominated For For Best Supporting Actress (Michael Clayton)

2007's Michael Clayton was awash in acting nominations, including George Clooney for Best Actor and Tom Wilkinson for Best Supporting Actor. The only winner of the night, though, was Tilda Swinton for Best Supporting Actress. Over her incredible career, Swinton has been honored for other roles, like her parts in The Deep End, We Need to Talk About Kevin, and even Snowpiercer, but this remains her only Oscar nod. 

Liam Neeson - Nominated For Best Actor (Schindler’s List)

Long before Liam Neeson re-invented himself as an action star in summer blockbusters, he was a character actor carving out a nice career in film. Then came the epic Schindler's List. He was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor in a movie, though he lost out to Tom Hanks for Philadelphia. In the 30 years since, Neeson has not been nominated, not even for fantastic turns in The Gangs of New York, Michael Collins, or Rob Roy. For shame.  

Lupita Nyong'o - Nominated For Best Actress (12 Years A Slave)

Lupita Nyong'o burst onto the Hollywood scene with her heartbreakingly beautiful performance in 12 Years A Slave. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress and has since been racking up the accolades everywhere... except the Oscars. Despite well-received turns in Us and Queen of Katwe, not to mention her roles in the Black Panther films, she hasn't again been nominated. 

Sean Connery - Nominated For Best Supporting Actors (The Untouchables)

Sean Connery was one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and yet he was virtually ignored by the Academy for his whole career. Setting aside his brilliance as James Bond, Connery should’ve earned nods for The Hunt For Red October, and The Name Of The Rose, at least. Instead, his only nomination came for The Untouchables, which, thankfully, he won. 

Alec Baldwin - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (The Cooler)

Another fantastic performance in The Hunt for Red October that didn’t get recognition is Alec Baldwin’s as Jack Ryan. Baldwin could’ve been nominated for either of his two on-screen performances in 1992, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Prelude To A Kiss, but again he was snubbed. His only nomination came for his role in The Cooler.

Diane Lane - Nominated For Best Actress (Unfaithful)

Diane Lane found her footing in film in the late 1990s with outstanding performances in movies like A Walk on the Moon and The Perfect Storm, either of which could've been award-winning. Instead, it wasn't until 2002's Unfaithful that she got the recognition she deserved when she was nominated for Best Actress. 

Bill Murray - Nominated For Best Actor (Lost in Translation)

The Academy has missed out on great performances by one of the best comedic actors the world has ever seen in Bill Murray. Stripes, Ghostbusters, What About Bob?, and Groundhog's Day are some of the most beloved comedies of all time, and Murray was never recognized. Nor was he for his brilliant turns in Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. Murray's sole nomination came, deservingly, for 2003's Lost In Translation. 

Jennifer Connelly - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (A Beautiful Mind)

Jennifer Connelly has been wowing audiences for decades, including in 2022's massive hit Top Gun: Maverick. It appears though, that she has not been wowing the Academy, as she's only ever been nominated for one Oscar, which she won, for her role in 2001's A Beautiful Mind. Other roles have earned her other awards, like her parts in Requiem For A Dream and The House of Sand and Fog, but to date, nothing from the Academy Awards. 

Kathleen Turner - Nominated For Best Actress (Peggy Sue Got Married)

Despite massive hits like Body Heat, Serial Mom, and of course, Romancing The Stone, Kathleen Turner has only earned one Oscar nomination, for the vastly underrated Francis Ford Coppola film from 1986, Peggy Sue Got Married. Surely this icon of the screen deserves more. 

Robert Redford - Nominated For Best Actor (The Sting)

It’s astounding that the great Robert Redford has only one acting nomination in his whole career, for The Sting. Though he defined what a movie star is, Redford never received Oscar attention for roles in All The President’s Men, All Is Lost, Out Of Africa, and Three Days of the Condor, among many others. The list is endless here. He has been nominated twice for Best Director, for Ordinary People and Quiz Show, and won for the former. Redford also received an Honorary Oscar in 2002.

Catherine Zeta-Jones - Nominated For Best Actress (Chicago)

At the 75th Academy Awards, Chicago was the biggest winner of the night, garnering 13 nominations and winning six of them, including Catherine Zeta-Jones for Best Actress. Alas, this, so far, is the only time the Welsh actress has even been nominated, despite powerhouse roles in Traffic and Entrapment. At least she shares this dubious distinction with her husband Michael Douglas. 

Micheal Douglas - Nominated For Best Actor (Wall Street)

Gordon Gekko in Wall Street is one of the all-time great cinema villains and Michael Douglas richly deserved the Academy Award he won for playing the part in 1988. An actor with a slew of amazing performances from Falling Down, to Traffic, to Fatal Attraction and more, with only one acting nomination. He was also nominated/won for Best Picture in 1976 as the producer of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. 

Lauren Bacall - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (The Mirror Has Two Faces)

Lauren Bacall was one of the true icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood, starring in such films as The Big Sleep, Key Largo, and many, many more over her career. Shockingly, it took until 1997 for the Academy to recognize her work when she was finally nominated for a Best Supporting Actress role for The Mirror Has Two Faces. She did finally receive a well-deserved honorary Oscar in 2000. 

Kevin Costner - Nominated For Best Actor (Dances With Wolves)

Dances With Wolves was the darling of the Oscars in 1991. It was nominated for 12 awards, winning seven, including Best Director for Kevin Costner and Best Picture, which Costner won as a producer. It was also the one and only time Costner has been nominated for an acting Academy Award. There are so many other iconic parts he should’ve gotten more credit for, like JFK, Bull Durham, The Untouchables, and Hidden Figures, just to name a few. 

It just goes to show that even being a huge box office draw, and a megastar doesn't mean you'll get recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Oscars are incredibly hard to win and even being nominated is an honor, they say. Still, for everyone on the list, you'd think they'd have more than one.  

There’s a long list of celebrities who have called it quits in Hollywood. That doesn’t mean they’ve stopped acting, of course, but it does mean that Los Angeles, Tinseltown, also known as The City of Angels, is no longer where they primarily reside. A few months ago, we learned that veteran actor Mark Wahlberg had left LA to move to Las Vegas, and as it turns out a major TV name has now followed in his footsteps: Dean Cain.

The charming star of  Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman has made a career out of appearing in a large swath of TV roles as well as subsequent hero-based projects, including roles in Smallville and Supergirl, as well as a gig in DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year. Now he’s moved to a place much larger than Smallville but smaller than LA, after calling Malibu his home for years.

Reports indicate Dean Cain bought a 5-bedroom, 7-bathroom home in Vegas just a few weeks after selling his Malibu pad at the end of May. The actor’s new digs come with a bunch of stunning extras as well, including an infinity pool, a movie theater, a wine cellar, an outdoor kitchen, a game room, and other features like a steam shower and spa. Per TMZ he reportedly paid just under $4 million for the new digs.

Meanwhile, back in May, he’d sold his home in California for $6.25 million, which means even with the Vegas purchase the actor made a hefty profit on the sale. (Though it’s worth noting he was originally asking for $7.25 million.) With the move, the Lois & Clark star traded literal ocean views for views of the Strip. 

Dean Cain spoke out about his big Hollywood exit and told Fox News he ultimately decided to leave California, a state he said he loves, because of its “terrible policies.” He told the news outlet those who could get out have already gotten out over the past few years, stating:

He doesn’t seem to regret the decision. One thing Mark Wahlberg said after moving to Las Vegas was that the Wahlberg family’s quality of life had improved after moving and that he and his kids were “thriving” in the new climes. Dean Cain also said this was true for himself and his kid, whom he shares with ex Samantha Torres.

While Mark Wahlberg is the big name that has left Hollywood for Vegas, he and Dean Cain aren’t exactly the only actors who have left LA in recent years. While New York has always been a favored location for actors, the move to more random and family-friendly locales was kicked off by big names like Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky, who call Australia their home, and Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila Alves, who favor Texas. Alves has explained why Texas is a better fit than Tinseltown in the past, too. 

A swath of other famous names have also left Hollywood. Katherine Heigl lives in Utah. Deadpool 3 star Ryan Reynolds and his actress wife Blake Lively also bailed on Hollywood and have a gorgeous place in Upstate New York. Former Modern Family star Ariel Winter brought property in Virginia. The list goes on and on, and we'll be sure to keep you updated if any other big names make the move to Vegas (or elsewhere). 

The opportunity to grace the stage at Studio 8H as a headliner for NBC’s premier sketch comedy series is a surefire sign that a celebrity has truly made it. However, the 32 A-listers we have named below stand out as an exception to the rule, having never hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live before.

Beyoncé

The pop superstar (an understatement here, really) has proven herself as a worthy actor and even showed solid comedic chops in her two SNL cameos, but Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has never headlined an episode before. Maybe, if and when she returns for her fifth musical guest appearance, she could do double-duty as host – for which an appearance alongside her frequent impersonator, Maya Rudolph, would be a necessity.

Angela Bassett

Thanks to her stint as a frequent American Horror Story cast member and her Academy Award nomination for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Angela Bassett is bigger than ever these days. Therefore, it would certainly be about time for the showbiz vet to finally grace the stage at studio 8H.

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp is one of the most recognizable and critically acclaimed celebrities of his time, if not all time. Considering that and his decades in the industry – including the Pirates of the Caribbean movies – it’s surprising that he hasn’t ever hosted the long-running sketch comedy series. 

Angelina Jolie

Some might swear that they have seen Angelina Jolie on SNL before, but that could have been Abby Elliot’s pretty convincing impersonation. The Academy Award winner – last seen in Marvel’s Eternals cast – has never hosted the show, nor made any brief appearances.

James Marsden

With his charming wit and a successful career that includes blockbusters like the X-Men movies and the iconic romance drama, The Notebook, you would think James Marsden would have been on SNL by now, but not yet. Maybe his funny, self-effacive performance on the reality prank show, Jury Duty, will convince Lorne and co. he could lead a good show.

Zendaya

With her dual Emmy wins for leading HBO’s Euphoria cast and major roles in blockbusters like the Spider-Man movies and the Denis Villeneuve's Dune films, Zendaya is on top of the world and an established resident of it for sometime now. Maybe she has just been too busy to make time for an SNL hosting gig or her invitation got lost in the shuffle of her many other invitations to special events or casting calls.

Mark Hamill

Even though he was the top-billed star of one of the biggest movie franchises in the world, Mark Hamill's only appearance on SNL so far is a cameo in a sketch about a Star Wars-themed home shopping network program. The Luke Skywalker actor recently told Esquire that he suspects he has never been asked to host because he agreed to host an episode of rival sketch comedy series, Friday, in 1981.

Christian Bale

One of the few great live-action Batman actors to never host a Saturday Night Live episode is Christian Bale, who has worked with former series writer Adam McKay on acclaimed satirical films The Big Short and Vice, however. Intriguingly, the Academy Award winner was once impersonated on the show by his future American Hustle co-star, Bradley Cooper.

Sandra Bullock

Oscar winner Sandra Bullock has brought her killer acting skills and sharp sense of humor to many of her best movies, such as Miss Congeniality, or, more recently, The Lost City. However, she still has yet to utilize her comedic talents on an SNL episode, but did make headlines when former cast member Pete Davidson crashed a party of hers with her Bird Box co-star, Colson “Machine Gun Kelly” Baker, as the actor and musician revealed on The Tonight Show in 2022.

Carol Burnett

Few people are more beloved and influential in the world of sketch comedy as Carol Burnett, which is why it is shocking that none of the many great performances she has given in her long career include an SNL gig. That is, until you learn that the prospect of hosting the show she is said to have paved the way for does not interest her, as she told Fox News in April 2023.

Tom Cruise

As the lead of monster hits like the Mission: Impossible movies, among others, Tom Cruise is practically synonymous with the term “movie star,” but has never lit up Studio 8H. The closest we may ever get to seeing him in such a light is his bombastic performance as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder alongside SNL vets Bill Hader and Ben Stiller — the latter of which also impersonated the Top Gun: Maverick star in a funny Celebrity Jeopardy! sketch in 1998.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Perhaps the reason behind Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio’s lack of hosting gigs is due to a lack of comedy for much of his career, unless you count The Wolf of Wall Street or Don’t Look Up. However, when his co-star from both of those films, Jonah Hill, hosted in 2017, DiCaprio made one of the most surprising SNL cameos in the monologue, in which they recreated a famous scene from Titanic.

Vin Diesel

Many Fast and Furious actors — including Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot — have hosted Saturday Night Live, but the franchise’s leading star, Vin Diesel, is not one of them. Yet, he has been impersonated on the show to hilarious effect a number of times, such as by Taran Killam in one of the most popular videos on SNL’s YouTube channel, which reimagines Bambi as an action movie.

Chris Evans

Out of the many actors who have poked fun at their own Marvel movies in great superhero sketches when hosting SNL — such as Scarlett Johansson and Chris Hemsworth — Chris Evans is not one of them. This is particularly surprising since the MCU’s former Captain America has proven his comedic chops plenty of times, such as in the underrated Not Another Teen Movie and, more recently, Apple TV+’s action-packed rom-com, Ghosted.

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman appeared on a 2010 edition of “What Up With That?” as himself, being interrupted by Diondre Cole (Kenan Thompson) as he dishes on what modern education is lacking. That marks the renowned Academy Award winner’s sole SNL appearance so far, having never been on the show as a host.

Harrison Ford

Saturday Night Live might really benefit from having someone known for such remarkable, dry wit as Harrison Ford on as a host. However, the closest we have seen to the star of the Indiana Jones movies and Star Wars’ original Han Solo actor making an appearance was an impersonation by Fred Armisen in a fake movie trailer.

Al Pacino

One of cinema’s all-time greatest living legends, Al Pacino, has been impersonated several times on SNL and by multiple actors — including Bill Hader and Alec Baldwin. Yet, the Academy Award-winning star of The Godfather and Heat has never hosted the show, let alone made an appearance of his own.

Jordan Peele

Keegan-Michael Key hosted a great SNL episode in 2021, but fellow sketch comedy performer Jordan Peele — whom he met as part of the MADtv cast before starting their own hit series together — cannot say the same. However, according to THR, the Academy Award-winning horror movie maestro could have been a cast member if MADtv had relieved him of his contract and allowed him the opportunity.

Michelle Pfeiffer

Kate McKinnon dressed in Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman suit alongside Zoë Kravitz when The Batman’s Selena Kyle actor hosted Saturday Night Live in 2022. However, the real star of Batman Returns and countless other classics throughout the decades has never set foot on Studio 8H's stage.

Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt has appeared in two SNL cold opens: first in 1998 as David Spade’s therapist when the former cast member came back to host, and secondly as Dr. Anthony Fauci in a pre-taped, Covid-era show. The Oscar-winning star of Fight Club and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood even introduced that latter episode’s musical performance by Miley Cyrus, but that still does not count as an official hosting gig.

Keanu Reeves

I think it would be hilarious to see Keanu Reeves cameo as himself going John Wick on the SNL cast out of revenge for the show’s many unflattering impersonations of him over the years. That would make up for the fact that we have never seen the beloved action movie star host an episode.

Julia Roberts

In an interview with Mario Lopez for Extra, Julia Roberts revealed that she once turned down the chance to host SNL out of fear that she would “blow it.” However, she later told Jess Cagle that she would do it if Alec Baldwin was involved.

Mark Ruffalo

Idris Elba once starred in an SNL sketch called “The Impossible Hulk,” in which his anger transforms him into an entitled white lady. How much funnier might that sketch have been if it was the MCU’s Bruce Banner himself, Mark Ruffalo, in the role? Hopefully, the Oscar nominee gets the chance to poke fun at his own superhero character as a host one day.

Zoe Saldaña

We know that Zoe Saldaña is funny from her roles in comedies like Guess Who and 2010’s Death at a Funeral, but hosting SNL would be the ultimate chance to prove her chops to the world. At least she can say that she is one of the top 10 highest grossing actors of all time with blockbuster credits like the Avatar movies and several MCU titles.

Susan Sarandon

Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon has been a movie star for as long as Saturday Night Live has been around, having made her breakthrough in 1975 with the musical horror comedy movie, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. However, her only contribution to the series so far is starring in Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake’s follow-up to “Dick in a Box,” called “Motherlover.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger

After years of being imitated and idolized by Kevin Nealon and Dana Carvey as Hans and Franz, Arnold Schwarzenegger would appear alongside the fictional Austrian bodybuilders in a couple of iconic SNL cameos. That is the extent of appearances by the Terminator movies star for now. 

Will Smith

It is surprising that a performer of such radiant fame as Will Smith has never hosted SNL, nor made a cameo appearance a single time during his remarkable, versatile career, but it looks like he will never get the chance. According to RadarOnline, the Men in Black star was reportedly banned from the show after slapping series veteran Chris Rock for a joke he made at the Oscars on the same night Smith won his Academy Award for King Richard.

Meryl Streep

For someone like me, it is a real “Sophie’s Choice” to decide which is the greater honor in pop culture: winning an Oscar or hosting Saturday Night Live. Well, at the moment, Meryl Streep has three of the former (for Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie’s Choice, and The Iron Lady), but zero of the latter.

Stanley Tucci

In 2018, SNL paid tribute to Stanley Tucci with a rap parody called “Tucci Gang,” performed by Pete Davidson and featuring host Sam Rockwell impersonating the actor, whom he worked with in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. However, while the Oscar nominee and restaurateur also made a brief cameo in the video himself, it remains his only appearance on the show to date.

Mark Wahlberg

Two weeks after Andy Samberg played Mark Wahlberg in a sketch called “Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals,” the actor himself appeared on the show in a cameo-heavy episode pretending to be very unamused by the imitation. Because of this, I would love to see the one-time rapper and Oscar nominee host an SNL episode of his own.

Denzel Washington

Former SNL cast member Jay Pharaoh does an impression of Denzel Washington so spot-on that you might be easily convinced that you have seen him on the show before. In reality, the Oscar-winning star of Glory and Training Day has never even made a cameo, let alone appeared as a host.

Michelle Yeoh

Only a handful of Asian actors have hosted SNL (such as Jackie Chan, Awkwafina, and Simu Liu, for instance), but it is hard to believe that Michelle Yeoh is not included in that bunch, given her exceptional action star reputation over the last few decades. Perhaps her recent boost in popularity following her historic Oscar win for Everything Everywhere All At Once could change that.

I wonder if we will ever see any of these celebs finally get the call from Lorne Michaels (or agree to it) and, perhaps, go on to earn a spot among the greatest SNL hosts of all time or join the Five-Timers Club, even. I mean, considering all the non-actors who have made great hosts on Saturday Night Live, these high-profile performers could absolutely rock 30 Rock to its core.  

When it comes to acting, Mel Gibson hasn’t been far from the cinematic realm, with his recent moves including Fatman, Boss Level and On the Line. Directing-wise though, he hasn’t helmed a movie since Hacksaw Ridge, which ended up resonating with audiences for a specific reason. Today, however, brings word that Gibson has finally found his directorial follow-up to the 2016 Andrew Garfield-led movie, and Mark Wahlberg is involved.

With these two having been seen together last year in Father Stu (which was met with mixed reception from critics), Gibson and Wahlberg are now teaming together on Flight Risk, which will see the former playing a pilot transporting a dangerous criminal for trial. It’s unclear if Gibson will also appear on screen or limit his work to solely behind the cameras. Lionsgate acquired the worldwide distribution rights to Flight Risk, and Joe Drake, the chair for the studio’s Motion Picture Group, said the following about this partnership in an official statement:

This just the latest Mel Gibson-related movie that Lionsgate is handling, with others including 2021’s Dangerous and last year’s Hot Seat. Mark Wahlberg also has ties to the studio from Deepwater Horizon and Patriots Day, both of which were released in 2016. Lionsgate will launch Flight Risk at the Cannes Film Festival next week, and Davis Entertainment will produce alongside Gibson and Bruce Davey through their Icon Productions. Alex Lebovici of Hammerstone Studios is also executive producing, as well as financing the project.

Flight Risk will be Gibson’s sixth time directing a movie, as along with the aforementioned Hacksaw Ridge, he also helmed The Man Without a Face, Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto. It’ll be a while until we learn when Flight Risk comes out and who will be joining Walhberg in the cast, but these two have other projects coming relatively soon. Gibson will be seen this fall The Continental, the prequel event series part of Lionsgate’s John Wick franchise that’ll be released to Peacock subscribers, and he has Boys of Summer coming out at a TBA date. Meanwhile, Wahlberg’s upcoming movies include Arthur the King, Our Man from Jersey, The Family Plan and The Union, the latter of which he recently finished shooting with Halle Berry.

If you’re now in the mood to watch Hacksaw Ridge after learning that Mel Gibson will tackle Flight Risk with Mark Wahlberg, it can be streamed with a Hulu subscription. Those of you with your eyes still looking to the future should scan through the 2023 new movie releases that are on the way.

While Hollywood is known as the movie capital of the world, in recent years we’ve heard about a flock of celebrities leaving Los Angeles to find new homes outside the city of stars. One major actor to recently move out of Hollywood is Uncharted’s Mark Wahlberg, who relocated himself and his family to Las Vegas, Nevada for a “fresh start.” Now that the Wahlbergs are settled in Sin City, he has recently shared how the adjustment has been going for them. 

In 2022, Mark Wahlberg left Hollywood alongside his wife of 14 years, American model Rhea Durham, and their four children 19-year-old Ella, 16-year-old Michael, 14-year-old Brendan and 12-year-old Grace for Vegas. Here are his latest words about the big move to E! News:  

Wahlberg has previously spoken of leaving Los Angeles to give his “kids a better life,” and it sounds like things are going as planned for him and his family. His eldest daughter has gone away to college while his eldest son is a basketball player, his youngest son is a golfer and the baby of the family is an equestrian. And as far as Wahlberg’s own endeavors go, he has shared plans to create a studio, a shoe factory and generally “create a lot of jobs” in Las Vegas. 

While when many of us think about Las Vegas, we imagine all the casinos and tourist attractions of the city, Wahlberg has also talked about leaving for Las Vegas is not about The Strip. As he shared, all the action of Vegas is 15 to 20 minutes away from their new home where there’s a lot of “family and community” he was attracted to. But, don’t worry, the Wahlbergs are also enjoying the perks of living in the iconic city. As he also recently shared: 

Wahlberg has called Las Vegas “the best of both worlds,” between it being this bustling tourist city of opportunity and having a community for him and his family to be embraced by. Sounds like the actor is settling well in his new home after spending so much time in Los Angeles to establish his career. The actor was originally born in Boston, Massachusetts before pursuing a career in entertainment. 

Among Wahlberg’s recent work, he gained 30 pounds for biopic Father Stu and starred with Kevin Hart in Me Time, which received some brutal reviews. He’s also still hoping to make The Six Billion Dollar Man series. His next movie is set to be upcoming dog movie Arthur The King. You can follow our calendar of 2023 new movie releases for updates on the latest films coming out. 

Celebs have been leaving Hollywood in droves since the COVID-19 pandemic. Major names like Matthew McConaughey, Chris Hemsworth, and Katherine Heigl have set up home bases in states other than California, or have left the US completely. Mark Wahlberg added his name to the list after moving his family to Las Vegas last year. While some fans wouldn’t consider Sin City a better choice than LA to raise a family, Wahlberg saw the big move differently, and the Uncharted star got candid about why his family left Hollywood for Las Vegas.

The Hollywood A-lister opened up to Fox News about moving his family of six to Nevada. Wahlberg revealed he wanted to offer his children a better life outside of the intense Hollywood spotlight. The Oscar nominee mentioned he wanted to give his children “a chance to thrive.” The move to Las Vegas was more about creating a family and community for his kids. The Father Stu star said:

Wahlberg just wanted his family to have a better sense of comradery and love in a tight-knit community compared to the sometimes-parasitic Hollywood. It seems like everything is working out as the Wahlberg family has resided in the community of Summerlin for a year, and the Hollywood star put the family’s Beverly Hills estate on the market last year. So, the actor won’t be back anytime soon.

Another angle for Mark Wahlberg was “giving the kids an opportunity to pursue their goals and dreams.” The topic was a sore spot for the 51-year-old actor as he spilled the downside of fame when attending his kids’ events before the big move. Of course, he doesn’t worry much about his celebrity impacting his children’s pursuits. Wahlberg opened up about the family’s current opportunities in their home state, saying:  

It sounds like the Wahlbergs are thriving in their new surroundings. While the Hollywood star is all about his children’s growth, the entrepreneur appears to be thriving as well in their new city. Wahlberg appeared to be growing a mini-metropolis with a film studio and shoe factory in his future plan, and it seems like the Me Time actor wants to create his version of Hollywood in Nevada as he settles into a new chapter in his film career.

While Mark Wahlberg doesn’t live in Hollywood anymore, that hasn’t stopped his film career from moving forward. His next two films – Arthur the King and Our Man from Jersey – are in post-production with no release dates set, and he’s currently filming the action comedy The Family Plan with Michelle Monaghan. So while the actor continues to act and raise his family in Vegas, be sure to look over our 2023 movie schedule to see when his upcoming projects are set to arrive in theaters or on streaming.

Mark Wahlberg is a devout Catholic who always placed emphasis on his religion. Since starring in the biographical faith movie Father Stu, he’s wanted to build a “new chapter” in his Hollywood career where he could make more movies that inspire people. This comedy/drama actor explains how despite Hollywood being not so religious, it doesn’t stop him from sharing his faith in his acting work.

Before Mark Wahlberg blew audiences away with his performances in Boogie Nights, The Fighter, and The Departed, he was a member of the pants-dropping hip-hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Wahlberg said he needed to find something inside himself to encourage him to transition from music to movies. The Academy Award winner spoke The Today Show about his involvement in his Catholic religion, saying:

Wahlberg continued to express that he’s not one to force religion into anyone, but also refuses to deny his own faith whenever there’s an opportunity to show it. Religion may not be popular in Hollywood as faith-based movies aren’t standouts during award season, but he still wants to share his faith with the world. Faith has never been ignored in Mark Wahlberg’s career like when he once made controversial comments that he wanted forgiveness from high above for starring in Boogie Nights. However, he clarified those comments by explaining he was just joking around as he didn’t know how playing a porn star would look in the eyes of God. Then, there was the time he humorously apologized to the Pope for Ted when he found out a 14-year-old boy loved the movie. In the end, it seems like it’s all about giving a performance. 

Another incident where this leading man wanted to mix faith with Hollywood was getting Father Stu made. This biographical drama that Wahlberg starred in and produced about a boxer-turned-Catholic priest involved him spending “millions and millions” to get it made. After offering the script to some people, they didn’t have faith of their own that it would be a successful movie. The Daddy’s Home actor says people only saw the tragedy in Father Stu struggling with a progressive muscle disorder than the inspiring story behind a boxer getting a second chance at life. Even Father Stu’s cast felt like the film set itself apart from the faith-based drama by blending amusing, funny aspects with inspiration and hope.

It appears that Mark Wahlberg’s next string of movies doesn’t seem to be risqué comedy projects he’ll have to ask forgiveness for. He’ll be co-producing and starring with MCU actor Simu Liu in the true story adventure film Arthur the King about an adventure racer who adopts a stray dog named Arthur to join him in his next race. He’ll also star and co-produce the action thriller Our Man From Jersey about a construction worker who transforms into a spy. I’m sure these two projects will help transform Mark Wahlberg’s career with him playing a role behind the camera as well.

Mark Wahlberg is a very inspirational actor in spreading his faith toward his future works despite Hollywood’s somewhat hesitation. Keep checking in towards our 2023 movie releases so you’ll be the first to know when Mark Wahlberg will head into theaters soon. 

While California has always been a mecca for celebrities, in recent years a lot of big names have moved from the City of Angels for a slew of different cities and environments. Most recently among these was actor and producer Mark Wahlberg, who left California for Nevada and brought his family with him. 

But why did he go? Well it turns out he thought Hollywood would be the place he needed to be in order to secure big acting roles in projects like Transformers or Uncharted. So he came to the heavily populated state only to find out he really didn't need to be in Tinseltown after all. Or as he noted on The Talk:

His words echo a lot of celebrities who have left Hollywood to improve their home lives. Both Matthew McConaughey and James Van Der Beek moved their kids from LA to Texas in order to give them a better growing up experience. McConaughey’s wife Camila Alves specifically noted she didn’t want growing up with paparazzi to be “normalized” either. Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky have had similar claims about shifting their lives from California to Australia. 

Of course, it's not as if they are still living the most normal of "normalized" lives, as Mark Wahlberg and his wife Rhea Durham purchased a $14.5 million mansion in Las Vegas when they moved. That would be a downsize for the couple, who owned a $87.5 million property when they lived in LA.  

As for the movie itself, considering lots of projects have shifted filming out of California, it’s less necessary if you are a big name to be in a centralized hub, though the process of networking in Hollywood is still a prominent idea. But Wahlberg has big plans for Nevada, saying he’s hoping to get tax credits in order to make his new state “Hollywood 2.0.” He wants to build a studio and create other projects in his new home and noted:  

A studio and more sound like pretty lofty plans, but he wouldn't be the first actor to get into the more technical side of the business. Considering he's already a pretty large producing force in Hollywood, having produced some of his own work (See: Joe Bell) but also some majorly popular projects like Ballers and Entourage, his own studio space may just be the next step. Wahlberg also said earlier this year he's starting "a new chapter" in his career overall, and this move may be another reflection of that. 

Though it sounds like the move hasn't slowed down his acting gigs one iota, as Mark Wahlberg has at least four upcoming projects: The Six Billion Dollar Man, Arthur the King, Our Man From Jersey, The Family Plan.