“Where the hell have you been, loca?” Taylor Lautner returns to play himself in Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter TV series.

If you’ve been wondering, “Where the hell have you been, loca?” when it comes to Twilight star Taylor Lautner, wonder no longer. It turns out that the actor has been hunting his sworn enemy all this time… werewolves. Variety reports that Lautner will star in and executive produce Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter, a new series in development at Amazon MGM Studios.

“After wrapping the final ‘Twilight’ film, Taylor Lautner vanished from the spotlight. Fans speculated, tabloids theorized—but the truth is wilder than fiction. Taylor wasn’t just taking a mental health break. He was preparing for his real calling…Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter,” reads the official synopsis. “Playing himself, Taylor is drawn into a secret society of werewolf trackers who need his unique expertise. As he navigates his double life—Hollywood actor by day, supernatural warrior by night—Taylor must wrestle with the ultimate irony: fighting the very creatures that made him famous. Between saving the world, reviving his career, and falling in love, he faces the ultimate question—what happens when your biggest role becomes your greatest enemy?“

Daisy Gardner is the creator and showrunner of the series, with Matthew Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett serving as directors and executive producers via their Radio Silence banner.

Taylor Lautner played Jacob Black in Twilight, but The Twilight Saga: New Moon director Chris Weitz was planning on recasting the role with an actor who could more accurately portray “the new, larger Jacob Black.” However, Lautner wasn’t willing to give up the role. He weight-trained extensively and gained approximately 30 pounds in order to keep the role. In less than a month, the studio announced that Lautner would keep playing Jacob. After The Twilight Saga: New Moon, he returned for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.

Although the synopsis makes it sound like Lautner hasn’t been in anything since Twilight, the actor did appear in Grown Ups 2, The Ridiculous 6, Cuckoo, and Scream Queens before he stepped away from Hollywood for close to a decade.

Yet another new Game of Thrones spinoff series teased by HBO, plus the three-season plan for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Since the conclusion of Game of Thrones, HBO has been developing enough potential spinoff series to fill the Red Keep. Not every series will make it to the finish line, but HBO’s Head of Drama Series and Films, Francesca Orsi, has teased one more that seems to be in a good place.

“We have other spinoffs that we’re working on right now, one of which — which I won’t get into — is very promising, and it is still the Targaryen line,” Orsi told Deadline. “There’s a number of other spinoffs, we can’t really guarantee what’s going to go forward, but we are very big budget on the other ones.” More dragons and incest.

Orsi also discussed A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the upcoming series based on George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas. The six-episode first season will debut on HBO later this year, and the network is already looking at a renewal. They’re even considering filming seasons 2 and 3 back-to-back, which would complete the three Dunk and Egg novellas.

“You’re going to be so impressed by Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell as Dunk and Egg, the two leads, the sort of brotherhood, the paternal nature between Dunk and this young man,” Orsi said. “So much so that we’re already planning on how do we build this for the three seasons in total. We’re not picking it up officially, but it’s looking very good. We’re looking at it as a holistic piece, Seasons 2 and 3, because there’s three novellas.“

Orsi continued, “The role of Egg only spans not even a year, so you have to roll into it season to season pretty quickly, because this little kid will grow up too quickly if we wait too long. So we’re thinking about that in terms of pickups.” Unlike Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and the other shows, Orsi said A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a more “intimate” production, meaning we probably won’t see too many dragon battles. Martin recently professed his love for the spinoff after seeing all six episodes.

It’s been 20 years since the release of Constantine, but director Francis Lawrence says Constantine 2 is “closer than ever.”

It’s been nearly three years since we first learned that Warner Bros. was developing a long-belated sequel to Constantine. A lot has changed in that time, such as James Gunn and Peter Safran taking over DC Studios, but the project is still kicking. In fact, director Francis Lawrence told Collider that Constantine 2 is “closer than ever” to actually happening.

“I will say we are closer than ever to being able to do a sequel, which is a great thing,” Lawrence said. “And Akiva, Keanu and I are super, super excited about it.” Lawrence will direct the sequel from a script by Akiva Goldsman, and, of course, Keanu Reeves returns as the cynical exorcist and demonologist.

The original Constantine movie was released in 2005 and grossed a respectable $230.9 million on a $70-100 million budget. The movie found Constantine helping an LAPD detective (Rachel Weisz) prove that her sister’s death wasn’t a suicide but was, in fact, something much more sinister. As for the sequel, Lawrence didn’t drop any major teases, only to say, “We have a great idea.“

He continued, “We have gone through a bunch of the comics over the years and looked at things. I will say that there’s probably grains from things that we’re pulling, but in truth, most of it is just coming from the three of us, you know, loving the character, loving the world, having it sort of in the back of our minds for 20 years and just kind of percolating on ideas, and stories and characters we love, and ideas we love.“

Lawrence has previously teased that he would like to develop Constantine 2 with an R-rating in mind. “One of the biggest things for me about the first one was we followed, per Warner Bros., the rules to make a PG-13 movie in terms of violence, blood, language, sexuality,” Lawrence said. “But the ratings board gave us a hard R based on their the gray zone of intensity. And my big, big regret was that we have an R-rated movie that’s really a PG-13 movie. And if I was going to have to go have an R, I would have really made an R-rated movie. I would have made it much scarier and much more violent and I would have really made an R-rated movie. The idea is this time, at least for me, is to really go at it and make a real R-rated Constantine which is, I think, what people always wanted originally, not the PG-13 version that just happens to get an R.“

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Constantine will be released on 4K Ultra HD on February 18th.

The expanded third season wraps up six seasons of ass-kicking with an underwhelming five episode finale.

Plot: After a shocking result in the Sekai Taikai, Miyagi-Do must reckon with their pasts while facing an uncertain future both on and off the mat. Almost 40 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, it’s all been leading to this.

Review: After six seasons over seven years and two streaming platforms, Cobra Kai is coming to an end. With the first two parts of the final season split into three parts, fans have seen ten episodes leading to the long-awaited finale event debuting on Netflix. The last five episodes of Cobra Kai VI culminate in the finale event that wraps up the story of Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) as he comes full circle in his story that began when he lost the All Valley Karate Tournament to Daniel LaRusso in 1984’s The Karate Kid. Bringing together all of the adult and teen cast along with the film characters introduced through the six seasons of Cobra Kai, this finale does provide a conclusive ending to the series. But, while everyone gets closure to their storylines, I cannot help but feel disappointed and underwhelmed by the repetitive and derivative nature of the sixth season, which has suffered rather than benefited from the extended episode count. Cobra Kai VI shows mercy to the audience by ending the show without leaving the audience feeling it was earned.

Part One saw Migayi-Do and Johnny’s Cobra Kai teaming up to prepare for the Sekai Taikai tournament. Part Two found the unified dojo arriving in Barcelona for the competition with the new Cobra Kai, led by Da-eun (Alicia Hannah-Kim) and John Kreese (Martin Kove), in one corner and Terry Silver’s (Thomas Ian Griffith) Iron Dragons, led by Sensei Wolf (Lewis Tan), in another. The second section ended with a massive brawl that claimed the life of Cobra Kai’s Kwon (Brandon H. Lee) in the biggest cliffhanger this series has had yet. Part Three begins a month after the suspension of the Sekai Taikai, which has found Johnny and Daniel (Ralph Macchio) struggling with what should come next. Daniel is still at odds with the details he learned about Mr. Miyagi’s deadly past involvement with the tournament, while Johnny does not know what comes next for him despite having a baby on the way any day now. We know the tournament will resume, so the first episode serves as a way to put the characters back in alignment for the matchups in the semi-final round and, eventually, the championships. These episodes focus a lot of time on Robbie (Tanner Buchanan), Tory (Peyton List), Miguel (Xolo Mariduena), and Sam (Mary Mouser) and their competition with Axel (Patrick Luwis) and Zara (Rayna Vallandingham), with a couple of training detours along the way. This means some oddly goofy choices in preparing for the matches involving virtual reality and some callbacks to The Karate Kid feature films.

Cobra Kai has never been subtle in its messages of perseverance and balance, and these closing episodes are no different, which means the training montages and focus shifts to a smaller group of characters. Most of the teen cast has a drastically reduced amount of screen time, which wastes arcs for Devon (Oona O’Brien), Eli (Jacob Bertrand), Demetri (Gianni DeCenzo), Kenny (Dallas Dupree Young), and anyone not competing in the Sekai Taikai. These episodes also quickly wrap up Chozen’s (Yuji Okumoto) ongoing romantic subplots and give us closure with the antagonistic Terry Silver and the somewhat redeemed John Kreese, both of whom were a welcome addition to Cobra Kai when they first appeared but have overstayed their welcome. Lewis Tan is wasted as Sensei Wolf, whose presence could have been built up more. Still, instead, he feels rushed to provide a more age-appropriate villain instead of making us sit through the middle-aged Johnny and Daniel punching and kicking the geriatric Kreese and Silver. Nevertheless, those who like their old-man fights are in for some doozies in these closing episodes.

This series started out by focusing on Johnny Lawrence’s road to redemption, which blended his out-of-touch nature that was stuck in the 1980s with his ongoing feud with Daniel LaRusso. As the pair put their differences aside to team up against Kreese and Silver, the focus shifted away from Johnny. These last five episodes bring the focus back to Johnny, with the final episode reserved for the showcase William Zabka has deserved since this series began. But, the power of bringing in the iconic music from The Karate Kid and the nostalgic boost of how the story gets everything aligned for the finale is wasted by the overlong wait to get here. By splitting the season to mine as much viewership from fans as possible and enduring two major cliffhangers, the expectation that this series would end any differently than it does was never in the cards. Instead, the final episode feels underwhelming and too quickly wraps up multiple plot threads left hanging by the preceding ten chapters.

The final five episodes hail from writers Joe Piarulli, Luan Thomas, Ashley Darnall, Kyle Civale, Chris Rafferty, and Bob Dearden, most of whom have scripted prior episodes this season. The finale was written by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, with Hurwitz and Schlossberg directing the last episode. The last episode certainly hits all of the right points in referencing prior episodes and even incorporating some movie archive footage. Still, so much momentum is lost between the debut of the first episode of season six and the release of Cobra Kai VI Part Three, which takes away some of the elements laid out in the season premiere. I am sure there was some desire to lay red herrings along the way to pad out this season for maximum impact. Still, the first and second parts of Cobra Kai VI could easily have been cut down to a total of five episodes, which improved the momentum and led to what should have been a rousing conclusion to this hit series. The cameos and callbacks in this final section pale compared to the five seasons before, leaving Cobra Kai VI as the worst thing it could have been: boring.

When this series started, I was charmed by seeing William Zabka’s and Ralph Macchio’s legacy updated for a new generation. There was a lot of fun, both nostalgic and otherwise, through the years as The Karate Kid cast returned in different ways to connect this series to its source. The last seasons have suffered from diminishing returns as the Cobra Kai concept began to repeat ideas in slightly different combinations, failing to strike first, strike hard, or show any mercy. Cobra Kai VI brings the series to a close in a way that could have been daring, special, and even unique, but rather than rock the boat or the legacy of The Karate Kid, the finale plays it safe and does only one surprising thing, which you will all see as you binge the closing chapters. I wish I was more satisfied with where this series ended up, but I will always look back fondly on the overall series as a worthy continuation of one of the most iconic films of the 1980s.

The Cobra Kai VI finale event premieres on February 13th on Netflix.

Ford and Mackie do their best, but this is one of the weakest official MCU movies and feels like a Disney Plus show.

PLOT: The new Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), is approached by the recently elected president, Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford), to re-assemble The Avengers on the eve of an important accord between multiple countries. However, when his old friend, Isiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) tries to kill the president, he realizes Ross may not be all he seems.

REVIEW: Things sure have changed in two years. Think about it – on President’s Day weekend back in 2023, Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania hit theaters, and its $106 million opening was considered a massive underperformance, with many even calling the film a flop. That’s how hot Marvel was then – a $100 million plus opening was considered weak. However, the bar was lowered – A LOT – by The Marvels, while several big-budget Disney Plus series further weakened the brand, and now, Captain America: Brave New World seems to be opening with perhaps the least fanfare ever for a movie in the MCU.

Granted, there have been a lot of stories about how the film was plagued by many rounds of reshoots, while there’s been a noticeable lack of enthusiasm around Sam Wilson’s big-screen debut as Cap. Indeed, Captain America: Brave New World is pretty mediocre for a Marvel movie, with it feeling almost like it should have been a Disney Plus series rather than a movie, as it lacks the scale and excitement one usually feels with the franchise. Even worse though, is the fact that it almost completely lacks any sense of fun.

Much has been made about how this is meant to be in the vein of The Winter Soldier, but that film had a more compelling storyline that – even at its most complex – was always grounded by the main theme, which was the bond between Cap and Bucky. Brave New World doesn’t give Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson the same kind of stakes, with his bond with Carl Lumbly’s Isiah quickly written out of the story in favor of just letting Cap do his own thing, leaving the movie feeling like nothing you haven’t seen before.

One can’t really blame Anthony Mackie, with Sam Wilson lacking the kind of epic build-up Steve Rogers got, with his feuds, displacement in time, lost loves, etc. Wilson, who also doesn’t have any superpowers, feels a bit like Hawkeye in that he’s a more regular kind of guy in a world populated by absolutely iconic performers and characters. He’s never been given the material other characters have, although Mackie does his best. He fares well in his scenes opposite Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Ross, as their antagonism and grudging respect for each other actually kind of works. Still, when Sam is paired with the woefully underdeveloped new Falcon (Danny Ramirez), the film starts to feel an awful lot like TV.

The movie could have benefitted from a few established characters being brought back in to carry some of the weight, with Shira Haas’s Ruth Bat-Seraph little more than a stand-in for one of the Black Widows (the movie could have used Florence Pugh’s Yelena as a co-star). Much is being made about Tim Blake Nelson’s return as The Leader, but he always feels like a B-level villain who’s only around to lead in to the big battle everyone wants to see – Cap vs Red Hulk.

I’ll say this – bringing Red Hulk in is what makes the film worth seeing, as it’s fun watching the grumpy Ford do his thing in Hulk mode, and Ross is a lot more fleshed out here than you’d think. Again, Ford and his chemistry with Mackie give Brave New World a pulse, but too much of the film feels assembly line, and the seams where the reshoots come in are pretty obvious.

My biggest gripe is that for all the comparisons to The Winter Soldier, the action is weak, with virtually none of the action scenes any better than what you’d see on a Disney Plus show, as no Marvel director since the Russo Bros have had as good of a handle on superhero carnage as they had. One can’t blame Julius Onah, as, like The Marvels’ Nia DaCosta, I’m sure his control over the final product was limited.

Brave New World is definitely proof that Marvel needs to shake up the formula, as years of Marvel shows on Disney Plus, and too many uninspired films have diluted the brand. While not a disaster, Brave New World feels like more of a chore to sit through than it should be. If you manage your expectations, there’s some fun to be had watching Ford and Mackie go mano-a-mano, but Marvel movies shouldn’t feel this dull. 

5

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Viewer Ratings (0 reviews)

Chances are, you may have heard their music from somewhere. Now, discover the meteoric legacy of the 60s band Sly & the Family Stone.

SLY LIVES! (aka The Burden of Black Genius), the new film from Academy Award winner, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+ in their streaming bundle. The documentary examines the life and legacy of Sly & The Family Stone, the groundbreaking band led by the charismatic and enigmatic Sly Stone. This film captures the rise, reign and subsequent fadeout of one of pop music’s most influential artists, but also shines a light on how Black artists in America navigate the unseen burden that comes with their success. Drawing from his own personal experience and relationships, Questlove tells an empathetic human story about the cost of genius, reframing the way we all engage with pop culture.

The film features notable guests such as Andre 3000, D’Angelo, Chaka Khan, Q-Tip, Nile Rogers, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, George Clinton, Ruth Copeland and Clive Davis. Additional guests include those closest to Sly, including his band members Jerry Martini, Greg Errico, Larry Graham and Cynthia Robinson and family Sylvette Phunne Robinson, Novena Carmel and Sylvester Stewart Jr., who offer the best insights into Sly’s life by sharing anecdotes from their time together. 

The film hails from MRC, Network Entertainment Inc., Two One Five Entertainment Inc., RadicalMedia, Stardust Films LLC and ID8 Multimedia, Inc., in association with Sony Music Entertainment. It is produced by Joseph Patel and Derik Murray (Network Entertainment Inc.) and directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (Two One Five Entertainment Inc.). Executive producers are Amit Dey, Brian Gersh (Network Entertainment Inc.), Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (Two One Five Entertainment Inc.), Shawn Gee (Two One Five Entertainment Inc.), Zarah Zohlman (Two One Five Entertainment Inc.), Common (Stardust Films LLC), Derek Dudley (ID8 Multimedia, Inc.), Shelby Stone (ID8 Multimedia, Inc.), Ron Weisner, Paul Gertz (Network Entertainment Inc.), Kent Wingerak (Network Entertainment Inc.), Ali Pejman (Network Entertainment Inc.), Jon Kamen (RadicalMedia) and Dave Sirulnick (RadicalMedia).

The documentary starts streaming today and you can view the trailer above. Questlove of The Roots was also recently featured in an HBO documentary about the easy-listening pop genre that is now called “Yacht Rock.” That documentary, Music Box: Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary, can now be streamed on Max.

A new trailer has been released for the horror film Until Dawn, based on a popular video game and directed by David F. Sandberg

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. Yesterday, a batch of character posters were unveiled, and those came with the promise that a new trailer would be dropping online today. True to their word, Sony’s Screen Gems has now released that new trailer, and you can check it out in the embed above.

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.

What did you think of the new trailer for Until Dawn? Are you looking forward to this movie? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The writing seemed to be on the wall after the success of the second season. The Rings of Power is now in pre-production for season three.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power aired its Season 2 finale last October and fans were already clamoring for a third go-round of Amazon‘s epic series based on the J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy franchise in Middle-earth. According to reports, JD Payne and Patrick McKay have spent months plotting the hit show’s next storyline while they were waiting for Amazon to greenlight a Season 3 renewal. According to Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power garnered 55 million viewers during the show’s sophomore season.

Wait no more, fans! According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been given a season 3 renewal over at Amazon. With Payne and McKay’s early development plans, the season is already in pre-production and filming on the hit fantasy drama will commence this spring at the show’s new production home at Shepperton Studios in the UK. Additionally, the new season will bring forth a major time jump going into the new episodes, with Sauron is now crafting the iconic One Ring.

The official logline reads,
“Jumping forward several years from the events of season 2, season 3 takes place at the height of the War of the Elves and Sauron, as the Dark Lord seeks to craft the One Ring that will give him the edge he needs to win the war and conquer all Middle-earth at last.”

Two veteran directors of the show will be returning. International Emmy award nominee Charlotte Brändström (Shōgun), who had directed two episodes from season one and directed five episodes during season two, will be making the return to Middle-earth this season. Sanaa Hamri (The Wheel of Time), who directed three episodes in season two, will also return to helm season three entries. This year will also have a newcomer directing with Stefan Schwartz (The Boys, The Walking Dead) taking the reins for some undisclosed episodes.

Our own Alex Maidy found season two to be a big improvement on the debut season as he pointed out in his review, “A significant amount of world-building needed to take place for the first season to create a foundation for an ongoing narrative, and I am impressed by how much stronger the series The Rings of Power is in season two. From the pacing to the character development alone, The Rings of Power is significantly better.”

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.

During the early 2000’s, horror was on a mission to shake things up and keep audiences on the edge of their seats—literally. Gone were the days of predictable slasher flicks; this was an era where psychological scares, supernatural thrills, and mind-bending twists took center stage. In 2002, a film called Darkness decided to challenge its viewers with just that. Perhaps your house was a little too quiet or your lights flickered just a bit too often, or maybe your house was home to a cult practicing satanic rituals? This creepy flick stars Anna Paquin, who moves into a seemingly charming countryside home with her family—except this house has more than just creaky floors and drafty windows. It’s practically the poster child for “homes you definitely shouldn’t buy,” with a dark past that’s more twisted than a haunted house ride. As the shadows grow longer and the walls seem to close in, Regina realizes that her new home is hiding something far more sinister than a bad paint job. So, before you start screaming “get out of the house,” let’s revisit this forgotten horror flick, just make sure you’ve checked the corners of your own home before bed.

Before directing Darkness, Jaume Balagueró was primarily known for his work in the horror genre, particularly for his feature film debut Los Sin Nombre, which translates to The Nameless, in 1999. It was based on the novel of the same name by British author Ramsey Campbell and became a significant success in the European horror scene. The film is a dark, psychological horror-thriller that revolves around a mother’s search for her missing daughter and her encounter with a mysterious cult and was praised for its intense atmosphere, disturbing imagery, as well as Balageuro’s ability to craft a chilling narrative, earning him several awards, including Best Film at the Fantafestival and Fantasia International Film Festival.

Balagueró’s work on Los Sin Nombre established him as a rising talent in horror. His style was characterized by a focus on mood and atmosphere, creating a sense of dread that lingered with audiences. This success paved the way for him to take on larger projects, leading to his involvement with Darkness.

The production history of Darkness is as complex and shadowy as the film itself. Darkness was one of the early films produced under Filmax International, a Spanish production company that sought to elevate the profile of Spanish horror globally.

Originally, Balaguero tried to get Natalie Portman as the lead, but the part eventually went to Anna Paquin. Fresh off her role as Rogue in X-Men, brought star power and a proven ability to handle complex, emotionally charged roles, making her a natural fit for the film’s protagonist who must unravel the terrifying mysteries of her new home. Her presence was also intended to enhance the film’s marketability, especially in the U.S. Alongside Paquin, the filmmakers cast Lena Olin. Her ability to convey nuanced emotions and her experience with intense, dramatic roles made her ideal for the part. Iain Glen, known for his versatility and intensity, added another layer of complexity to the family dynamics. The supporting cast, including Giancarlo Giannini as the mysterious grandfather.

The movie was shot largely in Spain, with some exterior scenes filmed in Barcelona and its surrounding areas. Despite being a Spanish production, Darkness was conceived as an English-language film to maximize its international appeal.

Production faced several challenges, particularly in balancing the film’s artistic vision with its commercial potential. As stated before, the movie’s dark and complex narrative was a departure from the more straightforward horror films.This posed difficulties in editing, which was reported as tumultuous.

Darkness premiered in Spain on October 3, 2002 and had its wide release in the country on October 11. The film was accepted for its atmospheric tension and the way it incorporated elements of psychological horror with a supernatural twist. Spanish audiences were familiar with Balagueró’s style, and many were drawn to the film’s dark narrative and its production values. However, the reception was somewhat mixed. While some praised the film’s mood and suspense, others felt that the movie didn’t quite live up to the expectations set by his previous work. There was also some critique regarding the film’s pacing and its somewhat convoluted plot, which left some viewers feeling that it lacked coherence. Additionally, the decision to make the film in English was a double-edged sword; while it broadened the potential audience, it also led to some criticism from those who felt that the film lost a bit of its authenticity by not being in Spanish.

In October of 2003, Filmax sold U.S. distribution rights for Darkness and Los Sin Nombre, to Miramax Films and sat on the shelf for nearly two years, during which time it underwent significant re-editing. These changes included reducing the film’s runtime, toning down some of its more disturbing elements, and streamlining the narrative to make it more straightforward for audiences.

Darkness premiered in the U.S. on December 25, 2004 through Miramax’s Dimension Films. Instead of releasing it as an R rated film, it would be released as PG-13. Despite these efforts, Darkness faced further setbacks. Its U.S. release was poorly timed, coming out during the busy holiday season when it faced stiff competition from big-budget blockbusters. On it’s first week it opened in 7th place, behind newcomers Meet The Fockers and Fat Albert, but surprisingly beat out The Phantom of the Opera’s opening in the top 10. The film would gross around $6 million on its Christmas opening weekend. It stayed in the top 10 for one more week before dropping out. Darkness would finish with $22 million domestically and $11 million internationally making for a worldwide total of $33 million.

Critics weren’t too kind. On Rotten Tomatoes, it currently has a rating of 5% and critics conesus stating: “Yet another predictable variation on the hoary old haunted-house movie, Darkness is an illogical, portentous mess. While most didn’t enjoy it, companies like Variety praised it for its cinematography but criticized the script saying it lacked coherence and scenes didn’t feel connected.

Darkness was released on DVD and VHS on April 26, 2005. In the early 2000’s, lots of films would distribute two types of DVD’s. There would be the theatrical cut DVD and the Unrated DVD. The unrated version had the original R rated cut with the run time of 102 minutes as well as a quick bonus feature for behind the scenes of the film. The PG-13 release not only had a different color on the case, but was only displayed in Full screen Viewing Aspect Ratio. Why the studio did this I have no idea. In 2012, Miramax released the film on Blu-ray with the extended cut. This release would showcase an upscaled high definition version of the film. It didn’t release with any new bonus content, just the same behind the scenes featurette as the DVD, “Darkness Illuminated”. In May 2024, the good people at Shout Factory re-released the film on Blu-ray. For this release, the disc housed both Unrated and Theatrical cuts as well as the same bonus feature as previous releases.

One of the film’s most significant strengths is its atmospheric tension. The house itself becomes a character in the film and contributes to a sense of dread. The film’s use of shadows and eerie sound effects heightens the sense of suspense and unease, making it effective at generating scares. When I was watching this at home, with my wireless headphones, I felt my heart racing and was genuinely scared at certain points in the film.

The premise is another strong point. While the cursed house idea sounds like it’s copying The Amityville Horror, it stands on its own by providing ground for both supernatural and psychological horror. The film delves into ideas of family secrets, trauma, and the haunting impact of past events, offering more depth than a typical haunted house story. But the biggest standout lies within its lead star… Anna Paquin. She brings a level of emotional depth and vulnerability to her role and is both compelling and convincing, providing a strong anchor for the film’s plot.

But with every strength, there are some problems with the film. One of the major issues is the film’s plot. This only spans to the original cut. While I’ve only seen the longer version, which is the easily accessible cut to view, the film underwent significant re-editing, which resulted in pacing issues and a disjointed narrative. Character development, extended backstory, some subplots and climatic scenes all had a dramatic change.

The film also suffers from familiar horror tropes and clichés. As stated earlier, a cursed house is intriguing, but it feels tired and predictable. The reveal of certain characters and their backstories can be seen coming from a mile away. Character development is another area where Darkness struggles. We are excluding Anna Paquin from this as the film’s supporting characters are somewhat underdeveloped. The interactions between characters can feel underdeveloped and generic whereas the family feels like they lack any emotional depth, other than one character’s backstory.

I do give high praise for the twist at the end of the film. Without spoiling anything, it’s pretty engaging and thought provoking. I do wish we could have seen what happens after things are revealed and given more run time to that, but alas I’ll accept it for it is.

In conclusion, Darkness is a film that is celebrated for its atmospheric tension and effective use of eerie visuals and sound design to create a hauntingly claustrophobic environment. The film’s premise, which delves into the supernatural curse of a family’s new home, offers a rich foundation for psychological and supernatural horror, setting it apart from more conventional types of films.

Anna Paquin’s stands out but the film is also marked by several issues, including underdeveloped characters, inconsistent motivations, and a convoluted narrative, which affected the theatrical cut.

Despite this, I still enjoyed the film. Its suspense and tension made for some truly great moments that are packed into this film. I would have liked more backstory on the forces behind everything and another five minutes at the end when everything is revealed, but beggars can’t be choosers. Can someone though release a complete version of this film on Blu-ray? I just want some more special features and behind the scenes of how this film was brought to light…hell, even a commentary by Balaguero explaining the process in detail would be great! Speaking of Balaguero, he would have some great success with the REC films. He directed three of the four films. Screen Gems even made a remake of it in 2008 under the title Quarantine.

Overall, Darkness serves as a memorable entry in early 2000’s horror, demonstrating both the potential and pitfalls of filmmaking as well as leaving a lasting impression with its chilling atmosphere and thought-provoking finale.

Two previous episodes of Revisited can be seen below. To see more of our shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals channel – and subscribe while you’re at it!

A trailer has been released for the action thriller The Accountant 2, starring Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal, directed by Gavin O’Connor

Christian Wolff, Ben Affleck’s character from the 2016 action thriller The Accountant, will be making his long-awaited return to the big screen this year – and his comeback is going to be a violent one. The Motion Picture Association ratings board recently revealed that they’ve given The Accountant 2 an R rating for strong violence, and language throughout. That happens to be the same rating the first movie received, for the exact same reasons. Coming our way from Amazon MGM Studios, the film is scheduled to be released on April 25 – and with that date just a couple of months away, a trailer for the film has arrived online! You can watch it in the embed above.

If you need a refresher, Wikipedia reminds us that Christian Wolff was “a certified public accountant with autism who makes his living (un-)’cooking the books’ (i.e., sanitizing fraudulent financial and accounting records) of criminal and terrorist organizations around the world that are experiencing internal embezzlement.”

Directed by Gavin O’Connor from a script by Bill Dubuque, the team behind the first movie, The Accountant 2 has the following synopsis: When her former boss is killed by unknown assassins, Treasury Agent Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) is forced to contact Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) to solve the murder. With the help of his estranged but highly lethal brother Brax (Jon Bernthal), Chris applies his brilliant mind and less-than-legal methods to piece together the unsolved puzzle. As they get closer to the truth, the trio draw the attention of some of the most ruthless killers alive—all intent on putting a stop to their search. Here’s another synopsis: Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) has a talent for solving complex problems. When an old acquaintance is murdered, leaving behind a cryptic message to “find the accountant,” Wolff is compelled to solve the case. Realizing more extreme measures are necessary, Wolff recruits his estranged and highly lethal brother, Brax (Jon Bernthal), to help. In partnership with U.S. Treasury Deputy Director Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), they uncover a deadly conspiracy, becoming targets of a ruthless network of killers who will stop at nothing to keep their secrets buried.

Ben Affleck, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, and Jon Bernthal are joined in the cast by J.K. Simmons, Daniella Pineda, Allison Robertson, Robert Morgan, and Grant Harvey. Affleck is also producing the sequel with Matt Damon, Lynette Howell Taylor, and Mark Williams.

Are you a fan of The Accountant, and are you looking forward to The Accountant 2? What did you think of the trailer? Let us know by leaving a comment below.