How’s the adaptation of Artemis coming along?

When THR as the duo if Artemis is still in play, Miller said, “There is an Artemis script, it’s delightful. The thing that was holding that back for years was, how do we execute one-sixth gravity? The story takes place on the moon. We think we’ve figured it out. That’s one of the ones that’s possible.”

Even if they’ve solved for Artemis, Lord and Miller admit they have no idea when we’d see it. “There’s a backlog of like seven or eight things that we want to do,” Lord said about the duo’s schedule. Thankfully, they’re tight with Weir, so the opportunity isn’t going anywhere. In fact, they even call on Weir when they’ve got science-related questions. “When my son had science questions I couldn’t answer, I would be like, maybe Andy will know,” Miller told THR.

Project Hail Mary blasts off at the box office

Meanwhile, Lord and Miller’s Project Hail Mary is blasting off at the box office with an impressive launch of $140.9M+ worldwide. The nail-biting science-fiction drama stars Ryan Gosling as Science teacher Ryland Grace, who wakes up alone on a spaceship light-years from Earth. As his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing the sun. While trying to save Earth, an unexpected friendship may be the key.

Our thoughts on Project Hail Mary

Chris Bumbray reviewed Project Hail Mary for JoBlo, saying in his 9/10 review, “While it runs a hefty 156 minutes, the running time zips along, with Lord and Miller having a good handle on pace. It’s really an impeccably made movie, with everyone involved doing superlative work, including Daniel Pemberton, who contributes a strong score. It’s the kind of movie that deserves to become the next Sinners, so hopefully audiences will give it a shot. It’s upbeat and leaves you walking out of the theater feeling optimistic — which I think all of us could use in these rather somber times.”

Have you read Andy Weir’s Artemis novel? Have you seen Project Hail Mary yet? I might catch it this afternoon, but we’ll see. I saw Ready or Not 2: Here I Come on Friday night, and might be theatered out at the moment. Especially after paying nearly $50 for snacks on top of ticket prices. Outrageous!

The post Phil Lord and Chris Miller think they’ve solved the riddle for adaptating Andy Weir’s Artemis appeared first on JoBlo.

Who stars in Marvel’s Punisher special?

Reinaldo Marcus Green directs The Punisher Special Presentation, in addition to co-writing the screenplay with Jon Bernthal, who plays Frank Castle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Joining Bernthal in the upcoming Disney+ special are Jason R. Moore, Roe Rancell, and Mila Jaymes, with Chelsea Brea, Dominick Mancino, Evelyn O. Vaccaro, and Tom Johnson contributing to the cast.

The 60-minute runtime makes The Punisher Special Presentation Marvel’s longest entry in its Special Presentation series, with 2022’s Werewolf By Night clocking in at 53 minutes, while the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special runs for 42 minutes.

Bernthal on giving fans the Frank Castle they deserve

While Marvel’s Punisher special does not have an official title or plot details, Jon Bernthal teased the upcoming presentation by saying the project “will not be Punisher-lite.” He added that “Frank has no interest in breaking out [of] the darkness.”

“I care very deeply about Frank, I’m really grateful that I’m getting the opportunity to tell the story that I think the fans deserve,” Bernthal said. “We’re giving it our all, and we’re trying to tell a Frank Castle story that we’re going to turn our back on the audience — it’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to be light.”

Punisher: Brand New Day

If fans want more from Bernthal’s Frank Castle, they can catch the bullet-chewing badass in the new trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. In the trailer, Punisher and Spider-Man share a brief exchange while simultaneously chasing an armored car through the streets of New York City. Before Frank can cause too much damage, Spidey takes away his ride, then covers his filthy mouth with webbing before Frank can bump the wall-crawler’s movie up to an R-rating.

Are you excited about The Punisher Special Presentation? Are you curious to finally see a trailer for this project, and see what kind of writing chops Bernthal applies to a character that’s close to his heart? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post Marvel reveals the record-setting runtime for its upcoming Punisher Special Presentation appeared first on JoBlo.

It’s worth noting that Project Hail Mary was a huge theatrical swing for Amazon/MGM, with them showing a commendable commitment to the big screen. It helped that Project Hail Mary was shot in 70mm IMAX, which I think gives people an extra enticement to check something out on the big screen (people love this format), making it an event. The CinemaScore rating is a very solid A, putting it in Sinners territory, which bodes well for a long box office run.

Pixar’s Hoppers has another solid showing in week three, with the $18 million weekend adding to its $120 million haul. It will certainly beat Elemental’s $140 million-plus total, although it seems unlikely to cross the $200 million mark, especially with the next Super Mario movie opening so soon. Bollywood epic Dhurandhar: The Revenge set a record for the biggest North American opening of a Bollywood movie, with it making an excellent $10 million-plus on fewer than 1,000 screens. Its per-screen average was the highest in the top ten besides Project Hail Mary.

That movie’s success proved to be bad news for Searchlight’s Ready or Not: Here I Come, with the sequel underwhelming with a $9.1 million opening. That’s in the same range as the first film, but the sequel was more expensive and likely won’t have the same kind of legs, although it should be a hit when it hits streaming. Reminders of Him had a surprisingly steep falloff for a Colleen Hoover adaptation, with the 56% decline (and $8 million gross) perhaps making it a victim of Project Hail Mary’s appeal to date-night crowds. It’s made $33 million so far, meaning even if it continues to drop off, it should turn a nice profit.

Scream 7 is now officially the highest-grossing movie in the franchise, with the $4.3 million weekend contributing to a great $114 million gross. Sony’s GOAT made another $3.5 million as it inches its way toward $100 million (it’s currently at $97 million). A24’s microbudget horror flick Undertone dropped off a massive 66% in week two, but considering it cost well under a million dollars, its $15 million total gross means it’s been very profitable for the studio. The rest of the top 10 was rounded out by specialty titles, with the indie animated flick The Pout-Pout Fish making $1.5 million, and the latest MET Opera offering, Tristan und Isolde, making $722k.

Next weekend doesn’t have any huge openings except the SXSW hit They Will Kill You, so expect Project Hail Mary to once again come in on top. What will the drop-off be? Take a guess in the comments.

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I’ll always get a kick out of any movie that has hacking in it. Going all the way back to War Games and Hackers, there’s a certain entertainment value in seeing all the ways a computer can wreak havoc. And with how much technology has advanced, the game has certainly changed. Wardriver gets into the concept of using a car to drive around and access unsecured Wi-Fi Networks. It’s pretty fascinating, and the new film with Dane DeHaan shows all the ways that it can go wrong. Check out our review HERE!

I spoke to Dane about the film and the level of prep that he did to become a believable hacker. This was Dane’s debut as a producer so he gets into why this was the right project to finally take the leap with. I’ve been a fan of the actor since Chronicle (and even have a soft spot for Amazing Spider-man 2) so this was an absolute joy. You can check out this full chat in the video above.

Wardriver plot:

Meet Cole. He is a ‘wardriver.’ Played by Dane DeHaan, Cole stealthy navigates the city streets driving around mapping WIFI networks in hopes to take advantage of and hack into bank accounts. To him, he steals from companies, not people. He convinces himself no one gets hurt, until black-market tech predator Oscar (Mamoudou Athie) forces him into a million-dollar cyber-heist where every line of code could be his last.

Wardriver releases to theaters on March 20th and on VOD on March 27th, 2026.

The post Dane DeHaan tells us about why he made his debut as a producer on Wardriver appeared first on JoBlo.

Last week, I had the honour of representing JoBlo once again at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. This was my second year covering the festival, and I have to say, going to Austin has always been special to me. I remember, as a film fan in the ’90s and 2000s, reading the early days of film news coverage on the original websites and always being impressed by how many of my favorite writers came from Austin. It seemed like the film nerd capital of the world, yet I never actually made it out to Austin until relatively late in my career. Of course, the town never disappoints, as it’s a party-hardy city if ever there was one (I ate lots of BBQ and drank lots of whiskey, that’s for sure).

Another thing about Austin is how hardcore the movie fans are, with the screenings I attended at SXSW being some of the more raucous in recent memory. I still have a few reviews to catch up on, but I managed to catch most of the big titles (read my reviews HERE), and I wanted to highlight five of my favourites from the fest.

Monitor:

I’m actually surprised no distributor has picked this one up yet, as it feels like the kind of horror flick that could turn into a big franchise for an upstart distributor. It’s a slasher movie for the digital age, with a group of streaming video moderators who find themselves targeted by a malevolent presence that travels via streaming video. It’s produced by the people behind the Smile franchise, and I still think it’s only a matter of time before someone picks this up for theaters.

Hokum:

This is Neon’s big horror movie for the summer, with it directed by acclaimed Irish helmer Damian McCarthy. While I don’t think I would call this one really scary, it’s still a beautifully crafted ghost story, anchored by a superb performance by the great Adam Scott, who’s having a much-deserved moment in the sun with Severance.

Obsession:

Of all the movies I caught at SXSW, this feels like the one that has the most potential to become a major hit. Focus is giving it a wide release in May, and it absolutely slayed the audience I saw it with. It’s the story of a lovestruck lad who makes a wish that proves to be a nightmare for everyone it touches. Obsession has loads of gore, some pitch-black dark comedy, but also a provocative storyline that will no doubt prompt much discussion.

Power Ballad:

A few of my fellow critics at SXSW were ribbing me a bit for my love of John Carney’s Power Ballad, but what can I say? I’m a sucker for Carney’s movies (Once and Sing Street are my favourites), and to me this is one of his best. Paul Rudd is at his absolute best as a singer who finds one of his compositions stolen by a pop star. It comes out this summer from Lionsgate, and I hope it’s a hit.

Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice:

I saved the best for last. I’m a sucker for action movies, and director BenDavid Grabinski made a great one, with James Marsden showing serious action chops opposite Vince Vaughn in a double role. This actually hits Hulu on Friday, which is a shame, as it’s the kind of movie that deserves to make $100 million in theaters. Such is our time, I guess.

Which one of these movies are you most hyped to see? Let us know in the comments.

The post SXSW: What Were The Best Movies We Saw At The Fest? appeared first on JoBlo.

Here at JoBlo, we were saddened to hear that the iconic Chuck Norris had passed away. He seemed like one of those larger-than-life guys that was going to be around forever, so to hear that he had died was a gut punch for many of us who grew up in the eighties and were such big fans of his work. Having been born in ’81 myself, Chuck Norris was always an iconic presence. I remember the first movie of his that I ever saw was Firewalker on the Canadian HBO – First Choice – mainly because it was one of the only movies of his from back then that wasn’t R-rated, so it aired on TV in the afternoon. Of course, it was far from his finest work (it’s actually awful), but it was a gateway movie.

It was during the nineties that, as a keen karate student, I started watching all of his movies on cable. Fox, in particular, often aired his movies on Saturday afternoons, which is where I first saw heavily edited versions of Missing in Action, Invasion U.S.A., The Delta Force and others. TBS also kept me well fed with Norris vehicles, with movies like Forced Vengeance, Silent Rage, Hero and the Terror, and others. I also remember a lot of his movies would show up in the cheap bins at department stores when they were re-issued on cheap tapes, so I had copies of Lone Wolf McQuade, Code of Silence and the Delta Force movies recorded at SLP in my library. At the same time, his TV series, Walker: Texas Ranger, was in full swing, but it was never my jam (I find nineties action TV shows haven’t stood the test of time like eighties ones).

Of course, many of his films are undeniably cheesy, but I also stand by a few of them (as outlined in this list), with Code of Silence – to me – being far and away his best movie. But what do you think? Take our poll and let us know!

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When did DiSalle pass away?

Shockingly, DiSalle passed away in August 2025, but word of his death did not circulate until now. Shout out to the team behind Kickboxer: The Original Cut for giving us the heads up. Born in New York, DiSalle focused his talents on action films during the 1980s. His name picked up steam after he produced Bloodsport, a film that helped catapult Jean-Claude Van Damme to the top of the list of martial arts actors to watch. DiSalle directed Kickboxer, an all-time classic of martial arts cinema. I remember watching Kickboxer repeatedly while staying with my cousins back in the day, renting it again from the video store as soon as we had to return it.

Other DiSalle action bangers

DiSalle joined forces with Van Damme again for Death Warrant, starring JCVD as decorated cop Louis Burke, who must infiltrate the jail to find answers to a series of murders within. DiSalle also directed The Perfect Weapon, starring Jeff Speakman as Jeff Sanders, an expert in “kenpo” karate who avenges his Koreatown friend, slain by a mobster in Los Angeles. If you were watching martial arts action in the 1980s and early 90s, DiSalle contributed to your rotation.

If you want to catch DiSalle in minor action roles, keep your eyes peeled for him as a boxer in Bloodsport, a U.S. reporter in Kickboxer, a con food server in Death Warrant, the coach in The Perfect Weapon, a security guard in Street Knight, and as Bureaucrat #3 in Notorious Nick.

As I said, I spent countless hours watching Bloodsport, Kickboxer, and Death Warrant in my youth, and hearing that Mr. DiSalle has passed brings back many warm memories of time spent with family for me. Thank you, Mark, for sharing your talent with the world, and we hope you rest well in the Great Hereafter.

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The teaser trailer for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three has finally given us a glimpse at how one of modern cinema’s most ambitious trilogies might wrap up, and it got me thinking about just how rare it is for a trilogy to truly stick the landing.

You come out swinging with a terrific first film, raise the stakes with the second, and then suddenly you’re staring down the hardest part of all: delivering a finale that tops what came before. That’s no small feat. But every now and then, a trilogy actually pulls it off. So let’s take a look at three trilogies that absolutely stuck the landing, and three that, well, probably should have quit while they were ahead.

Nailed It: War for the Planet of the Apes

As a massive fan of the Planet of the Apes franchise, I was more than a little apprehensive when it was announced that the series would be rebooted with Rise of the Planet of the Apes. CG apes? Come on. Even Tim Burton’s misguided reboot at least had Rick Baker’s incredible makeup and prosthetics going for it.

But Rise worked, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes raised the bar considerably. It would have been easy for the trilogy to stumble at the finish line, but War for the Planet of the Apes was a genuine triumph, anchored by Andy Serkis’ extraordinary performance as Caesar. Yes, the franchise continued with Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, but Rise, Dawn, and War form a remarkably satisfying trilogy and a near-perfect arc for Caesar.

Blew It: Spider-Man 3

Sam Raimi clearly had a story he wanted to tell with Spider-Man 3, but the studio had other ideas, namely, “more villains.” Specifically, Venom. Sure, the character was (and still is) a fan favourite, but he never quite fit within Raimi’s world, and it shows.

With Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), Venom (Topher Grace), and the New Goblin (James Franco) all competing for screen time, the result was an overcrowded narrative that never had a chance of reaching the heights of the first two films. And the less said about Emo Peter Parker, the better.

Nailed It: Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 arrived eleven years after Toy Story 2, and at the time, it was easy to wonder if Pixar was simply going back to the well for an easy cash grab. Instead, the studio delivered a sequel that stands as one of the all-time great animated movies, not to mention emotionally wrecking an entire generation.

That incinerator scene? My God. It has no business hitting as hard as it does, but that’s exactly why the movie works so well. And then there’s the ending: a now-grown-up Andy passing his toys on to the next generation. It wasn’t just closure for Woody, Buzz, and the gang; it was closure for the audience who grew up with them. Sure, Toy Story 4 came along later, and Toy Story 5 is on the way, but let’s be honest: this was the perfect ending.

Blew It: Blade: Trinity

Some trilogies go out with a bang… and then there’s whatever the hell Blade: Trinity was.

After two movies of being the coolest motherf***er in the room, Blade suddenly finds himself playing second fiddle to Ryan Reynolds and Jessica Biel in his own movie. It feels less like a finale and more like a backdoor pilot for a spin-off nobody was asking for.

Following Stephen Norrington’s kick-ass original and Guillermo del Toro’s stylish sequel, the third film is strangely bland by comparison. And then there’s the behind-the-scenes drama: Wesley Snipes reportedly refused to interact with the cast and crew, communicating only with writer/director David S. Goyer via Post-it notes, which he signed “Blade.”

Oh, and Dracula is the villain. You’d think that would be cool.

It’s not.

Nailed It: The Return of the King

Now we come to the gold standard of trilogy finales. The Return of the King is that rare threequel that delivers on absolutely everything: massive battles, emotional payoffs, and character arcs that had been building steadily across the previous two films. It’s all here, and it all lands.

Watching this at a midnight screening back in 2003 remains one of my all-time favourite moviegoing memories. We laughed, we cheered, we cried, and there’s never really been anything else like it. People love to joke about the multiple endings, but honestly, after spending nearly twelve hours in Middle-earth, that extended goodbye was far from indulgent. It was earned.

Blew It: The Godfather: Part III

Let’s get this out of the way: I don’t think The Godfather: Part III is a bad movie. It just happens to be a follow-up to two of the greatest films ever made, which is an impossible position to be put in.

Even at its best, the film struggles to escape the shadow of its predecessors. It does bring Michael Corleone’s story to a tragic, fitting conclusion, but Francis Ford Coppola himself has described it as more of an epilogue than a true finale. It helps to think of it that way, but it also makes it feel less grand than what came before.

There are also some notable missteps. Robert Duvall’s absence as Tom Hagen is deeply felt, and then there’s Sofia Coppola as Michael’s daughter. I don’t want to be too harsh, but it’s immediately clear that her performance can’t quite stand alongside the acting heavyweights surrounding her.

—

Trilogies are a gamble. You can build something incredible over two films, and then completely fumble it at the finish line. Or, if everything clicks, you deliver something that sticks with audiences for decades. Now it’s Dune: Part Three’s turn. No pressure, Denis. Let us know your favourite — and least favourite — trilogy finales in the comments.

The post Three Trilogies That Nailed the Ending… And Three That Completely Blew It appeared first on JoBlo.

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of The Madison.

After crashing through viewers’ emotions like a runaway 18-wheeler with faulty brakes, Taylor Sheridan‘s The Madison is already gearing up for its second season, and we’re more than ready to shed some tears at the events to come. Recently, while recapping the events of Season 1, The Madison stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell teased aspects of the show’s second season, which has yet to get a release date. While we wait for more details, it’s important to note that the second season is already in the can, so it’s only a matter of time before we’re back in Montana with the Clyburn family, sorting through the aftermath of their patriarch’s death.

Cast and creatives tease The Madison Season 2

“It’s after the initial stage of raw grief passes, and some time has gone by,” Pfeiffer says. “It’s the messy and profound rebuilding of everything that you knew after everything that you knew has fallen apart and what that looks like.”

Joining Pfeiffer in the conversation is Christina Alexandra Voros, who directed every episode of Season 1. She added to Pfeiffer’s statement by saying, “I think by the end of Season 1, there are a number of questions to be answered in terms of what the next steps will be for the Clyburn family,” she says. “Season 2 begins to delve into that.”

Meanwhile, Kurt Russell adds that things could get dangerous for the Clyburns as grief continues to take its toll, saying, “I think it’s fair to say that in Season 2 — and I believe Michelle will agree with me — what happens is the level of real danger goes up,” he says. “Things begin to become dangerous in realistic ways.”

Our thoughts on the first season

I had the pleasure of seeing The Madison early, and speaking with the cast about Sheridan’s latest (and best) drama. You can check out my interviews in the video posted above. Additionally, JoBlo’s Alex Maidy enjoyed the hell out of the show’s first season, writing in his 9/10 review:

“The Madison works as well as it does because it is nothing like Yellowstone. Taylor Sheridan has crafted a story about conflict that is devoid of criminal violence, but other forms of violence can wreak havoc on people. This series relies on the core themes of family, romance, and trauma, not for entertainment, but to showcase the depths of perseverance and resilience in the face of the hardest experiences people can go through. I had started to think that Taylor Sheridan was only capable of soap operas, crime thrillers, or a blend of the two, but The Madison has redeemed him in a way I did not expect. This is a touching drama that will hit you emotionally and gut-wrenchingly, but will also leave you wanting to take stock of your own family and relationships. The Madison is a journey that is worth investing in and leaves enough threads open to keep you wanting to come back for more when season two debuts.”

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When most people think about heavy metal, they think of bands like Metallica, Megadeth, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Motörhead, and, of course, Iron Maiden. Each brings an unmatched energy to the genre, with propulsive rhythms, soaring guitar solos, and screaming vocals that make you feel as if you could conquer the world. I didn’t grow up listening to Iron Maiden, but I knew metal heads who did. I used to wait for the school bus with them in middle school, their greasy, long hair tied back with a headband, their leather jackets cracked from wear. Shout out to Matt and Henry, you guys were real ones. As if to preserve this precious time in music history, Universal recently debuted a trailer for Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition, a documentary that takes a deep dive into the iconic band, through all their ups and downs, and back again.

What’s the new Iron Maiden documentary about?

Here’s the official synopsis for Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition:

With unprecedented access to official band archives, IRON MAIDEN: BURNING AMBITION charts five decades of one of the most iconic journeys in music history. Featuring interviews with the band and contributors such as Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich, and Chuck D, this electrifying film offers an intimate look at their uncompromising vision and unwavering connection with their global army of fans.

Directed by Malcolm Venville and featuring Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson, Nicko McBrain, Janick Gers, Rod Smallwood, Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich, and Chuck D, the Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition trailer celebrates Iron Maiden’s legendary career and does not shy away from the ups and downs of the band’s most tumultuous times.

Who is Iron Maiden?

Iron Maiden was founded in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris and has grown to become one of the world’s most celebrated bands. With a steady recording output beginning with their self-titled 1980 debut, they have released 17 studio albums, 13 live albums, and 47 singles, which have sold in excess of 100 million copies worldwide. They have played almost 2,500 live shows across 64 countries and were carried to some of these aboard Ed Force One, a Boeing 757, and then later a 747 piloted by singer Bruce Dickinson. They have been the recipients of a Grammy Award and a Brit Award, among many other accolades, most recently joining the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd with their very own Royal Mail stamp set.

Are you excited about the Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition documentary? Are you a fan? Do you know people who are? Let us know in the comments section below.

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REVIEW: The world of cyberhacking has changed so much over the years. I still remember the sillier days of hacking, looking like a weird 3D video game in the 90s. And so much nonsensical typing. I actually kind of miss that, because the reality is that most hacking is done via computer programs and coding that look about as interesting as installing iTunes. Wardriver takes the concept of modern hacking via unsecured wireless networks and gives it a fun criminal twist.

Dane DeHaan plays Cole, a wardriver who sets his sights on vulnerable corporations versus everyday people. He’s a bit of a Robin Hood type, always trying to help out those in need. Unfortunately, he rips off the wrong business and is forced to target a woman (Sasha Calle) who has nearly a million dollars in her account. Turns out, that money isn’t hers, and she’s holding it for a very dangerous man. Cole’s guilt over the hot water he’s gotten her into means he has to use his hacking skills to try to make things right.

Cole is clearly a very lonely man, desperate for any form of connection. So it’s not entirely unbelievable that he would fall so hard for Sarah and be willing to do so much for her. It all comes together in the end, but it’s hard not to see Cole as a bit of a dummy with his love blindness. DeHaan and Calle have an interesting dynamic, as Cole gives her an opportunity to escape the life that she’s fallen into. Their story isn’t typical, and I think that’s what makes it work.

I’ve liked Jeffrey Donovan since Burn Notice, so it’s fun to see him as the bad guy here. He’s not your typical villain, and seems to have fallen into a bad situation, and is enjoying the lifestyle that it has given him. He’s not outright evil, but he’s certainly not a good person either. But those are the best kinds of villains. Mamoudou Athie is intimidating as the man forcing Cole to commit these crimes. But I think William Belleau is one of the film’s biggest surprises. I’ve really been enjoying his career in recent years and this is role that feels more layered than the standard henchman.

There is something a bit contradictory in how Cole operates at a certain point. He has a rule where he goes after corporations versus people, but all of that seems to go out the window once he’s trying to help Sarah. He starts ripping off ordinary people who are using ATM’s when he’s already shown that he’s more than capable of taking large amounts of cash from businesses. Wardriver really likes to play in that gray area, where nothing is nearly as black and white as it may seem.

Wardriver really comes together in its final act, giving a satisfying conclusion with some interesting twists and turns. There are times where the pacing lags in the middle, and it can feel a little “been there, done that,” but the end makes up for it. I had never heard of a wardriver before, but I’m not surprised that this is something that’s going on in the world. If anything, this serves as a big lesson to make sure you’ve put a password on any WiFi network you have, because you never quite know the damage that someone can do by accessing it. It’s great to see DeHaan back in a lead role, as any character he plays manages to be interesting.

Wardriver is playing in select theaters on March 20th, 2026 and on digital on March 27th, 2026.

Wardriver

GOOD

7

The post Wardriver Review: Dane DeHaan brings a Robin Hood approach to modern day cyber hacking appeared first on JoBlo.

Depending on when you grew up, Chuck Norris can take many forms. For Boomers, he was the fuzzy-chested, lightning-quick martial artist; for the Grunge era, he was Walker in Walker, Texas Ranger, his electric blue eyes squinting against the sun as he walked tall with swagger. For millennials and older Gen Z brood, Norris was a meme machine, a cinematic myth that punched holes in the sky and could kill a man simply by looking at him. As the memes grew, so did Norris’ legend, creating a living god among humankind, albeit with a tongue-in-cheek approach to comedy.

While legends never die, Chuck Norris passed away on Friday at 86 after a brief hospitalization. Still, while the flesh is retired, the epic saga of Chuck Norris lives on in spirit, and through an endless scroll of hilarious memes that lend to Norris’ mysticism and cache in a community of film lovers and martial arts enthusiasts who remember his power, precision, and knack for never using stunt doubles in his movies, unless those stunt doubles were there to perform the crying parts.

To celebrate Norris’ influence on meme culture, we’ve collected some of our favorite Chuck Norris memes from across the internet, and invite you to share your own in the comments. Help us build a collection of memes that honor the man, the myth, the warrior who was born on the 69th day of the year.

Also, keep in mind that the resolution for some of these memes can get iffy, but it’s likely because they were “of a time,” and harnessing the power of Chuck Norris is challenging for anyone or anything.

What are some of your favorite Chuck Norris facts, memes, or jokes? Feel free to share them in the comments section below!

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Its success is a major win for Amazon/MGM, who spent north of $200 million to bring this sci-fi epic to the big screen. They went all out on making it a theatrical event, with an IMAX/70mm release—something that tends to pay off for event movies, as it signals to potential moviegoers that this is an experience that can’t easily be replicated at home. Notably, it’s one of only two non-franchise/sequel movies to open north of $60 million in the last decade (a depressing stat), with the other two being Jordan Peele’s Us and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. While the budget is high on this one, it has another weekend coming up more or less all to itself before the Super Mario sequel opens over Easter (read our review HERE).

Meanwhile, the weekend’s other big release, the sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, is looking at a more modest $10 million opening in fourth place. That’s actually $2 million higher than the first film, although the budget is bigger this time around. It’s being overrun by another new release, the much-anticipated Hindi action sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge, which looks like it will make over $12 million this weekend. Second place should, as expected, go to Hopperswith $21 million, which is an excellent hold as the Pixar movie is showing some serious legs.

What are you seeing this weekend? Let us know in the comments.

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When it comes to tackling the legend of King Arthur on the silver screen, none even come close to touching John Boorman’s Excalibur. Released in 1981, this lavish depiction of King Arthur and Camelot has stood the test of time as the definitive version of the story, despite so many challengers to the throne. Some include First Knight, a more romantic version of the story marred by an unconvincing performance by Richard Gere as Lancelot; the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced King Arthur, which removes all the magic from the story; and Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. None match Boorman’s movie.

A Dark, Adult Fantasy Ahead of Its Time

Given its status as a classic, it’s surprising that it took so long for the film to hit 4K disc, with it having been licensed by Warner Bros. to Arrow Video, who’ve given it a lavish new edition with tons of bells and whistles. For those who may not have seen Excalibur, the film tells the story of Arthur and Camelot’s rise and fall, taking a distinctly adult look at the medieval fantasy genre, which predicted a trend that would later become commonplace with Game of Thrones. Excaliburpresents the medieval era as dark, muddy, and ultra-violent, with the film earning a well-deserved R rating the year it came out.

The late Nigel Terry, who never really had a role that lived up to this one, convincingly plays Arthur from a boy to an older man, while Nicolas Clay and Cherie Lunghi play Lancelot and Guinevere, with much of the film focusing on their illicit romance. None went on to much fame after Excalibur, but several members of the cast went on to superstardom. A young Helen Mirren plays the film’s villain, the sorceress Morgana, while Liam Neeson has an early role as Sir Gawain, who loses a jousting duel to Lancelot in one of the film’s most exciting sequences. And then there’s a young Gabriel Byrne as Arthur’s father, Uther, while Patrick Stewart once again proves he hasn’t really aged in forty years as Guinevere’s father.

Nicol Williamson’s Legendary Merlin

Best of all is Nicol Williamson as Merlin, with him playing the role as alternately funny, menacing, and compassionate. Acclaimed as one of the greatest actors of his era, Williamson struggled with some demons off-screen, never really getting a chance to show what he was capable of on the big screen, with this being the most notable exception.

4K Transfer and Audio: Faithful to the Original Vision

Fans have been waiting for a 4K release of Excalibur since the format began, and Arrow has delivered a transfer that’s highly faithful to the film’s intended, somewhat soft look. Don’t go in expecting Excalibur to look razor-sharp—it was highly stylized for its era, and Arrow gives us a faithful representation.

The audio mix is a similar story, as the film, despite its scale, was originally mixed in mono. It was eventually upgraded to 5.1 in the DVD/Blu-ray era, so Arrow has given us both options. To me, the mono mix is the way to go, with the film’s soundtrack having been impeccably crafted, with the score a mix of Trevor Jones compositions and classical selections from Wagner, Carl Orff, and more.

Packed Extras Worth the Upgrade

The extras are, as usual for Arrow, well chosen. The film has three commentary tracks, including one by John Boorman, who also sits for a new interview with his son, Charley, who memorably plays Mordred. The real gem is a vintage, nearly hour-long documentary from 1981 about the making of the film, directed by none other than Neil Jordan, who, within a few years, would become an iconic director in his own right. He also sits for a contemporary interview about his time on the set.

There’s also a more recent “Behind the Movie” featurette with 2016 interviews from some of the surviving cast members, including Liam Neeson, Helen Mirren, and Patrick Stewart (by then all three of the film’s leads had passed away). Most interestingly is the inclusion of the “TV Cut,” which was actually aired on HBO frequently in the early eighties, as there was a rule back then that they couldn’t show R-rated movies during the day. As such, they would show this PG version during the daytime, and the R-rated version at night.

Final Verdict

If you’re a fan of Excalibur, this set is a no-brainer (buy it HERE). While the price tag is a bit hefty, with Arrow you always get what you pay for. Highly recommended.

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Theodore

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.

12 Angry Men by Marc Lafon

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Rafal Rolo

Bride of Frankenstein by Chris Koehler

Casablana by Carles Ganya

Citizen Kane by Martin Ansin

Lawrence of Arabia by Angora

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington by Mark Levy

Rear Window by Laurent Durieux

Singin’ in the Rain by Anthony Bikowski

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by Simon Fairhurst

The Sound of Music by Aurelio Lorenzo

To Kill a Mockingbird by Mike O’B

The Wizard of Oz by Steve De La mare

The post Awesome Art’s Tribute to The Golden Age Of Hollywood with Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Rear Window, Singin’ In The Rain, The Wizard of Oz appeared first on JoBlo.

“We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon,” reads a statement from the family. “He passed in his sleep of natural causes. Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years. In recent years Nicky has found his passion in painting and art. Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans. He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was. While it’s no secret that Nicholas had struggles in the past, he was on medications and treatment to manage his diagnosis and he was optimistic about the future at the time of his passing. Our family asks for privacy during this time as we grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart. Thank you to everyone who has shown love and support.“

Nicholas Brendon’s Career

In addition to Buffy, Brendon also made appearances on Married… with Children, Without a Trace, Private Practice, and Faking It. He also starred alongside Bradley Cooper in Kitchen Confidential, a short-lived series based on Anthony Bourdain’s bestselling book. He also played Kevin Lynch in Criminal Minds, a technical analyst and one of Penelope Garcia’s love interests.

But obviously, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the big one, and Brendon still looked back fondly on how it all began.

“I couldn’t afford a cell phone so I got a ‘911’ page from my manager, and I was actually heading out to Santa Monica. So I pulled over [and used] a pay phone,” Brendon told The AV Club. “She was this lovely New York lady. She’s like, ‘Nicky, you got it.’ I’m crying and she’s crying. I had been acting for about three months up until that point, so that’s kind of where it started, and I had a talk with my twin brother, and he’s like, ‘No matter what happens, your life has just changed.’ I think we shot about seven or eight days later, so I had two days of just ‘oh my god’ elation, and it’s like like, shit, I have to actually do this. I sure hope I know how to act.“

In a series full of vampires, witches, slayers, and all manner of monsters, it said something that Brendon was able to make such a big impression as one of the few regular humans. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Brendon’s family and friends. He will be missed.

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Review: Of all the series I have reviewed over the years, Peaky Blinders is one that consistently fell by the wayside. A big hit with fans of Boardwalk Empire and The Sopranos, Peaky Blinders was peak Steven Knight period drama that gave Cillian Murphy an iconic role years before he won his Academy Award for Oppenheimer. The six-season Netflix series fostered fashion trends before it went off the air in 2022. Bringing back legacy cast members as well as new additions Barry Keoghan, Rebecca Ferguson, and Tim Roth, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man gives the saga of Tommy Shelby the big-screen treatment while maintaining the same violent scope and epic storytelling, compressed into just under two hours. Fans of the series will be excited to see Cillian Murphy don a three-piece suit, but the film fails to reach the heights of a full season of the small-screen version. Nevertheless, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man looks and feels more cinematic than many television-to-film continuations.

Despite being a continuation of where the series finale left off, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man often feels like a retread of elements we have seen before. Set five years after burning all of his belongings and riding away into solitude, Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) returns as World War II is beginning to impact the British Isles with bombings. There has long been a threat of nationalism and extremism within the historical context of Peaky Blinders, and seeing the impending arrival of Nazis fits within the context of the series. Tommy, older and still suffering from PTSD from World War I, is attempting to write a memoir of his life titled “The Immortal Man” to try and move on from the years of trauma he has endured. In Tommy’s absence, his son, Duke (Barry Keoghan), has risen to the challenge of running criminal enterprises in Birmingham, including stealing from British soldiers. Duke, who has a parental relationship with criminal Beckett (Tim Roth), is frustrated with his station and wants more. Hence, Tommy must return to re-establish the rightful balance of power through the Peaky Blinders.

Because this is a movie, there are new additions to the cast as well as returning favorites. Stephen Graham reprises his role as Hayden “The King of Liverpool” Stagg, while Packy Lee returns as Johnny Dogs, Ned Dennehy as Charlie Strong, and Sophie Rundle as Ada Thorne, with Rebecca Ferguson joining as twins Kaulo and Zelda. Because of the countless familiar actors from the series’ six seasons, many of whom did not survive the final season, there is a lot of time spent discussing who is not present in The Immortal Man. The power vacuum left by many of the characters also means there is a lot of time spent explaining who represents which factions and expository dialogue to help bridge the half-decade gap since the series ended. While Peaky Blinders spent a great deal of time building relationships between long-time members of the cast and each season’s new additions, it is challenging to build the same dynamic with new characters joining this story for a limited amount of screen time. It is great to see Dennehy, Lee, and Rundle, but this film hinges on the father-son relationship between Cillian Murphy’s Tommy and Barry Keoghan’s Duke. The vibe feels very similar to the chemistry between Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio in Gangs of New York, with Keoghan a perfect fit as Murphy’s son.

Where Peaky Blinders has always been strongest has been in the gritty, violent world of the 1920s and 1930s in England. The gang factions and crime families that inhabited the region have always given the series a feeling distinct from other gangster sagas. While each series only comprised six episodes, The Immortal Man still feels far too short to do justice to the story being told. The anachronistic soundtrack still remains a key element of the series, but the compressed running time does not do the story any favors. Tommy Shelby’s legacy looms large over the film, and his time away from being the head of the Peaky Blinders has not changed the man. By making the film’s predominant villains Nazis, the power dynamic shifts from criminals against authority to criminals as heroes. By making Tommy into a good guy, some of the anti-hero vibe of The Immortal Man feels out of place compared to the more punk-rock underdog-fighting-the-power vibe of the original series. This does not detract from the storytelling quality of the movie, but it does make it harder to appreciate the transformation of Tommy Shelby that long-time fans of the series will experience when they watch it.

Director Tom Harper, who helmed three episodes of the first season of Peaky Blinders, brings a cinematic quality to The Immortal Man, making it feel like more than an extended episode of the television series. Harper has worked on bigger-budget projects like the Gal Gadot spy film Heart of Stone and the Prime Video period adventure The Aeronauts, but he is right at home in the gritty, violent world of Peaky Blinders. Cinematographer George Steel lensed The Immortal Man in a way that accentuates the film’s cold, winter setting, offering triumphant, heroic shots like the image of Tommy riding on horseback used in the film’s marketing materials. Steven Knight knows these characters well at this point, and there is never any doubt that this is the next phase in the journey for Tommy Shelby, but the same cannot be said for the rest of the screenplay. The melodramatic peaks and valleys of this movie sometimes border on silly, with the feature-length running time sometimes betraying the outsized emotional reactions of the characters. There is way too much crammed into this two-hour film, and it often feels like Knight could not figure out what to focus on and what to leave out.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is worth seeing for the absolutely fantastic performances from Cillian Murphy and Barry Keoghan. Two of the finest actors working today, seeing that they play father and son, are more than worth the price of admission. But, if you are a newcomer to the world of Peaky Blinders, you will likely feel lost as you try to orient yourself in a story set over two decades from where it started. Peaky Blinders has developed a fanbase thanks to its blend of action, violence, and drama, told through the saga of a family spanning 36 episodes. Trying to encapsulate and continue that dynamic in just 112 minutes is a daunting feat, and Tom Harper and Steven Knight do not quite make it work. The bloodbath at the core of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is worth seeing on the big screen, but the rest of this movie could have waited until it hit streaming. A bit more time spent working on the characters, or even turning this into a shorter, seventh season, would have done better justice to the franchise.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man is now playing in theaters and premieres March 20th on Netflix.

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man

AVERAGE

6

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What is Powers About?

The series is a mix of superhero drama, crime noir, and police procedural. It follows Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim, two homicide detectives assigned to investigate cases involving people with superhuman abilities, known as “powers.” Walker himself used to be a costumed superhero named Diamond, but became a police officer after he lost his abilities.

Both creators are involved in the Powers animated series, with Bendis writing the pilot and Oeming “participating in the visual development for the show.” Dark Horse Entertainment‘s Keith Goldberg and Chris Tongue are executive producing the series.

Powers was originally launched as an independent comic, but was soon published by Image Comics. It won the Eisner Award for Best New Series in 2001. It later moved to Icon Comics, a Marvel imprint designed for select “A-list” creators. The comic then moved to DC Comics as part of its Jinxworld imprint, and finally, to Dark Horse Comics.

Powers Has Previously Been Adapted

Powers has actually been adapted as a TV series before, but in live-action. Back in 2015, Powers premiered on the PlayStation Network (remember that?) with Sharlto Copley (District 9) and Susan Heyward (The Boys) starring as Walker and Pilgrim, respectively. The series received mixed reviews, but was still renewed for a second season before it was cancelled.

Torso is Also at Netflix

As revealed last year, Netflix is also in early development on another Bendis comic: Torso. The feature film adaptation of the graphic novel by Bendis and Marc Andreyko tells the true story of Eliot Ness investigating a mysterious serial killer known as the Cleveland Torso Murderer. There have been many attempts to bring this story to the big screen, but Netflix seems to be very confident, having acquired the rights in a seven-figure deal following an intense bidding war. Weapons writer/director Zach Cregger is one of the producers.

What do you think of Netflix turning Powers into an animated series?

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All About Project Hail Mary

“Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship with no recollection of who he is or how he got there,” reads the official synopsis. “As his memory slowly returns, he soon discovers he must solve the riddle behind a mysterious substance that’s causing the sun to die out. As details of the mission unravel, he calls on his scientific training and sheer ingenuity — but he may not have to do it alone.“

In addition to Gosling, the film also stars Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub, and more. James Ortiz serves as the voice and lead puppeteer of Rocky, an alien Ryland encounters on his journey. However, Gosling said they had originally planned on finding another voice for the character during post-production.

“James Ortiz was meant to just be the puppeteer and we were going to figure out Rocky’s voice later. But James started doing the lines for me so that I had someone to read lines with, so I wasn’t just imagining this dialogue,” Gosling explained. “[James] understood Rocky so deeply that it got to a point where he knew what Rocky would say, what he wouldn’t say, what he would do. James was Rocky and James is Rocky now and you can’t imagine it any other way.“

We Loved It

The hype machine has been running high on this one, but our own Chris Bumbray thinks it’s well deserved. “While it runs a hefty 156 minutes, the running time zips along, with Lord and Miller having a good handle on pace,” he wrote. “It’s really an impeccably made movie, with everyone involved doing superlative work, including Daniel Pemberton, who contributes a strong score. It’s the kind of movie that deserves to become the next Sinners, so hopefully audiences will give it a shot. It’s upbeat and leaves you walking out of the theater feeling optimistic — which I think all of us could use in these rather somber times.” You can check out the rest of his review right here.

Let us know in the comments below what you thought of Project Hail Mary.

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Tarantino & Stallone’s Gangster Series

According to the outlet, Tarantino will write and co-direct the series, with Stallone on board to co-direct. It doesn’t sound like Stallone will be appearing on screen, but the actor has had plenty of experience in the gangster world, from playing Frank Nitti in Capone, Angelo “Snaps” Provolone in Oscar, and, more recently, Dwight “The General” Manfredi in Tulsa King.

Not only will the series be set in the 1930s, but it will also be shot in black and white with cameras from the era. It will be a six-part series full of gangsters, showgirls, boxing, and music.

Tarantino & Stallone Have Almost Worked Together Before

Although Tarantino and Stallone haven’t actually worked together before, they have had a few close calls. Word is that he was up for the roles of Louis Gara in Jackie Brown (which ultimately went to Robert De Niro) and Stuntman Mike McKay in Death Proof (played by Kurt Russell).

But First… A Play?

Tarantino’s next project won’t be seen on screen, but on the stage. He’s been developing a play titled The Popinjay Cavalier. It’s being described as a “swashbuckling comedy” set in the 1830s and will be produced by Sonia Friedman Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment. The press release calls it “a rambunctious comedy of deception and disguise inspired by the grand swashbuckling epics of stage and screen.“Tarantino has been planning to premiere it in London on the West End. The official premiere date is yet to be announced, but it is being developed for an early 2027 debut.

“Oh, the play is all written. It is absolutely the next thing I’m going to do,” he said last year. “It’s absolutely my next project. And we’ll start doing it. We’ll start the ball rolling on it in January. Because I just figure it’s like the first of the year.“

Assuming this gangster series from Quentin Tarantino and Sylvester Stallone turns out to be true (and actually moves forward), are you down?

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Carrie, the subject of author Stephen King’s first published novel and one of the greatest female icons in the horror genre, is coming back – and this time Mike Flanagan is the one taking her to prom. It was announced last October that Flanagan was working with King to adapt the story of Carrie into an eight-episode series to be released on Amazon’s Prime Video, and we’re expecting to see the show premiere sometime this October. Someone who didn’t have to wait so long to check it out was cast member Heather Graham (Suitable Flesh), who reports that she has already watched the first three episodes and the show is great!

Story

Published in 1974, King’s novel Carrie served as the inspiration for the classic 1976 film directed by Brian De Palma. The concept then sat dormant for a couple of decades, until the sequel The Rage: Carrie 2 came along in 1999. That was quickly followed by a made-for-TV Carrie remake in 2002, and then Carrie got a big screen remake in 2013. The character was played by Sissy Spacek in ’76, Angela Bettis in ’02, and Chloe Grace Moretz in ’13. Back in 2019, it was rumored that a limited series adaptation was in development at FX, but that project (if it existed) didn’t go anywhere.

King’s novel has the following description: Unpopular at school and subjected to her mother’s religious fanaticism at home, Carrie White does not have it easy. But while she may be picked on by her classmates, she has a gift she’s kept secret since she was a little girl: she can move things with her mind. Doors lock. Candles fall. Her ability has been both a power and a problem. And when she finds herself the recipient of a sudden act of kindness, Carrie feels like she’s finally been given a chance to be normal. She hopes that the nightmare of her classmates’ vicious taunts is over . . . but an unexpected and cruel prank turns her gift into a weapon of horror so destructive that the town may never recover. 

Here’s the logline for Flanagan’s series: A bold and timely reimagining of the story of misfit high-schooler Carrie White, who has spent her life in seclusion with her domineering mother. After her father’s sudden and untimely death, Carrie finds herself contending with the alien landscape of public High School, a bullying scandal that shatters her community, and the emergence of mysterious telekinetic powers.

Cast

The series stars Summer H. Howell of Curse of Chucky and Cult of Chucky as Carrie, Siena Agudong (The 4:30 Movie) as Sue Snell, Samantha Sloyan (The Fall of the House of Usher) as Carrie’s mom, Margaret White; Amber Midthunder (Prey) as Miss Desjardin, Alison Thornton (Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce) as Chris Hargensen, Matthew Lillard (Scream) as Principal Grayle, Thalia Dudek (The Running Man) as Emaline, Josie Totah (The Buccaneers) as Tina, Arthur Conti (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) as Billy, and Joel Oulette (Sullivan’s Crossing) as Tommy.

Returning Flanagan collaborators Kate Siegel, Michael Trucco, Sackhoff, Rahul Kohli, Crystal Balint, and Danielle Klaudt are also in the mix, along with Tim Bagley (The Perfect Couple), Tahmoh Penikett (The Madness), Mapuana Makia (Doogie Kamealoha M.D.), newcomer Rowan Danielle, Naika Toussaint (Washington Black), Delainey Hayles (Interview with the Vampire), and Cassandra Naud (Influencer). Details on their characters have not been revealed.

As mentioned, Heather Graham is in the mix as well.

Flanagan is executive producing the series with Trevor Macy. Filming took place from June 16 to October 24.

Great Show

During an interview with Collider, Graham said, “I have seen the first three episodes, and they’re great. They bring in an aspect of social media bullying and guns in school, so they try to modernize it, and I do feel like he captures the essence of what makes Carrie great.“

She added that Flanagan is a kind person to work with, which is why so many people who work with him “obsessively love him.” At the end of the Carrie shoot, actors of all ages were crying because they had such a good experience working on a set that had a great energy, “a vibe of love.”

Are you looking forward to Carrie, and are you glad to see Heather Graham’s positive report on the first three episodes and the set environment? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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What’s Playground about?

While there’s no official synopsis for the film adaptation, here’s a description of Powers’ Playground novel via Amazon:

When two brilliant misfits bond at an elite Chicago private school—one a white legacy kid named Todd Keane and the other, Rafi Young, a Black scholarship student from the South Side—their friendship seems as boundary-breaking and limitless as the 3,000-year-old board game that brings them together. For a time, not even simultaneously falling in love with Ina Aroita, who grew up in naval bases across the Pacific, shakes them. Until finally it does, with a betrayal that launches all three of them on radically different paths.

Rafi disappears into literature, and Ina into art. Todd, who once dreamed of escape into the world beneath the surface of the ocean, revealed to him by the legendary Canadian diver and marine biologist Evie Beaulieu, becomes instead one of the most powerful tech billionaires on the planet whose social media empire, Playground, is remaking the global order with its AI breakthroughs. But not even wild success can insulate Todd from mortality. As illness eats away at the brain that built it all, he dreams of the life that could’ve been and the relationships he should never have let go.

Before Todd’s final act is up, past loves and present ambitions collide on the ravaged Polynesian island of Makatea, where an unnamed corporation hopes to build the first floating, autonomous city on the open sea. Traversing borders and oceans, connection and loss, ingenuity and transcendence, Playground brings to light the systems of competition, cooperation, commerce, exploration and love that tie the fates of unlikely humans together, in Richard Powers’ most transporting work of fiction yet.

The Chalamet Film Forecast

Work on the highly anticipated conclusion to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy is complete, with the third chapter of the crowd-pleasing science-fiction epic set to release on December 10, 2026. Dune: Part Three follows Muad’dib, heir to unimaginable power, as he brings to fruition the ancient scheme to create a superbeing ruler among men, not in the heavens. A meaty teaser trailer for the Dune threequel hit the internet earlier this week, showcasing new characters, stunning special effects, and plenty of familial drama. In addition to Dune: Part Three, Chalamet is reprising his role as Willy Wonka in Wonka 2, a sequel to the 2023 musical that depicts the origin of the Candyman himself. Paul King returns to direct Wonka 2, with the story focusing on a young Willy Wonka who ventures from his drab town to a whimsical candy factory, where his eye for wonder leads him on an enchanting adventure.

No more Ready Player One movies, please

It sounds like cautionary tales about AI are the new cat’s pajamas in Hollywood. I’m down for that, so long as we don’t end up with another Ready Player One-inspired nostalgia fest. Then again, after reading the book’s description, Powers’ novel sounds far more dramatic than Ernest Cline’s name-dropping sci-fi romp. I’ll keep my eyes on this one, and maybe even read the book if I get the chance. My to-be-read pile is massive. I snuck over to the bookstore again this morning to pick up a copy of Daniel Zomparelli’s Super Castle Fun Park, and that’s after grabbing a copy of Riley Sager’s Home Before Dark. Yeah. I’ve got a book-buying problem. It’s my new obsession for 2026.

The post Warner Bros. snags the rights to adapt Richard Powers’ Playground with Timothée Chalamet to produce and possibly star appeared first on JoBlo.

And just like that, another icon is gone. Like probably most of you reading this article, I was sad to read earlier this morning that one of the biggest legends of eighties action cinema, Chuck Norris, has passed away. Indeed, to many of us, Norris seemed indestructible (hence why “Chuck Norris Facts” became a thing), but like all of us, he couldn’t beat Father Time. That said, he lived a long, robust life and was kicking ass as recently as his eighty-sixth birthday—only just over a week ago.

With that in mind, a lot of us are going to be marathoning Chuck Norris movies this weekend. While many of his films have a reputation for being B-movies, some of them are really good and might actually surprise you.

Lone Wolf McQuade (1983)

While Norris had already made a bunch of hit movies by this point, Lone Wolf McQuade was the first really high-end Chuck Norris flick. It was important in a lot of ways. For one thing, his role as a Texas Ranger here was a rough draft for what would eventually become Walker: Texas Ranger, which is still the show most people remember him for. But in this one, Chuck wears a beard for the first time, and he was rarely seen without it afterward.

In this, Norris’s title character faces off with gunrunners led by David Carradine, and in the end, he’s pitted against the former Kung Fu star in a mano-a-mano fight (the movie works hard to convince us Carradine would have a prayer against Norris). While a bit overwrought (the soundtrack hilariously echoes Ennio Morricone’s Sergio Leone scores), it’s entertaining and iconic.

Missing in Action (1984)

This was the movie that kicked off Norris’s run of films with Cannon. In it, he plays Braddock, a former POW in Vietnam who goes back into the jungle to rescue MIA soldiers, tapping into the popular belief at the time that American prisoners of war were still captive in Vietnam. It beat Rambo: First Blood Part II to theaters, although many still say it was a rip-off, as Cannon reportedly got hold of a leaked copy of the Rambo II script and rushed out a knockoff.

Norris is cool as the defiant, tough Braddock, with the movie followed by a prequel (which was actually shot first and is pretty boring) and a crudely made sequel. This is by far the best of the three.

Invasion USA (1985)

While many will say The Delta Force is Chuck Norris’s best Cannon movie, I’ve always found that one a little cringe-worthy and long-winded in a contemporary context (it also takes way too long for the action to kick in). Don’t get me wrong—it’s worth watching—but the best Norris Cannon movie, by a long shot, is Invasion USA.

They gave Norris a killer budget, and it has some amazing action set pieces, with the mall shootout being a classic. Norris is like a heroic Jason Voorhees in the way he silently stalks and wipes out invading Russian soldiers who make the mistake of trying to take over America on Chuck Norris’s watch. It also famously helped inspire the Romanian Revolution (look up that wild story).

This was also followed by a pretty good spin-off, Avenging Force, but Norris bowed out of that one, with Michael Dudikoff taking over.

Code of Silence (1985)

For my money, this is by far the best movie Norris ever made. Freed from the budgetary shackles of Cannon, Norris made this studio film for Orion, and it’s a cracking police thriller with a surprisingly modern storyline.

In it, he plays a Chicago cop who refuses to back up a fellow officer embroiled in a racially motivated killing. On his own, he’s left with no support in his war against a drug lord, played by a menacing Henry Silva. The film features some killer action, with Andrew Davis directing this before Above the Law, Under Siege, and The Fugitive.

The fight sequence on top of the L train is a classic, as is a scene where he has to take on a pool hall full of tough guys. It also surrounds him with a great cast of Chicago character actors, including Dennis Farina as his loyal partner and John Mahoney. The movie was one of his biggest hits, but sadly it would be the last time Norris worked with a mainstream studio, as he became locked into a long-term Cannon contract.

Sidekicks (1992)

As a kid studying martial arts, I absolutely loved this movie and deeply related to it. In it, the late Jonathan Brandis plays a bullied boy who fantasizes about kicking ass alongside Norris, who encourages him in his training and helps him stand up to bullies.

In the finale, Brandis, at a martial arts competition and needing an adult partner, actually convinces the real Norris to participate—and he proves to be just as encouraging in real life as he was in the fantasy sequences.

From what I know about Norris’s interactions with fans, that’s pretty close to who he actually was in real life. He always disliked bullies (he famously turned down the role of Kreese in The Karate Kid because he found the character repellent) and wanted to be seen as a positive role model.

Which Chuck Norris movie is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.

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REVIEW: Poetic License marks the directorial debut of Maude Apatow, a familiar face from her roles in her father Judd Apatow’s films, as well as HBO’s Euphoria. One thing that has marked many of Judd’s later films is his shift from hardcore comedy to gentler comedy-drama in the mold of James L. Brooks, and his daughter Maude seems to share very much the same vision in that respect. Indeed, in the introduction to Poetic License at SXSW, the moderator mentioned that the film feels like it was plucked out of another era of moviemaking, which it does — and I mean that as a compliment.

The fact is, high-end comedy-dramas like this often don’t get made anymore, so it’s worth celebrating when a new one comes out, especially when it’s this good. The recent failure of Ella McCay shows just how hard it can be for movies like this to connect critically, but what Apatow has done here is make an old-fashioned movie that’s up-to-date enough that it doesn’t feel like a relic.

She gives her mother, Leslie Mann, a great part as Liz, a former therapist who, after a career-ending error, opted to become a stay-at-home mom. But with her beloved daughter, Dora (Nico Parker), in her last year of high school and wanting some independence, Liz has a whole lot of free time, especially now that she’s moved to a college town where her husband, James (Method Man), is an economics professor.

Mann is excellent, with Liz overbearing but also cool and charismatic enough that she never loses your sympathy. Most importantly, you believe why this kind, understanding, and — let’s face it — hot woman totally upends the relationship between the film’s other two leads, Cooper Hoffman’s Ari and Andrew Barth Feldman’s Sam.

The two men are co-dependent best friends, the type who do everything together and tend to interfere in each other’s lives. Feldman’s Sam is an economics student on the verge of graduating who’s unsure about his future in finance, an industry he’s starting to think he’s unsuited for. Hoffman’s Ari is a trust-fund kid with no direction and is also somewhat depressed, when he’s not wildly manic. As someone who was a lot like Ari in college — minus the trust fund — I found him easy to relate to, with Hoffman once again showing what a charismatic performer he’s growing into. Feldman, who impressed in No Hard Feelings (and has a kind of Martin Short-style vibe) is likable as the nice, low-key Sam, and you understand how both men would fall hard for Liz, to the point that they start competing for her. Liz has no romantic interest in either of them, but she’s so self-involved that she fails to notice how the boys are starting to fall for her.

In Apatow’s movie, which has a sharp script by Raffi Donatich, everyone comes off as well-intentioned and nice. While Liz is self-absorbed, she doesn’t want to hurt the boys, while neither of the guys becomes a creep in his pursuit of her. It’s all played for laughs, which is refreshing, as most modern movies would label at least one of the characters “problematic.” Here, they’re all just three-dimensional people, albeit ones without any real malice in them.

Apatow has also surrounded the three stars with an interesting ensemble. Nico Parker continues to be one of the best young actors out there as Liz’s daughter, who loves her mom but needs a bit of space to do her own thing. Method Man is terrific as Liz’s husband, perhaps the most versatile rapper-turned-actor in recent memory. He’s been great in a lot of things, and you buy him completely as a university academic and family man. One of the best parts goes to Martha Kelly as the hilariously blunt, deadpan poetry teacher. Plus, Maisy Stella from My Bad Ass is fun as Sam’s mean-spirited, obnoxious girlfriend, who is the bane of Ari’s existence. Like her father, Maude Apatow has a knack for letting her supporting players shine.

Upstart distributor Row K is set to put out Poetic License in theaters this summer, and hopefully folks give it a chance, as it feels like a breath of fresh air. Most rom-com-style movies are either too silly to be taken seriously or too cautious in their approach. Poetic License feels like one of those movies where everyone involved just focused on making an entertaining film rather than one that checked all the necessary boxes.

Maude Apatow

GREAT

8

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Career

Blanks’ career in the film industry stretches back to the early ’90s, and he was a jack of all trades. His very first credits came as a composer on a batch of short films, and on one of those he was also a camera operator. He made his directorial debut on the 1993 short Silent Number, which also happens to be his sole writing credit.

He’s best known for directing a quartet of horror feature films, most famously the 1998 slasher Urban Legend and the 2001 slasher Valentine. The survival thriller Storm Warning followed in 2007, and his final directing credit was on the 2008 “nature run amok” film Nature’s Grave, which was a remake of the 1978 film Long Weekend.

He racked up thirty credits as a composer, twelve as an editor, seven as a camera operator, three as a sound editor, seven as a producer or executive producer, and a handful of other credits from soundtrack work and the music department.

Message

Blanks’ family announced his passing on social media, sharing the following message:

Jamie Blanks, 29/11/1971 – 16/03/2026

It is with the deepest sadness that we confirm our beloved Jamie passed away suddenly at his home in Melbourne, Australia, on Monday.

His death was unexpected, despite some ill health in recent years. and comes at a time when Jamie was preparing to direct another film. He was still very active supporting other filmmakers and developing his own projects.

Anyone who was lucky to know Jamie was immediately struck by his talent, kindness, humanity, generosity of spirit and boundless enthusiasm for what he did in life but also – so importantly – for the people around him. This big, beautiful heart of his eventually gave way.

We’re imagining him now in a better place, chatting up a storm about horror movies and music with many others he loved and admired who have passed before him. Honour him by watching one of his films or John Carpenter’s The Fog (a favourite film that inspired him to become a filmmaker) or listening to one of his music scores.

Jamie is survived by his wife, Simone; his son, Oliver; his parents, brothers and a huge extended family of movie fans around the world. We love you so much, Jamie. Fly high, darling. Forever here in our hearts.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to Jamie Blanks’ family, friends, and fans.

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Gosling gives Marvel fans hope

“We’ll keep hope alive,” Gosling said on the podcast. “Some Dicussions have been had. It’s a complicated situation.” Granted, this doesn’t move the needle one way or another, but it’s nice to hear Gosling acknowledge the role and confirm that he’s in contact with Marvel about the part.

Kevin Feige loves the idea of Gosling playing Ghost Rider

“Hey man, if Ryan wants to be Ghost Rider…” said Marvel boss Kevin Feige, when he learned about Gosling’s interest in the role. “Gosling’s unbelievable. Ryan is amazing… I’d love to find a place for him in the MCU. He’s dressed up as Ken on Venice Beach [filming ‘Barbie’] and gets more press than giant movies coming out that weekend. It’s amazing.”

Ghosts of the past

Meanwhile, everyone remembers Marvel’s Ghost Rider movie from 2007, starring Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze. Directed and written by Mark Steven Johnson, the film also starred Eva Mendes and Sam Elliott, but its reception was mixed. Many Ghost Rider fans found Cage’s performance to be over-the-top, but this begs the question: What did you expect? Let’s not forget that 2007 was the same year that Spider-Man 3, Tim Story’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and Walt Disney’s Underdog were released. In other words, it was not a great year for superhero cinema. Still, a sequel titled Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance was released in 2011, with Cage reprising his role as Johnny Blaze, and the filmmakers behind Crank and Crank: High Voltage behind the camera. The sequel brought even more Cage-related wackiness to the character, ultimately leading to Ghost Rider’s retirement from feature-length films. Although years later, Gabriel Luna played Robbie Reyes, another version of Ghost Rider, for the fourth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Fans enjoyed Luna’s interpretation of the character, though he only remained a part of the series for one season.

I could see Ryan Gosling playing Ghost Rider. Why not, right? That’s certainly better than him playing a member of the Nova Corp. It would be bold of Marvel to announce a Ghost Rider film as part of their post-Secret Wars lineup, but stranger things have happened. If Gosling is passionate about the role, I say we give him a shot.

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Storm King Comics has announced that Cathedral, the first original graphic novel from legendary filmmaker John Carpenter, is set for an August 4, 2026 release – and the synopsis brings to mind elements of Carpenter’s 1987 film Prince of Darkness!

Story

Carpenter wrote Cathedral with producer and editor Sandy King and writer Sean Sobczak. Federico De Luca and Luis Guaragna provided the artwork, which is colored by Ryan Winn and lettered by Marshall Dillon. Here’s the synopsis for the 120-page graphic novel:

The middle of downtown Los Angeles sets the scene for John Carpenter’s Cathedral, where an abandoned cathedral stands, fenced in and ignored by the world around it. The preoccupied passers-by have long since ceased to notice the dilapidated church in their midst, never mind sensing the danger and centuries old evil trapped inside its walls.

A gruesome murder one late night pulls the structure into the spotlight, triggering a police investigation into the loss of one of their own. Lieutenant Christine Marks, along with detectives Paul Hernandez and Steve Mayfield, must enter the church in search of the monster that murdered her father. Every step takes them deeper into the belly of the church revealing the mystery of an ancient evil imprisoned within.

Carpenter is also working on a Cathedral album, so fans will be able to listen to the music he had in mind for this story while reading the graphic novel.

Statements

Carpenter provided the following statement: “I saw it in a dream: a nightmare landscape deep underground filled with monsters too weird and sinister to exist in daylight. I knew instantly I had to get these things out of my head and into everyone else’s brains.“

King added, “We have a saying at Storm King, ‘Every dream should be a nightmare.’ By reading Cathedral, you can take John’s dream and let it become your next nightmare.“

A press release notes that Cathedral will be available on August 4, 2026 in bookstores, online, and Storm King Comics, and on August 5, 2026 in comics shops. “But this is only the first step into the dark world of Cathedral. Head to JohnCarpentersCathedral.com and Storm King Comics for all the latest secrets of Carpenter’s Cathedral.”

Will you be adding John Carpenter’s Cathedral graphic novel to your collection? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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New cast members join Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed series

In addition to confirming the adaptation’s setting and time period, Netflix announced recurring roles for Sandra Guldberg-Kampp (Wildland, The Rain, Electric Child), Youssef Kerkour (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms), Mirren Mack (Hedda, The Nest, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple), and Louis McCartney (Stranger Things: The First Shadow). The quartet joins previously confirmed cast members Lola Petticrew, Toby Wallace, Zachary Hart, Laura Marcus, Tanzyn Crawford, Nabhann Rizwan, Claes Bang, Noomi Rapace, Ramzy Bedia, Sean Harris, and Corrado Invernizzi.

What’s the Assassin’s Creed series about?

Here’s the official logline for Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed series:

“Assassin’s Creed is a high-octane thriller centered on the secret war between two shadowy factions — one set on determining mankind’s future through control and manipulation, while the other fights to preserve free will. The series follows its characters across pivotal historical events as they battle to shape humanity’s destiny.”

The creative forces behind Assassin’s Creed celebrate the series

Earlier this week, the creative team expressed excitement for the series, saying,  “We’ve been fans of Assassin’s Creed since its release in 2007. Every day we work on this show, we come away excited and humbled by the possibilities that Assassin’s Creed opens to us,” David Wiener and Roberto Patino say in a joint statement. “Beneath the scope, the spectacle, the parkour, and the thrills is a baseline for the most essential kind of human story — about people searching for purpose, struggling with questions of identity and destiny and faith. It is about power and violence and sex and greed and vengeance.

“But more than anything, this is a show about the value of human connection, across cultures, across time,” they continue. “And it’s about what we stand to lose as a species, when those connections break. We’ve got an amazing team behind us with the folks at Ubisoft and our champions at Netflix, and we’re committed to creating something undeniable for fans all over the planet.”

“We are so excited to work alongside Roberto, David, and our Netflix partners to bring this beloved franchise to series,” says Boykin, executive producer and head of content at Ubisoft Film & Television. “We look forward to delivering an experience that speaks to the heart of what fans love about Assassin’s Creed, while introducing its unforgettable worlds and timeless themes to new audiences worldwide.”

Am I out of touch with Assassin’s Creed?

I’m confused. I’ve played a lot of Assassin’s Creed over the years, but I don’t remember any romance or sex in the story or gameplay. Then again, the last game in the franchise that I explored entirely is Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. I played for a couple of hours of Valhallah, though not long enough to get busy with the locals. Do I need to go back? Probably not.

I am looking forward to Assassin’s Creed: Hexe, though.

What do you think about Assassin’s Creed taking place in Rome? Is it the most obvious locale ever, or does the setting excite you? Let us know in the comments section below.

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The Netflix streaming service plans to continue building out their Fear Street franchise, based on the works of author R.L. Stine. Disney+ recently cancelled their Stine-inspired Goosebumps TV series after two seasons. And last October, another streaming service got in on the Stine action: the free service Tubi! R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead, which was inspired by Stine’s The Haunting Hour, received a Tubi release just in time for Halloween and landed on Variety’s Streaming Original Movies Chart, which ranks the most-watched streaming originals every week. So now, a sequel is on the way! R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2 will be released during the “Terror on Tubi” event in October 2026. 

Sequel

Written and directed by Jem Garrard (the Tubi Originals Slay, Takeout, Invasive, and Invasive 2: Getaway), R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead centered on teenage Sam, whose family’s move to Redhaven is made worse when his brother Finn disappears — and no one else remembers that he existed. Sam joins friend Becka and eccentric Rusty in the race to find Finn and break a harvest curse before Halloween ends.

Garrard is back at the helm for R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2. Lonely and bullied at school, Evan discovers a forbidden spellbook and unknowingly revives the ancient curse of Redhaven. Soon, the pumpkin-headed children from past sacrifices rise from the ground with a plan to claim the town during its Harvest Festival. As the event approaches, the only hope for Redhaven may be the return of a misunderstood witch determined to destroy the book and end the curse for good.

Statements

Adam Lewinson, Chief Content Officer at Tubi, provided the following statement: “Few storytellers have shaped the horror genre for young audiences as profoundly as R.L. Stine, and his work continues to find new life with each generation. Given the breakout success of Pumpkinhead, we’re going deeper into this mythology and continuing our commitment to fans of young adult horror.“

Stine added, “Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without a good story about kids being trapped inside a pumpkin. I’m so happy that we are going to have another pumpkin head adventure on Tubi.“

Coming our way from Front Street Pictures, R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2 is being executive produced by James Mattagne, Joan Waricha, Harvey Kahn, Yvonne Bernard, Dan Bernard, Jem Garrard, Allen Lewis, and Rama Diallo. 

Did you watch the first movie last year, and will you be watching R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2 when it reaches Tubi this October? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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PLOT: Fresh off surviving her brutal, life-or-death game of hide and seek with her now-former in-laws, Grace (Samara Weaving) once again finds herself forced to participate in a deadly game. This time, she’s up against four families, each of whom is vying for the position she’s on the verge of winning — the head of the devil-worshipping council that rules the world. To make sure she plays, her estranged sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton), is forced into participating as well.

REVIEW: Ready or Not proved to be something of a sleeper for Searchlight when it came out in 2019, grossing $57 million worldwide on a reported $6 million budget. Now, directorial duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (aka Radio Silence), fresh off two successful Scream movies, are back with a bigger and bloodier follow-up, which seeks to expand on the demonic mythology by introducing a much larger organization controlling the world, with the patriarch played by none other than David Cronenberg.

While it’s not as surprising or innovative as the first movie, it’s still a bloody good time, with Weaving once again a delightful action heroine to follow around. The wrinkle this time is that not only is she wounded after her first game, but now she has to protect her sister, played by the ever-spunky Newton, who proves to be cut from the same cloth as her tricky, tough sister.

One thing that really works is the action design, which makes it more palatable that Weaving and Newton could hold their own, given that the families hunting them are well-armed but not especially proficient. They are the demonic equivalent of nepo babies. Some of the fights are a lot of fun, including a scrap between Grace and the woman her ex-fiancé jilted in favor of her, Maia Jae’s Francesca, with their fight being scored by Bonnie Tyler’s classic “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

Yet, unlike the first film, the tone of Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is sometimes inconsistent. While a light action-comedy, one of the fights takes a disturbingly gruesome turn when Shawn Hatosy, as the most formidable opponent, brutally beats up Newton in a harsh, one-sided fight. The fact that it crosscuts back and forth with Grace and Francesca’s sillier, more comedic fight is jarring.

It’s also too bad that Sarah Michelle Gellar, perhaps wanting to save her action comeback for the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer, doesn’t really get too involved in the physical action, with her brother, played by Hatosy, more active. Perhaps knowing that topping the first film in terms of action would be tough to pull off, the movie also scales back on the fights in the third act in favor of a franchise-expanding twist, which is still nicely done, suggesting the franchise can go on. Elijah Wood also steals scenes as the unflappable lawyer assigned to enforce the diabolical rules, with him a nice addition to the franchise.

In the end, Ready or Not 2 isn’t quite the blast the first movie was, but I had a great time watching Weaving and Newton, who are both always easy to root for, do their thing. Gorehounds will appreciate the barrels of blood used, while the pace and momentum never lag. It’s a fun action-comedy (it’s lighter on the horror this time), and if the franchise continues, I’m more than ready for round three.

Ready or Not: Here I Come

GOOD

7

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