The latest trailer for new release ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ reveals that Scorsese is among those lending his voice to a character from the movie.
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Jon Favreau directs ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’, which expands on the TV series he created with Dave Filoni (essentially, this is a new season of the show adapted into a big-screen adventure featuring Pedro Pascal’s stoic warrior and his diminutive, pop cultural icon of a sidekick.)
Set in the chaotic period following ‘Return of the Jedi,’ the movie continues the show’s story: the evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu.
Who is Martin Scorsese voicing in ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’?
Scorsese voices a CG-crafted Ardennian shopkeeper who Mando approaches to seek information. But upon learning he’s searching for a Hutt gangster (specifically, Jabba’s son), he’s quick to close up shop.
‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ will fly on to screens on May 22.
‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ opens in theaters on May 22, 2026.
(L to R) Jeremy Strong, Jeremy Allen White, and Bruce Springsteen attend the UK Premiere of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere’ during the 69th BFI London Film Festival at Royal Festival Hall, London on October 15th, 2025. Photo by StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
‘Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere‘ tells the story of famous musician Bruce Springsteen during the time in his life when he was writing the album Nebraska, and struggling to deal with trauma from his past.
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Moviefone attended an in-person press conference in support of the film, which featured stars Jeremy Allen White, Jeremy Strong, Odessa Young, musician Bruce Springsteen, and writer/director Scott Cooper. The group shared behind-the-scenes details about the filming of the movie and why now is the right time to tell this story.
1) Bruce Springsteen Reveals Why Now Is The Right Time For ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere’
Bruce Springsteen attends the UK Premiere of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere’ during the 69th BFI London Film Festival at Royal Festival Hall, London on October 15th, 2025. Photo by StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
Bruce Springsteen is one of the most beloved and well known musicians in the entire world, so of course he has been approached many times by filmmakers who wish to create a biopic telling his life story. During the press conference, Bruce Spingsteen explains why now is the right time, and why this movie is the right one.
Bruce Springsteen: I like the idea that it really is not quite a music biopic. It’s actually a character-driven drama with some music. So that appealed to me. And also, it’s only a small slice of a period of time in my life when I was 31 and 32 and I was going through some first of some difficult times. And Scott [Cooper] came down and I met Scott along with Warren Zanes, who was the writer of the book, Deliver Me From Nowhere. And we just sat around and talked for an afternoon. I got a feeling from Scott that he knew exactly the kind of picture that he wanted to make. It was very in line with the type of record that Nebraska was. It was a picture that was going to feel, a studio picture that felt like an independent picture. I knew from Scott’s films, which I’d seen, that he had a real talent for capturing blue-collar life, which I was, despite some of the success I’d had, I was still really living in New Jersey and in my community that I grew up in.
2) Jeremy Allen White & Jeremy Strong Were Thrilled To Get To Work With One Another
Bruce Springsteen and Jon Landau have a very good friendship, and have for many years, that is built on trust and support. Jeremy Allen White, who plays Bruce Springsteen, and Jeremy Strong, who plays Jon Landau, were excited to get to work with one another in such close capacity for ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’.
Jeremy Allen White: I have been an admirer of Jeremy’s for a long time. I might have sent him a message through a mutual friend of ours at one point hoping we would do something together and then when I learned Jeremy was going to do this, I was very excited. But we hadn’t spent time together before we got together to shoot one of the scenes, which was at the diner. Everything fell into place. I trusted Jeremy. I trusted that he had and understanding of the relationship and I trusted that his understanding would be similar to my own because of Scott’s words and also because of the men we have been able to look to and because of the relationship that they have had for so long.
(L to R) Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong attend the UK Premiere of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere’ during the 69th BFI London Film Festival at Royal Festival Hall, London on October 15th, 2025. Photo by StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
Jeremy Strong: I agree. There as an ease to it. I’ve admired the hell out of Jeremy and I think he’s a fearless actor. A bone marrow honest actor. There is a natural affinity between us. I had a sense that he might work in a similar way, approach it in a similar way. I knew he would be committed.
3) Bruce Springsteen Explains Odessa Young’s Character & What She Means To Him
Odessa Young’s character in the film, Faye, is not an actual person from Bruce Springsteen’s life, but rather a combination of several people that impacted his life during this time.
Bruce Springsteen: I was a guy at the time who, I knew what I was doing for three hours every night. I didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing the other 21. Odessa’s Faye in the film, she symbolizes the potential and the possibilities of those other 21 hours that I was incapable of taking advantage of at the time. But she holds down a very, very important part of the film as she is the symbol of a real life and another life that was waiting for me out there that I wasn’t able to find until much later in my life. And she did such a wonderful job of it. So I thank you.
4) Jeremy Allen White Had Bruce Springsteen Record Himself Reading Scenes From The Script To Help Him Craft The Character
(L to R) Jeremy Allen White and Bruce Springsteen attend the UK Premiere of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere’ during the 69th BFI London Film Festival at Royal Festival Hall, London on October 15th, 2025. Photo by StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
In order to help better understand Bruce Springsteen, and the mental state that he was in during this time in his life, Jeremy Allen White asked him to record himself reading a few different scenes from the script.
Jeremy Allen White: I’d been listening to his voice. There were a couple interviews from 1980 I had been listening to a lot and his voice is a little bit different. But I really wanted to hear his accent. So, Bruce recorded himself reading a couple of scenes from the movie. I would listen every morning to Bruce’s reading from a couple of these different scenes. Each of the different characters was one with Adele Springsteen, [played by] Gaby Hoffman, and there was one with Jon. I wanted to hear if there was any change in voice with each of the different characters. That was so nice.
5) Jeremy Allen White Was Thankful Bruce Springsteen Was So Generous With His Time
Jeremy Allen White wanted to be able to do this difficult time in Bruce Springsteen’s life justice, so he was thrilled to be able to work closely with him and have him available if he had questions.
Jeremy Allen White: We spent a little bit of time together prior to filming. But because we didn’t know how much Bruce and Jon were going to be around prior to filming, that was the time we had. And then in that first week, I was really excited to have Bruce around, but also, of course, a little bit intimidated. I think what came with it was, I was very head down and I think fragile, trying to just do justice to the story and to Bruce. Bruce being there, for me, there was a lot of permission there. It felt good that he was there as a guide. The whole time I was making this movie, I was really pushing and searching. And it was so wonderful to have Bruce’s support and voice behind me.
Bruce Springsteen attends the UK Premiere of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere’ during the 69th BFI London Film Festival at Royal Festival Hall, London on October 15th, 2025. Photo by StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
Bruce Springsteen: The truth is, Jeremy’s been very modest about his preparation because he came in fully prepared, maybe asked me one or two questions.I had no idea what his preparation had been. He just, day one came, he went on the set and started his performance. And I just watched in amazement.
What is the plot of ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’?
Bruce Springsteen, a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggles to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past as he makes a raw, haunted acoustic album titled ‘Nebraska.’
Who is in the cast of ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’?
(L to R) Scott Stuber, Scott Cooper, Odessa Young, Jeremy Allen White, Bruce Springsteen, Jeremy Strong, Stephen Graham, Jon Landau, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Eric Robinson attend the UK Premiere of 20th Century Studios’ ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere’ during the 69th BFI London Film Festival at Royal Festival Hall, London on October 15th, 2025. Photo by StillMoving.Net for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
There are so many biopics – musical and otherwise –flying around these days that it’s hard for any single one to stand out from the pack. Scott Cooper’s ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ – about the making of the Boss’ immersive, bleak 1982 lo-fi masterpiece ‘Nebraska’ – manages to make its mark for about half its two-hour running time.
The part that chronicles Bruce Springsteen’s creative process, as well as the struggle for his manager, his engineers, his label, and finally a depressed Bruce himself to understand what he’s doing, is fascinating and even powerful. The other half of the film – about a pointless romance with a single mom and the now-overdone cliches about the protagonist coming to terms with an abusive, non-loving father – are painful to slog through, especially since they try and fail to tie themselves to the more successful narrative about the album.
The movie opens in black and white, at Bruce’s childhood home in Freehold, New Jersey in 1957, where we learn in quick succession that his mom and dad fight (which, it’s implied, gets physical), that his dad is a drunk, and that these flashbacks are reappear like commercial breaks. It’s a smash cut from there to the stage of Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum in 1981, where the now-adult Bruce (Jeremy Allen White) finishes off his latest massive tour. Afterward, manager Jon Landau (Jeremy Strong) tells Bruce – and us, in the first of many heavy-handed lumps of expository dialogue that Scott Cooper dumps in Strong’s lap – that they should start thinking about what’s next.
And Bruce does just that, moving into a secluded house deep in the woods of Colt’s Neck, New Jersey to begin working on new songs. His influences go far and wide – everything from movies like ‘Badlands’ and ‘The Night of the Hunter’ to the stories of Flannery O’Connor to his real-life glimpses of exhausted, dead-eyed working people sitting in diners (Cooper does capture the worn-down milieu of South Jersey in the ‘80s quite well) – and soon coalesce into a collection of haunting, sparse folk songs about the dark underside of American life that eventually becomes ‘Nebraska.’
That story, as well as the tricky gauntlet that Bruce runs to ultimately convince his manager and his inner circle that he wants to release the songs – recorded on a four-track machine in his bedroom – as is, without the involvement of the E Street Band and without releasing any singles, is the most interesting and lively part of a generally somber movie. But a lot of time is spent on the unresolved, cliched father-son conflict that Cooper tries to staple to the content of ‘Nebraska’ (which stands up quite well without it) and which we’ve seen so many times before that it’s now entered eye-rolling territory (which is not to make light of abusive fathers with substance abuse problems; it’s just that the movie doesn’t do anything new with it).
Also wasting our time is the romance with a local Asbury Park waitress (Odessa Young), who tells us – in another example of bad, trite writing – that she knows what she’s getting into with a sulky rock star who tends to disappear for weeks on end and then undermines that by behaving like it’s not what she expected. It’s a thankless character and storyline made even more insulting by the fact that it was made up for the movie, because somebody felt that Springsteen needed a love story.
The creative and business aspects of the film – Bruce writing the songs (a groanworthy moment or two aside, like when he writes ‘Mansion on the Hill’ after flashing back to his dad taking him to see…guess what), Landau reacting to the songs, Landau politely telling the head of the record label to get stuffed if he has a problem with what Bruce is serving up, and the struggle to master the record so that it sounds exactly as the Boss wants it – are quietly terrific. The rest, including a 10-minute tacked-on coda after the real ending that delves into therapy and borders on ridiculous, is not really worthy of this artist or the masterful album around which the film is constructed.
He doesn’t really look like the Boss, but Jeremy Allen White does capture something of his essence – and when the light or camera captures him a certain way, he almost resembles the man himself. But if he’s a little too broody on occasion, White’s rasp/whisper and body language still tell a lot about the inner turmoil and depression that both hinder and drive the artist. It’s an understated, nuanced performance that avoids the showiness of so many biopic marquee roles.
Equally effective is Jeremy Strong as Jon Landau. Although he’s cursed with some of the movie’s clunkiest dialogue, Strong channels the restrained resolve of one of rock’s most famous managers – gently pushing his client toward what needs to be done to continue their success, but knowing when to pull back and never showing anything but devotion to his client’s needs to the outside world. His warmth and love for Springsteen shine through as well, making their relationship one of the movie’s pillars. It’s also a nice change of pace for Strong after playing the vile Roy Cohn in ‘The Apprentice.’
The rest of the cast don’t have much to work with but do as well as they can. Odessa Young is very good but her character amounts to little as the woman who must be sacrificed at the altar of art, while Stephen Graham grunts and trudges his way through an essentially one-note character. The best of the supporting cast is Paul Walter Hauser as Bruce’s engineer, Mike Batlan, bringing some much-needed levity to a somber piece.
It’s interesting to compare ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ to last year’s brilliant Bob Dylan biopic ‘A Complete Unknown.’ The latter captures Dylan as the symbolic leader of a sea change in culture and music, while remaining an enigma. The former tries to paint Springsteen as a mystery too, but with the focus on him and not the way he changes the world around him, its impact is not nearly as powerful – especially when Scott Cooper brings more shopworn plot devices into the narrative.
Cringy dialogue like Bruce saying ‘That makes one of us,’ when a car salesman whispers conspiratorially, ‘I know who you are’ only steers this portrait of the Boss dangerously close to self-serving, performative mopiness, although White thankfully pulls it back with the sincerity of his work. If only more of ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ were as sincere.
‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ receives a score of 60 out of 100.
What is the plot of ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’?
Bruce Springsteen, a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggles to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past as he makes a raw, haunted acoustic album titled ‘Nebraska.’
Who is in the cast of ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’?
The new movie will follow 2010’s ‘The Social Network’ (which Sorkin won an Oscar for scripting), which looked at the controversial birth of Facebook and the college/post-college days of founder Mark Zuckerberg.
(L to R) Andrew Garfield and Jesse Eisenberg in ‘The Social Network’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
The 2010 original, which had David Fincher calling the shots, looked at the difficult evolution of Facebook from college ranking system created –– there’s some debate as the movie suggests –– by Zuckerberg, played there by Jesse Eisenberg.
‘The Social Network’ charts Zuckerberg and his system’s rise to ubiquity and the people who ended up suing for their share of the profits, including the Winklevoss twins and old college friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield).
A huge hit with audiences and critics, it earned $226 million at the global box office.
Described as a companion piece to ‘The Social Network,’ Sorkin’s new script tells the true story of how Frances Haugen (Madison), a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz (White), a Wall Street Journal reporter, to go on a dangerous journey that ends up blowing the whistle on the social network’s most guarded secrets.
Strong is taking over the role of Zuckerberg from Eisenberg, while Mosaku’s role is unknown for now. Bill Burr (‘The King of Staten Island’) is also aboard, similarly in a mysterious role.
In addition to her role in box office hit ‘Sinners,’ Mosaku has been seen in the likes of Marvel’s‘Loki’ (and she reprised her role as Time Variance Authority Agent B-15 in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’).
Sony has yet to confirm a release date for the new movie. But we’d be shocked –– shocked, we tell you! –– if it wasn’t lined up as a potential awards competitor next year.
(L to R) Wunmi Mosaku, Anna Kendrick, and Kaniehtiio Horn in ‘Alice, Darling.’
‘The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White is in talks to star.
A24 is making a deal to distribute.
While some movies vanish into the obscurity of development limbo, others find a way to clamber out and start their journeys to screen anew.
Take, for, example, impressive based-on-truth World War II tale ‘The Lost Airman: A True Story of Escape From Nazi-Occupied France’, which at one point was in the works as a starring project simply called ‘Airman’ for Jake Gyllenhaal.
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He’s since pulled the eject cord (though still has a producer credit), but now The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Ben Stiller and Jeremy Allen White are in talks to direct and star respectively, with A24 also circling the potential movie as distributor.
The source material in this case is Seth Meyerowitz’s 2016 book, which tells the incredible true story of Arthur Meyerowitz, an American turret-gunner whose B-24 bomber was shot down over Vichy France in 1943.
While hiding in the French countryside, Meyerowitz befriended Marcel Talliander, the founder of the legendary French resistance group Reseau Morhange, who helped shelter the man from the Gestapo through his secret network. After six months of barely evading capture, an escape plan was hatched that saw the soldier cross into Spain and eventual freedom.
What else are Ben Stiller and Jeremy Allen White working on?
Jeremy Allen White as Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto in ‘The Bear’ Season 4. Photo: FX.
Stiller hasn’t stepped behind the camera for a feature since 2016’s ‘Zoolander 2’, but he’s certainly been keeping busy on the small screen, overseeing 2018 limited series ‘Escape at Dannemora’ and, more recently, pop culture sensation ‘Severance’ for Apple TV+.
The latter’s second season notched 27 Emmy nominations, with the trophies set to be handed out this month.
As for White, he’s still best known for FX series ‘The Bear’, which has seen him scoop his own haul of awards.
But movie-wise, he’s also been drawing praise for his role in Bruce Springsteen music biopic ‘Deliver Me from Nowhere’, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival last week. It’ll be on screens on October 24th.
When will ‘Airman’ be on screens?
The deals are still at a relatively early stage, so until ink has been spilled on contracts and plans are more securely in place, don’t expect to learn a release date.
Male Actor in a Comedy Series, Jeremy Allen White, ‘The Bear’ 30th Screen Actors Guild Awards, Show, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, USA – 24 Feb 2024. Credit: Photo by Christopher Polk/Shutterstock for SAG.
Jeremy Strong is being eyed to join ‘The Social Network 2’ as Mark Zuckerberg, replacing Jesse Eisenberg.
Both actors are very talented, but with Jesse Eisenberg still acting, this would make no sense.
Replacing the main character’s actor will likely hurt the film in the long run.
‘The Social Network‘ is considered one of Aaron Sorkin‘s best films, which says a lot because he has made some great ones. The movie follows the birth of Facebook, and works perfectly as a stand-alone. Some would argue there is no need for a follow-up; however, with the way that social media has grown over the years, it comes as no surprise that Sorkin wants to explore it further.
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The casting surrounding the film is what is turning heads. News of replacing Jesse Eisenberg, who is the perfect Mark Zuckerberg, is shocking enough, but hearing that Jeremy Strong is the frontrunner for the role does not make a lot of sense. He is a great actor, we all know this, and he can pull off the billionaire businessman wonderfully, as seen in ‘Succession‘, but he doesn’t give off Zuckerberg vibes at all.
Jeremy Strong Is A Great Actor, But This Is Bad Casting
Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn in ‘The Apprentice’. Photo: Briarcliff Entertainment.
Jeremy Strong has some serious acting chops. He is able to get intense and downright scary when he needs to, but can also channel a more vulnerable side when the script calls for it. That said, casting him as Mark Zuckerberg makes no sense to me, and I don’t think I am alone in that.
Zuckerberg is more of a geeky, tech guy, something that Jesse Eisenberg perfectly embodied in ‘The Social Network’. I am unsure that Jeremy Strong would be able to bring him to life on the screen in a way that feels authentic and genuine.
With Jesse Eisenberg still acting, it seems to make no sense to replace him for the sequel, unless it was his decision. Perhaps there is more going on behind the scenes than we know. He is writing and directing now as well, having a lot of success with ‘A Real Pain‘ and is returning to the ‘Now You See Me‘ franchise, but I just don’t understand Aaron Sorkin’s decision to move forward to this project without him.
Will Recasting Hurt The Performance Of ‘The Social Network 2’?
Jesse Eisenberg in ‘The Social Network’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Recasting the main actor of a franchise is almost never a good idea. Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances, but with Jesse Eisenberg still acting, and still nailing his performances, it does not make any sense to replace him in ‘The Social Network 2’. If necessary, Aaron Sorkin should wait until his schedule clears up so that he can reprise his role as Mark Zuckerberg.
Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White are also being eyed to join the cast, however we do not yet know which roles will be offered to them. Hopefully they are not replacing actors that appeared in the first film as well.
Jeremy Allen White and Mikey Madison are the top choices for ‘The Social Network II”.
Aaron Sorkin is writing and directing the follow-up.
It’s not a direct sequel to the 2010 David Fincher Oscar winner, but continues focusing on Facebook.
Around a month ago, we learned that, after fiddling with ideas for a while, Aaron Sorkin had come up with a way to follow up 2010’s ‘The Social Network’, which won three Oscars, including one for Sorkin’s screenplay, and chronicled the difficult birth of Facebook.
Now, with the result widespread (and one of the key players in social media harm), Sorkin is developing ‘The Social Network II’ –– not a direct sequel, but instead something peeling back the layers of Facebook and its parent company Meta.
No formal offers have been made to either actor, so watch this space to see if they do jump aboard.
The Hollywood Reporter has learned that, assuming their deals close, Madison would be Frances Haugen, the data engineer-turned-whistleblower who went to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Wall Street Journal with her information. White would play the former WSJ tech reporter who leads the breaking of the Facebook files.
And that’s not all… Jeremy Strong is also reportedly under consideration, and might end up playing debated Facebook creator (and current boss) Mark Zuckerberg this time around, replacing Jesse Eisenberg.
(L to R) Andrew Garfield and Jesse Eisenberg in ‘The Social Network’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
The 2010 original, which as mentioned had David Fincher calling the shots, looked at the difficult evolution of Facebook from college ranking system created –– again, there’s debate as the movie suggests –– by Zuckerberg, played there by Eisenberg.
‘The Social Network’ charts Zuckerberg and his system’s rise to ubiquity and the people who ended up suing for their share of the profits, including the Winklevoss twins and old college friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield).
A huge hit with audiences and critics, it earned $226 million at the global box office.
What has Aaron Sorkin said about a ‘Social Network’ follow-up?
Jesse Eisenberg in ‘The Social Network’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Talking on a live edition of ‘The Town’ Podcast, Sorkin announced that his concern regarding how Facebook’s system has poisoned politics on the personal and national level led him to start work on a new script, which while not a direct sequel to ‘The Social Network’, would follow up on the low-key fears that were subtextual in the original.
Here’s what Sorkin told hosts Matthew Belloni and Peter Hamby:
“Look, yeah, I’ll be writing about this. I blame Facebook for January 6. Facebook has been, among other things, tuning its algorithm to promote the most divisive material possible. Because that is what will increase engagement. That is what will get you to — what they call inside the hallways of Facebook — ‘the infinite scroll’ … There’s supposed to be a constant tension at Facebook between growth and integrity. There isn’t. There’s just growth. If Mark Zuckerberg woke up tomorrow morning and realized there is nothing you can buy for $120 billion that you can’t buy for $119 billion dollars, ‘So how about if I make a little bit less money? I will tune up integrity and tune down growth.’ Yes, you can do that by switching a one to a zero.”
Asked what exactly he’d be focused on, he told the audience that they’d have to buy a movie ticket to find that out.
We do know a little more now, though: Sorkin’s screenplay for the new movie explores the story behind the Wall Street Journal‘s ‘The Facebook Files’, an explosive series of articles published in October 2021 that exposed the inner workings of — and multiple harms caused by — the world’s largest social network.
When will ‘The Social Network II’ be on screens?
Sony has yet to confirm a release date for the new movie.
Jeremy Allen White as Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto in ‘The Bear’ Season 4. Photo: FX.
‘The Bear’ Season 4 receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
Released via FX on Hulu with its entire 10-episode fourth season on June 25th, ‘The Bear’ returns us to the world of Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) and his attempts to blend fine dining with the chaotic world of his extended Chicago family.
It’s no secret that after a sleeper hit first season, a critically acclaimed, award-winning and much-watched second, culinary drama ‘The Bear’ went off the boil somewhat in its third. The ingredients were the same –– great performances, visually stylish and one of the better collections of needle drops on TV –– but somehow the script and the pace let it down.
The big question going forward is whether Season 4 sees the blend back in balance.
Early reports had the fourth season shot back to back with the third, but aside from a couple of small elements, this was not the case. But the overarching feeling, even in a meta sense, is of the series almost apologizing for past stumbles.
That’s perhaps not all that surprising in a show where the main characters are all a work in progress in terms of their own careers and healing journeys, dealing with a soup of past trauma, self-esteem issues and other psychological problems. The character of Carmy in particular realizes the damage he has inflicted on those around him and (mostly) aims to make good.
Unlike the last season, this is handled in compelling fashion by the narrative, which finds a better mix of the tone of the show and moving its story alone.
There are still lingering problems with pace in some scenes, it’s as if everyone decided that certain moments didn’t need to be edited and could instead play out way beyond their useful time scale. And while the show’s long sequences of food preparation largely remain compelling, some still come across as filler.
‘The Bear’s visual style remains excellent, making good use of Chicago locations and keeping us close to the characters when the emotional flames are high.
Even the humor level is raised this year –– even if the series really shouldn’t be competing in the comedy categories.
He remains the main character and focus of the show, but Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy is still dialed down a little bit this year. The actor’s mournful face and low-key performance work for the role, and he plays well against almost anyone, particular Edebiri and Moss-Bachrach.
As Syd, Ayo Edebiri continues to rank among the series most valuable performers, and co-wrote her own showcase episode this year, which saw her taking a day away from the restaurant to ponder a tempting job opportunity elsewhere while she’s getting her hair done by a cousin (there are so many cousins in this show, it’s almost hard to keep track). She’s typically great as the genius cook with the almighty crisis of confidence.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach is likewise a star of the show, an actor who has proved he can steal scenes no matter the genre or material. Richie is a particularly juicy part, a screw-up who is committed to turning his life around and has found his calling running the dining experience at in-show restaurant The Bear. His turbulent personal life –– his ex-wife is getting re-married and he wonders about his connection to his young daughter –– is also fuel for superb performances.
Liza Colón-Zayas’ Tina isn’t in the spotlight quite as much last season (when she got her own showcase episode), but she’s still a welcome presence, struggling with the timing on a new pasta dish. She’s also a welcome sprinkling of spice in other scenes, such as when she’s encouraging Carmy on his own journey.
Around the main cast is a variety of excellent supporting performers, ‘The Bear’ always working best as a stew of people and personalities rather than just Carmy’s obsessions. Episode 7, ‘Bears’ is the true highlight of the season, an hourlong entry set at the wedding of Richie’s ex-wife Tiffany (Gillian Jacobs) to Frank (Josh Hartnett).
It features the return of top-caliber recurring performers such as Jamie Lee Curtis (as Carmy and Natalie’s troubled mother Donna), Bob Odenkirk as “Uncle” Lee Lane (Donna’s occasional boyfriend), and the welcome addition of –– spoiler alert in case you don’t want to know about new guest stars –– Brie Larson, who fits perfectly as one of the sprawling Fak family.
There is also the welcome return of Will Poulter as Chef Luca, bringing a humble, funny energy to the kitchen.
It might not be simmering back at the level of the first or second seasons, but ‘The Bear’ has certainly found a better mix for its various elements for a more satisfying final dish this time.
While the finale leaves some plot threads dangling, if the cast’s increasingly busy schedule makes future seasons challenging, this would work to put a lid on the show.
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What’s the plot of ‘The Bear’ Season 4?
Season 4 of ‘The Bear’ sees Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) grappling with the restaurant’s success and his own future, leading to a dramatic shift in his role and the restaurant’s leadership structure.
The season explores themes of family, trauma, and the relentless pursuit of perfection within the high-pressure environment of a fine-dining restaurant. Sydney faces her own career crossroads, while Richie continues his journey of self-discovery and leadership.
What’s the story of Shawn Levy’s ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’?
(L to R) ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s Ryan Gosling and director Shawn Levy at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
With the official news out there, we now have a proper, if basic bit of detail for the movie. It’s described as “a standalone adventure taking place approximately five years after the events of 2019’s ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.’ It is an entirely new adventure featuring all-new characters set in a period of time that has not been explored on screen yet.”
Gosling is reportedly playing a character that must protect a young charge against evil pursuers.
Goth will play one of the pursuers.
We do know that Levy, despite being seemingly busy with 500 different projects at once has been developing his untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie since at least 2022, and cameras should be rolling this fall in the UK.
Jonathan Tropper, who collaborated with Levy on films such as ‘This is Where I Leave You’ and ‘The Adam Project,’ has been working on a script for over a year. Levy is also producing the feature via his 21 Laps banner, joining ‘Star Wars’ steward Kathleen Kennedy.
What else is in development for big screen ‘Star Wars’?
(L to R) ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’s Pedro Pascal, director Jon Favreau and Grogu at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
Jon Favreau’s ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ is first among ‘Star Wars’ equals right now, having shot last year and now speeding through post-production.
eaZX2E5uDRUrzMZDbzwwV4
Favreau and Filoni introduced a new clip from the movie and a sizzle reel at the Celebration event.
The main scene was action packed, with Snowtroopers inside an AT-AT preparing to engage in battle. Pedro Pascal’s Mandalorian cuts open into the hull of the AT-AT, then, in one continuous take, blasts, stabs, pyros, and fights his way through the Snowtroopers, making his way through the hull and then hallway, ending at the door of the cockpit, which quickly closes.
The sizzle reel, meanwhile, offered a glimpse at Sigourney Weaver’s character –– for whom Mando apparently works –– plus battle scenes (including an AT-AT tumbling off a snowy cliff), Grogu using his powers and swimming. It ended with Jeremy Allen White-voiced Rotta the Hutt, the son of the crime lord Jabba the Hutt, raising his hands in triumph in some sort of fighting arena, and then cut to Grogu in the stands and eating what passes for the Star Wars version of popcorn.
(L to R) ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’s Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
‘Mandalorian’ co-creator and fellow steward Filoni is still putting the pieces together for his own film, while one that continues the story of Rey (Daisy Ridley) is in development from director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy but appears to keep hitting stumbling blocks and has been removed from the schedule for now.
And then there’s James Mangold’s film, which explores the origins of the Jedi and early force users and is awaiting a release date.
We’d guess that while Filoni (who promoted earlier this year to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm) is still going full speed ahead on his movie, he’s also been busy figuring out a second season of ‘Ahsoka.’
Here’s what he said about that:
“I’m so well into that as well… I’ve been writing it, and I’m still the single writer on it, and so I’ve been enjoying doing that, but it’s a challenge, of course, and working some of these arcs through has been a challenge and making sure it’s all going to come out in a way that I think is exciting for fans. I know that they’re interested in where some of the things I developed in Season One. I’m pretty happy with it… Love working with Rosario [Dawson], so I can’t wait to get back to that.”
Beyond those, there are several movies (and potential trilogies) which don’t seem to be moving forward and may have been scrapped altogether, including new potential movies from ‘The Last Jedi’s Rian Johnson (who is busy with his ‘Knives Out’ movies and may not wish to dip back into the toxic stew of ‘Star Wars’ fandom after the divisive reaction to his first effort) and ‘Wonder Woman’s Patty Jenkins, who had a much-touted ‘Rogue Squadron’ story of rebel pilots that appears to have had trouble leaving the development hanger.
When will ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ be in theaters?
(L to R) ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s director Shawn Levy, Ryan Gosling, Dave Filoni and Kathleen Kennedy at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
With ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ boasting a confirmed release date of May 22nd, 2026, we now have a second ‘Star Wars’ movie on the calendar.
‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ is now due to arrive on May 28th, 2027. Looks like Lucasfilm is finally ready to ramp back up to one movie a year from the galaxy far, far away.
‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s Ryan Gosling at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
It’s certainly a bold move for the company, which has not released a movie since December 2019’s ‘The Rise of Skywalker,’ and has ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ in theaters on May 22nd, 2026.
Here’s the tweet that Lucasfilm put out at the same time as Kennedy and Filoni were on stage:
What’s the story of Shawn Levy’s ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’?
‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s director Shawn Levy at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
With the official news out there, we now have a proper, if basic bit of detail for the movie. It’s described as “a standalone adventure taking place approximately five years after the events of 2019’s ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.’ It is an entirely new adventure featuring all-new characters set in a period of time that has not been explored on screen yet.”
We do know that Levy, despite being seemingly busy with 500 different projects at once has been developing his untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie since at least 2022.
(L to R) ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s director Shawn Levy, Ryan Gosling, Dave Filoni and Kathleen Kennedy at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
Jonathan Tropper, who collaborated with Levy on films such as ‘This is Where I Leave You’ and ‘The Adam Project,’ has been working on a script for over a year. Levy is also producing the feature via his 21 Laps banner, joining ‘Star Wars’ steward Kennedy.
Gosling’s deal has closed and production on the new movie will kick off in the fall, which means Levy will likely press pause on working on the planned boyband comedy that his usual Ryan –– that would be Reynolds –– has been developing. Still, given Levy’s work ethic, we wouldn’t be surprised if he knocked that out this summer before diving into ‘Star Wars.’
‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s Ryan Gosling at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
Gosling, who was one of the key elements in 2023’s monster hit ‘Barbie’ had a slightly less successful 2023, as romantic action comedy ‘The Fall Guy’ –– which was perfectly entertaining in our opinion –– failed to land at the box office and only earned $181 million from a $125 budget.
That one errs more towards the sci-fi than space opera, featuring an astronaut who has to try and save the planet. It’ll arrive on May 20th, 2026, and a first look was teased by Amazon MGM Studios at the company’s CinemaCon presentation this month.
Behind the camera, Gosling is an executive producer on a Donald E. Westlake adaptation called ‘The Actor,’ though that movie has yet to land a release date.
And oddly, Gosling’s name has been linked with ‘Star Wars’ in the past, when rumors spread online in 2013 that he and Zac Efron were being eyed by ‘The Force Awakens’ filmmaker J.J. Abrams for a part that may have eventually become Kylo Ren (as played in the sequel trilogy by Adam Driver).
Who else has been rumored for ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’?
But the same day, Variety reported that Madison had decided to pass on the role. While it seems as though she’s passing up a big opportunity, it’s not like the actor is exactly short of offers at the moment –– she is very much in demand, including by Zach Cregger’s ‘Resident Evil’ reboot.
What else is in development for big screen ‘Star Wars’?
(L to R) ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’s Pedro Pascal, director Jon Favreau and Grogu at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
Jon Favreau’s ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ is first among ‘Star Wars’ equals right now, having shot last year and now speeding through post-production.
eaZX2E5uDRUrzMZDbzwwV4
Favreau and Filoni introduced a new clip from the movie and a sizzle reel at the Celebration event.
The main scene was action packed, with Snowtroopers inside an AT-AT preparing to engage in battle. Pedro Pascal’s Mandalorian cuts open into the hull of the AT-AT, then, in one continuous take, blasts, stabs, pyros, and fights his way through the Snowtroopers, making his way through the hull and then hallway, ending at the door of the cockpit, which quickly closes.
The sizzle reel, meanwhile, offered a glimpse at Sigourney Weaver’s character –– for whom Mando apparently works –– plus battle scenes (including an AT-AT tumbling off a snowy cliff), Grogu using his powers and swimming. It ended with Jeremy Allen White-voiced Rotta the Hutt, the son of the crime lord Jabba the Hutt, raising his hands in triumph in some sort of fighting arena, and then cut to Grogu in the stands and eating what passes for the Star Wars version of popcorn.
(L to R) ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’s Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
‘Mandalorian’ co-creator and fellow steward Filoni is still putting the pieces together for his own film, while one that continues the story of Rey (Daisy Ridley) is in development from director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy but appears to keep hitting stumbling blocks and has been removed from the schedule for now.
And then there’s James Mangold’s film, which explores the origins of the Jedi and early force users and is awaiting a release date.
We’d guess that while Filoni (who promoted earlier this year to Chief Creative Officer at Lucasfilm) is still going full speed ahead on his movie, he’s also been busy figuring out a second season of ‘Ahsoka.’
Here’s what he said about that:
“I’m so well into that as well… I’ve been writing it, and I’m still the single writer on it, and so I’ve been enjoying doing that, but it’s a challenge, of course, and working some of these arcs through has been a challenge and making sure it’s all going to come out in a way that I think is exciting for fans. I know that they’re interested in where some of the things I developed in Season One. I’m pretty happy with it… Love working with Rosario [Dawson], so I can’t wait to get back to that.”
Beyond those, there are several movies (and potential trilogies) which don’t seem to be moving forward and may have been scrapped altogether, including new potential movies from ‘The Last Jedi’s Rian Johnson (who is busy with his ‘Knives Out’ movies and may not wish to dip back into the toxic stew of ‘Star Wars’ fandom after the divisive reaction to his first effort) and ‘Wonder Woman’s Patty Jenkins, who had a much-touted ‘Rogue Squadron’ story of rebel pilots that appears to have had trouble leaving the development hanger.
When will ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ be in theaters?
(L to R) ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s director Shawn Levy, Ryan Gosling, Dave Filoni and Kathleen Kennedy at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
With ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ boasting a confirmed release date of May 22nd, 2026, we now have a second ‘Star Wars’ movie on the calendar.
‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ is now due to arrive on May 28th, 2027. Looks like Lucasfilm is finally ready to ramp back up to one movie a year from the galaxy far, far away.
(L to R) ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’s Pedro Pascal and Sigourney Weaver at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
