Michael Caine and Vin Diesel are two of the biggest Hollywood stars of all time, and over the years, they’ve appeared in some of the biggest movies of all time. But did you know that on top of being two of the most recognizable faces on the silver screen, they’ve also had one of the closest friendships in show business, and for a very long time? I didn’t, but hearing about their close bond has honestly brightened my day, week, and even year.

When I first heard that the two-time Academy Award winner was coming out of retirement, I was surprised it wasn’t for another Christopher Nolan collaboration, but instead the long-in-the-works The Last Witch Hunter 2. His sequel return at 92 years old makes more sense, however, knowing that Caine and Diesel have been thick as thieves for ages. Here’s the story behind one of the more surprising friendships in Hollywood.

Michael Caine And Vin Diesel Became Instant Friends After Meeting At A Party Nearly 30 Years Ago

Okay, so how did Sir Michael Caine and Vin Diesel become friends anyway? If you guessed while filming a beloved movie about cars (they both have a history here), you’d be wrong, but what about some seemingly random dinner party nearly 30 years ago? In Caine’s 2025 memoir Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over (via EW), the Italian Job actor recalled the fateful night he and a pre-Fast & Furious Diesel became instant friends:

The Get Carter and Dark Knight actor would go on to add a bit more context to their first meeting, saying that Diesel was going through tough times when they met at the party:

If my math is correct, this unlikely friendship started at some point in the mid-90s, at a time before any of Diesel’s best movies came out, and he was still an up-and-coming actor looking for his big break. Little did he know, but he found a close friend as well.

The Friendship, Which Started After Vin Diesel Lost A Childhood Friend, Has Been 'Healing And Loving'

Around the time The Last Witch Hunter became a surprise hit for Netflix subscription holders in June 2025, 10 years after it hit theaters, Vin Diesel took to Instagram to thank everyone for watching the movie after all this time. In the same post, the Fast & Furious star also took time to talk about his dear old friend Michael Caine, providing further context for their years-long bond:

Just like his Dom Toretto character from the Fast & Furious franchise, friendship and family obviously means a lot to Diesel, especially when those people come through during tough times. This is definitely the case with Caine.

The Two Close Friends Even Get Dinner Together Whenever They're In Each Other's Cities

Though Michael Caine and Vin Diesel have only made one movie together (with more projects on the way), these two have continued to get together whenever their busy schedules allow. When promoting the 2015 release of The Last Witch Hunter, Diesel opened up about their unlikely friendship during an interview with the Miami Herald, where he talked about how they keep things going.

Basically, whenever Diesel is in London, he and his partner Paloma Jimenez will go have dinner with his dear old friend and his wife, Shakira Caine, and Caine has dinner with him whenever they’re in the same place at the same time in the United States. The thought of these two actors from different eras and walks of life getting together for dinner or to catch up is just too wholesome.

The Pair Was Spotted Together In July 2025, Leading To One Of The Most Wholesome Pictures Of The Year

Vin Diesel talking about getting dinner with Michael Caine when he’s in London wasn’t just some story he told a reporter when promoting a movie back in 2015, as the two were spotted together in London 10 years later. In July 2025, People shared a photograph of Diesel pushing the 92-year-old Caine in a wheelchair while they were out on the town, and I’ll be damned if it isn’t one of the most wholesome pictures of the year.

Little did we know at the time, but these two were planning a great comeback for the Hannah and her Sisters actor who retired from acting back in 2021. Though it’s unlikely this was more than just a casual dinner shared by two close friends and their families, you have to wonder if the conversation of The Last Witch Hunter 2 came up.

The Last Witch Hunter Sequel Isn't The Duo's Only Upcoming Collaboration

Though The Last Witch Hunter 2 is the more high-profile project Vin Diesel and Michael Caine are working on right now, it’s not the only thing they’re working on together. In the June 2025 Instagram post where Diesel opened up about his friendship with Caine, he revealed that they are working on an “independent project” called Mark and Maurice.

Though he didn’t share any details about whether or not it’s a movie, a show, a stage production, or something entirely different, Diesel did say he can’t wait for everyone to see what they’ve been up to. If this means Diesel is about to go back to his dramatic roots, I’m going to be on board.

With Michael Caine coming out of retirement and his friendship with Vin Diesel looking stronger than ever, I really can’t wait to see where this story goes from here.

Friendships can form in what we may seem to think are the most unlikely of places. Though neither actor has a 2025 movie on the books, Michael Caine and Vin Diesel have been making headlines thanks to Caine’s recent anecdote about such a pairing. Now it’s the Fast Saga star’s turn to return the favor, as he shared a glowing message on social media celebrating his pal, and the film they made together.

Vin Diesel Is Grateful For Michael Caine, And The Last Witch Hunter’s Apparent Renaissance

Apparently Netflix subscription holders must be flocking to 2015's The Last Witch Hunter, as fantasy action thriller seems to be picking up an audience. That's what it sounds like in Vin Diesel's message to his dear friend and co-star, which started off with these select comments:

It kind of does feel like magic to learn that these lads are good friends, as you’ll see in the post embedded below. Before you enjoy this photo though, I’d like to ask you to hold your oohs and ahhs for the last revelation shared in the following message:

Looks like Michael Caine’s retirement may be ending in a very unique way, thanks to that independent project mentioned in the final leg of Vin Diesel’s tribute. Titled Mark and Maurice, there’s no other details on what that could be about; though it doesn’t sound like Sir Michael will be joining Fast X: Part 2’s cast any time soon.

At the same time, I’d like to think that this new picture will be about their personal friendship; especially since the men are lending their true names to the title. That hope only intensified after reading Diesel’s new contribution to the story of how the two met.

Michael Caine’s Friendship With Vin Diesel Couldn’t Have Started At A Better Time

Not many people know this, but one dinner party saw Michael Caine becoming a bit of a fixture in Vin Diesel’s life. Previously we saw that story told before through Caine’s latest memoir, Don’t Look Back: You’ll Trip Over: My Guide to Life. Now we can see why this camaraderie was so important to the Riddick franchise driver, as Diesel provided these additional details:

Any sort of loss in life is painful, and having the right people to walk you through it is key. Much as any of us could cite a handful of friends that helped us in the darkest of hours, Vin Diesel is sharing the love by filling in the story of how he and Michael Caine became as close as they are now.

While we’ll have to wait and see what happens with Mark and Maurice, you can currently stream The Last Witch Hunter through Netflix and other platforms. Who knows, maybe Vin Diesel's promised sequel could take shape after all?

To be called a “star of the future” is quite a high compliment, no matter who it comes from. But when you’ve got Sir Michael Caine telling you that, especially after a take that involves you spitting in his face, that’s truly a special story. It’s also the complete truth, as actor Jack O’Connell’s current run on the 2025 movie schedule seems to have proven the veteran English thespian quite right; and then some.

While being interviewed as part of the press rounds for Warner Bros’ box-office smash Sinners, O’Connell was asked in fan questions submitted to The Guardian about a deep cut from his filmography. Playing Marky, a young criminal who’s run afoul of Caine’s titular character Harry Brown, the 2009 revenge thriller saw a pretty intense scene lead to the spit take in question. As you’ll see in Jack O’Connell’s description of the scene, his starstruck reaction to that moment is pretty understandable:

Having this sort of experience at any phase in your career is something to post to your metaphorical fridge. But reading through this account of the moment makes it even more impressive, especially since the Skins vet banked that role around the same time he was coming up as a star in the BBC teen drama’s cast.

Which, if you’ve been on social media at all, is yet another fact that Sinners’ social media meme-fest has brought to people’s minds. Picturing O’Connell along with Daniel Kaluyya, Nicholas Hoult, Dev Patel, and Kaya Scodelario, the notion that Skins stars are destined to show up in upcoming horror movies is undeniable.

However, as we’ve seen through stories recently shared through Michael Caine’s latest memoir, the legendary storyteller/actor has always been kind to young talent on the rise. Whether it’s fond memories of Heath Ledger from The Dark Knight, or Caine calling Vin Diesel “his son” after first meeting him, the venerated performer is as good of a mentor as you’d expect from someone who’s played Alfred Pennyworth for Christopher Nolan.

One has to imagine what Jack O’Connell’s Harry Brown co-star thinks of his recent turns in cinema, especially with yet another opportunity to scare packed cinemas coming in 28 Years Later. Better still, it’d be fun to see if Mr. O’Connell has had the chance to catch up with his previous mentor, to catch up over the years.

No matter the answers to those scenarios, the fact that Michael Caine’s comments are still hyping the young actor up almost 20 years later is certainly nothing to sneeze, or rather spit, at.

Not to pat myself (or you) on the back too hard, but if you clicked on this article, then you are a true cinephile. And, do you know how I know that? Because not only do you love watching films, you also enjoy reading about them, and not just about everything heading to theaters in 2025.

Because honestly, do you have any idea how hard it is to get people to read anything these days? Even when it’s a movie based on a book, a lot of people are like, “Nah, I’m good,” when you ask them if they’ve read the source material.

So, the books I’m about to discuss are from a wide range of topics. Because filmmaking is not just directing. It's also a number of other elements as well. So, without further ado, here are 7 great books about the craft of filmmaking.

Room To Dream-David Lynch and Kristine McKenna

We lost David Lynch not too long ago, and it was a pretty big blow. I’ve already written about how there will never be another director like him, but that was concerning his films. However, if you read Room to Dream, which is part memoir, part biography, you’ll also learn that there will never be another human being like David Lynch, either.

Co-written by Kristine McKenna, who handles the biography side, Lynch handles the memoir side, where he comments on things McKenna wrote, and even describes how the things she details about his films aren’t exactly how he remembers them.

Cerebral? Yes. Cheeky? Also yes. It’s also really insightful since he goes into aspects about his films that were left ambiguous.

And, while I’ve always been a fan of his movies, I never really knew much about him outside of his films, so this book reveals that Lynch was more than just his work. He had a personal life, too!

In short, if you love (and miss) David Lynch, then there’s no better book than Room to Dream.

Pick up Room to Dream on Amazon

Lloyd Kaufman: Interviews

From high art to lowbrow. Troma Entertainment co-founder, Lloyd Kaufman, is probably most known for his gross out films like Terror Firmer. However, you might change your feelings about the man once you read Lloyd Kaufman: Interviews, which features op-eds, commentaries, and yes, interviews with the man who brought us The Toxic Avenger (who I’m a huge fan of).

What’s great about this book is that it shows that even schlock is hard work, as Kaufman has made a whole career of shocking and entertaining viewers.

The book goes over Kaufman’s savvy business practices, at points acknowledging that some of Troma’s most shocking films wouldn’t make much money at the box office, but would find their audience on home video.

I also love learning about the importance of branding, as Kaufman goes over how the Troma brand sells itself (Which, I can attest to since I’ll watch anything from Troma–Like Surf Nazis Must Die).

Lloyd Kaufman: Interviews is an excellent book (with a great intro by Mathew Klickstein!) that gets into the business of filmmaking. Plus, Kaufman reveals his 5 favorite Troma movies, so that’s fun!

Pick up Lloyd Kaufman: Interviews on Amazon

All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business-Mel Brooks

Speaking of business, there’s no business like show business, right? And, who better to give you a discussion of the matter than Mel Brooks?

In this lengthy (and fun!) book, Brooks talks about his humble beginnings in Brooklyn, to his time in the Army, to the real meat and potatoes, his time making films.

What’s great is that after talking about meeting his future wife, Anne Bancroft, we get whole chapters on some of his best known movies, such as The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein.

However, I mostly appreciate the chapters on the later Mel Brooks movies, like Life Stinks, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Dracula: Dead and Loving It, as Brooks gets into how the entertainment industry changed throughout the years.

So, if you want to read a book about the process of becoming a success in Hollywood, then you can find worse guides than Mel Brooks.

Pick up Mel Brooks: All About Me! On Amazon

Every Frame a Rembrandt: Art and Practice of Cinematography-Andrew Laszlo

I’ve talked a lot about directors, but no movie would be worth watching without cinematography, and Andrew Laszlo’s book, Every Frame a Rembrandt: Art and Practice of Cinematography is one of the finest on the craft.

Going through the five films that he shot, this book goes over a number of things that I never even thought about when it comes to moviemaking, including the perfect lighting.

I also learned that cinematography is not just photography (Color me dim, but I honestly had no idea what cinematography actually was until I read this book).

What I dig most about it though is that it deals with movies that I actually love, with three of them being the Walter Hill movies, The Warriors, Southern Comfort, and Streets of Fire.

There’s also some Q+A sections that leave a little to be desired, but overall, if you want to learn about the craft of cinematography, then you’ve found your book!

Pick up Every Frame a Rembrandt: Art and Practice of Cinematography on Amazon

Purple Fury: Rumbling With the Warriors-Rob Ryder

Speaking of Walter Hill movies, I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up my favorite film of his, The Warriors, which is the quintessential ‘70s movie.

Well, in Purple Fury: Rumbling With the Warriors, we get an in-depth look at the film, but it's not from the director, leading actors, or even the screenwriter. Instead, it's from one of the extras!

The only book I've ever read of this nature, Purple Fury is the true story of a production assistant who became a location scout, and then, by happenstance, found himself actually in the movie as one of the Baseball Furies.

The book goes into the stressful nature of filmmaking, and how everybody plays a part, from the lowliest crew member, all the way up to the director.

It's a wild story, and one you will enjoy if you like hearing what it's like being on the ground floor.

Pick up Purple Fury: Rumbling With the Warriors on Amazon

Stuntman! My Car-Crashing, Plane Jumping, Bone-Breaking, Death-Defying Hollywood Life-Hal Needham

From a man on the ground floor, to a man falling off a building, this next book is one of the most harrowing and exciting ones you will ever read.

Written by quite possibly the greatest stuntman of all time, Hal Needham tells his story of starting off small and making it big in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

I’d seen movies like Smokey and the Bandit, and The Cannonball Run, but I had no idea that the guy who directed those movies also acted as a stunt double for Richard Boone earlier in his career.

Stuntman! Goes in depth when it comes to setting up dangerous scenes, and then pulling them off. It breaks down stunts in meticulous details, and it’s all as thrilling reading it as it must have been performing it.

It’s a book that really makes you feel like the Academy needs to make a category that recognizes stunt people immediately. So, for a thrilling read, check out this book.

Pick up Stuntman!: My Car-Crashing, Plane-Jumping, Bone-Breaking, Death-Defying Hollywood Life on Amazon

Acting In Film: An Actor's Take On Movie Making-Michael Caine

Lastly, I thought I'd close with acting (rather than start with it) and who better to give you tips on the craft than Michael Caine, who always has something interesting to say.

In his book, Acting in Film: An Actors Take On Movie Making, he goes over everything from preparing for a role, what it's like to be in front of the camera, and even what it’s like being a movie star.

What makes this book wonderful though is that you can literally hear Michael Caine's voice while you read it, which is what I'm sure all of his books, both old and new, must be like.

My favorite part of the book is when Caine separates the differences from being a stage actor, to being a film actor, as he gives several instances on how they are such different undertakings.

Honestly, if you have any desire to be an actor (or just love hearing about the craft itself), then I can't recommend this book enough.

Pick up Acting in Film: An Actor's Take on Movie Making on Amazon

So, those are seven excellent books about the craft of filmmaking that I highly recommend you check out. Which one are you picking up first, Ms./Mr./They Cinephile?

Sir Michael Caine has been an acting legend for so many decades that one can only guess that he’s had the sort of career that any actor would be thrilled with. While he announced his retirement in late 2023 (to well wishes from his The Muppet Christmas Carol co-stars), that was hardly the last we’d hear from the Alfie star, and he’s now revealed how a serious injury led to a work-related silver lining for him.

What Did Michael Caine Say About An Injury That Funnily Revealed A Silver Lining?

I could probably hit my word quota on this article just by listing all of the films that Michael Caine has appeared in since he got his start on the big screen in the late 1950s. So, make no mistake, The Prestige actor has been covering all bases of his intriguing chosen field of work to a high level for a long time.

However, in his latest memoir, Don't Look Back, You'll Trip Over: My Guide to Life (via Entertainment Weekly), where he speaks about things like Vin Diesel being his “son,” giving advice to a young Tom Cruise, and how “chilling” Heath Ledger was as The Joker, the star revealed that an injury several years ago actually gave him a professional out when it came to something he, apparently, wasn’t too keen on doing at the time. He said:

Ouch! First of all, isn’t falling in public just the worst? Pretty much everyone has done it, probably several times, by the time you reach a certain age, and we all know the embarrassment it can bring, especially if you hurt yourself. Plus, I’m already at the age where I fully understand that a simple fall can actually be dangerous as you get older, so I’m really glad that the frequent Christopher Nolan collaborator didn’t sustain any permanent damage. Caine continued:

WOW. Alright, I’m not with you on this, Sir Michael. Going to “bloody” Paris for work (even if you just have to sit in a hotel room and be asked the same questions for hours on end) sounds pretty good to me! But, I guess since I don’t know what it’s like to go through that a couple of times a year for decades, maybe I should keep my opinion to myself.

Now, I know what you’re wondering, “What does this have to do with The Dark Knight Rises?” Well, this particular accident was documented by The Daily Mail in late July 2012, which was right around the time that the superhero blockbuster was opening around the world.

Though he seemingly didn’t elaborate on why he was glad his “proper tumble” let him skip some promotion duties, he did relay why it’s a good idea to find even the smallest possible upside when things aren’t going your way. The erstwhile Alfred Pennyworth notes that being able to “use the difficulty” will help us all avoid falling into a victim mentality that could keep us from getting ahead in a world that’s “rigged to ensure that you will fail,” and I think that such solid advice could only come from a legend like Caine.

Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is largely considered one of the best superhero movies of all time. The blockbuster (which is streaming with a Max subscription) made the director's vision for Gotham City into a bonafide franchise, and earned Heath Ledger a posthumous Oscar for his performance as The Joker. Michael Caine recently recalled seeing the late actor's process, and how "terrified" he was of seeing The Joker in the flesh.

Ledger's method acting in The Dark Knight resulted in a breathtaking performance, although it seemed to have taken a toll on his mental health. In his new book Don't Look Back, You'll Trip Over: My Guide to Life (via People), Caine spoke about his relationship with the late actor. He mentioned his temperament, offering:

Moviegoers who have spent years watching the DC movies in order have seen a number of Jokers come and go. Ledgers continues to have staying power, thanks to the unique way that he approached the character. Caine spoke about what it was like seeing him in full Joker gar on et, offering:

While Ledger's performance was definitely chilling in theaters, it's fascinating to hear how even his fellow Dark Knight Rises co-stars were scared of him as Joker. That includes Michael Caine, who has had a long and wildly successful career.

When raking Joker actors, Ledger usually ends up at the top of the list. And his universally acclaimed performance in The Dark Knight Rises shows how tragic his passing was, and how much potential his career had. As Caine shared:

I've got to agree with him. Whether it was early rom-com success in 10 Things I Hate About You or his Awards Season favorites like Brokeback Mountain or The Dark Knight, Ledger definitely left behind a legacy thanks to his talent and character.

Michael Caine's book Don't Look Back, You'll Trip Over: My Guide to Life: My Guide to Life is available to purchase now.

Some Hollywood friendships are so unexpected that their mere existence feels like proof of good in the world. Learning that the great Sir Michael Caine is friends with none other than Fast Saga star Vin Diesel is one of those very scenarios, which deserves to be celebrated on the 2025 movie schedule. But that’s not the full extent to the relationship between these men, who met way before they co-starred in 2015’s The Last Witch Hunter. In fact, you could say that they’re…family.

Sir Michael Caine And Vin Diesel’s Friendship Goes Back A Long Way

Caine himself would agree with that gag, and a passage from his latest autobiography (via EW) basically says as much. Sharing this anecdote from Don’t Look Back: You’ll Trip Over: My Guide to Life, you can practically hear the love pouring from his iconic voice as you read these words shared from this freshly released volume:

You’d think the fourth memoir from this Hollywood legend would be a bit much. And yet just by revealing this story alone, Sir Michael Caine has proven that he hasn’t run out of things to share with his fans. And yes, that’s even in the wake of Caine’s recollection of meeting Tom Cruise earlier in his career.

Some of you out there might still be wondering just what this frequent Christopher Nolan collaborator may have seen in the xXx franchise star that made him his metaphorical son. That too is addressed, courtesy of the follow-up excerpt from Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over:

I must admit, after reading this piece of Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over, I’m quite happy that Michael Caine’s previously announced retirement seems to be off the table again. At least, that’s what publisher Mobius’ promo listing for this book says, straight from the man himself. Should that be true, I think I have an amazing idea on how these good friends can make movie history together.

It’s Not Too Late To Put Michael Caine In Fast And Furious 11

How has Michael Caine, friend to Vin Diesel and star of The Italian Job and Harry Brown, not been asked to appear in the Fast & Furious movies? The perfect opportunity does exist as we haven’t seen the patriarch of the Shaw family, which means Sir Michael Caine could be paired with the equally iconic Helen Mirren!

As the on-screen parents of Jason Statham, Vanessa Kirby, and Luke Evans’ action-inclined heroes, we could see Mr. and Mrs. Shaw bicker as quickly as they can pull a trigger in what may be the final Fast Saga entry. Even if the series’ continuity has already shown us who Deckard, Hattie, and Owen’s father is, it kind of doesn’t matter.

If anyone can be resurrected at a moment's notice in these pictures, then the lore can be bent. Or rather, have its bloody doors blown off. Should Sir Michael wanted to forego such a role, I can totally understand. I mean, Michael Caine did turn down Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. But now that we know Vin Diesel is practically a son in his found family, it would be crazy not to at least address the possibility.

Perhaps if more people read Don’t Look Back, You’ll Trip Over, which is currently available at all fine booksellers, that sort of sentiment will catch on. If anything, it’ll help pass the time waiting for Fast and Furious 11’s release date - which is slated for some point in 2026.

There are so many inspiring movies about getting older that show we don’t need to dread the process of aging. Plenty of stars over the age of 50 have shown that eventually hitting retirement can mean fun, adventure, and joy, proving that life isn’t over yet. Compared to the stereotypes of the elderly being frail or forgetful, here are five movies that portray these senior protagonists thoughtfully and originally.

Thelma (2024)

Starring Nebraska’s June Squibb, Thelma's about a 93-year-old woman who gets scammed into sending $10,000 to a stranger pretending to be her grandson. Compared to accepting defeat, she decides with the help of a friend and her grandson to track down the scammer and get her money back.

While you’re quick for your heart to break seeing poor Thelma get taken advantage of, your feelings of pity quickly fade away when you see how well the movie handles aging. As the retired woman felt inspired to see Tom Cruise doing crazy stunts in his movies, she decided to take a risk and not let being in her ‘90s stop her from getting back what was stolen.

We see Thelma ride like the wind on her scooter (with Squibb doing her own stunt work), rolling over beds, and gun-handling. Sure, Thelma may still have challenges as a senior citizen, but the comedy was original and thoughtful for having an elderly main character drive the story without feeling dependent on the younger characters around her.

Thelma is available with your Hulu subscription.

The Intern (2015)

Anne Hathaway and Robert DeNiro really are at their charming best in The Intern. The plot follows an e-commerce fashion company, run by Jules Austin, that takes elderly folk as interns. Compared to the stereotypes of retirees portrayed as frail, out of touch, or grumpy, De Niro’s Ben Whittaker defies those tropes. He’s portrayed as a go-with-the-flow guy who uses his wisdom to impart effective business strategies to Jules and help his young colleagues with their personal problems.

While Ben had old-school methods like wearing a suit to work and carrying a briefcase, he was also interested in learning from those younger than him. For instance, he educated himself on how Facebook worked and the realities of stay-at-home fatherhood. Not to mention, Ben still made retirement look enjoyable; like being willing to go on dates and maintaining an active social life. The Nancy Meyers comedy is a thoughtful and original one showing that getting older doesn’t mean your life story is over. Senior citizens can still be useful to the next generation just as younger generations can teach them in return.

The Intern is available to rent on various streaming platforms.

Secondhand Lions (2003)

When teenage boy Walter got sent to live with his two great-uncles by his mother, little did he know that Hub and Garth had plenty of adventures worthy of an Indiana Jones movie during their youth. But, even though these two men grew to be elderly, they still had spirit in them during their retirement to recklessly fly airplanes, fight teenagers in bars, shoot at traveling salesmen, and more. They treated aging not as an excuse to wither away, but to celebrate life while they still have liveliness in them.

Not only is Secondhand Lions important for Hub and Garth portraying the elderly in thoughtful, original ways, but the lioness herself. That's right, the uncles ordered a tame, retired circus lion that Walter kept as a pet named Jasmine. This lion may have been aging too, but she still had a lot of vibrancy in her when she cared for and protected Walter like her own cub. If goes to show that if there’s still adventure in someone or something’s soul, age won’t stop that spirit from unleashing.

Secondhand Lions is available to watch for free with ads on YouTube.

Cocoon (1985)

Directed by Ron Howard, Cocoon certainly offers a whimsical yet original ode to aging. Before aliens made their way toward a Florida retirement home, the elderly residents felt physically limited or lonely. Then once the aliens put a “life force” into a pool next to the retirement home, the elderly who snuck into the pool began feeling rejuvenated. They could dance like no one’s watching, climb trees, and have more energy than ever. The “life force” woke up the youthful personalities stuck in the residents’ aging bodies.

Even though Cocoon is a sci-fi film, its fantasy themes still hit hard with reality. As the aliens gave the elderly residents a choice to go home with them (where they’ll be immortal), this made them question if they’re ready to chase new adventures or accept the natural order of mortality. The originality and thoughtfulness of the Academy Award-winning flick used aliens as a catalyst for a journey about the fears, hope, and possibilities that come with getting older.

Up (2009)

Compared to other animated movies or shows where old folks are portrayed as a punchline, Up beautifully defied the formula for Pixar and family films in general. The first ten minutes provided a gut-wrenching yet beautiful sequence of a couple who’s known each other since childhood. Carl and Ellie hit many milestones true to life like owning a house, jobs, pregnancy, miscarriage, and Ellie’s death during old age that’s bound to lead you to tears. With animated movies normally designed to make kids laugh, the Academy Award-winning Pixar movie offered audiences a dose of reality that set the stage for Carl’s motivation to have an adventure during his old age.

Because it was Ellie’s dream for her and Carl to have an adventure in Paradise Falls before her passing, Carl strung thousands of balloons to their house to go there. Boy Scout Russell became an accidental stowaway and a storm disrupted plans by blowing everyone away to South America. Through each obstacle, Carl discovered there were opportunities for new adventures motivated by his love for Ellie. Compared to a sidekick or a comic relief, Carl is a complex human being, driving Up's story by providing a refreshingly thoughtful and original take on aging gracefully.

Up is available with your Disney+ subscription.

It can be thrilling to watch a movie that gives you optimism for when you reach old age compared to dreading it. As the mentioned movies prove, showing the elderly in an original way shows getting older does not mean that life withers away. With a youthful spirit and an optimistic view, there’s always room for more experiences and thrills.

The holidays are a time when we're all obsessed with watching the best Christmas movies, and The Muppet Christmas Carol is absolutely one of them. I was recently watching the movie with my Disney+ subscription, and while I still think it's the best of the Christmas Carol adaptations, there's one scene I've always questioned.

Michael Caine once said this was the perfect movie for him to show his daughter, but he may feel differently after my NSFW answer to a scene that has long bothered me. Before throwing another coal on the stove, let me get to it and talk about this bizarre scene foe which I've found an inappropriate answer.

Rizzo And Gonzo's Grapple Hook Scene Confuses Me

When the Ghost of Christmas Past visits Scrooge, Rizzo and Charles Dickens (Gonzo) give chase. Because they're flying, however, the duo has to use a grappling hook to attach to Scrooge and keep up with him. I've watched and re-watched this sequence from The Muppet Christmas Carol over the years, and I still don't see a clear anchor point for the grappling hook. And yet, Gonzo and Rizzo arrive safely and without issue, so where the hell did it attach?

I Think The Grapple Hook Caught Scrooge In The Anus

At the risk of getting as much hate mail as I did when I chronicled the variety of issues with Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, I think I have an NSFW answer. The grappling hook went up and through Scrooge's robe and landed with one hook firmly between the cheeks into his anus.

It's wild, but it makes sense if you watch the scene. From the angles we see, the rope is always between his legs and behind his robe. If it were attached to his cloth belt to keep his robe on, it would surely come undone with the weight of Gonzo and Rizzo attached. I would say that a leg would've been enough to keep these two tethered and able to stay relatively safe during travel, but as I mentioned, we never see an anchor point.

Regrettably, I'm left with the option being the grappling hook landing in the butt, and I'm not happy about it. If it's any consolation, it happens in The Muppet Christmas Carol when Scrooge is still a pain in the rear, and it's not like we see it happen. This is still very much a Christmas movie for the family to enjoy, and it's not like the Muppets did it on purpose.

This is all speculative, and readers are free to disagree with me. That said, I challenge you to watch the scene for yourself when you next get the chance and offer an alternative solution. If nothing else, I can guarantee you'll have trouble finding one that I can't combat because I really tried to write off this theory.

The Muppet Christmas Carol is available to stream on Disney+ right now. It'll always be the perfect movie for the holiday season, NSFW theories aside, and I hope everyone takes some time to watch it.

A plethora of people have contributed to the art of music and the industry throughout time, but it can certainly be said that few have had a greater impact in that arena than Quincy Jones. The revered producer, songwriter and composer was responsible for some of the greatest tunes of all time, and the effects of his work are still felt today. Sadly, it was confirmed early this morning that Jones passed away at the age of 91. Now, various stars – like Will Smith, LL Cool J and Michael Caine – are paying tribute.

Quincy Jones’ family released a statement Monday morning, which was shared with CNN and other news outlets, confirming the loss of its patriarch. The veteran music man, whose career spanned 70 years, reportedly passed away on Sunday night at his home in Bel-Air, California and was surrounded by his loved ones, including his children and siblings. The message reads as follows:

It would be a gross understatement to say that a number of music stars were touched by the jazz composer’s art and even had the opportunity to meet and know him through the industry. Will Smith was one such person, as the two had a close relationship. It was even because of the producer that Smith was cast in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Smith shared a throwback photo on Instagram and shared the following message:

Legendary rapper and Hollywood mainstay LL Cool J also knew the late maestro and, following the passing of the industry titan, he took to Instagram to pay tribute. In addition to sharing a photo of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame enshrinee and penning a sweet message:

Another lovely message came from now-retired actor Michael Caine, who shared the same birthday as Mr. Jones. Caine and his “celestial twin” are also connected in the fact that the thespian starred in 1969’s The Italian Job, which was famously scored by Jones. When paying tribute to his old friend, Caine shared the following via an X post:

Tyler Perry, who’s made an impact in entertainment himself, was also good friends with the man responsible for numerous musical hits. In his own message posted to Instagram, Perry affectionately reflected on the man he affectionately referred to as “Q”:

The four stars mentioned above aren’t the only ones who’ve honored Quincy Jones since his passing either. A number of others, including Colman Domingo, Hayden Panettiere, Sheryl Lee Ralph and more. Check them out below:

• He asked, where are you from? Philly I replied, his eyes twinkled and he talked about the Uptown Theater. I was so thrilled to meet Mr. American Music himself. I literally kneeled because he was a King. Thank you Mr. Quincy Jones for giving us all the sound. - Colman Domingo
• How incredibly fortunate I was to get to spend time and share memories with this gem of a human being. The concept that even someone with his charisma and spunk couldn’t live forever is hard to accept. But what a legend, what a gentleman and my heart goes out to his beautiful family. You’ll be missed Q. 🙏🏼🫶🏼 - Hayden Panettiere
• Rest in Peace and Perfect Pitch Quincy Jones! What a life well lived. - Sheryl Lee Ralph
• That time I got to hang with Quincy Jones... RIP to this musical genius. - Amanda Kloots
• My goodness, what a legend we've lost... working with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson, producing the alum Thriller. Nobody reading this hasn't been touched by this 28-time Grammy-winning man's work. - Danica McKellar

A native of Chicago, Quincy Jones’ career began in earnest in the 1950s, at which point he was mostly involved with jazz-related productions. He eventually found himself rubbing shoulders with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Billy Eckstine, Count Bassie and more. In time, Jones would make the move to pop music and, in doing so, he’d collaborate with Michael Jackson on his hit records Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad. Jones also produced music for films and TV shows like In the Heat of the Night, The Wiz and Sanford and Son.

By the time he passed away, the "We Are the World" producer amassed 28 Grammys, two honorary Academy Awards, an Emmy, a Tony and more. He was also the subject of the 2018 documentary, Quincy, which was co-directed by his daughter, Rashida Jones. (You can stream that with a Netflix subscription.) Jones left an indelible mark on pop culture, and it’s wonderful to see so many people honoring him. Surely, his legacy will not soon be forgotten.

We here at CinemaBlend extend our condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Quincy Jones during this time.

Michael Caine, the beloved British and now-retired actor, recently reminisced about a memorable encounter with a young Tom Cruise nearly four decades ago. The moment occurred at a film event for the classic ‘80s movie and British comedy-drama Educating Rita, which earned The Prestige star a BAFTA nomination in 1983. Around the same time, the Top Gun actor was gaining significant attention for his breakout role in Risky Business, where his iconic dance scene solidified him as a rising Hollywood star. And it sounds like Caine's run-in with Cruise left quite an impression.

In a recent feature from The Sunday Times, the former Alfred Pennyworth performer shared his reflections on his storied career, his working-class roots and more. Of course, also mentioned was the profound effect of his brief meeting with The Mission: Impossible star. In an excerpt from his memoir, The Cider House Rules actor, now 91, recalls turning to find a polite, earnest young actor beside him. Cruise, then only about 21, was already displaying the determination and dedication that would fuel his future success. Caine recalls:

The brief encounter underscores the Cocktails star’s early focus on longevity in Hollywood and the Batman Begins veteran’s instinctive ability to recognize potential. At that time, the Tenet star had already established himself, crushing it in comedy roles and dramatic parts. By this time, he had already starred in flicks like Alfie, Zulu and The Italian Job, while Cruise was on the cusp of stardom, just about to become one of Hollywood’s biggest names.

The conversation, Sir Michael Caine reflects, also touched on what it takes to maintain a career in an industry notorious for its fleeting success. He continued:

The Jaws: Revenge veteran has witnessed Hollywood’s shifts over the decades and sees the Jerry McGuire actor as a rare example of lasting stardom. In the Sunday Times feature, the two-time Oscar winner reflects on how the nature of celebrity has changed, noting the scarcity of “true stars” who can still draw audiences purely with their name. For Sir Caine, who rose to fame alongside legends like Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant, Cruise is a throwback to that Golden Age—not just an action star but a performer whose presence alone fills theaters, an increasingly rare phenomenon.

While Michael Caine appears committed to his retirement—meaning no 2024 movie releases—Tom Cruise, at 62, continues to dominate the box office. In 2022, Top Gun: Maverick shattered records and, although Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning fell short of box office expectations, fans can look forward to Ethan Hunt’s return in the upcoming M:I 8, which is scheduled for the 2025 movie release schedule.

You can read all about Michael Caine’s incredible career in his forthcoming memoir, Don't Look Back, You'll Trip Over: My Guide to Life, which is currently available for preorder.

We see it all the time, serious actors with some major dramatic skills tearing it up in lighter, more comedic roles. Actors who’ve made us cry in Best Picture winners have gone on to make us fall over with side-splitting laughs, which can sometimes be harder than you’d think.

In the past, we’ve talked about some of the great dramatic performances by comedians, but today we’re going to turn our attention to the other side of that coin and highlight 32 serious actors who crushed in in comedic roles.

Robert De Niro (Meet The Parents)

Robert De Niro, an Oscar-winning actor known for serious parts in some of Martin Scorsese’s best movies, including Raging Bull and Goodfellas, as well as his turn as a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II, showed the world that he was also one of the funniest stars in Hollywood with his portrayal of the iron-fisted Jack Byrnes in Meet the Parents. The deadpan expressions, the playing on his gangster roles, and his chemistry with Ben Stiller make this an all-time classic.

George C. Scott (Dr. Stranglelove)

George C. Scott will always be remembered for his portrayal of U.S. General George S. Patton in Franklin J. Schaffner’s Patton, but the acclaimed actor also crushed it in a more comedic role a few years earlier. His take on General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove is nothing short of magnificent and hilarious as it gets. The satirical tone of this iconic anti-war film is biting, as is Scott’s legendary performance.

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Along Came Polly)

Though we could have included Rusty from Twister or Brandt from The Big Lebowski, Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance in Along Came Polly is just too good to overlook. Though he’s atrocious at basketball (and in most social situations), Sandy Lyle is a force of comedic nature. It’s crazy that Hoffman went from Cold Mountain to this 2004 rom-com to Capote in the span of three years.

Tom Cruise (Tropic Thunder)

Tom Cruise steals the show in Tropic Thunder, which is no easy feat considering Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr. sit atop the cast of this outrageous 2008 action comedy. But hey, Les Grossman, Cruise’s over-the-top and ill-tempered Hollywood exec is unforgettable in every single one of his scenes, especially whenever he dances.

Meryl Streep (Death Becomes Her)

Though not a slapstick or “laugh-a-minute” comedy, Death Becomes Her does feature some wild and hilariously comedic performances from the likes of Bruce Willis, Goldie Hawn, and Meryl Streep, who kills it with her portrayal of Madeline Ashton. The Oscar winner does get to show off her serious skills in the movie, but her character’s darkly humorous personality is worth a watch.

Leslie Nielsen (Airplane!)

It’s wild to think that Leslie Nielsen, an actor mostly remembered for spoof films, started out as a very serious dramatic actor. But that all changed with landmark comedies like Airplane!, where his deadpan humor and signature charm truly shined.

Kate Winslet (The Holiday)

Kate Winslet is known for dramatic movies like Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Revolutionary Road, but the talented dramatic actress was able to show off her comedy chops in The Holiday. This 2006 Nancy Meyers romantic comedy showed off a different side of Winslet, one we haven’t forgotten nearly 20 years later.

James Caan (Elf)

James Caan wasn’t really known for his comedy. Sure, his characters had some humorous lines in The Godfather and Thief, but drama was always his bag. And that’s what makes his performance in Elf so great. We weren’t used to seeing Caan share the screen with someone like Will Ferrell, and that juxtaposition of personalities made it so much fun to watch.

Morgan Freeman (Bruce Almighty)

Morgan Freeman will go down as one of the best dramatic actors of all time, and for good reason. His work in The Shawshank Redemption, Glory, and countless other movies is the stuff of legend. However, let’s not forget that he also put on one of the funniest performances when he played God in Bruce Almighty.

Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel)

A little more than two decades after playing the vile Amon Goeth in Schindler’s List (and only a few years after portraying Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter movies), Ralph Fiennes proved he was a great comedic actor with his take on M. Gustave in The Grand Budapest Hotel. Equal parts hilarious and charming, this performance was a breath of fresh air.

Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon)

After playing more serious roles in films like The Color Purple, Witness, and Silverado, Danny Glover showed off his comedy skills in Richard Donner’s iconic buddy cop action film, Lethal Weapon. Though he was more straight-laced compared to Mel Gibson’s Martin Riggs, Roger Murtaugh gave us some laughs.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Kidergarten Cop)

Kindergarten cop isn’t just one of the funniest Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, it’s also one of his best. Featuring some of the actor’s most memorable one-liners, this 1990 action comedy showed that the Austrian bodybuilder-turned-actor was more than an ice-cold robot or trained killer.

Jeff Daniels (Dumb & Dumber)

Two years after playing Colonel Joshua Chamberlain in Gettysburg, one of the best Civil War movies ever made, Jeff Daniels played a vastly different type of character in Dumb and Dumber. The obnoxious and absurdly dim-witted Harry Dunne would end up becoming one of the more dramatic actor’s most famous roles.

Jack Nicholson (As Good As It Gets)

Jack Nicholson, one of the most well-known dramatic actors of the 20th century, has popped up in comedies over the years. Perhaps the best of the bunch, As Good as It Gets earned the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Terms of Endearment star his third Oscar.

Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski)

Whenever the topic of the best Jeff Bridges movies comes up, it doesn’t take long for the conversation to turn to The Big Lebowski. Still considered to be one of his most iconic roles, the performance also showed that the largely dramatic actor could pull off an incredibly funny and beloved character.

Liam Neeson (Extras)

Liam Neeson is best known for his work in dramas like Schindler’s List and the Taken action movie franchise, but the decorated actor with that ice-cold delivery has shown off his funny side over the years. His attempt at improv on Extras is the stuff of legend, as is work in The Lego Movie.

George Clooney (O Brother, Where Art Thou?)

George Clooney often rides the line between comedy and drama in the likes of the Ocean’s movies and several Coen Brothers projects, and one of the best examples of that is found in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a 2000 loose adaptation of The Odyssey. The scheming and conniving Ulysses Everett McGill is one of the all-time great movie characters.

Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie)

The Graduate, Kramer vs. Kramer, Midnight Cowboy, and All the President’s Men were just a few of the movies that showed off Dustin Hoffman’s incredible dramatic acting skills. It’s a similar story with Tootsie, the beloved 1982 comedy in which Hoffman plays an unlikeable and hirable actor who decides to dress like a woman to land a gig on a daytime soap opera.

Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire)

Cuba Gooding Jr. was out of this world in early 1990s dramas like Boyz n the Hood and A Few Good Men, but he was even better in Jerry Maguire as Tom Cruise’s titular character’s temperamental and needy client Rod Tidwell. The over-the-top performance was hilarious beyond belief.

Timothy Dalton (Hot Fuzz)

Timothy Dalton, an actor best known for playing James Bond and showing up in adaptations of Jane Eyre, got to show off his comedy chops in Hot Fuzz, Edgar Wright’s satirical action comedy. His take on Simon Skinner is just as great all these years later.

Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)

Leonardo DiCaprio teamed up with Martin Scorsese for the fifth time in 2013 to make The Wolf of Wall Street. While previous collaborations like Gangs of New York and The Departed were far more dramatic, this hopped-up and raucous biopic allowed the actor to be outrageously funny on screen, and it paid off.

Billy Bob Thornton (Bad Santa)

Up until starring in Bad Santa, Billy Bob Thornton was mostly known for dramatic roles in films like Monster’s Ball and Sling Blade, but this 2003 R-rated comedy changed all of that. Over the line, vulgar, and one of the funniest performances of the 2000s, Thornton’s take on a mall Santa was an instant classic.

Brad Pitt (Burn After Reading)

Burn After Reading isn’t the best Coen Brothers movie, but it does feature one of Brad Pitt’s funniest performances. Chad Feldheimer, Linda Litzke’s (Frances McDormand) lovable yet moronic coworker is just so silly, so memorable, and so dumb. You just can’t help but love him.

Michael Caine (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels)

On top of being an actor who’s appeared in the most Christopher Nolan movies, Michael Caine is also one of the all-time greats of screen and stage, with dozens of iconic films to his name. And while he’s mostly known for his dramatic work, his portrayal of the dastardly Lawrence Jamieson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is so dang good.

Matt Damon (Dogma)

Long before he showed up as an actor playing Loki in Thor: Ragnarok, Matt Damon did it for real in Kevin Smith’s 1999 comedy, Dogma. Sandwiched between Rounders and The Talented Mr. Ripley, the actor’s portrayal of a fallen angel banished to Wisconsin was great and showed a funnier side.

Samuel L. Jackson (The Other Guys)

Samuel L. Jackson in The Other Guys is on a whole other level and is funnier than anything else the actor has done over the years. Sure, Pulp Fiction and Jurassic Park are better movies, but his short yet memorable performance as a gung-ho cop who throws caution (and himself) into the win is comedy cold.

Alan Rickman (Galaxy Quest)

Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Alexander Dane, a Shakespearean actor fed up with life and his career direction in Galaxy Quest, is so funny yet so heartbreaking. The way the Die Hard actor (who was also classically trained) finds the balance between comedy and tragedy is perfection.

Russell Crowe (The Nice Guys)

Russell Crowe made a career out of giving commanding, and largely dramatic, performances in everything from Romper Stomper to Gladiator, so it was great to see him play a more comedic role in The Nice Guys. This 2016 Shane Black film also starring Ryan Gosling, felt like a throwback to buddy action movies of yesteryear, and allowed Crowe to try a different approach to character-driven stories.

Mandy Patinkin (The Princess Bride)

Tony and Primetime Emmy Award-winning actor Mandy Patinkin has given incredible dramatic performances in movies like Yentl and shows like Homeland, but he’s probably best known for his portrayal of Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride. The skill with a sword, the dashing good looks, and a killer backstory make this not only a great cinematic character but also a hilarious icon of the fantasy genre.

Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda)

Kevin Kline is great in just about everything (especially The Big Chill and Dave), and that includes some great comedies. One of the best featuring a serious and dramatic actor’s work is A Fish Called Wanda. The despicable and charismatic Otto West steals the show whenever on screen.

Christian Bale (The Big Short)

Though not the most standard comedy of the past few years, The Big Short is funny in a frightening and thrilling kind of way. Adam McKay’s biographical crime dramedy about the events that led to the 2007 housing market crash and subsequent economic crisis does feature one of Christian Bale’s most interesting and hilarious performances with his take on hedge fund manager Michael Burry. Not a totally likable guy, but a great character without a doubt.

Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Ragnarok)

Thor: Ragnarok is still considered one of the best Marvel movies years after its release, and that’s mostly because of Chris Hemsworth’s new and improved portrayal of the “God of Thunder.” While the character was more serious in the first two movies (and two Avengers films), the more light-hearted and silly superhero was a comedy tour de force.

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

Tom Hanks - The Bonfire Of The Vanities

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

Jamie Lee Curtis - Virus

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

Michael Caine - Jaws: The Revenge

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

Emily Blunt - Gulliver’s Travels

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

Dennis Quaid - Jaws 3-D

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

Viola Davis - The Help

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

Bill Murray - Garfield

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

Mariah Carey - Glitter

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

Elijah Wood - North

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

Jennifer Lopez - Gigli

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

George Clooney - Batman & Robin

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

Renee Zellweger - Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation

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

Robert Downey Jr. - The Shaggy Dog

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

Emma Watson - The Circle

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

Eddie Murphy - The Adventures of Pluto Nash

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

Lucy Liu - Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever

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

Matt Damon - The Great Wall

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

Jennifer Lawrence - Dark Phoenix

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

Sylvester Stallone - Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot

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

Lily Collins - Rules Don’t Apply

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

Eddie Redmayne - Jupiter Ascending

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

Jennifer Hudson - Sandy Wexler

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

Hugh Jackman - Pan

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

Pedro Pascal - Wonder Woman 1984

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

Dame Judi Dench - Cats

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

Daisy Ridley - Chaos Walking

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

Ben Kingsley - A Sound of Thunder

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

Brendan Fraser - Monkeybone

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

Scarlett Johansson - Ghost In The Shell

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

Keanu Reeves - 47 Ronin

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

Will Smith - Gemini Man

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

Jack Nicholson - How Do You Know?

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

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

There are a lot of reasons that a young actor may change their name. Sometimes it's as simple as just wanting a cool new name. Often it's because someone is already in the union was using the actor's real name and they have to adjust. Here's a list of some of Hollywood's biggest stars and their real names. 

Ben Kingsley (Krishna Pandit Bhanji)

The great Ben Kingsley won an Oscar for his role in the great biopic Gandhi. It makes sense he would play the Indian freedom fighter, as Kingsley himself is Indian. Born to an Indian father and an English mother, Kingsley grew up in England and while his father was a practicing Shia Muslim, Kinglsey is not and considers himself a Quaker. He changed his name for that oh-so-common reason, that he feared a foreign-sounding name would hurt his career. 

Whoopi Goldberg (Caryn Elaine Johnson)

The story is both hilarious and heartfelt. She was born Caryn Elaine Johnson in New York, but when she started acting, she was accused of being flatulent, so Whoopi "short for whoopee cushion." Her surname came from a Jewish ancestor, Goldberg, so she could celebrate the diversity in her family line. 

Judy Garland (Frances Ethel Gumm)

Judy Garland first started in show business as a singer with her sisters, going by their names, The Gumm Sisters. After they were billed as the "Glum Sisters" for a show, it was suggested they change their name. Judy Gumm took her mother's maiden name, Garland, and the rest is history. 

Martin Sheen (Ramon Gerard Estevez)

Martin Sheen's real name is Ramon Gerard Estevez, but he changed it when he broke into the business for the same reason so many others have made the decision, to be less ethnic, as early in his career they said he looked Irish. One of his sons, Charlie Sheen, chose to use the same screen name, but one of his other sons, Emilio Estevez, chose to use his given name. Sheen's daughter, Renée Estevez, an occasional cast member of The West Wing with her father, also stuck with the family name. 

Vin Diesel (Mark Sinclair)

Vin Diesel took on that name after being born Mark Sinclair when he worked as a bouncer as he tried to break into show business. "Vin" comes from his adoptive surname, Vincent, and Diesel came simply because he wanted a cool name as a bouncer. 

Miley Cyrus (Destiny Hope Cyrus)

Though she was born Destiny Hope Cyrus, Miley Cyrus decided to go by the moniker she's best known as because that was simply what her family called her growing up. Her nickname in the family was originally "Smiley" which was eventually shortened to Miley. Her first couple of professional acting gigs, in the TV show Doc and the Tim Burton movie Big Fish, she was billed by her real name, Destiny Cyrus. 

Cary Grant (Archibald Alec Leach)

Early in his Vaudeville career, the great Cary Grant used his real name, Archibald Leach. When he got to Hollywood, as is so often the case, the studio didn't think the name wasn't "box office" enough, so he changed it to Cary Grant. 

Natalie Portman (Natalie Hershlag)

Natalie Portman's real name is Natalie Hershlag, but unlike so many others, she didn't change it because the name was "too ethnic" or not generic enough. As she explained to Vanity Fair in 2024, it was because she wanted to create a separate identity for her work and personal life. 

Portia De Rossi (Amanda Lee Rogers)

Portia de Rossi's name change came, at least originally, because she simply wanted a more exotic-sounding name when she started acting in her teens. Her given name, Amanda Lee Rogers, was just bland. She later revealed it may have been in part because she was struggling with her sexual identity as well. After marrying Ellen Degeneres in 2008, she changed it again, this time combining her real and stage names, Portia Lee James DeGeneres. Professionally she is still Portia de Rossi though. 

Joaquin Phoenix (Joaquin Rafael Bottom)

The Phoenix family has a fascinating history, one that includes time in the cult Children of God. When the family left that group, they made a collective decision to change their last name to one of rebirth, and Joaquin Rafael Bottom became Joaquin Phoenix.

Jamie Foxx (Eric Marlon Bishop)

Born Eric Marlon Bishop in 1967, Jamie Foxx took his stage name early when he was a standup. He says that he noticed women often got preferential spots during open mics, so he decided he wanted a more androgynous name, choosing Jamie. For his last name, he picked it as a tribute to his favorite comedian, Redd Foxx. 

John Wayne (Marion Robert Morrison)

It was a lot more common back in the day for actors to adopt cooler-sounding stage names and that was pretty much the case for Marion Robert Morrison, who ended up John Wayne. It's easy to see why he did it, whether it was a good idea or not. It worked for him. 

Tom Cruise (Thomas Cruise Mapother IV)

Top Gun: Maverick star Tom Cruise didn't change much, but it was a meaningful change. His real name at birth was Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, obviously named after his father, hence the suffix. Cruise had a very difficult relationship with his dad, so when he began his career, he dropped the Mapother in part to distance himself from his then-estranged father. The two later reunited when his father was on his deathbed. 

Olivia Wilde (Olivia Cockburn)

Actor and director Olivia Wilde's story about why she changed her name is pretty simple. She decided she wanted to stage name, and at the time was acting in Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest, which she loved. So she went with Wilde as a homage to the legendary playwright. 

Meg Ryan (Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra)

It's pretty easy to see why Meg Ryan chose to simplify her name when she started acting. Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra sure is a mouthful, so cutting a 25-letter name down to a seven-letter one makes sense. Meg is short for Margaret and Ryan is the maiden name of maternal grandmother. 

Kirk Douglas (Issur Danielovitch)

In another example of early Hollywood stars fearing their given names would hold them back for sounding too ethnic, Kirk Douglas changed his name from Issur Danielovitch. He told People it was because he feared it would hold him back and it sounded "too Semitic." 

Mahershala Ali (Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore)

Like others on this list, it's easy to see why Mahershala Ali changed his name from Mahershalalhashbaz Gilmore. Not only is Mahershalalhashbaz really hard to spell and pronounce, but the Green Book actor also converted to Islam as a teenager, taking Mahershala Ali as his Muslim name. 

Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jeane Mortenson)

One of the most famous name changes in Hollywood history is Norma Jeane Mortensen changing her name to Marilyn Monroe. There is no big story behind it, it simply was a snazzier name and Monroe was her mother's maiden name. 

Michael Keaton (Michael Douglas)

This one is easy to understand. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star Michael Keaton's real name is Michael Douglas. Obviously with an actor already in the union (Romancing The Stone star Michael Douglas), Keaton had to come up with a new name for billing. He chose the last name out of respect for early Hollywood star Buster Keaton. 

Michael Caine (Maurice Joseph Micklewhite)

If you think Maurice Micklewhite is a bit of a mouthful, you're not alone. English legend Michael Caine thought so too. In 2016, he legally changed his name from Micklewhite to Caine, because, according to the Batman Begins actor says it caused too much confusion at airports. 

Winona Ryder (Winona Laura Horowitz)

This one is a little in dispute - though not really. Charlie Sheen once claimed he gave Winona Horowitz her new name, Ryder, after listening to The Doors song "Riders on the Storm." Ryder says she got it when her father asked if she wanted a stage name while they were listening to Mitch Ryder. 

Demi Moore (Demetria Gene Guynes)

The story of Demi Moore's stage name (changed from Demetria Guynes) is both mundane and unique. Before she started appearing in acting roles, Moore married musician Freddy Moore when she was 18. So while Moore was her married name, it was a new name, just as her career was taking off. Demi is simply short for Demetria. 

Dove Cameron (Chloe Celeste Hosterman)

Dove Cameron has never explained why she chose Cameron as her stage name, but her reason for choosing Dove is bittersweet. Dove was her father's nickname for her and after he took his own life, she decided she wanted to go by that, in tribute to him. 

Cher (Cherilyn Sarkisian)

It takes a lot of gall and a lot of talent to decide you're going to go with a one-name moniker, and Cher has oodles of both. It's not hard to see what she did, she simply shortened her first name, Cherilyn, and dropped her last. 

Olivia Colman (Sarah Caroline Colman)

Like others on this list, Olivia Colman couldn't join the actors union with her birth name, Sarah Colman, so she changed it. As she explained in 2013, Colman chose Olivia because it is one of her best friends from college's name and she loved it. 

Carmen Electra (Tara Leigh Patrick)

There aren't many people who can claim the legendary Prince gave them their name, but Carmen Electra can. Way back at the start of her career, when she was working with the Purple One, he decided Tara wasn't good enough and named her Carmen. In 2023, Tara Leigh Patrick officially changed her legal name to Carmen Electra, because who wouldn't?

Lily James (Lily Chloe Ninette Thomson)

Like others here, Lily James renamed herself in honor of her late father, James. Though Thomson was also her father's name, of course, she wanted to do more, deciding taking on the stage name "James" to do so. 

Nicolas Cage (Nicolas Kim Coppola)

Nicolas Cage's first movie role was basically just a background character in Fast Times At Ridgemont High. He is billed in the credits by his legal name, Nicolas Coppola, and yeah, it's that Coppola. While on the set of Fast Times, his co-stars would endlessly quote his famous uncle's (Francis Ford Coppola) movies. He decided then and there he needed to distance himself from his famous family (Talia Shire is his aunt, and Sophia Coppola and Jason Schwartzman are cousins).

Julianne Moore (Julie Anne Smith)

Julie Smith is a pretty common name, and when the great Julieanne Moore hit Hollywood, she soon discovered the name was already taken in the union. She tried different combinations, but they were all spoken for. In the end, she combined her first and middle names, and took her father's name, Moore, as her surname. It's like having to go through dozens of combos to find the right vanity plate, but in the end, it's hard to imagine the actor with any other name. 

Mindy Kaling (Vera Mindy Chokalingam)

It seems Hollywood is still getting people to change their names if they or people around them fear a real name is too complicated or foreign. Indian actor and writer Mindy Kaling is a recent example when she simplified her name from Vera Mindy Chokalingam to Mindy Kaling. 

David Tennant (David John McDonald)

Former Dr. Who and Jessica Jones star David Tennant has a tried and true story as well, his real name, David McDonald, was taken. He explained some years ago on James Corden's show, where he also explained that he chose "Tennant" because he saw the name from a music magazine in an article about Neil Tennant of The Pet Shop Boys. 

Chevy Chase (Cornelius Crane Chase)

Chevy Chase comes from a very blood-blue family who can trace their roots in America back to the Mayflower. Cornelius Crane Chase, the Vacation star's real name, reflects this perfectly. The reason he goes by "Chevy" is because his grandmother started calling him that when he was a kid. So, not much of a story here, but he's real name is just so posh, that we had to include it here. 

Helen Mirren (Helen Lydia Mironoff)

Like others, this one is just a technicality. Helen Mirren was born Helen Lydia Mironoff in London to an English mother and a Russian father. When Mirren was 10 years old, her father anglicized the family name to "Mirren." 

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.

Christopher Nolan has a habit of working with the same actors over and over again: the acclaimed director has worked with Anne Hathaway and Matt Damon twice, Christian Bale and Gary Oldman four times apiece. And, he's notably collaborated a whopping six times with Cillian Murphy, the star of not only his blockbuster biopic Oppenheimer but also Dunkirk, Inception and The Dark Knight trilogy. While Chris and Cill's professional "bromance" is undeniably impressive, it's actually the filmmaker's second longest-running collaboration with an actor. That title goes to Sir Michael Caine, who is notably missing from Oppenheimer.

Caine has performed in eight of Christopher Nolan's films, including The Prestige, Interstellar and Tenet — which made the absence of the legendary British actor from that star-studded Oppenheimer cast all the more puzzling. 

While accepting the BFI Fellowship at the annual British Film Institute chairman’s dinner on Wednesday, February 14, Nolan addressed why Michael was M.I.A. from the historical drama. Per The Independent, he said in his speech that it was actually the 90-year-old actor who made the decision for him: 

The film veteran, whose acclaimed career has spanned eight decades and has garnered two Academy Awards (for 1986's Hannah and Her Sisters and 1999's The Cider House Rules), officially announced his retirement from acting in October 2023. (He had previously dabbled with throwing in the towel back in the '90s, but Jack Nicholson allegedly pulled him back in.) He broke the news on BBC Radio 4's "Best of Today" podcast:

Michael Caine's final onscreen performance was as real-life World War II veteran Bernie Jordan in The Great Escaper, opposite the late, great Glenda Jackson. 

With Caine not available for Oppenheimer, Nolan joked that he had to put together an ensemble of megawatt A-listers in the hope that "all those greats would add up to one Michael Caine":

Sadly, Christopher Nolan's onscreen collaborations with Michael Caine might be over, but his 20-year partnership with Cillian Murphy is thankfully still going strong. The actor presented Nolan with his BFI Fellowship on Wednesday night, calling his fellow 2024 Oscar nominee "a true legend":

You can watch several of Nolan and Murphy's cinematic collabs — especially the ones that also feature Michael Caine, like The Dark Knight movies and Inception — with a Peacock subscription.

It was more than a little shocking when the iconic Michael Caine announced his retirement from acting. Many actors never officially retire, even if they cut back their schedule significantly. And while Caine had claimed retirement previously and not followed through, this time seems different. Few people have quite the career that Caine has had. After all, it’s not everybody who gets wished a happy retirement by The Muppets.

Michael Caine has had some incredible roles in his career, in both tentpole blockbusters and Oscar-worthy dramas, but one of his most popular and well-known roles ever may be that of Ebenezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol (which is available with a Disney+ subscription). So it was fitting that the official Muppets Instagram took a moment to wish Caine well.

It’s a beautiful little tribute and one that a lot of fans who absolutely adore this movie are going to appreciate. Though I can't imagine Caine will need much help with bookkeeping as part of his retirement, though certainly he'll get to enjoy himself more if he doesn't have to worry about such things.

There are dozens of actors and other performers who have worked opposite the Muppets over the decades, but Michael Caine’s appearance is perhaps the most beloved. Not everybody has seen every episode of The Muppet Show, but most people have probably seen The Muppet Christmas Carol as its theme causes it to come back around every season, unlike the other Muppet films. It’s so well known that people are calling out Timothee Chalamet’s Wonka look for being a bit too similar to Gonzo’s Dickens getup from Christmas Carol. 

Caine’s role in Muppet Christmas Carol may also be one of his most well-known performances simply because it was in the sort of movie that everybody has probably seen. It’s well-regarded, and arguably one of the best Muppet movies ever made and one of the best adaptations of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at the same time, so it’s the sort of movie that eventually attracts everybody at Christmas time. 

There's probably an entire generation for whom Muppet Christmas Carol is their introduction to Michael Caine as an actor. Caine himself has explained why he did the Muppet film, saying that it was in large part because his then seven-year-old daughter had never seen him in a movie, and he wanted to be in something she could watch. There are probably a lot of seven-year-olds who saw this before anything else that Caine has ever done and a lot of parents who saw the actor in a whole new way after experiencing it. 

We, along with the Muppets, certainly wish Michael Caine well in his retirement. He’s certainly earned the right to enjoy not working for the rest of his life. Hopefully, he won’t be bothered by too many rats as part of his newfound time off.

Michael Caine is without a doubt one of the greatest actors to ever grace a screen, and to say that he’s put in a considerable amount of work over the years would be an understatement. The 90-year-old actor has still been working today in recent years but, at the same time, he’s also made claims about retiring. Just a few years ago, he made that assertion only to jump back into more work after the fact. Well, Caine once again just declared that he’s done acting, and the reason he gave makes me think he’s serious this time around. 

The Academy Award winner most recently starred in the biographical film The Great Escaper, which may now be the final entry in his legendary filmography. The actor gushed about the movie alongside its director, Oliver Parker, during a conversation on BBC Radio 4’s Today. In time, the topic of the Get Carter icon’s presumed retirement came up, prompting him to confirm that he intends to call it a career. He then went on to explain his rationale for the big decision: 

Michael Caine actually sought to retire back in the ‘90s, but Jack Nicholson stopped him from doing it In 2021, Caine revealed he was retiring after finishing work on the dramedy film Best Sellers. At the time, he attributed the decision to problems with his spine as well as a desire to focus more on writing. But shortly after, Caine shot down the notion of retirement, saying that he wasn’t ready to give up on his long-time profession just yet. Since the aforementioned film, he’s appeared in both the historical drama Medieval and Oliver Parker’s latest production. (Unfortunately, he didn’t get involved in Oppenheimer, which was directed by his frequent collaborator, Christopher Nolan.)

Based on his comments, I actually do believe he’s going to commit to his sentiments now. As he mentioned, there isn’t much variety when it comes to the roles the British actor can play now due to his age. Hiis latest movie also gives him one final turn as a leading man and, as he mentioned, it’s received mostly positive reviews from critics -- as evidenced by its solid Rotten Tomatoes score. So if he’d essentially go out on a professional high note if this does turn out to be his final film. With that in mind, I really do believe this could be the moment the Dark Knight actor truly decides to mark the end of his acting days. 

I also can’t think of a more personal film to close out a career with than The Great Escaper. The film, which was penned by William Ivory, is based on the true story of an 89-year-old World War II veteran named Bernard Jordan. It tells the story of how in June 2014, Jordan broke free from his nursing home in order to travel to France. His intention was to travel to the country so he could be present for a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Playing Bernie’s wife is the late Glenda Jackson, who passed away shortly after seeing the completed film this past summer. You can see a trailer for the movie down below: 

Michael Caine’s retirement announcement is definitely bittersweet. On the one hand, the fact that he won’t be starring in any new productions is a tough pill to swallow. On the other hand though, he’s getting the opportunity to go out on his own terms and after working on a project he’s proud of. There may still be a possibility he’ll change his mind (again) and, if he does, I’m sure fans wouldn’t be mad one bit. 

The Great Escaper has yet to receive a release date in the US, so keep an eye on the schedule of 2023 new movie releases in case it lands there.

The list of Best Picture winners is short, and exclusive, which means that even some of the most acclaimed, decorated, and generally well-liked actors of all time haven't taken home the grand prize at the Academy Awards. You might be surprised by the number of celebrities we have listed below — many of which have Oscars of their own — that have never starred in a Best Picture winner.

Denzel Washington

As one of a few actors who have two Oscars to their name, you might assume that some of the best Denzel Washington movies were also guaranteed a Best Picture win, right? Surprisingly, the star of Glory and Training Day has never made a movie that won the Academy's big prize, but at least he can say that King Kong still ain’t got nothing on him.

Heath Ledger

If what many consider to be one of the Academy’s greatest mistakes (awarding Crash Best Picture over Brokeback Mountain in 2006) had not happened, Heath Ledger’s name would not be on this list. However, the late Australian actor still left behind a stunning legacy only so many actors can dream of. Notably, he won a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as the Joker in one of the best superhero movies, The Dark Knight.

Christian Bale

Five of Christian Bale’s best movies have been nominated for Best Picture (The Fighter, American Hustle, The Big Short, Vice, and Ford v. Ferrari), but to no avail. At least his performance in The Fighter — David O. Russell’s 2010 boxing biopic — earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Robert Downey Jr.

It is already hard enough to believe that Robert Downey Jr. has only two Oscar nominations (for Chaplin and Tropic Thunder), and that none of his many great movies outside of the MCU have achieved the highest honor, either. However, things could change at the 2024 Oscars, given his stunning work in the Oppenheimer cast and the promising chances for Christopher Nolan’s glowing biopic.

Toni Collette

Toni Collette is an extraordinarily talented actor with the accolades to prove it, including an Oscar nomination for 1999’s The Sixth Sense. However, the classic M. Night Shyamalan movie is also one of a few Toni Collette movies to be nominated for Best Picture (also including 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine), but she hasn't been in a winner yet.

Will Smith

From TV sitcoms to sci-fi blockbusters to critically acclaimed biopics, Will Smith’s filmography is pretty extraordinary, but it does not include Best Picture winners. If that does change for him soon, he may be unable to celebrate the honor in person. This is because he has been banned from future ceremonies for the next decade after slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars — which also happened to be the night he won Best Actor for King Richard.

Harrison Ford

Two of Harrison Ford's most iconic characters were featured in two Best Picture Nominees -- the original Star Wars movie, where he played Han Solo, and the first Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark -- but neither of them won. At least Ford, who does have an Oscar nomination for fellow Best Picture nominee 1985’s Witness, can say those films, among others, made him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time.

Scarlett Johansson

Some of the most significant films of Scarlett Johansson’s career were Best Pictures nominees — such as her breakthrough role in one of the best movies of the 2000s, Lost in Translation, and her dual Oscar-nominated performances the same year for Jojo Rabbit and Marriage Story. Of course, none of these films took home the top prize.

Ryan Gosling

There was a time when it seemed like Ryan Gosling would not be eligible for a list like this when we thought La La Land won Best Picture in 2017. However, it turned out to be a case of mistaken envelopes and the real winner was Moonlight. The Barbie cast member was also in the nominated film The Big Short, and there are sure to be more Ryan Gosling movies getting Oscar consideration.

Glenn Close

Glenn Close is one of those actors whose longtime losing streak at the Academy Awards — eight nominations, zero wins — continues to baffle audiences. Add on the fact that none of her best movies have won Best Picture either and the notion becomes simply unspeakable.

Jennifer Lawrence

The Academy loves Jennifer Lawrence — nominating her four times and awarding her the Best Actress Oscar for 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook. However, they seem to like her just a bit more than Jennifer Lawrence’s best movies, none of which have received the Best Picture award.

Julia Roberts

I suppose Julia Roberts’ multiple nominations and one win — for Erin Brockovich — had me convinced that she had been in a Best Picture winner at some point. In truth, said biopic from 2000 is actually the only Best Picture nominee among Roberts’ filmography so far, and it lost to Gladiator.

Meg Ryan

Would you believe that Meg Ryan has never been nominated for an Academy Award? Well, what if I told you that none of her movies — which include some of the best romantic comedies of all time, like When Harry Met Sally — were considered for the top prize either? Some talents just do not get the recognition they deserve.

Laura Linney

Curiously, Laura Linney has been nominated for her performances in 2000’s You Can Count On Me, Kinsey from 2004, and 2007’s The Savages — none of which even received Best Picture nominations. She has been in a Best Picture nominee though — Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River — however, that did not win either.

George Clooney

For a while, George Clooney’s filmography seemed to consist primarily of Best Picture nominees, such as Syriana (for which he won Best Supporting Actor) and Good Night, and Good Luck (which also earned him nods for writing and directing). However, in terms of the Best Picture category, that’s all any of them ever amounted to being; nominee.

Samuel L. Jackson

With a resume as lengthy and renowned as his, you would think Samuel L. Jackson has been in at least one Best Picture winner but he has not… yet. He has starred in quite a few Best Pictures nominees — many of which are Quentin Tarantino movies like Pulp Fiction, for which he received his sole Oscar nomination.

Hugh Jackman

Tom Hooper’s 2012 adaptation of Les Miserables earned eight nominations including one for Best Picture and and another for Best Actor for Hugh Jackman, but those categories were not among the three it did win. At least the Australian X-Men movie star has had the honor of hosting an Oscar ceremony before.

Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt has won a Golden Globe for Gideon’s Daughters, a Screen Actors Guild Award for 2018’s A Quiet Place, and three BAFTA nominations for The Devil Wears Prada, a special “Rising Star Award” from the same year, and The Girl on the Train. However, never has the Academy given her a nod, nor have any of Emily Blunt’s movies even been nominated for Best Picture.

Jake Gyllenhaal

The fact that Jake Gyllenhaal has only been nominated for an Oscar once — for Best Supporting Actor in 2005’s Brokeback Mountain surprisingly enough -- is crazy. To learn that said LGBTQ+ romance movie is the only film of his to receive a Best Picture nomination is equally baffling.

Matthew McConaughey

Mathew McConaughey has starred in two films nominated for Best Picture — Dallas Buyer’s Club, for which he won his Best Actor Oscar, and The Wolf of Wall Street — which were both released in 2013. Even with favorable odds like that, neither acclaimed drama took home the gold that year.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman has been nominated for three Oscars, and she took home one in 2011 for Black Swan. Darren Aronofsky’s twisted tale of ambition gone too far is also the actor’s only film to be nominated for Best Picture.

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman is one of those actors who was overdue for his Oscar for a long time before he broke the streak with his transformative performance as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Before (and after) his win, the British actor appeared in just a couple of Best Picture nominees — namely Oliver Stone’s JFK and David Fincher’s Mank.  

Amy Adams

The fact that none of Amy Adams’ movies have earned a Best Picture Oscar — despite six being nominated, including American Hustle and Arrival — is not particularly shocking. What is shocking is that the actor also has six nominations of her own and has never won any of them.

Angela Bassett

Years after she was nominated for an Academy Award as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It, Angela Bassett made history as the first actor to receive an Oscar nomination for a Marvel movie performance (as Queen Ramona in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever). Yet, her first Marvel movie, 2018’s Black Panther, is her only Best Picture nominee. 

Jeff Bridges

In addition to taking home an Oscar for Crazy Heart, Jeff Bridges has many Best Picture nominees under his belt, from 1971’s The Last Picture Show to Hell or High Water from 2016. Not a single one of them took him the grand prize, but I think the Academy’s biggest misstep in regards to acting legend was not nominating him for playing The Dude in The Big Lebowski.

Michael Caine

Despite two Academy Award wins to his name (one for 1986’s, Hannah and Her Sisters, and the other for 1999’s The Cider House Rules) Michael Caine cannot say he has starred in a Best Picture. Unfortunately, since the 90-year-old actor told The Telegraph that he is “sort of retired now,” he may never receive that honor.

Robin Williams

The late Robin Williams led a tremendous, widely beloved career that really made us laugh, through movies like 1993’s Mrs. Doubtfire, as well as cry, like with his Academy Award-winning performance in Good Will Hunting. That 1997 favorite and 1989’s Dead Poets Society are the only two Best Picture nominees he starred in.

Halle Berry

Halle Berry gave a landmark performance in 2001's Monster's Ball which earned her a historic Best Actress Oscar win. However, that film was not nominated for Best Picture, and neither has anything else the actor has starred in.

Sean Penn

Sean Penn has won Best Actor twice -- first for 2003's Mystic River by director Clint Eastwood and second for the title character of the powerful 2008 biopic, Milk. Neither of those acclaimed dramas got a Best Picture win, leaving the Fast Times at Ridgemont High cast member empty-handed in that particular regard.

Sandra Oh

With 13 Emmy nominations to her name, former Grey's Anatomy cast member Sandra Oh is better known as one of the greatest modern actors from the small screen. That would explain why her otherwise impressive big screen career -- which includes Alexander Payne's Best Picture-nominated Sideways -- does not include any grand prize winners at the Oscars at the moment.

Bradley Cooper

The otherwise bewildering fact that none of Bradley Cooper's many Oscar-nominated performances -- such as in 2012's Silver Linings Playbook or 2014's American Sniper -- nor his many Best Picture-nominated films -- including the two aforementioned films -- have resulted in any wins is not particularly a concern of mine. What I am surprised, and concerned, about is the snub for directing A Star is Born, which hopefully gets made up for when the upcoming Netflix movie, Maestro, comes out.

Viola Davis

I am happy that we live in a world in which an actor of momentous talent such as Viola Davis has been recognized and rewarded by the Academy with her Oscar win for 2016's Fences. That alone makes me, at least, content with the fact that there are still no Best Picture winners on her resume as of today.

Perhaps there will come a day when the names on this list change drastically and many of the actors above can say they have been in a Best Picture Oscar winner. For now, just keep cross your fingers and keep your hopes up for the next ceremony.

Christopher Nolan's name has become cemented in film history because of his movies. From some of his earlier films to his most recent, Oppenheimer, Nolan has continued to show his prowess with storytelling, visual effects, and more. One other area that he tends to be excellent in is casting each film.

Every Nolan movie has had a fantastic cast, and Dunkirk is no exception. One of the best war movies of all time, this 2017 thriller featured cast members such as Barry Keoghan, Harry Styles, Cillian Murphy, and more. Today, we will talk about the Dunkirk cast and where they are now. 

Fionn Whitehead (Tommy)

First up on the list is Fionn Whitehead, who played Tommy in Dunkirk. The actor has appeared in a few movies since then, including the exhausting Black Mirror: Bandersnatch in the lead role, The Duke and Voyagers. He also had a central role in Great Expectations on television and a guest role on Queers. 

Right now, Whitehead doesn't have anything coming up, but judging from his experience so far, I'm sure it won't be long before you see him again. 

Tom Glynn-Carney (Peter Dawson)

Next up is Tom Glynn-Carney, who played Peter Dawson. The actor has appeared in movies such as Tolkien, The King, and Rialto. 

However, Glynn-Carney has since made his mark on television by playing Aegon Targaryen II in House of the Dragon, a role he will continue to play in Season 2. He also had a prominent role in The Last Post and appeared in Mayflies. 

Coming up, Glynn-Carney is going to appear in The Book of Clarence movie, along with Season 2 of House of the Dragon.

Jack Lowden (Collins)

Jack Lowden played Collins and has since appeared in several movies. Some of his most known films have included Mary Queen of Scots, Calibre, England is Mine, and Capone. He also had a role in Fighting with My Family alongside star Florence Pugh, and Benediction. 

On television, Lowden also had a part in Small Axe, a miniseries, and a primary role in Slow Horses, among other guest roles. He doesn't have anything coming out soon, but with his resume, I'm sure there will be plenty to look forward to. 

Harry Styles (Alex)

Dunkirk was Harry Styles' acting debut, and what a movie to start on. He is mainly known for his singing, as he was a part of the boy band One Direction and then expanded into his own solo career. But now, we've seen him more in the acting world. 

Since his part of Alex, Styles has stepped into film more, appearing in movies such as the infamous Don't Worry Darling, and My Policeman. He also had a minor cameo in Eternals, but the role is most likely going to appear more within the MCU. 

Styles has also appeared as a musical guest/hosted Saturday Night Live a few times and guest-hosted The Late Late Show with James Corden. 

While he doesn't have anything acting-wise coming up, I'm sure it won't be long before he releases a new album after the success of his two-year tour. Film has never been his go-to, but I have a feeling we'll be seeing plenty more of him in the next few years. 

Aneurin Barnard (Gibson)

Aneurin Barnard played Gibson in Dunkirk, who has appeared in plenty of films since his time in the war movie. Some are The Goldfinch, Radioactive, Bigger, and The Personal History of David Copperfield. Barnard has also been in several TV shows, including a prominent role on 1899 on Netflix, a central role on The Catch, and a guest role on Peaky Blinders, among many other appearances. 

Coming up, Barnard will appear in Series 14 of Doctor Who and will be in the TV film Men Up, as well as another movie called Timestalker. 

James D’Arcy (Colonel Winnant)

James D'Arcy played Colonel Winnant in Dunkirk, and since his role, he has appeared in various movies and TV shows. He was part of the vast Oppenheimer cast and appeared in films such as The Snowman, Six Minutes to Midnight, Life Like, and more. He also had a recurring role on Homeland and a big role on Deadline. Coming up, he will be in a new series called Constellation. 

Barry Keoghan (George Mills)

Barry Keoghan has had quite the career explosion since playing George Mills. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in The Banshees of Inisherin and appeared in such films as Eternals, the King Arthur adaptation The Green Knight, Calm With Horses, and more. 

Keoghan has also had experience on television, with a small recurring guest role on Chernobyl and the series Top Boy on Netflix. He will be in several new films called Saltburn, Bring Them Down, The Bird, and the upcoming Gladiator 2. He will also be in a TV series called Masters of Air. 

Kenneth Branagh (Commander Bolton)

Another famous face from Dunkirk is Kenneth Branagh, who plays Commander Bolton. Since its premiere, Branagh has appeared in several films, including Murder on the Orient Express and its sequel, Death on the Nile. He also had roles in Fireheart, Tenet, and Oppenheimer, continuing his trend of collaborating with Nolan. 

He also had a leading role on a TV series called England and had a guest role on Upstart Crow. Coming up, he will star in A Haunting in Venice, where he will again reprise his role of Hercule Poirot. 

Cillian Murphy (Shivering Soldier) 

Cillian Murphy played the Shivering Soldier in the war film. The actor has appeared in various movies since, such as Anna, The Delinquent Season, and A Quiet Place: Part II, but most are hearing about Murphy from his starring role in Oppenheimer, where he plays – you guessed it – Oppenheimer himself. 

Besides that, he wrapped up his leading part on the hit show Peaky Blinders in 2022. Soon, he'll be in a new film called Small Things Like These and appear in the horror film 28 Months Later.

Mark Rylance (Mr. Dawson)

Mark Rylance played Mr. Dawson, and has since appeared in several films. These include Waiting for Barbarians, Ready Player One, Don't Look Up, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Bones and All, and more. Regarding television, he appeared in a role on Wolf Hall and The Undeclared War. The next time you'll see him is in the movie, The Way of the Wind. 

Tom Hardy (Farrier) 

Tom Hardy is another excellent example of an actor who has continued to grow immensely in Hollywood. He played Farrier in Dunkirk and has appeared in many recent films, including the Venom movies, where he plays the main character, Eddie, and the movie Capone. 

He also had a supporting role on Peaky Blinders and was part of a nature series called Predators. Soon, he will be starring in the third Venom film and the Netflix movie, Havoc, as well as a film called The Bikeriders. 

Michael Caine (Voice) (Fortis Leader)

Last but not least, we have Michael Caine. While he was not featured physically in the movie, Caine's voice was used as a cameo when he voiced Fortis Leader. 

The actor has appeared in movies such as Dear Dictator, King of Thieves, Tenet, Best Sellers, and more, and will appear in The Great Escaper. 

With so many outstanding cast members, one can only wonder what they will do next. And now, I will see Oppenheimer again for the umpteenth time to find all the cast members from this list in there. 

Like the great directors who came before and several of his contemporaries, Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker who likes to reuse certain creative elements in each of his movies. From messing with time to structuring nonlinear narratives to focusing on paradoxes (all three are present in his latest box office success, Oppenheimer), he seems to have some favorite techniques and he knows when to use them. At the same time, Nolan also appears to like to work with the same actors time and time again.

Similar to what we did with Wes Anderson’s go-to stars following the release of Asteroid City, today we’re going to break down 12 actors who show up in the most Christopher Nolan movies. With easy guesses and surprises alike, there’s a lot to go over, so let’s break down the director’s most prolific on-screen collaborators. 

Michael Caine - 8 Movies

Though Michael Caine does not appear in Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan told CinemaBlend’s ReelBlend podcast that he was with the production in spirit before saying he and the two-time Academy Award winner have “had the most wonderful collaboration” over the years.

Together, Nolan and Caine have collaborated eight times over the course of the past 18 years. This started with the actor’s iconic portrayal of Alfred Pennyworth in Batman Begins (he would return for The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises), continued with The Prestige, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Tenet. 

Cillian Murphy - 6 Movies

Having first entered each other’s orbits when Cillian Murphy auditioned for Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, the actor-director duo have worked together a staggering six times, putting the versatile actor just two movies behind the legendary Michael Caine.

Prior to landing the lead role in Oppenheimer, some of Murphy’s best performances have been in Nolan’s movies like the Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, and Dunkirk, his take on a shell-shocked WWII soldier in the 2017 all-time great military drama being one of the most harrowing of his career. 

Russ Fega - 5 Movies 

The first pair of names on this list are two of the most well-known actors in Hollywood. Though Russ Fega might not be as recognizable as Caine or Murphy, the Hollywood location manager and occasional actor has more appearances in Christopher Nolan movies than just about anyone else.

Starting with his appearance in the Memento cast, Fega has popped up in five of Nolan’s movies, including The Prestige, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, and Interstellar. 

Christian Bale - 4 Movies

Christian Bale, who has worked with Christopher Nolan since first falling for the director’s vision for Batman Begins, has appeared in a total of four Christopher Nolan movies throughout his career.

After appearing in the 2005 superhero origin story, Bale gave an incredible performance in The Prestige, which he followed up with The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. Interestingly enough, Bale hasn’t appeared in a Nolan movie in more than a decade, but hopefully that changes whenever the auteur starts planning out his next film. 

John Nolan - 4 Movies

John Nolan, not to be confused with Christopher Nolan’s brother and collaborator Jonathan, has appeared in just as many of his nephew’s movies as actors like Christian Bale and Gary Oldman (more on him next).

After landing a small role as a police officer in Christopher Nolan’s directorial debut, Following, in 1998, John Nolan would go on to land the role of Wayne Enterprises board member Douglas Fredericks in Batman Begins (he would reprise the role in The Dark Knight Rises) and then later on as a blind man in Dunkirk. 

Gary Oldman - 4 Movies

One of the dozens of Hollywood stars in the Oppenheimer cast, Gary Oldman, who plays U.S. President Harry S. Truman in a heated scene with Cillian Murphy’s titular character, has worked with Christopher Nolan a total of four times over the course of his career.

Prior to landing the brief yet impactful role in the 2023 book-to-screen adaptation, Oldman famously played Jim Gordon as “a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boy’s shoulders to let him know that the world hadn’t ended” in Batman Begins, the Gotham PD commissioner in The Dark Knight Rises, and a guilt-stricken cop in The Dark Knight Rises. 

Kenneth Branagh - 3 Movies

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Kenneth Branagh is another actor that Christopher Nolan has brought in for his movies more than once, as the Belfast writer and director has appeared in all three of Nolan’s most recent films in varying capacities.

From his stoic portrayal of Commander Bolton in Dunkirk, to his time-jumping villain Andrei Sator in Tenet to physicist Niels Bohr in Oppenheimer, Branagh has become one of Nolan’s go-to actors, and hopefully that trend continues.

Morgan Freeman - 3 Movies

Morgan Freeman is another actor who’s appeared in three Christopher Nolan movies, and unlike the rest of the list, all three are in the same franchise. 

From 2005 to 2012, Freeman portrayed Wayne Enterprises Executive Vice President Lucius Fox, a.k.a., one of Bruce Wayne’s closest confidants in Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. 

Tom Hardy - 3 Movies

If you were to look at the list of Tom Hardy’s must-watch movies, some of the titles near the top would all be collaborations with Christopher Nolan. In fact, one of the roles that started Hardy’s ascent was that of Eames in Inception.

Since then, he’s portrayed Bane in The Dark Knight Rises and Farrier in Dunkirk, bringing his total to three movies, even if his face was largely obscured throughout the latter two roles.

Larry Holden - 3 Movies

Larry Holden was a prominent player in some of Christopher Nolan’s earlier work and appeared in three movies in a row for the director in the early 2000s. From his portrayal of the drug dealer Jimmy in Memento to a cop named Farrell in Insomnia to Gotham City District Attorney Carl Finch in Batman Begins, he was one of Nolan’s go-to guys.

Sadly, Holden passed away at the age of 49 in 2011 after a battle with cancer, according to his obituary.  

Josh Stewart - 3 Movies

Josh Stewart has been a part of three Christopher Nolan movies throughout his career, but only physically appeared in one of those. You will probably recognize him from his portrayal of Bane’s right-hand man, Barsad, in The Dark Knight Rises, the first of three collaborations with the filmmaker.

Stewart provided the voice of CASE, one of the four robots that assisted Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) and his team in Interstellar, which he followed up with another vocal role in Tenet. 

Jeremy Theobald - 3 Movies

And then there is Jeremy Theobald, whose work with Christopher Nolan goes back to the director’s earliest productions. This includes the lead role in the director’s film debut, Following, a small part as a Gotham City worker in Batman Begins, and a brief appearance in Tenet.

It should also be noted that Theobald also appeared in Nolan’s first two short films – 1996’s Larceny and Doodlebug – prior to working with him on feature films. 

These are just the actors who have appeared in three or more of Christopher Nolan’s movies over the years, as Anne Hathaway, Tom Conti, Matthew Modine, Casey Affleck, David Dastmalchian, and multiple others have appeared in two of his previous efforts. If you want to go back and watch all of these actors’ performances, you can do that right now by checking our breakdown of how to watch Christopher Nolan’s movies streaming. 

Certain directors have “lucky charm” actors, whom they’ll cast in all of their features – even in bit parts – because they’ve consistently brought them solid vibes and creative symmetry. Martin Scorsese has Robert De Niro and Leonardo Di Caprio. Greta Gerwig tends to use Saoirse Ronan. And for Christopher Nolan, that actor was Sir Michael Caine, who famously played Alfred in Christian Bale’s three Batman movies but also appeared in recent features Tenet, Dunkirk, and Interstellar. Caine has been involved in some of Nolan’s best movies. So does he have a part in the director’s latest masterpiece, Oppenheimer? 

Sadly, no. Oppenheimer breaks the streak for Christopher Nolan and  Michael Caine collaborations, which dated back to 2005’s Batman Begins. And here I was, convinced that Caine was the voice of the countdown at the Trinity Test site, which had audiences on edge this past weekend. We had Nolan on CinemaBlend’s official podcast, ReelBlend, and when we asked about Caine’s possible involvement, he told us:

Michael Caine’s contributions to Dunkirk are audio only. He can be heard over a speaker giving orders to pilots like Tom Hardy and Jack Lowden. But then, Caine did appear in person in Tenet for a brief but still very important scene with John David Washington. Did Caine’s absence damage Oppenheimer’s chances at the box office? Well, actually, the opposite happened, as Oppenheimer absolutely overperformed in its debut weekend, banking $80 million domestically for a three-hour historical biopic – and performing opposite the sensation that was Barbie.

Make sure that you watch our full interview with Chris Nolan, because he discusses his cast, his legacy, and his thoughts on retirement with ReelBlend:

I’m genuinely curious how Oppenheimer will continue to perform at the box office. I’ve seen people take to social media to express how difficult it has been to obtain good seats at IMAX theaters, even though Nolan isn’t precious about the format in which you absorb his films. And maybe more people waited to see Oppenheimer after the lighter Barbie, giving the historical epic possible legs. 

We also expect to see both movies remaining in the awards conversation as the rest of the year plays out, so keep an eye on our developing calendar of Upcoming 2023 movies and track how the rest of the year shakes out.

Over the years, over 350 actors have portrayed Arthur Conan Doyle's titular detective character, Sherlock Holmes. From the early days of silent films to today's streaming giants, the world cannot seem to get enough of the deductive hero and his inquisitive sidekick, Dr. Watson. The character has been reimagined several times over the years, and has been modernized to fit the sensibilities of an ever changing audience.

With iterations spanning almost 100 years, here are some notable Sherlock Holmes movies and TV shows, and how you can watch them now. 

Sherlock Holmes Film Series (1939-1946)

In the early days of film, one of the first notable portrayals of Sherlock Holmes came from British actor Basil Rathbone. The actor, along with Nigel Bruce, who played his sidekick Dr. John Watson, made fourteen films based off the work of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories. The first two films were produced by 20th Century Fox and took place during the Victorian era. Universal Pictures produced the latter twelve films and updated them to fit the 20th century and contained elements relating to WWII. The first three films in the series were directed by Sidney Lanfield, Alfred L. Werker, and John Rawlins, with the remainder helmed by Roy William Neill.

The list of films includes: The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror, Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon, Sherlock Holmes in Washington, Sherlock Homes Faces Death, The Spider Woman, The Scarlett Claw, The Pearl Death, The House of Fear, The Woman in Green, Pursuit to Algiers, Terror by Night, and Dressed to Kill. 

Stream The Hound of the Baskervilles on Tubi. 
Stream Dressed to Kill on Paramount+.

The Hound Of The Baskervilles (1959)

In 1959, directer Terence Fisher directed another adaptation of the Doyle novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. The film starred Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes and André Morrell as Dr. Watson. The film also featured Dracula's Christopher Lee as Henry Baskerville. The movie follows Holmes and Watson as they investigate a mysterious "hound" curse that has been prevalent in the Baskerville family following a centuries old murder. 

Rent/buy The Hound of the Baskervilles on YouTube.

Murder By Decree (1979)

Murder by Decree is another adaptation of a Doyle novel, called Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution. The Sound of Music's Christopher Plummer portrays Sherlock Holmes in this iteration, and performs alongside the legendary James Mason as Dr. John Watson. The film is directed by Bob Clark and was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures. 

The story follows Holmes, who investigates the serial killer Jack the Ripper as a private detective. The police try to deter Holmes by refusing his help in the investigation, but he prevails by gaining assistance from Robert Lees, played by Donald Sutherland. 

Stream Murder By Decree on Redbox.
Rent/buy Murder By Decree on Amazon.

The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes TV Series (1984-1994)

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes was a British tv series for ITV Granada. It ran for 10 years, and featured adaptations from Doyle's novels, as well as brand new original detective stories featuring the character. British actor Jeremy Bratt became best known for portraying the titular character on English television, and was accompanied by David Burke, and later Edward Hardwicke, as John H. Watson. 

The series spanned nine seasons and was created by Michael Cox. The stories involved Holmes consulting the police in a variety of cases, as well as taking on his own cases as a private detective alongside military veteran John Watson, who lives with him at 221B Baker Street.

Stream The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes on Britbox.

Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

Young Sherlock Holmes was a reimagining of Sherlock Holmes helmed by Rain Man director Barry Levinson, which was written by Home Alone director Christopher Columbus. The film shows Holmes as a precocious teen in boarding school, who meets his bemused best friend and sidekick, John Watson. The two try to solve a series of suspicious deaths that occur on the school's campus. The titular character is played by Nicholas Rowe and John Watson is played by Alan Cox.

Stream Young Sherlock Holmes on YouTube.
Rent/buy Young Sherlock Holmes on Amazon.

Without A Clue (1988)

Without a Clue is a comedy adaptation of the famous characters. This film also reimagines them, flipping the characterizations of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. This Thom Eberhardt helmed filmed sees Dr. Watson as the brilliant detective, with "Sherlock Holmes" being an actor pretending to be a detective so Watson can maintain his reputation in the medical world. Without a Clue stars veteran actor Michael Caine as Sherlock Holmes, and Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley as John Watson. 

Rent/buy Without a Clue on AppleTV+.

Sherlock Holmes Film Series (2009-present)

The 2000s saw more stylistic iterations of the Sherlock Holmes stories on screen. In 2009, director Guy Richie helmed two films about the Arthur Conan Doyle character for Warner Bros. Pictures. The films are titled Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, and star Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Watson. The original film is about the eccentric detective's journey into investigating a mysticist's plan to control England by mysterious and magical means. The subsequent film follows Holmes and Watson as they travel throughout Europe, trying to foil Professor Moriarty's plan to instigate a global conflict. 

A third film in the series has been announced and is set to be directed by Rocketman helmer, Dexter Fletcher. Downey Jr. and Law are said to be planning to reprise their roles. 

Stream Sherlock Holmes on Netflix.
Stream Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows on Netflix.

Rent/buy Sherlock Holmes on Amazon.
Rent/buy Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows on Amazon.

Sherlock TV Series (2010-2017)

One of the most popular Sherlock Holmes imaginings comes from the BBC, when the television series, Sherlock, became internationally beloved. Dr. Strange actor Benedict Cumberbatch's breakthrough performance as Sherlock on the series helped make him the household name he is today. He starred alongside The Hobbit actor Martin Freeman, who portrayed John Watson on the series. 

The show is set during a contemporary period with an eccentric, awkward Holmes at the center. He moves in with Watson, who acts as his right hand man as they investigate a series of crimes that Holmes' nemesis, Professor Moriarty (played by Fleabag's Andrew Scott), may or may not be behind. The series ran for four seasons, and contained 13 episodes, including a Victorian-set holiday special.

Stream Sherlock on Philo.
Buy Sherlock on Amazon.

Elementary TV Series (2012-2019)

Sherlock Holmes also got a 21st century American update on CBS. The long-running network television series, Elementary, portrayed Holmes as a disgraced former detective who left London for New York City after a stint in rehab. He is given a sober companion in the States, Dr. Joan Watson, who lost her medical license and now helps former addicts maintain sobriety. To ward off his addiction, Holmes becomes a consultant for the NYPD. Sherlock was portrayed Jonny Lee Miller on the series, with a female reimagining of Watson played by Kill Bill's Lucy Liu. The show ran for seven seasons and was created by Robert Doherty.

Stream Elementary on Hulu.
Buy Elementary on Amazon.

Mr. Holmes (2015)

In 2015, Beauty and the Beast director Bill Condon directed Mr. Holmes. The film was adapted from A Slight Trick of Mind, written by Mitch Cullen, and was inspired by Doyle's characters. Mr. Holmes gives audiences an older Sherlock Holmes, played by Sir Ian McKellen. The title detective is 93, retired, and living in Sussex. He struggles to remember details from his last unsolved case, as his mind is starting to slip. The film also co-stars Ozark's Laura Linney as Mrs. Munro, and is as heartwarming as the trailer suggests.

Stream Mr. Holmes on PlutoTV.
Rent/buy Mr. Holmes on Vudu.

Enola Holmes Film Series (2020, 2022)

Enola Holmes is a film series that reimagines the Sherlock Holmes story by giving him a young sister, Enola Holmes. The films are adapted from The Enola Holmes Mysteries book series by Nancy Springer, and are helmed by Fleabag director Harry Bradbeer.

The critically acclaimed first film follows Enola (played by Millie Bobby Brown) who is the spunky sibling to the celebrated detective (portrayed here by Henry Cavill). While tracking down her missing mother, she embarks on an adventure to save the entire country during the Victorian era. The sequel, Enola Holmes 2, features another puzzling mystery and follows the titular heroine who tries to make a name for herself as a professional detective while living in her brother's shadow. Both films feature an all-star cast, and a version of the iconic John Watson character, as played by Himesh Patel.

Stream Enola Holmes on Netflix.
Stream Enola Holmes 2 on Netflix.

Sherlock Holmes always seems like an inspiration for filmmakers and writers to draw upon, so there will likely be even more films to note in the future. But for now, there are several incredible versions of the beloved detective to check out at this moment. We will continue to keep an eye out for another RDJ take on the character, or another Millie Bobby Brown reimagining, so make sure to keep checking back with CinemaBlend.

Watching Jeopardy! can be a great way to hone your trivia skills and see where your smarts stack up compared to the talented contestants who make it on the show. There’s nothing like the superiority you feel when you guess a Final Jeopardy! answer that nobody else got, or when you dominate a category from the comfort of your living room. But there’s also a certain enjoyment that comes from seeing the contestants take wildly off-base guesses, and Jeopardy! fans experienced that on the June 13 episode, when one player mistook Academy Award-winner Michael Caine for Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger.

The category was “Knight After Knight,” and contestant Mazin Omer rang in on the $400 question, “To honor his father, this star here was knighted in his birth name, so he’s Sir Maurice Micklewhite.” Despite being accompanied by a photo of acclaimed actor Michael Caine, Omer mistakenly identified him as Mick Jagger. Current host Mayim Bialik — who’s received notes from producers regarding the tone of her responses — let the gaffe slide with a simple, “No.” Twitter fans, however, weren’t so gracious, immediately taking their confusion to social media:

At 89, Michael Caine has 11 years on the 78-year-old rocker, so at least Mazin Omer stayed in the correct generation — unlike the time viewers said two contestants disrespected Diana Ross by guessing she was 95 years old. Numbers aside, it’s safe to assume that this is the first time that mixup has ever happened, as the two bear absolutely no resemblance to each other. Jeopardy! fans jumped all over that:

To be fair, the Rolling Stones frontman was knighted in 2003, only three years after the honor was bestowed upon the Interstellar actor, so he fit the category, and Mick Jagger is such a cool name that nobody could really be faulted for thinking it might be a stage name for a less rock star name like Maurice Micklewhite. It really does just come down to the photo of Michael Caine, which left this viewer practically speechless:

It should always be remembered that actually competing on Jeopardy! is way more stressful than watching from home, and sometimes the players have to throw out a guess that might turn out to be more ridiculous than they expected. All I can say is thank goodness there’s nobody around to tweet about the wrong guesses I shout at my screen! This fan acknowledged that Mazin Omer’s guess doesn’t mean he isn’t smarter than the average bear, but even the contestant would have to admit his answer was pretty funny:

Season 38 is nearing its finale, and with it possibly comes the end of co-hosting duties between Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik, who agreed to share the job through the current season, which ends July 29. We’ll have to stay tuned to see if one of them will continue in the position permanently for future seasons. Check your local listings to see when Jeopardy! plays in your area, and take a peek at our 2022 TV Schedule to see what shows are premiering soon.

In what remains one of his boldest, most personal, and most devastating films, Christopher Nolan traveled to the hidden recesses of places unknown, both physically and emotionally, in 2014's Interstellar, an intergalactic odyssey that's one of his most daring achievements. 

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and John Lithgow, this blockbuster didn't receive the same acclaim as the filmmaker's Dark Knight trilogy, but it has received more appreciation with time. Now that seven years have passed since the film blasted into theaters worldwide, we'll discover what the Interstellar cast is doing right now.  

Matthew McConaughey (Joseph Cooper)

As Joseph Cooper, a widowed NASA pilot-turned-farmer who becomes the head of this perilous space expedition, Matthew McConaughey gives one of his best performances at the forefront of Interstellar. Most notably, the actor won an Oscar for his lead role in Dallas Buyers Club. Also, McConaughey is known for his breakout supporting turn in Dazed and Confused. Away from film, the actor was Emmy-nominated for producing and starring in HBO’s True Detective Season 1.

Most recently, Matthew McConaughey starred in The Gentlemen, which he co-produced, lent his voice to the podcast, Hank the Cowdog, which he also produced, and he was seen in the Fast Times at Ridgemont High Table Read. Also, this past year, he published his memoir, Greenlights. Next, McConaughey will be heard in Sing 2 and the short film, Come Home. Moreover, the actor considered a potential political bid, but opted not to run.

Anne Hathaway (Dr. Amelia Brand)

In the role of Dr. Amelia Brand, the expedition’s chief scientist/biologist, Anne Hathaway is the female lead for the majority of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. The actress won an Oscar for her thunderous supporting turn in Les Miserables. Also, Hathaway is known for starring in The Princess Diaries movies, The Devil Wears Prada, Colossal, Love & Other Drugs, The Intern, Get Smart, and Ella Enchanted. Last year, she starred in The Witches and The Last Thing He Wanted.

Earlier this year, Anne Hathaway starred in HBO Max’s Locked Down and she was seen in Amazon Prime’s Solos. Next, Hathaway will appear in Apple TV+’s WeCrashed. Currently, she’s filming James Gray’s Armageddon Time. Hathaway will also star in Sesame Street, She Came to Me, Bum’s Rush, and The Lifeboat.

Jessica Chastain (Murphy Cooper)

Playing the part of Murphy Cooper, Joseph’s grown-up daughter who follows in her distant father’s footsteps and becomes a Plan A NASA scientist, Jessica Chastain is a lead character in the second half of Interstellar. The acclaimed actress was Oscar-nominated for her lead performance in Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty and she was nominated for her supporting turn in The Help. Her other notable film credits include The Tree of Life, Molly's Game, It: Chapter Two, The Martian, A Most Violent Year, and Dark Phoenix. Last year, Chastain starred in and produced Ava. 

Most recently, Jessica Chastain produced and starred in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, for which she’s expected to receive her third Oscar nomination. She also led and produced HBO’s Scenes from a Marriage and she appeared in the short film, The Sands Between. Next, Chastain will star in The Forgiven, The 355 (which she also produced), and The Good Nurse. Additionally, the esteemed actress is slated to headline and produce The Division and Spectrum Originals’ George and Tammy.  

John Lithgow (Donald)

As Donald, Cooper’s elderly father-in-law, John Lithgow plays a feeble patriarch in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. A well-versed veteran of the stage and screen, the actor is most well-known for Emmy-winning work on 3rd Rock from the Sun, Dexter, and The Crown. Additionally, Lithgow was Oscar-nominated for his supporting turns in The World According to Garp and Terms of Endearment. Outside of acting, Lithgow is the author of Dumpty: The Age of Trump in Verse and 2020's Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown: Verses for a Despotic Age.

Most recently, Lithgow appeared in Pet Sematary (2019), and reprised his role as Arthur Mitchell in Dexter: New Blood. Next, he’ll star in FX’s The Old Man and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. Currently, he's filming Sharper and The Untitled Cabrini Film. 

Michael Caine (Professor John Brand)

In the role of Professor John Brand, Amelia’s father and Cooper’s former mentor, Michael Caine reunites with Christopher Nolan for Interstellar. Considered to be the director’s good luck charm, the actor has frequently worked with Nolan, appearing in The Dark Knight trilogy, The Prestige, Inception, and Dunkirk (the latter only in a voice role). 

Additionally, Caine won Oscars for his supporting turns in Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules. He was also Oscar-nominated for his performances in Alfie, Sleuth, Educating Rita, and The Quiet American. 

Most recently, Michael Caine starred in Best Sellers and reunited with Nolan for Tenet. Furthermore, Caine appeared in Twist and Come Away. Next, he'll be seen in Medieval. Earlier this year, there were reports that the veteran movie star was set to retire, but Caine disputed those claims. 

Wes Bentley (Doyle)

Playing the part of Doyle, a high-standing NASA member, Wes Bentley has a brainy supporting role in Interstellar. Best known for his chilling performance as Ricky Fitts in American Beauty, which earned him a BAFTA nomination, the actor is also recognizable from The Hunger Games, Mission: Impossible — Fallout, Pete’s Dragon, The Best of Enemies, Knight of Cups, Final Girl, Welcome to Me, Underworld: Awakening, and Ghost Rider. 

On TV, Wes Bentley currently can be seen on Paramount Network’s Yellowstone in the role of Jamie Dutton. He also appeared in several seasons of FX’s American Horror Story, including Freak Show, Hotel, and Roanoke. Away from the screen, Bentley was acclaimed for East 13th Street/CSC Theatre’s production of Venus in Fur. Most recently, he was heard in Adult Swim’s Blade Runner: Black Lotus.

Casey Affleck (Tom Cooper)

As Tom Cooper, the adult version of Joseph’s son, Casey Affleck has a prominent part in Interstellar’s second half. The actor won an Oscar for his tremendous lead performance in Manchester by the Sea. Previously, Affleck was acclaimed for his starring roles in Gone, Baby, Gone and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. Affleck wrote, directed, and starred in Light of My Life. Also, he previously directed and edited I’m Still Here. 

Earlier this year, Casey Affleck starred in Our Friend and Every Breath You Take, which he produced. He also had a supporting turn in The World to Come, which he also produced. Currently, Affleck is filming the musical biopic, Dreamin’ Wild, where he plays Donnie Emerson. He’s also slated to star in Stoner and Slingshot. 

Timothee Chalamet (Young Tom) 

In the role of Young Tom, Joseph’s teenage son, Timothee Chalamet received one of his first screen credits in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. A few years after the rising talent appeared in this hit blockbuster, the actor gained acclaim for his Oscar-nominated lead role in Call Me By Your Name, as well as his standout supporting turn in Lady Bird. Later, Chalamet was celebrated for his work in Little Women and Beautiful Boy. On television, Chalamet was seen on Showtime’s Homeland. 

Most recently, Timothee Chalamet starred in Dune. He also had a fun supporting role in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch. Next, the actor will appear in Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up. He’ll also star in Luca Guadagino’s Bones & All. Currently, Chalamet is filming Wonka, adopting the purple top hat. He’ll also reprise his role as Paul Atreides in Dune: Part Two, and possibly play Bob Dylan in Going Electric.

Mackenzie Foy (Young Murphy)

Playing the part of Young Murphy, the child version of Joseph’s rather bright-eyed daughter, Mackenzie Foy has a very notable role in the first half of 2014’s Interstellar. The actress is known for playing Renesmee in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1 and 2. Foy’s other film credits include The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, and  Jesse Stone: Lost in Paradise. As a voice actress, she can be heard in The Boxcar Children and The Little Prince. Furthermore, Foy was seen on R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour, Hawaii Five-0, and Flashforward. 

Last year, Mackenzie Foy starred in Disney+’s Black Beauty. Next, the actress is slated to star in The Man Who Saved Paris, though development remains slow.

David Gyasi (Romilly) 

As Romilly, a physicist and astronaut participating in the Endurance mission, David Gyasi plays a supporting character in Interstellar. Previously, the actor appeared in Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. Gyasi’s other film credits include Cloud Atlas, Annihilation, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Red Tails, and What a Girl Wants. More recently, Gyasi appeared in Come Away and the short film, Living Things. He also produced/starred in Hell on the Border. 

Away from film, David Gyasi played Major Alex “Lex” Carnahan in The CW’s Containment. His other TV credits include The A Word, Chuggington, Carnival Row, White Heat, and Dream Team. Most recently, Gyasi was seen in Ear for Eye. 

Matt Damon (Mann)

In the role of Mann, an isolated NASA astronaut sent to an icy planet during the Lazarus program, Matt Damon had a surprise part in Interstellar. Most notably, Damon wrote and starred in Good Will Hunting, for which he won an Oscar. From there, Damon starred in titles like the Bourne series, Saving Private Ryan, The Rainmaker, the Ocean's movies, The Martian, True Grit, and Ford v Ferrari.

Most recently, Matt Damon produced, co-wrote, and starred in The Last Duel. He also starred in Stillwater and had a cameo in No Sudden Move. Next, Damon will be seen in Thor: Love and Thunder and reunite with Nolan for Oppenheimer. 

Interstellar is available to stream on Paramount+. To read more about the film's ambiguous ending, other Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway movies, and a whole lot more, be sure to follow CinemaBlend for the latest film news.  

Despite the pandemic still looming, Ryan Reynolds has had one hell of a year. He's seen the release of The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s Wife and Free Guy's box office domination not long after. Over the past year or so, he's also finished filming up projects like Netflix’s Red Notice and The Adam Project alongside some major Hollywood names. Most recently, he wrapped on the holiday comedy, Spirited, in which he stars opposite Will Ferrell, and celebrated by announcing a much deserved acting sabbatical. While Reynolds’ faux arch nemesis Hugh Jackman seems supportive of the decision to take a break, Blake Lively didn't miss the opportunity to troll her husband on social media. 

Ryan Reynolds has been pretty open about his new found friendship with Will Ferrell, and it’s all thanks to their matchup. With filming having wrapped, Reynolds shared a pretty touching message about his (rather cramped) experience on set with Ferrell and Octavia Spencer. It was in this most recent Instagram post that the Deadpool star made known his desire to take an acting break. In Reynolds family fashion, Blake Lively has the perfectly worded jab for her husband in response to the news:

Ouch, looks like there really is no letting up on the constant stream of digs going on in the Reynolds/Lively house. Of course, it does seem to be all fun and games between the two lovebirds, and their relationship is one that many who are fluent in sarcasm would strive for. 

Blake Lively’s quick comment is directed at the fact that Michael Caine very recently seemed to announce his retirement from acting at the impressive age of 88, following his role in Chrisopher Nolan’s Tenet. While it turns out Caine may not really be ready to hang it up just yet, Lively still made sure everyone knows that her husband is sharing that limelight with another actor who is (at the very least) taking a little break. With a career as full as Caine's, though, Reynolds probably doesn’t mind sharing the timing with the Dark Knight actor. 

It’s worth noting that the Age of Adaline star isn’t the only ball buster commenting on the post. Hugh Jackman came in with a one-word comment of “IN!”, seemingly either showing some love or humorously just confirming that he’s down for not seeing his frenemy on screen for a while.

Even though Ryan Reynolds is giving it a little bit of a rest, fans are certainly not going to be left in lurch when it comes to his projects. Red Notice, which also stars Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot, is set to hit Netflix on November 12. And hile we probably won't see the Reynolds/Will Ferrell team up until next year, there are sure to be some witty exchanges between the, Blake Lively, and even Hugh Jackman to keep fans entertained in the interim.

Michael Caine is a beloved actor and has earned nearly 200 acting credits since his career began in the 1950s. These days, Caine is 88 years old and was most recently seen in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet. He seemed to announce his retirement during an interview that came out on Friday, but he’s backtracking to clarify. No, the actor is not saying goodbye to his illustrious career just yet. 

While talking about his latest film Best Sellers, Michael Caine said it “turned out to be” his “last part” before sharing that he hadn’t worked in two years, has some medical issues he’s dealing with and has been writing as of late. After the his alleged retirement made headlines, the actor released a statement to Variety, saying the following: 

Sources close to the Oscar winner also claim that the actor is currently looking over two scripts for potential projects. Additionally, the actor took to his Twitter account to say that he hasn’t retired and that “not a lot of people know that." Check it out: 

It seems like it’s one of those things that was taken a bit more strongly than he meant it to be. As Michael Caine shared, he’s not acting as much these days due to numerous factors, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the actor wouldn’t say no to a project if it came to him. And while he might be slowing down, he’s not ready to close off all the Hollywood channels. Here’s what Caine said that caused the confusion: 

No one would certainly chastise him for choosing to focus on his health and enjoy his later years without being in the public spotlight. However, he's still an incredible talent, and the role would likely be one that'll aptly utilize his talents. He's the good luck charm for Mr. Christopher Nolan and has been in every one of his movies since playing Alfred in 2005’s Batman Begins. Perhaps Caine wants to leave the door open to get a role in Nolan’s next project, Oppenheimer? 

Between his Friday comments and the ones he's now released, Michael Caine's future may still seem a bit confusing. Of course, he reserves the right to change his mind or clarify what’s going on with him. Considering the stage of life he's in, he may not jump at every role that comes his way, but it's great to hear that he's not hanging it up for good yet.

Michael Caine has been professionally acting since the early 1950s, and while older generations likely know him best from movies like Alfie and the original version of The Italian Job, younger folks certainly haven’t had any trouble finding him in cinematic settings, such as his time as Alfred Pennyworth in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. However, after nearly 60 years in the business, Michael Caine has retired from acting, and he recently revealed how he came to this decision.

Last month saw the release of Best Sellers, a comedy-drama that saw Michael Caine acting opposite Aubrey Plaza, Scott Speedman, Ellen Wong, Cary Elwes and Veronica Ferres. While chatting about the movie on Kermode and Mayo, Caine revealed that this will be his final role, and explained his rationale thusly:

At 88 years old, no one can accuse Michael Caine of retiring from acting too early, though there wouldn’t have been anything wrong with that if he felt like embarking down a different path in his younger years. Regardless, with his current physical issues and writing work, Caine feels like now is the good time to step away from acting, and the latter activity certainly isn’t as strenuous as performing on stage or screen. Caine has been writing books since the early 1980s, the most recent one being 2018’s Blowing the Bloody Doors Off: And Other Lessons in Life. 

After it was clarified that Best Sellers will end up being his “last picture,” Michael Caine brought up two other things that factored into his decision to retire, saying:

While Best Sellers will go down as the last movie Michael Caine acted in, there is one last movie of his that has yet to come out. In 2018, he shot a Czech action historical movie called Medieval with Hell or High Water’s Ben Foster. Medieval still doesn’t have a release date yet, although it’s possible it might come out in 2022. Caine’s other credits from recent years include Going in Style, King of Thieves and Tenet, the latter being his eighth and final collaboration with Christopher Nolan.

It’s truly the end of an era, but at least we have decades worth of Michael Caine movies to enjoy to our heart’s content. As for what’s coming to theaters in the near future, that information is available in our 2021 release schedule and 2022 release schedule.

Before comic book shared universes became commonplace, Christopher Nolan was on top of the genre with his Dark Knight Trilogy. Given Christian Bale’s performances as Bruce Wayne, the three movies still hold a special place in the hearts of many moviegoers. Michael Caine famously played Alfred, and recently revealed how Nolan convinced him to take on the role.

Whenever there’s a new Batman project, there’s also inevitably his manservant/ father figure Alfred. Michael Caine brought a ton of heart to the role throughout Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight movies, although he had to be convinced to play the DC figure. As Caine explained in an interview,

The man’s got a point. Michael Caine and Christopher Nolan clearly have a great working relationship, with the 88 year-old actor having a role in a number of his projects including Interstellar, Tenet, and The Prestige. And as such, Nolan knew the right way to pitch Alfred to him, and was clearly successful.

Sometimes when you need Michael Caine for a role, you have to go right to the course. So Christopher Nolan tracked him down at his country house to ensure he was the Alfred to Christian Bale’s Batman. And as a result DC fans are treated to the gorgeous movies Caine made across that trilogy.

Since Michael Caine’s tenure as Alfred, a number of other actors have stepped up to play Bruce Wayne’s caretaker on the big screen. First the great Jeremy Irons brought a ton of sass to the DCEU opposite Ben Affleck. And next Andy Serkis will play Alfred in Matt Reeves’ highly anticipated blockbuster The Batman.

The Batman is expected to hit theaters on March 4th, 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience

When I think of Christopher Nolan, there are several films that stand out which make me think of what an amazing director and filmmaker he is. We have classics like The Dark Knight trilogy, the space-thriller Interstellar, and so many others. But, the one film that stands out to me the most is the 2010 classic, Inception.

If you don’t remember the movie, Inception follows the story of a professional thief who steals information by infiltrating the subconscious of all of his targets, and is offered a chance at having his criminal history erased after utilizing that same technology to plant an idea in someone's mind. I know, just reading that, it already feels like your brain is in a blender – but the movie itself was fantastic, and the Inception cast has been up to plenty since then. From Leonardo DiCaprio to Michael Caine, this what the Inception cast has been up to since the film’s iconic release.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Dom Cobb)

Out of everyone on this list, you most likely know the most about Leonardo DiCaprio. He’s been in some amazing movies since the very beginning of his career, and that hasn’t stopped since his appearance as Dom Cobb in Inception. DiCaprio has appeared in several award-winning films, such as Django Unchained, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Revenant, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, and the latest Quentin Tarantino film, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood.

Leonardo DiCaprio has also been very active in environmental awareness, even producing Ice on Fire, a film about global warming. DiCaprio has a new political satire disaster film, titled Don’t Look Up, which is the story of two low-level astronomers who are trying to warn mankind about an asteroid that will destroy Earth. He’s going to be starring alongside other big stars such as Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, and several others, so it’s sure to be just as intriguing as some of his most recent ventures.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Arthur)

Moving onto one of the other main stars of Inception, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has had plenty of work since the film’s release. He’s starred in Looper, the superhero film The Dark Knight Rises, and done some voice over work in The Wind Rises by Studio Ghibli and the mystery thriller, Knives Out. In 2020, Joseph Gordon-Levitt also had a part in the popular Netflix film, Trial of the Chicago 7.

Moving on in his career, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is going to be stepping into the Disney world with more voice work, as he is going to be portraying Jiminy Cricket in the upcoming live-action remake of the classic Disney film, Pinocchio. This film, which will also have Tom Hanks as one of his co-stars, doesn’t have a set release date yet, but will debut on Disney+, so be prepared to hear some of Gordon-Levitt’s awesome acting skills on this take on the fantasy tale.

Elliot Page (Ariadne)

Elliot Page has had plenty of changes in his work-life – including some awesome film and TV roles. He’s had a pretty important role in the Fox version of X-Men as Kitty Pryde, starred in the Flatliners remake and the 2019 Tales of the City series, and since 2018, has had a main role in the popular Netflix show The Umbrella Academy.

In the next couple of years, he’ll have voice roles in two animated films, titled Naya Legend of the Golden Dolphin and Robodog, as well as continuing his role on The Umbrella Academy in its upcoming third season.

Tom Hardy (Eames)

Another big star who has had a super successful career post-Inception, Tom Hardy has been all over the map of genres in film. Like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy also had a role in The Dark Knight Rises, portraying Bane, the main villain. For another action film, Tom Hardy had a starring role in Mad Max: Fury Road, which was nominated for several Academy Awards, as well as a role in the Christopher Nolan film, Dunkirk.

One of Hardy’s most recent ventures has been taking on the leading role in the Venom franchise, which has the sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, coming out in 2021. Along with several other films that he has coming up, the next couple of years are going to be filled with interesting films for the popular actor.

Ken Watanabe (Mr. Saito)

Moving onto a character that may not have been as featured, but was still just as important, Ken Watanabe portrayed Mr. Saito expertly and has been plenty busy since the film’s release. Recently, Watanabe has had a voice role in the Wes Anderson film, Isle of Dogs, as well as some live-action roles in Godzilla and several of the Transformers movies. He also had a part in the Pokemon live-action film, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, where everyone’s favorite video game critters came to life.

Coming up in the next couple of years, Ken Watanabe is going to have a voice role in an upcoming film titled Kensuke’s Kingdom, as the role of Kensuke himself. He will also have a main role in a TV series titled Tokyo Vice, a crime drama that is based on the book of the same name.

Dileep Rao (Yusef)

Dileep Rao, while his role was small in Inception, has kept moderately busy since the film’s release. Besides Inception, he’s had a couple of film roles, one being in the iconic horror film, Drag Me to Hell. However, one of his main ventures since working on Inception has been taking on the role of Dr. Max Patel in the hit James Cameron film, Avatar.

While Rao has had a few guest appearances on TV shows and worked on other films, his main project – or rather projects – that he has coming up are the Avatar sequels, in which he will be portraying the same character. So, when those weird blue aliens finally decide to show up to theaters after more than a decade of being away, be sure to keep an eye out for him.

Cillian Murphy (Robert Michael Fischer)

For someone whose role wasn’t super big in Inception, Cillian Murphy has grown immensely in his acting career. Murphy has had plenty of film work in the intervening years, and in several other genres. If you’re trying to check out a war film, look to Dunkirk, where he shared the screen with Tom Hardy once again. If you’re into horror movies, Murphy will be appearing in A Quiet Place: Part II when it premiers in May of 2021.

Cillian Murphy will also have a role in the upcoming film Kensuke’s Kingdom alongside Ken Watanabe, so try to listen in closely to see if you can recognize his voice among that cast. However, arguably the biggest parts that Cillian Murphy has had since his role in Inception was his main role on the TV hit Peaky Blinders, a British period crime drama, for which he was the star. Truly, he is someone who has definitely spread his wings in terms of different genres.

Tom Berenger (Peter Browning)

Ever since Inception, most of the cast has kept relatively busy and picked up many films, but in the case of Tom Berenger, he’s kept his career on the down-low and relaxed a bit. That’s not to say he hasn’t still been busy, however – he has simply stuck to smaller films since his time on the mind-bending blockbuster.

Tom Berenger had a main role in the direct-to-video franchise Sniper, as well as multiple other direct-to-video films as well. He’s also had some guest appearances on multiple TV shows, such as Hawaii Five-O and Training Day, the TV series which was based on the award-winning movie.

Marion Cotillard (Mal Cobb)

While her role was really small in this film, even though Dom was very much connected to Mal emotionally, Marion Cotillard, who was more known for her French roles, broke out into mainstream movie success after her English-language role in Inception. Like others on this list, Cotillard had a role in The Dark Knight Rises, as well as parts in several other big-time hits such as the Academy-Award nominated Midnight in Paris, Contagion, and Anchorman 2.

In terms of what she has coming up, Cotillard is going to have a feature role in an upcoming film titled Annette, a musical which will tell the story of a stand-up comedian (played by Adam Driver) and his world-famous soprano wife, whom Cotillard will portray, and how their daughter, named Annette, will change their lives forever. It’s most certainly an interesting premise, and I’m excited to see what she could bring to this new film, for whenever it is released in the future.

Michael Caine (Professor Stephen Miles)

If you wanted to look up a picture of a living movie legend, I’m pretty positive a photo of Michael Caine would be one of the first images you see. Not only did this man have an amazing career prior to his role in Inception as Professor Stephen Miles, but he’s also had several other big roles after the film’s release as well. For the fourth time mentioned on this list, Caine had a role in the action film, The Dark Knight Rises (I’m beginning to see a trend with Christopher Nolan here), a part in Interstellar, and the 2020 release Tenet.

In terms of other films besides the work of Christopher Nolan, Michael Caine has made appearances in action films such as Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and Kingsman: The Secret Service. And, Michael Caine has a few films planned to come out within the next couple of years, as well.

Twist, which will be a modern adaption of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, Best Sellers, a story about an old author trying to save a publishing company, and Medieval, a fantasy film about a mercenary group that does dirty work for nobles. He is surely going to be a very busy man, and I can’t contain my excitement for some of the awesome projects he has lined up.

Which new film are you looking forward to the most? Let’s just all hope that none of the endings of these new movies are as crazy as the Inception ending – I think we would all have a headache after viewing the Christopher Nolan classic again.

You can watch Inception on Amazon here.

Is it even possible to sign on to a Christopher Nolan movie and not geek out? This is the legendary writer/director’s eleventh feature film, and he’s amassed such a following and respect from cinephiles that carries over throughout the Hollywood community. John David Washington, who broke out in a big way in 2018’s Spike Lee film BlacKkKlansman, is still just getting started with his career. And filming Tenet included an all-time great moment for his career it doesn’t sound like he’s forgetting anytime soon.

When CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell sat down for a video interview with John David Washington ahead of Tenet’s release, he talked about the major moment for him that had everything to do with Michael Caine. Check it out:

At this point, Michael Caine is just as iconic in a Nolan movie as the filmmaker’s manipulations of time. The actor has been in every single one of his films since 2005’s Batman Begins, plus he’s simply one of the greats. In recent years though, Caine isn’t typically in a Nolan movie for an extended period of time, so Washington had the honor of having the scene to share with him. As he told it:

That’s on top of getting top billing on Christopher Nolan’s big-budget espionage film, which Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey have previously been honored with. The 36-year-old actor also learned some complex “time inversion” choreography and intense wire work, even though he has a fear of heights.

Since Michael Caine is somewhat of a good luck charm for Christopher Nolan, and John David Washington shared his only scene with him, some of that luck could rub off on the actor? He already has the star power of being the great Denzel Washington’s son, and no doubt some impressive performances ahead of him – including a quarantine-made film with Zendaya called Malcolm & Marie.

After months of uncertainty, Tenet has arrived to select theaters domestically. Last week, the epic opened in international markets to solid numbers (considering) at $54 million and has been praised by critics overall. It currently has a 75% Rotten Tomatoes score and CinemaBlend’s review boasts a perfect five out of five, calling it a masterpiece.

CinemaBlend also spoke to Tenet’s Elizabeth Debicki about some spoiler talk, and our site’s podcast ReelBlend spoke to the man Christopher Nolan himself. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more Tenet news.

Michael Caine has been in the movie business for a long time and has racked up a handful of Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Baftas and SAG Awards over the year. In short, he's a bit of a legend and he’s also become known as a ‘lucky charm’ of sorts for one director: Christopher Nolan. Caine has, in fact, appeared in all of Nolan’s films since Batman Begins came out in 2005, including his upcoming movie Tenet.

Despite having already filmed Tenet, and despite being someone that Christopher Nolan clearly relies on as an actor, Michael Caine has now admitted that he really only knows two things about Tenet. The first? He shot scenes with John David Washington, also mentioning the secretive nature of the project.

Hearing Christopher Nolan is clandestine even with the actors should come as no real shock. A lot of Nolan's projects are set up to be super secretive. I still remember when the first trailer for Inception came out and no one knew what the heck was going on. There was just a spinning top and a sense of doom.

Per what Michael Caine told The Hindu, he knows he shot his scenes with John David Washington and he knows one other thing about why he’s in the movie. The other being that he’s a bit of a “lucky mascot” for the movie, noting,

To his point, Inception actually made a little over $828 million worldwide. Batman Begins made $373 million worldwide, whereas The Dark Knight made over a billion and The Dark Knight Rises also made over a billion. Dunkirk made close to $527 million worldwide and was also profitable, even if it didn’t hit that billion mark.

The point is, in fact, that each of these movies has raked in a profit at the box office and Michael Caine may be a part of the reason why. Just don’t ask him what the movie’s actually about.

Getting back to Tenet, Michael Caine may know only two things about the movie, but we know at least a wee bit more. Along with John David Washington and Michael Caine, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh and Dimple Kapadia star the movie. We also know a group called The Afterlife will be involved and that John David Washington will be tasked with attempting to prevent World War III.

Or at least that’s what the movie seems to be about. In fact, there’s already a full trailer for Tenet, although I’d be hard-pressed to really explain what the movie will be about.

(To note, Michael Caine does not show up in the trailer.)

The theatrical industry has been pretty disrupted over the past several weeks due to coronavirus, but Tenet wasn’t expected to hit theaters until later in the summer anyway. Although, to be honest, I wouldn’t anticipate knowing a lot more about the movie’s plot ahead of its release. That’s just how Christopher Nolan seems to like it.

Tenet is expected to hit theaters on July 17, 2020. A lot of other release dates have recently shifted and you can see more with CinemaBlend's full 2020 theatrical schedule.

Christopher Nolan is a filmmaker who, even at his most generous, loves to keep the public in the dark about what he's working on until the last possible moment. His latest film, slated for release next summer, is certainly no exception, as it has just recently unveiled its title, Tenet, on this the first day of shooting. Plot details are also sparse, as the recently provided description of “North By Northwest meets Inception” was dismissed as quickly as it had arrived, though the film being "an action epic evolving from the world of international espionage" remains the premise.

With such a diverse and dangerous setting comes a cast of impressive actors taking on the task of working with Christopher Nolan himself. So fresh off the back of Tenet getting a title, and a few new members to its' cast, now is a good time to run down the line and see who's on board for this would be blockbuster of summer 2020! We'll start with Mr. John David Washington himself.

John David Washington

The first lead cast in Christopher Nolan's Tenet, John David Washington will be adding this sought after role on top of a year that's brought him a lot of notice. His role in the HBO series Ballers saw its fourth year of action in 2018, with his lead role in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman netting him several prestigious award nominations in that very same year. Washington's recent credits also include Monsters and Men, as well as The Old Man and The Gun.

Robert Pattinson

Initial reports have mentioned that Christopher Nolan's latest film is to have two male leads, with a female lead around the same age range. Robert Pattinson is the most recently cast male out of the two, with his credits of late being represented in the sci-fi drama High Life, and the western/comedy Damsel. His casting in Tenet seemed sure to set off the rumor mill, as Pattinson's name has been come up as the all but confirmed as a successor to Ben Affleck in the role of Batman. Which makes Robert Pattinson's collaboration with the director of the still highly regarded Dark Knight Trilogy practically kismet.

Elizabeth Debicki

Also part of the previously known cast for Christopher Nolan's Tenet is none other than rising star Elizabeth Debicki. 2018 was also good for Debicki, as Steve McQueen's Widows saw her impressing the hell out of critics and fans alike, as one of the titular stars alongside Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, and Cynthia Erivo. Previously, Debicki was seen in franchise sequels The Cloverfield Paradox and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2, as well as the Guy Ritchie feature film adaptation of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Dimple Kapadia

Primarily known for her work in the Indian film world, actor Dimple Kapadia has been added to the cast of Tenet in the film’s most recent run up to production. Kapadia has been a fixture since the 1980’s, most recently starring in Welcome Back, alongside fellow Indian actor/crossover star Anil Kapoor. Tenet marks Dimple Kapadia’s first Hollywood film.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Best known for his roles as both Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and the lead in Mark Millar’s comic adaptation Kick-Ass, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is another one of Tenet’s latest additions to the cast. Most recently seen in Netflix’s Outlaw King, Taylor-Johnson will also be seen in the Kingsman: The Great Game, which will see the famed spy organization’s origins in the 1900’s.

Clémence Poésy

If you’re struggling to remember where you’ve seen Clémence Poésy before, we’ll go ahead and tell you that you most likely recognize her from her role of Fleur Delacour in the Harry Potter film franchise. You may even remember her from films like In Bruges and 127 Hours. But lately, this Tenet star has been seen in TV shows like National Geographic’s Genius: Picasso, where she played French icon Françoise Gilot, as well as the British/French TV procedural, The Tunnel.

Michael Caine

Known quite well as the lucky charm to Christopher Nolan, as well as an actor of great distinction and honor, Michael Caine makes his return to appearing on camera for Nolan with Tenet. Previously, Caine made an uncredited cameo as the voice of Fortis Leader, guiding Tom Hardy and his air squadron in Dunkirk. Caine’s notable credits in the cast range from classics like Alfie and The Italian Job to more recent films like Now You See Me 2.

Kenneth Branagh

In what looks like his addition to the Christopher Nolan repertory company, Kenneth Branagh is another familiar face that was brought into the Tenet cast. Much like Michael Caine, Branagh was also part of the massive cast that made Nolan’s Dunkirk come to life. More recently, Branagh starred and directed in the Shakespeare biopic All Is Well, and has Artemis Foul ready to go for release next summer through Disney.

Himesh Patel

Fresh off of the success of his role in Danny Boyle's Yesterday, Himesh Patel was tapped to join the cast of Tenet. While that film is Patel's feature film debut, it was enough to land him a prime spot on Christopher Nolan's latest film. The actor will also be seen in Amazon Studio's The Aeronauts before 2019 is out, which can only boost Himesh Patel's profile, and in turn his unrevealed role in Tenet.

As the cast for Tenet continues to form up, and more details besides those provided previously are made known, we'll update this list to reflect the new changes. But until then, know that this newly titled Christopher Nolan event film will be released in conventional and IMAX theaters on July 17, 2020. So, it's probably best you find some movies throughout the rest of 2019's release schedule to pass the time in-between.

Since Michael Caine has almost 200 acting credits, there’s bound to be a few duds. The distinguished 85-year-old actor recently reflected on the one role he might tell his younger self to pass on if he could: it was the 1978 disaster flick The Swarm. He just couldn’t get along with his bee costars. Here’s what Caine said:

Yikes! I don’t blame him, working with live bees sounds terrifying – even though the fact that they pooped on them is a hilarious visual and a great reason why a live-action Bee Movie should never exist.

In Michael Caine’s recent interview with Rolling Stone, he expressed that he has little regret about the roles he didn’t take, because he seldom would say “no” to a role. Caine’s open-mindedness to his roles likely contributed to his over-60 year massively successful acting career that still is very much ticking today. Saying “yes” more can lead to some rather interesting experiences.

In the case of The Swarm, Michael Caine said “yes” because of the star-studded cast involving Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland and Jose Ferrer. He didn’t even read the script, he just went for it and in turn became part of one of the most best bad movies of all time. Just take a look at this highlight reel from the “thriller”:

The Swarm is about a swarm of killer bees who fly from South America to Houston, Texas to raise terror on the town. It was directed by Irwin Allen, who produced classic sci-fi television shows of the ‘60s including Lost in Space and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. It was a box office bomb and critical failure, but it was named one of the most enjoyably bad movies ever made by Razzie Award founder John J.B. Wilson.

Even so, The Swarm adds to Michael Caine’s incredible range. He’s done everything from frequenting Christopher Nolan movies to starring as Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol. That’s just in recent years though; starting in the ‘60s, Caine became an unlikely British icon and movie star.

When he first found his role on screen transitioning from “movie star”, Caine contemplated retiring, but Jack Nicholson of all people convinced him otherwise, with the opportunity to become the character actor he is famous for being right now.

Michael Caine will star next as Lord Boresh in Medieval in 2019, which is about how a 14th century Czech warlord Jan Zizka (played by Ben Foster) defeated the Teutonic Order and Roman Empire.

Now well into his 80s, Michael Caine remains a constant presence on the big screen, lending gravitas to any project he's in. But the Englishman's acting career almost ended back in the 90s, when he realized that because of his age he would no longer be getting leading roles. So in an effort to reinvent himself, he temporarily retired from acting and opened a restaurant in Miami. Michael Caine was content with his post-acting life, until Jack Nicholson pulled him out of retirement, as he explained:

Michael Caine became a British film icon through starring roles in movies in the 60s and 70s and that was what he knew. So when age forced him out of those kinds of roles he saw it as a sign that his career as an actor was over. But, as he recalled in an excerpt from his memoir reported by Entertainment Weekly, Jack Nicholson proposed a different path.

It wasn't an either/or situation, and Michael Caine didn't need to retire from acting just because he was no longer a leading man. Jack Nicholson opened his eyes to the fact that there were still other roles for Michael Caine available, and that he could reinvent himself as a character actor. This would require some flexibility on his part to transform his performance to suit the script, but it was a way to continue as an actor.

Jack Nicholson wasn't just a fan of Michael Caine's work who wanted to see the actor continue his career either, he actually wanted him to join him in a film, as Michael Caine continued:

Back on set with Jack Nicholson, it seems as though Michael Caine realized that acting was his true passion and nothing else could replace it. It didn't make a difference if it was a leading role or not, just being an actor made him happy. This was especially true alongside Jack Nicholson, who was fun and easygoing and told Michael Caine not to run back to set, with the two ultimately strolling back instead.

Blood and Wine is the only film where these two legendary actors starred together and now it takes on special significance as the film that brought Michael Caine out of his self-imposed retirement. Check out the trailer for the film below.

While he did have some flops after coming back out of retirement, it is impossible to argue that Michael Caine's latter career hasn't been a wild success. The actor won his second Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for 1999's The Cider House Rules and has been a mainstay in the acclaimed films of Christopher Nolan. Michael Caine has also still found leading man roles in films like Harry Brown.

So every time Michael Caine shows up on screen giving a captivating performance, we can all say a little thanks to Jack Nicholson for dragging him out of retirement.

For all the latest movie news, stay tuned to CinemaBlend and check out our 2019 release schedule for all the biggest movies coming to theaters next year.

Few movie endings have been discussed, analyzed and studied more than 2010's Inception. As Dom Cobb, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and his team travel in a dream within a dream within a dream, many moviegoers couldn't quite get satisfaction out of what exactly they experienced from just one viewing. As the film closes, the audience can never be sure if Cobb comes home to a dream or reality because the credits start to role before we can see if his totem, a spinning top, ever stops spinning. Fans have been looking for clues within the film for answers, and Christopher Nolan just won't budge on delivering a straight answer on what really happened. Frequent Nolan collaborator, Michael Caine did offer his own explanation for the ending at screening for Inception in Somerset House in London. In his words:

After almost 10 years of this uncertainty, for all these years Michael Caine has kept to himself this detail that Christopher Nolan told him to clarify the script for him. As the British actor explains from his perspective at a screening of the movie at the Somerset House (via Syfy Wire), every time his character, Professor Miles, is present in a scene, Cobb is in reality. Considering Miles picks up Cobb from the airport at the very end of the movie and is around when Cobb reunites with his children, as the totem continues to be in motion, maybe Inception has a happy ending. Take a look:

For those who need a refresher, Inception has its characters recruited by Saito (Ken Watanabe) on a mission to convince Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy) to dissolve his father's company through dream-sharing technology. This is so Cobb can go home to his children after being accused of killing his wife Mal (Marion Cotillard), who became convinced she was in a dream and killed herself, thinking it would bring her back to reality. When the crew is successful in convincing Fischer to change his mind, and having a brief run-in with limbo, they wake up on the plane they've been on all along land in America. Saito, true to his word, clears Cobb's name and he is able to get through customs and make it home.

Because the movie plays a lot with the blurred lines of dreams and reality, the unclear end serves as a perfect closer to bring in the audience into the themes of the film. Christopher Nolan's intention was certainly to get people puzzled about the character's fate. Michael Caine, who has worked with Nolan since Batman Begins, offers details that might add closure to fans hoping for a happy ending. Whether or not this explanation is actually true or just words fed to the actor is anyone's guess -- we'll let the theories continue to spin.

Not many people know this, but Michael Caine was in Dunkirk. Apparently his cameo is so inconspicuous, most folks didn't even notice it. However, if you're good with identifying voices, then you picked Sir Michael's small part out with no problem, as he was the commander on the other end of Tom Hardy's radio in the film. Director Christopher Nolan confirmed this fact recently in the following statement:

Folks born after a certain era won't remember, but the role that Nolan is referring to is that of Squadron Leader Canfield in 1969's Battle of Britain, which covered some of the same historical turf that Dunkirk executed in its more limited scoped film. So naturally, being a fan of Michael Caine and all, Christopher Nolan thought it only fit that Caine would be the commander of the airborne forces lead by Tom Hardy during the lean, mean exercise in war movie storytelling that was last weekend's box office champ. Now if you did notice the vocal cameo in Dunkirk, you might have still been questioning whether or not it was Michael Caine in the film for one simple fact: he's not credited in the traditional sense.

If you review the credits, his name isn't listed along with the other actors of the film. Rather, his is a credit at the very end of the film's roll, in the "Special Thanks To" section of the listings. Seeing as Christopher Nolan and Sir Michael Caine are pretty familiar, and he happened to star in a film of a similar purview, as well as grew up in the era of Dunkirk's historical narrative, one could have mistaken that credit for simply helping out. But thanks to NJ.com, we now have proof positive that yes, Sir Michael Caine was the commanding voice that spoke to Tom Hardy with much authority.

With no new project on the horizon just yet, Christopher Nolan may just work with Michael Caine yet again in the more traditional sense. But knowing that the director will cast him even in the smallest role he can find is the sort of thing that we'd expect someone so rigorous in his methods like Nolan to do. Though we have to admit, if he could get around to directing a film where Michael Caine is the lead, that would be something we'd line up to see in a heartbeat. Just some food for thought for the director who defies expectation, and lands on the project you'd least expect him to at a moment's notice.

Dunkirk is in theaters now, and is definitely worth the IMAX 70mm ticket.

Acting is one of those professions in which, if you're lucky enough, you could conceivably do it right up until the day you die, health issues notwithstanding. Take Michael Caine, for example. At age 84, he's still going strong on the big screen, with his movies in recent years including Interstellar, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Youth, The Last Witch Hunter and Now You See Me 2. He can be seen this weekend in the comedy Going In Style, but as an octogenarian, does Caine believe that he will ever retire from this line of work? He doesn't think so. In fact, he believes that most actors don't retire from the movies; it's the other way around. As Caine sees it:

While plugging Going In Style, Michael Caine provided the above take to UPI, saying that it's not so much that actors choose to retire from acting, it's that situations present themselves where the actor simply decides not to participate, whether it's for a short or long period of time. Obviously there are exceptions to this, but Caine and other likeminded actors would prefer to work as long as possible. That said, if the current projects aren't rolling in, there are payment issues, etc, then "retirement" is pushed from the other side. If there's anyone who has a unique perspective on the acting craft, it's Caine. This has been the man's profession for over 60 years across movies, television, theatre and even a video game. His views on acting retirement can't be applicable 100% of the time, but they're interesting nonetheless.

Not only is Michael Caine not planning to stop acting anytime soon, but neither are his two Going In Style costars, Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin. When they were asked the same question about retirement, Freeman balked at the idea, while Arkin said that over the last six to seven years, he's questioned when his character in a script will die, and he's been pleased with how far he's made it into these stories. That led Caine to quip the following:

Check out the Going In Style trailer below to get a taste of the retiree shenanigans Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin will be getting into.

Going In Style will be released in theaters on tomorrow. Don't forget to check out our comprehensive 2017 guide to find out when the year's other big movies are coming out.

You can't really hate Going In Style. Mostly because it boasts the leading trio of Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Alan Arkin, each of whom excel on their own, but together manage to create the cinematic equivalent of a big hug and warm cup of cocoa just before bed time.

In Going In Style, which is a remake of the 1979 film of the same name that starred George Burns, Art Carney, and Lee Strasberg, Caine, Freeman, and Arkin play three friends that have worked together for over 30 years. The trio suddenly find themselves bankrupt, though, after their pensions are absolved following the restructuring of their company. Rather than accepting his fate, and inspired after being caught in a bank robbery a few weeks earlier, Michael Caine's Joe encourages Willie (Freeman), and Albert (Arkin) to help him steal their pensions back from the bank that is holding their pension funds, and they soon set out to hatch their fiendish but morally right crusade.

In order to buy into Going In Style you have to forgive a lot of its cinematic discrepancies. There are one or two comedic set pieces that just don't work at all, especially when the trio try to perform a practice robbery inside a supermarket, a scene that's dated, incoherent, and feels as though it has been slapped together by drunken amateurs rather than a professional film crew. More than that, there are numerous holes in the actual bank-robbery, too, which they're initially able to conduct and drive away from even though they encounter several problems that should have given the police enough time to arrive to the scene. I would have been more than willing to hold my disbelief during this sequence, if not for the fact that the film had meticulously gone out of its way to insist they needed to get in and out in a certain time, had pointed out just how quick the police would react, and simply allowed it to just drag on for far too long.

Not enjoying Going In Style for the above reasons is like not enjoying an ice cream because the cone was a little stale, though. It's the leading trifecta of acting legends that make it a thoroughly pleasant experience. Sure, Going In Style doesn't do anything remarkable, but Michael Caine, Alan Arkin and Morgan Freeman are so wonderful together that it'll nevertheless still leave you beaming. There's one sequence in particular, where they are all watching The Bachelor together, that will immediately make you want to crawl through the screen and sit alongside them. Throughout, they're each able to bounce off each other and create a genuine camaraderie and spirit, while remaining self-deprecating, forthright, and well aware of their characters' limitations.

Admittedly, the plot is hokey and you only ever produce a blithesome grin rather than eruptions of laughter, but the script from Theodore Melfi (St Vincent, Hidden Figures) and direction from Zach Braff (yes, that Zach Braff) allows Going In Style to move in a sprightly and jovial enough fashion, while the additional contributions from Joey King, Matt Dillon, Ann-Margaret, Christopher Lloyd, Kenan Thompson, John Ortiz, and Peter Serafinowicz keeps the film buoyant just above mundane mediocrity.

Even its preposterously and sickly sweet happy ending can't truly detract, and in fact underlines that Going In Style's main ambition was to warm hearts rather than enthral minds, something that it's able to achieve, even though it trips up over itself along the way.

With Christmas quickly approaching, the time has some where many families cuddle up on the couch and watch their favorite holiday movie. One of the most popular of these classic Christmas flicks is The Muppet Christmas Carol, which reimagines the classic Charles Dickens novel with a cast of muppets and other furry puppet friends. But there are also human cast members, and the incomparable Michael Caine surprisingly starred as Ebenezer Scrooge himself. Considering Michael Caine's long and prestigious career, it seems unlikely that he would take a job alongside Kermit the Frog's Bob Cratchit. But now we finally know why Caine took the part, and it's enough to melt your heart.

Michael Caine recently sat down with GQ to talk all about The Muppet Christmas Carol. The 1992 classic musical movie is beloved by many families, and family is exactly why the legend signed up for the project in the first place.

There you go, ladies and gents. Michael Caine joined the cast of The Muppet Christmas Carol so that he could finally share one of his movies with his daughter. The actor hadn't exactly been in family friendly adventures at that point, but there isn't anything more family friendly than the Muppets. Except maybe in their recently cancelled television series.

It's no wonder that The Muppet Christmas Carol is a movie which Michael Caine looks back on fondly. Because now that a decade or two have passed, the film serves an entirely different function for Caine. While he originally made it to share it with his daughter, he now gets to do the same with his grandchildren. This movie musical is a part of many family's Christmas traditions, and it apparently brings together the actor's family was well. And isn't that what Christmas is all about?

The Muppet Christmas Carol is a 1992 live action musical comedy which comically retells the story of A Christmas Carol. It is full of beautiful music which never failed in making my childhood self giddy with excitement over the big day. The Muppets play the main characters; Kermit and Miss Piggy play the Cratchets, Fozzie Bear plays Scrooge's former employer (hilarious named Mr. Fozziwig), Gonzo narrates as Charles Dickens, and the heckling duo Waldorf and Statler play the Marley brothers.

The Muppet Christmas Carol is currently available on HBO, as well as home release.

Now You See Me was a surprise hit when it was release back in the summer of 2013. It ultimately grossed the hugely impressive sum of $351.7 million, even though it went up against the likes of Man Of Steel, Fast & Furious 6, Iron Man 3, and Star Trek Into Darkness during its time in theaters.

Obviously, having made Lionsgate, Summit Entertainment, and K/O Paper Products a substantial amount of money, plans were almost instantly made for a sequel to be put into motion, and the countdown clock for its arrival has begun.

Now You See Me 2 is now just over five months away from hitting theaters, as it’s due to hit cinemas on June 10th. But since quite a lot happened in the original, and the follow-up features some new faces joining the already established cast, we’ve decided to throw together a handy guide for Now You See Me 2 that includes all the rumors and reports regarding the film that have been circulating. Let’s start by taking a look at the first teaser trailer, shall we?

Ready to find out what kind of magical hijinks the large ensemble is up to this time around? Well, you can find out exactly what we know so far about Now You See Me 2 by taking a look below.

SPOILERS AHEAD: The below article features spoilers for Now You See Me. If you want to have a look at Cinema Blend’s spoiler-free review for the original, have a click right here. For those of you that want to learn about Now You See Me 2, proceed ahead … you’ve been emphatically warned though.

The Director

Despite being originally approached, Now You See Me’s director Louis Leterrier decided not to return for the sequel. This left a bit of a vacuum in terms of the vison for Now You See Me 2, but it was eventually revealed that Jon M. Chu was hired to fill the void. While Chu’s resume admittedly includes the likes of Step Up 2: The Streets, Step Up 3D, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Justin Beiber’s Believe, and the critically mauled Jem And The Holograms, the fact that he oversaw the relentless-yet-nonsensical, G.I. Joe: Retaliation means that he’s already had experience on a thinly plotted but still nevertheless entertaining mainstream flick. It will be a tough ask for Jon M. Chu to emulate the efforts of Louis Leterrier, though, as the French director’s speedy direction immediately moved Now You See Me on before you could consider the plot holes and editing that made the tricks possible. Ultimately, the idiotic conclusion to Now You See Me was one step too far for the film to cover-up. Let’s just hope that its story is a little tighter this time round.

The Story

The current plot details for Now You See Me 2 have confirmed that it will be set one year after the original, while the addition of Arthur Tressler’s (Michael Caine) son, Walter (Daniel Radcliffe), will almost certainly cause the Four Horseman a whole host of problems. This is especially true since it’s already been confirmed that Walter is on a mission to bring The Four Horseman to justice because their antics led to his father losing millions and being imprisoned. The trailer also teased that the sequel will be set in various exotic locations – including London and Las Vegas – and will include the same kind of magical set-pieces that the made the original so enjoyable. If there’s any actual justice in the world, then we’ll also learn more details about Mark Ruffalo’s Dylan Rhodes, as his reveal as the secret member of the Four Horseman was one of the main reasons why Now You See Me deflated. The first trailer for Now You See Me 2 even seemed to make a reference to its ending, suggesting that it was just the beginning, with Morgan Freeman’s Thaddeus Bradley declaring, "First act just a set-up for even bigger reveal."

Dylan Rhodes

Played by the always magnificent, and recent recipient of his third Oscar nomination Mark Ruffalo, Dylan Rhodes’ headstrong pursuit of the Four Horseman drove the plot of the original Now You See Me forward, as he followed the group from city to city seemingly trying to figure them out so that he could arrest them. Of course, we believed that until it was revealed that Rhodes had been working in cahoots with the Four Horseman all along, and that he’d created this entire masterplan to punish Morgan Freeman’s Thaddeus Bradley because his antics had led to the death of his father, Lionel Shrike, decades ago. Dylan Rhodes then introduced the horseman to the Eye, before it was revealed that he was their secret benefactor. It was far-stretched and silly, but Now You See Me had done just enough to warrant such an ending. The sequel now has the responsibility of making Dylan Rhodes a well-rounded character other than the implausible mirage that the original ultimately turned him into. But, since Mark Ruffalo is playing him, there’s every chance that the stunning thespian will be able to do just that and surprise us in even bigger ways than the first film.

J. Daniel Atlas

With Mark Ruffalo’s Dylan Rhodes now revealed as the brains behind the entire operation, does this mean that Jesse Eisenberg’s J. Daniel Atlas’ prominence as leader of the group will deteriorate? Does it even matter? Not really. A part of the success of the original was the patter and, mostly, equal billing of Eisenberg and his three fellow Horsemen. Eisenberg was given the nickname of The Lover, after the sixth Tarot card, and was publicly seen as the leader of the Four Horseman - something that only stoked the arrogance of the already arrogant illusionist and street magician. With Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice due out around two-and-a-half months before Now You See Me 2, you can expect Jesse Eisenberg’s status to get a hefty bump just ahead of the follow-up - which will probably mean that his face (and short hair-do) will be plastered all over the promotional material in the weeks leading up to release. Plus, the trailer made sure to have him front and center as it showed the new Lex Luthor causing mayhem with falling rain before disappearing into a puddle. David Blaine eat your heart out. %NEXT_PAGE%

Jack Wilder

Alongside the returning Jesse Eisenberg will be Dave Franco’s Jack Wilder, a.k.a. Death, who in the original had the rather traumatic job of faking his own death in a high-speed car crash across a Manhattan bridge. It was revealed in the chaotic conclusion that Jack was still alive and well, and he even still had possession of his Tarot card, which, naturally, was for Death. Dave Franco’s cheeky, nervous charm was a key component in the dynamic of the Four Horsemen, and his return is integral to making the transition from the original into the sequel as smooth as possible. Just don’t trust any scene that shows him dying in Now You See Me 2. %NEXT_PAGE%

Merritt McKinney

Woody Harrelson wouldn’t just let Dave Franco and Jesse Eisenberg return for Now You See Me 2 without him. The most experienced member of the Four Horsemen, Harrelson’s Merritt McKinney was named after The Hermit tarot card. He is a self-proclaimed psychic, as well as a mentalist and hypnotist. He was also rather famous in his youth too. Unfortunately, his treacherous brother ran away with all of his money, which left him with a long hard trek back to professional glory - something that he achieved with the Four Horseman throughout the original. And while the first trailer for Now You See Me 2 didn’t really show too much of Merritt, we can expect Woody Harrelson to provide a mixture of sturdy comic relief and dramatic weight throughout. After all, he is Woody Harrelson, and the reality is that the guy is great in everything he does. %NEXT_PAGE%

Lula

One of the main changes to Now You See Me 2 is that Isla Fisher’s Henley Reeves/The High Priestess won’t be returning as a member of the posse. Instead, Lizzy Caplan’s Lula has filled the female shaped hole in the Four Horseman. The trailer showed Lizzy Caplan appearing onstage alongside Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson, and there is even a shot of her as she confidently strolls through Las Vegas as part of the notable quartet. In fact, we even got a tease of her magic abilities, as she shook dozens of birds out of her jacket. Of course, she also displayed the dry wit that has been a trademark of Lizzy Caplan’s throughout most of her career. The actress is just about as good a replacement for Isla Fisher for which the sequel could have hoped. Those of you disappointed that the Australian dropped out can blame both her pregnancy and the fact that she almost died shooting the original Now You See Me. %NEXT_PAGE%

Thaddeus Bradley

Obviously, the inclusion of Morgan Freeman in any film is encouraged, but it will be especially interesting to see Freeman’s Thaddeus Bradley in Now You See Me 2, as the ex-magician, who had no problem profiting by selling the secrets behind other magicians’ tricks for 30 years, will be on the hunt for vengeance. The end of Now You See Me saw Dylan Rhodes revealing to Thaddeus that he was the mastermind behind the Four Horsemen, and that he’d framed Thaddeus as the supposed Fifth Horseman. The trailer has also proven that Freeman’s Thaddeus Bradley will still be involved, while it also appears as though he’ll be pulling the strings from prison. We have a pretty good idea of who he’ll be working with on this mission too … %NEXT_PAGE%

Arthur Tressler

Like Morgan Freeman’s Thaddeus Bradley, Michael Caine’s Arthur Tressler found himself being scuppered by the Four Horseman over the course of Now You See Me, ultimately taken for a good bit of cash. Originally the foursome’s sponsor and financier, the insurance magnate was later the victim of one of their tricks when they robbed millions from his bank account, and then showered it upon one of their crowds… which just so happened to be filled with victims of Hurricane Katrina that had been denied insurance claims by Tressler’s company. Obviously, Tressler wasn’t too happy with this, and the trailer proves that, probably with the help of Thaddeus, he’s seeking vengeance. This fury has even extended to his immediate family. This especially extends to Arthur Tressler’s son, who is a new and much welcomed face to Now You See Me 2’s impressive ensemble. %NEXT_PAGE%

Walter Tressler

While Daniel Radcliffe playing Michael Caine’s son is already immediately recognizable as a perfect casting choice, the fact that he’s apparently playing an inept magician just makes his appearance umpteen times better. The trailer showed Radcliffe’s Walter Tressler failing at his own sleight of hand, before then apparently welcoming the Four Horsemen to his rather lavish Las Vegas hotel suite. Due to the fact that the clip was only a minute long we still don’t know anything at all about his plan, but the fact that he’s playing the son of one of Now You See Me’s victims suggests that he’ll be hell bent on avenging his father. While, hopefully, the follow-up will sneak as many Harry Potter references as they can in there too. Otherwise, casting Daniel Radcliffe will just have been a huge waste. Why cast The Boy Who Lived in a movie about magic and not at least make some kind of reference to his time as a kid wizard? I’m going to wager guess that Daniel Racliffe’s Walter Tressler won’t just around for the one film, either. Now You See Me 3 has already been pre-emptively green-lit, and much like many other names in the cast, his is one that the producers will want to keep around. %NEXT_PAGE%

Natalie Austin

Another new addition to the Now You See Me 2 team is Sanaa Lathan (The Perfect Guy, The Best Man). The actress has been brought on to play the brand new government-employed authority figure – specifically FBI agent Natalie Austin). No doubt, Lathan will be on the hunt to try and snare the Four Horsemen as they conduct their magical escapades and various Robin Hood-esque illegal activities, while she’ll also probably be more than aware of the murky past of her predecessor, Dylan Rhodes. It’s hard to see Now You See Me 2 following the path of the original by revealing Austin to be the sixth member of the Horseman team, so we can expect her to be driven and honest in her pursuit of capturing the magical ensemble.

Sir Michael Caine is one of the most respected actors in Hollywood, so when he speaks, people tend to listen. The man has lost more Oscars than most actors have ever been nominated for, so his opinion about the recent Oscar nomination controversy holds weight. While Caine admits that there was, at least, one Oscar-worthy performance from a black actor this year, he doesn’t see the lack of nominations as a major issue.

Michael Caine was being interview by the BBC when he was asked about his thoughts on the controversy. His initial comments are very simple. You vote for the best performances. Period. End of story.

To be fair to those who are upset about the nominations, nobody is arguing that people who were not very good should be nominated. A number of black filmmakers did solid work this year. Whether it’s Ryan Coogler’s direction of Creed or Will Smith in Concussion, there were a number of nominations that nobody would have questioned had they occurred.

What’s truly clear in Caine’s comments, is that while he thinks there are some great black actors who might have deserved nominations, he doesn’t believe that there was anything behind the lack of nominations. Caine points out that he himself won a Best Actor award at the European Film Awards at the end of 2015 for his movie Youth, but has received no other major nominations, much less wins. He takes it in stride as just one of things that happens with awards.

There was, at least, one nominations of a black actor that Michael Caine would have liked to have seen. He comments in the interview that he thought Idris Elba was "wonderful" in Beasts of No Nation, and deserved a nomination. Although, Caine has to ask the interviewer if Elba received a nomination because he doesn’t actually know what all the nominations are. That's awesome.

The reason he doesn’t really know is apparently because he doesn’t really care. He actually makes a joke that the upside of not being nominated is that you don’t have to waste your time going to the ceremony, which for him is quite a trip. It's especially nice this year when Michael Caine just expects he would end up clapping for Leonardo DiCaprio, anyway. Don't we all assume that?

Michael Caine certainly won't put an end to the controversy with his own words. Do you agree with Caine that the lack of diversity was just the random chance of the nomination process?

Records were made to be broken and it is no secret that Hollywood, especially, loves to break them at the box office. Personally, I would consider being one of the highest-grossing actors of all time to be a greater honor than the highest-grossing movie – a record still currently held by 2015’s revival of the Star Wars franchise, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, according to Box Office Mojo. After all, a feature film does not have the capacity for feelings and I imagine an actor would take great pride in knowing audiences love to see their face on the big screen.

According to The Numbers, the leader of the pack right now is Samuel L. Jackson, which is not hard to believe, considering the Academy Award nominee has been in Star Wars movies, is a staple of the best Marvel movies, and has plenty more accolades on his extensive filmography. However, which movies specifically have assured him this honor and who else can say that their movies have raked in a gargantuan amount of dough throughout their careers? We will answer those questions in our following breakdown of who are the 10 highest-grossing actors of all time, specifically counting movies in which the person appears in a major role and taking their domestic grossing into account.

10. Harrison Ford

This spot was previously occupied by former Captain America actor Chris Evans, until Harrison Ford came back to play one of his most iconic characters (out of many) a fifth time in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which would surpass its reported budget in worldwide grosses in 2023. However, what earned the Academy Award nominee the top spot on this list at one time was his tenure as heroic Star Wars outlaw, Han Solo, which could have ended with Return of the Jedi had Ford's wish to kill him off been granted then. Now that he has been been added to the MCU as the new Thunderbolt Ross, we expect that the acting veteran will only continue rise in box office glory.

Highest Grossing Movie: Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

9. Chris Hemsworth

Fitting how it took playing a god for a man with godly attributes to become a box office god. After making a financially successful debut with a small role in 2009’s Star Trek, Australian actor Chris Hemsworth just needed a blonde wig to resemble Marvel Comics’ depiction of Thor as if ripped straight from the page and implanted into the MCU, leading to an enduring career as an action star.

Highest Grossing Movie: Avengers: Endgame.

8. Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper is one of the many actors whose biggest financial successes are the Marvel movies (in which he voices Guardians of the Galaxy’s Rocket Raccoon), but that is not necessarily the role he is best known for. Leading the surprisingly successful R-rated comedy, 2009’s The Hangover, skyrocketed him to the A-list and helped him make box office hits out of films that earned him Academy Award nominations, such as 2014’s American Sniper and his directorial debut, A Star is Born, from 2018.

Highest Grossing Movie: Avengers: Endgame.

7. Tom Cruise

The story of Tom Cruise is one of redemption, only he had the added benefit of having already been a sensation before his career hit a rough patch in the mid 2000s. However, the daredevil star of popular action thrillers like the ongoing Mission: Impossible franchise, especially, would go on to be credited as a savior of the box office with the release of his most successful film to date, 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick – the sequel to one of his previous hits from the mid-1980s.

Highest Grossing Movie: Top Gun: Maverick

6. Zoe Saldaña

Only a handful of actors can claim to be a part of four of the most popular cinematic franchises in history, such as Zoe Saldaña. The Geek Goddess had a small, but memorable, role in 2003’s Pirates of Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, joined J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot as Uhura, was cast as Neytiri in James Cameron’s Avatar (whom she would reprise in 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water), and has starred in several Marvel movies as cosmic outlaw-turned-hero, Gamora.

Highest Grossing Movie: Avengers: Endgame.

5. Tom Hanks

The everyman actor, Academy Award winner Tom Hanks began his career in offbeat comedies during the 1980s but eventually proved his immense dramatic chops in other great films like Philadelphia and Forrest Gump. It’s his ability to convey pathos and tragedy whilst remaining endlessly lovable that has allowed him to remain one of America’s most beloved actors for the last three decades. I mean, the man can carry an entire movie while talking only to a volleyball. That is acting.

Highest Grossing Movie: Toy Story 4

4. Scarlett Johansson

While she had never made a movie that surpassed $100 million domestically before she was cast as Natasha “Black Widow” Romanoff in Iron Man 2 in 2020, Scarlett Johansson at least had the advantage being one of the most acclaimed and sought after actors of her generation in the years leading up to landing that iconic role. She also voiced the slithery Kaa in Disney’s live action remake of The Jungle Book and Ash in Sing and its sequel – accumulating into one of the most successful careers in cinematic history, and not just counting box office returns.

Highest Grossing Movie: Avengers: Endgame.

3. Chris Pratt

Zoe Saldaña’s Guardians of the Galaxy co-star, Chris Pratt, is a celebrity of humble beginnings – having previously been best known for his role in the Parks and Recreation cast as Andy Dwyer. Now, much like Saldaña, he is a key factor in multiple hit movie franchises, which also include the Jurassic World movies (a continuation of Jurassic Park), The LEGO Movie and its sequel, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, for which he voiced the role of Mario in 2023.

Highest Grossing Movie: Avengers: Endgame.

2. Robert Downey Jr.

This is probably the greatest tale of redemption on this list. Bouncing back from years of addiction and criminal activity, Robert Downey Jr. funneled equal amounts of charisma and real-life tragedy into his portrayal of Iron Man, which ended up making him a household name. The actor’s work outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has cemented the fact that he has an inherent gift for his craft, but it’s the role as genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist Tony Stark that has made him a box office sensation as well as one of the highest paid actors in the world.

Highest Grossing Movie: Avengers: Endgame.

1. Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson has been active in Hollywood ever since 1972, but it wasn’t until his role as Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction cast that he became THE Samuel L. Jackson. He has made a career out of being endlessly prolific in his work, which has allowed him to involve himself in many great movies and numerous franchises, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars – usually as the chief badass among whatever ensemble he is working with. His absurdly colossal filmography has served him well as the reigning box office champ.

Highest Grossing Movie: Avengers: Endgame.

It’s interesting how the majority of actors on our list can call Avengers: Endgame their highest-grossing film. Of course, when you consider the fact that said 2019 hit is the biggest money-maker in the MCU, and how said franchise is the most financially successful in cinematic history, it is not much of a stretch.

While Jeremy Irons is taking over as Alfred Pennyworth next year in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Michael Caine’s version of the character from the Dark Knight trilogy is still fresh in our minds. Arguably the most important person in Bruce Wayne’s life, Caine’s Alfred had a lot more to do in this film series, both in the Batcave and out of it. Caine has since worked with director Christopher Nolan on five other movies, including Inception and Interstellar, but when it came to his Batman Begins audition, it was a weird process.

At the time, Caine and his wife were living at their country place in England, and Nolan happened to be living near there. As Caine told THR, one Sunday morning, the director knocked on their door with the Batman Begins script in hand. Introducing himself, the Nolan told Caine that he wanted him to be in the movie. Caine correctly assumed he would play “the butler,” but as he read the screenplay, he saw that this Alfred was really the “foster father” in the reboot. Caine asked Nolan if he could leave the screenplay, which led to this reply:

While the superhero movie craze hadn’t quite yet reached pop culture phenomena-status when Batman Begins was released, it was still being worked on at a time when movies like X-Men and Spider-Man were enjoying enormous success. So keeping the plot elements a secret is understandable, but the fact that he hung around Caine’s house just to make sure any details weren’t leaked out was a bit extreme. Fortunately for Nolan, Caine liked what he read and took the role, giving this series not just a unique Alfred, but also kicking off Caine and Nolan’s regular collaborations.

Following in the footsteps of Michael Gough from the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher Batman movies, Batman Begins’ Alfred continued to perform his butler duties in this new continuity, but was also a father figure to Bruce Wayne following the young billionaire’s parents being gunned down. Despite his reservations about Bruce striking terror into the hearts of criminals while dressed like a bat, Alfred went along with this mission until The Dark Knight Rises, when he left after Bruce willingly putting himself in danger to face Bane. However, Mr. Pennyworth finally saw his “son” (for all intents and purposes) move on with his life when he spotted him with Selina Kyle at a cafe in Florence.

With the Dark Knight trilogy concluded and the DCEU moving forward, Caine’s Alfred is just a memory now, but at least we can always pop in one of the three movies to see his performance again and again. The actor dealing with Nolan’s secrecy, on the other hand, isn’t something that will go away anytime soon.

Two years ago, Now You See Me was a surprise box office hit. During a summer season that is usually dominated by special effects blockbusters, the effects -- and budget -- of Now You See Me were tame by comparison. The movie had a great cast of solid actors, but was without the big names that usually draw people to the theaters. Somehow the film pulled off a magic trick of its own, turning its $75 million budget into over $350 million at the box office. Those sorts of numbers virtually guarantee a sequel, and now we have our first look at the next caper of The Four Horseman.

At not even a full minute long, the teaser gives us next to no info about what the new film is actually about. The Four Horseman will pull off some sort of caper. We really could have guessed that much, even if we hadn’t already known it going in. Still, much like a great illusionist, the trailer gives us plenty to see to distract us from the lack of substance. A nice Morgan Freeman narration to give you a sense of safety and security. Your traditional magician beats, like magically appearing doves and card tricks also make an appearance. All of this builds to what is meant to be the trailer’s big reveal. Daniel Radcliffe joining the film looking about as far from Harry Potter as it is possible to be.

In addition to Freeman, the rest of the cast of the original film will be back as well. Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Dave Franco are all back as the Horsemen. Mark Ruffalo and Michael Caine are also back for more. This likely won’t be the last time we see them all together, either. Lionsgate has already started work on the third movie, so unless this one bombs something fierce, expect to be back here again in a couple of years.

Setting up Daniel Radcliffe as a Vegas magician who can’t so much as a catch a card is actually one of the funnier inside jokes we’ve seen in awhile. How much of that is integral to the plot, or if we’ve now seen the beginning and end of the bit in the trailer, is not clear. It’s probably not a joke that can carry the film, but seeing Radcliffe in a role that both includes magic, but turns it on its head for him, has to be a strange combination of simultaneously breaking and embracing typecasting.

If you had a good time with the first film, this one looks to bring more of the same. Now You See Me 2 will be out next summer.

"Do you know what it’s like to live forever?" With that tantalizing inquiry, Vin Diesel introduces us to his latest character, the immortal Kaulder. Though audiences later this year will get to know him as The Last Witch Hunter.

This is the first official trailer for Breck Eisner’s The Last Witch Hunter, which Lionsgate dropped on its YouTube page. It features a bit of exposition by the iconic Michael Caine, which means Michael Caine is in a Vin Diesel movie. What, you need MORE reasons than that to go see this? For shame.

OK, here’s what else we know. Kaulder’s immortality has made him the greatest soldier in a centuries-spanning war between humanity and the underworld. The Witch Hunter is ready to embark on a new journey, and he’s bringing a new trainer along for the ride, this one played by Elijah Wood. The quick snippet included in this first trailer suggests that the two could have great comedic chemistry in the face of some bizarre, dangerous supernatural aspects, and I’m really hoping that we get to see more of that dup in the final Witch Hunter film.

That being said, the second half of the trailer really does pick up speed and get interesting when Diesel enters a dream-driven landscape. If he dies in there, we are told, he will die in "real" life. (So much for that immortality, Vin.) And it’s in that phase where the emotional core of the movie – Kaulder’s relationship with his late wife and child – threaten to prevent the Last Witch Hunter from completing his mission. And that would be very bad for planet Earth.

Vin Diesel hasn’t had as much luck outside of the Fast & Furious franchise in developing new characters. While he was able to make two additional Riddick movies after Pitch Black, the movies haven’t exactly been massive hits. The Last Witch Hunter suggests that Diesel might have life outside of the muscles cars of the Fast world. Heck, he’s already talking up a planned sequel to this film!

But first, The Last Witch Hunter has to find an audience. The movie co-stars Wood, Caine, Rosie Leslie and Rena Owen, and is directed by Breck Eisner (Sahara, The Crazies). It will open in theaters on October 23. Do you think you will check it out?

Yes, even Kingsman: The Secret Service, one of the most surprisingly entertaining movies of the past year, is not without its faults. And that’s the job of this new video, to dissect the film and pinpoint everything that didn’t make sense, was just plain silly, or was too close of a Fifty Shades reference. Without further adieu, here’s everything wrong with Kingsman in under 11 minutes. Be warned of SPOILERS from the film.

This video from CinemaSins points out all the flaws a missteps. We ignored all of these grievances at the time because the film was straight-up fun to watch. A movie about a group of British teens vying for a spot on a super suave team of secret agents could’ve been a drag, but Matthew Vaughn delivered an action film that was unique and inappropriately, hilariously funny.

Taron Egerton played Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, a street kid with a troubled home life, as depicted through the cliches of his widowed mom looking for solace in the arms of trashy men and his wailing baby sister left to sob in the crib. He soon meets a man named Harry Hart (Colin Firth), who sees potential in him. Hart needs to find a new recruit to become a Kingsman, a member of an elite, secret society of agents who wield tricked out umbrellas and look classy as hell drinking whiskey in their holographic meetings. The film also stars Samuel L. Jackson as the villain, Valentine, Michael Caine as fellow Kingsman, Arthur, Mark Strong as Merlin, Mark Hamill as Professor Arnold, and Sofia Boutella as the blade-for-feet baddie Gazelle. 

According to CinemaSins, the biggest problem with the film is how it recycles old material. There are far too many references and similarities to Men in Black for their comfort, like when Merlin says, "this is mine," when Eggsy reaches for his gun. "Can we all just admit that the screenwriter started with a literal copy of the Men in Black screenplay?" the narrator asks, pointing to how the basic premise is the same: a team of new recruits, one succeeds through his ingenuity while the others succeed through the traditional methods, multiple new recruits competing for one spot, etc. Then there’s a reference later on in the film where a jet rises up from the Kingsmen mansion, harking back to Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class. 

Perhaps the biggest sin of all, which may or may not have been intentional, is the giant panda art hanging on the wall in Valentine’s office. As CinemaSins points out that they would’ve let this one slip by pre-Fifty Shades of Grey, but now all that comes to mind is the black-and-white panda art hanging in Christian’s office building. 

Vin Diesel has had a pretty good 2015, with Furious 7 taking the highest opening weekend in April, as well as a solid $1.4 billion at the box office – so far. Of course, considering his reputation for keeping busy for his fans, his attention has turned towards his other film project due for release this year - The Last Witch Hunter. Check out the new clip he dropped earlier today.

With the aid of his official Facebook page, Diesel showed audiences a closer, if not extremely short, look at his character, Kaulder. While the previously released trailer showed us the more modern world that Kaulder fights evil in, this new clip entitled "Axe And Cross" shows the character in a more medieval setting than we've seen previously. Not only that, it also features what's probably the most hair we've seen on Vin Diesel since Find Me Guilty. The new footage is not only short on running time, it's also short on any sort of story details that might flesh out Kaulder's dramatic arc beyond the standard beats present. That's not to say there isn't any new material worth mining, it's just that there could be more at this stage in promotion.

What The Last Witch Hunter does show its audience in this new look is the reason Vin Diesel seems pumped to advertise his involvement. Much like the Riddick movies before it, The Last Witch Hunter seems like a cross breed between a slick supernatural thrill ride in the vein of Underworld with the epic quest of justice in the style of Conan The Barbarian. Judging by the flashes of his life we're seeing in the video above, it's probably a safe bet that Kaulder's family is somehow going to be taken from him by the likes of witches, spurring a centuries long quest for revenge into motion. In other words, this is the history that Michael Caine's priest character was reading up on according to the last trailer.

The Last Witch Hunter certainly isn't Shakespeare, and it's definitely not Furious 7, for that matter. However, what we've seen from the film so far suggests that it'll be a fun, if not forgettable, time at the movies this October. With Victor Frankenstein and Crimson Peak both competing for horror fans' money only weeks before Vin Diesel's next turn at bat; The Last Witch Hunter looks like it's going to have a lot of competition this fall. Still, a competition with Diesel in a year where he's on the top of the year's box office could spell some spectacular numbers come October's box office. Whether Kaulder comes out on top or not is up to the audiences who believe in him.

The Last Witch Hunter hits theaters on October 23.

Action spy thriller, Kingsman: The Secret Service may very well have proven itself as having one of the more interesting box-office stories in a month overshadowed by Fifty Shades of Grey. The Bond-inspired bonanza of butchery has held rather steadily in its second week, generated some positive word of mouth and looks on track for at least $100 million in its domestic take. However, it seems that moviegoers missed out on a rather noteworthy flashback scene which utilized extensive digital effects technology to make the iconic Michael Caine look younger. Thankfully, the animation studio that worked on the film has just released some images of the scene that could have been.

The images (which no longer are online) come from London-based animation studio, Jellyfish Pictures, who provided the digital effects for much of the high-paced, stylized ultraviolence on display in Kingsman. We’ve seen this kind of digital de-aging done plenty of times in film. However, the advances in technology since, for example, when we saw "Young T-800 Arnold Schwarzenegger" digitally reproduced in 2009’s Terminator Salvation are absolutely remarkable. The precision is freaky with little to no hint of artificial rendering, despite efforts from critical eyes to find those signs. It’s as if someone had jumped in a time machine and grabbed the early 1970’s Michael Caine from Get Carter and transported him to be in a 2015 movie.

Of course, what is the freakiest part of all of this? This spectacular sequence was CUT from the film! Yes, it seems that director, Matthew Vaughn made what had to be a difficult creative choice to leave this mind-blowing and likely expensively produced scene on the cutting room floor. According to Mark Millar, creator of the original Kingsman comic book and co-writer of the film script, this was a necessary sacrifice.

In the film, Caine plays the seemingly grandfatherly leader of the Kingsmen organization, Chester King, who holds the organization’s top dog title of "Arthur." However, as fate would have it, the typically sagely presence that Caine tends to bring to the big screen these days would come with a twist. The deleted flashback scene, reportedly set 40 years in the past, is clearly character-building and perhaps provides some important contextual background for the Kingsmen organization.

However, for a film as fast-paced and in-your-face like Kingsman, the idea of taking time to slow down to depict events that don’t have a direct impact on the immediate crisis at hand was probably disruptive to the flow of the film. Thus, Vaughn left it behind, cool as it would have been to see. Fortunately, the scene seems destined for the film’s eventual Blu-ray/DVD release.

Kingsman: The Secret Service can be seen, sans digital young Michael Caine, but packed with dirty jokes at theaters right now.

A Batman movie would not be complete without the loyal and tiresome efforts of our favorite Butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Portrayed slightly differently in every film he’s appeared in, Alfred often serves as an important guide and voice of reason to his employer, Bruce Wayne. And the upcoming Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is set to include the character once again, this time in a way we’ve never seen before.

The new Alfred will be played by notable English actor, Jeremy Irons. Though he could not discuss the character in length, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Irons teased his upcoming role in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice stating:

Irons admitted that his role will be small, so we are left wondering what exactly a "more hands-on" Alfred will entail, especially in relation to the last Alfred we came to know and love, played by Michael Caine. If I had to describe Caine’s portrayal of Alfred, the first phrase that would come to mind is hands-on. In each film of Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knight series, Alfred played a pivotal role. In Batman Begins he helped Bruce essentially create Batman, helping him build the batcave, tools in hand. Alfred even saved Bruce while he was trapped in the flaming manor after the League of Shadows attacked. And that's only in the first film of the series.

Unless Irons portrayal of Alfred is going to include him fighting side-by-side with Batman, I’m not too sure what a more hands-on Alfred will look like. Even in the Tim Burton/Joel Schumacher Batman series, we played witness to a hands-on Alfred who helped Bruce in more ways than one. He even introduces his niece Barbara, who ends up becoming Batgirl.

The typical Alfred has been known to mind his space from Batman, offer assistance at the manor, thoughtful advice and patch up Bruce when needed. There’s been somewhat of a disconnect between Bruce when masked as Batman and Alfred, in comparison to the Alfred and Bruce relationship. It makes sense, Alfred is there to support his employer, and much more than that, look after him after the death of his parents. He plays a paternal role in Bruce’s life. So distancing himself from the actual fight has always been a key part of Alfred’s survival to maintain that role. He works more as a support-system at home, then out on the field.

So if this Alfred, in Batman V Superman is destined to be more hands-on than the previous Alfred’s we’ve grown accustomed to, we might see the old man using one of Batman’s gadgets on a villain or supplying some necessary backup. Because there are already so many characters lined up for the upcoming film, there won’t be a lot of Alfred on screen. But it’ll be exciting to see what this new and improved, hands-on Alfred has to offer. Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is scheduled to hit theaters March 25, 2016.