Movies

Considering the criticisms Disney’s Star Wars films have faced – like the negative reaction to The Rise of Skywalker and the disappointing performance of Solo – it’s tempting to view George Lucas’ original Star Wars as the peak of the series. However, Lucas’s work wasn’t without its own flaws; his prequel trilogy received harsh criticism, similar to the strong negative response to Disney’s sequel trilogy and those involved in making it.

Padraic McKinley makes his directorial debut with The Weight. He’s previously directed episodes of the MMA series Kingdom starring Frank Grillo, and worked as an editor on action films like Homefront and Wild Card with Jason Statham. The film itself is written by Matthew Chapman (Runaway Jury) and Shelby Gaines (Wildcat) and stars Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe, alongside Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, and Avi Nash.

The film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man wraps up the story of the popular British drama, showing viewers what happened to the characters after the series finale and giving a final conclusion to Thomas Shelby’s arc. The film details Shelby’s transformation from a small-time criminal to the leader of a vast criminal organization who also ventured into politics.

Four years ago, acclaimed director Chloé Zhao successfully proposed bringing the series back to life. Though Sarah Michelle Gellar hadn’t played the character since the original show ended, she agreed to return after only one meeting. Hulu ordered a pilot in February. The original series was groundbreaking for its genre and redefined strong female characters on television. A revival felt like a guaranteed success, tapping into existing fan excitement and potentially attracting a new audience. However, the intense competition among studios to revive it highlights a bigger issue within the industry.

For a lot of superheroes, the city they defend is almost like another character in their story. Think about Batman and Gotham, Superman and Metropolis, or Spider-Man and New York – the city is a huge part of who they are. While comic books have always made these cities feel alive, many movies, including past Spider-Man films, haven’t really brought them to life beyond just being a place where the action happens. But the new Brand New Day storyline seems to be fixing that, and fans are going to love it.

The next Spider-Man movie will include the Department of Damage Control (DODC), with Tramell Tillman playing a key character who is pursuing a super-powered individual played by actress Sadie Sink. Given reports that the DODC will be going after mutants in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many believe Sink’s character might actually be a mutant.

Drew Goddard is taking on the challenge of writing and directing the fifth Matrix movie, and he’s being careful about sharing details. He recently said the project is still being written, which is why he can’t reveal much at this stage. When asked if Keanu Reeves will reprise his role as Neo, Goddard avoided a direct answer, suggesting that no cast members have been officially confirmed. He didn’t rule it out, though, leaving the possibility open (according to Variety).

Variety reports that several new projects based on The Wheel of Time are being developed by iwot Studios, working with Thomas Vu, a producer known for Arcane, and Initiate Entertainment.

In an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, Ryan Gosling shared that he missed seeing Tom Cruise visit the Star Wars set because it was his only day off during filming.

Universal Studios is famous for establishing many of the classic horror themes we know today, starting in the 1920s. However, they didn’t always get it right. One example is a largely forgotten film called She-Wolf of London, which had a promising idea but ultimately didn’t live up to its potential.