‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ won the weekend’s box office again.
‘Marty Supreme’ nabbed third place.
‘Song Sung Blue’ and ‘Anaconda’ also debuted.
As we’ve learned before with ‘Avatar’ movies, it’s not necessarily the launch, it’s the hold. A key phrase among the films’ Na’vi characters is “I see you,” and audiences certainly came out to see the third entry, ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ with the title staying top of the box office for a second weekend.
Across the Christmas holiday weekend, James Cameron’s latest took in a solid $64 million over the traditional weekend and $88 million since the Christmas holiday on Thursday.
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That three-day earning marks a 28% decline from its $89 million launch, a stronger hold than 2022’s ‘The Way of Water’ managed.
As mentioned above, the third entry is holding on well. So far, it has earned more than $217.7 million domestically and shows little sign of slowing down.
Worldwide, thanks to strong business in places such as China, the movie has now crossed $760 million, indicating that it should at the very least pass the $1 billion mark. Will it push past $2 billion like its predecessors? That’s trickier to predict.
Still, while some may deride the franchise for having little cultural impact, crowds certainly turn out for it.
What else happened at the box office this weekend?
Timothée Chalamet in ‘Marty Supreme’. Photo: A24.
There was also good news for star Timothée Chalamet and director Josh Safdie, as ‘Marty Supreme’, which expanded and enjoyed the best numbers among “newcomers” in third place with $17.4 million from 2,600 theaters over the weekend and $27.1 million through the four-day holiday frame.
Domestic ticket sales stand at $28.3 million after a weekend in limited release. The three-day figure marks the second-biggest opening weekend to date for A24.
Still, second was Disney’s ‘Zootopia 2,’ which has been one of the year’s success stories. The animated sequel took in $20 million over the weekend and $25.2 million since Christmas Day. In total worldwide, it has now earned $1.42 billion.
Fourth was ‘The Housemaid’ with $15.4 million for the weekend, ahead of new arrival ‘Anaconda’ in sixth. The action comedy, which features Paul Rudd and Jack Black, made $14.6 million over the weekend and has taken $23.7 million since Christmas. The movie also opened internationally with $20 million for a global start of $43.7 million.
Also new to the charts was ‘Song Sung Blue,’ which stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson in the based-on-truth tale of Neil Diamond tribute musicians. That earned $7.6 million over the weekend in eighth place and $12 million through the four-day holiday frame.
(L to R) Jack Black and Paul Rudd star in ‘Anaconda’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jack Black and Paul Rudd about their work on ‘Anaconda’, their first reaction to the screenplay and meta-approach to the reboot, finally working together on a film, and why fans need to see it in a theater.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.
Moviefone: To begin with, what would you both say to movie goers sitting down right now in a theater to prepare them for the theatrical experience they are about to have?
Jack Black: Now, I got to prepare you with a warning. If you are susceptible to jump scares, if you are terrified easily, if you have a heart condition, don’t see this movie, because it is legit scary. If you have an aversion to laughter, if something makes you laugh too hard and you might pass out, do not go to this movie. It is huge laughs and huge scares. You have been warned.
MF: Paul, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and this meta-approach to rebooting the franchise?
Paul Rudd: So, my reaction was just giddiness. I loved it. I thought it was funny and original. It was such a fun read that I went back and just read it again and it was enjoyable. I also knew that it was made and written by the guys that did ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’, which was a movie that I loved and saw four times. So, one of the things that I loved about that movie was it was very clever and self-aware. Nicolas Cage is so funny playing himself and I loved how this thing starts to weirdly morph into a Nicolas Cage movie, like an action movie. I thought it was just a very clever approach. So that these guys were taking another similarly unique and funny way to deal with movie remakes, but it’s not really a remake. It’s commenting on a lot of that stuff and doing it in a very meta and funny way.
MF: Jack, what was your reaction to this unusual approach to rebooting ‘Anaconda’?
Jack Black: I was like, dude, if we can make a movie that’s half as compelling and funny and interesting as ‘Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’, then sign me up. Because I saw that movie and I was like, holy cannoli, I’m jealous.
MF: Jack, you have appeared in the same movies as Paul before, but never starred opposite him in a film. What was it like to get to finally work together on a big scale comedy like this?
Jack Black: I mean, that was a big draw for me because I’ve always felt like me and Paul would be great together. I’ve been a huge fan of his as he knows, I tell him.
MF: Finally, Paul, anything you want to add about having a chance to work with Jack after all these years.
Paul Rudd: It makes people uncomfortable how much Jack and I fawn over one another like broken records. You want me to fawn over Jack? Easy. Per square inch, there isn’t a person out there that has more talent packed in to one gorgeous case. Jack is a talent tornado. He’s a comedy tsunami. He’s not just an actor. He’s not just a comedian. He’s not just a rock God. He’s the kindest, most brilliant, beautiful human being and those are rare in this business. If you ask anybody who’s met him, they’ll say the same thing. He’s a unicorn. So, anytime this comes around, I’m ready to jump on those coattails like that.
Doug (Jack Black) and Griff (Paul Rudd), seeking to recapture their youth, travel to the Amazon to film an amateur remake of the 1997 film ‘Anaconda’. Their project unravels when a real giant anaconda emerges, turning the light-hearted shoot into a perilous fight to stay alive.
Moviefone has compiled a list of the most anticipated movies opening in theaters and/or streaming in November and December of 2025, which not only includes major studio releases but also smaller independent films that you won’t want to miss.
Cast out from his clan, a young Predator finds an unlikely ally in a damaged android (Elle Fanning) and embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
Stevie (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) and her little brother Elliot (Elias Janssen) journey into the wildly absurd landscape of their own dreams to ask the Sandman to grant them the perfect family.
Sydney Sweeney in ‘Christy’. Photo: Black Bear Pictures.
Christy Martin (Sydney Sweeney) never imagined life beyond her small-town roots in West Virginia—until she discovered a knack for punching people. Fueled by grit, raw determination, and an unshakable desire to win, she charges into the world of boxing under the guidance of her trainer and manager-turned-husband, Jim (Ben Foster). But while Christy flaunts a fiery persona in the ring, her toughest battles unfold outside it—confronting family, identity, and a relationship that just might become life-or-death.
Russell Crowe as Hermann Göring in ‘Nuremberg’. Photo: Scott Garfield. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
In postwar Germany, an American psychiatrist must determine whether Nazi prisoners are fit to go on trial for war crimes, and finds himself in a complex battle of intellect and ethics with Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe), Hitler’s right-hand man.
(L to R) Alexandra Daddario as Hannah and Cole Sprouse as Thomas in ‘I Wish You All The Best’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
In this refreshingly modern coming-of-age story based on the best-selling book by Mason Deaver, a high school junior (Corey Fogelmanis) comes out as nonbinary and is thrown out of their family’s home. With nowhere else to turn, they move in with their estranged older sister (Alexandra Daddario) and her husband (Cole Sprouse). After enrolling in a new school, they find support from an eccentric art teacher (Lena Dunham) and form an unexpected bond with a kindhearted student (Miles Gutierrez-Riley). With the help of their new relationships, they navigate the awkward hurdles of young adulthood in this sweetly funny journey of self-discovery that celebrates the power of being true to yourself.
Stellan Skarsgård in ‘Sentimental Value’. Photo: Kasper Tuxen Andersen.
Sisters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) reunite with their estranged father, the charismatic Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård), a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. When Nora turns it down, she soon discovers he has given her part to an eager young Hollywood star (Elle Fanning).
(L to R) Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson in ‘Die My Love’. Photo Mubi.
Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jackson (Robert Pattinson) move into an old house deep in the country. With ambitions to write The Great American Novel, Grace settles into her new environment, and the couple soon welcome a child. However, with Jackson frequently – and suspiciously – absent, and the pressures of domestic life starting to weigh on her, Grace begins to unravel, leaving a path of destruction in her wake.
Glen Powell stars in Paramount Pictures’ “The Running Man’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards (Glen Powell) is convinced by the show’s charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), to enter the game as a last resort. But Ben’s defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite—and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters, but a nation addicted to watching him fall.
(L to R) Justice Smith as Charlie, Ariana Greenblatt as June, Dominic Sessa as Bosco, Jesse Eisenberg as Daniel Atlas, Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves, and Dave Franco as Jack Wilder in ‘Now You See Me: Now You Don’t’. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes.
The Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco and Isla Fisher) return along with a new generation of illusionists performing mind-melding twists, turns, surprises, and magic unlike anything ever captured on film.
(L to R) Tatiana Maslany and Rossif Sutherland in ‘Keeper’. Photo: Neon.
Liz (Tatiana Maslany) and Malcolm (Rossif Sutherland) escape for a romantic anniversary weekend at a secluded cabin. When Malcolm suddenly returns to the city, Liz finds herself isolated and in the presence of an unspeakable evil that reveals the cabin’s horrifying secrets.
Follows Bobby Sanders (Tom Blyth), an ex-pro-hockey-player-turned-junior-banker as he navigates the peculiar and somewhat surreal world of high finance and faces life’s meaning within this gilded cage.
Based on extensive research involving law enforcement and gang members, a never-before-seen, authentic look inside the underworld of fentanyl trafficking from gangs inside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary at McAlester a.k.a. “Big Mac.”
(L to R) Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller and Callum Turner in ‘Eternity’. Photo: A24.
In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with (Miles Teller) and her first love (Callum Turner), who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.
Mischa Barton as “Miranda Green” in the mystery thriller ‘Murder at the Embassy’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
When a private detective (Mischa Barton) is called to investigate a suspicious murder inside Cairo’s seemingly impenetrable British Embassy, she discovers a second crime has been committed that could spark war across the globe. Everyone within the walls of the embassy is a suspect, but the ultimate evil force is lurking right around the corner.
A father and his son arrive at a rave deep in the mountains of southern Morocco. They’re searching for Mar — daughter and sister — who vanished months ago at one of these endless, sleepless parties. Surrounded by electronic music and a raw, unfamiliar sense of freedom, they hand out her photo again and again. Hope is fading but they push through and follow a group of ravers heading to one last party in the desert. As they venture deeper into the burning wilderness, the journey forces them to confront their own limits.
Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in ‘Wicked For Good’, directed by Jon M. Chu.
Set in the Land of Oz, before and after Dorothy Gale’s arrival from Kansas, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda’s (Arianna Grande) friendship is put to the test as they embrace their new respective identities as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch of the North, and how the consequences of their actions will change all of Oz forever.
Returning to the house where his family was brutally murdered during the war, ‘the man who refuses to die’ dismantles it, loads it on a truck, and is determined to rebuild it somewhere safe in their honor. When the Red Army commander who killed his family comes back hellbent on finishing the job, a relentless, eye-popping cross-country chase ensues – a fight to the death.
An American actor (Brendan Fraser) in Tokyo struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese “rental family” agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality.
After cracking the biggest case in Zootopia’s history, rookie cops Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) find their partnership isn’t as solid as they thought when Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) orders them to join the Partners in Crisis counseling program. But it doesn’t take long for their partnership to be put to the ultimate test when they find themselves on the twisting trail of a mystery tied to the arrival of a venomous snake in the animal metropolis.
When young priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), it’s clear that all is not well in the pews. After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to unravel a mystery that defies all logic.
From Academy Award® winning writer/director Chloé Zhao, ‘Hamnet’ tells the powerful love story that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, ‘Hamlet’.
(L to R) Kiefer Sutherland and Rebel Wilson in ‘Tinsel Town’. Photo: Brainstorm Media.
Egotistical A-lister Bradley Mack (Kiefer Sutherland) is blindsided when his iconic action franchise is abruptly canceled. His career in freefall and worried his Hollywood days are behind him, Bradley heads to England, hoping to rebuild his image as a serious West End actor. But his long-suffering agent has other plans, sending him instead to a small, snow-dusted village to star in the eccentric town’s production of ‘Cinderella’. As he fumbles through rehearsals with a colorful cast of oddball locals, Bradley begins to discover a spark of new beginnings in the form of no-nonsense choreographer Jill (Rebel Wilson).
John Prine in ‘You Got Gold: A Celebration of John Prine. Photo: Abramorama.
This concert film was shot in October, 2022, over two nights at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. More than 70 artists gathered with family, the Nashville community, and music fans to remember and pay tribute to the life and songs of John Prine.
Claire Clauster (Michelle Pfeiffer) organizes a special Christmas outing when her family forgets her in the shuffle. By the time they realize their mistake, she’s gone missing. Their Christmas is in jeopardy, but Claire has other plans.
One year since the supernatural nightmare at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, the stories about what transpired there have been twisted into a campy local legend, inspiring the town’s first ever Fazfest. With the truth about what transpired kept from her, Abby (Piper Rubio) sneaks out to reconnect with Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy, setting into motion a terrifying series of events that will reveal dark secrets about the true origin of Freddy’s, and unleash a long-forgotten horror hidden away for decades.
Kelsey Pribilski in ‘Man Finds Tape’. Photo: Magnolia Pictures.
Pulled in by a series of strange and unexplainable video clips, a brother and sister team up to investigate the events captured in the footage, only to discover a shocking secret that’s overtaking their small-town Texas community.
Famous movie actor Jay Kelly (George Clooney) embarks on a journey of self discovery confronting both his past and present, accompanied by his devoted manager Ron (Adam Sandler).
A scene from ‘Frontier Crucible’. Photo: Well Go USA Entertainment.
In 1870s Arizona Territory, a desperately needed wagon full of medical supplies falls victim to an Apache attack. The only man who can guide it through is Merrick Beckford, but in order to get there, he’ll need to enlist the help of a trio of dangerous outlaws hellbent on survival. When they accidentally kill an Apache scout, all bets are off, and survival is the name of the game.
An idealistic young politician (Emma Mackey) juggles familial issues and a challenging work life while preparing to take over the job of her mentor, the state’s longtime incumbent governor (Albert Brooks).
Sydney Sweeney as Millie Calloway in ‘The Housemaid’. Photo: Daniel McFadden/Lionsgate.
Millie (Sydney Sweeney) is a struggling woman who is relieved to get a fresh start as a housemaid to Nina (Amanda Seyfried) and Andrew (Brandon Sklenar), an upscale, wealthy couple. She soon learns that the family’s secrets are far more dangerous than her own.
As their marriage quietly unravels, Alex (Will Arnett) faces middle age and an impending divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene while Tess (Laura Dern) confronts the sacrifices she made for their family—forcing them to navigate co-parenting, identity, and whether love can take a new form.
In the wake of the devastating war against the RDA and the loss of their eldest son, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) face a new threat on Pandora: the Ash People, a violent and power-hungry Na’vi tribe led by the ruthless Varang (Oona Chaplin). Jake’s family must fight for their survival and the future of Pandora in a conflict that pushes them to their emotional and physical limits.
A group of friends facing mid-life crises (Paul Rudd and Jack Black) head to the rainforest with the intention of remaking their favorite movie from their youth, only to find themselves in a fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.
Based on a true story, two down-on-their-luck musicians (Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson) form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band, proving it’s never too late to find love and follow your dreams.
Amanda Seyfried in ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’. Photo: Searchlight Pictures .
An epic fable about religious leader Ann Lee (Amanda Seyfried), the founding leader of the Shaker Movement, who was proclaimed by her followers as the female Christ and went on to build one of the largest utopian societies in American history. Lee — one of the rare female religious leaders at the time —and her followers worshipped through exuberant song and dance.
Ralph Fiennes in ‘The Choral’. Photo: Sony Pictures Classics.
Yorkshire, 1916. A choral society’s male members enlist in World War I, leaving the demanding Dr. Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes) to recruit teenagers. Together, they experience the joy of singing while the young men grapple with their impending conscription.
(Left) Thandiwe Newton in ‘Rogue’. Photo: DirecTV. (Right) Steve Zahn in ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Preview:
Thandiwe Newton and Steve Zahn are aboard the new ‘Anaconda.’
Jack Black and Paul Rudd are starring.
Directors Tom Gormican is rolling the cameras now.
While the original is certainly funny intentionally in places, the 1997 giant snake thriller ‘Anaconda’ is mostly remembered for being ridiculous even when it tries to be horrific (and let’s be honest, a lot of that is due to Jon Voight’s leery schmuck).
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Now, though, Sony’s Columbia arm has a new take on the concept, and this time the focus is firmly on the funny, with Jack Black and Paul Rudd aboard to star.
Jennifer Lopez in 1997’s ‘Anaconda’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
The original movie starred Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube and Voight, and followed a National Geographic film crew who is hunting for the world’s largest and deadliest snake, only to find the tables turned.
As you might expect, there is a lot of giant snake action.
That first outing didn’t strike critics well but grossed $136 million at the global box office and went on to quickly reach cult classic status.
‘Anaconda’ was followed by a series of films, including 2004’s ‘Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid’, which also did good theatrical business, before a plunge into schlock fare with two movies that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2008 (starring David Hasselhoff) and 2009.
1997’s ‘Anaconda’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
As you might expect given the presence of Black and Rudd, the aim is for the new movie to go a more comedic route.
Tom Gormican, who last brought us Nicolas Cage spoof ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’, co-wrote the script with collaborator Kevin Etten and is now rolling the cameras in Australia to take advantage of tax breaks via the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy.
The new story, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s sources, involves a group of friends facing mid-life crises who are remaking their favorite movie from their youth.
They head to the rainforest, only to find themselves in a fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.
Black will play an erstwhile director, a man stuck in his job as a wedding videographer, while Rudd will play an actor who did a stint on a cop show but sees his Hollywood dreams slipping further and further away.
Newton and Zahn are other childhood friends that join the two on the ill-fated adventure, while Mello will play a Brazilian animal wrangler. Skye is playing Black’s wife.
Where have I seen the new recruits?
(L to R) Thandiwe Newton and Angela Sarafyan in ‘Westworld’. Photo: HBO.
On the small screen, beyond her Emmy-winning turn on ‘Westworld,’ she’s been seen on ‘ER,’ ‘Line of Duty’ and ‘The Slap’ and is heard as Mona on Netflix series ‘Big Mouth.’ She’ll continue her association with the streaming service by showing up on ‘Wednesday’s second season this year.
Brazilian actor Mello is currently found starring opposite Fernanda Torres in Walter Salles’ political drama ‘I’m Still Here,’ which has been doing well this awards season.
Working as an actor since childhood, he last year starred in another Brazilian movie, ‘Bury Your Dead,’ and is also a director, with one of his movies, ‘The Clown,’ serving as his country’s submission for the best foreign language film at the 2013 Oscars.
When will the new ‘Anaconda’ slither on to screens?
With Fully Formed, the company run by producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, producing the movie, it has now secured a December 25th release date. Happy Snake-mas!
(L to R) Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube in 1997’s ‘Anaconda’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Jack Black and Paul Rudd may star in a new version of ‘Anaconda’.
Jennifer Lopez and Jon Voight headlined the 1997 original.
Tom Gormican is attached to direct the new movie.
Movie studios love dipping into their archives to find old titles they can slap some remake/re-imagining/legacy sequel paint onto and push into theaters to earn some fresh cash.
Sony is doing just that, having kicked off development of a new take on 1997’s ‘Anaconda,’ which, as you can guess, focused on a snake. In this case, a massive snake.
Jennifer Lopez in 1997’s ‘Anaconda’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
The original movie starred Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube and Jon Voight, and followed a National Geographic film crew who is hunting for the world’s largest and deadliest snake, only to find the tables turned.
As you might expect, there is a lot of giant snake action.
That first outing didn’t strike critics well but grossed $136 million at the global box office and went on to quickly reach cult classic status.
‘Anaconda’ was followed by a series of films, including 2004’s ‘Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid’, which also did good theatrical business, before a plunge into schlock fare with two movies that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2008 (starring David Hasselhoff) and 2009.
The Reporter’s sources are pointing to the new story involving a group of friends facing mid-life crises who are remaking their favorite movie from their youth. They head to the rainforest, only to find themselves in a fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.
But the details are foggier when it comes to the roles that the new actors are considering. There are competing accounts: one has Black playing an erstwhile director, a man stuck in his job as a wedding videographer, while Rudd is an actor who did a stint on a cop show but sees his Hollywood dreams slipping further and further away. It might, however, be the other way round.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Casper Van Dien about his work on ‘The Flood,’ similarities with ‘Con Air,’ fighting alligators, the VFX, acting in water, and working with Nicky Whelan, Louis Mandylor, and the rest of the cast.
Casper Van Dien as Russell Cody in the action thriller, ‘The Flood,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction when you read the screenplay for ‘The Flood’?
Casper Van Dien: When I read it, I was like, “Oh, it’s ‘Con Air’ with alligators.” That’s how they promoted it. I think they also said ‘Anaconda’ but with alligators. That’s how it was pitched to me. Then I read the script and I said, “Okay, this looks like it’d be fun.” I Love Nikki, and I love Louis Mandylor and the guy that directed it, Brandon Slagle. I did another movie with him before, so I was excited about doing that. Thailand is an amazing place and that’s where we filmed it all and I had a lot of fun working with those people.
MF: What was it like working with Nicky Whelan?
CVD: Nikki is an amazing actress, and she’s a lot of fun. Just a sweetheart of a person. My wife and I adore her. We love her. She’s really all in. That’s the thing that’s good about her. So she’s all in and when she gets there, she’s just a joy to work with. I didn’t see all of her fights, so I don’t even know how they all went. I just know what I did with her when I was working with her. I was like, “Oh, this girl’s got something,” so that was awesome for me. She’s not just a pretty face. She’s got everything going for her. Now, my wife and her are really good friends and my wife just adores her. I mean, if we lived closer, I’m sure we’d hang out more. But she’s just a great person.
Nicky Whelan as Sheriff Newman in the action thriller, ‘The Flood,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
MF: Sheriff Newman and Russell are at odds when the film begins but eventually form an alliance together. Can you talk about the moment when she realizes she can trust him?
CVD: Well, I think that she does see eventually that he has her back and I think that that’s questionable up until that point. That could go either way and I like that. Then in the end, I liked it all the way through. I hope it all worked. You never know. You come in. You throw this in as an actor, you try and the writing had it in there, but then we could add our other layers onto it and the director adds his layer onto it. Then, of course, the editor gets his in the end too.
MF: Was it fun working with all the other actors that play the inmates?
CVD: It was. I like all of them. I mean, all these guys are good. Eoin and I worked together also with Louis in ‘Battle for Saipan,’ so we had all worked together before. But that group was great. They’re a cool bunch of guys and they really got into it. It was fun working with all of them. I loved working with them. The other actors are always key. Every actor’s key in it. It is the relationships you have with them and everybody’s different story. I hate the movies back where, I’m not going to mention any names, but when actors would want to have all the lines and everything. I don’t think that’s as important. I think it’s better when you have all the developed characters and everybody putting their all into it, and feeling like it’s their story. I think it makes it more interesting and a lot more fun.
(L to R) Mike Ferguson as Floyd McGraw, Randall Bacon as Jonathan ‘Jox’ Apone, Bear Williams as Angelo Cooper, Eoin O’Brien as ‘Big Jim’ Pruett, Nicky Whelan as Sheriff Newman, Ryan Francis as Jay Stamper, and Alexander Winters as Deputy Whitlock in the action thriller, ‘The Flood,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
MF: What was your experience like working with Louis Mandylor on this movie?
CVD: Louis’s always magnificent to work with. I think he’s super talented. I mean, he’s a great fighter, but I think he’s an even better actor and I love working with him.
MF: Your characters have a history together, did you and Louis workout a backstory for their relationship?
CVD: Well, we really wanted it to be like we had worked together and we wanted it to come across that maybe things weren’t so great, but we did like each other. It’s just that maybe I don’t like all of his principles and I’m a little bit worried about him. I don’t think it’s better if I just hate him and he is all horrible. There’s things I did like about him, but then, when push comes to shove, I’m not willing to take the chances. His character made a big mistake, and my character just can’t come to terms with that. But I think that before that, we had liked each other and then when it came to that turning point, I wanted it to be real. He and I, like I said, have we’ve worked together before and so we had a relationship. We knew of each other beforehand too. So that makes it all interesting, I think, and I’m hoping it came across. That’s what we were hoping for and that’s what I liked about the script because I don’t want it to be all black and white, and there are gray areas. I wanted to have those relationships and hopefully, that all comes across.
(L to R) Louis Mandylor as Rafe Calderon and Casper Van Dien as Russell Cody in the action thriller, ‘The Flood,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
MF: Can you talk about the VFX used for the alligators and what it was like for you shooting those sequences?
CVD: I was just acting, so there was nothing whatsoever. We didn’t have any practical effects. I didn’t see any. I just had the descriptions of what was going on in the set and then what the director was telling me. I had to trust that and then watch also the other actors’ performances. There was different things that different people had with them and how they were going to react, and they had to have the visual effects guy there with all that too. So it’s always fun. All that’s fun. I mean, in ‘Starship Troopers,’ we didn’t have the big giant bugs either, they did have some practical in that, but most of it was all us just visualizing what they were telling us, and what they were going to put in afterwards. It was just us fighting against dirt, the ships, and the blue screen and green screens. But other than that, it was just dirt.
MF: Finally, can you talk about the challenges of working in water?
CVD: That was not fun. I mean, parts of it were fun and in the beginning, it’s fun. But then the water has all these people in it, and then it gets dirty and people are coming up coughing and you’re in that water. It starts out clean but at the end of the day, I don’t care what they’re putting in it, it isn’t clean anymore. Louis and I, doing that fight sequence, that was in the dirtiest water at the end of the day after everything had been through. So I mean, we’d been through some things, and it was that way every day. Every day you’re in the water. It starts out clean, and then gets real dirty because you have the entire crew in there. You have the equipment coming in and out. You have all the actors coming in and out and you try to keep it clean. You try to do these things, but it just gets dirty and you’re in Thailand. So they’re filling up these things with just big water trucks, filling it up, and it’s just this makeshift water place. It’s a building that they then had to waterproof, and then have rain coming through the ceilings and that’s dirt coming through that. So then you’re in water that I wouldn’t swim in, but I am now acting in it, I’m fighting in it and I’m getting drowned in it, while other people are acting like they are dying in it. Blood is going in there, dirty water, dirty shoes, dirty people and people are sweating and then they’re coming in there and it’s kind of hard to keep it all clean. So that part of it is difficult. I think that on bigger movies, they have water tanks that they can do more stuff with. There’s no way they were being able to measure it out for this. Just all the variables that you were throwing in, and also, we’re in Thailand. We’re not in the States, so the control’s probably not the same as it would be over here. I think they tried to do their best and they would keep changing the water. The water also would drain out because it’s splashing and going around different things. But then, we’d also fill it up at different levels. So there’d be different scenes where it’d be like, “This is ankle deep today. This is waist deep and now, you’re in it.” But it was so much fun, though.
Nicky Whelan as Sheriff Newman in the action thriller, ‘The Flood,’ a Saban Films release. Photo courtesy of Saban Films.
‘The Flood’ is produced by Hillin Entertainment, Ashland Hill Media Finance, BGG Capital, Benetone Films, Red Phoenix Productions, and The Video Store. It is scheduled to release in theaters, On Demand and digital beginning July 14th, 2023.
The artist also known as J.Lo can sing, dance, act in comedies like ‘Monster-in-Law,’ dramas like ‘Hustlers,’ or action movies like ‘Money Train,’ and is a fashion icon and a living legend!
Lopez’ latest movie, which is a romantic action comedy called ‘Shotgun Wedding’ also starring Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Coolidge, will debut on Prime Video beginning January 27th.
In honor of the new film’s release, Moviefone is counting down the 25 best movies of Jennifer Lopez’s career, including ‘Shotgun Wedding.”
Jack Powell (Robin Williams) suffers from an affliction that makes him grow four times faster than normal, so the 10-year-old looks like a 40-year-old man. After years of being tutored at home, Jack convinces his overprotective parents (Diane Lane and Brian Kerwin) to send him to public school. The children don’t know what to make of Jack, but with the help of his fifth-grade teacher (Lopez), he makes an effort to win them over.
Maya (Lopez) is a 40-year-old woman struggling with frustrations from unfulfilled dreams. Until that is, she gets the chance to prove to Madison Avenue that street smarts are as valuable as book smarts, and that it is never too late for a second act.
When Zoe (Lopez) tires of looking for Mr. Right, she decides to have a baby on her own. But on the day she’s artificially inseminated, she meets Stan (Alex O’Loughlin), who seems to be just who she’s been searching for all her life. Now, Zoe has to figure out how to make her two life’s dreams fit with each other.
Challenges of impending parenthood turn the lives of five couples upside down. Two celebrities (Cameron Diaz and Matthew Morrison) are unprepared for the surprise demands of pregnancy; hormones wreak havoc on a baby-crazy author (Elizabeth Banks), while her husband (Ben Falcone) tries not to be outdone by his father (Dennis Quaid), who’s expecting twins with his young trophy wife (Brooklyn Decker); a photographer’s husband (Rodrigo Santoro) isn’t sure about his wife’s (Lopez) adoption plans; a one-time hook-up results in a surprise pregnancy for rival food-truck owners.
A recently cheated on married woman (Lopez) falls for a younger man (Ryan Guzman) who has moved in next door, but their torrid affair soon takes a dangerous turn.
A neurotic worker ant (Woody Allen) in love with a rebellious princess (Sharon Stone) rises to unlikely stardom when he switches places with a soldier (Sylvester Stallone). Signing up to march in a parade, he ends up under the command of a bloodthirsty general (Gene Hackman). But he’s actually been enlisted to fight against a termite army.
Lila (Viola Davis), a grief-stricken mother reeling from her son’s (Aml Ameen) murder, attends a support group where she meets Eve (Lopez), who urges her to take matters into her own hands to track down her son’s killers.
When Bobby’s (Sean Penn) car breaks down in the desert while on the run from some of the bookies who have already taken two of his fingers, he becomes trapped in the nearby small town where the people are stranger than anyone he’s encountered. After becoming involved with a young married woman (Lopez), her husband (Nick Nolte) hires Bobby to kill her. Later, she hires Bobby to kill the husband.
Working-class waitress Slim (Lopez) thought she was entering a life of domestic bliss when she married Mitch (Billy Campbell), the man of her dreams. After the arrival of their first child, her picture perfect life is shattered when she discovers Mitch’s hidden possessive dark side, a controlling and abusive alter ego that can turn trust, love and tranquility into terror. Terrified for her child’s safety, Slim flees with her daughter. Relentless in his pursuit and enlisting the aid of lethal henchmen, Mitch continually stalks the prey that was once his family.
(L to R) Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson in ‘Marry Me’
Music superstars Kat Valdez (Lopez) and Bastian (Maluma) are getting married before a global audience of fans. But when Kat learns, seconds before her vows, that Bastian has been unfaithful, she decides to marry Charlie (Owen Wilson), a stranger in the crowd, instead.
Traces over three generations an immigrant family’s trials, tribulations, tragedies, and triumphs. Maria (Lopez) and Jose (Jacob Vargas), the first generation, come to Los Angeles, meet, marry, face deportation all in the 1930s. They establish their family in East L.A., and their children Chucho (Esai Morales), Paco (Edward James Olmos), Memo (Enrique Castillo), Irene (Lupe Ontiveros), Toni (Constance Marie), and Jimmy (Jimmy Smits) deal with youth culture and the L.A. police in the ’50s. As the second generation become adults in the ’60s, the focus shifts to Jimmy, his marriage to Salvadorian refugee Isabel (Elpidia Carrillo), their son, and Jimmy’s journey to becoming a responsible parent.
When a vengeful New York transit cop (Woody Harrelson) decides to steal a trainload of subway fares, his foster brother—a fellow cop (Wesley Snipes) tries to protect him.
Office temp Charlotte Cantilini (Lopez) thinks she’s found Mr. Right when she starts dating gorgeous surgeon Dr. Kevin Fields (Michael Vartan). But there’s a problem standing in the way of everlasting bliss: Kevin’s overbearing and controlling mother, Viola (Jane Fonda). Fearing she’ll lose her son’s affections forever, Viola decides to break up the happy couple by becoming the world’s worst mother-in-law.
A thief (Jason Statham) with a unique code of professional ethics is double-crossed by his crew and left for dead. Assuming a new disguise and forming an unlikely alliance with a woman (Lopez) on the inside, he looks to hijack the score of the crew’s latest heist.
San Francisco’s premiere wedding planner, Mary Fiore (Lopez) is rescued from an accident by the man of her dreams, paediatrician Steve Edison (Matthew McConaughey), only to find he is the fiancé of her latest client (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras). As Mary continues making the wedding arrangements, she and Steve are put into a string of uncomfortable situations that force them to face their mutual attraction.
A “National Geographic” film crew (Lopez, Ice Cube and Owen Wilson) are taken hostage by an insane hunter (Jon Voight), who takes them along on his quest to capture the world’s largest – and deadliest – snake.
(L to R) Jennifer Lopez as Darcy Rivera and Josh Duhamel as Tom Fowler in ‘Shotgun Wedding.’ Photo Credit: Ana Carballosa.
In Shotgun Wedding, Darcy (Lopez) and Tom (Josh Duhamel) gather their lovable but very opinionated families for the ultimate destination wedding, just as the couple begin to get cold feet. And if that wasn’t enough of a threat to the celebration, suddenly everyone’s lives are in danger when the entire party is taken hostage. “Til Death Do Us Part” takes on a whole new meaning in this hilarious, adrenaline-fueled adventure as Darcy and Tom must save their loved ones—if they don’t kill each other first.
A man (Jack Nicholson) who has failed as a father and husband commits a heist to make money for his fledging business, but things become complicated when his wife (Judy Davis) interferes. Also starring Lopez, Michael Caine, and Stephen Dorff.
Marisa Ventura (Lopez) is a struggling single mom who works at a posh Manhattan hotel and dreams of a better life for her and her young son. One fateful day, hotel guest and senatorial candidate Christopher Marshall (Ralph Fiennes) meets Marisa and mistakes her for a wealthy socialite. After an enchanting evening together, the two fall madly in love. But when Marisa’s true identity is revealed, issues of class and social status threaten to separate them. Can two people from very different worlds overcome their differences and live happily ever after?
In this biographical drama, Selena Quintanilla (Lopez) is born into a musical Mexican-American family in Texas. Her father, Abraham (Edward James Olmos), realizes that his young daughter is talented and begins performing with her at small venues. She finds success and falls for her guitarist, Chris Perez (Jon Seda), who draws the ire of her father. Seeking mainstream stardom, Selena begins recording an English-language album which, tragically, she would never complete.
Meet Jack Foley (George Clooney), a smooth criminal who bends the law and is determined to make one last heist. Karen Sisco (Lopez) is a federal marshal who chooses all the right moves … and all the wrong guys. Now they’re willing to risk it all to find out if there’s more between them than just the law.
“Monsters” take many forms, especially in movies. Sometimes they’re otherworldly; frequently they seem to be superhuman. But movies like “Crawl” remind us that there are plenty of very real threats to our safety and security, even if the likelihood of an alligator getting trapped inside your own flooding living room isn’t very high. Of course, Alexandre Aja’s film is far from the first to pit man against beast in a battle for survival; but to commemorate the release of “Crawl,” we’ve assembled a shortlist of other entries in this venerated horror sub-genre (limited to creatures that either do, or at least plausibly could exist) to keep you frightened long after you’ve left the theater.
Alfred Hitchcock was hardly the first filmmaker to explore “evil” animals, but his 1963 film starring Tippi Hedren elevated the menace precisely by never bothering to explain why they started attacking in the first place. Meanwhile there’s plenty of really traumatic action involving Hedren and some unhappy crows, which somehow only enhances the unsettling psychological drama unfolding between the human characters.
Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster building block changed movies forever with this tale of a local police chief (Roy Scheider) who discovers that a New England 4th of July celebration is about to serve as a buffet for a great white that only a marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and professional shark hunter (Robert Shaw) know how to stop.
Tobe Hooper followed up his benchmark horror film “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” with this creepy film about a Louisiana hotelier whose guests check in but don’t check out, especially with a hungry pet alligator lurking in the swamp out front.
Notorious schlockmeister Samuel Z. Arkoff produced this decidedly reductive adaptation of H.G. Wells’ novel about a food product that bubbles up out of the ground on a remote island, transforming all of the local animals that feed upon it into giant monstrosities.
“Grizzly” (1976)
Columbia Pictures
Pretty transparently inspired by “Jaws,” this film transplants not only its concept but many of Spielberg’s techniques into a national forest where an 18-foot-tall grizzly bear terrorizes campers.
In the fourth but far from last “deadly animal” movie of 1976, a surge of electricity drives legions of bloodthirsty worms out of their soil and towards the remote fishing village nearby.
Lewis Teague (“The Jewel of the Nile”) directed this movie written by John Sayles (“Lone Star”) that is more or less literally an urban legend come to life, about an alligator flushed from a toilet into the sewers of New York, where it grows to a monstrous size and starts preying on locals. Come for the alligator, stay for Robert Forster talking about his hair plugs.
“Alligator” director Lewis Teague also directed this Stephen King adaptation about a friendly Saint Bernard who gets bitten by a rabid bat and becomes a bloodthirsty threat to an unlucky family that, like in “The Birds,” is also dealing with some complex interpersonal issues.
Peter Weller (“Robocop”) stars in this oddball film from George P. Cosmatos (“Tombstone”) about a husband who sticks around to work on a business proposal after his wife and child go on vacation, only to find his life disrupted (and endangered) by an oversized rodent he becomes obsessed with destroying.
Australian auteur Russell Mulcahy (“Highlander”) made his directorial debut with this flashy, stylish thriller about a giant wild boar that terrorizes the Australian outback.
Frank Marshall (“Jurassic Park III”) directed this creepily relatable film about a small town doctor (Jeff Daniels) who’s forced to confront his fear of spiders after an entomologist discovers a new, deadly species of Amazonian arachnid and accidentally brings it back to the US.
Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube and scenery-chewing Jon Voight star in this pulpy thriller about a documentary crew that encounters more than they bargained for after the skipper hijacks their boat in order to hunt down a super-sized Amazonian snake.
Steve Miner (“Friday the 13th, Part 2“) directed this script from David E. Kelley (“Big Little Lies”) about a salt water crocodile terrorizing a sleepy Maine community. It’s as funny as it is scary.
David R. Ellis directed this film that seemed like a meme before the internet knew what those were, about an FBI agent (Samuel L. Jackson) trapped on a flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles with hundreds of deadly snakes slithering around.
Writers John Brancato and Michael Ferris (“The Game”) adapted the true story of a giant, man-eating crocodile named Gustave into this taught, bloody thriller starring Dominic Purcell, Orlando Jones, Brooke Langton and Jurgen Prochnow.
“Crawl” director Alexandre Aja delivered his first dose of animal-themed terror with this brutal, way-the-hell-over-the-top horror comedy about a group of bloodthirsty piranha that are accidentally unleashed into a lake during Spring Break, endangering co-eds by the hundreds.
“Monsters” take many forms, especially in movies. Sometimes they’re otherworldly; frequently they seem to be superhuman. But movies like “
