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Best Ryan Gosling Movies of All Time Ranked

Ryan Gosling at the Oscar Nominee Luncheon held in the International Ballroom at the Beverly Hilton on Monday, February 12, 2024. The 96th Oscars will air on Sunday, March 10, 2024 live on ABC. Credit/Provider: Mike Baker / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

Just like Steve McQueen before him, Ryan Gosling is the personification of cool on the silver screen!

The actor began his career on ‘The Mickey Mouse Club‘ and made his film debut opposite Denzel Washington in ‘Remember the Titans.’ Since then Gosling has gone on to earn two Academy Award nominations for Best Actor for his work in ‘Half Nelson‘ and ‘La La Land,’ and a Best Supporting Actor nomination for the blockbuster hit ‘Barbie‘.

Gosling has also become one of the most beloved movie stars working today appearing in such popular movies as ‘The Notebook,’ ‘Drive,’ ‘The Nice Guys,’ ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ and ‘The Gray Man‘.
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His latest movie is ‘Project Hail Mary‘, which was directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and opens in theaters on March 20th.

In honor of his new movie, Moviefone is counting down the 20 best films of Ryan Gosling’s career, including his latest.

Let’s begin!

Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Project Hail Mary’

20. ‘Only God Forgives‘ (2013)

Ryan Gosling in ‘Only God Forgives’. Photo: Scanbox Entertainment.

Julian (Gosling), who runs a Thai boxing club as a front organization for his family’s drug smuggling operation, is forced by his mother Crystal (Kristin Scott Thomas) to find and kill the individual responsible for his brother’s recent death.
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19. ‘Murder by Numbers‘ (2002)

Tenacious homicide detective Cassie Mayweather (Sandra Bullock) and her still-green partner (Ben Chaplin) are working a murder case, attempting to profile two malevolently brilliant young men (Gosling and Michael Pitt): cold, calculating killers whose dark secrets might explain their crimes.
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18. ‘All Good Things‘ (2010)

Newly-discovered facts, court records and speculation are used to elaborate the true love story and murder mystery of the most notorious unsolved murder case in New York history.
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17. ‘The Ides of March‘ (2011)

Directed by George Clooney, dirty tricks stand to soil an ambitious young press spokesman’s (Gosling) idealism in a cutthroat presidential campaign where ‘victory’ is relative.
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16. ‘The Fall Guy‘ (2024)

He’s a stuntman (Ryan Gosling), and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life (Emily Blunt) while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?
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15. ‘The Gray Man‘ (2022)

Ryan Gosling as Six in ‘The Gray Man.’ Photo: Stanislav Honzik/Netflix © 2022.

The Gray Man is CIA operative Court Gentry (Gosling), aka, Sierra Six. Plucked from a federal penitentiary and recruited by his handler, Donald Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton), Gentry was once a highly-skilled, Agency-sanctioned merchant of death. But now the tables have turned and Six is the target, hunted across the globe by Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), a former cohort at the CIA, who will stop at nothing to take him out. Agent Dani Miranda (Ana de Armas) has his back. He’ll need it.
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14. ‘Blue Valentine‘ (2010)

Dean (Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) live a quiet life in a modest neighborhood. They appear to have the world at their feet at the outset of the relationship. However, his lack of ambition and her retreat into self-absorption cause potentially irreversible cracks in their marriage.
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13. ‘Fracture‘ (2007)

A husband (Anthony Hopkins) is on trial for the attempted murder of his wife (Embeth Davidtz), in what is seemingly an open/shut case for the ambitious district attorney (Gosling) trying to put him away. However, there are surprises for both around every corner, and, as a suspenseful game of cat-and-mouse is played out, each must manipulate and outwit the other.
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12. ‘Remember the Titans‘ (2000)

After leading his football team to 15 winning seasons, coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton) is demoted and replaced by Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) – tough, opinionated and as different from the beloved Yoast as he could be. The two men learn to overcome their differences and turn a group of hostile young men into champions.
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11. ‘Half Nelson‘ (2006)

Despite his dedication to the junior-high students who fill his classroom, idealistic teacher Dan Dunne (Gosling) leads a secret life of addiction that the majority of his students will never know. But things change when a troubled student Drey (Shareeka Epps) makes a startling discovery of his secret life, causing a tenuous bond between the two that could either end disastrously or provide a catalyst of hope.
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10. ‘The Notebook‘ (2004)

(L to R) Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in ‘The Notebook.’ Photo: New Line Cinema.

An epic love story centered around an older man (James Garner) who reads aloud to a woman (Gena Rowlands) with Alzheimer’s. From a faded notebook, the old man’s words bring to life the story about a couple (Gosling and Rachel McAdams) who is separated by World War II, and is then passionately reunited, seven years later, after they have taken different paths.
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9. ‘The Place Beyond the Pines‘ (2013)

A motorcycle stunt rider (Gosling) considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife (Eva Mendes) and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician (Bradley Cooper).
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8. ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.‘ (2011)

Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is living the American dream. He has a good job, a beautiful house, great children and a beautiful wife, named Emily (Julianne Moore). Cal’s seemingly perfect life unravels, however, when he learns that Emily has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Over 40 and suddenly single, Cal is adrift in the fickle world of dating. Enter, Jacob Palmer (Gosling), a self-styled player who takes Cal under his wing and teaches him how to be a hit with the ladies.
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7. ‘The Big Short‘ (2015)

The men who made millions from a global economic meltdown.
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6. ‘Blade Runner 2049‘ (2017)

Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
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5. ‘Project Hail Mary‘ (2026)

Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace in ‘Project Hail Mary’, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Jonathan Olley. © 2025 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Ryland Grace (Gosling), a school-teacher-turned-astronaut, wakes up from a coma, alone, on a space station with no memory of who he is or his mission. His memory returns in bursts and he pieces together that he was sent to the Tau Ceti solar system, 12 light-years from Earth, to reverse the impact of a space event that had already hurled our planet into the early stages of an Ice Age. As details of the mission unravel, Grace must call on all of his scientific training and sheer ingenuity, but he might not have to do it alone…
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4. ‘The Nice Guys‘ (2016)

A private eye (Gosling) investigates the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles and uncovers a conspiracy.
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3. ‘La La Land‘ (2016)

Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and Sebastian (Gosling), a jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.
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2. ‘Barbie‘ (2023)

To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken (Gosling).
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1. ‘Drive‘ (2011)

Ryan Gosling in ‘Drive.’ Photo: Richard Foreman Jr.

Driver (Gosling) is a skilled Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals. Though he projects an icy exterior, lately he’s been warming up to a pretty neighbor named Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son, Benicio. When Irene’s husband (Oscar Isaac) gets out of jail, he enlists Driver’s help in a million-dollar heist. The job goes horribly wrong, and Driver must risk his life to protect Irene and Benicio from the vengeful masterminds (Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman) behind the robbery.
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March 22, 2026
Denis Villeneuve Directing Next James Bond Movie
(Left) Director Denis Villeneuve on the ‘Dune: Part Two’ global press tour. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Right) Daniel Craig as James Bond in 2012’s ‘Skyfall.’ Photo: Sony Pictures.

Preview:
- Amazon MGM Studios has announced that Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond movie.
- The news follows Bond shepherds Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson handing over control.
- There’s still no official word on a new Bond.
At least one mystery surrounding the future of the Bond franchise can be laid to rest alongside the villains that our hero has killed in his years of service: we know who will direct the next 007 movie after the long hiatus following ‘No Time to Die.’

That filmmaker? None other than ‘Dune’ overseer Denis Villeneuve, according to Amazon MGM Studios.
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It might sound like a surprise –– and not least because of the filmmaker’s current busy schedule –– but despite his love of putting his stamp on projects, he’s worked comfortably in the blockbuster/franchise space before –– besides the ‘Dune’ movies, there was ‘Blade Runner 2049’.

Villeneuve is now part of a team that already includes producers David Heyman and Amy Pascal, and executive producer Tanya Lapointe (who has worked with Villeneuve for years).

Here’s what Villeneuve had to say on the news:

“Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007. I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since ‘Dr. No’ with Sean Connery. I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory. I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come. This is a massive responsibility, but also, incredibly exciting for me and a huge honor. Amy, David, and I are absolutely thrilled to bring him back to the screen. Thank you to Amazon MGM Studios for their trust.”

And here’s Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios:

“We are honored that Denis has agreed to direct James Bond’s next chapter. He is a cinematic master, whose filmography speaks for itself. From ‘Blade Runner 2049’ to ‘Arrival’ to the ‘Dune’ films, he has delivered compelling worlds, dynamic visuals, complex characters, and — most importantly — the immersive storytelling that global audiences yearn to experience in theaters. James Bond is in the hands of one of today’s greatest filmmakers and we cannot wait to get started on 007’s next adventure.”

Finally, Heyman and Pascal weighed in on the decision:

“Denis Villeneuve has been in love with James Bond movies since he was a little boy. It was always his dream to make this movie, and now it’s ours, too. We are lucky to be in the hands of this extraordinary filmmaker.”

Previously, such other well-known directors including Edward Berger, Edgar Wright, Chris Nolan, Paul King and Alfonso Cuarón have been rumored for the job, but now Villeneuve will segue from spice to spycraft.

Related Article: Amazon Officially Sets Amy Pascal and David Heyman to Produce Bond Movies

Who could play Bond?

Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond in ‘Rebel Ridge’. Photo: Allyson Riggs/Netflix © 2024.

That’s the next big question that fans are looking to answer.

We’ve had a wealth of names speculated about since Daniel Craig hung up his holster and downed his last martini (and, er –– spoiler alert for ‘No Time to Die’ –– was blown up by a missile).

In that time the likes of Idris Elba, Theo James, Richard Madden, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Henry Cavill have all been mooted.

Currently, the main name in the mix seems to be Aaron Pierre, who has impressed in ‘The Underground Railroad’, ‘Foe’ and particularly ‘Rebel Ridge’ where he proved his action/drama chops.

Pierre will next be seen in DC/HBO series ‘Lanterns’.

The Amazon MGM movement comes, of course, after the surprise decision by 007 stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson to hand the reins of the franchise over to the company for a hefty pay day.

Talking of…

Bond handover: the studio and producers’ comments

Daniel Craig as James Bond in ‘Casino Royale.’

This was Wilson’s comment at the time:

“With my 007 career spanning nearly 60 incredible years, I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects. Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future.”

And crucially, Barbara Broccoli:

“My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli. I have had the honour of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of ‘No Time to Die’ and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects.”

Broccoli and Wilson stepping back is perhaps less of a surprise these days since she in particular has expressed frustration with the Amazon deal. And this way, the duo will have some small say in the future, but also enjoy what is surely a healthy payday.

When will the new Bond movie be on screens?

With Villeneuve currently busy preparing to make the third ‘Dune’ outing (that one is scheduled for December 16th, 2026), we wouldn’t expect to see a new Bond much before 2027 at the earliest.

Let’s not forget –– hiring a director is just the first step. Now the current Bond team needs a script and a leading man around which the build the new movie.

Daniel Craig as James Bond in 2012’s ‘Skyfall.’

List of James Bond Movies:
- ‘Dr. No‘ (1963)
- ‘From Russia with Love‘ (1964)
- ‘Goldfinger‘ (1965)
- ‘Thunderball‘ (1965)
- ‘You Only Live Twice‘ (1967)
- ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service‘ (1969)
- ‘Diamonds Are Forever‘ (1971)
- ‘Live and Let Die‘ (1973)
- ‘The Man with the Golden Gun‘ (1974)
- ‘The Spy Who Loved Me‘ (1977)
- ‘Moonraker‘ (1979)
- ‘For Your Eyes Only‘ (1981)
- ‘Octopussy‘ (1983)
- ‘A View to a Kill‘ (1985)
- ‘The Living Daylights‘ (1987)
- ‘Licence to Kill‘ (1989)
- ‘GoldenEye‘ (1995)
- ‘Tomorrow Never Dies‘ (1997)
- ‘The World Is Not Enough‘ (1999)
- ‘Die Another Day‘ (2002)
- ‘Casino Royale‘ (2006)
- ‘Quantum of Solace‘ (2008)
- ‘Skyfall‘ (2012)
- ‘Spectre‘ (2015)
- ‘No Time to Die‘ (2021)
Buy James Bond Movies On Amazon
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June 26, 2025
Michelle Yeoh to Appear in ‘Blade Runner 2099’
(Left) Michelle Yeoh at the 95th Oscars on Sunday, March 12, 2023. The 95th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC at 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT. (Right) 1982’s ‘Blade Runner’. Photo: Warner Bros.

Preview:
- Michelle Yeoh is set to star in ‘Blade Runner 2099’.
- She’s the first announced cast member for the series.
- Ridley Scott is producing the show, though won’t be actively involved.
Is there a competition going on between Giancarlo Esposito and Michelle Yeoh as to who can appear in the most pop culture universes? Yeoh, who already has the likes of Bond, the modern ‘Star Trek’ series, ‘Transformers’ and the MCU under her belt, is adding one more.

She’s now on to star in the new ‘Blade Runner’ series.
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What’s the story of ‘Blade Runner 2099’?

1982’s ‘Blade Runner’. Photo: Warner Bros.

‘Blade Runner 2099’ follows on from 1982’s ‘Blade Runner’, the Ridley Scott movie that introduced us to the world of rogue artificial lifeforms known as Replicants, and the enforcers who track them down (Harrison Ford played the most notable example, Rick Deckard). It meditated on existence and reality, and though it didn’t launch well at the box office, it has long since become a cult classic.

In 2017, Warner Bros. gave Denis Villeneuve the opportunity to create a sequel, ‘Blade Runner 2049’, with Ford returning as Deckard and Ryan Gosling starring as ‘K’, a replicant who works as a Blade Runner. It explored some of the mysteries of Deckard’s story and some new angles, but also didn’t really soar at the box office.

Since then, we’ve had video games and an anime take, but ‘Blade Runner 2099’ is the first new live-action attempt.

Prime Video has revealed zero official plot details about the show, but scooper Daniel Richtman has tracked down what is reportedly the basic synopsis for the show.

Given that this is from an unofficial source, prepare a grain of salt, but otherwise, read on:

“In Los Angeles 2099, Cora lived her entire life on the run, a chameleon forced to adopt numerous identities. To secure a stable future for her brother, she assumes one final identity and is forced to partner with Olwen (our best guess for Yeoh’s character), a Blade Runner who’s confronting the end of her life. The two are pulled into a widening conspiracy that poses an existential threat to a city that’s fighting to be reborn.”

Who is making ‘Blade Runner 2099’

1982’s ‘Blade Runner’. Photo: Warner Bros.

While Ridley Scott has an executive producer credit, he won’t be directly involved. Instead, Silka Luisa of ‘Shining Girls’ is showrunner and ‘Shogun’s Jonathan van Tulleken as its primary director.

The show, once planned to film in Belfast, Ireland, has since relocated to Prague.

Related Article: Ridley Scott is Spearheading a Live-Action Blade Runner TV Series Set in 2099

Where else will we see Michelle Yeoh?

Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou on Paramount+’s ‘Star Trek: Discovery.’

As we mentioned at the beginning of the story, Oscar winner Yeoh has lined up yet more genre work in the future –– she’ll be Madame Morrible in the two ‘Wicked’ movies (the first is due on November 27th this year), has a role in the next couple of ‘Avatar’ films (‘Avatar 3’ will be with us on December 19th, 2025) and, continuing her association with ‘Star Trek’, has been working on spin-off movie ‘Star Trek: Section 31’.

1982’s ‘Blade Runner’ Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Other Movies in the ‘Blade Runner’ Franchise:
- ‘Blade Runner‘ (1982)
- ‘Blade Runner 2049‘ (2017)
Buy ‘Blade Runner’ Movies On Amazon
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May 8, 2024
Every Denis Villeneuve Movie, Ranked

(L to R) Director/Writer/Producer Denis Villeneuve and Timothee Chalamet on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Director Denis Villeneuve has become one of the most accomplished and visionary filmmakers of his generation.

The French-Canadian director began his career with a series of critically acclaimed films such as ‘Maelström,’ ‘Polytechnique‘ and ‘Enemy,’ but is best known for box office blockbusters like ‘Prisoners,’ ‘Sicario,’ ‘Arrival,’ ‘Blade Runner 2049‘ and ‘Dune.’

His new movie, the long-awaited sequel ‘Dune: Part Two,’ opens in theaters on March 1st.

In honor of his latest film, Moviefone is counting down every movie the director has ever made, including ‘Dune: Part Two.’

Let’s begin!

11. ‘August 32nd on Earth‘ (1998)

1998’s ‘August 32nd on Earth.’

After escaping unscathed from a car accident photo model Simone (Pascale Bussières) decides that having a baby is the only way to give her vacant life some meaning. She asks her best friend Philippe (Alexis Martin) to get her pregnant and he reluctantly agrees on the condition that they conceive somewhere in a desert, so they leave Montréal on a 24-hour roundtrip to Salt Lake City to find a suitable spot.
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10. ‘Incendies‘ (2010)

2010’s ‘Incendies.’ Photo: Entertainment One.

A mother’s last wishes send twins Jeanne (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) and Simon (Maxim Gaudette) on a journey to Middle East in search of their tangled roots. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad’s acclaimed play, ‘Incendies’ tells the powerful and moving tale of two young adults’ voyage to the core of deep-rooted hatred, never-ending wars and enduring love.
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9. ‘Polytechnique‘ (2010)

2009’s ‘Polytechnique.’ Photo: Alliance Films.

A dramatization of the Montreal Massacre of 1989 where several female engineering students were murdered by an unstable misogynist.
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8. ‘Maelström‘ (2001)

2000’s ‘Maelström.’ Photo: Alliance Atlantis.

A young woman’s life (Marie-Josée Croze) spirals into chaos after she is involved in a hit-and-run accident. Then she encounters a mysterious man named Evian (Jean-Nicolas Verreault) who offers her an opportunity for redemption. Narrated by a fish.
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7. ‘Enemy‘ (2014)

Jake Gyllenhaal in ‘Enemy.’ Photo: Entertainment One.

A mild-mannered college professor (Jake Gyllenhaal) discovers a look-alike actor and delves into the other man’s private affairs.
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6. ‘Prisoners‘ (2013)

(L to R) Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman in ‘Prisoners.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) is facing a parent’s worst nightmare: his young daughter (Erin Gerasimovich) and her friend (Kyla-Drew Simmons) have gone missing. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) arrests the only suspect – the driver of an RV (Paul Dano) on which the girls had been playing – but a lack of evidence forces his release. As pressure mounts, Loki’s team pursues multiple leads while a frantic Dover decides he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands.
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5. ‘Arrival‘ (2016)

Amy Adams in ‘Arrival.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist (Amy Adams) is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat.
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4. ‘Dune‘ (2021)

(L to R) Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Javier Bardem and Timothée Chalamet in ‘Dune.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence-a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential-only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
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3. ‘Blade Runner 2049‘ (2017)

(L to R) Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford in ‘Blade Runner 2049.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
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2. ‘Sicario‘ (2015)

Benicio del Toro in ‘Sicario.’ Photo: Lionsgate.

An idealistic FBI agent (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the US and Mexico. Also starring Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin.
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1. ‘Dune: Part Two‘ (2024)

(L to R) Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Follow the mythic journey of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, Paul endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
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March 1, 2024
‘Blue Eye Samurai’ Interview: Amber Noizumi and Michael Green
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Netflix’s latest adult animation series ‘Blue Eye Samurai’ arrives on the streaming service beginning November 3 and was created by Amber Noizumi and Michael Green (‘Logan’, ‘Blade Runner 2049’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with showrunners Amber Noizumi and Michael Green about the inspiration behind the upcoming animated series, casting Maya Erskine as the lead character Mizu, the influences from various samurai films and shows, and how the process of approaching their first animated project.

(L to R) ‘Blue Eye Samurai’s Amber Noizumi and Michael Green.

You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.

Moviefone: To begin with, how did this story come together, and what was it about the Eddo period that made you want to focus on it specifically?

Amber Noizumi: So the Eddo period is heralded as Japan’s golden age. I mean, to this day, they call it the golden age of Japan. That was when their borders were closed, completely closed off to the outside world, where it was its most homogenous. The idea to have somebody who’s mixed race, as I am, and we have a daughter who was born with blue eyes, and we called her our Blue Eye Samurai, which was the start of our conversations about it. What would it have been like to be different, to look different, to be a different race during that time? So ultimately, that was the beginning of it, and it just, with our research, our ideas got richer from there.

Maya Erskine as Mizu in ‘Blue Eye Samurai.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

MF: Speaking of the blue eyes, the main character’s name is Mizu, which means water in Japanese. Was that the inspiration for naming the character, based on the color and the meaning of water?

AN: Yes, but also the idea of water, the idea of its various forms of steam, and ice, and sublimation, and then fire, when she’s sword making, and the fire that’s within her. We just used a lot of that element. Those elemental things to describe what’s going on in her and around her.

MF: With a show focused on a samurai, were there any samurai films or shows that inspired certain scenes or fighting styles?

Michael Green: We work with so many wonderful people, all of whom have encyclopedic knowledge. So it was so much fun, everyone bringing their favorite clips, and we would watch them. I’m going to say where I’m going to get to, is we ended up working with Sunny Sun, a fight choreographer who’s one of the greatest stunt choreographers in the world. So it’s really his movies that I want to talk about. He came at this with so much character focus. Jane Wu, our supervising director, also comes from with martial arts background. I mean, we talked about everything from ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ with the tension of scenes, or ‘Once Upon Time in the West,’ same thing. But in Eastern Films, we talked about the way Zatoichi moves and how he always moves differently from everyone around him. Of course, we looked at Kurosawa‘s compositions.

AN: And then we have a song lifted directly from ‘Kill Bill’. There’s so much greatness to steal from.

MG: We wear our homages on our sleeve and hope the originators notice and go, “Oh yeah.”

(L to R) Masi Oka as Ringo and Maya Erskine as Mizu in ‘Blue Eye Samurai.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

MF: Mizu is voiced by Maya Erskine, who audiences know from ‘PEN15’. What has it been like to watch her bring the character of Mizu to life, and how did you know that you found the right actor in Maya?

AN: Maya is such a talented, versatile actor, and you could see in ‘PEN15,’ even though it is a hilarious show, you could see how she brought that kind of raw pain of growing up mixed race and just growing up in general. I actually think that that’s how the character of Maya might envision herself. She might envision herself like Mizu. This might be who she aspires to be. But Maya really was able to bring a lot of that pain into the character of Mizu. I mean, she just did it beyond our expectations.

Related Article: Director Marc Jobst Talks ‘One Piece’ and His Work On Netflix’s Marvel Projects

(L to R) Maya Erskine as Mizu in ‘Blue Eye Samurai.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

MF: Finally, the series is the first major animated project you’ve worked on as showrunners, what was the process like? Has it been different than your past projects, and did you approach it differently?

MG: We approached it the same, which might’ve been naive, but that’s good because it ended up working out.

AN: We would’ve been scared away otherwise.

MG: If we knew exactly how hard it was going to be. Some of the ways were very similar. We wrote the script as if it was a live-action piece. We ran our meetings, and mixed it and scored it, and worked with the type of people, with casting directors and costume designers from live action. Suttirat Larlarb did our costumes, worked with her on ‘American Gods’. She’s done everything from Star Wars to Bond, and on and on. Our casting directors work on ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Avatar’. We really just worked with as many live-action people, including Jane Wu, our supervising director and executive producer. But then we met the reality of animation, where we knew we had to learn a lot, where we had to work with people who knew it much better than we ever could, and could teach us and be patient with us, and also just lead us through it. So it was very different. The main difference is how slow animation is. It is for the patient. It’s just the dough needs to rise and you can’t rush it. But you can have anything you want if you’re patient. So it made the show everything we wanted and more.

(L to R) Maya Erskine as Mizu in ‘Blue Eye Samurai.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

What Is The Plot Of ‘Blue Eye Samurai?

Set in 17th-century Edo-period Japan, Blue Eye Samurai follows Mizu (Maya Erskine), a mixed-race master of the sword who lives a life in disguise seeking to deliver revenge. In her search for vengeance, she meets Ringo, a soba maker born who longs to be a samurai, Taigen, a pompous samurai, and Princess Akemi, the daughter of Lord Daichi of the Tokunobu clan.

Who Is In the Cast of ‘Blue Eye Samurai’?
- Maya Erskine (‘DC League of Super-Pets’) as Mizu
- George Takei (‘Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank’) as Seki
- Masi Oka (‘Bullet Train’) as Ringo
- Darren Barnet (‘Gran Turisomo’) as Taigen
- Brenda Song (‘Love Accidentally’) as Princess Akemi
- Randall Park (‘Strays’) as Jeiji Shindo
- Kenneth Branagh (‘A Haunting In Venice’) as Abijah Fowler
- Patrick Gallagher (‘Captain Marvel’) as Lord Daichi Tokunobu
- Stephanie Hsu (‘Joy Ride’) as Ise
- Ming-Na Wen (‘The Mandalorian’) as Madame Kaji
- Harry Shum Jr. (‘Burn’) as Takayoshi Itoh
- Mark Dacascos (‘Run & Gun’) as Chiaka
A scene from ‘Blue Eye Samurai.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

Other Movies Similar to ‘Blue Eye Samurai’:
- ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly‘ (1967)
- ‘Once Upon a Time in the West‘ (1969)
- ‘Enter the Dragon‘ (1973)
- ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon‘ (2000)
- ‘Kill Bill: Vol. 1‘ (2003)
- ‘The Last Samurai‘ (2003)
- ‘Kill Bill: Vol. 2‘ (2004)
- ‘Kung Fu Panda‘ (2008)
- ‘Kung Fu Panda 2‘ (2011)
- ‘47 Ronin‘ (2013)
- ‘Kung Fu Panda 3‘ (2016)
- ‘Kubo and the Two Strings‘ (2016)
- ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’ (2021)
- ‘Raya and the Last Dragon‘ (2021)
- ‘Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank‘ (2022)
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October 30, 2023
Best Legacy Sequels

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

According to Wikipedia, a legacy sequel is a movie that follows the continuity of the original movie, but takes place further along the timeline, often focusing on new characters with the original ones still present in the plot.

We’ve seen this on TV with shows like ‘Cobra Kai’ and ‘The Book of Boba Fett,’ and in movies such as ‘Toy Story 4,’ or ‘Terminator: Dark Fate,’ and most recently with ‘Jurassic World Dominion‘ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’

With ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘Jurassic World Dominion’ currently killing it at the box office, now is a good time to countdown the top ten best legacy sequels ever made.

Let’s Begin!

The Bourne Legacy (2012)

New CIA operative Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) experiences life-or-death stakes that have been triggered by the previous actions of Jason Bourne (Matt Damon).
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Halloween (2018)

Jamie Lee Curtis returns to her iconic role as Laurie Strode, who comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney), the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.
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The Color of Money (1986)

Former pool hustler “Fast Eddie” Felson (Paul Newman) decides he wants to return to the game by taking a pupil. He meets talented but green Vincent Lauria (Tom Cruise) and proposes a partnership. As they tour pool halls, Eddie teaches Vincent the tricks of scamming, but he eventually grows frustrated with Vincent’s showboat antics, leading to an argument and a falling-out. Eddie takes up playing again and soon crosses paths with Vincent as an opponent.
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Ghostbusters Afterlife (2021)

When a single mom (Carrie Coon) and her two kids (Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace) arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson) and the secret legacy their grandfather (Harold Ramis) left behind.
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Star Trek (2009)

The brash James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) tries to live up to his father’s (Chris Hemsworth) legacy with Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan (Eric Bana) from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time, seeking revenge against a future version of Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy).
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Creed (2015)

The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers).
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Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)

Thirty years after defeating the Galactic Empire, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his allies (Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac) face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and his army of Stormtroopers.
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TRON: Legacy (2010)

Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), the tech-savvy and daring son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), investigates his father’s disappearance and is pulled into The Grid. With the help of a mysterious program named Quorra (Olivia Wilde), Sam quests to stop evil dictator Clu (also Jeff Bridges) from crossing into the real world.
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Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
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Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.

When he finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.”

Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
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July 3, 2022
‘Blade Runner 2099’ Live-Action Series in the Works

1982’s ‘Blade Runner’ Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

With the sheer number of movies and TV series that Ridley Scott (through his Scott Free) company has in the works, you wonder when he finds the time to eat, sleep or see his family. And yet, the announcements just keep coming, with confirmation that Scott is one of the executive producers on a new, live-action TV expansion of his original ‘Blade Runner’ called Blade Runner 2099).

Silka Luisa, who has worked on shows including ‘Strange Angel’ (and has Elisabeth Moss-starring mystery thriller series ‘Shining Girls’ on the way) has been hired to run the series.

And, if this new project makes it out of development, Scott may direct at least the first couple of episodes, as he did with fellow sci-fi series ‘Raised by Wolves’ at HBO Max.

For the (very) who might be unfamiliar with the futuristic noir classic, 1982’s ‘Blade Runner’ is set in 2019 (well, it was futuristic in the 1980s) in a world where mankind can create “Replicants”. These bioengineered humanoids are employed for warfare or dangerous tasks but became a problem after an off-world mutiny by recent models who fled back to Earth.

Harrison Ford plays Rick Deckard, a “Blade Runner” law enforcer despatched to track down and eliminate troublesome replicants. But as he digs deeper into the issue, he discovers a much bigger conspiracy.

That first movie adapted Philip K. Dick’s 1968 book ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’, expanding on the concept, and painting a compelling, neon-drenched world that made it become a cult favorite, even if it didn’t set the box office on fire.
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Still, it was followed by 2017’s ‘Blade Runner 2049’, directed by ‘Dune’s Denis Villeneuve, and moved the story on 30 years. Ford returned as an older Deckard, and Ryan Gosling starred as Blade Runner (and replicant) K.

‘Blade Runner 2099’ as the title suggests, sets the clock ahead again, 50 years. No plot details have been revealed yet, though Scott told the BBC last year that that the pilot was already written and that a plan for an initial season of 10 episodes was being shopped around.

Surprisingly, given Scott’s existing connection to HBO and the fact that WarnerMedia has produced both movies, Amazon Studios was able to swoop in and seal the deal, putting it on the fast track through development (according to Deadline, the company’s Prime Video arm is already starting to look at potentially shooting it this year).

And this is not the only TV spin-off for Scott’s original film, either: anime series ‘Blade Runner: Black Lotus’, which is set in 2032 and features the voices of ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ Jessica Yu Li Henwick and ‘Succession’s Brian Cox, arrived last year.

So, while neither ‘Blade Runner’ movie moved the needle in terms of box office, it’s clear there’s still plenty of interest in the idea.
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February 11, 2022
‘Blade Runner 2049’-Inspired Animated Series Coming to Adult Swim

Warner Bros. Pictures

The “Blade Runner” universe is expanding again.

“Blade Runner 2049” had a successful run at the box office last year, and now it has inspired an anime series. The forthcoming show, “Blade Runner – Black Lotus” will arrive on Adult Swim and be part of Toonami, its anime programming block, Deadline reports.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, “Blade Runner 2049” stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford as K and Rick Deckard, respectively, and takes place in a future where replicants (otherwise known as “bioengineered humans”) function as slaves. “Blade Runner – Black Lotus” will be set in that same world in the year 2032, though we don’t know plot specifics yet. Sola Digital Arts is producing, and there will be 13 half-hour episodes.

“The ‘Blade Runner’ universe is an incredibly deep well for story and character with its world and mythology that audiences have been debating and talking about since inception,” said executive producers Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson, both of Alcon Television Group, in a statement. “We are excited to continue exploring that world via this anime series.”

The series will be helmed by Shinji Aramaki and Kenji Kamiyama, who are also the directors of an upcoming “Ghost in the Shell” series. Meanwhile, Shinichiro Watanabe will serve as a creative producer; he previously directed “Cowboy Bebop,” a Japanese anime that’s now getting a live-action remake for Netflix.

Alcon Television Group is producing and distributing the series in partnership with WarnerMedia’s Adult Swim and Crunchyroll. Al-Francis Cuenca and Laura Lancaster will join their Alcon colleagues Kosove and Johnson as executive producers, as will Joseph Chou of Sola Digital Art. Meanwhile, Alcon’s Ben Roberts is set to be a co-executive producer, and Mitsuhisa Ishikawa of Production IG will serve as a production adviser.

No release date for “Blade Runner – Black Lotus” has been announced.

[via: Deadline]

November 29, 2018
Every Ryan Gosling Movie You Should Watch Before Seeing ‘First Man’

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September 28, 2018
HBO Is Getting ‘IT’ in June 2018, But Losing All of the ‘Harry Potter’ Movies

Accio, Pennywise?

HBO just revealed its June 2018 schedule, including original programming and theatrical debuts. HBO NOW will have several great titles available this month — including “Blade Runner 2049” and horror hit “IT” — but it’s also losing a lot of good stuff, too.

All eight “Harry Potter” movies, plus “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” are leaving as of June 30.

Also, several movies in the “Fast” franchise will also drive away as of June 30, including “The Fast and the Furious,” “2 Fast 2 Furious,” “Fast & Furious,” and “The Fate of the Furious.”

It’s a lot to lose. But there’s also plenty to gain (like “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Napoleon Dynamite”).

Here’s the schedule for June 2018:

Original Programming:
HBO First Look: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (6/11)
It Will Be Chaos (6/18)
Entre Nos, Part 4 (6/22)
Believer (6/25)

Series Premiere:
Succession, Series Premiere (6/3)

Season Finales:
El Negocio, Season 4 Finale (6/3)
Destino: Rusia 2018, Season 1 Finale (6/13)
Westworld, Season 2 Finale (6/24)
Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas, Season 1 Finale (6/15)

Theatrical Premieres:
A Cure for Wellness, 2017 (6/1)
Blade Runner 2049, 2017 (6/2)
American Made, 2017 (6/9)
Chips, 2017 (6/14)
The Mountain Between Us, 2017 (6/16)
Kingsman: The Golden Circle, 2017 (6/23)
IT, 2017 (6/30)

Estrenos:
El Fútbol o yo (AKA My Love or My Passion), 2017 (6/1)
Bebe, 2013 (6/1)
El hombre que cuida (AKA The Watchman), 2017 (6/8)
Mi mundial (AKA Home Team), 2017 (6/15)

Available Starting June 1:
A Perfect World, 1993
Blood Work, 2002
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
The Company, 2003
The Devil Wears Prada, 2006
Dolores Claiborne, 1995
The Door in the Floor, 1997
Duplicity, 2009
Fletch, 1985
Fletch Lives, 1989
The Full Monty, 1997
Identity, 2003
Jersey Boys, 2014
Mr. Mom, 1983
Napoleon Dynamite, 2004
Peter Pan, 2003
The Postman Always Rings Twice, 1981
Sylvia, 2003
X2, 2003

Ending June 9:
Lights Out, 2016

Ending June 22:
Mechanic: Resurrection, 2016

Ending June 28:
Semi-Pro, 2008

Ending June 30:
(500) Days of Summer, 2009
2 Fast 2 Furious, 2003
A United Kingdom, 2017
The Box, 2009
Bratz: The Movie, 2007
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, 2016
Fast & Furious, 2009
The Fast and the Furious, 2001
The Fate of the Furious, 2017
The Great Wall, 2017
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 2002
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1), 2010
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2), 2011
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2005
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 2009
Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, 2007
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 2004
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, 2001
Hoosiers, 1986
The Hours, 2002
I Love You, Beth Cooper, 2009
Into the Blue, 2005
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, 2017
Kong: Skull Island, 2017
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, 1991
Role Models, 2009
Species, 1995
Species II, 1998
The Informant!, 2009
The Purge: Election Year, 2016
The Time Traveler’s Wife, 2009
Warcraft, 2016

HBO NOW is the network’s standalone subscription video on demand service. HBO GO is the TV Everywhere service for subscribers. All of the above is available to HBO cable subscribers (including On Demand) and the ones who just purchase HBO NOW.

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May 22, 2018