As terrible as it was for Stephen Colbert and all others involved when CBS canceled The Late Show last year, that much-maligned decision has certainly led to some late night highlights and lowlights that might not have happened otherwise. One such positive outcome was the recent reunion for the former Strike Force Five quintet of Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver and Jimmy Fallon. The podcast conversation was filled with fun stories and anecdotes from each host, but the bulk of the focus was on the outgoing Late Show frontman.

In the midst of all the jibber-jabber, Jimmy Kimmel asked Stephen Colbert if there was a ever a guest whose attractiveness was distinct enough to become a distraction, and the Strangers with Candy vet had an answer locked and loaded.

Of all the guests that have sat across from Colbert’s various desks over the past 21 years (including both The Late Show and The Colbert Report), Dawson’s Creek and Fabelmans star Michelle Williams is the Hollywood starlet who turned the normally loquacious wordsmith speechless. He continued:

This makes me think talking to her about Dying for Sex’s sex scenes would be his anti-Kryptonite, and learning from the source that her oral sex skills have been strengthened due to working with intimacy coordinators. (The first season is streaming via Hulu subscription.)

Williams may hold that top honor, but Colbert shared that he had even stronger reactions in the past over Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz. As he put it:

The entire Strike Force Five conversation is a hoot to watch (stream it on YouTube), and I can only hope that this group is able to get together more often after The Late Show is over. Not that the other four won't still have their own late night jobs, but still. Hopes don't have to be logical.

The final Late Show with Stephen Colbert episode will air on CBS on Thursday, May 21, with Jimmy Kimmel taking the night off out of respect.

Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps have been through a lot together as besties since their start as supporting characters on Dawson’s Creek. Through the good, bad, funny and even odd, they’ve continued to stand through it all together. So, when the pals got together to chat about Williams’ project on the 2025 TV schedule, Dying For Sex, an infamous Oscar event they witnessed came up in conversation. And, surprisingly, Ben Affleck and a role of his are an essential element in their response to the La La Land and Moonlight mixup.

Philipps’ show, Busy This Week, kicked off its second season with Williams, and they covered plenty, including Dying for Sex, which is available with a Hulu subscription. However, they also talked about the infamous La La Land/Moonlight blunder, seeing as they were there because Williams was nominated for Manchester by the Sea that year.

Via QVC+’s YouTube, the Brokeback Mountain star revealed how her friend was positive Ben Affleck could save the moment due to his superhero status, stating:

All of this is just too good, and speaks to the viral photo of the audience’s pure confusion (which all three can be seen in). I love everything about it, but I’m not sure which is the best part. It’s a tie between the Freaks and Geeks alum’s thought process (as they mention in the clip), Ben Affleck looking back at his bestie, Matt Damon, and Williams’ impersonation of Philipps.

However, what really got me laughing was thinking about whether Affleck’s Batman could actually do anything to help save that moment back in 2017. My money is on he wouldn't be able to do much, because amidst all the confusion, the only thing that could really be done was call out the actual Best Picture winner, and that did eventually happen.

Maybe someday we’ll get a full rationale from the Girls5eva actress as to why her first thought was that Ben Affleck could save the day.

However, for now, I’m just so pleased to hear the BFFs reminisce about it. As mentioned, the pair has experienced a lot of life together, including the passing of the Brokeback Mountain star’s once partner, Heath Ledger (the two had Matilda Ledger together), Philipps’ almost bar fight in defense of Williams, and much more. So, anytime I can hear them chat about the stories they share, I'm excited.

Even though I do remember the Oscar snafu and all the confusion that followed, I may let Michelle Williams’ imitating Busy Philipps’ lol-worthy response eclipse everything else. However, I’ll also be thinking about how Ben Affleck’s Batman could’ve solved any of the switch-up mess.

Heath Ledger’s death hit fans hard, as well as all those who were lucky to know him. The beloved Hollywood star who never made it to 40 passed away in 2008 of an accidental prescription drug overdose. Michelle Williams and Dax Shepard made sure to share kind words about the Australian actor as they reflected on his legacy and death.

During Heath Ledger’s final days, the Dark Knight actor’s sleeping troubles led to him mixing sleeping pills with other prescription drugs. It was in his SoHo apartment that he took a lethal combination of drugs that led to his fatal overdose. However, the posthumous Oscar winner’s legacy isn’t shaped by his tragic end, but by his talent and goodness he brought out in those who knew him. On Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, the Parenthood actor spoke about how he knew Ledger when he was getting sober and what he thought of him:

I’m sure Heath Ledger was a special person to be around. Many other actors would agree with Dax Shepard’s kind words, like actor David Dastmalchian. His sweet memories of working with his Dark Knight co-star involved being a witness to the actor’s “kindness” and “gentleness of spirit.” Julia Stiles tributed her 10 Things I Hate About You co-star, saying he was “such a force” as he lit up a room. It's clear Ledger’s friendliness and taking command of a film set never went unnoticed.

Dax Shepard’s guest, Michelle Williams, was noticeably emotional when it came to talking about her ex-boyfriend. While starring in Brokeback Mountain, the two started dating in real life in 2004. Before their split in 2007, the duo had a daughter born in 2005 named Matilda. The Blue Valentine actress made sure to share her thoughts on the late actor and the genuine gift he left behind:

Back when Michelle Williams was thinking about Heath Ledger a decade after his death, she spoke about how heartbreaking it was that her daughter would grow up without a father. However, the Dawson’s Creek alum credited actor Jeremy Strong for stepping up for Matilda, who, along with Williams’ sister and another friend, moved in with the actress shortly after Ledger’s death. It was during that tragic time that the Succession actor had fun times interacting with the young toddler. As depressing as it was for everyone that Ledger couldn’t light up the room again, at least Matilda was still surrounded by love.

While Heath Ledger’s death will always be a tragedy, hearing Dax Shepard and Michelle Williams talk about how “special” he was proves that The Patriot actor truly left a real mark on everyone. With a piece of him left in his daughter, Matilda, his spirit will continue to live on through her.

Minor spoilers for FX’s Dying for Sex are ahead. If you want to watch the show in full, you can do so with a Hulu subscription.

The title Dying for Sex says it all. The series that just premiered on the 2025 TV schedule follows a woman named Molly after she is diagnosed with terminal cancer and decides to go on a journey of sexual discovery. As you likely deduced, the comedy is a sexually explicit Hulu project, and I asked Michelle Williams, who plays Molly, about filming the show's intimate and explicit scenes. In response, she told me why she was ready to “leap and then look” into this sex positive series.

During my interview with Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate (who plays Molly’s best friend and caretaker Nikki) about this new streaming show, I asked which sex scene was most intimidating to film. In response, The Fabelmans actress didn’t name a specific moment, but rather explained how she dove into the show and all these intimate scenes:

Along with being excited to work with these remarkable women, Williams also told me she was incredibly moved by the real Molly’s story. Dying for Sex was inspired by a podcast of the same name by Molly Kochan (who Williams plays) and her best friend Nikki Boyer.

The actress and EP told me she was “so drawn” to the source material, and knew she needed to be involved in its adaptation, saying:

Now, the number of sex scenes in this show could be seen as intimidating. From masturbating all day to going to a sex potluck to getting into the details of learning about dominating to spending a night with a man who likes to dress like a dog, Dying for Sex doesn’t shy away from anything.

Williams acknowledged that during our interview, noting that intimate and explicit moments “would show up” all the time:

However, due to the way the FX comedy approached these sequences, she was ready and willing to be part of them.

Along with complimenting how Dying for Sex used an intimacy coordinator in an earlier interview, Williams praised how sex is depicted on this series, telling me:

As someone who has seen the show in full, I completely agree with Williams' explanation. There is a “total absence of judgement” in Dying for Sex, and it celebrates all kinds of pleasure as well as sexual discovery.

Molly is at the center of that journey, which means the actress who plays her is in all of these scenes, and she performs them with care and heart. It was moving to hear her speak so openly and lovingly about a topic that can be seen as taboo, and it highlighted just how sex positive and thoughtful Dying for Sex is.

Today is the last day of March, which means that tomorrow is the beginning of a new month. With a new month comes the regular rotation of streaming content. A lot of TV shows and movies disappear from your favorite streaming platform, and new content arrives.

It's a week of devilish entertainment of all kinds. We have Daredevil on Disney+, Devil May Cry on Netflix, and Kevin Bacon going to work for devils on Prime Video. From both live-action and animated action adventure series to serious dramas, it’s a good week no matter which streaming services you subscribe to.

Daredevil Born Again, Episode 7 - April 1 (Disney+)

Deadpool: Born Again is heading toward its finale, at least for Season 1, so fans won’t want to miss the latest episode of the series. Quite possibly the most violent thing you can watch with a Disney+ subscription. It’s also one of the most exciting shows on the platform.

Devil May Cry - April 3 (Netflix)

The recent animated series based on the classic Castlevania video game franchise was one of the best reasons in recent years to keep your Netflix subscription. Now creator Adi Shankar is back with a new series based on a new game franchise. Devil May Cry will adapt the classic game of the same name and follow the frequently shirtless Dante and his battle against demons and monsters.

The Bondsman - April 3 (Prime Video )

If you were keeping your Prime Video subscription to watch Reacher and are trying to figure out what to do with it now, maybe give The Bondsman a try. Kevin Bacon stars as a man who dies but is sent back to Earth by Hell to chase down and capture escaped demons. It looks to have plenty of action but with a distinct horror twist.

Girl You Know It’s True - April 4 (Peacock)

One of the strangest cases in the history of the music business is that of Milli Vanilli. The music duo won a Grammy for Best New Artist before anybody learned that the two frontmen didn’t actually sing any of their songs. Girl You Know It’s True is exclusively available this week with a Peacock subscription. The film takes its name from one of their songs and tells a dramatized version of the story about how the fraud was perpetrated.

Dying For Sex - April 4 (Hulu)

A show that will almost certainly raise some eyebrows if it ends up getting promoted on Disney+ but only requires a Hulu subscription. Dying For Sex is a new comedy/drama that follows Michelle Williams as an immunocompromised woman who goes looking for physical intimacy that she’s been missing before she runs out of time. Jenny Slate and Rob Delaney co-star.

April is going to be a big month for streaming. From Andor and Doctor Who on Disney+ to Black Mirror on Netflix, and plenty more, there are a lot of good reasons to keep those subscriptions up to date.

Michelle Williams is about to burst onto the 2025 TV schedule in the FX series Dying for Sex, and as the title implies, there will be a lot of sex involved. So, now she’s opening up about her new series, filming sex scenes and working with an intimacy coordinator. She also revealed why these coordinators aren’t just there to make actors comfortable. There’s a lot more to the work they do.

For a bit of context, Dying for Sex is based on a podcast of the same name that tells the real-life story of a woman named Molly who was terminally ill and determined to have a major sexual awakening before she died. The show follows her through that, and it tracks her friendship with her best friend and caretaker, Nikki. As you’d imagine, to make a show like this, an intimacy coordinator was involved, as Williams, who plays Molly, explained to Vanity Fair:

This isn’t the first time the job of an intimacy coordinator has been described this way. For example, while explaining how these folks construct a steamy scene, Halina Reijn, the director of Babygirl, compared them to stuntmen. She explained that they both safely choreograph scenes and “teach you little tricks that actually are way less intimate to do” but look “more extreme” on screen.

Williams' point was similar. She praised how their coordinator taught them the scenes like a dance, and she also learned how to do things like give a fake blow job, as she said:

This all goes along with making sure consent is present, as Bridgerton’s coordinator once explained. It’s all about keeping everyone comfortable, but it’s also about figuring out how to effectively film intimate moments logistically.

Along with explaining all the work she did with her intimacy coordinator and why she thought it was “great,” Michelle Williams also weighed in on the debate about the necessity of them. In the past, Shailene Woodley said she didn’t enjoy working with intimacy coordinators. And Katherine Heigl didn’t love them at first, but has since changed her tune on them. Mikey Madison's comments about not using one for Anora also sparked some big discourse around the award season.

So, when asked about some actors being “more resistant to intimacy coordinators,” the Blue Valentine star said:

Overall, Michelle Williams found her time working with an intimacy coordinator “extremely worthwhile,” and it sounds like it really enhanced her experience on Dying for Sex.

Now, to see all this work in action, you can check out Dying for Sex with a Hulu subscription on April 4.

Some of the biggest and best actors have never won competitive acting Oscars. Some of those names might completely shock you as they have certainly put in the performances that make them worthy of winning the awards. There are a few on this list who have won honorary Oscars or won in other categories, like directing or acting, but none of these stars have been bestowed with the one they probably want the most. So here is our list of actors and actresses who have shockingly never won an Oscar for acting.

Glenn Close

At the top of the list of actors who have shockingly never won an Oscar has to be the great Glenn Close. For decades Close has been putting amazing performances on film, and yet that golden statue has eluded her. She has won multiple Tonys, Emmys, and Golden Globe awards, yet, despite an amazing eight nominations for either Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress, she's yet to win one.

Tom Cruise

There is no bigger "movie star" on the planet than Tom Cruise. While no one would realistically expect Cruise to be nominated for his action roles like in the Mission: Impossible movies (though, his stunt work in those movies should really be acknowledged), the Top Gun star has put in the work with Oscar-worthy performances in films like Rain Man, Jerry Maguire, Born on the Fourth of July, and Magnolia. He has been nominated four times, but he's yet to take home the prize.

Angela Bassett

In 1994 Angela Bassett lost out on the Best Actress Oscar for her incredible, transformative performance as Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do with It. Not to take anything away from the winner, Holly Hunter for The Piano, but it's frankly astonishing Bassett didn't win. Sadly, though she was honored in 2024 by the Academy, she still has yet to win a competitive Oscar.

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp has gotten a lot of bad press in recent years and that may hurt his future chances to win an Academy Award, but frankly, it's amazing he hasn't already won multiple Oscars, and yet he's never won even one. Despite three nominations and many other amazing performances, the Pirates Of The Caribbean star is still Oscar-less.

Sigourney Weaver

It's hard to believe that Sigourney Weaver hasn't even been nominated for an Oscar since the 1980s, when she was nominated thrice. In spite of wonderful performances in huge hits like Avatar and Aliens, she's still searching for that golden statue.

Bradley Cooper

Honestly, you can almost smell the desperation on Bradley Cooper to win an Oscar and that's completely understandable. Cooper is one of the best actors of his generation and has been nominated five times in an acting category (and another seven times in other categories), but hasn't won...yet. He'll surely get one.

Annette Bening

Five nominations and no wins. That's Annette Bening's resume at the Oscars and that is shocking. For decades she's been crushing it on screen and despite those nominations, most recently in 2023 for her incredible performance in Nyad, a win has eluded her.

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey may have burst on the scene in wild comedies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask - and we can argue that amazing comedic performances don't get nearly enough love from the Academy - but his more serious roles, like in Man on the Moon and even The Truman Show are certainly worthy of Oscars. Despite multiple Golden Globe nominations and wins, the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind actor has never even been nominated for an Oscar.

Amy Adams

When Amy Adams was first nominated for an Academy Award in 2005 for her breakthrough performance in Junebug, a betting person would have bet everything that she would win an Oscar in her career. Yet here we are more than 20 years later and despite five more nominations, Adams is still Oscar-less.

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson has played every kind of character and starred in every kind of movie. From mega-franchises like Star Wars and the MCU, to more indie films like Pulp Fiction and Do The Right Thing, Jackson has done it all in Hollywood, except win a competitive Oscar and he's shockingly only been nominated once. He was honored by the Academy in 2021 for his body of work.

Scarlett Johansson

In 2020 Scarlett Johansson was nominated in both the Bet Actress category for Marriage Story and Best Supporting Actress for Jojo Rabbit. She lost out in both that year and despite an incredible career, they remain her only nominations.

Laurence Fishburne

Literally, since his breakout movie role when he was only 16 in Apocalypse Now, Laurence Fishburne has been putting in award-worthy performances. One of the most astonishing facts on this list, Fishbourne has only been nominated once, for What's Love Got to Do with It in 1994. Despite roles like Furious Styles in Boyz n The Hood, Professor Phipps in Higher Learning, and countless others, he still hasn't won.

Hugh Jackman

While he's best known for his work as Wolverine these days, the multi-talented Hugh Jackman has a ton of performances that have deserved more attention from the Academy. He's won every other award on the planet, including three of the "EGOT" awards, but he's still missing the "O."

Michelle Williams

Michelle Williams has been nominated for an Academy Award five times, starting with her breakout role in 2005's Brokeback Mountain. She has yet to break through with a win though. Certainly, she will at some point, right?

Saoirse Ronan

Saoirse Ronan was just 13 years old when she landed her first Oscar nomination for her performance in Atonement. The Lady Bird star has been nominated three subsequent times but hasn't been able to nail down an award yet. A win for Ronan at some point seems inevitable, given how she crushes every role she's in.

Matt Damon

Another one of the biggest movie stars in the world who has yet to win an acting Oscar is Matt Damon. His most recent of three acting nominations was for 2015's The Martian, and while he has won an Oscar for Best Screenplay for Good Will Hunting, an acting award has eluded him.

Salma Hayek

Despite her transcending performance in Frida, the great Salma Hayek wasn't able to win an Oscar in a stacked category in 2003 (Nicole Kidman won for The Hours). Despite numerous great performances, that remains Hayak's only nomination. For shame.

Willem Dafoe

Despite being one of the most reliable actors in Hollywood for more than four decades, somehow Willem Dafoe has yet to win an Oscar. It seems like every single role he takes on is award-worthy, and yet, despite four nominations, starting with Platoon, he still has yet to take home an Academy Award.

Carey Mulligan

2009's An Education garnered Carey Mulligan her first Oscar nom, and she's since nominated another couple of times, for Promising Young Woman in 2021 and Maestro in 2024. She's run into some stiff competition, but surely at least one of those performances was Oscar-worthy.

Mark Ruffalo

Mark Ruffalo has been acting his butt off for decades. For that hard work, he's received four Best Supporting Actor nominations, and shockingly, not for his work in Dark Waters, which might be his best performance of all. It's confounding.

Michelle Pfeiffer

The great Michelle Pfeiffer landed her first Oscar nomination in 1988 for Dangerous Liaisons and picked up two more for The Fabulous Baker Boys in 1989 and Love Field in 1992. Since then? Nothing. Zip. She has not even received a nomination as one of the best actresses of her generation. That has to be remedied, as it makes no sense.

Ralph Fiennes

Between 1996 when he was nominated for The English Patient and 2025 when he was nominated for Conclave, the great Ralph Fiennes wasn't even nominated for an Oscar despite countless award-worthy performances.

Naomi Watts

With two nominations and zero wins, Naomi Watts finds herself on this list. She was first nominated in 2004 for 21 Grams and again in 2013 for The Impossible, but she hasn't lucked out with a win yet. Surely one is in her future though, she's too much of a force not to win one.

Ryan Gosling

Year after year Ryan Gosling has put up fantastic performances, so his inclusion on this list is among the most surprising. He seems like a shoo-in to have won at least one Oscar, right? In not for Barbie or Half Nelson, both of which he was nominated for, then certainly for La La Land. Alas, he's yet to take home a trophy.

Alfre Woodard

When Alfre Woodard was nominated for her first (and to-date only) Oscar nomination way back in 1983 for Cross Creek, you'd be crazy to predict she would not get another one for what is now more than 40 years. Despite amazing performances in films like 12 Years A Slave and many others, she has been shut out.

Warren Beatty

There was no bigger movie star than Warren Beatty in the late '70s and '80s and despite a slew of hits, Beatty has never won an Oscar. Beatty has been nominated four times for Best Actor, yet his only Academy Award win came for Best Director for Reds in 1982. He didn't even win for Dick Tracy! He wasn't actually nominated for that iconic role though, which is understandable.

Laura Linney

Over her long, impressive career, Laura Linney has been nominated for many awards. She's won multiple Emmys and multiple Golden Globes, but she's never taken home a golden statue from the Academy. Linney has been nominated three times, for 2000's You Can Count on Me, 2004's Kinsey, and 2007's The Savages, but lost out each time. Linney has never been in a movie that has won Best Picture, either.

Ed Harris

Ed Harris is one of the best character actors of the last 50 years and yet he's never won an Oscar. He's been nominated three times for Best Supporting Actor, for Apollo 13, The Truman Show, and The Hours, plus picking a nomination for Best Actor for Pollock, but alas, he's never won. Weirdly, he's also 0-3 on Emmy nominations too. He has picked up two Golden Globes though.

Joan Allen

Joan Allen is an actress flies a little under the radar despite putting in amazing performances in everything she is in. It might because she's been incredibly unlucky at winning awards, despite multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG nominations. That luck includes her Oscar nominations, of which she has three, for Nixon, The Crucible, and The Contender, but sadly no wins.

Richard Gere

Despite being box office gold since the early 1980s, Richard Gere has shockingly never been even nominated for an Oscar. He's been in beloved movies that have stood the test of time like Pretty Woman, An Officer And A Gentleman, Primal Fear, Runaway Bride and so many more, but no nominations. Crazy.

Isabelle Huppert

It might not be a huge surprise that a French actress like Isabelle Huppert hasn't won an Oscar, as obviously the winners are almost always from English-language films. Still, Huppert is one of the most decorated actresses of all time in her native France, having been nominated 16 times (and winning twice) for the César Award (France's version of the Academy Awards). She was nominated for an Oscar in 2016 for Elle but lost to Emma Stone (for La La Land).

Paul Dano

It almost seems pre-ordained that at some point Paul Dano will win an Oscar. In performance after performance, he just crushes it. From There Will Be Blood to Love & Mercy, the list of his amazing performances just keeps growing. Like others on this list, the fact that he hasn't even been nominated for an Oscar is mindboggling.

Halloween is considered one of the best horror movies of all time, and the slasher franchise has never been far from theaters. The 1998 sequel Halloween: H20 usually is put high on the Halloween movie ranking, and features outstanding young talent like Josh Hartnett and Michelle Williams, alongside scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis. And Curtis finally addressed a controversial photoshoot with Williams years later, saying "you've got to take a big swing."

H20 was Curtis' first big return to the Halloween franchise, decades after she starred as Laurie Strode in the first two films. There was a ton of hype around the project as a result, and a photoshoot with she and Michelle Williams was the subject of some controversy during the time of its release. JLC recently posted on Instagram sharing her memories of this time, as well as the images of the pair. The caption reads:

When Entertainment Weekly was still in print, it was known for having bold, artsy images for its cover. This helped to promote film and TV projects, and there are a number of truly iconic shoots that managed to pierce the pop culture landscape. Jamie Lee Curtis and Michelle Williams posing for Halloween: H20 just happens to be one of them.

While Jamie Lee Curtis admitted that H20 was about making money, it's still up their as one of my favorite Halloween movies, one I re-watch every October. In her same post, the Knives Out actress reflected on the controversy that her shoot with Williams inspired. In her words:

Despite this viral moment and the years that have passed, it sounds like JLC and Williams still have a strong friendship to this day. And whatever controversy surrounding the Dawson's Creek icon and her age at the time of the EW shoot eventually quieted down.

Halloween Ends marked Jamie Lee Curtis' final bow as Laurie Strode, although fans are still hoping she might return to the role in an upcoming horror movie. Smart money says the slasher franchise will be rebooted eventually, although there will be some big shoes to fill. In the meantime, check out the 2025 movie release dates.

Britney Spears released one of the biggest celebrity memoirs of 2023 with The Woman in Me, and her loyal fans devoured the pop star’s account of her infamous breakup with Justin Timberlake, her days on the Mickey Mouse Club and, of course, the 13 years she spent under the conservatorship of her father. In addition to The Woman in Me’s biggest revelations, readers heaped praise on the audiobook, which was narrated by five-time Oscar nominee Michelle Williams. It turns out Williams felt a “connection” to the material, according to Busy Philipps, who spoke about why Spears’ experience was relatable to her longtime BFF.

Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps have been best friends since the latter joined the cast of Dawson’s Creek in 2001. Both actresses came to fame around the same time as Britney Spears, in the late ‘90s and early aughts, and Philipps said having that shared experience made the opportunity to narrate The Woman in Me something Williams couldn’t pass up. The Mean Girls actress recalled being so excited when that job offer came in for Williams, saying in an interview on Watch What Happens Live: 

Not only was Michelle Williams apparently really excited to contribute to Britney Spears’ memoir, she seems to have also felt a sense of duty to support another woman who had grown up in front of the cameras — especially those of the paparazzi.

Britney Spears’ encounters with the paparazzi have been well-documented — especially the infamous 2007 incident in which she attacked a photographer’s car with an umbrella — but unfortunately she wasn’t alone in how she was treated. Busy Philipps also addressed what it was like to be a young female celebrity at the time in her own memoir, This Will Only Hurt a Little, and others like Kylie Jenner have detailed feeling “violated” by photographers.

Michelle Williams’ passion for the project comes through in her reading, as fans have praised the way she voiced not just the Crossroads star but also the people Britney Spears wrote about in the book, including Justin Timberlake and Mariah Carey. Busy Philipps sounded proud of what her friend did, telling Andy Cohen:  

The Woman in Me is available now on all formats, including the Michelle Williams-narrated audiobook, and if you want to see more of Busy Philipps, you can catch her in the Mean Girls musical, which hits the 2024 movie calendar on January 12. 

Have you ever caught a rerun of an older TV show and during the opening credits sequence, you spotted someone who made you say, “Hey, I know that person!”? This is actually a more common occurrence than you may realize, as there many A-list celebrities whose first IMDb credit (or one of the first) was a supporting role on a series long before they earned the honor of being a leading presence on the big (or small) screen. The following are some of our favorite examples of famous actors who appeared a bit further down the the line on the call sheet on a TV show when they were starting out.

Chris Pratt (Everwood)

Before Guardians of the Galaxy made him a leading man, Chris Pratt really began to gain traction from starring in the Parks and Recreation cast as Andy Dwyer. However, even earlier than that, he starred on a WB family drama called Everwood as high school joke Bright Abbott alongside fellow future MCU star Emily VanCamp, who played his sister, Amy.

Jennifer Lawrence (The Bill Engvall Show)

Before her Academy Award-nominated performance in 2010’s Winter’s Bone, her star-making role as Katniss in The Hunger Games and Oscar-winning turn in Silver Lining’s Playbook, Jennifer Lawrence was a sitcom star — specifically a cable network sitcom star. On The Bill Engvall Show, which lasted three seasons on TBS, she starred opposite the eponymous stand-up comedian as his on-screen alter ego’s teenage daughter, Lauren Pearson,

Austin Butler (Zoey 101)

The musical talents that earned Austin Butler the title role of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis can be traced back to his part on Ruby & the Rockits, which lasted 10 episodes on ABC Family (now Freeform) in 2009. However, the Oscar nominee’s first major TV role was on the final season of Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101 as James Garrett — a character missing from Paramount+’s feature-length follow-up, Zoey 102.

Margot Robbie (Pan Am)

While her earliest role was actually the long-running soap opera, Neighbours — much like many other Aussie A-listers — we thought we would highlight American audiences’ first true introduction to Margot Robbie on Pan Am. An interesting fact about Robbie is that the future Oscar nominee and DC movies star was actually roommates with co-star Christina Ricci while playing 1960s-era flight attendant Laura Cameron on the short-lived ABC drama from 2011 to 2012.

Seth Rogen (Freaks And Geeks)

While still part of the main ensemble, Seth Rogen’s role as the initially arrogant Ken Miller pretty much got the short end of the stick amongst the Freaks and Geeks cast, for the most part. Ironically, Rogen, arguably, went on to become the painfully short-lived coming-of-age dramedy’s biggest star, which is really saying something, given his co-stars include Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, and John Francis Daley.

Brie Larson (Raising Dad)

A notable moment in Academy Award winner Brie Larson’s evolution from child star to modern A-list actor was her role as the late Bob Saget’s youngest on-screen daughter on Raising Dad — a sitcom that ran for one season on The WB (now The CW) in the early 2000s. Following her success as the MCU’s Captain Marvel, Larson returned to TV in 2023 — reprising her Scott Pilgrim vs. the World role for Netflix’s animated series reboot, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, and leading the Lessons in Chemistry cast for Apple TV+.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Growing Pains)

While doing press for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt recalled how they both appeared on the hit ABC sitcom Growing Pains much earlier in their career. Of course, Pitt had a one-episode guest appearance while the Oscar-winning The Revenant star and Titanic cast member had a prominent role as Luke Brewer — a homeless teen taken in by the Seavers in Season 7. 

Ana De Armas (The Boarding School)

One of the films that earned Academy Award nominee Ana de Armas a spot on the A-list was Rian Johnson’s hit whodunit, Knives Out, from 2019. More than a decade earlier, the Cuban-born actor landed a role on a coming-of-age mystery TV show called El Internado (or The Boarding School), which originally aired in Spain from 2007 to 2010.

Michael B. Jordan (The Wire)

After getting his start as a Toys ‘R Us kid, the fascinating Michael B. Jordan made his official acting debut on an episode of The Sopranos, but later landed a more prominent role on another acclaimed, gritty HBO series in 2002. He appeared amongst The Wire cast as Wallace — an orphan whose tragic story had a profound impact on the Emmy-nominated series beyond his 13-episode stint.

Anne Hathaway (Get Real)

Anne Hathaway fans should know that before she broke into the mainstream by leading Disney’s The Princess Diaries cast, the Academy Award winner made her acting debut on a 1999 Fox TV show called Get Real as a high school senior who shocks her family with the decision to refuse college. Coincidentally, the short-lived dramedy was also the debut of Hathaway’s Rio co-star, Jesse Eisenberg, and was an early gig for NCIS' Eric Christian Olsen as well.

Denzel Washington (St. Elsewhere)

With two Oscars to his name, it’s hard to imagine a TV screen big enough to contain the talent of one Denzel Washington, yet it was a TV show that helped launched the young actor’s career in the early 1980s. Following his official debut in the 1977 TV movie Wilma, the future Training Day lead played Dr. Philip Chandler on NBC’s hit medical drama, St. Elsewhere.

Michelle Williams (Dawson's Creek)

For years, Michelle Williams was known best from the Dawson’s Creek cast as Jen Lindley. Now — after receiving multiple Academy Award nominations for acclaimed dramas like Manchester by the Sea and Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans — that role on the hit teen drama is, typically, among the last things mentioned in regards to her career.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock From The Sun)

As a child actor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt starred in some good movies and made a few notable TV guest appearances before landing his first successful series regular gig with 3rd Rock from the Sun. He played the eldest member of a group of extra-terrestrial visitors, and the character resembles a teenager in human form on the Emmy-winning sci-fi sitcom.

George Clooney (The Facts Of Life)

As a TV star, George Clooney is best known from his main role on the popular ‘90s show, ER, on which he played Doug Ross. Much earlier, however, the future two-time Oscar winner had a memorable recurring role on Diff’rent Strokes' (very different) spin-off, The Facts of Life, as George Burnett — a carpenter who would become close to the girls living under Mrs. Garrett’s roof.

Woody Harrelson (Cheers)

With multiple Academy Award nominations to his name, Woody Harrelson is known today as one of Hollywood’s most versatile movie stars, but his first big break came when he joined the Cheers cast in the mid-1980s. In fact, he won his first Emmy Award for playing the naive, but lovable, Woody Byrd, whom Sam (Ted Danson) hires on as a new barkeep following he death of Coach (Nicholas Colasanto).

Jason Bateman (Little House On The Prairie)

At least before he led Netflix’s Ozark cast, Jason Bateman has always best known on the small screen as a sitcom star, with his roles as David Hogan on Valerie (later changed to The Hogan Family) and Michael Bluth on Arrested Development being the famous examples. However, his very first gig was playing James Cooper Ingalls for 21 episodes of Little House on the Prairie during the early 1980s.

Don Cheadle (The Golden Palace)

An early Don Cheadle role you may have forgotten about was featured on a TV show spin-off you may not have heard of, either. The future Academy Award nominee and MCU actor starred alongside most of the Golden Girls cast on The Golden Palace as Roland Wilson — the young manager of the titular hotel where the short-lived sitcom took place. 

Jason Momoa (Baywatch)

Even long before he landed the role of Aquaman in the DC movies, Jason Momoa was no stranger to saving lives in the water. The Hawaiian-born actor made his debut in his home state when he joined the Baywatch cast as a character also named Jason from 1999 to 2001.

Marisa Tomei (A Different World)

We know her from her Academy Award-winning role in My Cousin Vinny as Mona Lisa Vito (who she'd love to revisit) or as Peter Parker’s (reinvented) Aunt May in the MCU, to name a few examples. Yet before many people knew who Marisa Tomei was, she was on the first season of The Cosby Show spin-off, A Different World, as Hillman student Maggie Lauten.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (The Get Down)

One interesting fact about Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: before he was an Emmy-winning DC TV show star (for playing Cal Abar on HBO’s Watchmen) and a scene-stealing DC movie villain (Black Manta in Aquaman), he worked as a San Francisco city planner until he was laid off in 2010. The role that first helped him make a name for himself as an actor was night club owner Clarene “Cadillac” Caldwell in Netflix’s musical period drama series, The Get Down, from co-creator Baz Luhrmann.

Alexandra Daddario (All My Children)

Speaking to Women’s Health in 2022, Alexandra Daddario recalls that she was fired from the long-running daytime soap opera, All My Children, which she actually found to be a liberating, educational experience. It led to seek improvement in her acting skills and pave the way for her to breakthrough in the Percy Jackson movies, give an Emmy-nominated performance as part of the HBO’s The White Lotus cast, and star in many other notable works.

Adam Driver (Girls)

Without Lena Dunham, there might not be a Kylo Ren — or at least, the memorable version of the Sith Lord we got in the hands Adam Driver. The former Marine’s scene-stealing role on HBO’s Girls as Adam Sackler is what got Hollywood to take notice of his talent, leading to his casting in the Star Wars movies and his Oscar-nominated performances in BlacKkKlansman and Marriage Story.

Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls)

Gilmore Girls proved to be a launch pad for many A-listers — few of which would blow up quite like Melissa McCarthy, who played Sookie St. James on the hit dramedy.  She later won an Emmy for her leading role on the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly and received an Academy Award nomination for her supporting role as a member of the Bridesmaids cast. And that film skyrocketed her to the A-list as a trusted name in comedy and more.

Drake (Degrassi: The Next Generation)

One of the most memorable and important characters from Degrassi: The Next Generation is Jimmy Brooks, who served as an inspirational representation for wheelchair users on the long-running Canadian coming-of-age drama. The role was played by an actor named Aubrey Graham, who still acts on occasion — an Anchorman 2 cameo, for instance — but primarily performs as a rapper under the moniker Drake.

Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men)

At just eight years old, Kiernan Shipka proved to be a stand-out alongside AMC’s Mad Men cast with her performance as Sally Draper. She later went on to lead her own TV show (Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and headline movies like Amazon Prime’s horror-comedy, Totally Killer and The Silence.

Ryan Reynolds (Fifteen)

Despite his many earnest roles over the years, it may be hard to picture Ryan Reynolds as anything other than the smarmy goof he plays in the likes of the Deadpool movies and National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, for instance. Perhaps watching him make his debut in the Canadian coming-of-age drama Fifteen will help audiences see another side of him.

Tommy Lee Jones (One Life To Live)

It is amazing to think about how many acclaimed and even legendary actors started out on soap operas, such as Tommy Lee Jones. One of the earliest roles for the Academy Award-winning star of The Fugitive and the Men in Black movies was the ill-fated Mark Toland on One Life to Live from 1971 to 1975.

John Travolta (Welcome Back, Kotter)

Before his Academy Award-nominated role in 1977’s Saturday Night Fever — and its fantastic movie soundtrack — made him one of the biggest stars of all time, John Travolta was better known by another name: Vinnie Barbarino. That was the future Pulp Fiction cast member’s character on Welcome Back, Kotter — a hit sitcom that never made it to 100 episodes. He practically stole the show from star and co-creator Gabe Kaplan with his famous catchphrase, “Up your nose with a rubber hose!”

Jennifer Love Hewitt (Kids Incorporated)

Her role as Sarah Reeves on the original Party of Five may have made Jennifer Love Hewitt a teen idol, but it was not her first major TV gig. The Ghost Whisperer star was 10 when she demonstrated her multiple talents on Disney Channel’s Kids Incorporated, which focuses on the lives of a group of young artists who perform live music at a club for children.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Fortysomething)

It was his eponymous role on the modern crime drama Sherlock that made Benedict Cumberbatch a nigh-unpronounceable household name, but his first starring role on a TV series was Fortysomething. The MCU’s Doctor Strange actor played the on-screen son of none other than House’s Hugh Laurie on the English dramedy that lasted six episodes.

Jared Leto (My So-Called Life)

In one of the best ‘90s shows that ended too soon, My So-Called Life, Jared Leto portrayed what would become his first iconic role: high school heartthrob Jordan Catalano. The much celebrated coming-of-age drama also marked one for the first times the future Academy Award winner acted alongside his sibling and Thirty Seconds to Mars bandmate, Shannon.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Passions)

Movie star Mary Elizabeth Winstead has more than a few very notable small-screen roles — such as a leading stint in Fargo Season 3 and Hera Syndulla alongside the Ahsoka cast for Disney+. The Scott Pilgrim vs. The World cast member’s earliest major TV gig, however, was on the supernatural soap opera Passions.

For any TV actors out there hoping one day to make it onto the big screen, let these stories serve as proof that your dreams may not be far away from becoming a reality.

Though Hollywood A-listers make more money for one movie that some of us will see in a lifetime, there are times where even some of the highest grossing actors of all time didn’t make as much as you'd think. Over the years, stars like Robert Downey Jr., Julia Roberts, and Brad Pitt have brought in massive paydays for acting and producing, but those same stars have also seen incredibly small paychecks for one reason or another.

If you’ve ever wanted to know about 33 actors who made way less than you’d think for a beloved movie, look no further…

Robert Downey Jr. Made $500,000 For Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. was the first major star of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and would be a staple of the Infinity Saga for more than a decade. During this time, he made a ton of money for his superhero performances. However, he only took home a comparatively small payday of $500,000 for 2008’s Iron Man, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Bill Murray Made $9,000 For Rushmore

Bill Murray is one of the most beloved actors of all time and a frequent collaborator of Wes Anderson’s ever since the release of Rushmore back in 1998. That fruitful partnership started out modestly for the SNL alum, as he was paid $9,000 for his take on Herman Blume, per Vulture.

Gal Gadot Made $300,000 For Wonder Woman

When Gal Gadot first signed on to portray Diana Prince in the DCEU back in 2014, Variety reported that the Fast & Furious star would take on a salary of $300,000 per movie, including Wonder Woman, which was released three years later.

Julia Roberts Made $300,000 For Pretty Woman

Though she had some success at the box office prior to its release, Julia Roberts turned into a massive star thanks to 1990’s Pretty Woman and one of the most well-known A-listers on the planet. However, Roberts, who would go on to earn a ton of cash for movies like Erin Brockovich years later, reportedly received a modest sum of $300,000 for her role in the all-time great romantic comedy, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Hilary Swank Made $3,000 For Boys Don’t Cry

Hilary Swank won her first Oscar and became one of the most talked about actresses thanks to her transformative portrayal of Brandon Teena in Kimberly Peirce’s Boys Don’t Cry. When appearing on Women’s Dinner Party years later, Swank revealed she was paid $3,000 for the role, which wasn’t enough to qualify for health insurance.

Tom Hanks Made $50,000 For Toy Story

Tom Hanks, who won two Academy Awards prior to the 1995 release of Toy Story, was reportedly paid $50,000 to provide the voice of Woody in the landmark Pixar film, according to the Los Angeles Times. In the same article, the publication reported that Hanks made $5 million upfront for its 1999 sequel.

Oprah Winfrey Made $35,000 For The Color Purple

Oprah Winfrey received an Oscar nomination for her performance in Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple back in 1985. The media mogul, who is worth billions today, later told Essence she was paid $35,000 for portrayal of Sofia.

Robin Williams Made $75,000 For Aladdin

Aladdin will forever be remembered as one of the best Robin Williams movies, and rightfully so. And while the late actor provided countless hours of incredible lines for his co-starring performance, he only made $75,000 for his troubles, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Jamie Lee Curtis Made $8,000 For Halloween

John Carpenter’s Halloween, one of the best horror movies, turned Jamie Lee Curtis into a scream queen almost overnight. However, the Academy Award winner later told People Magazine that she only made $8,000 for her portrayal of Laurie Strode.

Nick Castle Made $25/Day For Halloween

Nick Castle has played Michael Myers a total of five times over the years, with the most recent being 2022’s Halloween Ends. Though the role made him a horror icon, Castle told Vanity Fair he was only paid $25 for each day of shooting in the original back in 1978.

Matthew McConaughey Made Less Than $200,000 For Dallas Buyers Club

Matthew McConaughey won an Oscar for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club, a role that ushered in a new era of his career. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he was paid less than $200,000 upfront for the movie9 but did receive an undisclosed amount on the backend.

Chris Evans Made $300,000 For Captain America: The First Avenger

Chris Evans was a driving force for the first few phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was paid handsomely for his efforts later on. However, when he was cast to play Steve Rogers in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, he reportedly only made $300,000, per The Guardian.

Jeff Daniels Made $50,000 For Dumb And Dumber

Jeff Daniels, who was mostly known for his dramatic roles at the time, was cast to appear alongside Jim Carrey in the Farrelly Brothers’ 1994 comedy Dumb and Dumber despite New Line Cinema wanting someone else. Years later, the directors told The Hollywood Reporter that the studio low-balled him with an offer of $50,000, thinking he’d say no. You know the rest.

Taraji P. Henson Made $150,000 For The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Taraji P. Henson received an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a performance that netted her a great deal of screen time. However, as she later told Variety, she was only paid $150,000 for the gig, which was several hundred thousand dollars less than her initial request of $500,000.

Jonah Hill Made $60,000 For The Wolf Of Wall Street 

Jonah Hill was paid $60,000 for his portrayal of Donnie Azoff in Martin Scorsese’s 2013 epic comedy The Wolf of Wall Street. While that may seem small considering the size of his role, Hill later told Howard Stern (via BBC) that he immediately took the offer, adding that he would have sold his house and given all his money to work with the acclaimed director. 

Orlando Bloom Made $175,000 For The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy 

Orlando Bloom was an instrumental part of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, with his character, Legolas, being featured heavily throughout all three movies. During a 2023 appearance on The Howard Stern Show, the actor revealed he was paid a total of $175,000 for the entire project.

Jon Heder Initially Made $1,000 For Napoleon Dynamite 

Napoleon Dynamite pretty much came out of nowhere and took the world by storm in 2004, partly because its star, Jon Heder. A few years after the film’s release, Heder told Stuff Magazine that he initially made $1,000 from the movie but was later able to negotiate his deal after MTV picked up distribution.

Daisy Ridley Made Between $100,000 And $300,000 For Star Wars: The Force Awakens 

Daisy Ridley was a relatively unknown actress when she was cast in one of the lead roles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which might explain her low salary for the 2015 blockbuster. According to Variety, that number was reportedly between $100,000 and $300,000.

John Boyega Made Between $100,000 And $300,000 For Star Wars: The Force Awakens 

John Boyega’s Finn was one of the most heavily featured characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but the young actor reportedly only received a payday somewhere between $100,000 and $300,000, per Variety.

James Earl Jones Made $7,000 For Star Wars

James Earl Jones’ dynamic voice gave Darth Vader a menacing edge in George Lucas' 1977 film Star Wars (and the rest of the franchise), but did you know that he was only paid $7,000 for the first movie? When speaking with the American Film Institute, the legendary actor admitted that he thought that was good money at the time.

Mel Gibson Made $9,000 For Mad Max 

After appearing in Mad Max, Mel Gibson would go on to lead some of the best action movies of all time, but back when he was cast in the late ‘70s, he was a broke college student. That’s why, as he told ExperienceWith.com, his $9,000 salary for George Miller’s dystopian thriller seemed like a fortune.

Seann William Scott Made $8,000 For American Pie 

American Pie was one of the biggest movies of the ‘90s, and Seann William Scott’s Stifler was its breakout character. So, how much did the young actor make for his career-defining role? Well, as he told The Rich Eisen Show in 2023, he was paid $8,000, most of which he spent on a used Thunderbird.

Christian Bale Made The Minimum Salary For American Psycho 

Christian Bale’s take on the unhinged Patrick Bateman in 2000’s American Psycho is one of the actor’s most unforgettable performances, but it could very well be one of his smallest paydays. Though he didn’t reveal the exact number in a 2022 GQ profile, the actor did say it was the “absolute minimum they were illegally allowed” to pay him.

Michelle Williams Made $625,000 For All The Money In The World 

Michelle Williams was reportedly only paid $625,000 for her portrayal of Gail Harris in Ridley Scott’s 2017 biographical crime thriller All the Money in the World, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Though this is a hefty fee, her co-star, Mark Wahlberg, was reported to have taken home $5 million for his role.

Barkhad Abdi Made $65,000 For Captain Phillips 

Barkhad Abdi became an overnight sensation following the release of Captain Phillips, in which he plays lead pirate Abduwali Muse. According to the New Yorker, Abdi’s acting debut and Oscar-nominated performance earned him $65,000.

Jennifer Lopez Made $0 For Hustlers 

Jennifer Lopez received a Golden Globe nomination for her role in Hustlers, a movie she made for free. During a GQ breakdown of her biggest career moments, the multi-talented star said she starred in and produced the movie for no upfront money, as she was investing in herself. However, it wasn’t disclosed as to how much she made on the backend of the film’s release, which was $157.6 million, according to Box Office Mojo.

Gunnar Hansen Made $800 For Texas Chain Saw Massacre 

Gunnar Hansen’s Leatherface is an instantly recognizable horror villain thanks to his mask made of human flesh and signature chainsaw. But did you know that the actor was only paid a three-digit sum for his performance in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre? In 2013, the actor told Fast Company that he made $800 for his part in the iconic ‘70s horror movie.

Dustin Hoffman Made $20,000 For The Graduate 

The Graduate was the movie that turned Dustin Hoffman into a young Hollywood star, but it was also one that didn’t earn him a whole lot of money. According to a 1968 New York Times article, Hoffman reportedly made $20,000 for his career-defining role, but he only ended up keeping $4,000 of that after expenses and taxes were taken out.

John Candy Made $414 For His Home Alone Cameo 

The late John Candy appears in Home Alone for only a few minutes, but it’s still wild to think that his cameo only netted the actor $414. In the Home Alone episode of Netflix’s The Movies That Made Us, it is revealed that Candy’s unforgettable portrayal of Gus Polinski, the Polka King of the Midwest, didn’t necessarily break the bank.

Jessica Chastain Made $1.75 Million For The Martian 

Jessica Chastain’s paycheck for The Martian was shockingly low. Around the time of the film’s 2015 release, there was a report that the actress made $7 million from her part, but she told The Huffington Post that she actually made around a quarter of that, which would be around $1.75 million. The film’s star, Matt Damon, reportedly made between $15 and 25 million for his part.

Brad Pitt Made $6,000 For Thelma And Louise 

Brad Pitt is one of the biggest and highest paid actors around today and has been that way for the better part of the past 30 years. However, that wasn’t always the case. According to the Daily Mail, the actor was paid just $6,000 for his breakout performance as JD in Ridley Scott’s Thelma and Louise.

Jon Voight Made The ‘Minimum’ Salary For Midnight Cowboy 

Jon Voight received all kinds of nominations for his performance in Midnight Cowboy, but the actor was paid the “minimum” for his portrayal of Joe Buck. When disclosing this to The Guardian decades later, Voight also revealed he received a $14.73 charge for meals on the final day of the shoot.

Adam Levine Made $0 For Begin Again 

Maroon 5 frontman and former coach on The Voice Adam Levine appeared in John Carney’s 2014 musical dramedy, Begin Again for free. When speaking with USA Today around the time of the film’s release, Levine explained that he did the movie “for no money,” stating that he had made enough through his other ventures and wanted the experience.

It’s safe to say that all of these actors have done okay for themselves over the years after making relatively small salaries throughout their career. But it’s still wild to think about Robert Downey Jr. only making half-a-million to play Tony Stark. What a steal.

After an intense wait that’s seen various tales teasing its arrival, Britney Spears’ revealing memoir is finally here. With fans currently devouring The Woman in Me, stories of the singer’s life and career are starting to gain traction on the internet. And part of the reason that’s happening is because people are loving actor Michelle Williams’ narration of the audiobook; and for several very good reasons. 

People have taken to Twitter to share their feelings, as well as clips of the Academy Award nominee’s readings from said book. Some have also taken this occasion to resurrect this beautiful joke from Abbott Elementary in their excitement: 

With that glorious invocation kicking things off, let’s talk about some of those stories that Ms. Williams has wowed the crowd with. And we’ll start off with something pleasant, and not related to Justin Timberlake. Our first reading from The Woman in Me actually deals with Mariah Carey, and how Britney Spears credits her as an early adopter of the Ring Light:

To be honest, it’s kind of comforting that The Woman in Me confirmed Mariah Carey’s deeply personal nature with people. Just hearing Britney’s words through Michelle’s voice, you can feel the reverence pouring out of that moment. But now it’s time to shift over to some fun with JT, which is a subject that Britney Spears has proven she has plenty to say about. 

Our next tweet proves just why Justin Timberlake’s alleged concerns about The Woman in Me were well warranted. Besides the story behind Britney and Justin’s breakup, Spears shared a rather interesting story of Timberlake trying to impress Ginuwine. Here’s a clip from that segment, told once again by Michelle Williams:

If you thought that was amusing, there’s tons of clips that showcase a longer version of that story from The Woman in Me. But it all boils down to that one moment that people have been talking about, prompting this to be one of the tales that has gone viral. Between this and the news that The Notebook almost cast Britney Spears in its lead role, this days old book is already pretty popular.

Perhaps the most heated clip that’s surfaced so far has to be a simple snippet where Britney Spears is talking about her sister Jamie-Lynn. Tensions within the Spears family have been well reported in the recent months, with even Crossroads director Tamra Davis sharing her own stories. 

Here’s one final excerpt that plays towards that drama, in which Williams' delivery proves just why fans on the internet are already hoping for a Grammy nomination: 

Honestly, I was sold on reading The Woman in Me the moment it was announced. Britney Spears telling her own life story, after all of the twists and turns she’s been through in the public eye, is something I’m intrigued to experience. But now with these samples of Michelle Williams’ audiobook readings, I’m doubling down on my intent to do just that. 

Furthermore, I think I’ll have to get my hands on the audio version to truly experience it the way it was intended. If you’re looking to read The Woman in Me yourself, this memoir is currently available for purchase on Amazon; or wherever you seek out your reading/listening materials.

Michelle Williams could very well be the most underrated actress in Hollywood today. Sure, she’s been nominated for five Oscars, won two Golden Globes, and been in some of the most impactful movies of the 21st century, but Williams seems to always fly under the radar, only to fly up unnoticed with the release of each Academy Award-nominated performance that seemingly catches everyone by surprise. 

We shouldn’t be surprised, though. Not in the slightest. The list of the best Michelle Williams movies and TV shows streaming is one that goes back a little over two decades at this point, with outstanding performances ranging from a symbiote superhero to a slight dramatization of Steven Spielberg’s mother. To celebrate Williams, we’ve put together a quick list of the very best performances from her incredibly versatile career. 

The Fabelmans (2022)

Told through a series of vignettes, Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama, The Fabelmans, takes audiences back to where it all began for Hollywood legend. The good, the bad, the magical, and the heartbreaking are all on display in this sprawling drama about a young boy finding his voice while his family falls apart.

Michelle Williams is the real scene-stealer in The Fabelmans, with her portrayal of Mitzi Schildkraut-Fabelman, a character based on Spielberg’s late mother, Leah Adler. She is a tour de force in several of the movie’s most memorable scenes, including the tornado chase sequence, the camping trip, and during a foreboding nightmare about a certain family member.

Rent/buy The Fabelmans on Amazon.
Buy The Fabelmans on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Manchester By The Sea (2016)

Kenneth Lonergan’s Oscar-winning Manchester by the Sea is in the running for the most gut-wrenching movie of the century with its heartbreaking story about an already broken man trying to come to terms with the death of his older brother, which leaves him the guardian of his teenage nephew. That is just part of the story, however.

Casey Affleck received heaps of praise for his portrayal of Lee Chandler, and rightfully so, but Michelle Williams’ take on his ex-wife, Randi, is one of the most heartbreaking and harrowing performances I’ve ever seen. The scene in which Randi finally opens up to Lee about their shared tragedy is without a doubt the most powerful speech of her career.

Stream Manchester by the Sea on Prime Video.
Rent/Buy Manchester by the Sea on Amazon.

My Week With Marilyn (2011)

Set during the heights of Marilyn Monroe’s (Michelle Williams) career, Simon Curtis’ 2011 biographical drama, My Week with Marilyn follows the ill-fated actress as she is given a brief respite from her career, her shaky marriage to Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott), and the exhaustion brought on by both.

Williams would go on to win her first Golden Globe and be nominated for an Oscar for her captivating portrayal of Monroe, a performance that is in the top tier of portrayals of the Hollywood starlet, and at times, it feels as if this is a documentary instead of a painstakingly crafted docudrama.

Stream My Week with Marilyn on HBO Max.
Rent/buy My Week with Marilyn on Amazon.
Buy My Week with Marilyn on DVD on Amazon.

Blue Valentine (2010) 

Told through a nonlinear narrative structure, Derek Cianfrance’s 2010 drama, Blue Valentine, jumps between past and present to tell the story of Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams), a couple with a string of bad luck and major blowups. 

Though the movie does tear you down emotionally with one grueling scene after another, the performances by Williams and Gosling make it to where you just can’t stop watching. You won’t find it on the list of best romantic comedies or anything like that, but this Oscar-nominated drama is something you just have to see, even if it’s only once, and even if it’s just to see Williams and Gosling feed off one another’s grief and anger.

Stream Blue Valentine on Freevee.
Rent/buy Blue Valentine on Amazon.
Buy Blue Valentine on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Shutter Island (2010) 

Though it just missed the cut on the list of best Martin Scorsese movies, the acclaimed filmmaker’s 2010 psychological thriller, Shutter Island, is a movie you just can’t afford to miss. Set at the isolated Ashecliff Hospital for the Criminally Insane, the movie follows U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he tries to get to the bottom of a missing persons case, or so he believes.

Here’s another example of Michelle Williams being the emotional anchor of a movie with her heartbreaking portrayal of Dolores, Teddy’s late wife, who haunts him in his dreams through intense visions. To prevent giving away the Shutter Island ending, I’ll just say that Williams’ performance only gets better as the movie goes on.

Rent/buy Shutter Island on Amazon.
Buy Shutter Island on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Ang Lee’s 2005 neo-Western drama, Brokeback Mountain, details the tumultuous relationship shared by rugged cowboys Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) over the course of several decades as they try to hide their true feelings from their respective families, their fellow sheepherders, and themselves.

The movie did take home three Oscars, but Brokeback Mountain should have won Best Picture for its transformative story and incredible performances by its two leads, as well as Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway. Williams is particularly powerful in her portrayal of Ennis’ wife, Alma, and was given plenty of time to show her expansive acting skills in some of the movie’s key scenes.

Stream Brokeback Mountain on Netflix.
Rent/buy Brokeback Mountain on Amazon.
Buy Brokeback Mountain on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Synecdoche, New York (2008)

Charlie Kaufman’s mind-bending psychological drama, Synecdoche, New York follows theater director Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman) as he deals with the recent departure of his wife and daughter by hiring a group of actors to create a fictionalized version of society in a massive New York City warehouse. Over time, the production grows to the point where the line between reality and fantasy is nowhere to be found.

Synecdoche, New York is full of brilliant performances, including those from the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, Dianne Wiest, Emily Watson, Catherine Keener, and Michelle Williams, who plays an actress who enters into a relationship with the struggling theater director.

Rent/buy Synecdoche, New York on Amazon.
Buy Synecdoche, New York on Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Station Agent (2003)

Tom McCarthy, who would go on to direct Academy Award-winning newspaper drama Spotlight more than a decade later, made his directorial debut with 2003’s The Station Agent, a dramedy about a young and nihilistic train enthusiast named Fin McBride (Peter Dinklage) as he moves to a small rural town in New Jersey.

The movie features a who’s who of future stars including the aforementioned Dinkalge, Bobby Cannavale, and John Slattery, and Michelle Williams, the latter of whom is phenomenal in her portrayal of a local librarian named Emily. Though not the central character, Williams steals the show whenever on camera.

Stream The Station Agent on Paramount+.
Rent/buy The Station Agent on Amazon.

Take This Waltz (2011) 

A little more than a decade before writing and directing the Academy Award-nominated Women Talking, Sarah Polley came out with the 2011 romantic drama, Take This Waltz, which saw Michelle Williams play a woman named Margot, who finds herself being torn between her husband, Lou (Seth Rogen) and a mysterious stranger named Daniel (Luke Kirby) she met on a work trip.

Both charming and tense, the film features stellar performances from all involved, Williams especially. And if you were a fan of the dynamic shared by Williams and Rogen in The Fabelmans, this is something you want to see.

Stream Take This Waltz on HBO Max.
Rent/buy Take This Waltz on Amazon.
Buy Take This Waltz on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Wendy And Lucy (2008) 

Kelly Reichardt’s 2008 drama, Wendy and Lucy (which is a brisk 80 minutes in length) follows Wendy Carroll (Michelle Williams) as she attempts to make it to Alaska with her dog, Lucy, so that she can find work and make a better life for herself. But hopes, dreams, and aspirations are no match for the harsh realities of poverty and the unforgiving road, which Wendy finds out the hard way on her cross-country odyssey.

Though not talked about as much as some of Williams’ higher-profile movies, Wendy and Lucy features one of her best performances to date, one that features one of her rawest and most vulnerable characters. Plus, it’s one of the best dog movies of the past decade-and-a-half.

Stream Wendy and Lucy on Peacock.
Rent/buy Wendy and Lucy on Amazon.
Buy Wendy and Lucy on DVD on Amazon.

Dawson’s Creek (1998 - 2003) And Fosse/Verdon (2019)

These final two performances are technically TV shows, but both are musts when talking about Michelle Williams’ career, and leaving them off would be a disservice to her legacy. First is Dawson’s Creek, which is undeniably one of the most iconic ‘90s shows. Throughout the series six-season run, Williams played Jen Lindley, Dawson’s (James Van Der Beek) neighbor and close friend with whom she has an on-and-off relationship. 

Stream Dawson’s Creek on Prime Video.
Buy Dawson’s on Amazon.
Buy Dawson’s Creek: The Complete Series on DVD on Amazon.

Williams would have one-off TV appearances over the years, but she wouldn’t return to the format in a more involved manner until the 2019 biographical limited series, Fosse/Verdon, which chronicled the romantic and working relationship shared by Bob Fosse (Sam Rockwell) and Gwen Verdon (Williams). The actress would go on to win multiple awards for her performance, including a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe.

Stream Fosse/Verdon on Hulu.
Buy Fosse/Verdon on Amazon.
Buy Fosse/Verdon on DVD on Amazon.

Only time will tell if Michelle Williams will hear her name called at the 2023 Oscars. Even if she’s not rewarded for her incredible performance in The Fabelmans, though, Williams has quite the body of work that makes a case for her being one of the best actresses of her time.

Michelle Williams hasn't made a whole lot of sequels over the course of her career – with Andy Serkis' Venom: Let There Be Carnage being the only time that she has reprised a role on the big screen – but fans evidently shouldn't take that history as an indication of a reluctance on her part. Obviously there are some movies that simply don't need follow-ups, but one that the actor very much wants to see happen is The Greatest Showman 2.

Williams plays Charity Barnum, the wife of Hugh Jackman's P.T. Barnum, in the original 2017 musical, and apparently it's a character she'd happily return to if she were to be called upon. As she shared in a career retrospective interview with Vanity Fair, one of the big draws for her is simply the opportunity to have more of the music in the world. She explains,

Fans of The Greatest Showman will know that this is far from the first time that a star has pushed for the idea of a sequel. In 2019, Zac Efron said that it was a project that was in early stages of development and expressed hope that it would happen. Hugh Jackman has been asked about a Greatest Showman 2 multiple times, and while he often makes jokes about how many sequels he's made, it also seems to be an idea in which he'd be interested.

It should also be noted that this isn't even the first time that Michelle Williams has expressed enthusiasm for the possible follow-up feature. Last spring, she was quoted saying that she would make The Greatest Showman 2 "in a heartbeat."

Adding to her thoughts about the original in the Vanity Fair interview, Williams said,

Directed by Michael Gracey, The Greatest Showman is loosely based on the true story of how P.T. Barnum created the world famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. It's certainly not because of box office receipts that a sequel hasn't happened, as the film was a worldwide hit in its theatrical run – ultimately earning $435 million globally.

The Greatest Showman's remarkable cast includes not only the aforementioned Michelle Williams, Hugh Jackman, and Zac Efron, but also Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and more. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges will be finding opportunity in the schedules of all those talented people.

While we wait for more updates about The Greatest Showman 2, check out our 2023 Movie Release Calendar to discover all of the films scheduled to arrive in theaters and on streaming in the coming 12 months.

Steven Spielberg has been behind the camera to tell some of Hollywood’s best cinematic stories, through films like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler's List, Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, and the list goes on and on. In The Fabelmans, which is set for a wide release in theaters this week, he will tap into the emotions of his own story, as he explores how his love of movies gave him insight into his dysfunctional upbringing. The movie was a big hit when it premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in September, winning the People's Choice Award, and the reviews are in to give us a little more information about The Fabelmans, which is unsurprisingly already receiving 2023 Oscars buzz.

Rather than use the director and co-writer’s own name, Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical drama tells the story of the fictional Fabelmans. Gabriel LaBelle stars as Sammy Fabelman and is surrounded by an impressive ensemble that includes Michelle Williams and Paul Dano as his parents and Seth Rogen as his favorite “uncle.” Let’s see what the critics have to say ahead of its theatrical release, starting with CinemaBlend Managing Editor Sean O’Connell. He attended a screening of the film at TIFF and says he was blown away by the heartfelt masterpiece, awarding it a full 5-star rating. Check out his video review below: 

Robert Daniels of Polygon agrees that The Fabelmans is a masterpiece, saying that rather than a cliché ode to moviemaking, Steven Spielberg shows vulnerability, as he reaches into the past to heal old but still-tender wounds. In the critic’s words:

Leah Greenblatt of EW is among many who are praising Michelle Williams for her beautiful and “devastating” turn as Sammy’s mother. The critic says because it’s Steven Spielberg, everything is meticulously rendered in wistful sentiment, giving a grade of B+: 

Brian Truitt of USA TODAY rates the movie 3 out of 4 stars, saying the iconic director sprinkles his signature wonder throughout the film: 

Erin Brady of Consequence grades the movie a B, noting that with the highs of the film being so high, the low points stick out that much more. Despite some amazing performances and the movie’s tendency to stick with you when it’s over, this critic felt like the revered filmmaker is keeping the viewer at arms-length, according to this review: 

If this sounds like a movie you’d like to see on the big screen, you can check it out starting on Wednesday, November 23. Also, be sure to also check out CinemaBlend’s interviews with the cast of The Fabelmans, including Michelle Williams, Paul Dano and Seth Rogan. 

The year may be almost over, but there's plenty left on the 2022 Movie Release Schedule, and you can always take a look at what’s coming to the big screen in 2023 as well. 

CinemaBlend sat down with the cast of Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” including Paul Dano, Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Judd Hirsch, and Gabriel LaBelle. They discuss what it was like working with Steven Spielberg, the pressure of portraying his family on film, the film’s strong message about family and much more!

Video Chapters:

0:00 Intro
0:29 Gabriel LaBelle on the pressure of portraying a young Steven Spielberg
1:01 Paul Dano praises the process of this film’s production
1:26 Judd Hirsch on his trust in Steven Spielberg
2:15 Michelle Williams on how Steven Spielberg empowered his actors to build their characters
2:43 Gabriel LaBelle on how the film reflects Spielberg’s real-life
3:32 Seth Rogen on how he dived into finding his character
4:51 Seth Rogen explains the “pleasure” of not having to improvise in the film
5:55 Judd Hirsch explains his impact on the film, despite only appearing in a few scenes
7:31 Seth Rogen shares his relationship with Spielberg prior to filming ‘The Fabelmans’ with him
9:00 Paul Dano shares what Spielberg’s crew thought of this project

Steven Spielberg's newest autobiographical project, "The Fabelmans," stars Michelle Williams, Paul Dano and Seth Rogen, and is an absolute masterpiece if you ask CinemaBlend's Sean O'Connell. Watch as he dives into everything he loved about the legendary director's love letter to filmmaking.

Video Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

01:21 - Spielberg’s Passion For Film

04:04 - Michelle Williams Carries The Emotion

06:00 - The Story Earns Its Runtime

07:11 - Final Thoughts and Star Rating

The Fabelmans is director Steven Spielberg’s magnum opus. The family found at the heart of this painfully personal and stunningly emotional feature stands in for Spielberg’s own, as the Oscar-winning filmmaker turns his camera back on his adolescence to examine – through his unique, masterful lens – the hardships and triumphs that led to him becoming one of our greatest filmmakers. 

The film is an homage to Spielberg’s two religions: Judaism and Film. It clarifies the enormous hold that each one has on the man, as well as the hold he comes to realize that the latter can have on an audience. It’s a story about art and creativity, about hardships and sacrifice – about how messy life can get, but how necessary those messes are if one’s ever going to experience a life worth living. It’s a masterpiece, and the best movie Spielberg has delivered since… well, the masterful West Side Story in 2021. (That’s one of many Spielberg movies you can stream right now.)

The Fabelmans held its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation that lasted so long, festival organizers had to beg the audience to stop so that they could begin a Q-and-A with Spielberg and his cast. If not for that plea, the ovation might still be going as you were reading this. 

The Fabelmans is drunk on Spielberg’s passion for film.

A trip to the movie theater to see Cecil B. DeMille’s The Greatest Show on Earth unlocks a door into imagination for young Sammy Fabelman (Mateo Zoryna Francis-Deford). His parents, Burt (Paul Dano) and Mitzi (Michelle Williams) debate whether the impressionable kid is old enough to take in a picture show. What they don’t anticipate is how the larger-than-life images on that screen are going to set Sammy on a path to a career in the arts that will place a vice grip on the man, to the detriment of almost everything else in his life. 

Spielberg is one of the last remaining filmmakers who still shoots on film, and The Fabelmans works well as a case study for the reasons he chooses to do so. According to The Fabelmans, and the character of Sammy in the movie, the emotions that are captured on film are a gift. Film is real. Film is the truth. But as The Fabelmans points out, those truths set to film aren’t always welcome, and aren’t always appreciated. “Family. Art. It will tear you in two,” Judd Hirsch tells Sammy during a short but substantial sequence that could be just long enough (and impactful enough) to earn the veteran actor a Supporting Actor nomination at the Oscars. Spielberg, like Sammy, belongs on the art side of the coin. Science/math/business are found on the opposite side of that equation. And it’s within the conflict between those two that The Fabelmans finds its drama. 

Welcome to the Oscars conversation, Michelle Williams.

Those unfamiliar with Spielberg’s own history might want to brush up before heading into The Fabelmans. For while the film’s first trailer doubles down on the director’s appreciation for film, the studio system, and the actual effort of making movies, the Tony Kushner script for The Fabelmans also spends ample amounts of time scratching at the scabs of emotional wounds that shaped Spielberg into a child of divorce who chases dreams of a united family and the artificiality of domestic tranquillity. Standing in for Spielberg’s own mother, Michelle Williams once again displays tremendous range and staggeringly honest emotion as a complicated woman trapped in a life shaped by other people’s choices. 

Williams’ intensity is countered by the measured calculations of Paul Dano as Burt Fabelman, a computer genius climbing the ranks of tech companies in the 1970s and ‘80s who loves and supports his son but repeatedly defines his filmmaking passion as a hobby, unwilling to recognize the potential it has to blossom into so much more. The Spielbergs… er, sorry, Fabelmans encounter harsh bouts of anti-Semitism and bullying – a reality the Schindler’s List director has explored in previous movies, but nowhere near at the level of analysis and therapeutic visual conversation that he reaches here. And Seth Rogen as Dano’s closest friend, Bennie, brings a welcome atmosphere of warmth and goofy improvisation that fuels Williams but creates ripples in the family’s tenuous dynamic. 

The Fabelmans covers so much ground, but always rivets with its emotional truths.

At nearly two-and-a-half hours, the upcoming The Fabelmans can be found guilty of lingering too long in memories that are precious to Spielberg, but potentially unnecessary for the audience. And yet, every time the drama detours down an avenue that you aren’t sure how it factors into the main narrative, Kushner and Spielberg eventually prove that the sidebar was worth it, and they’re present to reveal more about the characters or personify growth during crucial moments of Sammy’s journey.

Stay with The Fabelmans. Appreciate the journey. Embrace the insights it gives you into the mind and heart of one of our greatest living storytellers. And revel in a movie that has a very good chance at winning Best Picture at the next Academy Awards. For more coverage from the Toronto International Film Festival, read up on Anna Kendrick’s career-best work in Alice, Darling, Daniel Radcliffe’s unhinged performance as “Weird” Al Yankovic, and the delight of Billy Eichner’s studio comedy, Bros. 

A tried and true genre in the film world is musicals, which have succeeded at the box office and Awards Season for decades. One of the most recent blockbuster hits that have hit theaters over the past few years is Michael Gracey’s The Greatest Showman starring Hugh Jackman. And after chatter about a sequel, Jackman has responded to the possibility of reprising his role as P.T. Barnum.

The Greatest Showman did great at the box office when it hit theaters in 2017, and the hit songs by Pasek & Paul continue to be popular in the years since its release. Since then fans have been hoping to see either a stage adaptation or a movie sequel, with Michelle Williams recently confirming that she’d be interested in playing Charity Barnum again. Hugh Jackman was asked by People if he’d be interested in a musical sequel, first joking before giving an honest answer by saying:

Someone cue the soundtrack, because it looks like Hugh Jackman is ready to “Come Alive” if the right story for The Greatest Showman 2 comes together. And with Michelle Williams eager to make more memories she can share with her family, perhaps a big screen sequel could come together after all. Although with Disney now in charge of 20th Century Fox and its properties, the decision ultimately comes down to the House of Mouse.

While Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams might be down to reunite as the Barnums in The Greatest Showman 2, actually making the project happen would be a long process. If a story is locked down, songwriters Pasek & Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land) would need to write all new bops for the cast to sing. The pressure would presumably be high, considering how popular tracks like “This is Me” continue to be.

Speaking of the cast, it might be difficult to get the all-star names of The Greatest Showman in one place for a sequel due to their busy schedules. Aside from Jackman and Williams, the ensemble includes Zac Efron, recent Emmy winners Zendaya and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Dune’s Rebecca Fergusen. 

Of course, there’s still no indication that Disney has any plans for a second Greatest Showman movie. But Hugh Jackman continues to be a super bankable actor, so it doesn’t seem totally out of the question. For his part, the X-Men alum is flexing those musical muscles while starring in the revival of The Music Man on Broadway.

The Greatest Showman is currently available to stream on Disney+. Be sure to check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

The Greatest Showman may have hit theaters way back in 2017, but the story still resonates with fans. The Hugh Jackman musical was another entry to the exceedingly popular movie musical genre. Now that films like In The Heights and West Side Story have taken off, could we see a sequel to The Greatest Showman? Michelle Williams is on board, and she has a sweet reason for wanting to reunite with Hugh Jackman. 

In an interview with Variety, Michelle Williams revealed the lovely reason she’d like to make a sequel to The Greatest Showman with Hugh Jackman. She said: 

Cute, right? Many of the songs on the soundtrack for The Greatest Showman have the joyful, positive messages that Michelle Williams - and fans around the world - found so appealing. Written by La La Land composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, tracks like "A Million Dreams", "Come Alive", and "From Now On" quickly rose through the ranks of Spotify playlists everywhere. "This is Me," the film’s most famous track, was even nominated for Best Original Song at the 2018 Oscars. 

Despite the film's success, there are currently no plans to create a sequel to The Greatest Showman. It could be due to the fact that the stars are tied up with other projects: Michelle Williams is set to collaborate with Steven Spielberg on The Fabelmans, and she’s currently tied up with the Venom franchise. Meanwhile, Hugh Jackman is breaking in his dancing shoes eight times a week in The Music Man on Broadway. 

That doesn’t mean fans should hang up their circus hats - in addition to Michelle Williams, Hugh Jackman has also expressed an interest in returning to the world of The Greatest Showman. If movie producers can rewrite the stars, maybe fans will see it translated to the big screen. 

The Greatest Showman portrays a fictionalized version of the life of P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman), a circus ringleader with lofty aspirations. Along with his wife Charity (Michelle Williams), Barnum gathers a group of societal outcasts to form a troupe of showstopping performers. The cast included mega-stars like Zendaya, Zac Efron, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Rebecca Ferguson. 

There may not be any plans for a sequel, but you can brush up on the lyrics to The Greatest Showman with your Hulu subscription. 

Back in 2008, Hollywood and the public at large were rocked by the death of Heath Ledger. No one, of course, was more heavily affected by his sudden passing than his loved ones were, including Michelle Williams. The Dawson’s Creek alum, who shares daughter Matilda with the late star, has occasionally spoken about Ledger since his death. And as of late, she’s opened up about the time right after his death and how fellow actor Jeremy Strong stepped up when it came to her daughter. 

Michelle Williams has been friends with Jeremy Strong for some time now, as the two actors have reportedly known each other since 2004, when they were performing at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Williams discussed Strong and her friendship with him during a wide-ranging interview with Variety. It was during the conversation that she revealed that Strong (along with Williams’ sister and another friend) moved in with her shortly after Heath Ledger’s death. The Oscar-nominated actress explained that the Succession star was a hit with Maltida, as he’d pretend he was a pony and allow her to ride on his back: 

The Venom alum had nothing but praise for her friend, stating that she like many others is “in awe of his talent.” She also defended the actor against the controversial profile, which detailed his seemingly intense acting methods, that was written about him last year. (Other stars like Jessica Chastain and Aaron Sorkin have also spoken on his behalf.) Raising a child under normal circumstances can be difficult, but one can only imagine what it’s like to do so after experiencing such an immense tragedy. 

Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger began dating in 2004 after meeting on the set of Brokeback Mountain, where Ledger was admired by castmates like Kate Mara. Williams gave birth to their daughter in 2005, and the two would eventually break up in 2007. The Academy Award winner died due to an accidental overdose of medication the following year. Ten years later, Williams reflected on his death, specifically expressing sorrow over the fact that her daughter had to grow up without a father. Considering that, it’s easy to see just why she appreciates Jeremy Strong’s presence in the young lady’s life. 

One would assume that it’s not exactly easy for the star to discuss her ex and the effects of his death. Still, despite how difficult that time seemed to be for her, it’s lovely to hear that she had a support system that included Jeremy Strong and others close to her. 

Michelle Williams will next be seen on the big screen in Steven Spielberg’s The Fablemans, one of 2022’s upcoming movies.

When it comes to relationships, these celebrity couples met on the sets of some of their most famous movies. From romantic films such as The Notebook to action movies like Daredevil, through the power of film, many of these couples were brought together. Here are 25 couples who met on the set of a movie but ended up dating in real life. 

Ryan Gosling And Rachel McAdams (The Notebook)

While you may know The Notebook as one of the best romance films out there, the two leading stars actually met on the set of the film, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. In an interview with GQ in 2007, Gosling confirmed he was thankful for the movie, as he met her through it despite the fact that their relationship ended.

While they did eventually break up in 2007, no one can quite forget this romance, both on and off screen.  

Emma Stone And Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man Series)

When Andrew Garfield was Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man series, he and his on-screen Gwen Stacy, played by Emma Stone, ended up dating for four years after meeting on the set of the first movie. While they split back in 2015, Garfield recently said that he’s still her biggest fan during an interview with Vanity Fair’s “Little Gold Men” podcast:

Angelina Jolie And Brad Pitt (Mr. And Mrs. Smith) 

On the set of the spy-movie, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (which is getting a reboot), Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt met. In an interview with Vogue (via People) in 2006, Jolie confirmed that they developed feelings for each other while filming, but didn’t start thinking of getting together instantly. 

Jolie and Pitt married in 2014, but later filed for divorce.  

Robert Pattinson And Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Series)

The Twilight series was a huge hit for Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, who played Edward and Bella in the adaptation of the popular vampire series, and they began dating after the first Twilight film released in 2008, according to an interview Stewart did with The New Yorker. They did eventually break up. 

Freida Pinto And Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)

The 2011 Academy Award-winning film, Slumdog Millionaire, brought together its two stars, Freida Pinto and Dev Patel, after they starred in the film together. In an interview with The Guardian in 2015, Patel talked about his past relationship with Pinto, and how close they were during their time together. 

The pair split in 2014. 

Michelle Williams And Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain)

While filming Brokeback Mountain, co-stars Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger starred as husband and wife, and that love ended up coming off screen when the two began to date. In an interview with GQ in 2012, Williams talked about meeting Ledger for the first time, and how she felt she was always meant to meet him.

The two had a child together, but later separated.

Blake Lively And Ryan Reynolds (The Green Lantern)

These two are couples goals. Ever since Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively met on the set of The Green Lantern in 2010, these two have been inseparable and eventually ended up getting married. In an interview with Harper's Bazaar in 2021, Reynolds admits they were seeing different people at the time, but their friendship slowly turned into a relationship. 

They’ve been married for several years now, and have four children. 

Eva Mendes And Ryan Gosling (The Place Beyond The Pines)

In The Place Beyond the Pines, the stars of the film, Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling ended up getting together. Rumors of them being together popped up originally when they were spotted going on a date to Disneyland (via Us Weekly) in 2011, and now more than a decade later, they’re still together and have two daughters. 

Gosling, in an interview with Harper's Bazaar in 2016, gushed about his family. 

Elizabeth Taylor And Richard Burton (Cleopatra)

Famed legendary actors Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton had a whirlwind romance after filming Cleopatra, which released in 1963. Their love was highly publicized and even turned into a limited series, called Liz & Dick. It spanned thirteen years, eleven films together, as well as two marriages and two divorces, according to Vogue. 

Natalie Portman And Benjamin Millepied (Black Swan)

While filming her Academy Award-winning movie, Black Swan, Natalie Portman met Benjamin Millepied, who is a famous choreographer and co-starred with her. Two began dating and married not that long after in 2012. 

In an interview with People, Natalie gushed about her husband and how much she loved working with him again on a new film, called Vox Lux in 2018.

Matthew Broderick And Jennifer Grey (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)

While they may have played siblings in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Matthew Broderick and Jennifer Grey were actually entangled in a relationship during their time on set. Jennifer Grey spoke about her relationship with the actor in her memoir, Out of the Corner, and how it was hard to keep it a secret from everyone else. 

Once filming ended, according to the memoir, they separated temporarily before getting back together, and dated in 1988. They were also briefly engaged but called it off not that long after. 

Johnny Depp And Winona Ryder (Edward Scissorhands)

While they originally met in the lobby of a New York theater in 1989, according to Rolling Stone (via Cheat Sheet), Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder’s relationship only grew more after co-starring in Edward Scissorhands in 1990, so much so that Depp proposed to Ryder only five months into dating. 

However, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 1993, Depp confirmed they had split up due to the privacy the media wouldn’t let them have. 

Claire Danes And Hugh Dancy (Evening)

Both Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy met on the set of Evening, according to an interview Dancy did with London Evening Standard in 2013, saying that marriage to the star, as well as fatherhood, is treating him “very well.”

Goldie Hawn And Kurt Russell (The One And Only, Genuine, Original Family Band)

This long-lasting partnership started way back when in 1966. Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell originally met on the set of The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, but it wasn’t until Swing Shift in 1984 that they began dating. In an interview with People, Hawn admits that the two don’t see a point in marriage.  

The pair have been together for 40 years, and recently starred in The Christmas Chronicles 2 together in 2020.  

Taylor Swift And Taylor Lautner (Valentine’s Day)

The ultimate Taylor-ship, actor Taylor Lautner and singer Taylor Swift worked together on the romantic comedy Valentine's Day and were seen out together at sports games (via People). The two reportedly dated for a couple of months before breaking up in December of the same year. 

Channing Tatum And Jenna Dewan (Step Up)

One of Channing Tatum’s best movies led to him meeting Jenna Dewan, his co-star and later wife on the set of Step-Up, as confirmed by an interview Tatum did with Elle in 2013. Tatum admitted that he almost didn’t ask Dewan out because he had just gotten out of a relationship. 

While they share a daughter, the two divorced in 2019.  

Daniel Craig And Rachel Weisz (Dream House)

While the two had actually first met at university together, both Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz were brought back together while filming Dream House. Weisz spoke with The Evening Standard in 2018 on her relationship, and how she never thought she would get married, until she started dating Craig. 

Jennifer Lopez And Ben Affleck (Gigli) 

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are back together, but their first run at a relationship was while filming Gigli, where the two became close friends, and later began to date after Lopez divorced from Chris Judd in 2003.

Vanessa Hudgens And Zac Efron (High School Musical Series)

The High School Musical series was a huge hit for the Disney Channel, and onscreen love interests, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, turned that love into a long relationship offscreen, according to Hudgens during an interview on The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter” podcast (via People) in 2019.

The two were together for five years before breaking up. 

Jennifer Garner And Ben Affleck (Daredevil)

Both Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck first met while filming Pearl Harbor, but started to date after being co-stars in Daredevil, according to an interview with Playboy Magazine in 2017, saying that this set was where they fell in love.

They later married in 2005 and then divorced in 2018. 

Liam Hemsworth And Miley Cyrus (The Last Song)

While filming The Last Song together, Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus became very close, according to Seventeen (via MTV News) where Cyrus said he was her “best friend.” Their relationship was later confirmed after they walked the red carpet together. They were together for years, marrying, before divorcing in 2020. 

Tom Cruise And Nicole Kidman (Days Of Thunder)

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman met at her audition for Days of Thunder, according to an interview she did with Harper’s Bazaar in 2021. The two stars co-starred, fell in love, married in 1990, and then divorced in 2001. 

Zendaya And Tom Holland (Spider-Man Series)

Tom Holland and Zendaya met while filming Spider-Man: Homecoming together, but it wasn’t until closer to the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021 that speculation about a romantic relationship between the two seemed to be confirmed. 

Since then, the two have been very public about their relationship, especially when Tom Holland shared a post on Instagram on her birthday, saying that Zendaya was “his MJ.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar And Freddie Prinze Jr. (I Know What You Did Last Summer)

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr. met originally on the set of I Know What You Did Last Summer, but didn’t begin to date until 2000, according to an interview Gellar did with People in 2002, saying they weren’t even originally supposed to go on a date - turned into one. 

They have been together for twenty years and have two children. 

Penelope Cruz And Javier Bardem (Jamón Jamón)

The two actually met for the first time as co-stars while filming Jamón Jamón, they wouldn’t get together until they reunited again filming Vicky Cristina Barcelona, a Woody Allen film, according to an interview Javier Bardem did with GQ in 2017, and started dating after filming was done. 

The two have been married since 2010, and have two children. 

There are so many celebrity couples out there - some that have stood the test of time and others that have not. And I’m sure over time, only more and more will start to pop up with even crazier romances. 

For half-a-century now, Steven Spielberg’s best movies have taken generations of audiences on journeys to track and kill massive sharks, put man face-to-face with aliens ranging from harmless to absolutely terrifying, and recreated some of history’s landmark moments. But, rarely has the Academy Award-winning filmmaker given us a peak at his life before he was one of the biggest names in Hollywood. 

That will all change in the very near future with the release of The Fabelmans, Spielberg’s upcoming semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama, loosely based on his childhood, starring Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, and multiple other famous names and rising stars. Here’s what we know so far…

The Fabelmans Is Slated For A 2022 Theatrical Release

At this time there is no exact release date for The Fabelmans, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal Pictures (which is carrying the film) is eyeing a 2022 theatrical release date. Expect to hear about a more definite release window and possibly a specific date in the coming months, especially after Steven Spielberg gets through the December 10, 2021 release of his West Side Story remake. However, things quickly change in Hollywood (more so now than ever before), so be on the lookout for all the latest in the coming months.

The Fabelmans Cast Includes Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Paul Dano And Gabriel LaBelle

The group of actors that have been assembled to take part in Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical drama is impressive to say the least. Taking on the role of the character loosely based on the filmmaker himself is Gabriel LaBelle, who will play an aspiring filmmaker named Sammy Fabelman. Michelle Williams will be playing Sammy’s mother, a character inspired by Spielberg’s own mother, Leah Adler, who passed away in 2017. Paul Dano will be stepping in as a character influenced by Spielberg’s late father, Arnold Spielberg, and Seth Rogen will be portraying Sammy’s uncle, a character based on Spielberg’s favorite uncle growing up.

Other members of The Fabelmans cast include Judd Hirsch, Jeannie Berlin, and a group of talented young actors led by Once Upon a Time in Hollywood standout, Julia Butters, who will be playing Sammy Fabelman's sister, per Variety. Outside of Gabriel LaBelle’s character, none of the names have been announced at this time.

The Fabelmans Is A Coming-Of-Age Drama Loosely Based On Steven Spielberg’s Childhood In Arizona

When The Fabelmans was first revealed in March 2021 (when it was yet to be titled), Deadline reported that the semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama would be inspired by Steven Spielberg’s formative years growing up in various cities in Arizona, a time in which the one-day acclaimed filmmaker was first introduced to cinema and the art of making movies. At this point, not a lot is known about the movie’s plot and exactly how much of Spielberg’s childhood will be brought into its story, but time will tell.

With the release of The Fabelmans, audiences who have grown up with Steven Spielberg’s movies will get to see how he (or at least a character largely based on him) grew up and became the visionary filmmaker we know today. The Deadline article pointed out that Spielberg has rarely given insight into his early childhood, though he did briefly share a few stories about those days in the 2017 HBO documentary Spielberg.

• The Best Documentaries On HBO Max

Production On The Fabelmans Got Underway In July 2021

Cameras started rolling on the set of The Fabelmans in July 2021, when production kicked off in Los Angeles, according to Variety. There has not yet been any word on when or if principal photography has wrapped on what has the potential to be Steven Spielberg’s most personal movie yet, but expect to hear more news on this in the coming months. 

Steven Spielberg Co-Wrote The Fabelmans With Longtime Collaborator Tony Kushner

In addition to his duties as the director and executive producer on The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg also co-wrote the film’s script with longtime collaborator, Pulitzer Prize and Primetime Emmy Award-winning (Angels in America the play in 1993 and the TV miniseries in 2003, respectively) screenwriter Tony Kushner. Over the years, Kushner has written two of Spielberg’s most notable releases of the 21st Century: Munich and Lincoln. The previous two times Kushner and Spielberg collaborated on a project, their films were nominated for various Academy Awards and Golden Globes, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and various other categories.

Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner also worked together on the upcoming West Side Story remake, which is surely to add even more acclaim, nominations, and possibly even awards to their impressive collaboration.

The Fabelmans Is The First Time Steven Spielberg Has Served As A Screenwriter Since A.I Artificial Intelligence In 2001

When The Fabelmans opens in theaters at some point in 2022, it will mark the first time in over 20 years that Steven Spielberg has written one of the scripts for his movies, which makes sense, considering the personal subject matter of the film’s story and inspiration. The last time Spielberg penned one of his own movies was the 2001 release of A.I. Artificial Intelligence, the long-dormant sci-fi dream project of Stanley Kubrick’s in the decades leading up to the filmmaker’s 1999 death. 

Other movies that were written by Spielberg, or at least based on a story he wrote, include The Goonies (story only), Poltergeist, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Sugarland Express (story only), Ace Eli and Rodger of the Skies (story only), Amblin’, and his 1964 amateur film Firelight.

At this time, we know quite a bit about The Fabelmans, but there is still a great deal we don’t yet know regarding Steven Spielberg’s promising coming-of-age drama. This includes an exact release date, the names of some of the movie’s major characters, and when we’ll get to see a trailer of the film loosely based on the decorated filmmaker’s upbringing. And, in case you’re wondering, it has not yet been disclosed if John Williams will be stepping in to provide the score for one of the most anticipated upcoming 2022 movies. 

In the meantime, it’s never too late to check out CinemaBlend’s updated list of 2021 movie premiere dates so you don’t miss anything at your local theater or streaming at home.

Michael Gracey directed a whole new world of music, fun, and dance when The Greatest Showman hit theaters back in 2017. Its exciting soundtrack, amazing visuals, and everything else combined created a wonderful experience for both musical lovers and film enthusiasts alike. But, while there are plenty of awesome aspects to this wonderful musical film, the cast is really what made it shine.

However, where exactly is The Greatest Showman cast now nearly four years later? Whether you’re thinking about Hugh Jackman, or Zac Efron, or even Zendaya, they’ve all been making their way in the business with more amazing projects and fun films or TV shows that you should catch up on right now. Here is what The Greatest Showman cast has been up to since its release.

Hugh Jackman (P.T. Barnum)

As P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman, Hugh Jackman lit up our lives with his talents, and I can assure you that after the film, we were all singing “The Greatest Show.” Ever since his appearance in The Greatest Showman, Hugh Jackman has been very active in Hollywood.

He capped off his time as Wolverine in the X-Men series with Logan, but also made appearances via archive footage as the superhero in both Deadpool 2 and The New Mutants. Jackman also had starring roles in films such as The Front Runner, the animated Missing Link, and had a voice role cameo in the Ryan Reynolds-led Free Guy.

In 2021, as well, he also led the Reminiscence cast, alongside his The Greatest Showman co-star, Rebecca Ferguson. Jackman has also returned to Broadway, starring in the most current adaptation of The Music Man on stage. With someone as talented as him, it’s not a shocker he has kept active - and I’m sure we are going to see more of him very soon.

Zac Efron (Phillip Carlyle)

I grew up watching Zac Efron in High School Musical, so you bet that when I saw he was returning to musicals with The Greatest Showman, I was so excited, and he rocked it as Phillip Carlyle. Since playing the prestigious partner of P.T. Barnum, Efron has been active in both film and television.

In terms of movies, Efron has starred in several, including the remake of Baywatch alongside Dwayne Johnson, The Beach Bum, the Netflix original film, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, the animated Scoob!, and more. He’s going to be in new films soon, titled Firestarter, Gold, and The Greatest Beer Run Ever, so he’ll be popping up on the big screen again.

Efron has also had roles in TV shows. Not only was a he a part of the main cast of Human Discoveries, Zac Efron also took to hosting and running his own TV show on Netflix, called Down to Earth with Zac Efron, where he traveled around the planet, promoting ecological change.

A second season is already in production, so if you haven’t caught up on that, be sure to check it out soon.

Michelle Williams (Charity Hallett-Barnum)

Charity Hallett-Barnum was a loving, supportive wife who deserved the world, and was played by Michelle Williams in The Greatest Showman. And, she's been very successful in terms of film and TV.

Williams has starred in several films since, including All the Money in the World, I Feel Pretty, After the Wedding and more. The actress also appeared in Venom, and is going to be in the upcoming sequel to the film, Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Afterwards, she'll also be in the movies The Fabelmans and Showing Up.

Williams appeared on television in the miniseries Fosse/Verdon, as dancer Gwen Verdon, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.

Rebecca Ferguson (Jenny Lind)

Jenny Lind’s voice is one of those voices that you can’t ever forget. I can’t tell you how many times I sang “Never Enough” (very poorly) after this film came out. While Rebecca Ferguson didn’t provide the singing voice for Jenny (which Loren Allred did), she still portrayed the character in all other aspects and did wonderfully in her role.

Since The Greatest Showman, Rebecca Ferguson has starred in several films, including Life, The Snowman, and has a major role in the Mission: Impossible movies, appearing in both Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation and Mission: Impossible - Fallout. She is set to reprise the role in the upcoming Mission: Impossible 7 as well as Mission: Impossible 8. Ferguson has also appeared in the horror film, Doctor Sleep, as well as Men in Black: International, and Reminiscence.

Coming up, Rebecca Ferguson is set to appear in the long-awaited Dune, as well as have a main role in a TV series called Wool. I’m so excited to see these projects and wonder what is to come after.

Zendaya (Anna Wheeler)

Anna Wheeler was a fantastic acrobat and strong-willed woman in The Greatest Showman, and only someone as amazing as Zendaya could play her. These last few years for the young actress have been amazing, and she’s blown up in the media as not only a talented film actress, but an amazing TV actress, as well.

While she got her start on TV starring on Disney Channel’s Shake It Up and later K.C. Undercover, Zendaya became even more famous when she portrayed Rue on the HBO original series, Euphoria, which is poised to return for Season 2. This role won her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2020. Zendaya also had a recurring role on the Netflix original series, The OA (a show that was cancelled far too soon, in my opinion).

In terms of film, Zendaya has had big parts in plenty of them. Her biggest thus far has been portraying M.J. in the Spider-Man film series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Zendaya has also appeared in several others, including Duck Duck Goose, Smallfoot, Malcolm & Marie, and Space Jam: A New Legacy, where she voiced Lola Bunny. Coming up, she will be in both Dune and Spider-Man: No Way Home, so 2021 is set to be a killer year for this talented young actress.

Keala Settle (Lettie Lutz)

Keala Settle’s voice, I believe, gave everyone chills when she sang “This Is Me” in The Greatest Showman, and she honestly deserves all the praise in the world for her kick-ass performance.

Since her iconic role as Lettie Lutz, Settle has appeared in a couple of TV and film projects. She had a role in the romantic drama film, All My Life, and played a part in Rent: Live when it aired on Fox, singing a classic hit from the Broadway show, “Seasons of Love.” She also had a recurring role in the Disney+ original series, Big Shot, and had a guest role in the Apple TV+ original series, Central Park.

With someone as talented as her, I believe it won’t be long before we get to see her more and more - and hear that beautiful voice again, as well.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (W.D. Wheeler)

While he wasn’t as featured in The Greatest Showman, W.D. Wheeler, the brother to Anna Wheeler, was just as an amazing acrobat as her, and the wonderful Yahya Abdul-Mateen II played him wonderfully. Since his part in the musical, Abdul-Mateen has been working hard and appeared in several films and on TV.

In terms of movies, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II appeared in Baywatch, Aquaman (a role that he will reprise in the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom), the Jordan Peele film Us, Sweetness in the Belly, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and (most recently) Candyman. Abdul-Mateen also made appearances on TV as well, with a role in The Get Down on Netflix, a guest role on The Handmaid’s Tale, a guest role on Black Mirror, and a main role on the HBO original series, Watchmen.

In the next couple of years, Abdul-Mateen will be appearing in several new films, including The Matrix: Resurrections and Ambulance, along with the new Aquaman sequel.

Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Deng Yan)

Deng Yan was another amazing acrobat in The Greatest Showman, who specialized in blades, and she was portrayed by the lovely Natasha Liu Bordizzo. The actress has gone on to star in several films after her role the musical, including Detective Chinatown 2, Guns Akimbo alongside Daniel Radcliffe, the Netflix original film, Wish Dragon, and The Voyeurs.

Natasha Liu Bordizzo also had a main role in the Netflix original series, The Society, which was cancelled after Season 1 (I still believe it deserved another season). However, Bordizzo will be returning to film soon, as she will be in a new movie called Day Shift, although it’s unknown when it will be released. However, I’m sure that if she’s signed on, it’ll be great.

Paul Sparks (James Gordon Bennett)

I think all of us lowkey hated James Gordon Bennett because he was such a critic of P.T. Barnum and his crew, but at the same time, we have to respect him for sharing his opinion and helping out Barnum near the end of The Greatest Showman with his advice. Paul Sparks played the publisher in the film, and while he’s had two film appearances since The Greatest Showman, which were in Human Capital and The Lovebirds, he’s mainly stuck to television.

Sparks had a guest role in the Netflix original series, The Crown, a recurring role in Waco, main parts in the dramas Sweetbitter and the Hulu original series, Castle Rock, and currently is starring as John Breem in the Apple TV+ series, Physical.

Sam Humphrey (Charles Stratton)

A piece of my heart is always going to belong to Charles Stratton just for how awesome he was in The Greatest Showman, as played by Sam Humphrey. Since his appearance in The Greatest Showman, Humphrey has kept most of his talents to TV.

He had a recurring role on the Australian soap opera, Neighbours, and had an appearance in the television film, Jeremy the Dud. Sam Humphrey also had a recurring role in the Star Wars: Self Tapes as the Man with No Name, and had a guest role in the TV series, Reso Rocket.

With how much talent this cast has, it’s not a shocker that they have been in so many films and TV shows since The Greatest Showman came out. I can’t believe it’s nearly been four years now - and yet, I’ll still be singing that soundtrack for a long, long time.

As the theme song famously noted, the characters in Dawson's Creek didn't want to wait for their lives to be over. They wanted to know, right now, what would it be. Now that it's been nearly 18 years since The WB drama series left the air in 2003, it can feel like a lifetime has passed since these characters were regularly seen on TVs. When the show finished its run, several of the actors involved moved on to many different, often exciting, new projects. Notably, one star in particular has found incredible critical and commercial success throughout her prestigious, award-winning acting career.

Still, it's hard to know where Katie Holmes, James Van Der Beek, Joshua Jackson, Michelle Williams, and Busy Phillips (to name a few) would be today if it weren't for this beloved high school drama. But, what have they done with their lives since? Well, let's find out!

James Van Der Beek (Dawson Leery)

As the titular Dawson Leery, James Van Der Beek found his star-making role in this WB drama series. During his time on the show, the actor would also star in Varsity Blues, Texas Rangers, The Rules of Attraction, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. After Dawson's Creek came to an end, Van Der Beek gained acclaim for playing a fictionalized version of himself on Don't Trust The B---- In Apartment 23. He was also in the main cast for CSI: Cyber, and he voices a role on Vampirina. He was in Pose, and starred in Labor Day, Downsizing, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, and the short film, Power/Rangers, which he co-wrote. Most recently, Van Der Beek appeared on Season 28 of Dancing with the Stars. He'll be seen in Bad Hair next month, and also starred in Quibi's Princess Bride remake.

Katie Holmes (Joey Potter)

Playing the part of Joey Potter, Katie Holmes had one of the lead roles in Dawson's Creek. Previously best known for The Ice Storm, her screen debut, this WB series paved the way for Holmes' career as an actress. Through the show's success, Holmes played prominent roles in Go, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, Wonder Boys, The Gift, Phone Booth, and Pieces of April, all during her time on the series. When the show wrapped, Holmes was most notably seen in Batman Begins, Thank You For Smoking, Mad Money, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, Jack and Jill, The Giver, Miss Meadows, Woman in Gold, and Logan Lucky. Plus, in 2016, Holmes made her directorial debut with the indie drama All We Had, which the first-time filmmaker also produced and starred in. Earlier this year, Holmes starred in Brahms: The Boy II and The Secret: Dare to Dream.

Michelle Williams (Jen Lindley)

As Jen Lindley, a New York City transplant in the town of Capeside, MA, Michelle Williams found fame through her main role on Dawson's Creek. Since then, Williams has received a great deal of acclaim and accolades for her dramatic film performances, notably in Wendy And Lucy, My Week With Marilyn (for which she won a Golden Globe), Blue Valentine, Manchester by the Sea, Brokeback Mountain, Take This Waltz, Meek's Cutoff, and more. Williams currently has four Oscar nominations, and she also won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her lead performance in the miniseries, Fosse/Verdon. Additionally, Williams also earned a Tony nomination for her 2016 performance in Blackbird. She was also seen in Venom, Shutter Island, The Greatest Showman, and Oz the Great and Powerful. Most recently, Williams starred in After the Wedding. Next, she'll be seen in Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

Joshua Jackson (Pacey Witter)

In the role of Pacey Witter, a longtime friend of Dawson and Joey's (with strong romantic feelings for the latter), Joshua Jackson stole many hearts during his time on Dawson's Creek. His character was a constant presence throughout the show's entire run, and he fueled a burning love triangle between the three lead characters. Prior to his role in this series, Jackson was best known for The Mighty Ducks movies and Scream 2. During his time at the Creek, Jackson was also seen in Cruel Intentions, Muppets From Space, and The Skulls. When the show wrapped, Jackson became the star of Fringe and The Affair. He also starred in Cursed, Bobby, Shutter, One Week, Lay the Favorite, and Bobby, to name a few films. Last year, the actor starred in Netflix's acclaimed mini-series, When They See Us. He was last seen in Hulu's Little Fires Everywhere.

Mary Beth Peil (Evelyn Ryan)

As Evelyn Ryan, Jen's grandmother, Mary Beth Peil was seen throughout all six seasons of Dawson's Creek. Once primarily a stage and opera actress, Peil didn't make her screen debut until 1992's Jersey Girl. Therefore, Dawson's Creek became one of the actress's first prominent screen roles. Following her time on this popular series, Peil starred in 2004's The Stepford Wives, Shortbus, Flags of Our Fathers, Mirrors, and Collateral Beauty. She also appeared in nearly fifty episodes of The Good Wife, as well as episodes of Fringe and Law & Order: SVU. In this time, Peil still acted on stage, notably in productions of Nine, Sunday in the Park with George, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Follies, and Anastasia, for which she received a Tony nomination. Most recently, she starred in the short-lived series Katy Keene earlier this year.

Mary-Margaret Humes (Gail Leery)

In the role of Gail Leery, Dawson's mom, Mary-Margaret Humes played a primary role in the first four seasons of Dawson's Creek, followed by recurring appearances in Seasons 5 and 6. The former Miss Florida USA winner has appeared in more than 50 shows over the course of her acting career, including The Dukes of Hazzard, The Love Boat, The A-Team, Knight Rider, Matlock, Blossom, Murphy Brown, and more. Dawson's Creek, however, remains her most well-known role. Since the series concluded, Humes continued to appear on various TV shows, including Grey's Anatomy, CSI: NY, Criminal Minds, Luck, and Saving Grace. She also starred in several TV movies. The more recent ones include 2018's Home By Spring and Christmas in Love, and 2019's A Feeling of Home and Winter Love Story. In February, Humes starred in A Valentine's Match.

Nina Repeta (Bessie Potter)

Playing the part of Bessie Potter, Joey's sister, Nina Repeta was seen throughout all six seasons of Dawson's Creek. Prior to her role in this WB series, Repeta appeared in episodes of Matlock and starred in Radioland Murders. Additionally, during her time on Dawson's Creek, the actress was also seen in 2002's Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Since the show's finale, however, Repeta hasn't appeared on screen quite as consistently as some of her former Dawson's Creek co-stars. She's appeared in episodes of Palmetto Pointe, The Originals, and Good Behavior, also starring in Southern Gothic, The Remaining, and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. Most recently, Repeta starred in the 2018 short film, Long Drive To Yadkin. She had a child in 2008, which might explain why she hasn't appeared in as many movies and shows since Creek wrapped up in 2003.

John Wesley Shipp (Mitch Leery)

As Dawson's dad, Mitch Leery, John Wesley Shipp was seen prevalently throughout the first four seasons of Dawson's Creek. Before he joined this WB series, Shipp was best known for playing the lead character on The Flash in the early '90s. The actor also appeared on soap operas like As the World Turns and Guiding Light throughout the '80s. Following his time in Dawson's Creek, Shipp appeared in One Life To Live, and he was also seen in episodes of Teen Wolf, Drop Dead Diva, JAG, CSI: NY, and The Closer before he reprised his role as Barry Allen in The CW's The Flash, also playing this part in episodes of Supergirl and Arrow. Most recently, Shipp was in an episode of Blindspot, and starred in the TV movie Ruby Herring Mysteries: Prediction Murder. Next, he'll be seen in Climbing Life.

Kerr Smith (Jack McPhee)

Playing Jack McPhee, Kerr Smith was a primary cast member on Dawson's Creek from his Season 2 introduction through the show's sixth season. His role gained considerable attention, particularly for sharing what was considered "TV's first passionate kiss between two men" with Adam Kaufman. Prior to playing Jack, Smith was notably seen in The Broken Hearts Club and As the World Turns, but while the show was on the air, he starred in Final Destination. After the Creek ran dry, he played a main role in E-Ring, Justice, and Life Unexpected. He also had recurring roles on CSI: NY, Eli Stone, NCIS, The Fosters, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and, most recently, Riverdale. Kerr also starred in Cruel Intentions 3, My Bloody Valentine 3D, and When Hope Grows. Additionally, last year, Smith starred in episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles and Into the Dark.

Meredith Monroe (Andie McPhee)

Playing the part of Andie McPhee, an academic, ambitious fellow classmate at Capeside High School, Meredith Monroe joined Dawson's Creek in Season 2 and became a main cast member in Seasons 3 and 4. During her time on the show, Monroe was also seen in Minority Report, New Best Friend, and Manhood. Since Dawson's Creek came to a close, the actress has bounced between film and television, notably with her recurring role in Criminal Minds, Hart of Dixie, and 13 Reasons Why, as well as roles in NCIS, Bones, CSI, Psych, Hawaii FIve-0, CSI: NY, House, Cold Case, Wake, Castle, Drop Dead Diva, Private Practice, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, S.W.A.T., and The Edge of Seventeen.

Busy Phillips (Audrey Liddell)

As Audrey Liddell, Busy Phillips joined Dawson's Creek in Season 5 and became a main cast member for the show's sixth and final season. Prior to her role in this WB drama, Phillips was best known for her work in the beloved short-lived sitcom, Freaks & Geeks. Following the show's conclusion, Phillips became better known for her standout role in Cougar Town. She also played roles in ER, Love, Inc., Undeclared, Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Vice Principals, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She also starred in White Chicks, He's Just Not That Into You, Made of Honor, The Gift, and I Feel Pretty. From 2018-2019, Phillips hosted her own talk show, Busy Tonight. Additionally, in 2018, Phillips published her memoir, This Will Only Hurt A Little, which became a New York Times bestseller. She also recently appeared in an episode of Camping.

Chad Michael Murray (Charlie Todd)

Just a couple years before he played the lead role in One Tree Hill, Chad Michael Murray played Charlie Todd, Jen's college boyfriend, in Dawson's Creek's fifth season. In what is certainly his most noteworthy "before he was famous" role, this appearance helped to solidify Murray as a mainstay on The WB/CW. This tradition continues as the TV actor is currently playing a role in Riverdale. In addition, he's also known for his roles in Freaky Friday, A Cinderella Story, 2005's House of Wax, and Fruitvale Station. He also played a supporting role in Agent Carter, and appeared in Left Behind, The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts Of Georgia, and A Madea Christmas. Murray was recently seen in Survive the Night, and a pair of holiday-themed movies, Write Before Christmas and Love in Winterland.

Who is your favorite Dawson's Creek star? Let us know in the comments!

With all the 2020 summer blockbusters being moved to dates later in the year and beyond, moviegoers are beginning to look towards the crop of films that are slated to hit theaters in the fall months, including the October release of Venom 2. With Tom Hardy set to return as journalist Eddie Brock and the symbiote Venom in the followup to the 2018 surprise hit comic book adaptation Venom, will also see Michelle Williams returning as Brock's former love interest and She-Venom herself Anne Weying.

Outside of Hardy and Williams, the sequel, which is being directed by Andy Serkis, will also feature a growing number of Hollywood talent, including Woody Harrelson, who will be portraying the deranged psychopath turned supervillain Cletus Kasady, aka Carnage. Besides those three names, Venom 2 is set to feature a surprisingly stacked cast of Hollywood heavyweights that surely will bring some gravitas to the upcoming sequel. Let's take a look at them, shall we?

Tom Hardy (Eddie Brock/Venom)

No surprise here, but Tom Hardy is returning as journalist Eddie Brock and Venom in the upcoming Sony Picture production. When we last saw Eddie, he had come to terms with the alien symbiote, Venom, after they take on and destroy Calrton Drake and the evil symbiote, Riot. What's become of that relationship, however, is still not known at this time.

In the Venom mid-credits scene, we saw Brock be invited to conduct a prison-interview with the twisted serial killer Cletus Kasady, who promised "carnage" upon his escape from incarceration. With a pretty big teaser to end the first first, it's a given that we will see Venom and Carnage square off at some point in Venom 2, especially after the release of those photos from the set of the upcoming sequel. But besides the eventual showdown with Carnage, fans can expect to see the relationship between Brock and Venom expand after the upcoming film's producers saw how much audiences appreciated the back and forth banter between the two the first time around.

Michelle Williams (Anne Weying)

Michelle Williams will be returning as Anne Weying, Eddie Brock's ex-fiancée and district attorney in the San Francisco metropolitan area. The former Life Foundation lawyer practically cut the journalist out of her life after Brock's investigation into Carlton Drake cost Weying her job and all but killed the couple's relationship.

Not much is known about how Williams' character will play into the story of Venom 2, but if her brief appearance as She-Venom in the 2018 comic book movie was more than just an easter egg, then we will hopefully see more of the character at some point in the upcoming sequel.

Woody Harrelson (Cletus Kasady/Carnage)

Audience were first introduced to Woody Harrelson's depiction of the classic Marvel villain Cletus Kasady, aka Carnage, in that now iconic mid-credits scene to close out Venom, but outside of the brief appearance of the crazed, red-headed psycho, fans weren't given much to chew on besides the fact that the character would probably make an appearance in Venom 2.

Fans got their wish when it was announced in the summer of 2019 that Harrelson would be returning to Venon 2 as everyone's favorite symbiote-wearing Marvel villain. We'll all have to wait and see how Kasady was able to break out of that maximum security prison where we last saw him, but if the character's history is any indicator, it's going to be one hell of a ride.

Reid Scott (Dan Lewis)

Reid Scott first appeared as Dan Lewis, the boyfriend of Anne Weying and a doctor who tries to diagnose and help Eddie Brock after he becomes the host of the alien symbiote. Featured in only a handful of scenes in Venom, the character will return in the upcoming sequel.

Though he is slated to be featured in Venom 2, not much is known about how Lewis will play into the plot of the film, but hopefully the former Veep star gets more to do in an expanded role.

Naomie Harris (Shriek)

Naomie Harris might not have appeared in Venom, but word of her casting in the upcoming sequel was a hot news items in October 2019 when reports began to surface that not only had the No Time To Die star was in talks to join the cast of Venom 2, she would also reportedly be playing the Marvel villain Shriek in the comic book adaptation.

Just like practically everything else about the upcoming sequel, nothing is known about how Shriek will play into the film's story, but she'll probably be working with Carnage if you consider the pair's relationship in the comics. Equipped with flight, sound manipulation, and some pretty intense cerebral powers, Shriek has long worked with Carnage and other Marvel antagonists since being introduced in the Maximum Carnage crossover comic series in 1993.

Stephen Graham (TBA)

In December 2019, it was revealed that longtime character actor Stephen Graham would followup his appearance in Martin Scorsese's crime epic The Irishman with an unspecified role in the upcoming Venom 2. Everyone involved with the movie has kept quiet in the months following the announcement, and it's gotten to the point where no one outside of the production knows if Graham will even play a good guy or a bad guy when the movie is eventually released.

The English actor has a propensity for playing less than savory characters throughout his career, most notably as the British skinhead Andrew "Combo" Gascoigne in This Is England and Al Capone in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. Now this is totally speculation on my part, but it seems like Graham would be well suited to take on the role of a certain bald crime lord from the pages of Marvel comics.

RUMORED: Tom Holland (Peter Parker/Spider-Man)

And then there's the elephant, er, spider in the room. There has long been fan speculation that Tom Holland would be making an appearance of some sort in the upcoming Venom 2, but as of right now, no one connected to the project is saying anything and the rumor remains, well, just a rumor.

It wouldn't completely be out of the realm of possibility for Holland's Spider-Man to show up in the Sony Pictures comic book movie. The studio still owns the rights to the Web-Slinger's film appearances, so that would make sense for the character to be added in one shape or another. The case for his appearance is only made stronger when you consider the fact that Carnage first appeared in a Spider-Man comic, and the badass video game adaptation that followed a year later.

But again, this is all speculation. It would be pretty amazing for Spider-Man, or at least Peter Parker, to surprise audiences with in Venom 2.

Well, that's the (mostly confirmed) cast from the upcoming Venom 2. Whether the film makes its October 2, 2020, release date is another can of worms, but make sure to check back for the latest Venom and Marvel news here at CinemaBlend.

Spoilers ahead for the December 4 episode of The Masked Singer Season 2 on Fox.

Pitted against Thingamajig, Butterfly didn’t stand much of a chance at winning The Masked Singer once fans realized who she was, and singing the hit “Bang Bang” pretty much gave her away. After this week’s episode of the competition series revealed Butterfly to be none other than former Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams, The Masked Singer’s latest elimination admitted that she'd actually scared herself after one performance.

After ultimately losing the vote to Thingamajig, whose identity is still shrouded in secrecy, Michelle Williams says she blames herself for her elimination because her song choices made it easy to recognize her voice. In fact, Williams had this to say about how she reacted to hearing her own voice while backstage.

It sounds like The Masked Singer was therapeutic for Michelle Williams, even though she didn’t make it to the finals. The Destiny’s Child singer, who reunited with fellow members Beyonce and Kelly Rowland at Coachella last year, has struggled with mental health issues recently, and the Fox show gave her a chance to open up vocally again.

Speaking to EW, the Grammy-winning Michelle Williams also explained how grabbing the microphone to sing on The Masked Singer hit her in a “different way,” after she’d taken the last year off following non-stop work for 20 years.

You could almost say she was like a real life butterfly, and that The Masked Singer helped her finally emerge from her cocoon!

Although Michelle Williams will no longer be gracing fans with her vocal talents, her run on The Masked Singer has been a memorable one. It was even more enjoyable to watch the judges argue over who they thought she was, though Jenny McCarthy was the first to guess Michelle Williams’ identity correctly following her performance. (Ken Jeong briefly believed Williams was none other than Scandal’s Kerry Washington!) The Masked Singer won’t be the same without her.

You can check out her performance of Imagine Dragons' "Believer" below.

Does Butterfly’s nemesis Thingamajig, who flirted heavily with series judge Nicole Scherzinger, stand a chance at making it to the Season 2 finale? Find out with new episodes of The Masked Singer airing on Fox Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET. For more on what to watch for in 2020, be sure to check out our winter and spring TV schedule for all upcoming premieres.

Spoilers ahead for the December 4 episode of The Masked Singer Season 2 on Fox.

The Masked Singer was off for a couple of weeks to leave fans waiting to find out the identity of yet another of the second season's crop of singers, but it returned in a big way on December 4 to pit Butterfly vs. Fox and Thingamajig vs. Christmas Tree. Thingamajig took his flirtation with judge Nicole Scherzinger to the next level, which led her to drop a zinger on ex Nick Cannon. But was the added heat good for him, or was he the one to get burnt and unmasked?

Thingamajig is sticking around to sing another day, as it was Butterfly who was voted out and unmasked. Who was the one beating her wings all season? None other than Michelle Williams!

After her initial performance, the judges had a variety of guesses, with Jenny McCarthy sticking to her guns that the woman beneath the mask had to be Michelle Williams. (No, not that Michelle Williams.) For McCarthy, the former Destiny's Child singer fit the bill. Ken Jeong pitched Kerry Washington, while Robin Thicke went for Leona Lewis.

After the showdown between Thingamajig and Butterfly revealed Butterfly was fluttering her way out the door, the final guesses stood at Nicole Scherzinger, Robin Thicke, and Jenny McCarthy for Michelle Williams, Ken Jeong for former Spice Girl and America's Got Talent judge Mel B., and guest judge Joel McHale for other former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham. Kudos to Robin, Jenny, and Nicole!

Check out Michelle Williams' unmasking after losing the vote to Thingamajig on The Masked Singer

Even though she didn't quite make it to the finals of The Masked Singer, Michelle Williams -- who has dealt with mental health issues in recent years -- was clearly glad that she took the chance and appreciated the commentary from the judges. She then launched into an encore performance that, while not quite on the level of that Destiny's Child reunion, was full of power and energy.

Given Michelle Williams' killer performances, I can't help but wonder if Thingamajig remains in the game because audiences are charmed by his flirtation with Nicole Scherzinger. It's not the first example of a powerhouse singer getting the boot earlier than perhaps deserved, but Thingamajig was pretty solid in this episode. Fans watching from home may have mixed reactions, considering Thingamajig's identity is all but an open secret at this point.

All signs -- and there have been a lot of signs -- point toward Thingamajig's identity as Indiana Pacers basketball player Victor Oladipo. If he's unmasked, it won't be much of a thrilling twist, but then it would open the door for more mystery in the rest of the season. And hey, Nicole Scherzinger could meet her Masked Singer man face-to-face!

Who will be the next masked celeb revealed on The Masked Singer? Find out with new episodes on Fox Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET. Not a whole lot of time is left before the grand Season 2 finale, but you can find more viewing options for the not-too-distant future on our 2020 winter and spring premiere schedule.

Venom 2 has been slowly making progress, with the most notable update of late being that Andy Serkis has come aboard as director, taking over from Ruben Fleischer, who was busy this time around on Zombieland: Double Tap. Now Michelle Williams, who played Eddie Brock’s ex-fiancée Anne Weying in last year’s Venom, has confirmed that she will reprise her role in the sequel, saying that she’s particularly excited for work with Serkis. In Williams’ words:

Earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, Michelle Williams wasn’t sure if she’d be back for Venom 2, joking at the time that they’d have to pay her either way. But in the months since then, evidently Williams and Sony were able to work out a deal because Anne Weying will be around for Venom’s next cinematic adventure.

When Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock turned into Venom, eventually Anne Weying got dragged into his… let’s call them antics. She would soon learn about Eddie bonding with the symbiote, and while they weren’t romantically back together at the end of the Venom movie, Anne and Eddie were certainly on better terms. It’s unclear if Reid Scott, who played Anne’s new love interest, Dan Lewis, will be back for Venom 2.

Let’s also not forget that Venom also saw Anne Weying and the symbiote bonding during Venom, giving us the cinematic She-Venom and that memorable, yet super weird kiss scene. When asked by Yahoo about if Venom 2 would bring She-Venom back into the mix, Williams responded:

You can watch/re-watch Anne Weying’s brief time as a symbiote-powered individual in Venom below.

No official plot details for Venom 2 have been revealed yet, but Andy Serkis is hard at work hashing out the story with Tom Hardy and writer Kelly Marcel, who co-wrote the first Venom movie. Production on the sequel is expected to begin later this year.

One thing we can count on happening in Venom 2 is seeing the emergence of Cletus Kasady as Carnage, who is also a Spider-Man villain in the comics, but arguably has a greater antagonistic relationship with Venom. The Venom mid-credits scene introduced Cletus in prison, with Eddie Brock going to interview him in prison and Cletus promising that when he escaped, there would be carnage. Very on the nose.

While Venom 2’s release date hasn’t been officially announced yet, it’s expected to come out on October 2, 2020 since Sony has blocked off that date for one of its Marvel projects. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more news on how the sequel is coming along, but for now, head to our 2019 release schedule to plan your trips to the theater for the rest of the year accordingly.

Just as quickly as they got together, Michelle Williams and her husband Phil Elverum have called it quits on their marriage. Less than a year after they were wed, the actress and the musician are no longer seeing each other. Not a lot was known about their private relationship when they decided to say their vows. And now, before they celebrated their one-year anniversary, the couple decided to end things in equally swift fashion. Here's what we know about this surprise separation.

As it was reported by People, Michelle Williams and Phil Elverum have been separated since "the beginning of the year," according to an unnamed source reportedly close to the former couple. While they "remain friends" and it was an "amicable split" between them, the relationship was felt apart in rapid fashion — especially looking at the turn of events leading to their quickly evolving (and then dissolving) romance.

The couple announced they were living together in the early summer last year, very shortly before the public learned of their marriage. Phil Elverum and Michelle Williams were then married last summer, and it sounds like only about six months or so went by before the couple decided to call it a wrap on their romance.

As it is often the case with relationships, especially celebrity ones, it's hard to know what happened between Michelle Williams and Phil Elverum. The details are largely private, and the only information one can glean about the short-lived coupling is speculative and assumptive. Their love was one of the most serious relationships in Williams' life, however — especially after the sudden and heartbreaking loss of Heath Ledger, the father of her 12-year-old daughter, Matilda. Phil Elverum is also a parent himself; like Matilda, his 3-year-old daughter was one of the few guests in attendance at their wedding ceremony in the Adirondacks.

As it was reported last year, Michelle Williams disclosed her relationship and marriage to Phil Elverum for the first time when she was profiled by Vanity Fair. Here's how the Academy Award-nominated film and television actress described her secretive and emotional romance to her previously-unknown lover at the time.

Michelle Williams and Phil Elverum were brought together — at least in part — by their shared feelings of loss. Elverum lost his wife, fellow musician Geneviève Castrée, only 18 months after she gave birth to their daughter. They've both faced many hardships in their lives, and their related sense of tragic loss was liekly one thing that brought them together. It's unknown what drove them apart. This update was made shortly after Michelle Williams was seen in public without her wedding band.

Away from her personal life, Michelle Williams can be seen in the FX new biopic, Fosse/Verdon, the limited series she stars in alongside Sam Rockwell's Bob Fosse. Her performance as Gwen Verdon is one of the show's most celebrated aspects.

Warning: Spoilers follow for Venom. Come back after seeing the movie!

I'll get this out of the way: I was not a fan of Venom. The movie is no trainwreck, but it's so generic and by-the-book that it fails to impress in a meaningful way. The majority of critics seem to agree on this, but audiences are divided. Despite negative reviews, Venom now holds the No. 1 opening in October history and ranks at B+ with CinemaScore. For the most part, audiences seem to like the movie, and while there are are a few reasons for why the film had such a successful debut (practically no competition; A Star is Born is not appealing to anywhere close to the same demographic), I can't deny that Venom isn't without its bright spots.

On the whole, Venom is not a great movie, but that doesn't mean that it can't do a couple of things right. Director Ruben Fleischer and actor Tom Hardy give this film some weird energy that comes in sporadically, which fuels some of the more memorable scenes. I'm not entirely sure that I'll ever fully understand what about Venom propelled people to the theater last weekend, but the film does these three things pretty well, and it likely stopped the movie from becoming a big mess.

The Relationship Between Eddie Brock and Venom

You might think that the central romance in the movie is Eddie Brock and his ex-fiance Anne Weying (Michelle Williams, who was nominated for four Academy Awards), but that's incorrect. The real romance is between Brock and Venom, and it makes for the more intriguing and interesting moments in the film. It's no coincidence that once Venom starts talking that this movie begins to pick up steam. Brock and his symbiote are an underdog duo, with Brock as a prisoner of his own body. A lot of times the interactions between the two are fun, with Venom heckling Brock while the journalist tries to keep the symbiote from biting off heads. It's a bizarre Odd Couple situation, but the film is usually better when it focuses on that. Plus, they just straight up make out with each other, which will stay with you long after you leave the theater.

It Doesn't Try To Set Up Other Movies

One of the top reasons that cinematic universes fail is because they try to do too much at once. For example, Tom Cruise's recent The Mummy tried to fit in multiple setups to other films in a yet-to-be-launched Dark Universe, but this all took away from the movie's own plot, making everything feel forced and irrelevant. Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice is also guilty of this. With Sony developing numerous films in its Spider-Man universe, like Morbius, Nightwatch, Black and Silver, and Silk, there was a good chance that Venom would make the same mistake. Well, it looks like Sony has been paying attention because Venom doesn't worry about anything but itself, allowing it to tell a straightforward story about alien goo. Sure, it sets up its own sequel, but that's a much easier and less distracting pill to swallow then if Eddie Brock was drafted into a war with vampires, or something similarly out of left field.

They Let Tom Hardy Go Nuts

Tom Hardy has been in a lot of good movies, and if there's one thing that can be said of his acting, it's that this guy goes for it. He's known for his wild performances and near indecipherable voices, but for Venom, Hardy was let off the leash. The Oscar-nominated actor is the best thing about this movie because he is giving 100% of his effort. Once the symbiote enters the picture, Hardy's performance gets super weird and sweaty, and you can tell that he is having a ball eating chicken from the trash and jumping into lobster tanks. The funniest scene in the movie is Hardy improvising! I'm not exactly sure if Hardy's performance is good, but it picks the film up whenever it begins to feel stale, and you have to admire the guy for putting the work in when just about every other actor is coasting.

As popular as comic book movies have become, not every actor seems to be interested in becoming part of one. There's still something of a division between the popular film genre and the "artistic" movie scene that makes up the sort of the films that you tend to see on awards shows. Michelle Williams, a multi-time Academy Award nominee, would generally be part of this latter group, but it turns out she really wanted to join the comic book movie genre, because she thought it looked like a fun challenge. According to Williams...

While some may turn their nose up at movies based on comic books, Michelle Williams is not one of those people. In fact, quite to the contrary, she sees a unique challenge in being in a movie like that. The actress sees actors on screen in some of the most fantastic and unbelievable situations one could imagine, but on screen, it all looks so real. Williams saw that as a different sort of challenge as an actor. Some might think acting against a green screen or performing opposite a tennis ball on a stick might not be something to strive towards, but if you've never done it, how do you know how well you could do it?

Michelle Williams also points out that comic movies, generally speaking, look to be a lot of fun on screen and whatever your job is, it's nice when you can really enjoy doing it from time to time.

However, Michelle Williams tells Collider there was also one other reason that she chose to make Venom specifically. She wasn't simply interested in making a comic book movie, she was also interested in making one with this particular lead actor.

Can anybody blame her?

Based on what Michelle Williams has said recently, it sounds like she enjoyed making Venom as much as she would have hoped. She has called the possibility of playing She-Venom in a future film, something that could be in the cards based on the character she plays in Venom, a "dream come true." It's one thing to have been part of a comic book movie. It's apparently another to actually play the hero, or in this case, anti-hero.

Based on the initial box office response, it's quite possible Michelle Williams could get that chance. Venom crushed the October box office in its opening weekend. If it keeps going in that direction then you can be sure that a sequel is going to be on the way, and probably sooner rather than later.

Sony's experiments with Venom over the years have been... interesting. By all accounts, the alien symbiote was forced on Sam Raimi for the ill-fated Spider-Man 3, miscasting Topher Grace as a smarmy Eddie Brock and relying on practical effects to create Venom's signature suit. And now that the studio is trying to bring Venom back to the big screen in a solo origin story, behind-the-scenes business deals mean they need to do so without the assistance of Venom's true rival, Spider-Man.

Venom held its world premiere on Monday night, and social media reactions dropped overnight, with people in general feeling mixed-to-negative about Ruben Fleischer's film. I'll start with my own Tweet, where I claim:

Trying to elaborate, I follow up with:

Meanwhile, over at ComicBook, Brandon Davis weighs in with:

And SuperBrosMovies goes this far:

But on some of the Tweets, the tide turns, as a few viewers believe that the comedy in the movie saves it, or that Venom merely isn't as bad as they feared it could be. Backhanded praise, but praise, nonetheless. Perri Nemiroff from Collider states:

And Beatrice Verhoeven of The Wrap claims:

Unintended laughter is still laughter, right? The datedness of Venom is what strikes most people, with this Tweet summing it up:

Soon, you will be able to see for yourself. Tom Hardy stars as Venom, in a movie that surrounds him with Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Jenny Slate and Woody Harrelson. It will be in theaters starting Thursday night. Do you think you will check it out?

This poll is no longer available.

Ever since Spider-Man 3's release, Sony Pictures has had a Venom movie in some form of development. The project came close to getting off the ground when the Amazing Spider-Man series was planning to expand, but after those plans collapsed, it seemed like Venom was once again on ice. Then 2017 happened, and seemingly out of nowhere, Sony announced that it was fast-tracking a Venom movie after a year of no updates.

Now Venom joins the growing ranks of superhero movies that turn the tables and focus on villains/anti-heroes, like The Punisher, Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Gotham City Sirens and the Doctor Doom movie. It also sounds like Sony is taking extra care to deliver a Venom to audiences this year who is more faithful to the source material, though there will be several key differences between this new live-action iteration and his comic book counterpart. With Venom looking like it will be one of the more intriguing blockbusters of 2018, here are all the important details that have been released about the project so far. Let's start with the most recent, intrigue and violence-filled trailer, shall we?

Whoa! While the first trailer didn't actually show us even a hint of Tom Hardy as Venom, this one not only answers some story questions, but finally gives fans a full look at the supervillain/anti-hero. Now, let's move on to all the info we've been able to gather about the film!

What Is Venom's Release Date?

Venom will be released in theaters on October 5, 2018. This is an odd month to release a superhero film, but as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Logan and others have taught us, a movie in this genre doesn't have to be released in the summer or the November/December season for it to be successful. Plus, since Venom is intended to feel more like a horror movie than a straightforward superhero flick, releasing it outside the usual blockbuster season may help it stand out even more. Currently, Venom only has competition on that opening weekend in the form of the Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga remake of A Star Is Born, meaning it should have the market cornered on those who want to watch a dude who's been taken over by an alien eat some bad guys.

What Is Venom's Rating?

As mentioned earlier, Venom will have a horror tilt, which is fitting, since Venom is one of the scarier Marvel comics villains. With extra frights comes extra violence, and when paired together, they usually equal an R rating. And, while director Ruben Fleischer had said he wanted the movie to comfortably rest in that adult territory, the lure of easily getting young butts in seats led the film to be cut in a way that would allow for a PG-13 rating. Tom Hardy, for one, has said that he thinks this was a good move, and that the film was still able to double down on the character's scarier traits and violent tendencies. But, he's also made it known that he'd love the sequel to be able to go way darker, and fully embrace an R rating, much like Deadpool and Logan. Potential Spider-Man cameo be damned.

Venom's Director

Ruben Fleischer is taking the reins on Venom, and he has plenty of experience in both the horror and action realms. Fleischer is best known for directing the horror comedy Zombieland, which came out two years before The Walking Dead TV series hit the scene. In 2011, he reunited with Jesse Eisenberg to direct 30 Minutes or Less, and two years later he helmed Gangster Squad. Venom marks Fleischer's first feature-length directorial project since Gangster Squad, but he's also been keeping himself busy on television by executive producing and directing episodes of Superstore, American Housewife and The Santa Clarita Diet. If Fleischer can pull off the same kind of unique genre melding with Venom that he did with Zombieland, then this will be a movie that can be enjoyed just as much by comic book fans as by horror fans. Fleischer has also said that Venom will be inspired by the works of David Cronenberg and John Carpenter.

What Is The Story Of Venom?

In January of 2018, Ruben Fleischer revealed that the story for Venom would actually be based on two comic stories that the character starred in. One is Lethal Protector, a six-issue miniseries which ran in 1993. In this series, Eddie Brock moves to San Francisco after telling Spider-Man that he would give up his Venom-filled life of crime. While there, though, his past comes back to haunt him when the father of one of his victims hires mercenaries to kill him. This caused a commotion which drew Spider-Man to the city, and he and Venom eventually had to face off against five of the Venom symbiote's offspring.

The second story is Planet of the Symbiotes, which ran in 1995. Eddie finally realized how much the symbiote was corrupting him, and managed to drive it out. But, this pissed the alien off so much that it called to a nearby spaceship filled with symbiotes to attack the Earth. This story features Carnage, as well as the five symbiotes from Lethal Protector.

Something that's confirmed in the most recent trailer is the fact that at least one symbiote will come from outer space, as we see the symbiote being taken from the wreckage of a crashed ship in the opening moments. The trailer also tells us that we'll follow Eddie Brock as he investigates The Life Foundation, which has obtained the creature and is using the symbiote to experiment on people and try to force human evolution. Obviously, that's going to go badly, and when Eddie is accidentally joined to the Venom symbiote, he's going to be fighting agents of the foundation to stay safe and, possibly, keep others who have joined with symbiotes from causing deadly trouble all over the city.

Eddie Brock/Venom

Tom Hardy will play Eddie Brock/Venom in the Venom movie. Hardy is no stranger to the world of comic book media, having previously played Bane in The Dark Knight Rises and being attached to lead the 100 Bullets movie. Hardy was also supposed to play Rick Flagg in Suicide Squad, but he had to bow out due to scheduling conflicts, and he was replaced by Joel Kinnaman. Hardy is the second actor to play Venom in live action, preceded by Topher Grace in 2007's Spider-Man 3. Well, third if you count Ryan Kwanten's performance in the fan made short film Truth in Journalism.

While several individuals have become Venom in the comics over the decades, including Mac Gargan (better known as the Scorpion) and Flash Thompson (Peter Parker's bully-turned-friend who went by Agent Venom), Eddie is the one who's most associated with the name.

Eddie was introduced in 1986's Web of Spider-Man #18, and in his early appearances, he was a reporter for The Daily Globe. Eddie thought he finally found his journalistic break when he started looking into the serial killer known as The Sin-Eater. During his investigation, Eddie was contacted by a man named Emil Gregg, who claimed to be the Sin-Eater. After speaking with Gregg and finding what he thought was evidence to support Gregg's claim, Eddie wrote up an expose that revealed the killer's identity. However, soon after it was revealed that Gregg wasn't the real Sin-Eater, as Spider-Man had caught the real killer. Eddie was instantly fired from his job, and his already emotionally distant father cut off communication with him entirely.

Eddie blamed Spider-Man for what happened, and one night, he found himself at a church where he wrestled with his hatred for the superhero and whether or not he should kill himself. Coincidentally, this was the same church where Spider-Man was trying to rid himself of the alien symbiote that was trying to take over his body. Peter Parker was able to use the church's bells to free himself from the symbiotes' hold, as intense sounds are one of its weaknesses. But the symbiote didn't go without a new host for long, as it quickly attached itself to the emotionally wrecked Eddie, and when they joined together, Venom was born.

Thanks to the symbiote's time with Peter Parker, Venom has all the same abilities as Spider-Man, from wall-crawling to super strength greater than Spidey's, to even shooting web-like material made from its own body. In addition to the inherited Spider-abilities, the symbiote can also heal its host more quickly, filter out toxic substances, share any memories it obtained from previous hosts and shape shift to camouflage or disguise itself. As if all these powers weren't enough, Venom also can't be detected by Spider-Man's spider sense, although he didn't inherit a spider sense of his own. As for weaknesses, intense sounds and fire are the main things that can bring him down.

Carlton Drake

The villainous head of The Life Foundation will be played by Riz Ahmed in Venom. It was thought that he would be taking on the role of Carnage when he was first added to the film's cast, but that turns out not to be true. Instead, the movie's panel at SDCC 2018 revealed that his Carlton Drake would, indeed, become so intrigued by the experiments he's running that he decides to use himself as a guinea pig, with Drake becoming the evil symbiote known as Riot in the comics. The Venom trailer which was released at the end of July 2018 finally showed off some of the conflict that audiences can expect between Venom and Riot, even though it does take quite a bit of eagle-eyed viewing to see it about two-thirds into the spot. But, it's good to know we can count on Drake doing more than leading The Life Foundation with a wicked grin.

Ann Weying

Eddie Brock's ex-wife, Ann Weying, was a successful lawyer, and during one of Venom's rampages, Ann helped Spider-Man talk Eddie down and convince him to give up. During another story, the Sin-Eater shot Ann, and to save her, Eddie had the Venom symbiote bond with her to heal her wounds. By doing this, Ann became She-Venom, and during her brief time with the symbiote, she killed the two men who tried to attack her and Eddie. After Ann was freed, she tried to blame her actions on the symbiote, but Eddie told her that the symbiote never forces its host to do something they don't want to do. Ann was then arrested, but Eddie sent the Venom symbiote to her so she could escape prison. She-Venom went for another round against some criminals, and when Eddie was injured, she gave up the symbiote to save him. But those experiences were too much for her, and months later she killed herself due to her inability to cope with having been She-Venom and seeing Eddie transform back into Venom.

Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) is portraying Ann in Venom, but for the purposes of this story, it sounds like she'll be a district attorney who falls for Eddie while he's still coming to terms with being joined with the symbiote, instead of already being his ex-wife by the time the movie starts. As for if she'll become She-Venom, that's unlikely, given that Eddie is the star of the show, but who knows, maybe to defeat Carnage, Eddie will need to let go of part or all of his symbiote and give it to Ann so she can lend assistance. However, Williams noted in December 2017 that no efforts had been made to digitize her appearance, so it sounds like She-Venom is out for the time being.

Cletus Kasady/Carnage

Venom is, as of this writing, just a week away from opening, but we still have no idea if Carnage will fill any antagonist position in the movie, even though it's been rumored that the character will be around for quite some time. If he is, it will be something to see, because unlike Venom, Carnage doesn't have a moral compass. Cletus Kasady was one of the world's most notorious serial killers, guided by the mindset that only through chaos can one truly be free. Eventually, he was captured and sent to Ryker's Island, where he shared a cell with Eddie Brock. When the Venom symbiote sneaked into the prison to re-bond with Eddie, it left behind an offspring, and because this alien species don't feel any attachment to their children, Eddie's symbiote didn't clue him in on the "baby." After Eddie's escape, this new symbiote bonded with Kasady, turning him into Carnage and passing along the same spider-powers that the Venom symbiote inherited from Spider-Man (including super strength greater than Spidey and Venom's) and natural abilities of a symbiote. Carnage is also able to shoot parts of its symbiote as weapons that disintegrate seconds later; something Venom can't do.

With his powers and psychopathic mind, Carnage is one of the Marvel universe's most dangerous villains, making him a great opponent for Venom on the big screen. No details about the Venom movie's version of Carnage have been revealed yet, including whether it will remain an offspring of the original symbiote or if it's a completely separate entity, or whether or not we'll actually see Carnage as opposed to just seeing the man who would later become him. Fortunately, Venom hates Carnage almost as much as he hates Spider-Man, so seeing the symbiote-powered characters clash on the big screen should be a treat.

When actor Riz Ahmed (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) was added to the Venom cast in the summer of 2017, rumors swirled that he had been cast as Carnage in the movie. But, those rumors were quickly shot down by reports which noted he was filling another major role in the film. Not much more was said about Carnage until early April 2018, when another set of rumors led many to believe that Woody Harrelson, whose potential casting was reported in December 2017, would actually be the one filling the role of the murderous, chaos-loving symbiote/serial killer. Nothing is concrete just yet, but it's all but been confirmed that there will be a mid-credits scene at the end of Venom, meaning that Carnage (and Harrelson) could surprise us then.

Dora Skirth

Luckily for Eddie Brock, after he decides to take on The Life Foundation he'll have some help in the form of Jenny Slate's Dora Skirth. Dora, who is a character created just for the film, works for the foundation and helps Eddie out by giving him some insider information on the symbiote the organization is experimenting with. Not so luckily, his trip behind the scenes of the foundation with Dora appears to be how he ends up becoming one with Venom.

Spider-Man

Following The Amazing Spider-Man 2's underwhelming performance, Sony decided to scrap its plans for a Spider-Man cinematic universe and teamed up with Marvel to bring the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The result was introducing the third cinematic incarnation of Peter Parker in Captain America: Civil War, followed by Spider-Man: Homecoming a year later. Spider-Man has a bright future ahead of him in the MCU, but the same can't be said for Sony's spinoff movies. Even though Tom Holland's Spider-Man adventures and Venom exist in the same reality, i.e. the MCU, Spider-Man will not show up during Eddie Brock's standalone story; not even for a cameo, all rumors to the contrary. It's a shame, because many have been hoping see a better brawl between Spidey and Venom after Spider-Man 3 failed to impress on that front. Alas, all we can hope for now is if Sony is willing to reverse this policy and fit Spidey into a Venom sequel if that is greenlit.

Sony's Marvel Universe

Venom isn't the only Spider-Man-centric movie Sony has coming down the pipeline. Silver & Black was also in development for a time, but, after being delayed indefinitely in February 2018, the movie was then scrapped in favor of two separate solo films, meant to focus on Silver Sable and Black Cat. Both characters have been allies and also enemies to Spider-Man over the years, reportedly going up against villains like Tombstone, Tarantula, Scorpion and Chameleon. At this point, neither film is expected to include the presence of Spider-Man, much like Venom. Also in development right now is a film set to focus on Cindy Moon, a.k.a. Silk. Details on this film are also under wraps, but Silk is a cool comic character who was bitten by the same spider as Peter Parker, and (while not as strong as him) is faster, has a more powerful sixth sense and can shoot webbing from her actual fingertips. These three projects have joined Spike Lee's Nightwatch movie and Morbius the Living Vampire as potential films from this shared universe, and we'll be sure to keep you updated as these films move forward.

There are certainly a lot of risks involved with Sony's upcoming release of Venom, but if you were to ask a comic book fan what they thought was most alarming, they would likely point out the lack of Spider-Man. Sony and Marvel haven't been entirely on the same page about Spider-Man's connection to the Venom movie, but for a character whose whole identity is based on being the dark version of Spidey, you have to wonder how Venom can work without his nemesis. Well, it's not that impossible, because Marvel Comics has been doing some serious legwork to distance Venom and Spider-Man, with the latest relaunch going full-on cosmic with Venom's backstory.

As comic book fans and moviegoers know, Spider-Man once bonded with a parasitic symbiote that made him more powerful but with extra rage issues that made him kind of a butthole. Spidey ditched the suit, but it quickly found a new host in Eddie Brock, granting him all of Spider-Man's powers. As both a supervillain and anti-hero, Venom is pretty attached to Spider-Man and even when a new host was found, that character usually had some kind of prior relationship with Spidey or Peter Parker. Venom is Spider-Man's shadow, which makes it all the more difficult to make a Venom movie and leave Web Head out of it entirely.

However, Marvel Comics may be giving the movie some wiggle room by making some big revelations about Venom's past. While Spider-Man works best on the ground level, Venom's comic book adventures of late have had their sights set on the stars -- perhaps none more than the recent relaunch. Written by Donny Cates and drawn by Ryan Stegman, Venom completely reinvents the character by exploring the origins of the entire symbiote race. As it turns out, Peter Parker isn't the first human to bond with a symbiote. The U.S. government had a secret program where it bonded symbiotes with soldiers, sending them in as weapons for deadly missions like the Vietnam War.

But that's barely a blip on the radar once you hear the rest. When the comic starts, Eddie Brock has been having trouble controlling the symbiote, and has a bit of an episode where Venom takes on a new form and speaks an indecipherable ancient language. Then Brock is recruited by Rex, the last survivor of the government's Sym-Soldier Program, who offers Brock the secrets to his symbiote in exchange for help freeing his old soldier buddies who are under government control.

Long story short, there's a lot more going on and what Venom actually frees is an ancient symbiote dragon who has finally woken up from a thousand-year slumber.

Heavy right? Well, it's not over yet. It turns out that this dragon and every symbiote is just a piece of a god named Knull, a malevolent being older than the universe itself. He remembers the Big Bang, and he went to war with the Celestials when they started to create the universe, believing their light was usurping his kingdom of darkness. To fight them, Knull crafted a living sword called All-Black (which is a big part of a really good, but unrelated, Thor comic), but he eventually lost it. Turning a decapitated Celestial head into a forge, Knull created an army of symbiotes from his darkness and used them to conquer planets. However, the symbiote-dragon was defeated by Thor on Earth and his lightning severed Knull's connection to the symbiotes.

Knull was eventually imprisoned in the core of an artificial planet by his creations, who had become "infected" with benevolence. With his consciousness awoken with the dragon, Knull is back in action and now plans to resume his galactic conquest -- beginning with Earth.

So, yeah, a lot more complicated than alien goo loves Spider-Man. Obviously, this story is about as far away from Peter Parker as possible. An early encounter with Knull causes Venom to gain a few new powers, one of which is the ability to grow dragon wings, meaning that Venom barely even needs spider powers anymore.

None of this is to say that the Venom movie is going to be doing any of this. This comic is only five issues in, so it's impossible that it served as inspiration for the movie. The point is that this is an example of how to make us of Venom with relying on his connections to Spider-Man. All of this is based on his symbiote backstory, which is cosmic and weird and cool. There's no reason Venom can't dig into the cosmic side to make up for the Spidey stuff that it can't touch. Plus, with Tom Hardy contracted for three movies, who's to say that Knull won't show up in a sequel.

Given that Knull is related to like three different Marvel characters (that Celestial head he lived in is Knowhere from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies), it would be cooler to see him in the MCU, but at least this gives Venom option beyond fighting evil symbiotes. He's always been tied to Spider-Man, but now the universe is a lot bigger for Venom, which only means more freedom for his feature-length film.

With the release of Sony's Venom comes the launch of the studio's Spider-Verse, but without the titular hero in attendance. The upcoming film will follow Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, a reporter who acquires the power of an alien symbiote, thus becoming the horrifying comic book villain. With plans for a bigger franchise, one has to wonder if the origin story will solely focus on Venom or implement other characters part of the lore, especially if it goes forward with a sequel. Michelle Williams, for example, is portraying Eddie's love interest and attorney, Anne Weying, who also becomes She-Venom in the comics. Williams was asked about what she thinks of suiting up as the slimy symbiotic better half to Venom. and here's what she said:

It's nice to know Michelle Williams is into the role per her interview with Total Film (via ComicBookMovie.com). While it's unlikely She-Venom will make an appearance in Venom, as Ann Weying seems to be playing a supporting role, it would be a great storyline for the sequel, if the first film does well commercially. The talented actress has never delved into the superhero genre before , often taking dramatic roles in films such as Blue Valentine and Manchester by the Sea, though in recent years she has widened her range in the fantasy genre with Oz The Great & Powerful and with the comedy I Feel Pretty. Williams previously said she joined Venom because she enjoys trying new things in her career and likes to take on a challenge. If she ever takes on She-Venom, it would be a quite the task to play a bloodthirsty woman capable of great terror.

In the comics, Ann Weying is shot and close to death when Eddie Brock saves her by allowing her to bond with the symbiote. Just as Eddie becomes more aggressive and violent as Venom, She-Venom shares a similar transformation, this time carrying out a reign of vengeance against the men who did previously did her wrong. Eddie is forced to step in and stop She-Venom's sudden violent behaviors. She-Venom makes another appearance when Ann is wrongfully imprisoned and Eddie sends her a piece of his power to break out. Anne's story eventually ends with the character committing suicide when she sees who she thinks is Venom, months after being bonded with the substance unable to cope with seeing him again. It turns out it was just Spider-Man dressed in a black suit.

While we'll have to wait and find out if She-Venom ever makes an appearance in Sony's Spider-Verse, director Ruben Fleischer did reveal that other villains will be in the movie, as they are planning to expand the universe starting with this movie, with rumors of Carnage's possible appearance yet to be confirmed. Venom will hit theaters October 5.

Superhero movies are everywhere. With the MCU, DC Universe, and X-Men franchise, there's a ton of superheroic properties being released every few months. Sony is now trying to get back into the superhero game, developing a series of films with Spider-Man's supporting characters. The first of these is Venom, which will bring Eddie Brock and his antihero alter ego to the silver screen for the first time since the less than stellar attempt in Spider-Man 3. Joining Tom Hardy's title character is four-time Oscar nominee Michelle Williams, playing his love interest Anne Weying. Williams isn't exactly a superhero regular like Zoe Saldana, so why did she sign on? As she recently revealed:

It looks like Michelle Williams is an actress who like to challenge herself. And what could be more challenging than a Venom movie without Spider-Man? The odds are stacked against Ruben Fleischer's upcoming blockbuster, so only time will tell if Williams made the right call by joining the infant Spider-Verse.

Michelle Williams' comments to Vanity Fair make a great deal of sense, as the actress has been in a ton of different projects throughout the years. This includes big budget CGI wonders like Oz the Great and Powerful, intimate dramas like Brokeback Mountain, horror flicks like H20, and comedies like I Feel Pretty. Williams has never been one to take predictable acting jobs, so playing Anne Weying in Venom is just another way to continue challenging herself.

From the looks of Venom's first trailers, Michelle Williams will mostly be playing a love interest and supporting character in Venom. In addition to her relationship with Eddie Brock, she's also an attorney representing shady Life Foundation, run by Riz Ahmed's Carlton Drake. Anne Weying will likely be the connective tissue between Venom and the Foundation, and will hopefully be able to get into some action of her own by the film's end. With a talent like Williams attached, it would be a waste to keep her on the sidelines.

If Venom ends up being a success, then Michelle Williams' role in the still growing Sony Spider-Verse will likely grow as well. In the comics, Anne Weying ends up eventually bonding with the symbiote herself. After being shot, it temporarily bonded with her to save her life, thus transforming her into She-Venom. This made her far more aggressive and violent, totally flipping the character on its head. This seems like a great storyline to explore in a possible Venom sequel, and will incentivize William to return for another go at Anne.

Venom will hit theaters on October 5th. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Michelle Williams is a bit of a contradiction. She's both a very famous public figure and she's an intensely private person. The actress can be seen in some high profile movies lately, including last year's All the Money in the World, this spring's comedy I Feel Pretty, and this October's forthcoming Marvel adaptation, Venom. But even though she keeps herself in the spotlight professionally, there are a few things about her private life that haven't previously been disclosed. For instance, she's married now. Yep. As it was announced in a recent profile, Williams and singer-songwriter Phil Elverum -- who were a couple previously unknown to the public -- were married in a private ceremony in Adirondacks earlier this year. Attendance only included close friends and the daughters of the newlyweds. Turns out, Cardi B isn't the only one who knows how to surprise us with unexpected marriage news. Here's what we know about Michelle Williams' previously undisclosed relationship, and now marriage, to Phil Elverum.

The surprising marriage reveal was disclosed in Michelle Williams' recent profile in Vanity Fair. In the piece, Williams says she bonded with her new husband through their mutual understanding of losing a partner due to tragic circumstances while trying to raise a small child. For Michelle Williams, that tragedy was the loss of Heath Ledger, the late actor she dated for three years after they worked together on Ang Lee's acclaimed drama Brokeback Mountain. It has been ten years since Ledger left this world filled with a wealth of talent and raw potential. She remembers him through their daughter, Matilda (12).

Here's how Michelle Williams described falling in love again, and how she grew to open her heart again with Matilda helping to guide her by her side. The actress admits that, while she never gave up on finding love again, she was waiting to find that radical acceptance she found with Heath Ledger. Ultimately, she believes she has that love and acceptance again through her relationship with Phil Elverum.

While Phil Elverum was previously living in Anacortes, Washington, the musician lives in Brooklyn with his new wife and their daughters now. As for why Michelle Williams decided to reveal her relationship now, because she wanted to provide the hope she has found through her renewed sense of love. Here's how Michelle Williams describes that feeling of hope and kinship she has found with her husband.

Venom makes its way into theaters on October 5th, complete with Michelle Williams' character Anne Weying.

Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams is seeking mental health help, and she's proud to say that. The 37-year-old musician hasn't kept her mental health struggles a secret; in the past, she admitted to feelings of depression and suicidal thoughts. But as an advocate for mental health awareness, she believes she needs to enforce the beliefs she gives to others, and that's why she is seeking treatment. In a heartfelt social media address, Michelle Williams spoke openly about the journey she is set to embark on, and she admits that she is "proudly, happily and healthily" choosing to do so today.

As she explained in the Instagram post, Michelle Williams has decided herself to "increasing awareness" of mental health and "empowering people" to discover and recognize when it is time to seek help -- as well as support and guidance -- from support systems. Sure enough, Williams is taking this very opportunity to listen to the same advice that she has given to thousands of people around the world. The singer will now be seeking help from a professional team of healthcare professionals, and she hopes this is only the beginning of her healthy journey.

In some parting words, Michelle Williams offered some leaving words for people like her who also wish to seek mental health resources.

Since announcing her mental health treatment, Michelle Williams has seen support and guidance from other musicians. For example, Missy Elliott had some comforting words to give her

Additionally, former Destiny's Child member LaTavia Robertson also provided Michelle Williams with some comforting words of support on Twitter.

In an earlier interview from October 2017 on US TV (via BBC), Michelle Williams elaborated on her mental health and explained to fans that fame and success isn't the key to happiness.

This news comes shortly after Destiny's Child reunited at Coachella, with Beyonce Knowles joining the stage with Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland. We wish Michelle Williams well in her journey, and we're glad that she feels open and willing enough to seek help during this point in her life.

Ever since their time on Dawson's Creek, Busy Phillips and Michelle Williams have been the closest of BFFs. They attend the Oscars together. They share the cover of Entertainment Weekly together. Both actresses star in the new comedy, I Feel Pretty, arriving in theaters this weekend. Phillips and Williams have been through it all, and Busy is even willing to get into a bar fight for her best friend if the moment calls for it. And that's exactly what (almost) happened, as Busy Phillips recounts on The Late Late Show with James Corden. When someone tried to talk trash on sweet Michelle Williams when they were in their early '20s, Phillips claims she was ready to take the issue outside in Williams' honor. Here's how Busy Phillips recounted the situation on the late night talk show.

As Busy Phillips explains in the talk show clip, she was a pretty wild girl. She's thankful gossip sites like TMZ weren't around, because Phillips believes she would've been "TMZ-ed out of Hollywood" if the Internet was what it is today. As a result, Busy Phillips was more prone to wild behavior, and she even had the nose ring to prove it. As she explained, when you messed with the bull, you got the bull nose ring. While it was hidden inside Busy's nose when she was acting, it came out when people like this drunken individual messed with her BFF, Michelle Williams. Here's how Phillips explained it.

The lesson here is clear: don't mess with Busy Phillips, especially if you're talking smack on Michelle Williams. She will not take it lightly. You can watch Phillips recount the almost-ugly bar encounter in the clip below.

Busy Phillips and Michelle Williams can be seen in I Feel Pretty, which is now playing in theaters.

There are certain figures in entertainment who seem to always be met with criticism and outrage. While it's gone up and down throughout her career, actress/comedian Amy Schumer has been that person on many occasions. Schumer has a very strong perspective on the world, and is unapologetic in her responses. Her newest comedy I Feel Pretty may be less raunchy that her previous comedies, with its PG-13 rating, but the subject matter already has polarized critics. Luckily for Schumer and everyone involved, the finished product is a movie that is relatable, respectful, and has equal parts heart and comedy.

While Amy Schumer has toned down some of her more NSFW tendencies and language for I Feel Pretty, the film still feels like something straight out of her Comedy Central show Inside Amy Schumer. The movie focuses on the shallowness of online dating, self esteem issues, and ultimately finding one's own beauty. While doing all of that, it still manages to keep audiences busting a gut, while not allowing the comedy to become monotonous or saturated.

In their directorial debut, I Feel Pretty is helmed by writing duo Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein, who are known for their work in dating comedies like How To Be Single, Never Been Kissed, and He's Just Not That Into You. Joining Schumer in the cast are some impressive ladies including Michelle Williams, Busy Phillips, Aidy Bryant, and even Naomi Campbell.

The story follows New Yorker Renee (Amy Schumer), who has a crippling lack of self confidence. Renee doesn't find the beauty in her own appearance and life, resulting in her missing out on opportunities because she's simply not brave enough to belief in herself and go for it. But all of that changes with one fateful SoulCycle Class.

Ultimately Renee hits her head at SoulCycle, and wakes up believing she's the most beautiful person in the room. This changes everything for her, and sets her upon a new career, relationship, and hilariously awkward encounters.

The use of SoulCycle class is not accidental, as I Feel Pretty takes plenty of jabs towards white girl culture, and the like. This is a favorite source of material for Amy Schumer, who enjoys pointing out the ridiculousness of dating, fitness, and her own privilege. Not nearly enough to simply have Renee hit her head at SoulCycle, one supporting actor actually utters the words "We got a white girl down" after the incident.

I Feel Pretty keeps the jokes coming at a solid pace, allowing the audience to remain engaged and entertained throughout most its runtime. Aside from its myriad bits, the movie also boasts an emotional and relatable narrative; Renee's insecurity in settings like job interviews and exercise classes is something that most of us have experienced at one point or another.

Seeing Renee so overly confident obviously creates plenty of moments for comedy, but it also provides a unique sense of joy and happiness for her. Renee is so secure in herself and her body that you can't help but smile-- even when there isn't a punchline ready. And what starts as a doomed bikini contest at a bar quickly becomes a joyous montage that reminds us why we fell in love with Amy Schumer in the first place.

I Feel Pretty was met with criticism regarding its subject matter, although the finished product will likely silence those in protest. Renee doesn't say she's skinny after her injury, just that she's beautiful. Ultimately the story is about her finding the beauty in her own body, which is something that those critics weren't aware of when the film's synopsis and trailers were released.

While there are some moments of lag, I Feel Pretty provides a joyous and hilarious new comedy for Amy Schumer's talents, while also providing an emotional core and relatable story.

Dawson's Creek was once one of the biggest shows for young adults, and fans are still passionate to this day about whether Pacey or Dawson was a better match for Joey. In fact, it's difficult to believe that the show premiered way back in 1998 and the young actors who tackled the four lead roles are now accomplished performers with many roles to their names. James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, and Michelle Williams reunited for Dawson's Creek's 20th anniversary. Take a look at the pic!

Something tells me Joey/Pacey fans will be happy with this reunion photo! Katie Holmes has her hands on Joshua Jackson's shoulders in a pose that could almost pass for a photo of Joey and Pacey, 15 years after the finale ended with the two poised to enjoy a happily-ever-after. The response to the pic (posted on EW's Twitter) might have been quite negative among those fans if James Van Der Beek had been touching one or both of them. That love triangle may be best left in the past. For her part, Michelle Williams looks lovely as always as she stands over the other three.

Now that TV is in an era of reboots, remakes, and revivals, this reunion of the four key Dawson's Creek players will undoubtedly have fans wondering if they could comeback for another batch of episodes together. Revivals -- such as Will and Grace and the newly-premiered Roseanne -- have turned in huge ratings and given the actors more exposure. That said, the actors are more or less doing pretty well for themselves without tackling their Dawson's Creek roles again, and Katie Holmes has already said that she doesn't think Dawson's Creek could work again for a fairly understandable reason.

Some members of the cast have spoken about a willingness to return for a revival, however, so who knows? Maybe something could happen to bring them all together again, even if not for a full batch of episodes. Surely fans would tune in for a reunion special on the small screen. Even the busiest members of the cast might be able to get together for a special running an hour or two rather than a full season. We'll have to wait and see. Dawson's Creek does still have an impact on current shows, so we can be positive that its legacy lives on.

If you're now in the mood for a blast from the Dawson's Creek past, you can find the full series of 128 episodes streaming on Hulu. For your viewing options now and in the coming months, be sure to take a look at our midseason TV premiere schedule and our summer TV premiere guide. For the shows that have already gotten the axe from the 2017-2018 season, check out our rundown of TV cancellations and renewals.

Venom and Spider-Man tend to go hand in hand. It's hard to have one without the other. But later this year, Sony will try to get a Venom movie off the ground and into theaters without the help of Marvel's favorite wall-crawler. Thankfully, Ruben Fleischer's Venom has Tom Hardy on its side, and we get our first look at the lethal protector in the debut trailer for the October release below. Check it out!

This first footage gives us an initial look at Tom Hardy's portrayal of Eddie Brock. And in Venom, he looks like he's going through a tough time. As he says, sometimes we are dealing with hardships in our lives. A break up (and they show his love interest, Michelle Williams). An accident. Something that changes you from what you were, to what you have now become.

The trailer stops short of actually SHOWING us Tom Hardy as Venom... and that's a real head-scratcher. But it goes to some lengths to suggest the origin of the alien symbiote, as I believe the crash is a possible space crash, looking like a large shuttle. Is this how the symbiote that eventually bonds to Eddie Brock reaches our planet? We see shots of lab scientists studying materials. And we even get a glimpse of the symbiote, contained in a vial:

Just... not Venom. How do you not put Venom in the first Venom trailer?

For now, Venom is being viewed as a standalone movie, one that Sony is developing apart from the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- where Tom Holland's Spider-Man exists -- but one that MIGHT run concurrent to the events of the MCU. We don't think that it connects to Sony's planned Black Cat and Silver Sable movie (as there hasn't been much development on that project, from details we've been able to pick up), but we're really hoping that Holland can find his way into this world and trade punches with Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock... either in this movie, or in a future chapter.

Venom will be in theaters on October 5. It stars Tom Hardy, and he'll be joined by Michelle Williams, Jenny Slate and Riz Ahmed. We're going to need another, fuller trailer on this one eventually, because this tease raised more questions than it answered. Is Carnage in this? Why is Eddie Brock getting an MRI? What will Venom actually look like? We have a long way to go until October, but with this, Venom has taken its first steps. What did you think?

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Oscar contender All the Money in the World has had a ton of drama associated with it. Following the myriad allegations made against Kevin Spacey, director Ridley Scott decided to do extensive reshoots in order to cut Spacey from his role as J. Paul Getty. Christopher Plummer was cast, and the actors returned to set to reshoot his scenes. But when it was reported that actor Mark Wahlberg was paid $1.5 million to Michelle Williams' $1,000 per diem, the outcry was defeaning. While an official reason was provided, some fans were disappointed that Wahlberg profited from the reshoots. Now it looks like he's trying to mend some fences, as he's donated the entirety of his $1.5 to the #TimesUp legal fund.

This news comes to us from Deadline, which reports that Wahlberg has donated the entirety of his reshoots pay to #TimesUp, a legal fund set up to support victims of sexual harassment in the workplace. He reportedly made the donation in co-star Michelle Williams' name, likely as a gesture of goodwill between the two actors.

Donating the money to #TimesUp seems like an excellent way of squashing the drama surrounding All the Money in the World. The fund made its glittering debut at this year's Golden Globes, where (almost) all the attendees wore all black in solidarity against sexual harassment and gender inequity. Indeed, the All the Money in the World reshoots were also seemingly attempting to do just that as well. Ridley Scott and the studio wanted to send their own message by distancing itself from Kevin Spacey, after he was accused of of sexual misconduct by a bevy of men.

When the reshoots were first announced, Ridley Scott claimed that the actors all returned to the project for free. But then news broke that this was seemingly untrue. Allegedly, while Michelle Williams had reshoots included in her contract, Mark Walhberg's did not. Other stories indicated that Christopher Plummer's casting was used by Wahlberg's team to leverage more money. Regardless, the ultimate result was that his agents negotiated more money for his time and effort. And while this was all perfectly legal, Wahlberg has been in the news since the deal became public.

Unfortunately for everyone involved in All the Money in the World, it appears that all of the scandals may have eclipsed the quality of the film itself. Since each detail and drama has unfolded over time, there's been a ton of breaking stories regarding the crime thriller. Then again, it's still a serious awards season contender. All the Money in the World received three nominations at the 2018 Golden Globes, and it's on many critic's shortlist for Oscar nominations.

It should be interesting to see if the negative press affects its chances at all, and how both the studio and Michelle Williams respond to Mark Wahlberg's donation. Be sure to check back with us at CinemaBlend for updates. And check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies this year.

Ridley Scott's All The Money in the World has been in the news a lot lately, and not always for award season reasons. In fact, following allegations against Kevin Spacey earlier this year, Scott and the other people behind the movie ultimately chose to reshoot Kevin Spacey's scenes, inserting Christopher Plummer into the role. Then, news broke that while people were touting how the actors came back and worked for free, Mark Wahlberg actually negotiated a $1.5 million commission for the reshoots while Michelle Williams did them for a small per diem. The reason for the difference between the two co-actors' salaries reportedly has everything to do with the ways their contracts were written.

Both Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams are repped by WME in Hollywood. However, they don't have the same team and they didn't negotiate together for All The Money in the World. According to a new report over at The Wrap, when Michelle Williams signed, reshoots were included in her contract. Mark Wahlberg didn't sign the same contract as Williams, and the original contract he negotiated did not include reshoots. So, Williams earned a per diem while Wahlberg was able to renegotiate for more money when it came down to shoot the new footage.

In addition, TMZ is also reporting that Michelle Williams was actually approached before Ridley Scott about the possibility of reshooting before the director was even asked. As such, she seemingly negotiated before everyone else, with the outlet noting she was willing to "move mountains" to make the reshoots work because she believed in the movie. Per that report, Wahlberg was then approached and also agreed to do the reshoots. Allegedly, his team later made it clear to the studio that he would need to be paid for reshoots, which is where the eventual pay discrepancy came in. Another report over at ET has indicated that All The Money in the World was only greenlighted because Mark Wahlberg initially took a pay cut.

Following all of this, Ridley Scott went public and talked about how the actors were gracious enough to give their time and work for free. Reports now indicate he isn't particularly happy about how this whole thing has come off, although he, Michelle Williams and Mark Wahlberg have not made statements about the reshoots since the news broke.

Probably, we wouldn't even be here today if people like Ridley Scott and Michelle Williams hadn't talked about the actors working for free, but that has opened up a can of worms that made their salaries newsworthy. Regardless, it took a lot of complicated contracts and steps to get All the Money in the World reshot, and it's a testament to Ridley Scott and the studio that the movie was ready in time to hit its release date (although it did get pushed back a few days for other reasons) at all.

In the weeks leading up to the release of Ridley Scott's All The Money In The World, the film went through some unprecedented changes. Not wishing to be marred by the scandal surrounding Kevin Spacey, it was decided that his role would be recast and that last minute reshoots would be performed. Naturally, replacement Christopher Plummer put on a very different turn than what Spacey had done with the part of J. Paul Getty, but I recently learned from his co-stars that their approaches changed as well. Mark Wahlberg told me,

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with the stars of All The Money In The World during the Los Angeles press junket for the film, and it was while interviewing Mark Wahlberg that I asked about his personal change in performance. The actor confirmed that he did indeed find that his approach as Fletcher Chase was different when acting opposite Christopher Plummer, largely because of his natural sweetness and kind energy.

Michelle Williams' character in All The Money In The World has a very different relationship with J. Paul Getty than the one Fletcher Chase has, but one thing that she shared in common with Mark Wahlberg is that both saw an impact from playing off of Christopher Plummer. In Williams' opinion, however, this was a great thing because she felt that it presented an exciting opportunity:

When I followed up asking Michelle Williams what it was about her performance that changed working with the new J. Paul Getty, she actually echoed similar sentiments as her co-star, noting that Christopher Plummer's kindness had a particular effect on the way Gail Harris acts around him. She told me,

You can watch Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams talking about their altered performances in All The Money In The World by clicking play on the video below.

All The Money In The World, which stars Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Timothy Hutton, Charlie Clummer, and Romain Duris, is in theaters now.

Director Ridley Scott has multiple classics on his filmography, but reflecting on his resume reveals what is really an unfortunately modest hit-to-miss ratio. Looking at his record post-2000, he's made some great movies, like the quick con drama Matchstick Men and the smart, thrilling The Martian, but his record is also tarnished with whiffs like Alien: Covenant, Robin Hood, and Prometheus. It's made it so that walking into any of his films is basically a coin flip when it comes to expectations. This is part of the baggage that comes with his latest, All The Money In The World... but even that plays second fiddle to the major behind-the-scenes shake-ups that this film forever will be associated with.

Following recent horrific allegations against actor Kevin Spacey, Ridley Scott made the decision to alter All The Money In The World significantly. With only weeks leading up to release, Scott recast Spacey in the role of legendary oil tycoon John Paul Getty, replacing him with the great Christopher Plummer through extensive last-minute reshoots. Because of this, many movie-goers will be studying the movie for seams, looking for those specific edits. The impressive thing is that you won't find many, as the filmmakers did a tremendous job in that department. The less positive side of the whole matter, however, is that despite some standout performances, the film is ultimately mostly mediocre.

Primarily set in the early 1970s, the film centers on one of the richest families in American history, and the scandal surrounding them that shocked the world. At a time when J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer) was seen as the wealthiest man in the world, his favorite grandson, John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer, no relation) was kidnapped by criminals while living in Rome. With his prime captor, Cinquanta (Romain Duris), asking for a large $17 million payoff, the teen's mother, Gail Harris (Michelle Williams) -- who had divorced from the Getty family years earlier -- turned to the family's patriarch for help. When the oil magnate refuses to pay on the grounds that it could potentially inspire kidnappings of his other grandchildren, Gail works side by side with Getty's security man, Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg), to find her abducted son and bring him home before it's too late.

Clearly All The Money In The World has an amazing story to tell based on true events, though it's in the bones of the script where the film finds its deepest issues. With a movie like this, steeped in a certain amount of history and requiring the audience to have a degree of background about the subject matter, you hope that it finds a creative way to help it handle the expositional load. Unfortunately, the whole thing winds up stalling upfront as that job is bungled. It always feels lazy when a feature leans on either voice-over narration or flashbacks to spew information unavailable in the straight narrative, and David Scarpa's script actually uses both liberally in the opening of the story without actually committing to either one as legitimate storytelling devices. The result has the film scrambling to find its feet as the second act begins, and while it eventually does, it also never entirely recovers from the rocky start.

Ridley Scott eventually does make All The Money In The World work as a captivating thriller, complete with high stakes and beautiful high-contrast photography from regular collaborator Dariusz Wolski -- but it also clearly helps that he's working with some of the greatest performers in the game. Hearing about the aforementioned behind-the-scenes changes, you might expect that J. Paul Getty has a small role to play within the movie and little impact on the larger story; but you'd be completely wrong, and it's honestly stunning to see what the production was able to accomplish in a limited amount of time with Christopher Plummer. It's a massively complex portrayal, with the character balancing on a razor-thin line between "frugal billionaire" and "capitalism-born monster," but Plummer delivers a stunning turn impressively reminiscent of Orson Welles' Citizen Kane.

On the flip side of this you have Michelle Williams' Gail Harris, who is made powerless by the situation she's facing, but battles through it with fortitude and grit -- provided to her with fantastic intensity by the performer. It's a transformative turn in its own right, with the actress putting on an interesting and very specific accent in the character, but it succeeds in rendering her invisible, the audience only seeing a grieving mother doing everything she can to try and get her child back. It's one of Williams' best pieces of work, which is actually saying a lot given her impressive resume.

All The Money In The World has fostered a great amount of attention and conversation thanks to its last minute casting alterations, and will probably always be remembered for exactly that. Of course, that's a double-edged sword. It's stunning to see what Ridley Scott was able to do with the inclusion of Christopher Plummer, but at the same time you are left wishing that there was more to the film to which the performance was added.

After it was initially reported in September that Michelle Williams would be joining the Venom movie, the actress confirmed earlier this week that she will be playing Ann Weying, Eddie Brock's love interest. While Ann's career as an attorney is being retained for Venom, one thing that hasn't been clear is if she'll follow in her comic book counterpart's footsteps and become She-Venom. As things stand now with Venom still in principal photography, Williams doesn't expect that her version of Ann will be bonded with the symbiote. When asked about Venom's look in the upcoming movie, Williams responded:

Venom has been rolling cameras since late October, and there are still some weeks to go until production wraps up. So it's possible that Michelle Williams may end up going through some kind of digitization, but as she recently told Collider, so far her character hasn't had to go through such a process. Given that Venom is going to tell Eddie Brock's origin story, it's understandable that the creative team wouldn't want to take too much attention away from Eddie's first experiences with the symbiote by having turning Ann into She-Venom, too. We also can't forget the report that Venom will battle Carnage in the movie, meaning that there are already two symbiote-powered characters accounted for.

In the comics, Ann Weying became She-Venom after Eddie Brock bonded her with the symbiote to save her life after she was shot. As She-Venom, Ann carried out vengeance against the men who hurt her, forcing Eddie to compel the symbiote to return to him so that her reign of terror would end. She became She-Venom again when she was wrongly imprisoned, and Eddie sent the symbiote to her so she could break out. Ann later committed suicide when she saw Spider-Man wearing a black costume in the distance and believed it was Eddie as Venom coming after her. It remains to be seen if Ann will meet such a tragic end in the Venom movie, but if she survives, maybe she'll become She-Venom in a sequel.

No official plot details for Venom have been revealed yet, and the only characters who have been confirmed so far are Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock and Michelle Williams' Ann Weying. The other confirmed cast members include Riz Ahmed, Jenny Slate and Reid Scott. while Woody Harrelson has been reported to be in negotiations for a role. Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer is helming the Venom movie, and the screenwriters include Scott Rosenberg, Jeff Pinkner and Kelly Marcel. This is the first installment of Sony's Spider-Man-centric cinematic universe, and Silver & Black, starring Silver Sable and Black Cat, will follow afterwards.

Venom hits theaters on October 5, 2018. As for what other blockbusters will arrive next year, you can check out our 2018 premiere guide.

Although Venom has been assembling its main cast since May, few character details have come out since that time. Besides Tom Hardy playing Eddie Brock/Venom and the report that the symbiote-powered anti-hero will battle Carnage, we haven't officially learned who any of the other actors are playing, until now. Back in late September, Manchester by the Sea's Michelle Williams was brought on board, and many Venom fans suspected that she would be playing Ann Weying, Eddie Brock's ex-wife from the comics. Now Williams has confirmed that she will indeed appear in the Venom movie as Ann. When asked if she could say anything about Ann Weying, along with if Venom is comparable to any other project she's worked on, Willaims responded:

Given that Venom is a little under a year away, it's not surprising that Michelle Williams didn't disclose any details about how Ann Weying fits into the picture. When Williams casting was originally reported, it was said that she would be playing a district attorney, which lines up with Ann's line of work in the comics. However, rather than already being separated from Eddie before he becomes Venom, Williams' Ann will reportedly become romantically involved with him while he's dealing with being joined with the symbiote. Williams also mentioned in her interview with Screen Rant that one of the reasons she joined Venom was for the opportunity to work with Tom Hardy, as she "wanted to challenge" herself with him as a partner.

Along with Tom Hardy and Michelle Williams, Venom's cast includes Riz Ahmed and Jenny Slate, while Reid Scott and Woody Harrelson were reported to be in negotiations for roles. Zombieland's Ruben Fleischer is directing the Venom movie, with Kelly Marcel, Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg attached as screenwriters. Outside of this being an R-rated, horror take on the character, no official Venom plot details have been revealed yet, though the movie is rumored to be inspired by the Lethal Protector storyline. It's also worth noting that Ann Weying briefly served as Venom when Eddie Brock bonded her with the symbiote to save her life. As She-Venom, Ann targeted the men who hurt her, but Eddie was eventually able to severe her bond with the symbiote and attach the creature to himself again. It's uncertain whether or not the Venom movie will put Williams' Ann through a similar scenario.

Venom hits theaters on October 5, 2018. As for the other major motion pictures arriving next year, look through our 2018 premiere guide for release date information.

As Spider-Man continues to be an important participant in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony Pictures is hard at work crafting its own Spider-Man-centric cinematic universe, but without actually featuring the Webbed Wonder. The first one out the gate will be Venom, centered on Spidey's symbiote-powered adversary. So far Tom Hardy is the only actor that's officially confirmed for the Venom movie, but following a month after it was reported that Rogue One's Riz Ahmed might join the cast, now there's word that Manchester by the Sea's Michelle Williams is being eyed to play the main protagonists' love interest.

Michelle Williams is currently in talks to board the Venom movie, and if a deal is reached, she will reportedly be playing a district attorney who becomes romantically involved with Eddie Brock, the man who will become Venom. Williams' character wasn't named, though given her profession and a rumor from earlier this year, it's likely that this is Ann Weying. Variety writer Justin Kroll also tweeted out that other actresses who were in the mix for this role included Blade Runner 2049's Sylvia Hoeks, Pitch's Kylie Bunbury and Fantastic Four's Kate Mara, but Sony executive Tom Rothmans was "particularly blown away" by Williams after seeing her performance in the upcoming All the Money in the World.

Michelle Williams' notable credits over the years include Dawson's Creek, Brokeback Mountain, Blue Valentine, Shutter Island, My Week with Marilyn, Oz the Great and Powerful and Manchester by the Sea. During her time in Hollywood, she's collected one Golden Globe, three Golden Globe nominations, four Academy Award nominations and one Tony Award nomination. So needless to say that if Venom is able to draw her in to play one of the leads, it would be a major score.

No Venom plot details have been revealed yet other than the story will see the eponymous character clashing with Cletus Kasady, a.k.a. Carnage, who uses his symbiote powers for mass slaughter. As far as Ann Weying is concerned (if that is indeed who Michelle Williams is playing), she was Eddie Brock's ex-wife in the comics who briefly became She-Venom after Eddie passed the symbiote to her when she was horribly injured. However, the trauma of being She-Venom and the violence she committed during that time weighed on Ann after she was eventually freed from the Venom symbiote, and she later committed suicide. Whether or not any of that material will be adapted for the Venom movie remains to be seen.

Directed by Ruben Fleischer, Venom will wreak havoc on the big screen starting October 5, 2018. To find out what else is being released in theaters next year, look through our 2018 movie premiere guide. You can see Michelle Williams on the big screen next in All the Money in the World, which comes out on December 8.