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Tag: star-trek

Best Legacy Sequels

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

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

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

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

Let’s Begin!

The Bourne Legacy (2012)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
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July 3, 2022
More ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Cast Headed for ‘Star Trek: Picard’

Sir Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard and John de Lancie as Q of the Paramount+ original series “Star Trek: Picard.’ Photo: Trae Patton/Paramount+ ©2022 ViacomCBS. All Rights Reserved.

In what constitutes a good news/bad news situation for fans of Paramount+ series ‘Star Trek: Picard’, the streaming service has announced that more of Patrick Stewart’s former ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ castmates will appear in the third season of the sci-fi series. The bad news aspect? That will also serve to wrap up the show.

‘Star Trek: Picard’, which features Stewart as the venerable former Captain (now Admiral) Picard as he deals with new adventures and threats past, present and future, has not been shy in keeping connective tissue with the 1980s and 1990s series, even as it charts its own course.

Former ‘TNG’ stars Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis guest-starred in Season 1 as Will Riker and Deanna Troi, while Brent Spiner’s Data (and other characters brought to life by the actor) formed a key part of the storyline for that season.

Now, though, Paramount+ has used “First Contact Day” (aka April 5, the day in 2063 in which humans encountered the Vulcans, as seen in 1996 movie that featured the ‘Next Generation’ characters battling a threat from the Borg), to announce that more of that show’s cast will be back to see their old commander.

Frakes, Sirtis and Spiner will all return, joined this time by LeVar Burton’s Geordi LaForge (former Chief Engineer of Picard’s Enterprise), Gates McFadden’s Dr. Beverly Crusher (who had an established connection to Picard before serving on the ship) and Michael Dorn’s Worf (a Klingon raised by humans who was Chief of Security on board for years).

How exactly they will fit into the plot for Season 3 is unknown at this point, but there are subtle clues about legacy in the teaser video put out by the streaming service to mark the announcement. And it looks like Riker in particular will be back in action in a big way.

“I remember watching the premiere of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ almost 34 years ago with my father like it was yesterday. It was the spark that ignited my love for science fiction,” says Terry Matalas, Season 3 showrunner and executive producer. “So, it’s most fitting that the story of Jean-Luc Picard ends honoring the beginning, with his dearest and most loyal friends from the U.S.S. Enterprise. It would be an understatement to say that giving these characters a proper send-off is an honor. The entire ‘Picard’ team and I can’t wait for fans to experience this final, high-stakes, starship-bound adventure in Season 3!”

‘Picard’ Season 3 wrapped filming last month, having kicked off production shortly after Season 2 shot its final scenes. That season is still midway through airing, and brings back another ‘Next Generation’ favorite, as John De Lancie’s troublesome alien Q is part of the storyline.

Seeing the crew of the Enterprise-D properly back together will certainly help us deal with the disappointment of learning that ‘Picard’ is coming to an end. The announcement made no mention of when the season might start, but for now you can find ‘Star Trek: Picard’ releasing new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+, with the season finale due May 5th.

Sir Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard on the Paramount+ series ‘Star Trek: Picard.’ Photo: Trae Patton/CBS ©2019 CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

April 6, 2022
‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Finds a Captain Kirk

Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk of the Paramount+ original series ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Photo: Marni Grossman/Paramount+ ©2022 ViacomCBS. All Rights Reserved.

Even though ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ promises to show us the adventures of the USS Enterprise before the time of the original ‘Star Trek’ series, it appears that the most famous ‘Trek’ starship cannot entirely do without its most iconic captain. Yes, the show has now cast someone to play James Tiberius Kirk.

Paul Wesley, who might still be best known for playing Stefan and various other characters during his run on ‘The Vampire Diaries’, is the latest actor to inherit the role once made famous by William Shatner.

Of course, these days, there are also audiences who identify Chris Pine from the J.J. Abrams movies as Kirk, though Shatner will probably remain the most recognizable example.

“Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show,” executive producer Alex Kurtzman and showrunners/executive producers Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers said in a joint statement. “Like all of us, he is a life-long ‘Star Trek’ fan and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role.”

Quite how Kirk will fit into the story is being held behind deflector shields for now, but here’s the wrinkle: he’s not showing up until Season 2, which kicked off shooting shortly after the series was renewed in January.

Season 1, meanwhile, will still focus on Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, who was the commander of the ship in the original ‘Star Trek’ pilot ‘The Cage’, famously rejected by the network and re-tooled into two-part episode ‘The Menagerie’, which showed Pike’s fate to be critically injured and forced to spend time in a life-support mobility device.

That tragic destiny also played into Pike’s story in Season 2 of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’, where he briefly took command of the ship and, upon learning of what lay ahead, decided to quit Starfleet.

Yet because watching him ride horses and hang out in a wooden cabin doesn’t exactly scream “thrilling space adventure”, he’ll be pulled back to duty for this first run of ‘Strange New Worlds,’ which involves a spatial anomaly initially, but seems to promise more episodic storytelling, “alien/planet of the week” in keeping with the classic ‘Trek’ shows.

Anson Mount as Captain Pike on Paramount+’s ‘Star Trek: Discovery.’

Mount’s Pike is joined by Ethan Peck, who returns as the younger Mr. Spock (the science officer at this point on the Enterprise, and Rebecca Romijn as first officer Number One (whose actual name we’ve since learned is Una Chin-Riley).

The rest of the crew is a mixture of established characters played by new actors and team members we’ve not yet met in the history of ‘Trek’.

Babs Olusanmokun plays M’Benga: A human doctor aboard the Enterprise, who was portrayed by Booker Bradshaw in a couple of episodes of the original series.

Celia Rose Gooding has the iconic role of Nyota Uhura, who oversaw communications on Kirk’s version of the Enterprise but is here seen as a cadet. Nichelle Nichols most famously portrayed her, though in the Abrams reboot, it’s Zoe Saldana.

Jess Bush is Nurse Christine Chapel, the character Majel Barrett played after Number One was rejected following that original ‘Trek’ pilot.

Christina Chong appears as La’an Noonien-Singh, a relative of Kirk nemesis Khan Noonien Singh, who the Enterprise crew won’t encounter until Kirk’s era in charge, so it’ll be interesting to see how she fits into the story.

Bruce Horak is Hemmer, An Aenar officer part of the albino subspecies of the normally blue Andorians, who are also usually blind. And Horak makes Trek history by being the first partially blind actor to star on one of the shows.

Finally, we have Lt. Erica Ortegas, about whom very little is known right now.

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ will launch on Paramount+ on May 5 with the first episode, and releases episodes weekly.

Teaser art for the Paramount+ original series ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Photo: Paramount+ © 2022 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.

March 16, 2022
Chris Pine and Co. Back for New ‘Star Trek’ Movie

(L to R) Anton Yelchin, Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, John Cho and Zoe Saldana in ‘Star Trek’ (2009). Courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

Ever since ‘Star Trek Beyond’ failed to launch at the box office, the big screen flagship of the ‘Trek’ franchise has been lingering in Spacedock, unsure which course to chart. Now, though it appears that Paramount is ready to engage the warp engines again, with Chris Pine and the rest of the current crew busy making deals to return.

The news comes as part of Paramount’s Investors Day presentation, in which it unleashed enough news to choke the Doomsday Machine, including an early season 2 renewal for the ‘Halo’ TV series (which is only just about to debut), lots of future ‘SpongeBob’ movies and more ‘South Park’.

Yet word on a return for ‘Star Trek’ crew who first boarded the USS Enterprise in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot of the franchise is perhaps the most exciting revelation.

It looked for a while as though Pine’s Captain Kirk, along with Zachary Quinto’s Spock, Zoe Saldana’s Uhura, Karl Urban’s Dr. McCoy, John Cho’s Sulu and Simon Pegg’s Scotty might never return to the final frontier, but Paramount is now going at full speed to put them on a new mission.

Abrams himself made the announcement. “We are thrilled to say that we are hard at work on a new ‘Star Trek’ film that will be shooting by the end of the year that will be featuring our original cast and some new characters that I think are going to be really fun and exciting and help take ‘Star Trek’ into areas that you’ve just never seen before,” he said. “We’re thrilled about this film, we have a bunch of other stories that we’re talking about that we think will be really exciting, so can’t wait for you to see what we’re cooking up. But until then, live long and prosper.”

(L to R) Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine in ‘Star Trek’ (2009). Courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

Yet Abrams won’t – as with ‘Beyond’ – be directing (though he’ll produce via his Bad Robot Company). Instead, ‘WandaVision’s Matt Shakman has that job, and he’ll work from a script by ‘Avatar 2’s Josh Friedman and Shakman’s ‘WandaVision’ colleague Cameron Squires. Their screenplay will be based on an earlier draft by Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet.

As for what’ll happen in the movie? That’s being kept behind the shields for now, though it’s unlikely to be the rumored time-travel concept that would have seen Kirk meet his dad, played (briefly) in Abrams’ original movie by Chris Hemsworth. Actors’ pay deals reportedly scuttled that idea, though it could be resurrected. (Does anyone have a Genesis device to hand?)

And while they appear to be drifting in a nebula for now, the planned expansions of the ‘Trek’ movie universe by ‘Fargo’s Noah Hawley and cult director Quentin Tarantino are still out there, waiting for their chance.

‘Star Trek’s fortunes have certainly turned around of late, with the TV side of things expanding exponentially, and now some positive forward movement on the theatrical end. Of course, any new movie will have to deal with the tragic loss of Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov in the previous three adventures, and hopefully the team will go the respectful route and have his character off on another mission rather than re-cast.

Still, with luck, a late 2022 shooting start means we could have a new ‘Star Trek’ movie beaming into theaters by the end of 2023. That’s news to even make Spock giggle.
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February 15, 2022
8 Great Christopher Plummer Performances

Christopher Plummer accepting the Best Supporting Actor Oscar at the Academy Awards for ‘Beginners’

This week marks one year since we lost legendary film actor Christopher Plummer. Best known to several generations as Georg von Trapp in ‘The Sound of Music,’ Plummer’s acting career spanned over 70 years before the actor died last year at the age of 91.

The actor has appeared in countless movies including ‘The Man Who Would Be King,’ ‘Dragnet,’ ‘Malcolm X,‘ ‘Twelve Monkeys,’ ‘A Beautiful Mind,’ ‘Syriana,’ ‘Up,’ ‘The Last Station,’ ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,’ and 2010’s ‘Beginners,’ for which he won Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards.

With the anniversary of the late actor’s passing upon us, let’s look back at eight of the greatest performances of Christopher Plummer’s long and acclaimed career.

The Sound of Music

Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in ‘The Sound of Music’

The film is set in the years before the Second World War and follows Maria (Julie Andrews), a tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey who becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain (Plummer) with seven children. Before too long, Maria reintroduces the love of life and music into their home.

This is the role that made Plummer a household name, and the music from the movie is still iconic to this day. However, the actor technically doesn’t sing in the film, as his voice was dubbed over by musician Bill Lee.
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The Return of the Pink Panther

(L to R) Herbert Lom, Christopher Plummer, Peter Sellers, and Catherine Schell in ‘The Return of the Pink Panther’

The forth in the series, and widely considered the best, ‘The Return of the Pink Panther‘ features star Peter Sellers also returning to the role after an absence. The famous Pink Panther jewel has once again been stolen and Inspector Clouseau is called in to catch the thief, who he is convinced is his old rival, the Phantom. Plummer plays Sir Charles Litton, also known as the Phantom, a role previously played by David Niven in the other films.
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Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country

Christopher Plummer in ‘Star Trek VI: The Undiscoverd Country’

Plummer was no stranger to genre movies, having starred in ‘Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country‘ opposite original cast members William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.

The film’s plot serves as an allegory for the Cold War, with the Federation and the Klingon empire on the verge of peace, when an unexpected attack puts everything in jeopardy. Plummer plays Chang, a one-eyed Klingon general, and is widely considered (right behind Ricardo Montalban) as one of the best villains ever to appear in a Star Trek movie.
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The Insider

(L to R) Christopher Plummer and Al Pacino in ‘The Insider’

In this 1999 movie from director Michael Mann (‘Heat‘), Plummer co-stars with Russell Crowe and Al Pacino as ’60 Minutes’ host, Mike Wallace. The movie tells the true story of the CBS news series’ exposé of the tobacco industry, as seen through the eyes of whistleblower, Jeffrey Wigand (Crowe). The movie went on to earn seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.
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Inside Man

(L to R) Denzel Washington and Christopher Plummer in ‘Inside Man’

One of director Spike Lee‘s best movies, ‘Inside Man‘ follows Denzel Washington as Detective Kieth Frazier, who must negotiate with a bank robber (Clive Owen) that has taken hostages at a Manhattan bank.

But no one is who they seem, including the Mayor’s mysterious friend (Jodie Foster), who is a little too eager to help Detective Frazier with the situation. Or the bank’s shady owner played by Plummer, who is keeping some deep, dark secrets of his own.
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Beginners

(L to R) Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor in ‘Beginners’

Directed by Mike Mills, this is the film that finally earned Plummer his long overdue Academy Award. He won Best Supporting Actor for playing Hal, a man that comes out of the closet at the age of 75 after his wife’s death. Ewan McGregor plays his son, and the film is told from his point of view in flashbacks, after Hal’s death.
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All the Money in the World

(L to R) Christopher Plummer and Mark Wahlberg in ‘All the Money in the World’

While it did earn Plummer his third and final Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, ‘All the Money in the World‘ is infamous for how and why Plummer received the role. The movie follows the story of the real life kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III, the grandson of billionaire Jean Paul Getty, who refuses to pay the ransom.

The role of John Paul Getty was originally played by Kevin Spacey. When his scandal broke, just months before the release of the film, director Ridley Scott decided to recast the part with Plummer and reshoot a large amount of the movie.
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Knives Out

Christopher Plummer in ‘Knives Out’

One of Christopher Plummer’s final film roles was in director Rian Johnson‘s extremely successful mystery-comedy, ‘Knives Out.’ The movie tells the story of renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Plummer), who is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday.

Enter the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), who is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. Blanc begins questioning Harlan’s dysfunctional family, and with the help of Harlan’s nurse, Marta (Ana de Armas), who has a physical condition that will not allow her to tell a lie, he eventually discovers the true murderer.
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January 31, 2022
‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 2 Trailer

Patrick Stewart in Paramount+’s ‘Star Trek: Picard’

‘Star Trek: Picard’ might be about the future of Patrick Stewart’s iconic ‘Star Trek’ captain, but the new trailer for the series is very much about the past.

For this latest footage from the show brings us the first look at Whoopi Goldberg’s long-lived alien Guinan, along with John de Lancie’s troublesome Q, who has appeared in previous teasers.

This season of ‘Picard’ finds Jean-Luc plunged into an alternative timeline by Q, the omnipotent alien being who has been a thorn in his side since the very first episode of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ way back in 1987.

Originally, Q showed up during the first mission of Picard’s USS Enterprise to put humanity on trial for what he saw as their crimes. The crew survived that encounter at Farpoint (or else there might not have been a show), yet Q kept showing up from time to time, usually causing trouble for Picard.

As for Guinan, Goldberg was a recurring part of the show from the second season as the mysterious, friendly barkeeper of the Ten Forward lounge on the Enterprise. Across the remaining seasons, we learn more about her powers, her incredibly long-lived species and the fact that she’s no friend of Q. It makes little surprise then that Picard would seek out his old friend for help.

That mirrors how Goldberg came to appear on the show – Patrick Stewart appeared on talk show ‘The View’ on which she is one of the co-hosts and invited her to return to the ‘Star Trek’ universe in an emotional moment.

Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan on ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’

With Q testing Picard yet again by meddling with reality and switching Earth and the Federation to a totalitarian regime, it’s up to our hero to round up some old friends and new to sort it out.

That’ll include a trip to 2024 Earth, encounters with various alien species and perhaps the biggest conundrum of all… driving cars. And the references to classic ‘Next Generation’ just keep coming – to facilitate traveling in time, Picard must utilize one of his other great rivals, the Borg Queen.

Though we didn’t meet the Queen until 1996’s ‘Star Trek: First Contact’, (there played by Alice Krige), her cybernetic species were introduced (coincidentally thanks to Q’s meddling) in the episode ‘Q Who.’ The characters hit their peak in the Season 3 finale/Season 4 opener ‘The Best Of Both Worlds’. Yet like Q, the Borg would go on to appear in several more episodes of both ‘The Next Generation’ and other ‘Star Trek’ series.

Here, the Queen is played by Annie Wersching, who might be best known for her roles on ‘24‘ and ‘Bosch.’ Given Picard’s history with the Borg (he was turned into one for a while), the reunion is sure to provoke some strong reactions.

The likes of Alison Pill, Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd, Evan Evagora, Orla Brady, Isa Briones, Santiago Cabrera, and Stewart’s fellow ‘Next Generation’ veteran, Brent Spiner, all return for this new season, which already looks like a lot of fun.

‘Star Trek: Picard’ season two premieres Thursday, March 3, on Paramount+. New episodes of the 10-episode season will drop weekly.
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January 21, 2022
14 Best Sci-Fi Movie Franchises Ranked

WB/Lucasfilm/TriStar

People need their escapism these days. These are the best sci-fi and fantasy franchises of all time, including a couple that blur the line between the two.

14. Blade Runner

The fact that “Blade Runner” qualifies as a franchise now rather than one really beloved sci-fi movie is a pretty neat development. To date, the franchise only consists of two films, a couple animated shorts and a tenuous connection to the “Alien” movies, but here’s hoping it continues to grow.
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13. Godzilla

The “Godzilla” series is both one of the most influential sci-fi franchises of all time and one of the most prolific. This is a series that spans dozens of sequels and all sorts of random spinoffs, with the tone varying between serious contemplation of nuclear age horror to rampant monster-on-monster zaniness. We wish American studios had better success translating that formula, but you can’t argue with the sheer amount of Godzilla goodness on tap.
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12. The Hunger Games

You can pretty much trace the current YA dystopian fiction craze straight back to the “Hunger Games” series. And it’s little wonder it turned out to be such a trend-setter. These four movies offer a captivating look at a world so deranged the wealthy elite make hungry teenagers fight to death for their amusement. The allegory is pretty obvious in this case.
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11. X-Men

The “X-Men” franchise has seen some pretty extreme highs and lows over the course of almost two decades of existence. Fortunately, those highs are enough to make up for everything else. These aren’t just great superhero movies, but terrific sci-fi parables about outcasts banding together to make the world a better place. Here’s hoping that things will only improve as the franchise makes it way to Marvel Studios.
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10. Alien

1979’s “Alien” and its 1986 sequel both rank among the greatest sci-fi movies of all time. One is a claustrophobic sci-fi horror mash-up, and the other is a delightfully enjoyable action romp. Sadly, none of the sequels, prequels, and spinoffs have quite lived up to that standard, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t always eager to spend more time in this universe.
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9. Harry Potter

It’s rare to find a franchise that stays good for even two or three movies, much less eight. But for the most part, the “Harry Potter” series only got better with time. And now that series has spawned a whole new spinoff franchise in the form of “Fantastic Beasts.” Between the two, you have one of the most consistently entertaining fantasy properties in Hollywood.

Here is your guide to watch Harry Potter movies in order.
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8. Mad Max

The “Mad Max” movies remain the gold standard when it comes to post-apocalyptic action. And thanks to “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the franchise has proven itself to be more relevant and daring than ever in the 21st Century. That belated sequel shows that this series doesn’t need to rest on the shoulders of Mel Gibson, or even the Max Rockatansky character at all.
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7. The Lord of the Rings

For decades, many “Lord of the Rings” fanatics considered this franchise to be impossible to adapt to the big screen. But all it took was a crafty team led by director Peter Jackson to do justice to J.R.R. Tolkien’s sweeping saga of men, elves, orcs and Hobbits. The original trilogy ushered in a whole new weave of fantasy and medieval epics. It’s unfortunate that the “Hobbit” prequels were stretched beyond the breaking point, but we’re still eager to see what other directions Hollywood can take this beloved fantasy series in the years to come.
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6. The Planet of the Apes

From the original series to the new, very photo-real reboot, “Apes” is the allegorical-heavy and emotionally-resonate franchise we need and deserve right now.
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5. Terminator

Much like the “Alien” franchise, the “Terminator” series is marked by two amazing movies followed by sequels and spinoffs of varying degrees of quality. But those first two movies are enough to cement this franchise as one of the greatest sci-fi properties of all time. The conflict between man and machine is still as resonant now as it was at the time, as is the central theme of fate vs. free will. We just hope we can get one more good sequel out of Arnold Schwarzenegger before he retires from the series for good.
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4. Back to the Future

There’s a lot to be said for a franchise that knows when to call it quits. “Back to the Future” never overstayed its welcome. The 1985 original is a delightful fusion of science fiction and comedy. Its two sequels further enrich the whirlwind saga of Marty McFly and Doc Brown. And that’s it. Other than an entertaining animated series and a video game continuation, this franchise has been allowed to rest in peace. No remakes or reboots to dilute the appeal of the originals.
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3. Star Trek

TV may be the medium in which “Star Trek” works best, but there have been some darned good Trek movies over the decades. Between “The Wrath of Khan,” “The Voyage Home,” “First Contact” and the recent reboot series, there’s no shortage of sci-fi goodness to be found with this franchise. Even if these movies are notorious for alternating between good and bad sequels, “Star Trek” will always rank among the greats.
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2. The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Marvel Studios

The MCU has truly changed the game when it comes to superhero movies. There had certainly been great superhero movies before the MCU came along, but never before had a studio attempted to craft a shared universe on this scale. Marvel Studios has managed to craft a franchsie where super-soldiers, armored billionaires, gods and aliens bump elbows. Most amazingly of all, almost all of the 20-something MCU movies to date have ranged from really good to downright terrific.

Here is your guide to watch Marvel movies in order.
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1. Star Wars

Lucasfilm

In the end, could there be any other franchise topping this list? “Star Wars” blurs the lines between sci-fi and fantasy, tapping into our most fundamental myths and archetypes to tell the ultimate story of a heroic few overcoming a terrible evil. The original Trilogy shaped countless childhoods and gave us some of the greatest cinematic moments ever. And while the prequels and sequels have their detractors, they also prove that this is a franchise capable of constantly reshaping itself in order to appeal to new generations. This is a saga that apparently has no end, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
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August 17, 2021
‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ Returning to Theaters for Its 40th Anniversary

Paramount

The “Star Trek” movie franchise got its start 40 years ago with 1979’s “Star Trek: The Motion Picture.”

And now’s your chance to see it on the big screen. Tickets for Fathom’s Events September 15 and 18 screenings of “The Motion Picture” go on sale this Friday, August 2.

Besides the original cast, including William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and Nichelle Nichols, the movie added actress Persis Khambatta as intriguingly bald navigator Ilia and Stephen Collins as Decker, the new captain of the Enterprise who clashes with Shatner’s Captain Kirk.

Robert Wise, the Oscar-winning director behind another sci-fi classic, “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” was hired to direct.

It’s the first nationwide cinema release since the film premiered in December, 1979. The presentation will also feature the behind-the-scenes documentary short “The Longest Trek: Writing the Motion Picture.”

While “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” can’t boast the same kind of action and memorable villain as its sequel, “The Wrath of Khan,” its box-office success ensured there’d be plenty more “Star Trek” movies to come.

It earned Academy Award nominations for Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, and Best Music, Original Score.

[Via Variety]

July 30, 2019
‘Star Trek: Picard’ Trailer Brings Back Familiar Faces for One Last Mission

CBS All-Access

Engage!

A new full-length trailer for “Star Trek: Picard” debuted at San Diego Comic-Con and it was full of surprises. The series, which follows Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in retirement, will feature two characters from past series. Jean-Luc Picard’s “dead” crew member Data (Brent Spiner) as well as “Star Trek: Voyager’s” Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) appear.

The latter shows up to Picard’s vineyard, where the venerated Enterprise captain has retired from Starfleet. “What the hell are you doing out here, Picard?” she asks. “Saving the galaxy?”

Isn’t that what he does? The trailer lays out more of the story we can expect from the season. Picard meets a young woman with special powers who comes to him for help. So he does what he’s good at: assembles a new crew (including Michelle Hurt and Santiago Cabrera) and returns to space.

As for Data, we see his disassembled body. But at the very end of the trailer, we see Picard playing chess with … Data.

“I don’t want the game to end,” Picard says.

“I can see that, Captain,” Data replies.

During the panel, showrunner Michael Cabon revealed more familiar faces will be popping up — including Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker and Mirina Sirtis as Deanna Troi.

“Star Trek: Picard” is set to premiere on CBS All-Access in 2020.

For all of our San Diego Comic Con coverage, please click here!

July 22, 2019
Quentin Tarantino Says His ‘Star Trek’ Movie Will Be ‘Pulp Fiction’ in Space

Sony

Quentin Tarantino is a talker. Everyone knows this. And one of the things he likes to talk a lot about is the possible R-rated “Star Trek” movie he’s been working on.

Now, Tarantino is likening it to one of his most famous films, “Pulp Fiction.”

In an interview with Deadline about his upcoming film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Tarantino addressed his involvement with the project, which has a script by Mark L. Smith (“The Revenant”).

First, he blasted Simon Pegg, who co-wrote “Star Trek Beyond” and stars as Scotty in the film series.

“I get annoyed at Simon Pegg. He doesn’t know anything about what’s going on and he keeps making all these comments as if he knows about stuff. One of the comments he said, he’s like, ‘Well, look, it’s not going to be Pulp Fiction in space.’ Yes, it is!” Tarantino laughed.

“If I do it, that’s exactly what it’ll be. It’ll be ‘Pulp Fiction’ in space. That ‘Pulp Fiction’-y aspect, when I read the script, I felt, I have never read a science fiction movie that has this sh– in it, ever. There’s no science fiction movie that has this in it. And they said, I know, that’s why we want to make it. It’s, at the very least, unique in that regard.”

What that “‘Pulp Fiction’-y aspect” is remains unclear. But Tarantino remains cagey about just how involved he’ll be in this possible “Star Trek” movie.

“I don’t know if I’ll do it or not,” he demurred. “I’ve got to figure it out, but Mark wrote a really cool script. I like it a lot. There’s some things I need to work on but I really, really liked it.”

“Star Trek” will have to compete with other projects. Tarantino wrote five episodes of the black-and-white Western TV series headlined by Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Rick Dalton in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.”

“I really started loving those half hour ’50s Western scripts. The idea that you could write something like 24 minutes, where there was so much story crammed in those half hour shows, with a real beginning and a middle and an end,” he said.

Of course, it’ll be nearly impossible getting DiCaprio to sign on to do TV.

“I can’t imagine Leonardo is going to want to do it,” Tarantino acknowledged. “Cast somebody else? If he wants to do it that would be great. I’m not planning on that but I have an outline for about three other episodes,”

He added, “So I’ll probably write about three other episodes and then just do it. Direct every episode. They’re a half hour long. I wouldn’t mind doing it for Netflix but I’d want to shoot it on film. Showtime, HBO, Netflix, FX. But I also like the fact that I built up this mythology for Bounty Law and Jake Cahill.”

July 18, 2019