(L to R) Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) and Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) in ‘Focker In-Law’, written and directed by John Hamburg. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Preview:
Universal made its big presentation to the 2026 CinemaCon crowd.
Among the movies promoted were ‘Disclosure Day’ and ‘The Odyssey’.
There was also a look at ‘Minions & Monsters’ and ‘Other Mommy’.
Universal had a more muted and mixed 2025 than some other studios –– the latest ‘Jurassic World’ outing was a hit, but other titles, including thriller sequel ‘M3GAN 2.0’ stumbled.
Matt Damon is Odysseus in ‘The Odyssey’, written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Christopher Nolan’s epic, based on Homer’s story, was somewhat naturally the first big movie featured. Starring half of Hollywood, it promises to be massive in scale and ambitious in scope.
The filmmaker himself took the stage to talk up his latest, joking that he’s glad he doesn’t have to follow Steven Spielberg. ‘The Odyssey’ is not, he says a story. It’s THE story, one he knew he had to shoot entirely in IMAX.
He praised his ensemble, especially Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland, who he called the heart of the film. Oh, and it was a “nightmare to make in the best way possible,” but he’s nearly finished.
More than five minutes of new footage from the movie was shown, including a shipwrecked Odysseus (Damon) washing up on a shore, where he’s greeted by the goddess Calypso, played by Charlize Theron, asking her about his past life which he cannot remember, and a battle from the Trojan war and the iconic Trojan Horse.
Illumination has been a consistent performer for Universal, its animated output boosting studio coffers. So of course the team were present to pimp the next ‘Minions’ movie featuring the little yellow troublemakers.
It’s set in the 1920s and features the Minions trying to find a new master to serve. Pierre Coffin, who co-writes, directs and voices the creatures, told the crowd that he put everything into the new one, before introducing some fresh footage.
The next film to get a brief spotlight was romantic comedy drama ‘One Night Only’, which stars Callum Turner and Monica Barbaro as two New Yorkers searching for love on the one night of the year when sex is legal.
The initial teaser for the horror movie, starring Jessica Chastain, was shown. It features Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark), an 8-year-old girl living in a home with marital problems, confronts a sinister entity that comes out of her closet. The presence, whom she calls “Other Mommy,” becomes increasingly threatening to her and her family.
Next up was a quick look at ‘Violent Night 2’, the sequel to the 2022 action comedy with David Harbour as a grumpy Santa who takes down armed thieves. The 2026 follow-up adds Kristen Bell as Mrs. Claus in a story where Santa somehow ends up on the Naughty List.
(L to R) Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) and Olivia Jones (Ariana Grande) in ‘Focker In-Law’, written and directed by John Hamburg. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Getting more of a spotlight was the new ‘Meet the Parents’ outing, which sees Ariana Grande as a young woman looking to marry into Ben Stiller‘s family (and Stiller’s Greg Focker is suspicious of her).
Stiller and Robert De Niro took the stage to introduce a first look, with De Niro commenting that Grande is the funniest scene partner he’s ever had. Ouch!
Also featured? A look at ‘Nosferatu’ director Robert Eggers‘ next chiller, ‘Werwulf’, which follows a gothic world where townsfolk are investigating a brutal werewolf terrifying their town.
Emily Blunt in ‘Disclosure Day’, directed by Steven Spielberg. Photo: Universal Pictures.
‘Disclosure Day’s Colman Domingo arrived on stage to introduce his director, Steven Spielberg, who is getting a special award from CinemaCon (along with a sizzle reel of past work and a standing ovation from the audience).
The iconic filmmaker took the chance to argue for longer release windows, which naturally plays well with this crowd.
He also sat down with Domingo to discuss his own movie-watching history, his father’s belief in life beyond our world, his own thoughts on aliens and his time making this latest effort.
New footage was shown (though Spielberg said he was keeping every frame of the third act withheld until the movie itself is released), with plenty of tense action.
“It is an experience, this movie,” Spielberg promised. “All you need to get from the beginning to the end is a seat belt.”
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And with that, it’s a wrap on Universal!
‘Focker In-Law’ opens in theaters on November 25th.
Ben Affleck at Netflix’s Next on Netflix event. Photo: Netflix.
Preview:
Ben Affleck is stepping in to star in kidnapping thriller ‘Animals’.
Matt Damon was previously the lead.
Gillian Anderson has joined the cast.
Last year, we brought you the news that longtime friends and collaborators Ben Affleck and Matt Damon –– who have been movie stars together since they co-wrote and starred in the Oscar-winning ‘Good Will Hunting’ way back in 1997 –– were looking to make their latest team-up with a new thriller called ‘Animals.’
It was to have followed 2023’s ‘Air,’ which Affleck directed and had a supporting role in to Damon’s lead. And also the upcoming ‘RIP,’ from director Joe Carnahan (more on that below).
But then, pesky schedule changes got in the way of their fun.
See, while they were aiming to shoot last year, but there was a hold up with the rights and that put the brakes on production. Then, Affleck had to go and reprise his role as Christian Wolff in Gavin O’Connor’s sequel to 2016 hitman thriller ‘The Accountant’ (that one will be out this year).
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Fast-forward to this year and now it’s Damon who has the scheduling clash, as he’s about to start work on Christopher Nolan’s new movie ‘The Odyssey’ along with half of Hollywood. Which means he can no longer star in ‘Animals.’
Affleck has, therefore, had to hunt around for someone to star and who does he think he can get along with just as well as Damon? Turns out it’s a hungry young newcomer named… (checks notes)… Ben Affleck?
Yes, to get the movie made, Affleck is stepping in to star as well as direct. It’s not like he hasn’t done that in the past ––he pulled that particular trick off for movies such as ‘The Town,’ ‘Argo,’ and ‘Live by Night,’ and they all came off well.
In related ‘Animals’ news, Deadline (who broke word of Affleck stepping in to star) reports that Gillian Anderson is joining the cast.
Ben Affleck as Christian Wolff in ‘The Accountant.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
So far, the plot details are being kept quiet on this one, though the kidnapping thriller has a script that began life with Connor McIntyre and has since seen revisions from ‘Captain Phillips’ and ‘Richard Jewel’ writer Billy Ray.
And Damon is still aboard to produce the movie –– as he did with ‘Air’ –– through the Artists Equity company he formed with Affleck.
Yet unlike ‘Air’, this movie won’t arrive via Amazon. Instead, Netflix has jumped aboard to finance and distribute the film, though it remains to be seen whether it’ll go the theatrical route or will land in Netflix’s streaming service.
As for Affleck, that’s easy to answer –– it’s this, if everything comes together. He also has ‘The Accountant 2’ awaiting release and will be seen alongside Damon in the aforementioned ‘RIP.’
The Carnahan thriller is set in Miami, where the murder of a captain has remained unsolved for six weeks, mired in bureaucratic delays, leaving the officers of the city’s Tactical Narcotics Team restless and eager for justice.
Seeking an outlet for their frustration and perhaps a chance to secure something for themselves the team acts on a tip about a potential cartel stash. What they uncover is far more than they anticipated. Inside a derelict stash house, they discover millions in cash, and with it, the fragile bonds of trust within the team begin to unravel.
As news of the massive seizure spreads, outside forces close in, and everything comes into question-loyalties, motives, and even who they can truly trust…
Carnahan wrote and directed this one, but it doesn’t have a locked release date yet.
Beyond that, Damon has ‘The Odyssey’ dominating his schedule for the coming few months as an actor, but there is a hefty batch of projects to which he’s attached as a producer, including sports drama ‘Flash Before the Bang’ and drama ‘Apostle Paul.’
What else is Gillian Anderson working on?
Gillian Anderson as Vivienne in ‘White Bird’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
Anderson might still be best known for starring in cult TV series ‘The X-Files,’ but more recently received acclaimed for her role as British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in Netflix series ‘The Crown.’
Also for the company, she appeared in all four seasons of ‘Sex Education’ and last year played journalist Emily Maitlis in ‘Scoop,’ the drama about her memorable interview with Prince Andrew.
Coming up, she worked on Western TV drama ‘The Abandons,’ which will hit Netflix later this year.
And finally, on the movie front, she has a role in ‘Tron: Ares,’ the second sequel to the 1982 sci-fi thriller.
When will ‘Animals’ be in theaters?
‘Animals,’ since it has yet to shoot, doesn’t have a release date. And since it’s backed by Netflix, there’s a chance that it won’t ever see the inside of a cinema, instead debuting on the streaming service’s servers.
Jon Bernthal at the ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ premiere. Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.
Preview:
Jon Bernthal is the latest recruit for Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey.’
Lupita Nyong’o, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and Zendaya are among the cast.
Nolan will kick off shooting soon.
If you thought ‘Oppenheimer’ writer/director Christopher Nolan was finished adding to the sprawling, starry cast for his follow-up, ‘The Odyssey,’ think again!
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He’s tapped yet another person for the ensemble, which at this point appears to include half of the A-list phone book (kids, ask your parents on that one).
The most recent recruit is ‘The Bear’s Emmy winner Jon Bernthal who will be playing… Well, that would be telling. And we can’t tell you because, like everyone else in the secretive filmmaker’s latest opus, he has yet to reveal character details.
But here’s what we know so far…
What’s the story of Christopher Nolan’s next film?
Writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
In December, after months of speculation and casting, we got official confirmation that the movie is an adaptation of ‘The Odyssey,’ as revealed by Universal in a twitter post:
“Christopher Nolan’s next film ‘The Odyssey’ is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time.”
‘The Odyssey’ is a classic piece of literature by Homer that is divided between 24 different books, preceded by ‘The Iliad.’
The ancient Greek poem is one of the foundational texts of Western literature. It tells the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his perilous journey home after the Trojan War, exploring themes of heroism, loyalty, cunning, and the struggle against divine will. The tale includes iconic episodes like his encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch-goddess Circe, culminating in his reunion with his wife, Penelope.
Historians and scholars date the poem to sometime between 750-650 BC. The first printed Greek version became available in 1488. In the centuries since, it has remained one of the most studied, adapted and parodied stories ever with adaptations including the 1911 silent film by Giuseppe de Liguoro, 1954’s ‘Ulysses’ with Kirk Douglas and the 2000 Coenbrothers comedy ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’
A more recent adaptation premiered this past December in theaters: ‘The Return,’ which stars Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche and was directed by Uberto Pasolini. On limited release, it has so far earned less than a million dollars worldwide.
Universal will no doubt be hoping for a slightly higher return on Nolan’s film, since, according to reporter Jeff Sneider, his ‘Odyssey’ carries a hefty $250 million price tag. Compare that to ‘Oppenheimer,’ which he made for $100 million and ‘Tenet,’ which had a $205 million budget.
Still, given that ‘Oppenheimer’ brought in nearly a billion dollars (and continues to earn on home entertainment venues), there’s reason for confidence.
Who else is in the cast for Nolan’s latest project?
Robert Pattinson in ‘Tenet’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Nolan has been locking down a wealth of talent for his latest movie. Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway, of course, are veterans of working with the director, having appeared in two other projects of his (both were in ‘Interstellar,’ while Hathaway had previously played Selina Kyle in ‘The Dark Knight Rises‘ and Damon was in ‘Oppenheimer.’
It’s anyone’s guess at this point what role the various ensemble members will be playing, or indeed how faithful Nolan’s movie will end up being. Can we hope for a giant fantasy epic from the director?
Nolan is also writing and producing the film, reuniting with his longtime producing and life partner Emma Thomas, who won the Best Picture Oscar for ‘Oppenheimer’ alongside Nolan.
As for the rest of the crew, we’ll have to wait and see, though Nolan tends to work with a lot of people more than once, so expect to see some familiar names when the credits role.
While the filmmaker had been based for years at Warner Bros., the company’s decision to put much of its 2020 slate on streaming saw him take his business elsewhere.
The rights to ‘Oppenheimer’ were put up for auction, a bidding battle that Universal ultimately won and reaped the rewards when the movie became a huge sensation.
Nolan was clearly happy without things worked out in collaboration with the studio, as he’s gone right back to it for this new project, which, like ‘Oppenheimer,’ will shoot in the IMAX format.
Where else have I seen Jon Bernthal?
(L to R) Jon Bernthal and Ben Affleck in ‘The Accountant 2’. Photo: Amazon MGM Studios.
In addition to his occasional appearances on ‘The Bear’ (which as mentioned have won him praise and awards), Bernthal is known for a few key roles.
Also on TV, he broke out playing Frank Castle/The Punisher on Netflix’s ‘Daredevil’ and the ‘Punisher’ show that featured his character (he’ll be back in the role for new Disney+ series ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ in March).
And he also won fans as Shane Walsh on post-apocalyptic zombie series ‘The Walking Dead.’
Writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
Preview:
Chris Nolan is adapting ‘The Odyssey’ for his new movie.
Lupita Nyong’o, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and Zendaya are among the cast.
Nolan has a hefty budget for this latest project.
For the last few months, we’ve been learning about ‘Oppenheimer’ director Christopher Nolan building the cast he wants for his next, much-anticipated project.
But despite all of that casting news, we’d yet to learn what it’s actually going to focus on. Rumors have swirled about everything from a vampire story or an adaption of cult UK TV series ‘The Prisoner’ (long since debunked) to a new film based on helicopter-focused thriller series ‘Blue Thunder’ (also shot down).
“Christopher Nolan’s next film ‘The Odyssey’ is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time.”
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What’s the story of Christopher Nolan’s next film?
Writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
Now that we have some actual, confirmed details about the movie, let’s look into what that means, shall we?
‘The Odyssey’ is a classic piece of literature by Homer that is divided between 24 different books, preceded by ‘The Iliad.’
The ancient Greek poem is one of the foundational texts of Western literature. It tells the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his perilous journey home after the Trojan War, exploring themes of heroism, loyalty, cunning, and the struggle against divine will. The tale includes iconic episodes like his encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch-goddess Circe, culminating in his reunion with his wife, Penelope.
Historians and scholars date the poem to sometime between 750-650 BC. The first printed Greek version became available in 1488. In the centuries since, it has remained one of the most studied, adapted and parodied stories ever with adaptations including the 1911 silent film by Giuseppe de Liguoro, 1954’s ‘Ulysses’ with Kirk Douglas and the 2000 Coen brothers comedy ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’
A more recent adaptation premiered earlier this month in theaters: ‘The Return,’ which stars Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche and was directed by Uberto Pasolini. On limited release, it has so far earned less than a million dollars worldwide.
Universal will no doubt be hoping for a slightly higher return on Nolan’s film, since, according to reporter Jeff Sneider, his ‘Odyssey’ carries a hefty $250 million price tag. Compare that to ‘Oppenheimer,’ which he made for $100 million and ‘Tenet,’ which had a $205 million budget.
Still, given that ‘Oppenheimer’ brought in nearly a billion dollars (and continues to earn on home entertainment venues), there’s reason for confidence.
Who else is in the cast for Nolan’s latest project?
Robert Pattinson in ‘Tenet’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Nolan has been locking down a wealth of talent for his latest movie. Damon and Hathaway, of course, are veterans of working with the director, having appeared in two other projects of his (both were in ‘Interstellar,’ while Hathaway had previously played Selina Kyle in ‘The Dark Knight Rises‘ and Damon is in ‘Oppenheimer.’
And on the Nolan newcomer front, we have Holland, Zendaya (even if they’re hardly strangers to co-starring together), Lupita Nyong’o and Charlize Theron.
It’s anyone’s guess at this point what role the various ensemble members will be playing, or indeed how faithful Nolan’s movie will end up being. Can we hope for a giant fantasy epic from the director?
Nolan is also writing and producing the film, reuniting with his longtime producing and life partner Emma Thomas, who won the Best Picture Oscar for ‘Oppenheimer’ alongside Nolan.
As for the rest of the crew, we’ll have to wait and see, though Nolan tends to work with a lot of people more than once, so expect to see some familiar names when the credits role.
The cameras should be rolling early next year.
Why is Universal distributing Nolan’s new film?
(L to R) Cillian Murphy (as J. Robert Oppenheimer) and writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
While the filmmaker had been based for years at Warner Bros., the company’s decision to put much of its 2020 slate on streaming saw him take his business elsewhere.
The rights to ‘Oppenheimer’ were put up for auction, a bidding battle that Universal ultimately won and reaped the rewards when the movie became a huge sensation.
Nolan was clearly happy without things worked out in collaboration with the studio, as he’s gone right back to it for this new project, which, like ‘Oppenheimer,’ will shoot in the IMAX format.
When will Chris Nolan’s next movie be in theaters?
Universal and IMAX have planted a flag in a July 17th, 2026 release slot for the new movie.
Chris Nolan is adding Charlize Theron to his new movie.
She joins the likes of Lupita Nyong’o, Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson and Zendaya.
Nolan is keeping the plot a mystery.
Just as he did with ‘Oppenheimer’ –– and even more so since that movie did nearly a billion dollars in business and won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor (for star Cillian Murphy) ––– Christopher Nolan is able to attract big names for his new project.
What’s the story of Christopher Nolan’s next film?
Writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
As with everything to do with Nolan, the title, plot and even genre are a mystery at this point. Nolan is not a man to release loglines easily, and his level of creative control means that, short of an unauthorized leak, no information will be out there until he’s ready.
There had been some chatter a few years ago about the writer/director looking at adapting cult British series ‘The Prisoner’ for the big screen, but this is apparently not that.
More recent rumors have pointed to a film inspired by movie and TV series ‘Blue Thunder,’ which was about a sophisticated police helicopter in Los Angeles, but that has since been shot down (the rumor, not the helicopter).
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Who else is in the cast for Nolan’s latest project?
(Far Left) Matt Damon promoting ‘The Instigators’. Photo: Apple TV+. (Center Left) Zendaya and Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’. Photo: Marvel Studios. (Center Right) Anne Hathaway for Apple TV+’s ‘WeCrashed.’ (Far Right) Lupita Nyong’o as “Samira” in ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ from Paramount Pictures.
Assuming the story on Theron truly pans out (though Deadline’s story indicates she’s at least either signed or close to making a deal), she’ll join an all-star cast of returning Nolan veterans and new recruits.
Damon, Hathaway, and Pattinson, of course, have all worked with the director at least once before.
What else is Charlize Theron working on?
Charlize Theron in ‘The Old Guard.’ Photo: Netflix.
Theron has a few projects on the go. Netflix action sequel ‘The Old Guard 2’ has been stymied by strike delays and is still going through post-production but will hopefully arrive next year.
She also has a number of movies either in development or preparing to shoot, including action thriller ‘Two for the Money,’ and she’s about to film another thriller, survival title ‘Apex,’ which co-stars Taron Egerton.
Which studio will distribute Nolan’s new film?
Writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
While the filmmaker had been based for years at Warner Bros., the company’s decision to put much of its 2020 slate on streaming saw him take his business elsewhere.
The rights to ‘Oppenheimer’ were put up for auction, a bidding battle that Universal ultimately won and reaped the rewards when the movie became a huge sensation.
Nolan was clearly happy without things worked out in collaboration with the studio, as he’s gone right back to it for this new project, which, like ‘Oppenheimer,’ will shoot in the IMAX format.
When will Chris Nolan’s next movie be in theaters?
Universal and IMAX have planted a flag in a July 17th, 2026 release slot for the new movie.
Chris Nolan is reuniting with ‘Tenet’s Robert Pattinson for his next movie.
He’s joining the likes of Lupita Nyong’o, Matt Damon, Tom Holland and Zendaya.
Nolan has yet to share story details.
Christopher Nolan is busy putting the pieces together for his new film, and a part of that process includes gathering the sort of cast most filmmakers can only dream about.
Which is perhaps not all that surprising, since Nolan is a proven director who most recent movie, ‘Oppenheimer,’ made nearly a million dollars, and scored seven Academy Awards. So when he calls, the starriest of the stars pick up.
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The latest to answer his clarion call is even less of a surprise, as they’ve already worked together on ‘Tenet’ –– yes, Robert Pattinson is reuniting with Nolan for this next project, according to regular (and regularly reliable) twitter scooper Daniel RPK, while Deadline cautions that Pattinson hasn’t yet signed a deal.
Given their shared history, we’d think it’s a fair bet Pattinson will show up.
What’s the story of Christopher Nolan’s next film?
Writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
As with everything to do with Nolan, the title, plot and even genre are a mystery at this point. Nolan is not a man to release loglines easily, and his level of creative control means that, short of an unauthorized leak, no information will be out there until he’s ready.
There had been some chatter a few years ago about the writer/director looking at adapting cult British series ‘The Prisoner’ for the big screen, but this is apparently not that.
More recent rumors have pointed to a film inspired by movie and TV series ‘Blue Thunder,’ which was about a sophisticated police helicopter in Los Angeles, but that has since been shot down (the rumor, not the helicopter).
What else is Robert Pattinson working on?
Robert Pattinson for ‘Mickey 17’ at CinemaCon 2024. Photo: Warner Bros.
Pattinson will next be seen on our screens in Bong Joon Ho’s new sci-fi satire ‘Mickey 17’ about a man who serves on a spaceship who is replaced with a clone of himself every time he dies on board. The movie will be in theaters on April 18th.
While the filmmaker had been based for years at Warner Bros., the company’s decision to put much of its 2020 slate on streaming saw him take his business elsewhere.
The rights to ‘Oppenheimer’ were put up for auction, a bidding battle that Universal ultimately won and reaped the rewards when the movie became a huge sensation.
Nolan was clearly happy without things worked out in collaboration with the studio, as he’s gone right back to it for this new project, which, like ‘Oppenheimer,’ will shoot in the IMAX format.
When will Chris Nolan’s next movie be in theaters?
Universal and IMAX have planted a flag in a July 17th, 2026 release slot for the new movie.
Writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
Chris Nolan is adding yet more cast to his new movie.
Lupita Nyong’o is now reportedly in the cast.
She joins the likes of Matt Damon, Tom Holland and Zendaya.
As with lots of big movies that end up boasting giant, star-studded casts, there is a period of time known as the “drip feed” casting era, where sites break word of big names signing on to the project (or at least rumored, often leaked as a way for agents to push for better deals).
What’s the story of Christopher Nolan’s next film?
Writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
As with everything to do with Nolan, the title, plot and even genre are a mystery at this point. Nolan is not a man to release loglines easily, and his level of creative control means that, short of an unauthorized leak, no information will be out there until he’s ready.
There had been some chatter a few years ago about the writer/director looking at adapting cult British series ‘The Prisoner’ for the big screen, but this is apparently not that.
More recent rumors have pointed to a film inspired by movie and TV series ‘Blue Thunder,’ which was about a sophisticated police helicopter in Los Angeles. Yet Deadline’s sources say that idea is also off the mark (unless it’s a double bluff!)
(L to R) Joseph Quinn as “Eric” and Lupita Nyong’o as “Samira” in ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ from Paramount Pictures.
After seeing success with the ‘Quiet Place’ prequel movie earlier this year and then DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Wild Robot,’ the ever-booked and busy Nyong’o has a few projects either in development or about to kick off shooting.
And you’ve got to figure if Ryan Coogler truly is figuring out a third ‘Black Panther’ movie (as hinted at by no less an actor than Denzel Washington recently), that Nyong’o would be back for that.
While the filmmaker had been based for years at Warner Bros., the company’s decision to put much of its 2020 slate on streaming saw him take his business elsewhere.
The rights to ‘Oppenheimer’ were put up for auction, a bidding battle that Universal ultimately won and reaped the rewards when the movie became a huge sensation.
Nolan was clearly happy without things worked out in collaboration with the studio, as he’s gone right back to it for this new project, which, like ‘Oppenheimer,’ will shoot in the IMAX format.
When will Chris Nolan’s next movie be in theaters?
Universal and IMAX have planted a flag in a July 17th, 2026 release slot for the new movie.
(L to R) Carrie-Anne Moss and Douglas Smith in ‘Die Alone’. Photo: Filmoption.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Carrie-Anne Moss about her work on ‘Die Alone’, her first reaction to the screenplay, similarities to ‘Memento’, her approach to her character, working with Douglass Smith, and collaborating with director Lowell Dean on set.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
Carrie-Anne Moss as Mae in the Thriller, Horror ‘Die Alone’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to this screenplay and what intrigued you about this world that Lowell Dean had created?
Carrie-Anne Moss: I loved the script right away. I particularly loved the part of Mae, the character, and I really wanted to play her. I’m not a real zombie apocalypse, gory film watcher, but the story was what really brought me to wanting to be a part of it, the love story, and the journey of Mae. I just thought it was something I really wanted to be a part of, and then when I talked to Lowell, and he had such a clear vision. Any concerns that I slightly had, he was just like, “Yeah,” because the ending of the movie, I wasn’t sure. The ending on the page, it was really disturbing. I don’t mind disturbing things, I am not saying that, but there was intimacy and that quality. There was something in that that I just wasn’t sure as just reading it. He just assured me. He said, “You’re going to love the ending,” and he was right. I love the ending. That really surprised me, because again, I felt the love, I guess. He wanted to tell this love story, and I saw it as that as well.
MF: There is an amnesia element to ‘Die Alone’ that reminded me of ‘Memento’. Did you realize that as well when you were making this movie?
CAM: Well, I have to say that was one of the hesitations that I had with it, was that there was a couple of moments, let’s say two moments between me and him where I was like, “Oh, is this too similar?” But then when I finished it and I really looked at the larger scope of the project, it’s nothing like ‘Memento’. Even the amnesia part, it’s so different, so that was how I was able to quell that. But it deterred me in the beginning, because I don’t want to do something again. You know what I mean? That’s not something I’m looking to do. But overall, I didn’t really feel they were that similar, in the end. There’s a couple of lines where I go, “Oh.” A little bit of a nod, I guess.
(L to R) Douglas Smith as Ethan and Carrie-Anne Moss as Mae in the Thriller, Horror ‘Die Alone’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
MF: Without giving anything away about the plot, as an actress, how do you approach a character as complex as Mae?
CAM: Well, you rely on the writing, for sure. He wrote the character and the script very solidly, then you must play the truth and make sure you hit your moments. I mean, you must obviously do that no matter what, but it was really on the page. I just had to embody her.
MF: Can you talk about the friendship Mae forms with Ethan and what it was like working with Douglass Smith?
CAM: Oh, great. I mean, I’ve worked with him before, so we have a relationship. We know each other. We weren’t close, but we worked a lot more together than we had in the past. He’s very easy to be with. He’s such a good actor, and he’s such a pleasure to act with, very professional. He’s great. I think he does such a great job.
(L to R) Carrie-Anne Moss as Mae and Director Lowell Dean in a BTS still from the Thriller, Horror ‘Die Alone’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
MF: Finally, what was it like collaborating with director Lowell Dean?
CAM: Yeah, he really opens the space to allow you to have the freedom. He hires a lot of great people, even on the crew and stuff. Everyone’s doing their thing. He has an input in all of it, but then when he calls action, he really lets you be, so I appreciated that. I like that way of working.
MF: Just to follow up, is that what you are looking for from a director when working on set?
CAM: I mean, that’s not what I’m looking for, but when it does happen, it’s really my favorite way to work. It’s just not how everybody works, but when it happens, or you have a moment of that, or maybe you’ll have little bits of that, but some people just set that tone. I’d say Christopher Nolan totally sets that tone. First time I’d ever really been in that environment was with Christopher Nolan, where he just opens it up and you get to do your thing. Lowell did the same thing.
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What is the plot of ‘Die Alone’?
Lost in a world reclaimed by nature and overrun by mysterious creatures, a young man (Douglass Smith) with amnesia teams up with an eccentric survivalist (Carrie Anne-Moss) to find his missing girlfriend.
(L to R) Douglas Smith as Ethan, Director Lowell Dean and Frank Grillo as Kai in a BTS still from the Thriller, Horror ‘Die Alone’, a Quiver Distribution release. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution.
(Left) Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in ‘The Bourne Ultimatum.’ Photo: Universal Pictures. (Right) Writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
Preview:
Chris Nolan is developing his next, mysterious movie.
Matt Damon is in talks to star.
Universal will distribute the film.
Ever since Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ won seven Oscars and earned nearly a billion dollars at the box office, the question on everyone’s mind has been, “what will he do to follow that up?” Well, maybe not Nolan’s mind, which in the immediate aftermath was probably, “how long can I sleep for?”
But the ever-active mind of the filmmaker behind films such as ‘Inception,’ ‘Tenet’ and the successful Batman trilogy, has not been sleeping long, and he’s now starting to put the pieces together for his next movie.
Deadline is reporting that Matt Damon is now in talks for the director’s new project, though much about it beyond that is strictly under wraps, which is pretty much his style.
As with everything to do with Nolan, the title, plot and even genre are a mystery at this point.
There had been some chatter a few years ago about the writer/director looking at adapting cult British series ‘The Prisoner’ for the big screen, but this is apparently not that.
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Who else will star in Christopher Nolan’s next film?
With Damon locking down a deal, expect the director to attract another sampling of big-name actors to take part.
Damon, of course, would now be a three-time Nolan performer (following ‘Interstellar’ and ‘Oppenheimer,’) joining the likes of Christian Bale and Cillian Murphy (with the latter scoring an Academy Award for ‘Oppenheimer’) in that club.
We wouldn’t be surprised if Murphy in particular comes back in some capacity; and given how many people cut their salaries and found time in busy schedules for roles in his last film, we doubt Nolan will have an issue filling the ensemble out.
While the filmmaker had been based for years at Warner Bros.’, the company’s decision to put much of its 2020 slate on streaming saw him take his business elsewhere.
The rights to ‘Oppenheimer’ were put up for auction, a bidding battle that Universal ultimately won and reaped the rewards when the movie became a huge sensation.
Nolan was clearly happy without things worked out in collaboration with the studio, as he’s gone right back to it for this new project, which will shoot in the IMAX format next year. He hasn’t ruled out a return to Warners in future, but it appears for now he’s happy where he is.
When will Chris Nolan’s next movie be in theaters?
Universal and IMAX have planted a flag in a July 17th, 2026 release slot for the new movie.
Writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with iconic Hollywood actor Anthony Michael Hall about his work on ‘Trigger Warning’, his first reaction to the screenplay, playing the villain, his action sequences, and working with Jessica Alba and director Mouly Surya.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to see what Anthony Michael Hall had to say about Netflix’s ‘Trigger Warning’.
Anthony Michael Hall. Photo Credit: Mark Binks.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay for ‘Trigger Warning’ and why did you want to be a part of this project?
Anthony Michael Hall: Well, it came up about three and a half years ago. My managers are a great company, Untitled Management, and they set up a meeting for myself and Mouly Surya, the filmmaker. So, I watched her film that was nominated, it was called ’Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts’, also like ‘Trigger Warning’, a female driven revenge thriller, and she did a beautiful job with that. That’s like her ‘Kill Bill’, and she’s a very talented filmmaker. So, I met with Mouly. We had a nice Zoom session meeting because it was COVID times, and she was lovely. She was cool about it. She had grown up watching a lot of my films. That’s why I feel old. Anyway, she was really kind enough to invite me to join the party and to make ‘Trigger Warning’ with them. It was interesting. I liked the script a lot. John Brancato, the guy who wrote it, is a friend of a mutual friend of mine that I knew in Brooklyn growing up, and I knew of his writing. He was talented. So, the guys did a good job with it. I think there’s something very stark about the good versus evil reality. When I did ‘The Dark Knight’, or even in a film like this, there’s shadings of a Western here too. But she’s, as you know, a special ops military woman who comes into town and discovers her father’s been murdered. I’m playing this career politician, Ezekiel Swann, who is a senator, and a dirty character. It was funny for me too, because suddenly I’m on set, and I’m in my late fifties and I have two grown men playing my sons. I was like, “Okay. I guess I’m my age now.” They did a great job. Jake Weary plays Elvis and Mark Webber plays Jesse, very different actors. They’re my Cain and Abel, my two sons. It was just an interesting project from all these vantage points. The fact that we were produced by Thunder Road who did the ‘John Wick’ series, so that guaranteed this level of action. We had the 87eleven, which is this famous stunt group that does all those films, so they just could not have been more prepared. By the time we got to the set in Santa Fe, the stunt crew had been there for about five or six weeks. So, they pre-visualized everything. They’d already shot the sequences, and so we had fight training and we had choreographed sequences and training to do, and it was just a lot of fun. I’d never done an action picture where there was that much of a focus on the action. It was great to be a part of. Then working with Jessica, she was game. She really did a good job. I think her acting is excellent. She did a nice job carrying the film. But also, with that background in action, it was very important for her that we execute on those levels. There’s that line in the film, which she says to Jake Weary, who plays my son, Elvis. She said, “You should put a little more weight on your back foot. You wouldn’t punch like such a b**ch.” I mean, she was game on. I think she ad-libbed that in the moment, and they used it in the film. But I thought the script was solid. It was a good group of actors I got to work with. Experientially, just being in Santa Fe, and shooting a picture there was a lot of fun too. All those elements become ingredients in the making of something and it was great to be a part of. I had fun.
MF: Can you talk about Senator Swann and Parker’s history together and working on that backstory with Jessica Alba?
AMH: That’s a great point. I think acting is often in the eyes more than it is the words. You’re right, there’s that backstory element that she doesn’t like me. You even wonder if Mark does, my son who’s the sheriff. A lot of that is how you can read their faces in the scene where I show up and I tell her, “Welcome back,” and she’s side eyeing me going, “This guy, he’s a real career politician.” Even though I didn’t base it on any one character, one of the things I tried to do, which was just give a little bit of a non-descript southern background to him, so I gave him a little bit of a southern snarl. Even though my sons weren’t doing that. But when you get to a set, it’s interesting. When I met with the costume department and our designer, she was great. She had a vision board and she had pulled all these pictures of Ted Turner from the ‘80s, guys that are very wealthy but just choose to live in the southwest and that country cowboy lifestyle, even if they’re not necessarily real cowboys. So, I think that that breathed life into it. Being in Santa Fe, seeing the level of production and professionalism from the stunt team. All these ingredients really make for a nice mixture. So, it was just fun to execute. Then working with Netflix, I’ve had the pleasure to work with them, and Amazon, I’ve done two shows for Amazon, ‘Reacher’ and ‘Bosch: Legacy’, but I did a film called ‘War Machine’, that I started in with Brad Pitt for Netflix. I have to say, they’re a great company to work for. I mean, they give you the resources, they’re supportive and they’re not meddlesome. They’re not looking over your shoulders as you’re making something. Even as an actor on the set, I saw that they had free reign to really deliver the movie that they were going to deliver. It was great working with Thunder Road and Mouly, and she couldn’t have been sweeter. She’s such a nice lady, but has great instincts as a director, gives great adjustments, and has a great eye visually. So, it was really a pleasure.
MF: Is it fun playing a villain and what’s your approach?
AMH: I’ve played bad guys a lot. I’ve done a bunch of villains over the years, but this is probably one of the more prominent films that I’ve done. I mean, I enjoy it. I think there’s a no holds barred approach, and I think when you’re playing a bad guy, you can pull out all the stops. I also think it’s important to inject a little bit of humor in there. One funny thing happened. There’s that scene where Jessica and I are talking, and I’m talking about Latinx and questioning her. The scene opens with me saying something asinine like, “Everybody in my town knows I’m not racist.” When we shot the scene, I didn’t find any humor in it, but when we were watching it with an audience a few weeks ago, my wife laughed her butt off. I started laughing, and the audience was laughing. It’s funny. It’s great when there’s a surprise element of humor and you didn’t really intend it, and that’s what happened in that scene. It was fun to work on and I really enjoyed it. I also really appreciated working with this core group of women that were really leading the charge. I thought that was impressive. In recent years, I’ve worked on ‘The Goldbergs’ and several shows, even on ‘Bosch: Legacy’ for Amazon, and I’ve had the good fortune of working with a lot of female directors, and I think it’s great. I think we need more of it. Because obviously the world should be about inclusivity and people getting opportunities, and I’ve been very proudly directed by a bunch of great women directors in recent years, and I enjoyed it. Mouly being probably the best among them.
MF: Jessica Alba is also an executive producer on the movie. What was it like working with her as both a producer and actress?
AMH: Jessica comes ready. She’s very serious. She’s very serious about her work and is very caring, but she’s also a great mom. Her daughters were on set with her. She’s very much a take charge woman. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her and her husband before we made the film, and they’re cool people, they really are. So, I’m happy for it.
Molly Ringwald in ‘Sixteen Candles’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MF: It’s the 40th anniversary of ‘Sixteen Candles’, what are your memories of making that film with director John Hughes. You ended up working with him a lot, but was that the first time?
AMH: What’s interesting is he had written ‘National Lampoon’s Vacation’ in 1982, and then it gets made I think in ’82 or ’83. It was released in ’83. So, I didn’t meet John on that. I met him at the auditions here in New York City for ‘Sixteen Candles’ at the Universal building on Park Avenue. It led to me doing the two other films with him right away. So, if you include ‘Vacation’, the first four films of my career, they were written and directed by John, or written by John in the case of ‘Vacation’, so I think that there was something in the stars with us. He was just such a great guy. I can’t speak highly enough about him. He was so wonderful, so down to earth, and so helpful. When you worked on a John Hughes film, it was always a collaboration in process. You could discuss anything with him. We would typically shoot two or three or four takes as written, and then if you had ideas, he would be like, “Try that.” He had such a God-given ability as a writer and a director. He loved music, the way he incorporated music into his films to uplift certain moments, and the things that he did. But also, his sense of collaboration, I think that was another one of his real gifts because he wasn’t precious about it. He allowed things to happen, and he allowed you to play around and to ad-lib. If we were going to embellish something or change something, as long as it worked for the scene, he was all for it. He was really a great guy in so many ways.
(L to R) Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall in ‘The Breakfast Club’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MF: Are you surprised by the legacy of ‘Sixteen Candles’, ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘Weird Science’ and that new audiences are discovering those movies and loving them?
AMH: Yeah, I am. I’m truly grateful for that. It’s amazing how they continue to find younger and younger audiences and new generations. I’m so appreciative of that fact. It’s interesting, I had many years to think about this. I think there is a paradigm to his work. In other words, all the characters start out at a certain place, but there’s an arc and they all wind up in a better place than they started, through finding love and humor. But also, mainly by showing their vulnerabilities, by showing the rough parts of childhood, by being honest about it, warts and all, pimples and all. I think that there is a method to his madness in a way. He allowed characters to be vulnerable, to be real, to let their guard down, all these very interesting things that we can all now see and reflect on. But when I look back all those years ago, to think that he was a relatively young guy. He was in his mid-thirties, so the fact that he had that kind of awareness and intelligence as a writer, and overview to be able to see his projects, was very impressive. I’m just grateful that they continue to find younger audiences. I think ‘The Breakfast Club’ particularly, because I think there’s a strong message of anti-bullying and just the overall idea that we’re all more alike than we’re different. To celebrate that and to celebrate the differences is I think something that the world has grown more accustomed to. For example, this new generation of kids, people that are millennials, they’re a lot more open-minded and a lot more inclusive let’s say, than the prior generation. I think that shows a healthy sort of evolution in our general character I think, as people, and I think that that’s very healthy and helpful.
Johnny Depp in ‘Edward Scissorhands’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
MF: What was your experience like working with director Tim Burton on ‘Edward Scissorhands’? Did you recognize his genius right away and what did you think of his vision for that project?
AMH: I did. Again, he’s another one where I’ve had a lot of time to think about it. You look at his work, I mean, his movies are artful, they’re masterpieces, they’re beautiful, and there’s an evolution there too. It’s interesting, when I look back on ‘Scissorhands’, I have a couple thoughts about it. I mean, it is like ‘Pinocchio’, and it’s a little bit of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. But when you look at his life, Tim Burton grew up in Burbank. He was a student of animation. His favorite actor was Vincent Price. The fact that he is in many ways, I think very Walt Disney like himself, and that he created this world unto himself as a filmmaker. I just think he’s brilliant. I loved Tim, and I still love Tim and I love all his movies, and that was the first of a great collaboration between he and Johnny. They went on to make another, seven or eight movies together. So, I felt very privileged to be a part of that, and it was exciting to work on. I think at that point, I had just come off the John Hughes films, and ‘Saturday Night Live’, and everything else I was doing as a kid. I had sprouted up; I had just grown into a bigger guy. I think he found that interesting and compelling. Like it could be interesting to pit me against Johnny, who was a different thing. But Johnny, God bless him, he had a lot of work to do. Just even before the cameras rolled, he would get to work at 3:30/4:00 AM, I remember reading the call sheets. Because it would take like three hours to do his face, and they had a team of people just getting him into that suit, and then putting the hands on, the scissors. It was quite a production. But again, a great project. Just happy to be a part of a Tim Burton film.
(L to R) Heath Ledger and Christian Bale in ‘The Dark Knight’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
MF: Can you also talk about working with Christopher Nolan on ‘The Dark Knight’? What did you learn from watching the specific way that he makes movies?
AMH: Well, you just said it. That was the key word. I was very watchful. I remember feeling, it’s almost like you remember that old movie, ‘Amadeus’ about Mozart? I felt like Salieri watching Mozart. I’m looking at this guy, and I had just finished ‘The Dead Zone’, and I kept looking at Chris Nolan and he just feels like such an old soul. There’s something very aristocratic about him. Obviously, he’s a highly intellectual person, a very smart man, but very eccentric in some ways too. He would come to work in the same thing every day. He wore a vest, a dress shirt, a three-quarter length jacket, like a conductor almost. He certainly was a conductor to work with. But I just remember having this feeling when I worked with him like, wow. This guy, he’s fascinating. I’ve got to tell you, scene by scene, the way he attacked it was amazing. I mean, some scenes we would shoot, it would be a three or four camera set up, and some there would be seven, eight, even ten cameras going. His technical prowess and his technical abilities are impressive, but also just his filmmaking. I remember seeing ‘Memento’, that was a great film. It really was an incredible movie. I’ve always been impressed with Chris, and it was an honor to work with him. I had a great time. I had auditioned for another role when I did ‘The Dark Knight’, and then he brought me back in for the role that I wound up doing. But it was interesting. At that time, all those years ago, 2007, after I did the audition, it was a period of months before I even found out about it. They circulate the tapes among the studio executives and all that. But just a great project to be a part of. We shot in London, and then I shot in Chicago for three weeks. I mean, I worked on the film for about a month, even though it was a small role. It was a great lesson too, in terms of that adage of “There are no small parts, only small actors.” I had a small role in the film, but I had the pleasure to work with Chris and to work alongside Gary Oldman. I can say I was in a movie with Michael Caine, even though I didn’t get to meet Michael Caine. I’m on the background on the TV in some of those shots, with he and Christian. But in terms of Christian and Heath, if I can just speak to those guys for a second, I mean, they’re both brilliant. I remember asking Chris Nolan about it. He said Christian was the first guy he met with at Warner Bros., and he just had an instinct. He just felt like he was the right guy. Then after we had made the film years later, I remember reading about his interactions with Heath. Heath was incredible. I know two of the things that were inspirational for them was ‘A Clockwork Orange’, because that’s a great film. Then also something about the Sex Pistols. He wanted to bring some sense of anarchy to the film, which obviously was reminiscent of the Sex Pistols in the ‘70s. I think there’s some Johnny Rotten in the Joker as well, a little Sid Vicious. So, that sense of anarchy coming in and attacking Gotham was very powerful. As we know, I think he just brought a lot of gravity to a comic book film. What he did reinvent the genre. It’s amazing.
(Right) Anthony Michael Hall joins ‘Bosch: Legacy’ as Special Agent Barron. Photo Credit: Tyler Golden.
MF: You appeared in a recurring role in season 2 of ‘Bosch: Legacy’. Will you be retuning for season 3?
AMH: Well, apparently, I don’t think I’m going to be returning on ‘Bosch: Legacy’. It was interesting. It ended the season in a cliffhanger, so I thought there might be an opportunity, but it didn’t play out like that. But again, it was a pleasure to work with those guys. I love Michael Connelly. I mean, they gave me a great opportunity there. I was playing a lead FBI investigator going after him, as you recall.
Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher in Prime Video’s ‘Reacher’ season 2.
MF: Finally, I understand that you will be appearing on season 3 of Prime Video’s ‘Reacher’. What can you tell us about your character and working with Alan Ritchson?
AMH: Season 3 of ‘Reacher’ was incredible. We started last summer, and we had a four-month break due to the strike, and it was supposed to wrap in November. We wound up starting in November and shooting until June. I just wrapped a couple of weeks ago. They’re going to be finishing next month. But I can tell you this, they’ve really upped the ante on the action. They continue to push the boundaries with that. I think that’s very important to the audience, that the action is there. I like Alan Ritchson a lot. I think he’s a good guy. I like working with him. I think he’s doing a nice job with his performance. He’s very vested too in the process, which was nice to see. It reminded me when I had ‘The Dead Zone’, because as the lead actor you must be the quarterback of the team. You must not just know your own stuff, but you must be able to be supportive, be a team player, and really help galvanize your team and get everything done. I saw myself in him because I see where he’s at right now in his career and he’s doing great. But he’s a nice guy. He’s a standup guy. He’s got a good heart, and it was a great show to be a part of. I’m excited that people will see it. It’ll air in 2025, due to the strike.
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What is the plot of ‘Trigger Warning’?
A skilled Special Forces commando (Jessica Alba) takes ownership of her father’s bar after he suddenly dies, and soon finds herself at odds with a violent gang running rampant in her hometown.
