(L to R) David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in ‘The X-Files’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television.
‘The X-Files’, originally created by Chris Carter, aired on Fox from 1993-2001 before being revived at the network for two more seasons in 2016 and 2018. It starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who investigate cases that lean towards the paranormal and otherwise unusual.
Two movies were made based on the original show, but there’s no word yet on whether either Duchovny or Anderson will appear in any capacity. As for the new potential series’ logline? “Two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.”
Deadwyler and Patel will be playing a new original characters –– we’re assuming at this point they’ll be the main agents.
Coogler is aboard to write and direct the pilot, but should the show go to series, ‘The Copenhagen Test’s Jennifer Yale will be overseeing it.
Coogler, an avowed fan of the supernatural, has spoken previously to Variety about his feelings for the show:
“Like my relationship with ‘Rocky’ with my dad, ‘The X-Files’ is one of those things with my mom. My mom means the world to me…so this is a big one for me. I want to do right by her and the fans. My mom has read some of the stuff I wrote for it. She’s fired up.”
(Left) Director Ryan Cooler at the New York Premiere of ‘Sinners’. Photo: Warner Bros. (Center) David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in ‘The X-Files’. Photo: 20th Century Fox Television. (Right) Danielle Deadwyler in ‘Parallel.’ Photo: Vertical Entertainment.
Preview:
Danielle Deadwyler will star in the new ‘X-Files’ series.
Ryan Coogler is writing the pilot and will direct it.
Jennifer Yale will be showrunner.
We’ve known for a while that ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Sinners’ director Ryan Coogler has been developing a rebooted take on cult supernatural show ‘The X-Files’ for Hulu. The show has now taken a step forward with a pilot order.
(L to R) David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in 1998’s ‘The X-Files’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
‘The X-Files’, originally created by Chris Carter, aired on Fox from 1993-2001 before being revived at the network for two more seasons in 2016 and 2018. It starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who investigate cases that lean towards the paranormal and otherwise unusual.
Two movies were made based on the original show, but there’s no word yet on whether either Duchovny or Anderson will appear in any capacity. As for the new potential series’ logline? “Two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.”
We don’t yet know exactly how Deadwyler’s character will fit in, but we can assume she’s one of the agents.
“Like my relationship with ‘Rocky’ with my dad, ‘The X-Files’ is one of those things with my mom. My mom means the world to me…so this is a big one for me. I want to do right by her and the fans. My mom has read some of the stuff I wrote for it. She’s fired up.”
Coogler is aboard to write and direct the pilot, but should the show go to series, ‘The Copenhagen Test’s Jennifer Yale will be overseeing it.
Where else can we see Danielle Deadwyler?
Danielle Deadwyler in ’40 Acres’, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
Upcoming on the small screen, she’ll appear in the new season of ‘Euphoria’ and Steve Carell series ‘Rooster’. Movie-wise, she’s attached to drama ‘The Street’ and has worked on crime comedy ‘The Chaperones’.
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ director Ryan Coogler.
In theaters on October 10 via Walt Disney Studios is ‘TRON: Ares’, the third entry in the franchise about artificial beings existing on a computer grid.
The ‘Tron’ movies have always been about humanity’s connection to –– and issues with –– technology, and as AI dominates headlines, the time seems right for a new entry to the venerable franchise, which has so far only put out two entries.
Yet the latest suffers from some very basic issues, especially when it comes to its script, but does have enough entertainment value.
The new movie’s script, written by Jesse Wigutow (David DiGilio receives a “story by” credit) makes the whole affair feel like a video game that has some impressive graphics, but not quite enough power to make it work fully. It’s loaded up with coincidence and contrivance along the lines of many basic would-be blockbusters.
And while it doesn’t lean too heavily on nostalgia, there’s a chunk of it near the end which, while it allows for a welcome return, does tend the drain the tension.
Director Joachim Rønning, meanwhile, has experience with this sort of big scale movies, but he can only do so much to inject humanity into the overall result.
Jared Leto actually tones things down, Ares naturally being a more muted character until he starts to evolve. He’s perfectly serviceable in the role, and even funny towards the end.
Greta Lee enjoys some decent moments, but is mostly saddled with a character you feel like came straight off the peg in terms of story arc.
Evan Peters has fun as the villainous Julian Dillinger, but spare a thought for poor Gillian Anderson who pop ups for a couple of scenes as his mother but is essentially a walking cliché.
‘TRON: Ares’ follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares (Jared Leto), who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings.
(L to R) Jared Leto and Jeff Bridges at the 2025 San Diego Comic-Con Hall H Panel for ‘TRON: Ares’. Photo: Disney.
Preview:
‘TRON: Ares’ showed off some new footage at Comic-Con.
Director Joachim Rønning was present at the panel.
The movie will land on October 10th.
With much of Disney’s other big franchises –– Marvel especially –– skipping the San Diego Comic-Con this year, it’s up to ‘TRON: Ares’, the latest entry to feature A.I. Programs and humans mixing, to fly the genre flag.
A highly sophisticated Program called Ares (Leto) is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings.
What happened at the ‘TRON: Ares’ panel?
(L to R) The cast and crew of ‘TRON: Ares’ at the 2025 San Diego Comic-Con Hall H Panel. Photo: Disney.
The ‘Ares’ panel began with a digital light display and bots floating around the screens of Hall H, with suited Programs on stage.
Before any of the filmmakers or cast arrived, a new trailer played for the crowd.
Director Rønning brought Leto, Peters, Anderson, Turner-Smith and Bridges on stage to discuss the movie.
Leto admitted he was already in the tank for ‘Tron’ before taking the role:
“At the end of the day, I am an official ‘Tron’ super fan. If I wasn’t on the stage, I would be in the audience, for sure, watching this panel right now, cheering like all these crazy people out here.”
He also called Jeff Bridges a hero, a sentiment surely everyone in the crowd would share.
Rønning was also enthused to work on the movie:
“Well, it’s ‘Tron’. So, I was immediately drawn into it. I love the franchise, the movies, I think, in many ways, are masterpieces. And, you know, I always dreamt about making science fiction. I think the topic is super interesting, and they had a twist to it.”
(L to R) Jeff Bridges, Greta Lee and Jodie Turner-Smith at the 2025 San Diego Comic-Con Hall H Panel for ‘TRON: Ares’. Photo: Disney.
A couple of new clips were shown, including Leto’s Ares in a light chase with Turner-Smith’s Athena, and one set in the digital world of the Grid, which has been expanded by Peters’ Julian Dillinger (a name that should set alarm bells ringing in ‘Tron’ fans’ minds).
The panel ended with the debut of Nine Inch Nails’ new tie-in single, “As Alive as You Need Me to Be” (Trent Reznor and his group supply the music for the movie).
This is what Leto had to say about the soundtrack:
“The music for ‘Tron’ has always been such an important part. When we were talking about music for this film, there was really only very few people you could think about that could fill those shoes and Nine Inch Nails absolutely did it. I mean, they made music that’s going to live a lifetime.”
When will ‘TRON: Ares’ be in theaters?
The third instalment of the ‘Tron’ franchise will bring the Grid to screens on October 10th.
(L to R) Jodie Turner-Smith, Evan Peters and Gillian Anderson at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 for ‘TRON: Ares’. Photo: Disney.
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).
KgBZQBzXCBFbgEXff1CTi7
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.
Opening in theaters on October 4th is ‘White Bird’, which is based on the graphic novel of the same name by author R. J. Palacio and acts as both a prequel and sequel to 2017’s ‘Wonder’.
(L to R) Orlando Schwerdt as Julien and Ariella Glaser as Sara in ‘White Bird’. Photo: Larry Horricks.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Marc Forster and producer Renee Wolfe about their work on ‘White Bird’, adapting the source material, connecting it to ‘Wonder’, bringing Bryce Gheisar back, working with Dame Helen Mirren, casting Ariella Glaser and Orlando Schwerdt, their characters’ friendship, and the challenges of making a period piece.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
(L to R) Director Marc Forster and Producer Renee Wolfe Talk ‘White Bird’.
Moviefone: To begin with, Marc, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and the themes you wanted to explore as a director with this movie?
Marc Forster: I read the graphic novel and the screenplay six weeks into the lockdown in 2020. When I first read it, literally I got so emotional, and I started tearing up. It never happened to me (before) except when I read the screenplay to ‘Finding Neverland’. So, I felt “Why did that happen?” I said, “If you have such a reaction to something, I felt I have to make it.” Ultimately, you could instantly connect with Sara, our protagonist, who’s being played by Ariella Glaser, who in a larger part of the movie is hiding in a barn. During the lockdown was for the first time, we all could feel how it is not to be able to go outside. So, you could instantly relate to someone who was locked up. It felt much closer to us, and I felt it’s a film about the Holocaust, but at the same time in the center of this is this beautiful teenage love story. R.J Palacio in her book ‘Wonder’, explored the themes of bullying and kindness, and she expanded on those themes here on ‘White Bird’, which I found very inspirational because I felt there’s a lack of kindness today and I felt it was a story we need. It’s also my hope that a lot of young people go and see the film. I see it as a family movie, a four-quadrant movie, but at the same time I hope that a lot of young people see the movie who haven’t studied the Holocaust or haven’t confronted that time of history, and maybe this is a window they can talk about it with their family.
MF: Just to follow up, was that the key for you with this film, focusing on the love story?
Marc Forster: Yeah, I felt that that ultimately the kindness and that connection of these two people who didn’t really see one another, who really got brought together through historical circumstances and through the hatred around them. I felt like that grounded the film for me in an emotional part. Someone who is risking their lives and the entire family risking their lives to protect someone else is not just a true act of bravery, but it’s a true act of love and I think it’s so powerful that I felt like this is an important story I wanted to tell.
Bryce Gheisar as Julian in ‘White Bird’. Photo: Julie Vrabelova.
MF: Renee, as a producer, can you talk about the source material and its connection to the larger ‘Wonder’ franchise?
Renee Wolfe: Well, as he said during the lockdown, we were both together and read this incredible story. I loved how, although it is a continuum of ‘Wonder’, it’s not necessarily a sequel and the idea that we would now look at it and in a sense try to heal this character of the bully was intriguing to both of us. The only other way that we can transform things is if we have the bravery to look at them. The only way we can transform each other is if we hear each other’s story. This is a witnessing of a transformation of somebody who could have gone on a wrong path. Putting this together just in the logistical part of it was very exciting because it wasn’t necessarily a sequel, it was a different universe and it tapped into this character and offered redemption. So, we both thought it would be a good foundation to use the audience of ‘Wonder’ to get momentum for this yet have its own freestanding world. So that became part of what was exciting as the structure of a story world that could keep going onward and outward. Who knows, there may be another element of this that develops.
MF: Renee, can you talk about the choice to bring back actor Bryce Gheisar as Julian Albans from ‘Wonder’ and really connect the two movies?
Renee Wolfe: Marc and I had spoken at that point we thought for sure he’s going to be a good actor, but there’s a lot of years that have passed and it’s COVID and you can’t meet people in person. So, it was a little bit of like, well, we believe this is going to work, but we’ll find out in person. Bryce was extraordinary. I mean, this young actor was so prepared and had evolved so beautifully and showed up wanting to tell a redemption story for this character. But logistically speaking, it was exciting to think that these kids who had seen ‘Wonder’ could track this actor as he’s now evolved with them arguably the same age. So, it was part of the magic of what we thought would make this whole thing work. I think he carried that obviously not personally, but had a mission to redeem this character, which we both loved, and we thought that would translate into audiences that understood that they were one and the same actor.
Helen Mirren as Grandmère in ‘White Bird’. Photo Credit: Larry Horricks.
MF: Marc, can you talk about casting Dame Helen Mirren as the older Sara Blum and having that character narrate the film?
Marc Forster: When Helen first signed on, we spoke on the phone and on Zoom, and I said, “Look, we’ve already been shooting for a couple weeks.” I said to her, “Look, I think it would be great if you could just watch the dailies, the work Ariella and I have been doing, how I’ve been directing her, her interpretation of Sara, her mannerisms and just get a feel for that.” She watched all the dailies, and I called her back and said, “So how do you feel?” She said, “Oh, don’t worry, I got you.” I said, “Okay, if Dame Helen Mirren tells you that, I’m sure we’re fine.” When she came to Prague and showed up on set, and I’ve never met her before in person, what you expected of Helen Mirren is what you got and more. Just her emotional intelligence, her gentleness, her respectfulness, her kindness to everyone. There’s certain security and thoughtfulness of her interpretation of a role that is so calming. There’s also in all seriousness and drama, a twinkle of humor, which then inspires kindness, which is just extraordinary. Obviously, the speech at the end, she is like that, just watching her act that and directing her in that gave it different shades and the different moments and pauses were wonderful.
MF: Renee, can you talk about the importance of finding the right actors to play young Sara Blum and Julien Beaumier and casting Ariella Glaser and Orlando Schwerdt?
Renee Wolfe: It is extremely important. Again, during COVID, normally we would see people in person, and Marc and I spoke about this at length. There were people sending in their tapes from all over the world, and he’s extraordinary at finding these young actors. It’s really about the truthfulness in the performance and not giving a performance. These kids, so many of them were extraordinary, but when we landed on Ariella and Orlando, we knew that they had something that just really grounded them. Ariella knew this culture and knew the nuances that would really make the world of this timeframe and the authenticity of being Jewish and that experience, she knew this with every part of her existence. Orlando, on the other hand, has this fluidity to his performance and to his delivery. You see this character kind of blossom throughout the performance. In the beginning, he’s hunched over and as love and as he’s starting to be seen, he expands even in his chest. He radiates. The two of them together, that was the last question, I think that we both had. But Marc particularly, “Would this chemistry really, really work in person?” It did. But that was challenging during that time that we couldn’t meet in person until the last minute.
(L to R) Orlando Schwerdt as Julien and Ariella Glaser as Sara in ‘White Bird’. Photo: Larry Horricks.
MF: Marc, what was it like working with Ariella and Orlando on set?
Marc Forster: It was extraordinary. I think Orlando, who plays Julien. First, he never brought a cell phone to set. So, he’s a 15-year-old who doesn’t come with a cell phone to set. He leaves it in the hotel room, completely focused, and there’s a laser sharp focus to character himself. He doesn’t mingle and doesn’t joke around. I asked him, “So why do you leave your cell phone in the hotel?” He said, “Look, this is a chance, an opportunity of a lifetime. I really just want to focus on the character and my performance.” Then Ariella, on the other hand, is very lively and comes from a very smart, educated family with an extraordinary historical knowledge of the time and really understands the responsibility also of the role. I think when I first met them, because as Renee mentioned, we cast them on Zoom, and I felt in a love story that chemistry is everything. So, I thought hopefully that chemistry would translate also in front of camera, not just on Zoom. When I met them and we started rehearsing, I had this moment of doubt, “What am I going to do if that chemistry is not going to land and I’m not believing that love story,” because I never casted on Zoom before. So, when I met them the first time we started rehearsing and instantly there was just this beautiful chemistry that they had and we rehearsed a lot of the scenes.
MF: Renee, can you talk about the challenges of producing a period piece, particularly one set in this specific time in history?
Renee Wolfe: It has budgetary constraints. We didn’t make this movie on a massive budget, but we had a crew that we had worked with historically. So, we had this second language together that was effortless. We shoot a mixture of location and stage. We were very lucky because the resources in the Czech Republic are impeccable. People put their very best into the equation. So, between locations and being able to build, once we all got there and working together in the past, we were able to do this on a relatively short amount of time and modest budget.
Ariella Glaser as Sara in ‘White Bird’. Photo: Larry Horricks.
MF: Finally, Marc, what did you want to do visually with this movie in general and specifically in the cinema sequences?
Marc Forster: I think you have in the movie; a part of the storytelling is magic realism. Once you deal with magic realism and metaphors and a little bit of a fairy tale aspect, you make sure that the movie grounds itself and you’re connecting with all the characters before you go into the metaphorical aspects and the magic realisms of the storytelling, so you don’t lose the audience and you have freedom to maneuver them. Usually that’s the transitions. Regarding the movie theater scenes, I was a big fan of ‘Cinema Paradiso’ because I love movies and ultimately that always has a nostalgia and romance in my heart being in a movie theater. So that was one aspect I was very fond of. Then the magic realism part of it’s the key. How do we portray that when she says to him, “Let’s go to Paris,” and ultimately taking him on this journey and how we visualize that. There’s a mixture between the movie we see in the movie theater and then the movie we see in their head, so to speak. Then ultimately, he brings the movie to her into the barn, because ultimately what they have in their heads and the movie they see themselves in is being informed by the film they saw in the movie theater.
1dCgiv89GvKqLCLpzJjzj5
What is the plot of ‘White Bird’?
In ‘White Bird’, we follow Julian (Bryce Gheisar), who has struggled to belong ever since he was expelled from his former school for his treatment of Auggie Pullman (Jacob Tremblay). To transform his life, Julian’s grandmother (Helen Mirren) finally reveals to Julian her own story of courage, during her youth in Nazi-occupied France, a boy (Orlando Schwerdt) shelters her from mortal danger. They find first love in a stunning, magical world of their own creation, while the boy’s mother (Gillian Anderson) risks everything to keep her safe.
Who is in the cast of ‘White Bird’?
Ariella Glaser as young Sara Blum
Orlando Schwerdt as Julien Beaumier
Bryce Gheisar as Julian Albans
Gillian Anderson as Vivienne Beaumier
Helen Mirren as Grandmère (older Sara Blum)
Gillian Anderson as Vivienne in ‘White Bird’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
Gillian Anderson as Margaret Thatcher in ‘The Crown’ season 4. Photo: Des Willie.
Preview:
Gillian Anderson is the latest person cast in ‘Tron: Ares’.
Shooting has now kicked off on the movie following a delay.
The movie should be on screens next year.
It has been a long road to the screen for the third ‘Tron’ movie. In development since the second film, 2010’s ‘Tron: Legacy’, arrived, ‘Tron: Ares’ (as it is currently called) has faced multiple challenges so far, not the least of which was being shut down before it could begin shooting last year when the writers and actors’ strikes hit.
But now, it has turned a corner (or swerved on a right angle given how the iconic Light cycles work), and the cameras are finally rolling on the long-anticipated sequel, which follows both ‘Legacy’ and the 1982 original ‘Tron’, which sees humans drawn into a virtual world.
Now, with Jared Leto starring as a character called Ares, it looks like the opposite will be happening, and Gillian Anderson is the latest addition to the cast, playing an unknown role.
WgcJH0Zv93ssQ3nT4Jtgz2
What’s the story of ‘Tron: Ares’?
A scene from ‘Tron: Legacy’ directed by Joseph Kosinski.
Written by Jesse Wigutow and Jack Thorne, the script follows Leto’s computer program Ares on a journey from the digital world to that of humans.
There’s no word yet on whether Jeff Bridges (who starred in the original and also showed up in ‘Legacy’) or ‘Legacy’ stars Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde will be back, though we’d especially have to doubt Wilde’s return for anything other than a cameo given her busy directing career.
“Today was supposed to be our first day of principal photography on ‘Tron: Ares’ (a movie subsequently about AI and what it means, and takes, to be human). Instead, we are shut down with over a hundred and fifty people laid off. It’s indefinite, which makes it exponentially harder for everyone. The AMPTP, SAG-AFTRA and WGA need to speed up the negotiating process and not leave the table until it’s done. This is Hollywood. We close deals for breakfast. Why do we suddenly have all the time in the world when every day is so precious? These tactics are extremely frustrating. It’s time for diplomacy so we can get back to work –– under conditions that are fair to everybody.”
When will ‘Tron: Ares’ be in theaters?
Disney has yet to confirm whether the film –– which will require plenty of post-production work –– will maintain a 2025 release date, but the fact that it’s now shooting is a hopeful sign.
The set-up of “The X-Files” — by-the-book agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), is assigned to monitor “Spooky” UFO-obsessed Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) — gave us some of the greatest eye-rolls in TV history.
Her perpetually refusing to accept Mulder’s outlandish theories inspired the verb: “To Scully.” As used in a Season 1 episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” when Buffy complained to Giles after he wouldn’t believe something strange was going on with Xander: “I can’t believe, you, of all people, are trying to Scully me!”
In honor of Anderson’s birthday on August 9, some of our favorite “Scullying” scenes.
The first time she meets Mulder in the pilot, and he asks her, “Do you believe in extraterrestrials?” Scully barely manages to keep from laughing. Her lip twitch here is very restrained.
Fox
When they arrive at the scene of their first case, Scully stands by in disbelief as Mulder spray-paints an “X” on the side of the road after some possibly UFO-inspired activity.
Fox
While we mostly remember Scully for her eye-rolls, she also served up a good number of amused smiles when he started talking about little green (or gray) men.
Fox
And then there are times she had to look up to heaven, as if asking, “Why me?” when Mulder did something really stupid, like sneaking onto a military base.
Fox
Sometimes Mulder didn’t even see the eye-rolling, but we can be sure he heard the exasperated sigh that went along with it.
Did we mention the sighing?
Being stuck out in the woods with Mulder on yet another wild case, what can a sensible woman do but turn to the camera and shrug?
Fox
The all-time best Scullying has to be in the comedic episode “Bad Blood.” The story is told from both her and Mulder’s point of view. As he remembers it, she’s more than usually hostile when he suggests that vampires are to blame for a series of murders. Why doesn’t she believe him? “Because they don’t exist?” she asks with her very best disapproving eyebrow raise.
Fox
The entire episode is an extravaganza of “oh please!” eye-rolls.
Fox
Thank you, Gillian, for all those priceless Scully moments.
Season three of Netflix’s splashy series “The Crown” hasn’t even premiered yet, but some casting scoop about the show’s fourth season should have fans even more eager for the show’s return.
London’s Sunday Times is reporting that Gillian Anderson will be joining the show, playing Britain’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher, known by the nickname “the Iron Lady,” was a formidable — and controversial — figure in UK politics, and we can’t wait to see what the ridiculously talented Anderson does with the juicy role.
Meryl Streep took home an Oscar for playing Thatcher in 2011’s “The Iron Lady.” We’re assuming Anderson will earn some Emmys love for her portrayal, too.
It’s not entirely clear what timeline season four will follow, since we still don’t know the end date of season three, which will feature a new cast, playing older versions of the characters from the first two seasons of “The Crown.” The third season is set to cover major events of the 1960s, and is expected to run through the early years of the 1970s. Thatcher served as Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990.
Season three of “The Crown” is expected to hit Netflix sometime this year. Good luck being patient.
Not all “American Gods” live forever. In the wake of Gillian Anderson’s departure, the Starz fantasy drama has found a way to replace her.
Anderson played Media, who represented television and pop culture. She was part of the New Gods (technology, media, etc) battling against the mythological and ancient Old Gods. TV Line reports that the show will add New Media, symbolizing social networks and digital communication. They are looking for a 20-something Asian woman for the series regular role.
In January, Anderson announced her somewhat surprising exit, which came a few weeks after the departure of co-creators Bryan Fuller and Michael Green due to creative differences with the production company FremantleMedia.
Author Neil Gaiman, who wrote the 2001 book that the show is based on, will step up to serve as co-showrunner in Season 2, along with former “Hannibal” executive producer Jesse Alexander.
Stars including Ricky Whittle, Ian McShane, and Emily Browning are expected to return. Meanwhile, Anderson had other things on her plate, including “The X-Files.”
Not all “American Gods” live forever. In the wake of Gillian Anderson’s departure, the Starz fantasy drama has found a way to replace her.