Laura Linney is being linked to a role in DC/HBO series ‘Lanterns.’
There is speculation that she’s playing Carol Ferris.
Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre star in the new show.
Though it already has an impressive cast, new DC Studios/HBO comic book-based series ‘Lanterns’ appears to have gotten an extra shot of dramatic power.
No official confirmation has emerged yet, but Sneider is already speculating that she could be playing Carol Ferris, the love of Lantern Hal Jordan’s life (that role is being brought to screens by Kyle Chandler) and someone who ultimately –– in the comics, at least –– becomes the villain known as Star Sapphire.
That’s all still rumor and conjecture at this point, but we do know that Aaron Pierre is co-starring alongside Chandler as fellow Lantern John Stewart.
What’s the story of ‘Green Lantern’ in comics form?
Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps from DC Comics. Photo: DC Comics.
Created in its first incarnation (a Lantern named Alan Scott) in 1940 by Martin Nodell and Bill Finger, the concept of the ‘Green Lantern’ comics is that of a super-powered, police force, battling evil doers with rings that allow them to channel energy into different forms. There are many Lanterns, who patrol the known and unknown universe.
‘Green Lantern’s history on screen has been seriously mixed. Though different takes on the character have flourished in animated movies and series, their live-action counterparts have had less luck. Ryan Reynolds played the Hal Jordan version in a 2011 movie that didn’t triumph at the box office, and there have been fleeting glimpses on the small screen.
Even Zack Snyder didn’t manage to realize his chosen Lantern –– John Stewart –– in his mammoth Snyder Cut of ‘Justice League’. Despite shooting a cameo with Wayne T. Carr as Stewart, Warners asked him to remove the character because of the studio’s own plans. In the end, Snyder swapped in Martian Manhunter.
And the show had been in development before Gunn and Safran made their big DC Studios announcement. Back in 2020, ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Seth Grahame-Smith hopped aboard to write and run what HBO Max (as the streaming service was then called) was picturing its most expensive series to date, a space-set ‘Green Lantern’ drama whose focus would be the Alan Scott and Guy Gardner iterations of the character among the first and most popular versions.
‘Lanterns’ will follow the Chandler and Pierre characters, as new recruit Stewart and Lantern legend Jordan are described in the latest official synopsis as “two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”
“From the start, our driving force has been to deliver a layered drama –– rooted in nuanced storytelling and rich world building –– that balances tension and mystery with honest, authentic emotion. The goal is to create something that feels timeless and grounded without sacrificing the magic of the source material.”
But there will be some powerful antagonism involved, as Ulrich Thomsen is playing Sinestro a former Green Lantern who turned rogue and is described as ruthless yet charming.
His manipulative nature drives his enduring obsession with his former mentee, Hal Jordan. The character was created by John Broome and Gil Kane and first appeared in the comic book “Green Lantern, Volume 2, #56” released in 1961.
In breaking news, Deadline brings word that Chris Coy is also part of the ensemble.
In a guest starring role, Coy will be the new character of ‘Waylon Sanders,’ an intelligent survivor… or a nervous truck driver. Age and real name unknown, he’s unbound by the laws of nature.
More recently, we learned that Nathan Fillion would be bringing his Guy Gardner character –– another Lantern –– to the show, following his debut in James Gunn‘s ‘Superman’ this summer.
Who is working on ‘Lanterns’?
James Gunn at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
Mundy, whose resume includes stints on Netflix’s ‘Ozark’ and HBO’s ‘True Detective: Night Country’, is running the new series, working alongside ‘Watchmen’s Damon Lindelof and DC comics writer Tom King (whose ‘Supergirl’ comic is the basis for the new movie featuring the character).
Here’s what Hawes has had to say to Collider about his approach to the show:
“There is a very particular humor that they brought to this. It’s very rooted in a way that I like to think we achieve with ‘Slow Horses,’ that I achieve with things like my ‘Black Mirror’ [episodes], and yet there is a rich vein of humor running through it. I’m such a huge fan of Damon [Lindelof] and Chris [Mundy] and the writing that they’ve done in the past… You always find a scene or two that you think, ‘I cant wait to be stood beside the camera and the cast, directing this scene on the day.’ “
Summer 2025 is almost here and with it comes the sun, the beach and summer movies!
The summer movie season will officially begin on May 2nd when Marvel’s highly anticipated ‘Thunderbolts*‘, which stars Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan, opens in theaters.
Anna Kendrick stars as Stephanie Smothers in ‘Another Simple Favor’. Photo: Amazon MGM Studios.
Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) and Emily (Blake Lively) reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman. Along with the glamorous guests, expect murder and betrayal to RSVP for a wedding with more twists and turns than the road from the Marina Grande to the Capri town square.
Nicolas Cage stars in ‘The Surfer’. Photo: Saturn Films.
A man (Nicolas Cage) returns to the idyllic beach of his childhood to surf with his son. When he is humiliated by a group of locals, the man is drawn into a conflict that keeps rising and pushes him to his breaking point.
David Dastmalchian in ‘Rosario’. Photo: Mucho Mas Releasing.
Wall Street stockbroker, Rosario Fuentes (Emerald Toubia), returns to her grandmother’s apartment after her sudden death. While sorting through her Grandmother’s belongings, Rosario uncovers a horrifying secret—a hidden chamber filled with occult artifacts tied to dark generational rituals. As supernatural occurrences plague her, Rosario must confront her family’s buried secrets and face the truth about the sacrifices and choices they made.
Rainey Qualley as “Astor” in the music drama ‘Off The Record’. Photo courtesy of Quiver Distribution, a True Foe production.
Rainey Qualley stars as Astor Grey, a rising singer-songwriter whose life takes a dark turn when she enters a turbulent romance with washed-up rock star Brandyn Verge (Ryan Hansen). What begins as a whirlwind love story unravels into a gripping tale of manipulation and resilience as Astor fights to reclaim her autonomy and music.
Shia LaBeouf and Toby Kebbell star in an emotional, action-packed film about a prize fighter’s battles both inside and outside the ring. When a battered boxer past his prime finds his dreams and his relationships on the ropes, he falls back in with a dangerous crowd and has to take the biggest swing of his life to reclaim his hope and his family.
Swamp Dogg in ‘Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted’. Photo: Magnolia Pictures.
Legendary musician Swamp Dogg, alongside housemates Moogstar and Guitar Shorty, has transformed his home into an artistic playground. Together they navigate the tumultuous music industry, and forge a unique and inspiring path across time and space.
Wyatt Russell in ‘Broke’. Photo: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
A bronc rider (Wyatt Russell) in denial about his fading rodeo career battles against brain injury and a sudden blizzard while reflecting on how it became so difficult to achieve his dreams.
(L to R) Omar Sy as Isaac and Kerry Washington as Kyrah in ‘Shadow Force’. Photo: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
Kyrah (Kerry Washington) and Isaac (Omar Sy) were once the leaders of a multinational special forces group called Shadow Force. They broke the rules by falling in love, and in order to protect their son (Jahleel Kamara), they go underground. With a large bounty on their heads, and the vengeful Shadow Force hot on their trail, one family’s fight becomes all-out war.
‘Clown in a Cornfield’ opens in theaters on May 9th. Photo: RLJE Films & Shudder.
Quinn (Katie Douglas) and her father have just moved to the quiet town of Kettle Springs hoping for a fresh start. Instead, she discovers a fractured community that has fallen on hard times after the treasured Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. As the locals bicker amongst themselves and tensions boil over, a sinister, grinning figure emerges from the cornfields to cleanse the town of its burdens, one bloody victim at a time.
(L to R) Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd in ‘Friendship’. Photo: A24.
Suburban dad Craig (Tim Robinson) falls hard for his charismatic new neighbor, as Craig’s attempts to make an adult male friend threaten to ruin both of their lives.
Don Johnson in ‘Unit 234’. Photo: Brainstorm Media.
While working the night shift alone, Laurie Saltair (Isabella Fuhrman) discovers a comatose man, Clayton (Jack Huston), in Unit 234 of her family’s storage facility. What transpires is a thrill ride of a cat-and-mouse game for Laurie and Clayton to survive the night.
‘Watch The Skies’ opens in theaters on May 9, 2025. Photo: XYZ Films & Flawless.
When a foster home placed teenage rebel suspects that her father is not dead but kidnapped by UFOs, she takes help from a UFO association to find out the truth. Together, they embark on a risky adventure that takes them far beyond the laws borders and into a world filled with UFO expeditions, conspiracies and inexplicable phenomena.
(L to R) Shia LaBeouf and Evan Jonigkeit in ‘Henry Johnson’. Photo: 1993.
Henry Johnson (Evan Jonigkeit) navigates his search for a moral center, after an act of compassion upends his life. Looking to authority figures he encounters along the way, Henry’s journey leads him down a road of manipulation and ethical uncertainty.
Plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefanie (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all.
(L to R) Troy Gentile as “Mason Kelly,” Riele Downs as “Killer Queen,” Page Kennedy as “Big Farmer Jay” and Grace Caroline Currey as “Violet” in the thriller horror comedy ‘A Breed Apart’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
When Violet (Grace Caroline Currey) accepts an invitation to a private island with some of the world’s most famous social influencers, she expects a weekend of unrivaled viral opportunity. She soon becomes part of her own horrific reality show when the guests are pitted against each other to capture the island’s legendary man-eating dogs before they become victims of the monstrous canines.
(L to R) Tom Cruise plays Ethan Hunt, Greg Tarzan Davis plays Degas, Simon Pegg plays Benji Dunn and Hayley Atwell plays Grace in ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ from Paramount Pictures and Skydance. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
After escaping a calamitous train crash, Ethan (Tom Cruise) realizes The Entity is stashed aboard an old Russian submarine, but a foe from his past named Gabriel is also on the trail.
‘The Surrender’ opens in theaters on May 23rd. Photo: Shudder.
A fraught mother-daughter relationship that is put to a terrifying test when the family patriarch dies and the grieving mother hires a mysterious stranger to bring her husband back from the dead. As the bizarre and brutal resurrection ritual spirals out of control, both women must reconcile their differences as they fight for their lives, and for each other.
(L to R) Jackie Chan, Ben Wang and Ralph Macchio in Columbia Pictures ‘Karate Kid: Legends’. Photo: Sony Pictures.
After a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother. Li struggles to let go of his past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates, and although he doesn’t want to fight, trouble seems to find him everywhere. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren’t enough. Li’s kung fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.
Kōki, in John Maclean’s ‘Tornado’. Courtesy of Norman Wilcox- Geissen. An IFC Films release.
A Japanese puppeteer’s daughter (Kōki) gets caught up with criminals when their show crosses paths with a crime gang, led by Sugarman (Tim Roth) and his son Little Sugar (Jack Lowden).
Ana de Armas as Eve in ‘Ballerina’. Photo: Murray Close.
Taking place during the events of ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum‘, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.
Nick Kroll in ‘I Don’t Understand You’. Photo: Vertical.
Stranded in rural Italy without transportation or language skills, an American couple on the verge of adopting tries to reconnect during a disastrous vacation, as their fears and relationship problems threaten to boil over.
(L to R) Christian Convery “Ethan” and Garrett Hedlund as “Caleb” in the Crime, Drama, Thriller ‘Barron’s Cove’, a Well Go USA release. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
Barron’s Cove follows a father with a violent past (Garrett Hedlund) as he grieves the sudden loss of his only child. Convinced of a cover-up and intent on obtaining answers about his son’s death, he kidnaps the troubled boy he holds responsible – the son of a prominent local politician – which ignites a media firestorm and frenzied manhunt. But as he grows ever closer to uncovering the truth, he is left to wonder whether his pursuers are really seeking to protect the boy, or merely the secrets he keeps.
Jai Courtney in ‘Dangerous Animals’. Photo: IFC Films.
A savvy and free-spirited surfer is abducted by a shark-obsessed serial killer. Held captive on his boat, she must figure out how to escape before he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks below.
‘Best Wishes to All’ opens in theaters on June 6th. Photo: Shudder.
A young woman’s visit to her grandparents’ home leads to the discovery of what’s brought them happiness, a revelation that will lead her to question her choices, sanity and reality itself.
(L to R) Orlando Bloom as “Marlon,” Bryce Dallas-Howard as “Kat,” and Nick Mohammed as “Hugh” in the action comedy ‘Deep Cover’. Photo courtesy of Peter Mountain/ Metronome Film.
Three improv actors are hired by the police to help stage low-level stings. Their instinct to “always say yes” without breaking character leads them deep inside London’s criminal underworld.
Mason Thames (right) as Hiccup with his Night Fury dragon, Toothless, in Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon,’ written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames) stands apart, defying centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.
It’s been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well.
Elio (Yonas Kibreab), a space fanatic with an active imagination, finds himself on a cosmic misadventure where he must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.
Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in Apple Original Films’ ‘F1,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films.
Racing legend Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is coaxed out of retirement to lead a struggling Formula 1 team—and mentor a young hotshot driver—while chasing one more chance at glory.
‘Hot Milk’ opens in theaters on June 27th. Photo: IFC Films.
Rose (Fiona Shaw) and her daughter Sofia (Emma Mackey) travel to the Spanish seaside town of Almería to consult with the shamanic Dr. Gomez, a physician who could possibly hold the cure to Rose’s mystery illness, which has left her bound to a wheelchair. But in the sultry atmosphere of this sun-bleached town Sofia, who has been trapped by her mother’s illness all her life, finally starts to shed her inhibitions, enticed by the persuasive charms of enigmatic traveller Ingrid (Vickey Krieps).
Something bad happened to Agnes (Eva Victor). But life goes on… for everyone around her, at least. When a beloved friend visits on the brink of a major milestone, Agnes starts to realize just how stuck she’s been, and begins to work through how to move forward.
Scarlett Johansson as skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett in ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’, directed by Gareth Edwards. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Five years after the events of ‘Jurassic World Dominion‘, covert operations expert Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) is contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades.
Superman (David Corenswet), a cub reporter in Metropolis, embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.
Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel’s First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer.
(from left) Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Mr. Wolf (Sam Rockwell), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos) and Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina) in DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Bad Guys 2’, directed by Pierre Perifel. Photo: Universal Pictures.
The now-reformed Bad Guys are trying (very, very hard) to be good, but instead find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes, globe-trotting heist, masterminded by a new team of criminals they never saw coming: The Bad Girls.
(L to R) Ana Sophia Heger and Taron Egerton in ‘She Rides Shotgun’. Photo: Lionsgate.
Newly released from prison and marked for death by unrelenting enemies, Nate (Taron Egerton) must now protect his estranged 11-year-old daughter, Polly (Ana Sphia Heger), at all costs. With scant resources and no one to trust, Nate and Polly form a bond forged under fire as he shows her how to fight and survive — and she teaches him what unconditional love truly means.
(L to R) Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis at the Disney presentation at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas. Photo: Disney.
Years after Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna (Lindsay Lohan) endured an identity crisis, Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover lightning might indeed strike twice.
(L to R) Mel Jarnson as “Brooke,” Jamie Campbell Bower as “Alexander Babtiste,” Madison Iseman as “Emily,” and Aaron Dominguez as “Christian” in the Horror film ‘Witchboard’, a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
Emily (Madison Iseman) and her fiancé Christian (Aaron Dominguez) discover a mysterious Wiccan artifact as they prepare to open a bistro in New Orleans’ French Quarter. A darkness descends over Emily as she becomes obsessed with the board’s power of divination and ability to summon spirits, and Christian seeks the help of Alexander Babtiste (Jamie Campbell Bower), a mysterious occult expert who’s hiding secrets of his own.
Peter Dinklage as “Toxie” in the action, comedy, horror film, ‘The Toxic Avenger’, a Cineverse release. Photo courtesy of Yana Blajeva/Legendary Pictures.
A horrible toxic accident transforms downtrodden janitor, Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage) into a new evolution of hero: The Toxic Avenger.
Nathan Fillion will appear in HBO/DC series ‘Lanterns.’
This new series adapts the ‘Green Lantern’ DC Comics in grounded fashion.
The show stars Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler.
While the mantra all through the development phase for the new HBO/DC Studios series ‘Lanterns’ –– which adapts the Green Lantern comic books –– has been a grounded take on the powerful superheroes, it would seem it’s not above a slightly more colorful character (pun intended).
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And it’s also crossing over with another project in James Gunn’s ever-expanding superhero universe, the one that Warner Bros. is hoping will make its comic book-birthed movie slate work –– ‘Superman.’
No, we’re not likely to see David Corenswet’s Man of Steel touch down during the show, but Nathan Fillion will show up.
Fillion, in case you hadn’t heard, will be playing Guy Gardner, a fellow Lantern to Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart, in ‘Superman,’ which flies into theaters on July 11th.
(Center) James Gunn and the cast of ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram Account.
Our eyebrows, we must admit, are raised, because the look of Fillion’s character in the movie doesn’t necessarily line up with the more down-to-Earth look of the show so far (we got our first glimpse of that recently). His is a more comical appearance, with a savage bowl cut and an arrogant attitude.
Yet we haven’t seen him in action yet, so who knows exactly how he’ll work on the small screen. And if we’re honest, it’s always entertaining to see Fillion show up.
What’s the story of ‘Green Lantern’ in comics form?
Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps from DC Comics. Photo: DC Comics.
Created in its first incarnation (a Lantern named Alan Scott) in 1940 by Martin Nodell and Bill Finger, the concept of the ‘Green Lantern’ comics is that of a super-powered, police force, battling evil doers with rings that allow them to channel energy into different forms. There are many Lanterns, who patrol the known and unknown universe.
‘Green Lantern’s history on screen has been seriously mixed. Though different takes on the character have flourished in animated movies and series, their live-action counterparts have had less luck. Ryan Reynolds played the Hal Jordan version in a 2011 movie that didn’t triumph at the box office, and there have been fleeting glimpses on the small screen.
Even Zack Snyder didn’t manage to realize his chosen Lantern –– John Stewart –– in his mammoth Snyder Cut of ‘Justice League’. Despite shooting a cameo with Wayne T. Carr as Stewart, Warners asked him to remove the character because of the studio’s own plans. In the end, Snyder swapped in Martian Manhunter.
And the show had been in development before Gunn and Safran made their big DC Studios announcement. Back in 2020, ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Seth Grahame-Smith hopped aboard to write and run what HBO Max (as the streaming service was then called) was picturing its most expensive series to date, a space-set ‘Green Lantern’ drama whose focus would be the Alan Scott and Guy Gardner iterations of the character among the first and most popular versions.
(L to R) Aaron Pierre as John Stewart and Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan in ‘Lanterns’. Photo: John P. Johnson/HBO.
‘Lanterns’ will follow the Hal Jordan (Chandler) and John Stewart (Pierre) characters, as new recruit Stewart and Lantern legend Jordan are described in the latest official synopsis as “two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”
Here’s Chris Mundy, executive producer and showrunner on the tone for the show:
“From the start, our driving force has been to deliver a layered drama –– rooted in nuanced storytelling and rich world building –– that balances tension and mystery with honest, authentic emotion. The goal is to create something that feels timeless and grounded without sacrificing the magic of the source material.”
But there will be some powerful antagonism involved, as Ulrich Thomsen is playing Sinestro a former Green Lantern who turned rogue and is described as ruthless yet charming.
His manipulative nature drives his enduring obsession with his former mentee, Hal Jordan. The character was created by John Broome and Gil Kane and first appeared in the comic book “Green Lantern, Volume 2, #56” released in 1961.
In breaking news, Deadline brings word that Chris Coy is also part of the ensemble.
In a guest starring role, Coy will be the new character of ‘Waylon Sanders,’ an intelligent survivor… or a nervous truck driver. Age and real name unknown, he’s unbound by the laws of nature.
Who is working on ‘Lanterns’?
James Gunn at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
Mundy, whose resume includes stints on Netflix’s ‘Ozark’ and HBO’s ‘True Detective: Night Country’, is running the new series, working alongside ‘Watchmen’s Damon Lindelof and DC comics writer Tom King (whose ‘Supergirl’ comic is the basis for the new movie featuring the character).
Since they oversee the whole DC Studios arm, filmmaker Gunn and producer Peter Safran are executive producers alongside Ron Schmidt.
Where else have we seen Nathan Fillion?
Nathan Fillion in ‘Castle’. Photo: ABC.
Where haven’t we! Aside from his regular gig on ABC series ‘The Rookie’ and his previous long-running show ‘Castle,’ he’s a genre favourite who has cropped up in a variety of shows and movies.
(L to R) James Gunn, David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
Preview:
Warner Bros. showed off its upcoming slate at CinemaCon.
Movies such as ‘Superman’ and ‘F1’ were promoted.
The likes of Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Gunn and Jerry Bruckheimer were present.
Taking the third spot at CinemaCon this year, Warner Bros. is in the middle of some issues, including the fact that their latest slate, betting big on largely indie directors handed giant budgets has yet to truly pay off –– witness ‘Mickey 17’s less-than-stellar box office.
But the studio will be trying to drum up enthusiasm for its upcoming slate, which still features some heavy hitters, including the latest take on ‘Superman’ (the company will be hoping that DC Studios boss James Gunn’s sprawling new superhero universe will fly out of the gate) and Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ (part of the directors-given-big-budgets experiment).
With the ‘Superman’ music playing even as the presentation starts, it’s not hard to spot what the studios’ big focus is likely to be.
David Corenswet at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
As with Disney’s bulging portfolio of labels, Warner Bros. has the likes of WB Animation, New Line, DC Studios and the main Warners movie studio under its umbrella. We heard about projects from all of them today.
Jeff Goldstein, president of global distribution at the studio, took the stage to kick things off with a sizzle reel of the movies the studio has not written off for tax reasons.
That was followed by current WB film bosses Mike De Luca and Pamela Abdy, who arrived on stage to start the hype in person.
(Left) Michael B. Jordan in ‘Sinners’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Introduced by director Ryan Coogler (who also wrote the script) via a video, the new movie features Michael B. Jordan playing twin brothers who return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
Coogler called it his most personal movie yet. Which makes us wonder how many supernatural creatures he’s battled in his life.
‘Sinners’ will be haunting theaters on April 18th.
(L to R) Teyana Taylor, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Regina Hall at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
A key tentpole in the film team’s tactic of giving respected filmmakers big budget, this is the new Paul Thomas Anderson movie featuring Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead, playing a member of a group of ex-revolutionaries that reunites to rescue his daughter.
DiCaprio walked on stage alongside co-stars Regina Hall and Teyana Taylor to talk up the movie, which DiCaprio described as “incredibly epic.”
And according to him, it was an “honor” working with “master filmmaker” PTA, with whom he’s wanted to collaborate for 20 years.
The stars introduced an extended trailer for the new movie, full of more of the wacky action to be found within.
‘One Battle After Another’ storms onto screens on September 26th and seems likely to be making an awards play.
(L to R) Director Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jessie Buckley at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s latest directorial job is a new, slightly skewed take on ‘The Bride of Frankenstein’ as the doctor’s creation asks Dr. Euphronius to help create a companion. They give life to a murdered woman as the Bride, sparking romance, police interest, and radical social change.
Gyllenhaal and Jessie Buckley (the latter plays the title character) strode on stage to discuss the movie, which was shot in IMAX.
The director admitted that after ‘The Last Daughter’ she was looking for something popular and big, but also radical and she wasn’t sure what until she was at a party and saw someone with a bride tattoo.
Here’s what she said about the movie:
“I’m really interested in monsters. We all have something a little monstrous in us, which is why I think we love monsters.”
(L to R) Director Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jessie Buckley at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
Buckley, meanwhile, said she felt like the script, written by Gyllenhaal, had an electrical current running through it. And that Frankenstein’s monster’s (Christian Bale) relationship with the Bride is the punkest ever.
This take on the creature is a movie lover. We find him in a theater watching movies and his best friend is a Hollywood actor. Gyllenhaal, likewise, though she admitted she had seen exactly two IMAX movies before making one.
An extended trailer played for the movie to wrap up this portion.
‘The Bride!’ is lumbering towards theaters on March 6th, 2026.
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Following a sizzle reel of New Line’s future offerings, we dived headlong into that section of the presentation as Richard Brener, president and CCO of the studio arm took the stage.
‘Final Destination Bloodlines’ opens in theaters on May 16th.
After a catchup on the legacy of the franchise, a clip was shown from the latest in series, which sees a college student, plagued by a recurring violent nightmare, returning home to find the one person who can break the cycle and save her family from the horrific fate that inevitably awaits them.
Naturally the scene, which sees two men get pulled into, and horribly killed by, an MRI machine is full of the
Director Zach Cregger at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
Writer/director Zach Cregger (who was already in Las Vegas because he’s also working on the new ‘Resident Evil’ movie for Sony) was brought out to tout his new horror pic.
He described ‘Weapons’ as “twisty and turny” and had a teaser to show that may never be made public.
In it, kids wake up at 2:17am and wreak havoc on a small town. The footage is narrated by a five-year old’s voice. Mobs of parents are losing their minds in a school meeting. Josh Brolin’s character demands and yells for answers.
Julia Garner, a concerned parent is distressed and wake up with night sweats over the stress. She walks into a classroom in the middle of the night to find spooky kids at desk.
But there are blood curdling images; blood exploding from a head, a red-haired kid popping up in the forest while a teenager worries he’s in the wrong place…
The movie will be out on August 8th.
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And we shifted to the main studio’s portion of the presentation with a biggie…
While it’s an Apple production, Warners has the distribution rights and will be hoping for big things from the Brad Pitt-starring movie, which finds him as a Formula One who driver comes out of retirement to mentor and team with a younger driver.
It’s full of racing action (including Pitt, who drove cars himself at 185 miles an hour at actual race tracks) and Bruckheimer (no stranger to hype) said he believes it’ll be the cinematic event of the summer.
10 minutes of the movie were screened, and it races into theaters on June 27th.
The major title to get a boost was this Seussian comedy, with Bill Hader taking the stage and showing his “audition reel” –– actually his ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit playing the Cat.
Hader claimed his daughter wanted Ryan Gosling to voice the cat instead of him!
But the actual screening was a work-in-progress trailer for the movie, which features the Things.
‘The Cat in the Hat’ will be in theaters on February 27th, 2026.
(L to R) James Gunn, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, and David Corenswet at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
A behind-the-scenes featurette on ‘Superman’ featured writer/director (and DC Studios co-chief) James Gunn making the movie and talking it up.
Gunn and Safran arrived on stage to fill the crowd in on their plans for this year and beyond, with Safran declaring 2025 “the summer of ‘Superman.’ ”
Stars David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult (AKA Suprman, Lois Lane and Lex Luthor) joined the DC bosses on stage to promote the movie, with Corenswet and Brosnahan telling the assembled crowd it was their first CinemaCon.
Gunn, meanwhile, said he was offered the chance to direct a Superman movie in 2018, but chose an “easier path” –– ‘The Suicide Squad.’ However, the concept stuck with him.
So, how will he adapt a well-used story for a modern audience?
“It just hit me. It has all the fantastic moments we haven’t seen before in this universe.”
James Gunn at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
Corenswet, for his part remembered his screen test with Nick, who stepped out of a shadows like something from a comic book page and it was terrifying. He also recalled his very long screen test with Rachel.
Hoult shared that seeing David flying onto the set made him feel he was witnessing the magic of cinema in first person and he had this little grin on his face. He turned around and everyone else did as well. But he still found time for some Luthorian posturing: “as an icon, it’s nice to finally play an icon.”
And despite the pressure, Corenswet revealed that it’s a great honor to play a role that so exists in the public consciousness that even if you’ve never read a comic, you know who these symbols and characters are.
Rachel Brosnahan at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
For Brosnahan, it was like theater:
“I feel these stories endure because there is someone for everyone. We get to stand on the shoulders of giants and find our way into their heads through a great script.”
A big element of this Supes is his faithful –– though not always obedient –– hound Krypto, which Gunn based on his own dog, Ozu.
The actors also discussed Gunn’s big vision for DC –– and how unique he is, loving every aspect of the process.
Gunn explained that the movie is about people and human connections.
(L to R) Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan and David Corenswet at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
And for a fun part of the presentation, the actors were asked which character they would play other than their own. Corenswet chose Batman, Rachel wanted to be Lex and Hoult, candidly,
“I’ve interviewed for Superman and Batman and I didn’t get either, so I think I was meant to play Lex!”
The team then introduced a sneaky new look at the movie, in a funny scene where Krypto rescues our hero. That was followed by First look at Fortress of Solitude, Superman’s robots and then an extended trailer with a few new shots including Lois interviewing Superman.
‘Superman’ heads faster than a speeding bullet to screens on July 11th.
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And with that, the Warner Bros. panel was wrapped. Seemed surprising not to have more from DC Studios, but perhaps next year?
(L to R) Nicholas Hoult, Peter Safran, Rachel Brosnahan, James Gunn, and David Corenswet at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros.
Gene Hackman in ‘The Firm’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Preview:
Gene Hackman has died at the age of 95.
He was found dead with his wife, Betsy Arakawa at their home.
Hackman’s career spanned decades –– but he retired early.
Gene Hackman, the prolific Oscar-winning actor whose roles ranged from reluctant heroes to conniving villains and made him one of the industry’s most respected and honored performers, has been found dead along with his wife and dog at their home. He was 95.
Their death has already sent shockwaves around the acting community, and with the Oscars mere days away, the producers will likely be scrambling to include the two-time winner in the In Memoriam section.
Hackman had a propensity for a wide range of performances, from buffoons to driven, gruff heroes to scheming villains –– and in the likes of ‘Superman’s Lex Luthor, he combined two of them.
He was the model of a workmanlike actor not in performance –– when he did his job, he did better than most, but he let others worry about his image. Beyond the obligatory appearances at awards ceremonies, he limited his exposure to the social circuit and was openly disdainful of the business side of show business.
Gene Hackman in 1971’s ‘The French Connection.’ Photo courtesy of TCM.
This is what he told Film Comment in 1988:
“Actors tend to be shy people. There is perhaps a component of hostility in that shyness, and to reach a point where you don’t deal with others in a hostile or angry way, you choose this medium for yourself. Then you can express yourself and get this wonderful feedback.”
In 1956, Hackman married Fay Maltese, a bank teller he had met at a YMCA dance in New York. They had a son, Christopher, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, but divorced in the mid-1980s.
In 1991 he married Betsy Arakawa, a classical pianist. Arakawa moved with him to New Mexico, and they, along with their dog, were found dead on Wednesday during a welfare check. The cause of death has yet to be determined.
Gene Hackman in ‘The Conversation’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Eugene Allen Hackman was born in San Bernardino, California in 1930, and grew up in Danville, Illinois, where his father worked as a journalist.
His parents’ marriage was a dysfunctional one, and when his father would beat Gene to take out his anger issues, the young Hackman found refuge in movie theaters, identifying with such screen rebels as Errol Flynn and James Cagney.
Following his father’s abandoning the family, the situation only got worse, and a 16-year-old Hackman lied about his age to enlist in the U.S. Marines.
Yet his attitude and constant getting into brawls didn’t make him a natural fit for the service –– he was demoted from the rank of corporal three times –– but he finally found somewhere to flourish at the unit’s radio station.
Yet still he wavered; having earned his high school degree in the Marines, he went to study journalism in Illinois before dropping out of college and moved to New York to study radio announcing. He worked in radio in Florida before returning to the Big Apple to instead study painting before a fateful move to an acting course at the Pasadena Playhouse in California.
From there, it was once more back to New York and the long process of looking to land acting gigs alongside contemporaries such as Robert Duvall and Dustin Hoffman, working odd jobs to support himself.
Hackman began to score roles in off-Broadway theatrical productions, which led to film director Robert Rossen hiring him for a brief role in ‘Lilith,’ which starred Warren Beatty and Jean Seberg.
And so, a career was launched.
Gene Hackman: Memorable Movies and TV
(L to R) Valerie Perrine and Gene Hackman in ‘Superman II’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Yet even given his early roles, Hackman was no overnight sensation. He ploughed a familiar path through TV series and small roles in films, appearing on the small screen likes of ‘Naked City,’ ‘The Defenders,’ ‘Hawk,’ ‘The FBI,’ and ‘Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-in.’
It was Beatty who really gave Hackman a boost –– When Beatty began work on ‘Bonnie and Clyde,’ which he produced and starred in, he remembered Hackman and cast him as bank robber Clyde Barrow’s outgoing brother. Hackman scored praise and an Oscar nomination (his first of five) for Best Supporting Actor.
Near-misses followed, including a role in ‘The Graduate’ and that of Mike Brady in TV institution ‘The Brady Bunch.’
A starring role followed in 1970 with ‘I Never Sang for My Father,’ as a man struggling to deal with a failed relationship with his dying father, Melvyn Douglas –– which obviously brought up deep issues. And despite his being the lead by any real description, he was again nominated by the Academy for Best Supporting Actor.
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Real Oscar success would follow with William Friedkin’s ‘The French Connection,’ perhaps his breakout role, and which would land him the first of his two trophies.
In amongst them was his other Oscar-winning role, that of the brutal, corrupt Little Bill Daggett in Clint Eastwood’s ‘Unforgiven.’
Gene Hackman: Retirement
Gene Hackman in ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
Despite his prolific career, Hackman knew when he wanted to call it quits. His final role was in 2004 comedy ‘Welcome to Mooseport,’ and he told Reuters in 2008 why he decided to step back:
“I haven’t held a press conference to announce retirement, but yes, I’m not going to act any longer. I’ve been told not to say that over the last few years, in case some real wonderful part comes up, but I really don’t want to do it any longer.”
When not on film locations, Hackman enjoyed painting, stunt flying, stock car racing and deep sea diving. In his latter years, he wrote novels and lived on his ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on a hilltop looking out on the Colorado Rockies.
Gene Hackman: Tributes
Gene Hackman in ‘Hoosiers’. Photo: Orion Pictures.
Here’s what Coppola had to say about him on Instagram:
“The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity, I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution.”
“So awful. Gene was such an inspiration to so many of us who love movies. So many brilliant roles. His performance in ‘The Conversation’ alone changed the way I looked at acting and what actors could bring to a role. Such an amazing career. RIP Mr. Hackman.”
“Loved you in everything! ‘The Conversation,’ ‘The French Connection,’ ‘The Poseidon Adventure,’ ‘Unforgiven’ — tough yet vulnerable. You were one of the greats. God bless those who loved you. Rest well, sir.”
Gene Hackman in 1971’s ‘The French Connection.’ Photo courtesy of TCM.
Moviefone has compiled a list of the most anticipated movies opening in theaters and/or streaming in 2025, which not only includes major studio releases but also smaller independent films that you won’t want to miss.
Gerard Butler as ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien in ‘Den of Thieves 2: Pantera’. Photo Credit: Rico Torres for Lionsgate.
Big Nick (Gerard Butler) is back on the hunt in Europe and closing in on Donnie (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), who is embroiled in the treacherous and unpredictable world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia, as they plot a massive heist of the world’s largest diamond exchange.
Isabelle Fuhrman as Charlotte in the romance film ‘Wish You Were Here’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
When the perfect night with a perfect stranger ends suddenly the next morning, Charlotte (Isabelle Fuhrman) searches for answers and meaning in her disappointing life until she uncovers a secret that changes everything.
(L to R) Scott Eastwood as “Joe” and Sylvester Stallone as “Chester” in the action crime thriller ‘Alarum’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
After the CIA discovers the whereabouts of two rogue spies (Scott Eastwood and Willa Fitzgerald), who have not only gone off-grid but have become husband and wife, all hell is unleashed on their winter honeymoon cabin resort in the woods by a consortium of international spy organizations who are after a ‘flight pill’, aka a hard drive, and all of whom suspect the two may have joined a network of rogue spies known as the Alarum,” according to since removed post.
Lucy Liu in ‘Presence’ directed by Steven Soderbergh. Photo: Peter Andrews. Copyright: The Spectral Spirit Company.
A family moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they’re not alone.
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‘Wolf Man’ (1/17)
Julia Garner in ‘Wolf Man’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
With his marriage fraying, Blake (Christopher Abbott) persuades his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) to take a break from the city and visit his remote childhood home in rural Oregon. As they arrive at the farmhouse in the dead of night, they’re attacked by an unseen animal and barricade themselves inside the home as the creature prowls the perimeter. But as the night stretches on, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable.
(L to R) Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx in ‘Back in Action’. Photo: Netflix.
Years after giving up life as CIA spies to start a family, Emily (Cameron Diaz) and Matt (Jamie Foxx) are pulled back into the world of espionage when their cover is blown.
A pilot transports (Mark Wahlberg) an Air Marshal (Michelle Dockery) accompanying a fugitive (Topher Grace) to trial. As they go across the Alaskan wilderness, tensions soar and trust is tested as not everyone on board is who they seem.
Michelle Yeoh as Georgiou in ‘Star Trek: Section 31’, streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Jan Thijs/Paramount+.
Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) joins a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets and faces the sins of her past.
(L to R) Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon in ‘You’re Cordially Invited’. Photo: Amazon Prime Video.
When two weddings are accidentally booked on the same day at the same venue, each bridal party is challenged with preserving their family’s special moment.
Ariel Winter as Hayley in the thriller, ‘Like Father Like Son’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
Eli (Dylan Flashner) is a young man whose father waits on death row for the crime of murder in the first degree. As Eli’s life begins to fall apart, he discovers similar terrifying triggers in himself and takes extreme measures to ensure that the family’s string of savagery comes to an end.
Ke Huy Quan in ‘Love Hurts’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
A realtor (Ke Huy Quan) is pulled back into the life he left behind after his former partner-in-crime (Ariana DeBose) resurfaces with an ominous message. With his crime-lord brother (Daniel Wu) also on his trail, he must confront his past and the history he never fully buried.
After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), Sam (Anthony Mackie) finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
Paddington in ‘Paddington in Peru’. Photo: Sony Pictures.
Paddington (Ben Whishaw) travels to Peru to visit his beloved Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton), who now resides at the Home for Retired Bears. With the Brown Family in tow, a thrilling adventure ensues when a mystery plunges them into an unexpected journey through the Amazon rainforest and up to the mountain peaks of Peru.
When twin brothers Hal (Theo James) and Bill (Theo James) discover their father’s old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths start occurring all around them.
Daisy Ridley as Joey the action film ‘Cleaner’, a Quiver Distribution release.
Set in present-day London, a group of radical activists take over an energy company’s annual gala, seizing 300 hostages in order to expose the corruption of the hosts. Their just cause is hijacked by an extremist within their ranks, who is ready to murder everyone in the building to send his anarchic message to the world. It falls to an ex-soldier turned window cleaner, played by Daisy Ridley, suspended 50 stories up on the outside of the building, to save those trapped inside, including her younger brother.
(L to R) Cooper Hoffman and Christoph Waltz in the Action/Comedy film ‘Old Guy’, a The Avenue release. Photo courtesy of The Avenue.
An aging hitman (Christoph Waltz) is forced to train a young prodigy (Cooper Hoffman) when his employer moves to replace the old guard. But when they learn they are being betrayed, the unlikely pair turns into a lethal team – with their double-crossing bosses in their sights.
Ving Rhames as Elliot in the thriller ‘Uppercut’, a Lionsgate release. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate.
When Elliott (Ving Rhames), a tough ex-boxing champion, accepts the challenge to train Toni (Luise Grossmann), the two mismatched characters form an unlikely alliance. Their sparring and Elliott’s keen insights show the resilient young fighter that real strength comes from the challenges you overcome when life throws its biggest punches your way.
Michael Fassbender in ‘Black Bag’. Photo: Focus Features.
From Director Steven Soderbergh, ‘Black Bag’ is a gripping spy drama about legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) and his beloved wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). When she is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test – loyalty to his marriage or his country.
In a retro-futuristic past, orphaned teenager Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) traverses the American West with an eccentric drifter and a sweet but mysterious robot in search of her younger brother.
(Center) Rachel Zegler as Snow White in ‘Snow White.’ Photo: Disney.
A live-action musical reimagining of the classic 1937 film, starring Rachel Zegler in the title role and Gal Gadot as her Stepmother, the Evil Queen, the magical music adventure journeys back to the timeless story with beloved characters Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy.
Jack Black in ‘A Minecraft Movie’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Four misfits (Jason Momoa, Sebastian Hansen, Emma Myers and Danielle Brooks) find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they’ll have to master this world while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve.
Rami Malek in ‘The Amateur’. Photo: 20th Century Studios.
After his life is turned upside down when his wife (Rachel Brosnahan) is killed in a London terrorist attack, a brilliant but introverted CIA decoder (Rami Malek) takes matters into his own hands when his supervisors refuse to take action.
Robert Pattinson in ‘Mickey 17’. Photo: Warner Bros.
Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) has found himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job… to die, for a living.
Ben Affleck as Christian Wolff in ‘The Accountant.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
When Medina’s (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) former boss (J.K. Simmons) is killed by unknown assassins, she’s forced to contact Christian (Ben Affleck) to solve the murder. With the help of his estranged but highly lethal brother Brax (Jon Bernthal), Chris applies his brilliant mind and less-than-legal methods to piece together the unsolved puzzle.
Tom Cruise in ‘Mission” Impossible – The Final Reckoning,’ which opens in theaters on May 23rd, 2025.
After escaping a calamitous train crash, Ethan (Tom Cruise) realizes The Entity is stashed aboard an old Russian submarine, but a foe from his past named Gabriel is also on the trail.
(L to R) Jackie Chan, Ben Wang and Ralph Macchio in Columbia Pictures ‘Karate Kid: Legends’. Photo: Sony Pictures.
After a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother. Li struggles to let go of his past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates, and although he doesn’t want to fight, trouble seems to find him everywhere. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren’t enough. Li’s kung fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.
Ana de Armas as Eve in ‘Ballerina’. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate.
Taking place during the events of ‘John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum‘, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.
Gerard Butler in ‘How to Train Your Dragon’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames) stands apart, defying centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson in ’28 Years Later’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
It’s been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well.
Racing legend Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is coaxed out of retirement to lead a struggling Formula 1 team—and mentor a young hotshot driver—while chasing one more chance at glory.
(L to R) Jonathan Bailey as paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis and Scarlett Johansson as skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett in ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’, directed by Gareth Edwards.
Five years after the events of ‘Jurassic World Dominion‘, covert operations expert Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) is contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material from the world’s three most massive dinosaurs. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized, they all find themselves stranded on an island where they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that’s been hidden from the world for decades.
(L to R) David Corenswet and Krypto in ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram account.
Superman (David Corenswet), a cub reporter in Metropolis, embarks on a journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent.
‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’. Photo: Marvel Studios Instagram Account.
Against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel’s First Family is forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, while defending Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer.
2025’s ‘The Bad Guys 2’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
The now-reformed Bad Guys are trying (very, very hard) to be good, but instead find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes, globe-trotting heist, masterminded by a new team of criminals they never saw coming: The Bad Girls.
(L to R) Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan presenting ‘Freakier Friday’ at D23 2024. Photo: Disney.
Years after Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna (Lindsay Lohan) endured an identity crisis, Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover lightning might indeed strike twice.
Christian Bale in ‘The Bride!’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
In the 1930s, a lonely Frankenstein travels to Chicago to seek the aid of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the attention of the police and a wild and radical social movement.
Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in ‘Michael.’ Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur.
An in-depth portrayal of Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson), a complicated man, who became the King of Pop. The biopic will bring to life Jackson’s most iconic performances as it gives an informed insight into the entertainer’s artistic process and personal life.
A highly sophisticated Program called Ares (Jared Leto) is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings.
Cynthia Erivo is Elphaba in ‘Wicked’, directed by Jon M. Chu. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Follows Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the future Wicked Witch of the West and her relationship with Glinda (Ariana Grande), the Good Witch of the North. The second of a two-part feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical.
Detectives Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile who arrives in Zootopia and turns the mammal metropolis upside down.
(L to R) Director James Cameron, Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington at D23 2024 presenting ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo: Disney.
In the wake of the devastating war against the RDA and the loss of their eldest son, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) face a new threat on Pandora: the Ash People, a violent and power-hungry Na’vi tribe led by the ruthless Varang. Jake’s family must fight for their survival and the future of Pandora in a conflict that pushes them to their emotional and physical limits.
(L to R) Nina Mazursky, GI Robot, The Bride, Rick Flag Sr., Dr. Phosphorus, Weasel in ‘Creature Commandoes’. Photo: Courtesy of Max.
Launching with its first two episodes (of seven) on December 5th on Max, ‘Creature Commandos’ marks the start of filmmaker James Gunn and producer Peter Safran’s run in charge of DC Studios, the arm of Warner Bros. Discovery intended to adapt its sprawling DC Comics properties.
It faces quite the challenge, since Warners has seen some truly mixed fortunes with the likes of Superman, Batman and the rest, and particularly in combining them via one cohesive cinematic universe.
Gunn certainly brings some experience to the table, having spent a few years with the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ characters in the MCU (and a wealth of other genre work), plus getting a solid ‘Suicide Squad’ effort into cinemas and, possibly even more importantly, impressing audiences with his take on the Peacemaker character spun off from that on to TV.
(L to R) Dr. Phosphorus, GI Robot, The Bride, Nina Mazursky, Rick Flag Sr. in ‘Creature Commandoes’. Photo: Courtesy of Max.
This very much has the feel of Gunn’s work –– it’s chatty, funny in a dark, sometimes sarcastic way, but is also filled with moments of humanity (even if they’re for characters who are decidedly non-human).
Here, he’s able to indulge in even more of what he enjoys, including deconstructing tropes (while also using them when needed), poking fun at stalwart concepts such as heroism and moral gray areas and letting a talented cast. That much-aimed for cohesiveness is already showing up, since Frank Grillo, who voices Rick Flag Sr. here, will be bringing the character to live-action for ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2.
Script and Direction
(L to R) Dr. Phosphorus, The Bride, Nina Mazursky, Rick Flag Sr., GI Robot, Weasel in ‘Creature Commandoes’. Photo: Courtesy of Max.
Gunn, in typically busy form, wrote all seven episodes, adapting the comics originally created by Pat Broderick and J.M. DeMatteis.
The story across the episodes follows one mission –– taking down the threat of sorceress Circe (Anya Chalotra) who has tasked what is effectively an incel army obsessed with the all-female island of Themiscyra (AKA Wonder Woman’s home) with attacking a small fictional Eastern European country in the hopes of using its resources to conquer the island, which Circe believes is her right.
Amanda Waller (Viola Davis, who has played the role across the two ‘Suicide Squad’ movies and ‘Peacemaker’ has to gather who she can to send on the mission to stop them, her resources severely depleted since the disastrous assignment in Gunn’s ‘Squad’ movie.
(L to R) GI Robot, Dr. Phosphorus, The Bride, Rick Flag Sr., Nina Mazursky, Weasel in ‘Creature Commandoes’. Photo: Courtesy of Max.
It’s a compelling set up for a misfit mission movie, the various characters quickly proving to be oil and water in their outlooks, and Flag trying to keep them unified (or at least not killing each other… or him).
The result is an entertaining brew that is filled with plenty of action and drama and also manages to explore the backstories of the various characters (yes, even Weasel has a tragic past).
Yves “Balak” Bigerel is the show’s supervising director, and he and his team certainly find a style that fits with Gunn’s writing. The animation brings to mind more recent efforts such as ‘Harley Quinn,’ and its dynamic enough for what it needs.
Performances
Gunn has recruited an impressive voice cast for the show, with a few standouts…
Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr.
(L to R) Rick Flag Sr., Amanda Waller in ‘Creature Commandoes’. Photo: Courtesy of Max.
While Flag, pressed into service to lead the team, is more of a straight man to the wilder personalities that make it up, he’s not without depth and a proper storyline. Grillo lends him the appropriate amount of gruff weariness and shows the man’s layers particularly when talking about his late son (in one of several references to ‘The Suicide Squad’).
The Bride in ‘Creature Commandoes’. Photo: Courtesy of Max.
The Bride of Frankenstein is one of the more interesting characters on the team, filled with rage and sadness at her creation (or re-birth) purely to serve the interests of a man. It’s one that needed a sure touch, and between Gunn’s writing and Varma’s sensitive, full-throated performance, it works well.
(L to R) Nina Mazursky, GI Robot, Dr. Phosphorus in ‘Creature Commandoes’. Photo: Courtesy of Max.
The team’s aquatic mutant, she’s the nerdy, nervier member who has to find her backbone to really fight alongside them. Chao does good work voicing both sides of a character who has one of the more interesting arcs.
(L to R) Princess Ilana, Rick Flag Sr. in ‘Creature Commandoes’. Photo: Courtesy of Max.
Gunn veteran Bakalova (who voiced Cosmo in the third ‘Guardians’ movie), here voices the princess of the country that Flag and the rest are sent to help. Initially attracted to the old soldier, she reveals some hidden depths and Bakalova is good playing the layers.
Other notable characters
(L to R) GI Robot in ‘Creature Commandoes’. Photo: Courtesy of Max.
This being a Gunn production, it surely would be complete without at least one member of his family, and Sean Gunn is back playing both the slavering Weasel (who, as mentioned, gets a convincingly sad backstory) and World War II relic creation G.I. Robot, who is obsessed with slaying Nazis. Sean Gunn brings them both to vibrant vocal life.
David Harbour, meanwhile, scores a decently meaty role as Eric Frankenstein, the creature created by the literary doctor, who has his own reasons for keeping track of our heroes (and obviously factors into the Bride’s story).
Final Thoughts
(L to R) GI Robot, Dr. Phosphorus, Rick Flag Sr. in ‘Creature Commandoes’. Photo: Courtesy of Max.
Not every filmmaker would choose to have the story of a group of violent, strange creatures be the beachhead for their new, linked comic book adaptation universe. But James Gunn is not every filmmaker, and while ‘Creature Commandos’ certainly won’t be to everyone’s taste, it’s quite the calling card.
His take on Superman will be with us next year and that might give us more an idea of how he handles the traditional hero’s story. For now, though, this group are entertaining and emotional in equal measure.
And those who are big DC Comics fans will find plenty of references –– not that you have to know them to understand the story –– bringing flavor to the show.
‘Creature Commandos’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘Creature Commandos’?
The new DC animated series tracks a secret team of incarcerated monsters recruited for missions deemed too dangerous for humans.
When all else fails… they’re your last, worst option.
(L to R) David Corenswet and Krypto in ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram account.
Preview:
James Gunn has shared a first look at ‘Superman’s Krypto.
The super-powered canine is inspired by his own rescue dog, Ozu.
This version of Krypto will make his debut next July when ‘Superman’ lands in theaters.
Aside from his successful filmmaking career, James Gunn has often talked about his love for his various cats and dogs, including the fact that most of his menagerie are rescue pets.
His dogs in particular have showed up in cameos in movie such as ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’ So it makes sense that the version of Krypto the Superdog is inspired by Gunn’s own rescue dog, Ozu.
Here’s Gunn’s sweet tweet about the super-pooch and his real-world basis:
Krypto first appeared in 1955 in ‘Adventure Comics #210’ and appeared in numerous animated series and films, but never before in a live-action film.
The self-titled ‘Krypto the Superdog’ animated series starring the canine superhero premiered on Cartoon Network in 2005.
In the series, Krypto was Superman’s pet puppy on Krypton before being sent into space before the planet was destroyed. Upon landing on Earth he is a fully grown dog who has similar abilities to those of Superman.
(L to R) Rachel Brosnahan, David Corenswet and director James Gunn on the set of ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram account.
Little is truly known about the plotline at this point, but Gunn has been clear that he’s eschewing the usual exploding home planet Krypton/arrival in Smallville origin story (though those will likely be referenced) in favor of more of a workplace film with Clark showing up to work at the Planet, where Lois Lane will already be an established reporting star.
Peter Safran, Gunn’s co-chief of DC Studios (and a producer on the movie) said this about the new movie during the duo’s big announcement about DC films and series going forward:
“It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way. He is kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old-fashioned.”
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Who is appearing in ‘Superman’?
(Center) James Gunn and the cast of ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram Account.
That’s the main ensemble; we can expect an appearance from Gunn’s brother Sean (a regular in his movies, who has played the likes of Kraglin and provided the on-set reference performance and voice for Rocket Raccoon in the ‘Guardians’ franchise) as the villainous Maxwell Lord.
Aaron Pierre is joining the DC Studios TV series ‘Lanterns.’
The show adapts the ‘Green Lantern’ comics.
Damon Lindelof and Chris Mundy are among the producers of the new show.
The details are truly falling into place for DC Studios/HBO’s ‘Green Lanterns’ comics-based TV series ‘Lanterns.’
We learned last month that Kyle Chandler had entered talks to play one of the key lead roles, Lantern Corps member Hal Jordan, and he’s now signed a deal to star.
Casting his co-star came down to final decision between Stephan James (‘Race’) and Aaron Pierre, who recently showed his bad-ass side in ‘Rebel Ridge’ on Netflix. And now we know that Pierre has won the role of John Stewart, Jordan’s fellow corpsman.
It’s a much-anticipated role, since Pierre will be playing a character based on one of the States’ first black superheroes, and the show itself is a key part of DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran’s strategy going forward.
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What’s the story of ‘Green Lantern’ in comics form?
DC Comics’ Green Lantern John Stewart. Photo: DC Comics.
Created in its first incarnation (a Lantern named Alan Scott) in 1940 by Martin Nodell and Bill Finger, the concept of the ‘Green Lantern’ comics is that of a super-powered, police force, battling evil doers with rings that allow them to channel energy into different forms. There are many Lanterns, who patrol the known and unknown universe.
‘Green Lantern’s history on screen has been seriously mixed. Though different takes on the character have flourished in animated movies and series, their live-action counterparts have had less luck. Ryan Reynolds played the Hal Jordan version in a 2011 movie that didn’t triumph at the box office, and there have been fleeting glimpses on the small screen.
Even Zack Snyder didn’t manage to realize his chosen Lantern –– John Stewart –– in his mammoth Snyder Cut of ‘Justice League’. Despite shooting a cameo with Wayne T. Carr as Stewart, Warners asked him to remove the character because of the studio’s own plans. In the end, Snyder swapped in Martian Manhunter.
Gunn has Nathan Fillion playing the Guy Gardner incarnation in his ‘Superman’ movie, which lands on July 11th next year.
(Center) James Gunn and the cast of ‘Superman.’ Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram Account.
And the show had been in development before Gunn and Safran made their big announcement. Back in 2020, ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’ Seth Grahame-Smith hopped aboard to write and run what HBO Max (as the streaming service was then called) was picturing its most expensive series to date, a space-set ‘Green Lantern’ drama whose focus would be the Alan Scott and Guy Gardner iterations of the character among the first and most popular versions.
‘Lanterns’ will follow the Hal Jordan and John Stewart characters, as new recruit Stewart and Lantern legend Jordan are described in the latest official synopsis as “two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.” So, think ‘True Detective’ meets ‘Green Lantern’…
Jodie Foster in HBO’s ‘True Detective: Night Country.’ Photo: Michele K. Short/HBO.
Chris Mundy, whose resume includes stints on Netflix’s ‘Ozark’ and HBO’s ‘True Detective: Night Country’, is showrunner on the new series, working alongside ‘Watchmen’s Damon Lindelof and DC comics writer Tom King (whose ‘Supergirl’ comic is the basis for the new movie featuring the character).
(Left) Bane from DC Comics. Photo: DC Comics. (Right) Deathstroke from DC Comics. Photo: DC Comics.
Preview:
Warner Bros.’ based DC Studios is developing a script about Bane and Deathstroke.
The DC villains have both been seen on screen before.
Matthew Orton is writing the screenplay.
Even with ‘Superman‘ flying his way back to screens next year, Warner Bros. and DC Studios are staying focused on its bad guys right now.
The companies have ‘The Penguin’ on screen right now via HBO and Max (to solid reviews and healthy viewing figures), while fellow Batman wrongdoer The Joker will return to theaters –– albeit in altered, Joaquin Phoenix form –– via ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ on October 4th.
And it would seem they’re not done putting the rogue’s gallery front and center, as The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Bane and Deathstroke appear likely to get their own movie.
(Left) Bane from DC Comics. Photo: DC Comics. (Right) Deathstroke from DC Comics. Photo: DC Comics.
Bane, who was created by writer Chuck Dixon and artist Graham Nolan in the 1990s, is a hulking masked villain who was raised in a Caribbean prison and who (in a later storyline) was the subject of a terrible steroid test, leaving his strength boosted but with a lingering serum addiction –– hence his trademark mask.
The character on the page might be best known for the ‘Knightfall’ storyline where he broke Batman’s back and saw his profile rise among fans. He has been all over video games and TV series (including a funny take in the animated ‘Harley Quinn’ show) and made his biggest impact on the big screen as part of Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ where he was played by Tom Hardy.
As for Deathstroke, he was introduced in 1980, created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Perez, and originally was an antagonist for the Teen Titans. His notoriety and popularity has skyrocketed since then, and he’s faced off against Batman and the Justice League.
And that has been his fate of late –– he was going to be the villain of ‘The Batman’, back when Ben Affleck was directing and starring. At another point, he was attached to star in an eponymous movie from ‘The Raid’ director Gareth Evans.
