Let’s be real. If you had to name the most badass action movie of the past few years, what’s the first flick that comes to mind? Yeah yeah, John Wick might be all the rage for teenagers, Liam Neeson continues to do his geriatric Charlie Bronson, and you can never discount Jason Statham and his brand of brutal butt-kicking. But come on, as far as violently visceral and scintillatingly satisfying underdog tales loaded with realistic fisticuffs and gore-sodden gunfights – nobody does it better than Nobody! Indeed, the 2021 cinematic blitzkrieg starring Bob Odenkirk as an unassuming everyman by day and certified ass-kicker by night hit all the right notes to deliver a vicious and delicious revenge dish for the ages. 

With that being said, did you know that a Nobody 2 is currently back in the works? Did you know there were discussions about making a Nobody and John Wick crossover movie? Hell, were you even aware that the entire plot of the movie was inspired by a real-life home invasion experienced by Odenkirk himself? Well, we’re about to dig up all the buried bodies and hidden skeletons in Nobody’s past and give y’all a heaping dose of What Happened to this Movie. 

As alluded to, Nobody was inspired by an idea by Bob Odenkirk after the actor experienced not one, but two, terrifying home invasions in real life. One of the break-ins was particularly traumatic for Odenkirk and his family, with the actor publicly recounting the time that burglars stormed into his house in Los Angeles. After bravely trapping the invaders in his basement, Odenkirk called the police to respond to the crime. However, Odenkirk was so discouraged and dissatisfied with the police response that he imagined what would have transpired if he had taken swift vigilante justice in his own hands and pulled a full-on Steven Seagal in the heat of the moment. 

As Odenkirk continued to envision how things might have played out if he “was a badass” in real life, the idea bloomed into a cinematic story. For Odenkirk, the motivation for the story was meant to explore how “You always wish you’d done more” to protect one’s family in such a harrowing scenario. Apart from the home invasions his family suffered, Odenkirk was also interested in exploring his own internal struggles with aging and feeling irrelevant and ineffectual as his children matured. 

Once Odenkirk’s concept was approved and his casting of Hutch Mansell was announced, Nobody began development in January 2018. John Wick writer Derek Kolstad conceived the story and penned the screenplay for Nobody, with John Wick co-director David Leitch producing the project for STX Entertainment. Around the same time in 2018, Russian director Ilya Naishuller was tapped to direct Nobody on the strength of his breathless action movie Hardcore Henry. By 2019, Nobody swapped distributors after moving from STX Entertainment to Universal Pictures. Christopher Lloyd and Connie Nielsen were cast in the fall of 2019 to play Hutch’s father David and wife Becca, respectively. It was Odenkirk’s idea to cast Lloyd as his father. Naishuller immediately loved the idea and described why he thought the decision worked so well, saying:

“Someone with positive baggage wielding a shotgun and killing people is gonna be more fun to see than someone we’ve seen do that.”

To his credit, Lloyd almost declined the role due to having irritable bowel syndrome. Yet, like a real trooper, Lloyd declined to use stunt doubles for the action scenes and insisted on toting the heavy shotguns in the film on his own. Never mind the IBS, the irony of Doc Brown dumping 1.21 gigawatts of lead on a gang of Russian mobsters only adds to the actors’ towering legend. Believe it or not, Odenkirk and Lloyd share the same birthday, October 22nd, and celebrated together when they both turned one year older while making the movie. 

Following the casting process, Naishuller was pleasantly surprised that Kolstad was not too precious with his screenplay, telling the director that “the best idea wins,” should changes be required. After polishing the script and showing it to his Russian mobster friend, who in turn showed the script to associates in the Obschak (the Russian Mafia), Naishuller was delighted to hear how authentic and realistic the story was. We’ll delve into the efforts taken to make the movie as gritty and hyperrealistic as possible in a bit.

First, it’s worth noting that principal photography on Nobody began on September 30, 2019, and lasted until November 3, 2019. The whole movie was shot in just 34 days, which is quite a remarkable achievement given the excellent final result. Although filming commenced in Los Angeles, California for establishing shots, almost all of the movie was shot in Winnipeg, Canada. For instance, Hutch’s home was filmed at 20 Shillingstone Road in Winnipeg. Meanwhile, the unforgettable bus brawl was filmed on 171 Princess Street.

Speaking of the brutal bus battle, fans need to know that Odenkirk performed all of the fights and stunts in the film himself at age 56 and 57. To prepare for such a physically taxing performance, Odenkirk trained for two years before cameras began rolling. At the height of his training regiment, a famous unnamed actor whom Odenkirk respects greatly asked him why he was so committed to training when the studio could provide people to do the fighting for him. Odenkirk stands by the decision and has publicly stated, “I had so much fun doing the fight scenes!” It was Odenkirk’s idea to bash his head against the rail pole inside the bus. According to Odenkirk in the DVD commentary – which was recorded six months before the film was released – the idea was meant to reinforce Hutch’s status as an everyman rather than an infallible action hero. Odenkirk also trained under Swiss actor and Fight Coordinator Daniel Bernhardt, who plays one of the goons Hutch batters on the bus and knocks his teeth out. Meanwhile, the preamble of the bus fight was originally meant to utilize the song “Ava Marie” by Franz Schubert, suggesting that the Russian thugs were sent to Hutch as a gift from god to soothe his embattled soul. In the end, Steve Lawrence’s version of “I Gotta Be Me” was chosen to start the scene instead.

To backtrack a bit, Nobody was initially meant to open with the harrowing home invasion Hutch and his family encounter. However, to establish the mundane routine of Hutch’s daily suburban life, the opening montage of Hutch’s repetitive domestic cycle was added. 

Shortly following the home invasion that incites the plot of the movie, Hutch visits a tattoo parlor to find the assailants. The memorable scene features Hutch revealing his perilous past through a tattoo on his wrist. The tattoo resembles a pair of playing cards with the 7 of Spades and 2 of Diamonds. First of all, the number 72 is a numeric code for U.S. Green Berets, a branch of Marines that Hutch belonged to in the past. Furthermore, in Tarot readings, Spades are associated with bad luck, death, and violence. Meanwhile, Diamonds represent jewels, coins, and money. Therefore, in addition to indicating his past with the Green Berets, Hutch’s tattoo signifies that he has dealt with death, violence, and hard luck directly for money and riches in his life. 

Speaking of Hutch’s mysterious past, the character turns out to be revealed as an Auditor and government assassin for the various “three letter agencies.” Hints to Hutch’s true nature are given throughout the movie. For example, the Russian pop song that the main villain Yulian sings in the dance club is titled “Buhgalter” by the band Kombinaciya. “Buhgalter” translates as Accountant, which alludes to Hutch’s role in the film as an intelligence community Auditor. 

Another awesome moment in the movie comes when Hutch is joined by his dad David and his former colleague, Harry, played by Wu-Tang Clan’s Rza. According to Naishuller, Rza only had four days, including rehearsal, to complete his role. However, because he’s seen more action movies than Naishuller has, something the director admitted is “quite rare,” Rza was able to slip right into the violent shootouts without missing a beat. Meanwhile, during the intense shootout at David’s retirement home, Naishuller makes a cameo appearance as a Russian goon sent to kill Hutch’s father. Naishuller’s wife, Darya Charusha, also appears briefly as Yulian’s ruthless henchwoman in the movie. 

Indeed, much of Nobody’s appeal comes from its hyperrealistic violence and palpably painful action scenes. According to Naishuller and Kolstad, this was not an accident. The Firearms Safety Coordinator for the movie – Dave Brown – instructs real police officers and military soldiers on how to shoot targets with pinpoint accuracy. Brown worked closely with Odenkirk and the two spent extensive time together discussing the physical and psychological toll such shootouts would have on the human body and mind. 

Part of turning Hutch from an ordinary suburban dad to a merciless cutthroat killer was to depict the mental and physical agony the character endures throughout the movie. For instance, when the human body suffers enough physical punishment, the perception of time appears to slow down, which is an effect known as Tachypsychia. Hutch also experiences hearing loss and a narrow sense of tunnel vision after taking physical beatings, all of which were deliberate effects used in the movie to underscore Hutch’s realistic sense of pain and discomfort. It’s precisely Hutch’s vulnerabilities that make him easy to relate to and root for, and also sets him apart from most indestructible action heroes.

Considering Odenkirk’s demanding performance and the rapid 34-day filming schedule for Nobody, it’s a minor miracle that the production went smoothly without any major injuries or mishaps. According to the DVD commentary, the biggest issues that arose on set related to whether parmesan cheese should be layered on top of the lasagna during a dinner scene. Connie Nielsen reportedly did not care for the topping and a minor argument broke out on set. Beyond that, Nobody was reportedly made with very few production hitches and hiccups. 

Yet, for as smoothly as the principal photography went, nothing could have prepared Naishuller and the Nobody team for the delayed release caused by the sudden outbreak of COVID-19. Before the pandemic resulted in a global lockdown, Nobody was scheduled to hit theaters on August 14, 2020. Once the outbreak of COVID-19 took place, the release of Nobody was delayed and rescheduled several times. Once the safety precautions were lifted, Nobody was eventually released theatrically on March 26, 2021, eight months after its initial release date. Fortunately, the movie came out when the masses were desperate to return to cinemas, and the movie became a financial success by turning a $16 million budget into a $57.5 million moneymaker worldwide. 

Coupled with the critical plaudits, the commercial success of Nobody led the producers to consider a sequel of some kind. When Nobody bombarded theaters in March 2021, Connie Nielsen expressed her interest in returning for a sequel, declaring that she only took on the hapless role of Hutch’s wife so she could be part of a popular cinematic franchise. 

By June 2021, Derek Kolstad began writing a script for Nobody 2, although the movie was not officially green-lit at the time. At the time, one of the ideas was to potentially make a Nobody and John Wick crossover movie. Remember, Leitch and Kolstad were partly responsible for creating the John Wick franchise and Nobody already has over connections to the popular action series. Secondly, a promotional poster for Nobody is very reminiscent of one of the posters for John Wick 2, with the guns aimed at Wick’s face replaced by fists pointed at Hutch’s head. The first trailer for Nobody also billed the movie as an intense action flick from the makers of John Wick. Also, in Nobody, Hutch discharges an empty magazine clip from his rifle in a way that is identical to the way John Wick does in John Wick 2. Furthermore, the song “The Impossible Dream” by The Quest heard in Nobody was also used in the trailer for John Wick 3. 

Although the potential for a Nobody and John Wick crossover appears to have been laid, Kolstad claimed that if does materialize, he would like to see small, subtle connections made between the two action franchises rather than a full-fledged mashup. Kolstad also stated that the crossover would be minimal and that Hutch and Wick would be allies if they shared screen time. However, since different studios distribute Nobody and John Wick, it will be difficult to combine the two franchises in the future. When speaking about the potential crossover in March 2021, Naishuller maintained hope and kept the door open, stating: “I mean, everything’s possible. Stranger things have definitely happened.”

While a Nobody and John Wick crossover doesn’t appear likely anytime soon, fans should rest easy knowing that a Nobody sequel continues to pick up steam.

In March 2022, one of the production companies behind the first film – 87North Productions – expressed interest in making Nobody 2. However, no official production date was given. The project lingered for a few more months until David Leitch announced in August 2022 that the studio was committed to producing a Nobody 2. By December 2022, it was announced that a sequel to Nobody was officially in production with a shooting schedule slated for 2023. Most recently, in January 2024, Nielsen confirmed that the sequel is currently in development and that her character will return alongside Bob Odenkirk. At the time, there’s no telling if Naishuller will direct Nobody 2. 

It’s also worth noting that, along with Nobody 2, Odenkirk is set to star in another action movie called Normal from screenwriter Derek Kolstad. The movie will be directed by Free Fire’s Ben Wheatley, with Odenkirk playing a sheriff named Ulysses in the small town of Normal, Illinois. Nobody producer Marc Provissiero is also set to work on Normal with Kolstad, Wheatley, and Odenkirk. 

With not much else to cover, that’s essentially What Happened to Nobody! The story was inspired by Odenkirk’s real-life encounters with home invaders and became a kind of wish-fulfillment fantasy for the actor to live out onscreen what he couldn’t do in reality. Once the concept was green-lit, the creative forces behind the John Wick franchise – namely David Leitch and Derek Kolstad – propped the film up as a sick cinematic sidekick to the Keanu Reeves vehicle and launched Odenkirk’s newfangled career as an action star. 

Although the film shoot experienced very little drama during a rapid 34-day schedule, the movie’s release was delayed several times due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Fortunately, by the time Nobody stormed the theaters in March 2021, moviegoers were ready to flood the cinemas and the film became a commercial and critical hit. As a result, a potential Nobody and John Wick crossover was flirted with, ultimately leading to the announcement that a standalone Nobody sequel is currently in development. For action movie fans, there’s no better news than hearing that Odenkirk will bring Hutch Mansell back to the big screen sometime in the future!

After beta testing the merging of the two streaming apps, Disney+ officially launches Hulu on its platform as the company hopes to reel in new subscribers.

The merging of the streaming apps Hulu and Disney+ is complete. The Hollywood Reporter reveals that Disney+ has now launched Hulu out of beta with a marketing push as the company wishes to attract more subscribers. The platform now has the ability to view the slate of Hulu’s content or consolidate the shows and films if you are a subscriber of the Disney bundle. Joe Earley, president of direct-to-consumer for Disney Entertainment, has stated, “Its whole goal is to make happier subscribers and healthier subscribers, provide them convenience, deeper engagement, better retention, and increase the value of the Disney bundle for our subscribers.”

The combining of the apps started beta testing late last year where some parts of Hulu could be accessed from Disney+ for bundle subscribers. Now, both are fully integrated, and executives are touting a bevy of technical steps needed to enable the move. Aaron LaBerge, who is the president & CTO for Disney Entertainment & ESPN, outlined the tech ingenuity, “This launch really represents the most extensive technical advancement to Disney+ and our entire streaming platform since we launched Disney+ over four years ago. Our teams have had to reimagine and redesign many core aspects of our platform. We completely redefined the way that we manage our video assets, integrating our libraries and improving quality. We shipped an entirely new content management system that delivers capabilities for editorial and programming teams to merchandise and promote our content with much more flexibility.”

Hulu and Disney+ bundle subscribers will have the benefit of scrolling through all of the content from both platforms for their viewing pleasure, while those who only subscribe to Disney+ without Hulu are only able to search through Hulu shows with the option to upgrade to the bundle. If you click on a Hulu show, you will be prompted to purchase the upgrade before the show plays on the app.

Earley adds, “We started out primarily focusing on the bundled subscribers and how this is going to increase their engagement and reduce the friction for them. But as you saw, there’s also three in-app entry points for those standalone Disney+ subscribers who want to upgrade to the bundle so that they can unlock all of this together.”

About the Author

E.J. is a News Editor at JoBlo, as well as a Video Editor, Writer, and Narrator for some of the movie retrospectives on our JoBlo Originals YouTube channel, including Reel Action, Revisited and some of the Top 10 lists. He is a graduate of the film program at Missouri Western State University with concentrations in performance, writing, editing and directing.

Colin Farrell leads a unique twist on the noir detective drama unlike any you have seen before.

Plot: John Sugar is an American private investigator on the heels of the mysterious disappearance of Olivia Siegel, the beloved granddaughter of legendary Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel. As Sugar tries to determine what happened to Olivia, he will also unearth Siegel family secrets; some very recent, others long-buried.

Review: Detective stories and noir films are iconic genres in film and literature. Who doesn’t love a grizzled private eye who saves the girl and beds the femme fatale? From The Maltese Falcon to Chinatown, detectives have a long and storied history on screen. With the new series Sugar, Colin Farrell adds another great character to the list. A suave, calm, and skilled investigator, John Sugar is an idealized hero straight off the silver screen. And, like any number of great cinematic detectives, he has a weakness. Having seen the full eight episodes of Sugar, audiences will love or hate John Sugar’s weakness, but it certainly distinguishes this series from anything that has come before it. Full of familiar characters and plentiful homages to the genre that inspired it, Sugar is a fascinating mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Sugar opens with John Sugar (Colin Farrell) on a case in Tokyo. Shot in black and white with a jazzy score, this opening sequence sets the tone for the series that follows. Sugar remains calm even as the tension escalates, and we immediately learn much about him. Sugar speaks multiple languages fluently, abhors violence, and he is always in control. Soon, we find Sugar returns to Los Angeles, where his handler, Ruby (Kirby), preps him for his next case. Sugar is hired by Hollywood mogul Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell) to find his missing granddaughter, Olivia (Sydney Chandler). Sugar feels drawn to the case as it connects to his past, even though Ruby cautions him against taking it on. Nevertheless, Sugar begins his investigation, unraveling a cast of suspects and theories that develop over the series run. Like any good detective tale, some are red herrings, while others are twists waiting to be revealed.

Right off the bat, I was fully invested in this story. Colin Farrell is a charismatic actor and was born to play this character. Sugar loves movies and revels in the classics featuring Jimmy Stewart and Glen Ford. He drinks whiskey and wears Saville Row suits in a stunning classic sports car while driving around Los Angeles. He also charms anyone he meets and has an affinity for dogs and cats. He is the perfect human being. But, like anyone that seems too good to be true, we quickly see his Achilles heel. Sugar deals with some physical trauma as well as flashbacks that echo through the series. We know very early on that there is more to John Sugar than his exterior, and this reveal catches some viewers off guard. I suspected the twist early on, but I still found it fascinating when it played out. I fear some viewers will be disappointed or underwhelmed by this twist, but I found it an unexpected way to tell a conventional detective series in a new light.

While Farrell and Kirby lead the cast, the supporting players are all fantastic. In addition to James Cromwell, Sugar features Amy Ryan as rock star Melanie Mackie, Nate Corddry as David Siegel, Anna Gunn as Margit, Dennis Boutsikaris as Bernie Siegel, and Miguel Sandoval as Thomas Kinsey. More actors are in the cast, but revealing any of them would likely tell you too much. I highly recommend going into this series with as little knowledge as possible, avoiding the trailer if you have not seen it yet. You may be reticent to check out a series if you aren’t a fan of the genre, but I would put trust in Colin Farrell as a lead alone to invest in Sugar. He is so good at this that you need little else. If the first episode doesn’t hook you, I would be shocked.

Created by Mark Protosevich (The Cell, I Am Legend), Sugar is deeply rooted in nostalgia for the genre. Protosevich wrote half the season with David Rosen, Donald Joh, and Sam Catlin rounding out the scripters. Directing duties fell to Fernando Meirelles on all eight chapters. Meirelles, best known for The Constant Gardener, The Two Popes, and Blindness, combines classic black and white photography, copious film clips, and several visual techniques from handheld to stunning landscape shots. Sugar is a beautiful series enhanced by the sultry jazz score by Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge. Everything about the series worked for me except the ending. The final episode has the expected “one more thing” moment that every classic detective story has, but it felt rushed to me. There is no indication that Sugar is a limited series, even if it works as one, so the potential for future seasons could change appreciation for the final episode in hindsight.

Appreciating Sugar will rest on how much you appreciate the noir genre and your acceptance of the twists in the narrative that set this series apart from any other detective story that came before it. Based on Colin Farrell’s outstanding lead performance alone, Sugar is a must-watch for fans and non-fans alike. The potential for this to be an ongoing series leaves room for future cases for John Sugar that could delve into new elements of this over-arching narrative. With a great score, beautiful cinematography, and a solid cast, Sugar is a brilliant take on a legendary genre. I cannot wait for audiences to see where this story goes and whether they pick up the clues along the way. This is a fun mystery to try and solve and a thrilling ride to boot.

Sugar premieres with two episodes on April 5th on AppleTV+.

Cobra Kai is about to wrap up its run with this last season, but the movie that started it all will be available to experience all over again with new special features.

Be prepared to sand the floor, paint the fence, wax on-wax off and paint the house in glorious 4K. The Karate Kid is already a timeless classic, but Cobra Kai gave the property a surprisingly well-executed extension of Daniel Larusso and Johnny Lawrence’s world. The 1984 film that served as an introduction to the martial art for an entire generation will be celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. And Sony is shouting “Bansai!” with a new 4K restoration Blu-ray release of the Ralph Macchio-Pat Morita film.

The official synopsis of The Karate Kid 4K Blu-ray release from Sony reads,
“Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the coming-of-age classic — from Academy Award®-winning director John G. Avildsen (1976, Rocky) — that will leave you cheering! There is more to karate than fighting. This is the lesson that Daniel (Ralph Macchio), a San Fernando Valley teenager, is about to learn from a most unexpected teacher: Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki “Pat” Morita in his Academy Award®-nominated performance, Best Supporting Actor, 1984), an elderly handyman who also happens to be a master of the martial arts. His training and these vital lessons will be called into play when an outmatched Daniel faces Johnny (William Zabka), the skilled leader of the Cobra Kai — a vicious gang of karate school bullies — in a no-holds-barred karate tournament for the championship of the Valley.”

Disc details and Bonus Materials on the release include:

4K ULTRA HD DISC 

• Restored from the original camera negative, presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision
• English Dolby Atmos + English 5.1 + English Stereo
• Special Features:
  • ALL-NEW: Commentary with the Creators of Cobra Kai Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
  • ALL-NEW: Over 30 Minutes of Deleted Scene Dailies – go behind the scenes of this classic favorite like never before with raw footage from a variety of unused scenes!
  • 4 Deleted Scenes
  • Remembering The Karate Kid Featurette
  • Theatrical Trailer

BLU-RAY DISC™

• Feature presented in high definition
• English 5.1
• Special Features:
  • Blu-Pop™ Pop-Up Track
  • Commentary with Director John G. Avildsen, Writer Robert Mark Kamen and Actors Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita
  • “The Way of The Karate Kid” Multi-Part Making-Of Featurette
  • “Beyond the Form” Featurette
  • “East Meets West: A Composer’s Notebook”
  • “Life of Bonsai” Featurette

This special edition crane kicks into stores on June 18.

About the Author

E.J. is a News Editor at JoBlo, as well as a Video Editor, Writer, and Narrator for some of the movie retrospectives on our JoBlo Originals YouTube channel, including Reel Action, Revisited and some of the Top 10 lists. He is a graduate of the film program at Missouri Western State University with concentrations in performance, writing, editing and directing.

A trailer has been released for the Hulu true crime series Under the Bridge, starring Riley Keough and Lily Gladstone

On April 17th, the first two episodes of the eight-episode true crime series Under the Bridge will be available to watch through the Hulu streaming service. With that date just three weeks away, a trailer for Under the Bridge has made its way online, and you can check it out in the embed above. Following the two episode premiere, the remaining six episodes of the show will be released one-by-one on a weekly basis, with the last one reaching Hulu on May 29th.

Based on the best-selling true-crime book Under the Bridge by the late Rebecca Godfrey, the series was adapted for screen by Quinn Shephard. Riley Keough (Daisy Jones & The Six) and Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) star alongside Vritika Gupta (Launchpad).

Here’s the synopsis: Under the Bridge is based on acclaimed author Rebecca Godfrey’s book about the 1997 true story of fourteen-year-old Reena Virk (Vritika Gupta) who went to join friends at a party and never returned home. Through the eyes of Godfrey (Riley Keough) and a local police officer (Lily Gladstone), the series takes us into the hidden world of the young girls accused of the murder — revealing startling truths about the unlikely killer.

Also in the cast are Chloe Guidry, Javon “Wanna” Walton, Izzy G., Aiyana Goodfellow, Ezra Faroque Khan, and Archie Panjabi.

Coming our way from ABC Signature, this limited series is being executive produced by Shephard and Keough, as well as Samir Mehta, Liz Tigelaar, Stacey Silverman, Tara Duncan, Gina Gammell, and director Geeta Patel. Godfrey also receives an executive producer credit. Sadly, she passed away from lung cancer in October of 2022, at the age of just 54. Godfrey and Shephard worked together for two and a half years to turn the story of Under the Bridge into a series.

What did you think of the Under the Bridge trailer? Will you be watching this show when it reaches Hulu? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

My girlfriend is always interested in true crime stories and we both loved Daisy Jones & The Six, so this one has a good chance of being seen by us.

While Steven Spielberg remains an icon for his contribution to cinema with some of the greatest sci-fi movies, Spielberg himself was impacted by Dune: Part Two.

As if Dune: Part Two needed any more praise. Now, Denis Villeneuve’s newest sci-fi spice epic has the ringing endorsement from one of the most prolific directors in movie history. The run for the second part in the Frank Herbert novel adaptation has been a triumph, with many praising the sequel as one of the best sci-fi movies of all time; not only that, but it’s been consistently riding sandworms at the top of the box office, grossing over $500 million worldwide and counting. 

World of Reel has revealed that one big fan of the sequel is none other than Steven Spielberg. Spielberg recently sat down and spoke with Denis Villeneuve for The Director’s Cut – A DGA Podcast, where he would have some of the highest praise that someone could ever offer a director. Some soundbites of Spielberg’s compliments for the Timothée Chalamet-starring film include, “It’s one of the most brilliant science fiction films I’ve ever seen […] That scene surfing the sandworm is one of the greatest things I have ever seen. Ever […] The casting is absolutely remarkable […] This has some of the greatest fighting in it.”

Obviously, with the incredible reception that the movie is getting, the question of more sequels comes into play. Especially since Dune: Part Two ends on a note that sets up an even bigger story. Villeneuve mentioned in an interview with Empire that he will only make a third film if he’s sure it will be better than Part Two. Villeneuve states, “I did both movies back-to-back, which makes absolute sense for me. I felt that it was a good idea to move forward right after Part One. We were already designing, writing et cetera. But it also meant that for six years I was on Arrakis non-stop, and I think it will be healthy to step back a little bit. First, make sure that we have a strong screenplay. The thing I want to avoid is not having something ready. I never did it, and now I feel it could be dangerous because of the enthusiasm. We need to make sure all the ideas are on paper.“

Villeneuve added, “If we go back, it needs to be real, it needs to be relevant, if ever I do Dune Messiah, [it’s] because it’s going to be better than Part Two. Otherwise, I don’t do it.”

About the Author

E.J. is a News Editor at JoBlo, as well as a Video Editor, Writer, and Narrator for some of the movie retrospectives on our JoBlo Originals YouTube channel, including Reel Action, Revisited and some of the Top 10 lists. He is a graduate of the film program at Missouri Western State University with concentrations in performance, writing, editing and directing.

Ariana Greenblatt of Barbie and Borderlands is reportedly in the cast of the R.L. Stine-inspired Netflix horror film Fear Street: Prom Queen

Yesterday, it was announced that Katherine Waterston (Alien: Covenant), Lili Taylor (The Conjuring), Chris Klein (American Pie), India Fowler (The Nevers), Suzanna Son (Red Rocket), Fina Strazza (Paper Girls), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty), and Ella Rubin (The Idea of You) are set to star in Fear Street: Prom Queen, the continuation of the Fear Street film franchise that began with the release of the trilogy of Fear Street Part One: 1994, Fear Street Part Two: 1978, and Fear Street Part Three: 1666 on the Netflix streaming service back in the summer of 2021. Apparently yesterday was also the day when the project went into production, and Ariana Greenblatt from Barbie was spotted on the set in Toronto – and now OneTakeNews have been able to confirm that Greenblatt is in the cast.

Author R.L. Stine has written over 100 books that have been published under the various Fear Street banners. While the initial trilogy of films wasn’t directly based on any specific Fear Street book, the new movie will be telling a version of the story Stine crafted for his 1992 book The Prom Queen. Here’s the description: A spring night… soft moonlight… five beautiful Prom Queen candidates… dancing couples at the Shadyside High prom — these should be the ingredients for romance. But stir in one brutal murder — then another, and another — and the recipe quickly turns to horror. Lizzie McVay realizes that someone is murdering the five Prom Queen candidates one by one — and that she may be next on the list! Can she stop the murderer before the dance is over — for good? The official synopsis says Fear Street: Prom Queen takes us back to the town of Shadyside, Ohio, where prom season at Shadyside High is underway and the school’s wolfpack of It Girls is busy with its usual sweet and vicious campaigns for the crown. But when a gutsy outsider is unexpectedly nominated to the court, and the other girls start mysteriously disappearing, the class of ’88 is suddenly in for one hell of a prom night. 

Back in 2022, we heard that Chloe Okuno, who recently made her feature directorial debut with the thriller Watcher, would be directing the next Fear Street movie, but she left the street behind at some point in the last couple years. The film is actually being directed by Matthew Palmer, who made his feature directorial debut with the 2018 Netflix thriller Calibre. Palmer has written the screenplay with Calibre cast member Donald McLeary.

Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, and Kori Adelson of Chernin Entertainment are producing Fear Street: Prom Queen, with Yvonne Bernard, Joan Waricha, and Jane Stine serving as executive producers. Caroline Pitofsky is overseeing the production for Chernin Entertainment.

In addition to Barbie, Greenblatt’s previous credits include A Bad Moms Christmas, Avengers: Infinity War, Stuck in the Middle, Love and Monsters, Awake, In the Heights, 65, and Ahsoka. She has a role in director Eli Roth’s upcoming video game adaptation Borderlands – and Roth has said that he and Greenblatt are currently collaborating on a horror script.

What do you think of Ariana Greenblatt being part of the Fear Street: Prom Queen cast? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

We interview Farscape creator Rockne S. O’Bannon and star Ben Browder in celebration of the show’s 25th anniversary.

25 years ago The Sci-Fi channel (SyFy these days) brought onto the airwaves a series unlike any ever seen before.  Farscape took the idea of weird and ran with it in a universe filled with the bizarre, the beautiful, and both at the same time.

Created by Rockne S. O’Bannon, the man behind Alien Nation, Farscape introduced viewers to creatures and aliens of all different shapes and sizes.  Some of them were people and others were beyond anything we could imagine.  And we all saw it and experienced it alongside lost astronaut and scientist John Crichton, played by Ben Browder.  Crichton was the only ACTUAL human around and was the perfect stand in for the rest of us.

The series would be brought to life by the Jim Henson Creature Shop under the eye of Brian Henson (who we interviewed yesterday).  The shop would create and design various aliens that were both puppet and person…and a bit of both.  Over 4 seasons and a miniseries, Crichton and company would change the universe they were in as well as our own.  

Farscape became a fan favorite and would grow a fanbase that would be ravenous for the show.  They’d bring it back from the dead a couple of times over its run when cancellation was in the cards.  This love for the series came from seeing a crew that would accept pretty much anyone, no matter how odd they might seem.  Family didn’t mean you had to look alike and even those with a past of mistakes could find some forgiveness.  It was an amazing message brought to the screen that played out in a world that was just as amazing.

I was lucky enough to chat with three of the cornerstones of the Farscape universe.  Actor Ben Browder (John Crichton), creator/exec producer Rockne S O’Bannon, and creature maker/exec producer Brian Henson to look back 25 years later on Farscape’s past and a possible future as well as how the show changed the game for science fiction on TV.

In celebration of the anniversary, Shout! TV will be introducing new commercial break interstitials to Farscape TV, including trivia, production memories, and more featuring Ben Browder and Gigi Edgley. Farscape is available to stream at Farscape.TV and through the Shout! TV app.  

About the Author

Jessica was raised on a diet of Dark Shadows, Doctor Who, and a lot of things she saw way too young. She’s been writing for nearly a quarter of a century about the world of entertainment and her own fiction (and that sound you heard was her bones turning to dust.) Jessica loves being a JoBro as well as creating content for her site/channel/Podcast Fangirl Magazine/Fangirl Radio. Her favorite things are writing, movies/tv, video games, reading, and trying to summon the ghost of Vincent Price.

The cat & mouse thriller Strange Darling, starring Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner, is getting a wide theatrical release

A year and a half ago, it was announced that Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner – who both have experience working in the Scream franchise, as Fitzgerald was in the Scream TV series and Gallner appeared in the 2022 Scream movie – were set to star in the “cat and mouse thriller” Strange Darling. Now we know when we’re going to have a chance to see this movie, as Variety has confirmed that veteran producer Bob Yari’s new company Magenta Light Studios has secured the U.S. distribution rights to the film and they’re planning to give it a wide theatrical release on August 23rd.

Plot details on this thriller are being kept under wraps, and Variety notes that reviews from audience members who saw the movie at Fantastic Fest last year ” hint that the film works best with as little information as possible going in.” Apparently it has something to do with a spontaneous hookup gone terribly wrong.

Strange Darling was written and directed by J.T. Mollner (Outlaws and Angels), and filming took place in Portland, Oregon. The film was produced by former Miramax CEO Bill Block, Chris Ivan Cevic, Steven Schneider, Roy Lee, and actor Giovanni Ribisi, who also served as the director of photography.

Fitzgerald and Gallner were joined in the cast by Oscar nominee Barbara Hershey (The Entity) and Emmy nominee Ed Begley Jr. (Better Call Saul). According to IMDb, the cast of the film also features Madisen Beaty (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Bianca A. Santos (Ouija), Steven Michael Quezada (Breaking Bad), Eugenia Kuzmina (Bad Moms), Denise Grayson (The Social Network), and Duke Mollner – who happens to be the director’s father, and also had a role in Outlaws and Angels.

Bob Yari told Variety, “We are thrilled to be bringing nationwide theatrical audiences this unique and exceptional film with terrific performances by Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner. This second feature from talented writer-director JT Mollner is destined to become a cult classic that defies conventional storytelling.“

Kyle Gallner is a genre regular whose credits also include Red, The Haunting in Connecticut, Jennifer’s Body, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Red State, The Walking Dead, The Cleanse, Alien Code, Ghosts of War, Smile, The Passenger; Mother, May I?; and the upcoming Smile sequel. Willa Fitzgerald doesn’t have as many horror credits as Gallner, but she was in the Netflix series The Fall of the House of Usher, which was headed up by Mike Flanagan.

Are you interested in Strange Darling, and are you glad to hear the movie is getting a wide theatrical release in August? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Rolling Stone’s list of the 50 worst movies by great directors has some duds to be sure, but there is a lot to take issue with.

When you think of the great directors in cinema history – Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, etc. – chances are the first films that come to mind are Goodfellas, Jaws and Vertigo. But every brilliant filmmaker has their duds. Now, Rolling Stone – you know, the publication that doesn’t think Roseanne and Bill Cosby had historic shows just because of their wrongdoings – has put out a list of the 50 worst movies by some of the most renowned directors…And yes, they have missed the mark considerably.

In the list, titled “50 Terrible Movies by Great Directors”, there are plenty of bottom-barrel films, those that are absolutely anomalies in otherwise remarkable careers. We wouldn’t argue that man-child family comedy Jack (#1) isn’t Francis Ford Coppola’s worst movie or that Rob Reiner’s North (#2) wasn’t worthy of Roger Ebert’s famed “hated, hated, hated, hated, hated” review. Those guys didn’t make anything worse than either one. But what about those that are being unjustly lumped with this crap?

We didn’t love Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (#3) when it came out, but that’s mostly comparing it to the Indiana Jones trilogy which came before it. Really, aren’t 1941 and Always more in the running for Spielberg’s worst movie? The problem with some of these “worst of” lists is that they sometimes unfairly automatically go after sequels and remakes. OK, there’s a case to be made for Piranha II (#6) being James Cameron’s worst, but at the same time it’s a B movie that gave Cameron the chance to get a feel for how to make a movie and so why pick on it? The same goes for Scorsese’s Boxcar Bertha, ranked at #13. Uh, New York, New York, anyone? And I thought Gus Van Sant’s Psycho (#4) was a ballsy experiment that, to me, took the place of 2015’s The Sea of Trees.

A similar case could be made for Alfred Hitchcock’s inclusion, 1929’s Juno and the Paycock (#21). Why go after this era when he has plenty of self-parodic tripe after he long solidified himself as a master? I’d put 1964’s Marnie, 1969’s Topaz or 1966’s Torn Curtain on the list before any of his pre-Hollywood fare. There aren’t a whole lot of amazing films on this list – although Sidney Lumet’s Garbo Talks (#38) is actually pretty solid and films like Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain (#49) has a serious following – but it also doesn’t seem like enough context and perspective were considered as much as they should be when compiling such a list.

Let’s take a look at some other movies that made the list and how we could replace them. William Friedkin’s Jade #16) is pretty lousy, but what about 1983’s Deal of the Century? Robert Zemeckis’ Death Becomes Her (#19) is a sin to put anywhere near this list – it might actually be one of his best – with the director having no fewer than a half-dozen other movies that could have replaced it (Welcome to Marwen, Beowulf, etc.). And Ridley’s Scott’s A Good Year (#18) is no peach but how can it be included when The Counselor exists?

There’s a lot to explore on Rolling Stone’s list of the worst movies by great directors, but we’ll let you take a look yourself to see where they got it right and where they were completely off base.

Surely we shouldn’t take too much stock in virtually any “best of/worst of” list because it’s just another person or publication’s opinion, but we do want to hear from you. So, what do you think is the worst movie from your top directors? Give us your list in the comments section below!