After more than sixty years, the Brocolli family has relinquished creative control over the most lucrative franchise of all time. What does this mean for 007?

Update: After it was announced that Amazon MGM Studios had taken control of the James Bond franchise, Daniel Craig released a statement to Variety in support of Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, whose family has overseen the franchise since the very beginning.

“My respect, admiration and love for Barbara and Michael remain constant and undiminished,” Craig said. “I wish Michael a long, relaxing (and well deserved) retirement and whatever ventures Barbara goes on to do, I know they will be spectacular and I hope I can be part of them.“

The actor played 007 in the last five James Bond movies, and now that Amazon is in charge, he may very well be regarded as the last “real” Bond.

— Original article follows —

It’s finally happened—after rumours of discord between Amazon/MGM and the Broccoli family, who have been the creative stewards of the 007 franchise since its big-screen debut in 1962, the fate of 007 is in someone else’s hands. As reported by Deadline, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have established a new venture with Amazon/ MGM that hands over the series reins to Amazon/MGM, with them taking a back seat creatively.

While not wholly unexpected, this kind of news should send a chill down the spine of James Bond fans everywhere. One of the reasons the 007 franchise has lasted so long is that the Broccoli family has always had their finger on the pulse of what made the character so legendary. Despite changing attitudes, they refused multiple entreaties to spin the character off into various franchises and remained steadfast to the key tenets of the character.

Without Barbara Broccoli, who’s been the chief creative force behind the series since her father, Albert R. Broccoli, passed away in 1996, the Bond series may well lose some of its lustre. One of the things that’s made the 007 franchise last so long is its scarcity. With a conglomerate like Amazon owning the rights, it seems likely they won’t be able to resist the idea of spinning its (valuable) IP into an extended universe. What does this mean? Basically, we shouldn’t be surprised to see Bond-adjacent spin-off movies or TV shows (can a Moneypenny series or a Q spin-off be far away?). 

This is bad news for Bond fans, as we’ve always had full confidence in Barbara Broccoli’s stewardship. She memorably championed Daniel Craig’s hiring as 007 for Casino Royale. Michael G. Wilson, for his part, has been part of the 007 franchise since the Roger Moore era, having co-written all the 007 movies, from For Your Eyes Only to Licence to Kill. Albert R. Broccoli’s step-son, like Barbara, has remained a steadfast advocate for the character, and thanks to the two of them, some of the daffier ideas floated their way (let’s make James Bond a woman! Or American!), never came to pass.

In a statement, Wilson said the following, “With my 007 career spanning nearly 60 incredible years, I am stepping back from producing the James Bond films to focus on art and charitable projects. Therefore, Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future.”

While it’s not a surprise to see Wilson, who’s 83, step away, Barbara Broccoli, who’s known to have strong opinions about the direction of the franchise, seemed committed to staying the course for decades to come. Here’s what she had to say, “My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli. I have had the honour of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry. With the conclusion of No Time to Die and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects.”

As JoBlo’s resident James Bond fanatic, I do not like this news. While Amazon/MGM have a solid track record, I don’t think they’ll be able to resist the urge to expand the 007 universe or (even worse) fundamentally alter the hero to the point that he’ll be unrecognizable. I hope I’m wrong, but only time will tell. 

This is a Terminator household. First and foremost. I will argue that T2 is one of the best sequels of all time, even though I don’t feel like I have to do that because everybody knows. There is a debate in this household that Terminator is better than T2, but we don’t have time for that. We are here for The Sarah Connor Chronicles. I’m going to be honest. When I first heard about the show it was one of those things where there was so much talk about it that I was annoyed. So I put off watching it forever. “You gotta watch the Sarah Connor Chronicles, you gotta watch the Sarah Connor Chronicles…”

So I watched it.

In November 2009, C2 Pictures, the studio behind 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, decided the franchise’s next move would be to the small screen. Partnering with Warner Brothers and bringing Fox on board for the pilot, the groundwork was set for a new chapter in the Terminator saga. The pilot was written by Josh Friedman, who also served as the series’ executive producer, marking his first foray into television. David Nutter signed on to direct the pilot, fully committing to the project and sidelining other opportunities to safeguard the vision James Cameron had established. And honestly, who could blame him? Nutter directed three of the series’ standout episodes—though one of them is a bit debatable for me—but after that, he moved on to projects like The Mentalist, Arrow, and other shows I didn’t watch (no offense, they just weren’t my thing). That said, Nutter’s track record speaks for itself. Before Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, he’d already made his mark with Smallville, Dark Angel, and Roswell—all shows we should absolutely circle back to at some point.

When it comes to the timeline, the quixotic nature of the Terminator saga is chaos in its purest form—timeline paradoxes and wild attempts at ‘fixing’ things. It feels like an epic, futuristic Don Quixote tale, with Skynet, Sarah Connor, and time loops all embodying those delusionally optimistic efforts to ‘save’ or ‘doom’ humanity. C2’s Vice President of Development Josh Middleton and Friedman reimagined The Sarah Connor Chronicles as an alternate sequel to Terminator 2, ignoring T3. Middleton’s desire to bring Sarah back after T3 led to the series, and Friedman saw it almost as a replacement for T3, embracing the Terminator tradition of alternate timelines. While continuity debates continue, the show adds another layer to the timeline.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles follows Sarah and her son, John, as they try to prevent Judgment Day while being relentlessly hunted by Terminators. After surviving the events of Terminator 2, they’re forced into a life on the run, with the help of Cameron, a Terminator sent to protect John from the future. Along the way, they navigate a world full of dangers—both human and machine—while struggling to alter their fate and make sure John can someday lead humanity against Skynet. Oh, and we get to have Terminator of the week stories!

As for casting, Lena Headey, who most of us know as the notorious Cersei Lannister at this point, was recommend by a friend on the production. Friedman who loved her audition tape saw her as a rather tough woman. Her roles up to this point really highlight that. Heady had feared and revered Sarah Connor so she knew stepping into those combat boots would be a major thing. Thomas Dekker was chosen to play 15 year old John Connor and would consider his version a continuation of Edward Furlong’s. Dekker sees his version as darker and obviously more mature, as he wanted to start John as a angsty teen to coming into his place as the future leader of the resistance which I think was a great choice on his part. He also looks a hell of a lot like Michael Biehn in my opinion. To round out our mains, in an obviously last but not least, we have Summer Glau, Texas native, as our savior Terminator, Cameron. Yes, we all know where the name is derived from. Glau was originally resistant to playing the character as she just didn’t think she had the look, nor do the delicate balance of cyborg and human. Eventually, her mom convinced to do submit a tape and the rest is history. Also, don’t worry, I’m also a part of the crush train. I love her voice, it’s like a shoegaze album dream. *Cough* Serenity. Oh and David f*cking Silver aka Brian Austin Green. I’ll be honest– I was skeptical but he really drove it home as Kyle’s brother, Derek.

Okay, let’s dive into the episodes before I go down a rabbit hole. Episodes:

Season 1, Episode 2: Gnothi Seauton

I’ll admit, I’m still a little upset that Enrique had to go down this route. On a lighter note, though, John being all angsty while trying to record his voicemail on his flip phone is unintentionally hilarious. And let’s not forget him going to the internet cafe with the 1337 address, our Tech Wizard somehow misses the giant monitor behind him, broadcasting his search terms for everyone to see. We can go easy on him. That’s advanced tech for the time.

Now, we have to address the Cromartie head-in-the-time-bubble controversy. This was such a big deal that creator Josh Friedman had to step in and clarify things. You remember the rule from Kyle Reese in the first movie—only living organisms can go through time, right? Well, Friedman claimed Cromartie’s head had flesh on it, but we couldn’t see it because it was burning off too quickly (and because no one wants to watch flaming flesh, apparently). So… does this count? Should we even go this deep into it? Either way, it’s one of those moments that gets the fanbase riled up.

And can we stop being so mean to Cameron? It feels like every episode someone’s unnecessarily harsh to her. Meanwhile, Sarah is hit with some heavy news: Cameron tells her she dies of cancer in 2005. By the end of the episode, we see Sarah in a doctor’s office, getting blood drawn—a reminder of her humanity and vulnerability. It’s always a little deflating to think someone as strong as Sarah Connor could be taken down by something like cancer.

Season 1, Episode 7: The Demon Hand

This episode kicks off with one of the season’s best Easter eggs—Cameron rocking the T-1000 look. So cool. Meanwhile, Agent Ellison is now fully in the thick of it, past the point of no return. After diving into Sarah’s old institution tapes and getting his hands on the T-888 arm, he takes his newfound knowledge straight to Dr. Silberman. What starts as a seemingly civil meetup quickly escalates into chaos—poison, stabbing, and arson, with Ellison as the unlucky target.

Thankfully, Sarah swoops in just in time to punch the hell out of Silberman, saving Ellison and snagging the cyborg arm for herself. Priorities. This episode is packed with nods to the franchise’s roots, but instead of feeling like cheap fan service, they’re woven in perfectly. Bonus points for the poetic twist of Silberman ending up in the same facility where Sarah once ranted about Judgment Day.

Season 2, Episode 3: The Mousetrap

I’ve been waiting to address that Mayhem himself, Dean Winters, is in this show. He plays Charley Dixon, the EMT and Sarah’s once fiancé, whom she had to leave behind. Agent Ellison advises Charley to get out of town since Cromartie is hot on their trail, but of course, Cromartie catches up with him and kidnaps Charley’s wife, Michelle. Also Penny from Lost. This forces Charley to bring Sarah back into the mess, and she walks right into it with her time-traveling entourage, all while John is off running around with Riley. I saw some people complaining that John isn’t acting like the “future leader of the resistance,” which, in my opinion, is a bit of a stretch. I mean, the guy is a teenager with the weight of the world on his shoulders—can we cut him some slack? He’s angsty, sure, but these moments are important for shaping the John Connor we’re meant to see.

Cromartie eventually finds John, who’s been out in the open, but not before we get one of the most memorable moments with Cameron. After Cromartie nearly drowns John, he manages to swim to safety. Breathless and freaked out when he surfaces, he asks Cameron for help, only for her to respond simply with, “I don’t swim.”

Things get worse though. Cromartie detonates a bomb, and in the chaos, Michelle is fatally injured. Charley’s desperate pleas to Sarah in the van are gut-wrenching, especially when we remember Sarah’s own words: death has always followed her. There’s a tender moment between Charley and John—one of the few father figures John’s known, someone who truly cared for him and his mom. Sadly, Charley becomes just another casualty in their dangerous journey. Beastmaster easter egg.

Season 2, Episode 4: Allison from Palmdale

Cameron malfunctions and reverts to her past identity as Allison Young, revealing memories of her life before becoming a Terminator—her father as an architect, her mother a music teacher, and her last birthday party. Glau is amazing in this episode, seamlessly shifting between Cameron’s cold, robotic persona and Allison’s vulnerable humanity. After a malfunction in a grocery store, Cameron is arrested and spends the day with Jody, a homeless teen who winds up being a spoiled rich kid. At a shelter, she’s forced to share details of her life, but as the day unfolds, she reverts to discussing her mission to kill John, caught somewhere between the past and the present. When Allison and Cameron’s memories start to blend, she loses control and can’t snap out of it before nearly choking Jody to death. It’s probably my favorite episode. You leave wishing you knew more about Allison and it made me feel worse that they are so mean to her. I’m not letting it go.

Season 2, Episode 22: Born to Run

Sarah is back behind bars and our little family is fragmented.. For me, the standout moment in this journey has been watching Cameron’s evolution. I knew John wouldn’t leave his mom behind, but seeing Cameron tear through the prison? Easily one of the most badass moments in the series. Then there’s John Henry, or Cromartie—sorry, John—playing D&D on loop. It’s become a favorite scene of mine, like Dale Cooper as Dougie in The Return, stuck on autopilot but still captivating.

I won’t lie: I got a little weepy when John finds Cameron lifeless in the chair. You want him to carry her, to find her chip, to do something, but he doesn’t. Instead, he’s pulled into the future without Sarah, who’s left promising, “I’ll stop it” as John fades from her timeline. Things aren’t all bad, though—he finally meets his dad and is reunited with Derek when they make the jump.

And then there’s Cameron. When John sees her again, the subtle relief on his face says it all. It’s a moment that leaves you wanting more.

Earlier, just before heading to meet Catherine Weaver (I love you Shirley Manson), John tells Sarah he loves her—a moment that hits hard given everything they’ve been through. At the very end, we hear Sarah’s quiet, heartfelt response: “I love you too.” It’s a bittersweet echo that lingers long, well it’s still lingering.

And after all that? The series ends. Just like that. I get it now, everyone—I really do. “That’s where they left this???” was the only thing I could say.

The Aftermath:

The Sarah Connor Chronicles is probably one of the more tragic stories in television history. To start, and it’s probably the most commonly said thing about the show, it ends on a cliffhanger—one that leaves so much unresolved and fans with a sense of abandonment. The series was also a casualty of the 2007-2008 writers’ strike, which shortened its first season and created a significant gap between seasons one and two. The delay led to a loss of momentum, and despite a solid second season, the damage had already been done. This combination of a gut-punch cliffhanger and the disruptive effects of the strike ensured that the show never got the resolution it deserved, leaving everyone to wonder what could have been.

Where to Watch:

They’ve got it on lockdown right now. It was, was on Hulu about a year or so ago. You can buy a physical copy because trust us you will need them again. Or you can get creative.

I’ll say this and hope it’s a safe space: The Sarah Connor Chronicles is probably my favorite of the Terminator timelines right after the original Terminator and T2. While it certainly has its WB teen drama moments, it kept me locked in and left me with less of a “Well, that was a nostalgia cash grab.” Not that there’s anything wrong with that approach in some cases, but I feel like that’s what most reboots or sequels turn into, and SCC managed to dodge that. It’s hard to find a fan who doesn’t at least give the series credit for taking interesting dives into the timeline and making choices that ultimately paid off.

This series was one of the most requested comebacks, yet it never happened. Were you one of those hoping for its return when it went off the air? Do you think it was a major injustice? Let me know if you’d like me to dive into more episodes from this series. There’s so much more to explore!

Until next time my Cosmic companions!

A couple previous episodes of Horror TV Shows We Miss can be seen below. If you’d like to see more, and check out the other shows we have to offer, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!

On your left! Before Anthony Mackie leads the latest star-spangled adventure for Marvel Studios, Captain America: Brave New World, we’re looking back at the film that introduced the masses to Sam Wilson and gave Chris Evans’s Steve Rogers his best cinematic experience, Captain America: The Winter Solider. As the ninth film in Marvel’s cinematic universe and a sequel to 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, The Winter Solider brings superhero cinema to another level for a political action-thriller unlike anything in the studio’s history before its 2014 release. Which begs the question: What the fuck happened to Captain America: The Winter Soldier?

Work on Captain America: The Winter Soldier began before Marvel released The First Avenger, with writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely penning the screenplay. Multiple directors approached the high-profile sequel, including The Bourne Ultimatum director George Nolfi and F. Gary Gray, known for directing Ice Cube’s Friday and the NWA docudrama Straight Outta Compton. Ultimately, Joe and Anthony Russo landed the illustrious gig, their first of many films for Marvel Studios, including Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.

Taking place two years after the Battle of New York seen in Marvel’s Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier finds Steve Rogers keeping America’s ass firm and battle-ready in Washington, D.C. while working alongside Natasha Romanoff and Nick Fury to integrate the S.H.I.E.L.D. espionage agency into the fabric of society. As a part of S.T.R.I.K.E., S.H.I.E.L.D.’s counter-terrorism team, Captain America and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow board a ship overtaken by pirates led by Georges Batroc, a French mercenary and master kickboxer, played by Canadian actor Georges St-Pierre.

One stealthy infiltration action sequence and hilarious workplace banter later, Steve finds Natasha executing a secret objective for Nick Fury involving data from the ship’s computer. With his American flag-covered boxers in a bunch, Cap confronts Fury about compromising the mission, to which Fury introduces Steve to Project Insight. This directive outfits S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Helicarriers with spy satellites, giving S.H.I.E.L.D. information that helps them predict disasters and preemptively prevent crimes on a grand scale.

When Steve vehemently opposes the operation, and inaccessibility to Natasha’s data raises doubt about the mission, Fury turns to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Secretary of Internal Security, Alexander Pierce, played by Robert Redford, who, unbeknownst to Fury, is a member of the authoritarian paramilitary global terrorist organization Hydra. To make matters worse, Steve’s brother-in-arms, Bucky Barnes, who Steve believed to be dead, returns as the brainwashed murder machine, the Winter Soldier.

With Hydra’s infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. revealed, Steve’s BFF back from the grave, and the fate of the free world at stake, it’s up to Captain America, Black Widow, and Nick Fury to cut the heads off of Hydra again by exposing their corrupt plot to the world. Throughout the mission, Steve becomes disillusioned by the state of the world, realizing he’s been doing the evil organization’s bidding behind veiled orders and elaborate distractions.

As Captain America: The First Avenger superhero landed in theaters, McFeely and Markus began writing an outline for The Winter Soldier. After trading creative love taps with Marvel, the duo locked an outline down that would remain intact as production kicked into gear. While The First Avenger focuses on the patriotic popsicle coming to grips with his place in a foreign world, The Winter Soldier takes the concept further by pitting Cap against his worst fears on a global scale.

Steve’s fortitude throughout Captain America: The Winter Soldier speaks volumes about the character’s resolve. Here is a character who lives, sleeps, and breathes American values getting broken by the system he’s vowed to uphold and protect. He’s a man out of time facing a variation of the enemy he gave his life to dismantle so many years ago. Imagine if that group infiltrated the only semblance of organized justice you’ve ever known with a directive to poison the well. Then, they manipulate your best friend against his will to destroy all who oppose them. Captain America is the pinnacle of grit, courage, and integrity. However, he’s not going to let that debasement stand. It’s time for America’s ass to open a can of Whoop-Ass.

Regarding influences, McFeely and Markus studied Ed Brubaker’s iconic Winter Solider storyline to bring Bucky’s new and complex identity onto the silver screen and conspiracy thrillers like Three Days of the Condor, The Parallax View, and Marathon Man. One of the beautiful things about working with Marvel characters is that they’re constantly evolving. Sure, you might not like every direction they take, but by their very nature, they change with each creator’s influence. McFeely and Markus rebuilt the MCU’s Steve Rogers to be the spinning shield of a political thriller, giving audiences a fresh take on a beloved character.

During the scripting process, McFeely and Markus considered using Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, in the film. Unfortunately, the character was relatively new, only appearing in Thor and The Avengers. After studying the screenplay, the duo thought Clint would have little to do in the film, seeing as Steve and Natasha’s playful relationship serves as comic relief and a link to other MCU events.

After all was said and done, the Russo Brothers had a clear path in mind for The Winter Soldier. While they wanted the film to be fun, they also felt it should be topical. All you need to do is turn on the news, watch a video on YouTube, or pick up a paper to know the world is perpetually eating itself alive. In other words, there’s plenty of inspiration right outside your door. At the time, topics like drone warfare, shadowy surveillance, and strategic killings laid claim to most headlines. The Russos knew these concerns would fit nicely with the Winter Soldier story and embraced the chaos.

If you dig kooky character shenanigans, The Winter Solider has no shortage of could-have-been casting stories. At one point, Emilia Clarke, Teresa Palmer, Imogen Poots, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jessica Brown Findlay, and Alison Brie were in the running to become Steve’s love interest. The writing team eventually dropped the role from the film unless you count the introduction of Emily VanCamp’s Sharon Carter as a workaround. Frank Grillo stars in the movie as Rumlow, aka Crossbones, though his part almost went to Game of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lost‘s Josh Holloway, or Abigail‘s Kevin Durand.

Captain America: The Winter Solider is Chris Evans’s movie, of course, but it also inducts Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, aka Falcon, into the MCU. McFeely and Markus do an excellent job of establishing Sam immediately. After watching him host a meeting meant to comfort and help guide veterans’ mental health, you know who he is. Unlike other MCU characters, Sam remains relatively consistent throughout his journey, forever willing to help and eager to turn the tide of any battle. By the end of the Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, he’s more than worthy of taking up the shield and turning his gaze to a Brave New World.

When Captain America: The Winter Soldier opened in theaters, it came out of the gate swinging with $10.2 million in Thursday previews. It quickly secured the top spot that weekend—make that three consecutive weekends. With rave reviews circulating water coolers and fans singing the film’s praises online, Marvel knew they had a bonafide hit and that they’d struck gold with Joe and Anthony Russo. The Winter Soldier earned $714.4 million at the global box office, banking $166.2 million in profit after promotional campaigns, merchandising, and honoring contracts.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has 34 movies, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier remains one of the best. Tragically, the concerns and concepts raised in the film remain threads in society’s fabric. As disturbing as that notion is, it makes for one hell of a viewing experience and a Marvel movie worthy of repeat viewings. After bidding farewell to Chris Evans’s Captain America in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and passing the torch to Sam Wilson, it’s essential to remember the first soldier to don the stars and stripes. Thankfully, Sebastian Stan’s Winter Solider returns in Marvel’s Thunderbolts* in May of this year, giving us more of a fantastic character established in the Russo’s super-powered political thriller.

As we prepare for a bold, new era of Marvel at the movies, never forget how many doors Captain America: The Winter Soldier opened for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Russo Brothers helped break the cycle of origin story, wash, repeat, by keeping the threat grounded, global, and ever-present. Few Marvel movies have achieved the heights of The Winter Soldier. However, the studio will have plenty of opportunities to try as more heroes get introduced and filmmakers continue to bend genres to reshape the superhero mold. Until then… on your left.

Amazon’s newest action flick picks up the Die Hard/Air Force One tradition as Viola Davis takes down terrorists at the G20 summit.

From time to time, sometimes the President gets in on the action themselves as they take matters into their own hands with movies like Independence Day, White House Down and, of course, Air Force One. Additionally, the movie Widows showed that Viola Davis was capable of crossing over into the action genre. Now, the Academy Award-winning actress goes full-on Harrison Ford as a President who takes on a group of terrorists in the new trailer for G20. Prime Video has released the new trailer where Davis goes up against The Boys‘ Antony Starr.

The official plot synopsis reads,
“When the G20 summit comes under siege, U.S. President Danielle Sutton (Academy Award winner Viola Davis) becomes the number one target. After evading capture by the attackers, she must outsmart the enemy to protect her family, defend her country and safeguard world leaders in this action-packed thrill ride.”

Patricia Riggen (The 33, Under the Same Moon, Girl in Progress) directs G20 from a script by Caitlin Parrish, Erica Weiss, Logan Miller, and Noah Miller, with a story by Logan Miller and Noah Miller. According to Prime Video’s official description, G20 follows U.S. President Danielle Sutton (Viola Davis), who becomes the number one target after the G20 summit – an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 sovereign countries, the European Union (EU), and the African Union (AU) – comes under siege. After evading capture by the attackers, she must outsmart the enemy to protect her family, defend her country, and safeguard world leaders. The film will be available to stream in over 240 countries and territories worldwide.

“This is Viola Davis as you’ve never seen her—heroically kicking tons of ass in a global thrill ride,” said Riggen. “With G20, I wanted to make the kind of classic, edge-of-your-seat action film that I’ve always been such a fan of, but one that draws on the high stakes of our modern and technologically advanced world we live in. I hope to give audiences an experience that will captivate them from start to finish.”

Starring alongside Viola Davis in G20 are Anthony Anderson as Derek Sutton, Marsai Martin as Serena Sutton, Ramón Rodríguez as Agent Manny Ruiz, Douglas Hodge as Oliver Everett, Elizabeth Marvel as Joanna Worth, Sabrina Impacciatore as Elena Romano, Christopher Farrar as Demetrius Sutton, and Antony Starr as Rutledge.

“G20 is a high-stakes action film with a lot of heart,” said producers Davis and Julius Tennon. “It boasts a fantastic ensemble cast, and is rooted in the fundamental drive we all have to protect the people and places that matter most to us,” said producer Andrew Lazar.

Nicholas Galitzine has been putting in the work (and the hair dye) to play He-Man in the live-action Masters of the Universe

I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes when it was announced that Nicholas Galitzine (Red, White and Royal Blue) had been cast to play He-Man in the new live-action Masters of the Universe movie that’s supposed to be going into production very soon. I just didn’t see any potential for He-Man in this actor. But now, a behind-the-scenes image has dropped online to confirm that Galitzine has been putting in the work to become the character, as he is now buffed up and blonde. You can see the image in the X embed below.

Bumblebee director Travis Knight is at the helm of this new take on Masters of Universe, working from a screenplay by Chris Butler that’s based on earlier drafts by David Callaham and formerly attached directors Aaron and Adam Nee. The story follows ten-year-old Prince Adam who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword—the only link to his home on Eternia. After tracking it down almost two decades later, Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain, Prince Adam will first need to uncover the mysteries of his past and become He-Man: the most powerful man in the Universe.

Galitzine is joined in the cast by Camila Mendes (Riverdale) as Teela, Jared Leto (Morbius) as the villainous Skeletor, Idris Elba (Luther) as Man-at-Arms (a.k.a. Duncan), GLOW‘s Alison Brie as Skeletor’s right hand woman Evil-Lyn, Morena Baccarin (Deadpool & Wolverine) as The Sorceress, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (Captain America: Brave New World) as Malcolm (a.k.a. Fisto), Sam C. Wilson (Dodger) as Trap Jaw, Hafthor Bjornsson (Game of Thrones) as Goat Man, Kojo Attah (The Beekeeper) as Tri-Klops, and James Purefoy (A Knight’s Tale) and Charlotte Riley (Peaky Blinders) as He-Man’s parents, King Randor and Queen Marlena.

The behind-the-scenes image shows Galitzine, sporting He-Man’s blonde hair, and Mendes, with red in her hair to play Teela, preparing for their roles alongside Hafthor Bjornsson… who, unfortunately, is not sporting his Goat Man horns.

Scream 7 co-star Mason Gooding says that former Ghostface killers Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley are bringing something special to the film

A couple of weeks ago, Spyglass Media and Paramount Pictures made a surprising casting announcement, revealing that Scott Foley, who played the Ghostface killer in Scream 3, is returning for Scream 7, even though his character was killed off. That was quickly followed by another surprising announcement: Matthew Lillard, who was a Ghostface killer in the original Scream and also appeared to be killed off, will also be appearing in Scream 7. Now, their co-star Mason Gooding has said in an interview that Foley and Lillard are bringing “something special” to the film, and Foley and another co-star Mark Consuelos, took a moment to discuss being set up in the same hotel during an interview on Live with Kelly and Mark. You can watch the Foley / Consuelos clip in the embed above, and Gooding’s quote can be found below.

Spyglass and Paramount once intended to make a Scream 7 that would have starred Scream (2022) and Scream VI leads Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, with Freaky and Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon at the helm. But then Ortega allegedly asked for a substantial pay raise – and as we saw when Neve Campbell dropped out of Scream VI due to a pay dispute, these pay issues don’t tend to work out. Then Barrera was fired from the project after comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war didn’t go over well with executives at Spyglass. Landon dropped out the of the project soon after. So Scream 7 has been re-developed, Campbell has signed on to return as franchise heroine Sidney Prescott, back in the lead role, while Kevin Williamson, who wrote the screenplay for the original Scream, directs the film from a screenplay by 2022’s Scream and Scream VI writer Guy Busick, who crafted the story with his co-writer on the fifth and sixth films, James Vanderbilt. (Vanderbilt is also a producer on the most recent sequels.)

Neve Campbell, Mason Gooding, Scott Foley, Matthew Lillard, and Mark Consuelos are joined in the cast by Isabel May of the Yellowstone prequel 1883, who has signed on to play Sidney’s daughter; Mckenna Grace of the Ghostbusters franchise, Grace’s Ghostbusters co-star Celeste O’Connor, Gen V‘s Asa Germann, The Fabelmans‘ Sam Rechner, Pitch Perfect‘s Anna Camp, fellow franchise star Courteney Cox, who reprises the role of reporter / author Gale Weathers, Joel McHale (Community) as Sidney’s husband Mark Evans, and Ethan Embry (The Devil’s Candy). Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown are back as Chad Meeks-Martin and Mindy Meeks-Martin from Scream (2022) and Scream VI.

Gooding told Entertainment Weekly (with thanks to Collider for sharing the quote), “Matthew Lillard’s been a huge part of my understanding and love for the medium for a very long time. … When you consider his work in the context of [the first] Scream, you realize that was actually him kind of reining it in and being more grounded given the circumstances. To see where they’re taking that understanding and dynamic in 7 is far different than I imagine anyone will be able to anticipate, and they will absolutely deliver.” Gooding added that Foley is incredible and that Scream 3 is a secret pleasure of his. He ended by saying, “I cannot wait for people to see what they’re cooking, so to speak, with Matthew and Scott… because it’s something special.“

Are you looking forward to seeing Matthew Lillard and Scott Foley in Scream 7? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

Filmmaker Martin Scorsese feels that writer/director Robert Eggers and his take on Nosferatu are both amazing

A few months ago, legendary director and cinematic gatekeeper Martin Scorsese shared a recommendation for the horror film I Saw the TV Glow. Now, Scorsese has taken a moment to hype up another horror film, and this time it was The Witch, The Lighthouse, and The Northman writer/director Robert Eggers‘ remake of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent classic Nosferatu.

An unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the original Nosferatu has the following synopsis: In this highly influential silent horror film, the mysterious Count Orlok (Max Schreck) summons Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) to his remote Transylvanian castle in the mountains. The eerie Orlok seeks to buy a house near Hutter and his wife, Ellen (Greta Schroeder). After Orlok reveals his vampire nature, Hutter struggles to escape the castle, knowing that Ellen is in grave danger. Meanwhile Orlok’s servant, Knock (Alexander Granach), prepares for his master to arrive at his new home. Werner Herzog directed his own remake of the film in 1979. Murnau’s film had a running time of 94 minutes and Herzog’s is 107 minutes long, so Eggers’ 132 minute version is substantially longer than its predecessors.

Eggers’ take on Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman in 19th century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire who stalks her, bringing untold horror with him.

The cast includes Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man: No Way Home) as crazy vampire hunter Von Franz, Lily-Rose Depp (The Idol) as Ellen Hutter and Nicholas Hoult (Renfield) as her husband Thomas – a role Bill Skarsgard was going to play at one point. Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Bullet Train) is in there as Thomas’s friend Friedrich Harding, with Emma Corrin (The Crown) as Friedrich’s wife Anna, Ralph Ineson (The Witch) as Von Franz’s cohort Dr. Wilhelm Sievers, and Simon McBurney (The Conjuring 2) as Herr Knock, Thomas’s employer. Bill Skarsgard (Stephen King’s It) is the title character and has said that playing Nosferatu / Count Orlok was like “conjuring pure evil. It took a while for me to shake off the demon that had been conjured inside of me. … I do not think people are gonna recognize me in it.“

During an interview for The 92nd St Y, Scorsese was asked if he had seen Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu. Scorsese replied (with thanks to Cinema Blend for the transcription), “[It’s] amazing. Anything he does, this guy, is amazing. And that’s one [film] that you don’t do much after seeing. You’re still in the world. You’re in there. You’re in Transylvania, and it’s really, ‘Whoa.’ Man, he’s something.“

Nosferatu has stirred up a lot of positive reactions, with JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray even describing the film as a new horror classic in his 10/10 review. Do you agree with Martin Scorsese that Robert Eggers and his version of Nosferatu are amazing? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

James Mangold’s critical darling has collected the big Oscar nominations and details on the physical media release have been announced.

A Complete Unknown has made a big splash with its many accolades and awards nominations. The Bob Dylan biopic has also managed to pick up some of the biggest recognitions in the film industry with Academy Award nominations in Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay. Now the James Mangold film is set to come home with a 4K Blu-ray release set for April 1. Blu-ray.com reports on the announced details for the movie that stars Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Edward Norton, Monica Barbaro, and Boyd Holbrook. 

The description reads,
“New York, 1961. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music. He forges intimate relationships with music icons of Greenwich Village on his meteoric rise, culminating in a groundbreaking and controversial performance that reverberates worldwide. Timothée Chalamet stars and sings as Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown, the electric true story behind the rise of one of the most iconic singer-songwriters in history. The film also stars Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Elle Fanning as Sylvie Russo, Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash and Scoot McNairy as Woody Guthrie.

A Complete Unknown has been nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director James Mangold and Best Actor Timothée Chalamet as well as 6 BAFTA Awards including Best Actor Timothée Chalamet, Best Supporting Actor Edward Norton and Best Picture, and 3 Golden Globe Awards® Nominations including Best Actor Timothée Chalamet, Best Supporting Actor Edward Norton and Best Drama Picture. The film also received 4 SAG Awards nominations including for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, and a PGA and WGA Awards nomination. Mangold was nominated for the DGA Awards, his first DGA nod.”

Special Features and Technical Specs:

• DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
• DOLBY ATMOS AUDIO TRACK
• Audio Commentary by James Mangold
• The Making of A Complete Unknown
  • The Story
  • Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan
  • The Supporting Cast
  • The Design
• 4K BLU-RAY: English Dolby Atmos, 2.0 DTS-HDMA and 2.0 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks
• BLU-RAY: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA and 2.0 Dolby Digital Descriptive Audio, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks
• 4K BLU-RAY: Optional English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles
• BLU-RAY: English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles

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.

Character posters give a look at the threats the characters in the Until Dawn movie will be facing; a new trailer arrives tomorrow

Last year, we learned that Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation director David F. Sandberg would be re-teaming with Annabelle: Creation screenwriter Gary Dauberman for a movie based on the horror video game Until Dawn. Production began in August, wrapping in October, and the film is aiming for an  April 25, 2025 theatrical release. We just saw a trailer (embedded above) for the film last month, but now the official X account has revealed that a new trailer will be dropping online tomorrow – and while doing so, they also unveiled a batch of character posters that show the threats the characters will be facing in the movie. You can check out the character posters at the bottom of this article.

As The Hollywood Reporter previously noted, first released in 2015, Until Dawn is an interactive horror video game that follows eight friends and frenemies who are brought together a remote mountain retreat. With live or die scenarios featuring a mysterious killer, cannibalistic wendigos, a cable car, and a long-ago mining cave-in that reverberates into the present day, the members of the group must fight through their fear if they all hope to make it through the night in one piece. The game proved to be a surprise hit with critics and received numerous gaming awards nominations.

Sandberg and Dauberman didn’t reveal what exactly will be going on in their movie version of Until Dawn, but the project is described as being an “R-rated love letter to the horror genre, centering on an ensemble cast.” Dauberman’s script is a rewrite of a previous draft by Blair Butler, who wrote the vampire movie The Invitation. The story centers on Clover, a young woman who visits a remote cabin with her friends in the wake of her sister Melanie’s disappearance.

Until Dawn is set up at Sony’s Screen Gems, where Dauberman has a first-look deal as part of the plan to “rebuild Screen Gems, Sony’s division focused on lower-budgeted fare, into a more productive label, with horror being a top focus.” Dauberman is producing the film through his company Coin Operated while Sandberg and Lotta Losten produce through their Mångata shingle. Roy Lee of Vertigo Entertainment and PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan are also producing. Ashley Brucks and Michael Bitar are overseeing the project for Screen Gems.

The film’s cast includes Ella Rubin of The Idea of You and the upcoming Fear Street: Prom Queen, Odessa A’zion of the recent Hellraiser reboot and the sitcom Fam, Michael Cimino of Love, Victor and Annabelle Comes Home, and Ji-young Yoo of Expats and Smoking Tigers. His fellow new additions are Belmont Cameli of Along for the Ride and Saved by the Bell and Maia Mitchell of The Fosters and Good Trouble. Peter Stormare (Fargo, John Wick: Chapter 2) is also in there, reprising his role from the video game.

Are you looking forward to the Until Dawn movie? Take a look at the character posters, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

We sit down with Xolo Maridueña
, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, Jacob Bertrand, Gianni DeCenzo and the showrunners to discuss the final episodes.

The last batch of Cobra Kai episodes is on their way, with season six, part three, dropping at midnight! These last five episodes wrap up the series in a way that still leaves the door open for further adventures in the Miyagi-verse, with Karate Kid: Legends on the way to theaters this summer. Given how Ralph Macchio’s Daniel figures into the next installment of the saga, it would be reasonable to think that the final episodes turn their attention to William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence and the young cast – which is precisely what happens. We’ll be posting our full review in the morning, but in the lead-up to the finale, we were lucky enough to be able to chat with the young cast (we spoke to Macchio and Zabka a few months ago – which you can watch HERE) about the most memorable moments from their time on the show.

Indeed, the young cast, who are all now in their twenties, have come a long way in terms of fighting proficiency since Cobra Kai was a show on YouTube Red. The new episodes have some of the most intricate fight scenes to date, and the cast seemed rightly proud of how far their talents have come. Check out our chat with Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, Jacob Bertrand, and Gianni DeCenzo about their favorite moments from the show and how it’s changed their lives. We also chat with showrunners Josh Heald, Hayden Schlossberg, and Jon Hurwitz, who admit the show has grown beyond their wildest dreams and why they felt these last episodes had to slightly shift the focus to the kids and Johnny Lawrence. 

Are you excited about the new Cobra Kai episodes? Check them out soon!