IMDb is trying to combat review-bombing for the live-action version of Snow White, but will it work or are the trolls too strong?

Snow White was poisoned from the start. From the casting of Latina Rachel Zegler in the title role to the handling of the dwarf characters to the openly publicized political stances of its stars to the sheer existence of Gal Gadot, there was just no chance for it. As such, it has only taken in around $70 million domestically on a budget pegged upwards of $270 million. But forget the box office — moviegoers hate it! At least, those who claim they saw it do…

As it stands, Disney’s 2025 reimagining of beloved animated classic Snow White holds a 1.6/10 on IMDb based on 311,000 reviews…and 91% are one-star ratings. (The 2.7% of 10-star reviews are clearly from people who didn’t see it, either…) This looks to be an obvious case of review-bombing, which always hits a movie that has some sort of controversy heading into the release. It had even been so hazed that it was temporarily on the list of lowest-rated movies on the site, sitting alongside the likes of Manos: The Hands of Fate, Birdemic: Shock and Terror and Baby Geniuses 2. It has since been removed.

As a result, IMDb has issued a unique warning for Snow White which indicates “unusual activity”, point to “Our rating mechanism has detected unusual voting activity on this title.” Just for context, Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas holds no such disclaimer…

Movie fans — or at least those who claim to be — have no problem hitting review sites and forums with their opinions. And while there’s nothing wrong with that and it’s obviously encouraged if constructive, it’s those users who take it too far (as in the case of Snow White and IMDb) that don’t really serve a function other than to troll. We’ve seen it so many times before on various platforms but it really says something when one has to start issuing alerts. But will any others follow suit? Or is this just a futile gesture on their part?

How do you feel about IMDb’s disclaimer for Snow White? Could this in any way deter trolls from review-bombing?

Last Updated on April 9, 2025

For years, Awesome Art has been about two things only – awesome art and the artists that create it. With that in mind, we thought why not take the first week of the month to showcase these awesome artists even more? Welcome to “Awesome Artist We’ve Found Around The Net.” In this column, we are focusing on one artist and the awesome art that they create, whether they be amateur, up and coming, or well established. The goal is to uncover these artists so even more people become familiar with them. We ask these artists a few questions to see their origins, influences, and more. If you are an awesome artist or know someone that should be featured, feel free to contact me at any time at [email protected].This month we are very pleased to bring you the awesome art of…

Dave Dick

Dave Dick is a Philadelphia-based illustrator who specializes in the unsettling and macabre. Drawing inspiration from childhood nightmares and a lifelong love of horror films, his meticulous works grace movie posters, book covers, and more, sending shivers down spines with intricate details and chilling atmospheres. Despite the darkness he conjures, Dave maintains a vibrant personal life, balancing his craft with the joys of being a husband, father, and pet owner. This unexpected duality fuels his artistry, proving that even the spookiest minds have a soft spot for family and a purring cat.

JOBLO: What got you started as an artist?
DAVE: It was probably the first time I made a homemade greeting card for my mom as a kid, and she cried a little. That moment sealed my destiny as an artist. The rush of stirring raw emotion through my art became a dragon I’ve been chasing ever since.

Who were some of your favorite artists growing up?
There have been a lot over the years, from Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud to Tim Burton and Stephen Gammell. But the ones who really made an impression on me would have to be Ralph Steadman, Ashley Wood, and Dave McKean.

Who do you really dig these days, follow on Instagram?
Oh so many! But here are a few that I’m really digging lately. Ken Miller, Sophia Rapata, Justin Valliere, Jeremy Parker, Jed Leiknes, Delic Saike, Meth Fawn.

What advice would you have for budding artists today?
Draw every day, embrace every risk, never measure yourself against other artists, and network as much as you can.

What should we be looking out for from you in the future?
By the time this interview comes out, my latest exhibit will already be in full swing. I’m part of a group show called Master of Suspense: The Alfred Hitchcock Tribute Art Exhibit at Sugar Mynt Gallery in South Pasadena, CA. The show runs until May, and in September, I’ll be part of another group show paying homage to the late, great David Lynch. It’s called Transcendental: Artwork Inspired by David Lynch at Talleyville Gallery in Wilmington, DE.

Additionally, I’ve been working on a few books that will feature both interior and cover artwork. They’re slated to be published later this year, but the titles and release dates haven’t been announced yet. I’ll share details as soon as they’re available on my social media.

Being a fansite, we have to ask you… What are some of your favorite movies/TV shows of all time?
This is like asking me to pick a favorite child.. it feels wrong to narrow it down. Among my top horror movies are The Thing (1982), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Return of the Living Dead (1985), and The Blair Witch Project (1999).

As for non-horror, some of my favorites are Dumb and Dumber, The Big Lebowski, John Wick, Drive, and Superbad.

On the TV side, my current favorite show has to be Severance. It’s one of the best series to come around in a long time. Other favorites include Yellowjackets, From, Silo, The Righteous Gemstones, What We Do in the Shadows, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Bob’s Burgers.

Scroll down to check out some of our favorite art pieces from Dave as we continue to follow his journey across his Website and social media hubs: Instagram / Facebook / Threads / YouTube / TikTok / BlueSky / Shop / Etsy Shop

The Altar

Ascent

Captain Spaulding

The Clown With The Tearaway Face

The Dark Watchers

Dr. Finkelstein

Fairy Tale Creature

The Forest Dwellers

Ghostface

Ghosts Enjoying A Snow Day

I Think My Treehouse Is Haunted

The Jersey Devil

Krampus

Leatherface

Officer Friendly

Pinhead

Samantha + Oscar

Scarecrow

The Season Of The Witch

The Snarly Yow

Someone Is Hangry

Terrifer

The Two Witches

Wendigo

A Minecraft Movie is proving to be a runaway smash hit, with it on track for a $135 million weekend.

Last Updated on April 9, 2025

CinemaCon was this week, and amid all the excitement, it can’t be denied that a certain chill had set in among exhibitors. The fact is, the first quarter of 2025 has been a disaster, with absolutely no hit movies. Sure, Captain America: Brave New World has come close to $200 million stateside, but with the huge budget, it seems on track to lose millions, while Snow White and Mickey 17 were giant flops. There have been some small-scale singles and doubles, like The Monkey, A Working Man and Dog Man, but there have been no blockbusters.

Lo-and-behold, the box office gods have given us the first legitimate hit of the year, and it comes from beleaguered Warner Bros. Deadline is reporting that A Minecraft Movie is far exceeding expectations, with it likely to make over $135 million this weekend. That’s a pretty stunning result (and significantly more than we predicted), with the PG-rated family film perfectly tapping into the cultural zeitgeist (it also helps that stars Jack Black and Jason Momoa have been promoting the heck out of it – including here at JoBlo). Directed by Napoleon Dynamite’s Jared Hess,  this is the first movie this year that will make a boatload of money for exhibitors and the studios – and a rare longshot that paid off for WB. If their next big gamble, Sinners, also makes money, it could turn things around for them.

That said, A Minecraft Movie is pretty much the only movie people are going to see this weekend, with the latest batch of episodes from The Chosen – The Last Supper Part 2 – on track for a softer than expected $7 million weekend. Meanwhile, Jason Statham’s A Working Man looks like it will dip a so-so 56% to a $6.8 million weekend. 

What do you think of A Minecraft Movie’s success? Let us know in the comments!

Following its successful debut at CinemaCon, Disney has officially unveiled the first Tron: Ares trailer and poster.

Last Updated on April 9, 2025

One of the most exciting moments – for me anyway – at this year’s CinemaCon was when we got to see some early footage from Tron: Ares. What made the moment especially memorable was that star Jared Leto used the occasion to pay tribute to his co-star, Jeff Bridges (Flynn himself!), who, in turn, seemed psyched by the fact that the movie was being scored by none other than Nine Inch Nails. The footage was very well received, and now Disney has opted to release the CinemaCon trailer online. Check it out embedded above. 

As per the official synopsis, “TRON: Ares” follows a highly sophisticated program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings.”

It’s always interesting to see Disney try to relaunch the Tron saga, as the series has always been incredibly formative and influential, even if the box office receipts have never quite matched up to its cultural significance. Tron, which came out in 1982, was the first movie to use extensive CGI but it proved to be a commercial disappointment. The sequel, Tron: Legacy, had a lot more hype when it came out in 2010, but while it just about broke even, it also wasn’t the blockbuster the studio had been hoping for.

Nonetheless, Disney is taking another kick at the can with Tron: Ares, which benefits from two things. One, CGI animation has taken a huge leap forward in the fifteen years since this last film, and two, the movie’s AI themes are a lot more relevant (and scary) now than they were when the last two films came out. Maybe this is the first Tron movie that will connect in a big way.

Tron: Ares comes out on October 10th. The film is directed by Kon-Tiki’s Joachim Rønning and stars Jared Leto, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Gillian Anderson and Jeff Bridges!

Check out the trailer, along with the official poster below, and let us know how you think Tron: Ares looks!

Pierce Brosnan seems surprisingly open to playing James Bond again, noting, “they know where to find me.”

Last Updated on April 9, 2025

Never Say Never Again? While it looked like the Pierce Brosnan era came and went in the wake of the franchise’s reboot with Daniel Craig, things seem a little more flexible now. With Amazon now owning the rights to the James Bond franchise and actively working on a new direction for the series, fans are hoping the now seventy-one-year-old Brosnan might get one more kick at the can. While promoting his new TV series, MobLand, in which he co-stars against another popular choice to play 007, Tom Hardy, Brosnan was asked on The Today Show if he thought he could still play the role. 

“In a pinch,” he said, adding, “Let’s see where the wind takes us. Let’s see what happens. They know where to find me…why not?” While it seems likely Amazon will want to choose a young actor to usher us into a new era of 007, a lot of Bond fans think Brosnan deserves a proper send off. His departure as Bond was highly controversial, as all of his films had been major hits, and he was eager to reprise the role. While the producers understandably figured the series needed a refresh in the wake of Die Another Day (which was still the highest-grossing Bond film of all time up to that point), many felt Brosnan was shafted by the producers. In fact, Brosnan himself took issue with the fact that he was dismissed from the role via a phone call from the Broccoli family saying, “I was utterly shocked and just kicked to the curb with the way it went down.”

With the Broccoli family now out of the picture, Brosnan suddenly seems way more open to the idea of reprising his role for one final go-round. Whether or not it should happen is another thing. Part of me thinks Amazon needs to somewhat reinvent the franchise in the same way the Broccoli family did with Casino Royale, but I also hated the way Brosnan was treated, as he deserved a proper send-off. A one-off with all the trimmings might rectify a huge injustice. 

What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

We revisit one of Val Kilmer’s most ambitious star vehicles, the wildly underrated The Ghost and the Darkness, co-starring Michael Douglas.

Last Updated on April 9, 2025

THE STORY: A British military engineer (Val Kilmer) travels to Africa circa 1900 to complete a railroad project that’s been plagued by delays. While there, he’s horrified to discover his native workers are being picked off one by one by a pair of man-eating Lions. Ill-equipped to deal with the almost supernaturally deadly lions, he enlists the aid of a famed American hunter (Michael Douglas) with a tortured past.

THE HISTORY: If you’ve read William Goldman’s second volume of memoirs, “Which Lie Did I Tell?” you’ll note that the esteemed writer of Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid and The Sting is not entirely pleased with the finished version of The Ghost and the Darkness. This was his passion project, basing it on the real Tsavo Man-Eaters, who are on display at the Museum of Natural History in Chicago. He wound up having a lot of grievances against the finished film, but the big sticking point is the casting of Michael Douglas as Remington, the hunter. As they went into production, Douglas was already involved in the film as a producer, and they tried to get Sean Connery or Anthony Hopkins to take the part, only for Douglas to step in out of necessity. However, once he was cast, the part had to be beefed up, and Douglas apparently insisted on rewrites that Goldman thinks ruined the film.

“Michael decided to play the part himself. My initial reaction was delight. He is a major star, he gave the movie all the weight it would need. He also ensured against any catastrophe that the movie would get made. More than that, I knew the script was protected because I had spent hours and days with him going over it and I knew he understood what the strengths were. But shit, as we all know, has a way of happening.” – William Goldman, ‘Which Lie Did I Tell: More Adventures in the Screen Trade’

His original script may well have been a masterpiece, and the movie probably would have been better with Connery. But, the fact is the finished film is pretty damn good, and even Goldman’s feelings on the film have improved in recent years, with him recently admitting that director Stephen Hopkins did a great job. While mostly treated as a footnote in Douglas’s career, I’ve noticed that The Ghost and the Darkness has a lot of fans over the years, most of whom, I presume, are like me, having seen the film in theaters as a fourteen-year-old, who found the idea of Douglas and Kilmer hunting lions in Africa pretty damn exciting.

In 1996, this was considered a prestige movie, even getting a late fall release. It wound up bombing both financially and critically, with the late Kilmer getting a much undeserved Razzie nomination for his performance thanks to a controversial Irish accent (although it did get one Oscar nod – for best sound editing). I believe it wound up earning a profit with the foreign gross. Still, it was bad enough that for the next few years, Douglas stuck pretty close to type, mainly playing harassed businessmen, until really shaking things up in 2000 with the one-two combo of Wonder Boys and Traffic.

WHY IT’S GREAT: There’s something about the old-fashioned pageantry of The Ghost and the Darkness that just appeals to me. A kind-of “Out of Africa meets Jaws”, there’s no way a movie like this would be made on the same scale nowadays as it was in the nineties. At the time, Michael Douglas was one of the biggest stars in the world, and Val Kilmer was coming off Batman Forever and some other great roles, so the studio probably thought they had a huge hit on their hands. While it didn’t do very well at the box office, it’s developed an appreciative following over the years, and it’s a damn exciting, grounded thriller with amazing sound design and an incredible score by Jerry Goldsmith, one of my all-time favorite composers.

“Michael wanted the audience moved when Remington died. That’s what I think was at the heart of the changes. And the best way to do that was to win sympathy for Remington. What he succeeded in doing was destroying him.” – William Goldman, ‘Which Lie Did I Tell: More Adventures in the Screen Trade’

To be fair to Goldman, he has a point about Remington’s story being too prominent. While Douglas is off-screen until the second half, and used sparingly, there’s a scene that’s just as bad as Goldman says it is – which is when some clunky exposition reveals he lost his family in The Civil War. It humanizes a character that should have been mysterious and larger-than-life and probably would have stayed that way if Connery or Hopkins had played him.

Even still, the movie is magnificently shot and edited, with terrific action scenes, and a fun “high adventure” vibe throughout. I love these kinds of old-fashioned adventure films, and the supporting cast is full of character actors who went on to become big names, like Emily Mortimer as Kilmer’s wife, Tom Wilkinson as his boss, and Lord of the Rings’s Bernard Hill as the requisite cynical safari doctor. John Kani, who showed up as Black Panther’s doomed father in Captain America: Civil War, also steals scenes as the cynical African foreman who sticks around once the lions start turning his workers into lunch.

“I also think the time was wrong. Not the time of year when it was released, I mean the time for lions. In our long history, perhaps no other animal has had such graph changes. From being vermin to being gods. Now is a cutie-pie stage. BORN FREE and THE LION KING. I don’t think the audience wanted much to hear about these two monsters that shredded so many lives.” – William Goldman, ‘Which Lie Did I Tell: More Adventures in the Screen Trade’

PARTING SHOT: I get pretty nostalgic for movies like The Ghost and the Darkness because I can remember a time when big-tentpole movies weren’t solely the domain of superhero sagas and sequels. In the era of Sherry Lansing, Paramount was one of the last hold-outs to keep making old-fashioned star-driven entertainment, and I kinda wish people like her were still around calling the shots.

All week long, we’ve been listing our favorite Val Kilmer movies. Now we want to know what you think!

Many of us here at JoBlo were shaken up by the death of Val Kilmer. While his health had been fragile in recent years, he always seemed larger-than-life, and given how young he was (only sixty-five), many of us were in disbelief at the news. One of the most affecting moments for me happened this week at CinemaCon when Tom Cruise, his old co-star, paid tribute to him by requesting we all take a moment of silence.

Earlier this week we listed off ten of our favourite Val Kilmer roles (watch the video above), while Kier also dug into it on the Livestream. However, now it’s your chance to let us know what your favorite is. Take the poll below and let us know!

About the Author

Chris Bumbray began his career with JoBlo as the resident film critic (and James Bond expert) way back in 2007, and he has stuck around ever since, being named editor-in-chief in 2021. A voting member of the CCA and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, you can also catch Chris discussing pop culture regularly on CTV News Channel.

Season two of the Pitt will jump forward nearly a year, setting the day-in-the-life action over Fourth of July weekend.

Last Updated on April 9, 2025

The medical drama is one of the most reliable types of TV series out there, emerging with the dawn of TVs in households and not going a single week without one on the screen. With that, something truly amazing has to emerge to stand out. That’s where The Pitt comes in, with the prestige of Max and the help of ER star Noah Wyle, no less. Amidst a hugely successful debut season, the sophomore outing has not only been announced but details are starting to come in.

As viewers know, The Pitt takes place over the span of one day, with the post-Covid trauma at the forefront of Wyle’s Robby’s struggles. The second season will jump forward 10 months and be set over Fourth of July weekend aka one of the busiest days for hospitals, what with Americans blowing their fingers off every five minutes.

Appearing at Deadline’s Contenders TV panel, Wyle even announced that The Pitt is looking to expand their stable of competent professionals to build on the impact of the show. “We’re calling all pros. We want people who are good with props and who are used to working in a company, with an ensemble. We want creativity. We want passion. We don’t want ego coming to play. We have tremendous people showing up excited.”

The Pitt was created by R. Scott Gemmill, who served as a writer and executive producer on ER. Last year, the estate of the original creator of that show, the incredibly tall Michael Crichton, filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros., Gemmill, Wyle, and more over The Pitt due to what they considered striking similarities to the once-planned ER continuation, which would have found Wyle reprising Dr. John Carter. Warner Bros. has since stated that it is not a twist on that but an entirely original show. Over the course of ER’s run, Noah Wyle would be nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards for  Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

The season one finale of The Pitt will air on Thursday, April 10th.

Have you been watching The Pitt on Max? What do you hope for season two?

CinemaCon is a wrap! Here’s what we learned at this star-studded convention!

Last Updated on April 9, 2025

CinemaCon is over, and once again, JoBlo.com was lucky enough to attend on behalf of the site and check out all the amazing studio presentations. Pretty much every studio was represented this year, with everyone reaffirming the fact that, after a few difficult post-COVID years, as well as the lingering effect of the dual WGA/SAG strikes, Hollywood needs to get audiences back in theatres in order to keep the industry going. 

Here are a few highlights and takeaways we got from the presentations:

Nobody 2 looks amazing:

While Timo Tjahjanto’s Nobody 2 didn’t get a major presentation, with Bob Odenkirk currently on Broadway starring in Glengarry Glen Ross, we did get to see the film’s first trailer, and it’s killer. While the first movie played on the John Wick formula, the sequel does something unique in that it seems to be an ultra-violent riff on National Lampoon’s Vacation. In the footage we saw, Odenkirk’s Hutch takes his wife and kids on holiday to a resort (with Christopher Lloyd’s Gramps in tow), only for the daughter to be bullied by some townies. When Hutch, predictably, beats the shit out of all of them, he realizes that the resort town is run by a queenpin (played by Sharon Stone), who marks the family for death. Big mistake. The trailer, which should drop soon, doubles down on both the comedy (it’s all scored by Lindsay Buckingham’s “Holiday Road”) and action (The RZA kills bad guys with a samurai sword).

The Beatles movies are crazy ambitious:

One of the biggest news stories to come out of the convention is that Sam Mendes not only unveiled his casting of The Fab Four but that the movies will all drop the same month – April 2028 – and exclusively in theatres. It will be the first-ever bingeable theatrical event. It’s ambitious – I’ll give it that much, even if it sounds a little insane (what happens if you miss one? Is there an order?).

Superhero fatigue might not be (entirely) real:

2025 seems to be a make-or-break year for superhero movies, and CinemaCon showcased exclusive footage from Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four: First Steps. The convention also unveiled the new title for Spider-Man 4 (Brand New Day) and a release date for the much-delayed Beyond the Spider-Verse. We also got a five-minute sneak peek at Superman, although that’s since been released online. One interesting thing, though, is that outside of Marvel and DC, studios seem to be giving the genre a rest.

Comedies could (and should) make a comeback:

CinemaCon was buzzing with enthusiasm about two big star-driven comedies coming this year. One was Anzi Anzari’s Good Fortune, in which Keanu Reeves plays a none-too-bright angel, while the other is Liam Neeson’s The Naked Gun reboot. Folks love the teaser (the O.J. joke is gold), but we saw even better footage at CinemaCon. I think that movie might be a giant hit.

Original movies are important:

While studios still rely on established IP, some are mixing things up in a big way. Amazon/MGM, notably, have only one sequel being released theatrically this year – The Accountant 2. All the other films are original. Warner Bros is also making a big swing with P.T. Anderson’s hugely ambitious One Battle After Another, for which we saw some extended footage.

Lionsgate is betting big on John Wick:

The John Wick universe is about to be expanded in a big way. Not only was Lionsgate busy promoting Ballerina (check out our Ana de Armas interview above), but they’ve also greenlit another John Wick sequel, AND an animated prequel, PLUS a spin-off movie focused on Donnie Yen’s Caine.

Theatrical windows need to be longer:

One common refrain was that theatrical windows have gotten too short, and exhibitors feel the pinch when studios put movies on VOD within seventeen days (which happens any time a film underperforms). Exhibitors want at least 28 days of exclusivity, while they want 45 days on blockbusters. Disney seems the most willing in this regard, with them waiting 45 days to release their Marvel movies and blockbusters digitally.

What news do you think was the coolest? Let us know in the talkbacks! Read all of our coverage HERE!

We interview directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck about Freaky Tales, their love letter to eighties grindhouse flicks.

Last Updated on April 9, 2025

The weekend sees the release of a movie we really dug when we caught it at Sundance way back in 2024. The film is Freaky Tales, which is a kaleidoscopic tribute to 80s movies. Set in Oakland in 1987, the film features a memorable collection of tales centred around the various violent encounters our heroes (and anti-heroes) have with a collection of Neo-Nazi skinheads terrorizing the city. Notably, it’s the only Sundance movie since The Raid 2 that I can remember that ends with a kung fu massacre.

It’s directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who started their careers with lower-key Indies like Half Nelson and Mississippi Grind before directing the billion-dollar-grossing Captain Marvel. Freaky Tales plays like a mash-up of the two sensibilities, with it having the edge of an indie, but the scale and excitement of a blockbuster (as well as a particularly cool A-list cameo).

Recently, we spoke with the directing duo about their approach to the film, which counts rising superstar Pedro Pascal among its main cast members. Check it out, and if you get the chance to see Freaky Tales, give it a shot. It’s a real gem. 

Here’s the Freaky Tales synopsis: An NBA star, a corrupt cop, a female rap duo, teenage punks, neo-Nazis and a debt collector embark on a collision course in 1987 Oakland, Calif.